When Saturn Returns | Jerrie

Chapter 1

JADE

"Hi, my name is Jade Thirlwall. I'm best known as being part of the girl band Little Mix. When it comes to bugs and stuff and other creepy crawlers I'm good. I think the thing I'm going to be struggling most with is the food. I like me mam's cooking, which is mostly northern comfort food and I don't know if I can make myself eat a cow's anus or something.

"Before I was in Little Mix, I was quite shy. Being in the spotlight has helped me overcome that quite a lot, but I still tend to keep to myself when I don't know anyone around me. Actually, we were all like that. At events, we would just stick to ourselves and fangirl over all the celebs around us. But I think it's good to step out of your comfort zone and try new things, and I'm sure I'm going to love my campmates.

"I never really went camping as a kid, but Leigh-Anne and I climbed Kilimanjaro a couple of years ago and I know I never shut up about it, but I really loved it. I love being outside and in nature, so I'll be right in me element in the jungle."

"Okay, thank you, Jade," one of the producers behind the camera says. They have enough interview footage for her introduction bit at the beginning of the show. As they usher Jade out of the room, she can feel her nerves coming back. She doesn't know why she agreed to do the show. Maybe out of boredom. Since Little Mix broke up, which they still call a hiatus in public, she has been struggling to find things to occupy her time. She's been doing some presenting and judging on talent shows, but she's so used to being busy all the time, she finds herself getting antsy when she isn't. She's tried writing a book, which has always been a dream of hers to do, but she hasn't found a story that could keep her invested and interested to keep writing. She's been writing a lot of songs, but she doesn't really like writing for other artists anymore and she still refuses to go solo, even if the label keeps asking her to. So, when the offer came to be a contestant on I'm a celebrity... get me out of here, she figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to try something new.

Too soon for Jade's taste, the time has come to say goodbye to the one person she was allowed to bring to Australia and get into the helicopter that will take her into the jungle. She hugs Holly tightly, knowing she will not see her best friend for a couple of weeks.

Well aware of the cameras on her, Jade takes a deep breath before climbing on board of the helicopter. She doesn't like flying as it is, but combined with the nerves that swarm in her stomach for the uncertainty that is to come the next couple of weeks, it is almost unbearable. Knowing that the entire UK can see her freaking out tomorrow night on national television, she tries to get into the goodwill of the people by cracking a joke to the camera. "God, I'm glad I went to the loo before I got in, otherwise everyone would know why they used to call me Poopy."

The flight doesn't take as long as she expected and she feels the helicopter descend after only fifteen minutes in the air. When she carefully peeks outside through the window, she can see a big open space in between the trees that blanket the floor beneath them. An open space that becomes bigger and bigger as they get lower to the ground. Feeling her heart in her throat, Jade looks up again, hoping that the pilot knows what he's doing. He does. The landing is soft and smooth and Jade gets out as quickly as she can, enjoying the feeling of solid ground beneath her feet again.

"Jade!"

She turns towards the sound and sees a girl running towards her.

"Hi!" she calls back. The girl looks vaguely familiar, but Jade doesn't know her name. She lets the girl hug her and tries to read the name on the back of her body warmer, but her long hair covers her name.

"I'm Emma, by the way," the girl says to Jade's relief.

"Hi, I'm Jade," Jade replies, mentally slapping herself after the words leave her mouth. Of course Emma knows who she is, she just yelled her name.