[Charlotte Kendall]
All seven of us walked in a single file line. Two boys in the front and two boys in the back with us three girls guarded in the middle. It was awkward for me considering that Emma hasn't once turned around to look at me. Ashton humiliated her in front of the whole group but besides, I never thought he would confess Michael just to keep everyone from knowing that we were involved with each other. I really needed to talk to Emma and clear things up under our belts. It's been practically three hours at the least and we were already way past the lagoon and over the waterfall. Surprisingly again Ashton and Brandon held the line in the back as Tyson trailed along side Benson while he tracked down his remembered path to the mountain's grassland.
No one was talking, it was all pants and sharp breaths as we trekked through the heated jungle. Benson hasn't stopped for a break and by the looks and sounds of everyone's exhaustion; someone was going to collapse soon. My thoughts immediately go to Emma and her condition but she was stubborn at this point to avoid my assistance. She was just slightly ahead of me with a sweat drenched back that was as dark as her tanned feet.
I stop causing Ashton to stumble into my back. He catches me from the back of my arm as Brandon continues walking past, not noticing.
"Are you alright?" Ashton asks with a voice full of concern.
No, I think to myself, I am definitely not alright. But I only nod just to avoid any discussion on what happened hours ago.
"She'll come around." Ashton continues, completely invading my thoughts of wanting to stay away from that subject.
I sigh and pull away from his arms in order to catch up with Brandon and the rest of the group. I know Emma will eventually forgive me but for right now it truly hurts not having my best friend by my side.
"We should rest!" I hear Denise shout up towards Benson.
She was right behind Tyson and Benson but still shouted for the whole group to hear. Tyson notices and stops to help Denise up a slight hill in the ground. He agrees with her and whistles up towards our leader of the trek. Benson rolls his neck around, his face was as red as a tomato and peeling under his blue eyes. He licks his lips, placing his hands onto his hips as he huffs in his own exhaustion. Of course, Benson did not believe in pit stops.
"We're almost there everyone. Just a few more hills to climb and we'll be there before sunset." He gulps as he dribbles water into his mouth from one of the leftover tin bottles.
He passes what's left to all of us just as Emma squats to the mud out of energy. I sit next to her purposely and take the water, pouring it all over her head and down her back. She doesn't seem to care that it was me who was helping her until she shakes me away and tosses the can up towards Brandon. I sigh and scoot away from her, offering her the space again.
After awhile of sitting we all work at cracking the shells of coconuts we carried from the beach and pour the liquids into the two bottles. It takes up a lot of our time and Benson grows antsy about the nightfall. Before we all know it, we are back on the track an hour later and headed up the side of the mountain. I allow everyone to go ahead and wait near the back with Ashton. Tyson notices me waiting for him and swallows tightly. I couldn't help but glare over at him until he leans over and whispers something into Emma's ear. My face fades once she peaks around his shoulder with narrow eyes. God it pains me to be fighting with her. . . and over a guy of course! Or are we even fighting over a guy really?
"We need to talk." I whisper sharply up at Ashton while keeping my gaze up forward. Emma suddenly looks away.
We begin to walk, "About?" He seems surprised by my sudden snap towards him.
"You know." I hiss, "Why did you tell everyone about Michael? I thought you didn't believe he was even still here?" I glance at him and notice he's also staring straight ahead at the others.
"I don't."
"Then why did you tell everyone? Were you more embarrassed about me telling the group about us?"
"Us?" His voice cracks under a snarky laugh. I choke back my words but everything was too late. "Why would I care if they all found out about us? It was just kissing isn't that right Char?"
He bent his face forward at me with squinting brows and confused curves in his mouth. I immediately knew he was referencing to Tyson and I kissing a while back. "Please Ashton, I don't want to fight with you too." I sigh even though my feelings were severely hurt.
He doesn't reply. I don't understand why everyone was so against me at this moment. "You should just thank me for saving your ass back there." What?
"Thank you? Ashton because of you Emma is seriously pissed at me more than ever!" I shout and everyone turns to look over their shoulders. I pray they hadn't heard all that I said but at this point it felt like I had nothing left to lose.
I felt my cheeks turn red as I stood there with a gaping mouth. I slowly turned and found Emma's face in the group of strangers. Everyone looked confused with sprayed skin of sweat and ocean air. "Char. . ." Ashton whispered nicely behind me but I didn't back down once he touched my shoulder.
"Don't touch me."
I was on edge at this point. The best thing for me was to just pass everyone in silence. I darted past Emma especially and reached the top of the path with Benson. Once I passed him too the whole line started up again and we were all on our way
[Ashton Irwin]
Charlotte had the same limp in her step. Her stare was long gone and ghostly every time I wanted to look into her dark eyes. I felt terrible all of the sudden for treating her like shit lately but I was just as hurt as she was. I felt ignored, invisible to this island but it was understandable. She was upset that Emma had caught us in the jungle but honestly there wasn't so much wrong with it, we've kissed before. Not allowing her to tell the group was on my behalf. I don't know why but for some reason I wanted everyone to know about us and then I also didn't. They know my story and what happened to my late fiancé, I wouldn't want them to be so shocked that I had moved on even though I hadn't. I really hadn't. . . Charlotte was just a kiss and like she said when she kissed me, a distraction. Well maybe. It's hard being alone on this island and I don't mean to take advantage of her but I believe that I may have. . .
My real focus has been on Charlotte for days now. She does make me feel safer which is crazy to even imagine. However these nightmares that I've been having are very new and lately they are no longer about Alana but about her. . . about Charlotte.
"Alright, we'll take turns in pairs up this hill then there isn't much after that."
I snapped into focus again once Benson's annoying directions boomed in my ear. I had caught up to the front with him and Charlotte but Charlotte never allowed me to explain myself after our little argument.
As I'm about to turn for Charlotte's arm she walks off and take's Benson's push instead. My mouth may have dropped open slightly and yet she still insisted on the old man pushing her legs up the hill. It was childish that she was doing this right in front of my face honestly.
I huffed looking around and seeing the Twin's pair up and Emma and Tyson also. Great, odd man out.
"Ashton!" I flinched at Benson's tone again and shrugged back around, "You're turn, let's go." His hand were out for me but I just brushed past them, swatting his crusty hands aside before taking on the hill myself.
I dug my hand's deep into the mud and tugged my upper body strength up against the slope. The dirt was a lot stickier than you would expect and was starting to slip the farther I made it up. Benson was directly below me which made it all uncomfortable. I could feel my cheeks burning red with all my leftover power but unfortunately out here in the jungle there isn't much strength for me too build as much as you would think.
Beside me Denise was digging her shoulder into the muddy hill and groaning loudly as her loose wrist banged into the earth. She cupped her hand close to her chest until Charlotte was able to pull her weight the rest of the way up. I watched Denise slide over the top cover of the hill and waited for Charlotte's hands to reach out and find me next.
"Come on boy, climb!" Benson grunted under my heels as soon as I stopped wiggling up the slope. Oh how I just wanted to drop my entire body weight down on top of him "accidentally".
I moaned and pulled my hands up farther, reaching the edge and coming face to face with Charlotte. Her dark eyes were distant from my stare of helplessness until my weight betrayed me and slide backwards again.
"Hey, Hey! Hey!" I screamed while scrambling for something to grab onto. Benson's fist went right into my thigh to stop me from crushing him right as an icy cold hand wrapped around my forearm. I swear my heart leaped at the feeling of falling but it also could have leaped at Charlotte touching me. She pulled me up until I could climb over myself, "Thanks," I whispered gently towards her but she never looked me in the eyes. I sighed, "Charlotte why are you mad at me?" I decide to question which sparked her attention.
Just then Emma and Tyson climbed over and rolled onto the grassy dirt, breathing heavily. Charlotte looked back at them and then to me. Her eyes were no longer dazed but back to her soft and unspoken attitude. I understand why she was upset with me but really this fight is between her and Emma. Whatever Emma is upset about she should discuss it with her friend not the entire group, putting us both on blast.
"Son, give me a hand!" I turned to look down at Benson struggling to climb over as well and bend down to pull him with my forearms. The old man rolled over the edge onto his back and placed his hands still to his chest. "Great view isn't it."
"Uh. . ." I started but was certainly weirded out by this old man.
He sat up quickly and scanned the silent group. No one had talked for hours besides Benson and his orders. They were just zombies roasting in the winter sun and breathing with a heavy wheeze. Emma especially and when Charlotte would do her best to help Emma acted as if no one existed besides herself.
I scratched the back of my neck once, looking at Charlotte again and seeing her tie her knotted curls back behind her head with a rubber band. My own long mess of hair was also hot on my head and stabbing me in the corner of my eyes. I noticed a shadow rise into the air beside me as Benson planted his hands on his hips behind me. When I looked up he was scanning the area with squinty eyes and cracked lips in the shape of an O.
"We can break here then we have another hour before beating the sunset." He said calmly before taking off the opposite way.
"But wait are we almost there at least?" Denise called out after him as Brandon tucked her arm closer into his side.
I looked back over to Benson as he nodded oddly before walking off behind the trees. He just left us here and part of me imagined that he would never come back. Something was always off about that man.
"Ashton?" My head snapped up in shock causing Charlotte to jump back slightly, "C-can I talk to you?" She asked nervously.
"Y-yeah, of course!" I sounded eager but I didn't care. Apologizing to Charlotte was all I needed to do at this point. I needed to know she trusted me again or else I was another lone ranger here in this group of misfits.
She helped me to my feet and took my arm over towards some shade away from the others. As she looked back and forth between me and them I knew she was making sure Emma wasn't aware of our disappearance. Suddenly she pulled me around a tree and forced me against the trunk. I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut at the sudden head rush. And I thought this was meant to go smoothly.
"We need to stop doing. . . whatever it was that we were doing." She whispered softly even though the tight grip on my forearm told a different story. "I know it's more of a distraction thing but Ashton. . . W-we barely know each other!" Her voice was rising into a panic and I slowly opened my eyes again, "We are only doing it because- well we are afraid!"
I blinked curiously at her then nudged my head down to alarm her. She pulled her hands away from me and jumped back in embarrassment. As I rubbed my wrists I sighed, "I'm not afraid." I say.
Her full chapped lips parted then sealed shut again tightly. I was honestly confused about what she was so panicked over. Was it Emma?
"It just needs to stop okay!" She huffed. I pushed out from the tree trunk and stepped closer to her. "Y-yo we need to distract ourselves differently." She kept stuttering.
I just shook my head repeatedly, "Char I don't-"
"We can still work together you know- be friends to help each other get off this island. . ."
"You think you're a distraction for me?" I whisper honestly. I may have thought the same before but now, I'm not so sure.
Charlotte spins around and stumps herself into the same tree trunk, huffing out of breath and clamming up with goosebumps. I don't try to go out and touch her only because she was unsettling right now. Her breathing hitched and I could tell she was trying to calm down by holding her breath. I wanted her to say something after but my eyes darted up to the caramel flash of Emma's short hair coming closer. I backed away and soon Charlotte's brown eyes casted over to her best friend who was now right beside us both. Emma looked up at me with regretful eyes and a sorrow expression in her pale cheeks.
"Char we should talk." She says to Charlotte while looking at me. Her hand reaches out and grabs Charlotte's, never disconnecting our eye contact. Once the girls were gone my head rushed with blood, pounding my skull in direct fuzzy spots.
Now It's obvious, Charlotte was never my distraction.
[A/N]
Hi everyone thank you so much for being patient with my revision. It took longer than I had expected only because I basically rewritten the entire plot I guess. Like before this isn't my best chapter but better one's are to come. Also please check out my Harry Styles fanfic I just posted it yesterday called Runners! Happy reading -Rae
Chapter Songs:
"I Know What You Did Last Summer"- Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello
"Out of the Woods"- Taylor Swift