All is fair in love and survival - LOTF

Chapter 8

Chris POV

Today was the first group hunt. We all had the sharpened sticks, that Roger and Jack sharpened the day before, and walked quietly through the forest. We went on for a while with no luck but all of a sudden a pig seemed to appear almost out of no where. Or maybe I just missed him cause I was to busy not wanting to be here. All of us ran towards the squealing pig. Roger jumped off a dip in the trail and forced his stick forward towards the pig. We all surrounded Roger, ignoring the runaway pig. Jack and I ran up to roger to make sure he was okay. He jumped pretty far and landed on his face. He held his head and sat up.

"Hey man you ok that was some jump?" Jack said.

"I got him. Right up his ass." Roger said still holding his head. All the boys started chanting UP THE ASS and fake stabbing a small blond kid with their sticks, up the ass. He started yelling stop but they didn't. Ralph and I eventually had to step in. I stood up after I knew Roger was ok and ran to Ralph who was yelling at the kids to stop. We turned back to roger and Jack. Jack was taking the blood off Rogers stick and smearing it onto his face, then he did the same to himself.

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When we got back to the camp we all sat by the fire. Me and Ralph were talking and eating fruits. I looked over at jack who was staring intensely at us. When I looked at him, his gaze shifted over to the other boys. It was as if he was keeping a watchful eye over us, keeping us safe from something. His blank stare gave me the chills. Then Ralph knocked me back into my senses.

"Hey, you ok?"

"Oh, yeah sorry." I laughed and tried to play off my slight worry. I looked back over to jack, and he was staring once again. This time, almost through me.

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I couldn't stop thinking about jack that night. He's been out of it ever since we went hunting. He was knocked out of his mind. He had blood and dirt spread onto his face and slicked his hair back with dirt. He hadn't talked at all that night, he just stared. He stared blankly. There was nothing for him to look at except for us kids. He looked at all the boys a lot but every time I looked away from him for a second, I could see him staring at me when I looked back. I stared at the sky all night, not as blankly as jack because my eyes moved from star to star, but nothing could get my mind off of jack. I was starting to get scared of him. I couldn't sleep at all so I got up as quietly as I could and went on a walk. The beach became cold, the sand as cold as the air. I stood there for a while, arms crossed as my hands rubbed my arms to try and warm them up. I was staring at the ocean until I was brought back to earth when a warm military schoolboy jacket was placed around my arms. It was Ralph. I gave him a smile and he smiled back.

"Hey."

"Hey, can't sleep?"

"No. Sorry if I woke you."

"No it's ok. I just heard you get up and I watched you and you looked kinda cold so I decided it would be nice to give you my jacket. I guess now I realize you have your own but uh I guess- I'm talking a lot aren't I."

"Kinda ya." I laughed, so did he. He seemed really nervous. I didn't make eye contact with me at all, when he tried to he looked back down at his hands or out at the water.

"You ok?" I ask.

"Ya it's just- maybe I should just stick with ya I'm fine." He laughed again. Why is he so nervous?

"Are you sure? You seem, nervous about something?"

"Uh ya, ya in fine."

"Oh, ok." He's not ok. I tried to act calm so maybe he would calm down. I slowly sat down on the cold sand and Ralph hesitated but sat with me. It was silent for a bit but Ralph broke the silence.

"Chris?"

"Ya."

"I- um." He stopped talking.

"Yes Ralph?" He looked at me, his mouth hung slightly open like he was gonna speak but he shut it and sighed.

"Im sorry, I'm acting like a total mess." He laughed.

"Hey it's ok, you can talk to me you know." I grabbed his hand tightly.

"I know it's just, I don't know." Silence.

"It's just, today, when we were talking during the fire, I realized something. Really I've been feeling like this for a while but, I don't know ever since we got stuck here I've realized that I have, feelings for you. It's just, you are the funniest, prettiest, greatest person I have ever met. You are much braver than I could ever be, hell you did all this just to join military school. Now your stuck on an island with a shit tone of guys and you can stay this calm! Me I'm a mess! But you have always been there to calm me down. Like that one day where we had that assembly about not goofing off. After all the boys told me to, well eat shit and die," he giggled, "you were there and you hugged me. It was the smallest gesture but it meant so much to me. You mean so much to me! And I guess I have never stopped thinking about you since we first met. Now here I am, talking enough for two people again." He laughed nervously again. I grabbed his hand tighter and he looked up at me, and for the first time today, he looked me right in my eyes.

"Ralph, I like you too. I have liked you ever since I met you. Ever since you started calling me pretty miss." We both laughed. "See, that! Every time you laugh! I always seem to catch myself smiling just because of you! You smiling makes me smile! Sounds cheesy as fuck but it's true! You are the reason I am able to stay calm on this island, not Roger, not Simon, you. You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me." As I'm saying this, my grip on his hand gets tighter, and his smile gets bigger. When I see his smile, I start to smile. We stare into each other's eyes for a while. His beautiful brown eyes, glistening even in the dark. While I'm staring into his eyes, he slowly brings his hand to my face. Then, it happened. We started leaning in and, we kissed. I could feel all the butterflies in my stomach. We were still holding hands, Ralph's other hand was laying gently on my face. It lasted for a few seconds but felt like forever. We were both smiling like crazy when we pulled apart. It was still very dark, but I could see Ralph's face turn red, I felt mine do the same. Ralph giggled nervously and took his hand off my face, not moving the other away from my hand. He looked out at the ocean still smiling like crazy. I moved in closer to him and layed my head on his shoulder. He looked down at me. I smiled at him, he smiled back and looked away still smiling.

"Why have you stopped calling me pretty miss?"

"I don't know, pretty miss." His amazing laugh was the last thing I heard before drifting off to sleep.

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Word count: 1298

I am back! I decided, as an apology gift for being gone for a while, might as well make a long chapter.