Twist In The Plot Line

[Guest Javey]

So my dad is mentally ill and an alcoholic. I lived with him with my mom and sister till i was about 11. He came home every weekend drunk and terrorized us. He was arrested, and put in a mental hospital (again) right before he left. He left my mom for his therapist, and sold the house out from under us on Christmass eve. We spent Christmass living in our car. We put a restraining order on him. He made one attempt to have a visitation with me. Not because he wanted to see me, but because it would look good on paper. He tried to feed me lies about how he didn't really sell the house and how he never called social services on me to try and take me away from my mom. I didn't buy it, i knew him better then that. A year later i talked to him on the phone. Not because he wanted to, but because my mom handed me the phone for some reason I'm not entirely sure of. That was about 3 or 4 years ago. I haven't spoken to or seen him since.

So i move on. I'm pretty much fine. He hardly ever even crosses my mind. I get picked to go on a peace mission in Europe, but have to raise a lot of money to go. My mom tried to get him to go through with his child support (for once) and he tries to sue her. So, my mom ends up having to go back to California (where we lived with him. We moved to Texas after a year spent homeless to get away from him and to live with my grandmother. Things definitively turned towards the bright side.) and go to court with him, 2 days before i have to leave the country. Lovely.

So she leaves, and I'm just at home getting stuff together. I call her after she gets out of court. She wont tell me anything and sounds distressed. Bad sign. I knew something was up. But i figured she wasn't telling me because she doesn't need me freaking out while I'm supposed to be having fun. I understand, and i decide not to point out that i know shes keeping something from me. Because i would much rather have fun in Europe making the world a better place, then be freaking out the whole time about my idiot father.

Okay, now i have to switch into another story.

A while back, me and my friend Veronica decide to start hanging out at starbucks. We go to one starbucks, and this guy is there. Just hanging out, working on his laptop. It was a small starbucks so we end up sitting next to him. We play some games on my mac, laugh, have fun. He stares over at us often. I figured we were being kind of loud, so i wasn't all that creeped out. He smiled from time to time. He kind of had a weird vibe to him, but i didn't bug myself about it.

A few days later, me and my mom go to starbucks. He's there again. Okay, so he hangs out at starbucks. Whatever. My mom takes one look at him and goes "Hes a creep" I go "MOM! you don't even know him!" My mom goes "He was here last time. Hes a creep. I just know it" I laugh a little, and move onto another thought.

Me and Veronica decide to try another starbucks that was bigger. We wanted to watch this TV show on my mac, and we figured it would be easier if we didn't have people watching over our shoulder. We get to starbucks, and that same guy is there. WHOAH. We notice. We laugh. We're like "OMG!!!" At one point, he moved outside. We were sitting by the window, right next to the outside seats. He was RIGHT NEXT TO US. We laugh. I lean over and look over at his computer, he's on myspace. He's got about 8000000000000000000000000 friends. Hello there little myspace celebrity i somehow haven't heard of...

We go to starbucks again, and he's there. We start calling him laptop guy, cuz he's always on his laptop. We leave. We go to starbucks another day, and he's there again. We go to starbucks a bunch of different times, and he's there every time. Staring at us. This guy is kind of creepy... And how is that he switched to the other starbucks at the same time?

One day we go again, and he is there with some friend or something. His friend stares at us too. We go a few more times, and both of them are there. Staring at us. On their laptops. Creeeepy.

My mom notices and decides that she's gonna say something to him if he shows up again.

He stopped showing up. But his friend kept going. He always stared us too. We went a few more times and his friend was there, but laptop guy was nowhere to be seen. Eventually, his friend stopped showing up as well. They became instant jokes with me and my friends. Every time we get a prank call "I bet that was laptop guy" etc. etc.

So we don't see them anymore. They haven't showed up for a while. I didn't think much of it.

So my mom calls me today, just checking in on me before she flys home. And goes "Did Gelene (my friends mom who's been taking care of things while she was gone) Tell you about the privet investigator?" She said it shakily and distressed. I am in silence. I just go "....What? No.... she didn't..." Mom: "Apparently, your dad hired a privet investigator to fallow us around. He fallowed Chelsea too (my sister) This guy has just been in the parking lot at her work for a week." (That would explain why he's gone missing all of a sudden) Me: "WHAT THE HELL?! THIS GUY HAS BEEN FALLOWING US THE *Bad word* AROUND?!" Mom: "Yes. Try and calm down. I was just letting you know that you need to be careful about what you do and say when your in public, in case he is there again." Me: "Do you think he'll show up at the airport?" Mom: "He doesn't know where you are leaving from." Really? I'm having trouble with the fact that he somehow knew we were going to starbucks in the first place, when we had never discussed it online, so its not like he could have hacked my facebook or something. He also knew were were switching. And he somehow knew when we'd be there. Me: "This is insane... OH MY GOD! I BET IT WAS LAPTOP GUY!" My mom is in silence. Mom: "Oh my god... I didn't think of that... That was probably him"

So as it turns out, the punch line of half the jokes me and my friends have been making has been a privet investigator hired to fallow me around and stalk me for the last who knows how long. And there are still things she's not telling me. I know shes just trying not to stress me out more then i already am, but i HATE not knowing whats going on. But i guess its okay, I wanna have fun in Europe. I may never get to see these places again. I don't need HIM on my mind the whole time (Not that he wont be on my mind a lot at the moment anyway.)

So now i have to watch everything i do when in public. I planned on coming out to my mom and beginning the whole transitioning into the real me ordeal when i got back from Europe.. Now I am afraid this guy is gonna be watching. And if my dad knows about me and my gender, there could be issues. At least I know to watch for the same face showing up to many times. I'm also afraid to blog anything, because I'm afraid he's found my online accounts. I mean seriously, what kind of spy doesn't look for online accounts? And I'm already afraid my phone is tapped, because me and Veronica discussed the starbucks situation over the phone. This is freaking scary. Having HIM watch me. If he still is or not... Kind REALLY freaked out right now. Especially considering I've came out to two different people in public now.

So i leave tomorrow morning. Hopefully I'll be able to brush it off until i get back. I seriously did NOT see this coming at all... I haven't been this freaked out since... i can't even remember.

[Guest Pól]

That's pretty creepy. I actually hope for your sake that laptop guy IS the private investigator 'cause if he's not then you might have a stalker, or something. Be careful. Don't go places alone, if you can help it. I think you're right to be careful about transitioning until this gets resolved.

Is going to the police a viable option about this?

One thing I always say is that your number one priority should be your safety. Anytime it's not, re-evaluate what you're doing, immediately.

You can't be too careful with stuff like this.

[Guest Javey]

That's pretty creepy. I actually hope for your sake that laptop guy IS the private investigator 'cause if he's not then you might have a stalker, or something. Be careful. Don't go places alone, if you can help it. I think you're right to be careful about transitioning until this gets resolved.

Is going to the police a viable option about this?

One thing I always say is that your number one priority should be your safety. Anytime it's not, re-evaluate what you're doing, immediately.

You can't be too careful with stuff like this.

By hiring a guy to fallow me around, he's directly violating the restraining order. So yeah, if i see laptop guy again, or see anyone fallowing me around, i will be calling the police. I hope its laptop guy too, because then i know who to look for. Jeeze, I'm totally freaked out. Someone looked at me in the store and i was just like "......." Gosh, getting waaay paranoid. Perhaps its a good thing just this once?

[Sally]

javey,

Go on your trip and put this out of your mind - enjoy Europe and remember that you shouldn't be followed there.

Unless your dad has a lot of money - the daily expense plus the price of a ticket to Italy would be a bit much to pay - so when in Rome just watch out for the Italians!

Have a good time and just think about what you are doing there and worry about things at home when you get back home.

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest Zabrak]

Like Sally said, it would cost a lot of money.

I wouldn't worry about him following you there. I'm guessing you're going on a school trip? There will be adults around so if you DO see someone and you're worried that someone is following you don't be scared to tell the adults. At lest they'll be aware of how you're feeling.

Be careful of your safety when you get back but I don't think wanting to transition can help your dads "spy" hurt you or your mother.

Enjoy your trip, try not to worry.

[Guest Eth]

Wow, that's really creepy X_X. But like it's been said- you should not be followed on your trip. Try to have fun and not think about this mess while you're there. You should enjoy yourself without worrying about it every five minutes.

I would definitely call the police if you see that guy following you again.

[Guest Javey]

javey,

Go on your trip and put this out of your mind - enjoy Europe and remember that you shouldn't be followed there.

Unless your dad has a lot of money - the daily expense plus the price of a ticket to Italy would be a bit much to pay - so when in Rome just watch out for the Italians!

Have a good time and just think about what you are doing there and worry about things at home when you get back home.

Love ya,

Sally

I will be trying my absolute best to do just that.

Well, the whole hiring a privet investigator deal definitely explains the lack of child support checks he's been sending. Me and my mom are trying to figure out how on earth he came up with that kind of money in the first place.

I'm pretty sure I'll be occupied while I'm there enough to not worry about everything too much. So thats good.

Good lord, I knew there was probably something up with him. I just think its funny how my mom took one look at him and just figured out he was a bad guy, instantly. How does she know these things?!!!

[Guest Elizabeth K]

Start taking pictures of that guy or anyone else following you around, so you can document it to the police. Make certain the date and time feature is turned on. Just be careful of confrontations.

He probably won't follow you overseas.

Too bad your father won't spend money on his family to keep them fed and housed, but will spend big bucks on a private investigator. Not a good person.

Stay safe.

Lizzy

[Guest mia 1]

Really creepy it sounds like one of those bad dreams that just keep going on all night and when you wake up and go back to sleep the same dream keeps occurring over and over again.....thanks be for the trip to Italy enjoy your time and in the meantime take Lizzy's advice and take his picture maybe that will creep him out..hoe did your dad get the money for the "creep" did he quirt drinking? Concerns for your mental ease.....Mia

[Guest Okapi]

Creepy. Atleats you'll be safe in Europe and not worry about your dad.

[Guest nova]

Creepy is the word. I like Lizzy's advice. It's pretty bad when a private investigator, or whatever he is; is coming off like a psychopathic stalker.

[Guest Leigh]

wow...is that even legal???

well, be safe. be watchful. i'll keep you in my thoughts.

best of luck.

i hope that this stops, and that you can relax and have a good time in Europe.

peace&love

leigh