Once upon a friendship

Not so sure

"...and he didn't even know I was gone till he turned around!" Alya said giggling. She was about to continue but quickly stopped when Marinette did not join in her laughter. "Marinette, are you listening to me?"

"Huh?" Marinette said swiveling her head away from the bleachers across the room and to Alya.

Alya's eyes traveled where Marinette's had been and she sighed upon seeing Adrien. He was walking down the bleachers with Nino, headed towards the door. "Girl, if you want to talk to him so badly, why don't you just do it?" she asked.

"Talk?! To him?!" Marinette stammered. "How could I possibly ever talk to him? I can barely string two sentences together when he's within five feet of me."

"Look," Alya said, placing her books in her bag, "What's the worst that could happen?"

"He rejects me and I die in a pit of despair, alone forever."

"Only with that kind of attitude," Alya said. "Why don't you just try taking it slow? Ask him about himself? Like what kind of colors he likes or what sort of movies he watches?"

"But I already know all of those things!" Marinette said throwing her hands in the air hopelessly.

"But he doesn't know you know those things."

"But if he thinks that I know the things he knows, he'll know I'm weird."

"If he knows the things you know about him, he'll know you're thoughtful and you'll know that I'm right, and I'll know that I helped you realize how much I really know."

"Well...wait what?"

Alya laughed, "Oh Marinette, you're so easy to confuse. My point is: talk to him. Clearly, the sitting around and hoping he notices you thing isn't working. Why not try another strategy? My strategy."

"Your strategy," Marinette said, poking her friend's shoulder, "could easily wind me up in a situation where Adrien realizes how hard I'm crushing on him. I don't want to be rejected. It's easier just to hope he notices me rather than risk it all like that."

"If you just sit around, he's never going to notice you," Alya said "And besides, rejection isn't that bad."

"How on earth would you know that, Alya?" Marinette said crossing her arms, "you've never even asked anyone out."

Alya raised her eyebrows shrewdly. "Alright then," she said, cracking her knuckles before extending her hand to Marinette. "If I ask a boy out, will you please put your fear behind you and talk to Adrien?"

Marinette looked down at Alya's outstretched hand warily. Making a wager of any sort with her was always dangerous. She took competition very seriously.

How bad could it be? Marinette thought to herself. I'm the hero of Paris. I take down akumas in my free time. If Ladybug can be brave, why not Marinette?

"Alright," Marinette said, taking Alya's hand and shaking it firmly, "it's a deal."

"Good," Alya said, suddenly standing up.

"Wait, where are you going?" Marinette said in confusion, gathering her things quickly to join her.

"To go ask someone out," Alya said casually. "Honestly, this wager was really the spur I needed to do it."

"What?!" Marinette yelped. "We didn't agree to do it right now!"

"No time like the present," Alya said brightly. "Come on scaredy-cat, I need to find him before break is over." And rushing out of the gym doors, holding Marinette's hand, she headed out to meet her challenge.

"All I'm saying, dude, is that their new sound is way better than their stuff from two years ago," Nino said, plugging his headphones into his MP3.

Adrien nodded, "I agree with you, man. Honestly I wouldn't know half the things I do about music if you didn't tell me. You're like a musical wizard."

Nino grinned, laughing a bit. "Ha! A musical wizard, I like the sound of that! Way better than I liked the sound of being the Bubbler."

"You can say that again."

"Way better than I liked-."

"Nino!"

Both boy's heads turned behind them at the sound of a girl's voice. Alya was running from the gym, dragging Marinette behind her, and waving frantically at them.

"Jeez, I thought I wouldn't catch you before the bell rang," Alya said, reaching them slightly out of breath. "I wanted to ask you something," she said to Nino.

"What's up?"

"There's a new movie coming out about spies in Paris, its playing at the New Globe Theater on Saturday, do you wanna go to it with me?"

"Sure, what time?" Nino said, barely blinking.

"I was thinking around 11:00?" Alya said whipping out her phone to mark the event down. "Is that time any good for you?"

"Sounds perfect," Nino said pulling his phone out to do the same. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Great! See you later boys!" And with that, Alya breezed away as quickly as she had come, still dragging Marinette behind her.

Nino turned back to Adrien, "Anyway, the band really-."

"Wait, wait! Hold on! Did she just ask you out?" Adrien asked, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I guess," Nino said shrugging. "I mean, I like her. I'd like to go out with her. It kind of made sense in the moment."

"Dude, I can't believe how calmly you just handled that," Adrien said, still shocked at Nino's nonchalance. "I mean, you've never been asked out before, how did you even know what to say?"

"Adrien, you don't have to overthink it," Nino said smirking slightly. "If you like a girl and she asks you out, why not say yes? Anything could happen."

"And that doesn't scare you? The fact that anything could happen?"

Nino smiled at Adrien's obliviousness. "That's the best part, man," he said. "This could go anywhere and become anything. It's exciting. Why wouldn't I want to take that risk?"

Adrien frowned as the bell signaling the end of free period ran. Why shouldn't I take a risk with Ladybug, he thought. I like her, I should ask her out. But as he walked down the halls with Nino to his next class, his mind wandered from the girl in the mask and landed on the sweet face of Marinette, sitting a row behind his seat.

This could go anywhere and become anything.

He took his seat, eyes focused forward to the chalkboard. His thoughts were touched by images of two girls with equally wonderful traits and similar features. Marinette was near him, full of life, brightness, and kindness. Ladybug was beside him filled with cleverness, bravery, and unwavering goodness.

What am I thinking, he pondered as the teacher strode in. Anything with Ladybug is what I want, right? He turned around at the sound of Marinette answering her call for role, and his mind was suddenly clouded with doubt. Anything to happen with Ladybug was logically the answer, but as he stared at Marinette, intently drawing in her notebook, he was not so sure anymore.