Young Writers Society

Ever since Lou and Blue had crashed our picnic, I couldn't feel lighter.

It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest; there were two less people dead because of me. Sure, it was awkward and confusing to see Blue. She seemed different, somehow. She didn't stutter; her voice was chipper and happy in conversation. She was suddenly so...normal. Like any drop-dead gorgeous girl a guy could find in a crowd. But she didn't really talk about what happened between us before, so I didn't either.

I guess it was better that way.

I ignored any conflict that stirred inside me when I was around her, and took solace in the distractions. I begged for them. I begged for Lou to get my jokes, and I begged for Laska to keep my attention. It worked, for the most part.

I told Lou that I'd be right back, and strolled out the doorway. The evening breeze was cold, but it didn't bother me as I walked to the nearest fire pit. I sat down on one of the logs we'd installed as makeshift benches, and started poking at the fire with a tree branch. I was planning on cooking up some meat, bringing it back to Lou and that little karate kid along with a few mangoes. But when I caught sight of Laska walking towards me, I doubted any of that would happen.

She was coming from the med tent, I was guessing; she'd said she was heading over to talk to Ezzie. I started calling out to her, singing (badly), "You're an angel, tell me you're never leaving // 'Cause you're the first thi--"

I stopped suddenly, smile fading, because I saw the tears that were streaking down her face. Her hand was covering her mouth, and her shoulders were shaking. I stood up in a flash, a tinge of worry rising inside me. "Laska, baby, what's wrong?" She didn't respond for a moment. All I could hear was the crackling of the flame. When she got to me, she could barely talk through her tears.

"Chelsea's dead," she told me, and her nose was running. She wiped her upper lip, but she couldn't stop crying. Her curls stuck to her cheeks. "Chelsea--she's--and Jackie might be--" Without waiting for her to continue, I pulled her close, cuddling her up in my arms, and she melted into me, sobbing into my sweatshirt and curling her arms around my torso.

"Hey, shhh," I reassured her, kissing her hair.

"Elvis told me," she said, her voice raw, eyes leaking tears as she looked up at me. Her fingers clung to the fabric of my sweatshirt. "He told me my best friend died, Chris." Her lip trembled. Her eyes were wide and desperate. "And-and Jackie might be on the way, and I--I don't know how to deal with any of this."

"You're doing just fine," I told her.

She swallowed and shook her head. "No," she said, "No, it's not fine. The only reason I thought it was fine was because I had you. But I don't--" She scrunched up her nose, her expression pained. "I don't know what I'm gonna do if you still love her."

Surprised, I pulled away slightly, mouth agape. "What? Love her? Love who?"

"Saph," she choked out.

My eyebrows fell, and I felt my shoulders slacken. "Aw, Christ."

Laska narrowed her eyes and turned away from me, wiping her eyes. She looked so upset, and it broke my heart. Voice shaking, she said, "Yeah, I know, I'm stupid. Go ahead and--"

"No, look at me," I cut in, voice demanding. "Listen to me, alright? I don't love anyone." Then I stepped forward, waiting until she met my eye. "Anyone else. I don't love anyone else." I shook my head. "I'm in love with you," I blurted out, shrugging. It felt so good to say it, and I reached out for her.

My voice faltered. "Lask, I'm so in love with you."

She turned back towards me, letting out a short exhale, breath leaving her. "You are?" she got out, shivering from the cold.

"Yeah," I told her, biting my lip to keep from smiling. I wiped her cheek with my thumb and then wrapped her in another hug. "It's alright," I told her, kissing the top of her head. "We're gonna get through this together."

After a moment, I freed her from my arms and wriggled out of my Packers sweatshirt. I gave it to her to put on. "You're freezing," I said.

"Won't you be cold?" she asked, but didn't protest much more as she tugged it over her head.

"Nah," I replied. Her hair was caught in the neck of the sweatshirt, and the sleeves came a few inches past her fingertips. She blushed and smiled. "You look cute," I told her. "Packers look good on you."

She wiped her eyes again, the sleeves curled up inside her palms, and I took her other hand. "Walk you home?" I asked. She stretched up and kissed my cheek in response.

It was nice in the village, especially when you weren't sneaking around.

Maybe it was time for me to move on. Maybe it was time for me to just let things go and join the others in their doleful bliss. Maybe the culprit was long-gone, and all my fears were just manifestations of my injured mind.

I pondered my feelings in the shade of a large tree. I noticed Saph looking at me; maybe she liked me, maybe she was intrigued by me. Or, maybe she was just wondering what I had been doing staring at a fucking tree.

In a way, all of us were like trees as well: we were all rooted, stuck on this shitty island with no soccer or wi-fi. We were stuck with whomever we had simply found ourselves next to, and some of us had even grown on dirt clearings – far from any other tree, unable to reach them with our branches no matter how hard we pleaded the wind to give us a little push. And sometimes, the wind would comply, and carry our branches to the tree of our choosing, but since it flows in the same direction for all of us, it would carry their branches away as well, not allowing our leaves to brush together, not allowing us to synthesize with their light.

"Nah, I'm too broken for Saph," I whispered to myself and I strolled off. Everything around me radiated happiness: the birds, the trees, the monkeys playing in the trees, the smiling people on the cover of some magazine tossed on the ground. But I made the flowers wither in my wake; I made them bow down to the king of worry and anxiety.

I hadn't gone too far from the village when I saw it: a camera, just hanging there from a low tree branch like a present held out by a generous hand. I gently took it in my palms, careful not to damage any of the leaves – I was grateful to the tree for the gift it had bestowed upon me. Or maybe it had been a gift for another tree, and I had just robbed it of its chance to impress its sweetheart?

Either way, I took the camera. And as soon as I did – "That's mine, you know," a voice spoke behind my back. I turned around, and I saw a boy who looked just like me, maybe a little taller. "But, I'll let you keep it if you've got some food," he said. "I've got no use for it anyway." I handed him what had remained of my last candy bar. He looked pleased. "Let me show you how it works," he said after he pocketed the confectionary. "This is a miniature solar panel. It will keep it charged for as long as there is daylight. And this is a fingerprint scanner. Just give me a sec," he grabbed the camera and pressed all over it with his clean fingers. "Alright, put your finger here," he said as he snatched my hand and pressed my thumb against a tiny rectangle in the corner. "Alright. Now, you're the only one who can use it. Have fun." He didn't even look back as he ran off into the jungle.

"Wait, what's your…" I said before I realized he would not reply. "…name?"

I examined the camera. The battery was full, the resolution was great, and the best part about it: nobody could see my recordings without my consent.

I didn't think twice about it; I turned it on and placed it on a rock at about my level. I took a step back until I was in-frame.

"Hey, guys," I spoke, looking at the lens. "So, I guess you've noticed I've been a little absent in the past few… whatever. Anyway, I was going to make a video celebrating fifty thousand subscribers, but I guess there's not too many of you left now, is there? Or, there won't be when I get back home. So, instead, I'll edit in some explosions for the daring; and some cats meowing at their reflections for the caring."

I sighed and walked up to the camera. "Who am I kidding," I whispered. "Things will never be the same again."

I grabbed the device and turned it towards myself. "You know," I said as I started walking. "My book's probably out by now. And someone once asked me why my characters were so broken and defeated. That's because I'm broken and defeated. I keep telling myself that I'm not invisible, but that's exactly what I am: invisible and alone. And the worst part about it is that it doesn't matter whether I'm stuck in this place or somewhere else. I don't have anyone. Not here, not back home, not anywhere. And these characters I create – they're all just things I see myself becoming if I keep heading down this road."

"I'm stuck on an island, guys. You probably won't even see this." Sighing once more, I turned the camera off. I found myself standing back at the tree I'd stared at.

I reached for the candy bar in my pocket, forgetting I had traded it away. Chris walked right past me, carrying a bottle of water. "Hey," I spoke to him. I couldn't see him roll his eyes, but I somehow knew that he did. He stopped without turning towards me. "I'm sorry for what I said. I was mad because you punched me, and I had no right. I promise it won't happen again."

He turned to me and nodded. "Alright. We're cool. Just play the blame game with the trees next time, okay?" he said in a low voice and smiled mildly.

I chuckled. "You got it. By the way, I almost thought you were gonna miss me with that punch, but I turned out to be an easy Mark."

He smiled again and pointed at my new camera. "What have you got there?"

"Camera," I proudly said and presented it to him. "I'm a YouTuber, so I kinda need one. Was. Needed. Anyway, I think I'm going to record some of our time here."

"I think that's a great idea," Chris uttered, twisting the bottle in his hands. I could tell that he wanted to be somewhere, but he didn't want to come across as rude.

"Thanks," I said to him and nodded back. I thought I would leave first and save him the trouble. "I should go, I've got… things."

"Yeah, me too," he replied. "I'll see you around."

"Awesome, catch you later," I uttered and paced away as quickly as I could.

I stopped when I thought I was out of sight. I was about to hold my new camera up again, when I heard a twig break to my right. It was Saph. She had been watching me again, like there was something she wanted to say to me, or maybe something she wanted me to say to her. Maybe she was the one who did it, but her fall caused her to forget all about it? Nah, I was done with looking for the one responsible.

"I was just… walking," she uttered and stared at the ground, occasionally glancing back at me. I didn't like it when her gorgeous blue eyes met mine. It made me feel vulnerable, and with all the craziness going on, I needed to keep my guard up at all times. Or that's what I told myself.

"Okay," I replied. I couldn't look away from Saph's even though I wanted to. "I was just walking, too." Like I needed another awkward conversation after the one with Chris. "Where were you going?"

"Just… around."

"You were looking for your horse, weren't you?"

"Yeah. No. Yeah."

"I can help you look for her, if you want," I reluctantly suggested. Part of me wanted her to say no, to just completely blow me off and tell me she wanted to see me brush my teeth with a running chainsaw. But another part of me would have brushed my teeth with a chainsaw just so Saph would say yes.

"That's okay," she replied. "But thanks."

"Oh, okay," I said and nodded. "See you later, I guess." It was going to be a while before I tried anything like that again. We both went our separate ways. I looked back at her as I walked, but she didn't even glance at me. Yeah, I was off to a great start. I felt like punching someone, but Carlisle wasn't around.

Saph
 
 
I stare around with wide curious eyes, although I’m also kind of shitting myself. Look at all these people! Human Chris – I think that’s less confusing for me – is giving us a tour of the village. I don’t realise he’s talking to me until silence falls over everyone and all eyes are on me. I blink and stare at him. He’d called me Blue again. Why does he call me Blue? Because my name is Saph, like a sapphire? This is way too confusing.
 
“We could have a few more people double up, and then you and Jackie can room together when she's, y'know, alive and everything,” Human Chris is telling me.
 
I swallow thickly. “Who’s Jackie?” I ask almost nervously. Am I supposed to know her?
 
“The chic who’s bleeding out in the med tent,” he throws his thumb in the general direction. He said that so casually, like that’s such a common occurrence here. Jeez, I don’t like this. I want to go back to my beach.
 
People start to pause in their walking to stare at us. A few people start muttering under their breath, and again I wonder if I’m supposed to know anyone. I shuffle from foot to foot, looking around for a familiar face. I meet Lou’s gaze and give him a sort of smile. He smiles back before looking down at Ro. Human Chris is talking loudly to the crowd gathering around. My eyes skim the faces once more, but I still don’t recognise anyone. When Human Chris is finished talking to everyone, the crowd disperses, and he walks over to some girls to talk to them. I shuffle over to Lou and stick by his side, feeling safer with him near. Gee, is that bad? We walk over to Human Chris who gives me a vacant look.
 
“Those girls I was just talking to said they'll move their stuff tonight, so you can move into their hut,” he tells me, not quite meeting my gaze.
 
“Thank you,” I mutter back. He smiles half-heartedly, and even in the growing darkness he looks very handsome. I find myself blushing slightly. Get a grip, will ya?
 
“I’ll walk her home,” Lou offers cheerily.
 
Hope rises in my chest.
 
“Well, that’d be real helpful if you knew where the hell you were going,” Human Chris gives Lou a curious look.
 
“Oh, right, right,” Lou rubs his hand over his mouth.
 
My hopes are dashed.
 
"I'm just joshing you," Human Chris smirks at Lou. "Actually, Blue, your house's right over there. Third one down from ours,” he indicates said hut.
 
I swallow nervously. Am I going to be sharing with someone? Oh dear I hope not. “Am I gonna be alone?” I ask.
 
Human Chris rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah, sorry about that,” he tells me, still not quite meeting my gaze.
 
I try hard to keep the relief off my face.
 
"Hey, look at the bright side," Lou pipes up, giving me a warm smile. "Worst case, if you're feelin' upset or scared, we're only three doors down."
 
I stare at him in silence, eyes blinking. I then smile softly and give him a quick hug. I pull away before I make it awkward and brush my hair out of my eyes. “Thanks, Lou,” I bite my lip and give him another smile.
 
He has a sort of shocked look on his face so I take this chance to walk away, not wanting to make the moment any more awkward than it already is for me. My feet carry me quickly to the hut that I am supposed to be staying in, but it hasn’t quite been cleared out yet. Not wanting to appear weirder than I already do, I decide to take a few steps toward the trees. Maybe Horse Chris is in the jungle, watching me. Maybe she’s waiting for me. I should go look for her. Yeah.
 
With a new determination in my steps, I walk into the jungle, eyes wide, searching for Horse Chris, although it’s going to be very difficult considering she’s black. Damn it, Chris, why couldn’t you be grey or something. Even though her coat glistens in the sun when it’s wet, and she’s so gorgeous, and her coat reminds me of the night time, the water crashing onto the sand at night, the small, scuttling crabs looking for something to eat. She reminds me of the only sanctuary I’ve had, and I miss her. I spent an entire month – I think it was a month anyway – with her, all on my own. Now there are lots of people, but no Chris. No Horse Chris, anyway, and that’s the Chris I want. Not Human Chris that gives me these weird looks but never looking at me directly, like he wants to say something to me but finds every reason not to. It worries me. Was I really horrible to him before I was on the beach? I should find a moment to say sorry to him, then. But when that Alaska girl isn’t around, I have a feeling she doesn’t like me.
 
I was so lost in my thoughts I didn’t realise I’d almost run into someone. It's Mark. He stares at me and I stare back. He has a questioning look, and I realise just how odd it is that I'm walking around in the dark.

"I was just… walking," I tell him haltingly.

"Okay," he replies, putting his hands behind his back. "I was just walking, too," he tries to smile casually, then realises the conversation isn't going anywhere. "Where were you going?"

"Just… around," I shrug.

"You were looking for your horse, weren't you?" He half smiles.

"Yeah. No. Yeah." I bite my lip and look away.

"I can help you look for her, if you want," he offers, an almost expectant look on his face.

I don't think Horse Chris would appreciate me bringing someone along with me. I wouldn't mind the company too much, but then again Mark is really weird. And the way he's looking at me does make me feel a little uncomfortable.

"That's okay," I give him a fleeting smile. "But thanks."

"Oh, okay," he nods slowly. "See you later, I guess."

I give him a smile and walk off, into the jungle. After stumbling around for a while, not really looking anywhere, I decide to head back to the village. There is no sign of Horse Chris anywhere, and I'm kind of worried, but also too tired to keep searching for her.

The hut that I've been allocated to has been cleared out, but there's something about the emptiness that scares me. I'm happy that I don't have to share, but it just doesn't feel right. I need Horse Chris. My Chris. I need her in here with me. How the hell am I supposed to sleep on my own? Well, I've done it before, but Chris has always been there. Now she's not.

Lou's words of comfort come to mind, and with a sheepish smile, I creep out of my hut and count three until I get to the one I assume is Lou's, that he's sharing with Human Chris and Ro. Poking my head in, I spot someone on the floor, and two makeshift beds. I walk over to the bed with the largest body and crawl onto the end, at Lou's feet. I curl up into a tight ball around his feet, pulling the thin blanket over my body. I snuggle against his warm legs and smile wide, drifting off to sleep.

Mark

I sat and watched them from afar. They talked and laughed together, they shared their food, they told each other stories. Even though I felt like the odd one out, there was something about it, a pleasant thought that people can be happy even at the hardest of times. Maybe there was hope for me, too.

I held up my camera and pressed my finger against the fingerprint scanner, turning it on.

"Hey, what's up, guys," I said, smiling. "So, it's a beautiful day today, and guess what? We're building a raft! That's right, guys, we might try to get home very soon, maybe in time for my dog's birthday. But other than that, there's not much happening, really. All the excitement seems to have toned down. And that's great, don't get me wrong. It's just that it's hard to adjust to it after everything that's happened. Anyway, I could use a good night's sleep in my own bed. And tell you what, if I get another chance at things, there's no way I'm blowing it."

"How's it going, Markiplier?" the boy spoke from behind me again. I instinctively lowered the camera, but I didn't turn it off. It was still recording.

"Where'd you even come from, dude?" I asked him. "And what the hell is your name?"

He had a serious expression on his face, like he was about to perform heart surgery. On himself. "My name's not even important, Mark. You can call me whatever."

"Fine," I sighed, but with a smile. There was no way I was gonna let this guy ruin my mood. "Steve. No, wait: Billy. No: Rick! Rick."

"Whatever," he said irritably, irritating me as well. "Listen to me, Mark. I've been watching you. I've been watching you this whole time. I know what you've been up to, stalking people, questioning them. You're after the one who brought down the plane."

My smile suddenly went away. There was another person who knew – another person who could tell everyone everything. I just wanted him to go away. "I've given up on that," I said. "They're either dead or long-gone. How'd you even know, just by watching me?"

Rick shook his head. Mysterious people usually intrigued me, but all this guy did was annoy me. "It doesn't matter," he uttered. "Just listen. The person who did it, they're still here, Mark. They're still on the island. And they're very dangerous."

I placed my hand on my forehead. I thought that maybe if I closed my eyes hard enough, he'd disappear. But he didn't. "I'm done with this, Rick. I'm finally starting to feel better, I can't get back to it. And if they wanted me dead, they would have killed me already."

"They don't want you dead, Mark," he explained. "They want all of them dead." He pointed at the village, towards the echoing laughter.

"Why? And how do you know any of this?" I was confused. This completely insane kid comes out of nowhere, and starts talking crazy shit. But I couldn't just dismiss him; he was what I would have looked like if I had told anyone that someone had taken our plane down.

"Take this," he said and hurriedly handed me something wrapped inside a light-blue cloth. It was hard and heavy, weighing down on my blistered hand. "Don't trust anyone. Not for a second. Oh, crap," he uttered and jogged away again.

"What is this!?" I yelled at him as he went away, but I knew it was in vain. I turned to the village, and Chris was standing right in front of me.

He was confused, wincing, and his eyebrow was slightly raised. "Who are you talking to?" he asked.

I didn't want anyone to know about Rick. No matter what, the blame would always come back to me. "No one," I lied, waving the item in the blue cloth around. "I was just… practicing."

A noise came from the trees behind me. "What was that?" Chris exclaimed, alerted. He squinted to see better. "Who's there?"

"It's just a monkey, probably," I said. To my great fortune, a small, brown monkey did emerge from behind the sun-blocking branches, before disappearing into them once more.

He produced a slight sigh of relief. "Okay, sorry. You know how things are."

"It's fine," I replied. As if this time I wasn't up to something.

"So, what are you practicing for?" Chris asked. It took me a few seconds to realize that I needed to work on my excuses. "You said you were practicing," he repeated after we stayed in silence for what seemed like an eternity.

"Oh!" I scratched my temple with the item in the blue cloth. "Er, I was doing a monodrama."

He furrowed his brows and crossed his arms. "A what, now?"

"A monodrama," I repeated. "A play for only one person."

"I knew that," the jock said. "Maybe you should perform it for us sometime."

My jaw nearly dropped to the dirt – I was only getting myself in deeper. Maybe I should have told Chris right there and then, but I just went with it. "Sure! Yeah, that's a great idea!" I tried to appear excited about the notion. I couldn't even quote a line from Shakespeare, much less know an entire play! I just wanted to get out of it all. "I should go," I said and waved the blue-clothed item around. "Lunch," I said as I pointed at it.

"Oh, what are you having?" he asked. I realized that he was making an effort to get closer to me. But I needed time to think about everything, and the last thing I wanted was getting in deeper with more lies. I had to leave.

I turned and began to walk away. "It's a… surprise someone prepared for me," I answered. At least I didn't lie with that.

"Ah, well I hope it's a good one," he said and took a step back towards the village.

"Me too," I said and strolled off. When I made sure Chris wasn't looking, I ran until I felt completely alone in the jungle. I sat down against a giant rock, panting. I unwrapped the cloth.

There was a fucking gun inside it. Like, the kind police officers use. It was heavy alright – probably fully loaded. I was scared that Rick would have a gun like that, that he could be serious about this whole thing, and most of all that there could be a crazed psycho out there, trying to kill everyone. At least I was the one with the gun.

I immediately pointed the camera at me. It had been recording the whole time, but I still had a few things left to say. A thousand thoughts rushed in my brain at the same time. I knew that my words wouldn't come out in the best way, but I still kept talking.

"This is bullshit. I'm always the one making the effort. I'm always the one trying to talk to people, and they would probably never even talk to me unless I say something first. And the one time that it happens, the one time where someone tries, I have to go away. This is bullshit. Maybe they're all just awkward, or not the talkative type. But they talk to other people! Would it really kill them to invest just a little, tiny second to say something to me first? Would it be so horrible if they started a conversation with me? Would the earth open up and swallow them if they didn't just speak when spoken to? This is bullshit, man. Maybe I'm making myself too available to people. Maybe I should just stop trying and see if they will come to me. They probably won't. This is bullshit."

I turned off the camera. Tears came to my eyes, but I wiped them off before they ran down my face. I just wanted to go home.

'Laska

"You're losing it, you're losing it, you're losing it," the whispers surrounded the girl, "you're losing it, you're losing it, you're losing it, you're losing it."

Lightening flashed, and suddenly the girl was in the living space of her old home. Back in Jamaica.

Paynt stood next to the doorway, his head hung low as the cooing of the town cat buzzed from everywhere.

"You're losing it, Alaska," the voice came from Paynt this time, though his mouth remained shut and the voice belonged to their mother. "You're losing it, you're losing it, you're losing-"

When I woke up, Chris' Packers sweater was comfortable as hell but it was like a furnace. I was sweating, and when I reached a hand up to wipe it away, my skin was like a stove on high.

"Well, finally you decide to wake up," Ezzie laughs as she wobbles into the hut, her stomach coming out far enough to stick out from beneath her shirt, "Sleep good?"

I blink hard, the images of my mother and brother resurfacing for half a second before sinking back into my memories. It took me a moment to realize she was talking to me.

"Alaska? Hey, you okay?" Ezzie was next to me now, bending down slightly so we were face-to-face.

I nod and blink again, "I- yeah, I'm good. I'm okay. Just- weird dream."

She frowned at me, but straightened up and continued doing what she had been.

I stand up and, walking out of the hut, decide to keep the sweater on-- just to make Chris happy. I don't know.

Everything blurred around me as I stumbled down the walking path we'd made, barely taking notice of the people staring at me; for some reason, I felt drunk.

Jordan pulled the girl up the porch steps, his deep voice bouncing off of the empty streets. The way he spoke, it was so loud and captivating; you couldn't ignore him.

"All I'm saying is that we should leave sooner," Alaska says, her lips curling up and her eyes shining, "y'know, just to get out of here before something goes wrong."

Music vibrated the house, and the laughter of teens reached Alaska's ears as Jordan pushed the door open.

"Okay, okay," Jordan agrees, his lips spreading apart as he stared ahead at the crowds of drunk, sweaty teens, "when you're ready to go, just tell me. Kay?"

Alaska nods and steps into the house, only to be immediately pulled into the crowd. The stench of booze and hormones was too strong to bear, but the young girl pushed through it so she didn't have to bother Jordan just yet.

Within half an hour, she was slurring and stumbling throughout the house, her laughs coming out slower than she realized.

"Laska, baby," Jordan's voice laughed as she threw her arms over his shoulders, "you fucked up?"

She laughed in response and offered intoxicated kisses, which he accepted.

"I think there's a room around the corner," Jordan breathed against her neck; his breath stunk of alcohol and cigarettes. "Come on."

The rest of the night was a blur, and although she did remember it, she regretted everything when she woke up the next morning dressed in a sheet inside of a house that she was unfamiliar with.

"-'aska, what's wrong?" a voice questioned from in front of me. Suddenly, I wasn't in the guest bedroom of Stevie Wilson's moms house, I wasn't laying next to a naked, hungover J.C., and I wasn't in the town that my father forced me to move to.

Instead, I was crouching in a dirt-path, with a tall brown-headed boy holding me close as he whispered foreign words to me.

His heart beat against my chest and soon, possibly seconds later, everything was black. My body was on fire, I wanted to vomit but there was nothing in my stomach and the only thing I could smell, even while unconscious, was cologne-- Jordan's cologne, I believe it was.

_______________________________________

"You're losing it, you're losing it, you're losing it," the whispers surrounded the girl, "you're losing it, you're losing it, you're losing it, you're losing it."

Lightening flashed, and suddenly the girl was in the living space of her old home. Back in Jamaica.

Paynt stood next to the doorway, his head hung low as the cooing of the town cat buzzed from everywhere.

"You're losing it, Alaska," the voice came from Paynt this time, though his mouth remained shut and the voice belonged to their mother. "You're losing it, you're losing it, you're losing."

The girl blinked and, strangely, she was back on the island. Chris Mahoney was laying face-down on the ground, impaled with a piece of shrapnel from the plane. Ezzie was on her side several feet away, her eyes open and body covered in blood. The dull, lifeless color to her eyes was heartbreaking. It was something the dark-skinned girl could never forget.

A scream that could shatter glass escaped her lips before she could do anything else, and-

When I woke up, it was dark outside and I was only wearing shorts and a tank top. Wet leaves were plastered to my forehead, and I was sure the only thing keeping them wet and in place was my rapid sweating.

It was too hot to think about what I'd just seen.

"Alaska? Honey, are you awake?" Ezzie asked, and I almost cried when I lifted my eyes up to meet her bright orbs.

"-my god," I croaked, the 'my' not coming out the way I'd wanted it to. My throat was dry and on fire.

"Here," she whispered, pushing something to my lips, "water. You need water."

I obliged, and as the water slid down my throat, I immediately felt like spitting it out. It was hot.

Pulling my lips away, I shake my head once and manage to say, "Too hot."

She frowned, then stood up and walked to the doorway; I just realized that somebody was standing in it, watching us.

"Chris," she was mumbling to the person, "Chris, she won't drink the water. She said it's too hot. I don't know what to do."

"Well, is it?" He asked, his voice deep and obviously lined with concern.

She shakes her head a couple of times, then offers him the bottle, "It's cold."

I stood leaning against the doorframe as Ezzie coaxed Laska's head into her hand and lifted the bottle of water to her lips. Laska was shaking her head slightly. Sweat lined her cheeks and underneath her eyes. Her curls were plastered to the side of her face, and her tank top was stretched around from when I'd wrestled my sweatshirt off of her. She was like a fire in my arms. I had carried her to Ezzie because I was too worried to trust myself.

"Chris," Ezzie mumbled, and my glanced snapped away from Laska. "Chris," Ezzie repeated, her voice almost pleading. "She won't drink the water. She said it's too hot. I don't know what to do."

I licked my lips, tucking my hands under my armpits. "Well is it?" I asked.

She lowered Laska's head to the ground and her small body unwound, taking her to her feet. She walked to me and offered me the bottle. "It's cold," she insisted. I felt the bottle and took a sip of the water. It was freezing cold. I bit down on my bottom lip. My eyes darted back to Laska's body as Ezzie talked. "I've never seen this kind of thing before," she was saying, voice trembling. She was scared. If Ezzie's scared, then how am I supposed to act? Ez was a doctor, and I was some high school quarterback who'd barely propped an ankle.

I exhaled, rubbing a hand over my face. Then I squeezed the bottle in my hand. "It's alright," I said to her. "It's probably just a fever."

"I know a fever when I see one," Ez insisted. "This is something different."

In my mind, sickness was sickness. It didn't matter what kind or how you got it. You just felt like shit for a few days and then it was over. "Worst case, it'll go away in a few days," I told Ezzie, trying for some kind of reassurance that I couldn't even make myself believe. Ezzie rubbed the back of her neck, staring at the earthen ground. She nodded after a moment, less like you're right and more like it's okay, Chris, you don't have to do that half-ass job of reassuring me anymore. You're off the hook.

Maybe she didn't really think that. Maybe it was just me.

I slipped past her and walked to Laska. I knelt beside her, and bent down, brushing her hair away from her face. "Laska, sweetie," I said in a low voice. "It's Chris. Are you awake?" She moaned slightly, but her eyes fluttered open. "There're those pretty eyes," I said, cracking a smile. "You thirsty?"

In response, she laid her face against my hand. "It's too hot," she croaked.

I managed a laugh, and was about to tell her how ice-cold it was, but I changed my mind. "I know it's hot," I told her. "But you gotta drink it, okay?" She shook her head. I moved closer, gently pulling her into my lap until her head was laid back against my shoulder. I held her hand with one of mine and tucked the bottle to her lips with the other. She turned her face against my chest.

"For me?" I asked her quietly, kissing the top of her head. "Drink it for me?"

Her head stirred, turning towards the bottle slightly. "Jordan?" she mumbled, eyes closed. Her cheek was damp with sweat against my T-shirt.

My lip curled, and I felt something boiling deep inside my stomach. But instead of the "fuck, no" that settled on my tongue, I managed to lie and say "yeah." I don't know why I did it. I didn't know whether it was because I thought it would get her to drink the water, or because I needed some kind of confirmation that she wouldn't do things for him like she would for me.

She put her lips to the bottle and drank. My jaw got tight and so did my stomach.

She coughed a little bit, lips dry, but eventually swallowed. "There you go," I murmured, voice devoid of emotion. I dropped her hand and lowered her back to the ground. I stood up, chest still on fire. I couldn't believe the ungodly amount of jealousy I was feeling. Even more, I couldn't believe how I'd just pretended to be my girlfriend's loser ex-boyfriend to get her to drink a bottle of water. She has a fever, Chris, a voice reminded me from the back of my mind. You can't take what she says seriously.

"You got her to drink the water," Ezzie marveled, a relieved smile growing on her face. She gave me a quick hug as I made my way towards the doorway. "What's wrong?" she asked, pulling back. Her green eyes searched mine. "You're tense."

I realized how tight my arm muscles were, and I tried to loosen up, taking a deep breath. "Nothin'," I told Ezzie. "I'm good." Then I cleared my throat. "Just worried. I'm gonna go get something to eat, and then I'll be back, alright? Give me a shout if anything happens with her." I nodded toward Laska.

"Okay," Ezzie affirmed with an exhausted smile, rubbing her forehead.

I walked into school, met by the rowdy greetings of the football team right inside the double doors. "Mahoney!" Gerald Matthews called out, shaking my hand with both of his. "What's up, brotha, you got some goods for me today?"

"Huh?" I asked, scratching behind my ear, enveloped by the jock posse taking up the entire doorway.

"English homework," he said loudly behind his hand, winking.

I cocked my head to the side. "Are you high?" I asked, snapping twice next to his ear. "If you think I did my english homework, you must be wasted."

Matthews frowned as Simmons laughed and Rothschild bumped his shoulder into mine. My eyes flitted around, searching for Lou, but I couldn't find him anywhere. Deciding to set off for my locker, I clapped Matthews's back and started to jog away. "Catch you guys later," I called behind me. Simmons kicked at my ass. As I ran past a congregation of three cheerleaders having a conversation by the front desk, one of them patted the back of my jeans. I wheeled around with a huge grin on my face, stepping backwards, expecting to see Robbie.

It was another girl. She flicked back her long blonde hair and shouted over chattering voices, "Maybe you should pull up your pants, Chris." I did, making a show of reaching back and pulling up my jeans until my underwear didn't show.

"Hey, Jessica," I said, half-smile still suspended on my face. "Doesn't mean you have to feel me up, y'know."

"It's Julianna!" she yelled after me, her bubblegum snapping between her teeth. I was already halfway down the hall. "And I can't help it!"

The voices faded, and I was alone except for the occasional lone straggler heading off towards the main hall with their breakfast. I skipped two steps as I sprinted up the stairs, and careened around the corner towards the senior lockers. A boy was standing in front of mine, his dark face stony.

"Gehrig," I stated. I stuck my hand out, and he accepted, doing our handshake (the one we'd all but perfected). "Where's Robbie?" I asked, heart still thumping from my sprint up the stairs, a smile lighting up my face.

I realized how tired Lou looked; there were sleep lines decorating his face, and his baseball cap was on a little crooked. "How should I know?" he asked me, sounding bitter. He did that thing where he threw his arm out like a hook; it was an unintentional gesture he used when he was upset. "She's probably halfway 'cross the ocean now, for all I know."

I took a step back. "Huh?"

"Don't be a dumb-ass with me, Mah--"

"No," I cut in. "What'd you just say?"

Lou blinked, straightening his baseball cap. "I said Robbia's probably halfway across the fuckin' Atlantic right now, that's what I said."

My stomach went out from under me, and it felt like my heart dropped through my chest. "What?" I asked, breathless.

Lou hit me on the side of the face with his palm. "Why're you playin' with me like that, Mahoney? Didn't she tell you she was leavin'? She's your girlfriend, y'know." His voice got higher when he talked about her.

I felt my face heat up, and my heart ached like hell. I bit down on my lip, trying to keep the tears from coming.

"Don't get all lovesick," Lou drawled, as upset as I'd seen him since his mom disappeared. "You're the reason she left, you know that?"

"What're you talkin' about, Emerson?" I asked, raising my voice, squaring my shoulders and standing up taller. I was nose-to-nose with him. "What'd she say to you that she didn't tell me?" My breathing was ragged, and my cheeks were hot.

"Lots o'stuff," he said, teeth almost gnashing between words; emotion slipping into his slurs. His eyes were dark and bewildered, darting between mine. Angrier at me than I'd ever seen him. "That she was leavin' for good, and that you were the reason why. 'Cause she loved me and she couldn't bring herself to tell y--"

I stepped forward and roughly put my hands on his shoulders, slamming him back into the lockers. He was surprised; the shock was evident on his face. His lips parted on impact. He stared at me like a deer in the headlights, and I almost felt guilty. But I didn't let go.

I could feel the tears threatening to squeeze through my eyes, but I swallowed them back, breathing hard. "Did she cheat on me with you?" I asked him, voice falling, chin quivering, eyes steady on his.

Lou's wall of anger fell away, expression softening. "No, man," he told me in a panicked exhale. "I promise, that didn't happen, aright?" My hands were still pinning him against the locker, but he brought his arm up and stabilized his hand right between my neck and my shoulder. "I promise on my mother's grave, nothin' happened," he said, eyes on mine.

I believed him. He wouldn't lie to me. Especially not when he said things like that; especially not when he swore on his mother's grave. I let him go, arms falling. I didn't cry or anything. I couldn't anymore. My heartbeat slowed as I mindlessly did my locker combination, helpless and terrified that Robbie Peters had broken my heart.

Gathering up my negative feelings, I decided to do something positive with my energy. Just to get my mind off things. That's what I usually did when things didn't go my way; I drove to the field and did some laps or threw at a target, or shot hoops in my driveway.

I didn't have any of those things, so I jogged down alongside the river. I stripped off my shirt, bunching up the cloth and yanking it over my head. I could feel the sun beating down on my shoulders. I reached the clearing where we'd been working on the raft. I put my hands on my hips, slowing to a stop, and took a look around the site. In the span of the past month, the "raft" had turned into more of a boat. There were long sticks of bamboo tied in bundles with green twine and combined with other bundles. I was proud of it. I did a lot of work on it, and it was almost like it was my project.

Nobody was in sight; the guys who usually did the construction during the mornings were nowhere to be found. I guessed that they were on their lunch break, and wandered to where we usually kept the wood. There were a few sticks of bamboo lying around. I observed the area, pursing my lips and trying to figure out what needed to be done.

Then I had it; we didn't have a mast. I debated going out to find a long tree branch and cutting it to an appropriate length. It wasn't a problem; I could probably finish it before sundown. But Laska was sick, and I didn't want to be away from her for too long. I kept wondering what would happen if she got more sick, or even if she died. I didn't like thinking about those things, but it was hard not to. I missed her already. To think of it, I missed people a lot quicker than I used to. I had a lot more feelings, too.

It was weird what being stranded on an island could do to a person.

In the end, I decided to go. I figured that I'd be the most help to everyone by making a mast. Sitting around by Laska's bedside wouldn't do anyone any good, especially seeing that 1) Laska probably wouldn't remember anything I said or did anyway, 2) I wasn't a doctor so couldn't exactly help with anything in that regard and 3) apparently Laska still thought I was her loser ex-boyfriend. I knew everyone always said that the important thing is that I'd "be there for her", but honestly, I didn't see what good that would do.

I wasn't sure if it was more selfish to stay or go. But at this point, I guessed it didn't matter that much.



I trekked further into the jungled, hands in my pockets. "Antonio Brown," I whispered, and speedily whirled around a tree. I fooled around a little bit, talking to myself about football, and switched between pretending I was Antonio Brown and stepping into the cleats of Odell Beckham Jr.. I liked to pose as receivers and running backs whenever I was miming a football game, just because it was more fun to fake the catch and run. Being a quarterback was euphoric, don't get me wrong, but I liked testing out the other positions and being able to yell touchdown at the end of a play. Faking the quarterback when I was alone was too anticlimactic.

I kept a steady lookout for a mast. I walked for half an hour, and all the branches along the way were the same. They were all thin and up high, or thick and shapeless. None looked sturdy enough to be the mast, and those that did were too wide or too short.

After awhile, I realized that I was simply just not cut out for finding masts. Different people were good for different things, and mast-finding was just not my strong suit. I strolled for awhile longer, because of something I remembered my mom saying when I was little. Whenever I was acting bad, she'd say, "I want you to go up to your room, and I don't want you to come down until you're happy."

I knew that if I went back now, I'd snap at someone. I'd lash out at them, and make a scene. The whole situation with Laska was still fresh in my head. Subconsciously, I was still dreaming up things to say to her the next time she said his name. I didn't know why I was stewing about what had happened. Usually I could drop it, but lately, she was all I could think about.

There used to be times, back in high school, where girlfriends of mine would cheat on me with my good friends. It was simple etiquette not to brag about it, but I knew. Everybody kind of knew everything once rumors got around. Whether they were about me or somebody else. I never really minded. I guess I always took solace in the fact that while they went stomping on my territory, I didn't need permission to go kicking over their fences, digging up their sod, and taking it with me.

But this was different, somehow. I felt the same way now as I did after I saw Lou kissing Robbie a few months ago. It was no longer a matter of property. It was about Laska and her feelings; I wanted her to feel more for me than for anyone else.

The more I thought about it, the stupider I felt. Who cares? I asked myself. She's just a stupid girl. Nothing special. The breeze was picking up, and I pulled my shirt back over my head, toe flicking up a twig from the ground. Ahead, a light peeped through the trees.

I stopped missing her. I stopped thinking about her. It was easy.

Sand started blowing at my shins, and when I stepped past the tree line, I caught a clean view of the sloping bank leading to the ocean. Waves lapped over the shore. The air smelled like sea-salt. I was back at the beach.

I must've wandered to an empty area, because there was nobody in sight. I started along the shoreline, and approached a cluster of caves bordering the coast. The water pooled inland. The sky was a dark gray, and the clouds seemed to roll over each other.

I kept missing her. I kept thinking about her.

I started to get angry. All of this was futile. I hated all of those people; people like my mom, who said things like, "rest is the best medicine" and to "walk away from a fight" and that "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all", and to let things "happen how they happen". Like being alone anywhere for long enough would magically make me happy. Like sleep would make me forget about it. Like watching other people do my bidding would get me my way. I was tired of "taking a deep breath".

All I wanted to do was leave.

I wanted to get off this fucking island.

I was done pretending that things were okay. I was done building and settling; indulging in drama and playing house, and acting like we were back home. I wanted to leave, and I wanted to leave all by myself. I wanted to be able to act like everything that had happened was a collection of foggy past-memories, and that everyone here were only figments of my imagination with hazed-over faces and not quite real.

They were making me crazy. Because of them, doubt had itched up under the skin of my palms like a pebble I couldn't scratch out. My confidence had wilted. My heart was soft. I wished so hard to God that I could go back. Back to when I could be a quarterback and call the plays; when the only worry I ever had was when the coach called "33! Sidelines!" because I'd done something he didn't like.

Please God, I thought, maybe out loud. Then I jogged to the shore like it was the left sideline. I talked to God like he was Coach.

Suddenly, from behind me, I heard the shuffle of feet bolting in the sand. I spun around, and saw the little karate kid Lou had brought to the village. His hair was a tousled mess, and he had just emerged from the trees. He looked frightened.

Luckily, I saw him before he saw me. When he did see me, his feet stopped cold, and he stared at me, trying to figure out what I was doing. When he realized who I was, and that I was nothing he hadn't been acquainted with already, he broke eye contact and darted off towards the caves. As he disappeared behind the wall of one of the caves, thunder rumbled overhead.

I started to jog towards the caves after him, knowing that it'd only be more work in the long run if I let him run off and get lost. "Yo!" I called after him. "Get back here, will you?"

The sky started to rumble again, so loud that the ground began to vibrate underneath my feet.

Then, I stopped walking with a sudden realization. That's not thunder. My mouth parted in shock as a chunk of the caves toppled to the ground, collapsing to the ground. Sand and rock tumbled over itself, creating another mound of debris where the kid had just disappeared to.

Burying him.

Holy shit. Heart thumping, I sprinted to the scene, tiptoeing around the outskirts; who knew how unstable the ground was? "Shit," I was muttering, and cursed over and over. I searched frantically for his standing body, but he was nowhere to be found. Then, from somewhere beneath the rubble, I heard a scream.

Oh God.

I knelt to the ground, and suddenly remembered his name. Ro. That's what Lou called him. "Ro!" I shouted. "Ro! Are you down there?"

There was a loud and hollow whimpering, and panicked breathing; it sounded like it was coming from at least five feet below and to the right of me. I started to brush the dirt aside, but after a moment I realized something; if I dug downwards when I was on top of him, the rubble might fall and crush or suffocate him.

Trying to suppress the worry rising up inside of me, I yelled, "It's Chris, okay? I'm gonna get you out." His response was an agonized whimper. "You gotta talk to me," I said. "Are you hurt?"

"Yes," I heard him admit, and his breathing quickened.

"Just calm down," I told him, trying to be reassuring. But it just sounded like I was yelling at him. He said something else to me, but I couldn't quite hear. Leaning closer to the ground, I asked, "What?"

"I think my arm's broken," he sobbed. I shook my head, standing up and taking a step away, not wanting him to sense my uncertainty. I rubbed my palm over my lips. I didn't know what to do; the only other solution besides digging down was tunneling in from the side. But that could take hours.

I decided that it was the only option, and walked back over to where I knew Ro was. "Okay," I called down to him. "Can you move?"

"No," he whimpered. "There's a big rock pinnin' down my arm and I can't move or do nothin'."

"It's okay," I told him. "But you have to try to move."

"I can't!" he screamed. There was a silence, and I licked my lips. I could hear Ro wheezing and desperately trying to catch his breath. After a moment, he started to cry. The sounds of his weeping echoed. "I'm scared," he blubbered. "My arm hurts."

"Hey," I said, after a moment. "Just stay with me, alright champ? I'm just gonna do some digging, and then you'll be outta there in no time."

There was a sobbed confirmation, so I crawled about ten feet away, and started to dig in from the side. My hands scraped into the sand and rock. I hauled a boulder the size of my head away from the collapsed cave. My arm muscles strained, but I finally was able to let it down a safe distance away. I wiped the sweat from my brow. I walked back and dug faster and more recklessly, driven by the thought that the sand could cave in on him at any moment.

I heard footsteps at my back.

Startled, I whipped my head around.

Standing behind me was her; tall with long, dark hair. Too perfect to be true. It was Robbie, and she smiled at me with pink lips, sadness infiltrating her expression. I knew I hadn't slept these past few nights; she was just a hallucination. I bit down on my lip, hard, and faced front again. Focusing on Ro.

But then I heard her voice, crystal clear, and she said my name. "Chris."

My heart was swimming in my chest. "You're not there," I said, my voice ragged.

"I am here, Chris," I turned back around, and she was still standing there, her arms crossed. She was wearing a pink, rose-colored dress. It was thin and pale. Her voice was slow, like a lullaby.

"No, you're not," I said, making the mistake of looking into her eyes. The eyes I used to see every time I closed mine.

"Don't look at me like that," she said, and pain flashed across her face. "I'm standing right here." It took all I had not to stand up and say something other than "You're not there". "You can't do it, Chris," Robbie said, her brown eyes riddled with tears. "You can't save him without my help."

"You're not there!" I said again, but much louder, standing up and stepping towards her. I stood over her, but she refused to shrink away. "Leave me alone!" I screamed, tears coming to my eyes.

She was crying now, and tears streaked over her unblemished cheeks, ending at the corners of her mouth. She bit down on her lower lip, staring into me. "I love you," she told me, her voice laced with tears.

It was like someone had stabbed me straight in the heart. I clenched my fists, expecting she'd disappear before my eyes, almost wishing she would. My brain was screaming. "No you don't!" I shouted. "You're not even real!"

"I'm real," she told me. "Please, Chris, believe me. I've missed you more than anything." And then she stepped forward, placing her hands on my face. I felt them. I felt her hands; they were tangible, and they were holding my cheeks. She was there. "I'm real," she insisted. And then she leaned closer, about to press her lips to mine.

An overwhelming feeling of anger came over me. Before she kissed me, I shoved her to the ground. Hard. My mouth curled and I shook my head at her weak figure splayed across the dirt. Then my lip quivered, and I almost cried, in disbelief over what I'd done, and in uncertainty about my disbelief because she wasn't even real, and in confusion because I had no idea if I wanted her to be.

God, Chris, what the hell are you doing?

And then, I heard a voice encapsulated in fear and helplessness calling my name. "Chris," Ro cried from beneath me, as loud as he could. "Chris." I had no idea how long he'd been trying to get my attention.

Shaking, I turned my back on the girl I once loved and made my way to where Ro was dying.

"Chris," he repeated, desperately. "I think the water's getting higher under here."

Matt Walker

Time no longer truly held meaning for Matthias Walker. Night and day blended together and all that mattered was where the sun was in the sky so that people could be avoided. In the past.... however long it had been, there were a few close calls. Footsteps pounding in the loamy ground and twigs snapping this way and that, giving the now wild-eyed Matt only seconds to dive for a bush, or a stream or really whatever else he could hide in. Some time ago, a group of panicked kids ran by blathering on about how someone was injured and they needed to take care of them. Only then was there a slight twinge as Matt forced the memory of the girl with a knife in her belly from his mind.


Everyone is better off without Matt Walker in the picture. They can take care of themselves, I can take care of myself.

-----------------------

At least, that's what I kept telling myself whenever I heard distant shouts or thudding footsteps in the forest or on the beach. I didn't want to be found, and yet I did. I'm going crazy on this godforsaken island... It was true, in a way; I hadn't even attempted to exercise my voice since I left the others in that clearing, and at night I was often convinced that I was being watched. Whether that was just my growing paranoia or actual eyes glowing in the dark, I simply couldn't tell. All I knew was that as long as I stayed healthy, I could hide from the others and I would be fine mostly fine alone with my thoughts.

At least, until I heard screaming.

Of course, I had been hearing various whoops and yells for days, weeks, maybe and had payed them no mind but to get farther away from them. This was different though. A boy's voice filtered through the trees and up to where I was perched in my own. A panicked boy's voice.

"Ro! Are you down there?"

Thunder cracked in the sky above and the sky darkened menacingly. How cliche. I thought.

"It's Chris, okay? I'm gonna get you out." Huh. Two thoughts, one less altruistic than the other. Someone's hurt. Also, Chris? Chris Mahoney? As per the usual, my curiosity got the better of me and I hop down from my tree, headed for the edge of the canopy. I had been camping here for a while for the nice view of the ocean. The other survivors hadn't yet come this far and so I had taken advantage of the sunlight and sound of the waves. It seemed as though they had found me, or at least my little haven anyway.

I poke my head through the branches and scan the beach for movement and my eyes stop when I see a person crouched in front of a pile of rubble. The sea caves were no longer as pronounced and I realized there must have been a cave in. Oh, shit. There's someone in there. Ro's in there. I didn't know anyone named "Ro" to my knowledge but when I realized what was happening I couldn't simply stand by and watch. I'd be no better than that madman...

I sprang from the trees and began running, though a girl appeared from farther down the beach from the forest and approached the boy who was now digging at the rocks. Chris. I didn't recognize her with her back turned to me, and the strengthening winds drowned out what she said to him. Chris shoves her to the sandy ground and redoubles his efforts. By now, I can hear a small voice coming from the rubble. "Chris, I think the water's getting higher under here."

The gap is finally closed and I come to a halt a few feet behind the boy I only used to know by word of mouth. I had avoided him and his friends at the school but that didn't matter now. The girl looked up at me and I realized she was crying before turning back to Chris. I noted that I was actually taller than the former athlete and took a quick moment to make myself look less insane. Harder than one might think... I look down at myself, covered in dirt and scratches with undoubtedly wild hair and wearing nothing but a pair of tattered and burnt shorts.

I try my voice but there's only a croak from my cracked lips, so I set to work on the rocks. A startled Chris jerks his head at me and confusion is clear on his face. "Who- Where the hell did you come from?" I start to reply but just shake my head. "Later. Where can I get help?"

"Alright, kids," the woman in the red and white one-piece asserted, whistle clamped between her fingers. We were lined up in a row, right shoulders facing the town pool, soles burning on the concrete.

"Making the swim team is all about physical endurance. D'you all know what that means?" She adjusted her sunglasses and paced down the cement like she was doing a TED talk. Nobody did. Everybody stood silent. I stared at the white boy's back in front of me; sweat trickled down his spine. I was nervous. My heart was leaping around in my chest like my ribs were a trampoline, and my stomach was roiling. The woman's voice faded, only tuning back in when she raised her voice with the frequent "Alright, kids!" as if we needed regrouping.

The pool washed against the concrete in my periphery. All I could think about was what Mama had said back home. "I don't care what they say about those damned stereotypes. Yer gonna show them how well little black boys can swim, y'hear me?"

Then she took a drag on her cigarette, as I said "Yes ma'am," even though I was 95% sure I couldn't even doggy paddle.

"Alright, kids!"

The boy in front of me picked up his right foot, and then his left. His feet were toasted.

"Alright, kids!"

In a second, the line of boys was unraveled like a spool of string as a huge golden retriever galloped over to us. It's tongue was hanging out, and it let out a roaring bark as it sprinted towards me.

"Alright, kids!"

Instinct took over, and the anxiety I'd been feeling all day morphed into pure adrenaline. I bolted away, hurrying down the sidewalk. The dog took after me, biting at my heels, and laughter erupted from behind me. I was breathing hard, and my feet stumbled, tripping over a lounger. I landed on my knee, scraping the skin clean off. But my whole body was numb as I scrambled, rolling onto my back. I threw my hands up to shield myself from the onslaught of the giant dog. The golden retriever leapt on top of me and started to lick my face. It sat on my feet, making escape impossible.

My eyes flew open. The ceiling of the hut came into focus. I felt something coiled around my feet. "What the--!" I flinched and hastily tried to squirm away.

After a moment, I realized where I was. And that whatever was around my feet wasn't a dog.

I breathed a sigh of relief as the person at the end of my bed began to stir. She poked her head up out of the blanket, brown hair tangled behind her ears. It was Saph. "Yo, hey," I grunted, still on my back, eyes half-open. "What're you doin'?"

"I couldn't sleep, and I thought you wouldn't mind." She looked sheepish.

I adjusted my position, sitting up and fixing my shirt. "I don't," I mumbled. "I was just surprised, that's all."

"Did you have a bad dream?" she asked me, combing her fingers through her hair, blue eyes staring into mine. She was sitting criss-cross-applesauce (that was how my kindergarten teacher, Miss Huston would describe it), thin legs pretzeled together. I was still getting over the surprise of waking up to a girl sleeping in my bed. I guess that must be normal around here, because she didn't even seem fazed.

"No," I said, "I mean yeah. More like a memory-dream. You ever get those?"

She nodded, eyebrows raising, like I'd called something important to her attention. It was a childlike expression.

"Where's Chris?" I asked, looking around the room as I tangled a hand in my hair. "And Ro?"

Saph shrugged. "Gone, I guess." She looked at me earnestly. "What was your memory-dream about?"

I debated not telling her, but for some reason, I did anyway. "A dog," I told her.

She kind of laughed, full lips curling. "A dog?"

"Don't laugh or nothin'," I told her, "But dogs--they kinda, I dunno, creep me out?"

Saph laughed anyway; it sounded like a canary bird singing. Chris always went on and on about girls' laughs, and how they were all so great, but I never got it; laughs were never anything special. But I think I got it when Saph laughed, because I could feel myself smiling. "Dogs creep you out?" Saph asked.

"Yeah, guess so." It sounded so pathetic; I was almost an adult, and I couldn't get past my childhood fear of dogs. Dogs. I couldn't believe it.

I threw my legs out to the side and stood up, stretching my arms over my head.

"Y'know, I think I get that," Saph said, from behind me with an inflection to her voice. Then she cleared her throat, as if she expected me to ask her something. When I didn't, she continued. "Y'know what I'm afraid of?"

"What?" I questioned, glancing back at her. Her blue eyes were sparkling. I stumbled over to where Chris's duffel bag was strewn across the floor. After unzipping it, I rummaged around, shoving his cologne and empty Gatorade bottle aside. I yanked out a pair of Chris's shorts and his black Nike T-shirt.

"Monkeys," Saph replied, curling her knees to her chest. She narrowed her eyes. "I had a memory-dream about them once. They were chasing me through the forest." I took off my shirt and put the new one on. "But Chris saved me, I think." She shook her head, like her recollection was foggy.

"Which Chris?" I asked, glancing at her.

"I guess I don't really know," Saph said, shrugging. I unbuttoned my jeans and stripped them off, before pulling Chris's shorts over my boxers. I figured getting dressed in front of Saph wasn't that big of a deal. She had just slept in my bed. Curiously, Saph asked, "Do you think Chris knows me? The human Chris, I mean. I've been thinking about it. He calls me Blue. I don't know what that means."

"I dunno," I told her, one shoulder rising and falling. With a smile, I told her, "Chris likes to be real charming by pretendin' he don't know names. He's a word-class actor, y'know that? He might be all handsome and everything, but don't take anything he says too serious."

Saph nodded, managing a flushed smile, but she looked uncertain. Like she didn't know what to make of all of it. She pushed her tank top strap further up onto her shoulder.

Watching her, I said, "But I'll ask 'im." I cocked my head to the side. "Aright?"

Saph looked at me, smile growing on her lips. "Really?"

"Yeah, really," I told her, returning the smile. "When he gets back. I got no clue where his ass is at right now." I piled all of Chris's belongings back into his bag before standing to my feet. "I'm gonna go see how Jackie's doing. Wanna come?"

It took her a second to remember who Jackie was. But after she did, she nodded. "Sure," she said, and I offered her my hand. She took it. I pulled her to her feet, and we set off towards the tent where Chris said people got fixed.

I can't pretend that I know everything. I don't. Then again, who does? I was stupid enough to get myself knocked up, then stranded on an island, so I figure that I'm a bit worse off than all these other kids roaming around here.

That's not really fair to think, though. I can't have a bias against anyone, because I'm the med-girl. Granted, I think that Eddie might be a little better than me because he tells it like it is, but that's just how he is.

Right now, we have two of the three cots in our little hut taken up. Jackie, and Alaska. With Jackie, I knew what to do. Clean the wound, give her medicine, clean the wound. With Alaska, I didn't know what I was in for. She was burning up- so maybe it was just a flu or maybe Chris was right- a fever?

Now, fevers were different- the patient shouldn't think that they're too hot. They should feel cooler, need more warmth so that they can sweat the sickness out. And I don't think that it's anything to do with food, so its not any kind of food poisoning, but I just...

Not knowing what to do with one of my only friends on this island was killing me. And that I had to admit it to someone else... Mein Gott. Talk about embarrassing. Still, I treated her as if it were your run-of-the-mill fever and hoped that it helped. Lots of fluids, the same antibiotic-ish plant we were giving to Jackie, and a cool compress for her forehead.

I was just leaving the tent for shift-change with Eddie when Chris's friend Lou came up, towing Saphire with him.

"What's up?" I asked, when they paused to greet me. "Everything okay?"

Lou nodded, "Just visiting Jackie. How's she doin', doc?"

I smiled at that, because he reminded me of Chris. The carefree happiness. "She's okay. Sleeping for a while. Eddie should be here any second. Alaska's in there too. She's a little sick so please be careful- wash your hands when touching, don't try to sneeze or cough on my patients, et cetera." I smirked and crossed my arms. "You guys have anything to eat yet?"

Saph shook her head, and I nodded in return, "You might want to do that, too. Just to be healthy." Eddie came up, and I nodded a greeting at him, "Well, that's my cue. Elvis is waiting on me, i'll catch you guys later!"

Were they an item? Lou and Saph? I noticed that they were holding hands, but didn't think too much of it, because of the lack of realtionship-y vibes I was getting.

I brushed it off, and locked eyes with my dreamboat. He stood out from everyone else- tall and muscular, with that sun-bleached blonde hair. I smiled at him, and he smiled back, extending a hand out to me.

"You haven't eaten much of anything today," it wasn't a question. His eyes probed me, and I sheepishly nodded. "Lets get some food, then. Do you want to choose from our very wide selection of mango, banana, or coconut?"

I smirked at him from the side, rolling my eyes. Where our hands were touching, my skin tingled. "How about fish, today? With maybe some fruit... I was thinking that if we cooked some up, we could take some to Eddie, and whoever else is around. Alaska might wake up, and she needs food, too."

Elvis looked a little tense at the mention of Eddie, but he relax and smiled at me. "Yeah, that sounds pretty good. Like the mango-grilled Tilapia they used to serve at Chili's."

I scoffed, of course, Chili's, where we had every single one of our dates. That's pretty much where anyone went for food in our city.

"How about we go fishing, then?" Elvis suggested, already pulling me toward the beach.

The walk was short, only about fifteen to twenty minutes, and most of it was occupied by me singing out old tunes to my love. However, it was cut short by a guy I don't recall seeing before with short brown hair running up and grabbing Elvis by the shoulders.

"Little kid- beach- cave in..." He was panting, and I managed to calm him down. He locked eyes with me. "You're the medic. You can help them. There's a little kid stuck on the beach. He's trapped under the rocks. He's going to drown. Hurry!"

And like that, Elvis and I took off at a breakneck speed toward the beach. The guy- I didn't even ask his name, I later realized- ran in the opposite direction. When we arrived at the beach, I spotted Chris' figure across the sand, furiously digging and pulling rocks off of a pile. Elvis shortly joined him, working at twice the pace to free whoever was stuck down there. People were gathering now, quickly working to save the poor soul.

I found myself chewing at my nails, as I watched them work. Worry set it. The guy said it was a kid- it couldn't have been the little boy who I had met in the food storage- Ro... Could it?

-
"Chris, the water's to my chest," he voice was small and afraid.

"It's okay, buddy. Tell me when it gets to your shoulders, okay?"

"Okay..."

I stepped in, "Chris, you focus on getting him out. I'll talk to him. Calm him down. Cool?"

He nodded, "Cool," and returned his focus to heaving a large boulder over his head.

"Hey, Ro? It's me, Ezzie. Remember meeting me?"

"You the pregnant one? The pretty one?"

I smiled, and replied, "Yeah, that's me. Listen, I need you to stay calm, cause once you get out of there, we're gonna have a party for you. We're gonna make lots of food, have ourselves some punch, and we're gonna dance and have fun. But you gotta promise me that you're gonna be okay."

He was quiet a moment, "Is Lou out there?"

I looked around, "Not yet, but he's on his way. He's coming from the village, and he;ll be here very soon. Do you wanna see him again?"

"..Yeah."

"Okay, listen. Everyone's trying to get you out of there. You gotta stay calm. Is there a rock on you? You stuck?"

"Yeah, it's hurtin' my arm real bad."

I sighed, "okay. That's okay. I'll make it better when you're outta there. I'm good at making people feel better, isn't that right Chris?"

"Yeah, it is. She patched me up when I hurt my side, and I'm almost as good as new."

Not if you're continuously straining yourself like that, you aren't. I looked at the rocks. "Tell me something, Ro. How light is it in there? How well can you see?"

"It ain't bad... Hey, the water's gettin' higher pretty quickly. It's at my shoulders."

Chris cursed, and I scowled at him, "How about this, I'll tell you a story while they're working on getting you out?"

"...What kind of story? It isn't a love story is it?"

"No, Ro. It's a funny story."

"Alright..."

I opened my mouth, and started to talk.

--
When I was a little kid, I only saw my mom and dad on the weekends. They were always working at the hospital, and i was always left with a nanny.

One weekend, though, my mom and dad decided to take me to an amusement park. Like six flags.

We spent the whole day riding the kiddie rides, eating all of the nachos and deep-fried twinkies you could imagine. We had a blast.

Well, my dad got a little bored of riding the carousel with me, and suggested we ride a real ride- a rollercoaster, maybe. Or the Ferris wheel. Reluctantly, mom agreed, and we got on one of the tallest roller coasters you could imagine.

It was all good and fun, until we reached the very top and started to go down the other side. I was sitting next to my mom, and my dad was behind us. All of the cotton candy I had eaten came bubbling up, and I ended up puking all over my dad- and since we were going at such a high speed, it only made it that much worse.

He said it got into his mouth, too.

--
Ro laughed at that, and by the time I was done with the story, Lou and Eddie had joined us at the beach. Saph was probably still in the village. With Lou digging with just as much energy and will as Chris, it was a surprise when they finally unearthed the little boy. He was scared, but his eyes locked onto Lou and he squared his jaw.

"You're gonna be okay, Kid." Lou grinned as he and Elvis and Chris hefted the boulder up enough for Ro to pull his arm out.

Ro drug himself over to his older brother figure and smiled, hugging him with one arm.

"You're gonna be just fine."

Jackie

"Who're you?" Jackie cried, her voice wavering, "Where'd you come from?"

Elvis sat a couple feet away from the Asian girl, his eyes never leaving the form of the crazed boy.

"I like to think," the boy with the dark eyes purred, "that I came from hell."

"Lunatic's got a knife!" Chelsea hissed.

Elvis was up and on his feet before another move could be made, standing up straight and pulling his shoulders back, "Get out of here, we don't want any trouble."

A guttural laugh slipped from the boys cheshire cat smile as he began to saunter closer, his hand reaching down towards his waist as he sneered, "Oh, there's no trouble, I just came to make friends."

Chelsea scoffed, the roll of her eyes seeping from her words as she accused, "Dude, go touch yourself somewhere else."

Before she could even finish the sentence he was past Elvus in a flash and all that could see been was Jackie on the ground and the crazed man hovering over Chelsea. Jackie was in shock as she watched the situation unfold; the man ontop of her lover, the blade in his hand tauntingly closing in on Chelsea's jugular-- Chelsea's eyes flickering everywhere, looking for someone to plead to.

Jackie began to pick herself up and at the same time, Elvis began moving closer; and before we knew it, before we could stop anything, before we could say a word...

"Jackie, NO!" Elvis had yelled, lunging towards her, finding himself on the ground as she had already made her move and was now straddling the lunatic. She bloodied her fists against the lunatics face, the world around the teens drowning in a buzz as Chelsea, her once bright green eyes now dulled as she choked for a moment, her mouth gaping on, trying desperately to breath, and suddenly she froze.

Then Elvis was pulling Jackie away from the boy that was now laying in puddles of his own dirtied blood.

"-ackie," Elvis' voice was merely a whisper, prodding at her from the back of her mind.

As Jackie's breathing calmed, her eyes widened as she realized that she only beat that man to protect the girl she was in love with. To keep the girl that seemed to be her only relief from this godforsaken worlds safe.

Her head turned, and at that moment, as her eyes frantically searched for the bright green ones that always made her feel better, her heart was shattered. Because the eyes that once brought reassurance, the smile that once made Jackie melt, and the grace that once made her forget her past was no longer alive. The fire that was her girlfriend was no longer alive.

Chelsea was no longer alive.

The world was dead.

My eyes jumped open, but the only thing that met my gaze was a brown ceiling. My immediate thought was that it was all a dream. The crash was a dream. The trip was a dream. I was back home, in my bed, minutes away from seeing my Caucasian Goddess that preferred to be called 'Chelsea'.

But my ceiling was blue, and it smelled like fruit and dirty animals here.

"Jackie?" an unfamiliar voice whispered, and my eyes darted towards the sound of it, my entire body on alert; as if ready to jump and run once something bad happened. "Are you awake? How're you feeling?"

I rubbed my lips together, wiggled my toes, flexed my fingers, then replied with, "-the fuck are you?"

"I'm...sorry?" the voice, distinctly feminine, seemed alarmed by this.

The outline of her body was small, and the shape of her hair reached down until it touched her upper arm and disappeared behind her.

"You heard me," I grumbled, and tried to sit up, only to fall back in pain; my stomach was on fire. It felt like I'd been stabbed. "Who the fuck are you? And where am I? Where's Elvis?"

The last part made her clear her throat, and that did not clear up anything for me.

"Elvis is speaking with the other med here," the girl explained after a moment. Her voice was sympathetic, almost. "You're at a camp, Jackie. You.."

"What happened? After the guy was pulled off of my girlfriend?" I asked, the memories haunting my mind fuzzy.

"What?" she swallowed loudly, "I-I...you mean, Chelsea?"

I snorted, "Who the fuck else would I be talking about?"

"Jackie, sweetie," I wanted to punch her. "That night...Chelsea was murdered. The guy stabbed her in the throat. And after that, you killed the guy, and...tried to kill yourself."

"Thanks for sugar coating it," I thought I'd said, but really, as she spoke the images played behind my eyes. How fast it had happened. How useless I had been.

My throat itched with a sob, but I fought it.

"I need to talk to Elvis," I mumble, in denial. All of that was a dream. A nightmare. It didn't really happen. "I need to talk to him. He was there, okay? He knows what happened, okay? Can you get him?"

Her eyes glinted in the dusk lighting, but her head moved as if she were nodding, then she lifted herself up and quietly stepped out of the miniature building we were in.

Within seconds, the guy that had been there for me since almost the beginning of the crash was there. The guy that had promised to find my girlfriend. The guy I lied to. The guy I was almost sure hated me after he found out I didn't even know who his girlfriend was. The guy that brought me my girlfriend and protected all of us when we had nowhere to hide or run.

Elvis was hugging me a minute later, his long hair sticking to the sweat on my face.

He was the brother I'd always wanted.

"Elvis," I mumbled through his shirt, that smelled like coconuts and humans, "Elvis, the girl lied. She told me Chels was dead. How could she say that?"

He didn't respond.

"Elvis," I cried, "Elvis, please. Where is she? She's not dead. Where did she go?"

He didn't respond.

"Elvis, god dammit," I pushed his shoulders away from me, and when his face came into view, his eyes were sunken in.

His mouth was agape, his skin tinted a bluish-green. His shirt was tattered, jeans torn in places that shouldn't be torn, his body covered in gashes that were clearly made with a blade. The smell of rotten flesh trickled into my nostrils, and suddenly, he fell over.

My hands shook, my eyes watering, and as my eyes trailed down, the knife that was perched in my hand was weaved with the clothe that matched the cotton of Elvis' T-shirt.

I killed him. I killed him. He was dead.

My eyes opened to a pretty face that I didn't recognize.

"Jackie?" Her pink lips moved, "You're awake. I'm Ezzie. Just-- I'm going to go get Elvis, okay?"

The tears I'd been holding in since who-knows-when escaped my eyes as soon as the girl stepped out of the hut.

The dark-skinned girl sauntered down the hallway, her heels 'click, click, clicking' all the way to room 34B. Her three 'BFF's trailed closely behind, discussing the natural oils in their lipsticks and makeup base(s).

"Jordan said he'd be here," Alaska fumed, her perfectly waxed eyebrows lowering to form a slight frown. "Where is he?"

"With his friends, maybe," Melissa, one of the girls, replied with a shrug. "Or he's skipping school again."

After standing there for a couple of seconds, the four girls were suddenly disturbed by the obnoxious laughter and hooting of the baseball team.

"Yo, yo, Chris, my man," one of them called ahead, "d'yer mom dress you today?"

A tall boy in the front shot a look behind him, his chocolate eyes playful as he said, "Nah, your ma did, Simmons."

The boys erupted in a fit of laughter and 'Oooo's again, and passed the girls, but not without slurring ridiculous "pick-up lines" at them and also yelling out "hey baby"s and "lemme get them digits".

Alaska rolled her eyes in disgust, and looked past the boys-- only to catch the face of the boy she'd been dating for the last two months.

With another girl.

"Is that-?" Haley, another one of the girls, started-- only to be cut off by the sharp, loud 'click's of Alaska's heels tearing across the tile, towards the two.

"Jordan? Jordan Dale Clay," Alaska snapped as she reached the two. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm-"

The girl next to him cut him off with a 'worried', "Baby, who is this?"

Alaska's brows shot up quickly, "Baby?"

"Listen, Laska," he laughed, and slowly untangled himself from the girl at his side, "This-this isn't-"

"Oh, my god," she cuts him off, laughing harshly afterwards, "you're really not doing this, are you? Jordan?"

"Laska-"

"Nah," she shakes her head, then motions for her friends to follow her, "nah, keep her. I'm done with this."

And like that, she was alone again. She had friends, but she was alone. And at the end of the day, the only person thinking of her would be her.

"This is why we can't have nice things," she muttered, "fuck."

As she walked, her feet slowly sank closer to the floor, but when she looked around, people were still buzzing around the halls. Her three friends walked ahead, as if she were still leading them.

The only sound reaching her ears was a high-pitched ringing.

"Melissa?" She tried to step forward, but her feet were sinking into the tile, "Haley? Brooke?"

She glanced down, but when she looked back up the halls were empty. The ringing began to quiet down, but still buzzed dully in her ears.

Ahead of her, a sleek, black body moved swiftly down the halls, followed by howler monkeys that had caved in ribs and red mouths.

"No, no, no," she cried, and swiveled her head side-to-side, "please, god, somebody!"

The panther's eyes were chocolate, and had the mischief and playful twinkle that Christopher Mahoney had in his eyes. Behind the beast, the screaming animals shared the eyecolors of Alaska's classmates; Ezra Dexter, Lou Emmerson, Jackie Smith, Chelsea McCormick and Sapphire McCormine.

"Guys," Alaska pleaded, her forehead sweating and hands aching, as if she'd been writing for several hours. "guys, please. Chris. Chris, please."

The black monster sprinted forward, until it's forehead was against hers. As it exhaled, the force of it's breath pushed against her face. It's whiskers tickled her checks. She squeezed her eyes shut.

Then suddenly, a growl escaped it's lips, and the want for human flesh became more of a need to it.

She could only hear her own screams of pain as the animals attacked her body at once, as if on command. They tore and viciously demolished everything that she had been, everything that she was, and everything that she was going to be. They ripped away her aspirations, her dreams, her accomplishments and spared nothing.

Yet she could still see, and when her eyes opened, the animals were gone and she was laying on the tile. Except, the tile was softer, and the industrial lights 15 feet above her were now one big, brown tile.

The green eyes of one of the monkeys reappeared in front of her, except the eyes had a different body.

Ezra's lips spread in a sad smile, "Alaska? How are you feeling?"

"Chris," I mumbled. I had to see if his eyes had another body; a body other than the black one that haunted my dreams, "Chris?"

"He's not here right now," Ezra whispered, her cold fingers running along my face. "How do you feel?"

My throat my sore, my stomach was empty, and it was 200 degrees in here. I groan, "Water still hot?"

"Fresh out the freezer," Ezra cracked a smile, then lifted a bottle from beside her. "Here."

I tried to lift my hand to hold the bottle myself, but it took enough strength just to hold my arm up. As the water touched my lips, it burned.

"It's boiling," I cry, spitting it from my mouth. My tongue was definitely burned. "What is wrong with you?"

"I-Alaska, you have to drink," Ezra reasoned, "you're dehydrated. Please. I know-I know it's hot, but you have to drink it, okay?"

"Get Chris," I demand, my mouth burning and heart pounding, "I need him. I need to see him. Please."

She lingered a couple of seconds longer, before making her feet carry her out of the door.

I couldn't even think. It felt like my brain had been deep fried. My skin was sizzling from the 200 degree weather. My throat itched. My hands throbbed, as if blisters were forming from the heat.

Yet Ezra looked perfectly normal. She wasn't sweating. Her skin was clear of blisters. In fact, she looked like she'd been glowing.

Although I couldn't think straight, I knew that the only thing I wanted was Chris. The only thing I wanted was for him to hold me, kiss me, take me back to the field with the pink flowers.

I wanted him to apologize for cheating on me with Misty Jackson. Jordan knew-

Chris. Not Jordan. Jordan was gone. Jordan was safe, back at home, probably with another girl. Offering her promises he doesn't intend to keep.

I wanted Chris.

Thank God that Walker kid came jogging by after Ro got buried.

I actually remembered Walker from high school, which was something I couldn't say for everyone. After my basketball practices in the winter, he'd always be using the treadmill or lifting dumbbells in the weight room. He had muscles like the Rock. Maybe not exactly like the Rock, but the kid was crazy. I should've asked him to help me clear out all of the rocks, but in the heat of the moment, I told him to run for help. He brought back Ezzie, which wouldn't have been my first choice, seeing that we hadn't even gotten Ro out of the hole yet. But with Ezzie came the King and Gehrig, and that was how I knew everything was going to be okay.

In a half hour, we'd gotten the karate kid out. He gave Lou a side-hug, mangled arm clutched to his body, face smothered in Lou's T-shirt (which was actually my T-shirt, I realized after a second). My face was sticky with dust. I was breathing heavily. I felt a sharp pain jolt through my stomach.

As if on cue, Ezzie appeared from behind me. "You're bleeding badly," she told me. I looked down hastily, like I would see flames burning where my stitches were. Instead, there was a oval-shaped, bloodied stain just above my waistline.

"Well damn," I marveled sarcastically, looking back up at Ezzie. I was still out of breath.

Ezzie blinked at me incredulously. "Don't downplay your injury, Chris," she commanded, and rushed to the forest's edge, accumulating an armful of fallen palm leaves. "You could bleed out." She gave me one to press against my side. "Stop running around. I'm serious."

"Alright, Mommy," I replied, doing as she said with the palm leaf.

"Good," she affirmed, and then ran off to deal with Ro's broken arm. She fawned over him, calling him "sweetie" and swiftly setting his arm. It made Ro scream and whimper, which Ezzie took in stride, convincing him that the worst of it was over, and reminding him of the party they were going to throw back at the village.

"Why can't I have the nice doctor?" I asked Ezzie when we started back to the village, which earned me a punch in the shoulder.

Lou dropped back to walk with me, and Ezzie swapped places with him to comfort Ro. Ro was having a hard time; I knew how painful a broken arm could be. I snapped my wrist in eighth grade, when Lou and I were playing floor hockey in his uncle's mansion. There was so much empty floorspace in that house that all we had to do was push the coffee table against the wall, and we had an entire rink. Lou and I had been fooling around in our socks, using golf clubs for sticks and a piece of cardboard for a puck. I went in for the score and slipped, falling flat on my face. Something cracked underneath my chest. I didn't cry, but I kept groaning and insisting I didn't need to go to the hospital. Lou practically had to carry me to the car because it hurt so bad.

"What were you doing out in the jungle this far, anyway?" Lou asked me, slinging his hands in his pockets.

"Looking for a mast," I told him, rubbing my hair.

"Mast. For what?"

"Raft," I replied, dead leaves crunching under my feet.

Lou looked taken aback. "Well shit, man, you guys are workin' on a raft, too?"

"Yeah, what's it to you?" I asked, confused.

"This guy Kam and I started workin' on a raft. Back on the other side of the island. Nobody told you?"

"I haven't had much time to talk to anybody, Gehrig," I told him.

Lou scoffed. "Yeah, you're real busy, aren't you? Whatchyou been doin', making time with your girl?"

I was about to deny it, and tell him that I'd been doing work for the raft, but then I smiled at him goofily. "Yeah," I replied, raising my eyebrow.

This made Lou's head snap back, mouth breaking into high-pitched laughter. He tousled my hair. "Whadda playboy, Mahoney. Can't go a second without one, can you." Lou must of seen me push my tongue up under my upper lip, crossing my arms. I didn't say anything, so he did, tone changing. "Was she that girl who was huggin' you? What's her name?"

"Laska," I told him. Then I cleared my throat. "Alaska. Like the state. Y'know, like Hawaii, but the other one?"

Lou shoved me. I stumbled. "I know what state Alaska is, you dipshit. Yer the only one who forgets that kinda thing." I laughed weakly. My mind had wandered back to what had happened with Laska the last time I saw her. I tried to stifle the conflicting emotions that rose up inside me. "Anyway, she's a good catch," Lou said. "You plannin' on keeping her?"

"Not plannin' on losing her," I said back. Lou made a "hm" sound with his mouth. It was the kind of sound someone makes when they're thinking of something, but don't want to say it.

"What was that?" I asked, leaning closer.

"Nothin', man, you're just acting all weird," he mumbled.

I knew what he was talking about; I felt all weird. "Weird how?" I asked, pretending I didn't know.

"About this Alaska girl." Lou took his hands out of his pockets. He cast a glance in my direction. "You don't like her or somethin'? I'm telling you, man. She's h--"

"Nah, it's not that." I looked around, letting my arms fall to my sides, and then glanced back at Lou. "Will you promise not to say anything?" I asked, rubbing the back of my neck. Curiosity passed across his face, brown eyes meeting mine.

"Whatever, man, I promise," Lou responded, rolling his eyes. I wrapped my arm around his neck roughly, pulling his head closer to mine.

"I'm kinda, I dunno, in love with her," I whispered quickly, before letting him go. This made Lou laugh again, loud and bubbly, like a hiccup. My brow furrowed, and I stared at him. When he kept laughing, I shoved him hard. "The fuck's to laugh about?"

He wiped his eyes with a permanent smile, recovering from the shove. "I don't know, man. You're just such a tease. It's hilarious."

I could feel my face heating up, in both confusion and disbelief, when Ezzie dropped back next to us. Ro was under her arm. "Who're you in love with?" she questioned, looking at me, which sent Lou into another fit of laughter.

"What the hell?" I said, ripping out a weed from the ground and throwing it. "I'm not even a loud whisperer."

"You are a loud whisperer," Lou said.

"You are," Ezzie agreed.

"Jesus Christ," I muttered, kicking at some dirt.

"So who? Are you talking about Alaska?"

I met her eye, giving her a stone-cold glare. "None of your business." She poked me in the stomach, opposite from my stitches, which startled me. I leaped backwards. "Ow," I said.

"'Ow', my ass," Lou chipped in. "You're ticklish."

I snorted with incredulity. "Where're you getting all this info from, Gehrig? I bet you ten bucks I'm not ticklish."

"Oh great," Lou scoffed, and then he turned to Ezzie. "Don't worry, girl, he's just makin' bets he know he can't win."

"Nuh-uh!" I yelled, face contorting, taken aback.

"That's why you're betting low!" Lou shouted back, eyes widening at me.

I lowered my eyes to the ground. "Ten bucks isn't low."

"Don't give me your puppy dog eyes and tell me ten bucks ain't low, Mahoney."

"Boys, boys," Ezzie called over us, suppressing her own smile. "Settle down. You two are gonna blow out this little boy's ears with all your yelling." Ro was grinning meekly from beside Ezzie; the pain from his arm was evident in his face.

"How's that arm?" Lou asked him.

"Good," he managed, and then added, "I guess." I smiled. That sounded like what I said when the doctor asked me about my broken wrist in eighth grade. Ro was a natural fibber. Ezzie smiled down at Ro, motherly affection in her eyes.

The pregnant girl turned to me suddenly. "Oh," she said, lowering her voice, "I came over here to tell you. Alaska's been asking about you all day."

Me, or Jordan Clay? My brow furrowed. "Yeah?" I asked, masking my jealousy.

"Yeah," Ezzie said. "It's been 'Chris, Chris, I want Chris' every time I'm in the tent." My heart softened for a second; I missed her, even if I sucked at admitting it. I licked my lips, sticking my hands in my pockets. Ezzie glanced at me, and then faced forward when I refused to catch her eye.

"Anyway," she continued, "she won't drink the water. She's dehydrated, and sick, and I--" She paused, hesitant.

"You don't know what she has," I finished for her, knowing about Ezzie's pride-issues by now. She exhaled; I could tell she was nervous.

"Could you get her to drink the water?" she asked, emerald eyes flitting to mine. I wanted to scoop her up in a hug; she looked so worried.

"I don't know how much help I'm gonna be," I said honestly.

"You were last time," she told me, cocking her head to the side. She fixed her shirt. Just then, Elvis called her name from about ten steps ahead of us, beckoning to her. She gave me a fleeting glance, and then jogged up to where the King was walking.

"I'll try," I said after her. I didn't know if she heard me. Lou walked up beside me again, having finished talking to Ro.

"I gotta plan for when we get back," he told me.

"Yeah?" I asked, and jogged up to the tree in front of me, leaping up to slap the lowest branch. Like we used to do with exit signs in high school. "I say we party," I said.

"Nah, besides that," Lou said, adjusting his baseball cap. I stole it off his head, and adjusted it to fit my own. "Give that back, you dip."

"What's your plan?"

"B-ball with those woven baskets."

"Which b-ball?" I asked.

"Baskets, I said. Hoops, Hoops." He stole the baseball cap back, tipping it off of my head with his fingers.

My eyebrows shot up, and my mouth spread into a grin. "Right on," I said, and we slapped hands. "B-ball. We gotta--"

Just then, we were back at the village. I stepped through the clearing, catching sight of the sun sinking lower in the sky as villagers bustled around between houses. I saw the Med Tent, and thought of Laska, tanned body curled up on the cot, curls sticking to her face as she sweated and kept out of the sun. I decided I'd go do what Ezzie said, and help her drink the water.

You gotta be kidding yourself, QB. You're just making up excuses to see her.

"We gotta what, Dreamy?" Lou asked, stopping in his tracks because I had.

"Nothing," I lied. "I'll catch you later, and we can play some ball, alright Kobe?" I clocked him on the shoulder and then started to bounce off towards the tent.

"Whatever," he said after me. "Later, LeBron."

I jogged down the cobblestone path, and ended up lightly out of breath by the time I swung into the tent. The interior was dimly lit, and a shadow fell across Laska's body. She was sprawled out on the cot, hair splayed around her head. Sweat shone on her cheeks, and her chest rose and fell with deep breaths. She moaned slightly, eyes fluttering open. "Chris," she squeaked, barely getting my name out.

Shoulders falling, I leaned on the doorway, looking in at her. Heart falling into my stomach at the sound of my name. "Hey baby," I said in a low voice.

"What--" she started, and then swallowed. Her cheeks were flushed. "What time is it?"

"Uh," I said, rubbing the back of my neck, "I'm not sure. But you haven't drank in awhile, have you?"

"I missed you," she said suddenly, eyes pale but reaching up to me, begging me to drop the water topic. She meant it, though. I could tell somehow. "C'mere," she said. "Please?"

"You don't gotta 'please' me, LA," I murmured, smiling, and walked to her, squatting down beside her. "But," I told her, wincing at the pain in my stomach, "you're gonna have to drink some of that cold water, alright?"

Laska started shaking her head vehemently. "I'm fine, really."

I laughed. "I think you've been hanging around me too often, sweetheart."

"Never too often," she replied in a slurred voice, or something like that. She reached an arm towards me weakly. Relenting, I crawled closer, kissing her hand and drawing her to me. She cuddled into my arms, lips touching to my neck, curls overflowing under my chin.

"That's cute," I told her, "but you're still gonna have to drink the water."

Her face screwed up in disgust. "It's too hot," she pleaded.

"It's ice-cold," I argued.

"I drank some earlier and it burnt my tongue," she mumbled, and adjusted her position, trying to unstick her shirt from her body.

My eyebrow furrowed. "Yeah? Lemme see." I touched her chin and she opened her mouth slowly, sticking her tongue out. It was pink and lacked any sign of being burnt. "It's not burnt," I told her.

"It's not?" she asked, honey eyes rising meekly to meet mine.

"Nope," I said, kissing her forehead. "You're good." I started to move away from her.

"Wait," she said. "Come back."

"You're sweating worse than I do during football practice," I said, standing up and straightening my shirt. "I'm probably like a furnace to you right now."

"I don't care," she insisted, her voice breaking. "I just want you to stay with me." My heart ached with sympathy and love for her, and I licked my lips, looking at the ground.

"I'm right here," I told her.

"Closer," she said.

"If you drink the water."

"I just want you to love me, Chris, and you're gonna use that to blackmail me?"

Putting my hands in my pockets, I laughed, lips pulling up into a smile. "Touché," I said after a second, not able to stop smiling. Just then, I heard somebody stumble into the tent loudly from behind me. It was Eddie, and he was carrying the med kit. He was walking over to the other bed in the tent, where that Jackie girl was laying. I'd seen her moving around, but she hadn't made any move to say anything or to get up.

"Get out, Chris," Eddie commanded, pushing past me and kneeling next to Alaska. "You're gonna have to drink th--"

"Don't tell me what to do, boss," I interrupted. "And don't talk to her."

Eddie shook his head, like he didn't have time for me. "Just get out, Chris. Doctor's gotta do his work. If you wanna talk to her after I'm done, then be my guest. But for now, I need you to leave."

"Hell no," I said, squaring my shoulders. At that moment, I felt a large hand plant itself on my shoulder from behind. I turned slightly to see Ezzie's boyfriend, his broad shoulders and blonde hair standing firmly at the entrance.

"C'mon," he said to me in a low whisper. He reminded me of one of those buff security guards on television. "Jackie's hurt, and so's Alaska. You need to give Eddie some space."

"Elvis," Jackie mumbled from her cot, the name bubbling up out of her throat. She looked at Elvis pleadingly as he guided me out of the tent. There were tears on her face. She gave him the same look that Laska gave me as Elvis pulled me away.

"Stay with me," Laska said another time, face scrunching up in agony.

"I love you," I told her, guilt plaguing my chest. "So long, okay?" She shook her head as I stepped out of the tent.

Elvis and I were both alone, squinting in the sunlight. "Chris, right?" he asked me, voice gruff. His whole body looked like it was chiseled out of stone.

"Yeah, Zeus," I said. "Nice to meet you. Your girlfriend's real nice." I cleared my throat. "But you shouldn't have pulled that stunt back there. That's my girl back in there, and I can stay with her if I damn well want to, you got it?"

Elvis snorted. "With that attitude, I'd have told you to leave, too."

"Don't press me," I told him, and started to walk away. The village scene spread out before me. A few girls were laughing as they carried armfuls of mangoes and papayas into the nearest hut. My best friend was tossing a papaya up in the air, scanning the perimeter, but not seeing me. Mary Wetherby and a few boys were cooking squirrel and rabbit on the fire. Ezzie was bent over, facing Ro, brushing his hair out of his face and saying something to him I couldn't quite hear. I spotted Blue sauntering across the walkway to meet up with Lou, who smiled when he saw her, forgetting about me for a second.

Strolling further away from Elvis, I reached the tree line, and stepped just inside the forest.

Right inside, I saw her. Robbie Peters was laying on the ground, throat bleeding down to her collar bone and over her dress. Her eyes were open, but they were lifeless; there was a sharp stone clutched in her right hand. I inhaled deeply, and then turned around.

But somehow, I wasn't surprised. I was almost relieved. I started back towards the village. I did look back, once, and didn't quite see her laying there anymore, like maybe her body had disappeared. Or my eyes were playing tricks on me.

Thing was, after thirty yards of walking back into the village, I forgot about it. Like so many other times, my memory never failed to fail, and Lou called my name, mouthing "b-ball?", and I mimed making a three-pointer, and he gave me two thumbs up.

And that was okay.

Ezzie.

Elvis told me about the tent.

He gruffly murmured, "that Chris Mahoney is a real jackass," before resting himself in the sand beside Ro and I.

I looked at him from the corner of my eye, and raised an eyebrow. "What makes you come to that conclusion, love?"

"Just something dumb that happened. Went to check up on Jackie and your pal Edward and Mahoney were about to go at it."

"Why's that?" I asked, brushing a hand over the little boy's head. He looked up at me and grinned, and I smiled back. He was just so adorable.

"Mahoney wouldnt leave. Kept messing with Alaska. Had to muscle him out."

I scoffed. Elvis Presley Morgan did not 'muscle' anyone out. If I knew the big, cute oaf, I knew he uses intimidation much more than his actual muscles.

"What?" He grunted, turning his beautiful eyes on me.

"You're harmless. Besides, I told Chris to get Alaska to drink, because-" Because I can't, because I don't know whats wrong with her, because I'm feeling useless. "-Because she won't and he's the only one around here that can get her to do anything."

"Right now, Ezra, you're not the doctor. You're relaxing." Elvis chided, pulling the same card that I usually pull. The 'i know what's best for you right now' card. Hopefully I wasn't that annoying when I did it...

"...You're right. But as soon as I'm on call again, you better not be muscling my little helpers out of my sanctuary. And you had better apologize to Chris as soon as you get the chance."

Elvis rolled his eyes and tossed a handful of dirt at me. "Whatever."

"Hey," Ro called from beside me, "you got a baby in you, right?"

"Yeah," I agreed.

"So is Elvis the daddy?" He asked, looking between us.

I nodded, and flashed a smile at both if the boys. "He sure is, and our little baby is gonna be just like it's dad. Tough. And pretty."

Elvis scoffed. "I'm going to play basketball. Take care of her, buddy." He patted Ro on his uninjured shoulder and took off at a jog toward Lou and Chris.

I sat with Ro, watching them for a few minutes, before I stood up and motioned for Ro to follow. "Before you got yourself hurt, Elvis and I were going to have a picnic. Some fruit salad, grilled fish. You hungry?" I asked, and received an eager nod in return. "Well, let's go, then."

I pulled the boy with me to the food storage and together we picked out several mangos, bananas, pineapples, and a few baskets of acai berries. "We're gonna make a lot of fruit salad."

I smiled as Ro insisted on carrying a lot of the fruit to my nearby hut. We had a kitchen in there, and we could use the space.

I set him to work peeling the bananas and rinsing all of the fruits in a bowl of water for me, while I cut up the other fruits and placed them into a very large bowl.

"How many mangoes do you have left down there?" I glanced over my shoulder at him.

"Uhhhh, 7?"

"Alright. I'm done with these, you want to put all that back in a basket for me? We're gonna cook them with the fish in a little bit."

He nodded and piled them back up. "You take this one. The little one." He said, "I'll take the big bowl. So that you don't hurt the baby."

I ruffled his hair. "It's alright. You can't carry this one with that broken arm. And I don't want you to hurt yourself even more."

I gathered the other things we'd need from my kitchen, like the knife I had, and a piece of wood that I had used as a cutting board, and then pushed them into a bag and slung it over my shoulder.

As we were preparing to head back to the beach, the sound of feet hitting the ground behind me resonated.
Carlisle.

I sound around and the large man had already taken the fruit salad from me.

"Don't need you straining yourself," he muttered, plucking a banana slice from the bowl and popping it into his mouth with a 'mm'.

I scoffed, but Ro decided to speak up. "I said the same thing."

"Shush, you. And you," I looked pointedly at Carlisle, "you finally decided to show your hairy face around here."

"There woulda been too much drama," he replied, "better to let you lot settle it all before making an appearance."

I bit my lip. "You know she's here, right?"

He nodded once. "That's why I came back. The damn horse has been sticking around the woods. It's a giveaway."

We were nearing the beach, "I don't know exactly what happened, but she doesn't have her memory. Please, be careful. Your appearance would jog it. And then she'd have an overload and I already have my cots full in the infirmary-"

"Don't fret as much," Carlisle eased me, "I'll take it easy, but I got you your boy. You're not keeping my girl from me."

"Carlisle- I wouldn't- That's not... Look, if it's a medical thing, then that's my jurisdiction. I'm not telling you not to talk to your daughter. I'm not telling you to avoid her. I'm just saying, don't go marching up and try to drag her off to the trees again. That's a heart attack waiting to happen." I clutched at Ro's shoulder and pushed him ahead of me.

"Aye, and it'll be my heart going out. I've kept and eye on this place. I know all of your little high school dramas that followed you lot here."

As I looked closer at the older man, I noticed that he seemed to have aged a lot more since I had last saw him. His hair was graying faster. His skin was darker.

"I'm surprised you haven't had a sunstroke by now," I muttered, "God only knows it would kill you at this point."

And then it hit me.

Sunstroke. Alaska.

"Eureka."

-

As it turns out, the party was fun. Or so Ro told me, the next day as I sat over Jackie's bed, tending to her wounds. Elvis sat beside me, handing me different items as I needed them. He was also making small talk with my patient.

He sat next to Chris and Alaska, chattering away.

I had left him and Carlisle at the big gathering with Elvis and Chris and the others while I rushed back to the med tent to talk to Eddie.

He tried to shoo me out, as well, but I glared at him and pointed at Alaska, and he shut himself right up.

She was delirious, still, of course. But almost all of her symptoms matched with my spur-of-the-moment diagnosis.

"I can only conclude that it's some type of regular illness mixed with an untimely sunstroke." I explained. "Perhaps a flu. Or stomach virus. I really... I'm not sure. But the stroke- oh definitely."

Eddie nodded. "So, water, food, cool compresses, and lots of rest?"

"Yeah. Lots and lots of rest."

"Aye aye, captain."

With an eyeroll, I placed myself by my friend's side, and pressed a cool, damp cloth to her forehead.

"I promise, Alaska. I'll have you feeling better in no time."
Now, as I perched next to Jackie, a mortar and pestle in front of me, pointing at the different types of plants I needed to mash up into my little concoction, I was really thinking about things.

"I'm almost 5 months along. Normally, I'd know what my baby's gender is at this point, but seeing as we dont have a spare sonogram laying around here.."

"I think you're gonna have a girl." Ro chimed, and Chris agreed.

"If you do, name her Indigena."

Alaska

Chris returned the next day, his forehead lined with sweat and his lips spread into a permanent smile, "Hey, Hawaii."

My stomach burned, as if I'd drank battery acid. My throat was dry and on fire, and even though Chris had proven that my tongue wasn't burnt, it still felt like it was. My entire head throbbed-- I literally had a headache. Even my fingers were prickled with pain.

The cold compress on my forehead was the only thing, so far, that wasn't hot to me. I lifted my arm up weakly, as I had earlier that day, and croaked out, "Chris, c'mere.."

He took a step closer, glancing around the hut quickly as he asked, "Feelin' any better? That cold water sound good yet?"

"I-" I drop my arm, shaking my head once, "Eddie forced me to eat some mango yesterday, but the heat forced that outta me real quick."

At this, he flicked his chocolate orbs over to meet mine, "He say anything to you? Do I need to go say somethin-?"

"Hm-mm," I hum, closing my eyes so I didn't have to look around at my surroundings, "Chris?"

"Yeah, baby," his voice was closer, "What is it?"

"Do-" I pause and open my eyes, only to find him a foot or two away, "do you mean it?"

He scooted closer and rested his arms on the side of my cot, his body heat making my skin crawl-- I didn't want to be alone, though, so I didn't say anything. He licked his lips and asked, "Do I mean what?"

I swallowed imaginary spit and slid my hand across the bed until I was touching his arm, "When you say you love me."

"What?" He frowned at me, as if I knew better than to ask something like that, "Of course, Laska."

"I just-" I bite down on my lip, then continue with, "I just want to be sure...in case something happens. I just want to be sure, okay? I didn't want to upset you, okay?"

"Nothin' is going to happen," he assures, taking my hand and pulling me to his chest, "Nothin'. You hear me? You're fine, okay?"

Although his voice shook and his hands held onto me, as if keeping me from going anywhere, he didn't convince me.

Not more than a half-hour later, the tent had a couple more people in it. Jackie was awake, with Ezzie by her side, tending to the wound that was slowly killing her. Elvis, who was helping Ezzie, and Ro . His arm was leveled across his chest, his sling strictly holding it in the one place.

Ezzie's voice filled the room, "I'm almost 5 months along. Normally, I'd know what my baby's gender is at this point, but seeing as we don't have a spare sonogram laying around here.."

"I think you're gonna have a girl." Ro said, his small voice kind.

Chris added in a "yeah" before someone, I wasn't sure who, said, "If you do, name her Indigena."

"Indigena's an odd name," I mumble as Chris wets my compress for the third time since he's been here, "I think Aiída would be appropriate, for a girl. It means 'noble' and 'serene'."

Ezzie turns to smile at me, then she shakes her head.

"My name was almost Dalbert," I share with them, "Dalbert Faleb Rein. 'S got a ring to it, right?"

Chris grins at me, "I think I like Alaska more."

"Me too," someone says from the doorway-- It was Carlisle.

I hadn't seen him since...well, I guess since Chris was laying where I was at the moment. When he fell, after he accused me of sneaking out of the village. I still felt guilty about that...mostly because I did sneak out of the village.

"So, what's wrong with these kids?" He asks, his head swiveling to look over at Ezzie.

I wasn't a kid.

"What do you need, Carlisle?" She asks, her back still turned as she changed the bandages on Jackie's wounds.

"Just stopping by to say hello," he says loudly, his accent heavier an elephant, then glances behind him out at the villagers-- looking for someone. "You guys're settlin' in pretty well."

"Look, I'm busy right now," Ezzie turned to look at him quickly, before going on with her business, "you shouldn't be around here right now. You-know-who's wandering around with a friend. We don't need an accident right now, remember?"

Carlisle pursed his lips, then said, "That's not what I'm around for."

"Then what is it?" Ezzie asked quietly, sweat dripping from his chin as she turned to give him another impatient look.

"There's-" he cleared his throat, then seemed to change his mind, "I brought some fruits, herbs, things like that. They're with the stock, in your food tent or whatever."

Ezzie looked at him, as if asking, "Is that it?" then said, "Okay. Thank you."

He left with that. I didn't like him. He was weird. Mysterious. Secretive. Whatever.

I pressed my lips to Chris' arm, the heat from his skin sending a new kind of electricity through me.

"I want to take a bath," I mumbled, my mind wandering, "in cold water. Not the hot water."

Chris looked at me, his thick eyebrows raising up and chocolate orbs searching my face. His lips moved slowly as he said, "Now?"

I grinned weakly and nodded, excited to wet my hair, take off these dirty clothes and relax.

He seemed to hesitate a moment, before lifting himself up with a quiet, "As you wish."

The first thing I was going to do when I got home was watch The Princess Bride. Or maybe shower. Or-- I don't know. Something. I'll figure it out.