The Salt Files (MLB)

Babysitting Fails

Alya keeps dumping the twins and occasionally Chris on Marinette to go have fun with the class, to go on dates with Nino, or to hang out with Lila. Marinette has enough and asks Alya's parents to pick them up, only for her to find out none of the parents knew and neither did Nino. Alya brought it on herself, really.

Marinette sighed for the third time that morning. She had stayed up all night working on class rep paperwork, designing a commission for Jagged Stone, and patrolling for several hours after someone got akumatized because of a nightmare. Marinette was ready to go to bed.

Chloe noticed her mood as she walked up and placed a hot cup of coffee in front of her (you guys can chose the coffee I've never had any lmao) as she took a sip of her own. Marinette gave her a drowsy smile as she started drinking. "Let me guess, Alya left you to do all the work again?" The bluenette nodded.

"She barely even talks to me anymore, I don't see why she still does this." Chloe glared the fake reporter from their spots at the back of the room.

"She's using you." Marinette nods. 

"I know that-"

"She's probably doing all of it as a punishment. Notice how the only times she associates with you is if she wants something from you, to punish you for 'hurting' Lila, or to scold you. Dumping all the work on you is most likely showing another way to prove she doesn't like the tension between you two." Marinette thought about it. It did make sense. 

Alya was a wild card when it came to loyalty. She will be loyal, defensive, and stubborn for anyone who needs it. The problem was, she saw Lila as the victim now and Marinette as the bully. She then abandoned Marinette, taking her loyalty and trust with her. But the baker doesn't need her anymore, she has Chloe and others.

Chloe was isolated to the back because of Lila, since she recommended the bullies sit in the back together. Everyone else was more than happy. Chloe didn't like it because she was separated from Sabrina, the one person she would actually consider a friend. Then she and Marinette started bonding more and she taught Chloe how to treat friends properly, and convinced her to apologize to Sabrina. She did just that and Sabrina agreed that they could start again. And that's only a small part of the secret friendship in the class.

Nino, Juleka, and Nathaniel are all spies for Marinette who are pretending to believe Lila. The liar came up to each of them and lied about the wrong thing, leading to her being exposed without her even knowing. Marinette accepted their apologies but suggested for them to keep up the act so she wouldn't go after them as well. They agreed, and let the two in the back know whenever Lila, Alya, or Alix planned to do something.

Adrien sadly never came around to their team before then. In Marinette's defense, she never told him that Lila threatened her. Chloe nearly bit her head off after that and practically dragged her to Adrien to tell him. Once she did, he full-on realized that the lies can hurt, since he also saw how Nino was distancing himself a little from Lila and the rest of the class. Now that he was on their team, they can include him on the secret plans.

It was now the end of the day, and Chloe decided to host a movie night at her hotel. Even though Adrien couldn't go, he was going to be watching on a video call in the dark to feel like he's there. I know, it's sad. (Anyone else get a random flashback to the time Alya's older sister was akumatized and Adrien looked up but he was on the other side of the screen😂) Marinette was packing up to go as she heard a knock on her front door. Marinette's mother opened it to find the twins at the door. Sabine Dupain-Cheng was confused, but let the kids in anyways. Marinette heard the rapid footsteps and came down to a surprise.