Be Myself

Be Myself - Chapter Fourteen

Marinette walked down the halls of the school the next day, Tikki on her shoulder to provide emotional support. While the main cause for all the hostility towards her in the school had vanished, there was still a tense atmosphere remaining in the air.

Marinette had been AKUMATISED.

The students were scared of her.

"No matter that basically every other student here gets akumatised and there was no negative reaction - no - when I become Pest everything changes!" Marinette scoffs as she stomps to her next class. Tikki immediately flew to her ear and whispered to her, trying not to catch the attention of the other students.

"No Marinette! No negative emotions. We can't rely on Chloe to keep saving you and taking over Ladybug's responsibility." She said. "You're Ladybug, and you need to remain strong and secure."

"I almost killed Alya! It's a wonder she's happy to be in the same class as me, let alone sit next to me." Marinette sighed but thinking of Alya afraid of her didn't feel right. Maybe... there's a separate reason. She could be afraid of Marinette, but...

She's probably going to try and use this akumatisation as a spring board to continue emotionally abusing me... she thought to herself, already knowing what she's getting into.

Marinette sighed, showing no other verbal response, and touched the earring on the ear Tikki wasn't near.

"Maybe I shouldn't be Ladybug - maybe Paris would be better without someone like me 'protecting' them."

Tikki opened her mouth to reply, but Marinette had already opened her class door, and had stepped inside. As she passed by other desks, she noticed some students edging away from her in fear. Mylene and Rose gave her shy smiles, while Chloe gave her something between a smirk and a grin. Marinette shook her head - while wearing a light smile at the sights of the other girls.

It was quickly wiped by Alya glaring at her, which to Marinette felt like a sharp dagger impaling her from behind. She winced when she spotted Alya and stumbled a couple steps. She heard someone move behind her and she braced herself - expecting it to be Alya, about to shove her to the ground or something. In her haste and worry, she tripped herself, and braced for the hard hit of the floor.

"Alya will get a kick out of this." Marinette thought - half believing her statement to be literal and Alya to start kicking her back as she landed.

She closed her eyes, preparing to feel the first hit.

She didn't expect feel a hand against her stomach, stopping her from tripping and falling on the floor. In a daze, she turned around and saw the shiny blonde that used to make her heart flutter like a dragonfly.

"A - Adrien!" She stammered, gratefully allowing him to help her back up, and guide her to her seat. Her cheeks flushed, she smiles happily at him, and felt her heart lift again at the sight of him returning that smile, his cheeks also slightly red. All thoughts of that kiss she shared with Chat Noir the previous night disappeared at the sight of the colour on Adrien's cheeks.

Honestly, she felt strange now, thinking about her and Chat Noir. In the moment, the kiss they shared felt almost perfect.

The keyword being ALMOST.

It felt right, but also incredibly wrong. As if something was missing - a part of Chat Noir that Marinette had been unable to unlock. It made the interaction between the two of them feel... hollow. Abandoned. Incomplete.

She realised she'd been spacing out thinking about the kiss, and quickly turned to Adrien again, realising he'd been trying to talk to her.

"Adrien! Yes - umm - Adrien. Sorry but I misheard... basically everything you just said." The class harshly laughed at her - Alya the loudest of all - but Marinette tried to push the embarrassment aside and focus on Adrien. "Umm... would you mind repeating yourself?"