Chapter 6 – First Test (Part 2)
Returning to the beach, the Moles took their carts, placing their material and leaving for camp.
Meanwhile, the catfish had a hard fight against their materials.
The situation seemed uncomfortable, each one fought with their box, add to Eva who was getting more and more moody.
Courtney is not in her best situation, being scolded like a chicken and unable to carry her box.
Tyler, Sadie and Katie stopped for a moment to go to the bathroom in the forest.
Meanwhile, an insect bit Courtney in the eye causing it to begin to swell.
"Great Courtney, nothing is going right" she said to herself with a tired expression.
Returning to the Moles, they were already at camp, starting to empty the carts.
Chris appeared.
"Just to announce it guys, the boxes can only be opened with your teeth," said Chris, annoying the campers.
With the catfish, the girls and Tyler were returning from the forest, and the girls began to feel a lot of burning.
Being noticed by Chris, who approached to see what was wrong. Noticing Courtney's discomfort.
Bridgette let them know that they were probably irritated by poison ivy.
With the Moles, they somehow managed to open the boxes, finding all the material.
The catfish finally caught up with the Moles, only for Leshawna to remind them that Katie and Sadie were missing, who were in the lake with their butts in the water because of their burning.
Cody looked at Courtney and her hurting eyes, taking notes for later.
With the materials ready, the two teams began. For some reason the Gopher team balanced well and worked together well. Cody and Heather took over
while the catfish weren't doing well. Fighting between teammates
After a while Chris arrived, looking closely, he examined the hot tubs of both teams.
"This is a formidable hot tub" pointing at the work of the moles
For some reason Owen got out of it, completely naked
Cody felt like he should wash his eyes with bleach, something that seeing the others' faces he thought he shared
Chris looked at the other hot tub, who broke at just touching it.
"Well, we have a winner... The Screaming Moles!" said Chris
The group of moles celebrated, with Cody hugging Gwen and jumping making her blush and step on him.
"Sorry... I got excited" Cody said to Gwen making an apologetic gesture
"Moles are safe from elimination, and you can enjoy the jacuzzi for the rest of the summer, catfish I'll see you at the elimination bonfire" Chris said
Cody approached to talk to Chris
"Hey bro, what are you going to do with the Bass' hot tub? Can I borrow it so I can put it together so we can have two for the summer?" Cody asked.
"Well, I was going to leave it in storage. But okay, put it together if you want. Consider it a reward for the show you're putting on," Chris said .
Cody proceeded to grab the gear while the campers headed to the dining room.
The Bass were already leaving, some exhausted from the challenge, others just looking for a rest.
Taking his opportunity, Cody approached Courtney, who was still settling in after the ordeal.
"Hey, Courts, catch." Cody said with a relaxed smile.
Courtney quickly looked up and caught the object with quick reflexes, inspecting it with a suspicious expression.
"What's the catch?" Courtney asked.
Cody laughed softly, not surprised by her cautious attitude.
"Trick? I didn't want to miss out on such a beautiful face." Cody said with a playful but sincere tone.
Courtney remains silent for a second, and although she tries to keep her expression neutral, a slight blush appears on her cheeks.
Instead of answering immediately, she decides to continue with her mocking tone to distract herself.
"And how do I know you're not trying to sabotage us?" Courtney asked.
Cody raises an eyebrow, feigning surprise before shrugging calmly.
"Sabotage them... with what? The challenge is over, I lost my chance a while ago." Cody said.
Courtney snorts skeptically, but with no real tension in her expression.
"I have another one of those, you can use it or throw it away... either way, I'll see you later." Cody said, handing her another anti-allergy product.
Without waiting for a response, he walks away, but not before noticing a small whisper behind him.
"Thanks." Courtney said.
Cody smiles to himself, but doesn't stop.
As he heads towards the cabin, Heather appears in his path, clearly having observed his entire exchange with Courtney.
"Why did you do that?" Heather asks, looking at him appraisingly.
Cody keeps his nonchalant expression, but he knows Heather doesn't ask without meaning to.
Knowing her, he decides to play the part of the shameless charmer.
"I just thought if I helped her out, maybe she'd thank me with a kiss... or maybe a date." Condy says with a mischievous air, without losing eye contact.
Heather raises an eyebrow in apparent disinterest, but she's clearly considering the answer.
"And I thought you had better tastes," Heather said.
Cody arches an eyebrow, as if seriously considering the comment.
"Well, for a beauty like you,There's always a place in my heart." Cody said
Heather snorts with suppressed amusement, her expression unchanged.
"Just try not to be too nice... you seem pretty skilled, it'd be a shame if we voted you out so soon," Heather said
. Cody feigns surprise, dramatically placing a hand over his chest.
"Well, if I start being too nice, you can always come and tell me off," Cody said.
Cody wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, making it clear the game isn't over.
Heather lets out a slight sigh, as if she has no patience for this, but isn't really bothered.
"Oh, I'm sure I will. And don't think I forgot your little trick up on the cliff," Heather said.
Cody raises his hands in surrender, but his smile never disappears.
"Trick? I'd say it was pure genius," Cody said.
Heather just watches him for a second before continuing on her way, not responding.
Cody stands in place for a moment, watching her walk away, before heading into the main hall.
Once everyone was in the dining room, including Cody, they proceeded to eat the Chef's things.
"What did you say to Chris?" Gwen asked Cody.
"I asked him what he was going to do with the catfish jacuzzi, and when he didn't do anything, I got him to give it to me to set it up. It would be great to have two for the number of people we are," Cody answered.
"Good idea, strongman," Leshawna told him before giving him the 5.
Meanwhile, in the background, they could hear arguing about the elimination.
Cody settles into his seat, turning his head
when he notices Lindsay taking a seat next to him, with a big smile and bright eyes. "Cole! Did you realize how amazing we looked in the air? It was like a scene out of a movie, I'm sure we're going to be in magazines for this!" Lindsay said with pure excitement, holding her tray.
Cody raises an eyebrow in amusement, taking a bite of his food before answering.
"Magazines, huh? Are you already thinking about our future 'Extreme Diving' cover?" Cody said.
"Yeah! But it could also be something more glamorous, like 'Coolest Campers on the Move'… Or maybe a special swimwear issue! I mean, my swimsuit was perfect for the camera." Lindsay said, nodding enthusiastically.
Cody chuckles softly, resting an arm on the table.
"Your fall look was definitely better than mine. I just looked like an excited guy yelling names in the air." Cody said.
"Well… you did yell a lot, but that added drama to the scene. I bet the camera caught you at your best!" Lindsay said thoughtfully.
Just as Lindsay starts to take a sip of her drink, her expression changes,as if remembering something important.
"Oh... yeah, that other thing happened too..."* Lindsay said, her eyes wide open, a little embarrassed.
Cody already knows what she's talking about, but he remains calm, waiting to see how she approaches it.
"...The thing about falling on your face." Lindsay said, lowering her voice, blushing
. Cody tries to hold back a smile, but is clearly enjoying the moment.
"Oh, yeah. Best experience of the day. I never imagined a more perfect landing." Cody said.
"Don't say that! It was so embarrassing. Literally, my butt was the first thing you saw when you touched down." Lindsay said, laughing a little but still red.
"If I had to choose between getting hit by the water or falling on someone as cute as you... well, it's not a difficult decision." Cody said, shrugging his shoulders in a playful way.
Lindsay covers her face for a second, clearly nervous, but still laughing.
"Cole! Don't make it any more awkward!" Lindsay said.
"It's not awkwardness, it's gratitude. So thank you, Lindsay. It was... a nice gift from fate." Cody said, laughing softly.
After the laughter, Lindsay relaxes more, moving her food around with her fork.
"You know... we haven't talked much before this. But you're funny." Lindsay said.
Cody looks up curiously, resting an arm on the table.
"Oh, really? Are you implying that we should talk more?" Cody said.
"Of course! I mean, we already shared an epic jump, a disastrous fall... next is to get to know each other better." Lindsay said, nodding confidently
. "I like the way you think. So, will the next conversation be about magazines, swimwear, or unorthodox falls?" Cody said with a confident smile
. "All of them." Lindsay said thoughtfully.
The two laugh as they continue eating, with the clear idea that this will not be the last memorable conversation between them.
---
Lindsay's Confessional
"Oh, God! I'm still not over that fall. And the worst part is, Cole makes it sound like it was the best thing that's happened to him all day. Is it good? Is it bad? I don't know. I just know that every time I see him now, I'm going to remember his face smashed in the sand..." Lindsay said, biting her lip nervously, but smiling.
Lindsay sighed softly, crossing her arms
. "But I guess it wasn't so bad. It was funny after all... and Cole isn't that weird. In fact, I think I kind of like him. Maybe we should talk more." Lindsay said.
Gwen's Confessional
"Look, it's not like I care what Cody does... I mean, he's free to talk to whoever he wants. It's just that-" Gwen said.
Gwen pursed her lips for a second, trying to figure out how to continue her idea without sounding suspicious.
"It's funny, isn't it? First he was flirting with Courtney, now he seems to be having fun with Lindsay… It's like he's on some kind of social mission." Gwen said.
She crosses her arms, looking to the side with a neutral expression, but clearly trying to rationalize the feeling.
"Although, well, I guess if that's what he wants, good for him. It's not like I'm paying attention… at all."
Her tone is far too casual, which makes it even more obvious.
"I'm just saying, he doesn't have to act like he's known each other forever either…" Gwen said .
Gwen rolls her eyes, exhales, and waves her hand, wanting to change the subject.
"Forget it. I don't even know why I'm talking about this." Gwen said.
Heather's confessional
. "What is going on here?! Are Cody and Lindsay best friends now? Since when? At what point?" Heather said.
Heather exhales in frustration, crossing her arms in disdain.
"Lindsay barely knows what day it is, but she's somehow already having deep conversations with Cody, laughing and blushing like this is some cheap rom-com."
She shakes her head, clearly irritated by how quickly a dynamic has formed between them.
"And of course, now 'great Cody' is going to be everywhere, with his unnecessary charisma, acting like he's got the whole social strategy down," Heather said.
Her expression hardens, with a slight appraising look.
"But if he thinks this is going to help him get ahead in the game, he's got something else coming. We'll see how long his luck lasts." Heather said.
She leans slightly towards the camera, with a cold smile.
"Because no one here is guaranteed a win, especially not him." Heather said.
In a change of scene
Returning to the dining room
They were all in the dining room trying to digest the chef's food or simply handing it to Owen. Meanwhile, the catfish were trying to decide who to eliminate. Everyone was truly depressed, and Courtney, whose eye now looked much more normal, was doing nothing but antagonizing everyone. But then Ezekiel did the stupidest thing he could have done during his short time at this camp: speak up.
"I don't understand why we lost, huh? They're the ones with six girls." There were many gasps at the table.
Bridgette and Eva stood on either side of Ezekiel. "What does that mean?" Bridgette asked angrily.
"Yeah, peasant, enlighten us." Eva slammed the table.
"Well, guys are stronger and way better at sports." Harold and Noah took several steps back.
"Oh, hell,"He can't have said that," Geoff said.
"My dad told me to take good care of the girls and help them if they couldn't follow us" said Ezekiel
Eva then grabbed him by the neck and suspended him in the air, "Do you still think we need your help?"
"Ugh, not really."
Cody could only turn to Noah.
"How much do you bet he's leaving today?" Cody asked.
"I'm not betting, he's definitely leaving today" said Noah.
Noah's confessional
"The truth is, I had already given him up for dead, his chances of coming back alive were almost zero," said Noah as he turned a page of the book he was reading.
Now for a change of scene
"To the screaming moles," Cody toasted in the jacuzzi
"To the screaming moles." The others said.
Relaxing in a jacuzzi after a day like today was the best, Cody thought before deciding to leave
"Where are you going?" asked Gwen, who was the only one who noticed that I was leaving the party.
"I'm morbidly curious to know what will happen at the bonfire, do you want to come?" I asked.
"No, I'll come, tell me how it was and try not to get caught" Gwen said, thinking for a moment, giving Cody a beautiful smile
. Cody nodded and walked over to the bonfire. Chris had started handing out the marshmallows, "The first marshmallow goes to... Geoff... Tyler... Katie... Bridgette... DJ... Harold.
" "Yes." Harold said
. "Sadie." Chris said.
"Oh yeah, thank you, thank you, thank you." Sadie said
. "Duncan... ...campers, this is the last marshmallow of the night..." Everyone was tense, Chris prolonged the silence as much as possible.
I really hate it when he did that, Cody thought. He pointed at Courtney, then Ezekiel, then Courts, Ezekiel, and so on, creating tension. Those two were biting their nails in anxiety, "...Courtney."
She smiled in relief.
Ezekiel stood up and started walking back to the dock, his face down.
After the boat with Ezekiel on it disappeared into the distance, Cody got up and headed back to the hot tub party.
Cody arrived with his crew, and everyone looked at him expectantly as I got back into the hot tub. It seemed Gwen told them where he went.
"Well?" Heather asked.
Cody sank a little deeper into the hot tub before answering, "Ezekiel has officially left the island."
Just then, the catfish swam back toward their cabin, however, Courtney stopped.
"Oh... Why is she threatening that cameraman?" Owen asked.
Izzy's head popped out of the water near mine, giving me a scare, "maybe she's gone crazy, hahaha."Look who's talking, Cody thought.
"Maybe he's just making a statement in front of the public," Gwen commented.
Cody remembered how great it looked on TV, but from behind it was kind of funny. Plus, from up here you had a great view of Courtney's slender butt; those pants she always wore really made it stand out, something that didn't show on camera.
Heather smacked me upside the head when she realized where I was looking, and I just laughed. There was a lot to do and a lot more to come... but it felt great to be back.
In a scene change,
Chris, with his face free of leftovers, stood on the dock of shame. "And that concludes the first challenge, and the first episode. What crazy things do I have in store for our competitors? Who'll be going home next? What dark secrets are these campers hiding? What was that thing the chef brought out of his kitchen? The answers to these and many more questions will be answered in the next episode of DRAMA... ISLAND!"