Chapter 31 – Fourth Day of Rest (Part 4)
The trivia had ended, but the energy of competition still lingered in the air.
Cody and Courtney left the treehouse, walking at a relaxed pace, enjoying the cool breeze that signaled the arrival of night.
The music from the speaker had faded, but the atmosphere still held that calm feeling that only comes after laughter and letting go of stress.
Courtney was more relaxed than she would've imagined.
And Cody… was simply enjoying the fact that he'd made it happen.
As they stepped out from the trees, both looked up at the sky.
The stars were bright, scattered across the darkness like tiny lights that felt closer than usual.
Courtney crossed her arms, exhaling softly as she took in the view.
"Wow, I never thought this place could look so good at night," Courtney murmured.
Cody smiled sideways before replying.
"Well, it's hard to notice when you're always busy organizing the world," Cody said lightly.
Courtney rolled her eyes, but for the first time, it didn't feel like a jab.
It felt more like a gentle reminder that, yes—sometimes she spent too much time worrying about everything.
As they walked toward the cabins, the conversation drifted back to trivia.
"Well, you can officially call me the undisputed queen of trivia," Courtney said, with a confident smile.
Cody gave a respectful gesture, bowing his head slightly.
"All my admiration to Her Majesty. May she rule wisely," Cody said dramatically.
Courtney laughed and pointed at him.
"Though to be fair, you should study more. It's not normal that I beat you so easily," she said challengingly.
Cody scoffed before replying.
"Easy? Please. Just because you won doesn't mean it was a walk in the park," Cody said, pretending to be offended.
Courtney crossed her arms.
"Maybe next time you should actually try to win," she said, with a sly look.
Cody smiled internally.
Oh, if only she knew he'd let her win.
"Oh sure, next time I'll try harder… but only if you promise not to get mad when I take the crown," Cody said playfully.
Courtney chuckled and shook her head.
"That's not going to happen," she said confidently.
Cody looked up at the sky for a moment before dropping another line with his usual relaxed energy.
"Guess that means I need a tutor… want the job?"
Courtney glanced at him, evaluating the offer before replying with a small smile.
"Hmm… depends. Will you be a good student or lose patience?"
Cody smiled with a carefree air.
"I'm a fast learner—but only if my teacher knows how to keep me motivated," Cody said, with a hint of subtle flirtation.
Courtney shook her head, but the way her smile lingered said more than any reply.
Finally, they reached the cabin doors.
Courtney paused, sensing how the atmosphere had shifted since they left the treehouse.
She wasn't stressed anymore.
She wasn't thinking about everything she had to do.
She was just here—with Cody—on a night that had unexpectedly turned out… pleasant.
Cody slipped his hands into his pockets and looked at her with that confident smile.
"So… did you have a good time?" Cody asked casually.
Courtney lowered her gaze for a second, then nodded.
"Yeah… surprisingly, yeah," Courtney admitted.
Cody smiled wider and nodded.
"Well, then my mission was a success," Cody said with mock pride.
Courtney raised an eyebrow.
"Mission?" she asked.
Cody gave her a light look before answering.
"Getting the great Courtney to relax for one night," Cody said.
Courtney let out a soft laugh and crossed her arms.
"Don't overthink it. Doesn't mean I'll get used to it," she said.
Cody tilted his head slightly and dropped one last line with his usual ease.
"No rush. Everything flows when it's meant to."
And with that, the night seemed to wrap itself up—leaving Courtney with more thoughts than she was ready to face.
Because now, no matter how much she tried to rationalize it… Cody didn't feel like just another camper.
He felt like someone who, somehow, had managed to step into her world.
And that was something she'd have to process later.
The night was winding down, the air still filled with laughter and a light energy between them.
Cody and Courtney stood in front of the cabins, the moment of goodbye arriving naturally after their unexpected evening of trivia and teasing.
Without thinking too much, they moved in sync—leaning in for a brief hug.
Something neither of them would've imagined doing at the start of the day.
But just then…
Fate decided to play with them.
Courtney shifted her foot to take a step—but miscalculated.
The uneven ground, her relaxed posture—it all conspired.
Suddenly, she twisted her ankle.
Her body lost balance, falling forward in a clumsy, fast motion.
Cody, by instinct, reached out to catch her—but gravity didn't give them time to react properly.
And then… they felt it.
Unexpected contact.
Softness.
Warmth.
Their lips met in a completely accidental kiss.
But still—a kiss.
And for a second, just one second… the world stopped.
Cody felt an unexpected sweetness on his lips—a taste that caught him off guard.
It was a fleeting moment, but his mind registered it with more detail than he'd imagined.
And Courtney…
A current surged through her body the instant their lips touched.
An electric shock with no logical explanation—but it was there, buzzing on her skin.
And for a moment, her mind went completely blank.
Zero strategy.
Zero logic.
Just the pure sensation of the moment.
It wasn't planned.
It wasn't supposed to happen.
But it had happened anyway.
The contact lasted only a couple of seconds, but it was enough to make Courtney react abruptly.
Her eyes widened in surprise before she quickly pulled away, one hand flying to her lips, still feeling the warmth of the moment.
Her face turned red—completely out of her control.
She didn't say anything.
She couldn't say anything.
Because nothing she could express would make this feel any less surreal.
So she simply turned on her heel—sprained ankle and all—and walked into her cabin before Cody could say another word.
She left behind an air of uncertainty, of tension, of a memory that wouldn't be easy to erase.
Cody stood there, frozen, eyes wide as if trying to process what had just happened.
His lips still held the trace of contact.
His mind replayed the moment over and over, uncontrollably.
He hadn't spoken.
He hadn't reacted.
He was just blank.
Because… what was he supposed to do now?
But what Cody didn't know—what he hadn't noticed in the middle of his mental paralysis—was that someone else had seen everything.
And that detail, in the future, would change a lot of things.
Night settled over the camp, wrapping everything in a calm that contrasted with the turbulent thoughts of two particular people.
Courtney, in her cabin, lying on her bed, pressing her pillow against her face, trying—unsuccessfully—to ignore what had just happened.
And Cody, in his own cabin, arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling with an incredulous smile, replaying in his mind the chaos he'd stumbled into without even trying.
It was ridiculous.
It was inevitable.
And neither of them could escape it.
Courtney turned over in bed, trying to find a position that would hide the blush on her face.
But it was impossible.
Because every time she closed her eyes, Cody appeared in her mind.
Not like before. Not as the chaotic camp guy who always seemed carefree.
No.
Now she saw him differently.
She remembered every moment with him, every exchange, every time he responded with that confident attitude, with that energy that, without realizing it, made her lower her guard.
The treehouse.
The trivia jokes.
That unexpected kiss.
Courtney pressed the pillow harder against her face, trying to erase the memory—but her body still held the sensation of the contact.
Too vivid.
Too real.
"How did it end up like this?" Courtney thought, squeezing her eyes shut.
Because now, without meaning to, Cody was someone entering her world in a way she'd never allowed before.
And that terrified her.
But also… intrigued her.
In the other cabin, Cody exhaled softly, still wearing that incredulous smile.
Because this was a problem.
A problem he'd never planned to deal with.
Gwen was already in his head, in his story, in his life…
And now, Courtney was joining in with a force he couldn't ignore.
He hadn't been looking for it.
It wasn't a plan.
But here he was, caught in a situation anyone else would call complete madness.
Although, to be honest…
He didn't mind it as much as he probably should.
Because there was something fascinating in the way everything unfolded.
The chaos, the unexpected moments, the way each girl had a different way of connecting with him.
It was like being in a story that didn't follow any conventional rules.
And Cody could only laugh at himself.
"What the hell do I do now?" he thought, shaking his head.
Because Gwen was a mystery.
Courtney was a challenge.
And both…
Definitely didn't leave him indifferent.
Courtney, still with the pillow over her face, sighed.
Cody, still smiling, closed his eyes.
Both trying to ignore the strange feeling in their chest.
But they knew the truth.
After today, nothing would be the same.
And no matter how hard they tried not to think about it…
Fate wasn't going to let them escape so easily.
***********************************************************************
The night was calm. On the screen, Courage the Cowardly Dog screamed, trembled, and saved the world through sheer panic.
Charly chuckled softly, wrapped in a blanket that smelled like nostalgia. His mustache twitched with every animated scare.
"This episode is pure art," he murmured, sipping something warm.
Suddenly, a thought fluttered through his mind like a distracted bat.
"Did I forget something?" he asked himself, staring at the ceiling.
Silence.
"Nah."
But on his desk, the laptop glowed with an open message:
"When are you uploading more chapters?"
Five notifications.
One sad emoji.
A comment: "The interdimensional burrito needs closure."