She never got a glimpse of the other contestants when they boarded the boat to Wawanakwa for the first time. Until Total Drama Action started, Courtney didn't even know the order of introductions except she was one of the last contestants to arrive. There didn't seem to be any rhythm to it, which made sense considering who their host was. There are vague memories that pop into her head, like seeing Justin for the first time, the group photo which led to the dock breaking (when did that even get fixed?), and other little features.
There are obviously moments that are more prominent than others, like being in the bottom two during the first elimination ceremony and not being able to face her fear (it's really not a fear, ok? it's a disdain) of green jelly. There was the camping challenge and the cooking challenge and of course the infamous Basic Straining episode. It seemed like all of these happened in a dream, where Courtney could wake up and lay in her bed, wondering if those dreams ever really happened before coming to a conclusion that they didn't.
Things start to solidify more in Action. That's when she and Bridgette didn't talk as much. When Trent started to become more prominent in her life. There was also a thick thirty-two paged contract and ink all over her face during the finale. The idea of happiness began to swing in her face at one point, before being pulled away like the million dollars.
During her short flight to Muskoka, the young adult reminisced on her audition tape. How she was nervous and mixed up her president speech with the word-for-word script she created for her audition tape. She thought about Tom and what he was up to - all the other people who walked by and gave weird glances or annoyed glances at her while she was talking.
She thought about the contestants who wouldn't be at the reunion (there aren't too many of them that she could remember the names of other than those she competed with/against). Apparently, Justin wouldn't be at the reunion either, though she isn't too sure how many people would miss his presence. Courtney tried to think of as many former competitors as possible and how she would try to interact with them. Who she would try and talk to. Asking for forgiveness would be a bit too much, and something (still) out of Courtney's element.
It didn't take long for Courtney to remember Scott wouldn't be making an appearance. Oh Scott, Courtney couldn't help but crack a small smile at the thought of him. What a strange, awkward goofball. If she had any means of getting his phone number, she would maybe reach out to him too. Thinking of him made Courtney think about why she fell for him in the first place. She actually liked him, but the more she thought about it, the grimmer the realization would be.
So, she decided to think about seeing Bridgette and Trent again. This made her excited, considering how infrequent her communication had been with them these past few weeks. To be honest, Courtney was pretty scared about seeing them. She'd never admit it, but she saw herself as a coward for cracking under the pressure of Chris McLean and signing her soul away once again. All she could do was hope this was the right decision to make.
As she stepped off the plane, she came to the conclusion Chris flew or drove people out at different times in order to avoid seeing each other. At the same time, it helped reduce publicity around the contestants and gave paparazzi a dwindling opportunity to find a former contestant.
Sunglasses on, she looked around before walking towards the baggage claim with her head down. Muskoka was a fairly small town, so the airport was not as mobile with people as other airports like in Toronto or Vancouver, but it still didn't help to be cautious of the people in her surroundings.
Walking, she thought about Bridgette. Like a, holy shit Bridgette is still engaged, thought. In the mix of the chaos that deviated Courtney away from the normal aspects of her life, she kind of forget Bridgette was planning a wedding. With Geoff. That they are announcing during the reunion.
She couldn't imagine how nerve-wracking that must be. At the same time, though, it is somewhat expected of the two. Everyone knows they're still together and living together, so one can only assume they're thinking about their futures. Whether it be buying a home, having children, or getting married. In her head, Courtney could see Bridgette in a flowing white dress, bouquet full of pale pink roses and veronicas. Light makeup and her hair in a bun, wrapped by a white lace piece. Unfortunately, the image also had Geoff in his trademark cowboy hat and unbuttoned pink shirt, but at least he had nice pants that reached his feet on. It would be a beautiful sunny day, and everyone would be happy.
They'd probably move soon. To be somewhere closer to the ocean. Maybe to the United States, or maybe somewhere else in Canada. Courtney would love if they moved to California, so she had an appropriate reason to visit. She would mix the close proximity of Bridgette though. There is something special about meeting your best friend on a reality television show that gathered teenagers from around the country (excluding Justin, who happened to be the only American from their cast) and somehow only living a little over an hour away.
And Geoff and Bridgette having children? Courtney could only tolerate so much blonde in her vision.
Once she made it to baggage claim, she saw a sign with her last name on it. The man holding it, an older security guard dressed in all black, shook her hand and escorted her to the car. It sat quietly in the parking lot on the other side of the pick-ups/arrivals section of the airport. He threw her luggage in the trunk as slid into the backseat, clicking her seatbelt in place before putting her headphones in and finding some music to listen to. The dark blue cushioning made Courtney feel a bit safer and more comfortable. The windows were tinted just enough so it was difficult to see who was inside the car. Quickly, the security man slid into the driver's seat, turned the car on, and drove off.
Life would be so boring without you. i thought about it all last night quietly flowed in Courtney's ears soon after they drove onto the highway.
Courtney wondered if she would ever have children. Bridgette would be such a great mother. So warm and empathetic and genuine. Stern, yet understanding. Fun and forgiving.
The more positive qualities she thought about regarding Bridgette, the less she saw herself as someone fit to be that high of importance in someone's life. It wasn't that she didn't have the qualities to raise good children, but she didn't believe she had what it took.
Her parents were very passive in her life. Whether it was the comments they made in the car rides home after a violin performance or their tone when disciplining her, it lacked effort. That could probably be a possible reason Courtney became such a perfectionist. Trying to find a way to change their tone, their glazed eyes, the quick movements of their hand when they were finished with a conversation. They went to shows because it was expected of them to. They needed to see where their daughter was in terms of skill and as a bragging point at dinner parties.
It wasn't that they loved her any less, but they had an interesting way of showing it. Primarily materialistic, in other words. Courtney could list off all the family vacations they took in other countries but couldn't count how expensive her wardrobe was at one point. When she really impressed her parents, she received gifts outside of Christmas and her birthday. One was the speech she gave at her eighth grade graduation. Her parents thoroughly enjoyed her SAT-level words and poise, so they went to dinner at the most expensive restaurant in the territory. It's been quite a few years since Courtney felt that confidence-trip of receiving praise from her parents.
Now? They were nearing their sixties and edging closer and closer to retirement. After the second season of Total Drama, they cared less and less about Courtney's antics on the show, until they no longer knew what was happening. She used to get angry calls from her mother when Action was being aired for the first time, the complaints being about her co-worker's talking about Mrs. Otero's daughter's behavior at company events. With Mrs. Otero a lawyer and Mr. Otero a politician, the two controlled Courtney's hometown for most of her life. Their occupations heavily bled into Courtney's life; it's why she was running for student council president and had goals of being a corporate lawyer. In some ways, she looked up to her parents. Part of it may be due to their success, especially when working together. But, as an only child and no other relatives close enough to connect to, Courtney didn't really have anyone else to look up to.
If Courtney were to ever have kids, she hopes they look like her. Or at least, more than the father. At the thought of who the father could be, she sighed and plaecd her elbow on the window, holding her head in her hand. At the very least, she hopes her kids are friends with Bridgette and Geoff's kids. Maybe she'll raise them to be nicer than her. Or to be an overachiever, but in a cool way.
Thoughts about the future stressed Courtney out. She's had a ton of thoughts on control and acceptance. It's a common issue normal people struggle with but somehow her idealizations grew large and out of proportion. Unfortunately, the young adult never took an opportunity to journal these thoughts or jot them down, so they stick in her brain constantly. Bridgette suggested one time she should see a therapist, but Courtney immediately shot the idea down.
"Do I look like I need to see a therapist, Bridgette?" Courtney asked, the first time Bridgette mentioned it aloud. It was a hasty, bitter remark back when Courtney really didn't see herself for the person she truly was.
None of this made her evil, though. She was a bit misguided and fell into a conceptualized tunnel-vision belief success was all she needed, but it happens to more people than just a sixteen-year-old. It should be more acceptable for Courtney than any adult on a reality television show.
Temporarily, she stopped her thoughts and glanced out the window. The sun was completely out now, shining across the Canadian territory. A few clouds floated across the sky, making no intention of collapsing with rain. They just kept on moving, something Courtney is learning to do.
Courtney began thinking about the reunion again, something she had been trying to avoid for the morning. If her memory is correct, she arrived after Owen. And if lucky, he would take all of the attention off of her arrival. Even better, with Justin not attending that left Izzy (who Courtney is going off the assumption she's just as crazy as ever), a girl who knows how to steal a scene whenever she wants to.
The brunette could slip through the cracks and hangout with Bridgette and Trent, at least, for the beginning of the reunion. A lot of ifs were traveling across her brain, ideal expectations to make this shit-show as bearable as possible. But, knowing Chris, that was probably not going to happen. The man craved drama like nicotine and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Maybe, for once, Chef will keep him on a leach.
It was extremely clear Chris hadn't changed in the slightest. He did hit a low point with his insanity but seemed to come back from it once Don was allowed to host a Total Drama show of his own. Maybe it was a slap in the face for Chris, knowing he was replaceable. He wasn't as crazy on All Stars as he could have been (which Courtney is very thankful for), but it was still there.
All of the mishaps he went through over the years did make her crack a smile. She even sighed and shook her head at the memory of Duncan blowing up Chris's cottage, a small smile appearing on her face and an eye roll alongside it.
Once she grabbed her luggage from the security guard, she thanked him, and he wordlessly went back in the car and drove off. After an eyebrow raise and a slight annoyance at the lack of response, Courtney turned and walked to the dock where she knew the boat would arrive. It felt like she was on the side of some road and wondered if this was a legitimate dock or one Chris built up secretly as a means to prevent others from finding it. Unsurprisingly, Courtney probably had this exact same thought the first time she stood here. It also brought up memories of the first time she was eliminated, when she believed they were just going to drop her off here in the middle of the night and force her to wait until help arrived.
With every familiar place, a wave of memories hits her. It isn't like this exact thing happened when she started All Stars, but it's different this time. There is no money to win, no contract to break. At this point, there really isn't anything going through her brain except memories, good and bad. Total Drama Island is where it all started, where her life changed infinitely. Whether it was for the good or bad is up to whoever is commenting on her life.
As she continues to think, a boat arrived in the distance. Courtney couldn't help but show a small smile. It was the same ugly, dirty boat they used in the first season. The absolute brand of Chris McLean right here. Never changing. Courtney stepped closer to the dock as the boat got closer, listening intently for any creaks or indications the dock would rupture and break, and the girl would be left in the dirty water of Muskoka ("Just like old times!" she could hear Chris say in her head). With some confidence gaining the longer she stood in the same spot, she didn't move until the boat was in front of her and she was able to hop on.
There was only about fifteen minutes separating Courtney from her nightmares at this point. And she made it this far already. Which meant jumping off the boat and into the water was no longer an option. She wasn't sure what to do with her time, so she pulled out her phone one final time. As far as she knew, after reading the contract, they weren't allowed their phones as per usual. So, she'd have to give it to the boat driver at some point before they could see Wawanakwa. The service was terrible, but she was still able to log into her social media accounts and see what was happening in world news.
That picture she had taken at the airport was still gaining likes and Courtney was still gaining more followers by the minutes. She scrolled through her feed mindlessly, liking random pictures and then updating her notifications, seeing how many new people decided to follow her. It could also be due to the excitement of the reunion and people expecting some content from her after all of it is over.
The closer they got to the island the lower Courtney's stomach dropped. She tried to avoid the feelings through keeping her attention on her timeline of posts, but it was getting increasingly worse to manage. Eventually, she realized she needed to give the captain her phone and mentally prepare herself.
She opened the door and to her immediate left was a basket for phone drop offs. It was full of everyone's phones, so Courtney was on the money about Chris using the same order as Island for their introductions. So unoriginal. Delicately, she dropped it in and turned around, going back outside and onto the front of the boat. She placed her hands on her hips and closed her eyes to breathe in and out. She did this for a few minutes, and before she knew it, the island was in plain view.
Stepping away from the front, she stood closer to where the ragged plank would fall down, and she could walk off as gracefully as possible. Suddenly, she could see everyone.
They were staring at her. A mixed number of facial expressions made it difficult to interpret what Chris had been talking about or if he was introducing her. The crowd of twenty looked so similar, yet different from the group she met at sixteen years old. Her peripheral view gave her an indication of where he was, but she actively tried to avoid making eye contact and instead focused on people like Trent and Bridgette, who was attached at the hip to Geoff as per usual.
To be honest, Courtney couldn't even feel herself breathing anymore. But the pumping of her heart was felt all over her body. Before she knew it, she was looking down at the plank that finally connected to the Wawanakwa dock. Audibly breathing out, she grabbed her bag and walked down the treacherous piece of wood, before landing on the somewhat solid dock and regripping her luggage.
"Courtney, it is so nice of you to join us!" Chris greeted, that smirk plastered all over his face.
Half-lidded eyes of annoyance immediately took over Courtney's demeanor, and for the sake of her shortened sanity she decided it was best to ignore him for now.
A voice broke Courtney from her thoughts. "Damn girl, where the hell you been at? Nice to see you're alive though."
Turning away from Chris and to the crowd, Courtney immediately recognized the voice as LeShawna's. "Hi LeShawna. It's nice to see you again." She placed her luggage on the dock and pulled the holder out so she could roll it rather than carry it. "I've been -."
Before she could finish her thought, Chris shushed her. "Sorry Courtney. We know as much as you like to talk, you can't answer that for the sake of the reunion." He then gave one of his idiotic laughs.
After taking a deep breath, she rolled her eyes at him before walking down the dock to where everyone else was standing.
Instead of pushing to the back, Courtney was forced to stand in the front with Owen, Eva, and Cody. She looked behind her and locked eyes with Bridgette, who gave a big smile and wave. Smiling back, Courtney turned back around in order to avoid the faces of many of her peers.
The group was chatting among themselves, probably catching up with each other quietly so the camera couldn't catch it. Internally, she sighed and turned to Cody.
"So, Cody. How have you been?" She asked, smiling.
He turned to her, and she realized he grew a few inches taller. In actuality, he may have her by an inch or two, which was new to her considering how short he was during filming. His face did not hide the shock on his face as he responded, "Pretty good, actually. I've started making money from playing video games and posting them on YouTube, which helps pay the bills. I've thought about starting a solo music career, but I decided against it."
"You should totally do it man! I'd definitely support you!" A loud, and universally loved voice interrupts the conversation. Courtney glanced above Cody to where Owen's face smiled down at him. Still as large as ever, he patted Cody on the head before looking at Courtney, almost apprehensively.
Courtney smiled. "Hi Owen. It is nice to see you again. And Cody, you should talk to Trent if you ever reconsider starting a music career. I know it won't be the Drama Brothers experience, but you never know."
Owen and Cody both looked at Courtney, more confused. "Courtney you actually sound nice, which is really weird." Owen commented, before turning his attention back to the dock to see his ex-girlfriend arrive.
The brunette places one hand on her hip before scratching her head, an awkward laugh at the comment. Cody continued on, "You know there's no competition, right? You don't have to be nice to us for an alliance."
He spoke cautiously, as if working with a ticking time bomb. Courtney stopped laughing and stared at him, an eyebrow raised. "I'm aware of the situation we're in, Cody. I'm being nice because I want to." She paused. "I don't have an endgame."
"Please, as if." Courtney turned around to lock eyes with Heather, full head of hair back down to her waist and eyes as piercing as ever.
"I acknowledge your comment, Heather, but I'm choosing to ignore it now." Annoyance rang in Courtney's tone before she turned back to Cody. "Seriously Cody, just wanted to catch up with you. I kind of want to with everyone, it's been some time. Maybe not Heather though."
The scoff she heard behind her brought a small smile to her face. It brought one to Cody's too, as he threw out a nonchalant "Cool" before turning and facing the end of the dock again.
Finally, Izzy arrived. Loud orange hair bouncing all over the place, she started on a tangent about her escape from the RCMP and how she missed everyone. That didn't seem to be too true, but the look on Owen's face told the contestants around him he was touched by the sentiment. His eyes got really watery, similar to how DJ's would look when he got really emotional.
Izzy walked over to where everyone else was standing, and she smiled and waved erratically at the group. "Hi Noah! Hi Eva! Hi Izzy! Oh, wait that's me!" Then she began to laugh, walking through the group until she was standing next to Noah.
Rolling his eyes, Noah had a smile on his face as he called her a maniac, as per usual. Courtney couldn't see Eva from where she was standing so she chose to turn back and face Chris, who was walking across the dock.
"Alright former campers! Time for a picture!" He pulled out a camera and smiled menacingly at the group.
Several sounds of disagreements, "Hell no's, and other words were used. Even Courtney threw out an "Absolutely not."
A female voice rose among the crowd. "You're so funny McLean. Bold of you to assume we don't remember what happened the last time you made us do that."
Courtney didn't need to turn around to recognize the voice as Gwen's.
Shaking his head, Chris pointed to the area in front of him. "Now, guys. We got the dock fixed, don't worry about it breaking." The smile on his face said otherwise, but slowly people started moving toward the area.
"Are you gonna move it or what, Miss B-I-T-C-H?" After throwing an angry glance behind her to Heather, Courtney started walking towards the dock.
"Girl if you don't shut your skinny ass up." LeShawna commented as she walked past the two.
Turning her attention away from Courtney, Heather started glaring at the African Canadian instead, not making a response to the insult.
Someone put their hand on Courtney's shoulder as she was walking. Turning around, Trent had a big smile on his face. He had on a casual green shirt and jeans, similar to his signature outfit from the series.
"Hey Court. Nice to see you." He removed his hand and the two stood next to each other in the middle of the group of people.
In the background the two could hear the Oh my GOD Sadie it's just like summer camp all over again and the OMG Katie ikr this is so exciting! from the best friends. "Hi Trent, it's nice to see you again. Sorry for going MIA, I was dealing with a lot."
"No worries, I'd figure as such. It happens." As the two began catching up, Bridgette and Geoff began to approach them.
Trent and Courtney smiled at their presence.
Geoff, wearing the exact same clothes as always, took his cowboy hat off and waved it as a greeting before putting it back on. "Dude! And Mocha! What's up bras? Who's ready for the party to start?"
At his side, Bridgette laughed a bit. Then, she walked over to Courtney and the two embraced. "I missed you, Bridgette." Courtney mumbled into long blonde locks.
Bridgette tightened her hug. "I missed you too Court. You fell off the face of the Earth again. I got nervous."
The two let go. "I'm good, I swear." Courtney replied, smiling at her friend.
The two men stopped talking and stood on either side of the two girls. Trent was on Courtney's left, and Bridgette was on her right. Next to the blonde was her fiancé, unkempt blonde strands hidden underneath his hat.
After yelling at Izzy to stay still, Katie and Sadie to be quiet, Ezekiel to get closer to everyone else, and asking several other contestants to "Christ it wouldn't hurt you to smile!", Chris finally got an image that was satisfactory.
"Alright, listen up! Here's how this shing-ding is gonna go." Everyone looked at the former host. Courtney crossed her arms, not expecting anything of intelligence to come out of his mouth. "I read all your request about who you wanted to stay with and such, but the executives and I decided we didn't really care what you thought. So! No hotels here, obviously."
This caused groans, and dramatic sighs from many of the adults. Even Bridgette had to roll her eyes.
"Which means," as Chris continued, "I decided we should throw it back! You'll be staying in the exact same cabins you stayed in during Total Drama Island. That means Bass girls will sleep in their original cabin, Gopher guys will sleep in their original cabin, and so on."
There was some commotion after this announcement.
Courtney and Bridgette smiled at each other, knowing they were going to bunk together. Unfortunately, the squeals that followed reminded them of who else would be staying in their cabin.
People started to quiet down once Chris raised his hand. "And that's not all. Confessionals will also be back! Feel free to speak how you feel in there, just like old times! After I let you go, you can throw your stuff on your beds and work your way to the cafeteria. Sit with your team. You have twenty minutes to do so."
"I swear to god if Owen is as smelly as before I will choke him in his sleep." Noah crosses his arms, staring unimpressed at the camera.
Heather, in her confession, is also annoyed. "The fact I have to sleep around weird Goth girl, big ass LeShawna, and crazy girl all over again should already be a breach in my contract." She crosses her arms. "And gross Beth and stupid Lindsay too? Ugh."
"Chris, I'm sorry." Heather spoke. "But is there any way I can like, not sleep in that cabin. I'd rather stay in a room with Eva and weird surfer girl."
Most of the former Gopher girls glared at Heather's request. The exception was Izzy, who didn't really seem to understand what was going on. Or she chose to ignore it.
Chris rubbed his chin. "Let me think about it. Uhhhh, no."
Again, Heather scoffed, before rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "Fine."
Courtney sat in the confessional legs crossed. "It sure does feel nostalgic being back in this disgusting place. At least Chris can't make us do challenges anymore." She smiled, but it looked uncertain.
As people started to stalk off to grab their luggage and go to the cabins, Geoff began to walk in the opposite direction. "Duncan dude! DJ dude! Long time no see bros!"
"And that's my cue to walk away." Courtney mumbled to herself.
She began walking to grab her stuff, with Bridgette and Trent following.
The other two were conversing with each other behind Courtney, catching up for the first time in some time. Luckily, Courtney's carry-on was in the front of a lot of people's stuff, so she didn't need to climb over anyone's stuff. She let Bridgette and Trent walk in front of her so they could find their stuff and then followed them to the cabins.
"Trent, it sucks you aren't on our team." Courtney interrupted the conversation in front of her.
He looked back and gave a pity smile. "I know right. I have to suffer Owen's nighttime farts though, so be thankful."
The three of them laughed in front of the Bass girl's cabin.
Bridgette rearranged her bag on her shoulder. "I mean, at least you don't have to stay in the cabins all day. We should hang on the beach later today if we aren't doing anything with the reunion."
"I wouldn't be completely opposed to that." Courtney agreed. In the back of her head, she knew Geoff would probably tag along. But she could only hope he didn't convince anyone else to come.
Trent held up his guitar, indicating he could come and play some music. Bridgette clapped her hands excitedly. "We should invite the guys too."
"I kind of forgot how close the Bass were." Trent commented. "Back in the first season I was lowkey jealous of you guys. The five of you would've been a force had Courtney not been eliminated when she was."
Courtney placed her hand on her hip. "I told them to quit messing with him and they didn't listen." There wasn't any bite to her words. She shook her head and smiled at the memories. "They're all idiots."
Everyone laughed at that, especially the memories of Harold being bullied on the island. Trent grabbed his luggage again. "I better get going to my cabin. But I'll meet you guys down at the beach tonight?"
Bridgette gave a thumbs up and Courtney nodded in approval. Once he walked away, the girls went into their cabin.
It was just as dirty and wooden as ever. The two walked over to the set of bunk beds on the left. Courtney took the bottom bed, and Bridgette decided on the top. They threw their stuff on their bed as a way of showing they've been claimed, and then decided to sit on Courtney's bed for a few minutes.
"I think we should go into the cafeteria early, so that way we're on time." Courtney suggested, scooting over so Bridgette could sit down next to her.
Before she could reply, Katie and Sadie walked in. They were immersed in their own conversation, walking to other bunk bed and throwing their stuff on it. Once they realized there were other people in the room, they walked over to them.
Katie spoke first, which Courtney realized she tended to do often. "OMG, hi Bridgette. It is like, so good to see you!"
"Like, totally Bridgette!" Sadie added on.
It was kind of unreal how dependent Sadie was on Katie. That isn't to say the opposite isn't true, but it was a well-known fact throughout the cast Katie could actually survive on her own if she was asked to.
Bridgette looked up to the girls, smiling. "Hi guys. It's good to see you guys too. I hope everything's been good since we last saw each other."
Courtney looked up and smiled at the girls too. Sadie immediately glared at her, and Katie followed suit.
"Bridgette, not to be like, rude, but why are you even hanging out with her?" Sadie asked, crossing her arms.
The girl in question looked down, obviously uncomfortable with the confrontation.
Bridgette laughed awkwardly. "Well, Courtney is my best friend and-."
It was embarrassing having someone else defend you. Courtney knew that all too well, and she knew Bridgette and Trent had dealt with this before. Typically, it was behind closed doors and not in her face.
"Look, Katie, Sadie." Courtney spoke, cutting Bridgette's tangent off. All three girls looked at her. She decided to stand up but struggled to make eye contact. You can do it rang in her head. She sighed. "I apologize for how I treated you during the show."
The BFFFL's gasped in unison, and Courtney looked at them confused. "Are you being serious like, right now?" Sadie asked. The skepticism was drowning in her voice.
Courtney looked at Bridgette, who gave her a thumbs up. "Yes, I am." She confirmed. "I put success in front of other people's feelings and realized that after All Stars was done filming. I felt so bad I hid away from the media, and one of the reasons I came back is to apologize and show I've changed."
There was silence in the cabin. It was an unfortunate reminder that there was no air conditioner or any fans in the facility.
Even more awkwardly, Eva barged in the cabin with her bag and dumbbells, carrying them to the solo bed left. She glanced at the other girls confused. "What the hell are you all talking about over there?"
The group turned and looked at Eva. Mostly in fear (still).
Katie and Sadie, seemingly more nervous than the other two, began speaking at the same time. Unfortunately, it was difficult to pull their individual words apart and understand what they were saying.
At a raised eyebrow by Eva, they immediately shut up. Courtney spoke up, "Well, we were just getting ready to head over to the cafeteria. Right guys?" The other three began nodding their heads in unison. "Would you like to join us, Eva?"
Eva stared at the other girls, lowering her eyebrow. "Sure." She replied, dropping her stuff off. It caused a loud BANG and shook the cabin.
As she walked over, Bridgette stood up. Together, the girls walked over to the cafeteria.
"Do you guys think that like, any of the guys got hotter?" Katie asked. "Except you Bridgette, since you're with Geoff still. Which is like, so cute by the way."
Bridgette waved her off and laughed. "Thanks. I'm just glad we were able to get past everything that happened during Action and World Tour."
"Personally, I don't think any of them look any better than the last time I saw them." Eva shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms. "If I had to choose, probably Justin."
"Literally same." Sadie agreed. "He's like, an actual professional model. Also, Trent of course, he's so hot. Wait Courtney, are you two like, a thing?"
She gave accusatory eyes, as did Katie, at the former C.I.T. They were the kind that were playful, and girls used at a sleepover when someone was hiding information.
Courtney shook her head. "Nope. Trent and I are just friends, I swear. Bridge can attest."
"Well..."
"Bridgette!"
The group laughed, with even Eva showing off a smile. "Okay fine. I can confirm they're just friends. And Trent is very much single."
Katie and Sadie squealed together, but it wasn't as annoying as it used to be. Maybe everyone got used to it over time.
When they walked in laughing, everyone turned and looked at them. Even Chris, who was filing his nail, looked up in confusion.
This was nice, Courtney thought to herself. Back when they had just started filming the first season, a lot of the Bass girl interactions were choppy and awkward. In addition to that, they typically left Eva without a group to mesh in with. Katie and Sadie had each other, and it didn't take long for Courtney and Bridgette to become friends. Her first elimination alleviated some of the tension within the team, but the small friendship Courtney and Sadie had burned quickly and brought up another set of issues on the team. That, alongside Courtney and Duncan's bickering really solidified the Killer Bass for a while.
Trent brought up a good point about how close everyone was. It wasn't particularly true, but to an extent they had each other's backs. It reminded Courtney of when she basically told DJ she'd let him die if he and the other guys didn't give her the million-dollar case in that god-awful Island special that led to the second season. She liked Geoff because he liked Bridgette, and she liked DJ because DJ was liked by everyone (plus he accepted her off-screen apology after that special happened). That left Duncan, who Courtney no longer liked, she believed.
As Chris commented at the arrival of the Bass girls, Eva sent him a death glare before they all sat across from each other. Some of the Gophers were already there. Courtney sat across from Bridgette, and to her left was Eva. On her other side was Katie, and Sadie sat across from her. They continued their giggles of which guys are still not attractive.
The conversation moved on to coping mechanisms they tried after filming.
"I sort of figured this, but I kind of forgot Chris really messed with everyone. It's sad to see." Courtney spoke in the confessional. "It's nice everyone is being so civil though."
Eva is next int he confessional. "I've been taking anger management classes since the end of Island. I even have a few friends back at home now, it's been really helpful."
"I can definitely give you some tips and exercise videos I've been making." Eva shrugged her shoulders, finally in a conversation about one of her interests.
Sadie nodded her head quickly. "OMG yes please? I really want to lose some weight; I ate so much food during the Aftermath segments and never really lost it."
"Wait, can you send them to me too?" Katie asked as well, leaning past Courtney and talking to Eva.
Sadie glared at her. "Katie, you're already so skinny. You don't need to work out."
Katie glared back. "Yes, I do!"
The two began to go back and forth about their weight. Bridgette laughed, and Eva rolled her eyes.
"Babe!" The sound of a male voice made all the girls stop talking and turn to look at the entrance.
Geoff was walking in, waving at the Bass table. Behind him entered DJ, who's eyes looked all over the cafeteria. Many people probably assumed he was looking for Chef, so he could stay away from him.
Tyler followed DJ. He was with Lindsay, who was giggling at something he said. Courtney felt bad, completely forgetting about Tyler's entire existence on their team. It also brought memories of when she fake-flirted with him during World Tour. Looking back at that, it was another embarrassing attempt to win and get revenge on Duncan and Gwen and make Duncan jealous. The brunette made a mental note to apologize to them for that at some point. It gave her chills to think about how low she considered stooping to get revenge at one point in her life.
And finally, Duncan strolled in. As much as Courtney wanted to look away, she didn't.
Green was no longer his color, Courtney noted first. Well, it would always be his color, but it wasn't on his head anymore. Rather, different lengths of black hair swept across his forehead and down his neck. His t-shirt was black and simple, hitched up to show the metal chain connected in-between his belt-buckle loop. His shorts were practically the same, and his red converses looked new. Or, newer than the ones he usually wore, which had stains and rips all over them.
Some of his piercings are gone too. It isn't as if Courtney would miss them, but his face looked barer than usual. The unibrow was now two eyebrows, a new development for Courtney. It looked good, as much as she hated to admit in. And his eyes were as blue as she remembered. Soon, those eyes were on her, and the two stared at each other for a second. Then, as soon as it started, Courtney looked away and at Bridgette, who was smiling at Geoff.
The boys all walked over to their table. Lindsay walked over to the Gopher's one and sat next to Beth. The two began talking among each other, probably gossiping about who knows what.
Geoff sat on Bridgette's other side. Next to him DJ, the Duncan. This left Tyler to sit next to Eva, which he seemed really scared to do. Noticing his apprehension, Eva turned and said, "I'm not gonna bite your head off. Have you gotten any stronger or are you still too weak to beat me in an arm-wrestling contest?"
This seemed to get Tyler to sit down and immediately put his arm in position to wrestle.
"Alright, it seems like everyone is here!" Chris started.
Courtney looked around. It was noticeably evident there were several people missing from the cafeteria. "Uh, Chris -."
Ignoring Courtney's protest, Chris continued to speak. "Anyways, before I was rudely interrupted, it's time to explain how this is gonna work. First off, the other generations of contestants will not be here until you guys are done. We're gonna do it separately to save lodging cost. Each day you'll have a schedule of different interviews you will attend or be speaking in." He rubbed his chin. "I think that's it. Once we're done with ya, you're gettin' on the Boat of Shame, and we will probably never see you again. Uhh, don't blow anything up," he glared directly at Duncan, "and we should be good. You guys are adults, so don't be idiots."
When he finished speaking, Harold ran into the cafeteria. He was breathing heavily, as if he was on the verge of an asthma attack or just finished running. "What did I miss?" He spoke, clearly out of breath. His voice was just as raspy as ever, and he seemed to be growing his facial hair out more, which Courtney couldn't say was an attractive thing.
"I think that's it! Lunch will be in about twenty minutes, so feel free to hangout here. Dinner will be at seven, and then you're on your own for the rest of the night." Chris continued speaking, again ignoring another former contestant.
Lindsay raised her hand. "Hi, Chad was it? Will there be a menu to show us the nutritional value of what we're eating? I have to maintain my figure for a photoshoot I'll be in really soon."
Chris dully looked at the blonde. "You've known me for several years and still can't remember my name." It wasn't said as a question and made several of the contestants giggle.
The girl gave a mischievous smile in return. "Oops. Did I say Chad? Sorry Chris."
Courtney couldn't help but smile at the antics. Maybe Lindsay actually had some brain cells in there after all.
Instead of responding again, Chris decided to walk out, a deadpan look on his face. Several other people walked out too. Sadie claimed she was on a new diet and couldn't eat too many meals, so she left. Katie followed her out the door, asking if she brought any snacks with her.
Eva stuck around, beating Tyler several times in arm wrestling with both her hands. It ended up leading to a conversation about workout regiments and where Tyler was failing at.
"So, long time no see Princess." Rang in Courtney's ears. She quickly turned her head to the right and sitting in Katie's place was Duncan.
There were a could different ways Courtney could approach the new situation in front of her. She decided with, "Um, you're in my personal space."
He chuckled. It made Courtney's stomach do weird things. "It's nice to know you're not ignoring me anymore. I just wanted to hear you say something."
The brunette raised her eyebrow, waiting to hear whatever nonsense he had to say. "Can you admit that I was right about Mal?"
You have to be kidding me.
But Duncan was right about him, as much as it pains Courtney to think. He exposed her to her eventual failure of willing All Stars and ruined her relationship with Gwen and Scott. She was warned but chose to laugh in his face rather than actually consider his words.
He was trying to get a rise out of her. As he always tried to do. This was nothing new. Maybe he didn't actually change after all.
"Ok. You were right about Mal. I didn't listen, and he burned me at the end." Courtney admitted at a tone loud enough for Duncan to hear.
The former delinquent looked at her, wide eyed. She crossed her arms. "What did you expect me to do? Deny it and start a fight between us?" If anything, the entire encounter was irritating her.
As much as she didn't want to admit it, in the back of her mind she thought he had changed too. Maybe grown up and gotten more mature. She had hoped they could talk about stuff, work through it and become civil at the end of it all. His silence proved her point and rolled her eyes before maturely getting up. "Grow up Duncan." She told him, before turning to Bridgette and letting their eye contact speak for itself. Then, she walked out of the cafeteria.
Duncan stares at the camera in the confessional in silence. It is obvious he is shocked. "Shit." He comments.
and that's where i'll leave it off for now. I got trapped in tdi reddit pages and saw some (now forgotten) ideas i was considering trying with this story. oh well, maybe I'll remember another time.
spent a lot of time researching different relationships so i could get the interactions to sound right, will be continuing this in the near future.
song lyrics at some point in this chapter are from "we're f****d it's fine" by jeremy zucker. again, a new 1975 album (2019) really got me through this one.
thank you so much for taking the time out to read my story; i am so appreciative of all the support i get. stay safe and healthy!