Disclaimer - The rights of Total Drama Island and its characters belong to Teletoon, Cartoon Network, and all those associated with the show. No profit is being made by this fanfiction. If the story starts to lose power, plug it in and recharge its batteries.
Replies to Questions and Comments:
To Everybody - Be sure to vote in my profile's poll, preferably after you're done with this chapter.
And before I get any notices, I going to come out and say that Justin in this story is NOT like he is in TDA. Sorry, but there's going to be a difference between my Justin and the one you'll see in the show. (Of course, you can easily see that in Ezekiel, Katie, Noah, and Heather too.)
--
And now, without further stalling, on with the show!!
Chapter 48 (Day 18, Part 2) - The Gods Must Be Teenagers
Chris was standing in front of the camera as it was turned back. The host sighed, as if he had received a fix after a very long withdrawal.
"Finally," he grumbled. "Boy, it took forever to find some more film for the camera. Let's hope we don't run out mid-challenge."
"If there's gonna be a challenge," Eva said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Whacha mean by that, Eva?"
The fitness buff jerked a thumb behind her. Izzy and Owen were still gorging themselves, Ezekiel was unsuccessfully trying to referee a fight between Heather and Leshawna, Justin and Cody were both talking to Beth, and Bridgette was wrapped around Geoff in heavy make-out time.
"Wow. They sure missed each other," the host said, grinning. "This makes having a reunion between seasons so much more of a better idea."
"Oh joy," Courtney remarked. "You'll probably turn it into another contest."
"What's the matter, babe?" Duncan cracked, wrapping his arm around the CIT and pulling her close. "Don't you want to see as much of me as you can?"
"I really see more of you than I care to," she replied, and then he started to give her a playful noogie. "Ow! Okay, okay, I like seeing you! Ow! Alright, I love seeing you!"
"Thank you princess!"
Courtney turned the tables on him, wrapping her arm around his head and give him a noogie back. "What's my name, Duncan?"
"Ow! Courtney! Ow ow ow!"
"Okay, settle down, love birds," Chris said, clapping his hands. "Could I get the five non-losers to form a line in front of me?"
Ezekiel, Beth, Cody, Bridgette and Izzy lined up as asked, a couple of them looking distracted. Most of all distracted was Bridgette, straddling Geoff around the waist and still making out with him.
"This challenge is going to be something that I've always wanted to do," Chris admitted, his grin widening. "You all are going to participate in the challenge which I like to call, Loser-Worshipping the Winner Gods!"
Cody raised an eyebrow. "I don't like the sound of that."
"Why not, Cody? Because you five are going to be picking three teammates to help you build a giant statue in your honor! Only...
"You're not going to be helping them! You're going to be telling them what to do, and not lift a single finger!"
Gasps went around the campers and ex-campers. Izzy grinned and clapped, "This'll be like that time I came across a lost tribe, and they worshipped me as a goddess because of my fiery red hair!"
Chris chuckled. "Exactly, my Izzy! The ex-campers are going to build a model of the camper that they 'worship' with this handy things!"
He held up what looked like a large Lego block.
"That looks like a large Lego block," Beth said.
"Close, but Joel calls them the Near-Industrial Construction Squares. His invention, so be sure to thank him afterwards."
" 'Nics'?" Gwen repeated. "Interesting, but why Near-Industrial?"
"Because if some idiot did try to build a real building out of it and it fell, Joel would have a lawsuit on his hands," the host explained. "Some people will try to sue over anything; I know, I speak from experience."
"One of these days, Chris," Noah said, pointing angrily at the host, "I'll find that loophole..."
"You wish, egghead!"
Noah growled while Katie patted his shoulder in comfort.
"So what we are going to do," Chris said, one-hand juggling the nics block, "is build a monument of your god or goddess, twice the size of the person involved. Then you have to hoist up your god or goddess onto the top, and the first one up there wins immunity!"
"That's it?" Beth asked. "No special rules or anything?"
"Oh! Thanks for reminding me, Beth! You get a cookie!"
As the short girl caught her new prize, Ezekiel poked Bridgette's shoulder. "You getting any of this, Bridge?" he asked. His reply was moans of delight and wet, passionate kissing between her and Geoff.
"Bridgette," the prairie boy said, turning to her now. "Bridgette, he's explaining the rules! ... Bridgette!!"
He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled, but the surfer girl had too strong of a grasp around her boyfriend. With a sigh, Ezekiel then put his foot up on Geoff's chest and pushed hard as he pulled on her shoulders.
Eventually, with a very loud and wet 'POP,' Bridgette's lips were free from Geoff's. The surfer looked around at Ezekiel, very upset by this, and hissed, "What?!"
"Chris is explaining the rules, eh!"
"Well, tell me when he starts," she replied sharply, turning back to Geoff.
"He's already explained most of them!"
Bridgette paused millimeters before kissing Geoff again, and looked over at the other winners. Cody, Beth, and Izzy all nodded, and the blond surfer's face went red.
"Oops," she whimpered.
"Holy cow," Geoff declared, throwing his hands up in horror, "I could have blown the contest for you, Bridge!"
By doing this, he had let go of Bridgette, and the surfer girl lost all balance on him and fell back, onto Ezekiel. Collapsing on top of him as he hit the ground, Bridgette looked rather embarrassed.
"Hey, get off him!" Heather stormed over, fury in her eyes. "Quit lying on him! He's my-"
The queen bee stopped when she suddenly noticed everyone was watching her, waiting for her to finish that sentence. She blushed fervently, muttered, "Um... n-nothing! Never mind," and quickly backed away.
As Geoff helped Bridgette up and Beth helped up Ezekiel, Chris tapped his foot as he waited. "Enough relationship drama," he shouted. "I haven't said the one major key about this challenge!
"You see, you have to make the god or goddess's statue of him or her looked very much like him or her! Once I give the approval, you then may lift your god or goddess onto the top of his or her statue, where they will sit on their own massive head!"
Cody was punching a few buttons on a calculator. "Chris, if we do three worshippers per winner, that'll leave two ex-campers out of the game."
"Yes, and those two will be the pagans," Chris said gleefully. "I was going to have Chef Hatchet be the pagan, but since he's resting in the infirmary after Izzy's beating-"
"Hey, I was provoked!"
"Yeah, and you'll probably be wanted by the RCMP all over again for that vicious of a beating, girl. So since Chef isn't here, the two unpicked pagans will be trying to knock down the statues or tear them apart!
"So pick wisely your teammates! Those that can defend your statue, as well as those that can build, and those that won't mind you telling them what to do without lifting a finger!"
"Loser-Worshipping the Winner Gods sounds like some kind of fantasy in your little world, Chris," Leshawna remarked.
"There's nothing little about my world," Chris said, shrugging. "Okay then! Let's do the first round of picking this way: the winners will choose alphabetically, and your first choice has to be someone of the same gender!
"The order then will be Beth, Bridgette, Cody, Ezekiel, and Izzy. Let's begin with Beth!"
"I pick Lindsay," Beth shouted, pointing at the beautiful blond. Lindsay squealed with joy and ran over to hug her friend, both shouting out in happiness.
Bridgette scanned the ex-campers before saying, "I pick Courtney!"
"Alright," the CIT cheered, high-fiving her friend and then wrapping an arm around her waist. "Let's kick their ass!"
"Whoa Courtney," Bridgette said amid her giggling, "never saw you this wild before! It's pretty cool!"
"I pick Trent," Cody said. He high-fived the musician, then he elbowed him lightly. "I'm gonna need your help," he whispered into Trent's ear, "I really need some advice on... romance."
"You?" Trent replied, cocking an eyebrow. Cody nodded, risking a quick head nod in Beth's general direction, then giving a second-long point at Justin.
"I pick Tyler, eh," Ezekiel said, waving at his friend.
"Yeah, buddy," the jock shouted, pumping his fists into the air. He bolted over to the prairie boy, hand ready for a high-five. Ezekiel was ready to return it, but Tyler missed his mark and accidentally smacked his friend in the face.
"Oh crap," the jock swore when his friend fell to the ground in a daze, "sorry dude!"
Izzy winced, then turned to look over the crowd. "Um, I'll take Katie!"
The tan-skinned BFFF cried out in joy, hugged Noah and Sadie good-bye, then ran over and glomped Izzy. The redhead spun her around, then set her down. "Let's tear them apart, Katie!"
"Yes, let's!"
Chris looked over the five choices, then spoke up again. "Okay then! Second choice will be someone of the opposite gender. Beth, you first."
"Um... uh...," Beth stammered, starting to turn red.
Lindsay started elbowing her, winking at her, nodding and smiling. She was giving Beth every hint she could possibly give, including pointing at Justin and saying, "Justin,"
"I pick... Justin?" Beth said, shrugging and trying to look nonchalant though she was bright red.
The male model looked thrilled while Cody's stomach dived. The tech-geek watched as Beth giggled and snorted shyly, the male model thanking her and putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Oh," Trent muttered. "That's what you meant, dude?"
"Ayup," Cody replied, crossing his arms.
Chris turned to Bridgette, smirking. "Do I even need to ask, Bridgette?"
"Nope," she said, then she grabbed Geoff's collar and began to kiss him. Courtney sighed and pulled the surfer away. "Focus, Bridgette!"
"But I'm not really doing anything for this challenge."
"He is! You have to let him focus!"
Cody was next to pick. He looked at Gwen, then looked at Trent for permission. The musician nodded, and the tech-geek sighed in relief. "I pick Gwen."
"Shocking," Chris said sarcastically.
"I think it's a twist," Heather said, grinning. "Gwen worshipping Cody, that is a switch."
"Hey Heather," Ezekiel called out, "be nice, or I woo'nt pick you, eh!"
The queen bee looked startled at first, then glared at him. "What makes you think I want you to?"
Ezekiel raised an eyebrow at her, and she crossed her arms. After a couple seconds of staring, the ravenhaired girl sighed in defeat. "Fine yes, I do want you to."
"Then be nice. I pick Heather, Chris!"
"Your funeral, dude," the host replied. "Last, Izzy. Can I guess and say it's-"
"OWEN," the redhead shouted. "Get over here, and don't you dare eat the nics blocks!"
"I'll try," the big guy said as he walked over to her.
"Dude, these things will not pass well through your digestive system," Chris said, one-hand juggling a block. "Okay, the last pick is going to be someone from the opposing, original team! If you were a Killer Bass, you have to pick a Screaming Gopher. Former Screaming Gophers have to adopt a former Killer Bass!"
Beth nodded, then looked among the remaining campers. "Um, I'll pick... DJ!"
The football play cheered, and high-fived Beth. The farm girl looked at her three teammates and said, "Wow, I got myself quite a team! We can win for sure!"
Bridgette had to observe who was left of the Screaming Gophers. "I think I'll pick... Leshawna!"
"Right on, sister," Leshawna cheered, high-fiving Bridgette then giving her a little bump with her plush hips. "We're gonna make you a statue and have all the boys fawn over it!"
Bridgette blushed and shook her head. "C'mon, that's just silly!"
Cody was looking desperate now. "Um... I pick... Eva!"
The fitness buff looked surprised, then shrugged and came over. "Fine, but I'm not worshipping you, geek."
"I never expected you to."
"Then we have an understanding," she replied, crossing her arms and standing next to him indifferently.
Ezekiel studied the remaining campers, then he realized only one Screaming Gopher was left. "I guess I'll have to pick Noah, eh."
"So sorry you were forced to," the know-it-all replied bitterly, putting his hands in his pockets.
"And I'll finish up with Sadie," Izzy shouted. The larger BFFF squealed with joy, and ran over. She scooped up Izzy and Katie for a group hug, all three squealing, then Owen picked them up in his large arms and squealed along with them.
"This is all good fun," Chris said, shouting over the four people letting out high-pitched squeals, "but that means we have Duncan and Harold leftover."
The punk looked annoyed, while the lanky nerd smiled and slapped his back. "Don't touch me, nerd," Duncan grumbled.
"Oh c'mon Duncan, this is right up your alley," Harold said.
"How you figure that?"
"Duncan, use your head," Courtney snapped at him. "You're going to be kicking over art projects others are working on!"
A very wicked grin spread across the punk's face. "Say..."
"Okay people," Chris said, clapping. "You all will find your places, at one of the five points around the pool. And if you have to vent off some steam over being a slave for your new god, use the confession cam!"
"Chris, that's on Wawanakwa Island," Owen said.
"Oh is it?" The sound of helicopter blades met everyone's ears, and they looked up to see Joel in his flying machine, the confession cam dangling on a cord. Landing it softly on the ground, the inventor waved at the cast.
(Confession Cam - I'm back, baby!)
Gwen - "Ugh! Why does he have to have this smelly thing as the confessional still?"
Beth - "Okay, it's time to get to know Justin! He's so gorgeous and pretty and handsome and gorgeous... but is he a nice guy? And I might want to talk to the others about this, see what they know about him."
Cody - "Darn it, Beth picked Justin! I gotta just hope he turns out not to be her type! Please oh please oh please..."
Justin - "Beth picking me is a good sign that she likes me, now I just have to make sure things go as smooth as my chest. Still..."
\He taps his chin in thought.\ "She really does like Cody. I admire that guy, he has the will and energy to carry on. Beth really likes his personality... man, no one's ever cared about my personality before... I wonder if she'll really like me..." \He sighs, concerned.\
(Beth)
"Okay guys," the farm girl said as she looked at the stack of nics. "It's time to start!"
She reached for a block when Lindsay grabbed her wrist. "No no no, Betty, you cannot help! You have to tell us what to do!"
"That's right, Beth," Justin said, patting her shoulder. "Go sit down, we'll take care of this."
Beth flushed at the attention and nodded. She sat down in a nearby chair and leaned back. "But... I feel guilty about watching you do the work."
"You're too kind of a goddess, Beth," DJ said.
The farm girl giggled, then gasped as Bunny leapt up on her chair. She patted her legs invitingly, and the gray rabbit hopped into her lap, nuzzling her stomach. Justin couldn't help but let out a sigh at the sight.
"Isn't she cute?" Lindsay said to him, leaning in and elbowing Justin's ribs.
"She sure is."
"Hey you two, let's get started," DJ shouted. "The others have started, we cannot afford to fall behind."
"Right, just remember that Betty's shoes are white!"
As the three started to work, Beth watched Justin as she stroked Bunny's fur. She was unaware that she was being watched as well.
(Cody)
"Aw c'mon," Cody whimpered, throwing his hands up in the air. "Why can't I be on her team?"
"Dude, you're one of the gods," Trent said. "Now let me see your shoe!"
"But why does Justin have to be on his team," the tech-geek continued, lifting up his foot and having Trent study it. "Does she really like him?"
"It's Justin, Cody," Gwen said, sorting out the colors of the blocks. "It's hard not to like him."
"You guys really like him too?!"
"Don't be a dork," Eva said as she pulled up a chair and forced the tech-geek into it. "You'd have to be really stupid to wonder why girls like Justin."
As Trent started to work on the shoes for the statue, Cody drummed his fingers nervously. "But... but... Beth and I have been spending a lot of time on the island! We-"
"What?" Eva said, scoffing. "You afraid it's going to be another case of Gwen?"
The goth girl glared at the fitness buff, but it didn't stop Eva from talking. "Cody," she said, "sometimes you have to realize that girls dig guys who are really cool, handsome, and talented."
"You're a really mean worshipper," Cody pouted, crossing his arms. "I'm cool, I'm not that bad looking-"
Eva started to laugh. Gwen raised her hand as if to smack her upside the head, and Trent grabbed her wrist. "Gwen babe," he whispered, "she'll kill you. And we don't need a human sacrifice to the god."
The tech-geek sighed, and continued to watch Beth watch Justin.
(Ezekiel)
The prairie boy lifted his foot for Noah to inspect. "Don't expect me to kiss it, oh masterful god," the know-it-all muttered.
"That's a weird thing to say, eh."
"It's a figure of speech, Ezekiel," Heather snapped, tapping her foot impatiently.
Tyler shot her an unfriendly glance, then started grabbing nics blocks the color of Ezekiel's shoes. He dropped a couple and they bounced into the pool. It was Heather's turn to look angrily at the jock.
"Stop goofing off and make with the model's shoes," she snapped at him.
Tyler and Heather continued to glare at each as the jock started to stack up the nics blocks. After a couple seconds of not watching as he worked, he started to press one down on the side of another, and accidentally shot it off through the air. It struck Heather under the chin.
"Ouch! Oh that's it," she shouted, shoving Tyler away. "Noah and I will work on the shoes! Go make sure our god is comfortable!"
The athlete sulked off. He grabbed a chair and gestured for Ezekiel to sit in it. After the prairie boy was seated, the jock leaned the back and almost tipped it over. Ezekiel cried out in fear of falling down, but Tyler managed to catch the chair.
"Are you trying to blow this contest for him?" Heather snapped. "Just... stay there! And don't accidentally kill him."
Tyler sighed, leaning against the back of Ezekiel's chair. "Dude," he muttered, "why do you like her so much?"
"I knoo' she's mean at times, harsh and all-"
"Dude, she hasn't said one nice word to any of us ever since she arrived here."
Ezekiel sighed, rubbing his temples. "She's just woo'ried, eh. Heather doesn't trust people with her emotions."
"Hmmm," Tyler mused, "could also be that Leshawna and Gwen dumped shaving cream all over her when she arrived."
"Oh my. It's just that she's a'boot-"
"And they drew little funny cartoons all over her when she was sleeping."
"Oh no. You see, you guys need-"
"And there was that time Eva chased with an electric hair clipper."
Ezekiel groaned and covered his face with his hands. "Tyler, you guys are never going to see her as anything but a witch if you keep trying to burn her, eh."
Tyler blinked and muttered, "Dude, that's deep. So you really like her?"
"Yes, eh," Ezekiel said, flushing a little. "She does have a lot of good qualities. She's smart, she's self-reliant, she has creative energy, and she is a really good person deep doo'n; once that popular queen bee image is stripped away that she forced herself to put up, you'll see the Heather I knoo'."
Tyler sniffed and wiped a tear away. "Dude... that's... that's beautiful." Ezekiel smiled and shrugged. The jock shouted, "High-five," and they rose their hands. Tyler swung down, missed, and smacked Ezekiel right in the face.
As the prairie boy cried out in pain, Heather really wanted to look over and shout at Tyler; however, she couldn't, because then the jock would see how flushed her face was from overhearing the conversation.
(Bridgette)
"Bridgette, what color are your shoes?" Courtney asked her friend.
The surfer girl popped a foot in the air for the CIT to see, as she was busy making out with Geoff. Courtney sighed, and turned to Leshawna.
"Sandals," she muttered. "That's gonna make things harder."
"Be easier if Geoff were helping 'stead of making out with her," Leshawna remarked as she began to work on her model's feet.
"Oh let them have some time together," Courtney said as she started to help Leshawna. "They haven't had any real time together during this contest."
Leshawna raised an eyebrow. "You feeling guilty, girlfriend?"
Courtney sighed and looked away. "Kind of-"
" 'Cuz you should."
The CIT glared at the smirking sister, then Leshawna gave her a friendly smack on the shoulder. "I'm just kidding ya, I got over my anger 'long time ago, girlfriend."
"But you're still chasing Duncan around."
"Yeah, that's 'cuz he gets on my nerves still."
"I know, he can do that." Leshawna looked around. "Uh-oh. Speaking of the devil..."
Courtney also saw Duncan approaching, eyeing the project with evil eyes. The CIT stood up and said, "No, Duncan."
"Sorry princess, but I obey no one now. I am here to defile your goddess." He glanced over at Bridgette and Geoff, then laughed. "Goddess falling for a mortal. Just like Greek mythology, huh?"
"No, it's not like...," Courtney shouted, then stopped herself. "Oh wait... yes it is."
"You mean the fool actually paid attention in school?" Leshawna asked.
"Yep, sister. Now if you don't mind," Duncan cracked his knuckles. "I'm gonna kick some model feet."
"No, you won't," Courtney shot at him.
"Like I said, princess, I'm a pagan, against all gods."
"If you interfere with Bridgette's model... then... then..."
"Then what, Ms. Blind Worshipper?"
"Then... no making out for a week!"
Duncan blanched, then growled. "Damn," he grumbled before sulking off.
There was a moment of silence before Leshawna cheered. "Girlfriend, you got him behavin' at long last!"
Courtney sighed, then smiled. "Yeah, I'm a natural animal tamer."
(Izzy)
"Faster, my minions!"
Izzy cracked a whip, a real whip, in the air. Owen, though it was nowhere near hitting him, yelped and jumped in the air.
"Where did she get the whip?" Sadie asked Katie.
The thinner BFFF shrugged and smiled. "I've learned sometimes it's best not to ask Izzy."
Katie and Sadie were hard at work on the model's feet, while Owen was trying to get as many green and reddish-orange blocks she could. Izzy, proud of her worshippers, plopped down in a nearby chair.
"You do very well," Izzy said, nodding in approval. She let out a cry and snapped her whip, and Harold leapt a few feet backward.
"Gosh, I thought I was quiet," Harold said as he sulked off.
Izzy chuckled, leaning back in her chair. "Ah, it's nice to relax for once."
"Just let us know if we're not doing a good enough job, Izzy," Owen called out.
"I'm cool. I am content, I am peaceful, I am tranquil-"
She then let a barbaric roar and snapped her whip, scaring Duncan and causing him to fall into the pool.
"Damn it," he shouted as he surfaced. "How did you even hear me?"
"Never doubt the gods, pagan," Izzy shouted, dancing from one foot to the next. "Nasty pagans, worse than fundamental atheists!"
"What's that?" Sadie asked Katie.
"People who believe science can prove God doesn't exist."
Sadie blinked. "Is that what we'll be taught in science in our senior year?"
"I hope not. You know that I sometimes bring my workbooks to church, and I don't think our reverend would appreciate them in the house of God."
"He is an understanding man, but he wouldn't like that, would he?"
"Nope. OWEN," Katie suddenly shouted, "Don't eat the nics blocks!"
(Later.)
After some more building of the large models, with all teams having to chase off Harold and Duncan, the teams were almost done. The worshippers were all tired, and the gods and goddesses were feeling rather guilty.
Except Izzy.
"Guys," she shouted, running over to the statue and looking up, "my boobs are not that large!"
"Oops," Katie whimpered. "Maybe we should have used me as a model instead of Sadie."
"Why didn't you ask me?" Izzy asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"We're afraid of your whip, Izzy."
"Then go ask Ezekiel," the redhead replied, raising her voice in excitement, "he knows how big my boobs are, he was squeezing them earlier!"
You could hear a cricket chirp during the following silence. (It was communicating via chirps that he approved of the silence.)
Izzy looked baffled at the utter silence, silent save for Heather's growling and Ezekiel, who, curled up in his chair and hiding his bright red face, was whimpering.
"Okay, I'll ask him," Owen said cheerfully, and started to walk over to Ezekiel. Izzy snapped her whip, coiling it around his waist and pulling him back.
"Just reduce my model's rack a little, please."
"Alright then!"
As Katie and Sadie climbed up on the nics block statue to chisel giant Izzy down a few cup sizes, Bridgette watched and giggled.
"Izzy's so cute, isn't she?" she asked her friends.
"Cute as a rabid wolverine," Leshawna replied, as Courtney and Geoff nodded.
"Now come on guys, she's really a nice person."
"Doesn't change the fact that she is more wild than a squirrel on a sugar buzz," Geoff said, laughing.
(Confession Cam - This place is awesome! Can I stay here?)
Bridgette - "I've taken a real shine to Izzy. She may have a few... well, okay, a lot of quirks, but I hope next season, I can have her on my team."
Ezekiel - \hiding his eyes with his toque\ "Kill me now, please, eh."
Izzy - \She is looking down at her breasts.\ "I wonder how'd I look that big... nah, that's Lindsay's job. Besides, I like sleeping on my stomach, so that I can properly bite my pillow when I catch my prey in my dreams!"
Raccoon - \He speaks in Raccoonian, with English subtitles.\ "whoa dis playce iz awsum, i iz so glad i bumm ryde in dis smelly boxx"
(Time passes.)
Justin sat down in a chair, looking over at Beth apologetically. "Sorry," he said while massaging his hands, "my hands are really sore."
"Don't overdo it, Justin. I wouldn't want you to injure yourself on account of me."
"It's okay, I'm not a hand model."
Beth giggled, then gestured for him to come over. When he sat down on her chair, she took his hand and gently began to massage it. He smiled in appreciation at her.
"I'm not that good, my mom still hasn't taught me how to truly to do it," she admitted. "I'm better at reading palms."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, Lindsay taught me. Want me to try?"
"Sure, never had my palm read before." Beth studied the lines, and hummed a little. The way her face scrunched up was positively adorable to Justin. Soon, the farm girl stopped humming and looked up at him.
"I think you're going to have a career that involves steady hands," she said, "that you're going to have some success in about half a year, and that you're a hard worker."
Justin raised an eyebrow. "How you figure that?"
"You have profound fingerprints, good for gripping something sensitive like a scalpel," she pointed out, "you have a certain line in your palm that indicates luck that hasn't extended quite far enough yet...
"And this," she pointed at indenture in his palm, "is where you gripped a nics block so hard you left a mark, so it proves you're a hard worker."
They shared a laugh, and Lindsay glanced over. "Awww," the blond beauty cooed, "she's reading his palm! I wish I knew how to do read palms!"
Cody was watching the whole ordeal, and he began to wring his hands. Gwen walked over and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Cody. They're just chatting."
"Do you think...," he whimpered, poking his fingers, "that she's really interested in him?"
"Probably not that much."
"Except that he's been talking fondly about her for the past couple weeks," Eva said, hurling a nics block at Harold, "and she's looking at him like her dream beau."
Gwen glared at the fitness buff as Cody sighed. The tech-geek muttered, "Maybe I'm just not worthy of a girl I like."
"Don't say that, Cody," Trent called out to him.
Cody plopped down in a chair and continued to watch Beth and Justin. "Maybe I should have made a move before we came here," he said, "maybe I should have said I liked her instead of always just talking to her like friends... maybe I shouldn't have requested a bacon cheeseburger in front of her."
Eva, Trent, and Gwen continued to work on the statue. "I don't see why you two are concerning yourselves in his love life," Eva grumbled. "Didn't he recklessly flirt with you, Gwen?"
"Well if anyone should be concerned," Gwen remarked, "it should be you, Eva."
"How do you figure that, goth girl?"
"Because if Beth and Justin start dating, Cody's last options of girls here are Sadie... and you."
The fitness buff blanched and looked away, growling softly.
(Confession Cam - Can I get a bacon cheeseburger?)
Eva - "Me date Cody?! I don't even date!"
Justin - "Isn't she just the cutest?" \He sighs, looking up at the ceiling.\
Beth - "Justin's a lot deeper than I thought! I think, as far as the challenge goes, I shouldn't have talked to him for so long... but I couldn't resist. He seems to really like me!"
Izzy - \She is stuffing kleenex down the front of her top. Izzy looks up to see the camera, as if for the first time, screams and throws her hands up, sending kleenex everywhere.\
(Time passes again.)
"Okay, I think we are ready," Noah said, wiping sweat away from his forehead. He stepped back and admired the model of Ezekiel, twice the size of the real boy.
"You sure did a lot," Heather snapped at the know-it-all.
"Well, I get dizzy when up high, so I couldn't climb it."
"That's a bunch of bull."
"I was doing you a favor," he replied, a sly smile on his face. "I know you wanted to get up in Ezekiel's face, so I let you go up there and do that."
"Shut up and go get Chris!"
As Noah left, Heather stood behind the model, shaking her head and sighing. Ezekiel patted her shoulder. "Doo'nt let him get to you," he said to her. "He's just a cynical guy."
"Oh, what do you care? Why don't you... go grope Izzy some more or something?"
"Heather..."
"Or Bridgette? I'm sure you prefer that surfer girl more than me."
"Heather," he said more firmly, grabbing her shoulders, "I doo'nt want to be dating Izzy or Bridgette. I want to date you, eh."
The queen bee blinked in astonishment. "D-date?"
"Really?" Tyler asked, watching from the other side of the Ezekiel model.
"Really," Ezekiel said (to Heather, not Tyler).
Heather was quiet, staring into the eyes. Ezekiel leaned in to kiss her, and she puckered up. The universal interrupting sound of someone clearing their throat stopped them.
"Chris said," Noah, the perpetrator, said to them, "that the model passes his judgment. Zeke, climb that thing."
"Is it safe, eh?" the prairie boy asked, looking up at the model.
"Of course," Heather snapped, walking away from him to gesture up at the giant Ezekiel of nics blocks. "Look at it, we worked hard on it."
"Yeah, we're dedicated worshippers," Tyler cheered, slapping the knees of the model.
After a couple slaps, he knocked the model over. Heather looked up as the back of giant Ezekiel's model came down at her, and she held up her hands in pitiful defense.
There was a terrible crash as the model smashed against the ground, shattering into an million nics blocks. As the dust cleared, Tyler and Noah looked in horror at the rubble.
Heather was panting hard, resting in Ezekiel's arms; he was holding her close ever since he pulled her away from being crushed to death by a giant model of him.
Noah slowly looked over at Tyler, utter hatred in his eyes. "If we were in a shooter game," he muttered, "I'd friendly-fire frag corpse camp you. All day."
Tyler burst into tears, falling to his knees. Heather snapped out of her shock, and looked at Ezekiel.
"Well," he whispered, "now we're even, eh."
"Wh-what?"
"You kept me awake when I had a concussion, eh. So we're even."
"But you saved me from those wolves and... and then there was that mudslide," she began to stammer, "and I also-"
She was cut off as Ezekiel kissed her, pulling her close. Heather was startled at first, then she closed her eyes and kissed him back.
"Look at the horrors you've created," Noah scolded Tyler, gesturing over to the couple and the wreckage. "Senseless destruction, near-death experiences, Heather and Ezekiel kissing... unforgivable, Tyler!"
Bridgette, like most others, had been staring ever since Tyler had knocked over his god's model. The surfer winced when she saw Ezekiel kiss Heather, then sighed.
"Still oppose them being together, babe?" Geoff asked her.
"I don't know, to be honest," she admitted, glancing at the couple again. "They look happy... she actually looks happy, genuinely happy."
"Geoff, stop gabbing to Bridge for a couple minutes," Leshawna shouted from the Bridgette model's shoulders. "We need help getting her head set on her shoulders, and that ponytail ain't gonna be easy to-"
"WE HAVE A WINNER!!"
Chris was standing in front of a fully constructed model of Izzy, as the crazy girl jumped and cheered on the giant head of herself. Bridgette, Cody, Beth, and Ezekiel (interrupting another kiss with Heather) looked over to see that they had been beaten.
"Izzy wins immunity," Chris Maclean shouted, pumping his fists in the air, "and proves that she has the most faithful followers of them all!"
Katie and Sadie hugged and squealed in celebration as Owen danced and yelled, "My girl's the best goddess there is!"
Beth sighed, then looked over at Justin. "I don't care if I lost," she said to him, "I'm just glad we got to talk at long last."
He smiled as Lindsay and DJ smiled, though the football player tapped his fingers together nervously. "Though... for the five hours we worked, we could have used Justin's help more so," he admitted.
Cody sighed, staring up at the sky. "I could really use a drink now, I'll probably be staying here tonight," he muttered.
"I ain't your damn worshipper anymore, get it yourself," Eva grumbled, walking away. Cody stared at her as she departed, wondering if he really did see a faint blush on the fitness buff's face.
"Don't listen to her," Gwen said, smiling at Cody, "and don't lose faith in the contest."
"Thanks, Gwen."
"Grape, cherry, lemon, or blueberry?"
"Blueberry would be sweet, thanks."
Bridgette sighed, then looked at Geoff. "You guys did your best. Courtney, Leshawna, Geoff, thank you so much."
"Anything, sugar," Leshawna replied.
"Any time, Bridge," Courtney replied.
Geoff replied by kissing his girlfriend, and she kissed back, moaning happily.
(Confession Cam - Boy, Ezekiel was crushed! HAR HAR!)
Noah - "Historians will look back at this day, The Day Tyler Blew It Big-Time, and will say, 'Boy, Tyler blew it big-time'."
Justin - "It's official: I am charmed over by Beth."
Cody - "Is it really officially Beth and Justin? I don't know..."
Heather - \She caresses her lips, then looks up at the ceiling and sighs blissfully.\ "Dating a prairie boy who lives on a farm with smelly animals and loves his parents more than anything... funny thing is, I would've said no after the first detail... now... I don't know... maybe?"
Beth - "Okay, I have decided to ask for other peoples' opinions, my friends and those I trust. I asked Lindsay, Leshawna, DJ, Bridgette, Trent, Gwen, Eva, Zeke, Izzy, Owen, and I even asked Courtney and Duncan about what they thought.
"I think I need to make a decision who I want to ask out or... something. I'm new at this, no one asks me out." \She nervously kicks her feet.\ "I need to make a decision between Justin and Cody."
"Well, now that Izzy is immune as the main goddess," Chris Maclean said, "we have four lesser gods to choose from."
"So how exactly are we voting this?" Harold asked, pressing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.
"Good question, Harold. This time, all of you, yes everyone is voting! All twenty-two are voting!"
There was some murmuring among the teenagers. "And there is more," the host continued. "This voting is going to be who you want to win!"
To say people looked suspicious would be an understatement.
"Chris," Leshawna growled and lifted him up by his collar, "I don't want any double-talk from you! Tell us directly what we are doing."
"You are going," the host said after the large sister put him down, "to vote for the camper you want to win. The camper with the least amount of votes is going to be staying here at Playa de Losers, and will lose the contest."
Leshawna pulled him close to her face. "Is that all?"
"That's all," the host squeaked. "Well, the four people who you all are voting for cannot voting for themselves, but that is all!"
The teenagers exchanged looks. "Alright then," Gwen muttered, shrugging her shoulders, "where are we doing this?"
"Where you always do this," Chris aid as he straightened his collar, "the Confession Cam!
"So pick who you want to win: Bridgette, Cody, Beth, or Ezekiel! Whoever gets the least amount of votes is not going back to Wawanakwa Island!"
(Confession Cam - Woohoo, we're popular!)
Leshawna - "I think I'm gonna vote for my girl, Beth. Girl's got man troubles, no doubt, but I think her winning the contest will give her more confidence."
Izzy - \rocking on her seat\ "I'm gonna vote for Ezekiel, because hey, I've let him to get to second base with me." \She begins to laugh, then pulls a tissue out from her top and wipes her eyes with it.\
Harold - "Though I like all the four remaining people, I'm gonna vote for Cody. Don't lose faith! Rely on your mad skills, my man, your mad skills!"
Gwen - "As much as I'd like to vote for Cody right now, I'm gonna vote for Bridgette, since she's always been an awesome friend to me. Plus, I'm sure she'll donate half of her winnings to a charity or something."
Ezekiel - "Oy, this is a tough one... I'm gonna go with Bridgette, because she's bin a real sweetheart to me the whole contest, eh."
Heather - "Of course I'm going to vote for Ezekiel, and if Chris pulls something..." \She takes out her nail file and drags it across her neck.\
Cody - "Beth. Even if she picks Justin over me, I want her to win this. Though she's probably so obsessed with Justin, she's probably forgotten about me..." \He sighs.\
Beth - \smiling\ "I'll be voting for Cody to win."
The voting took quite a long time, because almost every camper had to think long and hard. In the end, Chris looked jaded from waiting, and was brightened immediately when all twenty-two were done.
"Finally," he shouted as DJ, the last camper to vote, stepped out of the confession cam. "You teenagers took forever."
"Well, you're the one who wanted all twenty-two of us to vote," Courtney snapped at him.
"Okay, we just need our number counting machine to add up the votes," the host continued, unabashed.
He pointed to a table where Joel was sitting, tallying the votes by looking at a electronic video camera's screen and jotting down notes.
"I have a name," Joel called back.
"That's nice, my number counting machine. Can you bring me a cup of coffee when you're done?"
The young inventor rolled his eyes. The tension was thick as he double-checked his votes, then stood up to signify he was done counting. After quickly pouring a mug of coffee from the buffet, he handed Chris the vote tally paper and the full coffee mug.
"Thank you, number counting machine."
"Whatever."
"Can I get sugar?"
"No."
"Alright then." Chris sipped the coffee, and studied the list. "Now remember, you five remaining contestants, if you got the least amount of votes, then you're not boarding the Boat of Losers, you're not walking back on the Dock of Shame, and you're staying here...
"FOREVER!"
Trent smiled at this. "Interesting spin, Chris."
"Thank you, Trent. Speaking of spin, Joel, can you stir any cream into this?"
"No."
"Very well. Now we have four marshmallows here on the buffet plate," Chris said, walking to the buffet. "How they managed to survive Owen's assault on the food is beyond me."
"Oh, there were raspberry donuts there, that kind of filled me up," Owen said.
" 'Raspberry donuts'?" the host repeated, and saw said donuts. "MAJOR SCORE!"
The host started wolfing them down, and the campers exchanged looks. This was an unnecessary delay.
Beth tapped her fingers nervously. She looked over at Justin and Cody, who were standing next to each other. Leshawna saw her looking, and patted her shoulder.
"You make your choice, girl?"
"I... I think I have."
"You put a lot of thought into this, and I think that's cool," Leshawna continued. "Whatever you like, girl."
Courtney overheard this, and she walked over to Beth. "Just let them know soon," she suggested Beth. "Chris cannot binge for long, and the show's almost over."
"Yeah, and you're gonna pick Justin, right?" the plus-sized sister said, playfully elbowing Beth.
"Justin? No way, she's going to pick Cody," Courtney replied.
"I don't think so, CIT-freaky," Leshawna replied. "Justin's like the sweetest chocolate coated candy, with a cherry-centered sweetheart!"
"Oh is that so? Cody's a responsible, noble, and loyal young man," Courtney retorted. "Young men like him amount to great things!"
"Justin!"
"Cody!"
Courtney and Leshawna started slap-fighting, their hands flying right over a crouching, nervous Beth. Justin and Cody were watching this with weird looks on their faces.
"Dude," Cody muttered, "aren't we supposed to be the ones fighting over Beth?"
"I'm not a real fighter," Justin admitted. "I've never started a fight in my life."
"You'd probably lay me flat with one punch from those arms," Cody said, shrugging.
"Nah man, I don't want to hit you; you're a cool guy."
Cody couldn't help but smile. He loved being called 'cool'. "Thanks dude. You're cool too, dude."
They exchanged a fist bump. "May the best man win," Justin said.
"Right back at 'cha."
Chris burped, then turned back to the campers with raspberry around his mouth. "Ofay," he said, his mouth half-full of his last donut, "iff's tahme too annouff fa winner."
"Let's remember this," Duncan whispered to some of the others, "in case we have to bribe Chris over anything."
"The," Chris started, then swallowed, "first marshmallow goes to, obviously, Izzy."
He tossed one of the four marshmallows to the redhead, who caught it with her mouth. After chewing and swallowing, she cheered and jumped in Owen's arms. "Woohoo, it's good to be the goddess!"
Bridgette took a deep breath as she held Geoff's hand. Ezekiel bounced on the balls of his feet, fiddling with his toque nervously. Beth swallowed, looking around the other teenagers for visible hints. Cody bit his lower lip, crossing his arms and drumming his fingers on his arms.
"Now, the next marshmallow," Chris said, "goes to...
...
...
...
...
...
"Bridgette!"
The surfer squealed in joy, leaping in the air. She hugged Geoff in joy, and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, guys," she gushed.
"The next marshmallow," the host continued, "goes to...
...
...
...
...
...
"Ezekiel!"
The prairie boy gasped, then pumped his fists in the air. He hugged Heather, who had started cheering then tried to hide her joy.
"Way to go, dude," Tyler shouted, holding his hand up to indicate a high-five. Ezekiel screamed in fear and covered his face in protection. The athlete chuckled nervously, then extended his hand for a shake. Ezekiel shook his hand, and was left uninjured.
"Okay then," Chris said, eyeing the last two campers, "that leaves Beth and Cody. Which of you lost?"
Beth and Cody swallowed nervously. The farm girl looked over at the tech-geek and said, "Cody? Good luck."
"You too, Beth," he replied, his voice a little ragged from anticipation, "you too."
"The last marshmallow," Chris said, narrowing his eyes, "this final marshmallow is for...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"Cody."
The tech-geek barely managed to catch the marshmallow when it was tossed to him. His face was a mixture of emotions: relief, joy, sorrow, and stress.
Beth's shoulders slumped, then snapped her fingers. "Oh rats," she cursed, "I was so close to winning this."
"Sorry Beth," Chris said, shrugging his shoulders and wiping the raspberry from his mouth with his sleeve. "It looks like you're going to be staying here."
The farm girl nodded, sighing miserably. She managed to smile and look at the four winners. "You guys, I wish you all luck. You all deserve to win this!"
The four smiled back at her. "You did well, eh," Ezekiel said to her.
Beth nodded, running her tongue over her teeth and clicking it merrily. "And I got rid of those braces. Probably would have cost me ten thousand to get them removed anyway."
"It almost cost that bloody much," Chris mumbled.
(Later.)
At the dock of Playa de Losers, Joel was helping Chef Hatchet, who was on a gurney and wrapped in bandages, onto the boat.
"I'll get you for this, Izzy," the cook growled as he rolled by the redhead.
"I'd like to see you try," she replied, crossing her arms smugly. "You finally got the critique that fittingly describes your cooking."
"His cooking does not kick ass," Duncan pointed out.
"Ah touché," Izzy replied. She popped on one foot, waved at the crowd of ex-campers, "Good-bye, my former teammates! I'll see you all at the finals!"
She performed a backwards flip onto the boat. Sitting down, she blew a kiss to Owen, who caught it and popped it in his mouth, eating it.
Bridgette had to be pulled away from Geoff by Leshawna and Eva. Once their love embrace was separated, Geoff waved good-bye, looking sad already.
"Bye Geoff, I love you! Bye guys," Bridgette called out, waving to them.
She turned to Cody and Ezekiel, and slung her arms around their shoulders. "Well boys," she said to them, "let's go back to that crappy campground, and get ready the semifinal challenge!"
"More than eager to," Cody said excitedly, nodding.
"I'm ready for it now, eh," Ezekiel replied, punching his palm.
The three boarded the Boat of Losers, Chris Maclean right behind them. The host went to the steering wheel, started the ship up, and headed off.
The losing campers continued to wave and call out good-bye. "So long suckers," Duncan shouted, "so sorry you have to leave this fancy resort and go back to Camp Wawa-Hell-Nakwa!"
"Don't hurt yourselves too much," Heather chimed in.
"Have fun," Katie and Sadie shouted in unison, "we're rooting for you guys!"
After saying this, Katie hugged her friend and said, "Isn't it cool how we still want them all to win, even though we voted for separate people?"
"Oh I know," Sadie crooned, "that's what really shocked me! But both people we voted for won!"
Noah shrugged. He wrapped his arm around Katie's waist and said, "Well, you two cannot always agree on everything. If you did, you'd be fighting over me."
"You wish, Noah," Gwen said.
Beth and several other people laughed at Noah's expense. The farm girl walked over to Justin, who looked down at her and smiled sympathetically.
"Sorry you lost, Beth," he said.
"It's okay. I had a great time, and I have those stupid braces off now," she said. "And..."
She, with a shaking and slightly sweaty palm, put her hand on the back of his hand. "... I can get to know you better, Justin."
The model, whose heart skipped a beat at those words and her touch (and no one had ever wowed Justin before, it was always the opposite), winked at her as he turned his hand to take hers into it. The farm girl turned bright red and giggled, and he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.
Cody managed to see all this from the Boat of Losers. He slumped in his seat and covered his face with one hand. The tech-geek's heart, stomach, and hopes all sank at the same time, which was why he felt so down.
"Woohoo, we won, we won, we won," Izzy chanted, balancing on one hand. She lost her balance and fell right into Ezekiel's lap. "We're going to the semifinals!"
Bridgette nodded, and leaned back, looking up at the starry night sky. "It seems so hard to believe I made it this far," she admitted. "This is exhilarating."
"Doo'n to four people," Ezekiel observed. "Seems like almost yesterday, there were all twenty-two of us on that island, ready to compete."
"Yeah, time flies when you're having fun," Chris said, chuckling. "Makes me wish we could stretch this season, but we need to work hard on the next season, so this one cannot be delayed."
"I could get a Ms. Cocoanut to be voted off," Izzy suggested. She looked over at Cody, and said, "What do you think about extending this show a little... longer..."
She trailed off when she saw how upset he was. Bridgette and Ezekiel noticed then too, and all of them were able to guess why he was feeling down. Bridgette, who was sitting next to him, put her arm on his shoulders.
"Cody, I'm so sorry," she said.
"I'll be all right, I guess," the tech-geek replied, removing his hand from his face. "Should have expected it, I guess."
"Don't say that," Izzy howled, "I would date you over my ex any day!"
Cody shook his head. "Well, it's my own fault, right? I should have asked Beth first."
Chef Hatchet began to chuckle, and Chris smacked his side; the cook moaned in pain and fell silent.
"There will be others, eh," Ezekiel offered. "Who knows? Maybe you'll find a girlfriend among the new contestants in season three!"
The brunette tech-geek smiled a little and looked up. "That's possible. And you know, just like Gwen, I'll be happy for Beth. She has a handsome new boyfriend now, someone who's been interested in her for some time."
"I don't know why you should be happy," Chris admitted, shrugging. "Wouldn't it be better to be dating her rather than her dating someone else?"
"Chris," Cody said, chuckling a little, "ever heard the expression, 'If you love them, you'll let them go'."
"Yeah, but I don't get it."
"Figures," Bridgette remarked, as she rubbed Cody's back in comfort. "Don't worry, Cody, there will be someone for you some day."
The tech-geek nodded and looked up at the night sky. He tried to think about how vast the world was, how many girls were out there, how many Gwens and Beths he might meet and fall in love with. The future, like the contest, was still ahead of him.
He was also quite fascinated when he saw Joel fly overhead in his flying machine, the confessional outhouse dangling from a steel cable from it.
"I'm gonna have to ask him for the blueprints for that," he mused as he watched the flying machine fly past the moon.
Bridgette - Geoff, Ezekiel, Eva, DJ, Noah, Courtney, Gwen (7)
Ezekiel - Izzy, Heather, Bridgette, Katie, Owen, Tyler (6)
Cody - Sadie, Trent, Duncan, Beth, Harold (5)
Beth - Lindsay, Leshawna, Justin, Cody (4)
--
Voted off List - Owen, Sadie, Geoff, Leshawna, Justin, Lindsay, DJ, Trent, Katie, Duncan, Tyler, Courtney, Eva, Noah, Heather, Gwen, Harold, Beth.
Remaining Campers - Cody, Bridgette, Ezekiel, Izzy. (4 left.)
--
--
--
If you want to wonder about why who voted for who, let me point out a couple things. One, I tried to fit the picks as best to character I could, and two, the TDI characters don't always vote for who you'd think they would. I think in TDI and TDA, there were several times when an outcome would have been impossible unless someone voted for the person who was supposed to go. (*cough*BridgetteinTDI*cough*HeatheroverIzzyorGeoff*cough*)
Remember to vote for who you want to win in my profile's poll. Beth will be removed when the next chapter is up.
I apologize to all her fans, and I know a lot of you were rooting for her. But she has Justin now (I also apologize to those rooting for Cody and Beth, but I had this planned for some time).
So we're finally down to the Final Four! Just two more contests! Hard to believe it'll be over soon, huh?
(Confession Cam - Woo, we're in the conclusion; that's a first!)
Raccoon - \The outhouse is rocking slightly due to being suspended. The gray critter puts his paws up in the air, whooping, speaking in Raccoonian with English subtitles.\
"yeehaw best theme park ride evah!!!"