New Beginnings- (Jesse Polock)

1

I stumped out my cigarette as I walked through the front door to my house. I walked in to find my aunties boyfriend passed out on the tatty brown sofa he was lying on. He was surrounded by empty bottles and a crack pipe. I rolled my eyes and crept through the living room to kitchen to get a drink out of the fridge. My aunty was sat in the garden smoking a cigarette and drinking a bottle of god knows what.

"Seriously Stella, again?" I shouted from the back door. She looked at me then when back to sun baking, "Every single time I come home you're both fucked out of your faces".

"Fuck off" she simply replied. I flipped her off and walked back into the house. I had a sip of my drink and tried to creep back across the living room. I pushed the empty bottles out of the way with my feet. I looked up at the clock, 14:33, and carries on towards the stairs too my room. I heard movement behind me. Alex had woken up, great. I quickened my footsteps towards the stairs. I felt someone grab me from behind. Alex.

"How dare you speak to your aunty like that, she's given you a home." He snarled in my face and pushed me against the wall. I tried to wrestle him away but I had no luck.

"Get off me Alex" I said pushing him, he pushed me harder up against the wall and hit me round the face.

"That's for how you spoke to your Aunty" he said releasing me, I moved toward the front door.

"Everything she's done for me?" I spat at him, "Fuck, that must be the crack talking. Neither of you have done anything for me. I had no choice, my parents and brothers and sisters are dead. Law said I had to live with you. I'd rather be homeless" I shouted back at him. With that I walked out the front door and slammed it behind me. I could hear Alex shouting behind me. Ignored whatever he was saying. I pulled my hood up, lit a cigarette and carried on walking. I rubbed my cheek where he had hit me. I was starting to smart but wasn't bleeding. I rubbed my arm through my hoody where I could feel the scars from a few days earlier start to itch.

I'm originally from Newcastle in England but my parents emigrated to Australia when I was about 2. I surf, A LOT. It's my life, I don't have anything considering I'm jobless and money less.

I carried on walking down to the beach, I could see the boys stood up on the flat rock watching the other boys surf.

"Hey Rubs," I heard someone shout to me, I looked up to see Koby waving at me. I waved back and made my way up there. I made sure my sleeves were pulled down and my hood was up fully. I walked over to him holding one arm with my shoulder hunched. His face dropped when he saw me. He pulled me in for a hug.

"He's done it again hasn't he?" he asked rubbing my back. I nodded into his chest. I started to cry a little bit. "What happened?" I pulled away and looked up at him.

"I came home after going round looking for jobs and he was passed out on the sofa. Went out back to get a drink and Stella was sat in the garden smoking and drinking. I shouted at her and she told me to fuck off. I then went too got to my room and he grabbed me, basically said I was ungrateful, pushed me up against the wall and wacked me. I genuinely thought he was going to drag me upstairs and rape me. I wouldn't put it past him" I said sobbing. He pulled me in for a hug again. Koby is pretty much my adopted big brother.

"Why don't you let us sort him?" he said. "Nothing we can't handle"

"Because I don't want you and Jesse getting into trouble, if I didn't have you two I'd be dead. You know that" I said to him. We heard loads of people cheering. We looked out to the surf and someone has just caught a good wave.

"There's Jesse" Koby said pointing to the body on the surf board who had just made his way to the shore. I smiled a little. Koby smirked and snorted a little. I hit his arm. Jesse is my best friend/ friends with benefits. We do everything together. I tend to live at his. His parents are amazing and treat me like their daughter. We have a very flirty relationship. I've known him for 8 years know. We met down here at the beach. Those 8 years have been my 'happier' years. Apart from when he got in trouble with the law. I love him and he loves me there's no doubt about that. Koby keeps on trying to make us a couple, hasn't succeeded. I really don't know what I'd do without him though. He hates Stella and Alex. He's a lifeguard up at Bondi which has been the making of him.

Jesse exited the surf and made his way up to where we were stood. He had undone his wetsuit so it was folded around his waist showing off his tattoos. He took one look at me and dropped he board and ran over to me. He embraced me in a hug.

"That wanker," He growled before kissing the top of my head. I pulled away and he pulled my hood down. He saw the mark on my cheek where Alex had struck me. He rubbed it with his thumb. By know I was crying more. More of the guys had come over to comfort me but I stayed in Jesse's arms. This was my family. Not Stella and Alex. Koby explained what had happened. The guys started to get cross but Koby calmed them down. Jesse pulled me in closer.

"Shhh," he said soothing me, "I'm here now, shall we go back to mine?" I shook my head.

"No I want to stay here for a bit. It makes me happy" I said looking at him. He smiled.

"In that case I'll go and get changed and we'll go and lie on the beach."

"I'm coming with" I said, "I want to stay with you. I'll close my eyes I promise" He laughed. He took my hand and led me towards his truck picking up his surf board along the way. He explained to the boys what we were doing. We walked back to his truck and I sat in the passenger's side as he got changed. I took my hoody off as I was getting hot revealing my black MBK top and my shorts. I was wearing my bikini underneath. Jesse walked round to my side of the truck and stood between my legs.

"I love you you know, I hate seeing you like this" He said looking at me. "I wish you wouldn't do this as well" he said rubbing my arms.

"I know I'm sorry, I love you too Jesse" I said looking down. He tilted my head up so I was looking at him again.

"Don't be, you'll get better you know. Things will get better. I promise"

"I doubt that, I have no job. Family who are smack heads. No money and I've just practically made myself homeless" I said waving my arms around.

"No you don't. We love you. Mum and dad love you. I love you. You'll live with me and we'll find you a job and that's that. Now shush lets go back to the beach." She said before kissing my lips softly. I smiled he lifted me down from his truck and we walked back down to the beach. By the time we got there most of the boys were out surfing. Jesse sat down on the sand and I laid down resting my head on his lap. He started to play with my hair. I smiled to myself. This was what made me happy. I soon started to nod off into a little sleep.