The next day passed in a blur, I had a meeting with my high school principal about how I was moving. My Facebook wall was filled with various forms of the phrase "Good luck where you're going, wish I gotten to know you better."

We've all gone through elementary, middle, and high school together they had years to get to know me better. I didn't blame them, it takes two to start a friendship and I never did my part and allowed myself to become isolated from the school

My three black suitcases were on my bed still not zipped yet, my clothes were folded perfectly and all the objects fit like puzzle pieces. I had an hour until the car came with my future classmate, but I always like to make sure I was ready early just in case some type of catastrophe comes up. The white back with a panda on it that my mom got me was slung on my shoulder while I was putting basic things I'd need on the plane. Like toothpaste, a hairbrush, headache medicine, a sewing kit (what if I tear my shirt?), a mini-translator, and lastly a orange camera that I got for Christmas.

I had nobody to send pictures to, but I made a promise to myself earlier that everyday I was going to go find something or someone to take a picture of. I figured it would be a good first step for me, it forced me to get involved in the world but it wasn't too social for me.

"Do you need help packing?" Uncle Ash came into my room holding a brown paper bag.

I shook my head, "I'm all packed," I responded casually starting to zip up one of bags, I reached over for the second one but Uncle Ash beat me to it and zipped up that and the other two as if he was my servant rather than just my uncle.

I didn't want him to help me because the more I throw myself into getting ready to go to this school, the more I could push of the thought that someone was stalking me. I searched my walls again hoping to find some surveillance device but nothing came of it so I was pretending like it was only a bad dream. If I get scared, truly scared I promised myself I'd call the police, but for all I know it could be some kid in my school.

"Are you sure you packed everything?" He asked, "Even the little things like soap and toothpaste?"

How much help did he think I need? "I triple checked my bag and lists I'm going to be just fine," I reassured him.

Since I emailed him that I was leaving today he came home an hour later with takeout and we ate it in awkward silence. Then we watched a movie that I don't remember together and today he made me frozen waffles and scrambled eggs though I had to help him with the latter and he didn't leave the house once the entire day.

It felt strange, I became so accustomed to being alone that having someone spend time with me felt like some kind of trick. He was about to be free of me, and then he wouldn't have that nagging in the back of his mind that wherever he was, if he wasn't with me then he was in the wrong place.

After he was done closing the bags, he shifted in his stance, his shoulders slumped and I noticed he wasn't looking at me directly in the eye. He fumbled around with the paper bag before tossing it to me, " I walked by that candy shop you used to go to and I got some of your favorites, I know airline food is crap." He explained as if getting someone a bag of candy was something he'd need to explain away, then he suddenly asked, "Do you want me to bring the bags down?"

This was getting really weird he turned from a barely-there uncle to mama hen in less than a day, what's next is he going to bring me a jacket in case I get cold?

He took my silence as a yes, and took two bags in each arm and carried them downstairs, with me following lazily behind with the third one carried in both of my hands. When we got downstairs I looked to him, trying to see if I could figure out what brought this change overnight. Did he think that this day of being around would make up for the weeks he wasn't?

"Hey Uncle Ash?" I asked and he perked his head and looked up at me, "I…" There were so many things I wanted to say, about how even though I knew that this was hard for him I wish he did a better job and that I didn't have to rely on myself to get better, about how he is still my family, "…am going to be outside," I finished weakly before grabbing my bag and hurriedly going out to the porch.

There was a swing bench that my dad installed when I was seven, and it used to be my favorite place in the house. I would always swing on the white bench so much that I'd fall off only to get back on it and swing on it again. I had my first kiss on the bench, I remember swinging on it when my dad brought me a kitten, there were so many endings and beginnings that happened on that bench.

I tentatively sat on it, hearing the iron groan as I shifted my weight onto the wood. Did the chains always make that sound when I sat on the swing or did it stop working due to lack of use? I shifted in my position until I was comfortable and looked at the sky.

The sun was starting to set turning the sky shades of rose and gold, the way the clouds glimmered reminded me vaguely of multi-colored pearls floating through the sky. I reached into my bag and took my camera and immediately snapped a picture. I looked down at it, it was a pretty picture but is it even possible to take an ugly picture of a sunset? The date was in the right-hand corner, (June 20th) and I don't exactly know why but knowing the date made me feel sad.

Uncle Ash plodded over to me and sat on the chair with me, "So California?" He let out a low whistle, "All for some school huh?" His voice sounded far away, his dark brown eyes were looking at my general direction but not at my eyes.

I shrugged, "It's a really good school," I stated simply.

"It's a really far away school," The accusation was subtle in his tone. "Are you sure you need to go, two months before school starts?"

I wasn't able to hold back my scoff.

"Are you going to miss seeing me every two weeks, and our two sentence conversations?" I blurted out my eyes narrowing at him, and although the words were the truth, the expression on my uncle's face was as if I slapped him. I immediately felt guilty like I broke a barrier.

He leaned back from me from shifting away as if I was the sun and was too bright to look at, "Aasha, it's not fair I did the best I could. Before this I couldn't even take care of a fish and now I'm taking care of my sixteen year old niece."

He didn't take care of me, I took care of me I had to pull myself out of the depression that overtook me when my parents died and force myself out of isolation. And even though there were days like today when I felt better, there were days when I felt as if my heart was truly going to shatter and be blown away like dust. My uncle was only there because he had to be.

I shook my head incredulously, the frustration that twisted in my stomach whenever I was around him coiled even more inside me. "You know what?" I began feeling the frustration that stirred inside me every time I saw him, the frustration that I pushed down was about to come out.

But then I saw his face again, it wasn't arrogance it was guilt.

Then it hit me, the reason why he was so here for me now wasn't to make up for the weeks of abandonment.

It was an apology in all but the words. I didn't need to make him feel any worse by telling him what I realized he already knew.

I'm so sick of feeling like this, I've romanticized the idea of my Uncle being there for me, and when he starts showing concern I bite his head off and wish he left. On the other hand, I've wanted to tell him off for a long time but now that I have the opportunity to tell him everything I felt and see the look on his face, I realize I didn't want that either.

"Never mind," I looked him the eyes before looking away, "I don't want to talk about it." I wrapped my arms around my waist.

Uncle Ash turned to face me, bowing his head at me, "Two months ago I was living life by the minute, things like children were thoughts saved for your father. Amon was always the responsible one," He didn't look comfortable, he ran a hand through his hair, "And then I learnt that my brother and my sister in law died in a car crash and I needed to take care of the sweet smart little kid who'd laugh a lot only to find out she's not so little anymore."

I didn't want to have this conversation, it was too emotional and I just wanted to cut all my strings here and go off into my new life and pretend that this one only existed for holidays, "You don't need to say this."

"Yes I do."

"Please don't," I murmured softly tightening my arms.

He continued.

"I thought that you wouldn't need someone like me, and that you'd be able to take care of yourself and you actually did. But I shouldn't have forced a sixteen year old girl to turn into an adult. I told myself that I was giving you your space, but in actuality I was keeping you arm's length because truth be told I only know how to be the uncle who takes you to see PG 13 movies when you were eleven." He gave a sad smile, "And now I'm probably not going to see you for a few months, and I don't know how much of you leaving has to do with me. But I just want you to know I'm sorry and I…"

I really didn't want to hear the next two words, "You want forgiveness? Then you're forgiven," I interrupted talking quickly.

A honk burst through our moment and we both looked to the right to see that a black SUV was pulled up. The driver came out, "Ms. Aasha Johar?"He asked reading from a sheet of paper.

I jumped up and took two of my suitcases, the driver getting the third and put them in the trunk. Opening the door for me but first I needed to talk to my uncle.

I went up the steps and looked to him and wrapped my arms around his waist tilting up my chin to look at him. Uncle Ash stiffened at the contact though he did rub my back. I was trying to figure out what to say that was honest.

"Thank you were trying," Was all I could manage before I released him and went from the golden light of my porch into the black car.

That hug wasn't for me, that hug was a hundred percent for him, because I knew that's what he needed right now. If I didn't hug him he'd have guilt nagging at him while I was gone, and I wasn't going to let that happen.

What met me was a girl who I could stare at forever, her hair was dyed a pastel pink and went into messy waves to her chest and contrasted against her olive-complexion. She was wearing a loose tank top that showed her black tattoos. She had these golden eyes winged with eyeliner that seemed to be perpetually mischievous, and her lips were curved in a soft smirk.

"While aren't you a precious thing," Her voice was warm and smooth the kind of voice that could make anything sound pleasing. Her smirk turned into a full blown smile at my staring, "With those large gawking eyes I think I might call you Bambi, do you like that?"

I blinked twice sliding into the car and closing the door and buckling my seatbelt as the car got on the road, "My name's Aasha," I said dumbly, nobody could walk around here dressed like the way she was without some parents complaining.

The pink haired girl laughed softly, "Pretty name Aasha, but do you like the nickname Bambi? I'm kind of a nicknaming expert." She cocked her head to the side, she had an eagle-like eye contact never once looking away.

"That's my favorite cartoon deer," I didn't mind being called Bambi, as far as nicknames went it was a pretty good one and I never had a nickname before so it was nice to have one.

"I'm Jordan," She introduced herself adjusting her position so that she could face me more directly, "And you are officially my first friend at my new school."

Well you're my first friend in general, I thought to myself, though I didn't understand how talking to me for a few minutes made her decide she was already my friend. It took me a while to figure out if I liked someone, but maybe she saw something in me like my adorable awkward stance and that I apparently look like a cartoon deer.. "Nice to meet you Jordan, I'm Aasha."

"You already said that."

I did already say that.

"Oh…yeah."

Great. Now she probably thought I was an awkward idiot, who barely had any social skills. I've only known her for a few minutes and I messed everything up. I'd be lucky if she even talked to me again. The conversation fell flat and I turned away from her and looked out the window watching the scenery shift from my little town to the highway.

Jordan took me out of my self-pity by tapping me on the shoulder, "Wanna play the interview game?" She asked, her iphone laid face down on her lap instead of being lit with some game in order to pass the hour by with as little socialization as possible

"I don't know the interview game." And I didn't, I started wrapping one of my arms around my waist, feeling comfort in the gesture.

"Basically we alternate asking each other questions, I don't want to be the rude girl who ignores you for the car rise," She shrugged before turning to me teasingly, "Unless you were planning on being the rude girl who ignores little precious me the rest of the ride Bambi."

I was planning on being the rude girl who ignored her for the rest of the car ride considering my awful social blunder, but if she was still willing to talk to me then I didn't want to spurn her. "Can you ask the first question?

"Are you dating someone?"

"No."

"Friends with benefits with someone?"

"NO!" I turned bright red causing Jordan to crack up, her rose colored hair going to the small of her back like a pink waterfall. I liked her laugh, it wasn't one of those delicate giggles girls do to not draw attention to themselves, it was a loud and full laugh and it made me want to laugh to. "And you asked me two questions," I accused my face still hot, "I get to ask you two questions then."

Jordan looked up at me, without moving her head, "Hit me, I'm an open book." She gave a little half smile

I paused trying to think of a question to ask her, what did I want to know about her? I didn't want to know basic information like siblings, and favorite color I wanted to really get to know her. But on the other hand I didn't think it'd be appropriate to ask her to tell me her greatest fear. So I just settled on repeating the same question she asked me.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" I asked hoping to see her get red like I did.

Jordan shook her head, "Lesbian." She pointed to thumbs at herself, "I do however I have a beautiful girlfriend named Dawn."

I leaned forward eager to hear more I haven't had a crush since middle school, and even though I never really thought of romantic love for myself I loved hearing about other people's loved lives. "How long have you two been dating?" I asked, this was actually kind of fun and it helped get me out of my own head, and anything that got me out of there was wonderful.

"For three years," Jordan's knowing smile turned into softer one.

"How did you me-"

Jordan flew her hands in the air, "STOP!" She exclaimed dramatically, "Two questions now it's my turn."

She grinned and I felt myself smile back before we burst into giggles as if we were in fourth grade.

I could see how someone could realize they liked someone after only a few minutes.

And the rest of the car ride continued like that, she learnt my favorite season, ice cream flavor, and how I would describe my style, (spring, cookie dough, and angsty-hipster-college girl chic).

I learnt what she considered her greatest trait, her biggest pet peeve, and her favorite smell, (natural charisma, people who interrupt her, and she liked strawberry scented things.)

Eventually the game faded into a stop and we did end up going to our phones every so often, me listening to music and her texting someone. Every so often if a question popped into one of our heads we'd just ask it, but silence became the norm instead of giggling.

I opened my bag to get some candy when I saw my camera, I glanced at Jordan weighing the pros and the cons of asking her.

On the pro side, she may find it cute or just not care enough to say no. It could possible be a gateway to a real friendship, and I could start my picture on the day.

On the con side, she could think it's dumb and even if she says yes she'll see me as the weird girl forever. She may laugh at me, and I honestly don't know how I'd take it if she did that. But then again, I thought she'd ignore me because of that awful social mistake I made in the beginning and she didn't.

I took a deep breath, before I began to climb the mountain that is asking her to take a picture with me. "Do you want to take a picture with me?" I asked tightening my arms around my waist, feeling my right leg start to shake.

"What?" Jordan asked looking up from her phone with a curious expression.

This is a sign from the universe that it doesn't want me to ask Jordan to take this picture, I quickly looked away and started playing with the camera band, "...Nevermind, I forgot."

Then it occurred to me, I told myself to do this to become more social, not repeat the same pattern.

"Do you want to take a picture with me?" I blurted out, before alternating between looking at my lap, and looking at Jordan's eyes. Holding my breath waiting to hear her decision.

Jordan nodded, "Sure, sounds fun," She shrugged before unbuckling her seatbelt to scootch closer to me leaning her head next to mine.

I felt all my anxiety uncoil as I fumbled around with the camera until I was able to get it in front of us, "Say cheese on three, one two..."

"Cheese!"

The camera flashed and we got out of our position to look at the picture, and it was actually cute, we were smiling genuinely and it was a good start to my photo calendar. I felt my heart lighten, I was proud of myself, it was something small but I did it without any help from anyone.

Jordan liked it too, "Send that to me when we sit down, I want to keep it." She smiled before going back to her cellphone.

The rest of the car ride continued in silence, but it was the warm and fuzzy kind, that filled us up rather than leaving us empty.

When we pulled up at the airport and the drivers helped us out I noticed that Jordan only had one bag which struck me as odd, she seemed to be a more fashionable type of girl and yet she brought only one?

"Why do you only have one bag?" I asked her curiously as she graciously took my bag when she got close to me I noticed she was taller than me by two or three inches.

"I sent the rest of my things to the school before I left, I didn't want to take a whole SUV just for me and my things." Jordan answered weaker than usual, holding her stomach with one hand before walking into the airport.

I never liked airports, they always made me feel more anxious because people were always rushing and it was as if I could feel their own emotions, and airports were always a few degrees too hot. Jordan seemed a bit anxious too glancing from side to side though when she looked at me she was all smiles.

"Hey I have to go to the bathroom could you wait outside with the bags?" Jordan asked me suddenly looking a little green as she clutched onto her stomach with one arm and on the wall with the other. "I feel sick," She stated the obvious as she pushed through the crowd of the airport and into the bathroom.

I didn't want to leave her alone in her sickness so I ran after her into the stalls. Jordan shoved through the women in the line and took the empty stall and I heard gagging sounds. I followed behind her apologizing to all the people who I accidentally bumped into.

Jordan was on her knees her face over the toilet, though I didn't look at the…contents knowing if I did I'd be nauseous and then I'd have to deal with two vomiting girls.. I leaned over and pulled her hair out of the way trying to ignore the sounds of both her throwing up and the various gasping noises from outside the stall.

After a few minutes she stopped throwing up and I could hear her breathing raggedly.

"Jordan?" I asked softly.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" She snapped at me before sighing and looking back to the toilet and coughing again though this time it was coming up empty. "I'm sorry that was rude of me, thank you for being with me." She mumbled before leaning back over the toilet.

I rubbed her back, hoping it'd be a comforting gesture to her, "Was I supposed to leave you vomiting, isn't it a part of the girl code to help a girl who's throwing up her guts?" That elicited an empty laugh from her her fingers loosening slightly from the toilet.

"Hey Aasha?" She turned her head slightly though I still couldn't see her face.

"Yeah?"

"I hope you forgive me for this," She murmured before she twisted to face me and put three fingers on my forehead, two on my brow bone and the third in the center of my forehead.

I tried to say something anything, but none of my functions seemed to be working, my screams came out as jokes and I couldn't even throw my arms and try to make some type of noise. She was going to kill me, I just knew it.

She was the stalker.

And then my world turned black