Requested by: sweettxiangel

I am so sorry! It's been forever! But I'm finally updating these one-shots!💕

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Gwen

It was finally over. The drama, the betrayal, the life-threatening challenges...
I no longer had to see that psycho host. Never again. But thanks to him, I had to live with what I did for the rest of my life.

What no one who was watching the show knew was that I never loved Duncan. Starting my "relationship" with him was the only way to save my mom. A bone marrow transplant wasn't the most affordable surgery.

I felt terrible for multiple reasons: One, I cheated my peers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Two, I hurt my ex-friend. Three, I deceived everyone. But I couldn't live with myself if I lost my mom.

I hadn't told my mom about what I was doing on the show behind the scenes because I knew she'd be disappointed and stressed out. It was easier to let her think that I had won a lottery ticket online.

At first, my mom begged me to use the money for my college tuition, but I told her that I was paying for her surgery

I still remember Chris explaining his "business offer" to me and Duncan. He promised us at least one hundred thousand dollars whether we won or not. Duncan also needed help because his dad left his mother nothing after their divorce. It all seemed like the right thing at the time.

And it turned out to be the right thing for my mom. The procedure saved her life a month ago, and I had just driven her back from the hospital. I had managed to smile through all the "thank you"s and "How can I repay you?"s  throughout the recovery process. I didn't want her to repay me. If she knew about the lows I went to, she'd look at me differently.

After ensuring that my mom was comfortable, I told my younger brother, Colton, to watch her while I went to the pharmacy to pick up her prescriptions.

Now, as I stand in line for the medication, I hug myself, suddenly becoming aware of how famous I am. I can feel people staring at me and snapping photos to post online to brag or to make fun of me. Thankfully, I'm wearing a hoodie. I can hide my face. I have every reason in the world to feel ashamed.

I'm relieved no one asked for an autograph or followed me home from the pharmacy. But now, spending time in public has activated my anxiety, so I run for the door. Too busy staring at the sidewalk, I smack into someone and drop the prescription bag.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Says a strangely familiar voice. "Let me pick that up for you."

I remove my hand from my aching forehead. I freeze as a man with dark hair stands up. His unmistakably bright green eyes meet mine, and then he drops the prescription bag.

"—Gwen?" He asks.

"Trent?" I swallow, trying to regain my composure. A puddle of sweat seeps through his grey tank top, and I notice a water bottle in his hand.

"Long time no see, huh?" He pants, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah," I slowly nod, still processing seeing my ex after three years. "Oh, I'm sorry. I interrupted your workout. You can keep running—if you were running," I cringe.

Trent chuckles. "Yeah, I was, but you're alright. It's partially my fault. I closed my eyes for a few minutes to power through my third lap. You just gave me a nice little breather."

I laugh awkwardly, looking down. "Well, I'm glad I could help, I guess. I hope you have a nice jog." I grab the prescription from the ground once and for all.

Before I can walk away, Trent stops me. "Gwen, wait."

"Yeah?" I reply, an anxious feeling in my stomach.

He walks towards me. "Do you live here?"

"Yeah, I actually live in the house right behind me," I flash a cheeky smile as I point to my childhood home.

"Whoa," Trent blinks, "No way. I live just a block down!"

"Oh?" I hate the way my voice decided to phrase that like a question.

"I just moved in a couple of months ago. Finally, away from my parents," he jokes.

"That's good," I nod. "I still live with my mom. She just had a major surgery, so I need to stay to take care of her."

Trent's smile forms into a frown. "You shouldn't have to explain anything to me, Gwen. And I'm sorry about your mom. I hope she gets better soon."

"Yeah, me too." I almost tell Trent everything. About how scared I was when we got the diagnosis during Total Drama Action right after I broke up with him—about how I clung to Duncan because he was a good friend and heard me out—About how Chris got us to fake being in love for an entire season and a half—About how I kept up the act despite feeling ashamed.

I know Trent doesn't want to hear all of that. He's probably moved on and doesn't give a damn about my problems.

"So, uh, how've you been? You in college?" Trent asks, snapping me out of my chaotic thoughts.

"Yeah," I say. "I'm just taking a couple of classes at a time, though. I can't afford full-time tuition right now, but it's cool."

"Aw man, that sucks. If you ever need a boost, my dad's one of the top lawyers in the country. We could help you get a couple of extra classes."

"No!" I answer almost too passionately. I'm tired of taking people's money. I don't deserve to have my college paid for. "I mean—no thanks. I'm good."

"Are you sure?" Trent raises his eyebrow. It bothers me that he still knows me too well.

"Yes, I'm positive," I force a confident nod.

"Alright, if you say so." He gives me a brisk smile.

He's about to head off when I clear my throat. "So..." I begin, feeling bad for not asking how he's been now that he asked me. "...what have you been up to lately?"

Trent pauses, then relaxes his shoulders. "Not much. Just exercise, school, and guitar."

I'm unaware of the smile forming on my face until it's too late. "You still play?"

"Oh yeah, I upload my covers and original songs onto YouTube. My name's Trent99 if you're interested," he chuckles.

My smile tightens at the mention of the number nine. "Yeah, totally."

Trent seems to notice because he cringes. "Sorry, I'm still riding with my lucky number."

"No, you don't have to apologize," I tell him, sighing. I'm sorry. It just brought up some memories. It has nothing to do with anything you did."

He knits his eyebrows together. "Gwen, if you're apologizing for what I think you're apologizing for—"

"I know what you're gonna tell me," I interrupt," I don't need to apologize because it was mostly your fault. But that's not true. We were sixteen and playing against each other on a reality tv show. A lot happened. It wasn't all black and white."

Trent averted his eyes away as if recalling a painful memory. "Look, it's totally cool. You weren't into me anymore. And I made it worse by acting like a complete idiot. I understand. He did things the right way."

"Uh," I rub my forehead. I knew Duncan would eventually end up in this conversation. "No, Trent. No, Duncan didn't do anything better than you."

"Really? It seemed like it," Trent mutters.

I shake my head. "No. I-I don't know how to say this." I seriously consider running into the house and never speaking to him again. I know that I won't stand his reaction to the truth. Was it better for him to think that I fell for Duncan?

"You can tell me," Trent speaks softly, in the same voice he used when we were alone, talking by the campfire. His voice causes a pang in my chest. We had it all back then, even if it was short-lived.

I viciously chew on my bottom lip, praying that this is a dream. But I never wake up. And I'm pretty sure I can taste blood now. "My mom had cancer, and I needed money. And during season two, Chris came up with this messed up plan." I start to back away ever so slightly, prepared for Trent's outburst. "He told me and Duncan that if we—pretended to be in love, we'd get some extra cash. And it didn't matter if we won or not." I focus on a ladybug making its way across the sidewalk. The last thing I want to see is Trent's face.

But there's a delayed reply. Has he run away? I slowly lift my head to see his eyes practically popping out of his head. "You're kidding, right?" He laughs nervously. "Please tell me this is a joke."

Maybe I should say yes and tell him I have a dark sense of humor. But I think that will only hurt him more. "No," I whisper, rubbing my arm. "It's not a joke."

"So—you're telling me that all this time, it was just a game? You and Duncan?"

"Yeah."

"Gwen, I'm sorry about your mom. I truly am. But what else was a game?" Trent raises his voice. "Was I a game, too?" He laughs sarcastically. "Did Chris set up your entire dating life on the show?"

"Trent, no," I state firmly, looking him in the eyes. "I promise that you weren't pretend. I really liked you. And I didn't want to break up with you, but it affected my mental health at the time. I wanted to work things out, but that deal with Chris..." my voice trails off "...I had to take it. I couldn't let my mom die."

Trent looks at me like I'm unrecognizable, and it hurts. "I don't know what to believe. Chris is insane, but you and Duncan looked like you had something real."

"We did. But it was friendship and nothing more. Please, Trent, you have to believe me," I plea. "I never lied about how I felt when it was just you and me."

"Gwen, you know I wanna believe you," he replies. "I missed you all this time."

"You did?" Last time I checked, all these girls were bombarding Trent with their sympathy.

Trent nods. "Of course. I still think about you a lot. I've thought about what I could've done better. I put myself through all this torture, and now you're telling me that Duncan was all about the money."

"It wasn't about the money," I say. "It was about my mom. I spent every last penny on her surgery. And I'm sorry for not telling you the truth when I should have earlier. I just—I didn't think you'd want me back."

He blinks, looking shocked. "Gwen, are you serious? All I could think about was how to get you back. I wished I could turn back time and do everything differently."

"I don't know. You seemed pretty satisfied with all the attention you got from other girls," I mumble.

"Because I was trying so hard to move on," Trent breathes. "I thought the more women I met, the more I'd forget about you. But it didn't work. Nothing compared to those moments on the dock or at the fireside. I knew I could do all those things with another girl, but it wouldn't be the same."

Blood rushes into my cheeks. My heart thumps wildly, the same way that it did when we kissed for the first time or when he told me that he loved me. "So, when you say you wanted me back, is that staying in the past?" I twirl my medium-length hair with my index finger. There's no way he'd want to start over now—would he?

"I don't know," he says, his eyes locking with mine. "Do you want it in the past?"

"I know what I want," I answer. "It's all up to you. Without the competition in the way, I can show you much I care."

A tiny smile appears on the corner of his lips, and I already know his answer.