Now I have time to clean up the mess in my room. Last night, I came in, brushed my teeth, washed my face, took off my dress, put on a T-shirt, and climbed straight into bed. It might sound like a lot, but I did it in five minutes, more or less, since I was drunk and dizzy as hell. Everything seemed so blurry to me.
I pick up my black dress, put it in the basket, and look around my room. I see one black stocking with a flower pattern on the carpet. I pick it up, put it on the bed, and then bend down to look for the other one. My face is almost pressed against the carpet as I search, but I still can't find it. I look around the couch.
"Where is it?" I ask myself as I search the bathroom, closet, and hall.
Maybe Della took it, but if she had cleaned my room, she would have cleaned the entire place. Everything is still untidy.
Where the hell is it?
"It's my favorite one, no—" I suddenly feel sad and pout.
Since I love tights and stockings so much, I have quite a collection, but this pair is my favorite because it's comfortable, feels nice to the touch, and has a flower pattern.
Now I feel even more upset. Felicia ruined my teatime, and my favorite stocking is missing its pair.
Ting.
A message notification sounds. I pick up my phone and look at it. It's from an unknown number.
I open it.
Unknown:Can I pick you up tomorrow morning? —Tytas
I start to smile, but then I remember what Irin said to me. I reach inside my pants, take out the photograph, look at it again, and place it on my desk.
Ting.
Unknown:So we can go to school together. —Tytas
Tytas sends me another message.
Me:Yes, I'll be waiting.
As I walk out the door, the classic dark-brown car gleams before me. Brown isn't the color of a wasteland or a color meant only for old people. Others may neglect it, but brown is the color of earth and trees—dependable, classic, soft, and nourishing.
Tytas is waiting for me, the car door already open.
He parks beside the other cars, next to a silver one and across from a golden one. Their different models, brands, and colors reveal something about the tastes of the people who drive them.
Eyes turn toward us as we get out. He opens my door, and across from us, I notice fiery hair shining beneath the sunlight. Tytas places a hand against my back as we walk past the golden boy and his baby-pink Felicia. I glance back at them, and Tytas does the same before guiding me into the hall.
Are we together?
I don't really know, but it feels different from before.
From then on, he picks me up every morning and takes me home after school. Sometimes, after dropping me off, he drives all the way back to school for practice. He doesn't text me every minute or every second, but he texts me every day.
Good morning. Good night. What time he'll pick me up.
But we haven't kissed again since that night.
It's almost late at night, and I expect Della to tell me that she'll be leaving soon.
Knock, knock.
"Miss Letizia?"
And there she is, like clockwork. "Yes?" I answer.
She opens the door. "I'm leaving, Miss. Is there anything I can do to help?" she asks.
"Okay, you can leave. Thank you." Della smiles and is about to close the door. "Della..." I call her.
She waits, standing behind my bedroom door. "Have you seen my flower-patterned stockings?"
"Flower-patterned stockings?" She looks confused.
"One of them, actually. I can't find its pair," I say.
"No, Miss," she says.
"It's alright. Get home safely. Thank you, Della." I smile.
Then she leaves me. It's already 9 p.m. Time passes so quickly. I put down my pen and let the laptop continue playing on its own. I move to the velvet couch and watch Della as she's about to leave. The streetlight still hasn't been fixed. It casts a bright, eerie light across the street.
Will Della be able to see where she's going? Then I look around as though I'm a security camera.
What the hell? I quickly spring to my feet. I see the man on his motorcycle again.
Shit. I don't think I'm delusional this time.
He's on the right side of the street, across from my house, in front of the woods.
What the fuck does he want from me? Does he want to rob my house or something?
"Della..." I call her name softly.
I hurry to open the window. The cool wind suddenly blows against my face, but I don't care.
"Della!" I shout.
She flinches and looks up at me. I quickly glance at the man on the motorcycle.
He's still there.
"Stay there!"
"What? Is something wrong, Miss?" she shouts back.
I quickly look at him again. He's still there.
I hesitate to run toward her because he might reach her before I do.
"Come back inside the house!" I shout.
"What?" Della looks confused.
"Come back inside now!" I shout as I run down the stairs like a crazy person.
I run, jump, lose my footing, and slide down the stairs.
"Goshhh! Ouch—ouch—ouch." I hurt my leg and crawl toward the door, trying to pull myself up.
Della opens the door at the same time.
"Miss Letizia! What are you doing?" She looks shocked and helps me up. "Are you all right?"
"I slid down the stairs," I say.
"What? You're not a child anymore, Miss Letizia."
She misunderstands me, but I don't care right now.
I pull her inside the house. "Don't go home yet," I say.
"Is something wrong?" she asks, confused.
"I saw someone outside the house," I say.
"Someone?" she repeats.
She leaves the doorway and looks outside. "There's no one there, Miss," she says while standing on the porch.
I follow her and look toward the right. There are no shadows or figures.
He's gone.
"Miss Letizia..." She calls me.
How can I tell her that someone has been watching me from outside my house and that this isn't the first time?
She'll tell my father, and my father will worry. He'll abandon his work and stay with me for a week. Then work will call him back to make up for all the time he missed, and I won't see him at all next month.
"I thought I saw someone... There's normally no one around here, so..." I try to explain while my eyes search through the woods. "I was worried about you."
She slowly smiles and rubs my arms.
"Thank you, Miss Letizia. I'll go straight home. Don't worry about me," she says, though her face tells me she's worried about me. "Lock the door and stay inside the house, all right? No more late-night trips to the store for snacks. Hehe, okay?"
I nod. "Yes." I look at her, then turn toward the trees.
My heart is still pounding. I can't even blink once while searching for the shadow.
"I think you should go home now, Della," I say.
It's the best time for Della to leave while he's gone. He might still be lurking out there, but shit, I don't know what to do.
My eyes may be as steady as the trunk of a great tree, but my fingers shake and sway like the branches before me.
"Are you really alright?" She looks even more confused.
I nod. "Yes. Get home safely," I say, forcing myself to smile.
"Alright... If anything is wrong, you can call me anytime, Miss Letizia," she says.
"Thank you," I reply.
I watch her leave my property until she disappears from sight. And I'm about to return inside.
"Geez..." I stop and touch my left leg. Now I can feel the pain.
Suddenly, a light shines from the right side of the street. I raise my hand to shield my eyes, and then it fades.
I look toward its source.
He's there—he's back.
Or maybe he hasn't fucking left at all.