5. Misconception

They sat inside a Cafe not far from the parking.  They offered a light meal and as the two waited for their order, Adrien was a little too quiet. 

"So how's work been?" Alan asked trying to start small talk.

"I don't know." He shrugged, he didn't want to talk so he stared at the table in front of him.

Alan nodded another failed attempt. 

"What about you?" 

Alan looked up surprised by the question, "Not much," he said as their order came, "I've decided to go back to music and got into production, of course, I'm handling the apartments for some time but once it gets serious my sister will take over. She graduated in business studies so now she's overseeing the family business, though I'm still practically over her..."

Adrien shook his head as he continued to listen to him.

Alan was always so talkative and he hadn't changed, neither did his habit of playing around with something while he talked. As they ate he learned more about Jennie's death and how Alan had his suspicions, how he somehow ignored her one time when she wanted to talk to her about something important. 

"I'm so sorry about your loss, I didn't know."

"Yeah well, it happens. I wasn't able to attend the funeral because they told me only three weeks after burying her. I was angry at them then, but now I see they just did it because they knew I wouldn't take it easy, and also because I was in a tough spot."

Alan sipped his tea, " At that time all I could think of was how I wished I heard what she wanted to say, knew her better that she could trust me and tell me about all her problems if I could help her... It still hurts."

"How are you able to talk about it so easily when you're in pain?"

"It takes time Adrien, believe me I didn't want to mention anything about her, but it took time till I could say 'She was/had' "

Adrien nodded and picked his second half, a light vegan sandwich. His stomach wasn't fully used to the amount of food since he spent his time starving and at times would drink water and crackers, but just to let his friend have a piece of mind he ate.

As he bit into the bread he heard the doorbell ring and a young woman came in at first, he knew because he didn't mind till he saw the brown hair standing at the desk.

"Can I have a latte, please?" She said

Adrien watched the lady wait for her order. He couldn't see her face, he couldn't accept that it was her, he wanted to believe not.

Alan notice him staring and followed his eyes. He saw the woman take her drink and smirked turning back to the blonde.

"Like what you see?"

"It can't be her." He whispered.

Alan looked at him perplexed, "What do you mean?"

"That girl,-- she looks just like her."

Adrien immediately stood up and followed the lady.

"Wait--" but heed gone already. 

Adrien followed her but somehow lost her. Suddenly he saw her at the corner of his eye and darted for her. He wrapped his arms around her neck and whispered coldly into her ear " You can't escape this time." 

A sudden scream broke into the street. 

"Ahhhh, let go of me! let go of me!" 

It then broke to him that this specific voice was not what he expected. He felt her struggle under his grasp yet he didn't lighten his hold on her but then several hands pulled him away. The girl turned her neck, fear in her eyes as she looked at him. For a moment she looked surprised to see him almost as though she met an idol but then fear swept over her. 

"Hey man, what's your problem?" a man yelled at him.

"Why were you attacking the woman like that?!"

Adrien however couldn't care about what they had to say all he could hear was mocking laughter in his consciousness.

It's not her. 

Alan then arrived at the scene, "Wow what happened? Are you okay?"

Some elderly woman yelled in the crowd, informing him how his comrade almost strangled a young lady. It threw him off how his friend would do that, doubt played its role.

"Adrien, is that true?" Alan searched him for an answer.

He was lost, the blonde, there was a feeling of dispatch from reality, a glitch in the system causing his silence.

"I... don't know what happened, I didn't mean for it..." His breathing became heavy, his body trembling in the late winter cold with no jacket to armor him. 

Alan saw he wasn't in his right mind and took back into his vehicle. 

He apologize on his behalf, "He's just going through some really hard parts of life." he explained. The girl nodded still startled and though she didn't believe his story she didn't any more drama to unfold. All she wanted was her coffee.

So much for not leaving the house, she thought.

On the ride Alan tried to get Adrien to talk but to no avail. 

They reached the residence. Alan called to let them in and as the gates opened Adrien could his tummy churn with anxiety. Moments later Amelie came running with nothing but her blanket keeping her warm. She held his face as she searched his eyes in pity before embracing him, only he did not respond as warmly.

The manservant came to take his bag but he quickly rejected the help, "I know my way around the place, I'll take my stuff to my room."

He went up the steps and disappeared into the brightly lit hall. 

Amelie turned to Alan with her poker face, "What happened?"

"May I have a glass of water please?" Alan sighed while entering.

Adrien entered the room. It was differently placed when he had stepped in, almost as if another person was living in it. He closed the door behind him and sat his case near his bedside. The bed was covered in a light blue-purple sheet and a blanket folded on the corner. It confused him. Not only were his sheets changed from red to purple but the change and arrangement of his room were not like how he'd left them. Everything is organized in disorder. 

The sun was setting and the room became even more dim, he could hear the harsh wind blowing out the window. Adrien kicked off his shoes and lay on the bed but after a while got onto the floor putting the pillow to rest on. 

Amelie couldn't believe her ears.

"I knew it." She muttered. 

"What do you suppose we do? He's not getting well as far as I can see."

The woman let her hands through her hair, "I think he should go back."

"Back? For what reason."

"I thought I could handle him but it's not like changing his placement can stop it from happening. His father won't stop calling me. Recently he's asked so many questions about his well-being, which is out of the ordinary."

"What? When has he ever taken the time of day to ask about him?" Alan asked shocked, "for all I can remember he never gave a d--m about him."

Amelie glared at his foul speech but nodded, "He's been on me ever since he got news about his loss, which on my part is confusing because I didn't even tell him about that. He said stuff about how Adrien acts when he loses someone close to him. At first, I didn't take it seriously, but I'm seeing the errors of my ways."

"So you're sending him back."

"Far be it, I rather he moves to another country than to where his problems first emerged." 

"Then have him go to America, Or China; Japan; Italy; Sweden, He's a fast learner in language," Alan began to pace, "He can even to Australia and start a new life, with even a new identity. I know some people who are good at that they can get him a fake ID to live off."

"I'm not letting my nephew live with a false identity for the rest of his life just to keep him away from his sick-minded father. No." The older woman spoke.

"I do agree that it's the brightest idea but it could work-ish."

She shook her head, "Even though he has a doctor that can treat him, just like before. He won't let him meet her till he comes."

"He's trading!"

"Alan sit down he isn't, what he is doing is testing to see if I care enough for Adrien and return him for the treatment...maybe you're right about trading."

"Can't we find someone else?" Alan suggested taking the pillow onto his lap.

"No, it's too risky... we'll have to think a little more deeply into this." 

She stared out into the distance and sighed. She had to do something or else she might lose him.

Someone shakes him awake.

It's pitch black and he could hardly make out the figure but the round shape of a female body over him. Hands ruffled his body to wake but his paralyzed.

"Adrien."

He immediately jumped up throwing the girl off balance.

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