No room to swing a Cat?

20 - The third attempt

She wasn't ready. She wasn't ready at all! She couldn't face Cat Noir this evening! She'd been thinking over a good excuse to avoid the meeting. But how could she send him a message that he shouldn't come, without revealing her latest discovery? Finally, she found a brilliant solution – simple and obvious – she invited Véronique for the afternoon. So, when her roommates began coming back home, they could see her with a college colleague sitting in the living room surrounded by books and notes from Monday classes.

When Marinette noticed Adrien, she played a scene of moving from the living room to her bedroom – hoping he'd read between lines and wouldn't appear on her windowsill at eight. She did her best to hide her emotions when she caught his surprised look. Emotions that were totally opposite to each other.

To be sure that today meeting of the support group wouldn't take place, Marinette kept Véronique until the evening, trying to supress growing irritation when she heard her colleague's comments full of admiration addressed to the handsome roommate.

"I've had no idea you live with the Adrien Agreste!" Véronique whispered in excitement, soon after Marinette had closed the door behind them.

"Not only with him. There are Alya and Nino as well..."

"Yeah, but... Adrien?! Now I get it why you didn't want to move in my dorm. If I were you I would never move out from here!"

"Vér... Please... Can you just calm down?"

"Sorry... Just tell me if he's dating anyone."

'Yes!'

'No!'

'Yes!'

"He is." Marinette muttered, and a thought occurred to her that it would be better to confront Cat Noir than to listen these raptures of her colleague.

"Sorry..." Véronique repeated. "I can see that I'm crossing into your territory. Don't worry, I'm out!"

'No, it's not like that! It's not me... He's NOT dating me... I mean... he IS dating ME... I mean... Damn it...'

"It's OK. Nothing happened..." Marinette murmured instead of screaming out those chaotic thoughts.

Véronique glanced at her friend unsure. She could see her embarrassment and she still remembered their talk from the last week about 'the special look' – everything became clear for her immediately. She stood up.

"I'll get going..."

"Don't go yet!" Marinette protested. Véronique had to stay a bit longer! "I promised you my notes from Friday classes!"

"Just lend me your notebook. It's after eight in the evening, so I'd prefer to head home." Véronique explained.

"But... Vér..."

"It's OK, Mari... Just don't waste your time..." she added, seemingly out of the context, yet they both knew perfectly that it was referred to the previous subject. "I can see you hesitate, but there's no need to struggle..."

"Wh-Why do you think so?" Marinette stuttered embarrassed. Were her feelings so visible?

"If a guy was staring at me that way, I would be buying a wedding dress already!" Véronique chuckled and when she saw her friend's face, she burst out laughing.

They returned to the living room. Seeing laughing Véronique followed by their confused friend, Alya and Nino exchanged their glances. Marinette sighed internally noticing their reaction, as well as lack of Adrien couldn't be unnoticed – she could guess that he had understood her hint and withdrew to his bedroom. Instead of expected relief she felt an additional burden.

"Take care, Mari!" Véronique waved for goodbye. "See you tomorrow. Oh, and remember about that I told you!" she added and pointed her finger at her colleague.

Then she left and Marinette closed the door behind her with relief. Alya looked at Nino meaningfully and approached to her best friend.

"What was that?" she asked half-curious, half-anxious.

"That was Véronique Lumière, my colleague from the university. You've heard about her already."

"But... I mean what she mentioned at the end. What was that?"

"Oh, that... God... It's so embarrassing!" Marinette buried her face in her hands. "I'll tell you later. Now I really have to... I have to..." she hesitated, because she almost blurted out: 'I have to hide from Cat Noir!'

"What's going on, Mari?" Alya asked in concern.

"Everything's fine..." Marinette finally calmed down and added quickly: "I haven't got back on track with my life yet. You know, after catching a cold..."

"Can I help you anyhow?"

"Maybe... Maybe I'll take your magical bath again..." Marinette wondered aloud. Yes! The bath was another perfect excuse to stay away from her bedroom!

"Should I sit down again next to the door and talk to you?"

"Please, don't! You'll start making out with Nino again!"

"We'll be doing that anyway!" Alya grinned meaningfully.

"Can you do it in your bedroom? I'm not sure if I'm able to survive seeing that..."

"Especially when you don't have your Prince Charming who could lead you to your room."

"Shhh!" Marinette hissed and glared at her friend. She wasn't ready to face Adrien!

"Fine! I'm silent as the grave!" Alya winked at her then turned to Nino and suggested: "Hey, babe! Let's keep the innocent eyes safe from a sin..."

Marinette rolled her eyes, but she was glad that she managed to avoid meeting Cat Noir and Alya's cross-questioning. Although she felt some remorse, she hid in the bathroom with relief. This time she used bath not only for relaxation and inhalation but also for planning the next steps. Emotions in her heart were still unclear – on one hand she was happy knowing that Adrien was apparently in love with her, on the other hand she wanted to tear him into pieces for visiting her as his alter-ego to ask her about himself! It would be better for him to stay away for a while!

Yet... When she came back to her bedroom, all her outrage and frustration disappeared in a second. There was a white envelope lying on her pillow. A tangible proof that Cat Noir had visited her.