The Salt Files (MLB)

It's Quiet Uptown (Background)

Prologue to It's Quiet Uptown chapter

Kinda dark so TW for graphic descriptions, major character death

Marinette woke up one feeling odd. She felt on edge, and that usually happens when there's a possible bad akuma. But when she checked her phone, there were no notifications of an akuma attack. She figured she would just be having a bad luck day and sure enough, she was about to be late.

Meanwhile at school, Lila was scheming. She got Marinette moved to the back and not many in the class will stick up for her, but she wanted more. She wanted the girl gone, or at least heartbroken.

Adrien was becoming rogue for her too. He was starting to want to follow Marinette's way to take her down. Lila's eyes widened, plan formed in her head. 

She took advantage of Marinette and Adrien's absence to start the drama. She walked in, sniffling, and got everyone's attention. Just like she planned, the girl internally smirked at how gullible the class was.

"What happened, girl?" Alya asked, immediately scanning for injuries. Lila looked away shyly.

"I-It's nothing, I don't want to be a bother." Alya shook her head.

"You are never a bother. What's wrong?"

"Well," Lila sniffed. "Adrien and I set up a date last night, but when I got there, he was there with Marinette." The class gasped, not expecting their friend to be a cheater. They urged Lila to go on, wanting no details spared.

Marinette and Adrien both were late, and when they came through the door, they were both met by glares. 

Adrien was confused, but Marinette was used to it so she didn't care. What she did care about was that most were at Adrien, and not her.

Alya stepped up, breaking the mini silence. "Seriously Adrien, I expected this behavior from Marinette, but from you? This is unbelievable!" Both teens scanned the room, and the situation became clear.

"Whatever she told you, it's not true-" Adrien started but Alya cut him off.

"I am not going to hear out a cheater like you!" The rest of the class agreed, some doubting the  claim. One of which, was Nino.

He knew Adrien, at least he hoped he did. He knew he wasn't sure of his feelings of Lila, but he also knew there was no date planned. The two were playing video games last night, and Lila was nowhere in the mansion.

Nino stepped up. "Babe, I don't think Adrien was with Lila last night." Alya looked at him with disbelief.

"Are you standing up for him?!" Nino didn't like where this was going. He didn't want to have another fight, and this one was in public.

"We were playing games last night at his house, and Lila wasn't there. We would have seen her at some point." Adrien was glad someone was there to stick up for him. Then he realized something.

This was what Marinette was talking about when he told her to take the high road. She had little, if any, people in the class to defend her. Lila lies with every breath and won't stop until she gets what she wants. And her sheep would also follow her every word.

"I can't believe you Nino! You're defending the cheater!" Alya yelled. The class began arguing loudly, until Mrs. Bustier came in and put a stop to it. Though the Agreste was relieved, he wasn't prepared for what would happen at lunch. 

No one was, really.

Adrien decided to stay so he could thank Nino. He grabbed water, his food, and carried his tray to a table with Marinette and Nino at it. "Thank you, you didn't have to do that." he says, taking a bite of his apple.

"I should have seen her lies before, so I'm sorry I took so long to realize it." Nino said. He looked at Marinette. "Especially you, dudette. You're my childhood friend, I should never have doubted you."

Marinette smiled. "I'm just glad you realized before it was too late." Adrien unscrewed his bottle of water, not realizing it was already opened. He drank a few gulps and started to feel funny. His insides felt like it was burning, and it was starting to hurt.

"Adrien?" Both Marinette and Nino said. His breathing started to sound weird. Nino was scanning over what he ate while Marinette yelled to get the nurse and an ambulance. Adrien was in too much pain in his gut that it was going to make him black out. 

Everyone else didn't know what to do or how to help. They decided to keep their distance until an adult got there.

Marinette got the nurse and they ran back to Adrien, only to see Nino hold up the water and Adrien's body slump to the floor. There was blood pooling from his mouth.

And all anyone could do was scream.

Background finished😁 It sounds kind of darker than I had in mind...whoopsies

804 words