Jerk in Sheep's Clothing

Unearthed

Henri strutted back into his classroom, riding high on his most recent victory, humming as he gathered his backpack and started going through his things, his attitude like he hadn't a care in the world.

"HENRI LEROI!"

He smirked at the familiar screech, knowing what it all all about. Just as he had predicted, Lila Rossi came storming inti the classroom, face flushed with red-hot fury and panting like an enraged bull in the ring.

"Someone said my name?", he said cockily, not even bothering to validate her anger by looking at her.

"How could you do this to me?!", she wailed, and Henri had to admit, she was good. She actually sounded a little bit hurt by his betrayal.

"Do what?!", asked Henri in an innocent tone, still not looking at her.

"You ratted me out! You sold me down the river!", she wailed, stomping her foot. Meanwhile, their other classmates slowly trickled into the room, eyes glued to the show starting in their classroom.

"Well, of course I did.", said Henri, still looking at his backpack, brushing off her rage like it was nothing. Like she was nothing. "You were hurting my Maribelle. I had no choice."

"Oh, so NOW you squeal on me?!", Lila scoffed. "Don't act dumb with me, LeRoi! Don't say you did this because I was hurting Marinette. Not when you knew what I was doing to her this whole time! Not when YOU'RE the one who promised to stay silent and encouraged me to keep going on your first day here!"

"Wait, WHAT?!", Alya shrieked, looking at Henri.

The handsome boy chuckled and finally turned around to look at Lila with a mocking smirk. "Oh?"

"Don't act all innocent, Henri LeRoi!", said Lila, folding her arms over her chest. "You and I both know what I'm talking about!" She turned to face the onlookers, pointing straight at Henri. "You made a deal with me on your first day at this school! You told me to keep doing what I was doing so that Marinette would lose all her other friends and you could have her all to yourself! And when Marinette refused to give up on her friends, you're the one who told me about your plan to make it look like they were bullying you so that she would lose faith in them and sever ties with them herself!"

Everyone gasped in horror. Lila faced Henri, folding her arms over her chest with a sneaky little smile. "I wonder how Marinette would react if she knew that you not only knew how to expose me from day one and just chose not to, but also that you teamed up with me to separate her from her friends!"

Lila's victory was dashed when Henri laughed—laughed!—deviously right in her face, as though everything she said was a joke. "You're gonna tell on me to Marinette?", he said between chuckles, hand on his head. He lowered it so she could see all the evil on his face. "And tell me—just what makes you think Marinette is gonna believe a word that comes out of your mouth?"

Lila's face went slack as his words registered. "I...I..."

"You think after everything you've done, all the lies you've told, every falsehood you've spread, she'll just take your word for anything?" Henri rolled his eyes and laughed. "Ha! At this point, I doubt Marinette would believe anything you say, even if you told her the sky is blue!"

"But she knows I know that she knows! That's why she knows that I wouldn't play her about anything in private!"

Henri walked up to her, hands on his hips as he leaned over Lila menacingly. "Be real, Rossi. Who do you really think that Marinette's going to believe, hm?" He pointed a finger, poking her right in her collarbone. "The pathological liar who tried to ruin her life?" He pointed at himself with a confident, fiendish grin. "Or her loving boyfriend who supported her in her darkest hour?"