The Real World 11

Welcome to Chicago (2002)

We're going to Chicago! Well, at least Aneesa, Cara, Chris, Keri, Kyle, Theo and Tonya are, and we get to tag along for the ride. We meet Theo and Tonya first and immediately there is tension because Tonya--who is from Walla Walla, Washington--doesn't have much experience with people who are different from her, and Theo happens to be a black man. But they get past the tension without much of a hitch and arrive at the bright orange door of their new home. Aneesa is the next to arrive and Theo is immediately attracted to her. Her vibrant personality and free-spiritedness (that means she likes to walk around naked) has Theo in player mode from their first handshake. When Aneesa reveals that she's a lesbian, Theo is thrown an unexpected loop. But in his mind, the fact that she's not attracted to men seems only a minor hurdle and he continues to flirt shamelessly. ""We're going to be here for four months, anything can happen,"" he reasons.

Brothers and Sisters (2002)

After the roommates' time in the hot tub, the group wonders what Chris is hiding-they think he must have a secret. Most of them decide that Chris must be the house virgin. Chris shoots that down and shocks them all when he explains that he was deflowered by his baby-sitter when he was 12 years old. Aneesa, however, deciphers the clues and figures out the truth. Her understanding gives Chris a lot of comfort. Kyle also guesses that Chris is gay but only discusses it with Keri--he doesn't want to put Chris on the spot, especially with Theo in the house. While Theo is comfortable with Aneesa's lesbianism, he finds the idea of two men together disgusting. His constant comments about it anger Aneesa while Chris silently listens in. However, Aneesa has an interesting way of showing her unhappiness--instead of telling Theo how she feels, she gets in the shower with him and sleeps naked in bed with him. Despite all of the mixed signals, Theo apparently does understand their dynamic.

Summer Summer Summertime (2002)

Its summertime in the city and our seven strangers are chilling on the sandy Chicago beaches. Newly single Cara is lonely and on a mission…the Boy Hunt is on. First up is Jason, a guy she eyes across the sand castles and through the hard-bodies. She gives him the digits and they plan to make a date out of it. While Cara is excited about the date, she doesn't seem to really know what she wants. She still has feelings for her ex-boyfriend Jared, who apparently wants to marry her. She feels lonely when she's not with someone and needs physical affection to feel good about herself. This week she must feel absolutely great as she spends the night with a ""rock star"" and her friend from home, Nick. As she tells Theo, ""Friends can sleep together.""

Bonding Session (2002)

Everyone's bonding…except for Tonya. She's not about going out, she's about sitting at home talking on the phone with Justin. The rest of the gang is frustrated that she doesn't spend time with them and thinks she might be making up excuses and drama when things get hard. Kyle remarks, ""My relationship with Tonya is very much a labor of love. Occasionally, with a heavy emphasis on the labor side of things."" Meanwhile, the cast finds out that they will be working as lifeguards for Illinois State Parks and Recreation. They are all excited about the prospect of being on the beach all the time until they realize that they actually have to pass certification. Theo wants to be a lifeguard but doesn't know how to swim very well. Cara's dad is overjoyed that his daughter is following in his footsteps as a saver of lives, but the idea really scares her. She doesn't try very hard because she doesn't want the responsibility and eventually declines getting certified.

K likes K (2002)

It seems pretty obvious to everyone that Keri likes Kyle and Kyle likes Keri, but there's a problem. Kyle has a long-time girlfriend at home that he really loves, Nicole, and he's trying really hard not to do anything to jeopardize their relationship. He says, ""Nicole and I met two and a half years ago and we jumped into this fairy-tale love."" Apparently the fairy tale includes Keri because Kyle seems to enjoy spending a lot of time in the same bed with her, flirting. While Kyle, Keri and the rest of the cast members are bonding in Chicago, Tonya is back in Walla Walla with Justin and her doctors. When she lands, it's pretty clear that homesickness was as big a factor in her coming home as her physical illness. Tonya says that she ""realized that Walla Walla is an incredible place with amazing people that is the closest to a home that [she's] ever had.""