Nightmares (A Ladybug and Chat Noir Fanfic)

Chapter 17

Marinette chewed the back end of her pen staring at the blank paper in front of her. She scribbled a few words before scratching them out a couple seconds later. Her mind felt foggy from a lack of sleep, after Alya left Marinette had struggled to have a restful sleep. She was plagued by nightmares of Chat Noir and Chat Blanc, a mix of their anger and disappointment in her. She had woken up determined to tell Chat Noir what was going on and if she couldn't do it in person as Ladybug she would just have to send him a letter. She wrote a few more lines barely paying attention to her surroundings let alone the class that was being taught.

Adrien glanced behind him where Marinette was focused with her head down writing something. He was curious what she could be so focused on and looked over to Alya who was glaring at him. He whipped back around frightened from her expression.

"Nino," Adrien whispered, "is Alya mad at me?"

"Uhhh don't worry about it dude," Nino responded fully aware of Alya's frustration with their thick headed friend. She had ranted about it for hours while Nino had struggled to stay awake. Adrien looked down at his notes miserable that he had done something wrong. He hadn't even talked to Alya since Saturday, unless she was mad at him for something he said to Marinette. He thought over everything he had said Saturday night trying to find an answer. Unless, did he say something weird to Marinette, he had felt something was different with her all night. What if he offended her and ruined their entire friendship!

"What is this?!" Chloes shrill voice interrupted the class. Adrien turned around to see Chloe holding a piece of paper Marinette was desperately reaching for. Chloe was reading something on it before letting out a laugh, "Dear Chat Noir, I wish we didn't have to be apart so long I have missed you more than you could ever know-" She was cut off by a humiliated Marinette ripping the paper out of her hand tearing it in half.

"Chloe!" Alya yelled standing up ready to fight the blonde girl.

"What?! It's not my fault she's his fangirl," Chloe said flipping her hair before looking down at Marinette, "I bet you've never even talked to him. You're just another one of those crazy obsessed girls who thinks they're in love with him!" She laughed loudly even if no one else was joining her. Whispers echoed through the room, everyones eyes glued to the scene Chloe had created.

"I'm not in love with him!" Marinette stood up slamming her hand on the table furious at Chloe.

"Oh yeah, then why exactly are you writing him a letter," Chloe leaned in crossing her arms. Marinette bit her tongue knowing she couldn't tell the truth, she looked around at her classmates trying to come up with a believable excuse. She looked back at Alya hoping for a reason, a way, to get out of this but Alya looked just as lost as she felt. She searched for something to take the attention off of herself. She looked down at Adrien, he was staring up at her eyes wide, he seemed to be waiting for her response. If Adrien thinks she loves Chat Noir he would never see her as more than a friend! She tried to think but she was already panicking with everyone looking at her expectantly. She didn't know how to fix this. She couldn't fix anything. She felt her chest restricting as she fell further into a panic. She was trapped in here.

"I-I can't-" she stuttered before turning and pushing past Alya, running out of the classroom. She let her feet take her to the girls bathroom, a route she had taken many times to transform away from prying eyes. This time, however, as she shut the stall door behind her she had no Kwami to help her and no costume to forget her problems in. She sat on the toilet seat trying to breath normally but as she tried to force herself to be okay she only felt worse. She had humiliated herself in front of the whole class, in front of Adrien. And now he thought she was in love with Chat Noir. She would never be able to fix this, everything was falling apart. She would never have the chance to be with Adrien, after this he would never see her for who she really was. She was a complete mess, she would never get to see her Chat Noir again if she couldn't be Ladybug, she would never hear his bad jokes or have him by her side cheering her up. She had lost her partner again.

"It was our love that did this the world m'lady" Chat Blanc voice intruded into her thoughts. It was their love, but what did that mean? Had she fallen for him, did she know who he was under the mask, was she happy with him? She tortured herself with the thoughts she had been pushing away for so long. She loved Chat Noir and she couldn't bear to lose him, but she already had. She had pushed him away at every turn, scared of what could happen if they got too close, and now it would never be the same.

"Marinette, You have been humiliated by Chloe for the last time," a cold voice entered her head, her senses numbed as she heard the words. It felt as if she was drifting away from herself.

"No you can't, you- I- I won't," she struggled trying to push the voice out.

"Wait there's something more here, ah yes, the guilt," she could feel him prodding around her head unlocking all the doors she had made to keep the bad feelings out, "your anger, the pain and rejection its magnificent!" He laughed, forcing her to feel it all over again. She put every bit of willpower she had to keep him from seeing the parts of her mind that would reveal her identity, she couldn't fight his control and keep him away from those secrets at the same time. His control rushed over her like hot water on her skin until it engulfed her.