Adrien froze as soon as he heard shouting coming from the classroom. He took a deep breath and halted as the voices became clearer.
"God, Marinette, you're such a bitch!"
"You need to stop obsessing over Adrien!"
"He's allowed to date whoever he wants!"
"You need to leave him and Lila alone!"
"You're so fucking pathetic!"
"I can't believe you interrupted their date!"
"Stop stalking him and ruining everything!"
"He's allowed to be happy without you!"
'What?'
Adrien slammed open the door to see everyone glaring at Mari, and her just sitting in her seat. She didn't even seemed fazed by all the yelling that had been happening.
'How often are they yelling at her that she isn't even fazed by it? What happened to all of us being friends?'
"I would like to know how Marinette is stalking me and why no one thought to mention it to me?" Adrien demanded.
Alya turned to Marinette with a smile, like they had won something.
"It's okay." Nino said, putting his hand on his shoulder, "Lila told us everything."
"I can't believe you had to deal with that!" scoffed Alya, "Lila was so uncomfortable that her mom took her to Italy to visit family. She says she'll be back in two weeks."
"I asked about Marinette, not Lila." Adrien stated, confusing everyone.
"She's ruining your dates with Lila, on purpose!" cried out Rose.
"I'm not dating Lila!" the model shouted, "Not even if my father forced me too!"
The class looked at him as if he had just sprouted another head. They looked around at each other, but their focus went back to him.
"What?" he asked.
"But…Lila said-" whispered Mylene, unable to continue her sentence.
The silence of the room was interrupted as Marinette's giggles broke through.
"Why are you laughing?" Nino shouted.
"She…what?" Marinette questioned, smiling at them, "Or is Adrien doing it?"
"You're enjoying this!" Alya scowled.
"I told you, but you wouldn't listen." She sang.
"What is going on?" Adrien demanded.
"I'm sooooooo obsessed with you so I'm bullying Lila because we belong together and you will eventually love me." Marinette cooed.
Adrien spun around to the class, "Better question, what is wrong with you guys?"
"But she is!" cried Alya.
"No, I'm not." Marinette smiled, as her phone chimed, "Bye."
Alya stepped in front of her as she tried to leave, "No; we're gonna talk about this!"
"I talk. You never listen." Marinette stated, shoving her to the side, "Now, it's my turn to ignore you."
"So who is lying?" Ivan pressed.
Adrien growled out, "Lila is!" rushing after Marinette.
'Fuck! I need to apologize! Is this what she has been dealing with this whole time? I can't believe they think I would date her!'
Adrien froze on the steps, the class right behind him, as they watched Marinette kiss a guy on a motorcycle. Adrien felt himself tense up as he took in the guy's olive skin and black hair.
'How old is he? He has so many muscles! That shirt is a gift from God to show us what's under it.'
"I…..I don't think Adrien is her type." he heard someone speak.
"Neither do I." the model replied, moving towards them.
'Where can I find me one of those?'
As he reached them, the guy turned and glared him down.
'Uh, or maybe not.'
"Did you have a question?" Damian demanded.
Adrien quickly turned to face only Mari, "Where can I find a guy like him……but not so much of my father in the face?"
Marinette broke into a giggle fit, while her boyfriend looked at him confused.
"He doesn't like your glare, Habibi." Marinette explained, "His dad is strict with him."
"Physical?" He asked.
"No!" Adrien expressed, quickly.
Something told him that if the answer was yes, he'd be an orphan.
"Just…..has my life….structured." the model explained, attempting to ease the new guy.
Mari's boyfriend stared at him for a few moments and sighed, "I recommend Kon."
"Oooh!" Marinette smiled, "I agree. Adrien reminds me too much of Jon."
"Kon?" Adrien asked.
"Konner." Damian declared, "A relative of an…..acquaintance."
Mari smiled, "He's his best friend's older brother."
"And he looks like this?" the model asked, gesturing to Damian.
Marinette bit her lip to keep from laughing again, as she took out her phone and brought up a picture of them at a picnic. Adrien looked at the picture and saw how happy Marinette looked with her boyfriend.
"This one!" She said, zooming in on one of the guys in the background.
Adrien felt his cheeks flush as he stared at a guy with blue eyes laughing. He was wearing a leather jacket and a Superman shirt underneath.
"Sign me up!" Adrien said, trying to take the phone out of her hands.
"I'l let him know." Damian smirked, "Who knows, he might even visit soon."
Adrien froze, trying to figure out what he would say to him. He was too busy with his thoughts to see Mari get on the back of the bike.
"Bye, Adrien!" she shouted, as they drove off.
'Fuck! I could have asked her what he liked!'
"Dude, what was his name?"
"Yeah! How do they know each other?"
"How long have they been dating?"
"How old is he?"
"Give us the details!"
"Oh, I didn't ask." Adrien admitted, "I just asked Mari how I could get a guy like him and they recommended me someone they know."
"A guy?" Nathaniel asked.
"Yeah. He looked……..beef cakey? Hunk-able? " Adrien shrugged, "I think that was the word, right Nino?"
Everyone quickly turned to Nino. It was written all over their faces on how he could keep such a secret from them.
"A gym bro?" Nino questioned, cautiously.
"So, you like muscular guys?" Alix smirked, elbowing Kim, "If so, Himbo, but he didn't look dense. Ripped? Jacked?"
Adrien smiled, happily, "I don't know yet, but I liked what I saw when they showed me his picture and I'm willing to try!"
"What did he look like?" Alya asked.
"Uh…..if Marinette and Luka had a baby, but was a badass!" he announced.
"That's no help, whatsoever." sighed Nino.
He shrugged, "Makes sense to me."
"I'm confused." Rose admitted.
Adrien looked at her, confused as well.
"Why would Lila lie to us about dating you? Why would she tell us that Marinette came to sit with you, on your date, even after you told her to leave? She said that Marinette was following you to the movies and to your picnic spot and -" Rose was sniffling.
Adrien took a step towards her, "Lila lied to you all. I have no feelings for her, at all. If I spend time with her, outside of school, it's because it's for a photoshoot and my father asked her to be there. I have asked him to find a new model because I know that Lila likes me. I've rejected her over and over again."
"Lila didn't lie about Marinette stalking you!" Alya cried out.
Adrien looked at Alya as if she was speaking a different language, "Did you see the guy she just left with?"
Adrien lifted up his shirt to reveal a flat stomach.
"God painted that shirt on him!" the model shouted, "Hell, that God was ready to attack me for getting close to Mari! His abs summoned me to him! I would have left me for him, too!"
"Lila was very detailed about the dates, Dude." Nino winced.
"I dated Kagami, which Marinette helped me with. She even helped me plan some of those dates. Kagami said she even tried to help her work out why it didn't work so we could get back together." Adrien confided, "That doesn't sound like jealousy or obsession to me. Kagami calls Marinette her best friend and I happen to know that Mari goes to visit her and Felix, once a month."
"She said you reserved a resturant and took her-" Alix began.
"Anything I want to purchase has to go through Natalie. I have to explain how it's useful to me and why I want it." Adrien interrupted, "I'm lucky I'm not writing an essay. There's no way I could reserve a resturant and everything I eat is through a diet and portioned. It's why I go home for lunch."
The class looked at each other and he could see the doubt growing.
"What about the park?" asked Mylene.
"It sounds like a nice idea for a date, but I'm allergic to feathers and birds would likely try to get close to the food." the model confessed, "I did have a picnic in my backyard with Mari once. We played video games. It was after Kagami broke up with me and she was trying to make me feel better."
"Hah!" Alya shouted, "She was trying to get you to like her! It was a date!"
"Marinette kicked my ass at UMS3, constantly!" He shouted, "She told me to get better! She's reigning champ with Max! Kagami called her and she answered the phone. She destroyed me with one hand! If anything I got a crush on her, just from that!"
"You watched Solitude with Lila!" Alya snapped, "She said the director knows her, personally! You told her she was as great as the lead actress!"
Adrien turned to Alya and snarled, "Call that Bitch and tell her she is dead to me! She'll be fired by the end of the day from Gabriel, just for that comment."
Adrien pulled out his phone and called Natalie, "Send the car. Father and I need to have a talk. Immediately."
"Wait!" Alya panicked, "Why-"
"Learn how to use Google, Miss Reporter." He replied, "I know the directors, the lead actress, the costume designers; I know everything about that film. There are only two people I have watched that with. My father and Marinette, because she tried to help me escape to see that film in theaters. I only watch the first ten minutes with her before fans realized I was there and she had to help me escape again. Father had a copy at home. That bitch is nowhere as great as the lead actress and now she never will be."
The car pulled up and before it could even stop, he entered it and slammed the door. The class had never seen Adrien that angry.
Nino looked down at his phone and gasped.
"What?" Asked Nathaniel.
"Lila is fucked and she was definelty lying about the movie." Nino answered, "I guess we owe Adrien and Marinette more than one apology, especially her."
Alya grabbed his phone out of his hand and looked over the movie. The lead actress was Adrien's mother. His aunt was her stunt double. The Mayor helped direct the movie, along with Kagami's mother. Style Queen and Gabriel designed the clothes.
'That bitch is nowhere as great as the lead actress and now she never will be.'
"Alya?" questioned Nino, as he slipped his phone out of her grasp.
Alya opened her phone and selected Lila's name. She pressed call and put it on speaker.
"Alya!" Lila cooed, "Today isn't a great day and-"
"Today was interesting here as well." Alya interrupted.
"Alya, I need to-"Lila tried again.
"We all watched as Adrien eye-fucked Marinette's biker boyfriend. He asked them to set him up with a guy and he has a date planned with him already. He literally called her boyfriend a God and wanted to lick his abs. Also, Adrien said he would never date you, even if Gabriel forced him to. Oh, and before I forget, Adrien called you a Bitch. See you in two weeks, you liar!" Alya snarled into the phone and hung up.
Alya trembled as she fought against her sobs. She looked in the direction Marinette had ridden off into and wondered at what point she stopped believeing her. At what point had she started disregarding her best friend's words as nonsense. When had Lila's words become so much more important ad believable. When had Marinette stopped being her best friend and become Kagami's? How had she not noticed Marinette's taste for guys change so much?
"It's Friday so we have to wait until Monday to apologize to Marinette and Adrien." Max spoke up, "We can apologize about all assumptions we listened to and learn more about them."
"Assumptions?" Alya laughed, "We listened to Lila and never questioned anything she said! We became mindless zombies to her words! She said not to talk with Adrien and we never did! We could have asked and-we yelled at her so many times. She said it herself: 'I talked; you never listened.' ." as tears streamed down her cheeks.
Nathaniel sighed, "I don’t know if Marinette's friendship is something we can get back at this point. Alya's right. We listened to Lila and didn’t listen to Marinette's side of the story. When we did, we still believed Lila and called her a liar."
"She did seem happy to see us all confused." Alix admitted, "She reminded me of Chloe, at that moment. She was waiting for everything to fall apart and be blindsided. "
"No." Juleka whispered, "She wasn't like Chloe. She was worse and we made her that way. Marinette was our friend and we bullied her."
The class remained silent as the truth hit them hard. They had bullied Marinette and now she wasn't the same person they remembered. They knew nothing about her and wasn't sure if she would let them back in. They all looked at each other, understanding they all needed to let today's information sink in and walked away.
Lila collapsed on her bed, thankful her grandparents were so traditional. She had managed to convince her family she was sick and didn't want to infect her grandparents. They convinced her mother she was almost old enough to 'leave the nest' and this would be a 'test' to see if she would survive the real world. Lila had made promises to call if her 'symptoms' worsened.
It was Sunday night and no one was answering their phones. She tried to look through social media, but no one had posted anything; not even Alya.
'This is just a bad dream; this is just a bad dream. Everything will be fine tomorrow at school.'
Lila put on the bravest face she could manage when she got to the school. She entered the class with a bright smiled.
"I'm back!" she announced, "My mother had important business so we had to-"
The class turned and looked at her, but then went back to what they were doing. Lila immediately felt out of place.
'No! I couldn't have lost them already!'
"Hey, Alya!" she cried, rushing to sit with her.
"Hey." Alya replied, not even looking at her.
"I think I had some spotty reception when I was in Italy." Lila began.
Alya sighed, loudly, "I already told you, Lila, we know you made up the lie about dating Adrien. Adrien called out the whole thing."
Lila opened her mouth, but she didn't get the chance to speak.
"We were telling Marinette to back off and how creepy her obsessive behavior is and Adrien walked in." Kim declared.
Rose stood up and glared from her seat, "We told him we were trying to protect your love and get her to leave you alone. He said he would never date you!"
"Marinette laughed at us as we tried to figure out which one of you two was lying; you or Adrien." Mylene stated, "Then, she told Adrien why we were yelling at her and how he would eventually love her. He started yelling at us!"
"Marinette even told Adrien how obsessed she was with him and how he would love her." Juleka spoke, "You could hear how sarcastic she was about it."
"Adrien informed us that Marinette helped him with his first girlfriend." Max declared, "That he asked her to help him plan dates."
Nathaniel stood up, "He even told us that she tried to help them work through their problems so they could get back together, but they didn't."
Lila looked around the classroom, like a cornered animal. She could quickly see that everyone was against her. She couldn't tell what stung worse. The fact that Adrien had turned everyone against her in one afternoon or the fact that he was still on Marinette's side.
"Marinette left the room while Adrien was calling you a liar." Ivan insisted, "Adrien chased after her and we followed. She was kissing a guy on a motorcycle. Adrien went over to them."
"When Marinette and her boyfriend left, we went up to Adrien and asked what he found out about the guy." Nino continued, "Adrien said the only thing he asked was if they could set him up with a guy that looked like her boyfriend. They said they knew someone."
Alya shoved her phone in Lila's face, so quickly, she had to take a step back. There was a picture of Adrien eating Sweetheart's ice cream with a guy with blue eyes and a leather jacket.
"I asked permission to take the picture, just to show you. Adrien agreed." Alya smiled, "Meet Adrien's new boyfriend; Gabriel Approved."
Lila was on the brink of actual tears. All that she had worked for over the years was gone because of one vacation. Marinette had moved on and she had no idea how long ago. She couldn't use Marinette's obsession with the model anymore as an excuse to bully her now. She wasn't a model anymore and Adrien was dating someoen she couldn't compete with.
"Where do you get off telling people that we're dating, Lila?" Adrien snarled, announcing his presence to the room.
Lila spun around, caught off guard by the furious look in his eyes. Adrien walked over, setting his things on his chair, in the process.
"I'm so glad your best friend told me about your delusional fantasy." he snapped, making Alya flinch, "I told her you would be fired and I'm sure you've already gotten the message."
Lila glanced over to Alya, but she was looking towards Adrien.
"I've already started removing things off my website." Alya spoke, as if that would fix everything.
"Do better, Miss Reporter." He shot back, "I've heard you tell Mari for years to fact check; you couldn't even do that. I already told them, but let me make myself clear, Liar. I don't date trash; especially not some bitch who lies about my mother."
Lila opened her mouth as if to speak, but couldn't even remember if she had said something bad about his mother. If anything, she would have praised her.
"You don't remember?" he scoffed, "You told everyone here how I sang your praises and how you would be a much better actress than her; the lead actress from Solitude."
Lila grabbed the desk, as she felt the floor fall out from under her. She had buried her own grave and she could see the hatred in his eyes.
'That's what this has been about? I only heard he liked that movie. I didn't know it was that important!'
Lila hadn't felt herself sit down. She was too fixated on his eyes. His eyes spoke volumes. Adrien Agreste would never trust her again. He wouldn't even listen to her. All she saw looking back at her was her father's disgusted face; there was no winning him back.
"Just so you know, that was a project done by my parents, my relatives, Chloe's parents, and my ex-girlfriend's family. I believe my ex-girlfriend said it best: 'We're diamonds and you're just a stone'. No one is greater than my mother." Adrien finished.
Marinette walked into the silent classroom and Adrien immediatley lit up. He grabbed onto her arm, pulling her towards the others, away from Lila.
"Oh my God!" He cried out, "Konner is perfect! He is amazing and understanding! I wasn't prepared to meet him! Did he say I was weird? I forgot to ask you about his likes and dislikes."
"Yeah, you were too busy drooling over my phone." Marinette spoke.
Adrien chuckled, rubbing the nape of his neck.
Marinette took a step towards him and glared at him, "You keep Kon and keep your eyes off of my fiancé. Got it, Agreste because if I have to fight you for him, I will and Gabriel will be down another model. Kagami has taught me fencing over the years and your dear cousin has been teachign me martial arts. Damian can outdo them both. I've learned from the best. I'm sure Kon mention the…..extent My Damian will go to."
Adrien quickly nods.
Marinette smiled, "Good boy." before she leaned in and whispered, "I'd hate to tell him how you’re the reason I was bullied all this time. I took your high road. Every time the class yelled at me, every time the ripped up my homework, every time they pushed me down to the ground and I sprained my wrist and couldn't do my commissions; all I thought about was you. Your stupid words. How everyone would realize Lila was full of shit. You lied to me; you spoke up. If you had stood by me in the first place, I wouldn't have had to suffer. Kon hates bullies; he would never look your way again. Enjoy your boyfriend. His father is worse than yours and in politics. I hope Gabriel is prepared for the fallout."
Mari took her seat and everyone felt the power shift. It was undeniable with Marinette at the top and Lila, now, at the bottom. Adrien wasn't a prize she wanted, but they could tell by the way he wobbled his way to his seat, she was now in control over him. She hadn't looked at them and now they doubt she ever would. Any thought of regaining her friendship was immediately shattered.
The old class was huddled in the park, at lunch. They all had one topic they wanted to talk about after the scene this morning.
"What happened?"
"I....don't know."
"He's so.......opposite."
"He looks like an adult."
"He's so grumpy!"
"It's like a permanent glare is stuck on his face."
"He looked like he wanted to hurt us."
"Who wears a suit to school?"
"Felix." Adrien spoke up.
"Sorry, Adrien." Nathaniel winced, "I didn't mean to offend you or...Felix."
"No, you didn't, but you were right." Adrien replied, "He reminds me a lot of Felix!"
Alya made a face like she had swallowed a lemon.
"Maybe we should talk to her?" She suggested, "That probably isn't the .....best match."
"I think they're perfect for each other." Adrien declared.
They all looked at him shocked.
"You don't mean that!" Alya shrieked.
Adrien stared at her confused, "Yes, I do. Mari and Kagami get along really well and Gami is dating Felix. Mari's boyfriend reminds me a lot of Felix. I think if Felix and Mari had met first, they probably would have gotten togther."
"I don't know, Adrien." Nino hesitated.
"He seems protective of her and we haven't been the best of friends lately." Adrien admitted
"But she-" Alya hesitated.
'She couldn't say she was jealous of Lila and Adrien. Especially, when she went for someone so opposite of him. She wasn't even talking to them or Adrien. In fact, she stopped talking to them and basically ignored Lila.'
"I guess you have a point." Nathaniel spoke, "I'd say he's......sharp."
"Sharp?" questioned Rose, "Like thorns?"
"Exactly!" Adrien cried out, happily, "He's like a combination of Kagami and Felix. Both of them are very direct and protective. They all fence."
"You fence!" Alya growled out.
"My dad makes me; it's not something I enjoy. He'll, even Marinette beat me in fencing, before Kagami came along! Fencing to them, it's life!" Adrien stated, "They eat, sleep, and breathe fencing. I do the bare minimum of training and I don't beg my dad to let me keep training."
"You think he fences?" Asked Kim.
"Mari says he uses actual blades." The model replied, "His mom taught him using real blades."
"You asked her about him and didn't tell us!" Alya cried out, "What do you know?"
Adrien leaned away from her, "They're in a long distance relationship. He comes to visit during the winter and she's gone to his family's place the last couple of summers."
"Couple of summers?" Asked Rose, looking around.
Everyone, but Adrien was thinking the same thing.
'What does that mean for her relationship with Lila? Wasnt their rivalry about Adrien?'
"Yeah." He shrugged, "I think she said they have been dating for......three years now."
Even in the open area, they felt suffocated by the news.
'Wasn't Marinette jealous of Lila?'
'Apparently, she was dating someone this whole time.'
