"Future Rewoven" Book 3 of "Secrets Unraveled" Trilogy |COMPLETED|

Chpt 23: Shaken. And, Plagg, the Relationship Counselor.

So, which one of those fabrics would go best with Odette's coloring? thought Marinette as she walked down the sidewalk on her way home from the fabric shop. She had gone to look at the new fabric arrivals and saw a number of fabrics that could be perfect for the tunic they had discussed making next. With her dark hair, the purple one might be striking. Make her feel more grown up, but the color and pattern are still age appropriate, so maybe . . .

As she was pondering colors, Marinette suddenly found herself in the middle of a crowd of people walking in the opposite direction. She tried to aim her way to the edge of the sidewalk so she wouldn't have to keep zig-zagging through the crowd when she suddenly felt a shove and she was pushed out into the street, right into the path of a taxi. The taxi blared its horn at her, causing Marinette's Ladybug reflexes to somehow kick in and she leapt out of the way, back onto the sidewalk, just in time to keep from being hit.

Her heart belatedly started racing and she felt a little light headed. Shaken, she slowly sat down on the curb and tried to take some calming breaths.

"Are you alright?" asked a grandmotherly woman, leaning down to look in Marinette's face. "That was a close call!"

Marinette looked up at the woman. "Um, yes. I think I'm okay. Just . . . feeling kind of shaky. The taxi almost hit me!"

"Do you need me to call anyone for you?" the woman asked, concerned at how pale the teenage girl appeared. She didn't want her to faint with no family or friends to help her.

Marinette sat up straighter at that, already worried as to what her parents or Adrien would say to her when she told them. "No, I'm okay. Thanks! And I live just a few blocks away. I appreciate your concern."

The woman didn't think she seemed okay, exactly, but couldn't make her let her call someone. "Well, if you're sure. I'm on my way to babysit my grandchildren and they're expecting me soon. Feel better and be careful of those crazy taxis!" The woman smiled kindly at Marinette and continued her way down the street. 

What the woman said sounded just like her mother and this made her realize something.  Ugh! If I tell my parents what happened, Mom will go back to saying "Don't forget to watch out for the crazy traffic!" every time I leave the house again, like I'm six years old! Marinette's mom had started saying that to her whenever Marinette left the house after it had seemed like she had almost been hit be a rickshaw. What her mom didn't know was that it had been an illusion of Marinette who was then rescued by an illusion Cat Noir so that her parents would finally stop thinking that Adrien was possibly Cat Noir, since Adrien was standing right by her parents when the "rickshaw accident" happened. And her mom had finally stopped saying that reminder to her just a few weeks ago. Would her mom ever stop saying that to her if she hears that Marinette was almost hit by a taxi? Marinette doubted it! Better to keep it to herself. Nothing had happened- she was fine!

Having made that decision, she stood up and headed back home. She opened the door to the bakery, waved to her parents, and went up the stairs to her room. She felt kind of grimy and sweaty after what happened and decided she needed to change clothes. Setting her purse down on her desk first, Marinette then turned around and pulled a new outfit out of her armoire and headed toward her screen to change.

Tikki flew out of Marinette's purse, examined her favorite girl, and after concluding Marinette seemed to have survived the encounter with no physical or mental damage, she settled herself in front of the computer, seeing whether any new cute hamster videos had been posted. Marinette had gotten her hooked on them- the little hamsters were so tiny and fuzzy!

Marinette had just gotten her clean clothes laid out behind the screen and taken off her shirt, putting it on the floor, when she heard footsteps outside her room.