So far, Miranda has been raising her ex-lover's son after he disappeared without a trace. Now Dougie is back, and she is afraid he came back for his boy.

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I forgot to grab the donuts for Waylon, and know better than to go home empty handed. I swing by the Piggly Wiggly and dash inside to see what they have in their bakery. There are only a few people inside. Late night shoppers like me are an odd breed. Either you work a late shift or you have the munchies after smoking something illegal.

I open the donut case and pull out two crullers and a Boston cream, then head to the dairy cooler to grab milk. I buy at least three gallons a week. I am minding my own business when I turn to go down one last aisle. I come face to face with someone, and I don't mean that figuratively. No, I bump noses with someone. I drop the bag of donuts, but manage to hold onto the milk. "Excuse me!" I say, hoping I didn't hurt anyone. I look up and for a moment, I hate my cursed luck. There is only one person who would be worse to run into and that would be Missy Toblerone. This is contestant number two. Mr. Tomlin is staring a hole right through my head. He recognizes me, I can see it in his eyes.

"In a hurry?" he says, reaching down to pick up the bag of donuts. "Health nut?" He wrinkles his nose in disdain at the sugary treats.

"For a friend. I apologize, I didn't see you."

"Apparently."

This guy is about as friendly as a rabid dog, and I am fighting the urge to tell him what I really think about him. But, I swallow the peppery taste of sarcasm and think about Waylon. I can't and I won't make this worse for him. "Mr. Tomlin, it appears we got off on the wrong foot. Can we cut to the chase and just get along for the sake of my boy and your student?"

He hands the bag of donuts over and smiles. Alligators smile in a similar fashion, flashing teeth and cold reptilian eyes. "Sure, Ms. Wilcox." He nods curtly and eases around me. I head to the register, knowing he called me Wilcox on purpose. This guy is trying to get me to confront him. I have a feeling Dougie isn't lying about what he saw. Tomlin is a creep. I'm a strong believer in the gut feeling. I feel it in my gut. Tomlin plays with people, just like a cat does with a mouse. As soon as the cat gets bored, the poor little mouse dies. I will try to get along with him, for Waylon's sake. But I am going to watch him, and if I see anything that warrants action, you best believe I will stop at nothing to make his life a living hell.

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Waylon is asleep when I get there, the remote in his hand and a bag of Doritos on the floor. I put the Doritos and the donuts on the counter by the sink and lock the door. I'm not going to wake him up to go get in his bed so I grab his quilt and put it over him. "Night, Waylon," I whisper, gently taking the remote out of his hand and setting it on the coffee table.

I go into the bathroom and start the shower. I look at my reflection.

She nods her head and a little smirk comes to her face. "You know he called you Ms. Wilcox on purpose, don't you?"

"Yes, I realize that."

"Surprised you didn't straighten him out."

"I'm trying to be civil for Waylon's sake."

"He isn't going to allow that to happen. He's going to keep on needling until you finally break."

I look at my own reflection. "Oh, ye of little faith. I lived through Missy Toblerone, this guy isn't anything."

She laughs. "Miranda, Miranda, Miranda, you aren't good at holding back when you feel like someone is crossing the line. He can read you like a book. I've seen his kind before. He will keep on and on until he finds that one chink in your armor. Then he will strike."

As much as I want to tell her she's wrong, I know she isn't. So instead of denying it, I look at my reflection and say, "I'll just have to try my best."

Reflection rolls her eyes. "Until you hit the point of no return, then what?"

"I'll ruin him," I mutter.

After my shower, I go into my room and crawl into bed. The dreams start almost immediately. One minute I'm back in high school but I'm older than everyone else. All I know is I don't want to be there. The next thing I remember is running down the hallway trying to find the exit so I can go home and Ed Preston is standing in front of the door. I don't want to go past him so I just stop. "I need to get out of here. Move please!" I'm crying as the words come tumbling out of my mouth. Ed just stands there, his cloudy blue eyes boring into mine. He opens his mouth and a swarm of black flies comes out. That's when I wake up. My t-shirt is soaked and my heart is hammering away in my chest.

I've got a bad feeling about Mr. Tomlin, and it isn't just because of Waylon. People like him either hurt others or meet with their own dark end. Either way, I feel it in the air. Something bad is going to happen.