Lila was having lunch when most of her classmates surrounded her.
“Lila, we need to talk,” Alya told her.
“Oh, do you want to know about how I saved–”
“That’s not what she meant,” Nino interrupted.
“You haven’t been honest with us,” Max said.
Lila gasped, “Did Marinette put you up to this? I don’t know why she doesn’t like me, but–”
“Save it!” Rose exclaimed, “Marinette has always made it clear how she feels about you, but it’s become clear to us that you don’t like her either.”
“What?! All I have ever done is–”
“Harass her about keeping secrets,” Alix deadpanned.
“Try to get in her way when she wants to hide during Akuma attacks,” Ivan added.
“Always turn things around on her when people ask why she doesn't like you,” Alya says, shaking her head, “I can’t believe I never noticed before.”
“And that’s not even getting into how you keep trying to trip up Ladybug,” Nino said.
“What?!” Lila said, genuinely shocked this time.
“I talked to the heroes who fought Party Crasher,” Alya said, “You tried to push her over during a fight.”
Lila started to sweat. This wasn’t supposed to happen!
“And then I did what I should have from the start and talked to Ladybug, and she told me she had never even heard of you until I posted that interview.”
“She would say that! She’s threatened by me!”
“Threatened?!” Alya asks incredulously, “Why would she be threatened?”
“She thinks I want to steal Adrien from her. She’s Marinette!”
“What?!” Everyone said in incredulous disbelief.
“That doesn't make sense,” Alix said, “If Marinette is Ladybug, then she definitely isn’t your friend.”
“And that wouldn’t explain why you keep getting in her way,” Juleka mumbles.
“Yeah, I think she’s been telling stories for so long that she’s started to believe them herself,” Max theorised.
Lila gaped in disbelief.
Bunnyx laughed, “Poetic justice, the one time she tells the truth, and they don’t believe her!”
The class started to disperse.
“Wait! I’m telling the truth! She is Ladybug!”
No one paid her any attention.
She growled. She would prove Marinette was Ladybug if it was the last thing she did!
But how? The direct approach clearly wasn’t working.
Then. an idea came to her, and she revealed an evil smile.
“Mireille, what’s wrong?” Lila asked in concern.
Mireille cried, “Someone has been spreading horrible rumours about me.”
“Oh dear, I didn’t think she would go this far.”
“What? Who?”
“Marinette, I heard her say some unkind things about you.”
“Marinette?! Why would she do this?”
“I don’t know, she’s never liked me either, but I don’t know why, if only we could learn what she’s hiding.”
Mireille didn’t notice the black butterfly flying toward her.
