The third day of school for everyone but Adrien as he had a delayed start. Thanks to his restrictive father. He repeated to himself 'Don't do anything stupid.' As he drove his Vespa down the streets of Paris.
The chill of the autumn air gracing his slightly tanned skin sent goosebumps down his back. A feeling that shocked him wide awake. His moment of overthinking crossed with ecstasy was halted by a traffic light. As he waited a motorcycle pulled up next to him. The driver revved up his motorcycle as if looking to race Adrien. An action that was egged on by the motorcyclist's female passenger. Dressed in a baggy leather jacket most likely her boyfriend's, of whom Adrien assumed was the driver.
Adrien just thought it would best decision to dismiss her taunts. "What? Afraid your going to lose traffic cone?"
He rolled his eyes at her attempts to rile him up. Making fun of his Vespa's vibrant color was the weakest attempt to get on his nerves. He heard far better insults from his modeling career. He was either too skinny, too fat, too short, too tall, lacked a WOW factor.
He waited for the light to turn green listening to the female's taunts. "I think Goldilocks lacks balls." She told the driver and he responded with a light snicker.
Adrien bit his tongue as he knew from experience that it was best not to indulge her even if she insulted his manhood. The light of relief finally appeared.
He was nearly there until the idiot driving a motorcycle cut him off. The back passenger felt it necessary to turn and flip the bird as the motorcycle sped over the speed limit. Her fingers were covered with bandaids. He didn't know if that was a fashion choice or it was a consequence of being reckless.
He couldn't tell who the passager was besides female and having a monogrammed bookbag. A black "M" circled in blush pink. It look familiar but he couldn't place it. Her helmet had tinted black glass and stickers of all sorts plastered upon it.
Alya came to dress to impress. A lavender mesh sweetheart top with puff sleeves, a cropped fit, lettuce-edge trim, and Bratz print all over. A super cute shirt hidden by a pink velour jacket as the dress code prohibited crop tops. She wore the matching pants as the velour jacket was part of a tracksuit. Silver bangles decorated her wrist and ears. Included were leopard platform sneakers with black soles and silver chains.
"I know this is a little much but I let Etta and Ella pick out my outfit as a reward for helping me do the chores and completing them. They love Bratz dolls and wanted me to be one. They're freaking brats themselves."
"I know it's a lot but you are rocking it! I won't be surprised if they became my future competition."
"Nah, I think you're safe. They wanted to put shitty Claire's makeup on my face. Not only that but they wanted me to take both a unicorn and a cupcake purse so I could carry my school stuff because my bookbag doesn't match. My phone doesn't even fit in the cupcake. And this morning they wanted me to wear good luck socks and couldn't agree so now I'm wearing a pink sock on one foot and a blue one on the other foot."
"I am so glad I'm an only child." Marinette laughed as she fiddled with the motivation magnets inside her locker that her dad bought for her. All of them involving puns. "Donut Give Up!" "Stop And Smell The Flour." "Don't Be Upsetti Eat Some Spaghetti." "I Love You Very Mochi." They were very stupid but made her smile when she was having a bad day.
"I love them but I want to strangle them," Alya added.
Marinette's mind was occupied with thoughts of ChatNoir. They had meant up the night before and she discussed with him the responsibilities of being the wielder of the Cat Miraculous. Marinette tried to invite Scarlett Lady but whoever she did not care for patrolled or to attempt to be a teammate.
Marinette knew how hard it was balancing superhero life with her civilian life and if they didn't feel up to it, she wanted to give them an option to opt-out. This was something she wished she had. At last, she was born into this and could not walk away.
"You're not just messing with me just to get my Miraculous." ChatNoir teased referencing their arch-nemesis.
"No, silly, I am just your friendly neighborhood bumblebee."
"Well, then I have to tell you that My Queen gave me this ring and would hate to part with something so sentimental." He flexed his hand watching how her bluebell eyes tracked his every movement. "I wouldn't object to you trying to take it off me."
"I can easily take you down, beanstalk." She stepped towards him until their chests nearly touched.
"You're calling me names? I thought we were supposed to purr-tners." He cracked jokes, made puns, and flirted. Anything to avoid taking their conversation seriously.
They settled on a Parisian rooftop eating celebration partnership pastries and thermostats filled with hot chai tea that she had stashed on that very roof. She explained that she was supposed to be Ladybug and how she messed up.
One thing he said striked her as odd. "I know we just meant but I like you- Not romantically of course! It's just I am not used to having this freedom."
"Freedom? Are you a prisoner?"
"You said we couldn't know anything about each other's civilian identities. Are you looking to break your own rules this early on?"
"A man of mystery, I can dig it." She smiled trying to hide her expression behind a croissant.
"So, are we having date nights every night?"
"I was thinking we could make a schedule and call the other when we need help to defeat the Akuma victims. We could do date nights on the weekends. But, if you keep quoting Disney movies I am taking the ring back."
"That's fair." He said as she offered him his very own thermostat. One that was as bright as her costume that read: "I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat." While she had a black one that read: "Sufferin' Succotash!" A gag anniversary gift that her father bought her mother. He had placed tickets to her favorite broadway show, Hello Dolly inside.
Marigold thought they were appropriate to bring to her first night out with ChatNoir. "Would you rather I quote Looney Tunes instead? Because from the looks of it, you're a big fan of black cats."
"I more of a hamster person."
"So am I."
Marigold held up her thermostat. "To hamster people then?"
"To hamster people." He said clinking his thermos against hers. Both erupting in laughter.
Marinette chatted with Alya about her plans for the Ladyblog Logo as they entered Miss Bustier's classroom. Being preoccupied with her conversation almost walked past the seats that ignited the whole gum fiasco.
"Wait, Alya, let's sit here." Marinette threw her pink and white polka dot custom bookbag onto the seat to claim it.
"Are you sure that's a great idea? Fueling the fire?"
"I am on the role this week of making terrible decisions might as well keep the trend going."
"If you're angry with Adrien shouldn't we take him and Nino's seats instead?"
"When playing chess you go after the Queen, not the pawns."
"Well, I think the Queen is about to storm your castle."
"You, two what do you think doing?" Chloe had her hands on her hips dressed in a turtle neck, a tank dress, a Gucci belt, and black ankle boots. Marinette was not as impressed with her outfit as she was with Alya's.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good people do nothing!" Alya chimed thinking that Marinette would start a fight if she did resolve the situation. Although, using a comic book hero logic was not the best logic but Scarlett Lady hadn't dropped any noble sayings as of yet.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means that I'm not putting up with your crud anymore and neither is anyone else around here."
Chloe had glared at Alya as if she was trying to use telekinesis to move the to girls but that was a superpower that she wasn't granted.
"Let me dumb down for you. It means fudge off!" Marinette added.
Chloe walked off begrudgingly to the seats that were previously Marinette and Alya's.
"That went better than I thought it would," Alya said to Marinette who had pulled inspiration for her look from Pinterest. She really wanted to wear Luka's new vinyl jacket before he has her embroider it with whatever random animal and Chinese kanjis he's chosen this time.
Adrien waved to Marinette but she turned a cheek. He briefly recalled Marinette having a custom book bag and leaned over the seat to get a look at her book bag to cross her out as a suspect or convict her. They were a match.
Instead of confronting her, he came up with a plan. "Would have got here sooner, but had a hard time with traffic. There was this complete lunatic who cut me off with his motorbike. It wasn't all bad. His girlfriend's ass did look good in skinny jeans."
As soon as he finished his sentence a pencil hit the back of his head.
"Gross, Agreste!"
"What? Am I not allowed to state the truth?" He said holding the ammo in his hands debating whether to keep it or hand it back.
"You can't just say whatever you want."
"Can't I? I mean her ass was like..."
Marinette leaned over the wooden furniture and covered his mouth before he had the opportunity to condemn her ears with his vulgar artistic terms.
"NO," Marinette ordered before drawing her hands back. She quickly used hand sanitizer as she didn't want to contract any mystery illnesses that he could possess. He was a model she had no idea how many models he could have snogged. Not that she should judge she had her share of romantic endeavors.
"Afraid that I have cooties?"
"What are you seven?"
"Is that on a scale of one to ten? Because, freckle-face, I am definitely a twelve."
Nino rolled his eyes at Adrien. "Dial it down, dude."
"Her boyfriend nearly killed me, a little revenge isn't going to hurt."
"She doesn't have a boyfriend."
Adrien was a little taken back by Nino's statement. "Step-brother then?" He had noticed she was a little handsy with the motorcyclist so he assumed boyfriend or lover. But with cringe-worthy books centering around step brothers and step sisters hooking up, he couldn't be so sure.
"No, she's an only child. Maybe you saw Luka, he's her usual ride."
Adrien wanted to know more about Marinette but he thought it would be weird if he started asking about her so he went with option B. Ask about the mystery guy. "What grade is he in?"
"He graduated two years ago but his sister is in our class." Nino gestured over to a goth girl on the other side of the classroom. "Wait, are you jealous, man? Because Marinette way too much for you."
"I can handle feisty." He had found out yesterday that he had many classes with Marinette. Language Arts, Chemistry, Physical Education, Study Hall, Lunch, Home Economics, and Art. Seven out of his nine class periods like fate wanted them together. His Precalculus and Art History made all the more boring without a cute girl staring daggers into him.
Nino patted Adrien on the back. "Keep telling yourself that."
He saw how Chloe practically treated Adrien like a dog. The orders, the praises, and demeaning pats. He was the property of the Queen Bee of Francis DuPont. They even wore matching color clothing. He was off limits to every girl or guy in a ten mile radius.
Second period was uneventful for Adrien until Marinette broke a beaker on his desk. Ms. Mendeleiev, a teacher that Marinette could only describe a female version of Mr. Crocker from the Fairy Odd Parents was ironically lecturing about lab safety.
"MR. AGRESTE! Do you insist on damaging school property?"
"No, Ma'am, there was a stray hair tie." Adrien held up the evidence.
Ms. Mendeleiev looked around the room noticing that out of all the girls, Marinette Dupain-Cheng had entered the room with her hair up and now it was down. That paired with Alya discreetly outing her lab partner as the culprit.
"Miss Dupain-Cheng, all items you need to clean up YOUR mess are underneath the sink."
"Yes, Ma'am." Marinette looked under the sink grabbing the supplies.
Adrien watched Marinette carefully as Ms. Mendeleiev narrated Marinette's every motion. As if she was part of some twisted nature document. Adrien looked quite smug as he rested his chin on his hand.
'Stupid pretty boy.' She cursed as picked up the big pieces of glass. She knew that it was her fault for sling shoting her hair tie but he had moved. She was aiming for his dorky blonde head.
He mumbled something inaudible to Marinette's ears and look away facing his lab partner who was none other than Nino. "What?" He whispered curiously as to why Adrien turned his head as Ms. Mendeleiv wanted every student's attention on Marinette's clean-up job. She thought humility was the best teacher.
Nino mouthed the same question to Marinette and Marinette shrugged she had no idea what was with Adrien.
"Mr. Agreste you will learn nothing if you keep oogling Mr. Lahiffe."
"I WASN'T- I'M NOT!" Adrien stammered.
"Dude, I'm flattered didn't know you swung that way." He playfully slapped Adrien's shoulder. Marinette laughed at Nino's reaction and so did the rest of the students.
"It's not funny." He mumbled. He could take it in stride but the thought of her laughing at his expense made him uneased. While she sang Nino praises.
"Nino, your the best."
"Hoc est facultas carpe diem amicus meus." Nino smiled flaunting his Latin skills, a language his grandmother insisted he learn. Words that translated to "this is a chance to seize the day my friend."
Francis Dupont required that the students learn a foreign language. Most chose English as it was the most common language but Nino choose Latin. Thanks to his grandmother, Neaveh ingraining that Latin was the original language of love into his head as a kid.
"Seize the day my friend?" Adrien questioned as he knew a few sayings in Latin besides the ever so common carpe diem.
"You can transalte Latin? Show off." Marinette said a bit impressed that Golden boy could translate words that sounded like scrambled scrabble tiles to her.
"You three, this is science class not a literacy class. I like your enthusiasm but only French is permitted in this class understand?" The three quickly nodded in agreement.