"Last time on Total Drama Island.." Chris exclaims on the dock during the day time. We see footage of the last episode as he continues speaking. "I sent the teams out for a relaxing camping trip in the crisp summer woods, where Bridgette learned that her fear of the woods was completely justified, hehe.
Cody and Beth became close when Lindsay accidentally called her bestie ugly, however Cody was so not feeling what she was touching, and so that connection was cut as soon as it started. DJ found a new friend, and Duncan scared the pants off his team. In the end, the Screaming Gophers lost, and it came down to Owen and Izzy for attracting a bear to camp. Before I could announce who was safe, our good ol' pals, the government, came down and tried to capture Izzy, effectively eliminating her from the competition."
"Today, bonds have rekindled, hearts have been broken, and some hearts have begun yearning. Will the spicy atmosphere between Gwen and Trent be realized? Will Noah overthrow Heather anytime soon? And what kind of sick challenge do I have planned for these kids? All this and more answered right here, right now on:
Total!
Drama!
Island!"
The theme song plays over an intro sequence.
The first shot depicts Wawanakwa in full, leading up to a giant cliff and zooming past McLean as he sips a coffee before diving into the water below the cliff.
Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doing fine.
You guys are on my mind.
We see Ezekiel under water, watching Geoff and Bridgette with a downtrodden look on his face, both of which are staring longingly into each other's eyes until an eagle picks Geoff up by his shoulders and carries him off. Bridgette tries to reach for him, watching him fly away with concern.
You asked me what I wanted to be and now I think the answer is plain to see
I wanna be famous.
The eagle drops Geoff down as it soars past the sun. He falls down a few tree branches before landing in DJ's arms, who seconds prior was enjoying nature and the copious animals around him. The animals get violent and attack as soon as their peace is disturbed. DJ and Geoff scream as the former runs with the latter in his arms away from the vicious animals.
Duncan laughs hysterically at the scene, but Courtney glares at him with disapproval, causing him to stop.
I wanna live close to the sun
So pack your bags cause I already won.
Heather is in a canoe with Beth and LeShawna going down the stream. Beth is in the middle, trying to separate the two from dueling. The canoe ends up careening off of the stream and down a waterfall, which makes the teens fall to the water below, passing by Harold as he practices a few fighting poses on a dangerously positioned log overlooking the falls. As he stretches his arms and legs out in a dorky position, Izzy swings in on a vine and knocks into him, bumping directly into an outhouse housing Lindsay, who falls out with her skirt around her ankles.
Everything to prove
Nothing in my way
I'll get there one day
Cause I wanna be famous.
Inside the mess hall kitchen, we see Chef preparing some disgusting green soup with his bare hand dipped into the pot. He looks behind him at a tied up Owen and Noah, both looking petrified of whatever Chef is concoting for them. In the mess hall itself, Eva arm wrestles Tyler, easily beating him and dislocating his arm.
Outside on the beach, Sadie and Katie coo over Justin, who is looking at himself in between two mirrors. He winks at one, his teeth glistening.
Na-na-na-na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na
We get a good look at the polluted, muggy, teal waters of Wawanakwa, a few seagulls fighting over a cellphone. Katie swims for it, with Sadie watching from the sand anxiously, but the skinny brown clone of her best friend ends up being terrorized by a shark and swims back to shore as fast as she can.
I wanna be, I wanna be
I wanna be famous!
Back on the dock of shame, we see Justin strut to the edge before ripping his shirt off, water from the shark splashing towards Katie drenching his perfectly chiseled muscles. He flexes as the camera goes up and transitions from day to night, then comes back down at the campfire ceremony.
I wanna be, I wanna be
I wanna be famous!
Trent is playing his guitar for Gwen, who is entranced by him. He leans forward, a warm smile on his face. As they inch closer, Cody gets between them and places a hand on both of their shoulders, smiling dorkily. The rest of the cast whistles the chorus of the theme song as the camera zooms out to capture them all sitting around the bonfire. The logo appears above them.
Total Drama Island:
The Creeps Cut
Created by VoiceFromUnderTheCovers and Crimson Candy.
The Screaming Gophers sit around the sizzling campfire half an hour after Izzy's sudden departure. The moon is full, the stars are glistening, and the sound of soft guitar strumming fills the ambience.
Beth, Lindsay and Heather sit close to each other. Lindsay draws with a fluffy brush along Beth's cheeks. "You really think this make-over will make boys more attracted to me?"
"Oh, Beth, it's not about boys liking you! It's about how beautiful you feel. Besides, I'm the best make-up person I know." The blonde confidently chimes.
"Probably a short list." Heather mutters under her breath, filing away at her nails. Beth gives her a look whilst Lindsay seemingly doesn't hear her.
(Confessional: Beth)
"Okay, has anyone else noticed that Heather can be.." She looks around before whispering, "Kinda mean sometimes? Don't tell her I said that!"
(Confessional end)
Heather reaches into Lindsay's bag of make-up, finding a tube of peach nail polish that she helps herself to. Lindsay swings her head around to spot her unscrewing the cap. "Um, Heather, what are you doing?"
"What's it look like? I need a new coat."
"Well, sure, but that's my stuff. Aren't you going to say please?" Lindsay forces a sweet smile. Heather sighs, grabbing her hand.
"Look, Lindsay, I'm pretty, aren't I?"
"Totally!" Lindsay nods.
"So you understand I don't have time for words if my looks begin to slip, right?"
"Uh.. I guess, yeah."
Beth interjects. "I think you should at least say please, Heather. Lindsay's being really generous."
Heather looks surprised to hear her stand up for her. "How about this, Beth? New alliance rule: you let me take whatever I want from your stuff, but my stuff is strictly off limits. I'll say thank you each time I take something, so don't worry about that." She smiles condescendingly, patting her on the head.
Beth twitches. "That's not fair." She says barely above a whisper.
"You know what's not fair? Carrying you for three challenges because you lost your glasses. Now, do you ladies agree to the terms or not?"
They both slowly nod, both silenced.
"Good girls. Thank you." She takes the polish off and starts applying the gel to her nails, relaxing as Beth and Lindsay look at each other.
(Confessional: Lindsay)
"Sure, Heather is scary, but she's my friend! Gotta stick with your friends. That's like, rule number one of being out in public with the girls!"
(Confessional end)
LeShawna, Gwen and Trent sit together, the girls listening to Trent's music.
"Would you rather have a snake for a tongue, or lobster claws for hands?" The musician asks.
"Girl, if I had lobster claws for hands, I'd have eaten myself." LeShawna says, chuckling. Gwen laughs with her.
"Me personally? I want the snake tongue."
"Good luck getting anybody to kiss you with a viper attached to your mouth."
"But think about the defense strategy, and how cool it would look."
"Can't argue with that. I'd be terrified of a girl with a snake for a tongue."
"How about this: would you rather go out with.." Gwen scans the area, landing at Cody sitting alone with Owen and Noah, seemingly listening to a very long speech by the brainiac. He spots them looking his way and waves before winking. "Cody, or.. Noah?"
"Eugh. Can't I just say neither?" LeShawna questions.
"You have to pick one." Gwen pressures playfully.
"I guess Cody. At least he ain't no narcissist. Then again, he's pretty creepy."
"Creepy? Eh, not so much. Just annoying."
From his seat, Cody reacts. "Annoying?!"
Noah shushes him, holding an ice pack on his temple. "Hey, keep it down, my headache is bad enough."
"Sorry, just.." Cody starts.
"What is it?" Noah impatiently demands.
"Gwen just called me annoying from over there! I saw it in her lips!" He points at his lips for emphasis.
"Really, Cody? Of all the stupid, asinine-"
"Aw, come here, buddy!" Owen picks up Cody in a big hug, patting his back reassuringly. Cody squeaks out a groan. "There, there.. there are plenty of fish in the sea!"
"Clearly not enough.." Cody hopelessly mutters.
(Confessional: Noah)
"Now that I'm down an alliance member, I need Cody's head fully in the game. If Gwen, Trent and LeShawna don't like us, and Heather still has her miniature army, it's only a matter of time until I'm picked off. We could still have Beth.. nah, Cody would never agree to it. Though there is still Gwen.." He flinches. "Ah, stupid headaches! I'll think about this tomorrow."
(Confessional: Cody)
"Gwen.. she must think I'm so awful. Well, I ain't stopping there! The Code-meister has much more gas in the tank than that! I'm gonna find out what she likes, and then I'm gonna make her my Ramona Flowers!" He sighs dreamily.
(Confessional end)
Owen puts Cody back down.
"Look, guys, in terms of strategy, we're kind of tanking here. Cody ruined any chance of Beth leaving Heather's alliance for ours, and-"
"Wait, we're in an alliance?" Cody asks.
"Uh, yeah. What, did you think I just hung out with you for fun?"
Cody rubs the back of his neck. "Kinda. Dick."
Noah sighs. "I'm sorry. You are good company, sometimes. Okay?"
Cody smirks. "That's marginally better. But why do you wanna get Heather out? She's pretty nice, and hot."
"With a capital H! Not as smoking as Izzy was, though.. I wish she were still here." Owen laments, sitting back down.
"Me too, big guy. She would have easily secured Heather's elimination if she didn't screw up so badly. She became too much of a wild card to rely on." Noah explains.
"So what now?" Cody asks.
"Heather is smart, manipulating dummies like Lindsay and Beth. We need to somehow frame her for losing this next challenge, whatever it is, and get her out before she even knows what hit her."
"Purposely lose? I dunno.."
"Hey, I'm the alliance leader here, Owen. You don't like it, you can find someone else to be friends with." Noah folds his arms and closes his eyes.
Owen puts a hand on his shoulder. "No, no, it's fine! Whatever you're okay with, buddy!" He forces a smile.
Satisfied, he reopens his eyes and grins. "Of course, I'll take over the planning process once the challenge is revealed."
"What if it's a challenge we can't do?" Cody asks.
"Then we try our hardest to win and wait for a better opportunity."
"Ooh, we should have a name for our alliance!" Owen exclaims.
"I heavily disagree." Noah flatly says.
"Okay, what should our team name be?" Owen replies ignorantly.
"How about Sex Bob-omb?" Cody suggests.
"What does that even mean?" The bookworm critiques.
"Or Exploding Chocolate Pancakes?" Owen recommends.
"The relevance being?"
"No, no, it's gotta be the Geek Squad." The geek of the group says.
"I am not a geek." Noah croaks.
Owen cheers. "Geek Squad it is! Woo, go, Geek Squad!" The other Gophers look at the three as they're engulfed in a suffocating group hug. They laugh awkwardly before the cliques go back to talking amongst themselves. "Sorry." Noah winces, sitting down while cradling his big head.
Geoff's voice catches everyone off guard. "Hey, dudes! What's with the big helicopter?" The rest of the Killer bass, carrying snacks and drinks, stand around and behind him.
"Izzy got chased off the island by the government." LeShawna says.
"No way, the pigs are here?" Duncan asks nervously.
"Not anymore." Gwen answers. Duncan breathes a sigh of relief.
"And what are you guys doing here? Come to gloat some?" Noah questions.
"We actually thought that you guys might wanna share our reward. We got a little too much, and Tyler suggested we offload some to you."
"Uh, no I didn-" DJ kicks him in the calf. "Ow! I-I mean, yeah, sure I did!" He says with a puffed out chest.
Lindsay takes a pink lemonade off the tray Geoff's holding. "Aww, thanks Tyler."
(Confessional: Tyler)
"Wow! Was that a wingman attempt? I think the guys are finally warming up to me!"
(Confessional end)
"Move it, dude." Duncan rudely shoves past him, sitting down in front of the fire. Tyler frustratedly looks down. Sadie puts a supportive hand on his shoulder to cheer him up.
"Anyone want some jelly?" Geoff asks, holding up a platter of green jelly with a worm inside it. Courtney recoils, jumping back.
"Geoff! I told you to throw that stuff away!" She squeaks, her voice shrill. Duncan and Geoff raise a brow at this.
"You're scared of green jelly?" Gwen questions. Courtney straightens herself out, her hands on her hips and her nose raised snobbishly.
"Not scared. I'm not scared of anything."
"Not scared of anything? Come on, Court, you gotta be scared of something." Bridgette replies.
"Nope. Not a thing." She snootily remarks.
"Well personally, I'm scared of snakes." DJ reveals, trying to save Courtney's precious image. She sighs in relief as she takes a seat next to Duncan, inadvertently.
"Really? But I thought you were an animal lover." Geoff takes a seat next to DJ, and the rest of the Bass find somewhere to sit around the campfire.
"I am, but.. Snakes are just terrifying, man. They slither and they're poisonous and.. Eugh!" He shivers.
"They're not so bad if you have one as a pet. Animals aren't too scary for me." Trent says.
"What are you afraid of then?" LeShawna asks curiously.
He swallows. "...Mimes."
"They're more weird than creepy. Clowns are the ones I'd scream over." All eyes look at Noah, He clears his throat. "You know, if I had to choose."
"Flying, man, that's some crazy stuff." Admits Owen.
"Oh, hail for sure. It's small, but deadly, dude." Geoff confesses.
"You already know about my fear of the woods.." Bridgette says.
LeShawna hisses. "Damn, girl, last challenge must have been hard on you."
"Like you wouldn't believe."
The proud woman puts her hand on Bridgette's knee. "It's spiders for me. Creepy, hairy, crawlie, ugh!"
(Confessional: Gwen)
"So suddenly we all started exposing all of our deepest, darkest fears to each other, sitting by the fire like cave people. Harold went on and on about how he's terrified of ninjas, and Heather even admitted she was scared of sumo wrestlers!"
(Confessional end)
"What's my worst fear? I guess being buried alive." Gwen says.
"I'm terrified of the internet." Beth confesses.
"Pfft!" Heather snorts, catching herself before she can fly off her seat. "Sorry, sorry."
Beth raises an eyebrow, dumbfounded. "What?"
"It's just.. You're scared of the internet? Why?" She questions behind a giggling fit.
"Well.. it's a long story.. A-and I'm not gonna tell it if you're gonna laugh!"
Heather quits her chuckling, keeping herself upright. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Tell us the abridged version."
"I used to be active on Instabrand.. that is, until I posted a picture that some troll got a hold of. It didn't just stop at calling me ugly.. It spread like wildfire from every corner of the internet! From there, I was mocked, ridiculed and teased about my looks, and their words got to me until I finally smashed my computer."
"How could you hurt technology like that?" Harold questions, clearly hurt by the story.
"That's awful! I can't imagine being insulted for my looks." Lindsay sympathetically says, squeezing Beth's hand reassuringly.
"It was so scary that I never went online again. Not even for Google searches."
"That's so… sad." Heather holds back a snicker.
"Hey, it's a phobia. They're supposed to be irrational!"
"Uh-huh. And what's yours, big man?" Noah asks sarcastically.
"Chickens give me the creeps."
"Er.. what?"
"Yeah! They're so domineering and stabby and.. I just really don't like them, okay?"
Duncan bursts into laughter, sighing as he wipes a tear from his eye. Sadie, Lindsay and Tyler glare at him while Geoff joins in the laughter. "That's really sad, man." The criminal mocks.
"Yeah? Well, what are you afraid of, dude? Huh, Mr. Tough Guy?" Tyler demands, folding his arms with furrowed brows. Suddenly, the campfire is really quiet. Duncan's eyes go wide as everyone else's stare at him, waiting for an answer, some with victorious grins.
"Yeah, come on, Duncan. If you can dish it out, surely you can take it, too." Courtney says tauntingly, fluttering her eyelashes at him. Gwen, Sadie, Lindsay and Bridgette copy this to intimidate him. He covers his face with his hands, ashamed.
"C-Celine Dion Music Store Standees…"
"Exsqueeze me? I didn't quite get that." Cody giggles.
"Dude, did you just say Celine Dion Music Store Standees?" Trent questions.
Harold can't help but laugh twice as hard as Duncan did to Tyler. "Haha! That's hilarious!" Duncan growls at Harold, throwing the hook prop from earlier at his face. It lands. "Ow! My chin stubble!"
"Oh my gosh, I love Celine Dion!... What's a standee?"
"What, been so long since you left your Beverly Hills mansion that you haven't seen a shopping mall before? Somehow, I'm not surprised."
"It's basically a cardboard cutout that stands up of Celine Dion. Think of it as a flat, lifeless version of Celine."
"Dude, shut the hell up!" The delinquent growls.
"Woah, take a pill, man. It's all good." Trent says, putting his hands up in defense. Gwen watches with amusement at the two.
Sadie raises her hand gingerly. "I'll balance it out. I'm terrified of bad hair cuts."
Lindsay raises her hand too. "Oh, that's mine too! That's way worse than what I was going to say!"
Noah decides to take another potshot. "What, fear of a sandwich?" Tyler hucks his shoe at Noah's face, knocking him down. Lindsay smiles at her 'boyfriend'.
"Me? I'm scared of being sterile." Cody's two cents leave a massive pause of silence as everyone silently judges him.
"...Pretty sure nobody wanted to know that, stringbean." LeShawna judges out loud. Cody blushes, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Oh.. hehe.. Well.."
"That's my cue to get out of here. See you keeners later." Noah says, standing up with Owen's help while rubbing his temples.
"Come on, buddy, I'll come too!" Owen replies, walking with him. "Goodnight everybody!"
"The rest of us should turn in, too. Wouldn't want to give Chris the satisfaction of catching us off guard." Heather adds, standing up with a big stretch.
"Yeah, Heather's right. See you all tomorrow." Bridgette says, standing up. The rest of the cast mates gather up some leftover snacks to have for later, packing up to go back to the cabins, all saying variations of goodnight to one another. Tyler waves bye to Lindsay with a full smile, Gwen gives Trent a long stare as she walks towards the girls side of the Gophers cabin, and Geoff says a personalized goodnight to Bridgette as they cross their own paths.
"Good morning, campers!" Chris greets inside of the mess hall, walking inside with his hands behind his back and his teeth shining like diamonds. Both teams are sitting down at their respective tables, trying to keep the slop Chef Hatchet made for them down. "Sleep well last night?"
"Much better than usual without Izzy, actually." Heather replies.
"My headache is over, so there's that." Noah adds.
"Great! Just wonderful! Now, is everybody ready for today's challenge?" The host asks.
"But breakfast isn't even over yet!" Owen says between bites of porridge.
"Don't worry, there'll be more to eat for some of you. Tyler, fancy some chicken fingers?"
Tyler's eyes suddenly grow big. "W-what?"
Chef comes out with a plate of chicken fingers, a chicken's decapitated head lying still on the plate. His teammates and the Gophers all gasp and cringe at the sight. Tyler jumps back, falling on his back kicking and screaming. "AHHHH! GET THAT CRAP AWAY FROM ME, BRO! R-RIGHT NOW!"
Chris and Chef exchange a wild laugh. Sadie helps Tyler back up to his seat, his entire body shivering.
(Confessional: Tyler)
Tyler rocks back and forth whilst sitting on the toilet.
(Confessional ends)
"And don't worry, your meal won't be complete without entertainment. Noah, big fan of clowns, huh? Maybe we'll throw in a mine or too. Perhaps even pop star Celine Dion will make an appearance?"
Noah gasps. "No.. you don't mean.."
"You son of a bitch." Duncan snarls.
"Yup! Today's challenge is based entirely around your phobias. I like to call it: Phobia Factor!" The host announces happily.
"Wait, but how does he know all of our fears? He wasn't there when we were talking." Lindsay asks, dumbfounded. Gwen slams her head against the table.
"They record everything, Lindsay. Everything." Trent rubs her back.
"Ooooh. Well that's not very nice to our privacy!"
Heather rolls her eyes. "Okay then. What's the challenge?"
"It's simple. Every member of your team will be facing their fears one player at a time, unless a fear takes an extended period to overcome, in which case several will happen at once. Chef will judge the Gophers, I'll be judging the Bass. We're going based off a point system here, so if, say, Harold overcomes his fear of ninjas, he earns a point for the Bass. If Owen can't stand getting into a plane with Chef, his team does not earn a point. Whichever team has the most points at the end of the day wins immunity, as well as a secret reward. The losers will be sending someone on their team packing. Now, would anyone like to volunteer to get this over with?"
The teams look between each other. After a short pause, Bridgette stands up. Her team gasps. "Just put me in the woods already. I can take it."
"Excuse me, Chef, I think Gwen's phobia is far too dangerous to perform, so maybe she should go first to get it over with?"
"What?!"
"Gotta start somewhere, gothy. Come on." Chef motions her forward with two fingers.
(Confessional: Gwen)
"Heather is so fucking dead. What gives her the right to volunteer me against her will? I hope a sumo wrestler crushes her spine."
(Confessional: Heather)
"I don't hate Gwen, I just need LeShawna to trust me more. The less people like Gwen, the more they'll like me. Plus, Noah could totally use more allies, and the way I see it, Gwen's friend group, if you can call it that, is all untouched assets."
In the woods near the bonfire and just outside of the bounds of the camping challenge, the Killer Bass stand. Bridgette nervously gazes into the green, barren abyss that is the forest, goosebumps lining her skin as she rubs her arms.
(Confessional: Geoff)
"The minute Bridge signed herself up to be first, I knew I had to be there to support her."
(Confessional end)
"Hey, it's okay. Just remember what I said yesterday: whatever you can believe is in there, is. And whatever you don't believe in, isn't." Geoff assures her.
"It's mostly harmless little bunnies and crickets out there." DJ adds.
"Yeah, aside from the bears and potential Slender-Man sightings, anyways." Harold says, getting glares from his entire team, bar Bridgette who begins shaking, stepping away from the woods backwards.
"Um… I-I dunno if I can do this. How long do I have to be in there..?"
"Two hours." She gets even more scared. "Don't worry, I packed you a bag of food so you don't starve or get dehydrated. I'm not a complete monster." Chris tosses a McLean branded backpack her way. She catches it, opening it to find a bag of Chris-O's. "You can get that bag autographed if you end up overcoming your fear." He winks.
(Confessional: Bridgette)
"Why, oh why did I volunteer to go first..?"
(Confessional end)
Courtney shoves past Geoff and DJ, taking her blonde friend by the arm to talk to her quietly in private. "Hey, Bridgette, don't listen to them. Your fear is valid, but not everything. I know that you have the determination, the drive and the team spirit to kick this challenge's butt."
"You.. you really think so?"
"I know so. You're way tougher than anyone else on this team." She answers with a smile.
"Not as tough as you. You don't even have a phobia."
"Well… Don't tell anyone, but…" Courtney whispers into Bridgette's ear, far too softly for anyone, even the microphone to pick up.
Bridgette looks at her with sympathy, holding her hand. It shocks Courtney to be so validated. "Wow.. that's so traumatic. No wonder you're afraid of that stuff."
"..Just keep it between us, okay? You've got this!" She pats her back, walking back towards her team.
"I will, I swear! Thanks, Courtney." Bridgette takes a deep breath, looks back at her team, who all flash her thumbs up and waves, and as she gives them a peace sign, she disappears into the woods slowly with her hands in her pockets and the backpack over her shoulders.
(Confessional: Courtney)
"I think I'm finally starting to get a hang of this whole girlfriend thing. Still, I couldn't help but square my shoulders when she grabbed my hands. Always have to keep your guard up, after all. That's what dad always said."
(Confessional end)
Boop. Chris sets his wristwatch. "Okay, timers set for Bridgette. DJ, ready to pet some snakes?" The tall softie swallows uneasily.
Gwen lays in a clear glass coffin, her exasperated breathing fogging up the area occupied by her mouth. Trent kneels down with a walkie talkie in his hand, looking into her eyes as Chef throws dirt on top of her with a shovel. They're at the beach near the Dock of Shame. The rest of the Gophers watch nervously.
(Confessional: Gwen)
"Normally, being inside of a coffin would be kinda cool. But the fact that I'm alive while it's happening is freaking terrifying."
(Confessional end)
"Just hold out for five minutes, that's all. There's enough air for you to be okay. I'll be right here the whole time." Trent relays.
"The whole time? You won't leave me?" Gwen questions.
"I promise I won't. No matter what." He smiles at her. She can't smile back.
"Ya got five minutes. Trent here will dig you up when the timer goes off." Chef explains.
"Where are you going?" The goth yells.
"Me and Owen have a five minute foray to go on by ourselves. Ain't that right, tubby?" He smirks devilishly at the blonde boy. Owen looks to the right to see a shoddy, old crop duster sitting by the shore. He can't help but let out a scream of horror.
"Me? In that? I'll die!"
The cook shrugs. "Anything's possible. Any last words, girly?"
"If I make it out of this, I'm gonna-" Chef throws the last inch of dirt onto her coffin, completely burying her. "Ah!"
"It's alright! Just breathe, okay?" Trent stammers over the walkie, her labored breathing making his hairs stand up.
"The rest of you, clear out!" Chef shouts, startling Gwen's teammates into running away, aside from Trent who stays by her side. Chef grabs Owen before he can run too far, dragging him by his wrist as he holds out for his little buddy.
"NOAH! HELP MEEE!"
Noah swiftly turns back around, eyes wide as he reaches out too. "Owen!'
(Confessional: Noah)
"What.. was that? Concern? For Owen? Psht, yeah right." He twitches.
(Confessional end)
"Dude, you're gonna be fine! Just pretend it's a roller coaster!"
"I-I've never been on a roller coaster! I'm too heavy!" Owen cries.
"Then think about Izzy, and how much she's fighting for her freedom, how hard she's pushing! Push, Owen, just like that!" Noah yells, putting his foot down strongly just as he's pushed in front of the crop duster, a struggling Chef tearing the door to the plane open. Owen wipes a tear from his eye.
"OKAY! PRAY FOR ME, NOAH!" Chef shoves Owen inside.
Slam!
Noah cringes, watching as the propeller picks up speed, dust blowing around the cliffside and dock before the plane begins to fly off the ground and into the air. Cody walks up next to him and whistles.
"That.. was hard to watch."
Noah rolls his eyes, tightening his hands into fists before folding his arms. "Can it, Cody."
At the amphitheater, Chris stands by a table covered by a long cloth, a rectangular object bulging from the cloth. Shivering in his sandals, DJ stands in front of his team, all of which are sitting on the bleachers. The host pulls the cloth off, revealing a teeny tiny little green snake staring at the tall teddy bear. DJ screams, jumping back.
"Dude, chill!" Geoff says, running up to comfort him by holding his shoulder.
"It's.. so.. Slimy!" He squeaks.
"All you have to do is pet the snake, dude. Just one pet." Chris yells over a megaphone, startling the snake into hissing. DJ shudders, whimpering.
Courtney growls, standing up. "It's the smallest snake ever, DJ. Suck it up!"
Her team looks at her disapprovingly. "What? We're headed back to Loserville here, people. It's called motivation."
"It's called being rude!" Sadie calls out.
"Yeah, we're trying our best!" Harold adds.
(Confessional: Sadie)
"I don't like to gossip.. Much. But I don't like Courtney. She's so mean and so bossy! She reminds me of my old manager, Tiffany Wong. She used to chastise me for everything at the shoe store, even just being too nice to customers. I guess making out in the changing room is a bit too friendly, hehe.."
(Confessional end)
Geoff squeezes DJ's shoulder. "Look, dude.. We're all here for you. You love all animals. Embrace your spiritual side, DJ."
DJ lets out a shaky breath, beginning to walk forward. He stops in front of the snake's enclosure, turning back around. Geoff gives him a thumbs up and a big smile. DJ smiles back, lowers his hand into the cage and pets his gentle hand over the snake's head and body. It nuzzles him warmly, smiling adorably.
"I'm doing it! I'm over my fear!" DJ announces, relieved. Geoff runs up to him and high fives him.
"WOOOO! Go, DJ!" Geoff howls. The rest of his team, bar Courtney and Duncan, who simply watch with approving smiles, jump up and hug him.
"The Killer Bass score the first point of the challenge!" Chris exclaims.
Bass: 1 Gophers: 0
Chris stands between Sadie and Lindsay, who are both sitting in wooden chairs in the mess hall. Mclean hovers ugly mullet wigs over the pretty girls' heads, their eyes cringing in horror as their hair is violated by the gray rat hair.
Lindsay swallows, tightening her hands into fists. "Girls, sit here for the next hour. I'll be back later, and if you survive without throwing the wigs off, you'll score a point for your teams!" Chris explains, walking toward the door. He pauses, turns back and smirks. "Oh, and one last thing. Interns!" He claps his hands twice.
Two interns, one chubby guy with glasses, and a scrawny brace face girl, push out full body mirrors in front of them. The girls gasp and hug each other, horrified.
(Confessional: Lindsay)
Holding her face in shame, she groans. "I really hope nobody I know watches this episode.."
(Confessional end)
Trent sits in the sand bare footed, wrinkling grains between his toes whilst hugging his knees, the walkie talkie positioned near his lips.
"How you holding up?"
"Okay.. h-how are you?" She shakily replies.
"I'm great. I'm talkin' to you." He smirks. She smiles back before her breathing becomes more labored.
"How much longer?"
"Just two more minutes, Gwen."
"It feels like no time has passed at all."
"How about this: ask me any question you want, any, and I'll answer it."
Gwen swallows. "Okay.. where did your phobia of mimes come from?" Trent pauses. Gwen realizes that that might have overstepped a boundary. "I-I mean, if you can tell me."
"Nah, it's cool. Um.. alright. So when I was a kid, maybe eleven years old, me and my grandfather were best friends,"
"Yeah," She fidgets.
"We used to watch that show, you know the one, Thomas and Friends, when I was really small, and I've been into trains, train models and the weird science behind locomotives in general since then. Grandad worked himself to the bone and had a steady job as a businessman, so one day he offered to take me for a ride along to America for one of his business trips, via train."
Despite her shaky circumstances, she expresses how adorable she finds that tidpit. "A-aww.. You were a train dork?"
"Still am. Did you know that the term 'horsepower' originated as a marketing tool for trains?" Trent replies, confidently slicking back his hair.
She nervously laughs. "Hehe, that's so cute." He blushes on his end.
"Well, anyway, we get on the train and young me is flipping out. My grandad can barely keep his eyes on me. I can still vividly remember the conductor giving me a blue raspberry lollipop just to stop me from bugging people."
"Was that your OCD making you all fidgety?"
"Nah, I was just a hyper kid. My OCD probably caused my phobia to sprout though."
"Why?"
"Well, I dropped some loose change on the floor and went to pick it up, but I had to pause to sort them all by category. I wasn't diagnosed with the disorder yet, 'cause my asshole dad was in denial about it. But back to the moment: suddenly, as I'm sorting the coins by value, a shadow looms over me. Young me thinks it's grandpa. It's not grandpa. It's this pasty, make-up covered guy pantomiming over me, pretending to pick up coins off the ground. I start freaking out, thinking he's some criminal trying to rob me, and my grandad comes in to seperate us when the freak doesn't stop. Ever since then, I've been terrified of-..."
His eyes widen. Just eight feet away, standing right across from the musician, dolled up in make-up and prancing in place… A mime.
"Trent? Trent?"
Trent falls back on his butt, defending himself with one arm over his face. "S-stay back!"
"Trent?!" Gwen squeals, her labored breathing returning in full force.
"T-there's a mime here!" He shrieks, teeth chattering as he hugs the walkie talkie close to his chest, the mime mimicking him. "Ugh! That's so creepy! Stop!"
"Okay, okay, you're okay! Look how well I'm doing! Y-you can do twice as great as that! You're so much braver than me, I know you are!" Gwen shouts.
"S-stay back, man! My dad's a lawyer! I'll sue you into next week!" He barks.
The mime tip toes forward, putting a finger to its lips.
"Trent.. Just relax now. They're really not so bad!"
"E-easy for you to say! You can't see him!" He winces.
Gwen closes her eyes and hugs the walkie to her own chest. "Break it down: why do they scare you?"
"Uh.. they're just so creepy! Pretending to do shit they're not even doing- ugh!"
"Trent, I hate posers as much as the next gal, but look at yourself! You're tall, rugged and rebellious and handsome! You're so much better than some stupid wackjob French guy!" The mime whimpers, seeming to take offense to the remark. Trent steadies his breathing, looking down at his sweaty hands. "Posers are a disease. They suck and drain out the soul from a culture or group and steal it like they own it, but they'll never get your soul because you're you! You're Trent Summers, and you're as original and cool as it gets!"
(Confessional: Gwen)
"I might have spilled my guts out to Trent.. Is it weird that I have butterflies right now? Ugh! Fuck love. N-not that I love Trent!" She growls.
(Confessional end)
"You.. you really think so?" Trent questions, slowly opening his eyes.
"Yes! I do. Now, go up to him and tell him to go away!"
Trent grits his teeth, stands up, picks up the shovel on the floor and aims it at the mime, furrowing his brows. "Back! Get outta here, now! I'm not afraid of you! Not anymore! I'm so much bigger than you! Bigger than the last time we met! I'm… I'm Trent Summers!" The mime flashes a thumbs up, clapping rapidly for him with a big, wide grin. Trent raises his eyebrow before the mime holds up a digital sign.
Bass: 1 Gophers: 1
His confusion quickly turns to celebration. "Alright! We did it! We got a point!"
"I'm so proud of you Trent! That was amazing!" The biggest smile lays on her blue lips, barely visible through the dark coffin. Good thing there's a camera in there.
"Haha! I'm Trent Summers, baby! Woo!" Gwen giggles on the other end at his celebration.
Ding, ding, ding! The five minute timer goes off.
Trent turns to the burial spot. "Your time's up, you did it, Gwen! That's two whole points!"
Bass: 1 Gophers: 2
Gwen realizes where she is again, eyes widening and smile fading. "Great..! Now get me outta here!"
As fast as he can, he digs her up before opening the coffin door. He throws the shovel to the side and holds his hand for her to take, dropping the walkie talkie to the side. Gwen jumps out of the coffin, taking his hand before embracing him tightly, her skinny arms around his warm body. She buries her nose into the crook of his neck and pants against him, her sharp nails digging into his skin as she shivers.
"Shh.. easy.. It's over. You're okay." He cooes, rubbing her back.
"Thank you for being there." She mutters.
"Anything for you. You were there for me." He grins at her. She smiles back, looking dreamily into his eyes.
Vrooooooowwwwwww!
Crash!
Chef's crop duster comes back, with Owen falling out of the door. His eyes spin round and round, the pilot coming out to see if he's still alive. "Owen! You won a point for your team!" Chef holds his hand up, getting a small whine of excitement from the tubby boy.
"Yay…"
Bass: 1 Gophers: 3
(Confessional: Owen)
"To anybody who's ever said flying isn't scary… Teach me not to be scared! Ahhhh!" He sobs, covering his eyes.
(Confessional end)
Noah runs up to Owen and crouches down at his level. "Owen! Are you okay?"
"Mm.. I see Heaven… So much cheesecake…" He murmurs.
Noah sighs, relieved, standing up. "We should get him to the infirmary."
Chef folds his arms. "Damn. Guess you're right, skinny. Interns!" Chef claps twice. No response. He sighs. "Only for the white man, huh? C'mere." He lifts Owen as if he were his bride, struggling to walk. "Ugh.. come on, fat boy! I've carried bigger out of battlefields."
A few feet away, Geoff screams, running back and forth as Chris, sitting in a patio chair, controls a drone dressed like a storm cloud with cotton, dropping ice cubes on the party dude while his team watches.
"Just stand still and take the hail, Geoff, and you win a point for your team!" Chris yells over the drone's hum and the blonde's screams.
"No! No way, man! I can't!" He howls, swatting the cubes away as he runs aimlessly.
DJ tries to pump him up. "Geoff, man, you got this! If I could get over snakes, you could get over-"
SMACK!
Geoff slams his face and body directly into a rock.
"Woof. Tough break, Geoffie." Duncan speaks, amused. DJ runs after him.
(Confessional: Geoff)
He mozies around the confessional, dazed, before dropping into the toilet behind him.
(Confessional: Tyler)
"Finally, someone got hurt that wasn't me!"
(Confessional end)
"Sorry, Bass, that's a lost point. Harold, ready to face your fears?" Chris questions. Harold looks polarized.
Two boxing rings are set up near the amphitheater, one with the Killer Bass logo housing a nervous looking Harold in one corner and two ninjas decked out in all black robes and masks holding sai's in the other. The other ring holds a jittery, scared Heather on one corner clinging to her post, and a giant, Chinese sumo wrestler wearing a white mawashi ready to tear her head off.
Chris holds a microphone, wearing a blue tuxedo. "In the right ring, the dorky, the scrawny, pathetic Harold McGrady V!" DJ and Tyler clap for an offended Harold.
"Hey! I'm none of those adjectives! I'm stylish, cool and hip! Duh!"
"Maybe to an amish!" Duncan heckles.
Harold growls, entering a dorky looking martial arts pose. "And his opponents, deadly assassins with over twenty years of formal training, Bloodshed and Manslaughter!" Chris exclaims, his voice echoing as the ninjas take their own deadly looking pose.
"Are we clear on legal with this?" Chef whispers, standing next to him in referee gear.
Chris chuckles, whispering back with his hand over the mic. "Don't worry, I found those hacks on Craigslist advertising for children's birthday parties. As long as Harold knocks out his opponents, he's fine!"
"Aw, man. I wanted to see some real bloodshed and manslaughter."
"In due time, my big friend. In due time." Chris pulls Chef in for a little side hug. "Harold, are you ready?" His voice booms.
"Ready as I'll ever be! Bring it on!" Harold motions for his opponent to make the first move. His eyes briefly look down at the audience, momentarily locking eyes with LeShawna.
(Confessional: LeShawna)
"They got skinny little Harold fightin' ninjas'? Real ninjas? He's dead meat. That's what I thought, at first."
(Confessional end)
The ninjas charge forward, their sais over their bodies extended forward. Harold dodges their plastic weapons, swaying his long neck back and forth to dodge both of their weapons. He crouches down, leg extending to perform a sweep that knocks one of them down.
"Ooh, Bloodshed is down! Will Manslaughter kill Harold's mojo?" Chris commentates.
"Kill this, Manslaughter!" Harold takes out a pair of nunchucks, swinging them intimidatingly in front, beside and around his face. Manslaughter backs away, his blank pupils widening before his face gets dented by a swing of the deadly weapons. He holds his scowling face, screaming in Japanese. "Yes! I won!' The dork cheers, pumping his fist. "Did you guys see how great I was?!"
"I'm actually quite impressed. Good work, Harold." Courtney praises.
"That was.. Kinda cool. Nice moves, nerdling." Duncan compliments genuinely.
"You did awesome, man!" Tyler adds.
Harold wordlessly flexes his noodle arms, looking specifically at LeShawna. She shakes her head with a smirk.
"That's right! Harold wins a point for his team." Chris says.
Bass: 2 Gophers: 3
"Wait, are you sure ninjas are your phobia? You seemed to handle that pretty much effortlessly." Geoff asks.
"Of course it is! I have no reason to lie."
(Confessional: Harold)
"Not really. Ninjas are actually pretty cool. I'd never expose my phobia on international TV. To be truthful, I just wanted to show off to everyone at camp. Well, for one specific person anyway. If you're like me, nothing scares you. Well, nothing but the robot take-over of the world that'll cause a cyber war between humans and machines for centuries to come." A phone on the floor beeps, startling Harold.
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." The phone speaks.
"Oh.. haha.. Somebody just left their phone here.. Hehe.." He sweats nervously.
(Confessional end)
"And on the left ring, playing for the Screaming Gophers," Chris begins. "The gorgeous, sweet and yet conniving princess now cowering in the corner, Heather!" She shivers, barely able to speak.
(Confessional: Heather)
"I used to be enrolled in self defense classes. I was top of my class. I can still kick ass. The instructor, one day, told me to come with him after practice to a real tournament. Obviously I didn't tell my parents, and like an idiot followed him in his car all the way to a sumo wrestling club. I was crushed under the weight of some giant, oversized meatball, stinking like sweat and armpits with my legs broken for six months. I am not cowardly."
(Confessional end)
"And her opponent, weighing over six hundred pounds and tasting like a gym sock, it's Kurosaki, the sumo wrestling champ!" Gwen claps and applauds the sumo wrestler. He smiles and waves at her.
"Good luck, Heather!" Beth calls out.
"I-I don't need luck! I need to get out of here!" Heather snaps, trying to climb out of the ring.. Beth lowers her head with a sigh.
"Not so fast. You step out of that ring, your team loses a point. You may have the lead now, but do you really wanna take that chance?" Chef questions. Heather looks down at her teammates, weighing her options. She closes her eyes, stepping back in with a groan.
"...Ugh! Let's just get this over with!"
"All you have to do is endure one round. Are you ready, girlie?!" Chef questions.
Heather shivers, hugging herself as she looks up frightfully at Kurosaki. "...G-go ahead."
Chef bangs a pan and spoon together. "Go, go, go!"
Kurosaki charges forward, hands ready to throw Heather across the island, a primal roar emitting from his throat. Heather crouches, shaking violently as she braces for impact, accidentally tripping the sumo wrestler so he falls outside of the ring, knocking him out. Unable to move, Heather just sits there, cradling back and forth with her eyes bugged out.
"I.. Guess that counts. Heather wins the point."
Bass: 2 Gophers: 4
"Heather, are you okay?!" LeShawna questions, jumping into the ring to hold her. Heather doesn't move.
"I just saw my life flash before my eyes." She whispers.
As Noah watches, Cody walks up to him. "Hey, where's Owen?"
"In the infirmary, being treated for shock."
"Ah, tell him I hope he gets better. Listen, Noah.. about Geek Squad-"
"Still not calling it that."
"Heather really doesn't seem like a bad person. I think we should focus on targeting someone more influential. Maybe Trent?"
"Why Trent? Dude's a lone wolf, apart from his friends. Plus Gwen doesn't like Heather, ergo Trent's vote will matter whenever we get to vote Heather out."
"I guess.."
(Confessional: Cody)
"Well, it was worth a shot. Looks like I gotta do this the old fashioned style."
(Confessional end)
"Let's get you to bed, girl." LeShawna tells Heather, standing her up with her arm around her shoulders.
"Not so fast, LeShawna. You have a date with an arachnid. Chef, bring out the tarantula!" Chris calls, devilishly smirking. LeShawna's jaw drops as Chef takes out a jar with a furry, eight legged tarantula inside. LeShawna lets out a comically absurd scream, loud enough to split heads. She drops Heather on her back and runs inside the Gophers girls' cabin without her.
Harold gasps. Chef charges toward the cabin, her teammates watching. Chef eventually gets inside, looking around for the source of LeShawna's labored breathing and sobbing. "G-get the fuck out of here! That thing'll kill me!"
"It's a harmless little guy! All you gotta do is pet it, just like DJ's-"
"NO! I SAID NO!" Her screams are blood curdling. Even Chef is shocked.
"Damn, girl, you got some pipes. Last warning. You wanna lose this point?"
"KILL IT, CHEF PLEASE!"
"Hiiicha!" Harold karate chops the jar out of Chef's hands, catching it before holding it under his arm. "Enough. She said no, Chef. Don't be such a weirdo, gosh!"
"This ain't sex, kid. She lost her team the point." Chef snatches his pet spider back from Harold's arms, walking out of the cabin. Harold crouches down along with Gwen, Noah and Trent as LeShawna slowly emerges from the bed.
"Are you alright?" Harold asks.
"N-no..! That was terrible!" LeShawna shakily responds.
"But you're okay! See? You're alright." Gwen comforts, hugging her.
"Yeah, but we might not be, thanks." Noah says.
"Oh, shut up, Noah." Gwen replies bitterly.
"Psht." He rolls his eyes, walking away.
LeShawna hugs Gwen back twice as hard, sighing. "That was tough. Thanks, baby." She says to Harold, who's eyes light up. He gets nervous and immediately runs away. "Was it something I said?"
"He's just nervous, I think. What a cool dude." Trent says.
(Confessional: LeShawna)
"And that's when I realized: that white boy's alright."
(Confessional end)
Standing in the dodgeball court, Duncan stares at a motionless, soulless standee of Celine Dion wearing a red dress with her big, red lips poking out at him. His team sits at the bleachers, bar Bridgette and Sadie who are still completing their challenge. The punk shifts uncomfortably while Chris sits on the referee's chair in the center of the court.
"All you have to do is give her a big hug, and you're done." Chris explains, throwing popcorn in his mouth.
Courtney purses her lips, watching every nervous twitch on Duncan's body, sweat coiling down his forehead as his breathing becomes noticeably worse. Geoff and DJ look at each other, with the former whispering "I've never seen Duncan look so nervous before."
"Poor guy.." DJ whispers back. Courtney overhears them and stands up.
(Confessional: Courtney)
"I guess yelling at the team isn't really the way to get people motivated.. Plus Duncan looked so terrified. I had to help him out!"
(Confessional end)
"She's nice, she's pretty. She wouldn't hurt you." She assures. Her voice startles him, but also gives him his ability to speak back.
He takes a deep breath. "She's uh.. really real, man."
"I'm right here for you." Her hand slips into his, his eyes widening. Their eyes meet, a genuine smile lining his face.
"I'll try." Taking a deep breath, he lets go of her delicate hand and sprints towards the standee, embracing it in a bear hug. His team cheers for him, and Courtney is especially proud, running up behind him.
"Duncan! You did it!" She hugs him from behind, her hands on his chest and her cheek on his back.
"I did? Ha! I did, huh?" He wraps an arm around her waist, the rest of the team running up to cheer for him. She sheepishly moves back as the guys rough house and congratulate him, her hands behind her back.
Bass: 3 Gophers: 4
(Confessional: DJ)
"Courtney? She likes him."
(Confessional end)
Back at the mess hall, Lindsay and Sadie awkwardly fidget with their hands, hugging their knees as they avoid the mirrors in front of them.
"So.. um.. How are you holding up?" Sadie asks, breaking the silence. A digital clock shows there's only three minutes left before they can move on.
"Good, good.. I feel so ugly though." Lindsay sighs.
"You are so not!"
"I know, but with this ugly wig, I'm hideous." Lindsay pokes the mullet, a speck of dust falling out. She pouts.
"That's not what I mean. I know you're a bit jealous of me, since me and Tyler are friends-"
"You knew?"
"Well, it's been an awkward half hour for a reason. I just need you to know that he's so not my type. Justin was."
"Really? Well, Justin is really hot." Lindsay giggles.
"Lindsay, you dog!" Sadie smacks her on the shoulder playfully.
"Hehe, what, I can't help it! I really like Tyler, though. He's sweet and funny and strong.. You mean it? That you're not into him?"
"Totes! I could never homewreck a cute relationship like you guys'!"
"Aww, Sadie, you're beautiful on the inside!" The blonde pulls her in for a hug. Sadie reciprocates.
"You're cute on the inside too, Lindsay!"
"I'm sorry I was jealous of you. I was just scared."
"We've all been cheated on, girlfriend, I completely understand."
Ding, ding, ding!
The girls open their eyes, smiling gleefully at the sound of the alarm. "The time's up!" Lindsay exclaims.
"We scored points for our team!" Sadie cheers.
Bass: 4 Gophers: 5
"And my team is winning! Eeeeh!" The ditz squeals.
"Aw, I hope my team gets better." Sadie says, her smile unwavering.
"I hope they do too!"
The girls stand up, removing their wigs as fast as they can. They gasp at each other's appearance in the mirrors. "You're so pretty!" Sadie compliments.
"I totally forgot how cute you are!" Lindsay replies, both of them blushing from the flattery.
In the woods, Bridgette taps her foot up and down. It's been an hour and a half since her phobia challenge started, and she's sitting on a log, hugging herself with airpods in her ears and her phone by her side, calm new age music playing loudly.
(Confessional: Bridgette)
"So far, so good! I just keep thinking about Geoff's advice. Nothing is here. I know I'm super freaked out, but all things considered, I'm doing great! I think I'm finally overcoming my fear. I have to thank the producers for providing this experience."
(Confessional end)
Bridgette slowly opens her eyes when a sensation tickles her leg. A possum looks up at her, smiling innocently. She freaks out at first, jumping back, but when the white rodent doesn't move, she slowly regains her composure, holding her beating heart.
"Okay.. okay.. Hey little guy. Do you want food?" She unzips the backpack next to her, throwing out a chip. The possum needily devours it before nuzzling against her leg. She smiles down at it.
In front of the infirmary, Noah waits for Owen to be let go while Chef stands in front of the rest of his team behind him.
"This here is the cock and ball torture chamber. Wanna know how it works?"
"No thank you! I pass!" Cody yells, petrified of the hydraulic press mechanism. Chef shrugs.
"It's actually pretty nice. Especially if you don't want little monsters in yo balls."
"I SAID I PASS, CHEF!" Cody snaps, biting his nails. Chef turns the mechanism off.
"Fine. You lost a point. Noah, you're up."
Surprised, Noah watches as a multicolored, pale clown wobbles around loosely towards him, a rainbow colored afro on his head and big, red shoes on his feet. Noah gasps, shaking in his shoes. "W-what am I supposed to do..?"
"Just boop his nose, and your team gets the point."
"Y-yeah? I.. I can do that."
"What's wrong, Noah-it-all? You can bring it, but you can't take it?"
"I-I can! I just.." His vision becomes blurry, his balance shifting as he backs up towards the infirmary tent. The clown honks its own nose.
"What's the mattah, kid? Come on. Just one honk." The gravely, chain smoked voice of the jester beckons, his shoes squeaking with every step. Noah's brown skin goes pale. He steps back into the tent, holding his hands out to protect himself. The clown pulls the curtain back and steps through, his 6'0 stature towering over the 5'3 teen.
Owen jumps out of bed, standing in front of Noah protectively, his arms spread wide. "LEAVE MY LITTLE BUDDY ALONE!"
"Owen..?"
"If the last thing I do is defend my best friend from a killer clown, then so be it!" He shouts.
Noah's eyes go wide. "Best.. friend? I've never been called someone's-"
"Tell my parents I'm sorry! And my brother Gavin that I loved him! And the rest of the world that I'm bisexual and proud of it and oh god I'm so sorry Lord above!" He claps his hands together to pray, sobbing on his knees.
"OWEN! It's just a clown. See?" Noah yells before easily squeezing the clown's nose.
Honk!
Owen blinks. "Oh.. oh! Your phobia was of clowns! Of course, haha! Ahhh, thank God! Come here." Owen hugs Noah hard, nuzzling his cheek. The Gophers 'aww' or otherwise laugh at the situation. The bookworm sighs.
"The Gophers score another point." Chef calls.
Bass: 4 Gophers: 6
"Hm. I stand corrected. Even if Owen did do all the work." LeShawna compliments.
"Thanks. And uh.. Thank you, Owen. You're.. you're a good friend." Noah says, smiling, Owen hugs him tighter, his bones cracking.
(Confessional: Owen)
"Um.. that was how I came out. I'm happy Noah's okay.. Not too sure if confessing on reality TV was the best way to go. Sorry, mom and dad.." He scratches the back of his neck with a wince.
(Confessional end)
Bridgette walks out of the woods, hands in her pockets with small animals waving her goodbye as she goes.
(Confessional: Bridgette)
"I did it. I actually did it. I survived over an hour in the woods, and I'm okay! I can finally help out animals around that biome face to face."
(Confessional end)
Bass: 5 Gophers: 6
She ends up walking back to the cabins, where she finds her team crowding around Tyler.. And a chicken coop. Tyler rocks back and forth, hugging his knees with his pupils dilated as he watches blanky the chickens run around in their enclosure.
"What's happening?" Bridgette asks Courtney.
"Tyler's afraid of chickens, remember? He needs to get into the coop to get a point, but he's really not going for it." Courtney answers.
"Tyler, they're just chickens, dude! They can't do anything." Harold raises his voice.
"This is pathetic." Duncan insults, shaking his head with folded arms.
Sadie glares at Duncan, then gets down to Tyler's level. "Tyler, come on. You can do this! We need this point!" She puts her hands on his broad shoulders.
"N-no way! I can't!" He whispers, barely able to speak.
"Why do chickens even freak you out?! They're chickens!" Courtney
"Yeah, they're uber tasty, man." Geoff turns to DJ. "Yo, wanna get some wings later?"
"Geoff, not now. Tyler, go for the gold, bro!"
Tyler gasps.
His entire family is watching, his classmates, his friends. He's made it this far. Sure, he's had to sit on the bench a lot, he even has his own warm spot. But this is it. The chips are down, Brad Crosby has a broken leg, and Tiffany Jackson is cheering him on along with the rest of the school!
He holds the ball, dribbles, sprints and dashes past Quby Norson. Spike Stern begs him to throw the ball his way, but the hoop is so close. He can see his little brother jumping up and down on the bleachers, screaming 'Tyler, Tyler, Tyler, Tyler!'
Sweat beads down his forehead and drips into his uniform, the Oakville Ostriches stitched on his back. The teams are neck and neck point wise, and the visiting Caledon Chickens are winded, weakened. He's been sitting the whole time, well rested, eyes constantly watching the stadium. He's ready.
He runs for a slam dunk. He should have taken the three-pointer. A chicken's foot soars in front of him. He trips. The ball goes, tumbles, lands in the hands of Dirkley Stevens. Coach is screaming. The audience goes wild. Tyler's jaw hits the floor, and his eyes scan the disappointment on his family's faces. His dad rolls his eyes, his mom breaks into tears, and his bro.. He just freezes. Tyler reaches his hand out, tears in his eyes as he watches the chickens take the ball to the other hoop and score. Coach steps in front of Tyler and screams.
"TYLER! YOU FUCKING FAILURE! YOU ARE OFF THE TEAM, BANNED! I'M GONNA BLACKLIST YOUR ASS OFF EVERY SPORTS TEAM IN THE COUNTY, IF I HAVE TO. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"
Sobbing, Tyler stands up, looking to where the tripper went. He didn't go anywhere. He was right there, in a big yellow chicken suit, standing, waving, a plastic smile on his face that never changes.
"NOOOOO!"
He jumps, sprinting as far from his team as he can.
"Tyler!" Sadie yells, chasing after him.
"Well, guess Tyler just lost that point. Don't worry, kiddies, Beth still has the floor. If she loses this point, there's still a chance to win." Chris winks at the Bass.
(Confessional: Geoff)
"Dang.. dude is messed up. Poor Tyler."
(Confessional: Bridgette)
"I've seen guys less afraid of sharks than that. What happened to Tyler?"
(Confessional end)
In the mess hall, Beth sits down at a table with a closed laptop in front of her, her teeth pinching her bottom lip. Her team stands around her, and Chef sits across from her, hands clasped together. "S-so.. all I gotta do is type my name into Google..?"
"That's right." Chef affirms.
"Oh gosh.."
Heather rolls her eyes. "This is absolutely ridiculous. It's nothing, Beth. Literally nothing. Everyone gets made fun of. Well, not me, but most people. Just do it."
"Easy for you to say.. You're gorgeous." Beth mutters, folding her arms frustratedly.
"While I appreciate the compliment, I do have to remind you that you're being completely sensitive. Girl like you should be used to public ridicule. Just take it in stride for the team."
"Heather, girl, chill." LeShawna says, trying to sedate the situation.
"You don't know what the hell you're talking about! Why have you been so mean to me lately?!" She puts her hands on her chests, her eyes sad and angry.
"Me? Mean to you? I would never, Beth! I'm just trying to help you win this for the team. You've already made yourself kind of a target, creeping on Cody and talking behind Gwen's back, so you need all the help you can..- oops." She sheepishly blushes, all an act. The team is shocked.
"What?! I never did any of that!"
"It was your idea to try to steal her diary. You said you were speaking from experience. Revenge, right? But what did Gwen even do to us again? I forgot." Beth's eyes practically light on fire, the flame getting stronger with every word uttered.
(Confessional: Heather)
"I realized yesterday while Beth was washing my back, that first of all this girl is terrible at that duty. Secondly, she's way worse at challenges than Lindsay is. We carried her for days, and she still has the gull to talk back. I want LeShawna in my alliance instead. Physically capable, sociable and likable. Only problem is, she's very intelligent, from what I've seen. Either way, that means Beth goes next, since she's so onto me already."
(Confessional: Noah)
"I think I'll let Heather have this one. I don't need Beth, anyways. I'll convince Gwen and Trent to vote her off next time we lose, but for now, getting rid of someone Cody doesn't like seems ideal."
(Confessional end)
Gwen sighs, furrowing her brows at Beth. Trent puts a hand on her shoulder. "Like I care. Just win the stupid challenge so we can get immunity and get out of here."
Beth jumps up off her seat."I swear! I never did that stuff! Heather's lying! Like all the popular preppy bitches at my school! You're just like them!"
"You.. you think I'm a bitch..? I'm so sorry, Beth! Ahhh!" Heather hides her face in Lindsay's neck, embracing her as she cries.
"Heather! Beth..? Why would you be so mean?" Lindsay questions, hugging Heather tightly.
"Ugh! I'm outta here!"
"Wait! The point! Beth!" LeShawna calls, but it falls on deaf ears as she walks out of the building. The door closes just as Chef claims the laptop.
"Ya'll lose this point."
Cody shrugs. "It doesn't matter. We're a point above the Killer Bass anyways. There's no way we can lose."
Suddenly, radio feedback on Chef's walkie talkie cuts through the air. He lifts it up to his mouth, listening to the chatter. "What's that..? Okay." Chef clears his throat. "Kids, follow me. It's all or nothing." The teens look around at each other, anxious.
(Confessional: Beth)
"I don't even care if I lose now! All I care about is getting my revenge on Heather. I didn't do any of what she said. And you know what else? I don't wanna be in an alliance with that cunt! Yeah, I said it. Did you hear me? I said-"
(Confessional end)
(Confessional: Tyler)
"I freaked out. Bad. But I still have faith we can pull through! Just need to score one more point. If we do lose, I have full confidence that I'll be the one going home.. So I really hope Courtney pulls through."
(Confessional: Bridgette)
"The challenge they had set up for Courtney? So messed up."
(Confessional: DJ)
"And I thought my fear was overblown. Damn Chris is good."
(Confessional end)
Courtney looks up at the hauntingly tall ladder and diving board. Below it is a swimming pool full of green jelly.
"H-how did you.. I never told my phobia.."
"No, you didn't have to. We're always watching you and your reactions. Last night, Geoff spooked you with some green jelly, and that was all we needed to see." Chris explains, smirking. Chef and the Screaming Gophers arrive.
"Oooh, tasty!" Owen enthuses.
"You gotta jump in there?" LeShawna questions.
"Piece of cake." Cody mutters.
"It's just like my pool at home! Only twice as green.. Ew.." Lindsay says.
"All you gotta do is jump into the pool and your team wins immunity, Courtney. So, what's it gonna be?"
"I.. I uh.."
"It's okay, Court! It's nothing compared to you! You can do it!" Bridgette exclaims. Courtney shudders, shakily breathing as she steps towards the ladder, hesitantly placing her hands on the bars.
"Thatta' girl, Courtney! Just like you showed me!" Duncan cheers.
"Go, Courtney!" Geoff adds.
Gwen looks at Trent devilishly. "Watch this. Oh, Courtney, you're really gonna jump in that disgusting green sludge?"
Courtney gags. "Y-yes! I-I'm not afraid of some jelly..!"
"But it's so slimy and green.. snotty, ugh!" Gwen describes, a grin under her acting voice.
"S-stop it!" Courtney shouts, halfway up the ladder.
"They're just trying to punk you! Keep going!" Bridgette yells.
"Yeah, it's like you said, Courtney! You don't gotta do it if you don't want to!"
"We'll lose if she doesn't!" Sadie chastises. "Why didn't you say the same for Tyler?!" Duncan has no response, looking away as if he got caught.
Courtney climbs the diving board, the flat surface shaking along with her body as she faces the snotty pool of liquid gelatin. A bubble comes up and pops menacingly. She takes one step forward, and tightens her fists. Then she looks back down at her team.
"I… I can't do it. I'm coming down!" And that settles it. Courtney climbs back down, the Killer Bass looking mostly disappointed or frustrated.
"After all that..?" Harold questions.
"Yup! The Screaming Gophers win!"
The Gophers celebrate, jumping and cheering, aside from Beth who is noticeably absent. Courtney does the walk of shame back to her cabin, looking at the floor as she does so. Duncan and Bridgette watch her.
"Bass, I'll see you tonight at the elimination ceremony. Gophers, join me at six o' clock for your reward: a delicious, five star dinner under the stars. Supposed to get real purty tonight." The Gophers cheer louder. Courtney's breathing hitches.
(Confessional: Bridgette)
"Crap.. that's a problem. Now I'm not sure what to do. Do I stick with Courtney and make sure she stays okay, or do I vote with the team?"
(Confessional: Duncan)
"I wasn't expecting her to really give up! Shit, now she's gonna get voted off. Not that I care. I just wanna stare at her ass a few days longer, that's all. Yeah." He twitches. "I do!"
(Confessional: Courtney)
"Dad.. I-I know I failed you. And mom too.. I'm so, so sorry. I really am! And to everyone who ever doubted me.. You were right!" She covers her face, crying softly before pinching herself. "Ugh! Get a hold of yourself Courtney!" She smacks herself in the face, the tears dried. "I'm okay. There will be greater opportunities in the future. I have to believe that."
(Confessional end)
Later in the evening, Bridgette, Geoff and DJ are eating dinner in the mess hall, whilst Harold, Tyler and Sadie sit at the Gophers' table, all of which are out enjoying their reward. The mess hall is much, much quieter than normal.
"So, tonight, who are we all voting for?" Geoff questions, barely touching his burned tater tots.
"Well, Courtney did lose us the challenge, but Tyler didn't help much with his loss either." Bridgette says.
"Still, Courtney had the win in her grasp, and yelled at me when I tried to conquer my phobia. That ain't right. That's hypocrisy." DJ points out.
"Still, she did help Duncan get over his fear of Celine Dion Standees, and won us that point. Plus, if she hadn't told me her fear, I wouldn't have been able to conquer mine. I think she's far too valuable to cut now." Bridgette says.
"What about Tyler?" Geoff suggests, whispering. Tyler looks back worriedly upon hearing his name, his shoulders tensed up.
"Well.. He isn't exactly a challenge beast." DJ replies.
"Well, chyeah. And dude disappointed us with that chicken thing."
"But he's a sweet guy, even if he is a bit.. Foul at challenges."
"HAHA! Oh my gosh, that's freakin' hilarious!" Geoff boils over. Tyler stands up.
"I'm gonna go get some rest.." He tells his friends. They watch him go sadly. As he exits, Duncan enters, the two bumping shoulders. "Sorry."
"You better be, jockstrap." He growls.
"Oh, hey Duncan! Wanna sit with us?" DJ suggests, waving to his friend.
"What are we talking about?" The delinquent asks tiredly, taking a seat next to DJ across from Geoff and Bridgette.
"We're discussing who to vote out." Geoff answers.
"Not Courtney, right?" He raises a brow.
"Well-"
"I said, not Courtney, right?" He pokes his knife into the table threateningly, glaring at the blonde. Geoff puts his hands up.
"Y-yeah, dude, chill! We're all friends here. Plus, we all know Tyler's on the er.. Shorter side. He's a goner!" Geoff squeaks. Duncan sighs.
"Good. Excuse me." The criminal stands up, taking his knife with him before turning away from the table to sit between Harold and Sadie, putting his arms around their necks.
"When the hell did he start taking such a liking to Courtney?" Bridgette asks, not happy.
"You haven't noticed?" DJ questions.
"What's there to notice? He's an ass to her."
Geoff chuckles. "He likes her, Bridge. Duh."
"Could have fooled me." She mutters, looking to the side. Her peace is interrupted by Sadie's shrill voice.
"You need to get away from me!" She shoves him away, his back hitting DJ's as he trips.
"Ow! Okay, okay, geez!"
"Nice one."
"Dude, what was that?"
"I- uh.. Nothing." Duncan leaves through the door, shoving it open.
(Confessional: Sadie)
"If that punk thinks he can boss ME around after what I've been through here, he's got another thing coming! I am not voting out Tyler. I'm voting out Duncan."
(Confessional: Harold)
"I'm not gonna lie, Duncan still kinda scares me. I'm voting Courtney, but only because she isn't a good teammate. Duncan is a solid player, can't deny that."
(Confessional end)
A few hours later, the bonfire ceremony begins. Geoff, Bridgette, DJ, Duncan, Courtney, Harold, Tyler and Sadie all sit on their usual log seats. Courtney's eyes are still puffy and she looks absolutely defeated, her fist on her cheek. Duncan looks around at the group, his eyes meeting Sadie's. She blows a raspberry at him.
"Okay. You've all cast your votes and made your decision. The camper who does not receive a marshmallow must immediately report to the Dock of Shame, catch the Boat of Losers and leave. That means you're out of the competition. And you can't come back. Ever."
Courtney groans. Tyler swallows. Duncan rolls his eyes at a mischievously smirking Sadie.
"When I call your name, step up and claim your marshmallow. Harold."
Harold nods, stands up and takes the marshmallow out of Chris' hand.
"Bridgette. DJ." The two catch their marshmallows as Chris throws them.
"Sadie." She catches hers in her hands, eating it deviously whilst smugly smirking at Duncan. He tries to ignore her.
"Geoff."
"Woo." He breathes a sigh of relief, catching his marshmallow with his hat before chowing down.
Chris holds up the tray of two marshmallows. "Only two left. …Hm… Duncan." Duncan spears the marshmallow flying at him with his knife, scooping it off the blade with his mouth, emitting a popping sound from his lips.
Tyler looks terrified, biting his nails as he stares down the final marshmallow. Courtney doesn't bother to tilt her head up, just her sad eyes.
"Campers.. This is the final marshmallow of the evening." He picks it up off the tray. "And the final marshmallow of the night goes to…
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
"...Courtney."
Tyler's shoulders slump. Courtney jumps up in surprise, her heart beating a mile a minute. "What?! R-really?"
"Yup!" He throws the marshmallow at her, which hits her in the eye. She picks it up immediately and turns around to her teammates. Duncan's already walking away. Geoff suggestively nods to her. "That means Tyler is gone. Sorry, bro. Dock of Shame awaits."
Tyler solemnly stands up, looking down at his friends. "Harold, Sadie.. I know you didn't vote me off. So thanks."
"Of course. Friends don't betray one another."
"It's too bad. Keep in touch, okay?" Sadie stands up and hugs him. He hugs back.
"I will." He exits the embrace, turning to the dock. "I guess this is-"
"Waaiiiiiit!" A familiar voice calls out, garnering the attention of everyone still present at the ceremony.
"Lindsay?"
"Tylerrrrr! Waiiiit!" Lindsay comes running down a hill, her arms flailing as she drops a pair of binoculars. Tyler's face brightens into a smile as he runs towards her too.
"Lindsay!" The two meet in the middle, their bodies parallel to the moon. They seal each other's lips with a sweet, passionate, longing smooch. Tyler gives her a few more kisses up and down her face.
"Hehehe, Tyler..~" Sadie, Bridgette, Geoff and DJ 'aww' the couple. Courtney is too shocked to react.
"Aw man, I'm so happy you came to see me out! You're the best girlfriend I've ever had!" He nuzzles her neck with his pointy nose, cuddling her with his strong arms holding her tight.
"Soon-to-be girlfriend. Though.. I guess I won't see you for a while, huh?" She corrects. He blushes, unable to stop smiling.
"Unless you get eliminated, hehe."
"Yeah, ehehe.. Um, here, take my phone number." She takes a piece of paper out of her cleavage. "I'll text you as soon as I can and then we can go out, okay?"
"Y-yeah! Of course! Thank you so much, Lindsay." He puts her down.
"Of course! Bye, Tyler!" She runs her hand through his hair, giving him a scratch or two.
"You lovebirds 'bout done?" Chris impatiently asks.
"Yeah. I think I am." The failed jock replies, still grinning earnestly.
Tyler takes a confident march down the Dock of Shame and boards the Boat of Losers waving at his team, blowing a kiss towards Lindsay as he steps inside. She waves suggestively back. Chef drives off.
The stars simmer in the night sky, casting down beautifully at the Screaming Gophers. Though most of them have gone to bed, Gwen and Trent sit across from each other, bellies full but eyes locked onto each other. Gwen's elbows lay on the table, her hands on her face. Trent holds his chin in hand, both of their eyes locked onto one another's.
Cody lingers in the background, watching with a frown and a sigh as he pokes at some frozen yogurt, Owen devouring food on his left and Noah sipping some grape soda on his right.
"Always the same.." Cody mutters, sighing.
Mid Credits:
Tyler sits down across from Chef, still dazed, in a good way. It's too late outside for anybody to be doing much of anything, but Eva is playing with a soccer ball by herself, kicking it up and down by the pool. She gives him a nod of recognition. He shoots a finger gun at her.
"So, what's this about?"
"Just a little QnA the producers want us to fill out for your online bio. It's promotional stuff." Chef explains.
"Alright, hit me!" Tyler proudly states.
Chef clicks a pen, bored. "Full name?"
"Tyler Xavier Oldring."
"What are your likes and dislikes?"
"Likes? Sports, I think. Sometimes I'm not too sure. But I love the games. It's just the judgment that sucks. Failure stinks. The smell of it all stinks too. But I love sports. Hockey, basketball, lacrosse, dodgeball, baseball, football, soccer, you name it, I've played it. I also like hot coco, ice skating and watching the olympics. Para-olympics are fun as heck too! As for dislikes, nothing much, I guess. I don't like computers, but I love video games like Fifa and Madden. I'm not a big fan of watching TV, but I'll tape the game for hours. I guess hookup culture. I was raised a Christian boy, and I usually uphold flimsily to those values."
"Flimsily?"
"For the most part."
"What is your favorite food?"
"Steak! Steak! Gotta be steak. Love me some ribeye, or a T-bone. Perfect fuel. Pasta bowls are good too, I love spaghetti." He licks his lips, moaning.
"Eugh.. What is your dream job?"
"One day, I aspire to coach my own little league team!"
Chef bursts into a fit of laughter. "I'm serious! I'm good! You saw me!"
"I sure did! BAHAHAHAHA!"
"Psht, jerk. I'll prove you and everyone else wrong!"
He stifles his laughter. "Alright, alright, stay in your seat boy, I'm sorry." Tyler reluctantly does so. "Just two more questions: describe your home life."
"Fairly straightforward. I got a big bulldog, a total sweetheart named Malasis. I got a little bro, Terry, and a mom and a dad, so I'm pretty lucky all things considered! I get to play outside with my bro all day long. Though lately, my parents have been uh.. Distant, I think."
"Hm. Sucks to suck. Last question: what was your plan for the money?"
"Hm… I guess to get myself into college so I could join a college football team, maybe get recognized as the star I am." He smiles confidently. Chef can't hold back his second fit of laughter. Offended, Tyler stands up and rolls his eyes, walking away. "Yo, Eva, do me in!"
While Chef laughs, the camera is suddenly grabbed by a third party. They turn it towards their face: it's Izzy! She shushes the audience before the episode fades to black.
The credits continue.
