Just Friends

8. Motive

A/N: I love fixing small details and constructive criticism, so please feel free to comment if you see an issue. With much love, the Author.

____________________________________
"Tell me about your motive, Marinette." I looked up from my phone, turning in the direction that the voice was heard from. It was Kagami, staring down at me with a harsh glare. The last time I had seen her was during the party at Chloe's last Friday.

I haven't seen Adrien since school had got out, and right now I was nearly finishing one of my evening walks around town.

"What?" I asked, my eyes showed my confusion in the words that she held. "What Motive?" I asked out loud again. Kagami chuckled, a deep and dark one as she stepped up closer to me.

"Did you think I was that stupid to notice... you just had to be the winner. With that 'I'm so clumsy!' act of yours." I shook my head at her, getting angrier at the second. Were we really fighting over a boy, a boy that I had no more feelings for, a boy that I had now only seen as a friend.

"I don't like Adrien anymore." I said, trying to defend myself. "I admit, I'm clumsy, but that's a fault of mine. So I really don't know what you're talking about." I said, taking a step towards her and reaching my arm out to comfort her. But that arm was slapped away as Kagami's face grew red with anger.

"You knew he was mine, but you still managed to take him away." Hey eyes were now teary as she looked at me. And now I felt bad, I felt bad for something that I didn't even do.

"Kagami, if I offended you... in any way- and I mean any way. I want you to know I didn't mean to. I told you, I have pushed those feelings for Adrien away, and I understand where you're coming from, but I-." A powerful slapping sound was heard, and with it came instant pain. I began to hold my cheek in my hand as I looked at Kagami. For she had just punched me.

Kagami was strong, there was now doubt that there's be at least a bruise or mark later. The deathly glare she gave kept her eyes on me, and I wondered what the hell just happened.

If she was a random stranger I would snap at her, but knowing the reason behind the slap I justified it. Maybe I was being too kind, or ignorant to the situation. Maybe I just didn't want to make another enemy.

"Kagami I said I was-." She held her hand up, silencing mess she looked around.

"Maybe your just like that bitch Lila. I guess I don't know who to trust!" She laughed like there was something funny, "I came here to tell you that I going to your school now, so for the rest of the semester I'll be happy to give you hell." He small laughed turned into a grin as she turned around and walked away. "Oh, and Marinette, I wouldn't dare snitching to Adrien again, talk anymore and your little crush on Adrien will be spilled sweety."

I immediately looked down to the ground, taking the warning and processing the information it my mind. I would rather her be Akumatized, so I would be able to fix the problem as lady bug, then her to talk the way she was talking to me right now.

I looked down into my little handbag, seeing a worried Tikki. I shook my head, shifting my body back to walking back towards the house. I knew I would have to hide my bruised face before anyone could see it, especially my parents and Adrien.

If Adrien saw it, he would start to ask questions, causing him to talk to me, and my crush for Adrien to be revealed. I don't want that, I don't want my feelings to be the one thing stopping the beautiful friendship we had. I would rather slowly drift away, then a crush stop it in less then a day. An old crush at that.

When I made it to my house, I quickly ran up to my room, ignoring my parents greetings. I went up to the mirror and began to look at my face.

"Shit!" I said aloud, then got mad that I had just cussed. "How am I supposed to hide this?" I had pale skin, so any little scratch or bruise could easily be seen. I didn't expect my face to have the biggest circular bluish purple print on my face. And then some of it reach up to my eye causing it to slightly swell.

The swelling wasn't bad at all, but I knew the bruise could be noticed. Kagami had slapped me hard, and she was very strong. Probably from fencing, but I would never expect for her to slap me that hard.

"How am I supposed to hide this Tikki!" I asked, scrimmaging around for some makeup. I would practice covering it tonight, so I had no issue for tomorrow when I went to school.

I was horrible at makeup, and really only wore a little blush and mascara, but I never really had practice with foundation. I just didn't have time in the morning to have a good routine.

When I saw that I had no foundation, or something to cover up the bruise, I immediately panicked. I would have to wear a godson at school to hide the mark, and I knew I would get into trouble.

Maybe I'd ask Alya to help me before school, she'd know what to do.

"Calm down Marinette, maybe you should just take a shower and head to bed. It'll all be better tonmorow."

I nodded my head at what she said, then decided to follow her directions.

***

When I awoke, nothing was good. My face hurt even more then last night, and my eye felt as if it was closed shut.

"Fuck." I cussed aloud again, then got mad at myself for cursing. "Okay we'll have to roll with a hoodie today." I searched for an oversized hoodie in my closet, quickly putting it on then putting a small piece of easy peel tape to hold it down and close to my face.

When my bruise was covered (basically half of my face) I grabbed my book bag and went down stairs. I then went to grab a quick bagel out of the pantry to act as if I was running late to school and was too busy to talk to my parents.

After I got out of the house and made it to the school while acknowledging the raging weather, I quickly searched for Alya, and when I found her with Nino, I felt my annoyance settle inside of me.

I grabbed the girl by her hand and forcibly pulled her to the bathroom. I ignored her please to stay with Nino, and when we got to the bathroom she began to shout out me.

"Why the hell would you-." She stopped talking when I pulled my hoodie down, revealing the nasty bruise on my cheek. "What the hell! Who did this to you!?" She asked, coming to quickly grab my face, but then stopped once she heard my small whimper.

"It's still sore. I need help covering it up." I said quickly. We had about 5 minutes before the second bell ring, meaning we had 3 minutes to clean this shit up and run to the classroom.

"How am I supposed to help you if I can't even touch it. Are you sure it isn't infected?" She asked.

I almost giggled, "really Alya, infected? You can't get an infection from a small punch." I said.

"That looks like nothing small." She whispered. "Who did that to you?" She asked again.

I ignored her as I grabbed her small hand bag, and began to rummage through it. "What do you think will cover it?" I asked.

I'm not going to cry. I'm not going to cry. I'm a strong person.

I kept saying to myself, like that's gonna make the situation even better.

"Marinette are you okay."

That was more then enough for a few tears to escape. I looked up towards Alya who immediately engulfed me into a hug, being gentle as she hugged me. I loved that she was my best friend, and would always be supportive to me.

"Tell me who did it?" She asked.

"It doesn't matter. I guess I sort of deserved it." I said with a shrug as I felt the wet tears reach a bit of my lips. "Uhhh! This is so annoying. I-I shouldn't even be crying." I said, roughly wiping away the tears while ignoring the pain in the side of my face.

I grabbed the same tape, which only had a little bit of stickiness left, and placed my hoodie back up, hiding the tender skin.

"We need to tell the boys, they can do something about it." She said.

"It wasn't a boy that hit me, it was a girl." I said while packing the stuff back up into Alya's bag.

"Then tell me who did it Marinette! Let me at her!" She said getting hyped. I smiled through the tears before wiping my face.

It was time to head back up to the classroom.