When Saturn Returns | Jerrie

Chapter 3

Jade picks one of the cots without paying much attention to her surroundings. She's a bit ticked off with Perrie for not acknowledging her, so she gets the bed next to Tony's hammock. At least she knows that she's got people on her side, if sides have to be chosen. She knows that the thought is a bit dramatic and that it probably won't come to that, but she still likes to be close to her new found friend.

When everyone is settled, they sit back down at the fire pit. There are other places to hang out, but everyone wants to get to know each other and they naturally move to the general area, which happens to have the fire pit in the middle. Jade sits down next to Mary, who's chatting to Rose about books. Jade learns that Rose is a novelist and that she's actually read a couple of her books. Jade shares that she's tried writing a book herself, but that it didn't take and they talk a bit about the process itself. Mary chips in with her writing experiences as a journalist. She can feel Perrie's eyes on her, but when she glances the girl's way, she's talking to Emma and decidedly not looking Jade's way. The feeling returns when she turns her attention back to the conversation between Mary and Rose, but ignores it this time. If Perrie wants to talk to her, she needs to woman up and just talk to her.

Before long, Geoff and Nicole are summoned and leave to participate in their bushtucker trial. The rest of them keep chatting, although this time, it's more of a group conversation, with everyone pitching in and sharing their experiences. Jade notices that Emma keeps glancing between her and Perrie, but she's not sure what she's looking for, because they're still ignoring each other. Or rather, Perrie is still ignoring Jade. Jade sneaks in some looks towards the blonde when she thinks no one is looking. It's not like her to sit by so quietly as she does now. She's usually the life of the party, always happy and bubbly. It's also nothing like her to ignore someone completely. Even by the end of Little Mix she never really ignored Jade.

"Hey, what's on your mind?" Tony bumps her shoulder with his, bringing her back to the present.

"Hmm?" Jade responds, trying to give herself more time to come up with something that doesn't relate to Perrie. Honestly, Perrie has basically been the only thing on her mind since she found out that they're both in the jungle. "Oh, nothing much. Just wondering how Geoff and Nicole are doing."

Tony eyes her suspiciously but lets it go because the others are already speculating on what the first joint challenge might be.

"I think they'll come back completely soaked in something nasty," Adam says.

"That's pretty much a given, bro," Shaun replies. "It's either that or an eating challenge."

"I don't think it's an eating challenge," Jade says. "They don't really do those this early on, do they?" She also thinks that she'll be the one with the most votes when it'll be an eating challenge, but she doesn't share this with her campmates. She doesn't want to broadcast too much about how bad she thinks she is with food and actually get chosen when the time comes.

"Right, so disgusting goo it is then," Ben concludes. "Probably paired with some cockroaches."

From the corner of her eye, Jade sees Perrie mutter something into Adam's ear and stand up. She turns her back on the speculating group and disappears in the direction of the beach.

Jade wants to follow her, but suppresses the urge. Perrie doesn't want to talk to her. Following her won't help her case. Still, she can't help her eyes from moving towards the spot where Perrie disappeared into the bushes. She still worries about her and wonders what's going on.

After what seems like a lifetime to Jade, Adam catches her eye before standing up and tracing Perrie's footsteps. What's going on there? Did Perrie tell him to follow her after a certain amount of time? That doesn't seem like Perrie. Jade's mind races a mile a minute trying to figure out what's going on until Adam returns with Perrie in tow about fifteen minutes later.