Chapter 8

~Adrien's POV~

My cheeks burned as I tried to push away my blush. Let's make it clear that I was only blushing a little bit, and only because of Alya's word choice.

"Alya!" Marinette exclaimed, also red from blushing. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough." She replied, still grinning from ear to ear. "Anyway, everyone's gonna start showing up in about five minutes."

"Already?" Marinette asked, standing up immediately. "Wow."

"Though," Alya added. "I've heard time usually slows when you're with that special someone~"

I put the charm bracelet back in my pocket, still pushing away my blush. Alya was making it harder to hide.

Marinette giggled awkwardly, thankfully giving Alya a look that made her friend not say another word.

"So..." I spoke, breaking the silence. "Have you finished writing any other scenes for the film?"

"Oh yes!" Alya said happily. "I've finished the next three. I had nothing to do, so I sat down and made myself write."

"That's great!" Marinette smiled.

"Here." She said, holding out the new scripts. "You two can start looking over them. Meanwhile, I'll text Nino. He should be here by now!"

"Finally!" I said with a smile as I read over scene nine. I looked up to see Marinette looking back at me with a confused expression.

"Oh, sorry." I chuckled awkwardly, feeling embarrassed for blurting out suddenly. "It's just, we finally get to film together in scene eight."

"Really?" Marinette smiled, though she still seemed nervous.

"It's only written out." I continued. "Scenes four, five, six, and seven still need to be filmed first."

"Right." She said. "We're about to get four out of the way."

"And hopefully five and six." Alya added looking up from her phone. "Nino's on his way with the rest of the class. Bringing over the equipment."

To pass the time, Marinette and I read over the new scenes. Soon enough, the rest of the class joined us in her house.

"Now that we're all inside," Alya said with a slight chuckle. "We all got to go outside."

Many groans of protest were heard as the class made its way outside the bakery.

Once outside, Alya handed out the new scripts to everyone else as Nino explained the next scenes to take place.

"We're all aware that Marinette's house will serve as Zachary's house for the film," He said. "And it's been decided, and confirmed, that Mayor Bourgeois will provide a room of his hotel for Marinette to use as Marilee's apartment."

Chloe grumbled a bit under her breath, but no one paid her much attention.

"This scene will start outside with Adrien getting out of, what will be, Zachary's blue truck and we'll go on from there. As the scene continues to inside, only Adrien, me, and the volunteers from the animal shelter will follow."

The class turned to see a man and a woman, the man kneeling to hold a brown dog by the collar, and the woman standing with Ambrose in her arms.

"Without further ado, places please!" Alya called out.

I saw the blue truck and climbed inside it, waiting for the call for the start of the scene. I didn't have to wait long for Nino to yell "Action!"

I climbed out of the truck and shut the door before walking to the truck bed and taking out a red duffel bag with a yellow fireman's logo on it.

I continued to walk around the truck, stopping directly behind it to look up. For the nineteenth time, I saw the dog up on its hind legs, barking at Ambrose just out of its reach. The ginger cat was on a white tarp covering cardboard boxes, and between two white sacks of I don't know what, and sheltered by a wooden pallet.

"Hey!" I said to the dog. "Hey come on. Leave the cat alone." The dog continued to bark.

"Hey-" I cut myself with a sigh and walked over to the animals. "Leave the cat alone!"

"Come on, shoo!" I said patting the dog's back. "Shoo!"

The dog ran away from me and to the shelter volunteer just out of shot of Nino's camera. I turned back to Ambrose and moved closer.

"Hi." I whispered as I reached for the cat. He tensed up slightly as I touched him. "Come here."

"Okay..." I muttered as I picked him up. "You're okay."

I took him from his hide away and held him against my chest. "You're safer now, alright? Just run home before it comes back."

"There you go." I said, putting the cat down. I turned and walked toward the house after picking up the duffel bag once more as Ambrose walked to the volunteer.

Nino followed me as I walked to the front door and pretended to unlock the door. When I walked inside, Ambrose followed me in.

I shut the door and put down the duffel bag and walked down the hallway. I took off the light jacket I had been wearing and draped it over the wooden step ladder near a red chair. All the other furniture was covered with plastic, and a paint tray with a shade of white in it was on the floor.

Marinette's parents gave us permission to repaint the walls for the film saying that they needed to repaint anyway. In my opinion, they're too kind for their own good.

I sat on the chair and picked up my phone. I studied it for a moment before putting it back on the chair arm as Ambrose jumped into my lap.

"Oh!" I said in surprise, beginning to pet the cat. "Hi."

"How did you get in here?" I asked, trying to read his tag. "Ambrose? What kind of name is Ambrose?"

I stroked the cat's back a few more times and let out a sigh. I picked him up and carried him in my arms back through the house.

"I work twenty-four-hour shifts, then I come home and crash." I told him. "I don't do commitment."

I brought him to the door and sighed. "Alright." I opened the door and put down Ambrose.

"Alright." I repeated. "There's the door." When he didn't move, I continued. "I'm serious. I'm serious, you have to go."

I let out a light exasperated scoff as the cat rubbed against my legs. "What are you doing?"

"I live alone." I told him. "I don't even own a plant because they require too much care."

"I said, you have to go." I repeated when Ambrose sat and looked up at me. I let out a sigh. "Really?"

I sighed again and picked him back up. "One night, but that is it."

I closed the door and headed to the kitchen. I set Ambrose onto the island counter and opened the fridge.

I closed the fridge, holding up a glass bottle of milk and a small tin tray. "I'll feed you, but that's it."

The cat stood up and looked at the container of milk in my hand. "I've had a long day, so stay in here and don't bug me."

I poured some milk into the tray and set it next to him then put the milk bottle back into the fridge.

I walked out of the kitchen and down the hall, picking up the television remote up off of a covered shelf in the hallway. I turned to see Ambrose running towards me, down the Hall.

"Fine," I said. "You can come in here, but stay off my chair. It's the one place I absolutely insist..."

I broke myself off as the ginger cat leaped onto the red chair I had been sitting on earlier.

I walked over to the chair as he made himself comfortable. "Alright, move over."

I picked up Ambrose and sat down with another sigh and pet him. "One night, that's it." I told him. "Then you're gone."

I reached to take out the remote and pointed it at the TV and turned it on.

"Cut!" Nino smiled. "Great job, Adrien."

I grinned at him, then at Ambrose. I pet him a few more times as I stood up with him in my arms. "And good job to you too."

We walked out of the house to an evening sky.

"Well?" Demanded Alya.

"We got it." Nino grinned. "It was great."

"Perfect timing." Marinette smiled. "My scene is shot at dark. Do we have the Walmart bags?"

Alya nodded. "Let's head over to the hotel, shall we?"