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Unwanted Company
"So what's the plan for today?" Nino asked as the four friends sat at the kitchen island with their bowls of cereal.
The bright sunlight slipped through the curtains and birds were sang outside the nearest window. Seated closest to the window, Marinette rested her chin on her hand and listened to their happy songs.
"How about we go on a long wilderness hike and see what's out there?" Alya suggested. She then stood up from her chair excitedly. "Or better yet, let's go find ourselves a camping spot and pitch a tent for tonight!"
Adrien and Marinette exchanged a glance and the blonde boy turned back to Alya. "My family knows these parts pretty good. I know a great place we can settle."
"Really? Sweet!" Alya exclaimed.
"Uh yeah it would be if we actually had tents." Nino said.
"That won't be a problem." Adrien assured him.
He stood up and walked back to his and Marinette's bedroom. His three friends sat still and curious until he came back. In his arms was a large, brown tent that was neatly folded into a large square. Marinette realized that it could easily fit into either Alya's or Adrien's backpacks.
"You got a tent? Seriously?" Alya gaped.
"Even better, I got two, the other's in the second room. When I was a kid my parents and I used to hike through the woods to our favorite clearing and then make camp there. My parents had one and I had the other." Adrien explained.
"Sweet! Now we just gotta pack up and we're good to go!" Nino hooted as Adrien approached him.
While the boys talked about the hike, Alya scooted closer to Marinette and nudged her shoulder. "Admit it, aren't I a genius?"
"Yes Alya, you are a genius." Marinette teased.
"Mind if I share a tent with Nino?" Alya asked with a playful smile. "You look like you had a good night with Adrien."
Marinette blushed profusely and looked down at her cereal. "I…we…stop it we didn't do anything!"
Alya chuckled. "Right, then why did the bed look like it hasn't been slept in? And why were the pillows and blankets on the floor? And even better, why did you get so scared and screamed when I came in if there was nothing?"
Marinette dropped her head on the table as she remembered Alya intruding on her and Adrien when they were just about to kiss. And now Alya was certain that Marinette and Adrien frick-fracked. Well Marinette knew Alya was wrong about one thing, and that was that she and Adrien did not 'sleep together' like she assumed.
Knock! Knock! Knock! All four heads turned at the door in sudden question.
"Did someone order a breakfast pizza?" Nino teased and turned back to his friends. Alya and Adrien slowly shook their heads, while Marinette stood and moved to the door.
"Huh I wonder who that can be." Alya admitted.
"I'm sure it's probably just a forest ranger." Adrien said.
Nino growled and threw his arms up. "Or a big scary bear!"
Alya rolled her eyes and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek. "Very funny Nino."
Marinette giggled and stopped before the door. She grabbed the knob and opened the door, wondering just like everyone else who could it be.
"Of course out of all the people in this place you'd answer the door Marinette Dupain Cheng!"
Marinette gasped and stepped back from the door. "Chloe?"
It took a few minutes for Marinette to believe that Chloe Bourgeois and her de facto assistant Sabrina stood at the doorway. When Marinette looked past their shoulders, she noticed a pink convertible parked right beside Nino's white van, as well as a tower of suitcases piled at the backseat.
The sight of Chloe, the ridiculous pink car, and the suitcases made Marinette fume. Was there a time and place where Chloe's face wasn't in the picture?
"Uh what are you doing here? No one invited you." Marinette declared.
"Of course we were invited! We just simply came a day late. Isn't that right Sabrina?" Chloe asked as she looked at her long white nails.
Sabrina gave her a smiling nod and Chloe turned back to Marinette. "Of course we would've arrived yesterday if someone packed faster and knew how to say her directions!"
"I'm sorry but you know I'm bad with maps! And my dad had his birthday yesterday!" Sabrina apologized quickly.
"Did the wind do something to your ears? Because I thought I just told you that no one invited you!" Marinette reminded in a high voice.
Chloe though, looked unfazed by her remark. "But of course Adrien did! Just ask him. That's what I love about him, he's always such a sweetheart to invite everyone to everything."
Marinette tried to control her anger as Alya approached her. "Hey girl I heard…what the heck is Barbie doing here?" she asked and narrowed her eyes at the pair.
"I'll have you know that Adrien invited us! Now are you going to let us through? You're letting all the bugs get into my hair!" Chloe did not even wait for the girls' responses. She lifted her chin and brushed past Marinette and Alya with Sabrina at her heels.
As Chloe made herself known to a very surprised Adrien and Nino, Marinette turned away and crossed her arms over her chest. Did Adrien really invite Chloe? He never mentioned her before.
"Hey," Alya reached out and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I'm sure Adrien had nothing to do with this. Princess Shiny Lips obviously invited herself to make you miserable."
Looks like she already succeeded with that. Marinette sighed and turned to the kitchen, where, to her dismay, she saw Chloe press herself against an uncomfortable Adrien.
As she watched them, Marinette remembered his arm around her last night and her belly churned. What was supposed to happen now that Chloe was here? And what Marinette was also really curious about was how Chloe managed to find out about this trip. She forced herself not to blame Adrien. Their friends could've easily told Chloe about the trip after she threatened them in some cruel way. And then Chloe could've easily lied to Nathalie in order to get the location of the cabin.
"Where are we gonna put them? There's only two rooms and two beds!" Alya insisted as she and Marinette moved back to the kitchen.
"I'd put them on the roof where they belong." Marinette huffed.
"This place is so adorable! It's been ages since I stood in a log cabin! It's so…. wooden!" Chloe chirped as she clasped her hands together and pretended to look amazed.
"Yeah it's pretty nice." Adrien agreed. He turned to Marinette, who immediately looked away.
His crooked smile fell at her deep frown. "Hey Nino why don't you and Alya show Chloe and Sabrina the lake? And Marinette and I will carry their bags in?"
"Say what?" Nino and Alya exclaimed, while Marinette looked at him in clear disbelief.
Adrien arched a brow and Nino quickly rubbed the back of his head in sudden understanding. "Yeah totally we can do that. C'mon guys." he said and took Alya's hand.
The couple walked out with Chloe and Sabrina trailing behind them. The moment they were gone, Marinette released a breath and turned to the door.
She avoided Adrien's glance as she passed him. "Let's go,"
"Marinette wait!" Adrien said and caught up to her. "You should know that I never invited them."
"Chloe made it crystal clear that you did. You're too polite so of course you invited them." Marinette said as they walked outside and into the warm weather.
"But I didn't! This trip was supposed to be for you, me, Alya and Nino only!" Adrien declared.
Marinette kept her head down as she neared Chloe's convertible. The moment she stopped, she felt Adrien's hands on her shoulders. Her eyes remained on her shoes as the boy turned her around.
"Please believe Mari I'm just as annoyed that they're here." Adrien said. He tried to get her to look up but Marinette would not budge.
Instead, the girl let out a sigh and turned away. "All I wanted was this weekend to be perfect with just the four of us. But it looks like I can't even get that without Chloe butting in and trying to make me miserable."
"I'm sorry Marinette. Really I am."
"Why can't you just tell her to leave you alone?" Marinette exclaimed and turned to face Adrien. "It's all about you with her! Chloe would never be here if you didn't come! Heck I bet she would even follow you to Mount Everest if you told her you'd go."
"That might be true, but believe me when I say that I never intended to invite her or Sabrina. I don't even know how she found out. I never told anyone about the trip at the academy." Adrien explained with a shake of his head.
Marinette looked at him with a blank expression. "And you've also seemed to have forgotten that Sabrina is as sleek as a cat. She must've heard you say something to one of us. And then my guess is that Chloe went straight to Nathalie and fixed up some sort of lie to get the location."
She then turned and looked at the mountain of suitcases. "Where are we even going to put them? There's no third room and I don't think Chloe would be too happy to sleep in her car."
"We'll figure something out." Adrien assured her. He moved towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "She's not getting our room, that's for sure."
Marinette looked up and saw his light smile. Her frown slowly disappeared as they shared a brief glance before she turned to the door and sighed. When Adrien turned around, he noticed Chloe standing at the doorway with crossed arms.
"What's taking so long with my bags?"
"What do you mean I'm supposed to sleep on the couch?" Chloe growled.
She, Adrien, Marinette, Alya, and Nino were standing outside the bedrooms with Chloe standing on one side and the four friends on the other. Chloe's bags were on the floor in the lounge and Sabrina was struggling with opening the couch so it would convert into a bed. Unlike Chloe, the small girl knew she did not have much of a choice when it came to her sleeping arrangements.
"There's no third room for you Chloe. We're already occupying both rooms." Alya argued.
"How am I supposed to get any privacy in the lounge?" Chloe cried. She turned to Adrien. "I demand one of the rooms! If you say the couch is comfortable then I don't see why you can't sleep on it!"
"Because you're not the Queen of France to get everything you want!" Marinette snapped. Chloe hadn't been here for ten minutes and Marinette was really starting to loose her patience with this girl.
Standing beside her, Adrien placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder to calm her down. "Marinette and Alya are right. You didn't tell us that you and Sabrina were coming. And since there's no third room and you're planning to stay, then you're gonna have to take the couch."
Chloe blinked at the boy in shock, unsure of what to say. She then turned to Sabrina and her scowl returned. "Make the bed Sabrina! And then whip me up a smoothie!"
"You bought a smoothie maker?" Nino spoke up in sudden amazement. He let out a cry when Alya kicked him in the shin.
"I need some fresh air. I'll be right back." Marinette spoke up. Not waiting to see if Adrien would look at her, the girl turned and walked to the back door.
Once she was outside, Marinette let out a deep sigh and slumped down at the edge of the dock. She looked down at the calm waters and tried to shut out Chloe's voice in her head.
"There's no way I'm getting into the water! It's all germ-infested and it'll ruin my perfect hair!" Chloe said with a stubborn turn of her head. She stood on the dock and was still dressed in her street clothes while Marinette, Alya, Adrien, and Nino were in the water and in their swimsuits.
"C'mon Chloe it's not that bad!" Adrien admitted.
Nino chuckled. "And there's only a few bugs and leeches."
"Now Nino we want Chloe to come into the water. Not stay out." Alya said. She turned and could not help but laugh at the horrified look on Chloe's face.
"You're all so disgusting! I can't believe you think this is something fun!" the blonde girl declared. With a swish of her ponytail, she turned and marched back into the cabin. "Sabrina! Where's my smoothie?"
Once the girl was gone, Marinette pushed the wet hair from her face turned to Nino and Alya with a smile. "Bugs and leeches? Now she'll never get in."
"That was our goal." Ayla said as she swam over to Nino. Coming up behind him, she wrapped her arms around the boy's neck and kissed him on the cheek.
Marinette giggled and moved to float on her back when all of a sudden something latched itself onto her ankle. The girl let out a surprised scream and flailed in the water. Alya and Nino were just as startled as Adrien suddenly appeared at the surface with a mischievous grin.
"Adrien! That's not funny!" Marinette cried as Adrien threw his head back and burst into laughter.
"I wish I saw your face!" he breathed, pushing the wet bangs from his face. When he moved them away, his eyes widened as a playful Marinette lunged at him and dunked him back into the water.
"Hey Marinette, whatcha making?" Adrien asked as he came into the kitchen and noticed Marinette standing by the stove. Outside, Nino and Alya sat on the deck with a complaining Chloe and a very hungry Sabrina.
Marinette turned and grinned at the boy. "Just some of Uncle Cheng's famous spicy beef and vegetable stew. My dad slipped in a few cans into my bag."
She lifted the small pot from the stovetop and Adrien peeked in to see a thick stew with bits of carrot, celery, onion, potato, and beef. The sudden smile on his face made the butterflies in Marinette's belly go wild. Even though this was just canned stew, the girl could not help but feel proud that she managed to heat it up without causing some accident.
"Want some help with serving?" Adrien asked.
"Can you just get me the bowls and then help me take them outside? That'd be great." Marinette carefully turned off the stove and brought the stew to the island. She set the pot down on the wooden stand and watched as Adrien came back with the bowls.
"Uh oh there's only five bowls." Adrien frowned and looked up at the girl. "What are we gonna do about Chloe and Sabrina?"
Marinette looked at the bowls in his hands and titled her head to the side. She resisted the urge to smile as she imagined Chloe and Sabrina fighting over the bowl like two wolves.
She shrugged indifferently. "Looks like they're going to have to share."
"Oh no, Chloe's definitely not going to like that." Adrien chuckled as he set the bowls down and Marinette began to ladle the stew into each one.
Once two of the bowls were full, Adrien picked them up and turned to the girl. "I'll go take these two to Nino and Ayla. Be right back."
"Okay," Marinette watched Adrien walk out the door. The moment he was gone, she quickly ladled the last of the stew into the fifth bowl.
Keeping a close eye on the opened door, Marinette reached into her sweater pocket and pulled out a small container of grounded cayenne pepper. She quickly popped open the lid and sprinkled some of the bright red spice into the fifth stew and mixed it in with a spoon. Her lips curved into a devious smile as Marinette tucked the cayenne pepper back into her pocket. She then looked up just in time to see Adrien return.
"Ready to eat?" he asked as he took the next two bowls.
"Ready!" Marinette chirped and picked up the fifth bowl. She followed Adrien out onto the dock and smiled at the sight of Nino and Alya happily eating the stew.
"Girl this is delicious!" Alya said in between mouthfuls.
Adrien sat down on the wooden deck and held both his and Marinette's bowls. He watched Marinette as she approached Chloe and Sabrina.
"We only brought five bowls. Sorry about that." Marinette apologized. She handed Chloe the bowl and walked back to where Adrien sat.
Adrien smiled and handed her bowl to her. "Bon appetit!"
Marinette giggled. "Thank you!"
Sabrina looked dismayed as Chloe eyed the stew and wrinkled her nose. "Excuse me but what the heck is this?"
"Spicy vegetable and beef stew. We didn't bring any filet mignon if that's what you ordered." Marinette answered.
She picked up her spoon and began to eat the stew. As she spooned some carrot and celery, Marinette looked up and noticed Adrien looking down at his stew quickly. She noted the flush of red creep up on his cheeks and Marinette suddenly assumed that it wasn't the spicy stew that made him blush.
Chloe let out a grumble and grabbed her spoon. When Sabrina tried to reach for the stew, the blonde girl scowled and moved away. She dug into her meal and took a hungry bite. Marinette looked up and let the haughty smile appear on her face as Chloe swallowed and then stiffened. Her cheeks suddenly flushed a rosy red and her eyes began to tear up. Crying out, she dropped her spoon and and pushed the stew away. Adrien, Nino, and Alya turned and starred at the girl in confusion, while Marinette bit back her triumphant grin.
"Hot! Hot! Hot! This stew is so hot!" Chloe squealed, jumping up from the ground and fanning her reddening face.
Sabrina and the rest of the group watched as Chloe frantically looked around and bolted to the cabin. As she neared the doorway though, the wind picked up and slammed the door right into Chloe's face. The girl fell back on the butt, causing Nino, Alya, and Marinette to burst into a fit of laughter at the sight. Adrien looked down at his stew and struggled not to smile as Chloe scrambled up and rubbed her head.
"Water! I need water!" she cried, throwing the door open and running inside. "I need some water!"
"Oh no!" Sabrina stammered and set the bowl down. She bolted up from the floor and hurried after her best friend. "Chloe wait! Let me help you!"
Nino chuckled and wiped a tear from his eye. "Aw that was too good! I wish I got that on camera!"
"Aw c'mon guys, give her a break." Adrien insisted. He exchanged a split glance with Nino and then joined in his friend's laughter.
Alya giggled and turned to Marinette, who ate her stew with an indifferent face. "I think I might know who spiced the Queen's stew. That was awesome girl! Seriously awesome!"
Marinette looked up and put a finger to her lips. She nodded to the opened doorway and the four friends continued to eat their dinner happily.
"I wish we could've gone hiking to Adrien's secret camping site." Marinette admitted as she and Alya sat outside a few hours later.
It was another calm night and the two girls were sitting on the dock and watching the water ripple underneath the bright moon. Adrien and Nino were back inside and watching a horror flick in Alya's room.
After the cayenne pepper incident, Chloe was in an even fouler mood than before. She had Sabrina unpack all her belongings and turned the lounge into her own personal suite. A rack of clothes stood on one spot and the converted couch was covered with her bedspread, blankets, and covers. Her smoothie maker and toaster were on the kitchen island and no one was allowed to touch them except for Chloe and Sabrina. The refrigerator was packed with Chloe's food, and the bathroom sink top was piled with Chloe's cosmetics, hair dryer, hair straightener, hair accessories, and perfumes.
And now, a robed Chloe lounged on her couch and read a magazine while Sabrina painted her toenails. A pair of white earphones were stuck in the blonde's ears to drown out the piercing screams coming from the other room.
Alya turned and moved closer to her friend. "You know I've been thinking a lot about the hike and I think I know how we can get you and Adrien away from that drama queen."
Marinette turned to her with a terrified glance. "Alone? Adrien and me? No no we all agreed to go hiking together! I can't go out there with just Adrien! What if I make a complete klutz of myself? What if we…"
"Girl calm down! Seriously, before you hyperventilate!" Alya laughed and grabbed Marinette's shoulders. "Hear me out okay?"
Marinette nodded and took a deep breathe. "Okay,"
"Nino and I talked about this and we think it's best that we let you two take the lead on the trail and we'll keep Regina George and Sabrina far enough away." Alya explained.
"You and Nino are willing to stay behind with the two trolls for Adrien and me?" Marinette could not help but smile wide at her best friend.
"Oh no we're not gonna stay behind. We'll get Chloe and Sabrina on the trail but we'll just play clueless."
"How do you plan to do that?" Marinette wondered.
"Listen to this." Alya leaned in and began to whisper her scheme to her best friend.
As Marinette listened, she could not help but break into the Cheshire Cat grin as she imagined what poor Chloe and Sabrina had coming at them. It sounded like a ruthless plan, yet Marinette did not care.
She was not going to let those two ruin the rest of her trip.
Half an hour later, Nino appeared out and told the girls that the movie was over and Chloe and Sabrina were luckily asleep. Relieved, Marinette and Alya tiptoed back into the cabin and past the girls.
Luckily for them, Chloe wore a silky pink sleeping mask and snored rather loudly. Her whole body was sprawled out on the couch with her arms draped over the edge. Nearby, Sabrina was sleeping on the floor with a blanket and a single pillow. As she passed them, Marinette looked down and felt a pang of pity for the girl.
"Goodnight Marinette!" Alya said in front of their door.
"Sweet dreams Alya." Marinette smiled and opened the door to her bedroom.
Inside, Adrien was sitting up in bed and reading a book. He turned and smiled as Marinette closed the door and moved to her suitcase.
"Hey," he said and bookmarked his page.
"Hi," Marinette said and snatched up her sleepwear from the top of her clothes. She looked up and noticed that Adrien's pillow was tucked behind his back and Marinette suddenly remembered that they agreed to switch off tonight. Adrien would take the bed and Marinette would sleep on the floor.
Adrien smiled and set his book down on the nightstand. Marinette chewed on her bottom lip and blinked at her pillow that was propped on the bed with the boy.
"I-I should get my pillow." she admitted meekly.
Adrien followed her glance and then turned back to her. "Are you sure you wanna take the floor? I mean it's not that comfortable and…."
"Y-yeah it's okay…I mean if you want me to sleep…"
"Yes!" Adrien answered and then suddenly stopped.
Marinette blinked and Adrien closed his mouth. A flush of red appeared on his face as he looked down and ran a hand through his hair.
"I-I mean if you only want to." he stammered.
Marinette felt her own cheeks grow warm as she realized that he was referring to. The butterflies in her belly began to flutter as Marinette clutched her sleepwear and looked up at Adrien.
Say yes say yes say yes. The voice inside her head urged, and Marinette blushed hard and gave Adrien a small smile.
"I'd love to."
The nervous look upon Adrien's face faded and was replaced with a relieved grin.
Marinette giggled and moved to the door. "I'll be right back."
In the bathroom, Marinette quickly brushed her teeth and changed into her pajamas. She pulled out her hairbands and ran a brush through her hair before she walked out and returned to their room. Flickering the light off, Marinette walked across the room and up to the bed. Adrien lifted the covers and Marinette slipped into the bed and snuggled close to Adrien's side.
"Sweet dreams Adrien." she whispered.
"Sweet dreams Marinette."
Until next time ML fans! I'm planning to write one more chapter to conclude this story.
