CHAPTER TEN
BREE'S POV
It felt great to be with the bad boy, at least for a while. I have protection.
I still felt bad for Ralph, I mean he never really did anything to make me not like him anymore.
I sorta felt like a player. Oooh...
The kiss lasted for a long time, and we both ended up lying outside on the rock, staring up at the stars.
"So are we, as in me and you, like-"
"A thing?" I finish and shrug. "Do you want us to be?"
Jack turns to me.
"I'd like it but would you?" he asked.
I turn away. I seriously didn't know. But I couldn't keep on jumping from guy to guy and expect them to be okay with that.
"It's okay if you don't know yet," he whispered uncomfortably. I nodded as he put his arm around me. I snuggled into the groove of his arm and fell asleep.
......
I wake up to the smell of pig roasting on the fire.
"Morning," Jack said, keeping watch over his tribe.
"Um Jack..." I say as he turns his head towards me.
"Am I... allowed to leave Castle Rock without you killing me?"
He laughs. "Yeah. I just wanted to make sure you didn't run away until I apologized to you."
I smile. "Okay then, I gotta go."
"Go where?" Jack asks, frowning.
"You know... Go..." I try to hint at it a little.
"Oh!" Jack's face turned red. "Yeah, that's fine." I run off to the bushes to relieve myself.
It's nice to be alone with my thoughts for a while. Without all the drama and such, being on the island isn't really that bad. I begin to notice little things, like how beautiful a small drop of dew is on a light green palm leaf.
"Bree, is that you?" a voice said. So much for being alone. I had finished up and was resting on a large rock.
Ralph emerged from the bushes. I open my mouth but Ralph presses a finger to his lips.
We duck behind a bush.
"What is it?" I whisper.
"We need fire," says Ralph. "For signaling."
What? That's all he says to me? No, 'Are you okay?' or 'How are you?'.
"They have a fire," I say.
"That fire is for cooking, and it doesn't produce much smoke." He replies. "I need your help. We need Piggy's specs."
"What would you like me to do?" I ask, my teeth grinding together.
"I need to get past his 'guards' somehow. You can be like the ticket through."
Does he think he can just use me like a plane ticket?
"Let's just go," I say, my face heating up. Ralph chuckles.
"Piggy insisted on coming with," Ralph whispers while motioning to the rustling bear in the bushes.
"Fine." I say, flatly. Anger flushes through my face and burns my ears red.
"Hey what's the matter?" Ralph asks, with his face genuinely confused.
"Oh, nothing's the matter. I'm perfectly fine, thanks for asking." I turn and sit on a rock.
Ralph sighs and runs his hands through his dark hair.
"Bree, I-"
"Oh you what?" I shoot up, hands curled in fists. "You only want me when you need me? Is that all I am to you?"
"No! That's-"
"No, you're right," I realize. "That's all I was ever meant to be." I sit back down and wrap my shivering arms around my sprawling legs. Ralph kneels in front of me and grabs my hands, gazing into my eyes."
"No, Bree. That's not what I meant. I'm just trying to find a way to get you off this island."
I look down, embarassed.
"You don't deserve this," he continues. "I just want you to be safe. The only way to do that is to get those specs."
"Ralph, you could get hurt too you know," I warn. "Jack can act too quick in the heat of the moment."
"I'm not worried about myself, I just want to make sure that you're safe and rescued. You know I'd do anything for you."
My heart melted. Aww, now I felt bad for betraying him for Jack. Well, I didn't exactly betray him because I don't really belong to either of them...
My heart was stuck between the gentleman and the bad boy, and it couldn't decide which one it wanted.
"I'm sorry, Ralph," I say, wrapping my arms around him. "I was wrong. I never should have yelled at you."
"Hey, you don't need to apologize," Ralph laughs. "I'm used to being yelled at."
I smile, wondering if Ralph could tell that I really liked him. I don't know if it caught his attention,
but it did catch the attention of the one and only Jack Merridew.