GOLD

Fifteen

The red headed artist of the class, Nathaniel Kurtzberg went over and sat next to Marinette. He enjoyed the little moments they shared. Like him teaching her how to do quick sketches for her design.

"How's Tom and Sabine?" He opened his sketchbook then closed it, quicky. Flushed red then opened it to a different page. He hand drawn many things and certain pages were off limits.

"Good! They really appreciate you coming by and making the seasonal murals." Marinette had suggested that Nathaniel make the shop window murals. He got photos for his profilo, money in his pocket and as a bonus it drew in more customers for the shop.

Marinette saw some brief sketches of someone witn dark hair. She assumed it was someone in the school since he refused to show her. "Do you maybe have a crush on someone?"

She assumed Nathaniel had a crush on Marc but prehaps she was wrong or maybe he liked two different people? She always thought that this tomato preferred eggplants over peaches but maybe he liked both.

"Nooo...." He began to feel his face heat up as Marinette leaned in, hoping to use her almighty glare to get information out of him. It worked on most people.

She raised her brow in disbelief.  "Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Yes, you you have a crush or yes, your sure you don't have a crush?"

"I d...d...don't know anymore." His hands became calmy, his heart began to pound, if she dared pressed further he would confess. Confess his feelings for her.  She seemed like a girl that would ignore his very existence as she was confident and outgoing and he was anything but.

He was a simple shy guy who just stumbled on the fact that they share similar interests. Thus, their Thursday art meet ups were born. He preferred to call them dates, only in his head, not willing to over step.

"Well, I won't pry any further." She return to her more comfortable position as she was done teasing the poor boy. "If you won't tell them thats okay. But, if you every wish to tell me I'll support you. They're probably a really nice person if they caught your eye."

"Thank you." He smiled.

"Did you get that link I sent you?" She asked grabbing two mechanical pencils from her bag. She gave one to Nathaniel out of habit as he was prone to losing pencils. He had told her it was an artist thing but she was sure that this was just a Nathaniel thing.

"Yah about that I don't really think I should."

"It's a chance to get an art scholarship! Please enter! There's going to be ten winners and you're bound to be chosen!"

"I don't feel comfortable with showing my art to strangers. Its not good enough."

"Nathaniel, if you sucked I wouldn't have asked for lessons. Maybe winning this competition is the confidence booster you need. With your comics you could be the next Jack Kirby!"

Nathaniel couldn't help to laugh at the thought of him being as renowned as Jack Kirby. Not since he believed that to be a unfair comparison.

Marinette looked at her sketchbook beginning to doodle what appeared to be a over weight cat. "Its not funny. I really think you could-" The table shook causing Marinette to look up.

"You don't mine if I sit here?" Asked Adrien who had kindly SLAMMED his lunch tray down. Causing Marinette to mess up the tail of her fat cat. A scribbled in, graphite, overweight cat that lacked a nose or a mouth and was just a black abyss staring back at her as he chased a small ball of yarn.

"Go sit somewhere else, Agreste." She glared guessing that he was upset about yesterday. At least Chloe had the decency to leave her be when she was bettering herself.

"Wasn't asking you, Princess."

Nathaniel gulped as Adrien looked in his direction. He feared Chloe and her minions but he knew Adrien made Marinette uncomfortable. Swallowing his fear he made a statement that he would most likely regret if it ever return to Chloe. As Chloe and him struck a deal.  He clutched his fist and shakingly stood uo to him. "You h-heard... h-her, find another table."

"No." He opened a bag of chips and used another chair to prop up his legs. Simple gestures but it was like a lion marking his territory.

"Then why ask if you're just going to be an ass." Marinette replied moving her lunch bag away from Adrien for fear he'd steal it and eat it.

"Language, Princess." He scolded as he didn't think her vocabulary needed to be vulgar. It wasn't lady like.

Nathaniel wake up to go grab a few napkins as graphite was sticking to the side of Marinette's hand. A downside to the shifting of the table.

"What is this?!" Adrien laughed as he started glancing through Nathaniel's sketchbook  hinding the pages that Nathaniel held on so secertly. "Ooh look! Its V8 as a superhero!"

He turned the sketchbook towards Marinette. "And look who he's saving. Its none other then you." He couldn't help but to be impressed by Nathaniel antics thinking that all this was a rouse to grow closer to her. A very similar tactic to his but less rewarding.

"Give it back!" She yelled trying her best to reach the book. "That's private! And your getting Dorito dust all over it!"

She wanted to use brute force to knock Adrien down a peg or two however she would risk damaging Nathaniel sketchbook. He carried it around by hand not wanting to risk damaging the hours and hours of hardwork by putting it into his backpack.

"Did you not see the part where he made you say you loved him? Or do you want me to read it for you?"

Marinette grabbed Adrien's shirt collar with one hand and yanked hard enough that he had to let go of the book. She quickly grabbed it with her other hand.

"Why do you have my sketchbook?" Nathaniel asked unaware of what transpired.

"Well.... umm... I can..."

"I tried to stop her." Adrien raised his hands up hoping to ruin the chances between Nathaniel and Marinette. "I even told her that it was an invasion of privacy. Did she listen? Of course not."

"THATS NOT WHAT HAPPENED! I swear on my sew machine! Brick for brains grabbed your sketchbook and looked through the pages."

"Did.. you.." Nathaniel shook taking his sketchbook back.

Marinette nodded. "It wasn't on purpose.." She glared at Adrien hoping to burn a hole threw Adrien's thick skull. "I'm sorry."