Trust Me

Unexpected Kindness

Night was falling, the darkness swept across the skies.

“I am staying here so I can keep an eye on you,” the boy said.

“You don’t trust me?” I asked.

“I would definitely trust the mysterious girl who is running away from something,” he said sarcastically.

I started to unpack my small backpack. I lay a beach towel next to a pile of surfboards.

“Could you please buy me something to eat?” I asked as I handed over a small wad of money.

“Why don’t you go buy it?” he asked.           

“I just can’t be found,” I said agitatedly. “You can buy yourself some food with my money, if you want,”

“Okay, I’ll go buy some dinner,” he said. “There’s a hotdog stand nearby, I’ll be back soon.

As soon as the door closed, I pulled out my wallet, took out all of my ID cards and wedged them carefully behind my favourite photo on the wall. No one would ever look for the ID cards there. Next I had to get the boy to trust me. I had to stay hidden and I would do it anyway I could.

The boy ran inside the beach box as soon as I had resumed my position on the ground. He handed me a hotdog and checked his phone. “Damn,” he cursed. “I forgot to tell my family where I was going, my mum is freaking out,” He dialed home and had a heated conversation with his mother.

“Hi Mum… How’s it going? Okay, Mum, I know, I’m really sorry. I’m at Ryan’s house. I’m sorry that I didn’t pick up. I’ll see you tomorrow. Bye.”

“Mothers,” he said exasperatedly as he put the phone on a pile of books.

“Thanks for the hotdog, I think I’ll get some rest now,” I said. The sound of an eerie siren echoed over the beach. The boy stood up.

“I think I should go check that out,” he said as he walked towards the noise. I nodded and as he left the beach box I took the boy’s phone. I copied down his mobile number and then left the phone as it was. Just as I had put his phone down, the boy came back. “It was just some ambulance,” he said.

“Well, anyway, goodnight,” =

“Goodnight um…” he replied. “Wait, I don’t know your name,” I looked around quickly to find a name. Finally I saw a Shakespeare book under his phone.

“My name is Juliette,” I said. “What about you?”

“Jake,” he said.

 I lay down under the sand covered towel and nodded off. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder, shaking me. “Wake up Juliette,” Jake whispered loudly.

“What?” I grumbled. He got up and pointed to a window.

“I can see some people out with flashlights,” he said. I quickly got up and watched nervously at the window. As I saw the blue uniforms, I knew it. The police were searching for me. I had to stay hidden.

“Jake, I think that I should get some rest. I’m kind of sleepy,” I said as my heart began beating fast

“Okay, then. I probably should too, night,” he yawned. Soon Jake was fast asleep; I crept up to the window and covered it with a towel. I didn’t want anyone peeking in. Then I slid under the beach towel and nodded off.

I could feel the heat of the sun before I even woke up. It made my skin feel as if it was on fire. I peered down at the sleeping form of Jake. He didn’t trust me and I didn’t trust him. Well I didn’t trust anyone, so it didn’t really count. How could I trust anyone after what had happened?

Loud voices were coming from the beach. Holidaymakers had already started arriving. All the noise made me nervous, I hated crowds. Jake started to emerge; his eyes were filled with sleep. He looked a wreck.

“What’s that noise?” he sighed loudly.

“The sunseekers,” I said. “You don’t look like you had a good sleep,”

“Well I can hardly say that the floor is comfortable to sleep on,” he said.

I raised my eyebrows, “Well that shows what you’re used to, doesn’t it?”

“I guess it does. Anyway, I gave you one night, you shouldn’t still be here”

“But I have nowhere else to go, please let me stay here,” I pleaded

“How can I trust you?”

“You just have to, please,”

“Fine, one more night then,”

I had to figure out this boy. How could I make him trust me? Trust was my last hope. I couldn’t get caught, not like last time. Jake was sitting on a deck chair inside the beach box, frowning at something on his phone.

“Crap,” he said agitatedly

“What’s up?” I asked anxiously.

“My mate, Ryan is coming over here really soon. If you want to hide, then you better hide quickly,” he said.

“You should have told me earlier,” I said hysterically. Suddenly there was a creak at the door.

I couldn’t do anything; my body was paralyzed in fear. I stood there like a pole, unable to move at all. Just before the door could open anymore, Jake tackled me to the ground.

“How’s it going, Jakester? What are you doing?” Ryan asked as Jake piled surfboards on top of me.

“My ‘rents are going to crack it if they see what a mess this place is,” Jake answered smoothly.

“Yeah, mine too. Did you see Tilly Ottoman today? That girl is sizzling,”

“Yeah, I guess she’s pretty hot. Anyway Ryan, I have some things to do. Maybe we can catch up another time,”

“Okay, but you still owe me that surf,”

“See you later Ryan,”

Jake closed the door cautiously and he walked over to the surfboards where I was hidden. He began to pull the surfboards away from me.

“Are you okay, Juliette?” he asked. As I crawled out of the surfboards, I realized that bruises and cuts covered my arms and legs.

“Well, I guess I’ll be okay. Great tackle by the way,”

“Thanks, but I’m sorry about hurting you, I’ll go get some band aids,” he said with a hint of sympathy in his voice.

I was confused. Why had he saved me from being found? He didn’t trust me. I was a total stranger to him and he thought I was dangerous. Why would he rescue me like that, why?

For once in my life someone had been kind to me.