Chloe ran her fingers on her replica Ladybug yoyo. Her eyes were fixated on the flat screen TV as she watched her idol defeat another akuma.
"Go, Ladybug!" Chloe cheered. "You got this!"
As the hero tossed her lucky charm into the air, Chloe saw reporters waiting to interview Ladybug. Chloe wished that reporters would jump at the chance to interview her.
"Why don't they like me as much? I'm pretty, I'm rich, and I'm adored by the public!" Chloe tapped her chin. "Ladybug's adored by the public. She's not rich, and she NEEDS a makeover, so I have TWO things she doesn't."
Chloe smiled. "But Ladybug GIVES the reporters reasons to interview her."
The girl shrieked and leaped to her feet. "I know! I'll do something SO great, SO fabulous, and SO amazing, everyone will want my attention!"
She turned to the TV. "Even Ladybug!"
"Of course, simply being myself should be enough to be the most famous and adored person on the planet," Chloe laughed. "As if anyone wouldn't love me."
Her phone pinged with a text. Chloe read it and stomped her foot. "Sabrina! Honestly, how stupid can you be! Of course I wanted the 24-carat necklace! She is such an IDIOT!" Chloe furiously typed a reply and hit send, then threw her phone back in her bag.
"I'm just so likable!" Chloe sighed contently. "Getting more attention should be easier than choosing between that 24-carat necklace and that cheap 12-carat one."
Her eyes fluttered back to the TV, where Ladybug was still answering questions. "And I know exactly how to do it."
Chloe pulled silk black gloves over her hands. Her usual yellow jacket was replaced with a dark metallic golden one, and her white capris and flats were replaced by combat boots and black jeans. Chloe laughed at her reflection. "Silly moi, i forgot! My adoring fans will totally recognize me! I need a mask, just like Ladybug!"
Chloe rushed to her closet and found her Halloween mask she had worn to a masquerade party. After removing the feathers and jewels, it was a simple black mask with golden embroidery. Chloe put the mask on and pulled out her hair tie. With her hair down and a mask, Chloe looked vastly different.
With her delusions and vanity, however, her "adoring fans" would still mob her in the streets. Chloe had every kind of makeup there was, and she didn't even use half of it. As she had told Sabrina, "A vanity stand full of makeup is a princess in the making.
Chloe snatched a palette she had never used. She washed off her blue eyeshadow and lipgloss and switched it for a glittering gold and black ombré effect and black lipstick.
Without her trademark look, the girl was thoroughly unrecognizable. Chloe took no time at all, only fifteen minutes, to admire her reflection's "beauty and mystery". Snatching her camera off o her bedstand, Chloe climbed through her window and used the fire! escape to get down to the ground.
A flash of red flew over the buildings above her. Chloe smiled with sastisfaction and took off in a run.
Chloe pulled out her phone and checked the news, using a live stream to follow the action.
As she sprinted down the street, Chloe felt beads of sweat trickle down her face. Expression twisted with horror, she darted into an alley between two buildings.
"No, no, no!" Chloe cried, using a satin handkerchief to dab at her forehead. "I simply cannot be sweating right now! I'm Chloe, the beloved daughter of the Mayor! I'm practically royalty!"
"Chloe?" A voice echoed through the alleyway. "What are you doing here?"
Chloe whipped around. "Nathan?!" She snapped. "We're you following me?"
Nathan narrowed his eyes. "Why would I follow you? I was drawing on the patio behind my house." He guestured to the building on his right.
"And you just decided to run over here at exactly the same moment I was here?!" Chloe crossed her arms and glared at him.
"Well, you weren't exactly being very sneaky." Nathan studied her carefully. "What's with the costume?"
Chloe suddenly remembered her mission and became very defensive. "Hey, how did you recognize me?"
Nathan wanted to tell her that he only knew one person who's voice reflected how bratty and spoiled she was. "Who else would refer to themselves as the beloved daughter of the Mayor?"
Chloe sneered at him and cut her eyes into a nasty glare. "Whatever. But I swear, if you ever mention this little encounter to ANYONE, I will have you arrested!"
Nathan rolled his eyes and shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever." He turned and walked to the end of the alley. Chloe watched as he pulled back a piece of wood ad slipped through metal bars to return to his art.
"That boy...!" Chloe muttered, kicking at the ground. She took out her phone and pulled up the news.
"... Ladybug and Cat Noir have saved the day yet again," the reporter was saying.
Chloe shrieked in frustration. "Ugh! I missed my chance!" She whirled around to face the end of the alley. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT NATHAN!" Chloe screamed, knowing he could hear her.
The next day, Chloe walked into school with her head held high. This morning she had packed her stalking outfit into a special golden duffel bag that was tucked into her locker.
The idea of having a secret excited her. A light-hearted giddy feeling settled over her, similar to the feeling she had when on a shopping spree.
With tremendous poise and a royal attitude, Chloe sat down her desk. As Nathaniel passed her desk, she didn't hesitate to shoot him a glare colder than Antarctica.
Nathaniel retaliated with a sweet smile and looked away.
Flustered, Chloe turned back to the front of the room. "Screw you," she muttered under her breath. She stole another glance back at him and was annoyed to see he was immersed in his sketchbook.
Nathaniel was watching Chloe with his peripheral. He knew his lack of attention would get under her skin.
How do you like that, Chloe? How do you like being ignored? Nathaniel wanted to scream. Chloe was playing checkers, and Nathaniel was playing chess. He knew exactly how to play this.
He knew that Chloe's little scheme to expose Ladybug was the most important thing to her. He also knew that Chloe would kill him if he revealed this little secret now.
Nathaniel turned to a clean page in his sketchbook and began to draw out a plan.
Meanwhile, Alya was briefing Marinette over her newest entry to the Ladyblog.
"And then Ladybug dropped this!" Alya took out a sleek black ballpoint pen with golden designs.
"That's so cool!" Marinette tried to look happy for her friend. My favorite pen!
"Should I keep it?" Alya rolled it around in her hand. "It's pretty sweet, but I could get a lot of money to put towards my Ladyblog for selling it."
"What would you buy?" Marinette asked, trying to think of a way to get her favorite pen back.
"Maybe a new bike. My bike is cool and all, but if I got some faster wheels it would be easier to get cool footage. I already asked for a new camera for my birthday, so I pretty much already have one," Alya explained.
"Speaking of which, when's your birthday party gonna be?" Marinette asked.
"Next Friday," Alya smiled. "I already invited a couple people."
"Not me?" Marinette pouted.
"Girl, you are automatically invited! That's how best friends work!"
"I was kidding," Marinette giggled. "So who did you invite?"
"Juleka, Rose, Nino, Adrien-" Alya paused to see her friends reaction.
"What!?" Marinette froze. "You invited Adrien! Ugh! I'm gonna act like a total idiot and then he's gonna know I'm a total clutz and never ever want to be seen near me again!" She hissed.
"Chill! Adrien isn't like that," Alya placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "You'll do great!"
After class, Chloe caught up with Marinette and Alya.
"Oh, hi Chloe," Alya crossed her arms reproachfully, "out to ruin somebody's life again?"
"You little-" Chloe forced her rising anger down. "Is that really Ladybug's pen?"
"Yes," Alya reached into her purse and closed her hand around the pen protectively, as if Chloe were about to steal it.
"I'll pay you for it!" Chloe pulled out her wallet. "I need that pen!"
Alya bit her lip. The pen was precious, but a new bike could really help her Ladyblog.
"How much?"
Chloe pulled out a bill and waved it in Alya's face. Her brown eyes followed it.
"Woah." Alya whistled. "That's a great deal."
"Alya!" Marinette snarled. "A word!?" She pulled Alya away from Chloe.
"Alya, are you really gonna strike a deal with Chloe?!" Marinette asked.
"I hate her as much as, well, everybody else," Alya rubbed the back of her neck. "But who else is gonna pay me that much for a pen?"
Marinette sighed. "Good point."
"Look, is it a deal or not!? I don't have all day!" Chloe yelled.
"I'm sorry, Mari, but I really need that bike!" Alya turned away and walked back over to Chloe.
"Thank you." Chloe snatched the pen away and tossed the bill towards Alya. "You should use that money to fix your hair," she added.
"What's wrong with my hair!?" Alya was taken aback.
"Mm, how do I say this," Chloe leaned forward and squinted, "everything." With that she tossed her hair and walked away.
Alya clenched her fists with concealed rage. "That little snake!" She growled.
Marinette touched Alya's arm. "I think your hair looks pretty. It's so soft and shiny," she smiled.
"Thanks, Marinette," Alya ran her fingers through it self-consciously.
"Hey, at least you can buy that bike now!" Marinette tried to cheer her up. "Don't listen to Chloe, at least you aren't famous because your parents raised you to be a brat! You're famous because you're dedicated to your Ladyblog."
Alya lifted her gaze from the ground. "You're right, Marinette. And after I get this bike, I'm going to be able to follow all the action!"
"Chloe!" Nathaniel sprinted after her.
"Ugggh." Chloe groaned. "What do you want!?" She snapped, whipping around furiously.
"Ah, I just figured you might want to hear me out," Nathaniel yawned.
"Why would I want to listen to you!?" Chloe put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him.
Not even remotely intimidated, Nathaniel met her icy gaze. "Because you're going to let me work with you, or I will spill your little scheme to the press. If you didn't know, that alley you were in is monitored by my parent's security cameras. I have the tapes that show your little failure yesterday in a safe place, and I will gladly give them to the public so everyone can see how much of a bratty failure you are," Nathaniel smiled at her coyly.
Shocked, Chloe was speechless for a second. "I'll have you arrested," she stuttered.
"But that won't undo the damage to your image." Nathaniel let the words sink in.
"Well, uh, you, I, don't..!" Chloe backed down. "What do you want from me?"
"I want to work with you. I want to help you expose Ladybug."
Chloe swelled with anger. "I hate you! I hate you so much!"
"Yeah, I know." Nathaniel began to flip through his sketchbook. Not taking his eyes off the pages, he asked, "So are we going to your place or mine?"