Mysterious Rose by Summer Cheng

Chapter 5 Locker Rose?

       Wednesday afternoon, when class lets out, Marinette goes to her locker. She gets her books out as usual. Only this time, as she is about to close it back she sees something else inside it.  She pulls the item out. She gasps.  It is a dark purple rose right there in her locker!  She can hardly believe her eyes. How in the world did he manage to get this inside the locker?  Why does he choose to send her the flowers?  Why not anyone else?   

     Chloe seems ticked off that she never gets any roses, and Lila lies.  Lila claims she gets roses every month from some supposed secret admirer of hers that lives in Japan.  As if!  Everyone knows Lila is a notorious liar, and that no one in their right mind would waste time with sending her a rose!  Let alone rose every month!  The very idea is so absurd it makes everyone laugh.

     "Oh, come on, Lila we know that is not true!" Adrien says.

   "Oh, yeah, well maybe you are just jealous that someone else has taken an interest in me!"  Lila remarks.

    "I am not! " Adrien says.

   "Yeah, my Adrikins would not touch you with a ten-foot pole!"  Chloe says.

   "Chloe, I am not yours.  Lila, you are not even my type!  So leave me alone!" Adrien says.

   Marinette blushes. She thinks, wow, Adrien just told off both Chloe and Lila!

   "Mari, come on!  Let me walk you home, please!" Adrien says.

   "S-sure, A-Adrien!"  Marinette says. She blushes and thinks, great why can't I ever talk normally to him for once.

   "What is with the flower?"  Adrien asks just to tease her a bit.

   "Oh, u-uh, I f-found it in my l-locker!" Marinette says.

   "Wow, I wonder who could have left it there," Adrien says.  He giggles.

   "Yeah, well, I h-have n-no i-idea!" Marinette says.

     Adrien reaches out with his hand and she places her hand in it. He blushes.  He walks her home all the while in wonderment about what she thinks about him.  He is not quite sure how to bring it up.  He finally arrives at her house.  He waits for her to go inside, and sighs as she closes the door to the bakery below the apartment she shares with her parents. 

    Adrien walks home.

   Adrien's POV:  

   Why did I ask her about the flower anyway?   I mean it is not like it did any good. She feels as nervous as usual and she still stutters as a result.  I wonder why she feels this way. I mean it is not like I did something to hurt her feelings, or did I?   I am not sure what to think anymore.  I only know I must not discuss the rose with her ever again.  What if she gets suspicious and starts to suspect I know who it is?   Even worse, what if she figures it out that it is me and resents me for the rest of my life?   I do not think I could care if the latter thing ever came true.  I must be careful, how I handle the situation from here on out!

  Marinette's POV: 

    Adrien holds my hand as he walks me home.  This feels nice, but I am sure why he bothers to do so.  It is not like we are a couple.  It would be nice if we are, but everyone knows Adrien only sees me as a friend.  I mean how could see me as anything else?   

    I do wonder though, why he chose to tease me about the rose I found in my locker?  Could it be he has a crush on me?   My parents think that either he or Nino sends me the roses because they have some secret crush on me!  

       Well, everyone now knows Nino does not see me this way since he has a crush on Stacey.  This either means Adrien likes me which is highly unlikely, or that some other person has a crush on me!  Goodness, no matter what way I look at it, the whole thing seems impossible!   Who on earth could like me?   

Adrien's POV:  

    Marinette sure looks pretty today!  She holds my hand when I offer it to her!  I admit I never thought she would because she never appears to feel anything more than friendship towards me.  I walk her home and she waves at me as she walks into the bakery!  I wave back right before she closes the door behind her. 

    I do wonder though, what she thinks about me?  Does she just see me as a guy who is a great friend to her, or what?  I wish I was good at this kind of thing.  The more I try to figure it out the more I find that I am clueless as to what she thinks about me.  I can only hope she does not like Luka, Nathaniel, or some other guy.   

  Marinette's POV:  

   After Adrien leaves to go home, I admit that I wonder why does he walk me home so much?  It is not like he ever did so any in the past year.  I can't help, but admit it puzzles me that he chooses to walk me home so often.  It does please me, but it confuses me too.  He never does anything to show he likes me.  I mean he never passes me a note in class, calls me on the phone, asks me out or otherwise.  Yet he walks me home.  What on earth am I to make all this?   I can only hope he does not like Kagami, Mirelle, Aurore, or some other girl. 

 to be continued in Chapter 6  A  Dozen Roses?