Partners in Crime (Miraculous Ladybug)

• C h a p t e r O n e •

"It's gonna be weird going to school with Adrien not there," Marinette sighed as she packed her backpack for school in her room.

Tikki, who was floating next to her, frowned slightly. "Why won't he be there?" she questioned in confusion. "Is he sick or something?"

"No, he and his father are going on a fashion trip to New York to meet up with Audrey Bourgeois for company matters," Marinette answered her kwami. "They won't be back for a week."

"You'll manage," Tikki laughed, flying closer and patting her owner on the head playfully. "Maybe you can get his number from Alya again and text him, even, so you can know how things go!"

"I can't do that, Tikki!" Marinette protested, a shocked look entering her blue eyes as she zipped her bag closed and stood up. "If I do, then he might ask how I got his number in the first place, so I'd have no choice but to tell him that I asked Alya, but then he'd think I'm weird or something or maybe that I'm a stalker, or he might guess I'm in love with him!" She broke off, panting, at the end of her ramble.

The red kwami just giggled sweetly. "If you say so," she said, shrugging, then zipped into her owner's bag as the teen girl flung her school bag over her shoulder, opened the trapdoor leading downstairs, and ran down the four flights of stairs through her home, the apartment, and the family bakery.

The run to school was fairly peaceful; she didn't speak any more with her kwami, and the skies were overcast with gray clouds. A few civilians were walking through the sidewalks, carrying closed umbrellas and talking quietly with their companions.

Alya met her at the doors of their high school. "Hey, girl, what's up?" her BFF greeted her, wrapping her in a hug.

"Oh, nothing." Marinette shrugged, flashing her a smile. "I tried drawing a new design for a derby hat as practice in case I ever get into a situation like that one contest again, but it looks more like a mushroom cupcake than anything else." She shrugged defeatedly, then laughed. "I'll try to improve it tonight."

"I could come home with you and help out if that's okay," Alya suggested. "My parents are always cool with that, and Nora's basically gotten over her whole 'overprotective big sis' thing by now."

"That'd be awesome; thanks, Alya." Marinette smiled gratefully at her best friend, then looked straight forward again as they approached the doors. Unfortunately, her good mood was ruined when the first person she saw inside was none other than Lila Rossi, who was sitting on one of the side benches surrounded as usual by a group of the students. All of them were chattering away and bubbling with questions, with Lila enthusiastically answering each one. As Marinette and Alya drew closer, Marinette clenched her fists as she heard Lila go on and on about her false relationship with Ladybug.

"Oh, chillax, would you, Marinette?" Alya sighed when she saw her friend stiffen at the sight of Lila. "How many times do you have to be told? Lila just has a very interesting life, just like some other people out there." She paused. "In some ways, just like Adrien. She's not lying. I managed to talk with one of the top witnesses of that one recent fight when she was akumatized again . . . I think her new name was Chameleon? Anyway, there was a waitress who saw the whole ending and even helped Ladybug in getting the akuma, and she told me that Lila and Ladybug made up from a fight and are now friends."

"Go ask Ladybug now," Marinette growled, inaudible to Alya. It was getting increasingly frustrating being told she was just being ridiculous for thinking Lila was a liar, which she was, "just because she tried to hit on Adrien." That wasn't the reason at all, especially since Adrien himself knew that Lila was a liar. He and Marinette were probably the only ones in the entire world who could see through the acts.

But since Adrien wasn't there, and wouldn't be there for a week, Marinette was alone in the school regarding the truth.

This is gonna be sooooo much fun. She sighed quietly as she and Alya ascended the stairs and were quickly joined by the other students when the bell rang. The familiar group of students were crowding into the room; Chloé and Sabrina were sitting in the front left row, with Myléne and Alix behind them. Ivan was sleeping on his desk in the back right, Rose and Juleka were both on their phones, and Max and Kim were discussing something Marinette couldn't catch.

Their teacher, Ms. Bustier, entered the classroom shortly after Alya and Marinette. As she briefly situated her desk, Marinette stared sadly at Adrien's empty seat in front of her. Nino was sitting beside it with his headphones on, busily typing on his phone. The screen looked like a private chat, from Marinette's view, and she wondered if he was chatting with him.

"Alright, class, turn to page 27 in your textbooks," Ms. Bustier announced, turning to face the group of highschoolers. Marinette, along with all her classmates, obeyed the instruction, but even though the lesson was fairly interesting, it seemed harder to pay close attention with the one she most looked forward to seeing at school absent.