It's here at last, the next chapter of total drama. On another note the poll has shown two taking the lead by only one vote, so please cast more votes to create a greater gap to determine without question the result. I don't know when I'm closing the poll but I'd like to see your selections get further ahead in this race.
"Last time on Total Drama Island, our campers engaged in a vicious and rounding game of dodgeball. Izzy and Eva were especially on fire as they went to war on each other like maniacs. Both teams fought long and hard with both sides suffering some loses both in points and pain. But none more so than Ben when he took a stray shot to the face that TKO'd him, guess the bench warmers should've brought protective headgear. In the end the Killer Bass managed to pull out their first win and the Screaming Gophers bid farewell to Noah. Which team will triumph next and who's going to be the next to walk down the dock of shame? Find out today on Total… Drama… Island!"
Chapter 6: Lights, Camera, Talent
It was early in the morning as the sun had just finishing rising from the horizon. The campers were all still blissfully sleeping in their cabin beds unaware what the day will bring this time. After that somewhat fun game of intense dodgeball they could only wonder what their next challenge would be. A good night's sleep was a clear requirement they had learned after that ordeal of staying awake. They needed to get as much rest as they could to try and deal with whatever was coming next which is why they went to bed sufficiently early. Hopefully Chris wouldn't wake them up too early like last time to try and make things harder for them as they were sleeping peacefully.
All of them but one that is.
Down by the dirty beach was Dawn who had a garbage bag in hand as she was collecting the litter.
"Why must people always be so unkind to mother nature." She asked out loud to no one before picking up an empty soda can and putting it with the rest of the collected trash. "She gives us a home and nourishment, yet they treat her unfairly and show disrespect."
She had woken up early which wasn't anything new for her. She's always been an early bird as they would say. The only times she would sleep in was when she was more tired than usual the previous night. Her intention for going out had been to simply take a walk around the woods and enjoy nature's starting day. When she walked by the beach and saw the state of it however she changed her plans. No child of mother earth could just stand by and do nothing after seeing a tarnished site. So here she was spending her morning trying to clean up the shore. Thank god that for as bad it seemed there was only some trash and not an oil spill. That would've been a nightmare to see and try and clean up.
"Need some help?"
Dawn jumped a bit at the voice and turned to see Ben standing on the uplands. He was wearing black shorts and a green t-shirt with his white sneakers. "You look like you could use a hand."
"Oh, thank you I appreciate it." Dawn thanked with a small smile at the offer. Hearing her accept, Ben walked down to the sandy shore and took an extra bag that she brought along in case she required it. "Your up early."
Ben shrugged. "I got enough extra sleep staying indoors to try and recover."
"Are you feeling alright now?" she asked regarding the concussion he received in their last challenge.
"Yeah, I'm all good. I'm just glad to be rid of that constant headache I felt." Ben mentioned while rubbing his forehead as he recalled the discomfort he felt in bed. "Eva sure knows how to play hardball."
"She's sorry about that by the way." Dawn added, knowing her teammate had some regret for harming him. At least when he wasn't participating in the challenge cause if he were then she knew Eva would have no guilt over it.
Ben waved it off. "It's fine, you tell her I have no ill feelings towards her for that." He bent down to pick up what looked like a car exhaust pipe. Why one of those would be there he'll never know. "Man, I can't believe some of the things that end up on shore."
Dawn got a sad look in her eyes. "Yes, it is a shame people don't always pick up after themselves or throw away things properly." Her eyes lingered on the shore as she took in everything that didn't belong here.
"At least the water seems clean of filth." Ben tried seeing the positive side to things. "That would be much harder to clean up so at least there's nothing difficult to pick up."
Dawn nodded "Very true."
The two continued to pick up litter on the shore in silence after that. While doing so Ben sneaked a few glances at Dawn in slight curiosity. She was just so peculiar with what she says and does sometimes. Speaking of personal things that she somehow seemed to know about others. Not to mention the way he'd seen some animals behave around her. The girl was such an enigma that he couldn't help but wonder what her story is. Was she an alien, a psychic, a witch, a mutant or something else never seen before?
"AAAAAWOOOOOOGAAAAAAAAA!"
Ben and Dawn jumped at the sudden noise before hearing several "GYAHHH!" screams from the formerly sleeping campers who now wide awake from the sudden emergency siren noise emanating outside.
"Wakey Wakey Campers!" the voice of Chris rang across the cabins from the hung speakers. "The sun is up and it's time for your next challenge. Get ready to show us what you got!"
Ben turned to Dawn. "To be continued then." He said with a tone of amusement, referring to the clean-up.
"At least some process was made." Dawn commented before walking up the upland with her bag in hand.
"Would you like some help again next time?" Ben offered politely.
The girl gave a small smile. "Thank you, I'd appreciate it."
The two then walked back to their cabins to prepare for whatever new mayhem Chris had planned for them today.
The campers had all gotten dressed and ready as they went to where Chris had told them to gather. To their surprise they saw a stage set up with two stands for both opposing teams to sit on facing towards it. The stage had several lights set up above and even had two large speakers near opposite ends. They also saw a small table with a single chair set up between the stage and stands. Several began to take a seat for whatever the host had planned.
"Are we going to be in a musical?" Lindsay asked those around her with her usual ditzy tone. "I love musicals, especially the ones with singing and dancing."
"Isn't that what all musicals are?" Izzy who was sitting next to the blonde asked. Lindsay paused as she looked to get into a deep thought. The redhead waited… and waited for over a minute for her to answer but got nothing as she seemed to be now staring off into space.
"Lindsay!" Heather called out in her dim ally's ear and snapped her fingers in front of her face. The action woke the girl from whatever she had been stuck on.
"Oh hi Heather." Lindsay practically greeted before getting a curious look. "What was I thinking about?"
"Nothing!" Heather quickly said to prevent a repeat. "Nothing at all."
Meanwhile on the lower level of the stands closer to the edge sat Trent who was lying back just chilling and waiting. His eyes rose slightly when he saw Gwen approaching. The goth girl had been occupying his mind more and more lately. He just found her so attractive and interesting compared to other girls. He had even started to secretly write a song about her.
"Hey Gwen!" he called over while gesturing to the spot next to him. "I saved you a seat."
The goth smiled and gave her thanks before sitting next to him. The two glanced at each other, practically flirting with their eyes. Behind them Heater noticed this and frowned at seeing the exchange between them. She needed to keep an eye on those two, if they became a couple then that would lead to them forming an alliance and she couldn't allow that. If someone else on the team formed an alliance, then that could lead to them trying to recruit others and if that happened then she'd be outnumbered. She couldn't allow that, her non allied teammates needed to be kept cooperative with each other but not united. Her thoughts were broken when she noticed Lindsay blowing a kiss to Tyler who acted like he caught it before winking at her which made the girl blush a bit. Okay so it looks like she was also going to have to give her own alliance member another talking to about dating competition. For now however she settled with giving the blonde a close up glare that made Lindsay get a look like a child with their hand caught in a cookie jar. She turned her head away and slapped the blonde with her ponytail for good measure.
"Hey guys." Ben's voice caught his team's attention as he walked over to join them.
Most of his teammates waved to greet him before Gwen spoke up first. "Morning Ben." She then got a curious look. "Are you feeling all better now?" she asked out of slight concern.
Ben nodded before sitting at least three feet from her. "Yeah I'm all right, all that extra sleep killed my constant headache. Now I'm well rested and ready for whatever's coming." He paused to look at the stage that was set up. "Although somehow I think I have a vague idea what our challenge might be." He mentioned before turning to her. "Thanks for your looking out for me at the medical tent by the way."
"It was the least I could do." Gwen replied while her mind recalled that.
Flashback
"Urgh." Ben moaned as he started to regain consciousness. His eyes opened to see he was no longer in the stand or ball court. Instead, he saw he appeared to be in a large tent and laying down on a medical bed. He then noticed Gwen and Dawn who were awake and looking at him with a little relief.
"Nice to see your awake." Gwen told.
"How are you feeling?" Dawn asked curiously.
Ben groaned before rubbing his forehead as it felt like this brain was pulsing with discomfort. "Like I just woke up from my first ever hangover and it was worse than I thought it would be. Man, Eva really knows how to throw hard."
Gwen flinched as she recalled the sight of him getting whacked. "Yeah, no question about that." She then got a thoughtful look. "Hey Ben do you think you'll be alright in time for the next challenge?"
Ben blinked at the question. "Umm not sure."
"We'll find out after you get your x-ray scans." Dawn cut in earning looks from both.
"X-rays? I'm pretty sure nothings broken." Ben assured.
"But we don't know if you cracked anything." Dawn countered. "So just wait until the challenge is over and Chef brings in the x-ray machine to give you a full check up."
"Chris has an x-ray machine?" Gwen questioned at him having one of those on standby. If he did, then that meant he considered the possibility of someone breaking their bones. The thought worried her at what that meant for their future. She was already dreading the challenges that awaited them if that was the case.
"Oh yes, he got it so that if someone got really injured he'd know the extent of their wounds and decide for himself if they should be taken off the team. No doubt to avoid a lawsuit if someone died because of medical negligence. That would be really unfortunate for him which would lead to the show getting cancelled and him sent to prison most likely." Dawn explained as if she were talking about the weather and not life and death.
Ben and Gwen immediately got uncomfortable looks at hearing the girls explanation.
"Aaaaand now I feel restless." Ben deadpanned.
"Are you feeling hungry?" Gwen asked before raising her hand showing an apple.
"Where'd you get that from?" Ben blinked curiously at the fruit.
Gwen smirked before her eyes turned to Dawn. "She swiped it from Chef's private fridge."
At hearing that Ben's eyes widened before also looking at the blonde. "You stole from Chef!?"
Dawn shrugged with a smile. "You certainly needed it more than him, besides I doubt he'd care that much. Now if I stole a stake however, then I'd be concerned about possible severe retribution from him."
Ben blinked. "You saw stake in his fridge?" he then got an inquisitive look. "What other tasty treats did you see in that fridge? Did you happen to see any frozen pizza, fries or something else like that?"
"Sorry but you'll have to risk finding out for yourself." Dawn avoided his questions before giving a somewhat playful smile. "And don't expect me to go sneaking you another treat. I am on the other team after all and I'd hate for them to get angry with me for bringing trouble to them."
"Understandable." Ben said before taking the red fruit and biting into it. The taste being a nice refreshment showing it was a ripe and fresh fruit.
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Gwen quipped the saying.
"Except he's already going to be looked by a doctor so that's a moot point. Although perhaps it'll help you recover faster so that you won't need another checkup." Dawn added.
After that Gwen and Dawn spent some time talking with Ben so he wouldn't be all alone. Gwen was the most reclusive to talk but Dawn seemed to bring out some topics that caught her attention. The entire duration lasted a few minutes before the challenge they left was completed and the two were called back to their teams.
"Well, I still give my thanks. So how about we do our best at today's challenge just like always?" Ben asked both of them.
"I'd be insulted if anyone did anything less." Gwen answered.
"I second that." Trent added.
Ben nodded before his mind wandered at the two silent flirts. He noticed that Gwen seemed to have a growing interest in the guitar player. It felt a bit weird for him, sure he knew this wasn't his cousin but the fact she shared her name gave them something in common. It wasn't even just that either, he had noticed that the two also had some slight similarities. He hoped Trent treaded her well if they do end up becoming a pair. His thoughts were broken when Chris finally made his appearance on the stage.
"Welcome campers to our brand new, deluxe, state of the art, outdoor amphitheater." The host gestured to where he stood on. "Today's challenge is a summer camp favorite… a talent contest."
"Just as I suspected." Several campers thought in unity.
"Each team will have 8 hours to select 3 of their most talented team members to compete. Each camper will perform alone on stage and receive point scores based on how the judge found their performance. Sing, dance, juggle, do a sport, anything goes in this challenge… so long as it's legal." Chris stopped to give a look at Duncan as the punk snapped fingers in irritation, he then continued. "Your none chosen teammates may be allowed to help you with any equipment or other things with your performance but that's all. The team who manages to gain the highest combined score at the end will be the winner of the challenge. So, choose wisely and take the time to practice your performance to ensure there are no mess ups. When you've made your decision on who will compete, come speak to me."
"So, who's the judge?" Trent asked curiously.
Chris smirked. "I'm so glad you asked. Cause you'll be getting judged by our resident talent scout, former DJ, VJ and rap legend… Grandmaster Chef!" he declared earning disbelieving looks from several campers.
"There's no way Chef was a talent scout, let alone a DJ or rapper." Heather remarked not believing that for a second.
"I can believe that he served, fought in wars and that he's a cook." Courtney listed with a frown. "But there's no way he ever worked in the talent business."
"Oh, so we have several nonbelievers huh." Chris glanced at them knowingly. "Well then, I'll enjoy proving you all wrong eventually, meantime I'll finish my explanation. So, as I said your combined score will determine the winner, so aim big and bring all the awesomeness you can cause there's a prize for the winning teams highest point earner."
"How're we supposed to show our talents if we're missing tools, instruments or whatever stuff we need to showcase our skills?" Noah questioned the main issue he saw.
Chris raised a finger almost sagely. "Not to worry, we thought ahead and prepared a large collection of almost anything you'd need to show us what you got." He pointed far out near where the dock was. "Near the dock you'll find a large shed filled with all kinds of useful things for you all. You may go check the contents but to make things interesting you're not allowed to take out anything until after you've chosen your three competitors and what talent they'll perform. This way you'll have to trust that your teammate is as good as they brag about." His words earned alarmed looks from a few campers at that detail.
"Well, that complicates things." Courtney frowned with arms crossed sourly.
"Ditto." Heather agreed for once with her enemy.
"Now then out of politeness I'll allow the Killer Bass to be the first ones to check the shed first since they had the most losses." Chris declared. "The Screaming Gophers can go when they're done. So, let's get to it campers cause the game starts now, don't disappoint us."
With that the explanation was over and the Killer Bass got up and left for the shed to see what would be available. When they got to it and opened the door their eyes widened at the sheer collection of stuff that was available. There was sports equipment like a surfboard, skateboard, roller blades, bicycle, trampoline and even a unicycle. An assortment of different paint cans were gathered with canvases for any artist's use, along with different instruments. There were also other things like hula hoops, small balls, bowling pins, even a chemistry set of all things available with many other objects.
"Whistle!" Duncan blew out with a raised brow. "I got to admit, McClain certainly came prepared for this one." He walked in along with the others looking over all the stuff available.
"No kidding." Courtney muttered in disbelief as she saw the variety available. Not that she'd need anything here since she brought what she needed from home for this very kind of occasion.
Bridgette looked at the surfboard and lost interest right away since it wasn't as well kept as hers, however Geoff looked at it with some interest. Duncan looked at a certain instrument that was available but looked away just as quick, not wanting others to see his interest. Tyler looked at the roller blades with an excited grin as he thought how he'd use them. Eva looked at the sports equipment with indecision before spotting something and an idea came to mind. Dawn meanwhile glanced at the canvas and paint with mild interest before checking elsewhere. The rest looked around for anything useful to them until finally Courtney said it was time to go. They all left and then allowed the other team entrance inside as they surveyed the materials as well. Like before the Screaming Gophers were surprised by the vast collection inside. They went about looking through everything available before leaving back to their cabin. Once they did, Heather didn't waste much time in making her move.
"Ok people, I'm team captain so here's what we're going to do." Heather began with a clipboard in hand, only for Gwen to step forward looking a bit objectively.
"Wait a minute, who elected you team leader." The goth questioned.
Heather crossed her arms. "Me, Beth and Lindsay that's who. After all it's natural since I've actually competed and won competitions like these." She then arched an eyebrow. "Has anyone else done the same? And no, school science fairs don't count." She quickly added when she saw Noah about to raise a hand.
"I bet mine was more interesting than yours." Noah thought with a frown.
At that moment Trent returned to the group as he stood beside Gwen and presented her with a muffin. "Hey, I snagged you an extra muffin." The goth smiled appreciatively and took it.
Heather gave a look at the two after seeing another moment between them before smiling innocently. "Hey Trent, you don't have a problem with me leading for this challenge, do you?"
The guitar player just shrugged. "Whatever, I say go for it."
"Great, so me, Lindsay and Beth will be the judges." Heather chose.
Immediately however Ben raised a hand. "Yeah, sorry but I'm going to have to object to that. Choosing you three to be the judges is a mistake." His words got everyone's attention.
Heather gave the American a look of dislike. "Oh really and why is that?"
"Because your already forgetting one crucial fact." Ben trailed on.
"Which is?" Heather asked impatiently.
"That the judge we need to impress with talent is Chef, who is a guy and not a girl." Ben began explaining but Noah caught on to what he was getting at and interrupted.
"I get it. With only female judges to choose which of us will compete it's a biased view. Since somethings guys are good at wouldn't be found interesting by girls, we're risking our chances to win." Noah then paused as a thought came to mind and he turned to the largest member of their team. "Hey Owen, what talent can you do?"
Raising his head excitedly he began. "Ohhh I can burp the entire alphabet in one breath."
"Ewww." Heather exclaimed in disgust.
"Cool." Trent commented.
"Not bad." Ben added.
"Not my kind of thing to see but you get my point now." Noah continued after seeing the difference of opinions. "If we want to win this challenge, we need to be willing to include talent girls wouldn't find cool, but guys would. So, I suggest we include two guys for the judges."
"No way!" Heather immediately declined knowing the nonfemale judge would be outvoted every time.
"May I make a different option?" Ben offered already seeing the argument that was going to start.
"What?" Both Heather and Noah asked.
"Noah is correct about having a guy be included but to balance things out how about we have Izzy be the third judge while Heather remains the first?" Ben suggested earning questionable looks from the two. "From what I've seen, Izzy although being a girl is also kind of tomboyish so that'll help count for the opinions of both the guy and girl."
"Cool I'll do it!" The redhead immediately got up excitedly.
"Doesn't Gwen kind of fall into that category also?" Noah asked which earned him a small glare from her.
"Why, cause I'm a goth? Is that what you're saying!?" Gwen questioned right up in his face which mad the bookwork step back. He might've seemed unafraid of Duncan but that didn't mean he was immune to intimidation.
"No just my personal opinion." Noah simply said getting her to calm down a bit.
"And regardless I bet she's not interested in being a judge." Ben paused to look at the goth for confirmation. "You're not, are you?"
"You'd win that bet." Gwen answered dismissing the idea.
Heather said nothing for a moment as she thought about the idea. Although she didn't want to admit it, she knew that Ben had made a good point. Their only judge was going to be a hardcore man who looked as grouchy as Eva. So perhaps a male perspective would help chose the appropriate to appeal to a guys taste for entertainment. The Asian looking girl huffed before relenting. "Fine she's in but who will be our male judge then?"
Ben paused to think for a moment. "I'll do it." He volunteered. "Although since I might try out as well I'll need a substitute." He then looked to the guitarist. "Care to take my place when I do try out Trent?"
"Sure, no prob." Trent smiled in agreement.
"Ok then we have our judges to decide." Ben clapped his hands. "So, let's get started."
Meanwhile with the Killer Bass, the team was currently undergoing difficulty. The reason being that they were watching Katie and Sadie dancing to some pop music from a radio they had brought over. The sight was difficult to keep witnessing as their dance was awkward looking. Kind of like one of those freestyle dances that had nothing but unchoreographed moves and not even good ones. The BFF's finished their dance by getting on the ground with Katie sitting up while Sadie did a split. (Which was the only thing impressive considering she wasn't slim)
"So, what'd you think?" Katie asked her teammates.
"Was that cool or what?" Sadie added.
Chris who just so happened to have been walking by saw the duos dance and shook his head. "Man, that is weak." He said though thankfully not loud enough to be heard before he left.
Duncan mentally shuddered at their so-called dance. "We'll I think…" his sentence was cut off when he received an elbow to the ribs by Geoff who slightly shook his head silently telling him. (Don't say it.)
"Well…" Courtney began while thinking her words over to avoid hurting them or making them think they were going to be chosen. "I can say I've never seen dancing like that."
"So does that mean we can compete!?" Katie and Sadie asked together.
The C.I.T looked uncomfortable, and she looked to Bridgette for help only for the surfer to giver her an equally uneasy look. She had no idea what to say after seeing that. She then tried looking to DJ for assistance, but the Jamaican shook his head making it clear he wanted no part of this conversation. Thankfully however salvation came when Dawn stepped forward.
"Well let's say we'll put you on the maybe pile." The moonchild began before getting a puzzled look as if realizing something. "But didn't Chris say we could only choose 3 from our team for that many acts?"
"Pretty sure that's what he said." Geoff remarked after thinking on the hosts exact words.
"So then doesn't that mean we wouldn't be allowed to use two for one act?" Dawn asked out loud getting stunned looks of realization from the besties. "If that's the case then only one of you could perform alone."
"NO!" Katie and Sadie screeched before hugging each other. "I WON'T GO WITHOUT MY BFFF!"
The two best friends continued their small tantrum at refusing to compete without the other. Dawn meanwhile received several looks of gratitude from the others for getting them to back out without hurting their feelings (At least regarding how they thought their dance was bad).
"Thank you." Courtney whispered to Dawn who just nodded.
Things continued from there with a few of the others show casing their talent or just saying what they'd like to do. DJ, to the surprise of many had showed off a ballet ribbon dance while wearing a male ballet uniform (and making a few of them wonder why he had brought that with him). Still thought, Courtney found it to be a nice performance and considered him for one of their candidates. Tyler had told them how he wanted to a daring sport stunt which made Courtney instantly decide to turn him down due to knowing how clumsy he is. Geoff went next as he brought out the skateboard he packed and performed some maneuvers on it. His act was quite good as even Duncan and Eva were impressed with his skateboarding skills. The C.I.T considered him for competing knowing how much men liked sports. Eva surprisingly offered her own performance as she told them what she had planned. Once they heard it, all the guys were stocked and voted for her to join in, even Bridgette agreed. Courtney did think it would be a great act but was a bit concerned if Eva could really pull it off. She quickly changed her mind when Eva made a threatening gesture for her doubting her skills and agreed to sign her up.
In the end the Killer Bass had chosen Courtney, Geoff and Eva to perform.
Back with the Screaming Gophers they were currently in the middle of seeing some of their own team's audition. Gwen and Noah had left since they had chosen not to try out. Trent had already showed some of his musical skills and was under consideration for being chosen he played well. Leshawna went next as she performed a dance and rap combo while doing it freestyle. Her lyrics were good but unfortunately her dance wasn't favored by the judges. Heather went next interestingly enough as she showed a ballet dance, even wearing a tutu. It was actually pretty good as most gave a small clap after her performance.
After she finished, she ordered a small five-minute break while she got changed. That however was just a ploy to secretly talk with Lindsay and order her to go spy on Gwen while taking a walkie talkie. She would've preferred sending Beth instead but the braces wearing girl wanted to try out next, so she had to send the dumb blonde. Once she left, they resumed the try outs as Beth had chosen to do a baton twirl stunt. Which would've been considered an average kind of performance… if it wasn't for the fact the ends of her batons were all fire.
"Are you sure this is safe?" Heather questioned a bit nervously at sitting close to her alliance member. The speed in which Beth was spinning those flaming batons was concerning. She fearfully leaned back when one of the batons got a bit too close for her liking.
"Not to worry I've been practicing." Beth said with confidence as she continued to spin them rapidly. Then she tossed one up into the air before the second one followed a second later. Suddenly however she lost her confidence and gained a look of realization. "Uh-oh."
"Uh-oh?" Ben repeated before his eyes widened in alarm as he looked up to see the batons coming down and Beth now looking unsure. "TAKE COVER!"
All the campers screamed before running away while others jumped under their tables for protection. The baton came crashing down and burned the ground where it seemed to sink into the ground strangely enough. Once that passed however those who hid under the table poked their heads out while the ones who ran slowly walked back. Once they did all of them gave Beth small glares as the girl smiled nervously and rubbed her head.
"I kind of missed the catching part of the class." Beth attempted to apologize.
"Yeah, sorry but that's definitely a no for you." Heather rejected her performance after that literal burn out.
"Umm people." Leshawna spoke up as she realized something. "Where'd the second one go?"
Trent pointed to a spot. "Over there by the burning bush." Everyone turned their heads to see the top of the bush next to the bathroom was indeed on fire.
"You know, I feel like there's a pun on divinity to be made here but I can't figure what kind." Ben remarked earning strange looks from everyone before they turned back to the fire and looked for a way to put it out.
They didn't have to wait long however as Justin came out of the bathroom. He slammed the door open while holding a fire extinguisher and wore sunglasses for some reason. Immediately the male model spread the foam over the flames dousing and putting them out in seconds. Once he did, he threw away the extinguisher and turned to his teammates who all gave him thumbs up.
"Whooo way to go hot stuff." Leshawna congratulated before offering him a water bottle in case he felt thirsty or hot after being close to the flames.
Justin took off his shirt before taking the bottle appreciatively to cool off. He poured the contents in his mouth as he savored the refreshment. Once he finished drinking, a few drops fell from his jaw and landed on his chest where they evaporated instantly. The girls were all practically swooning as they stared silently in rapture.
Heather broke from the trance. "Okay so I think Justin should be in the group, anyone object?" she asked the other girls who all silently shook their heads while continuing to stare at the shirtless eye candy. "Good."
The Screaming Gophers continued to see more trying out. Izzy had shown a peculiar dance she called the dance of the rattlesnake which seemed to nearly hypnotize Owen with her moves. It wasn't bad but Heather found it lacking finesse while Ben had playfully commented that all she was missing were maracas to simulate the snakes rattling tail. Owen mentioned how he could fart Beethoven's Fifth which got everyone to turn that idea away, not wanting to be near him. Ben then mentioned his own talent and what he would like to try on stage. What he suggested surprised everyone at hearing although they wondered if he could even do that. Heather wasn't convinced however but thankfully Izzy and Trent (who was substituting as judge for Ben) thought he should be in the group.
When it was all done however the team was now faced with the problem of having one too many. With Heather, Ben, Trent and Justin being the enlisted they needed to choose. They didn't have to wait long to decide however as Ben chose to let the others perform on stage.
"You sure you want to back out?" Leshawna asked Ben.
"It's fine, after all out of the four of us I'm the only one who mentioned what I'd do while the others showcased their talents." Ben assured her he was unbothered by removing himself.
"Yeah but what you were suggesting sounded better than most." Leshawna crossed her arms, having kind of been wishing Ben would replace Heather.
"What was he suggesting?" The two turned to see Gwen returning to camp with a black book in hand. Curiously, Ben didn't notice any writing on the cover to indicate what it's about.
"It's nothing just a talk about our roster which has been decided." Ben told her.
Gwen stared for a moment before deciding to drop it as she went to her cabin. After a few short minutes she came out again wearing her swimsuit and had a towel over her shoulders.
"Going for a swim huh?" Ben questioned the obvious.
"Yeah, today's kind of hot so I want to cool down." Gwen replied.
"Hey Gwen mind I go with you?" Trent suddenly asked her, getting the goths attention.
She gave a small smile and lightly blushed. "Sure." She said almost with delight in her voice which she quickly caught and turned her expression neutral. "I mean whatever." She then continued walking with Trent now walking beside her.
Ben shook his head lightly. "Can they make their interest in each other anymore obvious."
Heather meanwhile looked at the departing love interests with a small glare. It was time to disrupt those two here and now, otherwise they're likely to team up with their own alliance and then who knows what could happen. She needed to put some distance between them and she had the perfect idea in mind. Thanks to Lindsay spying on Gwen, she learned something juicy. The goth had apparently brought her dairy with her to the island and had writing in it today. What a stupid thing to do, bringing something with such sensitive information where others might get to it. Well, it was time to teach that goth girl a lesson on securing your valuables.
Over on the stage, the Killer Bass were gathered for the challenge. Courtney was practicing with her personal violin playing a light tune that was kind of relaxing. Geoff was sitting down checking his skateboard to make sure nothing was loose or stuck. Eva meanwhile was doing some light exercise as she did push-ups to prepare. DJ was playing cards with Duncan as they wagered playing chips. Bridgette was just standing around watching everyone while Dawn was sitting crossed legged in her lotus position while keeping her eyes were closed.
"We're so going to win this." Eva said while continuing her push-ups, only a few more till she reached a 100.
"Our team's got this." Courtney remarked while continuing to play her violin.
Geoff silently nodded before he recalled something, he turned to his fellow surfer. "Say Bridgette, can you really stand on your hands for 20 minutes like you said?" he asked curiously.
At that the female surfer got a challenging smile. "Yeah, I can." She then brought out a chocolate bar. "Wanna bet?"
As soon as the word bet left her lips almost everyone turned to her. Eva stopped exercising, Duncan and DJ stopped playing, Geoff stopped looking over his board and even Dawn peeked an eye open.
"Oh, you are so on!" Geoff immediately called her as he stood up, before removing his hat and pulling out a candy bar from it to use for a wager. He got some looks from most which made him blink. "What? No place safer than on you."
"Whatever." Duncan said before pulling out some change in his pocket. "I'm in."
"Me too, cause there's no way that's possible for you to do." DJ added as he brought out a five-dollar bill.
"I could do that." Eva declared with certainty. "But you're not me so I'm in and I wager the protein bar I got stashed away in my belongings." She stated her wager.
"What about you princess?" Duncan turned to their supposed leader.
"No thanks, I got to keep practicing." Courtney declined as she continued on.
"I'll join in." Dawn spoke as she stood up and walked to them.
"Oh really?" Duncan said with some surprise. "Wasn't expecting you to gamble Mrs. tree hugger."
"I'm full of surprises." Dawn said before turning to Bridgette. "Except I'm betting that she'll succeed."
"Thanks." Bridgette smiled at having someone believe in her before getting a curious look. "But what'll you wager?"
"I'll put up this." Dawn said before pulling a ten-dollar bill.
"A ten huh." Duncan smirked in interest. "Well that makes you the highest roller, this is getting good."
With that everyone placed their wagers on the box Duncan and DJ had been using for a table. Eva took out a stopwatch she just so happened to have in her pocket for timing her routines. Once she gave Bridgette the signal to start the blonde flipped herself upside down and held herself up by her arms. Almost immediately she started to walk with her hands a bit as she tried to gain stable balance.
"Having trouble so soon?" Eva smirked.
"No." Bridgette denied. "Just getting into stable position." She continued her hand walking not noticing that she was passing next to a rope tied to the stage. Too late did she notice when her leg got tangled by the rope and she tried to shake it off without having to stand right side up. She ended succeeding in doing so but unfortunately however it was from causing the rope to come loose. The rope which turned out to be securing a stage light ended up releasing it and causing it to fall from its spot right over Courtney.
"Hey Princess, watch out!" Duncan called out in slight panic as he ran and tackled the girl off the stage right as she looked up to see the falling light. A loud crash was heard as one of its barn doors broke off and the lends was shattered.
"Oh man that was close." Geoff wiped his forehead at the close call. They walked to the edge of the stage to check on the two and saw Duncan still holding the girl close.
"Duncan, you saved me." Courtney said in surprise at the juvey boy's actions.
Duncan looked to her as if realizing he just did that before smirking. "Yeah, I guess I did but don't let it get to your head. I was just making sure the team didn't screw up another win."
Courtney smiled before suddenly realizing how close the boy's face was to her own. She now had a close look at him as she saw his piercings. Yet what soon took her attention however where his eyes which she could now see were a nice teal color. She didn't notice that she had been staring until she saw him now sporting a look of flamboyance. He had noticed her staring and looked arrogantly pleased about it. She then saw her teammates all given her looks of amusement, speculation, peaked interest and in Dawn's case a knowing look. And just like that all interest faded, replaced with a blush of embarrassment and anger.
"GET OFF ME ALREADY!" She practically screamed as she shoved the punk away from her.
"That's no way to thank someone that saved ya." Duncan remarked while standing up, still having that pleased look.
"And saving someone is no way to take an opportunity to hold them too long." Courtney countered while also standing up before turning to the others. "Don't you guys agree!?"
She didn't receive an answer however as they're eyes were now looking elsewhere with troubled expressions. Courtney questioned what they were staring which Geoff and DJ both answered by pointing. The C.I.T followed their fingers line of sight, turned her head slightly and looked down to see her precious violin broken. The instruments peg box had broken off and the strings were now loose and unaligned.
"M-My violin…" Courtney trailed off with disbelief and sadness building in her voice.
Gwen and Trent were now sitting by the edge of the dock. The goth had already gone for a swim, enjoying the cool water as it calmed her mind and relaxed her. She had dried off and now lied on her towel as she took in some rays. Although she wasn't planning to stay out for too long since she wanted to avoid tan lines, there's a reason no one sees a tanned goth. She looked to Trent beside her and smiled as she enjoyed his company.
"Feeling better now?" Trent asked as he saw her looking more at ease.
Gwen nodded. "It helped a bit." she then sighed while leaning back a bit. "Sometimes I just need to get away from everyone, you know what I mean?"
"Yeah I get it, too many people around can make ya feel claustrophobic." Trent remarked as he thought about when he first tried playing his guitar in front of others. That had been an uncomfortable experience as he froze and even messed up his musical rhythm. "Peace and quiet has it's good perks."
"Tell me about, if I couldn't get a moments peace then I'd likely go crazy from everyone." Gwen almost whined before blushing a bit as she glanced at the guitarist. "Well… almost everyone." She added the last part a bit shyly.
Trent smiled back before a thought occurred to him. "Hey Gwen, can I ask you something?"
Gwen raised an eyebrow. "You just did." She teased playfully.
The guitarist blinked at the joke before chuckling a bit at having fallen for it. "Yeah, guess I did. What I meant was if I could ask you something that might be kind of personal?" he asked again with a bit of nervousness.
At hearing that the goth's mind suddenly began to run wild with theories, especially after seeing his expression.
"Oh my god… is he going to ask me out!? Does he know I'm crushing on him!? Is he going to confess to me!?" Gwen's mind continued spiraling with possibilities as she fought to control her nerves. She was just glad her face wasn't red from all the flustering thoughts her mind was concocting. "I-I guess, what is it?"
Trent rubbed his head in slight discomfort. "Is there something going on between you and Ben?" he finally asked.
Gwen suddenly froze on the spot as his words were slowly registering. Her previous unruly nerves now falling to normal while the wild thoughts she had faded. "Where'd that thought even come from?" she questioned incredulously. There wasn't anything going on with her and Ben, heck she was only starting to view him as a friend.
Trent blinked. "So, there's nothing going on?" he asked after seeing her reaction of disbelief.
"NO!" Gwen immediately rejected. It's not that she had anything against Ben. He actually seemed like a nice guy and she could even admit he was certainly cute. But she just wasn't interested in him, given her current feelings for ironically the same guy asking her this question. "What made you even think there was something going on with us!?"
"Well, it just seems like he's been looking out for you." Trent began explaining. "Plus, didn't you notice how he stared at you when we first arrived? It looked to me like he has some sort of interest in you."
The goth blinked at that as her mind recalled that memory when she caught him staring at her. She had thought nothing of it when he looked away but now that Trent mentioned it like that, she couldn't help but wonder. Her mind then recalled how Ben seemed to try being nice to her whenever she was feeling a bit down. Was Ben attracted to her? Was that why he seemed to pay special attention to her? Her mind continued to wander as she recalled how when her teammates were arguing over who could use the hot tub first. He made a comprise that had her be included among the first which she enjoyed. But if he liked her then why didn't he join her? Was he playing it cool to not make it obvious he was interested?
"Cannonball!"
Gwen's train of thoughts was broken as she and Trent turned to see Owen and Izzy running towards them. Both were wearing their swimwear and the two preceding campers soon felt the dock tremble from Owen's heavy footsteps. The two runners continued pas them before jumping into the water. As shown from the first challenge, Owen dive bombing into water will always result in a big splash. Though thankfully it was nowhere near as big as the one from the first challenge. Instead, it only managed to soak the two campers sitting at the dock without washing them away in it's current. Nevertheless, Gwen was now irritated as she quickly stood up and turned to Trent half apologetically. "I'm sorry Trent but I need some time alone to think." Without waiting for his answer, she immediately left the dock to head back to her cabin. She needed to figure things out herself otherwise she was going to go nuts by the idea that Ben might be crushing on her.
Trent now by himself looked at Gwen till she was barely in sight before turning to give Owen and Izzy a look.
"Bad timing?" Izzy asked the obvious with a little regret.
"Bad timing." Trent said to confirm it.
It was now the afternoon and the time for the challenge was about an hour away from starting.
Ben was walking back to his cabin after taking a stroll around the place. After Gwen left, his team had everything settled and they didn't need his help, so he left to take a walk in the woods. It was also to help him become a bit more familiarized with the terrain. Thanks to that he could now say he won't get lost in the woods, unless it was dark out which would make things harder to navigate. Although he wondered if that mention of grizzly bears being present was just a hoax since he saw no sign of any. Then again, he hadn't explored the whole island so maybe they were just on the other side.
He soon came upon the campsite and right then he saw the girls cabin door open. Heather peeked her head out and started looking around suspiciously as if wanting to avoid something. Immediately Ben ducked behind a bush to hide and moved some of the foliage to see. He spotted Heather stepping out with a book in her hand that she seemed to be trying to conceal from sight as she walked. Ben stared in confusion for her actions before his memory recalled seeing the book before.
"Wait, isn't that Gwen's book?" Ben though in wonder as he remembered Gwen holding it when she returned. "Why would Heather want to take Gwen's book?"
The gears of his mind turned as he pondered this before relaying what he knew about it. It belonged to Gwen, had no printed cover which likely meant it wasn't something written by an author. Probably also something she considered private if she perhaps kept it hidden from prying eyes. His mind suddenly coming to a possible realization as his eyes widened… oh no, was it a dairy!?
"That must be it!" Ben whispered to himself in alarm. If that was the case, then he had to get it back. With quick thinking he immediately grabbed a stone threw it at a bush from the other side. The sound of the shrub rustling a bit made Heather jump a bit as she turned to where the sound came from, leaving her back exposed to Ben. He wasted no time in sneaking up to her. "Hey Heather!" he called out.
The girl jumped a bit in fright. She quickly turned and hid her hands behind her back to conceal the book. When she saw it was Ben, she put on a smile to try and dissuade him. "Oh, hi Ben what's up?"
"Hand it over." Ben didn't waste any time making his demands as he held out his hand.
Heather hid any reaction and pretended to not know what he meant. "Hand what over?"
"The book you stole from Gwen." Ben elaborated.
"Oh, you mean this book?" Heather showed the book she had been hiding. "This isn't hers it's mine."
Ben didn't falter however as he gave her a suspicious look. "Funny cause it looks like the book I saw Gwen with earlier today. But if you're telling the truth then how about showing me some of the pages? I'm sure your name must be written on it if is truly yours."
Internally Heather cursed, wishing she had thought of that to throw of suspicion. Her mind now racing to see a solution to her dilemma. She needed Gwen's diary for her plan to drive a wedge between the goth and Trent. Sure, she could just repeat what she already read without it but then Gwen would just easily deny it as lies. The diary was the proof she needed to knock them off balance and embarrass Gwen completely.
Before she could give a deceptive attempt however Heather suddenly screamed, startling Ben as he reared back in shock. The American wondered what the heck that was about, right before he saw her suddenly flail her arms around her legs and then her top. The book she previously held now fallen to the grass.
"GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME!" Heather repeatedly screamed to Ben's confusion before running off with her hands combing over herself continuously.
"What the hell was that about?" Ben asked out loud after seeing that spectacle. He knelt and closed the book before picking it up, patting it to remove any dirt.
"Was that Heather I heard screaming?"
Ben turned at the new voice and ironically it was the very person he was planning to look for. Gwen approached him now back in her usual clothes. The goths eyes however soon widened in alarm when she saw what he was holding in his hands.
"What're you doing with that!?" Gwen yelled in anger and accusation in her voice.
Ben flinched at her tone and took a step back but kept his calm. "Getting this back for you actually." He said right before offering the book to her. "I saw Heather trying to sneak off with it and got it back from her."
Gwen paused for a moment as she looked into Ben's eyes trying to see if there was any sign of deception. When she saw none, the goth took her dairy back. "Did you see anything?"
"I stopped reading diaries when I was 11, so no." Ben said with recollection at how he once read his cousin's online journal as Upgrade. Thankfully he had matured since that summer years ago.
"Then I guess I should say… thanks." Gwen said with some difficulty, the realization her diary had been found and taken still fresh in her mind. But that wasn't the main thing, Trents earlier words were still replaying in her head. "H-Hey Ben… can I ask you something… personal?"
Ben blinked at hearing her stutter, that was certainly not normal for her. "Uh I guess so."
"Do… do you have a… crush on me?" Gwen finally asked with some embarrassment.
Ben froze stiff as a board as her words entered his mind which he began trying to process. The goth thought he had a crush on her? The very idea was something he never even considered nor wanted to pursue. As his mind finally came to grips with what she said he could do only thing.
He broke out into laughter.
Gwen blinked as this was not the reaction she was expecting. As Ben kept laughing however, she began to get annoyed. Thankfully for him however he finally got it out of his system. He held his gut as he the last chuckle left him completely.
"I think you've got me wrong Gwen. I don't have a crush on you." Ben revealed.
"Oh thank goodness." The goth mentally sighed in relief only to be replaced by further confusion. "Then why do you seem interested in me?" she began asking. "I mean I've noticed how you seem to pay certain attention to me and how you treat me nicer than most of our teammates."
"Well, there are a few reasons for that. It starts with…" Ben began his explanation at how the goth shared the same name as his cousin who in a way had become like a distant sister to him growing up. How the goth remined him a bit of her, that he was simply being nice cause he was friendly.
As Ben continued to his explanation for his actions and treatment towards her neither of them noticed they were being watched. Hidden behind the leaves of a tree where she sat atop was Dawn who observed them silently. She wasn't alone however as she turned her attention to her companion a certain familiar cockroach.
"Well Darwin you certainly did well with Heather." Dawn complimented the bug who chirped in response. "You didn't bite her right?" she asked and got a small hiss in response. "Sorry just wanted to make sure." She then took out some berries from her sleeve and offered it to him. "Here you go, your reward as promised."
The roach chirped in delight before beginning to dine on the tasty fruits.
Confessional
"The tealeaf's forewarned me about someone who would try to stand in the way of love." Dawn commented with her arms crossed. "It wasn't hard to figure it was Heather." She then got a knowing look. "I would've thought it was Lindsay if it wasn't for the fact Heather couldn't vote her off due to needing her. Duncan and Courtney wouldn't count cause they've only just started to show signs. That left Gwen and Trent as the obvious choice which I'm glad to see has been saved. Those two may just have a future together beyond this show." She raised her hand up showing Darwin standing on her palm. "What will you do now Darwin?"
Darwin stood up like a human and pulled a tiny bazooka from out of nowhere. "World domination!" he paused from seeing his weapon before tossing it aside. "I'm going to need bigger weapons." He then hopped down and left as Dawn simply stared while shaking her head.
(Static)
"It feels nice to finally tell Gwen the truth." Ben voiced feeling like a wall has been brought down between them. "I still can't believe she thought I was crushing on her. That would just be too weird for my tastes even though she is a looker." He paused after speaking those words and shuddered. "Yep, it feels weird."
(Static)
"I can't believe how wrong Trent and I were about the whole thing." Gwen laid back with her legs tucked up. "I mean I actually thought he might've been right about Ben, but it turned out to be a complete misunderstanding." She looked away a bit embarrassed. "I feel kind of stupid now that I've realized my mistake, but I mean come on, what are the odds of you having the same name as the relative of a fellow camper?"
The time was now close for the start of the challenge. Everyone had gathered as the nonperformers sat on the bleachers while the performers were getting ready behind the curtain of the stage. Strangely there were also now a few things present that weren't before. Like for starters the basketball hoop that's set up from a distance, a giant bass speaker on stage and a skateboard ramp on the opposite side from the hoop. They were all ready with to do their acts… well most of them anyway. One of whom was now sitting on the bleachers angry.
"What happened to you?" Beth asked as she looked at Heather who now had an ice pack wrapped around her ankle.
"I twisted my ankle and now I can't perform that's what!" She retorted back angrily as her mind recalled the feeling of something crawling on her skin and how she ran away. She just kept running and running till she ended up tripping over a rock and hurt herself. Worse of all she dropped Gwen's diary and now she couldn't drive the goth and guitarist apart.
With her unable to perform now, they needed to have someone take her place. Which turned out to be Ben when everyone recalled what he told his performance would be. They didn't choose him at first because he couldn't show his talent but now they were going to have to bet on him. Thankfully Chris revealed that substitutes were allowed so long as they weren't performing the same talent as the dropout. Her thoughts were broken when she heard intro music playing.
"IT'S THE TDI, ISLAND EXTRAVAGANZA!" Chris declared to both the present and long-distance audience watching. He walked onto the stage with his usual swagger. "Welcome to the first ever Camp Wawanakwa talent contest!" he pointed at into the camera. "Where six campers will show us what they got and try to not humiliate themselves as they fight for high scores and victory!" he then turned to the side as if looking at someone backstage. "Let's give a warm hand for our first contestant… Justin!" he called out while clapping lightly and stepping back as the model walked on center stage.
The gophers cheered, the girls being especially loud as they rooted for their gorgeous teammate. Heck even girls from the Killer Bass like Katie and Sadie were cheering while the rest minus Dawn just stared in a daze.
Justin started his performance just as a stage light shined on him directly above. He first began by doing some poses, showing off his smile, hair and arms. Flashes of light were even seen as someone took pictures from who knows where. He then quickly sat on a stool and leaned back before pulling on a rope that was set up for him. This caused a large amount of water to come down like a small waterfall and soak him completely. He then leaned forward letting his hair fall blanket his face before combing it back with his hand, revealing his smiling face again.
Confessional
"There are two other words for hot, Jus and tin." Owen sighed in bliss. "Man Justin is so hot I could kiss him!" he then stopped when realizing what he just said and tried to correct himself. "U-Uh I mean cause he's such a good teammate!" he then slapped himself. "Oh man, why'd I go and say that!?"
(Static)
"That's boys so got it going on." Leshawna spoke with a dazed look.
(Static)
Izzy was fanning herself with her hand. "The things I'd love to do with that boy." She then chuckled almost darkly.
(Static)
"WE LOVE YOU JUSTIN!" Katie and Sadie cheered together in the stall.
(Static)
"That seemed like such a waste of water." Dawn remarked unfazed.
Chris came back on stage while lightly clapping. "Ok I don't know what that was… but daaaaaang. You got some moves dude."
"Are you blind or something!" Chef called out from his chair after watching the performance. "That was like the scene from the 1983's Flashdance movie!
"Whatever man, so what's his score?" Chris waved off in disinterest. Chef grumbled something before writing the score on a piece of paper and flipping it to reveal a 7.
"And Justin starts things off with a seven, a good first score." Chris continued as the gorgeous teen left the stage. "Next up from the opposing team we have Eva!" said girl stepped up as soon as he called her, a basketball was in her hand.
"I'll be doing my performance over there." Eva pointed offstage where a basketball hoop was set up.
Interestingly however they noticed that a makeshift court had been formed with rocks representing the lines. There was also a trail of sand beneath the rocks that helped for the perimeters while the grass inside the lines seemed strangely wet for some reason. A trampoline was set up where the center circle would be, just outside the line of stones and sand.
Before Chris could question the strange set up Eva suddenly took out a matchbox and lit one of them before flicking it into the grass. As if a switch had been pressed the entire stone and sand lined interior light up. The flames roaring to life as they rose nearly two feet high from the ground. Needless to say, the Screaming Gophers were startled by what they were seeing, now questioning the safety of it.
"Ohhh hohoho." Chris chuckled. "I don't know what you're going to do but I'm already liking it."
"Watch and see." Eva almost challenged as she walked back till, she was lined up with the trampoline ahead of her.
"And emergency services standing by." Bridgette said while showing a fire extinguisher she was carrying.
The crowed went silent as Eva dribbled the ball on the spot. A look of focus on her face before she took of into a sprint. She ran and kept dribbling till she reached the trampoline. She gripped the ball in hand right before jumping to the air, landing on the bouncer and then sprang into the air. The crowed and even Chris and Chef watched withheld breaths as Eva soared through the air as if flying. The ball was held behind her head as she came down and executed a backscratcher dunk. Slamming the ball through the hoop as it bounced away while she landed on the grass just outside the safety line that held back the flames.
"Woah…" Several campers could only say in awe.
But Eva wasn't don't yet however as she reclaimed the ball, went back to the starting point and repeated the process again. This time however performing a reverse dunk as she turned her back to the hoop and still slammed the ball inside and landing perfectly outside the flames. She continued this process as she performed several more different types of dunks. Executing double clutch, windmill, elbow hang and doing them all with equal precision.
Then came Eva's final dunk as she ran for the trampoline with an almost crazed look of determination. She sprang into the air once more and did a split while holding the ball between her legs. Once she got close to the hoop, she reared her arms back and slammed the ball inside while grabbing the rim as it held her body up as she swung forward a bit. However, the force of her descent combined with her weight proved too much for it as the rim broke off from it. Despite that however she still landed safely mere inches from the flames. She threw the rim away and gave a triumphant roar which made everyone lean back in fright as she looked like a roaring amazon.
"That… was… AWESOME!" Chris declared excitedly as he clapped which was soon followed by several others. "An extreme performance by an extreme athlete! I swear she must've set a new record for longest distance jump from a trampoline." He then turned to Chef while Bridgette put out the fire with her extinguisher. "What do you have to say after seeing that fiery performance Grand Master Chef?"
Said judge currently had a stunned look on his face after seeing that performance. He snapped out of it soon enough and quickly got his score board and wiped off the previous score before writing his new one. It was revealed it to be a 9.
"And Eva scores a nine after that fabulous performance bringing her team in the lead 7 to 9." Chris informed before continuing. "The Gophers are going to need to step up their game if they want to win this. So, let's see if their next contestant can do just that, here's Ben!" the host welcomed the American who stepped out.
Interestingly however he was now wearing a simple black t-shirt, green shorts and running shoes.
"I'll be doing my own sports performance but unlike with Eva mine will be with soccer." Ben revealed with a grin as he walked to the set-up field for said performance.
It was comprised of five full sets of bowling pins spread out. Two sets of them were in front of soccer goals without nets, two more were set up on top of tables while the final set was hanging in midair being swung like a pendulum as they were tied to the top of the stage by threads.
"Ohhh this looks interesting." Chris remarked in fascination.
"My assistant will also be helping me." Ben revealed as Izzy stood up and went to join him.
"Let's do this thing!" The red head cried out.
Ben dropped the ball and kicked it before he and Izzy ran together as he kept kicking it forward as he ran. Eventually the two split up as Izzy ran behind the first goal while Ben got closer to it. He then kicked the ball as he soared straight into the first set of pins completely knocking them all down and passing through the goal. Izzy caught the ball with her foot and then kicked it back to Ben who reared his leg back and kicked the ball again. This time completely altering its trajectory without pause as it went for the second set of pins. They were all knocked down as well as the ball went passed the goal like before.
Izzy once more caught the ball and kicked it back to Ben but this time sending it airborne. Ben ran to it and as it came down, he delivered a headbutt that sent it crashing into the first set of pins on the table. They were all knocked down and Izzy kicked the ball back into the air when it fell off the table. The American was on it again as he delivered another headbutt that sent it to the second set of pins. This time knocking over all but one of them, breaking his perfect scores. Not deterred however Ben continued and knocked it down when Izzy kicked the ball back again.
Regaining the ball again he and Izzy ran for the stage where the final set was waiting for him. He kicked the ball upward and sent it at the hanging pins. The ball crashed into them and knocked down eight of them. The remaining two were now swinging rapidly, meeting together at the lowest point of descent before passing each other as they swung higher. Izzy stopped the ball with her torso, letting it bounce on the ground once before kicking it to Ben with strength. The American caught it with his chest and then began bouncing it on his knee while keeping his eyes on the swinging pins. He focused on their movements, looking for the opening he needed when they met together when swinging down.
His eyes sharpened as he saw the pins the moment both began to swing downward. He kicked the ball with all his strength, sending it soaring upward as it collided with the pins right as they were beginning to pass each other mid swing. The two pins were blow away from the force, leaving none left standing.
"YEAH BEN!" Several from his team cheered.
"And Ben delivers his own sporty performance, not as dangerous as Eva's but no less as cool!" Chris declared while giving the boy his own applause. "What's the verdict for this one Chef?"
"That was some good target practice and well executed maneuvers." Chef commended before revealing his score for Ben which was an 8.
"And Ben scores a solid eight bringing his team to 15 points now. Things are getting good so let's keep it going with our next contender Geoff!" Chris called out while gesturing his hand off stage.
The camera turned its sights to the half pipe ramp where Geoff was already standing ready with his board. He waved at the camera before smiling at Bridgette who returned it and waved back silently wishing him luck. The male surfer then got on his board and proceeded to start skateboarding on the half pipe while performing some stunts.
He did several different kinds like an ollie, kickflip, grind and a few others stunts. They weren't the kind a professional would do but neither were they for an amateur either. Geoff finished things up with a few more repeated moves before soaring into the air and landing at the top of the half pipe. His landing however was disrupted when his board broke right as he landed which caused him to fall off. He landed roughly on the grass, some of his teammate flinched at the sight.
"I'm okay." Geoff groaned out while he pulled himself up.
(RUMBLE)
Geoff and everyone else got alarmed looks when they heard the ramp creaking. The blonde surfer ran for it just as the half pipe started falling apart and collapsed completely into piles of detached wood.
"Hmm guess I should've told those interns to be more thorough in the construction of that half pipe." Chris muttered to himself but was still heard by everyone. "So, what do you score that one on Chef?" the response he got was a 7. "And Geoff gets a seven bring the score now at 15-16. The Killer Bass remain in the lead but the Screaming Gophers are catching up. So let's bring out the final member for the Screaming Gophers… Trent!"
The guitarist stepped forth with his instrument in hand as he waved to the crowed and sat on a stool. "I would like to dedicate this song to a special girl here at camp." He declared before he started hitting some notes to set the tone before he began to sing his new song.
They say our time will last until the end of summer
And that might seem like a total bummer.
But we'll still get to swim and have lots of fun…
As we smile and laugh under the sun.
I look into your eyes and that they're kind…
Which is why you're the only one on my mind.
Some say that I care about the fame…
But I know that I'll never be the same…
Cause my heart jumps when I hear your name.
So let's do what we do best…
And forget about the rest.
Cause I for one wouldn't want to miss…
The chance to give you just one kiss.
No sooner that he finished did the crowed clap in applause. Even some of the Killer Bass were clapping from finding his song enjoyable. Several of the girls were especially touched and secretly wished they had a boy who'd deliver such a heartwarming message of love. Their feelings however came second to the goth who could do nothing but smile and blush as she saw Trent wave and wink at her.
Confessional
"The boys got it and he's got it real good for my girl Gwen." Leshawna spoke with certainty.
(Static)
"That was so sweet, I hope Gwen knows it was all for her." Bridgette cooed with a smile.
(Static)
"The dude rocked that song." Geoff complimented before pausing as a thought came to mind regarding a certain surfer. "I wonder what I could do to ask Bridgette out?"
(Static)
"His song was ok but man Eva's performance was awesome!" Tyler commented in excitement before getting a thoughtful look. "I wonder if she could teach me to do that?"
(Static)
"Even though they're the enemy I have to admit that song was touching." Courtney reluctantly admitted before frowning. "Duncan better not mess things up after Bridgette ruined my violin! We need this win!"
(Static)
"Well, he certainly made an impressionable first move." Ben smirked with his legs crossed. "Now it's Gwen's turn to make her move, hopefully she either asks for or accepts a date." He then frowned. "I'm starting to feel weird about Gwen possibly dating someone." He shook his head. "I blame the misunderstanding she had with me."
"Nice work man!" Chris told Trent while clapping as well before he reached him and patted his shoulders. "I bet the ladies watching at home enjoyed that." He looked to Chef. "What do you have to say after that Grandmaster Chef?"
"Now that's a way to tell a girl how you feel." Chef commended with crossed arms before he gave Trents score which was a solid 9. "If only more men would have the guts to express their desires like you."
"One can only wonder Chef." Chris said before turning to the camera. "And thanks to Trents performance the Gophers final score is now 24. The Killer Bass will need to score a 9 or 10 to beat them, can their punkish teammate Duncan bring home the bacon? Let's find out right now!" the host declared excitedly.
Duncan walked up to the stage from behind the curtains with his usual dismissive expression. To the Gophers surprise however he was carrying an electric guitar in hand.
"Ohhh looks like we're going to be treated to another musical performance. You planning to sing a song as well?" Chris asked with growing excitement.
"I don't sing." The punk told with sternness before smirking. "And I'm looking forward to wiping that smug look of your face Chris." He said almost with eagerness which made Chris pause wondering what he meant by that.
Duncan gave a signal for Geoff and the dude gave a thumbs up before pulling on a rope that pulled the curtains back. A giant rectangular loudspeaker was revealed which they saw was connected to his guitar by long extension cord.
"I'm not liking the looks of this." Heather remarked in discomfort at the sight of the punk camper possibly playing some no doubt rocking music. Plus she wasn't liking the look in Duncan's eyes. There was more than just confidence in them, there was also mischief.
Duncan began to tune his instrument before adjusting the loudspeaker as well. He then looked to the crowed and then Courtney who gave a nervous thumbs up. He gave her a smirk in return as put on a pair of sunglasses for extra style. That's when he immediately hit some notes before diving right into rapid and loud play style.
Now this wasn't like Trents playing which was soft and slow. Nor was this like how one would begin the song with some strong notes and build up on it. No, this was like starting from a guitar solo in the middle of a song after all the buildup had reached the necessary point. It was a pure loud rock and roll kind of solo and it was roaring.
Some of the campers the campers and Chris covered their ears.
"Gahhh so loud!" They all thought as their eardrums throbbed.
Duncan however was unbothered as he literally rocked out. Flailing his head back and forth as his fingers continued to hit the strings and play a rocking tune. It was crazy and wild yet it flowed with rhythm as it continued with no end in sight yet. That changed when he began to play even faster and continued to do so right before he went into his grand finale. He increased the speed as much as he could before jumping to the front of the stage, kneeling down and hitting one final grand note. Soon as he did the loudspeaker seemed to reach critical overload and exploded in a ball of fire. It didn't stop there however as burning pieces flew everywhere and set the curtains and wooden structure ablaze.
"Gaaaaahhh my stage!" Chris cried in panic.
Thankfully however Bridgette still had the fire extinguisher which still contained plenty of foam. She quickly got on the stage and doused most of the flames before she ran out. The one remaining on the stage floor were sniffed out using wet towels. Remarkable the stage remained standing after all that, sadly the same could not be said for the curtains.
"You nearly burned down my entire stage…" The host pointed out in disbelief and horror.
"And that ladies and gentlemen is how I got sent to juvy as a result of my high school science fair project." Duncan grinned at seeing Chris's reaction. "Which also resulted in an explosion that started a fire as well, though I admit that part was unintentional when I did it at school." He then turned to Chef whose chair had fallen backwards from the explosion. "So, what do you have to say about that Chef?"
To the surprise of everyone and especially Duncan they saw Chef looking like he was about to cry. But that wasn't the only thing however as it was the 10 that caught the most attention.
"That… was glorious." Chef spoke as if in awe as his left eye was teary. Everyone paused at the man's response.
"You gave him a perfect score, how'd you come to that conclusion?" Chris questioned almost incredulously.
"Cause that performance is a reflection of how rock n roll was portrayed at the height of its era years ago." Chef explained almost with pride at his words. "That explosion was even reminiscent of how some concerts would end in a blaze of glory. So even though I don't like him, his performance was excellent without question."
"Well… alright then." Chris began after thinking the judge's words over before getting his usual enthusiastic "So with Duncan's perfect score the Killer Bass have soared to a final score of 26 points against the Screaming Gophers 24 which makes them the winners!"
The Killer Bass broke into a loud cheer especially Courtney as they got their second win in a row. Duncan smirked while rubbing his fingers over his chest as if saying it hadn't been a problem. With the Screaming Gophers they looked a bit down for losing again, especially Heather who was the most upset.
The night had arrived once more as the losing team was gathered for the next elimination.
"Well campers you fought valiantly in this challenge but sadly you came up short." Chris began while holding the tray of marshmallows. "You've all cast your vote and now it's time to see who's leaving. First… Ben." The American camper perked up as he stepped up to claim his treat. "By the way, nice performance. What do you call that fusion of soccer and bowling?"
Ben blinked at the question. "Umm I never really thought up one."
"Work on that then." Chris remarked before giving him his piece and calling for the next one. "Leshawna."
The sassy girl smiled and went to get her sign of safety.
"Heather, Lindsay, Owen, Noah, Trent, Izzy."
One by one the called stood up and joined the others leaving Gwen, Beth and Justin now. Ben and especially Trent looked with concern at the goth being among the three now. Heather meanwhile looked with a smirk at seeing their nervousness setting in.
"Gwen." Chris called out bringing a sigh of relief from her and the two previous worriers. The goth walked up in relief as she took one of two remaining treats. Before she left however the host leaned closer with a smirk. "Did you enjoy Trents performance?" he asked with wiggling eyebrows.
Gwen blushed in embarrassment before glaring at the host. "Shut up." She then left while standing away from her crush, not wanting him to see her red face.
Chris chuckled before turning to the remaining two. "Beth, Justin it's now down to you two. Justin, your performance earned the least score out of the three and Beth…" he paused as he had trouble thinking of what to say. "Well you just don't seem to be unlucky tonight." The girl just gave him a look of worry. "The votes were counted, and the last marshmallow goes to…"
As the host paused for his usual dramatic effect, Heather hid a smirk.
"Justin." Chris revealed.
And just like that Heather's smirk fell in shock at what she heard. She wasn't the only one as Beth was also stunned.
"I know, shocking isn't it." Chris said with some disbelief after revealing it. "Out of everyone here, I wasn't even betting on you to be the next one to get eliminated after today's loss. But the people have spoken Beth so it's time for you to go down the dock of shame."
Beth got up with a downed look as she walked for the dock. Some of the other campers gave some goodbyes to be polite. Heather however was silently fuming at what had transpired. This wasn't supposed to happen, Justin was supposed to be the one getting eliminated. How did this happen? No matter how it happened, she was going to find out and whoever was responsible for this will pay dearly.
Unseen by everyone. In the back of the group, the corner of Noah's lip lifted into a small smirk.
"Step one complete."