Not Alone: A Miraculous Ladybug Story

Chapter 36

When the school week finally rolled around, Marinette didn't feel like she had gotten any break. She still moved through her classes in her zombie-like state, Alya, Nino and Adrien doing much of the same. Even Chloé didn't have enough energy to terrorize anyone. She was actually being borderline nice, or at least indifferent, to most people, and it was freaking the class out a bit. It probably didn't help that the five had been exchanging pleasant smiles in the morning, nothing earth-shattering, but strange enough to create some gossip about what was going on.

The real talk started on Wednesday, though. Marinette and Chloé went up to hand in their exams at the same time and Chloé accidentally bumped Marinette...or maybe it was the other way around? Who knew? They all had been up late most nights trying to figure out a plan for Germain and having impromptu study and homework sessions at the same time. They were both sleep-deprived. Whoever bumped into who, Marinette dropped her test and it glided towards the filing cabinet behind Chloé. Without question, Chloé walked over and picked it up, handing them both into Ms. Bustier.

"Thanks," Marinette muttered, and then walked back to her desk, Chloé just giving her a brief nod in return. When they both sat down, they could almost physically feel the weight of everyone's eyes on the back of their heads. Marinette looked over to Alya, but the girl had already handed in her test and was lightly snoozing, using her messenger bag as a makeshift pillow. Adrien turned around and looked past her. Scoping out the room, he met her eyes and they both started shaking with suppressed laughter. She looked over at Chloé and saw an amused look on her face. Then she did the unthinkable: Chloé contorted her face, crossing her eyes and sticking her tongue out at them.

Marinette and Adrien started to giggle in earnest followed shortly by Chloé. Alya woke up then and glanced between them all, annoyed to be woken up, but enjoying the shocked faces of everyone in the class. Even Ms. Bustier, who had looked up at the noise, couldn't quite hold her teacher-like scowl at them for making noise during a test. She noted the three students involved and was either so perplexed or relieved that Chloé was doing something other than fighting with people, she allowed a small smile, before shushing them. Sitting back, Marinette controlled her giggles and was again baffled by the sudden change in her and Chloé's relationship.

That's why, for the rest of the week, Marinette wasn't surprised that at every available moment people were trying to discreetly milk her for information about what was going on. No one approached Chloé because she still managed to maintain that aura of fear around her, so it all fell on Marinette and Alya as her confidant. They couldn't even count on the distraction of an akuma attack. Since Gabriel now knew who they were, he made sure to only carry out akumatisations right before school or right after. Nothing that would interfere with their studies or their sleep. She would be grateful if she weren't so desperate to just be left alone.

After class on Friday, she hastily said goodbye to everyone. They had all agreed to take the weekend off from everything, so other than Akuma attacks, she was good to go. Honu and Volpina would patrol tonight, and they would cover the weekend so Marinette and Adrien could finally sleep and hopefully forget about the price on their heads. Maybe.

Chloé had other weekend plans. She was going to snoop this weekend to try and find her uncle's contacts in the mayoral office. Her plan was to try to find the most likely offenders by subtly complaining about her father's incompetence. Hopefully she would get some information about how to reach out to her uncle or someone would hint to him that she may be an ally.

They all had their jobs for the weekend, and Marinette's was relaxation. As soon as she got home, she grabbed some cookies for Tikki and a glass of water for herself before climbing onto her balcony. She laid unceremoniously on the ground and spread her limbs in every which direction, enjoying the mindless hum of Paris beneath her and the afternoon sun warming her skin from above.