I knew he was there, Sarah didn't notice, or perhaps she didn't want to. We had gotten back to the regular sleeping area, near the huts littluns were just falling asleep, and Ralph was talking with Piggy. I saw Jack run out from the creepers saying something about hunting, but I didn't believe it.

"She gets her own hut?" Jack looked skeptically at Ralph.

"She has too...she made it, and she can't sleep with us!" Jack rolled his eyes and walked off near his hunters. Sarah stood by me, looking at her dirt covered fingers. Ralph led her to her hut and said something softly to her. That's when I noticed Jack, his face wasn't cold and glaring, it was soft and he couldn't bring his eyes away from her. I sat down in the sand, the night sky making a blanket over the sun, and closed my eyes.

I awoke later that night to hear voices coming from somewhere. I dug my hands around and tried to come to. My eyes adjusted to the dark and I could make out two bodies next to each other. I heard soft murmurs, and realized Jack was there, and Sarah. I tried to stop my breathing, as if they could hear my heart thumping and my head throbbing.

"I'm sorry I was...mean." and I recognized Jack's voice right away.

"It's fine." I heard Sarah shuffle, and I felt the uneasy silence.

"So, what were you doing in the woods with Simon?" Jack tried to be as comforting as he could, but he knew she had kissed me, and there was a tone in his voice that was barely audible to the naked ear...yet I knew he was jealous.

"He was showing me around." she was nervous, I could tell. I saw a shadow run a hand through shadowy silk hair and I knew it was Sarah I was seeing.

"Do you love Simon?," I heard Sarah exhale slowly and after a pause Jack spoke, "I saw what happened in the woods."

"How dare you spy on us! Your sick!" Sarah moved and Jack's arm reached out for her shoulder.

"Don't...Sarah....I thought being stranded on this island would be perfect. No teachers, no rules, no anything. And then we found you, you were so pure. So unlike anything else on this island. You were something to want, something to live for!" he liked her, I knew it, he liked my Sarah. I pulled my knees up to my chin and tried to keep the tears from edging out. I never got my way, someone had to beat my down one way or another.

"Jack..." but he shushed her up, I could see his finger reach out to her lips to quiet her, and how he brought his head closer. This time tears burst out, and I ran into the woods. I heard their voices behind me as I whipped myself through leaves and vines. I didn't care, who cares what they thought of me. No one cared, and that was the thing.

"Simon!" the shout came from Sarah and she pinned me to the ground.

"Simon don't do this!"

"Leave me alone, you don't love me!" I heard Jack's footsteps and felt his heavy frown.

"Simon..."

"Come on, let's go, he's not going to say anything." Jack turned around to walk away but I sprang up onto my feet.

"Is that what you think Jack? That Simon won't ever fight for himself? That all I'll ever be is weird old Simon? Well your wrong!" then my hands flew to his chest and he pummeled to the ground of the jungle. I pulled back in amazement of my own actions.

"You little creep!" Sarah tried to dissuade him but reached around to find some sort of a weapon, all he could come up with was a torn off vine branch he had stole in a hurry.

"Jack! Stop!" Sarah cried out in anguish.

"Sarah's mine!" and with that Jack lashed out and whipped me hard on my bare chest. I cringed and my hand went straight to the wounded area. He raised his arm to strike again but Sarah grabbed it from him, and Jack's face softened.

"What are you doing?" and then she looked at us both, as if we were to blame, "What are you doing? Fighting over me, that's stupid. I like both!" but liking us both wasn't good enough, she had to like one more.

"Sarah, you can't love us both." there was pain in Jack's face, for once he almost looked defeated, but I knew it wouldn't last. Then he turned my way, a sadistic expression stuck onto his face like a twisted mask.

"I challenge you to a competition. Tomorrow, at dawn, whoever catches the first pig wins Sarah." that gave Jack an advantage, since he had been here he had advanced as a hunter tremendously.

"I'm not a prize to be won!"

"No Sarah, it's the only way, I want to do this." I raised my head as I said this to stare her in the eye, the point spoken directly.

"Well, someone has high spirits. Better make sure not to be too proud of yourself, you may not win!" he said 'may' in a mocking manner, as if he knew for a fact I would never win. What did Sarah see in him? Something I obviously did not. Maybe he only revealed his true side to those he thought it necessary, but seeing Jack love somebody is hard to imagine.

Sarah shook her head and headed back, Jack was eager to tell Ralph the news, even if it involved waking up a certain number of people in this task.

Dawn was approaching, and biguns and littluns alike were lined up with excitement. Sarah was near some littluns, they saw her as their only motherly figure, and clung to her for any protection.

"If I was in the game Sarah I would wanna win you!" Sarah smirked and ran a hand through their hair, but she looked unhappy.

Piggy had sharpened a stick for me, and he placed it in my hands gently.

"That point is very sharp, ya better make sure ya don't hurt yerself...could do some real damage. I sharpened it with Ralph's real good blade!" I smiled and thanked him, Piggy was very proud of his sharpening skills.

Jack stood with his hunters, leaning against a tree and yawning like he already knew his outcome.

"Sure your read for this, Simon?" Jack called to me and grinned toothily.

"Yes." I stared at him grimly, this was my one chance to beat Jack, and I had to do it.

The sun had just showed herself above the waterline and Ralph blew into the conch. I was off, running nervously through the climbers and creepers, muttering anxiously to myself.

"Beat Jack, beat Jack, beat Jack, beat Jack..." was the mantra that kept replaying over and over in my head like an old broken record. I saw a painted figure speed past a tree and heard a rich laughter.

"Better run faster than that!" shouted Jack, far ahead of me. I was so stupid, how could I ever kill a pig? What had I gotten myself into?

From behind I felt cold hand push me to the ground. I stared up to see Jack, left foot leaning on my stomach.

"I'm going to make sure you don't win." he glared at me, a sneer enveloping his face. He raised his wooden spear, and I glanced at mine that lay covered by leaves.

He was just about to bring the spear down when he called out loudly, almost like an Indian war cry, and then he ran away. He had only meant to scare me, but would he get me next time? I couldn't be sure. I had to find a pig and make my way back...now or never. I knew next time I came face to face with Jack I would never make it out alive.