✩𝔻𝕒𝕣𝕜𝕖𝕤𝕥 ℕ𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥, 𝔹𝕝𝕦𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤✩

𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘛𝘶𝘳𝘯, 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘈 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮

"No," Marinette whispered to her as Pollen looked straight at her before nodding.

"I would love to Miss Bustier," she placed her hand on her chest and fluttered her eyelashes.

Marinette sucked in her lips and shut her eyes.

"My name is Pauline Combs. I'm from London."

Marinette opened her eyes and sighed in relief. At least she had the common sense to use a fake name."

"Oh, wonderful. Why don't you take a seat right next to Marinette? And Chloé you can take the last seat available."

The blonde frowned at Marinette's screwed up face as she sat next to Alya, who grumbled.

"What are you doing here?" Marinette softly whispered in Pollen's ear as she sat beside her.

"What do you mean,Marinette? This is a school, and I'm here to learn what Chloé learns," she said with a smile.

"Wow, she's pretty too."

Marinette mentally recoiled as their classmates whispered about Pauline. Chloé must have asked her to put brown contacts on because she knew those golden eyes could turn everyone into golden statues if she tried.

Pollen was mostly quiet for the whole lesson, only giving out ohs and ahs whenever the teacher said something she didn't know or found to be oddly fascinating.

Meanwhile, Marinette was trying to figure out how to make the handover go smoothly if Chloé's seated behind her. Maybe she could wait for breaktime, but by then, there would have been too many people to witness her give them to her. Damian already booked her one free period of the day, too. So, the best possible option seemed to be the end of the day. Risky but doable.

Perhaps Pollen could hold onto it. She looked over to the Bee kwami as she decided to break her pencil like a twig with one hand. That option seems to throw itself out of the window.

As soon as the lesson ends, a flood gate of students come rushing through to welcome their new student into class.

"So how's London?"

"How are you liking Paris?"

"How's your French?"

Pollen gives the crowd a sweet smile before answering, "Cold. Fabulous. Bonjour."

Her answer seemed to intrigue the teenagers further as she received compliments about her appearance and how soft her voice was.

Marinette could feel Plagg stirring about in her clutch bag. She'd be damned if allowed him to expose himself. The high warning of Marinette giving her bag a loud whack was enough to have him stop moving.

"Have you made any friends yet?"

"Yes. Chloé."

That answer surely made the teenagers shocked.

"You might have to reconsider your choice in companionship, Pauline," Alya said loudly, drawing attention.

"Oh please," Chloé mocked as she waved her hand. "Don't act like you wrote the book on friendship."

The air grew tense as Alya decided to turn and face Chloé for the first time of the entire morning.

"Well, I wouldn't expect the middle school bully to know what being a good friend is," the brown skinned girl crossed her arms. "Or am I missing the part where you didn't throw a tantrum to get what you want."

Chloé flipped her ponytail. "If you have a problem with me, just come up to my face and say it like you always do. I allow everyone else that same privilege."