Stalker 101 (Book 1)

// 5 //

Tap tap tap. 

I groan and snuggle deeper into my pillow. Was it time to get up and go to the church?

Tap tap tap. 

I toss my head to the other side, in denial. I could do five more minutes and still get up to shower and eat. Five more minutes.

Tap tap tap.

"Five more minutes, mom!" I yell, sitting up to meet a pair of familiar, old eyes. It was all a dream. Mom was not there at all, neither was my room for that matter. I was in the backseat of my car, snuggling up the blanket I kept in the trunk and cradling my phone. Mrs.Lean was leaning down and looking into my backseat window, tapping on the glass with a worried expression. I run a hand through my hair and unlock the door where my head was.

"Is there a reason why I drive by and notice you parked in the abandoned animal shelter?" She sternly asks, eyeing me up and down. I stick my hands in my jeans pocket and shrug my shoulder, trying my best not to look at her. She must feel like crap after I ran out yesterday, I knew should be disappointed that I did not stand my ground.

"Well, you sure gave me a scare, I'll tell you that. Had me looking the whole town for you, "She continues, setting her bag on the trunk if my car and leaning into my headlight.

"I went back. There was someone in my driveway, "I hear her loud gasp and then warm arms around me. I hold my breath for a minute before relaxing into her hug. She smelled like pages and tea, just like her personality; old and warm.

"I can not believe you went back there, it was not time yet," I peel off of her and look down at her.

"My time?" I ask in a puzzled voice and she raises an eyebrow at me.

"You were not ready to go back there yet! You even scared yourself to believe there was a person there! It was probably your own shadow and now you're sleeping in your car. This will not due, not for my acacia, "I narrow my eyes at her for a moment. A sliver of doubt runs through me like a needle in my bloodstream. What was she getting at, exactly?

"No, it wasn't. I saw someone, so did my best friend. I even saw them waving at me, it could not have been a hiker or anything like that." I think I have a stalker, "I say, relieved to finally say what I had been thinking. Mrs.Lean cackles and lays a hand on my shoulder to steady herself from the back-breaking laugh. My eyes stayed narrowed.

"A stalker? My dear, this town has about 60 or so people and you think someone is stalking you? "She continues to laugh. What happened to my sweet librarian? The one who believed me? The one who comforted me?

"I'm not joking, I thought you of all people would believe me," I coldly say and rip my shoulder from her. Her laughing stops and is replaced with a maleficent frown for a second before returning to her natural face.

"Now, do not have that tone, Acacia. Alright, say someone is stalking you? That does not mean you sleep in a car at an abandoned shelter. Do not you think that's worse than a possible stalker? Living in a car for the rest of your life? "I stare at her, in confusion. My mind was sold on the idea that I had a stalker, I was in trouble, but here she was. A woman I had grown to trust in a shorter amount of time than anyone in my life that was trying to tell me I was wrong. My head started to feel like a drum once again, being beat like it was at a rock concert.