"So how was it?" Alya begged for details the second Marinette arrived to class Monday morning.
"Did you hold hands?" Rose swooned.
"Was the movie awesome?" Alex pried.
"Did you confess your love for him?" Mylene piped up.
"are you feeling okay?" Juleka whispered.
"Come on, girl! We need details! How'd it go? Please tell me you were actually able to talk to him for once!"
"Okay okay!" Marinette laughed at her friends' eagerness and slid into her seat. "I think it went well. We held hands. The movie was fine. I didn't confess, but I feel like I'm on top of the moon. It was the best night of my life. Or really, the best weekend of my life I should say." She dangled the last bit in front of their noses, knowing they'd bite.
"Weekend! Last I heard it was just the movies! What else happened?" Alya leaned forward on one of the desks and the other girls began to murmur words of agreement.
"After the movie was over Adrien asked me to hook up with him."
"WHAT!" Alya screeched.
"On the first date!" Rose cried.
"Dude, nice going!" Alex high-fived her friend.
"Oh goodness. That's very bold." Mylene's eyes widened.
"did you say yes?" Juleka added.
"I agreed." Marinette blushed as the girls began to talk over each other in their excitement.
"Wait a second!" Alex held out a hand to stop the others from talking. "You mean to tell me..that not only did you sit through a whole movie with Adrien. You talked to the guy. Really talked to the guy. And the first time you manage it…he asks you to hook up with him? Teach me your ways, man."
"More importantly!" Alya interrupted. "Did you do it? Like did you actually go through with it?"
"She did." Adrien stage whispered suddenly after walking into the room and hearing their conversation. The girls screamed in surprise and whirled around to face him. "Hi, Mari." He smiled as Marinette blushed.
"Hi. Uh, did you get home in time? Before Natalie.."
"Mhm." He leaned down and kissed her cheek before taking his seat and Marinette turned to find the girls all staring at her with wide eyes.
"You just talked to him like a normal person." Alya pointed out, glancing between her best friend and the boy in front of her over and over. "I can't believe it."
"I think I'm gonna pass out from shock." Alex joked, just as Mrs. Bustier entered the classroom.
"Good morning class! I take it you all have a lovely weekend. Let's take our seats and get started, please."
The girls hurried to their seats, still chatting in hushed tones about their friends.
~•••••~
"What are you not telling me?" Alya asked later that evening as she and Marinette sat in the latter's bedroom, working on homework as their Kwami's chatted.
"I'm not sure it would be right to tell you. I don't want him to feel like I'm giving away his secrets."
"Well that confirms what I already suspected." Alya shrugged.
"It does? What did you suspect?"
"That you and Adrien hooking up had a bit of help from the Miraculous. He's Chat Noir, isn't he?"
"I…well, yes."
"So you and Chat Noir got together..then revealed your identities and that's why he asked you to the movies or..I feel like I'm missing something."
Marinette relayed the story of Chat on her balcony and Alya pondered it for a moment.
"You know, I think that's kind of beautiful. He left you to go to you. Kind of poetic in a sense. So he knows that you're-"
"No! He doesn't know that I know either. I'm not sure if I should tell him. Now, later, at all. I don't want to ruin it. Being with him was..everything I've dreamed of…and now even more because he's Chat too. But if I don't tell him I know I feel like I'm deceiving him."
"Yeah that's rough. Maybe just wait a bit, see how you feel about it in a week or two." Alya pat her friends back. "So can I see my dress for the dance?"
"Of course!" Marinette pulled the dress, and five others out of hiding. "This one is yours." Marinette nodded to an A-line floor length evening dress. It was a burnt amber garment with hints of orange, with long sleeves that puffed in just the right places.
"Then Alex's," She pointed to the piece next to it, another A-line dress, but this time in a light green ombré design in an asymmetrical satin with a scoop neck.
"Rose's." Marinette gently smoothed out the fabric of the floor-length tulle dress, adorned with tiny pink hearts.
"Mylene's." The rainbow tiered boho styled maxi dress was a big accomplishment for Marinette and she was happy how it had turned out.
"And Juleka's." The black dress had been particularly difficult, the lace bodice with purple ribbons had taken hours to weave together.
"They're beautiful, Marinette. What about the one in the garment bag?" Alya prodded.
"Oh that ones mine." Marinette pulled it from the bag and hung it up for Alya to examine.
The gothic style dress was designed with a sweetheart's neckline and long, lace sleeves. The sleeves complimented the lace bodice, which wonderfully contrasted the black silk the dress was made of. The green paw prints across the skirt gave the inspiration for the piece away.
"A Chat Noir inspired look. Are you trying to up his ego? Because if you are, it's definitely going to work. That thing is gorgeous."
"Thanks, but we should really get back to our homework. I definitely want to make sure I'm not grounded and still allowed to go to the dance once our grades are out!" Marinette laughed, turning back to her school books and Alya laughed.
"That would be a disaster that only you could get yourself into, Marinette."