He didn’t consider himself a stalker, though sometimes, admittedly, he did worry about how the rest of the world might see this. That was just it, though, they wouldn’t see, because no one ever saw him. He worse than blended in, he was almost nonexistent. Not that he minded, the less people who saw of him the better, but she was different. She was not people, she was…her. This higher being that he could not quite understand. She shone with a uniqueness that captured him.

And so, he watched her.

He knew everything about her in three months. During those three months she spoke to him directly twice. He could only nod numbly when she asked about their physics assignment. “Thanks” she’d said brightly “I knew you’d know” Implying that she knew him. Implying that she noticed him when no one else did. And so, he fell in love with her completely.

She had a boyfriend. He hated this guy, this unworthy man. Not that he himself was worthy, oh no, he didn’t believe that for a second. He didn’t believe anyone was worthy, and that’s what irked him so with this guy. He treated her like a regular person. Like one of many girls, like she wasn’t special. But she was special. She had a wonder to him, a light, a beauty and a gift.

She could speak three languages that he knew of, but only one fluently. He would sit two tables over from her in the cafeteria and listen to her complain about verb tenses to her friends who couldn’t care less. He took it upon himself to try to learn a few languages. Maybe if he got good enough, they could complain about verb tenses together. Not that he was hoping, because he never was.

Sometimes she would walk off by herself, when she would become invisible to the conversation her friends were having. She’d pick up her bags and go walking by the river. Sometimes she’d take her shoes off and run through the grass fields, smiling and sometimes laughing, finding a joy from some unnamed thing that no one would ever really understand. She never took her boyfriend on these trips, and he didn’t need to wonder why.

One day, after school, he watched as her and her boyfriend snuck off to the parking lot before she had to go home. He thought about following them, but thought better of it. There were some things he didn’t want to see. He waited for a few more minutes before getting up and walking in the general direction they had gone. At least then he could know when they were done so he could see her off. Not that she knew he was seeing her off, but he was seeing so it still counted.

He wondered up and down the sidewalk that lined the parking lot, counting his steps, humming gently to himself, admiring tree leaves, and doing everything he could to not look like he was scanning the cars to see which one had the windows all fogged up. He found it, but not like he thought he would. He could hear her voice coming from within the rusty red Nissan, but it wasn’t coos of pleasure, or even pretend coos of pleasure. She was angry.

“Get off, Brian! Get off!”

It was a scuffle. He could see Brian’s hands working fast to get off as much of her clothes as he could, while simultaneously telling her that this was okay, “come on, be a sport” and more retarded, jock-ish things. She was having none of it.

“I don’t want to! Get off!”

He didn’t think. He couldn’t think. He just saw her, her, in trouble, and had to do something. He had the advantage of surprise, because Jock-boy hadn’t noticed him, not that anyone ever did. If the door had been locked, that would have been a problem, but it wasn’t, so he yanked it open and grabbed a fistful of Brian’s shirt. It probably made more sense to run. Actually, it made more sense to mind his own business, but that’s not what he did. He reared back, before Brian had even realized what had happened, and punched that guy right in the mouth. Brian fell back in surprise, rubbing his jaw and probably thinking “who the hell is this guy?!”

She scrambled out of the car, coming up behind him, and peering over his shoulder at the now royally pissed off Brian. Now was the time to run, as Brian lifted himself off the ground, eyes flashing, jaw set. She grabbed his hand, and he didn’t think twice but to hold it tightly and take off. They ran across the parking lot and up the front steps of Timberlake High. He didn’t let go of her hand once, as they ducked into one of the now empty class rooms, and he swung her around, against the wall, so as Brian couldn’t see them through the tiny window in the door. He could hear her breathing, heavy and fearful, as Brian ran past their room, but he didn’t notice them. They both sank to the floor in exhaustion as soon as they were sure he was gone.

“Thank you.” She breathed. She hadn’t let go of his hand yet.

“Anytime”

She looked over at him and smiled that pretty, genuine smile. And he couldn’t help but smile back. They both relaxed against the wall, heads tilted back, eyes half laden.

“Thank you, Joseph” she said again.

She knew my name.