Those annoying stalker problems

Chapter One

"Did you see him?" I demanded, clinging tightly to Kirsty, my nails digging into her skin. "He was wearing shorts! Shorts! I bet he's going to the beach! Come on!" I rushed down the tree and ran towards my Porsche Cayman, binoculars bouncing. They were hurting my ribs but I was willing to suffer for my dear, sweet Ash.

I had the car started and ready to go in five seconds flat and was drumming my fingers against the steering wheel impatiently. Kirsty was still trying to manoeuvre the tree with an armful of food.

"Kirsty!" I yelled, sticking my head out of the window. "Hurry up, the food will still be here when you get back!" Kirsty turned her head towards me but didn't do anything about the heap of confectionary. "Drop it!" I screamed, "drop the damn food. We're going to loose him!"

Kirsty glared at me briefly then muffins and Skittles rained down, covering the dry ground below the tree. No grass grew there. It used to but we'd trodden on it so much that nothing survived. Our lawn would just have to suffer; watching Ashton was well worth the environmental damage.

Kirsty finally reached the car, panting heavily as she threw herself into her seat. I pulled away with a great screeching and the smell of burning rubber.

"Why are we even doing this?" Kirsty asked. "How will he fall in love with a creepy stalker?"

I sighed heavily, my exasperation with Kirsty was almost too much to bear. This had been going on for weeks now and I had really expected better of my best friend. She had sworn she was in this with me.

"Because when he finally meets me he will realise we are meant to be! Haven't you been listening?" I regularly performed emotional speeches regarding that particular subject. I knew that if Ashton ever witnessed one of them, or even just saw my face, he would fall madly in love with me and we would ride off into the sunrise on a horse. No cliché sunset for me; I'd always thought that the sunrise symbolised beginnings and that was what our romantic pony ride would be - the beginning of our happy new life.

"Are you sure?" Kirsty asked, sounding far too serious.

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"

"I just thought that you were joking ... that's all...." She didn't look at me and mumbled her words quietly, staring down at where she was picking at the dashboard of my car.

I said, with determination, "I never joke."

"I can see that," she muttered then stared woodenly out of the window and refused to say another word. I rolled my eyes at her dramatics but in reality it was starting to get to me. She had been acting like I was crazy for a month at least and would never give me a reason - just constantly asked these stupid questions.

At least she still came along with me. But for how much longer? A voice asked, whispering poison into my ear.

Then I spotted a familiar pale blue car and every other thought was buried under joy. If I strained my eyes I could actually see the back of his head, a headband nestled amongst his straw blonde hair. My stomach flipped and I was overwhelmed once again by how amazing he was. (It happened often.)

I cut a corner quickly, trying to keep him in my line of sight. Several drivers blasted their annoyance but I couldn't have cared any less. Nothing mattered but Ashton. He was my entire life.

***

I tossed a handful of coins up in the air absentmindedly, "you want an ice cream?" Oh, yeah, I'd been right. He did go to the beach. "Kirsty?"

The girl in question was lying sideways on a towel, a hat shading her face and making it impossible to read her expression. When she didn't respond, I nudged her roughly with my flip-flop, leaving a sand print behind. She pulled her leg away and lifted her head to glare at me.