Half the world away

Chapter 18

Ruby

The days kept rolling into weeks, I could hardly keep up. It felt like time was just slipping through my fingers to quickly to even try to grab onto it. My uncles words span around my head and I knew I had to make a choice of what to I was going to do. But the more I thought about it the more confused I felt.

Sammy had been there for me when he didn't even know the cause of my anxiety and now he's helped me over come it and so much more, he's helped me come back into myself. To not be afraid to try.

The only thing scaring me right now was the decision I have to make. It was like I was at a crossroads; one direction was Sammy and the amazing people I'd met here. And the other side was the life or lack of life I'd left in London. Even though I feel more at home here than I have done in any place in years I just couldn't workout what to do.

It was still early and Sammy was working down on the beach. As I rolled over and looked it my phone I sighed seeing the date. In 2 days time I'd be on a plane out of here. And I was terrified.

Rolling out of bed I went and got in the shower hoping the cool water would help wash away the clouded thoughts fogging up my brain. It didn't. If anything it was more clouded than the bathroom mirror.

I got dressed and picked my phone up, everyone was working today everyone accept Jesse. Shrugging I called him hoping he'd pick up.

"Hey Rubes, what's up?" His bright voice came over the phone making me smile.

"Hey Jess? You busy?" I asked him as I picked at a loose thread on my shorts

"Never to busy for you." He said with a laugh making me laugh too.
"Want me to come pick you up?" He said after a moment.

"Yeah sure, where'd you wanna go?" I asked him.

"Just grabbed a board and meet me out front in 5." He said brightly.

"Jesse wait-" but he'd hung up before I could finish.

Typical.

I got up from the chair went inside slipping my bikini and wetsuit top, pulled my shorts back on and went out front to meet Jesse, he hadn't got here yet so I took the time to pick a board from Sammy's collection. I scanned them all until my eyes fell on a vintage Stewart Mercy short board at the back of the stack. A smile came across my face when I pulled it out. My uncle had a similar Mercy longboard when I was growing up and seeing Sammy had a Mercy hidden in his collection just made me inexplicably happy.

"RUBY!" I heard my name shouted from the street.

Turning I saw Jesse stood on the seat of his open top safari grinning at me like an idiot. I smiled back and locked the front door, grabbed the board and my bag and went over to the car.

"Hey Jess." I said climbing in the passenger seat after putting my board in the back next to his.

"Damn I haven't seen Sammy use the Mercy in years." He said smiling like he had an idea when he saw the board.

"So where we going?" I asked him as clicked my seatbelt in and turned to face him.

Jesse just grinned and ran his tattooed hand through his wavy hair and pulled his dark sunglasses over his clear crystal like eyes and put the car in gear.
"It's a secret." He laughed.

"You're shit with those ya know." I laughed as he pulled out of Tamarama and headed north.

I hadn't been this far from Bondi yet and I was wondering where exactly Jesse was taking me to. It wasn't a long drive around a half hour at most when the car finally stopped just off of Carington Parade. Jesse hopped out and grabbed both boards and handed me mine with a smile.