When the Phoenix Falls (Adrien Agreste)

Chapter 10: Rogercop

Colette's bag hit repeatedly against her side as she ran through the multiple corridors she needed to pass in order to reach her class. She was already late, with the bell having rung a few minutes previous, but she had stopped by the languages room to offer her Spanish teacher a few almond croissants as well as a present for her birthday. Miss Blanchet had been incredibly grateful for the offering and they had started chatting about what she would be learning in Spanish that week, unfortunately neither of them kept track of the time and before they knew it school had started and there was a class of students lined up waiting for her to leave the room.

These events had led to Colette trying to sprint towards Miss Bustier's classroom as quickly as she could whilst not dropping the box of croissants held under her arm. Her irritation with herself for losing track of time only increased when she remembered that she and Marinette were actually meant to be helping their father in class that morning with a demonstration for careers day.

Making it around the final corner before she reached the corridor where her class was being held, Colette ran head first into someone she had not been expecting to see standing there.

"Colette! Are you alright?" The voice was familiar and as Colette brushed away the hair that had fallen in front of her face, she saw the worried face of Adrien Agreste gazing down at her as she sat on the floor.

"Yeah, I'm all good." She told him, taking the hand that was offered and allowing him to pull her up before she looked down at the mess on the ground. "Though I'm not sure those croissants could say the same."

"I'm sorry." There was a guilt and misery in Adrien's eyes that she was certain could not entirely relate to the situation at hand.

"It's not your fault." Colette reassured him, crouching down and beginning to pick up the croissants that had remained intact - which to be fair, could be said of around half of them. Adrien quickly knelt down and began to help, seeming glad of the action to distract him from whatever had been bothering him.

"If you say so." He clearly didn't believe her and Colette dropped the croissants she was holding into the box before looking at him with concern written clear across her face.

"What's wrong, Adrien?" The blond boy paused in his efforts to help, but did not meet her eyes as he replied.

"It's nothing, really." A few more moments passed before the silence got to him and he sighed. "My father isn't coming."

"Oh, Adrien. I'm sorry." Though Colette did not know the full extent of how weak the bond Adrien had with his father was, she was well aware that the boy only wanted to please the man and it really wasn't healthy for him to deal with hoping so desperately for the man to support him, only to be let down at the last minute. Especially when he clearly blamed himself for his father not showing up.

"It's fine, there's nothing you can do about it." Adrien tried to insist, though as he met her eyes she could see the disappointment shining in his gaze.

Colette glanced behind her as she heard the sound of applause coming from the classroom and saw that her father must have finished his talk. She rested a hand gently on Adrien's shoulder and guided him towards the door.

"Come on, we should probably head inside before we're any more late." Though Adrien still looked upset, he nodded softly and the two made their way into the classroom. Whilst Adrien sat down next to Nino, Colette took her place next to Marinette at the front of the classroom, aware that her sister would probably need any help she could offer when it came to moving around the classroom.

"Marinette and Colette will come round and pass out some croissants baked fresh this morning." Her father announced and Colette walked behind Marinette as they made their way over to their classmates.