My name is Charlotte Brooks. Everyone calls me Charlie or Char. But I have a secret.

I have a stalker.

I feel like I'm in a geoup therapy session when I mention that. But it's the truth, I have a literal stalker.

Problem is, no one believes me.

My family doesn't believe me because we live in a small town and they tell me all the time it may just be me running in to him all the time. But I see him at concerts 2 hours away from home, the grocery store, even at my cousins wedding 3 hours away. He magically became a plus one to someone who came to the wedding.

He never did anything to me. He has never said anything he just stands there and watches me. He didn't hide it either. He was blatant with what he was doing.

What made it feel even more odd was that I never felt like I was in danger with him watching me. I was still scared but never felt like he was a danger. I never felt like he would hurt me or sell me into some human trafficking mafia type group.

But the one time I tried to talk to him about it, he brushed it off like I was the crazy one.

I'm not crazy though.

I swear.

Nicole who is my best fried has been there with me and she sees it every time she's with me.

I swear I can even hear him when I'm sleeping. It's driving me crazy. But the worst part is that he used to be my friend when were young. My best friend.

The one I trusted with every fiber of my being.

Until he left.

He left for 2 years, before coming back our junior year of high school. I had just gotten used to him being gone. It wasn't like he left and we talked all the time, he left and he never spoke to me. I texted, called, emailed, DM'ed.

Nothing.

Nothing for 2 entire years.

Then as if it were magic he swept right back in to town on a dark Saturday night while I was leaned up against my car, talking to my best friend Nicole. His families vehicles drove up to the house and they all came out of the black SUVs like they were hiding something.

I couldn't believe it. Ryder was back and all he did was stare at me from his driveway. Never a hi or a wave. Just staring. His eyes looked hard and swirled with emotion.

Nicole became so uneasy she grabbed my hand and rushed me back in to my house. By the time I was inside and looked out the front window he was half way across the street staring at my front door.

Maybe he was going to say hi or give me an explanation to why he vanished, but I was scared of what he would say at this point. Scared of how he looked at me and I couldn't tell why.

That coming Monday he graced our lowly presence by walking down the hallway flanked by his goons and walking in like he owned the placed.

But, he had changed. He took one look at me when I was standing at my locker, staring at the group, like the rest of the school. He made it his mission to make every day my personal hell. He called me names to my face and behind my back, , and picked on me whenever he had the chance.

He was no longer the friend I once knew.

Until today.

This morning was perfect. It was almost summer break of our senior year. The birds were chirping. Flowers were in full bloom. My favorite, sunflowers, were about waist high and staring up at the sun as I left for school that morning.

Letters of acceptance for college rolled in through our town. Everyone seemed to be getting into their college of choice.

Even me.

When I got that letter I was so excited. my dreams were coming true. My parents were overjoyed. By the end of the school day everyone knew who was going where.

"Have you listened to a damn thing I have said?" Nicole asked me breaking through my thoughts. We were parked outside the school.

"Ughh...yyeaahhh....no. Not at all actually. I'm day dreaming about going to college again. I cannot wait to get out of this place." I whispered.

"Fuck dude. You need to not space out on me for two minutes." She started as we faced each other in her car. "Ok, one more time. Ryder was accepted in to the University of Washington." She said very slowly like I was some idiot.

My face fell and I muttered, "No. No. No. I picked it because it's literally on the other side of the country."

"Yeah I know we both did. Seems like your stalker just can't get enough of you." She said as we got out of her car.

Today we were only at school for our final graduation practice. Tonight was graduation.

Freedom, finally. Freedom was so close, I could almost taste it.

Then on Saturday, I was headed to the beach with Nicole. The beach house was Nicole's Aunt's house so it was free to stay in. She wouldn't be there, but our parents didn't need to know that. All we had to pay for was the gas from Indiana to Florida.

We told no one of our plans to test out our theory again of my Ry....stalker. My stalker.

What makes all this worse is that I actually have feelings for him. I have since we were really young. That school girl crush blew up in to something else and then only resurfaced when he came back. When he started doing what he did to me, it broke my heart.

As we left the car, we took our time getting out to the football field. We talked about our plans for school and what we would do if we ran into Ryder.

As we reached the stage I stood with my group of people and waited for the practice to begin. Practice took about 3 hours of teachers yelling and the principal trying to give out detention for the summer. Which would never happen but I give him kudos for trying.

When it was finally done Nicole and I left for Steak 'n' Shake before we had to get ready for the ceremony at 4. When we sat down our waiter quickly took our orders of burgers, cheesy fries, and banana shakes. We sat around laughing and talking until one last group of people walked in the door.

But this time it was just the popular group. Yes, that unfortunately included Ryder. Flanking him we're his two best friends Jack and Sam.

"Seems like the sluts got sick of them too." Nicole laughed out. I glanced over only to see Ryder staring at me.

I slid down the seat in attempt to make myself smaller so I wouldn't have to deal with him.

"Hey Char. Can I talk to you?" A deep familiar voice asked beside me.

My eyes flickered to the body that was now towering over us at the table. I rolled my eyes in annoyance that I just couldn't have a day without him.

"What?" I asked not believing what just came out of his mouth.

"Can we talk?....Alone?" He asked looking at Nicole who was feeding her face full og curly fries.

"No." I said in disbelief.

"No?" He asked.

"Yeah...My answer is no. Is this word "no" foreign to you?" I asked snottily.

"Please. I promise. I only need a few minutes. We can talk outside and everyone will be able to see us." He pleaded.

I looked over at Nicole and she was of no help. She was now just staring at me. I think. But as I turned my head I saw her staring at Jack and he was staring straight back.

"Fuck. Fine." I muttered and got up.

Remember, keep your thumb out when you make a fist. Go for the groin, it's a weak spot. Titty twisters as a last resort. I said to myself as we walked out the doors.

I turned to stare at Ryder as he unabashedly looked me up and down until he met my eyes.

"How are you?" He asked and I laughed.

"Really that's how you are going to open up this conversation?" I asked.

He sighed. "I know I have been a shitty friend and I wanted to apologize. I was trying to protect you."

"Protect me? Protect me from what? Being called a whale? Or maybe being called 4-eyes? Fat face? Being pushed or getting gum in my hair?" I asked venomously. "Wait a sec. Those were all things you did to me. So fuck you Ry. Fuck you." I spatted out.

"Bam-" he started.

"Fuck off. Don't even try to call me that name. You lost those privileges when you left me." I ended it and turned around and walked inside.

As I sat in the booth again to eat the food that just arrived I saw him watching me. He looked almost sad.

His posse followed him after a few minutes and glanced inside. They looked over at me and I shot them dirty looks but they only looked back with sad faces.

Fuck them. They were a part of this. They helped him pick on me and push me around. And all to protect me? From what?

It didn't matter I would soon be on my way to college and I would only have to see him if we had the same classes. I hated him and I wanted nothing to do with him.

I wouldn't let some wanna be stalker ruin the rest of my life. His bullying ways were because he was trying to keep me safe?

I'm good asswipe. I don't need your protection. I said to myself.

With those words in my head for the rest of the day it made me even more confident during the graduation ceremony. I held my head high and walked off the platform with that blank piece of paper. My family cheered and I went home to pack some more. Nothing would ruin my week, my summer, or my college career.

A perfect ending to today. With this new confidence nothing could bring me down.

Or so I thought.