Chapter 14: Election Day
At François Dupont, practically every student was watching a news report on their phones about how Superbug prevented Mr. D'Argencourt from being akumatized.
"Monsieur D'Argencourt, how did Superbug know you were about to be akumatized?" Alya Césaire asked.
"The fair maiden feared this outcome upon learning how that knave Bourgeois unjustly bested me at the election." D'Argencourt explained.
"What?" Chloé asked in outrage as she watched the interview. "How dare you say that?"
"Did she really support your candidacy, Sir?" Alya asked in amazement.
"Actually, she never uttered any opinions regarding my opponent or the election's result, only that the result made her fear for my wellbeing." D'Argencourt confessed. "My opinions don't necessarily reflect hers."
"That's better." Chloé said, satisfied.
Ms. Bustier then entered the classroom and the students turned off their phones. "Students, I need to remind you that the election for class representative is about to start." She said. "Everyone willing to be a candidate may announce it right now."
Chloé raised her hand. "Ms. Bustier, I'd like to announce my candidacy." Chloé eagerly said.
"And we now have our first candidate, our current representative Chloé Bourgeois." Ms. Bustier happily said. "Every other student wanting to run for class representative must announce it until tomorrow. If nobody does so, Chloé Bourgeois will be automatically reelected.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng quickly raised her hand. "I want to run for class representative, Ms. Bustier."
"Are you really opposed to Chloé remaining the representative, Marinette?" Alya asked, assuming Marinette was only trying to become representative so Chloé would no longer be.
"I believe I can be a better representative, Alya." Marinette argued.
"Alya, Marinette has a right to have an opinion like every other citizen and, like every student in this classroom, has the right to be a candidate regardless of why she wants to." Ms. Bustier scolded Alya. "We live in a democracy. Now that's settled, we'll start classes unless somebody else decides to announce their candidacy."
Since nobody else said anything about running for class representative, lessons went as usual. After classes ended, Chloé and Marinette answered questions from voters about what each candidate planned to do if elected. Chloé and Sabrina then went to the former's hotel room. Chloé was watching as Sabrina made a "Vote for Chloé" sign. "Shouldn't you be helping her, Chloé?" Chloé's kwami Tikki asked.
"As if." Chloé snobbishly answered. "I could dirty my hands."
Mayor Bourgeois entered his daughter's room. "Chloé, what's your friend doing?"
"Sabrina's making a campaign sign, Daddy." Chloé answered.
"I was already reelected, Chloé." The Mayor replied.
"It's for Chloé's reelection campaign, Mayor Bourgeois." Sabrina explained. "Her current term as class representative is about to end."
"Okay, go ahead." The Mayor said. "Is there anyone running against you?"
"Yes, Daddy." Chloé answered. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng."
"And do you need my help?" The Mayor offered, hoping she wouldn't ask for anything illegal.
"Well, Daddy, last time I promised to solve the lockless locker issue but the school never seemed to have the budget for it." Chloé replied. "What do I do if my opponent tries to have it held against me?"
"Find some blackmail material on her, Chloé." Her father suggested. "Or, if you don't find anything, distract the voters by hiring some celebrity. I'll call Bob Roth and see who he can get."
"Wait!" Chloé shouted. "Is it really worth it?"
"You tell me, Chloé." The Mayor replied. "Why did you even want to be class representative in the first place?"
"I wanted to see how much my classmates liked me and…" Chloé hesitated.
"And?" The Mayor asked.
"And… and I feel the need to match expectations that come from having parents like you and Mom." Chloé confessed.
Her father thought for a while before replying. "Chloé, do you remember my dream of becoming a filmmaker?"
"Yes." Chloé answered. "You even worked on a movie with Adrien's Mom! Solitude, if I recall the title correctly."
"Correct, Chloé." The Mayor replied. "As you know, your mother didn't approve of my dream and wanted me to focus on things like the hotel and a political career. You don't need to be a class representative to earn my approval and the position sounds too insignificant for your mother to care." He then showed Chloé the secret place where he kept mementoes of his time in the movie industry.
"Daddy, do you think you'd have given your dream another chance had you lost the election?" Chloé asked.
"Maybe." The Mayor answered.
After that talk, the Mayor left the room. "Chloé, I never suspected you felt like that." Tikki said.
"I've been repressing it for so long I never thought about bringing it up in conversations again, Tikki." Chloé replied.
"And how did you feel talking about it again, Chloé?" Sabrina Raincomprix asked.
"I actually felt good, Sabrina." Chloé answered.
"But we still have an election to be concerned about." Plagg suggested. "How about you bribe the votes with camembert? It'd work with me."
"Plagg, you cannot vote since you're not a student." Chloé replied.
"And it's wrong to bribe voters, Plagg." Tikki scolded her fellow kwami.
"Don't be a spoilsport, Sugarcube." Plagg replied.
"Chloé, if you're still looking for advice, I suggest questioning the plausibility of Marinette's promises." Tikki said. "She offered to do so many things."
"Good idea, Tikki." Chloé commented.
The next day, there was a debate between the two candidates. Fortunately, there was no akuma for Chloé to leave the debate for so there were no interruptions.
Once the votes were counted, Ms. Bustier announced Marinette as the winner by one vote. "Congratulations, Dupain-Cheng." Chloé said. "I hope you have better luck than me with the locker issue."
"Chloé, Marinette never made any promises regarding that." Nino pointed out.
"It doesn't stop me from hoping, Lahiffe." Chloé argued.
"I don't get it." Marinette said. "Who'd vote for Chloé?"
"One of the principles of democracy is the right to secrecy, Dupain-Cheng." Chloé stated. "Those who voted for me don't have to reveal themselves. Why're you not satisfied with your victory?"
"She's right, Marinette." Ms. Bustier said. "Chloé is being gracious in defeat or at least more than expected. The least you can do is to be magnanimous in victory."
"Yeah." Alya agreed. "Do you even have a victory speech?"
After Marinette gave one, classes went normally. After they ended, Mylène Haprèle approached Marinette. "Marinette, I need your help." Mylène said.
"Don't worry, Mylène, your class representative is here to help." Marinette replied.
"Actually, it's not a school matter so, don't see your newfound position as a reason to feel obligated to help." Mylène timidly said. "My Dad wants to hire you to make some modifications to his mime hat."
"Sure, Mylène." Marinette replied. "By the way, your Dad's going to star in a play titled "The Mime", right?"
"Yes, Marinette." Mylène answered.
End chapter.