THE STALKER

　　Right across the street from their apartment, Peter is seating seeping tea.

　　What is he doing here?

　　Camilla clutches Lisa's singlet and asks, "Since when has he been here?"

　　Lisa calmly peels off Camilla's fingers from her singlet and brushes the invisible dust off her body dramatically. She then pulls Camilla's hands away from the window and she walks to the bed.

　　"Lisa, why are you so calm about this?" Camilla cries out seeing how composed Lisa is about the situation.

　　"Camilla Louisa, don't you ever trust me sometimes?" Lisa sighs dramatically holding her temples with two fingers.

　　Camilla narrows her eyes at her and Lisa knows this is the sign language for 'get serious already'.

　　"Okay, so I noticed him a few days ago. He has been coming regularly watching me from that little seat. He has followed me to the hospital once or twice," she says with a shrug like it was a good thing.

　　Camilla's heart is about to burst out of her chest for she doesn't see the positive side Lisa is seeing that is making her so calm about it. "Lisa, you are saying Peter is fucking stalking you and you are not freaking out!" Camilla snaps, finally losing it.

　　"Have you finally gone out of your mind? Have you forgotten what we are doing here? Do you want to go to jail? What is wrong with you Lisa? That guy is very clever! For him to be here, for days -you are saying- means bad news! You shouldn't be smiling!" Camilla cries out in frustration as her hands begin to tremble.

　　Lisa breathes in and out slowly, trying to calm herself, and then when her breathing has returned to normal to hold Camilla's shaky hands.

　　"I had the same reaction you are having right now. I freaked out. I wanted to pack my bags and leave the fucking country even! But do you know why I stopped?"

　　Camilla shook her head. Lisa has lost her senses.

　　Camilla would have done the same thing. She would have been halfway out of the country by now and not sitting calmly in bed trying to convince her best friend that they were not doomed to end up in jail.

　　"Why did you stop?" Camilla asks unwillingly.

　　"Thank you for that smart question," Lisa beams, "the best answer to that question is, I am equally smart!" She says and expects a reaction from Camilla but the latter only stares at her in dismay.

　　Camilla pulls one of her hands from Lisa and presses it gently on Lisa's temples. "Are you alright, Lisa? We can still leave, it's not too late. I am here." Camilla whispers, fearing her friend has lost her sanity.

　　"Amish," Lisa exclaims, clicking her tongue. "Okay, I admit, maybe that wasn't a smart answer. But, Camilla, think about this, I haven't given him any reason to doubt me. He is just watching my moves and I have made sure I don't go to any of the guy's spots to sell any goods. I haven't even worked in days. I want him to believe that I am as sweet as an angel, who knows maybe he will be convinced enough to ask me out!" Lisa says with dreamy eyes.

　　Camilla feels like something on Lisa's head has gone loose. She isn't thinking right. "Have you lost your mind!" She yells. "What makes you think Peter wants to have anything to do with you? Are you crazy!"

　　Lisa's romantic dreams have gone way beyond normal. Camilla has always known it was going to put them in trouble someday and that day is very near.

　　"Lisa, this is not some sappy movie. Peter isn't in love with you, we are in danger here and you didn't tell me because you thought he was stalking you out of love? "

　　Lisa rolls her eyes in frustration. "You still don't get it, do you?"

　　"Make me get it. Because the way I see it, Peter is going to call the cops on us! The dude just saw me!" Camilla snaps, getting on her feet.

　　Lisa watches as Camilla starts pacing and she pulls her fingers. "Look, Camilla, I didn't think of this last part but trust me my plan is foolproof and you know my plans never fail."

　　Camilla stops pacing and returns to the bed. "Okay, I know your plans are always foul proof. But that's what baffles me, you are smarter yet you made this mistake!"

　　"Camilla, will you just keep quiet for a second and listen to me?" Lisa snaps, seeing that Camilla was taking everything overboard.

　　"If he wants us arrested or worst, don't you think he is rich enough to employ detectives or even spies to do the dirty job?" Lisa asks her

　　Camilla is quiet. Lisa is making sense but that was a tiny thing to bet their lives on. "Let's assume that is true, what are you saying?" Camilla says.

　　"I am saying that for him to come to stalk me on his own, it means he is interested in me just like Ethan is interested in you!" Lisa squeals. "Just imagine! You and I in all that money! We are going to be inseparable!"

　　"You think Peter is interested in you?" Camilla says, her mouth dropping to the floor. Lisa stops squealing in excitement and stared at her. "You believe that?"

　　"Yes, why can't I believe it?" Lisa says, her mouth falling into a pout

　　Camilla realizes that her question has broken her friend's confidence so she drops the topic. "Look, just be careful okay. It is too dangerous. Right now, we don't know what he will do now that he has seen me. I just want us to be safe. Okay?"

　　"I assure you that he won't say a word to anyone about seeing you. If he had wanted to tell on us, he would have done so by now. Trust me he wouldn't tell anyone."

　　Camilla sighs. Living the kind of life they are living is difficult. They have to always watch their backs for the police and any other danger.  Camilla can't allow Lisa to make a mistake and put herself or the both of them in trouble. They need to watch each other's back.

　　"Which reminds me, I need to pay up the hospital bill this week. Have you found anything yet?" Lisa asks after a while. This is why Camilla loves her, no matter what happens, she never loses focus. It is why she has survived this long in the business without getting caught.

　　Camilla smiles, remembering the jackpot she had found in Ethan's room. She sits up and taps Lisa. "Guess what?"

　　"You found a bag of dollars?" Lisa asks her with a grin on her face.

　　"Better than that, I found a collecting of the most expensive wristwatches in the entire world!" She squeals in excitement.

　　Lisa's eyes enlarge and she is also about to squeak. "No way! Where did you find this collection?"

　　"Ethan's room!" Camilla says but Lisa's smile drops.

　　"Camilla isn't that dangerous, Ethan's room? Doesn't he have cameras or something? That's a great risk! " Lisa warns, getting worried. as much as they needed the money, she didn't want Camilla to jeopardize her stay in that house.

　　"No, he doesn't have cameras. No, it isn't dangerous. He isn't home at the moment and no one enters his room. Finally, it is a risk but it is one we have to take!" Camilla brings out the Rolex wristwatch she got from the collection and dangles it in front of Lisa.

　　Lisa's mouth drops as her eyes follow the movement of the gold in front of her. It is beautiful and so expensive, Lisa knows they won't need food in almost three months with this one baby.

　　"And you said there was a collection of it,"  Lisa says, stretching her hands to the wristwatch. Camilla drops it in her palm and the coldness of the gold kisses her sensitive skin.

　　"Yes, this my dear, is the least on that collection!" Vanilla exclaims with a big smile dancing on her face.

　　"Oh my God!" Lisa screams, jumping off the bed. "We are fucking rich!" She exclaimed and Camilla falls into a fit of laughter. Lisa is too dramatic for her good.

　　The sound of Camilla's phone kills down their laughter. She turns to it and her heart flies out of her chest at the caller. It is Ethan!

　　"What is it?" Lisa mouths, seeing the worry in Camilla's eyes.

　　Camilla flashes the phone in her eyes and she sees who the caller is. Understanding comes to her and she settles back unto the bed, holding Camilla's hands. "Pick it, act like you are at home and you just woke up!" Lisa orders

　　"What if he is home right now?" Camilla whispers.

　　"He can't be home and Peter will be here seeping tea. He isn't home. Answer it!" Lisa assures her. She goes to the window and finds the chair empty. Peter has gone. But she doesn't tell Camilla, so she won't lose her cool again.

　　Camilla gulps loudly. She doesn't want Ethan to suspect her of anything but she has to pick up his calls too. She taps her face gently with her free hand and picks the call.

　　"Hello," she answers, trying to make her voice sound as tired as possible.

　　"Hey, did I wake you again?" Ethan asks. His sweet voice almost makes Camilla forget the lie she had prepared.

　　"N- yes!"  She squeaks. Lisa glares at her and she tries to correct herself.

　　"I mean, not exactly I just woke up a while ago, that's why I sound like this," she says, and then she wrinkled her nose, hoping Ethan will buy her lies. Like Peter, Ethan is very sensitive to sound and changes in moods. She only hopes that Ethan ignores it or pays less attention to it.

　　"Camilla, have you been taking your medication?"

　　Shoot! Her prayers never get answered. Ethan has picked up on her strange responses.

　　"Yes, I have. I am fine. Don't worry about it. I just need a quick shower and I'll be 100% again!" Camilla smiles brightly as she speaks so her voice can be cheerful on the phone.

　　"Okay, if you say so..." Ethan trails. It's like he wants to say something but doesn't know how to say it out to her.

　　An awkward silence fills the call and Lisa urges Camilla to say something instead. "Errm how is work going?" Camilla blurts out and Lisa gives her a thumbs up.

　　"Work is going fine," Ethan responds but Camilla can hear the smile in his voice and it makes her feel warm inside.

　　"Will you come back soon?" Before she can stop herself, the question leaves her lips.

　　"Soon Camilla. Soon..." Again he trails with unspoken words. "Camilla, stay safe okay. I'll call you later."

　　The line goes dead before Camilla can whisper her goodbyes. Ethan seemed to be doing things to her she couldn't comprehend. The other day, she had dreamt Of him in her bed. And each time he calls, she feels like she is being transported into his arms and words seem to seize from her brain. She feels lost when she is away from him for reasons she can't comprehend.

　　Lisa snaps her fingers in front of her! "Hey! What's wrong?"

　　"Nothing," Camilla says still lost in the clutches of Ethan's voice. "I need to go back home, I have stayed too long. Someone might notice." She hurries to her feet and places her hoodie back on.

　　"Is this about Ethan?" Lisa says, watching her friend from the corner of their eyes

　　"No, it isn't," Camilla says, but Lisa raises her brows, a sign that she knows Camilla is lying.

　　"Yes it is, but I will explain when next I come, I have to go now!" Before Lisa can say anything, Camilla runs out of the apartment, taking the first bus she finds a straight home.