Okay, Brazil. Thanks for reviewing, SilverWriter0927, Gage the Hedgehog, and Bloodylilcorpse.

For the first time, Kat and I got stuck on the second flight out instead of the first. Dwayne and Junior were the last team on the first flight out.

This was actually both a curse and a blessing in disguise. The flight was known as the "milk run", which meant we shared the space with cows and goats. But as it turned out, the first plane rolled over something sharp and got a flat tire, so the teams that got that plane had to wait while we took off.

The Vegans were stressing about their performance in Iceland, although Miles seemed a lot better and Laurie didn't seem homicidal or near tears any more. When I passed them, I heard them agreeing that "what happens in Iceland stays in Iceland".

Meanwhile, I chatted to the Adversity Twins again. They were worried that their lactose intolerance might be set off by being near milk-giving animals, so I tried to take their minds off it. You know, power of the mind and all that. If they kept thinking about their lactose intolerance, chances are they'd feel lousy without any effect from the cows. If they didn't think about it but were affected, it might be less of an effect than if they were thinking about it.

"If you finish this challenge, you'll have officially lasted more than a week, right?" I said. "Your doctor is so close to being wrong!"

Both of them smiled sadly. "I think we'll be eliminated soon." Jay admitted. "I hope not, though."

"Me too." Mickey agreed. "I feel like we're getting somewhere, like we have a chance to win."

They actually didn't seem to notice until after we got off the plane and got travel tips. I was still talking to them when Kat pushed the button down on the Don Box.

"Botch or Watch." Kat told me. "Reeni?...Corrine!" She pulled me aside and whispered "Focus! I know the twins are really nice, but you can talk to them after the challenge."

"If they're still here!" I whispered back. It wasn't a nice thing to say, but I had to face it – the twins had so many problems, it was a miracle they survived life. I hoped they'd stay for some time yet, but I was prepared for anything to cause them to come in last.

Kat didn't argue, but sighed and said "It's your turn, anyway. You need to reach into an oven mitt full of venomous bullet ants to get our next tip."

While Laurie stepped up first, Mickey started telling the camera a story about how he's immune to venom after getting bitten by enough creatures, and he and Jay tried to high five, missing each other's hands. "We don't high five much, it's pretty new to us."

I stepped up to them. "High-fiving is easy. Thing is, one of you should keep their hand still while the other slaps it. Jay, hold up your hand. Mickey, high-five it."

They did, and it worked. Then they both high-fived me, and since the Vegans had left, I went up next. So I stepped up to the mitt and stuck one hand in. I couldn't help grimacing as the ants swarmed all over my hand, biting, but I got the tip and gave it to Kat with my swollen hand.

She frowned as she read it. "I think it means we have to cross a chasm by swinging on a vine. Then we'll find a pile of coconuts and we'll have to crack them open until we find one with a tip inside."

To be honest, after the Skywalk, any kind of challenge that risked falling from a great height was easy. We used the same method as we did on the zipline – Kat took the vine, and I was on her shoulders.

Behind us, the Cadets and Stepbrothers went through, although the Vegans had disappeared. Luckily, the pile of coconuts had hammers around to crack them.

Less luckily, there were millions of them, and there were only sixteen teams left! How were we supposed to find a tip when there was only that many?

That might explain why Kat and I, who were about in first place by that time, only found one around the time the teams from the delayed plane were coming in. Well, the Ice Dancers had arrived at the coconuts. They still had those smiles on their faces as they began cracking the coconuts. Kat and I just ran for it, reading the tip as we went. It said that we had an All-In – one team member would make a headpiece, and the other a tail, for some Brazilian festival. A local had to approve it.

"You know, Reeni, I'm starting to understand what you meant about those two." Kat confided.

"What?" I asked.

"Their faces. I thought I was just imagining it for a while, but the way they smile...it's a little disconcerting, even menacing." she admitted. "Have you spoken to the team yet?"

I shook my head. "Not since I got their names. I don't think they'd be interested in talking to me. When I actually asked their names, Josee barely even looked at me. And I'm not sure I want to talk to them, either."

"That doesn't mean anything." Kat said in a slightly condescending tone. "First impressions can be entirely wrong, and they don't seem like a mean team, despite their smiles. Certainly not the way Taylor is."

I scoffed. "Well, at least Taylor isn't scary."

"Maybe I'll talk to them." Kat thought out loud. "Maybe they won't seem so...anxiety-inducing if we get to know them."

When we got to the materials, Kat worked on the headpiece, and I made the tail. I wasn't that good at art, but she was brilliant. Over on one side, MacArthur was arguing with the local because her costume wasn't approved, and the Sisters were talking about an alliance with the twins. I noticed Mickey's eyes were fixed on Kitty. Did he have a crush on her?

Understandable, I guess. I didn't know Kitty very well, but she seemed friendly and not that competitive. In complete contrast to Emma, who was really serious about the race.

The local didn't approve our costume first time. She took one look at my messy tail and gave us a thumbs down. Kat helped me clean it up, and the local had only approved one other team between tries – the Goths (several teams had already gone by then), with Crimson wearing a black version of the ensemble.

The last tip said we had to take a hang glider to the beach where the Chill Zone was. Like we had for the zipline and the vine, we took up the same positions. I sat on Kat's shoulders and she hung on to the hang glider, although this time I leaned forward and clenched the rail too.

We still didn't exactly come in first. But fourth was pretty good. And to be honest, seeing who won was all worth it.

The Vegans.

Yep, they'd won, and boy did they look happy. The Ice Dancers and Goths were second and third. Kat glanced at me and then decided to attempt talking to the Ice Dancers as she'd mentioned, while I went up to the Vegans.

"Awesome win!" I smiled at them. "To be honest, it's probably the best thing that could happen right now."

"Thanks, Corrine." Laurie smiled. "Good work with you guys, too. I'm feeling better about our chances now. Last night, I was ready to give up, but now I'm glad we stayed in."

"Me too." Miles admitted. "I felt terrible at the end of the last challenge, but getting first place makes me feel as if the universe has given us a second chance. Like we don't have to feel guilty over our moral lapse."

I gave her a puzzled look.

"Like we don't have to brood over doing that Icelandic feast." Laurie said. "We can move on, accept it was wrong of us, and vow not to let our competivity overcome our moral standards again."

"I for one am glad you two are still in." I grinned.

The Rockers were cut from the race, half an hour later. To be honest, I wasn't exactly happy to see them go, but I didn't know them well enough to miss them.

Yes. I feel the Vegans could have developed more if they'd stayed longer in the race. You also probably noticed that I'm putting emphasis on a friendship developing between Corrine and Laurie. This will come into play later on.