Chapter 9: An Eventful Morning

The alarm on her cell phone went off at the usual designated time, and Mylene quickly turned it off, knowing that the second alarm would go off in a matter of twenty minutes. Still, those were going to be the ten minutes, in which she would stay in her bed, thinking how much she was going to miss it, and if given the chance, would not leave it, until the Sun was high up in the sky. She did not consider herself a person who enjoyed staying in bed through most of the day, but like everyone else, Mylene loved to stay in bed, with her bedsheets wrapped around her body, snug as a bug, just another five minutes, after waking up. It was one of her biggest pleasures, ever since she was little.

"Mmm… I wish I didn't have to go to school today." -Mylene sighed, as she placed her cell phone on or bedside, and quickly slipped her left arm inside her blankets.

"But you have to. You know that playing hooky is not acceptable." -Pin said, as she hovered above her head.

Unlike Mylene, who was quite the sleepyhead, Pin enjoyed getting up early. The deer kwami was known for being quite energetic, first thing in the morning.

"Can't I offer you a bribe, to let me stay in bed this morning?" -Mylene asked her, in a playful tone.

"Sorry, but you know you can't bribe me." -Pin told her.

"Not even with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, with roasted peanuts on top?" -Mylene asked the little kwami. –"I know that's your favourite kind of snack." -she pointed out.

"Nope, sorry. You should know that a kwami can't be bribed. Even with such delicious treats in the menu." -Pin smiled at her.

"Tell that to Plagg or to Imp. Those two, you just have to show them a piece of cheese or a spring roll, respectively, and they will do anything you'll ask them." -Mylene said, before laughing, and making Pin also laugh. –"Well, can I at least convince you, to keep me company in bed, before the second alarm goes off in twenty minutes?" -she asked her, as a mischievous smile appeared on her face. –"I promise I won't bite."

Giggling because of that last joke, Pin quickly accepted Mylene's offer, by snuggling herself under the sheets, next to her. Putting her head out, the deer kwami made Mylene giggle, because of how she looked.

"You know one thing?" -Mylene asked Pin. –"When you wrap the sheets around yourself like that, you look like a little baby." -she giggled, as she looked at her kwami. –"A very little and cute baby."

"Well, it's better than looking like a caterpillar, like you do." -Pin joked. –"And don't tell me that you don't look like a caterpillar, because even your boyfriend has called you that, because you pull the sheets and the blankets, and then you wrap yourself in them, as if you were a caterpillar inside a cocoon." -she told her.

"No, he didn't tell me I looked like a caterpillar. He told me that I look like a cute sushi roll, when I do that." -Mylene told her. –"And just so you know, caterpillars inside a cocoon turn into beautiful butterflies. Which means, I would be a cute and beautiful butterfly, when I decided to emerge form that cocoon." -she playfully said.

"Touché. But if you want me to be absolutely honest about Ivan calling you a cute sushi roll, well, that's not very romantic." -Pin told her. –"He's comparing you to a piece of food." -she said.

"Yes, he is. And it is very romantic, if your boyfriend tells it to you in a sweet and kind voice." -Mylene declared, as she remembered the last time, he had called her that. –"And Ivan has such a beautiful voice… it's just too bad that his singing voice isn't as beautiful as his regular voice." -she said, wishing that to be otherwise.

"Nobody's perfect." -Pin giggled.

"I still remember the first time he tried to tell me, how he felt about me. He composed a song for me, and tried to sing it… unfortunately, Chloe decided to butt in, and told him that his song was awful and that he had a horrible voice." -Mylene said, as she remembered the whole thing. –"Don't tell anyone, but on the day that happened, when he got home, Ivan cried himself to sleep." -she told her. –"He's a big guy, but he's got a really soft heart. Nasty words will make more damage to him, than a punch or a kick."

"Another story, featuring her." -Pin commented, in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"Indeed. But one thing is for certain. We have no shortage of stories about Chloe." -Mylene said. –"You know, I never said this to anyone, but sometimes I feel that our class grew closer because of Chloe. Or better yet, because of the nasty things she did to us, and the way she treated us sometimes. Because of it, we learned to be there for one another, and later, we used that knowledge to forgive her and to give her a second chance, by allowing her to become our friend." -she said. –"Years from now, when we're adults, I like to think that we will remember it all, and see that everything happens for a reason. We just never know what the reason might be."

The way their conversation was going, Pin could not help but to realize that on that morning, Mylene had woken up quite philosophical, and she found it funny. Mylene was a morning person, but she usually did not delve into such conversational themes, before she had her breakfast.

"You're quite philosophical this morning." -Pin said. –"Are you sure Wayzz didn't stop by, while I was sleeping and you had a conversation with him?" -she playfully asked her.

"Absolutely. You know that he never leaves Nino's side." -Mylene answer her, with a smile on her face.

Their conversation went on, until Mylene's second alarm went off. Silencing it, she got out of bed. Once she threw away the covers and the sheets, she felt the difference in temperatures. Trying not to shiver, she began to get ready for school. Opening her curtains, she looked outside and saw that it was going to be yet another beautiful Spring day, with a few clouds in the sky. While she got dressed, she put on some music, like she did every morning. Music helped her shake off the remaining sleepiness in her body, and on that day, she had chosen one of her favourite ones, that was anything but calm, "You Never Had a Friend Like Me", from Disney's Aladdin. Every aspiring actor or actress has at least one or two role models that inspired them to do their best, and in Mylene's case, her role models were her dad, and of course, Robin Williams. She had seen all his movies, as well as all his stand-up comedy performances, she was able to find online, and memorized several of his improvs, not to mention all his lines in Aladdin, which was her favourite Disney animated movie.

Knowing that her mother had already left for work, and that her dad had spent the night away, because he was on tour with the rest of his theatre company, Mylene did not hesitate in turning up the volume, filling her bedroom with music; music she knew would help her shake off any sleepiness she might still have, as well as giving her the strength and the enthusiasm to face the day ahead of her.

"Come on, Pin, dance with me!" -Mylene asked her kwami, as she put on her jacket, while dancing.

"No, thank you. I'm very well here, watching you making a fool of yourself." -Pin giggled, as she watched Mylene dancing in the middle of her bedroom.

"Come on, it's fun!" -Mylene told her, as she grabbed her by her tiny left arm, and pulled her into a dance.

Fuelled by both the sound of the music and her own laughter, Mylene began to playfully dance with Pin, who herself also began to laugh. It was not the first time this happened, so the deer kwami was already expecting it to happen, when Mylene asked her to dance. The girl just loved to do that, and when it was not that, she would ask her to play along with her, excerpts from numerous theatre plays, Mylene knew by heart. When looking at Mylene, people tended to think that she was shy and quiet, like a little mouse. But that only happened when she was not with the right people. When she was the right people, she quickly turned into the life of the party.

"You never had a friend like me! Yeah!" -Mylene sang, as the song came to an end. –"Whoa, I never get tired of this song… and, you're a terrific dancer." -she complimented her kwami's dancing skills.

"If y-you say so…" -Pin said, as she felt her head spinning. –"I-I think I'm g-going to need to sit d-down for a bit… at least, u-until the world stops s-spinning around." -she said, as she landed on Mylene's right shoulder.

"Oops, I think I've got a little carried away, sorry." -Mylene apologized to her. –"But that's what you get, when you've got one of your favourite actors singing, one of your favourite songs." -she chuckled.

After that little moment between the two of them, Mylene and Pin made their way to the kitchen. Like always, before going to work, Mylene's mom had left her the table set, with the usual things she liked to have for breakfast. Bread, croissants, fruit, breakfast cereal, among other things. The day before she had breakfast cereal, but on that morning, she was in the mood for a delicious croissant with apricot jam and cheese, and a huge glass of warm milk.

"Thanks, mom." -Mylene mused to herself, as she went to the fridge to get a glass of milk. –"Any requests for breakfast?" -she asked Pin, as she opened the fridge.

"The usual, please." -Pin told Mylene, as she grabbed a napkin and placed it around her tiny neck.

"One bowl of peanut butter, coming up." -Mylene said, as she grabbed the milk and the peanut butter from the back of the fridge. –"Hmm… I'll have to buy you another jar. This one is almost over." -she said, as she closed the fridge and giggled at how Pin looked. –"And while I'm at it, I'll have to get you some napkins for your size, or every time you do that, it will look like you have a sheet wrapped around your neck."

"I would appreciate it, especially since it's hard to eat with it on." -Pin said, as Mylene scooped out a large chunk of peanut butter into a bowl.

As they both had breakfast, Mylene's cell phone began to ring. Checking it, she saw it was Ivan. Like every morning, he would call her to wish her a good day, saying that he could not wait to get to school, to tell her that.

"Good morning, teddy bear." -Mylene told Ivan, calling him by his nickname.

"Good morning to you too, my little angel of music." -Ivan told her, also calling her by her nickname. –"How's the croissant?"

"How did you know I was eating a croissant?" -Mylene asked him, curious and slightly astonished.

"Because you tend to have an eating pattern. You go, breakfast cereal one day, then croissant on the following one, and then fruit, only to repeat it. And I remember that you told me that you had breakfast cereal yesterday, so, today is the day when you eat a croissant for breakfast." -Ivan told her.

"Am I that predictable?" -Mylene asked him, in an amused tone.

"Will you promise not to get mad, if I say yes? Because if not, I can always tell you the opposite, so I don't get clobbered, when I get to school." -Ivan joked.

When she heard him saying that, Mylene almost choked on her croissant, as she started to laugh. Only Ivan was able to make her laugh like that. The joke had not been that good, but the way he spoke it, was enough to make her laugh.

"The way you're talking, it's like I use you a punching bag." -Mylene joked, while still laughing.

"Well, you did yesterday, remember?" -Ivan reminded her. –"I still have a couple of bruises on my back from those wheel kicks you hit me with, to prove it." -he said.

"That was during the training, and you know that anything goes, except gouging eyeballs, in training, Besides, you're a big guy. I've seen you getting hit by a truck and a bus, and coming out unscathed." -Mylene chuckled, making him chuckle as well. –"Anyways, have I told you that I love talking with you?"

"Not yet, today, so no." -Ivan said. –"By the way, I'm not listening to Pin. Is she still asleep?"

"No, she's a little busy eating her breakfast. That's why you don't hear her talking." -Mylene said, as she looked at her kwami, who was busy eating the peanut butter. –"What about Muria? I'm not listening to him either. Is he eating, or is he still asleep?" -she asked him.

"He's still asleep. You know he doesn't like to wake up early… and neither do I. If I could, I would stay in bed, until lunch, every day." -Ivan admitted. –"You want to know something? Sometimes I feel like the only reason why I get up, it's just so I can talk to you, and then later, meet you." -he told her. –"You're the reason why I woke up every morning."

Every time Ivan told her something like that, Mylene's heart skipped a beat. She loved when he was all mushy with her. It reminded her about how and why she had fallen in love with him. To her, he was her knight in shining armour, who knew just what to say to make her smile. And to him, she was her fierce maiden with a valiant heart, who was always there to hug him, when he needed the most. They were soulmates, and they both knew that. Mylene once had told him that her grandmother knew that her grandfather was her soulmate, the moment they met, while adding that although she did not find out Ivan was her soulmate, until she got to know him better. It had been his kind words and gestures that had made her see that he was her soulmate. Just from thinking about it, it made Mylene wish he was right there with her, so she could hug him, and then kiss him.

"Oh, that's so sweet… Tell me, do you want to give me cavities with all those sweet words? Because if you do, let me remind you that I hate going to the dentist." -Mylene playfully flirted with him.

And if Mylene thought that Ivan was her soulmate, Ivan also thought the same thing about her. She once had confessed to him, before she started to work on her confidence, that she did not see herself as beautiful, or attractive or as someone a person could fall in love with. And when she finished telling him that, Ivan told her that he saw the opposite. That when he looked at her, he saw someone absolutely beautiful and attractive, and that whoever would fall in love with her, would be the luckiest person on Earth. He had been absolutely honest in what he told her, because he himself, knew what it was like feeling that way. He knew he was not as handsome as other boys, so it was easy for him to understand why Mylene believed that. That had been one of those things that made it easier for him to relate to her, and to also realize that he liked her and that she was his soulmate.

"I'll pay for your dentist appointments, if that means that I get to see you smile and laugh, every day." -Ivan told her, which made her giggle. –"By the way, I talked to Nino yesterday, and I asked him if he and Alya would like to go on a double date with us, on Saturday. We could go the movies, or to the theatre, if you want to? Wasn't there a play you told me you wanted to go see?" -he asked her.

"Oh, yes, there is. But I don't think Alya and Nino will like it. It's one of those experimental plays. Come to think of it, I don't think you'll like it either." -Mylene said.

"I could make an effort to enjoy it, for you." -Ivan said.

"You know you're the sweetest guy I know, don't you?" -Mylene giggled, as she bit her croissant.

Unfortunately, that sweet moment between the two lovebirds ended, the moment Ivan turned on the television on the kitchen, and saw what was on.

"You've got to be kidding me…" -Ivan sighed.

"What? What's the matter?" -Mylene asked him, confused by his last sentence.

"You're never going to believe who decided to badmouth us again." -Ivan told her, as he kept looking at the television screen. –"Ambroise Delay… That bastard went to Nadja Chamack's morning show and once again called us every name in the book. And it seems that they were even forced to interrupt the broadcast, because the guy started to offend everyone, just because they didn't agree with his view of the facts."

"Him again?! How can he keep saying things like that about us?!" -Mylene asked, upset.

"How? Simple… he opens his mouth and talks." -Ivan said. –"I'm telling you, every time that guy publishes one of his videos, nothing good ever comes out of it." -he said. –"I still don't understand how Nadja could have invited him. The guy is as insane as they come. He doesn't care if he for every ten words he says, nine are a lie, and worst yet, he makes us look like we're some kind of criminals, when we're just trying to prevent the end of the world, as we know it."

"I'm surprised we didn't find out about this yesterday." -Mylene said. –"Either way, you're right. That guy is a liar… I wonder what the others will think about this, if they don't know it yet?" -she wondered.

"Well, I can tell you this, they aren't going to like it." -Ivan declared. –"I can't understand how people in their right minds, believe in anything that comes out of that guy's mouth… I'm telling you, if I ever see this guy in front of me, I'll knock his teeth out."

"Don't even think of doing such a thing, Ivan!" -Mylene told him. –"If you get the chance to do that, and end up doing it, you'll only give him another reason to say those things about us." -she said.

"You know quite well that I wouldn't do it… not that he didn't deserve it." -Ivan said. –"But what amazes me, is that a lot of people are beginning to agree with him." -he said. –"One of these days, we're going to get someone suing us for saving them, or for even touching them."

As she continued to listen to what Ivan was saying, Mylene could not help but to think that what had started as a beautiful morning, had turned into a lousy one, after hearing that bit of news. Ever since she and the others had begun their careers as protectors of Paris, that there had always been a few people, who had pointed fingers at them, and accused them of being in cohorts with Hawk Moth and his minions, or accusing them of being just as bad as he was, or even of being an Akuma magnet. But she had learned to ignore them, knowing that what they were doing was right. Unfortunately, Ambroise Delay was one of those people, whose views it was hard to ignore, even by someone like Mylene, who had learned to ignore certain comments regarding her physique. She could not understand how a man who looked like an intelligent man, spoke and acted like crazy man, who only saw the world as he wanted it to be, and not how it in fact was. And furthermore, she could understand how so many people believed in the amount of crap he spoke. That ticked Mylene, in more ways than just one.

"I'm sure this is going to be today's talk at school." -Mylene thought to herself

And she was not wrong about it. When she got to school, one of the themes of conversation was that one. Though most students were talking about the number of new Internet memes that had already been created, by using stills from Ambroise's face, and just how funny or stupid they were, some were talking about how right or wrong he was about his views on the Miraculous Team. Most were claiming that all he said was just a lot of hogwash and that he was obvious insane. But there were a handful that believed he had a point, when saying the heroes attracted Akumas, making them just as bad as Hawk Moth.

And just like Ivan had predicted, the rest of their class had also found out about what Ambroise had said about them, and were not happy with it either. They were used to hearing people calling menaces and threats, from time to time. But like everyone else, they did not like to hear someone calling them something they were not. And Ambroise Delay had a knack to do so.

"What a jerk! No, he's worse than a jerk. He's a piece of trash, that's what he is." -Marinette said. –"Tikki and I heard what he said, last night, and I couldn't believe, and you'll pardon my French, the amount of crap that he spat about us. It was either a lie or something so crazy, that no sane person would believe in it. All the crap he said, was enough to fertilize 20 or 30 football fields." -she said, upset. –"I'm surprised Nadja invited him to her talk show."

"Maybe she thought he would play nice, for once?" -Adrien suggested. –"But it's true, that guy is a menace. He says that we're a menace, but he's the one who is a menace to society." -he said.

"That guy must be from Trump's family, because his speech is quite similar to that piece of…" -Kim said.

"Hey, come on, Kim… We all know what that crazy creep is." -Alya told him. –"There's no need for you remind us about it." -she said.

"Well, family or not, when Ambroise Delay opens his mouth, the only thing that comes out are lies. Big, fat lies." -Rose declared. –"He's a horrible man." -she said, in disgust.

"He's worse than that. He's the reason why some people shouldn't even be allowed to open their mouths." -Juleka said. –"People like him think that everyone should behave accordingly to what they think, and they don't tolerate difference. They instigate evil and hatred against others who are different." -she said. –"Just thinking about it, it makes me sick and terrified, all at the same time."

"You ain't the only one." -Alya said. –"I'm also terrified of that kind of people. They remind me of the Nazis during World War II." -she declared.

But the conversation theme between the whole Miraculous gang stirred direction, during recess time. During class, everyone noticed that once more, Chloe did not look like her usual self. When she arrived in school, she looked miserable. Even Miss Bustier, had noticed it, and asked her if she was alright or not, to which the blonde said that she was feeling a little indisposed, and that there was no reason for her to worry. But the rest of the class did not buy that, and when Sabrina texted them to meet up in the school's rooftop, they knew that something was up.

With just fifteen minutes, before the bell rang again, the whole class went up to the rooftop, where they hoped to understand what was going on with Chloe. But to their surprise, when they got there, she was nowhere in sight. Neither her, nor Sabrina. Unknown to them, the girls were in the girls' room, where Chloe was having another anxiety attack, and Sabrina was doing everything she could, along with Pollen and Mika, to calm her down.

"Calm down, Chloe. Everything's alright." -Sabrina said, knowing the others were waiting for them. Still, she did not pressure her, because she knew that if she did, Chloe could get even more anxious, and that was something neither one of them wanted.

"I can't, Sabrina…" -Chloe told her, as she took several deep breaths, while trying not to start crying.

"Sure, you can. What have I told you yesterday?" -Sabrina asked her. –"Everything's going to be alright, Chloe. Trust in yourself." -she encouraged her.

"I can't… as soon as I tell them, what I did to you, they…" -Chloe said, as a tear rolled down her face, and she began to feel like she was going to throw up.

"They will understand." -Pollen told her. –"Don't be so hard on yourself, Chloe." -the bee kwami said.

"Pollen's right. Don't be so hard on yourself. Remember what Sabrina told you. Speak from your heart, and everything will be alright." -Mika said.

"What if… What if I can't?" -Chloe asked them.

"You will. I know you will." -Sabrina smiled at her. –"And if you feel like crying, while you talk, go for it. Don't hold back. No one's going to blame you for it." -she told her. –"Remember, your heart won't fail you. And don't worry, I'll be by your side, all the way."

When Sabrina told her that, Chloe jumped into her arms and hugged her, while beginning to cry. She was still astounded, and somehow shocked by how Sabrina had managed to just forget everything she had done to her, so easily. To do something like that, Chloe believed one had to be incredibly strong. Not physically, but psychologically, and right then, she believed that Sabrina was the strongest person she knew. And that made her envy her, and wish that she too had the mental strength to do what she did.

"Feeling a little better?" -Sabrina asked her.

"Y-Yes." -Chloe sniffed. –"Y-You keep telling me that my heart… won't fail me, but I… I s-still think that I don't have one." -she told her.

"Don't be ridiculous, Chloe. Of course, you have a heart, and I don't mind reminding you of it, over and over." -Sabrina reassured her. –"Still, there's one thing I don't want to tell you, but we..."

"I know. We don't have m-much time, and I need to get this… out of my chest." -Chloe sniffed once again, as they broke the embrace. –"Lead the way, and I'll follow." –she said, as she wiped her tears. –"Oh, and by the way… I'm the only one who gets to s-say it."

"Say what?" -Sabrina asked her.

"Ridiculous." -Chloe answered her, with a tearful smile on her face.

"Oh, right. I forgot. Because if someone says, it will sound utterly ridiculous." -Sabrina joked, returning the smile.

Two minutes later, Chloe and Sabrina were on the rooftop, where the rest of their friends were waiting for them. They all wanted to know what was going on with her, but neither one of them pressured her into talking, realizing that she looked both nervous and anxious, not to mention that her eyes were still slightly puffy and red, meaning she had been crying.

"She doesn't look so good." -Mylene thought to herself.

"What's going on with you, Chloe?" -Nathaniel asked himself.

Sating on the floor, Chloe began to tell them what had happened the day before, beginning with her knowing that her mother was coming to visit, and how she arrived earlier than expected, concluding with what she did to Sabrina. Every word that came out of her mouth, felt like a nail in her heart. But even that did not stop Chloe from telling them everything. Fuelled by both the anger and the disgust she felt about herself and about what she had done to her best-friend, when she should have stood up and defended her, she told them everything. She told them she was afraid of reverting back to her old self, while her mother was in town, and that that would make her lose everyone's friendship and respect, which she had fought so hard to gain, after being the way she was for years. She also told them that she was afraid of ending up alone, with no friends. In sum, she told them she was afraid of becoming her own mother. It was not until she finally finished, that she began to cry, allowing the feelings she had accumulated inside her chest, to be released in the form of tears.

"I'm not p-proud of what I did. I-If anything, I'm ashamed for m-making you feel the way I did, Sabrina." -Chloe told her, as she looked her in the eyes. –"N-No matter how many times I'll say it, it won't e-excuse what I did to you…" -she said, as tears ran down her face.

"I already told you last night. That's water under the bridge." -Sabrina smiled at her, as she placed her right arm around her shoulders. –"And I'm keeping my promise, though I believe I won't need to do it, because you're not going to turn evil again." -she continued to smile. –"But if your old and nasty persona comes back, I'll slap you silly, until you're back to normal."

The way she told her that, made Chloe smile at Sabrina. She smiled not because Sabrina had told her that in a slightly goofy, but still serious voice, but because she knew that when Sabrina made a promise, she would keep it. It was just one more reason why she was her best-friend.

"She was right. Our friendship has become even stronger than before, because of what happened yesterday." -Chloe thought to herself. –"I keep saying this, and it's the honest truth… I really don't deserve a friend like her. A friend who's always there for me, who doesn't give up on me… who's got the most beautiful aquamarine eyes I've ever seen, and… wait, why am I saying that about her eyes?! I mean, sure she has really great eyes, but… oh, stop it, Chloe! Stop being ridiculous!" -she mused to herself.

After hearing what happened to them the day before, the rest of the class understood why the heiress was acting that way, and could not help but to feel sorry for her. They felt that she had did to Sabrina was awful, but she seemed repented about it, and Sabrina herself had decided to forgive her. Also, they all knew that her relationship with her mother, was anything but good. Those of them, who had met Audrey Bourgeois, either wished they had not met her, or that they had not been in her presence for more than 30 seconds. And those who had not met her, wished they would never meet her.

"I'm really sorry to hear that, Chloe." -Marinette told her. –"I only met her mother once, last year, and though she was not unkind or despicable towards me, she was not nice or friendly to me, either. Plus, the way she looked at everyone around her, like she was better than all of them… I hate when people do that." -she thought to herself.

"I remember that one time, when she showed up in the Louvre, with Chloe's dad… that woman only cares about herself. Wish I could have slapped her, for the way she talked to my dad." -Alix thought, while remembering the time she met Audrey.

"Well, I can safely tell you this, Chloe. If you need anything, just ask. A hug, a kiss on the cheek, anything." -Adrien smiled at her. –"I know just how your mom is, and I know that one of those things always helps out, when you're like this…"

Not even letting Adrien finish that sentence, Chloe jumped into his arms, and hugged him, while resting her head on his right shoulder, before letting out a couple of tears. The same way she considered Sabrina the closest thing to the sister she never had, Adrien was to her, like the brother she never had. For a very long time, he was one of the only two people she believed were her friends, and when he said that, she just could not help herself. For a very long time, Chloe had been pressured by her mother, to try and gain Adrien's heart, and into believing that the two of them should get married one day. At first, she did not like the idea, because she saw him as a friend. But as she got older, her mother continued to insist on that idea, filling her head with prospects, and she began to see that as something that needed to happen. He was handsome, she was beautiful, they both came from rich families. For all matters and purposes, the two would look like a match made in Heaven. But now, that was all in the past. She had helped Marinette to see that Adrien's heart belonged to her, and no else, from the beginning, and she was okay with it. Chloe had learned to see past all her mother's peddling, regarding that matter.

"T-Thanks, Adrien." -Chloe thanked him, as the tears rolled down her face.

"It's okay, Chloe, it's okay." -Adrien whispered to her ear.

Chloe and Adrien had hugged each other, countless times before, but this was the first time, in years, since a hug between them was more powerful than any words they might tell to one another. It was a hug that was both a reassurance that everything was going to be alright, and a sign of true friendship. As the anxiety in her began to dissipate, Chloe knew that she could count on Adrien, and that hug was proof of it. It was such a tender moment between the two of them, that the rest of class decided to wait a couple of seconds, before also showing Chloe that they were there for her as well.

"We're here for you, Chloe." -Rose smiled at the blonde.

"She's right. We're here for you." -Juleka agreed.

"Whatever you need, if we can help, we'll help." -Max said.

"There's not much we can do about your mom, but we can make sure that when you're with us, you don't think about her." –Alya said.

"And I know that I told you this before, but there's no shame in crying or asking for help, Chloe. Remember that." -Sabrina reminded her. –"You don't have to suffer in silence, not when you have friends, who care about you." -she smiled.

"And if you start to feel sad or anxious, and we're not around, let us know, right away." -Mylene told her. –"You just need to call us, and we'll be here, to listen to whatever you want to talk about." -she said.

"That goes for us, too. We're here for you… I'm here for you, my queen." -Pollen said, as she and the rest of the kwamis smiled at her. –"You will never be alone, again." -she declared.

"You're not your mom, Chloe. That I know. And just like the rest of us, I won't let you forget that." -Adrien said.

Such beautiful and kind words, made Chloe cry even harder than before. Only this time, the tears were tears of joy and happiness. And like it always happened, when one of them got emotional, a group hug was in order. One by one, everyone, including the kwamis placed their arms around her and hugged her collectively. The blonde had never told to anyone, but she loved it, when the whole class gathered around for one of those hugs. All because it made her feel safe and loved. In the past, such things would have repulsed her, when she believed she was better than all of them. But now, things had changed, and instead of hating those hugs, she longed for them, more than anything else. Unfortunately, such a wonderful moment, was cut short, when the bell rang, signalling the end of recess.

"Guess it's time for us to go back to our daily punishment." -Nino said, as they began to

"Unfortunately." -Kim said. –"And the worst part is that the next hour will be Algebra." -he sighed. –"Not even Miss Bustier is able to make Algebra fun."

"Look at it this way, it's only an hour until lunch." -Imp told him, as he flew inside Kim's sweater pocket.

"Tell Miss Bustier that we needed to go to our lockers, and that we won't be long." -Sabrina asked the others, as they all exited the rooftop. –"We've got to do something about those eyes. You don't want anyone to think that you've been crying." -she heartfully told Chloe, as the two headed to the girls' room.

"You're too good to me, you know that?" -Chloe told her.

"Yeah, you may have said that to me, once or twice." -Sabrina smiled at her.

"Aren't you coming, Adrien?" -Marinette asked him, as she saw him with his right knee on the floor.

"I've just got to tie up my shoelaces. I'll follow you, in a moment." -Adrien said, as he did so, only for one of them to break. –"Oh, crud…" -he sighed, while holding the broken shoelace. –"I guess I used too much strength."

"You're going to need a new pair of shoelaces, that's for sure." -Plagg joked.

"Hold on, let me help you with that." -Marinette said, as she walked towards him. –"Plagg's right, you're going to need a new pair of shoelaces." -she said, as she grabbed the broken shoelace, and quickly tied it up in a pretty bow. –"There. That ought to hold until you get back home."

"Thanks." -Adrien smiled at her. –"By the way, I wanted to tell you something, but because of what happened with Chloe and all that, I felt that I should wait, until we were alone, so I could tell you." -he said. –"Anyways, I wanted to ask you if you have anything scheduled for this Saturday afternoon?"

"Uh, no, I don't. Why do you ask?" -Marinette asked him, curious.

"It's… well, it's because I finally told my dad about us, and… well, he asked me to invite you for tea, because he wants to know you better." -Adrien smiled at her.

First of all, I'm sorry if I'm running late with this chapter, but work has been keeping me busy lately. Either way, here it is. To tell you the truth, I planned this chapter in an entirely different way, but I ended up writing it this way, because I felt like doing it (you're probably wondering what I'm talking about, well let me try to explain it). While I was beginning to work on this chapter, I started to watch "Robin's Wish", which is the documentary that offers a look into the life and final days of Robin Williams, and his struggle with diffuse Lewy body disease, which eventually led him to commit suicide, and I started to think about how much I owe to Robin, for making my childhood, and life as a whole, a little brighter and a little better. So, I decided to include a little bit of that fondness I have for the man, into this story, by making Mylene a huge fan of Robin's work. What was supposed to be just a little nod, ended up with us having the beginning of the chapter fully focused on Mylene, which was something I've wanted to do for a while now, and I finally got the chance to do it.

The second half deals with just how much damage Ambroise Delay is making in the Miraculous Team's reputation, as well as Chloe starting to battle her inner demons, and understanding that she's not alone in this battle, as she has Sabrina, Adrien, and the rest of her friends to help her out. I may have gotten a little carried away with the whole scene, but I think it came out okay... and of course, we got ourselves a little sneak peak, of what's going to happen, on the next chapter. :)

As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this fic, or for future ones. :)

P.S. Before I forget, be sure to check out 27Smiles page on DA, where you will find the latest drawing I commissioned of our heroes in this AU (This one is the furst of three drawings, featuring them in a Halloween party).