Chapter 9: A Queen's Birthday
At Le Grand Paris, the first guests were beginning to exit their rooms, on their way to breakfast. But at the suite of the daughter of the hotel's owner, things were still pretty much quiet. The only sound in the air was the light snoring of Chloe and Pollen, who were still sleeping. The first one to wake up was Pollen, as a small ray of light passed through the window drapes, and hit her directly on the face. Opening one of her eyes, and still feeling sleepy, the bee kwami yawned, opening her other eye and stretching, trying to wake up. Shaking off the sleepiness from her tiny little body, Pollen got out of her bed and made her way to the bedside table, where Chloe had her cell phone. Touching its screen, she saw that it was time for Chloe to wake up on that special day. So, she hovered to Chloe and gently touched her face, rubbing her right cheek, trying to wake her up. Because the blonde was sound asleep, Pollen had to use another method to wake her up, and that was to whisper her name to her ear.
"Good morning, my queen." -Pollen greeted Chloe. –"Happy birthday." -she said, as Chloe opened her eyes.
"Good morning to you too, Pollen. And thank you." -Chloe smiled at her, as she stretched her arms. -"I had the best dream ever, today." -she told Pollen.
"Best dream ever? And what was it?" -Pollen asked her, curious. –"Was I in it?" -she asked.
"No, you weren't. But it was great. I was at a party, when suddenly, someone calls my name and it turns out it was Adrien. He smiled at me, and asked me if I would grant him the honour of dancing with him. We started dancing, but soon after he tells me that someone else has its eyes on me. It was Sabrina, who approaches us and asks Adrien if she can cut in, and dance with me for a bit. He smiles and gracefully hands me over to Sabrina, who had the prettiest smile you can imagine. We danced for what looked like hours, with her always smiling at me. And at the end, daddy showed up and asked us if we were in love, and we both said yes." -Chloe answered, retelling the whole things as much as she remembered. –"When he heard that, he clapped his hands and said that he was paying for our wedding. After it, Sabrina and I went outside, and we walked to a fountain. But when we got there, we were not us anymore, we were little, just like when we first met. I was holding Mr. Cuddles and she was holding Buzz, and in the fountain, there were these beautiful fish swimming, and she playfully started to name every last one of them, giving them the silliest names, you can think of, and making me laugh." -she sighed. –"It was such a beautiful dream. A bit strange, but beautiful. I wouldn't have minded if it had lasted a little bit longer, Pollen."
From the way she talked about it, the bee kwami could tell Chloe had had a dream that had put her in the right mood, when waking up. And from experience, she knew that being in the right mood was a must on a birthday. The blonde had been talking about what she had planned for her special day through most of that week, and today all those plans were going to happen, or so, Chloe hoped for. Pollen was about to say something, when Chloe's cell phone rang on.
"Happy birthday, Chloe!" -Sabrina exclaimed, as she waved at the camera. –"I didn't wake you up, did I?"
"No, Pollen did that. And thanks, Sabrina." -Chloe smiled at her girlfriend, as she blew her a kiss. –"And how's my favourite she-wolf this morning?" -she asked, as Sabrina caught the kiss.
"Wishing I was there with you, so I could spend a little bit more time between the sheets, with you by my side." –Sabrina answered her, with a sultry voice and a naughty smile.
"That's a rather kinky, yet utterly adorable wish." -Chloe declared, always with a smile. –"But that can be arranged, since you'll be sleeping over tonight, after my party." -she said.
"I love it, when you love my ideas." -Sabrina told her, chuckling.
"Well, it's not hard." -Chloe told her. –"What's hard to wonder is how come you didn't act like this, when we were just friends?" -she asked.
"I don't know." -Sabrina shrugged her shoulders. –"But I'm glad that not only we remain the best of friends, but we're also dating, my sweet bumblebee." -she winked at her.
"Keep calling me that, and I'll transform into Queen Bee and go straight to your place, just to kiss you." -Chloe joked. –"I mean it." -she warned her.
"I know you will, but don't. You'll spook my parents." -Sabrina laughed, before putting a serious face. –"But for real, how does it feel being a year older?" -she asked her.
"Feels pretty much the same as before." -Chloe smiled. –"And I'm not getting older. I'm getting just slightly more mature." -she declared, chuckling.
And that was one word that she liked to use to describe how she felt on that day; mature. Though Chloe felt she still had a long journey ahead of her, when it came to her path to redemption, she believed that since her last birthday, she had matured and was no longer the spoiled brat she once was.
"Slightly more mature… I think you are more than just slightly more mature. And you've been proving it a lot." -Sabrina said. –"But changing the subject, this is a big day for you. Have you already chosen what you are going to wear today?" -she asked her. –"Yesterday, you said you hadn't a clue on what you were going to wear."
"Yes. Pollen lent me a hand last night." -Chloe answered her. –"Do you remember that yellow Givenchy dress I bought before Easter? I'm going to wear it." -she said.
"Oh, I remember it. You look so beautiful in it. In fact, you look beautiful even rags, Chloe." -Sabrina said, winking at her.
"Of course, I do. I'm Chloe Bourgeois, remember?" -Chloe declared, with a posh accent, which made Sabrina giggle. –"I could even be seen wearing a bag of flour, that I would find a way to look good in it." -she said. –"But seriously, is there something happening with you that I don't know? You're in an incredible flirting mood, today."
"Yes, there's something happening. My best friend/girlfriend is celebrating her 14th anniversary, and I want her to feel special about it." -Sabrina smiled.
"Sabrina…" -Chloe giggled.
"Don't tell me to not make a big deal about it." -Sabrina said. –"Besides, I know that you love to hear these things." -she laughed.
Chloe's morning could have not started better. After the best dream ever, having Sabrina flirting with her was like icing on the cake. And it would have gone on for a little bit longer, had Chloe not heard someone knocking at her door.
"Oh, it must be Jean with my breakfast." -Chloe told Sabrina. –"I told him yesterday that I wanted to eat it in bed today." -she said.
"Okay, Then, I'll see you later in school. I'm going to wake up Mika, or he'll stay in bed during the rest of the day." -Sabrina declared.
"Do you want me to pick you up?" -Chloe asked her.
"Thanks, but my dad's driving me to school today. See you in a bit." -Sabrina said, as she ended the call.
Jumping out of bed, Chloe put on her nightrobe and then went to get the suite's door. Opening it, she was greeted by Jean and his kind smile, who was holding a tray with her breakfast.
"Good morning, miss Bourgeois. Your breakfast, as you requested." -Jean told her. –"Oh, and allow me to be the first to wish you a very happy 14th birthday." -he smiled at her.
"Thank you, Jean." -Chloe smiled back at him, as he entered the suite. –"Tell me, is my dad still in the hotel?" -she asked him.
"Your father had to leave earlier for office today, but he told me to wish you a happy birthday, and to tell you that he's anxious to see at lunch." –Jean answered her, as he placed the tray on the coffee table.
"Oh, okay. And has any letter from my mom arrived?" –Chloe asked him.
"Not yet. But the mailman usually comes a little bit later." -Jean reassured her, noticing the look of hope in her eyes. –"Do not fret. Your mother has never forgotten about your birthday."
"Yes, she has, Jean." -Chloe sighed. –"And don't tell me that she never forgets, because I always get a present from her. I know it's one of her assistants who buy me my birthday present, who do it, because it's in her daybook." -she declared.
And it was true. Over the years, Audrey forgot about Chloe's birthday more than once. And any presents she got from her, were always bought by one of her assistants, because she did not have the time, and then shipped to Paris. Chloe knew this, but always pretended it was Audrey who bought the presents.
"Well… this year might be different." -Jean said, as he placed his hand over her shoulder. –"Maybe this year, she won't forget about it." -he told her.
Chloe knew Jean was trying to cheer her up. And although a little sceptic about it, deep down she truly hoped Audrey had not forgotten about her birthday and sent her a present, in the form of a letter, just like the ones they had been exchanging ever since she sought treatment in Switzerland.
"Maybe." -Chloe sighed. –"By the way, about that other business that we've been talking about, is everything ready?" -she asked.
"Everything is ready. And catering team will be there." -Jean answered.
"Good. Everything has to be perfect." -Chloe thought to herself, when her cell phone rang. -"Oh, it's Adrien." -she said, as she saw his name on the screen.
"I'll leave you to it. When you're ready to go to school, just call me." -Jean told her. –"Enjoy your breakfast." -he said, as he prepared to leave the suite.
"Thank you." -Chloe said, as Jean closed the door behind him, and she answered Adrien's call.
"Happy birthday, little sister!" -Adrien exclaimed, smiling.
"Thanks, Adrikins." -Chloe smiled, loving the fact that he called her "little sister".
"Am I the first one to congratulate you?" -Adrien asked her.
"Sorry, but you're the fourth. Pollen was the first; Sabrina was second and Jean was third." -Chloe answered him.
"I told you; you should've called her earlier." -Plagg's voice was heard.
"Your idea of earlier was calling her one second after midnight, Plagg." -Adrien told him, in a tone of sarcasm.
Just like it happened on miss Bustier's birthday, the classroom was decorated to celebrate Chloe's birthday. And when she arrived, she saw the whole class had put an extra effort into it, because it looked spectacular. In the previous years, Chloe's dad hired a party planner and its team to decorate the classroom to Chloe's taste. But this year, she told him there was no need for it, and that her classmates were going to decorate the classroom themselves. The way the classroom was decorated had nothing to do with the way the party planner and its team decorated it. The décor was simple, consisting of streamers, confetti bombs and a huge wreath spelling "Happy Birthday, Chloe". In the past, she would have called that décor awful. But just like part of her personality, her taste had also changed to accept things that were simpler. Still, there was one thing that had not changed, and that was her love for the colour yellow, which adorned the classroom that day.
"Having you guys wishing me a "Happy birthday" with this décor is the best present I could've asked for." -Chloe smiled to her friends, while gazing at the yellow wreath.
"Mylene did most of it, as always. But we lent her a hand." -Ivan said, while looking at Mylene, who blushed a little.
"Then, you did a really great job, Mylene. I love it." -Chloe congratulated her. –"If this décor was the only present I would get from all of you, I would've no reason to complain." -she admitted.
"Excuse me, who are you and what did you do with the real Chloe Bourgeois, huh?" –Alix asked, in a mocking tone.
"Yeah, the last time I checked, the real Chloe Bourgeois loves to get presents, and gets furious if no one gives her anything she deems beautiful and unique." -Kim told her.
"Hmph… well, excuse me for being a bit nice. Want me to go back to mocking you for your fashion sense, Alix and Kim?" -Chloe asked them, letting out a giggle.
No matter how much she had changed, Chloe was still the queen of sass in that class, and she loved to show it, whenever it was possible. Usually, Alix would have thrown a suitable comeback at her, but because it was her birthday, she let it slide, knowing that she would have more opportunities to do it. And regarding Kim, he knew that whatever comeback he would throw at her, she would have another one ready to throw at him. So, in the spirit of celebration, he too let that one slide.
"Okay, okay, okay, that's enough sass, Chloe." -Alya told her. –"I think it's time for you to start opening your presents. Who wants to go first?" -she asked the rest of the gang.
"Me! Pick me!" –Sabrina chuckled, as she eagerly raised her arm.
"Okay, I'll pick you first. And it's not just because you've got the prettiest smile in this classroom." -Chloe smiled at Sabrina, flirting with her. –"What did you get me, Sabrina?" -she asked her, as the redhead handed her the present, which was wrapped in beautiful pink paper with a yellow ribbon.
"I hope you like it, and that if you choose to wear it, that it'll remind you of me and of our friendship." -Sabrina said, sheepishly, as Chloe ripped the wrapping paper.
Once the bow and the wrapping paper were out of the way, Chloe opened the box and to her surprise, she saw something she never thought she would ever see. Staring at her, was her childhood plush and best non-human friend, Mr. Cuddly. At first, she thought it was it, but when she got a better look at it, she noticed it looked too small, not to mention, too new to be Mr. Cuddly. Pulling it out from the box, she saw it was a backpack with a smaller Mr. Cuddly incorporated into it.
"A Mr. Cuddly backpack?" -Chloe asked her, as she got a good look at it, not believing what her eyes saw. Her childhood non-human best-friend as a backpack. –"It looks so beautiful. It's got to be the most beautiful backpack in the world." -she thought to herself.
"It was my idea to make you something special. But Marinette was the one who brought it to life." -Sabrina said. –"When we were younger, you were always saying that you wished you could take him anywhere you went. Well, now you can." -she told her, always smiling.
Holding the Mr. Cuddly backpack, Chloe felt transported back to her childhood, where the only friends were Adrien, Sabrina and her plushie, Mr. Cuddly. A childhood which was both happy and sad., Sad because she was neglected by her mother, who did not give her the care and attention she earned. And happy, because it was when she met two of the most important people in her life, and who would later help her in her path towards redemption.
"Oh, I love it! I love it, Sabrina!" -Chloe said, as she wrapped her arms around her, and gave her a bear hug. –"I love it so much. It's the best present I could've received from you. I'll be wearing it all the time!" -she promised her.
Hearing her say that, Sabrina felt like she had won the lottery. Chloe was always someone that was hard to get a gift for, and that she truly loved. So, to hear her saying she loved it, made her feel just as happy as Chloe was then. Next, it was Adrien's turn to give her his present. Unwrapping it, she saw the logo of the Agreste brand on the box, which meant it was something beautiful and expensive from his dad's fashion brand. Opening it, she saw it was a cropped, elbow-length white and yellow leather jacket, with studs on the lapel and collar. The Agreste logo adorned both the jacket's back and the chest pocket.
"Oh, Adrikins, it's beautiful!" –Chloe exclaimed, as she held the jacket in her hands.
"And one of a kind. You won't find another one like it, anywhere." -Adrien declared. –"You're always saying that you love my dad's designs, so I asked him to make this jacket, just for you, so you can brag about it to your heart's content." -he joked.
Placing the jacket back in the box, Chloe then hugged Adrien, showing just how much, she loved the gift. She knew that he could have bought her clothes from any of her favourite brands. So, to have him ask his father to design and sew something unique just for her, was incredible. It showed just how much he cared and liked her.
"Thank you so much, Adrikins." -Chloe thanked him, always calling him by the nickname she had given him.
Next, it was Nathaniel's turn, who had painted a portrait of Chloe. This one saw her standing on a balcony, looking at the Moon. Nathaniel had sketched her a couple of times, but this was the first time that he painted a portrait of her.
"Whoa… I look great! You really captured my beauty in this painting, Nathaniel." -Chloe declared.
"I'm glad you like it." -Nathaniel smiled. –"At first, I was thinking of painting you as Queen Bee. But I opted to paint you as yourself." -he told her.
"And you made the right call. I'll be putting it on my living room wall, so I can admire it, every time I enter my suite."
Following it, it was Marinette's turn. Though she knew that Chloe was going to love what she had created for her, given the reaction she had, when she opened Sabrina's gift, she still had butterflies in her stomach. This was a first for her, given she had never offered any birthday gifts to Chloe. In the past, she never deserved it. Smiling, she handed the beautifully wrapped gift, which the blonde promptly opened. And once more, Marinette and everyone else saw Chloe's eyes sparkle with joy.
"I call it the "Royal Edition", and there won't be another one like it. I can promise you that." -Marinette declared, as Chloe put on the hoodie.
"You outdid yourself again, Marinette." -Nathaniel told her.
"Thanks." -Marinette thanked him. –"So, do I have your seal of approval, your Majesty?" -she asked Chloe, joking.
"Absolutely!" -Chloe told her. –"This hoodie is gorgeous! Utterly gorgeous! Not only that, it's so warm and fuzzy." -she smiled. –"If you keep designing beautiful clothes like this hoodie, I'll have to make room in my closet, and order you a few dozen exclusive pieces."
"Does that mean you'll become my regular customer?" -Marinette asked her, smiling.
"You bet your miraculous I will." -Chloe giggled.
Marinette's gift was a success, but Nino's gift, a personalized mix tape, which he promised to Chloe, was going to make her dance all night, was also a success. And then, came a present which was one where Mylene, Rose, Alya, Juleka, Ivan, Kim, Alix and Max chipped in together.
"Okay, we admit that most of us didn't know what to give you, because you tend to buy anything you want. So, we decided to get together and chip in to get you something that we knew you would love." -Mylene declared. –"We asked Sabrina to help us, and well… open it, and you'll see it." -she smiled, as she handed her a box, hoping Chloe would like it.
Wondering what was inside, Chloe quickly opened it. Ripping the wrapping paper, she saw the Louis Vuitton logo on the box, and her heart skipped a beat. She noticed it was a shoe box, and wondered if what was inside the box was what she thought was inside of it. Opening it, she was dazzled with the box's content.
"The new Louis Vuitton ankle boots from the Serpentine collection!" -Chloe exclaimed, amazed that her friends had bought her such an expensive present.
"I told them you've been eyeing those boots for nearly three months now, and one thing led to another…" -Sabrina declared in a sheepish voice.
"And they bought them for me. They're beautiful." -Chloe finished the sentence, as she continued to look at the beautiful pair of black leather boots, with the Louis Vuitton logo carefully embroidered. –"But these are super expensive. How did you all got the money to buy me these?"
"Like Mylene said. We all chipped in. And Adrien helped a bit too." -Rose told her. –"If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have been able to buy them for you." -she stated.
"It was nothing." -Adrien smiled.
"You guys are spoiling me rotten with all these presents!" -Chloe exclaimed, as she gave each of them a hug.
Chloe truly felt like they were spoiling her rotten. And this feeling went on, as the kwamis presented her with master Fu's gift, and theirs as well. Just like it happened with miss Bustier, the old master offered her a tea blend; Chai Spice. As for the kwamis, they presented her with a beautiful silver bracelet with bee motifs.
"I said it once, and I'll say it again. You're all spoiling me rotten with these gifts." -Chloe declared, as she looked at the bracelet the kwamis had given her.
"And it's not over yet. There's one more gift, Chloe." -Miss Bustier declared, as she smiled and handed Chloe, the gift she had made for her.
Ever since she became her teacher, miss Bustier would see the birthday presents she made for Chloe being ignored by her, and simply thrown inside her backpack. But this year, it was different. This year she humbly accepted it and gently ripped the colourful wrapping paper to reveal the beautiful notebook that the teacher had made for her. It had a yellow cover with honeycombs, white lilies and a bee; and on its centre was a "C" written in a beautiful calligraphy.
"I know it's not much, when compared to some of the other gifts. But I hope that this notebook will give you a place to write your thoughts and your ideas." -Miss Bustier told her.
"It's beautiful. Thank you so much, miss Bustier." -Chloe smiled, as a couple of tears ran down her face. –"I can't believe that she once more took the time and effort to make one of these for me, after I discarded the other notebooks as trash in the past. I really don't deserve her love and affection. Not hers, or the others." -she thought to herself.
"Now, now, no crying, Chloe. This is a happy occasion, not a sad one." -Miss Bustier told her, as she placed her hands on her face. –"Wipe those tears, honey." -she said, as she used her thumbs.
"O-Okay, miss Bustier." -Chloe agreed. –"But I just know I'll be crying again, during recess." -she thought to herself.
Just before the bell for recess sounded, director Damocles' voice was heard over the classroom speakers, announcing that an event was going to take place in the courtyard, and that everyone should go there when leaving the room. Most students were wondering what was going to happen. But there was a group of students who knew exactly what was going to happen; and this group was Miss Bustier's class.
A few days before, Chloe had asked principal Damocles if on her birthday, if she could have the small stage assembled in the school's courtyard on her birthday. She had decided it was time for her to give an apology speech to everyone in school. Usually, principal Damocles would not be okay with such a request. But given Chloe's behaviour in the past, and her desire to atone for all the misdeeds she had done, he agreed.
In previous years, as part of her birthday celebration, Chloe had the habit of having birthday cakes made and distributed throughout the school. But this gesture, which could have been seen as one of generosity, was just another way for Chloe to boast about the fact that she was rich, the mayor's daughter, and better than everyone else in that school. But this year, that was going to change. The cake part would remain the same, but the rest would be different. When the bell rang, the students began to exit their classrooms and made their way to the courtyard, where the small stage had been assembled while they were in class, as well as three enormous birthday cakes had been placed on tables, with a catering team ready to serve them. Those who had enrolled in Françoise-Dupont that year did not know what was happening. But those who already knew their way around the school, were reminded that it was Chloe's birthday, as she was the only one who went to such extremes to remind everyone of her special day.
On the stage, a microphone had been set. Most of the students believed this one had been set, so Chloe could brag about how selfless she was, by sharing those huge birthday cakes with everyone. It would not be the first time something like that happened at Françoise-Dupont. But what was about to take place was something completely different. Coming out of their classroom, miss Bustier's class escorted Chloe to the courtyard, making their way to the stage.
"Are you ready?" -Sabrina asked her, as they walked.
"If you had asked me that two days ago, I would've told you no." -Chloe said, as she took a deep breath. –"But yeah, I think I'm ready to do this." -she declared, trying to sound confident.
(Flashback)
She thought a lot about what she was doing. At first it seemed like an excellent idea. But now, she was beginning to have doubts, as she could not find the right words to do it. When Pollen could not help her, she desperately called Adrien and Sabrina, hoping they could do what the bee kwami could not. Unfortunately, even with their help, Chloe's attempts to write an apology speech
"Let's just give up!" -Chloe yelled, as she ripped the page, crumpled it and threw it on the floor. –"This whole apology speech will never work. No matter what I write… it feels like it's not coming from the heart, when I read it." -she sighed, feeling lousy about herself.
"Come on, Chloe, don't give up." -Adrien told her.
"You can do this." -Sabrina declared, trying to cheer her up.
"No, I can't!" -Chloe sighed, frustrated. –"All the words I write seem so… so… I don't even know what to call them!" -she yelled into the air. –"Why did I have this stupid idea?!"
"Because you wanted to show everyone how much you've changed." -Pollen declared, as she hovered in front of her. –"And a good way to do it, is to apologize for your past behaviour and misdeeds, with a speech that comes from your heart." -she said.
"Yeah, but right now, whatever it is I write, seems like it's not coming from the heart. It seems like it's not coming from anywhere."
"Chloe." -Adrien called her. –"Don't give up." -he said. –"You called me for help, and I'm going to help you. In fact, I'm not going to bed, before I know that we helped you with that speech."
"And neither will I." -Sabrina declared. –"But maybe you should take a break, Chloe." -she suggested.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe I need to take a little break." -Chloe sighed, as she got up from the chair, and stretched her arms. –"I need a break, and a hot chocolate. But it's already so late, and Jean should be sleeping by now."
"You can still call room service to get you one." -Adrien told her.
"No. Jean is the only one who knows how I like my hot chocolate." -Chloe declared. –"Every time I call the kitchen and ask for one, they always screw it up."-she sighed. –"I'll just have to settle with taking a break."
"Do you want to talk?" -Adrien asked.
"What?" -Chloe said, not understanding what Adrien meant with that question.
"Do you want to talk about something else that isn't that speech?" -Adrien asked her. –"Sometimes, when I can't focus on a task, I do something else to distract myself, which helps me get in the right mood to tackle that task." -he explained her.
"Adrien's right. Let's talk about something else, Chloe." -Sabrina told her. –"Why don't you tell us what you have planned for your birthday?" -she suggested.
"You know what I'm going to do. I already told you the other day." -Chloe complained.
"Then, remind us. Please." -Sabrina said, with a caring voice.
"Okay. You don't have to make sad-puppy eyes." -Chloe said. –"After school, I'm expecting everyone to show up at my pool party, at the hotel…"
She told them the whole plan for her birthday party, and then some. Both Adrien and Sabrina did not care what she talked about. They just wanted her to take her mind off the apology speech for a little bit. She was putting so much pressure on herself to write the perfect apology speech, that everything she wrote felt short of what she wanted the speech to be. In her mind, she needed the apology to feel sincere and true, not just for her, but to the people it was for. And it was not until her friends felt that she was completely at ease, that they suggested she tried again.
"So, how do you feel now?" -Adrien asked her.
"A little better." -Chloe answered him. –"I feel… more relaxed." -she said.
"Well, now that you're feeling a little bit more relaxed, why don't you try and write the speech?" -Adrien asked her.
"And remember, write it as if you we're speaking from the bottom of your heart. Don't be afraid to write everything that comes to your mind. We can work on what we'll keep and what we'll discard, later." -Sabrina encouraged her.
"Alright. Let's try it again." -Chloe said, as she grabbed her pen.
(End of Flashback)
Arriving at the stage, Chloe's heart was beating out of pace. She was nervous, even if she tried her best not to show it. That much anyone could tell. And once they reached the stage, she felt like her heart had stopped, such was the stress she was under. Now that she was there, all she wanted to do was run.
"We're here for you, Chloe." -Rose said, as she smiled at her, and gave her a thumb's up.
"You can do this, Chloe." -Sabrina whispered at her ear.
"Go for it, Chloe." -Marinette smiled.
Looking over her shoulder, she smiled back at her. Staring miss Bustier in the eyes, the teacher replied to her with a warm smile that said "Everything is going to be alright.". Taking a deep breath, she walked up the stairs, and once on the stage, she grabbed the microphone and looked at all the students that had gathered in the courtyard. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Chloe felt terrified. Swallowing hard, she had to tell herself, she needed to read the speech, so she could get out of the stage. Unfolding the piece of paper where she wrote it, she began to read it.
"G-Good morning, everyone… I think you all know who I am, but I'll still introduce myself. My name is Chloe Bourgeois, and today is my birthday." -Chloe declared, as she felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest. –"But that is not important. What's important is what I have to say to you all. Many here have been victims of my bad actions for a long time. I won't deny what it was, I was a horrible person and I bullied a lot of innocent students. I-I was a person who saw herself above everyone and hurt and belittled all of you, without caring. I even used the influence and money available to me to do so, one too many times. My way of seeing things... it was horrible... N-No... I was horrible. But I can't just blame my upbringing... many had and still have worse situations than me, and didn't turn out like me. And not acknowledging that would be a disservice to all of you." –she went on, as she did her best to withhold her tears, knowing that if she began to cry, she would not be able to stop. –"I know better now. B-But I also know the damage I did cannot be swept under the rug just like that."
Everyone in the school's courtyard was hanging on Chloe's every word. To say they were baffled with what they were hearing would be an understatement. To those who had been victims of her bullying, they never expected her to do what she was doing. It was surreal to see a bully admitting to its mistakes, especially a bully that had targeted so many people and managed to get away with it.
"I have changed a lot over t-this last year, and I've come to realize that many of the things I believed to be acceptable, are not. But... that doesn't erase my previous actions or the valid feelings you all have. What I came here to do is just give you all what I've owed you for a long time... I'm... I'm so, so sorry... to all of you who suffered and who I've hurt, whether it was by words or actions... this apology I owe you... is something you all deserve from me for a long time... I'm so sorry. I have owed this to you for a long time. But let me be clear. I don't expect. or am I waiting for you all to forgive me. That is your decision and feelings alone. What I will do is prove through my actions and way of being from now on that I have changed, and that I'm no longer the girl I used to be. But when it comes to all of you, rest assured your feelings are valid. If you want to move on, or forgive me, that is your decision. If you don't want to forgive me and rather not interact with me is also your decision. If you accept or not the apology is valid. I'm the one who owed it to you to do so. But you don't owe me anything. I thank you all for listening to what I had to say and as a token of gratitude that all of you are more than free to accept or not." -Chloe chuckled nervously. –"I have bought these three ginormous cakes and sweets for everyone in school for my birthday. Please enjoy this small token if you want to. Thank you so much for all your time and listening." -she said, ending her speech.
A couple of seconds went by and there was no reaction from anyone. Chloe's first thought was that nobody had believed her or her apology speech. And then, there was the sound of applause, echoing through the courtyard. Students and faculty were moved by her words. There were clearly those who did not believe the speech, or did not think Chloe's words were enough to forgive her past actions, and held back their applause. But when compared to those who were applauding and believed in both her and her speech, they were almost none. After a while, the applauses died and most students went to get a slice of one of the three cakes Chloe had brought for the whole school.
Coming down from the stage, Chloe felt lighter, as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"That was a lovely speech, Chloe." -Miss Bustier declared, as she smiled at her. –"You showed real courage just now." -she said.
"I'm so proud of you, Chloe!" -Sabrina exclaimed, as she hugged her.
"The courage of a lioness. It was a great speech, girl." -Alya told her.
"I'm with Alya. It was a really great speech." -Nino agreed.
She had put all her heart on every word of the speech she had just delivered. It felt good to hear those words from her teacher and her friends, as they offered her comfort and assurance, when knowing that not everyone was moved by her words.
"It doesn't matter if there are those who think you're not telling the truth. What matters is that you did tell the truth, about what was going through your mind, what happened to you, and why you felt you owed everyone an apology." -Sabrina smiled at her.
"We know every word you said is true, and I think I speak for all of us, when I say that we're proud of you, little sister." -Adrien smiled at Chloe, before putting his arms around her, feeling she needed a hug.
Chloe had managed to withhold her tears during the speech. But as soon as Adrien called her "little sister" and placed his arms around her, she began to cry a river, overwhelmed with the emotions that were running crazy in her mind and her heart. Sobbing hard, she tried to stop, but the tears just kept falling, overpowered by all those feelings. She was feeling relieved, hurt, blessed and cursed, all at once. Adrien rocked her gently, as she continued to sob. The rest of the gang remained silent, with their eyes on them, as this happened. Like Adrien, they too were proud of what Chloe had done. Having known her for as long as they did, they knew all she had done; and to assume guilt of her bad behaviour towards so many, in front of the whole school, they knew it took a lot of courage to do it.
"Alright, that's enough crying, Chloe." -Adrien said, as Chloe sobbing began to subside. –"We don't want our birthday girl, and favourite diva to smudge her make-up." -he told her, in a playful tone.
Taking deep breaths, the sobbing eventually stopped, to be replaced by a couple of giggles. Breaking the embrace, everyone saw her make-up was all smudged and her eyes were red and puffy. But her smile was as beautiful as always. Holding a handkerchief in her hand, Sabrina gently wiped the tears and the smudged make-up off her face, with Chloe then finishing it herself.
"Feeling better?" -Miss Bustier asked her.
"A lot, yes." -Chloe answered the teacher.
"They say crying helps a person, when nothing else does." -Juleka said.
"Whoever said that you didn't have a heart, will have to eat their own words. Because if you didn't have one, and didn't care about the feelings of others, you'd never deliver a speech as that one, Chloe." -Marinette told her.
All of them were proud of the heiress and of her accomplishment. But there was one other feeling that was beginning to talk a little louder than pride, at least for Kim. And that was hunger. Even after eating a large breakfast, the holder of the antelope miraculous was famished, and seeing the other students eating cake was not helping, which led him to act like his regular self.
"This is all really nice and all, but come on, we've got to go back up there, sing "Happy birthday" to you, and eat a cake!" -Kim told her, as he watched everyone being served a slice of a cake. –"Shouldn't your butler have arrived with the birthday cake you told us about the other day, by now?" -he asked her.
"Jean will get here, when he gets here." -Sabrina told him.
"Plus, you're not doing anything, before I splash some water on my face and redo my make-up." -Chloe warned him. –"I don't want any of you to snap photos of me with my face looking like this." -she said, in an amused tone, as she and Sabrina made their way to the girls bathroom.
Happy New Year 2024, to those who have already entered in it.
This chapter was probably the most fun I had writing something in a very long time. And I'm not just saying that because Chloe is the main focus of it. xD The truth is that I take personal pleasure in writing her and the rest of the characters as they deserve, especially in situations like the ones that happened in this chapter. Good things are coming for all of them, but there are also bad things coming for them, and that makes the next chapters a much needed break before all Hell breaks out.
I must also admit that I had a couple of problems with Chloe's apology speech, which is why I can't take credit for the bulk of it. That credit goes to my good friend TsunaSora, who was kind enough to write it for me. Thanks again for the help, sis.
As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this and/or future fics.