Chapter 2
I slowly walked to school, my muscles sore and my back still aching from yesterday, when I hit the ground. I thought about how quickly I could get to school as ladybug but these powers are too important, too sacred to use flippantly.
I sighed loudly and Tikki finally broke the silence,
"You don't seem too excited for school Marinette."
"No, I'm excited, I'm just, tired."
I woke up early to do my homework and I was regretting the decision.
"Don't worry Marinette school will go by quickly. Not to mention that Adrien will be back today."
At the mention of his name, I brightened a little bit. Adrien had been in Italy for a modeling contract and he was finally back.
"Your right Tikki, maybe today won't be so bad."
She laughed lightly and I finally found myself walking through the courtyard door and up the stairs toward my classroom.
I walked through the door finding Nino an Alya in a conversation. I crossed the room and sat in my seat finally able to hear what they were talking about. I groaned inwardly as I knew that Alya was telling Nino about her brilliant plan infinding out the true identity of Ladybug.
They both greeted me and went straight back to it.
"Nino said that he would help us today after class Marinette."
"yay." I said half heartedly.
"Yeah, this is actually the first plan that Alya has come up with that isn't terrible."
Alya whacked Nino lightly on the arm.
"None of my ideas have been terrible"
Nino laughed and rubbed his arm, "No, forgive me, the word I was looking for is crazy."
we all laughed lightly at their banter until Alya changed the subject.
"So Nino, where's Adrien?"
Nino quickly looked towards the door before shrugging.
"He said he'd be here, and there's no reason to think that he won't show up."
"You said he seemed upset yesterday."
I leaned in closer, this was new information to me.
"yeah, he did seem pretty weird, he said that it was just jet lag so he'll probably be here."
"Anyway you could convince him to go join us in the library after school for opperation Laybug?"
"I'm not sure, I'll ask."
Alya winked at me and walked into the classroom and the bell rang.
"Alright everyone, Open your textbooks to chapter 11 while I call out role, Adrien?"
The door suddenly and in came Adrien as if he was waiting for her to call his name.
I sighed slightly and I heard a sharp squeal from Chloe, but Mrs. Bustier just shook her head.
"Please take a seat Adrien and turn to chapter 11."
He quickly took his seat next to Nino and opened his text book, while Mrs. Bustier continued calling out names.
Nino nudged him an they broke into hushed conversation and I leaned closer trying to hear what they were saying.
Alya tapped me and handed my a folded up piece of paper. I unfolded it read it.
"If you lean any closer, you will tip our table over :)"
I looked at her and she was openly grinning at me, I blushed furiously and pulled out a pen to reply.
"Nino was right, he does seem upset."
I folded the note up and passed it back an she quickly wrote something own an passed it back.
"Maybe he met a girl in Italy and he misses her."
I quickly turned to give Alya a dirty look and she fell into a fit of silent giggles.
That's how we spent the rest of class, ignoring the teacher and writing notes to each other, only pausing to stare at the back of Adrien's head wishing that I had the ability to read thoughts.
When the bell finally rang that excused us for lunch I was ready to go home and cur up in bed an take a nice long nap but instead Alya and I walked over to the bakery for a short lunch.
"It could really be anybody, maybe she's someone we've never even met."
Alya just shrugged,"Maybe, but if it is someone that we know then we'll figure it out for sure."
I wanted to slam my head on the table, that is exactly what I was worried about.
"Maybe you could just tell Ladybug how much of an asset you would be to her team and then when she agrees, because you're totally awesome and there's no way she wouldn't agree, you could work with her without having to go through this."
Alya just shook her head. "There's no way she would say yes, she'd probably be too worried that I would get hurt."
Yes that's definitely true. Alya has been in the middle of way too many Akuma attacks and I didn't want my best friend risking her life.
"No, if I want Ladybug to see me as a contributing part of her team, I need to do this to prove myself."
"You think that hunting her down is the best way to gain her trust?"
"No, but it's the easiest way to let her see how much this means to me. She's my hero, she's saved me, saved Paris countless times and I need to know who she is."
I couldn't think of a reply to that, not without revealing myself, this really means a lot to Alya, and I can't talk her out of it.
We walked back to school leisurely joking with each other about nothing. There was a large crash next to us and I quickly whipped around my arms up, ready for a fight my mind already looking for a place to transform discreetly. I made eye to eye contact with the thing that made the noise, a mangy old alley cat and I lowered my defenses.
"Whoa, that scared me." Alya said laughing lightly, and I lowered my hands, my body shaking with the adrenaline that coursed through me a moment ago. I realized how much I've changed in the past year, if that had happened last year, I would've jumped and laughed it off just as Alya did but not anymore. I was ready to push Alya out of the way of danger, I was ready to run into the nearest empty building and transform, I was ready to fight.
We kept walking and I was content to listen to Alya drone on about the virtues of her favorite music groups.
when we finally got back into the classroom we saw Adrien and Nino sitting at their chairs. I could feel my face turn red as Adrien waved at me, at us. Alya and I sat at our seats and Nino and Adrien turned around to talk to us.
"So, I told Adrien about your plan." Nino started.
"And..." Alya said, sitting foreward smiling ear to ear.
"I think it's a really good idea." Adrien said, "I would love to help."
I inwardly did a little dance and squealed before I realized that he was agreeing to help my best friend discover that I was in fact Ladybug. Oh no, this is terrible, they'll spend all day only to find out that I have been lying to them for the better part of a year, and once it gets out that I am Ladybug, then Tikki will be upset with me for letting my identity get out and who knows how Master Fu will react. He'll probably take my Miraculous away from me and give it to someone else more trust worthy and when Alya realizes that I've been lying to her since we first became friends, she will never talk to me again and if she isn't there to give me advice I'll never be able to ask Adrien on a date and if Adrien and I never go on a date then I will die sad and alone.
I started hyperventilating just thinking about it until I realized that Alya, Nino, and Adrien were all staring at me, "Are you okay Marinette?"Alya asked
"Yeah, why?"
"Well I asked you if you would rather do it in the park or the library and you started hyperventilating."
I smiled and let out a fake laugh, "Hyperventilating? Why would I be hyperventilating? Why would I be freaking out?"
They all blankly looked at me again and I shook my head. "Library, I think the library would be better."
"I agree." Nino said, finally taking some of the attention off of me. I put my head on the desk as they continued their conversation, I would normally love to be in any conversation with Adrien but I couldn't discuss our plans to reveal my secret identity anymore.
I quickly fell asleep only to wake up with Mrs. Mendeleiev standing over me, scowling.
"My lecture hasn't even started yet and you're asleep Marinette, how is that possible."
I sat up instantly and blushed while shrugging
"I shouldn't be too critical, it's a miracle you even showed up today."
It's Miraculous I instantly thought to myself which made me burst out into laughter, Cat Noir would be proud of that one. I smiled at the thought and took out my notes to pay earnest attention to Mrs. Mendeleiev talk about something sciency.
As the clock moved closer and closer to the end of school I found myself wishing for a sudden akuma attack or any type of emergency that could stop "Opperation: Ladybug."
Maybe I should start a fire.
