Ex. 4 – Alya POV

Alya hadn't wanted to ditch Marinette. She and Marinette had clicked – even when they first met, when Marinette slid into the seat beside her after being pushed out by Chloé, and after they stood up to her together, after everything they went through together…

Marinette was her best friend.

But Lila… was so different. She brought something new to Collège Françoise Dupont, something that wasn't there before.

She boosted the Ladyblog – Alya's only true love, except maybe Nino – views had skyrocketed after Lila gave her little interview.

And bit by bit, Alya began to prefer Lila's company. Maybe it was the tales she told – so wild, so fantastical that you wouldn't think they're true, but coming from Lila, told with such enthusiasm and passion – maybe it was just that she was a good liar, maybe Alya wanted to believe that they were true…

So, despite Marinette's constant pleas for Alya to turn around, for Alya to see sense, she followed Lila instead.

She never thought she was doing something wrong. The thought that Lila could be lying never even crossed Alya's mind. She brushed off Marinette's words because she believed the latter was just jealous – Lila was so close to Adrien, Marinette's longtime crush.

So, when Chat Noir, a hero Alya had admired for so long, came to the school and alerted them that Lila wasn't exactly who she seemed, Alya broke.

She had trusted this girl, the one she could no longer call her friend. When Ladybug threw her out of the superhero team, Lila was there lending a shoulder to her, even if she didn't know exactly why Alya was sad.

When Marinette's birthday passed and Alya cried instead of celebrating it with her former best friend, Lila was there.

So why, now, why was she gone?

A part of her wanted to hate Chat Noir for this, hate him for tearing up her friendship, for if she'd never known, if she'd stayed oblivious, she'd be happy.

But what she had with Lila wasn't happiness – thoughts of Marinette still plagued her dreams, imagining Marinette's betrayed expression when Alya refused to take her side.

And now… it turned out she was right.

Alya punched the pillow she was lying against; it let out a burst of feathers. "I messed things up," she said to no one in particular. "I ruined my friendship with my closest friend, for what?"

She could hear Etta and Ella crashing around downstairs, and vaguely wondered what they were doing, but couldn't bring herself to think. Tears tracked down her face as she wrote, shakily…

Marinette…

She couldn't find the right words. For a moment, she stood, her pen hovering a centimeter above the paper, her eyes staring at it but too blurred to see anything.

In the spur of a moment, however, Alya began writing – how could a journalist like her have writer's block on a simple letter?

She wanted her best friend back. That's all she knew. And she knew how stupid she was – running back to Marinette after realizing that she was right all along, but that wasn't why. The truth was, she'd missed Marinette all throughout. What she'd felt with Lila, although still real, wasn't the same.

She and Lila hadn't clicked.

And so her pen moved, writing down those words she'd wished she's told Marinette so long ago, about how sorry she was and how much she missed hanging out with her, how Lila just… couldn't compare.

Finally signing the letter, Alya sealed it in a pink envelope and moved down to Marinette's. She pushed open the door to the bakery and saw Sabine's sad eyes track her as she gave a halfhearted wave and moved to climb the stairs.

"Marinette misses you; you know?" she said when Alya was halfway up the stairs. Alya paused and glanced down at Sabine, a glimmer of hope on her face.

"She… does?"

"Very much. But Marinette – she's looking for Alya, the one who's always had her back, not the one who dumped her when she needed her most."

Alya nodded sadly. "I don't… want forgiveness. I can't be forgiven. I… was such a bad friend."

"Tell her that, not me," Sabine said. "She's in her room."

Alya held Sabine's gaze for a moment longer before continuing her walk, and knocking slightly on the door.

"Nath?" Marinette called from inside. "That you?"

Was Nathaniël a regular visitor? "No… actually it's Alya."

"Oh…" Marinette's voice became distinctively cooler. "Come in."

Alya walked in.

Before Marinette could speak, Alya began. "I'm sorry. I know you aren't looking for this, I know you have better friends now, I know that you probably don't want to talk to me ever again, but my conscience won't let me ignore you. I'm not looking for forgiveness… I just want to say that I know I was a terrible friend, and no matter what, nothing I can do will make up for that. I just want to maybe… start over?"

Marinette wavered a bit, but then a smile broke out on her face. Her eyes swam with tears. "Alya…"

"H-Hey," Alya began, not sure why Marinette was crying. "I didn't mean…"

But Marinette pulled her into a very wet hug. When she let go, she looked distinctly happier. "I'm so glad you told me this, Alya. And… you're right. You were the best friend I could ever ask for… but it'll take some time. But… I'm cool with starting over."

Alya smiled, and extended her hand. "Alya Césaire, pleased to meet you."

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. A pleasure to meet you too, Alya."

- END -