Stockholm Syndrome //Adam Driver

thirty one

 I'm excited to do more world-building in the upcoming parts of this story. There is much to come.  

*** 

One Week Later 

"That is a terrible idea." Adam sighs and shakes his head at you. You are discussing ways in which you can re-enter society in a totally not suspicious way. You suggested that you simply call the police and tell them that you're back and you did in fact run away like everyone thought. You felt ashamed that it had to come to this but it did make the most sense if you didn't want the story to get too complicated. Adam tries to get you to understand what he means, "How is that going to explain why we are together? How is anyone going to believe this, when given the facts, it looks like I kidnapped you?" 

You were the one shaking your head this time, "It's my word against anyone's. If I say nothing is happening, that is the new truth."

"What about your parents?" Adam searches your eyes for more answers. He looks undoubtedly stressed, "What will they think? What will they say? I'm a groomer and a freak for fucking someone who was my former student? It is all true, and worse. Indeed, much worse."

"Well, I'll have to really convince my mother I imagine. My father has always been too busy to realize if I live or die, I doubt he will even have noticed I was gone." You say feeling a little sad about the truth of your family life. You frown as it occurs to you that maybe it wasn't so insane to believe that you ran away after all. No real friends, no familial support, and clear daddy issues are exactly to blame for your situation, "I don't think it'll be hard to convince the police that I was just afraid of the future and I decided to ditch town. I'll talk about my friends and my relationship with my parents. Even Camille knew about my issues at home. I'm sure she blabbed about that when I went missing."

Adam gives you a hopeful look, "Your friends... I looked into it and Camille moved to another state for college and hasn't been back. I'm not so sure about Henry, I think he moved back overseas after he graduated." 

"Oh well, that is good news!" You felt genuine relief. If they are not in the picture it is perfect for you to sell your relationship with Adam. They won't be able to interfere with your stories if they aren't here. 

"You will have to explain where you have been." Adam tells you, "There is no proof of you being anywhere but here. How can we cover up where you've been for almost a year?"

"That's when I'll say that I was much better at being undetected than I ever imagined. A year isn't that long. I can tell them I didn't make any friends or connections on the road. I have no clue how I survived, I just did. I don't know what to say besides that. I can be secretive, I mean it makes sense. A runaway wouldn't be too honest about every detail." You have to admit you have been thinking about this for a while. You could think and say anything to be free again, "I can say I was on a healing journey or something they believe someone my age would say."

"What about me? How do you explain me?" Adam was prepared to see what your plan was to explain this. He eyed you with great interest.

"I think we should say that you went on vacation and spotted me there. A vacation that we will stage so the cops can find camera footage if they want. One where you convince me to come back. I have known you from high school and I trusted you..." You understand just how wrong it sounds. A teacher and student relationship turned into something more, "Then we got closer than we thought and I have been staying with you for a while since. They'll just have to get over our relationship. I'm okay with it and so should everyone else."

You can see the anguish bleeding from Adam's face, "If that is the best that we can do, I don't see why that can't be the story."

"Do you have any better ideas?" You could use any suggestions at this point. Even though you have been thinking this through for a while, you weren't sure how sound your plans were.