How It Started

"Do you think he's avoiding me?" I asked, my mind running circles "I think he is"

"Are you sure that's what he said? Kiss me?" Mal queried, looking at me with unbelief. I looked into her eyes before glancing up at the clock over the counter in the restaurant. It was exactly 9:30 pm, in the afternoon.

"I made sure I was late every single day for work this week, he didn't show up even once. Don't you think that's a bit weird?"

Whenever I was late, I could always count on Ray to come find me. It didn't matter where I was, just like the day I got lost in the forest. It was the whole idea behind his name. I used to hate how I couldn't disappear, which is why I call him Errand boy.

"Kiss me?" she asked again

"Have you seen him since that day?"

She nodded her head "Kiss me?"

"I knew it" I grunted, deflating all my burdens, concerns and anxiety unto the countertop.

Miss Ven appeared in front of me and I barely glanced up at her "You know, sitting here and sulking isn't going to solve your problem" she urged, showing me the way out. "You're holding up space"

"I you hate" I frowned, getting up. "Aren't you coming?" I asked Mal and she shook her head, dipping a hand in the icing of the cake she had ordered earlier and waving it at me. I nodded my head, feeling a bit betrayed. I made my pout overly obvious before walking out of the all too crowded restaurant.

"Hey" His voice slapped me in the face, not a literal slap but the shock of his presence. I yelped. I was never going to get used to his stealthy appearances.

Ray was standing right beside the door.

"You never learn do you?" I eyed him

"You don't either"

"What is there for me to learn?" I questioned trying to hide my built-up anger.

"Awareness" he replied as a matter of factly.

I grimaced, shaking my head and walking away, he followed.

"What are you doing?" I questioned, a bit muddled

"It's too late for you to walk home alone"

"Mal is inside, you can wait on her. I can handle myself" I concluded

"Sure you can" he deadpanned

I stopped and he stopped alongside me. I turned to glare at him. There were so many things I wanted to say. For example, he was an idiot who deserved to be trampled by a herd of buffalos for making me feel like this.

"Leave me alone" I managed, walking away once more. It didn't matter what I said, he wouldn't care. Nothing would change.

"Amelia" he called with persistence.

I stopped, I couldn't will my feet to move any further and it made my blood boil. The thought of not quite understanding what I was feeling, what my body was doing, what he was doing to me, infuriated me so much, I was afraid I would burst. He walked up to me, turning me to face him.

"It's better this way" He mumbled and I met his gaze.

"For who?"

"For both of us" he answered with conviction

"Then let go of me" I dared him, looking down at his fingers around my arm.

He held on tighter, a brief chuckle caressing his lips "This is silly"

"Is it?" I snapped, prying his fingered from my arm, he grabbed my other arm with his free hand, getting so close to me I struggled to breathe.

"We are better off as friends" he mumbled, trying to convince himself, his minty breath sweeping the tip of my nose.

"You crossed that line when you held me like you did" I countered, looking up into his glistening light brown eyes. The dim street lights cast its shadows but I could still see him clearly: wavy black hair, plump cherry lips, broad shoulders that neatly hung a grey t-shirt that exposed just the right amount of skin to have you drooling.

"Please. Stop this" he begged, his breathing increasing and his guard decreasing by the second. I could feel his tense demeanor rapidly collapsing. I closed my eyes, enjoying his feel, his closeness, his warmth, until our lips met and he pulled me even closer into him. I felt my body burst into thousands of small ice cold tingles. The more his lips moved with mine, the more these tingles spread and increased and then he pulled away and it all returned to an angry ball in the pit of my stomach.

Nothing could explain what I was feeling, how or why I was feeling it. It was so unreal and unusual. I released my grip from him and backed away. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration and I nodded.

"Whatever makes you happy" I said finally, continuing my journey home and this time, he didn't follow; he just stood and watched, like I'd asked.

***

I kicked the dust with my already soiled sneakers, taking a deep calming breath. Today was emotionally draining and all I could think about, was taking a long well deserved bath in my miniature bathroom.

I scanned the multi- coloured houses lining the road. They weren't huge but they were big enough for a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and a small hall. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, halting in my steps. I was certain I saw someone hiding, watching and lurking in the dark of a house infront of me. I kept my eyes closed, too afraid to reopen them. I felt my senses heightened and I scolded myself for my anxious and silly behaviour. I could hear everything, the crickets, the frogs, the wind on the leaves, my heavy breathing and the extremely loud pounding of my heart.

I forced my eyes open, the person was gone. I relaxed a little. Maybe it was a shadow of a tree or something. I shook the thought from my head.

I heard someone sigh behind me and I panicked. Horror gripped the corners of my mind and I sprung around and slapped the predator in his face. Her face.

"Mal!" I yelled

"Ouch!?" she screamed back in shock

"I'm so sorry" I offered "You came…"

She pulled out a makeup mirror from her back pocket and looked icily at her reddened cheek.

"I'm so sorry" I pleaded but she shook her head

"I am so slapping you back" She yelled. "We are both going out with black and blue cheeks tomorrow"

I ran off and even though she followed, I reached my house just in time to swing it open and lock myself in.

"I'm going to get you" she threatened, hitting the door as hard as she could "Tomorrow" she finished before disappearing. I smiled. It wasn't until I had settled into my bed that reality struck.

My door wasn't locked when I came in, it was opened and I was certain I locked it before I left for work in the morning.

Someone was in my house!