Gwen watched the blue sky from the speedboat heading towards an island pier. She looked to see that the camp set for the television drama, where she would be staying at. It was as she believed it would be: crusty, beat up, and all-around boring. A sigh escaped her, as this would be her home for the next eight weeks unless she was eliminated.
As she got off the boat and got her suitcases, she was greeted by the show host, Chris McLean.
"You mean we're staying here?" Gwen asked.
"No, you're staying here. My crib is an airstream with A.C. That-a-way," the host arrogantly said.
"I did not sign up for this," Gwen said.
"Actually, you did," Chris showed the contract she signed.
Gwen ripped the contract apart for Chris to have a copy, and the lawyers made many copies. She tried to storm back to the boat, but the boat left, and she walked toward the other teens.
More teenagers came most of which she barely batted an eye at as the next twenty-one contestants arrived, including a guy named Trent, who smiled at her; a short guy named Cody, who was trying to be a lady's man; and a mean girl named Heather. As the rest of the contestants came, Chris decided to take a picture to commemorate this moment. But, unfortunately, before he took the photo, the pier collapsed under the teenagers' weight.
Chris showed them where the cabins and bathrooms were as they got out of the water. Also, telling them that an outhouse was the confessional they could use to get things off their chest and use as a video diary.
"Um, OK, this sucks," Gwen used the confessional cam.
After Chris was done explaining the confessionals, the girls went into their cabin with Cody following Gwen. He was promptly thrown out of the girl's side, but that did not stop others from freaking out, like Lindsay, who had not seen a cockroach in her entire life.
The goth girl took the time to unpack her things and get on with the show as she made notes of the cameras taped and littered everywhere except the toilet and showers. At least there was some privacy or whatever was not signed away in the contract, but there had to be some human rights still, right?
That was proven wrong as the girl went to the mess hall, where the aptly named Chef Hatchet served breakfast, lunch, and dinner with an iron cleaver. As it was her turn to grab a meal, a strange sound came from her tray as the mystery meat, if it could be called that, seemed to yawn or grain like it was waking up.
"Ok, I hate to be that guy and complain on the first day, but I think mines move," Gwen complained. Her words were received with a blank, empty star as Chef smashed it with a hammer, spilling its guts off the tray and some onto her face.
Note to self, don't anger Chef. Gwen thought with a nervous smile. Part of her was actually respecting the sense of depravity the studio went to for this horrorshow of a camp, but that was the rebel and bad girl in her speaking.
An hour later, Chris gathered the campers as he led them to the first challenge: diving off a cliff into a target area situated in shark-infested waters.
A contestant, DJ, the brick house with a big heart, appropriately responded with an "oh, s(bleep)" as he peered down.
Where they got these man-eating sharks, well...Chris did say they were expensive to procure.
Almost all the campers dived, though Gwen was certain this would be her death. Even without the sharks swimming around, the fall itself, at least a mile high by her eye, would surely kill her. And even though that ran through her mind, the girl still jumped off, screaming as she hit the safe zone.
Much to her joy, her team, the Screaming Gophers, managed to win with only one member thickening out as Chriss sweetened their victory, earning them an easy win on the first day. And for the Killer Bass, an easy victim to be kicked off the first loss.
"I gotta say, that Ezekiel kid shoulda kept his mouth shut. I mean, home-schooled kid or not, who'd be so stupid as to insult half his team with sexist remarks. I was betting fifty big one that Eva chick was gonna tear him limb from limb," Deadpool said from the confessionals.
The door to the outhouse opened up as Chris and Chef stared at the merc, surprised and shocked by his unusual appearance as they recorded him from the production tent.
"Dude, what are you doing here?" Chris asked.
"Got bored. And since PK1991 and Fuzzy weren't talking about my appearance, I decided to hijack the scene. What's it look like?"
The host and co-host shrugged, more concerned about the merc if he interfered with the show. After taking the merc to sign some contract stating he could not intervene unless they gave him the thumbs up, the sunset on the first challenge as Chriss gave the closing speech.
Gwen thought the first challenge would be the peak, partially hoping since he did not want to tangle with psychotic, man-eating sharks, but she learned the hard way the next day how twisted Chris could be with torturing the campers.
The next challenge had been an awake-a-thon after a long twenty-mile run and Thanksgiving-style breakfast. She would have been suspicious from the get-go, but after the living slop she ate, her hunger overrode any rational thought.
As a teenager and creature of the night, the liner would have barely any problems staying up late, but the fact all she and the others could do was stay awake without anything else to do, was mind-numbingly boring.
If it wasn't for Trent, the musician of the group and the only friend she has made so far, and all their conversations, she doubts she'd have won the challenge, sitting awake for eighty-seven hours...that had to be a new record.
And despite all this unusual cruelty, by reality tv standards, she still was in it to win it. Between dealing with Heather and Lindsey, that creepy Cody hitting on her, Chris's challenges, eating Chef's rotten food and dealing with the insane camp members here, all for the same reason.
To win the $100,000 grand prize after all of this torture.
"I swear, sometimes I think I sighed up for a mental institution rather than a reality show," Gwen muttered as she lay on her bed in the cabin, trying to enjoy peace.
There are only a few people on this island that she tolerates, let alone gets along with, and even then, she prefers to be alone. LaShawna, Brigitte, and even that guy called Trent were probably the only ones on this island that are even close to being bearable, and even then, Gwen enjoys her privacy like right now.
She isn't a people person, and even if Trent is alright in the end, and the other guys might not be evil or stupid compared to Heather and her minions, Gwen doesn't see herself making friends with any of this when this is all over.
Not like how she was with this one other guy.
"Danny," Gwen said as she looked around and made sure no one was looking; she pulled something from under her pillow and smiled.
A picture of a dark-haired boy with blue eyes and her, smiling together on their second date before she was shipped off to this loony bin. They met on a blind date after her little brother dared her to sign up for a teen dating service. At first, she wasn't interested and didn't keep her feelings about it a secret. However, Danny showed a pretty assertive and realistic side that Gwen grew to respect, and the two managed to start over, and Gwen even found herself enjoying his company. She was actually bummed that she had to get shipped away to this place not long after their second date, though he promised that he would be cheering her on.
Gwen hated that this place didn't allow any internet or phone service so they could talk, and Gwen just wanted to finish this stupid thing, win the grand prize, and then get back to her new man, whom she knows is waiting for her too.
The girl sighed again as some noise outside got her attention. Putting the photo away, she walked outside to see everyone preparing for today's event: a talent show/competition highest score wins.
It was stupid and cliché, but Chris did not have everyone participate. The rule was that each team chose three players to perform, making their own choice within a time limit of eight hours.
Heather, who annoyed Gwen at this point, had appointed herself team leader, managing who would compete with the help of Beth and Lindsay, aka desperate and dumb respectively.
The high point, or rather low, had been after Owen offered to flatulate Beethoven's fifth symphony after burping the entire alphabet in one go. The guy was a fun-loving party animal, but there was so much grossness a girl could take as Gwen went back to the cabin, grabbed a book, and walked off.
Like a Chihuahua trying to shepherd sheep, Heather had barked at the goth girl, wondering where she would go, but it was none of her business. Nobody, especially a bossy little queen bee, would tell her what to do as the voices of her teammates were replaced by the silence of the woods.
After only the tip of whatever drama would happen with Chris's torture, the serenity of the woods was just what the girl needed.
With pencil in hand, Gwen began writing in her diary, venting her frustrations, almost wishing she never took a date from her brother.
Almost, and not because she had met Danny because of one.
The moment would have been just what she needed if Cody hadn't shown up. The boy seemed eager to talk to the goth, not that the girl cared.
All Gwen wanted was for the boy to leave, but giving him cold shoulders seemed not enough. She wouldn't have continued with ignoring him if she hadn't felt him sniffing her hair.
Jumping back, Gwen held her diary as she looked back, her chilly spine having flown further as her eyes freaked out.
"What are you?! Some kind of freak!?" Gwen cried out. She was seriously ready to knock the daylights out of the kid.
Cody backed away, now knowing he crossed a line. He stuttered about how the girl smelled nice, but all that meant was she used soap.
"I'm sorry," Cody said honestly.
"Wow! Just wow!" Foamy complained from atop Deadpool's shoulder.
The two were in the outhouse, shaking their heads in disappointment. The merc was silent, at a loss for words, for once.
"Dude! How the f(bleep) does it occur to anyone that sniffing a girl's hair is alright?" Foamy used air quotes at the last word. "I mean, no one but animals do that, and they have actual reasons! Saying someone smells nice is just casual stuff for people who have already gone steady!"
"Tell me about it. I get paid to f(bleep) up guys who do that..." Deadpool paused for a moment, pondering with a mask unable to hide his childish like expression, despite covering the entirety of his head. "You think I'll get paid to beat the—"
"I-I don't know. I mean, it looks like the kid learned his leads on," Foamy interrupted. "If anything, you'll probably get paid to kick his ass if he does this sort of s(bleep) repeatedly. Plus, he's still a kid, who has much to learn."
The merc nodded, knowing he had a soft soft/discount for clients in such situations. it never paid the bills, but he'd still take the job.
Heather fanned herself as she reviewed things with the competition—teammates. It was to be her with ballet, Trent's music, and Justin being too hot for water. She had to cool herself off for that last act.
Everything was set, except for one stuck out, rusty mail that needed to be hammered. And cue perfect timing as Gwen came back with Cody following her.
The goth girl didn't even want to know why parts of the camp was on fire, walking over a patch of scorched earth and into the girl's cabin.
"Look! The first hook up of the season," Heather teased, staring at Cody, still following.
Gwen rolled her eyes, wondering what the other girl's problem was. All she was doing was minding her own business, trying to keep calm admits all the drama happening.
"Oh yeah. We're going at it big time. I need a swim just to cool off," Gwen snarked as she closed the door to change. Cody battled his hormones, ultimately losing as he tried to peek through the screen door.
His perverse surrender was punished with a powerful push from the door, sandwiching him with the wall as Gwen walked out in a pitch-black bikini.
Trent offered to come, gladly accepted by the goth girl. After the creepiness earlier with Cody, someone sensible was just what the doctor ordered. The two walked to the pier, hoping to get away from some craziness.
The cool air by the water was soothing as Gwen and Trent took a seat. The girl dangled her feet precariously over the sea, almost wondering if the man-eating sharks were nearby. While not one to tempt death, the girl sighed as the constant drama built had made the stress intoxicating.
"Sometimes I just need to get away from everyone, you know," Gwen sighed as Trent listened. "It's like their all driving me crazy. Well, not all of them."
Trent smiled, unaware of the mixed messages he was receiving. He did not know the girl's mind flew to Amity Park, recalling her second date with Danny as they ate at Cafe de Fleur. The restaurant made her feel a bit out of place, but the romantic atmosphere was undeniably charming.
Maybe if she won, she could use the money for a third date, a tiny sliver of it, at most. Maybe somewhere as fancy or a little less, but these thoughts would have to wait till the end of summer.
The evening air signaled the perfect setting for the talent show as each team sat down at an outdoor theater, complete with bleachers, to see what the others had organized.
From the Killer Bass, DJ had shown his feminine side with a ribbon dance, abruptly ending his performance as the pink rope tangled his feet momentarily. The surfer girl, Brigette, was to perform a twenty-minute handstand, only for the contents of her stomach to be expelled with a firehose-like force as the audience, partially inducing a chain reaction of puking. Chris had to take a moment to clean the stage as everyone else wiped themselves clean.
From the Screaming Gophers, Justin, the resident hot guy, who was chosen purely on his looks, performed an unusual routine, highlighting his almost godlike appearance, and that was only with his shirt on. Trent had played a lovely song on his guitar, making Gwen blush, realizing an important detail as she listened.
They say that we've only got summer
And I say that's really a bummer.
But we'll swim in the sun and have lots of fun…
It'll just be the two of us…
Nothing to do… just hang…
So let me say only this…
Stick around… for just one kiss…
Gwen was not torn as Danyn flashed in her mind. She was going steady with the ghost boy, now noticing how she had attracted the attention of another boy. Her mind raced with strategies to explain things to Trent before things got out of hand, but anything she thought up died as Heather walked onstage.
"Originally, I was going to dance for you. But instead, I want to celebrate team spirit, with a collaboration," Heather said, holding up a familiar dark green book.
Gwen gasped as she recognized her diary. That bratty twig wouldn't dare to read her thoughts out loud. But that was only a hopeful wish as the ballerina took a seat and opened the book.
"So, with words by Gwen, performance by me, enjoy." Heather cleared throat as she started. "Okay. So I'm trying to keep my mind off him, but he's just so cute. If they had custom ordered a guy to be a distraction for me here, it would have been my new boyfriend."
Soft gasps erupted as two loud ones came from Trent and Cody. The former was calmly surprised compared to the latter's shock and guilt, but they said nothing along with the crowd as Heather continued, begging to pull something from the pages.
"I admit, we didn't totally connect, but that stern front made me give him a chance. I now this sounds cliché but I feel like the happiest girl alive."
Gwen wasn't sure how much humiliation she could take as each word escaped from her inner most privacy. Rage and sorrow mixed dangerously like clashing tides as the straw that broke the camel's back was placed.
"I'm so happy I got to be Danny Fenton's girlfriend," Heather said, now showing the hidden photo from the goth's pillow.
Gwen ran as fast as possible, her red face covered by her hands.
Heather placed the picture back, closed the diary, and walked offstage. Chris and the contestants were silent as Chef gave no rating or thumbs up. But the former would not let this interrupt the show as he came back onstage to bring in the final contestant.
From that moment, Heather had ignited the war between her and Gwen. The goth girl would have an eye open for the prissy girl.
Still, Gwen would not end the day by letting Heather read her diary. Despite the invasion of privacy, she knew Chris would not edit that out.
Even if the host stated his dislike of such events, he still had to keep things running.
Revenge came swiftly and tasted sweet like fresh cookies out of the oven as Gwen walked over to the boy's side of the Killer Bass cabin, calling for a contestant, Harold.
The geeky boy walked out in reindeer onesie pajamas with his square glasses, curious as to why he was summoned this late.
"If that evil little cow thinks she's getting away with this, she has another thing coming," Gwen said from the confessional.
Heather sighed as she drifted to sleep. Dreams of authority and teenage royalty engulfed her mind as she felt comfort in her sanctuary. One that could not be invaded or revealed so easily, if there were ways to do so.
The bed felt comfortable, eased in by putting someone in her place as she rolled into her side.
But soon, an itching sensation burned her flesh. The girl screamed as she ran out of the cabin in a white shirt and pink shorts.
It was now Gwen's turn to sigh softly as she went to bed, smiling triumphantly at the sound of Heather's pain and the end of a battle.
"Sweet dreams, everyone," Gwen said before nodding off.
Her mind cycled around a check for 100,000 dollars, winning it all like everyone else. At first, such a thought would make the girl scoff, but she was here and would do everything to stay in the game.
Which begged the question: how far can a bad attitude get you?"
Danny Fenton lay upside on the couch, trying to throw potato chips into his mouth as his friends fiddled with the television, unable to decide what to watch.
Throughout the summer, things had settled into an almost perpetual boredom as the ghost boy, and his friends tried to pass the time.
"Man, I'm bored," Danny said, sinking into the couch. "I think I might actually wish for the Box Ghost to show up."
"Now there's a scary thought," Sam snarked as she flipped through the channels. Everything on felt like it was seen over a hundred times, and not even Tucker gave any input on the matter as he stared at his PDA, playing games.
A knock at the door came. Hungry for more than food, the ghost boy got up and answered, seeing a group of people he never saw in his life, including a fine dressed, stereotypically blonde rich man in front of him.
"Danny Fenton?" The man asked with a fine accent.
Special thanks do flower Princess 11 and BeconFuzzled Writer for helping me with this chapter. I'm still working on the new story of the Totally Spies and Danny Phantom crossover. It like 50 percent done.
