A Snap in Time

Chapter 3 (Adrien)

Adrien slowed down as he entered the school atrium, looking around for anyone or anything which could help him out of his conundrum. Ideally he needed to speak to Marinette, but at the moment anyone would do. Just someone who could tell him what was happening? His mind was still reeling from the state of his house, that plus the drawing was constantly on replay.

He was always used to people staring at him, but for the first time in his life he was scared. The looks weren't one of admiration and friendship, but of curiosity and perplexity. Continuing to make his way through the crowds of students he looked for anyone he knew. Nino, or Max, or Kim ... just someone, shying away from the intense glares.

Turning around to look back towards the entrance he stepped back bumping into someone. Turning sharply to apologise he came face to face with a friend. Thank God. He'd finally found a friend.

"Kim, listen, I don't know what's going on but-"

"Do I know you?" The tall athlete looked at Adrien with his eyebrows creased.

"Very funny dude, but seriously -"

"But seriously, I'm not your dude. Who are you?"

Adrien looked around expecting a camera to be put into his face. He was kidding right? This was some sort of prank?

"Kim, seriously, I haven't got time for games."

"Right? Do you need me to call anyone to come and get you dude? Do you even go to this school?"

"He definitely doesn't, we'd remember a pretty boy like him." Adrien's head turned sharply to the side as he heard the voice of one of his best friends.

"Alya, I'm so glad you're here. Something has happened, and I can't figure it out."

"How do you know my name, pretty boy?"

Adrien looked at his friend in shock. Was everyone in on this trick? What had he done to deserve this level of prank? He wasn't even the new kid anymore, Zoe was. Why was it happening to him?

"He must be a fan of the 'Ladyblog'." Nino came to stand next to his girlfriend, pulling her in close and eyeing the blonde in front of him. He held one hand out as a means of a greeting.

"Nino Lahiffe, and you are?"

Adrien slipped his own hand into Nino's and gripped firmly. He couldn't help but stare at the unfamiliarity he was feeling from Nino. They had a secret handshake, what was with this?

"Adrien," he said, "Adrien Agreste."

The chatter surrounding him came to a halt as student after student turned to look at the blonde haired model.

"Har-har, very funny." Nino pulled his hand out of Adrien's grip and began to lead Alya away, separating himself from Adrien and the situation.

"That's not cool dude," Kim responded following the other two.

Adrien stood, watching them move away, completely confused as to why they were acting like this. They were his friends right? Why wouldn't they help? A sudden poke from Plagg pulled Adrien out of his thoughts and back to the present, he needed to figure this out.

Looking around he saw groups of students still glaring in his direction, and suddenly he felt extremely self conscious. He continued to move towards his classroom, hiding down in his overshirt as much as possible hoping more attention wouldn't be drawn to him.

Where was he?

What is this place?

Stepping foot into the classroom, he noticed the majority of his friends were already seated in their usual seats, however, the look on Nino's face indicated Adrien would not be welcome to sit anywhere near him.

Moving his way to the back of the class, where he once sat with Marinette, he slid into the work bench and sat waiting. He needed to speak to her, she would know what to do, she always knew what to do. He felt another poke in his pocket and looked down to come eye to eye with Plagg.

"What?" Adrien hissed, enough people were staring at him as it was, it didn't want to give them even more reason too. Normal, sane people didn't speak to their overshirts.

"I can feel Tikki!" He said, whispering towards his holder.

"Plagg, I know you want to see her, but I need you to stay with me until we're sure what's happening. Please don't leave me alone, I need you."

His kwami looked at him and nodded, understanding the predicament Adrien was in and wanting to support his holder as much as possible. But it was hard. He missed Tikki dearly, and up until today he was spending a lot of time with her, unbeknownst to both heroes.

Settling back into Adrien's pocket, he felt the change of the young boy's heartbeat. It had suddenly sped up to an alarming rate and he could feel the prickles of sweat reaching the surface. She was here. She had to be. His body wouldn't respond like this to anything or anyone else. Plagg heard Adrien's intake of breath as his body stilled.

The bug had entered the room.

Adrien stared at the door, marvelling at the way she looked. Marinette had entered the building and once again she had stolen his heart. It was one thing for her to be his best friend, but to be his best friend who he loved more than anything or anyone, and the girl who said she loved him back, his heart just couldn't contain its nervous jumping.

Without too much consideration for his actions, he stood up and looked down towards where she was. She looked the same, but the feeling he felt coming from her was different. She seemed distant, almost as if she didn't know him. How could she not know him? She'd called him Chat and Adrien in the latest call. Was she in on the prank too?

She looked up and met his eye but her body language didn't change. As quickly as her eyes met his, they looked away again. She'd completely looked through him as though he was nothing to her. Is that what she thought? Had their partnership been a joke? After all this time he was worth nothing more than a mere glance?

He tried to remember what had happened yesterday, or even the day before, but nothing was coming to him. He seemed to be pulling up blank memory after blank memory as though his mind had been wiped clean. Perhaps that was a little too final a description, his mind seemed more of a haze. A deep, dark haze, blocking access to where he needed to go, but something was there, in the fog. He was sure of it.

Adrien slumped down in his chair contemplating his next move when a siren sounded followed by an announcement.

Akuma Alert! All please head to the school akuma shelter, and await further information from Ladybug and Viperion!

Viperion.

Adrien tensed. What about him? What about Chat Noir?

He couldn't remember this happening before. The siren blaring over and over again, and just like a fire evacuation, students began to line up and make their way out of the classroom. He noticed Marinette holding back before she casually slipped off in another direction.

Adrien decided to follow the mass crowd out of the classroom trying to notice where Marinette had gone to no such luck, he carefully made his way to the locker room and into the boys toilet.

"What is going on? Why is the snake the partner? Ladybug's go with black cats. It's me and Tikki, not Tikki and Sass." Adrien grabbed Plagg as he made his escape out of Adrien's shirt pocket and attempted to go out the window. Adrien calmed the kwami down, stroking from the top of his head to the top of his tail. After five pets, Adrien felt the purr emit from Plagg and decided the cat was calm.

"Plagg, I don't know what's happening either, but I'm struggling to remember anything from the past couple of days."

Plagg wiggled out of Adrien's grasp and crossed his arms over his body.

"I can't either," he spoke in a low voice.

'Then, let's transform and go to Ladybug. We've got to figure this out sooner or later."

Calling Plagg into his ring, Adrien transformed into Chat Noir and snuck out of the boy's toilet window, praying that Ladybug would at least remember Chat Noir.