"So, why am I here?" Alyn crossed his arms curiously, raising a brow as he watched the boy frantically go through his closet. He was clearly stressed out but he wasn't saying anything, which worried Alyn. He just wanted to know what he was so stressed about, and "Alyn, I need your help, come over immediately!" was not very informative, but it was all he had to work with at the moment. 

Marin held up two shirts. He looked between the two. They were almost identical aside from the color. One was green and the other was red. "Because. Which one do you think Adrienne would like better?" He asked, glancing down at the shirts, then at Alyn.

"Well, I mean the-- Wait, why do you ask what Adrienne would think? Are you trying to impress her? But why would you need to impress her unless-" Alyn gasped. shooting up from his seated position in Marin's desk chair. "You have a date with Adrienne!"

Alyn had said this loud enough for Marin's parents, who were currently downstairs in the kitchen, to hear. Before Marin could even come up with an excuse, his parents came up through the trapdoor. "Marin, you have a date? I thought you were going to the carnival with Alyn?" His father asked in a sweet tone. "You're going with Adrienne? She's a sweet girl. Does that mean you two are dating?"

"Dad, please. No, we're not dating. She's just a friend. We're going as friends. We're not dating." He repeated the last sentence for emphasis. As much as he wished that they were dating, it just wasn't the case. They had kissed, but that didn't mean that they were dating. The first time, it was just to save Chat from the influence of an akumatized villain, and the second time, it was purely heat of the moment. He doubted that Adrienne thought anything of it.

"If you say so. Is she going to come over after?" Marin's father asked, then smiled at his son's unamused face. "Fine, fine, I'm going. Tell me all about your date when you get home." He left the room.

Alyn grinned, punching Marin's arm. "So, what are you two gonna do at the carnival? Hold hands? Kiss? Make out? Maybe go home with--"

"Alyn, no!" Marin cut off his best friend with a disappointed look. "You are here to help me find something to wear, not suggest that I do things with Adrienne. She's far too pure for that." He crossed his arms. Even though he had said that, he had to take into consideration that her Chat side was not nearly as innocent as her Adrienne side. It still confused him. How someone like Adrienne could be someone like Chat? They were polar opposites. Regardless, it was not the time to think about that, even if it was the biggest thing in his mind. She always had a way of making her presence prominent in his mind. 

"Fine, Mr. Fashion Designer Who Can't Pick an Outfit." Alyn walked towards the closet. "Let me work my magic."

~~~

Anxiety was coursing through his veins. Was it anxiety, adrenaline, or excitement? Marin couldn't tell, maybe a mix of all three. He was walking beside Adrienne, but they were not touching. He wanted to take her hand. He wanted to just do it. But he couldn't find the courage to simply grab her hand and hold it. He took a deep breath. Just do it, Marin. You've kissed her twice, carried her multiple times, had her land on top of you, and she's flirted with you intentionally, what's so hard about holding her hand? He reached over and took her hand in his, making her glance up at him with a smile. "F-For safety precautions." He gave an excuse.

Adrienne was thrilled to see that he wanted to hold her hand, that was until he said that it was simply for safety precautions. At first, she thought it was because he had actually wanted to hold her hand in a romantic way, but no, he was just being Ladybeetle. This was what she was afraid of. She was afraid that him finding out that she was Chat was going to be bad. She figured that he wouldn't feel the same about her anymore. She knew that he wouldn't have the same feelings. She knew things would change too much. She had hoped that maybe everything would work out perfectly, but it was definitely not. 

"So, do you want some cotton candy?" Marin asked out of the blue, trying to start a conversation. He could sense that she was starting to feel desolate again. He hoped that maybe if he could keep her occupied with other things, that she wouldn't be able to think about being sad. 

As Marin had hoped, her face instantly lit up. "Yes, please!" She smiled at him, then tightened her grip on his hand as he lead her to the cotton candy booth.

Marin ordered the cotton candy that Adrienne had requested, then patiently waited for it to be finished. Adrienne seemed mesmerized by the process. Had she never seen cotton candy being made before? Now that he thought about it, the chances of her actually being exposed to these kinds of foods and this kind of environment were highly unlikely. He felt a little sad knowing that she didn't get to enjoy being a teenager all the time, and how this was probably one of the most exhilarating things she has experienced. Sure, she had been to multiple fashion shows, which he would freak out over, but he had to put himself in her shoes. She went to those commonly. She was put to work when she went to those, she wasn't enjoying the actual show. Something as common to him as a carnival, was completely new and exciting for her. 

He had to make sure that she enjoyed herself. She doesn't get to experience things like this, and he wanted to make sure that it wasn't a total bust. He smiled as he looked at her, then looked around. Something caught his eyes, or rather someone, who was staring at the two. He couldn't get a good look as to who they were, as the crowd had blocked his line of vision, but he had a general idea of who it may be. He took a step closer to Adrienne, subconsciously grabbing her arm protectively. 

This startled Adrienne, who had just grabbed her finished cotton candy. "What's wrong, Marin?" Her face that was previously filled with delight was replaced with a concerned one. 

Marin looked at the blonde, and was filled with guilt when he saw her expression. No, no, no. She can't be sad. "Don't worry, I just didn't want to lose you in the crowd. It's a lot easier to lose you than to find you." He offered a smile. 

Luckily, Adrienne was convinced. She smiled back and nodded. He felt horrible about not telling her what he saw, but he couldn't ruin this for her. It would destroy her if he told her that they had to leave for her own safety. That would just make him sound like one of her bodyguards, and that's not what he wanted. He was her friend, he needed to act like it. "So, what do you wanna do first?" She took some bites of her cotton candy, giggling as it disappeared in her mouth.

"Well, there's some rides. Take your pick." He started absently rubbing her arm in a comforting way. Who it was meant to comfort was debatable though. He used his free hand to take some of her cotton candy off the stick, just a small piece.

(Please excuse me if none of these rides are actual rides. I just googled some. Carnivals are not my thing.)

"Uh, what about that one? Is it fun?" She pointed towards a colourful ride, the main colour being purple, and smiled. She read the sign which was titled, "The Zipper." She hugged his arm, grinning as she looked up at him. "Can we go on it?" She asked as she finished up her cotton candy, then threw away the stick in a trashcan that they passed. 

Marin's face paled. He had been on The Zipper in the past, and it was far from entertaining. Sure, it seemed fun at first, but he always had a pounding headache when he got off. He really didn't want to ride it. It was the ride in particular that he was going to try his hardest to avoid, but there was no choice now. He had to let Adrienne do whatever she wanted here. This day was meant to make her happy, not him. Even though making her happy would make him happy. "Yeah, of course." 

Adrienne smiled and dragged the taller male towards the ride, standing in the relatively short line. She was nearly jumping up and down in excitement. "I've never been on a ride like this before." The smile was stuck on her face, and it showed almost no signs of vanishing soon. 

"Really? No roller-coasters or anything?" He tilted his head, smiling at her. He was trying his hardest not to zone out, but it was so hard when she was so cute. He wanted to just stare at her for hours.

Apparently, though he was trying, he had ended up zoning out. He was only snapped out of it when he heard Adrienne clap her hands right in front of him, which startled him, making him jump slightly. Adrienne giggled and shook her head. "Are you tired already?" 

"H-Huh? No, no,  I'm not tired, I'm just, uh, thinking about the biology homework." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt abashed that he had been caught staring at her. He was just relieved that she didn't realize that he was.

"Next." The ride worker called out apathetically, glancing at Adrienne and Marin. The two entered the gate, then got on the seat in which the worker gestured for them to get on. After they sat down, the man secured the belt and the door, mumbling on about the rules of the ride. He made sure the ride was secured then pressed the button to start the machine back up.

Though she was sure she would enjoy the ride, it was anything but. Perhaps it was a poor choice as a first ride, but she never wanted to get on that thing again. She held onto Marin's arm for support as the exited the ride. She felt sick to her stomach, and her head was killing her from the jagged movements and sudden jerks of the machine. Marin felt the same way, but he was a little bit prepared. He was sure to keep his hand on the 'cushion' that their heads would end up hitting during the ride, and made sure that Adrienne didn't end up with a bump on her head. 

"I need to go to the restroom." Adrienne dismissed herself with a wave of her hand, using the other one to hold her stomach. She made her way through the crowd to the bathroom. She stood inside the room, looking at herself in the room. She ran her hands through her hair, fixing it to make it look more presentable. She let out a small sigh, then exited the room. 

As she went to make her way to Marin, she was stopped, a gloved hand wrapping around her waist tightly and another covering her mouth. "Adrienne Agreste. There's a high ransom for your head." She tried to call out for someone, but she was taken out of sight.

Marin tapped his foot as he waited for Adrienne to return. He was getting slightly anxious. He recalled the person he had seen earlier. Who was he? And why was he staring at them? He immediately went to the worst case scenario, and his eyes widened. He started to make his way towards the bathroom. And quickly at that. He was pushing his way through people, muttering apologies as he did. As he arrived at the bathroom, he looked around, trying to find Adrienne. He couldn't go into the bathroom, he knew, but he still called in. When he received no response, he expected the worst. 

He searched around for anything that would give him any ideas as to what happened and where she was. He felt a chill run up his spine, and his heart skip a beat as he noticed something shining on the ground. A ring. More specifically, her ring. She couldn't transform. He needed to find her. Immediately. Before it was too late.

~~~

Well, this chapter was a lot shorter than I would have hoped. Much shorter than the others. ;-; But I hope you enjoy it?