“You’ve got to be butt fucking me. You told on us? What are you, ten?!” Kaitlin’s voice echoes through the library. The librarian gasps, clapping a hand over her mouth as every head in the room turns to stare. Hell, even I'm stunned, but a laugh slips out before I can stop it.
The librarian’s head snaps in my direction and I immediately press my lips together, throwing my books into my bag before we really do get ourselves banned.
“Young lady,” the librarian says sharply, glaring at Kaitlin, “that kind of language will not be tolerated in this library. You need to leave immediately before I have security escort you out.You’re both very lucky I’m not banning you from the library entirely.”
Kaitlin just scoffs and rolls her eyes, slings her bag over her shoulder and takes off toward the exit. I apologize quietly and quickly as I pass the librarian before I run to catch up to Kaitlin, who’s already at the door. I'm expecting to find her fuming, but when she spins around to look at me, I see that she’s laughing her ass off. Okay, I love my new best friend.
“What a lame ass! I can’t believe he actually got us kicked out!” she laughs, shaking her head. “I really do need to find a job, though. Hey, do you think that coffee shop we went to down the street is hiring?”
I could use a job, too. After our last shopping spree, my bank account is looking pretty sad, and somehow coffee is twice as expensive this close to campus. I could ask my aunt for money, but I’d rather not depend on her more than I already do. I hate the idea of someone else paying my way when I’m perfectly capable of earning my own.
“Maybe.” I smile. “Do you think they would hire both of us?”
Kaitlin squeals, practically bouncing where she stands. “Oh my god, imagine us working together!”
I laugh, unable to deny how nice that sounds. Working at a coffee shop with your best friend while in college, could there be a better job? Unlikely.
For the first time in a long time, things almost feel normal.
As we make our way toward the coffee shop, I get that familiar feeling that I am being watched. It’s nothing new to me anymore, but it still has me on edge and constantly looking over my shoulder.
I haven’t spotted anything out of the ordinary and I probably look paranoid always looking behind me, but at least Kaitlin knows what's going on and can understand my weird behavior. I don’t miss the uneasiness on Kaitlin’s face either.
Does she feel it too? That sickening certainty of watchful eyes all over your skin, burning your flesh like acid until all that’s left is the rattling of bones and the hammering of a beating heart. Or the unease of seeing a random man walking in our direction on the sidewalk and tensing up to try and prepare yourself for an attack the moment he walks by. The feeling of never knowing what’s coming, because we don’t know who my stalker is. I mean, she doesn’t. But I saw his car, and I know who’s coming for me.
Kaitlin holds the door open for me, but I hesitate, stealing one last glance over my shoulder before stepping inside the bustling coffee shop. Students weave between tables, cars roll past on the street, but nothing looks out of the ordinary.
Get it together, Madelyn. No one’s here. He’s dead.
So why does it feel like he’s still haunting me?
“Hey,” Kaitlin grabs my arm, capturing my attention. “you alright?”
She looks worried, and I feel awful for constantly making the people in my life feel this way. I need to stop letting my emotions show so easily.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I just keep getting that feeling, you know? Like someone is always watching me. I felt it the entire way here.”
I try to laugh it off, but it falls short. No matter how many times I tell myself I’m imagining things, I can still feel unseen eyes burning into me.
Kaitlin gives my arm a reassuring squeeze. “Let's just go inside. Maybe you’ll feel better once we get some caffeine in you,” she says, ushering me inside.
She’s probably right. If nothing else, an iced coffee has to be better than standing on the sidewalk waiting for my imagination to get the best of me.
The first thing I notice when we walk inside, apart from how busy the little shop is for it being the middle of the week, is that my roommate Gabby is here. She doesn’t seem like the coffee type, or the social type for the matter. What is she doing here?
I follow Kaitlin over to the front counter where she asks the barista if they’re hiring. The girl is about our age, probably also a college student, and she’s super sweet with a glowing smile that makes you feel welcomed. Which is nice because I feel like most people around our age are assholes. She leaves to go get her manager and when they walk back up to the counter together, I already know I have a dumb questioning look on my face.
“Hey, sorry, I didn’t know you worked here. You’re the manager?” I ask Gabby, sounding shocked as hell and I wish I could take the words back the moment they’re out. She tilts her head to the side a little, and I’m officially intimidated.
“Is that surprising?” She doesn’t seem upset, but she also doesn’t seem too pleased by my question.
“Oh no, I just didn’t take you as the coffee type. Sorry if I offended you, I just wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
The last thing I need is for my roommate to have something against me because I asked a stupid question. She already gave me the creeps with all the gory posters.
She laughs, shaking her head. “It’s fine, you didn’t offend me. What can I do for you guys?”
“Well, we were wondering if you had any positions available. We could really use a job and we really like this place!” Kaitlin exclaims and Gabby smiles at her, giving her a once over.
