Right. Ugh...don't like this next episode. Thanks for reviewing, Ali6132. And yeah...I kind of forgot about Shannon...I guess because she's strawberry blonde, so she's only partly ginger.

Cameron and I stuck together the next morning. Lightning had it in for Cameron, and by extension, me. Zoey was still acting weird, with her war paint and red bandanna.

At breakfast, Cameron talked about how worried he was.

"You know what you gotta do?" Zoey said.

"Start backing away from you quietly?" Cameron and I said together.

"You gotta grab your fear by the throat," Zoey answered, "And throttle it into courage. The thing that can turn a passive small-town teen who sews her own clothes into a hardened extermination machine. Besides, whatever Lightning's thinking can't be that bad!"

"Zoey, you're scaring me." I said bluntly. "You're scaring both of us. Please don't tell me that that's all you are now!"

"That's what I have to be." Zoey said simply in her new harsh tone. "We are gonna take Lightning out. Three on one, no mercy."

"Yeah?" Cameron said worriedly.

"No pity!"

"Yeah!" This time, Cameron got into it.

"No prisoners!"
"YEAH!" Cameron and I cheered at the same time. "It's gonna be a friendship finale!" The two of us high-fived, and then, Cameron held a hand out to Zoey. "Don't leave me hanging!"

Zoey slapped palms with him so hard he screamed.

"Sorry, Cam." I whispered. "I think Zoey's gone off the rails a bit. If she keeps on like this, we might have to eliminate her after Lightning."

"As long as she protects me – both of us – from Lightning..." Cameron shrugged.

I went to the confessional. "What the heck is up with Zoey? She can be tough without being scary, can't she? I mean, the girl was practically my best friend before she became this freaky no mercy person. She said herself, her purpose for being on this show was to make friends and find people who shared her interests. I know that fall that broke the necklace Mike gave her was the final straw, but really, Mike's probably watching right now. What would he be thinking, seeing Zoey acting like this?" I looked straight at the camera. "I swear, I will try to get the real Zoey back."

As it was, we wouldn't get the chance. Chris told us that the winner of the next challenge would get to the finale. They'd also get to hurl two people that night. If it was Cameron or I, we agreed that we'd take each other to the finale. Lightning, we were sure, would take Zoey, but we weren't sure who she'd take.

Our challenge was about getting a flower from a giant Venus Flytrap creature – Chris called it Larry. Whoever brought the flower back and survived secured a place in the finale, and chose who they went up against.

Lightning smirked at Cameron. "Then I guess you and your girlfriend are safe, pipecleaner!" He pointed at me.

"Yeah, cause it'll be too busy eating your big chewy head." Cameron retorted.

I nudged Cameron. "Nice one!"

Lightning growled, but Zoey held a fist up. "Walk away, Steak-For-Brains." she said dangerously.

We were each given a piece of the map to find the flower. Lightning had the last piece, while Cameron, Zoey and I put ours together.

To Zoey's credit, she still acted in our all-for-one alliance and rescued Cameron or I if we were in danger. She herself didn't come close to getting hurt at all, and she found Lightning's part of the map.

I can barely remember what happened after that. Zoey's original plan was to lower one of us down to grab the flower from Larry, and then she'd pull us up before Larry ate us.

She looked at both of us. "Shannon, you're the smallest, and the lightest. You'll have to do it."

I couldn't argue with that. I didn't have a chance, anyway. I was only able to get as far as "Zoey, I don't think-" before Zoey had tied a vine around my waist, and thrown the other side over a branch, which Cameron caught. She carefully pulled it back far enough so I was directly hovering over Larry and started lowering it.

"Um, Zoey, I'm scared!" I called.

"You can be scared!" she yelled back. "Just focus, Shannon – this is all about teamwork!"

"Don't worry, we'll pull you back straight away!" Cameron called reassuringly, but I could tell he was scared for me too.

And after all that, Lightning grabbed the flower and ran. On the other hand, Larry turned out to have roots as legs and followed him.

We all went through a ton, grabbing the flower from each other, but Larry went after whoever had it. Zoey took it, then threw it to Cameron, who seemed to be allergic to it. I took it.

"Shannon, throw it to me!" called Zoey. "I'm open!"

"Look, Zoey, you're my best friend, but I have to win this!" I called back. "You nearly let me become plant food – I don't know if I can trust you!"

But then, Larry swooped down and I was suddenly in pitch black, and the flower was gone. I screamed.

"Cameron! Anyone! HEEEEEELLLLLLP!" I punched and kicked at Larry's jaws, but he didn't even seem to notice.
"Shannon!" I heard Cameron call. I heard Zoey's footsteps skid to a stop.

I managed to gasp out what could be my last words. "Cam, if I don't make it, tell Zoey I'm sorry for not trusting her, and by the way, I think I love-"

I was cut off by a voice suddenly yelling "I'm coming to save you!"

Yes, Zoey went in to rescue me! I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw Larry's jaws open the tiniest bit before both of us were plunged into darkness, both trying to prise Larry's jaws open again.

But then Lightning won, and Larry spat us out when Chris handed the flower back to him.

Cameron and I groaned, lying there.

"Guys?" We looked up. Zoey offered a hand to each of us. And at that moment, I knew it. The scary Zoey was gone – forever, I hoped. My best friend was back.

"Thanks, Zoey." Cameron and I said together.

We sat on the cabin steps together, talking. "It's cool we made it to the final four." Zoey smiled.

"Yeah, too bad two of us has to go." Cameron sighed. I sighed with him.

"Hey, cheer up!" Zoey said. "No matter what happens, we still have our friendship."

Lightning was being a total low-IQ jerkwad as usual, but we didn't listen to him. I was pretty sure Lightning was bringing Zoey, but just in case, I asked Cameron something when we were alone.

"Cam?" I said. "I know that...us...is kind of new, and...I don't want to push things, but there's something I want to do, just in case we're separated. May I..."

Cameron paused, but then he nodded. "I trust you."

I smiled, then closed my eyes, gently leaned in, and captured Cameron's lips with my own. And to my surprise, he didn't even initially pull away. In fact, when I applied a tiny bit of pressure, I felt his hand on the back of my head, trying to keep himself upright.

We ended up almost falling over, and broke apart, laughing.

"OK." Cameron smiled. "That was a lot better than I thought it would be."

"Your first kiss, right?" I said. Cameron nodded. "You're a natural." I said playfully.

Cameron chuckled. "I guess that makes us a fully official couple now...right?"

"If that means I can kiss you again, and that we'll go out together, then yes." I smiled. "Cause once this show is over, we are so going somewhere that serves the opposite of Chef's crud."

That night, the four of us stood at the dock. I was already resigned to leaving. Lightning was ready to choose who to bring. "Will it be Zoey, the formerly savage commando, Shannon, the girl with the sharpest claws I've ever seen on someone of that size, or..."

"Zoey." Cameron and I said together. "It'll be Zoey."

But then, Lightning said, "Actually, yeah, I am hurling Shannon. But I'm also hurling Zoey."

"What?" Cameron exclaimed.

"But Zoey's the one who deserves to go up against you!" I said.

"That's why she's gone." Lightning looked down at Cameron, his face set. "I'm taking you to the finals, so I can eat you alive."

I gave Cameron a hug goodbye, and managed to step into the catapult, before Chris hurled. Zoey and I screamed as we landed in front of...Playa Des Losers!

We helped each other up, staring at the amazing structure in front of us. I smiled a bit again. "Okay, first thing – find where everything is. Second – I go find Scott and see if I think he's had enough punishment, and you go find Mike."

Zoey giggled. "Shannon, you know something? You can be really bossy at times."

"But you like me that way, right?" I teased. "But seriously, girl. I've been rooting for you and Mike to date all season. If you guys don't kiss before the end of the season, I am going to follow you around until you do."

As it was, I was moved a bit when I saw Scott. Fang had done a number on him. He was now in a trauma chair and unable to speak or move. All he could do was answer by a red light or green light.

"Scott, can you hear me?" I asked. "Red for no, green for yes."

The green light flashed.

"Can you see me?" Green. "Do you hate me now?" Red. "I'm kind of sorry now." I sighed. "And by the way, I think you've had enough punishment. I honestly did think things went too far with Alejandro, and you weren't as bad as him, yet this has happened."

I sat down. "Listen, Scott. I don't like you. But if you recover and don't flirt with me, I'll try to be nicer to you. Are you going to recover?" Green. "Will you flirt with me?" Red. I smiled sincerely. "I don't know if I believe it. But we'll see. Goodnight." I ruffled Scott's hair and went inside.

Everyone else was around, of course. Staci, bald from the radioactive marshmallow, talked although no one listened, Dakota and Sam were still attached at the lips, B and Dawn mostly chilled out together, although Dawn still spent a lot of time with the animals, while I noticed that Brick and Jo still competed nonstop (Jo usually winning), and Anne Maria still prettied herself up most of the time, occasionally hanging around Mike, who ignored her. Even with his shirt off now, he managed to subdue Vito and he greeted Zoey enthusiastically. Well, and me too, but her even more.

But in a couple of days, we'd all be going back to the island to watch Cameron and Lightning. As I lay in bed that night, I fell asleep while sending mind messages to Cameron. I wanted him to win so much. In a few days, I'd see who would win.

The finale will be next! Hope you liked this chapter, please review!