Miraculous Selection

Birthday Gifts part 2

Marinette's POV 

She kissed him! She kissed him in front of everyone! And he kissed back! And now everyone thinks that they're the perfect couple! Has all of this been a lie? Has Adrien's feelings been a lie. I was so tired of this uncertainty.

I slowly backed myself away from the scene, which was hard since everyone was trying to get to Finesse and Adrien to congratulate them. I sat down on a chair at the side, and Alya came over to me. 

"Hey," She said. "You okay?"

"Y-Yes." I said, trying to restrain the tears.

"It's his job," she said. "He wouldn't just leave her hanging in front of everyone. Imagine how humiliating that would have been for her."

I didn't say anything. "He didn't even dance with me."

"What?" Alya exclaimed. "He danced with me, even! And he knows very well how i feel about him! How could he not dance with you!"

Alya's POV'

I couldn't believe Adrien. He hadn't even danced with her? It was her party! She should be his first dance! That would at least give the poor girl some hope. 

I was about to go confront the guy when Miss Let-Me-Make-A-Scene-In-Front-Of-Everyone came over.

"Oh my gosh, did you see that? He was so romantic." Finesse gushed, and plopped herself next to Mari as if she owned the place. 

"Well, you see, here, Finesse, Mari's having a horrible birthday, thanks to someone." I rolled my eyes.

"Oh my gosh, it's your birthday! Happy birthday!" Finesse opened her arms, asking for a hug, but when Marinette declined it, she grumbled. 

"What did Chloe do now?" She asked.

Marinette scoffed. "If Chloe did something, I wouldn't let her get to me. An enemy torchering an enemy isn't new. A friend torchering a friend is however."

Finesse blinked. "Wait-Wait, so I did something?"

Marinette stood up. "Listen, Finesse. It's hard for people to be friends when they're competing for the same person: the person they love. And when love blooms, it opens a tiny hole for hatred. And let's just say that hatred is pretty powerful, and it can make that hole, into a whirlpool."

Marinette began walking away, but Finesse yelled after her. "You know, Marinette, you shouldn't be mad at me! You should be mad at Adrien!"

Marinette turned around.   "I'm not mad at anyone, Finesse. Especially Adrien. It was wrong of me to give you a hard time. But what I'm saying is that it's impossible to withhold any feelings of hate, in this stupid Selection. It's   Time we were upfront about what this really is. A competition.   And right now, every  single one of are enemies."

I looked at her, "Wait...Marinette, does this mean...we're still friends...right?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Alya. But this is a competition." She looked at Finesse. "And competitors cannot be friends, for their own good."

Marinette's POV 

I can't believe I just did that. It wasn't anyone's fault, but it was the only way to avoid heartbreak.

Just as I was turning to leave, a guard approached me. "Excuse me, Miss. I was about to ask you for a dance, but it seemed like it was the wrong time."

I wiped my dull expression away. "Not at all, sir."

He placed his arms around me, and led me to the dance floor. 

"I haven't seen you around." I said. "May I have your name?"

"Officer Lahiffe." He smiled.

I waved my hand. "I'm not down for all that nonsense. What's your first name?"

His smile grew. "Nino." He said.

"Nino," i repeated. 

"I didn't get a chance to wish you a very happy birthday."

I smiled. See? Even a guard I had never seen in my life knew it was my birthday. "Thank you," I said. 

"The Prince seems very fond of you." Nino said.

"Oh?" I frowned. "Well, if that was true, he would have at least said a word to me this evening."

Nino frowned too. "I've been watching the prince, and I see how happy he is with you, my Lady. Could you not return it?"

"Well, this whole selection thing does just that. I do,but then something comes up and it gets to me...and...everything is ruined."

Nino nodded. "I understand that." We danced in silence for a while, then he said. "Why don't you say something to him?"

"What?"

"Instead of waiting around for him, why don't you go to where he is?"

"Oh, I couldn't."

"Why not?" Nino asked. "I would feel enlightened if a woman came over and asked me for a dance?"

I pondered it for a while. Would it? It was better than nothing.

"Thank you, Nino." I said. 

He smiled. "It was my pleasure to assist my future queen."

I smiled sadly. "I'm sorry to tell you what you're implying is very unlikely."

"But it's not just me implying it." He said, eyes twinkling.

What he said got me thinking. How many people supported me? How many people disgusted me? How many people thought of me as a hopeless Five?" 

I finally found Adrien, sucked in a breath, and took a step forward. He turned around before I could say anything. 

"I was looking for you." He said, wrapping ing his arms around me as we began to sway.

"Really?" I laughed. "I was looking for you a lot longer.." 

"Is that so?" Adrien asked as if it was no big deal. "I had to finish my business with the other girls first. My apologies for making you wait."

"And that makes it okay for you to kiss them?" I grumbled about.

Adrien raised an eyebrow. "Is that what this is about? Marinette you know very well I had no choice. What was I to do? Reject her in front of everyone? I'm sorry she made such a scene."

"Why isn't this over Adrien?" I asked simply. "You told me that the only thing stopping you from ending this competition is my love. Now that I have given it to you, what's stopping you now?"

Hiiiiii!!! This is a super long chapter as well! 1000+words! Look out for part 3.