Marinette's POV
I missed Damian.
That's why I picked up the phone call with a little hesitation. It was nice to hear his voice, but it hurt because he was on another continent.
All was going fine, until I heard another voice added to our conversation.
"—does Demon Spawn have a girlfriend?"
"Goodbye," he says quickly, and I removed my ear away from my phone as I hear the trill beeps of his voicemail.
It frustrated me that I was open with him, even with my family, and the moment they encroached on his territory, he was closed off and defensive.
I couldn't judge him for his family or life choices, but it still stung.
After that, we did our best to keep in contact.
Any moment we had free time, we would facetime, call, or text.
I knew he was busy back home.
And like a stalker, I searched him up online. The endless news articles of his dating life bothered me, seeing pictures of perfect models put next to him. It was rich girls from galas, girls from school, or celebrities that had crushes on him.
It was driving me crazy, and I knew I had to stop caring.
Any time his siblings found out he was on the phone, he would end it abruptly. Damian didn't want his family to know about me, and it hurt. Why was he keeping me hidden?
And it only got worse as we fell out of touch. We started out calling and FaceTiming at odd times because of our time zones, but it got turned into texts, and now, nothing.
It often ended suddenly, or when we realized we were keeping each other away from previous sleep.
Little by little, we talked less and less over the months.
Damian didn't like me as much as I liked him I guess, and I had foolishly kissed him and believed his words. He didn't even fully trust me with his real name, so how could I trust him?
I distracted myself with an endless stack of commissions for celebrities and the wealthy around the world. If I wasn't doing that, I was dealing with the Miraculous.
I wore both Plagg and Tikki, because I had to keep the balance. It drained me, and I needed to find another owner, soon. But I couldn't be careless about it, the Black Cat and Ladybug Miraculous are powered by character and emotions, while all the others are by just emotional state.
Worse, Nathalie was still missing, and we still suspected that she had the Peacock Miraculous.
With the help of Tikki, we tracked the Peacock Miraculous to the United Stated, specifically the East Coast. But I would bet the Miracle Box that it was in Gotham with the Black Mask, or even another villain.
Which meant that I had to go to America.
My heart dreamed of there. Not for the country, but for the one person who I felt really understood me.
But the one person I wanted to see, I couldn't. I need to get him out of my head. I had other things to focus on.
Like how the Peacock Miraculous was still out there. I had finally brought back Nooroo safe and sound, but Hawkmoth was able to dupe me one last time.
Even with all those matters to deal with, I also had to keep up with school.
Time had fled between my fingers, and our graduation was next week.
And I was the valedictorian.
Damian, Adrien, and I all were running up for it, but they both left, so the responsibility was left to me. I was surprised that Max didn't get placed with us, until I remembered his failing grades in PE.
But I had less than a week to submit my final copy, and I only had a blank sheet of paper in front of me.
I groaned, which grabbed Tikki's attention.
"You alright Marinette?" She asks.
"I'm fine. I just wish this stupid speech would write itself." I confess.
"It's not a stupid speech. You earned this," Tikki assured me.
I raised my head from my desk, "Then why do I feel guilty about it?"
"It's only natural to feel that way," Tikki said. "You're human, I would feel concerned if you didn't feel this way."
I started a weak counterargument, but a loud ding came from my email on my computer.
I ignored it, it was probably just a random spam email. I had little hope for it to be a college acceptance notice, I had only applied to a little less than a dozen schools, and had heard back from all of them but one.
Besides, most acceptance letters had weeks before, so I took the silence as a rejection letter.
I had already been accepted to the top fashion programs across Europe, and right now, I was planning on attending the Paris College of Music and the Arts.
Chloe was going to NYU to be work her mother in New York. She was leaving for America right after graduation.
With curiosity eating away at me, I went to open the email.
I still audibly gasped when I saw an email from Gotham University.
My mouse hovered over the email, because I don't know if I could take another loss.
I opened it anyways and started to read,
"Dear Ms. Marinette Dupain-Cheng,
We have sent you this email in regards to your application towards Gotham University. We are pleased to announce that you have been accepted into the Fashion and the Arts program. We have awarded you with our international scholarship and we wait in anticipation for your..."
I leaped out of chair and screamed in joy. I did it. I got in. I got in.
"Marinette, are you okay?" Tikki asked me. She went to read the email, and then started to celebrate with me.
"I got into Gotham University." I answered her flabbergasted.
"That's great! You said their fashion program was as good Paris's, but they had a better business program. You wanted to go there, right?"
"Yes," I exhale, "but this doesn't feel real. Tikki, I think we're going to Gotham City. We're going to get back Duusu."
Tikki hugged me, and we were soon joined by the other mini gods and goddesses who resided in my room.
To them, they were excited because they would be soon reunited with Duusu, a friend they hadn't seen in decades.
For me, it was the fresh start I desperately needed.
But I don't know if I could handle knowing that I was in the same city as Damian Gray— Wayne.
Damian. Wayne.
|||
"Dear fellow graduates," I began, looking down at my seated classmates. I notice a few kind faces in the crowd, but I'm glad that Chloe was there. It wasn't nerve racking to be in front of so many people, giving a valedictorian speech, not anymore.
I continued, "These past four years of our lives have been hard, to say the least. With Hawkmoth interrupting our educations, and our everyday lives for that matter, it was hard to be motivated to succeed. That being said, after all of the obstacles I faced throughout the years, I persevered. I kept following my dreams and passions, while maintaining good grades at school. This is why I stand before you today, as this graduating classes' valedictorian."
I watch as Alya squirms in her seat, and a few others of my class, knowing all the bullying they put me through.
The parents think the smile punted on my face is saccharine, a reward for all the hard word I did. My classmates see it as serpentine.
"I'd like to think that as well as my hard work, that the institution was just as vital. I'd like to thank my teachers, instructors, and the principle of Dupoint-Francois High School," I lied, knowing that the teachers were useless, and the principle was equivalent to an owl. Always asking questions of "who" and not "why cannot my teachers control their classrooms?"
Mrs. Bustier was a perfect example as such, allowing someone such as Lila take control of her classroom.
"Well, we made it. We did it! We graduated. And isn't that something miraculous, in and of itself?"I finished.
I smiled once more, before backing away from the podium, hearing the overwhelming applause of my short speech.
I walked down the steps of the stage, sitting down with the rest of my classmates.
It felt bittersweet, because I knew I wasn't supposed be only speech of tonight. Adrien, as much as I was, deserved to be here.
His absence, more than anything, was only a reminder of another thing that he lost.
Soon, it was time us to walk across the stage, shake hands with Principle Damocles, and receive our certificates of graduation.
I watch as Chloe is called, in golden robes instead of the normal, boring, blue ones.
I liked the way it brought out my eyes, so maybe it wasn't as boring as I originally thought.
I stood up when my line was called, and walked across the stage, to shake hands and grab my certificate.
With the acquirement of the fated paper, it granted me freedom. It was the next step of my future.
To leave all of this behind.
Maybe not entirely.
Did I forget to mention, that I had a flash drive of evidence waiting in my room, waiting to expose their actions that caused me grief after all these years?
Some of their futures were ruined, their dreams shattered after relying on promises by Lila.
But, I was the one they should worry about.
No, this was not about revenge. It was about justice.
The investigation that the government was conducting was still ongoing, there was only a matter of time before they found it.
I was just giving them a step in the direction.
At best, there would just be written apologies.
At worst...
Well, I certainly would not want to be in their shoes, if their high school diplomas were denied or rescinded.
Yes, I was kind, and I did love giving back to community. But I felt a strong need of justification, and courage, feelings that had been amplified by Ladybug and long stifled by Hawkmoth.
And now, when I could finally be myself, this side came roaring back. I had told Chloe of my plans, and she told me I should show this side of me more often.
The side that longed for justice.
But I had to live in the moment, for this moment.
I threw my cap into the air with everyone else, and watched as the families rushed towards the crowds.
I laughed at my parents congratulated me, and my father spun me in the air.
Jagged Stone had come to my graduation with Luka, and I left with promises of creating more outfits for his concerts and event.
I shook hands with the Mayor, and even his wife, Audrey Bourgeois. Chloe and I celebrated, because this would be our goodbye to Paris.
Even though the school semester didn't start until the fall, I decided to move to Gotham over the summer.
A fresh start for both of us.
It would give me time to track down Duusu, make friends, move in, and establish myself in Gotham.
My parents were sad that I was leaving Paris, but they knew it was the best thing for me to leave.
I'd miss Paris because it was my childhood home, but it was time for me to move on.
And I wouldn't be completely alone, Chloe was only hours away in New York City.
And for me, to Gotham.