My Fault - Adrienette FF

The Gala

MARINETTE

As soon as Adrien left, I sat on my bed to catch my breath.

Races...

That was my weak spot all right.

It was one of the few things I'd inherited from my father, one of the few things I had enjoyed doing with him. I remembered sitting on the floor at his feet watching NASCAR on TV.

My father had been one of the best drivers of his generation, until everything went bad.

I could see my mother's face when she forbid me from ever returning to that world— fast cars, races. At just ten years old, I'd known everything there was to know about driving, and when my legs were long enough to reach the pedals, my father had let me drive with him.

It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I could still remember the euphoria of pure speed, the sand clinging to the windshield, getting in the car, the squeal of the tires—above all, the peace of mind it gave me.

Racing meant nothing else mattered. We were alone, the car and me.

No one else.

But that was then. My mother had since told me in no uncertain terms to stay away from racing, and I had to accept that, regardless of how much I missed it.

I sighed, got up, and grabbed my phone, which wouldn't stop vibrating. My friends didn't seem to miss me. They were going to another party that night, and they didn't seem to realize I was still in the group chat, able to read all the details about who and where and how much everybody was planning to drink.

I was sad but also irritated.

Jake still hadn't called me.

I was longing to hear his voice, to talk the way we'd talked before I left, for hours and hours.

Why wouldn't he call me?

Had he forgotten about me?

With these thoughts, I left my room and found my mother and Gabe in the Hallway.

He was wearing a tux and looked like a Hollywood actor with his elegant bearing, which, sadly, his son had inherited. I had to admit that when I'd seen Adrien in his black suit and white shirt, it had been hard not to stare or snap a photo. He was beyond handsome, but that was the only positive thing about him.

The race, though, that had surprised me. So we had more in common than just a tattoo.

My mother was dazzling.

All eyes would be on her that night and rightly so.

"Marinette, you're gorgeous," she said, beaming, but whatever, she was my mom, I would always be pretty to her.

Gabe looked me over and furrowed his brow, making me immediately uncomfortable.

"Is something up?" I asked, surprised and annoyed.

Surely he wasn't going to tell me to cover up. One thing would be if it was me thinking it, but him? I didn't know what I'd say back. But then his face relaxed.

"Au contraire, you look stunning!"

"Just one little touch up," my mother said, digging through her bag, pulling out a small bottle, and spraying my bare shoulders and neckline. "Now you'll make an even better im-pression."

Whatever.

My mother thought I was still a little girl in pigtails, as Adrien put it.

We went outside, where a sparkling limousine was waiting for us. I was surprised but at the same time fed up. I don't know why it surprised me, what else should I expect? but still, I couldn't get used to this fancy lifestyle.