Torn In Two

Chapter 2

Marinette

I decide to take the long way to school, even opting to walk instead of drive. That stirred up Tikki's suspicion enough. I'm nothing if not punctual. I like to keep my life on a schedule. Though it's not nothing too strict, I like keeping things in order. So it was no surprise when she started pestering me once again, asking if I was, 'sure there was nothing going on'. I hate keeping things from her. We've been best friends ever since she came into my life, and it doesn't feel right to not tell her everything.

But I'm worried that it'll just complicate things further. All I want is a very uncomplicated senior year. No more crushes. No more craziness. Just get through this year, get my college applications submitted, focus on my duties as Ladybug. No more drama. No more Luka. No more Adrien-

It's in that moment that I'm broken out of my deep haze, realizing for the first time that I'm now right outside of Françoise Dupont — with a sudden realization that I've just bumped into a firm frame. Their hands grasp my shoulders, keeping me upright and I open my eyes, fearing the worst. Don't be him, don't be-

"Adrien..." I say, my voice coming out a bit squeakier than planned. It's not the first time I've seen him around school this year, but each time he's somehow more breathtaking than the last. Over the summer, he put on a lot of muscle — while still maintaining his lean physique. If he wasn't holding me upright, might have very well melted right then and there.

I have no doubt in my mind Tikki will have something to say about this encounter later, but right now I'm just lost in his light-blue orbs, as he offers a warm smile — my heart feeling like it's about ready to beat out of my chest. The only thing that snaps me out of it is the images of him and Kagami against the lockers. They looked so happy. So... In love... I've been wondering what happened, but didn't want to pry — so I never asked either of them.

"Hey Marinette," he says, his voice upbeat. How he's always so upbeat at 7:30 AM will always elude me, but then again — I suppose it's part of his natural charm. He hesitates to release his hold since, clearly, I can't seem to operate on even a basic level this morning. I assure him I'm fine, and he chuckles — his arms returning back to his sides.

I walk inside with him, heading down the long hall — footsteps and chatter like white noise as we walk in silence for a couple minutes. Before either of us can speak, Nino pushes in-between us — wrapping an arm around each of our shoulders.

"My man!" He says, a cheeky grin on his face. "How've you been?"

Though Nino's generally lively and goofy, I can tell there's a bit of seriousness to his tone. That's when it dawns on me: everyone knows about the breakup, but it seems as though he's told absolutely no one about the more intimate details of the event. I'm not even entirely sure if he even was the one to reveal the information, or the tabloids got to it first. Alya told me, who heard it from Nino, and on and on...

Adrien smiles sheepishly, clearly not too keen on talking about it. I'm still not sure who broke up with who, but I can't imagine it was too pleasant either way.

"I'm doing alright," he finally says, releasing a small sigh. "I just wish I could go out to eat without the reporters asking me about Kagami."

Alya pops up from seemingly nowhere, Nino planting a kiss on her forehead — earning a broad smile.

"Tell me about it, it's not like I'm running around Paris posting pictures to my Ladyblog like this," she says, showing us today's newspaper — with an agitated-looking Adrien outside a local cafe, just trying to eat some spaghetti in peace, a hand attempting to cover his face. I can't help but giggling just a bit when I realize is mouth is full of noodles and sauce. Some might be surprised to know that Paris' it-boy can be a bit of a messy eater, though I'm not sure he'd admit it out loud — and definitely not with his father in the room.

He rubs a hand down his face, but echoes my laughter. Soon Nino and Alya join in, and we can't help but make fun of the ridiculous situation.

"I guess news is hard to come by these days," I murmur, reading the headline.

'Adrien Agreste pigs out: heartbroken over Kagami"

I can't help but roll my eyes. Please. Doesn't the guy deserve a morsel of privacy? Not to mention that Kagami isn't necessarily to blame for his messy habits. Another image strikes itself into my brain of her dabbing a napkin lovingly on his face, fully ready to dote on him. I push the thought to the back of my mind. Bringing her up isn't going to make him fess up any sooner. We all know that.

The first bell rings. That's our cue.