(Wednesday)
Ring Ring Ring. Waking up this morning I toy with the idea of just digging a hole and laying in it for the rest of my life but decide that wasn't plausible; getting up I shake my kwami awake and ask "Pluto what am I going to do when I see Alya, she knows were in the same class, she will be looking for someone acting different"
"Then don't act different, it's worked so far and don't forget you're only having this problem because threw reason out the window" Pluta says shaking his head at my predicament. The rest of my morning alternated between getting ready and thinking up the best ways to disappear without a trace, Pluto tried his best to calm my nerves but it didn't do much help. Heading to school I molded my expression into a neutral look and hoped I could keep it like that all day, reaching the classroom I walk in and see that Alya hasn't arrived yet. Taking my usual seat in the back I get my stuff out of my bag and prepare for class, I don't notice Alya enter and take her seat next to Marinette but what I do notice is everyone's phone going off at the same time. Checking my phone I see I got a text from an unknown number with a video attachment, opening it up I see me as Ruff Rider and Alya kissing for just a brief moment, then Marinette coming down and me of course acting like an idiot and running away with some lame excuse. Immediately knowing what happens next I put my phone in my bag so Pluto can see it for himself, looking up I see everyone looking from their phone to Alya and back to their phone, I also see Alya looking at her phone in shock with Marinette trying to console her best friend. Someone saw us and videoed the whole thing who knows how many people have seen it I think when Pluto whispers from my bag.
"It's not your fault Caleb"
"Yes it is and you know it maybe if I treated this whole hero thing with an ounce of dignity I wouldn't be hurting the person closest to me" I whisper back feeling anger and frustration that I can't do anything without telling everyone i'm Ruff Rider. Than Chloe says something very loudly that almost brings me over the edge
"Would you look at that Alya is dating a mutt" She says sneering, Alya instead of saying something back just looks down at her phone
"You know Chloe the thing about dogs is they tend to bite people they don't like" I say without thinking
"And what gives you the right to say that" Chloe says irritated that someone talked back to her
"Being an american an all that it's my job to do the right thing, that may be a new concept to you so please take notes, i'm about to school you" I say glaring daggers at Chloe, this confrontation probably would've continued escalating but the teacher walked in and quieted us all down, starting class. I kept replaying what Chloe said in my mind about Alya dating Ruff Rider, I do like Alya a lot I admit to myself. A few minutes into the lesson I get a notification on my phone telling me I have a message from someone on the LadyBlog, opening it up I see the sender is Alya, the message says
'Meet me at my house after school I want to talk'
'Is everything okay' I send back
'Other than the fact that everyone knows that we kissed, yeah'
'It's not too bad, it was just a small kiss' I send hoping to make it seem like it isn't such a big deal, I don't get a response back. The rest of the school day seemed past by so slowly I was almost convinced there was an akuma who could slow down time, when I told Pluto he just said I was nervous and a little paranoid. Finally when the school day was over I was heading out the door when Adrien calls my name
"Hey Caleb did you forget about something" turning around I remember my lessons with Adrien and mentally reprimand myself for forgetting
"Yeah" I say walking back into the classroom "Adrien I have a question" I ask taking a seat
"What is it"
"I was wondering what you think of Ruff Rider"
"Why do you ask" Adrien says looking at me curiously
"I'm just wondering, you always here about LadyBug and Cat Noir but never Ruff Rider so I was asking what you thought of him" I say hoping he won't ask anymore questions
"From what I heard Ruff Rider is reckless and sometimes does the wrong thing but he has a good heart and will often put himself in harm's way if it means protecting someone" Adrien says recalling how Ruff Rider saved his Lady's life while also risking his own. The rest of the lesson went on like all the others and when it's time to leave I practically run home so I can go to Alya's house. Getting to my house I run to my room and turn on my computer sending Alya a message through the LadyBlog saying I will be at her house soon, "Time to Play" the moment my transformation was complete I was out my window and running across Paris's rooftops towards Alya's house when my necklace starts beeping. Stopping on top of a building I open the pendant to see a holographic image of LadyBug with Cat Noir in the background
"Hey, can whatever you want wait I really need to get somewhere" I say wondering why they had to call me now
"No, get to the Eiffel Tower now" LadyBug says before hanging up. This better be good I think before changing my direction and heading to the Eiffel Tower, when I get there I see LadyBug and Cat Noir patiently waiting at the top of the tower.
"Hey so can we make this quick I really have somewhere I need to be" I say landing next to them wondering why they wanted me
"Hey Ruff Rider, we need to talk" LadyBug says walking over to me
"About what" I ask kind of nervous
"About you and Alya" Cat Noir says
"What about us, did you see the video, we kissed but it isn't that big of a deal right" I say
"You really have no idea what you did" LadyBug says shaking her head at Ruff Riders foolishness
"I told you I already know" I say
"You really don't" Cat Noir says
"You have no idea what a kiss means in France, it might not be such a big deal where you came from but a kiss here means that you're officially dating and it's a pretty big thing" LadyBug says
"Which won't turn out well because she is dating Ruff Rider and not the person under the mask" Cat Noir says
"What if I tell her who I am" I say not wanting to ruin whatever spark I have with Alya
"Hasn't you kwami told you not do that" LadyBug says annoyed that Alya could fall for such a reckless person
"Yes but you can't tell me that you or Cat Noir hasn't told at least one person about your secret lives" I say ready for them to say no
"I told someone I trust with my life(Nathalie)" Cat Noir says looking at me without his usual carefree look
"I told my parents but only because they started asking me questions and would've eventually found out" LadyBug says
"What am I supposed to do" I ask sitting down wishing I could just disappear
"Break off all connections with Alya so that it doesn't become a problem" LadyBug says mentally apologizing to her best friend, knowing that this will break Alya's heart into pieces, it's for the best she reminds herself
"Isn't that a bit much LadyBug" Cat Noir asks not using a nickname, understanding the gravity of it all
"It's for the best, our superhero personas should only be for helping Paris not getting into relationships" She says glaring at Cat Noir causing him to take a few steps back
"I can't do that" I say standing up defiantly
"Why not" LadyBug asks shocked at the sudden outburst
"Because I have only two friends and i'm not losing either one, you may not trust me but know this, if it takes showing all of Paris who I am to make it possible for me and Alya to be together than you better grab a camera" I say my voice filled with determination
(LadyBug/Marinette POV)
"I can't change your mind can I" I say smiling finally convinced that Ruff Rider is good enough for Alya
"No you can't" Ruff Rider says getting ready to leave
"One last thing before you go, Alya set this up"
"How" Ruff Rider asks
"She messaged me over the LadyBlog, you're not the only one who can create a pseudonym and post up there" I say holding in a laugh when I see his face
"That's cold" Ruff Rider says grinning before leaping off the tower towards Alya's house, except he never reaches the building over instead he is caught in the air by a gigantic robot that wasn't there a second ago
"Ruff Rider" I shout trying to run over to free him Cat Noir stops me
"I am Electron and the mayor will pay for pulling the plug on my little project, but first to get some pests out of the way" Electron says squeezing his hand tighter causing Ruff Rider to scream out in pain "I'll start with you than" as he says this he throws Ruff Rider causing him to crash into the lower portion of the Eiffel Tower. There was so much force behind the throw that it caused Ruff RIder to fly right through the Eiffel Tower and into the ground leaving a massive crater. In the middle of the crater, Ruff Rider.