Intimate Stranger (Editing)

Chapter 3: Katie

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Part Three

Friday, February 5, 2010

7 days before the party

After school a few days later, I met Mary outside our school so we could walk home together.

It was a warm day but with an exceptionally soothing, cool breeze that made the trees dance. I smiled as I walked down the front steps with Mary, seeing some random kid's hat get blown off.

I thought she forgot about it, but as we marched down the sidewalk, she asked me the inevitable question. "So, what did you find out about the Steve guy?"

"Oh yeah..." I said, trailing off. I kind of wanted to avoid the subject. I genuinely enjoyed talking to the guy, but that was weird since he was a complete stranger. "Well, he's 17," I told her. My backpack started to slip off my shoulder and I hiked it back up.

"Yeah?" She raised her brow, expecting me to go on further. "What else?"

It was then I realized that after talking to him for three days, I hadn't learned that much about him. "Umm... I don't know."

"Looks? Location? Hobbies? Likes? Dislikes?" She pushed, with an apprehensive tone to her voice. "Come on, Katie."

I looked away, embarrassed, "I don't know the answer to any of that stuff..."

"You've been talking to him for how many days and you know nothing about him?" She said. "What the hell do you guys talk about then?"

"Just...I don't know... Stuff," I replied, scuffing my shoe on the cement. "Jeez, I told him all this stuff about me and he didn't tell me anything about himself..."

Mary was silent for a moment, thinking. "That's kind of... I don't know. Creepy? Suspicious?" She insinuated.

"Maybe he's just shy?" I speculated, even though I knew it probably wasn't true. The way he talked to me didn't suggest that he was, in any way, shy.

"Maybe," Mary replied, shrugging.

"I guess I'll talk to him later," I decided.

Mary responded, "Okay," and the conversation came to a pause and we walked the rest of the way in silence until we had to take different paths.

We stood on the crosswalk, where Mary would cross the street one way and I would go the opposite way. "I'll talk to you later?" She questioned, glancing at the crosswalk sign where a big "halt" hand was displayed.

"Yeah, of course," I answered, smiling.

We hugged just as the little man appeared. Then waving goodbye, we were separated.

–

Later that night, around 7, I was on the computer again, watching youtube videos and playing games like Solitaire and Tetris. My parents were out for dinner and my sister, Julia, was out with friends so I was alone in the house.

Julia is 13, and the opposite of me, except for having the same hair. Her eyes are hazel and her personality is the reverse of mine. She is always more outgoing - always getting into trouble. Which next to me, is a stark contrast. She tends to be a brat and annoy the hell out of me. I was glad that she wouldn't be there for my party. She had plans to have a sleepover at her friend Brittany's house.