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

15: Flowers and Dresses

The school bell rang and Marinette hurried into class, and sat beside Alya.

"Yesterday ... I didn't see anything like it before. I think Ladybug was akumatised, and Chat Noir had to fight her off. I don't know how Chat Noir managed to do it, but he did it in the end. I hope Ladybug's okay!" Alya said.

(A/N NOBODY saw the Ladrien moment since Lady Lightning whisked them all away)

"Yeah, me too," Marinette replied. She looked down at the empty seat in front of her and wondered where Adrien was. She received an answer as he walked through the classroom door and sat tiredly on his chair.

The teacher strolled into the classroom. "Good morning, class," she smiled. "Now's the time to get out of your holiday mode and into your school mode, alright?"

The class nodded, a few of them looking like they were going to collapse into a deep sleep.

"Now, you're all going to be put into groups, and you will have one week to complete a task."

Marinette begged not to be with Chloe, or Lila. She couldn't stand the either of them. Even though they were both pretty, they had a bad attitude that she couldn't bear.

"Nathaniel, Rose, Juleka, Nino and Max," Miss Bustier began. "You will sit at the left of the room. Alya, Alix, Kim, Sabrina and Mylene, you will sit at the back left of the room."

Marinette slumped on her desk. She knew who she was going to be with for the rest of the week, and she wasn't excited in the least about it.

"Finally, Chloe, Lila, Ivan, Adrien, and Marinette."

Marinette silently died.

"You will sit at the front right side of the room. Your task will be ...

(A/N Pfft .. More designing ... I'm running out of ideas ...)

To design a dress for the school dance."

A few murmurs ran through the class like a Mexican wave. "A dress?" Someone said. "Why did it have to be a dress?"

Chloe, however, was glaring at Marinette. "Urgh," she pointed, "why do I have to be with you? Always this stupid, moronic girl, daughter of a poor baker who can't do anything else with his life apart from bake those measly croissants."

Marinette just stared blankly at the table and picked up a pencil. Then she looked up. "You know what, Chloe? You can go around and brag, and boast, and complain all you want, but all you're ever going to do is make this world worse. And that means, that if you never existed, you would actually make the world a better place. That's the worst thing, Chloe. When you realise that you never did any good, that you were a useless person. Everyone you touch, you hurt, with your icy cold fingers and your frozen heart. You only care about yourself. What is it that fuels you? Is it the fact that you like it when others are hurt? Or is it to take away a lost pain? I don't know, but it's not good. I'm not going to feed you. So will you please, for once, keep your big mouth closed and leave me alone?" Marinette said.

Chloe gasped. "How dare you ..."

"She's right," Adrien said.

"Well -" Chloe began, but Marinette raised her hand. "We'd better get to designing this dress," she said. Chloe was quiet for a few moments after that, sulking at the corner of the table.

  🐞 🐞🐞

A few days had passed and the designing was all completed. Now they just had to make the dress.

"I think I should make the dress," Marinette suggested, "and then bring it to school everyday to see if you guys agree." She held up the sheet of paper where it had a fully drawn dress labelled with details and colour. "Are you sure this is how you want it?" It was a sleeveless, red dress with purple flowers scattered across the top like confetti, and two strings tied around the top which would go around the neck of the wearer. A red ribbon was tied around the waist, and below that the dress was completely black.

Chloe shrugged and nodded.

"All good," Adrien gave a thumbs up. "Wait, how about a pair of gloves to go with the dress? White gloves, with an embroidered pattern at the bottom?"

Marinette smiled. "Good idea! There needed to be something extra since the dress didn't have any sleeves." She didn't stutter during that sentence, but she didn't feel that nervous around him anymore. Ever since she found out he was Chat Noir, she felt her confidence grow by the minute. "I guess I should make the gloves?" She suggested.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of that," he said, taking the sheet of paper from her hand. He picked up a pencil and began sketching some designs.

"Beautiful," Lila murmured.

Marinette wondered when she should tell him that she was Ladybug.

It would really change her life, but she didn't know if she was ready. How he would react. If he would be ... Disappointed ... With who she was. The clumsy, stuttery old Marinette. Nothing much impressive about that. It was the miraculous that changed her. Without it, she was nothing.

"Well I'm going home now," Marinette said.

"Well this is going to be one hard project," Adrien sighed.

"Well aren't you going to go home to or stand there pouting like a useless kitty?" she laughed, slinging on her backpack and putting her papers inside.

Adrien looked at her confused, not knowing at all that she was hinting something.