Day 10 (Tuesday)

In the morning I woke up a bit earlier than usual. After I got dressed, I thought about going to see Adrien, but then I remembered what our last conversation was like. He told me about the ring his mother had given him, and how it helps him feel close to her. And I had been trying to make him take it off. I felt horrible. After thinking about what he told me about his mother, I should apologise. But he probably doesn't want to talk to me after the way I acted. I know. Maybe I should apologise with a gift. A handmade gift to show him how important he is to me. I looked down at the floor and noticed my sketchbook, and it hit me. His mother… what if I could draw her? Maybe that would make him feel better? But first I need a picture of her to look at while I draw. I remembered there were some family photos around the house, so I grabbed my phone so I could take a picture of the photo so I could look at it anytime, and left my room to find a picture.

Eventually after wandering the huge house, I found some pictures, including one of the whole family. Mr. Agreste actually looked happy in the picture. And Adrien's mother, she was beautiful. The whole family looked so happy together. But then I looked closer and noticed something. In the picture, Adrien wasn't wearing a ring. But he said he had been wearing it for as long as he could remember. I looked at the rest of the pictures to see that in any picture where Adrien's mother was still around, Adrien had no ring. I found one picture that had Christmas decorations in the background, but his mother was not in the picture. Of course, she wouldn't have been left out of a Christmas photo, so obviously this photo is from the Christmas after she passed away. Sure enough, in this picture, Adrien is now wearing his ring. It looks to me like he only started wearing his ring after his mother passed away. So much for the ring being a connection to his mother. He lied about the ring. And including his mother in the lie, that's something someone would only do if they were desparate to keep something a secret. Like secretly being a superhero!

I smiled at my discovery and began walking back to my room. As usual, Adrien soon came to tell me breakfast was ready. I didn't know what to say to him, so we ate in silence. But once we finished eating, I decided to bring it up.

"So, Adrien, I saw some family photos earlier, and I noticed something. It looks like you only started wearing that ring after your mother passed away. So last night, why did you tell me you've been wearing it for as long as you could remember?"

"I don't want to talk about it." He said.

"Why, what are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing. Well, nothing I can talk about. It's, well, it's complicated."

"Then explain it."

"Well, basically, the thing is,"

"Adrien, hurry up. Your bodyguard is waiting in the car." Nathalie said. I hadn't noticed her come into the room.

"We'd better get going. Don't want to be late for school." Adrien said.

"No, Adrien, we need to talk about this." I said.

"You can talk in the car. You need to go now." Nathalie said.

"What she said," Adrien said, and we headed off to the car. But we didn't talk in the car. We sat there silently, barely looking at each other.

While we were at school, we barely spoke, except occasionally talking about the work we were doing. He was polite, and still went out of his way to speak English when he did speak to me. At lunchtime we still sat in the usual group, but I spoke mainly to Marinette and Alya, while Adrien and Nino had a separate conversation. After school, Adrien had a photoshoot, since the one from last week had been rescheduled to today. Since we had learnt last week that the photographer wouldn't want me there, Adrien asked the bodyguard to drop me off at the house first before he went to his photoshoot.

Now back at the house, I sat alone, thinking about how Adrien must be Cat Noir. It all made sense. It had been Adrien who saw me getting hit by the hail. Since he has gotten so used to speaking English when he speaks to me, he spoke English to me after he brought me inside. I know it was important that he protect people from Stormy Weather instead of returning the kwmai himself, but a superhero would never trust a stranger with the address of the guy who had a box full of miraculouses. But it was Adrien who was Cat Noir, so he already knew me. That's why he trusted me to return the kwami. And of course, the reason he refused to take off his ring was because it was a if he did, it would change colour and I would recognise it as a miraculous. And he knows I can recognise a miraculous because Cat Noir figured out that I'm Pup Fidèle, and he's Cat Noir, so he knows I can recognise a miraculous. But he really didn't want me to know he's Cat Noir, so he made up that lie about his mother being the reason he can't take off the ring. I had it all figured out, and at school there had been moments where I so badly wanted to talk to him about it. But I didn't dare. If I'm right, then I really should be discussing this at school, where anyone could hear us and find out that he's Cat Noir.

Then I thought about the lie he told about his mother. How he had been so desparate to keep this a secret from me. I know I hadn't known him long, but I thought we were getting to be really close friends. I thought I knew him, but this, this wasn't like him at all. I don't even know if I can still trust him. Well, he clearly doesn't trust me. No, I can't trust him anymore. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw it. Coming into my room throught the window was what looked a black butterfly, flying towards me. An akuma. Oh no. I felt scared. I was alone. Just like last time. This was basically how it happened last time. Me, alone. But hang on, this time isn't exactly the same. Last time, I didn't even know what an akuma was.

"Y-you can't trick me again! I know what you are! You're an akuma!" I said aloud. But I was still scared. Even if I know what it is, it can still evilise me, right? What's the point of fighting it? It's still going to get me. But, if it does get me… won't Ladybug and Cat Noir just bring me back to normal? They always get the job done. And even though I can't trust Adrien to be honest with me, but I can still trust him to help save me as Cat Noir. I smiled. "I'm not scared of you. No matter what you do, Ladybug and Cat Noir will always do their job to save me. You have no real power over me! You hear me, akuma? I'm not scared! And I'm not alone this time! My friends will stay in my heart no matter where I go!" At that, the akuma backed away from me. I guess I was right, it has no real power over me now that I'm thinking more positively. I watched as the akuma fluttered back out of the window, and out into the streets of Paris. But then I realised that since it didn't akumatise me, that means it's probably going to find another target, and akumatise someone else. And since I think I know who Cat Noir is, I should probably warn him that someone is probably going to be akumatised soon. I grabbed my phone and sent a text to Adrien.

Caitlin: Hey, in case you are who I think you are, I just thought you should know I saw an akuma from my window, so someone will probably be getting akumatised soon.

I decided to leave out the part where the akuma targeted me first. He didn't need to know that. But at least now he knows there's an akuma.

I decided I did want to draw that picture of Adrien's mother after all. I thought about it more, and the way I see it, he did the right thing not telling me his secret, even if we're good friends. After all, I hadn't told him that I'm Pup Fidèle (although if he's Cat Noir then that means he does know I'm Pup Fidèle, but that's not the point). I shouldn't have yelled at him last night, when he refused to take off his ring. I'm sure he is Cat Noir, but I guess we don't have to talk about it. While I drew, I turned my laptop to a news site, and sure enough, the news began to cover someone who was akumatised. The news anchor was Mrs Chamack, the mother of Manon, the kid Marinette was babysitting when I was at her house. I watched as Ladybug and Cat Noir showed up and eventually de-evilised the akuma. Not long after Ladybug and Cat Noir left and the news started talking about something else, I received a text from Adrien. Just got back to your phone after detransforming, huh?

Adrien: Photoshoot got interrupted by the akuma attack. The photographer has plenty of time today so we're going to finish it today. That means I'll be home a bit later than usual.

I was fine with that. More time to work on the picture.

I kept drawing until I eventually heard the sound of the ar through the open window and knew that Adrien was home. I heard his footsteps in the hallway, but he walked past my room and probably went straight to his room. He probably didn't want to break the silence and start speaking to me first. And why would he? This whole mess was my fault. I need to fix it. Which means I need to speak to him first. But… I don't want to. Letting my fear get the better of me, I had another idea. I grabbed another piece of paper and wrote a note.

'Dear Adrien,

You have been a great friend to me and I was not a very good friend back to you. I pressured you to take off your ring, and yelled at you when you didn't. I'm really, really sorry I got frustrated with you and yelled. And I'm sorry I brought up Cat Noir. We don't have to talk about him anymore. I don't care if I'm right or not. It's not worth messing up our friendship. I'm really sorry, and I hope we can go back to the way things were before I brought it up.

When I was looking at your family photos, I thought your mother looked really pretty, so I thought you might appreciate a picture of her. I tried my best, I hope you like it. I wanted to do something nice for you to show you how much you mean to me, because even though I'll be going home in a few days, you're one of my best friends now, and I'd like us to stay that way.

Anyway, if you want to go back to hanging like before, there are some places I still haven't seen. Marinette and Alya said they could show me the Louvre tomorrow. If you still want to hang out with me, I'd love it if you came too.

Your friend (I hope), Caity'

Once I wrote the note, I continued with my drawing. I wanted to make sure it was perfect before I gave it to him. Eventually, I decided I was done. I looked at the time. Oh crap. I had lost track of time drawing! It was just past midnight! Still, I grabbed the picture and the note and left my room. But once I got closer to the door to Adrien's room, I saw that his light was off, which meant he had already gone to sleep. Well, I won't be getting a response tonight. Still, I slipped the drawing and the note under the door, hoping he'll read it in the morning, before I quietly went back to my room. Sleep didn't come quickly, but once I got tired enough, I finally fell asleep.