mind over mask

thirteen

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Marinette's POV

When I entered the classroom, Chloe was throwing dark glares at Lila, and Alya sent them back, on behalf of Lila.

The lie herself just gazed at me the entire time. I ignored it, and walked back to my seat, step by step. But I felt her eyes on me all the same.

I put my head on my desk, thinking long and hard about Lila's words. Would it be worth it?

But did I even want to be friends with Alya? With Nino? With Juleka, or Rose, or Max, or Kim, or Alix... no, I decided, not after the way they treated me.

I slowly lifted my head up from the desk, stretching the arms that have been hiding my face. I look over to my left, and Damian is looking at me.

"Are you okay?" Damian asks me, his voice as bored as ever.

Come to think of it, this was the first time we've spoke since he called me an angel.

My eyes widen, how could I have forgotten that? I literally stuttered and blushed red around Adrien and Luka for years. And yet, with Damian, I didn't even bat an eye at it, and I even saved him from an akuma.

He was hot, that was for certain, but I didn't want to drag him in my problems. He was hiding things.

And it's not like he would like a girl like me, for starters, he was the son of a billionaire. He was serious and closed off, he was all business. I enjoyed the little things in life, there was no way we'd ever get along.

And based off his wardrobe, his favorite color was black, and only black. I was a designer, I appreciated colors and art. He was an amazing drawer though...

Snap out of it, Marinette. You don't have time to deal with a love life, I convinced myself.

But I could appreciate that he didn't wear green, red, and yellow like Robin did. Seriously, who would wear that willingly?

This was the first time he's addressed me in class. I shake myself out of my own stupor, "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking," I say brightly. It's a little forced, but being kind even feels forced now.

He nods, hopefully believing my lie, and turns back to his own work.

The bell rings, and the class heads to the cafeteria in anticipation of food and a break.

Adrien, Chloe, and I hang back, instead taking the stairs to the roof. We cover the security camera with a rag, so we wouldn't get caught.

"Marinette, why are we up here? We only come to the rooftop when it's serious," Adrien wonders.

Tikki, Pollen, and Plagg come out of their hiding place, immediately starting a conversation of their own.

"No, no, no, we'll get to that later. First—what did Lila say to you on the bathroom?" Chloe tries to interrogate me.

I brush it off, "Nothing. It's not that important. Yesterday—"

"Mari, tell us, if it's really not that important, you wouldn't be avoiding the subject." Chloe smirks.

I groan. "Lila said that if I apologized to her and the class, admitting that I was wrong and jealous, she would give me my friends back. No more bullying, I would just have to keep my mouth shut."

"You can't be serious... it's bad enough that I have to model with her, but Lila can't threaten you like that. Bugaboo, you can't be seriously thinking about doing it." Adrien pleads with me.

"But the bullying would be over." My voice cracks, showing how tired I truly was.

Chloe starts, "Mari, it sucks. I know it does, and you're getting the worst of it. But Lila can't win. If she wins, we let evil win."

"Trust me, I know. But it's going to get worse, and I just have to prepare for that." I voice my feelings.

"It'll be okay, you have us, remember?" Adrien shoulders me softly. Chloe grabs my hand, holding it with hers, showing her silent support.

"Thank you guys, you're the best." I laugh, trying to hold back tears of gratitude.

"Always. Okay, now that the heart-to-heart is over, why did we have to come up here in the first place?" Chloe questions.

"Yesterday, after we fought Gigantitan again, I was being followed. I eventually caught the person, and it was Robin from Gotham City. Batman's protege and partner?"

Adrien scrunched his face in confusion, "What is he doing here? We explained to Wonder Woman and Aquaman that it wasn't safe here." He recaps.

I answer, "I don't think they even know that Robin's here. And he's not the only one here. Nightwing decided to tag along."

"This day keeps getting weirder," Chloe admits. "Were they as hot their pictures?"

I stifle my giggles, trying to stay on task. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of my answer, that he's, they we're food looking. For being covered in spandex.

"Here's the bad news," I take a deep breath, and then blurt out, "The Black Mask is here."

Chloe's jaw drops in horror, "As in..."

"Yes, as in the crime lord from Gotham. Hawkmoth and him are working together." I conclude.

A moment of silence stretches between us, and the tension is so thick you could destroy it with a Cataclysm.

"What are we going to do, my Lady?" Adrien breaks our eerie quietness.

"I don't know. But I think we should work with them. It would be good experience, and the faster we help them take down the Black Mask, the less we have to worry about. Maybe they could even help us with Hawkmoth." I think out loud.

Chloe fantasizes, "Can you imagine? A Paris without Hawkmoth?"

I close my eyes. "One day. And hopefully it comes soon," I say in desperation.

The bells rings, and our lunch break is already over.

"Okay, pound it!" Chloe says, putting her fist in the middle of our trio, and we all bump fists. Our kwamis return to their original positions, and we headed towards the classroom.

We'd find a way to be okay. We'd find a way to beat Hawkmoth and Lila. But right now, we were just trying to survive one day at a time.

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