A World Without Trust

Chapter Five

My body was screaming at my brain to fall back into the deep sleep I had just avoken from, but I couldn’t stop thinking about my brother. It was just one of those nights, so I told Harry to get some sleep and took over his job as bodyguard.

I have mixed feelings about Ashton as I sit there watching him fall in and out of sleep. He seems trustworthy, but so did Eleanor until she tried to kill me with a lamp.

As a teenage girl I couldn’t help but admire this creature’s beauty. All I could imagine was running my hands through his soft, curly hair and feeling his full lips on mine. Jesus I’m delirious!

To pass the time I decided to compare both boys and decide who I would pick to have as a potential love interest. Harry and Ashton were very similar in terms of image. Both were tall and athletic looking, yet Harry was leaner compared to Ashton who looked like an Olympic swimmer with his huge Biceps. Both had big, dimply smiles which I find myself wishing I could see more of.

If I had to give them both a stereotypical image, Ashton would fit under the description of a drummer in a rock band and Harry would fit under the description of a male model or the dark and mysterious character in a boy band.

I decide here and now that if either one of these sex gods decide to spring a surprise murder attack on me, I would be honoured to have such a gorgeous human being kill me.

“Essie? Wake-up!” I get jolted awake by Harry poking me in the shoulder. “He’s gone!” He adds when I open my eyes.

“What? Who?” I reply feeling quite groggy.

“I thought you were keeping watch? Ashton’s gone.” I looked over to the wall that Ashton was sleeping by and sure enough he was nowhere to be seen.

“I must have fallen asleep.”

“He could have killed us Essie! Next time I am taking watch, okay!” Harry replied with frustrated tone in his voice. Just as I was about to apologise Ashton strolls back into the room holding bottles of water and canned fruit.

“Got breakfast!” He says clearly proud of himself for managing to find some food other than spam. Harry lets out a sigh and stands up to take a can of fruit that Ashton hands out to him.

“Is it dark or light outside?” I ask Ashton with a mouth full off peaches. There aren’t any windows in the small room we’ve been crammed in and I have no idea how long I was asleep for.

“It’s early morning. I went out into the store just as the sun was rising.”

“We should get going then.” Harry says coldly.

“What’s your problem?” I ask him.

“Nothing, why?”

“You have been acting like a real ass since yesterday.”

“I’m just tired, okay. Now can we get ready to go now? I have a bad feeling about staying here any longer!” Harry says standing from his seat beside me. I nod and retrieve my bag from the end of the couch, stuffing it with the leftover food and water until it’s full.

“Okay, what’s the plan?” Ashton asks. We are lying in a grass ditch on the side of the highway just outside of the grocery store.

“I’m thinking we aim for Utah.” I suggest sparking some sort of happy emotion in Ashton. “What?” I question him as a dimply smile grows larger on his face.

“That’s where I’m from. My parents’ house is in Salt Lake City.”

“Of course it is.” Harry sarcastically replies. I nudge him hard in the side of his arm and he just stares blankly back at me. Ashton’s smile disappears from his face and I can tell he has figured Harry doesn’t like him due to the cold shoulder he has been receiving.

“What’s your problem man?” Ashton says turning very serious. All of a sudden Harry leaps to his feet causing Ashton to retaliate and do the same.

“You are! You are my problem. How can we even trust you? You have seemed to slip into this group pretty easily. If it were up to me I would have left you in that fucking food store to bleed!” Harry yells redness flooding his face.

“Wow, I have been nothing but nice to the two of you! Don’t you think if I were going to kill you I would have done it by now?” That comment sounded all too familiar from when I accused Harry of being a spy. “Essie pretty much saved my life! I feel that I need to repay that debt by helping her survive.”

“Her name is Estee!” Harry replies with his teeth clenched.

“What?” Ashton replies clearly as confused as me. I get up off the ground and stand between the two of them.

“Harry, you’re not my boyfriend so stop acting like it! He can call me Essie. Plus please get over yourself! I could have easily left you back in Tallahassee, but I chose to trust you. This is the same situation.” Harry just looks at me with a cold look in his eye. Suddenly he grabs me by the arm pulling me away from Ashton and spins me around to face him.

“What the hell-” I start to say when Harry clasps his hand over my mouth.

“Essie, seriously think about what you are doing.” Harry says lowering his voice. Ashton sits back down on the ground ripping grass out of the earth a little too aggressively.

“No, Harry! Can we all just try to get along? Either you pull your head out of your ass and stop being so immature or I am going to Los Angeles ALONE!” With that I turn around to walk away down the high-way when Harry grabs my arm again. I struggle to get out of his tight grip, lashing out at his own arm when Ashton steps and tackles Harry to the ground. A full on fist fight emerges and I stand there like the helpless maiden screaming at them to stop. Ashton yells in pain as he receives a punch to the shoulder where he got shot. He quickly retaliates and connects with Harry’s head.

I have no choice but to get my rifle out of my pack and shoot it into the ground beside the two guys who are now seeping blood from fresh wounds on their faces. The sound of the gun shot booms out breaking the airy silence surrounding us. Dirt and grass explode over the boys where the bullet punctured a little too close to them. It worked and suddenly I had the two of them yelling at me. Just as I was about to join in the aggressive name calling the distant sound of an engine roared to life in the distance.

“VAN!” I yelled as my eyes made out a black object coming towards us fast. I have never seen anyone move so fast in my life as Harry flung me over his shoulder and retreating into the tree line. He threw me to the ground and lay down beside me holding a finger up to his mouth. It seemed like a life time before the Van roared passed us on the cemented road. I looked around to find Ashton lying on his back holding his shoulder which was now soaking in blood.

“Ashton, your shoulder!” I exclaim pointing out the obvious. I crawl over to him peeling away his flannel shirt to reveal a heavily bleeding wound. It was so bad that the plaster had come clean off swimming in a pool of his own blood.