A/N: I honestly wasn't expecting to finish this chapter today since it's my little sister's birthday, but I did! And it's much longer than I expected!

Three minutes and thirty-four seconds in the movie, two scenes, and three more chapters left until it's all over.

Chapter 47

~Marinette's POV~

"He lied!" I said angrily, though my tone showed that I felt more devastated than anything else. My voice shook as I said the words, and I fought tears that wanted to shed.

"Yes he did!" Rose agreed firmly. We were currently sitting on a sofa in her family's living room that we had been allowed to use for the last couple scenes of me before I would see Adrien again in the last one.

"But he didn't really lie." I said with a sniff, hugging the pillow I had closer to me. "I'm not even dating him. I just don't understand why he would feel like he had to kiss me!"

"Marinette—" Rose started with a sigh, but I cut her off.

"I mean, Alya, you took the kiss out!" I said to Alya who was behind the camera. "Why did he have to do it?!"

"I don't know, Marinette." Alya said with a small, sympathetic sigh. "I really don't know. But, Marinette, we really should get through this scene."

I shoved my face into the pillow and groaned despairingly. "I'm sorry…" My voice was muffled by the pillow. "I did it again, didn't I?"

"You did." Rose said gently. "Do you want to talk about what happened with Adrien before we try again?"

"No." I said, lifting my head and shaking my head. "No, I'll be fine. It's just… Do you think I could just look over those lines one more time to get back into the scene?"

"Of course." Alya answered and offered me a packet that had the scene written out. "Take your time."

Even though I read through my lines, that I already had completely memorized, a few more times, it was very hard for me to concentrate. I felt absolutely horrible, and I honestly had no idea how to fix it.

I missed Adrien so much, and yet I didn't know how I could get him back without things being tense between us. I knew that the way I was acting about the situation wasn't right, but I didn't know how to stop.

I knew I was avoiding confronting Adrien about my coldness towards him. I couldn't bring myself to admit to him that I had been terrible to him. I hated seeing how hurt I was making him, and I really didn't want to apologize. It wasn't because I didn't feel guilty because I really did. I just didn't want to admit to him that I knew I was hurting him.

I was also extremely embarrassed because of the way I reacted. I knew that he had to know now that I loved him because of how I reacted to his answer concerning that kiss. I was so hurt and disappointed because I let myself assume that the kiss meant that he liked me, and embarrassed because I hadn't even thought about it really not meaning anything.

Now that he knew how I felt about him, I don't think I could handle him telling me that he doesn't feel the same. That's why I was pushing him away. The reason why I was being so cold towards him though, I wasn't entirely sure.

I wasn't so mad at him for what happened, really I wasn't. I was hurting and feeling disappointed by myself, which in turn only made me angrier at myself than anything else. Instead of being logical and just telling myself to cool off, I was taking my anger out on Adrien.

I hated myself for it, I really did. I hated knowing I was hurting him and that it was hurting me to see that I was hurting him, but I couldn't bare to let him see how terrible a person I was because I acted this way. There was no way he'd still want to even be my friend after how I've been treating him.

Maybe it would really end up being better this way in the end. As much as I hated to admit it to myself, maybe distancing myself from Adrien would help me to get over him. If that kiss didn't mean anything to him, he didn't like me as more than a friend. Maybe it was time to get over him. Alya's plan really didn't work after all.

And maybe if I hadn't completely ruined everything, and once my feelings were gone, he and I could forget this ever happened and be friends again and nothing more.

"Marinette, are you okay?" I heard Rose's voice cut through the end of my thoughts. I quickly looked at her, realizing I had zoned out while looking at the script.

"Sorry." I apologized quickly. "How long was I out of it?"

"Not long." Alya answered and when I turned my head to look at her, I saw her looking at me with deep concern. Even though I hadn't told her just how guilty I was and my plans to get over Adrien, she seemed to be able to read my thoughts and know just what I was planning.

"Good." I said before letting out a long sigh then slowly nodding to myself. "Okay, I think I'm ready. I'll get through it this time."

"He told me he didn't want a serious relationship." I said in that same devastated tone I've been using for each take of this scene. Despite my words earlier, it took a couple more takes before this one, but I felt like I'd finally get it this time.

"Yes, he did, mhm." Rose agreed gently with a nod.

"And I told him I didn't want to date until after I graduate." I continued on with the rant.

"Yes, you did." Rose agreed.

"And then he told me he was going to work," I continued, my tone growing angrier. "But he wasn't going to work. He was—he was on a date… with a…" My tone grew more distressed. "With a beautiful woman!"

I paused and sniffed before I continued. "He lied!" I said angrily, though my tone showed that I felt more devastated than anything else. My voice shook again as I said the words, and I fought tears that wanted to shed.

"Yes he did!" Rose agreed firmly.

"But he didn't really lie!" I said with a whiny tone. "I'm not even dating him! He doesn't owe me anything! I—"

I cut myself off, looking off to the side away from Rose. "But we've been over all that." Rose said gently and I let out an exasperated and distressed sigh that showed that I knew that, but it wasn't helping.

"What's with the kiss?" I asked, looking at Rose, and I had to force myself from going off on my own personal rant. I shook my head to myself then looked away again, tightening my hold on the pillow.

"See, that was my fault." Rose said guiltily. "The mistletoe-kiss-test… clearly flawed."

"Yeah." I agreed, glancing at her.

"Yeah…" Rose added, looking down in guilt.

We were both quiet for a moment before my phone starting ringing. Rose looked down at it first because I made no move to answer it. She let out a sigh and looked at me desperately as she held up my phone to show me the screen. "Will you please answer it this time?"

It was really only Alya calling my phone, but for the scene it was supposed to be Zachary trying to get a hold of Marilee. I looked towards the phone before groaning and looking away, shaking my head. "No."

"No. No." I repeated a couple more times as it rung a couple more times then stopped. "He's clearly interested in someone else. I'll call him in a few weeks, you know, when I'm… Over him." My voice caught on the last two words.

"You're… going to get over him?" Rose asked with a slightly surprised tone.

"Yeah." I said in almost a whisper after hesitating a moment. "Yeah."

"Okay." Rose answered in the same quiet tone.

I waited a moment longer for Alya to end the scene. We were finally finished with it, yet I didn't feel any different before we had even started the first take. It was almost as if I no longer cared about how the movie finished, though I really did. I was happy for Alya for creating a great movie, and happy for both her and Nino to have filmed it so well.

"We have one last scene to film really quick that will go right after the one that Nino's filming with Adrien right now." Alya was saying, but I was only half listening. "Marinette, all you need to do is go over to that chair over there by the window and—"

"I'm going to get over him." I said quietly, interrupting Alya. Both her and Rose looked at me in surprise, so I repeated my statement, this time a little louder and a little more confidently. "I'm going to get over him."

Both were quiet for a moment before Rose spoke up. "You're going to get over Adrien?"

"Yeah." I said, nodding as I felt a pain in my chest at admitting it out loud. "He said that kiss meant nothing to him. He doesn't like me as more than a friend, if he even likes me as a friend anymore."

"Marinette, you don't have to do that." Alya said in a quick, quiet tone. I looked at her and saw how desperate she was for me to admit I really didn't mean the words.

"I do have to, Alya." I said, shaking my head. "It's over. He doesn't feel the same, and I can't force him to. I've lost any chances I could have had in the future to change his mind about me too because of how I've been treating him. I'm going to get over him."

Suddenly my phone started to ring again, and Rose looked at it since she was still holding it. Her eyes lit up and she looked at me expectantly. "Answer it!"

I took my phone from her and looked at the name of who was calling me. My heart jolted when I saw that it was Adrien's name that appeared. I was so very tempted to answer it, but I reminded myself of my new goal. With a heavy heart, I let it ring, just staring at the phone. The girls didn't try to get me to answer it either, but I knew they were looking at me with hope.

After a little while longer, the screen showing his name disappeared to show my lock screen picture of him instead with a notification telling me I had a missed call from him. About ten seconds later, that notification was replaced by one that told me he left me a message.

I ignored it despite the looks I was receiving from the girls and put my phone away in my pocket. I had to get over him, no matter how long or what it took.

~Adrien's POV~

Voicemail.

Of course she wouldn't answer. I was really hoping she would, but I had my doubts. So, after the beep I started talking, though I had no real idea of what to say. I hadn't really thought about what I'd say to her if she answered, and I didn't think of anything to say if she didn't. I considered for a brief moment to just hang up instead of leaving a message, but I started to speak and couldn't stop.

"Hey, Marinette. This is Adrien, but I'm sure your phone told you that." I winced at my awkward choice of words. "Look, we need to talk. I made a huge mistake and I'm really, really sorry." I paused for a moment before I continued. "I really miss you. Please call me back, okay? I love you."

My mouth immediately went dry when those three words slipped out. I hadn't meant to say them even if I meant them. Though despite knowing there was an option to playback the message and erase it, I panicked and just hung up, sending the message to her.

My heart was beating uncontrollably fast in my chest as my head spun. That wasn't how I hoped to tell her I loved her at all. But maybe it was better now that it was out. Now she might just give me a chance to hear me out. As much as I hated knowing I had to admit that I lied to her, I wanted to talk to her again so badly that I was willing to do anything. Even if it meant completely embarrass myself over a message to her voicemail.

The following day I was with Nino in our first class of the day. He had told me to come early so that I could see the three recently filmed scenes put together. He had gotten the two that Marinette filmed last night after we left the bakery.

It was very, very awkward to be there without Marinette there, but thankfully her parents were kind enough to let me film the short scene. They were very kind to me and even offered me a macron from the bakery when I was heading out.

Mr. Dupain had gone up with Nino, Kagami and I to film the short scene, but he didn't seem angry at me for hurting Marinette. I could tell that he was disappointed, probably because he knew I lied to her, but he seemed to understand how guilty I was and how badly I wanted to fix things.

He and Mrs. Cheng knew that I wanted to date Marinette, and I assumed they knew that Marinette had feelings for me too. They seemed sympathetic towards me because of our current situation, and it was actually good to know that her parents didn't completely hate me.

I let myself out of my memories from the night before as Nino took out his laptop that he was using to edit the scenes together. I took the other of his earbud to listen as the start of the one with Marinette and Rose started. She looked so miserable and I hated seeing her that way. And then her phone rang, but she let it go to voicemail, I was painfully reminded of the one I left her last night.

The screen changed at the end of that scene to show my in the Dupain-Cheng living room. I was half sitting, half leaning against the back of their sofa, Ambrose laying on the back near me. I was slowly stroking his fur absentmindedly.

The decorated Christmas tree was in the background, and with a slight prick at my heart, I remembered that it was Marinette and I who had decorated it. And those walls were that same shade of white that we had painted together.

I really miss her…

"Uh, hi, Marilee." I saw myself saw as I spoke into my phone. This scene was supposed to represent Zachary leaving a message for Marilee after she didn't answer a call, that same call that she ignored when she was with Sarah.

"It's Zachary calling… again." I continued with a slight smile though it disappeared quickly. "Uh, I just wanted to say merry Christmas, and I hope you're having a great Christmas Eve. Umm… I just wanted to call to say… Ambrose and I miss you and Queenie, and umm… Give us a call. Merry Christmas."

I watched as I lowered the phone and 'hung up' though I knew I hadn't even made a call when we filmed the scene. I was shown looking up for a moment before my scene ended and the second one of Marinette came on.

It took everything I had not to outwardly react to seeing her. I wasn't ready for it. She was curled up in a white and gray plaid blanket that had a black outline, sitting on a white wooden chair, staring out a window at the night sky. Queenie was with her, in her arms close to Marinette's heart.

She lowered her head slightly to press a gentle kiss to Queenie's head when the angle changed to show a close up of her face. Her head lifted again, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. She looked so sad and hopeless as if she had completely decided to give up.

That was just for the scene, wasn't it? That wasn't how she really felt, right?

Something told me that it really wasn't just her acting for the scene and that she really did feel that way. It seemed as if Marinette really did want to give up and move on. And that would mean she was giving up on me.

"I can't do it." I muttered as I took the earbud out of my ear and looked at Nino. He turned towards me and looked surprised by the desperation in my voice and eyes. "I need help."

"What?" Nino questioned, though I could tell that he knew I meant that I needed help with getting through to Marinette before it was too late.

"I can't do it alone." I repeated more clearly as I looked at him. I hadn't noticed that at that very moment Alya walked into the classroom, and I didn't notice her marching to the front of my desk. I did notice, however, her slam both hands on the desktop and grin at me. Instantly I realized she must have heard my last sentence to Nino.

"I'm here to help you, Agreste." She said determinedly, and instantly I felt a little more hopeful by her optimism. "You're going to fix things before it's too late, and you're going to need my help to do it. So here I am."