Chapter Text
When she walked back into class, everyone could see the change in Marinette's attitude. She walked to her seat, ignoring the blond who glanced at her with a concerned expression. As she took her seat, she turned to Alya, who tried to give her a reassuring smile.
"Worst lunch ever," she sighed, hoping that today's lecture would keep her busy.
Twenty minutes into class, all Marinette could think about was an empty seat in front of her. She tore out a sheet of paper and wrote, "please tell me this is some sort of cruel joke," before passing it to her left. She didn't have to wait long for the reply.
"If it is, blame Nino." Marinette automatically shot a look towards Nino, her classmate of how many years now? Had he ever been one to lie? 'He was always quiet, those are the ones you have to look out f-'
She shook her head, knowing full well she just needed this to not be real.
"He's really leaving?" She asked for the hundredth time between school letting out and her and Alya reaching her bedroom. "You're sure Nino heard him correctly?"
Alya sighed, "Yes, girl! For the umpteenth time, Adrien told Nino, and this is supposed to be really low key, I don't even think I'm supposed to know. If this gets out to the press, their photo shoots, season designs, everything could get leaked and ruin this Gabriel line!"
"I know it could be bad for the company, but how am I supposed to go a month without Adrien? What will class be without a beautiful blond to sta- I mean, uh, how will Nino go on without his best friend? What are we gonna do without Adrien?"
Her slip didn't go unheard, and Alya rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yea, sure, Nino. C'mon girl, it really isn't that long. You've survived up until this year without him."
"But I didn't even know him! What if you left for a month, we only met this year, but you're still my best friend. I'd be lost." She flailed her arms as she talked, hoping to add emphasis.
"Marinette, chill. Watch, he'll be back before you know it!" Alya said with a hopeful smile.
She knew Alya was right. A month wasn't really all that long. But what if...what if anything happened? What if his father kept him out in this unknown destination longer? What if Adrien liked being out of school, and didn't come back? What if he fell in love with the area and moved out there, and she never saw him again?
"...what if he meets someone while he's gone?" She hadn't meant to ask that one out loud, and her shoulders slumped as her friend hugged her.
Alya didn't have anything to say to Marinette. She could lie and say there's no way that'd happen, or she could take this moment to really pressure Marinette to talk to Adrien before she misses her chance, but what kind of friend would she be to bully her into it? So she settled with a soft and caring, "Girl, you worry too much. C'mon, let's go out, see a movie. We haven't had a Friday night without physics homework in weeks."
Marinette was pulled to her feet and lead to her closet to find something cute to wear as she grumbled, "Adrien likes physics."