Chapter 7
The next day dawn bright and early. Wanting to enjoy the outdoors before the storm hit, Re-Nee set breakfast on a patio table outside. Everything was fine until Ebony opened her mouth.
"We're hoping to get on our way soon," she said, startling everyone.
"Ebony..." Amber said warningly. "This is not something we discussed." Amber was trying hard not to explode. What was the hurry? They had just gotten here; they had just found loved ones. They were resting and had to restock. Why leave so soon?
"Slade and I were talking last night. We're city people; we're all city people. There's got to be more people out there," Ebony said, pointing in the general direction of 'out there.'
"We thought that tomorrow would be a good time to leave. We don't want to put stress on you and your supplies," Slade said, turning to Re-Nee.
"You'll have to wait," Re-Nee said matter-of-factly, dragging out the news of the storm. Luke was going to say something, but she cut him off with a look. Ebony was outraged and began to sputter.
"Who are you to tell us when we can leave? You don't own..."
"I really don't care what you do," Re-Nee said, cutting her off. "All I know is that a storm is coming in. A big storm at that. It will be here by tonight and be at it's height by tomorrow. You leave now and there's a slim chance you'll survive." Getting up, Re-Nee left the shocked Mall Rats and the concerned Surfers.
"What was that about?" Lex grumbled. All the Mall Rats nodded their head in agreement. The Surfers were silent and exchanged troubled looks. Johnny was the first to speak. Turning to Bray, he released his anger.
"It's all your fault," he cried, punching Bray on the arm and running after his sister. Michael copied Johnny and ran into the house. Bray sank lower in his chair.
"Don't listen to him Bray." Tina said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Re-Nee just has a lot on her mind right now." Tina and the other Surfers forgot that the Mall Rats were there.
"I know, but it's hard to..."
"Is it true about the storm?" asked Mouse, who had scooted closer to Salene. Salene wrapped her arms around Mouse's shoulders and told her everything would be okay.
"Yes it is," said Luke. "We need to bring in some extra supplies. I think this one is going to last a while." Luke got up and carried his plate to the sink.
"I'll help," said Amber and Trudy. Luke nodded his head. Bray stood up and volunteered to help also. The four of them left the house, while everyone else sat in silence for a while. The Surfers finally got up and left the remaining Mall Rats at the table.
"That was uncalled for," Jay said, turning to Ebony.
"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.
"You didn't have to spring that on us all the sudden. The last I checked, we were a tribe. We discuss things and vote, not one person decides everything for the whole tribe."
"What do you care?" Ebony sneered. "It's not like you'd go with us. Besides, who says we are a tribe? We were the Mall Rats, but that's the past."
"That's not true!" exclaimed Salene. "We are still a tribe and we discuss things as a tribe. None of us are ready to leave this soon. We need to refresh. The children are tired; I'm tired. When we're ready, we'll talk as a /tribe/ and then decide if we want to go."
"We're no longer in the city," Ebony sneered at Salene. Slade placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned and the two of them shared a wordless conversation. "Fine then," Ebony said, slamming back her chair. Slade stood up to follow her out.
"We assumed you wanted to leave too..." he said as he walked out of the room.
The wind was really blowing in now and the sky was almost pitched black, but Re-Nee still wouldn't leave the patio. There was something about a raging storm that calmed her. Maybe it was the fact that she didn't have to try and control it. Maybe it was the simple fact that the wind blowing through her hair reminded her of all the happy times she had spent with her family. Reaching into the basket, she pulled out another white seashell.
What was she going to do? Would her tribe be minus three people, or could she actually lose more than that? Bray was going to go where ever Amber and their son would. Ved would follow his brother and Cloe would follow Ved. Maybe Tina and Luke craved the city life again. Would they go, taking Michael with them? /Why don't I go with them? I never wanted to come to this island. Why not go with them?/ she asked herself over and over again.
"What are you doing?" Re-Nee jumped out of her seat and the basket of shells scattered on the ground. Both she and Jay bent forward at the same time resulting in a collision of foreheads. "Oww!" they both said, grabbing their foreheads and falling back on their butts.
"Sorry," he said laughing. Re-Nee felt a smile touch her lips. Watching to make sure he didn't bend forward, she began to pick up some of the shells. Jay picked up the other half. "Where did you go yesterday?" Jay asked as he placed the last shell into the basket.
"What do you mean?" Re-Nee asked. She was beyond confused. She stayed at the house all day yesterday. Plus, they were on a small, family-owned island. Where was she going to go?
"Yesterday...before sun rise...I saw you heading towards the beach..." Jay stopped as his explanation when realization hit Re-Nee. She shook her head and waved her hand as if the conversation they were about to have was no big deal.
"I find that to be the most peaceful time of day. In the beginning, it was the only time I could get away from my brother's constant whining. With all the excitement the other day I needed some time alone, so I went. I killed two birds with one stone though. While I was out there, I picked up these," Re-Nee said, holding up a bag of shells. Jay picked up one of the shells and rolled it between his fingers.
"Why do you need these? What are you making?" Jay couldn't help but wonder if these were for the bracelets the Surfers' wore. If they were, then why did they need more?
"I'm making a new bracelet. I know it's strange, considering we're the only people here, the bracelets are our..."
"Tribal marking," Jay said, finishing her sentence. "Whose bracelet are you making?"
"One for me." Re-Nee would have laughed at the shocked expression on Jay's face had she not had a sinking feeling about where the conversation was heading.
"What happened to the bracelet you were wearing yesterday, the brown and white one?" Jay asked.
"The colors represent your 'couple' status." Re-Nee said in hopes of stalling. "Each couple chooses a color to show that they are together. If they are married, they choose a symbol to represent how they met. Cloe and Ved choose a red T. If you look closely, you see it."
"What does the white mean?" he asked, pointing to the finished bracelet in Re-Nee's hand.
"If completely white, it means you're single. If it has some sort of yellow symbol, it means you have yet to come of age."
"So..." he said a little awkwardly, "you and Bray..."
"Yes," she said curtly, cutting him off. Jay was really intrigued by the bracelets, but knew he needed to move away from the talk of Bray. "Why did you choose to color the bracelets?"
"It's a very funny story, actually," Re-Nee said with a far-off smile. "Tina, Luke, Danni and Michael had been on the island for about a year. Danni and I use to tease Tina and Luke of their blossoming relationship. Finally, they declared themselves as a couple. About a week after that, Bray and Guy showed up. Guy use to be somewhat of a playboy and decided that he wanted to flirt with Tina. Luke got a /little/ upset and Guy back down.
"We sort of decided that we would do the color thing. People wonder why only two bracelets match and ask questions. It stops unnecessary tensions..." Re-Nee trailed off. Knowing Jay wanted to ask another question. /I'll bide my time until I can ask my question,/ she thought.
"Why a bracelet and not a painted symbol?"
Re-Nee held up her new bracelet. "It's a circle. Circles have not point, no corners, so it never stops. I like to think that it symbolizes our friendship."
There was something about this whole thing that bothered Jay, but he just couldn't identify it. "Like you said, you were the only people on this island. Why brand yourself? In the city we did it to show which tribe we belong to..."
"Are you not a Mallrat?" Re-Nee asked, cutting him off.
"Yes, but..." Jay said getting confused.
"Yet you still wear the Techno T. If I were from the city, then wouldn't I believe you were a Techno, not a Mallrat?"
Jay hated the feeling of being backed into a corner. "I...Well..." Jay ran a hand through his hair as he tried to think of his answer. "No," he finally said. Re-Nee gave him one look and Jay knew he couldn't deny it. "Fine then, I guess you would. What's your point then? What are you trying to get at?"
"I'm trying to figure out how close you are to the Mallrats," she said point-blankly. Jay was taken aback. Was she trying to be cold?
"They are my friends..." Re-Nee couldn't help but notice he didn't say /family/. To her, the Surfers were her family, but to Jay, the Mallrats were nothing but friends. Could she convince him to...
"Do you plan to leave with the others?" Re-Nee asked, following her instinct.
"I see no reason to stay. Although Ebony sprang us with her revelation, I have to agree. We are city people. I don't think we could survive out here."
"What about Ved?" Re-Nee's anger was growing and she didn't know why. Well, deep down she knew, but she was in denial. She wasn't ready to leave the island and she didn't want the others to leave. She didn't want to be alone with just her brother for company.
"I assume he would come with. I am surprised he has survived at all. He thrives on technology and the city. To be living here must have been a strain for him," Jay finished as he turned his back to Re-Nee. Continuing to lean against the rail, Jay watched as rain began to fall. Reaching out his hand, he caught a few drops.
"Do you care so little for Cloe?" Re-Nee's question caught him off guard.
"How dare you ask me such a thing!" he yelled, turning back towards her. "What ever made you think that?"
"Cloe is eight months pregnant! She is in no condition to travel and here you are trying to take her husband away. She is going to follow him! Could you live with the guilt if that baby died?"
All that could happen sank into Jay's brain. "I...I didn't think about that...I didn't think that far into the future." Sinking to the floor, Jay thought about everything. He got so lost in his mind and scenarios; he didn't realize the storm was getting worst.
Re-Nee did though. She was about to say something when Tina came out. "Luke...he hasn't returned yet. None of them have."
The next day dawn bright and early. Wanting to enjoy the outdoors before the storm hit, Re-Nee set breakfast on a patio table outside. Everything was fine until Ebony opened her mouth.
"We're hoping to get on our way soon," she said, startling everyone.
"Ebony..." Amber said warningly. "This is not something we discussed." Amber was trying hard not to explode. What was the hurry? They had just gotten here; they had just found loved ones. They were resting and had to restock. Why leave so soon?
"Slade and I were talking last night. We're city people; we're all city people. There's got to be more people out there," Ebony said, pointing in the general direction of 'out there.'
"We thought that tomorrow would be a good time to leave. We don't want to put stress on you and your supplies," Slade said, turning to Re-Nee.
"You'll have to wait," Re-Nee said matter-of-factly, dragging out the news of the storm. Luke was going to say something, but she cut him off with a look. Ebony was outraged and began to sputter.
"Who are you to tell us when we can leave? You don't own..."
"I really don't care what you do," Re-Nee said, cutting her off. "All I know is that a storm is coming in. A big storm at that. It will be here by tonight and be at it's height by tomorrow. You leave now and there's a slim chance you'll survive." Getting up, Re-Nee left the shocked Mall Rats and the concerned Surfers.
"What was that about?" Lex grumbled. All the Mall Rats nodded their head in agreement. The Surfers were silent and exchanged troubled looks. Johnny was the first to speak. Turning to Bray, he released his anger.
"It's all your fault," he cried, punching Bray on the arm and running after his sister. Michael copied Johnny and ran into the house. Bray sank lower in his chair.
"Don't listen to him Bray." Tina said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Re-Nee just has a lot on her mind right now." Tina and the other Surfers forgot that the Mall Rats were there.
"I know, but it's hard to..."
"Is it true about the storm?" asked Mouse, who had scooted closer to Salene. Salene wrapped her arms around Mouse's shoulders and told her everything would be okay.
"Yes it is," said Luke. "We need to bring in some extra supplies. I think this one is going to last a while." Luke got up and carried his plate to the sink.
"I'll help," said Amber and Trudy. Luke nodded his head. Bray stood up and volunteered to help also. The four of them left the house, while everyone else sat in silence for a while. The Surfers finally got up and left the remaining Mall Rats at the table.
"That was uncalled for," Jay said, turning to Ebony.
"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.
"You didn't have to spring that on us all the sudden. The last I checked, we were a tribe. We discuss things and vote, not one person decides everything for the whole tribe."
"What do you care?" Ebony sneered. "It's not like you'd go with us. Besides, who says we are a tribe? We were the Mall Rats, but that's the past."
"That's not true!" exclaimed Salene. "We are still a tribe and we discuss things as a tribe. None of us are ready to leave this soon. We need to refresh. The children are tired; I'm tired. When we're ready, we'll talk as a /tribe/ and then decide if we want to go."
"We're no longer in the city," Ebony sneered at Salene. Slade placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned and the two of them shared a wordless conversation. "Fine then," Ebony said, slamming back her chair. Slade stood up to follow her out.
"We assumed you wanted to leave too..." he said as he walked out of the room.
The wind was really blowing in now and the sky was almost pitched black, but Re-Nee still wouldn't leave the patio. There was something about a raging storm that calmed her. Maybe it was the fact that she didn't have to try and control it. Maybe it was the simple fact that the wind blowing through her hair reminded her of all the happy times she had spent with her family. Reaching into the basket, she pulled out another white seashell.
What was she going to do? Would her tribe be minus three people, or could she actually lose more than that? Bray was going to go where ever Amber and their son would. Ved would follow his brother and Cloe would follow Ved. Maybe Tina and Luke craved the city life again. Would they go, taking Michael with them? /Why don't I go with them? I never wanted to come to this island. Why not go with them?/ she asked herself over and over again.
"What are you doing?" Re-Nee jumped out of her seat and the basket of shells scattered on the ground. Both she and Jay bent forward at the same time resulting in a collision of foreheads. "Oww!" they both said, grabbing their foreheads and falling back on their butts.
"Sorry," he said laughing. Re-Nee felt a smile touch her lips. Watching to make sure he didn't bend forward, she began to pick up some of the shells. Jay picked up the other half. "Where did you go yesterday?" Jay asked as he placed the last shell into the basket.
"What do you mean?" Re-Nee asked. She was beyond confused. She stayed at the house all day yesterday. Plus, they were on a small, family-owned island. Where was she going to go?
"Yesterday...before sun rise...I saw you heading towards the beach..." Jay stopped as his explanation when realization hit Re-Nee. She shook her head and waved her hand as if the conversation they were about to have was no big deal.
"I find that to be the most peaceful time of day. In the beginning, it was the only time I could get away from my brother's constant whining. With all the excitement the other day I needed some time alone, so I went. I killed two birds with one stone though. While I was out there, I picked up these," Re-Nee said, holding up a bag of shells. Jay picked up one of the shells and rolled it between his fingers.
"Why do you need these? What are you making?" Jay couldn't help but wonder if these were for the bracelets the Surfers' wore. If they were, then why did they need more?
"I'm making a new bracelet. I know it's strange, considering we're the only people here, the bracelets are our..."
"Tribal marking," Jay said, finishing her sentence. "Whose bracelet are you making?"
"One for me." Re-Nee would have laughed at the shocked expression on Jay's face had she not had a sinking feeling about where the conversation was heading.
"What happened to the bracelet you were wearing yesterday, the brown and white one?" Jay asked.
"The colors represent your 'couple' status." Re-Nee said in hopes of stalling. "Each couple chooses a color to show that they are together. If they are married, they choose a symbol to represent how they met. Cloe and Ved choose a red T. If you look closely, you see it."
"What does the white mean?" he asked, pointing to the finished bracelet in Re-Nee's hand.
"If completely white, it means you're single. If it has some sort of yellow symbol, it means you have yet to come of age."
"So..." he said a little awkwardly, "you and Bray..."
"Yes," she said curtly, cutting him off. Jay was really intrigued by the bracelets, but knew he needed to move away from the talk of Bray. "Why did you choose to color the bracelets?"
"It's a very funny story, actually," Re-Nee said with a far-off smile. "Tina, Luke, Danni and Michael had been on the island for about a year. Danni and I use to tease Tina and Luke of their blossoming relationship. Finally, they declared themselves as a couple. About a week after that, Bray and Guy showed up. Guy use to be somewhat of a playboy and decided that he wanted to flirt with Tina. Luke got a /little/ upset and Guy back down.
"We sort of decided that we would do the color thing. People wonder why only two bracelets match and ask questions. It stops unnecessary tensions..." Re-Nee trailed off. Knowing Jay wanted to ask another question. /I'll bide my time until I can ask my question,/ she thought.
"Why a bracelet and not a painted symbol?"
Re-Nee held up her new bracelet. "It's a circle. Circles have not point, no corners, so it never stops. I like to think that it symbolizes our friendship."
There was something about this whole thing that bothered Jay, but he just couldn't identify it. "Like you said, you were the only people on this island. Why brand yourself? In the city we did it to show which tribe we belong to..."
"Are you not a Mallrat?" Re-Nee asked, cutting him off.
"Yes, but..." Jay said getting confused.
"Yet you still wear the Techno T. If I were from the city, then wouldn't I believe you were a Techno, not a Mallrat?"
Jay hated the feeling of being backed into a corner. "I...Well..." Jay ran a hand through his hair as he tried to think of his answer. "No," he finally said. Re-Nee gave him one look and Jay knew he couldn't deny it. "Fine then, I guess you would. What's your point then? What are you trying to get at?"
"I'm trying to figure out how close you are to the Mallrats," she said point-blankly. Jay was taken aback. Was she trying to be cold?
"They are my friends..." Re-Nee couldn't help but notice he didn't say /family/. To her, the Surfers were her family, but to Jay, the Mallrats were nothing but friends. Could she convince him to...
"Do you plan to leave with the others?" Re-Nee asked, following her instinct.
"I see no reason to stay. Although Ebony sprang us with her revelation, I have to agree. We are city people. I don't think we could survive out here."
"What about Ved?" Re-Nee's anger was growing and she didn't know why. Well, deep down she knew, but she was in denial. She wasn't ready to leave the island and she didn't want the others to leave. She didn't want to be alone with just her brother for company.
"I assume he would come with. I am surprised he has survived at all. He thrives on technology and the city. To be living here must have been a strain for him," Jay finished as he turned his back to Re-Nee. Continuing to lean against the rail, Jay watched as rain began to fall. Reaching out his hand, he caught a few drops.
"Do you care so little for Cloe?" Re-Nee's question caught him off guard.
"How dare you ask me such a thing!" he yelled, turning back towards her. "What ever made you think that?"
"Cloe is eight months pregnant! She is in no condition to travel and here you are trying to take her husband away. She is going to follow him! Could you live with the guilt if that baby died?"
All that could happen sank into Jay's brain. "I...I didn't think about that...I didn't think that far into the future." Sinking to the floor, Jay thought about everything. He got so lost in his mind and scenarios; he didn't realize the storm was getting worst.
Re-Nee did though. She was about to say something when Tina came out. "Luke...he hasn't returned yet. None of them have."