Ambivalent

1

Marinette hadn't thought that time could pass so quickly until she woke up one cold morning for school, just a week before winter break. The excitement of the upcoming break mingled with nerves as she rushed down the stairs to her kitchen, where the aroma of freshly baked pastries filled the air. The sound of her mother and father discussing the latest news added to the bustling sound of the bakery preparing to open for the morning rush.

"Look, Marinette! Your friend Alya is on the news!" Her mother smiled as she packed her lunch, carefully placing sandwiches and snacks into her lunchbox.

"Thanks, Mom!" She looked at the TV in the middle of the room and noticed Alya Césaire's upset voice yelling to speak to the news reporter, Nadja Chamack.

"Yes! We're here to protest the discrimination and misogyny at Françoise Dupont. Too many women have been victims to the hateful and sexist boys that the male staff have no care for. Today is a day of change, not just for us, but for the women who have suffered from this unjust education system."

Marinette smiled to herself; her best friend was always passionate about journalism, no matter the subject. But as she saw the motivated protesters waving their signs in front of the school, she wondered if class was still mandatory.

"Hey, Mom, did they say anything about school being canceled because of the protest?" She asked her mother, Sabine, who was now making desserts for the day.

"No, sweetie. But they did say that students' passes will be excusable if they cannot physically get into the school." Sabine placed a tray into the oven, and turned back toward her daughter.

Marinette thought she could be at least 30 minutes late, given the excuse of the protest in front of the school. Despite that, the news channel continued its coverage to the point the police had arrived and were ushering the protesters out of the way.

She thanked her mom and ran out of the door, into the bustling streets and clamor of the people around her. In most cases, she was able to make it into school within 8 minutes, if she ran fast enough.

Unfortunately, her luck ran out as she got stuck waiting at a crosswalk for what felt like an eternity. Frustration bubbled up as she watched the seconds tick by, knowing she was running out of time. Finally when the light turned green, she sprinted across the street and up the steps of the school, passing by the remnants of the protest. The sight of so many people out on a Monday only added to her confusion. What was going on?

Her question was answered as she creaked the door, and slipped into Ms. Bustier's class. The teacher was talking about the aftermath of the protest and how traffic had to be stopped so that the police could arrest the people on the scene.

Normally, she would sit with Alya near the back so that they could discuss the latest news, but she noticed her best friend sitting beside someone they both disliked.

Chloé Bourgeois was sitting beside Alya. Marinette took a second to understand it when she sat down next to Nino, a mutual friend. She looked to her desk mate, who was equally confused until Ms. Bustier tapped her desk.

"Marinette, you're in the wrong seat. I changed the seating arrangements, so you're going to be sitting next to Sabrina." She pointed to the seat below them, where Sabrina turned and surveyed her desk mate.

"Sorry! I was late because of the protest." She tried to justify her lateness, but her excuse seemed less credible than it would have been 10 minutes ago.

"I understand that the rally at the front of the campus hindered some students from entering, but the main voice of the protest walked into class before you did." She glanced at Alya, who wasn't paying attention with her phone in her lap.