Paris was as loud as ever. The sound of cars driving over cobbled streets and muffled conversations in at least a dozen different languages at nearby cafés were echoing through the streets. The sound of waiters clearing up the plates, and the clinking of glasses filled with wine. Everything was just the same. Paris, the city of lights, was illuminated at night, luring out its true charms.

A girl walked on the sidewalk, dragging her suitcase behind her, a big sports bag over her shoulders. Her Chelsea boots clicked in a slow rhythm with every stride she took, giving her a beat to hum a melody. She wore black leggings and a simple black long-sleeve, a light blue denim jacket over the top. Her soft strawberry blonde strands flew all the way down to her back, stopping in a line around her hips. She stopped for a moment, taking in the joyful atmosphere of the street. It was strange, being back again after so long. Despite how long she'd been away, she still remembered everything about the place; the wide sidewalks, the same gothic-styled buildings, small cafes, and popular flea markets with adorable souvenirs, the soft tinkling of the wind chimes when you walked through while laughing with your friends. Except that now, she didn't have any friends anymore. At least she thought so. She wasn't sure any of them waited that long.

Paris was a city of wide avenues and small places to sit and relax as folk went by about their day. There were tall apartment buildings, luxurious shopping centers, churches, and various monuments. The rest was just parks, surrounded by forked fences, and old iron gates. Yet, her favorite thing was the river that flowed through the center, crossing the bridges, pausing just to look at the view. She made a small mental reminder to do that in the near future.

One of her favorite pastimes was skating around the city, stopping at specific spots to relax and just think. She hasn't stepped on a skateboard in years though. Maybe, just maybe, she could do that again one time. Now that she was back, she will be able to do things she wasn't able to in Russia. She will not have to abide by the strict dorm rules and have more free time. After spending three years in Bolshoi, she will finally be able to find friends outside ballet and even go to a normal school once again.

She walked up to the building and made her way to the third floor, dragging her luggage behind her on the steps. Positioning herself in front of the door, she raised her hand to ring the doorbell but then stopped as a feeling of butterflies built up in her stomach. She took a deep breath and forced herself to hit the button.

Almost immediately, there was a sound of someone running to get the door.

Oh, God.

Her hands started to shake.

The wooden door opened slowly, and her mother's warm, loving face was revealed. Suddenly, all the lines she'd practiced the whole way on the plane, abandoned her brain. She couldn't figure out what to say as the feeling of tears dwelling in her eyes and the sweet face of her loving mother were the only things she could focus on. But before any words could come out her mouth, she was pulled in a tight hug. Her hands folded around her back, drawing the girl even closer. The woman shook, crying for the missed time they could never make back, crying to release the tension of these three long years.

"Avery."

She pressed her head into her mother's shoulder, the tears wetting her blue sweater. "Mom," she cried out, hugging her back. The woman pulled back after a while, wiping the tears away, not taking her eyes off her daughter while running a hand through her hair as if she couldn't quite believe that she wasn't a part of a dream. This wasn't a dream. Her baby was back. The woman's cold hand moved over to the girl's rosy cheeks, wiping the tears with her thumb.

"Don't go again. Please," she whispered, a small smile crept up her lips as she saw her daughter nod. And so, the two embraced once again.

Moments later, they pulled away again and the woman turned around to hide her tears.

Avery took a look at her rather skinny mother who motioned her to come in, her brown hair cut in a charming pixie cut. Even though she had a sweater over her nightgown, she still looked cold. She lost weight.

Was everything okay?

"You cut your hair." her mother nodded.

"Yeah. I did. Yours grew a lot."

Avery took a look at her strawberry blonde locks. They reached all the way down to her hips, just like she always wanted. Damn, it's been three years since she vowed to keep them healthy and brush them every day. Her friends actually kept reminding her to massage her scalp to speed up the results. Oh, boy. She remembered how jealous she was of the other girls with their hair touching their elbows when hers only reached a little bit past her shoulders.

Time sure flies, huh?

"I guess it did."

Avery entered the apartment, tossing the heavy sports bag off her shoulders and pulled the heavy suitcase inside. Taking a few steps inside, she looked around the dark living room. Everything was exactly the same as she remembered. She wouldn't call it huge and luxurious, like the ones people usually imagined on Pinterest, but it wasn't small and crummy either. The two-story apartment was her first home and she still adored it. Even if it didn't feel so homey anymore.

The sofa, the coffee table, and the dining table were still in the same places. Even the paintings were hung in the same place. It felt as if she never left. One of the floor lamps was left on, illuminating the sofa and the big philodendron next to it. The girl supposed her mother was reading a book while waiting for her to arrive. She shook her head and smiled.

'It's really like nothing had changed.'

"Do you want me to help you carry these?"

"Nah, I got it," Avery replied with a small smile. "You can go to bed."

"Tell me, dear, how in the world did you manage to pick up these manners!? You were like a wild wolf before you left!"

The girl shot her a wide grin. "I guess being threatened a few times by my teachers did the trick."

Her mom's face fell as she heard that, knowing the true meaning behind it. She opened her mouth to say something but then forced herself to close it again, not wanting to reawaken the painful memories. Her daughter had suffered enough. She didn't want her to have a nightmare the first night she came back. "Okay, I'll give you some time...You must be exhausted. Goodnight," she lifted herself up on her toes to plant a kiss on Avery's forehead, noticing the way she's overgrown her before leaving for the bedroom.

"Night."

The strawberry blonde stood still until she heard the click of the door closing before dragging her luggage to the stairs and tried to be as quiet as she could, cursing her excellent packing skills and the heavy suitcase every few steps. Once finally on the next floor, she rushed into her room and dropped on her bed, feeling like she could faint on the floor if she didn't reach it in time.

Being exhausted from the flight, she closed for a moment and was about to fall asleep when her phone lit up beside her with a small ding. She grabbed the device, squinting her eyes as the blue light almost blinded her, and adjusted the lighting to the lowest setting. Her lips curled up in a small smile as she saw a text notification from her best friend.

Kat: 'Привет))))'

Avery: 'Привет) Как дела?'

Kat: 'Норм. Удача завтра)))'

Wait. What?

Avery clasped her hand to her mouth to cover up her scream. The audition!

All the excitement of finally getting to go back home made her forget that her audition was rescheduled for the next morning. She was also one of the lucky ones, they accepted her registration and asked her to come to the new appointment. How could she forget something like this?

Paris Opera School of Ballet was the best ballet school in France, maybe even in the whole of Europe. This was her chance to fix everything. She still had a good chance in succeeding. Even if the situation in Bolshoi didn't work out, she was ready to try again. She was going to keep trying until she became a star dancer. Second chances were rare in the world of ballet, but she had been so incredibly lucky that she received this second chance she's been working for.

Only that this time, she wouldn't let herself get distracted.

Avery: 'Пасиб )'The girl let out a loud groan and rolled off the soft mattress, grabbing her sports bag and pulled out her pointe shoes, quickly putting them on. She took off her jacket and put her hair in a tight ponytail. Moving to the old barre by the window, she did some basic technique exercises to warm up and worked mainly on her technique for quite a long time. If the technique was good, then there's hardly any doubt that the audition could go wrong. That was what they taught her at Bolshoi anyways. It wasn't long after she's done 5 sets, that she heard the door open.

Her mother walked in, hugging herself, her steps light and slow.

"Everything okay? Just wanted to check if you went to sleep."

Lie.

"I'm alright. Thanks."

"What are you doing so late?"

"I'm auditioning for the Paris Opera tomorrow. And I have to be ready," she replied not even sparing the woman a glance and went back to her tendu combination exercise. "Avery, I need to talk to you about something."

"Look, mom. I'm really tired right now and I don't have time to talk. I have an important audition tomorrow and I don't want to mess it up. We can talk after I'm done."

It might have been rude, but her mother needed to understand, that ballet, was her life now. It has always been. But some things just...changed in the past three years. That meant giving up sleep, giving up friends, and giving up family time. Avery needed her to understand how important this was to her. Just because she quit Bolshoi, didn't mean that she quit ballet. She wanted another shot at this. And she was gonna get it.

"Avery, I-It's important. And I can't wait any longer. I need you to know," the woman coughed, wrapping the cloth around herself even tighter.

"Alright, then. What's so important that it can't wait until tomorrow?"

"I have cancer." Avery halted, eyes wide in shock.

"W-What?" she asked, her voice hitching. Her heart dropped at the sound of that. Her body started to shake, so she dropped her leg and gripped the bare tightly, afraid to look her mother in the eyes. She was afraid that if she would, she'd cry again.

"I was diagnosed a few weeks before you left. I might not make it."

Avery didn't say anything. She finally came back to her city, excited to make new memories with people she didn't see for almost three years while she was in Russia. She couldn't wait to see her mother again. Even if it meant abandoning her second home, she loved her dearly. She's been hurt so many times, so when her brother asked her to go back to Paris, Avery didn't hesitate. The girl thought a comforting home was waiting for her in Paris. A realization struck her like a lightning. He asked her to come back, so she could stand by her side, hopelessly while she battled her disease.

She had to watch someone die. Again.

"You kept this from me for three years?"

Avery felt as is she's been shot by an arrow. Her eyes watered at the thought of her scribbling in her diary about all the things she wanted to do once in Paris again. She couldn't wait to see her mother again, to spend the rest of her life in Paris. For the past three years, Avery worked herself to the bone to make everyone proud, to show everyone how much she's improved, to show her how strong she's become. But at that moment, it felt as if all that strength had flown away again.

She felt betrayed that the woman who trusted her enough to send her in another country by herself at the age of 13 didn't trust her enough to tell her that she might not be able to make it. If only she had told her, Avery would've stayed behind. She could've helped her!

Things were definitely not the same in Paris.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" she questioned, this time barely loud enough for the woman to hear. No matter how much she tried, she was still incapable of looking her in the eyes. And that broke both of their hearts.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm sorry...You have no idea how much I wanted to, but I was scared. I was scared that if I called you, I'd end up telling you everything. I didn't want you to lose focus," the woman was sobbing by this point.

"You didn't want me to lose focus!? You could've died, mom! Do you think I'd keep my focus then?"

"I'm sorry I ruined your arrival."

Avery rushed to her bed, ripping her pointe shoes off her feet and grabbed her Chelsea boots. "Avery. I'm sorry... Please," the girl stayed quiet and rushed out, slamming the door behind her.

Pont de Alexandre III.

That's the first place she thought of as the cold night air hit her skin again. This is where she used to dance on top, almost giving her friends a heart attack, when she pretended to lose balance. They'd always yell at her for being irresponsible. It was also the place she'd come to when she had to think. And tonight, she had a lot of things to think over. She took the hairband out of her hair, letting her hair fall down and leaned on the fence, her chin on top of her arms.

Paris was so wonderful. Especially at night, when all the lights lit it up. Even if the sky was dark and cloudy, soft winds blowing from the South, a clear sign of an approaching thunderstorm, one could never get used to the sight. There truly was a reason Paris was called the City of Lights. Avery felt strangely comforted just by standing there and watch, taking her mind off things, ignoring the fact that a storm was approaching. She took notice of the tourist boat below, tears dwelling up at the merry cheers of the happy visitors, making the best out of the last day of summer.

'Life must really hate me. Taking everyone from me.'

Burying her head in her arms, one of her boots stomping on the concrete in frustration. The sigh that escaped her dry lips was slow as if her brain needed the time to process what had happened. She was back in Paris. She was safe here, sure, but...Her mother was dying. She had a very important audition in a few hours. She had to start school here and make new friends.

How did everything become so complicated all of a sudden? She promised herself that she would not get distracted again, but she just realized that her entire life she's been dancing, trying to get to the top, which seemed so impossible to reach. Yet, for all of those years, she kept dancing, kept kicking, eyes burning with that passion, determined to reach it. In fact, she was so determined that she completely forgot about the real world. She forgot to ask the one woman who gave her unconditional love and support about how she felt, and only if she had taken the time, she could've helped.

Avery felt incredibly guilty.

Her phone suddenly vibrated in her back pocket of her leggings.

Mom: 'Avery, I know you're confused right now, but I want you to understand that whatever happens to me, I'll always love you. I want you to be happy, chase your dream, make new friends. Even if I die, I want you to live. You deserve it.'

Her mother was right. She did deserve to be happy. She wanted to be happy. She wanted this as badly as she wanted to breathe, therefore she wiped her tears away and closed her eyes to calm down. A random melody began to play inside her head and that persuaded the girl to spring on top of the bridge and dance on the railing like it was the simplest thing on Earth. Beginning to advance in movement with purposeful clarity and absolute control, she passed multiple lampposts, swinging around them like a kid having fun on the playground. With each stride she took, it became explicitly obvious that Bolshoi wasn't a waste of time nor money. She couldn't bring herself to regret going no matter how hard this year was. But it was still nice to be back here. Kicking her left leg forward with pointed toes and flexed calf muscles, the strawberry blonde leaped into the air and landed perfectly by the next lamppost.

"That was beautiful."

Like a clap of thunder, the new presence on the usually empty bridge made her gasp in shock. Alarmed by this presence behind her, she turned around rapidly meeting eyes with a stranger clad in black, only his big emerald eyes visible as the lights from the lampposts blinded her slightly. She stepped back, losing her balance and fell off the bridge.

.

.

.

"Whoah there! Gotcha!"

Avery's eyes were open in shock, staring at her blurred reflection in the river. Her hair almost touched the surface and her arms were lifelessly dangling. She was frozen as her blood went cold. She couldn't move or breathe at that moment. The only feeling of warmth was the one of a strong arm wrapped around her waist and how it pulled her up; the water surface slowly distancing itself from her. She whimpered, finally feeling her blood pumping through her veins when her feet reached the hard ground.

She never would have imagined that she'd be so close to death again. After such a short time.

Maybe she wasn't so lucky like everyone thought she was after all.

"I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay?!" He asked, setting her down on the ground. Her knees weakened and she was about to collapse, a strong wave of fatigue shot through her head, but she shook it off; realizing what just happened. She fell off the goddamn bridge. "Yeah," she whispered, tears dripping down her cheeks. Was she really?

"I'm fine."

"Hey, hey don't cry. It's okay, Angel. You're safe," the teen male clad in black leather pulled her in for a tight hug. "Yeah... I know. I'm okay," she sobbed, hugging him back. Her voice cracked, a lump forming in her throat. After a few minutes of rocking her in her arms, he pulled her away and stood up. She looked up at the male with wide eyes. He had a black leather mask over his eyes and his emerald irises shone in the dark, staring softly back at her. His hair was messy but the bright yellow lights illuminated his golden-like strands...And on top of his head were two black cat ears.

He was beautiful.

Avery tilted her head in confusion.

"W-Who are you?" The blonde teen offered her his hand to pull her up and just as she was back on her feet, he kissed it gently.

He kissed her god-damned hand.

"Chat Noir, m'lady. The new superhero of Paris. I'm sure you'll hear a lot about me in the future." He stated confidently, pulling away and bowed like a gentleman, the serene smile still on his face.

Was she dead and met an angel?

"Hero?"

"Exactly. I was just given the task to protect Paris, so I understand if you're afraid. But as the future hero, can you allow me to escort you home?"

"I-I'll go by myself, thanks though," stuttering, she turned on her heels and took a step forward. Even if he wasn't a bad guy; which she was sure of, considering the guy just saved her from falling into her death (not exactly sure how though), Avery couldn't help but keep her distance. She felt grateful for the help, but like anyone would be; she was quite startled by his peculiar attire that strongly resembled a cat.

Just the fact that he was walking in some sort of...cosplay at night sent shivers up her spine.

"Okay, okay. I understand. I'm a stranger and it is nighttime. And I'm dressed like...this. But can I at least get your name?" the strange asked, making her feet stop against her will. A sigh escaped her lips as she finally gave in to take one last look at the stranger with a polite smile, blood rushing to her cheeks when the stranger sent her an innocent smile.

He did save her from drowning just a few minutes ago after all...

"Avery."

Hey, lovelies.

This is a new story I've been working on and I am currently editing the whole thing. As most of you guys, I've come across the show Miraculous Ladybug a few years ago, and have absolutely fallen in love. This year (2019/2020), I decided to go on an exchange year in France, so I've experienced a little bit of this French life and let me tell you... It was a dream. So, I decided to write a story.

I hope you will enjoy and if you do, add this book to your library or write a comment. Your support means a lot to me.

Now for those of you who were confused during the short text convo, here's the translation:

'Привет))))'-'Heeyy :) :) :) :)'

'Привет) Как дела?' - 'Hey, how are you?'

'Норм. Удача завтра)))'- 'Okay. Good luck tomorrow :) :) :)'

'Пасиб )'- 'Thanks.'