Kimber was awakened from a deep sleep by a retching sound. Concerned, she slipped on her powder blue bathrobe and padded down the hall towards the retching sound, which seemed to be coming from her sister Jerrica's bathroom. Rounding the corner and peeking in the door, Kimber discovered Jerrica leaning over the toilet bowl retching and heaving.
"The flu or something you ate?" Kimber asked as she kneeled next to her sister and put her arm around her shoulders. Jerrica stopped retching and looked at her sister weakly.
"Neither." Jerrica replied hoarsely.
"What else could it be?" Kimber looked perplexed.
"It's six in the morning so I guess it's morning sickness." Jerrica flushed the toilet and stood up slowly, using the bathroom counter for balance.
"Morning sickness? But how? I thought you and Rio never..." Kimber looked up at Jerrica shocked.
"It's a long story." Jerrica sighed. She started for the door but wobbled slightly. Kimber stood up and wrapped her arm around here.
"Come on sis. I'll take you back to your room. Then I'll go get us some tea and then we can talk." Kimber helped Jerrica back to her bedroom and tucked her in. Then she tiptoed downstairs to get some tea. Jerrica turned on her side so she could look out the window. She looked at the blue sky and felt a slight breeze blowing through her hair. She closed her eyes and she imagined that she heard waves lapping up on a white shore and smell the tang of the salty sea air.
"Jerrica?" a voiced asked. Jerrica rolled over and saw Aja, Shana, and Raya standing in the doorway to her room.
"Come on in. What are all of you doing up at this hour?" Jerrica motioned for her friends to enter. Shana sat down on the bed next to Jerrica while Aja plopped down in a wingback chair and Raya sat on the floor. They were all still dressed for bed.
"We ran into Kimber out in the hallway and she said that you were sick." Shana explained.
"Will you be okay Jerrica?" Raya asked.
"Kimber said she was going to fix some herbal tea, Raya. That should take care of it." Aja replied before Jerrica could.
"It's not that simple Aja. The tea will help for awhile, but I'm afraid this is going to happen every morning for a while." Jerrica shook her head.
"What are you saying Jerrica?" Shana asked, holding her friend's hand. Just then Kimber came in with a tray of teacups, tea, and crackers.
"Here's your tea sis. I brought some saltines too. I thought they might help." Kimber handed Jerrica a steaming cup of tea and a package of saltines. "I brought tea for everyone else too. I figured we all would end up in here."
"Thank you Kimber." Shana took a cup, and then Aja and Raya each took a cup. Everyone sipped tea in silence for about a minute.
"Jerrica go on." Raya encouraged.
"Do all of you remember when I ran off with Riot for three months? When I was stranded on that island with Riot, I could no longer deny my feelings for him. I've been attracted to him from the first day that I saw him. Riot's just so handsome and charming and..."
"Yeah, Riot could charm a cobra without a pipe." Aja cracked.
"Aja! This is serious!" Raya admonished.
"Okay sorry."
"Well, three months isn't a long time to be stranded but enough time to get pregnant." Jerrica continued.
"What?!" all the Holograms exclaimed at the same time.
"How did it happen Jerrica?" Shana asked.
"It's a long story..." And Jerrica began her tale.
"Riot... who are you talking to? Where are we?" Jem looked up weakly at the handsome, blond rock singer who she had been boating with. She had been so angry at Rio that she had fallen under Riot's spell and he had whisked her off to Mexico. Admittedly she had been having fun, until she wanted to go home and Riot wouldn't let her. They had fought with the wheel of the boat and crashed against some rocks. Luckily they had been thrown from the boat and landed on an island beach. She didn't know how long she was out but she could have sworn Riot had been talking to someone.
"Nevermind. Just rest. Everything will be just fine." Riot replied, smoothing her hair back from her face. Too weak to put up a fight, Jem allowed Riot to wrap his strong arms around her and she fell fast asleep.
A few hours later, Jem felt warmth that was comforting and she could smell something cooking. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Riot leaning over a fire and it looked as if he was cooking something. She leaned up on her elbow.
"Jem! How are you feeling?" Riot asked. His long, curly blond hair gleamed richly in the firelight, as did his bronzed skin. His yellow swimming trunks were torn.
"A little weak still, and my head hurts a little." Jem rubbed her forehead. "Something sure smells good."
"I did a little fishing while you were asleep. They're almost done."
"I never would have guessed you knew how to fish. You surprise me Riot." Jem smiled.
"There are a lot of things you don't know about me. Ah, the fish are done now." Riot took a fish off a stick he had over the fire, placed it on a large leaf and handed it to Jem. "I apologize for the fare being less than perfect."
"No need to apologize Riot. This smells delicious and I'm starving." Jem broke off a piece of fish and slipped it in her mouth. "Mmmmm, this is good Riot!"
"I'm glad you enjoy it. It's the least I could do to make up for what I did today." Riot took a fish for himself and dug in. Jem gazed at him. She has been angry at him for lying to her and now here they were stranded. But looking on the bright side, she could have been stranded on a deserted island with Pizzazz and the Misfits again.
"Riot, I... I... I'm not saying I forgive you for what you've done. But I'm not angry with you now. I think the most important thing is to figure out a way to survive while we're here and somehow get home at the same time."
"Not only beautiful, but you're very intelligent Jem. You really are the perfect woman." Riot sat closer to Jem and looked into her luminescent violet eyes. They shined up at him as her lips parted slightly. He took her cheek in his hands and brushed his lips across hers at first, then claimed her mouth in a possessive kiss. Jem was lost in the moment, and in Riot's kiss. She felt his arms wrap around her and hold her tight against his body. She melted in his arms giving her mouth up to him. All of a sudden she came back to her senses.
"Riot stop that!" Jem pulled away from him. She moved away from him quickly.
"Jem..." Riot began.
"Oh save it Riot! This is exactly what you planned. You arranged for us to be shipwrecked on some deserted island just so you could seduce me!"
"I never planned this!" Riot growled. "Do you think that I like being stranded like this? Look at me! My clothes are torn and my hair is a disgrace!"
"My heart is bleeding for you Riot and your less than perfect appearance." Jem replied sarcastically. "I bet that you wouldn't mind staying on this island forever!"
"Of course I want to get off of this island!" Riot threw his arms up. "Fine, think whatever you want to, but I'm going to get some sleep and in the morning try to salvage something from the boat. Good night!" Riot snapped. He stretched out next to the fire and closed his eyes. Pretty soon he was sound asleep.
Jem sat up staring into the fire's flames. She sighed heavily, thinking inside how in the world she had gotten into this mess. She looked over at Riot then and sighed again. He was gorgeous and so charming. She had made the choice to run away with him. Her eyes started to feel heavy and she lay down on the sand. The last thing on her mind when she fell asleep was Riot.
Jem felt the sun on her body and woke up. She yawned and stretched and then looked around her. She didn't see Riot anywhere. Where was he? She looked behind her and saw that the island had a jungle. Could he have gone in there? She looked down the beach and saw Riot's outline. No mistaking him for anyone else! He was like a statue of one of those Greek gods, toned, hard, and muscular. She started walking down the beach to where Riot was. As she got closer she saw that he was stacking up wood.
"What are you doing Riot?" Jem asked in an accusatory tone. He spun around sharply.
"I'm getting enough wood together for a fire. If it's lit then anyone should be able to see us." Riot went back to stacking up the wood.
"And where did it come from?" Jem asked.
"The jungle. I found a hatchet in the boat that I used to cut down some branches. There are some other things as well." Riot replied, waving his hand at a pile off to his side. Jem knelt down in the warm, soft sand and dug through the pile. There was a first-aid kit, a couple bottles of water, and about four blankets.
"I'll take these back to camp." Jem scooped the items up in her arms.
"No we'll take them with us." Riot replied as he placed the last piece of wood.
"And where are we going? There's nothing around here!"
"My dear Jem, there is not enough water there for us to survive on. There should be water somewhere in there." Riot pointed to the jungle.
"Well how are we supposed to be rescued if we're in the jungle?"
"Well how are we supposed to survive without water?" Riot countered. Jem was speechless for a minute.
"I'm staying on the beach." Jem flopped down on the sand and looked up at Riot.
"Fine! Have it your way. I'm through with you. But I get one of those blankets and one bottle of that water." Riot grabbed one of them out of her arms and walked off towards the jungle.
"Fine go! See if I care you arrogant, egotistical..." Jem yelled after him, but he paid no attention. Jem turned and stared at the ocean. Riot was really mad at her. He'd come back to her she was sure. She was feeling thirsty so she took a sip of water. She looked again at the ocean, thinking. Well maybe she had better set up her camp down near the signal fire. The wind was starting to pick up so she wrapped the blanket around her and walked down the beach looking for more pieces of wood. She found five to shape into a makeshift tent along with the blanket and found some rocks that would hold the ends down. After she was done, she sat down and kept staring at the ocean.
Sunset came around quickly. Well it had been almost noon when Jem had woken up that day. Riot was still gone though. He hadn't come back. She had managed to climb up a tree and grab some fruit but she had no idea how to fish. So she made do with a couple under-ripe bananas and a couple sips of water. She wasn't about to go after Riot in the jungle.
"Darn you Riot!" Jem swore. She thought he would have come back by now. She should have gone with him. Her thoughts were in turmoil as she huddled by the fire she had made. She missed Riot more than she would have liked to admit. From the first day they had met she had been attracted to him, but denied her feelings because of Rio. Ah Rio. She wondered if he was even worried about her after their fight earlier in the week. She knew that Kimber and the rest of the Holograms would be worried. She contemplated calling Synergy for help, but then thought against it. She could no longer deny that she was falling in love with Riot and wanted this time together. Exhausted by her thoughts, Jem went to sleep with plans to find Riot the next day.
The trees of the jungle were tall and only allowed small shafts of light to pass through as Jem walked amongst them. She could see broken branches where Riot had passed through just the other day. As she walked deeper and deeper into the jungle, she realized that the island must be fairly large.
Pretty soon she heard running water, but it sounded like a fairly large body of water running as opposed to a creek or stream. The sound kept getting closer and closer until she stepped out of trees and into a clearing. There was a large pillar of rocks with a waterfall coming out of it and spilling down into a small lagoon. Jem walked up to the lagoon, and dipped her hand into the water so she could try a drink.
"Oh thank goodness it's fresh!" Jem exclaimed aloud after she tasted it. She looked around to see if anyone was watching, then stepped into the water. The water was refreshing as she swam over to the waterfall and stood under it, letting the water cascade all over her body. It felt wonderful to be clean for the first time since being shipwrecked.
Jem was so busy bathing that she didn't notice when Riot came walking by. He had been on his way back to the beach to find Jem when he discovered her under the waterfall. He stared at her for a while and smiled. Getting shipwrecked so far was the best thing that could have happened to him. It would give him the perfect opportunity to convince Jem that they were the perfect match and that they were destined to be together. He couldn't have planned this better himself!
Riot plunged into the water and swam towards Jem. She was so busy bathing that she didn't notice when he swam around and then stood up behind her. Suddenly, Jem got a feeling that she was not alone. As she spun around to look she lost her balance and fell into Riot's arms. He braced himself so they wouldn't fall and led her behind the falls.
"Riot, you scared me half to death!"
"Jem, I'm sorry that I walked out on you. I was coming to find you when I saw you under the waterfall. I'm sorry for getting us into this situation. I'd do anything to make it up to you." He leaned down and kissed her tenderly on the lips. She relaxed a bit and the kiss deepened. Suddenly she pulled away.
"Riot, we can't do this. Rio..."
"Rio's not here, but I am. Jem, you and I are destined to be together. We're perfect for each other! But, if you tell me that you don't feel something for me, I'll leave you alone and I won't interfere with things between you and Rio again. Deny that you have feelings for me, and I'll never pursue you again." Jem looked up into his eyes. She knew that she could no longer hold back anything.
"Riot, I can't deny that I have feelings for you. I..." Jem never got to finish as Riot silenced her with a deep and passionate kiss. He then swept her up into his arms and carried her over to the shore next to a bush of exotic orchids. It was there that they made love for the first time. Afterwards, as they lay in each other's arms, Jem finished what she was going to say before she was interrupted. "I love you, Riot." Riot smiled and held Jem closer to him as they fell asleep.
"Wow! That's outrageous!" Kimber sighed.
"That's how it happened, and that's the truth. I'm in love with Riot, I'm having his child, and I have no idea what to do." Jerrica buried her face in her hands. Shana walked over to where she was sitting and put an arm around her.
"We'll figure something out, Jerrica. Everything will work out." Shana tried to reassure.
"You don't understand, Shana. No matter what I do, nothing will ever be the same again." Jerrica shook her head.
"Uh Jerrica, was that the only time you and Riot uh..." Raya stammered.
"Well they say it only takes one time to make you pregnant, but no that wasn't the only time we were together."
"Riot, where are you?" Jem called out. No doubt Riot was playing with her by hiding. The past few weeks Jem and Riot had been stranded on the small island had been idyllic. Together they had made a small hut near the lagoon and started carrying on with everyday tasks. Every morning, Riot went down to the beach to fish and to light the signal fire. Jem never went with him, but stayed close to the hut and gathered firewood or fruit from the trees. If she went back to the beach, she felt she would be reminded of all that she had left behind, Starlight Music, the Holograms, Rio.
Jem shook her head to clear her mind and went back to calling out for Riot. "Riot, where are you?" She turned her back to the trees and scanned the area. All of a sudden she felt herself being lifted up off the ground and flying through the air! Riot had swung down from the trees on a vine and swept her off her feet. "Riot, you scared me!" Jem squealed as she clung on to him. He laughed.
"Did I sweep you off your feet or what?" They landed soft not far from their hut.
"You did that a long time ago, Rory." Jem replied softly.
"You remembered my name from the first night we met."
"I remember everything about that night. That's when you first swept me off my feet." Jem smiled up at him and brushed a stray lock of golden hair from his face.
"And a few days later you went running back to Rio." Riot turned away from her.
"Riot, please look at me." Jem grabbed his hand and he turned back to her. "The only explanation I have for running back to Rio is that... oh this is so hard! Do you ever feel like you're two people at the same time?"
"I felt that way all the time I was growing up. I was one way and then I was also trying to be what my father expected me to be." Riot walked over and lay down in one of the hammocks they had made with their blankets. "It wasn't easy."
"Well, I feel that way a lot. I'm one way but then everyone else expects me to be sensible and be perfect, which I'm not. That day I wasn't me, I was being the sensible and perfect person everyone expected me to be. I was the woman who chooses the good guy who's always been there and who she knows instead of the handsome, mysterious stranger who's captured her heart like no other. I get so tired of being two different people." Jem sighed.
"Then why do you still do it?" Riot took her hand and drew her closer to him.
"It's just the way it's been for a long time. I can tell you right here and right now I'm me making my own decisions, and I choose you. All I want is you."
"And what about Rio?"
"I'll always love him. But I'm not in love with him. I'm in love with you, Rory Llewellyn." Riot pulled Jem down on top of him and kissed her hard. They spent the rest of the day in the hammock making love.
"You didn't tell Riot about who you really are did you? We all know what can happen if Synergy falls into the wrong hands." Aja asked Jerrica with a note of concern in her voice.
"I didn't. I almost did tell him though." Jerrica replied.
It had been a couple of months now, and no one had come to rescue them. Sometimes Jem wondered why no one had come looking for them. Then sometimes she didn't. She was happy for the first time in a long time. There was no shuffling between her two identities, no responsibilities, and no one else to please but herself.
Feeling carefree that particular day, Jem stood under the waterfall bathing and singing. "Imagine me, free from care, light as a feather, floating on air. Imagine me can't you see how lovely it would be? Imagine me breezing through, never a worry, nothing to do. Imagine me, what a lovely fantasy! Everything's going my way. Everything's rolling along. No pain, no strain, I can't complain! Life is a happy song. Imagine me coasting by, solving my problems, easy as pie. Life is simple as ABC. Baby, just imagine me! Imagine me! Imagine me!" She heard soft laughter behind her and knew it was Riot. She turned around and smiled.
"How long have you been standing there?" she asked.
"I was just listening to you sing. I've never heard that song you were singing."
"It's been recorded but it hasn't been released on album yet." Jem sighed.
"What's wrong?" Riot stood behind her in the water and wrapped his strong arms around her.
"I was just thinking. I wonder why no one has come looking for us. Don't you wonder?" Jem asked.
"Sometimes I do, but then I think of you and this little piece of heaven we created here." He kissed the nape of her neck softly.
"I've been thinking of it a lot lately. It's not that I don't enjoy the time we've spent here together, but I miss my friends and performing in front of crowds of people. Then I think of you and all those thoughts fly out of my mind. Then another thought comes to my mind."
"And what is that?"
"I wonder if you really love me, or if you just think we're the ideal match or if I was just a conquest." Riot turned her around to face him.
"Jem, it's never been easy for me to admit my feelings. When I was growing up my father never would allow it. It wasn't manly. But I can say to you that I love you not because we're a perfect match or a conquest. I just love you, Jem, I love you." He kissed her tenderly on the lips.
"And I love you Rory Llewellyn. Always." Another kiss led to more. Later while they were laying in one of the hammocks, Riot was a bit uneasy.
"Jem?"
"Hmmm?" Jem replied dozing off a bit.
"You know who I am really for the most part. I'd like to know about you for a change. Ever since we've met you've been a woman of mystery, which is intriguing, but I'd like to know the real you."
"There are two different versions of me. I..." Jem yawned and feel fast asleep in Riot's arms. Riot sighed contentedly. He had a lifetime to figure her out.
"So that's when you almost told him?" Raya asked.
"There was another time too. It was the day that we were rescued."
One morning, Jem woke up as usual and yawned and stretched like a contented cat. Riot had already gone to the beach to go fishing and to light the fire. Feeling playful, she decided to surprise him with breakfast on the beach. She gathered up some fruit and walked silently down the path he had cleared from their hut to the beach.
Jem found Riot on the beach sitting on a rock with a makeshift pole fishing, but something was wrong. The fire wasn't lit! Was that why they hadn't been rescued? As she walked closer, she saw no evidence that the fire had been lit at any time. There were no ashes, nothing.
All of a sudden, Riot sensed her presence and turned around. "Jem, what are you doing out here?"
"I came to surprise you, but I'm the one who's surprised." Jem replied flatly and started to walk away. Riot ran up behind her and grabbed her.
"Jem, wait and let me explain..."
"Explain what? It doesn't look like you ever set that signal fire you built! You never wanted us to be found at all! All this time you've been trying to keep me here!"
"I wanted a chance to convince you that we were perfect together without anyone interfering! And now you see that we are. We're perfect for each other and we love each other! What more is there?"
"It's called trust Riot and I don't trust you anymore! Without trust there can be no love! You killed my love for you with your lies and deception." Jem shook loose of Riot's hold and ran back into the jungle to their hut. She flung herself down in one of the hammocks and started crying. She couldn't believe that she had fallen for Riot. Everything was nothing but a lie. Now she didn't know what she was going to do. Just then Riot came back from the beach.
"Jem please..." Riot pleaded which was very unlike him.
"Leave me alone!" Jem put her sunglasses on and turned away.
"As you wish, but you'll have to talk to me sometime." Riot settled down in the other hammock and waited for Jem to calm down.
An hour later, Minx came strolling through the jungle. "Hi guys!"
"That was the end of it. I ran back into Rio's arms and never looked back until now." Jerrica buried her face and her hands and started crying again. "I don't know what to do!"
"Sis, we'll figure out some way to work this out." Kimber sat down beside Jerrica and held her while she sobbed.
"Jerrica have you ever thought about..." Aja trailed off not wanting to say what she was thinking.
"No I wouldn't do that, Aja. I couldn't get rid of this baby in any way."
"That poses a problem though. Everyone will find out sooner or later that you are pregnant." Raya replied.
"You could go away for awhile. Just before you start showing just say you and Jem are going on an extended business trip." Shana suggested.
"That thought did cross my mind, but then there would be too many questions from everyone and too many opportunities to slip up. Then the truth would come out. There has to be some other way." Jerrica got up and walked over to the window.
"Have you thought about becoming Jem on a permanent basis?" Aja suggested.
"I did think of that too, but then who would run Starlight Music? We know what happened when Kimber tried to run it. No offense Kimber. I'm afraid the Misfits would swoop in again and take it over."
"That's okay. I know I couldn't do it. There might be some way though for you to keep running it, but silently. In that case Aja, Shana, Raya and I could say that you appointed us as directors. Alone we're weak prey for Eric Raymond and the Misfits but together we're strong!"
"That might work, but to become Jem forever would mean that something would have to happen to Jerrica. She would have to die."
TO BE CONTINUED