Chapter 11 - Punishment (Part 2)
Bridgette returned to her seat, the energy of the dance still fresh in her mind, while Cody returned to Owen and Noah, preparing for the next act.
"Are you going to make it through the dance with Bridgette, or are you just winging it to see what happens?" Noah said, raising a mocking eyebrow.
"Oh, bro, this is getting too good! Tell me now, who's next!" Owen said laughing.
Cody adjusted his guitar, his smile forming a mischievous look before he moved confidently towards Chris.
"We're ready," Cody said.
Chris crossed his arms, his expression lit with pure amusement.
"All right, Cody! You know the drill... pick your girl." Chris said.
Cody didn't hesitate.
He pivoted on his foot with almost calculated grace, advancing on Courtney, who was already looking at him suspiciously, as if anticipating something troubling.
When he stopped in front of her, he bowed his head slightly with an exaggeratedly formal air.
"Every CIT deserves its own serenade." Cody said in a mocking but charming tone.
Courtney frowned for a second, but then let out a small snort, crossing her arms.
"Ugh. Okay. But don't expect me to let myself go," Courtney said.
Despite his warning, he stood up, taking his place in the spectacle without hesitation.
The campers turned their full attention back to the scene, some with excitement, others simply hoping this would turn into an interesting disaster.
The music began to play—the first chords of "Piel Canela" enveloped the air, the seductive and elegant rhythm taking over the space as if the serenade were now a theater act.
"Let infinity be left without stars
Or let the wide sea lose its immensity
But let the black of your eyes not die
And the cinnamon of your skin stay the same"
Cody kept his eyes on Courtney, but this time he wasn't just singing to her—he was dedicating every word, every gesture, making sure the performance had meaning.
As the lyrics described beauty, Cody gently raised his hand, gesturing lightly toward Courtney, as if the song itself was guiding him to single her out in the moment.
Courtney didn't respond immediately, but her expression, though firm, had a glimmer of uncertainty, as if she wasn't completely immune to the spectacle.
Cody took a step forward, getting close enough for Courtney to feel the weight of the interaction without feeling trapped.
"I care about you
And you and you
And only you
And you and you
I care about you
And you and you
And no one else but you"
In one of the verses, she gently swirled around him, letting the music create an enveloping effect.
Courtney snorted softly, exhaling with a resigned air.
"Too confident…" Courtney said in a mumble.
But it didn't stop him.
As the melody grew in intensity, Cody confidently reached out a hand, guiding her in a small, light but bold turn, ensuring the dance had a romantic feel without losing its seductive rhythm.
"If the rainbow were to lose its beauty
And the flowers their perfume and their color
My sadness would not be as immense
As that of being left without your love"
The other campers watched with varying levels of amusement and amazement.
Heather crossed her arms, smiling analytically.
"Courtney is caught up in the rhythm. Don't try to deny it," Heather said.
Duncan shook his head, chuckling.
"Well, this is the most interesting thing that's happened all week," Duncan said.
Finally, as the song reached its final chord, Cody took Courtney's hand and turned her slightly toward him, leaning in with the same theatrical closing he'd used with Bridgette.
But this time, the closeness was even more pronounced—Courtney felt Cody's breathing nearby, and for a second, the entire camp fell silent, waiting for the outcome.
Until… nothing happened
Courtney raised an eyebrow, her tone dry but with a spark of amusement hidden.
"If you think this affects me, you're more naive than I thought," Courtney said.
Cody smiled cheekily.
"We'll see, princess." Cody said.
The campers erupted in murmurs, some laughing, others speculating about Courtney's response.
"THE FINAL KISS WAS MISSING!" Geoff shouted with amusement.
Chris clapped his hands vigorously, laughing.
"This keeps getting worse! If we keep this up, this is going to become a romance show instead of a survival show!" Chris said.
Courtney snorted, returning to her seat, but her expression wasn't completely neutral.
Chris's Confessional
Chris settled back in his chair, exhaling contentedly.
"The wake-up call has already become the best episode of the season. Romance, dancing, spectacle... what more could I ask for?" said Chris.
Chris smiled wickedly.
"I love it when people try to act nonchalant. But we know that never works," Chris said.
Courtney's Confessional
Courtney crossed her arms, her expression tense, as if she was still processing what had just happened.
"Did it affect me? Of course not! This is a challenge, not a cheap movie moment," Courtney said.
Courtney looked away for a second before returning her focus to the camera.
"That being said... Cody has style. I won't deny it," Courtney said.
He was silent for a few seconds, his brow furrowed as if he wanted to erase the last sentence from his own memory.
"Forget it. It doesn't mean anything," Courtney said.
Cody returned to Owen and Noah, adjusting his guitar, knowing this was the last performance.
Meanwhile, the other campers were engaged in a heated discussion about who would be the final girl.
Geoff (confidently): "It's going to be Lindsay. No doubt about it."
Duncan (shaking his head): "Nah, Izzy makes more sense. Besides, it would be a fun, chaotic mess."
DJ (thinking out loud): "It could be Katie, you know, to balance the dynamics."
Noah (without looking up from his keyboard): "Eva. Just to see how she reacts."
Chris interrupted the debate with a showy smile.
"Okay, last serenade, Cody! Pick your girl," Chris said.
The murmurs intensified, everyone attentive to his choice.
Cody took a breath and started walking.
The campers' eyes followed him as he moved among them, suspense growing.
When he finally stopped, he stood in front of Heather.
The group exploded in surprise.
Lindsay (covering her mouth): "Wow, I didn't see that coming!"
Duncan (raising his eyebrows): "Heather? This is going to be good."
Gwen (looking with interest, but still with her own internal conflict): "Hmm…"
Geoff (laughing): "This is getting interesting."
Heather looked at Cody in disbelief, crossing her arms.
"Really?" Heather said.
Cody smiled confidently, leaning slightly towards her.
"May I, beautiful? Unless you don't want to win, of course." Cody said in a charming but provocative voice.
Heather blinked, her jaw clenching for a second before she snorted in irritation.
"Tch. Whatever." Heather said.
She stood up reluctantly, walking with him to the center, standing in front of everyone.
The campers watched with suppressed excitement, knowing this was going to be different from the other serenades.
Cody adjusted his guitar, and then… (One Hundred Years - Pedro Infante)
The music began to play.
"You passed by me
With great indifference
Your eyes didn't even
turn towards me"
Heather initially crossed her arms, clearly uninterested in appearing impressed.
But Cody didn't just sing—his performance had a defiant air.
Every word carried a clear intention, every movement had a purpose.
In one of the verses, Cody circled Heather, keeping his gaze fixed on her, without her moving an inch.
"And yet, you remain
United to my existence
And if I live a hundred years
A hundred years, I think of you"
Heather snorted, but her posture became less rigid, as if the dynamic was already trapping her without her admitting it.
Cody took a step forward, leaning slightly toward her in a gesture of confidence, not intimidating her, but not backing down.
"I saw you without you seeing me
I spoke to you without you hearing me
And all my bitterness
Drowned inside me"
Heather raised an eyebrow, as if silently assessing the situation, without reacting in any obvious way.
The campers watched with interest, even the most skeptical enjoying the moment.
Chris smiled, watching Cody handle the situation strategically.
"This guy knows how to turn any challenge into something great," Chris said.
As the song reached its final chord, Cody leaned slightly toward Heather, leaving the last note hanging in the air.
Heather looked at him analytically, without any obvious expression, but without turning away.
"You're done, right?" Heather said in a low but firm voice.
Cody smiled cheekily.
"That depends. Did you like it?" Cody said.
Heather snorted softly, taking a step back without answering directly.
The other campers were silent for a moment before they began to murmur and comment among themselves.
"This was amazing! But the final bow was missing!" Geoff shouted with amusement.
Chris clapped his hands vigorously.
"Well, well, well! This was a show worthy of the best episodes! What do you think, people?" Chris said.
The campers applauded enthusiastically, although some were still analyzing Heather's reaction.
Heather crossed her arms, shaking her head before returning to her seat, but there was something hard to decipher in her expression.
Chris's Confessional
Chris settled back in his chair, laughing softly.
"I never thought someone could put Heather in an awkward position without ruining themselves in the process. Cody pulled it off. This... this is television gold," Chris said.
Heather's Confessional
Heather looked at the camera neutrally, but her gaze shifted slightly before she spoke.
"Did I like it? I don't know. It doesn't mean anything, if they're expecting it," Heather said.
Heather crossed her arms, exhaling softly.
"That said... Cody knows what he's doing. I'm not surprised he's getting more attention than he expected," Heather said.
Heather snorted, shaking her head.
"Forget it. This isn't relevant," Heather said.
After the last serenade, Heather returned to her seat, still with her neutral attitude, but with a shadow of doubt in her expression.
Chris approached Cody, with an even bigger smile.
"Okay, star musician, are you ready for the big closing?" Chris said.
Cody exhaled, still energized, but with an idea in mind.
"Give me 10 minutes," Cody replied.
Chris raised an eyebrow, curious.
"Oh? Preparing something special?" Chris asked.
Cody just smiled before turning and walking straight towards Geoff and DJ.
Geoff and DJ looked at Cody as he approached them, both curious.
"Tell me this is going to be legendary," Geoff said.
"More than legendary. I need your help for something… spectacular." Cody said with a confident smile.
DJ nodded, still not knowing what it was, but excited to be in on the action.
After explaining the concept, the three stepped back a bit, fine-tuning the details.
Meanwhile, the campers speculated about what the last act would be.
Duncan (thinking out loud): "If he dares to do something ridiculous, I'll respect him twice as much."
Lindsay (excited): "I hope it's a number with a lot of dancing! I love seeing them move with style."
Gwen (crossing her arms, still processing everything that happened): "I don't know what to expect from Cody anymore."
Heather (watching from a distance, not commenting, but clearly attentive): "Hmph…"
When the 10 minutes were up, Cody, Geoff and DJ were ready.
Chris stood in the center, enjoying every second of the show that was about to begin.
"Okay, campers! It's time for the last show of the night. Get ready for something completely unexpected." Chris said, raising his arms energetically.
The murmurs grew, everyone's eyes fixed on Cody as he positioned himself in the center.
Then… the music started.
"This speech is my recital, I think it's very vital
To rock (a rhyme), that's right (on time)
It's Tricky is the title, here we go…"
The first few seconds made it clear that this wasn't just a song.
It was a replica of the iconic dance from "Where the Blondes Are," with Geoff and DJ playing the Vandergelds and Cody taking the role of the Coppelands.
When Cody sang the first line with absolute confidence, the campers erupted in reactions.
Owen (screaming with excitement): "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! IT'S PERFECT!"
Duncan (laughing loudly): "This guy deserves an award just for having the guts to do this!"
Lindsay (clapping vigorously): "That's so amazing! It looks exactly the same!"
Gwen (covering her mouth in surprise, but with an inevitable smile): "Ok… this is much more than I expected."
Heather (looking at him in disbelief): "Tch... I admit it. This is a good show."
Chris watched with absolute satisfaction, knowing this was television gold.
When it came to the dancing part, Cody moved with precision, marking each step with impeccable energy.
Geoff and DJ synchronized perfectly, making the scene feel like an almost exact replica of the original.
The other campers leaned forward, completely caught up in the presentation.
"When I wake up people take up mostly all of my time
I'm not singin', phone keep ringin' cos I make up a rhyme
I'm not braggin', people naggin' cos they think I'm a star
Always tearin' what I'm wearin', I think they're goin' too far
A girl named Carol follows Daryll every gig we play
Then D dissed her and dismissed her, now she's jockin' Jay
I ain't lyin', girls be cryin' cos I'm on TV
They even bother my poor father cos he's down with me"
Cody turned to Geoff and DJ at just the right moment, ensuring the choreography maintained the tension of the scene.
On the final turn, Cody made a powerful move to the center, marking the finish with a dramatic gesture that left everyone silent for a second.
And then…
The campers erupted in applause and cheers.
Chris leaned on the table, smiling with pure pride at the entertainment he had just witnessed.
"I don't know where he got the idea, but this was a stroke of genius. Pure spectacle. Television gold. The guy understood the challenge and turned it into history," Chris said.
Chris approached Cody, still smiling.
"Cody, this was the best decision we made by accepting you on the show. Congratulations, you completed the challenge like a true showman," Chris said.
The campers applauded again, some still in shock from what they had just seen.
"Your reward awaits you at the end of the challenge. Get ready," Chris said.
Finally, Cody, covered in sweat and exhausted, collapsed into a chair next to Noah and Owen.
"Finally... it's over." Cody said.
Noah looked at his condition and just snorted in amusement.
"If you survive until the end of the competition, you'll probably end up with a TV contract," Noah said.
Owen laughed, gently punching him on the shoulder.
"But it was totally worth it!" Owen said.
Cody exhaled, closing his eyes for a second, satisfied with the closure of his final act, even though it hadn't even been twelve hours since he woke up.