What can she do when nobody is willing to believe her? When her word holds no worth? When all her attempts to set things right only earn her scorn from the very people she's trying to protect? Anger bubbles in her belly as humiliating memories flash through her mind.
Deep breaths. In. Out.
She shoves the dull hurt away as best as she can. There is no point in dwelling on it, and it only clouds her mind, provoking her into actions she knows are reckless.
Adrien is right. Publicly humiliating Lila will solve nothing. Trying that has already backfired spectacularly.
So Marinette will lay low. Be patient. Defense instead of offense. Sooner or later, the ludicrous lies will start unraveling all on their own, and then she'll be vindicated.
Right?
"There you are."
Marinette's head snaps up, a strangled squeak escaping her at the sight of Adrien's gentle smile. The air grows thin as he sits down next to her, and she fights not to hyperventilate.
"I've been looking everywhere for you," he says.
"Y-you have?" She clutches her sketchbook to her chest, gripping it so hard her knuckles turn white. Is this a dream? Did she fall asleep during physics class again?
"Yeah, you left the cafeteria in such a hurry." He pauses, weighing his words. "I was wondering if everything's okay."
"Oh! N-no, I'm fust jine. Just fine!" Her cheeks burn with a blush as she stares into gorgeous green eyes filled with concern. For her. "I'm not hungry, that's all."
Adrien doesn't answer right away, pursing his lips as his gaze sweeps over her, sending shivers down her spine and startling the butterflies lying dormant in her belly. Has he ever looked at her like this before? Really looked?
"You've not been hungry a while now, Marinette."
She shrugs, and tries to summon a smile. Marinette has never been good at hiding her feelings, but she almost feels like she's pulling it off now, courtesy of his soft and gentle voice. The auditory equivalent of sunshine warms her down to her very fingertips, and she's eager to grasp the lifeline out of this wretched mood she's stuck in. Having to listen to Lila's lies is nauseating enough, but what truly spoiled Marinette's appetite today was the way Alya kept leaning over to the other table to better hear about the exploits of Lila's BFF Ladybug.
There's only so many absent-minded hums a girl a can take. Okay, yeah, she gets it - what Marinette had to say wasn't that interesting, just dumb small-talk about Clara Nightingale's new album, but-
She's just so sick of Alya not listening to her.
"I'm fine," she says.
"You sure?" Adrien fidgets, all restless energy, jittery in a way that's nothing like the model's usual composure. "Because if you're not, that's - I mean - I'm not very good at this, but I'll listen. If you want. You can talk to me."
Marinette can't help but burst into laughter, and he startles, staring at her with wide eyes. Instantly, she realizes how insane she must look right now, and somehow that only causes more giggles to leak out of her stupid mouth because hasn't that ever been the problem?
She can't. She can't talk to him. God knows she tried.
"Okay," he mumbles, pink spreading across his pale cheeks as he pinches his lips together. "Guess that's a no."
"No!" Too loud and an octave too high, but the hurt in his gaze finally helps a word break through her giggle fit. "No," she repeats, at a somewhat sane volume, only to instantly careen back into a higher pitch. "I mean, yes! I - I do want to talk to you. I've been - I've been meaning to talk to you for a very long time."
21:Lies we tell part 1
Start from the beginning
