Check Mate

Chapter 10

Adrien was nervously fidgeting with the lucky charm Marinette gave him as he waited for Chloe to come to school. It had been about three days since his talk with Ladybug, and he had tried to talk to Chloe a few times to ask if she could help him get in contact with Marinette, but each time Chloe had either been busy or flat out ignored him, which was as understandable as it was agitating.

He had to apologize. He didn't care what it took, he would make it up to his raven haired classmate for letting her be bullied out of the school. Even if she hated him, even if she never forgave him, or told him never to speak to her again, he had to try.

It was the very least he could do.

He knew Chloe was in contact with Marinette. The first day Marinette hadn't shown up to class, she had looked smug, and perhaps a bit relieved when Marinette's name wasn't called during attendance.

When they'd been informed Marinette would no longer be attending their school, the class had been outraged, going on about the nerve she had to torment Lila for all these months and leave without saying a word.

Looking back on it made Adrien wince. He should've said something. He should've done something. Glancing at his ring he wondered if he was worthy of it anymore.

He didn't feel like it.

Later that first day of her absence, Chloe had been heard talking to someone on the phone in the locker room, and no one really paid it any mind until they'd heard Marinette's name.

Which lead to Lila being akumatized.

He had no idea how or why, because she certain hadn't looked angry, but she'd become Volpina again, creating an illusion of Marinette acting exactly how Lila portrayed her, only adding more fuel to the fire.

He reflected on how absolutely horrible the class had been towards not only Marinette, but anyone who thought she wasn't the bad guy. Marc had tried to talk to Nathaniel, saying how he didn't think she was as guilty as Lila suggested. Nathaniel seemed to have been considering it when Mylene over heard what was said and the normally timid girl had become some sort of attack dog, nearly going after the young writer but Nathaniel had stepped in to defend his comic partner and boyfriend heatedly.

It was more than Adrien had ever done and he knew the truth.

He shook himself out of his thoughts, his hand unconsciously fiddling with the blue scarf his father had given him for his birthday.

He would make this right.

A silver car rolled up and Chloe stepped out, which made Adrien startle a bit. Since when did she take anything but a limo? Wait a minute what was she wearing? Those weren't her normal designer clothes.

In place of her sleek white pants were some less harshly white jeans, paired with a soft buttery yellow shirt that had thin black lines crisscrossing it in a way that reminded him of honey combs. A black cropped denim jacket hugged her shoulders, and the ensemble was tied together by soft yellow converse shoes that had a bee embroidered on the sides. It looked..

Really cool actually.

Her eyes met his when she looked up from idly scrolling on her phone, and he was surprised at the glare he received.

I mean he deserved it, but it was still weird for Chloe to glare at him.

She stuck her nose up at him and stolled lazily towards the school, not once breaking eye contact.