you can tell yourself you're doing your best, you can do so much better than this
I actually don't like writing in the past tense, but I started that way and I intended to finish it that way
-
Juliet sat on the beach, just like she’d been doing for the last few days. Since she’d come to the camp of the 815 survivors, there hadn’t been much for her to do. Still, here she was the enemy, and she wasn’t oblivious to the looks they gave her in passing. Chances were, they probably thought they were getting away with it, but she caught every furtive glance, every curled lip. She knew she wasn’t welcome, but where else could she go? It was either stay here and deal with the snide remarks, or go back to what she knew and face the blatant hatred. It was an easy choice, really.
However, despite the negative vibes she was getting from every single inhabitant of Beach Camp - apart from Jack - she maintained her charm, and did not let anyone know that she was beginning to feel the strain of being an outsider. She smiled at every passer-by, and if anyone looked at her for more than five seconds, she gave them a little wave. Of course, they then looked away faster than you could say ‘Dharma’ but at least she was being nice.
Another person was walking past, once again staring at her as if she were going to pull out a gun. She smiled warmly then waved. For a second Juliet thought that the person smiled back, but they quickly walked, nearly jogged, away. She’d been mistaken. Again.
“Hey, uh, Juliet?” She looked round. Hurley stood several feet away from her, clearly not willing to come any closer. His head was inclined slightly, like that of a curious dog. That’s all she was to them. A mystery.
“Yes, Hugo?” She said calmly, keeping her voice level.
“Uh, Jack wants to see you. He’s, uh, in the hut,” he pointed somewhere behind her, “Over there.”
She smiled, getting up quickly and wiping the sand from her cream trousers. Hurley backed away, obviously involuntarily. He looked sheepish for a moment before turning tail and fleeing.
Juliet sighed, turning to face the hut that Jack was supposedly in. She enjoyed the little lean-tos that the survivors had built for themselves. It made a change from the mustard yellow bungalow that she’d lived in for the past three years. In fact, it brought about a sense of wild, survival-of-the-fittest living that was more fitting of this island than the Other way was.
“You wanted to see me?” She said as she gently moved the tarpaulin aside. Jack was sitting on the ground, surrounded by various makeshift platters of fruit and meat, and had a small fire going in the middle of it all.
“I made lunch,” he said, smiling up at her from the sand. He patted the ground next to him, and she sat down slowly, looking at all the food in front of them.
“For just the two of us?” She asked, looking across at Jack. She pushed her hair behind her ear.
“Of course,” he smiled again, and held out a piece of meat, “Try the boar. Surprisingly stringy and tough.”
Juliet laughed as she took the food and took a bite.
“Damn, I miss beef burgers,” she shook her head.
“But this is better?” Jack frowned slightly.
Yes, Jack, this is better. She nodded as she chewed. This was most definitely an up-grade, even if the architecture left a little to be desired. She was more relaxed here. The ocean always calmed her, even when it was raging. It reminded her, distantly, of Goodwin. She felt a pang in her heart as her mind revisited that moment, but she quickly dismissed it. Here and now, that was where she wanted to be. The past was the past, and she had to let it go. He’d never been hers. Never.
“Juliet?” Jack’s voice brought her back into the present. She blinked wildly as she looked at him. He was awfully close. When had he leaned forward? When did she not mind?
He leaned in closer, and brushed his lips against hers. It took her by surprise, but she found herself kissing him back. It was awkward, like teenagers kissing for the first time. She leaned back, slightly embarrassed.
Juliet left the hut. She ran a hand over her hair and left her hand resting at the back of her neck. She stood at the bottom of the beach, letting the waves just reach her toes. She hadn’t wanted to react that way. She’d wanted to push him over and take him there and then, but some things just don’t go your way.
Juliet sighed to herself. Reminded herself that this was better.
-
Juliet sat on the beach, just like she’d been doing for the last few days. Since she’d come to the camp of the 815 survivors, there hadn’t been much for her to do. Still, here she was the enemy, and she wasn’t oblivious to the looks they gave her in passing. Chances were, they probably thought they were getting away with it, but she caught every furtive glance, every curled lip. She knew she wasn’t welcome, but where else could she go? It was either stay here and deal with the snide remarks, or go back to what she knew and face the blatant hatred. It was an easy choice, really.
However, despite the negative vibes she was getting from every single inhabitant of Beach Camp - apart from Jack - she maintained her charm, and did not let anyone know that she was beginning to feel the strain of being an outsider. She smiled at every passer-by, and if anyone looked at her for more than five seconds, she gave them a little wave. Of course, they then looked away faster than you could say ‘Dharma’ but at least she was being nice.
Another person was walking past, once again staring at her as if she were going to pull out a gun. She smiled warmly then waved. For a second Juliet thought that the person smiled back, but they quickly walked, nearly jogged, away. She’d been mistaken. Again.
“Hey, uh, Juliet?” She looked round. Hurley stood several feet away from her, clearly not willing to come any closer. His head was inclined slightly, like that of a curious dog. That’s all she was to them. A mystery.
“Yes, Hugo?” She said calmly, keeping her voice level.
“Uh, Jack wants to see you. He’s, uh, in the hut,” he pointed somewhere behind her, “Over there.”
She smiled, getting up quickly and wiping the sand from her cream trousers. Hurley backed away, obviously involuntarily. He looked sheepish for a moment before turning tail and fleeing.
Juliet sighed, turning to face the hut that Jack was supposedly in. She enjoyed the little lean-tos that the survivors had built for themselves. It made a change from the mustard yellow bungalow that she’d lived in for the past three years. In fact, it brought about a sense of wild, survival-of-the-fittest living that was more fitting of this island than the Other way was.
“You wanted to see me?” She said as she gently moved the tarpaulin aside. Jack was sitting on the ground, surrounded by various makeshift platters of fruit and meat, and had a small fire going in the middle of it all.
“I made lunch,” he said, smiling up at her from the sand. He patted the ground next to him, and she sat down slowly, looking at all the food in front of them.
“For just the two of us?” She asked, looking across at Jack. She pushed her hair behind her ear.
“Of course,” he smiled again, and held out a piece of meat, “Try the boar. Surprisingly stringy and tough.”
Juliet laughed as she took the food and took a bite.
“Damn, I miss beef burgers,” she shook her head.
“But this is better?” Jack frowned slightly.
Yes, Jack, this is better. She nodded as she chewed. This was most definitely an up-grade, even if the architecture left a little to be desired. She was more relaxed here. The ocean always calmed her, even when it was raging. It reminded her, distantly, of Goodwin. She felt a pang in her heart as her mind revisited that moment, but she quickly dismissed it. Here and now, that was where she wanted to be. The past was the past, and she had to let it go. He’d never been hers. Never.
“Juliet?” Jack’s voice brought her back into the present. She blinked wildly as she looked at him. He was awfully close. When had he leaned forward? When did she not mind?
He leaned in closer, and brushed his lips against hers. It took her by surprise, but she found herself kissing him back. It was awkward, like teenagers kissing for the first time. She leaned back, slightly embarrassed.
Juliet left the hut. She ran a hand over her hair and left her hand resting at the back of her neck. She stood at the bottom of the beach, letting the waves just reach her toes. She hadn’t wanted to react that way. She’d wanted to push him over and take him there and then, but some things just don’t go your way.
Juliet sighed to herself. Reminded herself that this was better.