The loudspeaker crackled. Chris's voice boomed out, too cheerful for the gray dawn.
"Good morning, viewers! Yesterday was the Awake-a-thon. Who lasted the longest? Gwen and Ezekiel held on the longest for the Screaming Gophers – they were just a hair away from winning! Izzy sealed it for the Killer Bass with her insane energy. The Gophers lost, and Beth… well, Beth is gone. Tie vote, then the tiebreaker decided it. Nice work, guys! You're down to 10 on the Gophers, but today someone leaves. Get ready, because today is dodgebrawl! And drama is guaranteed!"
**Confessional – Gwen (right after waking up)**
Gwen stepped in and closed the door. Her eyes were ringed with dark circles, her hair messy. She barely slept last night – the Awake-a-thon had left her body in rebellion. She sat down, hands in her lap. She sighed.
"I don't know who to choose. Trent… he's calm, familiar, plays guitar, and he feels… safe. But Zeke… he's different. Mysterious, scarred, but he tries. He always tries. I don't know. I don't know who should be my boyfriend."
She blushed, eyes widening.
"Wait… did I just say that out loud? Oh my god."
She jumped up, fumbling for the little red ribbon on the camera – the one she saw in her dream. She tugged at it, yanked it, but it wouldn't come off.
"No, no, no! This can't air! Please cut it!"
She sat back down, buried her face in her hands.
"This is embarrassing. So embarrassing. And I'm exhausted. I didn't sleep enough. That's why I blurted it out."
Heather stood outside the girls' cabin, arms crossed. Lindsay was next to her, but Heather didn't look at her. With Beth gone, only four girls remained: Heather, Lindsay, Gwen, Leshawna. Lindsay was a lock – loyal, easy to control. But the other two…
Heather (to herself, sighing): "Gwen's too independent. Leshawna's too strong. I need someone I can steer. Gwen won't listen. Leshawna might. Sigh… Leshawna it is. Tonight we'll be down to three girls. And I'll be in charge."
Lindsay: "Heather? What's up?"
Heather sighed, voice tired.
Heather: "Nothing. We're strengthening our alliance. I'm choosing Leshawna. She's strong. I need her."
Lindsay: "Okay… Leshawna's a good choice. She's strong."
Heather nodded, eyes cold.
Heather: "Yeah. Strong. But she'll listen to me. Or she will."
The mess hall was already an arena. Chef stood in the middle with two baskets of foam balls.
Chef: "No mercy. If you get hit, you're out. Last one standing wins the round for their team. Rotate – only five players on the court per round! I decide the MVP each round. Don't cheat, because I see everything."
Heather took command immediately.
Heather: "Listen up, Gophers! Rotation and strategy: only five on the court per round, so we rotate. Round 1: me, Zeke, Trent, Lindsay, Leshawna – get in! Round 2: me, Lindsay, Gwen, Owen, Cody. Round 3: me, Zeke, Gwen, Trent, Justin. Round 4: me, Owen, Justin, Cody, Leshawna. Round 5: me, Zeke, Owen, Leshawna, Lindsay – our strongest lineup. Got it? Bass weak spots: Geoff is slow, DJ is a big target, Harold dodges but we aim low. Tyler sucks, Bridgette is cautious. Don't let Harold be the last one standing! Got it?"
Owen: "Got it! But when do I get to play?"
Heather: "Rounds 2 and 4! Pay attention, Owen! If you don't, you're next to go!"
Owen: "Okay, okay! Chill, Heather!"
Trent: "Heather, calm down. No need to yell."
Heather: "I yell when I need to! Got a better plan, Trent?"
Trent: "No. Just… let's try to stay calm."
Me: "I'll take Harold. He's dangerous."
Heather: "Good. Zeke left side, Trent right side, Lindsay center, Leshawna back defense. I throw from the front. Let's go!"
On the Bass side Harold took charge (Duncan was still sleeping).
Harold: "Bass! Rotation plan. Round 1: me, Geoff, Bridgette, DJ, Tyler – get in! Round 2: me, Geoff, DJ, Katie, Sadie, Eva. Round 3: me, Eva, Tyler, Katie, Sadie. Round 4: me, Duncan (if he wakes up), Izzy, DJ, Geoff, Eva. Round 5: me, Duncan, Izzy, Eva, Bridgette – our strongest. Got it? We dodge, we aim low, don't let Owen dominate! Watch the rotations!"
Geoff: "Got it, Harold! But Duncan's still asleep."
Harold: "Izzy will wake him. Focus now!"
Round 1 action
Gophers: Heather, Lindsay, Trent, Leshawna, me.
Bass: Geoff, Bridgette, DJ, Tyler, Harold.
Chris blew the whistle. Balls flew. Heather targeted Geoff – curved throw, Geoff dodged, but Heather's second throw hit his shoulder. Geoff fell.
Geoff: "Ouch! Out!"
I targeted Harold. He smiled. I threw low – he dodged. Second throw – dodged. Third – bam, shin hit. Harold fell.
Harold: "Not bad, prairie boy." – out.
Leshawna targeted DJ – cannonball throw, hit chest. DJ fell.
DJ: "Out! That hurt!"
Trent targeted Tyler – dodged, second throw –
shoulder hit.
Tyler: "Ouch!"
Noah stood on the sidelines, arms folded. The balls hit the floor with a dull thud.
It's just a game, he told himself.
Then he heard that sound.
The hiss of air before the ball hit.
No. This isn't just a game.
His fingers tensed involuntarily on the cover of the book.
Heather targeted Bridgette – back hit.
Bridgette: "Out!"
Chef blew the whistle.
Chef: "Round 1 Gophers! MVPs: Heather and Ezekiel!"
Heather: "1-0!"
Round 2 action
Gophers: Heather, Lindsay, Gwen, Owen, Cody.
Bass: Geoff, DJ, Katie, Sadie, Eva.
Heather: "Owen up front, Cody dodge and counter, Gwen take DJ, Lindsay Katie-Sadie pair, I take Eva. Go!"
Owen targeted Katie and Sadie – two balls, both down.
Katie: "Sadieeee!"
Sadie: "Katieeee!"
Cody countered Geoff.
Cody: "Static shock!"
Heather hit Eva in the shoulder.
Eva: "Ouch! Not fair!"
Gwen took DJ – out.
Owen finished – last Bass down.
Chef: "Round 2 Gophers! MVPs: Heather and Cody!"
Heather: "2-0!"
Gwen stood on the sideline. Trent walked over.
Trent: "You did good."
Gwen: "Thanks…" – short. She turned and walked away.
Round 3 action
Gophers: Heather, me, Gwen, Trent, Justin.
Bass: Harold, Eva, Tyler, Katie, Sadie.
Heather: "Zeke on Harold, Justin on Eva, Trent on Tyler, Gwen on Katie-Sadie, I cover back. Go!"
Eva took Justin out.
Justin: "My hair!"
Tyler took Trent out.
Lindsay winked at Tyler.
Tyler: "Lindsay… ohhh…"
Harold dodged.
I threw – dodged. Again – dodged.
Me: "How?!"
Eva took Heather out.
Gwen got hit.
Harold took Owen out.
Chef: "Round 3 Bass! MVPs: Eva and Tyler!"
Eva: "Finally! 2-1!"
Heather: "Noah, you're up!"
Round 4
Heather: "Noah! Get in here!"
Noah: "No."
Heather: "Why not?!"
Noah sighed, looked up.
Noah: "I can't."
Round 4 started. Izzy woke Duncan.
Izzy: "Get up, sleeping beauty! Party time!"
Duncan: "What the hell…?"
Balls flew. Duncan hit Owen in the stomach.
Owen: "Ouch!"
The light suddenly seemed too bright.
For a moment, he saw not the field, but white walls.
A darkened window.
Curtains.
Three months.
Noah swallowed hard.
"No. I'm not going in. Not now. Not ever."
Izzy took Cody out.
Cody: "Out!"
Justin took Geoff out.
Justin: "Nice!"
Duncan: "Now the fun starts!"
Eva swept the court.
Chef: "Round 4 Bass! MVPs: Duncan and Izzy!"
Score: 2-2!
Round 5
Heather: "Last chance! Zeke, Owen, Leshawna, Lindsay – go!"
Harold smiled.
I threw at Harold: "Now!" – dodged.
Owen charged – Harold countered, hit Owen in the stomach.
Owen: "Ouch… again?!"
Noah was panting, his palms sweaty on the cover of the book, his legs trembling involuntarily. His heart was beating fast, as if it were responding to every hit of the ball.
Cody noticed him, walked over, and handed him a small bottle of water.
"Here, take a sip," he said carefully, smiling.
Noah shook his head, but accepted it gratefully, took a sip, and then sat back down on the sidelines in silence.
Cody didn't fully understand what was happening to him, but his gaze suggested: okay, I'm here, I'm watching you.
Leshawna took Bridgette out.
Heather targeted Eva: "Come on!"
Harold threw the final one – Owen down.
Chef: "Bass wins! 2-3! MVP: Harold! He carried the round alone at the end."
Silence.
Owen: "You didn't step in once… why?!"
Heather: "You're paying for this tonight."
Noah sighed.
Noah: "It's not my fault."
Campfire.
Chris handed out marshmallows slowly, savoring the tension.
Chris: "Marshmallows. Gwen… Heather… Lindsay… Leshawna… Owen… Justin… Cody… Trent… Ezekiel… safe."
Noah: "None for you. You're out."
Noah stood up, but didn't leave right away. He stopped in front of the fire, book tucked under his arm. The team sat in silence, firelight flickering on their faces.
Noah (quietly, voice trembling): "I don't want to leave with everyone thinking I was just lazy. So… I'll tell you. When I was ten, dodgeball was mandatory at school. My brother, four years older, was always the best. Strong, fast, everyone feared him on the court. Me… I always sat in the corner, reading. I didn't care about the game. One day the teacher forced me to play. My brother threw a ball at me. He didn't mean to hurt me, just playing. But he threw too hard. The ball hit me straight in the temple. Everything went black. I woke up in the hospital, head pounding, vomiting, dizzy. I stayed three months. Dark room, curtains drawn because even light hurt my head. Doctors said severe concussion. But it wasn't just that. Since then… nightmares. I wake up at night hearing the ball flying, the thud when it hits. Heart racing, sweating, can't breathe. The psychologist said PTSD. The sound of the ball, the flight, the impact feeling… it triggers everything. I can't play. I don't want to play. It's not cowardice. I just… can't."
Silence. The fire crackled. No one interrupted.
Owen (softly): "Noah… I… I didn't know. I was just mad because you didn't step in. But this… this isn't fair. I'm sorry, man. Really sorry."
Gwen sat on the log, arms around her knees, eyes shining.
Gwen (quietly): "Noah… if I'd known… maybe… I don't know. This is really sad. I'm so sorry."
Ezekiel stared at the ground, running his hand through his hair.
Ezekiel: "I was mad at you too. Thought you just didn't care about the team. But this… this is different. You couldn't. I get it."
Trent held his guitar but didn't play.
Trent: "Three months in hospital? Man… that's no joke. Why didn't you tell us earlier? Why let everyone think you were just avoiding us?"
Lindsay held her hand over her mouth, eyes wet.
Lindsay: "Oh… Noah… that's so sad. I'm so sorry. I didn't know."
Justin shrugged, but his voice was serious.
Justin: "You don't have to apologize. It just… hurts. I didn't think it was this deep."
Leshawna crossed her arms but her voice softened.
Leshawna: "Noah… that's rough. I get it. But still… the team. Why didn't you tell us earlier?"
Cody silently looks at Noah with understanding for a moment, then turns away because he can't find the right words to say.
Heather crossed her arms, but her mouth opened slightly. She didn't yell. She just watched Noah, and her eyes turned away for a second.
Heather (quietly): "This is sad. Really sad."
Noah nodded. He wasn't angry. He just accepted it.
Noah: "Thanks. For listening. But nothing changes. I can't."
Chris stood by the fire, arms crossed. He grinned. Not wide, not evil – just a small, satisfied smile. Then he chuckled quietly, almost to himself.
Chris (chuckling softly): "Hehe… perfect."
The chuckle was quiet, but everyone heard it. No one reacted. The fire just kept crackling.
Noah slowly walked toward the dock. Shoulders slumped, steps heavy. The book still under his arm. He didn't look back.
The fire crackled. The silence was heavy.
To be continued…