Dear Miraculers,
I want to let you know that I'm traveling to Japan this Sunday, for a month, in order to complete my Thesis. I'M SOOOOO EXCITED OHMIGOD! *Slowly tries to calm breathing down* I'm telling you this why?, you ask.Well, for obvious reasons, I won't be writing in Japan. XD There's just too much to see and so very little time! ... *Sighs* You won't be reading from me for four weeks. I'm sorry.
On the plus side, you will get to miss me and my writing even more, so the next chapter I post will appear even MORE AMAZING to you! (just kidding .)
Here's the chapter! ^^ Enjoy.
[10h57 Today]
Buggzhinette: Tell me everything!
Zhi managed to type after Charlotte left to make the arrangements for the next Monday. She had this next weekend free and then she had to start cramming the 'Where the flowers grow' script. She had two weeks to learn it by heart and hopefully start on the 'Miraculous' one too. After that, she'd travel to America a week early for Mulan's premiere. Right after she had around three days to go see Alice and her family and then she'd head to Ireland to start the shooting 'Where the flowers grow'. Luckily the movie was being recorded in Ireland and in Paris, and Charlotte had arranged things so that the shooting in Paris was in the last month, making it match the Miraculous shooting.
She still had to find the perfect dress for Mulan's Premiere (hopefully this weekend), or ask a certain cat if he'd be willing to do it for her on such short notice.
After the 'vacation' she had just had, she was longing to return to work, even though her 'first day' hadn't been as good as she hoped for. She wasn't sure how she was going to cope with the fact that she had to kiss Adrien senseless, act like she was in love with him and pretend to be fine with it.
Zhi glared at the script for the Miraculous movie, laying on the coffee table where she'd left it. All she wanted at the moment was to burst out and ask for someone's advice...
No.
If she was true to herself, she didn't want someone's advice. She wanted Chat's advice.
She wanted to tell Chat what had happened, but she didn't want to ruin his good mood. His meeting had gone well and she was very happy for him. At least one of them had good news to share. Maybe his good news would cheer her up.
She should call Alice today, for sure. She needed her best friend's help.
[11h07 Today]
Chat_Noir999: You don't have to ask twice! SOOOO, Plagg and Tikki are on board. We have decided to accept a big client and, hopefully, I won't regret it. I have another friend that I can count with, but she won't help much for now 'cuz she is already working on a fashion atelier and I couldn't just ask her to leave a perfectly safe job for one... well, not so safe. In the beginning, it will be me coming up with designs, mostly. Tikki and Plagg will help with the bureaucracy. Now we have to figure out a name for the brand.
Zhi read the text and felt this hint of coldness when he mentioned his other friend that he could count on. He'd never mentioned her before...
Shaking off the uneasy thoughts that had crossed her mind, she smiled at how great already having a big client was. She was sure he was going to succeed, even though she had never seen his work before.
[11h09 Today]
Buggzhinette: That is so great! You have your hands full, I see! Does that mean that you don't have time for another new client, then?
[11h09 Today]
Buggzhinette: You have been brainstorming names ever since you agreed to go forward with the brand, haven't you? xD
Should she ask him for a gown to the premiere? His opinion about her hadn't changed yet. Was it enough that he liked to talk to her now, once he found out that she really was who she said she was?
It would have to be enough. She hoped it was enough. Chat didn't seem the kind of person how would stop talking to her just because he had some weird grudge against her as a celebrity...
What if he really had a reason to hate her, though?
No. She waved away her bad thought and breathed in, focussing on her Catphone's screen.
[11h10 Today]
Chat_Noir999: You mean you, as a new client? xD Are you really interested in wearing something I create, without even looking at my pieces first?
[11h11 Today]
Chat_Noir999: Plus, yes. You know me so well already, M'Lady! It's like we are meant to be! *Zhi rolled her eyes at this, but her grin broadened* We are currently in my living room, brainstorming names and I'm getting glared at by Plagg, who probably thinks I'm not THAT interested since I can't stop texting you. Ahahaha!
Zhi smiled and then sighed, resigned.
She would ask him for the gown, tell him where she was going to use it, pay for it and use it on the Premiere. This way he would understand she hadn't been lying to him. No matter had he held against her, that had to count to something right? What better way to let him know, then to use his first designed gown on a Hollywood premiere? His brand would launch itself if she wore his outfits in front of the media.
[11h15 Today]
Buggzhinette: Tell him I'm a new customer and that I will pay 60% more than the others! ;)
She eagerly waited for the reply with a silly smile on her lips.
[11h16 Today]
Chat_Noir999: I did! You should have seen his face! And Tikki's too! I explained to them it was an arrangement between friends and Tikki immediately said: " Adrien, that's not how friends discounts work..." Now I can't stop laughing.
Her smile wavered a little when he called himself 'Adrien', but she shook it off and quickly typed.
[11h17 Today]
Buggzhinette: I wish I was there to see it! AHAHAH! But I mean it! Please charge me whatever you feel fit for what I'm about to ask you. You can add the 60%! ;P I'm a millionaire, remember? ^^
Zhi waited for his answer, feeling a bit nervous. She kept telling him she was Zhi Ruo Léi... Letting many, many clues in his way, and he still didn't believe her. Maybe he would once she ordered her dress...
[11h20 Today]
Chat_Noir999: I wish you were here too. :) This is weird to say, and I hope things don't get awkward after I say it, but I don't know what I'd do without you now. It's been like two weeks, but you've kinda become a part of my life. So, YES. Of course, I will accept you as a new customer even if I don't really have time for it. xD What would you want me to make you?
Zhi couldn't help herself, she squealed at the cuteness of his text. After that, she was pretty sure he wouldn't just cut her off when he found out she really was Zhi Ruo.
[11h22 Today]
Buggzhinette: Aw! Don't worry, Kitty. If it's up to me, things won't get weird at all. I feel the same way too!
[11h23 Today]
Buggzhinette: About the gown. I don't know if you already know, but on the 25th there will be a Premiere on Hollywood, for the movie Mulan, from Disney. I will have to attend. Will you create my gown? I know it's very short notice. I will buy one just in case something goes wrong. You have two weeks (see what I meant by something going wrong?). I'll leave to Los Angeles on the 19th, so the gown has to be ready and send to my place before that. Think you can manage, Chaton?
[11h24 Today]
Chat_Noir999: Wow, was that a challenge, Boogaboo?
Zhi giggled and typed back.
[11h24 Today]
Buggzhinette: Does that mean it's on? :P
[11h25 Today]
Chat_Noir999: You bet! Challenge accepted. :O
Zhi giggled at her phone again. Chat Noir was really a great nickname for him. He behaved exactly like the character!
[11h26 Today]
Buggzhinette: Okay! I will send you my measures right away and wait for you to make a budget for the gown. Then I will pay and you can make the dress and send it to me! ^^
[11h27 Today]
Chat_Noir999: Sounds like a plan! I will talk to Tikki and Plagg and I will tell you something about it later, okay? (I'm in the bathroom hiding from Plagg's glares. He and Tikki must be wondering what the hell did I eat to stay in the bathroom for so long. XDD) I got to go, okay?
Zhi snorted a little and typed her goodbyes, feeling the sadness coming back.
[11h27 Today]
Buggzhinette: Sure thing, Chat! Talk to you later. :*
She wished he found out who she was. And she wished he didn't hate her for it. She wanted to tell him everything about the real Adrien. She wanted him to be horrified with what Adrien had done to her and promise her that he'd never do such a thing.
Groaning, Zhi got up and decided to run on her treadmill, to lay off some steam. She wished she could go run along the riverside, but she wasn't in the mood for fans and paparazzi.
"That took you long enough!" Said Lucie, crossing her arms against her chest, but grinning suggestively.
"We were wondering if you'd fallen off the toilet." Blatantly added Simon. Adrien chuckled as he shook his head. He couldn't fool his friends not even for a minute. "So, are you going to stop chatting with your friend and start getting serious about this, or what?"
"We've stopped chatting." Grinned Adrien, "Not because I wanted to," He continued, with his index finger up, "but we're not doing anything else than brainstorm until we find the damn name. That's the top priority."
"That's right!" Cheered Lucie, exited.
"Also, we have to hurry, because I just got us another order." Added Adrien, looking extremely full of himself.
"Oh, she wasn't joking, then?" Asked Lucie, impressed. Adrien's new friend was working wonders on him. They all could see it. Lucie knew that Adrien had suffered a lot with Zhi Ruo's break up. Back in the day, they all treated Lucie like a child — she didn't blame them, she was one when it'd happened — but she had always been a very empath child... She didn't really remember the nuances of their break up, but she remembered how it affected her group of friends and how Adrien was never the same. That old Adrien was appearing again when he chatted with this girl from the Red Thread app. And he might not realize it now, but he was falling in love with her. Lucie recognized the signs. She also thought that Adrien had decided to go through with Thomas Astruc's deal because of her, the girl he was texting everyday-non-stop. He didn't look so afraid of facing Zhi Ruo Léi anymore. He had 'his Lady', as he called her, by his side.
Adrien smirked, "Nop! She is attending a Premiere and she needs a gown." He made invisible quotes with his fingers on the word 'premiere'.
"Okaaay?" Lucie let out, looking at Simon for support. Adrien was acting weird. Now that she thought about it, he hadn't told them anything specific about this girl...
"As long as she pays." Shrugged Simon, not seeing any problem in adding a gown to the list.
"What Premiere is she attending?" Asked Lucie, suspicious. "Plus, what does she do for a living? I don't think you told us yet."
"Disney's Mulan Premiere" Again, he did the invisible quotes with his fingers, grinning even wider, as if he was telling an inside joke that no one but him could understand. "Honestly, I have no idea what she does for a living. I think she works in the movie industry, she knows way too much about how things work. But for now, we are keeping our identities as secrets. It's funnier like this!" He grinned, but he also swallowed dry. That was how Lucie knew he wasn't okay with it. Through the past year, she had been learning Adrien's expressions, and she'd become very good at it. That's how she knew he desperately wanted to know his mystery friend. To meet the girl that had become so important in such a small amount of time.
"Hum." Said Lucie, dryly, "You know, I'm very impressed that you decided to be professional and accept Thomas Astruc proposition, even if you're using doubles on the kissing scenes, so I'm gonna let it slide for now."
Adrien chuckled at his overly-protective little 'sister'.
"Break time is over, kids. Let's please find a name for the brand?" Interrupted Simon, pretending to be bored. Lucie could see past that too. He was, like her, worried about his friend, he just had different approaches than hers. And she knew he would put then into motion when he found himself alone with Adrien.
"Sure, how about..." Adrien started, rubbing his hands one against the other, "'Adrien'?" He smiled, not very convinced.
Lucie snorted at this.
"Pff," Said Simon dryly, "Someone is feeling full of himself."
Lucie giggled some more.
Adrien's cheeks became slightly red, "It's not like that! I just thought..." He sighed, defeated, "In Miraculous series, the fashion brand Gabriel Agreste created is called 'Gabriel'!" Simon raised his eyebrows which made Adrien really frustrated. He had been the only one pointing out ideas so far... "Plus, every great designer brand has the designer's name on it! 'Yves Saint Laurent', 'Channel', 'Gucci', 'Versace'!" He listed, counting them with his fingers, "I can keep going..."
"No, it's okay, we understand your point." Said Lucie, with a softening voice, and glaring at Simon. Simon rolled his eyes and Lucie decided to ignore him. Instead, she faced Adrien, "Look, we know all that, not as good as you do, but we're not dumb. The problem is... I thought you didn't want people to buy your designs because you are Adrien Devereaux, the actor and model, but because you are Adrien Devereaux the designer. And that's not going to happen if you just smash your name on the label."
Adrien sighed and sat on an armchair, looking disappointed. Lucie was right.
"So far, the best we came up with was Catwalk, but I really don't want the brand you create to be a pun, Adrien..." Lucie continued, and Adrien nodded, not looking at her.
"I agree with Lucie, but let's stick with Catwalk for now." Said Simon, sounding weirdly optimistic, "If we find something better we will change it later. It doesn't have to be fixed until you sell your first piece."
"And that means less than two weeks." Adrien added, agreeing with his friends.
"Two weeks?" Asked Lucie with her eyes very open.
Adrien grinned, "Yes, M'Lady gave me less than two weeks to create her gown and she kinda made it as a dare, so I will do it even If I don't sleep!" The sentence became more dramatic as he spoke. He was suddenly looking very excited instead of defeated like a few moments ago.
Lucie blinked and then shrugged, "Okay."
"Do you have any ideas of what will you design for her?" Asked Simon, suddenly curious with Adrien's shift of mood.
"Tones of ideas, but I guess I should research a bit first... It's the Mulan's Premiere, so I will make something with Chinese concept. Makes sense, right?" Lucie nodded and Simon shrugged indifferently, earning himself another glare from the girl, to which he responded with a sly grin, "Maybe it's too obvious..." Adrien said, ignoring his friends.
"It's not too obvious, Adrien." Assured Lucie, "Of course you won't make the obvious Chinese styled dress for her, right? You just have to find a cool context and work on it until only very knowledgeable people can find it's meaning! Like you always do! That's why your work is so good! It's like a riddle waiting to be solved! You don't want people to know right away! That'd be boring!"
Adrien looked at Lucie with his eyes very opened, as if he'd just had an epiphany. He got up and he started walking back and forth.
"Adrien?" Asked Lucie, interested.
"That's it." He said looking at his friends, "That's it! That's why we can't figure out a good name! We have to find a concept!" He stopped walking and frowned a bit, rubbing the back of his head, "So, we all know I don't want the brand to succeed because of me... But because of my talent."
Simon snorted, "Very modest."
Adrien chuckled a bit, not even bothering to look embarrassed.
"You mean, you want your brand to be anonymous?" Lucie asked, not sure she was getting his line of thought right.
"Yes!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. "And something that has to make people think to figure it out. So that it's not boring!"
"Actually 'Anonymous' sounds pretty good for a brand name." Said Simon, taking his hand to his chin.
Lucie nodded, feeling the vibe of the name.
"Nah" Discarded Adrien, "It's too big. Can you imagine making a logo with such a big name? What a nightmare." He sighed. He wasn't a graphic designer, but he knew how hard it was to work with typography and patterns in clothes, he could only imagine what was like to work with only type and some graphic elements, where everyone could notice its flaws because it wasn't in a sweater or dress. "I like where this is going, though. Anonymity pleases me more than I thought it would."
"Okay..." Said Lucie, knowing she couldn't refute what Adrien had just said, "So... Anonymous synonyms?"
Adrien nodded, and started saying what came to his mind, "'Uncredited'- Nah, not catchy enough. Hum... 'UnID'? As in Unidentified? No. It's awful."
"Maybe we should just give you a pseudonym... Like 'John Doe'?" Lucie laughed and Adrien joined her, but Simon looked pensive.
"What if it was 'X'?" Simon asked, very seriously.
"'X' as in the letter 'X'?" Lucie asked, slightly confused.
Adrien grinned and nodded approvingly, "I really like 'X'."
Simon smiled, smugly, "Yes, Luce, 'X' as in incognito."
"'X' as in factor X. The incognito talent and hidden riddle waiting to be solved." Added Adrien, feeling that no name would become better than that one.
"Well, I don't really see the appeal, but if you like it that much, sure. Let it be called 'X'!"
"Al, it was terrible..." Zhi complained on the phone, "When I saw that scene on the script I wanted to cry and die at the same time."
"I can imagine..." Alice response came from the phone's speaker. Zhi Ruo was now starting to cut lettuce to add to the soup she was making for her dinner, "After everything, you will have to see him again and kiss him? Are you sure you don't want to consider a double?"
"No." Cut Zhi, immediately, "You know I don't do doubles unless absolutely necessary."
"I was just saying because it could spear you some tears and heartbreak in the future." Zhi practically envisioned Alice shrug.
"I know, but I've changed enough of my life because of him. I'm not going to stain my principles too." Zhi answered, checking on the boiling water with potato and carrot.
"I guess you have a point there." Alice said, thoughtful.
Zhi sighed in response.
"Well, the good part is, we will get to be rivals again!" Cheered Alice, obviously trying to change the topic.
Zhi grinned, "Actually, I've read a bit of the script... I'm not supposed to say this, or even tell you I have the script, but Chloe Bourgeois has suffered some changes..."
"What do you mean?" Asked Alice, sounding like she didn't know if she should feel scared.
"She and Marinette are getting along in this movie." Laughed Zhi.
Alice squealed, "That means we won't have to act like we hate each other! OH MY GOD! YES!" Zhi laughed at her best friend's reaction.
"That's right! I'm really liking your character now, Al."
"Oh, shut it!" Giggled Alice, "You always liked Chloe Bourgeois! She has style. Yes, she is a bitch, but she has a heart,... deep down!"
"Deep down." Agreed Zhi, still laughing.
"How is your Chat Noir doing?" Alice abruptly asked.
"Oh, he is great. He is making me a gown for the Mulan's Premiere!" Zhi started excitedly telling Alice the details of her intricate plan for her reveal to him. And when she finished, Alice stood quiet for a couple of seconds.
"You think that's a good idea?" She asked, unsure.
"Yeah..?" Answered Zhi, "Why? You don't?"
"I don't know..." Alice sighed, "It's just that..."
"Yes?" Zhi pressured a little when Alice didn't finish her sentence.
Alice exhaled firmly as if she'd just made a decision, then she started talking really fast, "It's just that you are obviously in love with the guy. Which is kind of absurd, considering the situation. But if he finds out you are the girl he hates,..." She paused and Zhi was afraid her friend would hear her heart beating, "It might not end well."
"I'm not in love with Chat! I don't even know him!" Answered Zhi, a bit annoyed, once she recovered from Alice's speech.
Was Alice right, though? Would she get her heart broken again?
Zhi gulped.
But that didn't mean she was in love with him, did it?
"Zhi Ruo." Alice said her name as if she already knew that she would deny her 'love' for her pen-pal, which made Zhi scared. "I know you." Alice was right. She did know her. Better than anyone else, she might add. Better than she knew herself, sometimes, "I've only seen you react like this and talk like this about one person before, and that was a long time ago. Even if you don't see it just yet... There's no escaping now and that is scaring me because, honestly, this little love story of yours can end really badly."
Zhi didn't know how to respond to this.
She couldn't be in love with a random guy that she'd been texting for the last two weeks. She didn't even know his real name!
"No, Alice." Said Zhi with certainty, "I'm definitely not in love with Chat. You got it all wrong!"
"Hum... If you say so..." Alice answered, with doubt staining her voice, but not wanting to pressure further.
"I do. He is just an online friend. And not that important." As she said it, Zhi stomach shrank, uncomfortably.
She hadn't realized it until now: Chat was really important to her.
Even if she wasn't in love with him like Alice had accused, she really didn't know if she could take it if Chat was to hate her even more once he found out the truth... She might end up with a broken heart, anyway.
Not that important.
The moment those words had come out of her mouth, she knew they were a lie.
Thank you so much for the amazing reviews. Like I said before, you might not me MANY, but you are AMAZING readers. The best I could ever ask for! I promise you I will not let you down with this!
AuriMoon*