I ran down the mountain, trying to catch up with Ralph before I lost sight of him, but in my hurry I neglected to give any thought to my sore leg and in a moment of piercing pain, I lost my balance and skidded down the mountain. In my frantic panic, I tumbled over and pushed into Ralph, knocking him to the ground and landing on top of him, leaving us in a mess of arms and legs at the bottom of the mountain.
"Sorry," I murmured, unable to suppress the nervous giggle that emitted from my lips.
I was still lying on his back when he muttered something incoherently into the ground, unable to push his head up without pushing me off. That's when I remembered our compromising position and awkwardly got off him, standing up and offering him a hand.
He took it and with my help, pulled himself to his feet. "What was that for? Did Jack send you to assassinate me?" he asked with a chuckle, although appearing only half joking.
"He tried, but the pay wasn't tempting enough," I smirked.
He laughed at that, and it seemed like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders- at least for a moment. But he almost immediately assumed his downcast disposition once again and his laughter was silenced.
I couldn't help frowning at that; he always seemed so sad lately. "What are you thinking about?" I asked as we walked further into the jungle.
"It doesn't matter," he replied without looking at me; his eyes were dead-set on some spot in front of him.
I frowned again, but unprepared to give up, I continued. "C'mon, you can tell me," I smiled, stepping in front of him and blocking his path, hence forcing him to give me a real answer.
He backed away and slumped down at the bottom of a tree, sitting with his back against it. He looked up at me as if inviting me over. He probably wasn't, but I decided to pretend that he did, so I sat beside him and stared up at him expectantly until he spoke. "It's this island," he sighed. "Everything's breaking up."
He was looking at me intently, and I knew that he was looking for reassurance, but I didn't know how to respond. It was true, everything was breaking up. The majority seemed to be taking Jack's side in things, even when he challenged Ralph outright, and nobody wanted to help with huts or gathering supplies except for Simon and me. Even I much preferred hunting, if I was being completely honest with myself.
"Then you have to show them that you're still chief," I advised. "You're a better chief than Jack would be, I think everyone knows that deep down. That's why they voted for you, not him."
"You didn't."
His voice cracked slightly at that, and his face reddened. He looked down at the ground, avoiding my eyes, but still clearly awaiting a response. I had none.
If I, myself didn't know why I voted for Jack, how could I put it into words? There had been an odd sort of attraction that pulled me to him, but I couldn't tell Ralph that. I had voted for Jack against all of my logic, because from the very beginning I knew that that would mean freedom. I think I've always craved freedom, even when fooling myself and everyone around me into thinking I loved being a proper lady and doing exactly what was expected of me. But I didn't. I loved being free and running wildly, even hunting. Anything that would provide a feeling of freedom, assuring me that I could do anything I wanted. What I wanted was adventure, and for that I needed no restraints.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to… It doesn't matter," he said, raising his head up again.
"Why does it bother you so much? You still won the vote and I'm glad you did; you're a good chief," I insisted.
"I might have won the vote, but Jack's won everything else. He's taking everything away from me."
It was during that conversation when it finally dawned on me that this would never work. Jack and Ralph, that is. They couldn't remain in the same group; they wouldn't ever stop trying to best each other, and it could get much more extreme than arguments about keeping the fire lit and hunting. It seemed a toxic situation- two stubborn, tenacious leaders with completely different views and ideas, both unwilling to compromise or submit to anything.
"What do you mean?" I asked, slightly taken aback. Ralph had always seemed so confident, but the boy in front of me now was full of vulnerabilities and insecurities. What could he think Jack's taken from him? Yes, some boys, particularly the hunters, sided with him often, but Ralph was everyone's real leader.
"You know what's going on, you're not stupid Audrey. Everyone's forgetting about what's important, like the fire, and prioritising things like hunting instead and it's clearly due to Jack's influence. I'm not much of a chief, am I?" I couldn't help feeling accused at the part about hunting, but I ignored it and tried to reassure him.
"He hasn't taken anything away from you Ralph," I said softly, running my hand along his arm.
"What about you?" he whispered so quietly I almost couldn't hear him, and seemed to regret saying anything as soon as he'd uttered it.
"What about me?" I asked weakly.
He avoided eye contact, seeming to look everywhere but at me.
"You like him, don't you?" He asked, the colour flying to his cheeks. His jaw was clenched, but it seemed more from caution than anger.
"I suppose he's alright," I replied, attempting to play the question off. I didn't like questions like that, ones about feelings, ones that had no 'right' answer. Not when it was my feelings in question anyways; I never minded discussing other people's.
He didn't reply, and I knew I owed him a proper answer, so I racked my brain for a response. I did like Jack, but I also hated him. He could be the most exasperating person in the world, but there was something about him, and I knew that there was more to him- there had to be. I loved mysteries and Jack Merridew was certainly that. He could be lively and bossy, but he could also be dark and brooding. I'm not sure if he was ever truly happy, or if his liveliness was just a show he put on. He reminded me of Heathcliff; there was something so tragic about him, even if I didn't know what it was yet, and it drew me in- it all did.
But I also liked Ralph just as much, if not more. Of course he was kind, caring and everything Jack appeared not to be, but there was more to him too. He acted like a true leader, selflessly putting the group's needs above his own, but he had desires and faults just like everybody else. I always relaxed when I talked to him, and he could always make me laugh and when we were in the bathing pool… Well, at that moment when I was looking into his heavy, sorrowful eyes, I wished nothing more than to kiss him again, to make everything else disappear and to feel like I did that night.
I looked up at Ralph and noticed him staring at me intently. He had an expression which suggested he'd just had some sort of epiphany.
"We should probably get to the beach," he suggested, running his hand through his hair. "Before it gets too dark for a meeting."
"Yeah, I suppose we should," I agreed, both grateful and annoyed at the diversion.
His mouth was set in a deep frown as he rose to his feet, and it remained like that the whole walk back.
It was fairly dark by the time we made it back to the beach, but it was still light enough to make out everyone's faces. We must have talked for longer than I'd realised, as when we made it back, everybody else already seemed to be there. Ralph noticed this and immediately picked up the conch, blowing into it urgently. Everyone obediently flocked over to him, that is, apart from Jack, who stood on the outside of the meeting with his arms crossed in clear defiance. He looked displeased, so I made a point of standing beside him on the outside of the triangular meeting place to speak to him.
"I've called a meeting," Ralph began in his authoritative voice, "because things are breaking up. I don't know why, but they are. I've got a lot of things to say and we won't go to sleep until we've discussed everything."
Jack emitted a quiet scoff, but all else was silent as Ralph spoke, most staring at him in open admiration.
"He say anything to you on your little walk down?" Jack asked, elbowing me to gain my attention.
Ralph was talking about drinking water, but it was so dull that as hard as I tried, I was unable to pay attention to what he was saying.
"Nothing of significance," I replied without turning to face him, keeping my eyes on Ralph.
I could tell Jack was smirking. "What? Was he crying about that ship?" He let out a cruel laugh at his quip.
"Leave him alone, Jack. You're still just annoyed because he's the chief, not you," I snapped angrily, turning to glare at him.
He lost his temper at that and furiously grabbed my wrist, twisting it violently until I cried out in pain, alerting the others.
"What are you doing?" Ralph flushed with anger, sharply glaring at Jack and rapidly moving towards us. Jack's grip only tightened at the attention and when I looked into his eyes, all I saw was madness and fury.
Everyone was completely still except for Ralph, Jack and I as Ralph pulled Jack away. I stumbled backwards slightly, but managed to stay on my feet. Jack didn't. When Ralph pushed him, he fell to the ground with a clumsy stumble. After that, everything seemed to kick off at once, making me dizzy just watching the action. Roger jumped to his feet and ran towards Ralph with an odd glint of resentful determination in his eyes. He punched Ralph, but unsuccessfully, as Ralph was quickly able to overpower him.
Jack rose to his feet again and to seemingly everyone's surprise, pulled Roger away from Ralph, telling him something in a lowered voice that instantly calmed him.
Ralph was satisfied at the conclusion and retreated back to continue his speech, but my veins were still pumping with repressed anger. Without considering anything, I grabbed Jack's arm as roughly as I could and, using all of my energy, punched him in the jaw. He shouted out in shock, but didn't seem much hurt by it. Ralph turned around in surprise, trying to appear disappointed in me, but I could detect a small smile slyly playing on his lips.
I didn't get the response I had expected from Jack; he didn't hit me back, but he didn't apologise either. He just shook his head at me, giving me a particular look. I knew what he was trying to say; to let it go for now and he would explain later. I nodded, but moved to the inside of the triangle, beside Simon.
Ralph furrowed his eyebrows in thought, but quickly shook his head and continued speaking as if he'd never been interrupted.
"Next," he started, "you littluns need to stop going to the toilet wherever you want. A lot of you are going near where the fruit grows and that's dirty."
He stopped when a fit of laughter erupted from the crowd of littluns at the front, and a few of the less mature bigguns.
"I said that's dirty!" he shouted, running his hand through his hair in frustration. He took a deep breath before continuing, "look, if you're taken short..." There was more laughter. "If you're taken short, you pee along the beach by the rocks," he concluded in a raised voice.
He moved onto the next point quickly, leaving no room for debate. "The fire," he began, touching on the subject that we all knew was coming, yet all dreaded. We dreaded it like a child dreads being told off by their mother for something they know they were caught doing, but has been ignored until the dreaded moment. "Is of upmost importance. The fire means rescue, it means getting home and that makes it more important than anything else, even our lives. We don't have lives unless a ship comes- staying on this island forever isn't a life."
He was again interrupted by laughter, but this time it was from the hunters. However, when the littluns had excitedly laughed at what they had found a hilarious dirty joke, the hunters laughed guilty, nervous giggles. Instead of joining the hunters' giggling, I looked down at my shoes and nervously bit my lip as I had always done when I was being chastised by teachers for talking in class.
"We die before we let the fire go out!" Ralph shouted, making a dramatic statement to once again capture everyone's attention. The hunters were silent. "From now on, we'll only have one fire; the one on the mountain. If you want to cook food, you can walk up there. And another thing-"
"Too many things!" someone from the crowd shouted, riling up a crowd and inspiring more cries of the like.
I looked to Simon to see his reaction, but he was staring blankly in front of him, seemingly at nothing in particular. He seemed not even to blink.
"Simon," I said, shaking him gently in an attempt to rouse him. "Si, are you okay?"
He didn't reply, but I stopped shaking him when I heard the conch. I turned around again to see Ralph panting heavily with the conch in his hands.
"Things are breaking up," he stated for the third time that night. "We said we would talk and discuss things to fix them, but none of you are listening." His frustration was obvious to all of us, but no-one knew how to react, so most just shuffled around awkwardly, trying not to look directly at him. "People are getting frightened- I don't know why, but they are."
There were excited whispers, but Ralph swiftly continued. "But that's all nonsense. There's no beastie, or whatever it is you're claiming to have seen- that's littluns' talk. We've got to talk about the fear and settle it." He raised the conch, signalling that he was done speaking and in a matter of seconds, Jack stepped into the triangle and grabbed the conch.
"This meeting is a pile of nonsense. All this littlun talk and Ralph is entertaining it. It's a pile of nonsense," he stressed, waving the conch around wildly. "Getting frightened sometimes is fine- we all get scared sometimes, but we put up with it." I widened my eyes at his admission of getting frightened. "Ralph says that you cry out at night for your mothers- or for Audrey," he added with a scoff. "Like a bunch of babies. That's the problem. You have to toughen up and learn to deal with the fear just like the rest of us do."
I noticed Ralph staring at Jack open-mouthed with shock, but Jack confidently continued.
"The thing is- fear can't hurt you any more than a dream."
At that, there were more mutterings and frightened whispers, not only from the littluns, but everyone- even a few of the hunters.
"There are no monsters on this island- I know, I've been all over and seen everything. Haven't I?" Jack asked, turning to his hunters for support. They nodded in obedience and once again, I couldn't help pondering on what it would be like if he had been voted chief. "And anyway, even if there was a beast, I would hunt it and kill it. I am a hunter aren't I?" At that, everyone nodded- even Ralph. Everyone knew he was a hunter. "Not that you lot of sissies wouldn't deserve getting eaten by a beastie," he added with a snarl.
Most of the littluns shrieked in shock and shrunk back, trying to increase their distance from Jack. Piggy held his hand out for the conch, but Jack refused to hand it over. Ralph seemed about to step in, but I held my hand out for the conch and Jack complied.
"That's no way to handle things," I announced, addressing Jack. "But he and Ralph are right about the fear- there's no reason for it. We were happy at the beginning with no mention of beasts, so why do you feel the need to bring it up now? As Jack said, he's been all over the island, so if there was a beast he'd know and-"
I looked around with a sigh, realising that only about two people were actually listening to what I was saying.
"Give the conch back to Jack, girls don't need to talk. They don't understand things like this," Maurice sneered and was joined by murmurs of agreement. I flushed and felt the heat rising on my face, unsure of what to do to retain my composure. I stammered for words, but I was too disconcerted to say anything dignified.
"Shut your fucking mouth," Jack growled, standing threateningly over him. He seemed so in the mood for a fight that I was sure one would erupt, but Ralph finally spoke up.
"She's just as much right to speak as any of us and besides, she's much cleverer than you," he quipped with a charming smile, causing me to involuntarily smile back in response. I was grateful, but I still eagerly passed the conch along to Piggy, who had earlier been refused it.
"You littluns aren't being logical- of course there are no beasts. I know there isn't any fear," he paused. "Unless we get frightened by people."
There was an eruption of laughter at that, with nobody seemingly to grasp what Piggy had been getting at. I looked to Simon, who always understood everything, but he was still staring blankly in front of him, nervously rocking back and forth.
"Let's hear from the littlun who started all this beast talk," Piggy suggested. "Then we can settle this once and for all and tell him how silly he is."
A littlun stepped forward from the crowd with a sort of bold courage and confidently took the conch, cradling it in his arms just like Ralph always did.
Ralph took Piggy's place in questioning the littlun. "What's your name?"
"Phil," he replied and without waiting for further questions, he began relating his experience of fear. "I was dreaming last night, dreaming a bad dream. It was dark and I was alone- all by myself. I was fighting with those twisty snake things in the trees." He stopped, looking around, searching for sympathy which he soon found in the eyes of the other littluns.
"Then I woke up, and I was standing outside the shelter by myself in the dark- just like the night terror, but the twisty things weren't there. I was still frightened though- and I called for Ralph and Audrey, but no one heard me. Then I saw something huge and scary hiding in the trees. It was the beastie!" He stopped, once again looking around at the terrified faces of almost everyone.
"That was only a nightmare," Ralph reassured, his tone full of stern finality. "He was walking in his sleep," he concluded, leaving no room for debate. We all nodded in mutual agreement, all but Phil, who shook his head fervently.
"No, only the first part. The second part was real, I know it was. It felt real. There was a beastie moving in the trees, really there was sir," he desperately appealed to Ralph, his eyes pleading.
Ralph shook his head and I held my hand out for the conch. Phil handed it to me and scattered back to a group of his friends. "You must have been asleep, nobody was there. I doubt anybody would be out in the dark. Did any of you go out?" I asked, turning and looking around at the assembly. After what probably seemed like much longer than it truly was, Simon meekly stepped forward. Ralph stared at him in bewilderment and Jack snatched the conch from my hands.
"You! I know you're batty, but what were you doing out in the dark at night?" he asked, his face an expression of mocking wonderment. "I know you weren't sneaking around with a girl," he smirked, earning the laughter of his hunters.
Simon still had the faraway look in his eyes, but nobody else even seemed to notice. He shyly took the conch, almost dropping it at the exchange. "I was just…" he looked at something, then, with frightened, widened eyes, quickly lowered his gaze, causing his coarse hair to fall over his bright eyes. "Just going to a place I know," he finished shrinkingly.
"You're batty," Jack chuckled, shaking his head in mirth.
"That's enough," Ralph interrupted, once again taking the conch. He patiently waited for silence, then turned to Piggy. "Well Piggy?"
"There was another littlun," Piggy informed, pointing towards a small, mouseish boy who was sitting by himself, apart from the other littluns. After Piggy indicated towards him, the other littluns scooted further away from him, causing him to stand out clearly to everyone.
Ralph passed the conch to Piggy, indicating that he was free to interview the littlun.
"Alright," Piggy began. "What's your name?"
The boy was still sitting still, clutching his knees tightly in his hands, with his entire body curled up into a tiny ball, as if hiding from the rest of the assembly. As I looked to everyone's impatient, eager eyes, I could understand why. The boy was silent and only flinched further away, his eyes nervously darting around.
"What's your name?" Ralph asked with sharp annoyance.
The child was again silent. The only one who seemed to look at him with pity was Simon, who was at last looking at something other than blankness.
I was losing my patience and was getting hopelessly bored at the meeting which, as all other meetings, was going nowhere. I made my way over to Jack, who was standing beside Roger in an animated but hushed conversation. They were both silent when I approached.
"What's the littlun's problem?" I asked with a scoff in a feeble attempt to ease the tension. Roger glanced at me cautiously, but was silent. Jack stepped closer to me and spoke in a lowered voice, presumably so Roger wouldn't hear.
"Is your wrist okay?" he questioned concernedly, swiftly turning his gaze to the wrist he had grabbed. I quickly nodded, wanting to move on to a topic of more importance before I would have to once again pay attention to Ralph. The assembly had begun to chant "What's your name?" to the littlun, who was then shaking with fear.
"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings about being chief…" I murmured, attempting to make him explain his actions.
"S'fine," he muttered in indifference, glancing around almost nervously. I narrowed my eyes in confusion, silently pleading for him to elaborate. "I gotta talk to you later. Right after this meeting okay?" He had stopped looking around and was then looking right at me, communicating without words. I nodded and turned back to Ralph after noticing Roger's eyes on us.
"What about the beast?" Jack asked suddenly, addressing the littlun. He didn't have the conch, so was breaking the rules. However, nobody seemed to mind, not even Ralph. Jack grabbed the littlun's shoulders and shook him roughly. "Where does it live?"
The unfortunate littlun was drooping in Jack's tight grip, but still wouldn't speak. When I was speaking to Jack, I could faintly hear the littlun speaking, but I was unaware of what had been said. I later discovered that the littlun was called Percival, and all he had seemed able to do was cry and recite his full name and address.
Percival finally answered, but spoke so softly that nobody was able to hear what he'd said. Ralph quirked an eyebrow inquiringly. "What'd he say?"
Jack leant closer to the littlun and made him repeat his answer. "He says it comes out from the sea."
Everyone began muttering anxiously, until Maurice announced that his father had told him that all of the animals in the sea hadn't been found yet. The statement was followed by a short silence, which was soon interrupted by further arguments.
Simon took the conch and murmured something quietly, but was ignored or unnoticed by all, who were too concerned with making their point of views heard. "Maybe…" he began, "Maybe… Maybe there is a beast," he suggested falteringly.
I couldn't help the feeling of shock which suddenly overcame me. Surely Simon didn't believe in beasts?
Apparently Ralph shared my opinion, as he abruptly stood up in stupefaction. "Not you Simon. You believe there's a beast?"
Simon crimsoned in shame and I noticed his hands anxiously shaking in apprehension. "No- not like that… like… I mean-"
There were more cries of impatience, urging Ralph to shut him up and give the conch to someone else, but Ralph silenced them.
"Quiet! Simon's got the conch, so listen to him!" he ordered with his signature tone in meetings of stern authority.
"Perhaps- Maybe… Maybe it's just us."
Piggy stood in shock, similar to how Ralph had done but with much less composure. "Poppycock!"
Simon continued, clearly struggling to find the right words to express his point. "What I mean is that… We could be…"
"Maybe he means it's some sort of ghost," I blurted out. I'd read books about ghosts and presumed that Simon had too. Perhaps he was talking about the boy with the mulberry birthmark?
"She doesn't have the conch!" Maurice shouted, sneering over at me.
"Neither do you, and as if you care about the rules, you-"
Piggy took the conch and gave me a reproachful look as he spoke. "I don't believe in ghosts, I think that's nonsense- more littlun talk."
Jack rose angrily. "Who cares what you believe fatty?" he sneered.
"I got the conch!" Piggy retaliated indignantly.
Piggy's plea for reason had no effect on Jack except increasing his anger. Jack jumped towards him and snatched the conch from his grip. Unwilling to surrender, Piggy snatched it right back. Evidently, Jack was displeased at the threat to his power, and began ruthlessly wrestling Piggy for the conch. There were sounds of grunting and scratching as the conch was moved to and fro.
"Stop! You'll break it!" Piggy cried in horror.
"Shut up fatty!"
I hate to admit it, but there was a very large part of me that was enjoying watching Piggy struggling so much- largely due to the fact that he'd just called what I'd said nonsense. I didn't speak nonsense.
They were still wrestling over the conch when Ralph pushed between them and managed to grab the conch from them, getting a punch on the chest in the process. He sat back down on his log breathlessly.
"There's too much talk about ghosts, we're not being reasonable. We should have left this for daylight." He brushed his hair back from his face and opened his mouth to continue, but was interrupted by an anonymous voice.
"Perhaps that's what the beast is- a ghost."
There was an eerie silence until Ralph heatedly spoke again. "There's too much talking out of turn. We can't have a proper assembly if you don't stick to rules." I reddened at that, knowing I was just as guilty as the last voice that had spoken up. The only difference was that I was the only girl, so my voice would be recognised by everyone. "I admit, I was wrong to have the assembly so late," he sighed. "But that's no excuse, you still can't break the rules. Anyway, we'll have a vote- about ghosts. Then we can all go back to the huts, because we're all tired, so the sooner this is over, the sooner we can rest. I don't believe in ghosts," he stated, meeting my eyes before quickly looking away. "But I don't like the thought of them, not in the dark."
Jack scoffed, causing Ralph to flush scarlet.
"Right, that's what this is: a vote. Who thinks there may be ghosts?"
There was a long silence, everyone seeming hesitant to act. Then, gradually, people began raising their hands. It was mostly littluns, but there was also a significant amount of bigguns with raised hands. I raised mine, and noticed Jack doing the same. I wasn't completely sure if I believed in ghosts, but there were moments when I swore that I did, and I didn't see why they couldn't be real. It was much more interesting if they were. Ralph squinted to make out the hands and grimaced, I noticed his frown was particularly deep when he noticed me and Jack's hands.
"I see."
"I didn't vote for any ghosts!" Piggy shrieked in his usual shrill voice, after taking the conch from Ralph.
"You shut up!" Jack growled over at him.
There was another struggle over the conch, worrying even Ralph at the possibility of the sacred item being shattered. He jumped to his feet, but I interfered before he could get involved again.
"Stop it!" I shouted, pulling at Jack's arm. If he hurts me this time, I'm not talking to him after. That will be it. If he stops, then I'll do what he wants in turn.
"He has the conch Jack, just let him speak. Then we can go back to the shelters," I beseeched. Jack's grip loosened and his face relaxed.
"Jack! Jack! He has the conch!" Ralph clamoured, clearly unaware that Jack was already calming. At Ralph's interference, Jack's face once again contorted with the same fury and his grip completely loosened, letting go of the conch, causing Piggy to fall backwards and land clumsily on the grass beneath him.
Jack stepped in front of Ralph, standing over him in a way to exaggerate that he was slightly taller. "You shut up too! You stand around bossing us around, telling us what to do! You can't do anything but talk!" he quickly looked to Roger, then back to Ralph with the same intense loathing.
"I'm chief. I was chosen," Ralph replied coolly.
"Only because you're pretty," Jack countered maliciously, clearly repeating words he'd said before, presumably to Roger. "Why should choosing make a difference anyway? It's not fair! I'm the better chief- we ought to have had a competition and I could have proved that!"
"Piggy's got the conch," Ralph replied simply, not reacting to any of the treason Jack had spat.
"The conch! Who cares about the fucking conch?" Jack protested. "I'll speak when I want, not when you tell me too!"
"You're breaking the rules!" Ralph exclaimed, rapidly losing his composure.
"Who cares? Damn the rules."
"The rules are all we've got."
They were both shouting against each other. Jack was riling up a crowd, convincing them that they would be better off without rules. "We're strong!" he argued. "Who cares if there's a beast or if there isn't? If there is, then me and my hunters will kill it and make a feast of it! We can survive better without Ralph's stupid rules!" He charged away from the triangle with everyone following him but Ralph, Piggy and Simon.
I ran along after Jack's crowd, hoping to get Jack alone to talk to him, but it seemed to completely slip from his mind and he was clearly occupied, so I walked back towards Ralph. I was walking behind them, coming from behind the trees so none of them noticed me approaching.
"You can't give up being chief, what would happen to all of us?" Piggy asked nervously, fiddling with his fingers. "What happened to not giving up without a fight?"
"Look, they all run after him. All of them."
"Everything would fall apart if you stopped being chief."
"C'mon Ralph, keep up being chief."
"What's the point if nobody else wants me to be? They only listen to Jack, they don't want to discuss things- all they want is to run around and act like savages."
"Not everyone," I opposed, stepping forwards and sitting opposite Ralph, beside Simon.
"Where'd you come from?" Piggy asked suspiciously. He was visibly annoyed at my presence, no doubt because I'd monetarily run off from the assembly. I decided not to dignify that with a response, and instead continued an appeal to Ralph.
"They're right- you can't stop being chief. The whole group would become a mess without you," I assured with a pensive smile. "I know we run off at times, but that's not all we want to do. Everyone just needs to understand that what you're doing is important- they will eventually."
"But when?" Ralph sighed disheartenedly.
"I didn't mean ghosts," Simon murmured.
"What?" Piggy asked shrilly, looking accusingly over at the boy.
"About the beast being us- I wasn't talking about ghosts."
"What were you talking about then?" Ralph and I inquired simultaneously.
Piggy, clearly disinterested, interrupted. "He hates you, you know- Jack."
"He hates me?" Ralph asked confusedly, his eyes widened in disbelief. "Why?"
"I don't know, I think he's jealous," Piggy stated, pushing up his glasses.
Simon seemed crestfallen at the interruption and had shrunken further into himself, once again staring forwards blankly. My dislike towards Piggy only increased due to that.
"Jack Merridew, jealous of me?" Ralph scoffed. "He has everything- look at them," he gestured towards the still euphoric crowd.
"Not everything- You're chief," I countered with a small smirk.
"Not just that…" Piggy muttered, looking up to Ralph.
"What then?" Ralph asked incredulously.
"Well…" Piggy stammered awkwardly, until, with a sigh, he leant closer to Ralph and whispered something to him. Ralph shook his head with narrowed eyes, but Piggy persisted and continued to whisper until Ralph shrugged, admitting neither belief nor disbelief.
I looked to Simon, urging him to question them, but he was unresponsive, so I spoke up on my own.
"What is it?"
They both flushed. "Doesn't matter," Ralph murmured embarrassedly.
"So Jack's chief now?" Simon asked abruptly, still not looking at any of us.
"No!" Ralph quickly protested, his face contorting in anger. "No…" he repeated, regaining his composure.
We all looked to him questioningly.
"I won't give up being chief, and I'm going to settle things with Jack tomorrow- once and for all."
