Falling for the Stalker

Ten Minute Walk

•JULIE POV•

My life has always been everything confusing. At 16, I have to support my own life with no help. My dad died of cancer when I was ten, and my alcoholic mother ran away to God knows where.

When my mother left, my aunt was supposed to come help. Life went back to normal for a few months. She was cared for me like my father did.

My dad would do anything for me. Take me to art shows, paint for me, gave me tea parties, and even gave me the talk. Yeah. That talk.

He was the hole that filled my heart when my mother couldn't. Their marriage was always rocky, thinking a child would save it. But really I was the burden that destroyed them, as my mother would tell me.

When he died, that hole went empty again. My aunt filled it a little, she made me have some hope for my life. She cared when no one else could.

Eventually, it became too much for her. She sought drinking as an outlet. Following into my mother's footsteps, I guess.

It got so bad that I had to force her to rehab. I couldn't loose the only family I had left. I knew caring for myself would be hard, but loosing your only source of hope left would be even harder.

So ever since 15, I've been living alone in this trailer park. I'm quiet, I don't like taking to anyone. Really in this world, you can't trust anyone.

I have a stable job at Tiffany's, and work really late night shifts waitressing. After school I head straight to work. Tiffany, the owner, gives me more money than the others, knowing my situation. She really nice about everything, and helps me a lot.

School hasn't gotten any better. I'm smart, but staying on top of every class is even harder. I work my ass off in my classes and work that I can't remember the last time I've taken a break.

I usually like to watch the news in the background while doing homework and studying. The only interesting source of news that has been roaming every news station is the Lucas kid who murdered a girl named Kelsie. The cops don't know where he is, and is wanted. The money reward is over 50,000 dollars. That money could seriously get me through college.

But what murderer would move to Seattle? I mean it happened in Vermont, so I didn't really have any hope. Ha, ironic to my situation.

———

It was a Tuesday morning. The air was crisp, and foggy. I could hear rivers crashing in the background as I sketched in my sketchbook.

I've always enjoyed drawing since I could remember. It was my only distraction from this shitty world.

I felt eyes on me. I grew uncomfortable in my seat at the bench.

I began looking around to see if I was crazy, but I guess I wasn't.

There he was. Starting intently into my eyes. He had fluffy blonde hair, and was an exact doppelgänger to Johnathan Brandis. He was beautiful. His brown eyes hinted with gold specks, sharp as a knife jawline, and not to mention his piercing muscles shinning right through his black shirt.

No man has ever looked at me like this. Now that I think about it, I've never paid attention to guys. I'm always so focused on my future, I never had a boyfriend or even flirted.

He wanted me, I could sense it. And there was a part of me that wanted him too the more I stared into him, reading him. 

I kept my connection to him until the bus blocked my view.

I frantically made my way on the bus and sat down towards the back, where I usually sit. I placed my school bag down, and met his eyes again.

"What was I feeling? Why did I feel like this?," I kept questioning to myself.

I've never was more interesting in someone than him, a complete stranger.

And then in a second, the bus beeped as the doors closed, and headed off.

On my way to school, I couldn't stop thinking about him. His features, his hair, his eyes.

Oh my god. His eyes.

They told a million stories. He was mysterious, like he was hiding something. What could he be hiding?

I am a pretty girl. My hair, my eyes, my body. Ha, I have one good ass if I do say so myself. However I never cared about looks. I don't spend time on myself, I only care about my future, it's my only hope. I usually wake up, brush my teeth, run a brush through my tangled hair, throw on some clothes, and head out the door.

The entire day in classes, I was unfocused. I could only think about the stranger that wouldn't stop staring at me.

A part of me wanted to see him again, but hey let's face it. I probably won't. Oakwood is a small town, but the chances of seeing that gorgeous stranger again aren't high.

School dragged on, and the end of the day bell awoke me from my thoughts. Those stupid thoughts from that stupid stranger.

I grabbed my bag, and made my way out of Oakwood high school.

Thus, I began my ten minute walk to the bus stop. It was a nice walk, the forest trees slumping over me, the leaves brushing against my hair, the sounds of the rivers crashing between the rocks.

It was more than refreshing.

My feet dragged across the ground. I knew I was exhausted from last nights shift, but I underestimated myself.

I felt my eyelids drawing heavy, to the point were I couldn't walk straight anymore. My feet shuffled against the ground, struggling to walk anymore.

My body couldn't take it. My eyelids fell onto my eyes, and I fell straight forward onto something hard... something, warm?

I looked up. Holy fuck.

It was him. The stranger.

His eyes locked mine, my tired eyes troubled to stay open. His veiny strong hands wrapped around my waist so I could maintain balance. His hot breath hitting my ear, making me get butterflies. His grasp on me tightened. He didn't want to let me go. He couldn't. I didn't want him either.

My head lifted from his chest to meet his eyes agin.

His height over towered me. He must of been six foot five, and my five foot two ass looked like a puppy compared to a lion.

"I - um ah, sorry," I stuttered.

I slipped out of his grasp to run to catch the bus waiting for me. Only until his hand grabbed mine tightly and swerved me around to met his eyes again.

"Be careful legs," he smirked.

Then he walked away.