Castaways Read Free Page A

twenty-one-year-old hairstylist from Los Angeles. Jerry joined them after a moment, sitting cross-legged next to Becka. She wondered if he was being friendly, or just waiting for her decision on forming an alliance.
    Farther up the beach, Roberta joined Pauline in a game of keep away with Troy's hat. The feisty mechanic was frothing now, letting loose with one string of curse words after another. A few feet away, Sal, a stockbroker from Long Island, and Richard, a drummer from a small town in Kansas, were deeply involved in a hushed conversation. Becka wondered if they were scheming about tonight's choice for exile. Both men were in their thirties, and unlike the other contestants, they seemed to have formed a real
    friendship during their time on the island, rather than just an acquaintance of convenience.
    Beyond them were Stefan, Jeff, and Raul. Stefan was originally Welsh, but had moved to the United States several years ago and now worked as a music producer in Nashville. Jeff was an adventure tour guide from Estes Park, Colorado. Along with Jerry, the two were the most physically fit contestants, and therefore among the most formidable in the challenges. Raul, who hailed from Philadelphia, worked in a machine shop.
    And finally, standing apart from the rest of the group was Matthew, a lanky, dirty twenty-eight-year-old from the small town of Red Lion, Pennsylvania. The laconic loner didn't interact much with the other castaways, and his rat-faced features seemed frozen in a perpetual scowl. In Becka's opinion, the only reason he hadn't been exiled yet was because he was so uninvolved with the other players that he was often forgotten when it came time to vote. Currently, he was drawing stick figures in the sand with a six-foot length of bamboo. He'd used the implement as a walking stick since their second day on the island, sharpening one end against the rocks to form a makeshift spear. He took it with him everywhere, even slept with it. Becka had to give him credit, though. Matthew's spear had come in handy a few times. He'd used it to catch fish in some of the island's shallower pools.
    Missing was a girl named Sheila, who had forfeited her position in the game the day before due to a medical emergency. She'd fallen out of a tree while trying to pick coconuts and had broken her leg.
    Unable to compete, she'd decided to quit and was now back on the ship with the other contestants who'd already been exiled. Becka grew maudlin, remembering Sheila. She'd liked her, and although they weren't friends, the two had gotten along well.
    All the contestants did their best to ignore the cameras flitting among them, filming their every word and action. More crew members worked on Roland Thompson's hair and clothing, making sure the host looked his best before going back on camera again. He sat removed from the contestants, occupying a small pavilion above the high-tide line. As a longtime Castaways viewer, Becka was secretly disappointed with Roland. On television, he was charming and witty and handsome. Here, in reality, he was haggard, cranky, and usually sipping a gin and tonic. He stank of cologne, cigar smoke, and sweat. When he was actually on the island, he spent much of his off-camera time hitting on Pauline.
    The beach was noisy. Snatches of conversation blended with the shrieks of seabirds as they circled overhead or darted across the sand looking for crabs. The waves crashed against the shore. Farther inland, the treetops rustled in the breeze.
    As Becka watched, Troy succeeded in reclaiming his hat and gave a victorious, profanity-laden cheer. Pauline began stretching, bending over to touch her toes and then reaching for the sky. She brushed grains of sand from her coffee-colored skin. Becka frowned. Her own skin was blotchy and peeling from overexposure to the elements, while Pauline's stayed smooth and unblemished. As Pauline's acrobatics continued, Raul, Sal, and Richard openly
    leered at her, while Jeff and Stefan