Beneath Her Smile

The next morning, Katie showed up at my dorm, just as I was getting ready to head out. She handed me my favorite book—the one I'd sworn I'd left on my desk, but which had mysteriously disappeared a few days prior.

"Found this at my place," she said, smiling as she handed it to me. "Thought you'd want it back."

I took it, muttering a thank you, though my mind was racing. I didn't remember taking it to her dorm, and I couldn't shake the memory of that shadow outside my window, or the way my belongings kept reappearing in her room like they'd been taken without my knowledge.

More and more, things seemed to go missing from my dorm. My jacket, a notebook full of class notes, even my headphones once. I'd tear apart my room looking for them, only to have Katie casually hand them back to me, claiming I'd left them behind. I tried asking her how she'd ended up with them, but each time, she'd just smile, brushing it off as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"It's almost like you're haunting me," I joked once, hoping to ease my own nerves.

She tilted her head, smiling in that way that was almost too calm. "Well, you're all I think about, Jason."

The words should've felt sweet, but they left an odd, lingering chill instead.

As finals approached, my schedule got even crazier, filled with last-minute study sessions and group meetings. I tried to balance time with Katie and my friends, but somehow, Katie always seemed to pull me back to her. One Friday night, Brad and Liam dragged me out to the campus pub, insisting that I needed a break from both studying and Katie. I agreed, grateful for the chance to unwind.

But as we were halfway through a game of pool, I glanced over my shoulder and saw her standing there, just inside the door, watching me with an unreadable expression.

"Jason!" she called, waving with a bright smile. She walked over, her presence somehow feeling both casual and… intense. "Fancy running into you here."

Brad raised an eyebrow, exchanging a quick look with Liam, who was trying (and failing) to hide a smirk. "Yeah, crazy coincidence," Brad said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Katie either didn't notice or didn't care. She slid up beside me, her hand wrapping around my arm as she leaned in. "I was thinking maybe we could head out. There's this spot I found—thought you'd want to check it out."

I looked at Brad and Liam, who both gave me raised eyebrows and half-smiles, clearly reading into the situation. I wanted to stay with them, to keep hanging out, but the look Katie gave me was hard to refuse. It was like I'd disappoint her if I said no, like this invisible pull was tugging me towards her.

"Uh… sure," I finally said, giving Brad and Liam an apologetic look. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

They both shrugged, waving me off, but I could feel their eyes on us as Katie led me out of the pub, her grip on my arm just a little too tight, her expression unreadable.

As we walked out into the chilly night, she chatted casually, as if nothing was wrong, as if she hadn't just shown up unannounced to pull me away from my friends. We ended up at an old park on the edge of campus, the kind of place where no one went after dark. Katie pointed out constellations, laughing as she shared random facts about each one, but my mind kept wandering, unsettled by how she always seemed to know exactly where I'd be.

When she walked me back to my dorm, she stopped just outside the door, turning to face me, her smile softer than usual.

"You know, I worry about you sometimes, Jason," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's like… you're always slipping away."

I forced a laugh, trying to brush off her words, but the intensity in her eyes made it hard to ignore. "I'm not going anywhere, Katie. Just, you know, balancing things."

She stared at me for a long moment, her gaze unwavering. "I just… I want you to know that I'll always be here. No matter what."

I nodded, managing a smile, but her words echoed in my mind long after she'd left. There was something strange about the way she'd said it, something almost possessive, like she was holding onto me with a grip that tightened each time I tried to pull away.

From that night on, I started seeing her shadow in places it didn't belong. Sometimes I'd catch a glimpse of her watching me from across campus, even when I hadn't told her where I'd be. If I was at the library with my friends, she'd somehow end up at the next table over, giving me a quick wave before focusing on her own work. When I walked across the quad, I'd feel her eyes on me, like a faint weight that lingered even when I looked around and saw no one.

One night, as I was dozing off, I felt an inexplicable urge to check my phone. When I did, there was a message from her, sent just minutes earlier:

"Sweet dreams. Remember, I'll always be here for you."

I stared at the screen, my thumb hovering over the keyboard. I typed out a quick, lighthearted response, but my fingers shook as I hit send. Something about her words sent a chill through me, like I was being slowly drawn into a web I hadn't even noticed.

And deep down, I knew—this wasn't just coincidence anymore. This was Katie, somehow weaving herself into every corner of my life, and no matter how I tried to shake it off, I couldn't escape the feeling that something was slipping away. My friends, my freedom… even my sense of self.

And for the first time, I wondered if I could ever truly step out of her shadow.

It was the middle of the night when I woke up, blinking groggily at the dark room. I checked the clock on my phone—3:07 a.m. Everything was quiet, the kind of silence that only exists in those early hours when the world feels like it's holding its breath. I rubbed my eyes, trying to figure out what had pulled me from my sleep, when I caught sight of something outside my window.

There was a figure standing there, half-obscured in shadows but unmistakably… there. I sat up slowly, the grogginess draining as I focused on the shape, trying to make sense of it. At first, I thought it might be a trick of the light or maybe just some kid playing a prank. But as my eyes adjusted, I realized that this was no random person. It was a girl, her hair long, face hidden as she stood almost completely still, watching my window.

A chill ran down my spine, and I quickly reached for my phone, trying to figure out if I should call someone. But before I could make a move, the figure turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows. I sat there, heart pounding, replaying the strange, surreal moment in my mind. Who would be standing outside my window at 3 a.m.? And why did she seem so familiar?

The next morning, I felt groggy, like I hadn't actually slept at all. I met up with Brad and Liam in the cafeteria, still unable to shake the image of that girl outside my window.

"You look like you saw a ghost," Brad said, sliding a tray of food across the table.

"Yeah, funny you should say that," I muttered, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening. "I… there was someone outside my window last night. Like, at 3 in the morning. I think it was a girl."

Liam looked at me with raised eyebrows. "A girl? Bro, are you serious? Who would be watching you in the middle of the night?"

"Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but… she was just standing there. It was eerie."

Brad chuckled, though his expression was tinged with concern. "Dude, it's gotta be Katie. Who else would it be?"

I blinked, taken aback. "What? No, no way. Katie wouldn't do something like that."

Liam leaned in, his expression serious. "Think about it, man. Who else would go out of their way to check on you? She's been everywhere lately, right? Showing up at random places, always knowing where you are… maybe she just wanted to, I don't know, make sure you were okay?"

My first instinct was to call bullshit, but the more they talked, the more the pieces started falling into place in my head. Katie had been showing up a lot, always knowing where I'd be, often without me telling her. And she'd been getting… clingier lately, like she couldn't bear the thought of me being out of her sight.

I was about to say something, still wrestling with the idea that Katie might have been the one outside my window, when I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I turned, and there she was, Katie, smiling brightly, her presence so sudden it almost made me jump.

"Hey! There you are," she said, sliding in beside me as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "What are you guys talking about?"

I shot a quick look at Brad and Liam, both of them clamming up, exchanging uncomfortable glances. "Oh, nothing," I said quickly, trying to brush it off. "Just, you know… guy stuff."

Katie tilted her head, studying me with a curious expression. "Really? You all looked pretty serious."

"Nah," I said, forcing a laugh. "Just the usual."

But the conversation lingered in my mind all day. I couldn't shake the idea that maybe Brad and Liam were onto something. I mean, why else would Katie show up everywhere I went? And what if she had been the one outside my window? The thought sat heavy in my stomach, gnawing at me in a way I couldn't ignore. But as I mulled it over, Katie kept glancing at me, her face creasing with concern.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly. "You seem… off today."

I shrugged, dodging her gaze. "Yeah, just tired, I guess."

She reached out, touching my arm gently. "Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything."

Her tone was so earnest, so caring, that I felt a pang of guilt for even suspecting her. But that weird feeling wouldn't go away, no matter how much I tried to shake it. I kept giving her vague responses, telling her I was fine, but she kept pressing, asking if anything was wrong, if something had happened.

Then, one afternoon when we were hanging out in her room, I finally got a glimpse of something that confirmed my suspicions.

We'd been watching a movie, and I got up to use the bathroom. As I passed her desk, I noticed a familiar-looking notebook lying open on it. My planner. The one I kept meticulously organized, detailing my day-to-day plans down to the hour. But it was open to the latest page, my plans for the upcoming weekend.

I froze, staring at it. I hadn't brought my planner to her place. I knew that for a fact because I kept it hidden in a drawer in my dorm room, an "out of sight, out of mind" kind of thing.

When I came back, Katie was still lounging on her bed, scrolling through her phone, oblivious to the storm brewing in my head. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. "Katie, why is my planner on your desk?"

She looked up, her smile faltering for a split second. "Oh, that? I… I found it in my room the other day and thought you must have left it here."

I shook my head, feeling a strange sense of calm settle over me. "Katie, I didn't leave it here. I keep it in my room, in a drawer. There's no way I just 'forgot' it here."

She laughed nervously, her eyes darting around. "Well, maybe you brought it and just don't remember—"

"Katie," I said firmly, cutting her off. "I know where I keep my stuff. You had to have taken it."

She stared at me, her face a mixture of shock and hurt. "Jason, why would I do that?"

"I don't know," I said, my voice rising with frustration. "But this isn't the first time my things have shown up at your place. It's… it's starting to feel like you're watching me or tracking me somehow. It's just… it's weird."

The words hung heavy in the air, and I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. "I didn't… I didn't think you'd care. I just… I like knowing what you're up to. I thought it would help us stay connected."

"Katie, I need my space. This—this isn't normal. You can't keep tabs on me all the time," I said, feeling my frustration bleed into exhaustion. "I think we should take a break. I need to figure out what's going on with us."

She started to cry, a soft, painful sound that tugged at my heart. But I couldn't let her tears sway me. I felt like I was drowning, like my life wasn't fully my own anymore. And as much as I cared for her, I knew I couldn't keep pretending everything was fine.

"I'm sorry, Katie," I whispered before walking out, leaving her alone in her room.