From Superhero to Cinderella

Chapter 5

Marinette heard Audrey start to yell when her alarm went off for the third time.

"Turn that wretched thing off and get up!" Audrey's voice bellowed. Marinette groaned before turning off her alarm and getting up. She got ready for school before heading downstairs. Unfortunately, Audrey was in the kitchen as Marinette walked through the house to leave. It smelled like something was burning. Audrey tossed a pan with black eggs into the sink, wearing an angry scowl on her face. "You, Melody, come make me breakfast," Audrey snapped at Marinette.

"But I don't have time, I'll be late-" Marinette was cut off by Audrey.

"You'll be late for school? Well you wouldn't have been if you'd gotten up the first time your alarm went off. I think that since I had to listen to that annoying thing for so long, you get to make me breakfast," Audrey snapped, her voice not allowing for further argument. Marinette sighed before setting her backpack down and putting on an apron, tying the strings in the back. She quickly made Audrey breakfast. After she was finished, she quickly took off her apron, grabbed a croissant, and grabbed her backpack before dashing out of the door.

"Oh Tikki, I'm going to be so late! I hope I have Mrs. Bustier because she probably won't give me detention," Marinette said as she ran on the sidewalk, taking bites out of her croissant.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Tikki squeaked encouragingly. Marinette was almost to the school entrance when a black cat ran in front of her. She managed to stop from running into it, but in the process she tripped over herself and her half-eaten croissant went flying and she tumbled face-first towards the ground. She stuck her palms out, keeping the rest of her body from colliding so hard with the pavement. She groaned and got up after a minute, rubbing her sore wrists, and then looking at her shirt. She let out another groan.

Of course I had to fall in a puddle, she thought. She picked up her croissant and threw it away before heading inside the school. She approached her classroom and opened the door quietly, her heart sinking when she saw Ms. Mendelev. She started to sneak quietly towards her seat, but the next thing she knew, she was face-first on the ground again. A couple snickers filled the air as Marinette fell.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng! If you're going to be late, then enter quietly so you don't disrupt the class!" Ms. Mendelev said curtly. Marinette got up and scurried to her seat, plopping down on it.

"Sorry, Ms. Mendelev," she said. The teacher glared at her before turning to the board and continuing her lecture. Marinette hurriedly set her backpack down and pulled out her tablet, then started to write down the notes she had missed. Alya leaned towards her.

"What happened to you?" she whispered.

"I'll tell you later," Marinette whispered back just before Ms. Mendelev turned back around. Alya snapped back into her original position, pretending she hadn't moved. Ms. Mendelev narrowed her eyes at the pair before continuing the lecture.

* * *

Adrien was pretty sure that Chloe had tripped Marinette, but he wasn't sure why.

Did Chloe always have something against Marinette or is this new? he wondered. After class ended, he and Nino walked to the school entrance, where the girls were.

"...and so then I rushed here as fast as I could, but almost stepped on a cat and tripped on my feet when I tried to stop and landed in a puddle. And my breakfast flew out of my hand and landed on the ground, so I didn't have very much to eat," he overheard Marinette say as he approached them.

"Hey," he said, tapping her on the shoulder. Marinette turned around and her face turned red.

"O-Oh, h-hey A-A-Adrien," she stammered out.