Alya scowled in her sleep as her alarm started ringing and she was hit with a pillow at the same time.
"Rise and shine sleepy head. Back to school for you."
Alya sleepily reached for her glasses so see Nora holding the offending pillow. She fumbled around for her phone, swiping off the alarm.
"One more day of break," she groaned as she laid her head back down. Only for her back to be whacked by a pillow.
"No can do. Mom wants me to walk you guys to school since it's raining today."
Alya lifted her head to see the dark gray clouds looming over Paris, raindrops racing down the window.
"Definitely not going." Alya turned over and snuggled under her blankets, only for Nora to pull them off.
"You slept with your guitar?"
That woke Alya up as she sat straight up to see her guitar lying next to the wall on her bed.
"I was practicing and fell asleep."
Alya turned to sit on the edge of her bed, confronted by the reminder of the rain outside. She looked at her fabric guitar case.
Her sister followed her gaze, piecing the puzzle in her head.
"I'll see if Mom can switch umbrellas. Remember to eat breakfast."
Nora gave a backwards wave as she left the room, leaving Alya to solve the problem herself.
Alya had grabbed one of her dad's jackets and zipped it up around her and her guitar, her guitar case clinging to her front while she wore her school bag like normal. She could barely hold her mother's larger umbrella over her head as her siblings walked behind her.
"Why is Alya being so weird with her guitar," Ella asked Nora, failing in her attempt to whisper.
"Because the guitar is very precious to Alya. It will get damaged if it gets wet."
"Then why didn't she wrap it in trash bags," asked Etta.
Alya closed her eyes, trying to ignore her siblings and their line of logic. While their logic was sound for the most part, the straps made using trash bags difficult. And she was mad she hadn't thought of that before wrapping herself up in her father's coat. What was done was done, and it was too late to change things now.
Alya opened her eyes as she heard the traffic shift, cars coming her direction. She barely had time to turn as a car hit a nearby puddle, splashing the people on the sidewalk. Several blocked the splash with umbrellas, Nora using herself and umbrella as a shield for her younger sisters. Alya barely blocked the water from the top part of her guitar, soaking her back.
"Alya!" Nora called out, ushering her little sisters to Alya.
"At least my guitar is safe," whimpered Alya, teeth chattering from the cold water as she adjusted her umbrella.
"Right." Nora nodded, helping her sister move again as they headed towards the twins school.
"Curse the rain," grumbled Alya as she wobbled into the locker hall. The entirety of her backside was soaking wet, even her hair. Miraculously her guitar was dry. Nino and Adrien were next to Marinette's locker as she exchanged her books. All of them looked well prepared for the rain; Marinette putting away rain boots, a raincoat and umbrella.
"Don't you normally take the underground," asked Nino, twirling a drumstick in the air.
"This was before the underground."
Everyone frowned.
"At least my guitar is still dry." Alya turned to her locker to open it and put away her umbrella, only to start struggling to also take off the soaking coat. Nino stepped up to help her remove it, only for her clothes underneath to also be completely drenched. The only thing dry on her person was her guitar bag.
"Do you want a towel," offered Adrien, offering the one he had be using to dry his hair.
"I don't think that's big enough by thanks."
"I meant for your hair."
Adrien sat Alya down on the locker bench, the top of the guitar case nearly hitting her in the face. He then preceded to towel dry her hair.
"Doesn't you hair like have, a million products in it," asked Marinette as she shut her locker.
"Not on rainy days. I just use the stuff I brought for gym after I get here."
"Adrien, you should totally be a head masseuse or hair stylist," Alya moaned as Adrien rubbed her hair in soothing circles. Adrien must have taken that as a compliment as he began rubbing a little harder.
Alya looked over to Marinette and Nino, who were both staring thoughtfully at her.
"What?"
"I don't think you can spend the day completely soaked like that," said Nino.
"And I have all the costumes at home," added Marinette.
"So either you go home and get one."
Marinette frowned as she looked back at her locker. "Or we find something else here while your clothes dry."
Alya looked between the two, Adrien's massage starting to make her head roll.
"What do we got for clothing options?"
Alya sat in the Light Music Club room, her wet clothes discarded for Marinette's extra small gym uniform and Adrien's outer shirt. Seeing she couldn't survive school in the small outfit, Adrien had gone to Ms. Bustier to get help from the theater department, while Marinette went to get something hot to warm Alya up. Nino was left standing guard, taping on the outside of the music club door.
Alya wandered to her guitar, safe from the rain. She wished Marinette or Juleka had told her about rain covers for guitars. She still had enough money from Christmas to buy one online, delivery now scheduled for tomorrow.
She pulled out her guitar, the strings starting to rust. She looked inside the bag for a spare set of guitar strings, only to realize she didn't know how to change them.
"Nino!"
"What?"
"Do you know how to change guitar strings?"
"I can change bass strings, but I wouldn't be able to tune it right."
"Darnit."
"You need to change?"
"Yeah. I'll have Juleka show me when she comes in."
Alya set her guitar back in its spot, noticing one instrument lacking in the room.
"Where's your drums."
"Cally wouldn't le me bring them over yesterday. Something about day of rest. And I'm not lugging 'em all over in the rain."
Alya snorted as she moved towards the door.
"You call Ms. Bustier Cally?"
"After she didn't let me and Marinette bring over my drums yesterday when it was perfectly pleasant weather. Yes, yes I am."
Alya laughed, leaning up against the door.
"How were your holidays? I didn't hear much from you or Marinette."
Alya's parents needed to work during the holidays this year, so it was mostly celebrating the holidays a day or so late. And Nora gave Alya a tour of her college campus. Other than that, Alya was researching school options for media and journalism, a couple good ones in France, but the better schools were in the United States, a discussion she might need to have with her parents later.
Adrien talked nonstop how he had visited several university campuses with his father. Apparently science departments could impression a fashion mogul enough to allow his son to attend. A couple of them were out of the country, so Adrien and his father would discuss it more when he started applying.
Juleka hadn't said much other than taking a small vacation with her family between Christmas and New Years. There had been one bad picture of the boat on the ocean, with part of Juleka's face blocking the view of where they actually visited. It was probably somewhere cold because Luka was in the background wearing a jacket.
Nino and Marinette had been rather silent other than the occasional busy text. Marinette did send a family photo Christmas Eve with her parents and grandmother. Nino sent one test saying "Babysitting cousins".
"Over abundance of relatives again. They wanted to stay though for New Year's. From what Marinette told me she did a couple university tours of the fashion schools that showed interest in her. She didn't really say much else."
"She mentioned something about her grandma," prompted Alya.
"Oh, yeah, her dad's mom. Cool lady. She's been in town for the break."
"That must be nice."
Alya could hear Nino tap the floor.
"Anything on Adrienette?"
"More silent than a grave. I pleaded with Marinette to let me over, and she says she's busy. I call Auntie Sabine and she says Marinette is out."
"Suspicious. And Adrien was traveling all break, according to his messages. Anything from Juleka."
"No… but Ethan told me that Xavier told him that Luka mentioned he and Juleka saw Adrien going to the movie theater with his father."
"That's weird…"
"Considering the holidays, a lot of movies came out this winter. And some class winter movies were screening too."
"But does Mr. Agreste seem like the type that would go to a regular theater for a regular movie?"
"Father-son bonding?"
"As opposed to the several trips they took to universities over break?"
"Apparently that was Mr. Agreste's assistant who took Adrien, with a teleconference with Mr. Agreste."
Alya sighed.
"They really are going nowhere, aren't they?"
"Maybe it's for the better. We need to start figuring out our own life too you know."
"I already know. I'm going to get a academic scholarship to the university of my choice, major in journalism and media, then become a world renown journalist that will get the first inside scoop on the Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste wedding."
Nino laughed heartily, Alya smiling to herself.
"A slight exaggeration on the last part. But I do want to be a good journalist. Get the real scope."
"I'm sure you will."
"What about you?"
Before Nino could answer, the door swung open and into the back of Alya's head.
"I got clothes!"
"And I got water!"
Ms. Bustier and Marinette ran inside, shutting Nino and Adrien out again as they set about dressing up Alya and starting some tea.
"Alright, last Christmas they performed "A Christmas Carol" so we are limited on options. You can either go as a bookkeeper or a maid," offered Ms. Bustier, holding a couple male and female costumes. Alya grabbed one of each.
She ended up wearing large men's pants with the bottom ends rolled up, a woman's blouse, a women's vest, and a man's jacket.
"Why the cape," asked Nino, once the boys were allowed back in the room. Adrien had taken the woman's cape.
"Why not a cape," Adrien responded, flipping the corner as if some fancy 1800s hero. Marinette was examining the material on the other side of the cape.
"I look like some mishmosh butler," said Alya, looking at herself. The blouse didn't even go with the vest.
"Well, it'll work until your clothes are dry," commented Ms. Bustier as she examined Alya's drying clothes. "But I wouldn't bother trying to take your guitar home until you get the weather proof case."
Alya nodded looking sadly at her lonely guitar.
"Now come on, I'll write you all notes for missing first period. Adrien, leave the cape."
Everyone agreed, Adrien letting the cape fall to the ground as they followed Ms. Bustier out of the classroom.
Juleka led Mylene over to the music club during lunch in order to drop off her guitar. She had been running late that morning due to the rain, and had taken the first chance to drop off her instrument. Mylene had offered to join her, catching up since break.
"And then, I hung out at Ivan's house for New Year's with his family," confessed Mylene as she blushed. Apparently Ivan finally asked out Mylene, the two quickly entering a relationship after the first date. Juleka was glad at least two of her friends could confess to each other like normal people. Not with a cult following watching their every move.
"And his family was nice?"
"Oh yes, his mom is a great cook, but his dad just kind of watches TV all the time, so he didn't really talk much."
Juleka nodded as she opened the door to the club room, pausing at what she saw. Scattered on the floor and desk were several articles of clothing. And in the middle of all the clothes was a lump of a blanket. The girls quickly shut the door.
"Do you?" started Mylene.
"No."
"Do you think?"
"I hope not."
The girls looked at each other before peaking in the room, the blanket in the middle of the room not moving.
"Does your club really like dress up," asked Mylene, looking up to Juleka. Juleka's face paled as she ran through the numerous situations in her head.
"Juleka!"
The girls turned around to see the other members of the light music club, Adrien running the fastest. Her burst past them then jumped onto the blanket. He grabbed the corners and pulled it around himself, revealing it to be a cape. He held up half to his face whispering, "I'm Cat Man!" then ran off to grab the cat ears near the music club memorabilia.
"Sorry about him," he's been waiting to wear that cape all day," apologize Marinette, making her way to the tea pot.
"Dude, was it this messy when we left," asked Nino as he stepped around the clothes. Marinette turned at his comment, quickly turning the pot on before picking up the clothes.
"My bad, I kind of got carried away," said Alya as she entered, dressed like some 1800s girl failing to pose as a boy.
Juleka looked around the other members, trying to piece what happened that morning.
"Oh Juleka! Could you teach me how to restring my guitar?"
Alya pulled out her guitar and a pack of strings, showing them off as if she was proud of something.
"W-what happened," asked Mylene?
"Oh, I got wet protecting my guitar from the rain," explained Alya as if it was the most common thing in the world as she moved forward, holding out her guitar and strings. Juleka examined the instrument, no sign of water damage evident on the guitar. Juleka sighed before smiling.
"Sure I'll help."
