The Wilds / Season 3 / LEATIN centered

Episode 2: The Search

Leah jolted up from her sleep. Another nightmare. It was still dark out. Maybe it was around 5 am?
She stood up from where she slept and started to walk outside. She creeped around to find the girls, all sleeping in a circle. Leah wished she could just protect them, let them know they were safe, but she couldn't. And it drove her mad.
Her belly ached. Food. She walked over the the room where they all gathered on the first day in the building. The boys were sleeping there. Leah quietly creeps into the corner where the leftover chips and snacks lay.
"Hungry?"
Leah zips her head around.
"Oh...Raf... hey,didn't see you there."
"It's all good. Help yourself, you must be hungry after everything that happened yesterday."
"You could say that."
Leah avoids eye contact, and eyes the other boys sleeping on the ground instead.
"You wanna go for a walk?"
No. But Leah couldn't say it out loud. She didn't know if he was just being friendly or flirty. "Sure," she responded.
The two walked around the building until they reached the outside balcony.
"You and Fatin... you guys seem pretty close," Raf whispered, breaking the silence.
"She's..." Leah paused. "My best friend, I probably wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for her, I mean, we didn't always get along at first but, eventually we put our differences aside, and we let go of our past. At least I did."
"That's nice, Leah. It's always good to have support." He laid his hand on hers.
Leah didn't know how to react. She hadn't had a man touch her since Jeffrey. It felt nice.
"I gotta go, back to sleep, before Fatin wakes up and gets worried again." She snacthes her hand away. "Thank you, by the way, for the walk."
"Anytime Leah," Raf says as he opens the door for her.

(Sun rises)
"Rise and shine bitches we are-" Dot starts.
"-Still in hell, we got that," Rachel adds.
"Hey guys, who thinks we should all group up and scout the island today?" Shelby says as she arises from her bed. "We can get the boys to help us out too."
Fatin groans. "Did I miss something..?" She sits up and yawns. "Where's Leah?"
"I think she's still in her room," Rachel says.
Fatin gets up and quickly walks over to the room. Leah opens the door at the same time.
"LEAH! I mean... you're...awake, obviously you're awake you're standing right in front of me," she laughs nervously. "Sleep well?"
Leah doesn't say a word. Instead she reaches in for a hug. "I was an asshole. Again. I really thought I could fool Gretchen. I really thought we could get out of here, go back and live our lives normally."
"Leah. Don't think about Gretchen, or anything else. I have you here, you make everything more bearable. And you have me, to keep you sane, remember? Come on let's join the others," Fatin takes her hand and they walk into the giant room with the boys.

Raf smiles and waves at Leah gleefully.
Fatin notices. "Did he just like wave at you?"
"Yeah. I think he's like into me or something."
"Into you? Did he say something to you?" Fatin starts to furrow her eyebrows.
"It's like not a big deal Fatin he's a nice guy."
"Right." Fatin was outraged. She didn't like the boys anymore. Not that she ever really did. The thought of Leah leaving her for Raf scared her.
"Okay listen up ladies and gentlemen," Kirin starts.
"And anyone in between," Ivan adds.
Kirin rolls his eyes, "Alright so Shelby and I have discussed a plan. We're gonna search the entire island. For supplies, anything that could be useful, keep track of certain locations that would be good for shelter or hunting. This island is huge, so it's going to take a couple days. We're going to assign everyone into groups of 4 and 3 ALWAYS stay with your group. We meet back here no longer than 6 days. Kapeesh?"
"Kapash," everyone replied in unison.
"And keep your eyes out for cameras. Gretchen's always watching," Leah adds.
"What the crazy girl said. Any questions?" Kirin asks.
"Not a question but there are certain people in here that I don't want to be grouped with," Toni says.
"Here are the groups," Kirin says, ignoring Toni.
"Fatin, Leah, Dot, and Rachel. Go North."
"Shelby, Martha, Toni. South."
"Bo, Scotty, Henry, Josh. West"
"Me, Ivan, and Raf. East. Get to your groups, fill up some bags with necessities and get going."
...
Having No Raf around was a great thing to Fatin. She eased up and her mood became 10x better.
"Alright group. Let's hustle," Rachel says as she leads her group out to the Northern parts of the island.
Leah reaches out for Fatins hand.
Fatin smiles to herself. She catches herself blushing so she turns her face the other way.
"So... about Raf, now I don't want to be one of those people to like assume anything but-"
"Just friends Fatin. I don't like him like that" Leah says. She kicks the small rocks she finds in her path. Why was Fatin so worried about Raf?
"Just makin sure," Fatin says.
"Why... do you like him? Is that why you're like always asking about him?"
"Hells to the No. I would rather live on this damn island forever. Which is saying a lot."
Leah laughs. Dot looks behind at the two gives Fatin a wink.
Fatin didn't know what to think. Being with Leah made her heart flutter, but she knew if she kept going this way she would eventually lose her forever. Fatin pulls her hand away.
"What?" Leah whispers to Fatin. She sounded hurt. Fatin ignores her and pretends to fix her shirt.
The group walks for several hours, taking small breaks in between, and noting anything that may be useful.
"Small stream of water up ahead," Rachel says.
"God this island is huge. Feels like it never ends," Dot sighs.
Leah looks around uncomfortably. "Hey... you okay?" Fatin asks.
"Yeah, I just, keep thinking about Gretchen. There hasn't been a single camera in sight. How is she keeping track of us? Do you think maybe-"
"Leah, stop. You're doing it again. Here take this," Fatin hands her a sea shell.
"Whenever you have those thoughts just put it over your ear. It's supposed to sound like the waves of the ocean or something. They can drown everything out, no pun intended."
Leah's mood lifted instantly. Fatin always knew how to make her feel better. She held the shell tightly in her hand. "I love it."
...
"Alright guys this ought to be a good place to rest up for the night," Dot says as she lays her bag down.
"I'll get some wood to start a fire. Leah, you wanna come?" Rachel says.
"Of course, We could do our karaoke per usual," Leah adds as the two walk off, laughing.
"Fatin, help me set up these branches to make shelter, unless you're not up for it princess," Dot says.
"Dorothy, I am a changed woman, I will gladly help you with that," she replies jokingly.
"Alrighty you take that branch over there. And we can put them together."
"Sure thing."
Dot looks over at Fatin. She knew she was thinking about something in the back of her mind. "I take it things with Leah aren't going as planned"
"Well they were... until Raf came in and decided he wants Leah to himself so now I'm starting to feel like I need her even more now." Fatin sits down.
Dot joins her. "Well first of all you can't just act like Leah is an object you two can fight over. Second of all, it wouldn't be fair to try to keep Leah to yourself and not want to be with her."
"So I should just let her be with Raf?"
"I'm sure she doesn't even like him like that Fatin."
Fatin runs her hands through her hair. "What if... she doesn't want to be with me? What then?"
"There's only one way to find out, my friend. Speak of the devil here she comes," Dot motions over to Rachel and Leah.
"Hey guys sorry we're late, we had a little run in with Raf and the others," Rachel says.
Fatin froze. "Raf?"
"They came up North to look for us apparently. Wanted to make sure we were okay," Leah responded, biting her nails.
"Alrighty then. Let's get the fire started," Dot says clenching her hands together.
Fatin bites her lip and agrees. Game on Raf.