Cat-nipped Goals

Nothin' but Trouble

"Marinette?"

It had been two weeks since Chat Noir had begun to visit Marinette regularly, coming most often on Tuesday and Friday nights. They had decided to stop using the candle as a signal when Mari almost caught her room on fire. Instead, they had opted for using colored pieces of fabric: Green for "it's safe", yellow for "wait a while", and red for "not tonight".

"Miss Marinette."

The two would spend hours on end chatting with each other, sometimes crying to each other, and often laughing to their hearts' content. 

However.... There was becoming such a thing as 'up too late'.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"

Mari sat straight up in her seat and the entire classroom snickered.

"Y-yes! Here!" She yelled, believing it to be morning role. Her eyes remained half closed.

It was twelve o'clock. Middle of sixth period.

The teacher's eyes hardened into a glare and the classroom continued its muffled laughter.

"I think someone needs to take a trip to the principal's office," the annoyed school employee chided, tapping her fingers on Marinette's desk. "I'm sure he would be delighted to hear all about why exactly you are unable to keep your head off your desk and your eyes open during today's lectures." Before Mari had time to reply, the teacher turned around sharply and tapped her pen roughly against the head of the blonde boy in front of her.

"Ow...." Adrien whimpered, sounding close to tears as he gripped his head where the teacher had hit him. He yawned widely. Nino couldn't help but cringe sympathetically for his friend as the teacher continued her ominous glaring.

"That goes for you as well, Mr. Agreste," she remarked sourly as Adrien sleepily lifted his head, still not completely aware of the situation. "It's seems both you and Miss Dupain-Cheng can go explain your current states to the principal together." Adrien groaned inwardly and Marinette sighed as they both stood and began to walk out of the class.

"Maybe only one of them will end up having to explain, if ya know what I mean," Kim coughed loudly into his arm as the duo made their way out the door. It shut just in time for the class to burst into laughter and Chloe Bourgeois to throw a fit. Marinette rolled her eyes and Adrien yawned uncaringly as they began their walk down the hall.

"You're tired too, huh?" She sighed, throwing her arms behind her head as she stretched her cramped limbs. The blonde yawned yet again in reply.

"Yep."

Mari was about to ask why exactly he was tired, but found herself too late as she and Adrien reached the office. Adrien reached for the door, looking back at her with a sleepy smirk.

"Ladies first," he teased, opening it wide. Marinette groaned and made her way in. Both teens stepped inside and stood silently. Bookshelves lined the walls, making the already cramped office feel even smaller. Random papers and books were stacked and scattered on the floor around the edges of the room. The principal sat slumped in a large swivel chair at his desk busy going through paper work, giving the duo's presence no acknowledgement. After a minute, Mari decided to speak up.

"Um, sir?" She inquired, uncomfortably ringing her fingers. The heavyset man glanced up briefly from his work.

"My my, what a surprise. Miss Dupain-Cheng. What, pray tell, got you sent here this time?"

Marinette cringed at the sarcastic tone in his voice. She was, well, sorta known for doing various things that resulted in a trip to his office. Nothing very bad, rest assured, but punishment worthy nonetheless. Her random disappearances into the 'ladies room' for entire class periods was what got her in the most trouble. She was known for being a bit ditzy though, so teachers sometimes let that slide, and with Hawkmoth gone she would no longer needed those long bathroom breaks. Actually, now that she thought about it, she hadn't been to the principal's in a while.