I sit in the school desk, bored out of my mind. I doodle a picture of the bench by the lake, that Juliet and I go to all the time. I ignore the teacher, she's teaching some younger kids elementary math, though I'm supposed to be doing the calculus worksheet she gave me. It was easy, I completed it in no time. Juliet taught the work to me yesterday, after the teacher attempted and failed.

I sigh, semi-dramatically, as I want to get out of here and go do something. Something actually important. Like what Juliet does; she's trying to help people. I've pleaded for Juliet to let me work with her, but to no avail. I smile at the memory.


"Come on, Jewels, I'd be a great assistant!" I plead with her, leaning across the island counter (ironic enough) in the center of our small kitchen.

"I'm sure you would be... In a couple of years." She raises her eyebrows for emphasis as she watches her hands expertly chop the tomatoes for dinner tonight, though failing in her attempt to conceal her smile.

"Pretty please? I'll work really hard! I'll even do," I lean farther to get close to her face-which stops her from working-and I whisper, "The cleaning."

"Olive, I know you want to help, but you're still too young. You know Ben would never approve." Juliet denies in a light tone, though dropping serious at the mention of Ben.

But she snaps herself out of it to smile down to me. "But how about," she let's a wide smile grace her features, "I teach you more advanced mathematics and engineering so you can start helping sooner." She winks at me as she goes back to work preparing the meal.

"I think I can live with that." I lean back and try to appear nonchalant, and hide my inner excitement, but Juliet calls my bluff.

"But until then, you can be my little helper." She sends down over her shoulder after I walk around the table.

I stand on my tip toes and reach over her shoulder to grab a pepperoni slice and push it into my mouth. She subtly puts her utensils down on the table and about-faces to lean against the counter, facing me as I lean against the opposite counter. "Would you like your first lesson on the job?" She raises an eyebrow. I can't tell if she's serious or joking, so I give her a suspicious nod, standing straight.

She quickly wipes her hands with some rag from the table and slowly circles me, and I try to watch her as much as I can. She stops behind me. "First lesson," she says in the same matter-of-fact tone she gives me when she's working, "is to not eat the ingredients!"

Before I can process, her hands are invading my stomach. Juliet tickles me and I try to defend myself, but it's not really working. It's uncontrollable. Throughout our joyful laughter, I finally manage to pin her arms crossed across my torso, hands on my waist. We both still together, smiles lingering as she holds me and I hold her arms.

"I want it to stay like this. Right now." Juliet comments, as I agree. She kisses the top of my head.


I get a little antsy, longingly staring out the window. Juliet and I's laughter fills my mind as I daydream about being outside, how the sunshine would feel on my face, how the grass would feel under my feet.

I am deep in my mind when I hear the class door open. I glance to the room on the other side of the room to the door, and am surprised to see Ben standing in the doorway. We look directly at each other, but doesn't back down when I realize he's staring at me. He holds my eye contact, but speaks to Mr. Clayton, the teacher. Clayton turns back to me. "Olivia, you are dismissed." The teacher huffs. I am quick to grab my books and slide out of the desk in one swift movement, then walk to the doorway. Ben touches the small of my back, leading me away, and I make sure to send a smug smile over my shoulder to Clayton, who just deadpans and closes the door as soon as I'm out.

I finally let my mind wonder on his intentions as Ben leads me out of the tiny schoolhouse. Why did he come and get me? He's never pulled me from lessons before.

We are just outside the door when I yank myself away from Ben's hand and turn towards him. "Ben, what's going on? Where's Juliet?" I ask immediately. He keeps his face straight, void of emotion.

"She's fine, Olivia. This is about you." He says, voice cold-as usual. But I'm still skeptical, like I am usually with Ben.

"I wanna see her." I persist. I need to know she's okay.

"Just come with me, Olivia." Ben grabs my arm and tries to lead me away, but I yank my arm from his grip again.

"No, Ben. Let me see my sister." I demand, staying firm as I feel proud of myself for standing up to the unrelenting Benjamin Linus. He-though-is unimpressed.

"Olivia. I need you to grow up and listen to me. This is important." Ben snaps. I inhale sharply-being the object of Ben's wrath is not an enjoyable place to be-and shut my mouth firmly. I am, once again, reminded of why Juliet isn't fond of him. After he's stared me down for a couple of seconds and seen that I've backed down, he turns back around on his heels and walks in the direction we were originally going. Sighing, I give up and catch up to him and walk slightly behind him, blindly following.

I was correct in my imagination of his good the sun would feel on my skin, it warms me and fends off the bad feeling forming in the pit of my stomach. Ben is always up to something and I still haven't seen Juliet with my own eyes. Ben seems as apathetic as ever, crisply responding to the polite greetings thrown our way as we speed walk through the town.

Ben takes me to his own house. Though I've been forced to attend dinner parties with Juliet there, I'm surprised that he's taking me into his home. He casually opens the door, yet slightly hurriedly, but acts as though this isn't completely out of the ordinary.

Ben firmly closes the door behind me as I step into the living room. Alex is there on the couch, reading a book. "Hey Alex." I smile; she's always been nice to me.

"Hey Liv." She smiles back, but is abruptly stopped from saying anything more.

"This is no time for pleasantries. Olivia?" He snaps callously, but somehow maintains the urgency and control that only Ben can. I nod a goodbye to Alex, which she returns, and am suddenly enclosed in Ben's office.

I am thoroughly surprised, again one of Ben's unfailing capabilities, to see Ethan and Goodwin already in the office. They look anxious, their nervous expressions making the entire room heavy.

"What's going on?" I sheepishly say, shocked by the obvious seriousness of the situation.

Goodwin looks at Ben and receives approval to approach me. "Olivia, there's been a plane crash." He says gently, but stern at the same time, taking my books from my arms and setting them on the desk.

My jaw drops. The island has done some crazy things in the past, but this tops it all. "Is everyone alright?" I say, shocked but not really understanding.

"I'm afraid not. They were coming from Sydney, Australia to Las Angeles, California." Ben explains. I still don't get it.

"Ben, I'm confused. I don't understand what I have to do with any of this." I state, before glancing at the other two men in the room.

"You're going to be a passenger." Ben states, almost irritated. He's never been forthcoming with information, so I can clearly gauge the high level of importance this is. That doesn't diminish the fear that feel.

"Me?" I express doubt, eyes wide.

"Yes." Ben states curtly, "You're young, unassuming, innocent-looking. People won't question a girl. And I can count on you right?" Ben raises an eyebrow.

"Yes sir." I say immediately, as though that's obvious. No one denies Ben, except-it seems-Juliet. But she's an entirely different story.

"Great. Then there's no time to spare. The plane crashed approximately half an hour ago, which means we can have you over there by the end of the hour." Ben rambles information, "You're going to go under with Goodwin, as your father." Goodwin sends a small, melancholy-like smile to me. "Don't worry about them knowing you weren't on the plane, Ethan will add you both to the stand-by list immediately. Goodwin will explain the objective and you two can create your back-story on the boat, we need to leave now."

Once again I feel myself being dragged along by Ben and-once again-I feel myself yanking from his grip. "What's in it for me?" I demand. I'm not going to endanger myself for some petty reward.

Ben doesn't seem stalled, yet another infuriating quality of him, and responds. "Well I'll let you go home, of course." He says it as though it's the most common thing in the world. Three years of making us stay here, and I just have to spy on some plane crash survivors to get us home. But then I'm suspicious. He only said 'you'.

"Juliet too." I demand stubbornly. I notice the brief flinch that crosses his face, he hadn't been expecting that. He hadn't expected me to catch the fine details of the deal.

"Juliet too." He confirms. Now it's my turn to be caught off guard, but I am content with the accord. Ben then grabs my arm again, but I resist, aggravating him.

"What more do you want!" Ben exasperates, thoroughly annoyed, "We don't have time for this."

"I want to tell her goodbye." I request firmly, meaning Juliet, and cross my arms.

"I can't let you do that. She's busy with plane crash. But we need to leave, now." Ben denies, now successfully ushering me out the door.

"Will you tell her I said goodbye?" I said, projecting my voice loud enough so Alex can hear, having a witness.

"I'll tell her." He agrees finally, just wanting to get me out of the house.

Ben leads me across the town, Goodwin and Ethan escorting on both sides. We finally get to the edge of the town and I glance back at the place I've been held in for the past three years, hoping this will be one of the last times I see it. The only exception being to collect Juliet and then directly leave. But I am not allowed to imagine for long before I am lead down a path, in the edge of the woods, that I have never been down before.