Don't Lie to Me

Chapter 4

~Elle~

He looked lost, but at the same time, it didn’t seem like he wanted to go anywhere. I sat down next to him, introduced myself and just stared out to the sea, enjoying his quiet presence.

“My name is Mikhail. I don’t really live near here, but I needed a break. You’ve got a nice house.”

I nodded glancing at my little cabin nestled on the sand.

“Yes, I love it. Just me and my mom.”

Mikhail nodded glancing at my house then back at me.

“Your parents divorced?”

I shook my head slowly, thinking through my response.

“No, my dad left before I was born. I never met him.”

My mom never told me anything about my dad except that he wasn’t like anyone else and his name was Jon. He had told my mom that he wouldn’t stay with her but that he would come back someday. I didn’t mind. I loved my mom, and I loved living with just her.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I never met either of my parents. I’ve been jumping from foster home to foster home my whole life.”

He didn’t look at me when he said this but the expression on his face told me he didn’t care what I thought.

I looked at him more closely now. He had short brown hair, similar color to mine that contrasted with his gray eyes. He had strong features and long legs and arms, wrapped around him.

I sat silently for a minute, mulling over his words. He seemed to be fine with the silence, not expecting anything different. I smiled to myself.

Silence.

~Mikhail~

She seemed unfocused, but relaxed. I smiled to myself. I didn’t feel anything but calm. I never talked this much to anyone. I hated using my words on people, changing their minds and shifting their positions. I felt too much control. But she was different. She wasn’t under my control.

She looked over at me, catching me staring at her. She smiled, her eyes shining. I smiled back hesitantly. Something about her smile reminded me of a deep memory. Why was it so familiar?

“So how old are you?”

She looked curious, but in a vague way, as if she was just trying to make casual conversation. I looked back towards the sea, still trying to think who she reminded me of.

“Eighteen last February. You?”

I glanced at her. She looked not much younger than me. She had a face that showed old wisdom, but a certain youthfulness also shone through her features.

“Sixteen in 2 weeks.”

I blinked. Sixteen? She seemed at least a year older than that.

Elle laughed at my expression nodding her head and turning her body towards me.

“Yes I know, I look older than I am, I hear that a lot.”

I smiled at her, enjoying her laugh bouncing through the air, creating a space in the silence. It was beautiful.

~

Four hours later, I found myself sitting at a table with two complete strangers. I was laughing at a story Elle’s mother was telling, smiling like an idiot. I had never felt this way before. It was always silence, always expectations. I was familiar with sitting with complete strangers, eating there food, but I was not familiar with enjoying it.

Elle looked over at me and smiled.

“So where do you live currently?”

I looked down at my plate scrapped clean of any food. It seemed too empty.

“I’m actually on the run from my foster family. I couldn’t stand living with them one more minute, so I left. I was living off of the little money I got from a part time job I have in the city.”

Elle gave me a shocked look. I could tell she couldn’t imagine living by herself on what little money she had. It wasn’t easy either. I often didn’t get a full meal for fear of not being able to pay the hotel bill.

“That is ridiculous. A boy your age shouldn’t have to make his own living so soon. I think you need to stay here. You can sleep on the couch and eat with us.”

Elle looked at her mother, obviously pleased with the idea.

“Yes, and he could help in the shop if he needs a job couldn’t he?”

I looked at each of them, already excited at the prospect. I shifted in my chair uneasily.

“I don’t know. You barely know me.”

They wouldn’t listen though. They assured me that everything would work out perfectly and that it was going to be great. But they didn’t understand. They didn’t know me, what I was capable of. The reason I was kicked out of all those foster homes.

~Elle~

He looked nervous. But he didn’t understand that this would be good for him. I knew he wasn’t lying when he said he was living by himself. It shocked me, forcing pity upon him.

I liked him. He was calm. The voices dulled when he was around, not creating a reason for more to join them. He was honest.

I could tell however there was something he was keeping from me. From himself. He was scared of something. There was a reason he was pushed from foster home to foster home.

I shrugged. He needed a place to stay, and he could stay here. What could go wrong?

~

I woke up the next morning, staring at the fuzzy image of a teenage boy lying on my couch. I smiled. He had gotten all his stuff last night from his hotel and had moved into her couch. He looked so happy, so relaxed. The glimmer of doubt that was playing on his features the nigh before vanished after hours of sleep.

I shook him gently, jolting him awake, accidentally falling off the couch.

I laughed at his dazed expression, helping him up.

“You have to be at the shop in an hour. You are going to work in my mom’s flower shop until you can find a better job.”

He nodded and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

I turned around, grabbed some clothes and headed towards the bathroom. I came out 10 minutes later, looking slightly more refreshed. I walked into the kitchen, eyeing the note that my mom left me on the table.

“Elle,

Tell Mikhail to be at the shop at 7:30, I have a good day planned for him.

-Mom”

I smiled and glanced behind me at Mikhail’s long form struggling through his sleep to get ready.

I glanced at the answering machine, noticing that a red light was flashing, indicating that there was a message waiting to be heard. I pressed the play button and waited.

“Umm..Hi Rachel...This is Jon. I know it’s been a while, but I have to see you sometime soon. It’s important. It’s about Elle. So call me back at this number as soon as you can.”

The beep sounded, piercing through my thoughts.

My dad wanted to talk to my mom. About me.

What was going on?

~~~

Hey guyss so here is chapter 4 finally =) thanks for reading! Developing Mikhails character a bit, I hope you like him! Also let me know if u have any questions! it might be a bit confusing.... As always, read and comment! Thanks!