1. Lucine looked around the hall. It wasn't that crowded. Lunch period
wasn't over yet. She had just come to her locker to get her jacket, it was really cold in the lunch
room, when another note appeared inside her locker. She frowned, resting her back against her locker.
“Not again...” she muttered.
“Not again what?” Lucine jumped. She didn't even see Akira standing across the hall. He was so hidden
between the opening in the closed wall by the water fountain.
“Nothing...” she glanced down at the note, quickly reading it.
“Hello, my sweet Lucine. Hope your day was well. I can't wait until we meet! It will be soon for sure,
I'm just dying to kiss your pink, sweet lips for the first time.” it read. She felt like she was about to
barf.
“Disgusting!” she thought. Akira grabbed it from her hand, reading it. His eye brows slunk, into his
angry face.
“I'm going to find this creep, and beat his face in!” he tore up the note, and tossed it in the trash can
with rage. No one embarrassed his best friend and talked to her like that. He stormed off...
Lately, Lucine had been getting strange love notes, flowers, and chocolates in
her locker. She thought it was sweet and childish, and not such a bad thing, once he started getting
crude. He talked of wanting to kiss her, and do inappropriate things to her. Then her brother's, Akira,
and Seiichi started to read them and get angry. They were on the look out for this boy. Their parent's
didn't know. But that's how Lucine wanted it to stay. What is they called the police? Or school
authorities? No.. that was a bad idea. He could just be a silly boy with a small crush and they'd
probably stop soon, anyways. No one needed to get hurt because of a fool. The bell rang. Lunch period
was over... time to get to English class... She took out her books and walked to her class as the
hallways started to fill up with kids getting ready to go to their next class. She quickly glanced
around cautiously as to say anything peculiar. She shook it off, thinking of the whole thing as “silly”
and walked to class nonchalantly.
English class was dreadful. It was so boring! Lucine was very smart,
especially in English, literature, or any of the other language arts. She knew everything the teacher
was teaching already. She twirled her hair, thinking about random things, like what she wanted for
dinner, what kind of new phone she was going to buy with her birthday money... She layed her head down
on her desk and closed her eyes. She fell asleep.
The loud bell roared to life, declaring English was over. Thank god! She got
up, gathering her things and going to her locker. She opened it, and a note fell out to the floor.
“Oh my god!” she sighed with frustration. Bending down, she picked it up, unfolded it, and read it aloud to
herself.
“Aww, I'm so scared that little class-skipping Akira is going to beat my face in. How could he do that if
he's dead! LOL LOL LOL! Isn't the new text talk fascinating? Anyway, talk soon, have fun in Gym, love
you! Signed, your stalker!”
“What the hell?” was it a threat? She was confused... Could this person be dangerous? She needed to
call Akira and warn him, now. She reached in her pocket and dug out her Nokia cell phone, dialing her
brother.
“Hello?” said Akira's voice on the other end.
“Akira?”
“Yeah?” Lucine shut her locker door, taking out her gym clothes and walking into the locker room.
Tears filled her eyes thinking about Akira ever dying.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, why? Are you?”
“I'm fine. Listen, I got a note... more like a threat. He said you can't 'beat his face in' if your dead...”
“What?”
She sniffled, wiping her eyes with her shirt sleeve.
“Okay, it's okay. Nothing could happen to me. I'm a tough guy. Skip class and go home, alright?”
“Alright..” she said.
“Bye, I love you...” she pressed the end button.
Lucine felt weird as she walked home. Like someone was...following her. She
stayed close to the houses and walked at a faster pace. She felt so weird, and worried for Akira. She
felt like calling a taxi, but remembered she had no money but $8 for a pizza from the school cafeteria.
She sighed. One more block and she was home. A van pulled up next to her. She looked to the side
nervously.
“Need a ride?”
“N-no thank you.” she kept walking. He pulled up to her.
“I said no thank you, okay!”
“Suit yourself, your missing a good time,” he said, and drove away, going twice the speed of the speed
limit.
She sulked. Was that the stalker? No.. It couldn't be. Most people in her
school didn't have cars yet.. Maybe it was a faculty member? No, she doubted that. She kept walking
home, walker quicker, that random man with the van in her mind, kidnapping her or something...
She sighed with relief as she unlocked the door to her house, shutting and
locking it.
“Khirana?” she called out. Khirana was the maid. She was usually home during the day, and left after
she cooked dinner.
“Yes, sweetie?” she walked down the long winding stair case, holding a full basin full of laundry.
“When your done with that,” Lucine nodded toward the laundry basin in her hands,
“Could we talk?”
“Oh, yes, sure sweetie. You can always talk to me.” she smiled, walking down the stairs and then down

2. the hallway to the laundry room.
Lucine was glad she had someone to talk to about this. She knew Khirana
wouldn't tell her parents if Lucine asked her not to. And she was a good listener and advice giver.
Lucine always liked Khirana. Khirana is rather old, but she was around even when Lucine was a little
girl. They had become close.