Dead

Cat's Out of the Bag

  M'Lady and I dodged to the sides as the wall crashed down around us and the akuma entered the room. Hissing echoed through the room as I remembered the story of Medusa, a fable from Greek mythology.

  Look her in the eyes and you'll turn to stone, I remember. I glance around the desk I hid behind, starting at the floor so as not to accidentally look the creature in the face. I saw the monster looking down at something in it's hand...

  That something turned out to be a struggling Ladybug.

  I took out my stick and extended it towards the creature, jabbing it in the back. The creature hissed and loosened it's grip, allowing Ladybug to escape. Together, we raced out of the room and found a better place to hide from the creature for the time being.

  "How do we defeat an akuma we can't even look at?" I ask. Ladybug smirks at me.

  "Easy. We're the bug and cat team. We've fought akumas we can't look at before, Kitty. This time will be no different."

  "Especially when we have all the luck." I say, winking. She smirks and straightens, calling on our greatest weapon. 

  After we defeated the akuma, Marinette and I made our way back to the school. The akuma had caused us to go all the way across Paris to the Eiffel Tower to capture it. Everything was fixed after Ladybug used her lucky charm but our bodies were still sore. We walked back into the school and were instantly pounced on by Alya and Nino.

  "Where have you two been? The akuma was defeated ten minutes ago!" Alya demanded, looking Marinette up and down as Nino looked me over for any injuries.

  "We're fine, guys." Marinette said, trying to swat away Alya. Nino and her switched and Alya checked me over, in case Nino missed anything and Nino checked Marinette. If I'm being honest, Alya and Nino seemed more like my parents than my actual father sometimes.

  "We managed to get out of the school and hide somewhere else but we got turned into statues later. Luckily, Ladybug and Chat Noir were there to save us or we'd all be garden decorations for Hawk Moth." I said, thinking of an excuse. Alya shook her head in amusement and Nino wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's neck.

  "We're glad you guys are okay." Nino told us. That's when Alya narrowed her eyes at us. She must have seen something because she gasped in delight and turned to Nino.

  "Nino!" Alya exclaimed, gesturing to us. He looked at us and I glanced at Marinette, wondering what they could have seen. I turn back to Nino who was giggling like a little girl while Alya held her phone up and snapped a picture of us.

  "Alya, what are you doing?" Marinette demanded. 

  "I cannot believe you didn't tell me you and Adrien got together!" Alya exclaimed indignantly. I didn't need to look at Marinette to know that she was as red faced as I was at that's statement.

  "W-what are you talking about?" Marinette stammered. I was at a loss for words as Alya and Nino started talking about how it was so obvious, the way we came back together, the way we had glanced at each other. Everything from the way we were standing, leaning towards each other, to the way we had been acting all day.

  "I can't believe you disappear on us for a week, girl, then show up and hide your relationship with Adrien!" Alya exclaims, angrily. She starts going off on Marinette and, not wanting to get in the middle of that, I stepped back with Nino. We glanced at each other and exchanged glances before turning back to our girls.

  "We have to get to class." Marinette interrupted finally. Alya stopped and looked down at her phone, realizing what time it was.

"This is not finished, girl! I want details later. Come on, Nino. Let's let these two love birds walk to class on their own." Alya said, taking her boyfriend by the arm and pulling him along behind her.

  Marinette sighed with relief, glanced at me and smiled before walking off to class. I followed her quickly. Even though Nino and Alya knew, I still didn't know if Marinette would be okay with me holding her hand.

  I mean, I've held it before but that was back when we were friends and I didn't know how I really felt. I shook my head and, feeling confident, took her hand. Marinette stopped in surprise and I froze. 

  I looked down at her and she glanced up at me then down at our hands. Before I could apologize or take it back, her face lit up in delight and she continued walking, a smile lighting up her whole face. 

  I felt warmth spread through me and breathed a little sigh of relief. Feeling her hand in mine felt comforting and safe, something I hadn't felt in a while... ever since my mom died. My eyes continued flitting to Marinette, seeming to not get enough of her.

  "Get ready to run." Marinette whispered in my ear after class. Before I could ask her what she meant, she started walking after Alya and Nino. I walked quickly to catch up with her and when I did, she grinned back at me before reaching into Alya's bag and pulling out her phone.

  My eyes widened as I saw her take the phone out of the case and slip it back into the bag before running ahead of Alya with the case and waving it in the air. Alya gasped and tore off her bag, handing it to Nino and racing after Marinette, who laughed gleefully and took off like a shot.

  I saw Nino fumble with the bag and, knowing Alya's phone was in there without a case, I reached out and took it from him before he could drop it. He gave me a nod of thanks before taking the bag back and opening it, pulling out Alya's phone. 

  He glanced at it, then to Marinette and Alya, then back at the phone, then at me. I smiled and shrugged, turning back to watch the girls racing after each other. Eventually, Marinette got tired and gave Alya back the case. When Alya found out it was just her case, and that her phone had been in her bag the whole time, she grumbled and came back over.

  "Neither of you could have told me?" She asked, taking her phone from Nino and putting the case back on.

  "I was getting payback for earlier, same as Marinette." I shrugged. Alya turned to her boyfriend.

  "Nino?"

  "You guys looked like you were having fun." He said, dismissively. Alya groaned and took her bag back, slinging it over her shoulder.

  "Whatever. We should get going. My dad said he wanted me stopping by the zoo before heading home. I also want to stop for ice cream before handling the craziness later tonight." Nino nodded and adjusted his bag as he walked off backwards.

  "Catch you later, dudes!" He called back. Marinette and I waved goodbye as he turned around and ran after Alya, who went straight to her phone. I turned to Marinette and she smiled, cheeks flushed from running away from Alya.

"You better hurry. You don't want to be late for fencing." She told me. I checked the time and realized I would have been if she hadn't reminded me. Knowing people would find out eventually, I leaned in close and kissed her quickly before backing away.

  "Gotta run! Thanks, Princess!" I said, rushing off. I made it to the locker room before stopping and looking back but she was already gone. I thought about the kiss and smiled. I saw her face as I walked off and she didn't look mad. Actually, I saw her face as I turned to race off and it didn't seem angry in the slightest.

  It seemed pleased. Grinning, I walked into the locker room and opened my locker, pulling out my fencing bag and unzipping it before stopping and frowning. I thought again about how she told me so casually I had fencing practice, and how I just accepted that and took off, not wanting to be late. But...

  How'd she know I had fencing practice? I wondered but shook it off. I'd see her at patrol later. I could ask her then. The list of things I needed to ask her was piling up. I should write this stuff down, I thought. I pulled out my phone, doing just that.