lila's revenge

Chapter 34

Chloe's POV:

After a restless night of sleep, I stepped into the limo and drove off to school. I really didn't want to be there; knowing the hurt on my actual friends' faces and the glee on Lila's would be awful. But for Marinette I had to do it. Hopefully I could gather information on Lila's plan and tell Adrien secretly. Stepping out of the car I smacked straight into the blonde boys back.

He turned and smiled at me. 

"Hey Chlo!" Adrien said as I rubbed my head. I peered around him and spotted him speaking to Nino in a more animated manner than usual.

"Adrien, hi, did something happen?" I ask, tilting my head in Nino's direction. Last thing I heard, Nino and Adrien were hardly speaking.

"Not that I know of!" Adrien laughed, before waving goodbye and walking with Nino into the school.

I spotted Lila walking over from the steps and made my way towards her.

"Sorry, I know I'm not meant to speak to him." I say, staring at the floor, hoping she doesn't get angry.

She laughed quietly before resting her hand in a friendly manner on my shoulder.

"You can speak to him, don't worry, just don't bring up Marinette. Or it might be a one-sided conversation." 

I looked up at her smiling features in confusion. What did she mean, one-sided? Deciding to ignore her cryptic responses I followed her lead over to our classmates, where Adrien and Nino were also waiting.

"Morning babe." Lila says, walking to stand next to Adrien where he wraps an arm around her shoulder in reply. I must have been standing there with my mouth open in confusion because Lila looks at me and laughs sweetly.

"All okay there Chloe? You look like you've swallowed a fly, or maybe a bee. Did you forget me and Adrien were a thing?" 

Adrien chuckles beside her before murmuring something in her ear. She flicks her hair before giggling in response.

I choose not to reply to her mocking comment, knowing the use of bee was very much intentional, and instead stand there awkwardly whilst the couple chat quietly between themselves and my other classmates engage in conversations around me.

Lila suddenly spots something over my shoulder and unlatches herself from Adrien's arm.

"Chlo, can you come with me. We need some girl talk." she says, winking at Adrien before smiling at me. I nod, glancing back over my shoulder to see what she had noticed.

Stepping out of the car was Lucy, who immediately made eye contact with me. Pain flashed across her features before she was tapped on the shoulder by Elizabeth and momentarily forgot about the scene.

A few seconds later they both looked in our general direction and Elizabeth looked at me with disappointment. I took a deep breath and jumped as Lila looped her arm through mine and then pulled me over to the girls.

"Hey Elizabeth, hi cousin." She said mockingly as we reached them.

"Chloe, hey." Lucy replied, blatantly ignoring Lila and her presence. I struggled to contain a small smile as the girl's defiance towards her cousin, but managed to keep up the act.

"Lila what are we doing here?" I say, sniffing my nose in the way my mother does around people she deems unworthy of her. Lila giggles in response before answering.

"Well I just wanted to inform my good friends that Adrien and I are now a couple."

Elizabeth gasped angrily, looking at me to see if it was the truth.

"But what about Marinette?" Lucy demanded, fists clenched. "I know they love each other!"

"Pfft, who's Marinette?" I add, looping my arm back through Lila's before flicking my hair and turning back to the other group. I don't want to be mean to those two, but Lila has to believe I'm fully on her side. The miraculous and Marinette are too important to risk.

Flora arrives a few seconds later and pulls Elizabeth away from Lucy who stands there alone. I'm still near enough to hear what she says, but I don't think she knows.

"You were right Tikki." I hear Lucy murmur before I'm out of earshot.

Tikki? Isn't that Marinette's kwami's name? Why is she with Lucy? 

I keep walking away with Lila and continue throughout the day to be her most loyal friend. But behind the scenes I'm constantly looking for opportunities to speak to Lucy about the kwami's and what Tikki was correct about.

Also if Lucy knows about the miraculous, I can explain my behaviour. Only people who can keep a secret get a miraculous, so I think I can trust her with this one too.

My time comes around lunchtime, where Lila decides she wants to check on something (probably Marinette), so her and Emma leave, claiming they fancy something from the bakery.

As if they'd be welcome in Marinette's bakery. Just to make sure, I watch from the steps and sure enough they walk directly past the bakery without giving it a second glance. Just before I hurry after Lucy, Lila turns around and makes direct eye contact with me. She sends me a warning look before turning back and picking up her pace.

Deciding my time is better spent with Lucy, I check the bathrooms where I saw her head off to. Pushing open the door I hear a conversation immediately become silent.

"Lucy?" I ask, hoping this isn't one of Lila's brain corrupted friends.

"What do you want Chloe?" Lucy's voice replies, as she pushes open the bathroom stall door and walks towards me carefully.

"You know about the miraculous?" I ask hopefully.

She initially looks nervous before settling her expression.

"The miraculous? Is that what Ladybug and Chat Noir have?"

"Don't lie to me, I heard you speaking to Tikki earlier today." I bite back, and watch as her expression changes from casual to annoyed.

"Why do you care Chloe? Yes, I was speaking to Tikki, which you already know is Ladybug's kwami. Now I'm assuming Lila hasn't wiped your memory too which means you also know Ladybug's identity. So what has this got to do with me?" She replies in frustration.

"What was Tikki right about?" I ask and Lucy seems to get even more annoyed.

"You, Chloe. You. I don't understand why you would take Lila's side along with Adrien and drop us just like that. We're your friends, but you chose them and a miraculous ." her face crumbles and now she just looks upset.

"Lucy, I need you to keep this a secret for me, even from Elizabeth." 

She nods hesitantly. 

"Not like Flora will let her speak to me anyway." She mumbles sadly.

" I didn't pick Lila over you guys for no reason. In fact, if I had any choice, I would pick you guys in a heartbeat. Lila had the bee miraculous and was planning to use it for bad purposes. Additionally, she said if I didn't support her, the punishment would be felt by Marinette in full force. I didn't have a choice Lucy, I had to help Marinette and Pollen." I cry, and feel Lucy wrap her arms around me gently.

"Oh Chloe." she says quietly.