The Boy Next Door

salt wind and speed limits

I'll just be a minute, she said.

But here I was, drumming my finger against my crossed arms waiting for my friend to come out. Yuri and I had known each other for a while, almost as long as me and Changmin. But Changmin always had beef with her for some reason, and when she transferred to a different middle school we lost touch.

She was in town now for a visit, and what started as a peaceful nice dinner ended up being her trying to see if she could sneak into a club nearby.

Honestly I would have been all for that, but it's been almost half an hour since she said she would open the back door for me, but nothing has happened.

I sighed, I leaned off the wall where I could hear the loud music from inside. Maybe Changmin had been right when he told me not to see her. I had even worn my nice dark blue skater dress, though it was nothing compared to the style Yuri had from living in the big city.

I texted her while tracing my steps slowly, telling her I was leaving.

I decided it would be smart to get out of this sketchy dark alleyway and I began walking, though I couldn't  help but feel disappointed at how the night turned out.

In your youth you're supposed to make friends and meet new people all the time, but it seemed like if anything I was losing people in my life.

"Don't trip." A voice said from a few feet away.

I whipped around and there was a man standing in the shadows of the corner, a beer in hand.

"Excuse me?" I asked, though I knew if Changmin were here he would tell us to just walk away.

"Your tennis shoe," the man nodded towards me.

I glanced down and my white sneakers were untied. "Oh," I said, kneeling down to tie them.

The man watched me meticulously, and I made eye contact with him.

"Not even a thank you?" He asked. "You kids these days. So rude."

"Aren't you the generation who raised us?" I stood up, I didn't even finish tying the lace.

The man laughed out loud. He was clearly drunk, and since there was no one else around I knew it wasn't safe to be here.

I turned from him, he was still laughing like a maniac as I began walking away. I gripped my phone tightly and it buzzed once.

I stopped walking, thinking it might be Yuri, and I shouldn't have left her there alone.

But it was just Changmin:

Jichang
do u need a ride home?

I sighed of relief.

Me
What do I do there's this guy following me

Jichang
wait what?
are you serious? Where's Yuri

Me
I don't know

I glanced behind me, the man had disappeared.

Me
Never mind!

Jichang
What? What do u mean never mind?
Hello?  jo where are you??
Don't panic, just find a group of people
If he asks for your money throw your wallet away from you and run
HELLO???

I was too busy to answer because the man was back and when I was walking faster he would walk faster. When I was speed walking, he would do the same, asking why I was running away.

I saw the light at the end of the alley from the street lamps and a group of people standing around.

I began to run, inherently not a good idea because I immediately tripped myself on my untied shoe laces.