When Jake walked through his front door, he heard laughter. Confused, he walked through the living room into the game room, where he finds May and his roommate Wade sitting across from one another talking and laughing.
"May, I see you met my roommate." Jake smiled looking from May to Wade.
"Dude, you didn't tell me your best friend was Shaggy Maggie!" Wade exclaimed.
"How many times have I told you not to call me that!?" May yelled at Wade while laughing.
Jake watched the two interact for a few seconds and asked, "I take it you two know one another?"
"Yes, we grew up together." May replied.
"You're from Alabama?" Jake asked looking at May.
"Yes. Chesterton, Alabama. Population 76. Most were Retirees."
"There weren't very many kids in Chesterton so we all knew each other." Wade stated.
"Yeah but not everyone liked everyone." May added looking at Wade. "Some even tormented other kids."
"I did not torment you." Wade replied defensively.
May raised her eyebrows as she spoke.
"Shaggy Maggie isn't tormenting me?!" Her voice an octave higher.
"Hey now, I wasn't the only one to call you that."
Shaking her head and rolling her eyes, May said, "No, but you were the one who started it."
Jake sat down in a gaming chair between the two and said,
"Am I gonna have to split you two up?"
Wade laughed as May shook her head.
"May, why exactly were you called Shaggy Maggie?" Jake asked.
"My hair was extremely curly when I was little. It was impossible to keep it tamed and if it wasn't pulled up into a ponytail, it was sticking out all over the place." she rolled her eyes.
Jake pictured the image for a moment and chuckled. Wade sat forward in his seat and asked Jake why he didn't come in with May.
"I was still in her apartment." Jake answered.
Wade was now the one to raise his eyebrows, thoroughly confused. "So, you were both at her apartment and she took your car, left you there, and came to your house?"
"No, well yes, but no." Jake said looked to May for permission to explain.
"He was protecting me. That is why I am staying here for a while." May explained.
Wade's brow furrowed. "Protecting you from what?"
"I have a stalker. A dangerous psycho stalker."
Wade's eyebrows shot up as he looked between May and Jake in question.
May explained the entire story and situation to him from the beginning to the current situation.
"Wait, so who did you contact back home?" Wade asked.
"Lucas." May answered.
Wade's muscles seemed to tense up at the mention of Lucas' name.
"What?" May asked.
"Nothing. I'm just not fond of Lucas. You know this."
"Still? I thought you two were good now?" May asked.
"We were civil. Never good." Wade replied.
Jake stood up and stretched. "Alright, May, I need to get to bed. Let me show you where the spare bedroom is. I'll grab you a few of my shirts and sweat pants to sleep in. Tomorrow we can head back to your place for some of your clothes."
"I don't want to go back there." she said.
"I know but you'll have to make it look like you're still in and out of there since you're being watched, literally. Just don't grab anything from your bedroom that makes it look like you're leaving for a while. Grab things out of the other room and closet. I noticed clothes in there when I was hiding."
"Fine. But you know he's going to just start watching your place." May said standing up and fixing her shirt.
"Yes, but Wade isn't going on the road again until next week, so there's no chance of anyone trying to get in here to bug the place or put cameras in."
May looked to Wade and said, "I can't ask him to stay in the house. He doesn't need to put his life on hold for me."
"What life?" Wade chuckled.
"I don't go anywhere. I literally sit here and play video games when I'm off work."
"You don't go out at all?" she asked.
"For what? There's no reason for me to. I bring home groceries when I first get into town. Other than that, everything I need is here."
"In other words, Wade's life sucks." Jake laughed.
"Fuck off man." Wade retorted.
"I keep telling you to get out there and date. These video games make you a hermit."
"I enjoy being a hermit when I'm not on the road, I work too hard when I'm out there. And you know I have no interest in dating. Leave me alone." Wade said turning back towards the tv and picking up his controller.
"About that room..." May cut in before Jake could throw another jab in Wade's direction.
"Right, it's this way." Jake gestured towards the stairs on the other side of the house.
There were two doors on the right, two doors on the left, and a door at the end of the hallway.
"First door on the left is my room. The second door on the left is the door to my bathroom but it stays locked from the inside. The first door on the right is the main bathroom. The second door is Wade's room. You'll be using this room." he said opening the door at the end of the hallway.
May walked into the room and immediately fell in love with the decor. The bed was a smooth dark oak frame with a headboard that stood at least three feet above the mattress. The bed-set was white with birch trees printed on the sheets and comforter. The pillows were big and fluffy that wore plain white pillowcases with a decorative pillow in the middle that matched the bed-set. The two dressers and hope-chest at the end of the bed matched the dark oak of the bed. The carpet was white with black speckles dusted throughout.
Jake opened the closet door and turned on the light for her to see.
"Jake, why isn't this your room?" May asked as she walked into the closet to find empty shelves and bars with empty hangers.
"Why would I need a room this big? I am quite content with my room. Besides, it's not small, it has its own bathroom in it." he answered.
"This room is beautiful. I especially love the bed-set." May said walking out of the closet.
There was another door on the other side of the room that Jake opened. It opened into a cozy bathroom that was equipped with a stand-alone shower, a Jacuzzi, toilet, vanity, and a sink with six feet of counter space on each side and a mirror on the wall that stretched across the entire length of the sink. "I'm never going to want to leave." she said smiling at Jake.
"I'm sure we could work something like that out later on." he winked.
"I'll be right back with things for you to sleep in and a new toothbrush and towels." he said walking out of the bedroom and down the hall.
May walked over to the bay window and sat down on the window seat. She leaned against the wall and stared up at the sky. Something caught her eye moving on the ground. When she looked, she noticed a shadow move into the bushes.
"Alright, here you are." Jake said causing May to jump up and turned towards him. "Did I scare you?" he laughed.
"Someone's outside. I saw a shadow move into the bushes." she said looking outside.
Jake walked over to the window and looked out over the yard. He didn't see anything.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yes, it was over towards the right." May said.
"I'll go out and look around." he said walking towards the door.
"No. There's no way for them to get up here, right?" she asked.
"Not unless they use a ladder and that would make some noise setting up. No one will get to you. They'd have to go past both my room and Wade's room first." he said walking over to her and embracing her in a hug.
"Everything alright in here?" Wade asked from the doorway.
Jake turned towards Wade and answered, "May saw a shadow outside."
Wade turned around and walked into his room. May followed him but stopped in her doorway when she saw him walking back out of his room with a handgun.
"Wade, there's no need..." she started but Wade cut her off.
"I'm making sure we don't have any nosy people hanging around. Just stay in here." he said loading the gun as he walked down the steps.
Jake and May followed him. Jake started walking around the house checking that every window and door was locked. He knew they all were but it put May's mind at ease. The front door opened and Wade walked in, closing and locking the door behind him.
"Nothing but the dogs from down the road." he said smiling at May.
"Alright, I'm off to bed. I have to open the diner in the morning." Jake said.
"I can go in early with you." May said following him with Wade behind her.
"No, you sleep in. Wade can drive you in for your afternoon shift. I need you to close up." Jake replied.
May reached the top of the stairs and turned back towards Wade, "Is that ok with you?" she asked.
"Absolutely. What else will I be doing?" he answered.
May nodded and the three of them disappeared into their rooms, closing their doors behind them.