Page 24 of Alice Chen's Reality Check

Ahead of us, several couples have already made it to the first obstacle. Selena and Daniel bound up with an annoying amount of confidence, and Selena even manages to do a cute little shimmy as she ducks below the pole. The Rise and Grinders pause, but only long enough to figure out that they can make it if they stagger their turns underneath the pole—then they, too, are racing to the next obstacle.

How is everyone making this look easy? The way things are going, Chase and I won’t even make it out of Limbo. And then our failure is going to be broadcast on television to millions of people—to all my friends, to my co-teacher, to Coach Raza and his husband, who Iknoware tuning in because they watch every reality show under the sun. Hopefully not to my mom, who exclusively watches tai chi videos on YouTube and K-dramas. The worst part is that Daniel, my high school nemesis, is here to see it all live and in person.

Like hell am I going to go out without a fight. I channel every lastbit of spite I have into moving my aching legs. The gap between us and the next couple shrinks, and we reach the limbo pole just behind them.

It’s the couple that looks like they just left the club. The bodybuilder is too huge to easily make it under the limbo pole, and his bulging bicep nearly knocks over the pole. And his partner has to drop to her knees to shimmy under the pole, thanks to the skintight cover-up.

Chase barrels toward the pole. I yell, “Wait! Let me go first—” But it’s too late. Chase rams me into the pole.

“Ow!”

“Oops, watch out!” Chase says, maneuvering to give me space. He scoops me up again, and we’re off, definitely worse for wear. At least we’re neck and neck with our closest competition now.

The bodybuilder glances over at us as we sprint by.

“Blake, are you kidding me?” his partner screeches. “You’re checking that chick outnow? Right in front of me?”

“Bella, baby, I wasn’t! I was just seeing where they were!” Blake protests, pointing at me.

Bella whips her head around to glare at me. In a flash, I remember Bella’s jealousy, Blake’s wandering eye. I give Blake an almost cartoonishly suggestive wink.

Bella’s voice rises an octave. “What the hell? Did you hook up with that girl? She’s not even your type!”

This is our chance. I urge Chase onward, and we edge around them, running up to the second limbo pole. At this point, I think I’ve got the hang of it. In our best moment of coordination yet, my weight helps pull Chase under the pole, and we clear it without too much struggle.

Bella and Blake, on the other hand, are too busy arguing to see where they’re going, and they run smack into the second pole. Blake scrambles to get up, but his tight jeans are keeping him from lunging wide enough to stand. I can hear Bella’s furious shrieks as Chase and I make it past the third limbo pole, then half limp, half run to the end.

“We did it!” Chase shouts as we cross the finish line. Once I’ve undone the Velcro around our legs, he twirls me around. “Babe, we’restill in the game!”

I laugh along with him, buoyed by our close finish. We’ve survived to fight another day. But my moment of elation fizzles out when Dawn Taylor announces, “And the winners are…Daniel and Selena!”

She triumphantly raises Selena’s and Daniel’s hands, beaming. A cameraman pans around them as Selena shimmies and Daniel does a Superman pose.

Everyone cheers, with Chase cheering the loudest. He lets out an enthusiastic whoop before mouthingsecret allianceat me. But through the applause, I can tell that other people’s smiles are strained, almost angry. We all came to win, and Selena and Daniel just pulled ahead of the pack.

“Congratulations, you’ve won a date in the sexy cabana,” Dawn Taylor says, doing a sensual body roll. She follows that up with, “As for all of you losers, you get to rough it on the beach for your date. But before that, we must bid farewell to Blake and Bella. The two of you fell victim to Limbo. It’s time for you to get the hell out of here.”

Bella and Blake link hands. I feel a rush of gratitude for this train-wreck of a couple, and even for my neon bikini. I bet that’s why Blake looked at me. The beacon-bright yellow color is as good as a signal flare.

“Say your goodbyes,” Dawn Taylor says solemnly. “Your flame in hell is about to be extinguished.”

Two PAs start to bring over a pair of torches, but Peter Dixon waves them off.

“Freya, Anton, we don’t need those,” Peter Dixon calls out. “DT, love this direction, but hell is literallyon fire.Why are you putting out their torches?”

“It’ssymbolic,” Dawn says sweetly.

“I think we should skip it.”

“Pete, we agreed to this months ago.”

“It’s coming off a little derivative. TooSurvivor.”

“That’s a good thing. Our whole pitch isSurvivorin relationshiphell, remember?”

“I hear you, DT. But you know what they’ll say online.”

By the looks going around, I can tell we’re all starting to feel the weird vibe between Peter Dixon and Dawn Taylor. I think they can tell, too, because in a flash, Dawn Taylor flips her scowl to a charming smile.

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