!ATTENTION!

I split this chapter into two. I am unsure whether the first (this) one really describes a panic attack, however it does detail Marinette dealing (badly) with a pressuring situation and getting overwhelmed by it, so I'm putting a trigger warning here – if that sounds like something you'd rather skip, don't read the ninth (this) chapter - and, once again, due to limited editing options on , the chapter reads better on AO3 (found under the same name).

oOoOo
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Forget me not (because I will)

"Do you know that feeling, when you're floating? Carefree, perhaps – through time and space – but then you realize it's Sunday and life will catch up with you sooner or later?"

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oOoOo

Class. She was going to class today and Marinette couldn't be any more excited.

She packed her bag. Packed her things.

Got ready.

She wasn't ready.

.O.

White noise.

That damned white noise.

The halls were filled with it, as soon as Marinette was spotted, eyes growing wide and walls growing narrower.

White noise and silence and the student body parted in front of her, like a the red sea had done for moses.

Marinette stumbled once she was hit by it, her breath growing ragged and more labored with each steps she took into the pressure chamber.

White noise.

Only white noise.

She could deal with the white noi-

Ding.

Marinette's head snapped up, whirled aside, her heart speeding up as she stared at the eyes of another student, like a deer caught in the head eyes.

Snap down.

Don't look at anyone.

Just keep going.

Ding.

Eyes widened.

It's just a message. Just a simple, text message. She had to keep walking, couldn't stop, if she stopped people would start asking questions – were they already asking questions? - if she stopped she had to talk and if she had to talk she-she couldn't talk, she had to keep going, she had to-

Keep going.

Just a text message.

It was going to be fine, was going to be f-

Flash.

Flash. Flash. Flash.

P-Pictures. People were just taking pictures.

Flash.

Of her.

They were taking pictures of her.

Ding. Flash. Ding. Ding.

A-And sending them, and texting them, and-and people were taking pictures and messaging and-and everyone would see her and-

Flash. Tileril, tileril, tileril. Flash. Ding, ding, ding. Tututututututututuuuutututu. Flash.

She had to take a breath. That's all she needed, she'd just stop for a few seconds and-

"She-She looks pale, doesn't she?". Ding. Flash. Ring, ring.

She stumbled, but a deep breath, just a deep breath, that was all she needed, then it'd be over and-

"Are you ok?" Ding. Ding. Ding. Trilililili. "Hey, look here!" . Flash. "Can we help you?" Ringering, ringerin. Flash. Flash.
"Can we talk just like that?" Flash. "Do you think she'll be alright?" Tututu."Call a teacher! We have to call a teacher!" "We had class together once, do you remember me?" "I look up to you so much!"
"Should we..." Flash. "...fine..." Ding. Ding. "...look there!" "Can you..." Flash. Flash. "...Hawkmoth..." "How...transform?" "...interview?" Ringaring. "...friends..." "Huge..." "Chat Noir..."

Marinette's legs gave in.

"Talk to us, flash, ding, what is it, ring, Chat Noir, transform, Ladybug, class, akumatized, ring, ring, ring, rally pale, what are we doing, should leave, flash, tingaling, keep away, medic!, get here, okay, can I- "Marinette! Marinette, over here!" -thinks so ding ding be alright flash have time want to say flash flash flash how about nevermind autograph weird CALL A TEACHER classroom flash keeping up best friend Miraculous ring ring ring my idol yes I wrote she's here- "Let-Let me trough!" -who's whatever rude stop! Flash akuma help we need best friend maybe we ding ding ding- "Can't you see what's happening?!"-gre co teach eve he mo ho ma kni par fam frie clo le theo ta mira he- "Guys, please!" - le ka go ri tu ma fuk ik ey po tu li re ka my de qu dy dru lo bre kor fer po mer rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ol fan bril gr et ou by rrrrr am law h cor cl mit ho rrrr rrr rrr rrr rrrrr flo te ah el rrrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrrr fai la ku lo stra rrrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rr rr rrr felk ni col wron bra tha na maz rrrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rr rrr rrr rrrr rr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrr rr rrr rrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrrr rrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrr rrrr rrr rrr rrr rrrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrrr rrrrr rrrr rrrr rrrr rrrrr rrrr rrrrr rrrr-"I said move!"- rrrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rrr rr rrr rrr

"JUST MOVE!"

The sea parted once more.

The way the sun was shining through the mirror, Alya could have worn a halo, easily, but then she was kneeling down in front of Marinette already, her eyes clouded by worry – she shouldn't have to worry, she had simply walked down the hallway – she always did! - there was nothing difficult about that, nothing had happened- – her hands protectively clasping Marinette's.

"You're here, Marinette, why didn't you-"

The brunette trailed off. Marinette wasn't focusing. Alya squeezed her hands, softly.

"It's ok, Mari. It's ok, everything's alright, you don't need to be scared."

She didn't reply.

"Just -breathe with me? In – and out. And in – and out, can you do that? Can you – that's great, just like that, just keep going..."

Alya squeezed her hands another time, in encouragement and she kept counting, ignoring the masses around her, that were slowly being dispersed by some of their classmates.

"You're doing great, Marinette! You're – can you stand?"

But, although her breathing had evened out, Marinette had yet to reply.

Alya forced herself to smile.

"If you can't stand, that's fine! The boys can carry you home and-"

That got a reaction out of Marinette, whose hands suddenly gripped Alya's.

"No."

Her voice sounded hoarse.

"No-No home. Can't go home."

"What? Why? Girl, of course you can, no one will mind – and it's for the better!"

But, vehemently, Marinette shook her head.

"I can't. I-I can't, I can't, I can't."

"You have to, Mari, you can't stay."

"I'm fine, perfectly fine, everything's alright, I-" "Marinette, no." "-got to go-" "Please, don't..." "Got to go, missed so much already-" "You didn't, we can share notes, please." "-nothing happened, everything's alright, I-"

"Mari, trust me. Please"

That got Marinette to stop rambling. To look. To take another deep breath.

Alya's eyes were shining with worry still and she was chewing her lip now – and even though Marinette didn't reply, she did take her best friend's hand and got up, on wobbly feet.

She wondered whether Alya got into trouble for skipping school that day, seeing how she refused to leave her side until Chat Noir took over that night.

Better editing available on AO3. Please leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter ^^