The Mystery of Chloe B.

2 - Invitation

The limousine was passing the streets of Paris, and Chloe was still thinking about the letter she had received this morning. At first, just when she finished reading it, she felt so strong longing for her mother. Now, she felt mainly the anger. The anger at her mother for leaving her, for choosing the independence, for abandoning her – the dearest daughter, whom she supposedly loved so much...

"Happy birthday, Chloe!" Sabrina exclaimed as soon as the mayor's daughter left the limo.

Chloe smiled with superiority and – as always – she graciously let Sabrina hug her. Oh, Sabrina was so predictable! Well... Better such a friend than none. Maybe it wasn't this kind of friendship that her mother was writing about, but Chloe deadened quickly that thought. She wasn't going to care about all that sentimental nonsense! What was her mother thinking? She had had everything you could ever imagine! EVERYTHING! Daddy would make all her dreams come true! What did it mean: "a place for me as me"? Did she have her own ambitions? Passions? Bah! Nothing – literally NOTHING! – would make Chloe leave her perfect life in prosperity!

"Really nothing?" a little voice from the deepest parts of her soul asked innocently.

Chloe snorted angrily. She wasn't going to listen her awakened conscience!

"You... You're not happy?" Sabrina asked, startled, staring at Chloe with those big eyes behind big glasses.

"Oh, it's OK, Sabrina..." Chloe replied contemptuously, irritated a bit that her feelings were so visible at her face. "Of course, I am happy."

"Hi, Chloe!" she heard right next to her. She recognised the voice immediately. Adrien! She forgot about Sabrina at once.

"Adriekiins!" she exclaimed happily and threw her arms around his neck. And he moved back, as always.

"I've heard today is your birthday. Best wishes, Chloe!"

"Oh, thanks! You know what? I've been thinking about a birthday party. Do you remember that party I organised once at the Grand Paris Hotel?"

"Of course, I do. That was the party impossible to forget..."

"What do you mean?" Chloe frowned.

"You know... That whole situation with superheroes..."

"Ah, right. I'm not sure if you remember, but I helped them very much. I'd say that I am a superhero who doesn't need the special costume."

Adrien laughed and wriggled out of an answer. He looked like he was to leave, and Chloe wanted to keep him around her at all costs. So, she blurted:

"What would you say if I do this again? Would you come?"

"Are you going to invite all the colleagues again?" he asked suddenly interested.

"I'm not sure if all of them. There are some people I really can't stand!"

"Chloe... You promised..." he sighed.

"But it's impossible to like everyone!" She rolled her eyes. "Even that namby-pamby Marinette Clumsy-Cheng doesn't like everyone. Even though all people think that she likes everyone."

"Marinette doesn't like someone?" Adrien asked in surprise.

"Well, me?"

"Chloe, Chloe..." Adrien sighed, and looked at her meaningful.

Oh, right. He would tell her now that there was a reason of that. Chloe glanced at Adrien sideways. He didn't say a word, but he smiled in a way as if he knew that she figured it out. She felt irritation. Why her feelings were so apparent today? And why she hated Marinette so much?

"Talking of the devil..." Adrien whispered and waved towards Marinette who was just passing them by, with Alya, of course. "Hey there!" he greeted. Chloe snorted irritably. They were always so inseparable!

"Hi!" Alya smiled, but she smiled at Adrien, not at Chloe...

"Hello..." Marinette mumbled shyly. She looked like she was going to run away.

"Have you heard that today is Chloe's birthday?" Adrien continued.

Marinette and Alya stopped halfway.

"Happy birthday, Chloe!" they said simultaneously and looked at each other amused.

They burst out laughing, but Chloe wasn't so amused by this joke. In addition, she was irritated by Adrien, who didn't understand her intentions and instead of spending time with her, he invited ordinary people to their company!

Oh, she wanted to kill someone! Meanwhile, Adrien was framing her more and more, because he just revealed:

"Chloe is organising her birthday party. I think all of us will be invited, right Chloe?"

"Oh, I haven't talked to my daddy yet, Adrien!" Chloe denied.

"But you said..." Adrien tried again.

"Isn't it obvious?" Alya rolled her eyes. "The party will be only for the elite, right Chloe?"

What a slander! How dared she?! Well, she was right, of course, but Adrien didn't have to know that! Chloe preferred not to be called a conceited snob! Especially in front of Adrien! Oh no, she had to pretend to be a heroine! She couldn't let those little "foxes" make her the evil one.

"The more the merrier!" she said finally, surprised by her own tone of voice which was quite cheerful. "I'll call papa right now. He never says 'no' to me... So, see you at seven!"

And she left them to call her father and to start organising the birthday party. Of course, it was a formality, her father would agree on her every idea, even the wildest. And hiring the best event organisers was for Chloe Bourgeois as easy as breathing. The worst part was... inviting all those people... Ugh... How to overcome that reluctance... She had done it once. She could do it again...