Sightless 『Miraculous Ladybug AU』

✫ C h a p t e r 1 ✫

Marinette groaned as she slowly and groggily woke up to the sound of her insistent cell phone buzzing. She wanted so desperately to just ignore the noise. Perhaps she could simply fall back asleep? The teenage girl had been up nearly all night long stressing about her first day of her sophomore school year. For the past several weeks, Marinette was terrified that she would once again end up in the same class as Chloé Bourgeois, the mayor's "precious" daughter. Of course, none of the students at Collège Françoise Dupont ever looked forward to being in the same class as the rich, blonde snob, so she wasn't alone on that subject. However, it was a much different story for Marinette. Whereas Chloé disliked everyone and everything, there was something particular about Marinette that she despised the most.

Marinette considered the option of skipping all of her classes, but she knew that it wouldn't be very wise to do so on the very first day, especially when considering the impressions that she would leave on her teacher. Instead, she dreadfully stretched her arm out towards the direction of the vibrating noise. It took her a moment before her hand was able to locate the device, still vibrating and making an irritating sound that was driving her insane.  Finally finding it, she slid the touch screen a certain way in order to silence the obnoxious alarm. With the assistance of the VoiceOver setting, Marinette was able to quickly figure out the exact time. Unfortunately, she also found out that she was running more than a half hour behind her usual schedule, which wasn't unusal given her clumsiness and disability. There goes that great first impression. The teenager carefully walked down the small staircase that led from her bed to the wooden floor of her bedroom. She made her way over to her dresser and quickly changed out of her her white and grey pajama shirt and comfy pink sweatpants into something more suitable for going out in public. Since it was already laid out, it didn't take her very long to put on her pink capris, personalized white t-shirt, grey jacket with polka dots, and her pink flats. Once she was fully dressed, she opened up her hatch door and began to run down the steps into the kitchen in order to grab a quick meal.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng! What have I told you about running down the staircase?" Sabine rested her arms across her chest. Her voice was quite stern for such a warm, loving parent.

Marinette rolled her entire head around in a very dramatic, playful, and irritated way that she had picked up from many TV dramas. "Not to do so." The way that she spoke sounded very rehearsed, as if she repeated the same four words daily.

Her mother moved her arms from across her chest and placed them on her hips. "Mari, you never know when you might miss a step!" Sabine sighed with a feeling of guilt. She hated always having to be so overbearing, but since she wanted to keep her only daughter safe, it was a drastic measure that she'd have to take.

Marinette had managed to adjust fairly well to the majority of things. After being told by a vision specialist that it would require a miracle for even the ability to see shadows to return, Marinette's parents expected her to be permanently devastated. Granted, Marinette was crushed in the beginning. Striving to be a fashion designer, Marinette relied heavily on her eyesight. Having to design without it would be a difficult task, but also a plausible one. One thing that she hadn't gotten used to, though, was her overprotective parents, which occasionally became a burden over her social life. However, she knew that they meant well.

Marinette smiled, remembering that her mother was only concerned for her well-being. "Mom, calm down. I have this entire building memorized from top to bottom." She reached out for her mother to embrace her with a genuine hug, grinning in the process. "You have nothing to worry about."

Sabine released herself from the hug to face her daughter. She cupped Marinette's face with the palms of her hands, holding back tears. "I'll still always worry, sweetie."

Marinette giggled, "I know, Mom. That's one of the many reasons why I love you." The young girl kissed her mother on the cheek before switching over to her next topic. "Would it make you feel better if you walked me to school this morning? I wouldn't mind the company." Marinette knew that her mother loved it whenever she was included in her daughter's life.

Sabine was overjoyed at her daughter's request. She would feel more relaxed if she could guarantee that Marinette made it to school safely. "Of course, dear. We'll leave once you're ready!"