Lies and Shields

Chapter 7. Thousands of Years Old

Marinette

Sorry Alya! Just came down with a cold this morning. Mum won't let me go on the museum trip. Have fun xx

Alya

all good lovely

ill take pics for you

Marinette

Haha! No need. I've been there like a hundred times.

Alya

ok then

get better

Alya couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed from the message. It meant that she would get paired up with Nathaniel for the day, not that she didn't like Nathaniel, he just wasn't very good at keeping a conversation.

There hadn't been any akuma attacks in the past week. The person sending them must've been taking a break, and Alya didn't know whether she should thank him or get annoyed. She loved being able to spend more time with Marinette and actually being able to get a large amount of school work done without stressing about whether she'll have to transform in the next five minutes or not. But her and Carapace were on the news after defeating Dark Owl, and she loved being able to see herself in action and just the feeling of knowing she was doing something more for Paris, other than just babysitting her little sisters once a fortnight. And after that conversation with Carapace, she had decided he wasn't half bad, and may or may not have missed their friendly chattering.

Not wanting to miss her first excursion with this school, Alya left the house extra early so she would be at school half an hour before the bus arrived, so it surprised her when she found Nino sitting on the school steps, eyes closed with his headphones on. She smiled when she saw him, not just because he looked kind of silly sitting there, but because he looked so calm, and he only looked this calm when he had his headphones in.

Alya walked up to him, and took hold of one side to the headphones and lifted it up. "What you listening to?" She asked.

Nino jumped and looked up at Alya. "Hey, um, Alya. Bound 2. Kanye West."

"Kanye's ok. IV DANTE's better though." She gave him back his headphones as he nodded awkwardly. "What are you doing here so early?" Alya said, looking around to see if anyone else had arrived yet.

"I'm early?" Alya nodded. "That's a first. I just figured the bus had arrived and I had missed it." Nino said. Alya laughed slightly.

"We'll just have to wait until everyone else comes then." Alya checked her phone. "Which should be in about 20 minutes."

Alya suddenly found Nino turning around as if he was looking for something. "Where's Marinette?" He asked. Alya couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed at the question.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Oh, you two just usually come into school together, that's all."

"She's caught a cold and her mum won't let her come because of it." Nino nodded slowly. "Where's your model friend?" She asked.