Blake had made up his mind. There was no way Adrian was actually eighteen years old, and there was definitely no innocent reason why a twenty-five-year-old would be pretending to be a high school student. Which meant Adrian was probably involved in something illegal, and Blake needed to figure out what it was.
The problem was, Adrian was being frustratingly careful about maintaining his cover. So Blake decided he needed to get creative.
It started during Wednesday's calculus class when Blake deliberately created opportunities to interact with Adrian more closely. When he handed back graded tests, he made sure to linger at Adrian's desk.
"Excellent work on the derivatives section," Blake said, placing the test paper down slowly. "Your technique is quite... mature."
Adrian looked up with innocent eyes. "Thank you, Mr. Morrison. I've always been good at math."
"Have you?" Blake leaned against the desk casually. "It's unusual for someone your age to have such a sophisticated understanding of advanced concepts."
"I guess I'm just naturally talented," Adrian replied with a small smile that Blake was starting to recognize as Adrian's way of deflecting questions.
Blake tried a different approach during lunch period. He happened to be walking past the cafeteria when he spotted Adrian sitting with his usual group of friends. Blake made a show of checking his watch and looking concerned.
"Mr. Matthews," Blake called out, approaching the table. "Could I speak with you for a moment? I just realized there might be an issue with your enrollment paperwork."
Adrian's friends looked curious as Adrian stood up to follow Blake to a quieter corner of the cafeteria.
"What's wrong with my paperwork?" Adrian asked, though Blake noticed he seemed more alert than worried.
"Well, I was reviewing student files, and some of your information seems... inconsistent," Blake said, watching Adrian's face carefully. "Your previous school records show some gaps that are hard to explain."
"What kind of gaps?" Adrian asked calmly.
"Employment history, for one thing," Blake improvised. "Most eighteen-year-olds don't have the kind of work experience that's listed in your file."
Adrian tilted his head. "What work experience?"
Blake realized he had made that up and Adrian was calling his bluff. "Never mind, I must have been looking at the wrong file," Blake said quickly, feeling his face heat up.
Adrian's smile was definitely amused now. "Are you feeling okay, Mr. Morrison? You seem a little distracted lately."
"I'm fine," Blake said, though he was clearly not fine. He was becoming obsessed with figuring out Adrian's real story, and it was making him act like an idiot.
Thursday brought Blake's most desperate attempt yet. He decided to stage a small "emergency" that would require Adrian to help him after school, giving Blake a chance to question him more directly.
"Mr. Matthews, could you stay after class?" Blake asked as students were packing up. "I need help moving some equipment, and you seem... capable."
When they were alone, Blake led Adrian to the storage room where he had stacked several boxes that didn't actually need to be moved.
"These boxes need to go to the supply closet down the hall," Blake said, lifting one that was intentionally heavier than necessary.
Adrian picked up two boxes like they weighed nothing, which only confirmed Blake's suspicions. No regular eighteen-year-old was that strong.
"You work out a lot?" Blake asked as they walked down the hallway.
"Some," Adrian replied. "I like to stay in shape."
"What kind of exercise do you do? Martial arts? Weight training?" Blake was fishing for any clue about Adrian's real background.
"A little bit of everything," Adrian said vaguely. "Why do you ask?"
"Just curious. You move like someone with training. Professional training."
Adrian stopped walking and turned to face Blake in the empty hallway. "Mr. Morrison, is there something you want to ask me directly?"
Blake felt his heart speed up. This was his chance to get answers. "Okay, fine. I want to know what you're really doing here."
"I'm getting an education."
"No, you're not," Blake said, setting down his box. "Nobody your real age comes to high school just for education. You're here for something else."
Adrian set down his boxes too. "And what do you think I'm here for?"
"Something illegal," Blake said, feeling both nervous and excited to finally be having this conversation. "I don't know what exactly, but a twenty-five-year-old man doesn't just decide to pretend to be eighteen for innocent reasons."
Adrian was quiet for a moment, studying Blake's face. "You really think I'm some kind of criminal?"
"What else am I supposed to think?" Blake asked. "You won't tell me the truth about who you are or why you're here. You're obviously not eighteen despite what you keep claiming. And you're clearly here for some secret purpose."
"So you've been trying to figure out what kind of illegal activity I'm involved in?" Adrian asked, and Blake could swear he looked amused.
"Yes," Blake admitted. "I've been watching you, trying to gather evidence."
Adrian laughed, which was not the reaction Blake had expected. "You've been investigating me?"
"Don't laugh at me," Blake said, feeling defensive. "I'm trying to be responsible here. If there's criminal activity happening at my school, I need to know about it."
"And what have you concluded from your investigation?" Adrian asked, still smiling.
Blake felt foolish, but he pressed on. "I think you're involved in something dangerous, and I think you're not telling me the truth about any of it."
Adrian stepped closer. "You're right about one of those things."
"Which one?"
"I'm not telling you the truth," Adrian said softly. "But it's not because I'm doing anything illegal."
"Then why—"
"Because I can't," Adrian interrupted. "I wish I could explain everything to you, but I can't. Not yet."
Blake stared at Adrian, feeling frustrated and confused. "That's not good enough."
"I know," Adrian said. "But it's all I can give you right now."
They stood in the empty hallway, looking at each other. Blake felt like he was missing something important, something that was right in front of him.
"Why do you care so much?" Adrian asked quietly. "About what I'm doing here?"
Blake opened his mouth to say something about professional responsibility and school safety, but what came out was: "Because I'm worried about you."
Adrian's expression softened. "Worried about me?"
"Yes," Blake said, realizing it was true. "Whatever you're really doing here, it feels dangerous. And I don't want you to get hurt."
"Blake," Adrian said, and something about the way he said Blake's name made Blake's heart skip.
"What?"
"Thank you for caring," Adrian said. "It means more than you know."
Before Blake could respond, Adrian picked up his boxes and continued walking toward the supply closet, leaving Blake standing alone in the hallway with more questions than ever and a growing certainty that whatever Adrian was hiding, it was bigger than he had imagined.