Disclaimer: on first chapter

Author's Note: So I am a horrible human being for not updating in what really has been forever. I refuse to slack from now on (sound familiar?). This will be a pretty long chapter anyway, because it has been sitting finished, in a notebook, in my closet, for a few months. Heh, heh. (Feel free to shoot me now.)

Anyway, I hope everyone's holiday is going well. And a side note: Phantom Planet's new album is coming out on the SIXTH- YOU SHOULD BUY IT!!! You can even order it in advance on the internet like I did (because I am lazy and without a car). But… is anyone else still sad about Jason leaving the band? I miss the Schwartz Man.

(The Shins also have a newly released CD. They are awesome. Buy it. Buy It. Buy it now.)

And… Thank you for all of you who have reviewed so far!!!

That is all. I ask that you keep reading, and review if you like it.

------3jacki

(TRANSLATION: o mAh GwAd!!111!1!!1one *LeIk* iT iZz ~SoOoOo~ keWL tHa U r ReAdIn ThIzz!!111 **PLeEeEeEzzz* reVeEw!! MwAh **KiZz** ~J@cK!~)

The Island Diaries

Chapter 5: Escape From the Camp of the Ape

(damn, it won't indent… arrrghglkg093tnkjc703...)

Mia's Diary--

June 17, 2002- I don't know the time, but it's probably after midnight.

I have to get out of this place. As I write, I am ready to venture into the woods, making a quick stop at the waterfall to fill my canteen (of course), to find those people that must have been deserted on this island before us. Even if they're dead, I could still take whatever supplies they left at their camp and come back to our small beach… uh… thing, which now consists of a plane wreckage and a huge tent outside that everyone sleeps under- Lars made it out of a uselessly damaged safety raft that Michael found on the rocky end of the beach (further proof of people besides us being stranded on this island).

Why else am I going? Well, Lily is nowhere to be found. After the argument yesterday, she must have simply wandered off into the forest or whatnot. Of course I'm going to look for her. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?

Michael is another story. He can probably fend for himself though; he's strong- duh! Look at him without a shirt on! Oh, and then he used to play hockey too, but quit because he doesn't believe in team sports. He's so… OhmyGod! What am I trying to do? I have to go. I have to leave. My bag (sadly, you may notice that there is no "s" on this because of most of my stuff being in the ocean right about now, or in a whale's stomach or something) is already packed. I have a flashlight, a canteen, my jacket, some oranges, and this journal- of course! I am so ready to go.

Last of my concerns is Lars, who is undoubtedly up to something. I just hope he doesn't do anything to Michael. They used to be friends, right? Oh man, I'm worried.

Hmm… I should probably see if I can find where Lars is keeping that map. It might help me out.

_________________________________________________________

Mia cautiously put her diary in her bag and got up to search the plane wreckage for the map, as not to accidentally wake anyone up. After an hour of scouring the plane (or so it seemed), she uncovered the map from the bottom of Lars's pile of dirty socks and boxers.

Eew! This is disgusting! Mia screamed inside her head as she carefully pulled the map out of the dirty laundry. Gross-Gross-Gross-Gross-Gross-GROSS! She tiptoed back to her bag, carrying the map at arm's length by her thumb and forefinger.

After having stuffed the map in her bag- no time to study it now- she stopped to look at Michael, who was sleeping peacefully at the moment. Mia couldn't help but notice how absolutely gorgeous he looked. She bent down beside him, gazing at his eyelids that seemed so permanently closed, yet awake with every deep, even breath of air that came through his nose. She decided to take a chance and… acting on impulse alone, leaned her face in to kiss Michael while he slept. His lips were limp and asleep, yet when she pushed off the ground to get back up, she saw him move onto his side closest to her and whisper ever so softly in his sleep, "Mm… Mia…" That would have been enough for her to melt, but then he rolled onto his stomach and whispered, almost silently, again in his sleep, "I love you…" That was too much, simply too much for her to process when she decided, then, that he had to come along with her. He was, after all, him.

"Michael!" she whispered insistently into his ear. "Please tell me you can hear me!" Michael's lids squinted and he blinked twice, finally focusing on Mia's face, only inches away.

"Mia?" he said, rather surprised.

"No! Shh!!…" Mia whispered, quickly pressing her index finger against his mouth. "You have to be quiet!" she commanded him.

"Sorry," Michael whispered back. He looked around, only to see darkness and Lars snoring on the other side of the makeshift tent. "What's going on here, Mia?" He carefully pushed himself up by his elbows to sit up.

"I-I'm…" Mia started, unsure how to inform him. "Running away." Michael's eyebrows furrowed, he looked concerned and confused. When he began to say something, Mia's fingers stopped his lips.

"I have to find Lily. I have to find those people that might be here…" Michael tried to speak once more, but she stopped him again. "…And I have the map." she whispered, pointing to her bag behind her.

"You can't- why? - Don't go!" Michael finally spoke, his whispers coming out in a confusing jumble of emotions. Mia smiled softly at him.

"And you have to come with me, Michael." She stared deep in his eyes. "I need your help."

"But-" Michael started, only to be stopped by the force of Mia's lips to his, which he welcomed. He tried to deepen the kiss, but she pulled away quickly. She did this not in defense, but to save time that would otherwise be wasted on, uh… frivolously making out.

"I need you," she whispered finally with a seductive grin.

"I- I'll, uh… pack." Michael stuttered. His cheeks were a bright pink color and he had a strangely permanent grin on his face. Luckily, all this was unnoticeable to Mia, who had already gotten up to check her bag one last time to see if she'd forgotten anything.

____________________________________________________________

"Where are we going again?" Michael asked Mia for the third time in a half an hours, sounding a bit whiny. She had been trying to find a resemblance between Lars's map and what little imprint of a trail that was in the forest.

"Michael," she sighed, sitting down on a fallen tree. "Why did I do this?" Mia flung her arms to the sky, as if offering the question to be answered by a higher power. "I'm so stupid for everything…" She wasn't crying this time. She was sick of Michael having to see her with snot on her face.

"Well, okay, Mia," Michael sat beside her on the bench, his arm around her shoulder. "So the way you went about solving the problem might have been wrong…"

"This isn't Algebra, Michael," she stated mordantly. "We're lost in the woods with barely any food and now you're comparing our situation to mathematics." Mia shook her head and let out a breath. "This is just great."

"Mia…" he struggled inside, about to say something, but finally suppressed it and chose other words. "Let's just take a rest somewhere and figure out where we are, okay?" He looked at her apathetic expression. "Is that unAlgebraic enough for you?"

"Sure," she replied lazily. "I'm exhausted from being up half the night anyway…" Mia closed her eyes for a few moments- they were getting red inside now, it was getting sunny. Daylight. Daytime. "…And most of the morning."

The pair got up to find a place where Lars was sure never to find them. After much deliberation over the supposed psychological functions of Lars's brain and where he was most likely to search Michael decided that it might be best for them to climb up a tree.

"A tree?" Mia stared at him, and then at the huge leafy, trunky abomination he stood beside.

"Well yeah, why not? If you were Lars, would you be expecting a couple of teenagers to climb up a tree?"

"Michael, if I were Lars, I would be back at camp, cleaning out the rest of our food supplies and waiting complacently to die on this horrible island." Mia crossed her arms and leaned against a tree.

"Mia- watch out!" Michael's face went blank as he watched a snake slither towards Mia's legs. "Don't speak, don't breathe…" he whispered as she looked down and saw it too. Mia nodded in correspondence to Michael's commands. "Just carefully tiptoe to me, or leap over it. I don't care what you do, just…"

"Oh God, Michael. It's coming right at me!" she breathed, as the snake struck her leg swiftly and slithered off as if it had settled whatever score it had set out to put away.

Michael's eyes grew wide and he rushed over to her side, as she was now sunk on the ground, still against the tree, clutching her bitten leg.

"Oww…" Mia's whine turned into a sob. "Oh Michael, I'm so sorry for acting like I did earlier. I deserve the snakebite."

"Mia! Stop it! No one deserves a snakebite. Not even my sister." A smile warmed both of their faces, but Michael soon turned serious. "I'm going to get you help, Mia. Okay?" Mia looked up at him, nodding. "Lars can help us, even if he is up to something, but shit… I can't find my way back to camp!" Michael turned furiously to look in all directions, but saw nothing familiar anywhere.

A/N: How wicked of me, no? I'll write the next part of it tonight, so that will hopefully be posted tomorrow. I actually have a pretty unique idea for where this story is going, so keep reading!

I like to italicize,

jacki