DeLuca Mansion, L.A.

"RA. Stands for Right Ascension. DEC stands for Declination. They're like latitudes and longitudes for astronauts or astrophysicists or aerospace...well, you get it." I explained. "It makes sense because on top of it he is an aerospace engineer. The system of RA and DEC are used to pinpoint position of stars and other celestial objects."

"Not really but woah!" Isaac said.

Adrians face slowly broke into a smile. A genuine one. And it was earth shatteringly beautiful. He had a small dimple on his chin. The face of a fallen angel. I would have said angel, but I was pretty sure God kicked him out a long time back.

Damien and Antonio were as surprised as I was to see Adrian smile. But it was gorgeous.

Antonio frowned.

"So you're saying he's in space somewhere?"

"No you idiot, she's saying the clue leads to a planet or something. Which probably leads to the next clue." Damien explained.

"Okay, I'll take Chevron back to the institute. We need to figure out what was hovering at these coordinates on my birthday." Adrian said.

Damien raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe we should join you."

"Nah man, first time he can hold a semi-proper conversation with a girl. Don't ruin it." Antonio laughed.

"Bastards." Adrian muttered and picked up his keys. Gesturing for me to join him. At the point I really didn't care if he was going to kill me and dump my body somewhere. I was so giddy with happiness.

We got into the car and he drove to LAIST in awkward silence. I felt the need to say something but decided against it.

"Chevron, I think we've found Roy." He said suddenly.

"Don't tell me he is hovering in space."

"No, but if he was in a hurry to get out, chances are he wouldn't have the time to plan an Easter egg hunt. And we figured it out in three days."

"Hmm." I said distractedly. "What is Roy's full name?" I asked out of sheer curiosity.

"Vickramaditya Narayanganj Krishnamurti Vishnu Roy."

"Is that a name!? I've written Java codes less complicated than that!"

He laughed. "He goes by Vickram Roy."

"Imagine him spelling his name in kindergarten." I snickered.

"Must have contributed to his intellect." Adrian said, suppressing a smile.

"Admit it. You like me." I said, teasingly.

"Whatever gave you that idea!?" He said, shaking his head.

"The fact that you didn't deny it. And that I made you smile. And that you promised to protect me." I said in a singsong voice.

"I tolerate you Rane." He replied. "By the way, how did you know what a Freudian slip was?"

"Huh?"

"That day, you called me a psychopath and blamed it on a Freudian slip."

"Oh, that. I read about it. I found out it was a good way of avoiding the consequences to your verbal assault. Then I looked it up and made my 'Freudian slips' more realistic. I called the teacher a bitch once and blamed it on the slip. I meant to say 'which'."

"And you weren't caught?"

"I've mastered the ability of making people feel like they sound stupid, even if they have a valid point. Nobody wants to argue with me on the specifics of the slip. And people generally leave me alone."

"You would have excelled at psychology."

"I won't lie. I like the subject, but I can't stand overemotional people who do nothing but cry about their problems."

"Neither can I." He said conversationally.

I felt a smile creep onto my face. Atleast here I could say whatever the fuck I wanted and not come off as insensitive.

"You're not all that bad, DeLuca." I said.

"I'm worse than you think, Miss Rane."

"Doubt it. I have a wild imagination." I said.

"I'm a killer, I'm not your friend, Chevron. Remember who your enemies are." Adrian said, his voice had changed from playful to harsh in a matter of seconds.

"Are you my enemy?" I asked.

"No." He said softly.

"Okay then, Mr. Psychology. Answer me this. If I were in your shoes do you think I would be a killer too?"

I knew the answer. He knew that I knew the answer and that it was right. As I said, I do not lack self awareness.

"But you aren't." He said almost gently.

The gentleness in his voice was genuine. It wasn't like the mocking of villian or the laughing façade of a would-be friend.

I remembered what Isaac had told me tonight. He is not your friend.

I wasn't prepared to dismiss that, yet. Isaac knew him for years more than me. But that didn't mean things couldn't change.

There is something I wouldn't let myself admit. My inner feminist would be outraged, but the inner girl that I was didn't give a shit. I knew him for very little time but I never once felt uneasy or awkward around him. In fact, I actually liked it. Having someone so ruthless and powerful protect me. While I relied on me to protect myself and was skeptical at first. I did like it.

Sure, I wanted to kill him. And we weren't friends, yet. But I felt everything from hostility to slight comfort. It was never awkward.

If he were in my college, we might have been good friends. But he was not. For some reason that bothered me. I'd never been good at making friends and now I was upset at what could have been. I was upset at the chance that I never got.

Adrian sensed my change in mood and his demeanor changed, he seemed to become more distant and I chose not to carry on a conversation.

When we entered the gates, it was about 3am. The institute was asleep. Thank goodness, because I was still wearing the purple dress from yesterday and Adrian was still in his suit.

We walked soundlessly across the campus lawns and grimaced.

"What now?" Adrian asked, tired.

"Well, can you do the convincing?" I asked nervously.

"Why? They're your teachers. They know you."

"See, that's the problem! I'm not exactly student-of-the-year."

"So you've managed to piss off every single teacher here. Unsurprising." He sighed.

I lead him to Profesorka Katja. She was from the Czech Republic, as you may have guessed. The godfather of Astrophysics. I actually did like her, but she'd heard too many horror stories about me from her co-workers.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Profesorka Katja opened it. She was still in a wrinkled blazer. She held a coffee mug in her hand that read "Reach for the stars." Her spectacle framed blue eyes were rimmed with dark circles, evidence of many sleepless nights.

"Chevron Rane!?"