(Summary: When Marinette disappears suddenly, Lila can't help milking it for all that it's worth.

I don't even know where this idea came from. I was agonising over an idea, and then I thought "Marinette doesn't show up to class" and this came about.

Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir.)

Nobody really said anything, at first. It wasn't abnormal for somebody to miss a day or two of school. "Maybe she has the flu," they guessed. "She might be too busy with the bakery."

But, no. A week had passed by, and still, there was no word from Marinette.

"I went to the bakery the other day," Alya said. "It was closed."

"Maybe they went on holidays," Rose suggested, her eyes shining. "I wonder if they went to Achu! Maybe Marinette will see Prince Ali and─"

"I really shouldn't say anything," a quiet voice started off. Adrien Agreste rolled his eyes. And there Lila was, ready to claim something outlandish and untrue. "But I saw Marinette yesterday…"

"You did?!" Alya exclaimed, jumping up eagerly. This caught the attention of the entire class, and suddenly everyone was looking expectantly at Lila. "Girl, why didn't you say anything?! Where? Was she alright?"

"Um… she was fine, I guess…" Lila bit her lip. "But she was with some guys…" Adrien cringed. Of all the things to claim… Lila chose this? "They were older… a lot older, actually. They had motorbikes and stuff. And… I dunno, I might've heard them wrong but it sounded like…"

"Sounded like what?" Alya asked eagerly.

Lila frowned at her fingers. "It sounded like they were talking about h-having sex. With─" Lila flinched, lowering her head.

But the damage was done. Adrien heard the scandalised voices, saw the shocked faces, felt the pity and disgust rolling off of them, and Adrien couldn't help but feel disgusted himself. These people─they believed this shit?! Adrien couldn't help but glare at Lila. She didn't even know where Marinette actually was.

"I can't even…" Rose shivered, wrapping her arms around herself.

"That's…" Nathaniel looked around, seemingly at a loss of how to react.

"Marinette… wouldn't…" Alya seemed to be struggling to stay standing.

"Ha! I always knew Dupain-Cheng was a slut!"

Adrien clenched his fists. Chloé… of all people, he had at least expected Chloé to give Marinette the benefit of the doubt. Then again, looking into her eyes, Adrien could tell that she didn't believe it. Still… the fact that nobody jumped to Marinette's defence disgusted him.

Adrien stood with a loud, angry scoff. He grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "You're all despicable," he called, walking away from them.

"What?!"

"Bro! Where are you going?"

"Adrien! Get back here!"

He never once turned to look back at them. They were so quick to fall for such an obvious lie… he was so disappointed.

Adrien wasn't at school the next day. Lila could be seen glancing guiltily at his and Marinette's vacant seats every now-and-then. "Don't feel bad," Alya said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Really, don't. I'm sure there's an explanation to everything. It'll all turn out fine, you'll see."

"Y-yeah," Lila swallowed. "I just… can't help but wonder. What if I'd stayed quiet? Then nobody would know and everything would stay the same."

"No, I'm glad you told us. Really, Lila. Marinette should've told us herself, and she shouldn't have… done that…" Alya's fists clenched. "I still can't believe…"

Their conversation was, by far, the tamest. Lila had sewn the appropriate seeds of doubt, and now more than one person was convinced that Marinette participated in 'unsavory' activities.

"Can't believe that Marinette would turn out to be such a slut," Ivan said, sneering. "I thought she had more class than that."

Kim leaned back in his seat. "Maybe she's preparing for Adrien," he laughed.

"Guys, will you cut it out?" Alix elbowed him. "Slut shaming is not cool."

Max was frowning thoughtfully. "Have any of you considered the fact that Marinette may not have been willing?"

"What?" His sentence was louder than intended, as multiple pairs of eyes landed on Max.

"Well, Marinette is fourteen, and if what Lila saw was correct, these men were much older, larger and more threatening. It is statistically more likely that she could've been unwilling."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the class. Alya looked around uncertainly. "B-but that would mean─"

"That she was raped."

That was the first of many theories to be made.

"Maybe she works for a pimp."

"Maybe her parents were in debt."

"Maybe she's just a whore."

None of these theories factored in Marinette's age, living situation or personality at all. The theories created a warped version of Marinette Dupain-Cheng in their heads that weren't to be contested by any common sense.

That was, until, Adrien returned to school two weeks later.

He stalked into the class, scanning over his classmates. Finding that most of them were there, he called for their attention, glowering with narrowed eyes.

"Dude, you're back!" Nino exclaimed.

"I am," he said. Adrien held up his phone. "Chloé's been keeping me in the loop, by the way. I have something to say."

Lila had a slightly panicked look in her eyes. "Look, Adrien, I know that you were getting closer with Marinette lately, but─"

"Don't give me any of your bullshit, Lila."

Speaking out against Lila was like taking the spoon out of a grenade and standing still.

The reactions were explosive.

"Dude!"

"Adrien!"

"Bro!"

"How dare you?!"

"Apologize to Lila!"

"How could you even say that?!"

Adrien waited patiently, and when the class noticed his lack of reaction to their outburst, they calmed down a bit.

"Are you done?" he asked. "Alright, good. Now, I am going to talk, and you are going to listen. Considering that none of you have even considered what I'm about to suggest, you better at least let me finish before you attack me without any evidence." Like you did to Marinette went unsaid.

"So." Adrien crossed his arms, leaning against Mme. Bustier's desk. At that moment, he looked very threatening. "So, I need all of you to realise that your theories are incorrect. Lila never saw Marinette with a group of 'threatening older guys', and yes, I do have evidence as to why that is, unlike some people." Adrien sneered at Lila.

He pulled a document out of his bag. "Three weeks ago, Marinette was hit after an akuma attack. She had been hiding in an alley to tr─avoid the akuma when she was attacked by a thief. Marinette didn't see him, so she didn't react. He took her purse and pushed her. She hit her head in the encounter and got a concussion. Chat Noir found them and went after the thief. He got the purse back, but her phone had been dropped and destroyed in the time being. Marinette slipped into a coma." He held the document up higher for them to see. "This is the official police report."

If calling Lila a liar was like holding a grenade, Adrien's previous statements were like carrying a nuke.

"What?!"

"You've got to be joking!""Is she alright?""What hospital is it?!""Why weren't we told?!"

"Is she awake?!"

"Who attacked her?!"

And yet, only one person seemed to realise the point to all of this. "Oh my god," said Alya, turning to Lila. She backed away from the girl in horror. "You bitch!" Alya made to run at her, but Kim caught her around the waist. "You lied about my best friend! I hate you! You fucking liar! You tried to convince us she was a fucking prostitute! I'm going to fucking kill you!"

A slow clap could be heard from the doorway. "Good show, Alya. Really, great show."

Marinette was standing there, using the door as support to stand. Adrien moved over to her, wrapping his arm around her waist. Marinette walked into the classroom with him. "I like that now I'm your best friend. The second you realised that maybe Lila wasn't the saintly person you painted her out to be."

"What?" Alya whispered.

Marinette scoffed. "Yes, Lila lied about seeing me with older men, but who was it that believed her?"

"W-well, I─I…"

"Save it," Marinette snapped. "I was willing to forgive you if someone─anyone─ thought that maybe it wasn't true. But you were all so ready to give up on me. To call me a slut, a whore. Did any of you truly ever know me?"

Nobody answered. "Alright then. Where's Mme. Bustier?"

"...Teachers lounge," Rose said quietly.

"Thanks," Marinette said, her voice bitter. She turned to Adrien. "Want me to give her your papers?"

"Oh, yeah," Adrien reached into his bag, handing her a folder. "I've already sent the others to Mr Damocles. Want me to get your stuff?"

"Please," Marinette smiled, before turning and walking away. Adrien lingered, making sure that Marinette could walk before he hurried to her desk, grabbing her copies and books.

"Papers?" Max asked, frowning. "Are you─you're hardly─"

"Transfer papers," Adrien said, looking coolly at the class. "Marinette and I decided that it'd be best not to stay in such a toxic environment."

Nobody spoke. Everybody may have been screaming and protesting internally, but they could only stare helplessly as Adrien went to his own desk, grabbing his books.

When Adrien reached the door, he looked back with narrowed eyes. "Goodbye, classmates. Can't say I'll miss you."

And he was gone.

They never did see Marinette or Adrien in person again. Of course, Marinette went on to become a great fashion designer and Adrien took over Gabriel, but they had other friends, friends who they trusted and who always looked at them positively. And Chloé.

Marinette found herself being happy in a different school, a school where she could be herself and be happy and not have to worry about being judged or lies being spread about her character.

And the best thing of all? Marinette never did have to deal with Lila again.

She did hear a rumour about her being committed to an asylum after lying about having some mental thing going on, though.

(I'm just bullying the class, aren't I? There was no positive way to redeem the class after that, so I just didn't. I think this was the first chapter with an Adrien POV. Damn.)