Nathaniel had hoped that today would be a simple, low-key day of school.

That desire went out the window when Chloe threw open the doors of the art room and zeroed in on him.

"Leonardo DiCaprio," she said.

There was a moment of silence before Sabrina popped her head out from behind her, "Did you mean Leonardo Da Vinci?"

Chloe ignored her as she walked over to the Nathaniel, "which ever artist you prefer."

"Well," Sabrina said, "I guess acting is an artform."

Chloe came to a stop in front of Nathaniel. She glanced at his easel, and the blank canvas on it. "You're an artist right?"

"I mean what else would he be?" The only other person in the room asked.

Chloe froze before slowly turning her head to the corner of the room where Marinette was looking up from her sketchpad. She stared at the bluenette for a few seconds before turning back to Nathaniel. "What about painting?"

Marinette blinked as she realized that she'd been ignored.

"I mean… I do a bit of it," Nathaniel said before glancing at one of his works hanging on the wall.

Chloe followed his eyes to it before walking up to it and looking it over. It was a painting of Ladybug and Chat Noir jumping over the city at night.

"I know it's not the best work, but I think I did okay," Nathaniel said, but he was interrupted by Chloe scoffing.

"How can you say that?" She asked, looking back at him, one perfectly trimmed eyebrow going up.

Nathaniel looked down.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Marinette asked, getting irritated on his behalf.

Chloe flinched at the question before looking at the other girl. "I'm just wondering how…" she stopped. Then she thought about what she was going to say. "I'm just wondering why he would describe it like that."

"Some people have pride in their work," Marinette said.

Chloe stared at the girl in shock. "Pride? Was that what that sounded like to you?"

Marinette got up from her seat. "Did you just come here for a reason, or are you just here to be mean?"

Chloe did a double take. Mean?

She replayed the conversation in her head, but she couldn't figure out where she went wrong? What had she said that was mean? She tried imagining how she would feel if someone said that to her, but she couldn't find anything wrong with it.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about," Chloe said.

Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then why are you here?"

Chloe's eyes widened as she remembered her mission before turning back to Nathaniel. "Right. I want to hire you."

Everyone else in the room spoke in unison. "What?"

Chloe cringed. "Wow, that really happens in real life?"

"You… you want to hire me?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I just said so didn't I?" She pointed at the painting on the wall. "I want you to paint something just as good, no, even better than this."

Nathaniel stared at the rich girl. Then he glanced at Marinette for help, but she appeared to have short-circuited.

"Well… I don't really do commissions," he said. "What exactly would you have me paint?"

Chloe reached into her bag before stopping to glance at Marinette suspiciously. "Just a painting of a picture. It's… a gift."

Marinette recovered from her stupor at those words. "Like that giant picture of Adrien you had made for Valentine's Day?"

To everyone's shock, Sabrina chose to speak. "Shows what you know, it's actually a gift for-mmph." She was interrupted by Chloe covering her mouth with her hand.

"Call me when you decide to do it," Chloe said dragging her friend behind her.

Once they were gone Nath looked at Marinette, "Do you think she meant 'if' when she said that?"

Marinette shook her head. "At the point, I don't know."

/

Chloe released Sabrina and stepped back. "Don't tell Dupain-Cheng what we're doing. She'll totally blab. And I don't want Adrien to find out about this."

Sabrina rubbed her lips. "Why?"

"Because he might tell me not to, but if I do it first, he'll see that I'm right."

"And if you're wrong?"

Chloe stared at Sabrina.

Sabrina covered her mouth, shocked at her own boldness. She looked away, waiting for the reprimand.

"I'm not wrong." Chloe said simply.

/

The next day, Nathaniel cornered Chloe in the locker room. Not an action he ever expected himself to perform. "What did you mean by what you said yesterday? It's been bothering me."

Chloe blinked. "I meant I'd pay you. As in, give you money to do something for me."

He shook his head. "Not that. You talked about how I described my art. What did you mean?"

"Oh that? Well I couldn't stand it."

Now he was confused. "What couldn't you stand?"

"The utter spinelessness."

"Spineless?"

"I mean yeah. 'Not the best?' Why would you describe something you made that looked that good like that?"

Yesterday's conversation started making more sense to Nathaniel. "Well I mean, as an artist, I see flaws most people can't. It's probably not going to look as good to me as it does to…" he paused. "You."

He suddenly realized what was happening. Chloe was complementing his art. Again. And asking him to make something for her. "Plus, there's always room for improvement."

"How humble," Chloe said sarcastically. "But humility is just something talented people have to do to make the less gifted feel better. My… my mom taught me that." She said the last part as a whisper. Then she looked at him. "I'm sorry if I upset you."

Chloe's whole life started making more sense to Nathaniel.

"What do you want me to paint?"

Chloe reached into her bag and pulled out a picture.

Nathaniel stared at it. Then he looked at Chloe suspiciously. "And what will you do with it when I'm done?" He asked.

Chloe sighed in exasperation. "What else do you do with gifts? You give them to who they're for. These really aren't hard concepts to grasp."

Nathaniel sighed. Then he took the photo, "fine."

"And it better be something you'd call amazing," Chloe said as she fished through her purse.

"Yeah, yeah, it'll be…" Nathaniel stopped talking when Chloe shoved 500 euros in his face. "What?"

"This is money," Chloe said slowly. "I'm paying you."

"That is… too much."

"And… you're refusing to take it for that reason?" She pulled out her phone and began scrolling through it.

"Well yeah. I'm hardly a profession-" he was cut off by Chloe shoving her phone in his face. "Then can you paint this too?"

He took a few steps back before looking at the image. Then he looked at the girl's expectant face. He realized talking the price down wasn't going to work. "How exactly do you want it?"

/

Adrien was suspicious. Chloe had been too quiet.

Normally, Chloe being quiet wouldn't be that bad. She was settling into her newfound friendships quite well, but she had a look in her eye that made him think it was just the calm before the storm.

When he walked into class, his eyes immediately zoomed in on her desk. Nathaniel was handing her two poster tubes. Everyone else in their half-filled class was watching intently.

"Finally," she said as she took both of them. "I was wondering if I would have to- Oh, hi Adrikins."

Adrien dropped his bag on his table as he walked up to her. "Hello Chloe. Hello Nathaniel. Should I ask?"

Chloe shook her head. "Oh Adrikins," she said with a sigh. "It would hardly be a surprise if you spoiled it now would it?"

Adrien's eye twitched before he looked at Nathaniel.

The artist gulped and scurried off.

Adrien leaned in close to Chloe. "Okay Chlo," he said. "I'm going to trust your judgement on this."

Chloe blinked before looking at him with bright wide eyes. "Really?"

"Well, there's also the fact that Nathaniel wouldn't help you do anything unsavory. But I guess I can't babysit you all the time. I just hope you've thought this through."

Chloe's smile was dazzling. "Of course I did."

"What's going on?" Sabrina asked. She had just stepped out to use the bathroom and came back to find Chloe beaming at Adrien.

"Oh, you're finally here. I have a gift for you."

The redhead blinked. "What?"

Chloe looked at the two tubes before picking up the one labelled 'S.' She handed it to Sabrina.

"But… I thought it was for… I mean… I don't…"

"Do you want it or not?" Chloe snapped.

Sabrina hugged the tube to herself. "I want it."

"What's going on?"

Everyone turned to look at Juleka who walked in looking bewildered.

"Chloe asked Nathaniel to paint Sabrina," Rose answered, having put what happened together. "I think it's sweet."

Chloe stood up from her seat and walked past Adrien.

Juleka stopped as the rich girl walked up to her before holding out the tube, this one labelled 'JR.' "This is for you."

Juleka raised an eyebrow before she popped the tube open and tilted it, sliding the painting out into her hand.

Chloe looked around, realizing that they had an audience. But she steeled her nerves and looked back at the goth girl. "I just… wanted to… apologize for the school picture thing. And I was hoping this would make it up to you."

Juleka unrolled the painting and looked at it.

Adrien walked behind her so that he could see it. Then he did a double take.

It was Juleka, sitting at one end of a bench and laughing. She was trying to feed Rose a piece of Sushi on the end of chopsticks, but the blonde was leaning back and resisting, looking partly irritated but clearly enjoying herself. Instead of a background Adrien imagined should have been the park, it was a vibrant explosion of purples and blues that made the colors of the two girls more pronounced.

Juleka stared at the painting of herself, focusing on the look on her face as she laughed. "Wh-when did you-?"

Chloe smirked. "You were both too distracted to notice me taking pictures."

Juleka looked up to stare at Chloe. She blinked realizing that tears were forming in her eyes. "Thank you." She said, almost surprised by how sincere she sounded.

Chloe smiled, looking extremely pleased with herself. Just two weeks ago, the idea that Juleka would be happy to see that look on the blonde's face would have been unthinkable. Now, the sight made Juleka smile as well.

"Let me see, let me see," Rose said running up to look at the painting before gasping. "OMG. I can't believe you took this picture of us. You look amazing Jules."

Juleka didn't answer, opting to turn her face away in embarrassment. Then she paused. Why had she reacted like that? She looked back at the painting, at the look on her face as she tried to get Rose to eat the wrapped fish. Then she blinked.

"Oh," she said as the rest of her classmates walked up to see the painting.

/

Marinette walked into class last as usual before doing a double take at everyone who was gathered around Miss. Bustier's desk.

"What's going on?" She asked.

Alya looked at her. "Girl, you won't believe it, but Chloe got Juleka a gift."

Marinette blinked. "What?"

/

My biggest concern with this chapter is Marinette and Chloe's argument. I was going for a believable misunderstanding where it would be understandable, at least from their perspective, why they think what they think.

A big concern I have here is that I don't want to come off like I'm bashing Marinette.

Follow me on twitter at WriterImmigrant.