(Marc's POV)
"Marc? Marc?!" Kim says, standing over me.
I continue to scribble in my notebook, pretending that I can't hear him over my headphones-which aren't even on. I know that he's going to dare me to do something, and I have no intention of finding out what it is.
"What is the dare, Kim?" Alix asks.
"I want to see if he can come up with a story with just three subjects," Kim says. "An improvisation of stories!"
"Let me try," Alix says. "Give me three subjects and let's see how well I can come up with a story."
"All right," Kim huffs. "Let's let the group decide."
The two walk away from me. I glance at them as they go. Alix winks at me with a smirk. Finally, someone understands my need to be antisocial.
I continue my writing. Apparently someone didn't get my antisocial memo because I hear a thump as one of my friends sits down next to me. I look up. Kagami is staring at me. I blush and point at my headphones. She reaches over and takes them off. "I know that you're not listening to music."
"Yes, I want to be antisocial," I huff.
"Why? Because you're embarrassed that everyone knows you have a crush on me?" Kagami asks, hitting the nail on the head.
"I have no idea how you can just know what we're all thinking," I shake my head.
She blushes. "I guess it's a gift."
"Let me try," I say. "The reason you're here is because Ivan and Mylene keep pestering you about your love triangle. Right?"
"Did you overhear them?" she raises her eyebrow.
"Yeah," I grin sheepishly. "I still got it right, though."
"But you had evidence," Kagami smiles. Her smile has become more natural and less freaky the more she has hung out around us. I suppose her mother never wanted her to smile or something. I blush as I realize I'm staring at her. She turns away, blushing too.
There is silence between us. I've never had anyone know that I have a crush on them and like me back. I've also never been in a love triangle. This whole thing is very odd for me.
"What are you writing?" Kagami asks, breaking the silence.
"Sorting out which characters will date who," I say. "Everyone's got a crush on multiple people or a ship is one sided and it's a complete mess."
"Did you take inspiration from your friends?" Kagami asks with a smirk.
"Not intentionally," I giggle.
"How are you going to sort it out?" she asks, looking at my scribbly chart of my characters love situation.
"Well, I have a theory," I say. "I've always believed that opposites attract. Think about Kim and Max's friendship. Kim is the strong, dorky jock while Max is the intelligent nerd. They both work together very well because their skills and personalities complement each other. Same with Juleka and Rose. Rose is the happy, go-lucky ray of sunshine while Juleka is the dark and brooding goth girl. Or Alya and Nino. Nino is the carefree 'dude' while Alya is the more serious, mature one. Or Cat Noir and Ladybug. Ladybug is more serious while Cat Noir is a pun master. And their powers are opposite, too. Creation and destruction. Each side complements the other and compensates for their shortcomings."
"That makes sense," Kagami nods.
"Imagine if, say, Kim and Alix were left alone together," I say. "Without Max and Nathaniel. They'd probably kill each other with their dares!"
Kagami chuckles. "Or if you and Marinette were left alone, you two would come up with the worst scenarios and have a panic attack."
I snicker. "Yeah, things would be so bad between the two of us."
"May I be honest with you?" she asks, uncomfortable. "I don't want to have another argument like last time."
"You can be honest," I say. "I know you're not trying to offend or hurt me."
She nods. "I don't think you're following your theory in your relationships. You and Nathaniel are a…little too similar in my opinion. Both of you are introverted and antisocial. While Alix and Kim would kill each other, you and Nathaniel would never leave the house."
"That's fair," I nod. "Might I retort with the statement that you and Adrien are too similar?"
"Explain," Kagami says.
"Well, you might not have the same personalities, but you guys have the same backstories," I say. "You guys both have overprotective, suffocating parents who restrained your freedom. If you guys had kids, you'd want to give them as much freedom as possible because of your childhood. It'd be anarchy. You'd need someone who had too much freedom and thinks they should be more restrained to balance each other out."
"Touche," Kagami sniffs. "I guess we both have very good points."
There is silence as we think over each other's statements. "Have you talked to Marinette recently?" I ask.
"No, why?" she asks.
"I've heard rumors flying around about her," I say, concerned. "People keep saying that she's playing with Luka and Adrien's feelings. They're calling her a player…amongst other things."
"No, I didn't hear those," Kagami shakes her head, concern registering on her face. "Adrien doesn't even know she likes him. She can't be playing with his feelings."
"That's what I thought," I say. "And Marinette would never intentionally hurt anyone. Maybe someone overheard our conversation two days ago. But that begs the question of who is spreading these rumors."
"Lila," Kagami hisses. "I'm sure she's behind this. If she was willing to frame Marinette for cheating and stealing to get her expelled, spreading rumors isn't beneath her."
"And this time Marinette will have a harder time defending herself," I add. "She is dating Luka and has a crush on Adrien at the same time. She can't deny it. Once she admits that, it will be hard for people to believe that she isn't playing with their feelings."
"This isn't good," Kagami says. "I'm going to try to talk to her."
"She stayed home," I say. "You'd have to head to the bakery."
"And my mother is here," Kagami sighs. "And tomorrow I'm busy. I can't contact her through technological means. Can you tell her about everything?"
"I'll try," I say. "But I'm busy tomorrow, too. Family event. No technology allowed."
"Surely Alya must know and will talk to her," Kagami says. "Let's hope Marinette is okay for the next few days."
She heads home with her mother. I continue to scribble in my notebook, but my mind is on Marinette. Who would spread such nasty rumors about her? And how is she going to react?
(Adrien's POV)
"Oh! Adrien! Sit down! Sit down!" my energetic photographer says, pulling me over to the makeup chair. "We have a special idea for you and Miss Rossi to do!"
My makeup is done and the makeup artist and photographer leave. I keep my eyes straight ahead and don't glance at Lila. I've heard the rumors going around about Marinette. About how she's playing with me and Luka's feelings. She would never do anything like that. I'm her friend, she doesn't have any feelings to play with to begin with! I'm sure Lila was the one who started the rumors.
"What are all these rumors about Marinette?" I ask coldly. "They say she's playing with my feelings and Luka's. Now who started those?"
"For once, I wasn't technically lying," Lila says. I can practically hear her smirking.
My blood begins to boil. "You are totally lying about it! Marinette would never harm any of us, and she has no feelings for me. There's no way for her to toy around with me. She's a wonderful person and it's wrong to spread those lies about her!"
"Are you sure I'm lying about it?" Lila asks. "Luka seems to be a tad jealous of you."
"Marinette would never hurt anyone," I growl. "Not Luka, not me, not anyone! She's in love with him, and Marinette and I are friends. What you've spread is a blatant lie!"
"You'd be surprised," Lila hisses.
She'll never stop. Lila will never stop lying unless it is brought to the attention of others. I've tried to help her by being a friend, but spreading these malicious lies about Marinette-on top of her supposed anxiety-is too far.
"If you don't stop these lies," I hiss, "I will reveal them myself. I'm giving you one last chance. But we're no longer friends. I'm not friends with people who intentionally hurt my loved ones."
"Suit yourself, Mr. Agreste," Lila says coldly. We finish the photoshoot with a chill between us.
(Marinette's POV)
"Why is everyone staring at me so rudely?" I wonder to myself as I walk through the halls. "Why are my friends staring at me with distrusting stares and pitiful glances? Why is Lila smirking at me? Did she spread rumors? What did she do? Am I being paranoid?"
During lunch time, Alya confronts me. "Girl, have you heard the rumors?!"
"No! Why does everyone keep glaring at me?" I ask.
"People are saying that you're playing with Luka and Adrien's feelings," Alya says.
"What?!" I ask, shocked and horrified. "I'm not! Adrien doesn't even know!"
The rest of my friends crowd around me. "It's not true!" I say, desperate for someone to believe me.
"We know," Alya says.
"We know about your crush on Adrien," Max says.
"He doesn't know that I like him, I never played with his feelings!" I say. "And I never tried to hurt Luka. I never tried to hurt anyone! I know he's mad at me, but I never tried to play with his feelings. I tried to get over my crush on Adrien, but I can't! I didn't try to start this!" I hope they believe me. I hope they listen before Lila convinces them that I'm a terrible person.
I vaguely notice Juleka walk away before realizing that everyone is staring behind me. I turn around and see Adrien and Kagami standing behind me, the former with a shocked face. "Wait, you…you actually…How long have you liked me?" he stutters.
Tears start to fall down my face. "I…Since the beginning of the school year. I haven't been able to talk to you or tell you about it, and Kagami liked you so I tried to forget my crush on you, but I can't! And I don't know who to choose! I'm not trying to play with anyone's feelings…"
Adrien is stunned and can't speak. He was that oblivious to my crush.
Kagami gives me a hug. "You're not alone," she whispers. "I can't decide between Adrien and Marc. He can't decide between Nathaniel and I. Nathaniel can't decide between Marc and Alix. We're all struggling."
I sigh in relief. Knowing that I'm not the only one is comforting. If Lila tries to harm me, at least now people are for me and not against me.
There's a crash and students start screaming and panicking. In the confusion, I'm dragged to the courtyard and look into the center. A supervillain is wreaking havoc.
(Marinette Third Person POV)
The supervillain laughs maniacally. "I am Soothsayer! Hawk Moth has given me the power of seeing the future! Whatever I predict shall come true!"
The students begin to panic. Marinette looks around for an escape so that she can transform into Ladybug, but finds none.
"I predict a strong windstorm is about to blow through here very soon," Soothsayer grins. He swings his glowing staff around in the air and the wind begins to pick up. The students try to run away. Most of the get into the classrooms before the wind carries them away, but there are a few stragglers. Marinette Alix and a couple others are blown back into the locker room by the strong winds. The two girls grip on to the benches to keep from being blown out the window.
The wind dies down and the two girls crawl into the bathroom. They are alone as Soothsayer toys with the other students. Marinette begins to panic. How would she transform into Ladybug without Alix figuring out her true identity?
"Do you want me to look away?" Alix asks.
"What?" Marinette asks, confused.
Alix shrugs. "Is the transformation super secret?"
"T-transformation?" Marinette stutters.
"Ladybug's transformation!" Alix exclaims.
"Wait! W-wait! You know!" Marinette squeaks.
"Yeah!" Alix says. "I've known you are Ladybug for the past five days. It's not your fault! It was just your mental breakdown and what Kagami said about Ladybug added up and kinda revealed everything to me. Right info at the right time sort of thing."
"Oh my gosh," Marinette says, panicking. "No one's supposed to know!"
"Well, you can't take it back now, it's not your fault," Alix says, hugging Marinette. "We can deal with it later. Right now you need to stop Soothsayer! You can do it!"
"You're right," Marinette sniffs and transforms.