Cody had done it. He'd survived longer on the island than he had the first time. Finally past the paintball challenge, challenges he'd never gotten to play were at his fingertips. All wasn't great, however. Not only would he have to experience things he'd never had to before, he'd have to do so with Ezekiel.
Cody was no stranger to these challenges, despite the fact that he hadn't been around to play them the first time. He'd rewatched the show a few times since his elimination, but it was the episodes after his elimination that he tended to drift toward. For one, he wouldn't have to put up with watching himself as a fool. But regardless of trying to avoid his past self, Cody always imagined himself with his team. Cooking a great meal, trudging through boot camp, mud skiing, Cody had done it all, in his mind, at least.
"Yuck!" Cody turned to the other cabin as a voice rang out. Stepping outside, he saw Harold standing outside the cabin, a towel wrapped around his waist. The sight made Cody gag, only to remember that it wasn't the sight of Harold that caused the noise, but his underwear. Trying to get the image out of his mind, Cody got away as fast as possible.
Inside the mess hall were quite a few contestants. Cody must've woken up later, no thanks to his nightmare. Heather and Lindsay were huddled up in a corner, with the former taking constant glares at Beth, who was sitting by herself. Owen sat at the edge of the Gopher table, scarfing down what seemed to be his fifth plate.
Cody grabbed a tray and held it out, as Chef slammed a glob of meat onto it. As Cody turned around, the meat burned a hole in the tray and fell to the ground. Not dying to get a refill, Cody kept moving and sat next to Owen.
"How on Earth can you eat this?" Cody asked Owen, cringing as the big guy slurped some of the meat down like it was pasta.
Owen took a few more spoonfuls before finally slowing down. "How can you not?! This stuff's delicious! Thanks, Chef!" The cook responded with an eye roll, though Cody could have sworn he turned around to hide a deep blush.
"So is your mom a good cook or something?"
"Hm? Why do you ask?" Owen asked before returning to his plate.
Cody looked down at the body of his friend before looking back at his face. "No reason."
"Well, no not really. Don't tell her I said this, but she isn't that great at cooking. She sure tries, and I'll eat anything she makes, but she doesn't have too much experience. We normally just go out for fast food." Owen finished his tray of food before moving to his sixth. "That's why I tried to learn how to make food."
"Oh really? I never knew that. You're a cook?"
"I guess you could say that." Owen said, slurping up a piece of meat. "I wanted to taste real homemade food, so I tried to make meatloaf. I thought it turned out great but the toilet disagreed with me. But I kept trying, and my parents said I'm getting a lot better."
"That's… actually really cool, dude. It sucks that you can't practice here."
"Campers! Please head to the beach to be briefed on your next challenge!" Chris' voice, which had become the campers' least favorite sound, rang out. Cody sighed, leaving his big friend to finish his food.
Cody was the first person to arrive, leaving just himself and the host. Cody looked to his left and saw a truck, covered in water, waiting on the beach.
"Chris, I hate to question the show, but how did that truck get here?" Cody asked. Chris looked at him and just shrugged, leaving an utterly bewildered Cody to stare at the truck.
Chris waited another five minutes, as campers slowly filed in. Once everybody had arrived, Chris began his spiel. "Today's challenge will test your minds, your teamwork, and your skills in the kitchen." The teens' eyes looked around at each other, worried about their lack of cooking skills. "You will be cooking a three-course meal and serving it to me for tasting. The winners will be getting a reward, while the losers are gonna be eliminating someone." Despite the teens' time on the island, the threat of elimination still bore a weight like no other.
"Each team will appoint a head chef to create the theme of the meal and to oversee the cooking. To cook, you need ingredients. Every morning a truck brings us food." The still-soaking truck honked its horn in acknowledgement. "Today's task starts there. Go!"
The two teams ran to the truck, hoping to get materials early. "Head Chef, called it!" Heather yelled.
"What? No way you're Head Chef!" Cody protested. Heather gave Cody a glare that he happily returned.
"And why's that, dorkwad?"
"What experience do you have with food?"
Heather thought for a moment. "I don't need cooking experience! I've got plenty of experience leading the team!"
Rolling her eyes, Beth said, "And when hath your leaderthip ever gotten uth anywhere?" Cody couldn't help but smirk at the quiet girl's growing confidence, the other team members murmuring in agreement.
"Ugh, fine! If I'm not head chef, then who is? I doubt you could lead the team." Heather told Cody, her eyes in slits. Cody looked around the team for a moment before stopping on the perfect person.
"Owen!" Both Heather and Owen looked surprised by the nomination.
"Why him?" Heather asked.
"Yeah, why me?" Owen asked, equally confused.
"Owen, dude. You just told me you were learning how to cook. Don't you know a few recipes?"
"Oh, yeah I guess I do! Aren't I supposed to pick a theme?" Owen asked, his teammates nodding. "How about… Hawaiian?" The others murmured in agreement before lifting themselves into the truck to get their ingredients.
"I was going to suggest Hawaiian," Heather growled through gritted teeth.
"Come on Heather, it'll be fine. Don't worry about it."
She turned to see Trent had put his hand on her shoulder in comfort. Heather flinched, swiping the musician's hand away.
After getting a list of ingredients from Owen, Cody gathered what he needed and stepped out of the truck. He, alongside the rest of the Gophers, carried their items to the dining hall kitchen. They threw their items down, as Cody turned to face their head chef.
"So, Head Chef Owen? How do you want us to split up?" Owen pondered over this for a while, so Cody decided to step up. "How about Gwen and Trent work together?" he slyly suggested.
"I second that idea," Gwen said. Trent shrugged with a smile.
Before Owen could affirm this decision, Heather stepped in with an evil grin. "But, what would you two make?" she asked sweetly. Both Cody and Gwen scowled at her.
"Well, I was thinking we could work on the main dish. I know how to make some mean ribs," Trent suggested.
"And Gwen? Do you know how to make ribs?" Heather stared at her rival, who happily stared back.
"No, but I'm sure Trent could teach me. I doubt it's too difficult."
"Well, I happen to also know how to make ribs! So why don't Trent and I work together, hm? It'd make things go by faster."
Before anybody could protest, Owen spoke up. "What an awesome idea, Heather! Cody, Gwen, how about you two work together? And that leaves Beth, Lindsay, and Leshawna. Cody and Gwen can make the flambé, while you girls can make the pineapple." Although slightly annoyed by Heather's new partner, Cody and Gwen nodded, as did the rest of the team.
"Awesome! Okay, what am I supposed to do?" Owen asked.
"Just supervise us, make sure nothing goes wrong. Help out if necessary." Trent told him. Owen gave a thumbs-up.
The three teams split up to their tables and began to prepare their ingredients. Cody turned to see that Harold was now complaining about how they had spilled water onto his pants. Cody grimaced, though couldn't argue that the poor guy deserved it.
Cody had no idea how to make a flambé. In the years since the show ended, he mostly survived off of take-out and easy-to-make meals. His idea of cooking was boiling noodles. Luckily for him, Gwen had some knowledge which she shared with him.
They were making steady progress. Well, Gwen was making steady progress, with Cody just trying to hand her the ingredients as she asked for them. Trent and Heather continued to work on the ribs, though Cody noticed that Heather feigned needing help multiple times, to which Trent agreed.
Leshawna grunted, scratching her arms vigorously. Owen noticed and so walked over. "What's wrong, Leshawna?"
"I'm allergic to pineapples! I can't stand the things, making my arms swell up and stuff." She continued to scratch, as her partners tried their hardest to continue preparing the meal.
Owen pondered, staring at the scratching. "Leshawna, why don't you go to the medical tent? I don't think you should be working on food during a medical injury."
"Oh, trust me, sugar. I'm perfectly fine, it's just annoying, that's all." Leshawna brushed it off and tried to work on the meal again. Only being able to bear the itch for a few seconds longer, she threw in the towel. "Ah, fine! Damn pineapples!" she stormed out of the kitchen.
"Oh, LaQuinda! Let me help!" Lindsay said, rushing out of the kitchen behind her, leaving Beth on her own. Just as this happened, Heather walked away from her station and sat down near the door.
"And what do you think you're doing now, sweetie?" Gwen sarcastically asked.
Heather scoffed, filing her nails. "Oh please. Every girl needs a break now and then!"
Owen looked back and forth between the queen bee and the goth. "Is that true?!" he asked, surprised.
"Can it, Owen. She's just trying to skimp out of work," Gwen said, blowing her teal hair out of her face in frustration. With a shrug, Heather continued to file away. Owen remained confused but continued to supervise them.
By his point, only Trent, Gwen, Cody, and Beth were left working on their respective meals. "So…" Cody started.
Gwen nodded. "This is a disaster." They weren't talking about their flambé, though the dessert wasn't exactly what it should've been. With half their team now not working on the challenge, Cody didn't see a bright future. They already lost the first time around, and that was with their whole team, minus Heather.
Time whittled away as the four remaining Gopher chefs continued their dishes. Heather never returned to helping prepare the dish, though she did get up to supervise Trent. When asked why she was supervising when that was already Owen's job, she claimed that she was lightening Owen's load. Though Cody and Gwen wanted to object, Trent defended her saying that he didn't need all the help. Cody was inclined to disagree considering he was working on the main dish, but didn't push the subject further.
As time went on, the three small teams got closer and closer to finishing their respective meals. Gwen stepped away from the table to grab something, with Heather taking a mental note. Thinking quickly, she got up from her resting spot and began to walk over to Cody. The geek knew something was up, but couldn't quite tell so he just continued his work. Gwen turned around and noticed the upcoming interaction and also noticed what Cody was doing.
"Cody, duck!" Despite how fast the action happened, Cody was able to follow her command just in time, as Heather finally arrived at the table just in time for the flambé to erupt into flames.
"UGH!" Heather screamed out of fright, though the others saw something she didn't. "What?" she asked when she noticed her teammates staring at her. Trembling, Beth reached into Heather's bag to grab the mirror, which Heather snatched out of her hands as soon as she saw it. A moment passed as Heather stared directly at herself before she let out a horrific shriek worthy of a horror movie.
"Beth! Give me my makeup bag! NOW!" she yelled. However, her order fell on deaf ears as Beth decided to toss the bag to Owen.
"Ah! What do I do with it?" He fumbled with the bag as if it were a thousand degrees but tossed it to Gwen when she held out her hand.
"Listen here, gothy…" Heather whispered, creeping towards her. Gwen instead turned and shared a look with Cody before tossing it to him. Now furious, Heather stomped towards Cody who backed up to the door.
"Oops…" he said before throwing the bag behind him. Heather took her opportunity and sprinted after it, neglecting the fact that the door was swiftly slammed behind her.
"Yes! I…" She turned around to find Gwen's face in the sole window of the freezer, grinning at her.
"Sorry, Heather!" she lied before turning around to leave her in isolation. A muffled yell could be heard from the other side of the door, though it was met with silence. Shortly after, Leshawna and Lindsay returned from the medical tent and were quickly informed of Heather's predicament. Leshawna laughed hysterically whilst Lindsay wanted to help her friend. However, she held off due to Beth's orders.
"Uh, guys? Was that really necessary?" Trent asked warily, but was cut off by a loud alarm, signaling the challenge's end. Though reluctant to leave his teammate trapped in a freezer, Trent, alongside the rest of his team, walked out to meet Chris. None of them noticed that Owen stayed behind to, in his eyes, guard the food.
The Bass' Italian food went over well with the host, earning them a solid fifteen out of thirty. Duncan and Tyler high-fived before making way for the Gophers.
"UH UH!" A loud voice boomed out from the kitchen. Cody suddenly realized his mistake and sighed, but could do nothing to stop what had already happened. "Please tell me you did not eat that ENTIRE plate of ribs?!" The Gopher's confused looks turned to a mixture of shock and anger as Leshawna dragged Owen out front, holding what used to be a large plate of ribs.
"Uh… oops?" he said meekly, shrinking from the hateful gazes of his teammates. Chris looked on in both confusion and excitement, clearly excited to see the drama unfold in front of him. With a sigh, Owen set down the plate of bones, with Gwen and Beth going back to retrieve their respective dishes.
"Hm… well the pineapple is good, but nothing special. Five points. As for the ribs…"
"Don't worry Chris! I saved you some right there!" Owen tried to recover excitedly, pointing at a small piece of meat left hanging on the side. Chris popped the remaining meal into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "While this bite wasn't bad, I really can't give this more than a two." The entire team looked down in sadness, especially Owen. "Alright, dessert time! Gophers, you're gonna need an eight of out ten to win, can you do it?" Cody and Gwen looked at each other nervously before setting their dish down in front of him. The flambé itself looked great, perhaps being the best-looking dish yet. However, as Chris' fork hit the dessert, it collapsed into ash.
"Should I even try this?" Chris asked skeptically. The Gophers shook their heads in response. "I may have used a bit too much fluid…" Cody lamented, earning him a deadpan stare akin to one of Noah's from Chris.
"Yeah, that pretty much cinches it. Bass win, Gophers lose! Two in a row, that's rough guys. Oh, and I have to ask. Where's Heather?"
Lindsay's eyes shot open as she realized she had left her friend stuck. "I'm coming, Heather!" she yelled before rushing to the freezer door. With a sigh, Trent followed her, leaving Gwen to angrily stare at the back of his head.
"Why does he care about her? After all she's done?" Gwen grunted in frustration. "She gets off so easily! She's always got Linsday and now Trent doting after her! Even you never said anything after she framed you!" Gwen turned to look at Cody as she said the last sentence. Cody was left a bit speechless, mostly over Trent's actions.
"I… I'm not just really that type of person. She's not a good person, but I don't see the point of rubbing that in her face, you know? Plus, I'm sure karma will kick her in the butt and teach her a lesson at some point. As for Trent? I don't have a clue…"
"Good work today, guys!" Leshawna came up and high fived the two. "Well, maybe not the challenge, but for showing that witch Heather what's what." Cody couldn't help but chuckle. They may have lost the challenge, but this small retribution was a highlight of the season so far.
"So, I guess it's time to eliminate someone?"
"What do you mean someone? It has to be Heather, right?" Cody asked.
Leshawna hesitated in her response, much to his surprise. "Well, she may be evil and all, but she didn't cost us the challenge today."
"Yeah, but she's costing us our sanity!" Gwen remarked with weak laughter in response.
"It's just… it's not like Owen's been too helpful so far, ya know? He fell asleep first in the Awake-a-thon, didn't get anyone in paintball, and well, he's not the most athletic guy…"
"Yeah, but he's Owen! Come on!"
Leshawna shrugged before trying to change the subject. Though a little annoyed, Cody didn't keep fighting and just left. He did the math in his head. He and Gwen were sure to vote for Heather, and if Owen had any brains on him, so would he. Heather would vote for Owen, and therefore Lindsay would as well. Leshawna seemed pretty steadfast on her vote so that left Beth and Trent. Given his recent actions, Trent didn't seem likely to vote for Heather, so that left Beth as the sole swing vote. And even then, it was a tie. Cody shook his head. How was Heather so good at this?
Cody wanted to go around and stop Beth, and maybe even Leshawna, from voting for Owen, but it was too late. "Gophers! It's getting late already, so go ahead and cast your votes!" the loudspeaker announced. Cody's heart began to pound, similar to when Noah was on the chopping block. His friend was in danger, and he had no way to guarantee his safety. He just had to hope.
After voting, Cody sat down on his stump, not asking Beth about her vote. He wanted to delay the potential future. His teammates slowly filled out the seats around him, all looking nervous except for Heather, who seemed uncertain as to who she was planning on murdering. Though her frightening face was diminished by the poorly drawn eyebrows and her blue skin.
"Trent, Leshawna, Beth, Lindsay, and Gwen. You're all safe." Cody looked at his teammates in confusion.
"Why am I separated? He usually announces them in batches, did I get a vote?"
"Owen… you ate your team's food and cost them the challenge. Cody… you're the one who put Owen in charge and subsequently caused everything to happen. Heather… you know why you're here."
"G-get on with it, M-McLean!" Heather sputtered out.
"Heather!" the host announced, tossing the treat to her. Cody looked at her wildly while she glared back at him.
"And the last marshmallow goes to… Cody!" Cody caught his marshmallow with ease and turned to face his defeated friend.
"Sorry, guys. I really am."
Cody couldn't help but feel awful. He caused this, or at least, Cody thought he did. "Sorry, dude," he said, handing his symbol of immunity to Owen to eat. The others joined him, though Heather didn't allow Lindsay to give her own, instead smacking it down to the ground.
Owen sat up with a frown on his face, though his mood was considerably improved once the marshmallows were being chewed. "It's been fun guys! Good luck!" He trudged off to the Boat of Losers, as it sailed away into the horizon. After the brief send- off, most of the Gophers left to return to their cabins. However, Cody stayed behind.
"Why was I the last person safe? I know Chris doesn't always announce them in the right order, but something still seemed off…" he thought aloud.
"Cody? What are you doing here thtill?" Cody turned around to see Beth watching him from a distance. "Oh, hey Beth. I was just thinking about the elimination. I don't normally think too hard about the votes, but I was close to being eliminated, so I'm thinking about that."
Beth nodded in understanding. "I think I can help you there." Cody motioned for her to sit down next to him. "Tho, you voted for Heather, right?" Cody nodded. "Yeah, and I'm pretty sure Gwen did too."
"Tho it wath two voteth for Heather, and I voted for Owen," she explained, not noticing Cody's wince as she revealed her vote. "I heard Lethawna thay that thhe wath voting for Owen too."
"So two votes for Heather, two votes for Owen, and still three votes left to count, right? Heather, Lindsay, and Trent?"
"I talked to Lindthay during the theremony, and thhe thaid that thhe voted for Owen like me and Lethawna."
"Okay, so no matter what, Owen gets the most votes, regardless of Heather and Trent's votes. But does that mean they both voted for me?" Cody asked, astonished.
"Maybe? But I thought you and Trent were friendth?" After receiving an unknowing shrug from Cody, she continued. "Maybe Chrith jutht announthed the voteth weirdly." she suggested, trying to come up with a solution as to why Cody had been in the bottom two.
Cody bit his cheek. Though he didn't have proof, Heather may be gunning for him, and Trent might be on her side. Cody bid Beth adieu as she announced that she was too tired to stay up much longer. Cody remained lost in his thoughts when he heard a commotion coming from the cabins. He turned to find Duncan, DJ, and Geoff trying to maneuver a mattress out of the cabin door. They froze when they spotted Cody staring at them.
Harold was Cody's friend. The two spent plenty of time together during the second half of Island. But he also knew how bad of a roommate Harold was. With a shrug and a hand wave, Cody permitted the pranksters to continue without any resistance.
Cody returned to his cabin, now only holding himself and Trent. Trent was asleep when he came in, but that didn't stop Cody from glaring daggers into his back. Cody decided enough was enough. Trent was becoming something Cody didn't want him to be, and he had to put a stop to it. He resolved to 'fix' Trent as he fell asleep.
A/N: Ah, Owen. Sorry, buddy. This is just too fitting of an episode for him to be eliminated for me to ignore. I won't explain the exact reason Owen was eliminated in the first draft that you guys saw, but I found it fairly unrealistic so I threw it in as a small joke and left it at that. Owen was never in contention to win in my story, it was just a matter of time.
And now the Trent story really comes into the limelight. Next chapter will see Cody and Trent finally talk about their issues. Stay tuned.