Half the world away

Chapter 16

Ruby

It'd been a little over 3 weeks since the bbq at Jesse and Danny's place. Things with Sammy and I were still confusing me. We'd kissed a total of 3 times now, sleep in. The same bed almost every night yet I still have no clue what's going on.

He was working all day along with both the twins and Stevie until 6pm. So I was in my own for the first time in a little while. But I didn't mind, 3 years of shutting myself away made it easy and comfortable almost to be alone. It gave me time to think. Think about all the mess of thoughts floating around my head.

As I lay on one of the reclined deck chairs in the garden I thought of what I used to do when I had no idea what to do or think. Getting up from the chair I went inside and picked up my phone, and called a number I hadn't done in years. I bit nervously on my lip as the dial tone rang out in my ears.

"Hello?" The familiar voice came over the line.

"Hey uncle Owen." I said after taking a deep breath.

My uncle and I hadn't spoken since the accident, he felt guilty that the one day he wasn't at the beach, was the day I went under. And I hadn't spoken to him for the pure fact it felt to painfully speaking to the man that gave me surfing when he thought he was the one who consequently took it away from me.

"Ruby? That really you?" I heard his voice crack a bit as he asked.

"Yeah it's me. I miss you." I confessed without thinking about it.

"I miss you too kid. What's with the call?" He asked me sounding happier.

Taking a deep breath I told him about Sammy, about how I went back in the water and how lost I feel when it comes to the thought of going home. He was quite for a moment after I told him everything.

"Sounds like you're at a bit of a cross roads kid." He sighed with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah you could say that." I said matching his tone.

"Do you remember the first time I got you out on a board? And how excited you were. But under that you were scared about doing the wrong thing?" He asked me.

I smiled recalling the memory of my first wave.

"Yeah of course I do, but why?" I asked him.

"Do you remember what I said to you before you paddled out?" He said softly.

My memory can be a little fuzzy on small details thanks to the head injury. But I'd never forget this.

"Yeah, you said; turn your mind off, don't over think it just go. Trust your instincts." I said as softly as he spoke to me.

"That's right, that didn't just apply to the surf. It goes for every aspect of your life." He said kindly.
"Being brave isn't supposed to be easy Rubes if it was everyone would do it. But when adventure calls you have to answer." He finished.

And he was right, I could shy away from life or grab it.

"Thanks uncle Owen." I said gratefully before we wrapped up the call.

I sighed feeling a bit calmer in myself after talking to my uncle. But I still didn't know what to do. I went into my room and changed into a pair of denim shorts and Sammys hoodie over my bikini. Pulled on my converse and headed out of the house grabbed the longboard and headed down to Bondi actually knowing the way this time.

It didn't take long until I was skating down the packed promenade towards the tower. I could see Stevie and West in one of the buggy's and Danny standing on the beach putting In new swim flags. But I didn't see Jesse or Sammy. On the sand, guessing they were in the tower I went over and quietly opened the door.

"So you figured out what you're gonna do about Ruby yet?" I heard Jesse ask Sammy.

They hadn't heard me come in and I felt guilty about eavesdropping but I couldn't help it as I stayed hidden at the bottom of the stairs out of sight.

"No, it's driving me mad mate." Sammy said in an exhale.

I wondered what they were talking about exactly but I got a strange feeling as I waited to hear what was said next.

"Longer you hold off the worse it's gonna get ya know." Jesse said in reply.

"I know." Sammy groaned.
"But I can't, it could ruin everything and you know that."

I got a huge sinking feeling in my chest, it almost felt like I was back under water.

"True but she's smart, she'll work out something's off in seconds. That's if she hasn't clocked you acting differently already." Jesse said.

I couldn't listen anymore, as I spun and went back out to the door dropping the board down I skated back up towards Sammy's house.

Sammy had been acting differently, he was a little jumpy around me. He would give me looks that I couldn't understand even if there was a written description. I began replaying the last few weeks in my head trying to figure it out. But I couldn't, when I stopped at Sammys house I grabbed one of the many boards that lay around the yard.

Carrying it into the garden I waxed it down putting all the emotion to the back of my mind as i rubbed the block of wax rhythmically up and down the board. And grabbed the key to Sammy's truck. I dropped the board in the back and hopped in. Letting the radio drown out the thoughts in my head as I head back down to Bondi.

Parking the car outside of Saltys I pulled off my shorts and the hoodie I'd borrowed from Sammy and left them in the truck. Pulled on the wetsuit Gina gave me, I grabbed the board and ran down to the beach.

The waves were huge today clearing the water of most beach goers. I didn't stop as I ran down the sand and threw the board in the water and started paddling out into the deep water. I looked out at the huge swell rolling in.

Taking a deep breath I let the calm of the ocean provides wash over me. As the wave neared I paddled with it. Catching. It perfectly as the water sprayed from under the board and the tube the crashing water created and it was freeing. I glided smoothly without the water. But my looking back to shore for a moment I saw Sammy standing on the balcony of the tower watching me.

Distracted by him and the thoughts that I'd tried to pushback rushed in and clouded my mind. I felt myself slip and in seconds I was off the board and under the wave. I tried to kick for the surface but there was an immense pain in my heel.

Shit.