Princess

s e p t

"Hey, Stella!" Marinette called as she unlocked the door and invited her friend in. "You in?"
"Yup, did you bring me some food?"
"Nope. Seriously, it's like your entire existence revolves around food!" Marinette laughed teasingly. "I brought you a friend."
"I have friends!" Stella protested, walking out of her office to meet them. "You only brought one?"
Marinette smirked inconspicuously. "I thought you wouldn't mind me bringing her over! I can send her back if you want. Sorry, Alya, you have to-"
"Shut it, you!" Stella pouted. "Sure, I'll entertain your best friend while you hole yourself up in your room sewing again."
"It's for a project, Stella. In fact, this one is for Alya so I may need to borrow her, and your expert opinions, of course!" She laughed kindly and headed up to her room.
"I'll bring you a cup of tea and a croissant if you want." Stella called up.
"Thanks!" The muffled response drifted back through the walls.
"So, Alya, do you want tea or coffee?"
"Coffee please."
Stella did a double take. "Are you sure?"
"Don't you like coffee?"
"No, I live off the stuff! But none of Mari's friends like it."
Alya laughed. "Well, I doubt she chose friends based solely off what drinks we like."
"I'm not so sure." Stella muttered darkly, then laughed along with her. She quickly boiled the kettle and placed a teabag in one mug and left the others empty. Pulling out the Aeropress, she grabbed her box of fresh, ground coffee and inhaled happily as the musky scent filled the air.
Soon, two steaming mugs of coffee were placed between the girls and a cup of tea left in Marinette's room.
"So, Alya, how did you meet Marinette?"
"Oh, we met in school when we were thirteen and I guess we just hit it off. I defended her against Chloe and we were friends ever since. What about you?"
Our parents were friends, so we knew each other as kids. When we were in year thirteen, my parents-" she paused, her voice cracking. "My parents were in a car crash. My dad died and mum was in a coma for three months until the doctors pulled the plug. Mrs. Cheng took me in and Mari's parents cared for me until I was better and Mari offered for me to come live in her apartment when she was at uni. I'm thinking of applying for a job or a uni course next year."
Alya listened, rapt, as Stella spoke. Her deep brown eyes glistened with the faint traces of tears to come and she hugged Stella gently, trying to hide her pain from the lonely girl. Stella took a deep, shaky breath as Alya hugged her, her heart beating a hundred miles an hour and blinked away her tears, as she was so accustomed to doing. "I'm fine. Fine." She lied.
"You're clearly not, though. I get if you don't want to talk about it, but don't lie to me."
Stella looked at her with wide open eyes. "You- you didn't just accept it. You must be the first person who actually -who actually wants me to be okay. Who cares for my feelings even a tiny bit."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, whenever anyone else asks, they just say sorry and when I say I'm fine, they just take it at face value, even if it's a lie. And it's always a lie! I'm never okay! My parents are- my parents are dead!" She explained, voice raising and cracking with emotion.
"Oh, Stella, it- it will get better. I'm not going to tell you that it will be okay because it won't be. You lost your parents at seventeen. That isn't okay and it never will be. You won't have your parents to give you away at your wedding, you won't have parents to talk to, but you will have friends. And I will be here if you need me, even if your just meeting me now, I will be here. I promise." Alya said, gripping Stella's hand.
Stella could have fainted. This girl was so perfect, so kind, loving, so beautiful. She had never felt this way before and she loved it. She- she loved Alya.
"Thank you, Alya. It- it means a lot." She whispered.
Alya gripped the girl in a tight embrace. "We'll help you pull through, girl. Don't worry."
Wiping away a tear, Stella smiled at her friend. "You know just what to say, don't you? I can see why Marinette loves you so much." She laughs. "Platonically."
"Well, I know who she loves romantically." Alya teased, raising an eyebrow.
"Adrien."
"Chat Noir." The girls said simultaneously.
"Wait, what? Chat Noir? Since when?" Stella asked incredulously.
"Since a few months ago. Apparently he turned up and slept outside her window one night and they've been pretty close since."
"How did I not know this?" Stella asked. "I can't believe she never told me."
Alya laughed once more. "Rude, right?"

{bonjour, mes amis💕
I just want to say, thank you so so much for one hundred votes! I. Gladly you're enjoying this, I'm loving it so far! I think this is my favourite chapter. I'm working on chapter eight, but very slowly, as I have two weeks of exams starting on Monday- wish me luck!
Do you think we could get to a thousand views by next week? If we do, I'll take requests and write some one shots for everyone:)
Thank you all so much for reading, Ella x}