Rules are meant to keep you safe.
But the rules Gabriel Agreste has set up for the fashion show are the rules Adrien Agreste is going to be breaking.
And he's going to be breaking them with Marinette Dupain-Cheng!
"What is she doing here?!" Kim growled when the next two girls came inside the bakery.
Chloe and Sabrina stood at the doorway, Sabrina having a small smile while Chloe was frowning.
"Yeah!" Chloe snapped her head towards Sabrina. "What am I doing here?! You told me there was a sick party going on and you bring me to this dreadful place?!"
"Chloe~" Sabrina gave her a pleading look, her eyes begging for her to shut up and not say anything else rude.
"Actually guys," Mylene came up front. "Rose and I invited them. Well, at least, we invited Sabrina, and she must have invited Chloe along."
"Yeah, um. . ." Sabrina looked over at Chloe again, hoping the blonde didn't mind. "When you left to that competition, I started hanging out with Rose and Mylene. They're actually pretty cool and we became friends, and-"
"So, you've been hanging out with others behind my back?!" Chloe yelled. "Were you planning on abandoning me, but then when I came back, you realized just how much you needed me, and decided to stick along with me?!"
"Chloe, no, I-" Sabrina tried to explain.
"Chloe, you don't own her!" Alya cut Sabrina off before she could even start her explanation. "You should be thankful you have a friend like Sabrina. If anything, you're the one who needs her. You would be a total mess without her!"
"No, I wouldn't!" Chloe argued back. "If Sabrina ever planned to ditch me, well, her loss. All I will do is just find another maid that can do whatever I want her to do!!"
After releasing those words, Chloe instantly regretted it. She turned to Sabrina, seeing that her eyes were beginning to water already, but instead of sticking to apologize, she turned around and walked out the door.
At first there was silence, before Alya broke it with a sigh and a few words she hoped would help Sabrina. "It's fine. You don't need Chloe as a friend when you've got us, Sabrina."
"I- thanks, I guess." Sabrina sniffed, before wiping her eyes. "Um, so what are we doing here anyway?"
"In the competition, the final is almost coming up. Today, Marinette and Nicole are going up against each other to see who's going to verse Nathaniel in the finals," Alya explained. "Marinette texted me the details. We came here to make a party for her to congratulate her for getting this far. You in?"
"Yeah, sure I guess." Sabrina shrugged. "It's not like I have anything else better to do," She added, mostly to herself. Stupid Chloe! All I ever was was a maid to her, and that's all I'll ever be in her eyes. Actually thought we were friends!
~~~
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Marinette was in the middle of her presentation when Nathaniel walked inside the room. He should have been here a while ago; who knew where he had been to, or what he was doing.
"And that will be it for my design," Marinette finally rounded up, feeling exhausted. She watched as Nathaniel took a seat two seats away from Nicole. Nicole, who was clutching onto her folded shirt as if it was about to run away.
Nicole was then called up, and she stood up. Seeming to be clumsy at the moment, she almost tripped over her own foot, and almost dropped her shirt. Giving them a sheepish look, Nicole quickly went over to the front. She took a large breath, before she unfolded the shirt and shut her eyes. All around, she could hear gasps. But Gabriel's shock came to her the most when he shouted her name.
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"Nicole, what is this?! There's. . . Nothing of what I asked on it!" Gabriel looked disappointed. Nathaniel had covered his face, as if due to second-hand embarrassment. Marinette had her mouth hanging opened, as if she couldn't believe what was really going on.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Agreste. . . I've just had a lot on my mind. I, uh, as soon as I got the paper holding the information of what the next design was, I threw it away. Because of everything that was on my mind, I completely forgot what the design was. I was too afraid to ask anyone."
"Nicole. . . Why would you be scared to ask me such a simple question?" Gabriel didn't seem to believe her story, and Nicole knew no one would, but it had at least been worth a try.
"Yeah, you're right," She let out a small laugh, before turning serious again and facing Gabriel in a way she had never done before.
