Stalker

two

Danny has been Sophia's best friend since middle school. They did everything together, that was until Nick stole her from him. Once they started dating Nick made sure she could barley talk to him or see him. Nick was controlling and everyone could see it but her. Danny tried to warn her but she didn't listen. She was wrapped around Nicks grimy finger.  

Danny has always loved her. Since the moment he laid eyes on her. The kind of love that a child has with their first crush. Then as they grew up the love for her grew. They did everything together. After school activities, weekend trips, even family vacations. They were inseparable. Until the day Nick asked her out.  

He was going to make a move that night. He had everything planned out. They already had dinner plans like they did every Wednesday. He was going to show up to her house with pink and white roses (her favorite), and with a build a bear he made for her. He was going to confess everything to her. But that day when he was waiting for her outside her class he saw Nick ask her out as they were walking out. The guy shes been in love with since they were eight and he moved in next door to her. Danny's heart broke. 

He went home that day and threw out the flowers and buried the build a bear in his closet to never see the light of day again.  That was until he saw a familiar car outside his house one summer night and a distraught Sophia Grace in the drivers side. She hasn't been to his house in months. What is she doing at his house? What happened to her? 

He quickly throws on his shoes and runs out to his drive way. Shes sobbing uncontrollably. He knocks on her window and she jumps when she sees him. She unlocks her car and he opens her door quickly.

"Hey hey hey whats wrong Gracie?" The only person whoever called her that. She didn't allow anyone to call her that. 

"I'm sorry. I - I don't know why im he -here. I meant to go home. I w-was trying to-"

"Hey calm down Gracie," He said turning off her car and scooping her up in his arms to take her inside. 

"He broke up with me" She says quietly as she curls up in his arms. He just holds her tighter as they make their way to his room. He lays her on his bed while he gets clothes she can change into. They haven't had a sleep over in years. She no longer had clothes at her house. So he grabbed one of his hoodies and a pair of this sweats. He also grabbed his moms make up wipes and put them all in the bathroom.

"Hey Grace, I put everything in the bathroom. Go get comfortable and then you can tell me whats going on." He says coming back in the room. She just sniffles and heads to the bathroom.

He can hear her sniffles as she moves around in the bathroom. Her phone dings and he grabs it. Her mom asking where shes at. And then it starts to ring.

"Hey Mom its Danny."

"Danny? Wheres Sophia?"

"Shes here. Shes in the bathroom changing."

"Do you know what happened? Is she okay? Sara called me saying he broke up with her and she left upset."

"All I know is he broke up with her. Nothing more. She kept saying she didn't know how she ended up here." 

Her mother stays quite. Then he hears a sigh.

"Can she drive home?"

"No I gave her some clothes. I was going to make her stay here."

"Okay keep me updated." Then a click. He knew what it meant. She was angry. 

Danny turns around and sees and exhausted Sophia in the door way. Her makeup is off, but her eyes are puffy and red. Danny's clothes are way to big for her. The sweats bunch at her feet and the draw string is pulled tight to keep The hoodie goes right above her knees and the selves past her hands. She looks like a little girl playing dress up. 

"Was that my mom?" She asks looking at the floor.

"Yeah. Sara called her told her what happened," Sophia just nods, "I told her your sleeping here tonight."

"Okay." Thats all she says. 

"Here take a seat on the bed. I have a gift for you," he says leading her to the bed. Her face didn't change, but she wonders why he got her something. Her birthday has pasted. They're best friends, but not as they were. And thats because of him. She realizes that. 

While she was getting changed she replayed their whole relationship. He used her to get good grades. He isolated her from her friends. He emotionally and mentally abused her. But why is she so sad that he broke up with her? 

While Sophia is lost in thought Danny searches his closet for the bear her got her all those years ago. He finds it in the back under some old clothes. The box is dusty and so is the bear, but only slightly. He dusts off the red rose bear and looks at it. Remembering that day. He still loves her. He still wants to tell her, but noes not the time. 

When he walks out he sees Sophia staring at the wall.

"Hey Gracie you okay?" He asks holding the bear behind his back. 

"Yeah," She says turning her head towards him.

"What are you thinking of?" He asks sitting next to her. 

"He abused me. And you tried to stop it. You tried to save me, but I ignored you. He tried to end our friendship, but you didn't let it happen, my family didn't let it happen. Thank you." She says and puts her head on her shoulder. 

"I will never let anyone hurt you." He says and hugs her. They stay there for a minute until he pulls away. "Here," he says handing her the bear.

She pulls it to her and hugs it.

"Thank you," she says holding it close. She looks up at him and starts to tell him what happened. 

At some point they both fall asleep. Her hugging her new bear and him hugging the girl he loves. Hes the first to wake up. Sun shining in his eyes. He blinks a few times and sees her in his arms. Curled into him. She looks so peaceful. So free from the pain of her heart break. He wants to stay in this moment forever.

She stirs slightly and he unwraps himself from her. 

"Good morning Danny," She mumbles as she uncurls herself. 

"Good morning Gracie. How did you sleep?" He asks getting up.

"Crying yourself to sleep helps you sleep good until you wake up feeling like you drank the whole bar dry" She says holding her head.  

"Here," He says and hands her water and Advil.

"Thanks," She says and throws back the pills.

He watches her as she stretches and lets her take in the events of last night. 

Last night hits her like a bag of bricks. The heart break, sadness, anger, embarrassment. She doesn't know how to feel in that moment. She looks over at Danny and hes already looking at her. She thinks out of concern.

"Im okay." She grabs his hand and kisses his hand, "Thank you for helping me." Her smile an actual smile. Not a trace of pain from him. He hasn't seen her genuinely happy in what feels like a life time.

"No worries. Thats what best friends are for. Imma start getting ready and then we can take you car home and you can get ready." She just nods and lays back down with her bear.