A Watching Feeling

Page 7

 "I'll do better than that. I'll answer both." He sighs. "Yes, Chloe Bleh Bourgeois is fine. After I left to get a certain idiot home," He said, looking directly at me. "I didn't go back. I didn't have time to visit Lila either because I had to get you home before your parents went out again and got hurt. Also, maybe."

"Maybe, what?" I asked.

"Nothing. Just answering your question. Anything else?"

"How long have you been watching me? The feeling started when I got back from visiting my uncle." Chat Blanc smirks.

"Longer than that, Princess." I gasp and he chuckles.

"How much longer?" I ask, staring at him. He locks eyes with me and smiles softly.

"Ever since we met, three years ago." My lips parted but nothing came out. I continued staring at him and he gazed back. Finally, he began to chuckle then to laugh out loud. I stared at him, knowing I should tell him to stay quiet, but how could I? His laughter... It sounded familiar.

"Marinette?" He was gone in a flash as my door opened and someone came up, the last person I expected to see in my room ever.

"Chloe?" The girl who had bullied me for the longest, ever since we were kids, walks into my room. She looks up at me and I'm surprised to find relief in her eyes. Her relief turns to a scowl.

"Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!" She exclaims, putting her hands on her hips. "How dare you make me think that psycho captured you!"

"W-what?"

"Last night, loser! He just hung up and left suddenly. I thought he was going to-" Chloe seemed to realize what she was saying and caught herself.

"Y-you... you were worried about me?" I ask, smiling softly. Chloe rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.

"If you died, who else would I bully?" Her words were harsh but she cared. She really did. Chloe softened and dropped her arms. She looked around and sighed. "Fine. I lied. Seeing him, actually seeing him, made me realize what it was like to be bullied. So... I'm sorry Du- Marinette."

"If I wasn't sick, I'd give you a big hug right now, Bourgeois." She smirks up at me.

"Your parents told me you were outside last night. What were you doing?"

"Trying to reach you before he did." I tell her, quietly. Her eyes widened. I watch her look at me for a second, as if thinking something over. Chloe walks over to the foot of my bed and starts climbing the ladder. "Chloe? What are you-?"

Before I can finish, Chloe throws her arms around me and gives me a tight hug. I'm so surprised, I can't form any words. I hug her back and I feel her surprise. It was as if she didn't know what it was like to be hugged back. When she pulled away, she seemed very awkward.