CHAPTER TWENTY TWO: ANTIDOTE

Adam's POV

Ding… Ding… Ding…

"I'm coming, I'm coming," I yelled while hurrying down my staircase. Bianca's scent had just evaporated from my nose only moments ago when she'd made her escape by sliding down my roof. I hadn't even gotten to give her a goodbye kiss. Now that I thought about it, I don't think I kissed her at all this morning,

Ding…

"I said I was coming!" I couldn't help but sound annoyed. Why, Fiona? Why must you interrupt my fun time with Bianca? Wait, no.. No, I shouldn't be thinking stuff like that. Bianca's just playing a game with me. Fiona loves me…

I approached my front door and snuck a quick look at my visitor through the peep hole. Fiona was standing on my porch biting the corner of her mouth anxiously. My face instantly brightened at the sight of her before I busied myself with unlocking my door for her. Her head snapped around when she heard the door open. Her face looked equally as bright as mine when she saw me standing there in a simple Zoo York t-shirt and gray skinny jeans that hung off my hips a bit.

"I missed you," she complained before closing the distance between us and wrapping her arms tightly around my neck. I smiled and hugged her around her waist with my nose inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. "I missed you too."

After a long moment of us embracing each other, she eventually retracted herself from me and just stood there with her hands resting on my shoulders. I'd never been very tall, but Fiona hadn't ever been really tall either. She still had to look up at me to meet my eyes. A smile showed on her face before she leaned closer and placed a sweet kiss on my lips.

It didn't last long but it lingered for a short moment between us. I looked around the porch, noticing that she wasn't pulling along any large duffel bags or pink suitcases. "I'm guessing you already dropped your things off at Clare's?" I asked.

She nodded and answered, "Yeah, she was pretty shocked to see me without a warning first. But she'd kept her guest bedroom just as it was when I left in early January. She welcomed me like a sister."

Yeah, sisters. Holly J's a really great sister, huh? A really great nosy sister. A little figure of me with a pitchfork scowled on my right shoulder. I forced the scowling little devil me to go away before its attitude started having lingering effects on me. Fiona was finally back. I needed to do my job as a good boyfriend and welcome her with a happy smile. I was kind of already failing in the good boyfriend department right now though since I was cheating on her with Bianca and all.

"Well," Fiona asked after I'd been quiet for too long, "are you going to invite me inside, or are you gonna make a pretty girl stand outside?"

I pulled my hands back away from her waist and outstretched my left arm in a mannerly like fashion. "After you, milady." Fiona pulled off a fancy curtsey before walking past me into my empty house. I closed the door behind her and made sure to lock it so that we didn't get any unexpected visitors…like Holly J. I knew that my upperclassman was probably minding her own business with classy Declan in Connecticut. But I couldn't help but be a bit too careful. I had half a mind to board all the windows too.

"What's with the undercover agent look? You look like you've seen a ghost?" Fiona turned around so that her back was facing my living room and kitchen area. I slowly walked towards her over the hardwood floor. I put on a stony façade and said, "But I am an undercover agent. As a matter of fact, my real name's not even Adam Torres."

"Oh yeah? Then what is your real name?" she asked with her hands intertwined with mine now. I leaned dangerously close to her. I was close enough to smell the cinnamon scent melting off of her piece of gum. My eyes narrowed slowly. "That information is strictly classified, Ms.. Coyne."

She giggled and slapped my arm teasingly before spinning around on her high heels and making her way to my living room area. She sank down into the leather sofa where I'd made out with Bianca just a couple days ago. The thought of her sitting there made me sick. I felt like I was watching somebody stomp across a field of grass where hundreds of my relatives were buried. I was pretty sure that my face was getting that sickly look to it again.

Fiona noticed the look on my face as well. Her eyebrows crunched together, but she didn't stand up from her place on my sofa. Her body did look a bit more tense from her concern for my wellbeing though. "Are you sure you're okay, Adam? You look a little sick." Her blue eyes wandered over my still body.

"I am feeling a little queasy now that you mention it. I'm sure I just caught a virus at school on Friday. I'm gonna go see if I can find something in the medicine cabinet. I'll be right back." She nodded at me and gave her attention back to the flat screen TV.

I kept my deep frown across my face and hurried to my left into the bathroom across the hall from my mom's bedroom. I locked the door as soon as I closed it and looked at my face in the mirror. Fiona was right, I did look paler than usual. I closed my eyes and tightened the muscles in my jaw.. What had I gotten myself into? I couldn't keep playing this game with these girls.

The sound of knocking unfocused my look on my thoughts. I heard Fiona's worried voice on the other side of the door. "Adam, are you okay? Do you need me to get you anything?"

I closed my eyes and said, "No, I'm fine. I'm just gonna take some medicine and go to sleep."

It was quiet for a long moment. The only thing I could hear was my own heartbeat thumping loudly in my chest and the distant sound of voices coming from the TV Fiona had turned on when I'd left the room. Eventually she spoke up. "Okay, well how about I get you a glass of water and get your bed ready?"

I took a breath. "That would be good. Thank you, Fiona."

She murmured a sweet Anytime and walked away from the bathroom door to get my glass of water and do whatever else she planned on doing for me tonight. I hummed lowly under my breath and rested both hands on the bathroom sink while looking myself over in the mirror.

"What are you doing, Adam?" I asked softly before opening the medicine cabinet and trying to find something that would help the sick feeling in my stomach go away. I could probably just take an Asprin, go to sleep, and feel a lot better in the morning.

I felt something buzz against my leg and unhurriedly pulled out my phone to answer it without even checking to see who was calling me right now. I grumbled and answered the phone, thinking my mom was going to be calling to remind me about the dishes in the dishwasher.

"Hello?" I mumbled while still fumbling around in the medicine cabinet. Bianca's voice greeted me on the other end.

"Whoa, you sound dead."

"I know. I think I caught a virus. I'm trying to find medicine right now."

"Oh. Well I'd like to officially invite you to my end of the year party next Friday."

"It's March."

"I know. Look, just come to the abandoned church next Friday at seven. It'll be fun, trust me."

I stifled a growl. "Alright, I'll come to your silly party. I have to go now. Goodbye, Bianca."

"Bye," was all she said before hanging up.

A/N: I'm afraid we're closing in on the end of this story. Only one more chapter and Bianca's plan will be spilled like grape juice on a linoleum-floored hospital.
That sounded weird…
Well thank you guys for sticking with it for this long. Your reviews have been appreciated greatly. Put your guesses as to who Adam ends up with in your reviews. I'd like to know who you guys are rooting for