STALKER

Chapter 54 - 14th July

The temperature had dropped overnight and I buried myself deeper under the covers, enveloped in their warmth and familiar heaviness. I reached out a hand and groped around the side of my pillow for my phone. It read 8.15 am. Snippets of the previous day came and went. The look on my mother's face, John admiring the new wall art; and of course the contents of the box. Not that I knew exactly what the two small items were, but they left a lingering tingle on my fingertips.

I really didn't want to move, thoroughly enjoying the early morning cosiness, even the sound of my breathing was comforting. Then I remembered Weirdo. I suspected he was long gone. He would have started work hours ago. I didn't hear him leave but I was sure that was the case. Another 10 minutes passed and I finally hauled myself out of my bed. The first thing I saw was Granddad pacing the room, swirling, expanding; and shrinking almost into a ball. He was peeved and so damn early in the morning. I sighed, I took a guess Weirdo was still here.

After I looked in the box I covered him up and left him to sleep in my new room. I came back down here to my single bed, back to Batman and Superman. I decided I better go and see what was going on before John exploded again.

I put on several layers, the house was freezing again. I lit up, my mouth felt disgusting but I needed one to wake me up. I turned on the heater full blast and went off to make a coffee. John followed me out, nipping at my heels like an annoying puppy.

Walking into the kitchen I could see why he was cranky. Weirdo was at the stove cooking what looked like pancakes. The room smelt good. There was a pot of coffee already made and ready to pour, two cups sitting side by side. He was wearing what he arrived in yesterday and must have been freezing. I pulled off the jumper and sweatshirt I had on and put them on the bench beside him and went back to my room and put on my big black coat.

As I was doing the last button he arrived at the door with the coffee and cups. We still had not said a word, moving around each other warily. He disappeared and a little while later came back with a pile of pancakes for us to share. He left a second time, returning with the box and setting it on the bed, still without saying a word.

"Thanks for these," Weirdo rubbed the front of the sweatshirt. "I left my place in a hurry and I didn't realise how cold it was until I got here." He pushed his hair off his face, he looked pale.

"Thanks for the bed as well." I poured the coffee. Nothing would come out of my mouth, all the words were stuck in my throat.  Weirdo kept looking at me and in the end, I was forced to say something. The silence was awful.

"You christened my bed. I haven't even slept in it yet." I was trying to joke around but sounded awkward instead. "It arrived last week," I said by way of an explanation. Who the fuck cares I told myself.

"It's very comfortable." Weirdo glared at his pancakes. "You should have woken me up. It's not fair I took over your bed."  This small talk was painful but I had to laugh at his comment.

"You've never had a problem with that before." He attacked the pancakes as if they were thick steaks and turned them into crumbs.  I could see he was blushing and his freckles darkened. Sometimes he just looked so young. He is one of those guys who as he ages will remain boyish. That mouth of his will always turn up at the sides in a smirk and his dimples will deepen when he smiles.

"So? Shouldn't you be at work," I said a bit too loudly and making us both jump. Weirdo looked lost for a moment. "So why did you come over?'' He kept looking at me with those intense blue eyes, cutting my confidence to shreds. Did I need to go down on my knees and beg for forgiveness....that was the depth of my guilt? These pesky emotions are so inconvenient.