"Have you paid your housing deposit?"
Marinette slammed her head against the table, groaning at the thought of giving this damn college even more money.
"No," Marinette rested her cheek against the table, glancing up at a young lady with thick, curly, red hair and black glasses. "But after I get paid this week, I will!" The ginger shot her a worried look.
"Marinette if you need the extra money, I'd be glad to help."
"No, no Alya. You're saving up for a car." Marinette said as she lifted her head, feigning a smile for her best friend. "Don't worry about it."
She lied. There was plenty to worry about. She hasn't gone out in weeks, midterms were approaching, and she had to pay a stupid deposit of a hundred dollars to guarantee housing next year. She sighed as she slumped in her seat.
But the absolute worst thing was him. He had to be attending the college right? He was wearing school apparel for goodness sake. Or…what if he was just on some tour and is still a high school student? Weeks had passed since her encounter with the blond boy, and she couldn't stop thinking about him.
Crossing her arms, Alya released a groan, fully aware of what was going to happen next.
3,2,1.
"Adrien has the most gorgeous eyes. Oh! He's a great hugger too. And his voice, oh my god- "
Okay, so she lied again. She sees Adrien in her dreams so she can wait a little longer before they bump into each other again. The absolute worst thing about her life right now was a box. It doesn't sound so bad, right? Yeah, well this box glows. Crazy shit, huh?
A small black box sat on her desk. An intricate gold design decorated the top of it. Marinette grazed the box with her index finger, quickly retracting her hand when it started emitting a dim, red glow.
She puffed out her cheeks. "You know what?" She balled up her fists and breathed out. "I'm gonna open it and get this over with." This darn thing haunted her for the last month and she would have no more of it. Why do you look confused, don't you talk to and motivate yourself?
Flipping the box open, she masked her face with a hand due to the bright flash of the box. Peeking between the gaps in her fingers, she peered in.
"Earrings? All this anxiety for earrings?"
A pair of black earrings laid in the middle of the box. Scooping them up, Marinette shrugged and leaned in towards the mirror. A small gasp escaped her lips as the jewelry slowly turned red, the black shrinking into polka dots.
She blinked several times, her gaze switching between herself and the earrings in the mirror. "These must be like those mood rings…" She tried to assure herself and it actually worked for a second.
If only she weren't blinded by another flash of light.
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" A high pitched, chaste voice called. "You have been chosen to be this generation's wielder of the Ladybug Miraculous."
Opening her eyes, Marinette searched the room for the source of the voice. Finding no one, she frowned as she scrutinized the endless white room she had been transported to.
"Uh, who are you?"
"I am Tikki, Kwami of the Ladybug Miraculous."
"Kwami?"
"Like a sprite or fairy."
"And what's a Miraculous?"
"Magical jewels that grant the user powerful abilities based on an animal."
"Ah, thank you for explaining…" Marinette smiled as she glanced upwards. "I'd like to wake up now, if that's fine with you."
She felt a sharp pinch on her cheek. "You're not dreaming, Marinette."
"How'd you do that?" Rubbing her cheek, Marinette pouted and glared about the room, searching for this so called fairy.
Giggling echoed throughout the seemingly white perpetual room. "I can see your heart is pure. The Guardian made a good choice."
Marinette lightly slapped herself, failing to believe any of this was real. Her cheeks flushed pink as the room filled with silence. This sprite thing was judging her, wasn't it? "Er, so what am I supposed to do with this ladybug thing?"
"We sense dark times ahead. You have been tasked with protecting the world- "
Her eyes widened. What was this some TV show? "As much as I'd like to, I can't."
"I understand you're having financial issues at the moment. This miraculous can help with that."
Marinette had a bad feeling about this, but this was only a dream, right? What could possibly go wrong?
Everything.
Everything could go wrong. First of all, she was wearing red spandex body suit with polka dots. Then she was transported to only god knows where! Raising her eyebrows, Marinette gasped at the sight. Hundreds of people were seated in an arena of some sort. The crowd watched the field with hungry eyes.
The field was nothing but a huge checkered floor, which confused Marinette. Why was everyone so hyped up?
"Tikki, where is this?"
"Never Ever Land. A place where magical beings can fight for fun and train their skills."
"This doesn't seem like me…"
"There are cash prizes."
A coy smile tugged at Marinette's lips just as she was about to ask another question. Cutting her off, a voice boomed throughout the stadium, "Next up, we have Mr. Copycat versus Chat Noir! I wonder how this is gonna turn out."
The crowd roared at the mention of Chat's name as applause filled the stadium. He wore a tight leather suit with an obviously fake tail. A mask hid his true identity. His haunting green eyes contrasted greatly with his black mask.
"It's going to turn out like the rest of my matches; absolutely purr-fect." He said, his cat ears twitching.
Groaning, the audience booed Chat for his horrible pun. The boy only smirked in return, knowing it was a good one.
Marinette's eyebrows knitted together as she studied him. Her heart fluttered upon seeing him but only for a second. But why?
The commentator's voice filled the stadium once more. "Tonight, we have something a little different. Each tile in the arena will trigger a trap when stepped upon. Once the trap has been set off, the tile will then fall down. So the longer the match goes on, the harder it'll be to stand your ground. Last person to remain standing wins!"
Copycat nodded as a smile graced his lips before transforming into a replica of his opponent.
"Any last words before we begin?"
Copycat shook his head and stared at Chat. Grinning, Chat stared into the audience before saying, "I'd like my fangirls to root for my victory." Marinette gagged, who did he think he was? Chat scanned the audience before locking eyes with Marinette. She briefly glanced back, wondering if he was actually staring at her. Could he read minds?
He simply winked at her.
"I'm in."
"Hmm?" Tikki's tone swelled with confusion. "Why the sudden interest?"
Marinette glowered at the black cat as she folded her arms. "For some reason, I just really wanna kick his ass."
A/N: ugh idk why this was so hard to write. I think there is too much dialogue in this chapter and not enough narration which is a pet peeve of mine. I figured you guys wouldn't care too much about the explanation ya know? lol