The Importance of a Kwami [Book 1] | Miraculous Fanfiction [#MLWattyAwards]

4: After the Fight

After Ladybug transformed back into Marinette, she made her way back to the Hotel, where the rest of the class was waiting. She snuck in through the window, and back where she had came. There Alya was waiting for her.

"That took really long! You missed all the action, Marinette! It's as if you are Ladybug ... "

Marinette waved her hands. "Ehe ... Me! No! No way! Never ... I'm not Ladybug ... I was just talking to the mayor, that's all..! Nothing wrong with that!"

Alya giggled. "You always take everything so seriously. Just chill, live a little, Marinette. Anyway, I got a really, really great video for my Ladyblog! I'm so excited! Look, three thousand views already!" She grinned. "This is great!"

"Yeahehe ..." Marinette smiled. She slowly regained control. "Of course ..."

"Don't be so uneasy, girl. It's all over, now." She shook her shoulder before moving around to show the class her video. Miss Bustier stood up on higher ground, to get everyone's attention. "Class, after today's ... 'Inconvenience', you are all free to go home and gather your energy for tomorrow. Remember, your Eiffel Tower drawings need to be handed in tomorrow! Good luck! Today's the best opportunity to touch up your final drawings!"

Alya returned to Marinette's side. "Wanna see my Eiffel Tower drawing? Nino said it was 'awesome, dude'." She opened up her sketchbook, and Marinette saw a beautiful, well shaded, structure - the Eiffel Tower. Around it were beautiful clouds, and below it were trees, and people sitting by the park.

"That's amazing, Alya! I can't believe you can draw so well!"

"Well, there's a reason I'm taking art, isn't there?" She grinned. "So, can I see yours?"

"Uh, sure!" Marinette flipped through the sketchbook to the page where supposedly was the Eiffel Tower, and then she panicked. "Oh, no ... Please ..."

Alya gasped. "That's not the Eiffel Tower! That's Adrien! You're going to be dead for tomorrow's art assignment." She shook her head. "Marinette, sometimes, you just need to gain control over yourself."

"Oh, Alya, what is wrong with me?" She sighed. Alya laughed. "Girl, just do it today. No big deal!" Marinette, shocked, waved goodbye and ran out of the hotel but dropped her papers just as Adrien and Nino were walking past her.

"Is that ..." Adrien said, "me?"

Marinette quickly bundled up the papers into her arms, and felt a blush crawl up her cheeks."Uh ... No! I mean yes! No! Maybe! Of course! Uh ... Bye!" She darted out of the hotel and ran all the way back to her father's bakery at the corner of the road, and up the ladder, where she curled up in a ball on her bed and let Tikki fly out of her pink purse.

"Oh, Tikki, why do I always have to be so stuttery whenever I'm around him?" She said. "Did you see how stupidly I acted in front of everyone? I'm such a fool, Tikki ..." She opened up her notebook and ripped out the page. "Now I have to redraw the Eiffel Tower ... And live with a huge embarrassment tomorrow." 

"Look, you can see it out of your window!" Tikki drew the curtains with her tiny arms, where the view was now visible. Marinette smiled. "Thanks, Tikki. What would I do without your comforts?" And there she sat on her bed, sketching the pretty view of the Eiffel Tower, as the birds flocked, and the sun set, and Tikki by her side.

"Maybe I should have stayed to see who Chat Noir really was," she muttered to herself. "I've been doing this, so blind, for so long ..." She sighed. "Never mind. Tomorrow is a new day, and I can start fresh. I will find a way out of this mess." Tikki smiled. "I like that attitude," she said.

~~~

The next day, Marinette got up, 'miraculously' on time, and went to school, planting herself on her seat just before the bell rang. In front of her was an amazing drawing that she drew, of the Eiffel Tower.

"Wow! That's even better than mine!" Alya said. "You're definitely going to win this. I have every confidence in you, Marinette," she chuckled.

As the bell rang, Miss Bustier entered the room and smiled. "Marinette! You're on time! I'm impressed!"

"Y-Yes, of c-course!" She stammered. 

"I'm collecting all of your artwork, and within five minutes, I will decide the two winners for the competition." The class was discussing, excited. Chloé was bragging to Sabrina about how she was 'so definitely going to win this dumb competition.' "You do know what the 'prize' is for this competition, don't you?" The teacher continued.

"There's a prize?" Marinette grinned. "Even better!"

Miss Bustier laughed, her pearl-white teeth showing. "Of course there is! You get a private tutor with one of the most famous artists in all of Paris! Only two people can win!"

"Girl," Alya teased, "how're you sure you're even going to win?" They both smiled. After five minutes of incredible tension, the teacher stood up and announced the winners. Marinette squeezed Alya's hand in excitement.

"The two winners," the teacher said, "are Adrien ..." The class clapped, and some faces darkened as the chance of them winning grew slim. "And ..." Marinette bit her thumb so hard she thought it might have bled. Her heart pumped; she incredibly wanted to win this. The tension was so great, she thought she might explode. And if she won, she'd get a private art tutor with a famous artist in Paris ... With Adrien ...

"And Marinette!"

Marinette squealed with joy. "Well done, Marinette!" Alya smiled. "I knew you were going to win!" Adrien, sitting a row in front of her, turned around and held out a hand. "Good job, Marinette!" Marinette gleefully shook it and then whispered into Alya's ear, "Did you see that?! He just shook my hand! I'm never washing that hand again!"

"Y-You t-too," she nervously responded, to Adrien, who smiled kindly at the response.

"Oh, Marinette. You have a lot to learn," she laughed.