Why I Shouldn't Have Done It | ✔️

Chapter 10

While Chloe and I were hanging out one afternoon later in the month, Adrien came in.

"Chloe, don't you dare insult her! Get out!" He begun to freak out.

"Adrien! She's my friend!" I insisted, surprising him.

"Oh... My apologies, Chloe. I'm sorry," he apologized quickly.

"It's fine," Chloe giggled, brushing it off.

"How's Alya?" I asked quietly, looking down at my feet.

Adrien sighed in response, looking towards Chloe. She looked down with a nod, and so he spoke.

"She's still... you know, excited. But she's upset that she hasn't seen you for a while," Adrien told me.

"Upset that she hasn't seen me or Ladybug?" I asked, causing both of them to look at each other.

"It's fine. I guess I can see why she's excited. I just... miss her," I stood up and looked to the picture I taped beside my mirror of Alya and me at a carnival.

"I'm really sorry," Chloe said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Actually Chloe, you're the one who's made this whole thing manageable. I'm so glad we've become friends now. You're the reason I haven't been lonely," I told her, looking to her with a small smile.

"Thanks Marinette. I'm sure she'll come around eventually," Chloe hugged me.

Adrien crossed his arms and smiled at us. "That's true. You know, Marinette. Maybe she's calmed down a little bit. You should try talking to her."

Chloe looked out the window and gasped with an excited smile, "Marinette, she's at the park! You should go and try to talk to her!"

My best friend was at the park by herself. The one I made so many memories with. The one who had always stuck up for me when I couldn't do it for myself. The same one who was the sister I never had. And I missed my best friend. I was excited and I wanted to go and tackle Alya in a hug and have everything the way it was before.

But if I saw her again, it wouldn't be the same. I thought, what if she changed? What if she wasn't the same girl who never held a grudge against me? What if she wasn't the same girl who completely forgave me for deleting an important video? What if she was still obsessed with the fact that I was Ladybug? Or worse, what if she hated me now?

I never should've done it.

I never should've revealed my identity.

So badly, I wanted to run to her in the park and tackle her into a hug as I said before, but I couldn't find the confidence to. My doubts held me back, telling me that she wouldn't be the same. My doubts even told me I wasn't the same.

"I can't. I just can't," I shook my head and crossed my arms, against my wishes. I heard my voice break as I tried to maintain my mask of confidence.

"Oh Marinette," Adrien kneeled on the floor beside where I was sitting, pulling me into his hug. I bit my lip and closed my eyes to prevent the tears from spilling over.

"All these things will blow over one day. I just know it," Chloe sat down on the other side of me, putting a hand on my shoulder in comfort.

I couldn't respond in fear that I would start to cry. I missed Alya so much. My heart was yearning for my best friend, my not-blood-related sister.

It had only been around a month since I revealed my identity and already I was suffering the bare minimum of these consequences. I had no idea that this was a sprinkle compared to the sandstorm I would need to face, but yet it still hurt me.