Not You: A Miraculous Ladybug Tale

Here we go again

Marinette hobbled up the stairway of the school, her knees still in a good deal of pain. Even bending her them in the slightest bit caused a radiating pain. She waddled through the school as if she were on stilts.

To make matters worse, she was exhausted. All night she had thought about Cat Noir and his failed reveal. She had tossed and turned, trying to imagine who he was. Regret. So much regret. Why didn't she turn around and see? She also thought about Cat Noir's friend. Who was she and what did she do? Every waking thought revolved around him nowadays.

"Marinette!" Nino's voice called.

She blushed, feeling caught. Thank goodness, he couldn't read minds. Time to pull herself out of her pondering state and engage in reality.

"You okay?" Nino asked, leaning against a wall with a phone in his hand.

"Good. I mean, I'm okay. Hey, are you talking to Alya?"

Nino's nod was all the invitation she needed to make her way over. Nino was the only person from school she would occasionally talk to, but only because of Alya. Everyone else had to stay away. 

When he handed her the phone, she was face to face with Alya. Alya had changed so much since that last time they spoke over video chat. She now wore contacts and had ear length hair. It was an older, more mature look.

"Alya! Hi! How are you? I miss you so much!"

"Hey girl! I miss you too! Nino told me you wiped out the other day."

"Oh, yeah. That's nothing!"

"And he also told me-"

"Ayla, don't say anything!" Nino cut in about to grab the phone from Marinette.

"Oh, that's right. Never mind."

Marinette shrugged, "So, how's America treating you?"

"So great!..." Ayla discussed the details of her internship.

Suddenly, Marinette spotted a flash of blond in the corner of her eyes and her heart instantly began thudding. Adrien! She was so busy thinking of Cat Noir, she almost forgot. Marinette wondered what she should do. Turn around and apologize? No. Pretend not to see him and ignore him? Maybe.

"Hey Adrien," Nino said.

"Hey," Adrien said under his breath. He didn't even stop to look at Nino or Marinette. His hair was messy and his clothes were wrinkled.

Her heart sunk. Was he letting himself go because of her? This wasn't how she wanted things to go down. She definitely needed to apologize if he was too upset to even talk to Nino.

Marinette attempted to steal glances at Adrien during class. In all those attempts he never looked at her, even when she was being obvious. The teacher rambled on, writing math equations on the board while Marinette contrived a plan.

During the five-minute break, she would leave a note on Adrien's desk. The message needed to ease the tension between them. She quickly wrote down her message on a tiny ripped piece of her notepaper and rolled it up.

Finally, the teacher called for break. Adrien immediately stood up and left the room. That would leave her with the perfect opportunity to slip it in or next to his pencil case.

Marinette felt proud of herself once the deed had been done and she was back in her seat. Adrien returned to his seat ten minutes after break was over. This marked the first time he was ever late from a break or even to class.

Tipping her head sideways, she tried to see past the heads blocking her view of him. Once he spotted the rolled up note next to his pencil case, he grabbed it and stuffed it in his pocket. Her heart sunk. Why wasn't he reading it? Did he know it was from her?

Two more hours of class passed. Marinette accepted that fact that Adrien would most likely read her note in private later. No response would come her way until tomorrow. With that realization, her nerves calmed and she felt sleep calling her name.

By the last class of the day, her arm was covered with nail marks from pinching herself to stay awake. If she was caught sleeping in class, she would get in trouble.

Her eyelids began to feel heavy... begging for her to close them. Drifting to sleep...

Suddenly, the everyone's phone rung, causing Marinette to jolt upright. Her phone read:

Akuma Alert. Akuma spotted near the Eiffel Tower. Please get to the nearest designated safe zone.

Her classmates rose from their seats and lined up by the door in an orderly fashion. After years of akuma attacks, they had their escape route to the school's "safe zone" mastered. If the akuma wasn't in the nearest area, the students never were too concerned.

"Here we go again," Nino's head rested in his hand.

"Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous," Chloe rolled her eyes, "Ladybug needs to get her act together and put a stop to this. She's had plenty of time."

"I'm working on it," Marinette muttered. 

Marinette's plan was to follow the group to the "safe zone" before sneaking out to become Ladybug. She took her place in line attempting to find Adrien. He was no where to be found.

"Where's Adrien?" Marinette asked, panic beginning to rise.

"He told me his dad's assistant picked him up to take him back home. He dad thinks its safer there than here."

How convenient for Adrien. Anytime there was akuma attack he always had a perfect excuse to leave. Marinette's excuses were always awkward or weak or lame. Like today. She had no idea how she was going to make another excuse to get away.

As the class rushed towards the zone, she was struck with another terrible excuse. Except this one would cost her dignity. 

"I'm going to vomit," Marinette said, holding her stomach, "Can I go to the bathroom?" This was humiliating.

"Wait until we get to the bathroom in the zone, please," the teacher said.

"I'm going to throw up now! I can't wait!" she pretend to puke in her mouth.

"Okay fine, go! But hurry down the zone once your zone. The akuma is far enough away that it should be fine as long as your quick."

Marinette rushed in the bathroom and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror...her stomach turned...the girl staring back her. That girl wasn't her friend. She was weak and pathetic. She was the reason Adrien was hurt. She was the reason for every sad and lonely thing in her life. 

She averted her eyes and retreated to the privacy of a stall.  Enough with Marinette, time for Ladybug to save the day...again. 

"Tiki, spots on!"