(Tuesday)
Ring Ring Ring. Waking up to my alarm I feeling much better than I did yesterday I can only hope that today is less exciting, maybe exciting isn't the right word how about less complicated. Getting ready I head downstairs which greets with an unusual sight, my parents eating breakfast instead of rushing out the door to their job "Hey Caleb come sit and eat" my mom says motioning me towards a chair "Okay" I say suspiciously of their sudden interest in spending time together "Your mother made breakfast come and eat" "So what's the occasion" I ask sitting down and eating a few bites "Does there need to be an occasion to have a family breakfast" my mom asks putting on a fake smile "It's fine but we normally don't do this" I say trying to read behind the fake family happiness that is going on right now "Well today we decided to make it a thing." It dawns on me the real reason why they are still here "This is about yesterday isn't" looking from my mom to my day I see no visible reaction but I know I struck the right chord "Yes your teacher called and said you had been Akumatized and that you had left school early because of the minor incidence, why didn't you call us" mom says dropping the fake smile "I did and you didn't pick up" "No you didn't neither mine nor your fathers phone rang" "That's because I called your cell phone not your work phone." Growing tired of how they are treating it as just a minor incidence and not their own son being tortured mentally and physically while doing the impossible and resisting Hawkmoths contro. I stand up throwing the chair out from under me and I am quickly out the door with my bag and worrying Pluto hiding inside, once no one is around I start talking to Pluto "Can you believe what they said, a minor incidence that is not exactly what I would call minor" "Caleb they were probably worried about you and just said the wrong thing" "You didn't see their faces Pluto it was all fake smiles and neutral expressions not even a flicker of concern it's like they don't even care" I say feeling defeated even though I didn't lose anything "Well I care and so do all your friends" "Yeah right when I was being akumatized they all ran" "Alya didn't" I open my mouth to continue complaining but I shut it right after Pluto says that. Thinking about what Pluto said I feel a little better when I arrive at school but immediately realize I am going to have to face everyone when I walk in class. Bowing my head to hide my face I walk into class and quickly get to my seat in the back of class hoping no one payed much attention to me as I entered. "Hey Caleb are you alright" looking up I see Adrien looking concerned, my parents might not care but at least one person does I think before answering "Yeah i'm doing fine I was just tired after everything happened" "That's good to hear you know I was wondering, how did you manage to resist him" "I remembered where I belong and all the people who are there for me and after that it was just intense pain and him screaming at me but that was the easy part" I say trying to downplay what happened when in reality I can still hear his voice and I can still feel the phantom whispers of the power I could've had haunting me all night and into the morning. "Do people usually remember anything after the Akuma was deevilized" "No they don't why do you ask, wait you don't remember it do you" Adrien asks a little to eargerly "No I was just wondering" I say lying through my teeth. "Okay class please take your seats and we will begin shortly" the teacher says walking into the classroom. "Adrien before you take your seat how many people know about what happened" "Don't worry just the people there and the teacher" Adrien after answering my question goes and takes his seat. For the rest of class I just absentmindedly doodle while pretending to listen to the teacher about shapes and equations that is until she calls on me "Caleb will you please tell us the answer to number four" looking up from my notebook I see some questions that we were supposed to do that I didn't notice "Sure i'm almost done with it" I say trying to buy myself some time, quickly doing some work I say "The answer is 415" "Close but the correct answer is 418 you must've forgot to add parentheses around some of the numbers" checking my hastily scribbled work I see the teacher is right "My bad i'll try not to forget next time." The rest of the class period was uneventful except for when Chloe got mad because she answered a question wrong which resulted in people sniggering and she only got more mad but besides that nothing out of the ordinary happened. "Caleb do you think you're up for French lessons today" Adrien asks after everyone leaves "Yeah I should be good" today's lesson really helped me take my mind off of yesterday and after it was over I felt relatively better the memory of it all fading to nothingness.
Leaving my bag in my locker I start walking home when my stomach rumbles "Pluto you know what it's time for" Pluto flying from out my pocket jokingly says "If you say macarons i'm getting a new partner" "You know me too well" I say laughing "Time to Play" as I felt the transformation happen I realized the vast difference between the power Pluto gives me and the power Hawkmoth promised. The power Hawkmoth promised felt sinister and dark reeking of betrayal and corruption telling me how I can tear down everything that stands in my way, but the power Pluto gives me feels like freedom and light filled with hope telling me that whatever darkness destroys I have the power to carry all the pieces back into place no matter how big or small. Relishing in the feeling I don't notice Alya approach until she taps my shoulder "Ruff Rider are you okay you've just been standing there for a while" opening my eyes I see Alya and notice how the wind and the light make her hair look like silk "Yeah I just took a moment to enjoy life, did you see me transform" "I saw a flash of light when I turned around the corner but I nothing else" "I was about to go get a snack do you want to come and maybe hang out" "Sure lead the way." As we walked to the bakery me and Alya chatted about life and school with me of course having to leave out the finer details "Ruff Rider can I trust you" "Yeah, what is it" "Do you know Marinette and Adrien" "As Ruff Rider or civilian me" "Civilian you" "Then yes I do" "Promise not to tell anyone" "Cross my heart and hope to die" I say overdramatically crossing my chest "Well Marinette has a huge crush on Adrien" "Is that so" I ask finally understanding why Marinette acts weird around Adrien all the time. "Yes and don't tell anyone" "I would sooner announce to the world my true identity" "Well maybe you can just announce it to me" Alya says playfully "If someone where to find out, it would be you. No 'ifs' 'ands' or 'buts' about it" "I'm glad to know that" Alya says slightly blushing. After a few moments of walking in silence I say "Thanks you" "Why" Alya says looking at me "For trusting me, not a lot of people do that" I say looking at her and seeing how perfect her smile is and how her eyes light up no matter what "A lot of people trust you I mean your Ruff Rider" "A lot of people trust Ruff Rider but you trust me" "Aren't you and Ruff Rider the same person" smiling weakly at her I say "Some days it feels like i'm two separate people, sometimes i'm Ruff Rider and sometimes i'm civilian me but only do I feel like I can be both when you're around." Arriving at the bakery I buy some macarons while Alya finds a bench outside for us to sit at, walking outside with a box of thirteen macarons I find Alya and sit down next to her. The two of us eating in silence just enjoying each other's presence as we watch the sun slowly move down the sky, as I reach for my seventh macaron my hand touches Alya's hand as we both reach for the last one "You can have it Alya" I say pulling my hand away feeling blood rush to my cheeks "No you should have it I mean you did pay for it" "What kind of person would I be if I didn't let you have it" "I have an idea" Alya says as she takes the macaron and breaks it in half. As Alya eats her half she holds out her hand to give me mine "Alya you can have it i'm no" my sentence is cut short as Alya takes advantage of me talking by shoving it in my mouth. "You talk too much" Alya says laughing, as I swallow I can't help but feel like my entire face is the color of a fire truck. After I recover I see that Alya has some cream from a macaron on the side of her lips taking my hand I reach out and wipe it off, my hand brushing against her cheek as I do so "You had some cream on your face" "T-Thanks for that" Alya says hoping the blush on her face wasn't as evident as it felt. Alya's phone starts to ring as she checks it she says "I need to get home, thanks for the macarons" "Anytime" I say disappointed that this evening had to end. Walking home I detransform in my bedroom and head to bed with Pluto joking that my schedule consists of eating macarons and hanging out with Alya. Falling asleep tonight I couldn't help but feel that the woes of yesterday were all but forgotten thanks to my friends.
This is my home now and I will always protect it