Disclaimer: See prologue
"Last time on the Ridonculous Race, the final eight teams went to Flores, Indonesia. There were dragons, poison, displays of ingenuity, and a bit of cuddling. The Ice Dancers made a sneaky move for gold, but the Goths won by a hare. After getting stuck up in a tree for most of the challenge, it was the Police Cadets who had to call it quits. Today's a new day, and anything can happen because this is… the Ridonculous Race!"
"Welcome back to Flores, Indonesia. The Goths will be the first team to get today's tip." Don informed the audience.
Crimson took a tip from the Don Box, and after a moment of reading, glanced at Ennui and Loki. "We're going to Las Vegas."
A slideshow of Las Vegas played. "Located in Nevada, USA; Las Vegas is home to bright lights, thrilling entertainment, and very bad judgment. Our final seven teams will see none of that, and instead head out to this desert Don Box." Don explained, showing a lone Don Box standing out in the middle of nowhere.
The teams collected their tips, and rushed to the airport, nearly trampling a flight attendant who was trying to get them to enter in an orderly fashion. "The teams are off, and with some stock footage and clever editing like this and that, an eighteen hour flight only lasts eight seconds! You're welcome." He continued to narrate as the plane was shown taking off, flying in the air, and then landing on a runway in Vegas.
The teams hurried out of the airport, and hailed for taxis.
The scene switched inside of the taxi that was carrying the Goths.
Crimson stared at their environment passing by out the window, and turned to her team. "Not the worst place we've been."
"Agreed," Ennui stated monotonously, "we particularly like the city's overwhelming feeling of sadness." Then for once in their lives, the Goths reacted when the taxi jolted. Noticing they were being rammed from behind, they looked out their rear window to see Josee and Jacques bumping them with their taxi. Josee was at the wheel, and had a snarl plastered on her face.
(Confessional- Bumper Taxis)
"Coming in second again is bad enough, but losing to the Goths is unacceptable!" Josee declared. "I'm onto them now, and I'll do whatever it takes to bring them down." She bent down, and picked up two items. "Garlic and a wooden stake!"
Jacques rolled his eyes incredulously. "Sacre bleu, Josee! They're Goths, not vampires!"
"Are they, Jacques?" Josee challenged, raising her stake threateningly and scaring Jacques. "Are they?!"
(End confessional)
The two teams stood on the side of the road while their taxis were scrunched together. Jacques held Josee back while the Goths stood unflinchingly. At that moment, they were passed by another team's taxi.
Inside, Brody cried while Geoff consoled him by patting his shoulder.
"Yeah, Brody's pretty bummed about MacArthur going home. He's been crying for several hours now. I'm pretty sure he broke his crying record from the time he bawled at that one movie where the dog died." Geoff explained.
Upon hearing the mention of that movie, Brody broke into a fresh round of sobs.
Geoff winced, and stared at the camera. "Yeah… probably shouldn't have brought that up."
"Great working together yesterday, you guys." Jen praised the group as she congregated with Tom and the Best Friends.
Devin nodded. "Yeah, we so kicked butt."
"Totally kicked butt." Tom agreed.
Carrie smiled brightly. "Hey, since we did such a great job together yesterday, how about we try doing today's challenge on our own? Ever since we teamed up, we've been trying to do challenges together. What if we try doing today's challenge alone?"
"Great idea, Carrie!" Devin beamed at his partner. "What do you guys think?" He asked the Fashion Bloggers.
"I'd be fine with that." Tom shrugged.
"Me too!" Jen added.
"So we're agreed, we're splitting up for today's leg?"
"Let's roll!" Tom pumped a fist eagerly, and the two teams ran off to find a taxi.
(Confessional- Best Fashion Friend Bloggers group divide!)
"Carrie was totally right." Jen stated in a confessional. "Ever since China, we've been trying to do challenges together, and we've made really great progress in the game because of that. With how far we are, and how much experience we have in the race now, we should be able to do a challenge on our own."
Tom pointed to his partner. "Truth! On the plus side, we won't hold them up if we decide to do some shopping. I mean, how can we not shop when we're in Vegas?!"
"Oh my gosh," Jen gasped, "that is so true!"
(Solo Confessional- Devin)
Devin stood across the street alone while Carrie was across the way, looking at a store window display. "Secretly, I'm kind of happy that we're separating from the Fashion Bloggers today. Don't get me wrong, the Fashion Bloggers are pretty awesome, but it's been a while since Carrie and I enjoyed this race together."
(End confessional)
The Fashion Bloggers found a cab, and were getting in when the Rockers showed up.
"Hey, Fashion Bloggers! Mind if Spud and I get a lift?" Rock inquired.
Jen smiled at him. "No, not at all. Tom?" She turned to her partner for his answer.
"I don't have a problem with it. Hop in." He answered.
Pleased by the answer, the Rockers slid in right next to them, and Spud shut the door.
Carrie watched as the Fashion Bloggers drove by, and was shaken out of her stare by her partner's voice.
"Hey Carrie, I got us a cab!" Devin waved her over. Carrie smiled, and hurried over. Her smile drooped into a frown when she noticed the state of their cab.
The windshield was cracked, the engine sputtered every few moments, and smoke billowed out the tailpipe.
"Er… maybe we should just wait for the next one." She suggested.
Devin took her hand. "It'll be fine, now come on." He led her into the back of the car, and it drove off.
The whole ride, the taxi jerked and sputtered. Inside the cab, Carrie yelped at every little movement the vehicle made.
Emma and Kitty ran to where the Best Friends had just left, and Emma groaned. "Great, now we're in last. Every other team has gotten a ride except us."
"Not for long! Taxi!" Kitty hailed a cab, and one promptly responded to her.
"Go! Go! Go!" Emma hurriedly ushered her sister in before her, and demanded that the driver floor the gas pedal.
"There's the Don Box!" Geoff pointed out as he and Brody arrived at their next checkpoint. The party guy with a hat snagged a tip. "It's an Either Or. Dune Buggy Bonanza, or Magic Show."
The scene switched to Don. "Dudes! Teams can either drive a dune buggy around this obstacle course," he gestured to a race track behind him with flags suspended around each obstacle, "and collect three flags under one minute, or" he was then shown at a stage set up in the middle of the desert, "perform a classic magic show trick, and make a lion disappear for this judge." He gestured to a magician that was standing on stage next to a cage that had a lion inside along with a glass divider splitting the cage in two halves. "Complete either task, and it's a foot race to- AGH!" The lion roared at him from inside the cage, causing the host to shriek and his hair to stand up on end.
The scene flashed forward. "The Chill Zone!" Don finished, gesturing to the mat he was standing on. Fitting in with the Las Vegas location, a giant neon sign hung above it with a light-up arrow pointing to the carpet. "As always, the last team to arrive could be headed home empty-handed and ashamed." He gave a smile to the camera, either oblivious to his hair still standing up, or just ignoring it.
When the scene returned to the Surfer Dudes, Geoff glanced at his partner. "What do you think, dude?"
Sniffling, Brody wiped his nose on his tattooed arm. "Let's do dune buggies, we're dudes."
The Fashion Bloggers arrived after them, and pointed to each other in synchronization while calling out, "Magic show!"
"Jinx! You owe me a new pair of shoes." Tom declared afterwards to Jen's amusement.
Rock walked past them, and took a tip for the Rockers. "Spud, it's dune buggy time!"
Spud whooped. "Sweet! What's a dune buggy?"
The Goths flatly took a tip, and after a brief read, Crimson chose, "Magic show."
Now in fifth place, the Ice Dancers reached the Don Box. Josee pressed the button, but nothing came out. With a smile, she turned to Jacques, and raised her hand up past his ear, pulling a tip out of nowhere.
"Magic!" She stated while Jacques gasped in amazement at her trick.
"Ooh, ooh! Let's do dune buggies!" Kitty insisted eagerly after she and Emma read the tip.
Emma shrugged. "Why not? It's much safer than a challenge involving a lion."
At the track, Geoff and Brody had grabbed what they would need for the challenge, and were once more going over what they needed to do.
"Okay, it looks like we need to collect three flags in one minute or less. One dude controls the remote from that watchtower," Geoff pointed up at the tower, "while the other dude rides the buggy and collects the flags." He handed the remote over for Brody to take. "Want to drive? It'll get your mind off MacArthur."
Tears welled up in Brody's eyes. "MacArthur… she was my babe!" He bawled, and started to cry again. Geoff watched while cringing at his bad choice of words. After a few brief seconds of crying, Brody pulled himself together and took the remote. "Yeah, I'll drive."
Over at the stage, Tom and Jen surveyed their challenge.
"Alright, Tom, what do we need to do?" Jen asked, looking at her partner.
"It says here that the assistant goes in one side of the cage, and the lion goes in the other. The sheet covers the cage, and the magician pulls the lever into the correct position to lower the divider and the lion so the assistant doesn't get mauled." Tom read off the instructions. A clip of footage showed how the trick was supposed to go as he read.
Jen pumped a fist. "Alright, let's win this leg!"
Tom followed his partner as she walked towards the stage. "I'll say this much. I already know you are going to look totally fetch in the assistant's dress."
Meanwhile, the Best Friends' taxi crawled along the road, still not at the Don Box's destination.
"Man, this taxi is so slow." Carrie sighed while Devin read a map.
Looking up from the map, Devin smiled at the driver. "Hey, driver, at the next cactus, turn west."
The driver, an older man, briefly looked back while giving a thumbs-up in understanding.
(Solo confessional- Carrie)
"Yeah… we really should've taken a different taxi." She said flatly while standing on the side of the road with her team's transport parked on the side of the street.
(End confessional)
"Okay, you ready, dude?" Brody asked over the headset he wore. Also on his head was Geoff's hat.
Down below the watchtower Brody stood in, Geoff was buckled into the dune buggy, wearing a helmet that had a headset embedded inside so he could communicate with his partner. "You know it, bro! Drive like Malibu Street Racer 5!"
Brody's upset face changed into a more determined one as he pressed the ignition button on his remote.
Geoff laughed as the buggy sped forward and the timer began. He whooped as he flew over the track, snagging the first flag from its post, and then grabbed the second as he passed through a large, metal hoop. Brody's fingers jabbed rapidly on the remote's buttons while his resolve to stop crying over MacArthur faded and his resolve to complete the challenge took over. On the track, Geoff passed through a wooden tunnel, and snatched up the final flag. Both boys cheered as Geoff cruised down the home stretch, and passed the finish line.
"Alright! Nice driving, Bro! What's our time?" Geoff inquired.
Brody looked towards the timer, and gasped excitedly. "Thirty seconds on the nose, dude!"
(Confessional- Dude Buggy Bros)
"That challenge was totally wicked!" Brody exclaimed in the confessional while Geoff sat next to him with equal enthusiasm. "Thanks to that challenge, I feel much better! Not even the mention of MacArthur's name can bring me to tears now!"
Geoff laid a hand on his partner's shoulder. "Told you that challenge would work wonders for you, dude."
Brody laughed. "Thanks, dude." He gave Geoff a hug.
(End confessional)
By the time Brody got down from the watchtower, Geoff was already out of the buggy, leaning against it coolly.
"That was awesome, dude! I feel so much better now." Brody told Geoff. "Let's head to the Chill Zone! We'll probably set the record for fastest leg finished!"
Geoff nodded. "Totally, dude! But first, you have got to take a spin in this dune buggy! It's killer!" He said enthusiastically while gesturing to the vehicle.
Brody hummed in thought. "I don't know…"
"Come on, dude! It's just one little spin, and then we'll head to the Chill Zone, kay?" The party dude promised.
His partner thought it over for a moment, and then shrugged. "Sure, okay."
"Sweet! Let's switch it up." Geoff reached for the helmet buckle while Brody reached up for his headset and Geoff's hat.
As Brody buckled in and Geoff took position up in the watchtower, the Rockers arrived at the track.
"I'll drive the dune buggy; you collect the flags. Got it?" Rock said to Spud as they came up to an unused buggy.
"Sure, man. You can count on me." Spud smiled at him.
"Okay, just make sure to grab the flags when you pass them." Rock reminded his partner.
Spud casually waved his hand. "Dude, you're stressing too much. I can grab a few flags, easy."
The Sisters appeared on the scene, and claimed a dune buggy as well.
"Which one of us should drive?" Kitty queried to her sister.
"I don't know. You're better at video games than me, but do you think you can handle it?" Emma responded back in kind.
Kitty put a thoughtful finger to her lips. "I think so…"
(Confessional- Dude Buggy Sisters)
"I used to be obsessed with video games," Kitty admitted, "once, I played Hockey All-Stars for two days straight. I would've kept going, but Emma unplugged my GameStation, and refused to give it back until I took a shower."
"She smelled like a bag of wet popcorn." Emma added.
Kitty cringed. "Yeah, not my finest hour."
(End confessional)
Over at the stage, Tom finished straightening his bow tie. A magician's black top hat sat on his head, and his hands were in white magician's gloves. The changing room door next to him opened, and Jen came out wearing a purple dress and sparkly white gloves.
Tom smiled at her. "Girl, you look fabulous. You should totally get one of those when we get home."
Next to them, Jacques burst out of another changing room, wearing a purple dress just like Jen's.
Jen screamed when she saw the male Ice Dancer, and covered her eyes. Tom gawked as he stared at Jacques. "What are you doing?!" Jen questioned incredulously.
Jacques smirked despite the Fashion Bloggers' responses. "I know. I look great."
(Confessional- Not really, no)
Jacques smiled boastfully while Josee sat next to him.
"I have no problem being the assistant here." He said. "When we skate, I am always the magician."
Josee scowled at the remark. "Say what?"
Jacques scoffed as if what he was saying was obvious. "Duh. I lift you, carry you, twirl you around. All you need to do is smile, and don't fall down." He smirked once he finished.
Holding up a hand to her cheek, Josee gasped in a fake dramatic manner. "Wow, I hope I do this trick right. I'd hate to watch you get eaten by a lion!" She snarled, making Jacques cower in fear.
(End confessional)
Jacques' knees trembled as he stood in the cage with only the divider keeping him from the lion's wrath.
"Hey! How come they get to go first?" Jen stomped her boot indignantly as she and Tom stood on the sidelines.
Josee blew a raspberry at them. "We were up here first." She reached for the lever, and the sheet covered the cage. "Abra ka-gold!" She pulled the lever once more, and a few clicks rang out before she flipped the lever again to raise the sheet.
In the cage, Jacques screamed as he was cornered by the lion, his dress in tatters. "The divider, Josee! Can you put the divider back?" He pleaded shrilly as the show went to commercial.
When the show came back on, Josee glanced at the magician acting as the challenge's judge. She snarled when the magician gave them a thumbs-down. Clearly irritated, she returned the cage to its original setting. "Great!" She snapped in frustration.
(Location confessional- Away from the stage)
"The worst part is," Josee noted to the camera while Jacques stood in his still-ruined dress in the background, "we have to wait for the other teams to have a go before we can try again." She crossed her arms over her chest.
Jacques gaped at her. "Really? That's the worst part?!"
(End confessional)
"Looks like we're up." Tom told Jen as they looked out from backstage.
"You know what to do, right? I don't want what happened to Jacques to happen to me." Jen griped.
Tom rested a reassuring hand on his partner's shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."
The scene flashed forward to Jen standing in the cage, the divider back in place. She stood uncertain, staring at the lion on the other side.
Gripping the lever, Tom took a deep breath, and pulled. The sheet went down, and after a moment, Tom pushed the lever back. When the sheet rose, Jen appeared unharmed by the lion. On the flip side, the lion was cuddling her. The big cat purred as it rubbed its cheek against Jen's.
"Um, Tom, a little help?" Jen called out uncomfortably.
"Well," Tom replied sheepishly, "in the past, you did say you'd like a guy with a nice mane."
"Tom!"
"Okay, okay, hang on. I'll get you out of there."
(Solo confessional- Backstage)
Tom smiled. "I told Jen she looked fabulous."
(End confessional)
At last, Carrie and Devin reached the Don Box, and retrieved their tip.
"It's an Either Or- Buggy Bonanza or Magic Show?" Devin read off.
Carrie gasped in awe. "Magic show? Awesome! We could do a magic trick on an actual Las Vegas stage. That would be incredible!"
Devin chuckled. "Look at you, all excited for a magic show." He snapped his fingers when a thought came to him. "You know, I still remember after we saw that one magic show as kids, you loved it so much that we did our own magic show for our families. Remember that?"
Carrie giggled in remembrance. "Yeah, and how since we didn't have a rabbit, we used my sister's hamster. She told you to be careful when pulling her hamster out of your hat."
Devin winced. "Those bites were painful…" He shook his head. "So, magic show?"
"Magic show." She confirmed, and the Best Friends ran off towards the stage.
Carrie pulled ahead of Devin, and he watched her run. He sighed blissfully. "She's so cute…" In his state of bliss, he didn't realize until it was too late that he ran into a cactus. "Ouch." He squeaked.
Brody whooped as his buggy leaped off a dune. He was soon followed by Spud and Emma, while Geoff, Rock, and Kitty controlled their vehicles from the watchtower. Since the Surfer Dudes had already completed their challenge, they didn't worry about collecting flags. Spud and Emma, on the other hand, did their best to grab some.
"Aw, missed it!" Spud moaned as he reacted too late. Emma cheered as she plucked one from the checkpoint.
On the stage, Ennui pulled the lever, and the sheet rose up, showing the divider was gone, but the lion was still there. The lion leaped in front of Crimson, and roared. The Goth girl didn't even flinch. Ennui and Loki turned to the magician, who gave them a thumbs-down. Once the cage was reset, and Crimson was out, they went on either side of the magician, and leered at him. The magician then became another victim of the Goths' uncomfortable scrutiny.
Emma swerved in front of Spud, forcing him to slow down, and she reached out to grab another flag.
"Come on, Spud! You've got to get those flags!" Rock told his partner over the headset. "You keep reaching for them too late. Okay, when I tell you to, reach out for a flag. I can use your delay to our advantage that way. Got it, dude?"
"Sure, man! …Wait, scratch that, I missed another one." Spud responded.
Rock sighed. "Okay, look, we'll go around again. We wouldn't have beat the time anyway."
Beside him, Kitty steered Emma around the course for another try since they too hadn't completed the course in under a minute. "So, crushing on anybody lately?"
"Huh?" Rock raised an eyebrow, distracted by Kitty's question. "Who wants to know?"
"I do." Kitty smiled at him. "I'm like a super sensitive love detector, and I can tell you like someone. So who is it?"
Rock looked away from steering Spud, and glanced at Kitty's expectant look. After holding her gaze for a few seconds, he sighed. "Alright, you got me. I like Jen."
"Whaat? Dude, when did this happen?" Spud interjected over the headset.
Realizing that Spud was still on the headset, Rock panicked, and clasped his hand over the microphone, still controlling the remote with his other hand.
"Aww, you like Jen? That's so adorbable. Spud is right, when did you start liking her?" Kitty continued to press.
Rock sighed. "I don't know. We started hanging out back in Australia when we both –crack- hurt our ankles. We've been friends for a little bit, but recently, I think I like her more than a friend, you know?"
"Totally! That's like so cute." Kitty gushed.
"Um, hello? Kitty? We're supposed to be focusing on the challenge!" Emma interrupted over the Sisters' headset.
Kitty directed a stern look at her microphone. "Quiet, Emma, I'm making magic happen." She did as Rock did with his headset, and clasped a hand over the microphone.
"Rock? Rock?" Spud repeated into his end. "Come on, man! If you tell me how you fell in love with this chick, then I'll try harder at grabbing flags."
Emma drove up beside the Rocker. "Your partner ignoring you too?"
"It's just," Rock began to say as the scene returned to him and Kitty, "why would Jen want to date me if we got together? I live in my parents' basement, I pet-sit for a job, and my band hasn't had our big break yet. Sure, Jen said she and her friend would upload a sample from our demo to their blog, but until we get our big break, I won't be able to take her out for special dates and stuff."
"Hey, Jen's a really cool girl, trust me. During the flights on this race, we've hung out a bit, and she won't care if you don't have much money." Kitty replied. "All Jen cares about is if a guy she dates is nice, funny, and has great sense of style."
"Is that really what she wants in a guy?" Rock asked.
"Absolutely, and if I were you, I'd ask her out while you still have the chance before she or you get eliminated from the race."
Rock hemmed and hawed in thought. "I don't know…"
"Just finish this leg, see if she moves onto the next one, and then you can ask her."
Glancing at the controller in his hand, the Rocker finally gave in. "Alright, I'll do it."
"Yes!" Kitty pumped her fist. "This race will be getting a little more love!" She nudged Rock excitedly. "Come on, let's give it another go. We can both beat the time this time."
(Confessional- Match made!)
Kitty clenched her fists happily. "I'm so glad that Rock is going to ask out Jen. He's a really cool guy when you get to know him."
"It's one thing to pair up your own sister," Emma said, "and it's another thing to pair up our race opponents."
The younger sister smirked at her sibling. "Somebody is missing Noah right now…"
"Maybe I am, but what does that have to do with anything we're talking about?" The older sister retorted.
(End confessional)
"While the Rockers, Sisters, and Ice Dancers struggle to complete the challenge, and I do mean struggle," Don updated as the scene switched to the Ice Dancers once again on stage, except the lion was sitting on Jacques. The male ice dancer trembled beneath the predator, and when the lion roared, his hair stood up on end. Jacques screamed, and the magician did not approve of their attempt. The Goths returned onstage, and Crimson got back in the cage. "The Goths take another crack at making magic happen."
Ennui cranked the lever, and Loki jumped from his shirt into the cage with Crimson. Ennui had pulled the lever incorrectly, so instead of lowering the sheet, he lowered the divider. Before anyone could react, Loki hopped into the cage and leaped at the lion. The lion roared until Loki hopped into its mouth unexpectedly. Both Crimson and Ennui shot the camera a questioning look while the magician was understandably horrified and Josee laughed at them.
When she realized the Goths were right in front of her, she collected herself. "Oh, uh, I mean so sorry for your loss." She apologized unsympathetically. The Goths returned to the stage.
Ennui entered the cage, and the lion noticed that yet another person intruded its space. He roared at Ennui, but the male Goth merely reached into the feline's open mouth, and pulled out his rabbit. When the lion realized what had just happened, it stopped. The magician was so thoroughly surprised that he gave the Goths a passing mark even though they didn't do the challenge as stated. The sight of the Goths passing the challenge before them made Josee growl with fury.
"That is it!" She cried out, raising her wooden stake from earlier.
(Location confessional- in front of the stage)
The Goths stood still in their magic show costumes, and Loki was back in Ennui's shirt.
"The judge said it was the greatest trick he had ever seen." Ennui reported.
"He offered us eight shows a week, but we said no." Crimson added.
"Just wearing our happy faces for these cameras is exhausting." Ennui commented afterwards.
(End confessional)
"Okay, Spud, we can do this. We've got our timing down now." Rock told his partner over their headset.
Beside him, Kitty vigorously worked her controls. "Woo, yeah! I'm on fire!"
"Don't get too excited, Kit! Remember to focus!" Emma reminded her sister as she grabbed a second flag.
Behind her, Spud zoomed by the flags and managed to snatch one. "Rock and roll!"
(Location confessional- up on a hill near the track)
Rock and Spud stood in front of some boulders with a clear view of the track in the background.
"Dune buggies were such a trip!" Spud cheered.
Rock held up his arms. "I didn't know if my idea would really work or not, but it looked like it did!"
"Victory riff!" Spud shouted out, and the duo began their signature method of cheering.
(End confessional)
Josee confidently placed a hand on the lever. "This time, we'll nail it." She pulled the lever, and the sheet covered the cage. A yelp from Jacques sounded out, and the sheet rose to reveal the divider down, and the lion with Jacques' foot in his mouth. Jacques himself was biting down on his gloved finger to mask his screams. The magician gave them a thumbs-down, and Josee marched up to the cage. "What's wrong with you? Are you hiding hamburgers in your dress?"
"It's not my fault I'm irresistible!" Jacques snapped before raising an arm to smell his armpit. "It must be my natural manly musk." He happily took a whiff, ignoring the lion with his foot in its mouth.
"Yeah, that's it." Josee sarcastically replied before returning to the lever. "Alright, look, we'll try this again."
Brody and his dune buggy flew off a mound, and did a backflip in the air. Geoff stood on the ground next to the track with the controller, and the dune buggy landed next to him with a thud.
Geoff laughed upon seeing his partner's smile. "We nailed it, bro!"
"We did indeed!" Brody agreed.
Geoff took a glance at Emma and Spud still going around the course, but with much better practice. "Looks like the others are handling the challenge pretty well. Chill Zone time?"
Brody nodded. "Chill Zone time."
At the stage, Jen walked up to the lever. She wore her normal clothes, along with the top hat, gloves, and bow tie that Tom had been wearing earlier. "Okay, Tom. We've tried this with me in there three times. Hopefully with you in there, we have a much better chance."
Inside the cage, Tom stood wearing the assistant's dress and gloves along with his regular shoes. Not even noticing the lion, Tom ran his hands down the dress. "You know," he began to tell Jen, "I almost think I can pull this off. What do you think?" He posed for his partner.
"You look totes amazing." Jen answered with a smile. "Ready?"
"Bring it on, hon!" Tom responded while striking a different pose.
With a grin, Jen pulled the lever. The sheet lowered over the cage. Some clicks were heard, and then after a moment, Jen moved the lever again. When the sheet rose, the lion and the divider were gone. All that was left in the cage was Tom posing in his dress stylishly.
"Tada!" Tom called out extravagantly.
With his perpetual frown still on his face, the magician gave the Fashion Bloggers a passing mark.
"Yes!" Jen cheered, pumping a fist in the air.
Carrie and Devin clapped for their friends from backstage, having yet to get into costume. Contrary to the Best Friends, Josee fumed that a second team had passed the challenge before her and Jacques.
(Confessional- Stylish magic)
Tom and Jen smiled for the camera.
"Despite the lion continuing to hug me," Jen started out, "that was a really fun challenge. I love Vegas!" She declared, thrusting her arms into the air.
"And I love this dress!" Tom reached down to the floor, and pulled up two magic assistant dresses. "We finally found clothes that both of us look fabulous in!" He stated gleefully as he handed one of the dresses over to Jen.
"Too true. Plus, once we hit the Chill Zone. We're so going shopping." Jen concluded. She and Tom reached for each other's arms, and squealed in anticipation.
(End confessional)
Emma groaned as she rode in her dune buggy. "This is the sixth time we've been around, Kit! We need to complete this course in under a minute!"
"I'm sorry! In case you haven't noticed, these controls aren't really like the video game controls I'm used to, and this course is a bit tricky. Usually before I race a course, I watch a ghost run it." Kitty explained.
"Whoa, you've seen a ghost?" Rock gasped, getting distracted enough for Spud to get thrown off course.
"Not the kind of ghost you're thinking of." Kitty quickly answered.
Rock blinked in realization. "Oh, right. Got caught up in the moment there."
Meanwhile, Spud was steered back onto the course, where he had a delayed freak-out to Rock's distraction. "Whoa, Rock, what was that?!"
"Sorry, man! Kitty just said something that made my finger slip. Won't happen again."
The show went to break, and when it came back, Josee was back at the lever. She put it back in its starting position, and the sheet covering the cage rose up once more. In the cage, the lion seemed to have Jacques' head in its mouth this time instead of his foot. Jacques groaned miserably.
"Seriously?!" Josee questioned incredulously, gnashing her teeth.
"Dune buggies, please!" Jacques pleaded.
The scene flashed forward to the Ice Dancers back in their normal outfits, running towards the dune buggy track.
"While the Ice Dancers switch challenges, the Best Friends are just beginning theirs and they've got the stage all to themselves." Don narrated.
Devin finished fiddling with the bow tie, and straightened his hat when Carrie came out of the dressing room in a dress.
"How do I look?" Carrie asked self-consciously as she exited.
With his hat straight, Devin found himself staring at Carrie. He knew she looked great in green, but purple seemed to suit her as well. "You look… amazing."
Carrie blushed. "Really?"
Shaking his head, Devin got out of his staring stupor. "Yeah, definitely. Come on, homie. We have a magic show to perform." He gave her a smile, and the Best Friends went out onto the stage.
"The two front-running teams have completed their tasks, and are in a footrace to the Chill Zone." Don announced as the Goths ran through the desert towards the Chill Zone indicated by the neon sign above it. The Goths looked back, and found nobody there. They looked at each other, shrugged, and continued to run. At the Chill Zone, Don was drinking a cup of water when the Goths stepped onto the carpet. As soon as he noticed them, he did a spit take. "How is anyone that quiet?" Sighing, he decided to move on regardless. "Congrats on coming in first again." While the Goths walked off the carpet, Don put a finger to his earpiece. "Can we hang bells around their necks?"
Geoff and Brody soon arrived, Brody looking much happier.
"Surfer Dudes, second place!" Don informed them.
"Alright!" Brody whooped.
Josee buckled the helmet on her head as she sat down in a dune buggy. Jacques ran up to her with a headset on and a remote control in his hands.
"You take the tower, I'll take the buggy." Josee commanded. Jacques pressed the forward button on his remote, and Josee zoomed away, leaving him to cough away the sand cloud she left in her wake. "Grabbing flags is the most important part of the challenge. As if I'm going to stand back and let Leggy McLion-food do it." She scowled, and jabbed a thumb back at her partner.
(Solo confessional- Jacques)
Still at the base of the watchtower, Jacques smiled. "I'm surprised she gave me the tower considering how much she loves looking down on people."
(End confessional)
In a corner of the watchtower, Rock and Kitty worked their controllers with anticipation.
"Okay, Spud, last flag! We can do this!" Rock encouraged.
"Eighth time's the charm, Emma!" Kitty told her sister.
Both Emma and Spud managed to get their third flag, and crossed the finish line. The timer read fifty-five seconds.
"We did it!" Rock and Kitty exclaimed as one, and shared a high-five.
(Confessional- Ice Dancers lag behind)
"I'm proud of my sister for finishing that challenge without breaking anything, especially me." Emma stated, causing Kitty to gasp in awe at the touching comment.
(Confessional- Rocker Buggies)
Rock and Spud sat in the confessional. Spud stared blankly at the camera before letting his gaze wander over to Rock. "So… are you going to tell me about this Jen chick?"
Sighing in dismay, Rock slouched forward. "You're not going to forget this, are you?"
Spud shrugged. "Maybe."
(End confessional)
Tom and Jen arrived at the Chill Zone. "Fashion Bloggers, you're in third." Don informed them. They hugged and squealed before running off to find a taxi that would take them back to the city. After them eventually came the Sisters followed by the Rockers. "Sisters, fourth place. Rockers, fifth." The two teams left, leaving Don by himself. "Two teams remain. Who will arrive next?
Devin gripped the lever, and threw a concerned look at Carrie. "Okay, this is the third time we've done this. We just have to get it right this time. We're the only team left here, and the Ice Dancers switched challenges. They might be the only other team left."
"I know." Carrie agreed nervously. "Fingers crossed?" She held up a hand with two of the fingers crossed.
"Fingers crossed." Devin copied her, and pushed the lever. The sheet lowered, and Devin shifted the lever again, giving it a moment before he put the lever back in its first position. "Tada!" He nervously declared. When the sheet rose, only the lion appeared to be in the cage while Carrie was nowhere in sight. Devin walked over to the cage, trying to find where his partner went. "Carrie? Carrie?"
Down below the stage, Carrie found herself under a trap door. "Devin?" She wondered in confusion. Looking off to the side, she saw there were several lions beneath the stage as well. "Eek!" She yelped in fright.
At the track, Josee's dune buggy crossed the finish line with Josee holding three flags.
"Are we done?" She called up to Jacques.
Jacques turned to the timer on the side of the track. "Five seconds over?! Aww, come on!"
Devin frantically searched all over the stage, calling for his partner. "Carrie? Carrie! CARRIE!" He returned to the stage. "What have I done? Carrie's my best friend! She's like the most important person in my life! She's always been there for me, and-and I love her! Wait… I love her?" In the middle of his rant, he gasped as he came to a realization. A montage of their moments together in the race played. He remembered them walking around the outside of the CN Tower together, him carrying her through Morocco, them riding a moped to the airport with Carrie snuggled up against his back, him catching her in his arms on the cheese raft in Paris, him carrying her over the hot coals in Hawaii, having fun riding a jeep in Zimbabwe, Carrie revealing that she loved him, and their moment outside the dude ranch in Alberta. "I love her… I love Carrie, and she loves me!" He slapped the side of his head. "Augh, I've been so stupid! All this time I thought Shelley was the girl for me, but the truth is the girl for me has been by my side this entire race. Despite how she felt about me having a girlfriend, she bottled up her feelings just so I could be happy… and even though I didn't know it, I took advantage of that…" He frowned sadly, and then narrowed his eyes in determination. "But I'm going to make it up to her for that, starting now!" He ran around the stage to look again. "I've got to find her! I'm coming, Carrie!"
The lions slowly approached as Carrie held a stool in front of her. "You stay back! I've come too far to lose this race, and I have definitely come too far just to not find out if Devin feels the same way about me that I do about him. I know none of this is his fault, it's mine. If I had just told him a long time ago, I wouldn't be in this mess! I was just too afraid that he might not like me as much as I like him. I was so afraid that all my dreams about being with him wouldn't come true. But you know what?" She told the lions. "I'm glad that I told him. Tom and Jen were right. If I hadn't told him back in Australia, then I might've never had a chance to tell him how I feel. At least now I have a fighting chance! You hear me? I will not let you stop me!" She waved the stool in front of her, and one of the lions snapped the chair to pieces with its powerful jaws. Without a good shield in her possession anymore, all Carrie could do was scream.
Josee soared through the air, and snatched a flag from its post. She flew through the hoop, and grabbed a flag from that post as well. She zipped through the barrel tunnel, and grabbed her third flag. In almost the blink of an eye, she was at the finish line. She and Jacques stared at the timer, which read fifty-nine seconds.
"Fifty-nine seconds! Yes!" Jacques cheered.
"To the Chill Zone!" Josee ordered.
"Work! Please work!" Devin panicked as he toggled the lever back and forth. "I'm begging you!"
At last, Carrie was brought back up into the cage. Her eyes were closed, expecting the worst. But when the worst didn't come, along with feeling the sensation of the floor rising up underneath her, she reluctantly opened her eyes. She was immediately met with the sight of the lion in the cage roaring at her. She screamed again, scrunching her eyes shut once more.
Devin ran into the cage. "Carrie!" He ran past the lion, and grabbed Carrie's hand, pulling her back towards the entrance. Once they were both out, Devin slammed the door, and held his best friend close. While Carrie's mind reeled to process what had just happened, Devin looked towards the magician.
The magician gave them a thumbs-up.
"Yes!" Carrie cheered, coming out of her shocked state. "We did it!"
With the situation hitting a happy note, Devin turned to her. "Carrie, there's something I need to-"
"Can it wait? We have to hurry!" She interrupted him, running off the stage to quickly change.
At first, Devin was surprised by her quick exit, but he smiled.
(Solo confessional- near the stage)
"Carrie is so amazing." Devin told the camera while the lion looked at him from the cage. "I'm glad that she's okay."
(End confessional)
The Ice Dancers ran to the Chill Zone, and were surprised to see the Best Friends run up beside them.
"The two last teams are on their way to the Chill Zone, but I'll only get to call one of them a loser. Who's it going to be?" Don narrated as the two teams competed to get to the carpet first. As the race lengthened, the Ice Dancers grew more determined while the Best Friends became more uncertain if they could beat them.
Soon, the Chill Zone was in sight.
…
…
…
The Ice Dancers stopped when they got onto the carpet.
"Ice Dancers take sixth place!" Don informed them.
(Confessional- Neon sign destruction?)
"I can't believe the Goths came in first again! I knew I should've used this!" She held up her wooden stake.
Jacques rolled his eyes. "They're not vampires! At least we didn't come in last." His frown turned into a smile as he reached down to the floor. "And I got to keep the outfit." He chuckled lightly.
(End confessional)
Once the Ice Dancers left the carpet, the Best Friends ran over.
"Did we make it?" Carrie asked the host.
"Yes, in last place." He told them.
The Best Friends groaned. Devin looked at Carrie. "Carrie, I'm so sorry. It's totally my fault." He took hold of her shoulders, and looked her in the eye. "But, I realized something-"
"Did you realize that this is a non-elimination round? Because it is." Don interrupted.
The Best Friends cheered, and shared a hug.
"So all seven teams survive, but only one team can win the million. You'll just have to tune in to find out on the Ridonculous Race!" Don concluded as the show went to credits.
Current Team Rankings:
1st: Crimson and Ennui- Goths
2nd: Geoff and Brody- Surfer Dudes
3rd: Tom and Jen- Fashion Bloggers
4th: Emma and Kitty- Sisters
5th: Rock and Spud- Rockers
6th: Josee and Jacques- Ice Dancers
7th: Carrie and Devin- Best Friends
Eliminated:
8th: Sanders and MacArthur- Police Cadets
9th: Chet and Lorenzo- Stepbrothers
10th: Noah and Owen- Reality TV Pros
11th: Dwayne and Junior- Father & Son
12th: Kelly and Taylor- Mother & Daughter
13th: Mickey and Jay- Adversity Twins
14th: Stephanie and Ryan- Daters
15th: Laurie and Miles- Vegans
16th: Mary and Ellody- Geniuses
17th: Gerry and Pete- Tennis Rivals
18th: Leonard and Tammy- LARPers
This leg was another favorite of mine to write, mostly because of the big event that happened in it. Because of how this leg was such a big turning point in the Best Friends' storyline, I had to make it have the same kind of impact here. The only thing is, this time around Devin knows that Carrie loves him. I also knew that this point had to be done by them alone, so I split them and the Fashion Bloggers for the leg. This leg was also for the two teams to work on a challenge alone since they did such a great job working with the Rockers last episode.
I'm really proud of Devin's realization scene, and Tom and Jen's reaction to Jacques. I always figured if they were in when the Daters weren't, they'd have a hilarious reaction to Jacques considering how much they're about clothes.
In other news, Rock gets advice from the resident love expert, Kitty, and Brody manages to bounce back from his dream girl's elimination. Nothing like good ol' dune buggies to cheer a guy up.
This was a very eventful episode, and I'm satisfied with how it went.
Don't forget to leave a review in the box below, and tell me what you think. Reviews are awesome!