Chapter 4

They turned to see where the familiar voice was coming from. They were surprised to see Melissa was standing behind them, but they were happy that it wasn't anyone else.

"So have you gotten anything, since you've been out here?" Melissa said, repeating herself. She couldn't help but smile. She started to walk to them, and could tell they were getting tense.

"We were just. . ." Daley started off.

"And then we were . . ." Nathan added.

"Uh-huh!" Melissa said, "There has been a lot of that going on. First with Taylor and Eric, and now with you two. Is there some kind of firewood fairy that I don't know about?"

Neither of them said anything, so Melissa kept talking. "Well just so you know I didn't come out here to spy on you. Jackson actually told me to come and tell you, Nathan, that they need help back at camp."

Nathan looked up at Melissa, for the first time really." What about the fire wood? Daley can't get it all by-,"

"Don't worry about it Nathan," Melissa said smirking. "I'll help Daley."

Nathan turned to look at Daley, as if kissing her good bye. Then he left for camp.

Daley watched Nathan leave, until she couldn't see him anymore. She turned her attention to Melissa who was almost laughing.

"So how much did you see?" Daley asked partly laughing herself.

"Enough."

They started to laugh while they finally picked up firewood.

"So what are you two going to do?" Melissa asked while picking things.

"I don't know."

They were both quiet for awhile. Neither knew what to say.

"You don't think it would be completely weird, dating on the island?" Daley asked.

Right after asking the question, Daley wished she hadn't. She already knew what the true answer was. But she really just needed to hear what Melissa had to say.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Melissa responded, having known Daley so well.

"NO.," She hesitantly said. "Yes. I want to talk to someone. So, Melissa would it really be that weird?"

"Well Daley, It depends on what kind of dating you're talking about. If you mean the kind I just walked in on, yeah it would be weird. But if you mean just talking and being together, then no, it wouldn't be weird." Melissa noticed that Daley had sat down, and had put her face in her hands. Melissa knelt down." Daley it's going to be ok."

"No, . .I mean . . . I know it is. It's just you and Jackson aren't together because you think it would be awkward. But then Nathan is so wonderful, and sweet. He makes it so hard to think about what we should do."

Daley stopped talking to think.

"Don't worry Daley." Melissa said reassuringly. "You and Nathan will figure it out."

Daley gave a big smile. "Thanks Melissa."

They both walked back to camp together, finally with firewood.

29DWN

That night everyone had decided to go to bed early. They were all tired from all the work they'd been doing.

Daley and Taylor were setting up their tents. While everyone else had gone out in the jungle to pick fruit and get water.

"Taylor grab the other side."

"Ok, ok hold on a minute." Daley and Taylor were not making much progress with the tents. It took them about another twenty minutes before the tents were up.

"Great! Now I smell." Taylor fussed.

"We all smell." Daley replied in an annoyed tone.

"I'm thirsty now! Daley do you have any water?" Taylor begged.

"Nope there's none left. Nathan and Lex went out to get some." Daley turned and looked at Taylor. She truly looked thirsty. Daley sympathized, "Here you can have mine." Daley handed the bottle to her. "I haven't drank out of it yet."

"Thanks, Daley!"

They both sat there in quiet for awhile.

"Taylor? Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah." Taylor said unsure. "What?"

"I know it's weird, me asking you this, but . . . "Daley hesitated. "Did you ever kiss Nathan?"

Taylor waited a couple of seconds, trying to figure out why she was asking her this. "No. Why?"

"I just . . . wanted to know." Daley said dropping the subject.

29DWN

Melissa, Eric, and Jackson were all walking together to get fruit. After Taylor had hurt Eric he had been avoiding her completely. Daley had asked him to say back and help with the tents, but after he saw that Taylor was helping, he said he wanted to go with Melissa and Jackson. Which at that point, he was regretting.

"Need some help?" Jackson said, referring to Melissa who was dropping coconuts.

"Sure." She said giving him a flirty glance.

Jackson walked over to Melissa. He bent down and picked up the coconuts Melissa had dropped.

When he lifted up he was so close to Melissa's face that their noses were almost touching. Jackson smiled, and was about to kiss her when they heard Eric go, "Umm . . . What are you guys doing?"

They both turned to look at him. Jackson looked down, then up into Melissa's eyes. Their faces were still a little close. Jackson took some of Melissa coconuts, without moving his eyes from hers.

"I'll take this for you." He said.

"Thanks." She said backing away from him.

"Let's get this over with. . ." Eric muffled and walked away.

29DWN

Nathan was carrying the empty jugs, while Lex was looking for the water hole.

"So you do remember where the water hole is, right?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah, I think so."

"They had been walking around for awhile now, and Nathan was getting tired.

"Here I found it!" Lex shouted.

"Great, cause I was . . ." Nathan started off, but then stopped when he saw the look on Lex's face.

"Uh-oh, this isn't good." Les said shakily.

"What is it?" Nathan asked unsure.

29DWN

"What's wrong?" Daley asked reading the concerned look on everybody's faces.

"We have bad news. The water hole is dry." Nathan said waling next to Daley.

"What? How?" Daley stammered."

"Lex thinks that the spot we dug up just dried up. We just need to dig a deeper hole."

"How long will that take?" Melissa inquired of Lex.

"Guys, I don't really know what has happened right now, so it could take a day . . . or two."

"What!" Taylor screamed.

"Well," Daley said, "How many bottles of water do we have?"

Everyone turned to look at each other. Then they all ran to see how many bottled waters there were.

"So how many are left?" Eric asked as he arrived last.

"Four." Daley coldly responded.

"Well not exactly. If you count what is already in the jugs then we have. . ," Lex counted in his head. "We have six bottles."

"So that means. . ." Taylor started off.

"That somebody doesn't get one." Daley finished.