Chapter 14: Unexpected Romantical Advices

Chloe Bourgeois had a very strict morning routine, which she followed to a tee, almost every morning. She would get up an hour and a half before going to school, so she could take a long shower and do her hair the way she liked. She would then pick her clothes from her humongous wardrobe, hoping to find the right outfit that would match her disposition. And after that, she would have breakfast, which would be delivered to her bedroom suite by her butler, Jean, while she finished getting dressed.

But it was not always like this. Before she got her miraculous and decided to turn over a new leaf, Chloe was the laziest girl one could possibly imagine, when it came to get up early, so she could go to school. She would get up late and arrive late, just because she believed it was stupid to get up early to go to a place she did not like. She would have Jean pick her clothes for the following day, on the night before, and complain to him that he did not have the sense of fashion she had, forcing him to go inside her wardrobe and bring her countless different outfits, until she finally decided on one, or just insult him and tell him that she would do it herself.

She had changed so much, that Jean and the rest of the hotel staff had noticed it and wondered what had happened? Some believed that she had a change of heart, while others believed that her father had punished her someway that she was forced to change her habits, as well as the way she treated others. But no matter how much they thought and tried to guess the reason for this change over the last couple of months, they simply could not guess it right. But whatever the reason was, they were happy it happened, because that meant Chloe was nicer towards everyone, which also meant that their job was a lot easier now.

"Thank you, Jean." -Chloe thanked him, as he left the breakfast tray on the table for her and left to get the car ready to take her to school.

After Jean exited, Pollen dashed towards the table where the breakfast tray was, having sensed the delicious smell of honey under it. Not waiting for Chloe, the bee kwami pulled the lid off the tray and saw that Jean had brought the usual for Chloe. Two warm croissants with apricot jam, a bowl of strawberries, a glass of chocolate milk and last but not least, a small jar of honey.

"Sweet, sweet nectar of the gods." -Pollen said as she looked at the golden liquid inside the jar.

"You must be hungry if you didn't even wait for me to finish putting my clothes on." -Chloe giggled, as she sat at table and looked at her breakfast. –"Mmm… I'm really hungry this morning." -she said, as she grabbed the fork and began with the strawberries.

"So am I." -Pollen said, as she tasted the honey in the jar. As always, it tasted delicious.

"Really? But last night you ate a whole jar of honey. You're starting to become a real glutton, just like Plagg." -Chloe joked, which made Pollen chuckle lightly.

Once they finished breakfast, and Chloe brushed her teeth, the two of them were ready to go to school. Calling Jean, the blonde told him that she was coming down, while also asking him if her father was still in the hotel, so she could wish him a good day. Unfortunately, Jean told her that the mayor had already left for a early meeting and would only be back by dinner time. This did not surprise her. She was used to her father exiting the hotel early in the morning.

Making her way down the corridor, Chloe tried to remind herself what she needed to do that afternoon, once she got out of school. She had written it on a paper, but forgot where she had placed it.

"Let's see, I can't forget that I scheduled an appointment to have my nails done, right after the appointment at the Spa. I've been feeling so hurt lately, that I really need one of those hot stones' massages. They make me feel so relaxed afterwards." –Chloe thought to herself, while trying to remember what else she had to do that afternoon. –"I know I had something else to do, but what? Oh, now I remember! I need to buy a box of chocolates for tomorrow, so I can offer them to Sabrina." -she remembered. –"But if I go and buy them, I won't be able to attend my appointment at the spa… I could reschedule the spa, but my back needs that massage. And there's no way I'm not doing my nails today…. What am I going to do?"

"What's the matter Chloe? Did you forget something?" -Pollen asked her. As always, the bee kwami was hidden inside Chloe's purse, and had noticed there was something wrong, from the way Chloe was frowning her eyebrows. She had learned that whenever Chloe with that with her eyebrows was because she had forgotten something, or because she had something on her mind. –"What's wrong?"

"I… I just remembered that I have a lot of things to do this afternoon, and I don't know if I'll be able to do them all." -Chloe told her. –"I need to go to the spa, and then I need to go and do my nails, and I need to go and buy a box of chocolates for Sabrina." -she said. –"And if I go to the spa and do my nails, I won't be able to go and buy the chocolates, because by the time I'm finished with it, the stores will be closed. I could cancel my appointment at the spa, but my back is feeling so tense that I'm really in the need for a massage… I know I'm being really selfish, right now, but…"

"Then, why don't you ask Jean to go and buy the box of chocolates?" -Pollen asked her. –"You can't be in two places at once. Only Rose has that power." -she giggled. –"If you send him to buy the chocolates, you don't have to worry about missing your appointments."

"Jean doesn't know Sabrina like I do. I could tell him to go and buy some chocolates for her, but he would buy some that Sabrina would surely won't like. She'll never admit it, because she's too nice to say it, but she loves a very specific kind of chocolate. And if there isn't that kind, she only likes another." -Chloe said, as she stopped in front of the elevator and called it. –"Besides her parents, I'm the only one who knows what kind of chocolates she will like, in case the ones she likes can't be found." -she said.

Pollen liked to hear Chloe talking like that. It meant that she valued Sabrina's friendship and was willing to go the extra mile, just to get her something she likes.

"Well, why don't you do your nails some other day? They don't look like they are in serious need to be done." -Pollen said, as she popped her head out of the purse and looked the blonde's nails. –"I know that you do your nails every week on the exact same day, but maybe you could postpone it to Saturday? That way, when you get out of the spa, you can go and buy Sabrina the chocolates she likes." -she said.

Thinking about it, it was a good idea. Chloe was a bit obsessed with certain bits of her beauty routine, but she had grown to be a little bit more flexible regarding that routine, if it meant doing something for someone she cared about. Looking at her nails, she silently agreed with Pollen; she could go a couple of more days without doing them.

"Fine, I'll do my nails some other time. After the spa, I'm going shopping for the chocolates." –Chloe declared, as the elevator's door open and she walked in.

"Great." -Pollen said.

Going down, it was a matter of seconds before the elevator reached the ground floor. Once the doors opened, Chloe saw that the hotel's foyer looked as busy as always, with hotel guests checking-in and out at the reception desk, while others made their way to the dinning room where breakfast was already being served. Crossing the foyer, she tried to not bump into anyone, while making her way to the exit, where Jean was waiting for her. She could also see through the hotel's entrance door that the car was parked just outside, as always. Going out, she saw just beautiful the day was. She had not opened the curtains of her bedroom, so, she had not seen just how glorious the day looked.

"Thank you, Jean." -Chloe said, as he opened the car door for her, before he himself entered it.

As they made their way into the early morning Parisian traffic, Chloe decided to touch up her make-up a little. As always, she felt like she needed a little something else to make her feel like she was ready to face any challenge that day could throw at her. Putting on a little bit more of mascara and accentuating the shade on her eyelids, Chloe felt that her make-up was perfect. Putting things back in her backpack, she leaned against the car's door and began to look through the window at what was happening on the street. As expected, the streets were filled with Valentine's Day publicity and advertisement. Not counting the Bastille Day, Valentine's Day was the most important holiday for the city of Paris. While staring at some of the ads, she could not help but to remember that her father had told her that someone had suggested that City Hall could dye the Seine pink on Valentine's Day, the same way many cities in the United States did during St. Patrick's Day, by dyeing rivers green. An idea, which was turned down, because it could affect the river's ecosystem. Over the years, as long as she could remember, she had heard her dad telling her come incredibly bizarre ideas people came up with for that holiday, and that one was one of the most bizarre yet.

Feeling a little hot, Chloe opened the car's window to let a little fresh air in, when her nose detected a distinct smell in the air. It was a mix cinnamon, spices and freshly baked croissants, which was coming from one of the nearby bakeries. Inhaling the delicious scent, the blonde suddenly felt like having a second breakfast, and she knew just where she was going to eat it.

"Jean, let's make a detour before heading to school." -Chloe told him. –"Take me to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, please." -she asked him. –"I'm in the mood for a second breakfast, and one of the cakes from Marinette's parents bakery, is just what I'm craving for, right now."

"Uh, but Miss Bourgeois…" -Jean said, when Chloe interrupted him.

"I told you can call me Chloe, when it's just the two of us, or even when Sabrina's around, Jean." -Chloe smiled at him.

"Very well, Chloe… if we do that, I don't know if we'll make it to school on time. Not with this traffic." -Jean explained her. He did not wish for her to be late for class.

"Miss Bustier won't mind if I arrive a couple of minutes late. And besides, that way, I'll give Marinette a lift to school." -Chloe told him. –"Now, come on, take me there, please." -she asked him.

At the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, things were pretty chaotic, with dozens of customers inside it, waiting for their orders. Tom and Sabine had their hands full, and they hardly slept that night. Tom himself slept only three hours, before he came back down to finish the special order, they had received the day before, and begin to bake the bread and the croissants, so they would be ready for when the opened doors. He was exhausted, and one could see it from the bags he had under his eyes. Still, he knew that they just had to endure that day and the next. Once Valentine's Day had passed, the hustle and bustle they had seen during that week would cease, and things would be a little calmer.

But they were not the only ones who had very little sleep that night. Marinette had gone to bed earlier, after Tikki insisted on the matter, and spent most of the night having nightmares about what she had seen outside Cartier's the afternoon before. She did not know how many times she woke up, or how many nightmares she had, but she knew they were nightmares, because no one wakes up from a good dream. And when she woke up, she tried to remember what she had dreamed about, only to not be able to remember. Which was a good thing, as she saw it. Whatever she had dreamed about, it must not have been good.

She dragged herself to the bathroom, hoping a hot shower would improve her mood. But not even the hot water against her body, as well as the steam, helped. She still felt miserable, as she believed that she had lost Adrien to the girl he was with at Cartier's. She tried not think about it, but just like the night before, she could not help but to play the whole scene in her head, over and over. As she dried her hair, a tear ran down her left cheek.

"Adrien… why didn't I tell you about my feelings for you?" -Marinette thought to herself.

After getting dressed, Marinette emptied her backpack, which still had the missing ingredients she needed to make the cake she was going to give to Adrien, so she could place her school books in it. Placing the ingredients on the floor, she wondered what she would use them for, now that she was not going to make any cake or chocolates for Adrien with them. Sighing, she slipped her backpack on and got ready to go downstairs and try to eat some breakfast. But not before she got Tikki. Just like her, the little scarlet kwami did not sleep very well during the night, and was still sleeping; a result from all the resentment she felt, for not telling Marinette the truth about what Adrien was doing that afternoon. Gently, she grabbed Tikki with both her hands, and placed her on a pouch she was going to wear that day, being careful not to wake her up.

"Let's go, Tikki." -Marinette whispered to a still sleeping Tikki.

Due to the mess that her head was, Marinette could not bring herself to eat more than a couple of spoons full of cereal, before she felt full. Wondering if she would be able to eat anything else during the rest of the day, she grabbed a couple of cookies for Tikki and placed them in her purse, so when she woke up, she would have something to eat. Looking outside, Marinette saw that it was a beautiful morning. Unfortunately, it did not help her feel any better. In fact, it made her just feel even worst. It made her feel like that despite her heart being broken, the world had not stopped spinning.

What she wanted to do right then, was go back to bed and forget that the rest of the world existed. But she knew she could not do it. If she did it, her parents would know something was wrong with her, and she did not want them to worry about her. They had been working so hard the past week, that she could not bring herself to have them worried about her, even if that was their job as her parents.

"I'll just have to learn to live with this… I'll have to learn to live that Adrien and I… it was just not meant to be." -Marinette thought to herself, as a tear rolled down her face.

Swallowing hard, she exited the apartment and made her way down the stairs, hearing the commotion that was coming from the bakery. Before stepping out the door, she did her best to put on a happy face, so neither Tom nor Sabine thought that there was something wrong with her. Opening the door, she saw that the hustle and bustle in the bakery was a lot bigger than she thought it was. Sabine was operating the cash register, as Tom showed up carrying a tray filled with still-warm croissants. Seeing their daughter, who they had hardly seen for the past 24 hours, thanks to all the work, and her going to bed earlier, Tom and Sabine smiled at her.

"Good morning, Marinette!" -Tom and Sabine greeted her in chorus.

"Morning, mom… morning, dad…" -Marinette said, as she tried to look as cheerful as possible, when she noticed the blonde that was leaning against one of the bakery's showcases with a Love Palmier on her hand. –"C-Chloe?!" -she asked, surprised to see her there.

"About time you came down, Marinette! I've been waiting for you for the past ten minutes." –Chloe smiled at her. –"I had time to eat one of these palmiers and drink a cappuccino, while waiting for you." -she said, as she nibbled her second Love Palmier.

"What are you doing here?" -Marinette asked Chloe, still a little shocked with her visit.

"Chloe stopped by to give you a ride to school. Very kind of her." -Tom smiled.

"I came by to check if you needed a lift to school… and have my breakfast, while I was here. You didn't tell anyone in class that your parents did these delicious palmiers." -Chloe said, as she took another bite of the delicious treat. –"Mmm… if I didn't work out the way I do, like you know I do, I would sue your parents for making such delicious things." -she said, as she bit the palmier, once more.

"It was so thoughtful of you, to come here and give Marinette a ride." -Sabine said.

"I happened to be in the neighbourhood, Mrs. Cheng." -Chloe said. –"Well, are you going to stand there all day, or are you coming? I got Jean with the car, waiting for us outside." -she pointed out, while finishing the palmier.

"Uh… y-yes, yes, I'm going. See you later, mom. See you later, dad." -Marinette said, as she followed Chloe outside.

"Have a pleasant day at school, honey!" -Tom exclaimed.

The shock of having Chloe picking her up was so great that Marinette took a minute or two to get her mind on the right track. Entering the car, Chloe thanked Jean for waiting and told him to take them to school. They had been in the car for nearly ten minutes and while Chloe kept talking about how upbeat she felt that morning, Marinette had not said a single word. Usually, the blue-haired girl would be talking how the day looked so beautiful and about what they were going to do in class that morning. And more importantly, her eyes would have a certain happiness to them. But on that day, they looked devoided of that happiness. She did not look like herself. So, it was no surprise when Chloe noticed that there was something wrong with her. She felt like asking Marinette if she was alright, but saw herself unable to do so. She did not know why that was happening, but thinking about it, she believed that she was not entitled to ask her something like that, because of their past. Chloe had bullied her for such a long time, that sometimes she wondered how come everyone in her class, especially Marinette had managed to forgive her. It did not matter if she had changed or not. At times, she still believed that she was unworthy of their sympathy and their friendship.

"No, you need to ask her if she's alright. She's your friend now, and friends look out for each other. She might have seen normal at the bakery, but she doesn't look normal now." -Chloe thought to herself, as she looked at Marinette. –"Go ahead, ask her!" -she thought. –"Marinette, are you alright?"

Hearing Chloe ask her that, and not feeling like talking, Marinette quickly came up with an answer.

"I-I'm okay." -Marinette said.

But she was not, and Chloe could tell it. The blonde admitted to herself that she never had the talents that most of her friends had, like being a good seamstress like Marinette, or an extraordinary reporter like Alya, or a great dancer like Rose, or even an awesome athlete like Alix and Kim. Still, she had one talent, or an ability that no else she knew had. She could tell when someone was lying to her face. During her time as a bully, she had used this talent of hers to know when people were lying to her, even though it not always worked. And right then, by observing Marinette, she could tell there was something wrong with her. She did not what, but she knew her friend had something in her mind that was making her behave differently.

"No, you're not." -Chloe told Marinette. –"There's something wrong with you, I can tell." -she said. –"Do you want to talk about it? I know I'm not Alya, but, I'm here for you."

Even after everything they had gone through, it still felt weird for Marinette to hear Chloe say that. And it did not feel weird just for her. It also felt weird for Chloe, who for so long had never cared about anyone but herself, to say those words.

"I… It's complicated." -Marinette said, hoping that that would stop Chloe from wanting to know what was really going on.

"Complicated or not, you should talk about it. Like I said, I'm here for you." -Chloe declared.

"She's sounding so much like Alya, right now." -Marinette thought to herself. –"Should I tell her about it? I mean, Adrien's a childhood friend of Chloe, plus, she has or had a crush on him, just like I did, until last night…" -she thought. –"Oh, what do I have to lose?"

"Come on, speak up. Whatever it is, I'm sure that it will help talking about it." -Chloe told her.

"It's… it's about Adrien…" -Marinette said in a whisper.

"Adrien?! What's wrong with him?!" -Chloe asked her, clearly worried.

"He's… dating someone…" –Marinette said, trying to withhold her tears. Just thinking about it, was making her heart ache.

"W-Wait, what?!" -Chloe screamed. –"He's dating someone?! Who, when, why?!" -she asked her.

But Marinette did not say anything, as she began to sob. Feeling the two needed a little privacy to have a serious talk, Chloe decided it was best if they talked, while walking the rest of the way to school. They were still a few blocks away from it, but it did not matter. It would give her time to get Marinette to tell her everything.

"Jean, stop the car! Marinette and I are getting out here." -Chloe said, as she grabbed her backpack.

"But we're still a couple of blocks from the school." -Jean told her, as he pulled over.

"We'll walk the rest of the way. After all, with this traffic, we wouldn't get there in time anyway." -Chloe told him. –"Don't forget to pick me up today, after school." -she reminded the butler, as she exited the car, dragging Marinette with her. –"Come on, Marinette, let's go!"

Dragging Marinette with her, Chloe hoped to both stop her from crying, and find out what the whole story about Adrien dating someone was. She had accepted that she and Adrien would never be a thing, but that did not mean that she would prevent someone like Marinette to be happy with Adrien. He was one of her best friends, and when Marinette said that he was dating someone, she knew something was wrong. Adrien was not the kind of person to date someone and not tell anyone. She knew him, and she knew he would never do something like that.

"Marinette, please, stop crying." -Chloe said, as she saw Jean leave in the car. –"If you continue to cry, I won't be able to help you. Come on, let's find a place to sit."

Walking, the two quickly found a bench, where they sat down. Marinette kept sobbing, as if someone had done something unspeakable to her. Looking at her, Chloe could not help but to remember the times when she had bullied Marinette, in which most times ended with her crying her eyes out, just like that. Just remembering about it, made Chloe feel bad about having been that heartless towards Marinette. Still, she tried not to think about it, and focused on what was going on. She allowed Marinette to cry a little more, before sensing she had cried enough and was ready to talk. Pulling out a handkerchief, she offered it to Marinette, who wiped the tears of her eyes with it. Blowing her nose, she somehow felt better for a brief moment.

"Feeling a little better?" -Chloe asked her.

"Y-Yes…" -Marinette sniffed.

"Now, I know that whatever happened is causing you to… to feel sad and…" -Chloe said, without knowing what to say. –"Crud! What do I say?! I don't know what to say! Marinette needs me to tell her that whatever is going on I'm here for her, and I've got no idea what to tell her, or what words should I use!" -she thought to herself, trying not panic.

The whole situation could not have been more awkward to Chloe. She was usually the one who needed a pep talk, when feeling sad and miserable, and it was usually Sabrina who talked; she just listened to her. She could not even remember the last time she gave someone a pep talk. But Marinette was her friend, and she had been there for her before, so she needed to figure out a way to help her, even if she did not know how to do it. Taking a deep breath, she tried to remember what things Sabrina would tell her to cheer her up in those situations.

"Look, Marinette… I know I'm not the best person to do this. I'm not Alya, nor Sabrina, nor anyone else who's used to doing this. But… But I'm going to stay here and listen to whatever you need to get out of your chest." -Chloe declared, trying to sound confidant enough, for Marinette to open herself up to her. –"And… And if you don't want to talk… I'll just stay here, so you can cry in peace, okay?" -she said, as she looked into Marinette's eyes.

"I saw him… I saw Adrien with a girl…" -Marinette sobbed.

It took Marinette a lot of her inner strength just to say those words. But once she did say them, it was like having a weight pulled from her chest. By saying them, it was easier for her to then tell Chloe the rest of the story, not skimping on the details. And while doing it, she tried her best not to cry; she did not like being seen crying, even if it was in front of one of her friends. Still, a few more tears ran down her face, as she told everything to Chloe, who listened to her, without uttering a single word. Inside the girls' respective pouch and purse, their kwamis were listening to the whole thing. Tikki had awakened and felt bad for everything that was going on. So as to not interrupt the girls, Pollen communicated with Tikki via telepathy and asked her for a few more details on the story. Tikki wanted to tell Pollen everything, but she kept her promise to Plagg, and told her that she could not tell her more than Marinette was telling Chloe. Hearing this, Pollen did not insist and told Tikki that whatever it was, she could not tell her, she would respect her decision.

Chloe waited until Marinette finished talking and telling her everything, before saying anything.

"I don't know who she might be. But it's definitely not someone who goes to our school." -Chloe said. It was not the best thing to say at a time like that, but the blonde could not think of anything else to say, given what she had heard.

"I don't know her either… but… but they were both laughing and… I-I… I think I lost him, Chloe." -Marinette said in grief, trying not to burst into tears again. –"I… I lost my chance with Adrien…" -she said, as she burst into tears.

It was no secret to anyone, except for Adrien himself, that Marinette loved him. As one of his oldest friends, Chloe had asked herself how could he have been so blind to that fact. Of course, because for a long time she was obsessed with Adrien and becoming his girlfriend, Chloe did not even care that he had never noticed how in love Marinette was with him. But now, she wondered why that happened. She knew Adrien also had a crush on Marinette, so what Marinette was telling her did not make any sense. Chloe knew Adrien well enough to know that if he loved Marinette, he would never begin to date anyone else, especially, without telling anyone.

"But are you sure that they are dating?" -Chloe asked her. –"Were they giving hands? Did they kiss? What happened?" -she asked.

"N-No… they didn't kiss or gave hands. They were just giggling together." -Marinette declared, as she tried to catch her breath. All that crying had made her forget to breathe.

"Then, how do you know they were dating?" -Chloe asked her. She could not understand why Marinette was acting like that, if all she saw was Adrien giggling with an unknown girl.

"I-I… I don't know… I just…" -Marinette continued to sob.

"Marinette… I know Adrien. I've known him a lot longer than you or any of the others have, and I'm telling you, he wouldn't do that. It's just not in him to do such a thing." -Chloe told Marinette.

"B-But then… why did he lie about having a photoshoot to Nino, and then going to Cartier's with that girl?!" -Marinette said, as Chloe allowed her

"I don't know. But whatever the reason was, it must have been a pretty good one." -Chloe said, as she too tried to –"I don't know who that girl might be, but I do know that Adrien loves Marinette too much to throw everything away… I mean, the way he looks at her; the way he's always smiling at her. Even when he's Chat Noir, that doesn't change. I can't see him doing that to Marinette. And I've got to show to Marinette that she doesn't have to worry about him not loving her. But how?" -she thought to herself, when it hit her. –"Perhaps that girl was the daughter of one his dad's business partners, and Adrien took her with him to get something his dad had bought for that business partner. It's one of the things he tends to do, especially when the business partner is a woman. And Adrien tends to know every single son and daughter of his dad's business partners. It's the same thing with me and my parents."

What Chloe said made some sense, Marinette had to admit. But it still did not explain the fact that Adrien had told Nino he had a photoshoot that afternoon, in a place in the opposite side of town.

"That still doesn't explain why he lied to Nino." -Marinette stated.

"Maybe he didn't. Maybe he was at a photoshoot, and his dad showed up and told him to go do that, once he finished it." -Chloe suggested. Even she did not believe that, but stranger things had happened.

Marinette did not know what to believe anymore. She did not know if she ought to believe in what Chloe was telling her, or if she ought to believe in what her eyes had seen. Maybe she jumped to the wrong conclusion, upon seeing Adrien and the girl. Or maybe her fear of not having Adrien correspond her feelings for him, made her imagine things.

"D-Do you think that maybe, I'm imagining things or that I saw what I wanted to see?" -Marinette asked her. It was the kind of question she would only ask Alya or Tikki, but given things and just how much of a mess her head was right then, she did not care asking it to Chloe.

"I don't know… But I do know one thing. I know that you are an incredible girl, whose only flaw in this situation, is that you allow your emotions to get the best of you, when you think you see something that might not be what you think it was." -Chloe said. –"And here's what you're going to do, Marinette. You're going to take a deep breath, and remind yourself that you're an incredibly strong girl. And then, tomorrow, you're going to tell Adrien what you feel about him. If you really are as brave as I and everyone else knows you are, you can do it." -she told her.

Marinette blinked as she heard those words coming out of Chloe's mouth, and something inside her clicked. At first, it felt like nothing, but as the seconds went by, a strange feeling began spreading inside Marinette, with her sad face beginning to slowly change into a more cheerful face. And then, she began to smile, only to start laughing. But that was not Marinette's usual laugh. It was an almost hysterical one. The people who were passing by them all looked at Marinette and just how hysterical she looked. She was laughing in a way that it looked like she had inhaled a whole tank of nitrous oxide.

"W-What's so funny?" -Chloe asked her, surprised and a little scared by Marinette's reaction. One minute she was crying, and the next she was laughing like crazy. In fact, she was acting like someone who had been thrown out of a mental institution.

"I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Chloe…" -Marinette said, while trying to supress her laughs. –"It's just that… I n-never thought… that one day you would be giving me romantic advices!" -she said, while trying to stop laughing.

Hearing her say that, Chloe was able to relax. She had feared that Marinette had gone crazy. Staring at her, the blonde decided it was best for Marinette to speak, before she did.

"T-Thanks, Chloe. I guess I needed that more than I thought." -Marinette thanked her, as she tried to catch her breath. She still could not believe that Chloe Bourgeois, her former bully, turned friend, had actually gave her romantic advices. –"I guess… I guess that I was making a mountain out of a molehill, about all this…" -she said. –"Or as you would say, I was being ridiculous, utterly ridiculous."

"Hey! That's my trademark line, Dupain-Cheng!" -Chloe playfully warned her. –"But, I'm glad I could help you. I don't know what went through your head, when you saw Adrien with that girl, but I'm glad I could help."

"You did more than that, Chloe. You helped me see that my fear was making me make assumptions, without having the whole story." -Marinette said. –"Not even Tikki was able to help me the way you did this time… oh, speaking of which, I must have woken her up with that crazy laughing scene I just did." -she said, as she checked Tikki. –"Hey, Tikki… sorry if I woke you up."

"No, I was already awake." -Tikki smiled. –"And I heard the whole thing. I'm glad you are feeling much better." -she said.

"All thanks to Chloe." -Marinette said, as she smiled at the blonde. –"You said you weren't the kind of person who's used to do this, but maybe you were wrong about it. You were able to help me, when I needed the most, Chloe." -she said.

"Oh, don't say that. And I mean it. I've got a reputation to maintain." -Chloe declared with an overbearing voice, before smirking and winking an eye at Marinette, who winked back.

"Don't worry. I won't ruin your reputation." -Marinette giggled. –"Thanks again, Chloe." -she said. –"If it wasn't for you, I would still be thinking about Adrien and how he's supposedly dating someone we don't know, while having my heart broken."

"So, you don't believe that he's dating someone else anymore?" -Chloe asked her.

"I don't know about that part, but I do know one thing. I'm going to do as you told me. Tomorrow, I'm going to tell him how I truly feel about him, which I should have done a long time ago. –she said. –"Uh, that is… I know that you also have a crush on him and…"

"Don't worry about that. It's in the past." -Chloe told her. Thinking about it, she felt it was the right time to tell Marinette what was also in her heart, and allow herself to let go of one of the weights she still carried in her heart. –"Adrien is a really special friend to me… he's like the brother I never had. And, because of a lot of things, including my stubbornness, my stupid pride, my snobbish and condescending attitude towards everyone, I always believed that I was the only girl who was good enough for him. But I was so wrong." -she sighed, trying not to cry. –"I'll be happy to just have him as a very dear friend of mine. He deserves someone who loves him as much as you. And I truly hope that when you tell him how much you love him, the feelings he might have for you, are the same kind as yours."

Upon saying that, Chloe was hugged by Marinette. Now, it was time for Marinette to do what Chloe did for her a few moments before. She knew that it could not have been easy for her to once again admit how horrible she had been in the past not just to her, but to everyone. And that revealed just how much she had changed. From everyone in their class, Chloe had been the one who had changed and matured the most, and Marinette was proud of her. She was proud of having in her a friend, who she could count on, just like Alya and the rest of her class.

"Who are you, and what did you do with the old Chloe?" -Marinette asked her with an emotional voice. –"Sabrina has confided in me and Master Fu that you are always thinking that you don't deserve that miraculous you wear. But today, you proved once again, that there's no one else in the world who deserves to wear it more than you, Chloe." -Marinette smiled at her. –"Thanks for sharing that with me, Chloe."

"Yeah, well, you know. I hate to see anyone I care looking sad and all that." -Chloe declared, with a voice pretending she did not really care, though Marinette knew that she cared.

"Guess we're going to be really late for school." -Marinette said, as she broke the embrace and checked the time on the clock of a nearby shop. –"Still, I'm really glad we talked." -she said, as she slipped her backpack into her right arm. –"Let's go, before Miss Bustier gives us both detention?"

"Are you kidding me?! With that face, like you have been crying for hours in a row?!" -Chloe pointed out. –"If we arrive at the same time, and you look like that, everyone is going to think that I treated you badly, which I didn't. And to quote Alya the last time I bullied you "If you hurt Marinette ever again, I swear to God, I will kill you, you blonde bimbo bitch!". So no, we're not going anywhere, until I help you with your make-up and try to make you look a little bit more presentable." -she said, as she looked inside her backpack for her make-up kit.

Rose and Juleka had arrived early at school that day. And like most days, they arrived together. And like always, the moment they entered the courtyard, they saw one of their classmates nearby. This time, the one they saw was Nathaniel. As usual, while waiting for classes to begin, Nathaniel entertained himself by sketching something in his sketchbook. Approaching him from behind, they startled him, when Rose touched his shoulder to call him.

"Nathaniel?" -Rose called him.

"Huh! Oh, it's you girls." -Nathaniel said, still a little startled. –"I was so focused, I didn't even heard you."

"Sorry. It was not our intention." -Juleka said.

"Nah, it's okay. I get so caught up on my drawings, that I forget the rest of the world even exists." -Nathaniel said.

"What are you drawing today?" -Rose asked him, as she peeked his sketchbook.

"Uh… nothing important." -Nathaniel quickly answered her. He did not want her or Juleka to see the drawing. Unfortunately, he was not quick enough, and the blonde saw the rough sketch he was working on.

"Oh, he looks cute." -Rose giggled. –"Don't you think so, Juleka?" -she asked her.

"Yeah, a little. He's not really my type." -Juleka chuckled, being absolutely honest about it, as she too checked the drawing. She only had one type of person she liked, and that type was named "Rose". –"Hey, isn't he that guy you bumped into the other day?" -she asked Nathaniel, remembering the incident.

"Uh…" -Nathaniel hesitated.

"What was his name? Oh, yeah, it was Marc!" -Rose exclaimed. –"You managed to draw him real nicely." -she said.

"T-Thanks." –Nathaniel said.

"Are you going to offer it to him, when its finished?" -Rose asked Nathaniel, as he tended to offer the drawings of people he drew to the models, once he had finished them.

"Uh… I-I don't know yet" -Nathaniel said, with a rather nervous voice.

"I think you should. I'm sure he's going to love it. It'll be agreat way for you to let him know what a talented artist you are." -Rose smiled at Nathaniel, who seemed to be getting more nervous by the minute.

"What's the matter? You look a little nervous. Is there something wrong?" -Juleka asked him, wondering why he looked that nervous.

"Uh, no, everything's fine." -Nathaniel said.

"Hey, what do you girls think this is, twenty questions?!" -Mulan asked them, as he peeked from inside Nathaniel's pencil case, where he was hiding. -"The next thing you are going to ask him is if he loves him, or something!"

"Sorry, we didn't mean to offend anyone. We were just curious." -Rose said, wondering why the red panda kwami was talking like that.

"It's okay, Rose. Mulan is just in a bit of a bad mood this morning." -Nathaniel said, lying about it.

"Oh, don't worry, I understand. Flint's also a little grouchy this morning." -Rose giggled.

"I'm not grouchy! I just didn't get enough sleep!" -Flint spoke from inside Rose's backpack.

"Shut up! Everyone will hear you!" -Tamara told him.

The first thing that came to Nathaniel's mind was that he was happy Mulan had decided to interrupt his conversation with Juleka and Rose. He knew that they were just curious about it, but he was not yet comfortable to talk when the topic was Marc. The truth was that he had been sketching that portrait of him, so he could give it to him, the following day, along with a small box of chocolates, hoping that Marc would like it, while not thinking he was making a move onto him. Nathaniel had decided that before anything else, he wanted to be friends with Marc. Only when he got to know him better, would he try to see if he would be willing to be more than just friends.

Written in almost record speed. it took me only two days to write this chapter. It was easier than some of the previous ones, because I already had most of the dialogue in my head, and I just had to get it on the paper. This is one of the most emotional chapters in this fic of mine, for two separate reasons. First, because we get to see once again just how much Chloe has changed. And second, because we get to see Marinette in one of her most vulnerable times. We already had seen her like that on the previous chapter, but in it she was filled with rage and uncertainity. In this one, we see her absolutety vulnerable, as she begins to truly accept that she might have lost Adrien forever (which we know it's not true, but she doesn't). Now, this chapter wasn't initially written with Chloe in it. In fact, the one character that was going to be Marinette's emotional support in it was going to be Alya. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt that although Alya is an awesome character to be used in this kind of situations, what we needed was someone who was close with Adrien, to know that he would never do anything like what Marinette thinks he has. I could have chosen Nino, but this kind of conversation that Marinette has with Chloe, it's more of a girl-talk, not a boy-girl talk, you know what I mean? So, the only one left was Chloe. I must say that I cried a river, while writing a few bits of this chapter, while listening to "That's What Friends are For" by Rod Stewart (I love Dionne Warwick's version, but Rod Stewart's version is a little better in my opinion). The last bit of the chapter was a little addition, because I felt that it needed a little something else, and well, we get a little bit more of JulekaxRose, along with some NathanielxMarc.

As always, feel free to comment, fav and to leave suggestions to improve this fic, or future fics.