The Criminal's Princess

Chapter 15

The past two days were utter chaos in the Dupain Cheng bakery. Marinette refused to talk, eat, or even come out of her room for that matter. Her parents were equally worried but had decided to give their daughter some space until she was ready to talk.

"You know, we can't let her stay like this! We don't even know what she's going through!" Exclaimed Tom sitting down on the couch, defeated.

Sabine sat down next to her husband and smiled up at him.

"I think we both know what she's going through."

"Oh yeah? Educate me." Tom said.

"She's going through a heartbreak. I was the same way when I got my heartbroken for the first time." Explained Sabine.

"Alright! Who broke your heart?!" Shouted Tom.

"Oh. Just a stupid, ignorant, big-headed, annoying high school boy." Sabine gritted her teeth and slowly relaxed.

Tom just sat there blinking at his wife.

"I see where Marinette gets her sudden temper from." Laughed Tom.

Sabine smiled and got up to leave for her shift in the bakery.

"So what should we do now? Regarding Marinette?" Questioned Tom.

"First we have to give her some space." Explained Sabine.

"That's what we are doing right now! You mean, give her space to the moon? She hasn't eaten in two days!" Yelled Tom.

"Guess Marinette gets her temper from both of us. And yes. Give her some more space. Don't force her to talk." Advised Sabine.

Tom sighed and joined Sabine in the bakery waiting till school let out for the children and adults to swarm the bakery.

Marinette was up in her room hugging her pillow, still sleeping. Her phone rang waking the girl from her nightmares.

"He-hello?" Asked Marinette with a raspy voice, sore from crying for two days straight.

"Marinette? It's me, Mylène." Introduced the short, chubby girl from the other side of the phone.

"Hey..." Groaned Marinette.

She really didn't want to talk to anybody right now. But she thought it was rude to ignore the caller after she had picked up her phone.

"I know it's late but have you heard the news?! Chat Noir is dead! We're finally free! I tried to reach you befo-" Mylène started.

But she was interrupted by Marinette throwing her phone down from her loft bed onto the floor below, shattering its screen.

All the memories of Chat Noir came flooding back with more tears. After all that time Marinette had spent alone in her room trying to stop her tears, all her walls were broken by the sudden gush of saltwater.

Marinette wailed into her pillow clutching onto it desperately.

"W-why? Why am I crying? He's just a stupid cat. It's not like I... love... him. Right?" Marinette asked herself.

She wasn't sure what to think anymore. Every time she thought of Chat, she'd get strange flutterings in her stomach and heat would rush to her face. But that was all in the past. Now, every time she was reminded of the black cat, tears would run down her face.

Marinette's midnight blue hair was spread all over her bed, messy with tangles. Her reddened eyes threatened to spill tears once more. Her stomach growled begging for food but Marinette ignored its pleas, still devastated without Chat.