"What's got you looking so anxious, Mar?" I shot my head up and bit back a sigh as Zoé sat down beside me.
"I'm just hungry and can't wait to eat lunch, that's all." I answered surprisingly quick. I was doing my best to avoid looking at her, but she wasn't making it easy.
She had that look on her face she got whenever she was thoroughly annoyed about something and I happened to be one of those things she was annoyed with. It wasn't that I was avoiding her or that I didn't want to hang out with her or anything. I actually kind of missed her and the girls.
It was just that I had a bit of a more pressing matter at hand. And to say that I had made little progress where Adrien was involved was putting it lightly. In fact, I hadn't actually moved anywhere at all with him. He still continued to be as unpleasant as always and the permanent scowl printed on his ridiculously handsome face never left.
I wasn't so sure if he was always this angry or if his rude attitude was just because I happened to be following him around like some sort of lost puppy.
I didn't expect him to take me back to his grandmother's house. Like, ever. I doubted I would ever get to see Charlie and Charlene again— who I did happen to like very much. And I probably would never get to meet his little cousins, Cadence, Shane and Kai.
To be honest, I was beginning to feel like a bit of a stalker. But it wasn't like I'd been given exact instructions or anything.
Colt had basically said, "You are the only one that can keep him out of trouble." which I let myself believe, so that was a rather daunting task resting on my shoulders, I was a little more than stressed out at the moment. And now I was having best friend troubles, too? Luck was just so not on my side at the moment.
"I think you're lying." Zoé had said right after I broke away from my thoughts. I let out a groan and rubbed my eyes for a moment.
"It's not a lie. I am hungry and I am stressed."
She did not look convinced at all. Her glossed lips pressed in a tight line as she straightened out her designer coat, i'm guessing Chloé made her wear, giving me a stern look.
"You're stressed and can't tell me why?" She asked in a slightly offended look. "But you can share it with Adrien Agreste? Right." She added pettily and looked down at our conjoined desks.
For some odd reason, my guard instantly went up and I became insanely protective over Adrien whenever she mentioned him. It was a little weird, considering I didn't know him all that well and I had no right to feel that way, but I felt like it was my job to shield him from all that was said about him.
That was stupid, of course, because Adrien clearly didn't care about what people thought of him. Or maybe he does?
I have no clue.
"Zo, you don't even know him," I reminded her stiffly. "He's not that bad of a guy."
Zoé snorted, rolling her blue eyes up at the ceiling. "He's about as empty as a person can get, Mar. I don't think you see that. Do you have a crush on him or are you actually in love with him or something?"
I felt a blush immediately speed to my face and let out a squeak only capable of Minnie Mouse and nearly knocked my history book off of the desk.
"N-No! I had a small crush on him last year, it's not that serious." I stammered, my eyes widening.
Zoé did not look convinced.
"I don't have a crush on him anymore," I said as calmly as I could. "We're just friends."
Actually, I wasn't even sure if you could even call us that. What were we?
Zoé gave me one last shrewd look before she blew out a disgusted sigh, her eyes narrowing. "When you decide to tell me the truth, you know where to find me."
And with that, the bell rang, signaling lunch.
Wonderful.
Hopefully lunch with Adrien Agreste was going to be super amazing and awesome and full of interesting and happy conversation. Definitely not.
I dragged myself off towards the cafeteria, clutching my homework and textbooks tightly against my chest.
I dropped my things onto the chair beside me at my and Adrien's "table" and sat down with a sigh. I'd been a little unfortunate in getting to lunch early and decided to skip out on getting food.
"Not eating today?" I glared over at Adrien while I bit on my lip. He looked just as thrilled as I did with the way things were going today.
"No," I sighed. "I got to lunch too late."
"Well, next time get some food. I don't need you starving to death." Adrien stated, fiddling with a ring on his thumb.
"Thanks?" I didn't know how to take that.
Adrien shrugged, seemingly more closed off today than normal.
"What's wrong?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest. Adrien leaned forward on the table with his elbows and held his head in his hands.
The look on his face was ridiculously adorable and my breath caught in my throat as I stared at him.
"Oh, nothing," He replied, sounding breathless. "I'm fine. Just fine." he seemed completely calm. He was definitely a good actor, because I had no idea what on Earth could have been possibly going through his thick skull right now.
"You're lying." I wasn't quite so sure where that statement came from, but apparently the less rational side of my mind thought it was a good idea to embarrass myself even more.
And apparently, Adrien didn't like that statement anymore than I'd liked saying it. The look that came over his face was a dangerously calm one, but his eyes were narrowed and there was a furious glint in his eyes.
I swallowed hard and tried to keep myself from looking the other way out of fear.
"Excuse me?" He said, raising an eyebrow.
"You heard me." I muttered, taking a deep breath.
Adrien sighed as he drummed his fingers on the table, beginning to frown. "I don't lie." His voice was firm and very matter-of-fact and I sort of had the urge to run away.
Adrien leaned across the table towards me with a rather interesting look on his face. "Would you like to know who our liar is?" he asked in a quiet voice.
No.
I gave a short nod, and took a deep breath.
And that's when Adrien began digging in the pocket of his jacket and came up with a neatly folded paper.
"Who is Colt?" He demanded as he slapped the paper down onto the table in front of us. My thoughts were spinning in my head and I thought I was about to tip over backwards off of my chair. I hurried to pick the note up and read,
Trust new people entering your life, Adrien Agreste.
Sincerely, Colt Breyer.
I had no idea what on Earth possessed Colt Breyer to write Adrien a... note, but it wasn't a good idea.
"The guy looked like a rodeo clown," Adrien added on, still angered. "I don't need you telling rodeo clowns our business."
"So he gave you a note in person? He didn't send it or anything?" I asked, tossing the note back onto the table.
"That doesn't matte, Marinette. Do you know the guy or not? I don't need him creeping around." He mumbled, shaking his leg underneath the table.
"Yeah, I know him."
"Why are you telling him our business?"
"He's my therapist. What I say was supposed to stay between the two of us. I guess i'll have to find a new one."
"So sheriff woody is your therapist?" Adrien asked, looking not convinced at all.
I shrugged indifferently, trying to make it seem like nothing, but on the inside I was seconds away from bursting into tears.
"You confuse me, Marinette," He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Yeah, well, you're not exactly the easiest guy to read out there," I muttered, turning my attention to my feet.
"I wonder why that is." He returned in a sarcastic voice.
"You know, I'm trying to understand you," I said, cutting my eyes to his, "but you're kind of the most horribly distracting guy I've ever met. What is with you, Adrien? Do you not like talking to people? Do you not like anybody knowing anything about you?"
Adrien was gripping the edge of the table so hard, his knuckles were turning white. I was afraid for a second that he was going to start yelling at me, but he didn't.
"You know, you could probably announce that even louder next time." He said before he stood, grabbed his things, and left the cafeteria.
I stared after him with a baffled expression and then the even more awful feeling from before came back. I seriously thought I was going to cry now.
What was going on with him? I mean, I already knew something was going on with him and his parents, but how could I possibly help if I didn't know what it exactly was?
"Colt! I don't know where you are, but I could really use some help here! Yeehaw, howdy, where are you!?" I yelled as I stormed through an alleyway near the school after it had ended.
Sure, I was acting juvenile, but I didn't really care. I was in a very, very bad mood and I doubted anything would be able to calm me down anytime soon. It was a good thing I was alone, or I would look crazy.
"Hello!" I shouted. "Can you hear me? I need to talk to you and ask why you are so stupid!"
"Actually, I can hear you quite fine. I'd appreciate it if you'd stopped shouting."
I almost stopped breathing and whipped around to see Colt leaning on a brick wall, sipping on a drink. Very nice.
"A note!?" I said loudly when I managed to speak again, throwing my arms in the air. "You seriously gave him a note!?"
"Look, Marinette," Colt sighed, throwing his drink down onto the concrete. "You asked for me and now I'm here and you decide to shout at me? Why, I don't understand?"
I seriously considered walking over to grab his belt and beat him with it, but Colt was right. I had asked for him.
"All right," I sighed heavily. "I need your help."
"I figured that much out, Marinette," He said after a dramatic sigh. "What do you need?"
"I need you to answer me. Why would you give Adrien that ridiculous note?"
Colt shrugged, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
I took several deep, calming breaths before I forced myself to speak. It sounded like I was about to burst into tears. "Whatever. Why am I having to keep Adrien out of trouble? I can't do this, he totally shuts me out about everything. And he's not exactly the nicest guy around. I'm pretty sure he hates me. Why can't he just do his time!?"
Colt began tapping his boot on the ground and let out a light chuckle, "Oh, believe me Marinette. He does not hate you. And... he can't go to the slammer, trust me."
"How do you know?" I demanded, fighting back tears. "What could possibly happen if he went to jail for a few days, huh? It's normal for kids with his behavior. And even if he didn't hate me at first, he does now because of that dumb note."
Colt smirked, beginning to walk slowly around the alleyway. "I know everything."
"Oh, shut up!" I shouted in annoyance.
"If you say so." Colt shrugged and headed toward the exit of the alleyway.
"I'm not finished!" I exclaimed after him. "That was no help to me whatsoever!"
"If you're just going to yell at me, then there isn't any reason for me to stay, is there?" Colt said, staring to turn the corner.
"Fine! Fine," I yelped. "I'm sorry. It's just that this isn't exactly the easiest thing i've been asked to do. I mean, I don't even know what I am doing."
Colt turned back to stare at me with this look on his face that I couldn't describe. The only thing I could think of was that cliche term, seeing straight into your soul or something like that.
"I know, Marinette Dupain-Cheng," He finally said, holding his breath for a moment before taking a couple of steps towards me to put his hands on my shoulders. I couldn't help but shudder at the contact, because his hands were as cold as ice. "I wouldn't have asked you to do this if I thought you wouldn't be able to help the kid," Colt said, a very serious look on his tan face. "I seen something in Adrien's future that wasn't pretty. I need you to keep Adrien away from his father. Away from the slammer. You have to trust me."
My hands flew to my face and sure enough, traitor tears were streaking down my cheeks. I wanted to be embarrassed, but I just didn't have the time for something like that.
"What does that mean?" I blurted out before I could stop myself, "Is Adrien not safe at home?"
Colt sighed heavily, his weird pepperminty scent making me a bit lightheaded.
"I can't help you there, Marinette," He said as he dropped his hands from my shoulders. "Because I don't even know the answer to that. I just have a gut feeling."
"I—" I couldn't even get my words out because Colt just cut me off again with a very stern look. "You're not a stupid girl, Marinette. Think. Really think. Use that brain of yours. What could you possibly do to keep Adrien away from home?"
"What? I can't—"
"Yes, you can." We embarked on a fierce stare down. Well, I did. Colt just sort of stared back completely unsatisfied.
Did Colt think Adrien's father was going to do something completely horrible to him. Why is he at his grandma's house then? What if—
I somehow managed to cut off my frantic thoughts and ask these questions instead of driving myself insane.
"Why is he staying at his grandma's house this month?"
Colt didn't say anything. Instead he just smirked, and then disappeared, leaving behind a cool breeze of air.
I just stood there and stared at the spot where only seconds before Colt had been standing. I wasn't so sure if his visit had been more trouble than help. I blew out a sigh and headed toward my home that wasn't so far away. Humans don't disappear in to thin air.
All in all, I'd really only learned that apparently Adrien didn't hate me and that I have to keep him from his father, oh and prison. And if I failed? That's what Colt just so happened to forget to mention.
What could possibly happen if I don't keep him away from Gabriel or a lonely cell? Judging by everything that had been going on in my life lately, I had a sinking feeling that a couple of even more horrific surprises were in store for me.