For You

Chapter Twenty-two (Part 2)

Adrien took in a deep breath. He could feel the anxiety slowly beginning to take an unnatural hold on his trembling body. The nervousness was so overpowering, that nothing but regret started to control his frail mind.

A moment of unbearable silence had passed by, before the unsure teenager hesitantly glanced up from the piece of paper that was trapped between his fingertips.

He hadn't planned out what he was going to say, but he knew that he needed to hurry up, and think of something. People were starting to get agitated, which in turn contributed to all the unwanted whispering and mocking laughter, that could be heard throughout the entire auditorium.

All of a sudden, the blond felt very angry. He didn't care about the fact that all the students were talking or even laughing. No! He was furious about the fact that everyone was continuing to talk about Marinette behind her back!

He quickly waited for the host to exit off of the stage, before mentally preparing himself for what he was going to say.

Taking one final look at the single sheet of music, Adrien no longer felt anxious or afraid. The shyness had completely dissipated, leaving behind a victorious young man, who wasn't afraid of anything! The confidence seemed to possess his entire body; giving him strength that was almost supernatural.

To him, nothing seemed to matter any more. Nothing, except for Marinette. She was the whole reason he was up there... A small part of him wished that he didn't have to be in the spotlight, but deep down he knew that it was all worth it in the end.

The world needed to know that she was innocent. And right here and right now was the perfect place to prove it.

Adrien deeply exhaled before momentarily closing his eyes. After getting his thoughts in order, he finally knew what he needed to say; he just hoped that everyone would be willing to listen to him...

With all eyes still watching his every movement, he could feel the pressure slowly beginning to intensify. He swallowed hard, before bringing the microphone up towards his mouth.

Almost immediately, he took a step forward and stared into the invisible eyes of the unknown students. His once bright green orbs were cold and they were unknown...

Even though he couldn't physically see their expressions, he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that they were all terrified.

Not wasting any more time, the now confident teen slightly turned his head until he could partially see Marinette's face. Without even a single hesitation, he gave his beautiful girlfriend a very sweet smile before slightly winking.

Marinette, who was watching from behind the stage could feel the heat instantly rise to her cheeks. She was still a little confused as to why Adrien was there, but his kind, honest gesture helped her to feel a little more comfortable.

Without saying anything at all, the bluenette immediately returned his kind gesture. Her caring eyes seemed to glisten in the artificial lighting, bringing out the deep, mysterious shades of ocean blue, that were previously concealed beneath the many layers of unfathomable pain and uncertainty.

Right there, Adrien could tell that she trusted him, but she was still doubting herself... He knew that Marinette was trying to be strong for him, but the fear in her eyes was almost impossible to deny.

Instantaneously, his heart began to race with sympathy and desperation. He needed to speak up before it was too late!

After what felt like an infinitely long period of time, the blond eventually turned his full attention back to the audience.