Tales Untold

Miraculous Malfunction 10 End

Marinette

She got dressed with trembling hands, the bruise on her shoulder stinging every time she moved her arm. Tiki was silent, as were the other kwamis. She didn't mind. In fact, the thought of talking about it made her sick.

It made it real. It made the bruise real. It made those things real.

Tiki flew into her bag, and Marinette rushed to school, desperate for normalcy. She made it long before the bell rang, slumping into her seat. Her classroom was mostly empty, thank goodness. She had cried most of the morning, the vision of those things crawling back into her mind, over and over with empty stares and cold smiles. She probably looked awful.

"Oh my god girl you look terrible."

Alya sat down next to her, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. Marinette flinched, quickly pulling away.

"Are you still working on that recipe?"

She couldn't answer past the lump in her throat, pulling her hoodie tighter around her, as if it would hide her away.

"Girl. Talk to me."

Alya tugged on her shoulder, and Marinette cried out, shoving Alya's hand away. They were both startled, and Alya shifted away, looking down at the desk.

"Are you mad at me?" She mumbled, and Marinette shook her head, forcing the words out.

"I fell earlier. I've got a bruise there. I... I didn't sleep well last night. I'm sorry. Can... can we just sit together? Not talk for a while?" She whispered, and Alya slowly nodded, reaching over and taking Marinette's hand.

"I'm here. If you ever need to talk. I'm always here."

She nodded, quickly turning her face away to keep any tears hidden. She wished it was so simple. That her problems were something normal. Something every teenager went through. But they weren't. She couldn't ask for help and she wasn't sure she could fix them alone. The boys sat down in their seats, and Adrien turned to the side, his legs in the aisle as he looked at her. She stared at him, and he stared back. Why was he looking at her like that?

"Are you okay?"

She managed to nod, and he looked away, making her stomach form in knots. She watched him run a hand through his hair, and a flash of white beneath his hoodie caught her attention. It looked like tape. Why did he have tape on his arm?

"What's that?"

She pointed, and he looked back at his wrist, pulling his sleeve down to cover it.

"It's nothing."

He smiled, a fake smile. Just like those things.  She felt her stomach churn, and slowly she stood.

"I'll be right back."

She told Alya when she gave her a worried look. Alya nodded, letting go of her hand. She left the classroom, keeping her head ducked down as she made her way to the bathrooms. Her tears stung like fire on her face as they fell, and she wrapped her arms around her stomach, squeezing so hard that she couldnt breathe, desperate not to sob in the crowded hall. She ducked into the bathroom, checking to make sure it was empty before slipping into a stall.

"I can't do this." She sobbed, collapsing against the door.

She needed to be at home. Working to fix what hawkmoth had done. She hadn't had proper sleep in days, her mind stuck in a fog. She longed for the days where sleep had been nothing but quiet emptiness. No nightmares. No constantly being awake, even as she slept. Tiki said nothing, laying her head against her holder's forearm in a comforting gesture. They both heard the door open, and Tiki looked up at her before retreating into the privacy of her purse. Marinette held her breath, praying that whoever it was would be quick and get out, so she could have her meltdown in peace. No such luck. They knocked on her door, and she knocked back, not wanting to talk to whoever it was.