Strike At Midnight || Luka Couffaine

Chapter 4 ❧ Picture Perfect

"We'll do everything we can to make it right this time," Marinette says. "Don't forget to smile."

Juleka still look unsure. I sigh, reaching a decision. I don't want to see my friends so desolated. I embrace her side, squeezing her gently. "Don't worry. It'll be fine." Although she seems to brighten up only slightly, for Juleka, it means she's all better. Maybe I can let this one slide. I refuse to let my best friend get akumatized.

The photographer calls for our class and requests us to take our seat in the front. Chloe goes on to act like her bratty self as I silently visualise duct tape over her mouth. Once the photographer managed to organise our whole class, Chloe only now decided to become a greater nuisance.

"Chloe stop embarrassing yourself!" I hiss as she tries to shove away Juleka from the centre.

"Hey nobody asked you loudmouth," Chloe snaps. "I'm not next to Adrien!"

Neither am I- nor Marinette- but you don't see me running my pothole like a siren.

"I'm sorry, guys. I need to fetch another battery. Nobody move," the photographer announces. I want to groan in frustration with how unnecessarily long this is dragging out. Juleka and Sabrina asked to go to the bathroom as we waited.

Sabrina returned just as the photographer did. I spy Chloe slip into Juleka's spot to my irritation.

"Chloe, could you please, please not make this so complicated?" I ask.

"How did you get here?" Adrien says.

"Who cares? At last, I'm in the right spot," Chloe says.

"I want you to flash your best smiles because this is the last time we're doing this," the photographer says. Wait what? Since when was picture-taking only done once? I was about to object since Juleka hasn't returned. Is he not seeing what an ass Chloe is being?!

"Wait!" Marinette says, but a light flashes as the photographer takes our photo. "Please, sir, we have to redo the photo. Juleka is not in it."

"She's right! It's not fair!" I say.

"Jule-who?" Mr Damocles says, causing my jaw to drop. Who can forget JULEKA?! Especially with the neon purple streak in her hair.

"Mr Damocles, shouldn't we be heading lunch? And aren't you paying the photographer by the hour?" Chloe interrupts with a smirk. My fingers are itching to strangle her! 

"Oh yes! No time to retake..." WHAT?! What is is this injustice. Since when were adults so dense and insensitive? I'd understand if Juleka was absent from school but she was just here!

I turn back to Chloe, glaring daggers at her. "Why is it acceptable for you to be an idiot but not for me to point it out?" was what I wanted to say. Instead, what came out is, "You shouldn't have done that!"

"Oh please, I'm not having any of you nagging," Chloe says, sashaying out. That's the last straw. My fist is begging to be introduced to her.

"Selene," Rose calls. "Let's just go and find Juleka."

I whip my head away and stomp back to rose. Instead of going for lunch, we check all the bathrooms Juleka could have visited until we spotted a chair leaning onto a cubicle door. Chloe that witch! As we run over to the cubicle, I here miserable sobs. "Oh, Juleka..."

Rose hurriedly moves the chair away and I open the door to meet a broken-hearted Juleka. She mumbles, "I missed the photo didn't I?"

"Yeah, another one of Chloe's mean tricks."

"Should I expect it to be any different. Nobody ever hears me or sees me. I'm invisible."

"Don't say that Juleka!" 

"Forget it. A long as Chloe's in the picture, she'll find a way to keep me out it." Juleka runs out the door. Rose tries to stop her. "Really, Rose. Forget it. Forget me."

"No wait!"

I place an arm on Rose. "I'll talk to her." I blot out the bathroom to chase her. 

"Selene." I stop in my tracks when I hear Nathalie's voice in my airpod. "Mr Agreste says the negative energy is getting stronger. The target is located and the time is ripe. Find Juleka Couffaine." No. Dear God. Not Juleka.

"Yes, I'm on it," I say.I run out he school and survey the area until I find her crouching on a bench nearby.  I clear my throat.

"Go away, Selene. I don't want to talk right now," Juleka says gruffly. I clench my fists to keep them from trembling. All I wish to do is comfort her- tell her it's all right. The jinx is just a fluke and we could fix this stupid mess together. 

I slide onto the bench beside her. "I'm sorry, Juleka. No, you shouldn't be upset about this matter at all. So what if you're jinxed? You can't help it."

"Yeah, you're right... why is it like this?"

"So what if you can't appear in pictures and no one seems to remember you? I mean, I wish you could but you're powerless to change things the way they are now. It's such a trivial matter so, you shouldn't cry over it." Cruel words spill out from my mouth as easily as how river flows, but it didn't mean I'm not hurting at all. "And besides, you said you've been jinxed since you were little. I'm sure you've gotten over it by now."

"I-I'm not," Juleka says, starting to sob. The way she curls up even smaller breaks my heart into a million pieces. I'm sorry, Juleka. This is for Emily.

A familiar butterfly hovers over her and grazes her portable mirror on the back of her glove. I take a step back to let it all unravel. Hawkmoth's sinister voice coerce Juleka's despair. "Reflekta, I am Hawkmoth. From now on, you will be the only one people see. No one will ever ignore you again. However, you must do me a favour in return when the time comes."

"Yes, Hawkmoth," Juleka says, transforming into hopefully, the supervillain who will finally take Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous.

 Nathalie says in my ear, "Good work. Now on to phase two."

I turn heels and run for cover. I unzip my cling bag and the bane of my existence comes flying out. Grimm says, "Don't you get tired of putting make up on two faces every morning?"

"I hide behind sarcasm because telling you to go screw yourself is rude in most social situations. Now shut up." I roll my eyes.

"Keep rolling your eyes. Maybe you'll find your brain back there."

"I don't have time for this," I say. "Grimm, witching hour!"