Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows! Also, special thank you to deebeth89, fandomflier15, and liker for letting me know I was spelling her name wrong. I fixed chapter 1 so it should be good now. Can't believe I did that. X3 I'm an idiot. I'll try to keep the paragraphs short, though some may be a bit long.
Also, thank you to saberstorm. I have much planned as his infiltration of her room will not be a one-time thing. ;) Expect close calls, unintentional flirting, and accidental theft of questionable items. And if you love the Wile E. Coyote theme, check out "The Villain." Good movie with (young) Arnold schwarzenegger, Kirk Douglas, and Ann-Margret. Old but very funny.
And thank you to LadybugLover21 for:
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Not sure what it, means, but thank you anyway? :3
Observation
Chapter 2: Bullet to the Head
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Much of the school day had gone by without a hitch. Both Chloe and Lila had tried for Adrien's attention before lunch. Both attempts were politely and subtly brushed off one way or another. Being constantly grabbed by Chloe was bad enough, but for her bad habits to have rubbed off onto Lila was not a good sign. As long as Adrien wasn't in the room, they were tolerable of each other. Put him in, and all hell broke loose. That was one cat-fight he wanted no part of.
Upon hearing his childhood friend call out to him from the floor above, Adrien made a quick sidestep behind the stairs. Stealthy! Just like a ninja. Now if only he could make shadow clones...
He heard her pass by, complaining to Sabrina of how her 'Adrikens' would always vanish at the worst of times. It was a little surprising Plagg hadn't come out to tease him on this per usual. Not that he was complaining about the silenced kwami. He let out a sigh of relief when all was quiet.
"Wha-cha doing?" Asked a voice by his ear.
The sudden voice had him jumping out of his skin. The loud thunk and flash of hot, white pain clouded his senses and he balled up, clutching his poor head. Now he knew why Plagg had been quiet!
"Oh my gosh, Adrien, are you okay? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you."
Lacking in personal space, Lila had at some point snuck up behind him while he was hiding from Chloe. The blond rubbed the back of his head and stood up, waving his hand around to say he was fine. Nevermind the tears in his eyes from when he bit his tongue.
"We should go to the nurses office and have that bump checked out! Don't worry, I'll escort you in case you feel faint or dizzy," she suggested, gently taking his arm as she stepped in closer. Something round and squishy pressed against his arm as well, and he froze, trying not to focus on what it was.
Adrien held his breath and tried to lean back, but another-more gentle-bump to the head prevented further retreat. "A-actually, I'm fine. I've had worse injuries before. Besides, I was on my way to eat with some friends." Her smile fell a bit. "I don't want them to worry about where I've gone to. Marinette especially worries."
"O-oh," she said softly, giving him a sad look followed by a pout.
'Oh God, not that. Please don't...' The pang of guilt over something he may have said surfaced. Why did he have to be so sensitive to such things?
"B-but if you want, you can join us?" Not exactly a request. More like he was trying to worm his way out of a problem he had blindly walked into.
Like the flip of a coin, she was happy again. "Really!?"
It was certain Lila wanted attention, so-much-so that she would lie to get it. It had come across to him as loneliness. A feeling he was familiar with all too often. He had already forgiven her for lying about her connection to Ladybug, her heritage to a miraculous user, and her lie about being a hero. He even forgave her for pretending to use Adrien Agreste as a hostage to get Ladybug's earrings-a happening that showed LB's unusual concern for his alter-ego's well-being. All-in-all, Lila just wanted friends...
Adrien smiled at her, "Yeah, of course! The more the merrier." He hoped the others would be okay with it as well. He wasn't sure if he had just dodged a bullet or shot one.
Being that it was a lovely summer afternoon, the group had chosen to take their lunches to one of the larger trees outside where the partial shade and cool breeze kept them from overheating. Nino sat beside his girlfriend, swapping a few food items with her and Marionette who sat to Alya's left. There were perks to having a girlfriend whose mother was a high-class chef and a friend whose parents owned a popular bakery.
"Peas and carrots?" He offered one such trade.
"Uh-uh. Not even I would trade something for those." Damn. Marinette?
The raven shook her head, "Sorry, Nino." Double damn. "But I'll give you a croissant all the same?"
"Marinette, you're the bomb!"
"I know I am," came her smug remark and puffed out chest.
"Hey guys!" They looked up to see Adrien, sheepish smile on his face, a hand scratching the back of his neck, and a grinning girl glued to his arm.
"Oh no," Alya whispered under her breath. Her friend had been doing so well as of late to have actual conversations with her crush. Even the stuttering had quieted down to some extent. "Mari?"
But Marinette was already gone. Her eyes were wide and dilated as dread washed over her at the scene. Adrien's attitude and the all-to-happy girl clinging to him like...like a girlfriend or something!?
As per usual, her mind was running a mile a minute; filtering all the possible and terrible scenarios this could lead to. Of how Adrien and Lila would become all lovey-dovey in front of her. They'd go on dates and make out under the lights of Paris, lost in their own world. Then they'd get married and have five kids! NOOOOO!
A strange sound escaped her similar to a whine and a whimper. How pitiful.
She jerked back to reality when a sharp pinch woke her. The girl looked down to see a tiny red arm retreat back into her purse. Tikki.
Right! She couldn't let jealousy ruin any friendship with Lila a second time. Nor could she let it eat away at her friendship with the love of her life! This would be her second chance with Lila and proof of her growth in the love department. A new beginning!
"A-A-Adrien! H-hi! A-and Lila! You're both...here! T-together..." Alya sighed and shook her head. So much for progress.
This was...a fresh start!
Lila moved out of her way to sit next to Marinette, forcing the blond boy to sit between her and Nino.
A fresh start.
"Adrien asked if I would like to join. How could I refuse," Lila spoke softly to the two girls with a girlish giggle. Her voice was too low for the boys to hear over their conversation about peas and carrots being the bane of the world.
Fresh. Start...
"Sorry about earlier in class. I wasn't trying to make it seem like you were a liar or anything. You seemed a little distraught so I wanted to help ease the tension."
See? She could be pretty nice given the chance. Maybe this wouldn't be too difficult after all.
"No...no problem. And thank you."
"So, I heard your family owns a mom and pop bakery? That must be pretty awesome to have fresh, warm pastries and bread every morning. I myself used to help out at a world famous bakery in my hometown. You probably wouldn't know the name of it. Perhaps I can give you some tips or ideas sometime? It could help put your shop on the map."
Adrien jerked his head over to them. Even un-transformed, his Chat instincts were screaming at him that something had happened and it had the hair on his arms raised. This feeling, he was certain, was coming from Marinette. She was quite still. Quiet, and maybe from a distance, peaceful. But she was staring right at Lila with an odd look. The hero was inclined to look around for a butterfly but remained an observer.
"Really?" He shivered, both liking the alluring depth her voice had gone to and fearing the tone. He blushed. It reminded him of how Ladybug, on rare occasion, would flirt back. She usually did it to mess with him or when she was really pissed at him.
That's when it hit him.
'Oh God!' He had shot the bullet! He had shot one, not dodged one! What the heck was he supposed to do now!?
Marinette smiled in a Ladybug-like way. This was not a smile he had seen her show before... He could feel his heart pounding a bit. Anticipating...
"...How interesting. What was the name of this...'world-famous' bakery? What was your position there? What was their specialty? Did you learn how to make the bread or did they get it from other shops?"
"Panadería Mundial," Lila said confidently. "I was the lead manager and helped out wherever needed, though I often worked the register because all the customers loved me. As for specialties, we were known for our mantecadoes. They're Spanish cookies, in case you didn't know. We also sold cakes, pastries, pies, cupcakes, and bread, all freshly made and gluten free. Everybody is on that gluten-free diet nowadays. It's the healthy choice. I bet if your family sold gluten-free products it'll be a huge boost in business."
"You're right, I haven't heard of them before. How strange... My parent's bakery has participated in quite a few contests and festivals. Three years ago, we even won the title of Best Bakery in Paris. It's a pretty. Big. Thing. Especially in Paris, France, home of the best bakeries this side of Europe." Like commenting about the weather but with sarcasm. A lot of sarcasm.
Lila might not have picked up on Marinette's odd behavior, but the other three sure had. Well, maybe she had picked up on the sarcasm considering she was now frowning. "I'm not sure how we'd be able to get a hold of gluten-free ingredients, but I'm sure there are plenty of other bakeries here who would love to hear about your gluten-"
Her words were quickly cut short by Alya's hand. Marinette struggled in the tight hold her friend had put her in. "Sorry, Lila. It's that time, so she's a bit cranky over every little thing. It's nothing personal. Poor thing was in quite a bit of pain this morning. Downed five pills like they were candy."
Marinette turned bright red at the lie about her time of the month. An embarrassing lie...told right. In. Front. Of. Adrien! 'Alya, how could you!? Aren't you supposed to be my friend?' She wanted to cry.
Nino coughed awkwardly as he strummed his fingers along his knees. Lila nodded, now understanding the situation as any girl would. Adrien on the other hand had no clue what the girl meant by 'that time.' He was still so innocent. Though the thought that Mari was in pain was concerning. She looked about ready to cry for heaven's sake!
"Marinette, if you're hurting, you should go to the nurse's office."
Alya quickly waved him off. "No need, no need. She'll be fine soon. She appreciates your worry, though."
A tiny nod from Marinete backed up Alya's dismissal, though he still felt concern. Still, he was relieved that the situation had been resolved peacefully. He might not have known much about bakeries or gluten-free foods (something his dietitian took care of), but he was sure Marinette's anger stemmed from her family's renown being put into question. He knew her family was warm and inviting, and that they were amazing at their craft. It was also why he felt bad for causing this situation by inviting Lila.
Yet he couldn't just stand by and leave her alone like that. He had felt more freedom and happiness spending time with his friends than he had on his own. Lila would just have to learn, be it the hard way, how to make friends. Impressing someone with an experience might be a great way to start a conversation, but lying could set you back. Honesty is what she needed to learn. ...And maybe some restraint.
Marinette finally calmed down enough to start wolfing down her food in a fashion that was in no way lady-like. It kept her from making any rash comments, which was a good thing, but it left them in another awkward silence.
"So, Lila, have you been akumatized yet?" Strait to the point, Alya. She already knew the answer from Ladybug, but as a conversation topic, it was a start. "I know you're still a bit new, but akuma can pop up from anyone, anywhere."
Lila frowned and looked away, "I have, but I'd rather not talk about it. Ladybug was pretty mean to me and was the reason I became an akuma." Alya perked up at this bit of news, torn between defending her hero and interrogating the hell out of Lila. Darn her journalist side! "Have you been?"
"Of course! Most of our class has, though Chloe was the cause for most cases," she mumbled the last bit. Maybe she could butter the girl up into revealing some truths later. "Only these two adorable faces haven't been akumatized yet," she pinched Marinette's cheek like a long-distant aunt and nodded her head in Adrien's direction.
They both froze, food halfway to their mouths. Even their excuses came up at the same time; automatic if a bit sudden. "I'm pretty laid back. Not much bothers me." "I'm constantly in emotional distress, s-so I'm used to it!" This was followed up by awkward laughter from each.
"...Riiiiight," Alya agreed, raising a brow at their suspicious behavior.
As school came to an end, Marinette was more than happy to head home for some R&R. But of course, Alya had made good on her promise to not let the subject of Mari and Ladybug slip through her fingers. And somehow in the span of two hours before school was over, Lila had also invited herself over. Something about bonding and wanting to see what Marinette's style was? Something about her room and finding out Marinette liked to design or some such nonsense.
What was a heroine to do? Had Lila suddenly focused all her attention on making Marinette her new friend or something? Wasn't being familiar classmates enough?
The young girl rubbed her temples. A futile attempt at calming her nerves as they neared her home. The building was almost in view. She hadn't had anyone new over since Adri-
"ADRIEN!" Marinette screamed, startling the two other girls. Her hands smacked into her the sides of her head, rubbing her hair around in distress until it was a wild mess. She whipped her head around to her best friend, eyes wide in horror.
Adrien's posters were all over her room! Lila liked Adrien! What the hell would she do if she found out how obsessed Marinette was with him!? What would ADRIEN think if he knew about his life schedule!? SHE'D DIE OF SHAME!
"I-I forgot my room is a total mess! I-I'll run ahead and clean it up. You two, take your time!" And she was gone.
Alya crossed her arms and let out a soft chuckle. 'She only just now realized that?'
"Is she that upset over a messy room?" Lila asked, confused.
"Oh, Honey, her mess is all over that room."
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TA-DA! A second chapter all within 24 hours or so. New record for me? Not sure. But here's chapter two! Now off to bed so I can have maybe 4 hour of sleep before my dental appointment. Because Hoot hoot for night owls!
Sorry. Bad pun...