Chapter Ten: Melissa's Misunderstands
Melissa looked down at Jackson, who was somewhere caught between reality and a made up world his mind had created.
"Where is she? I want her," He rasped, groping around for a hand he couldn't find. When Melissa offered her own hand he simply rejected it and kept searching. Like he could tell who it was through his fevered state.
"Jackson...," Melissa started, not able to finish through a cascade of tears. She wanted him so badly. And Taylor, of all people got him. Just like she got everything else she wanted. Melissa wiped away trail of sweat that had made it's way down to his cheek only to have him shrugged away. Even her touch was enough to make him recoil.
"Don't touch me," Jackson whispered. In his eyes, she wasn't Melissa but a boy from his cruel past. A boy who had ruined his life. Kyle. He wanted Julianna so bad. He had seen her. Kissed her. It may not have been possible and his mind wanted him to realize that but his whole being wasn't used to this. The feeling of pure happiness. Maybe his life didn't have to be one day after another, dragging by till he died of whatever the hell this was. Maybe there was hope for him after all.
Kyle touched him again. "Please Jackson."
"You hurt her. I hate you," Jackson shook his head. He wanted Kyle to know what pain he put him through but didn't have the strength to hurt him.
Melissa sobbed. Of, course. She had hurt Taylor, Jackson's new crush. Why hadn't she put his feelings before herself's? She was so stupid! Why hadn't she stopped being jelous enough to care? She had told herself she loved him. More than anything else in the world and she had hurt him.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. She got up, putting a cover over his shaking body before leaving the tent. She couldn't face them after what she had done. And she didn't plan to.
Out here in on the island, no one could stop her. No one could save her. Melissa swooped down to give Jackson's hot cheek a kiss. He recoiled immediately but she didn't care. She walked out of the tent, only hesitating to give her sickened love one last look.
"I loved you."
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The clouds roll in fast, getting ready for a storm worth writing in the books. Lightening flashed in the distance as the thunder was already drumming in the sky. It seemed like the end of the world was coming, the end the castaways weren't ready for.
Taylor was sprinting for the tent, tea in a shaky hand and Lex in another. She was oblivious to the rain, only wanting to shove the smelly tea down Jackson's throat.
Lex was, of course, thinking of the exact opposite. Rain. Rain. Rain. They couldn't do this again! After what had happened last time… No! They couldn't last another one. He came to an abrupt halt, making Taylor slop half the cup of tea on her thin shirt.
"LEX!" Taylor shouted, the searing hotness of the tea making her nerves sing with discomfort.
"No!" Lex told her, "You get Jackson his tea. He'll have to do with just that for now. I need to get us ready for the storm!"
"But"- she was cut off by the small boy, "You can do it! Jackson won't survive this for sure if we just let it come!"
Taylor glanced at the tent with dismay. She knew she would be on her own. With Melissa. "Fine."
"Good luck!" Lex called to her, sprinting back to find Daley, Eric and Nathan.
Taylor jogged towards the tent after Lex was gone from sight. Her stomach was doing a series of summersaults, telling her she shouldn't go in.
Afraid of what she might see, she whispered his name first, "Jackson?"
No reply came.
Taylor sighed. It was now or never.
She entered the tent with as much courage as she could muster. And found nothing. No Melissa. No Jackson.
"What?" She asked aloud. As if someone would respond. Or maybe Melissa would walk out and yell, 'Just kidding!' Tears burned her eyes for no reason really. Maybe she was on a bathroom break. Yeah, and maybe she wasn't on an island stranded with no chance of rescue.
"MELISSA," Taylor screamed. Her voice sounding like she had been screaming for hours, yet this was the first time she had screamed like that. Like there was no hope left anymore.