Chapter 1
It has been 2 weeks since the unfortunate incident involving Melissa's video diary. After being rescued by Jackson and Lex, Melissa slowly began to distance herself from everyone. In the beginning she had simply found it difficult to be near Jackson. Every time he would walk into camp she would put her head down and become incredibly interested in the sand, or else simply leave altogether and go wandering along the beach or in the jungle.
As time went on she found it difficult to face anybody and would spend hours alone crying to herself. When the others would come looking for her, she would hide behind a tree or a bush and pretend that she wasn't there until they left and she was able to be alone again. She knew deep down that this was not going to make the problem go away but she had no choice, it was to hard to talk to them and she didn't know what else to do.
>> >> >> >MELISSA"S WRITTEN DIARY >> >> >> .
Dear Diary
I can't make a video diary anymore; I'm just so afraid that Taylor will find it and broadcast it again. It's a lot harder to write everything down, I mean not only does it take longer but it makes me feel like I'm just locking all my secrets away. At least when I was using the video camera it was like talking to someone and it felt like I was really getting it off my chest. Now I feel more alone then ever and I have such a hard time talking to anyone anymore. ESPECIALLY Jackson.
>> END OF DIARY ENTRY >> >
God, I wish I could tell someone, but I can't, they wouldn't understand. She thought to herself.
Meanwhile back at camp everyone was sitting around the fire eating lunch.
"Seeing as Mel is gone again, and you guys are all here, there is something that I need to say." Said Nathan
"What is it?" asked Lex looking worried
"Well for the last couple of weeks Mel has been acting……strange, and I think I know as well as everyone else when and why this happened." Said Nathan as he glared at Taylor and Eric, Both of whom lowered their ends and looked ashamed.
Everybody was silent and they were all thinking the same thing. If Taylor hadn't gone all viper when Melissa accidentally ruined her shirt, none of this would have happened. And silently she agreed with them. She knew deep down that Melissa's sudden change in attitude was all her fault and she really felt bad.
After a long pause Nathan continued, "I've tried to talk to her, but she just won't open up. I mean she starts to talk to me but then she just runs off crying and then she's gone for hours on end"
"I know. I've tried to talk to her too but she won't say a word. I think she is afraid to trust anyone right know." said Daley
"I totally get why." Said Nathan throwing another evil look in Taylor's direction "But she's hurting and keeping it all bottled up like this isn't going to help her. It's going to drive her crazy. I can't just sit around and watch my best friend slip away!!"
Taylor looked as if she was going to be sick. Her face was pale and her eyes were filled with sorrow. "I'm so stupid. God this is all my fault. She was totally right"
Everybody looked at her, unsure of where she was going with this.
"Well, when we were on the cliff, waiting to be found she said some things. She told me that she wasn't worried she said that she trusted Jackson, and then she said that she also trusted Nathan Daley and Lex. She said that she knew that I would be mad about the shirt but she was shocked at how rotten I had been about it." She paused
Nobody else had known what the girls had done as they waited for rescue.
When he heard that Melissa had mentioned that she trusted him before saying it about the rest of the group his heart had skipped a beat. Jackson knew that she liked him, but nobody had ever said that they trusted him before.
Taylor continued "I said that I didn't like people messing with my stuff and then she said….she said…..'So you fight back by messing with their lives'. She was right, I'm a terrible person." And with that she ran into the tent crying.
Jackson couldn't keep his mind off Melissa. God, I've liked her since the first time I met her and I've known for like two weeks that she feels the same way and I haven't done anything. If Taylor thinks she's stupid what does that make me?