I take a deep breath to fill my chest, to stretch, and let it out in a quick sigh. The sun sets behind me and takes any warmth of the day with it. Soon the sky will go dark, all the stars will come out and twinkle. And that means I?ve been standing here for way too long.

I can feel it in my feet and the way they burn and ache, the way my knees feel like they?re going to crumble like old stone. But every time I think about walking away, I can?t.

Royal Tea is a Maid Caf?. I can?t believe it.

Well, that?s not really true. What I can?t believe is why Mayu would be embarrassed about working here. There was really no other way to take what she?d said. How many other words begin with ?wor?? That make sense?

?I used to word--? ?I used to worthwhile--? ?I used to worm--? None of those work. Except work. And it?s not like it?s anything to be ashamed of. So she has a job. It could be worse. A lot worse, especially with the kind of people that live in this city.

Robyn had bought out an entire caf? and its staff for my birthday, so I knew what it would be like inside. Nice and clean, fragrant, girls rushing at you to serve you. Take your coat, lead you to comfort, speak to you. Take pictures with you. I know my sister loved it there, and I couldn?t say I didn?t feel much the same way.

I look away from the doors when a small line of people file out. A maid with short cropped blond hair stands in the doorway with her hands pressed to her starched apron. She bows to each customer deeply and I wonder how she doesn?t get dizzy. I can?t hear what they?re saying, but none of them seem displeased. They?re all smiling, their faces alight with some otherworldly glow and satisfaction. Once they all pass her, the maid lifts her hand and waves.

Then she looks at me.

I can?t explain the sudden unease I feel. Does she know how long I?ve been standing here, just watching? God, how did that look? They all probably thought I was some sort of creep.

It doesn?t last for long. Neither the feeling or the look. The maid goes back inside and pulls the door securely closed behind her.

I hear a sharp click in the distant silence, louder than the bustling market strollers that pass by me, like the shuffling of a plastic deck of cards. But I don?t see anybody.

More than a few of those same strollers look at me, the place that I?m lingering outside of, and hurriedly rush along.

Heat rushes into my face. I reach back for my hood and draw it up over my head, down over my hair and forehead and turn away, frowning.

Maybe tomorrow I?ll go in.

But that?s what I?ve been telling myself for the past five days.

It's dark down the alley and smells faintly of garbage and water like most alleys do. The high brick building next to Royal Tea provides a shadow that looms over us.

I'm only paces behind the figure, a man now that I see him up close. His dark hair is oily either with dirt or sweat. There's a damp spot on his shirt between his shoulderblades. He mutters as he heads down the alley.

"--can't keep me away forever. I'm a paying customer. All I wanted was one picture to commemorate our time together. And they want to throw me out? They want to keep me away? Heh, haha, I'll show them. I will."

I stick close to the wall, trying to step only when he does so that he won't hear me, holding my breath inside my mouth. When he stops and half turns to check his camera, I flatten myself against the wall. It won't do much to hide me, but the dumpster is too far away to make a dive for.

It doesn't seem to matter. Grinning toothily, the man continues onward.

"My collection's almost complete! Now I just need a recent snapshot of Mai! Oh, I hope she works today. The chalkboard had her name on it. If they lied to me, I swear I'll..."

There's a metal door at the end of the alley. A white sign with red letters says 'Authorized Personnel Only: Do Not Enter.' in, I'm guessing, seven different languages. I can only read one of them.

The man darts out of the alley but I see the camera lens poke back around the corner a moment later, shining ominously like the eye of some hidden monster.

I open my mouth and suck in a breath right as the metal door bangs open. Two girls step out dressed like--Mayu.

I blink.

They're tall, obviously older than Mayu but not by much. Their sailor outfits are white and blue, the short pleats of their skirts barely reaching over their rear ends. The blond girl carries a massive bag of trash like it weighs little more than a feather and turns to say something to the red haired girl at her right.

That's when the flash goes off.

We all throw up our arms to ward off the sudden light.

"HEY YOU! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

"Hey--Konoha!"

"GIVE ME THAT CAMERA!"

Something smashes into the ground that sounds like glass and plastic and when I look up, rushing forward, the girl named Konoha is halfway down the street, the bag of trash whirring through the air like a sling.

The red haired girl beside me sighs and folds her arms, the hem of her shirt shifting against her pale stomach. And she turns to face me.

I hold up my hands quickly. "I'm not with him, I promise. I was just following him. He seemed real weird." The more I talk, the quieter my voice gets. I watch her scowl unfold, her blue eyes widen. Her arms fall out of their tense lock.

"Toby!"

I jump back from her when she reaches for me, making us both pause and stare at each other. I don't usually mind when girls want to get closer to me, but this one seemed like she wanted to hit me a couple seconds ago. I wasn't going to take any chances.

Her face falls and I instantly feel guilty. "I--I'm sorry."

"No! No, of course. It's alright. No, it's my fault, really. I'm sorry. I just--it's so good to see you."

"It is?"

"Well of course it is! It's been such a long time, what have you been doing with yourself?"

I blink at her. Her eyes are so wide and clear, like the sky on a Summer afternoon, her smile sparkling. I don't want to disappoint her by telling her I have no idea what she's talking about. I don't even know her name. Even though, clearly, I'm supposed to.

So he used to come here too.

"U-uh, I've--been working, I guess. I've just been busy."

"I'll say." The sudden scent of raspberries and mint washes over my face when she leans in. "You seem well rested, though. The last time we spoke, you almost fell asleep at the piano keys!

Piano keys? "I did?"

"Uh hm!" She nods, laughing like a bubbling brook. "It would have been a shame, you played so beautifully."

"Nadie!"

We both turn as the blond girl comes up to us. She puts her hand on her hip and hoists the bag of trash over her shoulder. She stares over her shoulder darkly. "That guy, I swear. He's like a cockroach, but no matter how many times we shine light on him he keeps coming back."

"You chased him off?" I ask and she turns to face me. I recognize her as the blond maid that stared me down a few days ago.

A smile I can't describe spreads across her face. Like a hungry shark that's just seen a school of fish. "Well, well. Look who's back. Asking if I chased him off. Ha! Of course I did."

I look around her to the street that I assume the guy ran down. "Who is he? I've seen him here every other day. He's never tried to sneak in before, though."

"He's a pervert, that's what he is," Konoha scoffs and flounces off down the alley toward the dumpster. Her short skirt sways with every step.

"He's a stalker," Nadie tells me, her face half rueful, half irritated. "He's the first customer in three years to be banned from the caf? on the grounds of stalking and invasion of privacy."

"What did he do? Not that that's not enough to ban him." I hold up my hands again.

"He used to sneak in cameras in his clothes to snap pictures of all of us at work and stayed after hours to talk to us when we were done with our shifts." She tucks a thick lock of licorice red behind her ear. "Pretty much every regulation we have in place to protect ourselves, he broke. Collette had a fit. I've never seen her so calm."

I scrunch up my face. "How can you have a calm fit?"

Nadie chuckles. "Trust me, Toby, you never want to find out."

Konoha sidles up behind me, dusting her hands off. "You know, Toby, I'm surprised that you haven't been slapped with the same restraining order, the way you linger outside the building waiting for Mai, just like a common stalker."

I feel heat rush into my ears. "I do not! I don't even--"

"Konoha!"

She smiles. "I suppose now that she's working here again this isn't the last we'll see of you. Just remember to keep it clean." She doesn't wait for a response, like I can give her one, and unlocks the metal door with a set of keys strung on a lanyard she keeps beneath her shirt.

Nadie looks after her. "You know how she is, Toby. Don't take anything she says seriously. I think--I think it's sweet the way you look after Mai."

My mind is reeling. The only thing I can do is act like I know what they're talking about. I shuffle one foot and put a hand through my hair. "I'm not a stalker."

She smiles and briefly touches my arm. Her hand pulls away quick, like she's afraid of getting caught. "Of course not. I do hope to see you again. I missed you."

She leaves me waving dumbly after her in an alley that smells like old garbage and water.

"What the hell just happened?" I ask, but there's only me to hear it.