Free Dead Girl Dancing by Linda Joy Singleton

red-haired girl bumped into her. There was a groan, then the sharp bang of the door slamming. “Rayah? Rayah!” Her voice rose. “Are you in here?”
    I nodded, then realized she couldn’t see me through the stall door and called out in a shaky whisper, “Y-Yes.”
    “Why are the lights off? Must have been that bitch.” She flipped the light on. “Are you okay?”
    “I am now.” I sucked in a deep breath, then took a step forward on shaky legs, hooking my purse strap on my arm and unlatching the door.
    “What the hell is going on?” Sadie rubbed her shoulder, flipping her braid away from her reddened face. “Did you see that freaking girl who smashed into me?”
    “I couldn’t see much of anything.”
    “Damn girl pushed me into the wall and then ran out of here … hey! Why are you hugging me?”
    It was impossible to explain right then; my emotions were racing to catch up with my thoughts. I was confused about what had happened and afraid to know what might have happened if Sadie hadn’t showed up. Sadie may have just saved my life.
    “You’re trembling.” Sadie studied my face. “What’s going on? That girl was familiar, like I’ve seen her around campus. Do you know her?”
    “Not her name—but she’s the same redheaded girl who glared at me in the campus parking lot. Thank God you showed up because she sounded crazy, like she was about to get violent.”
    “No shit!” Sadie did a double-take. “So why are we just standing around? Shouldn’t we tell someone?”
    “You mean the police?”
    “Well … maybe not that drastic.” Sadie hesitated, a thoughtful look flitting across her face. “I mean, you weren’t attacked, I didn’t get a good look at the girl, and you don’t even know her name. The police couldn’t do anything.”
    “Yeah,” I agreed, thinking how risky being questioned would be when I wouldn’t be able to answer routine questions about myself.
    “Are you sure you’re okay? I’ve never seen you so scared. Not even when you got that threatening note—” She broke off with a choked cry. “The stalker! Could it be the redhead?”
    “I think so,” I admitted as I turned on the sink faucet, feeling oddly comforted by the rushing sound of water as I washed my hands. “She must go to our college. Are you positive you didn’t recognize her?”
    “It was too quick and dark.” Sadie ripped off a paper towel and handed it to me.
    “Thanks.” I wiped my hands. “I won’t forget what she looks like and I’ll be careful not to let her trap me again. I can’t believe she followed us all the way here. I don’t even know who she is.”
    “Well, she obviously knows you. Probably the girlfriend of some guy you hit on—it wouldn’t be the first time you pissed off some chick.” Sadie giggled. “Like when you were sucking face with Bryanna’s fiancé at her engagement party.”
    “Can we not talk about my past? I’d rather get out of here and far away from that psycho girl. And I could really use your phone.”
    “I understand.” She handed the phone over, then held my arm gently as she led me out of the restroom.
    It was surreal how ordinary the gas station’s food mart seemed after my short moments of hell. People walked up and down the aisles, absorbed in choosing candy bars and other trivial items. I spotted Warren over by the hot-food area, squirting mustard on a corndog. He arched his brows in curiosity when Sadie called out that we were going to wait by the car.
    When I stepped outside, I tensed and looked around for red hair. Logically, I knew the psycho girl wouldn’t be dumb enough to wait around. She was probably miles away by now. But if she was obsessed enough to follow me hundreds of miles, she wouldn’t give up that easily. She could still be lurking in one of the many parked cars—waiting for another chance to get me alone.
    “She’s gone,” Sadie assured me, guessing my thoughts. She opened the back car door for me. “Talking to James