After everything that had happened, Marinette had little to no hope that things would get any better.

She felt like a fool, and nothing she ever did was considered socially acceptable.

Why do I have to be so damn awkward!?

She cringed as she thought about the incident that occurred just a few hours before. She gently rubbed the band-aid that covered her elbow as she remembered how she instantly became the center of attention.

The malicious laughs began to torment her fragile mind as she felt warm tears begin to form.

She could feel the cold stares and evil laughs surrounding her. At that very moment, all she wanted to do was to run away and forget any of this ever happened.

Her head hung low, but her self-esteem hung even lower. By going to school, she thought she could change the past, and forget her mistakes. But no! Nothing changed since the day she first stepped foot into this place.

As she began to walk away from everyone, the din quickly faded away into oblivion. She didn't dare look at any of them. To them, she was a clumsy nobody, and that made her feel very insecure.

She eventually made her way over to the nearby staircase. Luckily there wasn't anyone around, so she could enjoy some peace and quiet for just a moment.

However, fate had other plans. Before she could take another step, someone pushed her with tremendous force.

Everything happened so fast. Before her body came to a standstill, she was able to see the faint outline of the person who had pushed her. It was difficult to tell, but Marinette had a very good idea of who it was.

"Argh..." She held onto her aching head.

With her belongings scattered across the floor, she felt defeated. She was all alone, and no one cared to assist her.

Her head still ached a lot, but she ignored the crippling pain. She didn't care; all she wanted was to get out of here and forget about everything.

As her hand reached down to grab her pencil case, a larger hand landed upon hers.

When her sad bluebell eyes met a pair of very peculiar blue ones, she felt heat rise to her cheeks. What was this warm feeling flowing from deep within her soul? Was it embarrassment, or perhaps curiosity?

She couldn't figure it out, yet she hoped that it was a good feeling.

"Uhm... You okay, Marinette?" He asked a little concerned.

She suddenly forgot how to speak. Her eyes were instantly lost in a sea of such deep mystery, and couldn't help but stare.

"Uh..." She tried.

The musician kindly helped the clumsy girl gather her belongings before pulling her to her feet. He gave her a sweet smile as he handed her a few books.

Marinette tried to hide her blush as she reached for her things, but it was basically impossible. She felt so shy all of a sudden. A deep red pigment covered her cheeks as she looked to the ground; hoping to minimize the chance of anyone seeing it.

"Thanks, Luka. That was really kind of you."

"It's only a pleasure. Besides, if someone needs help with anything, I'll always try to assist."

An uncomfortable silence quickly filled the space between the two teens. Marinette felt really awkward all of a sudden, but smiled nonetheless.

"So..." Luka began, "Are you still coming to band practice this weekend?"

Marinette hesitated for a moment before responding, "Yes, surfinitely! I mean definitely!" She felt herself cringe at her extreme awkwardness.

Luka gave her an unsure look, but quickly brushed it off. He had only known her for a few days, but he was already used to her clumsiness.

"Okay, Marinette," he smiled. "That's awesome. I'm so glad that you decided to be a part of our group. I think... With you being there, you'll help Adrien find himself again."

"I will? But how?" She gave him a questioning look.

"I don't know, but I can feel it. No one has been able to get him to open up, but I think you have a gift... You've only been here for a few days, yet I can already see a change in his behavior. My guess is, that it has something to do with you."

Marinette's mouth hung open. Maybe Luka was right... But what could plain, clumsy Marinette possibly do to help a broken boy like Adrien Agreste?

"I... Uh... I honestly don't know what to say..."

The blue-eyed boy gave her an understanding look, "I know, but just trust me."

Should she trust his judgment? She was left more confused than anything else. She gave him a blank stare, but after a few moments she slightly shook her head.

She gave him a small smile, "Okay."

Honestly, she didn't know if she really trusted him yet, but he seemed like a genuine guy. He seemed to not care about anything anyone said, and that made her more willing to believe him.

"Cool. So... Are you going anywhere?"

"I'm actually heading home right now." She nonchalantly stated.

He nodded his head, "Okay, then. Would you like me to walk you home?" He kindly offered.

Marinette was silent for a while before she said anything.

"No, no that's okay. My house is really close by so... You really don't have to... That is... It's not that I don't want you to-"

He laughed at her confusion, which in turn made Marinette feel a little insecure.

When Luka saw her sour face, he quickly tapped her shoulder which caused her to look up at him. He gave her a sincere smile,"I'm not laughing at you. It's just... When you get so lost in thought, you seem to muddle up your words. It's quite cute, actually."

Marinette could feel her face heat up again, but only this time it was worse than before.

"Uh... Th.. Thank you..." She was once again lost for words.

"Any time. So, I'll let you be... You seem anxious to get home. I hope there's no hard feelings between us."

"Thanks, Luka. No, no... Everything is fine!" She smiled awkwardly.

"Sure, no problem. We'll see each other at band practice," he smiled and turned around leaving a very red Marinette behind.

Time seemed non-existent as she watched him leave. There was something about him that made her feel different somehow, and she couldn't really understand it.

What was that all about?

With his figure fading away into the crowds of people, she smiled before turning around.

Before her body turned completely, she felt herself pressed up against something hard. Her heart began to race as realization immediately hit her like a ton of bricks.

He was so close; she could smell his cologne.

Could this day get any worse?

She hesitantly looked up until blue touched a forest of rich emerald. She couldn't read his expression, and that terrified her to the core. Did she make a huge mistake or what?

Her mind didn't seem to settle down, as she waited for a response from the blond acquaintance standing in front of her.

Nothing but silence lingured between them. Her eyes anxiously examined him until they fell upon something that looked vaguely familiar.

It was her purse! She didn't even realize that it was missing...

"Here. I saw what happened, and-" he rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "-I'm sorry about it."

Adrien was acting very weird, and Marinette didn't really know how to respond.

"Uhm... Thanks, Adrien. I appreciate it," she said while reaching for her purse.

As her hand touched the fabric of her purse, it slightly brushed against Adrien's. Marinette looked at his face, hoping that his expression was a kind one.

He seemed fairly normal, but there was something about the way he was looking at her that made her feel a little unusual.

Adrien quickly reverted his gaze to the ground when he caught a glimpse of Marinette's bluebell eyes. He looked a little uncomfortable, and that made Marinette feel bad.

"Thanks again," she gave him a small smile. "I'll get going now. You probably have lots of activities to attend to and I-"

"No, it's okay. I also wanted to tell you something." His words seemed rushed as he gestured for her to stay.

Marinette's heart sank as the possibilities began to run wild. What could he possibly want to tell her? Did he hate her, or want her out of his band?

"Okay..."

He sighed, "About the band... I don't know if Luka already told you, but we are practicing at my house this weekend."

She felt herself relax ever so slightly. Was Adrien actually being nice to her? She wasn't sure, but if he was... Maybe Luka was onto something...

"Uhm... I didn't know that..." She honestly admitted.

He seemed a little disappointed, but pushed the thought away.

"Well then... I'll give you my number since I'm usually the one to organize everything."

Marinette was about to tell him that Luka had already given her his number, but she stopped herself when she saw him gesturing for her to give him something.

"Yes?" She curiously asked, not really sure what he wanted from her.

"Your phone, if you don't mind."

"Oh..." She reached for her phone, and unlocked it so that he could put his number into her device.

After about a minute, he handed her phone back. He seemed lost in thought, but that didn't last for very long.

Marinette was about to leave, but stopped when Adrien spoke up.

"And another thing... I'm sorry for misjudging you. You are an exceptional violinist..." He said while giving her a very small smile.

Marinette was dumbfounded, but she didn't show it. She smiled and slightly nodded her head.

"Thank you, Adrien. That means a lot."

Maybe he wasn't that bad after all... She would have to give him some time, but until then... She was just happy to help wherever possible.

Adrien didn't say anything. He gave her a slight nod before turning around.

With his back facing her, Marinette just watched him as her mind remained unsteady. She stood still; paralyzed by so much confusion. She tried to push the thoughts away, but she just couldn't stop thinking about a certain green-eyed blond. His personality was intriguing, and she wanted to find out more.

She would have to first get past the icy wall of sophistication. That was a challenge in itself, but she needed to discover the truth.

It would probably take a while, but she didn't mind. The best things in life are difficult to find, but when you find them, you should never let them go. And that's exactly what she plans on doing for Adrien. He needs her now, more than ever before.

***