Chapter 2: Rough Start
~Marinette's P.O.V~
Sunlight shined into my eyes, causing me to squint and roll away from the disturbance. Had there not been a wooden barrier along my bedside balcony, I probably would have fallen on my face.
"You left the balcony door open," Tikki yawned, from beside my head.
"I noticed…" I mumbled back, wearily wiping the sleep from my eyes.
"I can't believe the sound of all that rain didn't wake you up," she mused.
I looked up to my ceiling, running my eyes slowly over my blank digital clock-, then I paused. Glancing back at the clock I squinted harder at the tiny grey box until my eyes cleared enough for me to see the numbers… and realized it was completely turned off.
The remaining sleepiness vanished, replaced with adrenaline as I ripped the sheets off my body and scrambled down the ladder, nearly falling off.
"What time is it?" I panicked.
"It's only 7:15, schools not for another hour," Tikki replied calmly, giving me a peculiar look.
"No, no, no!" I squealed. "I have to be there early today for the extra credit lecture!"
"What time does it start?"
"IN 15 MINUTES!" I yelled, finally losing my cool.
Tikki threw my jacket at my head from across the room. "Hurry, get dressed! I'll grab your bag."
I moved as fast as I could, throwing on my clothes, brushing my teeth and rushing down my staircase in a stunning record of 3 minutes.
"Gonna be late, I'm gonna be late!" I chanted, dashing through my living room when I spotted a plate of cookies by the door. I tried to stop, but I'd been moving so fast I skidded along the floor completely missing the food. I had to run back towards the cookie tray to grabbed a small handful, shoving the cookies inside my purse for Tikki.
"Love you- see-ya-later bye!" I blurted, dashing past my befuddled mother again and out the door.
My hurried trip to school was exactly as I should have expected for someone as clumsy as myself. I fumbled over thin air, dropped what little lunch money I had brought, then finally rammed myself into a pole before an entire square of gawking strangers, yet amazingly enough, I made it to the school with 5 minutes to spare. As I ran towards the building I glimpsed Alya climbing the stairs, just about to enter.
"Alya!" I called out, halting by the side of the road to catch my breath.
She whipped her head around, grinning when she spotted me, then her expression turned to alarm. "Marinette watch out!" She called out too late.
I was still registering her words when a cold wave of water splashed up from behind me, drenching the left half of my body. I sucked in a giant breath of air, jolting upright as the cold moisture flowed down my back. Alya ran over to me.
"Oh no, you're all wet." She reached out to lift my arms up, inspecting my clothing.
"…I noticed," I mumbled for the second time that day.
At least Tikki didn't get hit by any water. But who?.. I began to ask myself slowly turning to catch a glimpse of the careless driver, when I spotted a familiar grey vehicle, and a blonde head popped out the passenger door.
Adrien emerged from his car and jumped over the curb hurrying to reach me while I lamely dripped water onto the concrete.
"Marinette! Are you okay?" His face was full of worry, his hands halfway outstretched, as if unsure if he should touch me or not.
"Huhnn…" I fumbled out like a moron.
I was too embarrassed to form a proper response but luckily he kept talking.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't tell the driver to stop in time and-, I didn't think to roll down the window until it was too late, but I swear I di-"
"Oh don't apologize Adri-kins,"Chloe's smug voice interrupted from behind. "This is comic gold," she giggled out.
I cranked my body around, praying that it would be some random stranger with an unfortunately similar voice, but sure enough, standing with an air of arrogance was the last person I wanted to see. Chloe Bourgeois.
I should have slept in, why couldn't today be the day I was late to school? I couldn't help but think to myself.
Before anyone could respond to her snide comment, she swung the cellphone already resting in her hands upward, quickly snapping a picture of my soaking clothes- and probably dumbfound expression to follow. Alya and Adrien acted in unison stepping in front of me to block the view of the camera but they were too late as she'd already taken the picture.
"Hey!" Alya yelled.
"Not cool, dude," Nino chipped in walking up beside Alya.
Chloe responded by turning her head away from us and putting her hands on her hips defensively. "It's not my fault you dorks don't recognize humor when you see it, but whatever, I'm sure the rest of the school will get a kick." She smiled gloatingly, focusing back on the device probably getting the photo ready to send to the whole school.
"Chloe!" I began.
Alya and I reached for her phone, but Adrien beat us to it. Stepping forward quickly, he set his hand on top of Chloe's, pushing the device down.
"Don't tell me you're with them." Chloe scoffed, throwing a mocking look in our direction.
"Chloe," Adrien spoke seriously. "Really, don't you think that's a bit much?"
"Of course not, what should we care if she's humiliated?" She scoffed, pulling her phone from his hand to hit the final button.
"Wait, Chloe!" He tried again. "Please, don't send that photo."
"And why not?" She raised her brow.
"Because…" Adrien took a moment as he grasped for the right thing to say. "I don't want you to send the photo because… because I'm afraid my hair looks bad."
There was sudden silence as everybody stopped to gawk at him in disbelief.
"See, uh- I wasn't ready when you took that picture so.. it would mean a lot to me and-my uh-, modeling career if you didn't send that to everyone." He continued explaining, ignored our stupefied expressions.
Alya was the first to recover enough to chip in. "Th-that's… completely right!" She exclaimed with false enthusiasm. "His hair isn't photo ready at all."
"A complete disaster," Nino threw in.
I saw him grab his mouth and duck his head as he tried to contain his laughter.
I covered my face in horror. There's no way Chloe's that stu-.
My thought was interrupted as Chloe gasped loudly.
"Ohh Adrien! I was so distracted by how awful Marinette looked, I didn't even realize how unkempt your hair was today."
Adrien and I groaned in unison.
"Yeah," he stroked the back of his neck in embarrassment. "So could you uhh, please delete the photo?"
"Of course! I would never do anything to ruin your precious modeling career," Chloe complied, flipping her attention back to the phone, tapped the screen once then quickly threw her arms around Adrien. "Don't worry, Adri-kins no one will have to know about your unkempt mess, at least you don't look nearly as bad as her."
I scrunched my hands into fist trying to keep from lashing out at her. Her nasty comments were bad enough without her throwing herself onto Adrien.
Alya patted my back and threw me an understanding look. I thought I caught a glimpse of Adrien giving me what might have been an apologetic grimace.
"Now come with me, I might still have some time to make your hair as fabulous as mine," Chloe chimed, beginning to pull Adrien away.
"But the special visitor-,"
"No time! Hair always comes first my dear Adrien, if you'd known that earlier you wouldn't have come to school looking like you do now."
He had an exasperated look on his face as he silently let himself be drug into the school.
I could feel angry tears build up in my eyes. I blinked them back, turning away from the entryway. "I think I'm gonna head home you guys."
"What?" Alya asked, turning towards me. "Don't let Chloe get to you Mari. We all know she's full of-"
"-I'm dripping wet and I'm not drying off anytime soon," I cut her off as I flung my arms across the concrete, flinging dirty droplets as demonstration.
"As much as I hate to admit it Alya, Chloe's right. I look like a dripping pathetic mess. I'll come back after I get some new clothes," I sighed.
Alya grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to look at her. "Marinette, don't say that!"
"Yeah Mari it's really not that bad," Nino added. "If anything, it's the opposite of what Chloe says that's really true. I mean you don't look that pathet-"
"-Nino!" Alya glowered at him.
"What I was just sayin-"
"-We get it," She shook her head at him sternly but affectionately, then focused back on me. "Just wear your spare gym clothes for the morning. When lunch comes I'll walk with you home and we'll grab new clothes, Okay?"
My chest swelled as I gazed at my best friend affectionately. "Okay.." I replied.
She kept a reassuring hand on my shoulder as the three of us headed into the school together.