I am so sorry if you already read this, but in the first copy I published the spacing was not correct. I realize it was probably extremely confusing to read, so if you are giving my story another chance, thank you! Enjoy!
"Well if you got the park, I get the school. It's only fair," Kim argued.
"No. Denied," Alix said firmly, leaning back in her wooden chair with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Come on," Kim whined.
"My answer stands," she growled, banging her fist on the round wood table. Marinette rubbed her temples in a weak attempt to stop her oncoming headache.
"OBJECTION! The two major territories we agreed on were the park and the school," Kim argued through gritted teeth, slowly rising from his chair and beginning to lean over the table towards Alix. With every word he said, one of his fingers jabbed against the table. "You have the park. I get the school."
"We did not agree on the park and the school. We agreed on the school and the zoo."
"Attorney, check the records."
"On it," Adrien muttered, just as frustrated and tired as Marinette was. Scanning through all twenty of his pages of notes, he finally found the right paper. "Kim, you're right, Alix did say, and I quote, 'Well I think the school and the park should be our main domains; you get one, I get one.'"
"Objection!" Alix's face was becoming redder by the second. She was now completely out of her chair and leaning closer and closer to Kim. "ATTORNEY," she barked over her shoulder.
"I'm sorry Alix, but I already checked and you did say that."
"No," Alix insisted, leaning to her right towards her attorney. "Show me." She gasped in horror and whipped her head back at Kim when she saw the same thing written in Marinette's notes.
"How does it feel, Strawberry Shortcake?" Kim smirked, almost pressing their noses together. "I beat you in something brain related. It called memory. M-E-M-O-R-E-Y," he sang. "And I got all D's this semester. So, I have a question: is your height just shrinking or is it your brain now, too?"
"Watch your mouth," Alix growled, roughly gripping his collar. Both Marinette and Adrien tensed up, prepared to launch themselves out of their seats if anymore contact happened.
"Or else?" Kim challenged. The bluenette quickly launched herself at Alix, her arms wrapping around her midsection and spinning her so their backs were to the boys. Alix, however, had other plans.
"LET GO OF ME, MARINETTE. YOU ARE A SWEET GIRL BUT I WILL NOT HESITATE TO BITE YOU IF YOU DO NOT LET ME AT THAT EGOTISTICAL BASTARD." Kim frowned at Adrien when Alix screamed egotistical, not knowing the meaning of the word, but the model simply shook his head in disappointment. Alix's curses could be heard in the background as she began to thrash and snap at her captor's hands, but Marinette's grip would not prevail.
"Keep trying, Shortcake, but I'm unstoppable," Kim grinned, leaning forward with his arms outstretched in a sweeping gesture.
Alix finally broke free of Marinette's arms by elbowing her in the stomach and flung herself at Kim.
"Apologize," Marinette demanded, rubbing her sore side.
"No."
"Alix, as your attorneys, Adrien and I have decided that any more inappropriate behavior, which includes excessive vulgarity from either of you, will result in giving up one of your claimed territories."
"That's fine by me."
"A territory of the other person's choice."
Alix gaped in astonishment over Kim's shoulder at Adrien. He just confirmed it by nodding. "Fine," Alix grumbled, focusing her glare back at Kim. "I'm sorry," she spat.
Kim just tipped his head. The poor boy had a black eye from Alix punching him, but still began to test Alix by rubbing his hands together and crooning, "Whatever, Shortcake." Alix growled at the nickname. "Let's finish this."
"Uh-uh-uh," Adrien warned, "not so fast. We have a game changer." Both troublemakers perked up at that. "A new rule." Alix and Kim deflated and groaned, sinking lower in their chairs. "If one of you goes past this line of duct tape in the middle of the table, the other one has the option to pick a territory from the violator's claimed pile or select two more from the unclaimed pile. Understand?"
The two rivals hummed without breaking their intense scowls, falling right back into their competitive ways.
"Your move," Alix announced with a ruthless gleam in her eyes.
Kim just leaned back with his legs sprawled open and grinned. "The Dupain-Cheng bakery."
In one swift movement Alix spun her chair around and rested her hands on the top of the backrest with victory written all over her face. "Only if I get Louis' Game Center."
Kim nearly fell off his seat and hissed through a clenched jaw when he recovered. "What?"
"You heard me. You can have the bakery as long as I get the game center."
"You don't even go there!"
"There's a first for everything," Alix said shrugging.
"Denied."
"What?" whispered Alix, rising out of her chair and causing Marinette and Adrien to exchange concerned looks.
"I go to Louis' every frickin' day with Max. So, my answer is… no."
"Check again, Brickhead. If you want the bakery, the price is Louis'." The two stubborn teenagers kept arguing, but both Marinette and Adrien began to notice that as it got more heated, Alix would take small steps back. It urged Kim to lean farther and farther across the table before the boy was too caught up in the moment and noticed it when it was too late.
Alix grinned triumphantly at Kim's hand while he was ranting before he noticed her change in expression and shot a perplexed look at his attorney. Adrien softly called the boy's name and gestured to the tape. His eyes widened as Alix celebrated.
Kim fell roughly to his knees and wailed an excessive "no" to the sky.
"Which one, Shortcake?" Kim sighed dejectedly.
"Hmmm… " Alix debated for an agonizing amount of time before making up her mind. "Axel's Funhouse."
Kim whimpered but had no choice as he confirmed it with the attorneys.
"Okay Kim, your choice," Adrien announced.
Grinning with glee, Kim thought it over before finally picking a territory. "Okay, I choose… Crazy Eight's."
Alix abruptly jumped out of her chair and slammed both her hands on the table. "What the ACTUAL HELL, Brickhead?! You don't even skate! I don't even think you understand how a wheel works!" She peered down and saw how close her hands were to crossing the line.
"It's your own fault for not beating me to it," Kim declared. Controlling her breathing as she sat back down, she clenched her fists and closed her eyes to help herself regroup.
"Besides," Kim began, "'There's a first for everything.'"
Alix didn't try to control the foot that shot out at him under the table.
"Do you think you two can last a longer this time?" Adrien sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Alix and Kim couldn't help but feel like children whose parents pulled the Disappointment Card on them. "Sorry," they mumbled in unison, at least having the decency to feel ashamed.
"Whatever, just go Kim. Two turns or Alix's territories?"
"Definitely Shortcake's." Alix's face visibly darkened. "I think I'll take the fun house back, hmm? Or maybe… " His voice trailed off, torturing Alix with anticipation.
"Or maybe what?" she demanded.
"I think I'll take the Paris Pizza Parlor."
"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?!" Kim knew that Alix went there every weekend with her grandma before she passed away, making it a very special place for her. "YOU LOUSY PIECE OF MOTHERF-"
"New rule," Marinette declared, walking around the table with her chin up, chest puffed out, and hands behind her back. "If either of you gets out of your seat, your turn will be skipped and the other person will get to choose two unclaimed territories."
Both Alix and Kim cried out, demanding how the hell they were going to do that. Adrien merely responded with, "Easy. Be civilized and talk it out. The more you two fight and break the rules, the more we add to it. This needs to end and it needs to end soon."
"Fine," both grumbled, causing Marinette to beam as a teacher would when their most troublesome students were shut down.
"Okay, Kim, two territories or one of Alix's?" Adrien inquired.
"Which territories are left?"
"Blue Englishmen Coffee, the local zoo, Eiffel For Books, I See London, I See France clothing and the arcade."
Kim looked up in thought before responding, "Since I already have everything I want from Shortcake, I'll take two territories. The coffee shop and arcade."
"Dammit," Alix cursed before confirming Kim's choice with Marinette.
"Your move," Kim dared.
"I guess I'll take the zoo."
"Denied. You know that's the only other one I'll set foot in," Kim whined.
"THEN WHY THE FRICK DID YOU CHOOSE THE COFFEE SHOP INSTEAD?" Alix yelled, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration.
"BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU GO."
"THEN IT'S NOT MY FAULT YOU MADE THAT STUPID DECISION!"
"YES, IT IS."
"NO, IT'S NOT. MAYBE YOU SHOULD THINK THINGS THROUGH NEXT TIME, BRICKHEAD. WHAT DID YOU EVEN DO WHEN YOU SAT THERE FOR FIVE YEARS, THINK ABOUT THE NEWEST ADIDAS?!"
Launching himself out of his chair, Kim exclaimed, "DO NOT BELITTLE THE NMD CITY SOCK, IT IS THE MOST FLEXIBLE SHOE ON THE MARKET AS OF NOW AND SUPPORTS YOUR FOOT SOOOOOO MUCH BETTER THAN THE NEWEST NIKES AND…" HIs words began to trail off before he exploded again. "OH MY GOD YOU'RE WEARING THEM! YOU ARE VOLUNTARILY SACRIFICING YOUR FEET TO WEAR THEM. YOU, YOU DISGUST ME," Kim sneered, pointing aggressively at the Nikes on her feet. "AND BASED ON YOUR SELECTION, YOU WOULDN'T KNOW GOOD SHOES IF THEY WALKED ALL OVER YOUR FACE, SO BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO INSULT ME YOU BETTER CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF."
Alix just smirked at the panting boy and began to shake her head sadly. Kim frantically looked around him to find out what he did to earn that reaction and let his gaze travel to his chair. And then it hit him. He had stood up.
Alix cackled in glee when he slapped his hand over his mouth and widened his eyes in absolute dismay.
"As a punishment, Kim, Adrien and I have decided to give the zoo, bookstore, and clothing store to Alix," Marinette claimed gently, feeling a little sorry for him.
Kim just put his head in his hands and groaned. Alix, on the other hand, began pumping her fists in the air and chanting her name to mimic a stadium crowd. Marinette quickly stomped that out by threatening to take back the territories for unsportsmanlike conduct, and she has never seen someone shut their mouth so fast. As for Adrien, he pulled out the paper both Alix and Kim had to sign that showed they understood the rules of the treaty they created. It was to be given to Madame Bustier, for she was the one that requested for it to happen. The two students' dares had been getting out of control and caused multiple akuma attacks, so the teacher required them to choose territories that the other person couldn't make a bet on. If the other person didn't follow this rule, the violator would become the other's servant for the day. Although Madame Bustier was completely against the idea, it was the only way to get them to agree to it. And the fact that on Wednesdays they could make as many bets as they wanted.
"Okay," Adrien began, "just sign here and we will be done. I will work on getting a map to show the territories, and until that happens, you two have no restrictions on dares." Alix and Kim cheered as they quickly scribbled their names on the paper.
All four of them walked out of the cafeteria and parted ways outside of the school. Alix and Kim glanced back to see Marinette and Adrien holding hands and giggling, leaving them behind baffled. For the past week, Marinette had lost her stutter and started to flirt with Adrien. And he flirted back. Nobody understood it.
Kim turned to face Alix and said, "So… Sunshine Child said we have no restrictions on the bets yet… I bet if we'd race to the end of the block I would win!"
Alix just scoffed before counting down from three. Kim took off at two. Screaming at him, she sprinted after him like a madwoman.
Everyone they passed just smiled at the sight of young love.