Happy Valentine's Day

Thursday - 14th February

There came that horrible day – Valentine's Day. Marinette went to school with a stomach-ache. The valentine card was burning a hole in her bag. Her hands were shaking from the stress. Before she entered the classroom, she thought she would die or faint at least. She hoped that Adrien hadn't come yet. That she didn't have to pass him. She had a feeling it was the last day of her life – this stress would kill her for sure!

She was lucky – Adrien wasn't there yet. She sighed with a relief and sat down at her desk. She put her notebook on the desk and hid the valentine card under it. She had a plan to throw the poem into his bag in the right time. And then she'd see.

He came. He saw her. Their eyes met for a moment and they both blushed simultaneously. She had an impression that Adrien wanted to come up to her, but suddenly Nino stopped him and talked about yesterday's match. What a terrible timing! Marinette sighed and waved her hand in her notebook. Everything landed on the floor in a mess. What was wrong with her! Maybe Chloe was right. Maybe Marinette should be called Clumsy-Cheng... She rushed to collect the papers. She reached for the Valentine card. A second too late!

The heart-shaped card was picked up from the floor... by Chloe Bourgeois.

Chloe smiled vindictively and narrowed her eyes, looking at blushed Marinette. She opened the card and quickly read the text. Chloe's wide smile blossomed. She turned up her nose and gave Marinette a haughty look. She hugged the card to her chest and headed for Adrien, who was still standing at the door with Nino. Marinette couldn't see if he had seen what just happened and guessed who the owner of the card really was. She could only think about not signing the Valentine card, so Chloe could take it over so easily. She threw herself on the desk and hid her face in her arms.

"Adriekiiins!" Chloe smiled to Adrien. "I've got something for you..."

"Really?" He was surprised.

"Be my Valentine!" Chloe said loudly enough to humiliate Marinette.

Adrien blushed terribly and took a quick glance at Marinette. She was still hiding her face in her arms in a despair. Chloe had stolen her poem. The poem written especially for Adrien! That was so much worse than what she had feared for last few days. She was afraid that he would reject her or just made fun of her. And now... Now it could turn out that he would like the poem. And he'd think that Chloe had written it!

Adrien was surprised that Chloe gave him a valentine card. He opened it anyway and read it. He flushed even more. And then... Then he noticed the ornament along the edge of the card. His heart stopped when he realised what he was seeing. He remembered her signature from the bowler so well.

He smiled happily and looked directly at Marinette.

"Sorry, Chloe." He said calmly and passed her. "I've already had my Valentine."

Hearing that, Marinette raised her head. She met Adrien's eyes. Well... She was already flushed, but now she felt the additional warmth coming to her cheeks. That was impossible he'd figured it out so quickly! So, apparently, he wasn't stupid... she thought to herself. She suppressed a giggle, remembering what Alya had told her a few days ago. She was right, Marinette wouldn't stand stupid Adrien for longer than a week.

Adrien approached to Marinette. He took her hand naturally and led her out of the classroom. The talk waiting for them would be too embarrassing if it took place in a room full of colleagues. It was much better to talk somewhere outside.

"But I haven't sent that poem!" he whispered, standing in front of her.

"Well... I got it somehow." She replied quietly. Oh, what a lie! She'd found it in a trash can. And he knew it.

"Anyway, I'm happy you've received it." He smiled. "Now I feel that I should rewrite it on a nice card so that you can keep it forever."

"You don't have to..." she shook her head. She would keep this crumpled piece of paper for the eternal memento. Even if he wrote the poem with gold ink on the most beautiful card, it wouldn't have more value for her than the one found yesterday. Proof of his creative pains and... feelings...

"So... Will you be my Valentine?" he asked shyly and looked at her warmly. She blushed again.

"You have it in writing, Adrien..." She replied.

"You know..." he smiled and winked at her. "Officially you haven't signed it..."

"But you figured it out quickly."

"It was more than obvious."

"Really?" she was surprised. "I expected it would take you some time."

"You could change your handwriting then. This signature I would recognise even in the darkness."

"Yeah, sure!" she laughed.

"I'm serious. I'd say that you broke the bank with that signature on the bowler hat. Even my dad couldn't believe you hid it so wittily. I think you have a job already."

"Yeah, right." She didn't believe him.

"It's difficult to impress on my dad. And you did it."

At that moment a school bell rang for the lesson. They looked at each other suddenly embarrassed. They had to go back to the classroom and face the bullying, glances and smiles – so typical in such situations.

"Come on!" Marinette took Adrien's hand. "Let's get it over with."

He looked at her with admiration.

"Don't look at me like that." She added.

"Like what?"

"As if I was the eighth wonder of the world."

"But you are for me." He whispered, and she felt the warmth in her heart.

She squeezed his hand and led him to the classroom. This Valentine's Day was to be the perfect one.

***

The end :-)