Author's Note: Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy Chappy
(Insert hilarious text smiley here)

Furthermore, I already had this chapter typed after the previous one; however, I had other things to attend to and never got to uploading it. I also changed a large amount of material because it sounded like pretentious bullshit.

Also, there might be some formatting issues because of fanfiction-net

My mouse's cursor hovered over the "accept" button in temptation. I was in this too deep to escape, so I clicked "accept".

Mr-Stalker: Hello.

What the hell? I honestly expected another death threat. What a letdown, right? Two can play at that game.

Imwith/dev/null: Hello

He didn't respond for a couple minutes. I thought he had left.

Mr-Stalker: How are you?

Nothing like making small talk with your stalker.

Imwith/dev/null: Never been better. You?

Mr-Stalker: Fine.

I noticed he had unusually good punctuation and capitalization for a person using an instant messaging client. I filed that away in my memory banks.

I waited. And waited. And waited. Maybe he had expected me to make the first move?

Mr-Stalker: Let's get to discussing the business at hand.

Or not

Imwith/dev/null: Yes. Let's.

Waiting for this guy was like waiting for paint to dry. He responded only after a couple minutes.

Mr-Stalker: What do you think my purpose for stalking you is?

I was taken aback. I was under the impression that stalker did what he did without a purpose, just for the sake of "stalking".

Imwith/dev/null: You like being in a position of power by giving out empty threats.

Mr-Stalker: Let's keep this civilized here.

Oh the irony.

Mr-Stalker: I want compensation.

For what?

Imwith/dev/null: Compensation for what?

Mr-Stalker: I can't tell you.

How useful.

Mr-Stalker: Those weren't empty threats by the way.

Out of nervousness, I looked around my room, nothing there. I then got up and locked my door.

I recomposed myself. I wasn't scared of the guy.

Mr-Stalker: Empty threats don't cause physical actions.

Suddenly, after I received the message, a large object was thrown at my window. It made a large thud, but I couldn't see outside the window because I had taped paper over it.

I grabbed my pocketknife and chuckled. Like a rock was going to scare me?

Imwith/dev/null: And?

Mr-Stalker: And what?

Imwith/dev/null: That's it? A Rock?

Mr-Stalker: For now.

Imwith/dev/null: And why is that?

Mr-Stalker: You're not alone.

Something about that statement sent chills down my spine.

Mr-Stalker: When you are alone, I'll strike.

Mr-Stalker: When you are walking to school.

Mr-Stalker: Or when you are driving to a friend's house.

What a creepy piece of shit.

Imwith/dev/null: Then I won't be alone

Mr-Stalker: You are already alone.

Mr-Stalker: You don't trust anyone.

Mr-Stalker: You haven't told anyone about me.

Mr-Stalker: You're alone, Kairi.

That hit home; my heart fell into my stomach. This guy knew me better than I knew myself.

I was alone. I needed allies. But then again, maybe that was what he wanted me to think.

Mr-Stalker: Goodbye, Kairi.

I shivered and then recomposed myself. I looked at the clock: 7:00. My homework was already done.

I decided to call Sora. I hated to get him involved, but it would be good to have another set of opinions.

I picked up the phone and dialed Sora's number. It went through. Wait, hadn't the phone line been cut last night?

Odd. Maybe or Dad had soldered the line back together?

I need to investigate that later.

"Hello, Sora speaking," answered said brunette.

"Hello Sora, this is Kairi," I responded softly, "Are you busy?" I didn't want to seem presumptuous or in a hurry.

"No Kairi, what's up?" he replied as if he had food in his mouth.

"I would like to talk to you about something," I said in reply, "Is there any chance we could go out to a McDonald's or something?" He didn't reply for a moment.

"Sure, Kairi"

"However, is there a chance you could pick me up?" I asked then hurriedly added "it will make sense when I talk to you."

"Umm, sure Kairi, I'll be there in a bit"

"Bye" "See ya"

I grabbed my pocketknife and refolded it into it's resting state. I placed it in my pocket and unlocked my door. I looked both ways down the hallway before exiting. Paranoia can get even to the best of us.

I went down the hallway and down the stairs. No one was in the kitchen.

I wasn't in the mood for confrontations anyway.

I left a note on the fridge saying I was going out with friends and I would be back soon. Then I played the waiting game at the dinning table.

After around ten minutes, I heard the doorbell ring. Sora had arrived in his family's yellow car. It was an interesting car; Sora had always called it, "The Bumblebee", because of its yellow body and black stripes.

I opened the door and let a cool draft enter the house.

"Hey, Sora" I said as I opened the door.

"You ready?" was his reply.

"Of course," I replied. We both began to walk to his car; I walked in a hunched manner, which was soon questioned by Sora.

"Kairi, why are you walking like that?" he laughed, "It's not like anyone is chasing after you."

Oh the irony. It might have just been me being paranoid, but Sora's comment made me slightly more cautious with him. What if he were the stalker and I was going to be alone with him in a car?

We arrived at the car, and he opened my door for me. "Ladies first," he declared.

I smiled at him and sat in the car. Once Sora got in and started the car, I started feeling for my knife, just in case it needed to be used.

"So Kairi, where are we going," he inquired while maneuvering the car out of its parking position.

"The Mcdonald's down the road sounds good," I replied as casually as possible. Sora turned on the radio, and we didn't speak during the car ride.

When we came into the parking lot of the strip mall, I gave a sigh of relief. It most likely meant that Sora wasn't the stalker, and wasn't going to drive me into a forest to kill me or anything. But maybe that was his plan? To get me to not suspect him then strike me down suddenly like a hunter shooting an injured bird. Maybe I was just being paranoid. Maybe.

However, I was still planning on questioning the shit out of him anyway.

He parked in front of the McDonald's, and turned off the car. We both got out and entered the establishment. Sora opened the door for me. "Ladies first," he stated. It was cheesy but kind; I smiled at him in return. I found us a booth on the east side of the store with few people sitting around it. I sat down, and he followed my example by sitting in the seat across from me.

He crossed his legs, "So what's bothering you, Kairi," He inquired, "You seem to be acting scared."

Me? scared? Never.

"Well before I tell you anything, I have some questions for you," I replied in a matter-of-fact manner.

"Fire away," he answered. I wasn't really suspicious of him, but I had to make sure.

"Could you describe to me what you did last night from the hours of 6:00PM to 7:00AM," I inquired. It was a very straight-forward question.

"I did homework from 6:00PM to 8:00PM," he started, "played video games from 8:00PM to 8:30PM, ate from 8:30PM to 9:00PM, watched porn from 9:00PM to 10:00PM..." Smooth, Sora. Wait, how the hell do you watch porn for an entire hour anyway? Wait, I don't want to know. "...Then I slept from 10:00OPM until 7:00AM."

"You remember it that exactly?" I replied, "You almost make it sound like an alibi." It wasn't a lie, Sora wasn't known for being the most meticulous person.

"Those are rough time slots," he replied.

I felt someone looking at me. I glanced slightly to the left and found it was just a pimply-faced employee.

This stress is going to kill me at 40. I sighed.

"Do you have anyone who could corroborate these tales?" I inquired.

"My parents could testify me attending dinner, but I don't have anyone to attend to me watching porn or playing video games," he chuckled.

He probably thought it was all a big joke.

"Next and last question. What did you do from when you got home from school today until now?" I catechized. I folded my arms across my chest.

"Homework, dinner, and internet," he responded casually with a shrug.

"And what did you do on the internet?" I replied. For all I knew, he could have hacked into the school's server. Oh wait, It's Sora.

No offense but Sora isn't the brightest guy I know. He would impress me by being able to use an internet browser.

"Porn," he answered. I should have expected that. I opened the door and he walked right in.

"Well all seems to be in order," I laughed. He smiled back at me. I lowered my smile, "Now Sora, why do you think I looked scared when I came in here."

"Because you have the social skills of a peanut," he joked with a smile. Damn, good thing that kid has porn because that brutal honesty isn't going to get him anywhere with women. I jokingly glowered at him.

He chuckled and crossed his arms. "Kairi, why are you asking me so many questions?" he inquired, "I'm not plotting a conspiracy against you."

I bit my thumb. "In God we trust; everyone else we cross-examine," I responded. He answered with a deep, hearty laugh. What an interesting person.

"So tell me, what's bothering you?" he replied while rubbing the back of his head with his hand.

"Stalker problem," I replied casually.

"That's it?" he responded incredulously. He probably just thought it was your generic high school stalker who just followed you around in school.

I pursed my lips. "I wish," I said after a moments pause, "but he seems to be more focused on harming me than the usual stalker".

He titled his head towards me and raised his right eyebrow.

"You serious?" he inquired.

I cracked my neck. "Yes," I stated simply. He cracked his knuckled and smiled.

"Well we can't have that now can we?" the brunette replied. Maybe I underestimated this guy; he didn't let much phase him. I cracked a smile in reply.

"I'll help," he continued, "Any information you desperately need to tell me?" He leaned back and stretched his arms.

"Well," I started as casually as I could, "after receiving a couple death threat filled letters, I received one with useful information." I began to play with the salt shaker. I then looked him in the eye. He nodded for me to continue, "one letter stated that he sat at out lunch table," Sora looked at me incredulously; however, his visage soon returned to one of contemplation. He glanced at the ceiling.

"Well, assuming he wasn't lying, that leaves ten people to choose from," Sora replied. He began to play with his hair. I glanced to the right and saw a person leave the establishment.

"Before I continue, I would like to know if you have any information about the people at our table that could assist me in this endeavor," I asked, "Anyone who dislikes me or has been acting odd lately, y'know?" I started to talk with my hands. Oh well, it was a habit.

"Not that I know of," he replied softly with a tilt of his head.

"I can also tell you that he has superb skill with computers," I continued, "he was able to hack into the school's main grade-storage server." I tried to blow it off as it was a casual act.

"I didn't know of anyone who could do that before; however, I believe I now know a person who could do that," he smiled at me with his eyes closed. Damn, he caught me. This kid was smarter than I thought.

I didn't mention the bloody envelope, or the phone line being cut, or anything else. He didn't need to know that...yet.

I folded my arms across my lap, "Now you're a bright kid, why do you think I had you pick me up tonight?" Sora grinned and propped his head on his right hand.

"Because women can't drive," his smile broadened but the look in his eye showed that he was just trying to brighten the mood.

I jokingly tried to smack him with the back of my hand, but he recoiled in mock play.

After a few moments, I sighed but then proceeded to bite my lip, "He didn't specify what he was going to do, but he said he would "strike" when I was alone," I continued with emphasis on "strike".

It was a serious topic, but suddenly, he started laughing. I turned red. I was about to speak up when he interrupted me, "If you're looking for a bodyguard, I could help you, but really, Selphie's what you're looking for." I looked at him confused. Was he serious? Selphie couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with a hydrogen bomb.

I looked incredulously at him and pursed my lips. He laughed in a jolly manner, "She's your best friend and you don't know?" Know what?

He tilted his head knowingly, "Have I piqued your interest?" He inquired with a shit-eating smirk. Yeah, I underestimated this guy.

I smirked, "You might have, depends on the veracity or the usefulness of the information," I replied. His grinned widened.

"I've known her since elementary school, she's a champion martial arts user," I didn't know how much wider his grin could have gotten.

I picked up the pepper shaker and manipulated it in my hands, "That sounds like a load of shit," I replied, not taking my eyes of the shaker.

"It's a crazy world Kairi," was his response. He began to play with his hair again. "I'm sure you didn't expect to be stalked". I didn't make any sign of acknowledgment.

"Have you ever been to Selphie's house?" he continued. I paused.

He was right, surprisingly, I had never been to her house. I had known her for 6 years and not gone once to her house. But then again, that could mean nothing.

"Not once," I replied.

"Oh, so I take it you neither saw her rack of various martial art belts, nor her beat-to-hell, Styrofoam, practice mannequin," he continued, his smile getting wider and wider as he went on. I locked eyes with Sora; he raised his eyebrows in response. We stared at each other for a while in mock competition; for all I knew, he could have been lying. After a few tense moments, I sighed in defeat.

"That still sounds like crap," I responded with my head tilted forward.

"Believe what you want, but if you confront her about it, understand that I didn't tell you anything," he replied in a matter-of-fact way.

I looked him in the eyes once again and thus, the conversation declined into a staring contest, a battle of wits. Sora folded his hands in front of his face. The silence was broken by Sora.

"So how do you propose to catch this guy?" Sora inquired without moving his hands.

"Logic. Reason. Y'know, the things that make the world go round," I answered.

Sora's smile broadened. He began to chuckle, "Logic making the world go around?" He laughed, "Maybe in an ideal world." I scrunched my eyebrows. He started wagging his finger at me like I was his grandchild. "Sometimes you have to throw logic to the curb to succeed."

I pursed my lips, "That's crap," I responded, "You sound like a Romantic." He tilted his head and smiled at me while rubbing the back of his head.

I sighed. Sora had never been "the sharpest lightbulb in the shed" as he had always used to say.

He opened his eyes, and his grin decayed into a mocking smile. "Logic is static and inflexible," he lectured while wagging his finger like a grandmother chastising her naughty grandson.

How embarrassing is it to be lectured by Sora who doesn't know Hydrogen from Helium?

About as embarrassing as being lectured by a brick.

His smile started to fall, "Logic leaves you unprepared, and when dealing with a stalker, it could get you killed," he said in all seriousness. He began playing with the salt again, and the conversation once again degraded into an equitable silence. I glanced at the counter of the fast food establishment. The lines were getting shorter and shorter; it was probably near closing time.

He put the salt shaker down with a thump, drawing my attention back towards him. He raised his eyebrows. "Did he tell you why 'he' was stalking you?" the brunette inquired with emphasis on "he".

"Yes," I replied simply. He looked at me closely, as if he were sizing me up. I had piqued his interest.

I liked having control of the conversation. I didn't continue. I had to make him subservient in the conversation.

"And?" Sora said impatiently.

I smiled at him, "He wants compensation," I continued. My grin widened; I knew he was going to ask about what the compensation was for.

"Damn Kairi, I didn't think you would mow someone down in your car and drive away," he chuckled. On the surface, it was further proof he was just a clown, but underneath, it was a way to get me to correct him, establishing his dominance in the conversation. Pretty smart guy for an idiot.

I weighed my options; I ended up taking up a middle route. "For all I know, that could be it," I started, "Your guess is as good as mine".

Sora cracked his neck. "So how are we going to prevent you from being alone?" Sora inquired.

"You're coming home with me," I stated flatly.

"No options?" his smile widened.

"No," I responded.

"Ok, let me call my mother," he replied. I expected he would just tell his mom that he was staying at his friend's house.

He took out his cellular phone and dialed in his home phone number. After a few moments, his mother answered.

"Hey, Mom" he spoke into the phone. Silence. "Oh yeah, I just wanted to call you to tell you that I'm going to spend the night at a friend's house to play some video games." I smacked my head. Dumbass, no mom would let her fifteen year old son spend the night at a friend's house to play video games until morn on a school night. "Oh, reason?" Yes! I celebrated in my head. Maybe if he told her that we had a group project to finish together before playing video games she would give the okay.

"I need help with a boss," he continued. Fuck. Shit. Ass. Game over, Sora's an idiot.

"Ok Mom, I'll see you tomorrow," he finished and closed his cell phone. What. The. Hell.

He stood up and looked at me confusedly, "Something wrong, let's go." Sora said in a casual tone.

I continued sitting down and I glared at him, "What do you mean, you just told your mom that you were going to spend the night at a friend's house to play video games on a school night!" I exasperated.

Sora must have had one weird family. He looked at me like the answer was obvious. "Oh, my mom has the strangest idea that I have no friends,"

Oh.

Well, I guess he only has the eleven people at our lunch table as acquaintances; however, that shouldn't be classified as "no friends".

"So I extrapolated that she would let me go if I told her 'that'". What a strange family. He continued, "See Kairi, that's how a Romantic gets things done," He outstretched a hand to me, "sometimes you have to throw logic to the curb and trust your gut, or else you won't succeed." I accepted his hand and used it to pull myself out from the booth. It was warm.

Once up, our hands broke, and we exited the establishment. On the way out, I noticed that the closing time was just five minutes after we left. How convenient.

I have the next chapter written out also; however, it is likely that I will forget to upload it for a week or so.