Ladybug's fake identity

Chapter 5: Sewing

During the next days, the rumor of Lyssa being Ladybug spread in the school, allowing her to become even more popular than she already was. Her protests and strong denying only reinforced the students' beliefs and Marinette knew that this was what her enemy had wanted to reach since the beginning.

Alya, despite her promise to stay and help Marinette, started to spend more time with Lila and Lyssa, begging her best friend to understand. Her idol was 'Lyssa', after all. Marinette understood.

Adrien didn't listen to her warnings anymore, he seemed to grow more attached to the liar everyday, asking his friend do try and get closer to her, too. If she did, she would see how much of a great person Lyssa was. Marinette let him be.

Nino, following his two other friends, took interest in the misheivous girl, expecting his last friend to tag along, too. Lyssa was cool, he didn't see the problem. Marinette didn't insist.

She knew that she couldn't. Her friends were free to do what they wanted and she had no right to become possessive of them. She couldn't protect them from the influence of the liars.

And to worsen the situation, Chat Noir didn't stop by to check on the situation like he had promised. Marinette had started to believe that word had spread outside of school, allowing her partner to hear about the fake news without visiting her civilian self.

"What should I do, Tikki?" she asked her kwami, lying on her bed. "They all believe that Lyssa is Ladybug and she's using it. Because of her, I'm going to lose all my friends! I don't want to be alone! She warned me but I didn't do anything. What an idiot!"

"Cheer up, Marinette!" the kwami flew in front of her holder's face. "Your friends won't abandon you just like that! All you have to do is not let them forget that you care about them, too."

"Not let them forget? Do you mean 'remind them that I still exist'?" the girl translated.

"Don't be too harsh on them nor you. If they are so distracted by Lyssa, it's only because they love Ladybug. You!"

"But they don't know that. And I can't even appear in front of them as Ladybug and tell them that I'm not Lyssa because they would only believe that it was her doing too, to stop the rumours about her."

"You chould consider it as a chance that everyone believes that she is the heroine. That way, no one would possibly suspect you!"

"You're right but... I don't like that. She's using my name and all my efforts to steal everything from me. I can't just stand by and watch."

"Then talk to your friends! Don't you want to spend your Christmas holidays with them?"

"Christmas holidays?" Marinette repeats, seeming to have a great idea. "I know! I'm going to offer them the best gift ever. One that they can't forget."

With these words, the girl stood up and climbed down her bed, grabbing her sketch book. There was one thing Lyssa could never surpass Marinette with. And she was determined to use it.

*

Ladybug jumped from roof to roof, landing on her balcony as her earrings beeped one last time until she detransformed.

"Phew, that was close." she sighed, reaching her hands out for her kwami, who let herself fall with a groan.

"Tikki? How are you?" Marinette asked, worried about her small friend.

"Hungry." the latter answered.

"Wait, let me grab some maraco-" She interrupted herself with a hand in her purse, her fingers searching for the sweets without finding any. "Oh no! I'm sorry, I forgot to take some with me. I'll go see if there are some left in the kitchen."