Thank you all for your patience in waiting for this chapter. Those of you who follow my social media know of my life situation and I appreciate your support immensely. ❤️

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Music glossary

* Prima Donna: (Italian definition: "First/leading lady") the main female singer or actor in an opera or theatrical play

Glossary:

* Glacier: Ice cream vendor

**Reminder: Chat can remain transformed for two hours after using Cataclysm/Black Hole, or for 5 minutes if he uses his powers twice.**

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(Mood Music: "Indignation" - Michele McLaughlin)

Marinette peeked out from behind a bathroom stall door after transforming back, making sure the coast was clear. She wasn't sure whether Adrien had gone back to his hiding spot or whether he'd gone elsewhere after his own detransformation, so she brought out her phone to text him. Knowing his identity did have its perks, she conceded.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he'd already messaged her to let her know of his new whereabouts. Stashing her phone back into her purse, she stepped out of the restroom to rejoin him and their friends outside the school.

Halfway to the exit, she felt a brief, sharp pain on her upper arm.

"Ouch!" she yelped, then whipped around to face the source of the attack. What the hell?!

Her face soured like a lemon and she gasped. "Lila!? Did you just... pinch me?? What are we, preschoolers?!"

"Says the girl who shoved me while I was trying to save Adrien!" Lila retorted with a sneer of her own, hands placed on her hips in indignation.

Marinette pouted, rubbing the sore spot on her arm. She wanted to argue back, but Lila did have a point.

"I-I can explain! It's just that-"

"Do you really feel that threatened by me and Adrien's relationship?" Lila interrupted, crossing her arms.

Marinette held back a scoff as she frowned. "What?! Of course not!"

"Then why'd you do it? I was just trying to help," she whined. "The most important thing should be to save Adrien, right? Why should it matter who did it first?"

"I..." Marinette began with a grimace. She couldn't very well explain to Lila that she was Adrien's secret superhero girlfriend. Especially when Adrien himself wasn't aware of that fact. "I just knew he doesn't like you like that, so your kiss wouldn't have worked."

Lila bristled, then snapped back, "But it did work! Our lips touched first! That counts as a kiss! It was ME who broke the spell! You're just in denial!"

"Oh, I'm in denial?!"

"You really think he prefers you?" Lila sneered.

Marinette glowered back. There just had to be a way to get Lila off her back.

She decided to be bold and take a risk.

"Can you prove that he doesn't?"

Lila let out a condescending chuckle. "Don't you remember? Adrien himself said it before. He's in love with someone else. Someone that isn't you."

"W-well..." Marinette trailed off. Dang it. She'd forgotten all about what happened on the first day of school a few months ago, when Lila got Adrien to admit he loved someone else. Not being able to disclose that she and Adrien were in a secret relationship was more difficult than she'd anticipated.

"I thought you'd all but given up on him after that," Lila continued. "That is, until this week, when you suddenly attached yourself to him, like some parasitic little worm. Why is that, Marinette? Do you actually still like him, or are you just trying to get into his good graces now that we're about to graduate so you can get close to his father?"

Marinette scowled and practically hissed, "Don't assume what my intentions are. And I don't have to justify myself to you. Just mind your own business so we can coexist peacefully until we graduate and then we won't have to see each other ever again."

Lila crossed her arms. "You can't fool me, Marinette. I can see behind that Goodie-Two-Shoes, Little-Miss-Perfect, Class-President façade. Most people can't; especially innocent, pure-hearted ones like Adrien. But I know there's more to you than you let on. You're a two-faced phony. And I don't know what you're up to, but I won't let you get away with it."

Marinette rolled her eyes. the two-faced phony??

She could see that arguing was useless. It would be like talking to a wall.

"Whatever, Lila," she dismissed as she began to walk past the brunette to continue her trek down the hall.

However, Lila extended her arm, blocking the way. Marinette narrowed her eyes, then stepped across to the other side; but Lila pressed on her shoulder, pushing her backwards so she bumped into the wall behind her.

Marinette glared at her. "Let me go," she demanded.

Lila ignored her. "I'm only going to tell you this once, Dupain-Cheng. Stay away from Adrien. You don't want me as your enemy, Marinette. I'm sure Mr. Agreste would agree with me... if I were to explain to him that you were being a negative influence."

Marinette glowered, a roaring fire burning within her chest. How dare she?! After all that Adrien had been through, everything he had suffered because of that man, Lila was threatening to drag Gabriel into this because of some petty love quarrel??

Marinette was aware that Lila was trying to get her to lose her composure. She couldn't give her that satisfaction. So she did her best to conceal her rage and replied, "I refuse to argue over a boy, Lila. We're too old for this. Let me explain something to you: You can't control Adrien, and neither can his father. Not anymore. He can be friends with whoever he wants, and Mr. Agreste can't stop him. And if you actually care about him, you won't try to either."

"I'm just trying to protect him," Lila insisted.

"He doesn't need your 'protection'," Marinette hissed, adding air quotes with her fingers. "Adrien's not some helpless little rich boy. He's an adult now, and perfectly capable of taking care of himself and making his own decisions."

Lila narrowed her eyes at her.

Marinette narrowed hers back.

"Umm..." a baritone voice interrupted hesitantly.

Both girls whipped their heads towards the sound, their faces looking like they'd been caught shoplifting.

Adrien.

How much had he heard??

"Excuse me," he continued. "Marinette was taking a while to meet up with us, so I got worri- uhh, we got worried, and- I mean... I wanted to make sure everything was alright." He eyed them cautiously. "So... is everything alright?"

Marinette took hold of Lila's forearm and removed it from her shoulder. " Peachy . Me and Lila we're just having a little heart-to-heart and clearing up some things. Isn't that right, Lila?"

Lila grinned widely and replied while she straightened out some invisible wrinkles on Marinette's sweater, "Oh, yes. I think we understand each other a lot better now."

Adrien looked unconvinced, but before he could chime in, Marinette walked up to him and took his hand, making sure Lila could see their fingers interlocking. She knew it was petty, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"Let's go," she said curtly, guiding them towards the exit, secretly relishing in the icy scowl that Lila threw their way as they walked.

(Continued in part 2)