The Salt Files: Additional Cases (MLB)

An Artist's Muse

Nathaniel paid no mind to Lila sprouting lies until she started messing with Marc.

Also everyone wish @SharitaPatterson a happy birthday!

Honestly, Nathaniel regrets not getting involved sooner. It was one thing to mess with Marinette, but it was another to mess with his boyfriend.

Let's take this from the top, shall we?

So, about a few months ago Lila enters their class one day going on about some shelter she volunteered at. Yay, hooray, everyone is eating it up. Except Nath. Why?

Because he doesn't care. That's why.

Out of everyone in the class, Lila is the least interesting. Not even because her life is boring or anything, but because everything she's told them were lies. Every. Last. One. That Achu trip? A lie. The family she saved in a house fire? Lies. Even the charity she claims she helped fundraise? That charity doesn't exist, Nath spent the entire weekend searching for it online, nothing.

And here's where you might be asking, "why didn't you help Marinette?"

But here's the other thing, he did. Nathaniel tried months ago to get the class to see the light and that Marinette was being framed for everything, but the artist was being waved off as being jealous or looking into stuff too much. Most of that was from Kim anyways, everyone knows he's head over heels for that girl. That's also when Lila pulled him aside and decided to threaten him.

"If you ever try to stand up to me again, I will make sure you and your boyfriend will be crushed like the ants you are." Lila hissed in his ear. Nathaniel glared at her as she backed up, smiled, and walked away. Nath reported it straight to bluenette herself, but she just shook her head and told him to drop it.

"It's not right to keep getting others involved Nath, it's fine. I'll be fine. Just stay out of it and try to keep Marc out of it." Nathaniel didn't like that response, but what was he supposed to do? Watch as his friend gets isolated out of the class everyday? After everything she's done for them? Nath felt so useless.

But that's when he came up with an idea. If he had no proof to show that Lila was lying, he will collect the proof that Marinette is telling the truth. With that mindset, he got to work and has been secretly recording and taking notes on times and locations of Lila's harassment as well as lies. Each lie has a note of them being debunked online, exact article, line highlighted, and even publishers and date it was published. Nath kept copies of his notes in his bag as well as took pictures and kept backups on multiple devices everywhere. His plan was perfect.

That was, until Lila found out at some point this week. At some point Nathaniel went to the bathroom and somehow the liar got hold of his notes. She found everything and tried to report him for stalking, but came up with a better idea.

She cornered Nath later, revealing that she found the notes and logs on everything. "Since you didn't want to listen and got involved anyway, I'm going to destroy everything you've worked for. Starting with this." Lila tightly held the paper as she walked away, but stopped. Nathaniel felt a chill in the air as she slowly turned around, grin widening. "Actually, why don't we teach you a lesson that will really make you listen, hm?"

Nathaniel glared at her. "What are you going to do?" Lila shrugged, walking away.

"Nothing  that should concern you. You should get back to class now." Nathaniel should've known something was off. By the end of that day, Marc was crying to him about how he got cut from the soccer team because of a stalking claim. Nathaniel growled, knowing good and well it was Lila. Nath explained to him that he wrote down everything that disproved Lila and she somehow got hold of it. Both boys went to Marinette, knowing she had previous experience with dealing with the liar.