Sailing Away
Chapter 6
After Jackson had finished explaining, Nathan looked like a puffed up bullfrog ready to pop. "You LET her go!?" He queried loudly. Jackson looked at him warily. As did the others, how were they going to explain this to him? Nathan continued ranting, pacing the campsite restlessly. "I wouldn't of expected this from you Jackson. I thought you were her friend! I thought you cared about her! Wait, I'm sorry, I can expect this from you. You were always too wrapped up in your own problems to care about anyone else!" Everyone gasped except for Nathan and Jackson. Nathan continued ranting while Jackson glared at him. He had gone too far.
"Care for her?" He asked quietly, in a tone that shut Nathan up. Jackson rose swiftly, clenching his fists. Jackson dug his nails into his palms, biting the skin. He ignored the blood that rose from the tiny cuts he had made. Jackson let out a bark of laughter, frightening everyone. "I'm not the one who ignored her after falling in love with Daley!" Jackson snapped. Nathan's eyes widened before narrowing into a fierce glare.
"You did it too! Only it was after you fell in love with Taylor!" A hushed silence fell over camp as Nathan uttered those words. Although Jackson glared, he knew Nathan was right, about the ignoring Melissa part, not the falling in love with Taylor part. Taylor was filled with glee. Jackson was in love with her!
"I am not in love with Taylor!" Jackson snapped, ignoring the hurt tears building up in Taylor's eyes. Daley and Lex looked between the two of them, shocked. Daley was beet-red from Jackson's comment about Nathan falling in love with her. Lex was actually kind of amused.
"Prove it!" Nathan screamed, "You ignore her, then you nice to her and tell her you might ask her out when we get off this island, then you flirt your heart out with Taylor, then you explode at her for making an assumption and asking you for confirmation! And then you tell her that you do in fact have feelings for her, which she didn't believe by the way. She thought you were pitying her again. So prove you truly care about her-" Nathan broke off, out of breath. Jackson stared at him, not sure how to respond.
"Because she and Jackson are together now." Jory put in quietly. She cringed at the glares she got from both Taylor and Jackson. Taylor in jealously, and Jackson in betrayal. When Nathan looked over at Jackson for confirmation. He nodded, blushing. Nathan let out a sigh of frustration and left camp.
--
That evening.
Daley tended to the fire, thinking about everything. Wondering why Lex was still so angry at her, why Nathan hadn't stood up for her, especially when he claimed how much he liked her. Worried about Abby and Melissa. And wondering how the relationships between Taylor and Jackson, and Ian and Jory would change.
--
Ian and Jory chuckled together, talking about everything that had happened on the island. Laughing and smiling over the good, and speaking somberly of the bad. They avoided the subject on when they would be rescued.
--
Lex fiddled with the wires and tried to think of ways to get them home. He rubbed his temples tiredly, it was always his job, and he was sick of it. He thought about Daley, he wasn't even sure why he was so angry with her, but he wasn't going to talk to her about it.
--
Eric snoozed, slipping in and out of conscienceness. He was jealous of the fact that Taylor seemed to only like Jackson now, even when Jackson was in love with Melissa. He was going to make sure that Taylor was with him by the time they were rescued, nothing else was important.
--
Nathan looked at various pictures of Melissa and him together. Jackson had spoken the truth, he had ignored Melissa after he realized his feelings for Daley. And now he may never see Melissa again. And he had also been a jackass to Daley. He had to make everything better, but for right now, he would divulge in the memories he and Mel had shared over the years.
--
Taylor clenched her fists together. So Jackson was with Melissa now, well with her gone and she having him all to herself, she would change that. No one said no to Taylor Hagan.
--
Jackson observed the ocean moodily. He didn't care about the health or safety of anyone else here, except for maybe Lex. He was only worried about Melissa. And now because of him, he may never see her again. This was all his fault. And only things could get worse without her there, not better.
--
Abby looked over at the lovesick girl, Melissa. She sighed, she knew they were going to have to get along, they at sea for God's sake. She was sorry, she had been a bitch. But she wasn't going to apologize to her, she had too much pride. She could deal with the silence.
--
Melissa stared out at the ocean. She missed Jackson and the uncomfortable silence with Abby was slowly starting to drive her crazy. But as she observed Abby, she knew things wouldn't be getting any better...
This story is complete.
There will be, of course, a sequel.
I'm not that cruel.
The sequel will be written more quickly if you review, however.