Miraculous Ships

The Butterfly Effect

Adrien was even more confused. He looked around the room, only to receive glares from other people in the class. Why did they hate him so much? Did it have something to do with Chloe?

The rest of the day passed quickly. No one spoke to Adrien but Chloe, and when he tried to make conversation with anyone else they spoke only a few words before they left. Marinette and her friend, whose name was Alya, Adrien had learnt, simply ignored him.

It wasn't until that afternoon, after school, that Adrien had a chance to talk to Marinette alone.

It was raining outside, thunder was rumbling in the distance. Adrien stood on the steps outside, opening his umbrella, when Marinette stepped next to him and held her hand out to check how heavy the rain was.

Adrien stepped in front of her, umbrella raised over his head, "I'm sorry about the gum on your chair. It's my first day and I was just listening to Chloe. She's the only person I really know here."

"I don't care if she's the only person you know in the universe! You should have known better," Marinette said, staring straight into Adrien's eyes, making him incredibly uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry. Here, take this. You'll need it more than me."

"I don't want your stupid umbrella. What is this, another prank planned out by Chloe?"

"No, I promise. I wanted to be friends," Adrien protested, trying to hand the umbrella to Marinette.

She batted it away before turning on her heel and walking away into the rain, holding her jacket over her head to try and keep herself dry.

Adrien watched as she walked away. In the distance, a clap of thunder rolled through the sky, but it seemed like Adrien was the only one who heard it.

~

"Alya, I can't believe him!" Marinette ranted into her phone, slicing the material perfectly down the middle. She was making a dress. After finishing the design, she had piled stacks of material onto her desk and began cutting the fabric into the shapes she needed.

"I know. See, people who hang out with Chloe are bad news," Alya replied, and Marinette heard typing. Alya was either working on a blog or she was doing homework.

"He's Gabriel Agreste's son."

"What?! Does he think he can do stuff like putting gum on peoples' chairs because his father is famous?"

"Apparently. Alya, I have to go. See you tomorrow!"

"See you, girl!" The phone call ended and Marinette went back to the dress.

An hour later, Marinette was almost finished. She had designed a pink A-line dress with sparkles across the hem and flowers cascading from on shoulder to the waist.

"Nearly done," Marinette muttered, looking for her bag of flowers to add the finishing touches. She lifted the small satin bag of flowers from where she had dropped them and spotted a small box, a design similar to the ones that decorated their house was engraved on the lid.

Marinette lifted the box from her desk and opened it, releasing an orb of pink light. Jumping back, Marinette screeched throwing whatever she could grab at the small creature, who dodged each item gracefully.

Marinette leapt at the creature, which looked like a huge bug, with a glass in her hand. She brought it to the ground, trapping the little red thing inside.

"Marinette, don't be afraid. I'm a kwami. My name is Tikki," the bug creature said, her voice high pitched yet kind.

Marinette lay on the ground in silent shock for a moment, before jumping back and screeching louder. Tikki flew out of the glass and hovered in Marinette's face.

"You don't need to worry, I help you transform into a superhero!" Tikki exclaimed excitedly, "You have all sorts of powers, like your Lucky Charm, but you can only use it once before you have to transform back. All you have to say is 'Tikki, spots on!' and you'll transform!"

"Tikki, spots on?"

A flash of pink light later, and Marinette was replaced by a girl in a spotted suit with a matching mask and red ribbons in her hair. A yoyo was strapped around her waist. She looked like a Ladybug.

"I guess I'll be called Ladybug, then," the new hero said, tugging at the ribbons on her pigtails once before climbing onto her balcony and throwing her yoyo. Ladybug tugged on it unsurely and was sent rocketing through the sky, screaming as she flew over the streets.

A black shape came into her vision. Unfortunately, it was actually a human, or rather, a boy in a black cat themed superhero suit.

"Look out!" Ladybug screamed, plummeting towards him. Without hesitating, the boy caught her easily, still balancing on the silver baton under his feet.

"Looks like you're already falling for me," the boy said, smirking at his pun, "I'm Chat Noir."

"I guess I have," Ladybug murmured without thinking, staring into Chat Noir's green eyes, "I'm Ladybug."

"I feel like we're going to be very good friends, M'Lady," Chat Noir said, bowing, and kissing Ladybug's hand. Ladybug mentally agreed. Maybe Adrien Agreste was a horrible person, but her new superhero partner seemed to be much nicer.

Maybe, just maybe, she already had a tiny crush on the black cat.

1551 wor