"What?" Marinette cried out, "Do you really want me to act as… Ladybug?"
Alya creased her forehead in confusion, "What's wrong with it? I don't think there would be any harm trying." She said with an innocent voice. Deep inside her head, she was telling herself that this plan is going to be great and everybody will be happy. It's like a win-win situation, but Marinette didn't need to know that right now.
"What's wrong with it?" Marinette practically shrieked from repeating Alya's words from earlier, but thankfully enough, she didn't. "First of all, I barely look like Ladybug!" She reasoned out, even though she already knew it was a foolish lie. Though, that's the only safe thing she could say right now, considering that Adrien was beside her and Alya. Of course, Adrien didn't have to know the main reason as to why she didn't want to take the Ladybug roll in the first place.
Alya squinted her eyes at Marinette's figure, "Hmm, okay, sure, you might not look like Ladybug, but still, you're the only one in our group who still doesn't have any other participation for this project."
They're currently at the park right now, planning how they'll manage the film that they needed as a project. They've already set the roles for each member of their group for the film, but they failed to come into terms with the members who'll portray as the main characters of their film.
Adrien stepped in between Alya and Marinette's conversation, "No, I think Marinette looks like Ladybug." He said, and then looked at Marinette's figure. She has a hairstyle similar to Ladybug's. And Marinette's eyes were… now that he thought about it; he never really stared deep inside Marinette's eyes. Sure, they're as blue as his Lady's, but there's something hidden between that pair of azures. If only he could point it out.
"Adrien? Adrien? Anybody home?" Before he knew it, Alya was already raising her voice at him while shaking her hand in front of his face. If it was meant to distract him from staring at Marinette's eyes, then it worked perfectly.
"Oops, sorry, what?" Adrien asked while rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't know he was staring at Marinette's eyes already until it was too late.
"Nothing, nothing. Do you want me to take a picture? It'll last." Alya joked, which earned a nervous chuckle from Marinette.
Adrien blinked from what Alya said. "What?"
Alya bit her tongue to prevent her from commenting on Adrien's slowness from the joke. "Never mind. Anyway, yeah, maybe you do have a point there. Marinette's hair looks slightly like Ladybug's, but of course, nobody can imitate Ladybug's hair."
Adrien gave Alya a small smile, "Yeah," and with that, he stepped out of the conversation between the two girls and headed towards Nino, who was currently reading the script that Alya had made.
Swallowing nervously, Marinette nodded, "Y-Yeah, so I'd just bring shame if I were to take her roll. Maybe Rose could act as Ladybug instead?" She tried to remove her glued eyes at Adrien, who was currently discussing something about Nino. She thought that they might be discussing about the script, but it's not like the script is her main problem at hand.
"Nope. Rose couldn't be Ladybug because she and Juleka are handling the video editing. So we better get the characters sorted out so we can start filming. The sooner we finish this film, the sooner Rose and Juleka could edit." Alya said with a smug smile on her face. Sure, it might not be a characteristic move of her to do so, but there are things that are out of her reach.
They were 7 in their group for this project. Juleka, Rose, Nathaniel, Nino, Alya, Adrien, and Marinette. Unfortunately for Marinette, Juleka and Rose are the ones in charge of editing the video so that they could pass something presentable to their teacher. Though, while the video is still being filmed, Juleka and Rose were responsible to help Nathaniel with the props. Marinette volunteered to help Nathaniel with the props, since he'll be helping her with the costume as well. Alya assigned Nino to film everything, while Adrien would take on the role of Chat Noir. That only leaves either Marinette or Alya to take the role of Ladybug.
"How 'bout you do it instead? You could act as Ladybug here instead of me." Marinette suggested, knowing that Alya would do great if she was to take on the role of being Ladybug. She knows much about Ladybug, so Alya wouldn't have any trouble acting her out.
"Too late for that. I'm already the director and the script writer for this short film." Alya pointed out.
"Fine." Marinette groaned. In full honesty, she wasn't surprised to hear that Alya had chose to make the two heroes of Paris the main topic for their film. This film was actually a major project that was a fruit of the integration of some of their subjects at school. The film that they were supposed to do had to be related with the positive changes happening in their country, and apparently, the heroes of Paris are one of its changes.
"Great!" Alya's smile was so bright; it was almost a threat to Marinette's vision. With that, Alya gave the script to Marinette. "Okay, because I already planned this out, I highlighted your lines for scene one. Oh, no pressure but we're filming the first scene tomorrow afternoon, but don't worry. Your great best friend, yours truly, made the first scene short. You can memorize it and act it as soon as possible, considering it's really short."
Marinette looked down on the thin pile of papers that she was handed to and flipped the first page open. The first page consists of lines that she was supposed to say, and Alya wasn't kidding when she said the first scene was short. The whole first scene only took up the first half of the page, and the bright yellow highlighted lines were only a few.
"So you read the whole thing first, and try memorizing the first few lines of the first scene. I'll just go and check on Adrien, see how he's doing. Can you believe that he's going to be the Chat Noir to your Ladybug?" Before Marinette could react anything at what Alya said, Alya was already walking (running) away from her and all the way to the tree where Nino and Adrien were standing under.
"Oh mon dieu," She yelled in a whispered manner to herself. It just hit her. Adrien is going to act as Chat Noir! And she was going to be hisLadybug in this film. She had no idea why would Alya put her in this kind of position. How could she even act alongside with Adrien when in real life, she could barely utter a complete sentence in front of him without making herself look flushed or embarrassed?
Marinette's eyes skimmed the papers she was holding. The script was short, and there are only a few scenes that they'll have to cover. Though, the main thing that bothered her was the scene where… "Chat is going to kiss my cheek?" She read out loud without even noticing that she did.
Her voice wasn't as low as she expected it to be, because her sudden question caught the attention of Alya, Adrien, and Nino. Out of pure instinct, she immediately put her nails in between her teeth and bit them when her eyes met Adrien's green ones. There was even a small smile playing on his lip.
"Yep!" Alya exclaimed with pride and joy evident in her tone. Leaving Adrien and Nino on where they're standing, she walked to where Marinette was seated.
Marinette then averted her gaze and set it on Alya. "But Chat Noir doesn't do that to Ladybug." As far as she could remember, there was not a time when Chat kissed her on the cheek. Okay, there might be a time when she was the one who initiated the kiss, but that wasn't on the cheek, but rather, on the lips. Anyway, leaving that aside, she couldn't even think of Adrien dressing up as anyone like Chat and kiss her on the cheek.
"He might not do it, but in real life, there's a huge possibility that he might." Alya smiled at her. Marinette wondered how could Alya even smile as innocent as that when Alya could see her panicking silently?
She didn't know why, but Marinette thought of what Alya had said. If the real life Chat would kiss Ladybug, Marinette wouldn't know how to react to that.
"I doubt that'll happen." Marinette said to herself, though, Alya heard her just enough to react.
"It'll happen!" Alya defended.
"What'll happen?" Adrien asked as he made his way in front of the two sitting girls.
"That the real-life Chat will kiss real-life Ladybug on the cheek. Someday, but not today. Mark my words." Alya said with finality and confidence, and Marinette just wished that the ground would eat her as a whole now that Adrien's also included in this conversation.
Adrien's eyebrows perked up and hummed in agreement, "I agree with Alya."
Marinette's eyes widen from that. "B-But… How could you be so sure Ladybug would allow him?"
With that question, Adrien smiled. "Well, Chat has already kissed Ladybug on her hands, so I wouldn't be surprised if the next thing he'll kiss is her cheeks." He said, remembering the times when he'd kiss his lady's hands and earn a surprised look from her.
Speaking of which, Marinette was sporting a surprised look similar to Ladybug's. It's kind of funny how Marinette and Ladybug could both have similar facial features. Adrien has to pay more attention to Marinette, considering that she's one of his very few friends, and he'd like to get to know her more than before.
"Yes, exactly!" Alya exclaimed on Adrien's comment. "Thank you so much for pointing that out."
When Adrien mentioned Chat kissing Ladybug's hands, Marinette's eyes were a little widen because she had no idea how could he know that. Most of the time, he does it whenever there aren't any people around. That being said, maybe Adrien had watched almost every Ladyblog videos there is, and maybe Alya once caught them on the act.
"Anyway, I want you guys to be here around 12pm tomorrow. We'll start the filming by then, and hopefully, finish the first scene already. Marinette, could you bring the Ladybug and Chat's costumes tomorrow?" Alya asked Marinette as she stood up from her seat.
"Of course." Marinette said as she stood up beside Alya.
"Perfect." Alya smiled, and looked at Adrien. "Make sure to memorize your lines tomorrow. Got it?"
Adrien nodded with a smile, and damn it if Marinette didn't light up when he smiled like that. She looked at her surroundings and noticed something. "Hey, where's Nino?" Marinette asked.
"Oh, he left already before I went to you guys. He said he had to do something immediately." Adrien explained as the three of them began walking.
"Okay. Don't be late tomorrow, and remember to memorize your lines." Alya reminded the two of them.
Marinette didn't know why, but she had an unexplainable feeling for this short film of theirs.