Chapter Text
Chapter 1:
It was the mark of 2 months since Lila Rossi joined Ms. Bustier’s class, and she had managed to turn every single person against Marinette. Marinette remembered how they all heard Lila’s lies and blindly accepted them as truths, even Alya, who she thought was her best friend had left her. Those threats in the bathroom were only the beginning of Lila’s torture on Marinette. Marinette had lost all her friends, and sat alone in the back of the room. She glared at Alya sitting next to Lila, chatting like she would have had that… that lying snake not came to the class.
Glaring at Lila Marinette felt everyone watching her and looking disappointed. She wondered what lies Lila had spewed from that mouth of hers. Luckily, she didn’t need to wait to long as Alya marched up to her desk with Lila in tow.
“Girl, how could you?!?” she yelled at Marinette, “I knew you were jealous about Adrien but I didn’t think you would bully someone over that!”
“Bully someone?” Marinette thought to herself, all the while Alya was accusing her of bullying Lila over Adrien. Then the waterworks started, Lila bawling out crocodile tears about being cornered by Marinette in the bathroom, being cyberbullied by Marinette, and all the while the class believed her. Some of these people she had known for YEARS . Adrien looked at her and Marinette remembered him saying, “Take the high road,” Marinette was getting close to not following Adrien’s advice. “Her lies aren’t hurting anyone.” but they were hurting her . For the rest of the day, she felt like the class was staring at her, and making snide comments.
Alya continued to ignore Marinette, and she truly thought that Lila would continue her promise. The promise that she would take everyone Marinette was ever friends with away from her. Marinette still remembered that threat, clear as day.
“I will never stop until you have no one left. You can remember that, and I would take this threat seriously if I were you.”
“I doubt you can do that. All bark and no bite, Lila.”
“We’ll see about that…”
Marinette could only feel herself crumple into a stall. She had asked to be excused to the restroom during Ms. Bustier’s class. She didn’t realize she had been crying until Tikki offered her a tissue and comforted her.
“AKUMA!” Tikki cried out. Marinette turned to look at the butterfly and pushed out the negative thoughts.
“You can’t get to me, I have family, friends, and I will not allow you to manipulate me. I am stronger than you. You won’t get me Hawkmoth.” The butterfly left and Marinette only crumpled more. She checked the mirror to make sure she didn’t look too awful, and left to get back to class.
She looked at Adrien in the front, he didn’t give her the fluttering sensation in her heart anymore. Not after he did nothing to stand up against Lila. His passive personality was like a stone, sinking deeper and deeper into her heart when she realized she could no longer love him. Marinette ended the day at school feeling worse than when she began.
She went home to tear all the photos of Adrien off her walls. She couldn’t bear to look at a face who betrayed her. Marinette couldn’t love Adrien, and she furiously tore at the pictures on the wall. The Kwami’s looked at each other and were worried about the guardian. “Should we do something?” Longg asked.
“No, we should let her be angry. It will pass.” Said Sass.
Marinette took a deep breath and looked at the photos in her trash can. Crumpled and torn were photos of Adrien, his schedule, and all kinds of other Adrien-related things. Suddenly she heard a tapping at her balcony door.
“And how is my purr -incess doing today?” Chat Noir poked his head in upside-down.
“I’m alright now Chat.” Marinette responded.
“I can’t help but notice those images of that boy are gone from your walls.”
“I’m over him now, Chat.”
“What happened Marinette?” Chat asked with an angry look in his eyes.
“I just don’t like him anymore. Simple as that.” Marinette said with a huff. Since when was he interested in my love life? Marinette thought to herself. Chat Noir most often came looking for a snack from the bakery. It was a change of pace certainly, but Marinette wasn’t sure she liked it.
“What are you doing here anyways Chat?”
“I thought that maybe I’d drop in for one of your bakery scraps? Help a stray out purr -ity please?”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Marinette ran down the stairs to fetch some leftover pastries from the day before.
She came back with a quiche and gave it to Chat Noir. He said his thanks and swiftly left to continue his patrol. Thankfully that night there were no Akumas. The next day wasn’t much better though.
It was the same old thing. Go to school, be ostracized by Lila, and then go home and help her parents in the bakery. However, today was different. Today someone stood up for her, and opposed Lila’s lies. Sadly it wasn’t Adrien, he was still too much of a spineless worm to help her. No. It was Chloe Bourgeois. Certainly not something Marinette had expected. Chloe, standing up for her ?? It was new, and Marinette finally felt like someone cared enough. Chloe was clearly trying to make up for her mistakes and the miracle queen incident.
…-…
Chloe finally understood that the reason she couldn’t be Queen Bee anymore wasn’t because she was a terrible hero, but the way she treated others. So she began the day with that revelation and a promise to herself to be a better person. Besides, she missed Pollen.
She began this Journey by being kinder to, ugh.. Dupain-Cheng of all people. At least she wasn’t swayed by Lila’s lies. Chloe had heard the rumors going around Dupa- Marinette. Marinette. The absolute kindest person in the class, suddenly a bully because one girl showed up and decided to cling onto Adrikens? No. Marinette was too kind for that. So Chloe stood up for her that day.
That was the beginning of a new friendship. After all, she had lost Sabrina. Perhaps she was a little harsh on her. She agreed to not treat Marinette like that, and continued on bettering herself. This went on with her and Marinette alone in the back of the class, ostracized but at least they weren’t alone. Then Chloe got word of her cousin coming from New York to stay with them. She went to the principal to find a spot for Zoe, and she was put into Bustier’s class since there was an opening.
…-…
Zoe had stepped onto the plane, nervousness coursing through her body. “Will Chloe be nice? What will people think of me? What if they hate me?” and the What if’s started racing through her mind. She hated flying alone, especially since she wasn’t in a private jet. She took a public airline because of how desperately she wanted to leave New York. Thankfully her half-sister Chloe made arrangements for her to join Bustier’s class. She closed her eyes and waited for the plane to land.
She patiently stared out the window, waiting for the plane to land. The view was beautiful from up there, and she looked in wonder at the city below her. The plane landed at the Paris Airport and Chloe was waiting ready to pick her up with a chauffeur. Explaining Paris to Zoe, she looked out the window as Ladybug and Chat Noir, Paris’ heroes, jumped from the rooftops. “I have a good feeling about this place ” Zoe thought to herself. The car stopped at the Dupain-Cheng bakery, and Chloe went to say hello to her friend.
Zoe looked at the girl, with dark blue hair, and a beautiful smile as well. “Ah crud. Not this again, Remember how that worked out last time Zoe?” She thought to herself recalling her time at boarding school. When she came out to people who she thought were her friends, they made fun of her and put roaches in her locker. That was partly the reason why she had left New York. “Just suppress those feelings and everything will be okay.” She continued. Zoe suddenly heard the girl say, “So Chloe, who’s this person you brought to the bakery?”
“Oh right, I need to introduce you two!” Chloe said with a smile. “Zoe, meet Marinette. Marinette, meet Zoe!”
“Nice to meet you Zoe!” Marinette said with a smile.
“N-Nice to meet you too, Marinette!” Zoe hoped that she wouldn’t notice the blush creeping onto her face.
“Anyways I’m kinda busy helping out my parents, so unfortunately I can’t help show you around.” Marinette turned around to help her mother at the register. “Hope you enjoy Paris!” She yelled before slipping into the back of the shop.
…-…
Marinette had used working with her parents as an excuse to slip away. Why was her face so hot? She hadn’t felt this way since… “No. No. No. No.” She thought to herself. Marinette hadn’t felt this warmth on her face since Adrien . Albeit, that was far stronger and she stuttered more, but nonetheless, this was not a new feeling.
However what was new was who it was for. Marinette always thought she was absolutely straight. Never had she like-liked a girl before. She was always too busy fawning over Adrien Agreste, or at least had been. That crush long since dwindled out. He was like a speck of dust, nothingness to her anymore. This Zoe though, she was something new, like a spark to a flame. Marinette was slowly dying in the back of the bakery when really, she should be helping out her parents.
Marinette spent the weekend hanging out with Chloe and Zoe, sightseeing around Paris. It was a good time, and they got to show Zoe to some great spots. Thankfully, Hawkmoth had been laying pretty low, with no akumas all weekend. She had been thankful, and Tikki was always a great listener as she thought more and more about Zoe. Everytime Marinette thought of Zoe, a little smile came to her face. She did her best to conceal it, and generally it worked. However, that wonderful weekend wouldn’t last forever.
It was back to school, but she wasn’t sure what to think about this crush. She didn’t feel safe telling the class, or even Chloe for that matter, so she kept it to herself. She wasn’t sure how they would react. So she decided to hide it. No-one seemed to notice her at school besides Chloe, again. Marinette continued to hear the snide remarks from the class, the “bully’s deserve to sit in the back with each other” she winced as Lila told another story about being cornered in the bathroom. Of course, everyone believed her, except for Chloe who rolled her eyes instead. She was glad at least someone besides Adrien knew about her lies, but unlike Adrien, Chloe agreed they should do something about it. But now was not the time.
“Class, I would like to introduce a new student!” Ms. Bustier said to the class. “Meet Zoe, a transfer student from New York! Remember to be kind to her, as it’s her first day in this school!” Marinette couldn’t help but smile. Zoe, in a class with her? However, Marinette didn’t get a good chance to talk to her since everyone was interested in the new student. The only open seats were in the back, near Marinette and Chloe. Zoe happily walked up the aisle to the seat next to Marinette and Chloe. Only an aisle apart.
Marinette glanced over to catch a peek at Zoe, and almost fell out of her seat attempting to do so. Zoe hadn’t noticed, but was also trying to sneak a glance. Later at lunch, Marinette was seething at everyone trying to warn Zoe about her and Chloe, about how she was bullying Lila. Zoe seemingly shrugged it off and left the horde of classmates swarming around her to join Marinette and Chloe. Everyone had their jaws practically unhinged as Zoe ignored their warnings and sat with the bullies.
“So what was that all about?” Chloe asked.
“These people in your class seem pretty set that you are a bully,” Zoe said with a frown while looking at Marinette.
“Marinette is not a bully, Zoe, she is kind, and that girl over there,” She nodded her head towards the brunette in an orange shirt. “Has the class eating practically out of her hand. Everyone believes her lies... Well, that is besides Marinette and me.”
“I tried exposing her, but that's what led to the whole, ‘Marinette is a bully’ schtick.” Marinette said with a frown, looking down at her plate of food. “But you don’t believe that Zoe, do you?”
“Of course not, why would I when I’ve already met you? You are literally one of the nicest people I know!” Zoe said with a small blush tinting her cheeks. “Besides you’re an amazing person, I don’t see why they hate you.” She mumbled to herself.
Unfortunately, Lunch was interrupted by an Akuma attack. “Well, Hawkmoth couldn’t lay low forever.” Marinette thought to herself. She ran into the bathroom and transformed into Ladybug. “What is it this time, Chat?” She asked.
“He calls himself ‘Midas’ and anything he touches turns into a gold statue.”
Ladybug looked at the villain. “Looks like his cane is where the Akuma is.” He had been poking people left and right with the cane and turned them into statues. Ladybug used her Lucky Charm and got a pool noodle. Unsure of what to do, she got an idea. “Quick Chat, use the noodle to knock the cane out of his hands, and make sure you don’t touch the bottom. After that, use a cataclysm and destroy the object.”
“On it milady.” He said with a wink as he jumped into action. A short battle later and a purified Akuma, they shouted “Pound-it!”. Marinette helped an old man who got angry at his children for only wanting his money during a rewrite of a will, and then left to get back to school.
Marinette was back in time to finish lunch and head back to class. No one really wondered where she went, since no one really paid attention during the Akuma attacks. Class was uneventful as always, and Marinette mostly just focused on taking notes. Afterwards, she met up with Chloe and Zoe to do some homework. At the hotel, they were all sitting around Chloe’s room trying to figure out the answer to a history topic on the french revolution. “God why does Zoe look so cute when she’s focused” Marinette thought to herself. “Chloe snapped her out of it by asking, “Are you okay? You’ve been staring at literally nothing for a good minute now.” A look of concern was on both Zoe and Chloe’s faces.
“Sorry, Sorry! I just Zoe- I mean Zone out a little when I’m thinking! That’s all!” Her voice getting a higher and higher pitched as she continued. “Jeez, I am embarrassing myself way too much, I just need to stop tal-” Zoe got a little closer to her. “Are you sure you’re alright? You’ve been muttering nonsense.” Marinette let out a little “eep!” when she noticed how close Zoe was to her. Zoe noticed too and suddenly had a look of embarrassment on her face and was very red. “I-I’m just tired! That’s all.” She said. “Why can’t I just say one single thing right today?” Marinette felt like the room was growing smaller. The time seemed to go by a single second at a time, as if to spite her. Thankfully, it wasn’t too much longer before they finished the homework.
“I’ve probably ruined EVERYTHING!” Marinette practically screamed into her pillow. A startled Tikki flew out of her bag. “It’s alright Marinette, I doubt you’ve ruined everything! Besides, at least now you know Zoe’s a real friend, especially being able to trust in you with the class’s lies.” Tikki seemingly scowled at the thought of Marinette being betrayed again.
“Thanks Tikki, you’ve really helped. And you’re right. Zoe has proven herself to be a good friend. I don’t think I can trust Alya or Nino anymore. Especially with how they betrayed me. If they don’t have my back as a civilian, how can I trust them as a hero?”
“I fully trust in your judgement Marinette, especially since you are the guardian now. You know who you can and cannot trust, and I wholeheartedly support any decision you make.”
“Marinette!” A voice called through the trapdoor to her room. “Dinner’s Ready!”
“Well, looks like it’s dinnertime.” Marinette said to Tikki who hopped into her jacket.
…-…
Zoe couldn’t believe it. Everyone in the class called Marinette cruel, a bully, and a jealous evil person. Zoe had already met and hung out with Marinette. She was kind, sweet, and also beautiful. “Push those thoughts out of your mind. No one will accept you.” Zoe still didn’t believe a word they said and pushed through the group to where Marinette and Chloe were sitting at the lunch table. Everyone looked at her in shock that she would sit near the people they just warned her about. She hoped Marinette didn’t notice when she accidentally said a little bit too much about her. Besides just calling her amazing and kind.
She asked about it at lunch, and now had a deep hatred for Lila Rossi. A liar, and far worse, someone who hurt Marinette. She could see it in those blue-bell eyes, she could get los- “Nope, there it goes again. Nope, nope, nope. Gotta find some way to stop that.” she thought to herself. Still, it pained her to see Marinette so sad. She continued sneaking glances at her all through class after lunch was rudely interrupted by an Akuma. She looked so cute when she was focused, and Zoe tried her best to focus on the class at hand.
After school, Zoe, Chloe, and Marinette all went back to the hotel to do their homework. Once they reached the French revolution Marinette had been staring at the wall for about a good 2 minutes, and mumbled to herself. What was weirder was when Chloe called her out on it. She responded with a “Sorry, Sorry! I just Zoe- I mean Zone out a little when I’m thinking! That’s all!” Zoe noticed her voice getting higher and higher pitched as she continued. Zoe got a little closer to her, concerned for her friend . “Yup, just a friend. Just concerned for a… Friend.” Zoe thought to herself. Zoe said “Are you sure you’re alright? You’ve been muttering nonsense.” Mostly just to make sure Marinette was okay, and to mask the fact she noticed what she said. Zoe felt her heart flutter a little getting this close to her. Marinette let out a little “eep!” and Zoe noticed just how close she was to her. Her face was barely inches from hers. Zoe’s face felt hot from blushing and embarrassment as she scooted away from Marinette. Marinette let out an awkward sounding, “I-I’m just tired! That’s all.” Then the awkward moment of silence continued until Chloe sighed, “About the Revolution, huh.” and the time continued until they were finally done.
Zoe went into her suite of the Hotel and flopped onto her bed with an exasperated sigh. She heard a faint knocking on the door and said “Not now.” in a huff. The door opened and Chloe walked in and sat on the bed. “Zoe. What was that?” Chloe said in an accusatory manner.
“What do you mean?” Zoe asked.
“You practically broke Marinette, I haven’t seen her that bad since Adrien. But that was a while ago.”
“Wait- Who?” Zoe practically blurted out.
“Adrien Agreste? The Model that goes to our school? Sits in the front of the class next to Lila?”
“Wait him ? What about him?” she shot Chloe a glance.
“I’m not saying anymore, you should find out for yourself.” And walked out of the room.
Dumbstruck, Zoe wondered what the heck that was all about and continued lying face first on the bed. It was going to be a long week, wasn’t it. Zoe continued to push the thoughts of Marinette out of her head, remembering how badly her first crush went. They didn’t even like girls, and humiliated her in front of the whole school. Since it was a boarding school, she didn’t have anywhere to run and hide. So she finally left after taking so much bullying from the others.