Wanderings ((Ana Lucia))

[James "Sawyer" Ford]

Sawyer wasn't going back to the beach. He had learned his lesson the hard way when he had been bombarded by people, well two people. It was enough to make him go find somewhere else to wander around. The jungle seemed like the only other place to go. There were only so many places to go on an island. Maybe it wouldn't quite be the best place for being alone though. He could track his way well enough and fend for himself, but the place was just a little bit eerie. It felt bigger than it probably was, ad everything looked the same as everything else. Sawyer couldn't decide if he liked it or not.

As he made his way deeper into the jungle, Sawyer thought he heard noises. Like a horror movie, but real. Not a lot about this seemed real anyways. If he had heard someone telling him about this place and what was happening here, he would have laughed in their faces. But here he was, standing in the middle of a jungle wondering if the creaky, drippy, creepy noises were "something" or not. Company wasn't sounding like the worst idea in the world right now. He figured it wouldn't be long before someone came sneaking out of the trees for whatever reason. All he had to do was wait for them to show up.

[Ana-Lucia Cortez]

After being soaking wet from the ocean, Ana-Lucia had found a comfortable spot up in a tree . In the sunlight she draped her towel over a branch and began to throw down mangoes from the trees, proceeding to hop down from branch to branch...until she saw someone. That guy, with the stupid book. She muttered something under her breath and then with one good shot, threw a mango in his direction. "Nice day?" more of a question than a statement, who the hell said the day was nice? Certainly not her. "Get bored of your book?" the Latina asked, leaning from the branch and moved to hang her legs from it, bending at the knees and swung back and forth just hanging there. She would have told him to do something useful, but then again when did Sawyer ever do anything useful?

He'd probably steal her messenger bag or something at the base of the tree. Ana was steamed already, she didn't even want to think about why someone was in her self proclaimed paradise. "Go back to it." leaning her slender body up so she could sit back up on the branch and collect her things, including the towel.

[James "Sawyer" Ford]

Sawyer felt a warm splatter as something...a mango?...bust missed colliding with his face. Had he not turned at just the right moment he would be half knocked out by now. Whoever or whatever was throwing mangoes had damn good aim and speed. Before he got a chance to really react, a familiar face dangled in front of him. He rolled his eyes "Never said it was nice." With a scowl in her direction he turned to continue his walk. Of course this was the company he got. The only person to ever be more irritating than he could be. It was a damn miracle, but one way or another, he would win this battle sort of thing they appeared to be having.

It wasn't hard to see that he was annoying her too. Just by being here he had somehow managed to send her of the edge, not that she was too far away all by herself. Still, it was a new personal best for him. Sawyer annoyed a lot of people, it was the closest thing he had to a hobby, but poor little Ana whatsherface couldn't even let him get to the nicknames before ripping into him. "Right, and I suppose sitting in a tree is really helping everyone out." He scowled at her and sighed, but this time he didn't move. He was going to stand here and annoy her just a little bit more. It would be be fun if she wasn't so annoying herself. Well, it was a little fun. For such a small girl she had a big personality.

[Ana-Lucia Cortez]

Her dark hues glared down at him. "Get lost." was all she muttered, but that's all it took for that one word to nearly get thrown from her rasp of a voice as her booted foot missed a branch and she went toppling onto him. Ana straddled him, her hands just happened to land on his wrists as if shoving them down on the ground. This was an awkward position if there ever was one. She proceeded to get up and off of him, dusting her jeans off as she went. Not even bothering to hold out her hand to help him up. Cortez didn't like him, in fact; she hated him. The way he treated everyone was not even astounding to her. She'd seen it all before. The suave guys, the way they wanted to get into girls pants and the little things they'd say.

Damn. Her towel had been left on the top branch. She folded her arms across her chest, olive colored hands moving to her hair now to put her dark curls into a low ponytail. The girl had bet her life that he probably didn't even know her name. Two could play this game. Eyeing him, seeing if he'd try to make a move when she tried to get off of him.

[James "Sawyer" Ford]

Sawyer hardly realized what had happened until the girl was on top of him. Not what he had been expecting at all, but he could learn to adapt. There were worse things that could have happened, much worse things. Up close he could see that she was actually pretty. Loose brown curls framed her surprisingly soft features. Still, he wasn't fooled into thinking this was all just some big act. One glance at her expression gave her away. In any case, he could get used to having her on top of him, though thinking about it sent a small twinge of guilt through him. It wasn't like he owed freckles anything, but he couldn't get her out of his mind....Though she was doing a decent enough job. But he wasn't going to be the one to tell her that.

He was almost sorry when she climbed off of him, but it was still an awkward situation. "Damn, didn't think you liked me that much." he smiled his most charmingly cocky smile, knowing that he would further irritate and embarrass her. He was close to awkward himself, but being the guy in the situation helped that out. He wanted to see just how she would make her way out of that one. Sawyer knew it had been an accident, but it didn't mean he couldn't tease her to death about it.

[Ana-Lucia Cortez]

"I don't." the brunette shot back, finally standing up on her own two feet and eyed him for a long while. "Surprised you're not out here with your girlfriend." her husky voice exhaled. Moving around him as she bent over to grab onto a mango, shoving it in the nearby messenger bag and started putting the rest in there. Some of the boys in the school used mangoes to bet on things in a game of cards or poker. But not Ana-Lucia. Nope, she had made her own little home out here in the trees, and sometimes even brought back some fruit with her to her 'dorm'. The young woman looked in back of her as she leaned down into a squat to count the mangoes. Her gaze lost within his blue eyes. A woman could get lost in those eyes.

Damn it.

No.

Snap out of it! Quickly counting the rest of the mangoes, which seemed to take her all of one minute (there was four for God sakes) she hoisted the messenger bag up onto her shoulder and saluted him snidely.

"See ya'." hoping he'd further annoy her, she couldn't get the towel down from the tree today...not unless she wanted a repeat of what happened before.

[James "Sawyer" Ford]

She wasn't going to get out of it that easily. Still, she was a worthy opponent, or counterpart, or whatever. Sawyer was out of his element with this one. He was used to getting his way pretty fast, girls usually like the whole "arrogant, but sweet" thing. Just because he had no idea what it was that he wanted exactly, didn't mean that he didn't want to have whatever it was that he wanted be an option...He was confusing himself by this point, but the whole thing was, she wasn't going to be able to walk away. "Leaving so soon? We were just getting friendly." His eyes glinted with mischief as he ambled behind her. Maybe he was getting a little stalkerish now, but he wasn't done with her.

He wondered if she was just good at hiding what it was she really wanted. What she should want, was him. He had that much figured out. It was stupid that she wouldn't just admit it. Stupid, but entertaining. Sawyer realized he was having a good deal of fun with this. More fun than wandering around in a Jungle had to offer. "What do you need so many mangoes for anyways?" Dumb question, but it would be enough to keep up some conversation. He would have to think up some excuse for asking though, if he wasn't letting her get away with anything, she was going to return the favor.

[Ana-Lucia Cortez]

"What's it to you?" Ana-Lucia asked, shouldering her bag once more to make sure the messenger bag stayed in place. Finally, her petite body stopped and she eyed him. "Why are you following me?" those coal-like hues staring right at him, as if to his soul. He didn't seem like a bad kid, guy... guy-kid. Whatever he was, he was handsome and he didn't deserve her. Next!. Still confrontation was following her every move, it was hidden in the jungle and in the trees. She could feel it. Cortez whirled her body all the way around, flipping the strap of the messenger bag over herself instead of her shoulder so that she had more room to fold her arms across her chest. Foot in a fighting stance.

"What do you want?"

It was pretty simple what he wanted. To drive her up a tree. She muttered something underneath her breath, if he knew Spanish he'd hear 'loco' and that was that. She had school to get back to, had to at least study something and get to her dorm. Put the mangoes away. Beat whatever they were givng them at what she called 'Otherville'. Why was it The Others to her? Because she didn't belong to them, she didn't belong with them. They were The Others. She was an outsider it felt like.

She didn't belong with anyone.

[James "Sawyer" Ford]

He rolled his eyes. Really, Sawyer didn't care what she wanted all those mangoes for, he just wanted to annoy her. "We're on an island sweet cheeks, can't have you takin' up all our food supply can we now?" It was a complete lie. Sawyer, and everyone else knew that food and whatever got flown in, or was farmed in plentiful quantity. There was no way anything anyone did, except maybe torching the place could strip them of any sort of significant food supply. Still, it was the best response to grate her nerves just a little bit more. He could tell she was probably going to try and hit him soon. He didn't care, and knew it would be easy enough to fight her off. She was just so damn little.

"I want plenty of things..." He trailed off, almost hearing her snap. He wasn't sure how long he could keep this up with a straight face. Though, she was intimidating, he was over confidant enough to not be worried about it. He didn't hit girls, but he could just tell that she hit guys. Maybe he would have to make an exception if things got too out of hand with her. He wasn't going to be proud of it, but on the off chance that she was truly as hard ass as she acted, he had something to worry about. Sawyer felt bad thinking about it, but not quite bad enough to rule it completely out. It would be a last resort though.

Sawyer was always the first to admit that he did a lot of terrible things, and right now he wasn't eager to add to that list. But this girl had the look about her. Like someone who would go a few steps further than knives in her pockets.

[Ana-Lucia Cortez]

Immediately the teenager whirled on her heel and stalked towards him. "What did you just call me?" she growled. Her hands formed into fists at her sides. Ana didn't look pleased. Of course that was when he had said he wanted alot of things. She knew exactly what things he wanted and she was not amused. The brunette reeled back a fist and punched him in the lower jaw, waiting for his reaction to see if she missed or hit the bulls eye. Game. Set. Match. These two were a match made in hell. Cortez knew that her 'mango hoarding' wouldn't do anything for the island considering they did have food that was grown, they had crops and livestock. Hell, she was afraid they'd poison her. Especially after running into Ben that day.

He scared her. Not in the scary sense, but in the creepy sense. "Call me that again." she muttered. She liked him. And the girl wouldn't be the first to tell you that, on the contrary...she wouldn't tell you anything considering she kept to herself and was a loner. Ask her that question? Well you'd get her fist in your face.

[James "Sawyer" Ford]

Sawyer barely had time to see it coming. He had finally driven the girl to her breaking point. "Son of a bitch!" he yelled seconds after as a tiny but powerful fist collided with his jaw. Well, he had done a damn good job of pissing her off, but now the game wasn't fun anymore. Now he was pretty much just mad too. "What the hell was that?!" He had it coming, and being punched had definitely been a predicted move, but he was still pissed off about it. He had expected her to hit like a normal girl. Which was, admittedly still painful, but less...manly....than that. He hissed rubbing his jaw, wondering if there would be a bruise left over from it.

Sawyer looked up at Ana Lucia. "What, don't like your little nickname?" He said with a sneer. "To big and bad for that, Ana Lulu?" He had a thousand nicknames prepared for almost anyone. it was like a trademark. Also it was easier than remembering anyone's real name, and more fun than using it if he did remember. He full well knew Ana Lucia's name, but it was mostly, fun to watch her get huffy. It took all of his restraint not to hit her right back. He almost did, if for no other reason than instinct. In all of his life, he had never been brought hit a girl in a fight. Sure he had knocked a few out for various purposes, all involving cash, but that was different.

It wouldn't take much convincing to drive him over the edge, but still he didn't have the good sense to stop taunting her. At this point he was just doing it to get back at her. She deserved each and every little mean or jackass thing he said now. He was going to make her pay for that, one way or another. Still, it was kind of hot. Nothing like a woman who could throw a good punch. He just would have appreciated it if it hadn't been a punch at him.

[Ana-Lucia Cortez]

"Not the nickname." the girl shook her hand lightly, she wasn't afraid to get down and dirty..but God that hurt. Honeyed gaze looked at him long and hard. "Why are you followin' me?" she barked at him, distaste clearly in her eyes and tone. "Yeah, thought so. " turning to walk away, he could look at her ass for all she cared. Cortez whirled on her heel however and then looked at him up and down.

"I won't hit you anymore... if you help me." oh ho, was she trying to con the con boy? "Do you know...why we're on this island?" furrowing her brows as she took in an inhale of tropical air and got closer to him, so they were face to face. "What he truly does." blinking as she thought more and more about it. "This place gives me the creeps." as if finally letting go of some of her anger. "You look like...a cowboy to me. That's your nickname." arching both brows.

"Sure you have plenty of em' for me." the tomboy scoffed and leaned into him looking like she might kiss him, but instead spoke. "Watch your back." and leaned back, ebony curls fell in her face from the flimsy elastic that she had put in her hair. She cursed mentally at the fact that she wasn't girlie enough to do her own hair right. Her locks were too long, too wavy and all together too thick and a pain in her ass.

"Around him I mean." her gaze averted to the jungle floor. "Nothin' to do around here...is there?"

[James "Sawyer" Ford]

Damn she was good! By now he couldn't tell if he was pissed off or turned on. He knew he was both, but he had no idea which one was winning that battle. He was running out of excuses though. Sawyer had no reason to be following her at all other than that he was bored. But that wasn't going to cut it. It sounded pathetic, not manly. And he would be damned if he came off as anything less than rugged and manly. That was the whole image had had made for himself, and some little girl wasn't going to let some little girl ruin that. She was nothing significant. Just another girl. Just like all the other girls here.

"Well yippee-ki-ay." Sawyer kind of liked his new nickname. He wasn't going to be the one to tell her that, but he liked it. "Maybe I do know, wouldn't tell you now would I? Then you wouldn't be all cute and mad." She wasn't going to like that. Girls like her hated to be mocked for being cute when they were mad. They all wanted to be taken seriously and be tough and bad-ass. It rarely worked. For her, it did though. Mostly. He could see the cracks in the persona, but she was holding up.

He paused, waiting for the moment to pass. She had managed to take it that extra step. A move he wouldn't have been able to pull off. Sometimes the girl always got the upper hand. He would get it back, but it wasn't going to be easy. "Well, I can think of a few good things." Sawyer made that sound as suggestive as possible. She wouldn't miss it anyways, but nothing wrong with adding a little extra emphasis.