Actions

Work Header

Reality Collides: The Ezekiel Chronicles

Chapter 50: First Day Off Pt 2

Notes:

Author's note: Well, I hope you all had fun into reading the part 1... BECAUSE HERE IS THE PART 2.

Now I will take a few days off to enjoy my rest because Sunday is the first day of Spring, which means one thing. My birthday. So I hope you guys enjoy this as my gift for you to enjoy, now have fun everyone. Because when the time will comes, the Killer Bass will be on the Second Day most interesting time ever... THE MALL ARC, so prepare yourselves.

Chapter Text

 

(Grandma House)

"It sucks that you didn't manage to win the money." Pixie Corpse huffed as the goth friends sat together in the living room of an abandoned mansion, which the white and grey faded colors, mixed with the vintage wine color of the wood clearly created a creepy effect on the mansion which belonged to one of the oldest goths across the neighborhood...

A mansion that was near a graveyard, which Gwen was always happy to visit on the time of childhood, his grandma's house. Since she passed away, she was to let the said mansion be shared by Gwen's friends who were always good friends of the dark side, as the old lady always enjoyed spending her time with her granddaughter.

Since then, Gwen was happy to have her friends using that mansion as a secret spot to talk about their lives and pass the time, just like she did with Killer Bass in the Aquarium.

"Yeah, but it had been hell to reach the final 4, and I was without energy to continue to the final 3," Gwen commented as she could understand how hard must have been to reach the point that as Chef said, "I think I just got into a point I stopped caring,"

"Well, not after your group messed up into having a chance to get the 1 million dollar suitcase," Reaper said as he could see Gwen groaning annoyed. "I gotta say that stupid model wannabe really played with you since they got your information and managed to make the girl who has a boyfriend fall for him."

"Oh come on, you couldn't believe how hard it was to avoid looking at Justin, that boy is like a bug zapper lantern you just get too attracted just by looking at him," Gwen said as she rolled her eyes, which made Reaper deadpan at her, and she quickly pointed at Pixie and Marilyn who looked fawned over the said boy just by mentioning his name.

"SERIOUSLY?" Reaper shouted which made the duo snap from their thoughts. "Anyway, it was kinda humiliating to see you fighting around everyone, you did fine about not going to school today, because everyone was talking about how you were fighting everyone just for a case of money like a piece of meat, and you became the talk of the school."

"Oh no..." Gwen palled just for having such a bad memory of what Ezekiel had said, indeed the popularity would attack them for all the reasons, the good moments and even the bad moments. "My life is over, I'm going to be the joke of the school."

"Well, you are saved because your friend Ezekiel saved part of your reputation," Marilyn said as she could see her goth friend looking at her. "From everyone saying Trent, Beth, and Ezekiel being the voice of the reason, they said it would have been a more fair game if everyone tried again on season 2. So you have a chance to save your reputation."

"Well, I think there isn't too much to do about saving it anyway," Gwen sighed as she looked disappointed and the group of friends raised their eyebrows. "I will always be the weird girl of the school anyway."

"Gwen, you don't get it... while you were on the show, you had a lot of boys saying you are the hottest goth of the school, your popularity skyrocketed in a way that it became absurd." Pixie commented as she saw her best friend blinking at her. "Especially when you have great moments like giving the middle finger to Trent and jumping from the airplane, walking between alligators trying to catch a key, having a good conversation with the dyslexic girl who just destroyed the nerds by talking about Indiana Jones..."

"Gotta admit, it was funny to see the nerds having a meltdown, the jocks saw them in such a pathetic state, that the nerds placed themselves inside of the lockers, which made the jockers confused and kind of sad for them." Reaper chuckled at seeing the weird moments happening across the school, which clearly made Gwen blink in surprise. "You are popular now Gwen, and we can't wait to meet your friends when we go to your birthday party."

"Wait, my mom..."

"Yep, she invited us, saying the Killer Bass and Cody who is Katie's boyfriend were going to be there. To be honest, I can't wait to see both Codys meet each other. It's going to be funny to see." Marilyn commented as if she was going to enjoy how confused both nerds would be, especially since Gwen tried to avoid the one from the show since he had a crush on her.

"Well say what you want. I kinda want to see your friend Ezekiel signing my book of Courage the Cowardly Dog." Pixie Corpse commented as it immediately grabbed Gwen's attention. "How a boy who just lived on a farm and never went to a school managed to grab a dark and terrifying concept of everything could be a horror, and managed to make a disgusting wholesome, and yet funny in the end? I don't usually like happy endings, but I admit this book hooked me up."

Gwen felt a good sense of nodding, but then Merilyn decided to comment about another thing.

"I can't believe they have the audacity to actually bury you both alive," Merelyn commented as Gwen flinched just to remember about that day. "And in a glass coffin, which was the worst way, instead of going to a vintage style, no, they preferred to make you see all the dirt around you, hell, they even let a bit of dirty inside of the said coffin, that was really fucked up. "

"Yeah... to say it was traumatizing wouldn't be a lie, especially when I saw firsthand Ezekiel in a broken state... I felt awful, of course, but seeing Ezekiel who also almost death experience before?" Gwen commented as she gave a slight glance towards the book created by him... "I was just surprised that he didn't write a chapter of them being buried alive, since it was a horrifying experience for both of us."

"Maybe someday he will do it? It's a very big book, and from the success, I don't doubt it will have another volume coming." Pixie said as Gwen nodded her head, and the group gave a good glance at the crows appearing on the window. Which then came another question on their minds. "So tomorrow you are going to a long car ride?"

"Yeah, I and the Killer Bass planned to meet at Eaton Centre tomorrow, because since Ezekiel is going to be in a mall for the first time, and with the popularity of the show, he may need help in case a crowd gathers on there," Gwen commented as she could already imagine on how chaotic everything would be. "And it would be nice for us to have a nice day together at the mall, just to chill and see what we could do there."

"Isn't he going to make a book sign in a few days? Why going tomorrow?" Marilyn asked as Gwen simply shrugged.

"Well, it could be for him enjoying the mall before a few days he couldn't even get out from the book store where he would be doing the book signing, who knows? At least mom let me have her credit card in case I find something horrifying to buy as decoration." Gwen said as the trio of goths nodded their heads.

"Good idea, I think you buying a chain collar would make you look more awesome," Pixie commented as the group came to an agreement.

"Heyyyyyyyy, everyone..." Then a singing voice made Gwen groan, while the trio gave a slight smirk. Alisson, the mother of the famous goth girl finally got out of the kitchen. "Who wants some cookies?"

The goths chuckled while Gwen facepalmed and glared at them to not dare...

"I want some..." Reaper said as Gwen glared at him furiously, but he simply ignored her.

And the more betrayed she became when her other friends also raised their hands. The matriarch smiled widely, and Gwen groaned from her mom, being her mom...


(Geoff's House)

"Hey, Mom, hey Dad, it took a while but finally I cleaned up everything from the party we did yesterday," Geoff commented as he felt exhausted but with a satisfied look on his face. "The downside of making an awesome party is that someone is responsible for cleaning up all the things we did at the party... Hello?"

Geoff was talking when suddenly he realized he was alone at his house until suddenly he started hearing something in the garage.

"Oh, Sarah, you naughty girl..." A male voice suddenly made Geoff turn his head, as he wasn't sure what was going on...

"Yes, I'm very naughty that I need to be punished... Jefferson, what are you going to do about it?" Then a voice made Geoff realize who was talking at that moment.

"MOM, DAD, I'M RIGHT HERE," Geoff shouted as suddenly the sound of people making out in the garage stopped, it took a few minutes, until the duo of parents looked sheepishly at him, which made him deadpan to his parents. "Have you been making out on the garage for the whole month?"

"2 months actually Geoff," Jefferson said as he could see his lovely wife giving him bedroom eyes at him. "You were 9 weeks away from home, which would be 2 months more or less, and not just that."

"And don't be silly honey, since your brothers go to school in the morning, we had the whole house for us…" Sarah commented as she gave a slight teasing smirk which made Geoff's palled. "We were in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, your brothers' bedrooms, and also your b…"

"LALALALALALALA, I'M NOT HEARING YOU. NOT LISTENING," Geoff said as he ignorantly said loudly as the duo of parents chuckled at him. "Where is the spray when we needed most?"

"The one they used on you at the show?" Sarah asked in amusement, as she could see her son flinching. "Well, honey, it's natural for married people to want to have fun for themselves."

"But come on, in public?" Geoff said in disbelief as he then heard both his parents laughing…

"Oh no, no way…" Jefferson said as he then walked slowly to his son, which was a terrifying experience since his father was naked… "Geoff, my boy… You forgot one single thing…"

"Which is?" Geoff said as he turned his head away because he didn't want to have a mental scar…

"This is my house, I property… I can be naked when I want, and have sex as much as I want with my wife," Jefferson said as he could see Geoff palling on hearing his words. "Your bedroom, and your brother's bedrooms? All mine, if you don't want me to have fun with your mother, then have a house on your own, and you can do anything you want in your house. My house, my rules."

"Now Jefferson, don't be so cruel with Geoff," Sarah gave a slight slap on the back of Jefferson's head, while Geoff sweatdropped as the woman looked very kind. "He is still growing up, and now that he found a girlfriend, he can understand how important is to satisfy her, in..."

"NOPE, NOPE, NOPE. I'M OUT HERE." Geoff quickly said as he threw away the cleaning products, and went directly to his bedroom, probably to take his skateboard and go around the neighborhood. "I will be taking my skateboard and going out, and tomorrow I will be taking the car keys to go to the mall tomorrow, and you can do… what you are doing when I'm out of here."

"Okay, don't go kissing in public for too long Geoff," Sarah commented as she gave a slight smirk to her boy, who after getting out of his bedroom narrowed his eyes at her. "Your friends may be prepared for what you are going to do tomorrow."

"Rar, Rar, Rar…" Geoff sarcastically joked, as he now understood how annoying it would be being like that in public. "I should have gone to school, at least I wouldn't have witnessed this… Love you both, bye."

"Byee…" The duo waved at their son, as they didn't seem to mind, since both of them continued their lovable moment together, which immediately Geoff rolled his eyes at the time he went on the door.

"I should have asked for one of those anti-horny sprays from the guys because I don't want to see or hear my parents doing that while I'm at home," Geoff said as he quickly got out from the warzone which would be his house, and he didn't even want to imagine his parents having sex on the house. "They had 9 weeks without me, and now they did that while I'm at home? Poor guys, thankfully it was never like that after we returned from school."

Geoff shivered just from the imagination on how the house was compromised, and how his parents lacked control of their hormones, which was quite ironic, since Geoff and Bridgette were also doing that on the show, and the quantity of pepper sauce and water damaged their faces, he was surprised that their eyes or skin were damaged permanently from all the times they were stopped from kissing too much.

"Also I'm glad they let me take the car keys for the mall trip tomorrow." Geoff prepared himself for the idea of going to the mall with Bridgette and the other Killer Bass, it had been a long ride on season 1, but he couldn't help but miss his girlfriend already. The party was awesome, but just for the sake it was the first party he was without the surfer, kinda made it a bit not so perfect, but still it had been a great time he had with Brody and their friends. But still passing 5 hours cleaning up all that mobile and floor, maybe it was something he would leave marked on his personal book. "Well, at least tomorrow I will be kissing Bridgette as much as I… oh..."

At that moment, Geoff paused, as he realized something that he never thought about... The essence of making out with his girlfriend, and how his parents had been like that for the whole month.

"Well, maybe I shouldn't go overboard like my mom and dad... I don't think someone deserved to hear what I heard a few minutes ago." Geoff commented as he shivered from imagination, on how his children would feel as he was horny like his parents. "Maybe I will make that spray, just in case… they continued that when my brothers are back from school."


(Courtney's School)

"So who won the election to be the new student council president?" Courtney asked as she looked at the boy who had a very curved cow lick haircut, and wore a dark grey blouse with a red strip on the middle, and dark blue jeans, as he slowly looked bored into his books…

"Beatrice of the 8[sup]th/sup] grade," Tom replied as he was curious about what would be the reaction of Courtney since most of the part she had been passing almost the entire year getting preparations for what would be her victory of being the new student council president, and even having her obsession into trying to win the election with all costs, and even using the prize money of Total Drama to make some changes around the school. Especially against the trio of students of the other years who always developed such rivalry with Courtney, to the point that he could see them fighting all the time.

"Oh," Courtney paused, as she then thought for a few seconds, and simply continued to eat her school lunch… which clearly made Tom pause and stare at the C.I.T. who simply shrugged at everything that happened. Courtney was staring at one of the books she was studying until she could feel the stare of his friend on her. "What?"

"It's just weird that you passed most of the year with a plan to being the youngest student council president, just for now you simply shrug off like it wasn't a big deal," Tom said as he raised both his eyebrows and looked at the tan girl in disbelief. "Are you sure that you are my good old friend Courtney?"

"Har, Har, Har..."Courtney rolled her eyes, as she continued eating and enjoying the school food. "As much I would hate to say it, the food of school is not bad, in comparison to Chef's food on a daily basis, this is like gourmet."

Tom saw the girl mumbling as she ate completely without complaint, as he turned to his friend with total disbelief, and that of course annoyed Courtney.

"Tom, can you knock it off? It's fine," Courtney complained as she decided to ignore such superfluous things as she decided to be honest with him. "As much I would have liked to win the election, I couldn't do it, since I had to pass most of the weeks surviving in terrible conditions, going against animals, military training, and dangerous and scary challenges after 3 days every single time. Surviving all for the sake of winning 100 thousand dollars, and the challenge is not even over. Now the stakes became 1 million dollars for the next season…"

Tom looked surprised, as the girl finished to eat quickly her lunch, as she opened her math book and started reading…

"As much I would have liked winning, it's just a title with a lot of responsibilities, and if I participate in the show of the second season, that means I wouldn't have time to do school projects and help the school, so that means I would lose by default anyway," Courtney said as she showed a bit of frustration on her voice. "I mean, sure that title would help me to add to my curriculum as I try to go to college to become a lawyer…"

"But?" Tom crossed his arms as he could see the girl who seemed to be so obsessed with winning, actually was doing her best to remain calm and into focusing on other things.

"After I met some friends… I've started asking myself if that's becoming a lawyer and what I want since I saw a girl becoming a billionaire entrepreneur. While another friend of mine because a great writer, and he never went to a school for God's sake." Courtney raised both her hands, as her friend looked surprised at her. "I mean, it's tragic after what Ezekiel told me about his aunt, and I agreed, nobody would ever want to hear about how a family member had to sacrifice their lives from such atrocity happening in schools… But still, I just saw people becoming big names like the creator of social media who dropped college."

"Oh, I can see where you are getting," Tom commented as he could see how his friend had changed, from the usual upside girl who felt that she should be very competitive, giving sweat, blood, and tears for her objectives, studying countless hours for making good grades, just for later find out a military girl and a homeschooled boy becoming big names that they won't need to think about their future, since now they found their way to get an income of money… He could see that Courtney was in fact, envious of them. "Well, people tend to get lucky, some get opportunities and get way more than anyone ever expects."

"Yeah, that's what I thought so…" Courtney commented as she kept reading her math book. "I told Miss Harrington that I would be out for probably a few more weeks and I have no idea if I would return to this year. Thankfully she told me I could take a test later to determine my final grade of the year, and that way I wouldn't need to worry about my grades at the end of season 2."

"Didn't your contract have a fine print about your grades wouldn't change since you took part in the show?" Tom asked as he raised his eyebrows at Courtney who simply nodded her head at him.

"Yes, they do. But I wanted to prove to our teachers that I wanted to pass the year fair and square," Courtney commented, as she gave a small confident smile to her friend. "Just because I'm in a relationship with a delinquent bad boy, doesn't mean I'm not going to make him do his homework as well, someone needs to be a good example for Ezekiel tomorrow."

"You are going to meet all your friends at the mall tomorrow right?" Tom asked and Courtney smiled at him. "Cool, can you do me a favor?"

"If is to take a book for you, you must wait in the line like everyone else. Ezekiel's rules." Courtney said automatically as her friend gave a bored look on his face. "Don't look at me like that, the books will be published after tomorrow, and we kinda wanted to be low profile for a bit and enjoy our freedom before going back to season 2."

"Freedom?" Tom asked amused as he pointed behind his back…

Banners showing a picture of Courtney and Duncan kissing, with titles of Power Couple, then another picture of Ezekiel on one side, Duncan on the other side, and Courtney in the middle as the title of the banner was written. Pillars of Killer Bass.

A poster of Courtney holding her violin and singing a song, and even some art of her doing a few challenges… It had been overwhelming from the time Courtney came to school, some students were even asking for autographs from her.

Quotes were made by Ezekiel, Courtney, and Duncan during the whole season, and students were glancing nervously and even waving at Courtney as if they were fans of her time on the show. Clearly showed that since the first season, Courtney's life was not going to be the same.

"shut up…" Courtney said as she blushed, as she tried to continue her studies, but it was a crazy feeling of being watched by everyone from the school. Tom chuckled from even as the girl seemed to change from the show, it still has some of the same Courtney as she always had been.


(Eva's house)

"..." The bodybuilder Iron Woman had been working out with her dumbbells as she glanced at her parents.

"..." The father said nothing, as he was working on his sit-ups.

"..."The mother also said nothing as she kept raising herself on the lift-up bar.

As the trio continued their working out session together, each of them kept giving sideglances at the other since it had been a lot of days since they didn't managed to do a working out like that, as each of them was focusing on their determined schedule, they haven't said a single word at the time they got inside of the workout room.

But suddenly everything stopped since Eva decided to drop her dumbbells on the floor.

"Good talk, Mom and Dad," Eva commented as she took a towel with her, as the stitches she removed didn't seem to incommode her anymore, and she was now with a little scar from where she had been stabbed, but in comparison than everything she did, it was one proof that she was alive and ready to fight.

"Indeed..." Her father nodded as he finished his leg day. And took something to hydrate himself with.

"Likewise," Anastasia smiled, her family always speaks in Strong People language, and only a handful of them could understand what was happening in their workout room. And they could learn a lot more from a single working out than passing hours talking about anything. "So that was the training schedule that you made for both Sadie and Ezekiel?"

"Yes," Eva nodded her head since she could see her mom giving the approval look on her face. "They have been getting healthier than I expected."

"Well, Ezekiel I saw him determined to use weights from now on. Does he know any martial arts?" Anastasia asked as she didn't remember at the time she talked with his mom, because if so she would have made sure to remember.

"He learned how to be a hunter, how to use a bow and arrow, and how to use a sword for his stunts. But a hand-to-hand combat I never saw him do it." Eva shrugged as she never thought about the possibility. "Maybe he should learn some martial arts because if he remains with the weight without a purpose of training his body it can be prejudicial to his body in the long term."

"That's what I think." The father commented as he passed a few seconds thinking. "Maybe you can recommend something for him when you go to the mall tomorrow Eva,"

"That's a very reasonable idea," The daughter of the bodybuilders nodded her head in understanding, as she could see that Ezekiel would follow her training schedule, in the same way she could check Sadie on the next day since she disliked the idea of the group slacking off.

"Also… are you sure that's what you want for your life Eva? You sounded very assured about your plans for the future." Anastasia asked in a serious tone, as Eva could see by the undertone of her voice, she also sounded a bit concerned.

"Yes… I think that would be a good idea for me in the future." Eva commented as she could see both her parents supporting her projects for the future.

"So after this second season, we will take you with your trailer across the entire Canada, finding training spots for you to try on the MMA," Her father knew that her daughter was capable, as it also showed a good opportunity for her in the future. "Know that the male division of UFC can be very brutal, and we don't want to get sued by the boys who couldn't defeat you."

"Pff… I think they could take it." Eva scoffed as she smirked at what her father had said to her, proving that he feared for the man who would fight against her, and she believed him since she never thought that she managed to do the impossible sometimes, and surpassed her own limits and grew higher than she ever thought.

A bear? From male to female, Saskatchanakwa? New clothes for her, a Serial Killer? He will have nightmares of her when he sees her on television.

She is Eva the fucking Iron Woman, what doesn't kill her, it would make her even stronger, so it would be for the UFC fighters to treat her seriously, or she would take their belts so easily that it wouldn't even be funny for her.

"Alright, then. Let's think on how would be your training schedule after season 2, but remember to not lose the second season because you got hurt like the other times. I don't want to drag your ass back to the hospital and tie you to the bed again." Anastasia said grumpily which Eva freezes up, and immediately nodded her head at her mom.

"Got it…" Eva said as she could see her mom annoyed by the fact she escaped from the hospital, and she didn't want to get the same problems with her parents again, since it was painful and annoying. And kinda humiliating that it was something like that to happen.

"Also, did you get a letter from the mayor of our city?" Anastasia asked, and Eva raised her eyebrow at her, and shaking her head, she suddenly saw the smirking face of her mother. "The mayor wants you to give a seminar for little girls who want to learn how to be strong like you, it's kinda funny to see little girls treating you as their heroine, and wanting to be like you."

Eva slowly blushed, as she didn't know it would reach a point like that.

"The Iron Woman, the heroine of girls who wanted to beat up Serial Killers and bear's biggest fear." The father grumpily joked, which Eva blushed even more, as she wanted to not get out of the working room. "Let's go, we have to prepare the working out schedule for you around the show of season 2, and you can prepare the schedule of your friends. We can mark another day for you to do the seminar for the girls, and then we focus on your career as an MMA fighter. How many belts do you think you can take in a few years?"

"I don't know. All of them? Maybe 7?" Eva shrugged as she couldn't understand how that would be a difficult question, she didn't know how many belts would be, all that she knew it would be… Beat them up, knock them out, simple like that.

"That's my girl." Her father commented, and Anastasia gave an approval nod, as the group would have a bit of resting, before returning to their thoughts about the carbs they need to consume, and then return to a warm-up and relaxing before sleep.

A time Eva missed since she left her house to go to the show.


(Clothing Store)

Around the city, in the middle of the afternoon, there was a local clothing store, it took a long time for a mother to have such an opportunity to buy much good clothing in the sale, and from the time she was going to be there, she needed to have some moral support, and even some hard work, some relatives that she was happy to bring with her. Her lovely son, and her good and innocent niece. They have been well behaved in the waiting room…

And in the waiting room, there was simply a glass table...

"Let's see…" Harold commented as he was staring at a glass table, in front of him, there was his rival, also known as the red beast, the cruel mastermind of bitchery, also known as his favorite cousin, Scarlet who was also staring at the glass table, both in deep thought. Then Harold was thinking about something until he decided to make his move. "My armies are going to attack the shire from Buckland, and I roll…"

Harold pointed into a few corners of the glass table, as he what would be nothing from the table, as he placed on his own hands, and shook his hands as he had been doing a motion of rolling a dice. At the time he placed it on the glass table, Scarlet raised her eyebrows as she saw the results.

"A 5 and a 3," Harold commented, as Scarlet nodded her head in understanding.

"A solid strategy, and let me defend with…" Scarlet took the imaginary dice she had with one hand, which on the next second she released nothing on the table… And with a satisfied smile on her face. "Double 6, I win,"

Harold groaned in frustration, as Scarlet had a smug on her face.

"Double six again, if I didn't see it with my own eyes I wouldn't believe it," Harold said as Scarlet let out a laugh.

"It's all about controlling the probabilities Harold," The ginger cousin smirked as she took her glasses to clean up her glasses, and Harold rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, what are you going to be doing at the time I will be out?" Harold decided to ask since they had been departed from each other for so long, and at the time he was 9 weeks away, he never thought his cousin managed to win another first-place prize in a science fair, and even managing to create an impeachment of one of the president council on the school… Thinking it had been a slow year for her.

"Nothing much, just waiting to torment my brother once again," Scarlet said in an amused tone which was enough to make Harold roll his eyes.

"Don't you think that's too much? I mean, it had been 6 years already, and he is already on the verge of looking for a therapist." Harold asked his cousin, who just because his big brother pulled her hair, decided to torment him by making all his RC toys, and even some of her own plushies, into mechanical robots to scare him at night. "That will be enough to make him traumatized forever."

"Yeah, maybe this year I will give a stop, but he had it coming," Scarlet commented and Harold nodded his head at her.

"Oh yeah, totally. I was about to ask you to help me with my brother's collection, but then he stopped to antagonize me last year… So I think we are on good terms now." Harold commented as he could see his cousin staring at him with an amused look. "Anyway, Rita is still learning the psychology books you gave her, and I couldn't help but read some of them."

"They are pretty awesome right?" Scarlet quotes her cousin, who nodded his head at her.

"Yeah, I have a friend who has Alektorophobia grade 2," Harold commented as Scarlet had an amusement on her face. "And from his story, it was very traumatizing since an incident like that happens."

"You mean the jock Tyler who just got to witness a headless chicken in his direction, that was indeed a very surprising and absurd story, but with some real facts that couldn't be denied," Scarlet commented as she also gave a good look on her cousin. "To be honest, I always thought your team would have antagonized you more."

"What do you mean?" Harold asked as he tilted his head to his cousin, who simply rolled her eyes.

"Your team should have been into each other's throats so many times since you had a delinquent, a jock, a party boy, you as weird nerd, a homeschooled boy, 2 dunderheads, a clumsy hippy, an stuck up girl, a giant coward, an easy angered body builder… It was a recipe for disaster…" Scarlet commented as she saw her cousin narrowing his eyes at her. "But somehow the communication you all had broke the stereotypes so easily, that it was like there was a 10% of chance of everyone knowing that good communication would create a very strong team, and you all just went to your full potential."

"Yes, we did," Harold said proudly, as he couldn't lie, since there were times he could feel that he and Duncan would never been friends like they had been, he felt they would have been sworn enemies. But since the time of Phobia Factor, or even before that, on the Dodgebrawl, he felt he and his friends on the Killer Bass had been very awesome friends together. "Also sorry for not being able to finish my chewed gum for your bacteria studies."

"That's fine," Scarlet commented as she could understand the disappointed look on his face, as he explained it wasn't him who suggested the idea, but it was Beth who did it without him knowing. "What is done is done, but that could be a good opportunity."

"For what?" Harold asked which Scarlet had a good proposition for him.

"Well, since Owen had been the person who ate the whole bacteria, and even had the strong stomach to contain a lot of horrifying substances, inside of his stomach must be a colony of bacteria which would be worthy to be studied…" Scarlet gave an explanation which Harold nodded his head in understanding… "I need some of his stomachache residues to have a better study on the subject."

Then Harold suddenly felt his entire face palled.

"Please, tell me you just want vomit." Harold realized what his cousin was implying, but then he saw the evil smirk on her face, which made him groan in anger. "Ugh… this is disgusting, even at your levels."

"Well, someone must do the dirty work. And this study could help me to reach a new potential college for my great studies in the future." Scarlet said as she was cleaning the glasses, and the nerd rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, always saying it's for your studies to reach college, didn't you find a job to have your money yet?" Harold said as he crossed his arms, pointing out that Scarlet without money wouldn't be able to do anything.

"I still haven't found investors, but I will find money someway, and what about you Mr. Mad Skills? What is your strategy for this season?" Scarlet commented as the nerdy boy just sniffed, and simply shrugged.

"Just being like me, kiss my girlfriend, show some mad skills, and win the 1 million dollars." Harold simply commented, which was enough to make his cousin laugh at him. "What's so funny?"

"Well, because there is no way that your plan is actually going to work," Scarlet said smugly, and seeing her cousin frowning on her, she decided to explain. "If you keep doing whatever you are doing, you won't get far."

"You want to bet?" Harold said as he raised his eyebrows because he knew there was someone who knew his potential and knew that if he still had the Killer Bass, he would reach the MVP more times than before.

"Actually I do…" Scarlet said as she was with a smug on her face. "Whoever makes 1 million first, will decide what the other is going to be doing next, without complaint."

"Anything?" Harold said as his eyes wide open in surprise, and Scarlet gave the evil smile that made his body shiver in fear… "You want me a test subject?"

"Maybe…" Scarlet said innocently, but still offered her hand… "You want to try?"

Harold gulped… but slowly he looked at his hands… And then remembered how far he had gone, he knew there were a lot of opportunities for him. He hasn't shown all his tricks yet, he is still a wild card, but he knows that he has a chance.

"Alright, deal," Harold said as he offered his hand, which both cousins shook their hands.

And at that moment, Rachel came to greet both her niece and her son who were waiting for her in the waiting room.

"How do I look, kids?" Rachel asked excitedly and both nerds looked at her and nodded their heads.

"Looks awesome Mom."

"Looks wonderful Aunty."

"Such wonderful kids," Rachel smiled, as she went back to change herself. It was a good time for the family to buy clothes.


(Sadie's School)

The halls of Sadie's high school buzzed with the usual chatter of students rushing to their next class or catching up with friends. It had been months since Sadie last stepped foot in the school, having left for Total Drama Island and missing much of the regular school semester. Now, as she entered the building for the first time since the show ended, heads turned, and conversations paused.

Whispers spread rapidly through the hallways, and students stared at the girl they had once known as the bubbly, slightly out-of-shape friend who was always glued to Katie's side. But now, standing in front of them was different Sadie is now stronger, more defined, her body a mix of chubbiness and noticeable muscle, as though she'd been working out non-stop. Her hair was no longer styled the way it had been on the show. Instead, it was shorter, with a choppy, modern edge thanks to a haircut Harold had given her back at Playa Del Losers. It gave her a tougher, more mature look, one that reflected the girl she had grown into since her days as a camper on Total Drama Island.

As Sadie walked through the halls, clutching her backpack strap with one hand, she could hear the murmurs from every corner.

"Is that Sadie?" one student whispered, eyes wide in disbelief.

"No way! She looks so different!" another chimed in.

"Where's Katie?"

That question came up a lot as Sadie made her way to her locker, and she couldn't help but feel a pang in her chest every time someone asked. For as long as she could remember, it had always been [i]Katie and Sadie, /i]the inseparable best friends. But this time, Katie had decided to take a break, staying at home with her mom and her boyfriend Cody. She wanted to take some much-needed "me time" after the exhausting experience of Total Drama.

Sadie respected that decision. Since the last episode had been rough for everyone, to the point Ezekiel had to be the voice of the reason, and show they deserved to be seen better and have more dignity, she felt silly for thinking about how they were ready to throw away their friendship just for fighting over a suitcase of money. She knew how important it was for Katie to have time to herself, also she knew Katie would want to start developing the clothing for Ezekiel since she had got a lot of motivation from her friends, and since the last time she did a T-shirt for Zeke, he became so happy that he wanted her to make a jacket for him.

But still, it felt strange walking these halls alone for the first time. She wasn't the same girl who had left, and the absence of her best friend only made the transformation more pronounced. It had been a nightmare the time she had to leave the show and let Katie alone to deal with all the dangers of the show.

But not this time…

Sadie was happy Ezekiel challenged everyone to be part of season 2, which would show how much she changed, and how much she grew up as a friend and as a person… Also, she was curious about all the gossip she could take from everyone, just like the good times.

It was strange that she missed her friends already since they just returned in one single day. But that wasn't going to bother that, since her mom would take her and Katie on a ride to a mall, which Katie was more than happy to accept since it's a good time to reunite with the Killer Bass…

Everything was nice for her...

A group of students she didn't recognize walked by, giving her curious glances.

"Hey, isn't she from that island show?" one asked. Another nodded, eyes flicking from Sadie's face to her noticeably toned arms.

"Yeah, that's her. But… she's changed."

And she had. Total Drama Island had forced Sadie to make decisions that would change her life in ways she hadn't expected. After being eliminated early on, watching from Playa Del Losers had been tough. Seeing Katie in danger during the Sucky Outdoors challenge was a turning point. She didn't want to feel helpless anymore. So, she asked Eva to train her, and the result was what everyone saw now, a stronger Sadie, and ready to protect her best friend and sister of another mother.

At her locker, Sadie took a deep breath and smiled to herself. She wasn't just the girl who baked cupcakes and followed Katie around anymore. She wanted to be more like her friends from the Killer Bass, who had always been tough and capable. People like Bridgette, who was always calm under pressure, Courtney which more determined than the others, Ezekiel who was ready to take anything and incentive the others to remain strong and even Duncan, who didn't care what anyone thought.

The island had changed her, physically and mentally. She was ready to grow, to stand on her own two feet. She glanced around the hallway, aware of the stares but no longer feeling the anxiety she might have before. Instead, she felt... confident.

"Well, I guess this is the new me," she whispered to herself, shutting her locker with a soft click. It was strange not having Katie beside her, but in a way, it was liberating. For the first time, Sadie was carving her own path, and though she missed her best friend, she was eager to see where this new chapter would lead her.

As she walked to her next class, the buzz around her only grew, but Sadie held her head high. She wasn't just one half of a duo anymore, she was Sadie, someone who had appeared on a reality TV show, someone who had trained with Eva, and someone who was determined to be as strong as her friends from the island. And when season 2 happens, she will be ready to show the new Sadie, another powerhouse, that she knew would make herself known to the others. Maybe becoming MVP like her friends. Who knows?

Sadie smiled as she was excited to see her friends again in the mall… it was going to be an amazing day.


(Katie's Bedroom)

Katie's bedroom was a perfect reflection of her bright, bubbly personality. The walls were painted a soft pink, with touches of white around the windows and door frames. Posters of handsome celebrity heartthrobs plastered the walls, their charming smiles frozen in time, reminding her of the sweet dreams and romantic fantasies she indulged in every now and then. Her bed, with its pink and white comforter, was neatly made, with a few stuffed animals sitting at the foot, watching over the room like silent guardians. Between them, there was her companion, Buggsy the Bunny, the pet she brought with her from the island, and now the pet found little imaginary friends to play with.

The floor, however, was a different story. A sea of fabrics covered almost every inch, as if a tornado had ripped through a fabric store and dumped its contents right into her room. Various shades of teal green, white, and other colors that matched her sense of fashion were scattered around, along with measuring tapes, pins, and a sewing machine sitting on her desk. Katie had been working tirelessly on a jacket, one that she'd been conceptualizing since her time at Playa Del Losers when Ezekiel handed her the sketch of how was the clothing since the guys wanted him to have new clothes on his house and entrusted her with the design.

She sat cross-legged on the floor, carefully stitching the last few seams of the jacket, her mind totally focused. The teal green fabric shimmered slightly under the light from her bedside lamp, with bold white stripes running along the sleeves and chest, just like in Ezekiel's drawing. Near the chest, she was adding the final touch: a white strip with the number "10" stamped proudly on it. She smiled at the progress she had made, it had taken her days to finally get it right.

The jacket wasn't just another fashion project for Katie. It was something personal, a gesture of friendship and trust. Ezekiel had told her about this design, saying it was based on one of the characters from a future book he was working on, and he thought it would perfectly match the new hairstyle Harold had given him. Knowing how much faith Ezekiel had put in her made Katie want to do her absolute best. This wasn't about impressing a fashion audience or even herself, it was about doing something special for a friend.

As she worked, her mind occasionally drifted back to Sadie. It was the first day that Sadie had gone to school without her, and though Katie had decided to stay home for some much-needed "me time," a small part of her worried about how Sadie was doing. They had never been apart like this before. It felt strange like a part of Katie's world was missing. She imagined Sadie walking through the school halls, dealing with all the stares and whispers on her own. A pang of guilt tugged at Katie's heart.

But she also knew this was important. Sadie needed to grow, just like she did. They had both changed since their time on Total Drama Island and while they were still best friends, they each needed a little space to figure things out. Katie learned that at the time she was separated from Sadie on the show, but still she had great friends who managed her to keep the focus on herself, to improve herself in many ways, and even she survived and dealt with many challenges. She was happy to develop her designs and enjoy some peace after the chaos of the island in the Playa Del Losers. Plus, she had met Cody and managed to get into an amazing relationship with her boyfriend. Even though her mom hadn't allowed him to stay with her alone in the house today, she knew they'd spend time together soon enough, when they returned from work, since her mom wanted to keep an eye on her boyfriend while leaving the tan girl alone dealing with the boredom. But thanks to that, right now, it was nice to just be in her own world, surrounded by fabrics and fashion.

Katie glanced over at her desk, where the sketch from Ezekiel sat, showing the details on which character the person used such a jacket, and explained how that number alone 10, would impersonate so many things in the future, maybe a book that she knew Cody would be interested into reading… Funny enough, she never saw Cody reading Ezekiel's books, and she already had read the chapters of all the projects done by Ezekiel, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Steven Universe, and Adventure Time… She smiled, thinking of how much fun it had been working on the jacket, which made her wonder if she should also try to do the same jacket in other colors and other styles. Ezekiel would have liked to see one of his designs being developed into other styles since his trust in her gave her the motivation to keep going, and finishing this project had been a way for her to stay busy and productive. Plus, it felt good to do something just for fun, without the pressure of competition or drama.

As she tied off the final thread on the jacket and held it up, Katie grinned with satisfaction. "Perfect," she whispered to herself. It was exactly how she'd envisioned it. She couldn't wait to see Ezekiel's reaction. Since the next day she would be taking it with her and give to Ezekiel at the mall, it would be something that would call the attention of everyone in season 2.

With a sigh, Katie set the jacket down carefully and leaned back, taking in the organized chaos around her. The house was quiet, her mom had taken Cody to where she works, leaving her to enjoy the peace and solitude. Though she missed having her boyfriend around, she was grateful for the uninterrupted time to finish the jacket.

Still, as her thoughts drifted back to Sadie, she made a mental note to check in with her best friend later. She had faith that Sadie was doing fine, but it wouldn't hurt to call and see how her day went.

For now, though, Katie allowed herself to relax. She had done something she was proud of, and it felt good to focus on herself for once.


(Tyler's house)

The jock was eating his lunch at the table, glancing at his parents, and two things were about to happen … his mom was holding a very hot pot in her hands, which could potentially end up with any of the trio getting hurt in the process… Two, his father and he cursed themselves for not preparing for the floor being extra slippery during the day. So any quick movements would end up in their clumsy nature and they would get potentially hurt.

"Dehila, slowly put the pot on the table, we don't want hot coffee on us again, do we?" The father said calmly, but still showing the dreadful feeling, that both he and his son shared at the time they were in the accursed house, since it seemed by being cheaper, the floors were slippery and there was a high chance of someone falling down on the stairs, which thankfully each of them had their own personal ways into not falling downstairs, but the floor itself is like a very tricky challenge they always had to deal in daily basis.

"Don't worry, Tyson, I won't slip agai- Whoops!" Dehila tripped on her feet and tossed the hot pot in the air, which immediately both Tyler and Tyson got up from their chairs and jumped from the hot coffee hitting them, but the quick movement was enough to make both of them fall with their backs on the floor from how slippery it was… Making both groaning from the impact of the hard and slippery floor. "Sorry boys."

Dehila giggled sheepishly, as Tyson didn't even move his head, and Tyler let out a sigh.

"Tyler, broke any bone?" Tyson's question was said nonchalantly like it was just an ordinary question.

"No, what about you dad?" Tyler asked the same thing, which the father gave slight moves but gave a small sigh of relief.

"No, my back is fine. Didn't break again." Tyson said as both men remained on the floor, while Dehila calmly walked to take the paper towels and start cleaning up the table.

"So you both are going to stay low for now?" The matriarch asked the question, as both men refused to move. "That's a fair strategy, however, it's best for you two to eat your food before getting cold."

Both Tyler and Tyson got up from the floor and slowly got to their seats, and Tyler couldn't help but be amused.

"How does every time we get into a clumsy accident, somehow some of the objects we were just holding still remain intact?" The jock asked the father who simply shrugged, not caring to reply.

"Nobody knows it, it's just the way it is… Maybe we are so good at getting ourselves hurt, but we found some way to make us keep moving." Tyson explained, as he simply shrugged from the way he explained to his son. "Maybe we are holding more karma for us to have good big luck in our lives, I mean, remember when your grandfather fell from 3 airplanes and got the prize of a lottery ticket?"

"Hum… that actually makes sense," Tyler commented as both parents nodded their heads, as the jock thought about it. "Maybe having Lindsay in my life was my good karma from all my clumsiness?"

"That's probable." The mother smiled as she gave a peak on her husband's cheek… "Maybe that's how I got too much clumsy since I have a great husband."

"The same I can say, my clumsy queen. Now kiss me," Tyson said as he was about to kiss, but suddenly both hit their foreheads together. "Ouch,"

"God, thank you." Tyler gave a small gratitude for saving him from seeing his parents kissing each other since it had been something that he wasn't willing to see. "Well, I better finish eating my lunch before going to take a walk to school, I want to see how the new gym class became after Lindsay's father found the sponsors for the school."

"They brought a lot of good products Tyler, and very durable and resilient as well, so in any case, you better not try to use them right now, because you are 5 days on returning on the show, and we don't want you to break the equipment, or worse, you getting with an arm broken before your return," Tyson explained which the jock just scoffed.

"Come on, there is no way I was going to get hurt," Tyler said as suddenly his mother decided to intervene.

"2001…"Dehila said as Tyler pouted and looked at his mother in betrayal.

"Oh come on, it was just my two arms, and you promised that you weren't to use that year against me," Tyler said as both parents shrugged. Making the jock sigh in disappointment. "Alright, I will just see it, and I will not try to use them."

"Good, now… do you want to have a ride tomorrow for your way to Toronto?" Dehila's question made Tyler pause, and then facepalm.

"Dammit, I forgot I was going to meet them in the mall… ugh… which mall is it…" Tyler was about to ask someone who he had contacted, thankfully Geoff gave him his number, and also Duncan and DJ, so anyone could...

"Eaton Centre" The matriarch replied the question, which made Tyler look at his mom in surprise. "What? Do you think I don't know about their projects? Their mothers and I had a great time when you were at the show, we even went into a spa together."

"Which was very expensive," Tyson commented, as Dehila gave a deep glare, which the father slowly chuckled. "Thankfully one of the mothers paid for all of them, so I didn't need to pay for anything."

"That's what I thought," Dehila commented as she returned to her son who was surprised by the story, which the mother of the jock actually giggled. "I will give you a ride on there, so you better be careful and not get hurt."

"Well, I was going to the school to see the gym class, but knowing about the meeting tomorrow. Maybe I should stay at home just for today." Tyler offered a small smile, which his mom smiled and hugged him, which the floor was still slippery almost making them both fall on the floor, but both comically held themselves together, it was a funny thing to see…

"Maybe this house is more dangerous than your walk on the schoolboy, better to stay in your bedroom." Tyson offered advice, as he himself looked at the coffee pot which had a small portion of coffee remaining, which he gladly took on his cup.

The house maybe was a death trap, and nobody knew about it. But they are so used that nothing phases them...


(Street)

Duncan dragged the garbage bag behind him, grimacing at the disgusting mix of old food, crumpled wrappers, and who-knows-what-else that littered the street. It was humiliating, having to clean up after the careless people who thought it was okay to dump their trash in the middle of the sidewalk. But giving on how Courtney's mom had managed to pull some strings and get him out of returning to juvenile while he was out of the show. He smirked on how his girlfriend rocks, and her mother as well.

Still, it didn't make picking up trash any more pleasant.

He could hear the snickers behind him, his five cousins, leaning against a nearby wall, watching him work with stupid grins on their faces. Duncan rolled his eyes, biting back the urge to flip them off, but Courtney insisted that he should be a better example and not be a bad influence to Ezekiel, who he was sure she had been also showing some bad examples, which he could imagine his princess blushing while stuttering it wasn't her. But still, his cousins loved nothing more than seeing him knocked down a peg, and right now, they were enjoying every second of his humiliation.

To make things worse, his Aunt Diana was there too, keeping a close watch. Uptight didn't even begin to describe her. Detective Diana Rush, the no-nonsense, by-the-book bane of both his and Uncle Martin's existence. She stood with her arms crossed, her sharp eyes scanning every move he made, making sure he didn't slack off or try to cut corners. Duncan wished it was Uncle Martin or even Aunt Alex who got stuck babysitting him on the first day. At least then, he could have a decent conversation. Like hearing about them two debating which supernatural monster was the best, or which sci-fi movie they should be watching. When he saw his mom presenting both his relatives with Ezekiel's book, he saw how his uncle Martin read the whole book in 1 hour, while his aunt finished in 2 hours, and the debates they had about the supernatural events were pretty hilarious. About the talk on which kind of demon the demon on the mattress was, or who would win a fight between the Werewolf or the Weremole, which was kinda very nice to hear his father slamming his head on the table, while he and his siblings were enjoying seeing them two being themselves.

But Diana? She wasn't the type to make things easy for anyone.

"Keep at it, Duncan. I want this street spotless. No slacking off." Diana's voice cut through the silence like a razor.

"Yeah, yeah," Duncan muttered under his breath, tossing another crumpled bag into the trash. He could already hear the lecture coming, something about responsibility and doing his part for the community. She loved that kind of talk. It was a wonder she and his mom got along at all. His mom knew how to loosen up every now and then. Diana? Not so much.

His cousins started laughing again, louder this time, probably cracking jokes about how the big, tough delinquent was now the city's personal janitor. Duncan clenched his jaw, resisting the urge to turn around and throw something at them. Aunt Diana would kill him if he even tried. Instead, he took a deep breath and tried to ignore them.

"Wow, Aunt Diana," Duncan said, trying to break the monotony, "can't believe the 25th member of the Rush family is already on their way. You must be really excited about all these future detectives."

Diana's stern face softened just a little, something rare for her. "It's going well," she said with a hint of pride. "We're getting more members of the family into the field, ensuring they uphold the values of law and order. The legacy is in good hands."

"Yeah, well, I think we both know I'm not one of those future detectives." Duncan raised an eyebrow. "A rebel at the best, and a vandal at worst."

"Duncan, I just don't understand it." Diana sighed, clearly frustrated by his refusal to toe the family line. "You and your brothers still going through this rebellious phase, while the rest of the family is contributing to something meaningful. Why is that?"

"Look, I'll only be a detective if I can be like Uncle Martin." Duncan shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. "I'm not cut out for your whole 'by the book' thing, Aunt Diana. Rules? They're more like suggestions, you know?"

Diana groaned, clearly displeased with his answer, but there was a glimmer of amusement in her eyes, even if she hated to admit it. "Of course, you'd say that. Just like your uncle, irresponsible, reckless. You two are exactly alike. I suppose I should be happy you're not crossing certain lines anymore. Your mom says you're more mature now."

"She said that?" Duncan paused, surprised. But then he could see the reason why… "Well, I met pretty awesome people on the show, and when I was there, I learned a lot of things, things that make everyone pass the night thinking... pretty fucked up things."

"Language," Diana said as she narrowed his eyes at him, but Duncan scoffed and rolled his eyes. But from the tone of voice coming from her nephew, she wondered what made him change. "Like what?"

"Like how a friend of mine became homeschooled because his aunt died as a teacher on a day of a school shooting," Duncan said as he grabbed another piece of trash, on that moment, the entire place went in silence, and even the kids who were once giggling and having fun over his expertise suddenly they stopped and looked at their mom, who had her entire face ashen… A nerd boy was bullied so much in school in the United States that simply snapped and took lives, especially of a Canadian teacher…

"Duncan…" Diana tried to say something, but Duncan simply didn't care.

"What do you say to a person who got a family member dying like that, and from the cases most of our family worked with, probably the nerd had too much pressure and finished himself off…" Duncan commented as he launched the trash like basketball. And with a solemn tone, the delinquent just looks at his aunt. "What do you say to all the victims who lost someone on that day… What would you say for a group of parents who lost their children, or in a case that it was clearly fucked up like that?"

Diana didn't correct Duncan this time, since the vandal had proved his point, there was nothing that she could say about it since Duncan clearly didn't want to show how faithful he had to be to the law since the law at that time would be a mere joke. A tragedy without justice…

She once saw Martin having one case like that, and when she returned to see her younger brother, she never saw him so serious and furious on that day. Knowing that things reached a point where there was nothing the police could have done, the police department would take the cries and the anger of the families of the victims, in the same way, Martin could see firsthand how a case in the United States had been a serious issue over the time.

She looked at her children, and seeing them hesitating to say anything… The mature detective had to give to Duncan since he had proved his point to her, as also she could see something in him changed, the boy usually would have always preferred to make fun of the nerds, or even do pranks without knowing the limits.

"And now, you seemed to reach your own conclusion," Diana commented as she could see it.

"Yeah, I'm a vandal, a rebel, a delinquent, but to make someone suffer so much to the point of breaking? Nah, I'm not going to do it." Duncan commented as he seemed to take a broom and clean up more of the floor. "You all can be detectives, maybe I will start working into something that wouldn't come up and eat my sleep at night..."

"You've changed…" Diana nodded, as now she saw what Sheila had been telling her. On how Duncan made such great friends, and a good girlfriend that managed to make him be more friendly, but still having his essence. "Yes. I can see it, too. You're not the same wild kid I met years ago. You've calmed down a bit. But I know there's still that rebellious streak in you. And, as much as I hate it, I suppose it's part of what makes you… you."

"Well, I'm glad I'm still keeping you on your toes." Duncan grinned.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help a small smile. "Just make sure you finish cleaning this street, and don't let me catch you causing any more trouble."

"Yeah, yeah, you've got nothing to worry about, Detective," Duncan said with a mock salute.

As she walked away to check on something down the street, Duncan chuckled to himself, proud that he still had that rebellious edge. Sure, community service sucked, and Aunt Diana was a pain, but he was Duncan, the toughest guy in Total Drama and one of three Killer Bass's pillars. No matter what, even if the first season ended, he'd never let anyone take that from him.


(Supermarket)

DJ and his momma walked down the aisles of the local supermarket, preparing for what was shaping up to be a massive celebration. Gwen's birthday, on Halloween no less, was just days away, and DJ's mom had taken it upon herself to throw the best party imaginable. DJ was more than happy to help, but he couldn't hide the deep, red blush on his face as he strolled through the store.

It wasn't the party preparations that had him embarrassed, though. It was the shirts.

DJ tugged at the hem of his T-shirt, which read in bold letters, 'Single but Looking.' He couldn't even make eye contact with the shoppers walking by. His momma, on the other hand, was practically beaming, wearing her own T-shirt that proudly proclaimed, 'Wanna Be Grandma!' She strutted through the store with absolute confidence, drawing more than a few curious stares and amused chuckles from people they passed. DJ, on the other hand, wanted to sink into the floor.

"Momma," DJ whispered, glancing around nervously, "I love you, I really do, but this… this is humiliating."

His momma waved her hand dismissively, not even slightly phased by his discomfort. "Oh hush now, poopy doo. You're growing up! And these shirts, they're just a little fun. You need to embrace it!" she said with a laugh, tossing some party supplies into the cart. "Besides, you've got great qualities! You're kind, you're handsome, and everyone loves you. It's only natural you'd start lookin' for a nice girl."

DJ's face somehow managed to turn an even deeper shade of red. "Momma, I don't think wearing a shirt like this is going to help with that."

She winked at him. "You'd be surprised, Devon Joseph. You're a catch! And with all this popularity y'all are gettin' from that show, people need to know you're single but ready to mingle. But don't you worry, if anyone gets too freaky, Momma's gonna slap them right across the face?" She gave a playful slap in the air to emphasize her point.

DJ chuckled nervously, though deep down, the attention and pressure of his sudden popularity had been overwhelming. Everywhere he went, people recognized him, asked for pictures, or tried to chat him up. He wasn't used to it. He was just DJ—a simple, kind-hearted guy who loved his momma and his friends. The fame, the expectations… it was all too much at times.

As they continued walking, DJ could feel the weight of everyone's eyes on him. It wasn't just the shirt—people recognized him from the show. Whispers followed him wherever he went, people pointing him out, talking about his moments on [i]Total Drama/i]. It felt like the walls were closing in on him.

The next thing he knew, the world started spinning. His head grew light, and before he could say a word, he fainted, collapsing right in the middle of the aisle.

His momma didn't even bat an eye. "Oh, Lord…" she muttered, rolling her eyes. "There he goes again." She leaned down, patting DJ's cheek a few times. "Come on, poopy doo, wake up. We still gotta get the cake mix for Gwen's party! Just for a few more corridors"

"Did I… faint?" DJ's eyes fluttered open, and he groaned.

"You sure did," Momma said, helping him sit up. "You need to stop lettin' all this attention get to you. It's nothin' but noise, baby. Focus on being you, the same sweet boy you've always been. That's what matters."

DJ sat up fully, still a little dazed but feeling better as his momma's words sunk in. He smiled weakly at her, his heart full of appreciation. "Okay, thanks, Momma."

"No problem, my son," she said with a warm smile, pulling him into a hug. "Now, let's finish getting these supplies, alright? We've got a birthday party to make it special. And you know what they say, Halloween birthdays only come once a year. And it's the best way to have fun before returning to the chaos of the show you both are going to return."

"Yeah, I also need to meet everyone at the mall tomorrow," DJ commented, as suddenly he saw the sparkles in his mom's eyes, and he immediately regretted saying that. "Oh no, please no, I don't want to wear this T-shirt tomorrow."

"Oh come on, you would attract more public like that." Momma giggled, as DJ felt his face blushing in such an embarrassing way.

"The boys aren't going to let me live that down," DJ said exasperated because he knew Duncan, Harold, heck, even Ezekiel was going to have a good laugh of that. "And I don't want to explain to my friends about the chance of me wearing that just because you wanted me to hook up with someone."

"So what are you planning to do?" Momma said as she crossed her arms, and gave an amused stare at her baby boy. "I want you to have a good time at the mall, but be sure to be yourself, and treat your friends right tomorrow. When season 2 is over we can plan what we are going to do in the future."

"Well, don't we want to buy a restaurant and make food for everyone?" DJ asked in surprise, and Momma nodded her head to him.

"Yes, and I talked with Victoria, and from what she told me, the idea your friend Ezekiel said could save us from being sued by everyone who would try to eat our food made with love. Just in case we would need to talk to her to make sure to create a recommendation for people going to the nutritionist before going to our restaurant." Momma explained as she could see her son tilting her head in confusion, making her sigh. "What we would need is money poopy doo, and for that, you need to be at your best on season 2, you need to use the popularity you have on the show to create an opportunity for the future. I mean, look at your friend Ezekiel…"

"Ohh… yeah, you are right," DJ said as he looked a bit sad, knowing that in the show he wanted 100 thousand dollars just for buying a restaurant for himself and his momma's work, he also remembered how everyone wanted money for some reason, and how Ezekiel managed to have a good way to make money without even needing to win the show. "Maybe I could offer myself to help in the kitchen, just for the sake of making people interested in the food?"

"Depending on the situation, I may be invited to do the wicked pallet again," Momma said which immediately DJ to freeze his place, and even as he was doing his best puppy dog face, she shook her face. "No, I'm not going to do the Caribbean Fusion Feast… 10 years Devon Joseph,"

DJ dropped his head, as he knew that he had to wait a decade for his Momma to cook the best feast she could have done for his family, and now he really shot on his foot. And he couldn't have any access to the great food of his momma.

"Let's get the cake Mix and grab a few sodas," DJ said in defeat, as he could see his momma giggling behind him. "Can you take care of Bunny while I'm at the show?"

"Sure thing poopy doo… sure thing." Momma giggled as the duo still walked around the supermarket, as the Jamaican with a good heart, and the mother Jamaican chef enjoyed their groceries, even some people would try to jump on them, Momma would slap anyone who would freakly scare her and her baby boy.

The mission of a mother is never over...


(Beach)

The sun bathed Kitisiliano Beach in a warm, golden glow as waves gently lapped at the shore, the sound of the ocean creating a soothing, rhythmic hum. Bridgette and her mother, Karen, had laid out a beach blanket on the soft, white sand, their towels catching the sunlight that made everything shimmer. It had been a long time since they'd shared a day like this, with nothing but the wide-open horizon stretching before them and the time to just be together. Bridgette, fresh off her whirlwind experience on [i]Total Drama Island/i, realized how much she had missed these peaceful moments with her mom.

The beach was vibrant but serene. Palm trees swayed in the breeze, their leaves rustling gently, while surfers dotted the sparkling waters, riding the rolling waves in the distance. Clusters of seashells decorated the shoreline, small treasures for beachcombers to collect. The sky was a brilliant blue, with the occasional wisp of cloud drifting lazily overhead.

The two had spent their morning soaking up the sun and savoring the warmth on their skin. Bridgette, ever the ocean lover, had dashed into the water several times, her love for the waves undiminished even after her adventure on the island. She rode the waves with ease, her body moving in sync with the ocean's rhythm. Her mother watched proudly from the shore, smiling at the sight of her daughter so at peace in the water.

The fans were really great, as Bridgette took a few moments to take pictures with them, and even had a few waves with some surfer fans, it had been a great experience for her to know more about her popularity, as even being the girl to bring Trent down, and even having questions in regard of her boyfriend that she missed.

But with her mom, she knew on the next day she would meet her boyfriend in the same location where she would find the other Killer Bass, to help Ezekiel see the mall for the first time, everyone planned to meet at the mall where he would be doing the book signing, making sure everything would be great, and also having a great time on there.

After a long swim, they shared a quiet picnic, enjoying fresh fruit, sandwiches, and cool drinks, their laughter blending with the sounds of distant children playing and seagulls circling above. The air was salty and refreshing, the kind that carried memories of endless summers spent together by the beach, and Karen cherished every moment she had with her daughter.

As the afternoon rolled in, the two walked along the shore, leaving footprints in the damp sand, the cool water splashing against their legs. Bridgette collected seashells to take with her, a small reminder of this day. The beach gradually grew quieter as families packed up and left, leaving them in a quieter, more tranquil setting.

With them, Bridgette and Karen also prepared their stuff to leave…

"And then we sang a final song for the Aquarium while we left the island Wawanakwa, needlessly to say, it's a pity that it didn't appear on the television, because you could have seen Duncan singing with us. But it had been something I will cherish in my memories." Bridgette said as both her placed her surfer board on the back of the said car, and her mother was even preparing everything before leaving.

"Hehehe, I can imagine the other mothers giggling from imagining their children doing that, Sheila would have been proud of Duncan for the fact he was following her steps, but I don't think he would like to hear that hahahaha." Karen laughed as both mother and daughter, prepared the car for once again return for their lives, and for making such good memories together, Bridgette would need to enjoy the maximum of her days before returning on the next season of the show.

As the duo was about to leave, suddenly the mother and daughter caught someone on the corner of the street, a girl with pale skin, long light blond hair with side bands that went down to a little above her shoulders, teal eyes, and a slight dark purple lipstick. Wearing a dark green sweater with the collar of a light blue underskirt being seen through the neck hole, a light black skirt, skin-tight purple pants, and black shoes. A big dark green backpack with a duck sitting on the top… And in her hands, there was a plaque in her hands with a written. 'Need a ride to Eaton Centre, Toronto.'

At that moment, Karen blinked as Bridgette also never thought to see someone wearing a sweater on a beach, and with a plaque an indication of a place which is on the other side of Canada.

"Isn't the place where you and your friends are going tomorrow?" Karen asked her daughter as Bridgette could see the palled girl, who looked simply serene, as she was waiting for something, not mattering if was going to take hours or even days to achieve. Somehow the young surfer, couldn't help but think of the same thing.

"She must be a fan of the show and wants to go to the mall for the book signing," Bridgette said as she looked at her mom as if she wanted to ask something, but with the smile of her own mother, she was thinking at the same time.

"Let's offer a ride," Karen said, which immediately both best friends, mother and daughter went to greet the young moonchild who was waiting patiently at the duo walking towards her direction. "Hey, girl, we saw your plaque…"

"I was waiting for you, Miss Karen, and Bridgette…" The girl finally decided to talk, and suddenly both mother and daughter were surprised by the calm voice and yet a person who seemed to know the name not of just the surfer, but of her mom as well.

"Okay, I can understand that you know me because of the Total Drama show, but how did you know my mother's name?" Bridgette asked as she looked a bit scared and on the verge of regretting her decision.

"It's in your auras."The girl replied as both mother and daughter gave a weird look on her. "Sorry for not presenting myself, my name is Dawn. And I would be grateful for the offering of a ride to Eaton Centre, I spent a long time saving my money to buy Ezekiel's books."

*QUACK* *QUACK* *QUACK*

And the duck quacked in what would be frustration, which immediately made Dawn have her eyes wide open.

"Oh, I'm so sorry…" Dawn looked behind her shoulder and decided to continue. "He is my companion Howard, and he said he also would be thankful for your offer to help us to cross Canada."

"Okay?" Bridgette immediately felt an urge to leave the girl alone, but another part of her felt that she was doing the right thing. Especially her mom who also seemed to be agreeing with her. "You already could guess my name and my mom's as well, and we are about to leave to go home, I don't live in Toronto, but it could be enough to be 2 hours walking from there."

"Which would be more than enough for me," Dawn commented, as she and Howard nodded their heads. "I could see that in your aura there was a shift of nervousness, and both of you are starting to be afraid of me, and I want to tell you there is nothing to be afraid of… since Mother Nature had guided me to someone who could aid me, and I would never do anything harmful to someone who had been helping me, and the creatures of Mother Nature."

"Oh, so you like the Nature as well?" Bridgette as bit she was uncomfortable with meeting Dawn, but she still thought at least both of them had one thing in common, both liked nature, which was surprising that the girl seemed to be living in a forest.

"Correct," Dawn replied which made Bridgette's eyes wide open in surprise. "I can read minds, as the same way I can read the future in Tarot if you are interested to know."

"No thanks…" Bridgette refused, but now she could find more relief that she guessed the girl was now a fortune teller, and from all the weirdest things happening across her life, at least she could understand what Dawn was… A fortune teller or something different. And before Dawn was about to interrupt her, a voice called for both of them.

"Girls?" The duo saw Karen already with the car on, and calling for the duo of nature lovers who simply as Bridgette helped Dawn to place her backpack on the back of the car, and she sat comfortably on the back as mother and daughter sat in the front of the car.

And with that, the trip once again started on the street.

Minutes passed as mother and daughter drove in the street, Dawn looked out the window as she could feel, the uncomfortable silence happening across the time she was in the back of the car.

"Sorry for being an inconvenience for both of you…" Dawn commented as Howard tilted its head to her, who decided to pat it on its head.

Karen was caught by the surprise of such a comment, and she wanted to do something, anything to help with the conversation.

"Well Dawn, how about you tell us about yourself?" The mother decided to create something of the girl, who simply remained in silence but also gave a slight nod, as Bridgette was looking at the mirror from the car.

"I'm from Vancouver Island, and my dad is a Ranger on the forests as my mom is an owner of a truck stop restaurant, but she is also a fortune teller," Dawn decided to tell the duo mother and daughter about herself, which immediately brought the attention of them… "We live in the middle of the forest in our house, yes, we have cable, that's how I knew about the show, but we are also in tune with Mother Nature, that we could understand and talk with the animals."

"Really?" Bridgette asked as she was now could see something that she never thought to hear. Someone clearly talking and understanding the animals. "Is that even possible?"

"Well, you are on halfway actually Bridgette," Dawn commented as the surfer slowly opened her eyes as she then saw the moonchild smiling at her. "Since the brunch of disgustness, you felt somehow that any kind of animal, felt more comfortable around your presence, in such a point that you feel that you could even calm down the most dangerous of animals, isn't that right?"

"How did you know that?" Bridgette asked as she felt herself sweat in fear from the girl who seemed to be reading her thoughts, or aura, or whatever the girl was talking about.

"You have been blessed by the Mother Nature, Bridgette."And then when Dawn said such a comment, it felt like that good breeze of calm went down over her scary heart, and Bridgette felt herself calming down… "Mother Nature saw the suffering you had to deal with at the time you were given a choice of eating one of your animal friends or suffering the worst taste of nature, and you many times decided to suffer for Mother Nature, and even on the last moment, you decided to give up, just for the sake of not eating meat. Such a choice, many would frown upon you… But Mother Nature gave you her blessings because of how loyal to your principles you were. That's why you feel confused about why the animals don't feel scared or even attack you… Because Mother Nature likes you…"

*Quack* *Quack*

Then Howard, flapped a few times it's wing and flew into the middle of the car, which Karen had to hold tight on the wheel, Bridgette was surprised at how the duck decided to sit on the lap of the surfer and even crouch and sleep on her lap.

Bridgette looked surprised, but then she heard the giggling of Dawn who was smiling at the duck.

"Howard has always been a problematic duck, even causing confusion and fights with his wife, I'm surprised that he got so tired that he wanted to sleep in the lap of someone," Dawn commented as she giggled from seeing the look on Bridgette's face.

"Oh so that's why it explains why the seagulls looked friendly around Bridgette and when it comes to eating the other's foods, they passed above Bridgette and even went nearby her to ask for her to pat their heads." Karen then commented in amusement, as the surfer girl now snapped from her thoughts.

"Oh, so that's what they were asking? I thought they wanted my french fries, which when I refused to give them, they simply nodded and went away." Bridgette commented as she felt one of the confusing questions on her mind finally being answered, she now looked at Dawn who seemed to have found a way to break the ice and start the conversation on crossing the street. "Well, that's something I can rest now knowing. Thank you for telling me, Dawn."

"Not a problem, this had been something I must do since Mother Nature guided me to cross this journey," Dawn commented as now Karen looked a bit concerned for the moonchild.

"So you came from your home to here alone? Does your parents know about that?" Karen asked in worry, but she felt relieved when Dawn nodded her head to the surfer's mother.

"Yes, my parents are fine with the journey I have ahead. And I needed to have a ride, or I would have passed the whole 40 days walking until I reached to Toronto, and I would have lost the day Ezekiel was going to do his book signing." Dawn commented as Bridgette then decided to approach another question.

"So did you read Courage the Cowardly Dog?" Bridgette asked as she now felt a new topic that she could talk about, her little good friend who had been a famous writer since the time he was on the show.

"Yes," Dawn commented as she could see what was passing in the mind of Bridgette. "And I'm going to buy the book Adventure Time and Steven Universe, please, don't think of the spoilers of both books. I wanted to be surprised at the time I read them."

"Oh… sorry," Bridgette realized that indeed Dawn could read her mind, which made her look at her in confusion. But then she heard Dawn giggling at her. "Wait, you don't read minds."

"I do, but not all the time." Dawn giggled as Bridgette pouted from seeing Dawn having a little fun, and Karen sighed in relief at not dealing with a mind reader for 24 hours, but she was glad that this little girl was helping them to be both comfortable. "You can have your personal thoughts about kissing Geoff now."

"Hey, I thought y… you are messing with me." Bridgette was about to say something when she realized the nature lover was actually having fun playing with her, and in the next second, she heard a giggle from her mom. "Even you?"

"Sorry dear, but you having thoughts about kissing Geoff is something that even I can read in your mind," Karen smirked as the duo giggled into hearing Bridgette groaning with her palms on her face. "Does anyone want to eat something? It's going to be a long trip."

"I'm fine Mom," Bridgette commented, as she then saw Dawn already eating a hamburger.

"No thanks, my mom already prepared some vegetarian hamburgers for me on the trip," Dawn commented as she could see Bridgette on the verge of asking why she was eating a hamburger, with the moment, the surfer nodded her head and focused on returning on their trip.

"Good to know, it's going to be a few hours until he reaches to our destination, says Dawn, you said you could read our auras… what do you mean by that?" Karen decided to continue her conversation, as the little girl decided to help to make both the mother and the daughter comfortable.

Dawn needed to make sure to be grateful for the people whose Mother Nature brought to guide her to her destination.

.

.

.

"So you are saying that you got a suspension on school because you freed all the frogs from dissection?" Bridgette commented as she couldn't help but nod her head in respect for the moonchild who did what was right.

"They were alive, and killing them for such cruel studies was never fair, so I freed all the animals of the school, they didn't deserve that," Dawn replied as she was drinking a water bottle, courtesy of Karen who decided to pass in a drive through, and grab a snack for herself, and give something for the girls to drink on the trip.

Hours passed, and Karen and Bridgette learned a lot from the little girl who spent a good part of her life living in the forest, however, she had a school to go to and even helped her mom work at the truck stop restaurant.

Even as weird as it sounds, it shows that everyone had good stories to tell. When Dawn told her reactions to some episodes of Total Drama, and some opinions about her dreams, Bridgette and Karen never thought Dawn wanted to be a historian, which was surprising for a girl like her, because of her nature.

It was also very surprising that she guessed that both Karen and Bridgette were Gemini.

"Well, that's simple, since both your auras had such amazing friendship, you two were best friends together, and from the fact that both of you make birthdays on the same day," Dawn commented as she was drinking soda, while Howard was eating its on duck food. "Funny thought, it's that everyone who I know who made birthday on the same day as their family members, they are Gemini. One friend of mine and his dad do make anniversary on the 27th of May,"

"So that's how it works? Everyone who is Gemini has a birthday on the same day as their family member?" Karen asked amused, to which Dawn simply shrugged.

"I don't know, it was a theory that I tried to convince my mom of this, but every time I said that she kept laughing saying that I was a bit overdramatic, which says something from her since she is a fortune teller," Dawn commented with a pout, which Bridgette and Karen couldn't help but giggle from her comment.

.

.

.

A few more hours passed, and Bridgette felt her eyes getting tired, from the trip back home, and Karen was also looking exhausted, but thankfully they were almost reaching their home.

"I think that's the place I should drop." Dawn noticed that both mother and daughter were reaching their destination, she felt it was a good time for her to continue her own journey.

"Oh… are you sure?" Bridgette suddenly snapped her eyes wide open, and looking at it was getting very dark, she couldn't help but show concern for the girl who had given them good company, and Howard was already sleeping on her lap again. "We could let you stay home for the night,"

Dawn shook her head, and even though Karen tried to say something, Dawn raised her hand.

"I thank you for your hospitality, but I think it was my time to leave and continue my journey…" Dawn commented as she gave a very serene smile. "If I camp near the mall, that means I would be the first in the line to get the book."

"Well if you say so…" Karen commented as she slowed the car, to a place where they knew it was safe enough for the moonchild to get out of the car, and with that, taking the sleeping duck with her. "It was nice to meet you, Dawn."

"It was indeed, thank you for your help. Mother Nature bless you both for your hospitality and maybe someday we could see each other again." Dawn commented as she gave a slight wave, for Bridgette who gave a weak and tired smile.

"It would be good to see you someday Dawn, have a good walk. And be careful on the streets." Bridgette commented that a part of her wanted to convince the girl to stay at her house for the night, but seeing the girl determined to continue her journey, there was nothing else they could do.

And with a nod, Dawn walked as both mother and daughter saw the girl walking on the street at night until they couldn't see her silhouette anymore. They don't know if she disappeared, or was because they were so tired they couldn't keep track of the girl.

But it took only a few more minutes, until Bridgette finally reached her home, with enough time to have a few hours of sleep…

2 of the morning.

Bridgette felt so exhausted that she didn't know when she started to sleep, only when she managed to wake up a few hours later.


(Farm)

To say Curtis was a simple man, was an understanding, since he spent most of his life growing up on a farm, had a family on the farm, and did his best to protect his family from the dangers that lurked outside of the said place he treated as a sanctuary. Many times he avoided to go in the cities or even to the Harvest Festivals since most of the time it reminds him of the good times he had with a person who had been most part of his life as a child…

A younger farmer, who acts carefree but still with a lot of need to learn and show others what she learned.

Curtis was a person who didn't care about numbers and neither writing words, but from the insistence of Robin, he had to learn it because of how annoying she was for the sake of wanting to learn. But still, there were good memories that he had from the past since it reminded him of how things were simple.

Then he meet Martha, a woman who didn't care about him telling him that her place should be in the kitchen, even as much she would have kicked his ass when it comes to exploring, she was a free girl who always liked to walk around. She was what his young sister calls, the person who could slap his face a good sense, and how he should be a bit more studious just to impress and get interested in her life.

Curtis was grateful for the wife he had, and how much he would give his flesh, bones, and skin just to protect her from whatever dangers which would appear in the world… He failed once, and he swore to himself that he would never do it again. And he felt after that day… Martha decides to remain low and stay on the farm, just for his own sake, and he blames himself for not being strong enough to support his wife's dreams…

She wanted to go to see Europe someday, and he as a simple farm, usually wouldn't know how to speak Italian or Portuguese… But Robin, as a crazy teacher who always insisted on how he should be more proactive, taught him that…

Speaking other languages was one of the things that made Martha interested in him. And he knew that someday he could try to save some money, just to take her somewhere, maybe Paris, or Rome. In the movies, they looked very interesting. And his son Ezekiel had been a very successful kid, that he could take care of himself… At the time he said on the television that he bought a resort for himself. Curtis couldn't help but sheer a few tears of joy, because his boy was growing up, and getting his own future to live in his own home.

Sometimes little birds need to learn how to fly with their own little wings, and as much Martha didn't wish that to happen. Curtis knew that his son would make them proud, since the time after he almost died in the hide and seek, Ezekiel had a revelation that he should do something, make himself effort into his own dreams.

And Curtis on that day also felt that he should once bring up the dreams that once were buried with his own sister.

"Get down Ezekiel, you are on the fourth three on the left side," Curtis said loud enough to make the leaves of the tree shake, and then slowly a person climbed down from the said tree. "I still got it."

"Yeah Pa, you managed to find my 8 spots in 10 minutes, you should have seen the others passing the whole day trying to find me," Ezekiel commented, as both father and son decided to play hide and seek for the sake of good memories together. "Do you want to hide this time?"

"I think I have enough for hide seek today, we have been playing this for 1 hour," Curtis commented as his beard showed a bit of discomfort, and looking at his son wearing weights, he couldn't help but ask. "What the heck are those?"

"Oh, you mean my weights?" Ezekiel asked as he looked at the black weights on his wrists and legs. "I forgot that I had been doing Eva's training yesterday night, so when I woke up I decided to continue my training."

"These young kids," Curtis commented as he shook his head, which Ezekiel tilted his head, and Ezekiel stared at his pa. "If you want to train with those weights, why don't you cut the wood later? We need the wood for the fireplace tonight."

"Will do Pa." Ezekiel nodded his head, and the father couldn't help but smile at his son.

.

.

.

"So this is the weird bow that your friend from the military made for you?" Curtis commented as Ezekiel nodded his head, and helping his pa to have control of the aim, Curtis gave a deep breath, and when he released the arrow, it went at such a speed that immediately managed to hit the apple in the mouth of their pig, who was eating. Creating a loud noise. Curtis whistled since he didn't aim at that target, but the distance was triple the distance from the bow they usually would use. "That's quite a distance son,"

"Yes, it is. I spent hours to have better aim with this compound bow, Izzy made completely similar to hunters or even Olympics." Ezekiel commented as his pa hummed into learning a new thing about how much efficiency towards a single bow and arrow.

"My turn," Then Martha appeared, as she carried a good portion of biscuits and Orange Cider to make everything sweet from their time together.

"Pff Martha, this is a very complicated weapon, of course, it would require a lot of training, and as much as you have been good at holding a bow and arrow, know that different than our skill on the past this…"

*Deep Breath*

*Release*

*Thud*

Curtis had his eyes snap wide open, as he looked in the direction where the arrow went, and from the time it passed the pig, the apple, and went directly to the center of the orange tree… There was their aim practice target… His mouth dropped, and Martha giggled.

"I still got it…" Martha giggled as she slowly raised her hand to place his jaw back shut. "I love you with my heart Curtis, and I find hilarious how much you enjoy placing your foot in the mouth."

"She got you there Pa," Ezekiel commented as Curtis glared at his own son.

"Whose side you are on?" Curtis said as he saw his son shrugging his arms.

"On the winning side, all the time," Ezekiel commented, as he laughed at the moment his father grumbled on how his son was so easy to betray him when it came to his Ma.

"Okay then cheeky boy, if you are so good like you showed on the show, then do what your Ma did," Curtis said as Ezekiel raised his eyebrow, and decided to show… Since by grabbing 5 arrows. He decided to give a demonstration, of what he learned on the show.

"Okay, don't blink." Ezekiel smiled, as he took the compound bow, and by having all the focus he had, he still with the weight on his arms, he wasn't going to let Izzy's victories make him down, he wanted to show the trick he had been training since a long time since Harold suggested the idea.

*Deep Breath*

*Release*

*Thud*Thud*Thud*Thud*Thud*

*Release Breath*

And on that time, Curtis and Martha had their eyes wide open, and saw like 5 arrows being shot at the same time, and when it hit the target… All of them hit the same orange tree that his Ma was focusing on the first arrow.

"Okay, I know when I am in a lost battle," Curtis commented as he immediately left the area, going directly to the main room, eating his food, having a drink, and then a good time for a nap, because he doesn't want to remain awake on the rest of the day.

This made Martha and Ezekiel chuckle at the antics of the father, who didn't have a win when it comes bow and arrow. Who could give that to him? Like mother, like son, at least when it comes to archery.

.

.

.

"Man, this is a lot of work that I have been working out. And I'm just glad that they liked Courage the Cowardly Dog." Ezekiel commented as he and his Ma were passing the afternoon, cleaning up his bedroom, a place where he had so many papers with sketches, and even slight papers on his typewriter, and the same object returned to the place where it belonged.

"I'm glad that you took care of your grandma's typewriter, there aren't a lot of places that still use it around," Martha commented, as her son walked to turn on the computer, a simple version of the technology of the 90s. Thankfully they found a way to pay for the internet.

"Well, I think with the money I have, I can buy a new computer. One that I won't need to use the floppy disk as a way to save my chapters Ma." Ezekiel said as he grabbed one of the floppy disks, and there were a few names that he had on them.

Those floppy disks aren't like the work he had done from his usual work as Courage, Steven Universe, or Adventure Time, not even Ben 10… Those were something that Ezekiel did, since the beginning of his new life.

Those were… his original fanfics. The ones he wrote, just for the sake of him remember where he came from, the stories that he created before reaching the new world. Everything that he wrote about the future. All the shows, all the ideas of video games, everything that he could remember.

It took days, weeks even to remind himself about the new world he was in, most of the creators of cartoons, videogames, or even social media never existed. Which now he had to accept, and come to terms with it. He was in a world where he could remember and use those flop disks as a way to have nostalgia for himself.

Still, there was a lot missing, so many details, so many things that he wished to have in the world he came from. But now, all he had was nostalgia. He had those as fanfics because it was to only remind himself of how good the times were in the future, and nothing was lost.

Maybe it was never meant to be, those fanfics would just be a memory for himself only, and the details of everything that he wrote about the things he missed from the other world.

Then he felt someone snapping his fingers in front of him.

"What?" Ezekiel turned around and saw his Ma, crossing her arms, and giving that look which made Ezekiel blush. "How long I was out?"

"2 minutes," Martha commented, as she giggled from how easy was to embarrass her little boy. "Now, let's go eat something, I think DJ's momma left a black forest slice if your pa didn't eat it yesterday."

"Oh, now I'm feeling hungry," The homeschooled boy said as both mother and son decided to enjoy their good time together, while on the desk, there were drawings of so many projects and ideas, a monkey, an elephant, and a yellow rhinoceros inside of a camping summer, a samurai and a dark demon, a little boy having a blue man and a whale as parents going in the direction of adventure, two brothers and a bird walking around on the dark forest, a grim reaper with 2 kids driving him crazy, and a big drawing with everything he ever wrote, and a lot of unknown characters, showing a log nearby… C.N.

As a way to remember the good things from the past.

.

.

.

"Hey Ma, did you know that my friends thought that you are Gwen's relative?" Ezekiel asked, which made Curtis glance at his wife, while the latter just chuckled as an answer.

"I could understand since Alisson said that I looked exactly like her daughter, and decided to ask an actress to do her video message from home." Martha giggled, and Ezekiel nodded his head. "She wanted to use another girl to try to imitate her daughter, but she found it would have been funnier if I did something from the future, which it was a good meatloaf for us to eat, and a good talk to have around the mothers."

"You are your knacks for doing impressions," Curtis said as he rolled his eyes knowing how his wife always found weird ways to entertain herself. "I remember the time we lost 2 important clients because you imitated one of them."

"Oh come on, how did I know they were having a divorce?" Martha said as she pouted, and Ezekiel had his eyebrows raised. "It was in my teenage time, that Robin and I got a lot of trouble when we imitated the couple, but the person Robin was imitating wasn't the wife."

"What does t… wait…" Ezekiel tried to understand what her mother was saying until it hit him. And he felt a huge urge to hold his laugh. "You two imitated the husband and a secret lover?"

"Yes, they did," Curtis said, as he could see his wife pouting at him. As much as it would have been hilarious, that wasn't a funny joke. "That couple were 2 of our major clients who ordered fruits for their festival in another state. And Pa got so angry that he clearly wrecked the barn…"

"Oof," Ezekiel commented, as he couldn't meet his grandparents, but seeing a situation where money was related, and for a silly mistake people get lost a lot of money, it was a case that it would end even with assassination.

"I said I was sorry," Martha commented as the husband rolled his eyes.

"Uhum," Curtis acted like he believed in the words that his wife had said, but he even went to warn his son. "One thing Zeke, when your ma wants to imitate someone, she would do it, or even die trying."

"Now you are exaggerating," Martha said until Curtis interrupted.

"Chris Mclean." Curtis just said those words, which made Martha immediately shut her mouth.

"Wait, she imitated Chris? Oh, that's a thing that I must see." Ezekiel said as his mother gave a small smile, while Curtis rolled his eyes.

"She does him so perfectly, that it makes me punch her face." The pa said as Ezekiel had his eyes wide open in surprise. "But since I don't hurt women I-"

"Coward," Martha said in a way that Ezekiel could clearly almost Chris's tones, it was indeed surprising to see it. "Campers, we have a new challenge for today. The first one who eats this dangerous dynamite wins the immunity, and since I have an important business related to my own hair gel, I will be watching from far away while I will laugh from all your suffering."

Ezekiel had to pause and be sure that he wasn't dreaming, even pinching himself, because he could have sworn, that his mom had been Chris from World Tour or even from the Revenge of Island.

"Wow," Ezekiel commented as he never thought his ma was indeed able to imitate someone so well like that. "All you need to do is have his hair cut, his clothing, and his cocky attitude grin, and you could be clearly be treated as his sister."

"Don't even joke about that young boy," Curtis said, as he gave a look at the smirking wife he has. "And I know that look, Martha, don't. Now, let's drop the subject and focus on the other things."

.

.

.

"You want a ride for tomorrow," Curtis commented as he saw his son asking for something obvious. "Sure, 4 a.m we will be taking the truck, and I will release you on there, will I need to take you as well?"

"I don't think so Pa, since I have friends nearby the Mall, I could stay at their house until all the book signing is over," Ezekiel explained, as his pa nodded his head, and saw his boy preparing a small backpack with him. "Just grabbing the essentials,"

"Good," Curtis said as he sat nearby the boy, as the father and son never had much opportunity to be together, only when it was related to work… but there were times that they were just in silence, working together, or even playing around, that he knew that it was his way to connect with his son. His ma was already related to writing, reading, and hunting… But Curtis was related to working hard, waking up early, and working on the farm… "Say a fruit…"

"I'm not going to make a fruit farm Pa…" Ezekiel said as he clearly could understand the line of logic from his pa, the farm he lived on was always focused on Oranges and even some other citrus fruits, but when he got out of the farm he lives… He knew what he wanted to work with.

"You don't?" Curtis asked, as he could identify on what his son had said, he didn't say that he wasn't going to be a farmer, but Ezekiel had said, he wasn't going to work with fruits.

"Coffee…" Ezekiel said, which brought a surprising glance from the Pa, to which Ezekiel decided to give his logic. "Coffee is the drink of working people, people who need to stay awake and energized to do their jobs. So maybe if I drink people and make myself work in my books, maybe if I have a good coffee farm, with something people would like the taste of what they drink, and get ready for a good day of work."

Curtis remained calm. But soon as the father and boy stare the sunset, as both were cutting the woods together.

"What would you name your coffee farm?" That was the question which Ezekiel smiled to his Pa… a person who would be behind his back, and supporting him whenever he needed.

Ezekiel didn't need much… He just wanted to prove to everyone that his family was great… And he was grateful that he was able to prove to everyone something that the other version of himself always wanted. His family was awesome.


(Mall - ?)

Over Toronto, there was one location where many who would have a nice time enjoying with their families, take the opportunity for the students to find their first job, and for people who had money, to take the sales of the stores and business across the same place. The Gallery Mall is located at the Eaton Centre in Toronto.

From all the quantity of stores, with the clean white colors of the floor and the walls, it shows how clean and beautiful was to see such an amazing place for everyone to stay during the day and afternoon. The banners of the festivities are approaching, and the logos of the stores give a sign of what would be the best place for them to identify and be curious about what would be inside of the said business.

And from that many quantities of 936 businesses, there was a big water fountain to create such an astonishing view for whoever was interested in visiting the said mall.

Passing through those many stores, and corridors, there was one iconic space, where people would take their meals from the food court and walk away into a safe distance to a more calm and satisfying place, which between the distance, almost near the other side of the food court, there was an open area with many tables and chairs, and between the said tables and chairs, there was a giant lemon which was had a big straw sticking out of it. A lemonade stand named the Big Squeeze from looking at the public enjoying their food, the attendant Caitlin Cooke was wearing light blonde hair with green eyes. She usually wears a pink butterfly clip in her hair, a pink sleeveless top, a royal blue skirt, and pink high heels. But also the uniform of the company which was an apron with a lemon logo, and also a big lemon as a hat.

The girl was cleaning the glasses as she looked at her friends who seemed to have been in a very difficult pickle.

A dark-skinned boy who usually wears a long-sleeve claret sweater with a white undershirt, kabul capri pants, and blue sneakers with white trimming, was with his head down on the table, from the terrible event that happened on the day before, his girlfriend had broken up with him because she was going out with his coworker, which made him had a disappointing morning on the day after she broke up with him by text. Wyatt was feeling very down lately.

On his side, his best friend, who had been focused on reading a magazine related to new sports babies appearing on the cover, was there to give moral support. A tan boy with blue-black hair who wears a very dark magenta ringer tee with red rings, blue jeans, and brown shoes. Jonesi Garcia knew that his friend was down but preferred to focus on his own wants by reading a new Hottie Girl since he had no idea how to help his friend.

And on the other side of Wyatt, there was his other best friend who was trying to balance his skateboard from the tip of his finger to see if he could distract his friend from the depressing state of breaking up, a blond boy with a gray beanie with a white line, a yellow-green layering shirt with black sleeves, baggy jeans with a white brace, navy socks, and blue hi-tops. Jude Lizowsky wanted to help his friend who was down.

Among the group, Jen, who usually is the big sister of the group stared down his friend, trying to find a way to give moral support to him. A girl with auburn hair wearing an azure hoodie and a white skirt with an indigo stripe running down the side. She wears dark blue socks and white sneakers with indigo soles. She was also preparing to pass the day off by helping his friend figure out what to do at that time.

Last but not least, another girl who brought a few tissues in case the boy would need to cry for a minute, a girl who has a curvy, tall body and her hair, which is dyed purple. She has her eyebrow and nose pierced. And wearing multiple earrings, a necklace, a white top with a lime-colored circular shape in the middle of it, gray cargo pants, and light purple shoes. Nikki Wong.

"Duuuuuude, you need to get over it," Jude commented as Wyatt was still trying to get the strength to prepare himself for work. "While Serena broke up with you, and had started dating Chad, it's not the end of the world."

"I know Jude, and you helped me yesterday, but I wish that I could understand, why she did that," Wyatt commented as he never thought it would have ended that way, he had 2 months and a half wonderful times together, but in the end, a text was simply what it took to his entire week.

"I still say that you need a new hottie girl to help you out, Wyatt. If you want I can find one for you easily," Jonesi smiled as suddenly Nikki slapped on the back of his head. "Ouch, what was that for?"

"Because the last time you did that, it caused a lot of problems, in the same way, I couldn't ask you for a favor without making me completely mad with you," Nikki said as she glared at Jude who tried to look away.

"I said I was sorry, but look on the bright side, your parents still decided to let you go to the Prom," Jude said as he felt a bit down lately. "While I will be going alone on there,"

"Well, misery loves company Jude, we could go there just to see Jen and Caitlin enjoying their date with the tennis players," Wyatt explained as Jen and Caitlin decided to be more solemn.

"You don't need to worry about us boys, I know that you too would need time for yourselves, and the prom is an important day for the girls," Caitlin commented as Jen tried to be more reasonable.

"And I think that someday you will survive this phase guys, everything is going to be fine," Jen commented she knew that her friends would need her at such an important time, so she wanted to make sure to give moral support whenever they needed.

"Easy for you to say..." Jonesi commented as he was enjoying the magazine as he was eating a few french fries from the balcony that nobody saw where it came from. "You passed yesterday focusing on what kind of dress you and Caitlin would be using while we tried to help Wyatt in his situation."

"And how is going the job interview of the day Jonesi?" Jen commented as she rolled her eyes since her future step-brother liked to nag her so much.

"Well, I have an interview at the bookstore on the 322th, the people are saying one celebrity published a few books and they want people to organize the stands where he will be making the book signing in a few days. So any kind of help would be good." Jonesi commented as Nikki raised her eyebrows while Caitlin couldn't help but contain her excitement and curiosity.

"Oh, oh, a celebrity, who is it?" Caitlin asked as Jonesi simply replied.

"Someone named Ezekiel, from a reality show named Total Drama Island, from what I heard there are people from other stores excited to buy a book and ask him to sign." The tan boy commented, as suddenly he saw Nikki and Jude staring at him in surprise. "What?"

"I'm shocked to find out that you never watched the show. It had probably everything you ever wanted." Nikki asked as Jonesi simply rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"If there aren't crazy sports, and hot baby's in bikinis, then I'm not interested," Jonesi replied, which Jude immediately interrupted.

"But there was a dude, and the one who wore the bikini won the show," Jude commented as Jonesi had his eyes wide open in surprise.

"Wait, hold on, so that means I lost the opportunity to see chicks in bikinis and crazy things on TV? Dammit, I should have known." Jonesi felt the urge to slap his face, but he couldn't help but sigh in disappointment.

"I can't believe that you didn't watch it! It was the topic of the school every day, and I don't know why there were such crazy people doing all those humiliating challenges and having to suffer such weird crazy camp experience for the sake of 100 thousand dollars, just in the end lose the chance of 1 million dollars," Jen commented as suddenly the whole group stared at her... "What? Coach Halder loves the show, and he made sure to have everyone talking about the episodes while at work, it was the only way we could use the free talk around the sectors."

"1 million dollars? Wow, I could imagine what I would do with all that money," Jonesi commented as the group returned to their positions, and Wyatt felt a bit more relieved since his friends were helping him to distract his mind. "So do you know who is the celebrity who is coming?"

"Yes, his name is Ezekiel, a farm boy who was homeschooled and decided to use the opportunity to create 3 books, one focused on horror, others on adventures," Jen explained as Jonesi simply rolled his eyes.

"I mean, the boy lives on a farm, what would a boy who never went to a school would have a horror to tell?" Jonesi commented as Caitlin was the person who answered the question.

"He created Courage the Cowardly Dog, a book related to showing horror to children while creating happy endings to make sure everyone would have a good time reading horror books." Caitlin was now the person who made everyone stare at her in surprise. "Oh come on, when it got out I was curious about what the book was about, and it was on sale with another book I needed to study for final exams."

"Coach told us that thematic of the store before Halloween would be related to the books because Ezekiel is coming and he wanted to give a first good impression on him" Jen commented as she facepalmed into thinking about what she should do. "Since Halloween is his favorite holiday, we needed to also be dressed according to the theme, and somehow he gave me a choice, into dressing like an old lady, or wearing the pig nose."

"Ohhhh, you are going to be dressed as Muriel?" Caitlin asked and Jen stared at her friend. "I saw the drawing of her, and she is a very sweet Scottish Lady, so I recommend yellow on you, but you need to use a gray wig to help you in character."

Jen then saw the snickering coming from the boys nearby her. She narrowed her eyes and pointed at them who immediately stopped.

"Well, nice to know that everyone is excited about seeing this mall more movement," Nikki commented as she rolled her eyes. "While I had watched a few episodes, I can see how things will get chaotic at the time he comes here."

"I have to tell you some challenges were awesome, crazy, and dangerous to do, but something I would say it was awesome to be part of it. One challenge I just by watching I vomited 4 times." Jude commented as he recalled the time talking about the show, and Wyatt who was now too deep and curious about his friends talking about the event, suddenly forgot about the depressing state he was in for a while.

"Don't remind me," Jen said as she shivered from a few challenges that made her get on her limit. "One day Coach thought it was a great idea to see who could hold on to the vomit most while watching the episode of I Triple Dog Dare You,"

"Did you win?" Wyatt asked which made Jen shows a slight smirk on her face.

"It was the only time I could see Coach Halder having a sparkle in his eyes looking at me, or maybe it was a bit of his own vomit, but it was a brutal challenge, and I'm glad that we have normal jobs instead of being despaired into trying to go into a reality show and humiliate ourselves for a money that nobody won," Jen explained as she gave a point which most of her friends agreed with her. While Jonesy on the other hand just scoffed.

"Pfff, not a problem. I mean, it's just a celebrity selling a few bucks, I will take this job so easily that tomorrow will be easy to organize the stands." Jonesi commented as both Jude and Wyatt stared at his friend in surprise. "I mean, it's just a reality show, how bad it could be?"