Short Stories For The Test

She Just Seemed Different (Jack's POV)

(Short story takes place inside the test)

When I first saw Lexi, it wasn't full of all that crap about how time stopped and we seemed to be the only ones there. Life went on normally. Well, as normally as it could be when you just had an argument with a guy who sent you to the test to save an outside world you can't even remember because, guess what, he took your memory too.

Actually, it was by luck I even saw Lexi at all. I was scanning the crowd and spotted her as she was dusting off her hands on her bright cupcake shorts, running her hands through her blond hair, and taking in the teenagers around us who were drooling over each other. She looked disgusted by those way to calm and ogling figures before us, which I guess was part of the reason I followed her when she took her thoughts elsewhere and started walking through the trees. She was crossing her arms over her chest, obviously uncomfortable in the tank top that clung to her body. I followed behind, wanting to do anything but stay among these idiots. She just seemed different, but i'm not exactly sure why. 

Eventually, she had stopped, causing both of us to take in the view and for her to finally realize someone was following her. We talked and each took some clothes and then I left.

And that's what I was doing now, walking away from her, carrying one of the many pairs of shoes from the clothes pile. And okay, fine, i'll go ahead and admit it, she was pretty but no way am I going to be like the stupid teens here that only stared at everyone. 

"Hey, aren't you the guy who stood up to Reid?" Someone said, suddenly appearing beside me, making me turn to look at them. She had a hand placed on her head, probably to help with the pain all of us were feeling, her fingers tangled in her long brown hair.

"Yeah." I answered her, bending down to put on the shoes still in my hand. "But you can call me Jack." I said without looking up at her.

"Oh, okay, my name's Brittney." She held out her hand, giggling and twirling a finger on her other hand into one of her curls. I shook it quickly, not wanting to be around her for another second. It was clear she was one of those flirting nose pickers. But still, I felt like I couldn't really be rude, we were all here, we needed to help each other.

"Um, there's a pile of clothes in that direction." I said, pointing to where I came from. "It might be a good idea to change." She started walking before I could say anything else.

Well, that got rid of her.

Thank god.

And then, the rest of the girls followed her, walking and staring at the guys who saw they were leaving and went that way too. Some of the girls were hanging by different guys' arms, latched onto them like they owned them, people who they didn't know. And if they did, didn't remember.

Idiots

And that's when I saw Lexi again, walking my way but watching as the other teens were finally doing the useful thing of getting dressed properly, as in, not in little short frilly shorts and tight shirts. The conversation was pretty normal, I asked a question, she answered, soon leading me to explain why everyone was finally moving. She also blushed once, it was right after she looked at my eyes but I wouldn't have even known that if I hadn't been staring at her blue ones. 

But it was something about that blush of her's. I don't know, maybe I liked that I had that effect on her, and i'm not saying in a she likes me and I like that kind of way. No, more of a she was warming up to me and not being so uncomfortable but was still blushing this really cute blush but I just want to be her friend kind of way, if that makes sense.

"Well, I think there's only one thing we can do." She answered me after I had asked her what to do next. I was behind her as she turned slightly to look at me, probably waiting for an answer, the blush now a light pink on her cheeks. It made me smile.

"Let me guess, do what Mr. Buttface macho man told us?" I asked, hoping the sarcasm that was filling my tone was registering in her mind.

"Yep." She said, sounding completely serious and I knew she was right. It's all we could do after all.

"Okay. Let's get started." I told her after a moment, stepping in front of her. I saw her smile and part of me moved forward and I grabbed her hand, leading her back in the direction we just came from. 

We didn't speak on the way, me letting go of her and her coming beside me to stand. The memory wipe tree caught both of our attentions and we stopped to stare at it for a moment before heading in the direction again, only to get there and see a major fight breaking out.

"Whoa, what's going on here?" I heard Lexi speak up, rushing toward the teens. Two of the girls arms were yanking at something, pulling it from the other. A couple minutes later and I learned that very thing was a brush, a hair brush to be exact.

God, girls are confusing.

"Alright, who are you?" Lexi asked, grabbing the brush from the girls and pointing to someone to her left, right at none other than Brittney.

"I, um, i'm Brittney." She responded, clutching what I could only assume was another brush by the way her eyes kept darting back and forth between each of the girls in an evil and greedy way.

"Okay. Hello, Brittney. My name is Lexi. You don't know me and I don't know you, but do you think you could hand the brush over and let us come up with a plan before everyone just takes everything?" What she said seemed reasonable but Brittney wasn't having it, running away and carrying the brush and a bundle of clothes with her. "Just great." Lexi grumbled, releasing a loud breath.

"Yeah, this isn't going to work, is it?" I asked her. In turn, she gave me a look filled with sarcasm and a message that clearly said, 'no duh'. I rolled my eyes and cleared my thoat, the teens turning to me as if I was a leader. I didn't like that feeling. "Um, we need to work together. I get it, you're scared. But so am I, and so is Lexi, and just everyone here is scared and terrified and worried. So, we should probably start working on the things that Reid guy told us to, even if we don't want to."

"Oh, bravo. Great plan, and why don't we wait around and see if he'll come back to have tea and cookies with us." I turned to see a guy with brown hair watching me, saying those horrible sarcastic words and clapping teasingly. He looked familiar but I brushed that aside, there being more important things to worry about.

"And you would be?" I asked.

"John." He responded. "And you, pretty boy, are the one who gave Reid a piece of your mind. Am I correct?" I nodded. "Then, if you don't agree with what he said, why do you want us to do it?"

"Because, um, well-"

"Because we're stuck in this situation and it's not going to get any better." Lexi butt in. And then she left, taking off in the direction of Brittney.

"What she said." I told him, watching her go.

"Are you really letting a girl speak for you?" He teased.

"Just in case you weren't paying attention, that girl was the first to get off her butt and do something useful. I didn't see you doing anything but focusing on staring at the girl nearest to you." I shot back.

"And that means nothing, clearly you were looking at a girl too, knowing that she was the first to get off her butt and everything."

"Yeah, but we each saw the girls for different reasons. Now, could we get back on topic?"

He huffed and grumbled, "Whatever." I smiled and got back to what needed to be said.

"It would probably be a good idea if everyone got dressed." I said.

"And what about this?" Someone asked, holding up a piece of paper they found near one of the piles of cut wood. He kept moving his blond hair from his eyes, handing the paper to me and waiting for my responce. He also looked familiar but I again took my thoughts from it.

"They look like instructions for something, a shack or something like that. Definitely something to use as a kind of shelter." I say, running my eyes over the words and different steps on how to make it. "We should probably get to work on this. Anyone want to help?" I heard a scoff, most likely from John, followed by most of the guys backing away from me. Looks like no one cared about surviving this land of crap.

"I'll do it." The blond haired boy replied, coming to me and taking the paper from my hands again.

"Yeah, me too." Another one said, taking his place on the other side of me. 

"Anyone else?" I asked. Only a few more answered. The rest just grabbed the clothes they needed and left. "Okay then, we should probably get to work."

"Right now?" Someone asked. "I mean, we just got here. Can't we wait?"

"I know, okay. I don't want to do it either but it needs to be done. And what, you want to wait for tomorrow? We don't know what might happen at all in here, we need to get things done while we can." I said, grabbing a long piece of wood and beginning the task.

"You heard him, let's get to it." The blond haired boy said, picking up a different thing of wood.

"Thanks, now they might get moving." I told him.

"No problem. I'm Danny by the way."

"Jack." I moved the hair that decided to flop in front of my eyes. 

"And this is Luke." Danny said, referring to the guy who just joined us, the one who volunteered to help right after Danny. "We woke up right next to each other. As I stood up, I hit him in the head because I was kinda freaked out. So, yeah, that's how we met."

"Nice to meet you, Luke." I said to him.

"Yeah, you too." We worked for awhile after that, maybe an hour or more, I couldn't tell you how long. Most of the guys were lazy and complained to much but I let it slide, they were the only ones willing to help. 

"Looks like fun." I heard someone say. And did it count as a good or a bad thing that I knew who it was instantly even through I just met her today? Did it count as a bad thing if I smiled when I heard her voice?

"Hello, Lexi." I looked up at her from my place on the ground, moving the wood to the side and offering her a place to sit next to me. "And no, it's not fun at all. But if you don't believe me, you're always welcome to join me and the guys."

"Gladly." She laughed. "But for now I think i'll stick to grabbing fruit and vegetables for people. Speaking of which....." She trailed off, holding a pear in front of me. "Want some?"

"Thanks."

And in that moment, I know, it sounds stupid right. But in that moment I felt something change. And no, it wasn't a sudden love for Lexi that made me want to put my arms around her and kiss her like there was no tomorrow, even though in the future that might not be a bad idea.

What I felt was something far better. I did like this girl, but not in the way that she was nice to stare at, like every idiot was doing to the girls. I can't really explain it. I guess what i'm trying to say is, I had a feeling that Lexi might be one of the major things that would fill up my brain that now had a lack of memory. She was going to be very important, I could tell.

And I wanted to remember every bit of it.

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Who's mad at me? I'm mad at me, that's for sure. I just so feel horrible for not updating the next chapter of The Program. And you may be asking yourself, "why did she update this and not The Program?" Well, I have an answer to that question. Like I have been saying, i'm very busy this month but I started writing this short story and it was almost done about a week ago. I finished it this morning and am now posting it. So, um, I am working on the next chapter of The Program in case anyone was worried that I wasn't. :)

But anyway, this short story is the one where you found out what Jack thought of Lexi when they met. And yes, before you bring it up, I left out the part where they actually met for the first time. I just felt it would be boring if I wrote the same exact things over again that i've already written before. You understand, right? Okay, good. But hope you enjoyed it and yeah. :)

In case you haven't read The Program yet or didn't know it was posted, either click the external link or go to my wattpad page and find it if you want to read it :)