The Elites: A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfic

Band Boy

"I guess you were right, Marinette." Kagami held out her hand. "It's starting to rain."

During their thirty minute ride, the sky had suddenly clouded over, and now fat drops of rain softly fell over the landscape.

"Don't worry." Marinette set her backpack on the ground and reached into it. "I have an umbrella." She proudly pulled it out, looking at Adrien.

Marinette tried to shake off whatever had happened in the Ferris wheel. He was Adrien Agreste, famous fashion model, and she was just a girl whose family owned a bakery. Marinette wasn't even sure she liked him. But if that was true, why had she leaned in? And, had it been her imagination, or had he leaned in, too?

Her heart fluttered traitorously as she opened the umbrella. "If we squeeze, all of us can fit."

"Aren't we taking the limo back?" Kagami looked at Adrien questioningly.

"Oh right," Marinette laughed. She was so used to walking everywhere, she had forgotten. "Never mind." She started to pack the umbrella into her bag, when Kagami stopped her.

"That's a beautiful umbrella." Kagami traced a finger over the handle. "Why does it have 'AA' monogrammed on it?"

Marinette looked closely at the handle. Sure enough, Adrien's initials were monogrammed in gold foil. Marinette couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it until now.

"I gave it to her," he said. Adrien opened the door to the limo. "Marinette can't be walking around London without an umbrella," he laughed.

***

"You tried to kiss him?!" Alya yelled.

Marinette was beginning to regret having told her friend what had happened. Once they had gotten back to Clifton, the three of them had gone their separate ways. Marinette was so confused that she had immediately spilled everything to Alya, except for the part about seeing Lila.

"No," Marinette said. She leaned against the head of her bed.

Alya was stretched out across from her. "But you leaned?"

"Yes?" she admitted.

"What did Adrien do?" Alya demanded.

"I don't know! I guess he leaned, too."

"You both leaned? Girl!"

"I know. What was I thinking?" Marinette palmed her forehead. How could she try to kiss Adrien?

"Nooo," Alya assured her. "If Adrien leaned, then he probably likes you, too! Why didn't you kiss?"

"Kagami interrupted us. She wanted us to see the view."

"I'll bet she did," Alya scoffed. "That girl has had a crush on him since the day she showed up here."

"Really?" Marinette's eyes widened. "Oh, what was I thinking?" She hung her head in her hands. Then Marinette jolted upright. "You can't tell Nino!"

"Why not?" Alya laughed. "He can find out if Adrien likes you!"

"Today was a mistake," Marinette insisted. "I mean, I don't even know if we can call ourselves friends."

Alya scoffed but didn't push the issue further.

Marinette tried not to think about it the rest of the week as she was going about her classes and working on her designs for Mr. Thackeray's class.

During the day, she discreetly investigated Lila, and at night, she worked on a new hat for Luka. From her questioning, Marinette had learned that Lila had transferred in halfway through sophomore year. She had a private room, although Marinette had realized that neither she nor the Elites had ever seen it.