"Noah I need to talk to you"

It took me a minute to register what he was saying. I put my book down gingerly and looked the kid in the eye.

"Hm?"

"Are you still, like, interested in me?" He asked. He was avoiding eye contact and playing with a folded piece of paper in his hands. I could feel my heart skip a beat when he said that.

"I, uh" I stuttered, not really knowing how to respond. I let myself think for a moment.

Am I still interested in Cody?

Yes, of course I am. If he wasn't here I'd surely have drowned myself in the puny little pool.

"I am, Cody. Why do you ask?"

He looked down at his shoes.

"You just seem to not want to be with me anymore" he muttered.

"That's crazy" I replied hastily. I didn't really know how to sell it to him, but I'm being completely honest.

"If you say so" he muttered, seemingly unconvinced. He stood up and took a step towards the door. He might've gotten to the door if I hadn't stopped him by pulling him into a hug.

"I love you Cody" I breathed.

I couldn't see his face, but I could feel it light up.

"I love you too Noah"

If I hadn't been sleep deprived and infuriated about our living conditions, it wouldn't have happened, but because I'm so damn out of it, I leaned in to kiss him. Instead of him running away cowardly, his lips met mine.

They were dry, but not chapped. They were warm and tasted like the Mountain Dew he snuck into our room even though I told him not to.

I admit, it was awkward. I had never kissed anyone before. I'm not sure if I was supposed to hold my breath or like grab his butt or something. I decided I was not supposed to breathe while mid-kiss, so by the time we parted, I was slightly breathy.

After that, he flashed me a toothy grin and announced his departure to the swimming pool, leaving me alone in our room. I took the opportunity to open the little fridge in the mini-kitchen. It was empty, save Cody's secret stash of Mountain Dew. There was a little corner store across the street from the motel, but none of us had cash, so we were living off the basic bitch hotel food. I have no idea where he got all his Dew from, as the hotel only has a cheap fountain machine.

I grabbed one out of the fridge and cracked it open, plopping down on my bed. I thought about what kissing Cody had felt like. It felt like that moment you reach the top of the roller coaster, and the ride pauses for a minute before dropping, and right in that moment, you feel your heart preparing to do that pounding thing. That's what it felt like. It felt like that suspension in the roller coaster. Admittedly, I hate roller coasters and fully believe they are time bombs of sick, but analogies are important to me, just roll with it.

I was mid thought, trying to think of if I was going to take a nap, read a book, or jump out the window when there was a knock on my door. Before I got to it, I heard an enthusiastic voice coming from it.

"Yo party dude! Guess who's back at the Playa!"

Did Geoff get kicked off already? I opened the door to see Geoff and his surfer sweetheart.

"Oh, hey Nolan..."

"Noah" I corrected him flatly.

"Noah, that's right, sorry. Where's Cody?"

I have no problem with Geoff, he's just too energetic for me. Nor is he the sharpest knife in the drawer, which irks me more than anything else.

"He's at the pool" I responded through clenched teeth.

"Cool!"

And like that, Geoff and Bridgette flashed gigantic, bright smiles and left. I just don't get how people have that much energy, especially in a place that just sucks the life out of you all the time. Bridgette's nowhere near as bad as Geoff, but I don't know either of them very well. To be fair, I never really got to know anyone here very well, Cody included. Which is really rather selfish of me, but I could care less about most the people here. If I had any interest with mingling with the common folk, I'd have stayed home for the summer and spent it at a sports camp or something.

I clicked on the television, which was playing a Lord Of The Rings marathon. As much as I love literature, I've never been a fan.

I suppose it wouldn't hurt to go down and spend some time with the people I'm already stuck with. It wouldn't hurt, but God I don't want to. After the Playa of season one, I learned pretty fast that the more time I spend with the other ex-contestants, the more I want to run myself over with a Japanese bullet train. But honestly, I couldn't hide out here forever living off microwave popcorn and shitty Mountain Dew.

So I sigh dramatically, force myself on my cramping feet, and left the room without bothering to lock it (mostly out of laziness, but also because I'll eat my own boxers if Cody actually remembered his key).

-----------

Not gonna lie, it's not near as bad here as the Playa. To be fair, my expectations have been rapidly decreasing as this damn show goes on. But most everyone here isn't really that bad. Except Courtney, she's horrible. But she was still trying to sue her way back on the show. She's probably spent more money on lawyers than she would actually win from the show.

As it turns out, Geoff and Bridgette were asked to host an after-show or something along those lines. Which sounded like a fantastic idea until I learned I would have to be on it too. All the losers would have to participate for no real reason other than extra views, which really only benefits McClean, but there's really no point in complaining about it.

After hearing the news that I'd be on the show again for The Aftermath starting tomorrow, I left the large communal kitchen, and went to the pool deck. It was usually the same people who occupied the pool: Tyler (when he wasn't unconscious in bed), Eva, Geoff, Bridgette (often attached to Geoff by the lips), Cody, and Izzy (who is usually the reason Tyler is unconscious). However, only Cody and Tyler were there, playing a game of water basketball. I sat on plastic lounge chair a good distance from the splash zone, and just watched.

Cody is like a chicken wing. He's so scrawny that you can see his bones. But he was scrawny in a sexy way. There was something about the way he moved his body around that was sexy and confident, but his exposed ribs were adorable and childish. When his hair is wet, he slides it back so it doesn't drip in his face, and it makes him look older and more mature than when it's fluffy and hanging over his forehead. But I've decided I like it when it's dry better. It screams Cody more than anything else.

----------

I could feel sweat beads on my face sitting in the cramped seats next to all these people I don't like that much anyway. The sweat wasn't really from the others, it was from the bright stage lights. It made everyone look washed out and shiney, which made me nervous for some reason. Being in the Total Drama Aftermath studio was much different from being on the Island. There were twice as many cameras and boom mics, and people running around backstage. There were people in the dressing rooms that made us change back into the same clothes on the island and then seated us in what's being called the 'Peanut Gallery'. I was sat between Cody and Ezekiel, who was going to work on his nose.

The Peanut Gallery was introduced by Bridgette.

"They may be losers, but not in our book!" In her television voice. Everyone has a television voice, but Bridgette's is especially vexatious.

Bridgette continued to introduce each of us by name, along with playing a clip of us from last season. Cody's was him getting hit in the junk with a dodgeball for Gwen. I hadn't realized that had happened, because that was the day I gave up completely on the show.

When Bridgette had said my name, the clip of me kissing Cody on the ear on the second episode played, and I felt my face flush with embarrassment. However I pretended not to notice, and just smiled and waved.

Geoff and Bridgette continued rambling about the current season. Izzy had been escorted back to the green room with Trent so they could be introduced separately. It was admittedly nice not to deal with Izzy. But it reminded me that Trent's coming back with us, so lucky me, I get to hear his Gwen-sobbing. Like I don't already hear it from my own boyfriend. My thoughts were interrupted when Izzy was brought on the stage to by interviewed.

"So Izzy," Geoff coughed, "How did it feel being the first one voted off the show?"

"I don't know Geoff, how did it feel?" Izzy said with a smile. A shudder of realization poured on Geoff's face as he froze with embarrassment. I got more entertainment out of it than I'd care to admit really.

After a game of 'Truth Or Hammer', a lover's spat between Geoff and Bridgette, Izzy had everyone pick either Team Trent or Team Gwen. When it got to Cody, I knew for sure he was going to pick Team Gwen, but what came out of his mouth horrified me.

"I'm definitely Team Gwen. She's hot, and I have her bra"

Cody had pulled a black, lacy bra out of his front pocket, and dangled it in the air for the camera to see. Where the hell did he get that?

I have no idea what my face was doing in that moment, but I was trying to smile while the camera could still see me.

I just couldn't believe it.

I get it, okay. Cody has a humungo-crush on Gwen, but he keeps her bra in his pocket? While he's in a relationship with a man?

I've heard him talk about Gwen nonstop since he got voted off Total Drama Island, but this was too much for me.

---------

"I was playing it up for the camera Noah, you need to trust that I wouldn't have eyes for anyone but you!"

Cody was on the verge of tears, but I didn't care.

"You probably have that damned bra in your pocket still, don't you!" I accused, but because I knew it was true.

He shamefully pulled it out of his pocket, unfolded it, and held it in his hand.

"Noah, let me show you how much this bra means to me"

With every word he said, I became more and more infuriated. We were in our room, right after getting back from the Aftermath. I had waited until we were alone to start a fight.

Cody, to my surprise, had walked over to the window. I wasn't sure what he was about to do, but I wasn't expecting him to open the window and drop the bra through the opening. He closed the window up confidently, and turned around to face me. My face was hot with anger, but I was done shouting.

"Get out" I ordered flatly.

"Noah, this is our room, as in both of..."

"I said get out. Go stay with Trent. You guys will have something in common"

Cody started to cry for real this time.

"I want to stay with you, you're my boyfriend" he pleaded.

"Not anymore. Take your things and go"