How Badly Do You Want It?: Students Edition
Episode One - Barbed Wire
Filmed: Monday, June 6th, 2011 - Friday June 11, 2011
Kip held up a large index card showing a cartoon picture of knotted wire, "This week's theme is barbed wire."
Helga rolled her eyes at the girls' dramatic gasps. How could they be surprised? This show was about pushing limits and hurting yourself to get money.
"Your challenge today is called Barbed Bait." Kip pointed to the platform behind him, motioning for the crew to raise the plastic covering. Dozens of strands of barbed wire and fencing were stretched out low across the beach. Ten feet from the maze and down a hill were two sets of poles arranged in a circular fashion. A clothes line ran around the poles and formed a barrier where pieces of fabric hung blowing in the breeze.
"The object of this is to crawl through this maze and capture your assigned piece of fabric."
Drake crossed his arms over his chest, "What's the catch?"
Kip smiled, "Calm down Drake, I'm getting to it." Drake rolled his eyes. "You will be blindfolded and cannot touch the fabric with your hands. They are attached to the wire with potato chip bag clips, so they're not too hard to break off. We wouldn't want to be cruel, now would we?" Kip laughed at his own joke.
Kip's assistant held up black face masks, "Okay, let's get everyone suited up."
After an extensive test to ensure that every player was completely blinded, they were given ten seconds to learn the touch of their fabric.
Helga was assigned silk, which she knew was easier to feel out when compared to cotton or hemp. You have this down, no problem, she thought to herself. You can do this.
Kip lined up the teams, alternating boy versus girl as well as he could. Andrew was going up against Arnold, Sarah was going against Megan, Drake against Jeffery, Jenna against Kathy, and Helga was going up against Mark.
"Alright, players ready?"
The atmosphere around the beach suddenly turned from relaxed to tense. Everyone was on edge and ready to get their first challenge over with. Anticipation and anxiousness built in knots in every competitor's stomach, heart rate increasing with every passing second.
Kip held up his stopwatch and blow horn, "On your marks. . . get set. . .go!"
Diving blindly into the sand, Arnold used an old army trick his grandfather had taught him. He pressed his legs and butt down as low as they could go, kept his head and shoulders down low and crawled with his elbows, using his feet to push him along.
Andrew was flailing around in the sand like an uncoordinated maniac, crying out in pain every time he got cut.
Arnold made it easily through the wires with only a few slices on his calves. He stumbled down the hill on the sand as he ran towards the hooks, but managed to save himself.
"Don't use your hands!" Kip reminded Arnold.
Arnold paused for a minute, breathing ragged as he tried to think. He had to stay calm. He could hear the cheers from the White Team encouraging Andrew to keep going, that he was "almost there."
Time was running out. If Arnold could get his team an advantage now, it could be their saving grace in the end.
Overwhelmed, Arnold did the only thing he could think of. He ran his cheeks around the perimeter of the circle, stopping every few seconds to feel a fabric. He knew he looked completely ridiculous, but he really didn't care.
Arnold got off easy, he had been assigned fur. It was hung up between a rotting fish and silk.
"We added other things to the clothes line too, to keep everyone confused," Kip explained to the camera in a low whisper. "As well as a fish, there was half of a pig, part of a down comforter, rope and some old shoe laces knotted together." Kip resumed looking at the action, "Arnold just found the fish. . .and his fabric!"
Pulling onto it with his teeth, Arnold removed the strip of fur and ran back up the hill. The Black Team began shouting at him, giving him the right directions to get back under the wires. He carelessly dove back under the tangled mess.
Arnold made it back to his team in record time, using the path he had already created in the sand.
The Black Team erupted into loud cheers as Megan was blind folded by a crew member. "Black Team now has the lead with Arnold returning successfully with his fur. Andrew is still searching for his, using his forearms to feel the textures."
"It's hard," Arnold gasped between panting to a camera, "because you're covered in sand and blinded and bleeding. The sand gets everywhere and it's hard to feel everything through it all."
Andrew finally found his fur, bit it off the wire with his mouth, and scrambled back through the wire. He was one full minute behind the Black Team. Fortunately for him, Megan's hair had gotten caught on a wire and her spazztic movements got her more tangled.
Sarah had watched Arnold's crawl and imitated it to the best of her ability. Her back continued to naturally raise so she was slower than she had hoped.
The girls' fabric was hemp (a soft durable fiber that came from trees.) Drake and Jeffery had wool while Jenna and Kathy had spandex.
Ten minutes passed before Helga finally got blindfolded. She had a minimal amount of time before Kathy made it through the wire to Mark.
Helga saluted her competition, "See you later, cowboy!" Diving into the sand with all the force she could manage, Helga began her crawl under the wire. As she moved, a long barb jabbed her in directly the hip. "Son of a bitch!" Helga felt as if she was a hooked fish.
Mark, who was now hat-less, continued to easily slide through the sand.
"Ow, fuck," Helga quickly jerked away from the barb, removing it quickly from her body like a band-aid. Ignoring the blood that pooled at the end of her shirt and the pain, she continued to fight through the sand.
"Come on Helga! Fight!" Sarah screamed. "You can do it!"
"Helga's one tough bitch," Andrew mumbled. Arnold nodded in agreement.
Helga escaped the barbed wire and made it down the hill. Thinking fast, Helga rubbed the things against her cheeks. She held her breath, trying to prevent gagging at the scent of rotting pig and fish. Helga's cheeks were sticky with sweat and a little bit of blood, making it even harder for her to decide between two fabrics she found. Finally taking a chance, Helga latched onto the silk with her teeth and began running. Mark was also in the same boat, the two of them now racing neck and neck under the wire.
Helga's heart beat was loud in her ears, drowning out the shrieks from her team. Her cheeks and throat were caked with sand, her breathing ragged from her sprinting. Sheneeded to win this. Winning the first challenge always boosted confidence and kept the player's in good spirits for the next one.
Helga's adrenaline was coursing hard through her veins. Her sweat and blood was making the sand stick to her, a little bit of it getting into her mouth.
Barbs continued to scrape up and down her back, another one hooking hard into her leg. Without even thinking she ripped her leg free from the entanglement, holding back her pained moan. Being blind definitely made this entire ordeal worse.
"And we have a winner!"
Helga froze under the wire, heart deflating immediately. She wanted to scream and stand up and fight, but she couldn't. Not only was it because she was seriously in danger of killing herself on the barbs, but because she didn't want to look insane. This contest was still going to be aired on television.
Kip continued talking, "I'm sorry White Team, but Mark was just a little bit faster."
White: 0
Black: 1
Helga finally slipped out of maze, afraid to take her blindfold off and see the devastation on her team's face.
Quick like taking out barbed wire, she thought to herself, whipping the blindfold off forcefully. Sarah ran towards her, hugging her tightly.
"I'm sorry guys," Helga mumbled.
Andrew rested his arm supportively on Helga's shoulder, "It's okay. You were pretty badass in there, taking the pain like a champ."
"Everyone line up for the nurses to treat you," Kip announced into his megaphone. No one seemed to have any cuts as bad as Helga's. Her slices were doused with an anti-bacterial solution that burned her inflamed and injured skin. She was bandaged at her hip with gauze and athletic tape.
The show required them to film a final meeting with Kip repeating what everyone already knew: Black Team was in the lead with one point. Kip saluted the crew, "I'll see you guys tomorrow, bright and early for another barbed wire challenge."
Silently, the ten eighteen year olds piled into their van.
Somehow the challenge had managed to take three hours. And that wasn't including the two hours they had to wait on set for the cameras to set up. It was already one in the afternoon.
The only thing Helga really wanted was a nice long soak in a bubble bath and sleep.
"Good job you guys," Megan applauded her opponents.
"Thanks," Jenna replied.
Helga rolled her eyes before resting her had back against the car's headrest. Why were these girls so friendly? Didn't they know they were competing against each other?
"Who's up for a swim and grill? I saw some more patties in the fridge," Jeffery asked the van.
"Sounds awesome!"
Helga was unconvinced. "I'm pretty beat," she announced, "I think I'll just take some Advil and go to bed."
"Wait, first I want to have a White Team meeting," Drake said. "It'll be quick, I promise."
Helga reluctantly agreed.
Andrew, Drake, Sarah, Helga, and Jenna all huddled around a patio table, heads bent forwards to stare at the tabletop. They tried to keep their faces and lips out of sight.
A cameraman struggled to get a good angle on the group.
"We did good today, but not great." Drake whispered. "Tomorrow we have to come at the Black Team stronger, faster and meaner. We need to initiate some mind games."
"Isn't that a little ridiculous?" Helga asked. "I mean, we've only done one challenge. Can't we wait until we win one to start fucking with everyone?"
"No," Andrew replied, catching onto Drake's brilliant idea. "If we win then start to mess with them, they'll realize what we're up to. We have to do it now while we're seen as weak!"
"Exactly!"
"Andy, that's stupid," Jenna added.
"I think he's got a point," Sarah countered.
Helga looked around the circle, not-so-subtly glaring at Jenna, "Okay, so now that's it's agreed four to one that we should mess them up, what are we gonna do?"
"I'll think of something," Drake promised.
Drake's mind game plan didn't get to come into action until hours after dinner, when the house phone rang.
Every person in the house got a phone book and a log, to keep track of who called when so the show could pay for the phone line properly. The phone book showed all of the numbers the players planned to call.
Drake didn't recognize the area code or number, but picked up anyway, "Hello?"
"Hi, this is Lila. I'm calling for Arnold. He left me a message a few hours ago that I didn't check until now."
Drake looked around, realizing that he was alone except for the camera hanging above him. "Uh, actually, Lila, Arnold just stepped out."
"Oh?"
"Yeah," Drake grinned, realizing this was the perfect opportunity to fuck things up. "But Arnold has told me so much about you. You're the girlfriend from Stanford right?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Oh, then you must be his girlfriend from Hillwood U, I'm sorry I'm terrible with names."
"What?"
Drake held back his laugh. "Oh, Lila, you said, right? You must be the old girlfriend from Hillwood, then."
"Listen, can you please tell Arnold to call me back when he returns?"
"Sure thing."
Drake hung up the phone and turned around, surprised to see Arnold standing by the kitchen counter. "Hey, Arnold, your girlfriend just called. Said she wanted to return a message-"
Arnold dropped his water bottle into the sink and marched towards the phone. He hit the redial button and waited for Lila to pick up. It was almost ten at night, she never would have called unless it was important.
"Hel-"
"We're over."
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Challenge Two: Barbed Wire Balance
Arnold's heart started racing when he realized the van wasn't pulling over at the beach. Instead, the van drove up an incline for about half a mile, bringing the car to a complete stop near the edge of a cliff.
He was completely exhausted and emotionally drained. He and Lila got into an intense argument last night. Apparently someone in the house had been so kind enough to suggest that he had other girlfriends.
Lila didn't know who it was, just that it was a guy. Arnold's gut thought was Drake, but that was unfair to assume that it was him. Drake could've overheard the conversation. He'd just have to find some free time on the weekend to ask the guys.
The accusation Lila made was stupid for a lot of reasons. He didn't even have one girlfriend, if Lila's stupid rule was taken literally into account. But her insane, uncalled for jealousy set in and she yelled nonsense at him for almost two hours.
It was a good thing he got out of that.
. . .But it still hurt. Lila was his first true love, his first adult relationship.
Well, he was using the word 'relationship' loosely.
And it really sucked that Gerald was out of reach because he really needed some cheering up. He was becoming so desperate for happiness he was considering going to Helga.
But things had been awkward between them since the party. Helga knew she had walked around topless and refused to be left alone with any of the guys, Arnold especially.
Arnold continued to press his forehead to the window, eyes dropping shut as he replayed a few choice words she had said to him. "I hope you lose."
The van finally rolled to a stop and Kip and George were standing next to four men holding different colored straps and wires.
Shit, what are we doing? Helga wondered as the kids stepped out of the van.
Once they were arranged in their teams, the cameras began rolling. "Good morning competitors! Today you will be doing something I like to call Barbed Wire Balance. Behind me is a rope ladder strung between these two cliffs. Resting in the middle of these cliffs and on a small platform are two flags, one black and one white."
Both teams all leaned to check behind Kip to see if he was telling the truth. He was.
"One player from each team will start on opposite sides. These two players will then race to the middle to capture their teams flag and then turn around. If you fall or drop your flag you are disqualified and lose the point for your team. We are only doing this once, so feel free to take your time."
Everyone exchanged worried glances. The entire challenge resting on one person?
"Are we clear?" Everyone reluctantly nodded. "Great," Kip grinned at the camera. George was off on the sideline, checking the two harnesses, ensuring that they were completely safe.
Kip laughed, "Oh, and did I forget to mention that the ladder is partly made out of barbed wire?"
The ten teens groaned and glared at Kip, who's impish smile revealed that he enjoyed teasing these kids. "For this challenge, and for every one following it, a computer will randomly match you with a competitor. Today we have Helga versus. . ."
The White Team was staring anxiously at the Black Team, wondering just who Helga would have to go up against.
Helga wasn't feeling very confident about herself since she lost the last challenge.
"Arnold."
Helga's doubt suddenly disappeared and she grinned. Now she had a second chance to prove herself to be a dominating force in this competition because Arnold was Arnold,chances were he'd end up feeling guilty for trying to win against her.
The Black Team was escorted across the inlet and to the other cliff edge. George and two harness controlling men strapped Arnold onto a safety wire.
Arnold swallowed the lump forming in his dry throat. He was not going to go down without a fight, he knew that was for sure. Arnold just didn't know if it was a fight he'd win.
"Harnesses ready?" Kip announced into a megaphone. George flashed a thumbs up. "Camera men, ready?" A helicopter took off and began to hover high enough over the ladder that no wind shook the platform. "Competitors ready?" Helga nodded, forcing herself to put on a brave face.
The only thing bothering her about this was the fact that there could be sharks down there in that cold ocean water.
"On your marks. . .get set. . ." an alarming fog horn sounded and jolted Helga off the side of the cliff. The White Team began cheering immediately as Helga forced herself to remain calm. She had been jerking violently after her horn scare.
Gingerly she moved, each motion balanced and deliberate. Helga could not risk acting quickly and losing another point for her team.
Arnold moved at a glacial pace, his hands and knees becoming easily cut on the barbed wire. He was sure Helga was doing much better than he was, she took the barb's jabs well.
Don't look down, the two blondes repeated in their heads. Helga focused on the white flag billowing in the ocean's breeze eight feet away from her.
Arnold found his vision shifting from the other cliff to the black flag, then back to Helga. Her mind seemed to be so intently focused on the flag that she didn't even know anything else existed.
Helga's mind was whirling as she stretched her arms out and pushed herself forwards. Arnold weighed more than her and created an imbalance on the ladder. The flags were leaning more towards him at a downward angle. If he thought about it, Arnold had the option of flipping the ladder over.
Helga smirked.
That actually wasn't a bad idea.
Challenge Soundtrack by MTV:
West Coast Smoker by Fall Out Boy
"Oh, hell yes, I'm a nervous wreck, oh hell yes. . ."
Another half an hour later and the two teens were within two feet of their flags. Helga decided to stand up, shaking the barbed wire ladder violently.
Arnold's eyes finally moved away from staring at the White Team. Helga was standing, shaking the ladder back and forth. Making a split second decision, Arnold rose to his feet too.
Helga subtly inched forwards so she was close enough to reach her flag. Arnold reached out quickly, but that's when Helga wrapped her ankles around the rope of the ladder. She violently twisted her body to the side, completely twisting the ladder upside down.
The teams gasped as Arnold's body and the black flag plummeted towards the ocean. The two men holding his harness caught him just moments before he fell into the water.
Helga slowly crawled upside down and picked up the white flag. The White Team erupted into loud cheers as she continued to crawl forwards to the Black Team's side.
Helga smiled triumphantly as her two feet returned to solid ground. The Black Team glared at her as they helped Arnold up from his drop.
Arnold looked a little shaken and Helga immediately felt a sickening amount of guilt settle in her stomach. His eyes were wide, face pale and his hands were shaking.
Helga and Arnold stared at each other in tense silent as the White Team still cheered.
Helga opened her mouth to say something, to attempt an apology, but Kip cut her off.
White: 1
Black: 1
"Congratulations White Team!" he yelled into his megaphone. "Hold on tight Helga!"
A retractable safety line began whirring, whipping Helga up into the air and across the twenty feet gap. Her adrenaline began pumping from surprise, but she took the moment to appreciate the peacefulness of flying through the air. The cold wind hit her face and cooled her down. Somehow she managed to work up a sweat crossing the barbed wire bridge.
"Alright, you guys are free to go!"
The camera men landed the helicopter and everyone else began to pack up. The challenge had taken almost two hours of slow crawling. Arnold knew he'd be feeling the pain in his upper arms and pectorals tomorrow.
Arnold waited until the rest of the team had walked away, his expression still fallen from losing the challenge.
Once everyone was far enough away, Arnold suddenly smiled. He slowly removed something from behind his back. In a painfully slow manner, Arnold unrolled the black fabric to reveal that it was, in fact, the fallen black flag from the challenge.
He had caught it.
A camera man asked Arnold to sit in on a confessional to talk about it.
Arnold held up the flag, "I caught it as soon as I started falling. I probably should have just let it go. I knew I was never going to make it back up in time. But it was just nice to see. . ." Arnold smiled as his voice trailed off. He toyed with the end of the polyester sheet. "It was nice to see Helga so proud of herself. I know that losing yesterday really hurt her. I know she'd never admit to anyone, not even herself, but she's sensitive."
Arnold smiled and turned off the light, tucking the flag into his pocket.
It was almost eleven, the rest of the house all curled up in their beds reading books or watching television, but Arnold saw a flicker of light outside. It was too faint to be a flashlight. It looked maybe like a camera's screen.
A camera man began following Arnold outside.
Helga grinned, eyes setting on the stars up above her. It was a beautifully clear night, not a cloud in the sky. At this height in the cliff, she could practically feel them.
"Knock knock," a deep voice called.
Helga turned up from her lawn chair, eyes setting on the football shaped silhouette.
Romance Soundtrack by MTV
Stop & Stare by OneRepublic
"Stop and stare, I think I'm moving but I go no where, yeah I know that everyone gets scared, but I've become what I can't be."
Getting Into You by Relient K
"I'm getting into you because you got to me in a way words can't describe
I'm getting into you because I've got to be, you're essential to survive,
I'm going to love you with my life."
"Hey," she hesitantly replied, awkwardly sitting up.
Arnold sat down beside her, "I just wanted to congratulate you on a good job today. I never saw that coming, it was a very smart move."
Helga felt herself blush, a heat of excitement pooling in her stomach. She was so grateful for the darkness at that moment. "It was nothing, Football Head."
Arnold nodded, suddenly growing quiet.
Helga picked up that something was wrong, something he wasn't telling her. "Are. . ." she cleared her throat, "What are you pouting about? Your loss?"
Arnold jerked out of his daze, "Huh? No. Uh, actually. . ." Arnold shifted awkwardly, shaking his head back and forth. "Lila and I broke up."
Helga's eyebrows quirked up. "So, you two did date."
"Yeah," Arnold rolled his eyes. "It was. . .whatever. She didn't like labels."
"So she could fuck around, right?"
Arnold's nose crinkled in disgust. It sounded so vulgar and wrong. But at the same time it was true, more or less. "I guess."
Helga finally relaxed, leaning backwards into the chair, "Why did she break up with you?"
He looked up from the ground, eyes wide. "How did you-?"
"You would not be this upset if you dumped her. Clearly this came as a surprise, Football Head." She shrugged, "I'm good at reading people."
Arnold pursed his lips, falling silent for a moment. "Do you think, maybe, you could help me?"
Helga bolted up from her seat, practically falling into Arnold's lap, "Help you?" Arnold nodded. "You're asking me for help? Seriously?"
"Yes. I just need someone to tell me that it's okay, that what I'm doing is worth is, and to you know. . .find the bright side." Arnold chuckled nervously, realizing just how crazy he sounded.
Helga nodded, feeling her mouth suddenly go dry. "Uh. . .I guess, sure, I'll give it my best." She sat up straighter and cleared her throat, which caused Arnold to smirk. They were now sitting shoulder to shoulder, knee to knee. "Well, you want this money so you can go to college. And it's not just any college it's Stanford. And you want to study what you love, you want to learn how to really help people." Helga blushed when she realized she was rambling. "You're so close to reaching your goal, Hair Boy. You can do it. You just can't stop fighting or let some little bit-" Helga stopped herself, "witch like Lila get in your way."
Arnold silently agreed, simply smiling to encourage her to continue. He was more impressed by Helga's agreement to help him cheer up. And she was doing a fairly good job.
Helga's heart started hammering hard in her chest when she realized how intensely focused Arnold was on her. It was like he was hanging on every word she said.
He had never looked at her like that before.
"I don't give out compliments often, actually I never do, but you're a good kid, Arnold. You deserve this more than any of those jerks we're competing against."
Arnold smiled, "Wow. Thanks, Helga."
"Well, I think that's enough goody-goody for the week. Don't tell anyone, okay?" Helga stood up after nudging Arnold in the ribs, "I just did this to humor you."
Arnold sealed his lips, eyes following her as she walked away, "Whatever you say, Helga."
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011
Challenge Three: Going Fishing
Drake was up for half of the night trying to think of a way to destroy Arnold. Clearly he was the only real male competition he had.
As he paced back and forth in the bathroom, he noticed movement outside on the patio. That's when he caught sight of Arnold and Helga sitting awfully close together. His next plan of action hit him like a ton of bricks and now he'd have to put it to the test.
"Today's challenge is called Going Fishing," Kip began excitedly, "and in this river there is a flag encased in a box. The box is covered in barbed wire and it's strong enough to cut through fishing poles. You each have a key but only one will open it. Good luck getting the flag's out. You have three minutes to come up with a strategy."
The White Team huddled close just like they had on the first night. Andrew began, "Okay, I say we each swim down there, but we have to be fast."
Helga nodded, "The first person to go down should be able to hold their breath for a long time."
"I used to be on swim team," Drake added.
Jenna nodded, "Good. So you'll go down first and find the box."
Sarah's eyes grew wide, "Wait, is there a rule about bringing it out of the water?"
"None that I heard."
"Sarah you're a genius!" Andrew kissed the top of her head and clapped excitedly.
"Time's up!" Kip honked a horn. "Player's get ready to swim."
Drake stepped up to the side of the river, eyes going wide when he saw the entire Black Team standing on the edge.
"Get ready. . ." George began, pointing to Kip.
"Go!"
The entire Black Team dove into the murky river, splashing and kicking so violently that it was hard for Drake to jump in without getting hit.
He finally managed to submerge himself to the bottom, hovering close to the algae covered ground. His eyes were slowly adjusting to the clouds of dust hazing his vision. Drake ran his hands along the bottom to feel for the barbed wire.
He ran out of breath, so he popped up for air a few feet away from the Black's crazy kicking competition.
Sucking in as much air as possible, Drake dove back under.
Arnold thought The Black Team were geniuses. They decided to all jump in and kick around as much as possible near the surface to disrupt the White Team's quest for their box. Their kicking would bring dirt up from the bottom and stop them from seeing anything. Mark had a waterproof flashlight on his Swiss Army Knife and he decided to use it. Jeff held all of the keys and swam as close as possible to his brother while Arnold, Kathy and Megan splashed. They were brilliant.
Drake's elbow jammed against something hard before a stinging pain bolted through his nerve. He definitely found a box.
Acting quickly, he hoisted the long box upwards with an intense force, fighting against the river's current. Struggling for air, Drake kicked with all his might. His lungs were losing air fast.
Upon breaking the surface, Drake choked and screamed, calling for his teammates.
Andy helped him hoist out the box and together the two began working on unlocking it. The lock itself was buried under five layers of barbed wire.
The black team still hadn't found their case yet.
"Go go go!" Jenna screamed, tossing another key at the boys.
"I'm trying!" Drake shouted back, slicing another chunk of skin off his palm.
None of their keys fit into the rusted lock.
"That means. . ."
Helga noticed the Black Team's movements slow. Acting on impulse, she dove into the river and landed on Mark's back. Mark hissed in pain and dropped his flashlight and a key under the water.
"You bitch!" Jeff screamed and stood up in the six foot deep water. Jeff violently shoved Helga off his brother's back.
Helga kicked hard under her feet to keep herself above the river. "Give me the case!"
"No, it's ours!" Kathy replied.
"No it's not! We got your case-" Helga's voice trailed off when she realized that was a stupid thing to say.
Five bodies began swimming forwards, their legs kicking into Helga as they tried to make it to the shore. Helga felt one swift kick to her lungs suck the air out of her.
Before she knew it she was dizzy and buried under the sea.
She was hoisted out of the water moments later by Drake, who's abdomen was bleeding badly after he jumped onto the Black Team's flag box. He gave up the fight when he realized Helga was practically drowning in the river.
Her shirt ended up being attached to their box.
Fortunately the White Team caught on that something was wrong and rushed to their teammate's aid. While Drake attended to their fallen member, Jenna, Andrew and Sarah were busy unlocking the lock.
Helga was still alive, conscious, and breathing. She was just a little shocked and had swallowed too much water.
"Those jerks could've just killed you," Drake panted. "Are you okay?"
Helga inhaled deeply, coughing out some murky water. "Thanks."
Drake grinned and helped Helga to her feet, "At least we won."
As soon as Drake said it, the White Team's rusty lock cracked open.
White: 2
Black: 1
Jumping to her feet and screaming, Helga embraced Drake quickly before running to her team. The five teens sprinted towards Kip, who laughed at their excitement.
The White Team was officially in the lead! Helga continued to jump and hug Sarah tightly. A huge sense of relief and excitement washed over her.
She turned away from hugging Jenna though. She still felt strongly against Jenna's slutty attitude and the fact that she made moves on Arnold.
"Congratulations White Team! You are now in the lead!"
The Black Team sighed in defeat, kicking their barbed wire box in anger.
There was only two challenges left and if they lost tomorrow the Black Team would be a completely lost cause.
Thursday, June 9th, 2011
Challenge Four: In Wire We Trust
"Today we have a little team building challenge," Kip began happily. It was only eight in the morning, everyone still too tired and half-asleep to react.
"Now a player from each team will be wrapped in barbed wire. Their teammates must then carry the wired teammate up a mile incline. The person with the least amount of cuts on their body wins. You have forty-five minutes to get to the top. Good luck."
The White Team huddled once again, "Who's lighter, Jenna, Sarah or Helga?"
"Rude," Jenna hissed.
"I say we go with Helga either way. She takes those stabs like she's got iron skin."
Helga shrugged, "Sure, I'll do it. I don't mind. We'll definitely win!"
Helga and Kathy were both tied up in barbed wire. The wire went around their entire body, stopping at their shoulder blades.
"You have forty five minutes starting now."
Helga held her breath as Drake and Andrew hoisted them onto their shoulders. Her feet dangled into Drake's face while her head rested against Andrew's neck. Sarah and Jenna carefully held Helga's sides to prevent her from moving too much.
Helga exhaled deeply, letting her eyes shut so she didn't have to watch the barbs indent her skin. "I swear to God, if you drop me I will castrate you both."
A few of the cameramen sniggered into their hands.
"That's a threat I won't take lightly," Drake replied, eyes casting upwards as he mouthed, "Oh, God."
Megan winced as the boys on the Black Team picked Kathy up. She was short so it was easier and it also meant less barbed wire. "Gently!"
"I'm fine. Just don't drop me!" Kathy laughed nervously. It was the first time anyone had seen her tough as nails façade fall. Kathy had done every challenge easily, without so much as blinking an eye. She really wasn't afraid of anything...until now.
Arnold began counting out a rhythm for his steps with Jeff.
Mark suddenly began whistling to the beat, breaking out into a little melody, "Right, left, right, left, step, step, step, Carryin' a girl up the hill, don't let her drop, or she'll be bleedin'."
"Please don't sing," Kathy said between jabs of pain. Some wire was slowly embedding itself into her ass.
"Sorry, darlin," Mark replied, tipping his hat.
The teams were now three quarters of a mile up the hill, almost running out of time. "Fifteen minutes!" Kip shouted from somewhere hidden.
"Helga, " Jenna began, "I think we need to run."
"Do you realize how stupid that would be?" Helga snapped, eyes glaring up at the perfectly blue sky. She had spent the time imagining different things in the clouds, the most common sight a very familiar football shape. "I would be jabbed a million times."
"Not if we held you still and all ran at the same pace."
"I say no way," Drake said.
"Guys, The Black Team is on our ass!" Andrew interrupted.
Jenna continued on with her stupid argument, "Unless you want to lose and be completely out of the running and get sent to elimination on Friday, we have to step it up and take this risk!"
Sarah groaned, "I hate to say it, but she's right."
"Fuck you, Sarah," Helga grit her teeth.
Sarah smirked, "I love you too Helga."
The White Team took off in a slow run, leaving The Black Team behind and very confused.
"Don't focus on them," Arnold said. "We just need to stay focused on our pace. We're almost there. Mark, count us out."
Mark grinned, "Right, left, right, left, step, step, step-"
"Only five minutes!"
Panic began to set in for the Black Team as they heard the cheers echoing off the top of the hill.
"We cannot run. She'll get insanely cut up!" Megan cried.
"We'll also get DQed if we don't hurry up!" Jeff snapped.
"Alright guys, calm down," Arnold intervened, "We'll just pick up our pace a little bit. We still have time."
Kip stood at the top of the mountain, clutching hard onto his official stop watch. He'd hate to have to disqualify a team but they only had thirty seconds. . .
"We're here!" Mark screamed, gingerly helping balance Kathy as they made it up the last small incline.
Kip smirked and stopped the timer, "Alrighty then. Girls, you'll need to go to the nurse to have your cuts tallied and treated."
An hour later the two girls stepped out of the makeshift Nursing tent, both incredibly stiff and sore.
The nurse handed over a small piece of paper before stepping away.
A camera began rolling, watching as Kip read over the official tallies George had overseen.
"And the winner with 213 cuts is The Black Team!"
White: 2
Black: 2
Helga hung her head in defeat, feeling another wave of humiliation crash down on her, just as it had on their first challenge. Everything was her fault. Why couldn't she have stopped squirming so much?
"Jenna, this is your fault!" Helga seethed.
"I just thought it would be better! I had no idea they were that balanced!" Jenna covered her face with her hands, tears streaking down her cheeks. "I'm sorry!"
Sarah rolled her eyes, "Sorry doesn't win us a challenge, now does it?"
"Girls, please!" Drake stepped between them. "Let's just go home, get some food and strategize for tomorrow. We need to kick serious ass."
Tomorrow would be the most intense day, both teams prepared to practically kill the other to win and be safe from an elimination round.
Back at the house, Jenna and Megan were talking in very hushed whispers while everyone else ate lunch.
"I think you and I should team up," Megan said. "You know, like an alliance?"
Jenna shrugged, "What would that do for us?"
"We'd both have to agree to duck out of the challenges at the same time, no matter what. We'd stop together. I don't want to lose you, you're like my best friend." Jenna and Megan hugged.
"Tomorrow you and I will lose together. That way it'll be a draw."
Friday, June 10th, 2011
Challenge Five: Will and Wire Power
The next morning the teens walked out onto the beach below their house. "Today is a test of individual strength. You will need to submerge your hand into these lovely jars of vinegar. In order to do so you must put your hand through barbed wire."
"You're sick!" Sarah snapped.
"You can choose not to participate, but it will add a negative amount of time onto your team, meaning they'll have to stay in their jars longer."
Sarah shut up.
"The final player standing will win."
Kip stepped aside and let each person line up beside the wooden stand. A large pickle jar was glued down to the stand and they were placed far enough apart so no one could kick or knock over the other's.
"On your marks, get set. . ." George blew an alarm and the teens began screaming in pain.
It was like something horrifying out of the Saw series.
Helga was certain this is what burning to death by acid felt like. Nothing in her life had ever made her hurt so badly. She just wanted to cut her arm off to stop the pain.
Five minutes in an no one had stopped.
Kip stood a few feet away on the beach in the shade, "Remember, the first person to remove their hand will be fighting for their survival in the Elimination Challenge that will take place later today."
The teams were about to reach the thirty minute point. Now their hands had almost fallen completely numb. Drake and Andrew's jars had the most amount of bloody vinegar. Helga's wrist was scraped pretty badly and close to a major vein. She had to stand perfectly still or else she'd be a dead woman.
Meghan and Jenna both shared a knowing glance, slowly nodding in synch as they counted down in their heads. Three. . .two. . .one. .
Jenna swiftly removed her hand, screaming in pain as it made contact with the air.
Unfortunately, she was the only one to take it out.
The White Team glared at Jenna. "Why would you do that?" Sarah shouted.
"It just really hurt!" Jenna's eyes pooled with tears as she was escorted off to the ambulance.
"White Team, it looks like you'll be in the elimination this evening. Let's see if they have a chance to redeem themselves."
They didn't.
One by one The White Team dropped like flies, leaving Helga up in a battle against Mark, Jeff and Kathy.
It had been another hour since Jenna first lost.
Helga's fingers were numb and she was suffering from intense pins and needles pressures. She needed to free her hand but in order to do that she'd run the risk of cutting herself even deeper.
But it just hurt so badly.
Don't do it! her heart seemed to shout as her muscles flexed tensely.
You're in pain, retreat! her body jerked violently, taking her mind by surprise.
Helga collapsed into the sand, clutching her injured hand as the vinegar dripped down her cuts.
Once again, Helga hung her head in shame.
White: 2
Black: 3
Kip waved two fingers at the teens, "Jenna and the White Team, follow me down the beach to the Elimination Wheel."
Drake, Andrew, Helga and Sarah lined up on the left side of the wheel while Jenna and Kip stood on the right. A camera quickly zoomed in on everyone's expressions before beginning.
"Before I explain the challenges and rules, I would like Jenna to pick her competition. Who do you want to take off your team and out of this show?"
Jenna's innocent and injured expression immediately transformed to an angry glare. "Helga," she replied instantly.
"Do you accept the challenge, Helga?"
Helga stepped forwards, pressing her chest against Jenna's. Their eyes locked in a heated stare as she hissed, "You're damn right I do."
Elimination Wheel Challenges: Whoever lost in the sudden death was removed from the show.
Electric Rodeo - How long you can last on a mechanical bull with one hand? If you last longer than 20 minutes you'll be shocked randomly.
The Ring - Two metal chains that hook around the competitor's feet are attached to a large, heavy ring. The challengers could only use their arms and upper body to get out of the thirty-foot wide circle created in the sand.
Sock 'Em - Hovering over the ocean at twenty feet, two players are given foam covered sticks. First player to fall off the beam twice loses.
Pole Climb - Two competitors climb a 10-foot pole. Whoever gets to the top first pulls a lever that drops the opponent's pole into the pool. (As seen on The Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet)
Reverse Tug-O-War - Players are tied to each other, facing away from each other. First to get their flag wins. (As seen on The Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Gauntlet 2)
Rock, Paper, Scissors - The household game done in the best two out of three rounds.
Captain's Choice
Competition's Choice
Jenna shut her eyes and spun the wheel.
Helga held her aching hand, glaring hard at the sand. She knew the reason why she was getting called out was because she was a threat. Helga actually had a chance to win this game and Jenna wanted her gone.
The group gasped when it landed on The Ring.
The two girls were quickly suited up into metal chains and instructed to wait.
-HA!-
"Say it!" Helga screamed, blood quickly running from her brain to her wounded ankles.
"No!"
Helga felt herself growing weak. She was cut and bruised, sore and tired. The only things spurring her on to keep fighting were the cheers emanating from the sideline. Helga could hear everyone calling her name, not Jenna's.
They want me to stay, she thought happily.
Jenna and Helga had been out here for half an hour already, the sun was beginning to make it's initial descent from the sky. Both girl's weighed the same and The Ring had the same affect on both. But Helga really wanted to win. Helga needed to stay and win this scholarship. She needed to get the hell out of Hillwood.
"Come on, Helga!"
The cheering suddenly went quiet to Helga's buzzing ears.
The camera focused in on her face as Helga looked up from the ground. Her arms began moving, trying and pull herself along the ground with a wrapped up hand. Clouds of dust formed before her eyes and the camera lens, tears started streaking down Helga's grimy face as a natural reaction.
It was clear that through the dusty cloud Helga could see one particular football headed challenger cheering loudly. His all black uniform was ripped to shreds from taking his hand out of the jar, he looked exhausted and he was covered in sweat, but he was still screaming. Arnold was louder than Helga's own teammates, telling for her to fight Jenna. "Don't stop!"
"This is your last chance, Jenna," Helga seethed, rolling her body over to face Jenna's flailing form. Helga tugged her bleeding feet forwards, jerking Jenna back a few inches. "Admit it! You were in an alliance with Megan this whole time! That's why we lost today!"
Jenna refused to turn around and continued to try and move towards her side of the circle.
Helga was right. Helga knew she was, she saw them share a deceiving look.
"Fine then! Guess we'll do it the hard way!" Helga sucked in a quick breath before crawling with all the power she could muster.
Jenna put up quiet a fight, kicking and grunting and clawing at the dirt. Helga was carrying almost two hundred extra pounds around her ankles, but she didn't want to stop.
Both of the girl's adrenaline was pumping hard, forcing them to keep going. Helga was injured, sweating and incredibly dehydrated, but she didn't want to give up. This competition had just begun, there was no way in Hell she was going home yet!
Helga was inching her way closer, now only ten feet from the exit of the sand circle. Jenna had barely made any progress and was dragged back even farther.
Helga switched her position from clawing at the dirt to using an army-styled crawl. Leveraging against her elbows, Helga managed to crawl out of the ring's barrier.
As soon as Helga crossed that chalked off line, tears of joy poured from her eyes.
Helga was safe!
A loud buzzer blared overhead and Helga felt the weight detach from her ankles. Helga remained on the ground, motionless because muscles were shaking from their sudden overuse and Helga could feel waves of pain cascading down her spine.
Seconds later, Helga was hoisted above her head by the White Team, Drake, Andrew and Sarah screaming in joy.
The Elimination Song by MTV:
Cut by Jimmy Eat World
"I'm sorry, but I'm not cut out for this no more."
No one except Megan went to hug Jenna goodbye. After Jenna's legs were cleaned up she was driven back to the house to pack.
Kip Daniels grinned as he walked through the clouds of dust. Drake and Andrew slowly lowered Helga back to the ground. She could feel a steady blood flow staining her socks. Helga pulled tightly on Andrew's white wife beater to steady herself and keep from passing out right then and there.
Kip slapped his palm on the winner's weak shoulder, "Congratulations Helga, you just survived the first elimination round! How does it feel?"
"It feels great to be out of there," Helga wiped sweat off her forehead, "but I don't ever want to go back in there again."
"That's what they all say," Kip smiled. "We'll be back next week with a new challenge and a new elimination. Until next time," Kip saluted the camera. As soon as it was off he yelled at the crew, "Someone get a nurse!"
Helga was carried off to a small ambulance where her legs and knuckles were bandaged and rocks were removed from her bleeding abdomen with tweezers. Helga was given a large water bottle and told to drink it all before leaving.
"Great job out there, Pataki."
Helga peered out of the trunk of the ambulance, her heart starting to beat rapidly. Arnold.
"Uh. . .thanks, Arnoldo." Helga took a large gulp of water to fill the silence.
Helga wasn't really thinking about any of the awkwardness too much though. Arnold being so close to me, all covered in sweat and grime. . . I should not be finding this sexy.
"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.
"Fine," she replied sharply. "It was nothing but some weights, Football Head. No need to get so worried."
Arnold gingerly rolled her left ankle to expose the part of the band-aid and gauze that was soaked with blood. "Just some weights, huh?"
"Paws off," Helga hit his hands away, slowly retracting her legs so Helga could sit cross legged. Every movement really hurt.
He pointed behind him to the empty beach where Helga had been crawling on almost an hour ago, "We're heading back to the house now since Jenna's gone. Do you need any help moving?"
"God, Arnold, I told you!" Helga slid off the gurney and hesitantly put her feet to the ground, "I'm fine."
Helga took two steps forwards before feeling an intense burn around her ankle bones. Instead of asking for help, she inhaled a quick breath and clenched her fists, trying to fight through the pain. But before Helga could say another word, Arnold had picked her up. He was carrying her bridal style towards the van.
Helga's loud shriek got the seven other player's attention.
"Arnold's a dead man," Andrew smirked.
"Let's watch her kill him from the safety of our van," Sarah replied, laughing.
Helga was still struggling, trying to push out of Arnold's arms. "Let go of me, damn it! Arnold! I'm serious!"
Arnold laughed and lowered Helga back to the ground, "Relax, Pataki, you're in the van."
Helga rolled her eyes and scowled at him before slowly sliding into the backseat. Helga hoped no one could see the intense blush on her dust covered cheeks.
Helga knew this was his not-so-subtle way of thanking her for her stupid Lila Break Up advice.
The drive back to the mansion was spent in silence, everyone trying to sleep off their pain from the most excruciating challenge. Helga was in the most pain. Since she had to crawl on the uneven sand, her muscles were spasming at random from overexertion. Groaning, Helga massaged her calves. She winced in pain at the motion in her vinegar-soaked wrist.
She couldn't imagine how the rest of this game was going to be if she could barely handle the first week.