Marinette couldn't breathe.

The way Adrien looked at her in betrayal made her heart shatter. He took a few steps forward, tilting his head.

"What did you say?" he whispered, eyes watering.

"I..." Marinette coughed, guilt consuming her. She broke Adrien's heart. She knew it.

"How could you?" he voiced in disbelief.

Marinette wanted to cry all over again. Adrien felt betrayed and it was because of her.

Because she couldn't keep her stupid mouth shut. She jumped the gun and hurt him.

"No, please," Marinette whimpered, her eyes filling with tears. They escaped and rolled down her cheeks as she grabbed his arm in an attempt to hold onto his trust and friendship.

"How could you say that?" Adrien asked, his voice filled with pain. He removed Marinette's hand and backed away. He was consumed with grief.

Marinette stepped forward. "Please don't-"

"I thought you accepted my relationship with Louise," Adrien continued, stricken with pain. "And now you're... you're telling me she is just using me? That all I am is just some puppet?"

"No!" Marinette sobbed, full on crying now.

Everyone in the near vicinity turned around and watched the event take place in curiosity.

"I would never hurt you," Marinette whispered, reaching out to him desperately.

Adrien paused briefly, staring at the ground. He then looked up at Marinette and tears rolled down his glimmering eyes. "You already did, Marinette. Best friends don't hurt each other like this."

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to!" Marinette reasoned, stepping towards him, but every step she took, it seemed like he got farther away.

That's when Chloe intervened, stepping in between the pair and placing a hand on Adrien's chest to calm him down. "This is all a misunderstanding. You know Marinette would never hurt you intentionally, Adrien!"

"Oh great," Adrien whispered, pulling away from Chloe. "Are you going to lie to me too? Wouldn't be your first."

Chloe dropped her mouth in awe, feeling offended. That's when she snapped her finger in front of his face angrily.

"Hey!" she yelled. "I'm not taking your crap. Marinette is only trying to save you from the poison of Louise! The truth hurts sweetie, but Marinette was right! Louise is only using you for the fame!"

"Enough!" Adrien yelled sternly, sounding ominous. The entire bowling alley went silent. Pins had stopped crashing, bowling balls had stopped rolling. All eyes were on them.

Adrien breathed in and out while looking around at the onlookers they had gathered. He then wiped his tears away before clearing his throat and speaking again. "I've caused enough of a distraction for everyone. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to leave."

He turned around without further protest from Chloe.

But that wasn't stopping Marinette. She ran after Adrien in a last ditch attempt to clean up at least some of the mess she had made thanks to her selfishness. She wrapped her hand around his wrist, gently turning him around.

But he met her gaze with a disappointed look. His eyes were watery and filled with confusion and grief.

"Please don't leave. I need to explain-" Marinette started, but stopped abruptly when she saw his lips quiver.

He shakily breathed out, as if he anticipated how hard it would be for him to say his next words. "You hurt me, Marinette. I thought we were friends?"

"We are," Marinette pleaded, her cheeks wet with tears and her throat raw.

"Friends don't lie to each other," Adrien frowned before turning around and exiting the building.

Marinette crumbled.

*

*

*

Her phone buzzed for the seventh time since she arrived home.

When she returned home, Marinette effectively dodged her parents and proceeded straight up into her room where she currently lay staring up at the ceiling.

Tikki was floating beside her silently. The kwami had already tried to cheer Marinette up but it was different this time. Nothing worked.

It was like a piece of Marinette was missing.

"I'm sorry," Tikki whispered, flying down and resting on her chest. She curled up and lay there comfortingly.

Marinette's phone buzzed again. But this time it was a call, not a text.

Tikki lifted up her head, staring at the phone despairingly and watching its screen light up and vibrate.

The name on the screen read "Alya."

Once the phone silenced and the screen blacked out once again, Tikki turned her head towards Marinette.

"It was Alya," she whispered.

Marinette sniffed, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I know."

Tikki opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when she realized her words weren't going to make a difference anymore.

She proceeded to lay on Marinette's chest, wishing her ancient kwami powers could heal her Chosen's broken heart.

The silence was suddenly broken by knocks on Marinette's door.

"Marinette," Sabine called from outside the door. "Are you okay sweetie? You came home and went straight to your room without saying a word."

Marinette swallowed back the lump forming in her throat and sat up. "Yeah I'm fine. I just feel a little sick."

The door started to crack open. "Well, let me help-"

"No!" Marinette said quickly, stopping the door from opening any farther. "I... have some medicine in here, I'll be fine. I'm already feeling better. You don't have to worry about me."

There was a hesitant pause before Sabine said any more. She breathed out in defeat, still very concerned.

"Okay, sweetie. I'm going to check on you in about an hour, alright?"

"Okay," Marinette replied, breathing a sigh of relief. Her eyes were still red and puffy. If her mother had seen her like that, she would know something was up again.

The door gently closed shut.

Marinette flopped onto her back, trying to clear her thoughts by looking around her room. Sooner or later, her mother would check on her so she needed to collect herself.

However, her attempt at clearing her thoughts proved ineffective as her gaze kept falling on the dozens of Adrien posters she had plastered on her wall. She glanced out her win

Instead of being painfully reminded of Adrien every time she looked around her room, she glanced at Tikki and said the famous phrase:

"Tikki, spots on."

*

Ladybug sat atop the Eiffel Tower, overlooking the Paris landscape as the sun began to set.

She had to stealthily dodge tourists and security guards in order to reach her favorite spot for contemplation. Luckily, the Parisians down below couldn't see her or else they would wonder why the superheroine was sitting alone.

She could say patrol, but then that would raise even more questions, like why Chat Noir wasn't with her. As much as she loved her partner, she just wanted to be alone for now.

Ladybug breathed in and out, overlooking the busy streets below, feeling ten times better. Just letting the cool, fresh air fill her lungs was soothing enough.

She began to calm herself down, trying to think rationally.

You can just talk to Adrien later and explain to him you never intended to hurt him, she thought.

Perhaps with some time to think and a quieter setting, she could get through to him?

Ladybug just hoped, no, prayed Adrien didn't tell Louise what happened.

A loud clap of thunder erupted from above her head, and the sky grew ominously dark. "Great," Ladybug murmured to herself.

Rain began to sprinkle down on cue, and Ladybug decided it was time to leave. She had time to think and calm down, so she considered it a success.

She pushed herself to her feet, slightly slipping due to the rain, and quickly grabbed the spire of the tower for leverage.

That was close, Ladybug thought.

She had to reach a lower deck of the tower that wasn't covered in rain in order to safely launch off the building without the risk of slipping.

Ladybug slowly and carefully lowered her left foot to a metal bar. So far, so good...

It successfully planted and she clenched her toes on the bar so she could move her right foot down without slipping.

She shakily lifted her right foot...

"Ladybug!" a little girls voice suddenly yelled from below.

Ladybug jumped in surprise, that little movement enough to cause her left foot to slip off the wet metal bar.

She yelped, reaching out to grab onto something as she fell backwards but barely missed it. She helplessly entered into a free fall.

The little girl screamed and yelled for her mom, pointing at the falling superhero in fear.

Ladybug instinctively reached for her yoyo and flung it at the spire of the Eiffel Tower. It latched on and she held onto her yoyo string for dear life.

She violently jerked to a stop in mid air, still 900 feet above the ground. Her head was spinning.

The little girl, still below on an observation deck, began cheering. A small tourist group that had heard the commotion and joined the little girl and her mother began clapping as well, expressing their relief.

Ladybug dangled in mid air, her legs curled up underneath her, breathing a sigh of relief. She was so thankful for her yoyo in that moment.

Unfortunately, her thankfulness was soon cut short when she realized that the crowd of people had pulled out their phones and began snapping pictures of the dangling superheroine.

Down below on the ground, a crowd had begun to form as well. They were pointing up at Ladybug curiously, wondering why she looked so helpless and lost. And also, why she was in that predicament in the first place.

Ladybug gulped nervously. So much for keeping her time of self reflection a secret. The news outlets were certainly going to eat this story up.