She hated people. That much was certain. She hated people so much. She hated how they stabbed each other in the back. She hated how they abandoned comrades amid dark times. She hated how they abused their positions of power on the less fortunate. She hated how they refused to take responsibility for their faults. She hated how they always broke their promises.

Most of all, she hated how fickle they were with their loyalties.

Amaia sat at her desk in her room, these thoughts in mind. Today had been rather hectic, and she was looking forward to unwinding the rest of the day. Except there was that something she was doing for Marinette.

Yes. She was doing a favor for a complete stranger. A stranger she wasn't sure she could trust. Amaia was wondering what she was thinking, offering help like that. Sure, Marinette helped her out and everything. But there was still the possibility she would turn on her.

Just like…

Sighing, Amaia pushed those thoughts away to focus on other things. Glancing at her room, she took note of what still needed to be put away. Her wolf miniatures were arranged neatly on the bookshelf, along with all her books on music, dog care, and wildlife. The keyboard she had painstakingly packed was now set up and ready to be used. All it needed was to be plugged in to her laptop. And an outlet, if she had the room.

The posters of howling wolves and her favorite musicians still needed to be hung up. Her collection of old horror movies was nowhere to be seen. She'd have to ask Mireya where they went. Her clothes had yet to be put completely away. The linens were neatly folded and set aside, waiting to be placed in the closet. Her bed was made, the dark navy sheets looking surprisingly warm and inviting.

Then there was the matter of finding a corner of the room to place a dog bed. She had yet to find something to replace the dog bed they'd lost during the move. Which was frustrating. Diego needed a nice, big bed given how big huskies grew.

Perhaps she could commission Marinette? She had some money left over. Diego would need a big, warm bed he could relax in. His own little haven. And Marinette seemed like she'd be happy to make a bed for Diego. Amaia wasn't sure. It was still too early to trust her.

Grabbing her bag and Diego's leash, Amaia headed downstairs to the living room. Salomon was on his way home, after offering a ride to Mrs. Rossi and the old man (whose name she learned was Wang Fu). She didn't believe herself to be heroic. She was just doing what any decent person would've done. At least, she liked to think she was a decent person.

The warm aroma of Mireya's cooking filled her nostrils. Right away, she could smell the onions, tomatoes, herbs, and oil. And the fish... oh the fish. Amaia's mouth watered. Roast cod was something she always looked forward to. She and Andres both. Looking, she saw Mireya putting the seasoned and marinated cod in the oven.

"Buenos tardes, Mireya," she greeted. Mireya looked up after setting the timer.

"Buenos tardes, mijita."

Amaia walked over to the couch, sitting. Leaning back, she let out a breath and closed her eyes. Her mind wandered back to earlier. To the aftermath of the akuma attack.

The whole scene with that woman and her poor daughter replayed viciously in her mind. Did that delusional woman really think she was helping her daughter? What person in their right mind would stoop that low? She'd understand if the other woman actually did something to her daughter. But from what she'd heard, the reality was completely different.

Mireya took note of Amaia's demeanor. "Something the matter, mijita?" she asked. Amaia opened her eyes a crack. Then she nodded.

"... something."

She never could hide anything from Mireya. Not with how long Mireya had been at her side. She could read her like an open book, as they say. Not that she minded. It was nice having someone she could fully trust in this world of backstabbers.

"What's the matter, mijita?" Mireya asked. At Amaia's behest, she came and sat down beside her. Amaia took a moment to consider how she would word this.

"I'm... doing something rather risky."

Mireya would be lying if she said a small red flag didn't pop up. "What's going on?"

Amaia said nothing for a long while. Mireya waited, patient. Then Amaia summarized to her what she would be doing.

She had offered to take Marinette's place at the picnic her former best friend was hosting. People she, Amaia, didn't know. People she wasn't sure she could trust. People she wasn't sure she could be "friends" with. From what Marinette had told her, they used to be her friends before something happened.

Mireya hummed. "That's quite unlike you, mijita," she said. "Usually, you're so guarded."

Amaia didn't find it in her to disagree. "I know, but I can't just let someone go through that."

Mireya looked at her, fully understanding what was going on. "Did it hit home, somewhat?"

Amaia's silence told her everything she needed to know. From what she was able to glean, Marinette had lost a lot of her friends after this fiasco at DuPont (it wasn't hard to look up what happened to that school; it was all over the news).

She didn't know why they had invited her to this picnic if they had abandoned her like that. She knew, however, she couldn't let Marinette suffer for it.

"You have the option to back out," Mireya said, tapping her chin. Amaia raised an eyebrow. "And there's a wide-open field with lots of dirt..."

Amaia groaned. "Mireya, we're not killing anyone."

Mireya's hand fell to her side. "I know. It's just an option." Which was terrible in Amaia's opinion.

"Why are you like this..."

Mireya grinned, crossing a leg and resting her hands on her knee. "You did leave your horror collection where I could find it."

Amaia catapulted straight up, eyes wide. Mireya grinned her wide smile, the type of smile where she knew she was up to no good.

"... how many did you watch?"

"Three. I had them on while cooking today."

Amaia... had no words. Just no words. The only relief was that she didn't watch all of them. She fell back onto the couch, covering her eyes with one hand. Mireya whistled a little tune, pretending to be innocent. For a while, that was all they did.

"Is this really something you want to do, mijita?" Mireya asked. Amaia's hand slowly fell to her lap. Her eyes were downcast.

"... no," she answered. But, thinking of how utterly distressed Marinette was, and how she pleaded with Amaia... her grip on the leash tightened. "But... I'll do it anyway."

Her thoughts drifted back to Marinette, their new neighbor. From what she had told her through text message, the picnic wasn't for another few minutes. Close to fifteen, at most. It did give her time to get ready. The park was within walking distance. She could manage.

"The hand sanitizer is on the counter," Mireya said. Amaia looked at her. "I got some fresh water bottles yesterday. So help yourself." Amaia's eyes moistened some, grateful. She could say nothing that could accurately express her gratitude. Mireya then turned to her.

"Just remember, mijita," she said. "Anyone gives you trouble, you know who to come to."

"... gracias."

Andres slid down the railing of the stairs while Amaia got up to prepare the bag for the picnic. She would need plenty of water and snacks. And perhaps some puppy formula, just to be safe.

She needed to start socializing Diego anyway.

Fifteen minutes later, Amaia exited the house, her key tucked safely in her bag. Which was fully stocked with water bottles, snacks, hand sanitizer, and puppy formula. She'd have to look up again when she should start weaning him, but for now, she could keep him happy and satisfied with the formula.

Arf!

The tiny puppy hurried out beside her. Four weeks old, and he was still so full of energy. Diego bounded around Amaia, his little tail wagging. Mireya had agreed to return Amaia's movies. On the condition that she, as in Amaia, put them away.

"Serves me right..." she grumbled. Beside her, Diego panted as if he were laughing at her. "Aye, lobito." She knelt to scratch behind his ears. Diego closed his eyes, content with the pleasant contact. Then he raised his little paws, begging to be held.

Amaia slid her hand under his belly, then she tucked her other arm under him for support. She adjusted her posture so Diego wouldn't be in danger of falling.

"Happy?"

Arf!

She rubbed his head while she walked past the bakery and to the park. She didn't know what would happen with Marinette's old friends. But there was no backing out now. She'd come this far. Time to see what happened next.

Taking a deep breath, she continued onward. Marinette's directions were simple and easy to follow. The park was right beside the bakery. She would know it was the one if she saw a carousel. Perhaps she should take Andres there sometime? She'll have to ask.

Entering the park, she saw a large group of kids surrounding a blanket. A petite little blonde, a taller goth, a boy with a red cap, a much larger boy wearing rock-themed clothes. Then there was a red-haired boy sketching away in the background, another boy with a floating robot, a girl with multi-colored dreadlocks, a pink-haired girl wearing skates.

Lastly, there was a girl with glasses wearing a plaid shirt. That must be Alya, if Marinette's photos were anything to go by. She didn't see Kim, the kid in the red hoodie. Did he leave somewhere? She didn't care to find out.

The next time Kim was stupid enough to mess with her brother, he will catch more hands. After a little scare, of course.

Setting Diego down, she cautiously drew closer. She didn't see Jeremie and his group. They must've gone elsewhere. Then again, from what she heard, their school was in another area of Paris. Probably had a curfew to stick to.

Her thoughts were interrupted by someone, a girl, squealing her lungs out.

"It's a puppy!" the blonde girl squealed. She practically barreled towards the puppy and his owner, hearts erupting like a volcano. Diego backed away, startled and whining. Immediately, Amaia stood in front. She glared, towering over the unfamiliar blonde. The blonde girl skidded to a stop, dust kicking up, eyes widening. Amaia towered over her, her glare unrelenting.

"Can I help you?" Amaia said. It was taking her every ounce of willpower to refrain from growling. The blonde girl's eyes darted to the puppy, then back to Amaia. She gulped, then she started backing away. It was clear she was intimidated.

"What's going on here?" another girl asked. The blonde girl snapped back to reality and scampered, hiding behind the other girl.

"I-I just wanted to pet the puppy..." she blubbered. It wasn't long until she straight up burst into tears, hiding her face in the other girl's shirt.

Wow, what a crybaby, Amaia thought. Observing the reactions of the other kids, she noticed a few looking at her warily. Typical. She could already tell it wouldn't be long before she was ostracized and sent to the metaphorical back. Not that she expected anything less.

The girl in plaid —Alya, from what Marinette described— looked up and glared. "What's the big idea making Rose cry?" she demanded.

Amaia just raised an eyebrow. "She tried to pet my dog." At this, she narrowed her eyes at the hiding girl, Rose. "Without asking." Rose withered under her glare.

"And would you let her if she did?" Alya asked.

"Depends on if he lets her pet him," Amaia answered. She looked down at her little boy. Diego hadn't stepped back out. Instead, he was looking from behind her. The poor little boy had his tail between his legs.

Still, she probably should've expected this. Kneeling, she asked him. "Do you want her to pet you, lobito?"

Rose's eyes lit up, hopeful for the chance to pet the adorable puppy. Amaia scratched him behind the ears. Alya crossed her arms, silent. Slowly, Diego moved to the front. Rose felt a bounce in her step, giddy. Amaia, however, stopped her.

"Be slow, alright? Don't startle him."

"Okay," Rose replied cheerfully. The girl was bouncing on the balls of her feet so much, Amaia wondered if sugar was her primary source of nutrition. Still, she was polite and instructed Rose on how to approach a small puppy.

Gently, Rose held out her hand for Diego to sniff. To her delight, the small puppy lifted his head to sniff her hand. Rose was so happy. The puppy liked her! So happy was she, she started wiggling.

It, unfortunately, had the effect of spooking Diego when she made a sudden movement.

"Whoa," Amaia said. Rose looked up, not knowing why. Amaia held her hand out in front of Diego. "Slow down." Question marks floated around Rose's head.

"What is it now?" Alya asked. "What did she do to scare him?"

Cradling the cowering puppy in her arms, Amaia picked him up. "She moved too quickly." Instantly, Rose's spirit deflated. Her eyes welled up with tears, her heart shattering into pieces. The puppy didn't want her to pet him?

"... oh, get over it," Amaia grumbled under her breath. Not even two minutes into this picnic, and she was already running low on patience with this lot. These were Marinette's old friends? She had to wonder how Marinette put up with them.

"Excuse me?" Oh, did they have enhanced hearing? "That was a bit rude of you to say to her," Alya scowled. Amaia simply waved a hand dismissively.

"Whatever."

She turned her attention back to Diego, massaging the back of his neck. She was acutely aware of several pairs of eyes on her, wary. Then again, she was an unfamiliar face in a crowd that knew each other. There was a sense of camaraderie laced with a dash of immaturity.

Seriously. She knew twelve-year-olds more mature than that. Who other than preschool children cried about not getting to pet a puppy? Glancing to the side, she saw Alya glaring down at her.

"... can I help you?"

Big mistake. The minute the words left her mouth, Alya launched into a tirade of questions.

"What is your deal? Who are you and why are you here?"

Amaia held a hand up. "One question at a time, please. This isn't a TV interview." A chorus of snickers and snorts sounded off in the background, although Alya was the furthest thing from amused. Still, she asked a question (or three). She decided to be polite.

"I'll be nice and answer," Amaia said. "I'm filling in for someone who couldn't make it. They said I could find the picnic here?"

Alya glowered for the longest time, saying nothing.

"... yes..."

"Perfect."

Alya clenched a fist. Rose continued sniffling in the background. Alya looked like she was making the most unpleasant life or death decision she had ever made. Until finally, she spoke.

"I'll let you join," she sneered. "If you don't cause any disruptions."

Amaia gave Alya a flat, blank stare. "Honey, I'm not the one causing disruptions here." She jerked her thumb at Rose. "Your little pink friend started it."

Alya scowled, keeping her eyes on the newcomer. Then she turned her attention back to the picnic, not giving Amaia another glance.

And here comes the cold shoulder. What a way to welcome people, Amaia mused. Still, after a display like that, what else did she expect. Setting Diego back down, she searched for a place to sit. Judging by his energy level, he was due for another nap soon. Diego sniffed, catching the scent of food.

Arf!

"Smell something, lobito?"

Arf!

Amaia checked the time. At his growth level, he was now down to four feedings a day. He'd had his first three already, with help from Mireya. His last feeding for the day wasn't for another hour. And with a gathering this big, the picnic was bound to last for at least two hours, she estimated. Good thing she packed the formula.

Looking around, she found the seat furthest from the crowd was near the kid who was drawing. All the other spots were taken. Still, it was better than nothing.

Tugging gently on Diego's leash, she guided him to the last available spot. The picnic table wobbled a bit, the legs giving away a bit. Still, at least it was sturdy. Amaia sat down in the chair, picking up Diego and setting him on her lap. The kid near her looked up.

"I saw the confrontation," he said. Amaia glanced his way. "You're in the clear, in my opinion."

"... thank you."

She absently stroked Diego's back, surprised a little. The kid set down his pencil.

"I'm Nathaniel," he said. Amaia looked over.

"I'm Amaia."

"Pleasure."

"Likewise."

Seems like Nathaniel was the quiet type. Not that she minded. As much as she enjoyed making music, she enjoyed the silence as well. It allowed her to think, figure out how to make the next sound mean something in a composition. Judging by how Nathaniel slowly settled back into his drawing, he ticked the same way.

Heh, how strange. Two people away from the crowd. Both able to see and learn more than the average person. Then again, creative people like themselves didn't march to the beat of everyone's drum (heh, drum pun). Returning her attention to Diego, Amaia found herself... not minding Nathaniel's company. She had a faint hope he didn't mind her company, even with the display earlier.

She hated that feeling sometimes.

Looking up, she saw the kid with the red hat looking around. More than likely making sure everyone was there.

"Where's Kim?" he asked. Amaia's ears perked up, alert after hearing that name.

"Still on the donut run," the skater girl responded.

"Should we start or wait?" Alya asked. The kid in the red hat checked the time before he answered.

"Let's start, dude. We'll catch 'em up when they're here."

Amaia scrunched up her nose. She wasn't looking forward to seeing Kim again, or that full moon of his. Once was enough. Still, she knew what she was signing up for when she agreed to take Marinette's place. Her best course of action right now would be to lay low and—

"I'm here!" Kim panted, looking like he jogged one hundred miles.

Speak of the devil.

"Perfect timing. We were just getting started," the skater girl said.

"Good, cause I—" he looked up... and saw Amaia. "Ah!"

Everyone jumped. Everyone. The kid with the robot nearly dropped his punch, Rose's eyes widened, and the skater girl nearly jumped out of her skin. Kim dove under a table and hid, pointing an accusing finger at Amaia.

"That's her!" he shouted. "She did it! She's the one that tore my jeans!"

Amaia said nothing, knowing where this was going already. Everyone present turned to look at her.

"Seriously? Again with the drama?" Alya grumbled.

Amaia kept her face passive. "... he started it." I just finished it went unsaid. She didn't need to. She simply returned her attention to Diego.

Alya scowled. "I want to know right now what you did to him," she demanded. Amaia held up a hand.

"I don't have to answer."

Alya was growing hotter under the collar by the minute. "I'm going to have you answer." She held her arms akimbo. "What did you do?"

"..."

Amaia turned her attention back to her dog. "Feeling alright, lobito?" she asked, stroking his back.

"Excuse me, I'm talking to you."

Amaia ignored her. "Aye, napping again?" She didn't need to look to see Alya's face turning red. Amaia rubbed the napping puppy's head. "Spoiled little puppy," she said. No one noticed the small smile on her face.

In her peripheral, she noticed the kid in the red cap pulling Alya closer towards him.

"Babe, please," he pleaded. Alya looked as though she was close to blowing her top off, to put it lightly. "We're here to have fun." Alya scowled.

"I will if she behaves."

Amaia rolled her eyes.

Fine example over there. I'm not even doing anything.

But then again, she knew Alya's type. Hotheaded and stubborn, they didn't care who they bulldozed over in the name of their ideals. A bull, just like the bulls in the bullfights she watched back in Spain.

In her peripheral, she saw the skater girl approaching her. The skater girl leaned in to whisper.

"Did you really tear Kim's pants?" she asked.

"... yes."

Silence. For the longest time. Then the skater girl positively guffawed, pounding the table and howling in laughter.

"I heard that!" Kim shouted indignantly. The skater girl doubled over, continuing to pound the table.

"You got your pants torn by a girl!" she howled.

"She just came out of nowhere!" Kim protested. Amaia covered Diego's ears, as much as she found it funny. She didn't spare Kim even a single glance.

"To be fair, he was asking for it." She used her free hand to stroke Diego's back.

"What'd he do?" skater girl asked in between breaths. She was still laughing so hard.

"He made my brother cry," Amaia answered, not even bothering to look up. Immediately, the skater girl stopped laughing.

"He what?"

Kim froze, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Uh..." he drawled. Amaia counted in her head the seconds until the bomb exploded. Seconds later, she was not disappointed.

"Oh for crying out loud. Kim!"

The skater girl marched over to Kim, steam blowing out of her ears. Amaia didn't bother to hide the smirk on her face, enjoying the scene of Kim's misfortune.

This once, she would let karma run its course.

Alya prided herself on her sense of justice. Which was how she knew straight away that new girl was trouble. First, she made Rose cry over something as simple as petting a puppy. Then there was that attitude she was giving her when she was just trying to set things straight. And now, she just found out she was the one who tore Kim's pants. Nothing she was doing made her look good to them. She had seen it in how everyone looked at her warily, as though she would attack them at any moment. And now, she was trying to poison Nath. It was bad enough she got Alix to attack Kim over that misunderstanding. That smirk when she sicced Alix on Kim solidified Alya's gut feeling that she was no good.

She had to do something to make sure she didn't hurt anyone.

Thus she did what any good friend would do. She pointed this out to Nino, who she was sure had seen everything that had happened just now.

Except it didn't happen the way she thought it should. Much to Alya's frustration, Nino had doubled over laughing his behind off.

"About time something happened!" he chortled. He was laughing so hard he started pounding the table the same way Alix had been just moments ago. Frustrated and annoyed, Alya's palm met her face. It was a while before Nino stopped laughing enough to form a coherent sentence. "Seriously. Kim shouldn't have done that." Alya just groaned.

"I don't know why I even try..."

Nino looked at her pointedly. "Alya, really," he sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I only asked you to set this up so we could start making it up to Marinette." Alya, tellingly enough, had nothing to say. "It's been over a month since we talked to her face-to-face."

Alya opened her mouth to speak, but no words formed. Nino, on the other hand, wasn't finished. "And I'm pretty sure you and I both know who she is filling in for." He jerked his thumb towards the new girl. He then looked Alya straight in the eye, a rare fury developing. "Answer me this," he began. "When a complete stranger is being a better friend than us, what does that say about us?"

At this point, Alya was fed up. "Alright! I get what you're saying!"

She wasn't exactly quiet, either. Several of the picnic-goers whipped their heads to the arguing couple. Amaia only gave them a passing glance since her attention was on Diego. Nino just looked at her, his brows furrowed and his patience close to snapping. He had done what he could during the month DuPont was closed down.

But now, he was reaching his limit.

"I'll admit it! I'm torn!" Nino said nothing while Alya ranted. Perhaps there was still hope once she had this out of her system? "But what about what happened to Lila? What about her?"

And just like that, Nino's patience dropped even further. He sighed again.

"Alya, Lila lied to us." He couldn't believe he had to spell it out for her. "She lied to make herself look good. She lied to make Marinette look bad. And now, we're stuck paying for it." He gestured widely to emphasize his point. "Remember the post you made about Marinette being a liar?" One of the posts Mr. and Mrs. Césaire had taken down when they looked through Alya's social media. Alya, to her credit, was silent while she thought on her answer. All she could mutter after a while was a small yes.

"Well, guess what," Nino bombarded. "It was Lila who was the liar. Not Marinette. We basically turned on our own best friend for nothing!" He threw his arms in the air. "And when a complete and utter stranger is being a better friend than us, what does that say about us?" He made sure to emphasize that last part. He pointed directly at Alya. "What does that say about you?" He made sure to swat away her usual go-to answer. "And you can't say the new girl is jealous. For all we know, she just moved here."

Alya went dead silent. Probably the quietest anyone had ever heard her. Everyone waited in anticipation, waiting with bated breath. Who would break first? Who would talk first? No one knew. And everyone waited.

It was a few minutes of saying nothing when Alya finally held her hands up in surrender. "Alright... Whatever... I've got nothing left..." she glowered at her boyfriend. "You win…"

Nino sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just... please try, at least. We owe Marinette that much." Alya rolled her eyes.

"I have my doubts, but we'll play it your way..." she said, crossing her arms. "What else do I have to lose..."

Nino lost count of how many times he had sighed today. "Just play nice, please.."

Alya scowled, looking away from her boyfriend. Nino felt a huge headache coming, and he was glad he brought aspirin. Had he known what he was getting into when he became Alya's boyfriend, he probably would've had second thoughts. He loved her, but her bullheaded attitude was driving him up the wall. At least, for now, he hoped there was temporary peace.