"You're telling me that Mr. Damocles is making you do community service for a week?" Alya protested loudly over the phone.

"Yep," Marinette sighed, holding the cellphone to her right ear while simultaneously twirling her dark hair. Honestly, this punishment wasn't as bad as she expected, considering she performed community service as Ladybug anyways.

Marinette had already explained the details to her best friend over text when she got off school the second Alya shot her one asking what Mr. Damocles had pulled her and Adrien into his office for.

Let's just say, Alya was a little shocked at Adrien for unintentionally getting Marinette in trouble. But the brunette was even more angry at Chloe for causing this mess in the first place, just because she was hurt that Adrien finally told her off.

And, of course, Marinette told her best friend that she willingly took the blame for Adrien.

Alya was unsurprised when she read the text containing this information. Marinette went above and beyond to protect her crush. And like Marinette and Nino, Alya also knew how his father would have reacted to his son should he have gotten in trouble by Mr. Damocles.

"Sorry girl," Alya sighed over the phone, disappointment lacing her voice.

"It's okay," Marinette said, laying on her stomach, her feet swinging back and forth in the air. "If it saved Adrien from getting in trouble then it was worth it."

"You're too good for this world," Alya laughed. "When does your punishment start?"

"Tomorrow morning, right before school," Marinette replied. "I get to pick up trash in the courtyard." Since she already did this as Ladybug during patrol when she wasn't busy busting criminals or fighting akumas, she could cross that off her to-do list. So, in a way, it was a win.

"Okay. Want me to bring you anything?" Alya asked concerningly. "Tea, coffee, an Adrien Agreste modeling magazine...?"

"Nah, I'll be good," Marinette laughed lightheartedly.

"Alright," her best friend said slowly. "Hey, I gotta go. My mom needs help prepping dinner. Talk to you later!"

"Bye," Marinette replied, ending the call. She smiled at her best friends quirky attitude. Even when Marinette was feeling down, Alya was always there to pick her back up.

Marinette rolled out of bed, stretching her muscles, and decided to take a little nap before dinner. 

*

Chloe crossed her arms, sitting stubbornly on her couch. Sabrina sat nearby, obediently waiting for Chloe's next move like a puppy.

"I just don't understand, Sabrina," Chloe whimpered. "Adrien really hurt my feelings yesterday."

"I know, Chloe," Sabrina frowned. "He shouldn't have been so mean to you."

"I just want him and I to be friends. That's it," Chloe replied. "And for him to get away from that toxic Louise."

Sabrina twiddled her fingers nervously as she said her next words. "Are... you sure Louise is really that bad Chloe? I-I mean she might be really nice but you may be just... you know..."

"Sabrina!" Chloe raised her voice, causing the softspoken girl to jump in shock. The blonde breathed out calmly, regaining her cool. "I told you. Louise looked me straight in the eye and literally told me she was going to get rid of Adrien in order to rule the modeling industry!!"

Sabrina blinked, processing Chloe's words, when a smile began tugging at her lips. "Are... you sure? That sounded like a bit out of a kids movie... The evil, drop dead gorgeous beauty dates the hot guy just for the publicity. Really Chloe?"

Chloe was beginning to grow impatient and a little angry that Sabrina assumed she was making everything up. No one was believing her! And if Sabrina didn't, Ladybug surely wasn't going to. Or Adrien for that matter!

"I'm telling you, it's true!" Chloe huffed. "I don't know how to prove it, but..."

"Chloe, calm down. It's okay to be envious of Adrien and Louise. But spreading rumors about her?" Sabrina stood up, the playful smile fading from her lips as she realized that Chloe was truly going along with the statement.

"It's not a lie!" Chloe stood up, slightly looking down at her friend.

Sabrina backed away, reaching for the doorknob to Chloe's room. She twisted it open. "All I'm saying is... you don't like it when people spread rumors about you, do you?"

Chloe was left speechless. Her heart began thumping erratically. "You--I-- Sabrina!"

The door clicked shut before Chloe could even mutter a comprehensible sentence.

Chloe couldn't even recall how many people she had lost that week. She was sick of it.

She wasn't going to let another person leave.

"Butler Jean!" Chloe yelled, summoning the butler in a second. "Please call the front desk and tell them to not let Sabrina leave."

"Miss. Bourgeois-" the butler began, shocked.

"Please. Sabrina and I have some serious investigating to do. I am going to prove it to her, Ladybug, and Adrien that Louise truly is a  manipulative little scum."

*

Marinette arrived at the school the next morning, fresh and ready to go.

She noticed Mr. Damocles heading down the steps of the school. He met up with her, holding an empty trash bag along with a trash picking tool.

He shamelessly handed the supplies to Marinette who was taking a look at her surroundings.

"Uh, sir," she began, her eyes fluttering across the landscape. Besides a few cans, there was nothing for her to pick up. "Is this really necessary?"

"Of course. The protection of our environment is of utmost importance," the principal responded proudly, fixing his collar. "Get to picking up those cans, now."

Marinette shrugged, starting to walk over to the first crumpled soda can. "Okay, but you better wait here because it won't take me long to-"

"I'll be back in 30 minutes," Mr. Damocles stated, nodding defiantly and clearly ignoring everything Marinette said.

"Great," she mumbled as the principal turned on his heels and walked back up the steps.

Marinette was about to pick up the can with the extended grappling tool Mr. Damocles gave her, but instead tossed it to the side, realizing that picking up a soda can wouldn't hurt her. She bent over and picked up the can with her hand and dropped it into the garbage bag.

She was happily muting the world out as students began arriving at school. Luckily, they paid no attention as Marinette walked over to the next crumpled soda can that was hiding in the corner between the concrete wall and the giant stairs. This blind spot hid her from most students anyways so it wasn't too bad.

Marinette took her jolly old time picking up the empty soda cans. In fact, she decided to take a break and sit right there beside the steps. After all, Mr. Damocles was dumb enough to think it would take her a half an hour to pick up 5 soda cans.

However, somewhere throughout the muted nonsense of student chatter, one voice stood out in particular.

"Now isn't a great time to talk about this," the male voice said gently in the distance. The pitch and warmth of his voice ultimately made it stand out to Marinette. Plus, it was all too familiar to her. It was the voice of the boy she loved.

Marinette looked up, scanning the little crowd that had formed in front of the school. She then saw Adrien who was exiting his limo with Louise in tow. She seemed distressed, but also excited.

Feeling nosy, Marinette inched closer to the pair while also remaining hidden behind a few taller jocks so she could listen in to as much as she could before the pair disappeared into the school.

"Please, Adrien. This could mean so much for our modeling careers," Louise pleaded, following closely behind the blonde.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I'm ready to pause my life for 5 months," Adrien replied, walking up the steps of the school.

"You have no idea what this means for us," Louise answered back. "Baby, I just want the best for you..."

And their voices faded off into the chattering crowd as they proceeded through the doors of the school.

Marinette could no longer tell what they were saying and since she couldn't see them from where she was standing, she assumed they had walked into the school already.

She was left with a flurry of questions. Where were they supposed to go? Why? And why for 5 months?

Marinette was stunned. She wanted to know more. No, she needed to know more.

Her thoughts about Louise were starting to shift. For one, from what Marinette witnessed, she was apparently trying to convince Adrien to do something he didn't want to do.

Strike one.

Her mind drifted back to Chloe's suspicions, about Louise being manipulative. Even though Marinette saw the lust hidden deep beneath Louise's eyes, as if she was so close to getting what she wanted, she didn't want to believe them.

But when the blonde approached her with a new plot to expose Louise, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't the least bit delighted.