The Salt Files (MLB)

Take a Break

Marinette's friends are trying to get her to take a break from Class Rep paperwork

Un deux trois quatre
Cinq six sept huit neuf
Un deux trois quatre
Cinq six sept huit neuf
Good! Un deux trois quatre
Cinq six sept huit neuf
Un deux trois quatre
Cinq six sept huit neuf
Sept huit neuf
Sept huit neuf
Sept huit neuf
Sept huit neuf
One two three four five six seven eight nine!

Marinette was counting to ten as she tried to keep her cool while doing class representative paperwork. It was exhausting, time consuming, and ridiculous how she has to do all the work when the adult and actual teacher of the class should be doing it instead. Why should a teenager be calculating every cost of a trip without assistance?

You see, every year the class has gone on this amazing trip, and most of the others like to do it to make other classes jealous, as if it was a competition. But what people don't realize that there is less teamwork involved than is let on. Chloe and Marinette come up with most of the funds while everyone else does nothing. But others help a little as well.

Nathaniel does art commissions and donates half his earnings towards the payment. Nino's DJ gigs also give him enough to help as well. Juleka and Luka even helped out by donating some money they got from their band, yet no one else can even hold up a successful bake sale! The only other cook in the class was Rose, and she was out sick.

You would think Alya would help as well, being the deputy and her mom being a chef she could sell some foods for money. But she is more concerned about helping Lila with her situation, that she completely abandoned Marinette. As if she didn't matter anymore.

Luckily, Marinette mattered more to her other friends than she thought.

My dearest, Angelica
"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day"
I trust you'll understand the reference to
Another Scottish tragedy without my having to name the play
They think me Macbeth, and ambition is my folly
I'm a polymath, a pain in the ass, a massive pain
Madison is Banquo, Jefferson's Macduff
And Birnam Wood is Congress on its way to Dunsinane
And there you are, an ocean away
Do you have to live an ocean away?
Thoughts of you subside
Then I get another letter
I cannot put the notion away...

Marinette's friends found her that night hunched over on her desk, paperwork and pens surrounding her. Luka tapped his girlfriend's shoulder, startling her out of her focus.

"Guys, what are you doing here?" Marinette asked, fixing her hair and organizing papers. "I thought we agreed to meet up at 5 at the park!"

"It's 6 now." Marc said, pointing to the window. Sure enough, the sun was setting. Marinette grabbed her phone and she sure was an hour behind.

"Oh no! I'm sorry, I got distracted by all these orders. The amount of time it takes to set up rooms, costs for food, and tourist sites are all really stressful. I was trying to have it done before I left, but you guys see how that went." Marinette chuckled. Her friends grew concerned.

"Have you eaten?" Kagami asked.

"Uhhh..." Marinette's stomach growled, answering their question.

"When was the last time you ate?!" Aurore asked as Luka ran to get her some food.

"I think around lunch before that last akuma." Earlier that day, Lila got akumatized because she claimed Marinette harassed her. She tried to go after her, but Alya got in her way and tried to calm her down. Marinette ended up having to save her as Ladybug and scolded her for putting herself in danger like that. Alya said it was for a good reason, because her friend was upset because of another friend and she needed to know that everything would be alright. Cat Noir agreed that it was a risky move and discouraged her from doing it again. Of course, they knew she wouldn't listen, but at least it was said around witnesses so they could remind her of it. Luka returned with a bowl of dinner that was served half an hour ago. Marinette ate it hungrily as her friends stared at the papers.