All's Well that End's Well

*Part Four*

___________________Eden's POV___________

"Ciao, Eden! Don't forget what I told you." Lila sang, skipping past me and out the door.

After our talk at lunch, she was in a much better mood. She even stopped to say goodbye to me before leaving the school. Not sure why, exactly (all we'd talked about was her travels abroad and how she'd saved a dozen polar bear cubs or something from an oil spill), but I wasn't going to burst her bubble. As a foreigner in a foreign country, I didn't need any more enemies. Plus, she couldn't really do anything to me, and I was too cautious to start trusting her blindly (just because she smiled at me for two seconds and treated me with common human decency didn't mean I was going to wrap myself around her finger). Plus, Adrien had warned me about her, so he must have had some reason to do that.

Gorila grunted as he opened the door for me, and I nodded at him, smiling. I realize he was just doing his job, but everyone should get some sort of thank you every once in a while. Not to mention the crap he puts up with daily. How can you play bodyguard when random citizens keep getting superhero powers and terrorizing the city? He could probably beat up a couple of villains just fine, but who can stop buildings from falling and flattening you?

You're getting off-topic, I reminded myself, before squaring my shoulders and sliding into the backseat after Adrien. Time to make a move. (No, not that move. He's like my brother, remember, you sicko?)

"Hey Adrien, you excited about hanging out with your friends tonight?" I asked as nonchalantly as possible. I needed him to think that I had no idea about the whole fiasco that happened at lunch.

I wasn't stupid. Yes, I had zoned out, and yes, sometimes when I zone out I can become as lost to the world around me as a coma patient. But that's only sometimes. Most of the time, I can zone out and think whatever the heck I want to, while still listening in on outside conversations. It's a habit I've developed over the years when I would get bored in class and still have to know what lesson was being taught.

Usually, the talent would prove useful, but today it had only managed to invite my self-consciousness back out to play. Just swell. Right as I thought I'd found myself a group of true friends to spend the semester with, they started getting defensive. I'm sure I'd be unpacking all that when I was finally by myself. Which would be soon if I could pull this next conversation off.

"Well, I still have to ask my father about it."

Adrien sounded unsure and sad when he said it. I suppose his dad was a bit like my folks at home. This might take a bit more convincing on my end, but nothing I wasn't used to.

"Yeah, I was gonna ask him if I could have the afternoon off. Not that I don't enjoy hanging out with you, but I haven't had a moment to myself since I got here, ya know?" I replied simply.

I waited a couple of seconds before continuing, hoping he would eventually catch on to what I was getting at. He didn't so I decided to just say it out right.

"What if we asked him about our activities together? You could ask about seeing your friends, and then I could ask about me." He seemed like an okay guy for the most part, but I was still a little uncomfortable asking Gabrial for things. Heck, I struggled to order food at restaurants, so asking him by myself was lightyears out of my comfort zone.

With his lips curled down into a frown, I could tell Adrien didn't think this would work. His father must be super over-protective or something.

"I wish it was that easy," He told me softly, fiddling with a bit of string from his jacket.

"Okay, well then, how do you usually ask to hang out with your friends?"

I knew I was pressing, but I was also genuinely curious. And I really didn't want to go at this alone. Their relationship had always seemed so... forced. Strange as it may seem, I wanted to know more about what had caused them such a falling out. I knew from the feminine absence in the house that Adrien had lost his mother.