The Missing Purrincess

Chapter 2: What do you mean she's not home?

---Marinette's POV--- 

I ran home as fast as I could. I couldn't believe that stupid liar had turned my whole class against me! I gave my mom some halfhearted excuse about forgetting some homework or something than crashed on my bed.

"Marinette please calm down!" Tikki reasoned with me.  I could see the worry in her eyes. 

"Why should I?!" Was my response.

"What happens if an akuma..."

"SO WHAT?! Just because I'm LADYBUG I can't feel anything remotely negative!'

Tikki flew backwards, then gave me a big hug.

"Of course not Marinette. It's not fair is it."

"NO! No it isn't." I sobbed into a pillow. "It's not fair that I have to always take the high road with Lila, it's not fair that I can't tell people where I was when I miss something big, IT"S NOT FAIR THAT I HAVE TO TAKE ON ALL THESE RESPONSIBILITIES!"

Tikki said nothing and snuggled up under my arm as I let it all out. The frustrations with Lila, the constant rejection by Adrien even if he didn't know it, the huge responsibility I now had with the Miracle Box, everything. Then she flew up and wiped my tears away.

"Tikki, I have to get away."

Tikki slowly said nothing while emptying out my school bag. She said nothing still, while helping me gather all my necessities. Spare clothes, my sketchbook, my diary, The Miracle Box, and a few trinkets that held emotional significance. Then, she hid in the bag while I left my home once again, said goodbye to my mom, and disappeared. 

---Adrien's POV---

"Lila give me your phone for a sec." The whole class was still fuming over the apparent misdeeds of Marinette, but I wasn't convinced.

Lila slowly unlocked her phone and gave it to me. Instead of doing what everyone expected of me however, I pulled out my own phone and opened Marinette's contact. Then I opened the contact for "Mari😁".

"Lila, this is NOT Marinette's phone number!"

That got the classes attention. Alya grabbed it from me and double checked it with her own phone.

"What the.. HE"S RIGHT!"

Now the class was slowly looking back and forth between Alya and Lila, with bullets of sweat going down Lila's face.

"That umm. That's the number she gave me? Maybe she has another phone?"

Aly opened the conversation back up and saw what Marinette must have seen when Alya shoved the phone in her face. Slowly, recognition dawned on Alya's face, as she shoved the phone at me and ran out of the classroom. 

I read the messages aloud to the class. All of them. This was the full conversation...

[You: Is this the guy from the ad about phone conversations for a movie?

Mari😁: Sure is! The names Ian.

You: Cool. My names Lila. I'm writing a script about a girl who gets bullied. Would you mind playing one of the main bullies?

Mari😁: Ye cool. 

THE NEXT MORNING

You: You got the script?

Mari😁: Depends. You were going to pay me for this right?

You: Just like we agreed

Mari😁: And this is just for a movie right?

You: Why would i lie

Mari😁: its happened a couple of times where messages i sent would be used to upset people irl

You: What? i would never. just follow the script Ian.

Mari😁: Lila, just don't come to school today. Nobody wants you there.

You: What? Why not Marinette?

Mari😁: Your annoying?

You: What?

Mari😁: Nobody wants to be your friend

Mari😁: Nobody wants you to come to school

Mari😁: So just dont. plz. ]

The moment i was done the whole class rounded on Lila. I heard a few choice words thrown in there about places she could shove this phone and I definitely heard more than a few shares of insults. 

"Wait!" Everyone turned in shock at the girl who had just spoken. 

"The last time someone was punished for something she didn't do we got LadyWiFi right?! Not that I care, BUT WHERE IS DUPAIN-CHENG?!"

Chloe's outburst set forth a moment of shock and panic across the class. Where was Marinette?

"I think she went home after we started yelling at her." Rose squeaked guiltily.

"Alya ran off after!" Alix added

{time skip cause I'm laaaazy and don't wanna write a long search thingy before they think to look at her house. Essentially Nino, Adrien, and  Alya are there.}

*RING*

"Hello dears? What are you all doing here? Marinette didn't mention school being out early?"

Sabine Cheng closed the oven and turned again to her guests, offering them each a fresh baked cookie.

"Is Marinette home?" I asked quickly, declining the tempting offer.

"She was here earlier getting a textbook she forgot i think.. Did something happen at school?"

I explained what happened while Alya ran up to the attic bedroom and started searching for any sign of Marinette. Mrs. Cheng looked heartbroken at the news. It's possibly the worst news a parent could hear, that their only child hasn't come back from school and nobody knows where they are.

"GUYS, YOU BETTER COME SEE THIS!"

Leaving poor Mrs. Cheng downstairs, me and Nino climbed the ladder to Marinette's room. What we see is heartbreaking. A bedroom with draws torn open, clothes missing, and Alya holding a pile of schoolbooks that she apparently dug out from under Marinette's bed.

"I think she ran away."