You Will Never be a God

Broken Lies

Chapter three was written a few months before the Texas school shooting. I am sorry if reading that had caused anyone distress and panic, I feel very guilty for putting that in my book now. If you, or someone you love, was victim to that, or any mass shooting, I hope you can heal and recover from what happened. My heart goes out to all of you.
-Peter

Adrien was back in school. He couldn't find Ladybug the night previous and somehow that managed to worry him. He couldn't help but bounce his leg in agitation and anxiousness. This seemed like an emotion he should have felt if this had happened a while ago, the dream of loss and terror. It hadn't. It came now, it haunted him, confusing his emotions and thoughts.

School was back in session after taking a long break since the shooting. Kids joked that it was an American thing to go through, though Adrien didn't think that was really a funny thing to say. Mrs. Bustier would not be returning. She'd been paralyzed from the hips down, and lost her baby due to the injury she received. Adrien could only imagine how devastating this was to her, but he hated to admit his empathy for people was incredibly quiet.

At lunch, Lila sat next to him. She didn't really say anything, she was just looking for somewhere to sit. No one ever wanted her sitting with them, and Adrien was the only person in school who treated her with kindness it seemed.

Her eyes looked tired and weary, and her clothes were slightly sloppy as if she'd picked random items of clothing that felt comfortable and didn't bother to make it look presentable when she got up that morning. He hair was the same; instead of being tied back and styled as usual, she let it hang loose. In fact, it hardly looked combed.

"Adrien..." Lila murmured, poking at her food but not eating it. "Am I annoying?"

Adrien felt caught off guard, he didn't expect her to ask such a question. "Well uh, no. Not really," Adrien said.

"Maybe you're the only one who thinks that."

"Hey!" Someone slammed their hand onto the table near Lila. It was Marinette. "Leave Adrien alone!"

"Actually Marinette, she's not bothering me." Adrien assured.

Chloe magically materialized on the other side of Lila. "We know what she's doing Adrien. Don't trust a word she says to you."

"Leave me alone!" Lila exclaimed.

"Leave Adrien alone, yeah?" Chloe frowned.

"She's a liar Adrien, you know that!" Marinette said angrily. "Whatever she's said to you, don't trust it."

"She hasn't said anything." Adrien stated.

"It's fine. I'll go." Lila said and stood up. She grabbed her food tray and headed towards the exit of the cafeteria without another word. She hardly had any food on her plate, and Adrien doubted she had any intentions of eating any of it.

"Does she seem off to you?" Adrien asked.

"She's moping around now that she's realized no one's gonna believe the lies she spews." Chloe said.

"Chloe." Adrien frowned.

"I mean I will admit, she's acting kinda weird." Chloe threw her hands in the air as if to be apologetic.

"Yeah I guess so but what does it matter?" Marinette said. "She's done enough damage, it's good for her to get a taste of her own medicine."

"Just because of her lies?"

"Her lies we're beyond just little falsities." Marinette explained. "What she did hurt people."

"Who did she hurt?" Adrien rose a brow.