Stevie awoke the next morning to her mother knocking on her door, "I'm up!"

"Tee, we aren't going."

"Why not?"

"That boy...Lindsey-he doesn't sit well with me."
"What? But why?" Stevie scrambled to open her door and stood in front of her mother.

"I told your father I wasn't thrilled with the idea and he gave it a pass."

Stevie wore a crestfallen expression. "He's not dangerous, he's just a guy."
"I don't like the looks of him...I passed him the other day on my way home...he was just standing in his yard staring at nothing. It didn't seem natural..."

"Maybe he was just lost in thought," Stevie defended

"I don't want you around him..."
"I have to be around him. I was told I will be making him feel welcome and school. I'm going to be friends with him."

"You will not. I will speak to that principal of yours myself. You will not talk to him, congregate with him..."

"Mama, you're being unreasonable."
"He could be a psychopath, Stephanie!" Her mother freaked, tossing her hands up

"Or he could just be lonely..." Stevie argued, "Maybe he needs a friend. I feel like I should help him, Mama."
"Daddy said he spoke to Lindsey's father, maybe he knows more about him."

"Out of the question, young lady. I won't have you pestering your father about some boy you seem so utterly enthralled with. Maybe your brother is right after all. Why else would you want to spend so much time with someone you don't even know."

"He certainly is not right."

"I've been reading all about this...this fascination with outsiders." Her mother lowered her voice. "This is how cults are started."

"Once again, you're being unreasonable. Please..." Stevie gave her the puppy dog eyes which usually worked on her father but her mother looked unwavering.
"No, Stephanie. You will not go over there."

"Then I'll just see him at school," Stevie sassed

"Stevie, I forbid it!"
"What if we have classes together?" Stevie questioned, knowing that wasn't the case. "I can't just pretend he doesn't exist. You and daddy taught us to give everyone a chance. You told me yourself, different is good. Now you're telling me I shouldn't even give him the time of day? That's not fair and that's definitely not showing respect to my fellow man." Her mother looked at her and Stevie sighed, knowing she would probably either be grounded or ignored. Her mother's mind seemed made up.
"You will not go anywhere alone with him at school, got it?" Barbara raised her brow, speaking with finality, "Am I clear?"

"Crystal." Stevie gritted, sighing as her mother closed the bedroom door behind her

Stevie's sighed. The barbecue was out of the question now, so that was another option she could to exhaust when trying to get to know Lindsey. She would have to wait for school. Maybe lunch would be a good time, since everyone's has to eat at some point, right? She went to her window and looked out. She saw Lindsey walking down the sidewalk in the distance. She knew it was him, he was so distinctive. Another sigh. She couldn't even try to bump into him because she knew her mother would be watching her like a hawk. She was shaken out of her own mind by another knock on the door. She opened it to find her brother on the other side.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Did you get in trouble?" Chris asked, seeming as if he hoped that was the case.

"No. what's it to you, anyway?"
"The fact that Mom and Dad are downstairs arguing over your crush."

"What are they saying?"

"Just that Mom is being irrational..."

"I'll agree to that," Stevie rolled her eyes, "say, would you cover for me?"

"What do I get out of it?" Chris raised his eyebrow

"I won't tell Mom that you hide dirty magazines under your mattress," she smirked when his eyes grew wide
"I do not!" he protested.

Stevie crossed her arms. "Are you sure about that, little bro? Because if you're clean, maybe I should just go downstairs and ask mom to have a little look-see"

"Okay, okay. What are you gonna do? How long am I gonna be tied up?"

"As if you have anywhere to be"
"I'll ignore that and ask again, what are you going to do?"

"Go meet Lindsey," Stevie said simply, walking over to her mirror to fix her appearance

"Absolutely not."

"Mo-" Stevie began to yell for their mother but Chris quickly shushed her, "Okay, fine! But be careful...if something happens to you they'll blame me."

"I knew you loved me," Stevie kissed his cheek, causing him to grimace
She breezed past him, carefully making her way out of the house without a sound. Lindsey was coming up the sidewalk, almost right in front of her house. Her mother was right, he did stare at nothing at particular, even now as he was walking. It was as if he was in his own little world. Stevie smoothed her outfit, wanting to make a good impression.

"Now or never" she told herself taking a deep breath. She did her best to sound casual so he wouldn't run away or ignore her like last time. "Hey"
"Me?" He pointed to himself, looking around to see if anyone was around

"Yeah," Stevie chuckled, "Who else?"

"I-I don't know..."

"We met at school today. Did you ever get your forms back?"

"No," shaking head as he avoided her eyes
"Oh..." she said, not sure what to say next. "Um, so you just moved here?"

"Yeah."

"Great school."

"Yeah." he repeated. The conversation was going nowhere and both of them stood awkwardly in front of each other.

"Have you made many friends yet?"
"No," giving her another short answer

"Well...maybe we could go after school one day and have a milkshake?"

"Maybe..."
"Where are you going?" she asked. "On your walk, I mean."

He shrugged and Stevie once again was at a loss for words. Should she feel accomplished that he spoke more than two words to her or disappointed that he seemed uninterested in talking to her? She chose to take this one as a victory.
"I'll see you around?" Stevie suggested

"Okay," Lindsey simply nodded, heading off in the opposite direction of his house
"That went well" Stevie said to herself, walking back toward her house. She watched him for a second longer before going inside again. She went upstairs to her room but her brother stopped her before she could get in.

"So how'd it go? Are you guys getting married now? Maybe you'll move out and I can get the bigger room."

"I doubt it, Chris. He barely spoke to me."

"I bet you're heartbroken." he said with a laugh.
"I just feel bad for him...I feel like he needs a friend..."

"Stevie, he could be the real life Norman Bates!"

"I don't get that energy from him....I feel like no one understands him."
"Oh you don't get that energy? Well how could I argue with that?"

"Don't mock me. I'm just saying."

"And I bet no one got that 'energy' from Ed Gein, the guy that inspired the Norman Bates character, when he was skinning cats as a kid. He grew up to skin people. You know that, right?"

"There's no getting through to you. I'm choosing to have an open mind."

"Suit yourself. Your funeral."
"I'm serious though, if you tell Mom or Dad I will kill you."

"Your secret is safe with me," Chris gave her the Scouts honor

"You were never a Boy Scout, Chris."
"Whatever." he said, waking back toward his room.

Stevie stepped inside her sanctuary and put a record on. She took her her journal out from its hiding place and decided to write. She could finally get her thoughts out, she was understood in her journal and she felt as if she could think a bit clearer when she finished. She put pen to paper and off she went, writing mostly about her brief encounters with one Lindsey Buckingham. She was determined to get to know him, if it was the last thing she did.
According to Chris and her mother's words it probably would be the last thing that she did...

Hours later after every one had gone to sleep she heard sirens and saw lights outside of her window.

Stevie jumped over to her window seeing the police cars surrounding the Buckingham house
Stevie watched curiously but cautiously, unsure of what was going on. Maybe Lindsey really was dangerous, but the thought quickly disappeared.

"What the--?" she heard behind her.

"Haven't you ever heard of knocking?" she asked her brother. "Now shut up. I don't want mom and dad to come in here and move us all to Switzerland." Chris chuckled but Stevie elbowed him, knocking the wind out of him. "Didn't I say to hush? Look."
"Holy Shit, he is Norman Bates!" Chris chuckled

"Shut up!" Stevie whispered

"What do you think is going on? The whole neighborhood is showing up...."
"Cop party" Stevie joked and Chris rolled his eyes.

"Maybe they have bodies in the basement...or they're getting his dad for embezzlement."

"Or maybe someone tripped the alarm." Stevie said more seriously now. "I swear, you watch too many movies"

"They can't make this stuff up. Some of it has to be true."

They watched as someone walked out front onto the lawn. They squinted, trying to see who it might be.
"That's Mr. Buckingham! I saw Dad talking to him the other day!" Chris looked to Stevie

"Should we go ask what's going on?"

"And risk getting caught by Mom and Dad, no way!"

They continued to watch, wondering what would happen next. No weapons are drawn, no one was getting arrested.

"What gives?" Chris said, sounding frustrated.

"What, not enough action for you?"

"I'm not looking for a shoot out at OK Corral but..."

"I don't think police have ever been here before. This is as much action we are gonna get."

"Why's he just standing there?"

"Who?"

"That guy" Chris points toward the front of the house where another figure stood. "Is that...?"

"Lindsey" Stevie confirmed.
"Jesus, Stevie! What do you see in him!"

"Christ Chris! I don't have a crush on him!"

"Could have fooled me."

"I'm going to see what's going on..." Stevie opened the window to climb out, using this method several times when she would sneak out. "Get back in here!" he whisper-shouted.

Stevie gave him the finger before climbing carefully down. She ran across the yard toward a big tree and poked her head from behind it, trying to get a closer look. "This is no good" she said, wanting a closer look.

"Stevie!" Chris half- shouted from the window. He motioned for him to go away but he didn't, instead standing silently at her open window.

Lindsey stepped forward after being beckoned by his father, his head hung. He wore a striped pajama set and his hair was a mess. He looked like he was woken up from a dead sleep. His father wore a robe and slipper, now speaking to a police officer by the cruiser. She couldn't hear a thing, looking around to see if she could find a closer hiding spot.
Making her way to the corner of the Buckingham house she hid out of sight, "Mr. Buckingham, we have warned you about letting your son roam around...it just can't happen. With his condition it is a hazard to the community." The officer spoke

"I understand, I'll keep an eye on him this time, I swear."

"I'm afraid we have to take him in."

"Is that necessary?"

"We have witnesses that saw him trespassing on private property."

"Where?" The police officer pointed toward the Nicks residence and Stevie gasped. "If there are damages, I will pay for them but I've met Jess. He and I are becoming fast pals. I invited him to my barbecue."

"Your son was spotted talking to a young woman."

"He knows not to get into trouble, to leave people alone. Besides, my son isn't social. He would never hurt anyone." The officer ordered for Lindsey to turn around and Stevie decided to take action.

"Officer!" Stevie said, making herself known.

"Ma'am?"

"I approached Lindsey first. I wanted to get to know him. He didn't do anything wrong."

"Is this true, Lindsey?" Morris asked. Lindsey nodded.

"He goes to my school and I wanted him to feel welcome in our neighborhood." Lindsey seemed receptive. Was that a smile she has spotted? "See, I met him today and he really is a nice guy. He wouldn't hurt me, Mr. Buckingham is right about that."

"I want to tell you that covering for someone like him is not only dangerous but a serious crime. Are you absolutely sure he was not trespassing."

Stevie didn't have to think before answering. "He was not."

"Keep an eye on him," the officer gave Mr. Buckingham a final warning before getting back in his car and driving off.

"Thank you," Morris sighed in relief as he turned to Stevie.

"It was it was no problem..." becoming shy.

"No one has really stuck up for him like that before."

"It would have been my fault if he got in trouble and I couldn't have lived with that."

"Well, look at that, Linds, it looks like you've made a friend already." His father clapped him on the shoulder and he smiled a little, finally looking up a her.

"Th-thanks..."

"Stevie, I'm Stevie." She extended a hand to him and Morris gently coaxed him into shaking it. "It was nice to meet you."

"You too" he said before clamming up again.

"Stephanie!" She heard her mother's voice behind her...busted.

"I have to go!" Stevie waved goodbye before jogging back to her house

"Stephanie Lynn!" Barbara's high pitched voice made her ears ring. "Coming!" she said.

"What are you doing out here? Do you realize how late it is?" Her mother continued to lecture her. She turned back briefly to look at Lindsey who waved as he was ushered back inside. "Are you listening to me, Stephanie? Do you know what the implications are- a young woman talking to a...a..."

"A boy who is just looking for a friend?"

"Stevie, that is neither here nor there. I suppose we will just have to see what your father thinks about all this." Her mother pressed her hand to her lower back and brought her back inside the house. Stevie scrammed up to her room before Barbara could say anything else. She dreaded waking up in the morning....