In Love, Always

Chapter 8

Adrien's p.o.v.

Adrien was the first to leave the table, his head too scrambled to keep talking with his friends. The table had felt different today. Not different as in unusual, their table never felt normal to Adrien, but different as in uneasy and wary. As if his friends were unsettled or confused. Alya was the same, but Nino and Marinette seemed off. Not that he could honestly tell. Apparently he was very bad at reading people. What kind of asshole can't understand his own friends.....? What kind of asshole can't understand his own partner..?

No matter what, Ladybug was constantly on his mind. Adrien couldn't look around his classroom without seeing her, couldn't listen to the lesson without hearing her voice in his head. Couldn't look his friends in the eye without seeing her bright, blue ones. Everything and everyone reminded him of her and Adrien hated it.

Adrien had tried all night to distract himself from this new reality. Soon he would fix that, soon things would go back to normal, but right now Ladybug didn't love him. She didn't recognize what they had. She had been brainwashed by some scoundrel.. Ladybug needed help. Ladybug needed Chat to fix her, to heal her mind. You idiot. You'll never be able to convince her if you can't convince yourself... Adrien wouldn't be able to fix her if he didn't understand what was going on.

But his brain wasn't compliant. It asked all sorts of questions, wondering if he was right, if Ladybug was lying about her crush, if Ladybug hadn't even loved him. Adrien just had to persevere through these thoughts. He had to wash it all away like it didn't- because it didn't bother him. After all, he who perseveres, conquers. And he who fakes it, makes it.

He walked over to the trash can and dumped his lunch, not hungry. Unlucky for Adrien, it wasn't his stomach that bothered him. It was his heart. It was his head. The exhaustion didn't help either. Adrien yawned as he walked up the stairs.

The excuse Adrien gave for his tiredness wasn't the best. Physics homework? Really? Even though it was one of Adrien's best subjects, everyone seemed to buy it. Hell, Nino even volunteered to help him study. Adrien didn't know whether to feel offended or honored. Regardless, Adrien would have to make up some excuse as to why he couldn't go to a study session. All his lies were eating him up.

Adrien walked into his next class. He located his chair and moved towards it, swinging is bag from around his shoulder to the ground. Only then did Adrien look up and see... that the room was empty? Adrien checked his watch and smacked his head. He was almost 20 minutes early. Nobody was here yet. Adrien sighed, resigning himself to bend over again and pick up his bag. He almost jumped when a voice spoke up from behind him.

"Adrien. You're early for class," an amused chuckle told Adrien that his teacher, Mr. Dubois, was also in the classroom. He turned around in his seat to face him. Mr. Dubois's large, round glasses covered a good amount of his face and the teacher's curly brown hair covered the rest.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was so early. I can leave if you want." Adrien stood up, hurriedly gathering his things, ready to leave.

His teacher raised his hands. "Oh, no, stay. It's fine. I'm always happy to see students so eager to get to class." Mr. Dubois reached the last of the books he was shelving and walked back up to the front of the room, seating himself behind his desk.

Adrien smiled sheepishly. "Thank you..." he mumbled. He sat back down, placing his bag next to his chair. Adrien reached into it and pulled out some of his history homework. He and Mr. Dubois sat alone in silence, each working on their own thing, until the teacher felt the need to speak. He cleared his throat.

"Adrien... Are you alright? You seem a little out of it today." Mr. Dubois was looking at Adrien when he glanced up.

"Oh, uh- yeah. I'm fine." Adrien tried to reply as bluntly as possible. Damn... Is it that noticeable? First lunch and now this? Did Adrien really look that bad? Though it's not like he could've helped it. Adrien had stayed up all night planning and thinking. About love, about Ladybug... Adrien knew he looked tired, but it was worth the plan cooking up in his head. It was worth the gratitude he knew he would see on Ladybug's face.