Dream a little dream of me -Miraculous Au

Chapter Five

"Yes, girl! Here we have Miss Marinette, she's giving us rising Hollywood starlet who secretly has a sugar daddy!"

"Me? A sugar baby? If anything I'm the sugar daddy."

"I see how it is- you're rich rich now."

If anyone happened to hear us, they would think we were pretty weird, but that didn't stop Alya from recording me as I walked, playfully shouting out remarks. I just laughed and gave her smug remarks, as if she were a paparazzi looking for a story. Speaking of paparazzi, I'm still wondering how my picture will look in the news. My publicist sure won't be too thrilled.

The cold street we were walking down was abuzz with all kinds of people. There were couples, groups, and parties of college students, all lined up outside Juleka's café. When she said it was more lively at night time, she wasn't lying. More chairs and tables were packed on the sidewalk than usual, catering for the people who were already there. The pot plants that lived there were moved near to the entrance to accommodate everything. The masses murmured to themselves, filling the air with conversation and noise. But even louder than that was the melody coming from inside.

"Oh wow, this is unexpected." I say to her as we join the queue. I take this time to assess her outfit in the light; a simple but complementing orange dress, long sleeved and neat. It was fashioned with strapped heels and a choker.

"It's still pretty early, in a few hours it's really gonna get crazy. We might even catch some celebrities later."

"Really, like who?"

"Mostly musicians, really. They always have a big name performing." She says. She comes here often so she's probably seen a lot of the entertainment.

I just nod in response, carefully listening to the song coming from the open windows. It's mostly light strums from an acoustic guitar, but it makes me feel something familiar. Then comes the words to the melody, sung in total perfection. It's a man singing, and his voice is a mixture of silk and honey, yet so full and loud that it doesn't sound like he's using a microphone. Whoever it is probably makes girls swoon with serenades.

We aren't outside for too long, I'd say about twenty minutes. In those few minutes, we speak about all the people around us, and make up stories about their lives. For instance, we gave the girl in front of us a name, Lea, and her made up story was that she was here to get over a breakup, judging from all her friends saying they're ready to get her drunk.

With each person moving inside, we shuffled closer to the entrance, the music getting louder and more mesmerising, me tapping my heels to the rhythm. Outside is nothing compared to inside, though.

The first thing that I noticed were the lights, now set to a dim blue, straining all the white walls. The pictures, on those walls, were swapped from delicate flower paintings to photographs of famous bands. And the smell was different too -the lingering of alcohol instead of coffee- as well as the menu. And instead of a fleet of waiters, there was a person behind the counter, and one making the beverages.

All the tables and chairs that filled up outside, were taken from inside. The empty space now hosted a makeshift stage, which I would have thought was a real one if I didn't come here before. Then I find the voice's owner.

Bathed in the blue stage light, singing his heart out, was a man that, unlike the rest of them, I couldn't forget. I couldn't believe how much he had grown, so it was a surprise to see the shape of his muscles through his leather jacket. His shoulders were broader too. Everything about his appearance changed, except for his trusses of blue hair.

I could feel Alya behind me. She must have noticed me glued to the floor, standing there with all my attention on him. Yet, I didn't acknowledge her when she called me. It felt like he had me in a trance. My eyes lingered on his face, watching his mouth sing words that I was too distracted to make sense of. Then, the song ended.

"Marinette, I've been trying to get your attention for a while." Her voice finally comes through to me, so I turn to face her. She's standing with Juleka, who has a grin plastered on her face.

"What did you think of the talent?" She asks with a wink. I feel my face start to flush, which is a habit I thought I broke long ago.

"It was, um, really, really good." My words come out squeaky and too fast. Both of their smiles grow bigger, big enough for me to notice the purple haired girl has dimples.

"What's wrong, Mari? Is it too hot in here for you?" Alya teases, and I feel the heat from my face spread to the rest of my body. To say I'm embarrassed would be an understatement.

"Yes, actually. I need some air." I turn on my heel, begging to get outside. I start rushing towards the door.

I apologise to all the people I knock and bump into. I hope they don't mind me stepping on their shoes either. This place is so busy that all the people are making me dizzy and more desperate for fresh air. The door is so close yet it seems to take forever to get there.

I murmur 'excuse me' to everyone I shove past me. Karma seems to win at the end, though, because I collide with someone's chest and go pivoting towards the floor.

I'm still alive, and back at it with writing. I really appreciate the support 💕