Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Total Drama Island, Season Two, Episode Four, "Choosin' for a Bruisin'"

After hearing a buzzing sound when Bowie chose option A, Zee frowned as they realized they had answered the question wrong. Technically, it wasn't their fault, but that didn't stop them from falling harshly through a trap door and into a small pool almost 40 feet below.

Zee found no enjoyment out of the fall, and now their hair and clothes were completely drenched. As Zee popped their head out of the water, they heard a terrifying growling noise coming their way. Without having time to act, they were viciously attacked by a wolverine wearing a life jacket. 

“Yeowch!” Zee cried out as scratch marks covered any parts of their skin that were exposed.

Chef fished Zee out of the pool with a net. Luckily, the wolverines left Zee alone as they were carried out of the pool. They were extremely violent, for absolutely no reason. 

“Olivia would’ve never acted so aggressively,” they grumbled as they were placed on the ground.

Zee stood silently with Raj, squeezing the water out of their hair and as much of their shirt as they could without taking it off. Zee looked up at the bridge, waiting for the next person to suffer the same fate they did.

After a few moments of what felt like nothing, Wayne was the next person to fall and be attacked by the feisty animals. As Chef removed him from the pool, Raj ran over and hugged his best friend. Now Zee was left alone, looking up at the bridge. They waited for one of their teammates to walk on. Nichelle ended up being the next victim to cautiously trudge across the glass.

“Rat Faces, next question,” Chris smiled with vicious delight as he spoke.

“Wayne, would you rather be A- hockey superstar Guy Lafleur, or B- the puck that scored the game-winning goal in the 1988 Cup finals?” Chris’ voice boomed loudly on the TV.

“A! Nichelle, it’s for sure A!” A female voice called out behind her. Reluctantly, she walked over to the A slot. 

“That’s a tough ‘un, bro. B all day!” Wayne’s voice played on the monitor.

“Ugh,” groaned Nichelle. The trap door beneath her opened up.

As she fell, Nichelle closed her eyes and prepared herself. She landed on a wolverine and gracefully leapt into the air, spun around, and struck a pose as she landed.

Wayne, Raj, and Zee were all struck in awe at the stunt she just pulled. 

“Take that, Hollywood.”

“Woah!” Wayne called out.

Zee was stunned, they were impressed at how Nichelle had pulled off that epic stunt. They were feeling something inside of their stomach that they never felt before. It couldn’t be hunger, since they already had breakfast and plenty of strawberry soda.

“Woah, sweet moves, Nish!” Zee walked up to Nichelle as she began stretching her arms.

Wayne and Raj skidded alongside them.

“Yeah, that was totally epic, bro!” The former complimented.

“Thank you,” she replied smugly. 

“How did you do that?” Raj asked with complete curiosity.

“It takes a lot of training,” she boasted. “I’ve been training with the world’s top parkour, kung fu and gymnastics experts.”

“THAT’S SO COOL, DUDE!” Wayne exclaimed. 

The hockey bros fixed their attention on MK after she announced that she's next to stand on the bridge. This left Zee alone with Nichelle, with the feeling in their stomach prompting them to strike up a conversation with her. Zee felt a bit out of control, but they didn’t mind it.

“So, uhh, have you been in any movies recently?” They asked awkwardly.

Nichelle perked up at the question and turned to face Zee with joy.

“I am sooooooo glad you asked that!” She replied enthusiastically. “I got accepted to play a main role in a movie called Into the Shadows .”

“Woah, nice! Err, what’s it about?”

“The movie focuses on the ‘Shane Gang’ exploring an underground world with tiny critters that act as friendly amo. The protagonist's goal is to prevent the surface and the underground world from meeting to avoid disastrous consequences. It’ll make more sense when you watch it,” she explained.

“Nah, dude, I really dig that idea. So many possibilities!!” Zee replied giddily. “When will it come out?”

“Hmm,” she pondered. “If my memory serves me correctly, it should come out on November first. If you want, we can watch it together when it releases.”

A sudden feeling of warmth washed over Zee when she said that, their heart almost skipped a beat. The thought of spending quality time with Nichelle filled them with excitement and a tinge of nervousness. 

“Uh, yeah, dude! I’d love that!” They replied, stumbling over their words. 

Nichelle noticed the awkwardness in Zee’s voice, but thought nothing of it as she gave them a double thumbs up. 

“Great! I’m looking forward to it.” She smiled.

Their conversation came to an abrupt stop when the pair heard MK's screams as she fell into the water. She managed to escape from the wolverines and came out of the pool, screaming until she felt safe.

“Ugh,” she grumbled as she was catching her breath. “You two are nasty.” 

MK eyed Zee and Nichelle disdainfully. The pair looked over at each other in confusion.

“What?” Nichelle returned to face MK.

MK glared at her. “You’d rather swim in BARF instead of going down a ski hill naked?”

“Hey, nobody’s allowed to see me naked,” she retorted. “What you see before you is what you’ll ever see from me!”

MK rolled her eyes and shifted her gaze towards Zee. 

“And you!” She pointed. “Why on Earth would you eat poop that tastes like popcorn?”

“Because I could just close my eyes, bro,” they replied casually, covering their eyes with their hands. “But that’s a sitch I’d never be in, dude. If C was an option to not eat it, then I’d pick it all day.”

“Whatever, I’ve got better things to do rather than talking to you two butt knuckles,” she scoffed as she ran off into the woods.

“Ugh, who does she think she is?” Nichelle scowled as the tiny woman left. “She seriously reminds me of some of my fans.”

“Huh?” Zee looked over at her in confusion.

Nichelle let out a sigh. 

"There are times when I go out, or when I'm filming, fans will approach me. Some of them ask for an autograph or have a question for me, which is fine. However, there are times when these interactions can be,” she paused hesitantly. “Invasive, to say the least."

Zee blinked in shock. “Oh, man, that’s like… not cool at all,” they replied. “Sorry you had to go through that, dude.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me, really. Thanks to my training, I’ve become a very fit and capable woman so I can take care of myself with no problem,” she explained.

“Hi-YAH!” She demonstrated her strength and energy with a rapid punch to the air. However, she accidentally hit Zee on the arm with force, causing them to groan in pain. 

“Owww!” Zee clutched their injured arm tightly as they hunched over in discomfort. 

Nichelle gasped in response.

“Oops, sorry about that,” Nichelle replied sheepishly as she retracted her arm.

“Ach,” they groaned. “It’s all good, bro.”

The next person to fall was Axel. She managed to fend off the wolverines as she leapt out of the pool. It didn’t take long for her and Nichelle to be engrossed in their own conversation, leaving Zee alone again to collect their own thoughts.

The strange sensation in their stomach remained, but it was a lot less powerful than it was after they stopped talking with Nichelle. They must’ve eaten some strange bug in their sleep because they had never felt like this before. The feeling was nice and comfortable, but it also made them feel anxious. 

After a long time passed since someone suffered the same fate as Axel, Ripper was the next one to fall. Zee noticed Ripper attempting to converse with her, talking to her in a specific way that Zee couldn’t quite understand. It seemed like he wanted to be friends with her. This puzzled Zee, since Ripper and Axel were usually very cold towards each other, especially on the latter’s end. Maybe Ripper was hoping to find common ground with the survivalist and wanted to put all of their negative interactions behind them. 

Zee decided to ask Ripper what he was doing once he stopped swooning over Axel. At this point, she was starting to lose her temper with the scruffy-haired boy.

It took some time for Ripper to finally leave the survivalist alone, but he was now focused on the challenge that Caleb was dominating. Zee saw their opportunity open up.

“Yo, Ripper, what is up my dude?” Zee strolled up to their friend.

“Hey, bro, nothing much,” Ripper gave Zee a fist bump. “Did you want something?”

“Yeah, uhm, what were you doing with Axel?”

Ripper glanced over at Axel and cackled in response, causing the survivalist to briefly glare at him. He returned to face Zee. 

“Well, if you must know, I’m on cloud nine,” he smirked, leaning towards Zee and raising an eyebrow.

Zee shot Ripper a confused expression before looking up at the sky and pointing to a cloud. 

“Is that cloud nine?”

“What? No?” Ripper was taken aback. “I meant I’m really into her!”

Zee blinked. 

“Ugh, I want Axel to be my girlfriend.”

“Ohhhh, cool!” Zee paused. “I don’t get it…”

Ripper sighed, almost pulling his hair out in frustration but he quickly composed himself. 

“Right, you know Bowie and Raj, right? How they’re like… together?” 

Zee nodded in response. 

“Well, I wanna be like them!” Ripper froze, realizing the implications of what he said. “I mean, NO, I’m not gay! Being gay is for gay people, and I’m not gay. I… I like women!” 

He tripped over his sentences and clenched his fist. 

“AUGH! What I’m trying to say is that I wanna be in a… uhm,” Ripper struggled to find the word he was looking for. “HEALTHY! I want to be in a healthy relationship with Axel.”

“I mean, just be who you are, man. Good luck with that!” Zee smiled at their friend.

“Thanks, bro!” Ripper winked at Zee and walked over to his love interest, only to be immediately pushed over by her.

Zee was once again left to their own devices, with nothing but their thoughts for company. Their eyes were glued to the challenge and everything that had happened earlier - the wolverine attacks, the spat with MK, their discussion with Ripper - had all slipped their mind. Everything except for their conversation with Nichelle. The memory wouldn’t leave their mind. 

Caleb was the next person to fall from the Rat Face team. Zee had loudly revealed the team’s secret of going against Emma’s judgment. This caused Emma to throw a tantrum from up top and Axel to aggressively scold Zee down below the bridge. 

The challenge came to an end after a screaming Emma was the last person to feel the wrath of the ferocious mammals in the pool.

“Skunkbutt wins immunity!” Chris’ voice echoed throughout the ravine.

The aforementioned team responded in a delighted chorus of cheers and whoops, while the Rat Faces simply frowned and sighed in disappointment. 

Zee was upset that their team lost the challenge, but at least the target for being eliminated wasn’t solely on their back.

It took everyone at least an hour to reach the campgrounds after the end of the challenge. Some contestants went to the communal bathroom, while the others went to their respective cabins.

As Zee was making their way to the Rat Face cabins, a gentle breeze swept over their skin, causing a slight stinging sensation as it touched the minor cuts on their body. That didn’t bother them though, as something else on their mind was distracting them from the pain. Nichelle. 

Zee couldn’t understand why the movie star was plaguing their brain. They had never felt this way about anyone before, and it was baffling them. Nichelle was just a contestant on “Total Drama,” much like Zee themself. 

Zee was too preoccupied to even pay attention to whatever was in front of them. Their train of thought was abruptly stopped when Zee bumped into the cabin door. 

“Gah!” The unexpected jolt left Zee disorientated for a moment.

“Hey,” came a soft voice from behind, a trace of concern in the tone. 

Zee looked behind to see the source. It was Damien. 

“Are you okay?” 

Zee stared at Damien for a bit before answering. 

“Oh, yeah, dude. I’m all good!” They replied enthusiastically.

Damien wasn’t convinced by their response, especially since it took them a little while to answer.  

“Listen, if it’s about the animal bites, or the fact we lost the challenge, or,” Damien slowed down his pace. “Or about Olivia, then listen, it’s-” 

“No, dude, I’m good. Seriously,” they insisted. 

“Are you sure?” 

Zee smiles and nods. 

“I just, uhh, need to figure myself out,” they respond as they twist the doorknob and enter the cabins.

“Oh?” Damien wonders, following the long-haired guy inside.

Chapter Text

As Damien and Zee made their way inside the cabin, the silent environment was disrupted by the sound of footsteps on the creaky, wooden floorboards and the sound of the door slamming shut. 

Damien and Zee parted ways, each heading towards their designated bunks. Damien flicked on a nearby lamp, which barely illuminated his surroundings. He sat down on his bed, facing Zee on the bed across from him. Damien rested his arms on his thighs and waited patiently while Zee opened their suitcase to take out a cold can of lychee soda.

“So,” Damien broke the silence. “What’s on your mind? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

Zee flicked the tab on their can and took a sip before placing it on the table beside their bed.

“I dunno how to explain this, but I’ve been having these weird feelings in my stomach lately.”

“What?” Damien stood up in concern, his tone showing how panicked he had quickly become. “Are you sick? Do you have food poisoning? What did you eat today? Do you need to go to the bathroom?” 

Zee lifted their head to face Damien. 

“Nah, I’m all good, bro. It honestly feels nice.”

Damien breathed a sigh of relief as he sat back down on his bed. 

“Phew, at least you’re not in serious pain. When did you start to feel like this?” He continued.

“Uhm, I think it started when I saw Nichelle do that cool move when she fell in the challenge today. After that, we talked and I’ve been thinking about her all day. My stomach feels like I’ve eaten some caterpillars, but they’re good caterpillars,” they responded.

“Caterpillars?” Damien furrowed his brow.

“Yeah,” Zee replied casually as if that was a normal thing to say. “I think it might be my newfound crush on Nichelle that’s causing the feeling.”

“I wonder if Ripper is going through the same thing with Axel,” Zee pondered to themself.

Damien jumped up on his bed in shock after hearing what Zee just said. 

“Did they just admit to something that they didn’t mean to say?” Damien thought to himself.

“WHAT?? YOU-“ Damien stopped suddenly, covering his mouth. “ You have a crush on Nichelle? ” 

Damien whisper-shouted his words. Zee’s cool and calm demeanor was transformed into one of surprise when they heard Damien’s question.

“Oh, bro. Did I just say that out loud?” They asked nonchalantly. 

“YES!?”

“Oh, should I not have a crush on her?” Zee looked apprehensive.

“NO, NO,” Damien replied reassuringly, clenching his fists with glee. “I’m super stoked and… and, EXCITED FOR YOU!” 

Zee scratched the back of their head as their cheeks turned a bright shade of red. They were slightly embarrassed but also appreciative of Damien’s acceptance.

“Uhh, thanks, dude,” their reply was awkward as they had no clue how they should be feeling or what they should be saying. 

Damien quickly stood up from his bed and approached Zee. 

"Listen, if you need any help or intel, I’ll be there for you,” Damien gently gripped Zee’s shoulder. 

There was a sense of appreciation and devotion in the grip that caused Zee to feel cared about. It wasn’t an issue in their friendship to begin with, but the assurance felt nice.

“Nichelle and I have become close friends since the first challenge, so I could be your wingman if you need me.”

“Oh, coooool, bro. When do you get the wings?” Zee’s eyes had widened in curiosity. 

Damien shot Zee a confused look, and then he chuckled. 

“Haha, no, Zee. A wingman is a role a person may take to help their friend approach a romantic partner,” he explained.

“Oh, so, no wings?”

“No wings.”

“Bummer.”

Another laugh came out of Damien. 

“So, what should I do now?” Zee asked with uncertainty.

“Once you’re ready to speak to her, just be upfront and honest,” Damien explained. “What do you like about her?”

“Uhm, I like how athletic and pretty she is, she’s also got great hair and I love her accessories,” they flicked their ponytail behind them. “She’s got a strong personality, I love her confidence and motivation and how she didn’t decide to drop her filming career by wallowing after last season. Man, I should totally watch the movies she plays in when I get home.”

A smile spread across Damien’s face.

“That’s great! And speaking of movies, you should ask her if she’d like to go on a movie date. Her favourite genre is teen drama, so I’d recommend anything of that kind.”

“Ooh, I love movies! But, what should I say to her?”

There was a brief moment of silence as Damien thought about how to reply. 

“Try to say something along the lines of, ‘What’s up, Nichelle? Wanna go on a movie date with me, dude? ‘Cause I really like you, like a lot,’” he responded, trying to imitate his friend’s voice and vocabulary. “But remember this one important rule, love comes from the heart, so don’t let me dictate what you say to her. I’m only here to help you.”

Zee tried to gather all the information that was given to them. 

“Right, so, movie date, ‘I like you a lot’, and something about love coming from the heart,” they thought. “Okay, I’ve got it, dude!”

“Great, and if you want, I could go talk with Nichelle tomorrow to see what she thinks of you.”

A delighted gasp could be heard from Zee’s mouth. 

“For real, bro?”

Damien gave a reassuring nod. Zee's face lit up with joy, a wide smile spreading across their face. Without a second thought, they lunged towards Damien, wrapping their arms around him in a tight and grateful hug, slightly lifting him from the floor.

“AW, DUDE, THANK YOU!! YOU’RE THE BEST!” They shouted in merriment.

Damien, surprised by the sudden embrace, closed his eyes and reciprocated the gesture. 

“Aww, thank you, and you’re welcome,” he replied solemnly.

As Zee continued to clutch their arms around Damien’s chest, Damien could feel that Zee’s body was warm and filled with joy. The pure excitement that Zee must be experiencing must feel great. Having their best friend to be a wingman for them was probably so relieving. 

They remained in that state for a moment until Damien slowly and gently removed himself from the comforting hug. He unwrapped his arms from around Zee and took a step back.

“And by the way, those caterpillars you mentioned earlier probably turned into butterflies,” Damien pointed out.

Zee looks down and places their hands on their stomach. 

“Woah, so like, am I pregnant with butterflies?”

Damien endearingly chuckled at Zee's naivety. 

"Haha, no. Feeling 'butterflies' in your stomach is a natural response of your body when you're anxious or worried, especially when you're trying to approach someone you're interested in," he explained intelligently. "They're not actual butterflies, but are called so because of the fluttery sensation they produce."

“Woah, that’s crazy, dude!”

“Rat Faces, elimination starts in ten minutes,” Chris’ muffled voice boomed over the PA system. “Be prepared to vote off one of your fellow teammates.”

The pair stared outside of the cabin windows after the announcement was made and returned to each other with nervous looks.

“Aw, man,” groaned Zee. “I don’t wanna vote anyone off.”

“Well, we don’t have a choice,” Damien replied. “Let’s go.”

The remaining Rat Faces members trudged through the dark and ominous forest path that would lead them to the elimination area. The flames on the lit torches flickered and hissed in the night air.

As Damien walked, he noticed that he had walked ahead of Zee, so he decided to slow down his pace. As he did so, he gradually matched their steps with Zee's, until they were walking side by side. Now, they were walking at the same pace, moving together at the same rhythm. 

Damien leaned over to them and whispered. 

“I forgot to mention, try to talk with her any chance you get. Something as simple as a compliment might help, but don't overdo it.”

“Understood, bro,” they whispered. “Slow and steady wins the race.”

Zee walked ahead of Damien to catch up with Nichelle. Damien’s eyes widened when he saw what Zee was doing.

“Wait, Zee!! I didn’t mean right now!!” He whisper-shouted, but Zee was already ahead.

Zee was now walking beside Nichelle. She noticed their presence and grinned slightly.

“Hi, Zee.”

“Hi, Nichelle, uhh, cool moves you pulled off in today’s challenge,” they awkwardly replied.

Nichelle stared at them, seemingly confused. 

“Thanks,” she trailed off. “You already told me that.”

“Oh, did I now?” They chuckled embarrassingly. “Well, uhm, I figured you’d like it if I said it twice...”

Nichelle looked away from Zee, she placed one hand on her hip and the other on her chin as she thought for a moment.

As Nichelle was thinking, Zee was in awe at the beautiful sight walking beside them. Nichelle’s blonde hair was stunning, her plastic accessories shone in the moonlight, and her braids were so professionally done in a way that made Zee want to do the same to their own hair. They couldn't help but notice the unique way she walked, her body swaying gracefully from side to side, moving in perfect harmony with each step like she was on a catwalk. Her facial expressions and stances always screamed confidence which gave Zee a hint of inspiration.

If Zee watched any Hollywood movie that Nichelle starred in, they would easily identify which parts were played by Nichelle and which parts were played by her stunt double. No matter how good the editing or how good Jerry’s make-over was, nothing could replicate the true beauty that was Nichelle. 

“Hmm, you’re right, I do like to hear it twice,” Nichelle smiled with pride.

Zee’s face beamed at the response. They slowed down and looked over at Damien, giving them a thumbs up with a look that asked ‘did I do good?’  

Hesitantly, Damien responded with a thumbs-up of his own, smiling with uncertainty. 

Shortly after, the team arrived at the elimination area and took their seats. Emma became the fourth loser to walk the Dock of Shame and be zipped off by the Drone of Despair. Zee was saddened to see her go, she was funny and silly, and Zee was the only person who appreciated her jokes and silly dancing.

Zee’s sadness was short-lived as they heard an ear-piercing screech coming from the intercoms. Everyone had covered their ears until they could finally hear a voice.

“Testing! Testing!”

“Is that Ripper?”

“I’d like to read an original poem of love to one lucky lady person.”

Axel was now the centre of attention as everyone gazed over at her. Her face reeked with humiliation. 

Zee couldn’t understand a word that was being said as Ripper read out his “poem” over the speakers. To them, he was just saying words. 

Microphone in hand, Ripper strolled over to his love interest, ending his poem as he got close and personal with Axel.

Zee straightened their back in apprehension as they saw Axel grab their friend’s shirt aggressively. Dread flowed down their spine as they waited to see how the survivalist would react. 

And then…

Kiss.

Everyone was stunned. 

Nobody expected this.

Everyone was expecting the worst.

Priya and Caleb watched in bewilderment, Damien protected his eyes from the disaster that was in front of him, and Zee and Nichelle simply shared confused looks as Ripper and Axel were still intensely making out.

As the latter pair briefly met each other’s gaze, Zee wondered if that was the way to get Nichelle to like them. But as they looked back at the kissing couple in front of them, Zee felt… weird, and not the good kind. They can’t quite put their finger on it, but Ripper didn’t look good next to Axel, not to mention his method of getting with her didn’t seem genuine. Zee thought they did Emma a favour, at least she wouldn’t have to see the train wreck in front of them.

Eventually, everyone had left the elimination area, except for Ripper and Axel. They all arrived at their respective cabins and were prepared to sleep.

As Zee snuggled into their old and creaky bed, their mind was flooded with a multitude of thoughts, swirling around and making it difficult for them to drift off into a comfortable sleep.

Chapter Text

As the sun began rising over the small island of Camp Wawanakwa, most of the contestants were still sleeping in their unkempt cabins. However, some had already headed over to the main lodge to grab breakfast, while others made their way to the communal bathrooms, and some preferred to take a sprint through the woods. 

Zee was sound asleep in their bed, with one arm hanging off the edge. Suddenly, a pesky fly landed on their nose. The sensation jolted Zee awake, and they slowly opened their eyes. They sat up straight on the bed, rubbing their eyes, throwing their untied hair behind their ears, and stretching their arms as they adjusted to being awake.

“Good morning, Zee,” Damien said whilst rummaging through his backpack for a toothbrush.

He was wearing his pyjamas, which consisted of blue shorts and a green T-shirt, not so different from his normal clothes.

“Good morning, amigo,” Zee yawned.

They surveyed their surroundings and made an observation.

“Dude, where’s Caleb?” Their voice croaked.

Damien looked over to Zee once he got his toothbrush. 

“He went outside to train with Priya,” he explained. “Those two have become super close lately.”

“Haha, yeah,” Zee chuckled.

They removed the duvet from their body and stood up to stretch their limbs, only for them to tumble down immediately.

“Oof!” Zee yelped as they fell harshly on the wooden floor.

Damien winced as he saw Zee’s body fall to the ground. 

“Are you okay?” He asked worriedly.

Zee sat up from their fallen position and laughed.

“Haha, I’m all good,” they reached their arm from under their bed. “I forgot to put Lefty on.”

They grabbed their prosthetic, clipped it to their upper leg and stood up as if nothing happened.

“So, do you know what happened last night?” Zee grabbed their signature green cap from the table by their bed and put it on.

“What do you mean?” Damien’s brow furrowed. 

“Like, the whole thing with Ripper and Axel.”

“Ooooh, right,” Damien thought for a moment. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know Ripper was even into Axel until you mentioned it to me yesterday.”

“So… are they together?” 

Damien hesitated, he wasn’t very confident in what he was about to tell them as he looked out of the window. 

“It’s hard to say. I don’t know Axel as well as Ripper does, but I’d say… potentially? I dunno,” his tone was uncertain. “Admittedly, Axel is a tough person to read, but she doesn’t strike me as the type of person to get into romantic situations, especially with her whole survivalist shtick. But if I had to guess, I’d say Axel only kissed Ripper because she wanted him to shut up.”

“Oh,” Zee felt mildly disappointed by Damien’s answer. 

“Soo, how did I do?” They asked in peak curiosity.

Damien broke his gaze from the window and turned his attention toward Zee.

“Well, I’d say you did pretty alright from how you talked to Nichelle while we were walking to the elimination. My only advice would be to mention other things you like about her, cause apparently you already told her she did a cool move.”

“Ahhh, right. Gotcha, bro!” Zee pointed a finger gun at Damien.

The two of them twisted their head after they heard a knock on the cabin door. 

“Come in,” Damien called. 

The doorknob shakily rotated for a bit until the door was pushed open to reveal Nichelle on the other side. 

“Good morning, guys,” Nichelle said as she rested her weight against the door frame.

“Good morning, Nichelle,” Damien and Zee replied in unison. 

“Morning,” she repeated. “Oh, Zee, your hair looks great when it’s down.”

“Oh,” they replied awkwardly. “Thanks, dude.” 

Zee blushed at the compliment, which went unnoticed by Nichelle. Damien, on the other hand, noticed it immediately, but decided to say nothing. 

“Anyway, have you two seen Axel or Priya anywhere?” She asked. “I haven’t seen them this morning.”

“Caleb told me that he went training with Priya, but he didn’t specify where. I have no idea where Axel went,” Damien replied.

“I think she might be out training by herself, or hunting squirrels. Who knows,” Zee nonchalantly added.

“Right, anyway, do you two wanna come with me to mock the Skunk Butts?” She asked. “I’ve got a lot of energy today and I’m not about to put it to waste!” 

Zee was never good at identifying conflict and mostly viewed it as a friendly rivalry, but even so, they didn’t want to waste their lack of energy on having a go at the opposing team. It just wasn’t their vibe.

“I’m all good, bro,” they replied.

“I can go,” Damien shrugged. “I just need to get changed first before I do.”

“Alright, sure, I’ll wait outside for you,” Nichelle replied as she stepped out. 

Damien turned to Zee and gave them a wink. He gestured to them to stay outside with Nichelle until he was ready. Zee gave him a warm smile in response and walked out accordingly. 

As Zee closed the door, they observed Nichelle leaning against the wooden fencing in front of the cabin, inspecting her well-manicured nails. Zee was feeling those butterflies circling in their stomach again.

They walked over to her and rested their arms over the railings.

“So, how are you this morning?” Zee asked.

Nichelle turned her head to face them and grinned.

“I’m feeling energised today,” she replied positively. “I feel like we could win today’s challenge and nothing is gonna be in our way!”

“Oh yeah, totally,” they sheepishly replied. “Err, I love how confident and energetic you are.”

Nichelle noticed the awkward tone Zee was speaking in. She had also picked up on it yesterday. She didn’t think much about it, chalking it up to Zee being nervous about talking to someone as famous as her. 

“Oh, thank you. I don’t know why, but I’m feeling really pumped today. But who am I to complain?” 

“Haha, true that,” Zee took a can of lychee from their pocket and drank it.

“Do you drink soda all day?” Nichelle asked, confused.

“Uhh, yeah. Why? Do you want a can?” Zee grabbed another can from their pocket and offered it to Nichelle.

“No thank you, I’m good,” she raised her hand. “Though I must ask, is there something you drink that isn’t soda?”

Zee went quiet for a moment, thinking about some of the drinks they had since the season started. 

“Uhm, I’ve had water yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that , and… I think that’s it. But nothing beats a good orange soda, but I’m trying out different flavours every day.”

“Well, if orange is your favourite flavour of soda, have you considered trying orange juice?”

“Ooooh, orange juice? That sounds groovy. Do they have that at the cafeteria?” 

“They do, in little cartons, but it tastes disgusting. If you ever want to try orange juice, I’d suggest you make it yourself.”

Zee and Nichelle’s attention was turned to the sound of a twisting doorknob. Damien pushed the creaky door open and stepped outside wearing his usual clothes. He looked to Zee and Nichelle, smiling to them

“Alright, I’m ready to go with you,” he said.

Nichelle smirked with glee.

“Let’s roast their asses!” She announced as she turned on her heel. 

Zee watched Nichelle as she gracefully walked away. They were lovestruck and distracted by her serene beauty as they watched her from afar. As they stood lost in thought, their gaze was interrupted as they felt Damien’s hand being placed on their shoulder.

Zee’s attention was now on him. He removed his arm from Zee and gave them another wink.

“I’ll try to get as much information as I can,” he whispered.

“Thanks, man,” Zee’s face beamed with joy as he watched Damien leave to go with Nichelle. 

As Zee watched the pair walk away, they leaned on the wooden railing. With their arms resting on it, they placed their face onto their palm, staring into the woods. 

Damien and Nichelle were slowly making their way to the Skunk Butt’s cabin. 

As they were walking side by side, Damien was continuously thinking about what he could ask Nichelle regarding Zee. Luckily for him, things would turn out much easier than he would’ve expected.

“Damien, I’ve been meaning to ask you, do you know what’s going on with Zee lately?” Nichelle asked. 

Damien was taken aback. Although he wasn’t expecting it, he was glad that Nichelle asked a question before he did.

“You’re gonna have to be more specific,” he raised an eyebrow, pretending he didn’t know what she was talking about.  

Nichelle crossed her arms.

“Well, whenever I’m talking with Zee, they seem so… uncomfortable. I’ve never heard them stumble over their words before.”

“What makes you think I’d know the answer?” He asked warily. 

“Ever since Millie pushed you down the four-point slide, you two have been hanging out a lot. You both seem to be good friends so I thought you might know something.”

Damien placed his finger on his chin and tried to come up with a reply. 

“Hmm, if I had to make a hypothesis, I’d say that Zee wants to get to know you better. I think they might be nervous to speak with you because you are so famous.”

“It’s funny you mention that,” Nichelle placed her hands on her hips. “Because I was thinking of a similar reason.”

“Well, would you like to be friends with Zee? What do you think about them?”

Nichelle stopped moving after being asked the question and thought for a bit. Damien stopped a few inches in front of Nichelle and turned to face her.

“Hmm, they are friendly, I like their enthusiasm, and I like their good-natured personality,” she paused. “And, to be honest, I think they’re kind of charming.”

Damien was positively shocked by Nichelle’s response. Although she was quite vague, Damien wanted to know if Nichelle was falling for Zee.

“However,” she went on. “They are slow, unpredictable, and kind of dumb, but it’s in a cute way.”

Nichelle continued walking, her eyes focused ahead, as she passed a confused Damien. 

Damien locked his eyes on Nichelle and quickened his pace to catch up to her. He would’ve asked her something until Nichelle placed her arm in front of him, halting him in his tracks. 

Damien looked over at her, puzzled by her sudden gesture. She then pointed him to the Skunk Butt’s cabins, where they heard a familiar voice. 

“And I might know something to help melt the keys out of the ice faster.”

Damien didn’t quite catch what was being said, but he knew the voice belonged to MK. 

“Let’s go,” Nichelle whispered as she climbed up the steps.

While he wasn’t the bravest competitor, Damien was among one of the nicest people on the island and never had to trash-talk anyone simply because it was not in his nature to do so. However, he found himself in a weird situation where he was about to mock the other team with Nichelle. But he needed alone time with her to gain some information for Zee, and he got a little bit of something at least.

“The things I do for Zee,” he jokingly thought to himself. 

Damien could abandon this whole ‘mocking Skunk Butt’ thing, he didn’t really feel comfortable doing it anyway, but he needed to step out of his comfort zone. Besides, he found his legs forcing him up the steps of the cabin so there was no going back now. 

As the pair walked inside, they found Julia talking to Ripper and MK.

“Brilliant. We’ll win this challenge for sure!”

“What challenge?”

The trio looked over to Damien and Nichelle with their hands on their hips looking very smug. 

“The one that we’re going to trounce you in today?”

“Hah. You wish,” MK scoffed.

“Speaking of wishes, I bet you wish you hadn’t tanked so badly last season that you destroyed your own Hollywood career,” Julia snarked.

Damien wanted to respond with something sarcastic but he couldn’t come up with anything. Besides, Julia and Nichelle kept throwing insults at each other to the point where Damien, alongside Ripper and MK, didn’t have a chance to respond. 

“Oh! Maybe I should go audition for a movie,” Julia snarked.

“Hollywood wants movie stars, you’re more a small-town dinner theatre.”

“Oh snap!” Damien cackled as he followed Nichelle out the door. 

As they stepped down from the cabin, they both gave each other a high-five.

“That was a good roast,” Damien replied.

“Hah, I know.”

Meanwhile, in the cabins of the Skunk Butts…

“UGH!!! SHE WILL PAY FOR THAT!” Julia slammed her fist against her palm. 

“SHE IS LEAVING NEXT!” She turned to face Ripper and MK.

“How? It’s not like we can control the votes if they lose,” MK grunted.

Julia, still upset by the movie star's reply, tried to compose herself.

“We could do some good old manipulation.”

“Who’s gonna listen to you? You’re one of the most hated people on this island.”

“Ha! Coming from the person who watched everyone poop last season and got voted off because of it!”

“I was not watching everyone poop, you weirdo! I skipped through all of that. And besides, people like me MORE than they like you!”

“What if you make Nichelle quit?” Interrupted Ripper.

MK and Julia turned to face the chubby boy with bewildered looks on their faces.

“Go on,” Julia insisted curiously. 

“If we win, maybe you could do something to make her voluntarily quit the game. I was thinking you could leave a movie contract on her bed that expires within two days,” he explained. 

The two females couldn’t believe their ears. 

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but that is genius!”

Ripper crossed his arms with a grin at the compliment while Julia thought.

“MK, do you know if the production trailer has a printer?”

MK gave Julia and Ripper a mischievous look. The two didn’t need her to say another word, her facial expression gave them everything they needed to know.

“Follow me,” she sprinted out the door.

Julia and Ripper did as they were told. 

As the birds chirped and the squirrels scattered through the leaves, Zee walked through the woods searching for Axel. They were under the impression that Nichelle needed to speak with her for some reason after she asked them and Damien where she was this morning.

The luxuriant greenery and the tranquil atmosphere of the forest entranced Zee. They became so absorbed in the scenery that they completely forgot the reason they had come there in the first place. The dense foliage brought back fond memories of the previous season when they were last in the forest.

Looking for a cassowary egg with Ripper, accidentally giving their prosthetic to a dinosaur, and, although they’d never want to be in that position again, holding Chase’s butt shut was a funny memory. Zee’s only forest memory this season was meeting Olivia. They missed that raccoon.

While Zee was distracted by all the memories, they hadn’t realised they had walked back to the campgrounds. It was only when they caught sight of the colourful banners of team Skunk Butt and team Rat Face that they realised where they were. 

Zee was feeling tired after walking for a while so they headed off to their side of the cabins. Before they walked in, they heard a voice coming from the female side, it was Priya. 

“Maybe Priya knows where Axel is,” they thought to themself. 

They grabbed a can of lychee from their pocket and drank it to refresh their head. As Zee opened the door, they saw Priya being smothered by a pillow, at least that’s how they interpreted it.

“KILLER PILLOW! I’LL SAVE YOU, PRIYA!” Zee ran and snatched the pillow from Priya and threw it against the ceiling fan, shredding it. 

“Come on! We gotta move before the other pillows turn evil!” They yelled as they were trying to pull Priya from the bed. 

“Zee! Zee! It’s okay! Stop! I was- I was kissing it!” Priya cried out. 

This caused Zee to let go of her and step back a bit. They felt utterly confused and awful. They had just shredded Priya’s pillow boyfriend. They were so lost in thought that they didn’t hear Priya trying to speak with them. 

“Zee. Zee?” Priya tried to wave her hand to Zee’s face but she was too short to reach their towering height.

With no other option to get them back to reality, Priya jumped and slapped them across the face.

Zee silently reacted to the blow as they quickly placed their hand over the slap mark. They looked around the room lost in thought, wondering where they were.

“Zee! Are you alright?” She asked soft-spokenly.

Zee turned around to face Priya and pulled her into a tight hug, lifting her from the ground.

“PRIYA!! I’M SORRY!! I DIDN’T MEAN TO KILL YOUR PILLOW BOYFRIEND!!”

Priya was shocked by Zee’s sudden embrace but her facial expression quickly became one of confusion as they heard what Zee had just said.

“Zee! Stop!! Let go of me!!” Her tone was stern as she pushed herself away from Zee’s grasp. 

Priya stood back and stared at Zee, who looked like a guilty puppy. She took a deep breath to calm herself and tried to address the situation properly.

“Zee, it’s okay. I was pretending the pillow was Caleb. I kind of like him,” she blushed as she revealed her confession.

Zee’s feelings of guilt had vanished as they felt excited for Priya. She asked them if they could keep the information confidential between them. Zee agreed to keep it a "Zee-cret," as they jokingly referred to it. However, it was already proving difficult for Zee, as Priya had to remind them not to say anything a few seconds after being told when they said Caleb would freak if they told him. 

Zee explained to Priya they’d do their best to not say anything with their solution being to keep their body busy with soda. Although Priya was perplexed by Zee’s method, she couldn’t complain, as long as Zee would keep her secret, she was fine.

It was now challenge time. The two teams of six drove their dinghies to an iceberg with two gaping entrances. The Skunk Butts entered the left side of the iceberg whilst the Rat Faces took the right. 

As the Rat Faces made their way through the icy terrain, they encountered their first obstacle. A steep and icy gorge with a path near the top with large boots protruding in and out of the walls, blocking the Rat Face’s way of getting the key.

Axel, Zee, and Damien attempted to pass the hurdles but quickly became victims to the pummeling boots and subsequently fell into the gorge. Axel was the first person to get up and dust herself off, checking to see if Zee and Damien weren’t seriously hurt. The trio were fine but now they were in search of an exit.

However, their search for a way out was quickly halted when a peculiar view from up above caught their eyes.

It was Nichelle, soaring through the sky like an eagle. Axel and Damien looked on in amazement, they couldn't help but think to themselves, "Wow, she's super athletic!"

Zee, on the other hand, was more focused on Nichelle’s elegant beauty. They noticed her beaded braids shining brightly amongst the blue and icy walls. They noticed how beautifully agile she was. They noticed how confident and determined she was when she made that leap. Zee relished every second when their eyes were fixated on Nichelle. She was amazing.

As she skilfully landed on the slippery ice, Nichelle grabbed the key from the podium which caused the boots to become inanimate. 

With the first obstacle completed, the team wasted no time rescuing Axel, Zee and Damien from the gorge. They were now on their way to the next course. 

The team's journey to their next destination was a silent one; nobody spoke as they walked through an icy hallway, shivering as the cold air surrounded them. The atmosphere was completely quiet, except for the occasional sound of their footwear sliding on the ice and the shivering of their bodies due to the cold.

While Zee appreciated the peaceful ambience, they wanted to continue following Damien’s advice, so they spoke up.

“Nichelle, that stunt you just pulled was so cool, dude! You like… totally saved our butts back there.”

“Yeah! Without you, we might’ve not gotten that key!” Caleb added.

Soon enough, the rest of the team sang their praises to Nichelle. The movie star luxuriated in the honour and the attention that she was gaining from her teammates. She felt very important. 

“I know. I’m amazing,” she boasted.

The team came to their next obstacle - an open ice-land dotted with jagged icy stalagmites - and Zee was already having trouble keeping Priya’s secret to themself. Their words started slipping out until Priya reminded them to focus on the challenge. 

Axel predicted the ice spikes were hunting blades and if they were to make a run to the key, they’d be shot with something. Priya suggested they split into three teams to make it easier to pass the obstacle. She placed Axel with Nichelle, Damien with Zee, and herself with Caleb. Damien was too busy freaking out over the obstacle to notice Zee chuckling at Priya and shoving their face with soda.

Everyone ran into the open with their designated partner and quickly ducked behind the stalagmites, except for Damien, who kept flailing around and screamed in terror as vicious baby seals were fired from multiple cannons.

As Axel, Nichelle and Zee hid behind the ice, Nichelle shouted to everyone that she’d draw their fire so everyone else could get the key. She ran out and squealed, dodging the aggressive seals with ease.

Zee watched Nichelle in admiration as they also ran. They were so enthralled by her confidence and courage that they didn’t hear Axel’s warning.

“GET DOWN!” She cried.

Zee snapped back into reality after hearing Axel's frantic tone. Suddenly, a seal was soaring towards them, leaving little time to react, resulting in it biting them on the butt.

Zee winced in agony as they struggled to remove the animal from their body. Fortunately, Axel knocked out the seal by striking its neck. The furry creature fell to the ground, still breathing but unconscious.

The team’s attention was now fixed on Priya who grabbed the key and cheered. Her voice echoed as she shouted to the team to regroup and head to their next obstacle.

As they were leaving, Zee caught up to Nichelle and smiled with delight as butterflies were fluttering in their stomach.

“Nish, dude! You were like… so cool out there!” They complimented. “I loved how brave and confident you were.”

“I know, I’m great at everything I do,” she grinned. “Now come on, we need to get to the next area!”

Nichelle dashed to the exit as Zee followed closely behind. 

The last obstacle was a "snow-cone catwalk." There was a large ravine in front of the contestants with three large pillars located inside. Above the second pillar was a stalactite with a hook underneath it holding the key. 

Zee was still having a hard time keeping Priya’s secret confidential whenever they saw her and Caleb talking. Comically, they pulled out a large bottle of lychee soda and chugged it to avoid any slip-ups. 

Suddenly, Zee felt an aching sensation in their pelvis. They had drank a lot of lychee today that they desperately needed to pee. This wasn’t good. If they couldn’t empty their bladder in time, they wouldn’t be able to drink more lychee, thus resulting in them inevitably spilling Priya’s secret. Zee panicked as they tried to come up with a solution. 

“I GOTTA PEE!” They randomly shouted.

As Priya registered those words, she knew she had to take action immediately. 

“Zee, the world is your snowbank. Go! Everyone else, huddle up,” she called.

As Zee took a whiz, Priya and the rest of the team discussed their strategy to make it across the snowcones. Once they finished talking, Zee also stopped peeing. 

Zee felt relieved as their aching dispersed, however they were startled by a loud voice behind them.

“ZEE! WHAT’D YOU DO?” Priya cried as she and the rest of the team ran over to them.

Zee looked down and realised what they had done. They hadn’t been paying attention to where they were peeing, and now one of the snow cones was half-melted.

“DIDN’T YOU REALISE WHAT YOU WERE DOING?”

Great. That was the second challenge in a row where Axel reprimanded Zee. They panicked.

“I WAS THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE! SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT!”

“What?”

Not even Nichelle’s soothing voice was enough to calm Zee down as Priya pointed daggers at them. Zee tried to down another bottle but was immediately stopped as Axel punched it out of their hands.

“Don’t even try it! Your bladder is done for the day!”

“I’d hate to be that person, but we should really get a move on,” said Caleb.

“How? We can’t jump on the first snowcone because we wouldn’t be able to reach the second one!” Priya explained. “Also I do not want to land on somebody’s pee.”

Zee’s cheeks turned bright red as they felt a wave of embarrassment wash over them. The whole situation was so humiliating and overwhelming that they didn’t know what to say or do. Zee had never felt like this, it was a new and uncomfortable experience for them. Even worse, Nichelle, their love interest, was witnessing the whole thing. Truth be told, she didn’t care or think much less of them after hindering their chances of winning, but Zee didn’t know that.

Damien, who had remained mum throughout everything, could see that Zee was uncharacteristically and internally freaking out. He wanted to check up on them but he was interrupted.

“Zee! You got us into this mess! It’s about time you try to fix it! You jump first!” Axel pointed, edging closely towards them. 

Axel stopped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see who it came from.

“Hey, lay off the guy, they’re clearly stressed,” Nichelle leisurely replied.

Zee’s sense of panic was washed away as a warm smile was present on their face, they appreciated Nichelle’s observation and sympathy and felt grateful for her concern.

Axel, on the other hand, pushed Nichelle’s arm off her shoulder and gave her a dirty look. Nichelle, in turn, rolled her eyes in response to Axel's rude behaviour and turned her attention towards Zee.

“She is right though,” she defeatedly added. “Skip the first snow cone and try to make it the second one. Just before you jump, push your back leg on the ledge to maintain a further distance.”

Nichelle’s encouragement was more than enough to give Zee the motivation they needed. They got into a starting position and was ready to take a sprint.

“Go, GIVE IT YOUR ALL!”

And with that, Zee ran and lept in the air. They had managed to grab onto the ledge of the second snow pillar as their body hung dangerously above the gorge. They tried to pull their body up but the icy surface made it difficult to gain a grip, resulting in a painful fall on their back. Everyone winced when they saw it happen.

“You did great, Zee!” Nichelle called from above.

Although they valued her inspirational frame of mind, Zee could only reply with a heavy groan as they lay on the frozen cold floor. 

Damien was the next person to attempt the jump, but he came up short and fell below. Axel and Priya followed suit, with their efforts also ending in failure. Caleb and Nichelle peered into the chasm at their fallen teammates. Nichelle knew that the two of them wouldn’t be able to make it either, so she came up with a daring plan.

“CALEB! THROW ME!”

Her entire team gasped with surprise and shock after hearing what she said was planning, none more so than Damien. He seemed to be constantly worried about everything that could possibly go wrong. 

Zee, however, admired Nichelle’s quick thinking and problem-solving skills.

Nichelle sat tucked comfortably in Caleb’s palm, and with all of his strength, Caleb flung her across the chasm. However, the sudden force of the swing caused Caleb to fumble and fall into the ravine himself. Everyone from below, except Caleb, gawked at Nichelle in amazement as she flew graciously onto the second pillar, grabbing the key in the process.

“I DID IT! I GOT THE KEY!”

The rest of her team responded in a gleeful harmony of cheers and screams. Nichelle also joined in on the excitement, but she celebrated too early as she frantically slid on the ice and fell into the pit herself. 

“Oh no! Ugh! This rots!” She complained. 

“We have all the keys but we’re STUCK IN HERE?” Her voice echoed through the walls.

“Nope! No way!” 

Priya approached the second snow pillar with confidence and pushed her entire body against it, attempting to knock it over. The rest of the team rushed over to assist her and together they pushed against the pillar. Eventually, the pillar fell over onto the third pillar, causing both of them to crumble into a pile of rubble. This created a pathway out of the gorge.

After that, the rest of the challenge became a blur to Zee as they didn’t remember anything. However, one thing was very clear.

“Team Rat Face, I’ll see you at the elimination ceremony. One of ya is headed home,” Chris smirked as he looked down at the losing team floating in the water.

The sky turned orange as dusk settled in. Priya had invited her team to the female side of the Rat Face cabins to talk to everyone. 

“I really thought we had that one guys, sorry.”

“Hey, it’s not your fault,” soothed Caleb. “We all tried our best.”

“I did great!” Zee glugged their soda with pride.

Everyone else shared uncertain looks amongst each other, silently debating whether or not that statement was true.

Damien surveyed the cabin floor and saw something odd.

“Why is there cotton everywhere?”

Priya’s eyes immediately snapped in Damien’s direction, then she turned her attention to the floor. Priya swore she cleared every bit of cotton she could find after Zee shredded her pillow, but she noticed some stragglers. She could’ve easily said she didn’t know and asked Nichelle or Axel what happened, but an excuse randomly slipped out of her mouth.

“Zee and I were having a pillow fight before the challenge started!”

“A pillow fight?” Axel raised an eyebrow.

“Uhh, yeah! I was training them this morning just in case there was a… uhm,” she paused, thinking of what to say. “A boxing challenge.”

“So, what? You used the pillows as boxing gloves?” Caleb asked. 

“You better not have touched my pillow!” Nichelle replied defensively. 

“No, no”, Priya raised her hands in front of her. “We just used my pillow and one from the empty bunks. And yeah, we did use them as boxing gloves, but Zee didn’t get the memo and threw mine against the fan.”

“True story, brah,” Zee shrugged as they took another sip.

Priya placed her hand on her chest and breathed a silent sigh of relief knowing that Zee was in on the lie. 

“Rat Faces, elimination starts in two hours. Be there or be trapezoidal,” Chris’ voice boomed over the PA system.

“No, no,” came another voice. “It’s ‘be there or be square’.”

“You’re no fun, Chef!”

A brief screeching noise could be heard from the speakers, indicating the system is offline. The team stared outside in confusion.

“That was… odd,” Damien commented.

“Well, see you in two hours,” Axel huffed as she exited the cabin.

Everyone else had followed her out, all but Nichelle. 

During Priya’s pillow story, Nichelle noticed something sitting on her bed, but she didn’t take a look at what it was. Until now. 

Now resting in her hands was a folder with papers inside. She took the papers out and started reading them. As she kept flipping and skimming through the pages, Nichelle became stoked.

Meanwhile, Caleb, Damien and Zee walked into their side of the cabins. Caleb and Damien were feeling guilty as they settled down onto their bunks. Zee, on the other hand, cheerfully lay down on their creaky old mattress, resting their arms behind their head.

Caleb took a deep breath.

“Well, our team’s on the chopping block. I’m still undecided on my vote. I’m sorry to whoever I vote for, it’s nothing personal.”

“I understand,” Damien placed his arms on his thighs. “No hard feelings.”

Caleb gave Damien a friendly smile and faced Zee.

“Is that fine with you, Zee?”

Zee turned their head to look at Caleb.

“Yeah, that’s cool with me, dude,” they shrugged.

“Alright,” Caleb stood up. “I’m gonna go and take a shower. I’ll see you guys at the elimination ceremony.”

And with that, Caleb waved a ‘ goodbye ’ and walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Damien quickly turned his head around to face Zee. He was going to tell them something until…

“So, what did Nichelle say about me?” Zee sat up on their bed.

Initially, Damien was annoyed at the fact that he was constantly interrupted today, but his mood soon quickly changed after processing what Zee had asked him.

“Oh, right, Nichelle. I almost forgot,” Damien thought, trying to remember what she said. “She definitely likes you, but she never specified whether she like likes you.”

Zee was now a giddy child, their fists were unstable with excitement as they hovered under their chin. A smile spread across their face, beaming with joy.

“DUDE!! THAT’S SO AWESOME!”

As happy as he was that Zee was in a good mood, Damien felt apprehensive about what he was going to say next. 

“Zee, I don’t know how to say this, and I don’t want to dampen your mood, but,” he paused cautiously. “But I think everyone might vote for you.”

Zee frowned in disappointment after hearing his words.

“Aww, but like, why?” They moaned.

“Well,” Damien hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn’t want to say what he was gonna say. 

“You were quite the liability today,” he cringed. “And the others might vote for you because of that.”

Zee slumped over in response, feeling depressed. They stared blankly at the floor as their arms dangled over their bed.

“Man, what a total bummer.”

Damien avoided eye contact with Zee.

“I’m sorry,” he replied gently as he gripped the wooden frames of his bed.

The atmosphere in the room grew tense as Damien and Zee sat in an awkward silence. 

Zee rested their elbows on their thighs with their chin resting on their hands; gazing at the floor lost in thought. Damien, on the other hand, fiddled with his thumbs as he glanced at the long-haired guy every so often. 

Without another word, Zee lazily stood up from their bed and went to the cabin door.

“Where are you going?” Damien stopped fidgeting to look at Zee.

Just before they were about to twist the doorknob, Zee stopped to turn to Damien.

“I’m gonna look for Nichelle. I’m gonna tell her how I feel,” they replied meekly. 

“Right now?” Damien’s voice cracked showing how bewildered and anxious he was. “But it’s only been yesterday since you fell in love! I thought you wanted to take things slow. Are you sure you really want to do this?”

Zee stood as silent as a statue for a moment, and then they took a deep breath.

“Uhh… actually, dude, I’ve liked Nichelle for a while now. Like… a while a while.”

“What?” Damien flinched at the reveal. “Since when?”

“Like, sometime after I got elemonaded in season one.”

Damien, now curious, leaned forward. Zee nervously held their fists close towards their chest, they briefly looked away to see if anyone was nearby. After finding no one, they turned back to Damien.

“Just before the finale day, me and Nichelle had a deep conversation about movies. We talked about our favourite movies, movies we didn’t like, and everything else there was to talk about movies,” they grabbed a soda from their pocket and took a sip to cool their vocal cords. 

Zee wiped the sugary liquid off their lips and took another long and deep breath. As they exhaled, they could feel the refreshing taste of lychee present in their mouth which left a soothing effect.

“She also talked about movies she starred in. She seemed so passionate talking about her experience and how she met so many nice people, like Jade.” Their frown turned into a smile as they kept speaking. “I love talking about movies, I love talking about them with Nichelle, and I LOVE listening to her ramble about the behind-the-scenes things that goes on in her movies, even though I never actually watched any of them,” they giggled after admitting that last comment.

Zee took another sip.

“After we finished talking, I think I started to fall in love with her. We talked the next day and I started to like being around her. But I didn’t get a chance to speak with her during the finale because everyone was so focused on the challenge, and Nichelle was talking with Axel for most of that day,” their frown returned.

Damien listened intently. 

“She gave me her MySelfieGram account and I followed her just before the producers sent us home and I’ve been commenting and liking her posts ever since. She’s a nice person, we still talked online a few times but the conversations were short. I would’ve told her how I felt about her but telling someone you like them through a screen doesn’t seem genuine, y’know?”

“I hear you,” Damien nodded. “But I’m so confused. Yesterday you told me you had a “newfound crush on Nichelle”, and now you’re telling me you’ve had a crush on her since season one?”

“Well,” Zee rubbed the back of their neck. “I started really really liking her when she did that flip yesterday. And I just loved how cool she was during today’s challenge.”

Damien endearingly chuckled at Zee’s sappy remarks. 

“Yeah, I could tell,” he replied playfully.

Zee smiled warmly, and then they sighed.

“Well, I’ll go talk to her then.”

“Wait!” Damien stood up from his bed. “Before you go, do you remember what I told you after yesterday’s challenge regarding what you should say to her?”

Zee put a finger on their chin, trying to remember what Damien said.

“Uhh, ask her out for a movie date, tell her that I like her a lot, and… be honest with her?” They asked with uncertainty. 

“Yeah,” Damien smiled. “But in a different order.”

“Hmm?” Zee listened attensitvely. 

“First, be straight-up and honest with her, tell her what you like about her, and then ask her out for a date. Remember, teen drama movies. But don’t rush anything, let the conversation go by naturally.”

“So, I just go with the flow?”

Damien clicked his fingers.

“Yes! That!”

“Oh yeah, I can do that!”

Damien gave Zee a content look and strolled towards them. He placed his arm on their shoulder.

“Good luck.”

“Thanks, dude!”

Zee wrapped their arms around Damien and pulled him in for an affectionate hug. Damien, who was once again surprised by the sudden embrace, gave in and also wrapped his arms around Zee’s quivering body. 

Damien always adored how loving Zee was, especially how they showed affection through their hugs. Even though it always catches him off guard, Zee always gives the best hugs. A person’s anxiety would be swept clean after receiving a hug from the lovable Zee. 

Zee slowly removed themselves from Damien and grinned at him.

“Well, I should get going now.”

Damien nodded.

“Once again, good luck!” Damien gave Zee another thumbs up.

And with that, Zee turned around and left the cabin, shutting the door behind them. 

After bidding Zee good luck, Damien nonchalantly inserted his hands inside his pockets. As he did so, he felt a long, smooth, and plastic object in one of his pockets. Confused, he pulled it out and discovered that it was his toothbrush.

“Oh, man! I forgot to brush my teeth this morning!”