chapter two
cliff diving
"Okay! Today's challenge is free fall! Your first task is to jump off this one thousand foot high cliff into the lake!"
"Piece of cake," Bridgette smiles.
"If you look down, you will see two target areas. The wider area represents the part of the lake that we have stocked with psychotic," Chris stops and laughs. "man-eating sharks! Inside that area is a safe zone. That's your target area. Which we're pretty sure is shark free."
"Excuse me?" Leshawna asks.
"Knowing him, the entire place is filled with sharks," I cross my arms over my chest.
"Sporty girl is right," Heather agrees.
"Sporty girl? How original."
"What am I supposed to call you, black bathing suit?"
I roll my eyes.
"For each member of your team that jumps and actually survives, there will be a crate of supplies waiting below. Inside each crate are supplies you'll need for the second part of the challenge- building a hot tub! The team with the best one gets to have a wicked hot tub party tonight! The losers will be sending someone home. Let's see... Bass! You're up first."
Bridgette looks down over the edge. "Oh. Wow. So, who wants to go first?"
No one replies.
"Hey! Don't sweat it, guys! I heard that these shows always make the interns do the stunts first to make sure it's survivable!"
"So," Eva adds. "Who's up?"
Duncan looks at Courtney and smirks, "ladies first," he says in a tone slightly sexual, making her uncomfortable. I chuckle quietly, praying she didn't hear me.
"Fine. I'll go. It's no big deal. Just an insane cliff dive into a circle of angry sharks," Bridgette says and jumps into the safe zone. She waves up to us.
"She did it!" Tyler cries. "Yeah! Yeah! I'm next!" he jumps and hits a light post, but falls into the safe zone. Geoff, Eva, and Duncan all go.
"Uh-uh," DJ shakes his head. "No way, man. I can't jump."
Chris smiles. "Scared of heights?"
"Yeah, ever since I was a kid!"
"That's okay, big guy! Unfortunately, that also makes you a chicken! So you'll have to wear this for the rest of the day!" He places a chicken hat on DJ's head.
"Aw man, for real?" DJ whines.
Chris makes chicken noises in response. I can't help but laugh, and he turns around, narrowing his eyes at me. I shrug, and he smiles.
"That means the chicken path down is that a way!" he points to an escalator. DJ walks down it sadly. Poor guy.
Ezekiel and Harold both make it down safe.
"Excuse me, Chris?" Courtney says. "I have a medical condition."
"Oh god," I roll my eyes.
"What condition?"
"A condition that prevents me from jumping off cliffs."
"You can chicken out if you want," Chris tells her. "But it might end up costing your team the win. And then they'll hate you." He holds in laughter.
"It's a calculated risk."
"Alright," he puts the hat on her. "Here is your chicken hat. So. Let's tally up the results. Hold on. That's eight jumpers and two chickens. We're missing one."
