[Narrator's POV]

Marinette wakes up with a groan. Her neck aches as she shifts her head up to look around. She had fallen asleep sitting up against the wall with Adrien in her lap. Marinette's eyes shoot open.

Adrien!!!

A low, tired moan escapes Adrien's lips as he sits up. His hair is ruffled up all messily, his resemblance to Cat Noir being more striking than ever. Looks like Marinette really did fall asleep with a cat on her lap.

"Adrien, we're going to be late for school," Marinette panics. "If my parents come to wake me up and see you in my bed—"

Adrien's sleepy eyes widen, his face turning red. He quickly rushes to scurry out of Marinette's bed but gets tangled up in her doona and falls off the bunk, landing on the floor with a THUD.

"Marinette is everything alright?" Tom calls from downstairs. "You're going to be late!"

"C-C-Coming! I just, I fell out of bed!" Marinette hollers as she scrambles down her bunkbed latter. "I-I'm fine no need to come up, I'll be down in a sec!"

Adrien flails his limbs spastically to kick off the doona constricting him. He jumps up off the floor and commands,

"Plagg, claws out!"

"I'm sleeepinnggg....!" Plagg whines as he gets sucked up into Adrien's ring.

The newly transformed Cat Noir clasps Marinette's face in his hands and quickly kisses her forehead. "See you at school princess." He says before climbing up out of her balcony hatchet.

Marinette quickly gets ready and rushes out, grabbing a croissant on the way. When she yanks open the bakery door she is immediately met with the face of Alya.

"A-Alya, hey!"

"Hey..." Alya looks at Marinette questionably. "Did I just see Cat Noir leaving your room?"

Marinette looks up at her balcony in a panic. "W-W-What? No!"

"I didn't know you two were still friends. Does Adrien care at all?" Alya asks.

"Of course not, why should he?" Marinette answers. "Cat Noir didn't sleep over or anything. W-We were awake the whole night talking."

Alya holds up her hands. "I'm just asking."

A thought strikes Alya, or more so, a burning query. Marinette and Cat Noir are really close friends so if Cat Noir was giving away a miraculous, wouldn't Marinette be his choice? She doesn't look or act at all like Queen Bee, but a mask can change people. Alya thinks back to what Queen Bee had told her,

"Who wants to be a perfect, sweet little girl? That's no fun."

Maybe Marinette wants to escape from her schoolgirl life. But Queen Bee also said that she is a public figure, which Marinette is not. Alya shakes her head. Sometimes her natural detective instincts get the better of her. There is no way Marinette could be a superhero.

"So, did Cat Noir talk to you about the new superheroes?" Alya inquires as she and Marinette begin their walk to school. "Because that's my motive for visiting you so early in the morning. I'm just too damn excited to talk about my blog blowing up the internet. Ladybug herself posted a vlog from their patrol last night. My blog hasn't gone this viral since my video of the Goddess of Green fight."

Marinette giggles. "Yeah I saw it, Cat Noir looked ridiculous in that dress right?"

Alya raises her eyebrows. "Marinette I'd recognise your work anywhere. You made that dress didn't you?"

Marinette shudders. "I-I...yes..."

Alya chuckles and shakes her head. "Why was he wearing it anyway?"

"He lost a bet." Marinette answers with a cheeky smile. "Adrien and I got together before him and Ladybug."

Alya laughs. "Seriously? Good on you girl!"

The two girls walk into class, Marinette sitting next to Adrien in the front row and Alya sliding in next to Nino behind them.

"Morning, my princess." Adrien says as he wraps his arm around Marinette.

Nino chews his pencil and taps his foot anxiously as he watches them. He wonders if Adrien really does know that Marinette is Ladybug. If that is the case, shouldn't Adrien be worried about Cat Noir? The dude is clearly in love with Ladybug. Maybe Adrien doesn't know about Marinette's secret, but that only makes her flirtatious relationship with Cat Noir all the more troubling.

"Nino!" Alya says.

"Huh?" Nino turns to face his concerned girlfriend.

"Is everything okay, you seem a little on edge?" Alya asks gently.

Nino bites his lip. Out of everyone he trusts Alya the most, he hates keeping all these secrets from her!

"Marinette loves Adrien, right?" Nino asks. "She would never, I dunno, like, cheat on him?"

"Of course not!" Alya answers with a chuckle.

"Okay, but, but what about Cat Noir? They're close right? And he's a superhero!" Nino continues. "Remember when you caught them seeking around together at night last year?"

Alya raises an eyebrow. "If Marinette liked Cat Noir, she would date Cat Noir, not Adrien and especially not both of them."

Nino watches Marinette uncomfortably. Are Marinette and Cat Noir such good friends because he knows she is Ladybug? How could he know and not Adrien? If that's the case, then maybe Marinette will leave Adrien for Cat Noir. What is he talking about? Marinette is the sweetest girl he knows and she loves Adrien. She and Cat Noir are just really close friends, that's all. Even if he wants more, Ladybug would never.

Alya eyes Nino suspiciously. "Do you know something that I don't?"

"No!" Nino denies quickly.

Alya is clearly unconvinced. Something is obviously bothering Nino and his sudden accusation against their closest friend Marinette is suspicious. Maybe Nino saw Marinette and Cat Noir together too and is worried for his best friend, but Alya knows that Marinette is no cheater.

Alya rests her head on her hand. It is then that she notices Chloe eyeing her closely, clearly listening in.

"If you're still unsure, you should talk to Marinette later...somewhere else." Alya tells Nino.

Alya shoots a glare at Chloe. She hopes for Marinette's sake that Chloe hadn't heard anything...

.

When the bell rings for lunch, Chloe hides away in the bathrooms to consult her most trusted adviser.

"I'm not here to gossip, Chloe." Pollen says. "I'm here to fulfil my duties and protect mankind."

"But I can't talk to Sabrina about this superhero stuff!" Chloe whines. "I need you're input, you're my most trusted adviser—"

"I told you not to call me that." Pollen says dully.

"Did you hear what Nino and Alya were saying?" Chloe continues. "Marinette and Cat Noir are really close friends! She better not be cheating on Adrien— I made her promise to make him happy! Of course that wouldn't be a problem if Cat Noir really is Adrien..."

"Enough with this secret identity business." Pollen says strictly. "You must respect their privacy."

"So I was thinking, how about we snoop around a bit? Maybe catch Adrien in the act?" Chloe plots.

"Are you even listening to me? That's not respecting privacy at all!" Pollen says. "At least go talk things out first before you start investigating him like some criminal."

"You're totally right, Pollen!" Chloe replies, slamming her fist down into her palm. "Interrogation it is!"

Pollen sighs and shakes her head, hiding away in Chloe's purse as she struts out of the bathroom.

"Carapace and Rena calling me April O'Neil because they think I'm just another pretty face that can't fight—well ha! I can be an investigator too. I'll show everyone just how smart I am, even more smart than stupid Donatello." Chloe mutters to herself as she crosses the courtyard.

Alya sees Chloe approaching their small group and she is sure that it is to cause trouble. Perhaps Chloe did hear her and Nino talking this morning and has come to stir shit. To tell Adrien that Marinette is seeing Cat Noir. So Alya gets up from her seat and walks forward to meet Chloe before she can reach the table.

"What do you want?" Alya asks bluntly.

"I need to talk to Adrien." Chloe answers.

"About what?" Alya interrogates further.

Chloe crosses her arms. "It's none of your business."

"Actually if it involves my friends then it is." Alya says.

"Adrien is my friend too." Chloe replies.

Alya scoffs. "If that's what you call friendship."

Chloe flinches, her hands curling into fists. She was Adrien's friend first—His only friend. They were inseparable, practically brother and sister. Now here are these other kids trying to take over their little family.

"I don't need your permission to talk to Adrien." Chloe says through gritted teeth.

Alya steps up to Chloe intimidatingly. "Look. You may have the others fooled but not me. I know that people don't change, especially people like you. I've watched you ruin my best friend's life time and time again and I know that you are not happy about her dating your precious little Adrikins, so I'm gonna tell you this once and once only. Stay away from their relationship. Just buzz off, pest."

Chloe stares at Alya silently. She can't seem to think of a snappy comeback, a threat...nothing. Alya was wrong, because the old Chloe didn't have any feelings to get hurt. The old Chloe would have stood her ground and make Alya's life a misery just for daring to speak to her that way. But Instead, Chloe is running. She escapes to the closest classroom, where she shuts the door, slides to the ground...and cries.

These people haven't invaded her little family, Adrien has just found a new one. One that she has been excluded from. Chloe hates feeling weak. It is because of her fear of failure and rejection that she never puts herself out. But she tried so hard to change. To make Adrien and Cat Noir proud, the only people ever to believe in her. But she failed. Her efforts were worthless, because according to Alya, she hasn't changed. She can't change. She is rotten and no one will ever like her.

"Chloe...?"

Chloe lifts her head to see Nathaniel approaching her cautiously, almost fearfully.

"Y-You're crying..." He observes.

Chloe clasps her hands over her face. "No I'm not—Don't look at me! Chloe...Chloe Bourgeois doesn't cry."

"You sure look like you're crying." Nathaniel says.

"Fine!" Chloe snaps. "So what if I am? Are you gonna go tell everyone?"

Nathaniel gently sits down on his knees in front of Chloe. She slowly peeks out from her hands to look at him.

"What are you doing?" Chloe speaks groggily.

"I-I was going to stay here and comfort you." Nathaniel says.

"Why?" Chloe asks shortly.

Nathaniel seems startled. "B-Because you're crying and I thought...you needed company?"

"Well I don't want your pity. I'm not weak you know." Chloe says stubbornly.

"It doesn't make you weak to cry." Nathaniel says softly.

"Only babies cry." Chloe sniffs and wipes her eyes, leaving a smear of mascara on her jacket sleeve. "It's gross..."

"It's human." Nathaniel replies. "It's reassuring that you're actually a vulnerable person with feelings."

"Well I hate feeling vulnerable. I hate feeling anything, feeling is tiresome." Chloe complains. "People are tiresome."

Nathaniel giggles.

Chloe frowns. "Yeah go ahead and laugh!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Nathaniel says with a smile. "You're just funny, you know?"

"I don't recall making any jokes." Chloe replies.

"Well, you don't really think that, do you? It's obvious that you're making an effort to understand people and their emotions." Nathaniel says. "It's obvious that you care."

Chloe feels something weird in her heart. She's never cared about what anyone else thought of her before, but here she is feeling happy that at least someone has noticed her efforts. Not only noticed, Nathaniel appreciates and admires her. Chloe clutches the fabric over her heart. Feelings are still new to her and this one is definitely not familiar.

"Why are you being so nice? It's making me uncomfortable. What's in it for you?" Chloe questions.

Nathaniel blinks at Chloe before scratching his head nervously. "W-Well...It makes me sad to see other people sad, and it makes me happy to make other people happy."

A moment of silence passes before Chloe says abruptly, "That's it?"

"Y-Yeah, I mean, haven't you ever felt content just seeing someone smile, even if it means you have to sacrifice yourself a little?" Nathaniel elaborates.

Chloe looks outside the classroom window to see Adrien smiling brightly among his new friends. It's hard for her to let him go but she is glad he is happy.

"Yeah...I guess." Chloe looks at Alya and hangs her head timidly. "Nathaniel, do you...like me?"

Nathaniel's face turns red. "W-What?"

"Do you think I'm a good person?" Chloe clarifies. "Do you think that I've changed?"

"O-Oh...W-Well, yeah, of course you have. You used to be awful and cruel and heartless a—" Nathaniel catches Chloe's eye and clears his throat. "B-But you're not anymore is what I mean. I...I think you're very sweet."

Chloe blushes. Sweet isn't exactly how she would describe herself. Heck, it's not how anyone in their right mind would describe her.

"S-So, you think I'm capable of being nice too?" Chloe asks.

"Of course!" Nathaniel answers happily.

Chloe leans forward, her eyes blazing with determination. "Teach me!"