Troublemaker

1 - Consequences of Jagged Stone's revelations

This pain was unbearable! Marinette never thought that the psyche might hurt almost physically. What a humiliation! Now, everyone knew... The worst thing was that Adrien knew... No, there was no chance that she would ever look at him again!

Marinette's mom had already tried to talk to her many times, but no words brought results. Marinette stuck in her suffering and spent whole days in her room under a blanket. Sometimes Sabine heard her daughter talking to herself that she was guilty because she shouldn't have let the famous musician into her bedroom. Especially with the camera.

Alya visited Marinette's parents every day after school, bringing notes and homework. She also tried to talk to her friend, but the door remained closed. The message was always the same: "I'll never go back to school!" Alya couldn't convince Marinette that everyone at school had already forgotten about the case of Jagged Stone's revelations. The closest friends who had known Marinette's secret tried to deny rumours if there were any new. The rest of the school got bored with the sensation after two days. Only Chloe Bourgeois seemed to be delighted. She was creating new gossips, especially if there was Adrien around her.

But Alya knew that she shouldn't tell Marinette about that. It wouldn't help in getting her out. Although... Marinette would be comforted if she knew that Adrien seemed to take it easy. He denied all rumours patiently every time Chloe created a new one. He repeated that he was a model and Marinette was a designer, so there was nothing weird in the fact there were some photos of himself in her room.

There was hope that one day Chloe would get bored. But Marinette's absence only encouraged her for more, because by hiding from the world Marinette confirmed that Jagged Stone's guess was true.

But not only Alya was worried about Marinette. Adrien was downbeat as well, though of course he didn't know why. From the beginning, just after hearing Jagged Stone's speculation that someone there had been in love with the popular model, he assumed that it wasn't true. After all, they were good friends with Marinette! It was impossible that she would fall in love with him. He would get known!

"Yeah, sure!" Plagg snorted.

"What do you mean?"

"That you're so blind in those things!"

"You mean... You mean that... that she is in love... with me?"

"Yep..." Plagg nodded, eating his camembert.

"But... why?"

"Surprising, isn't it?"

"Plagg... That wasn't nice..."

"Sorry, kid. I didn't mean that..." Plagg apologised immediately. "Sometimes I forget that you're so sensitive in certain matters."

"Never mind." Adrien sighed. "I feel so sorry for Marinette. She hasn't appeared at school since that day. It's been almost a week! She hasn't even let in Alya! Someone should tell her that everything is OK. After all... After all, those photos may have rational explanation, right? It was Jagged Stone's fault. He must have mixed it up. Maybe I'll talk to her?"

"Alya didn't make it, you have no chance!"

"So, what should I do?!" Adrien sat on his bed and hid his head in hands.

Plagg looked as if he had an obvious answer but waited for the kid to figure it out on his own. After a while Adrien jumped up from his bed and said with determination:

"She will let Cat Noir in. We've already talked several times. I guess she could listen to me if I was Cat Noir, not Adrien."

"And what are you going to tell her?"

"I don't know yet. But someone must tell her that everything is all right. So that she come back to school."

"And why you are so concerned?" Plagg grinned.

"She's my friend. You know that!"

"I haven't noticed you were so worried about your other friends..."

"No one else has been so much in trouble." Adrien cut it off, but the blush on his cheeks couldn't be unnoticed by his kwami. "Plagg, claws out!"