Hey guys, sorry for the long wait.
Episode 5: Part 1: Falling
"Hurry up Chef!" Chris whined. "We're on a tight schedule here!" Chef, who was carrying suitcases out to the helicopter, growled.
"Hey, watch your attitude!" Chris scolded.
"I don't see you doing anything to help!" Chef hissed. Chris rolled his eyes as if Chef was being an idiot. "Well, excuse me, but I have to take care of some things!"
"Like what, filing your nails and keeping your hair straight?!" The host glared at Hatchet. "Okay, I am not that big of a narciss...you know, I probably shouldn't finish that...but that's not the point! I'm actually trying to do some work!"
Chris went back to his phone. "Okay, you know what...no, I'm actually trying to work, this might be the biggest break we ever have!" There was silence. "Look, I know you don't want to, but I don't have any choice! The producers were very clear, and I'm already treading on thin ice with them. Ye...I don't care! They don't care! Look, I've already been arrested once. The last thing I need is...I gotta go, bye," he said as he hung up. "Grrr…."
"It was an accident, I swear!" Courtney protested.
"You think they care?! All they care about is that you shot at a teammate! And now they hate you more than they hate me, which is an accomplishment! And if I were you, I'd keep my head down for a while or you're out of this competition!"
"No kidding! Besides, why do you even care?"
"Uh, hello? Because I need votes in my favor, that's why! I fully intend to make it to the merge, which given my past will not be easy! I need support, so I'm covering my bases! And I suggest that you start doing the same!"
"Well, as long as you're on the team, then I don't have to worry about much, do I?!" Courtney said in response.
"When are you going to get a clue?!" Heather snapped. "You never listen or attempt to understand somebody! You're always thinking about yourself! It's no wonder that your relationships fail!"
"This has nothing to do with Duncan!" Courtney hissed.
"I said relationships, idiot, not romances. It's funny how that's the first thing you think-"
"Well, at least my relationships aren't based on mutual distrust and sabotage!" Courtney replied.
Heather got out of her bunk and looked Courtney straight in the eyes. "Shut. Up. You don't know anything about me or my personal life! I'm actually trying to help you, which a lot of people, myself included, are going to be less willing to do! So take some responsibility for your mistakes!" Every word was laced with venom.
Suddenly, a floorboard creaked. The two girls turned to see Zoey in the doorway. "Sorry. I should just-"
"No! We're done talking!" Heather barked. "So long, losers!" Zoey was flabbergasted as Heather stormed out. "Ummm…"
"How much did you hear?" Courtney asked awkwardly.
"Most of it. She's right though," Zoey said. Courtney looked dazed.
Confessional:
Zoey: I'm trying to be nice, but Courtney's...well, you know.
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Heather: That bruja loca doesn't get it! I thought it was impossible to talk with LINDSAY, but this is...GRRRRRR! (begins cursing in Spanish)
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Courtney: She's right. I really do need to lay low and try to be nicer with people. But that was weird. It's not like Heather to care that much.
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(11:00 am)
The thirty-two contestants now stood at the campfire pit. Chris was grinning as widely as ever, although this time he looked a bit worn out.
"Alright campers, I know the last challenge was a bit rushed, so we're gonna make this one much more painful! Won't that be fun?" Chris said in a sing-songy voice.
"Only if you're the one receiving the pain," Eva grumbled. Chris scowled. "That's enough from you. Now, pay attention, because you want to know this. Right now, there are thirty-two of you here. But only thirty of you will emerge from this challenge," There was a collective gasp.
Confessional:
Trent: Double elimination?!
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Scott: HAHA! Two for the price of one!
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Courtney: Oh great. Now they have two chances to get rid of me.
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Chris grinned. "HAHAHA! You guys should see the looks on your faces! Now, the first contestant to go home will be the last person who finishes the challenge. The second lucky victim will be voted off from the team with the slowest average performance. Now, without further ado, go grab your swimming gear from the cabin and meet me by the canoes pronto!
Confessional:
Bridgette: YES! I've been waiting for a water challenge!
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Noah: Great. Another challenge that requires upper body strength.
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Lightning: Sha-Yeah, baby! Lightning likes how this sha-sounds!
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Dawn: Oh no… inhale...exhale…control your feelings...
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Within five minutes, all the campers were down at the beach wearing their bathing suits.
Chris stood in front of them. "For the first part of the challenge, you and one randomly selected partner will carry a canoe up the hill,"
Cody shrugged. "That doesn't sound too bad,"
"Where you will jump off the cliff into the water and begin the next part of the challenge!" Chris announced. "Oh, and one more thing. The next person who whines, complains, or interrupts me will be carrying a 12 liter container full of sand on their backs for the rest of the challenge! Come on people, it's not supposed to be easy when you're competing for five million dollars!"
Quite a few campers closed their mouths before anything came out. "Good. Now, since the Titans won the last challenge, they will receive a head start. Titans, it's time to find out your partners! Chef!"
Chef wheeled over a display screen before collapsing in exhaustion. "Crud, now I'm gonna have to load the copter. Anywho, time to select the pairs." Chris pressed a button, and a head popped up on the screen. "Harold, and..." another head appeared. "Interesting...Sam," A look of panic spread across both of their faces.
"Good luck you two. You're gonna need it. Alright. Next up, Courtney and...Geoff!" There were some snickers as Courtney turned white and Geoff glared at his new partner.
"Looks like all is not forgiven. Haha! Alright, the third will be...Dakota & Heather!" Both cringed at the thought of the other.
"Duncan and Zoey, you're group four. Pair five is Trent and Gwen. Group six will be Cody with Sadie. Group seven is Beth with...Lightning! Which means that by default, DJ and Lindsay are lucky pair number eight!"
Confessional:
Duncan: Hm. I'm cool with Red.
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Trent: Yes!
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Dakota: Grrr, not this grouch!
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Lindsay: I've never really had a chance to spend much time with BK. (pauses) Yay! I've always wanted a playdate!
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"When I say go, get your canoe with your partner." Chris said, pointing to eight canoes about fifty meters away, each with a large number from one to eight painted on it in purple. "You get five minutes before the Tigers start off. Chef! Chef, wake up!" Chris was answered with a snore. "Fine. You! Get over here!" a thin intern walked over to Chris. "Set the clock!"
The intern nodded, pressing a few buttons on the display until a stopwatch appeared. "Alright. On your mark, get set...go!"
Lightning was the first to get to the canoes, followed by Dakota. Each of them were able to pick up their canoes without much struggle and began sprinting up the hill, with their partners in close pursuit.
Meanwhile Chris began listing off the pairs for the Tigers.
"Mike and Bridgette, Tyler and Noah, Eva and Leshawna, Scott and B, Dawn and Alejandro, Cameron and Owen, along with...Izzy and Katie, followed by Justin and Anna Maria. Get ready, because you've got some catching up to do,"
Confessional:
Noah: They had to pair us together. They HAD to pair the two least athletic people on the island together.
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B: (glares at the camera)
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Justin: Interesting...
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Alejandro: Dawn? I haven't seen much of her yet...Come to think of it, Tyler didn't say anything about her. This is a great opportunity...
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"On your mark, get set...GO!"
(11:15 am)
Very quickly it was made clear which groups were gonna get up to the top first. Tyler and Noah had barely gone thirty meters, yet they were still gaining somewhat of a lead on Harold and Sam. Eva was sprinting towards the top of the hill like a cheetah, with Leshawna holding onto the back of the canoe for dear life and cursing like a sailor.
Trent stopped suddenly. "Wait. Gwen, hold up a second. Chris said this was the first part of the challenge, right?" The Goth turned her head. "Yeah, so?"
"Maybe we should try to conserve some of our energy so that we don't burn out later. You know Chris, he's probably got something else even worse in store." Gwen thought for a second. "Sounds good with me."
Meanwhile, Owen and Cameron were forced to go slowly, since Cameron was barely able to hold up the canoe. Eventually, Owen just put Cameron over his shoulder and started walking at a faster pace.
Confessional:
Owen: Aaah, he's a little Noah! Well, a littler Noah...
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(11:20 am)
"Look, Geoff, I'm sorry!" Courtney whined. Geoff was paying no attention. The C.I.T was getting even more frustrated. "I know you can hear me, so stop being so immature!"
Geoff snickered. "You're one to talk, Ms. Your-Boyfriend-Is-Cheating-On-You," Courtney clenched her teeth. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"How does it not? You nearly ruined what was supposed to be one of the coolest moments of my life!" Geoff hissed. Courtney face-palmed. "Sorry, thought you were talking about-,"
"Duncan," Geoff finished. "But that's not the point. You have been nothing but a total party pooper since I met you! I don't even know how Bridgette thinks you're cool, because the only person who pisses me off more than you is that bitch Mildred! And what's even less cool, I always get caught in the middle of your (bleep)!"
"Like when?" Courtney asked irritably.
"Hmmm, let's see..." Geoff said sarcastically. "Oh, I know! Every time that you and Duncan had a fight, I always had to listen to Duncan's ranting and then hear about you whining from Bridgette. All you ever did when I was competing was yell at people or gush over Duncan. I had to listen to you cry about Duncan and Gwen during the Aftermath. All you care about is yourself, and that's seriously not cool, bra!"
Courtney was getting annoyed. "Ugh! You have no idea what I was going through!"
"I sure as hell do! Bridge cheated on me too, remember? But I forgave her because I love her and I know that I've made some mistakes too! And that's made our relationship stronger! But you?! NO! All you did was blame Duncan and try to hurt him! Maybe if you didn't have that pole so far up your (bleep)in (bleep), then maybe he wouldn't have cheated on you!"
"LEAVE DUNCAN OUT OF THIS, GEOFF!" Courtney exploded. Geoff shrugged. "Fine, let's leave him out of this. How about when you, without Duncan even around, by the way, turned your back on your boyfriend and Gwen and listed them like they meant nothing to you! This may be a game, but a game's no fun when somebody plays dirty! You were just like-no, you were worse than Heather!"
"I KNOW!" Courtney screeched.
"Well then PROVE IT!" Geoff yelled. "Show me that you can care about somebody other than yourself! Or even better, learn to roll with the punch a bit! Now, let's keep going! I don't want to hear you talk until we get up the mountain!"
Confessional
Courtney: They don't think that I know all that?! I've been trying to make things right, and all it's done is blow up in my face! (sighs) What I wouldn't do take it all back. (sniffles) All of it. There's got to be some way. Anything.
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"Geez, that girl has some serious anger issues," Eva said from the top of the cliff. Leshawna, who looked absolutely terrified, glared at her. "ARE YOU (bleep) KIDDING ME?!" she screeched.
"I'm taking classes!" Eva defended. "Anyways, what are we supposed to do now?"
"Hold up!" they heard a voice call, followed by some static. They turned their heads to see a video display on what appeared to be a large cabinet. On the display, there was live streaming of Chris adjusting the camera. "I hate it when Chef doesn't do his job. Anywho, the second part of the challenge is to jump off the cliff-"
"Didn't we already do that dumb challenge?" Eva growled. Chris looked annoyed.
"Let me finish. As I was saying, your job is to jump off the cliff, while in your canoe, and then paddle your way to Boney Island. Once you reach that checkpoint, you'll get the instructions for the third challenge."
"And I suppose you expect us to do this without any oars?" Leshawna asked rhetorically.
"Are you kidding me? I need to get this challenge done tonight! There are some oars inside this chest. Take one each, and get your butt in gear! Oh, two things! Eva, since you interrupted me, you have to deal with the penalty!"
The powerhouse rolled her eyes. "Yeah, like that's gonna-OOF!"
Before she had even finished talking, a large container of sand hit her in the back. The side that landed on her was covered in green glop.
"What the heck is this stuff?" Eva said, putting her hand to gunk to figure out what it was.
"Oh, did I forget to mention? In order to make sure that you don't try to be smart and take that off, the penalty weights are covered in a quick-drying, body heat activated superglue! Haha!" Chris chuckled. "And lastly, there is no safety zone this time around! Looks like you guys are swimming with the sharks!" the screen turned back to static. Eva began trying to pull her hand away from the container, but the only thing that she managed to accomplish was making herself look absolutely ridiculous.
"Oh, tell me you did not just do that!" Leshawna yelled. "Whatever, I'll go get the oars," Eva roared in rage.
Moments later, Heather and Dakota came racing up the cliff, in the same manner that Eva and Leshawna had just done. Heather glared at the green-haired heiress in fury. "Next time you decide to go faster, don't take the back side!"
Leshawna chuckled. "STOP LAUGHING! I NEARLY GOT TRAMPLED!" the Queen Bee screeched.
"Now that's funny!" Eva said. Heather turned her head to glare. "Why don't you just...what the hell are you doing?" she said, trying not to laugh.
"None of your business!" Leshawna growled, putting one oar in Eva's free hand. "Come on, we can deal with Queenie later!"
"Fine," Eva growled as she got in the front seat of the canoe. Leshawna pushed the canoe off the cliff and jumped in the back at the last second.
"Okay, where's the instructions?" Dakota asked. The display began running again. Chris dropped the things that he was carrying and looked at the camera.
"Alright, so if you didn't guess, you're supposed to jump off the cliff in the canoes. You'll find instructions for the third challenge on Boney Island. Oars are in the chest. I don't have time for your questions, so MOVE!" Chris managed to get out as the screen went static.
"Dang! What was that all sha-bout?" Lightning said, as he arrived at the top with Beth panting behind him. The screen got back into focus, revealing a visibly irritated Chris.
"I'm not saying it a second time! You two explain it to them, I-" Chris started.
"Saying what a second time?" Lightning made the mistake of asking, and was subsequently hit by a flying sand container.
Chris gave a thumbs up to the intern before turning to the camera with an exhausted and obviously forced smile. "Which two will bite the dust? Who are our top 30? What challenge awaits our contestants on Boney Island? Where did they come up with the idea that I could manage two challenges in one day on such short notice? When will Chef wake up? Why don't the campers listen when I give threats? Find out the answers to these questions and many more when we return!"
Hopefully that was worth the wait. Like a lot of other writers, school held me up a bit. Which two do you want to see go home? If I get enough responses I will factor that into the next chapters.
I just wanted to mention that this story has been viewed over 3000 times, with 1000 being the first chapter alone. Thank you guys so much for your support.
Remember, I REALLY do need some challenge ideas in the review section, I am seriously running low on ideas. However, I can tell you that when it reaches the top 30, the competition will truly begin, if you know what I mean. I really want your honest opinion on how you feel this is going so far.
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.