Some people considered silence to be suffocating and unnerving, but the quiet that enveloped the clearing felt somewhat comforting to Gwen.

Sighing deeply, she opened her eyes, for once grateful of the relentless gleam of sunshine that heralded summer in Wawanakwa.

It was a tiny space -less than half the length of the cramped cabins the campers shared- and was more akin to a couple of missing trees than a clearing, yet between the gentle warmth, the tranquillity and the stillness, it was almost cozy in a way. Even the large, sun-warmed rock she had chosen as a seat was smooth and comfortable (by rock standards at least).

You wouldn't think such a peaceful place would be found in the middle of a reality show set, much less one that was currently serving as the grounds for a full-on paintball war between fifteen teens with a lot of pent-up frustration to take out, yet here it was; somewhere the madness of Total Drama could not reach, there weren't even any cameras in the area to exploit her momentary relief for entertainment.

It was perfect…

Well, almost perfect.

Again she was reminded of the uncomfortable weight of the fake deer antlers stuck on her head, the malodour of the plastic red nose she had been forced to wear.

Her earlier words came back to mind. Indeed, it was the lamest thing she'd ever done.

"Don't worry, it's only for another couple of hours."

It's almost like he could hear her thoughts, having immediately noticed when her shoulders slumped and her gaze drifted towards the ground, that it meant she was drifting back down into her usual moody streak and needed words of encouragement. Trent got her.

Gwen tilted her head, watching the boy sitting behind her for a few minutes. He made no other comments, the only sound coming out of him being the scratching of a pencil into a well-used leatherbound notebook, his "song workshop", as he called it.

Slowly, her gaze drifted back to their surroundings.

The trees were the perfect size, not tall enough to loom over them and block out the summer, but they were far from puny saplings. No, they were almost like a shield from the rest of the competition, protecting the clearing and it's two inhabitants from the chaos happening on the other side.

She had previously sketched some of the more interesting views on Wawanakwa on the free days in between challenges, but they had come out shoddy, uninspired, feeling more like a way to pass the time than her true passion. The place was beautiful, sure, but the despicable show that had forced her onto it transformed the island into something she loathed.

Now though, getting a chance to stop and relax in the presence of somebody she actually enjoyed the company of, she wished she had brought her sketchbook along.

Once again, she turned to Trent, this time leaning back to be closer to him.

"You bring that everywhere?" She asked light-heartedly, a rare smile forming on her lips.

"You never know when inspiration can strike you." Came his earnest reply, glancing up from his notebook.

"You can say that again, wish I brought my sketchbook…"

To her surprise, his response was to flip to a fresh page and place both the notebook and the pencil on her lap.

"Will this do?"

Surprised, Gwen found herself becoming a little flustered.

"No, no, it's yours."

"And I'd like one of your drawings in it. Please, I insist."

Their eyes met, his full of sincerity, hers brimming with doubt over her artistic abilities. But looking at him, an idea started to form. She accepted the items.

"Wait, stay right there."

Trent raised an eyebrow at her request, but obeyed it, watching her dash to the edge of clearing while remaining motionless. There, she started to sketch, her idea being confined to the page before it could escape her mind.

"Done!" She declared after some time.

Trent sighed in relief, having started to feel sore from remaining still for so long. He walked over to her, asking to see the drawing, which triggered a wave of embarrassment to wash over Gwen. But it was his notebook, so she had no choice but to hand it over.

"Gwen… It's beautiful."

A huge grin had formed its way onto his face upon seeing what Gwen had created. It was a drawing of the clearing, the trees in the background outlined in bold pencil marks, the trunks carefully textured and shaded. In the centre, there was Trent, lounging on the craggy boulder and looking out of the page with a charming smile etched onto the page with great detail. Despite being a mere pencil sketch, it was the best drawing he had ever seen...

But.

"Wait there."

Now it was her turn to wait while he took the notebook and pencil. He started to sketch fervently; face set in deep concentration.

"I call her Mona Gwen."

After a while, he gave the notebook back to her with a flourish, a proud look on his face.

He had drawn her. It was far from professional work, her neck was too long, like that of a swan, both the eyes were different sizes and the pupils were misaligned, the smile too large to be possible, not to mention the botched proportions.

And yet, she loved it.

She found herself beaming, a laugh making its way up her throat.

"You don't like it?"

Trent tensed up, fearing the worst due to her laughter.

"No, no, it's sweet."

"Like you."

"And that was cheesy."

Trent let out a chuckle at that statement, and Gwen found herself joining in, both escalating the other to full-blown cackling. They found themselves falling to their knees before the laughter died down.

"Seriously, never say that again."

Trent let out a grunt of agreement, looking at their joint sketch again and picking up the pencil.

"You know, that gives me an idea for a song…"