the wilds • toni shalifoe

Day Sixteen

"The brave young women whose tale of struggle and survival has gripped the nation. The Unsinkable Nine, as we have come to know them. Ladies, you must have dreamed of coming home for so long. Now that you're here, what do you want to do most?" The This Morning America news woman spoke.

"Honestly, smoke about a hundred cigs, you know? Like, really rip through a carton or two," Dot responded. "Okay, how about the rest of you?"

"I don't know; maybe hit up the OG for a never ending pasta bowl and just get back to our real lives," Toni answered.

Lana glanced at Toni wondering what that would even mean for her. What would she be getting back to? A broken family that disguises their problems with money, a newfound understanding of her sexuality that she won't be able to reveal back home, and friends who don't really give a shit about her.

Being on a deserted island sucks, but does it suck more than what she'd be going back home to?

Lana was pulled out of her thoughts after tuning out most of the conversation when Fatin spoke. "I'm going to fuck the rowdiest guy with the biggest duck as soon as I fucking can."

Everyone turned their heads to face the girl wearing a pink, fuzzy jacket. "I don't think you can say that on live TV," Leah chuckled.

"Okay, make it more media-friendly," Fatin cleared her throat, holding up the hairbrush to her mouth that mimicked a microphone. "I am going to fornicate with the healthiest penis I can find ASAP."

"Alright, I wanna change my answer. You remember that guy that I was telling you about?" Dot directed to Fatin.

"Nurse Mateo Caliente?" She said with an accent. "I'm 100% going to jump him as soon as I see him," Dot laughed making Lana crack a smile for the first time all day.

"Atta girl. While we're work shopping our responses, you wanna work on that emo shit show of yours?" Leah was called out.

"Was it maybe not that great?" "Leah, you are going to be trending. Romeos from all over the world are going to be blowing up your dms."

Lana tuned back out of the conversation wondering what it would be like with Ryan. She told herself she'd break up with him when she got back, but if she wasn't going to be with Toni, and there was no way she could be with a girl in general as long as she lived under her parents roof, maybe she should just stay with him?

"We're going home, bitches!" Martha held up the bottle of vodka. The girls laughed, excited but Shelby and Lana stayed quiet.

Shelby walked away from the group, so Lana decided it would be a good time to go after her. She walked up to her sitting on a rock.

"I know you probably don't want to talk to me right now, but we're gonna have to at one point. Might as well get it over with," Lana referred to the kiss with Toni, sitting down next to Shelby.

"I'm scared too, terrified even, to go back home now that I've revealed that... part of myself. It was easier to just act like it wasn't there when we were in Texas. Now, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with myself. I know it's the same for you too. You kissed Toni just in the heat of the moment when she said to take advantage of the situation, and now you're kinda screwed over because of course we are getting saved any minute. The point is, you aren't alone in this, because I feel the exact same way. I'd tell you some shit about "being yourself" or "pray to the Lord", but honestly I feel like we're stuck in a problem there is no solution to," Lana's eyes filled with tears as she concluded her monologue.

"There's something I never told you," Shelby spoke up getting her attention. "Becca's death, it was my fault." Lana's eyebrows were furrowed at what her childhood best friend meant.