Secrets and Lies

Found

                                                                                   Nobody's POV

Marinette woke up Monday morning to a high pitched voice screaming in her ear.

"Wake up Marinette!"

She rolled over and groaned loudly, splaying across her bed, "Just one more minute..."

"No Marinette! You're going to be late for school! Wake up!" The same high pitched voice squeaked insistently.

"I know but- wait, what?" She quickly sat up in bed and looked at the clock which read 8:48. Her eyes widened with panic.

"Oh no!" Marinette shrieked, jumping out of bed and rushing over to her closet, tripping over her slippers in her haste. "I'm going to be late again!"

She quickly pulled on her usual outfit as her kwami, Tiki, expertly parted her hair into two pigtails. Running down the stairs and out the door, Marinette said a quick goodbye to her parents who where running the bakery before sprinting to school as fast as she could. She ran into class just as her teacher was calling her name for morning attendance.

"Here!" Marinette panted as she burst into the classroom, severely out of breath from running all the way to school from her house and receiving several snickers and odd looks.

Mrs. Bustier, her teacher, sighed and  and glared at the bluenette but made no comment. This definitely wasn't
the first time Marinette had been late to school.

As Marinette hurried to take her usual seat next to Alya, her friend raised her eyebrows and whispered, "Nice timing girl! Where have you been?"

Marinate blushed and mumbled, "I overslept," causing Alya to give a small, knowing smirk.

"Well you almost missed-" Alya began before she was cut off by a sharp glare from their teacher.

"Class I have some excellent news," Ms. Bustier said, smiling widely. "Our class has been picked to be the one class in all of Paris who will represent our country in China on a three-week long field trip!."

Marinette's stomach lurched sickeningly and she turned deathly pale as she stared up at their teacher in astonishment.

"We'll leave next week, on Monday. While we're there we'll get to learn about China's history and culture as well as the royal family. We will also be visiting the castle! Please have your permission slips signed and turned in by tomorrow."

Marinette looked up from her desk to see all three of her friends giving her concerned looks.

"Are you okay Mari?" Adrien asked timidly from the row in front of her. "You're really pale."

"I-I'm fine," she said nervously. "I just... am- um- excited! Yeah, excited. Can't wait for the trip!" She gritted her teeth.

For the entire lesson Marinette just stared at her desk in silence until the pattern of the wood was practically etched into her mind.

There's no way I can go! she thought to herself. Not only would I expose my secret but put myself and my friends in danger!

At the end of the day when the bell rang Marinette ran out of the classroom and straight into the bakery where she lived. Her friends all ran behind her after a nudge from Alya.

"Marinette!" Sabine exclaimed as the teenager burst into the bakery. "What's wrong?"

"Field trip- China- next week," she panted, out of breath from running the entire way back.