Restarting from the middle

the Prelude

Marinette woke up screaming.
Muffled by the racing heartbeat, she heard her parents' voices calling her name, worried.
-I am fine! - she yelled. - I am ok. It was just a nightmare.
That calmed them down. Her mother said that she could call them if she needed anything before going back to bed.
The girl laid back on the bed when she realized she had sat up.
Her eyes fixed the scenery behind the skylight.
The dark sky was covered by the gray clouds. Like the face of the person in her nightmare was covered by the fog in her memories and everything else in her mind was covered by the urge to picture the face that she forgot.

The noise on her mind only settled when the first ray of light shined on her through the glass of the window. Which refrained her from having more nightmares and more sleep.
The alarm on her phone rang when it was time for her to wake up.
-I am sorry I woke you up in the middle of the night. - The first thing Marinette does when she goes down to the kitchen is apologize.
-It's ok, dear. - says Sabine - At least it was just a nightmare. You got us worried a bit.
-I am sorry. - she sat down at the kitchen table.
-Like your mother said. -Tom affirmed - It's ok.
Marinette nodded.
-Were you able to fall asleep afterwards?- Sabine asked.
-I was. - Marinette lied.
The girl hesitated to pick up the milk jar before putting it back on the table.
-I am hungry. - she got up from her chair.
-Are you sure dear? - her mother asked her. She was concerned for the well-being of her daughter and worried that she wouldn't talk with her about what was happening.
-At least, take a croissant for the morning, in case you change your mind later. - Tom chimed in, handing the girl the pastry wrapped in a white napkin with Marinette’s design for the bakery’s logo.
-Thank you dad. - the girl carefully put away the croissant in the backpack - See you later.
-Have a good day, Marinette - her mom said, similar to what her dad said after, and she left from the front door of the bakery.

Marinette was known to usually be late for class. Even if she lived across the street from the Collège Françoise Dupont.
And, in consequence of that, she kept surprising her friends when she was sat in the classroom before even the bell for the first class rang.
Her teacher and her classmates sometimes started the day off by congratulating her for managing to keep her punctuality up in the last few days.
What Marinette purposely forgot to mention when they asked what she had been doing differently, was the recurring nightmare she had been having. They were the ones to take credit for Marinette’s “newly found” punctuality. They woke her up in the middle of the night and didn't let her sleep after so of course she would have time to leave early in time for school.
Marinette also started to wear makeup. She remembers how Alya pointed that out at the end of one of the last days. Marinette remembers how she brushed it off saying that she just wanted to try it. However, the real reason was that she was trying to cover the dark circles under her eyes that were starting to get concerned questions from her friends.

-Mr. D'Argencourt? -The way Lila called for the teacher when she arrived looked like she was gonna say something personal, maybe even private, but her voice was clear enough for it to be heard by all of the classroom in the gym.  - My doctor says I shouldn't make too much physical effort. Can I sit this one out?
To hear Lila's excessively sugared voice first the morning was annoying.
At least that was what Marinette thought but no one else seemed to think that way, and, because, quite frankly, it wasn’t hurting anyone, she kept her mouth shut.

-Miss Bustier? - Lila raised her hand in the air not even a minute after the class started.
-Yes Lila? - the teacher inquired.
The redhead girl stood up in front of her seat.
-I’ve been thinking that, taking into account recent events, maybe we should elect a new class present.
Marinette straightened her back and gained a formal posture.
-After the unfortunate accident, I am sure that Marinette has a lot to worry about besides the needs of her classmates and I am sure that she must be feeling guilty for not being able to fulfill her duties as the class president. Since I couldn't be in the last election anyways, I propose that we realize a new one.
Marinette was suspicious.
As it had been expected, she didn't remember running or wining the votes but, in the past weeks, she had taken up the responsibility of that position.
Now, the year was almost over and it wasn't like she had too much work as the class president. She only had to give and collect the form they had to fill in about their highschool options for the next school year. In a few days she was gonna have to give them to the teachers and defend her classmates' choices to them.
So it was weird that Lila was asking for a new election so late in the school year.
But seemingly no one else felt that way.
Miss Bustier agreed to do it and said that whoever wanted to run for class president, had until the next day to prepare their campane.

Alya seemed to support the idea of another election so Marinette. So, at the end of the day, during the time Adrien was tutoring her, like had been happening since the accident, she asked him what he thought.
-If you want to run, you should. I don't like that Lila only suggested this now but everyone agrees so it's happening. - The model dropped the pencil he was holding on the open notebook. - You have my vote if you run.
-Thanks. Maybe I will. But I don't have anyone to run with me. I think Alya is going to vote for Lila and she has been looking tired so I can't ask her that.
Adrien looks down at the notebook. His blond eyebrows are frowning and his green eyes seem to be lost in thought.
-I could. - He says out of the blue then looks back at Marinette. - I mean, I could be your deputy in the campaign. Only if you want, of course…
-If you don't mind, that’d be really helpful.
-No prob. I am glad to help. You’ve been great representing the class and there is no way our friends don't agree with that. - Marinette felt her cheeks getting warmer. - They just probably think that they would be helping you. They’ll probably vote again on you once you tell them.
-Yeah… probably… - Marinette said without much conviction. She paused. She was tired and trying to think of something to delay having to dive back into studying again. - I still wanted to know something: what happened in the last election? I know I won but no one actually told me what happened that led to me running. Because, until this year, Chloe was always the class representative and, due to my… not so good experience with her, I didn’t want to make her mad.
Adrien chuckled. And, before the girl could (sharply) ask about it, he spoke.
-I am sorry I was ever friends with her. Back then I didn’t know how much of a bully she was. - He passed his finger through his hair, bringing back the chunk of blond curls that had fallen in front of his eyes. - But, now, about your question. You’re right, Chloe was mad, but you’re wrong to think that you didn’t want to make her in the process. Your friends, probably mostly Alya, encourage you to be a candidate. Chloe tried to bribe everyone by getting Jagged Stone to give autographs with daddy’s money but, during an Akuma Attack, you took the lead and showed everyone why you were our Everyday Ladybug.
Marinette briefly closed her ocean eyes when she opened a smile.
Adrien realized that, since the accident, he hadn’t called her that so like she was hearing it for the first time. What could have been just a sweet moment had just turned into a painful reminder that there were months they spent together missing from her memory.
-What about we watch a movie? - He tried to wag the heavy nostalgia feeling. - It's early and I don’t really feel like studying anymore.
Her eyes blinked and for a moment she was surprised. It had almost been like he read her mind.
-I'd love to. - It was a simple and calm smile that was lingering in her lips. - What do you want to watch?
-Anything you want. - He didn't care what he would watch, as long as he could watch with her.
They moved to the couch and, for a while, they scrolled through Netflix’s page until they decided to watch some movie called “Bridge to Terabithia”.
Marinette was watching the movie as it was playing on his big TV.
Adrien couldn’t help but to watch her instead.
He tried to subtly move closer to her. At some point, she laid her head on his shoulder, which surprised and pleased him.
Adrien couldn't help to remember the last night, since the accident, where he had been visiting the designer in his superhero form. As Chat Noir, he was usually the one that made her blush. As Adrien, he was the one who was blushing all the time in her presence.
Suddenly she gasped and her mouth with her pale hand as her eyes started watering.
Adrien was alarmed by the sudden change of expression.
The girl's blue eyes were still glued to the movie and so, to understand what had made her tear up.
-I can't believe she died. - Marinette muttered.
He put his arm around her and pulled her closer
A sad movie.
It made sense.
Adrien wanted to laugh at himself for getting so startled a few moments ago but he didn't want to seem insensible to whatever was happening in the movie.