Turning up to classes the next few days and being civil with Adrian is something which Celeste is finding hard to get used to.
A small smile here, an awkward wave there, and shared glances in the corridors.
Yeah, not what Celeste had in mind.
After the encounter in his apartment a few nights ago, she'd shown Adrian the strange letter she'd received from Ren as well. Deciding there were too many theories to analyse, they set a date to meet at the library in a few days. Which just so happens to be today.
The rustling and quiet whispers surrounding her were characteristic of the library. Wandering through the aisles, she hunts for an empty table. Sighing, she turns the corner into a slightly more decrepit part of the library, understandably less crowded. The wooden shelves smell dusty, and there's barely a lamp in sight.
She couldn't care less though, because at last, a free table presented itself in front of her.
Diving around the corner, she slumps into one of the seats cluttered lazily about the circular table, as she lets out a sigh of relief. Typing a quick message to Adrian to tell him where she is, she decides to get started on some work. The immunology research she had due next week wasn't going to write itself, that's for sure.
Before she's even taken her laptop out however, Celeste catches sight of a familiar figure approaching, filling her stomach with icy dread and forcing her to abandon her table to hide behind the nearest bookshelf. She crouches with her head resting on her knees and her arms wrapped around herself, a final touch to her self-made cocoon.
With her badly applied contour and stiletto heels, Celestine would recognise Rosa from a mile away. Simply being in Rosa's vicinity would be enough to set her off, and Celeste just doesn't have the energy to deal with her bitchiness today.
"So, you did what I asked?" Rosa leans against an empty table, just out of Celeste's field of vision.
"You bet I did." Comes the disinterested reply. Rosa's friend is obstructed by the table, and all Celeste can see is the back of her head.
"Good. It's time for the second part of the deal. You remember what you have-"
"Why are you hiding here?"
Celeste startles at the sound of Adrian's voice. He clearly can't read the situation, staring down at her in confusion without attempting to quieten his voice. His eyes dart between Rosa and her companion and Celeste's awkward predicament.
"Shhh," she hisses frantically at him, raising her finger to her lips in an attempt to convey her message. "Can't you tell I'm trying to avoid them?" she hisses at him hastily.
"Why though? It's just your sister and Genevieve."
At this, Celeste's head snaps up. "Genevieve?" her voice raises an octave. She can't believe her ears.
"Yeah?" he asks imploringly, as if to make clear that she's currently not making any sense whatsoever. "Why the hell are you so confused? Bash your head on the way to your hiding place or something?" It comes out as a taunt, one which she tries to not let sting. It was never nice to be called dumb, albeit in such an indirect way.
"Forget it," she mutters under her breath. "Just tell me when they're gone."
Even if she had the strength to process what just happened, she isn't sure her brain would be able to. Genevieve? with Rosa? How the fuck are those two even acquainted? Nothing makes sense to her anymore.
Does Rosa even know about the whole situation with Ren?
Oh gosh. I can't be the one to tell her. No, no, please. Not me. Anyone but me. Rosa's going to end me when I won't be able to answer any of her questions; it'd be another excuse to torment me.
"They're gone." When Celeste doesn't respond, Adrian shrugs his bag off lazily and crouches down to meet her gaze.
"I said they're gone," he repeats, a bit louder. This finally gets a reaction out of her, causing her to jerk as if he'd been the one to snap her out of a bad dream. Weird.
"Oh, uh, thanks." She clears her throat sharply. "Let's get started with our task then."
He scoffs, gesturing to their ridiculous position on the floor, tucked behind a shelf. "Here?"
Celeste turns an embarrassing shade of crimson as she springs to her feet and practically teleports back to their table. She's muttering something to herself when Adrian approaches, clearly at much more leisure than she is.
"Someone's left their brain at home," a conniving grin shapes his mouth. "And out of me and you, love, take a guess. It should be easy, because it sure as hell wasn't me."
"That's because in order to forget your brain, Schulz, you'd need to have one in the first place." Celeste straightens as he takes a seat directly across her. "It's a prerequisite I'm afraid you never fulfilled."
"You're learning." His smile tips up ever so slightly. A mix of amusement and something she can't quite describe.
"Yeah, but you're still as unfunny as ever," she retorts as she begins to rummage through her bag to pull out the material. "Time to learn whilst you still can, right? Maybe if you ask nicely, I could teach you."
"Thanks," he says, voice soaked in sarcasm. "But I think I can manage."
As the afternoon progresses into evening, the two of them combine whatever intellect they have to devise a plan.
Poring over the notes, the letter and a recording of the odd phone conversation between her and Ren from the night of the Fresher's Party, they've made a list.
A list of people who could help guide them on their search.
"So," Adrian leans back in his seat, stretching as he tries to stifle a yawn. Instead, his shirt rides up slightly, and Celeste gets a brief glimpse of what seem to be perfectly sculpted abs. "The most recent time he called us, we were both there, cooling off after you'd taken those tequila shots. He was speaking nonsense, and from the background, we think he was drunk out of his mind."
"Exactly," Celeste takes over smoothly. "Best guess - some sort of university fresher's party."
"Meaning we should talk to someone else who was actually there," Adrian sits up, building on her train of thought. Eyes flicking over the list, he continues. "Who better than Kai?"
A small flutter of hope awakens in her chest. For the past few days, there's been nothing but emptiness and a chilling silence in her heart. She desperately wishes that this is about to change.
"Perfect," she breathes. Kai is Adrian and Ren's best friend. The three of them have been inseparable since high school, until Kai and Ren decided to go to Amadeus, the best university for Law in the country. That left Adrian with Celeste, at Marion. No prize for guessing how he felt about that.
"That's decided then," he claps his palms together. "We'll head up to Amadeus this weekend. Sound alright?"
"Can't wait," The sooner she gets more information, the better.
"I don't blame you," Adrian slings his bag over his shoulder, as they both finish packing up. The sun set long ago, leaving them to be illuminated by the garish yellow of the musty lamp hanging above as opposed to the sun's beautiful shade of melting orange.
Anticipating that he has more to say, she narrows her eyes. She doesn't like the odds that he's going to try being a smart-ass.
"I don't blame you," he repeats, as the signature smirk which she wishes she could wipe off adorns his face like a thorny crown of victory. "Who could possibly resist a weekend away with me?"
She groans into her palm as they head towards the exit. 'Finally,' she thinks to herself. 'Not another moment I need to spend with this insufferable asshole.'
The quiet around them is simultaneously unsettling and unusually peaceful. She glances around, noting only empty seats and desolate aisles as far as her vision spans.
"We must've worked later than we realised," Adrian muses, catching onto her wandering eyes.
"No shit, Sherlock," she mutters, checking her watch. "It's past 10pm."
"No wonder it was so bloody dark when we were working. Not a single lamp works properly in this ancient place." He huffs, annoyed.
"Time to get out." Celeste shudders, heading to the door without looking back.
"Are you sure we can?"
The firmness in his voice is enough to glue her feet to the ground. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Opening times, Cel." he points to the placard hammered onto the door.
Opening times - 06:00 to 22:00
Applicable Monday - Friday
"Shit," all the color drains from her face when the door doesn't budge, confirming their suspicions.
"Shit, indeed."
-
A/N: Hope y'all liked the chapter! Please vote if y'all did, and thanks for reading so far!
- Snowrites<3
