Trust Me

Chapter 4

I reached the courtyard in the middle of it was a giant fountain and sitting on the edge was the boy who I’d seen at dinner, playing the beautiful guitar music I couldn’t stop looking for. Even though it wasn’t my father it still gave me a sense of comfort just listening to it. I glanced at the time on my phone curfew was in a half an hour so I had time to listen for a little while before I had to head back. I sat on the opposite edge of the fountain facing the way I came closing my eyes and listening to the sweet music, every so often a song would stop and another would start. Then all of a sudden I realized there were tears streaming down my face. When did I start crying? And more importantly why was I crying? The music then suddenly stopped. Oh no I could not let someone see me crying, I put my hands over my face hoping he’d get the clue and leave me alone. I heard soft footsteps coming towards me, I was hoping his dorm was this way and that he wasn’t actually coming towards me when the footsteps stopped, “You okay?” a concerned voice came from above me.

“Yeah fine,” I said standing up and brushing by him, wiping the tears away hoping he didn’t see.

 “Wait no you’re not your crying. What’s wrong?” The worry in his voice was overwhelming, almost like he really cared, almost like I could trust him.

 Oh what but I can’t because every time I do I always get hurt. In middle school,  years after my mom and dad had adopted me I made some friends who I thought I could trust and well were my friends, I was wrong… Once they had found about my past, about living in an orphanage and being adopted I was never looked at the same again. The whole story never came out about my parents dying in a car crash, before the bullying all started.

 I was told every single day, “Your parents didn’t ever love you they never wanted you, that’s why you were given away.”

Then there was my nickname they made up for me and taunted me with all throughout the hallways and everywhere they saw me, “Little Orphan Ava”. Even though I knew the things they were saying weren’t true it still hurt and scarred me forever. It was bad enough losing them but then being bullied about it made it ten times worse. I came home crying everyday feeling horrible about myself, feeling like I wasn’t good enough and that’s why no one had wanted me for those two years. I just don’t trust people anymore all because of three little girls who were my “friends”.

“I don’t want to talk about it”, I called over my shoulder walking away.

 “You can trust me,” I could hear the pleading in his voice even though I couldn’t see his face.

Those four little words made me stop in my tracks “How do I know I can? I just met you,” I said staring into his eyes.

 A look of worry spread across his face, “I know I’m just some random stranger, but please just let me try and understand. I want to take all the pain and sadness away you don’t deserve to be so upset. I know life isn’t fair but whatever you’re going through you shouldn’t have to carry it on your own.”

I looked up into his eyes then down at the sidewalk, “I don’t trust people…” I said so quietly I wasn’t sure if he’d even heard me.

“Please!” I looked up at him this time his eyes were pleading with me.

All I could think was Ava don’t do this don’t trust him don’t fall for this stupid little act of his, but how could you pretend to care that much. The other half of my brain was thinking Ava trust him look he cares and wants to help you, just tell him.

“Fine,” I said sighing. We walked to sit under a tree; in the soft green grass and I  picked up a stick and started fiddling with it.

 “So why are you crying?” he said gently wiping my tears with the tips of his fingers.

Through the sobs I slowly told him about my parents dying in the crash, stirring up the memories again hurt like hell and made me lose it at times. When I did he would sit their patiently and rub back gently as I shook from crying so hard. I felt dizzy from all the emotions running through my head. I slowly continued to tell him about how he was playing his guitar earlier had reminded me of my dad when I was little and the happy memories of the past with them. I started to tell him about being bullied at school by the mean girls and all the pain they had caused me, when I choked on my tears. Finally I managed to get it out; all the while Cody sat there quietly while I talked listening intently.

When I finished he looked at me, “no beautiful girl deserves that much hurt and pain.”

 Did I hear him wrong? Did he really just call me beautiful? I looked at him and smiled ever so slightly. I still couldn’t believe I just told him all of that to a complete stranger.

He must have seen that expression flash across my face, “Its ok I’m glad you told me Ava, and I hope it made you feel better. I want to be there for you and I’m not just saying that I mean it.”

 “Thank you,” I whispered.

“But wait how do you know my name?” I realized after a moment that we had never introduced ourselves.

“Well I’m just going out on a limb here but it says Ava on your bracelet,” he said gently touching my charm bracelet that I always wore as good luck.

“Oh yeah,” I said feeling kind of stupid and laughed awkwardly.

We sat there in silence enjoying each other’s company me still wondering how I decided to come to let myself to trust this guy obviously I didn’t fully trust him because like I said I just don’t trust people especially guys. Yeah I told him all this but just as a friend but then again I don’t tell just anyone this stuff either so I don’t know what he is to me now or how I feel about all this. My thoughts were interrupted when my phone started nosily vibrating in my pocket I pulled it out to just check who it was from not necessarily sure if I was going to read the message or not but when I saw it was from Kai I figured it maybe something important so I should. Curfew in 10 mins where r u? After all of this I had kind of forgotten where I was and what time it was, none of that had really mattered at the time until now.

I looked over to him where he was sitting with his eyes closed, I gently touched his arm, “we need to go curfew in ten minutes,” as soon as I finished his gorgeous blue green eyes popped open.

 “Did you say ten minutes? We better go then and we’ll probably have to run if we’re going to make it on time,” he grabbed his guitar in one hand and my hand in the other and pulled me up.

 We sprinted down the cobblestones as fast as we could towards our dorms, I ran for fun a lot but not like this I had to try and keep up and was panting once we got to the break in the path. We didn’t have much time to say a very long goodbye or we won’t make it.

“Nice meeting you and hope to see you around Ava,” he said in his sweet British accent.

 “Oh by the way the names Cody.”

“Bye Cody and thank you for all of your help tonight and listening to a complete stranger vent their heart out.”

 Bye we yelled at the same time then sprinted towards our dorms. I ran up the steps quickly still panting as I went and my calves now aching. I kept hoping that I would make it on time but I wasn’t going to take the time to check the time on my phone.

Keep reading my darlings! Hope you love it! Please comment and vote! What do you think of Cody? Do you think Ava can trust him? Does he truly mean it or do you think he's just faking it so he can hook up with her?