Alternatively

Total Drama Summer Camp (iii.)

      Butch Walker, 17

     "We all expected to be bombarded with a challenge, but...now we sit."

      Hazel Levesque, 13

     "I thought it'd be nice to have the afternoon to ourselves, but no one really knows what to do with it. Except maybe scheme."

They have the whole day to themselves, Apollo saying as such before disappearing from the grounds. It was a little cruel, hyping them up with the promise of a handicap in the next challenge then waiting a whole day to announce it, but it's the name of the game. It takes a hot second for the campers to realize that no one was stopping them from doing whatever they pleased. Soon, there are clusters spotting the camp, talking and messing around.

It's curious; in their downtime, the clusters are slowly but surely exchanging and shifting members. They are solidifying, and rather strangely, at that. Beckendorf, Silena, Clarisse, and Butch sit in the shade of the Red porch playing cards, their game finally making headway after Connor and Travis take their argument to the basketball court. That particular game cycles out players like Micheal and Drew while Katie and Hazel roam the Arts and Crafts pavilion.

Among those wandering, Percy and Annabeth find themselves exploring the same areas of camp. Both too stubborn to leave, they meander the stables together.

"What do you think they'll keep in here?"

"Gee, I dunno," Percy drawls. "Maybe horses?"

She shoves his shoulder, looking at the rafters. "How'd you get so smart?"

"What else would go in here?"

"If they were going to have horses, why wouldn't they already be here already?"

"Maybe because you'd spoil whatever they have planned," he pins her with a pointed look.

She rolls her eyes, hopping up on a stall rail. "Like you know me."

"Still mad at me?"

"I haven't gotten my revenge yet, have I?"

He smiles, leaning on the stall next to her. "I guess not."

A bird flutters in through the open doors, landing somewhere above their heads. The stables are used for storage and camera equipment, all sorts of miscellaneous things, but it's a secret between us and you - our lovely audience - that there will be more to the vacant building. But the two can't know, guessing best they can in order to keep talking to each other.

"It's fate we're on opposite teams."

Annabeth glances down at him. "Why you say that?"

"If we're going to be enemies," he lazily looks up, golden light bold across his face. "We might as well be enemies in all meanings of the word."

"You think we're on equal terms?"

"And you, the Princess, think you're better than everyone else?"

She raises her eyebrow, crossing one long leg over the other. "Just you."

Something like frustration and intrigue flickers in his eyes. "Bet it'll sting when I win, then. Because I'm so much worse than you."

"It would be terrible, good thing it won't ever happen."

He fully faces her with a challenge in his voice as he says, "If I make it to the final four, I'm going to make it interesting for you."

"Interesting?"