The Grabber

A New Look Into Things

"Andrea? Are you listening?" She was dragged out of thought as she brought her attention back to the front.
"Uh, yeah, sorry," she quickly sputtered. The teacher gave a nod and continued with the lesson. Andrea sighed as she took notes again.
"Hey," a student next to her whispered. Andrea took a quick glance over. "Are you free after school?"
"Uh," Andrea wasn't sure how to respond. The boy rolled his eyes.
"Not like that, doofus. You love music. Can't afford cassettes. So. Are you free or not?" Andrea didn't know this boy very well. She didn't even know how he knew about the whole music thing. She sighed as she thought. The boy looked to make sure the teacher wasn't looking towards them.
"How can I know I can trust you?" Andrea whispered. The boy glanced back.
"What else do I have to gain? Just trying to help a fellow music lover out. I know what it's like to need music. Especially at home." Andrea thought for a moment. She did love music. She did need music as an escape from reality. She decided she would trust him with this. Perhaps he would also know more about other matters besides music. Matters that would help Andrea with her crazy idea. It seemed like a hot topic that anyone would be learning about at this point.
"Alright, but not for too long. My parents don't like when I'm late getting home."
"Great, I'll meet you after school at the door."
"James, please," James jumped as his vision snapped to the teacher. "No talking during the lesson! You should be taking notes," she scolded.
"Sorry," James responded. The two went back to writing what the teacher was illustrating on the chalk board. "We'll talk more then," James whispered. Andrea nodded as she copied the words from the board. She wondered what his plan was. She also wondered how he knew about her need for music. The only other person who knows anything personal about Andrea would be Rebecca. As far as she knew, Rebecca didn't know anyone named James.

...

The final bell rang, and within seconds the halls were flooded with students eager to head home to their loving families. Andrea, however, usually dreaded this time, no matter how much she hated school. As sorted earlier in the day, she trudged through the swamp of teens to reach the doors to freedom. There, awaited a tall, thin boy named James, who looked like he was waiting for someone.
"Hey, I'm here," Andrea greeted as she tried to step away from the flood gates.
"Hey," James smiled. "It's too crowded here. I figured, if you were okay with it, we could head to my place to talk." Immediately Andrea felt a churn in her stomach. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, it was just that she didn't trust anyone. She knew how high schoolers could be, considering she was one. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna do anything to you," he slightly chuckled as he saw the look on Andreas face.
"Sorry, I just... have trust issues, I guess," she shrugged. James nodded in understanding.
"I don't blame you, there are some terrible people out there. Like the Grabber. You think he's a nice guy, until he, well... grabs you." Andrea perked up at the sound of the name. So he did know about this matter. As much as she felt uncomfortable heading to his home, she knew she needed this information from him.
"Yeah... well, as long as you promise you're not up to anything." He held a hand over his heart with the other up and holding a two.
"You have my word." Andrea chuckled a bit. "It's just across the street. If we can get through this crowd." Andrea tried her best to stay close as she followed James through the sea of hormones.

...

"Here we are, my humble abode," James smiled as they finally made it to his home. Andrea took in the house. It was small, but looked well kept. "It's not much, but it is just my brother and I."
"You're parents aren't here?" Andrea asked. She felt a little more nervous as this now meant there were two boys alone with her, and no adult to help if anything was to happen.
"No, I live with my brother now. Our parents... our parents passed a few years ago..." he rubbed his neck as he grabbed the key from under the mat.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, James.."
"Don't worry about it," he spoke softer. "They're in a better place now. Some place safe and without worries. It makes me feel better knowing they're not suffering here anymore," he said as he unlocked the door. He placed the key in its original place and opened the door. He gestured for Andrea to enter first.
"That's a good way of looking at it," Andrea smiled a little. "I'm sure they're proud of you guys, wherever they are." James walked in behind her and closed the door. He made sure to lock it, just as Andrea does when she's at her house. It's best to keep it a habit, especially considering the current events.
"I sure hope so," James said softly. He walked to the couch to set his bag down. Andrea followed and did the same. "Ryan! We're home!" He called.
"Who's 'we'?" A voice responded. A body emerged from another room. This boy was taller than James by a few inches. Instead of light brown hair, Ryan's head was topped with a similar, short hair style, but in black. He was thin, just as James. A bright red shirt caught Andreas attention right away. Red is her favorite color.
"Oh, um, hi," he greeted as he entered the room.
"Ryan, this is Andrea. Andrea, this is my older brother, Ryan.
"Hi," Andrea greeted bashfully. Ryan nodded with a smile.
"I just brought Andrea over for a little bit to talk about... a school project we have to do." Andrea wasn't told this, but she went along.
"Oh, yeah, just to... get the basic idea before we start it," she nodded.
"Exactly. Do you need the living room?" James asked his brother, who seemed to believe this tale.
"Uh, no, I don't. I was actually on my way to the store to pick up a few things. I hate to leave you two alone.."
"Ryan, we're not gonna do anything," James groaned a bit.
"Alright, alright. I'm trusting you," Ryan pointed at James just before gripping the car key again and heading to the door. "Be careful, safe, don't be stupid, love you, and all that cool stuff," he chuckled as he opened the door. Before closing it, he announced that he would be back in an hour or so. James headed to the kitchen, where Andrea was motioned to follow.
"I usually get some water once I'm home. You want any?" Andrea took a seat at the table as she responded.
"That would be great, actually, thanks." James nodded as he grabbed two glasses to fill with ice water. "So, I have to ask. How the hell did you know all that about me?"
"The music thing?" He asked as he placed the ice cubes in the water. "Look, when you're an empathic music lover, who needs it to basically live, you can sense when others are feeling the same. Although, our home situations are obviously different." Andrea nodded.
"Yeah... definitely." It was only now that Andrea realized just how quiet the home was. No wonder she didn't feel as depressed. "You could tell all that just by looking at me? I mean, we've never even met until today." James placed the water in front of Andrea, who thanked him. He sat at the table as he took a quick sip. He nodded as he swallowed.
"Yep. Pretty much. Although we have had the same class since school started, so that gave me more time to figure you out."
"Aha," Andrea retorts as she takes a sip herself. "So how did you know I needed money for cassettes? Surely you couldn't tell that by a glance."
"Nope," he says as he fluffed his hair. "I just saw you shoplifting."
"What?" Andrea huffy. "I was so careful. How? When?"
"Back when Queen's latest album was released in the stores. I happened to be there too, looking for the same thing. You made away pretty good, I must say. I think I was the only one who noticed."
"Damn," Andrea muttered. "Well, thanks for not ratting me out, then." James chuckled a bit.
"Of course."
"So where does that bring us now? Why am I here?" She asked as James sipped.
"Well, I can't really help you get more money, but I can do something better." He stood and motioned for Andrea to follow. She did, and took in his height. She didn't see him as much of a fighter, but if he was, she would not want to mess with him. He had the height advantage.
"My parents loved music so much. My dad even worked at the shop you stole from."
"I wouldn't say 'steal'," Andrea cringed. She didn't like how the word made her feel. Sure, she did steal, and she didn't feel bad about it, but she didn't like how the word made her feel so dirty.
"Because he worked there," he continued as he opened a door to another room. "He would get discounts when buying music. Sometimes they would just let him take whatever people didn't seem to want. So we had a lot of different options at home." Andrea's jaw dropped at the sight that made her heart pound. Shelves of cassettes and records of many different artists. This was Andrea's paradise. So many options.
"Oh my god, you weren't kidding," she breathed.
"Well, come on. Who's your favorite artist?" James smiled as he stepped inside. Andrea didn't shift her gaze from the shelves. She walked inside to take a closer look.
"It's a tough choice. Al Bowly is one of them. Queen, obviously. So many others, honestly. If you find a good one, just shout it out. I'll probably love it."
"Hm. I'm sure we have something you'll like." Andrea nodded. James looked through some cases as Andrea looked at some options on the shelf. Plenty of artists she recognized and loved. ACDC, Aerosmith, and so many more.
"Aha! Found one. Abbey Road by The Beatles."
"Oh, I love that album!" Andrea smiled as she turned to meet James. She was quite The Beatles fan. Her brother was a fan before she discovered them. If it wasn't for him, she probably wouldn't have considered listening to them.
"Well, then, here you are. Consider this room like a library, but with music. I'll let you borrow the records or cassettes, and when you're done listening to them, you can exchange it for another." Andrea held the record James had handed to her. She smiled as she looked at him.
"Really?" She asked. "I mean, are you sure? These were your parents' after all..."
"Of course I'm sure," James said. He gleamed at Andrea. "Besides, I'm sure they would have liked you. A fellow music enjoyer. They would have been more than happy to help you have music to listen to. Besides, I trust you won't lose or damage them."
"I'll keep them safe and sound," Andrea smiled. "Thank you, James. I really do appreciate it, so much." James smiled as he made his way to the exit. Andrea followed, holding onto the album tight.
"Of course. Let me know how you like it when you finish it. You can always just come by after school. I'll more than likely be here before you since my last class is closer to the exit."
"Sounds great, thank you, really," Andrea smiled. As they reached the living room, Andrea sat the record on the coffee table so she wouldn't forget it when she left. "Um, actually, before I leave..." James tilted his head slightly as she spoke. "I have something... to ask you."
"Oh?" He questioned. He walked two steps backwards before turning towards the kitchen. "One second, I'm gonna bring the waters in here." Andrea nodded as she sat on the couch. She felt nervous for what she was about to ask. Should she ask? It's too late now. He's already intrigued. As James came back, he glanced at Andreas leg bouncing.
"Everything okay?" He asked as he sat the glasses down.
"Yeah, yeah... just..." Andrea looked towards the coffee table as she took a breath. "You mentioned... you mentioned the Grabber earlier... before we left the school." James' concern turned to curiosity. Why would anyone want to bring up the Grabber? It only made sense for him to be confused. "You said he seemed nice at first, then... well, grabs you."
"Mhm..."
"How..." Her gaze slowly shifted up towards James. "How do you... know? How much do you know about the Grabber?" James looked down as he thought. Andrea pursed her lips. She regretted asking, but knew she needed to know more about the Grabber. At the very least, it could help her to stay safe herself. James nodded as he took a breath.
"Because I saw him. I met him." Andrea returned the concerned look that James had been rid of. Something about how James spoke made her feel uneasy. Perhaps it was because it made the Grabber seem more real, just as he was. Just as he always had been.
"Met him? When? How?" Andrea focused on his words, taking everything in.
"Not too long ago, actually. I just never mentioned anything," he started. "I was at the store one day since Ryan was working late, and as I was in the check out line. He was in front of me, purchasing what he needed."
"What did he have? Anything suspicious?" James shook his head.
"No, nothing too strange. Just the usual. Eggs, produce, spices. Nothing really stood out." Andrea nodded as she took mental notes. "He even made a little bit of small talk, actually, before it was his turn to check out."
"What did he say?"
"Just the usual. A comment about the weather, which leads to weekend plans, and anything else. The one thing that made me a little unnerved was when he asked 'I dont suppose you're still in school, are you? You seem quite young'." Andrea shuddered a bit at the thought, but made a mental note still, as she wanted to remember this. Every detail.
"Okay... a little creepy. What did you tell him?"
"I didn't want to seem rude, so I just said 'yeah, I get it from my mother's side. They don't really age'," she chuckled a bit. Andrea thought that was smart. The school question wasn't really answered. If the man had asked again, it would have seemed creepy on his part. If he wanted to keep a low profile. That wouldn't help for sure.
"How did his voice sound?"
"Not very low. I guess kind of average?" Andrea nodded. "A little raspy at times, but it didn't sound like it was from yelling or anything. Like... you know how some people just have that sound? He did. It sounded comforting on one note, but unnerving in another. I guess it depends on the context."
"Mhm, I see what you're saying," she nodded.
"When I had finished paying for what I had, I walked out the doors to head to the car, when I saw him by his van, close to my car." Andrea gasped slightly as she remembered the suspicious van she saw driving slowly down her street. She looked up at James before he continued.
"Wait, I'm sorry, what kind of van? What did it look like?" James tried his best to remember as he looked up as if to search his brain.
"Black for sure... it had something in... green or blue, I'm not sure.. written on the side, but I don't remember what it said. Oh, but I do remember he was dressed quite strange..."
"How so?"
"He had a pale face... almost as if he used make up to cover his identity, but not completely white like a clown." Andrea nodded as he made hand gestures for a hat. "He had a hat. It was like... a top hat, but shorter and curved up on the brim?"
"Like a magician's hat?"
"Yes!" He pointed. "Exactly! He had kind of a magician's attire as well. Black flared slacks, black shirt with a red shirt underneath it seemed... but a turtle neck. He also had sunglasses that didn't really cover his eyes. They were..." he tried to make the approximate size of the frames with his hands on his eyes. "About this big?" Andrea nodded.
"Okay, that kind of stands out," she admitted. "Did you see him outside?"
"I did," he nodded. "He was putting his groceries inside the van when I noticed he kept looking over at me with a kind of look I don't know how to describe. Like he was... thinking."
"Thinking of... grabbing you," Andrea tried. James pursed his lips as he thought back to that day.
"I think so, but as soon as I got in the car and started it, I happened to noticed he looked away and shook his head slightly to himself. He seemed to be taking his time, too. Until I started the car. Then he went about his day." James looked out the window for a moment as Andrea filed all of this information away. She would need to write it down later.
"You're sure he was the Grabber?" James looked back at Andrea with a serious look.
"One hundred percent, no doubt. Who else would act that way with a random person? A young one, at that."