IRONY

7

"Care to explain to me what you were doing in the Restricted Section of the library past midnight?"

Marinette tensed slightly at her words. They were heading back towards Nino's and Alya's house together. Alya was walking beside her. She sped up, unconsciously trying to avoid her question.

"Wayne came to our house. He and Nino talked for some time also and asked about you, you know," she heard Alya's voice call out to her. "I told him you weren't there and he ran off as soon as I accidentally mentioned you were in the library."

So that's how he found out, she told herself.

Alya quickened her phase and blocked her path.

"Well?" she muttered irritably.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Might as well let her know what she was doing now. She opened her eyes.

"I was doing research on the wolf-seed poison," she said calmly.

As soon as the words escaped her mouth, Alya's face contorted in disbelief.

"That again?" she said irritably. "Marinette, let it go!"

"No, Alya! I won't let it go!" she yelled angrily. She's had enough of this. "I can't just let it go. I'm not going to let it go!"

She stressed each word at him to emphasize her point. Her ragged breaths echoed in the silent streets. She took the notes about the wolf-seed she had been taking earlier (before she was rudely interrupted by the stupid boys). Then she threw them angrily in front of Alya's face. Alya stared at her, dumbfounded. And then she bent down to pick them up.

She walked past her hurriedly, not caring if she read them or not.

Alya followed her closely behind, she could hear her footsteps. She wanted Alya to leave her alone right now. She could feel tears forming in her eyes again. She didn't want to fall apart in front of her. Not now Marinette. Not now.

"Marinette, wait!" she heard Alya say. She stopped and looked back, unable to control her anger any longer.

"What?" She pushed her in the chest hard but she only moved an inch. She pushed her again, harder. "Are you going to tell me I need to rest now? Are you going to tell me to let it go?"

Alya stared at her anxiously and didn't say anything.

"I can't let it go, Alya! I can't even sleep! I can't close my eyes without seeing his face telling me how much he loved me, how much he loved us!"

She couldn't keep them in anymore. Her vision blurred from all the tears. She felt her arms wrap around her tightly at that moment.

"I just wish this was all a dream but it's not! It's all real! He's not here anymore! He's not—" She didn't even notice she had been pounding at her chest, letting it all out. She let the frustrations, grief and grief consume her.

She couldn't stop crying.

"I hear him say I love you guys, again and again! And then he's dying in front of me again and again. And I can't even do anything about it!"

She clutched her t-shirt tight. Her legs started to collapse slowly and she felt herself slip further to the ground. Alya lifted her up.

She felt disgusted with herself for falling apart.

"I'm sorry," she whispered in a very sincere voice.

"Shh," she said. She could feel her brushing her hair in an attempt to calm her down.