Walk With Me

2

"Hey," he grinned and I stopped short, allowing a weirded out look to play on my face. He laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not stalking you."

I frowned. It wasn't that I was confused about, but how he found my house. I honestly wouldn't have cared less if he stalked me. I would feel honored.

"Ollie was walking about with his scooter by the park with some girl," he said. "I just followed them and lucky for me you came out the house in time." He jutted his thumb behind him. "They're out back if you don't feel like walking-"

"I always feel like walking," I interrupted, shrugging him off and continuing down the side walk.

"Well, okay," he ran to catch up with me, and when he did, he slowed down so that we were eventually walking at the same pace.

"So, anything new?" He asked after a few moments of silence.

"I find it odd that you always seem to talk to me even when it's evident I don't want to talk to you."

"It's 'cause I like talking to you."

I ignored my frantically beating heart and bit my tongue to keep me from saying anything stupid. Again.

"Anything new?" He repeated.

"Not really."

"There must be something."

"I assume you're looking for something positive?"

"I don't mind if it's not."

"Good," I said quietly. "'Cause it isn't."

"Tell me about it."

"I don't like telling people things," I replied dryly. "I always regret it."

"If you won't tell me anything, then what're we gonna do on this walk?"

"Nothing. We walk. I'm a professional, been doing it for the last year and a half."

"A whole year and a half? You've been waiting that long?"

"Yep."

"I feel obliged to say thank you."

"I'm waiting."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"You didn't tell me," he said. "Just changed the subject."

"Okay well," I muttered. "I had a friend? I guess she was a friend. Her name is Leilani."

He nodded.

"I liked Leilani," I said, smiling softly. "She always hung out with me. And told off people who were mean. But I knew she wasn't perfect." I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, wanting to cry, but not letting myself in front of him. "Um, she talked about me. Behind my back, I mean. With her other friends. One of them actually found my number, and we became good friends. Well, I thought we did." I smiled bitterly. "I seemed to always judge people wrong. After that she..."

"Turned her back on you, right?"

I shrugged. "I guess. Body shamed me. Said I was fat. Cussed me out, said nobody liked me, that nobody, especially not Leilani, wanted to be my friend. That she was just pretending." I felt a knot form in my throat. "I confronted Leilani about it. I told her, 'your friend, Ellis, you know what she did?' And Leila asked, 'what?' So I told her. I told her to drop Ellis and to not be friends with her anymore." I glanced up at him. "Was that wrong of me?"

He shook his head. "I don't think so. I would've done the same thing. And it just sounds wrong to still be good friends with your best friend's bully."