I was halfway home minding my own business, when a middle-aged white man with a doughy physique and a 4 o'clock shadow jogged across the street. He let out a loud, sharp, whistle to grab my attention. My mother's voice and her warnings about strangers were echoing in my head, but he seemed harmless and looked like he was a local. I did stop, letting him catch up to where I was. He was breathing heavily, panting as he said, "Sorry," with a friendly smile plastered across his face.

He added, "I just had to say you're a very beautiful girl. I'm Bill, by the way." He sucked in another breath before continuing. "I've never seen you around here before. You new to this area?"