A/N: Surprised to see me update? I'm glad to be back with another chapter. I admit though, I went overboard this time with all the subplots and now this chapter is way too long. I intend to cut back on future chapters so bear with me, this chapter did take a lot of work. In other news, if you've been wanting more romance, this chapter goes a long way toward reaching that goal. Thanks for reading.

Total Tween Island

Chapter 10: If you can't take the heat

Last time on Total Tween Island: our competitors became hunters...and the hunted. Timmy and Nazz had a wicked paintball duel that ended in a tie…and a romantic walk through the woods. Buford and Zim then got covered in paint thanks to Cindy and Mabel. But the drama really started to heat up when Pacifica pushed Kuki in front of a bear. Poor Kuki broke her leg and had to be taken out of the game permanently. Nazz lost her cool and now everyone knows Pacifica is the worst. But I switched things up and now she's on the other team! The Gophers and Bass are finally back to having the same number of teammates, but not for long. Find out who will win and who's going home on Total…Tween…Island!

(Theme song plays)

Three days have passed since the paintball challenge, and it was morning once more. The sun had risen over the Screaming Gopher's cabin and for once, it's warm rays were waking the campers up, instead of Chris. Mabel yawned away the last vestiges of sleep as she awoke feeling well rested.

She got out of bed and glanced at the beds of her fellow female teammates. Cindy, who shared the top half of the bunk-bed with Mabel, was still sound asleep, as was Mandy, whose top bunk was empty now that Gaz was on the other team. The third bunk-bed, which had previously been slept in by Helga before she was eliminated, was now used by Pacifica, however Mabel was surprised to see the rich girl was strangely absent. Her bed empty and already made.

Mabel tended to be an early riser so she was used to being the first girl awake. Seeing Pacifica gone before she even woke up was strange. "Where'd you go Pacifica?" The brunette muttered to herself.

*Confessional*

Mabel: It's been weird ever since Pacifica joined our team. I was ready for a fight from day one, but she's never even around! She wakes up before everyone else and goes to bed after everyone else. Does she even sleep in her bed at all? And when I do see her she's always quiet or trying to hide. Why isn't she trying to humiliate me or laughing at me? This is so wwweeeiiirrrddd!"

*End Confessional*

Half an hour later Mabel had washed and dressed and walked over to the mess hall for breakfast. About only half of the remaining campers were there, but Chef was already serving his morning meal: grits. Gazing down at the unappetizing bowl of food on her plate (if you could call it food), Mabel frowned. Without looking up she began to walk out of the line and over toward the Gopher table.

All of a sudden Mabel tripped over a loose board and lost her balance. "Waah!" she cried out as her arms went wild, her meal went flying, and she waited for her face to smash into the floor.

"Gotcha!"

Mabel froze; not sure what was happening. After a few seconds she realized she hadn't hit the floor, though she didn't know why. She felt something holding her up and after opening her eyes realized it was a boy's arm. In front of her she saw her upturned bowl of grits had landed food first and spilled all over the floor.

Turning her head around she realized it was Phineas' arm that had caught her. "That was a close one," he gave her a reassuring smile when she looked up confused.

"Are you okay?"

Mabel regained her balance and was able to stand on her own so Phineas let go. "Y-Yeah," she answered. The brunette then realized the redhead had saved her. "Wow I almost bit it, huh?"

Phineas chuckled. "Well I'm glad you didn't. Sorry I wasn't able to save your breakfast," he motioned toward the fallen grits. "Unfortunately I'm not that fast."

"Don't worry about it," Mabel laughed; a little louder than necessary. "It's probably a good thing. You saved me from a bad case of the stomach-aches," she joked.

Phineas grinned. "Well I'm glad you're okay," he said before walking back to the Gopher table.

Mabel blushed as she watched him leave. "Yeah I'm okay.

"More than okay."

*Confessional*

Mabel: Wow! I never realized before how manly Phineas is…

Phineas: The floor in the mess hall is a disaster, no wonder Mabel tripped. I wonder if Chef would let me redo it…

*End Confessional*

Meanwhile on the Killer Bass side, Dib and Dipper had just gotten their own breakfast, and were just sitting down to eat at the table. Isabella, who had just finished her meal, was getting up. "Hello Dib, Dipper," she greeted them.

"Hi Isabella," Dib replied back.

"Hey," Dipper nodded. "Finished already?"

"Yup," Isabella nodded. Seeing that she was on her way out, the two boys turned away from her and toward their own meals. "Oh Dib," she attempted to get the bespectacled boy's attention. "I saved you some of Chef's extra burnt bacon," she held out a handful of charred bacon to the boy.

"Oh thanks," he took the bacon from her hands. The extra food was a pleasant surprise. "I love this stuff."

Isabella giggled, "I know you do. Alright, see you boys later." She then turned and skipped away, humming a pleasant tune.

Dib began chomping on the burnt bacon until he noticed the strange look Dipper was giving him. "…what?"

"Dude," Dipper whispered so no one else could hear them, "Isabella totally likes you!"

Dib chocked as he swallowed a mouthful of bacon. "W-What?"

"Isabella just gave you her bacon, she totally has a crush on you!"

"That's dumb," Dib frowned before taking a sip from his mug. "A lot of people don't like Chef's burnt bacon. You don't even like it!"

"It's not just that," Dipper assured him. "Isabella is always super nice to you! I see her talking to you, giving you extra food, and helping you in challenges all the time. Haven't you noticed?"

"I-I…" Dib thought about it for the first time. A look of realization crossed his face. "Wow, I guess I hadn't realized it before, but you have a point. She does pay a lot of attention to me. I just thought that's how she was to everyone because she's so thoughtful."

Dipper shook his head. "No way. I mean, yeah, Isabella is super nice, but lately she's focused all her attention on you. I've seen the way she follows you around during the day."

Dib felt his pale face turning red. He glanced over at the exit just in time to see Isabella walk out of the mess hall. Then he turned back to Dipper. "That can't be right. I mean, why would a girl like Isabella like me? No girl likes me! I'm crazy!"

Dipper shrugged. "Maybe she just sees something in you no one else does. But man, you are lucky. Isabella is probably the prettiest girl on the island."

Dib averted his eyes. "Y-You think?"

"At least the cutest. I wish a girl like that would look at me."

A shy smile began to form on Dib's face. "Wow…"

*Confessional*

Dib: I know I should be way more suspicious and paranoid about this whole thing. I mean, girls don't like me! That's just ridiculous. Most of the time I'm too busy trying to stop Zim's next plot to take over the whole to even worry about girls. But Dipper is my best friend, and I trust him. And Isabella…well Dipper's not wrong when he says she's the prettiest girl on the island. I wish I knew what to think…

Dipper: How do I get a pretty girl to pay attention to me? I know Wendy doesn't like me that way so it would've been nice to meet a girl here. But so far the girl I'm closest to is still Mabel… *he sighs*.

Isabella: Despite a few minor problems, the Killer Bass are great! I love my team, and I always feel so bad for Dib. Whenever he mentions anything about his hometown and what his life was like, I worry about him. His life seemed miserable before the show. So if I can make it even a little better, an extra piece of food here, a kind word there, I'm going to do it! Because if growing up in Danville taught me anything, it's that that's what good friends do!

*End Confessional*

Nazz was wandering around the beach alone. She had a nervous look on her face and she kept glancing behind her; making sure no one else was around. Confident the beach was deserted, she pulled the tiki-head totem out of her pocket and sighed.

*Confessional*

Nazz: I was so surprised the other night when I realized what Kuki's "lucky charm" was. I can't believe she took this thing off Boney Island! If what Chris told us is true, then it's definitely cursed. I mean, I wouldn't usually believe in curses, but not only did we lose the last challenge, but Kuki broke her leg and got eliminated! Could that all be a coincidence? I'm not sure. Either way, I need to get rid of this, but I don't know how to get back to Boney Island on my own. I'll have to figure something else out.

*End Confessional*

"Come on Nazz, there's no such thing as curses," the blonde told herself. She glanced back down at the idol and for a moment thought it gave off an ominous glow. Shaking her head vigorously, she gripped it in one hand and pulled her arm back. Using all her strength, she tossed it as far as she could into the ocean where it landed with a splash. "There," Nazz said. "The Bass should be safe now."

The blonde girl then began to walk back to the cabins. Once she was gone however, another blonde girl walked over and stood right where she had been mere moments before. Mandy smirked as she stared out into the ocean. She walked through the sand at a leisurely pace until the waves were lapping at her black shoes. The tiki-head totem had been carried back to shore by the waves. Mandy leaned down and picked it up.

She had seen the whole thing.

"Now this I can use."

Chris didn't call the two teams for a challenge until it was already ten o'clock. By then everyone was ready, and some of them had been ready for a while. He had them all gather at the far side of the beach near the water; nowhere near the usual place for a challenge. The tweens wondered what they would have to do this time.

The fourteen remaining campers were lined up in the sand in front of Chris. Even Pacifica had mysteriously reappeared and joined in, but only at the last second. The host started right in on explaining the challenge. "Today's challenge will test your mind, your teamwork, and your skills in the kitchen."

"You'll be cooking a three-course meal and be serving it to me…for tasting," Chris explained. "The winners get a reward while the losers will be sending somebody home." The contestants had been expecting this, after all, every challenge so far had ended with someone sent home. But still, hearing the words come out of Chris' mouth was always a chilling reminder what was at stake each challenge.

"Each team will appoint a head chef to create the theme of the meal and to oversee the cooking." The tweens paid special attention to that little detail, specifically Cindy, who attempted to share a look with Mabel, only to find her sidekick somewhere else and instead found herself glancing at a distracted Edd. Chris went on. "To cook, you need ingredients. Every morning a truck brings us food," as the host spoke a miraculous thing happened. A delivery truck with a fruit logo on the side backed up out of the water and onto the beach near where the contestants were standing. The fourteen of them looked on surprised and in disbelief as a dolphin dressed in a uniform poked its head out of the driver's side window and threw Chris a brief salute. "Today's task starts there. Decide on what you're going to cook, grab anything you need out of the truck, and get to it! You don't want to know what I had to give Chef to get him to let us use his kitchen." The host shuddered.

With the challenge explained, and Chris refusing to answer any questions, the tweens were set free to begin. The fourteen headed over to the truck right away to grab the ingredients they'd need to make their three-course meal. The Bass got there first, with Buford, Zim and Isabella opening up the back of the truck.

They looked in awe at all the different types of food that had been transported from the mainland. There were racks of different types of meat hanging from the ceiling, wooden crates full of fruits and vegetables along with what looked like hundreds of eggs all securely held in place. It was nothing they hadn't seen before, but considering most of Chef's meals were bland at best, and utter slop at worse, it all looked quite tantalizing.

"Oh, I'm feeling some kinda inspiration coming on," Buford declared as drool leaked out of the corner of his mouth. "Let's make something fancy! Maybe Italian? Yeah, we got everything we need right here!"

This gave Isabella an idea. "Oh Buford, you should be our team's head chef! You'd be great at it."

"Huh? Really?"

"Yes, the smelly earth-child is right for once," Zim nodded, ignoring Isabella as she glared at him. "I know little of human cuisine, so you my friend, should be in charge and lead our team to victory!"

Buford grinned. "I suppose I'm up for it. Just as long as nobody thinks I'm not manly cause I know how to cook."

"Yes, yes," Zim rubbed his gloved hands together. "And once that filthy host eats our meal and has his tiny mind blown, the other team shall taste doom! DOOM I say! Mwa ha ha ha-ha!"

"Get out of the way," Cindy said as she shoved Zim to the ground. "Either get your stuff or let us through. We've got a meal to plan." She then turned to her team. "By the way, I volunteer to be head chef. Everyone cool with that?"

Mandy rolled her eyes, but decided to let Cindy have it. She'd rather focus her attention elsewhere. No one else spoke up, so it was decided.

The two teams began to empty the truck of most of its cargo; it was a pain to carry all of it, but neither team wanted to risk not having something when they needed it. Cindy supervised her team unloading, telling who to grab what and go where. The two teams each got their own side of the kitchen, just far enough apart that they wouldn't get in each other's way, yet close enough that they could spy on each other.

"So," Cindy addressed her team. "Since we have three courses to prepare and there are six of you, everyone partner up." The Gophers nodded, seeing the logic in her plan.

Buford and the Bass overhead their strategy. "That makes sense. Let's just steal their idea," the bully said.

"Don't have any idea of your own, huh?" Gaz mocked him; however the rest of the team didn't object.

"Hey," Dipper elbowed Dib. He subtly pointed to Isabella. "This is your chance." Dib looked nervous so Dipper gave him a literal shove in the right direction. Dib almost tripped.

Isabella turned to look. "Oh h-hey Isabella," Dib stuttered out a greeting. "Do you maybe…want to be my partner?"

"Oh of course Dib," the dark-haired girl smiled. "We can make the pasta for the main course." Dib looked relieved. Dipper gave him a thumbs up.

However none of the rest of the Bass looked as eager to partner up, so Buford decided to put some of his aggressive nature to good use. "Zim just partner up with Gaz. You two can make the appetizer, bruschetta." Neither the alien nor Dib's little sister looked too pleased at the idea.

"I guess that leaves you and me on dessert Nazz," Dib said awkwardly to the blonde.

"Yeah I guess so," she shrugged. "Gelato is it?"

*Confessional*

Nazz: I really need to focus on this challenge. After the last challenge our team could use a win and I could really use the distraction. Don't think about the curse Nazz, don't think about the curse…

*End Confessional*

Meanwhile the Gophers were also partnering up. Mabel almost immediately rushed over to claim Phineas as her partner. "Phineas, let's be partners! What do you say?" Her wide eyes stared straight into his as she eagerly awaited his answer.

The young inventor found himself somewhat taken back by Mabel's sudden forwardness along with her very close proximity, but simply assumed it was simply Mabel being Mabel. "Okay, sounds good. What are we cooking Cindy?"

"We're going to impress Chris by making fancy five-star French cuisine," she answered proudly. "You two are on the main course, duck a l'orange!" she pronounced the name in her best attempt at a French accent.

"Mhmm…!" Mabel wrapped herself around Phineas' arm and squeezed. "Sounds romantic! Don't you think Phineas?" she batted her eyelashes at the boy. Cindy saw this and rolled her eyes at her friend's lack of subtlety.

But over on the Bass side, Isabella also saw this overt display of affection and for a brief moment saw red. Her breathing went low and she squeezed her fists so tight the wooden spoon in her hand snapped in half.

*Confessional*

Isabella: Was Mabel just…flirting…with Phineas? *she shakes her head and gives an awkward laugh*. No no, I'm being silly. Mabel is just an affectionate person. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it. No reason to get angry Isabella, just take deep, calming breaths. *she begins to inhale before slowly exhaling*

Cindy: Ughh could Mabel be more obvious? I was wondering why she hadn't followed me around today like normal. It's kind of nice not to have her on me like an extra appendage, and to be in charge of course. Mabel can flirt all she wants, but I'm going to lead the Gophers to another victory!

*End Confessional*

The other two partner pairs for the Screaming Gophers were Timmy and Edd, and Mandy and Pacifica. "Timmy, Double D, you two will be making our appetizer," Cindy addressed the boy duo. "I've decided on French onion soup, here's the recipe," she handed Edd the piece of paper. "You're up first so get to it!"

Timmy gave a thumbs-up. "You got it Cindy!" He turned to Edd who was reading the recipe carefully. "I mean, it's just soup. How hard could it be?"

Edd looked up from the recipe. "Timmy, have you ever cooked before?"

"Nah, I leave that to my mom. Why?"

"Oh dear…" The more intelligent of the two boys shook his head and turned away. "Just wash your hands please…"

Cindy turned to the remaining pair. "Mandy, Pacifica, you're on dessert," she handed Mandy a recipe. Pacifica used her height to lean over and see for herself. "If you two can pull off making profiterole, then I'm sure Chris will be impressed and we'll win the challenge."

"Pro-Profit-" Mandy bit her tongue. "I can't even pronounce it and you expect us to make it in time to serve to Chris? Rich girl over here," she indicated Pacifica, "has likely never been inside a kitchen before, much less cooked anything. Don't you think you're expecting a bit much from us Cindy?"

Pacifica pouted and crossed her arms at the comment.

"Listen Mandy," Cindy gritted her teeth. "I'm in charge here, and I say we're making profiterole, got it?"

Mandy said nothing, but muttered to herself angrily once Cindy walked away.

*Confessional*

Mandy: Cindy's just lucky I intend to win this challenge or she'd find herself on the dock of shame. Or shoved inside one of the ovens. Now that I say it out loud, I really prefer the oven method…

*End Confessional*

Pacifica had just finished washing her hands to begin cooking when Mandy slapped the recipe in her face. "Get started," she said as she walked away in the opposite direction.

"Wha-Hey, wait! I don't know how to cook!" the rich girl dismayed as her partner walked off.

"Then make Chris something easier instead," Mandy still didn't turn to look at the other girl. "He won't care either way; he might even prefer it." Pacifica watched her go looking stunned before nervously glancing around for Cindy. Mandy didn't care, she had business to take care of.

"Hey." Gaz looked up from her game to see her alliance buddy standing there. "We gotta talk," Mandy pointed her finger to indicate they should do it away from everyone else.

"…fine," Gaz put her game down and followed behind. Mandy found them a quiet corner of the kitchen away from both teams. The rest of the contestants were busy with the challenge and almost no one noticed them leave. "Well?"

"Look what I found," Mandy held out her hand. The purple-haired girl glanced down and spotted the tiki-head totem.

"What is it?"

"It's some kind of totem," Mandy whispered, "from Boney Island."

Gaz looked at it again, but still didn't get it. "…so?"

Mandy wanted to slap the ignorant girl. "Weren't you listening to what Chris warned us about when we went to Boney Island a few challenges ago?"

Gaz crossed her arms. "No. I never listen to that idiot."

"Everything on Boney Island is cursed," Mandy explained. "We were forbidden to take anything back or risk the curse."

Gaz suddenly looked interested. "Cursed? Cool!" she grabbed it out of Mandy's hands and looked it over. "So why'd you take it?"

"I didn't, Nazz did," the blonde continued her explanation. "I found her this morning trying to chuck it into the ocean. I bet she thinks this is why her team lost the last challenge. Her team…which is now your team." She could see that Gaz wasn't going to figure it out for herself. "Now that we're on different teams we'll have to strategize differently. You can be our inside source to take down the Bass from within."

"But I'm one of the Bass now," Gaz pointed out. "What kind of idiot takes down their own team?"

Mandy gritted her teeth. "The only 'team' you need to be concerned about is our team. Now here's what I want you to do: take that totem," she pointed to the one Gaz was still holding, "and discreetly place it on one of your teammates. I'm confident the rest of your team will know what I do: that it's cursed. Whoever is found holding the totem will be blamed for losing the challenge and will be voted out."

"That's dumb," the purple-haired girl stated bluntly. "If my team loses I could be voted out instead."

"Then make sure no one catches you with that," Mandy sighed. "If you follow the plan, it won't be you going home. The important part is who you give it to. There's no point giving it to just anybody. You need to give it to one of the Bass' strongest players. Give it to either Isabella or Dipper. Buford isn't a terrible third choice either considering how useful his strength is in challenges. That way their team will be much weaker."

There was a pause as Gaz considered what she had heard. "I don't like this plan," she finally said. "Why don't you give it to one of the Gophers instead?"

"Because it's my plan!" Mandy snarled. "Stop arguing and just do it already!"

"Back off," Gaz snarled right back. "I agreed to work with you, but I'm not your lackey. I don't take orders."

The two girls had an intense stare-down that lasted for over a minute. It seemed like it could go on forever, but eventually one side relented.

"…fine," Gaz pocketed the totem. "We'll do your plan…for now." She turned around and walked back to her team before Mandy could say anything.

*Confessional*

Gaz: I came to this island to win a million dollars, not take orders from Mandy. If she thinks I'm going to follow her plan, she's got another thing coming!

Mandy: That…did not go as planned. I guess I was still a little angry from dealing with Cindy earlier. This team swap seems to be hurting my alliance more than I anticipated. I may need to consider other options, but for now I'll stick to my guns.

*End Confessional*

Mandy went back to her team; almost all of whom were too busy preparing Cindy's over-complicated menu to notice her absence. There was just one exception…

"Where were you?!" Pacifica asked, sounding upset as Mandy walked over. The shorter blonde took in the rich girl's unusual appearance. In the three minutes it had taken Mandy to talk to Gaz, Pacifica had managed to spill several different ingredients on top of a burnt cutting board, break a cheese grater, cover herself from head to toe in flour, and smear chocolate all over her fingers.

"That's none of your business."

"None of my-? Oh yes it is, because I'm-"

Mandy cut her off. "Do you realize the precarious situation you're in Pacifica? After what happened last challenge, everyone is gunning for you." The rich girl shut her mouth. "If we lose this challenge, you're going home."

"What's…What's your point?" Pacifica sighed, looking defeated.

Mandy shrugged. "I didn't have a point. I just wanted to shut you up."

Pacifica frowned, but said nothing; she just stared down at her shoes.

"Have you ever made pasta before, Isabella?"

"Just a few times," the girl in the pink bow answered as she began to knead the dough on the cutting board. "It's not something I make very often, but I do know my way around a kitchen."

"Well that's good," Dib said as he watched her put all of her strength into forming the dough they were going to use to make the pasta. "Because cooking is not something I have much experience with. Now alien hunting, that's something I know a lot about…"

Isabella giggled lightly as she worked. "Oh Dib, you're so silly…"

"Let me help," the dark-haired boy got in closer to do his part. A station away he saw Dipper give him a thumbs up. Unfortunately, Buford spotted him.

"Dipper, pay attention!" The bully slammed his fist down on the counter right in front of Mabel's twin. "You're supposed to be making gelato remember? Not staring at Dib. Weirdo."

"I am," Dipper defended himself. "It's going through the ice cream machine right now. Nazz is watching it."

"But it's not ice cream!" Buford wanted to slap himself. "Just go to the freezer and see if there's anything in there we can use."

Dipper sighed. "Fine, fine…" he walked off looking disgruntled.

While at the same time, Dib was still working on the dough with Isabella. "So," the alien-obsessed boy asked awkwardly, "tell me about yourself Isabella. Do you-?" but whatever Dib was going to ask was forgotten when he realized the girl he was talking to was distracted.

Isabella was staring, no, glaring over at the other team. She had a clear view of Mabel and Phineas as they stood next to each other preparing the main course. Phineas was just about to put the duck in the oven as he added the final touches. Unfortunately, he was distracted by Mabel as she continued to flirt with him.

"Wow Phineas," Mabel wrapped her hands around the inventor's right arm, pinching and poking. "You're so buff. Have you been working out?"

Isabella began grinding her teeth furiously.

"Uhh no, not really," Phineas answered. "Listen Mabel, we're in the middle of a challenge right now. Can I have my arm back please?"

"Oh you," the silly girl pretended to laugh as she let go of his arm. "You don't have to act so nervous around me Phineas. We're just two friends…partners…maybe more…having fun and baking. Just relax."

Isabella picked up a nearby spoon and, without looking, began to grind it into the counter furiously.

"Umm…Isabella?" Dib looked confused and alarmed at his partner's sudden and unexplained anger.

"I'll…try to remember that," Phineas answered the brunette. He found himself rather uncomfortable with all of her flirting. Trying to return to the challenge, he grabbed onto the sides of the container holding the duck. "Help me put this in the oven?" Mabel nodded and grabbed the opposite side with her hands.

They both picked the dish up together off the counter and Phineas realized Mabel's fingers had snaked their way up on top of his own. He could've sworn he heard what sounded like someone hyperventilating in the background but was too distracted trying to carry the heavy dish to give it any thought. As the two tweens were halfway to the oven, Mabel stopped walking and leaned in toward her partner.

"Hey Phineas, want to hear a secret?" she said while smiling. She didn't give him time to answer. "I like you!"

Distracted by her strange behavior, the weight of the dish and the heat from the oven, Phineas desperately wanted to simply finish the task and take a moment to breathe. "Mabel, this is heavy…" But the brunette didn't seem to catch his drift as she continued staring deep into his eyes. "I mean…that's great Mabel. I'm glad we're friends. I like you too but-"

"WHAT!"

The one word came out as a scream; with such force and intensity that it reverberated throughout the room. Everyone heard it and everyone stopped what they were doing immediately, as if it were a buzzer signaling the end of the challenge. They each turned, looked and saw Isabella standing there with both hands palm-down on the counter, her dough looking as if it had been pounded to a pulp.

Suddenly aware of everyone's eyes on her, Isabella pulled back. She attempted to make herself look small, and then ran out of the room in a hasty retreat. It was then that the main course slipped out of Phineas and Mabel's hands and crashed to the floor. "Whoops!" Mabel got down on both knees and attempted to salvage it.

Phineas stayed standing. "Was that Isabella? I wonder what that was about."

"Phineas? Some help?"

"Oh, right," he then got down on his knees next to her and attempted to pick up the damaged duck and get it into the oven.

*Confessional*

Isabella: *wipes something out of her eyes* Well that sure was embarrassing! I can't believe I made such a fool of myself in front of everyone. I've got to do a better job controlling my jealousy around Phineas! But I never expected Mabel to have her hands all over him like that. I've got to keep my eye on her…

Dib: I…have no idea what that was about. Dipper never said anything like that would happen. Where is he anyway? He should've been back by now…

Dipper: *shivering* S-So c-cold…

Dib: Well whatever. Is Isabella going to be okay? I should probably check on her.

Mabel: Wow did you see Isabella suddenly scream like that? I wonder what her partner, that Dib guy, did to make her so mad. Dumb boys just don't get the intricacies of us girls. Boop.

*End Confessional*

"Hold still, I've almost got it off," Cindy told Pacifica as she wiped the flour off her face with a wet washcloth. Once she was finished, the rich girl's face was no longer white like a ghost. Unfortunately, most of her makeup had been smeared off as well. Pacifica made an unhappy grunt upon noticing this and walked off without thanking Cindy.

The team leader sighed. "What could go wrong next? Phineas and Mabel drop their dish, Mandy thinks the dessert I picked out is too complicated, and Pacifica looks like she was in the middle of a food fight." She walked over to where Edd and Timmy were working. "Please tell me you two finished the French onion soup. We have to send it out to Chris any minute now."

"Just about finished now," Edd said, pulling the soup off the stovetop.

"See Cindy?" Timmy grinned. "Nothing to worry about. We got this in the bag."

"I hope so," the blonde had significantly less confidence now than when the challenge started. "Let me taste-test it to make sure," she grabbed a clean spoon.

"Be careful, it's still quite hot," Edd warned her.

"I'm sure it's good," Timmy said confidently. "We followed the recipe and finished in record time. I didn't even cry when I cut the onions, which surprised me cause I thought onions were supposed to make you cry!"

Cindy blew on the spoonful of soup gently before tasting it.

"Yes," Edd mused, "I thought that was strange…"

"It's pretty good," Cindy said going back for another spoonful. "But something is off about the taste. Are you sure you followed the recipe exactly?"

"Of course!" Timmy assured her. "I cut these stupid onions up myself!" he held up one of the leftover onions and squeezed it.

Cindy's eyes widened.

"Timmy you dork!" Her face went red with anger. "That's not an onion…it's a shallot!"

The boy in the pink hat glanced down at the vegetable in his hand. "What's a shallot?"

"Oh dear," Edd shook his head. "How did I not notice? A shallot is a type of onion…but is also not an onion."

"So…is this bad? I mean, Chris probably won't even notice right?"

"It's not that." Cindy glanced down at her arms to see blotched red spots had already begun to form. "I'm allergic to shallots!"

Edd gulped while Timmy let out a gasp. "This is bad."

Cindy's allergic reaction began to quickly spread across her body and it soon became very noticeable. "I-I have to go!" she ran away from her team's table and over to the door. "I need an epipen!"

*Confessional*

Edd: Chris assured us Cindy was being treated and would be fine later today. However, she is out of the challenge. Since she was our leader… *he begins to freak out* This couldn't possibly get any worse!

Timmy: How was I supposed to know Cindy was allergic to shallots? I didn't know what shallots were five minutes ago!

*End Confessional*

"The first course should be served in two minutes!" Chris' voice rang throughout the kitchen.

The eyes of every member of the Screaming Gopher's widened. "Aww crap!" Mabel vocalized for everyone. "How are we supposed to do this without Cindy?"

Phineas bit his lip. "The duck is still in the oven…"

"The French onion soup doesn't have actual onions in it!" Edd threw up his hands.

"And I have no idea how to make profiterole!" Pacifica cried.

The team began to express their doubts rather loudly as the seconds ticked by, as if sure that Cindy's departure had signaled their inevitable loss. Suddenly, a voice cut through the noise. "Alright everyone calm down!" The team turned to see Timmy standing on the counter looking determined.

"We're not out of this yet you guys," he told them. "We still have a chance. Double D," he pointed at the boy in the black hat. "We're serving Chris the French onion soup, onions or no onions. Phineas," he pointed to the redhead. "Check how much time the duck needs and what else you need to do. Pull it out early if you need to." Phineas nodded. "Pacifica, I need you to restrain Mabel until this challenge is over. She's just getting in the way." Pacifica clearly didn't like this order, but at least preferred it to cooking. "And Mandy," the blonde frowned when addressed. "Come up with an alternative dessert! I don't care what it is, just find something!"

"Go! Go! Go!"

Having their orders, the team snapped into action. Edd put the soup in a bowl on a plate. Phineas checked the main course. Pacifica wrapped a large towel around Mabel's waist and tied it to the door so the brunette couldn't get in Phineas' way. And Mandy pulled out a pudding packet she had been saving and served it on a plate.

*Confessional*

Timmy: What a rush! I can't believe anyone actually listened to me! Usually the only people who listen to me are my pet goldfish. Oh man, I hope Nazz was watching!

*End Confessional*

It was time for the first course: the appetizer. Chris sat in the dining room of the mess hall, only with all the tables cleared away. He sat at a smaller table with a white table-cloth and some candles. Both Timmy and Buford walked in, each carrying their teams' appetizer. Timmy set the French onion soup down on one side while Buford dropped the plate of bruschetta on the other. The host looked at both dishes and nodded his approval. He began to eat.

*Confessional*

Zim: *A large band-aid covers the left side of his head* While I am grateful to Buford for giving me such an easy meal to make, I merely had to cut some fancy human bread and slather various delicacies on top, I am NOT happy about having Gaz for a partner. That worm-child might speak far less than the Dib, but she is much more violent…

Gaz: Wimp!

*End Confessional*

"Not bad bruschetta," Chris said, the bread crunching in his mouth. "You get seven points out of ten." Buford smirked and gave Zim a thumbs-up. "Gophers," he turned to Timmy. "This soup tastes a little funky. You only get five points." Timmy sighed.

Meanwhile, the rest of the contestants were still in the kitchen. Almost all of them were rushing to cook the remaining two meals in time. Gaz however, was not. Her partner Zim was out with Buford serving the meal to Chris, so he wasn't around to get in her way. And in truth, she wasn't concerned with whether the host liked it or not. She had other things on her mind.

Gaz pulled the tiki-head totem out of her pocket and up to the light.

*Confessional*

Gaz: Mandy wants me to plant this on someone from my team…but I won't. Taking out my own team is idiotic. What if they decide to vote me out? No, Mandy has to learn I'm not her sidekick. *she smirks* I'm going to plant this on her team instead and get one of them eliminated. Then she'll know I'm a threat and not to underestimate me!

*End Confessional*

The purple-haired girl wandered away from her own side and over to the Gopher's table. Phineas was too busy scrambling around while Pacifica was distracted holding off Mabel. Mandy herself was watching Chris eat their appetizer. No one noticed her as she stood there looking for a victim.

Then she spotted Edd standing near the door to the dining room, peeking out to see how it was going. "He'll do," Gaz said. She silently disappeared, then reappeared right behind him. Clutching the tiki-head totem in her dominant hand, Gaz carefully placed it in Edd's back pocket when he was distracted; far enough in that it wouldn't fall out, but close enough to the edge that he wouldn't feel it.

With an evil smirk she tip-toed silently and disappeared back to her own table. Gaz then watched her brother struggle with the pasta until Buford hurried back into the kitchen along with Zim. "Alright you guys, we only gotta couple minutes until the main course goes out. Dib, is the pasta ready?"

"Not…exactly…" The pale boy frowned. "I had some trouble going from dough to pasta."

Buford slapped himself on the forehead. "Where the heck did Isabella go? I was relying on her to do all the work!"

"I'm here!" Isabella called out as she ran through the door. "I'm back," she inhaled sharply to catch her breath. "Sorry Dib, but I'm ready to help with the cooking now."

"You're a little late! We've only got a couple minutes left!"

"Sorry Buford, I'll get right on it," the dark-haired girl turned to Dib as she began work on the pasta. "Sorry partner; I shouldn't have left you alone like that."

"That's okay," Dib shrugged. "Are you alright?"

"Just peachy," Isabella gave him a quick smile before turning back to the pasta.

"We have to be ready for dessert too," Buford told Zim. "Wait a minute-where's Dipper?" Everyone looked around but no one had seen him. "Nazz, why is that nerd nowhere to be seen?"

"Huh?" the blonde had been caught day-dreaming. "Oh, I don't know. I haven't seen him for a while."

"But you're his partner!"

"I know…" Nazz said with a guilty look on her face. "I think he said something about the freezer…"

Buford raised an eyebrow and then walked over to the freezer. The door was stuck. He used both hands and forced it open. Buford, Nazz, Dib and Isabella all looked shocked to find Dib inside. The tween boy was huddled in the fetal position, his skin was blue and icicles were growing off his hat and chin.

"S-So…c-cold…"

*Confessional*

Dipper: *appears slightly warmer* I-I went into the f-freezer to grab something, but the door got stuck and I-I couldn't g-get out. I c-can't believe no one on my t-team even realized I w-was gone! Especially N-Nazz, my partner! N-Not cool guys!

*End Confessional*

A few minutes later, it was judging time. Chris was sitting at the table again with an empty plate in front of him when Buford and Timmy both came in carrying their team's main course. The remaining members of both teams looked on quietly from the sidelines.

Buford's plate of pasta had thick red sauce covering the noodles and heat could be seen emanating from the top as it was placed in front of the host. Timmy struggled a little not to drop his dish, but managed to place the duck a l'orange right next to Buford's dish.

"These both look great," Chris said picking up a knife and fork. "Now let's taste which is the real winner." The host began with the Bass' pasta dish. The tweens looked on hungrily as they watched him eat, not having gotten to taste anything themselves. Though Chris took only a few bites, it seemed to take him an exceptional amount of time to get through them.

"Alright," the host said pushing the meal aside. "That was waaaay too chewy," he told Buford and the rest of the Bass. "Someone really messed up those noodles. And FYI, covering them in more sauce did not help. So…three points."

The Bass groaned. The pasta had been their most important dish, the biggest part of the challenge and they had screwed it up? This was not good.

Chris had already started on the Gopher's dish while the Bass reacted. The Gopher's looked on in growing anticipation. Would they do better or worse than the Bass?

After setting down his utensils and wiping his mouth, Chris smiled. "That was some good duck; very moist. You guys get eight points." The Gopher's let out sighs of relief and high-fived each other while ignoring glares from the Bass. "One dish left, which means only one more shot to impress me. The Gophers are winning with thirteen points to the Bass' ten. Will the Gophers hold their lead or will the Bass upstage them? Let's find out!"

*Confessional*

Isabella: I feel bad for abandoning my team and leaving Dib to cook the pasta. Getting a measly three points is on me. What if we lose and the Bass decide to vote me off?

Dib: If I learned one thing today it's that I really don't know much about cooking. If we lose, the rest of the team might decide it's my fault. *he looks around nervously*.

*End Confessional*

"Time for dessert!" Chris rubbed his palms together greedily. "Who's going first?"

"We are!" Buford raised his hand. He then turned to Nazz. "Where's the gelato?"

"Huh?" Nazz wasn't paying attention again. "Oh, I left it in the kitchen. I'll go get it."

"N-No need," Dipper walked out of the kitchen, carrying the bowl of gelato. He was wrapped in a thick blanket, but was still clearly cold. Buford nodded at him and took the bowl, he then gave Nazz a dismissive look before hurrying over to Chris.

*Confessional*

Nazz: I know, I know! I haven't been able to focus. I keep thinking about that tiki-head thing and whether I should've tossed it into the ocean or not. What if it came back? But I gotta focus, or I could be going home!

*End Confessional*

"Gelato huh?" Chris dipped his spoon in and took a mouthful. The Bass were even more nervous than before. They knew this was their last chance. But could a dessert Nazz made without paying attention be enough?

"That," Chris said licking the bowl, "was some good gelato. Seven points. That means the Gophers only need to get four points to tie or five to win."

"What happens if we tie?" Phineas asked.

"Sudden death round," Chris smirked.

None of the tweens knew what he meant by that, but all of them thought it sounded bad. It was the Gopher's turn so Timmy placed the bowl of pudding on the table in front of the host. "Hmm," he poked at it with a spoon. "Not much for presentation is it? Well I do love pudding. Let's taste this thing!"

The host scooped a large spoonful off the top and plopped it into his mouth. He swallowed and then immediately made a face. "What the…? Yuck! This tastes like the cheapest pudding I've ever eaten! What, did you just dump it out of a plastic cup?" The mouths of the Gopher team all fell open in shock; their eyes widened as their brains tried to process what Chris was telling them.

"This sucks! Two points!"

"T-Two points…" Mandy repeated, looking stunned. "That means…"

Chris stood up and took the napkin out of his shirt. "That means with a lead of seventeen to fifteen, the Killer Bass win the challenge!"

"Oh yeah!" Buford cheered, raising his fists up to the ceiling. The rest of the team celebrated as well, even a half-frozen Dipper looked relieved. The Screaming Gophers on the other hand, looked extremely disappointed, after having believed they had the challenge in the bag.

"It looks like the Bass will soon have a numbers advantage over the Gophers, because someone on your team will be going home," he told the Gophers. Then he turned to the Bass. "And as promised, the winners will be enjoying a reward tonight: a five-star dinner…under the stars." This prompted the entire Bass team to start cheering again. The challenge was over and they could all relax.

Half an hour later, the Screaming Gopher team had left the mess hall behind and were hanging out on the steps of their cabin. None of them were happy about how the challenge had ended and it seemed to hang over their heads like a rain cloud. Even though they knew they had to vote someone off later, no one was saying anything.

This awkward silence could've gone on for hours but was thankfully interrupted by Cindy's return. The red blotches on her skin were almost entirely gone. "What!" she exclaimed upon learning the results of the challenge. "We lost?!"

"It was no one's fault," Timmy spoke up. "We all tried our best."

Cindy crossed her arms. "If you had tried your best you would've made the dessert I had assigned…Pacifica and Mandy."

Pacifica cringed, but did not defend herself. Mandy however, did. "You should've given us a more manageable dessert then, Cindy. Or, you could've made it yourself. Oh wait, you weren't even there!"

"Are you blaming me for this?" Cindy clenched her fists.

"Well if the shoe fits…"

"I had an allergic reaction!"

"So that justifies throwing all the responsibility onto the rest of us?"

"Whoa, calm down you guys," Mabel stood up and tried to get between them. "Come on Cindy, this isn't helping."

"Yeah," Phineas agreed. "We're all friends here." But neither girl was listening.

"Back off!" Cindy shoved Mandy backwards. The short blonde girl was pushed back into Edd who was pushed back against the wall of the cabin. When he hit it, something fell out of his pocket.

"Are you guys okay?" Timmy rushed over. He then spotted something on the ground. "Wait, what's that?"

He picked it up and looked it over. "Weird, it's like some kind of tiki thing. Hey where'd you get this Double D? It almost looks like it's from…from…"

Mabel glanced over to see what he was talking about. "Timmy what are you looking-HOLY CRAP is that from Boney Island?" She leapt nearly a foot in the air when she spotted the tiki-head totem.

Phineas, Pacifica, Mandy and Cindy's heads all turned to look when they heard Mabel scream. They all saw what Timmy was holding. Mandy and Cindy stopped fighting. When Mandy saw the totem and realized it had fallen out of Edd's pocket, her eyes first widened, then narrowed. A vein began throbbing on her forehead and she clenched her fists tightly.

*Confessional*

Mandy: Gaz! How DARE she betray me like this! I told her to give this to her team and she has the gall to plant it on someone from my team? Who does she think she is? Make no mistake: she will pay! *she takes a deep breath* But before that, I have to play along. If this conversation doesn't get steered in the right direction who knows what might happen…

*End Confessional*

Mandy faked a gasp. "That is from Boney Island!"

"Boney Island?" Phineas tried to catch up. "You mean that island from a few challenges ago?"

Timmy nodded. "Don't you remember what Chris said? He said not to take anything off the island. He said if we took anything off the island we'd be..."

"…cursed," Mandy finished his sentence. "That thing is cursed."

"Cursed?" Cindy laughed. "Don't be ridiculous."

"It could explain why we lost today's challenge. The curse fell on our team and until it's gone, we will continue to lose challenges," Mandy explained. Both Timmy and Mabel gasped.

"N-Now wait just a minute," Edd spoke up. "This must be some kind of mistake. I've never seen that thing in my life. How it wound up on my person is beyond me, I cringe just thinking of where it might've been. Now don't you think you're all jumping to conclusions?"

Timmy placed his hand on Edd's shoulder. "It's okay Double D, even if you did take that thing off Boney Island, I won't vote for you."

"But I didn't!"

"This is ridiculous," Phineas stuck his hands in his pockets. "I don't believe in curses, I'm a man of science. I'm going to take a walk."

"Wait!" Mabel tried to get the redhead's attention as he walked off. "Curses are real! I've had first-hand experience with the supernatural! Phineas!"

"Wait…you have?" Cindy looked skeptical. Phineas kept walking.

Mandy smirked. "If we want to win the next challenge, we have to get rid of the curse."

"But Chris won't let us take a boat back to Boney Island," Mabel said looking nervous. "How will you be sure it's gone?"

"The only way to be sure is to eliminate the one who took the totem. Vote off Double D and the curse will pass."

"You can't be serious!" Edd looked aghast."This…This is all a setup you hear me? A ruse!"

Edd's objections were honest and understandable, and yet no one seemed to be looking at him anymore. An awkward tension hung in the air over the team, as if their latest loss had damaged their ability to come to logical conclusions. Was this whole thing crazy or did Mandy actually have a point? Boney Island was a weird place with weird animals that shouldn't be real. Could curses be real too? And even if they were, was Edd truly responsible?

*Confessional*

Edd: I'm not giving up! Timmy has agreed to vote with me against Mandy. It's clear she is the instigator; though I haven't the faintest idea why she wants me gone, unless she figured out I was the one spying on her and Gaz. I'll try to convince Cindy to vote with us. Unfortunately there isn't much time left until the elimination ceremony…

Mabel: I feel bad for Double D, I do, he's a nice guy, but me and my bro-bro have seen waaaay more supernatural stuff than everyone else here combined. If only he were on our team he could investigate and get to the bottom of this and find the truth! But since that's not possible, I'm going with Mandy's idea.

Phineas: There are NO such things as curses! Where's Ferb when I need him? He'd back me up.

Mandy: That was a lot of work for Edd of all people. He barely talks to anyone besides Timmy; I'm surprised anyone believed him at all. But mark my words, after tonight Gaz and I are done! No one betrays me and gets away with it!

*End Confessional*

Night had fallen and the moon had risen. The campfire ceremony had begun and the remaining seven members of the Screaming Gopher team were all seated on one of the stumps. A warm fire cackled in front of them. None of the tweens were looking at it, or at each other.

Chris Mclean walked over holding the familiar tray of marshmallows. "I've got seven Gophers sitting in front of me tonight, but only six fluffy bits of safety in my hands. So…good luck. When I call your name, come up and get your marshmallow. Phineas."

The red head, despite not being in any real danger, looked a little relieved as he stood and picked up a marshmallow on the tray Chris had placed on one of the stumps in front of them. Then he sat back down. The host paused several seconds before saying the next name.

"Cindy."

"Timmy."

"Mabel."

"…and Pacifica." After each name the camper went up and claimed a marshmallow, knowing they were safe for now. After Mabel's name was called, there were two Gopher's left, but only one marshmallow. "Mandy and Edd, it's down to you," Chris said.

"Whoever doesn't get this last marshmallow must immediately walk the dock of shame and leave on the boat of losers. Forever!" Once again, the tension was thick. Edd seemed to be sweating profusely from under his black hat as he nervously bit his nails. Mandy's face was as emotionless as ever, but it was clear she was hanging on Chris' every word as much as everyone else.

"The final marshmallow goes to…"

…

….

…..

…

…Mandy."

All the tension Ed had been holding in released and he let out a despair filled sigh; his shoulders slumped and he stared down at his shoes. "Oh dear…"

Mandy smirked and looked powerful as she stood up to retrieve her marshmallow. But she was the only one, as the rest of the campers looked unhappy with the results and turned away.

"Edd dude, the boat of losers awaits."

Edd stood up and addressed his now former team. "I won't pretend I'm not disappointed, I am, but before I go I wanted to say just two things. The first is to reiterate that I did not take that totem from Boney Island; so you should be interested in finding out who did. The second thing is a secret I've been keeping for a while now." Hearing the magic word 'secret' everyone made sure to pay attention. "I warn you to beware the danger in your midst: Mandy and Gaz are in a secret alliance! I heard this information firsthand." The team collectively gasped. "They've been working together and trying to get people eliminated this whole time."

Mandy gulped and seemed to shrink in her seat as her five teammates turned to glare at her. "That is all," Edd concluded. "Goodbye." He turned, and walked toward the dock of shame on his way out of the game.

"That's it for tonight," Chris said once he was gone, "and you might want to burn some sage to get rid of any lingering curse vibes."

"Oh good, will Chef give us some sage?" Mabel asked.

"Nope! So…good luck with that." Chris walked away.

The elimination ceremony was over and the Gophers all headed back to their cabin. They were safe for tonight, and while team camaraderie had never been lower, they were at least relieved that the curse had passed.

VOTES:

Mandy- Edd

Mabel- Edd

Timmy- Mandy

Edd- Mandy

Phineas- Mabel

Cindy- Edd

Pacifica- Edd

Tally: Edd- 4, Mandy- 2, Mabel- 1

Eliminated: Carl, Billy, Helga, Misery, Sheen, Libby, Baljeet, Kuki, Edd

Remaining: Phineas, Mandy, Cindy, Timmy, Mabel, Pacifica, Isabella, Dib, Zim, Buford, Dipper, Nazz, Gaz

A/N: Reviews are appreciated.