We're finally equal | a miraculous story

With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls

A week had passed. Every weekend Marinette would practice with Adrien, helping by pretending to be Juliet or dancing her Nurse part. But of course, everyone had turned against her for those few weeks. No one trusted her anymore, let alone wanted to hang out with her, and everyone was Lila's little pet... everyone except Adrien that is.

Marinette was burying herself deeper and deeper into the pit of romance, yearning for Adrien, and wanting his hand in hers, and her lips on his. Though she was sure he felt the same, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to talk to him about it. And there was nothing they would be able to do with love, his father would never let him get into a relationship with a commoner, and she'd never even seen his face! The world was cruel in that way.

Her ego had undoubtedly fallen into a void, shrinking to an atom. Anxiety swirled around her mind like a fly buzzing around a window, unsure when it would get through the invisible wall. Alya no longer spoke to her, and the class was of big disapproval for her actions. The actions she hadn't committed.

How she missed Tikki so... would she ever have the bird returned to her again? What if Lila had already sold her in an auction? Worry clouded her thoughts.

She was watching youtube on her computer. Just DIY sewing videos for fashion enthusiasts like herself. But she suddenly had an ounce of confidence in her. So small, minuscule, but it was there. She paused the video, which was of a DIY stuffed duckling and mamma duck, and stood up. She saw Tikki's cage, sitting empty in the corner of her room. Then at the open hatch door on her roof.

The small ounce of confidence grew bigger, or perhaps it was an inspiration. Whatever it was, it motivated her to do something crazy. She found herself climbing the rungs of her rope ladder, up to the hatch door. She stood up on her upper balcony, with a feeling of power in her bones. A feeling of happiness flowed through her mind, searing through her bones.

A small voice inside her head told her to return to her room, and stay there. She was up there in only her pajamas, muscles sore from dance class, feeling the cool wind nip at her bare shoulders. But something in her heart drove her forward. Perhaps this was the moment for which she'd regain her self esteem, setting things right. She stepped over the railing of the balcony bravely.

She felt timid, the wind seemed to want to throw her over, yet it was gentle. Her breath hitched. She had to remind herself that she was sick of all those people talking about her, sick of being blackmailed, sick of torturing herself without the comfort of love. She was going to do this, she was doing it for Tikki, for Adrien, and herself.

She slipped.

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"Where's Marinette?" Adrien asked Alya, jogging up to her in the crowded halls of Collège Françoise Dupont the next day.

"Don't know, don't care." Alya waved him off.

"Why? What happened to your friendship?!" Adrien pursued. Alya just glared at him, which told Adrien enough. "Lila has brainwashed you into thinking Marinette is the enemy! She misses you Alya, don't ruin your friendship! Please!"

"Uh-huh, sounds like Marinette brainwashed you." Alya scowled and turned away from Adrien quickly. Adrien sighed.

"Chloe! Do you by any chance know where Marinette is?!" Adrien was getting desperate.

"Why? Isn't it better without her hanging over your shoulder all the time Adrikins?" Chloe smirked. "Its better without her stinking up this place anyways." She giggled cruelly.

"Please, I just need to find her!" Adrien pleaded. Chloe grabbed onto his arm like a parasite.

"She's probably just late again! She can hardly manage to walk across the street without falling over!" Chloe sneered.

"Ugh, get off me, Chloe!" Adrien pulled her off his arm. It was clear no one cared where Marinette was. He continued to make his way to the torturous classroom.

The class chatted for a bit, the teacher was suspiciously late. When Mrs. Bustier finally walked in, she wore an expression of remorse. The classroom quickly tried to cover up their conversations, hiding phones and sitting straight up with attention as if that how'd they'd been before. Not gonna lie, it was rather impressive.

"I have some distressing news." Mrs. Bustier was holding back tears, she shouldn't cry in front of her students. It may make the situation a whole lot worse. Everyone was silent. "Last night, there was an accident. Marinette is in the hospital at the moment, and won't be attending school this week."

"What happened!? Will she be alright!?" Alya exclaimed. Adrien would have smiled at her, knowing that deep down Alya was still wanting to be Marinette's close friend. Knowing that Alya did care, no matter how she hid it.

"I can't quite tell you that miss Césaire, but if you'd like to talk to me after class, your more than welcome to." Mrs. Bustier retorted. Adrien felt like a rock had punched him in his abdomen. Like his world was rolling to a cliff, quickly, with no hope of him ever catching it. A person indifferent from suffering and sorrow, all he could do was keep his composure. The walls that felt like they had been holding up, suddenly threatened to collapse, as if an earthquake had wildly shaken his mind, heart, and maybe even his soul.

He couldn't even gather words to speak. His tongue felt as dry as a rainless summer, it felt heavy, preventing him from forming words. His mind felt blank, but he finally found something to say. He looked up at Mrs. Bustier, who was managing to stay calm although it was obvious that this was affecting her as well. He opened his mouth and-

The painfull noise filled his ears. Like a siren mixed with someone banging a pot and pan together in discordance of sounds. He flinched as the noise cut in his train of thought, wiping his knowledge of the past three minutes from existence.

All he knew, was that Marinette was in trouble, and something inside him itched to be let free.