Hello all! Thanks again for the amazing feedback in the reviews and PM's as always! Anyway, this chapter picks up a month after the previous chapter. Noah is just arriving to begin the latest season of Total Drama. Enjoy!

(Noah's POV)

I stepped out of the gate and made my way into the terminal and looked around until I saw this area sectioned off.

TD contestants here.

Well, they're corralling us like farm animals and we haven't even gotten to our actual destination yet… why am I not surprised?

I sighed and rolled my eyes. All I could get was that butt crack of dawn flight on some sketchy small plane from Winnipeg to Yellowknife where I was told to show up for the new season and I still feel like I haven't fully woken up yet.

After scanning around, I looked over and saw a very small coffee bar and the only thing in the terminal I could see other than chairs, and decided to grab a cup in the hopes that it would help me deal with everyone here today.

Right after I grabbed some coffee, I was about to take a sip when I heard whispers and squeals.

I looked over and saw these 2 girls about the same age as me looking in my direction and whispering to each other and looking weirdly way too excited.

Fan girls.

Honestly, ever since I was 16 and came home after the Island, even just in the short time I was on the show… people would recognize me, almost like some kind of celebrity. Yeah even I use that term very loosely but every once in a while I get fans, usually girls in their teens or early twenties, asking if they could take a picture with me or get my autograph.

Sure, I know a lot of my fellow competitors like the concept of being famous a little too much, but I mainly wanted to try out reality game shows for the money and never really got into it for the fame at all really.

Honestly, my real goal was that I could use the money to buy myself my own place at one point once I was old enough and buy the parts to make an even better gaming computer than I have already so I could live on my own and play video games with no one bothering me ever.

Even though now what I'd do with the money has kinda changed, especially now…

But, I know that came with the price of being annoyed whenever I go into cities especially. There's always inevitably someone who comes up to me and annoys me persistently until I give them something. Honestly, how no one in Toronto came up to me when I was out on that date with Emma was pretty weird and a miracle if I'm being honest.

After debating for a few moments, I sighed and just walked up to the girls with the idea of just ripping off the inevitable band aid.

It was almost like they were so absorbed in whatever fangirl ritual they were currently engrossed in that they both looked like their eyes were going to fall out of their heads by the time I got there.

I took a sip of my coffee as they continued to just stare at me before I just cut to the chase and said, "Okay, let's skip to the obvious. Yes, I'm Noah from Total Drama. Yes, I'm here cuz we're starting the latest season. And yes, I'm not in the mood to deal with this right now, so if I give you guys an autograph or take a selfie with you then will you leave me alone?... And no, I will not sign anything on you that could get me in either an awkward situation or trouble. Also, I'm not kissing anyone either."

Both of them were almost in a state of shock by my honest yet blunt response, but hey, I've been dealing with crazy fans for the past 5 years. You have no idea how many times I was asked if I could kiss someone or sign someone's butt out in public.

People are insane…

I quirked up an eyebrow as I waited for them to answer until I heard behind me in a familiar yell, "NOAH!"

My eyes went wide as I was about to turn around until I immediately felt Owen pick me up pull me into a suffocating hug.

"Hey there's my best buddy! I missed you man! That plane ride was SO scary." He exacerbated in his usual full of energy tone that I never have any idea how he's capable of having it.

He continued to squeeze me in the hug as I heard my joints cracking until I strained out, "Well… there goes my sternum."

Finally he released me and somehow I managed to still have my cup of coffee intact as he looked toward the girls and said, "Oh hey! Did you guys want a picture with us? C'mon, group photo everybody!"

The girls seemed to return to their previous state of excitement as Owen pulled all of us together for the picture. One of the girls immediately held out her phone and took the picture.

"Sweet! It was so cool meeting you! Me and Noah gotta start heading out for the new season. Have a good one guys!" Owen called out as we started walking away, and me questioning how he was able to have this much energy at 6:15 am.

We both started walking away as I heard Owen say, "Man, how've you been?! I haven't seen you since the finale of the race."

Shrugging, I took another sip of coffee and replied, "Eh, okay I guess? Won a couple Kosmic Kaos tournaments online, had to deal with Ben and his insane swarm of thieving raccoons 'aka my nephews', and then Emma…"

My thoughts stopped when I brought up Emma.

Since I knew service would probably be trash up in this part of the Northwest Territories, I made sure to video call Emma last night before I went to sleep since I probably wasn't going to be able to talk to her or even see her for awhile.

Man, I still can't believe I'm saying stuff like this now, but… I seriously miss her.

Ever since I went to see her in Toronto and even though I don't regret wasting 2 days of my life driving just to be able to see her at all, sometimes it felt like that was also the biggest mistake I could have made since I felt like that trip and seeing her just made me miss her more.

Sure, we made more of an effort to have video dates once a week when she had time between studying and it was great knowing I at least got to see her for an hour or two once a week until I had to go, but… man.

I was brought back when I heard Owen let out his usual laugh before saying, "Oh yeah! Kitty was telling me you guys went on a date about a month ago. Nice!"

I was about to respond when I quirked up an eyebrow at something he said as I stopped and questioned, "Wait, you've been talking to Kitty?"

"Oh yeah! We both traded numbers after the race was over. We texted each other sometimes and then we both found out that we only lived one town over from each other. Is that crazy or what?! So after that, then she'd always ask me if I wanted to hang out with her and her friends and THAT was always such a blast! I went out with them one more time last night to a karaoke bar and THAT was so awesome!" Owen said with his usual over the top enthusiasm.

Okay… I can't believe this is even coming out of my thoughts, but… I don't think I have ever wanted to be Owen more in my entire life.

I knew Owen still lived at home like me and Emma told me Kitty was still living at home with their parents while she was going to a local college to study photography.

Which honestly kind of surprised me a little bit. Sure it seemed like Kitty was doing nothing but taking selfies and pictures with her phone in general almost constantly during the race, but according to Emma… Kitty is actually a pretty good photographer when she has her actual camera on her and has wanted to become a freelance photographer since grade 7.

She even showed me some pictures Kitty gave her to put up around her room and I had to admit… they were actually pretty impressive.

I don't even care about photography and even I had to admit they were actually pretty good.

But, anyway, I had to admit I was kind of jealous right now.

Sure Emma's in Toronto and not at her parent's house in the further northern Toronto suburbs, but… at this point I feel like I would have killed to live that close to Emma's parents house just so I didn't have to drive all the way out from Winnipeg.

Yeah, sure if I had to say I had a best friend, I'd say Owen probably was my closest thing to a best friend next to Cody or any of the guys in my underground Alliance for Dragon Assassin.

Sure, as much as it doesn't seem like it and especially considering me and Owen are pretty much about as opposite as a pessimistic sloth and an overly friendly grizzly bear, but hey I always had to admit that the big guy has always had my back.

And as much as I hate to admit it, he was pretty much like my wingman trying to help me out with Emma so I gotta give him credit for that.

But again, I'm jealous.

I was about to comment on it until we got to the contestant check in and immediately ran into Chef, who still looked as agitated and crazy as I remembered.

He held out a bin as he said, "Okay kids, hand over the..." "Yeah, yeah, hand over the phones. Like we haven't ever done this before." I retorted and rolled my eyes.

I took out my phone and turned it off before putting it in the bin. I heard Chef grumble something at me that I couldn't care less about as I walked into the area while taking a sip of my coffee again.

After that Owen and I took a seat and waited for whatever was coming next. But, knowing this show, could be anything.

Well, let the insanity begin… yet again.

2 hours later/ Toronto, ON

(Emma's POV)

Well, nothing says Saturday morning like getting started on writing a paper while eating a bowl of cereal and having a cup of coffee.

At this point though, I was about as ready as I could've been.

I already went jogging earlier this morning so I was ready to get going on this paper I needed finished two weeks from now.

But, the sooner I get this off my plate, the more time I can put into studying. I kept looking at all the bullet points I made on my outline as I started typing.

About 20 minutes into typing and taking a sip of coffee, I heard my phone go off with a notification. I picked it up and saw it was a text from Kitty.

Kitty: "Hey, sis. Are you on your laptop? Got time to video chat, like now?"

I quirked up an eyebrow in total confusion.

Me: "I'm kind of in the middle of a paper. Can it wait?"

I was about to start typing again and put my phone down, not wanting to let myself get distracted when Kitty replied almost instantaneously.

Kitty: "Em, just trust me. You need to see this."

As I tried to decipher whatever uncharacteristically ominous meaning that Kitty's text had, I immediately got an incoming video call notification from Kitty before I could even respond.

I had no idea what was happening as I continued to get more confused by whatever the hell was going on right now.

Annoyed, I picked up the call and was about to ask Kitty point blank what she had to tell me that was so important until I saw her and noticed how nervous she looked as she bit her lip at me before forcing a smile at me and waved a little.

I got a little creeped out for a moment as I started, "Um, Kit… what's going on? Is everything okay?"

She just continued to bite her lip and still looked really nervous, which wasn't helping me feel any better about what was happening. At first I thought something happened to her or mom and dad since I haven't seen her like this in a long time and I was about to keep questioning her until she finally sighed.

She looked back up at me and said, smiling but still looking uncharacteristically standoffish and awkward, "Hey Em, uh… okay, so… you know how I go out on Saturday mornings to old downtown to take pictures for my expressions in architecture class portfolio?"

I proceeded to keep an eyebrow quirked in confusion at her.

Did she seriously call me to tell me about taking pictures?

"Kitty, I don't have time for…" "Emma, just hear me out." She interrupted, looking serious.

Okay, Kitty is almost never this serious or nervous ever… so, I have no clue what's happening?

I stayed silent as I continued to show her how lost I felt about whatever this was that was happening.

She sighed again before finally saying, "Well, I stopped off at Cup of Joe's to get coffee on my way home and I was looking through the magazines on the rack near the cash register while I was waiting and… I saw something in one of the monthly gossip magazines. Now, I don't want to freak you out or anything, but I just got kind of concerned and I thought you needed to see this. I emailed you the link to the magazine's online edition. Just open it and go to page 18… Please?"

Concerned over a celebrity gossip magazine? And what does this have anything to do with me?!

"Um… sure?" I replied, feeling hesitant, annoyed, and mainly confused. I went to my email and saw what Kitty was talking about as I opened her email and the link.

In the process, I also decided to let Kitty share screens with me so she could show me whatever she was freaking out over.

Slowly I scrolled down the pdf until I got to page 18.

At the top of the page read the title of the article "Total Drama to Total Romance?" and got confused even more when it seemed to be an entire article that focused on Heather and Alejandro from Total Drama and how they've been seen more and more in public together over the past year leading up to the recent season of the show and the speculations behind it.

I gave Kitty an annoyed look as I said, "Kit, are you serious? What does this have anything to do with anything?"

Right as I was about to continue to give an annoyed lecture about wasting my time with this she said, still sounding nervous, "Um… keep scrolling."

I gave her another look until I decided to keep humoring her by scrolling down and then… my entire thought process stopped dead in total shock when I saw a picture of Noah and I eating at the Greek restaurant near my apartment from our date last month.

Then I scrolled even more to see a few more pictures.

Both of us walking out from the movie theater, a picture of us from behind walking and holding hands, and then finally a picture of us shot at a slight distance of Noah and I kissing outside of my building after our date. My first thought was immediate after I snapped out of it.

"No…" I said under my breath as I started to read through the article:

"Hearts still Racing?"

Though the Ridonculous Race has concluded nearly 3 months ago, it seems a race of sorts is still going on in some respects between two of its former contestants. Long time Total Drama contestant and everyone's favorite sarcastic know-it-all Noah Mathai (21) was seen going out on a date the previous month with fellow RR participant and law student Emma Park (22). The two met during the race and had quite the roller coaster of events leading up to their eventual romance. While competing on two different teams, Noah with his friend and fellow TD contestant Owen Koch (21) and Emma with her younger sister and photography student Kitty Park (20), the two developed mutual feelings for each other with the help and hindrance of their respective teammates and those feelings have now seemed to extend beyond the end of the competition. The two definitely appeared to be going steady as a local source showed the couple having dinner at Niko's, a popular Greek dining destination for Toronto based university students, before proceeding to see a movie at a nearby theater and then taking a walk hand in hand around downtown Toronto. As if that wasn't enough for you and though the date seemed to conclude with a goodnight kiss, the two were then seen both going into Emma's student apartment building almost immediately afterward for the remainder of the night. Either way, it seems that the hearts still appear to be racing between these two. Catch both Noah and Owen as they compete on the latest season of Total Drama premiering in 2 weeks!

I was almost in a state of catatonic shock as I processed everything I just saw.

Although I didn't know how deep I was until I finally heard Kitty say, "Um Em, are you okay? Look, I'm sorry if I just completely freaked you out, but I knew it was totally wrong if I didn't tell you at all. Ugh, I'm even mad for you guys. Taking pictures like that and posting them without consent to me is just so wrong and…"

I completely stopped listening as I finally snapped out of it as a thought hit me.

Immediately I grabbed my phone and called Noah, hoping with every fiber of my being that he hadn't given up his phone yet. I called and bit my lip.

C'mon, c'mon…

"Pick up, Noah…" I said out loud until the line dropped and so did my stomach as his phone immediately went to voicemail.

I hung up as another wave of shock and slight paranoia overtook me again.

Oh… shit.

What am I going to do now?

Oh man, looks like Emma's inclining was right about them being followed from the previous chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the update. More reference of Noah competing on Total Drama and of course more Nemma will be on the way! Have an awesome weekend and hope you all are continuing to stay healthy and safe.

Stay Classy!

Dexter1995