I maneuver through the city, as a smile curves around my lips. I propel myself into the air and land in an alleyway, before releasing my transformation. Tikki appears before me, as I hand her a cookie.
"Well done, Marinette," Tikki hums, shooting me a warm smile and taking a bite out of her cookie. "You were amazing out there, and I'm so proud of you." I meet her kind gaze, as a familiar warmth washes over me.
"Thank you so much, Tikki!" I declare, nodding in her direction. "That means so much coming from you!" I then look around. "Alright. I believe it's time to head to school." I open my purse. "I wouldn't be surprised if I was late."
The kwami chuckles to herself, before flying into my purse. I exit the alleyway, before turning and sprinting to school. I clench my fists in desperation and continue forward, as my heart hammers within my chest. I don't want to get in trouble for being late again!
As I arrive at the school, I gasp for breath. A few dozen students stand right outside the building immersed in conversation, as I raise my eyebrows in astonishment. Am I actually on time?! I glance around the stairs, instantly noticing Alya, Nino, Adrien, Mylene, Ivan, Rose, Juleka, Chloe, Lila, Sabrina, and Kim standing towards the entrance.
I scrunch my brows in worry, as an uneasy feeling forms in the pit of my stomach. I know we're not friends anymore, but why are they hanging out with Chloe and Lila? I purse my lips in concentration, knowing something about this feels fishy. Even with them being upset with me, I don't understand why they'd immediately become friends with Lila and Chloe. Perhaps, they changed and are becoming better people?
I heave a sigh and send those thoughts to the back of my mind, before starting up the steps. I stare at the group through the corners of my eyes, hoping that nobody would notice me. As I arrive at the door and place my hand on the door handle, a snicker comes from behind.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Chloe's voice echoes through the school grounds. My body tenses up, as I slowly turn around to face her. Lila and Alya stand right behind her, with Adrien, Nino, and Kim to my right. As for the others, they remain in the back.
"Do you need something?" I ask in a serious tone, trying to keep my composure. I cautiously glance around the group, as Chloe exchanges an amused look with Lila. I shift uncomfortably and peer at Adrien, as tears form in my eyes. Why is he doing this? I'm not sure if he ever liked me in that way, but I thought we were at least friends.
"You're all alone, Dupain-Cheng," mocks Chloe, who has a dark smirk on her lips. "Who would've thought that the mayor's daughter would lose all of her beloved friends?" She chuckles. "Isn't it funny?"
Upon saying that, everyone bursts into laughter. My eyes widen in horror, as I stare at Adrien, Nino, and Alya. They were once my closest friends! I once could confide in Alya about anything, and when it comes to Adrien, I fell in love with him. Tears form in my eyes, as I clench my fists in desperation. What did I do to make them hate me so much!?
"That's enough!" A voice states, capturing everyone's attention. I look over my shoulder in that direction, as Luka walks up the stairs. Relief washes over me, as he gets between Chloe and me and glares at them.
"L-Luka..."
"I don't know what's happening here, but you need to stop," he says in a dangerous tone, eyeing them carefully. "If you don't leave her alone, then I'll make you regret it." His eyes land on Adrien, Nino, and Alya. "You're supposed to be her closest friends, so why are you treating her like this?" Luka then stares at Rose, Ivan, Mylene, and Kim. "You are friends of hers as well and aren't doing anything to stop it." Luka proceeds to narrow his eyes at his sister. "Juleka, I'm disappointed in you the most. We were raised better than this." The blue-haired male huffs in annoyance, before taking my hand and leading me into the school to get away from the group.
As the door shuts behind us, tears start to stream down my cheeks. Luka, upon seeing my reaction, quickly moves up the stairs and heads through the school. He enters the music room and shuts the door behind us, as I start to sob uncontrollably.
I bury my face into my palms, as Luka engulfs me in a hug. "I'm sorry..." He hums in a gentle tone, as I bury my face into his chest. "I can't imagine what you're going through." Luka delicately runs a hand through my hair. "I know it couldn't have been easy, but you're stronger than you think, Marinette."
I lift my head and meet his gaze. "You think so?"
"Yes," Luka says, shooting me a genuine smile. "I don't know why they were treating you like that, but true friends wouldn't act that way. You're an amazing girl, Marinette, and if they're unable to see that, then they don't deserve you. You've tried to remain friends with them, but if they're unwilling to put in the effort, then they're not worth it."
Tears form in my eyes, as I stare at him with wide eyes. "It's easier said than done," I admit, lowering my head in dismay. "I've tried not to think about it and turn my attention towards other things, but at the end of the day, it still plagues my mind. I-I don't know how to stop thinking about what I could've done differently and how I can fix it..."
"That's completely normal," he states, shooting me a sympathetic look. "When I was younger, my dad left us. I blamed myself for the longest time." Luka heaves a sigh. "I thought I wasn't good enough, and it was my fault that my dad left me. However, I've never seen my dad and have no idea what he looks like. My mom never enjoys talking about it and will change the subject whenever Juleka or I question her about it." Luka places his hand on my shoulder. "But, as time continued, I learned that it wasn't my fault. Even so, a part of me wants to know who my dad is and why he left us so many years ago."
"I'm sorry that happened," I say warmly, feeling his genuine yet kind stare. "If you want, I'll help you find your dad!" His eyes widen in surprise, as I shoot him a warm grin. "Also, thank you so much for helping me yet again! You didn't have to, but you still did! I appreciate it!"
"No problem." Luka nods in my direction. "Honestly, I'm just relieved I was able to help before the situation got worse. Anyone could tell just by watching that Chloe wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted." He furrows his eyebrows in concentration. "Perhaps, if this continues to escalate, then there's a chance we would need to get Ladybug, Cat Noir, Viperion, and Ryuko involved."
"You're right. It could end up causing an akuma," I acknowledge, meeting his concerned yet stern gaze. "If an akuma comes into this mess, then we... I mean, Ladybug, Cat Noir, Viperion, and Ryuko would need to get involved. That would leave them with no other choice but to act."
"You make a fair point," he states, intently staring at me for a moment. "What I'm curious about, though, is whether an akuma is already in the mix or not." Luka purses his lips in concentration. "Their attitude towards you changed from love to hate in less than a week, and you have no clue what they think you did. I definitely think it's a possibility, but we don't have proof at the moment. If we tried to get Ladybug, Cat Noir, Viperion, and Ryuko involved, then we would need proof."
"Yes..." I murmur, anxiously biting my lips. "That would explain why everyone was acting super friendly with Chloe. They've always been cool with Lila and believed her lies, but when it comes to Chloe, everyone started to keep their distance from her because of how she would treat people."
Before we could say another word, the bell echoes through the school. My eyes flash dangerously, as I stare at him with wide eyes. Oh no! We're going to be late to class! "Find me after school, and we'll continue to discuss this," Luka says in a serious tone, as I nod in response. And with that, I depart with Luka and start to hurry to class. I just hope that I won't be sent to the principal's office for being late!
