Chapter Text
The morning sun shined through the window, causing the classroom to be flooded with bright sunlight. The clock on the wall read 8:55, 5 minutes before the bell would ring. Everyone was in their seats, doing various things; talking with their friends, reading a book, etc. Some students looked up, slightly blinded by the brightness of the sun. The teacher turned away from her desk and wrote something on the board, a lesson for the day.
The bell rang, signaling the beginning of class. The teacher finished writing down the lesson before turning to face the class. “Alright class, open your textbooks and turn to page 53.” The students immediately removed their textbooks from their bags and opened their books. Only one student continued looking out the window, at the beautiful, blue sky. Marinette felt a sense of calm from the peaceful morning view. The sun still shone, but the clouds began to move, casting a shadow on the ground.
Marinette snapped out of her trance and quickly took out her textbook, she needed to focus on the lesson, not drift off into daydreams. Suddenly, her stomach began to rumble, she hadn’t eaten this morning, she was hungry; she should’ve brought something to eat. Marinette shook her head, ignoring her stomach crying out for food, and brought herself back to the lesson at hand, but her stomach continued to rumble, causing a few students to look at her. Embarrassed, she hangs her head low, trying to avoid eye contact with the students.
Marinette’s head pounded as she struggled to focus, her stomach growling, wanting food desperately. Alya, sitting beside her, turned to her and nudged Marinette while whispering. “Hey, are you okay?” She asked. Marinette turned to her, embarrassed. Marinette looked at Alya, smiling weakly. She was not in the best condition. "I-it's nothing-" Marinette tried to hide her embarrassed face. However, her stomach decided to ruin her plans by growling again, a bit louder than before.
The entire class heard her stomach make the noises, and everyone began to look at her, some giggling. “Hey, do you need anything, Mari?” Alya asked, worried for her friend. She looked around the room and noticed that most students were giggling and snickering. Some even pointed their fingers at her, laughing at Marinette’s hunger pains. There were a few seconds of giggling until Alix stood up. “We all have hunger pains, give her a break!” There was a slight pause as the room fell silent. Everyone was staring at each other.
Alix sat back down as the teacher continued with the lesson. After a few more moments, Alya leaned over to Marinette. “Mari, are you okay?” She whispered, still being quiet so the teacher couldn’t hear her. “Don’t worry about me, I'm good” Marinette gave Alya a nervous smile. “Are you sure? You look really-” Alya stopped speaking mid-sentence as Marinette stood up, making the teacher stop what she was doing and look at her.
“Miss Bustier, can I go to the bathroom?”
“Sure, go ahead”
The teacher said, turning back to the whiteboard. Marinette smiled as she walked to the door and left the classroom. As she made her way to the restroom and took a moment to collect herself. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself down from what just happened earlier, her stomach still growling.
Marinette went to the bathroom and shut the door, leaving herself with her thoughts. She looked into the mirror and saw her reflection. She noticed how pale her skin was how chapped her lips were and slightly discolored. “I’m a mess right now…” Marinette mumbled under her breath. She turned on the sink and splashed water on her face, hoping it would make her feel better. After a bit of time, Marinette was feeling slightly better, though her stomach continued to growl, demanding food.
After a few more minutes in the bathroom, Marinette made her way back to the classroom. She walked in and quickly sat in her seat. “What took you so long?” Alya whispered to her. Marinette’s stomach grumbled yet again, causing Alya to smile slightly. “Are you hungry?” She asked, noticing Marinette’s stomach. Marinette was relieved to see Alya’s kind expression, unlike most of the other students in her class. She smiled, nodding. “Yeah, I could need some food right now. My stomach won’t stop growling”
“Well, good thing I have snacks in my bag” Alya leaned over to her messenger bag on the floor and took out a small bag of chips. “Here, take it,” Alya said, holding out the snack towards Marinette. Marinette gratefully took the bag of chips, happy to finny have something to eat, even though it was not much. “Thank you, Alya” Marinette smiled, quietly eating the chips so she wouldn’t get caught by Miss Bustier.
“No problem, I’m glad I brought something. Let me see if I have anything else” Alya searched through her bag again. “I think that’s all I have,” She said, closing her backpack. Marinette finished her chips and her stomach began to growl once more. “Guess I’ll have to wait until lunchtime,” Marinette said to Alya, trying to hold back her rumbling stomach. She looks at the clock on the wall; only 3 minutes until the end of class. The room was completely silent, except for a few students whispering to one another. Marinette covered her stomach with her hand, trying to soothe the grumbling sounds that kept escaping it. “I’m so hungry” She mumbled under her breath.
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Marinette let out a sigh, glad that the period is over. “Come on, let’s go” Alya cheered as she grabbed Marinette’s arm and walked out of the classroom. “Let’s go to the cafeteria so we can finally feed your tummy” Alya laughed. The two girls arrived at the cafeteria. They see lots of people in line, trying to get lunch. Marinette looked at the food in the cafeteria, and her stomach growled loudly once more.
Alya looked at Marinette, her eyebrows raising slightly. “You must be really hungry,” Alya remarked, smiling. Marinette nodded, “Yeah, I’m starving, I could eat a whole buffet right now,” Marinette said with a small laugh. Marinette and Alya eventually made it to the food counter, where they were met with a wide array of delicious food.
Marinette was overwhelmed with choices, the smell of food making her stomach growl more. “I don’t know what to get, it all looks so good,” She said to Alya. “Right? There’s so much here” Marinette’s stomach growled again, making Alya look at her. “We should probably get food now before everyone thinks you’re a vacuum cleaner” Alya joked; the comment got a slight giggle out of Marinette. The two girls grabbed their trays and filled them with food. They then walked over to their usual table in the cafeteria, where they saw Nino, waiting for them.
The two girls sat down, eating their food. Marinette’s stomach was grumbling still, but the food soothed it a little. “Dang Mari, how long have you been neglecting your hunger?” Nino asked. Marinette looked at Nino, her face slightly pink. She felt embarrassed. “I haven’t eaten since this morning” She admitted. Their eyes widened, slightly astonished by Marinette’s confession. “That’s not good, Marinette” Alya expressed in a worried tone. “You gotta eat more” She continued.
“I know, I just thought I could go a couple of hours without food”
“Yeah, we can’t really focus on anything when your stomach is going off constantly” Nino joked, trying to lighten up the situation. He wasn’t wrong and Marinette gave him an annoyed look, her embarrassment growing by the second.
Marinette continued to eat her food, her face still pink from embarrassment. Soon after, the bell rang, signaling that lunch was over. The group of friends picked up their trays and threw away their trash, talking and giggling with one another with smiles on their faces. At that moment, Marinette's phone emitted a familiar "ding," prompting her to glance at her device. Glancing at her screen, she blushed upon seeing the notification. It was a text from Adrien, her crush.
“Um…I have to go, my, uh, Dad just texted me” Marinette said nervously. “Oh, alright then, see you in class” Alya nodded, not questioning Marinette’s lie. She walked off with Nino, leaving Marinette by herself. She pulled out her phone and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. “Adrien…” She murmured to herself. She took a moment to read the message Adrien sent her.
“Hey, Marinette! I was wondering if we could hang out after school. Just you and me. If you agree, meet me at this location XXX”
"WHAT?!" she exclaimed aloud, causing a nearby bystander to turn and look at her. She read the text again, her heart racing. Just her and Adrien…spending time together alone? Marinette never imagined this happening until now. She bit her lip, feeling butterflies in her stomach just thinking about it. She was debating whether she should agree or not, but then she decided to accept the offer. “Sure, why not?” Marinette replied to him.
“Okay, I’ll see you after school :)”
Marinette felt so happy, her heart racing with anticipaton of meeting up with Adrien after school. She continued to walk to her next class, though her mind was filled with thoughts of what they could possibly do together once they meet up. She was nervous, but also really excited. This was a dream come true for her, finally getting to spend time with Adrien Agreste, and alone too. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world at that moment.
Marinette arrived in class and settled into her seat, her thoughts consumed by the upcoming hangout with Adrien. "I can't believe I'm actually going to spend time alone with Adrien," she mused. Several hours elapsed, and as the bell rang to signal the end of the school day, Marinette rose from her seat, gathered her belongings, and exited the classroom. Excitement filled her as she pondered the prospect of meeting Adrien. What if this was her golden opportunity to confess her feelings to him?
As Marinette left the school, her mind buzzed with thoughts and emotions. She descended the staircase, navigating her way to the designated meeting spot.
“This could be my chance! This could be my chance to tell him how I really feel” She thought. After more walking, Marinette found herself in a dimly lit alleyway. Skepticism crept in as she wondered why on earth Adrien had chosen such a location for their meeting.
“This is a weird place to meet” Marinette’s eyes scanned the alley, feeling suspicious and wary of the whole situation. It was certainly odd that he decided to meet here, in an alleyway. She continued to walk further into the alley, looking around to see if she could spot Adrien as her heart raced. Her suspicions grew bigger.
Suddenly, the silhouette of an average-height woman emerged from the shadows. It became apparent that this wasn't Adrien. Marinette froze, her senses on high alert as the stranger appeared. A sense of unease crept over her. Who was this woman, and what did she want? Marinette's heart raced as she nervously observed the dark figure. Fear gripped her as she cautiously inquired, "Are you lost?" Trying to maintain composure, Marinette attempted to keep her tone calm despite the unsettling circumstances.
As the figure approached and stepped into the light, Marinette could discern the familiar features of Lila Rossi. It was her rival, the girl who had gotten her expelled and was known for her penchant to lie. “What?” Marinette’s eyes grew wide, her heart sinking as she realized the situation she was in. “It’s you?” She asked, wanting confrimation but unsure if she actually wanted it.
Lila looked at Marinette, a sly grin crossing her face as she approached. “I’ve actually been looking for you Marinette” Lila said, her tone sweet and kind, a stark contrast with her facial expression and the ominous setting of the dark alleyway. “Lila…” Marinette’s thoughts were going a mile a minute. Lila started to walk closer to Marinette, causing the latter to back away. Lila’s expression turned more sinister as she did this, as if she knew something that Marinette didn’t. Her tone was filled with a little of her sweet, kind attitude, but Marinette could tell that Lila wasn’t going to be very nice.
Marinette continued to retreat from Lila until her back met the wall, finding herself trapped with Lila closing in. Marinette couldn’t move, not knowing what Lila intended to do. Her heartbeat was louder than ever, her throat was dry. This was not looking good. Unbeknownst to Marinette, Lila withdrew a knife from behind her and thrust it into Marinette's stomach. A horrifying scream escaped Marinette as her eyes widened in agony. The terrible pain engulfed her, making her feel as if her stomach was on fire.
She looked down in horror and mortification, witnessing the knife embedded in her stomach, blood gushing out from the wound. Marinette slowly looked up at Lila, finding an evil smirk on her face. Her eyes welled up with tears, and her breaths became short and rapid. Marinette witnessed a flash of her own body collapsing to the ground, her head slamming against the unforgiving concrete.
Marinette, summoning all her strength, tried to push herself away from Lila, crawling desperately towards the exit. Lila approached her, a sadistic smile widening on her face as she relished Marinette’s fear. "If you're wondering why I did this, it's because I hate you," Lila declared coldly. She ruthlessly plunged the knife into Marinette's ankle, eliciting an agonizing scream that caused her to stop crawling due to the excruciating pain.
“Your popularity is pathetic…but most of all…your perfection is disgusting” Lila continued, the malevolent grin on her face growing even larger. With ruthless intent, she stabbed Marinette in the back, intensifying the torment inflicted upon her victim. “And the way you get along with Adrien disgusts me. He should be with me, not you”
Tears streamed down Marinette's cheeks as she cried, overwhelmed by both physical and emotional pain. The blade in her back caused unbearable sensations, rendering her attempts to move futile. Stuck and defenseless, Marinette found herself entirely at the mercy of Lila Rossi. Lila callously withdrew the knife from Marinette's back and flipped her over. With a chilling determination, she proceeded to jab the knife into Marinette's body multiple times, intensifying the brutality of the assault.
"Ahhh! No! Stop it, please!" Marinette screamed in agony, tears streaming down her cheeks. She was gripped by terror beyond belief, pleading for the brutal assault to cease. "I should've done this a long time ago," Lila said with a cold and remorseless tone, her eyes revealing no hint of remorse. As if in a blur, Marinette witnessed the world starting to fade. Numbness enveloped her, and a chilling coldness seeped into her body. It felt like the calm before the storm, yet the impending storm was drawing near.
"No... please..." Marinette whispered through tears. She didn't want to die here, in an alleyway, just because she had a petty rivalry with Lila Rossi. She wanted to live. Desperation filled her as her life flashed before her eyes. In those dwindling moments, her body grew colder, and she saw the faces of her friends, replaying conversations. Then came the images of her parents, their joy at having raised such a beautiful daughter. Yet, it was all slipping away, slowly but surely…
Marinette could see darkness now, everything else faded away. She felt cold, empty, and alone, her mind engulfed in a silence that echoed her despair. "No... Not yet..." she muttered through tears, her voice sounding weak as she fought to stay alive. However, there was nothing she could do. The darkness slowly swallowed her up, and just like that, Marinette Dupain-Cheng's life ended. It was gone in a flash, stolen from her in the cruelest way.
A few hours later, news reports of her death flashed across TV screens.
"Today, there has been a tragic death of one of the top students at Collège Françoise Dupont, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She was found in an alleyway, with multiple stab wounds," the reporter announced solemnly, her voice conveying sadness and somberness. "The police are currently searching for leads and have yet to identify a suspect, but foul play is suspected. Interviews with students and staff members are underway to gather information about this tragic event," the reporter added, detailing the ongoing investigation.
"We will keep you updated with any news regarding this case. If you have any valuable information about this matter, we urge you to speak up. This is Nadja Chamack on TV News," the reporter concluded in a professional and serious manner. However, there was a certain sadness in her tone when mentioning Marinette's tragic death.
Marinette's friends were shocked to see the news about the tragic and sudden passing of their friend. Disbelief and sorrow filled their hearts. Just a few hours ago, Marinette was alive, and now she was gone. The weight of the inexplicable loss left them grappling with the question of how such a terrible event could unfold.
"I don't believe it..." Nino muttered quietly, his disbelief evident in his tone.
"No... it can't be true..." Alya uttered with a look of disbelief on her face. Nino placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, trying to offer solace in the face of the shocking news. Eventually, shock gave way to overwhelming sadness as Alya sank to her knees, tears streaming down her face, mourning the loss of her best friend.
The news sent shockwaves through everyone who knew Marinette. Even Adrien, who held Marinette in high regard, considering her a crucial and comforting presence in his life, was deeply affected by the tragic news. "It can't be... no... Marinette? How...?" Adrien stared at the television with a shock expression on his face. The reality of it all seemed impossible to grasp. His friend, the girl he held in such high regard, was gone—forever.
Adrien shook his head, his mind spinning in all directions. He couldn't quite comprehend what he was seeing, and tears started streaming down his face as the weight of the tragic news hit him. “Marinette…” He whispered to himself, his voice cracking with emotion. "How could this have happened to her, of all people?" Adrien thought to himself, grappling with the overwhelming sense of loss and disbelief. The only person that he could trust completely…she was gone. The thought of her having her life taken from her too soon was heartbreaking for Adrien. This wasn’t just the loss of a friend, this was the loss of someone so dear to him.
Marinette's parents were not doing well either. They were absolutely grief-stricken, unable to come to terms with the tragedy that had befallen on their daughter. They spent most of the day just grieving, trying to process and accept what had happened. They felt like their world had just been turned upside down, and they didn't know how to make sense of it all.
"How could this possibly happen?" Her mother sobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I don't know..." Marinette's father said sadly, a solemn look crossing his face. "We always trusted that she was safe at school. We never thought this would happen.. it's all just so..." Her father couldn't find the words to describe what they were going through. And her mother was too distraught to speak, as she kept crying and covering her face with her hands, mourning the loss of her daughter.
People all over Paris watched the report on their living room TVs, phones, or computers. Gasps of horror and expressions of sorrow filled the air as the world mourned the sudden death of a young girl. However, amidst the grief, there was one person who felt satisfaction at Marinette's demise. Lila Rossi sat in her room, a dark grin creeping across her face.
"Finally..." she murmured to herself, a sinister satisfaction evident in her tone, glad that Marinette was no longer in the picture.