This day is the worst.

She woke up late to school and in her desperate rush to get ready, she grabbed an apple from the kitchen island. Only to find out that it was made of wax. Thus started off the beginning of a horrible day. The kind of day that most wish they would never have to awake too.

She had missed her first class and decided to go on to the second where she took her assigned seat next to Alya. Her best friend greeted her with a massive, excited smile and said:

"Have you heard that Lila is going on a trip to New York this weekend? She promised me that she'll bring back some scoops involving some of the superheroes there and she'll even bring me back a signed autograph from Spider-Man!"

Marinette had rolled her eyes, only partly paying attention, Her main focus to keep herself from vomiting due to not having breakfast this morning. "I wouldn't hold my breath for that, Alya."

Her friend frowned in annoyance, "I really wish you wouldn't talk bad about her all the time. She's an amazing girl and you're not giving her the time of day!"

It wasn't the first time Alya had said this, and it wasn't going to be the last. Usually, Marinette was able to ignore it. Ignore the slight sting in her chest that her best friend, the very person who was willing to stand up to Chloe when no one else would, was siding with a liar instead of listening to what Marinette had to say. Today, however, she had had enough. Something inside told her to speak her mind, and thus she opened her mouth: "I just don't get why you're willing to hang off every word she says without looking into it." She had wanted to say more, but the look of shock on Alya's face made her shut up.

Alya's cheeks puffed, narrowing her eyes dangerously, "So you're saying I'm a bad reporter?"

Realizing her mistake, Marinette frantically waved her hands around, as if trying to dismiss the words that were now in the air, floating above their heads for all to see. Not too far away, Lila was watching, a look of amusement on her dark olive face. Fox green eyes lighting up at the delicious scene unfolding before her. "Yeah, Marinette, are you saying that Alya is a bad reporter?" She asked, adding salt to the wound.

"No!" Marinette cries desperately, "I'm not saying that at all! I just think it's fair to ask for some evidence first before believing what someone says."

"Wow!" This time it was Chloe who spoke up, Sabrina giggling next to her, "That sounds worse Mari-TRASH!"

Marinette felt as if she had been backed into a corner, all eyes were on her now. Alya glaring down at her made the experience much worse. "So what if there isn't any evidence yet! That doesn't mean you should act like a jerk to someone before you get to know them! You've been mean to Lila this whole time Marinette. And all she's done is tried to be your friend! Heck, she even helped you with your physics homework and you still didn't even say thank you!"

When had Lila done that?

Marinette babbled, fighting to get her mind in order so she could speak up.

Lila sighs aloud, getting attention from most of their classmates, "I did try to help her, but she wouldn't listen to me. She just ignored everything I said and wound up with an F-. If she had listened to me when I offered to give her some help, then maybe that wouldn't have happened."

Lila's previous words sunk in, 'For now on you and I are at war. You will lose all of your friends and soon Adrien will be mine.' She couldn't let her win!

"Alya, please just listen to me for a minute. Do you honestly think I would ever say to you that you're a terrible reporter? I'm not like that and if you know me you would believe me. We're best friends, and you're taking her side over mine!"

Alya reeled back in surprise, realization dawning on her for a brief moment. All the while Lila glared at the two. All they needed was one little push and their friendship would be over.

A wonderful idea dawned on her, and she resisted the urge to laugh at the simplicity of her dilemma. Pinching her thigh from under her desk, Lila cried out in pain gripping her wrist, foreign a break, "Ow! My wrist!"

The other students jumped in alarm, all except for Marinette.

"Lila, what's wrong?" Kim asked. He and the other boys were by her side in a minute. Lila whimpered pathetically, rubbing at her wrist. "My hand hurts, it's been so tender lately. Marinette, I hate to bother you but could you go get some ice from the nurse's office, please?"

"I'll do it!" Kim volunteered. He punched his red-clad chest enthusiastically, "I'll be there and back in less than a minute!"

"That's so sweet, Kim," She cooed lovingly, all the while relishing at the site of Marinette's hot red face glaring at her. "But Marinette is closer to the door and I'm sure she wouldn't mind it."

Alya nods and looks down at Marinette still cemented to her seat. "Girl, why don't you get up and help her, can't you see she's in pain?"

Marinette huffs, rising reluctantly out of her seat, while begrudgingly saying, "Sure, Lila, I'll get you a pack of ice. Just hold on for a minute."

"Don't trip okay! I know you can be pretty clumsy." She giggles aloud and the entire class nods in agreement... even Alya...

That tiny pin of pain in her chest turns into a massive punch that knocks the wind right out of her lungs. Never before had Marinette felt so powerless, so useless. The fact that all of her friends, the people who she's been working with and helping before Lila came into the picture, were willing to cater to Lila's every need without stopping to wonder if she was even telling the truth. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Ever since Lila came back, everyone has been bending over backward for her. Her best friend was willing to give up Marinette's seat without asking first. Marinette wouldn't have minded it, but Alya hadn't even considered her beforehand. Now she was defending Lila and not giving her the time of day. Everyone was willing to believe Lila and if Marinette so much as tries to argue with some sort of logic, they would shut her down in an instant.

Marinette was done. She can't lose friends if they had already lost her.

Putting on a stiff lip and preparing herself for the chaotic outcome, she glared down into Lila's eyes and spoke in a deep, low monotone, withholding all ounces of anger she felt burning the pit of her stomach so that none of the embers would somehow flicker into her icy cold voice. "You know something, Lila, I'm not going to deal with this any longer. I'm done. You can threaten to take my friends and leave me all alone, but I would rather be without friends than to lose my own self-respect, which is something you clearly lack if you're this desperate to be the center of attention."

Lila's eyes blew wide open.

Alya hissed at her, "Marinette, what are you doing!"

The bluenette spun around, glaring into her friend's eyes. Alya gasps at the feeling of a cold knife digging into her soul.

"Alya, you've been my best friend for a while. I saw you as part of my family. When you were kicked out of school by Chloe because you had thought she was Ladybug, I was there to help you out. I was there when your older sister was acting protective of you and wouldn't allow you to hang out with us. And I never once stopped believing in you, and in the one moment I ask you to believe in me, to listen to what I have to say, you don't. You ignore me and you're willing to believe her over someone who've you've said was your best friend."

"Was?" Alya's eyes flicker with tears, "M-Marinette..."

She forces herself to look away, biting her quivering bottom lip. Marinette looks down at Juleka and Rose, "I've done my best to be the best Class President I could be and when you were having problems, Juleka. Rose and I did our very best to make sure you got the best school photo to show to your family and friends." Marinette looks down at Mylene, "You and Ivan were two opposites, but I did my best to make sure you two got together because you're perfect for each other. I remember how scared you were Mylene and I coached Ivan to speak to you from his heart because he truly does love you."

She turns her gaze to Max, "I'm sorry for acting terrible to you when we were competing. I know how much that meant to you and I'm glad that you and I still won. You were amazing."

Kim saw Marinette stare at him next and looked away shamefully, "Kim." Her voice forced him to return his gaze to her. "I'm happy you got over Chloe, and I'm sorry that I had encouraged you to pursue her. If I had known she was the one you liked so much I wouldn't have done that, but I'm still happy you found a wonderful girl."

Chloe was next. The blonde dressed in yellow and white immediately turned up her nose and crossed her arms. "If you want to give me some pathetic speech about how you've helped me, or how sorry you are for making my life miserable. Forget it! I won't listen."

Marinette smiles faintly, chuckling a little, "I just wanted to say I'm glad you and your mom are getting along."

Damn. That stung. Chloe bit the inside of her cheek, fighting off the onslaught of tears rushing to her eyes as Marinette spoke to Sabrina about something or another. Whatever it was that Marinette had said, Sabrina obviously couldn't take it as she started to whimper and then sob. Ugh. Can't she ever get a grip?

Finally, Marinette looked back at Lila, the Italian girl looked both insulted and mortified by these turns of events. She had wanted Marinette to lose her friends, yes, but not willingly. She had wanted it to be a slow, humiliating process that would leave the baker's daughter sad and alone.

This.

This was unacceptable.

"Well, there you go, Lila," Marinette said to her, her voice still even and holding no malice. Her peacock blue eyes still glossy, with a few tears freely dropping down to the floor. "You told me when I refused to believe your lies that you were going to make it so that I had no friends and I would be alone. Well, the no friends part is complete, but no matter what you say or do, I will never be alone. I have myself and I have a wonderful family that loves me regardless of what I've done. And if you think you can take me down so easily, then you're sadly mistaken. Goodbye."

She gathered her things, just as the final bell rang, signaling class was starting. Ms. Busteir was running late, but that wasn't uncommon at the moment as there was an emergency faculty meeting regarding the recent Akuma attack with Ladybug and her new team nearly losing, not to mention the appearance of Hawk Moth's new partner. Precautions will have to be made for future attacks and so on and so forth.

As she made her way to the exit, Adrien and Nino finally came rushing in, barely a second late for class, in their haste they nearly knocked Marinette over. Adrien quickly made a grab for Marinette's arm securing her in place. "I'm sorry, Marinette, I didn't mean to-" He stops, noticing her glossy eyes beginning to swell. "Marinette, are you okay? You look like you've been crying."

"Bro, so do they," Nino called, pointing to the whole classroom. Alya had lost the strength to stand and had collapse hard in her seat, still processing what had just occurred. Had she really been hurting Marinette this much?

Adrien looks down at his classmate, still holding her arm gently. "Marinette, what happened?"

She smiles up at him, ignoring the massive hole growing in her chest. A few more tears rolling down her face. "Nothing. I was just leaving." She doesn't give her crush time to respond, breaking from his hold and slipping past him, out of the classroom.