Between Generations

Chapter 13

"So...hi."

Alix looked at her, having to jog a little to keep up with the group on her short legs. "Hey." She smiled.

Lise gazed around the group, trying to identify familiar faces. "Would you mind telling me the names of all of them?"

"Yeah, that's cool." Alix pointed a thumb behind her at a tall goth girl and a pink blonde. "That's Juleka and Rose." She then stuck out a thumb to her left at another short girl with rainbow dreads, "That's Mylene. And the guys in front of us are Alya and Nino."

Lise's mind whirled. Names mentioned in her parents' conversations in the evenings when they thought she was asleep drifted back in memories. She remembered them talking about the Miraculous Holders...

"Where are you from?"

Lise jumped, bringing her mind back to the current situation. She could see that their group was nearing the stadium where the Jagged Stone concert was going to take place.

Jagged Stone, in her time, was a retired musician, and he spent his time helping teach young artists make a name for themselves in the music industry at a prestigious music academy. It feels so weird to know that Jagged Stone and my parents are young in this time. I get to see what they were like 31 years before my time.

Someone cried out. Everyone around Lise started to run into a nearby cafe except for Alya. She whipped out her phone, a keychain with a little ladybug charm dangling off the side. No sign of terror was on her face as she started to record. Exhilaration lit up her face.

Lise looked over Alya's shoulder to see something red dancing across the phone screen.

"It's Ladybug!" Alya called out excitedly. "Ladybug!"

Alix and the others cheered on from behind the cafe windows.

Ladybug. The superhero herself?

Hope bloomed in Lise's heart. She hasn't disappeared yet. Maybe I could tell her what's going to happen!

Lise watched from the sidewalk at an agile woman clad in a red costume with black spots ran up the sides of the building, swinging a long yo-yo. Her blue hair shone in the sun rays peeking out from behind the clouds between swings. She thrust it again at a lamppost and swung herself onto the rooftops nearby. When she landed, she broke into a run, and disappeared from view.

Breathless, Lise took a moment to process what she had just seen.

I have a once in a lifetime opportunity to see Miraculous Ladybug herself. No one in my class has seen her before! I have to see her before she disappears!

But despair seeped into her mind.

Should I tell her what's going to happen? That's she's going to disappear?

——

When the chaos from a distant location passed and Paris was deemed safe again for citizens, Alix and the others came back out of the cafe to join Alya and Lise, and they resumed walking towards the stadium.

When they reached the entrance, Nino called out. "Hey! There's Kim, Max, and Marinette!"

Lise's eyes widened. She craned her neck to look at the tall figure in a red sweatshirt looking confused as a small dark skinned boy with glasses tried to explain something. He had large biceps and his hair was styled to a point, the tips were dyed blond.

"Dad—"

Lise clapped a hand over her mouth.

Everyone turned to stare at her.

"Uh...sorry. I thought I saw my father." Lise waved a hand, gesturing at a passerby jaywalking across the street. She rubbed the back of her neck nervously, her eyes dropping to the ground. "Never mind."

"Hey, Lise! How are you?" Marinette waved and ran over. She enveloped the girl into a hug, causing the blond-haired girl to forget about Kim.

Lise's body went stiff. I just met this girl! How is she so friendly to me?

Marinette let her go with a huge smile on her face. "Hey Alya!"

"Mar! You made it! I'm so ready to rock on!"

Nino frowned, and glanced to Kim and Max. "Where's the golden boy, huh?"

"Eh. Probably hiding away at home." Kim shrugged. "Don't really care anyway."

"Oh good." Alya put a hand over her heart in relief. "We dodged a bullet there! I don't want to hear any more of how he's such a great model and how he's such a good friend to Chloe."

"Honestly, who could be friends with a brat, but another brat?" pointed out Marinette with a scowl. "After all, it's to be expected of a rich model."

Are they really talking about Adrien Agreste? Lise thought. I thought he was best friends with them...

"Enough of that. Let's enjoy the concert!"

This is all wrong. They're supposed to be friends with Adrien. My parents talked about him all the time. This must be what the kwamis were talking about. I'm supposed to fix this.

"Um, actually, I'm going to...my home." Lise started to back away from the group. "I have to...work on my uh...designs! I have a project for an online class!" she blurted out. She let her gaze linger longer on Alix.

I don't want to know this group if it's not the right one. Something is wrong. I can feel it.

A sudden realization shook her with a jolt.

What if my appearance in this time ruined everything?

Could I have erased my existence somehow?

——-