“And you don’t know who set the both of you up?” Alya widened her eye at the news Marinette had just told her. “That’s crazy, girl.”

“Well, I’m not exactly sure,” Marinette stood up from the floor of the locker room. “But I sort of have a feeling I know who it is that set us up.”

“Still, I think it’s amazing that Adrien stayed just for you,” Alya chuckled. “You think he may like you?”

“Adrien Agreste that has rejected every single single girl that came his way,” Marinette laughed. “Not even in the slightest. And besides, what makes you think I like him. I just wanted to be his friend, that’s all.”

“Um-huh, totally,” Alya fooled her eyes, looking away. “Just friends.”

“Oh hey Tiki,” Marinette waved at the redhead that had walked inside. “So, how was your tutoring with Plagg? Anything interested happen?”

Tiki opened her locker without a word. She gathered her books and shut her locker with a look of anger on her face.

“Um, Tiki, you okay?”

Tiki turned to the girls again with an upsetting look. She then turned and walking away from the two of them, leaving Marinette and Alya to wonder what had just happened.

“I take it that it didn’t go so well,” Alya blinked. “But why so mad at us?!”

“She seemed to be mostly glaring at me. It’s as if I did something to her,” Marinette shuddered. “We need to find out what happened. Maybe we should ask Plagg ourselves. Maybe he knows.”

Alya shrugged. “As long as he tells us what’s bothering Tiki. I mean, soon the result of school president is going to be out. She needs to stay happy if she wants to win.”

“Oh look over there,” Marinette pointed. “I see him with his friends. Come on, Alya let’s go.”

                                                                                ❣️❣️❣️

“So, what’s up?” Nino chuckled as he turned to Plagg. “You said you got girl problems. Is it with that crush of yours again?”

“Well, not entirely… Okay, maybe,”Plagg sighed. “I mean, l would just ask her out but then I would sound like every other guy who ask her out. She would reject me in a heartbeat. I want us to get close first, before…. I do anything else.”

“Sounds like a plan,l Adrien shrugged. “I’m a little surprised. I mean, why her?”

“I don’t know, I just…”

“Right, right, we get it. No need to explain,” Nino interrupted.

“So you two would help me then?”

“Of course we will, Adrien shrugged. “I don’t really intend to be a part of this, but if you need our help, then we’ll give it to you.”

“Oh, thanks man-“

“Hey Plagg!” The boys turned around to see Marinette and Alya heading towards them. “We just wanted to ask you something. It’s about Tiki…”

“Oh yeah, love been meaning to ask you to talk to her or something. I mean, we barely got started I said,” Plagg looked the other way. “She stayed angry at me for the rest of my stay there. Is something wrong with her?”

“Weird. We came here to ask you the same question,” Alya frowned. “You said she got mad due to something you said. What was it that you said?”

“I refuse to say it in front of you,” Plagg looked down.

“I just hope you didn’t insult her or anything like that,” Marinette glared him. “Because if you did-“

“No I didn’t, I swear I don’t know what I did wrong.” Plagg raised his arms. “I wouldn’t insult her. I mean, why would I? She was helping me.”

“Right,” Alya turned to Marinette motioned for her to follow her “I think Plagg is innocent. So, we just have to try to talk to Tiki ourselves.” Marinette nodded in agreement.

All through the whole day of school though, Alya and Marinette didn’t get anything out of Tiki. The redhead stayed quiet, away from them and tried every ways to ignore them. She succeeded as well, seeing as she didn’t speak a single word.

Alya and Marinette stared getting worried. “It seems to me that she’s mad… At me, Marinette frowned. “She keeps glaring at me. I really don’t understand.”

“It’s okey. If you’re right about that, I’ll try to talk to her again and at least get one information from her,” Alya assured. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Marinette. Bye.”

Marinette waved at her friend goodbye, before she headed home herself.

                                                                                   ❣️❣️❣️

Gabriel rose from his bed and checked the time. His alarm clock read 3:45pm and his eyes quickly widened. He was supposed to pick Adrien from school. He must be waiting as well.

He took a deep breath. Ever since that day happened, he had been burying himself with work. Thousand of woks to do. He held designing competitions often to pass time. He went to his company Gabriel and sometimes stayed there the whole day, leaving Adrien home alone. Or he would just sleep though he didn’t even feel tired.

He sighed as he took out his phone which he had silenced. He realized he had a few messages from the people he had in contacts, mostly work members telling him to come back and get ready for the next designing competition.

There was also one from Adrien as well.

                                                                                         ☆☆

                                   ☆☆ 3:40pm/ A - it doesn’t look like you’re coming over today to pick                                                                                me up, so Nino’s parents were kind enough to drive me. Will be home                                                                                                                              Soon☆☆

                                                                                         ☆☆

All he wanted to do in life was forget about her and how she had torn his heart into pieces.

                                                                                     ❣️❣️❣️

“Ah, Marinette, you’re finally home,” Hannah rushed to the girl that walked inside the house. “So, I have something to ask you.”

Marinette sighed, knowing that this wasn’t going to end well. “Alright, what do you want? Can’t promise I’ll do it for you though.”

“Marinette, i got a simple job at a restaurant as a waiter, Hannah proclaimed. She didn’t really look all that satisfied though. “See, I’m super busy at home-“

“If super busy you mean laying on your bed all day, eating and watching T.V, then yup,” Marinette nodded, folding her arms. “You’re totally super busy!”

“Marinette!” Hannah had a warning tone in her voice as she glared at Marinette. “You little wretch. Just because you’re all popular now doesn’t mean you have the right to talk to your mother like that! Now let’s carry on to my situation that you rudely interrupted!”

Marinette clenched her fist, but held herself back from pouncing on Hannah. “What is it that you want so badly now?!”

“Like I was saying since I’m super busy at home, I would need someone to fill in for me sometime for my work,” Hannah continued. “I talked with the manger, and he said it’s okay to have you fill in for me when I cont make it.”

“Well, you obviously know I’m going to say no,” Marinette rolled her eyes.

“Why can’t just help your mother out for once instead of being the bratty, selfish twant that you’ve always been?!” Hannah yelled. “Without me, Marinette, without me adopting you, would never have had chance to get this popular. Now that you’re popular, you plan on leaving us. Selfish! You’re so uncooperative!”

“Haven’t I already give you my thanks with the thousands of money I’ve already given you?! Why do you still want more?!” Marinette spat with full hatred. “Whenever I give you money, you spend it so quickly on meaningless things. Things. It’s not my fault you’re as pathetic as you are now!”

Hannah must have snapped really badly, because the next ting Marinette knew, she was being slapped across the cheeks. Throughout their days arguing, Hannah had never dared to hit her, but here she was now.

“Marinette, you think the world revolves around you! You’re calling me pathetic when you’re the one who’s pathetic.” Hannah simpered. “Besides, if you were so amazing, then why would your real parents abandon you in the first place?!”

Marinette gulped at her words, taking a step back. “You…” She gritted her teeth, feeling more anger burst inside of her. Finally she did what she could at the moment. Walking up to the door, she stepped out and ran off away from the house.

We’ll see how you’ll provide for yourself now. I wonder if you will finally got off your lazy butt and start working to earn your own money, instead of relying on me!

Marinette stiffed. She had to admit, the words Hannah gave her hurt. She didn’t know who her parents were, but whoever they were, they were probably 10 times better than Hannah and Andy.

She walking inside the park. It was still light out; right now she should be hanging out with her friends, or spending her time in her room, playing the guitar, singing quickly to herself, dancing around. She should be making new designs to show Gabriel to impress him, after all she was going to be his assistant now.

She took a seat an empty bench, ignoring all the people that talking and pointed at her; ignoring all the people that walking up to her, asked her if she was okay, probably took a picture of her to send to their friends. She ignored the people that walking to and fro.

Yeah, if they knew what I was going through, would they still want to be like me? Would they still want to be me?!

Marinette hadn’t realized the tears pouring down until she saw some hit the ground. She stared at the ground for a while, but a voice make her look up

“Marinette, what are you doing here?”

Marinette turned around to face the one who had asked her the question.

“A-Adrien?”

                                                                                ❣️❣️❣️