Watchful Eyes - 1. Chapter 1

The icy grass crunched under my feet, making my stomach do flips. The reason as to why was beyond me. Maybe it was due to how horror movies always put so much emphasis on silencing one's footsteps. But such efforts were clearly pointless if the stalker already had their eyes on you.

Once again, I scanned the dark field, the lampposts barely doing their job to light up the entire area.

There were three possibilities.

Either my stalker was hiding just on the edge of where the lights reached. Or the far too tall lampposts were failing to light up the shortest stalker ever. Or the one that was most likely... I was crazy and the stalker didn’t exist.

I quickened my steps a little more, even if they didn’t exist, I couldn’t stand the feeling any longer, and I hurried to the bright door of the building housing my dorm room. As soon as I pushed it open, I was hit with air so hot it was as if the doors hadn’t been opened since summer. Thankfully I’d mostly lucked out on dormmates, and the air didn’t smell all that bad.

Once inside I climbed the stairs to the second floor. I could hear chatter coming from the community area, but I was too tired to care who was still up at this time. I’d stayed at the library long enough that I had assumed almost everyone would be asleep by now.

When I made it to my room, I wasn’t surprised to see Grayson was absent. He, without a doubt, was downstairs getting more drunk than anyone else. Yet being the biological anomaly he was, I knew Grayson would wake up with the only sign of a hangover being a grumpy disposition and a slight redness around the eyes that could easily be blamed on the cold weather.

Speaking of red eyes — I gave myself a quick look in the mirror hanging by the door, seeing that my nose and ears had become pink from the cold. I couldn’t help but notice where my dirty blonde was growing out at the roots, giving my bleached hair an unkempt look. I wished they’d hurry up and invent something that would have my hair growing in white. The dirty blonde did absolutely nothing for my pale skin and pale blue eyes.

Finally giving in from the long stare into the mirror, I turned off the bedroom light and went to look outside.

Nothing.

Nothing but darkness and the shadows of trees dancing in the light. I stared harder, willing something out of the ordinary to move.

Maybe I was crazy.

Maybe my stalker was hiding in the shadow, maybe they were coming right through the front doors now or even already had. I don’t know how far away behind me they might have been; I was always too nervous to look over my shoulder and give any indication I might be aware of them.

Finally pulling myself away from the window I stripped to my underwear and climbed into bed. I hoped that Grayson, in his drunken state, wouldn’t try to climb into my bed instead of his own again, that had been beyond freaky to wake up to. He was way stronger than me and I’d woken with my back pressed against a wide chest, strong arms trapping me in place and an erection pressed against my ass. I’d accidently bust Grayson’s nose when I’d slammed the back of my head into his face when I’d woken up to that.

Thankfully, I didn’t get woken by a drunk Grayson but instead a very perky one, shaking my shoulder to wake me.

“Come on Corey, your phones already gone off and I bet you silenced it instead of hitting snooze again.”

I groaned and opened my eyes, seeing him grinning down at me with perfect teeth. I took a few moments of my sleepy state to admire my closest friend. Light brown curls, dark blue eyes and rounded cheeks. His face stupidly girlish compared to his 6ft3 body of compact muscle. He grinned when he noticed me staring at him with a no-doubt gormless expression.

“Awhhh, Corey I don’t mind if I do,” Grayson said licking his lips and leaning closer.

I was quicker though. I reached behind my head and grabbed my pillow before slamming it into his face. Where it then dropped to the floor.

“Ahh, Why Corey? You’re always so feisty in the morning but what about the love?”

“Dude stop. You’re giving me goosebumps.” I stood up and picked up the fallen pillow and hit him with it again.

“But it did wake you up. So you should thank me... with a kiss!” He grabbed me around the waist, picking me up and throwing me effortlessly onto the bed before he licked a stripe along my cheek and to my ear.

I let out a girlish shriek and he pulled away with a laugh. “Now if you fall back to sleep after that there is nothing that can help you.”

I scowled and reached for the pillow once again. With a deep snicker he ran out the door, closing it just in time for my pillow to connect with it.

The room dropped into silence and I whined and laid back on the bed. I was just so exhausted lately. It seemed my sleep was a lot more restless than I had realised. Grayson had been helping me get up in the mornings but that didn’t solve the issue of how tired I was.

Should I tell him about my possible stalker who may not even exist in the first place?

It seemed like the best option I had to try getting some help on solving the mystery. I couldn’t bear to just keep ignoring it.

My body felt like it was melting into the mattress, and my eyelids grew heavy. Realising I was moments from falling back asleep I quickly sat up. At the same time, Grayson loudly threw open the door, most likely in order to frighten me in case I’d fallen back to sleep.

“Here, bacon sandwich and coffee,” he said passing me a plate and cup.

I must have drifted off for a few minutes after all if he had time to fry some food. I bit into the sandwich giving out a moan to show my approval. Grayson gave me a playful slap on the head, before sitting down on his own bed and leaning back on his hands with one leg crossed over the other at the knee.

We stayed that way until I finished eating and he even waited until I dressed and showered. Leaving me no room for me to fall back to sleep.

Once back in our room after I had showered, I picked up a towel and began patting my hair dry. He’d woken me up well before my alarm went off. Often, I had barely any time to shower or sit around, often heading to class with dripping hair and still drowsy eyes.

“So…” said Grayson.

I cast him a suspicious look. “So?”

“You want to tell me why you’re struggling to wake up lately? Why you’re always falling asleep through the day?” He was smiling at me, but I could hear the insistence that I open up to him in his tone.

“I... Um.” I was thinking of a lie but a bird flying past the open window caught my eye. Outside was pale grey with early light. The field I’d walked across last night was nowhere near as scary in the morning, even with the thin layer of mist in the air.

Would it really be too bad to tell him?

“I... Well, I’ve been struggling to sleep. I think- Um, well I think I might be getting stalked.” I could feel heat burning my cheeks as the words tumbled from my mouth.

Surely he was going to just tell me I was delusional.

“Stalked?” he replied, a croaky sound in his throat.

I peeked a glance at him to see a genuinely worried look on his face.

“Why do you think you’re being stalked? Has somebody sent you something? Done something?”

A silence burned between us. I couldn’t give him a clear answer. I didn’t have any evidence, but for the constant feel of watchful eyes.

“No. Nothing like that. It’s just whenever I’m alone, and sometimes even when I’m not, I feel like I’m being watched. That pricking feeling of the skin like somebody is waiting for me out of sight.” Grayson opened his mouth to speak but I interrupted him. “I know it sounds a little mad. But I swear it’s not. It's really starting to get to me. I think about somebody climbing in through our room window as I’m laying in bed and when I fall asleep I dream about it. I just- I need it to stop. I’ve even thought about trying to change rooms to one without a window. I-”

Grayson held up his hand to get me to stop speaking. “Okay for starters I don’t think you sound mad. And room change? Come on. Do you think I’d just let anyone walk in here. Never mind climb through the window. You know I’m a light sleeper.”

“But you’re not always here. And it’s not just in this room it’s everywhere. Even when I’m off campus.”

“I’ll be with you from now on… if you need me.”

I quickly nodded. “Please, I- no. I can’t ask that of you.”

“You didn’t ask me anything. I told you. Text me when your classes are over, and I’ll be there. Is there no other information you can give me on who it might be?”

I shook my head. “You mean if they actually even exist? No...”

“Then I guess we will have to find out together?”

“And if I’m delusional?”

“Well then you’ll get some peace of mind and finally be able to get some quality sleep. Come on we have time for coffee so let’s go.”

We headed to the local cafe. I wasn’t a fan of coffee or tea myself, but Grayson had convinced me to try matcha latte and I’d quickly become obsessed.

Walking across the same field I had last night was just as daunting, even with the light grey morning sky making it almost impossible to hide anything.

Thankfully though, despite my nerves, I didn’t feel any eyes upon me. Well, any eyes but Grayson who kept casting me side glances to check on how I was doing.

After about five minutes of this and of us walking in silence he spoke up. “Anything?”

“If you mean do I feel like we’re being followed. No, I don’t.”

“Hmmm, do they usually follow you in the morning?”

“Sometimes.”

“Then let’s hope it stays that way. Maybe I can become your lucky charm.”

He sounded so damn confident, I wanted to believe him. “One can only hope,” I said with a sigh.

The cafe wasn’t too packed and there were only two others waiting in line before us. The girl serving cast a nervous look towards us, her cheeks becoming pink at the sight of Grayson. I could hardly blame her, I wasn’t into men myself but even I could see what a catch he was, with his strong sculpted body topped off with a cute face and cheeky grin.

It was our turn to be served and Grayson gave our orders with a smile. Clearly amused by the nervous energy he was causing to come off the woman. She told us we could go sit down and she would bring us our drinks when she was done. I had to hold back a laugh at that.

This was in no way the usual procedure for the cafe, and she’d had me stood waiting many times before when I was alone. Funny how that was never the case when Grayson was with me. I looked around us as we walked to our table. One girl I saw occasionally but never talked to gave me an eye roll and a grin at Grayson’s special treatment.

We sat by the window, and I could see a small layer of ice on the windowsill outside that was slowly melting.

“So... You ever feel watched in the cafe,” asked Grayson, shaking two sugar packets in his hand I hadn’t noticed him grab.”

I gave him a disturbed look. “You can’t be serious!”

“What?”

“No way are you adding sugar to hot chocolate!”

“They’ve been out of marshmallow’s for like two weeks now. This is no more sugary than I usually have it.”

I merely pulled a disgusted face in reply, wondering why he just didn’t eat the sugar instead itself instead if he liked it that much.

“So?” he said.

“So?”

“Do you ever feel like you’re being watched here?”

“Sometimes. Not as often when it’s light outside. Nearly always in the dark.”

“So they watch you from outside?”

I gave him a funny look. “I guess. But can you stop saying that.”

“Huh? Saying what?”

“‘So.’ You must have said it a hundred times already.”

“Ughhh. I’m just trying to think, okay? Trying to be... I don’t know. Polite?”

“Well you just sound awkward,” I said with a laugh.

“I fee awkward. Someone’s creeping on my best friend.”

“Or maybe no one? It’s not like I stand out, right? Why would someone even be following me in the first place.”

Grayson laughed. “Are you joking?”

“No. I’m not. I was thinking about it as we walked here. Girls can’t keep their eyes off you.”

“I am a lot taller and wider.”

“You know what I mean.”

“Nope. I don’t. I could sit here and compliment you enough to have you burning hotter than this cafes milk-less coffee. But all I’m going to say is. You never know how you look through other people’s eyes.”

I scrunched my face up, not really understanding what he meant by that.

Couldn’t that be just as bad as it could be good?

The barrister came with our drinks. Two small slices of cake on the side she insisted were free but I didn’t believe her for a moment, given the fact no one else looked to have one.

I took my time with the matcha, feeling myself fall into a half-sleep state despite Grayson’s happy chatter.

After a while he shook me gently on the arm. “Have you listened to anything I’ve said in the past ten minutes.”

I stared at him through unfocused eyes for a moment before slowly shaking my head. Ever the happy guy, Grayson laughed and rubbed his hand in my hair.

“You’re lucky you’re such a cutey. I was saying it’s Lindsey’s birthday on Saturday, she’s having a small party over in her dorm. Will you come?”

Lindsey. Why Grayson chose her out of the many other perfectly lovely girls was beyond me. To say she was stuck up would be a compliment. They’d been dating since they were fifteen and apparently never once faced any issues. They were the most extreme case of opposites attract that I’d ever seen.

I stared back at him as he looked at me expectantly. What choice did I even have. If I didn’t go then that would mean I’d once again be left alone with the stalkers eyes on me.

I didn’t trust anyone else to admit my problem to, so my only option was to go to the party. A small part of me wanted to beg Grayson to not go and stay in our room with me.

But who knows, it was only Tuesday maybe once Saturday came by, I’d be made an embarrassment of when it became clear the stalker was merely a figment of my imagination.

“Yeah, of course I’ll come,” I said with a small fake smile.

“Awesome, I’ll let Lindsey know.” He pulled his phone out and began typing away.

I was taking a sip of my drink, enjoying the smooth texture and earthy sweet flavour of the matcha latte, when a man across the street caught my eye. I don’t know why, I could only see the back of him, shoulder length brown wavy hair and around the same height and build as Grayson.

Yet despite that being all I could see, my stomach gave an uncomfortable flip, and my heart began to beat a little quicker, my skin prickling all over. I turned away and began sipping my drink more quickly.

The feeling of watching eyes fell upon me and I pulled my shoulders up and closer to my face.

Was it the dark-haired man?

Had he turned and was now watching me with a predatory gaze?

I’d never seen a guy walking around campus who looked like that before, though he could have easily slipped past my radar. What I was certain of though was that I hadn’t talked to a man with that hair and height. There was a guy in our dorm with similar hair style, but he was way shorter and slimmer.

I didn’t want to look up and make sure it was him. The eyes were too heavy, and I was scared I’d collapse under their weight.

A hand petted me on the arm, and I looked up to see Grayson staring back, a look of concern on his face. “You okay? I said your name a few times, but you didn’t answer.”

“Oh sorry. It’s just that guy...”

“Guy?” asked Grayson his eyes going large. He turned to look out the window, looking around at the passing people.

It gave me the confidence to look too but I couldn’t find him. “He’s gone.”

“Was it the stalker?” asked Grayson looking back at me.

I shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not.”

“What made you think it was?”

I took a big drink of my latte, the liquid too close to room temperature for me to fully enjoy. “I don’t know. I didn’t even see his face. Just hair. Something about him just made my insides feel funny... Like nervous, but not quite.”

Grayson gave me an odd look, staring at me for a few moments before he spoke. “Maybe you have seen the stalker.”

“Huh?”

“You know like sometimes you don’t notice something but then you do, and you can’t stop noticing? Maybe it’s like that. You’ve seen him before, but you never really paid that much attention.”

I guess that was a possibility. I had thought something similar to that after all. I guess I could be more observant now that I had something to focus on.