Let her think she's stealthy

The bigger trick was keeping her from realizing I was aware of her. Mostly because Gaz really wasn't good at it. Her tiny figure stood out like a sore thumb, especially given how few people walked the streets these days. Her tendency to duck behind lamp posts, mail boxes, and trash cans only made it worse. It was a struggle to not laugh.

Arriving at my house, I unlocked the door and went inside. Quick as I could, I rushed up to the second floor and peered out the window as carefully as I could. Gaz was outside, fidgeting and pacing. She had been programmed to be "****". Part of that was utter social ineptitude. I actually recognized the behavior. She planned on knocking...eventually. Right now, she was going every possible path our conversation could go. At least, all she could think of. I had a feeling I'd wind up surprising her.

Finally, I could see Gaz was finishing up. Her pacing had stopped now. Her chest was rising and falling slowly as her hands made a sort of "relax, relax" gesture. After a few tentative steps, the tiny girl stopped. A couple of deep breathes later and she continued on. I waited. I could have gone there and opened the door before she even knocked, but that might scare her off or at very least leave her confused as to what she should say. I was surprised at how much I was empathizing with her. Not exactly what I expected when I ordered her, but I wasn't complaining. Having gone through it myself, I'd like to help her out.

The doorbell rang and I rushed downstairs. Opening the door, I half expected there to be no one there, with Gaz off hiding. Instead, Gaz was slouched there, looking even shorter than before. "...h...hey, um...hi." she muttered. I couldn't see her face very well. What her hair didn't cover, the shadow of her hood did. "Hey. You're the girl from the game shop..." I replied.

Nodding, she pulled the game I purchased for her out of her hoodie. "I...uh...could...could I mov..." she begin before shaking her head. "This is stupid, I'm so fucking stupid," she hissed to herself, tossing the game at me. This caught me way off guard, the game bouncing off me and falling to the ground. This was fortunate as Gaz turned to run. Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed her hoodie. Her hood fell, revealing a mess of unkempt hair. Spinning around, tried to put her hood back up...but I already saw her face. She was a mess. Rings around her eyes suggesting she hadn't slept well for some time. She looked haggered.

"Are you alright?" I blurted out. Shaking with an emotion I couldn't place due to her once again hidden features, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a smart phone. She held it up to me, displaying a text message...saying she had been evicted. Wow. Just...wow. There's ****, then there's this. I now understood what she had been trying to say before she decided to run off. "...can I go now?" she mumbled.

Shaking my head, I opened my door wider and gestured for her to enter. "No, you cannot," I said sternly. "I'm not letting you just wander off after seeing that. You need a meal, a shower, and some sleep in that order." Her jaw hung open at this. Raising a shaking hand, she pointed at herself, as if I could possibly be referring to anyone else. "Yeah, you. ...Gaz, was it? Saw it on your phone," I told her, adding the last part to not sound creepy. Most people get disturbed when you reveal you know their name without the introducing themselves. "My name is John."

Hesitating briefly, Gaz entered. "...you're weird," she said as I closed the door. "You don't know who the fuck I am." She would have had a point were things as they seemed. Of course, I did know who she is. I'm the one who ordered her. Even so, I never imagined a backstory like this.

Shrugging, I walked past her. "I guess I am. You like hot dogs? I can get a bunch going in no time," I remarked. Then I was going to find out what her deal was. Why did she look so worn down? I had to know.