Dear Bugaboo

No Reply

Welcome to my new book and hope you all enjoy!!

{+}{+}{+}

   She could remember it started about a year and a half ago. Those were the dark times. A drought of ideas swept the poor girl's brain which many fashion designers feared.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng had designer's block.

   She paced back and forth in front of a park bench that contained her sketch pad, ready for new designs to fill the pages. Yet, no inspiration had struck the teen.

Her world was falling apart! Just like her, after tripping on a root that stuck out from the ground. The bluenette tumbled into the bushes behind a tree and into a small, private opening.

The girl sighed and grumbled about her clumsiness before sitting up. At the right moment, a glare shined into her bluebell eyes. She moved slightly out of the way of the glare to see a jar with a folded piece of paper and a pencil inside.

She blinked a couple times in confusion before picking up the jar.

"What is this?" Marinette asked herself, hopefully knowing that there would be no reply. She unscrewed the top and set the lid aside then reached inside. Her fingers pulled the slip of paper out and unfolded it. Scribbled on the white canvass, a note read:

Want to be my pen pal? :)

Yes No

Marinette reread the question over and over again. It seemed like a silly thing or maybe even dangerous but...it also seemed intriguing. Without a second thought, Marinette reached into the jar to retrieve the pencil and with a little hesitation, she circled 'Yes'.

   The teen visited the park everyday after school out of curiosity to see if anyone replied.

She was about to give up after day six, Friday. No one had responded to her answer since Sunday. The jar with the note could have been just another lost item in the park for all she knew.

   Worrying about a silly thing like this didn't help with any new designs. Sketching outfits was still on hold which it frustrated her a bit. The week didn't make any improvement at all for her.

That was until she unfolded the paper and saw a new note located under the 'Yes' and 'No'.

It's a pleasure to meet—write—to you! Man, you have no idea how long I've waited for someone to find this message, didn't think anyone would ever find it! Thank you! It's a true honor to write to you!

   Marinette thought, whoever her new pen pal was seemed really sweet and didn't mean any trouble. That didn't make her any less cautious though. This person may seem kind one minute then be some kidnapper the next. She would have to be careful.

   The bluenette picked the pencil out of the jar and replied:

It's nice to meet you as well!

   Marinette paused for a moment to think of a nickname. She didn't want to give out her name to random stranger! She chewed slightly at the eraser to think up a name but, just like her designer's block, none came to mind.

   Just then, a ladybug landed on a nearby flower. The insect had a beautiful shade of red and decorated with black spots on its wings. Its big, white eyes filled with mystery and wonder. Even the name 'ladybug' sounded endearing and striking to the ear.