Chapter Thirty – Acts of Clumsiness
Thursday arrives and with it slightly warmer weather. Marinette finds herself scrutinising her closet, looking for something to wear that won't make her too hot or too cold or leave her too uncovered for the eyes of her classmates to ponder. It's not that they outright stare at her, waiting for a sign that she is pregnant to show up like a pop–up ad on a website, it's just that their eyes wonder, and she knows what they're thinking. They haven't asked again since Monday, and she hasn't offered any information.
In hindsight she knows she shouldn't have to: they know Lila's a liar and they've known Marinette for years; they should know that she's smart enough to take the proper precautions if she was to have sex (which she definitely doesn't plan to have anytime soon, possibly until she's engaged or married or at least in a relationship), and that if she was pregnant she would talk to them, not let some girl in the class tell everyone, including her parents, as if she wouldn't be able to do so herself.
She does know that this time it's a little different. Lila has 'evidence', even if it is out of context. Marinette knows that a picture speaks a thousand words, and when all she has to argue is that she was putting the box back on the shelf which makes her sound like she's coming up with excuses more so than telling the truth, there's only one word her classmates are going to hear, and that's 'pregnant'.
"Are you okay, Marinette?" Tikki asks, nuzzling into her holder's neck. Marinette sighs, keeping her gaze on her closet but not actually focusing on the clothes hung up in it. "You don't have to go to school. Your parents said that they've started looking into online school and you can switch whenever you want, they just have to talk to Mr Damocles."
Marinette sighs again, knowing that Tikki's repeating what she and Wayzz overheard her parents telling her last night after she explained what happened at school and where she went. After their last talk on Monday, Tom and Sabine decided that online school would be the best course of action, and she can choose to continue online school next year or go to a lycée that she wants to go to rather than the adjoining lycée attached to Françoise Dupont, where most (if not all) of her classmates will be going. They've even contacted the board of studies about what's going on with the school and are pretty confident that an investigation will be underway regarding Mr Damocles' way of 'disciplining' students, and Marinette certainly doesn't want to be there for that.
"I'm fine." Marinette says.
She decides to go to the bathroom before getting dressed, and it's only when she does so she realises that her closet has conveniently been split into clothes–to–wear–on–her–period and clothes–not–to–wear–on–her–period. After changing her clothes (and her underwear) she exits her room to find a croissant on a plate on the table, along with a cooling cup of tea, neither of which were there when she entered or exited the bathroom, so she assumes Sabine's been upstairs.
She's just sat down to eat it (pick at it, more likely, since she hasn't had much of an appetite lately), when the door to the lounge room opens and she spins around, grin splitting her face in two when Nino emerges, quickly followed by Adrien.
"Hey Mar–Bear," Nino greets, ruffling her loose hair teasingly as he goes past to sit across from her, leaving the seat beside her for Adrien.
"Nino!" Marinette pouts at him and runs her fingers through her hair to smooth it down. "You're such a meanie!" Nino sticks his tongue out at her and she giggles. "How are you Adrien? Are you going to assault my hair too?" Marinette tilts her head at him questionably, forcing a smile to hide her anxiety. Does he know what happened yesterday? Did he see me run away? Does he think I purposely stood him up because I don't care about our friendship?
"U–Uh," Adrien gapes at her, still mesmerised by the shine of her hair, the way it falls over her shoulders. He should be used to seeing it out by now, but each time is just as shocking and exhilarating as the last. He doesn't think he's ever going to be able to not stare at her when her hair's down. "I–ah, y–you–um–"
Nino hides his amused smile behind his hand before taking pity on his friend. "I didn't assault your hair," He sticks his tongue out at Marinette again, and she wrinkles her nose playfully in response. "It's not my fault you left it down with an open invitation to mess it up." He smirks at her scoff, and dodges the kick she aims at his feet beneath the table.
"Dork," Marinette murmurs, ignoring his mock–affronted 'hey!' in favour of looking back at Adrien. She pats the sat next to her. "You can sit if you want."
Adrien nods and shuffles over to the seat, settling beside her nervously while trying to keep his knees and elbows close to his body so he doesn't accidentally bump her. He's not usually this nervous or self–conscious around people, but for some reason Marinette With Hair Down makes him especially more anxious.
"Do you want some croissant?" Marinette offers, sliding the plate closer to him. Before he can say anything, Nino reaches across the table and slides it back in front of Marinette.
"Uh–uh, no. That is yours and you are eating it, young lady." He frowns at her in an overprotective brother way and she snorts. His frown deepens, but his lips twitch in an effort not to smile. "I don't see what's so funny, Miss Dupain–Cheng."
"Shall I get you a mirror?" She beams at him innocently and his composure cracks.
Nino's head hits the table as his shoulders shake with laughter and all Marinette can do is clutch the table so she doesn't fall out of her chair as she giggles uncontrollably, squeezing her thighs together so she doesn't wet herself. Adrien laughs to himself, smiling fondly at his friends, but his gaze always comes back to Marinette. He hasn't seen her laugh this hard in months, and rather than feeling jealous at the fact that Nino is who got her here instead of him, he's just happy that she's happy, and that she has someone who can make her laugh this hard.
. . .
Despite his earlier thoughts of not feeling jealous, as soon as Nino loops his arm through Marinette's when they step off the footpath and into the street, Adrien's eyes zero in on the point of contact and he finds himself glaring at his best friend for no reason other than the fact that he's holding Marinette when Adrien isn't. It doesn't help that he's forced to walk behind them because of the people walking in the other direction. As if sensing his mood, Marinette looks over her shoulder and finds his eyes, giving him a small smile when they meet. He literally feels his heart skip a beat, but he's determined to play it cool and not look like an idiot.
"Woah, dude, are you okay?" Nino releases Marinette to pull Adrien back onto his feet, tugging him out of the crossing and onto the footpath where Marinette's standing with a worried expression before a car can run him over.
At least their arms aren't still looped together, he thinks dryly as he inspects his hands. His knees also hit the ground when he tripped over the gutter, but in order to inspect them he'd have to take his jeans off and he's not about to do that on the street. Or in front of people.
"That was a pretty nasty fall." Nino frowns at him in concern.
"I guess," Adrien mutters, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. His hands are starting to sting but thankfully aren't bleeding. He hopes he can say the same for his knees. "Sorry." His eyes flick between his friends, who's expressions are still masked in concern.
"Don't apologise." Marinette steps forward and takes his hand in hers, inspecting his palm to check it's not bleeding for herself. Adrien's breath catches in his throat as her Marinette smell invades his senses and it takes everything in him to not tug her closer and burry his nose in her hair. "It doesn't look too bad; you should be able to hold a pen just fine." She smiles at him happily, but her eyes are still worried.
"Y–Yeah," Adrien agrees dumbly. He can feel Plagg wriggling in his pocket, probably trying to contain his laughter, and he squirms uncomfortably at the sensation.
"Nice diagnosis, Doctor Marinette." Nino jokes, nudging her arm with his elbow. "I am well aware you have plenty of experience with injuries sustained from acts of clumsiness, so I know sunshine here is in very good hands." He winks at Adrien, who can only splutter as Marinette swats at Nino's shoulder for the insult, oblivious to the innuendo directed at Adrien.
"I'll diagnose you next," She threatens lightly and Nino snorts. "How are your knees?" She asks, looking back at Adrien.
"Oh, um . . ." He looks down as if he would be able to see them through the fabric. "F–Fine." Marinette steps back, expression calculating as she cups her chin with her thumb and forefinger, eyes trained on his legs. Adrien tries not to shift under her scrutiny, and he glares at the grin Nino's sending him over Marinette's shoulder, clearly pleased with the turn of events. Until Marinette turns to him.
"You'll need to help him check his knees." Marinette tells Nino, having come to the same conclusions that Adrien had come to in regards to not being able to inspect his knees without first removing his pants, and also that it may be difficult for him to see them properly.
"Oh, come on." Nino pouts at her. "Can't you do it?" He replies without thinking. All three of their faces instantly flush darkly and Marinette stutters something unintelligible, waving her hands about her as she shakes her head hastily. "Never mind," He says quickly, grabbing Adrien's arm and starting to drag him towards the school entrance. "I got it."
"I hope you don't get excited over his chicken legs and attack him." A voice says from behind them and they turn to see Chloé getting out of her car.
Adrien glares at her. "I don't have chicken legs."
She shrugs, indifferent, and takes her phone out of her pocket to check it. There's still nothing from Sabrina, so she pockets it again. Her eyes meet Marinette's and she swallows nervously. "How are you?"
Marinette blinks, surprised, before smiling easily at the blonde. "I'm okay. How are you?"
"Fabulous, obviously." She flicks her hair over her shoulder and marches up the steps with an air of confidence hiding her anxiety.
Chloé chews the inside of her lip and pauses at the school doors, looking back down the steps at Adrien, Marinette and . . . Nino. They haven't moved much further, and Nino is whispering in Marinette's ear, no doubt about her, while Adrien is just trying not to look like he's jealous (again) of Nino being close to Marinette. Chloé rolls her eyes and shifts her weight to one foot. She doesn't get why he's going out with that Tsurugi girl when he so obviously is in love with Marinette. She puts it down to his father, as most of the things that Adrien does that make zero sense tend to have something to do with his father.
When Nino finally seems satisfied with whatever Marinette's told him and has stepped back to sling an arm around Adrien's shoulders, Chloé decides that it's now or never, and she doesn't want there to not be a 'never'.
"Hey Marinette?" Three pairs of eyes meet hers, but she only focuses on the one pair.
She hesitates a moment longer, waiting to see if Marinette is going to show any sign of not wanting to be talked to by anyone except for Adrien and Nino, but when she just looks at her expectantly, Chloé relaxes a little more and shifts her weight to one leg, putting her hand not holding her purse on her hip in what she hopes is a casual way and not an I–hope–she–says–yes way.
"Since Sabrina isn't here, do you want to go to the classroom and paint our fingernails? I have pale pink polish? With glitter?"
Chloé remembers that Marinette could never refuse pale pink nail polish (with glitter), and she can only hope that hasn't changed.