Marinette hadn't thought that time could pass so quickly until she woke up one cold morning for school, just a week before winter break. The excitement of the upcoming break mingled with nerves as she rushed down the stairs to her kitchen, where the aroma of freshly baked pastries filled the air. Her mother and father discussing the latest news added to the bustling sound of the bakery preparing to open for the morning rush.
"Look, Marinette! Your friend Alya is on the news!" Her mother smiled as she packed her lunch, carefully placing sandwiches and snacks into her lunchbox.
"Thanks, Mom!" She looked at the TV in the middle of the room and noticed Alya Césaire's upset voice yelling to speak to the news reporter, Nadja Chamack.
"Yes! We're here to protest the discrimination and misogyny at Françoise Dupont. Too many women have been victims to the hateful and sexist boys that the male staff have no care for. Today is a day of change, not just for us, but for the women who have suffered from this unjust education system."
Marinette smiled to herself; her best friend was always passionate about journalism, no matter the subject. But as she saw the motivated protesters waving their signs in front of the school, she wondered if class was still mandatory.
"Hey, Mom, did they say anything about school being canceled because of the protest?" She asked her mother, Sabine, who was making desserts for the day.
"No, sweetie. But they did say that students' passes will be excusable if they cannot physically get into the school." Sabine placed a tray into the oven and turned back toward her daughter.
Marinette thought she could be at least 30 minutes late, with the excuse of the protest. Despite that, the news channel continued its coverage to the point the police had arrived and were ushering the protesters out of the way.
She thanked her mom and ran out the door, into the bustling streets and clamor of the people around her. In most cases, she made it to school within 8 minutes, if she ran fast enough.
Unfortunately, her luck ran out as she got stuck waiting at a crosswalk for what felt like an eternity. Frustration bubbled as she watched the seconds tick by, knowing she was running out of time. Finally, when the light turned green, she sprinted across the street and up the steps, passing by the remnants of the protest. Seeing so many people out on a Monday only added to her confusion. What was happening?
Her question was answered as she creaked the door, and slipped into Ms. Bustier's class. The teacher was talking about the aftermath of the protest and how traffic had to be stopped so that the police could arrest the people on the scene.
Normally, she would sit with Alya near the back to discuss the latest news, but she noticed her best friend sitting beside someone they both disliked.
Chloé Bourgeois was sitting beside Alya. Marinette took a second to understand it when she sat near Nino, a mutual friend. She looked to her deskmate, who was equally confused until Ms. Bustier tapped her desk.
"Marinette, you're in the wrong seat. I changed the seating arrangements, so you're going to be sitting next to Sabrina." She pointed to the seat below them, where Sabrina turned and surveyed her deskmate.
"Sorry! I was late because of the protest." She tried to justify her lateness, but her excuse seemed less credible than it would have been 10 minutes ago.
"I understand that the rally at the front of the campus hindered some students from entering, but the main voice of the protest walked into class before you did." She glanced at Alya, who wasn't paying attention with her phone in her lap.
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again!" She apologized as she moved into the seat in front of her.
Sabrina scoffed; she was Chloé's closest (and only) friend, but Alya and Marinette called her a clone. Unoften did she have thoughts herself, which were either additional insults or snarky comments that agreed with whatever Chloé disliked?
She turned to look at Alya when she noticed someone else. Her crush, Adrien Agreste, looked back at her. They talked a few times, like when he asked for a pencil or gave her an umbrella in the pouring rain. Despite these brief exchanges, each one left Marinette secretly infatuated with Adrien.
He was nice, but she knew her feelings were bound to be unrequited. Rumors spread online about him dating models and ballerinas in the city who were twice as pretty as she. He'd likely be taken before she could even ask for his number! Even with her doubts, Marinette couldn't help but admire Adrien from afar, finding herself daydreaming about scenarios where they could be together.
He turned around in his seat and Marinette glanced away, feeling her cheeks flush in embarrassment. Had they been looking at each other for that long? It felt like minutes, but it might've only been a few seconds. The realization made her heart race even faster, and she quickly busied herself with organizing her desk, hoping to hide her flustered state.
The rest of the class continued without interruption, Sabrina giving side glances every once in a while. Her constant looks made Marinette wonder what prompted her to make such decisions. Sure, she was Chloé's minion, but she had to have a mind of her own.
Marinette counted the seconds as she looked at the clock on the top of the whiteboard. Math class always seemed to drag on, and today was no exception. She hoped that the rest of her classes wouldn't feel as long as this class; math had always been her least favorite subject. As she doodled in her notebook, trying to stay focused, a sense of restlessness crept over her.
Throughout the rest of her school day, Marinette found herself lonely in several situations. She desperately wished that she could talk to her friends. However, when she tried to look for them at lunch, they seemed to disappear.
After school, her walk home was full of despair. She trudged along the slushy sidewalks, her thoughts weighed down by isolation. She gloomily unlocked the front door and was greeted by the comforting aroma of baked goods wafting from the kitchen. Her mother, standing at the island counter, had prepared a snack. Profiteroles, Marinette's favorite, is a small comfort on an otherwise dreary day.
"Hey sweetie, how was your day?"
"It was okay." Marinette dragged herself up the steps to her room, ignoring the delicious smell of the custard-filled cream puffs emanating from the kitchen below. Despite Sabine's efforts to brighten her day with homemade treats, Marinette couldn't muster the appetite to indulge in them.
Her room was colored light pink, with posters of fashion magazines and video games adorning the walls, which were slanted. Marinette shook off her jacket and flopped on her bed, not caring about her homework or clothes.
When she woke up, her mind could think of only one place. Ascending the stairs in her room, she climbed to the balcony.
Stars shone brightly in Paris' dark sky, greeting what would be a beautiful glittering night. When she needed to relax, she would come up here and breathe in the whirling winds, which always gave her goosebumps.
Her mind challenged her hope, considering the idea of her being alone. What if no one liked her? She had been alone for most of the day anyway; people like Chloé had bullied others so badly that they had switched schools. Would she face the same fate?
The loud ringing of her phone pulled her out of her spiraling and depressing thoughts, and she cursed herself as she read her best friend's name on the screen.
"Marinette, you have to hear about this!" Her best friend yelled through the phone. Her parents weren't worried about the volume she spoke at because she had somehow convinced them it was her 'news projecting voice'.
"Yeah? What is it?" She asked as she returned to her room illuminated by the moonlight, lying on her bed and hoping her parents were asleep by now.
"Adrien Agreste has a cousin! And according to the latest gossip pages, he's going to our school with him!"
Marinette blinked for a few seconds. A cousin? She and Alya had been on plenty of fan pages, and not once did any of them mention a cousin.
"Did you find out his name?"
"Not yet. I don't know what he looks like either, so he could look completely different than Adrien."
This was true; cousins often didn't look alike, and it was a large mystery of who Adrien could be related to. Another celebrity? Royalty?
"Marinette?"
"Yeah, sorry, I'm here!" She answered, her voice tinged with exhaustion from a long day at school.
"Either way, this is exciting news. The school gossip blog asked me to interview him when we find him, so make sure you keep an eye out for me, okay?"
"Of course," Marinette replied, her curiosity piqued. She wondered who this mysterious cousin of Adrien could be and what he would be like.
"Okay, I got to go now. But I just wanted to tell you so you would know why I'm not around as much. Goodnight, Marinette."
"Goodnight." She hung up the phone and stared up at the ceiling, her mind swirling with thoughts of the upcoming interview and the impact it could have on the school.
As Marinette lay in bed, she couldn't shake the feeling of anticipation. She knew that this interview could be a game-changer, not just for the school gossip blog, but for the entire student body. She made a mental note to keep an eye out for any news about Adriends cousin and to support her friend in any ways she could.
She closed her eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Whatever tomorrow brought, she was ready to face it head-on.
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆🐞⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆
The next morning she woke up earlier than usual and arrived at school on time. She sat down, chatted with Alya and Nino, and grabbed a snack from the vending machine all before class started. She felt a little proud for being early, hoping she would be able to break her tardiness habit.
"So, where's this new guy?" Nino turned towards Alya, who was quickly texting on her phone.
"I don't know! I've been texting the gossip page on Instagram for at least 10 minutes to see if they've found him yet, but no luck. I'm starting to think someone made up this rumor, and this is all some big goose chase."
The class bell rang, and the two returned to their respective seats. The class silenced and Ms. Bustier tapped the board with her pen.
"Welcome, class. Today we have a new student," announced Ms. Bustier, her voice filled with warmth and anticipation
Marinette's curiosity was immediately piqued. Were the rumors true? She scanned the glass windows to the outside of the class to find the new student but to no avail.
"Please be nice to him, and he'll be sitting next to you, Nino," Ms. Bustier continued, gesturing toward the empty seat beside him.
With a creak, the door opened, and all eyes turned toward the entrance. A tall boy stepped into the room, his hair glistening in the sunlight, reminding Marinette of something she couldn't put her finger on.
Marinette couldn't tell which was weirder— the fact he was wearing a full suit and tie, or he looked exactly like Adrien.
"Introduce yourself, sweetie," Ms. Bustier encouraged, stepping aside, and allowing him to stand in the center of the room.
"Hello there," The boy greeted with a sneer, his voice carrying a hint of mockery. "I'm Félix Fathom, the better cousin of Adrien Agreste."