request from ao3. as usual, pinterest is my life, always and forever. also, OMG 1.1K!!
— MARINETTE WAS processing what had happened in the last few, eventful minutes in a private corner of her own, because a, she was trying to run away from her so-called old friends and b, she really needed the time to process this or she was going to explode.
Unfortunately, her seclusion didn't last long because, in a few seconds, Nino and Kim were rushing up to her, begging for her forgiveness.
"Marinette," Kim yelled, as he came to a stop in front of her. "Marinette, I'm so, so sorry, words can't express how sorry I am, please Marinette-"
On top of his voice, Nino was also voicing his apologies, "Mari, how can I make this up to you? I swear to always believe in you; I'm sorry I've been such a bad friend-"
All in all, it was sounding like a mess, and Marinette was beginning to back away from Nino and Kim.
Marinette laughed nervously, which, surprisingly shut the two of them up (she was expecting some more drastic measures to be taken). "So, um, I don't really know what to say, because you know, I've made my feelings pretty clear before. We're not friends anymore."
Nino and Kim looked at her with devastated eyes that did nothing to sway her decision.
An awkward silence descended on the trio of the once childhood friends.
Marinette looked around furtively, looking for an exit.
Spotting the hallway behind her, Marinette took the opportunity to escape. "So, because things got really awkward here, I'm just going to pretend I got a super important text and go somewhere that's not here, so...bye!"
The last word echoed lightly off the walls as Marinette raced down the hallway.
Looking behind her every now and then to make sure they weren't following her (you could never be too careful), Marinette didn't notice the orange girl until she practically barreled into her, the two of them stumbling.
Marinette opened her mouth to apologize profusely, but when she saw who she bumped into, she closed her mouth with an irritated snap.
What a lovely time to run into her one enemy that probably wants her dead by now.
Lila Rossi felt her anger burn beyond its limitations as she set her gaze on the bane of her existence.
Marinette Dupain-fucking-Cheng.
As Lila's gaze rested on the 'innocent' girl, every second made her anger burn brighter and more insane.
By this point, Lila was practically snarling in anger and the urge to just end Marinette's miserable existence was nagging Lila painfully.
"You," she hissed poisonously, her eyes flashing with hatred. "You little bitc-"
"I don't have time for this."
Dupain-Cheng's voice was icy and emotionless, and it made Lila feel a thousand times smaller, though she tried to hide it.
Feeling her anger spark even more, Lila resorted to more..physical means, attempting to shove Marinette back.
"I'll make you pay, you little home-wrecker," Lila pulled her arms back to shove Marinette.
She even would have, had Marinette's own hands not gripped her arms to the point of pain.
This time, when Lila looked at Marinette's face, she was properly intimidated.
"Listen up here, Rossi," Marinette hissed, her nails digging into Lila's skin. "Let me make this clear. Against me, you are nothing. Believe me, in your time at our school, I could have killed you a hundred times over, so be grateful that you're even alive."
"You're lying," Lila said, although the tremor in her voice bellied her true feelings.
"I can assure you," a frosty voice said, one that Lila recognized very well, having been the one to expose her, "That she is very much telling the truth. I have seen her do it herself. Do not underestimate her, as you did before, Ms. Rossi."
Damian Wayne looked at Lila with nothing but disdain and anger in his eyes, and suddenly, Lila felt like shrinking and falling into the ground because goddamn it, these two were scary.
"Now," Damian said clearly, gently prying Marinette's hands from Lila's now-crushed sleeves. "Let me be perfectly clear. You will not lie from this second forward about me, Marinette or any other member of my family. If you do so, Wayne Enterprises will sue you for your entire worth - which is quite meagre by the way - multiplied by a hundred. By the end of it, your life will be ruined permanently and you'll be spending the rest of it rotting in a jail cell."
Safe to say, Lila was terrified of Damian now.
But maybe she could salvage the situation? Damian said only the Wayne family...
"And," Damian continued. "I do suggest not lying about any celebrity, because, Ms. Rossi, currently, I believe you are 'trending' and your parents are being flooded with lawsuits."
Lila's jaw dropped open in shock.
"Do what you will with that," Damian smirked at her one more time before grabbing Marinette's hand and walking away dramatically.
Lila stood there in silence for what felt like hours, until her sharp ringtone cut into her subconscious.
Mama, it read.