It was too everyone's discretion that they all seemingly had to partake in a cross country road-trip to get to camp Wawanakwa. The prospect of being casted on a brand new reality show being much less appealing when a bus ride of more than 10 hours awaits you on the way there.
Seats were assigned as well, which was bummer, or so she assumed they'd be. In the instructions there had been strict instructions to only speak to the person who will be sitting next to you, so all new interactions can be saved for the camera, all but the one each person had on the bus.
Courtney got on the bus about halfway through it's journey, every seat had one person situated on it, and she'd be the first of the second seaters, and thankfully she was sitting next to a friendly looking male.
And not the delinquent behind who she later learns is Duncan, a bit frightening to look at, he was.
"Hello," she whispers to her companion. Trying to be polite and not disturb those still seated by themselves, "You probably read the sign on the seat, but my names Courtney." She holds out a hand for him to take.
"Trent." He responded "Nice to meet you, my label is 'the cool guy', what's yours?" Shaking her hand, in any other context him describing himself as a cool guy would be weird, but with a laugh, the conversation was smooth sailing from there.
"The cool guy? Wow I am honoured to be next to someone with such swagger. I'm 'the A type', chill and kind now, competitive and quite controlling any other time."
They prattled on for a good few hours. The bus stoping to pick up others, following the most absurd routes possible, they made fast friends with each other.
"You play an instrument too? A string instrument, truly a woman after my own heart!" Trent would laugh whimsically while pointing above them to a guitar case taking up more room than anyone else's things. Her violin actually fitting in her suitcase.
They were two hours out from their destination when Courtney let out her first big yawn. "Oh don't you start yawning missy, you got on this bus at 7am, I got on at 4am!" Trent protested but all Courtney did was put on even more of a show, exaggerating her yawn even more, stretching leisurely as she did so. She placed her head on his shoulder and snuggled into it. Hair tickling his neck, he saw the humour in her actions and sighed.
Trent performing a not-so-pessimistic eye-roll placed his head on top of hers. "We better be on the same team." The quiet wish exiting his mouth before they fell asleep together, not waking until they arrived at the island, rushed out by a far too energetic crew.
A smile and a wave farewell as they were placed on different boats for the cast reveal, they both had high hopes for the season ahead. Unbeknownst to the fact that this would be the first and last time either of them really talked to each other.