Miraculous Ladybug: The New Holders

Jade Turtle and Volpina: Part Thirty-One

It was the last class of the day. Alya felt so anxious, she could've vomited.

Nino knew what he had to do, and he knew Alya would try to stop him. He couldn't let her.

Alya looked at the clock, trembling with dread. Two minutes, and the school day would be over. She knew what he was planning. He couldn't do this. He just couldn't.

Nino looked at his watch. 1 minute, 15 seconds till school let out. It felt like an eternity.

Alya's teeth started to chatter, and she clamped her jaw shut before anyone could call her out on it.

Nino glanced back to Alya. Her eyes widened in desperation. Her lips formed words, while no sound came out.

Please don't do it.

Then, the bell rang. Nino practically ran out of the classroom, with Alya chasing him, getting closer and closer.

"Nino, you can't-" Alya's voice was cut off from pushing past other students. Nino ignored her and raced down the stairs, making a break for the locker room.

"Nino!!" Alya's cries were drowned out by the slammed door of the boy's locker room.

"Arrghh!!!" Alya kicked a nearby brick wall in frustration.

"Uh, Alya? What's going on?" Adrian asked her, wary of Alya's visible anger. "Why are you outside the boy's locker room?"

Alya propped herself against the wall and crossed her arms. "I'm trying to stop Nino from making a really stupid choice." She turned her head and forced her eyes shut, trying to hide her incoming tears. "Screw morality, I don't care if it's the right choice. I know what he's doing, and I won't let him."

Adrian was still really confused, but he didn't want to press on because of Alya's temper.

Nino grabbed his bags from his locker and shut the door with a long sigh. I can't avoid Alya forever. She deserves so much more than the way I'm treating her. But I can't let her stop me, either.

Nino pushed the door to the locker room open and found himself face-to-face with an angry, teary-eyed Alya.

"Stop running from me, Nino." She wiped away her previous tears. "I can't let you do this."

"Alya, it's the right thing to do. What else am I supposed to do?" Nino started to walk towards the front of the school.

Alya caught up to him. "Nino, don't do this to me. What if I never see you again?"

Nino stopped at the entrance to the school and looked straight at her. "Don't you think I know that, Alya?? You're being really selfish right now, trying to make me stay with you, but I have nowhere else to go! And I can't run from these guys forever!"

"We'd make it work! Can't we just try?" Alya scrounged for excuses.

Nino shook his head. "No." His eyes landed on a car that read 'Child Protective Services' and he started to walk towards it.

Alya didn't follow him this time. "Nino, if you get into that car, I swear to God it's over between us!" She cried after him.

Nino stopped with a sigh. "Maybe it's better now than later." He choked the words out.

"You don't mean that!!" Alya screamed, storming up to him and slapping him squarely across the face. "After everything we've been through, you don't get to mean that!"

Nino rubbed his stinging cheek. "Alya, you told me last night I had to be strong and brave. That's what I'm asking you to do for me, now."

Alya grit her teeth and looked at her feet, fists trembling. "Fine then." She muttered, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. "Just go, Nino. If you think ending it now would be better than later... If that's what you really think, than it's over. If you really believe I'm being selfish, than I'm sorry that I cared about you and I didn't want you to leave. But now that it's over, you can just leave. There's no point in trying to stop you." Alya turned around and walked away from Nino, trying to hide her sobs.

Adrian and Marinette had been watching their friends arguing from the sidelines. Marinette had been too wrapped up in the battle to worried about Adrian. The two watched their best friends part ways, with Nino getting in the car and Alya leaving him.

The car drove off, and Alya sat down on the stairs leading to the entrance of the high school. Nino rubbed his sore cheek, and several silent tears streaked down his face. Alya, in the meantime, broke down into tears and started sobbing, cupping her face with trembling hands.

Adrian and Marinette looked at each other, and then walked to where Alya was crying.

"Alya?" Marinette spoke hesitantly.

"What's going on?" Adrian asked.

Alya sniffled and swiped her fingertips underneath her glasses. "I saw Nino call CPS at lunch, and he told them he'd go with them after school."

"But what's so bad about that?" Marinette asked. "And why'd he go with them anyways?"

Alya stood up suddenly. "What's so bad about that? Marinette, Nino would be put into foster care! Who's to say he'd even be kept in Paris? What if we never see him again?"

Adrian stood up. "Alya, please, relax a bit. We know Nino was your friend, but he's ours, too. And believe me, I know how it feels to lose someone you love-"

Alya looked almost offended. "You don't know anything, Agreste!" She hissed furiously. When his reaction conveyed shock, Alya spoke again, this time in a harsh mocking tone. "Oh boo hoo hoo, my Mom's gone and my Dad doesn't pay attention to me. Well, stop acting like you know how everyone else feels! You may play the pity party and the normal, down-to-earth kid, but that doesn't change the fact that you have it so much better than a lot of others! Me, the daughter of a single mom working at a world-famous hotel who can barely get by paying taxes and rent and still provide for 4 children, or even Nino, living with an abusive dad and depressed alcoholic mom and choosing to stay quiet about it in fear." Alya glanced to Marinette. "Yes, that's why he slept over to my house and why he's being placed with Child Protective Services. Last night, I convinced him to call Social Services on his parents." She glared back to Adrian. "Stop acting like you know how I feel right now, because you don't." Alya stormed away from the two.

"Alya!" Marinette ran after her, while Adrian was too stunned to move.

A thought stirred in the back of his head. Adrian had never been on the receiving end of Alya's anger... But then why did that glare feel so familiar?