Chapter 68: Not So Ordinary
Chapter 68: Not So Ordinary
Melissa met Lydia at the bus stop just a few minutes after seven. The morning was quiet, but not entirely peaceful. There was a shared look between them as if both girls understood that while they were dressed for a normal day at school, nothing about life lately had felt normal.
“You didn’t sleep well again?” Melissa asked, noticing the dullness in Lydia’s eyes.
“I tried,” Lydia replied. “But I kept waking up and checking the door like something would just… come in.”
Melissa nodded, saying nothing. She understood that fear too well.
The bus ride to school was uneventful, filled mostly with students chatting about assignments and social media drama. Lydia and Melissa sat near the back, side by side, their silence saying more than any words could.
When they got to campus, a few familiar faces came rushing over. Melissa hadn’t been to school in a while, and the absence had clearly been noticed.
“Melissa! You’ve been ghosting us,” one of her classmates, Tola, said, half-joking, half-serious.
“Yeah, people were saying you knew that 100 level boy, Brian—the one that…” another friend added, her voice trailing off.
Melissa forced a smile. “Yeah, I knew him. But I really don’t want to talk about it.”
The girls exchanged looks but nodded. The group lingered for a while, catching up, chatting about group projects and lecturers who were threatening to cancel exams over missing assignments. Melissa kept her responses brief. Lydia stayed close.
Later, while Melissa and Lydia were sitting under a tree during a break, Lydia’s phone buzzed. It was Detective Philip.
She stepped aside to take the call.
“Yes, sir?”
“Hi Lydia. Just wanted to check if you and Melissa would be available to come into the station tomorrow. We have a list of suspects we’d like you to look through. It won’t take long.”
Lydia hesitated for only a second. “We’ll be there. What time?”
“Nine in the morning works?”
“Yes. We’ll be there.”
After she ended the call, she walked back to Melissa and told her everything.
Melissa nodded. “It’s time. We’ve told the detective everything. We can’t keep hiding from life.”
“Yeah,” Lydia agreed. “We’ve done our part. Whatever happens next… we face it.”
By the end of the day, both girls were visibly tired. The lectures, the social pressure, the invisible weight they were carrying—it was all beginning to show. They waited by the school gate until a bus heading toward their area showed up. Melissa got off first, waving Lydia goodbye with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Lydia rode the rest of the way alone. The bus windows were dusty, and the city outside felt distant. When she finally got to her street, she was surprised to see Kieran and his dad sitting outside their house. Their home was just next to hers.
“Hey, Lydia,” Kieran greeted, standing up as she approached.
“Hi,” she replied, a bit unsure.
“We’ve been meaning to talk to you,” Kieran’s father said, his tone serious but not alarming. “Come sit for a minute.”
Lydia dropped her backpack and sat on the low concrete bench in front of their gate. She could feel her heart speeding up. Something about the way they looked at her didn’t feel casual.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Mr. Nelson glanced at his son before speaking. “We’ve noticed someone—mostly at night. A man, always dressed in black. He lingers around your house. At first, I thought it was just someone passing through, but it’s been happening more often.”
Lydia stiffened. “You saw him?”
Kieran nodded. “A few times, yeah. Once just standing across from your gate for like twenty minutes.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked, her voice rising slightly.
“I wasn’t sure it meant anything,” Mr. Nelson replied calmly. “But now I think you and your sister should know. Just be careful. Lock your doors. Don’t ignore anything strange.”
Lydia stood up, suddenly needing to be inside.
“Thanks for telling me,” she said quickly, grabbing her bag.
She walked the few steps to her house, keys already in hand. The front door was locked, just as she’d left it. Inside, Julia was asleep on the couch, the TV still on but muted. Lydia closed the door behind her and locked it twice.
Her hands were trembling slightly as she made her way to her room. She sat on the bed for a long moment, then picked up her phone.
She called Melissa.
“Hey,” Melissa answered quickly.
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
Lydia explained everything—Kieran, his father, the man in black.
“Are you serious?” Melissa whispered, as though someone might be listening.
“Dead serious. He’s been hanging around our house, and I’ve never noticed.”
Melissa paused. “Should we tell your mum?”
“No. Don’t tell Mrs. Wright either. She’ll panic.”
“Okay… so what do we do?”
“I think it’s time I tell my parents. They’ve been away on vacation, but I can’t keep hiding this from them. If something happens—if something already has happened—they need to know.”
“Yeah,” Melissa agreed softly. “You’re right.”
There was silence on the line for a moment. Both girls understood the heaviness of what Lydia had just said.
“You think he’s the one behind everything?” Melissa asked quietly.
“I don’t know,” Lydia replied. “But he’s watching. That much is clear.”
The line stayed quiet for a few more seconds, both of them unsure what to say next.
“Let’s just make it to the station tomorrow,” Melissa finally said. “One step at a time.”
“Yeah,” Lydia echoed. “One step at a time.”
They ended the call. Lydia sat on her bed staring at the door. Somewhere deep down, she knew the man in black wasn’t just watching for fun. He was waiting.