Stalker, Much?

I took the same route every day. Through the trees, across the basketball court, up the little hill, down the short slope, up the massive hill, that is when I'd slow down. Her house was on the corner at the bottom of the hill. I would crest the hill turn follow the curve, watching as the massive house came into view.

Every time our eyes met, she would give me an adorable grin, and I would proceed to do something klutzy, like trip over my own feet, then bow my head in embarrassment and sprint away.

I would base the rest of my run on her. If I didn't see her, I would go home and mope through the rest of my exercise there. If she looked at me and gave me that grin, I'd take the long way home. She seemed to give me the boost I need.

Some days she would be in the bay window with her laptop, sometimes eating. On warm days she'd tend to her yard or sit in a lawn chair with a book.

My favorite days, she'd exercise. I few times I'd pass her jogging in yoga pants and a tank top, iPod strapped to her arm headphones blaring. During the summer, yoga on the front lawn under the big shady tree.

Those were the days where I felt like the extra strain on my heart would kill me.

Today, fate decided to dropkick me into doing something.

I took my usual route, crested the hill, and followed the curve as my heart soared with hope.

The wings on my heart fell off and it crashed as I jogged by the empty house.

I turned the next corner to take the short route home when I slipped on a small sheet of metal and almost fell.

I stopped and looked down at the small, now horribly scratched, piece of metal. "Cell phone battery cover." I muttered to myself. I looked in the area around me and saw something in the grass by the curb.

It was a cell phone whose paint matched the destroyed cover. There was a battery not very far.

I put the three pieces together and turned on the phone. It didn't look old, so whoever lost it would probably call it or something, trying to find it.

I went the rest of the way home and continued to exercise. I was done, showered, and resting when the mystery phone rang four hours later.

"Hello?"

"Hello, my name is Mickie. I'm so happy you answered. I mean, I think I am. I'm not sure who you are, you could be a thief about to tell me I'm never going to see my phone again. Please don't tell me I'm never going to see my phone again."

"Um-"

"I don't think I could stand it if you did. I need my phone, it has my whole life on it. My work, my school stuff, my social secur- actually, I don't think I should tell you that."

"Well-"

"Seriously, I need it back, I don't have a lot of the information on there, anywhere else, I didn't have a chance to back it all up yet, it is brand spakin' new-"

"Not anymore!" I rushed, forcing her to stop rambling.

"What?"

You dropped it on the sidewalk and I stepped on the battery cover."

"Oh well. Anyway, can I have my phone back? You could bring it to my house in Oak Village, I live at the bottom of the big hill."

"Sur-"

"No, you could be a crazy stalker. We should meet somewhere public. Do you know where the playground is?"

"Yeah, I don't live far fro-"

"Okay, good. We can meet by the basketball court, in like twenty minutes, that way it won't be so dark and you can't kidnap me. Should I wear anything to signify-"

"NO. No you don't have to."

"Okay thank you so very much!' The phone on the other side sounded as if it was slammed hard into the cradle.

I moved the phone away from my ear and stared at it.

I had slipped the phone into my pocket when something hit me.

She lived at the bottom of the big hill.

I did a happy dance before bounding out of my house to head to the basketball court.

I started out walking with a bounce and whistling a tune, but it quickly turned into sweating while practically vibrating with nerves while shuffling along.

.By the time I got the court, I felt like I had gone for another run with the amount of sweat I produced.

I sat gingerly on a nearby bench and waited. I went over every pick up line I knew in my head vetoing every single one. Seriously, most of them make me feel extra pervy.

While I sat, completely inside my head, a shadow fell over my body. I glanced up to see the most beautiful hazel eyes I had ever seen.

"Hey, did you find my phone?"

"Um, youhaveprettyeyes." I could kick myself sometimes.

"Thanks." She looked away shyly.

"I'm sorry. Here." I stood quickly and nearly shoved the phone in her face. Great, she probably thinks I'm a patient.

She grinned as she took it, and I swooned. "Hi, I'm Mickie. Even though I'm kinda telling you again." She held out her hand.

I rubbed my palm on my jeans then shook her hand. "Jay. I-I'm Jay."

Fate spoke. I listened.

I didn't get the girl I watched for so long, I got the girl next door. These days, I know that is so much better.