Chapter 19: Loving in Falls

One morning, Owen awoke and saw that he and the other six contestants were falling out of a plane. He screamed "Come on, wake up, guys!", and they did so. The others started screaming as well. Chris yelled at them from the plane. "Hey kids, you better get into your paddle boats!" The teens looked around and saw two swan shaped boats falling with them. They hopped into the boats and landed in a river. Owen looked around and started screaming again. "Whoa, wuh-wuh-water!" "Yes, Owen, we know we're in the water", Courtney told him. Noah looked around and gasped. "Waterfall! Quick, paddle!" Everyone started paddling the boats but they were swept back by the current, and Owen kept screaming. Courtney started praying. "If you let us live, I'll tutor any brain-dead slacker who requires it, even Duncan!" Cody started praying as well. "If you let us live, I'll tell Duncan she said that!" Noah snapped his fingers and smiled. "Owen! If you save us, I'll buy you a sixteen ounce steak!", he said. Owen smiled and licked his lips. "Yes, sir!" he started paddling his boat like crazy and got it to shore. Then, he jumped into the river, got on the other boat and saved it as well.

Confession Cam: Noah

"Believe it or not, I've learned a lot from Owen. Still, the most important thing I've learned is that he'll do anything for food."

A few minutes later, Chris arrived. "So, Niagara Falls is pretty awesome, right?", he asked the contestants. They all glared at him. "It almost killed us!", Heather said. Chris smiled. "Like I said. Awesome. The Falls are the jewel in Canada's crown, and one of the top ten natural wonders of the world. It's also known for its fabulous casino, which is where we'll be heading for the first part of the challenge." Noah smiled. "Easy money? Sounds perfect."

Soon, everyone arrived at an empty floor in the casino. "No gambling? Figures", Noah said. "Since you're all under eighteen, we had to move the challenge from the gambling floor to the far less exciting casino concert hall", Chris explained. "Ooh, I wonder if anyone is performing!", Owen exclaimed. Chris smiled. "You're in luck, Owen my man. Last time on the Aftermath show, they had a Second Chance Challenge where one of the losers could score a spot back in the game, and we're about to enjoy a little number from the winner." Cody smiled. "Is it Lindsay? Please tell me it's Lindsay! Or at least not Sierra!" "She's two hundred pounds of sassy in a ninety pound package, and she's wearing twelve pounds of mascara! Iiiiiiit's Blaineley!" Noah raised an eyebrow. "What?" Heather raised one as well. "Who?" The concert hall went dark, except for a spotlight onstage, and Blaineley walked onto it, singing about herself.

Blaineriffic is my name, dishing dirt is my game, invading your TV with my blainerishious frame!

Ba-blaineriffic, so so so terrific! I'm fa-fa-famous, famous!

And so on and so on. "Who's that girl again?", Cody asked. Blaineley glared at him. "Who am I? Who am I! Who are YOU! I'm the host of the puppy bachelor! I was nominated for a Gemmie award! I interviewed YOU for Celebrity Manhunt! I'm blaineriffic!" She sighed and turned to Chris. "So which one of these lame teams am I on, anyway?", she asked. "You're on your own, because as of right now, there are no more teams!", he announced. Bridgette and Heather cheered and hugged each other. Owen patted Noah's shoulder. "It's okay, buddy, we can still be a team!"

Chef walked onstage in a dress, pushing a giant slot machine. "Since we're in the honeymoon capital of the world, I thought it'd be fun to drop some arranged marriages on you!", Chris said. "Slots-o-fun for me, not so fun for you. Each girl pulls the lever to win a husband she'll team up with for today's challenge. Cha-ching! Now, if you boys would get onstage? And Bridgette, you come up here too." The guys and girl got onstage, and Chef shoved them into the slot machine, along with a bear. "Um, what's the bear for?", Heather asked. "Casinos are all about excitement, and what's more exciting than a big angry bear? Also, we needed a 'bad' prize."

Confession Cam: Heather

"If I were in charge, I'd let the girls PICK their husbands. That way I'd be with Bridgette for sure, and there would be no risk of forced interspecies marriage."

"Okay, Gwen, you're up first", Chris said. Gwen walked up to the slot machine and pulled the lever. A few seconds later, Bridgette fell out of the slot. Heather gasped and Gwen shrugged. "Sorry, Heather. Not my fault." Heather glared at Chris. "Trust me, I know it's not." Chris turned away from Heather so he couldn't see her. "Blaineley, you're next." Blaineley walked up to the lever and pulled it. Noah fell out of the slot, covered in claw marks. "Stupid slot machine... it's all fun and games until someone gets mauled by a bear." Blaineley smiled. "Well, I could've done worse. Marrying the audience favorite should be good for my publicity." Noah raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, audience favorite?" "The fans can't get enough of your sense of humor. You should try showing it more often." Noah rolled his eyes. "Meh, whatever." "Okay, we need something to cover up those gashes... Makeup crew, get over here!", Blaineley said. No one came onstage. "What gives?" Chris smirked. "Sorry, Blaineley. The makeup crew only works for me."

Courtney walked up to the lever and pulled it next. After some struggling, Owen climbed out of the slot. "Oh, thank goodness! It was so freaking cramped in there!" Courtney sighed. "Just my luck. I think I would've preferred the bear, at least it could win a physical challenge." Heather went up to the lever last. She pulled it, and Cody fell out of the slot. Chris frowned. "Darn it, I was hoping SOMEONE would get the bear! Oh well. On to the next challenge!"

Chris lead the contestants to an obstacle course. The guys and Bridgette got up on some columns, holding megaphones, while the girls were blindfolded. "Because a good marriage is based on trust, and being able to argue louder than your spouse, each groom must use a megaphone to guide their blinded bride safely to her gown. Only couples with a dress can continue. You have five minutes. Go!" "Owen, which way do I go first?", Courtney asked. "That way!", he said. "WHAT way!" "Oh! Uh, forward!" Courtney nodded and started walking. Meanwhile, Noah was directing Blaineley. "Walk three paces head, and then go left." Blaineley did so and fell in a pool of mud. Noah and Owen laughed. "Oh, sorry, I meant right!"

Cody was yelling to Heather. "Okay, go right!" Heather did so. "Okay, now turn left and keep walking!" Heather did so, and crashed into a dress. "Ooh, sorry about that!" Heather groaned and removed her blindfold. "Well, at least we won." Meanwhile, Bridgette was directing Gwen. "Okay, just keep going straight", she said. Gwen nodded and kept walking. "Hey, is there a black dress?", Gwen asked. "No, sorry..." "Eh, figures. Hey, Heather! I bet you wish it was gonna be Bridgette in the dress, huh?" Heather and Bridgette both blushed.

Noah kept directing Blaineley. "Okay, now go left." Blaineley turned right. "No, I said left!" "Yeah, I'm not falling for that again!" Blaineley kept walking and ran into a giant cake. She screamed. "Blaineley, calm down. It's just cake." "Just cake? I just gained five pounds by touching it!" "That's not even possible." Blaineley wiped some of the cake off her face, then licked her fingers. "Mmm, sugar! It's been years! It's like vanilla flavored paradise! With a hint of lemon." Blaineley started wolfing down chunks of cake. After she ate her way through it, she kept walking and ran into a dress. "Bingo!" Within another minute, Courtney and Gwen reached their dresses as well. "Okay, you're all still in the game. On to the next challenge!", Chris said.

The couples followed Chris outside to the falls, and up to a wooden platform with four tightropes at one end. "I call this one, til death do you part", Chris said. Blaineley looked down and saw the bottom of the falls far below. "Okay, so we don't get a makeup crew. But you have to have stunt doubles sometimes, right? ...Right?" Chris shook his head. "We escaped going over Niagara Falls just so you could make us walk over it on a tightrope?", Cody asked. "Even better! Each groom has to carry their bride across the gorge, and then you have to successfully get past customs, AKA Chef. First pair to do so wins invincibility and a pimped out wedding reception in first class. Since Cody and Heather won the last challenge, they get a head start." Heather jumped into Cody's arms, and he fell over. He got back up and slowly walked across his tightrope. Ten seconds later, everyone else followed them on their own ropes.

Everyone walked along slowly, with Noah going slower than the others. Blaineley glared at him. "Come on, I don't even weigh a hundred pounds!", she said. Noah glared back at her. "Oh yeah? Neither do I! Do I look like a body builder to you?" Meanwhile, Owen wobbled back and forth on his tightrope. Courtney glared at him. "If you drop me, I'm grabbing your ankle on my way down." Owen gulped and started walking faster.

Heather and Cody reached Chef and started answering the questions. Owen started walking faster, but fell off the tightrope and down the falls. Noah and Blaineley, and Bridgette and Gwen, kept coming though. Heather and Cody finished answering the last question before they arrived. Chris walked to the platform, applauding. "Congrats, guys, you'll be flying in first class together and you've both won invincibility. As soon as we fish Courtney and Owen out of the water, we can go vote someone off for the elimination."

A while later, everyone was in the elimination room. "Heather and Cody have invincibility, but everyone else is fair game", Chris said. "You've cast your votes, so let's see who didn't get so lucky at the casino today. We have one vote for Noah, two votes for Blaineley, two votes for Bridgette, and three votes for... Gwen." Gwen and Courtney looked shocked. "Are you serious?", Gwen asked. Chris nodded and Gwen sighed. Courtney got up and hugged her. "Guess this won't be my season after all... Oh well. Good luck, Courtney. Be sure to beat Heather for me." Courtney nodded. "Of course." Gwen got up, took a parachute from Chris, put it on and walked out of the plane.