Marinette threw out a few old gum wrappers and a torn key chain. She knew she had no use for such things.  She tore up an old photo of her and Nathaniel together in the park. She put in the paper shredder to destroy any last traces of it.  Then, she did the same with all the old letters he had written to her over the years. She might as well since their relationship was no longer in existence.

      "Good for you, Marinette," Tikki cheers her on as she got rid of one old thing after another.

      Marinette tosses out the rest of the photo album she had made of her and him.  She can not stand to look at it anymore.  It was a sad reminder of all the days past. It was a cruel memory of her broken heart that she was afraid would never be mended.  

     She finds a sweater in her closet he gave her.  She puts it into the donation pile to go with the necklace, the bag, the shoes, and last of all the new phone case.  She could not keep any of these things since he had given them to her.   She pulls out the ceramic set of coasters gave for her birthday present last year.  These she places onto the top of the donation pile, then made sure to add in the stack of paints, the paintbrushes, and the easel to it.  She was not a painter and never would be one.

     Tikki smiles and gave Marinette a thumbs up when she saw  Marinette's accomplishments so far. She was about to help her carry the stuff out to the car when the hideous umbrella stand in the hallway caught her eye.

      "Ew, why is that thing even still here?" She asks.

     "Tikki, I was about to add that to the trash pile," Marinette says as she places it into the dumpster with the rest of the garbage. She was glad to be rid of it at last. 

    "Good thing too because it was sight for sore eyes," Tikki explains.

     "I know right.  I did always hate it,"  Marinette remarks.

      
    A few hours later, after four more bags of things were added to the donation pile, and two more to the dumpster, "Come on let us grab something to eat, I am starved," Tikki says.

  "Tikki, you are always ready to eat.  Sometimes, I wonder how you stay so thin?" Marinette replies.

  "I take that as a compliment and you know we need to keep our stomaches filled so let us go," Tikki complains.

  "Sure thing, Tikki, I just get my purse," Marinette tells her.

      Marinette and Tikki left to get some lunch.  The two were having a splendid time and Marinette almost forgot all about the redhead who had ripped her heart in two.  She probably would have gotten completely over him if it were not for the fact she saw him in the restaurant.  She was not too happy to see he was there with his new girl.  Talk about a total blow to the heart and cruel one at that since she did not know he had a new person in mind yet.

     "Nathaniel, what brings you here?  Who is she?"  Marinette made the mistake when she asks him this.

   "I am just out for a nice lunch with my girlfriend and what brings you here?"  He asks.

   "For your information, she is here to enjoy time as single pringle, right, Marinette?" Tikki interjects.

    Marinette responds by walking off without another word and tears in her eyes. Tikki was not far behind her with a handkerchief in her hands.  "Do not worry, you will find someone new and..."Tikki tries to say.

   "Just drop it already," Marinette snaps at her. She did not want to hear it from anyone least of all Tikki that she could just find someone new as if it were a new flavor of ice-cream she was to sample or a new pair of shoes to purchase. She much rather go home and get back to cleaning.  

    Marinette walks fast and does not stop until she was back inside the place she likes to call home. 

    Tikki follows her and keeps silent.  She felt as if she were to blame somehow since she was the one to insist they go out to lunch instead of getting a pizza delivered or picking up take out.

   Marinette got back to work where she had left off before and finds her closet now contains the few outfits she owns without any help from anyone else. She feels relieved to have come this far already. For her, she feels as if a huge weight is now off her shoulders.     

  "Tikki, I need your help, see, there appears to be something this small glass shard belongs too, but I  do not recall anything it could match," Marinette tells her.

    "I see, well then, I will help you locate it," Tikki replies.

      The discovery of the pink glass shard leads Tikki and Marinette on the search for the item it comes from in the hopes to find it.  Neither girl expects to locate it, and they have no idea how valuable the item is for that matter.  

    The one question on both their minds is what does it go too and why do not we remember seeing it before now?
 
 to be continued in Chapter 2

  -Summer out!