Another busy week at work. Got a major project milestone coming up in a couple weeks and a ton of stuff to do before we get there. And as is normally the case when I have no time, I wrote a longer chapter. I swear my chapter lengths are inversely proportional to my available writing time. Spent half the week writing official plans and documents for the work project, too. Just had to be careful I didn't cross the streams, so to speak. That could be awkward.
"Why is there a bunny girl in your test plan? And who's Adam?"
Snatching the paper back. "Must've been a weird glitch. Technology, am I right?"
Thankfully, my work docs are still angst free. Also, we hit 160k words last week. Hooray!
It was amazing how fast a routine could develop. Simple repetition grew into a pattern, eventually becoming a familiar norm. He'd been back for less than a week, and already Adam could go through the day without really thinking.
Which was good, since he rarely had time to think.
His days began to blur together as Madam de Thom made good on her promised punishment. He'd drag himself out of bed in the morning, shovel breakfast down his throat, then get straight to work. His usual morning chores apparently weren't enough, so lunch prep was soon added to the list. He even had to help serve, ensuring he was the last to get his food. Nila and Erik purposefully waited until near the end to eat with him, providing a brief respite before he would be marched off to a second round of work around the orphanage. Lessons should've been a welcome break, if not for who led them.
Dinner marked the true end of his labors, even if he had to repeat the lunch cycle and eat last after his final push for the evening. After that, he could enjoy the waning hours of the day to enjoy his friends' company without the threat of Madam de Thom coming to chase him off to more work. Tired as he was each day, he looked forward to those few hours of freedom each night.
"That sheriff friend of yours came by work today," Erik managed through a mouthful of food.
Adam wouldn't exactly call him a friend, despite the extra points the man got for saving them. "The sheriff?"
"Yeah. Sheriff…" Erik swallowed, then took a second to think. "Taylor, right? Wasn't he the one who found you?"
And dumped me back in here. "Yeah. What did he want?"
"Said he was just checking up on you," Erik answered with a shrug. "Told him you weren't working there anymore."
Thanks for the reminder. As exhausting as work could be at the lumber mill, it sure beat doing chores all day. Plus, he missed getting to leave the orphanage for a few hours. His only chance for that would be in two days.
To say goodbye to Eve.
He wasn't exactly looking forward to that trip. Even if Eve had already been sold, it hadn't fully set in yet that his last connection to home was gone. He'd always thought having people yanked away without warning, like Father Bernard and Mazarin, had been cruel. And it was. But having to say goodbye, knowing you'd never see them again? It sounded nice, but when he was the cause of her going away, he wasn't sure he could do it. She deserved a proper goodbye. Seeing her one last time would be better than never being able to look at himself again.
"Said he might stop by to check in on you," Erik advised.
"Check in on me?" What could he possibly want now? It wasn't like he was going anywhere. That bridge had already been burnt.
"Something about wanting to see how you're recovering. He kept asking me all sorts of questions."
"Like what?" Adam didn't exactly like the idea of the sheriff taking an interest in him. He already had Madam de Thom watching him like a hawk. Alyssa had made it clear, both in word and action, that he had her undivided attention as well. If he so much as thought about the front door, he'd be hauled away to Madam de Thom's office in a heartbeat. Or Alyssa's room for "detention."
He knew which one he'd prefer.
"He started out asking how you were feeling, but then he started asking about stuff before you ran away. What you were like. What kind of stuff you got up to. It was kinda weird."
Weird was an understatement. He'd caught Adam in the act of running away. What more could the man want? He hadn't broken any laws. Well, besides stealing some stuff. But they'd returned everything to the inn afterwards, and it wasn't like he could deny anything. His petty theft should've been an open and shut case.
Unless he was worried Adam might try again. Not that tracking him down would be that hard without a horse. Stealing one would be nearly impossible. The inn knew what he'd done and wouldn't take kindly to him sneaking into the stable. Maybe he could convince a caravan to take him along, but what merchant would take on an extra mouth to feed like that? Plus, the sheriff would be able to catch up to them pretty quick and haul him back to town.
Whatever his reasons, the personal questions had Adam on edge immediately. Erik knew him better than practically anyone else.
Thankfully, he also knew Adam enough not to know how to answer. "I didn't tell him much," Erik assured him, helping him relax a little. "Told him he could just ask you instead."
Adam mouthed a thanks to his friend for his loyalty, reminding himself in the process that there were still people he could trust. Two people, to be precise. "So how was your day, Nila?"
"Busy," Nila groaned. "I've got more chores than I know what to do with." Adam felt he could relate there, especially since he knew he had more than she did. "I've barely had time to sit down today."
"Sorry," Adam muttered.
"It's not your fault," Nila tried, even if Adam wouldn't listen. Your fault. She'd only gotten in trouble because she'd followed his stupid plan. It's all your fault.
"It kinda is."
"No, it's not." Despite how tired she'd been moments ago, her voice didn't waver in the slightest. "I…I chose to come along. I accepted the risk. Whatever happens afterwards is from my choice."
Nila really was an amazing girl. It would've been so easy to blame him for her suffering. After all, he'd been the one to plan the whole thing. He'd assured her they'd be okay. If not for him, she'd would've stayed at the orphanage like Erik and not gotten into any trouble.
Maybe he'd been greedy, asking her to come with him. While she probably wouldn't have appreciated being left behind without any warning, if he'd gone alone, she would've never been in any danger. She'd be as free as Erik right now. More than that, he could've traveled faster and lighter on his own. Maybe he could've made it to the next village without stopping. By now, he'd be long gone.
As much as it hurt to admit, they'd all be better off if he hadn't taken her with him. Telling her the plan - bringing her along - had only been for his own selfish desires. He hadn't wanted to go alone. He wanted someone - no, he wanted Nila - with him on his journey. And for his selfishness, she'd almost paid the ultimate price. Even now, her suffering was from his choice, even if she wanted to claim responsibility.
He should've shouldered the burden alone. Instead, he'd shared it with her, only for the weight to nearly crush her. He'd let her pick her path, and she'd suffered for it. If he'd chosen for her - left without her - she wouldn't have gone through all this. He'd thought he'd protected her, but real protection would've been leaving her behind. It would've hurt him just as much as her to go alone, but in the end, he'd taken the easy way out in letting her pick, even when he knew better.
He wouldn't make that mistake again. He wouldn't endanger her again.
In a show of mercy, Nila shifted the focus back onto him. "What about you? How are your chores?"
"Brutal," Adam summarized. "I practically made dinner tonight. And those bags of potatoes were heavy!" Still, at least the stew itself wasn't too hard to cook. He basically just had to stand there stirring the massive pot after one of the cooks added all the ingredients - ingredients he'd spent the better part of an hour prepping. It sure beat cleaning baseboards or scrubbing dishes.
"My compliments to the chef, then," Erik laughed, raising his empty bowl in a salute.
Adam accepted the praise with a nod, more grateful for the humor than the words themselves. "Just gotta survive one more day of this. Then, I can relax a bit."
"Don't you have chores on the weekend, too?" Nila asked, well aware of the setup from him sharing earlier that week.
"Thanks for the reminder," Adam grumbled jokingly. "I've got some work in the afternoon, but nothing as bad as the rest of the week." Compared to the seemingly endless list of tasks he faced on weekdays, Saturday and Sunday may as well have been a vacation. He'd have most of the day to himself, after all, and he planned to spend every moment of it relaxing with his friends.
He certainly wouldn't be wasting it on homework. If his grades slipped, then so be it. He'd just tell them he didn't have time with all his extra chores.
"But enough talk about chores," Adam practically begged. "What did you guys get up to today?"
Even if there wasn't much to tell, Adam hung on to their every word. Listening to them talk always helped him unwind after a hard day's work. All their focus on simpler things helped to distract him from his own struggles. Struggles he refused to share. He'd keep his burden to himself and let them enjoy life as best they could.
Someone ought to.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
The week of non-stop chores felt like a distant memory as Friday drew to a close. With his "tutoring session" lurking after dinner, he'd been excused from chores a little early, just in time to duck out of the kitchen as the first arrivals for dinner slipped into the cafeteria. Adam had snagged three trays of food on the way out, beating the line entirely. No one bothered to stop him, knowing he would be taking them to his fellow faunus rather than gorging on extra servings.
Adam claimed their usual table and waited patiently for his friends to arrive. Erik and Nila both knew his schedule well and had agreed to come early so they could have more time together. With whatever horrors awaited him in Alyssa's room, he could really use some time with friendly faces right about now.
"Erik!" Adam waved his roommate over, not that he needed to. While there wasn't any assigned seating or anything, everyone pretty much stuck to their usual spots at every meal. Their corner might as well have been the faunus section, seeing as they'd never sat anywhere else.
Erik took his usual seat, thankful to avoid the quickly growing line. "Free at last?"
"From chores." He still had to deal with her tonight, and he doubted she'd feel sorry for him and let him leave unmolested. He'd given up hope when it came to her a long time ago. "Where's Nila?"
"Haven't seen her." Erik glanced around, but neither of them spotted the telltale ears among the growing mass of diners. Nila may not have been very tall, but her ears tended to poke above a lot of heads and made her easier to track down. "Must be runnin' late."
"Weird." Nila was usually pretty punctual, especially when they made plans to meet up. But whatever nagging concerns crept up in Adam's mind failed to take hold. It wasn't like there were Grimm prowling the halls of the orphanage.
The only monster lurking about was waiting for him upstairs.
"Looking forward to the weekend?" Erik asked, equally unconcerned with the lateness of their friend.
"I guess." He wasn't really thrilled about this one in particular. While part of him couldn't wait to see Eve and make sure she was okay, another part kept reminding him of the finality of tomorrow's meeting. "It'll be nice to have a break."
"Have you looked over the homework from today yet?" Adam shook his head, unsure of exactly when Erik thought he had time to do anything other than chores. "First few aren't bad, but those word problems at the end were a pain. Maybe we can work on them tomorrow?"
"Sure." Adam had a feeling he'd be looking at them tonight, if only to ward off what came after a little longer. And if Erik happened to copy his work the next day and made his own load a little lighter, then so be it.
He really didn't feel like worrying about homework, but if that was what Erik wanted to do together, then he'd allow it. Erik would have to do it eventually anyways. Might as well work side by side and knock it out over the weekend. Now that he thought about it, slacking off on homework might just lead to more "tutoring" after class. Maybe slacking off wasn't the best answer.
"Getting cooler outside," Erik observed, already running low on things to talk about. To be fair, when you lived in the same room, attended the same classes, and ate the same meals together, there was a lot of time to fill. Life at the orphanage didn't exactly give them a lot of subject matter either. "About time, too. I was getting sick of all that heat."
"I don't mind it," Nila offered as she finally arrived, claiming her customary seat as she joined the conversation without missing a beat.
"Yeah, well not all of us have giant heat vents on our heads," Erik complained, holding his hands up like shortened rabbit ears on his own head. Some of us just get annoying butt decoration."
"It's not that bad."
"You try brushing the knots out of this thing sometime," Erik shot back, curling his tail around with one arm. Adam winced as it brushed against Erik's food, but Erik didn't even notice.
"Yeah, but no one here can balance like you," Nila countered.
"And it's basically a furry blanket when it gets cold."
"Thank you, Adam." Adam didn't normally pick sides, but if he did, it was a safe bet he'd side with Nila.
"Traitor," Erik groused, though he could hardly blame Adam for choosing the winning side. "Try cutting a hole in your pants without showing off your butt, then." Adam leaned over, even if he couldn't see the source of his curiosity. "Yeah. Didn't think about that inconvenience, did ya? Or sitting down on a chair with a back without pinching this thing."
"Alright, you win this round," Nila conceded, raising her hands to ward off any further dispute.
"At least your traits are useful. Mine are just spikes on my head." Adam tugged on one of the offending horns.
"Yeah, but they look cool."
"I like them."
It was an age old argument between them, and Adam had to imagine other faunus did the same. He didn't know much about faunus traits. Erik would sometimes theorize on how they passed down genetically, but Adam always got lost in his scientific pontifications. In the end, it didn't really matter. Some people were born faunus. Others weren't. Some faunus got cool traits like better hearing, claws, or even hardened skin for protection - he'd seen a few in books - while others got useless horns. You couldn't pick your trait, nor could you change it.
Of course, that didn't stop them from dreaming.
"So I was thinking, and I'd go for wings," Erik offered up. "Big old eagle wings that I could curl into my sides when I'm not flying."
"Can faunus actually fly?" Adam questioned. The idea sounded pretty awesome. Soaring through the clouds. Able to cover difficult terrain quickly. Hack, he could fly right over the Grimm, as long as something like a Nevermore or Lancer didn't come along to ruin your day. Then again, people on the ground had to worry about them too, so it was still an advantage.
"I don't see why not," Erik shrugged. "If the wings were big enough, that is. What about you, Nila?"
"Bunny hops," she answered far too readily. Erik groaned. "What? I could jump really high. Can you imagine me playing basketball like that?"
Erik didn't find her latest choice as amusing as she did. "And what if it meant having oversized rabbit feet?"
"The better to kick things with," Nila answered easily. Adam shuddered at the thought of having giant feet like that, regardless of her justifications. Then again, he was pretty sure she was just messing with Erik.
Not that Erik noticed. "It doesn't always have to be bunny related, Nila."
"It does if I want to be the best kind of faunus." Nila stuck her tongue out to drive home the point. Adam couldn't help the snort that slipped out at Erik's frustration. "New game. What's the worst trait you can imagine?"
The worst one? Now that was an interesting question. Adam hated his horns, but he could imagine so many worse options. Some sounded uncomfortable. Others downright gruesome. Like having a cow's digestive system. Or a bird's for that matter. He didn't love the idea of swallowing rocks to grind up his food or never being able to pass gas. At least, that's what he'd heard.
"Easy," Erik declared with confidence. "Giraffe neck."
"Adam tried to picture it, but the idea of his head flopping around on the end of a super stretched out neck was just too ridiculous. "But you'd be super tall," Adam posited.
Erik had been ready for his argument. "Only your head. The rest of your body would be normal. The proportions wouldn't add up and you'd struggle to eat without just slapping your face into a bowl or something." That would be rough. "What about you, Adam?"
Suddenly put on the spot, Adam tried to think of an answer. The only thing that came to mind though was antlers. Two small horns were bad enough, but a big, heavy rack on his head sounded like a constant source of headaches. Not to mention he'd only be able to wear button downs and would get caught in low-hanging branches. Doorways sounded miserable too.
He'd felt a lot more confident about his answer before seeing Erik's reaction. "Antlers? That's the worst you can come up with?" Maybe it didn't look as horrendous as a giant neck, but Adam sure hated the idea. Erik came up with a far different rationale, glancing up to Adam's head before rolling his eyes. "You and your horn obsession. I swear, you're as bad as Nila."
"Hey!" the two offended friends responded in unison.
"Tell me you've got something better, Nila."
Nila stopped to think for a moment. If she'd had an answer before, it clearly wasn't good enough. Not when Erik had brought out the big guns early. She had to find a way to top him somehow. "Crab claws. No hands, just giant claws." She held her hands up, mimicking claws as she clicked her fingers against her thumbs. The thought sent a shudder down Adam's spine.
Rather than accept defeat, Erik rushed to respond, setting off a ruthless round of one-upmanship that Adam could only marvel - and grimace - at.
"Bee stinger. You stab someone and you die."
"Baboon butt."
"Slug butt. You leave a trail of ooze behind you." What was with all the butt traits?
"Sloth speed."
"Hey, that's cheating!" Erik complained. To be fair, they hadn't said body parts. Adam wasn't sure if something like speed would count, but he refused to get involved. "Fine. Fly eyes. Giant, lidless, segmented eyes. Beat that."
Adam hoped she wouldn't. The very thought of something like that was horrifying. Suddenly, his horns seemed nice.
Nila's grin worried Adam as she leaned back, arms crossed as she revealed her ultimate answer. "Flounder face."
Erik's mouth clicked shut as he no doubt conjured the same terrifying image as Adam.
"That's right. Flounder. Face. Both eyes…on the side of your head." Between the earlier images and the latest addition, Adam could only push his tray back, uninterested in tempting fate with another bite. "I win."
"Nuh-uh. Fly eyes are way worse."
"At least they're functional," Nila argued before turning to Adam, who had absolutely zero interest in being dragged into the conversation. "What do you think, Adam? Fly eyes or flounder face?"
"Yeah. Which is worse?" Erik needlessly added.
"Flounder face would be pretty gruesome." Nila's hand came to rest on Adam's arm. "Wouldn't it?"
"No fair! You can't seduce him for his vote like that!"
Erik's accusation hardly phased Nila. "It's perfectly fair. You can try to seduce him too if you want."
Well, at least Nila was back to normal. Adam couldn't help imagine his two friends exhibiting their chosen traits. Neither looked very appealing like that and would've had Adam taking his chances with the Grimm again.
"So, what do you think?"
"I think I've lost my appetite," Adam answered.
"Fine. We'll call it a draw, then," Nila offered, recognizing they wouldn't get a tiebreaker anytime soon.
"Fair enough." With how quiet Erik could be most of the time, it was easy to forget how competitive he could be. "Anyways, what took you so long today?"
"Sheriff Taylor," Nila answered, making Adam far more uncomfortable than their horror game had. "He came to the orphanage and asked me a bunch of stuff."
"About me?" Adam dared to ask.
Nila nodded slightly. "You. Me. Running away. He asked a lot of stuff."
"W-what did you tell him?"
"Not much," Nila assured him. "Just some stuff about life as an orphan. I think he was convinced we were being overworked or something. I just talked about what a normal week was like." Nila harrumphed before adding, "Well, a normal week before chore-mageddon."
That didn't sound too bad. It wasn't like they had a particularly rough life at the orphanage. He'd had chores back home. Lessons, too. Sure he'd had his own room back then, but the orphanage would've been huge if it had enough space for that. All in all, life at the orphanage wasn't that different from most childhoods.
With one glaring exception in his case.
Not that Nila knew anything about that. His choice to keep his abuse secret paid off, as Nila wouldn't have been able to say anything wrong. As far as she knew, he was just getting tutoring for his classes. Nothing wrong there. Or, at least, that was how Alyssa had ensured it looked. If they knew what really went on during their lessons, Adam doubted Nila would keep her mouth shut. She'd probably storm up there and confront Alyssa herself.
Adam dreaded what would come after.
"By the time we were done, dinner was already starting. That man sure can talk." More like he sure could pry. He'd already questioned Adam, Erik, and Nila, so hopefully this would be the end of his involvement. Madam de Thom hadn't exactly been friendly to the man, so he doubted Sheriff Taylor would poke that Ursa further. The only person left would be-
"He said he'd talk to Miss Alyssa afterwards."
Whatever ease he'd felt at Nila's information vanished in an instant with those words. Adam knew it! Sheriff Taylor had not-so-subtly hinted at knowing about Alyssa, but with no proof, what could the man do? He hadn't tried to intervene in any way, and if he'd known about it before, then why didn't he do something? Whatever he knew, it hadn't been enough to save Finn according to Erik. So why would it be enough for him? All Sheriff Taylor would accomplish is angering Alyssa.
And an angry Alyssa was so much worse than normal.
I don't take kindly to betrayal. Even if he hadn't betrayed her in any way, she wouldn't see it like that. Sheriff Taylor was sniffing around because of him. If he honestly thought there was a chance of winning, Adam would side with the sheriff in a heartbeat. But he knew the whole thing was pointless. No one's going to believe you over me. A runaway complaining about the place he ran away from? It might be enough for some to wonder what's going on, but few would believe him against both Alyssa and Madam de Thom, who had made it painfully clear this wasn't the first time Sheriff Taylor had looked in on them. All he'd end up with is more punishment from the pair, though he'd take Madam de Thom's anger and chores over a vindictive Alyssa anyday.
"I've got to go," Adam blurted out. He had to get upstairs and make it clear he hadn't said anything. Alyssa couldn't be allowed to think that he - or worse, his friends - had tried to rat her out.
"So soon?" Nila watched him stand and pick up his tray, disappointed to have their time together cut short. "Can't you hang out a little longer?"
"I've got to go," Adam repeated. He didn't have a good reason. No rationale that she'd readily accept for his departure. Even if he did, he doubted she'd believe him with the panic quickly taking over. He needed to leave before they could probe further. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."
"O-okay." The hurt look on Nila's face stung, but he'd make it up to her later. Right now, there were more important things to tend to. Saying she mattered less hurt even more, but that didn't make it any less true. "Tomorrow, then. Have a good night, Adam."
"See ya later, I guess." Erik waved less, concerned with his departure, though his eyes narrowed just a little, proving his suspicions as well. Adam would have to deal with that somehow. He didn't need either of them looking into it any further. Not with the risk they'd be putting themselves through.
Adam tried to stay calm as he left, but the moment he made it out of the cafeteria, he practically sprinted the rest of the way. He took the steps two at a time, launching himself up to the second floor and bursting into the hall. He only slowed once he caught sight of Alyssa's open door. A door he was far more used to running away from rather than toward. As he neared, he could hear a pair of voices inside. He took a few deep breaths to calm down, hoping to hide his panic before entering.
Adam didn't get much of a chance. "Sounds like your student's here."
"Come in, Adam," Alyssa called, summoning him before he was really ready.
"Sheriff Taylor?" Adam did his best to feign surprise at their guest. "What are you doing here?"
"I was in the area and thought I'd check in on you." Bull. He wouldn't have cornered Nila if that were true. Nor would he be waiting for him here. Sheriff Taylor could've found him during dinner or even beforehand. Instead, he'd come to Alyssa's room. He knew exactly when and where their meeting would be and got there first. Which meant someone had told him about it. The question wsa, had it been Erik or Nila?
Either way, his friends were in danger.
"Sorry if I stole your seat," Sheriff Taylor said as he quickly abandoned the chair and waved him over. "All yours."
Adam muttered his thanks and sat down, trapping himself between Alyssa and the sheriff. He could practically taste the tension in the room, even if neither adult wanted to acknowledge it.
"How're you feelin' son?"
Nervous. Afraid. Threatened. "Better. My back's a little stiff still, but it doesn't hurt as much as it used to."
"Good to hear. Alyssa and I were just talking about you." If he'd hoped to calm Adam down, he was doing a crappy job of it. "Says she's been tutoring you every week for quite some time now. Is that right?"
"Yes, sir." Polite. Direct. The sooner he answered his questions, the sooner Sheriff Taylor could stop endangering him.
"What subject?"
"Math, mostly." And another subject, though he wouldn't be bringing up those lessons.
"Not my favorite, either," Sheriff Taylor hummed. His next question was aimed at Alyssa. "Any improvement in his grades?"
Alyssa smiled pleasantly. "He's gotten better, but some people just naturally struggle with subjects. I'm sure you know how that is."
"What all do you two get up to during your lessons?"
Alyssa's smile faltered for a moment, her brow furrowing at the direct question before she washed the look away with practiced ease. "I usually have him work on his homework. We go over it afterwards and then do some practice problems together to make sure he understands the material."
"Anything else?"
"Not really."
"And you hold these sessions in your bedroom?"
"I find he focuses better outside of the classroom," Alyssa answered. Not that it would matter. She'd proven plenty of times before that she could be just as aggressive in an empty classroom. Even the supply closet a couple times.
"Why not the library, then?"
"Too many distractions." More like too many witnesses.
"And are there any other children you tutor like this?"
"I have." Alyssa's irritation finally broke through, her smile dimming as she tired of the rather pointed line of questioning. "Is there something you're trying to imply?"
"Nothing in the slightest." The sheriff's laugh said otherwise. "Far be it from me to question your motives."
Adam gulped as he felt the temperature of the room shift. Alyssa's friendly façade had vanished, replaced by clear irritation. She stepped closer to Adam, placing a hand on his shoulder as she stared the sheriff down. "Well then, if you wouldn't mind, we have a lesson to get to." Adam wasn't looking forward to tonight's lesson, and not because of the word problems. Those would be the least of his concern as soon as they were alone.
"Actually, I thought I might stick around and observe, if you don't mind."
She minded. She minded a heck of a lot. But she couldn't just refuse. After all, what was there to hide? These were just innocent tutoring sessions to help a struggling student with their math, right? Where would be the harm in letting him listen in?
The harm would be afterwards. The moment they finished and he left, Alyssa would take her frustrations out on him. Even now, he could feel her grip tighten, fingers pressing painfully on his shoulder. He bore it all with a blank look, knowing better than to show a reaction. That would only anger her more.
"Go ahead," Alyssa answered through clenched teeth. "Sorry there aren't any other chairs in here."
"That's okay. I'll stand."
Their lesson began in earnest, with Adam doing his best on the homework but still struggling on a few questions. As vile as she could be, Alyssa definitely knew her material and was able to help him limp through after a few attempts. Her offer of a spare worksheet for the sheriff, along with an offer to help him if he couldn't figure it out, went unheeded. The smirk on Alyssa's face made it obvious that the offer was nothing more than a dig at his intelligence. His refusal only served to make her smile, content with the insult before she moved on to some extra problems.
While Adam worked on the new set of equations, Sheriff Taylor decided to continue the conversation. "You've been teaching a while, I take it?"
"Ever since I finished school," Alyssa answered, not even turning away from watching over Adam's shoulder as she pointed out an incorrect sign.
"That bunny girl - Nila, right? - she mentioned you've been tutoring him for a while now." Adam's eyes widened in fear at the mention of Nila. If Alyssa's scowl was anything to go by, she wasn't pleased at the development.
"That's right." Adam could hear the beginnings of a growl in Alyssa's voice. He'd need to find out what else Nila might've let slip and warn her to keep her head down. The last thing he needed was Alyssa's attention on her.
Sheriff Taylor either missed or ignored the disdain pouring off of Alyssa. "Every Friday night for a few years now, I think she said. Awful lot of lessons for one kid."
Had it only been a few years? It felt like a lifetime to Adam. "Like a lot of children who come to us when they're already in school, he was struggling in a few subjects. Math especially. Teaching them the foundations while trying to keep up with the rest of the class can be a struggle. On the other hand, he's always been near the top of the class in history."
It was hard to remember that their tutoring sessions had started out as innocent lessons. She'd genuinely helped him along the way, improving not just his grades, but his understanding of the content as well. They'd gone for a couple years like that before…
"Yeah, but after all that time, he still needs tutoring?" Adam could sense the return of Alyssa's tension from earlier. "Maybe your methods need a little work."
"Some children learn different than others," Alyssa hummed. "Adam needs a more direct approach than what I can give in the classroom. That's all."
A direct approach, eh? She certainly had been direct. Hands-on, too. Or more like hands all over.
Their lesson continued for another half hour or so without interruption. Adam still struggled with the word problems, but he felt confident he could muddle through them with enough time. She had him do the last homework problem one more time at the end. The familiarity made it easier, but even then, he could see how some of the pieces fit together now. If nothing else, helping Erik would be easier tomorrow.
"I guess that's all for tonight," Alyssa announced as she finished checking his work. "Good work tonight, Adam."
"Thanks." The end of the lesson meant the beginning of his suffering. All she had to do now was get rid of their third wheel.
"Is there anything else you need, sheriff?" Alyssa's question sounded more like a dismissal.
"I think that's just about everything."
"Have a good night, then." Adam knew she didn't mean the kind words. Sheriff Taylor probably knew, too. Still, without a good reason to stick around in a woman's bedroom late at night, he'd have no choice but to leave.
Adam wished he could do the same.
"Goodnight, Miss de Thom." Alyssa barely concealed her snarl at the address. She wasn't exactly a fan of her mother and had mentioned to him before how much she hated her last name. That was why she insisted everyone call her Miss Alyssa. Well, everyone except for him. "C'mon, Adam. I'll walk you back to your room."
"What?"
"What?" Alyssa echoed.
"I'll walk him back," Sheriff Taylor repeated. "I'm headed downstairs anyway. Might as well make sure he gets to bed safe. Wouldn't want anyone endangering the boy this late at night."
Alyssa stood stunned for a minute, trying to figure out a way to stop his escape. If the sheriff hadn't made his accusations clear by now, his last statement sure sounded pointed enough to make it obvious.
"I-I still need to check his injuries." And just like that, his escape was foiled. As both teacher and nurse for the orphanage, he couldn't really argue with her keeping him longer.
"By all means." Sheriff Taylor motioned for Adam to comply, but rather than leave, the older man claimed Adam's now-abandoned chair for himself. "I'll wait."
Adam's check-up went by in a flash. He could feel her nails grate against his back as she inspected the cuts there. According to Madam de Thom, he'd have to go get the stitches removed in a few days. Apparently, the wounds were healing well, though he'd likely have scarring there for the rest of his life. In a matter of minutes, Alyssa assured him everything was fine, told him to let her know if it began to hurt, and ushered him and the sheriff out the door. Neither of them missed how it slammed behind them. Adam would pay dearly for that later, but for now, he breathed a sigh of relief at the temporary mercy.
"You're welcome," Sheriff Taylor said as they began walking down the hall. "Figure I'd spare you whatever she had planned."
And suddenly, Adam's guard was up again.
Sheriff Taylor picked up on it easily enough. "Oh, come on kid. We both know what really happens in there."
Then why didn't he do anything about it? Because he can't. Because there's nothing anyone can do. If he could, he would've come right out and handled the matter, rather than trading insults and accusations all night. You didn't tiptoe around stuff like that if you could fix it.
"Still silent, eh? Even after I saved you?" But he hadn't saved him. Sure, Adam got out of it tonight, but Sheriff Taylor wouldn't always be around. Alyssa would just bide her time and get revenge later. Even if it wasn't his fault, she'd take her frustration out on him. "You know, it's just you and me right now. If you wanted to tell me anything…"
If nothing else, the man was persistent. Adam couldn't deny that he wanted to tell him…to tell him everything. Alyssa's treatment of him. The stolen knife. The threats against his friends.
His friends. Nila. He told her about Nila. He'll tell her what you say, too. How could he trust the sheriff not to betray him to Alyssa, even if just with more questioning. He might not have meant to endanger his friend, but in mentioning Nila at all, he'd put a giant target on her back. Would he do the same to Adam? Would it even matter? If he pushed the issue at all - if he suddenly knew more than he should - she'd know who to go after. After all, no one else knew It was easy to plug a leak when there was only one pipe.
"I have no idea what you mean."
The disappointment on Sheriff Taylor's face matched his own, though he hid it better. That's right, Adam. You can't trust him. He'll risk everything just to ask more pointless questions. There's no risk to him, so why should he care about what happens to you? He clearly had an axe to grind with the de Thom family. If someone got hurt along the way, then so be it.
He'd already be in trouble the next time Alyssa got him alone. He'd pay dearly for the man's interference. Worse, he'd risked Nila's safety for no reason other than his own curiosity. And what did he gain from that risk? A little pestering of Alyssa and a jab for his hopeless crusade against her. He probably saw himself as some gallant hero, and while Adam appreciated someone trying to help him, a man needed to know when to stop. When he was beat.
Preferably before he got someone beaten.
The silent march back to Adam's room yielded nothing. "Alright. We're here." Adam stopped as Sheriff Taylor held out an arm to block his entrance. "Listen. If anything happens, you let me know. If you want help, all you have to do is ask."
"I'll keep that in mind." With those final words, Adam pushed past the man and into his room once more. Erik raised an eyebrow at both his early return and his escort, but didn't bother to ask with Sheriff Taylor lurking nearby. Adam could still feel the man's eyes watching him as he headed for his bed. He made a point of laying down without looking toward the door, making it clear he was done for the night.
Eventually, Sheriff Taylor got the message and left, taking his empty promises with him. He can't help you. No one can. Making waves would only drown him faster. Better to just hold on and weather the storm. No matter what happened, he knew better than to place any hope in someone else. No one could help him.
He was alone.
Sheriff be snoopin'. Poor guy doesn't even realize the kind of consequences he's causing. Just wants to do the right thing and help the kid out. Unfortunately, it's kinda hard to go against someone so well connected (mother is matron, stepfather is mayor, and stepbrother is deputy) without pretty substantial proof, and both he and Alyssa know that. Meanwhile, Adam watches him fail and then has to endure the fallout.
On the brighter side, Nila's game about terrible faunus traits was actually something my wife and I did a while back. Flounder face was our best one, by far. Even better was the fact we were both thinking it at the same time. I swear we share a brain. Hers, specifically. Mine hasn't worked in years.
Anyways, hope ya'll enjoy and have a great week! Let me know which trait won Worst In Show: Fly Eyes or Flounder Face. Or tell me your awful faunus design idea. Always love hearing them from people.
Next chapter: Farewell to Eve.