Okay everyone. This is the make or break point of the story. The true dark moment of Adam's life. I wouldn't be surprised if people drop it at this point, given what lurks in this chapter. I don't normally like spoiling anything, but this is one of those times I don't want anyone going in blind either.
CONTENT WARNING: We're dealing with some pretty awful stuff this chapter. As in non-consensual sexual assault of a minor. Nothing overly explicit, but it's very clear what's going on as we fade to black, basically. I have no intention of writing any specific smut or stuff like that, but it'll be very heavily implied. So if you want to skip over that part, the first half or so is safe. Just stop reading once you get to the first section break/scene change and you'll be okay. I'll put a sanitized summary in the end notes if you want to keep up on the plot without going through that section.
Alright, I think I've made it clear and probably chased off a few people, but I take this stuff seriously. If you can't tell, I do not in any way condone the actions that will be portrayed. In fact, I vehemently oppose such behavior. With that in mind, let's begin.
Adam still wasn't sure what there was between him and Nila, but as his injuries healed and everything else returned to normal, Nila's attention didn't go away. Before, he could write it off as her feeling guilty about him getting hurt. He'd gone to face Pika because of her, after all. Part of him wanted to pretend she was just using him for protection now - sticking to his side to ward away another attack from Pika.
That part of him was rapidly losing credibility.
Nila didn't hide behind him. If anything, she still seemed ready to challenge anyone and everyone who came too close. He could see her ball her fists in anger anytime Pika and he crossed paths. Usually, that involved a shoulder crashing into him and some insult, but that was it. Pika didn't dare try anything more. Instead, he and Erik were left to practically hold Nila back anytime Pika turned away. While Adam didn't want her anywhere near the bully, he couldn't help but enjoy her little outbursts.
And respect her for it.
In fact, he'd discovered a newfound respect for both of his friends. If Pika had hoped his thrashing would cow them into submission, his plan had backfired. Beyond Nila's increased hatred, Erik seemed determined to become stronger. Adam often spotted him running in the evenings or heading to the weight room whenever they knew Pika was busy. Adam came along whenever Erik asked, and he enjoyed helping his friend pursue a worthwhile goal of being able to defend himself.
Even better, they'd run into some of Pika's gang once or twice. The first time, Roan had quickly left the room, refusing to turn his back on the pair as he did so. After that, they rarely encountered one of the group alone. Clancy would usually do his best to ignore them, but Adam didn't miss the quick glances from time to time. Andúril was less subtle, always keeping an eye on him anytime they were around. They'd even left a few times when Erik and Adam arrived. In fact, if Pika wasn't with them, the group mostly avoided Adam.
He knew he shouldn't, but Adam couldn't help but delight in their concern. Their fear. He'd tried Father Bernard's way. Despite warnings from Erik and Nila, he'd tried to see the best in the boys. Even thought they were friends at one point.
And then they'd stabbed him in the back.
When kindness failed, he'd tried ignoring them, but Pika wasn't someone you just ignored. So when that inevitably failed, he'd gone with submission, all to keep his friends safe. As it turned out, no amount of boot licking actually kept his friends safe. His obedience had been rewarded with treachery. With no option left, he'd tried a new strategy. One that seemed to already be working.
Maybe it wasn't right. No…Adam knew it wasn't. But it was effective. And at the end of the day, wasn't it better to protect those you cared about than to claim the moral high ground? Taking the high road didn't feel so great when you left your friends in the ditch. Sometimes, you had to slog it out in the trenches first.
If it kept them safe, then it'd be worth it.
Of course, safe wasn't enough for Adam. He wanted them to be happy, too. And right now, he had a burning question about Nila's happiness that needed to be answered. The "wait and see" method had been great in theory, but his curiosity was already getting the better of him.
"Looks like they're taking the night off," Erik said, nodding to Pika and his friends in the distance. The boys were rough housing, much to the amusement of a few girls their age.
With classes over for the week and nothing else to do at the moment, the faunus trio were enjoying the warm sunlight as they laid on a small hill near the edge of the property. The gentle slope had quickly become one of their favorite spots to hang out. Close enough to the main building that they wouldn't miss being called in, but far enough away to enjoy a little privacy.
"Maybe one of them'll get hurt," Nila idly wished, stretching her arms out with a contented sigh.
Erik ignored her comment, shaking his head at her typical antagonism, even if he couldn't say he disagreed with the dream. "Weight room should be free. Either of you wanna join me?"
Nila shook her head lazily, not even bothering to open her eyes. Despite Erik's many attempts to get her to join them, she never accepted. Sure, she'd come run with them from time to time. As it turned out, Nila was actually pretty fast, though she did better in sprints than long-distance running. But she didn't seem all that interested in any type of strength training.
Normally, Adam would've taken Erik up on his offer, but the opportunity to talk to Nila alone felt more important right now. "I'm good. Maybe next time."
Erik paused, tilting his head in a silent question before realization dawned. The mix of emotions on his face worried Adam, but Erik recovered quickly. "Alright. I'll catch up to you guys later, then." Erik hesitated for only a second before jogging away, though Adam didn't miss how he glanced back once or twice.
Well, here goes nothin'.
"So…" Adam trailed off, unsure how to broach the sensitive subject. Nila cracked an eye open as the silence dragged on. "How've you been?"
"Pretty good."
The short answer did little to help the conversation get started, leaving Adam to flounder as he desperately tried to get his words in order. "Anything exciting happen recently?"
"Not much," Nila shrugged, sitting up and giving Adam her full attention. "What about you?"
"Nothing, really." For a super important conversation, they sure were off to a boring start. "Work's been really busy lately."
"I'm sure you can handle it," Nila assured him, then hurried to add, "You and Erik, I mean."
Adam could already feel his face heating up at the simple compliment. "Erik's been a lot of help. He's gotten a lot better since we started."
"That's good. Are you still meeting with Miss Alyssa for tutoring?" Nila asked, even if they both knew the answer.
"Yep. Got another lesson tonight." Alyssa had asked if they could do their lesson later this week, saying she wouldn't be available at their normal time. He'd offered to cancel for this week, but she'd insisted it would be fine. "During dinner. She said I could eat while we go over my homework."
"So you'll be missing dinner on Fridays?"
"Just this week," Adam promised. He noticed her relief immediately. "Should be back to normal next week."
"Good." Adam could hardly stop the nervous laugh at her interest. She wants me at dinner. Maybe she just liked eating with her friends, but Adam had the feeling she was more interested in him specifically. "What time will you finish your lesson?"
"I dunno. Probably take at least an hour, though." Their lessons varied in time from week to week. Sometimes, it was a quick review. Other weeks, they'd pour over recent homework and quizzes, then do countless practice exercises. Considering they'd just had a test in math, he had a feeling they'd run a little long tonight, even if he felt decently confident this time around. "Why?"
"Well…I was just thinking we could…you know. After your lesson, we could…hang out?" Nila's voice sounded hopeful. There had been no mention of Erik in her question. Adam nearly asked before realizing that maybe she didn't mean as a group.
Maybe she meant just the two of them.
Adam gulped involuntarily as his throat suddenly felt dry. "Y-yeah. That'd be great!" The excited smile on Nila's face had his stomach doing flips. "M-maybe I could…come by your room after? To let you know when I'm free," he rushed to add.
"That sounds good," Nila agreed. "Maybe we could go for a walk or something."
A walk sounded nice. Just the two of them. Alone. After sunset. Away from the main building. Adam licked his lips, grateful Nila didn't notice as she looked away.
"Nila?"
"Yes?" Nila turned back to Adam, her brown eyes staring directly into his. Adam felt he could stay like that for hours, but he had a question that needed answered. One he was almost certain what the answer would be, but still made him nervous just thinking about.
"Do you…" Adam gulped as the words caught in his throat. "Do you…like me?"
The question surprised Nila, judging by how her breath hitched. She rubbed her arm nervously as she stared at the ground. Her voice trembled as she answered, "Of course I like you."
Adam's heart raced, threatening to burst from his chest at those simple words. She likes me! But what did that mean? As a friend? Or as…more?
"But do you like me, like me?"
The words sounded foolish even as he said them, but his intent was clear as day. The silence that stretched between them weighed him down, but he had to know. The longer he'd thought about it, the more obsessed he'd become. Were they just good friends, or did she want more? And what would it mean if she said yes? Did he feel the same about her? Would they start dating? What would that even look like?
So many questions swirled through his head, fighting for his attention, but they all went silent as Nila finally spoke up.
"I…I…" Nila's ears drooped as she fought for an answer. "Do you like me?"
No fair! I asked first! Adam held back the complaint as Nila turned the question around on him. Did he like her? She was one of his closest friends. One of his only friends. More than that, she was one of the only people that even cared about him at all. He'd promised himself that he'd protect her. Gone into a blind rage when someone hurt her. Obviously he had some sort of feelings for her to do something like that.
But this was more than just some feelings. She wanted to know if he liked her as more than a friend. If he wanted something bigger. Something deeper. So the question was, did he?
A few weeks ago, he would've said no, but the more he had thought about the potential for more, the more he'd begun to realize he might want more. Nila was really pretty. She was really smart and brave enough to even challenge Pika. She was really easy to talk to. They shared a lot of the same interests. And they always had fun together.
So what more was there?
The memory of her kiss came flooding in without warning. His cheek felt like it was on fire from something so simple. His breathing sped up as he imagined what it would feel like to really kiss. Without meaning to, his eyes drifted down to her lips, only to shoot back up a moment later when she glanced at him.
So, did he like her?
"Yeah." The answer slipped out before he realized it, hanging in the air and silencing everything around them. Or, at least, it felt like all of Remnant went quiet at that moment. The single word carried so much weight, but Adam didn't feel it did the moment justice. "I do like you, Nila. A lot."
Nila's giddy smile and bright red cheeks sent a thrill down Adam's spine, but not nearly as much as the words that followed. "I…I like you too, Adam." With a soft chuckle, she added, "As in, like you, like you."
Nila shyly reached out and placed a hand atop his own. The soft touch - so timid and hesitant - didn't fit her at all, yet felt all the more special as a result. They sat like that for a few minutes, neither sure what else to do but unwilling to give up what they'd just gained.
Eventually, Adam had to ask, "So what does this mean?"
Nila giggled. "I guess this means we're boyfriend and girlfriend now."
And what did that mean? Would they go around hand in hand all the time? Was he allowed to hug her? Would they kiss? Should they kiss now? He sorta hoped so, but was too terrified to try anything that bold. Instead, he swallowed his pride and forced himself to ask, "So what happens now?"
Far from being offended, Nila just laughed and answered, "I dunno. I'm kind of new to this, too." He knew that, and yet hearing that he was her first boyfriend felt thrilling. "I guess we'll just figure it out as we go. Maybe we can talk about it tonight."
"Can't wait." If Adam had been excited about their walk before, he couldn't wait now. He wasn't sure what they'd decide, but the very possibility of what they might get up to had him practically bouncing. He wasn't sure how Erik would take the sudden development, but right now, Erik was the least of his concerns. All that mattered was the pretty face smiling back at him.
He, Adam Taurus, had a girlfriend. The thrill he felt at that simple notion told him more than anything that he'd made the right decision. He wanted to shout it from the roof of the orphanage. But that would mean breaking this magical moment. He didn't dare move, suddenly afraid to lose her hand on his. Such a simple gesture as their hands touching electrified him. He couldn't believe he'd even considered waiting to talk to Nila for so long.
Sadly, even a moment as perfect as this couldn't last forever. The giggling of a few girls nearby had Nila's hand jerking away. She frantically looked around, only to find a trio of younger girls playing nearby and ignoring them entirely. Reality cruelly came crashing back on them, reminding them both just how unalone they were.
Nila shot to her feet, head ducked in embarrassment. "W-well, I'd better get going, Adam," she managed, stumbling over her words as she turned to go. At the last second, Nila shot over, wrapping her arms around him as he stood up. The hug ended before he could think, which was probably for the best. He wasn't sure he'd have let her go otherwise. "I'll…I'll see you tonight."
And with that, Nila ran off, disappearing inside without once looking back and leaving Adam alone. Only he didn't really feel alone. All he could feel was the warmth of her hand on his. The soft pressure of her embrace. And the scorching heat of the memory of her lips on his cheek.
"I have a girlfriend," Adam quietly confirmed to himself. A girl liked him. Actually liked him. And not just any girl. "Nila." Her name had never sounded so sweet. He longed to chase her down, if only because he already missed her, but that wouldn't be fair. Besides, they'd meet up again in only a few hours. That seemed so far away right now, and yet so close.
With nothing better to do and practically vibrating with energy, Adam's feet carried him to the familiar path nearby. It didn't escape him that he'd be here soon with her. Rather than practice the leisurely pace he'd be enjoying later, Adam took off at a jog, eager to burn some of his sudden energy. His feet picked up the pace, struggling to catch up with his racing mind as thoughts of what the future might hold took over.
Would they date the rest of the time they were in the orphanage? And what about afterwards? If he got a place for them when he aged out, could she come live with him a year early?The questions carried him faster and faster around the track, but he didn't mind. He felt he could run all night and never get tired.
Or he thought he could until several laps in, at which point his legs gave up on catching his wandering thoughts and began to threaten a revolt if he didn't give them a break. He barely noticed the world around him as he finally headed inside and took a quick shower to freshen up. With an hour until his lesson, Adam sprawled out on his bed, dreaming of what the night might hold for them.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
"Someone's in a good mood," Alyssa commented as Adam hurried in for his lesson, hurriedly pulling out his notebook and claiming his usual seat. The sooner they started, the sooner he could go meet Nila. Adam knew the lesson was important - his math skills were improving, but he'd struggled with some recent chapters - but right now, he was far more focused on what came after.
"Is it that obvious?"
"Never seen you so excited about math before." Alyssa laughed as she rifled through some papers. "Either you've suddenly fallen in love with the subject, or something else happened today. So spill the beans. What's up?"
Adam hesitated, wondering if he should tell her. He wanted to tell someone. Nila obviously knew. Erik would be a bit awkward. That pretty much only left Alyssa, but telling your teacher about your dating life sounded a little weird.
"Just a good day," Adam hedged, hoping to avoid the subject.
"No details? C'mon, Adam. Give me something." Alyssa finally found what she was looking for and tossed the rest of the folder on the desk. Adam recognized his test as she flipped through it. The brief glimpses of red marks on multiple pages did little for his confidence. "It's either that or your math test."
Alyssa's smile told him she was betting on him wanting to avoid the lesson, but she didn't know about his date tonight. "Let's see the damage."
"Really?" Alyssa looked shocked at the choice. "So that's how it's gonna be, huh?" Adam stayed silent, knowing they'd be looking over the test sooner or later. Might as well get it over with. "In that case, should I just assume it had something to do with you and Nila earlier today?"
Adam nearly fell out of his chair as her shot in the dark hit the bullseye. How could she know? They'd been off on their own. He hadn't told anyone, and he doubted Nila had gone around announcing it. Yet Alyssa seemed so confident in her answer that he had to assume it wasn't just a guess.
"That's what I thought." Alyssa set the test down in front of him, then pointed at the window. "Saw you two getting cozy while I was grading your tests. You wanna fill me in, or should I start drawing my own conclusions?"
"No!" Adam blurted out. To be honest, she could probably guess easily enough. Not like he could claim anything less than the truth at this point. All he could manage would be making sure she didn't assume more. "I mean, we just talked a bit…about us."
"Now we're talking. So, what brought this about?" Alyssa sat on the desk to listen to his tale.
Adam spilled everything. He told her about how he'd attacked Pika for hurting Nila. How Nila had latched on to him ever since. Even about Papi and Erik teasing him the other day. By the time he finally got to their conversation, Alyssa was leaning forward, fully entranced by his story.
"I asked her if she liked me," Adam finally admitted. "She asked me back, and I said yes." Alyssa looked inordinately pleased at the reveal. "Then she said she liked me too. And now we're dating, I guess."
They'd figure out later what that actually meant. For now, though, the announcement seemed more than enough for Alyssa. "That's great!" Alyssa knelt beside his chair, patting his knee before adding, "You make sure to treat her right, Adam. A girl deserves to be spoiled from time to time."
Adam didn't exactly know how to do that. He wasn't exactly swimming in lien, so showering her with gifts was out. Their options for dating were pretty limited, too. The orphanage didn't exactly host couples' nights for the children. He figured they'd just hang out and talk more. Maybe Nila would have some good ideas. Or they could come up with some tonight.
"So, you two kissed yet?"
Adam froze at the question. He wanted to deny it, but Alyssa's eyes had already widened at his lack of response. Worse, his hand betrayed him by shooting to his cheek.
"That certainly didn't take long," Alyssa chuckled, easily divining the truth despite his lack of answer. "Now I see why you were so excited."
"It was after my fight," Adam hastened to add, his face flushing in an instant. "When she found out, she kissed my cheek. That's it!" He didn't need rumors of him making out with Nila spreading around, even if he doubted Alyssa would go gossiping with the other children about him.
Then again, if that's the kind of stuff Nila wanted to do…
"Well I think it's adorable the two of you are together. And that Nila's a lucky girl." Alyssa stood once more, tapping the test in front of Adam. "I'll go grab us some food while you look over your test. We can go over it once I get back."
As Alyssa slipped out, Adam stared at the test before him with disappointment. The grade at the top was much lower than he'd hoped for, even if it wasn't the worst he'd ever gotten. Stupid graphing. Why he needed to know how to draw a specific line on an imaginary grid, he didn't know. The first one was fine, but as he had to convert the formulas into proper form and shift the line around with different slopes, his grade had gone downhill faster than some of the incorrect lines he'd drawn. If it wasn't for Alyssa's merciful partial credit, his grade could've been much worse.
While he waited for Alyssa's return, Adam took out some paper and began reworking a few of the problems. The first two turned out to be stupid mistakes on his part. A switched sign here. An improper fraction there. He felt a little better seeing it wasn't just complete confusion. Little mistakes were easier to correct than big ones. The third missed problem, though, proved his undoing. He had gotten no partial credit, and reworking it only served to get him the same answer. He doubted the error was on Alyssa's end, so he'd clearly done something wrong.
Thankfully, Alyssa came back in time to rescue him.
"Grabbed us some food!" she announced, carrying two small, white boxes with her. As she set them down on the desk, Adam could already smell the sweet, tangy aroma of barbecue sauce. His mouth watered a little, but he wanted to deal with the question first.
"I'm a little stuck on this one," Adam admitted.
"Did you try reworking it?" Adam showed Alyssa his paper and the failed effort. Alyssa leaned over the side of his chair to inspect the work, balancing herself with a hand on the back of his chair as she scanned his work with her finger. "Ah! Here's the problem."
Adam followed her finger to the second line of his work, but nothing looked wrong. He'd moved the constants over to one side and multiplied to clear the fraction, leaving the y variable by itself, just like she'd taught them. He'd then drawn the graph exactly according to the formula, but he'd been marked wrong. Everything looked fine to him.
Alyssa disagreed. "You're trying to do too many steps at once, Adam. Move everything first, then multiply."
"But I did," he protested.
"You did everything at once, so you forgot to adjust the constant from the y side." Adam looked again and realized she was right after a few seconds of thinking. "Then, when you multiplied the y by the inverse fraction, you forgot to adjust the denominator of the x value, so your slope was way off."
Crap. Once again, it was the little things that tripped him up. A missed term here. A wrong value there. On more complex problems like this one, those mistakes added up and really threw off the result.
"Math isn't a race, Adam." Alyssa rubbed his shoulder reassuringly before stepping back. "If you would slow down and take it one step at a time, you'd be fine. The best things in life take time and patience." Adam's stomach growled as the aroma of the waiting meal continued to seep out from the two containers. "Finish working that one and we can take a break for dinner."
Adam tried it once again, making sure to only do one operation per line this time. It took a lot longer, but the answer proved drastically different from before. His sketch received a hum of satisfaction as Alyssa watched from behind, leaning past to check his markings before joyfully announcing he'd gotten it right this time.
"See? It's that easy!"
Easy? Maybe for her. He hated these multiple step problems, though at least they weren't those awful word problems from a few chapters back. He loved reading, but not when it was just a poorly veiled math question. And why are people always buying so much of everything? Aside from the ludicrous amount of lien some of these questions involved, he'd love to see what kind of party required someone to purchase two dozen watermelons for. Or how they carried them out of the store.
"Alright, let's eat." Alyssa popped her box open and handed him a plastic fork and knife. "Oh, I almost forgot." She hurried over to a small fridge in the corner, returning with two purple cans. "Figured we could splurge a little, so I grabbed a few sodas for us. Hope you like grape!"
It wasn't his favorite flavor, but he accepted without complaint. They didn't serve soda in the cafeteria, so he usually wound up with water at dinner. The sweet, fizzy drink was a welcome change. His food was still nice and warm despite sitting for a couple minutes and he dug in ravenously. Soon, his box sat empty, but his stomach was full.
Alyssa proved a little slower, still finishing the last few bites as she instructed him to work the next problem. He'd forgotten to switch the sign on the x value at the end, giving him a flipped image of the right answer. The last one was far more complex and he was stuck relying on her help after his rework got a different, but still incorrect, answer. With some coaching, he finally worked it out and set the pencil down.
"Good work, Adam. We'll do a few practice problems, and then I think we'll finish up." Music to Adam's ears. He glanced at the clock. It had already taken longer than planned, but he'd warned Nila he might run late this time. Hopefully, she'd understand. "Can you hand me your test?" Adam snatched the stapled papers and turned to hand it to her…
Only to accidentally smack her hand…
The one holding her can of soda.
"Gah!" Alyssa stood stunned as the remnants of her drink splashed over her shirt, leaving a dark purple splotch down the front. Adam began to apologize, but Alyssa raised a hand to stop him. "It's not a big deal, Adam." She dabbed at the stain with a napkin, but they both knew that wouldn't do much. "Just…work on this while I go clean up."
Alyssa hurriedly snatched a worksheet from her binder, careful not to get any spilled soda on it as she handed it over. Adam could see a handful of graphing problems on it, but his focus was on the teacher he'd just drenched. "Are you sure?"
"I'll only be a few minutes," Alyssa assured him. "It's just a little soda. It happens."
Alyssa rummaged through her dresser, then retreated to the bathroom. Adam hurried to wipe up the tiny droplets that had reached the floor as he heard the shower start, then went back to the worksheet. As usual, the first two were easy, but as he continued through the questions and even onto the back, the difficulty ramped up. Soon, Adam was wrapped up in a complex formula with decimals, mixed variables, and other shenanigans that made his brain scream in frustration.
One step at a time, he reminded himself, erasing his last line of work as he spotted an obvious error. It took longer and a lot more space, but he felt confident he hadn't missed one yet. He wasn't about to let this one break that streak.
"How's it going?" Alyssa called from the bathroom.
"Almost done!" he replied. All he had to do was finish this one and one more. Then she'd check his work, congratulate him on mastering linear graphing, and send him on his way to find Nila for the evening. "These last ones are tough."
The door to the bathroom opened, but Adam kept working, knowing Alyssa would come check his work in a moment. "If you can do the hardest ones, the quizzes and tests will be a cakewalk."
Something he'd realized early on was that the homework was often harder than the quizzes, which were sometimes harder than the tests. Erik had explained it as a trick to make them over prepare. If they struggled on the homework, they'd study more and end up breezing through the quizzes. If they could ace the quizzes, the tests would be no problem.
Adam managed to struggle on all of them, though.
"I hate when they use decimals," Adam growled. Fractions could be tough, but they were a lot simpler to work with in the long run. If he could just get them all to simpler numbers, he'd be set. "Should I clear out the-"
Adam froze mid-question as he turned, catching sight of Alyssa.
"Sorry," she said, tying the belt on her robe as she tried to towel her hair dry. She tossed the shirt from earlier in the corner. "I'm so far behind on laundry, it's not even funny. What were you saying?"
"I…I was…" Adam shook himself out of his confusion, fixing his eyes on the paper while trying to ignore the image of the brief flash of a nightie he'd seen. "I-I'm just gonna clear these decimals first."
"Good idea," Alyssa said, her soft footsteps heralding her approach. "If you simplify things early, the rest of the steps will be easier."
Adam's hand shook a little as he tried to rush the last problem. He could sense her hovering nearby, watching him work. Calm down, he instructed himself. She's wearing a robe. You've seen people in robes before. There's nothing wrong with robes.
He'd seen his father in a robe. Never a pretty woman with damp hair coming out of a steaming bathroom. With all his focus on his new relationship with Nila, his already raging hormones weren't really helping at the moment. Just finish the problem and then we can go.
A certain part of him questioned whether he should be in such a hurry.
Adam nearly jumped as a hand came to rest on his shoulder. "Careful you don't rush that one. Lots of places you could get tripped up." Alyssa's hand squeezed his shoulder gently. "You're so tense. You need to relax a bit, Adam."
She gripped both of his shoulders, running her thumbs forcefully against the muscles to loosen them up. It felt nice, but the whole situation only made him tighten up more. Adam shot out of the chair in a flash, grabbing the worksheet as he whirled around and stepped to the side.
"This one's really tricky. I…I think I need more time to work on it. In my room." He backed away toward the door.
"Why not work on it here? I've got plenty of time," Alyssa promised, robbing him of the easy out. "Besides, we can work through it together."
"I wouldn't want to be a bother," he tried, continuing his retreat.
Alyssa watched him back away with a questioning look. "Is everything okay? Is it the outfit?" She waved a hand over her robe, which only drew his attention back to it and made him gulp. "I can change if you want."
He nearly tripped as his mind unhelpfully ran with the idea…in the wrong direction. "N-no. It's fine. I just…I promised to meet Nila after. And it's getting pretty late."
"Ah, I'm keeping you from your date," Alyssa summarized. "Is that it?"
No. "Yes!" Given the real reason, he'd run with the excuse. "I'm already a little late. She'll be wondering where I am if I don't hurry."
"Adam." He froze as her voice took on a more serious tone. "You're not going anywhere."
Adam wanted nothing more than to run out of the room, but the sudden shift in demeanor rooted him to the ground as she reached into a drawer of the desk and pulled out a very familiar object.
"My knife! Where'd you find it?"
"Find it?" Alyssa's laugh sounded harsher than usual as she held the blade up. "I didn't find it. I took it."
"But why?"
"Because I'm bored!" Alyssa announced, as if that somehow explained everything. "Because this place sucks! I hate it here! But if I'm gonna be trapped here, I figure I might as well have a little fun. And I chose you. That's why I took your picture. The one you had me track down afterwards. The knife was just a welcome bonus."
"But Pika-"
"Pika never touched your belongings," Alyssa cut in, pushing the drawer closed with her foot.
"But you said he had it!"
"Exactly. I said he had it." Alyssa stalked forward as she spoke. "And you were so eager to see him punished, you never even questioned it."
Adam stumbled backwards against the closed door, hand desperately fumbling around until he found the doorknob. "I think I should go."
"You don't wanna do that," Alyssa promised, her sweet voice making him shiver. "After all, if you leave, I'll just have to tell Mother how you attacked me."
"I didn't-"
Adam winced as Alyssa quickly sliced her hand. She barely flinched, watching the small bit of blood that began to lazily seep out of the shallow cut. Suddenly, Alyssa looked frightened, choking on her words as she held her injured hand out toward him. "Adam, no! Ow! My hand!" In an instant, she straightened up, a devious grin taking over. "You run, and I'll say you came after me. That you tried to force me into bed and hurt me when I refused."
"You can't-"
"I can, Adam." Alyssa closed the gap in an instant, slamming her other hand against the door, right beside his head. "I can and I will." She cupped his cheek with her injured hand, uncaring for the blood that smeared against it. "No one's going to believe you over me. They'll drag you away in a heartbeat. Probably beat you for it before throwing you in prison." Alyssa leaned in closer, her lips brushing against his ear as she whispered, "I own you, Adam. So be a good boy and come to bed."
Alyssa pulled away slowly, her nose tracing across his cheek before she finally pulled away and stepped back. His hand clutched the doorknob desperately as he weighed his odds of getting away. Even if she didn't stop him, how could he hope to escape afterwards? He could run to Madam de Thom, but would she really believe him over her own daughter? The only people who would believe him were Erik and Nila, but even they wouldn't carry much weight against one of the only adults in the orphanage.
Alyssa's smile widened as she watched him hesitate. "Don't worry, Adam. It'll be our little secret." As she hummed those words, Alyssa carefully undid her belt, letting the robe fall to the floor. The sheer fabric of her short nightgown left very little to the imagination. Especially given the lack of anything underneath. "And I'll even let you have a little fun, too. Trust me. This'll be a night you'll never forget."
Alyssa waited eagerly, her sharp eyes roving over him as he desperately pleaded for his hand to open the door. He knew nothing good waited for him beyond that door. Maybe if he hurried, he could find his friends and get out. Erik might be back in the room. He'd run there, explain the situation to him, then go find Nila. The three of them could run away, escaping into the night before Nila could have him punished. Hopefully, Eve could carry all three of them away from here. What they'd do after that, he wasn't sure, but staying at the orphanage wasn't an option anymore.
Alyssa's smile vanished as he tried to form an escape plan. She clearly didn't feel like waiting. "Or you can run. I guarantee you'll be caught in no time, though. And don't think it'll end there. I can be a very generous friend." And just like that, the pleasant smile was replaced by a much more terrifying one. "But I don't take kindly to betrayal. Erik isn't much to look at, but maybe he'll provide some entertainment once you're gone. And Nila…" Adam's eyes widened as Alyssa delivered her threats. "I can make her life a living hell. And speaking of Nila…"
Alyssa pushed him back against the door, pinning his arm before he could think of trying his luck. His arm ached from the impact, even as her nails dug in painfully. "Nila may have given you a little peck on the cheek, but let me show you what a real kiss feels like."
Adam barely had a moment to process what she'd said before she slammed into him. He tried to cry out as his arm twisted awkwardly, but his complaint was smothered by her tongue. She flattened him against the door with her entire body, pressing into him until he wondered how he hadn't broken through the door entirely.
Alyssa finally pulled away, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood at the end. Adam gasped for air, his lips bruised by her opening assault. She hovered mere inches from his face, whispering to him. "There. Your first real kiss."
Where Nila's kiss had been a gentle warmth, Alyssa's proved a burning fire that threatened to engulf him.
He hated it.
Alyssa sauntered away, content that she'd captured his attention. She leaned back against her pillows, knowing exactly how it would look. Adam couldn't help looking exactly where he knew he shouldn't. Judging by her laugh, Alyssa enjoyed watching him squirm as he forced himself to look away.
"Decision time, Adam." Alyssa stretched a little further with a contented sigh. "You can give yourself to me," Alyssa's brow furrowed, "or I can ruin your entire life."
Adam hated the moment he stepped forward, releasing the door entirely. Alyssa recognized it for the surrender that it was and sat up, beckoning him closer. Adam kept his eyes on the floor as he slowly marched forward. Each step felt heavier than the last until he finally reached the bed.
And Alyssa.
"Good choice, Adam," Alyssa said, draping her arms across his shoulders. Adam forced himself not to pull away. "Just obey, and this'll all go a lot easier." He desperately tried to imagine he was anywhere else as Alyssa pulled him closer and pushed him to his knees.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Nila tapped her foot nervously, watching the minutes tick by as she sat on her bed. Every footstep in the hall got her hopes up, but Adam didn't show. She knew his lesson would run long, but surely he'd be done by now.
Did he forget about me? They'd only parted a few hours ago, and he seemed really interested. Almost as interested as she felt. Her knee bounced anxiously as another option drifted into her mind.
Does he…does he regret saying yes? Had Adam changed his mind and decided to abandon her? Did she get stood up on her first date? Surely not. She felt confident Adam was looking forward to their walk. She knew she was.
So where was he?
Sorry Nila, but he's not coming. Much preferred writing the first half this week. I've been putting off doing this for weeks, finding every excuse to delay and set things up more. Now, the true big bad of the story has been revealed. As you might imagine (and will see next chapter) this is gonna have some pretty serious impact on Adam mentally. He's still not at canon Adam mindset yet, but this is the breaking point that will begin the descent and affect a lot in the future.
If you look back, I've been subtly getting Alyssa in position for this. Obviously, she reveals the hidden part of her thievery in the moment, but I've had her worming her way closer little by little. Simple touches. Overusing his name. Getting him more familiar with her room. Methodically breaking down barriers. There's more there if you keep looking, but every step of the way, she's been basically trying to groom him for this. And all along the way, Pika kept us distracted by thinking he was the primary antagonist, unaware of the true evil lurking nearby.
Just in case anyone's forgotten since the opening notes, I absolutely despise and detest Alyssa's behavior. I unequivocally oppose such treatment of anyone, especially minors. In no uncertain terms, I believe this is one of the greatest evils a person can commit. Hopefully I've made it clear where I stand on this so I don't get any weird accusations of glorifying such behavior.
Lastly, for those that skipped to the bottom, I made sure to end on a very short Nila scene for a little buffer. Just don't scroll up. Here's the short version after the opening with Nila and Adam. Adam goes to his lesson like normal. Everything's fine until Alyssa puts the moves on him and makes it clear she plans to take advantage of him. She has his knife and was also the one to steal his photo way back when, not Pika. She cuts herself on purpose, claiming she'll say he attacked her if he leaves or tells anyone. He'll be arrested and she'll go after Erik and Nila next. Basically, he is threatened/blackmailed into submitting to her advances and the scene ends with her forcing him into stuff.
Now excuse me while I go bleach my brain.
Next chapter: We see the impact this atrocity has on Adam.