SWEET NICOTINE | CHAPTER FIFTEEN (AJ, I LIKE THE WAY YOU THINK...)
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DAY ONE
Sand coated Amelia Jade Whitlocks' hair, stuck to the dry pieces like glue. Her head pounded, her feelings and emotions rushing back to her as she peeled her eyes open.
The others lay, still asleep around her as she pushed herself from the sand, her body slick with sweat. The fire, the main cause of her overheating still burning embers. Her mouth begged for water, the girl's dry throat ripping as she coughed.
Her back was stiff and sore, something about sleeping on the sandy ground. The first night stranded on a deserted island had gone as successfully as AJ could have imagined it.
She stole a few glances at the others as she stood and stretched. They had managed to find a few coconuts and some berries and that's what they had eaten the night before. But they couldn't survive on an island alone with only fruit.
Her eyes scanned the water, the fear of finding a boat almost as high as the urge to find one. Her feet felt the cold water before she noticed she was standing at the shore.
The water drew back and AJ's feet sunk slowly in the wet sand. She let her eyes flutter shut as she stood, basking in the early sunrise. Orange and yellow painted the sky, the air was still cool. She shrugged off the flannel she was wearing and took a few more steps into the water.
Her body stiffened as the cold water hit her legs but she pushed past it. She walked until she knew it was deep enough and took a deep breath, plunging below the surface seconds after.
She gasped for the cold air as she came up, wiping her wet hair from her face. She shivered for a while before she started to swim, letting herself get used to the chilled water.
She didn't realize anyone else was awake until she heard the sharp intake of breath at the shore. AJ turned, startled. "hey" She breathed out, meeting the boy's blue eyes.
"hey" JJ greeted, the boy taking the same steps she did when she got in.
"How are you feeling?" AJ asked, tipping her head back and letting the water soak her hair again.
"Jesus Christ AJ, I'm fine" He assured her and she shot him a look. "okay sorry, I'm okay" She nodded and watched as he got further into the water. Her nerves were eating away at her and she had yet to let out any of her thoughts. She thought she was going to burst if she didn't. She thought-
"My brother who I thought was dead, and isn't is on the boat with Ward. And Ward killed my mom" She froze when the words escaped, her hand even shooting to her face to cover her mouth. JJ's eyes widened and the two blondes stared at each other for a few seconds.
