Chapter Text
Jack doesn't need to be awoken, as he's seen everything.
He sneaks around the jungle like there might be some kind of predator after them. He motions the choir to fall behind the next tree.
One of the boys in the choir observes, "There's a stream, I read in a book that streams lead to large water sources."
"I know that." Jack says like the boy thought he was stupid.
Jack starts to follow the stream, looking around cautiously, the other boys follow suit, copying his behavior.
They arrive at a lagoon. Palm trees and rocks surround an aquamarine bowl of brackish water. One of the boys walks forward, crouches, and grabs some water; he throws it on his face and rakes it through his hair. "Simon, who gave you permission to be out of line?" Some of the choir snickers.
A pale and clammy Simon looks up, "It's just really hot outside, can we take these uniforms off?" He wipes sweat off his forward with the back of his hand.
"No. We mustn't." Jack says firmly, the other boys groan and each starts to gradually fall out of line and talk.
"QUIET. Just because we're in a jungle of some sort doesn't mean we get to be barbarians. Now listen up—"
A faint, wailing horn can be heard in the distance. Jack's ears turn up. "Get back into line, NOW." All the boys quickly shuffle back into line, Simon heading back but in a slower manner. Jack motions him aggressively as the horn sound goes off again. The other boys notice now, looking around stiffly. Jack, again, motions the choir to follow him towards the sound.
The horn sounds again.
Jack thinks it might be a ship. He ordered his choir to march, military style, "left, right, left, right", he sang.
The sound leads them to a wide beach, monolithic rocks lie in the water and bright coral surrounds the bottom of the rocks. Jack steps further out of the jungle and sees it, 4 older boys and scattered around are a bunch of younger looking boys.
The fat boy taps the lean boy with light brown hair, pointing in Jack's and the choirs' direction. Jack holds his hand out, stopping his choir from moving. He creates a hand motion to march forward. Both groups walk towards each other.
"Hey! I didn't realize there'd be so many of us." The lean boy says pulling his grey shirt back on over his head. He squeezes some water out of his navy blue school shorts and holds his hand out.
"Dry your hand." He practically orders. Ralph promptly wipes his hand on his shirt and holds it back out again, Jack shakes it. Jack pulls back, his hand a little damp but it's nothing to be hung up about. "I'm Jack Merridew, but you can call me Merridew, this is my choir." Jack proudly declares. Assertively he says, "Where's the man with the trumpet?"
Ralph looks at Piggy and then the boys next to him, then he steps forward and firmly states: "No trumpet..Jack, just me."
"I said call me Merridew. You were on the plane weren't you", Jack says matter of factly. "
Ralph responds, "Yeah Jack, I guess so, my mind is fuzzier than the rest for whatever reason." Jack notices the subtle blank stare in the boy's eyes as he smiles a tad nervously. Jack glares slightly but he doesn't push further. The fat boy begins to speak. "You wouldn't happen to recall the events of the plane or see any adults around did'ya?"
Jack huffs, amused. "Who's this fatty?"
"My name is—"
"Shut up, fatty." Jack shushed him immediately with emphasis on the f, the boys bursting into fits of laughter around him, even the younger ones joining in. Piggy already has a defeated and exasperated look on his face.
"His name's Piggy." Ralph chuckles. Piggy went very pink because his name had been given to the boys. He stood up straight and tried to look dignified."I said I didn't want—"
"Better Piggy than Fatty," cries Ralph. "Anyway, it's your name."
Piggy just looks at him accusingly.
"I'm Ralph."
"Yeah, okay, Ralph." Jack says looking him up and down. Ralph makes an unreadable expression, like he might be analyzing Jack as well. Jack stuffs it in the back of mind.
"Look, we need someone in charge here, I ought to be chief... because I’m chapter chorister and head boy. I can sing high C sharp."
Piggy intervenes: "Woah, hold your horses Jack, you can't just go and elect yourself chief. This is OUR group, in case you haven't noticed, I think we should all decide by the show of hands."
Ralph smiles at this idea, "Also, whoever has the conch gets to speak. That's the deal."
Jack scoffs, "Shut up Piggy! That's a complete mug off! I have a leader experience, it only makes sense that I should be chief."
Even Simon puts a word in, "I mean he did lead us here J—Merridew."
"And we would've done just fine without them." Jack says through clenched teeth.
Ralph steps up, "I could be chief."
Jack attempts to argue, but looking around at everyone's faces, he chooses to back down.
"Alright, everyone with a show of hands, who prefers Jack as chief!" Nobody listens as commotion increases. "Everybody!"
Ralph notices a platform rock nearby and climbs atop. Jack sees this before anyone despite the commotion.
Ralph licks his lips and blows the conch again. Every boy's head turns or looks up, just about as silent as they could be.
"If you think Jack should be chief raise your hand." Ralph announces. A few of the choir boys raise their hands, Jack flushes, giving glares before looking down. "Give a show of hands if you think I should be chief." Nearly everyone raises their hands. Jack just stands, grey eyes driving holes into the sand.
Ralph smiles down upon this group of unknown boys. Eager of what's to come. He then looks to Jack, looking into the sand, expression unreadable, seemingly deep in thought, and clenching his fists a bit. Ralph looked at him, eager to offer something as to wipe that depressing expression off his face. They're on an island after all,.. right?
"The choir belongs to you, of course." Jack flicks his head up, delight in his eyes, yet has a look of formal content and seriousness. Ralph continues, "They could be the army or hunters—"
"All right. The choir is the army—I mean, the hunters." Jack immediately jumps to rebranding his choir as a military unit.
"That settles it then. This is the first meeting. We’re on an island. We plan to explore but as far as the eye can see, we saw no houses, no smoke, no footprints, no boats, no people. We’re on an uninhabited island with no other people on it. This belongs to us."
Jack looks to Ralph on the rock, he squints scornfully, then relaxes quickly after.
Jack isn't sure what's gonna happen, but he has what he wants, sort of, it's enough, for now.