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The morning breeze crept it's way through her trapdoor that autumn morning. She remembered talking to her pa about it a week ago, but the bakery had received a large amount of traffic, meaning not much was done about it. It was fine, she was used to figuring out how to repair these small issues around the house. Surprisingly enough, it became something she rather enjoyed. Although If she were being honest, it wasn’t too surprising the day she realized fixing things besides, well clothing, became somewhat of a hobby. As she grew older, she found herself fixing things beyond inanimate objects; math problems, relationship problems, and people.
She felt deeply for people, and that…well that right there is how this all started. Because right now, as she stood in the middle of her class, watching, waiting for everyone's reaction, there was no one else to blame but herself. It was her fault. It was, wasn’t it? She didn’t need to hear the words that would inevitably flow out of everyone's mouth. She didn’t need to know what Rose had to say; her body slightly leaned away, mouth gaped, eyebrows furrowed in a way no person would feel the same had they been on the receiving end. Alix was no longer looking away in disinterest, as her face now carried an ugly sneer. Nino, a friend she’d grown up with, swayed slightly; uncertain.
“I’m sorry but, what did you say?” Marinette asked, catching the slight curve of the accuser's lips.
“ Why…why are you making me repeat myself? It was hard enough trying to tell you in private but…no matter how I tried you just…wouldn’t listen.”
Lila Rossi was a girl with many talents. Being a fantastic actor, manipulative liar, and goal-oriented puts a lot of stress on a 15 year old girl. Marinette knew this because, well, it's easy to spot someone with similar talents. Marinette understood where Lila was coming from; she's seen it in many of her peers before. She’s seen it in herself- a natural occurrence for ordinary teens. Unfortunately, Lila Rossi was in fact, not an ordinary teen.
“Marinette, I really don’t think Lila needs to repeat herself.”
Marinette couldn’t help but turn away from the threat, something she vowed never to do. But it was hard to keep that promise when the person who changed your entire College experience, has become just that. A person.
“ Lila’s right- well, I don’t think she should have done it with an audience, but, she isn’t exactly wrong?” Mylene spoke next in a small voice.
It was disturbingly easy for people to overlook that fact; the lack of social etiquette was only a minor offense- not compared to Lila’s accusation.
“Girl, Lila is right. You know I’d never say anything to hurt you, but this thing you’ve been doing with Adrien? We’re in our last year of Collège for crying out loud!”
“Alya’s right; I get you got a crush on the guy but that's just straight up creepy now.”
“Adding on to what Alix said, I agree as well. While it might have been an endearing quality, it is incredibly inappropriate now that we are older.”
“ Yeah Marinette that's wrong-”
“ Weird-”
“ Can’t believe your still-”
It really was disturbing.
“Can everyone just STOP!?”
It's almost funny how everyone’s faces shriveled up in annoyance. Marinette took a small breath.
“ It’s nice of you all, really, that you’d defend Adrien so readily but-” Alya cuts her off.
“But nothing, Marinette! Lila called you out, the least you could do is own up to it!” Marinette looked her friend straight in the eye,
“ My feelings for Adrien changed.” The class gasps. “ So I don’t need to, and I’ll quote, ‘stalk him for hours on end’. Seriously? My family owns a bakery. When I’m not in school or designing, I help with orders.”
She could see the movements of faces, bodies ready to retort-
“Marinette’s right.”
That was the voice of the boy she’d grown up with. As she turns to face towards the inside of the classroom, she see’s Nino, standing with no room for hesitance. Marinette searches his face, trying to spot any indication of uncertainty. She couldn’t afford that. It wasn’t until she caught his eyes when she saw it.
‘I understand’
Immediately the questions become turned towards Nino; the class she’s been in for most of middle school hadn’t known her the same way Nino and Nathaniel had. Only the former was here though, the latter now in another class. Nino moved back against his desk with the onslaught of questions and some accusations being thrown at him. It was her fault.
“ No, no no no no- none of you guys know dudette like that.” The tension in the room was rising.
“ Marinette is not like that okay? Yeah she overly plans shit that does come off as creepy, but no one ever thought it was a problem when it was for them!” The class jolted, Marinette could feel the confusion irradiating from them.
“ When Marinette threw that bash for Kim’s birthday party, no one questioned how she knew his favorite bands, cake flavor, or, or- how she knew the perfect time to throw it so it wouldn’t interfere with any of his other sports stuff!” Nino continued, “ For almost three years she’s been making and-and doing shit for everyone in this- fu- freakin’ classroom, and yet, no one ever questioned it!”
“Babe I-” the hurt was vibrant in Alya’s voice.
“No one questioned because it benefited them.”
No one dared reply. No one said anything because deep down, they knew it was true. When Lila brought up the idea that a person was stalking another person in their class, the solution was black and white. But hearing it as it was, how gray the truth really had been, made them slow in their argument.
“ She has photos of him all over her walls, she has his entire schedule written out on a calendar, and she’s made a dozen presents for his birthday that spans over what? Almost 70 years? Listen babe, I get where you’re coming from, but there is something called ‘going too far’ and Marinette’s pushed that boundary.” Alya finishes with much less gusto than her talk with Marinette.
Nino quirks an eyebrow, something Marinette catches, and wears a crooked smile.
“ Hey ‘nettie? That the same calendar that had all our playdates planned out for two years?”
The entire class is confused, along with Alya, whose lips twitch at the term ‘playdate’. Marinette couldn’t help but smile at the memory.
“Nino, that was what- 5 years ago? Give me a break.”
It was crumbling. The resolve of the classroom, the accusations that heated the tension in the room, melted away.
“ I have a wall that is full of pictures Prince Ali sends me whenever he volunteers to help people.” Roses' usually quiet voice reverberates against the classroom's walls. All eyes are on her now, and Marinette can’t help but feel a relief of tension lift off her.
“ I have them because.. they remind me that people like him exist, and since they exist, I would love to be able to be someone like that too. I don’t mean to put him on a pedestal but…he inspires me in that way.” Rose looks up towards Juleka with a small smile, who reaches and grasps her hand in support.
“ Sometimes, whenever I think of a song, or whatever- I think about when I can share it with Mylene. Sometimes, I get a ton of Ideas in a day, and well, they all sound good so, I can’t help but plan them out for days I'd want to share them with her.” Ivan shared rather begrudgingly. Mylene looks up at him with teary eyes, and rushes in for a hug.
It felt amazing, and it seemed like everyone was finally, finally supporting her. Marinette couldn’t lie and say she was perfect about her slight obsession with Adrien. But, the thing is, her obsession was a byproduct of how she cared. When she entered College, she met many new people, all so amazing and she couldn’t help but want to be an avid supporter for them all. As crazy as it sounds, Marinette had kept entire journals based on what everyone had going on in order to be more helpful. She wouldn’t watch them in the background- that would be weird. Instead she would offer help, or rather, smoothly invite herself to events with no push. If they allowed it, she could observe and see how she could help. If they didn’t then there wasn’t much she could do but stay on the sidelines. If they ever wanted any sort of assistance, she was open.
Marinette understood where Lila came from, because Marinette had acted like she was fine when all she wanted to do was sleep in a bit longer. She understood because Marinette had no choice but to lie to her friends when it came to her ‘extracurriculars’. She understood because she twisted herself into a mold that had everyone believing she, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, was a kind and helpful girl.
In reality, she was far from that.
“ I get it, I really do, you guys are right, I don’t know Marinette as well as you do. But I do- I do know one thing…” Lila pauses for dramatic effect.
In reality, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was…
“It's that no girl should ever force herself onto a guy she likes. Even if those feelings changed.”
…a lonely child, who only wanted to be useful to those around her.