Marinette groaned in her sleep. She could feel herself waking up and hated every second of it. She was suddenly hyper aware of everything around her. No no no! She wouldn't be able to go back to
sleep if this kept up. She tiredly looked at her phone, she knew it was dramatic, but she felt tears rush to her eyes when she saw she only had ten minutes left. She would never fall back asleep in that
time! She needed more sleep. It was all she wanted. She could sleep all the time if she were dead. The more she thought about it the more that seemed appealing.
She angrily got up and marched to the bathroom to get ready. She stood under the shower longer than she should have, but she just couldn't find it in herself to care. Who cares if she was late? Or if she
passed? Or if she even stepped outside of her house today? She sure didn't care. If she didn't then no one should. Deciding on that plan of action she plopped back into bed and turned off her phone. Her
parents were going out of town anyway, they wouldn't notice.
Tiki flew as fast as she could! Marinette was going to be late! She had stayed too long with Plagg. She couldn't find it in herself to be upset at the cat Kwami, she did care about him and last night of all
the nights had proven to her that he does in fact care. Plagg never comforted her, but then again she had never asked him to before today.
She made it to the bakery, frowning as everything was dark except for the kitchen. That wasn't right. Marinette's parents should have been up. Marlinette should have been up...oh no...Marinette's
parents were out of town. It was just Marinette! What if she hurt herself! Tikki flew as fast as she could towards her owner. She prepared herself for whatever she might see. Please be okay. Please be okay!
Tikki repeated to herself over and over. She saw Marinette laying on her bed, deathly still…."Marinette?" It came out hoarse and scared. She didn't even look like she had moved! "Marinette!" Still no
movement. Tikki flew down and harshly shoved her owner. Enough to move her a bit. Her owner groaned, causing a huge amount of relief. "Oh thank God!"
"Tikki what the heck! Don't be so rough." Marinette grumbled. Tikki couldn't even find it in herself to be angry at her owner's attitude. She was alive that was what mattered.
"Sorry Marinette, but you're running late and you didn't hear me the first time." Marinette shrugged as she turned on her side.
"I don't care. I'm taking a personal day. I'm going back to sleep."
"Marinette wait! Don't you have a test today? Amd won't the school call your parents?" Tikki panicked as her owner stayed calmly cocooned.
"Relax Tikki, I'll just tell everyone I was sick. I'll take the test tomorrow and then the school and my family have an excuse." Marinette shrugged from under the blankets.
"But Marinette that's lying! We agreed you don't do that!" Marinette popped up at that, clearly triggered by the Akwami.
"Umm excuse me I am mentally and physically exhausted. People pass out from exhaustion all the time, not to mention my entire life is a lie. I lie everyday so why does any of it matter! Also I don't care.
So drop it." Tikki paused at her owner's attitude. In Tikki's year with her, Marinette had never gotten short with her. She watched quietly, unsure what to do as her owner turned her back to the Kwami and
put her pillow over her head indicating she was going back to sleep. The Kwami had no clue what to do. Marinette never really argued with her. They usually always agreed on things and if they didn't they
talked it out. It was clear Marinette was not willing to do that this time. Tikki supposed in a way she was right, she did lie everyday, and if she truly felt so tired she could pass out then there wasn't really a
reason she couldn't stay home. Other students had stayed home for less. As much as Tikki didn't like it she didn't voice her thoughts anymore. She simply sighed and flew off to find something to do.
It was a few hours later when the phone rang. Tikki looked up from where she had been looking up on the computer how to help people battling depression, to see if Marinette was going to get it.
Clearly she couldn't as no one, but Marintte even knew who the Kwami was. Marinette hadn't made a single move to get out of bed though. "Marinette, you should get that. It could be important."
Marinette didn't make a move.
"Marinette it could be the school or your parents." Still no movement. "Marintte!" Marinette slowly moved, throwing a dark glare at TIkki before grabbing the phone.
"Hello?" Her voice was not it's usual chipper-self as she spoke. She wasn't even trying, something that Tikki found more and more concerning. When this all began a few months ago Marinette had at
least tried to be happy. She was good at faking it most of the time. At first TIkki didn't even notice a change in her owners mood (something she regrets so much looking back). Then slowly Marinette
began to show Tikki how she really felt. Speaking a little more openly about it, or at least not being as perky when it was just the two of them. Then it was her parents and then lastly her friends and
classmates. The girl literally didn't speak to anybody anymore unless they started it. Even then most of what she said was toned down.
"Mama I feel sick. I couldn't go to school today. I puked a few times. Yes I've taken medicine. I know I know, I've been resting. Alright, love you. Be safe." Marinette hung up the phone tiredly and
trudged back to bed.
"You didn't puke. You didn't take medicine either." Tikki said quietly. Marinette glared at her again from the bed.
"I don't need this right now TIkki. Please leave me alone. You know I love you, but I need people to stop getting on me."
"I'm worried about you." It was quiet, she was almost scared to say it. She didn't was to upset her owner anymore than she already was. TIkki didn't even know what would upset her owner. Adiren was
an no go topic. They never spoke about him. When Marinette's mood dropped after spending any time with him or Kigami it was understood nothing would be said. Tikki understood. Marinette's heart had
been broken. She had thought it would heal, but now Marinette was worse than ever and TIkki didn't even know if it still had anything to do with Adrien! Marinette was sad about everything, frustrated
about everything. She didn't even seem like she wanted to be around! Tikki felt overwhelmed realizing she had absolutely no clue how to handle this. She could only hope Plagg and possibly Chat would be
able to help.
Plagg was ready by the time Adrien was heading to school. He had come up with a game plan. He was going to watch Marinette today. Just to see how noticeable her mood changes were, to see if
anyone was being mean to her. If she was just tired. Stuff like that. Maybe there was a logical reason for all of this. He could only hope it would be that simple. He really couldn't stand to bring Adrien into
this. Adrien was in love with that girl! Whether he would even admit that at this point or not. Plagg had nothing against Kigami, but Adrien was kidding himself. He wasn't over the girl with the pigtails.
Plagg felt for Ladybug. He knew she was in love with Adiren ever since he handed her that umbrella. Sure she didn't see it with Chat Noir at first, but he saw the changes there too. Ladybug was in love
with Chat Noir the same that Marinette was in love with Adrien. The two were made for each other! Plagg was pulled out of his thoughts as Adrien sat his bag down on the floor. Plagg made sure no one
could see him before he peeked out to watch the girl behind him….wait...where was she?
Just as he was thinking it, he heard Adrien ask his friend NIno the same thing. Nino then asked Alya. Plagg waited knowing he would get his answer.
"Hey NIno, where's Marinette?" Nino turned around to check that the girl was indeed not there. He frowned, turning to his girlfriend behind him.
"Alya where's Marinette?" Alya frowned worriedly.
"I don't know guys. She's not responding to my messages. That means she's not running late. She would respond if she was. So she either overslept or she's sick. I'm kind of worried about her. The girls
trying to keep it on the downlow, but she's been acting weird. She's not herself right now." The boys looked at each other frowning.
"What do you mean?" Adrien spoke up feeling his heart beat a little faster at the idea of something being wrong with Marinette. Alya still looked worried as she spoke again.
"I don't know, she's just not been herself. I can't figure it out! I'm her best friend, I should know, but she's not talking to me. She's not talking to anyone. Has she said anything to you guys?" The boys
shook their heads.
"What do you mean she's not talking to anyone?" Nino asked. He didn't understand. Marinette was the most talkative person he had ever met! I mean sure she had been a little quiet when Adiren and
Kigami had gotten together, but everyone sort of expected that, she was probably in shock. Everyone was in shock. The entire class thought the two would end up together. With Kigami in the picture no
one knew what to do. Marinette least of all. NIno felt for the girl, but surely that wasn't still bothering her.
"She really doesn't talk to anyone. She never starts conversations anymore, which we all know is not Marinette. She only ever really talks to me when we're walking to classes. We haven't hung out
outside of school in a month! We used to hang out everyday. Everytime I talk to her she's sleeping...I'm just worried." Alya admitted, looking at her desk.
Adrien listened carefully. How had he not noticed? He was happy that she wasn't stuttering around him anymore, but he was also said to see some of her glow gone for reasons he didn't understand.
Some part of him had hoped it was because of him in a selfish way. That maybe she would realize that he liked her and stop him from dating Kigami, but that hadn't happened. She had talked and laughed
with the group, even including Kigami. She hadn't even seemed bothered by the other girl's presence. Adrien had been happy that day. That of course started to fade as she talked to him less and less.
Adrien could only get her to talk if he asked her direct questions. It almost seemed like she didn't want to talk to him.
She would smile and laugh with him, but something seemed off. It wasn't Marinette's genuine laugh and smile. He didn't know what to do. He had an idea though! "Hey Alya, what do you say we all stop
by the bakery after school? Catch up with her? Maybe figure out what's going on? Even if she doesn't want to talk about that stuff, we could still at least give her homework to her." Alya and Nino smiled at
the idea, clearly agreeing it was a good plan.
A Few Hours Later
"Marinette you have been sleeping for hours! You need to wake up!" Tikki was growing frustrated with her owner. She didn't understand this! Marinette had slept for a consecutive fifteen hours at this
point. She shouldn't be tired, yet she wasn't even moving. She wouldn't even respond to Tikki. An irrational part of TIkki had originally thought she was dead when she wouldn't move. She had felt her
heart stop in that moment, but when she moved closer she could still hear the rhythmic breathing.
Marinette was once again dead ot the world. That's it! She was done! "Marinette WAKE UP!" Tikki felt bad doing this, but her anger got the best of her as she pulled on her friends hair. Marinette's eyes
flew open in shock, which quickly turned to anger as she swatted at the floating red creature.
"What the heck TIkki get off of me!" She glared at her friend.
"You've been sleeping all day! You need to do your schoolwork or better yet, go back to school!" Tikki yelled exasperatedly.
"Tikki I don't feel well. People sleep when they don't feel well. So why don't you leave me to do that. Go find someone else to bug for a while." It was mean Marinette knew it. Seeing the hurt look on
Tikki's face made her feel worse than she already did. She wasn't expecting what Tikki did next though. With a growl Tikki zoomed towards the other girl and knocked her body into hers. Marinette quickly
started fighting back. The two going at it. They were in the middle of their heated fight when the doorbell rang. Causing both girls to freeze. "Who's that?"