your eyes ~ RUEL FAN FIC ~

Alira's POV

I wake up to bird calls the next morning. My back is sore from lying in the thin rag. I roll over and see that dad and Rocky are still asleep.

It takes a lot of energy to sit up. My stomach rumbles and I dig through my bag, finding only my lonely emergency tin of lentils for when in danger of starvation. I decide that I need them and crack open the tin as quietly as possible. Drain the liquid out the window into the ragged garden bed. Bend the aluminium lid to form a jagged spoon.

I eat in silence, gulping it down in hunger, wondering if I ought to have shared with Rocky.

When I'm finished I shove my tin into a pile of rubbish in the corner.

"Good sleep Lirry?" Says a voice. I turn startled to see it's only dad who obviously woke without me noticing.

I sit down next to him and cuddle up against his sleeping bag.

"I'm scared." I whisper.

He sighs and replies softly, "I know."

We sit in silence as the sun rises, illuminating columns of floating dust in the air. Just as the orange glow reaches my eyes, Rocky begins to stir.

"Wakey wakey." Says dad softly. He claps his hands. "Right team. Game plan."

Dad leads us back out the the car with our stuff and we hop in.

"Where we going now, Dad?" Asks Rocky nervously.

"I've got a mate in Sydney, hopefully he'll take us in or give us somewhere to go." Dad replies.

We drive for two hours, across the harbour Bridge, through the heart of the city. The coast is close on our right and the flora is green and blooming.

We turn off a highway and down into some village style streets, with huge upmarket houses facing the beach.

One more turn and we're driving down a silent street towards a dead end. I feel like we're going to drive straight into bush but at the last second dad turns up a long white driveway.

At the top is a slightly faded green wood house, mostly concealed by sculptures and bushes. we hop out of the car leaving our bags inside. I see a pool through the gaps in some trees and above us is a wide balcony.

Dad reaches the front door first and knocks.

We wait. And wait. and wait some more. Eventually we come to the conclusion that no one is home. Our one plan has failed.

"Well, they'll be home soon I'm sure." Says dad. He doesn't sound sure at all.

"Dad, can we go for a swim?" Says Rocky, looking over some roofs to the ocean.

Dad sighs.

"Sure, get changed in the car and we'll walk down while we wait."

I pull on a bikini and grab my bath towel out of a linen bag.

Just as we're about to start walking a large, white Ute pulls into the drive behind us.

"Here they are!"Says dad, spreading his arms wide.

The car doors open and two people climb out looking worried. A young adult girl and what looks like her father, who i assume is dads 'mate'.

"Ralph!" Dad excitedly. "Um, mate, i have to ask a favour, do you have somewhere we can-"

"G'day Scott, I'm sorry but now isn't the time."

The girl runs towards the house yelling "Coco!"

"Is everything ok?" Asks dad anxiously looking around.

The man i assume is Ralph gulps. "We were at lunch in Bondi, and Coco ran off, she's been... going down lately and she ran and we cant find her and i- i dont know what to do."

"Where's Kate?"

"Still In Bondi, at the police station. Ruel's with her."

What a stupid name. I think to myself.

"You want some help looking, mate? I'll drive the kids down to Bondi and we can go look there. She cant have gone far."

Ralph seems to preoccupied to care so he replies with a halfhearted "Sure." Before hurrying up to the house.

Once again we drive. And drive. And drive some more. In 40 minutes we've reached the police staton and step inside.

"Kate!" dad calls to a woman sitting in a chair next the the reception desk.

"Scott!" She calls back, standing and rushing over. "Scott, Coco's gone, Ralph drove back, i dont know-"

"We're going to help you look, Ralph told me everything." Dad says reassuringly.

kate seems very calmed by this.

She turns to me and Rocky who are standing awkwardly about a foot behind dad.

"Hey kids, sorry about this. I'm Kate. You must be Alira and Rocky."

We nod, not asking how she knows.

"This is my son Ruel." She points to a boy standing a few metres behind her. I feel like i recognise him but i dont know where from. We make eye contact and nod at each other unsmilingly.

Kate's phone rings. she searches the many pockets of her neat suit before finding it.

"It' Coco!' She gasps before answering.

She dashes outside for some privacy and we all wait inside getting dirty looms from the officers on duty.

After about five minutes Kate stomps back in looking very angry.

Her son whose name I've already forgotten gives her a questioning look.

"Coco just got back to the restaurant and found our car gone. Apparently she is now getting a lift home with Eve. She's very angry at us for thinking something was wrong and overreacting. So apparently it's our fault."

All of us trudge back out of the station. Dad and Kate have a hushed conversation quickly, then she and the boy go back to their car and dad comes back to ours.

"We're going back to the Van Dijk's house. They have a spare room we can stay in for a week"

The drive back is silent. For the past 48 hours all we've been doing is driving back and forth all over Sydney.

I really hope we can find a home.