My 'Friend' Cont'd

Part 2

I came home to him again the next day. My suspicion that I was not going to be able to shake off my new “friend” was confirmed.

    “Welcome home John! I noticed you don’t have a television, how would you feel about me calling someone to set up a tv for you?” he greeted while gesturing to the farthest wall in the room where I presumed he wanted to set up the television.

    I ignored him and shrugged off my bag and jacket, “How do you keep breaking into my place? I changed the passcode after your previous break-ins.”

    He gave me a mischievous grin and winked, “So? Do you want a tv or not?”

    I sighed and crossed the room to stand next to him.

    “I don’t know, it seems rather pointless. I don’t really watch tv at all. Besides, if I really want to watch something I can just do it online.”

    He frowned and looked around before turning back to me.

    “What about a dog? Can I get you a dog?”

    “What are you on about now?” I grumbled.

    He let out a dramatic sigh and began to tour the room, waving his arms as he went.

    “Look at this place John! So empty, so boring! I took it upon myself to learn about what you do with your free time by inspecting you place and do you know what I‘ve learned? I’ve learned you are terribly boring and lonely.”

    “Thanks,” I replied dryly.

    He nodded thoughtfully, “A dog could fix that.”

    “I don’t need a dog.”

    “I beg to differ.”

    “Please..” I rubbed the my temples to nurse my emerging headache, “Just leave me alone. I’m fine, I’m not lonely or bored here.”

    A complete lie.

    “I’m just worried about you mate.”

    My eyes popped open in surprise at the sincerity in his voice. I looked up to see him watching me, with a genuinely concerned expression.

    “You’re lacking something mate. I can see it in your eyes. It’s like you’re empty.  You need a little adventure or a hobby! At least a television,” he continued.

    I rolled my eyes. He sounded like my mother.

    “I have a perfectly rich life, I’ll have you know. My apartment is empty because I spend  so much time out and about with friends, of course,” I lied again.

    He placed his hands on his hips and looked away while chuckling softly, seemingly amused by my statement.

    “That’s not true John. You’re boring as s**t.”

    My face reddened. I was beginning to get fed up with his insults and his continuous arguing.

    “How the hell would you know, huh? What gives you the right to judge?”

    He looked downwards, almost sadly.

    “Most people would have called the cops as soon as someone broke into their home.”

    “Yeah, well you threatened me, remember that?” I shot back.

    “If you really cared about me threatening you, you would have gone to call the cops. Or at least picked up something other than a screwdriver to defend yourself with the next day,” he correctly guessed.

    I narrowed my eyes and said nothing. This was the precise reason I didn’t go out to interact with people. Too much conflict.

    He held his hands behind his back and said stayed silent for a moment, chewing over his words.

    “I noticed...I’m rather lonely a great deal of the time too, I don’t have any friends so I want you to be better off.”

    Didn’t have any friends? I found that hard to believe.

    Then I remembered the fear he had struck into me the first night we met and I realised he was probably telling the truth...

    I scoffed. “Why? Why me?”

    He reached out to punch my arm gently.

    “Because I like you John. I like you a lot.”

    I let those words sink in a bit. He had a point. I was boring as s**t. I was lonely too. And I found myself a little excited at the idea of someone actually wanting to be my friend.

    Besides, he wasn’t that bad right? I mean, yeah he broke into my apartment three times but that’s minor in terms of friends right? Is that how friends work?

    “Don’t you have coworkers at least? Surely you're not that lonely,” I suggested.

    He grinned. “No, I don’t. My line of work doesn’t allow for friends really.”

    “Yet here you are. Forcing friendship into my life.”

    He continued grinning and said nothing as if still waiting for my permission to let him get me a tv or a dog.

    I wrinkled my nose, “What do you do for a living anyway?”

    Again, no reply. He continued to grin at me silently.

    I had the feeling he wouldn’t tell me his job for the same reason he wouldn’t tell me his name.

    His standing still and staring at me was making me uncomfortable though. I had to cave to something.

    “I...would prefer a cat over a dog I think,” I finally answered.

    His eyes lit up, “That won’t do! The whole point of getting you a dog would be that it would force you to go on walks and go out into the world to do things and meet people. Cats are great and all but they won’t satisfy the purpose of getting you a dog.”

    “That’s...that’s precisely why I would prefer a cat to a dog,” I mumbled.

    “Hmm perhaps just a television then if you aren’t ready to commit to that responsibility. Televisions can be fun, I assure you,” he suggested.

    I shifted my weight onto one leg and crossed my arms.

    “If that will satisfy your craziness then sure. Let’s get a tv.”

    He waved his finger in my face, “Ah-ah-ah. Not ‘let’s get a tv’. I’m getting you a tv.”

    He started towards the door, leaving me unsure of if I was supposed to follow or not.

    “Uh..ok, but why?”

    “Honestly,” he called from the doorway, “I’m hoping to buy your affection. Are you coming?”

    I couldn’t tell if he was being serious or sarcastic. I jumped a little at realizing I was supposed to follow and ran out after him.

    Once in the hall I turned to lock my door and hesitated.

    How was he getting in so easily? Was there really any point in locking my door anymore if people could break just break in whenever they wanted to?

    Even though asked him why, I already knew why he insisted on getting the tv himself.

    He was anchoring himself to me. Him buying me a tv would permanently add him to my life. It would be a materialistic reminder of him.

    And I was letting him. Letting him in my place without calling the cops was one thing, but I knew that this was truly opening the door to something I didn’t completely understand. To someone I didn’t know.

    The man down the hall who's name I didn’t know called out for me again.

    I locked the door and left.