OK so here is the first real chapter. Enjoy and don't forget to review at the end. I do not have a BETA but if one is needed i may look into getting one. I enjoy criticism so give me your best shot!


So it has been 93 days since that dreadful plane crash. Everyone has changed and grown into adults and responsible people. Even Eric and Taylor has gotten over their images and has helped drastically within the past two months. There was only one problem. Abby, Ian, and Jory left to search the west side of the island about a month ago and still has not come back. Everyone was beginning to loose hope for them including Melissa.

It was a normal day for everyone Daley was watering the garden while Nathan and Eric were gathering wood. Today Taylor's job was getting water and Jackson was cutting trees down for their new shelter. This would be the third shelter they have tried to build. All the others have gotten wrecked in storms. So this time Lex took his time to build the perfect shelter, one in which he thought would last for years. Melissa was washing clothes when Lex came up behind her.

"Hey Mel. Whats up?" Lex asked. He was truly the only person who hasn't had a total breakdown yet. Lex was always happy and could always bring a smile on Melissa's face.

"Oh hey Lex. Nothing really just washing clothes and thinking..." she said as her voice faded. Lex smiled and put his arm on her shoulder.

"Well whatcha thinking about?" he asked. She couldn't help but smirk. But the truth was she didn't want to tell him what she was thinking about. No why would she because he would just laugh in her face. Of course she was thinking about Jackson. He still hadn't made his decision yet and she noticed he had been really very quiet lately especially around her.

"Oh nothing don't worry about it." she smiled and looked at him. "What are you doing?" she asked simply. He laughed.

"Oh i don't know. I guess thinking about how to make the shelter better but i have doubts after the first to were blown down like the wolf blew the first little piggy's house down." he said and laughed. Melissa joined and before long Daley was calling a meeting.

"Well i guess we should go before Daley has a bird" Lex said still laughing. Mel got up and helped Lex up also as they walked back to camp. Everyone was around the fire just waiting. Daley was standing up when Melissa and Lex came walking up.

"OK i have called a meeting for a few major reasons i have noticed lately." Everyone sighed and Eric groaned. She looked around to make sure everyone was spying attention to her then began again.

"First we all need to start drinking more water. I can tell it has gotten much hotter out the last few weeks and hasn't let up. I don't want anyone getting heat exhaustion so we also need to tell someone immediately if we are not feeling up to par." Everyone nodded and started to get up.

"Wait one more thing we cant focus all our energy on this shelter we are building. I mean we still need to do our daily routines so only when you are done with chores do i want anyone cutting trees or palm phrons down for it." Lex tried to object but Daley cut him off and told everyone to go back to work.

Jackson was the first to get out of there. Mel saw something was wrong so she went after him. She stayed behind so she could see what he was up to because she knew something wasn't right. He sat down on a big log, put his hands on his face and let out a big sigh. Melissa studied him for a second. "Wow he got so skinny" she thought to herself. You could see every bone in his back and his arms looked like twigs. She wondered how he was so strong looking like that. Jackson looked so weak and she knew that something was seriously wrong. "I'm such and idiot. I cant believe i didn't see him like this before" she yelled at herself inside her head.

Jackson was pale and didn't feel well at all. Melissa could tell she needed to fix this. She walked up behind Jackson and sat next to him.

"Hey whats wrong?" she asked. He looked at her with his blue gray eyes piercing her heart. She saw hurt in his eyes.

"Nothing I'm fine" he replied almost coldly. Mel was taken back by this, she wasn't expecting it at all.

"No you aren't come on you can tell me anything. Jackson its me" she said as she hugged him tight. Jackson felt so warm when she talked to him. He felt like nothing could ever be wrong when he was around her except now.

"Mel I wasn't always this quiet..." he started. Jackson had Mel's full attention. She nodded letting him know she was listening.

"I have just been thinking lately...about everything my past, future, my mistakes and just everything. You see everyone thinks I had such a bad past but it really wasn't. Me and my dad were really close like the cheese in macaroni. He coached my football and baseball, he took me out to the batting cages and for ice cream. He basically dedicated his life to me. We were best friends." Jackson started slowly. Melissa smiled knowing Jackson was really a happy kid. Then Jackson's face turned from happy go lucky to a dark side.

"Me and my mom never got along that great. Well neither did she and my dad. They always fought about me and how the only reason they were together was because of me and once i got out of high school they were done. Well my mom wasn't the best person she was a alcoholic and did drugs at times. One night they got into a big fight. She slammed the door shut and went to the bar. When she came home of course she was drunk but no one knew she would do what she did that night. My dad was sleeping it off like usual but i was still up. I walked out into the hall to see her coming at me. The look in her eyes was pure hate. She was walking so fast I had no time to think so I screamed. She hit me hard in the face. I could feel the blood coming out of my nose already. She picked me up and threw me but my dad came running out. He pushed her and told her to leave me alone..." Jackson's voice faded. Mel had tears in her eyes.

"Jackson I'm so..." she started but Jackson put his hand up to stop her.

"Wait that's not the end. You see he pushed her but not hard. He wouldn't hurt a fly if he had to and she took advantage of that. Next thing I knew I saw her reach into her pants and pull out a small black object. I knew what it was and screamed no. But but it was to late I was to late because she pulled the trigger and I knew my father, my best friend, and my companion was gone forever. I stood up and ran. There was a window at the end of the hall and I screamed as I jumped out. Next thing I knew I was in the hospital. Mel I was eight years old eight. So from that point on I never said much to anyone. I had no friends because I knew that nothing lasts forever and having friends would just make life more difficult. So anyway I jumped around from foster home to foster home until I came to Hartwell. But the point is I let you into my life and you are my best friend. Along with everyone else but you are different. I have been so distant lately because I cant see someone close to me leave again. I I just cant" Jackson finished. Melissa saw a tear run down Jackson's face and she didn't know what to say. She pulled him into a tight hug.

"You wont loose me Jackson. I promise" she said hugging him tight. Feeling him tense up. She couldn't help but let the tears roll down her face also. "Wow i would never guessed" she said to herself still hugging tight. They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity but was really only five minutes. Jackson pulled away wiping his face.

"Promise?" was all he got out. She smiled.

"I promise" Mel whispered as they hugging once again...


OK so there's my first chapter I know it isn't long they will get longer. Please review and tell me what you think good and bad. Thanks!

Gabbie