Behind Closed Doors

Chapter 9: Hidden in Plain Sight

The next morning, Maya barely recognized her reflection. Her eyes were puffy from lack of sleep, dark circles framing her pale face. She felt hollow, as if all the energy had drained out of her. Even her usual routine—brushing her teeth, combing her hair—felt like it belonged to someone else’s life.

Her phone buzzed again, and she flinched, but it was just a message from Ethan.

Ethan: I’m skipping school today. We need to figure this out.

Maya paused. Skipping school had never crossed her mind. It wasn’t like her. But then again, nothing about the past few weeks had been normal.

Maya: Yeah. I’ll meet you in an hour.

As soon as the message sent, she grabbed her backpack, threw on a hoodie, and slipped out of the house. She needed to get away, to clear her head. The walls of her house, the safe spaces of her bedroom—they felt like traps now, confining her. She couldn’t stay there and wait for the next attack.

Meeting up with Ethan at the park, she found him sitting on a bench, already deep in thought, his phone clutched tightly in his hands.

“You okay?” he asked as she approached, though the answer was obvious.

“I don’t know anymore,” she said, slumping down beside him. “Every time I think I’m one step ahead, he reminds me that he’s already there.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Ethan said, the same determined look on his face as the night before. “We have to.”

Maya let out a long breath, grateful that he was still by her side. “Did you find anything?”

Ethan glanced at his phone. “I’ve been going through the messages again, trying to trace any patterns. But something struck me last night—there’s nothing random about these texts. They always come at specific times. It’s like he knows exactly when to push the buttons.”

Maya frowned, thinking back to every time she’d received a message. It was true—they always came when she was either alone, vulnerable, or making a decision. Like clockwork.

“How is he doing this?” she asked, more to herself than Ethan. “I’ve checked my phone for spyware, the police checked my house, but he’s still always there.”

“That’s what’s bugging me,” Ethan said, his voice lowering. “It’s like he’s using something more than just technology to track you.”

Maya’s eyes widened. “You don’t think…”

“I don’t know,” Ethan interrupted. “But I think we should start looking at the people around you.”

“People?” Maya repeated, confusion settling in. “Like at school?”

“Yeah,” Ethan said. “It’s not just the messages. It’s the way he knows where you are, what you’re doing. That kind of information doesn’t come from nowhere. He’s watching you, but he’s also close enough to know details that only someone you interact with regularly could know.”

Maya’s stomach twisted. She hadn’t considered that. All this time, she’d been thinking about the stalker as some distant, faceless figure. But what if it was someone she knew? Someone who blended into her life every day, hidden in plain sight?

“James?” she blurted out, her mind jumping to the most obvious suspect. He had always been around, trying to talk to her, following her home on some days. But he’d seemed harmless, more annoying than anything else.

Ethan shook his head. “Maybe, but I don’t think so. James is too sloppy, too obvious. Whoever this is—they’re smart, calculated. James doesn’t seem like the type to pull off something like this without screwing up.”

Maya bit her lip, thinking. “So, who else? I don’t really hang out with that many people. It’s just you and a few friends.”

“That’s the thing,” Ethan said. “Whoever it is, they’re good at staying under the radar. We need to start paying attention to the people you don’t notice. The ones who are always there but never really in the spotlight.”

A cold chill ran down Maya’s spine. “You think it’s someone at school?”

Ethan nodded. “We should start there. Maybe someone’s been watching you more closely than you realize.”

Maya hated the idea that her stalker could be someone she interacted with every day, someone she might have smiled at or casually passed in the hallways. It made her skin crawl, the thought that she might have been in the same room as them without even knowing.

“Okay,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. “Where do we start?”

“We’ll start with your routine,” Ethan suggested. “Let’s map out your day—where you go, who’s usually around. We’ll keep our eyes open for anyone who sticks out.”

Maya nodded, though her stomach was knotted with anxiety. She hated the thought of being watched, of someone lurking in the background, but at least now she had a plan. She wouldn’t just sit back and let it happen anymore.

Ethan pulled out a small notebook, flipping to a blank page. “Alright, let’s start with your morning classes.”

For the next few hours, they walked through every detail of Maya’s school day. She named her classmates, teachers, and even people she barely noticed—students who sat in the back of the room, people who lingered in the halls. Every name felt like a potential threat.

“I don’t know how we’ll narrow it down,” Maya admitted, overwhelmed by the sheer number of possibilities.

“We don’t have to,” Ethan said. “We just need to start paying attention. Whoever this is, they’ve been able to stay hidden because they’ve been underestimated. We won’t let them hide anymore.”

By the time they wrapped up, Maya felt both exhausted and more determined than ever. She was done being a victim. Done sitting around waiting for the next message. Now, it was her turn to watch.

But as they stood to leave, Maya’s phone buzzed again. Her heart skipped a beat as she glanced at the screen.

Unknown: Don’t get too comfortable, Maya. I’m always watching.

Her breath caught in her throat. Whoever this was, they already knew she was fighting back.

“They’re scared,” Ethan said, his voice firm. “That means we’re getting close.”

But Maya wasn’t so sure. If anything, it felt like her stalker was just getting started.