Dead

Taking in the Truth

I quickly changed into my fencing gear and went out to warm up before Mr. D'Argencourt arrived. He came shortly after and we began. As usual, my partner, Kagami, won most of the matches but I gave her a good fight. She was the best fencer on the team ever since she started and the only one who could beat me.

I went to the locker room to shower and change before putting my clothes back on and gathering my stuff. I packed it all back into my bag and picked it up, slinging it over my shoulder and walking out.

I walked through the courtyard to the front steps, where I waved goodbye to Kagami, who was getting in her car. I made my way to where Gorilla was waiting for me, playing a Ladybug and Chat Noir game on his phone. He hid his phone but I had already seen.

I smiled as I climbed in and closed the door behind me. I strapped myself in as he put his phone away and started the car. We drove for about fifteen minutes before reaching my house. I walked up the steps alone as Gorilla went to park the car.

I made my way to my room once inside and went straight to my piano, tossing my bag on my bed. I wanted to finish with my practice as soon as possible so that I could go visit Chloe. I sat down and got to work, setting a timer on my phone.

A while later, I got a call. I stopped playing the piano and frowned, wondering who could be calling me. I picked up my phone and looked at the caller ID, seeing it was Chloe. I glanced at the time and realized I had been so lost in the music that I had spent three hours playing instead of two.

Hesitantly, I held the phone up to my ear, wondering why my alarm didn't go off.

"He-"

"Adrikins, where are you?" Chloe cried, and I pulled the phone away from my ear, afraid my eardrums would never recover. Her shrill voice continued ranting before I was able to calm her down enough.

"Hey, Chlo. I just got lost in the music. I'll be right over." I told her, standing up. I wondered why no one told me, as it was past dinner time.

"Well, hurry up! Jagged said he had an important visitor coming today and he didn't want to keep them waiting!"

"I-" I was interrupted by the call ending. I sighed and slid my phone into my pocket. I grabbed a piece of cheese for Plagg and stuck it in my shirt, holding it open for him to fly inside before heading out of my room.

I made my way down the stairs, wondering where everyone was. Nathalie was usually standing outside my father's door, working on her tablet and Gorilla could usually be found waiting in the front hall as well, sometimes playing with his figurines when he thought no one was watching.

I shrugged and walked out the door, closing it behind me. Since I didn't have dinner, I figured I'd just eat at Chloe's hotel. It also seemed I would be walking there. I didn't mind. The fresh air would be better than sitting in a car for ten minutes just watching everything go by.

I didn't remember the gate until I reached it. I cursed under my breath and texted Gorilla. He didn't respond right away like he usually did so I called Nathalie. Voicemail. Not having much hope, I walked back inside and knocked on my father's door. No answer, but not mush surprise there.

Luckily, I didn't need it. Going back up to my room, I locked the door behind me. I transformed into my alter ego, Chat Noir, and opened my window to slip out. I made my way home past five buildings before dropping down and detransforming in an alleyway.

I made sure to check for anyone before walking out, whistling cheerfully, which probably brought more attention. I stopped whistling and kept walking. Whenever I rode in my car, everything passed by so quickly, I never got to really look at anything. Now, I saw everything.

I noticed things in the windows and stopped more than once to check it all out. I was looking around when I spotted a clock through a window and my eyes grew two times in size as I realized a half hour passed since Chloe called me. Picking up the pace, I began to run.

I finally made it to her hotel and stopped, hands on my knees, gasping in air. I felt someone watching me and looked up at the man at the door. I smiled sheepishly and waved. I stood up straight, catching my breath, and walked into the hotel, the man stepping aside for me.

When I made it into the lobby, I was instantly tackled. I smiled uncomfortably as Chloe greeted me and started chatting my ear off a mile a minute. Her chatter stopped abruptly and I turned to see what she was looking at. What I saw made my day.

Marinette stood outside the hotel, talking to the man. I watched her lips form her name and the man stood straighter. He motioned for her to go inside and she smiled up at him before entering. When she caught sight of me, her smile brightened and it was beautiful.

She had changed out of the clothes she wore to school into a unique dress with a blow up size of the cover she designed for Jagged Stone. Sometimes, the things she did blew my mind and I wondered if I could ever measure up to her standards.

That's when I really began to understand that Marinette being Ladybug had one downside... she was too perfect. Marinette was a talented designer, she won the Ultimate Mega Strike 3 tournament for our school, was Paris' number one super heroine and, on top of all that, she was a brilliant baker, always cheerful, willing to help anyone in need.

Compared to my life, she was incredible. Sure, there were lots of things I could do but the way she handled everything. She was able to balance her civilian life and superhero life, she designed album covers for Jagged Stone in her free time. She designed Kitty Section's costumes.

Sure, she was clumsy sometimes and could be forgetful but wasn't everyone? Maybe she was clumsier than others but it just added to her charm. On top of all that, Marinette had a loving family that cared deeply for her and friends that would stand by her side.

While my friends would as well, I wasn't always sure of who was my real friend and who was only my friend for fame and popularity. My father cared but he was never around. All I had was Nathalie and Gorilla, who were paid to care for me, though I suspected they did to a further extent...

"... ou okay?" Marinette asked, snapping me out of my dark reverie. She was looking at me with a concerned look on her face and I turned to find Chloe mimicking her expression.

"I'm fine." I reassured them. "Just got lost in thought for a minute there. What are you doing here? I thought you said Alya needed your help."

"She called a little while ago telling me that Nino brought Chris over and that the girls and him were playing together so she didn't need me today. I decided to visit Jagged with my unexpected free time. Did you guys already go see him?"

  "We were just about to." Chloe said, grabbing my arm. Marinette and I roll our eyes at Chloe's predictable attitude, smiling at each other. Chloe and I started walking, Marinette following close behind.