I chose not to mention anything about Allen to Bryce and decided to wait until our parents returned home. I knew it wasn't a very wise decision, but Bryce was still at work and wouldn't finish his shift until after midnight. Afterwards, I sent a text message to my mother's phone, indicating that my inquiry was not urgent, but I was merely checking on them.

After I finished washing the dishes for the evening, I felt a bit worn out mentally but knew I had to check my emails and voicemails before calling it a night. As I scrolled through my messages, one from Ms. Anderson caught my eye. She was letting me know that she changed my schedule again after receiving my note about Allen coming by the community center looking for me.

Now, my start date is scheduled for the following Monday, and that definitely perked me up. Apparently, he had been at the caf� with another young woman, who looked to be in her twenties. Ms. Anderson took the initiative to report his suspicious behavior to the police.

Honestly, just hearing it was a relief and encouraging news. Although I was grateful she was watching out for me, I was still worried it was going to create a bigger problem later.

I had just remembered that my co-worker had agreed to pick me up from the caf� tomorrow, but in my haste to get inside my apartment, I forgot to get her phone number. So, I contacted the manager at the community center and asked her to pass along a message for Zondra to call me asap; but to my surprise, she called me within a few minutes.

"Hello."

"Hi, Lola. It's Zondra. I'm just now getting home. Can you talk right now or are you busy?"

"No, I can talk. I was shocked at how quickly you got my message. I forgot to get your number last night, and I had just left a message for you to call me back."

"What message are you talking about?" I didn't receive a message. I was calling you to tell you something."

"Oh, I thought you?uh-h, never mind. I called the manager at the community center and left a message for you to call me. I won't need a ride tomorrow because Ms. Anderson changed my schedule again due to Allen coming by the community center. I am rescheduled for Monday. He was also seen there today with a young lady who looked very young. Ms. Anderson thought it was best to report his creepy behavior to the police, just to be on the safe side."

"Oh, that's good news. But no, I didn't get that message; she probably gives it to me in the morning. But speaking of stalkers, not trying to freak you out, but I think it's a good idea to keep your doors locked and to make sure your alarm is on. I saw a guy walking into your apartment complex as I was leaving."

"He seemed a bit off; he was looking around and waiting for the gate to open to stroll in. He even waved down a few cars, but I couldn't tell what he was up to. He looked like he was in his early thirties and was wearing glasses. I just wanted to give you a heads-up so you're not caught off guard when you're on the way to work in the morning."