Chapter 8: The Show Must Go On
When he opened his eyes and looked at the clock on his bedside table, this one marked almost 15 o'clock. Jagged Stone had slept more than thirteen straight hours. And after the show he pulled, he had earned those hours of sleep. Stretching his arms, he felt relaxed, even if parts of his body still ached from the night before. One could say that he did not feel like he had just finished a world tour, devoided of energy. He felt great. Getting up, he quickly put on his night robe and opened the curtains, allowing the sunlight to enter the bedroom. Looking outside, he saw that it was a beautiful afternoon.
"I can never get tired of this view." -Jagged Stone said, as he looked outside and saw the Jardin du Trocadero and the Eiffel Tower. –"This place was worth every penny I spent on it."
Rock stars are known for many things, including buying things which they don't need. But Jagged was not one of them. He had invested his money wisely over the years, and had only bought things he knew he was going to use, or that would look great on him or on one of the many houses he owned. And when he decided that he wanted a house in Paris, he made sure he bought the best, at the best price. The penthouse he bought facing the Place du Trocadero and the Palais de Chaillot was one of the largest on the real estate market, and also one of the most expensive ones. But when he laid his eyes on it, he knew he had to buy it, and that meant renegotiating the price, until reaching an agreement with the owners. It was a tough battle, but he ended up getting what he wanted. He kept most of the décor as it was, while painting a couple of walls purple and black, and adding a couple of things, like a recording studio, to make it look like a home, where he could just unwind and relax, when in Paris. But that was not just his home away from home. It was also the home of Penny and Charles "Chuck" Landon, his manager, who at the time had flown back to the U.S. to take care of an issue concerning his family.
Knowing it was already too late for breakfast or lunch, but too early for dinner, Jagged Stone decided he would settle for a cup of coffee and a little snack, until it was time for a proper meal. There were many scents that he loved, and one of them was freshly made coffee. That was exactly what he needed right then, as he made his way to the kitchen. Jagged had always been someone who liked coffee, but he only began loving it, the first time he toured around Europe. It was then that he understood the difference between American coffee and the different kinds of European coffee, which had nothing in common with the American one. Whatever the kind was, European coffee was far superior, and when he bought that penthouse, one of the first things he bought for it was a deluxe expresso machine, so he could have the best coffee in town, without the need to go out and get it.
"There… black as the blackest night, no cream, no sugar. Just the way I love it. A delicious cup of coffee." -Jagged said, as he finished making it.
Already with the cup of coffee in his hand, he went looking for something sweet to go with it. He never poured any sugar in his coffee, because he believed that coffee should be drunk simple. But having a sweet tooth, he always drank his coffee, while eating a sweet. Whenever he was in Paris, the house staff would always make sure to fill up the kitchen's pantry and refrigerator with all kinds of good things. And among those things were Jagged's favourite French treat, macarons. He had tasted numerous macarons, some from the best pastries in Paris, but his favourite ones were from a small neighbourhood bakery, the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, which his agent, Penny, had found out about, and brought with her once, when enjoying a day out.
"Ha! There you are!" -Jagged said, as he took the pink box of macarons with the Dupain-Cheng Bakery logo on it, from inside the refrigerator and placed it on the counter, opening it. –"The best macarons in Paris. Since I'm going to stay in the city for at least a month, I better make sure that there are more of these beauties, for when I'm in the mood for something sweet. light and delicious." -he said as he grabbed three, before biting one of them. –"Mmm… delicious. Either I'm hungry, or these, taste even better than the last time."
With the macarons in one hand and the coffee cup in the other, Jagged Stone made his away to the living room, where he sat on one of the sofas. Shortly after, he heard footsteps approaching, and immediately recognized the two distinct steps. The first ones were Penny's and the second ones were Fang's. He also heard the rattling of Fang's leash, which meant that they had just arrived from the street, where Penny had taken Fang for his daily walk. Entering the living room, Jagged's pet crocodile roared happily at him, as Penny let go off his leash. She looked a bit exhausted, which was no surprise. Taking a crocodile for a walk in a city as busy as Paris had that effect on a person.
"Hey, Fang! Hey, buddy, come here!" -Jagged said, as the crocodile walked towards him, panting with happiness to see his master. –"How's my favourite crocodile, huh?!" -he asked Fang, as the crocodile climbed onto the couch and sat, while licking Jagged's face. –"Hey, hey, hey, what did I tell you about the drool, buddy?"
"He looks happy to see you." -Penny said.
"As always… thanks for taking him on his daily walk, Penny" -Jagged Stone thanked his agent.
"Anytime. Oh, and good morning to you, or should I say, good afternoon?" -Penny asked Jagged. –"I see you woke up in a good mood." -she said, as she sat in the sofa opposite of Jagged. –"Sleeping until 3 in the afternoon, after a concert. That is certainly a new record for you."
"The show last night really drained me." -Jagged Stone said, as he continued to pet Fang. –"Like Brian Addams said in the "Summer of 69", I nearly played until my fingers bled. But it was worth it, just to see the reaction on every fan's face." -he said, as he sipped his coffee. –"A musician just can't get enough of that, no matter what they say."
"Well, there's no surprise there. I should know, I was there too, remember? And like always, the show was quite something. The critics and the media are calling it your best end of tour concert ever. And I'm not even talking about the fans, who keep posting reactions to the concert online." -Penny declared.
"Don't tell me I made the front pages again?" -Jagged Stone asked her, as he allowed Fang to rest his head on his lap. It would not be the first time that happened to him.
"Nope. You were relegated to pages 10 and 12 of most national and international newspapers, and the same thing could be said about most news websites." -Penny admitted. –"The Miraculous Team were the ones who made the front pages, again." -she smiled.
"Those kids saved the day again, huh?" -Jagged Stone asked her, as he kept sipping his coffee.
"They did, last night, while you were performing." -Penny said, as she looked for a news articles on her tablet, to show Jagged. –"Here, take a look." –she said, as she showed him the article from "Le Figaro".
The article of "Le Figaro" featured a photo of Ladybug and Dragonfly fighting Hot Tamale, and in bold letters, one could read "Miraculous Heroes Save the Day".
"Well, good for them, and also for the rest of Paris." -Jagged said, as he nibbled a macaron. –"If I had been relegated to the middle pages by some sleazy politician or a second rate musician, I would probably be a little ticked off by it. But if it was because of this city's team of superheroes, I'm glad I did, because that means they did a good job saving the day." -he admitted. Like most people, he too loved them, and having been saved by them once, Jagged could count himself as one of the people they had saved.
Jagged and Penny continued to talk a little longer about how the concert had gone, before she decided to tackle a matter which Jagged was not the least bit interested. His agenda for the following weeks. And before she could tell him what appointments he had scheduled, he promptly told her what was on his mind, regarding that matter.
"Cancel everything, Penny." -Jagged Stone told her. –"Cancel everything that I might have scheduled for the next three weeks. After last night, I think I earned some rest and relaxation, at least, until the end of the month." -he sighed.
She understood what he was telling her. But still, she had to do her job, and tell him what he had scheduled for the following weeks. He told her to cancel every last one of his commitments. But when she reminded him of an appointment his manager had arranged, he promptly told her what she knew he would say, regarding that appointment.
"Penny… we talked about this, over and over. I'm never going to do a duet with XY." -Jagged sighed.
"I know that, Jagged, but I'm merely telling you what's on your schedule." -Penny told him. –"And before you say anything else, remember, it's Chuck who takes care of this kind of appointments, not me. And he told me to insist on this matter. He wants you to do this duet." -she said.
"Penny, please, don't make me repeat myself, again." -Jagged Stone begged her, already knowing that speech he was going to give her by heart. –"I am a rock and roll superstar and legend! My name is already written on the stars above us, for the rest of eternity, along with the names of some of the best rock musicians ever like Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Keith Richards, Elton John, Freddie Mercury, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Bono, Stevie Nicks, Kurt Cobain… just to name a few." -he said. –"I'm not going to lose my time or anyone else's, by playing next to a kid, whose lack of talent, makes Justin Bieber sound good, and you know just how bad I think Bieber is. I'm not doing that, and that's final."
"You know that Chuck's not going to like it, when he hears that you said that. Especially because he is Bob Roth's friend, and Bob is asking Chuck to convince you to do this duet." -Penny told him.
"I don't care about what Chuck thinks or whatever kind of favours he thinks he owes to a dirt bag like Bob Roth. I'm not going to do it, and that's that. And if he had half a brain, he would cut all ties with Roth. That guy is scum… no, not scum, he's worse than scum. I mean, even his name says just how much of a low-life he is. And I'm not even going to talk about that ridiculous white moustache he has. Why do you think I never signed with him?" -Jagged Stone asked her.
Jagged and Bob Roth had quite the story together. Ever since Jagged had begun solo that Roth had tried to become his manager. At the time, Jagged still did not have Chuck as his manager, but another one, an older man named Lyle Roberts, who had taught him a lot about the musical world, before he retired and Chuck got the job. And what Lyle had taught Jagged, during the time he was his manager, was that there would always be men that would do anything to take advantage of him and any other musicians out there, just in order to make a quick profit, even if that meant ruining careers. With that in mind, when Lyle retired, and Jagged needed to find a new manager, he immediately refused Roth's offer to be his new manager, telling him that he was not interested. This, of course, did not prevent him from attempting, from time to time, to convince him to reconsider on his offer, telling him that with him as his manager, Jagged would make so much money, that he would need five lives to spend it. Just the way he spoke about it, the rock star knew that he was not thinking about how much money he could help him gain, but how much money he himself would gain.
"Because he's worse than scum." -Penny said.
"Dang right, he is. Bob Roth with that stupid moustache of his, only sees dollar signs in front of his eyes, and I hate that kind of people. They've no respect for anyone, but themselves, and they don't care who they have to sacrifice, just to get what they want… bunch of low-life leeches, that's what they are." -Jagged said. –"And let me tell you something, if he ever tries to come over and ask me to reconsider his proposition of letting him be my manager, or ask me to play a duet with his son, just so he can make money, again, I'll let Fang here, bite his hand off, or even one of his legs. I mean it, Penny." -he declared, as Fang roared angrily. Like his owner, the crocodile did not like Bob Roth, one bit. –"He and his kind, along with failed musicians, who don't have a shred of talent in their bodies, are people who I don't associate with. I may be a little harsh on that matter, but I didn't get where I am, by cutting corners or making decisions that felt shady, to say the least, Penny."
"I know you didn't, and you don't have to explain yourself to me. I don't like Bob Roth or his son either." -Penny declared. -"And forgive me for asking you this, but is that really your final answer on this matter?" -she asked him. –"I'm only asking it, because once I tell Chuck this, he's going to be really mad at you."
"It is, Penny. And if Chuck says anything regarding that matter, you let me talk to him, so I can give him a piece of my mind." -Jagged told her.
"Alright." -Penny said.
"You know that when dealing with people, I value their talent, more than anything else. And you know that there have been a couple of musicians that I helped with their careers, over the years, by playing with them, and I loved doing it. But they all had talent, which is something XY doesn't have. Believe me, if that kid had, even the slightest shred of musical talent in his entire body, I would gladly play a duet with him. I would even ignore the way he dresses, the way he speaks and acts around most people, just to make it work… but he doesn't have it." -Jagged Stone declared. –"The kid's only a pretty face, and that might help him sell a couple of records now. But good looks alone aren't enough in the music world, and they don't last forever. In a couple of years, someone younger will show up, and replace him as the newest hot session in the music world, and then, nobody will even remember who XY was, except maybe a couple of fans he might have." -he said, knowing what he was saying was one of the harshest truths in the musical world.
Jagged had only met XY in person once. When he and his father/manager showed up in one of Jagged's concerts, so he could meet him, and perhaps arrange a duet between the two of them. Jagged only had to talk to XY for a couple of seconds to see just how shallow, vain and untalented he was. The way XY looked, walked and even acted around him, showed that he only cared about his looks and how pretty he thought he needed to be for his fangirls. It was obvious to Jagged that he saw the music business as that, a business, where the more one acted and dressed up like a clown, the more people would notice him, especially if they were teenagers, who listen to any singer with a pretty face. But Jagged could have let that slip, if it had not been for the way he talked to him. The way XY talked to him, made Jagged feel like the kid, which was what he was, was talking to someone his own age, or someone who he had gone to kindergarten with. He did not even show him the proper respect, when talking to him, when Jagged did his best, not to talk to him as if he was a kid, who did not understand a single thing about music. The experience alone made him decide that he would never waste his time with XY or the likes of him.
"I don't like to use this word, but I will, for the lack of a better one, Penny. Xavier-Yves Roth, or XY as he calls himself, is a loser. And I'm not going to waste my time or effort with a loser like him." -Jagged stated.
"Fine, forget about XY. I'll call Chuck and tell him about your decision, and then, I'll call that that disgusting Bob Roth, and warn him, that you're not going to play any duet with his son, not now, not ever." -Penny said, as she erased that appointment from Jagged's schedule on her tablet. –"Regarding the other appointments you have, I'll cancel them as well, so you can relax a little." -she said.
"Thanks. Believe me, I'm going to enjoy these next few weeks." -Jagged said, as he finished his coffee. –"I'll try to catch up on my readings. I still need to finish The Witcher saga. And who knows? Maybe I'll compose a whole new album." -he declared
"I can imagine it."–Penny said. –"I'll cancel every appointment… except maybe one." -she said, as a sly grin appeared on her face.
"What are you talking about?" -Jagged asked her, knowing that whenever that grin showed up on her face, she had something up her sleeve. –"Come on, spill the beans. What's that appointment you're talking about?" -he told her, as he petted Fang's head.
"Well, it's not exactly an appointment. At least, not yet. It will depend on your answer." -Penny told him.
"Penny, please, stop teasing me and tell me what you're talking about." -Jagged asked her. If there was one thing, he hated was for her to tease him, when she had good news.
"Alright, alright. I'll tell you." -Penny said, –"This morning, while you were still sleeping, you got an email from Paul Stanley." -she told him.
"Paul Stanley? The Paul Stanley? Paul "The Starchild" Stanley from KISS?" -Jagged Stone asked her, slightly surprised.
"Is there any other?" -Penny asked him, while rising an eyebrow at him.
"What did the email say?" -Jagged asked her.
"Well, he was asking you if you could do him and the rest of his band a little favour. The band that opens for KISS won't be able to play next week, when they give a concert right here in Paris, because their vocalist suffered a car accident, which will prevent him from playing over the next couple of weeks. They already found a replacement band, but they won't be able to open for them in Paris. So, because he knows that you are in Paris right now, he's asking if you would like to open for KISS, next week?" -Penny told him. –"Oh, and before I forget, they're willing to pay you, your usual fee when opening for a band." -she added.
Over his career, Jagged Stone had played with some of the biggest names in the music business. Some of them were even old favourites of his, as he grew up. And among them were KISS. When he was kid, KISS was already a big name, and as a fan of the band and its history, it had always been one of his dreams to play alongside them. And that almost happened twice, during his career, but lady luck was not on his side back then. But now, that was about to change. He was going to finally fulfil one of his dreams, while also adding a performance with one of the world's most famous rock bands to his repertoire.
"For KISS? I've been trying to play with them for years!" -Jagged exclaimed, unable to contain his enthusiasm. –"And it's finally going to happen!" -he said.
"So, I take it you're going to accept the invitation?" -Penny asked him, knowing what his answer was going to be.
"Well, it's a little on short notice, but who am I to deny him and the rest of the band my help? After all, in the words that were immortalized by Freddy Mercury, the show must go on! Tell him, that I feel honoured with this invitation, and that I'll do it. But on one… no, make that, two conditions. Don't worry, it's not going to be one of those crazy out of this world demands." -Jagged Stone told Penny, after she gave her the look she always did, whenever she felt he was going over the top about something. –"First, and since I'm opening for them, I want my merchandise to be sold, alongside theirs, and I'll be wanting a piece of what their merchandise sells that night. Let's say 10%, and if he asks, it's not negotiable. And second, I want to play three of their songs, alongside them. One of which has to be my favourite, "I Was Made for Loving You". That's all." -he told her –"I think I'm being pretty reasonable, right?"
"As reasonable as a rock star of your calibre can be." -Penny told him, deadpan.
"You know that one of these days that dry sense of humour of yours, might get you into trouble, Penny." -Jagged Stone playfully told her.
"Perhaps." -Penny answered him back, with a mischievous smile. –"But not today." -she told him. –"I'll send him your answer, and let you know if he and the rest of the band agree to your terms and conditions."
"Guess this musician still has one last gig to play, before he can go on a little vacation, buddy." -Jagged told Fang, who licked his face.
After classes were over, Marinette and the rest of her class exited school and quickly looked for a place where they could transform. Luckily, they were already experts on that matter. Having mapped the best places around school, to do such, they just had to get to the nearest one. Once there, they wasted no time assuming their superhero identities. And with it, the fun began.
As always, there was something magical about putting on the mask. Because when they put them on, they stopped being ordinary teenagers, and became beings capable of doing things that most people only dreamed of doing. And on top of it, they became the kings and queens of the rooftops of Paris, which they turned into their own personal playground. There was no limit to what they could do up there, and their urban training sessions were proof of it. Usually, before going into one of those sessions, they would come up with a plan on what they were going to do that day. But that day, was not a day like the others. On that day, they just wanted to take it slow. Do a couple of stunts, see who was the fastest performing those stunts, and then go out for a bite.
"Okay, everyone, let's start slow and then crank up things a notch…" -Ladybug declared.
"Speak for yourself. I've got a date with the clouds!" -Dragonfly exclaimed as she took to the sky. –"See you in a couple of minutes! Woohoo!" -she yelled, as she felt the wind against her face.
"Hey! I hadn't finished talking, you know?!" -Ladybug shouted at her.
"Let her go, girl." -Rena Rouge told Ladybug. –"You know that she loves to do that." -she said. –"Just finish your speech, and then let's go."
Doing as the fox heroine advised her, Ladybug quickly finished what she was telling the rest of the team, and the fun began. Between stunts and tricks, they saw the hour they had agreed to use for that urban training session go by in a flash. Before they knew it, it was over, and they had managed to crank up a sweat, even if the training session was more fun than business. But before they could call it a day, they still had one thing left to do. Doing good on the promise of checking the Mexican food van of the guy they saved the night before. Seeing as they were near the Musée d'Orsay, which was one of the two places where he told them they would find him, they decided to check it first. And as luck would have it, the yellow van with a burrito on top of it, with bright orange letters was standing on the sidewalk next to the museum's entrance.
As it was already a habit, the number of people outside the museum, waiting to enter was quite large. They knew, that as soon as they landed in front of the food van, they would have people asking them to take a selfie or to give them autographs, making it impossible for them to get the food. Which was why, during lunch hour, they had all decided that instead of going for bite as their superhero selves, they would go as their civilian selves. It was true that that way they would not get the food for free, and Kim was quite angry when they all decided that that was the best course of action. But at least, they would not end up retained, posing for selfies and such for the next couple of hours, without even being able to make an order. On top of that, Adrien told everyone that the snacks would be on him that afternoon.
Already on their civilian outfits, they made their way to the food van. The people on the street, as they passed by them, thought that they were just another class that had come to visit the museum. Looking at them, no one would even think that they were looking at the full team of superheroes, who defended the city of Paris, every time Hawk Moth created an Akuma. And the same thing could be said about Gustavo Salamanca. The owner of the "Los Dos Hermanos" Mexican food van, did not even suspect that the teenagers in front of them, were the same ones who had saved his life the night before. After a few hours of sleep, everything he went through the night before, felt to him like it had been nothing more than a crazy dream. Following the heroes' advice, he forgot everything that happened between him and the guys who had been responsible for his akumatization, and focused on cooking the best Mexican street food his hands and his Latino heart allowed him to.
Looking at the menu, which was a bit extensive, they all took a moment to decide what they were having. Some of them also took the time to ask Gustavo what some of the dishes were, and just how spicy they were. The scent of true Mexican cuisine was making most of them salivating in anticipation, while intriguing the rest that did not know much about that kind of cuisine. One by one, they all chose the one dish that seemed the tastiest to them, or the one that seemed most intriguing. The boys ordered things like burritos, nachos, tacos and tamales. As for the girls, some ordered nachos, while others decided to go for a quesadilla or a gordita. The only one who did not go for any of those things, because they were either spicy or mild-spicy, was Rose, who decided to try Picco de Gallo, while promising her girlfriend, who ordered a chicken burrito with extra cheese and jalapeños. But no matter how different their orders were, they all ordered the same side dish to go, French Fries seasoned with paprika and just a pinch of chilli powder.
As he prepared the orders, he asked them if they had come to the museum, and they all told them yes, making conversation. When he finished them all, he swiftly, yet, carefully placed each order, in a paper bag, and handed to them, while Adrien paid for everything. Almost everyone told him that they would pay him back later, but the blond told them that if anyone tried to do that, he would be extremely upset with them.
Finding a quiet place on top of a nearby building, they wasted no time in tasting the delicious snacks they had bought. Like Gustavo had promised them, everything looked, smelled and tasted delicious. Still, no matter how good and delicious it looked, they had promised their kwamis, that they would save a little for later, so they could taste as well. For a brief moment, none of them uttered a single word. They just stood there, savouring both their food and the view they had over the Seine. The Sun had hidden behind the clouds, but still, it would appear again in a matter of minutes. And with it, its warm light on that day that felt more like a spring day, than a winter day. The whole thing seemed almost magical.
"If we were in a Miyazaki movie, and we were the main protagonists, this would definitely be the part where the heroes would be celebrating, having managed to overcome an obstacle in their voyage or thwarting the bad guy, with a small feast, while wondering what would happen next." -Ladybug thought to herself. –"And in a way, I guess we are in that same kind of situation, except that the only thing we did was going out for a walk, per say." -she thought.
"Marinette? Marinette?! Earth to Marinette!" -Chat Noir called her.
"W-What?!" –Ladybug said, as Chat's voice made her mind come back from wherever her thoughts had taken her to.
"You seemed like your mind was on another place." -Chat Noir said. –"What were you thinking, ,milady?" -he asked her, with a kind smile on his face.
"Oh, nothing. Just some random thoughts, that's all." -Ladybug said, as she took a bite out of her quesadilla. -"I'm glad you guys convinced me to come." -she told Chat Noir. –"I was really needing this, more than I thought."
"What? A quesadilla?" -Chat Noir joked.
"No, silly kitty!" -Ladybug exclaimed, while playfully hitting her boyfriend on the left shoulder. –"I mean this. Hanging out, do some training and then eat a snack… I guess sometimes you don't know what you really need to make you feel better." -she said, before taking another bite from the quesadilla.
"You've got… a little something here." -Chat said, while picking up a napkin and wiped the little smudge of cheese she had on her cheek. –"There, much better." -he said, making her smile.
"Thanks, Adrien." -Ladybug smiled back at him, before taking another bite from the quesadilla. –"I think that… (cough)… (cough)…" -she coughed, after eating a spicier bit of the quesadilla.
"Are you okay?" -Chat Noir asked her.
"Y-Yeah, I am. This last bite had a little… (cough)… more spice than the previous one." -Ladybug said, with her face red, from coughing like that. –"Guess I am not a super fan of spicy food."
"Want to know something? Neither am I." -Chat Noir smiled at her. –"I'm more of a super fan of sweets." -he smirked at her. –"And there's nothing sweeter in the world than your smile, my sweet bugaboo."
"Oh, you silly kitty." -Ladybug giggled, as she placed a peck on his lips. –"Don't say those things, you're going to make me blush." -she continued to giggle.
But when it came to enjoying spicy food, there was one person in that gang that loved it, and that was Antelope. Because his parents owned an Asian restaurant, he was used to the strong flavours of Asian cuisine, some of which borrowed flavour from spicy ingredients. They were different from the ones used in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, but they still packed quite the punch, and he loved them. So, it was no surprise when he decided to get the spiciest dishes in the menu.
"Don't know why those guys, who were the reason why Gustavo was akumatized insulted his food and told him that it wasn't spicy enough." -Antelope said, as he finished his first burrito and got ready to eat the second one. –"These have just the right amount of spicy, and you all know that I like my spicy food to be extra spicy." -he said.
"Who cares what went through their heads? They either had bad taste, or their taste buds were not working properly, along with their brain. The food's good, and I wouldn't mind eating it, once a week." -Dragonfly noted, as she ate a couple of French fries. –"Who would ever thought that this week, I would find out that I would find myself a new favourite kind of cuisine?" -she said, while taking a bite out of her tamale.
"Chloe, don't take this the wrong way, but try to eat the nachos with your hands, instead of using a fork and a knife'" –Rena Rouge told her, as she watched the blonde trying to eat her nachos, using them. –"Can't believe you asked for utensils to eat nachos. Just watching you trying to get one nacho at the time with those, it's almost surreal." -she said, while taking a sip from her orange juice.
"No way!" -Queen Bee told him. –"I'm not going to dirty my fingers. You know that I hate getting my fingers all greasy." -as she picked a couple of nachos using the fork.
"But if you keep eating them with a fork and a knife, the cheese will get cold, Chloe." -Chat Noir told her. –"Nachos are only good when the cheese is still warm and gooey. Take it from me. I'm always eating nachos when I go to the movies, so I know what I'm talking about." -he told the bee heroine.
"Besides, you are wearing your super suit. You're not going to get your hands greasy or sticky with the cheese, while wearing it." –Grizzly Bear pointed out, before taking a bite from the massive burrito he had ordered.
"But even wearing it, I can feel the gooey cheese. And the only piece of me that wants to feel that gooey cheese is my tongue." -Queen Bee said, as she picked a few more nachos with the fork.
"Hold on, I think I've got the thing for that." -Louve Grise said, as she went through the paper bag, where their orders were. –"I knew this would probably happen, so, I asked him to give me a pair of these." -she said, as she took a pair of plastic gloves from the paper bag. –"Now, you can eat those with your hands, without having to worry about getting your fingers greasy or feeling that you're handling gooey cheese."
"Sabrina, you're a lifesaver!" -Queen Bee exclaimed with a smile on her face, as Louve handed her plastic gloves.
"Oh, don't say that. I just happen to know my best-friend." -Louve Grise said, as she saw Queen Bee putting them on.
"Because of that, when we get to the hotel, I'm letting you choose what kind of massage we're going to try." -Queen Bee declared, as she finished putting on the gloves.
"I thought we were going to study for the exams next week." -Louve Grise pointed out, as she sipped her beverage.
"We can study, after the massage, Sabrina. After what happened yesterday, I wasn't able to properly relax and rest. Besides, we still have lots of time, before dinner." -Queen Bee told her, as she grabbed a few nachos and ate them. –"In fact, I've got an idea. When we get to the hotel, you call your parents and ask them to spend the night at my place. That way, we can study, and then before bed, we can watch a movie or something on the television." -she suggested her.
"I don't know, Chloe. It's a little on short notice." -Louve Grise said, as she ate a French fry. –"I don't know if my parents will allow me." -she told her.
"Oh, don't be like that. It's Friday!" -Queen Bee told her. –"I mean, if tomorrow wasn't Saturday, they probably wouldn't let you. But because it is, I'm sure they'll let you do it." -she said, before eating a few more nachos.
"No offense, but that the way you're talking about that studying session of yours, sounds more like you're planning a slumber party." -Panda Roux said, as he grabbed a handful of fries and ate them.
"I agree with Nathaniel. It really sounds like you're planning a slumber party, instead of a study session." -Flamingo said.
"Hey, that gives me a great idea! Here me out… Why we don't we have a slumber party, after the exams are out of the way?" -Forest Doe asked them. –"When was the last time we had a slumber party, all of us?" -she asked.
"Let me see… never. You girls never invited me, nor Sabrina." -Queen Bee answered her.
"Uh… actually, that's not true, Chloe." -Louve Grise noted, a little uneasy.
"They invited you?!" -Queen Bee asked her, shocked by what she had heard. –"And you attended it, and never bothered to tell me, your best-friend?!" -she asked her, upset with what she had found out.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I knew that if I told you about it, you would yell at me and you would get really mad. So, I decided not to tell you. I'm sorry, Chloe." -Louve Grise apologized to the blonde.
"Oh… forget it, it's in the past." -Queen Bee sighed, dismissing it. –"There's no point in getting mad for something that happened in the past." -she told the wolf heroine.
Hearing her say that, Louve Grise could not help but to chuckle lightly. And she was not the only one who did it. Some of the other heroes also chuckled or giggled lightly, which made Queen Bee ask them why they were chuckling. The wolf heroine swiftly told her that that her old self would have probably yelled at her and the others for not inviting her, and would then proceed to insulting them and telling them that she did not like any of them, while also adding that she was way better than them and that she did not need to attend silly slumber parties.
"Well, it's a good thing I'm not that girl, anymore." -Queen Bee smiled at her. –"At least now, you don't have any kind of excuse for not inviting me to a slumber party." -she said, as she sipped her soda.
"Indeed." -Flamingo chirped. –"Especially, because now you're way nicer than you used to be." -she told her, as she continued to eat her salad.
"I'll take that as a compliment." -Queen Bee told her.
"But going back to the slumber party idea, who's with me?" -Forest Doe asked.
"I am." -Corbeau Noire said.
"So am I. " -Flamingo told her.
"Count me in!" -Antelope exclaimed.
"Sorry, Kim, but it's a girl's slumber party. No boys allowed." -Forest Doe told Antelope.
"What?! No fair." -Antelope said. –"Why can't I and the rest of the boys go to that slumber party?"
"Because if you went, nobody's parents would allow us to do it, you ignoramus!" -Dragonfly shot at him. –"I mean, haven't you ever watched a movie with teenagers in your life? You never have sleepovers or slumber parties with boys and girls. Its either one with only girls, or one with only boys." -she said.
"The way you say it, it's like there's going to be a massive orgy between all of us!" -Antelope shouted annoyed at her.
"You and I, as well as the rest of us know that the odds of that ever happening are zero, Kim. But our parents don't know that." -Dragonfly pointed out. –"To them, we are teenagers, mini-adults with enough hormones in our system that they could probably be enough to launch a rocket to the Moon." -she said. –"There's no way they would ever allow us all to sleep in the same room."
"Please, you don't have to tell me that. I'm not dumb!" -Antelope shouted at her.
"Oh, yeah? Because most times, I think the only time you use your brain is to talk nonsense!" -Dragonfly shouted back at him.
"Nonsense?! At least I'm not the one, who when someone tells her something, it goes in one ear and out the other!" -Antelope exclaimed angrily.
"Please, Alix… Kim… could you two stop that?!" -Carapace asked them. –"Alix, there's no need to insult him. And Kim, there's no need to attack her like that. No good ever came from shouting." -he told them with a calm and serene voice.
"Fine!" -Antelope and Dragonfly sighed in chorus.
When they both said that, the rest of the gang laughed their heads off. Once more, Dragonfly and Antelope, through their mutual rivalry had managed to make their friends laugh with their antics. It was not the first time this happened, and everyone, including themselves knew that that would not be the last one either. And it did not take much for them to join their friends in laughter.
"Only you two can make us laugh like that." -Arachnid said, as he tried his best to stop laughing.
"Well, it's easy, when you have a nimrod like him, trying his best to get me mad at him." -Dragonfly declared.
"Hey!" -Antelope exclaimed.
"Guys, guys, let's not start this again, okay? I think one fight between the two of you, that ends up with all of us laughing like crazy, because of your antics, a day, is enough." -Grizzly Bear
"And regarding the slumber party idea, I think we can discuss that better, when the exams are over." -Ladybug said. –"But I can tell you one thing, it sounds like a great idea." -she declared.
So, this new chapter is finally finished. I admit that this story is taking a little longer to be written that I want to admit, but it's an undeniable fact. Being stuck at home, with my family, all day can be incredibly exhausting. Still, I try my best to not let you all wait too long for new chapters. Like I told you on the previous chapter, I had to cut it into two, and part of it is the beginning of this chapter. I wanted to give Jagged Stone the spotlight a little longer, and I think I managed to make him justice. As you might have read, his personality is pretty much the same one as in the series. Now, I had a couple of people asking me if we were going to see XY or Bob Roth in this, and the answer is no. Not in this one, at least. Mainly because in this AU, Bob Roth is not Jagged's manager and owner of the rights to most of his songs, and he pretty much hates him, like he hates his son, XY, biggest musical loser in this series. Still, I can tell you that they will appear in future sequels. At first, I wanted to use the rivalry between Jagged and XY as one of the reasons why Jagged hates him, but I figured that in the real world, there would not be a rivalry between the two of them, because XY is a Pop artist, while Jagged is the Miraculous equivalent to Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Marilyn Manson, Keith Richards, Gene Simmons, or any awesome rock musician out there, so, a rivalry between them felt a little too forced, especially since Roth is not Jagged's manager. Oh, and of course, you guy shave also found out who are going to be the guest stars of this fanfic... KISS. Like I said before, I had the idea for this sequel, while attending their concert in Portugal (hoping to see them next July, when they come back).
I also wanted to write a chapter where the whole team just hangs out after school, and well, the idea of going out on an urban training session, after which they go out for a bite, showed up in my mind. I was quite pleased with how it came out. What did you guys think?
Oh, and before I forget, this chapter is also dedicated to a very special person... André Raimundo. He's the portuguese voice actor of Phineas in Phineas and Ferb, but more improtantly, he's the portuguese voice of the one and only Adrien Agreste aka. Chat Noir.
As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this and other future fics. Until next chapte! ;)