"What are you talking about? Dan, what is that?" I was looking at the thing he was holding in his hand, and suddenly I knew what it was. "A camera? How did…" "He knows you are here." His face was still blank. It felt like he didn't even notice I was talking to him. "You have to get out of here. He can enter my apartment. He won't hurt me, but if you're here… I'm not sure what he'd do to you." He said. He was scaring me. I had just moved here, and now I had to get out? How did PJ get into his apartment anyway? "No Dan, I'm not leaving."Dan ignored me and started packing my things again. "Dan, stop it. I won't go. I just got here." I said desperately. "Don't you understand?! You need to get out of here, it's not safe!" he was yelling at me. For the first time he was yelling at me. He took me completely by surprise, and I couldn't help my tears from falling. When he realized he had hurt me, he reached out to hug me. "Don't." I said quietly. I picked up my boxes and went out the door without looking back at who I was leaving behind. He didn't want me here. Fine. I wouldn't be there.

I walked home. My house wasn't far from Dan's, and I didn't want to ask him for a ride. He begged me to let him go with me, but I ignored him, right now I didn't care about my safety. PJ couldn't be as bad as Dan said he was. I had had self defense classes anyway, so PJ couldn't harm me. I entered a narrow alley. I was nearly home. I saw someone standing in the middle of the alley, probably one of those smokers. No one ever comes here, so this was their favorite spot. As I got closer to the person, he started moving, blocking my way. I slowed my pace suspiciously. I kept on walking, hoping he would move, but he didn't. I didn't like this, so I turned around only to find someone else blocking the way. I dropped my boxes, ready to use my jiujutsu skills when necessary. They closed in on me. The one in front of me had curly brown hair and was wearing a leather jacket. If he wouldn't be so terrifying I would have thought he looked good. God I wished Dan was here. I wished I had taken his offer to give me a ride home. The one behind me grabbed me by my arms and roughly pushed me against the wall. It hurt. I felt the bricks scraping my elbows and back. I was wearing the red dress again, too much bare skin for such a situation. I really had to throw it out, only bad things happened whenever I was wearing it. The guy with the leather jacket came over and put his hands on either side of me, blocking my only ways of escape. "Hey there, sweet cheeks. You really are as beautiful as they say." He said. "Who…" then it hit me. I knew who this was. "PJ."

"She knows who I am." He said to his friend mockingly. "Dan must've told you all about me, I'm flattered." His voice got fiercer while finishing his sentence. I didn't dare move, I saw PJ had a knife. "Why are you here?" I asked him, trying not to sound scared and failing miserably. "To spend more time with you, of course!" he said. He scared me to death. I was terrified I wouldn't be walking out of this alley alive. "You are different from the usual girls he dates. I like it." He studied me, and I was disgusted. How could he do this over one girl that had left him? It wasn't even Dan's fault. He even turned her down. His finger contoured my face, and I turned my head. "Wrong move." He said. He grabbed me by the throat. I couldn't breathe and I started panicking. Just when I thought I would pass out, he released me. I fell to the ground and it felt like I was coughing up my lungs. PJ took out his knife and made a small cut on my right leg. "Something to remember me by." He said. "And, don't tell Dan about this, I like playing a game with him. I'll know if you tell him or try to warn him, and I know where you live. You wouldn't want your dear parents involved, do you?" at that he left, and I was in that alley alone, trying to catch my breath.

I left my boxes with clothes in the alley and ran back to Dan's apartment. I never should have gone out there alone. My leg was bleeding, and I turned some heads, which wasn't weird considering I was a mess. Once I was there I ran inside. "Dan?" I called, crying. I wanted to tell him what had happened. I heard the bathroom door open. "Kyra? What happened to you?" he saw the cut on my leg and that I was crying. "What happened? Tell me." "I..." I nearly told him it was PJ, until I remembered what he had said. If I told Dan, my parents would get hurt. "There was a guy in the alley and he wanted my money. When I said I didn't have any he took out his knife and cut me." I hated lying to him, but I would do anything to protect my family. "Why is your neck so red?" I had forgotten about that. "He tried to choke me, but something startled him and he ran off." I never knew I could be such a convincing liar. I didn't want to be, but now it came in handy. "Did you see his face? Would you be able to identify him?" I couldn't believe I was actually playing PJ's game. I was a puppet in his hands. "No, he was wearing a hoodie." I was about to collapse out of pure tiredness. Everything had turned ugly so fast. Dan apparently saw that. "Come on, let's get that cut cleaned up." He carried me to the bathroom. I was perfectly capable of walking, but I didn't want to. All I wanted to do was go to sleep. Dan cleaned up my wound and put me down on the couch. I fell asleep instantly.

Voices woke me up. I didn't open my eyes knowing I had to talk to people if I did, and I didn't want to. "Will she be okay?" I heard a deep male voice say. Probably an officer. "Yeah, she'll be fine. She is a strong girl, she can handle this." It was nice to hear Dan's voice. I heard the door close and I opened my eyes. I sat up straight and Dan came to sit next to me. "I didn't know you were up. How are you?" Dan didn't need to know how terrified I was. "Much better." I said with a sleepy voice. I kissed him passionately. I didn't want to leave him ever again. He made me feel like I could take on the world. I saw the boxes I had left in the alley standing beside the closet. "I guess we have to unpack them again."I said. "You want to stay?" I wondered why he asked me that. Of course I wanted to stay. Then I remembered why I left the house in the first place. "Yes, I want to stay." He kissed me. I felt the relief he felt, he must have thought I still wanted to go home. After what happened in that alley, I wanted to stay with Dan, I wanted to be safe.

The next few days went by without any appearances from PJ. This was probably because Dan was with me all the time, and I knew PJ didn't want Dan to know he was here. My parents had changed their condition of me living with Dan. They didn't like it I was with him this much. I had to sleep at home without him once a week. I was fine with this, but Dan had his doubts. He wanted to make sure I was safe, and when I was home he couldn't do that. My parents worked a lot, so they didn't sleep at home. I was scared PJ would show up. He had gotten into Dan's apartment without a key, my house shouldn't be a problem. In the next three weeks he never showed though, so I started feeling safe again. Dan and I did fun things together and he kept on surprising me with gifts. He was so sweet. He made me forget all about PJ. I had to sleep at home again today. Dan had taken me to the movies, but we only had eye for each other. I was brushing my teeth while deep in thought. We were going to the zoo tomorrow. I was wondering if they'd have penguins while walking to my room. I turned off the lights and laid down in bed. I was excited for tomorrow. I fell asleep quickly. In my dream I was at the zoo, and PJ was there, just staring at me. I saw the knife in his hand. Once again I felt his hands on my throat and I couldn't breathe. I woke up to the sound of my bedroom door opening.