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Adrian was a smart boy; few would question that fact. It just was so difficult a fact to take as that magnificent brain was swaddled under a ink-black mop of greasy, shiny hair that sat atop a pale, pimple face which bobbed stupidly on top of a too-small body that hid behind a long black leather overcoat. He loved anime, and superhero movies, and he swore that he looked bigger and cooler and stronger with his overcoat. He couldn't see in his reflection what others saw; that he used the overcoat as a crutch, as a shield, as a security blanket.
Everyone knew he made money, but none wanted to be his friend because of it. He even began to resent the fact of his wealth, because no matter what he bought, he never gained any traction with anyone outside of Alliance. And even inside Alliance, he knew he was tolerated rather than appreciated.
Which is why when Lee, star quarterback of Zorrell, came up to talk to him, that Adrian almost crapped in his pants.
"You go to Alliance, don't you?" asked Lee, trying to appear nonchalant.
"Yeah," answered Adrian, as he stood up straighter. Lee's car was parked nearby. "Nice car."
"Thanks. It's been giving me a lot of trouble, but I finally got it working. You wanna go for a ride?"
Adrian thought for a moment, wondering what was happening, but ultimately deciding it was too good an opportunity. "Sure!"
They got into the car, and after a few tries with the starter, Lee got the motor turned over. They sped out of Crescent, heading out along I-9.
Adrian sank down into his coat, unsure of what to do or say. The window was open, and his collar kept flapping back and forth, hitting him in the face. Adrian sat up, and glanced nervously over at Lee, and suddenly noticed how tense he was. Adrian saw the bags under his eyes, the fear etched into his face. It only took a few seconds, but suddenly Adrian knew he could be in control of this situation, that Lee, no matter how good on the field, was nothing compared to him off it.
"You're Lee, aren't you?"
"Yeah," answered Lee nervously. "I play --"
"You're the quarterback for Zorrell. I've seen you. You're great on the field!"
"Thanks. You get out to the games much?"
"As much as I'd like." Adrian sat back, knowing he was more in the driver's seat than Lee. "Sometimes I feel like the company of others, listening to the shouts and cheers, feeling the press of bodies as they are united in a common dream. Other times I like my solitude, my own thoughts, so I can plan out my future."
Lee nodded. "You seem smart for a High School kid."
"And you seem scared for a college quarterback. What inspired you to give me a ride?"
"Listen, what's your name?"
"Adrian."
"Adrian, I'm Lee."
"I know, you're the quarterback; we've been through this already."
Lee glanced over at Adrian, checking to make sure it was really him, because for a moment he could've sworn it was Greg he was talking to.
"Yeah," said Lee with a weak smile. "Anyway, I'm kind of in a bind." He sighed heavily. "I need some money, and something tells me you might be able to help me out."
Adrian leaned back a little more, liking the way the conversation was progressing.
"How much?"
"A thousand dollars."
"And . . . what would you do for this?"
Lee pulled the car over to the side of the road. He had driven well out of town, and no houses could be seen either in front or behind.
"Just about anything," he said, sheepishly meeting Adrian's intense gaze.
"Just about?"
Lee leaned against the side of his door, looking absently at the ditch along the side of the road. "Anything."
There was a time, before the touch of the plant, that Adrian would have demurred and just given Lee the money. Or he would have asked for something simple and stupid, like going back to Alliance in Lee's car so the girls and boys could see how cool he was. But now, Lee had an understanding of how much money a thousand dollars was, how difficult it was to come by, and consequently how deep the shitpile was that Lee must have been in to come to a reject high-schooler for the money. So he sat back, thought very hard, very quickly, and told Lee exactly what he wanted. And he wasn't surprised when he got it.
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