For You

Chapter Nine

Marinette stood outside the bus with her luggage as she attempted to catch her breath.

When she made it inside, she took in a deep breath and sighed. She felt unbelievably awkward when all eyes immediately stared at her. She swallowed hard and quickly looked down, in hopes to minimize the tension that continued to build with every passing moment.

When she accidentally made eye contact with Mlle Bustier, she instantly regretted it.

"Late again, Mlle Dupain Cheng!" The red-headed woman scolded the clumsy teenager. "What is your excuse this time?"

"I... Well, you see-"

"You know what? Never mind..." Mlle Bustier pinched the bridge of her nose as she frowned, irritated by the student's lack of responsibility. "Just go and sit down!"

The bluenette didn't reply, but obeyed her teacher's orders. She quickly browsed around, searching for an open seat.

She felt relieved when she spotted a place next to a window. Without looking at anyone, she anxiously raced over to the seat.

When she successfully found her way over to the seat, her heart instantly sunk. She was met by a pair of warm turquoise eyes, and a big, bright smile. The redhead immediately got up from his seat, while gesturing for her to come forward.

"Hi, Mari. How are you this morning?" Nathanaël asked while gently grazing a hand over her bicep.

Marinette instantly froze, when his hand came into contact with her skin. Her heart raced, and she began to panic. The fear gripped onto her like a leech, sucking out every last ounce of happiness, until nothing but terror remained.

"What... No, stop!" She shouted while aggressively swatting his hand away.

The artist stared at her in complete shock. He seemed hurt by her sudden outburst, and couldn't help but feel disheartened.

When he saw that everyone was staring at them, he looked at Marinette with pleading eyes.

She felt unsure, but quickly nodded her head without making eye contact.

Nothing but silence filled the bus, as all eyes fell on her. At that exact moment, all she wanted was to run away and never return. She was displeased by the way she had acted, but it was just too familiar...

His single touch brought back horrendous memories, which she would never ever forget! It was just too vivid, and she was absolutely terrified of having to relieve those dreadful moments for a second time.

Students began to whisper amongst themselves, as they watched the scene unfold before their very eyes.

"Marinette! What is the problem now?" The teacher stood up and crossed her arms, while impatiently waiting for a response.

Her fingers began to tremble as she shamefully looked at Mlle Bustier. "Noth... Nothing! I'm s... Sorry.... I thought I saw a spider on Nathanaël's head..!"

The teacher raised an eyebrow, but quickly shook her head in disapproval. She could feel a migranine coming along, which only seemed to intensify her frustration.

"... Marinette... Okay, but please keep the screeching to a minimum in the future!"

She sat down and rubbed her temples, as she attempted to minimize the intensity of the unwanted noise.

Marinette sadly turned around. She felt like a failure, because she was unable to control her fears.

As she was about to sit down next to Nathanaël, she heard her name being called out from the back of the bus.