Bug Bites

Chapter | Six

Everything seemed a little more different now to Alya and she wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the fact that Nino was pulling away from her, or maybe it was because for the first time in her life she was feeling alone and yet she didn't understand it. She had her friends, an amazing boyfriend and the start of a promising career. 

She had everything as girl her age would want and yet there was something always bugging her at the back of her mind, always nagging at her. It had only grown within the past few weeks, and for the first time in a while Alya was questioning things she hadn't second guessed before. In fact, she wasn't the only one and maybe that was why Nino was pulling away from her.

The past few weeks the two of them had always seemed to get into some type of argument that revolved usually around one of two things, Lila or Marinette. It started one day with Chloe defending Marinette's name and continued when Adrien no longer had anything to say against Chloe. It continued when Nino started to get annoyed with Lila being around and she just wasn't sure what to do anymore. 

It also didn't help Alya's self confidence when Nino kept mentioning Marinette, especially knowing how Nino used to have a crush on the baker's daughter before they started dating. Only Marinette was no longer in class or in Paris, so why was he bringing her up and defending her name so fiercely? It pissed her off and hurt Alya all at once,  and yet deep down she knew that a part of her couldn't help but understand. 

She had pushed Marinette away, and as much as she tried to justify her reasons- she just wasn't sure. Marinette had never been a mean girl, not until she had met Lila. That's where their friendship turned sour, as Nino liked to point out. 

"I don't understand why you're protecting her name this passionately-"

"You're right Alya, you don't understand. You aren't the one who grew up with Marinette, who knew her better than anyone else. Only Kim can say that he did. Not you. You barely knew her for two years, and the minute Lila came waltzing in it's like you lost yourself. You acted like you knew who Marinette was and forgot who she was the second Lila said her first lie. Maybe the truth is you never knew Marinette." 

Nino's words had struck her deeply, because Alya had thought she knew Marinette. She was able to confidently say she knew Marinette like the back of her hand, but now she wasn't sure. What was Marinette's favorite food? What made Marinette angry? Sad? Happy? What got her into designing? 

Alya could no longer claim she knew Marinette, and Chloe would not let her say anything when she was around to have her own say. When Lila was there, it was only worse. Alya had noticed that Adrien moved away from her, Lila and Nino. The blond model had moved closer to the back with Chloe, but not quite near her. In fact, Adrien never hung out anymore and wished she knew the real reason why. 

"Hey bestie!" Lila's voice snapped Alya out of her thought process, bringing her back to the reality of herself sitting outside a coffee shop waiting for Lila. Her supposed best friend. 

"Can I ask you something?" Alya asks, looking up at Lila who was inspecting at her nails. 

"Of course! What's up?" 

Alya looked at Lila, taking in how confidently she stood there, almost a little smug. It was a look she had even since Marinette left Paris, almost as if she won. It was a silly thought, but a thought that was put there multiple times. When did Lila stop talking about Marinette? The there girl still did time to time, and it didn't make since too Alya since Marinette caused so much issues for Lila. Plus Marinette hadn't been in contact with no one, even blocking them all on social medias and apparently her cell phone contact list.