"Tikki, I'm finally going to do it! I'm going to give Adrien a Valentine personally and tell him how I feel!" Marinette was all ready to go to school, fifteen minutes earlier than normal. She wanted to be at least ten minutes early so she could talk to her crush before classes and Chloe.
"Marinette, are you sure? You seem so focused on telling him that you don't know what to do if he returns your feelings or rejects them. As far as I can tell-"
"I think he secretly likes me! Wouldn't it be amazing? With all my normal bleh, he probably thinks I don't like him at all. I know he's uncomfortable with Chloe's invasions of personal space, so maybe he'd actually like me? Tikki, I need help here!" Marinette grabbed Tikki for emphasis with the last sentence, but the kwami face-palmed and decided to let her holder make her own decisions.
"I'm not an expert in love. You're the only one who can decide what to do. Just don't overreact to his response," she replied. Marinette nodded and grabbed a red, heart-shaped card from her desk and put it in her school bag.
"Marinette, are you awake? You need to leave if you want to be on time today!" her mom called from downstairs.
"I'm almost ready, mom!" she replied, then gestured to her pink purse. Tikki flew in, and Marinette ran downstairs to say goodbye to her parents before school.
Marinette managed to make it to Mme. Mendeliev's class many minutes earlier than most mornings. She didn't wait long before Adrien entered, one of the first students to arrive. Marinette stood up and walked over with the card clutched to her chest.
"A-Adrien? You made I a thing. I mean I made a thing you! I mean I made you thing! Um... here!" Marinette stuttered. Adrien took the card and, setting as no one else was paying much attention, he quietly read it aloud.
"Your perfect blond hair, and bright green eyes, are not all that I idolize. Your kindness and helpful nature are far above, I wonder, do you return my love?" Adrien re-read the card, silently, then looked up and smiled. "Only fitting that I respond with a poem as well!" He pulled out a pen and a piece of scrap paper, then quickly wrote a note. Marinette grabbed it from him as soon as he was done.
"I admire your praise, beauty, and skill in design, and I know you would love to have your hand in mine. But when I look at you, all that I see: someone whose friend I would love to be." Marinette slowly tore her eyes from the paper, and Adrien was wearing an awkward-feeling expression.
"I'm sorry, but I like someone else. I'd like to be better friends, but-"
"Is it Chloe?" Marinette immediately asked, looking like she was about to cry.
"No! It's-I can't tell you. I'm sorry." Adrien looked away and sat down.
Marinette stood in place for a moment, then tears started to fall down her face. She ran out of the room and into the nearest girls' restroom, not noticing Alya in the hall as she passed. Marinette locked herself in the first open stall and finally gave way to full sobs.
"Who could he possibly like? Oh, of course he thinks I'm weird! I'm always stuttering and running away when he comes near me! He probably likes someone famous-" Marinette stopped talking when she noticed a purple butterfly hovering over the top of the stall. She took deep breaths and tried to calm herself down, but kept coming back to images of Adrien in her head. She put her head in her hands, then came to a decision. She held up the tear-soaked note and smiled.