The secret is finally out. Now, will Madison really pursue Sakura, or could their friendship be over for real? On another note, thanks to all of you who voted for who you wanted to win! Stay tuned for information on how you could become part of the Reunion Special at the end of the show! Now, it’s back to the show... despite the delay of a whole month. But don’t worry! Beginning tonight, there will be a new episode of the girls’ edition every Tuesday night until the end of the series. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters here. Don’t even think I do! * * * * * * * * * * Layla: (VO) On our last episode... Sakura waves goodbye to the others as Richie leads her out. As they leave, though, Chelsea whispers something into Sakura’s ear. Chelsea: (whispering) You are so lucky. Layla: (VO) The guys take a few of the girls out on a blind date... Sakura: Eeeewwww, I have to get them to kiss my feet? Layla: (VO) With a twist... Mimi: I just remembered that I have a few things I need to pick up at the store. Matt: Like what? Mimi: A hair bow, shaving cream, and some lipstick. Tai: Hair bow? Tori: Shaving cream? Joe: (gulps) Lipstick? Tracey takes Giselle by the hand and kisses it softly. Tracey: If I’m ever near Pokémon Tech, I’ll be sure to look you up. Giselle: (pulling her hand anyway) Sure thing. You do that. (under her breath) Creep. Layla: (VO) The next day, romantic tensions rise in the mansion... Duplica: Come on, Misty. I can see it in your eyes. You like him! Misty: (yells) I do not! Giselle: If you don’t want Ash, can I have him? Misty: Like he’d love a snake like you! Chelsea: At that time, I was just playing with him. I wasn’t looking for a boyfriend. I already have Zachary, remember? Nikki: It’s not like you’ve told Zachary that you like him. Rita: That means you two aren’t officially a couple. Nikki: Which leaves you completely open to any possible suitors! Layla: (VO) But then, one of those conversations about love turns into an event that may destroy a friendship... Madison: Sakura, you don’t understand! I love you! Sakura: I know. You love me as a best friend. Madison: (shaking her head) No Sakura. I mean I really love you. Sakura: (yelling) When were you going to tell me this? Yolei: I didn’t think it was like that! * * * * * * * * * * 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, getting on a bike for the first time, with Zachary helping Chelsea, smiling after beating Nikki and Rita at ‘Super Smash Brothers’ Duplica, telling Giselle about the water gun fight Giselle, talking to an out of breath Misty after she had completed the first prize challenge Jun, talking to her parents on the phone Kari, struggling to resolve the conflict between Misty and Sora Madison, giving Yolei the Digiworld costume she recreated Meilin, trying to scare Sakura just before they go for their final dive Mimi, whining that she didn’t get a chance to play the virtual laser tag game at the mall Misty, commenting to herself to make sure she doesn’t have any relatives in Hong Kong Nikki, telling about Madison’s knack for designing clothes for fun Rita, noting how easily she’s gotten alone with her roommate, Sasami Sakura, celebrating after winning the bicycle race prize challenge Sasami, complaining that she’s doing all of the work around the house Sora, comforting Mimi after she got yelled at by Misty Yolei, happily hugging her Digimon, Hawkmon 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) - Tenchi Muyo! - Sasami - Cardcaptors - Madison, Nikki, Sakura, Meilin, Chelsea, Rita - Pokémon: The Johto Journeys - Giselle, Duplica, Casey, Misty - Digimon - Sora, Jun, Mimi, Kari, Yolei (End theme song, with a picture of all sixteen contestants in front of the mansion) * * * * * * * * * * Roomies Story Written by Freedom Fighter * * * * * * * * * * Episode Twelve - Up for Grabs Day Twenty Three By ten o’clock the following morning, everyone in the house knew about Madison’s confession to Sakura. There were mixed reactions among the girls. A few of them were around the table in the dining room, discussing the issue. Yolei: I was there last night! I heard every word with my own two ears! Meilin: I knew it! I always thought there was something fishy about her. Kari: I know it seems weird, but think of it from Madison’s perspective. Giselle: What do you mean her perspective? Before you know it, she’ll be kissing everyone in the house! Kari: Maybe we can talk to her about it. Giselle: Everything can’t be solved by talking it out! Meilin: (CC) I knew she had feelings for Avalon the whole time! Giselle: (CC) If Meilin says she knew about it, then why didn’t she tell any of us? Meilin: (CC) I just didn’t want anyone else to know, that’s all. Sora: Come on, Giselle. There’s got to be some reasonable explanation for this. Yolei: She likes girls! That’s all there is to it. Mimi: Yolei! I can’t believe you’d judge her like that! Giselle: Shut up! You don’t have the guts to admit that you agree with her! Mimi: How dare you! Kari: Okay you two, could we please keep from getting into an argument over this? Sora: Really. (to Yolei) Have you actually asked her about her infatuation for Sakura? Yolei: No. When she came to bed late last night, she just flopped into bed without saying a word. Meilin: I say we kick her out of the house! Sora: Why? Meilin: She could be a threat to all of us! (to Yolei) Watch. You’ll be her first victim. Yolei: (shaking her head) Nonsense. She wouldn’t dare. Kari: Why can’t any of you think logically about this? Sora: Just because Madison said she likes Sakura doesn’t mean that she likes the rest of us in the same manner. Mimi: Besides, it’s probably a phase she’s going through. Yolei: And how would you know? Giselle: Yeah! You’re not studying psychology, last I heard. Meilin: I say we go to Miss McKenzie right now and ask her to have Madison kicked out! Yolei and Giselle: (raising their fists in the air) Yeah! Kari: I’m surprised at all of you! To think you’d support such drastic measures. Sora: I’m sure we can figure some other way of going about this. Giselle: Oh. And I suppose you’ve gone through something like this? Mimi: (nods) Sora and I go through it all the time. Or at least once a week, if I remember right... Sora: You should see our fanmail. You won’t believe how many people want to see me sleep with Mimi. Mimi: As if that would ever happen. Sora: (angry) What? Mimi: Well, very few people like a tomboy, Sora. Guys want a girl that’s independent while still doing things that girls like. Sora: (raising her eyebrow) You? Independent? If I remember right, you were the one that was always crying for your mom in the Digiworld! Mimi: At least I have feelings, unlike some unemotional former best friend I knew. Sora: (gasps) You don’t have to worry about this former best friend! I never liked you in the first place! Mimi: That’s a relief. At least I won’t have to worry about you sneaking into my bed tonight. Sora: Why you... Kari: (yells) That’s enough! Aren’t you all tired of all of this useless fighting? Giselle: No. We’re just tired of your useless whining! Meilin: (to Giselle) And I’m tired of you! Why don’t you just shut up? Giselle: Why don’t you? Kari: Why don’t you both? As the five girls continue to argue, Yolei stands off to the side, wondering what to do next. Yolei: (VO) Am I doing the right thing? And should I be concerned about my safety with Madison still in the mansion? Up in Yolei and Madison’s bedroom, Madison is getting up out of bed. After taking care of her morning routine, she heads downstairs and straight towards the confessional room. Madison: (CC) Who would have thought that three little words would turn everyone against me? I already hear them arguing over it in the other room. Meanwhile, Duplica, Chelsea, and Sasami are out on the town. They had enough conscience to predict in advance the argument that would’ve started in the house, so they decided to go out. They are currently walking down Main Street, enjoying the sights and sounds of the city. Duplica: So, what do you guys think? Sasami: Personally, I just think it’s nonsense. It’s all made up. Chelsea: I don’t think so. Sakura told me herself last night. It’s for real. Duplica: (sighs) I can see it now. We’ll be lucky if there’s still any order in the mansion when we get back. Sasami: Why is everyone taking this so seriously? I don’t see what the big idea is. Duplica: Me neither. So what if Madison likes Sakura that way? I don’t think we have anything to worry about. Chelsea: What makes you say that? Duplica: Well, has Sakura told Madison she likes her? Chelsea: (shakes her head) No. She was crying when she told me about it. I’m pretty sure they weren’t tears of happiness, either. Sasami: So all we have to do is tell everyone that and everything will be fine. Duplica: And then everything will be back to normal. Chelsea: At least, until Sakura tells Madison her feelings about this. (smiles) But I’m sure that she doesn’t like her in that manner. Duplica: I hope you’re right, Chelsea. Chelsea: (VO) I hope I’m right too. I don’t think I could talk to either of them if they were a couple. Meanwhile, Misty is in the backyard, lying down on the grass with her hands behind her heads. She doesn’t seem to be worried about anything at all. As she looks up into the beautiful blue sky, her thoughts are interrupted by Rita’s voice. Rita: Misty! Misty: (turning towards Rita) Huh? Rita: May I watch the sky with you? Misty: (lies back down and sighs) Sure. Like I have a choice. Rita smiles and takes a seat to Misty’s left. She then lies down, with her hands crossed over her chest. Misty: Rita, can I ask you a question? Rita: I guess. Misty: How come you’re always so quiet? Rita: (sitting up) Huh? Misty: (also sitting up) I mean, out of everyone here, you’re the one that tends to be the loner. I never see you go out with anyone. The only ones I see you hang out with are Sakura and her friends, and even then you don’t talk much. What’s with that? Rita: To tell you the truth, I’m not so sure myself. Misty: What do you mean you’re not so sure? Rita: Every time I say something, I’m instantly liked by everyone around because they say my voice makes me sound mature. Misty: And you’re saying that that’s a bad thing? Rita: I’m only ten, going on eleven in a month. I don’t want everyone to treat me like an adult yet! I’m still a kid! Misty: You can’t be serious! I have friends that I hang around with who I think would only be sane if they were mature, much less an adult. Rita: (blinking her eyes in curiosity) Like who? Misty: Oh, just these two boys I always hang out with. Rita: I see. Misty: So that’s why you’re so quiet? That’s a dumb reason! Rita: Dumb? Misty: Allow me to explain. Who cares if your voice sounds mature? You shouldn’t care what anyone else says. Rita: I see. Like you kept ignoring Kari’s advice when she tried to resolve things between you and Sora? Misty: (growls) Yeesh! Okay, so I don’t follow my own advice. Sue me. Anyway, you shouldn’t care about the opinions of others. Just be yourself! Heck, I’m glad you are mature, because there sure are a lot of people in this mansion that aren’t. (as a tear escapes from her right eye) Myself included. Rita leans over and gives Misty a pat on the back. Misty looks up and wipes the tear from her face. Misty: You see Rita? (smiles) You are mature from your age. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. Rita: Thanks Misty. You don’t know how much this means to me. The two of them get up from their seats on the grass and start to head back into the mansion. Rita: So Misty, what’s your take on the whole Madison-Sakura deal? Misty: I say no big deal. The others are so immature to think something like this is possible at this age. Rita: I guess you’re right. Misty: Of course I’m right. We are the mature ones, after all. * * * * * * * * * * Day Twenty Four The following morning, most of the girls’ attention was still on Madison and her startling revelation. Rita was one of the girls who was not paying attention to any of the talk about her classmate and friend. She goes out to the mailbox and finds a small envelope in it. She runs back into the mansion and gets all of the girls together in the first floor recreation room. As Rita opens the envelope, she notices that there is no videotape in it. There is, however, a cassette inside. As soon as she pulls it out, Duplica runs off. Just one minute later, she returns with her stereo in hand. Rita hands the cassette to Duplica, who slips it into the correct slot. As Rita looks for a place to sit down, she notices that no one is sitting anywhere close to Madison. Without hesitation, she walks over and takes a seat next to her friend. Rita gets a couple of odd glances from some of the others, but she ignores them. She then looks over at Madison, only to find that she is sadly staring at the floor, oblivious to all of the staring eyes. Meanwhile, Duplica pushes the play button on the stereo. As the tape begins to play, the song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” can be heard in the background. Casey recognizes it instantly and smiles as Miss McKenzie starts talking. Layla: Wow! What a great song! I bet you all know it’s that time of the year again. And to get in the spirit, we’re going to have a little contest. Grab your bats and gloves to today’s prize challenge and I’ll bring the peanuts and Cracker Jacks! As the cassette comes to an end, Sasami quickly raises her right hand into the air. Chelsea: (who was sitting to Sasami’s left) What’s wrong Sasami? Sasami: (with a look of confusion) Just what exactly is baseball, anyway? Everyone in the room facefaults to the ground. An irate Casey quickly gets up and starts lecturing Duplica about the joys of baseball and her favorite team, the Electabuzz. Not wanting to sit around and hear what Casey has to say, everyone runs out of the room. That’s despite the fact that Duplica didn’t get a chance to tell everyone what time they were supposed to meet to leave. Once out of the room, Rita pulls Madison off to the side. They begin to converse, just outside of microphone range, so we can only hear them whispering from this distance. Rita: (CC) Personally, I can relate with Madison. We both are chasing relationships that could be considered morally incorrect. But honestly, at least I’m smart enough to keep mine a secret. Madison: (CC) Rita thinks she’s slick. Although she thinks no one knows about her relationship with Mr. Terada, guess who does? I mean, it’s plainly obvious. And she’s trying to console me? Look, she may be a friend, but when it comes to giving advice, she just plain sucks at it. Rita: (CC) She brought all of this on herself. She shouldn’t have admitted her feelings. Madison: (CC) You’re just wasting my time, Rita. Save your counseling skills for someone who really needs it. A little bit later, the girls, dressed in appropriate attire, pile into two vans and make their way down to King Penguin Park. Once there, the vans pull in right beside a baseball field. Miss McKenzie is waiting for them. In one of the dugouts, a pile of bats, a teeball stand, four batting helmets, and two boxes: one full of uniforms, while the other is full of baseball gloves. Out on the mound, a pitching machine has been set up. Layla: Good afternoon, girls. Today, you’ll be competing in your fourth prize challenge. The competition will test your physical knowledge of the fundamentals of baseball. The winners of the challenge will win a Gateway Performance 1500 computer, complete with a Pentium 4 processor, a Rewritable CD-ROM Drive, and a seventeen inch monitor. In short, let’s just say that the rewards have just gotten much better. Mimi: Miss McKenzie! I have no idea what all that stuff you just said means, but if it’s for a free computer, then I’m in! The other girls quickly agree. Layla: Now that you’re all excited about this challenge, it’s time to pick teams. I need you girls to split up into teams of four. After some shuffling and some reluctance by a few people to let Madison join their team, the groups are set. They are as follows: [Team A: Nikki, Jun, Sora, and Mimi Team B: Meilin, Yolei, Casey, and Duplica Team C: Chelsea, Sakura, Giselle, and Sasami Team D: Kari, Rita, Madison, and Misty] Over the course of the next fifteen minutes or so, Miss McKenzie distributes uniforms, hats, and gloves to all of the girls. The girls then head to the nearest restrooms and change into the uniforms, which include a white shirt, which has thin black stripes running vertically down it, and plain white skirts, which were of a pretty decent length. Casey: I’m amazed that we’re wearing skirts rather than long pants. Mimi: You mean baseball players wear pants? Man, I’d hate to be the guy who wears those out in the sun for several hours. Sora: Mimi, you’re not making any sense. Giselle: As usual. Sakura: So Miss McKenzie, what exactly are we doing? Layla: Well, today’s competition is split up into three parts. Each member of the team must compete in one of the parts. I will explain the parts as we get along. For the first part, I’ll need one member from each team. Once you’ve decided who that is, I need that person to head out to center field with a glove in hand. Sora, Meilin, Giselle, and Madison are picked by their respective teams. Everyone else watches them from the infield as Miss McKenzie joins the four players. Layla: Okay, in the first part I’ll be hitting fly balls to you from left field. Basically, your objective is to catch them. Each fly you catch is worth one point. Sora, you’ll go first. The rest of you, stand to the side. Sora gets into position as Miss McKenzie walks over to left field, where an aluminum bat and a bucket full of baseballs is waiting. Once Miss McKenzie gets there, she immediately prepares to start the challenge. Layla: (shouting across the field) Are you ready, Sora? Sora gives an affirmative nod. She then watches as Miss McKenzie tosses a baseball into the air and then hits it high, almost directly above where Sora is. She sticks her glove up and closes it just as she feels the ball make contact with it. Sora breathes a sigh of relief. But it’s short-lived, as she hears the crack of a bat. Another ball is now in the air, but it is moving towards Sora’s right. She tosses the ball in her glove to the side before going after this one, but it hits the ground before she can get to it. A third ball is hit up, back towards where Sora started. That one comes down and brushes the tip of her glove before hitting the ground. A fourth falls in front of her, once again missing her glove by inches. She does succeed in catching the last one, though, which was a high ball that seemed to float forever in the air until it came down into her glove. Sora can hear her team cheering her from the infield. Sora: Not bad. Two out of five. I was expecting to do much better, but that was harder than I thought it would be. Meilin: (stepping into position) Let me show you how it’s done, Sora. Sora: Be my guest. I doubt you can do any better. Meilin: Wanna bet? Sora: Sure. Loser has to do the other’s chores for a week. Meilin: Deal. The two shake hands, sealing the deal. Miss McKenzie makes sure that Meilin is ready before she starts hitting baseballs to her. Miss McKenzie hits the first ball high up and straight towards Meilin. Meilin catches it easily. The second ball is aimed to Meilin’s left, so she moves towards that way. She miscalculates how far to go over, and so the ball comes down just out of her reach. The third goes long and so she’s forced to backpedal. She leaps straight up into the air to catch it, but it bounces off the top of the glove and falls to the ground, just inches behind her. The fourth is hit very high, giving her plenty of time to get under it and easily catch it. The last one is a blooper that’s short, causing her to sprint as fast as she can up towards Miss McKenzie. She dives forward and catches the ball just as her glove hits the ground. Meilin hears her teammates cheer as she walks back to the other competitors. Sora spots the smug look on her face as she walks by. Meilin: Am I good or what? Sora: (snaps her fingers) Rats. Giselle: Okay, now it’s my turn. Giselle gets into position. Miss McKenzie immediately starts hitting balls at her. The first ball is hit high. An easy catch. Well, it was supposed to be one. The ball comes down just short of Giselle and rolls in between her legs. Although frustrated, she keeps her focus on Miss McKenzie as the second ball is hit into the air. This one heads towards her right. She runs in that direction, but ends up going too far, as she overshoots the place where the ball lands. The third is a low one, heading back towards where she started. She dives for it, but once again comes up empty. The fourth is a short fly. Giselle is confident that she can catch this one. But once again, the ball misses her glove... this time, landing off to her left. The fifth and final ball is a deep ball. Giselle runs back. As the ball is about to come down, she prepares to catch it. Giselle leaps into the air, but the ball falls over her head. She lands on her side, causing a long grass streak to appear on the left side of her uniform. Sasami: Oh man... those grass stains will take forever to get out. Giselle’s team gives her a congratulatory clap for effort, but missing all five fly balls doesn’t earn her any respect from her fellow competitors. Madison: That wasn’t exactly the most graceful way to catch a fly ball. Meilin: I hate to sound like Misty, but ‘I thought the Pokémon Tech student could do everything!’ Sora: I agree. You stink at sports, Giselle. Giselle: (sarcastically) Oh, that sounds so reassuring, coming from the super athlete who thinks these challenges are a walk in the park. Sora: They’re not that hard. Honestly. Giselle: Well, all of us aren’t as good in sports as you are, little Miss Fitness queen. Meilin: Giselle, shut up. Stop being jealous. Giselle: Jealous? Madison: (interrupting the conversation) Excuse me girls, but can you be quiet so I can concentrate? Giselle: Oh, hush. You’re not special. Oh wait a minute... I forgot. You’re the bad kind of special. Sora: Giselle, that’s enough! You’re hurting Madison’s feelings. Giselle: Oh, so you like her too, huh? Why don’t you go join Sakura? I’m sure she’d like a partner too. (looking at Meilin) Right? Meilin: (crossing her arms) No offense, but even I would never be so stupid as to insult Madison in public, especially in her position. Giselle: That’s just another way of saying that you talk about her behind her back. Madison: (shouting) That’s enough! Just stop it, please! Sora, Giselle, and Meilin quickly shut up. Madison then takes her position. Miss McKenzie begins hitting fly balls to her. She catches the first, which easily plops into her glove. The others, though, were much tougher. The second flies behind her. She isn’t fast enough to get back there in time to catch it. She has to run back up and attempt a diving catch for the third, but she misses there as well. The fourth is a low line drive to her left. She reaches out to catch it, but it brushes her glove and flies past. The last ball is a high pop-up. She gets under it, but then the sun gets in her eye. The ball sails over her and lands several feet behind her. Dejected, despite beating Giselle, she heads back towards the infield instantly. Her teammates cheer for her, but it doesn’t help cheer her up. Sora, Giselle, and Meilin follow slowly behind her. After a short break, the second part of the challenge begins... Layla: For the second portion, one person will compete per team. This part is a home run derby. Each player will get five chances to send a ball over the fence, which is two hundred feet away from home plate. They will be attempting to hit pitches sent from the pitching machine. A team will earn three points for every ball hit over the fence. Once you’ve chosen your representative, that person should put on a helmet and grab a bat. We’ll start with the team in last place... that’s Team 3. Jun, Duplica, Sakura, and Misty are chosen for this part. Sakura, being on Team 3, steps up to the plate first. Miss McKenzie takes her place behind the pitching machine and prepares to feed a baseball into it. Layla: Sakura, just a friendly reminder. You do not have to swing at any pitch you don’t like. Those will not be counted against you. They count only if you make contact with the ball. Sakura nods in agreement. She takes her place with her helmet firmly snug on her head and a bat in her right hand. Before she knows it, Miss McKenzie drops the first ball into the machine. It fires straight at the plate. Sakura swings too late and ends up missing the ball. In fact, she swings so hard she almost loses her balance. As she steadies herself, she can hear Meilin laughing at her from the dugout. Meilin: What’s wrong, Avalon? Too fast for ya? Sakura: Give me a break! I wasn’t expecting that one! Sakura sets up as Miss McKenzie loads another baseball into the machine. It comes out just a split second later. This time, Sakura swings and connects. Unfortunately, it does not make it out of the infield, bouncing just outside of the third base foul line. Sakura lets the next two balls go by before hitting the third into the air. It comes down behind second base. She also hits the next one; a line drive towards the shortstop position. She then watches as three more go past her, all low. Miss McKenzie adjusts the machine before loading another ball. Sakura gets a piece of it, fouling it to the backstop behind her. After letting yet one more ball go by, she swings and connects again. This fifth hit is her farthest yet as it makes it to the outfield easily. It’s still way short of the fence, though, and so she dejected heads back to the bench without hitting a single home run. While Misty preps for her shot at the fence, she fails to notice that Rita and Madison are sitting all alone on the far side of the bench. Her other teammate, Kari, doesn’t notice either. Misty places the bat in her right hand and sets up, ready to swing. Miss McKenzie starts loading baseballs into the machine, one after another. Misty lets four go by before finding two in a row that were right over the plate. She hits them both in the exact same place: into shallow left field. She watches the next ball pass by. She then swings at the next, fouling it off to her right. It hits the fence in front of the dugout, scaring some of the girls. Chelsea: Hey! Giselle: What are you trying to do? Kill us? Yolei: Of all the nerve... Kari: She didn’t mean it! Misty ignores the comments of her peers and focuses her attention back towards Miss McKenzie and the pitching machine. She musters all of her power into her next swing, sending her fourth hit towards the fence. Many of the girls gasp in awe. But Misty knows that it was not enough. She watches as the ball comes down about thirty feet short of the left field fence. Kari groans in disbelief. Misty was so close, yet so far. Misty shakes it off, though. She had one chance left. She swings at the next ball and immediately fouls it down the third base line. She fakes a smile as she walks back to the dugout, as some of the girls cheer her on. At that exact moment, she watches as Rita and Madison walk back towards the others. It seemed that Madison had been crying, but whatever she and Rita talked about seemed to calm her down. Misty decided that she’d talk to her about it later. Misty: (CC) I’m not exactly sure what Sora, Meilin, and Giselle said to Madison in the outfield, or who said it. But I’m going to find out what happened and get to the bottom of this. * * * * * * * * * * Jun is the next to step up to the plate. She immediately swings at the first pitch and hits it into center field, about a hundred feet away. After passing up on two pitches, she connects with the next three. The first is an infield pop-up. The second was a bouncing ball up the middle. The third was a foul she knocked down the left field line. She passes on two more pitches before she finally found a pitch she liked. Jun swings the bat and hits the baseball all the way to left field fence, two hundred feet away. It barely clears it, dropping down just behind it. She pumps her fist into the air in celebration. Sora, Nikki, and Mimi run out to give her a big hug as she makes her way back to the dugout. Duplica: Talk about strength. Giselle: Who would’ve known that she, out of all people, could knock one out? Sasami: (smiles) That’s Jun for you. You never know what she’s capable of doing, because no one ever gives her a chance. Jun: (CC) How’s that for irony? I’m the first person to hit one out of the park! As Jun continues to celebrate with her teammates, Duplica walks up to the plate. She grounds the first two balls into the gap between first and second base. She doesn’t swing through on the third, causing the ball to roll just a few feet in front of her. She passes on the next one, attempting to calm down, before swinging at the next. This one is hit foul down the first base line. She also hits the next pitch; a short fly just beyond second base. Having spent her five pitches, she quickly walks back to the dugout. The scores after two parts: Team A has 5 pts., Team B has 3, Team C has 0, and Team D has just 1. After another break to remove the pitching machine and set up a few targets and the teeball stand, the third and final portion of the challenge is about to begin. Layla: The final competition is an accuracy contest. Each team will send two representatives to the plate. Each player gets thirty seconds to hit as many balls off the tee and at the targets. There is a target at each infield position. For each target you hit, your team earns five points, so it is still any team’s game. Note that while one person is batting, the other is responsible for putting a new ball on the tee after the previous one is hit. Team 3 will be first, since they are trailing. Pick which one of you will bat first. Chelsea and Sasami both grab helmets and put them on. Chelsea also grabs a bat and heads for the plate immediately. Once they are in place, Sasami places the first ball on the tee. All that’s left is to wait for the signal to begin. Layla: (starting a stopwatch) Go! Chelsea smacks the first ball to the left of the third base target. She pops the second over the pitcher’s mound. The third one bounces in front of and then over the second base target. The fourth is fouled down the third base line, while the fifth goes the opposite way. She finally succeeds with the sixth, hitting the ball right at the shortstop target. She hits two more before time runs out, but both bounce up the middle. Chelsea and Sasami then switch places. Sasami then begins her round. Sasami turns out to be a little luckier than her teammate. She hits the first two at the shortstop. The third just misses hitting the second base target. She knocks the fourth into the outfield, fouls off the fifth as it rolls back behind home plate, pops up the sixth and seventh, and dribbles the eighth down the first base line. Just as time expires, she whacks a ninth ball right at the first base target, hitting it. Chelsea gives Sasami a high-five as they head back to the dugout. Together, they hit four targets, earning their team twenty points. Rita and Kari are next up. Kari decides to bat first, so she takes her place next to the tee. Misty: You can do it, Kari! Go girl! As Miss McKenzie gives Kari the signal to begin, she hits the first ball right at the shortstop. In fact, she hits the next three in the exact place. It’s all downhill from there as she the fifth and sixth are hit over the targets and into the outfield. The seventh, she hits as time runs out. She hits it in between the shortstop and third base targets. Rita and Kari swap positions. Seconds later, Kari places a new ball onto the tee. Rita begins swinging. Rita hits the first one down the first base line, just missing the target there. She hits the second just over the shortstop. She fouls the third out to right field. She finally hits a target with her fourth ball, knocking it right into the center of the third base target. She fouls the fifth to the left of third base. She bats the sixth in between first and second. Her seventh nips the top of the first base target. Kari sets the eighth on the tee, but time runs out before Rita can swing at it. Kari and Rita smile at each other and head back to the dugout, scoring thirty points off of six hits between the two of them. Casey jumps up in excitement as she steps up to the plate. Her teammate Yolei, though, doesn’t share her enthusiasm. Yolei: (VO) Why can’t we play a safer game than baseball? I’m just so afraid that I’ll swing so hard that I swing the bat right into my face. Or Casey might accidentally foul a ball back towards me. What am I going to do? Casey: Let’s go, Yolei! We can do it! Casey takes a bat and swings. She’s not paying attention, though, and she just misses hitting Yolei on the side of her thigh. Yolei: Hey! I’d like to get out of this in one piece! Casey: Sorry ‘bout that. I’m just so excited! Yolei: (sighs) Let’s just get this over with. Casey takes her spot next to the tee and raises the bat over her shoulder to signify that she’s ready. Yolei puts the first ball on the tee and then jumps out of the way. Casey: Batter up! As soon as the challenge begins, Casey starts hitting baseballs all over the place. One after another, she hits them through the infield. When all is said and done, though, all the baseballs either roll or bounce right by one of the targets. Casey is gawking in dismay that she didn’t score any points. That just makes Yolei even more nervous, now that she is left to score all the points. She takes the bat from Casey and takes her place. Casey places a baseball onto the tee and then steps out of the way. Miss McKenzie gives Yolei the signal to start. Yolei starts off just as Casey did, hitting the ball well but missing the targets. Her luck improves by the time she gets to the fifth ball, though. She lines that one right at the third base target, tearing a piece off it of in the process. She then hits the next one right at the second base target. She hits two more balls, but neither of them hits a target as time runs out. Even though she only hit two targets, she’s still proud of her performance. Together, Casey and Yolei earned ten points. Not as much as the other teams, but still, they had fun doing it. And to them, that’s all that matters. Nikki and Mimi are the last two competitors. Nikki decides that she will bat first, with Mimi feeding her the baseballs. Layla: A reminder before your team starts, girls. To win, the two of you need to hit six targets combined to win. If you fail, then Team 4 will win the challenge. The two nod, understanding what they must do. Nikki takes her position and prepares to begin. Once given the signal, Nikki hits the first ball. It bounces up the middle. Mimi places the second ball on the tee and Nikki swings at it. She hits this one just over the third base target. Her third hit rolls right past that same target. She pops up the fourth, as it comes down just behind the second base target. She then hits two line drives down the third base line, but misses the target on both occasions. She finally hits one with the seventh ball, hitting the shortstop target very low. She has time to hit one more. She aims it at the shortstop once again, but this ball bounces over it. Nikki hands the bat over to Mimi. The two swap positions and the challenge resumes, with Mimi having to hit five targets for her team to win. She hits the first one directly at the first base target. Her second hit rolls just to the right of the shortstop position. She fouls the third one over in right field. Adjusting her swing, she swings to her left for the fourth ball, but ends up fouling it the opposite way. Her fifth ball nips the top of the shortstop target as it bounces into the outfield. The next two miss again, both flying over the intended targets. She knocks one more ball of the tee as time expires; this one hits the third base target. Mimi drops the bat and wipes the sweat off of her forehead. She’s glad that the challenge is over, even though her team didn’t win. Nikki waits for Mimi before the two of them walk back to the dugout together. Miss McKenzie quickly tallies the results and then announces them to the girls. Layla: First of all, you all played great today. It’s time to announce the results. In fourth place, with thirteen points, is the team of Meilin, Duplica, Yolei, and Casey. In third, with twenty points, is the team of Sakura, Giselle, Sasami, and Chelsea. In second, finishing with twenty-five, is the team of Sora, Jun, Nikki, and Mimi. That means that the winners of the challenge, with thirty-one points, are Misty, Madison, Rita, and Kari. The aforementioned foursome give each other high fives. Layla: You four will be entered in the drawing in three weeks for the Gateway computer. As Misty, Madison, Rita, and Kari continue their celebration, the others begin helping Miss McKenzie clean up all of the baseball supplies. Minutes later, the girls are on their way back to the mansion for a night of relaxation. Night Twenty Four Giselle is in her room, reading a romance novel, when all of a sudden, she spots Misty in the doorway. Giselle: Oh, hi Misty. What can I do for you? Misty: (stomping into the room) We need to talk. Jun: Hi there, Misty! Misty looks over to the other side of the room. She hadn’t realized that Jun was also present. Misty gives Jun a stern look. Without hesitation, Jun leaves the room and closes the door behind her. Misty then turns her attention back to Giselle. Misty: Okay Giselle, just what exactly did you say to Madison earlier today? Giselle: I have no idea what you’re talking about. Misty: Don’t give me that! When I was walking back to the bench after I had my turn, I saw Rita consoling Madison. It seems that neither of them would tell me what was wrong, so I decided to turn to the usual suspect. Giselle: I wasn’t the only one there, you know. Meilin and Sora were out there too. Misty: I know that. But wherever there’s gossip around this house, you always seem to be right in the thick of it. Giselle: So you automatically assign blame to me, right? Well, let me tell you something, Misty. I don’t know what you heard. But I didn’t not insult Madison or her preference for Sakura. I just commented on it, that’s all. Misty: And what exactly was the comment that you made to her? Giselle glares at Misty for a brief second before heading towards the door. As she opens it, Misty begins yelling at her. Misty: Giselle! If you walk out that door, I’ll call Miss McKenzie and she can settle all of this personally! Giselle: (smirks) Go ahead, if it’ll make you happy. I have nothing to hide. Misty: If so, then why won’t you tell me what you said to Madison today? Giselle: That’s for me to know and you to find out. Giselle walks out the door and heads down the stairs. Misty can do nothing but watch as her rival disappears from sight. She heads to her room and closes the door behind her. Misty: (CC) Giselle’s being a pain in the butt, as usual. If she’s hiding something from me, I’ll find out about it. And then she’ll be the one who’ll have to answer to Miss McKenzie. End Episode Twelve Layla: (VO) Next time, on Roomies... Kari: Misty and I have decided that the best way to settle this was to call a house meeting. Misty: Okay, everyone here promises to tell the truth and nothing but the truth? She gets an affirmative nod from the rest of the girls. Layla: (VO) Kari and Misty decide to take matters into their own hands... Kari: Madison, I want your honest opinion. Have you been threatened by any of the girls in this room in the past four days? Madison: Well... Layla: (VO) Also on tap: Jun receives a special present... Jun: Why would he be sending me a package? Kari: Maybe he just addressed to you when in reality it’s for me. Yolei: Doesn’t he know when to quit? Layla: (VO) Chelsea writes a love letter... Chelsea: Let’s see... I loved the way you... Nikki: (blushing) Oh my. Sora: I think that’s more than we needed to know, Chelsea. Layla: (VO) And the Pokémon girls spend a night out on the town... Casey: I think I’m a little too young for this. Misty: Nonsense. Besides, it’s not like we’re going to a night club. Giselle: So what exactly are we going to do? Duplica: I’ve got a great idea! Layla: (VO) That’s all on the next episode of Roomies... Copyright Date: 8/28/01