Me without you-MLB

Demanded explanations

Lunchtime was finally arriving within minutes. Both Nino and Alya felt like they had waited an eternity and a day for lunch to lunchtime to finally arrive. Neither one of them could focus on their classes. Both worried about their friends. All throughout the morning, they wondered what could have possibly happened that caused Marinette to run and Adrien to look so broken but, there was one certain thing, whatever had happened this morning was clearly not good in the slightest.

Alya tapped her fingers on her desk as she impatiently waited for the seconds to tick down and the bell to ring. She needed to check on her best friend. And that is just what she would do as soon as the bell rang. Nino was also becoming impatient. He could have sworn that it was 11:57 ten minutes ago. How was it only 11:58 just now?

Nino's left leg bounced up and down as he looked at the clock again at 11:59, one minute left. He groaned, wishing the bell would ring already. He had to find out what happened. Adrien was obviously not himself. In fact, he was certain that he had never seen Adrien looked so crushed and defeated.

After over two years of friendship, Nino had seen a depressed Adrien before. Especially, when the anniversary of his mother's disappearance came close or during mother's day and on his birthday since his cold father wouldn't even allow him to see his friends, but this was much worse.

Adrien kept his head down all day, he wouldn't speak, and when the teachers would call on him, he would simply look up, shrug his shoulders and look down again. That was not normal for Adrien Agreste. No matter how he felt, he was very focused on his classes and always wore a smile on his face. He hasn't smiled all day. After his talk with Marinette, Adrien has not smiled. Nino did not like this at all. He silently prayed he could fix this.

*ring* The lunch bell finally rang, making Alya speed out of the room and out the school towards the Dupain-Cheng's bakery. Nino, on the other hand, took a deep breath and remained seated. He waited for everyone to exit the room. He wanted to talk, and this was the only place he could speak to Adrien alone. Adrien didn't even bother getting up from his desk. Adrien didn't care if his father got upset with him for not coming home. Or if he had a last-minute shoot to attend. Adrien just wanted the earth to swallow him whole and let him die in his own self-pity. He couldn't understand how life was never fair to him.

Nino waited for a minute for Adrien to at least look up, but upon noticing that Adrien had not bothered to make a move, he decided to speak. "Adrien," he called out, but Adrien still didn't make a move. "Talk to me, bud. Tell me what happened?" Nino spoke again, this time lower, not trying to sound like anything other than a friend. Adrien then finally lifted his head some but still avoided eye contact with his friend.

Nino almost gasped at the look on his friend's face. His eyes were red and puffy. It was clear Adrien had been silently crying. Nino could see Adrien's face held pain, agony, discomfort, but also anger. Adrien looked broken, if not worse. "She confessed," his voice came out as a bear whisper that Nino almost didn't hear it. "She said she liked me, and I-I rejected her. Nino, Marinette hates me. She wouldn't even let me touch her."

Nino didn't know what to say. He couldn't believe that his friend had actually rejected sweet, caring Marinette. Nino felt confused. He had also believed Adrien liked her. Adrien had admitted to him in New York that she was beautiful. He had hinted at having feelings, and he asked about her all the time. So why reject her? A rollercoaster of emotions went through him in a matter of seconds. He felt sad for both Marinette and Adrien but confused and lastly angry. What the hell is going on? Did he miss something?

"Why?" Nino asked, his voice hinting at his anger. "W-what?" Adrien asked, confused at the tone in Nino's voice. "Why did you reject her? You looked genuinely happy to spend time with her. You seemed so excited to see her again. Hell, you asked about her like ten times in only a few hours. You called her beautiful, and you even admitted that you were upset she didn't sit with you on the plane. You said you felt things when you would hug her. We all believed you liked her. Hell, you made me believe you liked her! So why? Why reject her after all that? " Nino raised his voice, making clear his anger and annoyance.