"Um, hey."

Marinette turned towards the greeting before realizing who it was. Urgh, Chloe's friend again. She sniffed, turning her head away from him. Alright, it was a bit bratty but like she told Chloe this morning, Marinette was done putting up with her crap. From Chloe, from Chloe's friends, from whoever, whatever. Today was a new day. Today was a new Marinette. Today was a new Ladybug.

With this resolve in mind, she turned back around and realized that the blond was still standing there. He kept glancing at the car parked out front and then back at her, chewing his bottom lip. Marinette raised an eyebrow at him, challenging him to speak and get to whatever insult he had prepared for her. He may be The Gabriel Agreste's son, but that shouldn't give him a free pass to bully her like Chloe has done for the past four years.

The blond opened and closed his mouth several times, jumping when a particularly loud clap of thunder rang above the school. He seemed a bit hesitant and just short of meek, but so does Sabrina right before she starts speaking within an earshot of Chloe. Maybe Chloe has a type. Marinette lightly snorted at the thought, glancing at the doors and hoping her newfound (not-kwami) friend would finish with whatever she was discussing with Mme. Bustier soon.

Ask and you shall receive.

"Marinette!" Alya called loudly, taking full advantage of the empty hallways between them. Marinette started to walk towards her, pleased to finally get away from Chloe's friend.

"W-wait! I wanted-"

Once again, she found herself facing the blond. Oh, there's the insult coming. Holding her bag over her front like a shield, she began to walk backwards and gave him a short wave. "Bye-bye," she stated firmly before turning around for the last time.

Alya met her halfway, clutching a slim binder to her chest. "New scoop Marinette! Did you know that this school has next to nothing regarding current events? No newspapers, no newsletters, no morning announcements, zip. Zero. Zilch. Nada."

She cocked her hip to the side, with one hand on her hip and the other holding out the binder for Marinette to see. "So, I talked to Mme. Bustier about starting a school blog. She was completely into it. Did you know that she was a journalist before she started teaching lit classes? Sooooo cool, right?"

Alya flipped the binder open to reveal a neat stack of forms. The first page was empty, save for numbered lines and two lone words on the top-left corner. "This is the petition to start a club. Even though it's online and could be handled by one person, Mme. Bustier encouraged me to treat this like the real deal. I need at least ten students to sign it during Club Fest and mean it. You know, to write their own articles or post submissions." She paused, slightly lowering the binder. "I was hoping if you could join?"

Despite Alya's bravado and excitement, she knew that she was still the New Girl. Her father's job required the whole family to move every few years, sometimes months. Alya was pretty much desensitized from the label and all that came with it, so she was used to initiating projects by herself on the fly. However, she and Marinette really seemed to hit it off. They were both going to Marinette's house to hang out after all. Inspired by Paris' new superheroes, Alya herself wanted her own partner in crime.

In another lifetime, the girls would have been sidetracked by Marinette's newfound crush on Adrien Agreste. Marinette would have stayed on the steps until Alya joined her. They would have walked together under the protection of an iconic black umbrella, dissecting each second of the scene and listing off tidbits about him from Parisian tabloids. Alya would have forgotten to mention the school blog to Marinette until after she coded the whole damn thing later that night. Coulds, woulds, and shoulds. Instead of all that, this happened.

Marinette grinned and fished into her bag for her favorite pink pen. "Sure, Chief. Sign me up!"

After scribbling her name underneath Alya's, Marinette stepped back to look at the budding journalist once more. Alya wore a matching grin on her face as she tucked the binder safely into her school bag. From the same bag she pulled out a long raincoat. Glancing at the weather outside, her grin widened.

"It's no umbrella, but I'm definitely willing to share if you are," she said, offering a sleeve for Marinette to hold. Once they made sure that all their stuff was settled, both girls stepped out into the storm. They laughed as they ran through the rain and shrieked whenever they stepped in a puddle that was a little too deep. By the time they reached the bakery, everything from the knees and down was soaking wet. Fortunately, not even the feel of moist socks clinging to their toes could kill their mood. They began to remove their socks and shoes while standing on the storefront's welcome mat. Meanwhile, Marinette's parents stepped out from behind the counter.

"Hi, mama! Hi, papa!" Marinette hopped towards them with one foot and greeted each parent with a kiss on the cheek. She breathed a quick and victorious 'yes!' when she finally freed herself from her last soggy sock. Gesturing towards Alya with said sock, she introduced her parents to her friend. "This is Alya. She's in my class this year and wanted to see some of the projects that I'm working on."

Said girl finally removed her shoes and socks, padding over to the Dupain-Cheng family. While Alya and Marinette's parents exchanged pleasantries, Marinette went off to grab Alya's things from the storefront mat. "I'm going to put these in the dryer. Do you want to add your pants? I have a pair of shorts that you can borrow."

"Sure, let me help you-"

Sabine interjected, pushing a silver tray into Alya's hands. "Marinette has it covered. While she's busy with that, we can choose what snacks you'd like to bring up with you. Do you like chocolate? We have croissants and cookies. Oh and there's some fresh macaroons. Marinette said that you liked our green tea ones..."

By the time Marinette reached the living room with a change of shorts for Alya, she found her sitting on the couch and holding what looked like a sample platter of the whole bakery. Marinette giggled at the faraway look on the other girl's face. Alya turned her head slowly.

"Is this going to be a thing from now on?" she asked, looking at all the sweets before her. Marinette let out another giggle and reached for the tray. In its place, she left the shorts.

"Down the hall is the bathroom, and up these stairs is my bedroom. Meet me up there after tossing your pants into the dryer in there," she pointed at each location as she listed off the rooms. Both girls went their separate ways.

Marinette put the tray down on her lounge chair, glancing at the floor door to make sure it was safe to talk to Tikki. The red kwami flew out from her jacket, nuzzling herself to the girl's cheek.

"I'm so sorry that you were in there the whole day, Tikki. Do you need anything?" she asked, her eyebrows scrunched up in concern. Tikki flew up and patted the crease that formed on Marinette's forehead, ready to reassure her chosen. She then noticed the tray and was a goner. The kwami zipped towards the pile of cookies, swallowing her first of many in one bite. Mind you, these weren't bite-sized fun-sized cookies. They were actually one of those big ones the size of a baby's head. Watching Tikki eat something five times her size was terrifying. Then, the door creaked open and she was actually gone. Same with all the cookies and a scone.

"Thanks for the shorts, Marinette!" Alya's head peaked out from the door. She stood on the stairs for a second to look around the pink room and resumed walking up. There was a desk or three; she wasn't sure because of all the different fabrics covering them. There was a chaise that Marinette was sitting in. And there was a ladder leading up to a bed with another trapdoor above it. It was all very coordinated. "Wow, your room is so cool. I've never seen these designs before in stores. Did you make all of this?" She took out her phone before remembering where she was.

"Tell me if I sound super sketch, but is it okay if I took a panorama of your room? It's like Ikea and Barbie's dream house had a legit love child together."

Marinette scratched the back of her head with a smile and closed eyes, "Um, sure? And thanks?" As Alya turned in a circle, Marinette glanced down at Tikki's hiding spot. The kwami was sitting inside of a half constructed purse that the young designer deemed as a lost cause several projects ago. Tikki flitted between the purse and the tray, tucking away more sweets.

"And tada! Check it out, Marinette-oh damn, girl. Is this why your mom gave us so much? I was really hoping to taste one of those cookies," Alya teased as she handed her the phone.

They spent the rest of the afternoon sharing each other's hobbies and interests. Marinette learned about the different places that Alya lived in and the fashion trends of each country. Alya learned about the gifts Marinette liked to make for her classmates and the probability of them joining the school blog.

"-and Max could definitely help you out with coding-" A text tone from Alya's phone stopped the other girl midsentence.

Alya shook her head and laughed, "My parental units request my presence. I suppose I could entertain them." They walked down the stairs and collected their things from the dryer. After thanking Marinette's parents, Alya found herself and her host standing outside the bakery. "Thank you so much for hanging out with me. I cannot repeat enough how cool I think your room is. And your parents. And of course, you," she punctuated the sentence by giving her a quick hug. They said their goodbyes, and Marinette was left standing with her thoughts.

"Wow, I have a friend..."

-0-

"Wow, I have a friend..."

Adrien murmured to himself, thinking about the last few days. Plagg. And Nino. And Ladybug. So many new people in his tiny world, all at once. In the safety of the car, he watched through the windows as the rain poured down on the Parisian streets. He saw pairs and clusters of people huddled together under shared umbrellas and other makeshift coverings. Adrien recognized one of pink and black blobs as Marinette Dupain-Cheng. He still felt bad about the misunderstanding with the gum and didn't quite know how to apologize for something he didn't do. Nino said to be honest, but how was he supposed to do that if he couldn't get a word through to her.

Glancing down at his phone, Adrien saw a text message from Nino asking if he wanted to Skype while playing Town of Salem. The blond introduced him to the game earlier that day, eager to finally have someone he knew to join in the chat. Nino grinned and punched his arm lightly, "Our class used to play that game all the time a few years back. I think Juleka called it Werewolves? But yeah, I'm down."

He continued to text Nino about the other online games they should play together, and by the time they exchanged Steam accounts, Adrien found himself in the house's parking garage. Grabbing his umbrella and bag, the model stepped out and beelined to his room with a hurried "thanks!" to the Gorilla.

Turning on his monitor, Adrien found himself face-to-face with his mother. He smiled, touched the lips on the screen with his fingertips, and poked his own forehead.

"Ooh, she's pretty. Who is that, your girlfriend ?"

Adrien looked down at the kwami poking his head out of his jacket collar. The blond smiled, shaking his head as he scratched Plagg behind the ears, "No, that's my mother when she was younger."

There was a beat of silence as both of them stared at the computer screen, with Adrien's hand now turned to hold the kwami in his open palms. He gave the picture one last smile before be began walking towards the television area in his room. On the table was an assortment of cheeses and one lone remote.

"I was unsure what other-" Plagg was gone from his hand and already at the mini buffet "-cheeses you liked so I asked the chefs to bring up a little of everything we had," he paused and picked up the remote to place it next to the kwami, "I also have Netflix."

Plagg paused midbite and sniffed the remote, "Can I eat it?"

The blond chuckled, explaining how to use the remote, "-and that's how you return to the main menu. Just please don't mess with my anime watch list."

Leaving the kwami to his literally own devices, Adrien returned to his desk and grabbed a pair of earphones on the way. Settling down, he grinned when he saw Nino was online. He pressed the video call button and Nino appeared on his main monitor.

"Hey man, how's it going? I saw you and Marinette talking before I left school. Is everything squared out?"

Nino frowned when Adrien shook his head with a dejected look on his face. "Don't take it personally, dude. Chloe's been on everyone's case since we were in diapers. Marinette doesn't vibe well with Chloe or her bull, but that shouldn't ruin things for you two. She'll see that you're a cool guy, just wait."

Adrien smiled, thanking his friend. Both of them pulled up the Town of Salem site, waiting for others to join their game. The blond looked back at the Skype window and grinned. Behind Nino, he saw a poster of a familiar rock star. "Nino, you listen to Jagged Stone?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, Marinette shared his music with some of us a few years ago. Once you make nice with her, definitely mention the times she dressed like him. She'll turn red faster than you can say 'Sticks and Bones'," Nino laughed, "That's one of the songs she really liked and is my favorite. What's yours?"

The boys spent the rest of the afternoon playing games and chatting. Nino talked about the different types of music their classmates got him into and what each of the kids were like. Adrien talked about the Steam games he's replayed over the years and his favorite shows.

Nino laughed, "Well, that explains why I heard Japanese in the background."

Wait, what.

The blond removed an earbud and pouted. Yup, that was definitely the Gurren Laggan opening sequence. He was in the middle of an episode, too. Dammit, Plagg.

And the night continued on, Japanese dub and all

By the next morning, Adrien found himself slouched next to his keyboard with a Skype chat log full of gibberish. He shook his head, the kink in his neck making him regret the action instantly. Putting his computer on sleep mode, he next went over to the television. The screen was black, turned off by a groggy Adrien earlier that night. He found a passed out kwami lying face first into the table. Surrounding him were empty dishes and discarded packaging. Adrien threw away the wrappers and then began stacking the plates.

This was the first time he ever did something like this. Sure, he played video games and was guilty of all-nighters despite his modelling. However, those all-nighters were usually for marathoning Netflix while curled up on his couch. He never talked to someone until they both passed out before. Actually, he never Skyped anyone outside of work before. And he certainly never had such a pain in the neck before, either. Adrien hummed as he put the dishes in the service elevator and began preparing for school.

Today there was supposed to be a Club Fest after classes ended. Last night, Nino told him how every year he and Kim try to start a breakdancing club but always got shot down by Principal Democles. This devolved to talking about what other clubs the school had to offer. Adrien was excited to find out that there was a fencing club and wanted to sign up. Unfortunately, Club Fest conflicted with a photo shoot.

Fully dressed and packed, Adrien crouched down to collect Plagg from the table. After a few ear scratches, the kwami was good to go. Before he knew it, Adrien was at his desk, talking with Nino and Alya about the school blog that the latter was starting up.

Alya currently had her earbuds temporarily connected to Nino's phone, listening to the mix Adrien heard the night before. "Wow, this is so sick ," she said, tapping her fingers to the beat, "And you said you usually make a few sets a week?"

Nino crossed his arms and leaned forward on her desk, "Yup. And I'd totally be down to making some for your blog. Alya, right?"

The girl gave a quick "yup" as she pulled a binder from her back, opening it to the first page. Three names were already on the list. "Oh, sweet. You got Marinette and Nate to join. Congrats on doing the impossible."

"Huh?"

"Yeah. Marinette's usually busy with sewing club. And Nathanaël doesn't do clubs. He and I always mess around, trying to see who's the least involved in class. Mme. B messed me up this year when she moved me up front-no offence dude, but now we're even."

Adrien shook his head smiled, "None taken. What else are you looking for on the school blog?"

Alya hesitated before speaking, "Well, depends on what you have to offer. Also, not gonna lie. I'm kind of not looking forward to club meetings if your harpy friend over there tags along."

Nino saw Adrien's slight frown at the label before speaking up for him, "No worries. My man over here would be great for video game and tv show recs."

"No can do. I'm already set on asking Max over there to do just that," she gestured with her thumb towards their suspender-clad classmate. The journalist saw the boys' slumped shoulders and conceded, "Well, you can still sign up if you really want to. We'll figure something out."

Both boys grinned, rummaging through their bags for a pen. By the time they signed the petition, it was five minutes before class started. The only person missing was Marinette.

At 9:00, the class began. At 9:30, Alya had stopped glancing from the door to the right side of her desk. At 10:00, the teacher handed out worksheets for the class to completed. At 10:30, a disheveled Marinette creaked the door open. Mme. Bustier didn't look up from her clipboard as she handed her tardy student a worksheet. The girl trudged to her desk, sidestepping Chloe's outstretched foot. Placing her bag underneath her seat, Marinette placed her head on the cool wooden surface of her desk and began scratching what she hoped were the proper answers.

By the time lunch break rolled around, most of the students were out of the classroom. The only two people remaining were Marinette and Adrien. The former waved off her friend, assuring her that she was fine and would head back to the bakery soon. The latter declined his friend's demand offer to eat the at her daddy's hotel, explaining that Nathalie was expecting him home.

Putting his bag on his shoulder, Adrien glanced at the tired lump before him. He sat back down, placing him at her eye level.

"Um, hey."

No answer.

"Um, grunt if you're awake please."

A muffled string of words followed.

"I, ah, wanted to apologize about yesterday-" the hunched figure began moving to sit up "-oh, you don't have to get up! I had a pretty long night, too. So, you can continue, uh, sitting where you are?"

She settled for nestling her chin on her crossed arms with her eyes trained on him.

"The gum...I was just trying to take it off, I swear," he scratched the back of his neck, "I've never done any of this before, going to school and whatnot. It's all so new to me. I-I'd like to be friends. If that's okay with you."

Silence followed.

Finally, Marinette sat up and uncrossed her arms. She scooped her bag off the floor before facing him again. Holding the strap of her bag with one hand, she used the other to pat Adrien's cheek.

"It's okay, handsome boy."

She began to retract her hand and paused. The stunned boy's eyes followed the hand before he got cross-eyed. He felt a poke on his forehead.

By the time Adrien processed everything, Marinette was gone and Nathalie was calling his phone.

Dazed, he walked out of the classroom.

-0-

Wow, I have a friend...

...so why does it feel like I missed something big?