Day Sixteen
"One thing I will say about that place is that it was kind of like hitting the pause button. You know, you could step back and get a really good look at your life from all those miles away. Could really help a girl get some perspective, you know, especially if she was feeling a little unsettled in her own skin."
"Girls like Rachel and Hunter?"
Shelby paused as she took her fake teeth out from her mouth, and wiped them on the sleeve of the jumper that they had given her when she arrived at the facility.
"Right, like Hunter and Rachel."
___
"GUYS! YOU GUYS!"
Hunter sat up from where she had been lying on Toni's lap as they all heard Martha's frantic screams, the girl running across the grass dunes towards them as she tripped and stumbled in the direction of the teens. Hunter felt Toni tense in fear as soon as she heard Martha's yells, grabbing on to Hunter's hand and giving it a quick squeeze.
"Guess what I just saw! Holy shit, I just saw Marcus and he's alive!"
They all paused for a moment before bursting into fits of laughter, knowing fine well that the edibles must have finally gotten to Martha. They'd all watched the mannequin float away from the shore, and it wasn't like mannequins were known for just coming to life - minus in that episode of Doctor Who that Hudson had once forced Hunter to watch that had given her nightmares for weeks about department stores.
Everyone decided to humour the girl and venture into the forest to see what she thought was a living and breathing Marcus, Dot having a small hope that it was maybe some living creature that Martha had hallucinated as the mannequin.
"Okay wait, you're just saying that he like, fucking Pinocchio'd?" Dot asked, trying not to burst into laughter but failing as they all followed Martha through the trees. Toni had her arm swung around Hunter's shoulders, blissfully pacing beside the blonde as the two took up the front of the procession behind Martha.
"YES! That's exactly what I'm saying! He - he turned into a real boy!"
Toni nudged Hunter's side as she was the first to notice that the mannequin had somehow ended back up in the forest, pointing to where it was with a smile on her face. Hunter grinned back before furrowing her eyebrows slightly in confusion on how it had managed to end up in the forest - sure, she understood that it might have washed back up on the coast but it's not like it could have walked into the forest by itself.
"I don't know," Toni said as she lifted the mannequin, the rest of the group cheering as they saw Marcus. "He kind of looks the same to me."
"No but he was different!" Martha tried to argue but the rest of them just laughed her off, Fatin being the first to rush towards Marcus with a huge grin on her face at her favourite man being back in their lives.
"MARCUS! Baby, I've missed you!" She exclaimed, picking him up and pretending to place a kiss on him. Hunter looked around at the rest of them, noticing that everyone was laughing minus her and Leah who shared similar looks. Hunter didn't want to fall into Leah's rabbit hole of paranoia but something really wasn't making much sense for her here.
"I don't understand, he was in a tree! He was up there," Martha told them all, pointing upwards into the trees. Hunter followed her finger but shrugged at the girl, not really understanding what was going on.
Leah noticed that Hunter was trying to process the same thought that she was, holding a hand up as she tried to make the point to the rest of the team.
"Okay, but wait," Leah said, motioning to the mannequin with furrowed eyebrows. "If he got swept out, how the hell did he end up here?"
"Yeah, I don't get it either..." Hunter muttered, Toni looking to her with a little bit of concern from the seriousness that had invaded her voice but Fatin was not about to let her best friends fall down the paranoia route like Leah had done often before.
"Leah, Hunter. We are mellowing, we are leaving," she replied, her voice comforting to both of the girls who slowly nodded, trying to cast the thoughts away from the back of their heads.
"We're taking him back with us right?" Dot asked, grinning at Toni who nodded enthusiastically, having liked the jokes that came along with the mannequin. It had provided them one of the first moments that Hunter had felt comfortable to sit and laugh with them and for that reason, she felt slightly attached sentimentally to Marcus. "No man left behind?"
Hunter followed behind them all as they turned to go back, pausing for just a moment to stare at the tree where they had found the mannequin. She stopped as she looked around in the trees above them too, narrowing her eyes as she studied the environment.
"Hey Hunter," Nora called out gently, the girl looking at her with slight concern and an expression that Hunter couldn't quite figure out. "You coming?"
"Yeah," Hunter breathed out as she shook her head and headed in the direction of Nora and the rest of the girls, trying to shake the sudden feeling of unease that had entered her body. She didn't want to be paranoid but things just weren't adding up.
____
"This mannequin... sounds like he became pretty special to the group."
"He was what we all needed, I guess. A sort of a companion that didn't add to the drama. He would just sit there quietly while we unloaded on him our hopes, our dreams, our fears and he never judged, never did anything to disappoint. That's...it's not like that with real people. We have a knack for truly failing each other."
____
"He's cold," Martha announced as she wrapped the mannequin in a blanket, Hunter sniggering slightly from where she was resting against Toni's legs. Everyone was rather intrigued with the sudden coupling since all they'd seen was one kiss on the beach earlier that day, but it was rather apparent to them all that the kiss they witnessed hadn't been their first.
"Well... the million dollar question is," Dot started as she moved towards Marcus. "Who gets to keep him?"
"I'm gonna sit that one out," Hunter said immediately, looking at the mannequin with a slight disgust. "Who knows where he's been, he's definitely got a disease."
"Leah gets my vote," Fatin replied, "help make the transition from Jeff to whoever is next."
Hunter wasn't sure how she felt about that comment, especially as she saw the way Leah seemed a little disheartened. She loved Fatin but sometimes she wished that she wouldn't prod Leah about this Jeff man so much since it seemed like a rather touchy subject for the girl.
"We could just pass him around..." Martha suggested, her voice still a little airy from the edibles. "Like the Stanley Cup: like how they do all over the USA. You know, like USA! USA! Oh Shelby! You love America so much."
Hunter squinted at Martha for a moment, knowing that the girl definitely was still feeling those edibles for sure. Everyone was smiling until they looked over at Shelby who was yet to even crack a smile since they had seen the plane, noticing how she was sitting as if she had just been sentenced to the death penalty.
Hunter was maybe the only one to fully understand why Shelby was reacting how she was; only her and Toni had found out about the side of the girl that she was trying to repress and while Toni knew that, she didn't know about Shelby's life back home the way she did.
The Boyd twin had heard the rumours about Shelby's ex-best friend, Becca and how she died. She usually didn't listen to rumours but in their town it was hard to ignore - especially since the rumour was that her parents and Shelby's parents had found out she had kissed some girl and pretty much ignored her after that. That was why everyone gossiped that she killed herself, because losing her best friend was just too tough on her.
Hunter had a heavy conclusion in her mind that she now knew who Becca had kissed but she was never going to ask Shelby that. It wouldn't do anyone any good. Hunter knew that if Shelby was to go home and her father found out about the kiss between her and Toni that her once loving home wasn't going to be there for her.
"Do you think she's okay?" Toni asked Fatin and Hunter, but noticed that Hunter was lost in her thoughts as she stared at the other blonde Texan. Toni knew that Hunter would know more about Shelby but she wasn't expecting Hunter to be so understanding. She wasn't angry or anything, just really confused.
Fatin stood up, grabbing her cosmetics bag as she walked over to sit beside Shelby. She grabbed the brush as she crouched down beside her, passing her the hairbrush with a comforting smile. They had all noticed Shelby trying to comb her hair with her fingers throughout the day but since Fatin was the only one with a hairbrush no one had really thought to offer one to her.
"I thought you might want this," Fatin said as she held it out, trying not to seem rude. "There might be a photo-op frenzy when rescue gets here."
"Thanks."
Everyone watched as Shelby started to brush her hair, wincing slightly at the noises as the brush got stuck in her hair. Hunter wanted to move forward and help the girl but she was rooted in her place on the sand, watching as Shelby refused the help of Fatin.
"I got it."
"Are you sure? Because it's in really deep..."
Everyone held their breath as Shelby started to freak out about the brush being stuck in her hair, crying and whimpering as she begged Fatin to get the brush out of her hair and finally breaking down. Hunter and Leah shared slightly pained looks as they realised that Shelby had been silently suffering all this time, watching as Fatin tried to force the brush out of her hair.
Shelby started to frantically search through Fatin's cosmetic bag, looking for something in particular as the rest watched on in shock.
The next thing Hunter knew, she watched Shelby Goodkind - the All-American, Pageant Queen, Perfect Girl Next Door - cut her hair off.
____
"Let's just say I had very different plans for the summer than where I ended up."
"It would seem, according to some intel that we've gathered that this day was a turning point of sorts... because after that, everything started to deteriorate. Would you agree with that statement?"
"The unfortunate incidents we're looking into started to occur shortly thereafter. That's why we're asking."
"I'm done talking."
"Sorry, we still have two hours left and a lot of ground to cover."
"You think I give a shit? I'm done."
"All right, look, let's just wrap this up..."
"No! We're not setting that precedent, Agent Young."
"Look how desperate you are for me to spill, and I know things that you would die to find out. Things that would blow your fucking mind but I'm not saying a word until you let me see them both."
"Well the quarantine order's still in place, and we're not in the business of bargaining, so moving on."
"I'm not saying a word, until you let me see them."
"You're asking to see Toni and Hunter, right?"
"Not Toni. Leah and Hunter."
____
Leah and Hunter walked slowly as they both approached Shelby who was lying sprawled out on the beach after her break down about her hair. Hunter had made sure Fatin and Dot cleaned up the chopped off chunks while Toni was making sure that Martha didn't do anything stupid since she was the only one still kinda high.
"Hey," Leah said as her and Hunter sat down beside Shelby who didn't say anything back. "So everybody thought I went insane yesterday and you were like 'hold my beer'."
Hunter shot Leah a disapproving look as she subconsciously ran her finger over the healing burst lip that Leah had given her. Shelby continued to stare at the sky, still not acknowledging Hunter and Leah's presence.
"Sorry, we didn't come to crack cringey meme jokes," Hunter continued, Shelby's eyes flickering to the girl before she continued to look back at the sky.
"I wanted to apologise," Leah admitted, continuing from Hunter since it wasn't Hunter who needed to apologise to Shelby. "For all that, and tell you as somebody who's already gone pretty much off the rails... that you should try to go easy on yourself. I know we can't blame it all on where we are but this place, this situation... it makes you go crazy."
"Yeah," Hunter muttered, her mind still confused about Marcus' reappearance. Things that Leah had said before that didn't make sense were starting to have a little logic and Hunter was worried she too was about to go insane.
"For 16 days, actual death has been hanging over our heads and yet the only thing I seem to give a shit about is love. Total fucking psychosis, right?"
"Isn't that what we're all afraid of?" Shelby asked as she turned her head to look at Leah and Hunter, her eyes wet from where she had been crying. "That we won't be loved? That we'll be all alone?"
Hunter and Leah pondered the question as Leah rose to her feet, knowing that Hunter was obviously wanting to talk to Shelby without her there.
"Leah? Thank you," Shelby said softly. Leah smiled and nodded, smiling at Shelby as she cracked another comfort joke.
"Train wrecks unite."
Hunter watched her go, noticing that Shelby had turned to look at her as if she was expecting the girl to say something inspirational next. Shelby studied her, noticing how Hunter was staring out at the sunset as she fiddled with Hudson's leather bracelet around her wrist with a furrowed brow.
"What's your train wreck baggage then?" Shelby asked, a hint of a joke in her voice but concern there too. "Starting to think this island is suspicious like Leah?"
She expected Hunter to laugh it off but the girl just shrugged, causing Shelby to momentarily forget her own internal crisis as she sat up and looked at Hunter with a realisation.
"You do?"
"Nah," Hunter said, trying to brush it off but doing so very unconvincingly. She shrugged for a moment before looking down at the band and then back at Shelby. "I mean, I dunno. I just don't think my mind can find any logical explanation for this."
"Well, maybe Hell has finally frozen over," Shelby muttered before noticing Hunter looking at her in confusion. "I just mean, it seems more likely for Hell to freeze over than for someone to be a secret spy or there to be some logical reason we're all here other than our plane crashed."
"Yeah, true," Hunter mumbled, looking at Shelby with a small smile. "Thanks Goodkind. Like Leah said, don't be too hard on yourself. Besides, like I told you earlier, if you ever need it - no questions asked - myself and Hudson have a guest room. You're not alone."
Shelby watched Hunter head back to the rest of the camp, feeling even more conflicted than she did before. Rolling back onto her back, she looked up at the sky and continued questioning everything she had ever known.
____
"Where do we stand?" Gretchen asked, having just came back from a ridiculously long and painful lunch.
"You'll be happy to know Alex's presence didn't derail things. Apparently Martha was under the influence of THC at the time she ran into him, thought he was that mannequin come to life."
"Halle-fucking-lujah," Gretchen exclaimed as she listened to the response. She wasn't sure how the girl had ended up on THC, but it was a good sign that they hadn't been blown. "I still wish I could fire Alex but he's more dangerous to me as a disgruntled ex-employee."
"He felt really bad, if that makes you feel any better."
"No, it doesn't," Gretchen replied. "Now what about the plane? The money's been wired so this rogue pilot ought have been dealt with."
"Contact said everything's been handled, and your hands are clean."
"Wonderful," Gretchen said before noticing the hesitation in the faces of the other two. "What? Tom what? Out with it."
"No, we're happy everything's been dealt with," Tom said, trying not to anger her.
"Did you have the pilot killed?"
"WHAT?" Gretchen exclaimed, looking between the two in disbelief. "I'm sorry, who do you think I am? I hired a hacker to change the GPS of the plane so that if our guy suddenly wakes up with a do-gooder sense of responsibility, his coordinates would lead authorities to a lovely little island with a sweet beachfront hotel that makes killer mai tais. You honestly think I would have the pilot killed?"
"I didn't," Tom replied, looking over at his coworker.
"I'm a researched, not a murderer. Now listen, we'll need to keep a close eye on the girls. This non-rescue may really change the dynamics,. This experiment is like having a kid: the moment you think you understand what you're dealing with, it changes again."
There was a pause before Tom spoke up.
"Yeah about that..."
"What? What now?" Gretchen asked, exasperated about all the things that seemingly had happened since the pilot had flown above the girls. She turned to look at him, noticing that he looked worried.
"One of them is starting to pick up similar traits of paranoia to..."
"To Leah? Which one?" Gretchen asked, instantly ignoring the use of the girl's code numbers. This experiment - these girls - they were becoming personal to her without her even noticing.
"Ehm..."
Tom pressed a few buttons as he projected the previous clip of Hunter staring around the trees in confusion and distrust, the blonde looking straight into one of the cameras on the trees without seemingly realising she was doing so.
"Hunter..." Gretchen mused, before nodding slowly and sighing. "Is the plant aware of her sudden doubts?"
"Yeah, they're ready to take any action necessary if it comes to it."
Gretchen sighed as she looked at the blonde that she had taken a particular liking to, wondering if her brother was going to start behaving the same since they seemed to have rather similar reactions to most events.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to it."
____
"Shelby?" Hunter muttered in surprise as the door to her dorm swung open, the two suited men from before standing at the door with stoic expressions as the once blonde haired girl hobbled into Hunter's room on crutches. Hunter raised a surprised eyebrow at her outfit before moving forward and pulling the blonde into a tight hug.
"Hey Hunts," Shelby murmured back, fully aware of the eyes of the men behind her and the camera that was blinking in the corner of the room. "How are you feeling?"
Hunter smiled at her selfishness when she knew that she should have been asking the questions considering the blonde was currently on crutches and had somehow managed to fully shave all of her hair off - although she couldn't say she was that surprised after how she had cut it off on the beach that night.
"I'm okay, could be better," Hunter admitted, her eyes flickering to the men who were trying to act like they weren't hanging on every word that the teenagers exchanged between each other. "Yourself? You kinda look like shit."
Shelby snorted at that, rolling her eyes as she pulled back from Hunter and looked her up and down, making sure that the girl wasn't harbouring any injuries like she was. Her eyes drifted to the long scar across the girls jawline, a small flashback to the incident crossing her mind before she remembered why she had asked to see her.
"Thanks for that," Shelby sarcastically replied, rolling her eyes again before staring intently at Hunter with no hint of a smile left. "My leg still hurts obviously, but it's not like too bad. Besides, it wouldn't surprise me if hell is freezing over after everything we've been through. I saw Leah too, she's doing okay."
The two men shared a confused look before noticing the confused look on Hunter's face, brushing it off as some religious saying that Shelby must have used often. Thankfully, Hunter was a rather good actress and Gretchen wasn't there - for Gretchen would know that it wasn't something Shelby often said and Hunter knew exactly the only situation that she had ever heard that phrase mentioned around Shelby.
Seeing the girl had provided her some comfort in the fact that she knew that Shelby was safe and so was Leah from the sounds of it. Hunter was increasingly worried about the rest of their friends especially after the events of what had happened when they last were all together - but the one thing she was itching to know was if Toni was okay.
Shelby had caught on to what she had thought too - these men weren't their friends, and this nightmare was far from over for them.
/////
EDIT:
Hi guys, just want to say I'm hugely overwhelmed by the love and support of this book!
However, it has came to my attention that there is a book (I'm not gonna name names or call the author out or anything) that has literally been copy and pasting my dialogue / scene setting and then just changing the characters name in their book, and like I know it's from my book as they've kept entire sentences and even things like punctuation the same. I do understand it's frustrating and annoying trying to watch a show and type the dialogue for a book but honestly if you are going to use my book as your script I'd rather you just didn't bother. It takes me hours to type a chapter up as I like to keep the dialogue identical / as close as possible to the show so I'd really appreciate if you could stop doing this :(
That being said, thank you guys all again for your comments!!! I'm usually too busy typing the next chapter to reply but they honestly do make me laugh!
Obviously we only have season one of the show to work with atm but I'm going to try and pad out the remaining episodes with a few extra Toni/Hunter + Hunter/Fatin/Dot + Hunter/Leah + Hunter/Shelby sort of scenes! She doesn't really have much dynamic with Nora and Rachel and that's kinda my fault but the characters never really have the same storyline as Toni so it's been hard trying to have them interact without it feeling forced!
I'm really excited to be reaching the series finale cause I have a lovely wee cliffhanger planned that won't be resolved until season two, I will warn you now ;)
Thanks!