The next morning before school Adrien kept re-styling his hair, but he couldn't get it quite right. It just kept sticking up in a far too Chat Noir-like fashion. Then he stood in front of his closet indecisively, before just putting on the same thing he always wore.
"What's curdled your cheese?" Plagg asked while lazily sunning himself in a sunbeam.
"Nothing...everything is going to go great! I know it! Once I get to know Mirelle better, I'll figure out how to win Ladybug over!" Adrien put the strap of his bag determinedly over his shoulder.
"Whoah Whoah Whoah!" Plagg chirped, falling off his perch. Then he popped back up face to face with Adrien. "What is this about the weather girl again?! Didn't you promise Ladybug that you wouldn't go near her?!"
"I said Chat Noir wouldn't seek her out...I didn't say anything about Adrien casually striking up a friendly conversation with Mireille today at school!" Adrien shrugged his shoulders with a defiant glint in his eye.
"Exactly how friendly?" Plagg demanded.
"We'll see," Adrien smiled in a way that Plagg knew meant trouble.
"You'd really lie to Ladybug, and then the very next day strut up to the very girl you think is Ladybug and do the very thing she asked you not to do?!" Plagg poked his weilder in the forehead.
Adrien's brow creased for a moment, but he only hesitated a moment. He finally said quietly to Plagg, "It's not like she'll know I'm Chat Noir. I won't bring up anything about Miraculous' even. I just...I just want to see what she'll like. I just want to get to know her...more than just as super heroes."
Plagg sighed. "I guess there is nothing wrong with making a new friend...as long as you're not going to get all loopy and love-sick around her! If you do I can make no promises I won't get violently sick in your bag!"
"Chat's honour!" Adrien smiled, ushering Plagg into his bag, and running out the door.
Adrien's driver got him to school precisely on time, and Adrien hurried up the front steps of the school in leaps and bounds. He only had a few minutes before his first class. He couldn't wait to find Mirelle.
He ran through the courtyard, and searched in the locker room. There was a handful of kids Adrien recognized from Mirelle's class, but he didn't run into her at all. Instead he collided with Marrinette!
Marrinette came barreling through the doors, midway through trying to stuff a pile of loose pages into her bag, while trying to eat a danish at the same time. She spun out of control and tripped over Kim's gym bag. Before either of them had time to react Marinette had fallen headlong into Adrien, sending him bowling backwards over a bench, with her landing right on top of him.
"Good morning Mari!" laughed Adrien good naturally.
"Oh my gosh Adrien! I am so so sorry! I didn't...I mean I wouldn't...I mean...I'm really sorry!" Marinette struggled to right herself and scramble off of her crush. "You're okay aren't you?" she added with concern.
"I'm fine! It's not ever day I'm so enthusiastically greeted by one of my friends!" Adrien teased. "By the way...have you seen Mirelle?"
"Oh...Mirelle, ah no," Marinette gripped her own arm tightly. Adrien had once again obliviously used the dreaded "friend" term...not to mention Marinette had been tossing and turning all night over Mirelle's discovery of her identity. Now she was once more haunted by Mirelle even before her first class of the day. "She might already be in Ms. Mendeleiev's class," Marinette suggested.
"Thanks Mari!" Adrien smiled, with a quick wave out the door.
Marinette forced a grin on her face, watching him rush excitedly around the corner, but crumpled to the bench in the locker room with a deflated groan once he had left. Everyone else had filed out on their way to class too.
"Tiki, if only Adrien looked so excited to meet up with me?!" Marinette sighed.
Tiki frowned, watching where Adrien had exited. Marinette didn't realize, but Tiki certainly did that Adrien aka Chat Noir was up to something! She wouldn't put anything past Plagg, but she honestly thought he'd at least have the sense to keep that boy clear of Mireille after what he had promised to Ladybug! Tiki was certainly going to have a few choice words with Plagg as soon as she could get a chance.
Meanwhile Adrien lept up two stairs at a time, and poked his head up by the window into the chemistry class.
That is when he spotted her. Mireille was leaning against a desk, chatting with Arora.
"So those two are friends now!" Plagg poked his head out of Adrien's pocket. "I thought they had a frosty relationship!"
"Mireille actually got Arora some publicly by asking her to co-host the Friendship Day scavenger hunt last year. After that my Dad's company starting contacting her about some casual modelling work. I guess after that all was forgiven," Adrien smiled over the ledge. "Isn't that so Ladybug of her? Trying to help other people out, and bring out out the best in them!"
"Humph," Plagg sulked. "You're going to have to order me the Comté Vieux if you expect me not to give Tiki the heads up on your extracurricular stalking."
"Are you blackmailing me?!" Adrien reprimanded the kwami.
"I'm just saying...it's harder to let secrets slip if your mouth is full of cheese!" Plagg shrugged.
"Fine, but you are horrible! When have you ever had a shortage of cheese while you've been with me?!" Adrien glared at Plagg.
"Maybe we could go by Ponytail's bakery and pick up some bread to go with all that cheese," Plagg shrugged. "We should go there right now!"
"Have I mentioned you're a floating stomach?!" Adrien rolled his eyes, and then focused on the girl in the light blue shirt, with fluffy little white clouds dotted across it. "Okay Plagg, this is it!""
Plagg just face palmed, as Adrien walked through the doorway, and approached the girl before him. He realized he didn't have a plan, but he figured that was okay...Ladybug always knew what to do any any situation.
"Hi Mirelle!" Adrien waved awkwardly, approaching the girls.
Mirelle and Aurora both took in a unified gasped as Adrien freakn' Agreste sauntered up to them as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.
"Oh wow! Um...Adrien!" Mirelle managed to get out, as Aurora, gave her a enthusiastic push in Adrien's direction. "Did you have a question for Ms. Mendeleiev?"
"Actually," Adrien raised his arm to nervously pull at his neck. "I just wanted to say I saw you...on the weather network that is. It seems like you're doing a really great job...with the weather!"
"Thanks Adrien," Mirelle blushed. "At least it is Sunny today! I always feel bad when I get it wrong, but sometimes not even Meteorologists can predict the future!"
"Yeah..." sighed Adrien, getting distracted in her presence. Here he was in the presence of an unmasked Ladybug! "Sometime you don't know what your future will hold!"
Mirelle smiled sweetly, but shifted on her feet not quite sure what to say next.
In the end it was the bell to commends classes that shook them out of their stalled silence.
"Well, I better get to my class," Adrien hesitated. He desperately wanted to lift up her hand to his lips, but this would be far too obvious. A bow or a salute...or sweeping her off her feet were also out the the question. "Mirelle!" Adrien rushed.
"Uh...yes?" Mirelle's almond eyes widened.
Adrien looked at her and she looked at him. He knew that this was Ladybug. He had gone over the blatantly obvious evidence and assured himself of what he himself had seen with his own eyes the day before...but here was his Lady standing in front of him and he was at a loss for words. They had fought side by side, but now she seemed like a complete stranger. A lump rose in his throat choking out what he had dreamed of saying to her.
"Mr. Agreste! The bell has rung and if you'd be so kind I'd like to start my class!" the sharp voice of Ms. Mendeleiev jarred them both from where they stood.
"Sorry!" Adrien turned, and then hastily whispered to Mireille, "I hope you you a pawsitively wonderful day!"
"You too!" her smile followed him, as he made a speedy retreat.
Once they were safely around the corner, down the hall Plagg poked his head out and grinned slyly, "Smooth one Chatsanova!"
Adrien hit his head back against the wall with a frustrated moan. "What is wrong with me?!" he berated himself. "She was right there in front of me and I said, " have a wonderful day!"
"A pawsitively wonderful day," Plagg corrected with a smirk.
"Ahhhh...that is even worse!" Adrien tore at the roots of his hair with his hands. "If I pun around with her as Adrien she'll figure out I'm Chat Noir, and then not only will she wright me off and not give me a chance, she will also be crazy angry at me for pursuing her after she made me promise not too!!"
"I warned you!" Plagg crossed his arms looking self satisfied. "Now we should forget this whole thing and go get that cheese we were talking about earlier!"
"Oh I'm not giving up!" Adrien declared passionately. "Are you kidding! I just need to come up with a plan this time. I need to find a way to get closer to her!"
"Closer!" Plagg whined. "That is the opposite of what you need to do. Trust me! You need to take a step back on this one to get some perspective!"
"I've never been more clear on anything in my life!" Adrien held his hand to his heart. "I love Ladybug, and this is my chance to show her that I don't just love her because of the mask! I love all of her!"
"You don't even know this girl!" Plagg retorted.
"Of course I do!" Adrien said. "I can anticipate Ladybug's ideas in the heat of battle! I know how to encourage her when she's lost hope! I trust her with my life! I can tell her anything!"
"Well except your name...and also practically everything else about yourself!" Plagg mumbled under his breath.
"...But Mireille knows my name..." Adrien sunk back into a happy daydream.
"Adrikins!" the shrill voice of Chloe yelled down the hall, making Adrien jolt upright. "Ms. Bustier has already called you three times for roll call. Are you coming or what?!"
"Uh, yeah...coming!' Adrien trotted to the classroom door, "I don't want to miss anything!"