Jerk in Sheep's Clothing

Clouded Minds

Marinette sighed in content as she rested her head on Henri's shoulder.  This had been the best night ever.  Henri had made certain to make her very first date ever one to remember for all the right reasons.  Being picked up in his expensive car, that he'd gotten for his last birthday from his rich parents, candlelit dinner at one of the most exclusive restaurants in Paris, for which he payed for everything, all topped off with a romantic moonlight stroll.

They sat on a park bench now, their heads resting against each other, just enjoying each other's presence.  "Oh, Henri...you really know how to make a girl feel like a princess.", she remarked.  "Tonight has been just magical.  I don't care what Adrien says, you're the real deal."

"What Adrien says?"  Her eyes snapped open in fright.  Oops.  She lifted her head off his shoulder and fiddled with her hair, which now hung in loose curls around her shoulders.

"Adrien...said some things...but I didn't believe them.  Its not important."  She looked back at Henri, hoping he'd drop it and go back to canoodling, but he looked worried.  Marinette sighed.  The moment was gone.  "Henri, its fine.  I know he's wrong about you.  And he'll see it, too, eventually."

"I don't know, Maribelle.", sighed Henri.  "Its just...I've been going to your school for how long now?  You'd think he would have warmed up to me by now.  But he stills treats me like I'm radioactive.  He looks at me funny, and he avoids me like I have some sorta deadly contagious disease.  Why do you think that is?"  Marinette searched her mind and heart for an answer, but could find none.

Henri inched closer to his girlfriend.  "Look...I didn't wanna say anything to you before...because you told me to lay off the smack talk about your friends...but I don't think Adrien is everything you think he is.  You say he's this sweet, gentle guy who wouldn't hurt a fly, who cares deeply about his friends, but I haven't seen it.  Is it...is it possible you're just projecting what you want to see on him because he was your first love?"

Marinette was silent.  Henri continued.  "I mean, I'm talking about that high road he wanted to take with Lila."

Marinette looked back.  "Henri, I told you, he doesn't know she threatened me!"

Henri shook his head.  "I'm not talking about you, Marinette.  I'm talking about everybody else."

She blinked twice.  "What about everybody else?"

"I mean, didn't Lila promise Nino she'd hook him up with Steven Spielberg?", he went on.  "Now, we that's not gonna happen.  I know it, you know it...Adrien knows it.  But Nino doesn't know it.  And isn't he supposed to be Adrien's best friend?  Than why is he letting him get all excited for something that'll never come to light?"

"Its not that simple.", said Marinette.  "Nino's proven he doesn't trust one person's word, even if he's close with them."

"I'm not saying Nino would believe him.", said Henri.  "But if Adrien really cares about his "best friend", wouldn't he at least try to warn him, so that he doesn't get his hopes up?"  Marinette went dead silent staring at her bare knees, peeking out from under the hem of her dress.

"And another thing,", said Henri.  "Adrien subscribes to your friend's blog, right?  The Ladyblog?"  Marinette nodded.  "So he knows what goes on it?"  She nodded again.  Henri sucked in his lips.  "So, what I'm wondering is...if he knows that Lila is a big fat liar...why did he not warn Alya about that interview about her being Ladybug's best friend?"  Marinette went pale.

Henri looked away, pretending to picture the scenario he was describing.  "I mean, posting a bogus story like that could really damage the blog's credibility when the truth comes out.  It'll lose subscribers...get labeled a tabloid...it could even ruin Alya's dreams of becoming a real reporter.  I mean, who's gonna trust or hire a reporter who writes fake stories centered around some wannabe lying about being BFFs with a celeb?"