SLOWLY FALLING FOR YOU (α∂яιєηєттє)

Chap. 5

"What is it? Is she gonna make you look older. . . or younger?" The boy continued to speak, placing his bowl on the glass table beside the couch he was sitting on. "And why? Are you trying to impress someone? A girl don't like the way you look, so you're going to change yourself? Or is it even because of a girl?"

"Actually," Felix spoke up before I could. "My mother is getting married, but Gabriel isn't allowing Adrien to go, so Adrien is trying to get a disguise. That way, Gabriel wouldn't know it had been him at the wedding. You get it?"

"So how are you going to fool your father in to believing that you are at home, in your room?"

"Um-"

"Adrien is going to lock his door," Again, Felix started speaking. "Besides, Gabriel barely even comes in his room, so it'll be fine."

"Why aren't you allowed to go to the wedding?"

"Because his father is angry at my mother."

"But that's no reason to have him not go to the wedding. That's cruel."

"Well, Gabriel has his own ways of dealing with things. Doesn't mean everyone agrees with them, but he still does these things because he slightly just doesn't care."

"Wow."

"I know."

Thankfully, Alya walked inside the room with a napkin, cleaning the sides of her mouth. "Alright, I'm ready to get started." She plopped down on the couch beside me and looked at my face. At first I wasn't sure exactly what she was doing, but then she snapped her fingers and nodded her head. "I know exactly how to help with your disguise. Not too much make-up, and a few items you have to wear to look. . .different." She smiled widely and stood up. "I'll bring out my items. You just wait here."

I watched her go, not really sure whether to be scared or not. I'd never worn make-up, not even when I did photoshoots. My father had always said my face was 'perfect', though I didn't believe him, but who was I to argue? I looked down at the floor, waiting for Alya to come back, while Felix and the boy engaged in a conversation. Sometimes, I wished I was just like Felix. He had such a good way of interacting with people. You would see him as a stranger, but then in the next two minutes, it feels like you two have been friends for months. That's how I wanted to be like, though my biggest problem was starting a conversation. I wasn't shy, I just didn't know how to start. And now everyone thought Chloe was my only friend, which, at the moment, was actually quite true.

I heard footsteps walking towards us and understood Alya was coming back. Felix looked over at me, and being the good cousin he was, he patted my back. "Don't worry, Adrien," He said, "Alya's going to make you look just like a different person. This will go much better than we ever had in mind."

But somehow, I had a feeling what he had just said wasn't all the truth.

~

My eyes felt tired as they began to open. I looked around, taking in my surrounding. I didn't know where I was, nor what I was doing here. Then I heard a voice that sounded all too familiar. A voice that said, "oh look, he's waking up. Finally!" Had I fallen asleep while in the middle of something extremely important?

I lifted my back up from wherever it had been laying on, and this time my version became more clearer. Once I rubbed my eyes for a few seconds, I understood that it was Felix who had spoken, and he was standing right in front of me, his face so close up to mine. I slowly moved away and pushed him back a little, muttering out, "privacy," and I heard him laugh a little.

"Adrien, wake up! Alya is all done with your face. Come see it!"

"Hmm?" Now I was fully awake with those words. I stretched and got off the bed I was sleeping on and then looked around. Alya, and her crush were also in the room, talking by a corner. Felix was gaping at me with a wide opened mouth, almost as if there was something on my face and he couldn't believe it was up there. I headed towards the mirror and looked over at it, taking in my face, the way it looked and how I totally did not look like myself anymore.

I looked slightly older, with a darker and dirtier shade of blonde hair. My face was in make-up, but it wasn't the kind I thought they would be; lipstick and all, though now, it didn't make sense as to why Alya would even put lipstick on my face. But she had put something on my face, and being the make-up idiot I was, I didn't know what, and I didn't bother asking either because I didn't care. I turned around and looked over at Alya. She gave me a look and I nodded over at her as a way of saying thank you. She nodded back as in a way of saying you're welcome, and I looked over at Felix next. He still had on his surprised look, which amused me now.

"We have time before the dinner with the Bourgeois. We should get started right away!" Felix grabbed unto my arm and started pulling me out of the room. While we headed out, I noticed him give a little wave at the other two, before the door shut behind us. We headed outside, back to the mansion and inside the garage. The car Felix had chosen for me was still there, and although I wasn't so sure now if I was allowed to use it, I still headed towards it, and Felix pulled out keys, which surprised me.

"Where did you get the keys?"

"While your father was talking to you about not going to the wedding anymore, I snuck into his room, took the keys and headed out. I wasn't exactly sure which key was the correct one, so I took all of them." Felix shook his head at me. "Your father is very strict. How do you even live with him?"

"I follow his rules," I shrugged, but I could tell my answer didn't satisfy Felix enough.

"Is that really what you want to be doing for the rest of your life? Follow in your father's footsteps?" Felix tilted his head at me, before proceeding to unlock the car. "If I were you, I would have probably ran away by now. But also, I would tell Gabriel how I really feel, tell him how I don't like the rules he's making for me. I know it may not be easy for you, seeing as you've probably never spoken back to him, but. . . You need to try before it's too late. Before you end up stuck with him for the rest of your life."

The way he said it made the whole situation sound like a nightmare. Before, I saw it as a nightmare, but then, as days went by, I was so used to it. Sure, some things Father said troubled me, but I was so used to it by now, I didn't even consider speaking back to him or telling him how I really felt. I found that completely useless now. I was even a little bit afraid of him.

Felix got into the driver's seat after unlocking the car, and I got into the passenger seat. He started the car, and although I wasn't sure where we were going, I still closed my eyes and just waited for the ride to be over.

~

I re-opened my eyes when I felt the car ride stop. Felix shook me, and I guess he did that because he wasn't quite sure whether I was awake or not. I rubbed my eyes and looked around, seeing that we were in an empty street. I turned over to Felix with a questioning look. "What are we doing here?"

"Here," Felix opened the door and stepped out, "is where you begin your test. I saw some girls passing by here earlier. I'm sure you can be able to catch some attention and test them."

I stood in front of the car and stared off into a distance, now not believing that I could do this. Felix tapped my shoulder, getting my attention towards him.

"Don't worry, you'll do great. Just go out there and do what I told you to do." He patted my back, before stepping back. "I won't be with you, obviously, so take the car. I'll be leaving now. When you're done, or when you feel that you're done, just call me. I'll pick up and come back." He waved and started walking away, leaving me to just stare as he did so.

~ Edited ~