This is Episode 7! How have you been? Thanks to some concerns that were brought up over the past week or two, there has been a slight format change to the episodes. The pre-commercial teasers are now no longer in beginning with this episode. Hopefully this will make the story flow a little bit faster. Also, I have something special for you. At the end of this episode, you’ll get your first look at the current standings! You’ll get to see how well each of the girls are doing, which prizes they are eligible for, and how much money they could win at this point in time. I’ll show this chart now, after the fourth week, and at the end of the whole show. I also found out that the Tokyo district/town that Sakura and the gang live in the dub is Reedington, named after Clow Reed himself, rather than Readington, as I had originally assumed. The change will be made in any previous episodes and the new spelling will be used in any subsequent references to it. I think that’s everything, so on with this week’s episode! Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. They are just being borrowed for this fanfic. * * * * * * * * * * Layla: (VO) Last time on Roomies... Sora: (sighs) Misty, I’m sorry. Misty: (smiles) Sora, if there’s anyone who should be sorry, it should be me? Sora and Misty shake hands. Layla: (VO) Sora and Misty resolve their differences just as they start for Giselle and Meilin... Then, when Meilin least expects it, Giselle and Duplica run by, squirting her in the face with their water guns. Meilin: Hey! Giselle: It’s only a game! Lighten up! Meilin: (pumping her water gun) Oh, you’re mine now! Meilin runs up all of a sudden and without warning, she starts spraying Giselle in the face. Very hard. The pressure of the blast is so high that Giselle is feeling a lot of pain from it. Meilin finally stops, laughing her butt off. Giselle, angry at Meilin’s actions, glares at her. She then begins to chase her without going back to pick up her water gun. Meilin fires the water gun continuously at Giselle, but she keeps missing. Meilin begins to panic as Giselle advances on her, ready to tear her apart. Meilin: Can’t you take a joke? I really didn’t mean to hit you that hard! Giselle: Tell it to my fist! Kari: (moans) Oh no. Not again. Madison: Can’t we talk about this like ladies? Meilin and Giselle: (simultaneously) She started it! Layla: (VO) But it seems that Madison brings them to a temporary truce... Madison: (angrily) Give each other a big hug! The two of them put their arms around each other and share a big hug. Madison’s smile beams brightly between them. Madison: (smiling) See? Doesn’t that feel good? Layla: (VO) In other news... Zachary: Come on, don’t give up! You almost had it that time! I know you can do it! Casey: You think so? Zachary: (winks at her) I know so. Casey: Zachary! I’m riding a bike! Zachary: (clapping) Good job! Casey: (VO) I’m so happy! I’m glad that Zachary helped me out. He is so kind. Layla: (VO) It seems that spring seems to bring the best and worst out of everyone... * * * * * * * * * * Sixteen young girls Four different anime shows Forty-two days living alone in a mansion One lucky soul walks away with up to one million dollars in cash (Begin theme song, showing each of the contestants, two at a time via split screen) Casey, playing baseball with her Chikorita Chelsea, holding her favorite stuffed panda Duplica, dressed as a Metapod Giselle, talking with her old friend Joe after a training class Jun, wearing her T-shirt that was signed by Matt and TK Kari, reading an e-mail message on her D-Terminal Madison, showing Sakura her rubber cat suit battle costume Meilin, fighting the Fight card in Penguin Park Mimi, waking up and seeing Palmon with her to celebrate Christmas Misty, singing a lullaby to Togepi Nikki, clearing the box vault during P.E. class Rita, putting on her sword shaped brooch Sakura, using the sealing wand to capture the Thunder card Sasami, cooking dinner at the Masaki residence Sora, returning a serve on the tennis court Yolei, taking a picture with her friends on her class trip to Kyoto Some of these girls will form long lasting friendships Others will develop intense rivalries But only one will walk out with up to a million dollars in cash and prizes These girls are... roomies! (Four group shots, each featuring one of the anime shows being represented, flashes on the screen for about two seconds each) - Digimon - Jun, Kari, Mimi, Sora, Yolei - Tenchi Muyo! - Sasami - Cardcaptors - Chelsea, Madison, Meilin, Nikki, Rita, Sakura - Pokémon: The Johto Journeys - Casey, Duplica, Giselle, Misty (End theme song, with a picture of all sixteen contestants in front of the mansion) * * * * * * * * * * Roomies Story Written by Freedom Fighter * * * * * * * * * * Episode Seven Day Twelve Chelsea, Nikki, and Rita are in the second floor recreation room. They are playing “Super Smash Brothers” on the Nintendo 64. Chelsea is playing as Jigglypuff, Nikki as Link, and Rita as Mario. They are conversing with each other at the same time. Chelsea: (hitting the A button hard) Take that! Nikki: I can’t believe we’ve been here two weeks already. Rita: Tell me about it. (sees Link slash Mario with his sword) Hey! While Link and Mario begin to fight, Jigglypuff goes over to a wooden crate and hits it. Unfortunately, there was an explosive inside, and the resulting blast sent the Pokémon flying off into the horizon. Chelsea: Aaaahhhhhh! I hate it when that happens! Rita: Get away from me, Nikki! Nikki: (smiles) Not until you go down! Chelsea: You know, I don’t think we’re getting enough notice around here. Rita: Tell me about it. Nikki: So what do you suppose we do? Chelsea: We start doing more around the house than anyone expects us to do. Nikki: That’s easy for you to say. You can already cook. Chelsea: I know, but we should also do stuff like keep the house clean and play along with whatever the others want to do. Rita: So we should basically help Sasami with the household chores and at the same time have as much fun as possible? Chelsea: I thought I just said that! On the TV screen, Jigglypuff had returned to the battlefield. She starts singing right in front of Link, putting the warrior to sleep. Jigglypuff then proceeds to beat Link up... until Mario decides to throw an uppercut into the mix. Nikki: Wouldn’t that be the same as sucking up? Chelsea: Well yeah, but how else do you suppose we’ll get everyone else to trust us? Rita: You’ve got a point. Chelsea: We can start with our roommates. Casey and I have gotten along real well. Rita: And since I room with Sasami, I can easily convince her to let me do the chores with her. Nikki: I don’t think Meilin will listen to me, but I can give it a try. Chelsea: It’s agreed then. We’ll start sucking up! Nikki: This is so low. Still, how can a plan like this fail? Rita: Let’s do it! Jigglypuff sends Link flying off the end of the field, costing the warrior his last turn. The pink Pokémon then uses a baseball bat to whack Mario into the stratosphere, eliminating him and giving her the victory. Nikki and Rita: Hey! Chelsea: (smiles as she puts her controller down) I’m good, aren’t I? Nikki and Rita look at each other in surprise as Chelsea walks out of the room. Meanwhile, over in the orange bedroom, Yolei is showing off her new outfit to her creator, Madison. Yolei: This is so cool! I can’t believe you got the colors exactly right! Madison: Well, I have you to thank for being such a great model. Yolei: I have this great idea! You know how you told me about those great battle costumes you make for Sakura? Madison: Yes, I remember. Yolei: How about you make one of those for me? Madison: I don’t know. That’s an honor I usually reserve only for her. Yolei gets down on her knees and begins to beg. Yolei: Please! We’re best buds now, right? Madison: You could say that... Yolei: So you’ll do it? Yeah! I’m going to go show off my outfit to Mimi and the others! Before Madison could say another word, Yolei runs out of the room. Over in the pink bedroom, Sakura is glancing out the window. She is thinking about things back at home. Sakura: (sighs) I know I’m only a few miles from home, but I can’t go there just to check up on Kero. For all I know, he might have found another Clow Card and he needs my help to capture it. Or he could be starving in my room, for all I know. Heck, dad might have even found him! I knew I shouldn’t have left him at home. Night Twelve Casey and Mimi are hanging out in the first floor recreation room. Mimi is busy doing her nails while Casey is just lying back on the couch. Casey: (getting up out of the couch) Mimi? Mimi: (looking up) Huh? Casey: Can I ask you a question? Mimi: Sure. What is it? Casey: How does it feel to be a teenager? You know, to be free to do whatever you want, to be able to stay up as long as you want, and to hang out with whomever you want. It seems like teenagers have more fun than kids do. Mimi puts her nail polish down on a nearby table and hops her way over to Casey. She sits down next to her. Mimi: Why are you thinking about all of that? You still have two years to go until you’re a teenager, right? Casey: Yes. But everything seems so hard. Mimi: What do you mean? Casey: Imagine being only ten years old and having to go out on a Pokémon journey. Sure, it sounds great at first, but then you get to realize that for the first time, you’re out on your own. Every time I go into a new town, there’s always an adult that’s telling me what to do. Teenagers take advantage of me by using Pokémon that they know mine can’t beat just so they can take my money. I remember in one town I had to sleep out in the cold because I had lost almost all my money battling one day. Mimi: That’s terrible! Casey: And it’s so hard to find friends. Every time I make one, it ends up only being for a few days. Then I have to leave to go on to the next town. And so on, and so on. Mimi: You poor thing! Casey: I don’t have the freedom that I so richly deserve? And I feel like I’m destined to struggle through my entire life. What do I do? Mimi: Well, I’m no Pokémon trainer, but I too have spent some time away from my family. When the rest of the Digidestined and I were transported to the Digiworld, I didn’t know what to do. I broke down and cried. But with the help of my friends, I eventually learned to grow and be able to take care of myself. I thought that I was emotionally secure for the rest of my life. (slowly) Then my parents told me were moving to America. Casey: So you had to leave the friends that you had known for so long? Just like me? Mimi: Yes. I had to go to New York and basically suffer the same things I went through in the Digiworld. But then things got better. I got some new friends, while I kept in touch with my old ones through e-mail and the Digiworld. It’s important to remember that although you can’t always be close to your best friends all of the time, you can find ways to keep in touch with them. Casey: You can? Mimi: Sure! The next time you become friends with someone, get their home address, or their phone number, or even their e-mail address. Although I don’t think you’ll need that last one if you’re always on the go. Casey: You think that’ll work? Mimi: Of course it will! I’ll even give you mine to start! Casey gets a piece of paper and a pen and gives it to Mimi. Mimi writes down her address and her phone number and then gives the paper back to Casey. Casey: Thanks Mimi! Mimi: You’re welcome, sweetheart! Remember to never give up! I never did, and look where I am now! Casey: Thanks again! Casey folds the piece of paper in half, puts it in her pocket, and runs out of the room. Mimi hops back over to her chair to finish painting her nails. She shakes her head the whole time. Mimi: (VO) Why did I say that? No self-respecting person would just give away their phone number. * * * * * * * * * * Day Thirteen Early the next morning, Sora and Chelsea are busy preparing eggs for breakfast in the kitchen. Sasami and Sakura are also in the room, sharing a conversation with them. Sasami: (to Sakura and Chelsea) Don’t you guys ever get any rain here? Sora: Yeah. It’s been sunny almost every day. Chelsea: We usually get a good amount around this time of year, but I guess we’re having one of those droughts. Sakura: I hope not. That’s going to make it even hotter when summer starts in a few weeks. Chelsea: If it’s any consolation, the weatherman said that we might get some rain on Monday. Sora: Hey! Why don’t we go out today? Sasami: Good idea! I need to get away from all of this housework! Sakura: Yeah! We’ll leave everyone else to do it. We do all of the work around here. Chelsea: Oh! I know the perfect place to go! Twin Bells! Sasami: Twin Bells? Sakura: It’s Chelsea’s favorite store. She goes there once a week to check out the newest stuffed animals. (sweatdrops) You should see her collection. It’s humongous! Sora: Well, I don’t see any harm in that. Let’s go there after breakfast. Sasami: Why don’t the four of us just eat now? Then we can sneak out before anyone else wakes up! Chelsea: (smirks) My, aren’t you the sneaky one. Sakura: I agree with Sasami. The quicker we get out of the house, the better our chances are at succeeding! Sora: It’s agreed then. Just let me finish these eggs. Chelsea: How do you guys want yours? Sasami: Sunnyside up! Sakura: Scrambled’s fine for me, thanks. Sora: I think we’ll just make those two types. Those are the only ones I know how to cook. Chelsea: Me too. Who eats them any other way, anyway? Sasami: You can also cook them as omelets. Sakura: Doesn’t that take quite a while? Sasami: (smiles) Not really. I can make one in about ten minutes. That is, if I have all of the materials. Sora: Why don’t you teach us sometime? I’d love to learn how to make them. Sasami: I’m cooking breakfast Monday morning, so I’ll show you then. Chelsea: Yeah! That’ll be great. Kari, still in her plain pink pajamas, abruptly pops into the room, holding a video tape and a manila envelope. Kari: Put on your bathing suits girls, because we’re going swimming! Kari leaves just as quickly, going off to wake up the others. Once she is out of sight, Sora, Chelsea, Sakura, and Sasami all break out in tears, knowing that their day out has just been ruined. Twenty minutes later, all of the girls are in the first floor recreation room viewing the videotape. Miss McKenzie appears on the TV screen. Layla: I have to admit that it has started to get a little warm around here lately. That’s why it’s now the perfect time to head for the local swimming pool. And believe it or not, for once it’s safe to jump in. Misty and Giselle, here’s your chance to shine, because you’re the team captains for this challenge! I’ll see you at the pool! The videotape then comes to an end. Kari then reads aloud the piece of paper she had been holding earlier. Kari: In the third physical challenge, you’re going poolside for a little contest! Bring your swimsuits, towels, and competitive spirits! Meet outside the mansion at eleven o’clock for your ride to the Reedington Municipal Indoor Pool. Don’t forget to choose teams. Misty will be the captain of the blue team, while Giselle will lead the yellow team. [The team assignments (picked in random order): Blue - Misty, Rita, Kari, Chelsea, Sakura, Mimi, Sasami, and Yolei Yellow - Giselle, Duplica, Casey, Nikki, Sora, Madison, Meilin, and Jun] The girls head off to eat breakfast and get their stuff ready for the challenge. At eleven o’clock they head outside and get into the vans. They are carrying their towels on their shoulders. Most of them are wearing their swimsuits under their regular clothes, but a few of them are holding them with the intent of changing at the pool. Casey is the last one to get in. She is carrying her bathing suit Madison: (helping Casey in) You look sad. What’s wrong? Casey: Nothing. Nothing at all. Duplica: Are you sure? Casey: Yeah. I’m fine. Casey takes a seat between Jun and Nikki in the back row. Casey tries to hide her sad look from the others as the vans head off towards the indoor pool. Casey: (CC) I have a confession to make. (sighs) I don’t know how to swim. Madison glances back at Casey. She has a hunch that Casey’s worrying about something, but she can’t place her finger on what exactly. Ten minutes later, the two vans pull up to the facility. All of the girls get out and head in. They make their way over to the main pool. There they find Miss McKenzie waiting for them. Layla: Good morning girls! Ready for a swim? Sora: We’re ready! Duplica: Just what exactly is our challenge? Layla: Let’s not worry about that right now. Today, you’ve got the whole pool to yourselves. Misty: You’re serious? Giselle: All to ourselves? Now that’s what I call living in style! Madison: It kind of reminds me of our own lifestyles, doesn’t it? Giselle: It sure does. Kari looks over at Madison and Giselle and smiles with envy. Kari: (CC) Sometimes I forget that Giselle and Madison both come from rich families. They must be so lucky to have everything given to them so easily. I’m surprised that living here in a place where they have to do everything for themselves hasn’t been a shock to them yet. Layla: Before we do though, I’d like you to meet your lifeguards for today. Daisy, Violet, and Lily walk out, all dressed in their swimsuits. Misty: Why do they have to be here? Sakura: Who are they? Misty: My sisters. The rest of the group gives a collective gasp. Nikki: They look like triplets. How do you tell them apart? Misty: Daisy’s the blonde with the red swimsuit, Violet’s the violet haired one wearing the violet swimsuit... Sasami: Naturally... Misty: The other one’s Lily. She’s the one with pink hair, wearing the yellow swimsuit. Mimi runs up to the three sisters and starts to admire them on the spot. Mimi: You mean you’re Misty’s older sisters? Cool! I love your swimsuits! Daisy: Thank you. I see that you’re into wearing stylish clothes as well. Mimi: Thanks! I see we have very good taste. Lily: Like, you’ve got to tell me who does your hair! Violet: Lily. You’ve got to stop asking every single pink haired girl that same question. Lily: I’m trying to get a new hairstyle! Giselle: (VO) Just great. Misty’s sisters are just like Mimi. Although I have to give Misty credit, since she somehow avoided ending up just like those three. A few minutes later, everyone, with the exception of Miss McKenzie, Daisy, Violet, Lily, and Casey, are in the pool. A handful of the girls are playing a game of Marco Polo while the others are just swimming for fun. Duplica: (with her eyes closed) Marco! Misty, Jun, Sakura, Sasami, Yolei, Kari, Chelsea, and Giselle: Polo! As the game continues, Duplica gets near Misty, but the trained water specialist easily escapes to the other side of the pool. Sasami then quickly swims by Duplica and just misses getting tagged. Meanwhile, Casey comes out of the locker room wearing a one-piece plain green swimsuit. She walks over tentatively towards the shallow side of the pool. Daisy, who was the closest lifeguard, looks on with interest. Daisy: What’s wrong? Don’t you want to swim? Casey: Yeah, but... Daisy: But what? Madison sees Casey and starts yelling to her. Unknown to Madison, Sakura had snuck away from the game and was approaching Madison from behind. Madison: Come on in Casey! The water’s fine! Sakura: (pouncing on her friend) Gotcha! Madison turns around, but it’s too late. Sakura pushes down on the top of Madison’s head, sending her friend underwater for a few seconds. Madison quickly recovers and makes her way back to the surface. She wipes away some of the pool water that had gotten into her eyes before she turning to her right to see Sakura swimming towards the other end, howling in laughter. Madison: (smirks) Want to play, huh? I’ll play! Madison swims off to go after Sakura. Casey watches and sighs. Daisy walks over to check on her. Daisy: Why don’t you want to swim? Casey: Well... I don’t know how to. Daisy: Really? You’ve never swum before? Casey: With my parents, yes. But never by myself. Daisy: (smiles) Well today’s your lucky day! I happen to be a professional when it comes to swimming. I could give you a few pointers. Casey: Really? Daisy: Yeah! It’s a cinch. Daisy climbs down the stairs and into the shallow end of the pool. She waits at the bottom of the steps as Casey just watches her. Daisy: Like, just don’t stand there! The first part of learning how to swim is getting into the water. You should be tall enough to stand in it without any problems. Casey nods and slowly begins to make her way down the steps. She eventually makes her way in. Casey: (smiles) You’re right! I can stand in it! Daisy: See? Was that so hard? Casey: No. Daisy: Shall we move on? Let me start by teaching how to float... As Daisy continued her lesson with Casey, Sakura is watching from afar. Meilin swims up beside her. Sakura: Gee, I never knew that Casey couldn’t swim. Meilin: That’s the beauty of these challenges. You never know what some people are capable of doing until you see them in action. Sakura: I see. Meilin then smiles mischievously at Sakura. This makes the brown haired girl panic a little bit. Sakura: What’s with that smile, Meilin? Are you planning something? Meilin: (pointing down into the water below them) Not me. Sakura looks down and sees Madison swimming underwater... rather, crouching underwater. Madison gives off a smile before she tugs on Sakura’s legs and pulls her down. This catches Sakura by surprise, as she begins panicking underwater. Madison lets go so Sakura can get back to the surface. She follows her up. Up on the surface, Madison finds Sakura trying to catch her breath, while Meilin is laughing her head off. Madison: Hey, you asked for it. You’re the one who wanted to play! Sakura: I wasn’t expecting you to do that... Meilin: You two are so funny! Now I know why I enjoy hanging out with you two! Sakura and Madison glance at each other. They then both take a deep breath just as they dive underwater. Meilin quickly catches on to their plan, as she starts swimming towards the center of the pool. Meilin: Ha! You two aren’t going to get me! Meilin stops right at the center. She looks around, but she sees no sign of Sakura or Madison. Yolei swims by her, with Duplica in hot pursuit. Duplica: Marco! Yolei: Polo! Duplica reaches out and grabs Yolei’s left foot. Duplica opens her eyes and smiles when she sees Yolei in front of her. Yolei: Okay, you got me. Duplica: Guys! Yolei’s it! Duplica starts swimming off to join the others as Yolei closes her eyes and begins her search. In the meantime, Meilin had forgotten about Sakura and Madison. That quickly changed when the two of them popped out of the water and dunked Meilin’s head in the water at the same time. Meilin takes a few seconds to gather her thoughts before coming back up to a hysterical Sakura and Madison. Madison: That was so cool! Sakura: Yeah! Meilin: You caught me by surprise! How did you two manage to keep underwater for so long? Sakura: A lot of practice, I guess. Daisy walks by the trio, watching Casey as she struggles to swim to the other end of the pool. Suddenly, another voice fills the pool. Yolei: Marco! Misty, Jun, Sakura, Sasami, Duplica, Kari, Chelsea, and Giselle: Polo! Sakura: Wait a minute? When did Yolei become it? Sakura sees Yolei swimming fast towards her. Sakura begins swimming away from Madison and Meilin in an attempt to get away. This time, it’s Madison and Meilin who are laughing at Sakura, as Yolei continues to chase her around the pool. * * * * * * * * * * Day Fourteen After going home the night before to get a good night’s sleep, the girls and Miss McKenzie return to the pool for their third physical challenge. Daisy, Violet, and Lily are waiting for them. Violet: Yesterday, you were here to have some fun. But today, it’s, like, all business. Lily: It was fun to swim yesterday, wasn’t it? Daisy: You know, we’re not actually having a swimming competition. Lily: We thought swimming around the pool for a couple of laps was totally boring. Giselle: I didn’t think so anyway. We just had that bike race a few days ago anyway. Violet: We’ve decided to have a little high diving competition. The three sisters lead the girls to a different room with another swimming pool. This one, though, has three diving platforms at the deep end of the pool. They are at different heights above the pool. At the sight of the platforms, a collective gasp is heard from the group. Lily: The first part of the challenge is to dive off the shortest platform over there. It’s three meters above the water. For every team member that jumps off it successfully, her team will get one point. Violet: At the end of today’s challenge, whichever team has the most points will win the challenge and get that ten thousand dollar bonus added to their personal jackpot. Daisy: Get in to your swimsuits and let’s get started! A little later, the girls are dressed and ready to go. Miss McKenzie, Daisy, Violet, and Lily watch as the girls go up one at a time. Misty goes up first. Without hesitation, she runs off of the platform and makes a head first dive into the pool. Her teammates and sisters cheer in glee as Misty comes back up from the water with a smile. Several of the girls that follow Misty also have no trouble at all. Giselle, Meilin, Sakura, Sora, Jun, and Rita all make their dives without a doubt. It’s now Sasami’s turn. She climbs up the ladder and onto the platform. Her teammates cheer her on from the sidelines. Sakura: You can do it Sasami! Chelsea: It’s a piece of cake! Sasami hesitates slightly. Kari notices this and starts offering her support. Kari: Sasami! Just relax! All you have to do is jump! Sasami: (VO) Easy for you to say. Sasami takes a deep breath and then exhales it. She then walks to the end of the platform. Without looking down, she jumps forward. She closes her eyes as she hits the water below. Upon making her way back to the surface, she hears the cheers of her teammates. She sighs in relief. Madison goes next, followed by Mimi, Kari, and Nikki, who took off her glasses before diving. Yolei then comes up. Mimi is holding Yolei’s glasses as she watches her friend attempt her dive. Yolei runs right off the platform and belly flops into the water, causing quite a splash. A few seconds later, Yolei makes her way to the edge of the pool. She gets out and then lies down on the floor, in a little pain. Mimi is the first to reach her. Mimi: Yolei! Are you okay? Yolei: I think so. My arms hurt a little, though. As the rest of her team arrives, Violet makes her way over with a towel. Violet: (handing the towel) Don’t belly flop into the water! You could get yourself hurt that way! Yolei: (taking it as she gets up) I’m sorry. I guess I landed in the water faster than I anticipated. Chelsea goes up, as the last entry for her team in this round. She hesitates as well, but she eventually takes her dive, much to the dismay of the other team. Duplica then goes, running off the platform and diving in gracefully. Only Casey is left. Lily takes her place by the edge of the water, if she is needed, while Daisy stands right beside Casey on the platform. Daisy: Just relax. Lily is down there if you need any help. Casey: Do I have to do this? Daisy: You don’t want to let your teammates down, do you? Casey: No. But I’m scared! Daisy: I won’t force you to go if you don’t want to. Casey: Really? Daisy: I’m serious. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, you can quit right now. You won’t be able to attempt any more dives after this if you do, though. Casey thinks about it for a minute. Madison yells at Casey to get her attention. Madison: Casey! Casey looks at Madison, who is smiling at her from the poolside below. Madison: Remember to breathe! (she closes her eyes and moves her shoulders up and down several times) Do that and you’ll be fine! Sakura glances over and sees Madison’s gesture towards Casey. Sakura smiles as she remembers the time Madison gave her that piece of advice. Casey takes several deep breaths and exhales them, one at a time. Finally, she walks to the edge of the platform. She looks down at the water, then at the ceiling, and then back down at the water again. Casey finally jumps off. As soon as her body hits the water, Lily dives in to go get her. Members of both teams cheer as Lily helps Casey out of the pool. As Lily pulls Casey out, her teammates come over to congratulate her. Casey: (CC) I’m just glad I pulled that one off. No more for me, though! After a few minutes to rest and dry off, Violet begins explaining the next part of the challenge. Violet: So far, the score is tied at eight. For the second round, you’ll be going up to the five-meter platform. Once again, each team member has the choice of going or not going. This time, the dives are worth two points each. If you’re all ready, let’s get started! The girls line up to go diving once again. Misty, Giselle, Meilin, Sakura, and Sora all make their dives. Rita is next up, but she has stalled up on the platform. Her teammates begin to worry as Violet goes up to get her. Violet: Rita, are you okay? Rita: I’m so scared! I can’t do it! Violet: Are you sure? Rita: (screams) Yes! Get me down! Violet helps Rita make her way down the ladder, as Daisy watches at the bottom. Sakura and Chelsea go over to console their teammate and friend. Once on the ground, the duo leads Rita towards the other end of the room to talk. Rita: (beginning to cry) I was so scared! I couldn’t do it! Chelsea: I know how you feel, Rita. I was contemplating whether or not to go up there myself. Sakura: It’s over now. Everything’s going to be alright. Rita: (crying aloud now) It was so high! Chelsea hugs her friend and begins patting her on the back. Chelsea: Don’t worry about it any more. You’re back on the ground, safe and sound. That’s all that matters. Back with the rest of the team, Sasami is now a little nervous about her dive. Sasami: I don’t think I can go up there guys. Kari: Sasami, come on! Yolei: At least you entered the water right. I belly flopped in. Mimi: Sasami! Get up there right now and take a dive! Misty: Mimi, it’s not that easy! I may be an expert swimmer, but I also have enough sense to tell when someone’s afraid to dive in! Lily: Well, are you going up Sasami? Misty: (to Sasami) I know you want to help the team, but don’t go up there if you’re going to be too frightened to jump. After thinking about it for a minute, Sasami sighs and announces that she’s quitting. Sasami: I can’t go up there. Misty: (puts her hand on Sasami’s shoulder) You did the right thing. Sasami: You mean I didn’t let you down? Misty: No. I may want to win this challenge, but if we’re not having fun along the way, it’s not worth it. Giselle: (overhearing the conversation) If that’s your attitude, then you’ll never win. Misty: Mind your own business! I have my team and you have yours! Giselle smirks at Misty as Jun walks past them and towards the platform to attempt her dive. The competition moves on, with Jun, Mimi, Madison, and Kari completing their jumps. Next up was Yolei. The crowd cheers in the background as Yolei takes her place on the five-meter diving board. Yolei: Where’s all of that cheering coming from? Everyone looks over and sees Lily taking a cassette tape out of a radio of hers. Lily: Sorry about that! I just figured that this would be a great place to try out my new ‘Sounds of the Crowd’ cassette. Violet grabs Lily’s stereo in one hand and Lily’s ear in the other, dragging both off towards the locker room. Violet: We need to talk... Back on the platform, Yolei gets her train of thought back in gear. Yolei: (running towards the end) Here goes! Yolei jumps off the end and dives arms first towards the water below. She enters the water at a ninety-degree angle, much safer than she did in her first dive. Yolei celebrates as she gets out of the water. Things get a little more jumpy after Yolei. Nikki, Chelsea, and Casey all decide not to go. But Duplica, after a little prodding by both Giselle and Meilin, goes up and dives from five meters up. As the teams start discussing some last minute strategy, Daisy begins explaining the third and final part of the challenge. Daisy: For your final dive, you will be going up there. Daisy points to the top diving board, which is approximately ten meters above the water. Daisy: The score is currently 20 to 18, in favor of the yellow team. But in this round, each dive is worth three points. It’s anybody’s game. Misty: (to her team) Okay, we’re down by two. Who’s going up there with me to win this thing? Sakura: (raising her hand) I’ll go! Misty: (smiling at Sakura) I knew I could count on you, Sakura. (turning to the others) Mimi? Yolei? Kari? Yolei: Although I did better on my second dive, I don’t think I can go back up there. Mimi: I’m a little scared of heights, so I think I’ll stay here. Misty: How about you Kari? Are you game? Kari: I’m nervous about this myself. (gathering her confidence) But if you need me, then I’ll go for it! Misty: Good. It’s settled then. Over with the other team... Giselle: Who’s ready to stick it to ‘em? Meilin: As much as I don’t like you, Giselle, I’ll go with you. But only so I can show Avalon over there a thing or two. Giselle: That’s fine by me. Anyone else? Jun nods her head in agreement. But Sora, Madison, and Duplica decide not to go up with them. As the final round begins, both team captains (Misty and Giselle) go up to the top and dive off. Meanwhile, Sakura is beginning to get a little frightened as she approaches the ladder to the diving platform. Meilin sees this, so she goes over to persuade Sakura not to go. Sakura: (gulps) You mean I have to go all the way up there? Meilin: Ha! I knew you’d chicken out Sakura. Sakura: I’m not chickening out. I’m just... trying to visualize what my dive is going to be like, that’s all. Meilin: In that case, allow me to go first! Meilin goes up to the top. Showcasing her proud smile on her face, she runs off the platform and dives into the water with a big splash. Meanwhile, Sakura grabs onto the ladder and begins to climb. All of a sudden, she freezes in place. Kari yells at her from the bottom of the ladder. Kari: Sakura! Are you okay? Sakura doesn’t respond. Kari: She’s frozen up there! Somebody help her! Daisy runs over and starts climbing up the ladder. She reaches Sakura seconds later. She frees Sakura’s hands from the ladder and slowly guides her down, with her hands around her hips to make sure that she doesn’t fall. At the bottom of the ladder, her teammates come over to snap Sakura out of it. They succeed eventually, but now Sakura is shivering in fright. As she tries to recover from her ordeal, Misty looks over at Kari and nods at her. Misty: (softly) It’s all up to you now. Kari glances over at Sakura once more to make sure she’s okay. She then begins to climb to the top. Madison: (VO) I know I can’t help you Sakura, but I’m with you in spirit. I hope you’re okay. Kari arrives at the top of the platform. Without looking down, Kari hastily gets her dive over with. She jumps off and dives arms first in the water. Her teammates cheer her on. Even Sakura, who has now recovered from her stage fright. Jun waits at the bottom of the platform, seeing as she doesn’t have to dive unless the other team sends another diver up. Daisy: Misty! Your team’s two points down. Is there anybody else on your team who wants to dive? Misty already knew that Yolei wouldn’t be willing to go up, so she glanced over towards Mimi. She gives a look of urgency towards the Digidestined of Sincerity. Unfortunately, her hopes quickly faded as Mimi shook her head in defeat. Misty turned towards her eldest sister and told her the bad news. Misty: There’s no one else on my team willing to dive, sis. Daisy: In that case, I hereby award the winners of this physical challenge to be the green team by a score of 26 to 24! Giselle and her team celebrate happily while Misty’s team walks away in disappointment. Sakura: (CC) I feel like I’ve let the whole team down by not having the courage to make that final dive. Mimi: (CC) I hated that it had to come to me to try and win it all, but there was no way that I was going up there. Meilin: (CC) We totally ruled! If only I could see the look on Avalon’s face. Wait a minute... I can! Ha! Giselle: (CC) It was easy to decide what moment was the crowning achievement of this mission. It could’ve been when Sakura didn’t go up to dive. Or the fact that I got to show Misty up at her own game. But nothing was more satisfying then seeing Casey make that dive of hers. It may have been her only dive, but that was the difference between victory and defeat. Casey: (CC) Win or lose, I have to be proud of myself for having the guts to dive in the first place. Maybe this is a sign that things are about to change for me. To be continued... Layla: (VO) Coming up in our next episode... Mimi: Yeah! I’m going to get to see Palmon again! Layla: (VO) Guess where the girls are going... Yolei: I wonder how much Poromon has missed me. Layla: (VO) You guessed it... Madison: Guessed what? Layla: (VO) They’re going to the Digiworld! Giselle: Will someone please explain what the heck they are talking about? Misty: The Pokémon Tech student doesn’t understand? I thought you knew everything! Giselle: Just about Pokémon! I’m not a genius, you know. Kari: Digi-port open! Layla: (VO) What awaits the girls in this strange new world? Sakura: That kind of looks like a Clow Card! Jun: You watch too much TV. Layla: (VO) Find out what happens on the next episode of Roomies... Yolei jumps up and down as she recognizes the mysterious figure that is approaching them. Nikki: This is so amazing! It’s like we’re living in a fairy tale! * * * * * * * * * * Hi there! Freedom Fighter here again! I’m about to present a segment which was originally supposed to be in “Roomies Analysis.” The original intent was that every week, this chart would be presented. I am now presenting it to you for the first of three times over the course of this series. A few notes on the chart... $100,000 is added to each person if they are on the winning team of a physical challenge $5,000 is added to each person if they go to the confessional room once a day (starting with Day 3) C - this person is eligible for the Polaroid I-Zone Camera B- this person is eligible for the 2 Huffy Loma Bicycles Here are the current standings... Casey $120,000 C Chelsea $10,000 C Duplica $220,000 C Giselle $230,000 C Jun $210,000 C Kari $15,000 C Madison $210,000 Meilin $115,000 Mimi $110,000 C Misty $20,000 C B Nikki $205,000 Rita $10,000 C Sakura $120,000 C B Sasami $10,000 C Sora $215,000 C B Yolei $15,000 The next chart will be presented after the fourth week is complete. Until next time... see you around! Copyright Date: 6/25/01