Three Days Later
"You're coming to rehearsals after school today, right?" Adrien asks his mild-tempered girlfriend during their usual morning calls.
"Why? You don't want me there? Do you want to flirt with Lila while I'm not there, so you won't feel guilty about it?" Marinette snaps, still salty about the situation. She still wants Adrien to quit the play.
He frowns, slouching at his desk. He wished Marinette understood that rehearsing wasn't him flirting, and even more that he was basically being blackmailed to stay in the play. But of course, he couldn't say anything. "No. I want you there, Mari. I'm not flirting with Lila. I never have and I never will."
"You still have kissing scenes coming up," She mutters into her phone.
"Then on those days I'll get sick," Adrien reassures her, and a quick laugh escapes her. "If we do kiss, Lila will get sick, and she'll have to drop the role—"
"And I can swoop in and take the part," Marinette finishes, staring up at the sky roof. She hasn't gotten up to get ready for school yet. "Still, I don't like Lila being so close to you."
"And I—"
Nathalie peeks her head in Adrien's room. "Your father needs to speak with you, Adrien."
"I have to go, Marinette. I'll see you at school," He whispers, imagining a frown growing on her face. "I love you."
Marinette pauses and hesitates on what to say next. "I'll see you at school." She hangs up.
"You have to trust Adrien," Tikki tells her holder as she finally climbs out of bed and changes out of her pajamas. "You know he loves you."
"Lila is too sneaky and manipulative. Even if I did trust Adrien, she'd find a way to break that if she could." Marinette pulls on her t-shirt and slips on her dark blazer. Ignoring her messy hair, she puts her flats on and fifteen minutes later, heads downstairs.
Adrien isn't waiting for her, like he has been every day since they started dating.
Even if she's mad at him, Marinette still wanted to see him. She calls him and he doesn't answer. One more call, same thing. She waits for five minutes before giving up, and as she crosses the street, her phone buzzes with a text.
Adrien: Sorry I missed your call. My father grounded me, so I won't be at school today.
Marinette: Anything I can help with?
Adrien: Can you singlehandedly glue back the million broken pieces of my mother's garden statue?
Marinette: Right. Of course he'd be furious about that.
Adrien: Exactly. Until my father's anger subsides, I don't know when I'll be allowed out of the house.
If Adrien's grounded, that means he won't be at rehearsals today. Would his father make him quit the play? The thought of it made her almost happy, and sick and guilty at the same time. She didn't want to be the cliché, jealous girlfriend.
Marinette: I miss you already.
She opens her camera, posing with half a hand heart, and sends the selfie to Adrien.
Adrien: That's a cute picture.
Marinette smiles to herself and puts her phone away. She keeps walking to school and looks down at her purse. "I think I overreacted about the play, Tikki. I get his father makes him do extracurricular activities like fencing, piano, and Chinese lessons, so I should have been more understanding. I wish I could see Adrien and apologize in person."
"You'll get a chance, Marinette," Her kwami reassures her. "I'm sure of it."
"I hope." As Marinette walks into class, she spots Alya and Lila sitting together in the back. Her heart aches and they hold eye contact for a quick second before the pig-tailed girl slumps in her seat, alone at her table.
Miss Bustier claps her hands. "Alright, settle down class! I have an announcement about today's rehearsals. The school approved to extend the hours, so rehearsals today will be from three pm to seven pm. If anyone—"
"Uh, Miss B?" Nino interrupts, raising a hand. "Adrien just texted me and said he won't be in school today. He can't make the rehearsals."
"Oh, that's a shame," She whispers with a frown. "Well, we can go over everyone else's parts. One day won't hurt us. Alright, everyone. If you can open your online textbooks to..."
Marinette drowns out noise for the rest of class period.
***
Alya and Nino walk hand in hand towards the drama room. "Do you want to get ice cream before rehearsals start?" She asks her boyfriend. "We still have about an hour before—"
"Is that Adrien and Lila?" Nino interrupts, pointing.
She looks over and sees her two friends. "Oh, yeah. Didn't you say Adrien was grounded, though?"
"His dad must have let him out for the play rehearsals," He assumes, shrugging. "Or he snuck out."
"We should ask if they want to come—"
Alya goes speechless as Adrien grabs Lila's face and kisses her.
"NO WAY!" The couple shout in sync, jaws dropped.
The reporter grabs her phone and takes a picture of the two fraternizers. "Marinette was right about that snake!"
"Dude," Nino whispers, shaking his head. "I don't believe it. My bud and Lila? He swore they were just friends!"
"Isn't that what Adrien said about Marinette before they started dating?" Alya counters, crossing her arms. "'Just friends'?"
He shakes his head. "That is not cool."
Angry, Alya storms up to the supposed couple and grabs Adrien's collar, jerking him away from Lila. "You backstabbing jerks! How can you two go and kiss each other behind Marinette's back?"
"How could I not?" Lila playfully asks, reaching for Adrien's hand. "I guess all this time rehearsing made us realize we're made for each other."
Adrien looks over. "Marinette and I are done, Alya. I broke up with her this morning. She was so jealous and crazy about this stupid play. I couldn't take it anymore."
"Maybe because you've given her a reason to be jealous, pretty boy!" Alya doesn't hesitate and slaps Adrien across the face. "That's from Marinette because she's not here yet. You two should be ashamed of yourselves!"
Lila smirks and pulls Adrien closer. "I don't think ashamed is the right word." She kisses the model again, rubbing even more salt in the wound.
"You two are disgusting!" Alya grabs Nino's hand and run off towards the bakery.
Lila crosses her arms and watches the pair run off, eagerly on their way to let their best friend know her boyfriend cheated, just like she planned. "Think they'll tell Marinette?"
"They better, or kissing you would have been for nothing," Felix mutters, turning to glare at the redhead. "To be honest, I'd have rather kiss that girlfriend of Adrien's."
"Soon to be ex-girlfriend you mean," Lila corrects. "And don't push my buttons, Felix."
He snickers. "I was surprised to hear from my uncle, seeing how on my last visit we ended on bad terms, but I was even more surprised to hear about your plan. Specifically, to get back at Adrien and Marinette."
"Yeah, I'm a genius," She mutters, turning to face the look-alike cousin. "The plan's done for now. I'll let you know if I need you again."
"Pleasure as always, Lila," Felix lies through his teeth, and he grabs her hand and kisses it. "Queen of Chaos."
***
Earlier That Morning
Nathalie peeks her head in Adrien's room. "Your father needs to speak with you, Adrien."
"I have to go, Marinette. I'll see you at school," He whispers, imagining a frown growing on her face. "I love you."
Marinette pauses and hesitates on what to say next. "I'll see you at school." She hangs up.
Adrien's heart stops for a second as his reflection stares back at him through the dark screen on his phone. Did she really not say it back? Sighing, he stands from his desk and follows Nathalie downstairs to his father's office. He just wanted to go to school and see Marinette. As Adrien walks in, he sees a pot of the debris of his mother's garden statue sitting on his father's desk. Since Ladybug didn't transform when that sentimonster attacked, she wasn't able to fix the damage with her lucky charm. His mother's statue was one of his father's prized possessions. Now standing alone with his father, terrified, he didn't know what to say.
"I was very generous the other day, wasn't I?" Gabriel speaks, staring out towards the dead, empty garden. Coincidently, the flowers stopped growing the same time the statue was destroyed. "Letting you have a birthday party, letting you invite your friends over, even that horrible girlfriend of yours."
"Marinette is not—"
"I am not finished speaking, Adrien." He finally turns and looks at his son, his eyes cold and dark and full of rage. "That girl put not only yourself, but your classmates, me and Nathalie in danger. That sentimonster could have hurt anyone."
Adrien crosses his arms. "Yet it was sent after Marinette."
"I know it's only eight am, Adrien, but lose the morning grumpy attitude," His father threatens, crossing his arms behind his back as he steps forward. "You leave me no choice, since you've been too reckless to see the damage you're causing this family. I'm grounding you."
"What?" Adrien asks, shocked. "Father, no! I haven't done anything wrong!"
"Really, son?" Gabriel challenges. "Miss Dupain-Cheng has been a bad influence on you. You're talking back to me now. You're sneaking out. You're skipping class. What, you thought I wouldn't find out? I know everything! I know how you stabbed yourself with a pencil to skip class with her. I know you ditched for an entire day when she was kidnapped by Evillustrator again. Not to mention—again—putting you in danger at your own birthday party!"
"That was not Marinette's fault!" Adrien shouts back, angrier now. Almost by coincidence at the mention of her name, his phone vibrates in his pocket with a call waiting from her. If only he could answer it, he would. "We don't know why she was targeted, but she had no control over that."
"And I know you constantly sneak out to see her."
His eyes widen, heart pounding hard and ringing loud in his ears. "W-What?" Did his father truly know everything, including a certain black leathered secret?
Gabriel steps forward and Adrien flinches in fear. "You won't be going back to school for a while, Adrien. Not until you understand that what I'm doing is for your own good."
"Father, don't do this!" Adrien can't protect Marinette from Lila at home. "You can't do this to me."
"I am your father, Adrien, and I will do what if best for you." His father avoids eye contact as he turns around. "You're done seeing Marinette Dupain-Cheng. That relationship is terminated. From this moment forward, that girl will no longer be a part of your life."
Adrien shakes his head. "I love her."
"You're too young to understand love," Gabriel counters, a cold stare burning into his son's core. "Your bodyguard will be with you at all times, just to make sure you don't sneak out and you're doing all your work, of course."
"I am not your prisoner!" Adrien shouts, slamming the office door behind him as he stomps upstairs to his room. He checks his phone and notices a missed call from Marinette.
Adrien: Sorry I missed your call. My father grounded me, so I won't be at school today.
Marinette: Anything I can help with?
Adrien: Can you singlehandedly glue back the million broken pieces of my mother's garden statue?
Marinette: Right. Of course he'd be furious about that.
Adrien: Exactly. Until my father's anger subsides, I don't know when I'll be allowed out of the house.
Marinette: I miss you already.
With her text, she sends a selfie of her standing outside, posing with half a hand heart. He smiles.
Adrien: That's a cute picture.
"Are you sure your plan will work?" Gabriel asks the shadow hiding in the corner of his office.
Lila steps out, a wicked grin burned to her cheeks. "One hundred percent, Mr. Agreste. Grounding Adrien for one day is just what I need for everything to fall into place. By the end of the day, Marinette Dupain-Cheng will no longer love Adrien Agreste."
"Good." He nods, and adds, "That girl is a bad influence on my son, and I don't need him distracted."
"Considered her distracted," Lila whispers, grabbing her bag as she leaves for school. "Leave everything to me, Mr. Agreste."
***
Present Time
Marinette sits at her desk, rereading her email from World Wide Fashionista. She's still considering her decisions, to go and be happy, or to stay and be numb. The trap door flies open and slams loud against the floor, causing the girl to jump out of her seat. "AHHH!"
"Marinette!" Alya shouts, dragging Nino behind her. She starts waving her phone. "You have to see this."
After calming down, the dark-haired girl finally realizes who barged in her room and crosses her arms with a glare. "What are you two doing here? Don't rehearsals start soon?"
"You were right, Marinette," Her best friend starts, panting from the run over. "About Lila. She's a horrible person."
Marinette rolls her eyes. "Gee, how did you finally come to the conclusion, detective?"
"Because we saw Adrien kiss Lila," Nino spits out.
Marinette's heart falls and swears she can feel it shatter in her chest. Her breathing quickens and she tries to calm herself down, just as her kwami taught her. "W-What? He... he kissed Lila?"
Alya and Nino nod.
"Y-You mean for the play, right?" She asks, hopeful. She could forgive her boyfriend for a stupid kiss in a stupid play. Desperate, she asks again. "Right? They were just rehearsing?"
Alya and Nino share a look.
"I don't understand..."
"It's true, my dude," Nino whispers. "We saw it with our own eyes."
Alya hands Marinette her phone. "I took a picture for proof."
She takes it and her eyes widen at the picture. Adrien and Lila kissing outside the drama room. They hadn't even tried to hide it? "But... Adrien told me he was grounded! Why is he at school?"
"That's what Adrien told everyone," Nino says, crossing his arms. "But I guess his dad let him come for the play rehearsals.
"Adrien... kissed... Lila?!" Marinette shouts, breaking down in a fit of tears, and Alya is quick to hug and comfort her. "I knew it! I knew this would happen!"
Alya rubs her back. "If it makes you feel better, I slapped Adrien. Across the face. As hard as I could."
Marinette smiles at her best friend. She missed her so much. She never wanted to fight with Alya, but Lila had to ruin everything. Nino joins the hug, and they sit together on her floor as Marinette cries for an hour, absolutely heartbroken.
The three of them decide to watch a movie on her computer. Alya and Nino snuggle together on the pink chaise and Marinette sits backwards on her desk chair, resting her chin on it.
"Do you want me to share that picture?" Alya asks out of nowhere, pausing the movie after noticing her best friend wasn't even paying attention. "Show everyone how Lila and Adrien truly are?"
"I don't know..." She whispers, sighing. "No one would believe her. Besides, that'd only hurt Adrien and—"
"And he is a backstabbing leech," Alya finishes. She unlocks her phone and taps the share icon on the picture. "One click and I can send it to everyone in my contacts. But if you don't want me to, I won't."
Nino sits forward. "Too late." He taps 'Forward to All Contacts'.
Marinette and Alya scream. "Nino!"
"What?" He questions. "What Adrien did wasn't cool! You were my friend first, Marinette. He doesn't get to hide behind his perfect reputation. People deserve to know the truth."
"Nino has a point, Marinette," Alya agrees.
Marinette sighs. "I guess you're right. People should know the truth." But I never planned on hurting Adrien.
The model sits at his desk, finishing the last of his homework when his kwami peeks out from his jacket, silently begging for food. He's been locked in his room for hours; the kwami continues to suffer without cheese. Adrien glares at him, silently telling him to wait, and peeks a look at his bodyguard. He sits on the piano bench, carefully watching Adrien with eagle eyes. His phone buzzes with a new text from Alya. "Alya?" He whispers to himself, checking the notification. His eyes widen. "WHAT?!"
It's a picture of Adrien—or someone that bears a strong resemblance—kissing his classmate, Lila.
Adrien stands up. "I, uh, finished my homework early. I'm going to take a shower! Shower now!" He runs to the bathroom and slams the door shut behind him. He examines the photo again. "What the hell is going on?"
"What's that?" Plagg asks, peeking over his shoulder. His tiny green eyes widen. "Kid, what did you do? First Ladybug, then Marinette, and now Lila?"
"Plagg, you know that's not me!" The model defends. "I don't understand. How is Lila kissing Adrien—uh, me?!"
"Maybe it's photoshop," The kwami suggests.
"This picture is being sent everywhere!" Adrien shouts as his phone starts buzzing with new—and hurtful—texts from his friends.
Kim: Not cool, Adrien. Having two girlfriends is just a disaster waiting to happen. Trust me, I would know. Still, you're a jerk!
Nathaniel: I would never treat Marinette like that.
Rose: HOW COULD YOU HURT SWEET, PERFECT, LOVEABLE MARINETTE?! WHAT DID SHE EVER DO TO YOU? YOU DON'T DESERVE HER LOVE! I HOPE BOTH SIDES OF YOUR PILLOW ARE WARM!
Juleka: Rude.
Plagg snickers. "Yikes. If these people are your friends, I wonder what Marinette thinks."
Adrien's eyes widen. "Marinette!" He calls and waits for an answer.
Marinette holds her phone as a call comes in. "Adrien's calling," She whispers, looking to her friends for guidance. "Do I answer?"
"Yes!" Alya shouts. "Give him a piece of your mind before you block his ass."
She nods and answers the call, putting it on speakerphone. "Hello, Adrien."
"Mari!" He shouts, relieved she actually answered. "I need to talk to you!"
"What about, Adrien?" She asks, standing from her chair as she starts pacing her room. "Oh wait. Do you mean about that photo of you and Lila KISSING?!"
"Yes!" He shouts, then backtracks. "I mean no! No, I didn't kiss Lila! That's not me. You have to believe me."
Marinette laughs. "Don't even try to get yourself out of this, boy. Alya and Nino saw you! It's two against one. Who am I supposed to believe?"
"Lila's obviously lying! You know I would never kiss her!"
"You kissed Ladybug, though!" She counters, and Alya and Nino gasp. She had no idea why she mentioned that. "So, is it wrong of me to think you wouldn't go and kiss another girl? You've done it before."
Adrien stands in silence, shocked. Marinette can't be serious. "You kissed Cat Noir," He reminds her with a cold tone. "And I don't hold that against you."
With tears in her eyes, Marinette screams, "But I didn't go and kiss someone else!"
"I didn't either!"
"You two have been getting so close because of this stupid play. It was bound to happen, Adrien. You two deserve each other. Have a good show. I hope you break your leg." Hanging up, Marinette throws her phone on her desk and screams. "Ugh!"
Alya stands up and cheers, "Yes, girl! Speak your mind! He needed to hear all that."
"When did Adrien kiss Ladybug?" Nino questions.
Marinette sighs and sits back down at her desk, glancing at the email icon blinking. She couldn't stop thinking about how much Adrien was defending himself. Maybe he was telling the truth. "Adrien has a point. Lila lies all the time and—"
"No, that's what he wants you to think!" Nino interrupts. "We saw him kissing Lila in person!"
Alya adds, "And he personally felt my hand across his face."
"Maybe I'm just being hopeful." She spins in the chair and turns away from her friends. "I never thought Adrien could do something like this."
"None of us did."
"Marinette..." Alya spins the chair back around and makes her look over. "I'm sorry for not believing you, for the horrible things I said to you in class. I should have never picked Lila's side over yours. Can you forgive me?"
She nods and whispers, "I forgive you, Alya, but it's going to take a while for the pain to heal. But I understand, Lila can be pretty manipulating." Lila was right. She did steal Adrien from me.
"Let's not think about Adrien!" Nino says. "New topic."
"Well..." Marinette takes in a deep breath. "You know that fashion brand I'm in love with?"
"World Wide Fashionista?" Alya and Nino ask in sync.
She nods. "At Adrien's birthday party, the CEO-director called me and offered me an internship."
"WHAT?!"
Marinette exits the movie and opens her email. "It's a three-month internship in New York over the summer. They have this special competition with all the new interns and if I win, I can go to any college of my choice and start creating my own fashion line."
"You have to go!" Alya cheers. "This is your dream!"
"My girl's right," Nino agrees. "You can't pass up this opportunity."
"Even if there was something in Paris I had to stay for?" Ladybug, for example?
Alya rolls her eyes. "Adrien's not a part of your life anymore. There's nothing holding you back, girl!"
"I have to give them a decision by next week."
"Why don't you call them now?"
Marinette's eyes widen. "NOW?!"
Alya grabs her phone and gives it to her. "This is a chance of a lifetime! You have to go! Nino and I totally support you on this. Right?"
Nino nods and pats her shoulder. "Totally. Chase your dream, bud."
Marinette glances over to where she knows Tikki is hiding and frowns. "I'll have to think about it. There are still many things to consider, and I should talk to my parents first."
"Better make your choice fast, girl, because these kinds of things only come once." Alya continues the movie and snuggles back into Nino.
Marinette zones out, turning away from the screen as she stares at her wall.
What was more important?
Marinette's happiness or Ladybug's duty to Paris?