Fan Girls
By the time Total Drama World Tour finished airing, nearly everyone involved had discovered that surviving Chris McLean’s challenges was only the beginning.
The interviews afterwards were somehow worse.
Heather had spent three weeks being asked whether losing a million dollars to a volcano had “humbled” her. It hadn’t. Alejandro had appeared in enough magazine photographs to make Justin visibly threatened, despite the fact that half of those photographs had been taken while Alejandro was still recovering from being sealed inside a robot suit. Gwen had been dragged through another round of questions about Duncan and Courtney. Duncan had been photographed leaving three different parties with three different women, although one of them had been his publicist and another had been a waitress who’d only followed him outside because he’d stolen a bottle opener.
Courtney had announced that she was considering legal action against nearly everybody.
Lindsay had been offered a modelling contract, forgotten the name of the company and accidentally promoted their biggest competitor on live television.
Beth had appeared in a dental-care advert.
Justin had booked a role in a perfume campaign and spent the entire shoot complaining that the lighting didn’t properly respect his jawline.
Trent had begun working on an album. Harold had released a badly received instructional martial-arts video. Leshawna had been invited onto three talk shows, started arguments on all of them and gained thousands of new fans. Bridgette and Geoff had returned to presenting, DJ had begun receiving offers for animal programmes, and Izzy had supposedly been banned from entering two countries.
Nobody knew whether that last one was true.
Izzy claimed it was actually four.
Now, for the first time since the end of the season, every contestant had been gathered into one studio.
The enormous illuminated sign above the stage read:
CELEBRITY MANHUNT: TOTAL DRAMA WORLD TOUR—WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
A live audience filled the rows facing the stage. Cameras glided along tracks. Spotlights swept across a semicircle of sofas and chairs that had very clearly not been arranged with the cast’s personal conflicts in mind.
Courtney had been seated beside Duncan.
Heather had been placed between Alejandro and Leshawna.
Katie and Sadie had been given one chair to share and seemed delighted by this.
Cody had been put beside Sierra.
He had immediately stood up, crossed the entire stage and squeezed himself into the narrow space between Noah and Owen.
Noah looked down at him.
“You’re sitting on my sleeve.”
“Sorry.”
“You’re also sitting on half my leg.”
“Still better than sitting over there.”
At the other end of the stage, Sierra sat rigidly in her assigned seat, staring at Cody with the fixed, wounded intensity of someone watching a beloved pet choose another owner.
“I saved your seat, Codykins!”
Cody pretended not to hear her.
“I put a cushion on it because I know your lower back gets sore when you’re nervous!”
Cody stared directly ahead.
“I also brought the lock of hair you lost in first class during episode nine!”
Noah slowly turned towards him.
“She has your hair.”
“I know.”
“She labelled it by episode.”
“I know.”
Owen leaned across Cody and whispered loudly, “Want me to hide you under my shirt?”
“No.”
“There’s loads of room.”
“I know, Owen.”
On the opposite sofa, Heather watched the exchange with an expression of bored disgust.
“Pathetic.”
Alejandro rested one arm along the back of the sofa, immaculate despite the studio heat. “Which one?”
“All of them.”
“Hey!” Sierra cried.
Heather didn’t look at her. “Especially you.”
Before Sierra could answer, the studio music swelled. Applause signs flashed above the audience, and Blaineley strode onto the stage in a glittering silver dress with Josh beside her.
Blaineley spread her arms.
“Welcome back to Celebrity Manhunt, the show that asks the questions celebrities desperately paid their publicists to avoid!”
The audience cheered.
Josh smiled towards the nearest camera. “Tonight, we’ve reunited the full cast of *Total Drama *for their first complete interview since the finale.”
“Complete,” Blaineley repeated, glancing across the crowded stage. “Unfortunately.”
Chris McLean lounged in a chair beside Chef, looking perfectly pleased with himself.
“Come on, Mildred. You know you missed us.”
Blaineley’s smile twitched.
“My name is Blaineley.”
“Sure it is.”
Chef folded his arms. “Can we finish this before midnight?”
Blaineley ignored them both and turned dramatically towards the contestants.
“Three seasons. Multiple lawsuits. Several hospitalisations. One international incident involving a goat, a chandelier and the French ambassador—”
“That wasn’t me,” Izzy announced.
Everyone looked at her.
Izzy grinned. “This time.”
“—and now,” Blaineley continued, “the cameras have finally stopped rolling. So tell us: what has life been like after Total Drama?”
Heather snatched the nearest microphone before anyone else could reach it.
“Annoying. Every interviewer asks the same stupid questions.”
Josh brightened. “Do you regret throwing Alejandro off the volcano?”
“No.”
Alejandro placed a hand against his chest. “Not even slightly?”
Heather turned to him. “I regret not throwing you harder.”
The audience laughed.
Alejandro smiled lazily. “And yet you still answer my calls.”
“I answer to tell you to stop calling.”
“Communication is the foundation of every healthy relationship.”
“There is no relationship.”
“Your expression says otherwise.”
“My expression says I’m considering murder.”
Leshawna leaned forwards around Heather. “Girl, that’s been your expression since we met you.”
Heather shoved her back with one hand.
Blaineley pointed towards Duncan. “And what about our most controversial couple?”
Courtney sat upright. “We are not a couple.”
Duncan smirked. “She means not currently.”
“I mean never again.”
“You said that the last four times.”
“I have never said anything four times. I am extremely decisive.”
Gwen raised an eyebrow. “You made a thirty-seven-page relationship contract.”
“It was thirty-two pages. The remaining five were appendices.”
Duncan looked at the audience. “See what I had to deal with?”
Courtney rounded on him. “What you had to deal with?”
“And here we go,” Noah murmured.
Gwen folded her arms. “Could we not do this again?”
Courtney pointed at her. “You don’t get to request that.”
“I wasn’t requesting. I was begging.”
Trent shifted uncomfortably in his seat beside Gwen. “Maybe we could talk about the music?”
Duncan looked at him. “Still doing the nine thing?”
Trent’s face tightened. “Still getting arrested?”
“Only once since filming.”
“Twice,” Harold corrected.
Duncan twisted around. “Who asked you?”
“The public record.”
“Can we talk about my record?” Trent asked quickly. “My actual music record?”
Josh nodded. “Absolutely. You’ve been working on a new album?”
“Yeah. It’s still early, but—”
“Is every song about Gwen?” Katie blurted.
Sadie gasped. “Oh my gosh, Katie, I was literally going to ask that!”
“Oh my gosh!”
“Oh my gosh!”
Trent stared at them.
Gwen covered her face.
“No,” Trent said eventually. “They’re not all about Gwen.”
“How many are?” Geoff asked.
Trent looked towards the floor. “Next question.”
Beth raised her hand even though she was already holding a microphone. “I’ve been doing adverts!”
Lindsay beamed. “Me too! I did one for this amazing shampoo called—”
Beth caught Lindsay’s wrist. “Not again.”
“What?”
“That isn’t the company you work for.”
“It’s not?”
“No.”
Lindsay blinked. “Then why do they keep sending me shampoo?”
“Because you subscribed to their monthly delivery service.”
“Oh.”
Justin tilted his face towards the brightest camera. “I’ve been extremely selective with my opportunities. Obviously, many international brands are interested in working with me.”
Alejandro smiled faintly.
Justin noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“You smiled.”
“I smile often.”
“You did a smug smile.”
“All my smiles are naturally charming.”
Justin sat straighter. “Are you trying to compete with me?”
Alejandro glanced at him. “I did not realise we were competing.”
Justin’s eyes narrowed. “Exactly what someone losing would say.”
Tyler leaned towards Lindsay. “I think you’re prettier than both of them.”
Lindsay smiled at him. “Thanks, Trevor.”
Tyler’s shoulders dropped.
“Still?” he whispered.
Eva cracked her knuckles. “Can I answer a question before I break something?”
Blaineley looked down at her cards. “Eva, you’ve reportedly struggled to find television work because producers consider you ‘difficult, volatile and capable of lifting a camera operator over your head’.”
“That happened once.”
The camera operator nearest her quietly rolled backwards.
Eva pointed at him. “Stop doing that.”
He rolled faster.
DJ took the microphone from Eva before she could throw it.
“I’ve been getting some offers to work with animals.”
“Aww,” Bridgette said. “That’s perfect for you.”
DJ smiled. “Yeah. It’s nice. Nobody makes me eat them, nobody turns them against me, and none of them are secretly animatronic.”
Chris raised one finger. “That you know of.”
DJ’s smile vanished.
Chef elbowed Chris.
“What?” Chris said. “I’m kidding.”
“You weren’t.”
“I might’ve been.”
Bridgette shifted closer to Geoff. “We’ve been presenting together again.”
Geoff threw an arm around her. “And planning the biggest party tour Canada’s ever seen!”
Bridgette looked at him. “We talked about one beach party.”
“Exactly. The first stop.”
“We haven’t planned a tour.”
“I made posters.”
“You made posters?”
“Five hundred.”
Bridgette sighed.
Josh turned towards Noah. “You’ve become something of a fan favourite since the season aired.”
Noah blinked. “That sounds unlikely.”
The audience cheered loudly.
Noah looked around, faintly disturbed.
Owen slapped him on the back. “Dude! They love you!”
“Yes, and I’m sure they’ll recover.”
“You’ve also been approached about comedy work,” Josh said.
“Apparently sarcasm becomes marketable when you say it near a camera.”
Owen grinned. “And I got asked to do a food show!”
Chef looked alarmed.
Izzy raised both hands. “Explosivo has received several film offers.”
Blaineley stared at her. “You mean you received film offers?”
“No. Explosivo did.”
“Aren’t you Explosivo?”
Izzy leaned forwards, suddenly solemn. “Not since Prague.”
Nobody asked.
Harold adjusted his glasses. “I’ve been expanding my online presence through a highly sophisticated series of educational videos demonstrating my extensive catalogue of skills.”
Duncan snorted.
Harold glared at him. “My nunchaku tutorial received twelve thousand views.”
“Eleven thousand were me replaying the bit where you hit yourself.”
“That was an intentional demonstration of the dangers of improper wrist alignment.”
Leshawna took his microphone. “Baby, it was not.”
Harold sank back.
Leshawna smiled at the audience. “Meanwhile, I’ve been doing just fine. Turns out people like a woman who speaks her mind.”
Heather scoffed. “People like watching you yell.”
“And they like watching you lose money in volcanoes.”
The audience erupted.
Heather’s eyes narrowed.
Alejandro coughed delicately into his fist to hide a laugh.
Heather elbowed him in the ribs.
Blaineley swept onwards. “Katie and Sadie, what have you two been doing?”
Katie and Sadie inhaled together.
“We started a channel!”
“We do fashion!”
“And make-up!”
“And friendship challenges!”
“And matching outfit hauls!”
“And one time we spent forty minutes crying because Katie thought I unfollowed her—”
“But it was an app glitch!”
“It was so scary!”
They hugged each other, both tearing up.
Blaineley looked towards the camera. “Riveting.”
Beth clapped for them anyway.
Josh turned towards Ezekiel, who had been perched on the edge of the furthest chair, wearing a large hood and staring suspiciously at the studio lights.
“And Ezekiel—”
Ezekiel hissed.
Josh paused.
Chris grinned. “He’s adjusting great.”
Chef stared at him. “You found him in an air vent an hour ago.”
“Exactly. He came voluntarily.”
“He bit a security guard.”
“A passionate reunion!”
Ezekiel hunched lower in his seat.
Josh carefully moved on. “And, of course, Cody.”
Cody looked up.
Sierra immediately sat straighter.
“My Cody has been very busy!” she announced. “He’s received eighty-four thousand fan letters, thirteen marriage proposals, seven boxes of novelty underwear and one handcrafted life-sized sculpture made entirely from chewing gum!”
Cody’s face drained of colour.
“I didn’t know about the sculpture.”
“I keep it in my bedroom.”
“I didn’t send it to you.”
“No, but the delivery driver recognised me from my blog and knew we were soulmates.”
“We’re not.”
Sierra laughed as though he’d made a joke.
Cody pressed closer to Noah.
Noah looked down. “You’re on my entire leg now.”
“Please.”
Noah sighed and allowed it.
Blaineley smiled at Cody with the bright, predatory interest of someone who had just found the evening’s easiest target.
“So, Cody, how does it feel to emerge from World Tour with such an… intensely devoted following?”
“Terrifying.”
Sierra gasped.
Cody hurriedly added, “Some of it. Not all of it. Fans are great. Normal fans. Fans who don’t collect my fingernail clippings or track my dental appointments.”
Sierra slowly lowered the small notebook she’d been writing in.
Josh stared at it.
“What are you writing?”
“Nothing.”
Cody shut his eyes.
Chris leaned back in his chair. “Ah, young love.”
“It’s not love,” Cody said.
Sierra smiled. “He’s shy.”
“I’m not shy. I’m actively refusing.”
“Adorable.”
“Deeply unsettling,” Noah corrected.
Blaineley turned towards the audience.
“Well, we’ve heard enough from the cast. Now it’s time to hear from the people who made them famous, fed their egos and created deeply concerning online communities dedicated to analysing their every facial expression.”
A second illuminated sign flashed.
AUDIENCE QUESTIONS
The crowd cheered.
A production assistant moved towards a microphone stationed in the centre aisle.
The first audience member asked Heather whether she and Alejandro were dating.
“No,” Heather said.
“Yes,” Alejandro said at exactly the same time.
Heather turned on him.
“We are not.”
Alejandro nodded. “Of course.”
“Stop agreeing like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you think I’m lying.”
“I would never accuse you of dishonesty, mi amor.”
“Don’t call me that.”
Someone in the audience screamed delightedly.
Heather looked ready to throw the microphone.
The next question went to Lindsay, asking whether she remembered Tyler’s name yet.
“Of course I do,” Lindsay said.
Tyler lit up.
Lindsay placed one hand on his arm. “His name is Taylor.”
Tyler folded forwards and put his face in his hands.
Beth patted his shoulder.
Another audience member asked Duncan whether he regretted kissing Gwen.
Courtney answered for him.
“He will.”
Duncan sank lower in his chair.
A girl asked Justin for his skincare routine. Justin spoke for eight uninterrupted minutes until Blaineley forcibly cut his microphone.
A boy asked Izzy what had happened in Prague.
Izzy simply stared at him until he sat down.
An older woman asked DJ whether he could hold her handbag because her shoulder hurt. DJ immediately left the stage to help her.
Someone asked Owen how much he’d eaten during the wrap party.
Owen smiled. “I don’t remember.”
Chef muttered, “We remember.”
Someone asked Harold to demonstrate his mad skills. Leshawna grabbed the back of his shirt before he could attempt a backflip over the sofa.
Then Blaineley looked down at the next card.
Her smile sharpened.
“Oh, this should be interesting.”
Cody stiffened.
Blaineley looked directly at him.
“Our next audience member is apparently one of Cody’s biggest fans.”
Cody’s stomach dropped.
Beside him, Noah quietly said, “Run.”
“Where?”
“Anywhere.”
“There are cameras on every exit.”
“Then accept your fate.”
Sierra leaned forwards, eyes narrowing towards the audience.
Cody braced himself for another handmade doll, another binder filled with photographs of him sleeping, another person announcing that they knew his blood type.
The production assistant gestured towards someone in the fourth row.
A girl stood.
Cody stared.
She looked around their age. Her hair was short and fluffy, dyed blonde with soft brown roots showing beneath it, the ends curling slightly around her cheeks. She had long lashes, wide dark eyes and light brown skin warmed gold beneath the studio lights. Her clothes leaned slightly alternative—a dark fitted top beneath an oversized jacket, layered necklaces and heavy boots—and when the camera swung towards her, she gave a shy little smile.
Then she giggled nervously and tucked a curl behind her ear.
Cody sat up so quickly he nearly headbutted Owen.
Noah glanced at him.
“Oh, no.”
“What?”
“You’ve made the face.”
“What face?”
“The one where every functioning thought leaves your body.”
“I have thoughts.”
“Name one.”
Cody opened his mouth.
Nothing emerged.
Owen grinned. “She’s cute!”
“She’s incredibly cute,” Cody whispered.
Across the stage, Sierra’s expression changed.
Her smile remained in place, but it became frighteningly still.
The girl reached the microphone.
Blaineley looked at her card. “Your name is Mara?”
The girl nodded. “Yeah. Hi.”
“Hi, Mara!” Owen called.
Mara laughed and gave him a little wave.
Then she looked at Cody.
Her cheeks went pink.
Cody’s went pinker.
Sierra saw both.
Her fingers tightened around the edge of her seat.
Mara took a breath. “Okay, sorry, I’m a little nervous.”
“You don’t need to be,” Cody said immediately.
His voice cracked halfway through.
Duncan snorted.
Cody cleared his throat and tried again, lowering his voice into what he apparently believed was a cool, relaxed register.
“You don’t need to be.”
Gwen slowly turned to Trent. “Is he doing a voice?”
“He’s doing a voice.”
Mara smiled wider.
It was working.
Cody noticed that it was working and immediately sat straighter.
Blaineley glanced between them. “You said you’re a big Cody fan?”
“I am,” Mara admitted, blushing again. “I watched all three seasons, and he’s always been my favourite.”
Silence fell across the cast.
Beth’s mouth dropped open.
Lindsay blinked.
Justin looked from Mara to Cody, then back to Mara, as though trying to identify a vision impairment.
Eva frowned.
Heather leaned forwards.
Duncan stared openly.
Even Chris looked surprised.
Cody pointed at himself. “Me?”
Mara giggled. “Yeah, you.”
Noah looked around the stage. “Can everyone stop acting like she claimed to be attracted to a chair?”
“Sorry,” Gwen said. “It’s just unexpected.”
“Very unexpected,” Courtney added.
Cody looked offended. “Why?”
Duncan gestured vaguely at him. “Because.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It kind of is,” Heather said.
Mara’s eyebrows pinched together. “I think he’s cute.”
The audience made a collective noise.
Cody’s entire face lit up.
Sierra’s left eye twitched.
“He is!” Sierra said loudly. “I’ve documented every aesthetically pleasing feature Cody possesses, including a full ranking of his freckles by size, colour and emotional significance.”
Mara’s smile faltered.
Cody quickly leaned towards the microphone.
“Please ignore that.”
“I was already planning to.”
Noah covered a laugh with one hand.
Cody stared at Mara for one stunned second, then smiled.
“Good plan.”
Mara smiled back.
Sierra’s eye twitched again.
Blaineley looked delighted. “Go ahead with your question.”
“Right.” Mara adjusted her hands around the microphone. “I wanted to ask Cody what part of the show he actually enjoyed most. Not which challenge was easiest or anything. Just… was there a moment when you genuinely had fun, even with everything going wrong?”
Cody blinked.
He had clearly expected a question about his shoe size.
“Oh.”
Mara looked worried. “Is that too boring?”
“No. No, that’s actually a really good question.”
Cody thought for a moment.
“I guess… probably performing. When we weren’t about to fall out of a plane or get eaten or blown up, I mean. I liked making music with everyone.”
Harold nodded solemnly. “Our musical chemistry was formidable.”
“We sounded terrible half the time,” Gwen said.
“We possessed raw authenticity.”
“You missed an entire verse in Germany.”
“That was an experimental silence.”
Cody laughed. “Yeah, stuff like that. It was chaotic, but it was fun. And I liked getting to travel, at least when Chris wasn’t trying to kill us.”
Chris lifted a hand. “Legally, I never tried to kill anyone.”
Chef gave him a look.
Chris lowered his hand.
Mara nodded. “I thought you seemed happiest during the songs.”
Cody’s smile softened.
“You noticed that?”
“Yeah.”
Sierra abruptly leaned towards her microphone. “I noticed it first.”
Nobody responded.
Mara looked back at Cody. “And I wanted to ask… do you still make music now?”
“Sometimes. I’ve been writing a little.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Nothing finished yet.”
“I’d listen to it.”
Cody visibly forgot how to breathe.
Duncan turned to Geoff. “Is this actually happening?”
Geoff grinned. “Little dude’s got game.”
“He absolutely does not.”
“He’s doing pretty good.”
“He’s said six words.”
“And she liked all six!”
Bridgette smiled. “It’s sweet.”
Courtney looked suspicious. “She might be an actress hired by the network.”
Josh checked his cards. “She isn’t.”
Justin leaned towards him. “Did you verify that?”
“Why do you care?”
“I don’t. I’m curious.”
Alejandro’s smile widened. “You appear threatened.”
Justin scoffed. “By Cody?”
Mara was still looking at Cody.
Justin frowned.
“Okay,” he muttered. “Slightly threatened.”
Blaineley tapped her card against her palm. “Do you have another question, Mara?”
Mara hesitated.
“Yeah, but this one’s a bit silly.”
Cody leaned forwards. “Ask it.”
“Who did you actually get along with best after filming? Because the show edits everything so dramatically, and I wondered who you still talk to.”
“Oh.” Cody glanced around the stage. “I talk to Owen. And Noah, sometimes.”
Noah nodded. “He sends me memes at three in the morning.”
“You reply.”
“To tell you they’re bad.”
“That still counts.”
“It doesn’t.”
“I talk to Gwen a bit,” Cody continued. “And Trent. Harold sends me links to his videos.”
“You have not responded to my latest seven messages,” Harold said.
“I watched them.”
“You left no constructive feedback.”
“One of them was forty minutes long.”
“It was a comprehensive examination of traditional bo staff technique.”
“You used a broom.”
“A skilled martial artist adapts to available resources.”
Mara laughed.
Cody glanced at her immediately, pleased he’d caused it even indirectly.
Sierra leaned forwards again. “Cody talks to me every day.”
Cody’s smile vanished.
“I don’t.”
“You receive my messages every day.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
“You read them.”
“My phone displays the first line automatically.”
“I know. That’s why I make the first line count.”
Cody shuddered.
Mara’s expression shifted—not jealous, not competitive, just uncomfortable on his behalf.
“You don’t have to answer messages you don’t want,” she said.
Cody looked at her.
Sierra opened her mouth.
Chef spoke before she could.
“She’s right.”
His deep voice cut cleanly through the studio.
Sierra slowly sat back.
Chris glanced at Chef, then decided not to interfere.
Cody’s shoulders relaxed slightly.
“Thanks,” he said to Mara.
She smiled. “Of course.”
There was a little silence between them.
Not an awkward one.
Cody stared at her, searching frantically for something clever to say.
Noah watched him struggle.
“Ask her something,” Noah muttered.
Cody barely moved his lips. “Like what?”
“Anything. Human conversation generally involves turns.”
Cody nodded once.
“So, uh, Mara.”
“Yeah?”
“What was your favourite part of the season?”
Heather groaned. “Smooth.”
Cody ignored her.
Mara considered it. “Honestly?”
“Yeah.”
“Probably watching you finally stand up for yourself.”
Cody’s expression changed.
The teasing smile faded into something smaller and more genuine.
“Oh.”
“You were still funny,” Mara added quickly. “And awkward. In a cute way.”
“Cute,” Cody repeated.
Sierra gripped her chair with both hands.
Mara laughed. “But you seemed more confident by the end. I liked that.”
Cody glanced down, smiling despite himself.
“Well, I did fight a shark.”
“You fell onto a shark,” Noah said.
“Still fought it.”
“The shark won.”
“Details.”
Mara leaned slightly towards the microphone. “I thought it was impressive.”
Cody looked back at her.
“Really?”
“Really.”
He tried the lower voice again.
“Maybe I could tell you the full story sometime.”
Mara’s eyelashes lowered.
“I’d like that.”
The audience erupted.
Geoff shot to his feet.
“Cody!”
Bridgette grabbed his arm, laughing. “Sit down!”
“He did it!”
“What did he do?” Lindsay asked.
“He’s flirting!”
Lindsay looked at Cody, then Mara. Her face brightened. “Oh! Good for Kevin!”
Tyler sighed.
Beth clasped both hands beneath her chin. “This is adorable.”
Katie grabbed Sadie.
“Oh my gosh!”
“Oh my gosh!”
“They like each other!”
“They totally like each other!”
“They’re not even hiding it!”
“They’re trying, but they’re bad at it!”
Cody’s face burned.
Mara hid part of her smile behind one hand.
Sierra suddenly stood.
“I have a question!”
Blaineley’s smile sharpened. “This should be healthy.”
Sierra pointed towards Mara.
“How familiar are you with Cody’s dietary requirements?”
Mara blinked. “What?”
“Do you know his childhood address?”
“No.”
“His exact height without shoes?”
“No.”
“His mother’s maiden name?”
“No, because that would be weird.”
Several cast members made impressed noises.
Sierra stiffened.
Mara continued, still sweet but no longer nervous. “I’m a fan. I don’t know him personally.”
“Exactly!” Sierra cried triumphantly.
Mara glanced at Cody. “That’s why I’m asking him questions.”
Cody grinned.
Heather let out a short laugh.
Sierra looked betrayed. “You think this is funny?”
“Yes,” Heather said.
“So do I,” Leshawna added.
“And me,” Duncan said.
Gwen raised her hand. “Also me.”
Alejandro inclined his head. “She makes an excellent point.”
Sierra looked wildly around the stage. “But I know everything about Cody!”
Cody stood.
He wasn’t smiling now.
“That’s the problem.”
The studio quietened.
Sierra stared at him.
Cody swallowed, but he didn’t sit back down.
“Mara asked me things. She didn’t tell me things about myself like she owns me. She didn’t say we’re dating when we’re not. She didn’t make me feel like I need to escape through an emergency exit.”
Mara watched him quietly.
Sierra’s mouth opened.
Cody looked away from her and back towards Mara.
“And she’s really cute.”
The silence broke beneath a burst of laughter and applause.
Cody’s serious expression collapsed into embarrassment.
“I mean—she is. Obviously. Not that that was the main point.”
Mara was blushing so hard that even the camera operator smiled.
Blaineley lifted her microphone.
“Well, this interview has unexpectedly become the most successful romantic development Cody has experienced in three seasons.”
“Hey,” Cody protested.
“It’s true,” Gwen said gently.
“It really is,” Trent added.
Cody looked around. “Whose side are you on?”
“Yours,” Trent said. “That’s why we’re being honest.”
Josh glanced down at the stage clock. “We have time for one final question.”
Mara nodded and stepped slightly closer to the microphone.
“Okay.”
She looked at Cody.
Cody looked back at her.
Mara bit her lip, then smiled.
“Would you ever date a fan?”
Every head onstage swung towards Cody.
Cody froze.
Noah leaned nearer.
“Your moment.”
“I know.”
“Try not to die.”
“I’m trying.”
Cody straightened his shirt, ran one hand through his hair and looked towards Mara with a confidence he did not remotely feel.
“I guess it depends on the fan.”
Mara’s smile widened.
“What if she’s not creepy?”
“Strong start.”
“She doesn’t own any of your hair.”
“Getting better.”
“And she thinks your music’s probably good.”
Cody grinned.
“Then I’d say she has excellent taste.”
The audience laughed.
Mara tilted her head. “So?”
“So…” Cody glanced at Blaineley. “Are audience members allowed onstage?”
Blaineley’s eyes gleamed.
“Normally no.”
Cody’s shoulders dropped.
“But for ratings?” She gestured grandly. “Come on up.”
The audience roared.
Mara laughed in disbelief as the production assistant opened the aisle barrier. She walked towards the stage, still pink-cheeked, and climbed the steps.
Cody hurried to meet her.
He nearly tripped over a cable.
Tyler caught him by the back of his shirt.
“Easy, dude.”
“Thanks.”
“Get her name right.”
“I know her name.”
Tyler’s expression became wounded.
“Must be nice.”
Mara stopped in front of Cody.
Up close, Cody seemed to lose every clever line he’d been preparing.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi.”
“You already said that,” Noah called.
Cody glanced over his shoulder. “Stop helping.”
“I wasn’t.”
Mara giggled.
Cody looked back at her.
“So, um, I know this is being filmed and there are several hundred people watching, which isn’t ideal—”
“I don’t mind.”
“Right. Great. Good. Because I was wondering whether maybe you’d want to give me your number?”
Sierra made a strangled noise.
Chef placed one enormous hand on her shoulder before she could move.
Mara smiled.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
She held out her hand.
Cody stared at it.
“Phone,” she prompted.
“Oh. Right.”
He pulled his mobile from his pocket so quickly he nearly threw it. Mara took it, entered her number and handed it back.
Cody looked at the screen.
Mara :)
He smiled so brightly that Owen made an emotional noise behind him.
“Our little buddy’s growing up!”
“I’m older than you think I am,” Cody said.
Mara glanced at the contact name.
“You can change the smiley face.”
“No. It’s perfect.”
Her blush returned.
Heather stared at them.
“This is nauseating.”
Alejandro smiled. “You find romance nauseating?”
“When it involves him, yes.”
“Jealous?” Cody asked.
Heather’s stare could have killed vegetation.
Cody immediately turned back to Mara.
“Sorry. Sudden confidence spike.”
“I liked it.”
“You did?”
“Yeah.”
He smiled again.
Duncan shook his head. “Unbelievable.”
Geoff threw both arms into the air. “The Codemeister!”
“Never call me that.”
“Too late!”
Beth clapped. Katie and Sadie squealed. Lindsay waved enthusiastically at Mara as though she’d just joined the cast. DJ returned from the audience in time to see Cody holding his phone and immediately smiled. Bridgette leaned against Geoff, grinning. Gwen looked genuinely pleased. Trent gave Cody a thumbs-up. Harold nodded as though witnessing the successful conclusion of a complex tactical manoeuvre. Leshawna laughed. Eva rolled her eyes, though the corner of her mouth twitched. Izzy began chanting Cody’s name until Owen joined her. Tyler attempted to start clapping in rhythm and missed his own hands.
Justin was still looking faintly offended.
Alejandro looked entertained.
Courtney looked as though she were already evaluating the legal complications.
Duncan looked stunned.
Heather looked disgusted.
Chris looked delighted by the ratings.
Chef kept his hand firmly on Sierra’s shoulder.
Blaineley stepped towards the main camera as the studio dissolved into noise.
“And there you have it! Heather lost a million dollars, Alejandro lost his dignity, Courtney lost patience with everyone, and against every known law of social probability, Cody got a girl’s number.”
“I heard that!” Cody called.
Josh smiled into the camera.
“Join us next time on Celebrity Manhunt, when we investigate Izzy’s mysterious activities in Prague.”
Izzy stopped chanting.
The studio lights flickered.
“No, you won’t,” she said.
The broadcast cut to black.
