Hey y'all, CrispyDolla is back at it again with a new chapter of "A Geek's Bargain". After having some thought on what to do with the next challenge, I needed to make a chapter before it to set up the plot. With that out of the way, let's respond to some of the reviewers.
Frosty Wolf: Yeah, Cody and Justin's friendship isn't explored in many fics. Most of the time I see Cody doesn't think much of the guy and it could be the authors not liking Justin that much for all I know. The Drama Brothers are often forgotten when it comes to Cody's friendships and I rarely can find any stories that explore their dynamic. Glad you liked the chapter and I won't spoil what I'll do with the girls and Team Victory so wait and see!
Brainstorm297: I'm with you on that. Cody got snubbed hard in World Tour and watching this episode sealed his fate for me on the writers not knowing what to do with the guy. Team Amazon wasn't the right way to go about it with his character not getting the justice it deserved and I'm glad you liked it, bro.
Guest: Things are gonna get good and thanks for the compliment on the WWE reference. That was my favorite line to write with having Cody rant.
Rys-And-Clash: It sure is fire and have a nice day yourself.
TotalLocoJP: Yeah, most fics often forget that Cody and Courtney didn't have the best interactions. No fault to the shippers, but to rewatch and see them have no positive encounters make this dynamic flawed. It doesn't help that World Tour, in the beginning, doesn't acknowledge her past behavior and that is questionable, to say the least. It was just her without the PDA in Season 3 and with her and Gwen bullying Heather only got me not to buy her as a changed person. You can't be virtue-signaling at Heather after you didn't pay for the consequences of your actions last season. As for Team Victory, they deserved more than just being fodder in the hopes to get Team Amazon farther. The unannounced reward challenges when the other teams lost were a slap in the face and it soured me on the season because of how rigged it looked. I should have thought about including that part of Lindsay remembering Cody's name because he saved her. It slipped my mind XD!
BigSmokeYeet: ...Um didn't plan on it. It was just some jokes man.
With those out of the way, time for a new chapter.
The Cockpit - Moments After The Announcement
"I can't believe the producers are letting that shrimp get away with it," Chris said as he was venting to Chef in the cockpit after announcing that Cody had to stay and move teams. "Everything was going so well until Duncan had to quit and get the producers on my back. He was supposed to bring in the ratings and drama while Gwen & Courtney fight each other," he added thinking of how Duncan quitting started a ripple for his plans. "Not only did Cody fuck up my eye, but now they're docking my paycheck because he told me I wasn't being consistent with the rules after they reviewed the footage throughout the season, UGH," Chris said as he was panicking while resisting to cry. It's not every day that Chris is held accountable for his poor officiating and now his job may be in jeopardy.
"Now you know how I feel pretty boy," Chef said interrupting his sob story. "When they docked my pay you just let them drag me all the while giving me jobs the interns were tasked to do" the cook added as he wasn't here for him to complain about his misfortune.
"DIFFERENT, you tried to weasel your way out of half the prize money because of that alliance with DJ," Chris told him as he didn't want to hear him put his situation and act like they were the same. He tried to leave the former child star in hopes to cut him off while reaping the benefits.
"And I would've taken him to the finals if he hadn't been a weak-minded boy. To think I ever saw myself in that snake for what he caused." Chef said to the host. He was getting sick of Chris's shit and wanted to mentor a teenager who he thought was gonna toughen up with his tutelage.
"So much so that you had the interns place those animals conveniently as a way to get payback on him for snitching you out. Now because of you, Cody was pushed to his limit after seeing him crying his eyes out." Chris shouted at his cohost who can only scoff at his remarks.
"DJ! I didn't put that crazy ass Jezebel on his team. You enjoyed her inflating that big ego of yours and letting her do what she wants with the boy. It was because of that which made him go crazy and knock yo' fruity ass out." Chef shouted at him back who wasn't going to take the blame for his dumb decision.
"It was the right call at the time and I didn't know she was going to tell the contestants parts of my past. How was I supposed to predict that?" Chris told the military veteran as he rolled his eyes.
"Oh I don't know, the fact that she ran a blog and posts about everybody's business and doesn't even have consent from their parents. She even knows about your ex," Chef said as he chuckled while he gasped at the thought of her contacting that woman.
"You don't mean that she-" Chris said as he couldn't finish the sentence due to how that could bring out some humiliating moments.
"Ohohoho yeah boy, you thought your PR manager was going wipe that away. You still have your old resumè out in the public." the cook told him while Chris can only clutch the sides of his hair. Why is everything coming back to the host lately since the beginning of the season, he's falling down a slippery slope while not getting back up.
After many failures throughout the host's career, Total Drama became his magnum opus. No longer would he have to deal with his bandmates dragging him for his flops from tv shows to a solo music career he pursued that never went anywhere. All the while continuing to find a niche success outside the band by them making smart financial decisions. Something the host with the most struggles to accomplish because of doing things at the moment rather than trying to take advice from other people to see if he made any mistakes.
"I have to get rid of that girl before it's too late. Me and my idiotic brain to add another contestant who's associated with my arch nemesis, Blaineley." Chris said remembering that she hosted Celebrity Manhunt red carpet for the hostess. Little did he know, Izzy hired her to get info on what the cast is doing since she grew attached to them during the show while wanting to pay off her debts.
"She was hired by Izzy to get information while spilling the tea on what's going on in their private lives. How do you think they were able to tell the viewers on Celebrity Manhunt what happened after Action ended" Chef replied as he too remembered that Izzy needed money to pay off the fines for her destruction of public property in Hollywood. The redhead didn't like how they moved with their business practices and chose to get revenge on the producers. Maybe it wasn't a good idea for the cook to recommend Izzy for that career since her larger-than-life personality won't mesh well with the vision of Hollywood filmmakers.
"Oh, so now Izzy is to be blamed for this disaster. Dude, it all makes sense since they both need to be sent to an asylum for their psychotic behavior. They were supposed to increase the ratings but became a thorn on my side. Izzy nearly destroyed the plane because you didn't want to upset her and tell her to back off. Where was your spine then oh so great Lieutenant Master Chief!" Chris shouted in a dramatic tone and a hint of sass at the cook who got more defensive. If anything that applies to him just as much as he's accusing both of the girls of their unhinged behavior. With Izzy and Sierra, you can give them the benefit of the doubt by saying their teens that don't know the consequences of their actions. Chris? The guy is thirty years old while doubling down on his despicable behavior as well as not showing any humility throughout his time as the host of the series.
"Listen, boy, the girl is just trying to have fun and I can't say no to her. Izzy is a little misunderstood and has been struggling with social issues. Her way of socializing is these larger-than-life personalities that make her feel confident while not making her depressed about her past." the military commander said not wanting him to rag on the girl. He knew her father who go way back in the military and sympathizes with her heavily since he told Chef she was an outcast whose kids parents never wanted them to play with her. Izzy's hyperactive ways were too much for the average parent as they thought she would put things in their kid's heads. Because their prejudiced beliefs rubbed off on the children, it made Izzy struggle to make friends growing up.
While Chef left his duties, Izzy's father never left the military and he asked him as a favor to let the redhead join Total Drama Island as a way to find some new friends. He met her when she was a little girl and she always loved messing with the cook whenever he visited her family's home for dinner much to his dismay. She grew attached to him over time and treated him like the crazy uncle at the barbecue.
"Yeah, and those larger-than-life personalities lead to the destruction of my face, paycheck, and possibly the rest of my luxurious lifestyle. Who cares about this walking sob story that wreaks havoc on all of us? All because of you being stubborn and not wanting to let her pathetic father down." Chris retorted as he didn't want to hear any defense of the psycho hosebeast. He hates Cody, but he had a point that she was detrimental to him and the cast's safety.
"That man was a field officer who served an important role in our group when my comrades died in the jungle and only five of us came out alive. He was a great leader who never gave up on us when it looked like we lost and came up with a plan to combat the enemy's forces before it was too late. I have nothing but the biggest respect for keeping me alive while making me the man I am today. Besides, your cheap ass didn't want to pay for a new door leaving her to come inside unannounced. Next time you should get an actual good plane with safety precautions and not some rundown death hunk of junk your bum ass friend got you." Chef told him as wasn't here for him to blame Izzy when he never tried to think of what was the best decision in hopes to improve the show.
He always tried to take the easy way out and hoard money that could have prevented these problems from coming back to bite him in the ass. Chef has just about had enough of this spoiled white boy and has been over the host's antics since season 2. What he would do to go back in time and stick to his guns on leaving the host while accepting that cruise gig that was offered to him at the time? Never mind that he has to look after a group of ungrateful teenagers, who don't respect him with a few exceptions here and there. Hell, he might've gone back to college and pursued that accounting career his mother told him to do. He chose to go to the military to better himself and because of that, they had a falling out and which lead him to this crummy job.
"I can't believe what I'm hearing now. Dude, if he couldn't save twenty of them from dying then that guy was a failure and doesn't deserve your gratitude. How can you respect a man who couldn't prevent that? If you ask me I would've given up and run off while the enemy attacks." Chris said with an oblivious tone which got Chef agitated at the thought of this guy knowing what the consequences of war do to a man. All this guy did was be in a failed boy band, a plethora of failed television gigs as well as not keep the love of his life from leaving his ass. What does he know about what to do in a situation where someone could have died? The guy makes him do these stupid intern jobs for the entertainment of people he doesn't know that watch this show. It's like he thinks he's Johnny Knoxville or Steve-O from "Jackass" by putting him and the teenagers through these dumb challenges.
He then proceeded to shove the host down on the floor which got him pissed. The last thing Chris needs is his father-like figure throwing him around after getting humiliated by one of his contestants on international television. It's now getting to the point of no one respecting the host's vision and his control is crumbling from underneath him.
"DUDE! YOU ASSHOLE. HOW DARE YOU PUSH ME DOWN AFTER I JUST GOT HURT TODAY!" Chris screamed as if he wasn't here for another form of humiliation.
"YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN A SELFISH PATHETIC EXCUSE OF A MAN! THE AUDACITY TO SPOUT NONSENSE ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD DO IN A WAR ENVIRONMENT. YOU ARE NOTHIN' BUT A FAILED MUSICIAN AND INFLUENCER THAT LUCKED OUT ON THIS SHOW BECAUSE OF YOUR PR TEAM THAT SCRUBBED YOUR PAST FAILURES FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC. NOW THEY CAN'T DO THAT NO MORE SINCE THEY NO LONGER STAND YO' UNGRATEFUL ASS! HOW ABOUT YOU STOP WITH THE EMPTY PROMISES AS WELL AS THE SHITTY BUSINESS PRACTICES AND GROW UP TO BE A REAL MAN!" Chef screamed as he had it for three seasons with this cornball. The lack of accountability was driving his blood pressure high and he doesn't care to sympathize with his many failures. One thing's for sure, Cody was right about him being a selfish prick and not taking accountability for the toxic environment he created while not doing anything to fix it.
Chris sat down frightened and began to stutter as he was hurt by this revelation from Chef. He pushed him too far and knows all he can do is cower at his words. The genie was out of the bottle and he cannot put it back in.
"My...Face..." the host with the most murmured as he couldn't finish his sentence due to being scared.
"A BLACK EYE, A MEASLY BLACK EYE THAT WILL HEAL IN A COUPLE OF DAYS. WEAR AN EYE PATCH, SUCK IT UP, AND GO TO BED CHRISTOPHER MCLEAN!!!" Chef screamed as wasn't there for his sob story any longer. He had worse injuries in the military and won't pity this pathetic excuse of a host.
"...Fine," Chris said as he stood up and proceeded to walk out of the cockpit while the military veteran glared at him with a chilling look that could make Duncan piss his pants. He slouched down and resisted making eye contact with the military veteran.
Chef took a deep breath and sat down in his seat as he was going to put the plane on autopilot in hopes to get some sleep. The cook didn't get his beauty sleep and wanted to catch up on his hours. Unfortunately for him, Izzy walked in as she needed to talk with him after such a hectic day.
"Oi Cheffy, is everything alright? Chris was shedding some tears when he walked out of the cockpit." Izzy asked as she heard him screaming and didn't want to disturb him in a bad mood. She may love to pull pranks and jokes on the guy but knows her limits from knowing him over the years. He wasn't this much of a hothead until Chris and the producers put stress on the cook with their methods of torture. At best he would just yell and the stress from the producers made him more aggressive than usual.
"Oh don't worry about that outburst just now. The boy is just in the closet and doesn't realize what a privileged white boy can do to you. Man needed to be put in his place and I don't care if his feelings were hurt." Chef said as he was adjusting the plane settings while his blood pressure continued to drop from that argument earlier.
"Hehe, Izzy always knew he was pretty sassy with all the plastic surgeries and beauty enhancement products he did on his body. Forgot Cody and Noah, that guy is sassier than they could ever dream of. How insecure do you have to be to focus that much on your body?" Izzy said chuckling wanting to put Chef in a good mood after that scuffle. Izzy was never the type to do beauty appliances on herself and was more of an adventurous tomboy.
"Careful or Scrawny might come in here to give you a piece of his mind again," Chef told her as he secretly enjoyed his rant earlier. He didn't think much of it due to being previously concerned for Chris's sake, but now he respects him a bit for giving that man the face of reality, no pun intended.
"Izzy won't have to worry about him, the Horndog was just celebrating with the guys and Lindsay after he moved teams," Izzy told the pilot who just laughed at her pet name for Cody. He remembers when that geek came into the cockpit and told him the story of how he almost died in the Statue of Liberty's breast back in New York.
"The white boy wasn't happy that you and Yandere convinced Chris to swap teams making the boy miserable. He wasn't going to put up with it anymore and I hate that you got thrown under the bus during his rant." Chef told the redhead who can only take a deep breath.
"Which is why Izzy came to talk to you, I didn't know that Owen was telling the guys about me being too crazy. I thought he was one of the few guys that appreciated Izzy for who I am. Izzy hasn't been this sad was when you broke his jaw last season." the crazy redhead said to the cook who got sad after remembering that he threw his manifesto book at the giant.
Izzy was distraught that day and didn't talk to him for a week after his careless work ethic with the challenge last season. She thought he was going to become mute and wanted to salvage their relationship before it was too late. It didn't help that the producers as well as Chris scapegoated him for the accident and that was when he contemplated leaving the show for good.
"I never want to remember that day again, seeing you and the Killer Grips upset, while having to deal with Chris's refusal to send the boy to the hospital, made me feel ashamed," Chef told her as he didn't want to reopen old wounds. Izzy was still debating if she should trust Owen after he threw her into what he thought was a psycho killer with a chainsaw and a hook, which turned out to be him in a costume for the unannounced challenge.
"Izzy knows, which reminds me, sorry for crashing the plane earlier and not toning it down as you asked me to," Izzy said to Chef who was surprised by her apology. She always just did things at the moment and did not bring them up ever which kinda soured his view on her a little. It doesn't help that it's happening in a work environment where it affects his standing in the producer's eyes. He always had to apologize on her behalf and pay for the damages she did. Chef just wanted her to be happy and not have to deal with consequences.
"It's okay Izzy, don't let what Cody said to get to you. He only said those things because your friend Sierra kept bugging him." Chef reassured her as he felt bad and didn't want her to bring herself down.
"No, I did this by having Chris swap me and Sierra while ruining our relationships with Owen and Cody. Izzy didn't do the best job and now Sierra is in the same boat as me since she too didn't tone it down." the redhead told the former military commander.
"Why should you have to blame yourself for what Sierra did, she did that on her own accord. Don't take the blame for that situation you weren't a part of." Chef told her as he didn't know where she was going with this.
"If I didn't give her all the info on the cast, maybe she wouldn't have invaded his privacy and made Cody mad," Izzy said as she regrets everything. Had she just learned from her shortcomings and didn't let her stubborn ego get the best of her, none of the things would have happened. She could have confronted Owen more about his lack of awareness when he didn't save her from the fake killer. That way she wouldn't take her anger out on the giant who loved her for who she is. 'Why didn't I just tell him to never do it again? Why Izzy?' she thought as the suspense was killing her.
"Listen, Izzy, If you want to learn from your mistakes, show them to Scrawny, Tubby, and Yandere while proving you can do this," Chef said to Izzy as she nodded. "By apologizing while giving them a different side of you that they've never seen before," he added as she stood there and thought for a moment.
'A different side of Izzy, can that really work with how I've annoyed them?' Izzy thought as she wondered if they'll get attached to the idea of that happening.
"If you work your way up, you might even have a chance to win this season and gain the respect of the contestants while your parents watch from afar. That is the reason why I wanted to take you under my wing in an alliance last season so that we can visit your father to show him you won and made new friends." Chef told her which got her to remember that her dad was still in the military while her mom was back home in Canada. "Unfortunately, you got the impression that I was just helping you just so I can get away from Chris's bullshit. My desperation was getting in the way of what really mattered to you, Izzy. It's okay that you thought I was being selfish with how I approached you about it and I'm sorry for that 50/50 proposition as well." he added as she pondered over his words. Chef regrets not omitting that 50% deal since it could have meant that Izzy was in an alliance with him and not DJ. His greed landed him in the hot seat while making him more agitated with his job as time went on.
"It's fine, but with that out of the way, how are my parents? I know Mom's been mad that he still didn't call her, but Izzy wants the best for him." the redhead told Chef as he just sighed.
"Your mother is worried sick about him and has been asking me about his whereabouts. I've done my best to keep in touch with him for the past year or two." Chef told her while she just put her head down. Izzy's dad sent her on this show as a favor to Chef to make some friends. He trained her how to be a fighter and was the reason she was athletic enough to hold her own with Chef on many occasions. She will always appreciate him for that and with how she was traveling on the plane, Izzy blocked him out of her mind due to having too much fun.
"Is He...Okay?" Izzy asked Chef as she was curious to know if he called since it's been a while since they talked. Izzy was always reaching out to him for advice whenever she and Chef weren't talking. Her relationship with her mother wasn't the most healthy with how she is quick to scold the redhead as well as the many arguments they've had while Chef did his best to play devil's advocate.
"You're father is doing fine, I called him weeks before the show and he should be available once they finish their last few stops," Chef reassured her hoping that she won't have to worry about both him and Owen.
"That's a relief, Izzy knows he can make it out alive. He's the best dad any girl can dream of." the crazy redhead told him as she was not gonna write him off yet. He survived worse situations when he use to tell her his war stories over the years. The guy was a powerful Lieutenant.
"He sure is Izzy," Chef told her as he reminisced about the times they had. "Well, you better get to bed because we're going to Newfoundland tomorrow for the next challenge," Chef said to her which made her tilt her head to the side with realization.
"Isn't that where Chris's cousin's family lives? Funny how we're going to the place where his relatives reside. Just in time to tell him about me and Cody being a problem." Izzy said as she forgot that Chris was part Scottish. Her family was from Ireland and while they had almost nothing in common, Scotland & Ireland were distant nations which were nice trivia for Izzy.
"Yeah, he was so happy about getting to meet his cousin that he talked about it the week before. It was like the Super Bowl for him since he was his favorite out of all the cousins in the family tree. Would be ecstatic for him if he wasn't being a bigger asshole lately." Chef said as he kicked back his legs. Chris was most likely going to vent to the Scottish man tomorrow about him and Cody cussing him out. 'He'll omit certain details in order to make him the good guy, moron.' the cook thought as he was anticipating the excuses.
"Hehe, okay then, bye Cheffy. Don't leave the 80's music station on this time." Izzy said teasing the guy as he just scoffed.
"Baby, you don't know real music," Chef said as she blew a raspberry at the cook. One thing's for sure, Izzy disliked him being too much of an old head and hating the modern music out today. He never liked listening to her favorite songs and opted for Prince and Michael Jackson with a little Whitney Houston on top. The networks also had to dub "Thriller" over the broadcast back in Basic Straining due to a potential lawsuit from Michael's estate. Copyright is one tough son of a bitch.
As she left the cockpit, Chef turned on the radio, and what he heard was far from the music he wanted. It was none other than Bruno Mars's "Grenade" with it coincidently playing the bridge to the final chorus. 'Tuh, catching a grenade for a girl who never loved you. What happened when singers used to sing their souls out in the rain in hopes to get their girl back? This generation man.' Chef thought as he was getting acid reflux from hearing this song. He luckily changed to the preferred station he wanted and was blessed with Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" which the cook loved. He doesn't care what people got to say about it since men shouldn't miss out on classic songs by female artists. Toxic Masculinity is not gonna stop him from enjoying a classic.
Economy Class - Midnight
Cody was still laying on the bench while the cast was sleeping in their "beds" while Noah was typing frantically on his computer. He couldn't sleep after Chris told him that the producers sided with Cody and moved him to Team Victory. The excitement gave him a rush of adrenaline for the tech geek and couldn't sleep from the chaos that happened hours ago.
He turned to see Noah sitting in a hunchback position while using his computer. The poor guy had to stay up all night since he never got his assignments done. Luckily, his high IQ came in handy, and his ability to type 75 words per minute meant that he'll be able to get it done in time. Noah may not be the most physically gifted of the cast, but once he's focused on his schoolwork the guy's book smarts will earn him the grade he desires. 'If only he wasn't such a cynic to the point of pissing someone off, he'd be able to win a reality tv competition.' Cody thought as he stood up to see what the bookworm was completing.
"Damn dude, chill the keyboard isn't going to withstand your fast typing," Cody whispered to him as he proceeded to sit down next to the bookworm.
"Tsk tsk tsk. Must you try to interrupt me while I finish my assignment?" Noah questioned as he was almost done with his essay on the Industrial Revolution.
"Can't sleep after what we just endured today, I'm anxious for what's to come." the tech geek said to Noah.
"Or maybe it's the fact that our friendly neighborhood host gave us these oh-so-amazing living conditions for safe travel," Noah told him with sarcasm.
"That and having to hear Owen sleep-talking and snoring at the same time," Cody said as they both looked at Owen blurting out his favorite foods while sleeping.
"You haven't seen the half of it. He was way more of a problem when he still had the fear of flying and waking us up because of his nightmares." Noah retorted as he doesn't want to relive that again. "First Class would have been so nice for you to sleep in if Sierra hadn't caused you to switch teams," he added which got Cody to scoff.
"Eh, like that would be any better. Having to wake up to Sierra putting her thumb in my mouth or her giving me foot rubs was worse. She still has my toothbrushes and I ran out of ones to hide." Cody told him as he remembered that he no longer has any left after he hid the last one in the air vent. How was he going to keep his dental hygiene intact before his mom makes him wear braces? His gap tooth was his biggest insecurity and it was because of his candy addiction over the years.
"Ouch, man that sucks to be you right now. I'd lend you one, but I only had one spare." Noah said as he felt bad for the situation he was in.
"Troublesome. I hope wherever we stop next will have a Wal-Mart or Target nearby. Might even have to shop for new clothes since Sierra took some of them as well." Cody said as he pondered what he could do to fix this predicament.
"Done and submitted, never thought the day would come when I was behind on my online classes. I always get it done before the teacher assigns the work for me, but Chris really derailed my plans for the spring semester by coming back to this show." Noah said as he was relieved that he was no longer behind on homework.
"We practically signed our souls to the devil by auditioning for this show. Life went from bad to worse and as much as I'm glad that I got away from school life, it didn't seem worth it at the end of the day." Cody told him as he remembered his realization earlier.
"Hey look on the bright side, you made it into a boy band and had some mild success. Sucks that Harold had to ruin it with his lack of awareness." Noah said since he knows what it's like to deal with him. Whenever they were together, he often got too confident and pretentious with the topics they discussed. He still remembers the nauseating "fascinating facts" Harold wouldn't stop talking about.
"We had our creative differences and managed to reunite for one last album. I finished producing the beat to a song if you want to hear a snippet." the keyboard player told Noah which got him to fight the urge to hurl at the thought of hearing their music.
"No thanks, I'm not much of a boy band listener of pop music and especially one consisting of Harold and Justin, The Anti-Me." the high IQ said to Cody who just chuckled at his remark. The bookworm heard their Greatest Hit "When I Cry" and that was all he needed to know about the group for his sanity.
"Man, is Justin your Arch-Nemisis or something? Come on, it's just a demo and you'll love it I swear." Cody persuaded him as he still wasn't interested. He would like to hear the guy's opinion on if the song had potential and what he could do to change it.
"How about you add me on Facebook like you promised earlier?" Noah asked him as he wanted to divert from that subject.
"...Fine, hand me the laptop so I can log in," Cody told him as he grabbed the laptop. "Do you mind?" the geek said as he didn't want the bookmark to see his password while he scoffed at his remarks.
"Well, aren't you sassy eh," Noah jabbed back at the tech geek who ignored his insult not wanting to let him win. Izzy may have caused more trouble with that comment she made yesterday because now her lingo is rubbing off on Noah.
"Pfft, I just don't want more information leaking about me after she who won't be named knew my government name and what stuffed animal I slept with," Cody said as the bookworm snickered quietly not wanting to wake up the cast.
"Of all the stuffed animals you could have picked, why did it have to be an emu? Not saying there is anything wrong with that but usually, someone gets either a teddy bear or a monkey." the high IQ retorted as he never got that.
"It was a gift from one of my aunts who visited Australia and loved the Emus that lived there with how friendly they are. At least for my Aunt because they pecked the living hell out of my Uncle Steve when he tried to ride one of them." Cody said as he remembered him bitterly telling him the story of that when he came to visit.
"Hahaha, rule number one of approaching an animal, is never trying to ride it like a horse in hopes for it to obey you. It won't ever look at you the same." Noah told him as he agreed. Uncle Steve was like the crazy uncle at a barbecue who never read the room. He only loves the guy because he's funny and tells the most out-of-pocket stories whenever he visited him and his parents.
"Okay, so give me your username to add you," Cody asked him as he gave him the @. "Done, now we can see what we're up to," he added as the bookworm can only roll his eyes at his comment.
"Never thought you'd join Facebook, you seemed to be on MySpace during Action," Noah said as he never expected him to jump ship on another social media platform.
"Oh, I just wanted to use it after Trent begged me to make one while we were on the road. MySpace was my go-to, but the interface is outdated and I feel like a lot of people will abandon it shortly as time goes on." Cody said as if he wasn't wrong with his assumptions. The more social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook evolve, MySpace will be a relic of the past. A far cry from what it was in its beginning stages.
"Trent seems like he is ahead of the curb with a lot of things, wonder if he planned on staying with Gwen and having a family," Noah told the geek as he could only be a little sad. Truth is, Trent did his best to make Gwen happy and what happened was the nail in the coffin for their relationship. He let his OCD consume him and it took a lot of talking with him and Bridgette offscreen to figure out ways to get around it.
"He was diagnosed with Over Compulsive Disorder and it often got in the way of his plans. I feel that maybe he wouldn't be overthinking as much because of it and could've saved their relationship." Cody told him as he understood Trent's predicament. The tech geek spent the most time with him in the Drama Brothers and got to know him more. He saw different sides of him and he wouldn't sacrifice a thing to cut that bond with the fun they've had in the band.
"I see, how troublesome to deal with that and a bad breakup. The guy is tougher than a lot of people on this show." Noah said as he wouldn't know how to deal with that type of situation.
"Which is why I respect the guy for what he has done to me and the band, his story only motivates me to improve my life." the geek said as strolled through his Facebook page. Noah nodded in response while thinking for a moment since he was still awake. Did Cody have Owen on Facebook and maybe his relatives can appear in his friends section?
"Hey, do you by any chance have Owen as a Facebook friend?" Noah asked which got him to cock his head in confusion.
"Why? Do you need to add him as a friend and need his username?" Cody questioned Noah as he just nodded in disagreement.
"No, I just want to see if that Max guy who's related to him has a Facebook page with how Owen proclaimed that he was an evil mastermind." the bookworm said as he still remembered the craziest story the big guy told him about. Owen at that moment just shouted stuff about Max being evil in his sleep which got him and Cody weirded out since they thought he'll wake the others up.
"Hhmm, let's see if I can find something about this Max that's got you curious." the geek said as he opened Owen's profile and found a person Noah could be looking for. "Aha, is this the guy? He looks like a secret member of Team Galactic with that hairstyle and dye job." Cody added as he couldn't believe what this guy looked like. It's not every day that you see someone like that outside the internet. He's seen larpers and bronies in his lifetime, but Dr. Evil cosplayers weren't on the list.
"Oh that's got to be him and I must say, he looks terrifyingly...goofy," Noah told him which got him snickering at his answer. It seems like this guy has his blog on Facebook too which was called "Max Mayhem" with a measly 28 followers. Most of those could be from his relatives much to the poor guy's dismay.
"He has a blog with videos, wanna watch them to see if Owen's accusations are true?" Cody asked him which got him to shrug.
"Eh, what the heck, can't get some sleep if I don't know if he's worth the hype Owen's been giving him. I want to see if this evil is going to scare me to death" the bookworm said with sarcasm as Cody was curious and clicked one of the videos.
The video opened with a boy in an outfit inspired by the one worn by Dr. Evil and with purple hair on his head. "Greetings viewers of this video, I am starting this blog after my parents grounded me from ever attempting my evil schemes. Due to my cousin's big mouth ruining my plans for revenge, I am stuck babysitting and doing my French horn lessons for the rest of the summer. To that, I say Revenge, Bwahahaha" Max said while forcing an evil laugh which got him and Noah to look at each other with confusion.
"Now I know you're gonna say, well he probably didn't mean it," Max said in a way mocking someone who defends a person willingly. "Nay, I say Nay. His naivety is why I'm starting this blog to launch my plans for world domination. Bwahaha" Max added forcing another evil laugh. However, a voice that could identify as his mother scolded him from the other room which got them to chuckle quietly. Max had a look on his face of embarrassment and you could only laugh.
"Man, this guy is a riot, I gotta see more because Owen's cousin is funny without even trying," Cody said as Noah was in disbelief. The guy ended up being a joke and he'll never let Owen live this down now that he knows who he is.
"...Don't worry little cuzzo," Owen murmured in his sleep with fright. "I'll never tell them again and please don't robotize me," he murmured again in his sleep which probably indicates that hearing Max's voice again has got him to be on guard at all times. Noah just rolled his eyes while Cody resisted not to laugh again.
"Let's find a recent one, I want to know if he's built some new contraption for world domination," Cody told Noah as he couldn't believe that he was still curious about Max's evil persona.
"Ah yes, now you've taken a liking to the guy, why don't you follow him because judging by the following count he needs it," Noah replied with sarcasm which only made Cody want to go along with it.
"Ya know what I will Noah," Cody said as he pushed the follow button and Noah could only facepalm at this foolishness. "Now then, continuing to find another video to keep me entertained," he added as he found one that was recent.
"Now you may know that my cousin who I mentioned before shouldn't be named as he's why I'm in this predicament. However, he signed up for this reality tv show known as "Total Drama" and I was appalled by this decision. Why should he be able to go on that show let alone win? I should be the one to prove that I have what it takes to be the main villain of the show. They have never had Evil like me while supposed villains like Heather and Courtney will have no choice but to worship before me, Bwhahaha" Max said forcing yet another evil laugh and getting close to the camera.
"Geez, I doubt those two nutcases are going to put up a fight with evil such as yourself. I mean, you can't solo someone as great as Max. He's better than all. He's so great that he doesn't need 0.02% of his power to conquer us all." Noah said in sarcasm as he can't stand this guy's delusion. His theories were correct and it only made him feel validated now that he sees him as nothing more than a Dr. Evil rip-off.
"Hehe okay dude, maybe I should stop playing his blog videos before you get even more annoyed at the thought of his lack of awareness. Plus, he's too unintentionally funny that I'll laugh out loud and wake up the teams." Cody told him as he didn't want to force Noah to watch more videos on his blog. Oh, what he would do to continue to see what else the little guy is up to?
"As you should, anyway why do you have a picture of a blonde woman in a swimsuit on your desktop page? We're you really that horny?" Noah asked him as he never got to tell him since he was too busy typing his assignment out.
"Oh, that's Trish Stratus. She's a former professional wrestler and fitness model who I had a crush on when I used to watch the WWE product. She's Canada's finest from where we live and I'll appreciate her and Lita for getting me into wrestling." Cody replied to him as he got a dreamy look. Although he enjoyed the product for its art form, larger-than-life characters, and storytelling later down the line. He can't lie and say they weren't the reason Cody watched WWE because he isn't ashamed about it. The guy was hitting puberty like every other teenager and it was around the time when the product was still relevant.
"I'll never get why you and Tyler would watch that fake crap every Monday and Friday back in the Aftermath days. It's absurd to see them participate in predetermined fights knowing that the actors behind the wrestlers don't hate each other." Noah retorted as he wasn't a fan and never understood the appeal due to not being exposed to it during the boom period from the late '90s and early 2000s. From where he's from, parents don't ever let their kids watch it because they thought it would taint their minds. Didn't help that Wrestling had its fair share of scandals over the years which drove potential viewers away.
"Wrestling is more a character-driven show while telling a story in the ring between both wrestlers and tag teams. Like a play or a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Its peak is far removed from when you grew up and if you weren't a horny teen like me who managed to discover it by complete accident while your parents didn't monitor your every move, then it wasn't meant to be." Cody told him as he remembered when his parents were too busy and didn't do the best job of monitoring what he was watching.
"Fascinating and I assume this Trish girl was the start of your sexual awakening am I right?" Noah questioned as he never told him why he became a pervert growing up.
"Actually, it was that Lita girl who teamed with the Hardy Boyz, but that ended up not lasting for reasons I won't disclose," Cody answered as he remembered that she cheated on her boyfriend in real life which soured his view on her. Cody never condoned cheating and thinks it's not the way to go. He loved her relationship with Matt and was disappointed they broke up after he spilled the beans on the internet.
"I should probably change it since I don't want to be reminded of my perverted past any more than I have to. Since I'm cutting it off in order to improve my life, I'll dedicate it to one of my favorite Pokémon that I drew in Art Class, Flygon," he added as he wanted to use his desktop for one of the most underrated Pokémon in the franchise. 'Garchomp may have overshadowed you dude, but the Codemeister will be here to appreciate you from here on forward.' Cody thought as he changed the desktop photo to the one he made of Flygon.
"Well isn't that nice, you're really serious about committing to change after all. The universe is coming to an end and we'll be extinct." Noah told him as it was hard to get used to this different side of Cody. Once you get that first impression of someone, they are what you remember them for. There is a long road ahead of Cody to commit to these changes and Noah wants the best for him.
"Yeah, my perverted behavior will only hold me back since it further strained my friendship with Gwen. It's best to knock it off and move forward." Cody said as he really wanted to turn a new leaf. He's on a new team now which gives him a chance to show off his good qualities. Lindsay and DJ need him at his best so they can make it far in the competition while working together as a team. 'It's uphill from here on forward and I won't let my past hinder me.' he thought as he scrolled through his computer.
"Well, I can't sleep now since I drank too much coffee and your insomnia is keeping you from sleeping, so what do you want to do?" Noah asked as he was still consumed with caffeine earlier to finish his work.
"Want to see what's on the internet and news until we knock out?" Cody asked back as Noah nodded.
"Might as well," Noah said as he and Cody went onto Google.
They continued to scroll through other websites, reached YouTube, and decided to catch up on Smosh since they missed out on their new videos. Total Drama really takes away the free time from ever doing these types of stuff and their insomnia got the best of them. After an hour, they fell asleep unbeknownst to them while the computer ran out of charge.
The Bathroom - Midnight
Sierra couldn't sleep and rushed to the bathroom after processing the problem she caused. Because of her wanting to get Cody to pay attention to her and lying about not really being upset with him, he ended up cussing her out while knocking out the man she idolized next to him. All the while announcing he was quitting the competition and ended up being put on the other team with DJ and Lindsay much to her sadness. How was she going to deal with this and compete against Cody after invading his privacy while stealing his stuff.
She made sure to wait until everyone was asleep and charged her laptop so she can make a Skype call to one of her blog mates. It took three to five tries and lo and behold, he picked up the call, and what she saw was a man dressed like Chris with brown hair.
"Sierra, what's the matter with you? You've called me like four times and why is it dark wherever calling from? Isn't it midnight in Paris right now," the brown-haired teen told her as she couldn't wait to respond.
"Topher this in an emergency and yes, it's midnight from where I'm calling you from," Sierra told him as he just nodded at her response. "I'm currently in the bathroom and I'm giving this call because something bad happened to Cody and Chris." the fangirl said while he just had a panic attack he heard her say, Chris.
"CHRIS! What happened to my idol? Did the plane crash and he died in an accident? I based my whole personality on him and want to follow in his footsteps as a host. Chris can't die right now, they'll try to replace him with his arch-nemesis, Blaineley. That would be a great disservice to such as great and honorable man." Topher said in disbelief while jumping to conclusions. This wasn't the news he wanted to hear after finishing his biography of Chris McLean for his blog.
"No, it's worse. I pushed Cody too far to the point of going on a rant that seemed out of character. Because of my lack of awareness, it led to him punching Chris as well as knocking him out which humiliated him on International TV!" Sierra said which got him gasping in horror.
"Impossible, Chris couldn't have been knocked by that...that geek. This has got to be a prank, Sierra, it's not true." Topher said as he resisted the urge to cry. His idol will never live that down and Blaineley is going to get into the producer's ears as a way to replace him from what he heard over on the gossip pages.
"It's...true Topher." Sierra said as she had to tell him the truth. "He not only got knocked by Codykins but the producers didn't feel any sympathy for him due to poor officiating and he had to move him to Team Victory," she added while he can only defend his idol from this revelation.
"Poor Officiating? I'll call them on their bullshit because he always plays fair and square. No matter how much the fandom accuses him of rigging the game by playing favorites." the Chris fanboy proclaimed as he wasn't going to let that slide.
"It's because of him not preventing Duncan and Harold from quitting. You see, Duncan's refusal to sing made him quit which wasn't allowed this season after DJ did it in Action. Harold was supposed to stay in Japan and after he didn't let Chris finish announcing the votes, he jumped out of the plane making the producers more upset." Sierra told him while he doubled down with his Chris defense.
"So what if they quit, how is it his fault that Duncan didn't want to sing and Harold's ego getting the best of him? This seems unfair to Chris who worked hard and I don't like it." Topher told her. This is not how he wants to see Chris get fired after all the failures he's had in the past to overcome and it shouldn't be at the expense of Cody, Duncan, and Harold.
"He also didn't penalize some of the contestants for not singing and being active in the competition once Cody made light of it in his rant. They reviewed and it only made it easier for him to not get sued." Sierra said as she couldn't defend him. He brought out all on himself and because of her advances toward Cody, it cost them both their dignity.
"You can't be serious, why did you go far? Now we have to deal with the potential "Fall of Chris McLean" Documentary because of that pipsqueak. Ugh, this can't be happening!" Topher said dramatically as tears streamed through his eyes. This might be the worst day of his life and it's his blog mates fault.
"Leave him alone, it's my fault and I'm going to try to make it up to him," Sierra said defending her crush as she didn't want Topher to tear him down.
"Ohoho, and after you took all his stuff and used it on yourself while rubbing his feet without his consent. Surely he'll forgive you for all that. What were you thinking, did the excitement of being on the same team with him cause you to lose your boundaries? It's most likely a lost cause now that he snapped at our hero so don't bother." Topher said scoffing at her attempts to trying to apologize to Cody for her behavior.
Sierra can only sulk as he may be right with his response. How was she going to make him forget all that and expect to be in a relationship let alone a friendship? It would take a lot of steps and goodwill while showing him that she is sorry. The fangirl was desensitized to the consequences of her actions and now it's caught up to her.
"Sierra, bad news. The rumors of Cody punching Chris have already been making rounds on the other blogs. It's barely been a day and now it's spreading like wildfire." Topher told her as he was resisting to puke with how it managed to surface online. Someone must be an intel worker under Blaineley to get all the info. 'The devil works hard, but Blaineley works harder' he thought as he could only think of the worst for Chris from here on out.
"Oh my God, my mother is going to kill me after she sees it. I'll never live this down with how Chris was embarrassed by Cody while she tears him to shreds. She's gonna take down my Cody shrine that I worked hard to build!" Sierra said while hyperventilating with all these thoughts building up in her head. The middle-aged demographic of women love Chris and will never let this slide. Cody may be in bigger danger when the show is over.
"I hope she does because now Chris's career is in jeopardy. Nohohoho!" Topher said bawling his eyes out. This is officially the worst day of his life. Sierra just looked at him while feeling ashamed and knew that she can't do anything about his state. All she feels is pain and sorrow with this whole predicament she put herself through.
"Topher...I? I don't what's to come but I want you to stay off the internet until the story does down. Seeing you like this will only make you more depressed." Sierra consoled him as he was trying to stop crying.
"This is worse than Geoff playing those bloopers of Chris in the Aftermath. I might take your advice of staying off the internet and putting the blog on indefinite hiatus. You can only handle the trolls, but this will have the talk shows speaking about it." Topher said wiping the tears from his eyes. Chris is going to face the most public scrutiny of his career. Who knows if he'll recover from this?
"You should because that will only hurt your mental health Topher. I want the best for you and if you are still mad at me, you can cut me off from the blog." Sierra told him as he just sulked in his seat. "It's getting late, we have a challenge tomorrow and I need to sleep after a long day," she added while he nodded with a sad look.
"Okay, bye," Topher said as he closed the video call. The fangirl shut the laptop down and opened the door so she can return to First Class now that she was done venting to Topher.
Sierra closed the door and clutched her laptop and looked up to see none other than her friend Izzy. She didn't want anyone to hear that conversation, but I guess Izzy is an insomniac like her.
"Hey Sierra, I was about to go to sleep and overheard you talking with another guy on your computer thingy. My sass detector got the best of Izzy." Izzy told her as Sierra laughed at that comment. She needed that after her conversation with Topher.
"Don't worry about it, I was talking with one of my blog friends who runs a fan blog for Chris. Apparently, the news of Cody knocking out Chris already leaked which made him upset." Sierra said as she felt ashamed.
"He'll be okay, Chris has had more embarrassing moments that happen to him," Izzy reassured her. "Like the time Geoff show-" she added but didn't get to finish since Sierra knew what she was going to say.
"The bloopers of him in Action...I know." Sierra told her which got her laugh because she knew what it was.
"Hahahaha, I forgot you're the Total Drama SuperFan. Izzy needs to remember that along with the other problems she has." the crazy redhead said as she's been all over the place. "Anyway, Izzy wanted to apologize for straining your relationship with Cody. If I hadn't broken that mummy statue, you'll still be on good terms with him." she told her in hopes to cheer her up.
"No, it was my fault and I went too far with my behavior. Cody was bound to get sick of me and he has every right to after I lied about faking my sadness in hopes to get his attention." Sierra said as she didn't want her to take the blame.
"Relax, you can still make it up to him. All you need to apologize," Izzy told her as she wasn't optimistic about that. With the way, Cody reacted to possibly staying on the team after quitting, she's doubtful. The guy was over her harassment and didn't want anything to do with her.
"You saw his reaction at the thought of having to be next to me when his request to quit was denied. If Chris didn't move him to Team Victory, then it was obvious that I couldn't redeem myself for him." the fangirl told Izzy who felt bad for her. Izzy regrets her behavior toward Owen after the abuse she put him through. To see Sierra give up right before her eyes was something she couldn't handle. Owen was more forgiving than Cody due to his naivety, but Izzy still thinks that Sierra can still make it up to him somehow. 'This isn't the enthusiastic girl I met months ago, I gotta help her.' the redhead thought.
"Sierra, Izzy isn't good at giving advice and I made more mistakes than anyone can count. Don't overthink it and slowly win his respect back." Izzy told her as she wasn't getting where this was going.
"How? I'm not sure if he can stand in the same room with me or even speak now that he's on the other team," Sierra said as the seeds of doubt continued to plague her mind.
"Why not write him a letter and return some of the stuff you stole? That could give him the courage to trust you again while showing him that people can change. Heck, I'm finally committed to my relationship with Owen now that I know he cares about me a lot." Izzy said which got Sierra moved by her words. She never truly had a friend in her life due to her being an outcast as a child. It's why she joined the internet and made blogs about her favorite topics while making online friends. Sierra acknowledges that she made a parasocial relationship in her head with Cody after being wowed by his charisma and still believes that he didn't deserve to get voted off back in Island. She only wanted what was best for the geek and seeing him rejected by Gwen in favor of Trent made her determined to fill in that role he wasn't given. Learning about him being a neglected child was just the icing on the cake due to being neglected as well. Being too alike can often cloud people's judgment.
"Izzy, I would have thought you didn't care to talk to me after I paid you to give me info on the cast. Is there a reason why you are giving me these encouraging words?" Sierra asked the redhead who was just more determined to help her.
"I mean...Izzy is glad you helped her pay for her problems outside the show. But that led to Cody being miserable with how I gave you all his information. I take a lot of the blame and I can't let one of my friends be the scapegoat of it all." the redhead told her as she continued to listen. "Izzy and you are a lot alike and things aren't going to get better for you if don't have closure with Cody. Even if he doesn't forgive you, that means that you tried your best and can watch from afar." she added as Sierra processed this and felt a lot better.
'She's right, the best thing I can do is give him space and return his stuff to Economy class. I'm fine with him not wanting to talk to me anymore and that's okay. What I did was horribly wrong and I have to build my trust back with the cast after my selfish ways.' Sierra thought as she proceeded to hug Izzy and felt much better. "I better go into First Class and grab Cody's stuff that I stole. Will you wait for me while I write him a letter as an apology?" Sierra told Izzy as she nodded which got her to rush back there. The faster she returns them the better for Cody.
Economy Class
Sierra and Izzy walked in after Sierra finished writing her note as well as retrieving all of Cody's stuff that she made sure to cleanse. They see none other than Cody and Noah sleeping side by side. Izzy only can resist the urge to laugh but chose not to in order for Sierra to return Cody's stuff.
"Hhmm, I better put his laptop away since it died when they were probably watching videos. It's the least I can do because the plane might swerve and break it." Sierra whispered as she grabbed it and put it in the laptop case while placing it in the luggage compartment. Normally she'd freak out over the thought of Cody and Noah sleeping next to each other, but she wants to leave him alone now that he's with his friends.
"Okay, let me grab a blanket and put it over them so I can prank them tomorrow," Izzy whispered to Sierra who gave her a deadpan look.
"Izzy?" the fangirl said to the redhead as she didn't want Cody to get mad at her tomorrow.
"Alright, I'll tone it down. This is going to take a lot of work to adjust to now that I want to make it up to everyone." Izzy said as she smiled. Even though she loves teasing them, it's nice to see them happy in their sleep after what happened.
Speaking of happiness, she might want to put a blanket on Owen since she saw him shivering a little. She gave him a kiss on the cheek as a way to express her love for the guy.
"Everything is put and set, it's way past midnight, and thank you for consoling me after a bad day. I hope Owen and you will salvage your relationship." Sierra said to Izzy who was tucking the blanket onto Owen.
"No problem, hope you get enough sleep for the next challenge tomorrow. Who knows what's in store." the redhead told Sierra as she smiled and walked back to first class.
Izzy took a seat next to Owen and tightened her seatbelt for safety. Chef always hated it whenever she came in the cockpit and didn't fasten her seatbelt while he was driving. It reminded Izzy of when her mom would scold her after rebelling against her orders. 'Mom, I miss you too' the redhead thought as she faded to sleep.
Well, that's the second chapter and the next one will be Cody and Team Victory working together as a team. Will Team Amazon put their differences aside and how will Chris deal with the fact of possibly losing his power within the show? Find out next time and thank you for your favorites and follows as well.
