Miraculous Ladybug: You Are Stronger When You Are Different

The Shed

"OMG! Marionette, you'll never guess who I just interviewed!" Alya rushed up to me, clutching her iPhone, then slamming herself down in her chair.
"Oh I don't know, Alya. I thought you'd interviewed everyone, to be honest, with the amount of times you've come up to me like this." I said, rolling my eyes. Alya was my best friend, but sometimes she would get seriously annoying. What did I care if she'd met a new celebrity from her blog site, or whatever?
"Guess!" She said, suddenly jumping right up in my face.
"Uh..."
"Your mum! Haha! LOL!" The boy in front of me yelled. Once again I rolled my eyes. These stupid meme jokes were really getting on my nerves. No one really understood why I didn't "get with the trends," or whatever, but it was out of choice. Even Alya couldn't see that.
"Ugh, no. That's so old, dude. Wait, who are you?" Alya said.
The new boy suddenly turned around and looked at me with amazement, strangely.
"Oh, this is Josh, he's my, uh, brother!" Adrian said, since he was sitting next to the new boy, doing that super-cute thing where he scratches his head shyly.
So, Adrian had a brother!
"What! Your brother!" Alya exclaimed.
"Yeah, he was homeschooled for a little while, because of, um, his heart problem, right Josh?" Adrian looked at him.
"Uh... Yeah..." Josh slowly replied, as if he was unsure. Class started, so nothing more about Josh was said.
After class, Alya insisted that I'd come with her for a gossipy-chat.
"Marionette, that new guy, Josh, totally has a thing for you, doesn't he!" She giggled.
"Wha... No, he couldn't!"
"Oh come on, it's pretty obvious, isn't it! He was gawping at you for ages..."
"No, Alya, he doesn't like me. How could he develop feelings for a girl so quickly, anyway?"
"What, like you didn't do that the first time you spoke to Adrian!"
"You can't blame me, he was being really sweet, giving me an umbrella in the rain... Stop laughing Alya! You would've felt the same!"
Alya tried to reply through splutters. "Marionette, it looks like you've started a love triangle!"
"I have not, Alya!"
"Poor Josh is going to be heartbroken when he finds out that you're obsessed with his brother, and not him!" Alya giggled again.
"Let's talk about important stuff now, Alya. So, who did you interview? I never found out." I said, trying to change the subject.
"Oh yeah! I almost forgot about that! Ok, so this thing is a huge deal, especially for my LadyBlog!" She began. "I interviewed Whitney Dears! Can you believe it!" Alya squealed.
"Seriously?! She's a super famous pop star!" I acted excited, even though I'd already seen Alya's post.
"I know right! And she agreed to do a theme song about Ladybug and Chat Noir!"
"Really?!"
"Yeah, and perhaps this we lead to a TV show, or a movie about them!"
"That's so cool!"
"But of course, we don't know much about Ladybug's real life, as a normal person, since her identity is annoyingly somehow still unknown, so I'm thinking about finding her, and asking her if the theme song could include things that are made up to give it more of a storyline, and I'll report it back to Whitney."
"Sounds... Miraculous!" I smiled, telling myself I'd have to see Alya later on, as Ladybug.
The day went on as normal, but I didn't see Josh in any of my other classes. I guess I only had him in French Literature. Something about him creeped me out a little... I didn't know why!
I went to the park after school, hoping to secretly transform behind the old abandoned shed there, but Adrian was actually in the shed! As soon as I saw him through the grubby window, I started to half-panic, half internally squeal with excitement! Would this be the day that I'd been waiting for? Maybe Adrian would spot me, and coax me into the shed, and start expressing his undying love for me, and then I'd say the same, and he'd pull me close... We'd not think about anything but each other, and then it would be magical... He'd be the most amazing kisser, and would kiss so passionately, and we'd be the couple that would be always together: known for our incredible love, and long partnership, and then...
My thoughts were interrupted by him actually waving through the window! I awkwardly waved back. Don't ruin this, Marionette! This is your chance - you can't mess up now!
He turned away, so I decided to open the door. He didn't turn around, he just stayed staring at the tattered, old, unidentifiable painting on the wall. He would've heard me come in because of the terrible squeak the door made, so I wasn't sure why he didn't turn around.
I plucked up the courage to speak first, just in case, somehow, he didn't realise I was here. Perhaps he was too engrossed in the possible beauty that he saw in the painting - after all, Adrian could be really into art and paintings.
"H... Hey, Adrian."
He still didn't budge. I began to worry. Was he frozen to the spot somehow? In just a couple of seconds, the whole situation had become so exciting and yet so confusing too.
I stood by him.
We were silent for around thirty seconds, and then, to my great relief, he spoke.
"Isn't this painting just... So... Breath-taking?" He whispered.
Ooh, whispering! I hoped it was a good thing. It meant he didn't want anyone else to hear. I began to get really excited, but tried to relax in his presence, hoping to seem cool, calm and collected. Then maybe when we were together one day, he'd praise me for being able to keep my feelings in so well, and would ask me over and over how I managed it. I'd reply, saying it was so hard, because my love was so deep, and then he'd smile, and we'd kiss... Come on, Marionette! Don't get carried away again - you're getting your hopes up! Just focus on the moment right now, ok?
"Oh, phew, I thought you'd been hypnotised by this painting and somehow had been, like, unconscious standing up, if that's even possible, or whatever..." I started saying, then realising that it was a really lame thing to say. But luckily, he took it a different way, and laughed, but still didn't look at me.
"Haha! Yeah, I'm pretty mesmerised by it, to be honest!" He laughed, smiling his wonderful smile.
"So, you like this painting, then?" I asked.
"Loving it would be a total understatement."
"But... What's it supposed to be?"
How I was actually able to talk at this point I would never know.
"I don't know. And that's the point! It's a painting of the unknown, and that is it's beautiful, unique quality that makes it different. Different from all the other paintings that everyone else loves. This is my painting, that's why I love it. Of course, I didn't paint it, but it makes me feel so amazing that it seems like it belongs to me. I used to not really be a lover of art, but this gorgeous thing changed my mind. It is like nothing else, and that's why I love it. It's not the same as the others, and stands out, almost as if it was wanting to make a point. How I long to know which artist created this incredible masterpiece. It would truly be fascinating! I mean, it's already fascinating enough, though - I don't know how it could be better, but somehow I feel like knowing who the artist is, or was, would properly bring out the feeling and emotion within this piece of work. " He said it so passionately! Him saying this just made me love him even more: it was such an artistic, Adrian-like thing to say.
"Wow..." I stuttered. Not only amazed by Adrian, but now I saw the beauty of the painting properly, and now couldn't take my eyes of it! We stared at it for a while, but then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him actually look at me, but I didn't look back. I wanted him to make the move!
The beauty of the moment was brilliant - I didn't want to rush it.
Adrian didn't stare at me for long, but didn't turn back to look at the painting again.
"Marionette? Marionette!" He said, suddenly taking my shoulder and twisting me round.
I wanted to gasp, but I couldn't work out how to open my mouth: I was so overwhelmed - the moment could be fast approaching!
"I think you're the one becoming hypnotised now!" He smiled.
I was disappointed, because he wasn't going to lean in and kiss me, but I didn't show it.
"W... What's it called? The painting I mean?" I asked, shyly.
"I don't know, actually. Hey, Marionette, we should make up a name for it! You're the first person who has actually taken interest in it. I just find it so relaxing. I come in here, and just sit, and think, for hours on end!" He smiled. I could picture Adrian doing just that. It was the kind of thing he'd do. Why did I find it so incredibly cute, though?!
Unfortunately, for the rest of the time he didn't act like more than a friend. As Alya would say, I got friend-zoned! or whatever.
Surely not many people go through this - everyone just ends up dating, with no hassle.
But eventually, we could end up dating, and because our, or at least my secret love had been going on for so long, that our later relationship would be so much more incredible!
But all the lovey-dovey things in my head were just nonsense! They were possible, but I mean, no matter how much I tried to ignore it, I had to face that fact that my chances were pretty slim. Adrian had loads of girls surrounding him, hoping the same things as me and praying for attention.
Adrian and I just talked about art afterwords for a while, and then he changed the subject. By this time we were sitting on the small, three-legged table, gently rocking back and forth.
"But anyway, let's stop talking about dead artists. We can't fret over people that just aren't there anymore, no matter how amazing they are..." He said, suddenly looking sad, and as if he was going to cry. "So, um, you like Ladybug and Chat Noir, right?" He stuttered, suddenly cheerful again.
"Oh, yeah, of course!" I smiled.
"Who would you say you like more? Like, the stronger hero?" He asked.
"Chat Noir, obviously!" I giggled.
"I guess you think he's pretty hot, or whatever, like the rest of the girls do. Well, most of them..." He murmured.
"No! I like someone else..." I turned my head away quickly so that I wouldn't make it awkward.
We chatted for a little bit more, but then Adrian checked his phone and realised he had to go, so we left it at that.
I decided not to tell Alya about my encounter with Adrian.
I suddenly remembered Alya. If she'd known I'd forgotten about her because of Adrian, she would totally flip out!
I stayed in the shed and Adrian ran off, so I transformed after Tikki had squealed along with me about the Adrian affaire.
I dashed out of the shed, passing Adrian, smiling, with him grinning back. All of a sudden he disappeared, but I just carried on, until I found Alya's house.
I knocked on her door, and when she opened it, there was a lot of gasping and squealing.
"A little birdie told me that you wanted to ask me something?" I said.
She and I talked for a while, and I agreed to let her use some made-up things in the song, as long as she made it public that they weren't real - I didn't know what stuff Alya could include: her imagination could be really wild sometimes! No TV show or movie was going to be confirmed yet was what I told her, and when I checked my phone right after I'd left her house, I already saw that Alya had immediately posted the news.
I jogged down the street, greeting fans quickly as I went. Soon I bumped into Chat Noir, who was leaning on a lamppost, winking at me.
I rolled my eyes, jokingly. After a pretty stressful twenty minutes or so with Adrian, I was glad to see Chat. I knew he'd make me smile.
And he did just that! We hopped around from building to building, chatting all the way. Once we got back to Alya's building again, we saw her filming on her iPhone from her window, bouncing up and down.
Then Alya ran back inside.
I checked my phone. (I hadn't held it during the transformation, but left it on the windowsill, so it wasn't included whilst I was turning into Ladybug in the shed, and so, it stayed the same).
Alya had just posted something on her LadyBlog.
[Video of me and Chat together jumping from building to building] The caption read: #LadyNoir/ #ChatBug! Check out these two lovebirds (or should I say lovebugs!) jumping across the landscape!
I just smiled. It didn't matter! Stuff like this was always being posted.
"What you smiling at?! Texting your boyfriend or something, huh?" He muttered.
"No! There's no one like that." I said, blushing, thinking of Adrian.
"Sure..."
We headed back to the park, and passed the shed where I was before.
I grinned.
So did Chat.
"Hey, d'ya know, Ladybug, I met up with a fan earlier on today - a girl called Marionette! Don't wanna seem like I'm boasting, but she said that she preferred Chat Noir to Ladybug, based on strength of us, being superheroes! Cool huh?" He grinned, pleased with himself.
But... I hadn't talked to Chat Noir in Marionette-form about preferring him to Ladybug. I'd talked to Adrian about it, though.
Suddenly, I froze.
No.