Full Summary:
What has been given... "... will surely be taken away." That's how the saying went, right?
It's the beginning of a new school year, and thirteen-year-old Marinette Dupain-Cheng can only hope for the best despite remaining in the classroom of her girlhood bully yet again. But something strange is in the air - when two new boys join Miss Bustier's class and strange, magical monsters begin to roam the streets of Paris, suddenly what should've been a fresh start to middle school become a whole lot more foreboding.
A/N: Howdy! I've alluded to a rewrite that I was working before on Tumblr, but I got so impatient with writing that I decided to post the first chapter now.
Fair warning, this is not going to go how you think it will. I was inspired by certain works from the fandom, but I won't tag them now, otherwise it'll be a bit of a spoiler. Sorry!
It was dark. So, so incredibly dark.
"Wake up, please," a quivering, cracking voice was pleading. But to whom? " Please ! Wake up! I can't… I can't do this without you!"
"...! Please…!"
"Wake up!"
"Wake up!"
Thirteen-year-old Marinette Dupain-Cheng awoke with a startled sound to the voice of her mother yelling from below.
"Mama?" She called, struggling against her blankets to sit up on her elbows.
"It's time to wake up, Marinette! You'll be late!"
Late…? Oh!
Marinette whipped around to pick up her phone, and all of her anxieties started to bubble up in her gut again. 2nd September, her phone screen read. The first day of sixième.
"Oh, shoot!" She gasped, throwing off her covers.
It only took a minute for her to make her bed and practically jump down the steps to the lower part of her room. Her fingers shook and her heart was racing in her chest - but instead of in fear, she was excited.
"Finally," she said to herself with a smile, "I'm finally in collège! New classroom, new classmates, new everything!"
Dashing to her closet with a giddy laugh, she threw open the doors and began to leaf through it, unsettling dream swiftly forgotten. "What to wear…?"
"Marinette!" Sabine called again, brow furrowed as she stood at the kitchen table. A plate of steaming dumplings and a smaller bowl of rice and vegetables sat before her, along with a buttered roll..
"Coming!" She heard from above, and following her voice was the tell-tale sound of feet pounding on the stairs.
The woman let out a chuckle as her daughter skidded into the room, finishing her other pigtail.
"Good morning, Mama," she greeted breathlessly.
"Good morning to you," she answered in amusement, before she pulled back and held the teenager at arm's length. "At least you didn't trip and fall down the stairs with how fast you were going. Well, let's look at you; is that the outfit we made together?"
"Yep!" Beaming, the noirette stood proudly before her mother in a white flower-stitched shirt, dark-gray blazer, and pink jeans. "It doesn't look too mismatched, does it?"
"Oh, no!" Sabine shook her head, pressing a kiss to her head before gesturing to the table. "You look wonderful. Now hurry and eat - you don't want to be late."
"Thank you, Mama." Marinette slipped into the empty chair and grabbed the chopsticks resting on the side of the plate before taking a dumpling.
Upon her first bite, she let out a pleased sigh and cupped her cheek. The pork dumpling was sweet, savory, and so soft - and it seemed to eat away at some of her anxiety at the same time.
The food was so delicious that she had to remind herself to eat slowly so as to not choke, and by the time she was done, she grabbed the roll and dropped off her dishes in the sink.
"I have got to learn how to make them sometime," she mused offhandedly to herself as she made for the stairs.
The bakery was already abuzz with activity, patrons filling the cozy space as warmth and chatter filled her ears.
Her father was already at the counter, serving someone with a smile. "Thank you, please come again!"
Turning, he opened his arms. "Marinette! Good morning."
"Morning, Papa," she answered, squeezing him tight.
"Tom, careful that you don't dust her in flour!" Her mother scolded gently, reaching between them and brushing down her top. "Your macarons are on the counter, honey."
"Oh, yes!" Tom lit up as he opened the box to show her rows of perfect little green pastries. "I went ahead and finished them for you earlier."
Marinette marveled at the soft-looking little meringues before leaning up and kissing her father's cheek. "Thank you, they're so pretty!"
Then her eyes happened to glance up at the clock, and she gasped sharply. "Oh no, I'm late ! I thought I still had more time! Sorry, Papa, but I need to go."
"Have a good day at school, sweetheart." Tom handed her the box after gingerly closing the lid, smiling fondly at her retreating form. "Say hello to Rose for us, won't you? And let her know she's welcome anytime!"
"I will!" Marinette called over her shoulder as she politely excused herself out the door, holding it for a potential customer walking up.
They thanked her, and once they were inside she began to run down the pavement, box of macarons held tight in her arm.
"Gotta hurry, gotta hurry," she chanted to herself as she skidded to a stop at a crosswalk, just in time to avoid a car passing by with an irritated honk. Tapping her foot impatiently, she stared at the pedestrian light, the red color practically mocking her. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon…!"
Finally, it flashed green, and she was about to sprint across before she noticed an old man stumble against her side with a weak cough.
"I'm so sorry, are you okay, sir?" She inquired, steadying the short old man with an arm around his shoulders.
"Pardon me, miss," he politely replied, looking up with a strained smile. "But might I have a bit of help getting across? My back just doesn't want to be cooperating today, it seems…"
"Oh, of course! Here." Shifting the box to her other arm, she bent it at the elbow so that he could hook his with hers.
Despite her brain crying that she would be late, she forced herself to wait, carefully guiding the man across the crosswalk to the other side of the street.
As soon as the pedestrian light flashed red again, they were across, and he huffed a laugh. "Thank you, young miss."
"It's no problem," she answered. After a moment's hesitation, she flipped open the box. "Here, would you like a macaron? They were made fresh just last night."
"Oh," the old man's eyes lit up and he carefully plucked one of the carefully-piped pastries out of the box. "Made fresh, you say?"
"Mhm. My parents run a bakery just down the street from here." Turning slightly, she pointed in its direction with a bright smile.
He nodded, even as he took a bite and let out a noise of delight. After chewing thoughtfully for a moment and swallowing, he praised, "That was delicious, thank you for the treat."
"Of course." Flipping the box shut again, she smiled at him - but it dropped into a horrified gasp as she heard the sound of a bell. "Oh no, I'm late! So sorry, sir, but I need to go!"
He watched as she took off into a brisk run down the pavement, nimbly dodging pedestrians as she went. His eyes flickered back towards the bakery with a quiet, thoughtful "Hm…"
Luckily, it had been only the first bell and not the last - when Marinette stepped into the classroom, however, she found someone sitting in her spot; two someones. An unfamiliar crown of blond hair, falling about a pale face with curious green eyes, the boys could pass for twins if one ignored the other boy's neater hairstyle and more formal dress (seriously, who wore a button-up with a blazer and tie for their first day of school? Well, she mused in an afterthought, maybe Max. One glance to her right, up the aisle, concluded she was correct.)
She took a moment to pause and look them up and down. They seemed familiar, somehow, but she just couldn't put her finger on it - especially not when one of them casually glanced her way for a moment before looking back at the window. In the mere moments their eyes were locked, there was something in them, something inscrutable - but what it was, she didn't know.
"Excuse me," she started, catching the first blond's attention, as well as a curious smile - the latter boy just stared at her with an unreadable face. "Um, that's my seat, actually."
"Oh, it is?" Boy One asked, surprised. "I'm sorry, here-"
As soon as he made to stand, he paused in confusion. The other boy glanced down, and almost immediately his face pinched with anger.
Marinette followed his gaze and gasped aloud, whirling around. "Chloe! Putting gum on my seat on the first day - you couldn't have waited until the second?!"
Unfortunately, the named annoyance was nowhere to be seen - and now the second blond boy was urging the first to stand up despite the bright-pink bubblegum clinging to the seat of his pants.
"Uncle is going to throw a fit," he was muttering under his breath with an irritated huff. What a strange accent. "Adrien, I thought you said she was going to play nice."
"She wouldn't prank me on purpose," the first boy reasoned, unnaturally calm as he reached back to try and pluck the gum away.
"No, but she clearly meant to prank someone," the second boy reasoned, glancing up at her. "This is your spot, correct?"
"Yes," she groaned, sitting the box down on the table and reaching to help. "I am so sorry, I had no idea."
"Chloe really did do this?" To her surprise, the first boy's voice was practically blank, a deadpan that caused her to do a double-take. Instead of the upset she expected, his face was as unreadable too. "Aw man, I was hoping she was trying to be nicer."
… Who was this strange boy?
The second seemed to hear her thoughts, because he straightened himself. "Please forgive my cousin, he, ah," he hesitated before continuing, "he can't express himself very well. We're still working on that. I'm Felix Graham de Vanily, and this is my cousin, Adrien Agreste."
Felix extended his hand to shake, and a tentative smile spread across her face as she took it and shook firmly. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng. It's nice to meet you both, Felix and…" she frowned, turning to the first boy, "... Adrien, right?"
"Yes!" As if like magic, his face practically beamed in a bright smile as he reached out his own hand to shake. "It's nice to meet you."
"Adrien Agreste…" she tested his name on her tongue, and after a moment it clicked. "You wouldn't happen to be related to the designer Gabriel Agreste, would you?"
"Yep, he's my dad." Here his tone got oddly far away for a moment before he brightened up again. "Sorry, I'm kind of nervous… this is my first actual day at school."
"Like, ever?" She balked, and Felix's face pinched with disapproval. "Sorry," she quickly reassured, "it's just… wow, I had no idea he had a son. I hope you have a good time here! We're all friendly, well, except for…" she cleared her throat before taking the box. "A- anyway, you can have the seat if you want."
"Are you sure?" Adrien implored.
"Yes, really," Felix added, casting a disdainful look at the bench. "Now I'm not so sure I want to sit here anymore."
Marinette opened her mouth to reply, but was swiftly cut off by a cheerful "Oh Adrikiiiins!"
Groaning under her breath, she braced herself for Chloe Bourgeois's swift entrance, Sabrina following close behind, simpering all the way. She definitely got the rest of the room's attention, the new boy in the front even tugging off his headphones to frown her way.
The blonde's happy expression turned into shock when she realized where he was sitting. "A- Adrien?!"
"Bourgeois!" Felix pointed her way with a nasty look. "It's our first day of school, and already you've made my cousin the victim of a prank? I don't care how close you both are, I will not let you get your grubby paws on him after this!"
Chloe absolutely froze, especially at Adrien's blank stare her way. "I- but I didn't- I never wanted to-" she spluttered, holding up her hands in protest. "Adrikins, you know I'd never-"
"Good morning students," Miss Bustier chirped as she strode into the room, followed closely by the remaining students.
"Miss Bustier," Marinette spoke up, and all at once Chloe turned to her with an expression equal parts shocked and angry. "Chloe put gum on my spot, thinking I would sit there, but she got the new boy instead."
"What?" Miss Bustier's happy smile faded at the accusation.
She turned to the blonde, who wrapped her arms about herself defensively. "Chloe," she began slowly, almost disappointed, "did you stick gum on Marinette's seat?"
"No," the girl blurted. "It wasn't me. It was… the new girl!"
"What?!" A heretofore unnoticed girl with long, wavy auburn hair squawked angrily, turning her bespectacled glare on the rich girl. "I literally just got in here! Why are you blaming me?"
"Chloe," Miss Bustier actually did sound disappointed this time, folding her arms across her chest. "It's not nice to lie, nor is it nice to play mean jokes on others."
"But- but I wouldn't-" she protested.
"I was hoping this year would be better than last," she reprimanded, effectively shutting up the teenager. "I would like for you to apologize."
Chloe's lips parted, but after a moment she huffed aloud and turned to Adrien. "I'm really sorry, Adrikins. I really didn't mean for you to sit on the gum."
Felix and Marinette rolled their eyes.
"That's… better than nothing," Bustier hesitantly mused. "Well, anyway, we need to begin classes. Please find your seats, students!"
"Oh, Miss Bustier, I have treats for everyone," Marinette suddenly remembered, holding up the box.
The redhead's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful, Marinette! You may pass them out now before we officially begin the lesson, if you'd like."
"Thank you!" Beaming, she began with the front row - and Felix and Adrien's seats.
The last bell rang, and with that, Miss Bustier cleared her throat. "Welcome to your first year of collège, everyone! To start with, we have some new students transferring in! Felix, Adrien, Alya, if you would stand up so everyone can see."
Obediently, the three stood from the benches, allowing the rest of the class to look at them. Alya had taken a seat behind the boys, all to herself.
"If you would introduce yourselves with one fun fact about yourself?" The teacher offered.
The three exchanged glances before Felix cleared his throat. "I'm Felix Graham de Vanily. I'm going to be visiting from London for the year."
A surprised murmur rippled through the room. A couple of children turned to whisper to one another at the boy.
Next to him, Adrien smiled brightly. "I'm Adrien Agreste, and I'm a big fan of superhero comics!"
Chloe simpered over him from the other side of the room as the murmur grew louder.
Alya, the new girl with the glasses, smiled nervously at the room. "I'm Alya Cesaire, and my mom is a chef at Le Grand Paris."
"Excellent, you three, well done." Miss Bustier clapped her hands together. "I'm counting on you all to help them feel welcome this year."
Finally done handing out the macarons, Marinette leaned in and whispered to Alya, "Can I sit here?"
"Oh, sure!" The girl shifted over a bit so that the noirette could slip in. "I'm Alya."
"Marinette." Smiling, she offered a macaron. "Don't worry about Chloe, she's just like that. If you want, I could show you around school during lunch?"
Gingerly, the girl took the pastry and looked it over for a fleeting second. Then, beaming up at its giver, she nodded. "I would really love that."
Down below them, Adrien hummed happily as he finished off his macaron and turned to his cousin with a happy countenance. "I'm so glad you managed to convince Father to let us come to school today. I'm sure we'll make a lot of good friends if everyone is this nice!"
"Yes," Felix agreed distantly, glancing back up at the whispering girls before dabbing his mouth with the provided napkin from Marinette. "I'm sure we will, Adrien."
A/N: Obviously I'm not aiming for a total masterpiece of a fic, but this was more wish-fulfillment for me, and I'm pretty proud of it thus far. If you do happen to figure everything out before it's all revealed, all I ask is that you keep it to yourself and let others cross the finish line too! Feel free to ask questions - but be forewarned that I probably won't answer them in a way that will completely satisfy you.
I staunchly refuse to call Felix Fathom. Sorry, that's just now how it's going to be done here. I'm keeping Graham de Vanily (plus a different name for his father, but we'll get to that when we get to it). Certain events will still happen in this fic, but a lot of them won't due to butterfly effects through the story. All in all, I hope you enjoy reading it regardless.
I can't say for sure when every chapter will come out, as I'm still writing them as we speak, but I've been working on this for over a year and a half by this point; if this doesn't get me out of my funk, I don't know what will.
Please tell me what you thought!
