Mia
I could still feel eyes on me. I felt like an ant under a microscope and all my moves were being observed and recorded. It was getting worse with each passing day and night, most especially at night because that was when I felt it the most. I was starting to get anxious and it showed in everything I did.
I jumped when I heard my name. I watched my back everytime I walk at night. I almost ran like crazy the other night I was walking home and felt someone trailing me only for the person to make a turn at the next junction. I almost jumped out of my skin at work two days ago when the office telephone rang. It took me a while to realize that it was the telephone on my desk but by that time, everyone already had their eyes on me, wondering why I looked like I had seen a ghost at the sound of the phone.
I was becoming a nutcase as the days progressed and I felt sad that I couldn’t even go for therapy. How would I tell the shrink about werewolves and the dark wizard? She would make a call that would get me to the psychiatric hospital before I knew what hit me.
I just couldn’t do anything and it was annoying. It was sad.
I prayed that the boys changed their minds quickly about giving me my privacy. I would feel better if I knew that they were watching.
I got to work and smiled at Sammy as I met him by the gate. It was refreshing to see him smile at me as a friend and not with the love in his eyes that I always pretended not to see.
“Good morning, Sammy.” I greeted, attempting to walk past him.
“Morning, Mia.” He replied. “Are you fine?”
I stopped in my tracks and looked at him. That was an odd question so early in the morning. “Oh yes, I am fine. Why do you ask?”
He smiled gently at me as one would do at a wounded animal. I didn’t know if I should feel offended or not. What was this all about?
“You are extraordinarily jumpy and acting strange nowadays. Even now, you seem tired like you haven’t slept in days.”
I was shocked, amazed at his observational skills. He was right but I wasn’t expecting anyone to figure me out. I hadn’t been sleeping well lately but that was why I had a chunk of make-up on to cover the dark circles.
“I’m fine.” I lied. “Why do you think so?”
“You have make-up on. It’s obvious you are hiding something.”
That was the tell? I should have been using cosmetics all along then so people wouldn’t be suspicious of me now. I had made a grave mistake. If only I had known that a day like this would come that make-up would be my saving grace, I would have started using it early.
I chuckled. “Oh, that. That’s nothing. I’m actually changing my lifestyle. Be prepared to see me with make-up on, Sammy.”
He shrugged. “If you say so. It looks good on you, by the way.”
“Thanks.” I smiled as we both headed inside.
We had a new employee at work. His name was Gerald. He seemed like the jovial type because he had gotten used to everyone within one hour after getting introduced to them by the boss. The way he moved around the office doing his work and interacted with everyone was amazing. It felt like he had been working here for a month instead of only few hours. On the plus side, he looked nice, really nice so it wasn’t that hard to figure out why he had fans immediately among the employees most especially the female ones.
I was too troubled in my mind to get involved with the office drama. I smiled at times when I heard something funny in what they said and busied myself with my work. I needed a distraction but it wasn’t really working. I was still scared and troubled but it was better than being at home. I didn’t feel watched at the office and that was why I was working overtime nowadays.
Gerald tried to be friendly with me but I was too sucked up in my own dilemma to notice. We only shared greetings and by the time he wanted to be chatty, my attention was already on something else and I didn’t give him the audience he needed.
I had no idea he felt I was being rude to him and didn’t like him until a week later. I was seated alone at the cafeteria when he joined me, placing his tray on the table as he slid into the chair opposite me.
“Do you love being a loner, Mia?”
I raised my head up from the food and glanced at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“You are eating alone and you rarely reply when I try to be friendly with you.”
“I do respond to you.” I said, ignoring his comment about eating alone. “Stop it. You make me sound like a snob when you say that.”
He sighed. “You only reply to greetings, Mia and ignore me when I try to get closer. I felt like you don’t like me and can’t stop wondering what I did wrong.”
I could see the hurt in his eyes and knew that he meant what he had said. “I’m sorry I made you feel that way.” I apologized. “That was wrong of me but I didn’t mean to make you feel like that.”
“An apology wouldn’t fix it.”
“What else do you want?”
“Have dinner with me tonight to make up for it.”
I gasped at him in surprise. I couldn’t believe how smooth that was. I could tell that he had been waiting to use that line all along.
“Gerald,….” I began.
“Don’t say no.” He warned me with a shake of his head. “You can’t reject me. Remember this is an apology.” He smiled at me.
I chuckled. “You seem to have been doing this for years.”
He laughed. “Using an apology to get a date? No. I rarely meet ladies who snub me. That aside, I would like to go out with you, Mia. What do you say?”
I looked at him. He was really attractive, funny and smart. I had no doubt that I wasn’t going to be bored tonight. Going out with him sounded like a good idea as well. It wasn’t like I had any plans for the night and I would be afraid of being attacked by whoever was watching me till I doze off.
I desperately craved for a distraction and this was the best form of it that I could ever get. I would have an excuse apart from work to get home late. I had no doubt that I would have a lot of fun with him that by the time I got home, I would slump into my bed and have no troubles sleeping immediately.
“Why not?”
“Let’s do this.” He grinned. “Thank you.”
He kept on talking till the lunch break was over. I already had an idea of how the date would be like but I didn’t mind. There was no doubt that he would be the one talking more but that was cool with me. I didn’t have much to share anyway. I just needed an excuse to not be alone.
He seemed like fun and was already thinking of what I would say to him if he asked us to get official. Maybe I would say yes. That didn’t sound like a bad idea. I would have someone with me and not have to be alone. Moreover, I hoped that the boys would back off and stop wanting me if they heard that I was in a relationship.
Hopefully they would because I had never known them to give up on what they wanted and it freaked me out that I was the one they wanted. I didn’t think that a rejection would get them away, maybe not even a sudden relationship status.
The date was great as I had expected. I had fun and Gerald offered to walk me home. I stopped in my tracks and let out a groan as I got home and met Quinn by the door.
Why was he here so late?
“Who is that?” Gerald asked, his eyes squinting at the figure in the darkness.
I didn’t have to try so hard to know it was Quinn. I could recognize that scowl from afar. I didn’t have the time to reply to Gerald before Quinn walked up to us and pulled me away from Gerald’s side.
“Where have you been?” He growled in my ear, ignoring how Gerald looked at him in surprise.
I scowled at Quinn. What was wrong with him? I would have to start explaining myself to another date? Why did he always do this, showing up at the wrong time? With his perfect bad timing, I was tempted to believe he had a tail on me but I knew he was going to deny it if I asked him that.
If he was Jack, he would have said it was destiny. I rolled my eyes as I tried to calm down on my anger. Destiny, my foot.