Troublemaker

2 - Balcony Scene

Marinette was sitting in her bedroom. She had no more tears to cry. She kept repeating to herself that it was her fault and only hers. She would never let people see her again!

Suddenly she heard some noises on the balcony. Something had fallen there? She jumped up and went upstairs. She froze at the trapdoor. There was Cat Noir standing on her balcony! But... He was different than usual. He didn't stand in any of his nonchalant poses. No. He was... concerned?

He looked at her sadly. Yes, he could see she had been crying a lot. Poor Marinette.

"Cat Noir?" she whispered surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I've heard you don't go to school. So, I've thought I'll check if everything is OK with you." He smiled shyly. Completely not in Cat Noir's style.

"Oh... Thank you... I'm... fine..." she stammered out trying not to cry.

"Somehow I don't believe you." He winked.

"Huh, I'm not good at lying, am I?" she answered, looking at him sideways.

"Well... You're right... You're not good at it..."

"Thanks, Cat! I can always count on you..." She muttered. "You can cheer up..."

She approached the railing and stared at the darkness. Cat Noir stepped next to her. He didn't know what he should say. Maybe it wasn't a bad idea to remain silent for a while. Maybe Marinette would start talking?

"I think you're the only one Parisian who doesn't know..." she sighed.

"Really?" Cat Noir asked surprised. "I've always thought about myself as a very well-informed person..."

"Unless you know, but you pretend you don't know..."

"Now I'm lost. You, girls are so complicated!"

"It's not true!" she laughed, finally.

"Not true?! There's no way to understand what you mean. Will you tell me?"

"Oh, Cat..." she became sad again. "That was a disaster!" she exclaimed and hid her face in hands. Cat Noir could see that her ears became red.

"Don't say that!" he took his hand to stroke her. For a second, he wanted to hug her, but abandoned this idea. He didn't want to cross the line.

"You have never experienced anything like this! How would you feel if everyone you know saw your room stamped with pictures of Ladybug?!" she asked, still hiding her head in hands.

"I don't have a room stamped with Ladybug's photos." He said calmly. "Even if... Everybody knows that she's someone special to me."

"You're not helping, Cat..."

"I don't understand why you have a problem with that. A few people saw that you had some pictures of a popular guy in your room. So, what?"

"Not a few, but all I know!" Marinette exclaimed and looked at him quickly. "Even you saw it! I... I can't look them in their faces anymore. I'll die..."

"Princess..." Cat Noir sighed. "Don't take it so seriously..."

"It's easy for you to say that!" she shouted. "It's not your reputation that has been ruined. Can you imagine what all of them thought? Oh, God... And what did Adrien think?! Oh, God... I'll never say a word to him again!"

"But why? Marinette... Why do you think he thought anything?"

"Do you know anything about boys?" Marinette asked sarcastically.

"Well... I'm one of them, so something I may know..." he answered with smile.

"Adrien is not stupid. He had to think something!"