If anyone asked Noah, why was he so mean during a dodgeball match, he'd probably say, that it just was him being himself. Although this state wouldn't contradict with the truth, one certain thing'd be still off. More clearly - he meant to annoy his team and be sent away. He knew, that too much insults and laziness was perfect reason to vote him off. And because of the fact that winning money was less important than his own butt, he did all of this on purpose.
Maybe Noah tended to be lazy and mean, but you couldn't call him dumb. And it never took him too much time to find out, what was the best option for the exact moment. Therefore, sooner or later he'd have to realise, that scheming wasn't enough for achieving his goal. Unlike in his previous plan, he needed more psychical strength and this would magically come to him in this short term. Also, a few days of tortures at this camp were simply enough for Noah.
Everything, that had happened, led the bookworm to specific conclusion - he really needed peace and certainity, that he wouldn't die in few weeks, and none of both were available on Camp Wawanakwa. So, he had to leave as soon as possible, before ashaming himself on national TV - to which he was, because of a specific incident, so close.
Due to all of those reasons, Noah simply stopped caring about the prize, and so did the same with working together with his team and helping Gophers. He just wanted to leave and what would be a point of being a valuable teammate, if that also meant being safe from elimination?
That was why he had spent whole dodgeball match on a bench, insulting his team, in hope of Screaming Gophers loss and being the best candidate to be voted off.
And although after two first sets of the game it looked like Killer Bass were closer to thr elimination ceremony, thanks to Duncan's strategy and a few coincidences, the results turned out to the better ones for the cynic. Gophers lost two to three and Noah was already one foot on the Boat of Losers.
He couldn't have asked for more.
After announcing final results, first to leave the place of the match were the Bass, excited and proud of the fact, that they'd finally manage to win. And while losers were looking at smaller team's happiness, the host, Chris McLean, came to the Gophers.
"Come on, what's wrong with you, guys?" he asked with slight disappointment in his voice. He had no idea, why they'd let themselves to lose, while having such a leverage.
"What can I say? Weak effort." And as much, as everyone else had considered his words as the most hypocritical words said on this camp, Noah actually had put a lot of effort today. The other thing was, that it wasn't put in today's match - but seriously, if they tried to win this challenge as much, as he sacrificed for his own safety, today's winners wouldn't even have one point.
And as expected, also bigger part of the Gophers left that place, muttering and showing lack of patient to the bookworm. A few campers, who didn't decide to follow bigger group, just stared at him, as if they were waiting for well-deserved apology.
However, Noah didn't feel sorry. Why would he, if he meant to be rude and say every single word, that was spoken?
"I feel like team spirit here is severely lacking lately." And not surprisingly, this sentence only made the other three boys, who still stayed there, more annoyed. Only a little doze of sanity probably stopped them from punching a short teenager right in his face.
"Hello, clown, circus called me, they want you back. If you want to complain about not putting enough effort in the challenge, then first make sure, that you're not hypocrite. Everyone here tried in this challenge and were supportive, but you." A bookworm rose his head from book and glared briefly at this lecture author, Trent.
"Come on guys, maybe I don't really feel like this was my challenge? Just think about it, I would make you lose earlier." Noah finally answered, rolling his brown eyes at the same time, then came back to reading. Victorian poetry at least didn't accuse and judge him, in opposite of small crowd annoyed by cynic's attitude.
"If there was a sensible reason for you to avoid taking part in such fucking simple challenge, you should have said this clearly and not acted like an asshole whole day. You know that you're the one voted off tonight, right?" Did he? Of course, but none of them had to know about that.
"I wasn't the worst person today. I didn't betray you, like Lindsay. And I'm not as dumb as her."
"Oh, you did betray us, by your lack of support to the team. I guess that you're just too blind to understand anyone's feelings. And I thought you were good teammate." Those words actually hurt Noah a bit more than expected, but the last thing, that cynic could have planned, was admitting, that he had been an asshole, and apologising for his rude behaviour.
"Whatever. I'm glad I won't have to deal with any of you, then. I'll obviously have more fun, watching whole drama, while not being a part of it." after those words Noah closed the book, then stood up and left the court. The rest decided to do the same thing, without any interest in continuing that conversation. Why would anyone do that, if everything was already obvious, and continuing this topic would only turn everything more awkward, than it already was?
Confessional
"I don't really understand this man." Trent, told, sitting in an outhouse and glaring at camera. "First time it looks like he does his best to win, and now claims, that he doesn't care if he goes home? Okay then, Noah. If you want to be voted off so much, then that's what you'll get." he smirked, standing up and going in door's direction.
After few hours, it finally came the time for campfire ceremony and announcing the results of voting-off. And as expected, every single person, who didn't actually make any visible mistakes - that meant Owen, Cody, Heather, Gwen, Trent, Beth, Izzy, LeShawna and Justin - had received their marshmallow and was safe from elimination. That made only two Gophers left - Lindsay, who during a match was making out with the opposite team player, and Noah, who did nothing but annoy everyone. And according to the fact, that the girl at least felt sorry for her behaviour and promised to not get distracted during the challenge in that way, the results were obvious.
"And the final marshmallow of the night goes to..."
As much, as almost everyone seemed to know, how was it going to end (even if Noah didn't vote for himself), the host couldn't let himself to ommit one of his favourite things - making everything more dramatic than necessary. That was the main reason, why Chris McLean extended the moment of silence for quite a long time, trying to make campers and viewers more tense. But actually, besides blonde girl, it worked on hardly anyone.
"Lindsay." Chris finally said, giving up the whole mystery. The girl reacted as soon, as her name was mentioned, jumping and smiling in her way for a last safety item.
"Are you kidding me?" Noah said, with faked shock and fear in his voice. He didn't really know why, though, since all action "I must be voted off as soon as possible and I will do everything to make my team do it" had already succeeded. Maybe he just wanted to make everyone think that they won, while actually he won? Or last minute being chill and everything would change his fate? Even he couldn't say it for sure.
"Congratulations, you've just voted off the only person with brains." he continued, still pretending to disbelieve, what had happened. Later reaction wasn't faked, though. Being hit by one of marshmallows right in opened eyeball, what had just happened to him, didn't belong to the most expected and pleasing things. "Whatever, I'm out of here."
And although his voice didn't tell that, he felt relieved. That toxic island was about to become a part of his past for good. Now he could finally find more personal space, without being recorded all the time. Ot was perfect runaway from the thing, that was disappointing him all the time. No annoyingly dumb people, no Chris's dictatorship, no life-threatening circumstances - just what he had desired since arrival.
"Hold on, dude!"
A loud voice told him to turn back, which the cynic did with considerable reluctance. When he came back, he saw that Chris had something more to tell. And judging from his malicious smirk, it quickly became obvious, that this announcement was at least a bit shocking.
"It looks like I forgot to mention earlier about the fact, that today's challenge was actually a non-elimination one! Instead of going home, today's loser is from now in the victorious team! Noah, pick your stuff from Gophers' cabin and quickly move to the Killer Bass' one!"
"What?!" almost everyone yelled at the same time, with strong confusion in their voices.
"But you've told us, that one of us is going home tonight. And we chose him. He can't stay here!" Gwen was right. They heard clearly about the price of losing that challenge more than once. Even at the beginning of this ceremony Chris had reminded them about that fact. Why would he lie in such a situation?
"But if I told you, that today nobody was going to be eliminated, then none of you would be this interested in the challenge! By the way, The Killer Bass were informed about their additional award about half an hour ago and they're probably eager to meet their new member! And this decision is final, don't wastw my time for your dumb questions!" Point had to be taken, but still, did anyone enjoy being lied to and having ruined at last minute, what everyone had agreed for? Doubtfully. And the one "saved" by this unpredictable event, wasn't too glad about that fact, either.
Noah, what actually didn't happen too often in his sixteen year old life, was left wordless. His perfect plan to escape this island turned out to be in vain, only because of a last-minute announcement. Instead of victory and gettin, now all, what he felt, was numb and bitter taste of being oversmarted and losing.
And although Noah acted, as if he did not care about what had just happened there, he actually was really confused and furious. Even way more, than rest of his ex-team mates.
He simply didn't want anyone to know, how mad was he at Chris's cutting in at the last minute and making bookworm's suffering on the island at least a few days longer. The same applied for his anger towards everyone, who had just started rumours behind his back about him working with Chris or Chef and rigging results, not trying even to understand Noah's point of view. Not like he cared about anyone's opinion, but with being the most disliked contestant, he was going have the worst treatment.
But mostly, he was disappointed in himself, because of ignoring a possibility of non-elimination challenge and unintentionally turning every single person on this show against him. However, since telling anyone about his own feelings, at least in cynic's opinion, was far more that pointless, he kept everything inside, not allowing anyone to see that.
And maybe there were over twenty people more on Camp Wawanakwa, Noah had no one, but himself.
At least for now.
Confessional
A camera started to record one of campers, Heather. At first she was quite confused, but then a raven haired teenager finally started to talk.
"Not gonna lie, I'm quite surprised. I knew that I wasn't the one to get the boot, but really Chris? You had to leave Noah in game? And give that leverage to the Bass? It's a bullshit. And by the way, at the opposite of what everyone thinks, I'm sure that he didn't betray us or anything. There's no way someone like him would work with Chris." she said, with every next word becoming more and more confident.
"But seriously, his luck is a threat. A really, really serious one. And it doesn't matter, whether he knows anything about my alliance or not, he's my next target on their team. The Know-it-all is going all down." Heather ended her confession, moving her right hand up and down.
While all Gophers and one Bass were leaving the campfire place, one person stayed here for a bit longer. It was Chris McLean, who waiting for a right time to record the end of that episode.
When the last of contestants had gone in their direction, he laughed briefly, then headed toward the Dock of Shame, followed by a cameraman. On the way there, still amused by the shock of the campers at the final verdict of the ceremony, Chris began to summarize the day's events.
"It was a really dramatic day, full of new alliances, pain and betrayals! After totally planned non-elimination challenge there are still twenty teenagers remaining in a game!"
When the host finished these words, he had already reached his destination. However, as a cameraman did not keep up McLean's tempo, before starting next sentence Chris gave him a moment to reach the dock. After a short while, the camera was in place and the host continued his monologue.
"Will the Killer Bass get along with a new fish in a pond? Will Noah be less annoying, before rest of the campers either eliminate or kill him? Is there actually a traitor in the camp and who knows about Heather's alliance? Find out this, and much more in next episode of Total! Drama! Island"
And that was the end of the episode.
At least for the viewers.
The campers, however, could not break their life in this place into neat pieces. Because, unlike in television, everything blended together and couldn't be simply paused. Their strong emotions, thoughts and relationships - all of this kept rushing forward, not giving those teens necessary rest. You didn't have to be a professional psychologist, to know that if everything kept up being like this, sooner or later it would result in someone's suffering.
If only someone hadn't been already hurt, just somehow hidden away from watchful eyes of cameras.
The Screaming Gophers: Gwen, Owen, Heather, LeShawna, Izzy, Lindsay, Trent, Beth, Cody and Justin
The Killer Bass: Duncan, Geoff, DJ, Bridgette, Harold, Courtney, Sadie, Tyler, Katie and Noah (swapped teams)
Eliminated: Ezekiel (22nd), Eva (21st)