Marinette Dupain-Cheng was always busy. And now, she was more busy than ever.

"Marinette," Tikki whined, her little hands just barley covering her big eyes, "When are you going to let me see?"

"In a minute!" Marinette got up from her seat where she did her best work, paused and looked back at Tikki, "No peeking okay?"

"Okay okay," Tikki laughed,

...

...

"Okay Tikki what do you think!"

Tikki opened her eyes to see Marinette standing in front of her, dressed exactly like Ladybug, except for her yo-yo and mask.

At first Tikki was in awe, she never got to see what Marinette actually looked like in Ladybug form (other than the pictures she'd see on Alya's blog), but then she realized...

"Wait Marinette, I thought you were working on the Chat Nior costume!"

Marinate looked down and shuffled her feet. "Well... I did start working on it... but I got too excited!" Marinette giggled and did a little twirl.

Marinette's class was putting on a play, directed by Nino, written by Alya.

What exactly was the play about?

Thaaaaat they weren't too sure about, all they knew was that they wanted it to include a battle from one of Ladybug's and Chat Noir's akuma fights. And that was why Alya was writing the play, she knew every Akuma battle ever since the beginning-plus she had the videos so everything would be accurate.

And of course, Alya, being the best friend she is, nominated Marinette to create the wardrobe. At first, Marinette wanted to back out, how was she going to balance her school work, helping out at the bakery, being Ladybug, and now creating costumes for the whole class! But when she saw how excited everyone looked about her being the designer, (and by everyone, she mostly means Adrien) how could she say no?

The entire class had chosen Adrien to be Chat Noir even before auditions, not even because they think he looks like Chat but because "he's already a model, he'd be perfect in front an audience," were the exact words that came out of Chloe's mouth. However, the role for Ladybug had not been casted yet.

Marinette wasn't even suppose to make the ladybug costume until she found out who was going to play Ladybug, she was just too excited about having a play about her.

"But you haven't been chosen to be Ladybug-"

"What do you mean," Marinette teased, poking Tikki, "I've already been chosen."

This brought out a bunch of giggles from the Kwami.

"You're missing the point Marinette!" The Kwami said in between giggles. "Shouldn't you at least audition for the part?"

"Tikki you know I can't act," Marinette laughed. It didn't bother her that she was a bad actress, she was actually just excited to see someone capture Ladybug's essence, even if that person will be working really close with Adrien.

"Wait Marinette! Don't you have to get to the auditorium and take the measurements for whoever is gonna be Ladybug," Tikki reminded her.

Marinette looked for her phone, "I don't think so, auditions don't start till-" Her face froze in fear for a brief moment when she noticed the time, then she shrieked, "FIVE MINUTES AGO! UH...TIKKI SPOTS ON!"

"Wait Marin-" Tikki didn't get a chance to tell Marinette that she should at least change.

"I don't get what you're so worked up about," Plagg complained.

"I'm too busy to be the lead in a school play!" Adrien had gotten to the auditorium before anyone else, Nino wanted him to be there to help pick who should be Ladybug.

"Besides I don't think it's safe for me to pretend to be Chat Noir, what if someone figures it out!"

Plagg shrugged, "Probably not, it's not like you'll have your actual powers. Plus your costume's fake, everyone knows the real Chat Noir can't take off his mask because of magic."

Adrien rolled his eyes, that may be true, but he still didn't like this idea.

"You're just upset because you're gonna be surrounded by a bunch of Ladybug wannabes, and you just want the real Ladybug," Plagg teased.

Adrien scoffed. It was true that he would much rather be with the actual Ladybug...but he still was way too busy to be in a play!

"Plagg, between my school work, fencing, music, Chinese lessons, photoshoots, AND actually being Chat Noir, how am I going to handle being an actor without letting the stress get me?"

Plagg shrugged, and stole a piece of cheese from Adrien's bag, "You're a smart kid, you'll figure it out."

"Besides," Plagg said in-between chewing his cheese, "Shouldn't you be worried about who's going to be Ladybug in the play?"

"What do you mean?"

"Uuuuugh." How dense was this boy? "What if Chloe ends up being Ladybug?"

Poor, poor dense Adrien, he finally understood. Chloe only nominated him for Chat Noir, so she could be Ladybug with him! No one in their right mind would audition against Chloe...

"Plagg I cannot be Chat Noir!"

"I think it's too late for that." Plagg rolled his eyes and went back into Adrien's jacket.

"Adrien!" Nino and Alya called to their friend as they entered the auditorium.

"Are you ready to find your Ladybug?" Alya joked as they sat down.

Adrien gave a small, forced chuckle. "Uh, do you to know who's auditioning today?"

Before Nino could answer, BAM. Someone dressed suspiciously like Ladybug came bursting through the doors.

"Ladybug? What are you doing here!" Adrien asked.

Ladybug laughed- wait Ladybug didn't laugh like that, Adrien thought.

"It's me Adrikins!" Ladybug took off her mask to reveal her true identity- Chloe!

"Chloe what are you wearing?" Nino asked. The doors opened again, Sabrina was running in, holding a sign that read: "Go Go Ladybug!"

"Wooooooooow!" Sabrina exclaimed, "Chloe I didn't know it was you! I thought it was the real Ladybug!"

"And you just happened to be carrying that sign?" Alya raised an eyebrow at the pair.

"Whatever," Chloe brushed off Alya's question, "The point is I look like ladybug and if you had taste you'd know you should always have someone who looks like a superhero to play a superhero."

Alya started to argue, but Nino cut her off, "Well here's the script, whenever you're ready," Nino motioned for Chloe to get on the stage.

"Ahem!" Chloe stomped her foot on the stage, demanding everyone's attention, "Are you ready to be amazed?"

Adrien didn't care how amazing Chloe's acting was, he was not going to let her be his Ladybug.

"Take it from "Let me make this promise to you,"" Nino said.

Chloe took a moment to get into character, and then she belted out, "Let me make this promise to you!"

Adrien actually flinched, as if hearing Chloe practically yell the speech Ladybug made actually hurt him.

"No matter who wants to harm you," Chloe continued reading directly from the script, each word sounding more dramatic than the last, "Ladybug and Chat Noir will do everything in our power to keep you safe!" She took her fake Ladybug yo-yo, tossed it into the air as if she was setting free all the butterflies.

"Wow! Isn't she amazing?" Sabrina practically swooned.

"Aren't you wowed?" Chloe smirked.

Adrien was not. Maybe her acting wasn't terrible, but the way Chloe said it was not the same way Ladybug did.

"Huh," Nino said suspiciously, not paying attention to what Chloe or Sabrina had said, he was busy looking at the sign up sheet.

"What's up?' Alya asked.

"No one else is coming to audition for Ladybug," He sounded rather confused.

Adrien's heart sank; of course Chloe had probably made sure no one signed up so her chances wouldn't wavier. Now not only was he stuck doing this play in general, but now he was stuck with C-

"Wait!"

Another Ladybug busted through the auditorium doors.

"AHH TIKKI WHAT AM I GONNA DO," Marinette shrieked!

Just moments ago she had just gotten to the school and walked straight to the outside of the auditorium doors since the school was empty, and detransformed, only to realized that she was still wearing her Ladybug suit!

"Marinette-"

"I have to go back home- no auditions will be over, and Alya trusted me to take the measurements-but then they'll think I'm crazy-"

"Marinette! Look!"

They had detransformed right outside the auditorium. Tikki was looking through the glass on the door, motioning for Marinette to look too.

"Why is Chloe dressed like me?"

Tikki laughed, "Why do you think?"

"Marinette? What are you wearing girl?" Alya gave her friend a weird look.

"I uh," Marinette stammered. It was no secret that Marinette was a bad actress, but she was hoping she could at least sell this.

"I um, decided last minute that I wanted to audition for Ladybug," Marinette laughed as if it was the silliest thing ever. Adrien however, was intrigued.

"So you made a Ladybug costume to come to the audition?" Nino asked. He knew that when Marinette was passionate about something she'd go all out, but even this seemed like a bit much.

"Ah ha?" Marinette babbled, looking like she was ashamed of herself, which she was. "Yeah but, then I saw Chloe's performance...and wow, I-I just knew there was no way I could do better than that." She tried to make herself blush a little, but she knew she wasn't selling this.

"Are you kidding," Adrien practically shouted. "The way you ran through the door, if you had your mask on I would've thought you were actually Ladybug here on a mission." Adrien wasn't sure if he meant that or not, but he'd say anything for Chloe not to be his Ladybug.

"Actually," Nino said slowly as he walked closer to Marinette. He had his arms crossed and he was giving Marinette a good look at. At one point he got really close to her face, causing her to flinch, as he continued to look at her. Then he walked back to Alya and whispered something to her.

"I've made my choice," Nino grinned, "Marinette you're our Ladybug!"

"WHAT?!" Shouted Marinette, Chloe, and Sabrina.

"Think about it!" Nino kept smiling, "Chloe, you can't be Ladybug because youuuu're," Nino tried to say another word other than annoying, "-too good. And this play is suppose to be for amateurs only!"

Chloe opened her mouth, but then shut it, as if she's actually considering it.

"You're totally right," she said to literally everyone's surprise.

"Wow to think I was going to waste my time in an amateur play," Chloe walked off stage, "I never thought I'd say this but thanks Marinette," and with that Chloe walked out the auditorium, Sabrina running behind her.

There were...several very different emotions going on in the auditorium right about now.

"Wow...it actually worked," Adrien couldn't believe it. He felt too shocked to actually be happy that he wouldn't have to work so closely with Chloe.

WHAT AM I GOING TO DO, Marinette felt like pulling her hair out of her scalp. She couldn't act, she could barley lie to cover her butt when it came to lying about where she was when she was Ladybug. Nino and Alya's play was going to be a disaster because of her.

Nino and Alya were just happy they wouldn't have to be spending everyday for the next few weeks with Chloe. Plus, they had an ulterior motive: They knew Marinette had a crush on Adrien, and what better way to make Adrien fall for Marinette than have them work closely together for a school play.

"Okay guys, we've finally finished the script!" Alya announced the next day in the auditorium. The whole class had just got there and were waiting patiently to hear what the play was about.

"We're going to reenact the day Ladybug saved us from Stoneheart!" This erupted a few murmered from the group, Ivan and Mylene actually blushed a little.

"So, Ivan, Mylene, you guys are going to play, well your parts," Nino said casually.

"Don't bother putting in the part where Ivan threw me," Chloe said nonchalantly, "I won't take part in this amateur work."

Alya rolled her eyes at Chloe, but ignored her. "Basically the play is going to be exactly that, minus a few things," Alya winked at Marinette. Basically this meant there would be less fight scenes because Marinette was, well, clumsy.

"We did however, add something in the end," Nino said smirking.

Alya had handed everyone a script and told them to look at the last page.

Marinette practically had a stroke.

Chat Noir leans in and kisses Ladybug.

"When did you decide this?" Adrien asked defensively. He'd never actually kiss someone before- he had always almost kissed people before, but he wanted his first kiss to be with someone he liked, someone he loved. Someone like Ladybug.

"Everyone in the world wishes they had kissed that day," Alya said waving him off, "We're just giving the audience what they want."

Marinette was standing behind everyone in the auditorium, worried out of her mind. Yes she did want to kiss Adrien, but not like this! What was Alya thinking?

No one else gave much thought about it, they thought it was a great idea.

After a few readings of the script, everyone got ready to actually act it out.

This was going to be a tough few weeks for Marinette.

(A/N: sorry if there are a few misspellings- the computer I was working on kept autocorrecting things D: I promise to get chapter two posted soon, the akuma battle awaits!)