The Jungle

Chapter 1 - Formality

"Yes, mum. I have everything."

"Are you sure?" She huffed down the phone, "Do you have enough knickers? I remember when your father and I took you to Cyrpus for your 16th birthday and you forgot to bring any! We had to buy you a whole new set!"

"Yes, yes. Alright, mum. No need to bring that up again." I awkwardly laughed with my best friend. She was driving me to the airport and mum was on speaker phone.

"Hi Mrs Reynalds!" She called, I playfully hit her as she giggled at my awkwardness.

"Meggie! How are you, dear?" My mum called back.

"Yes, she's fine mum! Byee!" I rushed, promising myself that I'd text her later.

"Hey! I was talking to mummy Reynalds!" Meggie whined, a smirk stuck on her lips as she turned off the motorway into Heathrow airport carpark.

"Shut up." I scolded.

*

"Hey! I see Bruce!" I told Meggie, tapping her arm as she handed me my suitcase and carry ons.

"Who's Bruce? Is he one of the hot guys who is joining you...?" She asked, yawning at the end of the sentence. It was only then when I realised that I'd got her out of bed at 4am.. oops.

I looked over at Bruce and saw him smiling at me, he must've been at least in his fourties and had a bit of a pop belly. He was the shortest out of all of the men there.

"What? Meggie, he's part of the crew! ...I think. Well, he's helping me anyway." I babble as we walk towards him. Bruce smiles at both of us and bends down to take my suitcase off me.

"This way, Kiera. I'm sorry but your friend can't come any further." He nods, walking towards a door that was hidden behind a help desk.

I turn to Meggie with a huge grin on my face, "I can't frickin' wait! Ah! I'm so excited!"

She smiles too, but it soon fades. "You better not forget me, Kiera. Otherwise I will hunt you down and slap you silly until you do."

I giggle as she hugs me, her brown hair tickling my cheek.

"Don't get all soppy with me!" I growled, "Now get lost, loser."

"Alright, alright I'm going." She walked off towards the exit, turning round to wave once more before she disappeared through the automatic doors.

I looked around me before following Bruce through the hidden door. The room I walk into is wide and plain, another girl is standing in there, leaning against the cool bricked wall.

"Hello?" I ask, turning into this timid thing as I try to understand where I stand with this stranger. Is she a contestant too?

She looks up from her phone, her messy black hair just tickling her shoulders. I was taken aback by how icy her eyes were; almost turquoise.

"Hi," She nods, casually sliding her phone into her trouser pocket. "You're Kiera, aren't you? The fourth girl."

My eyebrows crease, "How do you know?"

She chuckles as she walks over to me, "I kinda did a little creepin' once I found out everyone's names."

My eyebrows crease further, "But you didn't get our last names?"

She chuckles louder this time, " My, you're a very curious one, aren't you?"

I nod, "There's no harm in a little curiosity."

She raises an eyebrow, "No need to act so formal, Keeks. They've paired us together, you know? We're meant to have each other's backs once we hit the jungle." 

Keeks? I guess I have a new nickname...

I nod again, "Right, and how do you know all this?"

"Looked it up, mate. It was on the website, and so was everyone's last names. Only the girls though, for some reason I wasn't able to get onto the boys' page. Cheeky website, they're clever."

I marvel at how confident this girl is, she's almost fearless. 

"What's your name?" I ask, "I don't tend to creep."

She smiles, looking down at me because of her height. She's a good head taller than me. I guess that's what adds to her confidence levels.

"Oh, sorry." She laughs. "I'm Russell."

That's a cool name for a girl.

"Last name?" I counter, smugly staring at her. 

She steps back, "Miley."

I - once again - nod, "Nice to meet you, Russell Miley."

"Again, why so formal?"

I shrug, "I dunno, I guess it's a bit intimidating meeting a total stranger who already knows my name?"

She laughs, holding her hand up for me to high five. "Of course it is, come on. We need to be searched."

She grabs my hand and pulls me through another door, filled with men and women who are dressed up to look like policemen.

It's a bit weird, really. 

Considering I've never been to an airport, let alone flown before.

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Curiosity (from Latin curiosus "careful, dilligent, curious," akin to cura "care") is a quality related to inquisitive thinking such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident by observation in human and many animal species. 

The term can also be used to denote the behavior itself being caused by the emotion of curiosity. As this emotion represents a thirst for knowledge, curiosity is a major driving force.

First chapter done! I hope you like it, I like it :3

I think Russell is going to become one of my most favourite characters I've ever created.

~Jordan x