Ex. 1 - Lila POV

Lila stared at the ceiling of her bedroom.

How had they found out? How was this happening again?

She shook her head to clear the memories, but they came anyway. Her mind brought her back to her old school… after which she'd learned to lie – it wasn't just for popularity then; it was for survival.

"Lila!" the blond girl in her memories called out. "There you are! We searched the whole school for you!"

There was a teacher nearby. Lila wanted to call out to him, to run away, anything, but she couldn't move. "M-Marie," she formed the girl's name. The brunette next to Marie sneered – Lila couldn't forget her. "And Chia."

"Come on! Let's go somewhere special!" Marie slung her arm around Lila and dragged her away, behind the school and up to the rooftop. Lila shrunk away – they knew her fear of heights, that's why they brought her here.

"Well?" Chia asked, brandishing a paper. "What's this? A D+? You can do better, Lila."

"I-I'm sorry, Chia," Lila stuttered.

"Right now, I'm not even passing my classes. Do better, or I'll actually hurt you." Chia shoved her against the rooftop wall. Lila winced, rubbing her back. Is this not actual hurt?

"S-Sorry."

Chia smirked. "More like it. Be apologetic, Lila."

Back in the classroom, Lila's teacher approached her. "We've been hearing word of bullying around this school," she said. She looked concerned, and Lila saw her way out – if she told Mme. Couture, she could escape…

But Chia and Marie heard about Mme. Couture as well. "Who can you tell, Lila?" Marie teased. "Your dead father? Or your mother, who's almost never home? Or your teacher, Madame Couture – oh, if she finds out, do you think the school will ever believe that we're the ones you complain about? Hah, it's no wonder you have no friends – you should consider yourself lucky that we take time out of our day and hang out with you."

Lila turned away as they beat her down, both with actions and words – she couldn't take any more, but she knew they were right, she couldn't do anything about it – Marie was a model student, and Chia was the mayor's daughter – they would get away with anything.

At home, Lila's mom was concerned. "Where'd you get this?" she asked, pointing at a bruise on Lila's cheek.

Lila was a terrible liar – but she needed to learn for her mom's sake. "I just tripped," she said, as smoothly as possible. "Didn't realize the bruise would show."

Lila's mom looked anxious. "And is everything okay at school?"

Lila could tell her, switch schools maybe, but the stress lines on her mother's face convinced her otherwise. "Everything's fine, Mamma."

Everything wasn't fine.

The bullying just grew worse – and Lila couldn't tell anyone. It wasn't for lack of trying – she just couldn't get enough courage to defy Marie and Chia, especially since they had so much power over her. Every day, she came home with bruises peppering her arms – and even on hot summer days, she wore her jacket just to hide the wounds from her Mamma.

Even worse than the physical abuse was the mental ones – calling her stupid, swearing, calling her poor, making fun of her for her not-so-perfect family, her looks… and as the days went on, she stopped even trying to defend herself because she started believing them – if the whole class agreed, then maybe things weren't wrong with them, but things were wrong with her.

Maybe they were right.

But after six months of dealing with the bullying, she couldn't move on. Despite everything, despite knowing very well just where she stood in comparison to others, she longed for a second chance, one where she could be normal, actually make friends…

Finally, she worked up her courage.

"Mamma?" she asked.

Her mother was busy with work. "Hm?"

"C-Can we switch schools?" she asked. "I… think the curriculum here is way above my level?"

"Do you feel that way?" her mother asked, not really paying attention to Lila. "I'll see what I can do."

Despite her lack of attention, Lila's mother must have heard something in Lila's voice, for she realized she was switching schools in a week.

Throughout the week, she endured the pain and instead paid attention to Chia and Marie, and how they made friends – they had things, clothes, jewelry, things that Lila couldn't get – but they also had experiences. They went places. Saw things. Helped others.

And Lila realized that if there was no proof supporting their claims, and people believed them, what's stopping them from believing her?

So Lila practiced. She could lie, and make friends, if her own personality wasn't enough. She'd become someone she wasn't, only for the sake of never going through that experience ever again.

And it worked. They believed her. The whole of Collège Françoise Dupont believed her.

So when Marinette didn't, when Marinette's harsh words – calling her a liar – hit her, when she realized that Marinette was respected within the school and others could actually believe her, and things could turn out the way they did in her old school, Lila panicked.

She did the only think she knew how to do – she'd experienced it herself – threatening. She threatened Marinette to keep her mouth shut, just the way Chia and Marie had threatened her.

But Marinette wasn't like her.

Marinette was brave, strong, and courageous. Marinette didn't back down at Lila's threats – if anything, it made Marinette grow stronger, want to expose her even more.

And that made Lila grow stronger as well – she couldn't repeat what had happened before, she couldn't relive those scars…

These harsh memories combined with her renewed hatred for Marinette, the one factor that could ruin her life, caused Hawkmoth to approach her, giving her a chance to become even more powerful – and Lila took it.

Thinking back, Lila knew she went too far… and in the end, it had all turned out the same way. The school hated her.

She was once again beaten down – even though the people at her new collège didn't hurt physically, their words were enough.

Lila was interrupted from her thoughts when she heard a knock on the door. She moved to open it, wondering who it could be – her mother wasn't due to be home until much later.

"…Marinette?" she asked, surprised to see the bluenette standing there. She turned away, closing the door. "You're here to make fun of me, right? I know… I lost. You…"

Marinette shook her head. "I'm here to ask if you're okay," she said. "There have been a lot of people hurting you recently because of what you did… and I've been one of them. I can't forgive what you did – but you shouldn't have to go through pain for it. Everyone deserves a second chance."

Marinette smiled at the brunette.

Lila thought about telling one last lie, the lie she was best at – I'm fine – but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes – she'd been strong for too long.

"I-I'm not…" she cried. "I'm not fine at all!" For the first time ever, Lila opened up about her past. Marinette just watched and listened.

"We wouldn't be like that at Françoise Dupont," Marinette said gently. "You could be… who you truly are."

Lila turned away. "Thanks," she began. "But I'll be switching schools soon. You guys can forget all about me, and all the pain I've caused. For what it's worth, I really am sorry."

Marinette smiled. "I know you're not looking for forgiveness, just acceptance. If switching schools is what you truly want to do, then go for it. But… I know switching will not cover the pain."

"It's what I did last time," Lila argued.

"And you still have the scars."

"…you're right. But I don't think I'll ever be free of them. I think I can just learn… and restart… and try over and over again until I find something that clicks."

"We'll welcome you back," Marinette told Lila. "If you ever choose to return."

Lila shook her head. "I don't think any of the others will, but thanks, Marinette."

Marinette turned to leave, and the door shut softly behind her.

Lila would try again – a new start, a new school, just as she was used to. Her third collège, her third try.

Third time's the charm, right?

A/N: You have unlocked: Tragic Backstory! Writing this made me feel bad for Lila... slightly. I wanted to make her more human, rather than a straight out monster, so hopefully I succeeded :)

Next update will be from Marinette's perspective.

If you want to suggest POVs, or an idea for a new story, leave a review!