"Brought you a present."
"Another one? What's the occasion?" Ellie was sat on the beach just away from the main camp. She was reading, shaded from the sun by a tree. When she looked up at Sawyer he could see his face in the reflection of her glasses.
"Treasure hunt. But it's not treasure when it's got your name on it." Ellie raised an eyebrow but said nothing. In her six weeks on the island she had learnt that the best way to get along with Sawyer was to just play along with everything he did. He grinned mischievously and sat down next to her; hiding whatever it was he had brought her behind his back and leaning over her shoulder to see what she was reading.
"What happened to the French?" he asked, realising that unlike the book she had been reading a few weeks ago, he could read this one.
"Finished it?" Ellie replied, her tone ringing 'Duh'. "Jack brought me a few from the Hatch when he realised how bored I was."
"You, bored? Never." Sawyer gasped sarcastically. "There I was thinking you found it fun bugging me every damn day." He joked. Ellie's reply was a swift smack on the shoulder with her book; though she kept her page using her thumb. With her other hand she tried to sneak behind his back and grab whatever it was he had found of hers. She wasn't quick enough though and he whipped it away before she got a chance to get it.
"Nice try. So watcha readin' Driftwood?" He asked, rubbing his smarting shoulder. For a skinny girl Ellie couldn't half whack a punch.
"Vanity Fair." Ellie answered, showing him the dust jacket. "I've read it before but it's pretty good. Jack knows how to pick a book." she finished teasingly. One of her favourite things to do was tease Sawyer about Jack, and Jack about Sawyer. But unlike when anybody else did it, both Sawyer and Jack seemed to find it hilarious.
"I'm sure he does." Sawyer smirked. "So...we still on for later?" Ellie's face dropped. "What?"
"I...I kind of made other plans. I'm sorry. We can go tomorrow, right?" She stammered quietly.
"What other plans?" he asked, trying to keep a straight face. Ellie blushed,
"I have...well...I have a date." Sawyer laughed and for a moment Ellie looked outraged. "What's so funny?" she demanded.
"I already knew you had 'other plans!'" Sawyer grinned, making airquotes with his fingers. "And who exactly is this date with?" he asked laughingly.
"You already know so don't try and be cute." Ellie huffed.
"Oh come on Driftwood I'm only havin' fun." he wheedled. "And I don't know who - all Freckles told me was you had a date tonight and you were getting all nervous and teenage-y on her."
"Go have fun somewhere else." Ellie answered, but she was smiling.
"I would, but my date went and got herself another date, little player that she is." Ellie gasped in mock shock and held her hands up in fake horror,
"Oh how terrible, I actually have a life!" she laughed. "Don't ruin this, I'm actually looking forward to it. I like Noah."
"Noah?"
"Noah Roberts. Tall, dark hair, great sense of humour plus totally gorgeous? He and his friend Kyle have tents on the other side of camp. What's the big deal?" Ellie laughed when she saw Sawyer's face,
"He's too old for you." Sawyer fumed,
"5 years."
"Way too old for you." Sawyer repeated.
"Only five years." Ellie reiterated. "It's not a problem."
We'll see about that." Sawyer muttered, getting to his feet and walking purposefully towards the main camp. He was heading for Jack's tent, since he knew that was where Kate was most likely to be found.
"You didn't give me my present!" Ellie called after him. When he didn't turn around she scrambled to her feet and headed after him.
Ellie finally caught up with Sawyer at Claire's tent, after chasing him from Jack's tent to hers and Kates and back again. Kate and Claire were sat talking, Aaron was lying between them on the sand, wrapped in a blanket. Ellie smiled apologetically at Claire as Sawyer began ranting at Kate.
"She's dating Noah Roberts?" he almost yelled,
"She's going on a date...not dating. There's a difference." Kate replied, cottoning onto what he was talking about when she saw Ellie practically stamp her foot in frustration.
"Whatever. You're letting her go on a date with a guy five years older than she is?"
"If she wants to. It's her life." Kate raised her voice to match Sawyer's. Ellie, who had been watching the short exchange with growing impatience suddenly interrupted with a loud -
"HEY!" Sawyer and Kate both stared at her. Claire smiled; her focus had been on Ellie throughout the whole conversation. "First of all, I have a name. I am not 'her', nor am I 'she'. Second of all, Kate's right Sawyer, it is my life and I want to go on a date with Noah. It's not like age means the same here as it did back home. Five years older than me is nothing."
"Who's five years older than you?" Jack asked, approaching the group. Charlie was with him, trying with great difficulty to hold four coconuts in his arms. Ellie reached out and took two from him, while casually answering;
"Noah." Jack shot a blank look towards Kate, noting Sawyer's angry huffing.
"Ellie and he are going on a date." Claire elaborated helpfully.
"Over my dead body." Jack immediately replied. Ellie jumped at the sharpness of his voice. Kate looked shocked, and slightly annoyed, Sawyer looked shocked and quite pleased while Charlie and Claire sat in the middle of it all; highly amused.
"Excuse me?" Ellie said incredulously. "If I'm not mistaken this is a free island. Sort of." She added as an afterthought. "And I'm free to make my own decisions, thank you very much, and MY decision is to go on a date with Noah. One date. Dinner, the same dinner as I usually eat with one of you guys except tonight I'm going to be eating with Noah. And I will talk to Noah, and I will laugh with Noah and I will have fun with Noah, and I may even may even make out with Noah but it's not illegal. I'm 17. I want to have fun, and I want to have fun with him. So there." Charlie applauded when Ellie had finished speaking, and she blushed beet red. Both Jack and Sawyer shot him irritated looks while Kate tried to hide her smirk.
Secretly she was glad when Noah had asked her out when they were both filling their bottles of water, and evem more so when Ellie had accepted the offer. It wasn't that Kate didn't want to spend time with Ellie; she loved it in fact, but after almost six weeks on the island, Ellie still hadn't gotten to know many of the other survivors. And it had been quite funny to see the teenager actually acting like a teenager; fussing over what to wear and whether or not to put her hair up. It wasn't fair of Jack and Sawyer to spoil it all for her.
"She's right. No-one's saying they're gonna get married and have a dozen kids. It's a date. It's normal. It's fun. Chill out." Ellie smiled at Kate's defense.
"He's still too old." Jack protested, as Sawyer stood with his arms crossed, fuming. Kate didn't know what else to say to him, and she didn't need to. Ellie ended the whole conversation in spectacular style; first by standing on tiptoe and whispering into Jack's ear; whatever she said made him laugh out loud, before she hurtled off down the beach to where Noah had made his tent. As she bounded up to him it was clear to all those watching that he liked her; his face lit up. Especially when she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Sawyer was outraged and stormed off into the jungle, kicking a palm tree trunk as he went and muttering angrily under his breath; "Taking advantage. Lousy scumbag. Stupid kid." Kate looked at Jack, laughing.
"What did she say to you?" Since their kiss by the fire nothing had happened; much to Ellie's secret annoyance and the growing frustrations of Kate and Jack themselves. Neither of them wanted to be the first to bring it up. Jack smiled at her -
"Nothing."
So...After the longest lack of an update...Chapter 13!! I wasn't sure if I was going to do another chapter, but thanks to a reviewer I got an idea as to how the story could continue. And I'm glad cos I really enjoy this. Hope you like the chapter, will try to update as quickly as possible. Thanks for reading, and if you review I shall be grateful. Sarah