Inspired by “Tag, You’re It” — Melanie Martinez

The first time he noticed someone following you, he didn’t tell you. He just walked beside you, hands in his pockets, acting normal. But his eyes kept shifting behind you. Watching. Tracking. Waiting. You were talking about something stupid — a cat you saw on the way to school — when Mikey suddenly stopped walking. You turned.

He wasn’t looking at you anymore. He was staring past you. Cold. Silent. Dangerous. He stepped in front of you, placing his arm slightly out — not obvious, but protective. The man who’d been trailing you froze under Mikey’s stare. Mikey didn’t yell. Didn’t threaten. He only tilted his head, voice low: “…Run.” The man did. Fast.

When it was over, Mikey finally looked at you again. “Why didn’t you tell me someone was following you?” You said you didn’t know. He clicked his tongue, brushing your hair out of your face with a frustrated tenderness. “Next time… you stick with me.” He wasn’t asking. He was promising.