Miraculous

7 - Rapunzel

Days blurred into weeks following the akuma attack. Rapunzel, still adjusting to her new class, found herself drawn to Lashanie. The quiet girl with mismatched eyes and a quiet intensity about her possessed an undeniable spark.

One afternoon, during a particularly dull history lecture, Rapunzel found herself doodling on the corner of her notebook. Bored, she glanced at Lashanie, who was meticulously taking notes, her brow furrowed in concentration. An impulsive urge to break the silence seized Rapunzel.

"Hey," she whispered, nudging Lashanie's arm with her pencil. "Is this the part where the king conquers the neighboring kingdom and everyone celebrates with a massive feast?"

Lashanie startled, a flicker of surprise crossing her features. Then, a slow smile blossomed on her face. "Actually," she replied, her voice a low murmur, "this is the part where the king's advisor secretly negotiates a peace treaty, saving countless lives and preventing a famine in both kingdoms."

Rapunzel's eyes widened. "Wow, that's so much cooler! They never talk about the smart advisors in these stories."

Lashanie chuckled, a warm sound that sent a pleasant tingle down Rapunzel's spine. "They don't, do they? But sometimes, the real heroes are the ones working behind the scenes."

A comfortable silence settled between them for a moment, broken only by the rhythmic scratching of pencils. But the silence was no longer heavy; it felt like the beginning of a conversation, a shared secret between two kindred spirits.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the classroom. Everyone turned to see Varian, his face flushed red, standing by the teacher's desk, a sheepish grin plastered across his face.

"Sorry, Ms. Crowley," he stammered, "my experiment... well, it might have gotten a little out of hand."

A small contraption, emitting puffs of smoke and sparks, sputtered on the teacher's desk, wires sticking out at all angles. Ms. Crowley sighed, her hand reaching for her forehead.

Rapunzel stifled a giggle. Varian, despite his scientific genius, had a knack for finding trouble. She watched as Lashanie's gaze followed Varian, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her features.

Later that day, after school, Rapunzel lingered near her locker, waiting for Pascal to catch up. As she hummed to herself, she noticed Lashanie walking towards the exit, her knapsack slung over her shoulder.

"Hey, Lashanie!" Rapunzel called out impulsively.

Lashanie stopped, turning with a surprised expression. "Oh, hey," she replied, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"Do you... want to maybe hang out sometime?" Rapunzel asked, suddenly shy. "We could grab some bubble tea after school or... well, anything else you'd like to do!"

Lashanie's eyes widened in surprise. No one had ever invited her to hang out before. A warmth bloomed in her chest, and something that felt suspiciously like a blush crept up her neck.

"That sounds... fun," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe this weekend?"

Rapunzel's face lit up in a radiant smile. "This weekend is perfect! I'll show you my favorite bubble tea place. Pascal loves the ones with boba."

Lashanie chuckled, a genuine laugh that filled Rapunzel's heart with joy. "Pascal, huh? Sounds like a cool little guy." They chatted for a few more minutes, their conversation flowing easily, before Lashanie had to rush off.

As Rapunzel watched her go, a giddy feeling bubbled up inside her. She had made a new friend! And judging by the lingering glances Varian kept throwing Lashanie's way throughout the day, he seemed to be interested too. Maybe, Rapunzel thought with a mischievous grin, she could play matchmaker. After all, Paris deserved a happy ending, superhero or not.