Chapter 26 – Third Day of Rest (Part 2)
In another part of camp, Harold was talking nonstop while Trent tuned his guitar, seemingly lost in thought.
"The thing is, Trent, most people underestimate my skills," Harold said, gesturing with his hands as he explained some theory about game strategies.
Trent barely responded, nodding occasionally but never stopping the soft strumming of his strings.
Because in his head, he wasn't thinking about strategies. He was thinking about Gwen.
And Cody.
"That guy's not good for her," Trent thought, letting the sound of his guitar help him organize his thoughts.
He needed to do something. Before Gwen drifted too far from him.
In the girls' cabin, Lindsay spoke with excitement while Beth listened with full attention.
"I miss shopping so much. Or a girls' night at home," said Lindsay, sighing dramatically as she stared at the ceiling.
Beth nodded quickly, adjusting her glasses.
"Yeah. A spa day wouldn't hurt," said Beth.
Lindsay smiled brightly before adding with absolute confidence:
"If I were home, I'd invite Heather and you. Because we're friends," said Lindsay, not noticing how Beth blinked in surprise at the mention of Heather.
Beth wasn't so sure Heather saw friendship the same way Lindsay did.
But she didn't want to ruin the moment.
The sun was slowly sinking on the horizon, bathing the camp in orange and golden tones.
The day was ending, but something unexpected was about to happen.
From a distance, the cabins began to notice movement.
Cody had appeared.
And he wasn't alone.
He was dragging several boxes with a relaxed expression, but with a sly glint in his eyes.
Beside him, Noah and Owen approached with curiosity, inspecting the contents without fully understanding what Cody was planning.
"Hey, Cody, what's all this?" asked Owen, gesturing toward the boxes.
Cody smiled calmly, dropping the load to the ground before casually dusting off his hands.
"I need help. Can you move these?" said Cody.
No explanation about his purpose. Just instructions.
Owen raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and agreed. Noah scoffed, but also complied, knowing Cody always had some strange idea in mind.
Meanwhile, the other campers began to notice the movement.
From different points around camp, they watched the scene with absolute curiosity, trying to guess what Cody was up to.
Heather watched with suspicion.
Courtney kept her brow furrowed, analyzing the scene.
Trent stopped playing his guitar, turning his gaze.
Noah and Owen still seemed confused about Cody's intentions.
Something was happening. And everyone wanted to know what.
Cody separated the boxes into two groups, leaving Owen to guard the rest while he and Noah took the first ones and headed toward the girls' cabins.
"What now?" asked Noah, adjusting the load.
Cody smiled playfully but didn't answer.
He simply began calling all the girls.
One by one, they appeared—some with curious expressions, others with slight distrust.
"What's going on?" asked Gwen, raising an eyebrow.
"Just follow me," said Cody, moving toward the Gophers' cabin.
The uncertainty grew, but curiosity made them follow.
Inside, Cody placed the boxes on the floor and took position in front of them, as if about to start a grand performance.
The energy shifted.
Because Cody was in his element.
He exhaled softly, adjusted his posture, and raised his hands in a dramatic gesture.
"In this forsaken place, where hot water and proper hygiene are rare privileges…" he began, his voice echoing with theatrical flair.
The girls looked at him with expressions ranging from amusement to disbelief.
"I've decided to prepare something special with my earned reward…" said Cody.
"Trying to fulfill your greatest fantasy, the one that haunts your dreams and even your nights alone…" said Cody.
Some blushed. Others let out a soft laugh.
Cody continued his theatrical presentation, making sure every word carried weight and drama.
And then, finally, he revealed the surprise.
With a clean motion, he lifted the first box and opened it in front of them.
Inside was everything needed for a girls' night.
• Scented candles
• Face masks and relaxing treatments
• A white noise machine to set the mood
• Tons of candy and snacks
• A spa night at camp
• A moment of relaxation none of them expected
Most of the girls lit up instantly, their expressions glowing at the idea.
As soon as Cody finished his speech, Lindsay let out a scream of excitement and ran toward him without warning.
"This is amazing, Cody! You're the best!" said Lindsay.
And then it happened.
Before Cody could react, Lindsay wrapped him in a fierce hug, her overflowing energy slamming her body directly against his.
The problem wasn't the hug.
It was the position and the force with which she crushed him against her chest.
Cody tried to speak, but his voice was completely trapped in the unexpected softness.
Cody tried to speak, but his voice was completely trapped in the unexpected softness.
His body stiffened for a moment as the air slowly vanished from his lungs.
"Mmmph," Cody managed to say.
Noah, watching the scene, could barely contain his laughter.
Gwen let out a huff, crossing her arms with slight irritation.
Heather exhaled with annoyance, muttering "Pathetic" under her breath.
Meanwhile, Lindsay remained completely euphoric, unaware of the accidental suffocation she was causing.
"This is going to be like a real girls' night! Spa, snacks, relaxation! It's perfect!" said Lindsay.
Cody tried to move, but the strength of the hug kept him trapped, his head pressed against Lindsay as he struggled to breathe.
Finally, after a few seconds of absolute stillness, he managed to lift a hand and tap Lindsay's back lightly, signaling his emergency.
Lindsay blinked quickly, looked down, and noticed the situation.
"Oh, sorry Cody!" said Lindsay, slightly blushing.
With the same energy, she let go abruptly.
Cody nearly lost his balance, stepping back as he inhaled deeply, recovering oxygen with visible urgency.
Noah burst into full laughter, unable to hold it anymore.
Courtney watched the scene in disbelief, muttering "That was absurd."
Cody pulled himself together as best he could, running a hand over his face before letting out a soft laugh.
"Don't worry… I was just… trying to survive," said Cody, half amused, half exhausted.
Lindsay smiled with total ease, oblivious to the chaos she'd just caused.
Meanwhile, Heather and Courtney kept watching, still feeling like something didn't quite add up.
And Gwen, for her part, avoided looking too closely at the scene, but her jaw remained tense.
"And what do you want in return?" asked Heather, crossing her arms.
Cody calmly shook his head, smiling with ease.
"Nothing. Just enjoy," said Cody, casually.
The girls stayed in the cabin, ready for their special night.
Cody left without further fuss, satisfied with the overall reaction, while Noah followed him, still looking confused.
Once they reached Owen, Noah finally broke the silence.
"Okay, Cody. Why do you do these things?" asked Noah, with a serious expression.
Cody exhaled softly before laughing calmly.
"For fun," Cody replied.
Noah looked at him for a second, trying to figure him out.
"That's it?" asked Noah, raising an eyebrow.
Cody smiled wider, without changing his posture.
The girls' cabin was lit with the soft glow of scented candles. The air was filled with relaxing fragrances, giving the place a completely different vibe from the usual camp chaos.
It was a spa night, courtesy of Cody.
The opened boxes revealed face masks, hair products, snacks, and a sound machine playing the gentle murmur of beach waves.
Lindsay was the first to react with absolute excitement, bouncing in place as she waved a bottle of nail polish.
"This is like a dream!" said Lindsay, shaking the bottle in front of Beth. "We'll paint our nails and wear face masks! It'll be perfect!"
Gracias por compartir otro fragmento, Charly. Aquí tienes la traducción al inglés, manteniendo el formato original, los cortes de escena, los confesionales y el tono de comedia caótica con subtexto emocional:
Beth smiled enthusiastically, adjusting her glasses.
"Yeah, this is like a real girls' night," said Beth, excited.
Bridgette, who had been watching the scene with amusement, noticed Gwen still sitting apart, not having touched any of the boxes.
"This can't stay like this," thought Bridgette before walking over to her.
"Why don't you join us?" asked Bridgette, crossing her arms.
Gwen exhaled softly, closing her eyes for a second.
"It's not my style," Gwen replied calmly.
Bridgette shook her head before grabbing her by the arm.
"I don't care if it's not your style. You're joining!" insisted Bridgette, dragging her before she could protest.
With no room to resist, Gwen tried to pull back, but Bridgette didn't budge.
"Fine," said Gwen finally, with a soft sigh. "But if anyone puts something on my face, I swear there will be consequences."
Bridgette laughed, not taking the threat seriously.
"No promises," said Bridgette playfully.
While the others began checking out the products, Heather remained standing, arms crossed, watching the scene with skepticism.
Courtney, beside her, mirrored the posture, though her gaze was more critical.
"This is weird," murmured Courtney, crossing her arms. "Cody doesn't do things without a reason."
Heather nodded slowly, not taking her eyes off the group.
"Exactly. I don't think he did this just for fun," said Heather, her tone measured and calculating. "There's got to be something behind it."
Before they could dive deeper into their conspiracy theory, Lindsay appeared out of nowhere.
"Come on, you two too!" shouted Lindsay with full energy, grabbing Heather's arm and pulling her.
Heather let out a frustrated grunt, but Lindsay was too strong to resist.
Courtney managed to dodge the grab, but Heather wasn't so lucky. Within seconds, she was sitting on the floor with the rest of the girls, surrounded by beauty products and snacks, while Lindsay applied a face mask without asking.
Heather frowned, completely indignant.
"What are you doing?" asked Heather sharply.
Lindsay smiled sweetly, oblivious to the hostility.
"I'm relaxing you," said Lindsay with overwhelming confidence.
Heather closed her eyes in absolute frustration.
"This is absurd," muttered Heather, while Gwen let out a low chuckle from her side.
The sound machine kept playing the murmur of waves, though the atmosphere inside the cabin was anything but calm.
Izzy, grinning with energy, had grabbed a face mask and was applying it in the least conventional way possible.
"This is fun!" said Izzy, smearing it on her face without reading the instructions.
Bridgette frowned, watching in disbelief.
"I don't think you're supposed to use that much at once…" said Bridgette, eyeing the excessive amount Izzy was applying.
Izzy blinked slowly, her face completely covered in the mixture.
"Why not?" asked Izzy, seeing no issue.
"Because," Gwen chimed in dryly, "you're not supposed to lather your face like you're prepping for a war mission."
Izzy shrugged, unconcerned.
"Bah! Worst case, my skin glows like the moon," said Izzy with enthusiasm.
Beth, meanwhile, was worried about something else.
"Why does this machine sound so weird?" asked Beth, inspecting the speaker with curiosity.
Lindsay turned around with an excited expression.
"I can change the sounds!" said Lindsay, not thinking too much about what she was about to do.
And then chaos began.
Because Lindsay started switching the sound from relaxing to completely absurd.
From beach waves, it went to whale songs, then heavy rain, then roosters crowing, and finally a voice shouting overly intense motivational affirmations.
"You are powerful! You will conquer the world!" the machine screamed.
Heather closed her eyes in utter frustration.
"Who decided this was relaxing?" asked Heather, resisting the urge to shut the device off.
Gwen let out another low laugh—her second of the night.
"This is ridiculous," said Gwen, enjoying the chaos despite herself.
Bridgette shook her head, though she couldn't help but laugh too.
Lindsay kept changing the sounds until the whole group started arguing over which one was best.
The night was far from peaceful.
But it was fun.
As the chaos continued, Gwen leaned against the wall and watched the group with a faint smile.
Bridgette noticed and smiled too.
"You're enjoying this," said Bridgette, glancing sideways at her.
Gwen rolled her eyes.
"I won't admit it," said Gwen, trying to maintain her indifferent stance.
Bridgette chuckled softly before leaning toward her.
"What do you think of Cody?" asked Bridgette, lowering her voice with curiosity.
Gwen blinked slowly before exhaling.
"He's… strange," said Gwen finally. "I don't get what he's trying to do with all this."
Lindsay overheard and turned with a bright smile.
"He's amazing!" said Lindsay with full conviction.
Heather, still with the mask on her face, let out a huff.
"He's annoying," muttered Heather, without much thought.
Courtney crossed her arms, thoughtful.
"He's unpredictable," said Courtney in a measured tone.
Izzy raised her hand energetically.
"He's walking chaos!" exclaimed Izzy with enthusiasm.
The night went on, each girl sharing her opinion as the group's energy grew with every new interaction.
And though each had her own perspective on Cody… one thing was clear.
No one could ignore him.
The air inside the cabin was filled with the scent of aromatic candles and the sweet smell of snacks. The sound machine had been adjusted, now playing soft jazz that contrasted with the group's lively energy.
Everyone was scattered around the room—some applying face masks, others lounging on blankets and cushions, enjoying the improvised spa.
As Lindsay finished painting her nails, she turned with a radiant smile and exclaimed enthusiastically:
"Cody really just wants to have fun!" said Lindsay, waving her hands to dry the polish. "He's not up to anything weird, he's just… chill."
Izzy lifted her head from where she was lying down, her face still covered in an excessive layer of mask that gave her a ghostly look.
"Exactly!" said Izzy with energy. "Cody's the kind of person who doesn't plan much. He just does things because he feels like it."
Leshawna, who had been enjoying a handful of chocolates, nodded in approval.
"I gotta admit, the guy knows how to have a good time," said Leshawna, smiling. "He knows how to relax and make everyone enjoy the downtime."
Bridgette glanced at Gwen with a soft smile, but noticed her friend was silent, lost in thought.
Gwen's Confessional
Gwen exhaled slowly, crossing her arms.
"I don't know, it's like Cody's… trying to impress the girls," said Gwen in an analytical tone. "I'm not saying it's bad, but I'm not sure if it's completely genuine or if there's something behind it."
Bridgette's Confessional
Bridgette smiled slightly, shrugging.
"I feel like Cody really just wants us to have a good time," said Bridgette in a relaxed tone. "He doesn't seem to have ulterior motives or be fishing for favors. He just enjoys doing something fun for everyone."
Heather's Confessional
Heather crossed her arms and let out an irritated sigh.
"Please," said Heather, full of disbelief. "If you think Cody does this without a purpose, you're wrong. This is manipulation. He wants to win our favor for when it's time to move pieces in the game."
Courtney's Confessional
Courtney looked at the camera with a focused expression.
"This could be a strategy to regain the Bass team's trust," said Courtney in an analytical tone. "It's not a bad move, though I'm still not sure if it's intentional or just dumb luck."
Gracias por compartir otro fragmento, Charly. Aquí tienes la traducción al inglés, manteniendo el formato original, los confesionales, el tono ligero y el ritmo narrativo:
The girls were still lounging, enjoying the atmosphere as the conversation shifted topics.
"Honestly, Cody makes rest days amazing," said Bridgette, running her fingers through her damp hair after a treatment.
"Yeah, I don't know what we'd do without him," said Lindsay, smiling. "He always finds a way to make the days memorable."
Izzy let out a loud laugh, shaking her head.
"And just wait to see what he's probably doing with the guys!" exclaimed Izzy, amused. "He's definitely organizing some absurd event, I can feel it."
Katie and Sadie were completely immersed in giving each other treatments, exaggerating every step of the process.
"Sadie, you have to keep the mask on for EXACTLY 20 minutes!" said Katie with a serious tone.
"I know, Katie! It's our beauty protocol."
Lindsay and Heather, against all odds, had ended up doing activities together.
"You have to move your hands faster so the polish doesn't smudge!" said Lindsay as Heather tried to paint her nails without showing too much frustration.
"I'm trying not to make a mess," muttered Heather, visibly irritated.
Leshawna watched the group with amusement, enjoying the chaos of girls' night.
"If there's one thing I can say about Cody, it's that he knows how to get everyone to lower their guard and relax," said Leshawna, munching on cookies. "He should teach a class on this."
Lindsay's Confessional
The camera turned on, capturing Lindsay with a bright smile, her eyes reflecting pure excitement as she spoke enthusiastically.
"This has been the best night in a long time!" exclaimed Lindsay, waving her hands energetically. "Since we got to this camp, it's been competition, strategy, and a lot… a lot of dirt."
Lindsay paused, wrinkling her nose with slight disgust.
"Seriously, I miss long showers, scented lotions, and having my own mirror without someone fighting for space," said Lindsay, letting out a dramatic sigh.
But immediately, her expression regained its cheerful glow.
"And then Cody comes in with this surprise and gives us a full spa night!" said Lindsay, clasping her hands with excitement. "Just what we needed! Masks, snacks, relaxing music, everything."
She leaned forward slightly, as if sharing a secret.
"I've always liked how Cody makes rest days feel special," said Lindsay in a softer tone. "He's not like the others, who only think about winning or surviving each challenge. Cody really wants everyone to have a good time."
Lindsay leaned back against the confessional wall, her gaze reflecting satisfaction.
"I always wanted a girls' night like this," said Lindsay thoughtfully. "Back home I used to organize sleepovers with my friends, with beauty treatments, movies, and laughter all night."
Her smile grew even wider.
"And now I get to do it here! Even with Heather, which is super rare, because she's usually busy scheming," said Lindsay, giggling. "But tonight… even she let her guard down."
She sighed softly before looking directly at the camera.
"So yeah, I'm super grateful to Cody," said Lindsay with absolute certainty. "I mean, not everyone would think to do something like this for us. And he did it without expecting anything in return!"
Lindsay shrugged, then added with full conviction:
"Definitely, Cody is the best."
The camera turned off, leaving her happy expression as the final shot.
The camera turned off, leaving her happy expression as the final shot.
"Yes," said Cody.
Noah watched him closely, then shook his head with mild disbelief.
"You're weird, Cody. In a good way," said Noah.
Cody let out a soft laugh, while Owen nodded quickly.
"Yeah. It's good having you here," added Owen.
Because Cody didn't follow everyone else's logic. But that was exactly what made him so unpredictable.
And in a camp like this, unpredictable was always entertaining.