For the first time in 3 years, Marinette actually felt good getting ready for school. While she walked around her mother, prepared her lunch, she did it all with a real smile this time. She had read what people were commenting on Lady-Blog now. A lot of people went over to Chloe's page and started insulting her, telling her not to take the bakery down. And then Mr. Bourgeois was caught on camera, explaining how everything was just a mistake and Chloe was just looking for attention. It felt great to hear him say those words. "The bakery will not be shutting down, not on my watch!"
"Marinette, why didn't you tell us this was going on?" Her father came up behind her, frightening her a bit. "We could have helped in some way."
Marinette gave him a small, sad smile. There was a lot she was keeping from her parents. It was like everytime she wanted to tell them, her brain would suddenly shut down, and the words wouldn't be able to form out. "I didn't want to worry you," She finally decided on those words. Tom seemed to quickly believe it, because he nodded and started walking away.
"Well, everything is all great again!" Marinette clapped her hands together once as she started walking towards her bag. "This is all thanks to Adrien."
"We have to go over to his place and thank him with a gift," Sabine suddenly said, getting Marinette to gulp. "I really do appreciate all he's done, and it would really bother me if we don't show our appreciation to them, you get what I mean?"
"Yeah, yeah. . ." Marinette looked back at the door. She wasn't surprised that Sabine was doing this, after all its what she always did. Whenever a family helped her out, she was sure to repay that family with a gift of appreciation. Sometimes it kind of bothered Marinette, because Sabine always made her come along, and some places they'd visited were places some of her enemies lived in.
"Alright, I'll be going," She waved over at her parents, before walking out of the bakery. Now walking to school, instead of thinking of how she was going to stay away from Chloe, she was thinking about Adrien. Was he her friend now? Did he still want to be her friend? Whatever. She was going to talk to him at school.
She entered the school, and the first person that caught her eyes was Chloe, just leaning against a wall with a pen in her mouth, looking like she was smoking. Marinette didn't say anything and started walking past her. Chloe removed the pen from her mouth and started walking beside Marinette.
"You know, you've got guts," The blonde started. "You really do. I honestly thought you were just going to push Adrien away like you did with the others before. I thought Adrien was just pretending to like you. But now I see I'm wrong." Chloe suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder, shocking and causing Marinette to quickly slap the hand away. Chloe just laughed, as if everything she was doing now was just for laughs. "Marinette, I'll see you later. When that time comes, I'll show you what the real Chloe Bourgeois can do!"
Marinette watched her go, before turning a corner and heading for her class. Of course she knew Chloe was going to be mad, and even though Chloe was trying to hide it, it was still very recognizable. Marinette opened the door and headed inside the room.
Immediately all eyes went up on her. No one said anything, they just stared. Marinette shuddered and took her seat, not being scared of them, but rather uncomfortable at the stares they were giving her.
Then someone tapped her shoulder. Marinette turned around to see a girl, one of her classmates. "Did you ask Adrien to make that post yesterday?" She asked with all seriousness. Marinette wasn't sure what to say then, so she just turned around.
The girl turned back to her seat. "It was her. Oh my goodness, the rumor is actually true." The girl sat down and banged a fist on her desk. "Adrien and Marinette really are dating."
At those words, Marinette turned back around to face the girl. "What nonsense are you talking about now?! You guys aren't pleased enough to make rumours about me so you decide to add Adrien into it?!" It was really the first time she had ever spoken back to one of her classmates, or even say a sentence to them. But the new rumor they cooked up triggered her. Just because Adrien was helping her, it did not mean they has to treat him the same way.
"See, this is proof," The girl pointed at Marinette. "Before you met Adrien, you were a scared chicken. Now that you and Adrien are dating, you're suddenly talking back to me. You think that whatever I do, you'll report it to Adrien and Adrien will punish me for it. Well, let me just tell you, Marinette. One day Adrien will abandon you, he'll make you feel like you have nobody else. Adrien will shatter you, it'll be the end of Marinette Dupain-Cheng. So, if you know what's good for you, you'll stop being with Adrien and start being by yourself!"
Marinette gritted her teeth as she glared at the girl. But she didn't say anything as she turned back to the front. No matter whether she had Adrien or not, people were still going to talk about her, secretly bully her and threaten her so she wouldn't tell Adrien. They would make lies to Adrien and eventually their friendship would fall apart. This was all their plan.
The teacher walked inside and walked over to her desk, and while she did, Marinette pulled out her notebook, words still stuck in her head. 'You were just a scared chicken, but with Adrien, you talk back to me.' 'Adrien will leave you, make you feel like you have nobody else. . .'
Adrien will leave you. . .
Adrien will leave you
Adrien will leave
Adrien will
Adrien. . .
"Marinette? Marinette, please wake up. This is not acceptable in this class!"
"What?" Marinette rubbed her eyes as she looked up, the light burning inside of her sleepy and tired eyes. All around, she could hear laughter. "What's going on?"
"Marinette, you're in class. Wake up!"
With those words, Marinette fully opened her eyes and looked around. She was in class, with everyone laughing out loud to her. She looked at the front to hear Chloe smirking, as if she'd done something amazing. Then Marinette turned her head to the seat beside her, but it was empty. Adrien hadn't come to school. Marinette could feel her heart drop. Adrien hadn't come to school.
"What is it? Looking for your savior?" Chloe instantly opened her mouth to talk. The teacher didn't say anything to get her to stop talking, which didn't surprise Marinette anyway. "Well, I'd like to have you know that you've officially scared Adrien away!" And then more laughter, and insulting words from everyone. "I guess Adrien has finally figured out how much of a waste you are!"
Marinette looked down, trying not to care, trying not to show that all these words bothered her. There must have been a good reason why Adrien hadn't come to school today, but now everyone saw it as him ignoring her. If Adrien was really ignoring her, it wouldn't be a good enough reason to not come to school.
Then the bell rang. Marinette took out her phone and checked the time. 12:16. What? It was lunchtime already? Had she slept through all her morning classes? She unzipped her bag and stuffed her phone inside, before looking over at the door. Students were walking out of the classroom, and Marinette noticed it was just the boys. She looked behind her to see all the girls glaring back.
"Marinette, why don't you leave first?"
"Yeah leave! It's not like we're going to do anything to you about it."
Marinette shuddered at the words, but stood up anyway. What good was it if she waited for them to leave first? Then they were just going to come after her. Marinette, making sure she was all ready, headed for the door. She could see the other girls slowly walking towards the door as well. And then before they knew it, Marinette opened the door and took off. She ran with a weight of her bag on her back, and she could tell the others were chasing her.
Just get to the exit and leave this school. Get to the exit! She ran towards where the exit was, but then stopped once she saw a huge crowd of students. "Excuse me, excuse me!" She tried squeezing through, but there were a lot of them. "Out of my way!" She growled all too suddenly, getting some few students' attentions.
"Hey! Get her! Don't let her get to the exit, you fools!" Marinette suddenly heard a girl from behind yelling out the words. She squeezed past all the students and was about to start running again when someone grabbed her bag and pulled her back. Terror filled her face as she tried to run but couldn't.
"Where do you think you're going?!" The voice behind her snarled and started laughing, before finally taking her bag away from Marinette. He threw the bag over to the girls that had been chasing her, before letting Marinette go. Marinette watched in horror as one of the girls zipped her bag opened and poured out everything that was in it.
"Give that back!" Marinette charged after them, giving the girl a hard push, before taking her stuff. Then somebody wrapped their arms around her and pulled her away. "Stop!!" She screamed out. "Stop it. Let. Me. Go!" She hit the person behind her with her elbow, before rushing towards her bag, but then somebody grabbed her hair.
"Marinette," Came Chloe's voice. "What is it? Feel weak already without Adrien? But weren't you trying to act all strong just a few minutes ago?" Marinette struggled under her grasp. "Don't fight it, Marinette. You'll just make things worse!" Still Marinette fought it! She kicked and screamed and pulled, hoping that Chloe would finally let her go, see how much she was suffering.
But of course Chloe didn't see that. Instead Chloe saw another helpless girl she would take down. The blonde looked at the boy standing in front of her. "Knock her out," She ordered, and started walking away.