I've set this story sometime during the second season episode Seer Gilligan, in which the castaways eat seeds that enable them to read each others' minds- with disastrous results.
"Hey, Mary Ann, you look upset. Is everything okay?" Gilligan hovered in the doorway to the girls' hut. He had seen Ginger leave, her red hair bouncing, looking like she was in a foul mood. He waited until the coast was clear and then ambled over, his curiosity piqued, but his heart sinking at the same time.
As if he couldn't guess what was wrong.
"I'm fine, Gilligan," Mary Ann answered, somewhat exasperated, then threw her hands up in despair. "It's just that Ginger and I keep arguing over the silliest things! Who does the most cleaning, who washes the most dishes. We never used to argue about these things before!"
"More Thinkfights, huh?" Gilligan said wryly.
"I'm afraid so. And they just seem to be getting worse."
"But you and Ginger are friends. Little things like that shouldn't matter."
"It's the little things that do matter, Gilligan. They all add up until they become big things." Mary Ann sighed. "Really big things."
The two friends looked at each other. Gilligan thought about his Thinkfights with the Skipper. Mary Ann was right- the little things did matter. They mattered a lot.
"It's not only about the chores. She thinks I'm a Goody-Two-Shoes," Mary Ann said miserably. "She thinks that I think I'm perfect."
"I guess that's no worse than you thinking Ginger's an attention-seeking strumpet," said Gilligan, trying to be helpful. "Whatever that is."
Mary Ann fixed him with a pointed glare. "Gilligan! Whose side are you on?"
"Sorry," he said, meekly. "It's just that I overheard you, I mean, I overthought you yesterday. I couldn't help it."
"It's these stupid seeds," Mary Ann said. She opened her hand to reveal several of the tiny seeds that Gilligan had been eating for days, thinking they were plain old sunflower seeds. Except Ginger had discovered that they weren't. They were the seeds of an ancient tropical species that gave everyone the power to read each other's minds. Right down to the smallest, most insignificant thoughts that no-one ever intended for anyone else to hear. "They were fun at first, but now they cause nothing but trouble."
Gilligan pulled a bag of seeds out of his pocket and shook some of them into his palm, staring dubiously at them. "It sure is weird knowing what other people are thinking all the time," he agreed.
Despite that, Mary Ann and Gilligan both put another mind-reading seed into their mouths and chewed slowly, all the while wondering if this really was a good idea or not.
"I wonder where Ginger went?" asked Gilligan, still speaking aloud.
"I don't know. She stormed off, muttering 'who needs enemies with friends like these!'" Mary Ann frowned, placing her hands on her hips. "Which is exactly what I think about her!"
Gilligan put the seeds back in his pocket and leaned against the door frame, adjusting his hat and feeling suddenly shy. "Don't worry Mary Ann," he told her. "You're still my friend. I won't ever argue with you over silly things like that."
Mary Ann smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Gilligan, you're very sweet to say that."
He smiled back at her. I'm not half as sweet as you, he thought.
You're twice as sweet as me, she thought back, a shy smile crossing her own face as she remembered their awkward encounter in the Howells' hut a year ago.
Gilligan squirmed and blushed immediately. He hadn't meant for her to hear that. But of course, now that she had eaten another seed, she could hear everything, and so could he.
Equally embarrassed, Mary Ann swiftly changed tack. "What about you? How have you been getting along with the Skipper?"
"Not so great," Gilligan admitted. "He's still sore at me for thinking he's fat."
Mary Ann giggled. "But you are always teasing him about his weight."
"Yeah, but now he knows I think it, too. He thinks I think about how fat he is all the time. He says he's not speaking to me any more, or even thinking to me. Except he can't stop thinking to me, all about how klutzy I am and how I'm always getting in his way. He thinks I'm a nincompoop. And that's one of the good things."
"Sounds just like me and Ginger," Mary Ann lowered her eyes, folded her arms across her stomach. "The Howells have been arguing, too. All the time. It's awful."
"And the Professor thinks we all think he's a know-all and he should have gotten us off the island by now." Gilligan sighed deeply and folded his own arms in unconscious imitation of Mary Ann. "I sure wish people would stop fighting."
Mary Ann lifted her gaze, watching her friend's sad expression while he spoke. He has such lovely eyes, she thought, idly.
Gilligan cocked his head, puzzled. "Who has lovely eyes? The Professor?"
Mary Ann jumped, startled. Had he heard that? But of course he had. It was the seeds at work again. "Um, no...just someone I know," she said, quickly.
"Who?" Gilligan persisted. "Skipper?"
"Oh, nobody, Gilligan. Just someone."
Gilligan studied her curiously. Someone, huh?
Mary Ann bit her lip shyly. Yes. Just someone. As she turned away from Gilligan, a shaft of sunlight through the window caught her thick, dark hair, bringing out rich, warm tones of chocolate and mahogany.
Wow, her hair's a really nice colour, he thought, unable to stop himself admiring her.
"Whose hair's a really nice colour?" Mary Ann asked, turning round again.
"Ah, Brigitte Bardot's," Gilligan said, flustered. "I saw her in this movie once, and her hair was like, um...really brown." His hand returned to his hat. He could feel the inane grin stretching across his face and his neck going hot. He felt like a complete idiot.
"Brigitte Bardot, hmm?" Mary Ann teased him. And yet, you're so shy around real women, she thought, smiling to herself at the goofy look on his face.
Because they scare me, that's why, he thought back, before he realised what was happening.
Now it was Mary Ann who appeared flustered and squirmed uncomfortably. But the thought was out of her head before she could stop it. Surely I don't scare you?
Gilligan shuffled nervously. He was still neither in nor out of the hut, his shoulder against the door frame, eyes fixed firmly on his feet as he dug little trenches in the sand with the toes of his well-worn sneakers.
No. Well, maybe. Sometimes, he thought, unable to look at her directly.
Just because I happen to be a woman?
Sometimes I feel stupid around you.
Mary Ann stared at him. "Why?" she said aloud. Her fist closed around the seeds, squeezing the hated objects yet unable to let them go.
Blushing furiously now, Gilligan pushed himself away from the door frame at last. "I should go. Skipper's calling me."
"I don't hear him," Mary Ann said, anxiously.
Gilligan tapped the side of his head. "In here." He looked ready to dart off like a rabbit. I wish I hadn't come here in the first place, he thought, his mind a jumble of thoughts and un-thoughts trying to cancel each other out in case she heard him.
"Don't go," she said, reaching her hand out. "I wasn't thinking bad thoughts about you."
"I know," Gilligan said. "In fact, you're the only one who hasn't been thinking bad thoughts about me."
Mary Ann tugged nervously at her pigtail. This mind-reading's getting out of hand.
I know. I know. I can't stop it though. Now I really am getting scared.
Of me?
Of what you might be thinking.
I only think good things about you, Gilligan.
I know. That's what scares me. You're so...
So what?
So...perfect. You are perfect. Next to you, I really am a klutz and a dumb-bell and a nincompoop.
No, you're not! You're the sweetest boy I've ever met. You're kind, and thoughtful, and you're almost always happy, and not only that...
What?
You're cute. There. I've said it.
"You think I'm cute?" Gilligan was so surprised he said it aloud. Maybe a little too loudly.
"Shh!" said Mary Ann, flapping at the air with her hands.
Sorry, he thought, closing his mouth and returning to his mind. You think I'm cute?
Yes, she thought back. I think you're cute.
Gilligan sank back against the door frame, his heart beating fast. He felt giddy, light-headed. Maybe this was another unwanted side-effect of the seeds. Loss of balance.
Mary Ann went over to him, concerned. She laid her hand gently on his arm, looking straight into his eyes. "Gilligan? Are you all right?"
"Sure, I'm fine. I just..." Gilligan was all too aware of his own nervousness. "I feel a little dizzy."
"You should sit down." Mary Ann tried to lead him to a chair, but he resisted, his hand clinging to the door frame.
"No, I'm okay. I should go. Really."
Once again their thoughts tumbled out, unchecked.
Why are you scared? Because I think you're cute? Because I like you?
Because I don't know what to do about it.
They stood staring helplessly at each other, Mary Ann's expression of doubt and confusion mirrored on Gilligan's face. Suddenly the sound of arguing interrupted their thoughts. It sounded like Mr. Howell and the Skipper barking orders at each other, and a moment later the Professor's voice joined the fray. Mary Ann sighed wearily and put her hand tentatively on Gilligan's chest, knowing he might bolt at any second. But Gilligan didn't bolt. Instead he let go of the door frame and came further into the hut to stand with Mary Ann at the window, peering out across the clearing.
"Listen to them all. Listen to what we've become. We're not even arguing about anything important." Mary Ann sighed. "No-one really thinks it was Skipper's fault we were marooned. No-one really thinks the Professor thinks he knows it all. And no-one really thinks Mr. Howell just wants to be the richest man in the..." Mary Ann broke off. "Okay, maybe he does want to be the richest man in the world. But no-one minds. Not really."
"This is all my fault," Gilligan said, crestfallen. "If I hadn't found those seeds..."
"It's not your fault," Mary Ann said, firmly. "Those seeds don't cause trouble by themselves. You were eating them quite happily by yourself before we found out what they were. And then we became power hungry. We all wanted to know what everyone was thinking. And boy, were we surprised!"
Gilligan winced as the Skipper yelled particularly loudly at Mr. Howell, calling him an over- privileged windbag, to which Mr. Howell responded by shouting that the Skipper was nothing but a Yale Man and a buffoon.
"You and I are the only ones who aren't arguing," he said softly to Mary Ann. "At least, not with each other."
And yet I scare you, Mary Ann thought.
No, Gilligan thought back. It's not you that scares me. It's me that scares me.
Mary Ann looked at him, wondering what he meant by that, but the effects of the seed she'd eaten had started to wear off. His thoughts were becoming vague, elusive, receding away from her like the evening tide. At the same time, the voices outside became louder and angrier, and the look of pain on Gilligan's face was so obvious that she didn't need to read his mind to know what he was thinking.
"No-one's getting any more seeds when these are done," he said, shaking his head. "It's just making us hate each other."
"Gilligan, don't blame yourself," Mary Ann said gently. "It's not your fault people are greedy." She fished two seeds out of her blouse pocket and gave one to him. "Here. Eat this."
"No."
"Go on, Gilligan. One more won't hurt you."
Reluctantly, Gilligan opened his mouth and Mary Ann put the seed on his tongue. He chewed it, looking unconvinced. Mary Ann ate the other seed, and they waited a few seconds for the mind reading effects to start working.
"You're too hard on yourself, Gilligan," Mary Ann said. "You're not to blame for everyone else's failings."
"If I hadn't given them the seeds..."
"You didn't make us eat the seeds. We chose to eat the seeds. We could choose to stop eating the seeds, but we still eat them."
"It was fun at first. When Skipper was thinking about the hula girl and you were thinking about double chocolate malteds. It was like a game."
Mary Ann smiled. "You were the only one who wasn't thinking 36-22-36."
"Why would I want to work out the latitude and longitude of this island?" Gilligan grinned, playfully.
They smiled at each other. Across the clearing, the raised voices of Skipper and Mr. Howell showed no signs of abating.
"Promise me we'll never argue, Gilligan."
"I promise."
"Pinky swear?"
They locked their little fingers together.
"Pinky swear."
"What am I thinking?"Mary Ann smiled, closing her eyes in concentration.
Gilligan reached into her mind and pulled out a series of images. "You're thinking...of a grassy meadow. In Kansas. In the summertime. You're thinking of blue skies and ice cream and a warm breeze on your face."
"Is there anyone with me?"
"Yes, there is. There's a boy. In the distance. With a fishing pole and...and a butterfly net."
"Can you see who it is?"
"Yes." Gilligan's eyes widened in surprise. "It's me."
"Yes. It's you. It's always you. And this is one of my favourite thoughts, for whenever I feel down, or sad, or lonely."
"Really?" Gilligan swallowed, nervously.
"Really. So even when the seeds are all gone and we can't read each other's minds any more, whenever you see me looking off into the distance, you'll know what I'm thinking."
"You'll really be thinking about me?"
Mary Ann nodded, tipping her face towards him. "Yes."
The door flew open with a sudden crash and Ginger stormed in, her hands waving in the air. "Oh! It's a nightmare out there! Do you know what Mrs. Howell just thought to me? The nerve of that woman!" She stopped abruptly in the middle of the room, staring at Mary Ann and Gilligan. "Am I interrupting anything?" she asked, suspiciously.
"No," said Gilligan. "I was just leaving." He moved away from the window, sensing trouble. He was right.
"Little Miss Butter-Wouldn't-Melt," said Ginger, fixing Mary Ann with a petulant glare. "The minute my back's turned you've got Gilligan in the hut. Don't think I don't know what's going on!"
Gilligan eased past the indignant actress, a sheepish grin plastered across his face. "Just going, Ginger," he mumbled, careful not to inflame her any further.
"You're a fine one to talk, Little Miss Movie Star, seducing every stranger who comes ashore," Mary Ann shot back. "Acting like you can get any man you want!"
At the door, Gilligan paused and looked back. Mary Ann and Ginger had squared off, standing opposite each other with their hands on their hips and twin looks of exasperation on their faces. "I'll see myself out," he said, knowing that neither of them were listening to him. But just as he turned to leave, he caught one last thought.
Why does something always have to come along and ruin our moments together?
Don't worry, Mary Ann, he thought back. There'll be other times. I promise.
I'll look for you in the meadow.
I'll be there.
Gilligan left the girls to their silly argument and the Howells and the Skipper to theirs. He went to his hut to collect his lighter and disappeared into the jungle to find the seed bushes.
FIN
A/N- thanks to callensensei for suggesting the song Green Waves by Secret Garden to go with Mary Ann's thoughts of the Kansas meadow where Gilligan waits. It's a quite simply breathtaking tune.