lila's revenge

Chapter 39

Adrien's POV:

Today has been so weird. 

Lila asks me to meet her early in the morning, gets me to meet this random girl I swear I know somehow, proceeds to be a supportive girlfriend to me, and then does a full  180 on me and gets angry.

All I wanted to know was who the new girls were and if we could go talk to them. She must have already met them somehow and formed an opinion. Regardless, I should be allowed to make my own judgements. But instead of saying that, I ran, as always, and here I am.

"Miss me?" a voice asks behind me. It's Ladybug; I can tell she's smiling without even looking at her. But I'm not.

"Where were you?" I ask, leaning on the railing of the Eiffel tower and watching the cars far below.

"I'm sorry Kitty, I had a situation in my civilian life." she apologises, joining me at the railing.

"And you didn't think to tell me?!" i reply, spinning to face her with a frown. "I was worried sick about you, you've never missed a patrol before."

She sighs, looking at me sadly. "I was physically unable to tell anyone, no one knew where I was; If I could have told anyone it would have been you Chat, I promise."

I take a deep breath before hugging her tightly.

"Don't scare me like that again." I whisper into her shoulder.

She nods silently in reply.

After a minute we break apart and sit side by side on the platform.

"How did you know I would be up here by the way?" I ask curiously, my voice filling the comfortable silence. She jumps, clearly deep in her thoughts.

"Kitty Cat, I know you all too well, besides I was actually following a civilian I thought would be akumatized, when I lost him, and I thought I should find you."

I stand quickly and pull out my baton. 

"Where did he go? Is he alright? Is there an akuma on the loose?" I reply, scanning the surroundings for the sign of an akuma victim.

She laughs quietly, pulling me back down to join her on the floor.

"He's okay, I think he just had a problem with his girlfriend."

"Is this Adrien Agreste by any chance?" I ask nervously. Hopefully Ladybug didn't know I had a girlfriend. She can't think that anyone is standing between her and I.

She nods with a smile. "You saw that too huh?" 

I laugh awkwardly. "Hard not to." 

If only she knew just how close to the action I was in that moment.

"Chat, are you okay?" Ladybug asks me worriedly.

"Huh, oh yeah." I reply awkwardly, rubbing the back of my neck with my hand.

She notices the action and fights to hold a smile off her face.

"Well, I should head back to do... stuff..... if there's nothing else to talk about?" she finally says, standing up and untying her yoyo.

"Yeah, but I'll see you for patrol later?" I ask warily.

She smiles. "Wouldn't miss it." before throwing her yoyo back towards my school and darting away.

I sit watching her departing figure for a few minutes before sighing and standing myself.

I lazily return to the school, bumping straight into the girl I met just this morning.

"Oh, Marinette, sorry I didn't see you there." I say, now back to my civilian self.

She blinks a few times before smiling awkwardly at me.

"It's fine, don't worry about it." 

"What are you doing out here? Isn't there a lesson going on now?" I ask curiously. I mean she's outside the school too, and she doesn't seem like the rule breaker type from what I've seen.

"Oh yeah, hah I was just um taking my cat for a walk." she says, avoiding eye contact.

"You have a cat? That's so cool, I love cats!!" I reply happily, leading her into the school.

"Yeah Cats are awesome. I think my favourite is still Chat Noir though." she explains, blushing slightly.

"Oh really, how come? He seems kind of lame if I'm honest." I answer, and she spins to glare at me.

"Don't say that about Chat Noir, he's one of a kind. You and I shouldn't be speaking, I wouldn't want your girlfriend to get the wrong idea." she says, her tone suddenly cold and angry.

"But Marinette, wait..." I call after her as she storms up the stairs.

"No Adrien. Talk to me when you remember what's actually going on around you." she replies before turning back and leaving.

What does she mean remember whats actually going on?  I just gave an opinion on Chat Noir? Surely she isn't that passionate about my alter ego, we've never even spoken as Marinette and Chat. There's got to be more to it, but I'm not sure who to ask.

I don't want to upset Marinette, she seems like an awesome person regardless of what Lila says about her. I think I'll go find her friend from earlier and ask her what's going on with Marinette.

As if Ladybug had just called her lucky charm, her friend walks out of the bathroom lost in thought, humming to herself.

What was her name again? Lucy maybe?

"Hey, Lucy right?" I call across the courtyard and she looks up at me and nods.

"You're friends with Marinette aren't you?"  I continue, hurrying across to her as she looks overwhelmed and tries to back away.

"We are friends I suppose, why?" she replies nervously, trying to avoid direct eye contact.

"Is she ok? She just got mad at me for saying Chat Noir was lame." 

With that she looks up at me hurriedly.

"Why would you say that? And to her of all people Adrien, you idiot." she says, beginning to walk after Marinette.

"What's so bad about talking to her about Chat Noir?" I ask in confusion.

She sighs and turns to look at me with a sad smile.

"You just wouldn't remember or understand even if I told you." 

"Why is everyone telling me I won't remember today!?" I yell, making her jump.

"Because you wouldn't, and there's no point taking out your rage on anyone else except my cousin." she yells back, equally as annoyed.

"Your cousin?" I ask curiously.

"Yeah, Lila. As in your lying girlfriend." she glares back at me, before slapping a hand over her mouth in shock and running away quickly.

"Wait Lucy!" I chase after her. "How is she a liar??"

I turn a corner and see she's disappeared. But I will find out somehow, and get to the bottom of this situation. Maybe I'll ask Ladybug for advice.