MARICHAT SIN

Mari's POV

Sitting on the steps outside the school Alya giggled around a bite of sandwich as she congratulated me.

"Way to go Marinette! You sounded remotely normal saying hi to Adrien today!" she said coughing as she almost choked on laughter and sandwich. I chuckled at her amusement.

"Oh Alya, he looks absolutely gorgeous today! Did you see what he was wearing?" I asked turning to her with by hands placed over my heart as if to hide its incessant beating. Alya rolled her eyes.

"Uh, yeah what he always wears, like, every day?" she replied in a mocking tone. I slapped at her arm.

"Yeah, but Adrien looks good in everything. I don't care if he wears the same thing every day for a whole year without wash, he still makes me feel on fire whenever I see him. My love for him will never—"

"Wow Marinette, I knew you had a weird crush on my Adriekins, but I never expected it to be so stalker-y!" A squeaky voice emerged from the school doors behind us. I turned in panic to find none other than the nightmare queen herself—Chloe. "OH, Adrien is so gorgeous, he sets a fire inside me, and I just want to smell his dirty laundry!" She mocked in a voice loud enough for the whole school yard to hear. I flushed beat red.

"That's not what I—"I tried to interject but it was too late, Chloe had already been set off.

"But then again what did I expect, you always stare strangely at the back of his head during class, as if you want to lick his hair or something. You probably even follow him home, just like a mangy mutt." Everyone's attention was now turned to me. They all waited for me to fire back. I always stood up to Chloe, but it was different when I was protecting someone else. It was like my mouth was glued shut and my mind was blank. I couldn't think of one thing to say to defend myself. Adrien rubbed at the back of his head and looked uncomfortably at me and then back at Chloe. "I even once heard her tell Alya that she has posters of him plastered all over her room and that she can't wait until the winter line comes out so she can hang some more posters up. She like, basically has a shrine dedicated to him." finished Chloe, crossing her arms over her arms as if to punctuate her point. Adrien averted his gaze from my wide panicked eyes. I couldn't deny it though, what she just said was relatively true. I turned to Alya helplessly only to find her gaze dropped to the sandwich in her hand as she silently pulled off chunks of bread and let them drop to the ground. She had been reprimanded at school once before for standing up to Chloe, two days suspension, and she didn't want to risk that again. No, I completely understood, but for some reason my eyes still began to water. I got up slowly on shaky legs and picked up my half open bag. My sketchbook came tumbling out. I bent to pick it up at the pace of an old man, but it slid out of my reach with a forceful kick, the foot catching my hand in the action. I pulled away hurt, only to be met with Chloe's smirk.

I turned over to my sketchbook, which lay in a puddle a short way across the yard, pages strewn across the ground and soggy. I stared at it not sure what had just happened. Kim's laugh shook me out of my daze. My tears finally let loose as I ran to the school gate, scooping my sketchbook out of the puddle as I went, laughs ringing out from behind me.

My heart felt a deep ache, as if it was a black hole and nothing it swallowed could fill its hunger. It ached so much I wanted to fall onto my knees and wail out loud. My legs pumped as they carried me faster and faster toward the bakery, it would be ok I thought as I tried to calm down, hiccupping sobs racking my body as they carried me fast and swiftly away from my embarrassment. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't seem to remove the image that was now etched into my brain. Adrien visibly disgusted by the mention of my behavior, him taking a slow step back from me, even though he was a full 10 metres away. It would be ok, Mama would give me a hug and she'd tell me not to listen to what a monster like Chloe said. She'd sing me a song as she asked me to bake with her. Papa would give me a bear hug and he would swear to never let a Bourgeois order from his bakery again.

Reaching the bakery I sprinted to the back door craving the warmth of my mother and father's arms. I fumbled with the key, trying to turn the lock as my hands shook, unable to fit it into the keyhole. I broke down into a shaking, crying mess; snot and tears. I rang the doorbell in a continual rhythm sliding onto my knees as I did so. No one came to the door. That's right, they said they would be leaving this morning for a baking convention in Versailles. No one was home, I would be all alone this week.

Watching Marinette bolt out of the school gates made his heart ache. No one deserved to be treated so unfairly. Chloe had taken simple teasing way out of bounds, but then again when didn't she? She was always bullying other people, playing at their weak points and never being punished only threatening punishment to those who stood up for themselves. This spoiled brat needed to be put in her place.

Adrien's POV

With anger boiling inside him, he made his way toward Chloe with long even calculated strides. She noticed his movement and turned to his direction, one hand poised on her hip. She grinned at him. Without missing a beat Adrien crossed the remaining distance between them, jabbing an accusing finger at her chest.

"YOU are such an ASS" he spat gritting his teeth.

Her smile faltered.

"What do you mean Adriekins? I just saved you from mangy Marine—"she started before Adrien narrowed his eyes at her.

"Saved me? What? You expect me to praise you for picking on an innocent person? Next time why don't you yourself a favour and stay the FUCK outta other people's conversations. How bout you do me a favour and stay the fuck outta my life HUH?!" He was raging and all he could see was red. All his life he thought maybe she was a good person and just had a hard time expressing herself, but after seeing her pick on innocent sweet Marinette he realized her true form. All his life he was making excuses for her thinking she was his friend. Now he realized he wanted no part in a friendship with a demeaning asshole spoiled bitch. He turned on his heel and made his way back into the school, leaving behind a yard of open mouthed students and a stuttering Chloe.

In his head he made a mental note to visit Marinette as Chat Noir that night to make sure she was okay.