Adam woke up early the next day and went to the administrative department before other students arrived. He knew William told him to get the pass early in the morning since the department got really busy during the day. If he tried getting it then they might just tell him to come back tomorrow.
After class ended, Logan approached him and said, "I heard you are helping out Elise from now on. I wish we could switch places."
"Why don't you try next year then?"
The fourth year could only be club presidents or the president. Even if Logan joined a club now, it wouldn't be his turn to be the president next year. So, Adam was only being sarcastic.
Logan didn't seem to understand the sarcasm in Adam's tone and even thought for a while before replying,
"Should I run for the student committee president next year?"
'Then, what position will your crush fill?' Adam thought in his head but played along,
"Sure, why not? I will help you get support."
"Didn't you almost lose your position yesterday?"
"But I still won the majority, didn't I?"
It was because of William that Adam barely won the majority yesterday, but Logan didn't know that.
Adam saw May enter the class and look around before spotting him.
"I heard you helped out Elise yesterday."
'Even if I said I was just helping the president, it won't get through their thick heads.'
Adam saw May greet Logan, and they started talking about the upcoming exams and the winter vacation before their topic shifted back to Elise.
May sighed and said, "Her birthday is during the winter vacation again. She invited me last year, but I couldn't go. I don't think I'll be invited this year since I am not even in the same class as her."
Adam saw Logan expression change sadness then jealously before finally turn happy but Logan spoke with a consoling tone.
"Maybe she will invite you again. Aren't you in the club with her?"
'Empty words. Why does May look happy? Was he really consoled by his love rival's words? Do these guys really like her or are they playing an elaborate prank on me.'
May's words pulled Adam out of his thoughts.
"Adam, do you think she will invite you since you are helping her out?"
'Do you think I became best friends just because I went to the president's office yesterday? Then, how come you haven't married her after knowing her for a year.' Adam was mocking May in his head but replied normally,
"Why would she invite me? I am only acquainted with her."
"You and I were in the same class as her last year."
"That doesn't automatically make me her friend. Did you ever see me talk to her?"
May seemed to agree with Adam's words. He was going to speak again when they heard a knock on the door.
The three turned around and saw Elise standing at the door with her hands still in the air after knocking.
Elise saw that Adam was looking and spoke, "I was going to wait for you at the office but came to your class since you were taking so long. Did you forget we need to go to the stores today?"
Adam thought he was supposed to go alone after getting the place's name from William. So, he wasn't in a hurry, but it turned out that Elise was tagging along.
Adam quickly cleaned his desk before saying goodbye to Logan and May. He ignored the look the two were giving him and silently went out the door. He could still feel their stares, but couldn't see their expression.
Adam caught up to Elise and asked, "Aren't you friends with May and Logan? Why didn't you greet them just now?"
"I already greeted them in the morning."
'Is there a limit on how many times you can greet people in a day? Aren't you supposed to greet people whenever you meet them?'
Adam was losing confidence in his own social skills.
Elise didn't care what Adam was thinking and said, "We have to go to a few stores today. I already got the files from the office. Did you get the entry pass in the morning?"
Adam took out a pass and showed it to her.
They both went out of school and caught a taxi. Adam looked curiously at Elise and asked,
"Don't you go home in a black car? How come they aren't here today?"
Adam had seen Elise come to school up and go home in a black car. There were always two dudes that Adam guessed were bodyguards. The car also waited the entire day while she was in class before taking her home. Adam only vaguely recalled that her father was a police officer but didn't know how high up.
"I told them I had to go to a few places today, so they left early."
'What's the point of those bodyguards if they will just leave you alone if you tell them to?'
The two didn't speak for the rest of the journey. Elise didn't seem to mind the silence while Adam thought holding a conversation with her was too draining, so he stayed quiet.
They got off and Adam waited as Elise paid the driver with a card. Elise motioned him to follow and Adam started walking behind her. After a few minutes, Elise stopped in front of a store and went in. Adam had been memorizing the route since William told him he might have to come back again. Adam looked up at the name of the store.
'Patel Design Studios'
Adam followed behind Elise and walked into the store. The store had a lot of mannequins wearing colorful costumes that no one wear outside unless they wanted to be mistaken for a clown. There were also a few props and mechanical devices on display.
Elise seemed to talk with the receptionist before walking towards the stairs and motioned for Adam to follow. They went upstairs and Adam saw that it was a lot normal compared to the ground floor. It looked like a normal office except the few mannequins that were lying around like the owner hadn't bothered to put them back in their place. Elise seemed to be familiar with the place as walked towards the table and started speaking with a man.
Adam heard their conversation and understood that Elise was also placing orders on instead of the Drama Club. After they talked for an hour, they finally left and went to the next place.
'Ace Music Store'
It was a lot faster this time since they weren't going to order anything. Elise told Adam that all they had to do was record the prices and fix the expenses mentioned for the instruments in the proposal.'
Next, they went to a few more places and did the same thing. Even though Elise seemed like she hated speaking, she still explained things to Adam.
Adam looked at his phone at saw it was 4PM and suggested that they get something to eat, but didn't expect that Elise would agree.
'It's not that she hates company, she just doesn't enjoy doing things that she thinks aren't important.'
Adam thought he understood Elise slightly more after observing her today. She spoke normally with the owner of the studio and the receptionist at the music store, so she didn't lack the communication skills. He figured that she just didn't like idle talks.
They sat down at a random cafe and placed their orders and Adam could feel people looking at them, more precisely, her. Adam had felt it throughout the entire afternoon they had been together. It was the same back on the streets and the music store.
'Some people are stand everywhere.' Adam sighed.
Elise seemed to hear him sigh and looked at him with a questioning look, but said nothing before looking outside.
'It doesn't seem like she hasn't noticed, but rather, she doesn't seem to mind. Maybe she's used to this. Also, how come these people so boldly staring at others? At least try being less obvious.'
Elise seemed like she didn't care about the stares, but Adam was feeling uncomfortable even though their gaze wasn't directed at him.
Combined with the awkward silence at their table, Adam couldn't take it anymore and jokingly said,
"Doesn't this feel like we are on a date?"
Adam knew expecting a laugh or a smile from this girl was asking for too much, but he hoped that she will at least reply to break the awkward silence.
Elise turned to look at him and said, "You will get used to it. Don't mind them."
Then went back to what Adam could only describe as brooding.
Thankfully, the waiter came back with their order. Adam was already regretting his suggestion of getting something to eat, so he quickly finished.
Adam had noticed when they were going through different stores that she had used her card for the ride, so he paid for the meal. Elise didn't seem to object since she let him do it.
They left the store and Adam saw that it was already evening and the sun had set. He wanted to catch a ride back to school when he realized that Elise was still walking behind him.
Adam turned around and asked, "Are you going home now?"
"I want to go back to school first."
Elise probably wanted to finish editing the documents today and leave it back at the office.
"Why don't you pass them to me? I have to return to school, anyway. I'll edit them and leave it at the president's office." Adam suggested.
Elise seemed to be fine with the suggestion as she passed him the notes and the file.
"...Then, Thank You"
Adam called another taxi for himself, and they quietly waited at the crossroad. The first taxi Adam called arrived, so he turned to Elise and said, "Why don't you take this one? I already called another one for myself."
Adam watched as Elise moved to enter the taxi but paused and then turned around and asked,
"Do you remember me?"
Adam was caught off guard by Elise's question, but she only looked at him for a bit before entering the taxi.
"See you tomorrow."
The next taxi Adam called arrived after a minute. Adam entered and told the driver to take him back to Autumn High School. Adam wasn't really paying attention since he was still thinking about Elise's question.
'Should I know her from somewhere? Did I see her at some party? I don't attend many social gatherings, so I should have remembered if I saw her. I don't know what her mother does, but her father is an officer while mine is a businessman. Their social circles shouldn't intersect. If she was friends with me as a kid, James would have mentioned it.'
Adam couldn't really understand her question. If he was supposed to know her but didn't then why didn't she say it before. They had to interact frequently last year, but she didn't mention it back then.
Adam got back to school and edited the proposals before leaving them at the president's office. He stopped thinking about what Elise said.
'I'll wait for her to mention it again. If she doesn't then I'll chalk it up as one of her quirks.'
Elise returned home and went back to her room. The room had two beds in the opposite corner. There was study table across from the door and cupboard next to it. There was another cupboard between the two beds, and a full body mirror was attached to one of its doors. There was a balcony on the side of the bed, separated by a glass door.
Elise shared this room with her sister, Lucy Edwards, who was a year younger than her.
'Is she staying at her friend's house again?'
Her sister had been going out more often, coming home late and staying at her friend's place if it was too late at night to return home. At least that's what Elise suspected.
'I should check sometime instead of just believing her words.'
Elise changed out of her uniforms and started fixing her hair.
'Why did I even ask him that today? If he didn't recognize me in the past year, he won't start remembering it now.'
Elise touched the back of her head and murmured,
"I looked different back then...and had a lot less hair."
"But, you haven't changed at all."
She knew why she had asked Adam that question today. Last Saturday, she saw Adam and Juniper talking but didn't hear their conversation. But from what she could tell, Adam had been threatening her. Along with the fact that the photo of Juniper and Ethan was released a day before from an old account and things that happened afterwards with Ethan caught stealing Adam's badge, she could tell that Adam and his friends had a hand in it.
She didn't care about other people's business, but she ended up threatening him about letting his roommates use his badge.
'Borrowing it to others isn't serious compared to how the other club presidents use it.'
She told William to pull him into their group because if he had to use the badge himself, he wouldn't be able to borrow it.
Elise appreciated that he was honest and reliable, but she didn't agree how he had gone about helping his friends or threatening someone.
She finished fixing her hair before plopping down on her bed.
'Just because we were friends in the past doesn't mean we have to be friends now.'
Elise thought as the tiredness from the day took over and she drifted off to sleep.