The park by Françoise Dupont middle school was always a popular hang out spot, but it became twice as liked when the people of Paris decided to build it up into a skateboard park in an effort to get the children of the city to exercise more. Their efforts were not in vain, almost every day the students of the nearby school reached for their boards as the bell rang, dashing over to the concrete playground in hopes of getting their turn on the halfpipe first.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng, however, didn't skate. She was able to enjoy watching her friends do their amazing tricks, but sometimes missed the long stretch of green grass in the middle of the city.

Why didn't she skate? Because she was the clumsiest person alive, a title she had earned and kept since she was young. Just imagining her normal amount of clumsiness on wheels made her stomach churn in embarrassment.

Well, that was before she met Adrien Agreste.

- - - - -

"I just wanted you to know that I was only trying to take the chewing gum off your seat, I swear! I've never been to school before. I've never had friends... It's all sort of new to me."

Adrien offered his umbrella to Marinette. She hesitated, but took it in her hand.

Thunder clapped in the distance as the drizzle above them turned into pouring rain. Startled, Marinette accidentally clicked a button on the umbrella causing it to close, wrapping her up.

From beneath the fabric, she could hear Adrien laughing. Pushing up the umbrella once again, she almost wanted to feel offended, but seeing his smile, his beautiful smile, she found herself laughing too.

"Hopefully this rain will clear up by tomorrow, I was hoping to visit the skateboard park."

"I didn't know you skated." Marinette replied.

Adrien chuckled, "I don't, do you?"

"Clumsy me? No way."

He shrugged, "Well I'd love to try. Maybe we and the class could go over after school tomorrow, learn a little?"

Before Marinette could respond, Adrien's driver gave a small honk on the horn.

"I've got to go, I'll see you later!" Adrien said, waving as he hurried down the stairs and into the car.

Marinette could feel her heartbeat get louder and louder, "Uh-huh! Lov- I mean, lo- late... Why am I stammering?"

- - - - -

That day, after shaking off the umbrella the boy had given her and placing it in the umbrella stand of her parent's bakery, she ran upstairs and opened every drawer, searched in every nook and cranny until she found all of the funds she could spare. After a decently long internet search and a calculation of how much she needed, she approached her parents.

"A skateboard?" Mrs. Dupain-Cheng repeated, "I thought you didn't want to try that, we offered when the park was first being built but you said-"

"I know I said I was too clumsy but- I uh- I really want to try it now! All the kids in my grade do it, I'm sure I can find someone to teach me!" Marinette said, having a certain someone in mind.

"I don't know sweetie," Mr. Dupain-Cheng cut in, "No offense but you are really clumsy still, even more so than when we first asked. We don't want you getting hurt."

"I would buy the helmet and pads, but if I did that I wouldn't have enough money for the board," Marinette said, pulling out her notebook, pointing at different costs she found online and scribbling out different options.

"How about this," Mrs. Dupain-Cheng offered, "If you can find a good enough skateboard with the amount of money you have, your father and I will pay for the helmet and pads. But we want to see you at the park actually trying it out, not giving up."

"Yes! Yes thank you!" Marinette squealed, bouncing on her heels before wrapping her parents in a big hug, "I'll go to the skate shop and look now!" She ran down the stairs and threw open the door, rushing down the street with a skip in her step.

- - - - -

Getting to the skate shop, Marinette was not as happy. Every single board was out of her price range. She even asked the store manager if it was possible for her to do a payment plan, but no such luck.

She felt defeated. Walking out of the store she imagined all of her friends skateboarding away, Adrien in tow. She wanted to hang out with them, but not from the sidelines. She needed to be in the action.

Suddenly, she felt something underneath her feet as she stepped, and started to roll, flailing her arms and shrieking. Looking up, she realized she was heading straight towards a small booth. Before she knew it, it was too late, she crashed.

Now on the ground, she sat up and rubbed her head, "Ouch...." She mumbled. Looking at her feet, the culprit of her tripping was revealed, a scuffed red skateboard. "Where did this even come from?" She asked aloud.

"Are you alright, miss?" A voice asked, walking over. A frail looking old man was hobbling over with a few grocery bags in his hand.

Marinette started standing up, "Oh I'm fine, I accidentally tripped on this skateboard and started rolling, who would leave a dirty old board out in the street like that?"

"That would be my skateboard." The old man replied with a smile, "It must've rolled off my booth's table."

Blushing in embarrassment, Marinette stammered, "O-oh I'm sorry sir I didn't mean old and dirty like that it's an excellent board- I mean I've never ridden one before so I wouldn't know but-"

The old man laughed, "No need to apologize. All of these boards have been beaten up over the years." He said, picking up the red board from the ground and placing it on the table of his booth again. Stepping behind the stand, he climbed up on a rickety old stool and looked to Marinette, "Can I help you in any way?"

Marinette looked up as she brushed herself off, seeing the small painted sign above the booth reading 'Fu's Skate Shop'. On a piece of plywood, other skateboards were hanging from rusty nails by their wheels.

"You... you're selling skateboards?"

The man, who she assumed was Fu, chuckled, "I am. I make them myself. They may not look like much, but they'll get the job done. I'm hoping to open a real store, one inside a building someday."

Marinette looked at her purse, wondering for a moment, before saying, "How much would one cost? I mean, considering it's handmade it's probably more expensive...."

"I'll make you a deal." Fu replied, "You name your price, I'll give you a board. An apology for making you trip and fall. In return you just treat the board well and maybe give it a few touch ups in the paint job, I was never an artist."

Marinette smiled, "That's really kind of you, but I couldn't-"

"I insist." Fu said, "You're only the second person to be interested in one of these old boards, it feels right to give you a bargain."

Looking at the selection of boards at the small streetside stand, Marinette's eyes were drawn to the same red board that she first fell on, "How about this one?"

"Oh, Tikki, a good choice."

"Tikki? Is that a skateboarding term?"

"No, no," Fu said, shaking his head, "I just name the boards I make, it gives that little bit of magic."

"Magic?" Marinette repeated skeptically.

"You don't have to believe me, just believe in the board."

"Alright, here's what I can pay you." Marinette said as she placed the money in the man's hand.

"That's plenty, thank you."

Marinette picked the scuffed up red board off of the booth table and waved as she ran back to the house, too nervous to actually try skating yet. Surely she would have some time to practice in the morning before school, and hopefully impress Adrien afterwards.