Enjoy!

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Marcia

"Bye mom, I'm leaving!" I yelled out as I walked towards the front door.

"Okay! Take care!" My mother responded from the kitchen before I shut the door.

I walked towards the front of the house and closed the gate. As I walked down the street towards the bus stop, from the corner of my eye I noticed a white sedan slow down next to me.

I quickened my pace and tried to act as if I hadn't noticed, sat on a bench at the bus stop and waited with a held breath. The sedan rounded the corner and parked across the street, straight ahead from me. I looked around to make it seem as if I was searching for the bus and noticed no one stepped out the sedan. Weird.

Movement caught my attention, a man who was staring at me spoke rapidly on his cellphone. I snapped my eyes away from him and jumped off the bench. Fear began to creep down my spine and I was about to make a run for it when the bus arrived.

I immediately got inside, and sat down at the front after paying, not taking my eyes off the car. I watched carefully as the car started to follow the bus. My hands started to get clammy and I felt my heart beating faster in my chest. I held tighter to my messenger bag, I was probably being paranoid, maybe they were just headed in the same direction and it was purely coincidental.

I reached for my phone and sent a quick text to my best friend.

Meet me at the bus stop.

Seconds later he replied and I let out a sigh of relief.

Alright.

I looked down the bus aisle and saw that the car was no longer following the bus. A smile creeped onto my face and I relaxed into my seat.

We arrived forty minutes later, my best friend standing at the bus stop. I quickened my steps down the narrow stairs and rushed towards him.

"Hey, why are you in such a hurry to get to class?" He asked me when he noted my fast pace.

"Sorry Aden, I just had a weird morning, I only want to get to the studio already." I responded and he followed a pace behind. I rounded the corner and saw the same white sedan parked by the university grounds. Crap!

I held my breath and my steps faltered. Aden caught up to me and noticed my discomfort, he lazily looked around to see why I had rooted in place. He grabbed my hand and waited for a group of students to pass just to follow right behind them.

"Alright, why are you all paranoid?" Aden questioned me with a serious face, as soon as we reached the visual arts building.

"Did you notice the flashy white sedan across the street?" I asked him while glancing out the classroom window.

"Yeah, it was hard to miss. What about it?" He asked me, his mouth turning into a frown.

"I think it's been following me since I left home. The driver waited for me until I got on the bus and then followed it here. And now they're parked at the front of the building." I responded glancing out the window.

"Calm down, it could be just a coincidence. Since when has it been happening?" He asked and also glanced out the window.

"Just today." I responded deflated, it could've been a coincidence.

"See, you've been reading too many books and watching too many crime shows. Don't worry, I'll drive you home today and we can leave through the science building. How does that sound?" He asked me, trying to ease up my paranoia.

"Okay." I answered while nodding.

I sat down next to a table and he sat across from me. The professor came in and began class, the thought about the sedan dissipating from my head.

After class we crossed the small bridge that led to the science building. Aden walked towards his car and unlocked it. We got in and I slumped in my seat.

"Thank you Aden for doing this for me." I smiled at him and he returned it.

"Anything for my best friend." He started the car and I slumped further in my seat.

"Here. I think these will help, just in case." He tossed a sweater and a beanie at my lap.

"Thanks." I quickly put them on.

He drove towards the main road where the white sedan was still parked. There were two guys outside glancing around while the driver kept the car running. They were obviously oblivious that I was watching the whole scene.

Aden pulled up into my street twenty minutes later, my good mood was now back. I noticed an unfamiliar SUV parked in front of the neighbors house. He noticed me tense up and continued driving.

"Okay, this is definitely weird." He muttered while rounding the corner.

"Just drop me off at my aunts house." I lowered even more in my seat, my mouth going dry.

Aden nodded and parked at the house right behind ours. "If you need anything just call me alright, if these men follow you run to my house. You know the short cut." He instructed me and handed me a pocket knife.

"Thank you Aden." I replied keeping my voice even and taking his pocket knife with shaky hands.

I ran inside my aunts house and sprinted across the large back yard that was connected to my house. I used the back door and slowly walked inside. "Mom?" I called out lowly and didn't hear a response causing me to panic.

I dropped my bag and walked into the living room. I found my mom next to the window peeking through the blinds. I instantly relaxed and picked up my bag.

With the small noise my mom turned around and saw me standing by the corridor. "Great, you're home." She murmured in my ear while taking me in her embrace.

"Mom, what's going on?" I asked her but she clearly ignored me.

"Someone has been watching the house, we're sleeping at your aunt's tonight." She informed me while grabbing a few things.

"Do you know who it might be?" I asked her, keeping the fear out of my voice.

"By the looks of it, I think they might be criminals. No one around here could afford a vehicle like that unless they're politicians or are into illegal businesses." She reponded grabbing some belongings.

My eyes widened and I walked into my room grabbing underwear and clothes. I grabbed a pillow and followed my mom towards my aunts house.

"I don't know what's going on, but I need you to keep going to school. Your cousin Michael can take you, I'll call your uncle and ask him to investigate these guys." My mom told me, putting me at ease.

I put my things in my aunts spare bedroom and began working on my homework.

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