Stalking Kasey

Soft Smile

I follow her to the coffee shop by the bookstore she works at. I stay a respectable distance, and I've got my hoodie up and my earbuds in, my phone connected to the tiny microphone I hid in her bag.

I listen to her sweet voice as she greets the manager and orders.

"A vanilla caramel latte please, no whip cream, and a mocha latte with two slices of chocolate cake."

I grit my teeth. She knows her order like the back of her hand already. I really wasn't in the mood for some competition.

I sat down on a bench across the street and pulled out my phone, pretending to look at the screen while I watched her.

She sat down at a table by the window and I smiled. She's making it too easy.

I glance at the door to the coffee shop when a girl with short curly caramel colored hair entered and headed straight for Kasey's table. Kasey jumped up to greet her and my fingers curl tight into fists as they embrace.

"Hailey, hey." Kasey says, her voice muffled by Hailey's jacket.

They pull apart and Hailey grins. "Hey. How are you doing?"

Kasey chuckles. She doesn't meet Hailey's eyes. "Good. I'm good. How're you?"

They sat down as their order arrived.

"I'm great, actually. Just aced my Chem exam." Hailey beams.

"That's awesome!" Kasey exclaims. "I know you were worried about that one. Glad it turned out well."

Hailey tucked a hair behind her ear. "Yeah, well, profuse studying pays off."

"I'm sure it does. I'm just glad I don't have to suffer through that anymore."

"You still could, you know?" Hailey prodded.

Kasey rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to college, Hailey."

She just chuckled. "So how's the bookstore treating you?"

She hesitated and I knew we were both thinking the same thing. My jaw clenched just remembering it.

"It's okay. Yesterday was a little out of the ordinary..." She sighed. "Elliot tried to ask me out and when I said no, he got all angry and grabbed me."

Hailey's eyes widened. "What? Are you okay? What happened?"

She brushed her hand through her wavy hair. "Chase came in before he could really do something and stopped him. He punched him, Hailey."

Her eyes widened. "He punched him? God, that's hot."

Kasey chuckled awkwardly, taking a sip from her coffee to hide her flushing cheeks.

"It was more scary than anything."

"I bet." Hailey replied.

She reached across the table and laid her hand on Kasey's. My eyes narrowed, my fingers wrapped tight around my cell.

Kasey's eyes flit up, meeting Hailey's. She smiled softly, that sweet smile that was only supposed to be for me.

I grit my teeth. This was going too far.

I looked down at my phone and sent a short text.

Me: Leave.

Kasey pulled her hand from Hailey's to reach for her phone. Hailey looked disappointed but she smiled when Kasey looked back up at her. But Kasey wasn't smiling and Hailey's quickly dropped.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Hailey asked.

"Nothing. Nothing." Kasey replied quickly.

She looked around the Café before her eyes flit out the window and locked on me. I lifted a hand and wiggled my fingers in a wave. All the color drained from her face.

She turned back to Hailey quickly and took a long drink of her coffee. But she didn't leave.

I glowered, sending another text.

Me: Don't ignore me, Kasey.

She glanced down at her phone, ignoring Hailey's concerned questions as she typed out a reply. My phone chimed and I smirked.

Kasey: Leave me alone, you creep.

Me: You know I won't do that.

She scowled at her phone and I found it absolutely adorable.

But she still didn't leave.

Me: I thought I told you to leave, Kasey.

Her response was quick.

Kasey: Why?

I sighed.

Me: Because I said so.

Kasey: Cause that'll make me listen to you.

Kasey: You don't like seeing me with other people do you? But you didn't care when I was with Cole and Jackson?

Me: Cole and Jackson weren't a threat.

Kasey: Hailey isn't a threat!

"Kasey?" Hailey's voice interrupted us both from our rapid correspondence. "You alright?"

Kasey held up a hand. "Yeah. Just give me a minute."

Hailey frowned but went back to eating her cake.

Me: You're supposed to love me and only me.

She scoffed.

Kasey: Hailey's just a friend.

Me: Liar

Me: It didn't seem that way when she was holding your hand earlier.

Kasey: I could come over there and rip that hood off your head, find out who you really are.

She turned her head to the window, glaring across the street at me.

Me: Go ahead and try it.

But she didn't move.

Me: Coward.

Kasey: Says the person hiding beneath a hood.

"Kase, you're worrying me." Hailey started up again. "What are you even looking at?"

I stood up and started walking just as Hailey glanced over. She frowned, her eyes scanning the passerby's and the shops, passing straight over me. Kasey turned back to her.

"Nothing. I'm just watching the cars."

She glanced down at her phone.

Me: Leave. Now.

She bit her cute little lips.

Kasey: No.

I sighed. I really didn't want to have to do this. I turned and started walking back the other way, stopping directly across form her.

Me: Look at me.

She glanced out the window and I reached into my jacket, pulling out the handle of a gun. She froze like a deer in the headlights and before I could even tuck the gun back into its sheath by my side she'd stumbled to her feet, said a rapid goodbye and fled out the door. I smirked.

She stopped by her car and glanced back at me. I waved again and she quickly got in her car and drove home.

I chuckled to myself as I watched a confused Hailey stare after my Kasey.

The gun wasn't real, of course. I was more of a knives kind of person. But Kasey didn't need to know that. Yet.