'Maybe they're all not coming...'

Effie tried to swat that negative thought out of her mind but now that the seed was planted, she couldn't help but start to worry. She had been planning this for almost a month, spending most of her allowance for special decorations, bought a specially ordered cake and her mother even went the mile to sew her a special dress for the occasion. She wasn't even all that heartbroken when her mother said she was forced to work late so she'd miss the party. Regardless, Effie was going to have an awesome 15th birthday bash with all of her friends at her new school, Collège Françoise Dupont, and she'd finally no longer be the friendless loser like at her old school.

But as the hours dripped past waiting for her party guests to arrive, her enthusiasm began to deflate while she sat on the couch. Effie went the extra mile with her appearance for the party: her usually messy half black and half white hair combed neatly and out of her face, flamboyant but well done makeup and a birthday tiara as well as cute kitten heels to go with her gown.

Effie started thinking of reasons why they were all late. Maybe her invitations went missing, maybe they're all just having trouble finding her house... She picked up her phone to start calling people and ask what was going on before receiving a text from someone she wasn't expecting: Chloé Bourgeois. Effie was surprised by this coming seemingly out of nowhere (she was aware of the blonde's reputation) but remembering that it was also her birthday. Effie found it amusing that they out of all people shared a birth date, but not so much anymore once she read the sudden text message.

"Chloé: Hope you're not expecting anyone at your childish pity party. Everyone's having the time of their lives at my birthday party, obviously."

And a few seconds later Effie received two photos: one of everyone dancing and having fun at some high-end building which Effie recognized as the Hôtel Plaza Athénéé from her walks around the city. And the second was the straw that broke the camel's back: all of Effie's handmade party invitations, written with glitter pens and tied with pastel ribbons, thrown in the trash at school.

Effie swore she could feel her heart shatter as she despondently looked at the photos in disbelief and shock. Tears silently streaked down her pale face once she realized that nobody was at her party because they'd rather go to Chloé's. She soon gazed down at the pastel pink ribbon she had tied around her right pinky finger the moment she woke up that day to remind her it was her big day. It was supposed to be the day Effie got to know her classmates more and make friends with all of them. But Chloé had to ruin it by making it all about her.

Before she knew it, Effie was walking out of her house while still in her birthday girl garb and her phone clasped tightly in her hand, just barely remembering to lock the door behind her with her house keys. She just felt empty now and all the scathing names she was called back at her old school ran through her mind and reminding her that even though she had a fresh start, she'd always be the loner loser she was destined to be in their eyes. She was wandering aimlessly through Paris as the sun began to set, only vaguely aware of the stairs she was getting from people who passed by her.

By the time she stopped, the teen found herself at the Pont des Arts bridge with the Seine river a golden color from the sunset in the distance. Effie leaned on the bridges railing, goosebumps trailing down her bare arms from the slight chill of autumn making its approach once the sun disappeared. She found herself staring down at the river, watching her darkened tears fall down from her face to join the waters below her.

"Happy birthday to me..." Effie whispered tearfully to herself, wanting to scream and curse Chloé Bourgeois' entire existence for causing her nothing but humiliation and pain since day one of her joining of Collège Françoise Dupont. All because Effie had the gall to call Adrien Agreste "as gorgeously handsome as the pictures of him were" when she first met him. But she was aware that no matter what she did, it wouldn't give her the birthday party that Effie had been fighting for years' now. She supposed there was always next year...

In Effie's moment of emotional turmoil, she failed to notice the black and purple butterfly fly towards her until it softly landed on her left hand. Despite everything, the sight of the pretty insect lightened up her broken spirits just a little bit and caused Effie to smile a little.

"Oh, hey there little guy. Here to wish me a happy birthday? You're the first one," she said softly as she lifted her left hand up to look at the butterfly better, while using her right hand to shield it from the sunlight. Much to her surprise, the butterfly flew off her hand to land on the ribbon wrapped around her right pinky, only to see it burst into dark sparkles and envelop her ribbon in some kind of dark aura.

"My dear Birthday Girl, are you just going to accept this injustice? What if I said I could give you the power to give you the birthday party you've always wanted? All I require in return is some jewelry pieces which have seemed to have escaped me," a smooth but chilling voice spoke inside her head as a butterfly mask made of light materialized around her eyes, snapping Effie out of her depressed daze.

"I... I don't know... I mean, I don't even know who you are," Effie felt some hesitance in accepting the offer, she felt there was some kind of catch that this voice wasn't telling her. But everything this voice was saying was what Effie was secretly thinking and wanted to enact on.

"I am Hawk Moth, my dear. I know that you wish to take back what was taken from you unjustly. Isn't a beautiful birthday party all that you've ever wanted? One filled with friends, presents, food and pastel ribbons as far as your eyes can see. All that can be yours, all you need to do is say yes," as the voice spoke, images of the perfect party filled Effie's head and her temptation grew by the very second before she couldn't take it anymore.

Effie caved in to Hawk Moth's seemingly amazing offer, despite everything within telling her not to.

"Okay Hawk Moth... I'll do it," she said quietly as the butterfly mask vanished and dark smoke began to surround her body, transforming her much all his other victims.

Once the magic smoke vanished, Birthday Girl emerged from where Effie once was and couldn't help but look down at herself in amazement. Her skin was now a light pink with a dark purple and exaggeratedly curved butterfly domino mask over her eyes, her short hair now a soft white and she was wearing what seemed to be a dress made of pastel colored ribbons with more ribbons crisscrossing across her arms and legs. In fact, the only non-ribbon items Birthday Girl was wearing was the extravagant tiara on her head and glass slippers on her feet.

"Now go Birthday Girl, have your dream party but do not forget your part of the deal," Hawk Moth spoke with promise of consequences if she were to forget this.

"Understood Hawk Moth," Birthday Girl spoke with enthusiasm and was quickly off to take back her party and friends but reminded herself to collect Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous once the party was over and everyone left after having enough fun to last the rest of their lives!