Because of a Girl Like Me

Chapter 12.

The next three weeks were a blur. I was happier than I had ever been. During the day Stella and I would go to the mall, or lay out at the lake. We were so close I imagined this is what it was like to have a sister. Stella came over a lot, preferring my house over sharing with her mom and her now step-dad.

They had gotten married yesterday.

Stella's parents must really be jerks because they wouldn't even let Stella invite me to the wedding. That was one of the few days since I had met Stella that I didn't see her at all. Declan had been unavailable last night too since he'd had to run back to Mississippi for the day to talk over some band stuff that they couldn't just do over the phone. Other than that I had been out with Declan just about every night. We'd go to dinner, or rent movies and cuddle on the couch. We had had plenty more make out sessions, but we still hadn't had sex. We came close now and then, but we always seemed to get interrupted, or the timing just wasn't right.

My phone chimed.

Stella: Hey girl! I was so lost without you yesterday! The wedding was so dull L See you in a few!! Kisses for my miss's.

K, C U soon! J

I flipped on the TV in my room. The news channel was on and it was showing aerial shots of Stoneacre.

Apparently a few weeks ago they had gotten a big break in the cases. Well if you ask me, their big break wasn't all the big. It wasn't like they were on their way to catching the person.

The investigators had studied the video footage from the Walmart that one of the girls had last been seen at. They used the video to track her movements through the store and had highlighted a guy they thought seemed to be following her around. You couldn't tell anything about him, he had on a hoodie and a baseball hat. If that really was the guy, he knew where the cameras were because his face was never caught on them. Conveniently the cameras that were supposed to be trained on the left side of the parking lot were not working that night. The last thing you see is the girl walking out the doors, as she turns she smiles like she'd just seen someone she knows and then she is out of the shot. Seconds behind her, the guy walks out.

The video had been playing on a near loop on our local stations asking for people who recognize the guy to come forward.

Nobody had though, and I doubt anyone will. That guy could be anyone, you literally can't tell a thing about him. Aside from that "break" they still were no closer to figuring out anything.

I really wish this would all just die down. I was beyond tired of hearing it.

You could literally go nowhere in town where people weren't discussing it and playing detective. Everyone just had to share their two cents. All it did was freak people out. I know it freaked me out. Ever since that person had been spying on Declan and I that night, I was afraid to go anywhere alone.

It was Sunday, so my dad was at the local church and I was bored. I decided to go get some sun on my balcony while I waited for Stella to get here. We hadn't really talked about the missing girls at all. Maybe it would make me feel better to talk it out with someone.

I slid open the glass door and stepped out on the balcony.

The warm June air felt fantastic.

Usually June in Alabama is sweltering, but today was nice. The sky was blue, and all the bushes and trees that lined the parking lot in front of the building were in full bloom. I just stood there for a few minutes. I was leaned forward onto the banister just thinking about everything that had changed in just over a month. I'd moved on from Sean, made new friends, and I just finished applying to the fall semester at JCC. I was even toying with the idea of getting a job.

I know it is a little pathetic that I am 19 and never had a job other than a few baby-sitting gigs, but I just hadn't needed one. Even though dad said he has the money set aside for me to go to school, I still want to help him out.

I pulled out my phone and searched for places hiring near here. After checking into a few results I started getting a weird feeling. Something in me already knew what I was going to see when I looked up from me phone, but I was hopeful as I lifted my gaze that I was just being silly.

I wasn't.

Straight ahead of me, right within the tree line of the woods was a man.

A man with a camera.

A camera he had lifted up to his face and pointed at me. He slowly lowered it and just stood there. He was too far away to know for sure, but I am pretty sure he and I were looking right into each other's eyes. The only thing more disturbing than him being there at all was that he obviously knew I saw him, and he wasn't running away.

I tore my eyes away from him and dialed 9-1-1.