Miraculous Adventure in Joey Drew Studio, Chapter 1.5. Finally Getting the Meeting with Ms Rossi.

}{ 10/31, 08:00, At the Italian Embassy. }{

Mrs Rossi was a little puzzled when she was told who her next meeting was with. Yes, it was one of those "Friend of an Embassy Employee" type of meeting, but she was told by the person who set it up that this was an important meeting for Her rather than them.

Mrs Rossi sighed as she walked towards her office, where her appointment was already waiting for her. She was really hoping that this meeting was going to be important because she's already been busy enough. 'I'll get this finished so I can spend some personal time with Mi Bella and hand out candy for the trick-or-treaters later. If I can finish this meeting by noon, I'll be able to get home long before Mi Bella gets let out of school. It would be a nice surprise for her,' Mrs Rossi thought as she came to her office.

When Mrs Rossi walked into the office, she smiled and said, "I'm sorry I made you wait, Mr..."

"Haprèle, Fred Haprèle," said a tall and lanky man with brown hair and brown eyes, he was wearing a white shirt underneath a dark green dress jacket, dark blue jeans, and black and white sneakers. He greeted the woman with a handshake when he said, "I'm here on behalf of the Collège Françoise Dupont staff. I do apologize for scheduling a meeting like this, but you are well overdue for a conference with us. Oh, uh, would it be alright if I record our conversation? Mr Damocles, the school principal, always has us record our parent/teacher conferences to help improve our school and have proof that we had the meeting." The two adults sat across from each other as the actor pulled his phone out with his free hand and showed the diplomate the recording app. The part-time teacher held a thick folder under his arm.

"Oh, oh, of course, you may record this," Mrs Rossi vocalized, recognizing her daughter's school. She then asked as soon as Fred hit the record button, "May I ask why you couldn't have just called me and ask me to come in. I certainly would've made the time to go to school for a meeting."

Fred carefully placed his phone on the desk separating the two adults, so the phone can hear both their voices, when he said, "Actually, that's one of the reasons why I'm here Mrs Rossi. We HAVE called and emailed you multiple times, mostly in regards to setting up the meetings and your daughter, Lila. *Opens the folder on the desk and looks at the first page*. According to Mr Damicoles and Miss. Bustier, Lila's homeroom teacher, they have called you a collected 68 times over the past four months in regard to setting up a parent/teacher's meeting and in regards to Lila's health issues. We also sent ou-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on!" Mrs Rossi quickly retorted, waving her hands to try to stop the man from speaking when she asked cluelessly, "What are you talking about? I haven't received any calls or emails from the school in months! And what's this about my daughter's health issues? She doesn't have any, she's perfectly healthy!"

Fred raised a brow as he flipped to another page, read what was on it, and then asked, "Lila has claimed that she has Arthritis, Tinnitus from saving Jagged Stone's kitten from getting run over by an aeroplane, and has recently sprained her ankle, oh, hold on... Ah, my apologies, it's noted here that her sprained ankle worsened into a fractured ankle a few days ago, and saw her doctor about it... So you're telling me that she doesn't have any of these?"

Mrs Rossi huffed in annoyance when she said, "My sweet little angel is perfectly healthy! And she's been walking around the house without any problem. So where on earth did you think MY Lila had all these health issues? Hold on, what's this nonsense about a jagged stone on a runway? And what does that have to do with my Lila?"

The part-time teacher picked up a pen and wrote a quick note on the paper listing the supposed ailments. "Your daughter has told Miss Bustier and her classmates that she had these ailments. They've been making accommodations for her because of these claims, which some of these have been confirmed by her doctor. Now what I am handing you now is a photocopy of one of the doctor's notes that we have received from the email we have on file for you," Fred said as he took a few photocopies out of the folder and handed it to the diplomate.

Mrs Rossi took the photocopy and looked at it. "What the-? This is her doctor's name, but this is certainly NOT her signature," She said before actually looking at the diagnosis. What was going on here? Something wasn't adding up here.

Fred took a short deep breath when he asked, "So, you are confirming that the photocopies in Lila's file are a forgery of her doctor's signature?"

Mrs Rossi scoffed when she snapped, "Of course it's a fake, anyone with eyes can see that!"

Fred placed a hand to his chin when he asked calmly, "And you are also confirming that Lila is perfectly healthy with no pre-existing conditions or any recurring ailments that would impede her from participating in class or school activities?"

Mrs Rossi slammed her hands on the desk when she snapped, "YES! MI BELLA IS PERFECTLY HEALTHY! DO YOU ACTUALLY THINK I WOULDN'T KNOW MY OWN DAUGHTER'S HEALTH!?"

Fred made a calm-down motion with one hand when he said, "I am not accusing you of anything, Mrs Rossi, but considering the doctor's notes that we've been receiving from your email and us getting nowhere with your calls. I do have to ask these questions for the well-being of your daughter. But if she doesn't have any of those ailments, then can you think of a reason why your daughter would lie to us and her classmates about them?"

Mrs Rossi stood up when she snapped, "This meeting is over! I will not have some, some wanna-be teacher lie about my sweet little angel!"

Fred's eyebrow's furrowed in anger when he said, trying to keep calm, "Madam, I am not lying. The school has called and emailed you about your daughter's supposed ailments, AND we've been trying to get you in for a parent/teacher meeting."

Mrs Rossi couldn't help but growled out, "As I have said before, I have received NO call or emails from Collège Françoise Dupont in months. But I shouldn't be surprised since they've been close so often." 'How dare this, this TEACHER try to blame ME for the school's failures!' the diplomate thought to herself in anger.

"I beg your pardon?" Fred vocalized in confusion before asking, "Can you repeat that last statement?"

Mrs Rossi took note of the man's expression. He was clearly confused by what he heard. That was strange... Mrs Rossi repeated in a slower tone, "Collège Françoise Dupont has been closed frequently. Lila told me that due to repeated Akuma attacks near the school, they have to be closed so the students can remain safe. I've been worried about Mi Bella falling behind in her classes because of the constant closing. But she assured me that she's been getting her classwork emailed to her by one of the non-Akumatized teachers." Mrs Rossi watched as Fred's face went from confused to an expression of pure shock. That was even stranger... 'Shouldn't the staff know all this already?' the Italian diplomate thought curiously as an image of a small red flag being attached to a flagpole appeared in her head.

Fred blinked his eyes a few times when he stuttered out, "I-I-I can assure you! Collège Françoise Dupont has NOT been closed for any extended period of time! And even if we were closed for whatever reason, either we or the School Board if needed would have sent out emails and called the parents or legal guardians of our students explaining why and for how long!"

"You... Would have?" Mrs Rossi asked in confusion as she sank back into her chair. The image of the flagpole slowly raised the flag when she said, "But I... I never received any calls or emails from the school... I was serious about that."

Fred felt a bubble of indigestion boil in his stomach when he thought, 'So Ms Mendeleiev was right. Lila had told her mother that the school has been closed... I do feel sorry for having to do this, but...' Fred took a deep breath as he turned his attention back onto the folder and flipped two pages to find what he was looking for. The part-time teacher asked about the dates and lengths of the "School Closers" as he looked at the list dates of "Trips" that Lila told them she and her mother went on. When the diplomate pulled out a planner and flipped through the pages, making the diplomate glad she kept track of all those "Closed Days" just in case she needed to talk to the school about them, and she read off the days her daughter told her about the school being closed.

After hearing the dates that were listed on the "Trip" list, Fred took a deep breath before handing Mrs Rossi the photocopies of the forged permission slips and said, "Madam... I hate to be the bearer of this but... *Deep breath, again*. What I am handing you right now are photocopies of permission slips requesting that Lila be allowed out of school for your work-related trips for the Embassy. Are... Are these... Actually signed and dated by you?" Fred hoped that the other got the hint and would look at the dates of those 'trips'.

Mrs Rossi took the small pile of photocopied images of the slips in question in confusion as she watched the man's face. Now he looked... Somewhere between conflicted and sad... The kind of sadness that was meant for someone else. Hold on... 'Work-related trips for the Embassy?' The mother thought as she looked at the papers in her hands. She hasn't left Paris since she and her daughter arrived, so she wouldn't be signing anything for any trip... This time, Mrs Rossi looked over each and every slip that she'd been given. The image of a red flag was now halfway up the pole.

Fred couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman before him as he watched her expression change from confusion to anger to furry with each slip she read. As a parent himself, he could understand the bond a parent had with their child, whether it be by blood or not and the trust and love that came with that bond. And right now, Fred was watching the trusting side of that bond chipping away in chunks within the heart of Mrs Rossi.

Fred was quiet before he finally asked, "Can you-"

"I-I-I've never signed these! And I have never had to travel since arriving in Paris! These aren't my signature," Mrs Rossi choked out as she let the papers flop on the desk. She covered her mouth when she nearly sobbed out, "She... She... She forged my signature! Mi Bella actually forged my signature to get out of school! A-and she's been telling her class that she's been travelling with me for my Work!" She then swore something in Italian before got out in a sob of anger, "This is more than just her skipping school! What would have happened if someone from the Embassy heard about that? I would've been investigated for ill-use of Embassy funds and I could've lost my job! What would happen to us then? I put in all these hours so she'd have a comfortable life!" The image of a red flag was now at the top of the flagpole and waving almost violently.

Fred hadn't thought about that, but it did bring up another issue that has been nagging him since the diplomate mentioned it. "Um, madam, do you want to take a break for a few minutes? I know this is difficult to hear and learn about, but this is only the tip of the information we have compiled on your daughter," Fred said sympathetically but calmly.

Mrs Rossi took a deep breath, to calm herself down, before saying, "No. Please continue. I was just so... So shock that my sweet daughter, who I thought was almost too honest, was lying right to my face about her school and lord knows what else... You... You said that the principle and Lila's homeroom teacher called and emailed me multiple times over the past few months, yet I haven't received anything from the school. I thought it was because both the principle and Lila's homeroom teacher kept getting Akumatized by the prior Akumatized person, at least... That's what Lila told me..."

"Lila told you what now?" Fred practically squeaked out in confusion before asking, "Can you elaborate on that? Because while Mr Damicoles and Miss Bustier have been Akumatized in the past, they haven't been re-Akumatized since Hero's Day! A-And only Hawkmoth can Akumatize others, not his victims! Ladybug and Chat Noir explained that the Miraculous Hawkmoth holds is what allows him to Akumatize people and gives them certain abilities, and fortunately, that ability cannot be transferred over to the Akumatize victims."

The moment Mrs Rossi heard that she buried her face in her hands.

"Are you sure you don't want to take a short break? I... I think you might need it before we continue," Fred offered in a tone that was both kind, yet nervous.

Mrs Rossi moved her hands to cup over her mouth when she said, "It's going to get worse from here on out, isn't it? *Watches Fred nods sadly*. *Sighs deeply*, How about we take a break after you give me the number and email you have on file for me... You do have that on you, right?"

Fred nods when he pulls a sheet of paper out of the file and says, "I do, but I also have to say this because I'm recording this conversation. Can you confirm that the phone numbers and emails on this list of Emergency Contacts for Lila Rossi are indeed incorrect?"

Mrs Rossi took the list and looked it over. As she now expected, all the emails and numbers were fake, which she did confirm out loud that they were. Well almost all.

"The email you have for me is close enough to my real email, it's a letter off but it's enough to fool people... I guess Lila created that to intercept all the emails from the school, so she can keep me in the dark about school-related stuff so I don't show up and reveal her lies," the diplomat stated. She then pointed to the phone number attached to the email when she said, "But this number here... It was my number, but I lost the phone with that number a little after I enrolled Lila in your school. I looked everywhere for that phone, at home, here at work, and everywhere I've been in between for it. I got a new phone because I thought I truly lost it... But I sent in the paperwork to update that... *Now in a tone of realization* Which I gave to Lila to give to her teacher... *Rubs temples* I bet she never handed it in and it's now clear that she stole that phone... And is using it to impersonate me so she can confirm anything she says at school when they call..."

Fred sighed when he said, "That was what Mr Damicoles theorized when he kept getting the "I'm too busy to come in" response from that number and receiving the fake doctor's notes from that email. But, one last question before we take that break. Why didn't you contact the school when Lila told you about the school being closed? I mean, I understand that you trusted your daughter, but that kind of claim is something you should have double-checked before you allowed Lila to say home." That was the one thing that bothered the staff at Collège Françoise Dupont once they discovered the lies, they all wondered why Mrs Rossi never called them about anything. They have called her, or so they thought, but she never called them.

Mrs Rossi sighed deeply when she just said, "I-I probably should have, I really should have. But... I just... I just trusted my daughter because she made me believe that she was just too honest for her own good... She... She always told me that she understood that I was doing a lot of important stuff at work and that she'd let me know if the school called so it was one thing that I wouldn't have to worry about... So I wouldn't worry about her too much... She... She also told me that the majority of the teachers and principle were Akumatized and were likely to call and try to lure parents to them so they too can be Akumatized... But since you already confirmed that only Hawkmoth is able to Akumatize people and not other Akumatized individuals... And that NONE of the teachers were Akumatized... She lied to me..."

Fred could tell that the woman before him really did love her daughter and honestly thought that she was a good, honest girl that she was glad to call her own. It made Fred sick to his stomach to learn just how much Lila has been manipulating her own loving mother.

Mrs Rossi looked up at Fred when she asked, "You said that you have more information that is worse than what you already told me? But how can it get worse than learning that my daughter has been lying to me about school and to her fellow classmates and teachers about her whereabouts and health?"

Fred bit his lip before saying, "I think it would be better if I tell you the rest after we take a break... Do you have coffee or tea? I think it would be best to let yourself calm down a bit before we continue."

Mrs Rossi sighed heavily when she asked, "That much worse?"

"I'm afraid so, madam," Fred said, giving the woman a sympathetic look when he added, "I'm afraid so."

~}i{~