Chapter 11: Paint Fight

((HOLY HELL! This chapter has been a pain in the ass to write. Mainly because I kept on losing the paper that it was written on. But anyway. That's besides the point. I had mentioned in the first chapter that this was inspired by my English teacher, Ms. Goldman-Longo. Well, she was just a sub covering for my real English teacher, Ms. Carpalano, while she was on maternity leave. Ms. GL is long gone, but was subbing my Criminal Justice class last week and got to read the rest of my story. I miss her very much. But right now...I very much dislike Ms. Carpalano. She is boring, and is making us do a research paper within like, a week. My rough draft is due next Monday, and I'm frightened because I don't know how to do the research paper how she wants it done. But I'm straying away from the topic. Anyway, enjoy!))

AL'S POV

I knew if they found out I was actually a girl, that they would treat me different than when they thought I was a boy. No one treats me the same since Jack left the group and revealed my true gender. The only person who treats me the same is Simon. He doesn't care about my gender. He's friends with me for my personality, not my gender. But the sad part is, Ralph has been treating me different as well. He doesn't talk to me the same, and he's been giving me fire watch most of the time. It's sad because he's my best friend. I feel like he and I are drifting apart.

I spend most of my time in my secret grotto nowadays. Half of the time, I'm painting the wall. The other half of the time, I'm either swimming, or hanging out with Simon. He comes to see me and he helps me paint. He hasn't given away my hiding place. So all in all, I've been safe.

Until Jack found out where I was. Then, there was trouble.

I was painting the wall as usual. Jack meanwhile, was up above me, high on the cliff. He was wandering around when he must have heard me talking to Simon.

"Can you go tell Ralph I'll be around soon for my turn for fire watch?" I asked him. He nodded and started to walk down to the beach. Jack crept quietly down one of the walls, grasping his spear in his hand. He thought I noticed him, so he froze. But I just continued painting. Then, I screamed as a spear slammed down an inch away from the side of my face. I slowly turned around. There was Jack, holding the spear that almost took my ear clean off.

His face was covered in, what seemed to be paint. But when I got a better look, I saw that his markings were dried blood and dirt. I scanned the rest of his body and saw that he didn't even have shorts on anymore. His underwear was ripped so that it was more of a loincloth than anything. It made me blush because it barely covered his crotch.

He had a very hungry look in his eyes as he looked at me. His eyes scanned my body and then met my own.

"Jack, what do you want?" I asked him, not moving. He lowered his spear and smirked at me.

"Isn't it obvious Al? What do most teenage boys want and think about on a daily basis?" he asked me.

Yes, I knew exactly what he wanted. He was practically begging for it. It was actually kind of cute to see him so desperate. I smirked at him and crossed my arms, the slight fear I experienced going away.

"I know exactly what you want Jack. But that doesn't mean you're gonna get any" I told him. He was going to say something to me, but then his eyes drifted towards the artwork I had painted on the walls.

"Did you paint this?" he asked, his eyes wandering along the patterns on the wall. He looked very interested in my work. Proud that someone acknowledged my hard work, I smiled and looked at it with him.

"Yes, this is what I've been doing up here. Simon's been helping me with painting it" I informed him. I looked Jack over. Something about how he looked enticed me more and more.

"You know, you kinda look like artwork too. I mean, with the designs on your face" I began. Then, playfully, I dipped my fingers in my homemade paint. "You just need some more colors on yourself" I continued, smearing it all along his chest. He looked at me and laughed lightly, before placing his hand in the paint and smearing it along my cheeks, coloring my face. It went back and forth like that for a minute or so before we somehow got into a paint fight. Paint went flying everywhere and soon, we were like a rainbow of different makeshift colors. Then, I did something I thought I never would do.

When Jack was closer to me, I pressed my hand to the back of his neck. Then, I pulled him into a kiss. It was just as I expected it to be; long, deep, and oh so sweet. His lips tasted like the different fruits on the trees. So there was no doubt he hadn't cooked the pig yet.

After a while, we both pulled away. You couldn't tell with all the paint on my face, but I was blushing bright red. Clearing my throat, I looked at Jack.

"I think we need to go for a swim" I told him.