"Future Rewoven" Book 3 of "Secrets Unraveled" Trilogy |COMPLETED|

Chpt 34: Things Become Clear. Or Maybe Translucent Anyway.

Adrien pushed open the door leading out of the building where he had just had his audition. He had a good feeling about it- it seemed to have gone really well! He was lost in his thoughts when a familiar looking girl walked right by him on the sidewalk, sobbing. Adrien stopped, instantly suspicious anytime he saw Lila now, and watched to see if she was going to turn around and head toward him. When she didn't, an internal struggle began- should he follow her and ask what was wrong or just let her go?

"Argh!" he groaned, when despite his better judgement he started walking after her as she actually did seem distressed. "Lila! Wait!" He started jogging to catch up with her.

At the sound of her name, Lila stopped walking and then slowly turned around to face him. "Oh, Adrien," she hiccuped, "It's you." She continued to hiccup as tears streamed down her face and she looked down at the ground to avoid his eyes.

"Lila, what's wrong?" asked Adrien, still maintaining his distance, since he didn't trust her. It still did seem like she was really upset though and not just acting.

Lila started gently rubbing her upper arm with her other hand, trying to decide what to say. The photographer had given her some lines, but Lila wasn't sure they would work on Adrien now that he didn't trust her. She might just have to add a bit of realism to get the shot she desperately needed to fulfill part of her bargain with Mr. Agreste.

"Oh, Adrien!" she started sobbing again, "I've gotten involved in something and now I'm in way over my head! I don't know what to do and I'm so scared!" Lila had to admit that was now all true anyway.

Adrien almost forgot himself, taking one step closer to her before stopping. "What is it that you're involved in?" he asked, concerned.

"I . . . well, I don't want to even tell you. You'll hate me! I was just so jealous of your relationship with Marinette that I didn't realize what I signed up for until I was in the middle of it! And now I can't . . . I don't know how to get out of it!" She started crying again.

"Lila," said Adrien gently, "I can't help you unless you tell me, okay? I'm sure we can figure this out."

She turned her head away from him. "O . . . okay." She took a deep breath and then said "I . . . a man approached me and offered me money to . . . to get a photo of us together so that it would make you and Marinette break up. After that first attempt- the photo that looked like we were going to kiss- the man wasn't satisfied and I tried to get out of it, but he . . . threatened me." She turned her gaze back to Adrien's face, noticing the sympathy there. It's working. "Can you help me?"

"Just who was this man?" asked Adrien.

"I don't know. How can you help me if we don't even know who it is?" Lila started crying again and felt triumphant when Adrien came over and gave her a hug.

As Adrien hugged Lila he began to feel more and more certain that his father was somehow behind this. But, why? An idea started to form in his head that would help them discover whether it really was his father. He hoped Marinette wouldn't be too mad! Since he was fairly confident that this scene of Lila's was mostly an act, he was going to let her follow through on what she was here to do. He hoped that this would also fulfill her bargain and make her stop following him around!

Adrien looked down at Lila. "Do you feel—?" He was interrupted when Lila quickly stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. He counted to five, expecting the photographer would have gotten the shot by then, wherever he was, before pushing Lila away and wiping his lips off with the back of his hand.

"Lila!" he said, trying to pretend he was shocked.

Lila backed up and started to run away. She almost ran into a furious Marinette, Alya, and Nino who had witnessed the whole thing, but she avoided them and kept running.

"We should have believed you before!" said Alya to Marinette as an apology. "Lila is a liar and a . . ." Alya was so mad on Marinette's behalf that she couldn't even think of an appropriate adjective!

Marinette strode over to Adrien with their friends trailing behind her. She was mad, though not at him. Well, maybe just a little mad at him. At least everyone would believe her now about Lila! As she came closer, she noticed a weird expression on Adrien's face and he was trying to whisper something to her.

"What?" she asked, not understanding him.

"Pretend to break up with me!" he hissed at her.

"What?! Why?!" she exclaimed.

"I'll tell you later. I think it may set some things in motion and solve some of our mysteries. So, go ahead and yell," he said.

Marinette gave a slight nod and then channelled all of the emotions of outrage she had about Lila and the fact no one ever had believed what she said about her and turned it into a short, dramatic break-up performance. She got right in Adrien's face, poked him in the chest, and said "Adrien Agreste! I can't believe that you were kissing her! How can I ever trust you again?! You and I are over! Come on Alya!" said Marinette. She turned her back on him and grabbed her very confused friend's hand and dragged her away from Adrien and Nino. Alya and Nino shared a passing look, but both stayed silent.

"Marinette wait!" yelled Adrien. The girls sped up in response to his call and were soon halfway down the block.

Nino watched the girls go and then turned his attention to his friend, who looked absolutely devastated. Was this all really pretend? wondered Nino to himself. He cleared his throat. "Um, Adrien? Are you okay?"

Adrien shook his head sadly and then headed off in the opposite direction of the girls. When they reached the next block, he pulled Nino into an alley and then stuck his head around the corner to see if anyone seemed to be following them. He was pretty sure that whoever had been around to take the kiss and break-up photos wasn't there anymore.

"Okay, I think it's safe," said Adrien, turning toward Nino.

"What's going on Bro?" asked Nino, hoping for an explanation.

"The short version is that I've finally started to suspect my father is trying to break Marinette and me up and that he involved Lila, since she seems willing to do anything to torment Marinette," said Adrien.

Nino's eyebrows raised, hardly able to believe what Adrien was saying. "Lila? But, she's always so nice!" said Nino.

"That's just what she wants everyone to think. Almost everything she says is a lie. Why, I'm not sure.  And she's been after Marinette since we all first met her. I guess because Lila had her sights set on me and Marinette got in the way?"

"But, I thought she was interested in Max?" said Nino, having trouble putting these new Lila details together with the Lila he thought he knew.

"Yeah, I think she is, but I think she has some kind of plan there, too, I just don't understand it. Maybe we should discuss this when we're all together? I'm sure Marinette and Alya will want to hear about it, too," said Adrien, heading back out to the sidewalk.

"Okay. Sure. Do you think they went back to Marinette's?" asked Nino.

"I hope not. I'm not sure that I should go back there tonight, just to make the break-up look real. Can you call Alya and see where they are?"

Nino brought out his phone and called her number. She picked up on the first ring.

"Finally! We're on the way to the hidden spot in the park. Meet us there!" said Alya, before hanging up.

"What did she say?" asked Adrien.

"The hidden spot in the park. Do you also meet Ladybug and Cat there?" asked Nino. "I mean, we have, too, when they need our help." He'd never realized how often the superheroes must have been meeting with his friends, too, if they were also familiar with that place.

"Um, yeah," said Adrien, hoping that was the end of the potentially awkward questions. "Let's hurry!"

They picked up their pace, practically running toward the park.