GOLD

Fourteen

Marinette hung her leather jacket into the gym locker that was label with the lucky number seven. Her favorite number ever since she was a kid. Prehaps it was because seven was the exact about of pastries she could eat before getting sick to her stomach. Or maybe it was because that was the amount of days in a week? As each day was supposed to be better then the last.

She debated whether to change into her yoga pants as jeans, although cute were not fit for athleticism. She opened up her paw patrol themed thermostat. The smell was strong as she had pickled ghost peppers in it. A treat for her kwami, Pollen.

A multitude of replused eyes looked her way. Vinegar and spice was not smells one would expect in a locker room. Marinette smiled through her teeth as she left the thermostat open while she changed. Letting her Kwami have a few bites or a few sips as Pollen also liked to drink the brine.

One of few things Marinette couldn’t stomach was brine. Vinegar, water, salt, maybe some spices and whatever vegetable that fit the maker's fancy. Stick it in a air tight container then the refrigerator for a few days or even weeks. Delicious, quick, and so much more easier to carry around then a bunch of peppers. She could also for the lack of a better term spice it up by changing what peppers she pickled. Giving Pollen some variety.

Marinette closed the thermos, hearing a sad deflated "awwww" from her locker. Marinette was tempted to leave her Miraculous in the locker as well as for the amount of jewelry she had lost during gym class was ridiculous. Most of them bracelets but she didn't know if she could risk it with losing the Ladybug  Miraculous.

"Stoneheart." She whispered to herself as she patted the hairpin making sure it was secure. She had to have it on her just incase there was another attack.

Marinette left Pollen snuggled up in the pocket of the leather jacket knowing that Luka would mask the smell with the smoke of his cigarettes. A bad habit that he had no interest in quitting as he joked it was his coping mechanism for not having a father figure.

Marinette greeted Kim with fist bump and an aggressive handshake as they crossed their fingers every year hoping that they'd be assigned the same gym class. "Peltier?" Marinette question as she didn't see the gym teacher.

"Late." He shrugged as he did not know the reason. Prehaps he was gathering gym equipment. He was hoping for basketball so he could go toe to toe with Adrien Agreste. Just to see if pretty boy was all that he was cracked up to be. "We could do stretches. Pile!" He bent his knees making sure his knees were over his toes, he also made a half circle with his arms. "Relieve! " He called next as he straighten his knees then placed his feet together. He placed his weight on the balls of his feet and extended one of his arms."Saute!" He then did quite a big leap landing back were he started.

"Pffft...." She covered her month as she couldn't contain her giggles. Kim played himself off as a stereotypical 'macho manly man' but he had a great knowledge of ballet as his mother belonged to the Vietnamense ballet group, Saigon. His mother insisted that he begin training as soon as he could walk. He had thought that it was because the industry needed more dancers but, as he grew he realized it was because she wanted someone to step in to her shoes. Or slippers.

"And this is exactly you shouldn't make fun of other people." Marinette added pointing out his inappropriate behavior with Ivan.

"The big lug made it so easy though."

She put her hand behind her ear. In a really demeaning tone she utter her next sentence."Da pwetty ballerina pwincess says what?"