~THE NEXT DAY~

"…So this is the tea Gabriel Agreste lives on."

Marinette held the teacup up to her nose and took in the stiff aroma. The day had become even warmer as she relaxed at one of the tables out back from the café, Justin cleaning the table nearby. "What did grandmother call it again…'Deep Almond Cruise'. If I can drink this, then I can easily ask Felix out for a cup of tea without making a fool of myself!"

It'll be fine, she took a light sip, I'll drink it all down and-?!

"Ah, ah," she nearly bit her tongue as she pulled the cup away, tears forming in her eyes from the sting, "ew, it's so bitter, and hot! How can anyone drink this stuff?!"

"With a lot of dedication, Marinette."

She placed the tiny cup back on its plate on the table as the young braided blonde girl from school sauntered over, her violet blouse adding a splash of soft colour to the plain white tables. "Oh, Dianne, you're here!"

"Of course," Dianna took the chair across from her, "Alya told me to come by. She said something about you trying another silly stunt, and boy was she on the dot."

"Wh-what?! I'm not doing anything weird!"

"Please, Marinette." She chuckled and brushed the bangs out of her purple eyes. "You know you hate bitter stuff, so why try to force yourself to drink it so suddenly?"

"…Well, to tell you the truth, I…!"

Both girl glanced over at the table Justin had just cleaned as Felix, now in a black sweater, sat down and ordered himself a cup of tea Marinette recognized as one of her grandmother's favourites, a mountain brew. As Justin returned to the café Dianne turned back to find Marinette starring.

"…Marinette?"

"…"

"…Your hair is on fire."

"Uh-huh," Marinette sighed and rested her head in her hands as she watched Felix close his eyes and keep to himself, "he is, isn't he?"

"…Marinette, do I sense a growing infatuation with the new student?"

"…Uh, what?!" Marinette nearly fell out of her chair from shock. "Oh, uh, what, um, n-no!"

"Mm," Dianne gave a warm smile as she set her one leg up beside her on the chair, "you can't fool me, girl. I can see that you've fallen into a crush on Felix Agreste."

"…Is it that obvious?"

"A little bit."

If Dianne, top music student at school and one of the finest ladies of the student populous thinks I have it bad, I must…but I don't care!

"What's this I see?"

Both girls turned to find two young men walking up towards them, the black haired boy in blue waving. "Two lovely ladies without the pleasure of company? Such a sight can only break a man's heart."

"In other words," the black boy in green winked, "when's the food coming?"

"Sorry, Denzel, I didn't order any snacks. I was trying my hand at this tea, but…"

"You're going to need a bit more training, right?"

She nodded. "Right, more training it is!"

The boy in blue shook his head, smiling. "Don't let Denzel here be your life trainer, Mari. Tea isn't for everyone."

"May I assume, then, Edmund," Dianne rolled her eyes, "that you are a master of the teas?"

"How could I ever woo the finest of women without such a skill?" Edmund leaned over the table close to her face. "Care to reveal to your beloved prince the flavour of your choice?"

"My dear," she leaned in, smirking, "this princess is going to take a lot more than a measly cup of tea to woo, charming."

Denzel leaned close to Marinette's ear as the other two faced off. "I'm totally in need of popcorn right about now."

"I feel you…you think Felix likes popcorn?"

"Who knows…hey, wait a minute," he sneered, "you sly fashionista, you." He rubbed the top of her head. "Got your eyes on the top of the barrel, do you?"

"D-Denzel!" She giggled as Felix glanced their way. "…"

I don't care if he's on top or outside of the barrel. There's something about him that…that makes me so crazy! Even for my natural craziness!

How obnoxious, Felix watched the girl from class, Marinette, sit with her friends at the table near him as the popular flirt Edmund and musical prodigy Dianne shot smart remarks back and forth to each other, and I had come here for some peace and alone time.

As the waiter brought him his tea he rubbed the ring on his finger. It had only been there for just over a week, but it felt as heavy as it had the first time he put it on. He took a sip as the waiter went back into the quaint café.

I have been able to learn more about them, at the very least, he focused on Dianne, who was currently listening to Edmund's speech on the romance in all music, Dianne, daughter of a famous website designer, who has dedicated her life to her flute and counselling new students as a part time tour guide for the school. Then there is Edmund, family unknown but flirting always at a ten, just like his hair. Denzel is part of the track team and strives to become a coach, just like both his parents.

"Photo time," Alya from fourth period science waved to the group as the waiter came out and alongside Marinette, "with my new and improved camera!"

Alya, daughter of a chef with the heart of a photographer, who loves pink almost as much as she loves sweets.

He observed the others, Dianne glancing over her shoulder towards Alya as Edmund waved excitedly, Denzel holding him by the shoulder as he made what Felix knew then to be a rock symbol. The waiter eyed the table as Marinette put on a big smile.

Marinette, he recalled as Alya took the photo from at least a dozen different angles, some of which reminded him of yoga positions, up and coming amateur fashion designer, and granddaughter of this very café's owner. She's clumsy with a capital "C" but has not a single angry bone in her body…I still have yet to figure out what she's really like, and why she was studying me yesterday.

As Alya joined the group at the table, imitating Edmund to the point of placing a light blush on his cheeks, Justin cleared Marinette's cup. She locked eyes with Felix for a brief moment, and he saw a joy in them he had never seen before.

…I…I should avoid her…I'm not about to be pulled into some hectic group of friends like those…

Hey, guys! I'm posting this chapter early because of my plans on the weekend, and I wasn't about to leave you guys hanging until Monday. Now that I've introduced THIS story's version of the quantic squad (though they won't be using that term in this universe), we can really get the ball rolling! I changed their names so that their meanings match the characters, just as Lyra, Benjamin and Victor fit the others in 'Quantic Squad'. I've also given Alya a new hobby (photos instead of journalism) to spice things up. Now we can begin to unravel just how each of Marinette's friends play into the story against HawkMoth.

Until next time, and thanks for reading!