The rest of summer blows by too fast, and I've spent that time doing what?
Nothing. Literally nothing.
I've spent every day holed up inside. I didn't spend time with my friends, or work on new designs, or even finish old ones. I didn't apply or even consider colleges. I didn't talk with anyone, let alone spend anytime with my parents either.
I also haven't seen Chat Noir since the incident that took place with the Senti-monster Ladybug. On one hand, that's for the best, that kiss was startling and very confusing. On the other hand, I miss him.
I miss him so much. I wait every night for him to show up, and he never does.
I'm scared that the rumours of us dating made him feel so disgusted that he doesn't ever want to see me again. Or that he was sick of me being such a burden.
Maybe something bad happened to him.
I shake those thoughts out of my head, climbing down off my bed and hopping in a shower. I let the water wash away all the stress I've been hoarding. I need to enjoy my last year of high school. This is the last year that all my friends and I will be in the same place.
Washing my face, I hop out of the shower and dry myself off, putting on a light amount of makeup. I put my hair into my signature two low ponytails, grabbing a pair of jeans and a light pink camisole paired with a short sleeve white cardigan.
The look is simple but cute, and I go downstairs feeling a little bit better after I pieced myself together.
"You look lovely, sweetheart." My mom says, putting a bowl of oatmeal in front of me. It's her yummy homemade oatmeal, topped with some chocolate chips and brown sugar. "Special back to school breakfast for you." She plants a kiss on my forehead as I smile into my food.
"I packed you a yummy lunch, and I'll send you with some extra pastries to give to your classmates." My dad pipes up, smiling at me from the platter of chocolate filled pastries he's holding.
"You guys are the best." I thank them, scarfing down my oatmeal and grabbing my things. Even if everything sucks, at least I have them. They'll always be a constant in my life, right?
Except I can't live with them forever. I'm almost an adult, I need to take care of myself.
Grabbing my purse, book bag, and platter of pastries, I say goodbye to my parents and begin the dreadful walk to school. Each step I draw closer to the school symbolizing the closer the end of the year will approach.
I'm being so dramatic. But, I'm allowed to be. So, screw it.
Tossing my things in my locker, I ask the school kitchen to hold onto the pastries for my class until lunch time. They slap a sticky note on it and take it for me, welcoming me to my last year of high school.
Everyone seems so excited, talking about what an exciting year it will be. If only they knew that everything changes after this, and not for the better.
Walking down the halls, I'm greeted by former classmates, everyone excited to be seeing each other again. Some I hadn't seen all summer long, I notice how tall Alix has gotten, and Juleka smiles at everyone. Her hair still covers most of her face, but she actually says hi as I approach.
"Hey Marinette, it's nice to see you again." She says the whole sentence loud and clear, making my heart swell. I love seeing her break out of her comfort zone, even if it is just by a little.
Rose comes running, decked out in pink as always, with the brightest smile on her face. She jumps into Juleka's arms, beaming up at her.
"Hiiiiya!" She exclaims to Juleka and I, her bubbly personality very contagious.
"Hi Rose! I love the hair!" I point out as she bounces over to give me a hug. Her hair is longer than before, just passed her shoulders but pulled back into a braid with little fake flowers weaved throughout it. It's the most Rose thing I've ever seen.
"Thank you so much! I love it! I wasn't sure if I was going to grow my hair out, but I realized I could put flowers in my braids! Kind of like Rapunzel! It's so cute!" She twirls, showing off her hair more. Juleka smiles warmly, reaching out to tuck a fly away strand behind Rose's ear.
Rose smiles contently, and the two walk off together immersed in conversation, Rose hanging onto Juleka's arm as she talks excitedly about something.
The two of them are such polar opposites, but they match so perfectly.
I freeze as I see Adrien, Nino and Alya in the middle of a conversation. Some younger girls I don't really recognize bounce up to Adrien, trying to talk to him.
He smiles at them, but when his eyes lock on mine, he does something unthinkable. He shrugs them off and rushes over to me, pulling me into a hug in front of everyone. I gasp, shock and warmth both filling me up.
He left those two pretty girls to come see me, and give me a hug.
"Marinette, I've missed you. I'm so sorry for not reaching out sooner after I heard about what happened." He says this so sweetly, but my heart kind of cracks.
He's hugging me because he's a nice person. Because I'm a friend who went through a pretty high profile incident. He hugged me because he feels bad.
Not because he loves me.
I pull away, smiling sheepishly. I don't need anyone's pity. I'm Ladybug, for Christ's sake.
"I'm okay, don't worry about it." I say, trying my best to smile at him. He looks slightly awkward, rubbing the back of his neck like he didn't think this far ahead.
"How have you been?" He questions, eyes never leaving mine. For a moment I can swear the rest of the world disappears, it's as though it's only him and I that exist. Just a blank canvas and we're the only art taking up any space.
Adrien himself is a work of art. Each breathtaking cell working in perfect unity to create all that is him. Not a single fibre of his being is flawed. He was hand designed, pieced together and perfected by a higher power that couldn't possibly exist in this realm.
Wait, what was his question again?
"Sorry?" I cough awkwardly after moments of gazing at him. He chuckles, running a hand through his luscious blond hair. Staring at him melts away all my anxieties, even if we're never anything more than friends, I will forever be grateful for all the is Adrien Agreste. Even just being allowed to breathe the same air as him is an honour.
"I was wondering how you're doing, Mari." He clarifies, his voice breathy like it's floating along his light laughter. I can't help the blush that creeps up on my cheeks, who was I to pull away from that hug earlier? A fool, that's what I was. Who cares why he hugged me, I want him to do it again.
"O-oh! I'm great, really! Amazing to be perfectly honest, I can't wait to spend time studying you! I-I mean studying and spending time with you! And t-the others of course, all my friends. My super great friends!" I physically have to press my hands against the outer sides of my thighs to prevent myself from smacking my face. I fumbled that so badly.
Marinette, you're such an embarrassment.
"Marinette, you're so cute." He says quietly, letting out a soft chuckle. His expression is lit up with amusement, and I feel my cheeks burn hotter. I blink rapidly, trying to process what he just said. He must be out of his mind.
But I don't care. I want to hear him say it over and over again.
Adrien puts his hand on my shoulder and gently leads me towards my best friends, Alya and Nino.
Today will be a good day. I have to believe in myself, and believe that everything will work out.
Chat Noir's advice plays in my head, making me miss him again.
Oh Chat, please come see me soon.
—————
It's not long before our teacher allows us to take a small break before lunch, in which I quickly rush to grab the pastries my dad sent me with.
Rushing back to class, I almost smack into a person. I stumble, quickly regaining my footing and just barely preventing the pastries from falling all over the floor.
"Watch where you're going, Dupain-Cheng. You almost got me covered in your ridiculous attempt to make people like you." Chloe snarls, ushering towards the platter in my hands.
"Nice to see you too, Chloe." I grumble, trying to step around her.
"You had quite the incident over the summer." She acknowledges, stepping in front of me. I sigh, wanting anything but to deal with Chloe Bourgeois right now.
"Yup." Is all I offer her, trying to side step her once again. She keeps blocking me from walking passed, her face looking serious.
"Next time, don't be such an idiot. And don't get yourself mixed up with those hero's. You're just going to get yourself hurt." Chloe says, sounding eerily like someone who might actually care about my well being. I pause, absolutely dumbfounded by this side of Chloe.
"N-not because I care about you, half-wit. Because... because you're going to make the rest of us girls look like little damsels in distress every time you need saving. Grow up. It's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous." She jutts her chin out to the side, her nose in the air as she acts so much better than me.
And honestly? That was oddly nice of her. So maybe I won't retaliate. Maybe this is the start of Chloe showing a more... vulnerable side. Though vulnerable might be the wrong word.
"I'll try my best, Chloe." I say gently, this time successfully stepping around her and heading back into class. She lets out an exasperated sigh, and I can hear the heels on her shoes clacking against the tiles behind me as she trails my steps.
"You always do this, act all high and mighty around me like you know so much more than I do." Chloe argues, and even I can hear her devious tone trying to pick a fight with me.
"Me? Be better than the Chloe Bourgeois? That's unfathomable." I don't mean for the sarcasm to come out, but it just does. Walking into the classroom, Chloe makes a very annoyed sound.
"You're the worst, Dupain-Cheng. The actual worst."
"Thanks, want a pastry?" I offer her first with a saccharine sweet smile on my face. Chloe huffs, snagging one off the platter and storming away.
I start walking around offering it to all my classmates. I feel the hair on the back of my neck stick up, sensing I'm being watched. Peeking over my shoulder, my eyes lock with Adrien's green gaze. He must be waiting on a pastry.
I circle back around, giving the last three to Alya, Nino and Adrien.
"Thank you, Marinette." Adrien says, smiling brightly at me. "Would you want to have lunch together?" My heart skips a beat, and I feel my mouth go dry. Did he really just ask me that?
"Yes! Yeah, I mean yeah, for sure. I'd love that." I plop the try down, and slide into the seat beside him so we can talk for the next few minutes before lunch starts.
Could this be a date? Maybe Adrien really does like me.
I peer over at Alya, panic setting in. This is new territory, I have no idea what to do! My pretty best friend smiles encouragingly, a look in her eyes that screams you've got this, girl.
"Do you have a lunch packed? If not, I can share mine with you, or we could go grab something." Adrien snaps my attention back to him, and I fiddle with my thumbs as I contemplate what to say.
"I have a lunch, but we can share food of course, if you want that is." I laugh awkwardly, unsure of the right things to say. I don't understand how I can be friends with Adrien for so many years and yet talking with him is such a difficult thing to do.
I put too much pressure on myself, that's why. Despite knowing that, I can never fix the issue. I can never act relaxed around him.
"Sure, food is better when shared with the ones you love." He beams at me, flashing me those perfect pearly white teeth. I feel all the blood drain from my face, sensing all of my brain cells working in a frenzy to compute what he just said.
The ones you love.
"I love food." Comes out of my mouth. I seriously... I seriously just said that. Looking over at Alya, even I see her horrified expression.
Adrien just laughs, a real beautiful and hearty laugh.
"Me too." He manages to say between fits of laughter, reaching out and fluffing my hair. I think of Chat Noir for a moment, shaking my head to get him out of my thoughts. It's Adrien I'm with, and I'm embarrassing myself.
Act cool, Marinette. Please, for the love of all things holy, don't mess this up.