The Chemistry of a Romcom

Chapter 1

Sweat on my back drips down to the waistband of my pink pajama shorts. Rolling onto my other shoulder, then rubbing my hand across the silky smooth round pillow. Rubbing my pointer and thumb fingers together, feeling a hangnail, and wincing. The pain makes me open my eyelids slowly and blink, looking around. The window next to my bed is cracked, letting in the dewy morning air. Dragging in a clear breath of air before pushing my arm underneath me to shove up onto my bum. Looking to the middle of my room and to blink out the sleepiness, then see the open diary on my desk.

I suppose I must have left it open last night when I went to sleep... must have been too tired.

I immediately shoot my hands out, alarmed with my fingers spread wide. My eyes are wide as I look around, reaching up to touch my mouth. My lips are still shut, the skin plastered together from not opening them all night. They're even chapped! How could I have possibly spoken?

This must be a dream.

There are the thoughts again! Reaching my hand around to pinch the skin on my arm to double-check, but instead feel a prick of pain. Yelping quietly before smacking my mouth with both my hands, sealing it shut.

No way...

This is so cool!

"Marinette, get up, you're going to be late!" My mother yells from downstairs. Grabbing my phone, which now, oddly enough, is a flip-phone. It doesn't show the time, however, when I look at the alarm clock on a shelf hung next to my bed, the time reveals to be 7:15. School starts at 8! I exclaim loudly, clambering out of my bed; however, my foot misses the stairs, and I go tumbling down the rest of the way. Rubbing my head painfully before grasping for the clothes I have hung up. All summer, I hung out with Adrien, the one and only model I take inspiration from, and my friend! Well, him, Alya, and Nino! So, this first day of school is going to be good, for the first time, I'll begin a year with friends. And it's my freshman year, so everything is going to be great.

Putting on the uniform which they made us get for the year, adding my own details with one sock being up higher than the other, my hair up in one ponytail held up by a scrunchy, and chunky bracelets. My traditional ladybug earings which Tikki has yet to bother me about taking off last night to sleep. Then I slip on my shoes, looking back at the clock again. 7:25! I squeal before whisper-yelling for Tikki, who I see pop in through the window, making my eyebrow, before she passes me my purse off its hook. I pick up my diary locking it, and put it in my purse. 

"Where were you, Tikki?" I question her as I brush my teeth quickly while trying to floss at the same time.

The chibi-looking ladybug kwami responds with as much sincerity as one could muster, "I... don't remember."

I furrow my brows before urging her into my purse, then heading downstairs. Mom stirs food on the stove, although what it could be is lacking in my mind; it could be for the strange old man we helped the other day, who moved in at the apartments over the way.  "You know what time it is, Marinette?"

"I'm running late!" I yell before scooping cereal into my mouth, drink some milk, then run to the door, waving her goodbye. We're really close to the school, it's just a straight run, left turn, and another left before one right, then you're there!

Running out of the house and grabbing my bike out of the front, hopping on the back. My phone rings, I could swear it was a smartphone and not a flip one. But maybe I'm just remembering wrong. I shuffle it onto my shoulder while I bike as fast as I can. "Hello?"

"Heyo, Mari, girl, where are you? It's the warning bell." I panic pedaling even faster when Alya announces how soon it is. I make it just in time for it to be 8. I drag my bike up before catching a glimpse of a silver car to the side. That couldn't be Adrien, would it? But the one and only blond head pokes out from the door, except he doesn't feel the same. He seems more like Felix? I can't explain it.