Current One-Shot: No More. Despite being theatened by Lila, Marinette intends to listen to Adrien. That is, till she finds that Lila has turned everyone in the class against her. Now Marinette must try to cope with slowly becoming a social pariah. Just how much more can Lila take from her?
No More
Wow, okay. This one-shot started one way and then veered into a completely different one. o.o I'm very interested to see people's feelings about this one. The one other thing I will say is that this coming around the time of Chameleon. Thus, let's begin.
Marinette's Point of View
Taking a deep breath, I step into Ms. Bustier's classroom.
Eleven accusatory glares meet mine, as well as one pleading look begging me to let it go. Chloe didn't even bother to spare me a glance.
And amidst it all is Lila, still sitting next to an embarassed looking Adrien and looking so incredibly smug, despite the tears running down her eyes.
After a few moments of silence, Alya speaks up, and my heart feels like shattering inside of my chest. "Lila told us what you did in the bathroom, girl. Not cool."
"But-" I begin, eyes widening as I realize what the transfer student has done.
"We don't want to hear it, Marinette." Rose pipes up, sounding far angrier than I've ever heard in my life. "How could you threaten Lila like that?"
"That's not what happe-"
Alix stands up, scowling. "Are you really that jealous of her? Well, let me spell it out to you, Dupain-Cheng. Just because you like-"
I cut her off before she can finish, choking back tears to say, "I didn't do anything! Come on guys, you know me. I wouldn't do that. Don't you guys know that?" I hesitate, glancing to each of the people in the classroom. "Do you really not believe me?"
Hot tears race down my cheeks as I look to Adrien, begging for his help. He knows that Lila is a liar. He can back me up. He can support me.
But when I look at him, his eyes are pleading with me to just let it go as he mouths the words, "It's not worth it."
A sob catches in my throat as I turn around, sprinting out of the room before collapsing to my knees in the hallway.
"Marine-" Someone calls inside the classroom, but they're cut off.
"Leave it. She's just upset that she was exposed." Is that Alya saying that?
"T-Thank you guys, for standing up for me," I can barely make out the fake sniffling of Lila, but it hurts all the same.
I try to scramble to my feet, but ultimately only fall back down to the ground. In the end, I find myself trying to crawl away on the ground, just desperate to get away from there. My blurry vision ultimately leads me to almost go crashing into Miss Bustier, who has knelt down in front of me and stretched out a hand in concern.
"Marinette? What's wrong?"
And suddenly I throw myself into her arms, sobbing into her shoulder. "Miss Bustier, it's awful! They all...all believe her, and not me. I didn't threaten her, I didn't. She threatened me! She said she'd turn them all against me a-and she did!"
Miss Bustier's comforting hug in return is what finally allows me to try and calm down. "Marinette, who are you talking about? Chloe?"
"Lila," I pull away, rubbing my eyes. "It's all Lila."
"Lila?" She sounds shocked, and it almost crushes me.
"Miss Bustier, may I please just go home? I-I can't do this. I can't. Not...not today."
"Um, yes. Yes, Marinette. Don't worry. I'll send Alya to drop your stuff off for you after-"
"No!" It's much more forceful than I intend. "No, I can just come get it later. Please, please don't send someone with it."
My teachers frowns, but ultimately nods. "Alright, dear. Go on home. Do you have all your stuff?"
I nod, and she stands back up before helping me up to my feet. Mumbling a "thank you," I hurry down the stairs and out the door, racing back to the bakery.
"Mama!" I cry out, wrapping my arms around myself as I slide to the floor.
My mother pops her head out from the back, and I'm grateful to see that no one is here shopping right now. "Tom! We're closing the bakery for today. Marinette is here and needs us right now."
My dad steps out from the back, and blinks in surprise at the sight of me. Then he nods, heading to the door and turning the sign to "closed" as my mother helps me up the stairs, sitting down on the couch with me. For a few minutes, she just let's me cry in her arms, but when my father comes up, she gently eases away.
"What happened, Nette?" My dad asks, sitting down on the other side of me.
And with that, the dam breaks, and everything comes pouring out.
They sit and listen, not interrupting till I'm finished. I tell them everything that I can, excluding only the parts involving my secret identity. As I speak, I can see my papa's face grow angrier and angrier, but my mother's face is unreadable. And when I finish, they know the whole of it. They know everything about what Lila has done.
"So I just...needed to be home today. I couldn't do it. B-but I'll be fine tomorrow. I'll go back and make it work. I-"
"No," My mom interrupts, getting to her feet, "No, you aren't going to have to face that again. They are your classmates. Your friends. At least, they claim to be. I'm not sending you back to them when someone who has shown herself to be a liar could so easily sway them."
"Your mother's right," Papa agrees, wrapping his arms around me, "We are not going to let our little girl have to go to school just to keep suffering through that."
"But it'll just give Lila more to work with," I argue, tears welling up in my eyes all over again.
Mama shakes her head. "Maybe in the short term, but in the long run, it is much better to get you out of there now. I am not going to have you being isolated as you simply hope they'll see through her lies. Not today."
"We'll talk to the school about Lila, get them to-"
"No, we'll do more than talk to the school to try and get them to take action, Tom." My mother cuts him off again, taking her eyes off of me for the first time since I started telling them about what Lila has done. "We're going to have them switch Marinette to Ms. Mendeleiv's class."
"But Miss Bustier-" I begin.
She finished for me, "-is an amazing woman and teacher. I know you love her, but this is too big for her to handle. I mean her no disrespect, but she's already demonstrated that fact to us."
Papa gets to his feet to stand beside my mother. "This isn't what you want to hear, honey, we know. But this will ultimately be better for you. If we knew of another school nearby, I'd say we should send you there, but..."
"Besides, you'll still have Miss Bustier for some of your classes. She just won't be your homeroom teacher, and you'll be with different classmates. It'll be something new and exciting."
It takes some convincing, but I eventually relent. Everything they're saying makes sense, it's just not what I want to hear. I don't want to have to switch classes; I just want my old friends back. But as things stand, that isn't going to happen. Maybe Ms. Mendeleiv's class is the best choice for me.
It takes at least five phone calls and two hours of face to face discussion in Mr. Damocles' office, as well as some strongly worded emails from my mother, but finally the school relented. They hadn't wanted to switch me over, but my parents made it clear that unless it was done, I would be going somewhere else, and the bakery would no longer supply the school for events. That's what really did the trick.
And so on Monday, I found myself back at school, desperately trying to ignore the glares of my mingling classmates - former classmates - as I walked up the stairs and into Ms. Mendeleiv's classroom. The purple-haired science teacher was already in her classroom, a change of pace from Miss Bustier, who often wouldn't be in her classroom till a little bit before class started. I shift awkwardly in the door way, unsure of what to do. How do I approach this situation? What am I supposed to say?
"Miss Dupain-Cheng," She says before looking up from the paper she's grading, "Front right row on the left side. You can see that I've set the work you will need to look over to catch up with my class there for you. Miss Bustier has said that for language and writing, you should be fine, but as my class is further ahead than our counterparts, there are some things you will need to complete so that you can keep up in the rest of our classes."
A little overwhelmed, I nod, taking a seat where instructed to and beginning to look over the work she left me.
Just a few moments later, I'm drawn out of it by one Kagami Tsurugi staring down at me, an unreadable expression on her face. "Why are you here?"
"I, uh, transferred classes."
"What?" Her eyes narrow, and I get the distinct impression that she's basically sizing me up. "Why?"
"Because I no longer have any friends there. Lila Rossi, a new student, has convinced them all that I am a jealous monster who bullied and threatened her, when all I tried to do was expose her as the liar she is."
"Marinette, let me be blunt with you. I do not like you," For some reason I still flinch, despite having attempted to brace myself for that statement, "But even I can see that you are a genuine person. You hesitate; it makes you weak. But your genuineness is what proved to me that you were a worthy opponent, despite your pathetic attempts to confess to Adrien that you can't seem to figure out."
So she's heard about those? News travels fast around here.
But then I blink, fully processing her words. Did Kagami just insult and compliment me in the same breathe? I...honestly don't know how to respond to that.
And suddenly Kagami - the Ice Queen herself - smiles at me. "Like I said, I don't like you, Marinette. And I don't think you like me. Since we have so much in common, shall we be friends?"
I stare at her for maybe a full minute, noting the hand she holds out for me to shake. Then I begin to giggle, and suddenly I'm laughing as she stares at me, obviously struggling to understand my reaction. Managing to calm myself down, I take her hand and shake it once before smiling back at her.
"Yes," I nod my head, "I guess we shall."
We stare at each other for another minute before both giggling, and I realize that perhaps the bluenette isn't as bad as I initially thought.
As school nears its start time, I note Mireille and Aurore walking in together, and smile, offering both a small wave. They stop and stare for a moment, obviously confused, before waving back and going to their respective seats on either side of the aisle. It's nice to see the two rivals getting along now. The thought causes me to glance back to Kagami and smiling again to myself.
Marc also appears, and after asking a few concerned questions that I told him I'd answer at lunch, he headed to the back of the room.
Man, in the few days since Lila returned, I almost forgot what it was like to have people who were concerned about you. Who'd wave and smile and ask how you were doing. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to have friends.
That causes me to frown again, but a quick elbow to the side from Kagami snaps me out of it as Ms. Mendeleiv stands up to begin class.
It wasn't enough.
Kagami might've been there through it all for me, but she was the only one. Even Adrien, the boy I had adored for so long, didn't say anything as Lila dragged him and everyone else along for the ride. It was as if every day he was in shock over what was happening, too shocked to do anything about it. Kagami had tried to knock some sense into him, but he insisted that eventually people would realize the truth for themselves.
So why was I now packing my bags to head off to a boarding school? Why hadn't one month, two weeks, and three days cleared everything up?
I take deep breathes, trying desperately not to cry as I think of what Lila has done. I'm a social pariah. Turning my class against me wasn't enough. As the new class representative, she led the rest of my ol, unwitting classmates in a smear campaign against me. And despite my new classmates - heck, the rest of the school - knowing me, they all believed her.
Aurore and Mirielle started avoiding me, whispering only to stop if I came near so that they could give me a dirty look.
Marc stopped sitting with us at lunch, shuffling away any time I approached.
Every time Kagami approached them on the matter, it was always the same story: We heard what she did to Lila. No wonder she switched classes. We aren't going to let her get away with all of the crap she's done.
Sure, people talked about Kagami, but she didn't care. People called her the Ice Queen at school, though not to her face. She knew and didn't let her affect her. But despite her best efforts to coach me, I wasn't Kagami. I was still Marinette, the girl who desperately wanted her friends back.
But that wasn't happening.
Even the teachers turned against me. Lila got special treatment, so I did too, but they were opposite ends of the spectrum. I got detentions for the smallest things, while whatever excuse she had to get out of it - sometimes she didn't even bother to provide one - kept her from ever stepping into that room. I got worse grades for mistakes that weren't called out for other people; sometimes, they were mistakes that were nonexistent. If I tried to speak up about it, I got in more trouble. I also was getting more assignments assigned than anyone else; Ms. Mendeleiv claimed it was still catch up work, but I knew better. They all believed what Lila said now.
It was like everyone had forgotten that she'd been exposed as a liar before. Everyone forgot what character I had always demonstrated in comparison to her.
Suddenly, Lila was an angel, and I was a demon.
Things continued to get worse. My locker would be vandalized with horrible comments. Or my desk. Things like "no one wants you here" and "you're a horrible person" were there. One person spit on me when I walked past them, and I had to restrain Kagami before she attacked them.
"It's not worth it," I told her.
She was quick to retaliate with, "Then why does it affect you?"
People conveniently slipped and spilled food on me. When walking in the hallway, legs would stick out so I would trip. Conveniently rough shoves when I tried to get through the hall to class.
Honestly, the final straw was when someone tossed my sketchbook in the fountain, and then I got in trouble for causing a commotion. Mr. Damocles said that this sort of accusation had come too many times, calling my parents to tell them I was suspended and needed to be picked up.
When they arrived in his office, my parents were livid. But this time, it wasn't my mom with her calculated words who speaks first. My passionate, emotional father, who actually yells before my mother finally decides to reign him in. Then she says that they understand what Mr. Damocles is saying, and my heart breaks for a moment before she pulls the rug out from underneath both me and Mr. Damocles.
"I understand that this school no longer deserves our support or Marinette's attendance. Marinette will not be returning after her suspension; we will be sending her to another school. Take the school's business to a different bakery."
I don't remember going home. I just remember hugging Mama and Papa and crying. How had this happened? Why? What did I do to deserve this? Tikki was my only defense against akumatization, or so I assumed. Without her, I'm certain I would've succumbed to one a while ago.
My parents told me that enough was enough. They were putting their foot down and getting me out of a bad situation. Mama had reached out to Mrs. Tsurugi, and the two had managed to find a boarding school that was affordable while also suitable for Kagami to attend.
It took a minute for what she said to sink in.
They were sending me off to boarding school to get me away from here. I wanted to tell them no, to fight them to let me stay here with them, but we all knew I wouldn't be able to last in homeschooling. I need to be social, to have people to talk to and spend time with, and homeschooling wouldn't provide that. Besides, leaving the school wouldn't solve anything with my peers if I stuck around.
But what about Ladybug?
"I don't want to leave you, Marinette," Tikki had said. "It's not time for me to leave."
"Can I still be Ladybug when this school is over an hour away?"
"Master Fu can make it work, even if you can't always come back to help. I refuse to abandon you now. We will make this work."
And so, resolutely, I started packing my bag.
Now, Kagami is helping me finish since she is done with hers. We're leaving today - how Mrs. Tsurugi pulled that one off, I don't know - and so I need to finish.
My phone goes off, and Kagami tilts her head as I pick it up, noting the text on the screen.
From Adrien: Marinette, I need to talk to you. Can we meet up for lunch, please?
Shaking my head and resisting the urge to cry any more times over this boy, I shut the phone off. No. I will not do that again. I'll be leaving around then, and even if I wasn't, why would I meet him now? He didn't stand up for me. I don't want to hear what he has to say now. He doesn't deserve it. He isn't worth it.
"Is this the right thing to do?" I ask Kagami.
She shrugs. I wonder if that's the only answer to that question I'll ever find.
As I get in the car with the Tsurugis and their driver, having kissed my parents goodbye and promising to call them every night, I note someone rushing towards the bakery. Adrien Agreste. Is he really that desperate to talk to me? I stiffen in my seat, but Kagami grabs my hand, squeezing it to draw my gaze away from him.
"Not worth it," She murmurs.
Why is that what everyone keeps telling me?
The car pulls away, but I force myself to look back. The look on Adrien's face is one of devastation. Why is he so upset? He didn't do anything to help me, so it can't be that. And even though I know he can't, I can't shake the feeling of his green eyes - green eyes I used to dream of staring into - boring into mine.
Throat constricting, I break the connection and turn back around, ignoring Kagami's curious look. This is sick. Why did it get to this point?
My hands ball into fists as I try to remember what Kagami said. It's not worth it. But that's what Adrien said too. That's what everyone has said. Sticking around, trying to change things, it's never worth it. Not to them. But what about to me? I want everything to be normal again.
More than that, I want everyone who allowed this to happen to pay.
I try to shake my head to chase away that dark thought, but I can't help wondering how different things would be if I wasn't forced to take the moral high ground. I just wanted to be happy. Was that too much to ask? Apparently.
And if they won't let me happy, why should they get to be?
I don't even realize how quick and shallow my breathing has gotten till Kagami shakes me. "Marinette!" I turn back to her, eyes wide. "Marinette, snap out of it."
I blink and nod, wondering if she knows just what place I went to in my head. I can't go back there. I can't listen to that side of me. I'm not that kind of person. I won't do that. I'm a good person.
But if I'm a good person, why did such dark thoughts feel so good?
And that's the end, at least for now. I might be adding a second one-shot that could be seen as connected, but we'll see. What were your thoughts? Was this good? Bad? This was heavily inspired by a few fanics that I recently read about similar concepts, but it was supposed to be a happy turn. As you can see, my writing took me in a very different direction. Should I try my hand another take of Chameleon later, where Marinette actually has people back her up to call Lila out? Are there any other one-shot prompts or ideas that I should try and write about? Let me know!
See you guys soon! Hopefully it will be much sooner than the gap between my updates recently.
~ Dagger