Chapter 8 – Second Day of Rest
Cody woke up staring at the ceiling of his cabin again.
"What's the plan for today?" he asked himself.
Cody took out a small notebook and started making his list of activities.
1. Rearm the Bass' jacuzzi
2. Explore more of the forest to complete the map of the island
3. Get a picture of Chris without a wig (legendary level mission)
4. ...
5. ...…
Cody got up and proceeded again to go to Chef
. After helping him and having breakfast, he ran into the forest.
As he went deeper, he heard water running so he walked in that direction and found himself in a clearing with a river in the middle.
"Wow..." Cody said.
There didn't seem to be any cameras, Chris isn't very good at hiding them, Cody had stumbled upon one of the blind spots on the island.
The air was very calm, after making sure there were no bears, she took off her shoes and sat on the shore, everything was silent.
*Splash*
"Woo hoo! Nothing like a refreshing swim first thing in the morning," said Izzy who came out of the water almost causing Cody to have an attack.
She was wearing the cap she used with her swimsuit to hold her hair back... and that was all she was wearing. From the neck down, she was completely naked, right in front of our protagonist.
"Oh, hi Cody, I didn't know you also liked to come bathe in the forest, it feels so... natural hahaha." Izzi said very relaxed
"Mm" Cody didn't know what to say to her and couldn't look away, she was completely frozen with shock.
"Are you feeling okay? Do I have something on me?" Izzi said as she looked down trying to figure out what she was looking at.
Oh believe me Izzy that is precisely the problem thought Cody
"n-no, it's nothing" I said Cody trying to act calm, but he still couldn't look away.
"That's a relief, could you pass me my clothes? They're on that branch." Izzi said as if it were the most natural thing
"Mmm." Cody could only express
"..." Izzi looked silently at Cody
"..." Cody trying not to look at Izzi's body
"Hahahaha, hi Cody" said Izzi
"Yes?" Cody answered
"You can pass it to me now." Izzi said
"Oh sure." Cody answered
Chef's Confessional
"When I find out who stole my special soaps I will regret it" said the chef finishing with a threatening voice
Cody's Confessional
Cody was leaning on the toilet with a stunned face
"I think I love this camp."Cody said with a big smile
Izzi's confessional
Next to him was a box of soaps that said "property of Chef Hatchet"
"I think Cody might have vision problems, I mean my eyes are clearly up here but he couldn't tell, he seemed to mistake them for my-" Izzi said grabbing her breasts before the feed cut out.
Back to the river scene
Finally gathering some sense I was able to tear my gaze away and was waiting for Izzy to get dressed.
"Hey Izzy, can I ask you a question?" Cody said without looking at me.
"You already asked it, hahaha." Izzi answered.
"You do know this campground has bathrooms next to the cabins right?" Cody said.
"Really? Why didn't anyone tell me?" Izzi sounded genuinely surprised.
Was all Cody could think. Had she come to the river to take a bath during her entire time at the competition?
"Okay, I'm done," Izzi said.
Cody looked over and she was indeed dressed in her normal clothes. She walked over to him and put her finger to my lips, "let's keep this little get-together just between us, I wouldn't want Chef to find out I stole her soaps" Izzi said slyly. "
Worry more about what everyone else would think!" was what Cody was thinking.
"Don't worry, I won't rat you out" Cody said.
"Great, you're a true friend, see you later!" With that said, Izzi walked back to camp.
Cody stayed a while longer thinking about what had happened, Izzy certainly was strange, but that was never a bad thing.
Cody was definitely loving camp.
Continuing his exploration after a quick dip in the river, Cody went deeper with his camera.
He started taking pictures of what he saw:
• Seagull with plastic stuck in it
• Purple squirrels
• Bunnies
• He could see several caves in the distance
• Etc.
Cody had started a scrapbook of memories of the island for the future.
Returning to Camp, I escort everyone to breakfast, just so I could talk to each other.
The morning was in full swing at camp. The dining hall was filled with campers recharging their batteries, each following their own rhythm of breakfast and conversation.
Just when the conversations felt normal, Cody burst onto the scene in the most unexpected way.
Dancing.
With his recorder on, he confidently shuffled his shoulders, as if he were the star of a retro sportswear commercial.
The campers paused for a moment to watch him, some with amusement, others with disbelief.
The girls, each at their tables, made subtle gestures of invitation, as if subconsciously waiting for him to take a seat with them.
Courtney raised an eyebrow,indicating a space near her without saying a word.
Gwen looked away for a second, but she was clearly aware of his presence.
Lindsay smiled broadly at him, gesturing to the spot next to her as if it were the most obvious choice.
Bridgette watched with amusement, resting her head on her hand as she watched his impromptu show.
Cody watched all of this with a slight sense of discomfort.
"This is starting to feel like a job interview for the 'romantic interest' category," Cody thought, chuckling to himself.
Ultimately, he decided to go with the safest option... sitting with the guys.
As soon as Cody took his seat, the eyes on him shifted.
Geoff leaned over in amusement, gently punching him on the arm.
"Bro, I think you just disturbed the peace in this dining room with your entrance." Geoff
laughed. Duncan crossed his arms.
"The real question is... who's he hitting on today?" Duncan said.
Cody shook his head with a relaxed smile, raising his hands in surrender.
"No girl plans today." Cody said.
The boys looked at him with immediate skepticism.
"Yeah, right. And I'm the next chess champion." Geoff said.
"Yeah, right. Did you notice how many signals you got when you came in?" Duncan said
. Cody shrugged nonchalantly.
"Today is construction day. I'm going to put together the other hot tub, if anyone wants to help." Cody said.
The boys looked at each other and then laughed, thinking that Cody wasn't keeping still.
Cody and the boys were then seen putting together the other hot tub, to which Chris didn't object to the catfish using it.
Night fell over the camp, but instead of calm, there was a different energy in the air.
Both hot tubs were ready, bubbling and perfectly conditioned, and in the center of the area, Cody was going to pull off the impossible.
Mission 1 speakers.
The night was perfect for a master stroke. The interns had left the speakers in a neglected area near the production area, just far enough away that no one would keep an overly vigilant eye.
Cody knew this had to be done with precision, but also with style.
"Okay, guys. Now this is what we call a high-risk operation," Cody said with a sly grin, eyeing the target
. Owen rubbed his hands together in excitement.
"I love danger! Even though this isn't technically dangerous, it still sounds exciting!" Owen said.
Noah sighed, crossing his arms.
"Yeah, yeah, very exciting. But why are we stealing speakers instead of, I don't know, food?" Noah said.
"Because this is for the culture. The food eventually runs out, but the music stays in the soul, plus I already have a plan for that," Cody said with absolute certainty
. Noah gave him a flat look.
"You're ridiculous," Noah said
. "Ridiculously brilliant," Cody said, laughing.
Owen leaned towards the two.
"Okay, but how do we do this without getting caught?" Owen said.
Cody rubbed his chin, as if he was in an intense strategic planning session.
"Simple, Chris sent us," Cody said.
The three of them moved stealthily, advancing through the bushes until they reached the area where the speakers were resting on a table.
Owen watched for a moment before raising his hand.
"Wait... should we do a special maneuver to get them? Like an epic jump?" Owen said
. Noah looked at him in disbelief.
"Yeah, right, let's make it more complicated than it needs to be. Why don't we bring lights and a camera too?" Noah said.
"I love the energy, Owen, but let's do this like real professionals." Cody said, smiling.
Quickly, Cody grabbed the speakers, making sure they were off to avoid noise.
Noah checked if anyone was around.
Owen simply carried some of the equipment without asking too many questions.
When everything was ready, Cody took out a piece of paper and calmly placed the note on the table.
📜 **Note:** *Chris needs these.*
Noah blinked at the message.
"How does this help us?" Noah said.
Cody smiled widely
. "Absolutely nothing. But now the interns have more to worry about than us." Cody said.
Owen laughed loudly, giving Cody a friendly punch on the shoulder.
"You're a genius. Morally questionable, but a genius." Owen said.
Cody looked at his notebook:
Speakers stolen from the interns → Verdict: Mission accomplished.
Mission Two Food
The dining room was empty, the lights still dim as Cody approached the kitchen with a calculating smile.
He knew if he was going to throw a party, he needed food, and while stealing ingredients wasn't in his plan, convincing Chef was.
As he walked in, Chef Hatchet was already waiting for him with his arms crossed, looking at him as if he knew exactly why he was there.
"
Let me guess. You want food, but you don't have permission, and now you've come to negotiate." Chef said, his expression still serious
. Cody leaned on the table with a carefree smile.
"Negotiating is a strong word. I prefer to call it… resource redistribution.""
Chef Cody snorted, shaking his head.
"This isn't a fancy restaurant. I'm not giving you fresh meat or full plates," Chef said.
"I don't need it. Give me what's left, and I'll work my magic on it." Cody said.
Chef looked at him curiously for a moment before taking a step back.
With a quick gesture, he brought out a tray with leftovers from the previous dinner: pieces of bread, unevenly cut vegetables, some rice, and a sauce that no one had touched.
Cody looked everything over carefully before confidently taking it.
"This will do. I'll show you that even what others reject can be turned into a feast." Cody said.
Chef crossed his arms, watching him with interest as Cody came out with the ingredients.
"Good, kiddo. I want to see what you do with this."
Cody settled at a table with all the ingredients, rearranging them as if he were planning a culinary masterpiece.
Music began to play from his tape recorder.
What had once been formless remnants began to transform into something entirely different.
• The stale bread → Was warmed up and turned into small crunchy snacks.
• The leftover vegetables → Were sautéed with the sauce for extra flavor, some were turned into sauce and some into dips.
• The rice → Was combined with leftover seasonings to create something resembling a makeshift risotto.
Presentable plates → Were arranged to look like a well-thought-out meal.
When everything was ready, the campers started to approach, surprised that the makeshift food looked so good.
"Bro... this tastes better than I expected." Geoff said after taking a bite, very surprised by the flavor
. "How did you make this with leftovers?" Gwen said, looking at the plates with curiosity.
"Ok, this is a miracle." Bridgette said, smiling as she tasted some
. Cody shrugged with a confident smile.
"When you don't have perfect ingredients, you turn imperfections into perfect." Cody said with a smile.
Chef's Confessional.
Chef was crossing his arms, looking appraising.
"I'll admit it... I expected this to be a disaster. But the kid made something decent with what I gave him." Chef said.
"If he keeps this up, maybe he won't die of starvation by the end of this show." Chef said, nodding slowly, not wanting to show too much approval.
Chef looked at the camera with a curious glint in his eyes
. "I'll keep an eye on him. But if he starts thinking he can compete with me in the kitchen, that's where I put him in his place." Chef said.
Returning to Cody, he looked at his notebook.
Improvised meal with leftovers from the Chef → Verdict: Tastes surprisingly good.
The mood was set → Verdict: This was a real party.
The campers had gathered without a formal invitation, moved by the idea of an unexpected event amidst the chaos of the show.
---
Geoff and Bridgette were the first to take advantage of the hot tubs, leisurely soaking in them while holding makeshift cups filled with whatever Cody had gotten their hands on.
"Bro, you're a legend. How did you do this?" Geoff laughed as he looked at Cody
. "State secret. But let's just say Chef has a generous side if you know how to talk to him." Cody shrugged with a confident smile.
Bridgette closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the warm water.
"This is the best thing that could have happened after the disaster of the competition. We needed this," Bridgette said.
Heather watched the scene with her arms crossed, assessing every detail as if she were a military strategist.
"This is ridiculous. This isn't even part of the show," Heather said.
Courtney sipped some juice, without taking her eyes off Cody.
"Yeah, but let's admit he at least manages to keep everyone entertained. I don't know how he does it," Courtney said.
Heather snorted, but didn't deny the point.
The music changed.
The speakers blared with the unmistakable beat of 'Rasputin,' and Izzi immediately stood up, as if receiving a divine sign.
"Cody! Russian dance, now!" Izzi said.
Cody didn't hesitate for a second.
They both began doing the classic Russian dance, jumping and moving their legs in sync with boundless energy.
The campers burst into laughter and applause, cheering each move as if they were watching a live dance competition.
Duncan banged the table in excitement.
"This is art!" Duncan said.
Geoff whistled enthusiastically.
"Nobody does it like Cody and Izzi!" Geoff said.
The scene turned into an unexpected spectacle, with the music playing and the two dancing relentlessly until they finally fell to the floor, exhausted but laughing.
"Well... that counts as cardio, right?" Cody gasped.
Izzi gave a thumbs-up with a huge smile.
As the music continued to play and the food slowly disappeared, the campers relaxed and enjoyed the moment, leaving the tension of the competition behind for one night.
Cody leaned back in a chair, observing the result of his idea with satisfaction.
"Mission accomplished," Cody thought, before serving himself another bite of food.
Without knowing it, he was leaving another mark on the camp—and on every single person there.
Courtney's confessional
"I'll admit it... I didn't expect Cody to be able to pull something like this off." Courtney said, surprised by the organization.
Courtney crossed her arms, but with a slight smile.
"The food, the music, the hot tubs... it was all too well organized for someone who normally seems to act without thinking." Courtney said relaxed.
"I guess, while he's still unbearable... he knows how to make the atmosphere fun." Courtney said exhaling, not wanting to give him too much credit.
Gwen's confessional
"This isn't my type of event. Or so I thought. But..." Gwen said, not wanting to enjoy it, but she did
. "I ended up having a good time. What can I say? At least the music was good." Gwen said, rolling her eyes, but with a relaxed expression
. "And Cody... well, he keeps surprising everyone. Including me." Gwen said, looking at the camera with a thoughtful expression.
Bridgette's confessional
"This was perfect! Just what we needed after all the stress of the competition." Bridgette said,
"Jacuzzis, food, good company… Cody really knows how to make things memorable." Bridgette said, smiling widely, looking relaxed.
"I wonder if he actually plans these moments or if they just come naturally to him." Bridgette said, looking at the camera curiously.
Lindsay's confessional
"Wow! This was like a spa night party! Are we doing it again tomorrow?" Lindsay said,
"Cole has a talent for making things special. He should be an event planner." Lindsay said, resting her head on her hand, smiling excitedly.
Heather's confessional
"I can't believe that for a moment there, we all acted like this was vacation camp." Heather said, crossing her arms.
"But I have to admit… Cody made this work. And now everyone sees him as the guy who makes things fun." Heather said, exhaling. Heather
looked at the camera analytically.
"That means he's building up some sympathy… and that can be dangerous in this competition." Heather said
Geoff's confessional
"Bro, this was the best thing that could have happened at this campground. Hot tub, music, food… Cody just earned the title of best party host!" Geoff said
"If he keeps throwing shit like this, we're gonna end up living better than a hotel." Geoff said smiling
Duncan's confessional
"I'm not gonna lie, I thought this was gonna be another one of Cody's crazy ideas… but man, the guy knows how to keep us entertained." Duncan said
. "It's not every day you get to have an impromptu party with decent food on a survival show." Duncan shrugged.
Owen's confessional.
"AMAZING! Hot tub, food, music, Russian dancing… what more could you ask for? Cody made it possible, and I respect that." Owen said.
Owen raised his hands energetically.
"If there are more parties in the future, I'm in to help!" he said excitedly.
Noah's confessional.
"I'm not going to act like this is some legendary event, but… compared to what we usually experience around here, this was an improvement." Noah said.
"Well played, Cody. You managed to make me forget about the absurdity of this camp for a few hours." Noah said, sighing with a slight smile.
Chris's confessional
. "So now my campers think they can throw parties. Fascinating. Although I must admit, watching them do all this without my permission was… entertaining." Chris said.
Chris was smiling conspiratorially.
"Maybe I should think about how to punish Cody for stealing speakers… but we'll see." He said with an air of amusement.