Smiles Hide Everything

Chapter 9

A/N In case y'all were wondering, I'm listening to a playlist of My Hero Academia openings and endings while writing this

I heard tires screech and a horn honk, and I looked over to the source of the noise. Time slowed as I realized a car was about to hit me. I froze in place and stared as the car came closer and closer and I closed my eyes as I prepared for it to hit me.

I felt tears stream down my face and I tried to wipe them up with the remaining time I had left. I felt something grab me from my side and felt air whooshing (if that's a word) past my face. I waited a few more seconds and didn't feel the car hit me. I opened my eyes and saw Chat Noir carrying me to a nearby rooftop. he set me down and I collapsed into him, having a mental breakdown (quite similar to what happened with Luka in the show although Mari hasn't met Luka yet in this book).

"Marinette, are you okay?" I just kept sobbing.

"Marinette?"

"..."

"...Mari?" I gasped and looked up at him.

"Oh my God, Chat, I'm so sorry. I'll go now"

"No, please stay and tell me what's wrong, milady!" What did he just call me?

"...what did you say?" Chat turned bright red that moment, and then I understood.

"CHAT! HOW COULD YOU?! I TRUSTED YOU!!!"

"Wait, milady!" I ran across the rooftop and realized there weren't any stairs to get down. I saw a fire escape running down the side of the building and ran down as fast as I could.

I ran back across the street and into the bakery.

*Adrien/Chat Noir's POV*

"Wait, milady!" Marinette bolted across the rooftop and searched for a way down. I ran after her but just grazed her hair as her ribbons fell out and she bolted down the fire escape. I jumped off the building, thinking I could catch her.

I extended my staff, but by the time I reached the ground, Mari had already escaped into her parents' bakery. I ran into the alleyway next to the bakery and detransformed. I walked into the bakery as Adrien and looked around for Marinette.

"Well, it's nice seeing you here, Adrien!" Marinette's mom had on an apron and a chef's hat. "My name is Sabine, and I'm Marinette's mother, but you probably already know that.

"It's nice to meet you, Sabine. Is Marinette home?"

"Why, yes, she is. She's upstairs in her room."

"Thank you!" I ran up the stairs and knocked on Mari's trapdoor. I heard metal clatter on wood and someone mutter something under their breath.

"Be out in a minute!" I waited for her to open the trapdoor and let me in, but I didn't expect her to peek through the crack, realize it was me, and tell me to go away.

"Mari, wait, please. I want to talk. Just let me in for a few minutes."

"No. Now go away!"

"I'm not leaving until you let me in." I heard some rustling and soon enough, Marinette opened the door. "You get five minutes. That's it. Now, what the fuck do you want?"

I stood shocked for a second. "I want to know what's going on with you. Why are you acting like this?"

"You want to know why I'm acting like this? Really? Well, it all started when Chloe confessed to you. Then, you, of course, had to reject my confession, and then Chloe started calling me MariTrash and started treating me like actual trash, and the- Wait, why am I talking about this to you? You're a good-for-nothing bitch!"

"What the heck, Mari?! Wh-"

"DON'T call me Mari!"

"Okay, fine Marinette, why did you almost get run over by a ca-"I realized I'd said too much. Oh, crap.

*Marinette's POV*

"Okay, fine, Marinette, why did you almost get run over by a ca-" I saw Adrien's eyes widen and felt my own eyes widen as well.

"How did you know that? Are you stalking me? You're stalking me! Stay away the hell from me! It's been much more than five minutes! Get out of my room before I call the police!"

"Wait, Marinette, please, just let me explain! Princess! Please!" What?

"...get OUT!!! MOM!! DAD!!"

I watched as Adrien ran to the ladder and climb up to the balcony. Mom and Dad burst into the room.

"What happened? Are you hurt? Bleeding? Dying? Pregnant? What's wrong?"

"No, no, no, and no. Adrien was here but he's gone now. You can leave."

"Okay, honey. Just call us if you need anything."

"I will." I watched them walk down the stairs and as soon as they left, I bolted up the ladder and saw Adrien sitting in one of the chairs.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Why are you swearing?"

"Because I can. Now, what do you think you're doing?"

"Waiting for your parents to leave so I can leave."

"I know a way to leave without them noticing, but why?"

"Never mind. I'm leaving now."

"Why?"

"Because you're a huge jerk, Marinette. Chloe warned me about you, but I never believed her. Now, I'm starting to."

"Wait, don't leave!" What the hell was I saying? Adrien climbed down the ladder, and I followed him. He stalked down the stairs and I watched through the trapdoor as he walked out of the bakery.

I walked to my bed and collapsed, getting super tired.

*Timeskip to the next morning*

I woke up to a ding on my phone. I picked it up and saw it was from Twitter (if I get anything wrong about Twitter I'm sorry I don't have much social media). I also noticed it was 4 a.m. What kind of people tweeted at 4 in the morning? I opened my phone and checked my account first.

I was shocked to find that people from my class were posting hate comments on my profile. I went to my feed and found that Chloe had posted something and tagged me:

I wanted to inform everyone here about a bully at our school named Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Marinette lies, steals, and cheats among other things. She has mugged multiple pedestrians, including myself, and stolen money from others. She has hacked into my social media accounts and posted mean things to try to lower my reputation and cause others harm. I highly recommend that the people of Paris carry some kind of self-defense item whenever walking on the streets or attending Collège Françoise Dupont to be prepared in case Marinette decides to attack you. Marinette threatened me into silence for far too long, as she has done to my good friends Sabrina and Lila. I want only for everyone to be safe and for Marinette to stop her reign of terror at our school.

I scrolled down after reading, looking at the comments. They could all be summed up to three points:

1. Marinette wouldn't do that ever

2. I'm not sure whether to believe you or not

3. You're right, Marinette is a bitch

What the hell happened to my life?!?!