Living on the Outside

Chapter 4

I continued my life as normal. One person isn't going to make a difference in my life. One person isn't going to cause me to crave attention. And it was just this once. I would never see this woman again.

I walked around for the rest of the day. That's how I stay in shape. I get bored a lot. I'm childish too. Those ten years in prison were supposed to be spent goofing off with my friends. But now is my only chance. And I don't have any friends anymore. Except the pigeons. But they don't really goof off. They poop on everything. That's not fun.

When I got back to my apartment, I saw him there. Standing around like he owned the place. Well technically he did, but it was my apartment.

"What are you doing here?!" I shouted.

"I brought you a gift," he said.

"Get on with it then." I had no patience for him.

"Here," he said. He held up a box for the latest iPhone.

"If I wanted one of those, I would have gotten one by now."

"I got it in case you ever talked to that women again and she decides to give you her number."

"How do you know about that!?"

"I have eyes everywhere my friend. I see everything."

I ignored his stalker behavior. "Don't waste your money. I'm never going to see her again."

"Ooh, do you like her."

"No, and she doesn't like me. Just give me the darn thing."

I snatched the phone out of his hand. I opened the box and pulled the phone out. There was a sticky note on it. It had a number.

"That's my number," he said, reading my mind. "You can let me know if you need something at any time. I think I'll be going now."

He walked out of my apartment, using the door that I've never even touched. He locked it behind him as well.

I plugged the phone in to charge. I didn't know if it was dead or not. I let it sit while I prepared some dinner. I made some spaghetti. With my own homemade sauce. The kind my mom used to make.

Once I finished eating I went back to the phone. I turned it on. I made a passcode, put in my finger print, and added him as a contact. My passcode wasn't four digits. It was the words "Josh lives on in our hearts." Nobody would guess it. Everybody thinks I hated Josh. That I didn't care about him.

I found an app that tells you when the sun rises and sets and also sets an alarm for you. I downloaded it. I didn't think I would need it, but it could be helpful. I was getting ready to go to bed when I heard a knock at the door. I didn't know what to do. I just ignored it. Make them think I wasn't here. Make them think that nobody was home.

The knocking continued. It got louder and louder. I walked to the door and looked out of the peep hole. And there she was. The woman from earlier today.

I dashed away from the door. She kept knocking.

"I know you're in there!" she shouted. "I know you are! And if you don't open this door I'm coming in through the fire escape!"

I ran to the door, opened it, and pulled her inside. She didn't scream this time.

"What do you want?!" I yelled.

"I didn't want to come in," she said calmly.

"If I just casually stand there talking to some random woman somebody is bound to find out that I live here. And they'll think I'm robbing the place and the police will come. And I'll get kicked out. Nobody can know I live here."

"Okay then," she said.

"What do you want?" I asked again.

"I'm sorry about the scene I caused. I still don't understand. How are you trouble?"

"Go ask somebody and figure it out on your own."

"It's kind of hard to do that when you don't know somebody's name."

"I like it better that way. Now get out."

I grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the door. I pushed her out, slammed the door, and locked it.

"My name is Emily," she shouted. "And I don't think you're a bad guy."

Then she left.