Marc x Nathaniel Stories

Dragon Guard

"What?"

Alya felt the atmosphere become thick and tense the second the tone in Lila's voice just seemed to have... Changed. It was no longer kind and engaging, but bitter and a little venomous. Maybe she was just having a bad day... Yeah, that's it. She just got back from Spain where she participated in the Running of the Bulls for a charity event, and maybe she just had a bumpy plane ride. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. Everyone gets a little irritable after a bumpy flight.

So, taking a deep breath, Alya repeated what she had said. "I took your interview about being Ladybug's best friend down."

"Why-?!" Lila's scowl that lasted for just a second turned into a pleasant smile, but it didn't really ease Alya's worries. In fact, it just frightened her how easy it was for the Italian and to change faces so easily. "Alya, why would you do that? I'm sure everyone would love to know how close Ladybug and I are. Plus, it'll be great for your blog!"

'How have I never noticed her voice before?' Alya wondered to herself. 'It sounds so strained.' Alya knew that tone. She's heard it every time when picky customers sampled her mother's food and choked it down, not wanting to seem disrespectful. "Yes, it has been getting a lot of traffic since I posted that video, but I saw some comments that got me a little worried," she explained, hoping that would calm Lila down. It didn't.

"Wh-what did they say?!" Lila cried as large tears already started rolling down her cheeks. "Do they think I'm lying? I'm not! Ladybug and I are best friends, but no one believes me!"

Alya slumped into her seat a bit, trying to ignore the awkward looks of her classmates. While Lila sobbed into her hands, she glanced over to them, a silent plea for help. Kim and Max just shrugged, unsure of what to do; Myléne looked just as uncomfortable as she did; Ivan was pretending to look down at his phone; Chloé and Sabrina tried very hard to ignore the Italian's loud crying; Adrien was inching away from the scene Lila was making; Nino just shook his head; and Marinette, Nathaniel, Alix, Rose, and Juleka were just minding their own business in the back, not giving the scene a single glance.

Alya still didn't get why they didn't like Lila. Sure, she could get... Emotional and it's always a hassle to reassure the Italian that a small incident wasn't her fault or that they believe her when no one else does. Lila was just sensitive and needed friends to help look out for her. It's not easy being a busy diplomat's daughter who travels every week, missing out on events with friends... That's what Alya kept telling herself. And they need to stop being so brash with her and give her a chance. With Lila's connections, they can boost their dream careers. Marinette might run a fashion empire, Nathaniel could end up running Marvel, Alix will be in the X-Games, and Rose and Juleka's music will take off.

"Lila, it's not that I don't believe you," Alya placated, not wanting to trigger Lila anymore than she probably already has. "It's just that, some people in the comments section pointed out something that had me concerned." When Lila didn't answer, and just gave her an expectant look, Alya took that as the signal to continue. "So, they said that you telling everyone about how your Ladybug's friend might attract some unwanted attention."

Lila wiped away a few of her fake tears. "Alya, I'm used to fans mobbing me. After all, I was on the cover of Vogue in America."

Alya ignored Marinette's snorting in the background, and said, "No, not like that. I meant more... Dangerous attention. You know... Hawkmoth."

The room became deathly silent at the mention of the supervillain who turned almost everyone in the class into monsters. Most of them still have nightmares where they rampage through the city, hurting everyone in sight.

"Oh," Lila finally said. "I understand why you might be worried, but Ladybug will come to save me. In fact, I actually taught her a few fighting moves I learned when I lived in Japan for a while. While there, I even met so many manga writers and helped them with their books!"