The Challenge: Fresh Meat 3

Chapter 9: Final Fiasco

"Welcome to stage 1 of my seven stage final. For the first three stages of this final I will be removing the last place team each stage. For my first stage teams are eating. I have plates full of wonderful food for you to eat. So far there are six teams and by the end of stage three there will be three teams. I also forgot to tell you the money break down. First place team will split $500,000. Second place team will split $250,000. Third place will split $125,000. My fourth place team will split will split $94,000. Just for getting to the final if you are the fifth place team you are walking out with $31,000 to split. So congratulations, as long as you don't get eliminated first you are walking away with some sort of cash in your pocket. Now are you ready to start the finals? Each member of the team will have a plate full of food. The first team to have both members finish their plate will advance onto the next stage. Last team to finish will be eliminated and take fifth place in this final. Now get ready get set and let's go," TJ said and we all walked up to our plates and I realized it was food from around the world which made me super excited since I liked food from many countries. I was eating it like it was a normal day at the park and I look down the row to see other people struggling and throwing up. I was very confused as to why people were throwing up the carpaccio as if it wasn't safe to eat. As I look to my other side I see that CT is struggling to get through his plate as well. I finished and called for a check which TJ confirmed that I was done with my portion of the food. No much later CT, Cara Maria and Devin finished their portions of the food. "CT and Katalina you guys are safe and will be moving onto stage two. My other five teams got to get to eat I only have spots for five teams on this next stage," TJ said to which I was happy that CT and I were moving on but worried about the others. In a matter of seconds I hear four different people call for a check. "Devin and Allyson you are moving onto the next stage. Derek and Louisa you are moving onto the next stage as well and Cara Maria and Ashton you are moving onto the next stage. I only have a spot for one more team. Bananas and Suzanne, Wes and Sophalina who wants it more," TJ said which caused all of us to look over at the two teams. I noticed that Wes was barely trying to eat any of the food now since Sophalina was barely eating any of her food. Bananas and Suzanne were both almost finished with their food as it was. "Alright Wes and Sophalina you have been eliminated. Now CT and Katalina I told you guys for winning the last daily challenge that you'd get to chose a stage of the final. Well you may use that now to choose between the Heavy Lifters Stage or the Crucial Craze Stage of the final. You now get to chose what the next stage will be and remember the last place team will be eliminated," TJ said which caused CT to look at me. I felt like the Heavy Lifters Stage might be easier for us than the other one sounds. "TJ, I think Heavy Lifters Stage sounds better than the Critical Craze Stage right now," CT said which caused me to smile and nod. TJ then looked at us both before nodding. "Alright then Heavy Lifters Stage it is. For Stage 2: The Heavy Lifters Stage your teammate and you will be holding up a preset weight. The team that holds their weight up the longest wins. It will be both members of the team continually holding the weight up as soon as one member drops the weight both members have to drop their weight and their time is stopped. First team to drop their weight is eliminated and will not be finishing the final. Now are you guys ready to start stage two of the final," TJ said which caused us all to move to our start places and pick up the weights that were redistributed to each group. As soon as I lifted it I recognized the weight and then looked at CT. "It's the weight of our luggage that we brought. Bananas and Suzanne should be out soon since Suzanne's luggage weights almost 110 pounds all together. Should have realized that lifter is always better when packing for trips," I said which caused CT to chuckle and the other competitors to look over at us. "What in the heck are you two laughing at right now while lifting these heavy weights," Derek asked which caused us to laugh more. "Just the fact that our weights are actually a lot lighter than most peoples weights because we figured out how the weights were distributed to each of us," I said while looking around to see most of the females struggling to keep their weights up. It looked as if Suzanne was about to drop her weight because she can't carry her own weight around really. Just as I turned back to look at the others I heard someone's weights drop "Alrighty everyone you can put your weights down now. Suzanne and Bananas are now eliminated as Suzanne has dropped her weights. Now why did I hear laughing throughout the stage. Katalina, CT what were you two giggling about," TJ asked us which caused us to look at each other. "We figured out how the weight was distributed and Katalina actually noticed how all the females were struggling except for her which I believe helped her realize that the weight that was redistributed was actually the weight of the luggage you brought with you. So in Katlaina's case it weighted about 60 pounds whereas, Suzanne's weights about 110 pounds," CT said which made everyone look over to us as I nodded in agreeance. "Well done for figuring out the weight distribution. Now my final four teams moving onto the next stage of the final are Derek and Louisa, Devin and Allyson, Cara Maria and Ashton and finally CT and Katalina. This next portion of the final will also eliminate the last place team. We are onto stage 3 Critical Craze. In Critical Craze you will be running down two opposite paths solving problems as you go. When you and your partner meet back up in the middle the two solutions from each path will need to be plugged in to solve the final question that you and your partner will be able to solve together. Once your team has correctly solved your paths and the final question you will be given the okay to take off running for the flags. Last team to pass the flags will be eliminated," TJ said which caused everyone to look at each other. The paths were labeled veteran and rookie and you couldn't go down the path that wasn't marked for you without a penalty. CT took off one way and I went the other way and I was reading all the things as I went. I realized that it was math and I was doing the math as I went in my head and was trying to keep everything straight. I made it to the meet up point and CT rattled off his number and I knew mine and I looked at the final equation. "Check," I said as I had done the math and wrote out an answer on the board in front of our station. As I said check so did Devin and Derek. TJ heard us all three at once so he started with Derek who was correct and then moved to Devin who was also correct and lastly came up to us and looked at our number. "Congratulation you three are my teams making it to the back half of the final. Now I'm sorry Cara Maria but you did quite well. Now that we have made it to stage four of my seven stage final I have for you. The next stage is one of my favorite stages so I'll see you guys tomorrow morning, have a good night," TJ said which made all the veterans grown. "This is the part of the final that actually sucks like no other. Tonight one member of our team will be awake while the other sleeps usually we are standing on stumps while the other team member is sleeping. So Katalina do you want to sleep or stand," CT asked me. "I'll stand. I think I can handle it better than you having less sleep tomorrow. You've worked really hard so maybe some sleep for you would be good. I need you to be fully rested for tomorrow so that when we get to harder parts of the final tomorrow you can tell me what to do," I said which caused CT to laugh but then to lay down. Derek and Devin both decided to stay awake and stood at the stumps with me. "Are you guys ready for the next day of the finals and being prepared for what is to come. I know that this isn't your first for either of you," I said with a smile. "Of course this isn't our first final but each final is different from the ones in the past. TJ has been changing up the finals each year now so nobody really knows what to expect. Now I want to know how the hell you ate all that food earlier without even throwing up or having any issues," Derek said which caused me to laugh and look over at him. "You mean the carpaccio. It is a staple that we ate back in Italy all the time growing up. Also the other food didn't really taste to bad to me. I guess it comes from my background of traveling all over the place and having a very diverse food culture while growing up. I mean you don't grow up Southern French-Italian without having ate some weird things. I learned to never question the food that was placed in front of me because mio padre and mia madre," I said to them before thinking back about my mother. "She would have been proud of you for doing the eating challenge so well and for getting this far in the challenge. You practically have won all the challenges, caused as little as drama as possible and kept your character while not being vulgar. You have shown that being yourself and proving to yourself that you can be on the challenge is only the first step of the challenge and you also made a bunch of new friends," Derek said with a smile towards me before he looked over to Louisa and climbed off the stump to go get her. "You know he got down so that we could talk without him being here. He knows it'll take two to three minutes to switch partners which is enough time for us to talk about whatever we want to. Like where we are going for this date of ours," Devin said while smiling at me. "I mean we can go where ever you think is best for a first date. I don't really care where we go Dev. Also, Louisa is on her way over so maybe you should switch out with Allyson and the girls will have a rookie's chat," I said to Devin who smiled nodded and got down before walking over and waking Allyson who came back to talk with Louisa and I. "How's it feel to be in the final three teams for this season," I said with a smile. "I'm excited for the last part of the final. I'm also nervous since I have no clue what could be coming," Allyson was interrupted by CT coming over and telling me to go to sleep. I was really tired and as soon as I curled up in the sleeping bag I realized I would be too cold to sleep but I saw Devin was next to me so I scooted close to him and he ended up rolling over and pulling me into him to warm me up as I fell asleep.