Chapter Text
September 2014.
The day was almost as gloomy as Marinette's mood. She had had a breakdown the night before, something that wasn't unusual but was still exhausting to handle. She felt like a burden for this. She was so worried about making her parents worry, of making her parents stay up until 3 a.m. so she could calm down.
Last night was one of the worst. It crept up on her after a night out with Alya. She had felt so good, but it was like something was dragging her into a bottomless pit. It didn't help that the next was going to be the first day of school.
Marinette didn't want to go, but she had promised Alya that they would walk into school together. After all, they were going to start high school.
As Marinette got closer to their school, her heart rate started speeding up. It wasn't unusual for this to happen, either. Marinette knew she had mental health issues, but she was working through them. Simply getting out of bed was like she had defeated her inner demons. Or, maybe that is what she was trying to convince herself.
"Marinette!" A familiar voice called.
Marinette hadn't realized she had reached the front steps.
"Hey, Alya!" Marinette ran up the stairs and wrapped her arms around her best friend.
"You look like hell, rough night?" Alya kissed her on the forehead. Alya could read Marinette like a book.
All Marinette could do was nod, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill over. She quickly looked down, shook her head, and laughed. Alya knew what this meant. She was tired, and she was hurting, and she needed a break. Alya didn't push the subject further.
The pair walked in, hand in hand. Marinette knew that with Alya by her side, she could conquer anything.
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September 2014
Adrien had never been to an actual public school. He barely had any friends. If anything, Adrien didn't feel like Adrien had many friends. Sure, it was fun to be around other models, and he had fun with Chloé, but it wasn't the same. Adrien wanted a real friendship, one where he could tell his friend anything and vice versa.
It was lonely being a model. But today, that was going to change. It was his first day at school, and he vowed he would make friends. What kind of fourteen-year-old doesn't have friends?
Adrien got lucky his dad said yes to public school. His father didn't say it, but Adrien knows the only reason he said yes was that Chloé goes to this school. It was the only downside of it all, but Adrien didn't let that faze him. He was going to do everything he could to keep her way.
The car ride to the school was surprisingly quick, and Adrien was practically bouncing off the walls.
"Adrien, get away from the windows. You're fogging them." Gabriel, Adrien's father, reprimanded him.
"Yes, father, sorry," Adrien mumbled, leaning back into his seat.
When they pulled into the front entrance, Gabriel stated, "Now, remember the rules. You are to finish your studies and come straight home. Nathalie will pick you up at 3:30, don't be late. Understood?"
Adrien looked up to see his father looking at him from the rear-view mirror. All Adrien could do was nod.
"Great. Have a nice day." Gabriel said to him monotonously.
Adrien got out of the car, looking more pathetic than usual. His eyes were starting to water, something that regularly occurs whenever he talks to his father. If there is anything lonelier than being a model, it's being the son of a famous fashion designer.
Why didn't his father love him? He wondered. Was it something he did? Was he just not enough? Maybe he wasn't doing so great in his shoots anymore. He pondered this almost daily, what did he do to make his father hate him? He missed his mother. Everything seemed so much easier then.
He was supposed to be excited for today, but instead, he felt dread. All he could think about was Chloé and how annoyed he was by her already. He knew all she would do was degrade him. It's what she usually does anyway.
Adrien wandered into the school and was met with bewildered stares almost immediately. He could see girls whispering about him and freaking out. Who wouldn't? Adrien Agreste is attending their school! Adrien was something you could only see in your dreams.
Adrien thought the first day of school was going more exciting. If anything, it feels incredibly isolating. He didn't consider that people wouldn't approach him so quickly. He was new, and he was a celebrity. What luck he had.
"Adrikins!" He heard an annoyingly familiar voice call behind him.
"Hi, Chloé." He muttered.
"It's so exciting that you're here! Come on. I'll show you your first class." Chloé ripped his schedule out of his hands and dragged him up the stairs.
As they reached the top, Chloé turned right and walked into the first room.
"This is our homeroom. We have it every day at the beginning of the day." Chloé explained. "You can sit next to me, Adrikins!"
Adrien was grateful that Chloé decided to show him around, but he was incredibly embarrassed by the decade-old nickname. He didn't want to seem like a jerk, but he didn't know anyone else.
Adrien walked into the classroom and took the seat next to Chloé. He watched as more kids started piling in, some staring and whispering about him and others acting like he wasn't there.
"Adrikins, watch and learn," Chloé smirked.
Adrien watched as she got up from her seat and walked over to the tables across from theirs. Chloé took the piece of gum she was chewing and stuck it on the chair. Chloé winked at Adrien as she was walking back to their table.
"Chloé, I don't think you should do that," He frowned.
Adrien got up and tried to take the gum off the chair. He thought he was doing a good deed, but it backfired on him.
"What are you doing?!" Someone yelled behind him.
"I-I'm sorry. Someone put the gum on the chair, and I was trying to take it off," Adrien explained, turning around. His eyes met with the brightest blue eyes he'd ever seen. If the girl hadn't been so angry, she would've looked like an angel.
"Am I supposed to believe that? Just leave me alone," She huffed.
Someone behind the girl had said something to her. Adrien watched how she nodded and sat on the other side of the table. It was his first day at school, and it got ruined by his stupidity.
"Oh, Adrikins, you have so much to learn about public school," Chloé snickered.
Adrien frowned, looking around for somewhere else to sit. Adrien didn't care where. He just needed to be away from Chloé.
"You can sit here," A kid with glasses called over to him, removing his backpack from the seat next to him.
Adrien sat next to him, muttering a small "thank you."
"I'm Nino, by the way," The boy said.
"Adrien," Adrien replied.
"I know," Nino laughed.
Adrien was about to reply when their teacher walked into the room. She introduced herself and introduced the new kid in her class. It didn't help that the cute girl behind him refused to look his way.
The day seemed to go by fast, and Adrien felt bummed that he had to go home. He enjoyed his classes and found that many of the teachers were very sweet. Despite him being a celebrity, many of the students treated him like a regular guy. For once, he felt included. For once, he felt normal .
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Marinette was glad the day had ended. She was exhausted, and she needed a week-long nap. She didn't want to return, especially after that new kid humiliated her.
Typical celebrities. They hang around ordinary people for once and then act like pricks. Marinette was infuriated, and it sucked that he was so cute .
The day had gotten progressively worse like she could handle another mishap. To make everything better, it was raining. And she forgot her fucking umbrella . Marinette never leaves the house without her umbrella, and the one day she needed it, she didn't have it. Typical.
"If you want, my sister can give you a ride home, Mari," Alya blurted out, giving Marinette a nudge.
"Oh no, it's okay. I'll wait until the rain passes, don't worry," Marinette shook her head.
Alya eyed her carefully, finally sighing in defeat. They hugged and bid each other goodbye, then parted ways.
Marinette stood at the entrance of the school, watching everyone leave. She covered her head with her backpack, hoping it would serve as a shield.
Thirty minutes had passed, and the rain was not letting up. Marinette realized she had no other choice but to walk home.
Great, she thought to herself. Just great.
Marinette heard footsteps approaching, which instantly made her aware of her surroundings. There was no one at school but her. Who could it be?
At that moment, all of her questions got answered as a blond-haired boy stood next to her. Marinette gave him a dirty look and turned so that her back was facing him. The umbrella he was holding covered most of his face, so it was easy for her to ignore him. Otherwise, she would not have been able to stop staring.
"Listen," He started. "I'm new here, but I'm sure you know that. I've never been to public school before, and I don't have any friends besides Chloé. I was trying to get the gum off your chair. It's fine if you don't believe me, but I just thought you should know."
Marinette turned around, staring at the boy in front of her, feeling waves of chills all over her body. Marinette could not have been more wrong about him. Adrien wasn't snobby and entitled at all, but he was lonely and new and needed friends. In a way, Adrien and Marinette were alike.
Adrien took Marinette's silence as defeat. He nodded and turned to walk away.
"Wait!" Marinette shrilled. She grabbed Adrien's attention right away, making him turn around once again. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay," He smiled. "I'm Adrien, by the way. Adrien Agreste."
"Marinette," She blushed. "Dupain-Cheng."
"Oh, here," Adrien said, extending his arm to give Marinette the umbrella he was holding. "My ride is here already. You're going to need it more than I do, trust me."
Marinette reluctantly grabbed the umbrella out of Adrien's hands, their fingers slightly brushing against each other. Oddly, her heart started to thump faster and louder.
"Thank you," Marinette stuttered. Once again, she was left speechless.
Adrien smiled at her and ran towards his car. Marinette watched as he got in, and the driver pulled out of the parking lot. The rain was getting heavier, but Marinette froze in place. She couldn't move.
When Marinette finally started walking home, the rain was easing up. She gripped the umbrella handle tighter, thinking of what just happened. Marinette's cheeks began to heat up, turning a bright red.
The boy she thought she hated ended up being the boy she loved the most.