Way And Direction

Chapter 10

"ELLIE!!" shouted a voice from behind her. She was sitting on the sand and was enjoying the breeze. Startled, she sighed and replied.

"Richard Russell." He laughed.

"You know my voice too well now. Might I say you've added it into long term memory?" he said as he sat down next to her.

She chuckled and then asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"But I asked first."

"But I could. I didn't say I am."

She looked at him disapprovingly and he couldn't help but laugh and commend himself on his 'amazing' humor.

"I come here a lot. My best friend is a photographer so he takes a whole lot of ocean images, so I come around here often. Funny I've never seen you around here before," he asked while playing with the sand.

"I'm not laughing," she said in a straight tone.

"Huh?" he was confused.

"You said it's funny, I'm not laughing," she said and succeeded in holding her laughter in.

"That is -" he paused, "One of the worst comebacks I've ever heard," and he burst out in laughter, wiping his fake tears in amusement.

She started laughing too and said, "Well you're not the only one with a bad sense of humor. But to justify your statement, well it seems you just didn't notice stuff."

He chuckled.

He looked at her and noticed how simple she was, yet how she shined. Her white long-sleeved top, and her denim jeans, her hair opened, her beautiful eyes, he noticed everything.

He got back to the conversation,"Don't you want to get into the water?"

She flashed a shocked, frightened, yet trying-to-act-confident face. "No, no I'm fine."

"Are you scared?" he laughed.

"No, not at all!" she exclaimed.

He was struck with laughter and she was so irritated by him laughing like a hyena next to her.

"Cut it out, will you?" she asked.

"Okay," he tried catching his breath, "Okay okay. But why don't you just try to dip your leg in atleast? It will be nice, trust me."

"No-" she stopped.

She didn't trust anyone besides her Dad but she didn't know what stopped her from telling him that she didn't trust him. Maybe she did.

"Not something I'd want to try anyway. You don't have to go into the water to enjoy the beach vibes," she said in a matter-of-factly tone.

"Okay Ellie McAllen, you just tell me when you want to go, and I'll take you and support you. Cheer you on, I'm very motivational," he said and chuckled.

She laughed too. They'd only met a few weeks ago, yet it felt like they've known each other for years.

"Ellie Poppy McAllen," she said out of the blue. Upon saying this, she felt as if a huge weight had been removed from her mind.

"Wait. You have a second name? Why didn't you tell me?" he was enthusiastic as well as disappointed.

When they were together, they experienced so many emotions at once. It became hard to distinguish what they were feeling exactly.

"Trust issues," she replied and turned her gaze back to the ocean.

"So I take it that you now trust me?" he said teasingly.

She laughed, he was an amusing being.

"No. I don't trust you fully. But I trust you enough to tell you my full name."

He shrugged. "Alright Poppy."

She smiled at that statement, at how he just suddenly started to call her by her second name, and how she liked it.

"Alright Mr Russell."

He smiled too, at how she suddenly started to call him in that way, and how he liked it.

"My mum didn't die," she said.

This made Richard turn and look straight at her, but he didn't say anything.

"They found out I was blind, or visually impaired, " she imitated Richard.

"A few weeks after I was born, and she left."

There was a silence for a second, before Richard blurted out, "I think her brain was impaired."

They laughed and Ellie was once again happy he knew when to say what.

"Do you realise the person who you didn't trust enough seconds ago is the same person you're telling a personal story to? Ironic," he said and snickered.

"Actually I don't know why I told you this. But be happy with random information," she laughed and got to her feet.

"Going now?" he asked, also getting up whilst they dusted themselves from the sand.

"I've got to go. Dad will be waiting," she said and shook his hand. She took out her stick, turned around, and started to walk.

"Hey Poppy," he called out.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for trusting me."

She didn't reply.

But she smiled.