The Elites: A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic

First Day

Marinette could hardly believe it was her first day at Clifton Prep. She had risen early, much earlier than Alya. She'd been able to borrow a towel from the nurse so she could shower. Then she had parted her hair into her signature ponytails.

There wasn't a better feeling than putting clean clothes on a clean body. Marinette couldn't help but admire how smart she looked in the navy skirt and white shirt. She twisted one way and the another, checking herself out from every angle.

It wasn't until she returned from breakfast that Alya had finally woken.

"Why are you up so early?" she yawned.

"Are you just now getting up?" Marinette asked in alarm. "You'll miss breakfast."

"Sleep is more important. Besides, I bet the cafeteria was packed this morning."

Marinette nodded.

"It always is on the first day."

Marinette didn't mention that she'd seen the Elites. They even had their own table. But they hadn't seen her and for that she was thankful. She dreaded having to be around Adrien and Lila in their design classes later that day.

She took a seat on the edge of her bed, staring at the pink backpack still hung over her chair. The school didn't use physical textbooks. Instead, they provided students whatever books they needed through their student accounts, which was also where homework was uploaded.

While Alya shimmied into her uniform, which was a bit wrinkled, Marinette carefully packed her laptop in the backpack along with her sketchbook. She had downloaded all the books she would need the night before. Finally, she grabbed her pencil case, which was covered in ladybugs and headed out the door.

After homeroom, Marinette's morning classes were just like any other high school. Math, English Literature, Science... Those classes had integrated tracks. She and Alya had compared class schedules yesterday and discovered they had homeroom, English Literature, and Biology, as well as the same lunch period.

It was in the afternoon that their schedules differed. Alya's writing credits were in the form of journalism classes, while Marinette's art credits would come from the variety of design courses she would take over the next two years. This year, she was taking Creative Fashion Design, Drafting and Sewing, Sketching and Drawing, and History of Costume.

She couldn't wait for the afternoon so she could start doing what she loved.

The halls were crowded as Alya walked with her to homeroom. Unlike the public school Marinette had attended, Clifton Prep had almost triple the students, and almost all of them lived on campus.

Marinette dodged an elbow. "Is it always like this?"

"Pretty much," Alya said.

Marinette had learned that her roommate had been attending since freshman year. Coming in as a junior, Marinette felt like she had a lot to do to catch up.

Their homeroom had about twenty-five students all mulling about and talking to each other

"Come on." Alya grabbed her sleeve. "Our seats are over here." She pointed to the two-seat tables and benches.

Marinette suppressed a grimace when she realized the Elites were circled next to her desk. One of the girls laughed, sending a flutter of anxiety through Marinette's stomach. She gripped her pencil case tighter. Memories of Chloe stealing her pencils flooded her mind.

Alya had already taken a seat. Marinette slipped past the group. She hurriedly slung her backpack to the ground and was just about to take a seat when Alya shoved her from the side.

"Watch out!"

A huge wad of bright pink gum sat directly on Marinette's side of the bench.

"That's disgusting," she squealed. Marinette crouched by her backpack and looked for a napkin.

"What's wrong, Marinette?" Adrien leaned over her shoulder. "Oh, wow," he said, noticing the gum.

Marinette grabbed a crumpled tissue from her bag. "As if you don't know." She stood and whirled around sharply. Her eyes narrowed in on Chloe. "Is this your idea of a joke? That's immature even for you."

"Bold of you to assume we have time to play practical jokes on you," Lila cut in.

"Stop talking." Kagami held up a hand in Lila's face. "What we mean to say is—"

"Don't bother," Marinette snapped. She used the tissue to scoop up the gum. "I don't have time for you."

She tried not to shake as she went to throw the gum away in the trash can by the door. Of all the schools, why did Chloe have to pick Clifton Prep?

***

"Aren't you even going to try to explain what happened?" Adrien demanded.

The gum hadn't been put on Marinette's seat on purpose. Just a few minutes earlier, Lila had cracked a joke that made Chloe laugh.

"Oh no! I lost my gum!" she cried.

It had made the rest of them laugh harder. Although Adrien had scanned the ground, he hadn't seen Chloe's gum anywhere, especially not on Marinette's seat.

"It's not like she would believe me," Chloe said. "I wasn't exactly the nicest to her in middle school."

"Her immense hatred for you didn't give that away at all," Kagami said.

Lila rolled her eyes. "Who cares?"

"Well, we're probably going to have classes with her." Adrien turned to her.

"Just be glad none of us are roommates with her," Kagami added.

"I don't have a roommate," Lila said. "I have a private room."

That was something that had surprised Adrien when he first met Lila. Private rooms were practically reserved for royalty. Even he and Chloe didn't have one. But an ambassador probably ranked much higher than a mayor or a fashion designer.

"Oh really? I wouldn't have known that except you bring it up every five minutes," Kagami retorted.

Chloe's shoulders faltered a little. She slipped into her seat, using her hands to smooth the back of her skirt as she sat.

"Don't worry about it." Adrien leaned over to whisper in her ear. "It was an accident."

Chloe shrugged at him.

"If you two start dating, I'm leaving," Lila commented on their private conversation.

"They're not going to start dating." Kagami pulled Lila into the desk in front of Chloe.

"Shove over."

Chloe wrinkled her nose at him but moved over so Adrien could sit beside her. He looked over his shoulder to see Marinette walk past. She staunchly ignored him and sat down beside Nino's girlfriend, Alya.

"Why do you care so much what Marinette thinks, Adrikins?"

Chloe's use of her childhood nickname for him made Adrien smile. "I just want people to know you like I do."

"Well that's reserved for my friends," she said.

Adrien knew, like the rest of their group, she didn't have many friends.