Chapter 53 – Rest Day 6 (Part 3)
The dining hall was almost empty. The trays had already been cleared, and the air smelled of old coffee and toasted bread. Courtney was sitting alone at one of the tables in the back, arms crossed and eyes fixed on a sheet of paper where she had written something that looked like a list of goals. Her posture was straight, her expression tense.
Cody entered with a firm step. He wasn't here to improvise. He was here to talk.
Courtney saw him approaching but said nothing. She only looked up when he was already in front of her.
"Are you here to tell me you chose Gwen?" said Courtney.
Cody sat across from her, without hesitation.
"Yes," said Cody.
Courtney let out a short, humorless laugh.
"How convenient. After everything that happened. After trivia night. After the kiss," said Courtney.
Cody lowered his gaze for a second. He remembered that night. The way they had laughed, how they had connected without cameras or competition. The kiss had been unexpected, but sincere.
"It wasn't fake. None of it was," said Cody.
"Then why her?" said Courtney.
Cody took a deep breath.
"Because I'm with her now. Because what I have with Gwen is something I want to protect. I don't want to play with anyone. I don't want to leave things unresolved," said Cody.
Courtney leaned forward, her eyes lit up.
"And what about me? Was I just a phase? A distraction between challenges?" said Courtney.
"No. You were important. What we shared was real. But now I'm with Gwen. And I want to be clear with you. I don't want this to get confusing," said Cody.
Courtney stood up, walked around the table, as if she needed to move to avoid exploding.
"You know what bothers me most? That you're exactly what I want. Not just for who you are. For what you represent. You're smart, kind, strong, and you don't let yourself be manipulated. You're a perfect match. And I'm not going to lose you to someone like Gwen," said Courtney.
Cody stood up too, not aggressively, but firmly.
"I'm not a trophy. I'm not something to win or lose. I'm a person. And I'm making a decision I believe is right," said Cody.
Courtney stopped in front of him, arms crossed, gaze fixed.
"And what if that decision is a mistake?" said Courtney.
"Then I'll face it. But I'm not going to betray what I'm building with Gwen just because someone else thinks they deserve to win," said Cody.
Courtney looked at him intensely. There were no tears. Just fire.
"I don't lose. I don't give up. And if Gwen thinks she already has you, she's wrong. Because I also know what I want. And I'm not going to sit and watch her take it," said Courtney.
Cody didn't respond. Not because he had no words, but because he knew nothing he said would change what Courtney felt.
She stepped closer, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and kissed him. It wasn't a soft kiss. It was firm, determined, as if marking territory. When she pulled away, she looked at him with bright eyes, but without vulnerability.
"This isn't over. Get ready. Because if you're the kind of guy who's worth it, then I'm the kind of girl who doesn't leave without a fight," said Courtney.
She turned, grabbed her sheet of paper, and left the dining hall without looking back.
Cody remained standing, feeling that each conversation pulled him further from the stability he was seeking.
And that the battle was just beginning.
The sky was covered with soft clouds, as if the day refused to choose between sun and shade. Cody walked with a firm step, but not hurried. Each conversation he'd had with the girls weighed on his shoulders—not out of guilt, but from the awareness that everything that had happened needed to be told. Gwen wasn't someone who tolerated half-truths. And he didn't want to build anything with her on silence.
He found her sitting on a stone bench near the garden, arms crossed and eyes fixed on the ground. She didn't seem surprised to see him. She only looked up when he was already a few steps away.
"Have you talked to all of them?" asked Gwen, plainly.
Cody sat beside her, leaving a space between them. Not out of fear, but out of respect.
"Yes. With Lindsay, Bridgette, Heather, and Courtney," he said.
Gwen didn't respond. She just waited.
Cody took a deep breath. He wasn't going to soften anything.
"With Lindsay it was brief. She told me she still thinks about me. That she likes how I am. She kissed me. It was spontaneous. I didn't ask for it. I didn't reject it. It just… happened. It was short. But sincere," said Cody.
—
Gwen frowned but said nothing.
"With Bridgette it was more emotional. She told me what we shared was special. That she hasn't felt that with anyone else. She kissed me too. It was longer. More… nostalgic. Like she wanted to recover something that's no longer there," Cody said.
Gwen turned her face toward him, eyes narrowed.
"And Heather?" she asked.
Cody lowered his gaze for a second.
"With Heather it was strange. She doesn't usually show emotion, but she told me she respects me. That she likes how I don't let myself be manipulated. But it felt more like a challenge. Like she wanted to test something. It wasn't romantic. It was… calculated," Cody said.
Gwen pressed her lips together but didn't interrupt.
"And Courtney…" Cody paused. "It was intense. She told me I'm exactly what she wants in life. That she won't lose. That she won't give up. She kissed me too. But it was different. It felt like a declaration. Like she was marking territory," Cody said.
Gwen stood up from the bench, walked a few steps, as if she needed space to process.
"And what did you do?" she asked, without turning around.
Cody stood up too, keeping his distance.
"I was clear. I told them I'm with you. That I don't want to play with anyone. That I don't want to leave things open. But I also didn't want you to hear it through rumors. That's why I came to tell you everything," Cody said.
Gwen turned slowly, looking at him with a mix of disbelief and restraint.
"And the kisses? What did they mean to you?" Gwen asked.
"They weren't promises. They weren't betrayals. They were goodbyes. Attempts to close something I don't want to keep carrying. But I know they hurt. And that's why I'm here. So you know. So you don't have to imagine it," Cody said.
Gwen looked at him for a long time. No tears. No shouting. Just a tension that felt like it was about to snap.
"And what if I don't want to share you with the memories of other girls?" Gwen said.
"Then help me build new memories. Ones that are ours. Ones that erase the rest," Cody said.
Gwen lowered her gaze, took a deep breath, and prepared to respond.
She remained standing, arms crossed, looking at Cody as if trying to decipher him. No shouting. No tears. But the silence between them was as dense as a storm that hadn't yet broken.
"You know what's the worst part?" Gwen finally said. Her voice was low but firm. "That you didn't do anything wrong. Technically."
Cody didn't respond. He knew what was coming wasn't an accusation, but something more complex.
"You were honest. You came to tell me everything. You didn't hide it. You didn't sugarcoat it. I didn't hear it through gossip or hallway glances. You told me yourself. And that… that makes me even angrier," Gwen said.
Cody frowned, confused.
"You're angry I told you?" he asked.
"No. I'm angry that you're so damn perfect," Gwen said, stepping toward him. "That you're the kind of guy every girl wants. That you're the kind of guy who doesn't play games, who doesn't lie, who doesn't hide. That you're the kind of guy who, even when kissed by other girls, handles it with dignity."
Cody lowered his gaze but said nothing.
"Do you know how many times I've been told I'm difficult? That I'm cold. That I'm too direct. That I don't know how to be 'feminine' in the way people expect. And now I'm here, with a guy who not only understands me, but respects me. Who chooses me. And I have to deal with the fact that this same guy was kissed by four girls in less than twenty-four hours," Gwen said.
Cody looked up, with a mix of guilt and tenderness.
"I didn't seek it out, Gwen. I didn't provoke it. But I didn't avoid it either. I didn't want to leave things open. I didn't want you to have to fight ghosts," Cody said.
Gwen let out a short, humorless laugh.
"Ghosts? They're not ghosts. They're real girls. With real lips. With real stories with you. Lindsay, Bridgette, Heather, Courtney. Each with her own style. Each with her own way of seeing you. And all of them decided that today was the day to remind you what you mean to them," Gwen said.
Cody stepped toward her.
"And I decided that today was the day to tell you what you mean to me," he said.
Gwen looked at him intensely. Her eyes were shining, but not with tears. It was fire.
"And what am I to you, Cody? The girl you chose after closing chapters? The one who stays when the others leave? The one who has to endure that her boyfriend is the consolation prize for those who didn't win?" Gwen said.
Cody shook his head.
"No. You're the only one I want to build something with. You're not the end of a race. You're the beginning of something I want to last. And if that means facing stares, comments, or even kisses I didn't ask for, I'll do it. But I don't want you to feel less because of what happened. Because you're not," Cody said.
Gwen stayed silent for a few seconds. Then walked to the bench, sat down, and looked at him with an expression that mixed exhaustion and resolve.
"You know what bothers me more than the kisses?" Gwen said.
Cody sat beside her, waiting.
"That all of them see you as the ideal guy. The one who doesn't give up. The one who listens. The one who doesn't get manipulated. The one with principles. And I… I see it too. And that scares me," Gwen said.
"Why?" Cody asked.
"Because I don't want to depend on you. I don't want my emotional stability to depend on whether you decide to stay. I don't want to be the girl who becomes insecure because her boyfriend is too good to be true," Gwen said.
Cody took her hand, gently.
"You don't have to depend on me. But you can count on me. I'm not here to be adored. I'm here to be challenged. To be made better. To build something that's not based on fear, but on respect," Cody said.
Gwen looked at him for a long time. Then stood, stepped in front of him, and without saying anything else, sat on his lap. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. It wasn't a soft kiss. It was firm, like she wanted to erase the taste of all the other girls. Like she was saying: "This one's mine."
When she pulled away, she looked at him with a mix of tenderness and defiance.
"Then let them come," Gwen said.
—
Cody wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his forehead against her chest.
"You know? I like it when you get brave. It reminds me I'm not alone in this," Cody said.
Gwen stroked his hair, still looking straight ahead.
"Just don't make me feel like I have to fight for you every day. I'm not that kind of girl," Gwen said.
"You don't have to. But if you do, I promise it'll be worth it," Cody said.
Gwen, ¬.
"Idiot," she repeated.
"Handsome idiot," Cody corrected.
She let out a brief laugh, and for the first time that afternoon, the sky seemed to open up a little.
The cabin was dim, lit only by the soft light filtering through the windows. The beds were messy, backpacks open, and the air carried that scent of old wood and cheap perfume you only find in camps where emotions mix with sweat and pride.
Bridgette was sitting in a corner, hugging a pillow like it was an emotional shield. Courtney paced back and forth, arms crossed and brow furrowed. Heather lay on a bunk, inspecting her nails as if other people's drama were entertainment. Izzy sat on the floor, legs crossed, wearing a smile that didn't match the tension in the room.
"This is getting out of control," Bridgette said, breaking the silence.
"You mean Gwen sitting on Cody's lap like it's her personal throne?" Courtney said sarcastically.
"Yes. That. And the kisses. And everything that's happening. I don't know if kissing him was a mistake. But lately I felt like I had to. Like it was the moment," Bridgette said.
Heather let out a short laugh.
"And what am I doing here? I'm not even competing for Cody. Was I invited just to watch the show?" Heather said.
Courtney stopped in front of her.
"Oh please. Don't play innocent. You kissed him too. And it wasn't out of courtesy," Courtney said.
Heather shrugged.
"It was an experiment. I wanted to see if all the fuss was justified. Spoiler: it is. But I'm not in love. Just… curious," Heather said.
Izzy raised her hand like she was in class.
"What if we share him?" she said.
The three girls looked at her like she'd just suggested summoning a spirit.
"What?" Courtney said.
"Yes. We share him. Like an agreement. A schedule. Monday for Bridgette, Tuesday for Courtney, Wednesday for Gwen, Thursday for Heather if she wants, and Friday for me. Weekends we leave him free to breathe," Izzy said, completely serious.
Bridgette covered her face with the pillow.
"This isn't a game, Izzy," she said.
"Of course not. It's a strategy. It's modern. It's inclusive. It's chaotic. It's perfect," Izzy said.
Heather sat up on the bunk, crossing her legs.
"You know what's most worrying? That for a second I considered it," Heather said.
Courtney raised an eyebrow.
"I don't share. I don't compete for scraps. Cody is what I want. And I'm not going to lose him to a girl who thinks sitting on his lap is enough to win," Courtney said.
Bridgette sighed.
"I just want all this to stop. I don't want to fight. I don't want this to turn into a war. But I also don't want to end up empty-handed," she said.
Izzy stood up, walked to the door, and turned dramatically.
"Well, if no one wants to share him, then let the best win. Or the craziest. Or the most creative. Or the one with the most explosives. I don't know, I'm still defining my approach," Izzy said.
Heather laughed.
"I definitely don't want to be nearby when you define that," she said.
Courtney walked to the window, looking toward the dining hall.
"This isn't over. Gwen thinks she's already won. But she hasn't seen anything yet," Courtney said.
Bridgette stayed silent, staring at the floor.
Heather lay back down, as if everything were a soap opera that hadn't yet reached its climax.
Izzy left the cabin humming a tune no one recognized.
The emotional war was far from over. And each of them had their own way of fighting.
In an improvised control room behind the dining hall, surrounded by flickering screens, messy cables, and a coffee maker that looked like it had survived three wars, Chef Hatchet and Chris McLean sat in front of a wall of monitors. Each screen showed a different part of the camp: the girls' cabin, the yard, the dining hall, the dock… and in the center, like the protagonist of a teen soap opera, Cody.
Chef had a cup of coffee in hand, though no one could confirm it was actually coffee. Chris, meanwhile, was reclined in a swivel chair, feet up on the console, wearing a smile that hadn't left his face all afternoon.
"Are you seeing this?" Chris said, pointing at the screen where Gwen sat on Cody's lap.
Chef grunted.
"I'm seeing it. And I'm losing faith in youth," Chef said.
Chris laughed.
"Come on, Hatchet. This is gold. Six girls kissing the same guy in less than a day. One sitting on his lap like it's the Iron Throne. And he's there, looking like 'I just wanted to cook in peace.' This is better than any physical challenge we've ever done!" Chris said.
Chef took a sip of his coffee and frowned.
"You know what's worse? The kid's not even doing it on purpose. He's like a magnet for hormonal chaos," Chef said.
Chris spun in his chair, looking at another screen where Courtney argued with Bridgette while Izzy proposed sharing Cody like a library schedule.
"Can you imagine a spin-off? Total Drama: Couples in Chaos. Episode one: 'Cody and the Six Storms.' Episode two: 'Kisses, Betrayals, and Awkward Laps.' Episode three: 'Izzy Proposes and No One Stops Her,'" Chris said.
Chef laughed for the first time in hours.
"And the final episode: 'Cody Moves to the Woods and Lives with Raccoons to Escape the Drama,'" Chef said.
Chris stood up, walked to a screen where Cody and Gwen hugged in silence.
"You know what surprises me? The kid hasn't cracked. He's handling all this with more dignity than most adults I know," Chris said.
Chef nodded.
"Yeah. But give it a couple more days. When Heather starts playing seriously, he's going to need emotional armor," Chef said.
Chris turned to him with a mischievous smile.
"What if we do a couples challenge? Public pairings. Competing together. Facing trust dynamics, jealousy, and cooking as a team. It'd be glorious!" Chris said.
Chef looked at him with a mix of horror and resignation.
"That sounds like a recipe to burn down the camp. Literally," Chef said.
Chris shrugged.
"And you know what that means: ratings!" Chris said.
They both stared at the screens. Cody remained at the center of it all, unaware that his love life had become the best content of the day.
Chef took another sip of his coffee.
"Think he'll survive?" Chef said.
Chris grinned.
"No. But it's going to be really fun watching him try," Chris said.
And with that, the camera slowly pulled away, leaving behind the control room, the emotional chaos of the camp, and Cody—the boy who just wanted to cook… and ended up the protagonist of a war of hearts.
—