Found You At Last|✔️

Chapter 3 - Terrible News

"Marinette, we're moving."

"Wha-what?" Marinette stuttered, shocked.

"You heard me. Me and your father aren't making enough money in the bakery. Your father's cousin, who lives in China, has offered your father a job. We need to move there."

"B-but..."

"I know you will miss Alya, and Adrien, and your friends, but you can keep in touch. I'm so sorry, Marinette." Mum said. "We are moving in two days. You better tell your friends."

Marinette's Mum left, and Marinette sighed. Tikki flew out of her dollhouse. "Oh, Marinette," she said. "I know you're going to miss Adrien, but at least you have time to say goodbye."

Marinette chuckled slightly. "Thanks, Tikki," she said. "I'm going to finish my comic. It's meant for him."

Tikki simply nodded, and Marinette went to her writing desk, and finished the book made of paper. She used a hole-puncher to punch some holes in the pile of paper and used string to bind it. At the end of the book, she wrote:

Dear Adrien,

I am very sorry. I am unable to go to Collège Françoise Dupont because I am moving to China. I hope you enjoy the book, I made it for you. We can still keep in touch. You have my number.

Give this to Chat Noir when you next see him; Ladybug visited me, and told me that she is moving too.

Sincerely,
Marinette xx

She shut the book. Marinette tried desperately not to cry.

-----------------Two Days Later ---------------

For the first time, Marinette got up early. Tikki got up the same time as her.

"Marinette!" Tikki squeaked in surprise. "You're up early."

"Yes." Marinette agreed. "But I need to say goodbye to my friends.

Marinette raced to school, after sorting herself out, and rushed into class. "I have an announcement!" She said to Ms Bustier.

Ms Bustier nodded. "OK, Marinette. Class!" She called out to her pupils. "Marinette has something to say."

Marinette sighed. "I'm moving. To China." She said sadly.

Adrien felt as though his heart was a stone. It dropped faster than the pen that slipped out of his hand in shock.

"What??" Alya cried. "Oh, Marinette, this can't be true!"

Marinette nodded. "It is." She confirmed, miserably.

For the whole day, everyone was nice to Marinette, and even Chloe and Sabrina were tolerable, to a certain extent, although Marinette was sure they were partying on the inside.

The day eventually drew to a close, and Alya pulled Nino, Adrien and Marinette in for a huge group hug.

"Aw, I'm gonna miss you." Alya said.

"I'll be back in five years." Marinette said, repeating what her Mum had told her this morning.

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"Adrien?" Marinette asked. Everyone else had ran out of the school, excited for the weekend. Adrien was walking slowly down the steps to an impatient Nathalie.

"Yes?" Adrien answered patiently. Marinette raced down the steps toward him.

"I wanted to give you this." Marinette rummaged in her bag and found her comic. "It's my final present from me. Let's keep in touch." Marinette said. "I've got to go now, so..."

"Oh, yeah." Adrien said, snapping to his senses. "I have to go too."

"See you in five years." Marinette said, and hurriedly ran off.

"See you later." Adrien whispered to himself, and got in the limo. Nathalie turned to face him.

"You're late." She said coldly, her face stiff and emotionless.

"Sorry." Adrien apologised. "Just saying goodbye to a....friend."

"OK. But I'll have you know your father will be hearing about this." Nathalie said firmly. "He worries about you."

"No he does not." Adrien whispered under his breath, but luckily Nathalie and the Gorilla did not hear, over the roar of the limo engine as it sped away out of sight, to the Agreste mansion.

----------------------Later-------------------------

Adrien opened the comic, and read on in shock at the extreme detail of each picture, and how good the story was. He fingered the last page, where Marinette's note was. His heart ached ever more as he read the part about Ladybug. He did not know how he would cope.

His lady was moving away from him, as was his best friend. Poor Adrien. He was so depressed. He flopped on his bed. He looked on his phone, which had a class photo, with Marinette smiling cheerfully. He sighed and looked at another picture of his lady, who was smiling widely.

He sighed. He wouldn't think of them. He didn't think he'd be able to cope.

Adrien had a photo shoot later that day, but the camera only made him think of the one used on the day with Marinette.

He looked on his computer, for homework, but found himself browsing on the Ladyblog.

He couldn't stop thinking about them.

Marinette and Ladybug, Ladybug and Marinette.

His heart ached in grief.

He flopped on the bed, and a single tear rolled down his cheek.

Nothing ever goes right for me, was the last thought Adrien had in his head before he plunged into a deep, deep sleep of blank, meaningless dreams.