The day after her heroic efforts lead to the rescue of a small child, Marinette wakes up early. She gets ready for her job and leaves. She figures why not? She arrives at the beach around 6:15 am. She sets her beach towel down in the sand, takes her sandals off and goes for a walk. She admires how the sunshine's rays hit the ocean. She is so busy with this she does not notice when someone joins her.

The newcomer, or rather whoever he is already at the beach. When he sees the lifeguard arrive, he wonders who is this angel that comes to me? He sneaks up behind her as she walks along the edge of the shore. He can tell she seems preoccupied. He thinks this is great! He walks towards her as she stops for a moment. He grabs her by the arms and turns her around to face him.

"Who are you?" Marinette asks.

"Hmm, well, well, what do we have here?" He says.

"Let go of me!" Marinette screams.

"Shh, angel! Now, you know it is just the two of us alone. " He says.

To her horror, the stranger pulls her close to him. His lips almost touch hers. She shudders at his touch. She is afraid. Very afraid of him! She tries to pull free from his grasp but finds him too strong. She hears him laugh. Then, she feels something wet touch her mouth. She thinks, no this is all wrong. He kisses me against my will, why I don't even know him! How could he? Yet, as he kisses her he holds her arms down, so she is unable to slap him and she feels frozen in place. He suddenly pulls out some rope and ties her arms behind her back, before she can scream he ties her legs together as well. He wants to make sure she can't leave. The monster as she begins to think about this creep has the nerve to kiss her again and this time, he throws her sunglasses on the ground, stomps on them, and removes her t-shirt from off the top of her bikini top.

Marinette's thoughts take her to a place she'd rather not go. No, no! She thinks, anything, but that! I'd rather die than have him...she cries. He will kill me when he finishes with me. I know it. I will never see my friends, Luka and Adrien again. The worst is they will not know until it's too late. She panics and feels herself blacken out to shut away the horrors of it all.

Meanwhile, Adrien is on an early jog down the shore. He ends up in the same area where Marinette is in trouble. He thinks it is nice because he wants to talk to her and only hopes she returns his feelings. He walks closer to her and sees the man near her. He is furious more than he has been in years. More than when he first found out his father set him up with Lila. He sneaks up behind the creep, and yells, "Let her go, Don't hurt her! " Before the bad man can look up to see who approaches him, Adrien picks up a sand dollar from the ground and hits him on the head. The man passes out cold.

Adrien feels relief the stranger is unconscious. Then, he cries as he picks Marinette up and carries her away from the ocean's edge. He sets her down on her towel and unties her. He stares at her and thinks, please Mari, be alright. He gently touches her on the shoulder. He watches as she opens her eyes.

Marinette looks up at him in surprise!

"Adrien, how ?" Marinette says.

"Oh, thank goodness, you are alright!" Adrien says.

"You are my hero!" Marinette says. She cries and hugs him.

Adrien blushes at the gesture. He hugs her back gently and thinks, Mari, I feel like I will go crazy if anything ever happens to you.

 Adrien realized he had fallen in love with the lovely lifeguard, the only girl who does not appear to be star crazy about him. It makes him happy, yet afraid all at the same time.

"Marinette, I am not a hero. I'm a nobody but a stupid blonde who walks in his father's shadow!" Adrien says as he lets go of her.

"Oh, but that is not true. You are my hero, you saved me from that monster! I mean he was going to,... Oh, I can't say it!" Marinette says with tears in her eyes.

"Okay, fine, I was a hero for a day, but I..." Adrien says.

"But what?" Marinette says.

"I am not someone you should look up to. If you knew me you would see that. I am sorry, but I have to go." Adrien says. He stands up, calls the police, talks to them, then leaves.

Marinette watches him go. She sighs. She thinks, why am I sad to see him go? We are only friends, right?

Adrien sighs as he leaves. He thinks it is for the best right?

Adrien's POV: I can't be with her.  We can't be together, and it is my father's fault. He wants me to date Lila, but I don't love her. I love Marinette! Why? why did I fall so hard for this lifeguard girl? What will I do? I can't lose her! I can't. What can I do though? I have to figure out a way to break up with Lila.

Marinette's POV: When the police finish questioning me, I head back to my house. I go inside, close the door, lock it, and sob. I am not sure now, what it is I cry about anyway. Is it because of Adrien's reaction to the hug or his disbelief he is my hero? Is it due to his rush to leave, after he spoke to the police?  Could it be because I felt like I might be badly hurt and even die before he showed up out of nowhere? My thoughts confuse me, as I am the one who claims to never seek to date anyone to avoid heartache, yet here I am with these crazy thoughts, thoughts that make me wonder about Adrien. what does this even mean? Then, there is my coworker, Luka. Boy, is he a flirt?  He is kind, but I am unsure what else to think about him yet.

Published Dec. 29, 2018 and edits made Dec. 30, 2018, & February 20,2020

More Edits made on 8-5-2-24

to be continued in Chapter 4 Competition?