Expect The Unexpected

Chapter 12

FysteeUnicorn: Sorry it's a bit late but I got busy during the weekend and wasn't able to finish and publish the next part. It's here now, so enjoy!

Rosemary

"Y-yeah but...I told him that I would meet him here, in the courtyard so if I leave without telling him..."

Understanding dawned on Mari's face. "He won't know where you are." She put a finger to her chin in thought and folded an arm across her stomach, head slightly bowed in concentration.

After a moment, her blue eyes lit up and she lifted her head, looking straight at Rosie. "When the lunch bell rings later, why don't you just meet me here, and then you can find Nate before we all meet here and we go to my house? That way, you won't have to worry about trying to get the early lunches during breakfast."

Rosie had discovered on the first day of being at François Dupont that the cafeteria served early lunches for students to grab in the mornings rather than having to wait in the long lines during lunch. Rosie had taken up the easy opportunity of having an all-ready lunch so she didn't have to wait in line but there had been times when she risked the lines so she could sit with her friends in the cafeteria rather than sitting alone in the courtyard, reading a book and waiting for lunch to be over.

"Perfect! I'll make sure to try to tell him during Mme. Bustier's class."

The morning bell suddenly burst as it rang across the courtyard, interrupting all previous conversations as students started heading toward their first class of the day. Both girls jumped at the loud sound, giving the other a sheepish smile before linking arms and heading toward the black stairs that led to the red-haired teacher's classroom, chatting about plans for the dance, excited smiles across their faces.

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Rosie hadn't been able to tell Nate the change of plans during Mme Bustier's class, as the partnerships all had to focus on their presentations, so when the bell rang, ending 3rd period and allowing students to go to lunch, she leaped from her chair and raced out the door before any of the other students could react, her feet thumping against the steps as she went briskly down the stairs.

She plopped down on a bench that was near the earlier location where she and Mari had talked and slipped out her drawing book, producing a pencil from her bag and scratching her pencil against the page.

It was only 5 minutes later when, despite the loud chattering from the large crowd of students that spilled into the courtyard, Rosie's ear caught a familiar voice and she lifted her head from the drawing, her green eyes scanning the faces of each student before catching the eye of a blue-haired girl with a bright smile on her face.

"Mari!"

"Rosie! There you are," Marinette panted, her voice slightly out of breath, as once the two girls had made eye contact, Mari had briskly walked toward Rosie. "I couldn't find you at first because of the big crowd but when you moved your head, it caught my attention and I managed to spot you through all the students."

Here, Marinette paused, as her voice was partly out of breath when she finished her sentence and she threw her backpack to the ground in front of the bench, plopping down onto the wooden seat and leaning her head forward. She rested her arms on her legs, clasping her hands together as her back heaved and panted heavily. Rosie smiled softly and reached out her hand, gently placing her palm on Marinette's back and rubbing it in small circles, the way Mari had rubbed her back earlier that morning, when Rosie had had her asthma attack.

"...Merci, Rosie..." Mari's sentence started and ended with soft puffs as she panted softly.

"De rien, Mari. Now," she declared as Mari sat up straight, hands still clasped between her legs, and Rosie removed her hand from Mari's back, lifting herself from the bench, "I think I need to go find Nate."