I shut my locker door, glad to be done with my school day. It's one of those days where I have a restless itch, wanting to be outside, and sketch. The only downfall of today is I still haven't worked up the courage to talk to Adrien Agreste, the hottest guy on campus. Sure, we're friends, but whenever I try to talk to him, my tongue tangles in knots. Why is it just him? I don't have this with other guys, and not with Cat Noir, my best friend.

Not wanting to head home yet, I head over to the little park by my apartment. I sigh in relief as I set my heavy schoolbag down, and lay on the soft grass staring up at the clouds. The small stream is music to my ears and I close my eyes, maybe I'll take a nap. The sun is as warm as a blanket after all…..

"Marinette?" I shoot up, heart pounding. I look into the kind face of Adrien, and my heart begins to pound. "Hey," I tell him, trying to act all causal, though I feel anything but. "I wanted to talk to you after art, but I didn't get the chance. Your painting was lovely." "Oh, thank you." Today, we had to paint a cozy cottage in the woods, and I set the scene in winter. You could almost feel the cold, with the chimney blowing at a bit of smoke. "Yours was good to, though your good at everything."

Adrien laughs. "Thanks, but not everything. I don't know how to cook." I grin, starting to relax. "So, how do you do your meals?" "Um, take out?" I laugh. "Okay, that's a reasonable explanation." My eyes wander to the curve in the river, wondering what lies beyond. If school and life didn't tie me down, would I follow the curve and see where it leads? "You did seem kinda distracted, though."

My head jerks up. "You noticed? I thought I was invisible." At school, I don't have many friends. Most of my friends are in school in America, and I mostly do my work and keep my head down. Though Ladybug isn't active right now, its not like I can tell many people about my life anyway. That thought makes me sad. "You aren't invisible to me. That's why I wanted to find you today. Get the chance to talk to you."

I stand up, kicking off my sandals and head towards the water. "I'm really not very interesting." I slip into the water, the coolness is calming. I'm surprised that Adrien follows me. "Marinette, I want to get you know better. I want to be your friend."

I wade under the stone bridge, it feels dark and a bit cold under here, but maybe that's just me. "Cat Noir is my only friend," I cross my arms a bit defensively, though I don't know why I'm clamming up.

"Marinette, you can open up to me. Talk to me about anything," Adrien says, and I can't look away from his green gaze. "I really admire you," he whispers, stepping closer and tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ears. My heart skips a few beats, and in that moment, I feel peaceful. "I want to get to know you too."

"There's a pottery class at the flower shop tomorrow," I tell him. "Don't you have sign up?" "You can bring a friend," I reply, then smile. "And we are friends, after all." "Friends." A serene look passes over Adrien's face. "Then I'll look forward to it in the morning. Can I pick you up before hand for Starbucks?" "I'm in."

I start to wade towards the bank, but the bottom here is slippery, and I slip just a bit. "Here," Adrien holds out his hand. "Let me help you."

His hand is warm and soft, but strong. The kind of hand I'd like to hold. "Tomorrow," he repeats once I'm safely on the bank and I can only nod.

To calm my nerves, I head to my favorite bench to get some sketching in. I'm no more then five minutes into the sketch when I hear Adrien's voice. I can tell he's talking on the phone to Nino, who is in America with my friend Alya.

"Dude, she wants to hang out! We're going to a pottery class together!" I smile, maybe Adrien doesn't get out much, but why does he sound so excited? "Yeah, I've had a secret crush on her for months now." Wait, secret crush? And he said he admired me, so I have a secret admirer? Though, I guess we're even, because I have a secret crush on him too. And I so admire him.

I look down to see my sketch has turned into a model pose of Adrien, and I quickly flip my book shut. We're just friends, but my world suddenly seems a little brighter.

When I get home, I make a sandwich and work on the sewing project for the class I'm in. My secret to not being lonesome is staying busy, and I have plenty to keep me occupied. One day, I hope to be a famous fashion designer, having my brand all over the world. Though at times, I long for a cozy cabin or an island, nothing but the lapping of waves and sand between my toes.

I squirm in my chair, that restless feeling coming back in a rush. I plug in my headphones and start playing Taylor Swift, and I soon settle down.

When I snuggle in bed that night, I ask my Kwami, Tikki, "What if I mess up tomorrow?" "Everything is going to be fine, Marinette. It will be a great way for you to bond."

It will be nice to see some fresh flowers tomorrow. Spring might have come to Paris, but there's hardly any flowers blooming yet. At least once a week, I've been going to floral shop just to look around as its very peaceful in there. When I was a young Ladybug, I had to be alert, ready to jump at a moment notice. I'm still busy, yes, but its different.

I wonder what Adrien's coffee order will be. Does he like it black or with cream? Or does he like frappe's like I do? I better be careful and not splash on him. That would be a disaster.

Oh, well. I'll deal with it when morning comes.