Hate You, Love You. | Jenlisa

5

You know the feeling you get when you know you're being watched: senses at an all-time high, pulses racing, peeking behind your shoulder to see who's following you? This is how I'm feeling at this exact same moment.

I really shouldn't have taken the late night shift at work.

But in my defense, I'm saving up for the 'mandatory' field trip for all 12th graders to this unnamed place which by the way, doesn't appear on the world map because it's exclusive and apparently that's where the rich and famous all go to unwind and 'be normal'.

In other words, I need a lot of dough if I'm going to be able to go. Principal Yang said the trip is going to be a huge part of our grades this semester so we absolutely have to come. Honestly, if it wasn't for that sole reason, I wouldn't be caught dead there. Last time I decided to go on a field trip, I almost got bitten by a snake, had a big ass cockroach attack my hair and made a fool of myself while trying to make a tent.

Field trip just don't like me at all and the feeling is absolutely mutual.

Taking a turn towards the moon-lit street, I hastily make my way towards the easy route leading to my home which was a dark alleyway down to the street. My mom always told me to never ever take the alleyway no matter how desperate I am because the area is full of drug dealers, gangsters, rapists, arms dealers and all round shady people.

Oh well.

As I walk down the dimly-lit, deserted alleyway with my measly flashlight in hand and a bottle of pepper spray, I realize how stupid i am for taking this route. It's cold, dark, lonely and it reeks of beer and dried blood. I hear a rustling noise behind the trashcan and my heart nearly falls out of my chest. "Whoever you are, I'm not playing with you," taking the pepper spray from my bag, I angle it towards the trashcan. "I have pepper spray and I'm not afraid to use it."

A brown rat squeaks from under the lid and runs towards the spirogyra-filled gutter scared once it realizes that I have discovered its hiding place.

"Yeah, you better run."

I speed walk towards the exit, heart racing, pulse probably over a hundred. Realizing I'm almost at the exit, I hear footsteps following me from behind but I refuse to look back. I may act like a total badass but it doesn't mean I don't panic every once in a while.

And it doesn't mean I'm not afraid to die or like get raped.

The footsteps got dangerously close, a firm, rough hand grips on my arm firmly. On instinct, I scream and spray the pepper spray directly on the unnamed person.

"What the fuck?" She yells.

Okay, the voice sounds oddly familiar. Would a serial killer or druggie scream that loud?

"Are you crazy? Why would you have pepper spray in your bag? First it was whip cream, now pepper spray." She says, whilst blinking rapidly. Yikes, that's got to burn.

Literally.

"Okay, back up one sec," I say, arms folded across my chest. "What are you doing in my neighborhood acting all stalker-like? Last time I  checked, this is not the way to your mansion, in fact, this is the last place on earth I'd expect you to be in. So Lisa, what  exactly are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here? Don't you know that it isn't safe for a woman to be out here all alone?"

That isn't any of your business.

"Miss me with the safety speech, Lisa. I've lived here long enough to know how to defend myself." I open my bag and grab a bottle of water and a medicated soap. I hand it to him and he grabs it greedily from my outstretched hand. "Use this to wash your face. It'll lessen the effects of the spray. Word of advice, don't sneak up on me next time."