Marinette looked up from her sketchbook as Lila burst through the door without knocking. She barely glanced at Marinette and headed straight for Chloe. A duffel bag was sling over her shoulder.
"Hey! Are you ready?"
Marinette raised an eyebrow. She didn't know Lila and Chloe were friends again.
Chloe stuffed a t-shirt into her bag. "Pretty much."
Lila turned, noticing Marinette sitting on the bed. "Hi; Marinette." She fiddled with the bag of her strap nervously.
"Hi, Lila." Marinette but her lip. "Where are you going?"
"I'm spending Christmas with my mom, but Chloe invited me to stay at her flat tonight."
It had been almost six weeks since Jagged had passed. Marinette hadn't spoken to Luka or Adrien since they day she's found out.
"You're going home for Christmas, right?" Chloe asked.
Marinette shook her head. "I'm staying here."
Her mom's bakery wasn't doing as well as it should've been, and there were no extra funds for travel. Marinette was lucky she had a scholarship or she would've had to drop out of Clifton altogether.
Chloe opened her mouth, then closed it. "Lila, wait for me downstairs?"
Lila left, and Chloe finished packing. Marinette went back to her sketchbook.
"You could always stay with me," Chloe offered.
"You're staying too?"
Chloe shrugged. "Daddy's busy. He'll be here Christmas Day."
"What about your mom?"
Chloe scowled. "She's off in New York with my sister." Her face reddened.
"I didn't know you had a sister."
"Yeah, I don't really talk about it."
Marinette bit her lip. "I mean it would be better than staying by myself."
"There's plenty of room too," Chloe continued. "Way less opportunity for us to kill each other than here."
Marinette supposed this was Chloe's idea of a peace offering, and she wasn't opposed to taking it if it meant she didn't have to stay at Clifton over the break.
"We'll wait downstairs for you," Chloe said.
Marinette hurriedly packed her things. She tossed a few sweaters and jeans into her duffel bag. She slipped out of her uniform and changed into a pair of leggings and long sleeved black sweater.
She was half afraid this had been a prank and that when she arrived, Chloe and Lila would be gone.
Marinette was wrong though. Though Chloe and Lila had stowed their bags in the trunk, they were waiting on the pavement. She quickly put her duffel in the open trunk and hopped inside the car after the girls.
This update kinda sucks. I'm still really busy rn and I'll try to do another update soon.