What has it been? Like 5 months? I'm so sorry. I just couldn't get past this chapter but I finally sat down and finished it. It was pretty easy after I waited awhile. I was having a bad day so I read through the comments and I just don't even understand why you guys are so nice to me. You're all really awesome. I can't even explain the joy I get from getting a comment. I just have a giggle fit and then I read the comment. Anyways, please enjoy. It's kind of short but it gives you a deep look into Sophia's and Marinette's friendship. I will update more often so please keep reading. No 5 month absences.

Marinette trudged up the steps to her apartment, longing for the moment her head could lay on her soft lilac pillow. But as she opened her apartment door the scene in front of her made her immediately reconsider that. Pillows were strewn everywhere, furniture obviously rearranged, her cactus plant was now on the ground. Dirt, flower buds, and the actual cactus lingering with the shards of the jade pot. This was something that Marinette had seen only once before.

Flashback:

"How could you not tell me!" Sophia screamed across the hallway, her fists balled up in rage, knuckles white with anger. Marinette was to angry herself to be even the slightest bit scared by her tantrum.

"Oh stop being a brat!" She snapped back, her own feisty anger lacing in with her words. Her Ladybug peeked through when she got angry, and the person her anger was directed act would be treated the same way she treated Chat when he got angry.

"I am trying to help you Marinette!" Sophia seethed through bared teeth, "And how do you expect me to do that when you can't even tell me what happened!" Marinette fixed Sophia with an annoyed glare.

"I don't need your protection, let alone want it." Marinette didn't even try filtering her words, she just let them come out, "I am 18 and have 3 years of experience on my shoulders. So, you can stop acting like you're the strong one here." Marinette didn't even know the weight of those words, she just thought of them as a good retort against this crazed Sophia. But they took a larger effect. A larger toll on their friendship than Marinette could even imagine.

Sophia's anger withered away, as the words spoken sunk into her skin.

"You're right." She whispered, her eyes shining with tears and her face morphing into a look of utter betrayal and helplessness. "I'm not the strong one here."

And that was that. That was the end of the fight. But while Marinette had left with only a few scratches, Sophia left with a tear through her heart. And Sophia didn't know how to mend it, so she let it bleed out. Let it stain her body and her soul. Let it drip, drip, and drip, until she was empty. That was the end of the fight.

The apartment was quiet for a few days, no light laughter or playful shouting. Though it was sunny outside, the apartment was still full of gloom and despair. Neither apologizing and reconciling. But as they say time heals and soon, as if trickling back, the sounds came and the sun split through. Cracking and chipping the dark.

End of Flashback:

"Sophia?" Marinette called out softly as if Sophia was a wounded deer. "Honey?" She called out again, a little louder this time. Her silent creeping turned into a normal pace. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all.

She stepped into the living room softly, scanning over the mess. But her eyes focused on a small shivering slump of an armchair, quivering and shaking. Marinette walked a little bit faster, impatient to get to Sophia. She practically ran the last distance between her and the form. She grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled them back, gasping as she took in the view in front of her.

"Sophia…" she whispered hesitantly. Sophia was curled into a ball, her eyes squinted shut and her mascara smudged across her eyelids. Tears had made a track through her makeup giving he face a shattered glass look. Her lips was smudged making her look the joker and her blond hair was a tangled mess. It was obvious that she had been pulling and tugging at it every which way. Her cheeks had broke out from the makeup staying on for too long and in all she looked like a total mess. She looked a lot like Marinette the first day she got to New York

"Mon amie." Marinette whispered gently as she kneeled next to the armchair. Sophia's eyes slowly opened. The glassy amber sending shivers up Marinette's spine. The white's on her eyes were now red and her water line looked like she had swapped out her black eyeliner with red.

"You're back." She whispered hoarsely, more as a statement than a question. Marinette's heart stopped at that moment. A terrible aching feeling nestling itself in her chest. Every muscle in her body throbbed. She had disappeared and never contacted Sophia to let her know that she was okay. Her friend had probably gone overboard with worry and broke. She couldn't believe that she had been so selfish to not think about her close friend.

"I'm so sorry." She murmured, trying but failing to hold back tears. Her body collapsed next to Sophia and she sobbed into her arm. "I'm so sorry." She cried. A hand was laid on her head and she peeked out of her little shell.

"I know." Sophia whispered and stroked her hair soothingly, exactly how Marinette's mother would do. Marinette was undoubtedly the more responsible person out other friendship but at some moments Sophia's motherly side would come out. It was probably because Sophia never had a mother of her own. She died of cancer when Sophia was only seven years old. Though Sophia still kept her own personality and didn't let the loss change her she had to calm her younger twin brothers. It was something that most people never saw let alone knew about. She had only ever shown that side of herself to her brothers and Marinette.

"I was so worried." Sophia said so softly that Marinette had barely been able to hear it. Marinette bit her lip as her eyes burned more painfully. She always hurt the people she loved. She always seemed to mess up at the first time possible.

"Let's get you to bed." She whispered as if afraid that Sophia would shatter in her hands. Marinette guided Sophia into an upright position. Sophia just sat their staring at Marinette. Here eye's so lost that Marinette could feel her broken heart shattering into tinier pieces.

"Let's stand up." She said a bit louder, trying to ease Sophia back into hearing louder volumes. This was New York City. The serenity of the apartment wouldn't be kept safe for long. Slowly and gently lifted Sophia up, wrapping her arm around her neck. They both made their way across the living room and down the hall towards the bedrooms.

"I can go on from here." Sophia said as they stood in front of her door, sounding like they were parting during an intense quest. But Marinette shook her head.

"You can't." She stated. "I know you. You'll just go in there and sit on your bed crying." Sophia lifter her head up in shock. But it was quickly gone as she remembered who Marinette was.

"Right as always." Sophia said as she let a small smile slip onto her face. Marinette was more than a little delighted by this change of events. She could see the Sophia's humor slowly trickling back into her.

Marinette opened the door, wide enough for both of them to easily slip in. After she sat Sophia on her bed she made a beeline towards the bathroom in the room. She grabbed some makeup remover, 3 quarters empty, and a wipe. She flicked the dim light in the bathroom off and sat next to Sophia on the bed. It was a foam mattress, so she slowly sank in. She wet the wipe with the makeup remover and then went on to wiping the makeup off of Sophia's tear stained face. It was easy, since most of her makeup was faded and smudged and her massacra was all underneath her eyes in streaks. She had worn no lipstick so other than the eye makeup there was only a light layer of foundation. As she pulled away the wipe she looked down at it, seeing the familiar colors that were mostly always on Sophia's face.

"Adrien was at the party yesterday." She whispered softly, having to suppress a smile when she thought about him. Sophie smiled softly as she stared at her hands.

"That party isn't meant for hot boys." Sophia said. "What was he doing there anyways?"

Marinette bit back a grin, Sophia joking around again was the biggest relief.

"Hmm, I thought you thought Adam was hot." Marinette watched as Sophia's cheeks turned pink. "I didn't think to ask." She then said, responding to the question that was asked. They both giggled and there smiles radiated, lighting up the dark room.

"Have I ever told you the time I texted Adam to confess my feelings but I accidently texted my dad." Sophia giggled as she pressed her hands against her head. Marinette was absolutely shocked. She had thought they had shared everything. When had this happened?

"No." Marinette muttered, feeling the embarrassment in her own self. It was like when you watched movies and you have to watch them do something really embarrassing and awkward. You just can't bear looking at it.

"It's true!" Sophia exclaimed, "I also talked about my 'weird' dreams about him in the text." No way. "I still can't look at my dad."

"Well, have I ever told you about the time I went on a date with Nino."

"But I thought you liked Adrien."

"I thought he was going to!"

"Aww bad luck Marinette."

"I even had an earpiece on and had Alya talking me through it all."

"God, you really were so awkward."

"Hey!"

"Don't deny it."

"Just cause it's true doesn't mean you get to say it."

They both laughed together in the dark.

"You know I love you."

"I know."

"Well…"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you going to say it back?"

"Ya know, I'm not sure i really love you."

Sophia punched Marinette in the arm.

"Fine."

"..."

"I love you too."

I love this chapter so much. I won't see a lot of my close friends anymore and it really hurts me so this chapter is to commemorate our friendships.

So thank you Sophie for being my first real friend. Be kind girly. Love you! 3