Now it is the next week, Tuesday afternoon to be exact, Adrien decides he will not speak to Marinette anymore. It is far to painful to here her voice when she could care less about him.  These are the thoughts that go through his mind as he gets ready for the next surfers event. He lathers on some sunscreen, and puts some extra in his pocket.  He figures why risk a sunburn in all this heat?  He grabs up some bottled water, his surf board, and sunglasses.  He leaves the house and heads to the beach.

           Luka is already at the beach.  He looks around him.  He sees that Lila is back. He thinks, great!  The last thing I need is to deal with her along with rejection from Marinette.  He is still not too happy Marinette spoke, so harshly to him.  Let alone the slap, and lastly her words "I am in love with someone else!"  He can not believe it. He can't believe she could mean it all. Yet she sure appears to be serious.  He still has no idea why she kept the book he gave her.  

         Marinette shows up soon enough. She sees Luka deep in thought with Lila nearby. She chuckles under her breath since he appears to be unhappy with Lila. She figures at least he will not bother me for the moment.  She looks for Adrien.  She sees him!  She smiles and waves at him. 

       Adrien sees Marinette wave at him but ignores her.  He does not say a word to her and doesn't wave back at her.  He carries his surfboard towards the water. He climbs aboard it and as a wave comes by does what he is good at. He surfs!  Despite his protest that he hates it, he enjoys it when it is not for a competition like today.  He continues to surf! 

     As Adrien surfs he thinks about all the silly things the old, wise man told him on two different occasions.  He believes there is no way the man could know, anything about love!  Nothing at all, why if he did, then why was Marinette with Luka?  He does not even notice  Lila flirts with Luka.  He has no idea that Luka is miserable. He knows what he thinks to be true.  The kiss during the storm was a simple goodbye kiss. It must have meant nothing more to her.

      Marinette goes for a swim. She still can not believe Adrien did not wave back.  For that matter, he never spoke to her either.  Not even as much as a "Good morning, or  Hey, Mari!"  came from his lips. She cries. She lets the tears fall without a care if anyone sees them. She knows he told her not to cry.  Yet, she finds his silence enough to make her unable to stop the tears.  She finishes her swim.  She goes back to shore and sits down. She reads a book, but all the words on the page seem to blend.  

     Marinette's POV:  Why does Adrien ignore me?  I do not understand.  Usually, he seems so happy to see me.  You would think I  said or did something to him.  Why his behavior, is just childish?  I thought he was more mature than Luka.  Where did I ever come up with such a thought?  I mean it.  Today, he acts like a person has taken away his favorite toy like a toddler would when his brother or sister takes their blocks, or doll from them.  What has gotten into him to make him react this way?   

    Adrien's  POV:  I see Marinette swim and she looks lovely.  I blush in spite of everything.  Goodness, my love for her is greater than I could have thought.  Why do I blush when I see her even though I promise not to care?  Not to love!  I  rebuke myself for these feelings that contradict themselves. These feelings of anger, jealousy, hatred, and love.  How can I feel such things all at once?  How can the old, wise man think she could love me when she does not?  I ponder these things as she swims past me.  Now, she is back to shore.  I see her as she reads. She does not look that much at ease though. Why if I did not know any better she has been crying.  I see Lila with Luka.  Ugh!  What has he done now?  How could he cheat on such a sweet and innocent girl like Marinette?  I  think to myself, it must be his fault she is like this.  If not, then what else could it be?   I fall off my surfboard and feel like a fool.  I should never have come out here like this.  I climb back on, but the waves appear to be against me.  Why does the woman I love hate me, my rival breaks her heart, and the ocean charges against me? What am I to make of it all?

      Adrien finally gets off the surfboard and heads to shore. He might as well since his thoughts messed him up.  He stayed on the board for less than ten minutes at a time.  He thinks, my father would not be happy if he saw me in such a state. Why he would laugh at me and tell me,  "I told you so!  I told you only harm and no good could come from letting yourself fall for that life guard girl!  Why could not fall from some rich, and proper girl instead?"   He shrugs his shoulders as he feels his thoughts, the water, Marinette, Luka, his father, the old man and everything is against him.  He feels like his world has fallen apart at the very seams. There is nothing left to pick up the pieces.  He calls it a day and heads on home.

     Marinette sees Adrien leave. She follows behind him.  Only this time she does not say a word.  No, she keeps close behind him in silence. Why bother with anything else when he does not want to speak to her? She feels her life is one ironic thing after another. First, she falls in love without a plan to do so. Then, her love rejects her.  Next, another loves her, but she rejects him.  She thinks, tomorrow I will turn in my two weeks' notice.  I will leave and go far away from California.  I can not stay here anymore, not when everything here reminds me of the love I never truly had.  I must go,  I will leave at once!

      to be continued in Chapter 14  South Carolina Here We Come?