Chapter 18

~Adrien's POV~

After we finished filming the next two scenes, the class gathered around at Marinette's house to watch it. She didn't live too far from the restaurant, so it would be easy to go back and film the next scene. Nino started scene fifteen showing Chloe, Lila, Emilio, and I gathered around a booth. Lila was the only one sitting down.

"Craig's in the stock market," Lila said. "And he made a bundle last year."

"I manage a private hedge fund." Emilio explained. "Blair tells us you're a fireman. Must be fun."

"Yeah, it's a blast." I said with a hint of sarcasm.

"I admire you." Lila said. "I want you to know that."

I chuckled awkwardly. "Thank you."

"Zachary buys and restores homes, too." Chloe said, almost as if it made up for my character being a fireman as she rubbed my arm slightly. "He's in real estate."

"Oh, how exciting." Lila smiled, seeming more interested than she had before.

"A man of hidden talents." Emilio put in.

"Yeah," I forced myself to smile. "I'm not at all what I seem."

The scene changed quickly from me to showing Kagami smiling.

"You know what," She said. "Kyle and I are invited to this big Christmas party, on December 23rd, at the mayor's house."

"Yeah, it's a fundraiser for the children's hospital and..." Luka said with a smile. "We just happen to have four tickets."

"You two will come with us." Kagami said, pointing at Marinette with her elbow on the table.

"That's more than two weeks away." Marinette said. "I don't even know if we're still going to be dating. I mean, it's so early in our-"

"What's his name?" Kagami interrupted, and Luka nodded at me as if he were curious too.

"His name..." Marinette said, looking at Kagami and Luka then looking away as she tried to come up with something. "Is, um..." Kagami and Luka raised their eyebrows at her as she paused.

"I-I-I call him..." Marinette paused as she looked at Kagami. "Green Eyes." She paused again as she, Kagami, and Luka chuckled. "Just a silly little nickname that we have for each other, and, uh... He calls me, um..." She paused again and tapped her fingers on the table nervously. "Marilee."

Marinette chuckled nervously, then the scene ended. The class laughed a bit and started talking to each other about the scenes. I looked to my right to see Marinette and Alya. Alya was grinning and gently shook Marinette's shoulder as she laughed. I smiled and decided to join them in hopes of not having to talk with Chloe.

"You looked so awkward out there!" I heard Alya tell Marinette from a distance.

"I felt so awkward out there!" Marinette laughed. "I mean, pretending that I was dating him? Really? You had to go and write that in?"

"Yes, I did." Alya nodded. "And it payed off. I knew you wouldn't have much trouble with filming that scene."

"I didn't have to act that much." Marinette shrugged. "All I had to do was remember what to say. It wasn't that hard."

"And that's exactly why I have created Marilee White to be just like you." Alya said. I was just about to say something when I felt something on my arm. I looked down to see Chloe holding my arm and turning me away from the girls.

"Adrikins, you did amazing!" Chloe said. "It must have been really hard to act annoyed with my friends and I when we filmed."

"Actually..." I said, looking over my shoulder and looking at Marinette and Alya a last time before I lost sight of them in the rest of my classmates. "It was really hard." I lied to avoid hurting her feelings.

"How dare Alya make you annoyed with me?!" Chloe said, getting upset. "I'm an absolute delight!"

"You sure are." I said. I guess it was more sarcastic than I meant it to be because Chloe looked at me in surprise, then frowned.

"See what I mean?" Chloe sent a glare in Alya's direction. "She's already changing you. You aren't the same as you were before you had to start filming with Marinette."

She said Marinette's name with disgust, but I ignored it. I couldn't help but look but agree and follow her gaze. I caught a glimpse of Marinette between two classmates. I could no longer hear what she or Alya were saying, but it looked as if she were laughing.

"Yeah..." I agreed with Chloe at last. "I'm not the same as I was before."