Authors note:
I had so much fun writing this chapter. I adore the umbrella scene and I was fangirling all over the place.
I own nothing
The next day Adrianna found guards waiting for her as she tried to escape for school. She ran and dodged through their grabbing arms, using a tree as an emergency escape route, and using it to quickly get herself over the wall.
But these guards were not hired by Gabriel Agreste for nothing. So while she had escaped their attempt at capture, she did not escape their influence. In the chaos of her escape, a small tracking device had been set upon her, the better to track her route. They sent their best to pick her up.
Adrianna's arm was nearly wrenched from its socket when a vice-like grip closed over her wrist.
What is it with this arm? It was the third time in as many days that this arm had been nearly dislocated, and Adrianna could feel the sore muscles and joints protest their abuse.
Adrianna did not go quietly, she tried to rip her arm out of the large man's grasp, his looming figure far less intimidating than it would have been mere days ago. He caught her around the waist, gently picking her up like a fussy toddler, and pushed her into the seat of the car. The doors locked and Nathalie sat, impassive. The Gorilla squeezed himself into the driver seat and started the engine.
"Buckle your seatbelt." Nathalie said, staring forward.
Adrianna clicked the seatbelt into place and the car began to move. She sat like a noble warrior captured in battle; head held high, and determined to try again tomorrow.
The screen built into the back of the seat in front of her flashed to life. The image deflated her pride, and fear crossed Adrianna's features.
Her father glared at her through the screen.
"This is unacceptable." He began, "This Circus act every morning cannot be allowed to continue." Adrianna looked at her shoes, knowing that anything she said would be steamrolled.
"For three days now, you have tried to attend this public school without my permission. You disobeyed me Adrianna." The car came to a halt in front of the cream colored façade of the Francois Dupont College. "Take a look at that school." Adrianna complied.
"You will never, I say, never go back there again," Her father's forceful words fell like a sword, cutting her off from the gossamer thread of her new life.
"Father, no…" Adrianna could barely hear herself, her voice was so weak. He was going to kill her chance for normalcy. She was almost sixteen, her childhood was almost gone. He was going to take this away from her like he did everything else.
"Without your bodyguard." Wait. What? Adrianna did a mental double-take as her mind processed what her father had just said. Without my bodyguard, does that mean… Adrianna's eyes widened, and hope and gratitude sunk in like a warm bath. She turned to Nathalie, who sat as seemingly emotionless as ever.
Nathalie had clearly gone to the mat for Adrianna. Convincing a man like her father must have taken every ounce of logic and pleading that the stoic woman could muster. She cared enough for him that she vouched for her to Gabriel Agreste. The older woman turned her gaze toward the window, avoiding the touched look that the young girl had given her. It was not Nathalie's place to be her mother, and she would always act with detached professionalism.
"Thank you Nathalie! Thank you father!" the ecstatic girl opened up the now unlocked door and ran up the steps to her new school.
*MLMLML*
Time to mend burned bridges.
Adrianna followed behind the angry swishing of black pigtails. Marinette, the girl who had mistakenly thought that Adrianna had put gum on her bench was still not speaking to her.
Well, she doesn't need to speak. She only needs to listen.
The twin-tailed girl stopped at the end of the covered arch that marked the entrance of the school. It was raining. The kind of late summer rain that washed away all of the accumulated dust that days in sunny weather would bring. Squalls like this were often short, resulting in beautiful shows of glistening pavement, and rainbow-glistening trees. It was a crisp, comforting, soothing rain.
Adrianna walked up to the girl, who had stopped; having apparently neglected to bring an umbrella or coat.
"Hey." Adrianna waved at the girl who turned away, snubbing the blonde faux-conspirator. Adrianna looked down at the water splashing up from the soaked pavement. Adrianna walked past the girl, black umbrella unfurling to protect the blonde girl from the patter of raindrops.
"I just wanted you to know… that I was only trying to take the chewing gum off your seat. I swear." Adrianna tilted the umbrella, as if trying to protect herself from the other girl's reproach. She turned to look the black-haired girl in the eyes.
"I've never been to school before." She turned away, as if hiding from the truth of her situation. "I've never had friends. It's all sort of… new to me." She shrugged, as if to say: and if I mess up, the only thing I can do is ask for forgiveness and patience.
Adrianna turned to the wide-eyed girl and offered her the umbrella. It was a piece offering. A way of saying that she wanted to start over, and get off on the right foot. It was offering friendship.
Green eyes stared into blue. Marinette was struck by the honesty and hope in his eyes. There was no resentment, no hint of irony or malice. Those emerald green eyes were open and kind.
Marinette looked like a deer in the headlights. She gasped in surprise as something rushed through her. It was warm and tingly, she was lost in the gaze that held hers. She slowly lifted her hand to accept the gift. Their fingers brushed against each other, and the girl in pink withdrew her hand momentarily in surprise. She accepted the gift, her eyes still locked with the young model before her.
With a light swoosh, the umbrella closed itself over the dumbstruck girl's head. The moment broke.
The ridiculous and unexpected image of Marinette's head and shoulders replaced by a bat-like umbrella caused mirth to bubble through Adrianna's walls of tact and politeness. She burst into laughter, not cruel or unkind, but genuine happy laughter. Marinette lifted the edge of the umbrella and caught sight of the beautiful, happy girl before her. The sight and sound of the girl laughing before her caused her to laugh as well. The two laughing girls were the only two people in the world in that moment.
"See you tomorrow." Mirth still laced the blonde girl's voice as she turned to walk down the steps, the rain pattering a steady rhythm on her hair and skin.
"First day of school and we already have two lovebirds." Plagg said, affectionately teasing his Chosen. She laughed, dismissively.
"Ha ha, whatever, she's just a friend." She stopped and thought about what she had said. She had said it casually, like it was nothing. Like it was a given.
"A friend!"
She smiled, looking back toward her new friend standing at the top of the steps.
*MLMLML*
I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Standing in the same spot where he had tested his Chat Noir, Master Fu watched his new students, his green Kwami at his side.
"Excellent choice, master" the turtle fairy complimented.
"Those two were made for each other." It was not often that a Cat and Bug Wielder came along that complimented each other so perfectly. Master Fu knew, with certainty, that his choice of these two in particular, were guided by fate.
They watched the oblivious heroes as they made their way home.
END OF EPISODE