Chapter 55 – Fifth Challenge (Part 2)
Cody broke away from the group as soon as they reached the edge of the forest. While the others argued over routes and strategies, he slipped back toward his cabin with quick, silent steps. No one followed. No one asked. It was as if they all knew Cody had his own rituals before a mission.
He entered, closed the door carefully, and headed to the corner where he kept his things. Beneath a pile of poorly folded t-shirts, he found what he was looking for. He grabbed it firmly and slid it naturally into the side pocket of his pants. It wasn't big, but it had weight. And purpose.
Cody stood in silence for a few seconds, looking out the window toward the forest. Then he left, without a word.
—
Meanwhile, in the camp's common area, the girls had gathered instinctively. Gwen sat on a rock, arms crossed, gaze steady. The others circled her like satellites with less-than-cosmic intentions.
Izzy was the first to speak, as always.
"So, you and Cody, huh? Interesting. Very interesting. Did you know I once competed for the affection of a snake charmer in Madagascar? I lost, but I gained experience. And now… I declare war on you!" said Izzy, pointing a twig at Gwen like it was a sword.
Lindsay, with her usual smile, adjusted her hair.
"I want to declare war too. But like… a pretty war. With dresses. And maybe cupcakes. But still war," said Lindsay.
Bridgette laughed—awkward but determined.
"This is ridiculous… but also kind of fun. I guess I'm in. Cody's sweet. And he has that weird thing where he doesn't know he's attractive. I like that," said Bridgette.
Gwen looked at them one by one. Her expression didn't change. But her eyes sparkled with a mix of challenge and amusement.
"Are you seriously doing this?" Gwen said.
Izzy struck a combat pose.
"For the honor of love and adrenaline!" she shouted.
Lindsay raised a flower like it was a flag.
"For Cody's eyes!" she said.
Bridgette shrugged.
"For… not being bored," she said.
Courtney and Heather were there too, but said nothing. Courtney stood with arms crossed, evaluating. Heather just watched, as if mentally taking notes for future blackmail.
Gwen stood up, calmly.
"Listen. Cody's not a trophy. He's not a prize. And he's not someone you win with cupcakes or shouting. He's someone who stays… if he wants to stay. And guess what: he already stayed with me," Gwen said.
The girls fell silent for a moment. Then Izzy laughed.
"That makes it even more exciting!" she said.
Lindsay chimed in.
"Yes! A lost battle is more romantic!" she said.
Bridgette stretched.
"Well, at least it won't be boring," she said.
Gwen was angry, but she didn't back down.
"I'm not letting him go. So if you want to fight, fight. But don't expect me to give up," Gwen said.
—
The silence that followed Gwen's declaration didn't last long. Izzy began spinning in place like she was charging cosmic energy.
"This is better than the time I infiltrated an alpaca cult to rescue my iguana! I'm ready for emotional combat!" Izzy shouted.
Lindsay sat on the ground, legs crossed like she was in a yoga class.
"Do you think Cody prefers mysterious girls like Gwen or sweet girls like me? Because I can be mysterious too. Watch: 'I have a secret.' See? Mysterious," Lindsay said, winking.
Bridgette laughed, but then grew more serious.
"Okay, girls. Seriously. Cody's not a prize, like Gwen said. But he's not immune to chemistry either. And let's be honest… we've all felt something for him at some point, right?" said Bridgette.
Izzy raised her hand like she was in class.
"I dreamed about him once! We were in a giant snail race and he gave me a talking flower. It was romantic," Izzy said.
Lindsay added:
"I dreamed about him too. We were in Paris, and he was a chef. He cooked me a cloud. Literally. A cloud!" said Lindsay.
Gwen rubbed her forehead, as if she needed a manual to deal with this kind of competition.
That's when Courtney spoke, her tone firm.
"This is a distraction. We're about to start a survival challenge. Are you really going to waste energy fighting over a guy?" said Courtney—though deep down, she wanted to fight too, claws and all.
Heather, without looking up from her nails, added:
"Besides, Cody's not that special. He's decent. He's got charm. He's mid-tier. Moderate competition," said Heather.
Gwen raised an eyebrow at her.
"What's that supposed to mean? That he's not worth fighting for?" Gwen said.
Heather, with malice:
"It means if you want him, keep him. But don't expect the rest of us to stay still. This is Total Drama. Drama doesn't stop for feelings," said Heather.
Courtney sighed.
"I'm just saying, if you're going to fight, do it after we win the challenge. Priorities, girls," said Courtney.
Izzy flipped into an inverted yoga pose.
"I can fight and survive at the same time! Emotional multitasking!" she shouted.
Lindsay stood up, brushing off dust.
"Me too. And I can do it with style!" she said.
Bridgette crossed her arms, looking at Gwen.
"Then it's official. Open competition. But no low blows, okay?" said Bridgette.
Gwen replied:
"No low blows. But no surrender either," said Gwen.
The girls looked at each other like they'd just signed a war treaty with romantic clauses.
At that moment, Chris appeared with his megaphone.
"Time to split into teams! Screaming Gophers vs. Killer Bass! Move it, campers!" Chris shouted.
The girls scattered, each with their own thoughts, strategies, and emotions on edge. The forest awaited them. And Cody, unknowingly, stood at the center of a silent war that was just beginning.
The Screaming Gophers marched into the forest with steady steps, following the map Cody held with a mix of focus and casual flair. Owen walked at the front like the woods were his backyard.
"This reminds me of when my grandpa took me fishing at Silent Lake. Though it wasn't that silent. He screamed every time he saw a frog. One time we caught a boot! And we cooked it!" said Owen, with contagious enthusiasm.
DJ laughed.
"You ate it?" he asked.
"Of course! Turns out it was rubber. But it tasted like adventure," said Owen.
Cody joined the conversation with a smile.
"My grandpa taught me how to make fire with two stones. The problem was… they were decorative stones. We ended up using a lighter," said Cody.
Lindsay, walking just behind Cody, leaned in curiously.
"Did your grandpa scream at frogs too?" she asked.
"No, but once he got into a fight with a squirrel over a granola bar. The squirrel won," said Cody.
Gwen laughed, walking beside Cody.
"And what did you do?" she asked.
"I gave the squirrel another bar so it would let go of my grandpa," said Cody.
The group laughed. The tension of the challenge seemed to dissolve into jokes and memories. Lindsay looked at Cody with bright eyes.
"You're so funny! Do you have more squirrel stories?" she asked.
"Only if I survive this forest. Maybe I'll get to star in a new one," said Cody, winking.
Gwen gave him a playful shove on the arm.
"Only if you don't become bear food," said Gwen.
"That's canon already, isn't it?" Cody thought.
As they moved forward, the group felt more united. Cody led naturally, Gwen walked beside him with ease, Lindsay followed with curiosity, and Owen kept the energy high. DJ and Noah exchanged glances, as if recognizing that something was shifting in the group dynamic.
The Screaming Gophers advanced through the woods with laughter, jokes, and anecdotes. Owen kept telling fishing stories about his grandpa, Lindsay asked questions no one knew how to answer, and Gwen and Cody shared jokes with a growing sense of natural closeness.
But at the back of the group, Trent walked in silence.
His steps were slow—not from fatigue, but from emotional weight. Every time Cody said something funny and Gwen laughed, Trent felt the forest closing in a little more. It wasn't just jealousy. It was a sense of loss. Of being replaced. Of not having been enough.
Cody walked at the front, map in hand, guiding the group like he was born for it. Gwen followed closely, sometimes playfully pushing him, other times just looking at him with that smile that used to be for Trent.
Trent lowered his gaze.
He remembered the conversation with Harold in the cabin, days ago.
"I'm telling you, Cody doesn't deserve all that attention. It's all a façade. He plays the nice guy, but he's one of those types who crush you with a smile. And everyone falls for it. Even Gwen. But you… you're real, Trent," Harold had said, almost like a father figure.
At the time, Trent hadn't wanted to believe it. But now, seeing how Cody moved among the others, how everyone listened to him, how Gwen looked at him… Harold's words began to echo.
What if Cody wasn't that perfect?
What if Gwen had been swept up by surface-level charm?
What if Trent simply didn't have that kind of light?
Lindsay turned for a moment, looking at him.
"Trent! Do you have any fishing stories? Or squirrel theft tales?" she asked enthusiastically.
Trent forced a smile.
"Not many. Just… long walks," he said.
Cody turned briefly.
"Well, this one counts! If we survive, you can get it tattooed," Cody said, laughing.
Gwen laughed with him.
Trent lowered his gaze again.
He didn't respond.
He didn't laugh.
He just kept walking, feeling like a spectator in a movie where he used to be the lead.
The group continued along a path covered in dry leaves, sunlight filtering through the branches. Cody led with the map in hand, but the hike had become more of a group chat than a survival mission.
Owen, as always, took the lead in storytelling.
"One time, my grandpa and I hunted a bear. Well, he hunted it. I just screamed and ran in circles. But it was epic. The bear had this look like, 'Seriously, old man?' and my grandpa answered with a shotgun. Boom! Family story," said Owen, arms wide like he was narrating a movie.
Izzy clapped excitedly.
"I want to see a bear! I want to hug it! I want to teach it to dance!" said Izzy.
Noah raised an eyebrow.
"And what would you do if the bear hugs you first? With claws," said Noah.
"I'd go with the moment!" said Izzy.
Cody laughed, turning to Noah.
"If a bear shows up, you run. I try to take it down. Then you run faster because I'll be screaming," said Cody.
"Run, scream, tackle. That's your plan?" said Noah.
"It's more of a plan than yours, which is 'die sarcastically,'" said Cody.
Lindsay laughed uncontrollably.
"Cody, don't be silly! You can't fight a bear! You couldn't even fight a squirrel without losing your granola bar!" said Lindsay.
Gwen stepped closer to Cody, smiling teasingly.
"Please don't be dumb enough to fight a bear. If one shows up, hide behind Owen. He's got experience. You've got… enthusiasm," said Gwen.
"And muscles. Don't forget the muscles," said Cody, flexing his arm.
"Sure. The bear will surrender out of respect for your biceps," said Noah.
Izzy roared like a bear, Lindsay screamed playfully, and Owen dove to the ground like he was in an action movie.
The group burst into laughter. The hike became lighter, warmer. Cody and Gwen walked together, exchanging glances and gentle nudges. Noah kept tossing sarcastic comments, Izzy searched for animal tracks, and Lindsay sang a made-up song about bears and love.
But not everyone laughed.
A few steps behind the group, Trent walked in silence. His steps were heavy, as if the ground weighed more beneath his feet. Gwen's laughter reached him like distant echoes, each giggle a small sting.
He saw her playfully push Cody, then laugh with Lindsay. Cody seemed to shine in that setting, like the forest itself conspired to make him look more confident, more loved. Trent lowered his gaze. It wasn't exactly jealousy. It was that bitter mix of nostalgia and emptiness. Like he had once been part of that scene—but now was just watching from the outside.
Harold walked beside him, as if he knew exactly what to say to make things worse.
"Did you know Gwen said Cody has 'spark'? She said it yesterday. Literally. 'Cody has spark.' Do you have spark, Trent?" Harold said, with a casual but poisonous tone.
Trent didn't respond. He just pressed his lips together.
"And Cody has that hairstyle—like he doesn't even try but still looks good. You have… well, you have a guitar. Did you bring it? No, right?" Harold continued.
Trent stopped for a second, pretending to adjust his backpack. In reality, he just needed to breathe. Every word from Harold was like a pebble in his shoe. It didn't hurt at first, but with every step, it became unbearable.
The group kept moving forward, unaware. Gwen turned her head for a moment, looked back, and her eyes met Trent's. Just for a second. A neutral look. Not warm, not cold. Just… distant.
Trent lowered his gaze. In his mind, the scene repeated: Cody making Gwen laugh, Harold whispering poison, and himself, trapped in a spiral of memories and doubts. Had he lost something? Or had he simply never had it?
Harold, satisfied with the silence, smiled to himself.
"Relax, buddy. Sometimes you're the protagonist. Sometimes, you're just part of the scenery," Harold said, like a malicious sage.
Trent didn't respond. But in his mind, something cracked. Not because of Gwen. Not because of Cody. But because of himself. For not knowing how to step out of the role of spectator.
—
The forest closed in around them like a dome of leaves and branches. The Killer Bass team advanced along a less-traveled path, with Courtney in front, map in hand and a determined look.
"Come on, guys! If we keep this pace, we'll reach the checkpoint before the others. But we need coordination. Coordination!" Courtney said, turning to make sure everyone heard her.
Duncan, hands in his pockets and a twig between his teeth, walked with the opposite attitude.
"Coordination? Aren't we in a forest? Isn't this supposed to be an adventure, not a school field trip?" Duncan said.
"This is a competition, Duncan. Not a photo shoot for your rebel profile," Courtney replied, without stopping.
"What if I get lost on purpose? Maybe I'll find a bear and convince it you're the real danger," Duncan said with a mocking smile.
Courtney stopped abruptly, spun on her heels, and looked at him with narrowed eyes.
"If you get lost, I won't stop to look for you. But the bear will probably run away from your hygiene," she said.
While tension between them grew like weeds, Katie walked a few steps behind, completely unaware of the conflict. Her eyes sparkled at every detail of the forest.
"Look at those berries! Can we eat them? And that bird! Is it a hummingbird? I've never seen one so close!" Katie said, pointing excitedly.
She crouched to observe tiny flowers growing between the roots of a tree.
"Isn't it amazing how everything here seems to have its own world? Like the trees have secrets," she murmured, more to herself than to anyone else.
Courtney glanced at her sideways.
"Katie, please focus. We're not here to collect flowers," she said firmly.
Katie stood up, though her eyes kept wandering through the forest's colors.
Duncan approached her, lowering his voice.
"If you see a unicorn, let me know. Might be more cooperative than Courtney," Duncan said.
Katie giggled, while Courtney huffed and resumed walking.
The group moved forward, divided between strategy, rebellion, and wonder. And although the forest seemed calm, something in the air suggested it wouldn't stay that way for long.
—
Heather walked with her arms crossed, eyes fixed on Gwen, who laughed alongside Cody, Noah, and Izzy. Every laugh echoed like a personal insult. The memory of the ants still stung—literally and emotionally—and seeing Gwen so calm, so protected, made Heather's blood boil.
She turned to Beth, Lindsay, and Trent, lowering her voice but keeping the venom.
"Gwen's next. The ants were just the beginning. No one mocks me and gets away with it," Heather said with a tense smile.
Beth looked at her, uncomfortable.
"But… you read her diary. That was pretty low. You can't expect everyone to side with you after that," Beth said, gently but firmly.
Lindsay, distracted by a butterfly, chimed in without filter.
"Yeah, and Cody protected her. And Noah. And even Izzy, who's like… crazy but loyal. Gwen has her own squad. You can't touch her without getting bitten," Lindsay said, like she was narrating a movie.
Heather clenched her teeth.
"Since when is Cody a human shield? Since when does Gwen need protection?" Heather said sarcastically.
Trent, who had been silent, finally spoke.
"Since you became the villain of the story. No one trusts you, Heather. Not even me. And that says a lot," Trent said, voice low but heavy with resentment.
Heather looked at him with disdain but didn't respond. Instead, she turned her gaze back to Gwen's group. Cody was telling a funny story, gesturing enthusiastically. Gwen laughed, relaxed, and Lindsay joined in from afar. Noah cracked a sarcastic joke, and Izzy roared like a bear again.
Heather watched them like they were a fortress she couldn't breach. Every smile was another stone in the wall that kept her out. And Cody… that boy who once seemed insignificant, was now the center of something. Something Heather couldn't control.
"This won't last. Alliances change. And when they do, Gwen will fall. With or without ants," Heather murmured, more to herself than to anyone else.
Beth looked at her with concern. Lindsay was already distracted by a squirrel. Trent remained silent, but his gaze stayed locked on Gwen… and Cody.
Heather turned away, scowling. She hadn't won this round. But in her mind, the game wasn't over.
—
Katie's Point of View
At first, everything had been fascinating. The leaves crunched under her feet like the forest was whispering secrets. Birds sang melodies she tried to imitate. The berries gleamed like hidden jewels among the bushes. Katie had let herself be swept away by the beauty of it all, slowly drifting from the group without realizing.
But now, the silence was different.
No more laughter. No more Courtney barking orders or Duncan making jokes. Just trees. Trees that seemed taller, denser. The sunlight filtered in thin lines, like the forest was closing its doors.
Katie stopped. Looked around. She didn't recognize anything.
"Courtney? Duncan? Hello?" she said, voice trembling.
No answer. Just the sound of a distant bird and the wind rustling the branches.
Her heart began to race. She tried retracing her steps, but every tree looked the same. Every path, a copy of the last. The forest, once a fairy tale, now felt like a maze.
"I'm lost… I'm lost…" she murmured, eyes filling with tears.
She started running. Not toward anything—just away. As if movement could erase the fear. Branches scraped her arms, leaves tangled in her hair. She tripped once, got up fast. Fear pushed her harder than her legs.
"Courtney! Duncan! Killer Bass! Please!" she cried, voice cracking.
Nothing.
Katie stopped, gasping. She hugged herself, trembling. The forest wasn't magical anymore. It was vast. And she was small.
But in the middle of panic, something stirred inside her. A spark of hope. She remembered what Owen said about bears. How Izzy talked about following instinct. How Gwen always said fear was just a sign that something important was happening.
Katie took a deep breath. She didn't know where the others were. But she knew she couldn't stay still.
She wiped her tears with her sleeve, adjusted her backpack, and started walking. Not running. Not shouting. Just moving forward. Scared, yes. But also determined.
—