Muskoka, Ontario. The sun was shining, the seagulls were calling, and the rare, man-eating, freshwater sharks were circling the waters.
On a cliff face overlooking the old, decrepit summer camp called Wawanawka, Owen looked down to the waters below.
As if on cue, two sharks bobbed out of the water, flashing their teeth.
Owen gulped, then began to slowly slip on his water wings.
"No pressure, man.", said Chris, with a genial smile on his face.
Owen smiled gratefully, until Chris continued, "It's just that your teammates need this point to win the challenge." Chris scratched his stubbly chin. "So, a little bit of pressure..."
As Owen began trudging back to the back of the cliff to get a running start, the rest of the competitors on the shoreline down below watched.
The Screaming Gophers tried to cheer Owen on, while the Killer Bass booed and hissed. "C'mon big guy.", Leshawna said.
"I'm going to die now.", said Owen, as he reached the back. Turning around, he said, "I'm going to fricking die now!"
Owen shut his eyes, gritted his teeth, and closed his hands into fists. Finally, he opened his eyes.
In slow motion, he ran towards the edge of the cliff, roaring in anticipation. He ran past a shocked Chris, and came closer and closer to the edge.
Closer...
The slow motion stopped, and Owen ground to a halt right beside the cliff. "I can't do it!!!", he screamed out.
The Gophers all groaned, while the Bass cheered. Chris walked to Owen, and placed a chicken hat on his head.
Chris then pulled out a clipboard. "So, that's two chickens for each team, with 9 divers as well. It's all tied up, so that means... No one gets the carts!!!"
Now, the air was filled with the groans of both teams.
As the day went by, the Killer Bass proved to have the edge in the competition. They had some of the most athletic competitors on their team, while the Gophers had some of the weakest.
Thus, the Gophers spent much of the day dragging or pushing their crates through the hot, tough sand.
Presently, the team had split off into pairs to push each crate: Heather was with Lindsay, Leshawna with Beth, Noah with Cody, Gwen with Trent, and Justin with Izzy.
The only exception to this unspoken strategy was Owen, who was lagging far behind, slowly kicking his crate onward.
As the team struggled, Heather suddenly stopped pushing, and began applying make-up.
"And just what do you think you're doing?", said a nearby Leshawna.
"Applying some more eye shadow, duh.", replied Heather, not taking her eyes off her compact mirror. "I'm sweating profusely."
Leshawna was about to retort, when Heather continued, "Even if we do lose, we all know who we're going to vote off."
She pointed at Owen, who by now has given up kicking his crate, and was now forlornly sitting in the sand.
Leshawna couldn't argue with this, so she just settled for grumbling darkly under her breath.
Meanwhile, Trent was the only Gopher who was looking at Owen with a measure of pity.
"Hey, I'm going to see how the big guy is holding up.", said Trent. "Do you mind?"
Gwen looked like she did very much mind that she had to push the crate by herself. "Fine.", she muttered.
Trent walked back to Owen, who was now tracing in the sand with a stick.
"Hey, buddy, how's it going?", said Trent. Owen looked up and gave a very weak smile.
"Great..." His face drooped down. "Actually, quite terrible. I just... feel like I let the team down. On my first day here!"
Trent had no response, but looked just as miserable as Owen felt.
At around the same time, after several mishaps, the Killer Bass arrived at camp.
Through her one good eye, Courtney examined the camp with excitement. "We made it... finally!"
"And the Gophers are miles behind us, eh?", sad Ezekiel, pointing down the beach.
Chris walked up from somewhere in the camp, clapping his hands slowly.
"Congratulations, Bass! You're the first ones here! Now, get to building your hot tub."
Duncan pulled out a knife from his pocket, and began advancing on his crate.
"Uh-bup-bup-bup!", called out Chris. "You can only use your teeth to open the crates."
"You can't be serious!", said Bridgette, as the rest of the Bass complained as well.
Their complaints stopped however, when Eva knelt in front of a crate, gripped one of its corners with her massive teeth, pulled, and broke open the crate into pieces, revealing pool equipment.
The Bass all cheered. Chris, however, looked both disappointed and grossed out.
An hour later, the Gophers arrived at camp. Upon stopping, many of the team collapsed onto the ground, sweating profusely.
Heather, despite looking incredibly wore out, managed to say, "C'mon, we've got to build our hot tub."
Beth, who had collapsed backwards onto the sandy beach, looked up, then pointed with excitement at the Bass. "Look at the Killer Bass!"
Everyone looked at the other team, who were currently in shouting matches and fights over construction of the hot tub.
"They... they've hardly even started!", said Cody.
"We still have a shot at this, dudes", said Trent, pumping his fist in the air.
At that moment, Chris walked out. "You all have thirty minutes to complete your hot tub. Oh, Screaming Gophers, I didn't see you there; sucks to be you guys right now."
He walked away, as the Gophers glared at him.
Cut to thirty minutes later, and Chris is examining the hot tubs.
The Bass' is cobbled together with duct tape, with swampy water and a smoking heater.
The Gopher's, on the other hand, is only half-way finished.
Chris looked back and forth between the hot tub s. "OK, these are both extremely sucky hot tubs. But since the Gopher's isn't even finished yet, I guess the win by default goes to the Bass!"
The Bass all cheered.
"And, as a prize, you get to keep this hot tub the whole summer, and throw a wicked party in it tonight!"
The Bass' hot tub completely fell apart, scattering water everywhere. The Bass stared at it in disappointment.
"Oh, hate to see that happen.", continued Chris. "Anyway, Screaming Gophers, I'll see you guys at the campfire ceremony tonight!"
At dinner that night, the Bass are enjoying their victory, talking and laughing.
The Gophers are at the other table, sitting in awkward silence.
A few moments of silence later, the team was treated to a miraculous event: Owen pushed away his plate, and saying that he wasn't hungry.
"I'm going to go lie down in the cabin.", he said, as he left.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Heather said, "So, we're all in agreement: Tubby has got to go."
As most of the team agreed, Trent said, "C'mon, guys, he feels really bad about not jumping. Can't we give him a break?"
"Well, who would you vote off?", asked Noah, looking up from his book for the first time this dinner.
"Well, what about her?!", said Trent, pointing at a nervous Beth. "She didn't jump either."
"Yeah, but who would you rather have on the team: a tub of lard like him or her.", said Heather, nastily.
Trent could just glare at her.
The camera cut to the campfire ceremony that night. All the Gophers are seated on their respective stumps, while Chris is standing at the podium, with a plate of marshmallows in his hand.
"Marshmallows. At most summer camps, they represent a sweet treat to enjoy at the end of a day of play. At this camp, they represent life."
"You've all cast your votes and made your decision. When I call your name, come up and receive your marshmallow. The person who does not receive a marshmallow must immediately go down to the Dock of Shame, and get on the Boat of Losers. That means you are out of the competition, and you can't come back... ever!"
"The first marshmallow of the competition goes to... Justin."
Justin flashed his perfect, white teeth, as he walked up to receive his immunity.
"Cody." Cody pumped his fist, and ran up to get his marshmallow.
"Lindsay... Heather... Leshawna... Gwen... Izzy."
All of them went up to receive their immunity.
"Trent." The person in question flashed a reassuring smile at Owen.
"Campers, this is the final marshmallow.", said Chris, holding said treat up. [1]
The camera zoomed in on a nervous Beth and a forlorn Owen.
"The final marshmallow goes to...
...
...
...
...
...
... Beth!"
Beth gasped in happiness, and dashed up to receive her marshmallow.
Owen sighed, then smiled warmly at his former teammates. "I don't blame you guys. I would've voted me out too."
Cut to the Dock of Shame. Even though he had cost them the challenge, every Gopher was there to see the party guy away.
Owen clambered on board, then looked back. "I'll never forget you guys!", he said, as the boat pulled off the dock.
Once he was out of sight, the Gophers all turned to head back to their cabin.
Chris had allowed the Bass to still have their party, without their hot tub. The Gophers tried not to look as the Bass enjoyed their first victory. It wouldn't be the last.
Teams
Screaming Gophers: Beth, Gwen, Lindsay, Heather, Trent, Noah, Leshawna, Cody, Justin, and Izzy
Killer Bass: DJ, Geoff, Duncan, Tyler, Harold, Bridgette, Katie, Sadie, Ezekiel, Eva and Courtney
Eliminated: Owen
Votes
Owen- 9
Beth- 2
[1]- I decided to leave Noah out, as a reference to the fact that Eva's name wasn't called in canon.
OK, so this is one of many attempts I have made to get this fic off the ground. Hopefully, this will be the time that I actually complete it.
Other than that, make sure you leave a on of reviews, and here's hoping the upcoming 15th anniversary of the first canon season will yield more information on the upcoming seasons!