Chapter Text
‘’Oh, there’s no way I would date Cholé!” Marinette said with a scrunched expression. The thought made it almost impossible for her not to gag, the ‘Cholé' she knew was an entitled brat. That was an understatement in her mind if she was being real with herself. "For as long as I've known her there have been problems left and right. Big and small."
“Okay okay, I was just kidding!~” Alya teased alongside a playful nudge. The girls continued to talk about who they would and wouldn’t date as they walked to school. To keep Marinette from being late Alya began walking with her to school, it was great. No more complaints from Ms. Mendeleiev, no more tardies, and she had enough free time to chat with her friends!
“Oh girl, did you see my most recent post on the lady-blog?" she gushed, now it had been brought to her attention she shyly shook her head 'no', feeling bad that she hadn't kept track with the investigators finds.
"Sorry Alya! I was too focused with helping my parents with preparing desserts," the girl stumbled out. Truth be told, Alya knew that she had been lying but she decided to let it pass this time with a giggle. "Totallyy~..anyways I found out some things regarding ladybug! I believe to have found her hero number!!" she pumped her fist into the air, after so long she got a major lead in finding out ladybug's identity.
"Uhm..Are you s-sure about that? Are you even sure thats a good idea?!" was frantically said to the embarrassed ginger, the pigeons rose and flew away from the disturbance. Alya frowned at Marinette and knew she was right but her ego told her otherwise.
"Come on Mari.. What's the worse that could happen," she chuckled, which fell into a sneaky whisper "plus the post doesn't contain her number..yet.."
Marinette just stared at her dumbfounded. She didn't know whether to be more concerned with the fact Alya had figured out her number she used only to contact Chat Noir or more upset she plans on leaking it to other fans. Before she could facepalm Alya took her by the arm and jogged her to class as to not lose their original seats.
They stopped half-way through the doorway, catching their breath a bit before continuing inside and to their seats. Ms. Bustier welcomed them with a bright smile before clearing her throat to speak, "as you know you all have a project upcoming, I'd like to reveal who your partners will be," the class waited silently with anticipation. Marinette saw Mylene cross her fingers and seemed to be muttering something under her breath. This only fueled Marinette's anxiety, hoping she wouldn't be paired with Ćhole or Sabrina. "These will be the pairs; Nathaniel, Alix, and Kim will be group one. Ivan, Mylene, and Max will be group two," this continued for a quick minute until her attention was back on the teacher from hearing her name being called "marinette, since it's only you and Lila left you two will be working together okay?" Ćhole snickered at Marinette's gaped mouth and worried expression.
"Oh my gosh! I'd love to work with you Mari!" Lila chirped following her usual grin and sly eyes that only Marinette could catch. "C-Can't you group her with her friends Ćhole and Sabrina? I can honestly work by myself, I wouldn't wanna stress her out," she pleaded softly which fell on deaf ears.
"O-Oh..I wanted to work with you but I understand you would rather work with someone else.." Lila whispered with a singular tear accompanying her act. "Wha— Nonono we can work together Lila!" Marinette blurted, Alya side-eyed her hard with a 'Excuse me?' face. Even though she barely knew the extent of Lila lies she knew she was no good let alone to work with.
"Great!" Both Ms. Bustier and Lila chirped. Heat went to Marinette's face as she realized what she put herself in. Thankfully she had time to think about what to do since they could work on their daily assignment and talk to each other.
Alya whispered harshly with a grim expression "Girl! what are you gonna do about Lila?..There's no way you're gonna seriously work with her," Marinette cringed at the thought of working with her. Thoughts of having rumors spread or being humiliated flooded her mind. She rubbed her temples in an attempt to get rid of the sudden minuscule migraine that formed. "Ugh..I don't know okay? Maybe I can just fake sick and do the project myself," as a reply she heard a scoff from Nino.
"As if, Lila is definitely gonna push to meet in person for it AND Ms. Bustier will probably know if you do that." Whispered with a grimace. Adrien nodded and gave Marinette glum eyes, even with the horrible situation it made her heart flutter a bit.
"Well, I'll find something to excuse myself from her terror but until then I think I can manage." The hope in her told her that there's a chance Lila might not even do anything bad and it would turn out good.
"Soo~? What are you gonna do about Dupain-cheng," Cholé said with a smug face, she was skeptical about working with her again to punish Marinette since last the last time she was ratted out by Sabrina and eventually Lila blamed it all on her. "Relax, and let bygones be bygones," she chuckled with that sweet little laugh she had "since our little bug has a crush on your Adri-kins I made a plan that'll help you with him while simultaneously ruining her," a eyebrow rose on Cholé's face as interest began to rise in whatever Lila was speaking about. "Go on," she eyed at the ginger.
"Well, I can't tell you all of the plans especially since last time we failed but just be pretty, okay? Maybe even invite Adrien out somewhere as I work my magic." she said enigmatically with a wink, "okay..but if shit goes wrong it's falling back on you, got it?" Cholé faced her sternly. Though deep down she knew she had little power in regards to Lila, as to Marinette? Oh she practically had the girl in her hands with Adrien beside her.
As Cholé day dreamt of what it would be like to finally be with Adrien, Lila began step one of her plan. "Ahem, guys I have something special to share with you all!" She shouted, jumping up to go to the front of the class. "Lila please use your inside voice." Ms. Bustier commented before drawing the rest of the class attention. "I have a special word from Ladybug, sorry it took so long for me to share. My early onset memory loss really makes me a klutz," she rubbed the back of her head seeming to wince a bit. Marinette wanted to say something, but before she could even think of saying something her face said it all for her which bought out a cackle from Adrien. The sudden noise drew everyone's attention to him.
"Adrien, don't be disrespectful when another student is announcing something." Ms. Bustier warned. "Ah sorry miss!" He apologized with a light blush coming over his face.
"As I was saying..Ladybug texted me this; "Dear Ms. Bustier class, I wanted you all to know that even with the akuma attacks everything will be fine. Me and chat noir will always protect, and with the help of your fellow classmate Lila things will be improving!"." Her voice cracked a bit at the end as tears flowed down her face. "Awe don't cry Lila! We're glad to know that you will be helping her protect us from akuma attacks!" Rose shouted,
"S-sorry it's just..a lot for me as of now. It makes so happy to know I can protect all my beloved classmates, and n-no matter what I'll keep pushing! Even with my medical issues," Lila spouted with her cheeks a bit pink from rubbing the tears from her face. The class comforted her from afar, with Ivan saying "Just take it a step at a time, thats what I did when I had to go to therapy and balance school work". She smiled as more tears fell, it was a sorrowful smile as she seemed grateful for the support.
Marinette seemed unimpressed, even though she did feel a tad bad she knew Lila was lying. 'I don't even sound like that?? Nor would I ever say something like that!' She thought to herself, a grim expression presenting itself. She looked to Alya to whisper but Alya was not only amazed at the recent news Lila spread but also pitiful as it was so heartwarming. So she turned to Adrien who had more of a confused expression, good to know that at least someone was holding onto their common sense as Nino had also fallen into the trap.
"Marinette, may you please walk with Lila to the bathroom and make sure she's okay as she freshens up? I'm sorry you feel this way dear, but me and everyone else are here to support you and ladybugs work. You can always rely on me for anything." Ms. Bustier spoke gently, touching her shoulder. Lila nodded and began walking out the class not bothering to wait for Marinette to accompany her. Urgently though she stood up and walked out the class a bit behind the auburn. It was a pain to do this unwillingly, but rejecting it would only make Marinette seem selfish.
As they walked the open school, Lila gave smug glances to Marinette every once in a while but quickly went back to sniffling combined with seeming sad. "Ya'know t-this is really sweet of you Dupain-cheng.." she tearfully spoke, the way she said the girls last name sent shivers down her spine and heat to her ears. She had to keep her composure though, "Oh it-its nothing!," she spoke through her teeth with a awkwardly forced smile "Like Ms, Bustier said, we're here to support you and Ladybugs wonderful missions!"
Lila smirked at that, even with the sarcasm, even if she hadn't made her first move she already felt her gaining power over Marinette. "I appreciate the change in heart then,"
"Yeah.." Marinette replied as they reached the bathroom. It was quiet and colder than the rest of the building. Lila walked to the mirror, grabbed some tissue and blew her nose in addition to her washing her hands a bit. "Got any lipstick or lip-gloss?" She looked towards the girl, "Uhh sure," she replied back as she grabbed her signature creamy pink lip-gloss but for a moment she hesitated before handing it out. Lila took it and applied it on. It tasted of strawberries and she wondered 'if anyone else had tasted it on her lips..' which was unusual. The thought of Marinette kissing anyone disgusted her, the azure-haired girl lips pink and puffy from kissing. The thought that she shared the sweet taste lingered, it clouded her mind and frustrated her. As much as she hated Marinette and the thought of her with Adrien, she couldn't stop from imagining her kissing. Heat rose to her face more and more with each swipe of lip-gloss. To say she hated Marinette was nothing compared to how she felt.
Marinette noticed she was already gripping the counter but the grip got tighter as she applied more lip-gloss. Suddenly it was handed back to her, "Uh you okay? That's a bit aggressive don't cha think," she joked which wasn't the best move as Lila eyed her. No words were needed as Marinette immediately took that as a sign to shut up and take the lip-gloss. The tension was thick, it was only a matter of time before Lila snapped at her. A smiled appeared on the aurburnettes face as she stepped on a lady-bug crawling by "bugs deserve to be squashed." Echoed throughout the bathroom for a minute.
She walked past Marinette with a smile showing up, even bumping her a bit. The uncomfortableness grew up her spine. 'What the fuck just happened?!' ran through her head. This felt like war had been declared against her but..it seemed different. She knew she had to keep her eyes on Lila now. "Are you coming or do I need to tell Ms. Bustier you'll be busy in the bathroom?" She heard from behind her. Lila stood there with a curious toothy grin. "No..No here I come." She turned half way to start off walking. Lila shrugged and continued with her steps back to class. Her pumps clicked against the floor, it was the only thing snapping Marinette out of her overflowing thoughts. God, Lila seemed to be everywhere. Even as they passed the halls, there were posters of Lila from a few different events she participated in. Nothing made sense when it came to the auburn girl..
'Even when she used my lip-gloss. Her reaction made no sense, like it triggered something. She asked for it though, so what had I done wrong?' she questioned each and every action that had just happened that moment, trepidation dripped through her veins. 'When will this day be over..' she wondered as her and Lila walked through the door. They checked on Lila as usual; once she got settled class went smoothly and the rest of the day followed. Most of Marinette's time spent was hanging with Nino, Alya, Kagami, and Adrien in the library studying. It had been a while since Marinette last made a fool of herself in front of the blonde, it was like she finally got used to being around him. It seemed more-so that they had swapped places and he began to have more funny moments. Besides the constant daydreaming, she was proud.
Lunch came and she sat with her group again as she did earlier. Today's home lunch consisted of a small portion of spaghetti aglio e olio, steamed broccoli, a few chicken pieces, and some leftover croissants. She looked over to Adrien's packed lunch which was just worrying, he had an apple with a plain salad (Lettuce, spinach, tomato, and onions). "Ehm, Adrien?" she tapped on his shoulder "Would like to try some of the pasta my father made? Oh — and I have some leftover croissants," was offered to the boy which drew a smile from him.
"I'll just take a croissant Mari, thank you," he appreciated the offer a lot. If he hadn't known any better he would just eat her whole lunch, but his father made him eat a bit healthier so he could look more lean. One croissant wouldn't hurt though, what he doesn't know won't hurt him. He reached for one of the two croissants she had out, he's had them before and they are absolutely delicious. The soft warm bread touched his lips and then his tongue. The flakiness melted instantly and he chewed slowly enjoying the flavor. His eyes closed and a "mmm.." came from him. He took another soft bite and soon the taste of cocoa mixed with saliva. Marinette stared, she stared hard. It was like watching something intimate happen but oh god it was beautiful. He was enjoying her treat. She felt her heart flutter again, and she wanted this moment to last forever.
"Marinette!" A familiar voice broke her out of her trance. She turned to see where it originated from, and there Lila was with her tray. "May I sit with you guys? I just wanna discuss the project a bit before I forget," she grinned towards the girl. Marinette so desperately wanted to say no and push the project away, "Suree…" she grinned back at the girl. By the time Lila sat down she had realized Adrien finished the croissant and was talking to Nino. "So do you wanna meet at my house or yours?" Lila implored,
"Ah we can.." Marinette hummed at the thought of which place would be safer. With how sneaky Lila is then the likely hood of her doing something at her house was high, though she could always get her parents help if something DID happen. That was also a downside if she went to Lila's house, she would have no one, but then it would be less likely for something to happen. It really made her think deeply about this, 'Which would cause less problems?' She asked herself. "Uhh—we can go to your house Lila, if thats okay," the girl nodded in return as she bit her apple. It was pretty boring right now, besides the occasional talking from her friends. She noticed Lila's eyes fixated on her, almost staring but not quite. The tension was building again as they exchanged eyes until Juleka interrupted them,
"Did you guys get the memo on the party?" She raised, which seemed to lighten Alya up "No but do enlighten us! When is it and whose house?" Alya raised her own question with wiggly eyebrows.
"Ah, Cholé is hosting a party at her father's hotel on the very top floor so the roof will be ours. As for a date it's sometime this week just stay looking out for a post." She whispered before giving a side-eye and hurriedly walking away. Lila rolled her eyes and scrunched her face before tossing her half eaten apple on her tray and getting up to put it away. "What was that about..?" Alyla whispered wide eyed towards Adrien, he shrugged and turned to Marinette for an answer she didn't have.
"Maybe it was just an inside joke?" She questioned, but it was obvious that wasn't the case. The silence between them all lingered until Kagami got up to leave. From there the day continued with Marinette paying more attention to what happened around her. Deep down she was suspicious about an akuma attack happening.
Evening arrived as everyone descended to their rides, walking with friends, etc. Adrien walked down the stairs alongside Cholé while Marinette stood from the top watching him. His beautiful smile made her feel warm she just wished she had the courage to tell him how she felt. That was a thought for later though, Alya walked up behind her putting her hands over the girls eyes. "Guess who! I'll give you a hint; I'm not Blondie nor a model," she giggled earning a gasp from Marinette. "Oh woww very funny..If I had to guess, are you Ivan?" She said sarcastically as Alya took her hands away from her eyes, "do I sound like I'm made of rocks?" She scrunched her nose and placed her hands on her hips in disapproval. Marinette about-faced her friend and instantly broke into a fit of laughter. Although the joke was mean she couldn't lie it was funny as shit. Alya stared at Marinette wheezing bent over and closed her eyes to try not to laugh, "W-what's so funny about that.." she whispered out cracking a slight smile.
"You just—YOU JUST CALLED HIM FAT," she laughed out with a rosy face, cackling even harder when Ivan walked out of the school building. "Girl shu-shut up please your so embarrassing.." she giggled out, eventually laughing loudly too. Both the girls hunched over and laughed until tears began popping out. Slowly the laughter died down and they both steadied themselves against the the railing look at the sunset, with a sigh Alya turned to her, "It's moments like these that I want you to remember when you're going through a rough time,", Marinette smiled reaching out to hug her; the hug was warm with love. "Now I gotta go girl but I'll be over soon to get the supplies!" Alya pulled back and sped off. "Wait—!" Marinette yelled trying to get Alya's attention but it was far too late. Chasing after her would do no good, regardless, she knew Alya had good intentions. She could tell Alya to get her stuff later more-so the faster she got this project with Lila over the faster she could relax.
She embarked her journey to Lila's house, her shoulders tense and anxious. Unfortunately her house wasn't far at all so as Marinette got closer dread filled her. There were a lot of alleyways to go through to reach the place. It seemed as if the house was meant to be hidden, a secret. Which was strange, coming from a model: compared to Adrien's house, Lila's had no voice. No part of the building yelled 'I'm a rich model.'. Yet, instead it whispered to Marinette insecurities and shame. It was like the house glimmered in the sunset of bad vibes, maybe she was just overreacting though. As soon as she stepped in it's full vicinity the whispers came to a stop as she rung the doorbell. She heard the ding ring through the house, the door opened gently to a tall brown-haired woman in front of her. She gave off those kind charity-rich vibes, "Oh dear are you here for Lila?" Her voice soft and gentle. Marinette gave a nod with a gulp, 'god how is she gonna escape this?' She asked herself.