Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warnings:
Category:
Fandom:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Series:
Part 1 of Purple Hyacinths
Collections:
Miraculous: Tales, Best of Miraculous Ladybug
Stats:
Published:
2021-03-17
Completed:
2023-04-01
Words:
76,195
Chapters:
17/17
Comments:
191
Kudos:
386
Bookmarks:
44
Hits:
11,717

Crybaby | Miraculous Ladybug [DISCONTINUED]

Summary:

She is done looking for love where it does not exist; she coughs up dust in attempts to drink from dry wells.
[Miraculous S2 Rewrite with Chloe Bourgeois Redemption; discontinued]

Notes:

I enjoy hurting my comfort characters and then showering them with love along the way. This story is triggering and will include very touchy topics. Please, read the tags before continuing. I cannot be held responsible if you continue to read, knowing specific topics trigger you. In my version, all the students are sixteen to eighteen because that makes more sense (in my opinion) and fits the story better.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: Her Paper Crown

Summary:

There's no one to love her if she builds her walls too high

Chapter Text

"Mommy, I want to look just like you," a young Chloe clamored, bright blue eyes glistening with sheer excitement. The toddler trailed after her mother, clutching her drawing to her chest. Just a moment of Audrey's time is all the six-year-old wanted. She wanted her mother to adore her. 

  Chloe wanted to be worth something to Audrey. 

  The older woman glanced down at her beaming before rolling her eyes, annoyed at how hyperactive the blonde was. God, couldn't she just shut up and take the hint that Audrey didn't care? Instead, Audrey faked a smile, lowering herself to Chloe's level, and patted her rosy, plump cheeks. "You want to be just like Mommy?" the mother cooed, lowering her white sunglasses. 

  Chloe nodded her head excitedly. "Yeah! Mommy's the best, and Mommy's very pretty!" the young girl chirped, gripping the paper in her tiny hands. She was happy ecstatic when Audrey noticed her. That was all she wanted, her mother's warm glance of approval. "I wanna be rich and famous and pretty just like Mommy! Everyone in Paris knows who Mommy is!"

  Audrey bit back a wicked laugh, covering her taunting smile with her fist. Looking away for a split second, the fashion queen ruffling Chloe's short curls. "I'm afraid you aren't on my level, ClaudiaChloe," she corrected. 

  Chloe frowned, lowering her hands. "What does that mean?" she questioned, knitting her eyebrows. 

  "It means you aren't good enough."

   So, Chloe would change; she would change for the sake of her mother. Her polite mannerisms? Tossed out the window without a second, she adopted a cruel personality, taunting those she deemed weak and pathetic. It was amusing watching her classmates' faces twist and turn as she mocked them, tearing into the fabric of their being. 

  Any chances of making friends failed as Chloe announced that nobody was good enough to be her friends—Sabrina was the only exception as Chloe deemed as a mere worker bee in her large hive. She supposed Max and the idiotic Kim could be considered her "friends," but like Sabrina, they were only around because they benefitted her. She could care less if they wanted to be around. 

  They weren't good enough for her, anyway. 

  She "matured" faster than the rest of her female peers. She showed off a nice set of curves; plush pink lips coated with a thin layer of nude, matte lipstick and an ocean blue eyeshadow dusted over her eyelids. White, skinny jeans, a yellow cardigan, ballet flats, and tight, black-and-white shirts became part of her daily wardrobe. She became a walking cliché, but she could care less as long as she got her mother's attention, the attention she starved for and desired. All she wanted was to be good enough for her mother, to be loved and cared for by the one parent, at least. 

  Occasionally, Audrey would pop in from New York, spending a week with her, critiquing Chloe's appearance. "You're getting big, Claude—Chloe. You ought to work on your body image more," Audrey would point, pinching her daughter's sides. Chloe had some fat in some areas, but it was normal for a girl her age. But Audrey wanted it changed so Chloe would get rid of the fat. She began fasting, cutting her meals in half or skipping meals entirely. 

  When that didn't work as fast as she'd like, Chloe began eating cotton balls, trying to fill her stomach, and convince her body that she was eating. This routine led to her throwing up, hunched over the toilet as she forced a finger down her throat. It was a painful experience, but it was worth it; all Chloe wanted was Audrey's attention. Her figure began slimming down but at the risk of Chloe becoming weaker. Her ribs were threatening to poke through her skin like pins, but she worried little about it. Her progress made Audrey acknowledge her for once. 

  "See, this looks so much better. You could become a model at this rate if you don't bloat again," Audrey stated, squeezing Chloe's shoulder before retreating to her bedroom. Chloe felt the butterflies swarm in her stomach, a smile spreading across her face. Was she good enough to be a model if he kept off the extra weight? Who cares if it was a backhanded compliment; Audrey finally recognized her daughter's potential. 

  Rolling the scrunchie out of her hair, Chloe let her hair pool around her shoulders, frowning at the split ends. She would need to schedule another hair appointment soon; her hair was somewhat healthy, still glossy, but thinning out. If she took more hair supplements, her curls would be thick and healthy in no time. 

  She pranced in front of the mirror, smoothing her hands down the side of her torso, smiling. She had the body every girl would kill to have; Chloe would flaunt it like it was nobody's business. Especially in front of Marinette, that fat little piggy. 

  Her stomach gurgled, demanding food. She frowned, pinching her sides. No, if she ate anything, she would gorge out on food, and all her efforts would have been for nothing. Instead, the blonde strolled into her bathroom, rummaging through the cabinets before she found the glass container of cotton balls. Without hesitation, Chloe shoved two cotton balls down her throat, wincing as the dry material traveled down her throat, gripping the counter before she could breathe again. 

  Those should hold off her hunger for a bit; a small salad later wouldn't hurt, she concluded, tucking the glass container back underneath the sink, and waltzed out of her room, peering over the balcony. 

  She felt like a queen, staring down at the lowly peasants who bustled about in the streets. Chloe was on top; she deserved the best—she is the best. Sabrina should be lucky that Chloe considers her a friend and offers her hand-me-downs from time to time. The ginger should be grateful that the blonde even takes time out of her day to deal with someone as unsightly as Sabrina.

  The sun kissed her pale skin, peeking out from behind the clouds as Chloe basked in the warmth. It was a beautiful evening; she would say, running her fingers along the edge of the railing, allowing her body to relax. "I should tan more; I'm getting too pale," Chloe grumbled, frowning at how pale her skin had become. Maybe she would make Sabrina get a tan, too. The ginger was too pale for her liking, and they would clash if they went out together. 

  Stretching out her arms, Chloe made a note to start tanning tomorrow and retreated inside, popping her fingers. She still had homework to finish, and Sabrina left Paris for a few days. The ginger claimed it was because her father was looking for a better-paying job, and it was a possibility that they were moving soon. "Excuses, excuses," the blonde mocked, rolling her eyes. 

  Chloe was convinced Sabrina had just grown tired of her presence and asked her father to move. She wouldn't be surprised at this point; almost everyone in the school hated her. 

  Her phone chimed, followed by a text message flashing across the screen. She picked it up, unlocked her phone, and read the statement over. It was from her beloved Adrien; he wanted to let her know that he would be out of school for a while. His father, Gabriel, demanded that he attend a fashion shoot in Japan. 

  Ugh, great, now her first friend was leaving her, too? Was this the universe giving Chloe the middle finger? Giving her a giant fuck for everything she had done in the past years? For bullying Marinette and the rest of her peers, for mocking their appearances and self-projecting? It wasn't shocking if this were karma paying her in full; Chloe was a terrible person after all. 

   I hope you have fun in Japan, at least, Adrikins. Bring me back a souvenir >3 I love you, she messaged, shutting off her phone and tossed it onto her bed. God, she sounded desperate—maybe she was from how she threw herself at Adrien. he was the only one who didn't shy away from her. Of course, she had to be kind to the others, and she made an attempt, but only because Adrien asked her to change. 

  Rolling onto her stomach, Chloe flipped through her books, bored and unamused. She, without a doubt, was an intelligent girl, but she didn't apply herself. The only thing that matters is your social standing; you won't need that useless garbage if you follow in my footsteps, is what Audrey told her, hammering it into Chloe's brain. She would force Sabrina to do the work, stating that she didn't care and just wanted a good grade. Sabrina never complained except for when they had been paired with Marinette. Chloe had to do the work for once; she complained but begrudgingly filled out her work portion. 

  "Mademoiselle," Butler Jean spoke, opening the door, smiling at his young mistress. "Your mother wanted me to tell you that she wishes to see your presence after dinner—something about your measurements," he finished. 

  Chloe hummed, barely lifting her head from her work, and dismissed her butler. "Yeah, yeah, I'll see her after dinner. She could have told me herself instead of telling you to come to tell me," She snapped. It wasn't Jean's fault, and she felt guilty that she snapped at him, but it hurt that Audrey—her fucking mother—couldn't come and tell her that she wanted to see Chloe after dinner. It's not like Chloe would eat much; it all went to the toilet once she made it back to her room unless Jean decided to check up on her. 

  Shutting her textbook, Chloe rolled onto her backside, shielding her eyes with her arms, exhaling. Her life was falling apart, but it's not like anyone would believe that. Come on; she was a rich girl. Money could solve her problems; that's the narrative society painted. Rich people can buy their happiness, or they don't get to feel sad. 

  Maybe counseling would help? How laughable would that be? Chloe could see the headlines now: Daughter of Fashion and Paris's Mayor in need of counseling. She would be the laughing stock, and no one would take her seriously. 

   Mental health is a poor person's problem. That's just an excuse for people to feel sorry for themselves. 

   "I'll ask Daddy to buy me another dress," Chloe mumbled, swinging herself over the edge of her bed, padding across the room. She decided to change into something more appropriate for dinner; a plain tee-shirt and her white capri pants wouldn't be appropriate for a dinner setting. Her yellow halter dress with her ballerina flats would be perfect.

  Yellow was a pretty color on her, after all. 

  Chloe waltzed over to her walk-in closet with a joyful hum, quickly dressing in her halter dress and flats. It fit perfectly, the skirt flowing around her narrow legs and hips, swishing when she twirled. She was perfect; Audrey would have to see that she was trying, that Chloe wanted to be just like her. 

  And she would. Chloe would make her mother proud or die trying. 

Chapter 2: Her Dollhouse

Summary:

Her emotions are like the raging sea: she'll drown in them if she doesn't figure out how to survive.

Notes:

To clear everything up, this takes place after Volpina, but it doesn't follow the canon plotline for now.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

  Dinner went surprisingly well—better than most evenings, Chloe supposed. Audrey complimented Chloe's body when she arrived. "I see you can finally fit into that dress I bought you ages ago. You look good in yellow, shockingly," her mother stated while Andre showered her with kisses and praises. He pushed his daughter's chair in, taking a seat next to his wife. Chloe accepted the backhanded compliment, folding the napkin in her lap. At least they had a chance to eat together like an average family. 

   Normal, what did it even mean anymore? What's classified as normal? It certainly wasn't her family; her mother was neglectful and abusive. Either spending her time in New York, criticizing Chloe's being, or giving backhanded compliments that Chloe ate up without a second thought. 

  Her father was no better, wasting his time in the office, pussyfooting around, and buying her love with trinkets and other mundane items. What a big, happy family they are, Chloe mocked, poking at the mushrooms and onions on her plate. 

   The perfect facade, fooling everyone. 

  "Look at this fattening, disgusting dish," Audrey voiced, words dripping with venom as she glared at the braised chicken, cutting into the poultry dish. She held up a piece for Andre to see, giving him a disapproving glance. "Do you expect me to eat this mess? Do you know what it'll do to my figure? Honestly, I knew you were dense, but not this dense. I'll gain five pounds from eating this garbage alone," she scoffed, pushing her plate away, demanding a server to bring a Caeser salad for her and Chloe. 

  Andre protested, wiping the corners of his mouth. "If you don't like the dish, you can ask for something else, dearest, but don't force Chloe to get a salad. This is her favorite dish," he pointed out, gesturing to his daughter. 

  Audrey rolled her eyes, smacking Chloe's hand when she went to eat the chicken. "Don't that disgusting slop; it's bad enough you already ate the mushrooms. Do you want to put back on that weight when you can finally fit into that dress?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Chloe opened her mouth, only to shut it seconds later, pushing her plate away, and looked down. With a smile, the fashion critic focused her attention on her bumbling husband. "I thought you would care about Chloe's health, Andre. She was getting grossly overweight. We don't want to be a little piggy, would we? She needs to look her very best, and no daughter of mine is going to look like a cow."

  Her mother's words stung, leaving her chest heaving. God, she wanted to run away and empty her stomach again. Chloe just smiled while her parents argued, throwing insults back and forth. What a wonderful family she was blessed with. Indeed an honor to be the dinner conversation, she bitterly thought, thanking the chef for the salad, and bit into the grape tomato. Part of her was tempted to drown her salad with ranch, but Audrey would scream at her, telling her that she would get fat because of how many calories ranch dressing contained. So Chloe opted for a plain salad to stay on the safe side, picking at the leafy greens and shreds of cheese. 

  "For Christ's sake, am I the only one who gives a damn about our daughter's future!?" Audrey shrieked, slamming her fists against the table, trembling with pure rage. She angrily gestured to Andre's body, huffing through her nose. "Just look at yourself! Do you think I would want that for Claudina—Chloe! If I wanted to look at a disgusting pig, I would have stayed in New York and looked at the Americans, and all they do is shove food down their throats—just like you," she snapped. 

  Andre sputtered, tossing his hands in the air. "You're acting like a child, Audrey! You're making a big deal over nothing—it's food, for Christ's sake, not drugs!"

  The fashion queen tipped her head back ad let mockingly. "Of course, a disgusting, fat pig like yourself would say it's food, nothing more and nothing less. You don't even care about your appearance, you sickening sow! Horribly obese and weak-willed too! I knew I should have married Gabriel—he's a fine man, I do say. More fit and attractive than you are, and he would agree with my actions. My mother was right: politicians are a disappointment."

  Just pretend you're on a cruise. You're someplace else like Italy or RomeGermany or Prussia sounds like a beautiful place for a vacation. Maybe England or Japan, Chloe thought, stabbing her grape tomatoes, drowning out the sound of her parents' childish bickering. God, they were worse than those bad parent actors in movies; it was laughable, honestly. She didn't even want to finish her supper; the blonde stood up, announcing she would be in her room. 

  Neither parent acknowledged her statement, still going at each other's throats as they tore into each other. 

  Her room was a safe haven. No one could bother her when she was by her lonesome. Peace and tranquility awaited her as she threw open the door, pressing off her dress. It was more freeing, walking around without clothes on, wearing nothing but her bra and panties. Standing in front of the body-length mirror, Chloe noticed her ribs; they threatened to poke through her skin. It should have grossed her out, but she was indifferent to the sight. 

  "Whatever," was all Chloe managed to mumbled, pulling her hair back into a low ponytail, flopping on her bed. She didn't even bother to check her phone right away; it wasn't worth it. The blonde rarely received any messages from anyone. Sabrina ignored her, and Adrien only texted her if he needed something from her or had their vent sessions. Occasionally, Chloe would scroll through her Instagram account, but it was so bare. Only filled with pictures of herself or a few photos of Sabrina and Adrien. Sure, she had over a million likes and followers, but what was the point? 

  All it did was boost Chloe's ego. So fucking pathetic. 

  Rolling onto the bed, Chloe splayed her arms across the silk sheets. She was beyond exhausted; bags clung underneath her eyes while her chest heaved, rising and falling with each breath. Maybe God was punishing her for being such a miserable child; perhaps Chloe had incurred the Lord's wrath, and this was His way of showing her terrible behavior. Showing Chloe this is how she acted when she was with others. The theory checked out and made sense to Chloe. Her parents had brought her up to believe in God and His wondrous ways.

  It was divine punishment—godly intervention, Chloe reckoned.

  With the sun setting, Chloe thought it would be best to turn in for the night. No one would bother her, after all. Not a single person in her school liked Chloe. She was a stuck-up brat who didn't give a damn about anyone else's feelings but her own. Of course, it was necessarily true—she cared about Adrien's and Sabrina's feelings but didn't know how to act or what to say. 

  Her phone buzzed, shifting on her pillow. "Who the fuck?" Chloe grumbled, scratching her head and checked her notifications. She received two texts: one from Adrien and the other from Marinette. The first one Chloe had anticipated, the second one came as a surprise. "Why the hell would Dupain-Cheng be texting me? A better question is, how did she get my number? I swear if this a prank call."

   Uh, Marinette here. I got your number from Sabrina; Ms. Bustier wanted me to message everyone about the upcoming field trip to Japan next month. Please make sure you have turned in your permission slip if you haven't already. Also, hand in your payment to the office if you haven't covered the cost yet. 

  Chloe had almost forgotten about the trip to Japan. There was a good possibility that she could see Adrien in Japan at his fashion show; he would look handsome in his kimono and yukata. While Gabriel was by no means a good father, he had impeccable fashion taste. 

  With an irritated groan, the blonde shot a quick text to the class president. The words tasted bitter in her mess, to refer to Marinette as the class president was admitting she was above Chloe. No was above Chloe; she was a Bourgeois, for fuck's sake. She would recognize Marinette as a natural leader; she didn't have what it takes to command a group. She's a push-over, a loser. 

  Fuck off. I'll get it done when I get it done, Dupain-Cheng. Don't text me unless someone important is dying or there's a new fashion trend. 

   Chloe didn't care if Marinette screenshotted the messages and sent them to Mr. Damocles. She could just have her mother and father pay him off to keep quiet about the whole ordeal. For a fair price, money could buy silence. 

  Chloe's phone pinged, showing Marinette's name flash across the screen with a message reading, You should really watch how you talk to people, Chloe. You're going to end up all alone if you keep that attitude up. Have a good night and please, turn in your payment before the due date. 

   The blonde stewed in her anger before throwing her phone at the wall in a fit of rage. How dare that fat, little piggy talk down to her like she was better than Chloe!? Did that annoying nuisance have an inkling of an idea who she was speaking to? If Chloe complained to her father, Marinette's parents' business would be closed in an instant. The baker was a nobody—a stupid, little nobody who always had to have her nose in other people's business. An insect who didn't know her place; bugs should remain under Chloe's heel. 

  Again, Chloe's phone chimed despite the screen being broken. She didn't even want to get up to check the notifications. What was the point? It was a good chance Adrien or Sabrina was texting her, or a mundane report popped up. The rich girl pulled the blankets over her head, burying her face in the plush, red pillow. Maybe going to bed would help clear Chloe's head. 

  Chloe curled up into her thick blankets with closed eyes, pressing her yellow teddy bear to her small chest. Mr. Cuddly would never leave her; he was the only one who cared for her. It was sad how she found comfort in a stuffed toy—a teddy bear who couldn't even talk with her. Chloe almost laughed, smothering the bear against her face, relaxing when she smelled the calming scent of spring lilac, relaxing her soul as she went limp against the cushion. 

  Some sleep would do Chloe some justice. Stress was the natural enemy of beauty, and she had an image to maintain; counting backward from one hundred in intervals of three, she could feel her eyes drooping as black slowly began taking over her vision.


  When the light streamed in, Chloe shielded her face, groaning and complaining about how it was too early to be up. She tossed the blankets off her body, stretching her aching arms and legs while padding across the room. "I got bed head," the blonde sighed, rubbing her drained face, and went to wash up. Today wouldn't be unique—it was always a dull day in College François, especially when Sabrina didn't show up. God, Chloe would be terribly lonely unless she decided to sit with Kim and Max. 

  After a quick shower and applying copious amounts of makeup to her tired face, Chloe pulled her hair into a high ponytail and slung her purse over her shoulder before sauntering out of the room. She had no time for breakfast, brushing Butler Jean's hand aside when he offered a salad. "I'm not hungry, and it'll make me fat," she scoffed, curling her lips into a sneer. 

   You liar. That salad looks fucking delicious, dumb ass. A small bite wouldn't hurt; Mommy would never know, plus it's just fruit.

   The butler frowned, holding the hold in front of Chloe's face. "You must eat; you've been getting sick. I can see it in your face," he pointed out, escorting the young mistress to a table, handing her a fork and glass of orange juice. Jean was worried for her; he was there for most of her life and was a better parent than her parents—it was a damn shame, too. 

  She shrugged, popping a strawberry into her awaiting mouth. "It's natural. I'm trying to lose weight; I'm unhealthy," Chloe parroted, stabbing a piece of watermelon and thoughtfully chewed. "Look at me: I'm a damn pig. I don't wanna look like that ugly swine, Marinette," she muttered, pinching her sides. 

  "Chloe," Butler Jean sternly said, squeezing her skeletal hands. His hands were warm and comforting; he felt safe, like home—a home where Chloe could belong and be accepted and love; a far-off dream. She could hear the concern laced in his voice, the worry that shimmered in his eyes when they looked at each other. He sighed, stroking the back of her hand gingerly. "If you keep this, you're going to waste away. You're unhealthy now because you keep starving yourself. It's dangerous."

  Chloe wanted to argue with the butler, screaming at him to mind his damn business and leaving her alone, but she wanted to break down and cry simultaneously. God, why couldn't her parents love her the way Jean loved and cared for her? Why couldn't they just get along or get a fucking divorce if their marriage was so miserable? Why make her suffer?

  Why was God punishing her for something out of her control?

  "Well," Chloe started, finishing the last of her fruit salad, pushing the bowl forward, "I'm eating now, so don't worry about me." The butler did as he was told, sighing as he escorted the young lady to her limousine. Jean handed Chloe her bookbag, wishing her a good day. 

  How could one have a good day whenever despised her? Chloe simply nodded, lowering her lashes as the limo roared to life, pulling out of the lot. The ride was quiet and short, peaceful even. Just how Chloe preferred it; how she would love her home life to be. 

  "We have arrived," the chauffeur announced, stepping out of the limousine to help the young mistress, holding the door open for her. The corners of his mouth crinkled into a soft smile, tipping his hat to the young lady. "I will pick you up after school, mademoiselle. Please, have a good day," the older gentleman hummed, sliding back into the driver's seat, driving back to her father's hotel. 

  The staff rarely talked to her, per Audrey's request. Saying that Chloe didn't need to associate with commoners, and it was terrible that Andre made her angel attend a public school and associate with the rats that scurried around like a parasite. 

  She ignored the idle chatter as she walked up the stairs, rolling her eyes when passing Marinette and her nerd herd. Of course, the poor baker had been rambling about how perfect Adrien and how he would be stuck with Japan; how horrible Chloe had been last night when she shot the blonde a friendly reminder to bring the payment for the field trip. Alya, as usual, had to chime in, voicing her opinions while Nino silently agreed.

  Whatever. Liked, Chloe cared about a pig's opinions. She was better than the trio—she above them. It was blatantly obvious. 

  Her phone vibrated. Chloe reached for her broken phone with an irritated sigh, making a note to ask Daddy to buy her a phone later tonight. She smiled, stroking the broken screen tenderly when she saw Adrien's name flash across the screen. 

   Hey Chloe! It's probably early for you, but I wanted to wish you a good morning, and I hope you have a good day. Please, don't start any drama, especially Alya and Marinette. 

   She chuckled, writing back, No promises, Adrikins; don't be late for your photoshoot. It's 3:00 over there; I'll text you when I have the chance. Bye Rapunzel >3. 

   "Good morning, Chloe!" Rose chimed happily, skipping up the stairs. The petite girl was glowing with positive energy while her girlfriend followed the bouncing optimist. "I wanted to say that you look really pretty too, and I like your makeup! Blue is a good color on you."

  Chloe lifted her head, quirking an eyebrow. Rose always had something nice to say about her peers, even if they hated her guts and spat insults. Rolling her eyes, Chloe dismissed the compliment with a wave of her hand, mumbling beneath her breath. 

  The class was empty as usual, and Chloe already knew she would be sitting alone. It was funny in a way; the most popular girl in school would be sitting by her lonesome. Everyone would find this a moment to remember as everyone would note how Sabrina wasn't present—the ginger never missed class. 

  It wasn't long before the bell chimed, and Ms. Bustier waltzed in once everyone got settled in their seats, smiling brightly. She always did; the ginger teacher taught her students to start the day on a positive note—something that was damn near impossible for Chloe to achieve most days. "Good morning, class! I'm happy to announce that we've almost reached our goal for our trip to Japan. Almost everyone has paid their fees and turned in their permission slips!" she announced cheerfully, writing down their agenda for the day along with an entry task. 

   Eh, maybe I will go. It's a good chance we'll run into Adrien, Chloe thought, taking a slip of paper from Ms. Bustier. The entry task was commonly easy for anyone else to answer, but Chloe had no answer. Leave it to Ms. Bustier to come up with such an impossible question. Chloe was tired, and she didn't feel like working today. Unfortunately, Sabrina wasn't here to do the work for her. 

  "Are you having trouble, Chloe?" Ms. Bustier gently asked, crouching beside the blonde. She smiled at Chloe, patting her hand. "I can always help you, or you can ask one of your classmates for assistance," she offered. 

  "I don't need help."

  Ms. Bustier nodded, standing up. "If you change your mind or need clarification, I'm always here," she stated before moving along to help Ivan. 

  It's not that Chloe didn't understand the question but didn't know what to say. What's your family like, was the question of the day. 

  Yeah, let's reveal to the whole class that I have a dysfunctional family, and I can't keep food down. My mother leaves for months on end, and my father doesn't even care to spend time with me,  she bitterly thought, tapping her pencil o the desk. The good thing about entry tasks was that Ms. Bustier would tell them to leave their names off the paper, and some days, she would read some out loud (today, she wouldn't, though, as written on the chalkboard). Chloe's never got picked, so she figured she could use this as a chance to vent. Get everything off her chest before she drowned in the madness. 

  Once she scrawled her answer, Chloe rested her head on the table. She hadn't slept the best and just wanted a few minutes of shut-eye. While Ms. Bustier was a strict teacher from time to time, she knew students would be drained and would allow students to sleep if they made sure to take good notes and their grades reflect that fact. 

  "I hope you all did your homework because we have a quiz," Ms. Bustier chirped, receiving a collective groan from the students. 

  It looks like Chloe would have to wait to nap. Receiving the papers from Ms. Bustier, she took one and passed the stack back. Maybe Chloe could call Daddy and tell him she wasn't feeling too good. She didn't want to take a test, and she didn't want to sit alone. Neither one of her best friends was at school, and Chloe could already guess some of the other students had something cheeky to say about her predicament. 

  "I'm giving you thirty minutes to complete your quiz, and then you'll need to take out your textbooks and turn to page two-hundred-and-thirty when finished," she explained. "No cellphones, no talking even after you're finished. You may have quiet time until everyone finishes," she wrapped up.

  Chloe raised her hand. "Can I go to the nurse's office? I don't feel so good," she asked. 

  The literature teacher smiled, propped against her oak desk. "Please wait until you're called on, Chloe, and you can visit the nurse once you complete your quiz. You know the rules."

  "I know that, but it's an emergency," she huffed, folding her arms across her chest. 

  Ms. Bustier gave Chloe a knowing look. "After the quiz, Chloe, and that's final. It wouldn't be fair to let you go before a surprise quiz. Unless it's a life-threatening emergency, remain in your seat," the ginger finalized, and Chloe knew she had lost. 

  So she did what any rebellious teenage girl did in these types of situations. Chloe stood up, slinging her purse over her shoulder, and marched out of class, ignoring her teacher's class. "I'll just hide out in the bathroom; she's going to call the nurse or Mr. Damocles when she realizes I'm not coming back to class," she muttered, unlocking her shattered phone. Adrien had sent her a smiley emoji with a thumbs-up emoji added. With a giggle, Chloe sent a reply back. 

   Don't get caught, now. The last thing we need is Daddy Agreste getting mad and taking your phone. I would be so lonely without you, Adrikins. 

  Chloe was lonely, regardless. Adrien was slowly drifting away from her, whether she wanted to admit it or not. He had better friends—friends that didn't demand his undivided attention all the time. Friends that he could laugh freely with, friends that he liked spending time with. If Chloe and Adrien's parents never met, the blonde was sure that they would never have become friends. 

  Settling for the locker room, the blonde sat against the wall, pulling her knees to her chest, dialing her father's number. "Daddy, please pick up. I know Mom won't answer my calls," she said, bouncing her leg. Chloe held her breath, listening to that dreadful dial tone before she was redirected to her father's voicemail. With an exasperated scream, she slid the phone across the tiled floor and pressed her forehead to her knees. "You had one job—one fucking job, and you can't even do that right," Chloe sobbed, letting the tears fall. 

  Her chest squeezed as she hiccupped, biting her bottom lip. Knots coiled in her stomach, slowly reaching her throat, leaving Chloe breathless. Everything hurt, and Chloe felt her body tremble. Sobs wracked her body as she just squeezed herself, trying to calm herself down, but it was easier said than down. 

  Chloe wanted to leave, and no one was answering her calls. If she asked Audrey to pick her up, the fashion icon would laugh, telling her to suck it up, get back to class because she was Bourgeois, and had to command respect. Andre was never busy as mayor; his job was easy, so he had no excuse to ignore Chloe's calls unless she was that invisible to her parents.

  She wiped her nose, feeling her lungs burn as she felt her eyes droop. Maybe Chloe would pick herself up and take a nap in the nurse's office or skip the rest of her classes. The material wasn't hard, and Chloe could get the notes from Max. 

  The bell rang half an hour later, and Chloe sighed. Only six more hours to go.


  If anyone could describe the Bourgeois family in a few words, it would be upper-class, well-maintained, orderly to an extent, perfect.  Chloe would beg to differ. They were horrible people; dysfunctional, toxic, abusive, power-hungry. It was the ideal miniature dollhouse they had built. Deceiving everyone around them with their charming smiles and generous donations, attending church every Sunday. They effortlessly slipped into the assigned roles when out in public or in front of a camera. The noxious family had years to perfect their characters, and Chloe was the only one whose mask was cracking. 

  Chips of her true personality bled through the cracks, begging for a release. She was beyond exhausted; the act itself was a chore. Like a cocoon, the blonde wanted to shed the molten skin and free herself from the prison that chained her down to the earth—a cry for help. Would anyone hear her pleads? She couldn't unload her burden onto Adrien; he had an abusive father and a dead/missing mother. He had it worse than Chloe did. 

  She was terrible at reading emotions or knowing how to help. When Adrien needed someone to talk to, Chloe let him ramble on, following his every word, but she never knew what to say. The most she could do was rub his back, hug Adrien, and tell him that she would be there for him. Adrien understood her social awkwardness and didn't blame Chloe; he thanked her with a hug, crying into her shoulder. 

  To be vulnerable around someone you trust, Chloe wished she could let everything out. The pressure was building up under the cap, reaching the breaking point, but Chloe forced the cap on tighter. She kept everything wrapped as tightly as she could, but it wouldn't work forever. 

  "Would you like some medicine, mademoiselle?" Butler Jean asked, opening her door, finding the young girl curled up in her blankets.

  Chloe nodded, poking her head out from under the covers. Butler Jean crossed the room, sitting on the edge of her bed, and gestured for her to sit up. He uncapped the white bottle, shaking out two pink pills, and handed her the glass of organic orange juice. "Thank you," she mumbled weakly, popping the drugs, and rinsed them down with a swing of juice. 

  "I'll let your parents know you aren't feeling well," Butler Jean stated, standing to his feet. "And I'll make sure to bring you some warm chicken broth. It'll help with your upset stomach. Wastebin is on the left side of your bed," he informed. 

  "Stay here and brush my hair," Chloe ordered, yanking Jean's arm, watching lose his footing for a brief second. The older man smiled, taking his place on the bed, and rested her head on his lap, running his fingers through her golden locks. "I just don't want to be alone with my thoughts."

  Jean nodded, reaching for the brush. When Chloe was a happy little girl, once upon a time ago, she would ask her faithful butler to brush her hair, and the two would laugh and smile. It soothed her, and she missed these sessions. "Would you like a crown braid?"

  "Yes."

  As the butler braided her hair, recalling memories, Chloe closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth and gentleness of Jean's hands. Maybe things would have turned out better if Jean was her father; he could tolerate her excessive bullshit, and Jean was the one who stayed up late when Chloe was sick in bed. Even on his days off, Jean would check up on Chloe, making sure she took care of herself and helped her with homework, and gave her advice when asked. He was a better father—a better parent than Audrey and Andre combined, but Chloe was desperate for any attention from her parents. 

  Maybe in another life, Jean could be her father, and she could happily ever after. But happily-ever-after existed in fairy tales—realms of pure fiction. Chloe had to face reality. 

  "I can see you're getting sleepy. Why don't you go to sleep, and I'll prepare a snack for when you wake up," Jean whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead once he finished her braiding her hair. He brushed his finger against her cheek, smiling. "Please sleep, mademoiselle."

  Chloe hummed in response, pressing her loyal teddy bear to her chest. When Butler Jean left the room, she felt the darkness take over her vision as tears slid down her warm cheeks. If only her parents were as loving and nurturing as Jean. 

Notes:

We all know Audrey would bash Americans (so would I, and I'm, unfortunately, America), and she will do it again.

Chapter 3: She Is Damaged

Summary:

Audrey's abuse goes long back, beginning with body-shaming and verbal abuse. It's the root of Chloe's body image issues.

Notes:

I think I'm having a little too much fun planning all the angst for this story and dumping some of my trauma onto Chloe (I ain't saying what my trauma is).

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

  "And the winner of Lil' Miss Paris is none other than Miss Aurora Lecrosse!" the announcer declared, crowning the little brunette girl champion. Chloe was on the sidelines, arms folded across her chest. She fumed, glaring at the golden crown that sat on the chubby girl's head. 

  That should have been her crownthe crown was for Chloe! She was a Bourgeois! She was born a winnernot some poor, low-class citizen! Her daddy bought it for her Chloe was supposed to win the competition. It wasn't fair! She always won Lil' Miss Paris, so what the hell was different this year? It was ridiculous, outrageous even!

  "Daddy," the eight-year-old grunted, folding her arms across her chest. "Daddy, I was supposed to win! You said you told the judges to pick me, and I was supposed to win!" she whined, stamping her foot. 

  "Uh, yes, honey, I know I was supposed to tell the judges to pick you, but it completely slipped my mind. Daddy is very sorry," Andre apologized, crouching down to Chloe's level. He pinched her supple cheeks, forcing a smile. "If word got out that I bribed the judges, it would look bad for my candidacy. Daddy promises that you'll win the next contest. Now, let's go over and congratulate the winner," he hummed, leading Chloe to the seven-year-old. 

  Chloe huffed, puffing her cheeks, but reluctantly followed the older male. She stuck her tongue out at the younger girl, narrowing her eyes. That crown was supposed to be hersChloe deserved that crown. While the parents exchanged words, she wanted nothing to do with Aurora. 

  No, Chloe wanted to snatch that crown off Aurora's silly little head and prance off with her prize. 

  "Chloe, say congratulations to Aurora," Andre urged, giving Chloe a little push forward. She glared, turning up her nose, but Andre was persistent. "Go on, Chloe. She doesn't bite," he laughed. 

  "Congratulations," she bit out, extending her hand to the seven-year-old. Chloe frowned, repulsed when they made hand contact. She could puke from how cheerful, and excited Aurora was with her green eyes. "Your dress is pretty."

  Aurora bounced up and down, carefully balancing her new crown on her head. "Thank you so much! You're really pretty too! I was so sure that you were going to win, Chloe!" the smaller girl praised, squeezing Chloe's hand. "I can't wait to see you next year if you compete! Are you competing next year?"

  "Of course, I am. I was Lil' Miss Paris before you were. I'm sure to win my crown back next year," she cooed, turning on her heel and walking away, leaving her father to apologize to the small family. 

  Oh, Chloe was confident she was going to win Lil' Miss Paris next year. The only reason she lost this year was that Aurora was a new face, young and still had her chubby cheeks. She wasn't as beautiful as Chloea little on the overweight side, and judges loved chunky kidsbut Aurora was passable. 

  "Chloe, dear, slow down. Your mother will be waiting for us at the airport. Aren't you excited to see Mummy?" Andre asked, squeezing his daughter's shoulders tenderly. 

  Yes, Chloe was excited to see Audrey. Her mother was the Queen of fashiona goddess to most people. The eight-year-old held her head up high, presenting herself in a high manner while strutting down the streets like a supermodel. Seeing Mummy was a treatChloe rarely saw Audrey as her mother was busy working in New York.

  "Yes, Daddy! I hope Mummy brought back some of her pretty clothes; she never lets me touch them," the little girl hummed, swinging her arms back and forth. 

  Andre smiled, helping his little girl into the car, telling the chauffeur to drive them to the airport. Audrey hadn't been home in several years, so Chloe and Andre hoped to spend time with the elegant woman and catch up. Audrey always was a workaholic. 

  Chloe pressed her face against the cold window, excited when they arrived at the airport. Andre thanked the chauffeur and carried Chloe into the growing crowd. The blonde girl grew excited, shaking her fists happily as Andre pushed his way into the crowd. Oh, Chloe couldn't wait to see her mommy!

  "Mummy! I'm here!" Chloe called, waving her tiny hands. Her mother was beautiful as always, dressed to the nines and holding her head up high. Her very presence demanded attention, attracting all eyes to her. 

  Again, the first grader called out for her mother. "Mummy! Look over here! I'm right here!"

   Audrey sighed, turning from the adoring cameras and the press, noticing her daughter and husband. Chloe didn't care that Audrey frowned when approaching; she just wanted to see her mother and feel her warm embrace. 

  Letting his daughter down, Andre embraced his wife and kissed her temple with a smile. "Welcome home, dear. Chloe wanted to tell you about the Lil' Miss Paris contest she recently entered. Go on and tell Mummy how you did," Andre said, squeezing her wife's shoulders.

  Chloe pulled on the silver second-place sash, adjusting the silver tiara on her head. "I would have won first place if Daddy told the judges to pick me like he promised. I always win first prize, Mummy," she huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "The only reason the other girl won is that she had ridiculous fat cheeksshe looks like a chipmunk," Chloe sneered. 

  "Hmph, I wouldn't say you're that cute either, but you are a Bourgeois, and it's your birthright to win. Don't disappoint me again, ClaudetteChloe," Audrey scoffed, sashaying with each step she took. "Have the driver take us home, Andre. I'm tired of being surrounded by incompetents, and my feet need a good soak," she ordered, snapping her fingers.

  "Of course, dearest. Whatever you say."

  Chloe woke up, breathing heavily. The dream was so vivid—no, that wasn't a dream. She was lying to herself again—that was a suppressed memory from a long time ago. Her mother had been disappointed when Chloe won second place in the Lil' Miss Paris contest, losing to a plus-sized child. 

  It was embarrassing, her mother had told her. Chloe believed her, destroying her second-place ribbon and smashing her silver tiara the second they got home. Chloe didn't deserve the second-place prize—she deserved first place. 

  "You moron! How dare you say that!" Audrey screeched from down the halls. The walls weren't thin by any means, but Audrey had a loud and powerful that carried. "Say that to my face, you coward!"

  "You are an unfit parent, Audrey! You're always in New York rather than being with your family. When you are here, you do nothing but moan and complain!" Andre snapped. 

  "At the arguing can make me moan! I can barely feel it when we fuck!"

  Chloe buried her face underneath the velvet pillows. Her parents were fighting again, yelling back and forth. Typically, Chloe would have left, but she had nowhere to go. No friends in the local area—Paris was quiet today. Adrien and Sabrina were gone, having the time of their lives, she assumed. 

  It was around five in the evening. Maybe Chloe could sneak out and wander the streets for a bit. It's not like her parents would notice she was gone, and none of the staff—besides Jean—would check up on her. This was the perfect opportunity to leave and get some fresh air. 

  Chloe changed into simple sportswear, letting her curls pool around her shoulders before sliding on her shoes and sneaking out of her room. Butler Jean would be busy getting dinner prepared, and the staff members would help the residing guests. The halls were empty, and she took this chance to run out the door, never looking back.  

  It was cold; the wind was sharp against her cheek, but Chloe didn't care. She stood in the middle of the sidewalk and took a deep breath.  It feels nice, she thought, stretching out her sore arms. It was better than hearing her parents yell and scream at each other. 

  She would wonder what their marriage was like before she was born. Were they in love? Did Audrey and Andre even care for each other? What went wrong? Why were they constantly bickering? 

  Her phone chimed, vibrating in her pocket. Oh crap, Chloe forgot to tell her dad that she needed a new phone. Her heart thumped against her chest, seeing the latest message from Adrien. He wanted to talk to her. God, it had been so long since the two of them could have a conversation together. 

   I can call right now. I'm near the park, Chloe answered, holding the phone to her chest. With the park being nearly empty, she made herself comfortable on the bench, anxiously waiting for Adrien's reply. She had to remember the seven-hour difference between them. That and Adrien could be busy with his modeling career. 

  Chloe immediately hit the green button when her ringtone sounded off, raising the phone to her ear. "Adrikins, my baby! How are you? How's Tokyo treating you so far?" she questioned. 

  "Hi, Chloe. Uh, Tokyo is pretty good so far. I'm trying to get used to a new sleep schedule, but other than that, it's great. I miss my friends," Adrien sighed. Chloe could hear the sadness in his voice.

  She cleared her throat, playing with her hair. "Oh, what am I, chopped liver? You're talking to me, silly," Chloe giggled, laying on the wooden bench, staring at the setting skies. "It's really boring without you here, babes. Sabrina ditched me," she mumbled. 

  "I should be back in two weeks, Chloe, I promise. How's home?"

  Chloe was quiet, squeezing her wrists. "You know how it gets. Why else do you think I'm at the park? To people-watch? Mommy and Daddy are screaming at each other again, and I was going to have another panic attack."

  Adrien asked, "Do you have your inhaler and pills? I'm sorry things went downhill."

  The blonde girl waved a hand carelessly, laughing almost. "Don't apologize for things you have no control over. It's not your fault, Adrikins. Besides, you went through worse things than I have."

  "Chlo, this isn't an abuse contest—"

  "Hush. You're too worried about other people, but you never take care of your own problems first," Chloe cut off, sitting up and crossing her legs. "How the hell are you going to try to fix someone when you can't even fix yourself? You're just burying your issues; talk to me. How have you been?"

  Adrien sighed, silence on the other end of the line. "Mentally, I'm tired. Father is running me ragged with this fashion show, saying everything has to be perfect. I can barely sleep because I'm always stressing about it. I want to make him proud." He paused, and Chloe heard a door open. "It's so bad; I can't hold anything down. I end up throwing up my food half an hour later. Nathalie hasn't found out yet," he ended. 

  Chloe grimaced, popping her knuckles. Her poor Adrihoney was suffering, and he was miles away. If she could, Chloe would have pulled Adrien into her arms, stroke his honey curls, and kiss his forehead. They could cuddle like they did whenever one of them was upset and needed a good cry. 

  Trauma buddies: a joke between close friends. 

  "Listen, honey. You're anxious as fuck. I'm no doctor, but I can look up some articles to help you relax more. I would say down a stiff drink, but you're such a golden child, and your assistance follows you like a damn hawk. Uncle Gabriel needs to relax. You're already amazing," Chloe hummed. She checked the time, deciding it was a good time to start heading back to the hotel. "Adrikins, I know I don't say this enough, but I love you a lot, okay? You're amazing, and I'm glad I have you as a friend."

  Adrien sniffed, laughing softly. "Thanks, Chlo. I really appreciate that, and I love you too. You'd make a great therapist someday."

  "And deal with other people? That's a hard pass, Adrikins. My special services are only available for you because I love you," Chloe cooed. 

  Her best friend laughed, "I know, Chlo, I know. I know this call was short, but I gotta go. Call me at the same time tomorrow if you have time?" Adrien asked. 

  "Of course. Now, you should probably hang up here soon. It's what, eleven in the morning for you? Take a nap and get something to eat," Chloe playfully chided, resulting in the duo laughing. She wiped her eyes, smiling. "Please, take care of yourself, Adrihoney. I'll call you tomorrow."

  Adrien hummed happily, "I'm holding you to that, Chlo. Again, thank you, and I'm here if you need to rant about your parents."

  "I know." And she ended the call, pocketing her phone as tears rolled down her cheeks. How rich she was, telling Adrien to worry about his problems when she couldn't focus on her own mess. She laughed at herself, tossing her head as she screamed at the sky. What a fool she was, thinking she could become a better person because she was nice to Adrien. 

  She was no better than her mother, saving face in front of those she wanted to impress. The sheep's clothing would come off behind closed doors, revealing her true nature. Like mother, like daughter, the people would say, and Chloe was her narcissistic mother's spitting image. 

  This time, Chloe could hear the screaming outside the hotel as she stood in front of the glass door. She wanted to disappear—she wanted the fighting to stop. It was ridiculous; every day, her parents argued about mundane things, and Chloe couldn't take it.

  Stepping inside the hotel, Chloe winced as the sound of porcelain meeting plaster walls rang out through the air. "Maybe I should have just stayed in New York! At least I could get some work done in peace rather than hear your sniveling," Audrey screamed. "The men knew how to treat a god when they saw one, Antonio!"

  "Maybe you should have stayed in New York! I was fine before you came back—Chloe was fine before you came back here!" Andre retorted. "Everything was just peachy before you came back, Audrey! Chloe was getting better!" 

  "Oh please, she would have swelled up like a fucking pig if I didn't come back!"

  Not liking where the conversation was headed, Chloe ran to her room and buried her head beneath her pillows. It was a miracle that Hawkmoth didn't try to akumatize her parents yet; they were radiating with negative energy. Maybe, the emotions were too intense for the butterfly villain, and Chloe giggled at the thought. Imagine that: Hawkmoth getting chewed out by his creation. It brought a smile to Chloe's lips. 

  Butler Jean cracked the door open, carrying a tray with warm broth. "I noticed you left earlier. I was going to leave the tray in your room, but the broth would have been cold when you got back," he explained, setting the bowl on her nightstand. "Did you have a nice walk?"

  Chloe nodded, sitting up and kicking her legs over the edge of her bed. "I talked to Adrien and helped him with a few problems. I miss him, Jean," she mumbled, squeezing the yellow teddy bear. "I wonder how long it'll be before he grows tired of me too. Sabrina already hates me, so I can only imagine that Adrien hates me, and he doesn't want to hurt my feelings. He has the losers to hang out with now. Them and that mean Kagami girl."

  "That doesn't mean Adrien is going to replace you, my dear," Jean assured, sitting beside Chloe. "You two have been friends since you were toddlers. You two are like peas in a pod; he cares for you, Chloe," the butler informed, grabbing the brush and patted his lap. When Chloe laid her head against his lap, he began brushing her loose curls. "Yes, he's made new friends, but he'll always have you."

  Chloe sniffed, rubbing her eyes. "But I'm horrible, and Adrikins likes his other friends so much better than me. I notice how he gets along with the super nerds and his dorkish crush on Ladybug," she bawled. "He's going to forget all about me, Jean, but I wouldn't blame him. Mom always said I had a boring face," she sniffled.

  Was Chloe afraid of being replaced? Rightfully so. She had loved Adrien for years and wanted to grow closer to her, but she could see that they were drifting away when he decided to attend public school. The gap was noticeable, and the fear of being replaced frightened Chloe. 

  Jean gingerly stroked her curls, shushing the young girl. "You do not have a plain face. Adrien will not replace you, mademoiselle. You two just need to reconnect and grow," he stated, reaching over to take the lid off the lukewarm bowl of broth. "Now, please drink the broth. It'll help your stomach."

  She frowned, looking at the bowl and then back at Jean. "I'll drink it later. I'm not really hungry," Chloe lied, holding her stomach. 

  Unfortunately, the butler knew when the blonde mistress was lying and noticed all of her tells. "Please, it'll help you. You don't have to drink much of the broth. Just a little," he urged. 

  Chloe gave in, taking the bowl from Jean, and drank some of the broth. It was still warm, but it did burn going down her throat. She winced, setting the bowl to the side, and laid back down, pulling the covers over her body. "I'll drink some more later. Thank you."

  "Would you like some melatonin? It'll help you sleep easier," the butler offered. 

  "If you don't mind."

  He left to retrieve the tiny pills, and Chloe changed into her nightclothes. She realized she didn't do anything today; the blonde went to school for half an hour, came home, took a nap, talked to Adrien, and now, she was about to sleep again. Some luxurious life she led. 

 Chloe popped the pills when Jean came back, dismissed him, and let sleep claim her.


   "Congratulations, Aurora Lecrosse, on winning, Miss Paris junior!" Nadja Chamack announced, holding the microphone to the twelve-year-old winner. "So, tell us how it feels to be a four-year reigning champion and what inspired you to do beauty pageants?" she asked. 

  Aurora smiled, smoothing the wrinkles in her seafoam blue dress. "Well, it's unexpected, Mrs. Chamack. I never enjoyed pageants before, but my brother thought it would be a great idea to sign me up for oneit was supposed to be a prank," she giggled, crossing her ankles. "I always have fun, and I get to try on some many dresses and show of my talents!"

  The reporter smiled, jolting down some notes. "Aurora, Chloe Bourgeois used to be Lil Miss Paris four years ago. How does it feel to take her title?"

  "I could never take Chloe's title! She was Lil' Miss Paris for years before me, and she always will be! I haven't taken anything from her," the brunette stated, furrowing her eyebrows. "Chloe has taught me a lot, and I love her personality. Next year, she'll be going for Miss Paris, and I just know she'll win!"

  Chloe scoffed, mumbling under her breath as she stood on the sidelines. Of course, Aurora had won again, and the press was showering her with adoration and praises. It wasn't fair at all. This was supposed to be her big moment, and Aurora ruined it again!

  When the cameras died, and the news crew rolled out, Audrey walked up the stairs to the young girl. "Aurora, congratulations on winning Miss Paris junior. My incompetent daughter could learn a thing or two from you," she spat, shooting an icy glare at the second-place winner.

  "I don't think Chloe is incompetent. She's fantastic, Mrs. Bourgeois! I never went against someone like Chloe! If anything, I think she should have won Miss Paris junior," Aurora admitted, tugging on a loose curl. "I only do these pageants because my brother loves dressing me up, and he wants to be a makeup artist someday."

  Audrey held back a laugh, coughing into her fist. "Moving on, I think you have talent, dear. If you were to study under my wing, you could dominate in regionals. Having a fashion icon as your coach will do you wonders," she offered, draping her arm across the young girl's shoulder. "What do you think, Aurora? Would you like to be a star?"

  "Would my brother be able to help with my makeup still?" Aurora asked. 

  Audrey hummed, examining her wedding ring. "We can work something out if you agree. You'll be the best under my care."

  "Mom, you never offer to coach me, but you want to coach this lower-class garbage dump!?" she sneered, baring her teeth at the shorter girl before looking up at the fashion queen. "Why is she special, but I'm not? I'm your daughter, and you never treat me this way."

  Audrey didn't even look up, nor did she lower her white sunglasses. "It's because Aurora has something you are lacking, ClaraChloe: potential. You have nothing to show for it," she stated, gesturing to Chloe's quivering figure. "I can't give you something for nothing, you know. I would be wasting my time with you."

  Chloe was on the verge of tears, gripping the side of her dress as Audrey led Aurora away. She glared at Aurora with watery eyes as the brunette gave her a sad smile, but Chloe didn't care. She wanted to rip Aurora's head off and smash that damn crown into her forehead. 

  She tossed her silver crown on the ground, sobbing as Andre chased after his wife and the winner. It was a mistake, trying to reclaim her lost crown. What the hell was Chloe thinking? Aurora was beautiful, and the judges loved her. Chloe was an unlikeable person with her bitter personalitythanks to mother, dearest. 

    With tears running down her face and no friends in the area, Chloe ran to the park. She sat on the carousel, wrapping her shaky hands around the striped pole. Audrey always pushed Chloe away, saying she wasn't good enough. The fashion queen always chose the other girls, but never Chloe. Why didn't her mother love her? What did Chloe do wrong?

 "Chloe!" a twelve-year-old Adrien exclaimed, joining his best friend on the carousel. He noticed her watery eyes and frowned, reaching for her hand. "What's the matter, Chlo?"

  The blonde girl looked over at Adrien with those big blue eyes, swinging her legs. "Mummy is being mean again. I don't know why she hates me, Adrihoney," she mumbled. Jumping off the plastic horse, Chloe kicked a stray pebble with an angry groan. "All the other girls get to spend time with my mom, but she leaves me behind. She tells me that I'm not good enough! Adrikins, I'm good enough, aren't I?"

  Adrien joined his best friend with a smile, giving her a giant hug. "Of course, you are, Chlo. You're my best friend, and I know you're perfect."

  Chloe almost cried again, throwing herself into Adrien's arms, pressing her face against his chest. "I don't deserve you," she blubbered, gripping his shirt. Adrien allowed Chloe to cry into his chest, rubbing her hair and telling her that they would get through this situation together, and he would always be there for her. 

  It was impossible to fix someone who was beyond repair. 


  Another day and Chloe was tired. She apologized to Ms. Bustier for leaving class, and she sat in her assigned seat. Sabrina still was ignoring her, but Chloe would live. She was a big girl now; she could take her own notes, but it doesn't mean she wanted to. 

  Oh well. 

  The class wouldn't start for another ten minutes, so Chloe scrolled through Instagram idly, popping her gum. She could make out bits and pieces of the ongoing conversations, but Chloe didn't care. 

   It's time for the Miss Paris Spring Edition contest! Applications must be turned in on May fourth at 11:59 pm,  which is what a new post read in Chloe's Instagram feed. Surely, God was testing her. It was laughable. For days, Chloe had dreams about the Lil' Miss Paris contests from the past, and now, she had another chance to win her crown. 

  Maybe she could impress her mother if she brought back the golden crown this time. Chloe smiled, saving the post, and turning her head when Alya babbled about the same contest. 

  "The girls in our class should enter! Mari, you could showcase your dresses!" Alya squealed. "

  Chloe rolled her eyes, laughing. Dupain-Cheng in a beauty pageant? None of these girls would survive the first round—the beauty queens would eat them alive. She would know: Chloe was notorious for being ruthless during a contest. If anything, the other girls in her class would make great entertainment, and maybe they would be lucky and not have their faces published in the daily newspaper. 

  Rose chimed in from behind Chloe, giggling. "That sounds like fun! I got to watch the pageant in middle school—Chloe won second place. Her dress was beautiful," she gushed.

  "Of course, it was. I only deserve the best," Chloe stated arrogantly, brushing her ponytail. She hit her fist against her thigh, trying to forget her defeat from years ago, but leave it to little Rose to bring it up. Instead of chewing the girl out, the former pageant queen sat up straight, examining her baby-blue nails. "None of you would make it to the second round. You think I'm heartless? You haven't seen anything," she snickered, crossing her legs. 

  Before Alya could argue back, the bell chimed, and Ms. Bustier started class. As usual, they started the day with an entry task and opened their textbooks for the next lesson. 

   "I can make Mummy proud if I win. She'll love me," Chloe mumbled to herself, smiling. The blonde girl could see herself with the golden crown, being interviewed by Nadja Chamack. Audrey, the fashion queen, would look up at her, proud that her daughter had won. She would have a shred of Audrey's respect. 

  A brilliant warmth spread across Chloe's body as she sat in class, daydreaming about her future victory. She would win and make her dreams into a reality. Chloe could make things better if she secured the first-place prize. 

  A golden crown could fix anything

Notes:

Okay, so I have this headcanon that Audrey was a pageant queen when she was younger, which is why she wants all the attention and wants to be the star or first. Chloe followed in her steps which is why Chloe is also in gymnastics and has to be the best (and how her eating disorder started).

Also, read Hypnotized and Prom Queen, cowards.

Chapter 4: She's A Mrs. Potato Head

Summary:

Little girls are learning how to cut and paste.

Notes:

Deal with my Melanie Martinez references throughout this whole chapter. This chapter is the starting point where the story will get darker for all characters involved.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 "Gross," Chloe mumbled, pinching the sides of her stomach. She didn't have much meat on her bones, and her ribs were showing. Audrey envied her daughter's body figure, saying that she would kill to be that small. Chloe didn't have large breasts, nor did she have a large butt to match. 

  Audrey stepped in, glancing at her daughter's body. She frowns, running a finger down Chloe's spine. "And what the hell are you doing?" she questioned. 

  Chloe swallowed the lump in her throat. "I thought I would try to enter the Miss Pariss contest again. The losers from my school said they wanted to join. I thought I would humiliate them, especially that goody-goody Marinette. She thinks so great," she scoffed, smoothing her hand across her stomach. Her smile fell as she faced her mother. "I thought that you could coach me this year. I know I can win first place this year. Just give me a chance, Mommy. I can make you proud."

  Audrey thought for a moment, rolling her head to the side. "I suppose it's not an idiotic idea. I'll coach you this year, but only because I dropped the last girl. She wasn't to my standards," she recalled, looking at her manicured nails. Resting a hand on Chloe's lower back, Audrey crinkled her nose and forced Chloe to stand up straight. "The first thing we need to do is work on your slouching habit. You won't win a crown anytime soon with that posture."

  "Yes, Mommy," Chloe answered. When Audrey left the room, Chloe went back to poking at her small breasts. They weren't big like Alya's, but they weren't small like Rose's. They were average, nothing fancy. Like anyone would want to see Chloe naked. The very thought made her laugh. 

  Stepping away from the mirror, Chloe sat on the edge of her bed, holding the broken phone in her petite hands. Her new phone would arrive tomorrow, and Chloe promised to call Adrien whenever she had the chance. God knows that she needed someone to talk to. Sometimes, it felt like Adrien was the only person who could understand the pain Chloe felt. 

  She draped a translucent pink robe across her shoulders as she FaceTimed Adrien. Crossing her legs, Chloe made herself comfortable on the display of pillows. "Hey, sunshine boy," Chloe cooed when she saw Adrien's cute face. Her smile dropped when she noticed the dark bags beneath her beloved's eyes. "Adrikins, you look horrible! What happened to you?" she whined, gripping her phone. 

  "Nothing you need to worry about, Chlo. I'm fine"

  "You're fine, my ass. You look like you haven't slept in days!" Chloe exclaimed. When Adrien scratched his head, the blonde girl massaged the bridge of her nose. Leave it to Adrien to neglect his healthlike she had any room to talk. "Baby, what's going on? You can speak to me about anything, right? You know I'll always be here for you."

  Adrien let out a shaky laugh, propping his phone against his book, and bounced his leg. "It's justI'm so fucking tired, Chlo. I can't keep hiding who I am. I hate living a lie; I'm drowning."

  Deep down, Chloe could relate to Adrien's pain. They were one and the same, both pretending to be people they are not. It was exhausting and straining; it wasn't worth it—drowning in an endless void of pain and suffering. 

 "Tell me what's wrong, Adrikins? I have all the time in the world," she offered. 

  With a sigh, Adrien ran his hair through his messy blonde locks. "I—shit. I just feel lost, and I don't know how to find myself again, Chlo. That, and the fashion show is tomorrow, and I still haven't been sleeping well. I'm sorry; I'm emotion dumping again," he laughed, scratching his neck. 

  Chloe tutted, flicking the screen. "Stop apologizing for being human. I told you that if you needed to talk, I would be here for you."

  "Yeah, but I feel bad that I can never help you, and I know you have your own issues," Adrien mumbled. 

   Oh, Adrihoney, you have a heart of gold, and I don't deserve you. You can't save someone already dead. Not even Ladybug could fix this mess with her Lucky Charm, Chloe thought. Instead, she waved off his comment, saying, "I can take care of myself, Adrikins. Just give me a brief idea of what else is troubling you."

  "It's complicated. You know I'm not good with words," Adrien sighed. 

  Chloe smirked, "Just me, Rapunzel. Just say the first thing that comes to mind."

  Adrien sucked in a deep breath, exhaling through his nose. "I guess to start off with, I just don't feel like myself. I like being a model, meeting new people, and all that jazz. I just want more out of it, is what I'm saying. I want to dress more freely," he rambled on, laying back on his bed. He pinched the bridge of his nose before throwing his hands in the air. "Father is so old-fashion, and I just know he wouldn't be accepting of me."

  "What do you mean?"

  "Ah, it's nothing. Just Father can be stubborn, but it's nothing I can't handle. I'm just experimenting with myself," Adrien laughed. "And before you freak out, I'm not doing drugs or having sex. It's complicated, Chlo. I can explain it when I have it all figured out."

  Chloe stuck out her bottom lip, pouting, but she agreed. If Adrien wanted to wait to tell her what he was dealing with, Chloe could wait until he was ready. Their relationship was built on trust and shared trauma. The last part made Chloe giggle. 

  Tapping her finger against the screen, Chloe smiled. "Alright, I won't pressure you. Just know that I'll always accept you, Adrikins. Now, have you eaten anything?"

  "I ate udon if that counts," he said with a cheeky smile. 

  Chloe whined, "You ass. We were supposed to try that together." They had their laughs, poking fun at each other as they traded secrets. Adrien was the closest person Chloe would allow near her. They had a special bond—a bond that took years to build. 

  Adrien drummed his fingers on his lap. "Hey, I saw that post for the Miss Paris contest. Are you going to be joining?" When Chloe nodded, he gave her a soft smile. "I wish you luck, and please don't hurt yourself. You almost tore a ligament because you landed wrong."

  She shivered, recalling that day. Chloe was performing gymnastic tricks for the judges and landed wrong, almost tearing a ligament in her foot. The pain lasted for a couple of days. Good thing her father had access to painkillers, leaving Chloe on a high for several days. 

  "No promises. I have to be the best, and Mommy said she would coach me this year!" the pageant queen declared happily, picking at the chipped baby-blue nail polish. She should schedule another nail appointment and dragged Sabrina along with her. "I wish you were here to see me! I'm confident that I'll get the golden crown this year."

  Adrien agreed with Chloe. "You're one of the fiercest pageant queens I've ever met, and gold is a good color on you." 

  Her heart soared when Adrien praised her. He called her a fierce pageant queen; Chloe would take those words to the grave as she smiled, stroking her necklace. Adrien was Chloe's world, and she took his words to heart. He was the only person that Chloe truly cared about. If she set the world on fire, Adrien would be the only person Chloe would bother saving. 

  Sabrina and Chloe didn't have a healthy relationship. It was a simple master-slave type of bond between the two of them. Chloe would bark the orders, and Sabrina would meekly nod her head and listen to the blonde. Everyone in the school would tell Sabrina to get away from Chloe—she was poison. A toxin seeping in. 

  Poor Sabrina remained at Chloe's side, following her orders like a lap dog. If Chloe told the ginger to jump, Sabrina would ask how high. She would roll on her back if it meant Chloe would scratch her belly. 

  "Chloe? You okay? You look off," Adrien said. 

  "Hm, yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking. I'm excited to see you; we have to have a sleepover when you get back," Chloe insisted, chewing on her thumb. "I'll bug your father to let you come over. He adores me," she cooed. 

  The model nodded, the corners of his mouth tugging into a smile. "Yeah, I would like that a lot. It's been forever since we hung out," he chuckled. "Maybe I could stray away from my diet and eat some popcorn and some Poptarts."

  "I can see if I can get Daddy to buy to the limited sugar cookie Poptarts you love so much," she promised, making a quick note to stock up on extra goodies and not let her mother know. There would be hell to pay if Audrey found Chloe stuffing her face with sugary treats. 

  Once the plan had been formulated, Chloe sat up, pulling the robe over her shoulders. "You should probably go to sleep. It's early there, right?"

  Adrien nodded, stretching his arms. "I can't really sleep. Nathalie thinks I might be an insomniac or something like that. It's been getting harder to go to sleep," he said. 

  "You should try to get some melatonin pills or get some essential oils," Chloe suggested. 

  "Please, don't tell me you're an anti-vaxxer, Chloe."

  Chloe scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Hell no! I know I'm not good at math, but I'm not stupid. Lavender can help with insomnia and ease your restlessness." She fished a small bottle of her oil from her dresser, holding it up for Adrien to see. "Get an aromatherapy machine, and it'll help your room smell nice too," she added. 

  "I'll look into it. I think I can persuade Father into letting me spend the night with you. He's always considered you close to the family," Adrien said. 

  "Yeah, but that's because my mom wanted to bone him," Chloe snickered. 

  Adrien grimaced. "Don't remind me of that."

  Chloe shrieked with laughter, kicking her legs as Adrien whined at his best friend's red face. They mocked each other, poking fun at each other and laughing with delight. Deciding they should hang up and get some rest, the two exchanged goodbyes and ended their video call. But Chloe didn't go to sleep right away. 

  Instead, she held the broken phone in her hand, scrolling through her pictures. Her father wanted her to take photos with Aurora when she (Aurora) won Lil' Miss Paris again. Chloe hated that silly smile on the younger girl's face and wanted to smack her. She was annoying, and Chloe hated her for stealing her mother away. What was so special about little Miss Aurora? 

  Nothing was extraordinary about her. 

  The phone rang in Chloe's hands, and she stared in disbelief. Why was Sabrina calling her? Didn't Sabrina hate her for making her life a living hell? Maybe the call would answer the questions Chloe had. Hesitantly, the blonde pressed the green button and raised the device to her ear. "What the hell do you want, Sabrina?"

  "Chloe! I thought you would be mad at me for ghosting you; I didn't mean to!" Sabrina blabbered, talking Chloe's ear off and apologizing. "My dad decided that it would better for us to stay in Paris, so I won't be behind in school. Isn't that great?"

  "Uh, yeah, I guess. I thought your dad would like America better," Chloe assumed, shrugging her shoulders. Though her facial expression didn't show it, Chloe was happy that her friend was returning. Even if the girls weren't close, Chloe still enjoyed her presence. 

  The ginger giggled, moving stuff around in the background. "Dad liked America, but he didn't want me to do extra work to catch up with my classmates. That and I would be so lonely without you," Sabrina added. 

  Tugging on her blonde curls, she hummed in response. "Yeah, I get it. Just don't take so long getting back, Sabrina. I need someone to help me with my homework," Chloe scoffed, hanging up shortly after. 

  Chloe was a horrible person; she knew that. She used Sabrina for her own selfish reasons, never allowing the ginger to have free will or go against her word. It was her way or the high way. Chloe tried changing, but it was impossible with a lack of friends and her enabling family. 

  Now, she couldn't sleep with the guilt wearing down on her conscience. Chloe slid off the bed, changing into a pair of sweats and a sweater, brushing out her ponytail. When she couldn't sleep, Chloe would walk around Paris aimlessly, lost in her thoughts. 

  Paris was beautiful at night, illuminated by the colorful lights. Chloe loved it when the rain would fall from the sky, showering her face as she stood in the downpour. Again, her parents wouldn't go looking for her if she left in the middle of the night. Chloe pocketed her phone and strolled out of her house with her inhaler and pills.

  It was warmer, Chloe found, deciding it would be a good idea to go to the park. Maybe it was because she was bundled up in a sweater instead of a thin shirt, unlike last time. Oh well, it didn't matter right now. A good walk would clear Chloe's mind, and maybe it would help her sleep when she returned to the hotel. 

  The blonde almost laughed, stuffing her hands in her pockets. Who would have thought Chloe Bourgeois owned sweats and sweaters or any sort of loungewear? She was always following the latest fashion trends, following fashion tips, and beauty gurus on YouTube. 

  Walking along the Canal Saint-Martin, Chloe swung her arms back and forth, looking up at the moon. The cold breeze felt terrific against her cheek, and when Chloe sat down, she reflected on her past actions. 

  Could there be a way for Chloe to ever redeem herself? Hell no; no one would believe that Chloe was trying to change for the better. She was a little girl trying to grow into her mother's face. It's such a waste that she was trying to cut and paste her future. 

  "Chloe? Chloe, is that you?" a feminine voice called out. When the blonde turned around, she found herself staring at a brunette girl with green eyes. Chloe felt her stomach drop and her lips curled into a sneer. 

  Aurora fucking Lecrosse.

  The former first-place winner threw her arms around Chloe's neck, giving her a tight hug. "Oh, it's been so long since I've seen you, Chloe! The last time I saw you was when we were running for Miss Paris junior!" Aurora recalled happily, taking a step away from her former rival. She got a good look at Chloe, and her smile widened. "Wow, you're so pretty."

  "And you're still annoying and mushy as ever," Chloe retorted with a sneer. "I see your loser brother isn't attached to your hip, as usual, Aurora. Where is he anyway? He's always with you."

  "Oh, Sebastien uses they/them pronouns now!" Aurora told Chloe before they linked arms. "And they're at home with our uncle! They were exhausted, so they went to bed early. Besides, I couldn't sleep, and it's been so long since I've been in Paris."

  Chloe raised an eyebrow, confused. Someone using they/them pronouns? Aurora wasn't in Paris? Makes sense why her mother had so much free time on her hands since she returned from New York. She didn't ask any questions or pulled away from the younger girl who walked alongside her. 

  Despite being a winner in both the Lil' Miss Paris and Miss Paris Junior contests, Aurora was still a happy and outgoing girl. The beauty standards in their world would eat young girls alive, causing them to harm their bodies to achieve the perfect look. Pills, binging, over-exercising, anorexia, bulimia—all causing of what the pageant world would offer once a little girl decided to become a beauty queen. 

  Yet, Aurora still had a smile, and she was buddy-buddy with Chloe, her fucking rival. How could she do it, especially with her mother's training? Why hasn't her mother spoken about Aurora, and why did she agree to train Chloe suddenly?

  "Okay, you have questions to answer if you want to hang around me," Chloe stated, pulling herself away from Aurora and stood across from her. She eyed Aurora's white, wooly sweater and black pants. Exhaling, Chloe tucked a curl behind her ear. "Why the hell are you here? Why did you even leave?"

  Aurora's smile fell, shuffling her feet nervously. They walked down the sidewalk. "Sebastien and I had to move back to Canada for a court summons. My mother was trying to fight my uncle. My uncle wouldn't let her take us back again," the brunette said. 

  "Shit," Chloe whispered as she coiled the golden chain around her finger. "So, it was because of family drama?"

  Aurora laughed, swinging her arms. "Yeah, pretty much! Thank God, it's all over now, and we got to move back! I miss being here." She sighed, brushing the loose strands of hair out of her face, turning towards Chloe. "So, what's been going on with you, Chloe? How's life been treating you?"

  Chloe shrugged off her question, wrapping her arms around her torso. "Okay, moving on. Are you still doing pageant contests because I plan on crushing you this year," she declared, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "My mom isn't coaching you this year, so you won't be able to win as easily."

  The brunette hummed, swinging her arms back and forth. "I got a better coach for this year's pageant. Her name is Cerise Dubois, and she's an LGBTQA+ friendly coach," Aurora informed with a smile. "I think you'd like her. She's motherly and kind and offers support to all the girls."

 This confused Chloe. "Why the hell would you need a new coach? My mother is the Queen of Fashion—you should be lucky that she wasted her time with you. There's no way this Cerise woman could be better than my mother," she scoffed. 

  Aurora's smile fell. "Your mother made me uncomfortable. I indeed made it to a national contest, but do you know what the risk was?" she asked, lifting up her sweater to show her flat stomach and her ribcage. "I developed an eating disorder. I can't eat anymore without a need to throw it up. Your mother made me feel guilty about being confident in my body and sexuality. She called me a fag when I said I like girls."

  Chloe shrunk away from Aurora, wiping her arm. Aurora didn't care as she pulled down her sweater, wrapping her arms around her stomach. The blonde didn't understand why the brunette was complaining? Being thin was good. It meant boys found you attractive and would lust after your body.

  Being thin and skinny was every girl's dream. Aurora was a chunky girl when Chloe first met her. If anything, Audrey helped her with her weight problem. There was no way Aurora would ever get a boyfriend if she was fat, and her mother was right to shame her for liking girls. 

  It was gross—an abomination. 

  "Big deal, I think it helped you in the long run. No one wants to kiss a pig or a fag," Chloe bluntly stated. 

  "Haha, you're so funny, Chloe," Aurora replied, tucking her hands in her pocket. "I have no problem with people bullying me because I love who I am. So what if I was a big girl with fat rolls? So what if I'm a demi-girl who uses different pronouns? So what if I use an uncommon label to describe my sexuality?" she huffed, jabbing Chloe in the chest, matching her steps. "I love myself, and that's all that matters. Your opinion of me doesn't matter because I love who I am! I love who I'm going to be! I won't be a Mrs. Potato Head in this fucked up world!"

  No words were traded between the two girls. Aurora was huffing, holding her chest as she struggled to breathe. Chloe squeezed the inhaler in her pocket before deciding to off it to the brunette. While Chloe didn't like Aurora or approve of her lifestyle, she couldn't let her die out here. There's no way Chloe could afford a criminal record at her age. 

  "You know I don't like you, right?" Chloe asked. 

  "I know," was Aurora's response, giving Chloe the inhaler. 

  "The other girls from my school will be joining the Miss Paris contest," Chloe informed, walking alongside Aurora. "I just know they're going to make fools out of themselves, especially that teacher's pet, Marinette."

  Aurora hummed, adjusting her sweater. "That sounds fun. This should be one of the biggest contests in Paris, and I'll be joining this year," she said, kicking a stray rock in her path. The brunette laughed, tilting her head back. "I know it's late, but would you want to get some ice cream? I mean, it doesn't have to be right now but sometime this week. I think it would help us get closer."

  "Why the hell would I want to be closer with you? Trying to sabotage me? I didn't think you were that cruel."

  The brunette shook her head, laughing. "Oh, no, I wouldn't dream of it. I just think we could be friends despite everything we've been through," she said with a smile, tugging on a free curl. "I'm not good at making new friends, so I thought it would be nice to talk to you since we're both beauty queens, and we have that in common."

  Chloe snorted, flicking her hair over her shoulder. She and Aurora had nothing in common; they were too different. There was no way Audrey would even let Chloe hang around with Aurora if she knew she was gay. 

   No daughter of mine will be infected with that parasite. It's already bad enough that your father has to marry those godless people. This is just terrible. Leave it to those cretins to demand rights. 

  "I think I'll pass," Chloe said. Saying her goodbyes, the blonde left without another word, shaking her head. 

  Maybe Audrey was only coaching Chloe to get back at Aurora? No, the idea sounded ridiculous, and her mother was too sophisticated to start petty fights with children. 

  Kicking off her shoes and tearing off her clothes, Chloe padded into the bathroom, crouching beside the toilet. She wasn't as strong as Aurora. Maybe that's why Chloe hated her so much. Aurora could smile and still love herself despite the horrible things that happened to her. Aurora could still improve and flourish, unlike Chloe. 

  Aurora wasn't stuck impressing people around her, flaunting her good looks, and treating others like dirt. She wasn't a Mrs. Potato Head like Chloe. 

  Making sure her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, Chloe forced a finger down her throat and felt the bile burn her throat. She gripped the side of the toilet as she forced up her lunch, trying not to choke on her vomit. Tears burned her eyes as her body shook violently, but Chloe didn't stop. She would keep vomiting until she was beautiful. 

  After all, no one would love her if she was unattractive.


  The best thing about Wednesdays was an early release from the school. Chloe made plans to go home, pack a gym bag, and head to the gym. It would have been cheaper to use the gym at home, but Chloe didn't want to hear her parents. That and she wanted to walk around Paris some more. It was a lovely day, after all. 

  "I should pack a snack. Maybe some yogurt?" Chloe mumbled to herself, shutting her locker door, and found herself face to face with Rose. She rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest, glaring down at the smaller girl. "What the hell do you want, loser? Can't you see I have other important things to care of?"

  Rose reached in her bag, handing Chloe a wrapped box. "I got this for you when I was out with Juleka. I know you don't like me, but I thought about you when I saw it. I want you to have it," she giggled, forcing the box into Chloe's hands. "Open it when you get home. If you don't like it, I understand."

  The hyperactive blonde then ran to her girlfriend, linking arms with the tall, goth girl.  

  Weighing the box in her hand, Chloe decided to listen to Rose and wait until she got home to open the gift. She couldn't imagine what the petite girl got her. She chuckled at the gesture, slinging her purse over her shoulder. What possessed Rose to buy Chloe a present? She must have been out of her mind. 

  Chloe could feel Alya's and Marinette's eyes on her as she exited the locker room. Of course, they were staring at her because they wouldn't stand a chance in the Miss Paris pageant, and she was going to win the golden crown. 

  Standing outside the school, Chloe wiped her hands down her pants and walked down the stairs. Chloe's limousine would be arriving in a few minutes, and she wanted to get to the gym as soon as possible. Better start training sooner rather than later. 

  She ran her hand through her blonde curls, exhaling through her nose. Maybe Chloe would work on her legs and arms? Her torso was already thin enough, and she didn't have much upper body strength. "I'll wow the judges with my incredible gymnastic skills," Chloe said to herself, taking her new, golden phone out of her back pocket, and grinned when Sabrina's name flashed across the screen. 

  Pushing the green button, Chloe raised the device to her ear. "Chloe! I'm so glad you answered! We arrived sooner than I expected, so I'll be in Paris in a couple of hours," Sabrina said. 

  "Oh, thank God! Once you get here, come to the hotel. I gotta tell you the embarrassing shit Dupain-Cheng has done this week," she snickered, crossing her legs. "Oh, and we need to start picking out dresses for the Miss Paris contest. All the girls in our class decided to sign up. I think it's laughable."

  Sabrina hummed on the other end. "I don't think I'll sign up. I was never cut out for that type of life," she laughed. "But I think I can help you pick out dresses. You always look good in yellow and white," Sabrina praised. 

  "I look good in any color, Sabrina. Just make sure you get here if it's not too late. I still need my beauty sleep," Chloe said before hanging up. She yawned, stretching out her arms. Maybe a nap would do her some justice too. 

  Chloe looked outside the window, admiring the spring colors of Paris. If only she was as beautiful as the city, she lived in. The blonde hummed, leaning her head against the window as the limo rolled down the street. Chloe could see the geeky reporter and piggy baker walking down the sidewalk, laughing at Alya's phone. 

  It's not like it mattered to Chloe anyway. She had better things to worry about. 

  When she stepped into the hotel, Chloe ordered Jean to pack a light snack. "Make sure that it's small too, Jean!" she added, changing into a pair of spandex shorts. If Chloe overate, it would look bad by the time the contest rolled around. She needed to stay fit and in shape. Beauty was everything to Chloe. 

  After all, beauty is pain. 

Notes:

So, ya'll ready to feel hurt in my following chapters with the introduction of new characters and darker themes because I'm having a blast hurting you all.

Chapter 5: Her Nightmare

Summary:

Chloe doesn't want to be the spitting image of her mother, but her future doesn't look that bright.

Notes:

No one is spared; everyone is getting hurt today. Lesbian-ness will be happening in a few chapters, and darker content will appear.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

  Backhand springs are not as easy as they appear. Chloe should know. Her hands were rough and red from the failed attempts and the chaffing. Sweat trickled down her face as fire danced through her veins. Her body was screaming pain, demanding a break, but Chloe was stubborn. She needed everything to be perfect for the pageant. 

  She would have tried one more time if she didn't collapse. Her muscles were sore, and she needed a break. Chloe knew she would fuck herself over if she tried again. The blonde sighed, resting her hands on her hips before wiping the sweat from her brow. 

  Tomorrow was another day, and there was still room for growth. 

  Stretching out her arms, Chloe tore the bandages off her sweaty hands and slung her gym bag over her shoulder. God, Chloe would love a shower and a fruit smoothie. Maybe Chloe could light one of the candles she bought last year or binge a season of Pretty Little Liars. A spa treatment is just what Chloe needed after the intense workout she put herself through. 

  "God, my hands are killing me. Everything hurts," Chloe groaned, sliding into the limo. She tossed her bag beside her and ordered the chauffeur to drive her home. There was a bag of bath salts calling Chloe's name when she got back to the hotel. That and a bowl of fresh fruit. God, food sounded great right now, and she could stray from her diet. A few extra calories wouldn't hurt Chloe's figure. 

  The chauffeur held the door open for Chloe, taking her gym bag. Butler Jean was there to greet her, smiling as she asked for a bowl of fruit. "I can get that for you. Also, your friend is waiting for you in your room; I let her in while you were out," he explained, handing Chloe her inhaler. "Shall I bring you dinner too?"

  "I'm not hungry. I just want something to snack on," was Chloe's reply. She thanked Jean for getting her meds ready and headed upstairs, stretching her arms. Yup, bath salts and a Netflix session were calling her name. It would be a perfect evening, yelling at her television when the main character fucked up. 

  Throwing the door open, Chloe was engulfed in a hug. Sabrina cried into her chest, squeezing her torso. "Chloe! I missed you so much! I thought about calling you, but I thought you were still mad at me for leaving without a word," she blubbered, rubbing her red eyes. The ginger was a sobbing mess, pulling away to wipe her runny nose. "I saw you liked my picture on Instagram and thought about calling you."

  You shouldn't have. You should have run, Chloe thought, returning Sabrina's hug. She wasn't used to much affection, nor how to return the gesture. Her mother never showered her with kisses or hugs. Her father bought her love rather than spending time with her. It was new—different

  Chloe smoothed the wrinkles out of her shirt, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Did you pack an overnight bag?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

  Sabrina nodded, lifting the pink bag. "Yeah! I also brought back some souvenirs. Dad thought I was wasting my time buying you anything, but I was adamant about buying you a gift," she giggled, reaching into the bag for Chloe's present. 

  You really shouldn't waste your money on me, Chloe thought, folding her arms across her chest. Two people have given her gifts today, and it made her stomach twist. Did they want something in return? Her father played this game too well; there was always a catch when he gave Chloe a present.   

   The new hamster she received when she turned eight? Oh, Chloe would get to keep the hamster if she attended public school. It was for the good of his campaign, Andre declared, begging his daughter. He even promised to buy her the newest toy if she agreed. 

  He should have bought the toy first. Audrey made Chloe get rid of the hamster by the end of the week. 

  Sabrina thrust the box into Chloe's awaiting hands, clearly excited for her friend to open the box. "I think you'll like it a lot! You can open it now if you want," she said, rocking on her heels. 

  "I'll open it after I take a bath. Did you eat already?" Chloe asked, setting the box on her nightstand, rummaging through her drawers for a nightgown. She tossed the fabric over her shoulder, kicking off her shoes. "I can get Jean to bring you something."

  The ginger shakes her head, folding her hands. "I'm not hungry—"

  Her stomach betrayed her, letting out a growl. Sabrina sheepishly holds her stomach as her cheeks burn red. Chloe clicks her tongue, silently scolding her friend. "You were always a bad liar, Sabrina. Call the butler up and get some food. I'll be taking a bath," she declared, flipping her hair over her shoulder. 

  She heard the poor girl stumble around the room while Chloe filled the bathtub with hot water and bath salts. Oh yeah, this is what Chloe needed for her session at the gym. The blonde sank herself in the water, closing her eyes as the warmth spread. It was warm and welcoming, like a hug. 

  Her blonde curls pooled around her acne-scarred shoulders, and Chloe sighed, lathering the soap on her chest and arms. Thankfully, no one ever saw her scarred shoulders. Her mother told her to scrub her shoulders better if she wanted her skin problem to clear up. 

  She yawned, stretching her arms before stepping out o the bathtub. Maybe Chloe would give Adrien a call if he wasn't too busy. She missed her sunshine baby, and Chloe wanted him to come home. Yes, Chloe had Sabrina back, but it wasn't the same without Adrien by her side. 

  Quickly dressing in her nightgown, Chloe stepped out of the bathroom, tossing her towel in the hamper, and fell on her bed. "Ugh, I gotta show you the shitty designs Dupain-Cheng came up with for the contest. She's going to make a fool out of herself," she stated, sitting up to face Sabrina. "Can you believe it, Sabrina? She thinks she has a chance!"

  The ginger barely lifted her head, nodding as she simply said, "Uh-huh. It's stupid."

  Chloe frowned, folding her arms. "What's so important that you have your face buried in your phone?" she asked. 

  Sabrina tossed her phone to the side, making sure to lock the screen. "It was nothing important, Chloe."

  "Then what was I talking about?"

  "Uh, how Alya is close with Ladybug?"

  Chloe facepalmed, massaging her temples. "God, you're hopeless. You're lucky I allow you to hang out with me," she scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I'll just show you instead. You'll feel embarrassed for the little piggy." 

  She unlocked her phone, opening her photos to show Sabrina the sketches. Chloe laughed, mocking the blue-haired girl, scrolling through the other pictures she'd taken when Sabrina was gone. "And to think, her dork friends gave her false hope. How sad for Dupain-Cheng."

  Again, Sabrina wasn't paying attention. She'd reached over for her phone, mumbling as she typed away. "Yeah, that's too bad for her," Sabrina muttered, furrowing her eyebrows. 

  "Ugh! You aren't even paying attention!" Chloe shrieked, throwing her hands in the air. She huffed as Sabrina flinched, pressing her phone to her chest. The blonde narrowed her eyes, rising to her feet. "I invite you over so we can spend time together and maybe watch one of those dorky movies you like, but you're too sucked into your phone to hear all the juicy gossip! Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

  "I'm sorry, Chloe! I had to answer this text; it's really important," Sabrina squeaked, shying away from her friend, lowering her head. 

  "What's more important than what I have to say, Sabrina? Go on and share with the class," she snarled. 

  Sabrina wet her bottom lip, looking up at Chloe. Was that nervousness the pageant queen detected? She scratched her neck, shuffling on the bed. "I—shit—I've been talking to Max these past few days, and uh, we've been hitting it off?" the ginger laughed nervously. 

  Well, that was surprising, but not at the same time. It was baffling that Sabrina could land a boyfriend before Chloe. Max should have been sex-repellent as all he ever talked about was nerdy crap like math, science, and DC comics. Well, now that Chloe thought about it, the two were perfect for each other. They could have cute, nerdy, DC-obsessed, math-loving babies.  

  "So, walking birth control is your type? Duly noted," Chloe mocked, popping her lips as she laid on her stomach. She looked up at Sabrina with those big blue eyes, laughing. "Well, I would tell you to make sure to use a condom, but I don't think Max would make it to second base with you."

  "Chloe!" Sabrina squealed, hitting her friend with a pillow. 

  The heiress roared with laughter, kicking her legs. "Who would have thought Max would return your feelings!? I thought he would end up marrying his math books; little Sabrina is finally going to have a boyfriend. How exciting," she teased, poking her friend in the side. 

  With a whine, Sabrina pushed Chloe away. She pushed herself up against the pillows, grabbing the stuffed bear from her overnight bag. "Can we stop talking about Max and watch a movie instead?" Sabrina asked. "I thought we could watch Thor," she suggested. 

  Chloe laid back on her pillows, crossing her legs. "Yeah. You know how to get to Netflix," she chuckled, tossing the remote to Sabrina. 

  "We don't have to watch Thor if you don't want to. I know you hate comic movies," Sabrina muttered, fiddling with the remote. 

  "Chris Hemsworth is hot, so it's worth it. Start the movie before I change my mind, and I'll call Jean up for some popcorn," Chloe huffed, pressing the button beside her nightstand. 

  Sabrina threw her arms around Chloe's neck, hugging the thin girl. "You're the best, Chloe! Thank you so much! I'll explain everything if you get confused or lost. I'm a Marvel expert!" she chirped. 

  That's what I'm afraid of,  she thought, pulling Mr. Cuddly to her chest as she leaned against Sabrina, watching the intro scene of the Marvel movie.


  "Sorry, Chloe, but I have newbetter friends now," Adrien said, surrounded by their classmates. Nino, Marinette, and Alya were by his side as they laughed at the blonde girl. "I think we should end our relationship. My new friends are better. They actually care about me," he stated. 

  Chloe felt her heart skip a bit. Fear consumed her as the darkness surrounded her. "Adrihoney," she gasped, gripping her chest. No, no, he couldn't replace her. She's the only one who cared about Adrien and asked how he felt. She knew what trauma and abuse he went through. Adrien couldn't replace her with those deadbeat losers. There's just no way he could easily replace her like that. 

  Tears burned the back of her eyes as she reached out for Adrien. "No, no, please don't leave me," Chloe whimpered, watching as he walked away. She couldn't move; her feet were rooted to the spot. She screamed, begging Adrien to come back, but he kept walking forward, ignoring her pleads. 

  The thought of being alone terrified Chloe. She couldn't bear it. Tears flowed down her pale cheeks as she was forced to stare at Sabrina, hanging all over Max, pressing kisses against his cheeks. "I think it's time for me to move on, Chloe. Go find someone else to be your lap dog," she snickered. 

  "I never thought of you as my lap dog! I care about you, Sabrina!" Chloe blubbered, rubbing her red eyes. "I can't lose you either. Don't leave me, please."

  Sabrina could only laugh in response, linking arms with Max as they walked ahead. Again, Chloe was forced to watch another friend walk away from her, firmly rooted to the ground. It didn't matter how loud she cried or how much she pleaded; Chloe was still ignored. The loneliness was suffocating her, making her watch everyone important walk out of her life. 

  "Come back," she sobbed, sinking to her knees as she tried to reach out for her friends. Chloe couldn't remember the last time she begged in her life. It was always a demand Queens never begged. A Queen took charge; she'd never let peasants order her about, but her friends weren't peasants. 

  Chloe felt cold hands on her arms, dragging her back. She found herself screaming, flailing her arms and legs. "No, no, no! Let go of me!" she howled, twisting and jerking her arms to escape the multitude of hands grabbing her. The nails dug into her skin, piercing the first layer of flesh until she bled. 

  "You did this to us," the voices wailed. The past akumas Chloe caused came back to haunt her, holding her back as she sobbed and pleaded. "You'll never change, Chloe. You're just like your mother. You're nothing but a selfish brat," they sneered. 

  An older version of Chloe approached Chloe as the akumas forced her head up. Older Chloe was dressed to the nines, shielding her face with a feathered fan. A white mink scarf draped across her slim shoulders as her red ballgown trailed behind her. 

  "Look at how pathetic you are, and you still want Mommy's attention," the older Chloe laughed, swatting her younger self with the fan. She swiped her thumb across her red lips, humming. "This is why you'll never have her attention. You'll be all alone, babycakes. To think I was this pitiful? It's ridiculous; utterly ridiculous."

  Her chest rose and fell with each ragged breath. Chloe didn't want to end up all alone. She didn't want to be the spitting image of her mother; she wasn't that cruel! Sure, Chloe bossed Sabrina around and tormented the other kids at school from time to time, but Chloe wasn't a monster. She just didn't know how to cope. 

  Didn't know how to get along with her peers, that's all. 

  The past akuma villains forced Chloe to her feet, following the older version down a narrow street. In her state of panic, Chloe hadn't realized that the area around her had changed. She was surrounded by people bustling down the busy streets of Paris, curious why they couldn't see or hear her. 

  "Beautiful, isn't it?" Older Chloe asked, turning to face her younger self with a cold smile. "Of course it is. With my presence, it has to be beautiful. I'm the best thing in this city; I run the fashion world here," she declared proudly, standing with her shoulders squared. 

  Her face was plastered on several billboards, advertising her newest fashion line with many girls posing in the signature yellow-and-black domino mask. Tiaras sat on each girl's head as they sported a pair of glossy bee wings with faux antennas. 

  Chloe was always fond of bees. Old habits die hard. 

  The other version spread her arms, basking in the warmth of the sun, exhaling happily. "I finally made her proud! I reached the top and dominated the fashion world! I'm just like her now!" she shouted, puffing out her chest. "I've followed in her footsteps, and I've succeeded! And here, those losers thought I wouldn't amount to anything. Well, the joke's on them," older Chloe snickered. 

  Chloe shook her head furiously. She didn't want to be like her mother! Audrey was a miserable old woman who ignored her family. It was true Chloe wanted to run a fashion line one day, and the two shared some beliefs, but she didn't want to become her clone. Chloe didn't want to be an Audrey 2.0. 

  "I don't want this," Chloe whimpered. "I don't want to be alone."

  "This is who we are. People like us aren't capable of change; we don't need friends. Those who cast off those chains called friendship will rise to the top and dominate in this fucked world," Older Chloe declared, facing the shorter girl. She looked down on her, cupping her chin. "You can either sink or swim, sweetheart. Your choice," she cooed before sashaying away. 

  Chloe tried to chase after her older self, but the world went dark, and the akumas latched onto her body like a leech. They pulled and tugged on her hair and limbs, crying and groaning for revenge. They wanted to tear her in half; the pain wouldn't be new to Chloe. 

  It was common for civilians to be killed during akuma attacks. Chloe wasn't sure if Ladybug and Chat Noir were aware of this little fact. She remembered being torn to bits more than once by akumas she caused; it was a bloody mess. Thank God Ladybug had the Miraculous Cure to reverse all the damage. 

  She screamed, arching her back as Stoneheart buried his cold fingers in her flesh, holding her in place. Tears rolled down Chloe's red cheeks, quietly begging for the villains to let her go. She pleaded, sobbing as she shook her head. "Let me go! I didn't mean what I said! I'm sorry! Just let me go! I don't deserve this!" she cried. 

  "You never listened to us whenever you bullied us, Chloe," Princess Fragrance spat bitterly, pressing her perfume gun against Chloe's temple. "We didn't deserve to be bullied by you for years, yet here we are. When you're weak and powerless, that's when you begin to cower like the pansy you are. You can dish it out, but you can't handle it? Typical Chloe Bourgeois."

  Dark Cupid nodded in agreement, fitting the bow to the notch of his arrow. He took ten paces backward, drawing the string back as Stoneheart held her in place despite her pleads. "This is for all the times you bullied us, Chloe," he said coolly, letting the arrow fly through the air. 

  The arrow pierced her right shoulder, and Chloe howled in pain, throwing her head back. Dark Cupid's arrows shouldn't have stabbed her shoulder; they were only supposed to change your emotions, so you couldn't feel positive emotions anymore. They weren't supposed to hurt like this!

  Chloe arched her back again when another arrow pierced her thigh. Tears rained down her burning cheeks as Dark Cupid cheered, nocking his arrow once more. She wanted to die; she wanted to curl up in a ball, cry, and just die. Her death was being prolonged for their pleasure, but Chloe knew she deserved it. 

  She was a horrible person who took advantage of others, tearing them down until their only option was to give in to a man who offered them power for magic jewels. Chloe knows how convincing the butterfly villain could be, especially when she was a victim of his long ago. He'd whisper in your ear, telling you everything you want to hear. Oh, Hawkmoth would soothe the searing pain and let absolute power flow their veins, but for a price, of course.

  He wanted Ladybug and Chat Noir's ring and earrings. 

  Another arrow went flying through the air, lodging itself in Chloe's thigh, and she screamed until her throat went raw. Her cries fell upon deaf ears as the akumas celebrated. The pain coursed throughout her body, and her tears stopped. She couldn't cry, couldn't scream or fight anymore. 

  Princess Fragrance pressed her perfume gun against Chloe's head, smiling when the blonde let out a weak groan. "Look at her. She's all tuckered out," she mocked, handing her gun to her girlfriend and took the sword from Evillustrator. "I think we should put her out of her misery. Don't you all agree?" she cooed. 

  Lady Wifi agreed, recording the following scene. "I'll broadcast it for everyone to see. Let's see the fall of a self-declared Queen," she laughed, pressing the record button. 

  Princess Fragrance lifted her sword, pressing the tip against Chloe's collarbone. "Any last word you like to say to the audience before you meet your end?" she asked with a cruel smile. 

  "I'm sorry," was all Chloe could muster. 

  "A simple sorry can't save you now, Chloe," the princess declared haughtily, raising the sword above her head as she turned to the camera. "Chloe Bourgeois, you are hereby sentenced to die for crimes against all of Paris! In the spirit of the French revolution, we shall now count down before you are beheaded!"

  Chloe let her head hang forward, accepting her fate as the surrounding villains cheered uproariously. She deserved this; she was a terrible person, and this is what she earned. Maybe this was her future? To end up all alone and die at the hands of those she had hurt, but Ladybug wouldn't be able to save her with a Miraculous Cure this time. 

  "Un!"

  Death was a kinder option to Chloe. She could almost laugh despite the hopeless situation she was in. 

  "Deux!"

  Maybe she could find peace in the afterlife. Paris would be better off if she was dead. Hawkmoth couldn't manipulate people into doing his bidding anymore if Chloe wasn't around. Perhaps death was the only way she could redeem herself.

  "Trois!"

  Chloe woke up with a startling gasp. She touched her neck, relieved to find her head still attached to her shoulders. It was just a dream, a horrible nightmare Chloe never wanted to have again. She looked over at Sabrina's sleeping figure curled up against the pillows. 

  Sabrina was still here, asleep at Chloe's side. Her glasses were skewed, and her hair was fanned across the satin pillow. The blonde leaned over, carefully removing the ginger's glasses, and pulled the blanket over her cold body. 

  The Marvel-obsessed girl groaned, raising her head. "Oh, sorry, Chloe. I can move to the guest room," Sabrina mumbled, rubbing her eyes. 

  "No, you're fine. You just look cold," Chloe mumbled, lying beside her friend. "You can stay here. No point in making you move when you're already comfy."

  Sabrina nodded, stretching her arms. "Yeah, that makes sense. I thought you would have been upset because we fell asleep during the movie," she yawned. 

  Chloe squeezed Sabrina's hand, looking down at the ginger. "Hey? Promise me that you'll never leave me."

  "I won't leave. Now, get some sleep. It's only two o'clock in the morning."


  It was no mystery that Chloe despised Lila Rossi. Something about the cute Italian's face made Chloe want to smack that cocky smile plastered on her lips. Everyone but Marinette loved perfect little Lila Rossi; what was so great about her?

  It didn't matter if Jagged Stone wrote Lila a song, or she stayed with Prince Ali in Achu, or if she knew plenty of famous people. It didn't matter at all because Chloe was related to the Queen of Fashion. Lila was second-rate compared to her, but she could entertain the vixen for a while. 

  It sucked that Ms. Mendeleiev paired Chloe with Lila. 

  "You never told me that you were a pageant queen, Chloe. We have more in common than I would have thought," Lila hummed, tapping her pencil on their worksheet. 

  Chloe ignored her, furrowing her eyebrows. What the hell was the molecular formula for glucose again? Why was science so fucking different to understand? Fitness was Chloe's strong suit, and it was helpful for her day-to-day life. 

  Lila tried again, bumping shoulders with Chloe. "You know, I used to star in beauty pageants too! Sadly, I had to quit because I broke my leg. I used to be really good; I was a great actress, and the judges loved it," she informed, leaning closer to the queen bee. "I might join the Miss Paris contest. It looks like fun."

  "Yeah, it'll be fun when you make a fool out of yourself," Chloe snapped, looking up from her paper. "Now, are you going to help me with this assignment, or are you just going to keep running your mouth all afternoon?"

  "I was just trying to make small talk, Chloe. No need to be so hostile," the vixen cooed, looking over their assignment. 

    Chloe rolled her eyes, checking her textbook for the correct answer. She found the answer to the first five answers and pushed the book towards Lila. "You can find the other five questions. It shouldn't be so hard for you if you have such good grades," Chloe grunted. 

  Lila read over the text, writing down the answers. She signed her name at the top, crossed her legs, and looked over at the former Lil' Miss Paris winner. "I'm excited about the pageant. Aren't you?" the vixen asked.

  "The losers from our class are joining. They're going to embarrass themselves and just make me look good," Chloe scoffed, folding her arms across her chest, glaring at Lila. "You'll end up doing to the same, Rossi." She snatched the paper from Lila and marched up to the science teacher's desk. 

  Ms. Mendeleiev gestured to the basket, telling Chloe that she and her partner can use the remaining time to complete any homework from other classes or have quiet time. "I suggest you study for the quiz we have next week. You're currently passing my class with a D+," she informed quietly. 

  Chloe shrugged her shoulders, checking her nail polish. "Whatever, I'll be fine, Ms. Mendeleiev. I don't need to worry about studying," she huffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder before promptly returning to her seat. 

  The blonde sighed, crossing her legs, and glared at Lila. "Why the hell are you staring at me? Couldn't help but bask in my beauty, Rossi? Soak it up while you still can," Chloe huffed, turning up her nose. 

  Lila giggled, tucking her textbook into her backpack. "No, I was just thinking."

  "Wow. I'm surprised you didn't hurt yourself."

  The vixen laughed, absentmindedly playing with the fox pendant as she smiled. "You're so funny, Chloe. No wonder why Ladybug likes you; you have a great sense of humor," she praised. The corners of her mouth twitched, adjusting her posture. "I was just thinking how easy it would be to win the title of Miss Paris. I'm sure I can beat you."

  This made Chloe laugh. Hell, she even smiled as she grabbed Lila's shoulder, leaning closer. "Rossi, do me a huge favor and shut the fuck up," Chloe hissed, narrowing her eyes. "I doubt you could beat me. I've been doing this shit since I was five; you have no idea who you're fucking with," she threatened, standing up as the bell rang. 

  Lila smiled smugly, following Chloe out of class. "Well then, I guess we'll see. I wish you luck; you'll need it."

  Stupid Italian girl; she thinks she's so great because everyone loves her. She's ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! Chloe thought, narrowing her eyes before deciding to find Sabrina. Where could that dork be? She promised Chloe to meet her outside the school so they could have lunch together. Sabrina was going to get it when Chloe got her hands on her—

  Sabrina rounded the corner with her books tucked underneath her arms, clenching a piece of paper between her teeth. "Sorry I was late! I hate to finish my quiz in math, and I almost forgot to grab your homework! It won't happen again!" she panted. Sabrina stuffed her books in her bag, taking Chloe's purse. 

  "It better not happen again. Let's go," Chloe ordered, walking down to the limo. She didn't want to eat lunch in the lunchroom again. The blonde knew the other girls would talk about their plans for the pageant and leave Chloe out of the loop. It's not like Chloe cared (she did, but she would never admit that out loud). 

  Sabrina held the door open for Chloe, entering in after her. "Would you like for me to start looking for dresses?" the ginger offered, setting their bags aside. "I found this dress that I think you'll like.

  Chloe wasn't paying attention. She was dazing off, staring outside the window as the limo rolled down the street. Her stomach felt heavy, and Chloe was beginning to regret eating that salad for breakfast. She felt bloated; it made her stomach twist and churn. 

  "Chloe?" Sabrina tried again. "You okay?"

  "Hm, yeah. Send me a picture later," was Chloe's response, waving Sabrina off. She was more worried about her sudden weight gain and how she would lose weight in such a short amount of time. If she gained more weight, Chloe wouldn't fit into her leotard for the contest. 

  When the car came to a halt, Chloe and Sabrina entered the hotel, and the ginger carried their bags inside. The blonde ordered Sabrina to take their bags to their room while she went to the bathroom. She needed to clear her stomach and get rid of the extra weight. 

  Once Sabrina was in the main room, Chloe locked herself in the bathroom and crouched beside the toilet. She took a deep breath in before shoving a finger down her throat, throwing up the remains o her breakfast. Like always, it burned and scorched her throat, and she blinked back her tears. 

  It was acidic and let a bad taste in Chloe's mouth. She wiped away her tears and reached under the cabinet for her glass of cotton balls. If she ate anything, Chloe's stomach would bloat, and she would never hear the end of it from her mother. 

  After tucking the glass jar underneath the cabinet, Chloe joined Sabrina in her room. The ginger frowned, setting her book to the side. "Are you okay, Chloe? You seem paler than usual," Sabrina mumbled. 

  "I'm fine," Chloe bit out, grimacing at the chicken salad Sabrina was eating. It looked good, but the calories wouldn't be good for Chloe's figure. She couldn't imagine just how dry the chicken slices were, and it was smothered with ranch. "Why do you even care?"

  "I'm just worried about you. You'll usually, uh, I don't know how to put it," Sabrina muttered, reaching for Chloe's hand. "You're not yourself. You seem distant, Chloe, and I don't want you to suffer in silence."

  Chloe scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Me? Suffer? Never in your life, Sabrina. Just keep your thoughts to yourself next time," she snapped.

  Sabrina frowned, deciding to return back to her book and salad. She quietly ate, poking at the chicken slices. "Are you going to eat lunch, at least?"

  "And get fat? Not a chance," Chloe declared with a huff. She checked her phone, not wanting to go back to school; she felt a bit light-headed and not wanting to deal with the idiots in her social studies class. Chloe was good at the subject but hated group projects. 

  Marinette and Chloe's partner haven't shown up for a week now, so Marinette decided to do most of the work while Chloe did the research portion. It was such a pain. Chloe didn't care for mythology, and her mother rioted when their class had to study other religions.

  This is an outrage! How dare this teacher fill my child's head with this ungodly nonsense. I will not stand for this, Andre! Have Chloe pulled out of the school immediately! They're spreading lies and filling our daughter's head with garbage! Ridiculous, teaching our child about these false gods! How ludicrous! 

   Tossing the magazine to the side, Chloe stretched out her arms and decided that she should head back to school. While she hated everyone else, Chloe didn't want to ruin her attendance record. She's had perfect attendance ever since elementary school. 

  Chloe snapped her fingers, telling Sabrina that it was time to go. The duo went back to her limo and returned back to the school. The blonde raised an eyebrow at the gathering students in front of the school. What the hell was going on, and why was everyone flocking around the entrance?

  She forced her way to the front, shoving Marinette out of the way. "Just what the hell is going on? I demand to know!" Chloe snapped, resting her hands on her hips. 

  "Surprise! I came back home a little early," Adrien declared, throwing his arms around Chloe's neck. He gave his best friend a hug and pulled away, squeezing her hands. "I'm glad I get to see you again."

  Chloe noticed the bags underneath Adrien's eyes and the slight bruising on his cheek. She knew better than to make a scene or draw attention to the discolorations. Instead, Chloe returned Adrien's hug and kissed his cheeks sweetly. "I missed you so much, Adrihoney! It was so lonely without you!" she whined.

  "Adrihoney?" Alya snickered. 

  "Can it, Césaire. No one was asking for your commentary," Chloe snapped, leading Adrien away from the crowd after ordering Sabrina to take their bags to their next class. 

  Adrien and Chloe sat in the locker. There was a moment of silence before the beauty queen reached over, gently caressing Adrien's cheek. He flinched, turning his head away, but Chloe held his head in place. "It's nothing to worry about, Chlo," he tried explaining. 

  Chloe frowned, crossing her arms. "What excuse are you going to pull out your ass this time? I fell down the stairs? I'm not as stupid as everyone thinks," she pointed out. "You can tell me, Adrien. I know what shitty parents are like."

  "It's nothing really, Chloe. I'm fine," Adrien assured, rubbing Chloe's hand.

  "Adrien, I love you, but you're an idiot. You have a bruise, and you did a terrible covering it up," Chloe muttered, reaching in her bag for her concealer. She laid Adrien's head on her lap, gingerly touching the bruised area, and blended out the concealer. "We can plan a sleepover for tonight. Your dad trusts me, and you'll be able to get away for a few days."

  He scratched his neck, looking away from Chloe. She knew that Adrien didn't want to run away from his father, even if it was for a few days, but he was going to get hurt if he continued down the path of pacifism. The poor boy had a heart of gold, but Chloe knew that Adrien couldn't stay in that damn house tonight. 

  "Thanks, Chlo. I'm sorry I can't do more to help you out. You're always taking care of me," Adrien said quietly. 

  Chloe kissed his forehead, finishing up the last touches. "I don't mind, Adrikins. You mean the world to me," she whispered, stroking his cheek. "I'll call my driver to come to pick us up from school. We can skip the rest of our classes."

  "But your perfect attendance record will be ruined, and my father will be angry if I miss any lessons or ruin my schedule—"

  "Uncle Gabriel will have to get over it. I'll have Daddy call him tonight and explain that I wanted to spend time with you. We're going back to my place this instance, and you're going to eat something," Chloe interrupted. She shot a quick text to Sabrina, telling her partner-in-crime that she wouldn't be in her other classes and to grab the rest of her homework for the day. 

  Chloe let Adrien rest his head on her lap, waiting for their ride to arrive.


  "Jean, make sure to leave my pills on the nightstand. I need to make sure Adrikins is nice and cozy," Chloe ordered, taking the bowl of popcorn from the butler. She pranced back to her fellow blonde, thrusting the bowl into his hands. "I made sure the chef added extra butter."

  Adrien smiled, eating a handful of the buttery treat. "You didn't have to do all of this for me, Chlo. I feel bad that I can never be there for you," he mumbled, eating another handful. 

  Chloe rubbed his shoulder and kissed his cheek with a smile. "You don't have to worry about it, Adrihoney. Just being here with me is more than enough," she hummed, leaning on his shoulder. 

  "Still, I want to do more to help you out," Adrien stated, carefully removing Chloe's sunglasses. "We can have a vent session and do each other's nails again."

  "Just like we did when we were kids?" she asked. 

  Adrien nodded, letting Chloe grab her array of polishes and nail-kit. "You can use whatever color you want," he said, giving his hands to Chloe. "So, tell me, what's been going on here? I know it all hasn't been sunshine and rainbows."

  Chloe snickered, cleaning Adrien's nails and taking good care of his cuticles. "Well, you know, Mummy and Daddy are always arguing, and I ran into that Aurora girl again," she rambled, choosing a soft shade of green to match her beloved's eyes. "It's nothing major. I'm more worried about you."

  "You never take time to talk about your problems. That's really unhealthy, Chloe," Adrien frowned. 

  She shrugged, wiping down Adrien's nails. "Well, it's nothing to worry about since they don't lay their hands on me. I just need thicker skin," Chloe muttered. 

  "It doesn't matter if they lay hands on you or not. They're still abusing you; your mom doesn't care about how you feel, and your dad doesn't stop your mom. He just enables her awful behavior," Adrien stated, narrowing his eyes. 

  "They're still my parents, and I love them," was her answer, painting Adrien's nails. 

  Adrien's frown deepened. "That doesn't mean that you have to deal with it. Abuse is abuse."

  "Look who's calling the kettle black; don't you do the same thing?" Chloe questioned, applying oils to Adrien's cuticles. "You deal with Uncle Gabriel's abuse. For fuck's sake, he hit you. You have a bruise on your cheek."

  He couldn't argue with Chloe. Instead, Adrien laughed, scratching his neck. "Wow, we both have unhealthy coping habits," he joked. 

  Chloe joined him, wiping away her tears. "That's why we're friends. We handle our trauma in the worst ways. You pretend that everything is fine and hide behind a smile."

  "And you close everyone else out. We sound like the perfect plot for an angsty Wattpad fanfiction," Adrien snickered. 

  They both shrieked with laughter, venting to each other as they painted each other's nails. Chloe knew how much Adrien loved painting his nails and getting spa treatments. They bonded over makeup sessions and had their therapy sessions together. That and Adrien knew how to give a good mani-pedi, so Chloe was thankful for that. 

  She blew on his nails, adding a coat of clear gloss. "We should run away together and leave this life behind. We could eat whatever the hell we want and never have to deal with this crap anymore," Chloe suggested.

  "That would be nice, but I still have friends in Paris, and I'm waiting for my mom to come back," Adrien countered. "Besides, we're too young to run away, no money to our names, and you have people in Paris that would miss you too, Chlo."

  Chloe laughed, shaking her head. "I never knew you were a comedian. No one really cares about me, Adrikins. I'm not important to anyone."

  "You're important to me."

  Adrien hugged Chloe, careful not to smudge their nail polish. "I'll always be your friend, Chloe. You'll never have to worry about me leaving you."

  "Promise?" Chloe questioned, raising her pinkie finger. 

  "Promise," Adrien replied, locking pinkie fingers with Chloe. 

Notes:

Cry, cowards. I'm hurting everyone with this story.

Chapter 6: Her Demons

Summary:

Chloe is afraid; she's scared of not being good enough or letting people in. She's scared of seeing children and being reminded that her happiness was robbed from her at such a young age.

Notes:

So, we're getting into darker territory with akumas and discussing sensitive topics. If anyone has D.I.D or knows anyone with D.I.D, please let me know if I portrayed this correctly. I asked a friend for help, but I would like more feedback.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

  Another day at school and Chloe was annoyed with the idiots in her class. Marinette and Chloe's partner haven't shown up for class, and Chloe needed a passing grade. She didn't want to hear Marinette complain again. If the designer kept running her mouth, Chloe might have reached across the table and slapped her one good time. 

  "I'll try to contact our partner tonight and ask her when she's coming back to school. I don't want to fail this project, and I still need your research to start on the diagram," Marinette had told Chloe during lunch. 

  Chloe, in turn, told Marinette to fuck off, and she would get the research to her when she had the chance and not to bother her. Alya would have jumped to Marinette's rescue, but Adrien pulled the girls back to their table. 

  Now, Chloe was at the gym with Sabrina, wanting to forget what that happened. She groaned, stretching her arms as Sabrina carried her bags inside the gym. A good workout would help her clear her mind. Chloe had changed into a black leotard earlier and started stretching out her legs and arms. If she sprained anything, Chloe would never hear the end of it from Adrien. 

  He'd better be lucky that she loved him. 

  "Please tell me that you made sure to pack a yogurt cup," Chloe groaned, shoving her gym bag in the locker. 

  Sabrina nodded. "Yes! I made sure to grab a change of clothes and a fruit cup! Peaches this time," she declared, handing Chloe the small bag of food. It, too, was shoved into the locker, and Chloe slammed it shut. "I made sure to get one of those fancy waters you like too!"

  Chloe thanked Sabrina, taking the cold bottle from the ginger. She tied her hair in a low ponytail, waltzing into the workout room. The room was mostly empty, with a few people lifting weights or using the treadmill. The blonde could have stayed at home to work out, but her parents were arguing again, and Chloe wanted a break. 

  "Help me stretch out my legs," Chloe ordered, laying on the ground with her right leg in the air. 

  Sabrina set down her phone, grabbing Chloe's ankles. "Okay? What am I doing?" she questioned. 

  Chloe groaned, rolling her eyes. "God, you're so useless! Aren't you the one that's studying to be a doctor or some boring shit like that?" she snapped, narrowing her eyes. Sabrina squeaked, meekly nodding her head. The blonde continued, "You're going to push on my right leg to help me stretch out my hamstrings; you'll do the same thing with my other leg. I don't need Adrien getting mad because I hurt myself."

  "I don't think you should be overworking yourself," Sabrina mumbled. 

  "What was that?" Chloe questioned. 

  Sabrina shook her head. "Nothing," she replied, pushing Chloe's leg back. 

  Chloe grunted, gritting her teeth as Sabrina pushed back on her leg. She counted backward from ten, digging her nails in her thigh. The burn meant her muscles were working. Chloe could handle a little pain now and then; she neglected her health for this long, so it wouldn't kill her to neglect her health some more. 

  Sabrina let go, pushing Chloe's left leg. She repeated the process, counting backward from ten, and stared at the ceiling. I wonder what Adrien is doing; I hope he's okay. Jean should be taking good care of him, Chloe thought, letting Sabrina that it was okay for her to let go of her legs. 

  Standing up, Chloe stretched her arms and handed off her towel to Sabrina. "Can you call Adrien and tell him that I won't be back until later?" she asked. 

  "Of course! Want me to use my phone or yours?"

  The burning look from Chloe answered Sabrina's question. She squeaked and ran back to the locker room to make the phone call, leaving Chloe to her own devices. One small part of Chloe wished Sabrina would grow a spine and stand up to her. Sabrina followed orders like a dog, enabling Chloe's toxic behavior. 

  While Chloe loved Adrien and cared for him, he also enabled her cruel behavior. She could only do so much; Chloe tried to be friendly and treat others with kindness, but she was awkward. A compliment here and there, lend the ginger the clothes from last season. But that was the extent of her service if she didn't include the therapy sessions with Adrien. 

  "Damn, I hurt my wrist," Chloe muttered, massaging her sprained wrist. Maybe she should take the day off and relax at home with Adrien, but she still didn't want to hear her parents argue. 

  "Chloe, I'm glad I get to see you again!" The blonde felt Aurora's arms wrap around her waist. She felt Aurora's breasts pressed against her back, and her heart skipped a beat. Holy hell, Aurora had nice boobs, and they felt nice on her back—

  Oh, my God! Stop acting like a homosexualyou love Adrien!

   Aurora pulled away, giggling. "Wow, you look good in yoga pants!" she complimented, bumping hips with Chloe. 

  "Are you hitting on me?" Chloe asked, taking a step back. 

  The brunette shook her head, tugging off her sweater. "No! I mean, you are cute, but yoga pants look good on you! I bet you have strong legs—I can see the muscles," Aurora hummed, stuffing her sweater in her gym back. 

  Chloe felt her heart skip a beat and her cheeks burned as she stumbled over her words. She wasn't used to compliments—her mother always made snide comments about her body or interests, tearing the young girl apart. So, it made Chloe feel warm when Aurora genuinely complimented her. 

  "Of course, I look good in yoga pants. It's me we're talking about," Chloe declared, flexing her legs. She felt confident again, striking poses for Aurora. It felt good to be open. God, it's been so long since Chloe felt so free. 

  She couldn't be herself around Sabrina, for sure. The ginger was meek and shy, hiding behind someone until someone gave her an order. Sabrina was a natural-born follower—she wouldn't know how to lead. The sudden change might startle Sabrina, and she was used to Chloe's insensitive remarks and taunts. 

  Adrien knew Chloe since they were kids, but Chloe was confident Adrien had given up on her. Yes, they had their vent sessions, but they were drifting apart. Chloe knew that she was to blame, bullying her friends and insulting the people he cared for. She was the sole reason her friendships failed. 

  Maybe she could open up? Chloe decided against it. If Aurora says Chloe at her lowest point, the brunette will use it against the blonde. She couldn't afford to let anyone else in—Chloe was afraid of being weak. She was terrified of losing someone dear to her like she almost did with her two closest friends. 

  Chloe didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to suffer in silence either. 

  She cleared her throat, resting her hands on her hips. "I should be asking you what you're doing here?" Chloe asked, shifting her weight. "

  "Oh, I was hanging out with Sebastien earlier, but Cyril wanted to head over to the gym. Said we should start working out again," the brunette declared, stretching out her legs and arms with a hum. "They should be coming in soon; Cyril wanted to change into a pair of yoga pants."

  Chloe hummed in response, following Aurora to the treadmills. "I see," was her response before turning the machine on. She swallowed the lump in her throat, matching Aurora's speed. "Is Cyril your dad or—"

  "Caretaker," Aurora corrected, pumping her arms. "Cyril also uses they/them pronouns too, just to let you know."

  The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't that be grammatically incorrect? They can't be used in a singular sense; the term they refer to two or more people," she muttered. 

"That's where you're wrong, Chloe. The term they can be used in a singular sense too!" A warm voice stated from behind Chloe, chuckling when the blonde nearly jumped out of her skin. The person had the same alluring green eyes as Aurora and unruly, brown hair tied back into a sloppy, low ponytail. They gave Chloe a toothy girl, waving to her. 

 Aurora powered off the treadmill, punching them in the arm. "Cyril, you can't sneak up on people like that," she playfully taunted, kissing her caretaker's cheek. "Cyril, this is Chloe. The girl that Sebastien and I are always talking about?" she reminded. 

  "Ah yes, I remember you two did pageants. It's nice to meet you," Cyril said, extending his hand to her. 

  Chloe shook their hand with a forced smile. "Uh, nice to meet you too? Sooo, you use they/them pronouns? Why?"

  Cyril shrugged, swinging their arms. "I like those pronouns; they just fit better for me. I never liked binary pronouns," they laughed. 

  Chloe had no idea what the hell binary meant, but she made a note to look it up later that night. Instead, she cleared her throat with a cough. "I guess. It's just confusing to understand," she muttered, turning the treadmill back on. 

  "A lot of people are confused at first, but it gets easier to get used to," Cyril said, moving Aurora's gym bag to the side. They smiled, joining the girls on the treadmills as Sabrina waltzed back in, letting Chloe know that she did her job. 

  All this crap is weird. I'll ask Sabrina later; she knows more about this shit than I do, Chloe thought, deciding to ramp up the speed on the treadmill. She wanted her blood racing and her heart pumping; she wanted to be in shape by the time the pageant rolled around the corner. 

  Unfortunately, being around Marinette rubbed off on Chloe, and she rolled her ankle. She yelped, jumping off the treadmill, and cradling her ankle. "Fuck," the blonde hissed, backing herself against the wall and tenderly massaged her ankle. Chloe was almost positive she sprained her ankle, and she felt it pop. 

  Cyril hopped off the treadmill, leading Chloe back to the locker room. She tried protesting, but they shushed her, sitting the blonde on the bench. "Lift up your foot on the bench and keep it elevated," they ordered, reaching in their locker for their bag. "How bad does it hurt?"

  "I sprained my ankle—you tell me," Chloe deadpanned. 

  The brunette frowned, reaching into their white bag. "I need to know how bad it is. If you tore a ligament, it could affect you for the rest of your life, and we need to get you to the hospital," Cyril explained, rolling up Chloe's pants. 

  "I'll be fine. I just need an icepack—"

  "Chloe, I swear to fucking God, I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of this gym if you don't let me take a look at your leg," Cyril threatened. Chloe shut up, biting her lip as Cyril examined her ankle. They frowned, deciding to wrap bandages around her ankle. "It doesn't look too bad, but you should go to the doctor just in case."

  Chloe looked down at Cyril with a frown. "Why do you care?" she asked. 

  "What do you mean?" Cyril asked, sitting beside the blonde. 

  "Why do you care? Your sister must have told me how my mom dropped her because of her sexuality. That and I called her a fag," Chloe muttered, folding her hands. "She must have told you that I'm a horrible person, so why do you want to help me?"

Cyril smiled. "That's always been my role. I like helping others; I've taken care of both Sebastien and Aurora for years," they explained, stretching out their arms. "I would do the same for others, too. You—how do I explain it, but you looked like you were in pain."

  "Well, I did roll my ankle, and that hurt," Chloe snorted. 

  The brunette shook their head, running their hand through their brown curls. "No, not physical pain. Deep down, you're probably suffering, and I can see it on your face," they explained, crossing their legs. "I've gotten good at reading people, and you seem like you're in pain."

  Chloe folded her arms across her chest. She was surprised someone noticed, but she couldn't open up to this stranger. No matter how much her heart screamed to open up, Chloe wouldn't allow herself to be weak. The blonde forced the words back down, curling her lips into a sneer. "I think you're blind. The only pain I feel is in my foot right now. You're delusional," she scoffed. 

  "You don't have to lie, Chloe. You can say you're not in pain, but your eyes tell me another story," Cyril frowned, squeezing Chloe's hand. "Bottling everything up will only hurt you in the long run. Sooner or later, it's going to come out, and you should talk about it."

  Chloe swallowed the lump in her throat, fighting back the tears. God knows how much she wanted to let everything out, but her pride kept Chloe from spilling all her feelings. She couldn't be weak—weakness was for those who couldn't save themselves, and Chloe was not weak. 

  A Queen could not be weak in front of her subjects. Should anyone see her walls breaking down, they would mock her. They would say her feelings weren't genuine and belittle her, or she was sad over the most minor things like not being class president again or losing to Marinette. A Queen had to be strong and protect her subjects; she had no time to take care of her own wellbeing. She needed to remain composed in front of her faithful subjects. To be a mighty leader. 

  Cyril reached into their bag, handing Chloe a red composition book. "Write down your number," they instructed, giving her a ballpoint pen.  

  She crinkled her nose. "Why would I do that?" Chloe asked. 

  "I think you and Sebastien have more in common than you'd think, and you look like you need someone to vent to," Cyril suggested. "Look, I won't force you, but I want to be there for you, and Sebastien would like that too. They think you're pretty."

  Chloe burned red, squeezing the pen in her hand. Okay, maybe she could entertain this idea; Cyril was cute and had a soothing voice, so it would be worth it. Scribbling down her number, the blonde thrust the book into their awaiting hands. "Don't make me regret, Cyril," she warned. 

  Cyril made an X over their heart. "I promise. You have nothing to worry about," they assured. 

  "Good. Now, we should probably head back. Sabrina is terrible with small talk, and I can only guess she's making a fool—"

  BOOM!

   The building trembled, and Chloe grabbed onto Cyril. Her heart was racing, pounding against her chest as screams filled the hallways. No, no, she couldn't deal with an akuma attack right now—Chloe didn't do anything wrong! Fear gripped her throat, suffocating her as Cyril tried to bring her back to reality. 

  "Chloe, we have to get out of here," Cyril urged, shaking the terrified blonde. When she didn't respond, the brunette scooped her into their arms, carrying her out of the building. "Take deep breathes in and out for me, babes. I'll get us to a safe location, and I'll get my sister and Sabrina."

  Chloe couldn't hear what they said. Her body was rigid, pressed against Cyril's chest as she tried breathing through her nose and out her mouth. God, she was so fucking scared, but she couldn't be weak now. A Queen needed to be strong—a Queen has to be strong for the sake of her subjects. 

  She smacked Cyril's chest, ordering them to put her down. "I don't need you carrying me. I can walk on my own," Chloe managed to spit out, running her hands down her sides. It did feel nice to be held to their chest and feel Cyril's warmth, but she couldn't cave in now. 

  "Alright, but I need you to stay close to me," Cyril instructed, holding Chloe's hand. They led her down the street, searching for a good hiding spot. "Do you know what could have caused that explosion earlier?" he asked. 

  The blonde pointed up at the glass building. "Probably that; it's an akuma," Chloe muttered, squeezing Cyril's hand. 

  A blue gorilla reigned overhead, swinging his fists as he roared. He pounded his fist against the building, swiping at Ladybug. Chloe felt relieved, seeing the red heroine swing above, trying to purify the akuma. Ladybug would always save the day—Ladybug would make everything better. 

  Caught up in watching her idol, Chloe didn't notice the falling debris, but Cyril did, and they forced the blonde out of the way. The two tumbled onto the concrete, coughing as the dust settled. Chloe was going to scream at Cyril for tackling her so suddenly, but her eyes widened, seeing the pipe that barely missed her shoulder. 

  Instead, the pipe pierced Cyril's shoulder, and they hissed, clenching their teeth. They were silent, stumbling off of Chloe, and pressed their back against the brick wall once the blonde managed to carry them to a nearby alley. 

  "I—you dumbass! You should have let the pipe hit me!" Chloe screamed, tears streaming down her red face. "I'm used to the pain. You just got back to Paris, so you don't know how aggressive akuma attacks can be!"

  Cyril looked up at Chloe with tears in their eyes, and their bottom lip trembled. "Hurts," they sniffed. 

  No, this wasn't the same voice that belonged to Cyril. The voice was high-pitched and feminine—child-like. This was not the person Chloe met half an hour ago. Cyril was motherly and comforting. 

  This wasn't Cyril. This felt like a new person. 

  Chloe wet her bottom lip. Damn, what was that condition Sabrina was telling her about? It was on the tip of her tongue, and it matched Cyril's symptoms. Multiple Personalities? Split personalities—Dissociative Identify Disorder, that was it! Cyril had an alter fronting. That's why their voice changed. 

  "Hey, can you tell me your name?" Chloe asked gently, sitting beside the brunette. 

  "Nova," she answered, rubbing her puffy red eyes. Nova touched the bleeding wound, looking up at Chloe. "It hurts."

  Chloe pulled Nova close, stroking her curls. "I know, but we need to wait for Ladybug. If I take the pipe out, it'll hurt you more," she warned, kissing Nova's forehead. "Can you tell me how old you are, Nova?"

  Nova held up her hand. Nova was five—Chloe almost puked. The fear and pain in Nova's eyes were so familiar and so terrifying. No child should be subjected to such horrors at a young age—alter or not. Chloe kept Nova pressed against her chest, rocking her back and forth. 

  Chloe knew she was terrible, but maybe she could help Nova? Ease Nova's pain so she knew she wouldn't be alone. The blonde could be Nova's lifeline and be there for her. She hummed an old lullaby, distracting Nova from the gut-wrenching pain. 

  Nova's watery eyes reminded Chloe of her when she was five. A bubbly-eyed little girl who chased after her mother with hope in her heart and passion flowing through her veins. A child who wanted her parents to pay attention to her and love her. Nova was just like Chloe in some aspects. 

  "I've got you, honey," Chloe mumbled, kissing Nova's forehead and smoothed her brown ringlets. "Once Ladybug fixes this, I'll get you back to your sister. Sound good?"

  Nova hiccupped, nodding her head. "Y-Yeah and S-Sissy can take me to the doctors so we can get the p-pipe taken out," she hiccupped, burying her face back in Chloe's chest, and Chloe allowed it. The five-year-old gripped Chloe's spandex shirt, blubbering and crying. "I want my sissy," she sniffed, tugging on the other girl's shirt. 

  "I know. It'll be a little longer," Chloe mumbled, rubbing Nova's back. She watched the cluster of ladybugs swarm across the city, undoing the damage caused by the akuma. Nova's wounds were treated, and the pipe was removed from her shoulder.   

  While the pain was erased, the trauma would always remain. The Miraculous Cure could only do so much. The citizens learned to adapt and get used to the cycle of blood and death over the years. As long as Ladybug had her cure, the citizens would be fine. Physically, that is. 

  Helping Nova to her feet, Chloe squeezed her hand. "It's all over. You want to head back to the gym or wait outside for your sister?"

  "Wait for Sissy," was Nova's answer, pressing her face against Chloe's shoulder. "I wanna stay here longer. You smell like honey," she added. 

  Chloe rubbed Nova's head, ignoring the stares from the people around them. What were they gonna do? Post to some shitty tabloid and blow this out of proportion? The thought made Chloe roll her eyes and scoff. The media would do anything to cause drama and get more views—another reason why Chloe despised that annoying reporter in her class. Alya was always poking her nose when she had no business being in, getting herself killed during akuma attacks because of her curiosity. 

  You'd think Alya would learn her lesson from almost being sacrificed by an Egyptian god, but no, the reporter was too fucking stupid to realize her limits. 

  Nova gripped Chloe's shirt, humming as the blonde stroked her hair. Right now, the two would enjoy the rest of the day, waiting in the sun for Aurora to find them. Chloe was okay with this, letting Nova rest against her shoulder as she sniffed. 

  "Chloe," Nova whined, pulling on her shirt as she looked up at the blonde. "I want ice cream."

  "When your sister gets here, I'll tell her that you want ice cream," Chloe offered, kissing Nova's forehead.

  Nova shook her head. "No, I want to get ice cream with you," she whined, pulling on Chloe's shirt. 

  If there was one thing Chloe couldn't say no to, it was children. She sighed, taking Nova to Andre's ice cream shop. It's a good thing Chloe had her wallet tucked in her bra. She would have to be a real asshole to say no to a child, and Nova was a nice girl who didn't give Chloe any trouble. 

  "Can we share a cone?" Nova asked, squeezing Chloe's hand. 

  Chloe nodded, "Yeah, I don't mind. Andre has the best ice cream in Paris. You'll like it."

  The two walked around the city, looking for the ice cream cart. Chloe liked Nova's radiant energy, watching her point at the flock of birds, and smiled when she giggled. She didn't care if people gave her funny looks or if they whispered; Chloe liked hanging out with Nova. 

  Nova reminded Chloe of her when she was younger. Happy, pure, full of hopes and smiles. A spitting image of a younger Chloe before the world destroyed her happiness and spirit. Chloe wanted to protect that spark in Nova. She felt a need to keep this little girl safe. 

  Arriving at Andre's, Nova cheered, jumping up and down as she chanted. "Ice cream! Ice cream! Ice cream!" Nova yelled, pulling Chloe to the cart. 

  "Slow down, Nova," Chloe urged, reaching for her wallet. 

  Andre was smiling, gesturing for the two to approach his cart. "Aw, I see you two are having a wonderful time. I'll see that your love blossoms this noontime," Andre chimed, preparing two scoops of ice cream for both girls. 

  "Can we share one cone, please? Nova was begging to come here," Chloe explained, opening her wallet to pay, but Andre shook his head, saying the frozen treats were free. 

  Nova cheered as Andre sang a little song. "Yellow lemon for his hair and coconut for his skin. My dear, I say, your love will win," he chimed, handing Nova the ice cream cone. 

  The brunette cheered, thanking Andre for the ice cream and Chloe for spending time with her. "Thank you both!" Nova chirped, taking the small spoon from the matchmaker. 

  "Of course, my dear. Enjoy your treat," Andre heartily announced, turning to attention. "And would Miss Chloe like to know how her lucky match would be?"

  No one would want to be with me. Not even Adrikins, and he has a fat crush on Ladybugwell, she's beautiful and incredible. She's everything I want to be and more, Chloe thought. Instead, she would entertain Andre, handing him six euros, and wouldn't let him refuse her payment. 

  "Licorice black for their hair and mint green for their eyes. My dear, I'll say that you're in for a surprise," Andre sang, handing Chloe a small ice cream cup, thanking her for stopping by. 

 While Nova dragged Chloe away, the blonde couldn't help but look down at the matchup. Black hair and green eyes? There was someone out there who would love Chloe. Someone would appreciate all of her flaws and always be there for Chloe. A person with black hair and green eyes. 

  Maybe Adrien dyed his hair in the future? Chloe was hopeful that it was her Adrikins; she wanted to reconnect with her childhood best friend, and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with Adrien. He was the only boy Chloe would give her heart to. The only person who could ever understand just how scared she was to be free and break away from the chains her mother and father shackled to her. 

  "Taste!" Nova chirped, waving her cone in front of Chloe's face. "It's so good!"

  Chloe tasted Nova's matchup and nodded, agreeing with the brunette. "You're right. It's good," she laughed, patting Nova's head as they wandered around the city, eating Nova's ice cream. 

  It was fun. Chloe was having fun, watching over Nova. She felt like a guardian angel, watching over Nova despite the fact the brunette was inches taller than her. 

  All things must come to an end. Aurora eventually found the duo, and Nova launched herself into her sister's arms. "Sissy!" Nova whined, burying her face in Aurora's chest. "Sissy, I missed you! Chloe took care of me and gave me ice cream! She kept me nice and safe!"

  Aurora kissed Nova's forehead, hugging her sister tightly. "Oh, thank Christ. I couldn't find you when the akuma attack happened; Sabrina and I got trapped in the gym," she explained, pulling away from Nova to kiss Chloe on the cheek. The brunette smiled, expressing her gratitude. 

  Chloe waved Aurora off. "You'd have to be an asshole to leave a five-year-old alone. I only did what needed to be done," she stated. 

  Aurora giggled, giving Chloe a hug. "Still, I wanted to thank you. A lot of people would save their own skin, and you stayed with Nova," she hummed, squeezing the blonde's hand. "I'm grateful for that, Chloe, and so is Nova. You're a lifesaver."

  Nova tugged on Aurora's arm. "I wanna go home and see Uncle now, Sissy!" the brunette whined. 

  "We can go now. I was just saying bye to Chloe," Aurora assured, smiling at Nova and Chloe. "Thank you again, Chloe, for staying with Nova. You're a real hero for that," she praised. 

  "Bye-bye, Chloe!" Nova giggled before running off, with Aurora chasing after her, telling her to slow down and look both ways before crossing. 

  Chloe stood on the sidewalk, ice cream cup in hand. Aurora called her a hero—someone she insulted days earlier said she was on par with Ladybug and Chat Noir. It made her heart well and flutter in her chest. 

  Maybe there was some hope for Chloe after all. 


  The Le Grand Paris hotel was cold and quiet, unlike usual. The butlers and maids cleaned the empty rooms, greeting their young mistress when she returned with Sabrina in tow. Jean approached the two girls, telling Chloe that Gabriel's assistant, Nathalie, came to fetch Adrien and bring him home. 

  Adrien left without a fight, but Jean told Chloe that Adrien would call after his Chinese lessons. 

  Chloe frowned but padded back to her room without a word. She would have spent the rest of her evening playing Ladybug and Chat Noir with Sabrina, but her father called her home. He was afraid that she was hurt and feared for his daughter's safety. 

  How lucky Sabrina was to have a parent that cared for her wellbeing. 

  With a sigh, Chloe threw herself on the bed and pulled out her phone. No one knew that the blonde was a hardcore Ladybug fan, and she loved it when the hero came by the hotel. Chloe loved Ladybug and wanted to be just like her. 

  Brave, bold, confident, and loved. 

  If Chloe could wear a mask and soar across the sky with her idol, maybe she could be loved. People could learn to love Chloe, and she wouldn't feel alone anymore. She would have friends—true friends that wouldn't be afraid to speak their mind and call her out on her bullshit instead of letting her get away with bullying others. 

  She wondered what it was like to be liked. No, the word like was too pedestrian. Chloe wanted to know what it was like to be desired and praised by everyone. The blonde wanted to watch the light in people's eyes light up whenever she passed them on the street. To see their mouths stretch into brilliant smiles and scream her name. 

  Chloe was trapped in her fantasy world, not noticing her mother stroll into her room with her head held high. "What are you smiling at?" Audrey ordered, scoffing when Chloe jumped, sitting on her knees. 

  "I, uh, I was thinking about how great I'll look in a gold crown. Yellow was always a good color on me," Chloe lied, curling a strand of hair around her finger. 

  Audrey shrugged her shoulders, removing her white sunglasses as she rested on the pink chaise lounge sofa. "That's if you win this year. I'll be highly disappointed if you lose to that awful mistake I coached years ago," she sneered, looking at her trimmed nails.

  "Are you talking about Aurora?" Chloe asked, squeezing her phone. 

  "Ugh, don't remind me of that godless girl," Audrey grimaced. She reached for a cigarette, nestling the bud between her lips. The fashion queen lit the bud, inhaling the smoke. "That thing had the nerve to correct me when I called her a faggot. She's a shameless creature, claiming that she likes girls. Her parents should be ashamed that they even had her."

  That's why Aurora didn't want Mummy to train her this year, Chloe thought. She cleared her throat, folding her hands in her lap. "Well, Aurora is going to join the pageant this year," the blonde muttered. 

  Audrey snorted, blowing out a cloud of smoke. "Oh, she is? Well, that little imp is going to fail. It doesn't matter who she gets as a coach; I'll make sure you crush them," she snarled, inhaling the toxic fumes. "Now, come eat dinner so we can take your measurements later. We still need to get you new dresses."

  Chloe followed after her mother to the dining table. Andre was already waiting for his family, kissing his daughter's cheek before pulling out her chair. Instead of starting a fight, his father asked how her day was and listened when she spoke.

  The fashion queen, of course, had to cut in and make everything about her. Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. Chloe just wanted to finish dinner so she could go to sleep. A nice soak would be good, and maybe she could watch Pretty Little Liars after she was done. 

  "Chloe, do you not like the scallops a la Provencal?" Andre asked, looking up from his plate. 

  "Oh, no. I was just thinking," Chloe mumbled, popping a forkful of scallops in her mouth before thoughtfully chewing. 

  Audrey scoffed, rolling her eyes as she stabbed a scallop. "Don't overeat. We still need to buy dresses and makeup; I don't need you getting fat before the contest," she chided. 

  Chloe expected her father to chime in. He just ate, not even sparing her a second glance as her mother insulted her figure. The blonde sank in her seat, pushing her plate away. "Can I be excused? I'm not hungry," she muttered. 

  "Yes, and don't get comfortable. I'll be up there shortly," Audrey stated, eating another scallop. 

  Without hesitation, Chloe waltzed back upstairs, throwing herself on the bed. She wanted to fall asleep, but Audrey would be in her room shortly. Instead, the blonde rolled onto her stomach and played on her phone. She could bother Sabrina and tell her about the hair appointment she made for the two of them. 

  Before Chloe got the chance to text her friend, Audrey waltzed in with the cigarette tucked between her lips. "Stand up so I can measure you," the fashion queen ordered, pulling out the measuring tape. 

  The yellow tape was wrapped around Chloe's bust, ribcage, and waist. Audrey let out a disapproving noise, gesturing for her to stand in front of the mirror and turn around. Of course, the older woman commented about Chloe's chest and how she could lose some more weight. 

  Chloe sighed, responding with a breathless, "Yes, Mummy. I'll work on that."

  Audrey patted her lower back, telling her daughter to sit down. "We still need to work on your walk, posing, and we need to start preparing answers for the questions," she reminded Chloe, taking a long drag from her cigarette. "We can start tomorrow since it's late, and I have a meeting with Gabriel tomorrow."

  "Will Adrien be there?" Chloe asked. 

  "Of course, he will. We're discussing a future fashion show, and his darling son will be modeling both his fashion line as well as my own," Audrey explained, putting out her cigarette. "And before you ask, no. You cannot come with me."

  Chloe bit her bottom lip, nodding. Of course, Audrey didn't want Chloe to join her. She would just get in the way like usual, and Audrey didn't want to be embarrassed by her "incompetent daughter."

  The mother then left the room without another word, letting the smoke linger in the air. Chloe hated the smell of smoke and hated cigarettes; it made her chest hurt and her eyes water. Yet, the scent of cancerous fumes comforted her when she had no one else to turn to. If Chloe couldn't talk to Adrien or Sabrina, the blonde could always smoke her problems away. 

  After changing into a nightgown and washing her face, Chloe dreamt of superheroes. She slid under the covers with dreams in her heart. Maybe one day, she could be loved like Ladybug and Chat Noir. 

Notes:

Okay, so Sebastien hasn't been introduced yet because their alters have been. For reference on what role each known alter plays:

Cyril: 24, genderqueer, French, they/them, caretaker
Nova: 5, female, Greek, she/her, little

Chapter 7: She’s So Creepy

Summary:

Two girls with a similar story yet different outcomes

Notes:

Hey, I actually updated this after my burn out lmfao

Chapter Text

  Empty bottles laid across oak floors along with wrappers of junk food and candy bars. Dogs curled by the foot of the bed as snores drifted through the air, and the curtains remained shut to keep the light out. It was perfect, and there was nothing that could ruin this fine day—

  "Selene, wake up!" Lila yelled from outside the door. "You gotta let Artemis and Apollo out to use the bathroom," she added, barging in as if she owned the place.

  Son of a bitch.

  As the dogs heard Lila enter the room, they barked, jumping on the bed and pawing at the once sleeping figure. Selene lifted her head, running her hand through her thick, black curls. "Ugh, five more minutes. I don't feel so good," she groaned, burying her head under the blankets.

  Lila smugly stood in the doorway, folding her arms across her chest. "It's not my fault that you decided to stay up and make out with your little boy-toy," she cooed, shutting the door behind her.

  "He's not my fucking boy-toy and we didn't make out. We just talked, you dumb ass," Selene snapped, throwing the pillow at Lila's face. "Get the hell out of my room and let me sleep. Can't you go bother Nana or Auntie?"

  The brunette hummed, coiling a strand of hair around her finger. "Nana and Mamma aren't here. It's just you and me, my favorite cousin," she purred, sitting on the edge of her cousin's bed.

  Selene lifted her head, narrowing her eyes. "I'm your only cousin, stupid," she spat.

  "You're so mean to me. What did I do to deserve this abuse for you?" Lila whined, laying across Selene's lap with a pout.

  The emerald-eyed girl rolled her eyes. "You exist. Now, get the hell off of me. Artemis and Apollo have to pee. Remember?" she muttered.

  "Fine, fine, I'll leave," she huffed, hopping off the bed. "But before I go, is it alright if I borrow some eyeliner? I just ran out and I'm going out with some friends later—Alya said we would go get some ice cream this afternoon."

  Selene glared before hobbling over to her dresser. She rummaged through her disoriented makeup box before tossing a new eyeliner pencil at her cousin. "Go ahead and keep it. I don't want your nasty eye germs," she grumbled.

  Lila blew Selene a kiss. "You're the best, Selene. I'll pay you back later, I promise," she cooed before skipping off to her room.

  Selene rolled her eyes, stretching her arms. The things she would do for her little cousin. Lila is lucky that Selene cared about her, or else she would have told her to screw off a long time ago.

  She was tired, and all Selene wanted was a joint. Maybe Luka could hook her up.

  After letting the dogs out to use the bathroom, Selene took a quick shower, making sure to untangle her thick curls and run a brush through her hair. Having lush, curly hair was always a pain in the ass; she would have chopped it off sooner if her father didn't love her hair and wanted Selene to grow it out for him.

  Selene was still tired, but she had shit to do today. Like taking her medication, finishing her missing assignments, contacting her partners for their project—she's been skipping classes lately and didn't want to deal with her teachers or the other classmates—and maybe get a stiff drink. Oh yeah, a drink sounded really good right about now. Something fruity or maybe something strong and right like bourbon or whiskey, if only Nana allowed alcohol in the house. 

  "Don't worry. I'll be back to take you guys out on a walk," Selene cooed, scratching Artemis and Apollo under their chin before smiling. "Behave and make sure to give Lila hell before I leave."

  Sliding in her shoes and jacket, Selene left without another word, tucking her hands in her pockets. It was a little chilly outside—normal for spring weather; so unpredictable and random—but it was fine. Selene didn't mind the cold weather from time to time. No, in fact, Selene welcomed the cold air on the skin and the goosebumps that rose on her arms. 

  The ship wasn't too far from the apartment, so when Selene heard the familiar sound of the soothing guitar playing, she smiled and waltzed onto the ship. "Luka, my favorite scene bitch," the goth teased, sliding over to her friend and draping her arm across his shoulders. 

  "I'm the only scene kid you hang out with," Luka laughed, placing his pick to the side and laying the guitar across his lap. "What's up?"

  Selene shrugged, resting her arms behind her head. "Eh, nothing really. Cousin woke me up and I can't go back to sleep. Plus, you're my only friend and I haven't seen you lately."

  Luka hummed, patting her hand. "I thought you needed a break since you haven't been going to school in a while."

  "Yes, because I want to have weird ass stares when I start ticking in class. I miss online classes," Selene whined pitifully, resting her head on his lap. "What about you? You haven't been to school in a while now either."

  "Yeah, because I'm homeschooled. Being surrounded by a lot of people makes me anxious," Luka confessed. 

  Selene raised an eyebrow. "Yet you can play in front of a large crowd—odd, but okay, babes," she teased, flicking his nose. 

  Luka playfully rolled his eyes, pocketing his pick. "It's different; I resonate with my audience and lose myself in the music. Random people make my anxiety skyrocket, and I can't listen to their heart songs all at once. It's overstimulating."

  "Fair enough," Selene stated, patting Luka's lap to lay her head across his thighs. The two sat in peaceful silence, enjoying the subtle, calm breeze that passed by. She let out a pleased sigh when Luka ran his fingers through her messy curls, tucking her hair behind her ear. She looked up, slowly blinking before smiling. "You ever ask that girl out?" 

  "Did you?" Luka retorted. 

  The goth snorted, rolling her eyes. "Oh, please. I don't like any of the girls from our school. I do know that you like that baker girl," she taunted. 

  The guitarist burned red, pushing Selene's head off his lap. "Oh, haha, you think you're sooo funny," he laughed. 

  "Bitch, I'm hilarious," Selene snickered. 

  Again, awkward silence filled the void. Nothing but the two hanging out with each other as they looked up at the morning sky, watching the clouds pass by. It was comforting; just two friends sitting with each other as they admired the morning sky. 

  "Hey," Luka said, breaking the silence. "I know you didn't come to the ship just to lay here and look at the sky. Your heart song is off today."

  Selene hummed, raising her eyebrows. "Oh? Elaborate on that, blue raspberry," she said, sitting up and crossing her legs. 

  Gingerly and with Selene's consent, Luka pressed his hand against her collarbone. He felt her heartbeat; slow and steady, pounding to a well-paced melody but her heart song. It sounded so sour—so tragic. A symphony of violins in d minor; he could feel the sadness radiating from Selene despite carefree attitude. They made eye-contact from a brief moment before he pulled his hand away. 

  "You know you can talk to me if you're feeling upset," Luka offered. 

  Selene shrugged her shoulders, reaching in her jacket for the small carton of cigarettes—her grandmother would whoop her ass if she ever found out Selene was smoking and that was a risk the goth was willing to take. She offered one to Luka, holding the butt-end between her plump lips as she grabbed her lighter. "Eh, I'm medicated for a reason. No need to dump all my issues into you."

  Luka frowned, setting his guitar to the side. "Stop being stubborn," he said, taking the cigarette away from Selene and promptly put it out with a hiss. Flicking the bud away (he would regret that later), Luka sat up straight. "You're smoking—you said you quit."

  "Eh, so I lied. It's not a big deal," Selene shrugged. "You will be paying me back for that cigarette though. I did not light that for nothing."

  "I'm not paying for you to kill yourself. Have you even been taking your meds again?"

  Selene was silent, reaching in her pocket for the carton of smokes. Before she could bring one to her lips, the guitarist ripped the box from her scarred hands and threw it. It didn't matter if Selene let out a protest, screaming at her friend about how much they cost. 

  "What the fuck is wrong with you!? That's the only pack I had!" Selene snapped. 

  Luka narrowed his eyes. "I don't care if that was the only pack you have. Something is wrong; you only smoke when you're stressed out and I know you didn't come over just to talk and giggle about crushes and that nonsense."

  She huffed, running her hand through her hair. "I don't fucking know. My meds make me feel fucking numb and I can't remember basic shit. Had to ask my dumbass cousin what we had for dinner—it was fucking ham. Fucking ham, Luka!" Selene spat, throwing up her hands. She was a mess, yanking her hair before she broke down and just cried, pressing her face against his thighs. 

  Fat tears rolled down her tan cheeks as she hiccupped, twisting Luka's shirt between her fingers. God, it was all too much for Selene, bottling everything up inside. Not taking her medication for days, skipping school, wanting to tear herself open until she was a shell of her former self. It was terrifying—it haunted her, and she didn't want to pile her mess onto anyone, but here she was, crying in her best friend's chest. 

  Salty liquid pooled in her eyes while snot dribbled out of her nose. "God, I'm so fucking annoying," Selene coughed, wiping her nose on her sleeve. "Here I am, getting on your ass yet I can barely take care of myself. Fucked up, isn't it?" she joked. 

  Luka let Selene cry. She hit his cheek, babbling pure nonsense as she soaked his shirt. God, everything fucking sucked. She wanted to avoid this outcome, but the smallest thing broke the dam, and she was bawling like a little bitch. So much for not making Luka worry; she never should have pulled out that cigarette. 

  "Tell me what's on your mind?" Luka gently asked. 

  She shook her head, keeping her face pressed against his chest. "I just wanna lay here. Maybe smoke a blunt if you got any on you," Selene sniffed. 

  "I should have a few rolled up. Lemme get them," Luka offered, patting Selene's shoulder before leaving to get his small stash. 

  The goth sat up, brushing her curls out of her face. Ugh, she wasn't expecting to have a mental breakdown. Well, that's what she gets for neglecting to take her medication like the doctor ordered. She really needed to change her prescription if the meds were fucking with her mentality that much. 

  She almost reached for a cig, then remembered that Luka chucked them in the harbor to keep her from smoking. He's lucky that Selene loved him or else, she would have punched him in the face. 

  When Luka came up from his room, Selene held her hand out for a blunt, thanking her friend and brought the bud to her lips. The thick scent smothered her, lingering around her as she drew in a deep breath, exhaling through her nose and let out a pleased sigh. It burned—the smoke filled her lungs with a beautiful pain that Selene craved. An addictive destruction that she wanted more and more of. If she couldn't smoke cigarettes, marijuana was another way to go. 

  Hopefully, that dumb pig Roger didn't catch them. 

  As Selene exhaled, she could feel the euphoria feeling wash over her. Her head was buzzing—she was flying. The world was spinning, and she stood in the center as its queen. She giggled, tipping her head back and took another puff. 

  "You gonna tell me what's up with you now?" Luka asked, turning to face Selene. 

  "I'm gonna smoke the rest of this blunt and get some brownies. I got the fucking munchies," Selene deflected, bringing the joint back to her plush lips. 

  He frowned, hardly touching the tightly wrapped joint and furrowed his eyebrows. "Selene—"

  "I don't want to talk about it!" Selene snapped, jamming her index finger into Luka's chest. "I get it: you're worried and all about me, but I already told you that I don't wanna talk about it." Not giving Luka a chance to defend himself, Selene put out the joint and stood up with a huff. 

  She didn't waste another second lingering on the boat any longer. Fuck, Selene has a practically good high going and Luka had to ruin it because he wanted to be a mama hen. Of course, she was glad that Luka was constantly checking up on her, but God, he needed to let her have some space—not be such a doormat for other people. 

  It was still early out, and Selene didn't have many friends to hang out with. Moving to France from Italy was so sudden and she didn't have many people who missed her from her old school either. Lila was the social butterfly out of the two of them—the only mentally stable one out of the pair (not that Selene thought her cousin was mental stable but just enough to blend in with the rest of society). It would be best to go home, no point in lingering about. 

  Besides, Selene still had to take her precious pups out on a walk. She could just imagine their little tails wagging with pure excitement. 

  Quickening her pace, Selene jogged back to her home. It was getting warmer, and she was slowly regretting wearing the large, baggy black shirt and ripped jeans as sweat soaked her bra and stained underneath her armpits. Ugh, she just had to buy black or baggy clothing; oh well, it was worth it. 

  As she stepped inside the cool house, Selene was greeted by her pets, falling back as they tackled her and showered her face with sloppy kisses. She laughed, scratching beneath their chins as they pressed their faces against her neck and face. "Oh, there's my favorite kids! Such good pups!" Selene cooed, standing up and closing the door behind her. 

  She led them to the kitchen, reaching in the pantry for the container of milk bones. Artemis and Apollo were excited, scampering around the kitchen and chasing after their tails when they saw the plastic container of yummy treats. Selene smiled, taking two treats out for each dog and held them up, gaining their attention. "You guys already know what to do. Sit on the carpet," Selene instructed. 

  Artemis and Apollo let out a high-pitched whine before sitting on the carpet, happily awaiting their treats. Selene praised her pups, tossing the milk bones in the air and watched the two dogs catch them before devouring them happily. 

  Once the dogs had their treats and she filled their bowls, Selene grabbed a sparkling water from the fridge and padded towards her room. She noticed the light in Lila's room was still on, so she poked her head inside and found her younger cousin sitting on the bed with the laptop in her lap as she chewed on her thumb. "I thought you were leaving to hang out with your friends."

  Lila jumped, shutting her laptop and held her chest. "Jesus, you're gonna give me a heart attack."

  "Should have been paying attention to your surroundings," Selene joked. 

  Lila huffed, throwing a pillow at her older cousin. "You're not cute," she complained, tucking her laptop away and waltzed out of the room. "Well, to answer your question, I was supposed to hang out with my friends, but they cancelled at the last minute," she shrugged, getting an orange from the fruit bowl. 

  Selene frowned, leaning on the counter. "What shitty friends you have. At least you still have me," she beamed, lightly slugging Lila in the arm. "We can play like we did when we were little. Just Dance sound like any fun to you?"

  "You know I'll mop the floor with you. I didn't take dance lessons for a reason," Lila declared confidently. 

  "Oh, it's on," Selene challenged with a cocky smirk, chasing Lila into the living room and powered on the television along with the Xbox. Looks were deceiving, but Lila and Selene were huge video game nerds; the newest dancing game or roleplaying game were always in their possession by the end of the month. It was a shared interest between the two of them. 

  Getting logged into the joint account, Selene cleared the small coffee table out of the way while Lila got the sensory motion system set up and configured. "Well, everything is all set up. What song do you wanna do first?" she hummed. 

  "Wanna do Bang Bang?" Selene suggested. 

  Lila laughed, tying her hair back in a high ponytail before pressing the start button, taking her position in front of the television. "My favorite song. I'm totally gonna kick your ass."

  "Bring it on."


  Hours. The girls had been playing for hours and their clothes were drenched in sweat. Lila collapsed against the couch, huffing while Selene pressed herself against the wall. "So, are you going to admit that I'm the Just Dance champion?" she asked with an arrogant air. 

  "No, because I totally kicked your ass in that last round," Selene retorted. 

  "I beg to differ, madam. You may have won the battle, but I won the war!" Lila declared with a shit-eating grin. She wasn't wrong; Lila totally wiped the floor with Selene. She still held the top spot and Selene had to applaud her efforts. 

  Playfully, Selene rolled her eyes and flicked Lila's forehead. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, loser," she chuckled, stretching out her aching arms. "Well, it's pretty late and I don't think Nana or Auntie will be home soon. You wanna order something or want me to make dinner?"

  "You know I'm capable of cooking too, ya know? But it would be easier to just order something," Lila mumbled with a shrug. "Just as long as it doesn't have any tomatoes."

  "Please, I wanted to kill you, I would have," Selene joked, waltzing into the kitchen to look for any spare paper menus. Maybe they would be in the junk drawer or in their grandmother's room? Eh, it wouldn't hurt to check everywhere. 

  "Oh, you should probably take your pills!" Lila reminded. 

  Goddamn it, Lila, Selene thought, smiling bitterly as she found the phone number on a small card and shut the door behind her with her foot. "Yeah, I'll take them after dinner. No need to remind me; I'm not a baby." Yes 

  Lila said something, but Selene couldn't hear what it was. Not that it mattered to Selene, anyway. She called the establishment, placing their orders and hung up as quickly as she dialed. God, she hated talking over the phone; it made her feel so uneasy. 

  She quickly stuffed her wallet and pill bottle in her pocket, telling Lila that she would be back with the food and walked out without another word. Selene shivered, wrapping her arms around her large torso and hissed through her teeth. Good God, the spring was such a terrible month; the weather never wanted to make up its mind. 

  The night was bitingly cold, and Selene was wishing that she brought a thicker sweat. She could feel the blood rushing to her ears, trying to warm the smallest parts of her body. She was so glad that she had a spare carton of cigarettes and a lighter on her; Selene was still going to kick Luka's ass for getting rid of her smokes. 

  He did have a good point. Selene never smoked unless she was in one of her sour moods. Everything felt off; nothing seemed worth it anymore. The world was spinning and Selene was just there to admire and stare. She served no purpose—was nothing extreme or special. 

  She was just there to fill an empty space. 

  With the pills weighing heavily in her pockets, Selene squeezed the bottle and lifted it in the air, staring at the transparent, orange bottle. Small, white pills sat at the bottle, coaxing Selene to pop them in her mouth. Begging to be consumed to help her mental health. 

  Unscrewing the cap, Selene dumped the small pills into the water with a smile and no regrets. 

  Everything would be fine.


  Chloe did not want to be back at school, but it was better than being at the hotel. She did enjoy her time with Sabrina, but it was hard to truly enjoy their movie sessions with her mother and father screaming at the most ungodly hours. 

  It didn't help that Ms. Bustier expected Chloe to work with Marinette, and that greasy-looking goth, Selene—who now decided to show up for class. She looked too much like her annoying cousin and her aesthetic was just gross to look at. Selene looked dead and unorganized with her baggy clothes and messy hairstyle. 

  "Nice to see you finally arrive at class," Marinette said hesitantly, expecting her hand to Selene.

  "Yeah, sorry for not being here sooner. Medical reasons, ya know?" Selene laughed, patting Marinette's shoulder before turning to Chloe and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you finally."

  Chloe sneered, turning up her nose before pushing Selene's hand away with a scoff. "Yeah, I don't touch commoners. Don't expect me to be buddy-buddy with you," she stated. 

  Marinette frowned, "There's no need to be rude, Chloe. Can you go a day without being a total brat for once?" 

  The blonde rolled her eyes, brushing her ponytail over her shoulder. Marinette could bite it for all she cared; why did a simple, stupid common girl's opinion matter so much? She was nothing special yet the whole class seemed to be in love with her, always praising Marinette. It made no sense to Chloe; Marinette was so basic—a speck of dirt compared to an elegant queen such as herself. 

  If anything, the class should have been adoring Chloe, not Marinette. 

  "Just ignore Chloe. She's always like this," Marinette explained. 

  Selene brushed it off. "It's fine; I really don't mind. Just nice to finally meet my partners," Selene laughed, tucking her thumbs in her jeans. "So, where should we meet? I know I haven't been in school much but I know a lot about mythology so we should breeze through it."

  Marinette hummed, tapping her bottom lip. "That's a good question. Chloe, if you're done throwing a fit, do you have any suggestions?" she asked.  

  Chloe scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Well, I was going to suggest my place, but I remembered that it would be bad for Daddy's business if I let in roaches. No one wants bug infestation," she snickered, examining her nails. God, her nails were getting shorter and shorter; she really needed to stop biting them and get them touched up. Again. 

  "Oh, haha, you think you're so funny?" Marinette mocked, turning to Selene. "If you want, we can go to my place. We'll have fresh snacks available too," she stated with a smile. 

  "Aw, hell yeah. That would be great; my cousin will be having people over so it would probably be for the best," Selene agreed, popping her knuckles. "Should we meet in front of the school after classes?"

  "I never agreed to this plan," Chloe interjected. 

  Marinette let out an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Okay, your highness," she said condescendingly, folding her arms across her chest. "Do you have any suggestions then? I would like to raise my grade and not slack off at the last minute."

  Again, Chloe scoffed, looking at her chipped nails. "Well, if you're going to call me a monarch, queen or your royal majesty would be better suited, Dupain-Cheng," she declared, curling her hair around her index finger. "As much as I despise you both equally, my place would be better suited. I'll just have to spray down my room after you leave."

  Selene awkwardly coughed, rocking on the balls of her heels. "So, we're still gonna meet in front of the school?" she asked.

  "I guess so," Marinette muttered. 

  Chloe smiled. "Good. You losers will have the privilege of riding in my limousine. Be lucky that I'm feeling so generous today," she snickered, shooing Selene and Marinette away. Marinette gladly left as Selene reached for Chloe's book. She jerked it away, narrowing her eyes. "Did you not hear me? You can leave now. I have better things to do and talking to you isn't one of them."

  "Yeah, I know. Thought it would be best to give you my number so it's easier to contact you."

  Not wanting to drag out the conversation, Chloe hesitantly handed Selene her notebook and a pen. "Just be quick about it. You're polluting my air."

  The goth chuckled—it was a sweet and interesting sound—lowering her eyes and quickly scrawled down her number. "Yes, my queen," Selene hummed, handing the notebook and returning to her assigned book with another word. 

  She felt a slight shiver run down her spine; her body warm as she held the notebook in her hands. Selene's voice had her oddly enchanted; the way the goth addressed her a queen—God, the way it rolled off her tongue had her feeling all warm inside. A tingly, numbing sensation crawled across her skin; Chloe felt breathless. Fuck, she never felt this with Adrien when they would hold each other?

  Perhaps it was from intimidation. Selene was a bit taller than Chloe—bigger too. If she wanted to, Selene could easily overpower Chloe if she wanted. It wouldn't be that hard, especially since Chloe still needed to get back in shape. 

  Shivering, Chloe tucked her book away as the bell rang. That girl was fucking weird.

Chapter 8: She’s A Crybaby

Summary:

It’s not her, but everyone else that’s the problem.

Chapter Text

  Chloe did not like Selene. She didn’t like how plush and soft her lips looked when she spoke; she didn’t like how Selene stared at her with those adoring eyes that made her stomach twist and turn. Honestly, the feeling made her uneasy; fire danced beneath her flesh whenever Selene reached over, and they brushed against each other. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it certainly wasn’t pleasant. When their eyes met, the blonde could feel her heart hammer in her chest and her throat constricted. 

  “You okay?” Selene asked, her voice alluring and sweet, laced with genuine concern. 

  No, no, no. Chloe did not feel okay. There was a blistering hot sensation crawling beneath her flesh, and she wanted it to stop. It was uncomfortable, making her head spin; instead, she swallowed the saliva lodged in her throat and forced a smile. “Just peachy. Just what the hell are we supposed to be doing for this project, anyway?” she asked, kicking off her flats. 

  “Really? Were you not paying attention in class? Ms. Bustier has been discussing it for weeks,” Marinette sighed, taking her notebook out of her satchel and sharing her notes with her other partners. “We have to pick one Greek god or goddess, present facts that are not commonly known about them, and then, we have to design a small poster of what we think they look like. I didn’t think I would have to explain it to you.”

  “Oh, bite me, you crumpet muncher,” Chloe snapped, yanking the notebook away from Marinette. She wasn’t a total idiot, nor did she need some stupid baking girl to reprimand her. With a scoff, she tossed the book back to the class president, crossing her legs. “Ugh, fine. Let’s just get this over with: who are we going to pick?”

 Selene chewed on her pencil. “Well, I have a feeling that people will mostly choose the famous and well-known gods and goddesses like Hera, Zeus, Hades, Demeter. We can select a lesser-known deity to impress the class,” she suggested, reaching in her bag for her laptop. Logging in, Selene pulled up a list of smaller gods, showing the screen to her partners. “We can do Morpheus. He is the god of dreams, the son of Hypnos, and he appears in dreams and shapeshifts. It’s quite interesting; I believe that the Greeks have such an interesting culture.”

  “Wasn’t incest normalized in Greek culture?” Chloe snorted, crossing her arms over her chest. “Why can’t we do someone like Hercules? That would be easier to explain since he was Hera’s and Zeus’ son.”

  “Ah, so I’m guessing you only watched the Disney version? Hercules was never the son of Zeus and Hera; his mother was a princess and Zeus, which makes him a demi-god,” Selene explained, crossing her legs. 

   Shut the fuck up, Chloe thought, clicking her tongue and examining her nails. “Whatever. Marinette can be in charge of the research. I’ll get the poster, and you can work on the presentation, I guess.”

  Marinette sighed, “You aren’t the leader of the group, and you only want the poster because it’s the easiest. We all have the present, and we all have to work together.”

  The blonde bit her tongue. It would be no use arguing with Marinette; the pig wasn’t worth her breath, and she had better things to deal with. She waved Marinette’s comment off, curling a strand of hair around her finger. “Whatever. We should get started soon. I don’t want roaches lingering any longer; you’re stinking up the place,” she sneered. 

  Marinette—thankfully—didn’t try to argue with Chloe. The trio worked on their research, Marinette, and Selene getting along as they discussed Greek culture more. The blonde felt left out, chewing on her bottom lip until it bled. Why she felt left out, Chloe couldn’t tell you. She tapped her pencil on her thigh, briefly looking over at the screen before staring back at the paper in her lap. 

  The two idiots conversed happily, reciting old stories about Zeus and the lesser-known god they chose for their project. She knew little to nothing about Greek mythology. She didn’t care to learn about it; it wasn’t useful, and Audrey would throw a fit if she came home discussing any other religion besides Christianity. 

  When blue met green, Chloe felt her heart skip a bit. Selene has really pretty eyes—was it odd to say that she wanted those eyes on her all the time? Wanted to see those captivating eyes giving her all the attention and praise she rightfully deserved?

  “You’re spacing,” Selene teased, flicking her nose, lips twitching into a lopsided smile before she shifted the computer, patting her side. “You act like I’m gonna bite you. Come closer if you can’t see the screen.”

  Chloe choked on her breath, pinching the bridge of her nose before scooting closer to Selene. They were close; she could feel Selene’s thighs pressed against her, and her heart was hammering in her chest. Was this normal? Perhaps? Maybe her heart was racing because there were too many people in the room? 

  Yeah, that was the reason and nothing else. 

  As they worked for hours, Marinette realized she had to leave. Something about having to babysit and help her parents in the bakery; while Chloe did not like Marinette, she didn’t want to be left with the goth. 

  Selene made Chloe feel weird, and it wasn’t a good weird feeling either. 

  “I’ll make sure to send you an invite to the doc. Mind giving me your number?” Selene asked, sliding her phone out of her pocket. 

  Marinette nodded, taking the phone from Selene, inputting her number. Once that was all taken care of, Marinette left, saying goodbye to Selene and wishing her luck with Chloe, slipping out of the room without another word. 

  Chloe could feel her anxiety churning in her stomach. Silence consumed the void as Selene read over the information they had, making a few tweaks and edits to the document. Her very presence was smothering, and Chloe felt sick; her stomach was knotting, and she wanted to get away from Selene. She was making Chloe feel things—emotions that she couldn’t possibly describe, and it scared her. 

  “Hey, you good? You act like I’m gonna bite,” Selene laughed, gently touching Chloe’s cheek. 

  Selene’s hands were so soft and warm despite being calloused and riddled with burns. It was reassuring, and words were lost to Chloe. She didn’t know whether to pull away or embrace the gentle touch. No, queens couldn’t let down their guards. She couldn’t be weak; weakness and trust were for fools. 

  Smacking her hand away, Chloe spat out, “Keep your filthy hands off of me. I don’t want to catch your disease.”

  Selene hummed, adjusting the computer in her lap. “Well, aren’t you feisty?” she taunted, tapping her fingers on the touchscreen. “You could have asked politely.”

  “Well, maybe you should learn how to keep your damn hands to yourself, you freak,” Chloe argued. 

  There was a pause. Selene said nothing but smiled, returning back to their assignment while Chloe quietly let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding in. God, what the hell was wrong with her today? 

  The shattering of glass caught both Selene and Chloe’s attention. The glass was followed by screaming and shouting, slurs being thrown left and right without a care for the other residents in the hotel. Chloe let out a small noise, eyes flickering to look over at Selene. 

  Selene cleared her throat, closing her laptop. “I take it that I should leave?”

  “Yeah, yeah, you should go,” Chloe mumbled, running her hands through her hair. 

  “Fine,” Selene laughed, sliding back on her shoes. Before she left, the goth tore a page out of her notebook, jotting down her number and placing the paper in the dresser. “That’s my number if you ever need any help with the doc. Call or text me whenever; I hardly sleep at night,” she noted. 

  Chloe rolled her eyes, flinching, when she heard another vase shattering against the wall. “I don’t need your sympathy,” she mumbled. 

  Selene shrugged. “The offer is there if you ever need it. I’ll see you at school,” she said, giving a two-finger salute before escorting herself out. 

  Now, Chloe was alone. She pulled her knees for her chest, sucking on her thumbs as she listened to her parents argue for the third time this week. It was maddening; why couldn't they put aside their differences? She felt so helpless and so alone. 

  Maybe she should have asked Selene to ask; she swallowed her pride and let herself be embraced by someone. Anyone would be nice at this point. 

  When the voices died down, Chloe looked up as Audrey forced her way into the room, swiping off her sunglasses. “Why are you sitting around? I told you that we needed to get your outfits picked out, and you measured again,” she huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “And why does it smell like cigarettes in here? Honestly, I thought I raised you better than this.”

   You didn’t raise me. You were barely here, is what Chloe wanted to say, but the lump in her throat wouldn’t let her. “My stupid classmates showed up for an assignment. I bet that filthy rat, whatever her name Argente is, is the one that smokes. Don’t worry; she won’t be showing up here again,” Chloe declared, examining her nails. 

  Audrey hummed, gesturing for Chloe to stand up. “I’ll call in the cleaner to freshen up your room. It reeks,” she declared, grabbing the tape measurer from the nightstand. She wrapped the yellow tape around Chloe’s bust and waist, letting out a snort. “Well, it seems you’ve lost some weight, but not enough. I’ll need to put you on a diet again to moderate your weight. Now, we’ll need to discuss colors.”

  “Well, I’m obviously going to do green since it is a spring contest. We’ll have to match the seasonal theme, Mommy,” Chloe hummed, looking over her shoulder. 

  “And look like a damn weed? Don’t be ridiculous; everyone likes a rose, Charlotte—Chloe ,” Audrey scoffed, taking the scrunchie out of Chloe’s hair, letting the fine blonde wisps spill down her shoulders, curling around her neck. “For the private interview, you’ll wear a red one-shoulder dress—I’ll hire someone this week to come make it in time for the pageant—and then for the evening gown, you’ll wear a yellow ball gown with a thin shawl. We can discuss the details on the dress later.”

  Audrey then led her downstairs for dinner, not even giving Andre another glance as they sat at the table. Dinner—like usual (or the nights that were decent)—was quiet. Neither parent nor child spoke to each other as they ate their meal in silence. 

  Chloe was grateful. 

  Finishing the little vegetables on her plate, Chloe excused herself from the table, making her back to her room. It was time for her usual ritual. It was such a sad thing for a young girl to do; damage her body to please her mother, but all she wanted was love and attention. To be noticed and be called a good girl. To hear someone say that they were proud of her for once in her life. 

  The bile burned her throat as the acid left a nasty taste on her tongue. It was a disgusting feeling, but it was all worth it to Chloe. She still needed to lose weight for the pageant. 

  Rinsing her mouth out with the bit of mouthwash she had under the sink (Chloe would need to tell Jean—whatever his face was—that she needed more), the blonde sat against the door, running her hands through her hair. Her stomach hurt, but she ignored the sharp pains. Beauty is pain; pain is beauty, she repeated to herself, wiping the corners of her mouth. 

  Anything to win her mother’s affection.


  It was the day of the pageant, and Chloe was beyond nervous, but she forced the bubble of anxiety back down in her stomach. She could easily beat any of the girls here; none of the girls stood a chance—especially any girl from her class. It was pathetic how Marinette was acting like everyone’s coach, praising and helping them with their makeup (sure, she was a girl with many talents, but makeup was not one of them).

  “None of these girls stand a chance,” Audrey declared, adjusting her sunglasses. “Just look at these poor fools; the judges will have to pick you by default. Everyone here is just awful, and they don’t even match the theme like that goth girl over there,” she said with disgust. 

  Chloe turned, looking at Juleka, who was struggling with her dress and makeup. Of course, she was wearing a black ball gown that trailed behind her, and her hair was pulled back and pinned with fake diamonds—Chloe suspected that Alya helped with the jewelry as the reporter couldn’t stop fawning over her and snapping pictures despite the goth girl turning away, burning red in the face. 

  Audrey patted her shoulder, pulling out a long, slender cigarette. “Now, I’ll have a team here to finish your makeup and touch up your hair. Don’t disappoint me, Clara—Chloe,” she stated with a sharp clip to her voice, sauntering away from the young girl before yelling “You’re fired!” at a young man who brushed against her. 

  With a sigh, Chloe slumped against her chair, rapping her fingers against the arm. A small part of her didn’t want to be here—she was only doing this for her mother’s approval and to prove to the other girls that they wouldn’t stand a chance against her. The thought of crushing that annoying pig, Marinette, was enough to make her smile and get giddy. 

  The sheer wave of despair that would wash over Marinette when Chloe was declared the winner was just the push she needed. 

  “Chloe! I’m so glad to see you again!” Came Aurora’s cheerful cry, running over to the blonde girl. She was dressed in an off-the-shoulder, green ball gown with her curls pinned back and decorated with small roses. 

  Chloe would hate to admit it, but green was a really good color on Aurora. 

  Clearing her throat, Chloe crossed her legs. “What do you want?” she asked bitterly. 

  “I just wanted to see you before the pageant started! Is that too much to ask?” Aurora hummed, taking a seat next to Chloe, reaching over to squeeze her hand. “I’m so excited! It’s been a while since we’ve done pageants together; you look really good in your dress,” she added. 

 The blonde smoothed her hands across the red satin, clearing her throat as she tucked a curl behind her ear. “Of course, I do. It’s me we’re talking about,” Chloe laughed. 

  Aurora nodded in agreement, squeezing Chloe’s hand again. “Yeah, you’re right. You look in everything,” she agreed, swinging her legs back and forth. “Say, do you need your makeup done?”

  “Why?” Was Chloe’s response, raising an eyebrow. 

  “Well, Cerise thought it would be a good idea to get a team to do my makeup, but Sebastien already did my makeup,” Aurora explained, turning in her chair. “We only have a little bit until the contest starts, so I thought I would help you out.”

  Chloe snorted, folding her arms across her chest. “Oh? You wanna help me? How do I know you aren’t lying? I bet you’re gonna stab me in the back and take the crown for yourself.”

  Aurora frantically shook her head, grabbing Chloe’s hands and leaning close. “No! I would never do that to you! Sure, you may not like me—which is fair because I can be annoying as fuck—but I really want to help you!” she exclaimed, stumbling over her words. “To be fair, you’re the only person I know here and—I don’t know, I just think you’re nice to try to be friends with even if you don’t want to be.”

  She could feel her heart skip a bit. Oh, Aurora was a doll, she was. A cute little thing wanted to be friends with her? With Chloe?

   Wait! Did I just call her cute? Chloe thought, blinking once or twice before she heard her mother’s shrill voice as she stormed over to the two girls. 

  “Stupid, impudent creature! Get away from my daughter, you parasite!” Audrey hissed, yanking Aurora out of the chair, digging her nails into the soft flesh. She didn’t stop or loosen her grip when Aurora let out a pained cry. “I thought I thought disgusting beings like you to stay away from my family! It’s bad enough that I had to spend years coaching a godless thing such as yourself!” she snapped. 

  Chloe was frozen in her chair, eyes wide as she tried swallowing the lump stuck in her throat. Should she get up and help? Should she just sit there? Everyone was watching, and Chloe felt so helpless as Audrey tore into Aurora. 

  An older woman came over, eyebrows furrowed as she pulled Aurora out of Audrey’s grasp. “You have no right to lay your hands on Aurora. She has done nothing wrong to you or your daughter,” the coach frowned, carefully touching Aurora’s shoulder. 

  Audrey tipped her head back and laughed. “Oh, please. It hasn’t done anything wrong? Of course, you would defend those kinds of people, given that you are one, sir,” she declared in a snarky voice. 

  “You could address me as my name, Audrey, rather than stoop to a childish level,” the coach retorted, folding her arms across her chest. “Insult me all you want, but you will not lay your nasty hands on Aurora again. She has done nothing wrong.”

  “It was near my daughter, and unlike you, we have morals, Cerise. Now, run along and spread your filth somewhere else, you fake woman,” she laughed. 

  Chloe tensed in her chair, feeling the uneasy tension between both women and that hateful glint in Cerise’s hazel eyes. She felt her chest tightened when she heard the soft flapping of a butterfly—of an akuma approaching Cerise, and entering the golden locket on her chest. 

  “But of course, Hawkmoth,” was all Cerise said before the black-and-purple smog covered her body. People screamed and ran as the new akuma laughed, causing chaos all around her, and Audrey escaped. “Oh, what’s this? Has Her Highness fled like the spineless coward she is? How pathetic! Well, if the head honcho isn’t here, I guess I’ll have to settle for the next best thing!” she cackled.

  Ice settled in Chloe’s veins as the akuma set her sights on her. A small whimper left her throat as the chair fell back, and she crashed onto the ground. She crawled away from the akuma, not caring that she dirtied her dress or tore the expensive fabric. 

  She could replace it later. She could not replace her life. 

  Chloe saw the gloved hand reaching out for her, fingers almost caressing her cheeks as her heart slammed against her chest. She couldn’t die like this; she didn’t want to die. 

  Before the blow came, Aurora smacked the akuma with a chair. Dropping the chair, she ran to Chloe and pulled her away to safety. It was all a blur; the girls were gasping for air when they got to safety. 

  “Aurora, what the fuck!?” Chloe gasped, chest rising and falling as Aurora rummaged in her purse. 

  “You should be thanking me! You were about to kill you because of your bitch mother!” Aurora gasped. 

  “Don’t talk about my mom like that!” Chloe argued. 

  “Well, she is! Open your eyes, Chloe! She doesn’t care about anyone but herself!” Aurora snapped, shaking Chloe. “People like her aren’t worth impressing. You are going to get hurt thinking that she’ll change and accept you. People like her will never change!”

  Chloe wanted to argue, but a small part of her—deep down inside—knew that Aurora was right. That people like Audrey would never change because they were too stuck in their selfish ways to realize the wonderful blessing right before them. Maybe it was desperation at this point; she was grasping at straws, hoping and praying that maybe Audrey would love her.

  Aurora squeezed her hand before she pulled Chloe in for a hug. “Listen: you can hate me all you want, but just know, you’re not the only one who has to go through this alone. Alright?”

  “What do you mean by that—”

  The explosion in the distance interrupted the girls. The shrill screams for the akuma and the citizens made their blood run cold, but Chloe took action and dragged Aurora away from the scene. It was better to move their asses rather than get killed and be traumatized. 

  What Chloe wasn’t expecting was a car coming in their direction. Both girls were struck with horror and fear, but Chloe moved first. It was automatic; she didn’t even think when she pushed Aurora out of the way. There wasn’t enough time for her to move out of the way—

  “Chloe!” Aurora yelled. 

  That was the last thing she saw before a violent wave of pure agony took over, and everything went black. 

Chapter 9: Her Lucid Dream

Summary:

If this was a dream, Chloe didn’t want to wake up. Maybe this could be a new start for her.

Notes:

Happy Holidays! I normally don’t update during this time of year because I was never a fan of writing a cheesy holiday theme one-shot, but I have an update for you! We’re getting more into season 2 so get ready for Chloe’s character development!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

  It was quiet. Chloe was caught in an endless wave of agony again. The faces of the past akumas were back again, looking down at her with those sinister smiles. Princess Fragrance stood over her, tapping her gun to Chloe’s temple. “Enjoying your nap?” she hummed sarcastically.

  “As well as I can,” Chloe responded in a dry tone, not surprised when Stone Heart dragged her to her feet. Her hair was messy, pooling around her shoulders as Reflekta kept her arms bound behind her back, not caring for Chloe’s state. 

  “It seems you’ve developed somewhat of a backbone from last time. I applaud you for that,” Princess Fragrance hummed, gesturing for Dark Cupid to draw his bow. “Now then, what shall we do today, Chloe?”

  Stone Heart answered in a gravelly voice, “String her up.”

  Evillustrator produced the thick cord of rope, tossing one end to Lady Wifi as Reflekta kept her hands bound behind her back. Chloe didn’t struggle as the rope burned her wrists; there was no point trying to struggle. They always caught her in the end and made her pay in spades. 

  Once Chloe was properly bound, the akumas stepped back and admired their work. Evidence of her salty tears remained on her cheeks as Princess Fragrance beamed brightly, resting her finger on the trigger. “Now, how should we torment you today? Oh, maybe we can destroy the things you love; you had no hesitation destroying everything we loved,” she recalled, circling her prey. 

  Chloe offered no words. Whether it be a dream or a result of her dying again, she accepted this hellscape. It’s what she deserved after all. She saw small glimpses of Adrien and her as toddlers, embracing each other and laughing; she smiled to herself, remembering the good times they had together. 

  The vision faded as Dark Cupid yanked her head back, forcing Chloe to stare at the Sabrina lookalike. She was tall and pretty with her hair curled around her shoulders and she wore contacts instead of her thick-framed glasses. Sabrina offered no words, only smiling as Princess Fragrance approached the ginger, cupping her chin. 

  “How should I get rid of your lap dog?” Princess Fragrance hummed, resting her hands on Sabrina’s shoulders and leaning forward. 

  “Don’t hurt Sabrina. She didn’t do anything wrong,” Chloe voiced, lifting her head. 

  Reflekta snickered, adjusting her grasp on Chloe’s wrists. “Why should we listen to you? You never listened to us when we pleaded and begged you to stop,” the pink akuma scoffed. 

  Chloe swallowed the lump in her throat. “I know, I know, I know. Sabrina didn’t do anything wrong; she’s innocent,” she stated, wetting her bottom lip. “Adrien and Sabrina didn’t do anything wrong. You can destroy anything of mine, but for God’s sake, leave those two alone.”

  Princess Fragrance hummed, releasing Sabrina with a pat on her lower back. “I’ll allow it this time. You are right: Sabrina and Adrien are innocent in all of this. You, on the other hand, are not,” she declared in a sing-song voice, skipping over to the mayor’s daughter. With a gloved hand, she gripped Chloe’s cheeks, squishing the soft flesh. “Let’s see how many times you can be broken and put back together.”

  The akumas seemed to agree with their appointed leader and Chloe let out a sigh of relief. At least Sabrina and Adrien would be safe; they didn’t need to suffer for her sins. Hanging her head, Chloe accepted her fate for the second time; this was fine, she supposed, taking a breath in. 

  As Princess Fragrance went to join her fellow akumas, Chloe felt warm hands on her cheeks. She found herself staring into warm green eyes and saw a body enveloped in a bright light. It was warm and comforting, pulling her in almost. The gentle touch of an angel caressing her flesh, drawing her in. It was something Chloe didn’t even know she needed until seconds ago. 

  She wanted to follow the light—to follow that enticing voice but something was pulling her back. A voice—it was concerned and laced with fear as it called out her name. God, she could hear the tears seeping into their voice as they called out louder and louder. 

  “Chloe! Chloe!” the voice called out. 

  The light spoke to Chloe, offering a smile. “It’s time to wake up, dear Chloe. It is not your time yet.”

  Chloe woke up with a groan, holding her head as Aurora sobbed, pulling her into her chest. “Oh, thank God you’re alright! I was so scared—you pushed me out of the way,” Aurora sniffled, squeezing the blonde. 

  “What—what happened?” Chloe asked. 

  “You pushed me out of the way of a speeding car,” Aurora sniffed, rubbing her eyes. “The driver didn’t stop, and you went still. There was blood—there was so much damn blood. I tried to stop the bleeding and you were so cold. You died in my arms, Chlo.”

  The blonde was quiet. So, she had died again? Chloe was even surprised that the miraculous cure worked this time since she didn’t die by the akuma’s hand, but she certainly wasn’t complaining. She touched her head, pulling it away to find no blood. “Well, at least I’m back,” Chloe shrugged off, taking Aurora’s hand and pulling herself up. 

  Aurora was flabbergasted, opening and closing her mouth. “How—how are you okay with that? Chloe, you fucking died!” she exclaimed. 

  “And then, I was brought back. I don’t see why you’re making such a big deal out of nothing,” Chloe said, feigning bravery. Of course, dying over and over again was terrifying. However, she didn’t want Aurora to think she was weak; it was bad enough that she already sacrificed her life for the brunette. 

  Wiping off her dress, Chloe tucked a curl behind her ear. “We should head back. The contest might be starting,” she said, clearing her throat. 

  Aurora’s mouth fell open. “Are you serious? Are you fucking serious right now? Chloe, what the hell is wrong with you?” Aurora asked with a gasp. 

  Chloe cocked an eyebrow up, hands resting on her hips. “What?”

  “You’re worried about a contest—a stupid crown! What about you? Why aren’t you worried about yourself? You just died!” Aurora exclaimed, grabbing Chloe’s shoulders. 

  She shrugged her shoulders, rocking her head to the side. “It happens—it’s normal here. You die and hopefully, you pray to God that the cure brings you back from the other side,” Chloe said. 

  “That’s horrible,” was all Aurora could voice, biting her bottom lip. “How are you okay with that? How is anyone okay with that?”

  “It just happens. There’s nothing you or anyone else can do to stop it. Once Ladybug takes care of Hawkmoth, then it’ll be over,” Chloe said, standing up and dusting off her dress. She would have to call someone to fix up her gown; there was a large slash in the front, and she just knew that her mother would throw a fit seeing her dirty dress. 

  Aurora didn’t even argue with Chloe anymore. The two girls made their way back to the pageant with Ladybug’s assistance, thanking the heroine before Aurora pulled her to the side, sitting her down. 

  Chloe looked up at the brunette, blinking and opening her mouth. “What the hell—”

  “Stop!” Aurora interrupted, pinching the bridge of her nose, letting out a sigh. “Just stop, okay? Look, I know you don’t like me and the point of this pageant is to compete against each other, but your dress is ruined and I doubt the judges are gonna cancel the competition.”

  Chloe snorted, rolling her eyes. “Well, no shit,” she let out. 

  Aurora shot her a look before sitting beside her. “That’s not my point. It’s gonna leave you a dress short if you have to use one of your other dresses, right?” she asked. 

  “Yeah. Get to the point,” Chloe snapped. 

  “Cerise made sure to pack extra dresses just in case something were to happen. I figured you can use one of mine,” Aurora suggested. 

  The blonde looked up at Aurora with accusing eyes, folding her arms across her chest and frowning. “What’s the catch?”

  “Catch?” Aurora asked. 

  “Are you fucking deaf? What do you want in return?” Chloe spat out. 

  Aurora looked at Chloe owlishly. “Chloe, I don’t want anything in return from you—”

  Chloe cut her off. “Cut the crap, Aurora. I’m not dumb like everyone thinks I am,” she interjected, standing up and jabbing Aurora’s chest, narrowing her eyes. “Everyone wants something for a good deed whether it be praise or a physical reward, so cut the crap, and just tell me what you want in return.”

  She wasn’t an idiot. Her mother had taught her from a young age that people always wanted something in return for a good deed; no one was truly as kind as they believed they were. Why, Audrey was a prime example of that when Chloe was but a small tot. 

  Always making empty promises, telling Chloe that if she could exceed her expectations, Audrey would stay in Paris. Oh, and how Chloe tried, practically breaking her back to please her mother, but it was never enough. It was never enough for Audrey to stay. 

  Who’s to say that Aurora wouldn’t try the same thing. Well, Chloe could test the waters and see if Aurora was as kind as she claimed to be. 

  Chloe gestured to Aurora’s dress. “Let me wear the dress you’re wearing right now.”

  Aurora tugged on the gown. “You want this one?” she questioned, raising an eyebrow. 

  “You said any dress I wanted and I want the one you’re wearing,” Chloe repeated, folding her arms across her chest. “What’s the matter? Re-thinking your choice now?”

  “No, that’s not it. I’m just surprised that you wanted this dress, but if this is the one you want, I won’t complain. Let’s go to the dressing rooms,” Aurora suggested, holding her hand out for Chloe. 

  The blonde still couldn’t believe it—she couldn’t believe how selfless Aurora was. It had to be a trick; there was no way that Aurora was just going to give Chloe the dress without wanting something in return. She just knew that Aurora would want something in return—she could feel it in her bones. 

  They stepped inside of the dressing room and Chloe helped Aurora out of the dress. She grimaced seeing Aurora’s stretch marks and the faded wounds on her thighs; some of them might have been fresh, but Chloe couldn’t bear to look any longer. She had what she wanted, and removed her tattered dress.

  “Alright. What do you want in return?” Chloe asked, once she had the dress on. 

  “Why do you think I want something from you?”

  Chloe snorted, turning around so Aurora could zip her up. “I’m not a fucking idiot, Aurora. You aren’t as kind as you think you are. Everyone wants something in return, you can’t fool me,” she declared, turning around to face the brunette. “Now, what do you want? We don’t have all day.”

  “I’m telling you: I don’t want anything from you,” Aurora repeated. “Why can’t I do something nice without you thinking I want something from you.”

  “Because everyone wants something. Haven’t you watched The Little Mermaid? Ursula gives Ariel legs in exchange for her voice—it’s the same damn thing,” Chloe huffed, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. 

  Aurora massaged her temples, exhaling through her nose. “I don’t want anything from you, Chloe! The only thing I could possibly think of if I were to want something is for you to stop treating me like the enemy,” she snapped, changing into a spare dress and zipping herself up. “I promise I’m not out to get you and we have a lot more in common than you would possibly know.”

  Without another word, Aurora left the changing room, slamming the door behind her and leaving Chloe to think about her decisions.


  The competition was ruthless—well, to those who have never participated in a pageant before. The girls in Chloe’s class were in tears by the first round, especially Rose. Poor girl was not ready for those harsh remarks that the judges gave her. 

  Surprisingly, Alya and Juleka handled the criticism well and even thanked the judges for their words. Marinette, on the other hand, was a blubbering and stuttering mess the whole damn time. It made Chloe chuckle, watching someone not constantly praise and baby the idiotic designer for the bare minimum. 

 The girls lined up in front of the judges and the crowd, basking in the praise and the attention. Of course, Chloe was already used to this, but it didn’t fill the empty void in her chest. All of it was for naught if it wasn’t from her mother, but that would change once she won. Once she obtained that glittering, golden crown, Audrey would have to notice her and realize that she was exceptional.

  The spokesman gave a long and dull speech, congratulating each girl who joined and rambled on about how each girl was beautiful and talented in their own way (Chloe snorted; just who was he fooling?), and how they were so lucky to be blessed and graced with such raw beauty and talent on this fine day. 

  “I’m happy to announce the winners of the Spring Miss Paris beauty pageant!” he declared, causing the audience to applaud, whistling and cheering on the contestants. The girls on stage flashing their smiles, waving to the cameras that were pointed at their caked up faces. 

  The anticipation was killing Chloe. She couldn’t hold this smile for any longer and she was almost certain that her face was going to crack if she kept smiling. 

  The spokesman opened the envelope, taking out the first slip of paper. “For third place, give it up for Miss Alix Kubdel! Her boyish charm seemed to dazzle the judges!” the spokesman declared, gesturing for Alix to receive their stash and crown. 

  Chloe snorted. Well, at least it was better than one of those other losers placing third; Alix was actually rich and seemed to understand what they were doing from time to time (or maybe that was the classism seeping into Chloe’s words again).

  “In second place, give it up for Miss Chloe Bourgeois!”

  She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to smile as she strolled up to the announcer with the skirts of her dress swishing around her feet. Second place wasn’t bad but it wasn’t the best either; Chloe wanted that golden crown. It’s what she deserved—she deserved her mother’s affection. Taking her sash and her silver crown, Chloe stood next to Alix who rolled her eyes. It took everything in Chloe not to whack them in the shins with her heels. 

  “And now, the moment you all have been waiting for! Your Miss Paris this spring is,” the spokesman drummed up, slipping the paper out of the envelope as Chloe waited with baited breath. She could feel herself leaning forward as she squeezed her fists until her knuckles were ghost white. 

   Don’t let it be Aurora. Don’t let it be fucking Aurora, Chloe thought. Her chest wanted to explode; she didn’t want to lose to Aurora again. It would be embarrassing—losing to the girl who beat her over and over again. Losing to a girl who wasn’t even on her level. Losing to the girl that her mother chose over her own flesh and blood. 

  Chloe didn’t want to accept the fact that Aurora was simply better than her. That Aurora would always be her mother’s first choice; it left her feeling bitter and angry. 

  “Miss Aurora Lecrosse!” he announced, pulling Aurora to join the other girls as they slipped the golden crown on her head and the first place ribbon. 

  And suddenly, Chloe didn’t feel so good. Her mouth felt dry as she bit her tongue, swallowing back her tears. The girls from her class were cheering and congratulating Aurora—probably because they were happy that Chloe didn’t win and that meant she couldn’t gloat about it. 

  She watched with envious eyes as Aurora took the microphone from the announcer. Chloe should have been the one up there; she should have been the one with that coveted crown, not Aurora. This was supposed to be her lucky day; she’s the one that worked so hard and for what? Only to be bested by a lower-class citizen. It wasn’t fair; that was her crown!

  Aurora cleared her throat, gripping the sash. “Thank you for making me your Miss Paris again. I’m truly honored that you chose me, but I don’t think I am truly deserving of that title,” she said, taking off the crown and sash. “To be honest, I don’t even like these kinds of things. I only joined because my sibling likes doing my makeup and they want to be a coach one day.”

  She walked over to Chloe, removing the second place ribbon and crown and replacing them with the golden crown and first place ribbon. With a warm smile, Aurora pulled her to the front, hand resting on Chloe’s lower back. “I would like it if Chloe was your Miss Paris. She’s worked so hard for years; she’s a better candidate than I will ever be,” Aurora admitted, squeezing Chloe’s hand. 

  The blonde doesn't know whether to cry out in joy or frustration. Of course, Chloe was happy that she obtained the first-place prize, but she was upset that it was practically given to her because Aurora felt pity for her. She didn’t truly earn the prize and she knew Audrey would bitch about that. 

  Chloe hated how everyone clapped and how Aurora just handed her the crown and sash. Her stomach felt heavy, twisting and churning as she swallowed the sobs that bubbled in her throat; Chloe wanted everything to just stop. She hated this feeling that brewed in her stomach while the contest ended. The crown weighed heavy on her head as she stepped forward, gazing out into the crowd. 

  Cotton filled her mouth; her ears were ringing, and the only things Chloe could register were her mother’s hard gaze and Aurora’s warm hand. Surprisingly, Aurora was the very thing keeping Chloe from collapsing right there. Her skin felt damp—God, Chloe could feel the sweat trickling down the base of her neck. 

  The applause was so loud. The flashing cameras and adoration for both her and Aurora bombarding her was suddenly too much. She felt her chest wanting to cave it; she wanted it to stop. 

  Make it stop! Someone get these fools out of my face! Chloe thought, opening her mouth to speak. Her voice came out as a squeak before she composed herself, squaring her shoulders back. She thanked everyone and Aurora for her kind words; the words felt heavy in her mouth, choking her almost while she kept herself from breaking down. This pressure was too much and Chloe wanted it to be done with. 

  She’s never felt this way before. 

  Shoving the mic back into the announcer’s hands, Chloe let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Aurora held her up, allowing Chloe to rest on her while they wrapped up the pageant. Chloe thanked God that Aurora was here to hold her up (though, no one would ever catch her saying that out loud). 

  When the crowd started to leave, Chloe ran back to the dressing room. She barricaded herself in the changing stall and collapsed onto the ground, gripping her sash and feeling the brutal pounding of her heart. Her body was trembling—why was she shaking? Was it because she saw that disappointed look in her mother’s eyes? Because Aurora took pity on her? 

   Why was the question and Chloe could not answer. 

  Once that awful feeling died down, Chloe stepped out of the bathroom and went to join her mother. Her father embraced her with open arms, saying how proud he was of his baby girl, but Chloe tuned him out. She hated that look in Audrey’s eyes as she lowered her glasses and curled her bottom lip into a sneer. “The only reason you even got that crown was because that freak gave you a hand-out. Once again, Clara, you continue to disappoint and prove that you will never be exceptional. Do you enjoy embarrassing me like this?” Audrey snapped. 

  “No—it’s not my fault she gave me her crown and said I deserved it,” Chloe argued, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill down her face. Why wasn’t she good enough? What did she do wrong? Chloe had copied her mother’s mannerism, starved herself until she was still and bones. Hell, she even treated the only people to actually give a damn about her like utter shit and it still wasn’t enough for Audrey. It was maddening and. Hole just wanted to scream but she bit her tongue, looking down at her shoes. 

  Audrey stepped forward, tugging on the fabric. “And where did you get this dress? I never ordered this nor did I design it,” she questioned. 

  Chloe opened her mouth and then promptly shut it. Should she tell Audrey the truth? Would it only cause more problems for her in the end?

  “Uh—one of the girls lent me their dress after the akuma attack was done. The original dress was all torn up,” Chloe muttered. 

  Her mother snorted, letting go of the delicate fabric. “Let me guess: that little abomination let you borrow its dress?” Audrey sneered, curling her lip. When Chloe didn’t answer, Audrey grimaced once again. “There you go again, accepting hand-outs from people below us and you wonder why I call you an embarrassment. You are a Bourgeois and yet, you don’t act like it. You’re worse than that airheaded fatso in the yellow dress. Merida or whatever her name was.”

  She hated this feeling. Hated this feeling of loathing that gripped her stomach and throat; why couldn’t Audrey just love her? Chloe looked up at her father with pleading eyes yet he said nothing. He shyly turned away from Audrey and Chloe, allowing his wife to continue on her tirade. 

  It wasn’t fair—why couldn’t her father protect her? Why couldn’t Andre love Chloe and shield her from the abuse? Why did he have to be so fucking weak?

  “Now, Audrey, that’s no way she should talk to your daughter. I do believe she did a good job despite being caught up in an akuma attack,” Cerise interrupted, squeezing Chloe’s shoulder and smiling at the young girl. “I do apologize if I caused you any harm, child. I wasn’t in the right mind set.”

  Audrey scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Oh please, we all know you’re jealous of me and my family. I have everything you always wanted; I’m all natural,” she hissed. “And get your hands off my daughter. I don’t want you infecting her with your disease.”

  Cerise said nothing as she removed her hand from Chloe’s shoulder and offered the girl a warm smile. “I apologize if I made you uncomfortable in any way. I wanted to congratulate you, dear. You did amazing,” the older woman praised. 

  “Oh, please. You’re only saving face because your brain-dead protégé gave up the crown like a bumbling fool,” Audrey sneered. 

  Aurora frowned, reaching out to squeeze Chloe’s hand. “Because Chloe deserved that win. I don’t even like pageants, but Chloe poured her heart out there,” she defended, stepping forward to separate Audrey from Chloe. “You’re a horrible person, Audrey. I can’t believe someone like you is the Queen of fashion.”

  Scoffing, Audrey rolled her eyes and shifted her weight before lowering her sunglasses. “Aw, I bet you’re a naïve little thing who thinks kindness will get you somewhere in life, aren’t you? “ she spat. She hid her wicked smile before her hand before clearing her throat. “Let’s get something straight: you will never get far by being kind and playing by the rules, hon. The world is cruel and you have to grab it by the dick. Otherwise, you’ll get fucked over like your wannabe woman coach here,” she snickered. 

  “Leave Miss Cerise alone,” Aurora defended, narrowing her eyes. “You’re just a sad old woman who hasn’t found happiness in her life so you take your misery out on everyone else. Miss Cerise will be more of a woman than you would ever be. Chloe is better than you—she always will be. Why she spends her time trying to impress your ungrateful ass, I will never understand, but she is worth more than you will ever be.”

  It was quiet before Audrey let out a taunting laugh, letting her hand fall to her side. “My, my, you’ve got guts, I’ll give you that,” she cooed. She tapped her chin before reaching forward and snatching Aurora’s chin. “No one has ever spoken to me that way, so I applaud you for your bravery. But the next time you open your mouth, I suggest you fix your tongue before taking that tone with me ever again.”

  Snatching her hand away, Audrey left without another word, dragging her husband behind her. Chloe stood there, blinking before looking up at Cerise and then back at Aurora. It was confusing—these who had protected her and defended her even though Chloe called Aurora a fag and Audrey berated Cerise (and insinuated that she would never be a woman).

  “Why?” Chloe questioned. 

  “Like I told you: we have a lot more in common than you’d think,” Aurora said, pulling Chloe into a hug. “You don’t have to be alone anymore. You got me, okay?” she said in a hushed but gentle tone. 

  Chloe finally allowed herself to be vulnerable and she just broke down in Aurora’s arms, dry-heaving and sobbing uncontrollably. God, it felt so good to let her walls; it felt so good to not be alone and shoulder this pain all by herself. 

  If this was a dream, Chloe didn’t want to wake up. 

Notes:

Come talk to me on Twitter (blessedfatui) or tumblr (blessedfatui)

Chapter 10: Her Teddybear

Summary:

Everything was so sweet until Adrien starting attending public school; Chloe didn’t want to lose her best friend nor did she want to feel butterflies in her stomach when she was surrounded by pretty girls.

Notes:

hey gays; y’all ready for the gay chloe agenda? because there’s a lot of it plus self-loathing

Chapter Text

  Audrey left Paris after the pageant, saying that she would be back in a few months for another show, but Chloe knew that it was a lie. It had already been a few months since Audrey had left and Chloe’s good mood had been soured when Marinette brought her dad to show them all how to make macaroons. 

  It was so boring, and Chloe didn’t care. She didn’t want to watch everyone suck up to that annoying, bobble-headed klutz. Everyone already worshipped the ground she walked on and for what? Marinette wasn’t anything special so why did she have it all? Why did she have the attention and praise that rightfully belonged to Chloe, the girl was superior to Marinette in every way?

  “I'll let you in on a little secret. I always add cream to the chocolate to make the ganache extra velvety. Then I let it infuse for one minute,” Tom explained with a cheerful tone, still mixing the chocolate together. 

  Chloe rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest. “Urgh! Do they seriously think I'm going to get my hands dirty, cooking like some maid? If I want a croissant, I'd just make my butler get it for me,” she declared, irritated and wanting this stupid lesson to be over with. She didn’t understand why everyone was so entranced with the thought of baking. What fun was that supposed to be? Why bake when she could just have her daddy make one of the butlers get her one.

  Rose giggled, pointing at the bowl again. “He's not making croissants, Chloe. Those are macarons!” she chirped, bouncing up and down. God, she was such an annoying thing and Chloe wanted to smack Rose until her head spun. 

  “It's all done with a flick of the wrist. But you mustn't go too fast, or you might splash yourself!” Tom warned with a hearty laugh. 

  “And soil my Chenal pants? Who's he kidding?” Chloe scoffed, turning her head away. 

  Of course, everyone but Chloe was ooh-ing and awing the velvety mixture Tom concocted; it was just chocolate, and she didn’t understand why everyone was losing their damn mind over it. It was irritating to watch, and Chloe wanted to leave but no, their teacher wanted to torture her with this boring activity. And of course, that teacher’s pet, Marinette, was assisting her father and everyone was saying how nice she was for asking her dad to come and teach them how to bake. 

  Taking out her phone, Chloe thought she would add to their fun. Surely, they wouldn’t mind a sudden surprise. 

  Without hesitation, Chloe dialed the fire department, saying that there had been an incident and they would need assistance right away. Once the officers said that they would be there as soon as possible, Chloe smiled and tucked her phone back in her pocket, rejoining the rest of her class. It was perfectly timed as Tom asked Marinette to take the mixture to the school kitchen to cool. God must have been working in her favor. 

  It only took a few short minutes for the fire alarm to go off. Chloe smiled, following the class out of the room and gathering in the gymnasium. As they passed Marinette on the stairs, Chloe glared at the goody-two-shoes and tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. 

  Honestly, they should be thanking Chloe. They were standing around, doing nothing while they just watched someone bake. What was even the point of the lesson? To show them all that hard work can be fun? Please, Chloe wouldn't need to work as long as her mother kept her position and the hotel was still a success (which it would be). 

  “So, some smart aleck had the bright idea of calling the fire department. Somebody amongst us thought it would be funny to waste the fire captain's valuable time,” Mr. Damocles revealed. 

  Chloe thought her plan was hilarious, actually. On the inside, she was laughing. Seriously, what was so fun about getting dirty and making pastries? Doing all that hard work and for what? It’s not like Chloe was jealous that Marinette could be proud of her father and didn’t have to fake a smile whenever they were out in public. It certainly wasn’t a stab in the chest when Chloe saw how happy the whole Dupain-Cheng family was, even when it was some simple task like baking. 

  It definitely wasn’t jealousy. 

  Chloe could hear Alya and Marinette chatting, looking back at her and scowling. Ah yes, she could already assume that those two were trying to pin the blame on her (granted, it was her fault, but they couldn’t prove that it was her). Well, she would show them; they would regret messing with her. 

  Clearing her throat, Chloe raised her hand and said, “Mr. Damocles, sir?”

  “Yes, Miss Bourgeois?”

  “I saw a student leaving the classroom right before the alarm went off. It must have been her,” she cooed, innocently looking around.

  Mr. Damocles raised an eyebrow. “Really? Who was it?”

  With a Cheshire grin, Chloe turned to face Marinette’s direction. With all attention focused on her, she continued, “Let's see if she'll come clean. What do you say, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?”

  The surrounding students had mixed feelings about Chloe’s accusation. Most students like Alya glared at Chloe while others looked back at Marinette with that sad look in their eyes. They could think what they wanted; they had no incriminating evidence that it was Chloe so they could protest and scream that it was her, but the accusation would never stick without solid proof. 

  Mr. Damocles frowned, narrowing his eyes. “Marinette, do you have something to tell the firefighter captain?” he asked with a sharp tone. 

  “Urgh, wait. Excuse me, sir!” Adrien interrupted, “It couldn't possibly be Marinette. Why would she disrupt her own father's cooking class?”

  Alya then chimed in (of course she would; those losers would protect their own, wouldn’t they), “And I know for a fact that Marinette didn't even have her phone on her when she went out of the classroom.”

  Ugh, why was Adrien protecting that little freak? She understood that they were friends, but seriously? It was just a stab to the chest the way he kept defending her and protecting her; it wasn’t fair that Marinette was trying to steal her friends away. First with Sabrina and telling her that she was manipulating Sabrina (which wasn't true; Chloe just had a way with words and a lot of money), and now she was going to steal Adrien away. 

  The poor fireman was trying to leave but the principal stopped him, blocking the exit. “Fine. Since no one is owning up, the whole school will be punished,” Mr. Damocles declared. 

  Chloe blinked, scoffing as she reached for her phone. Absolutely not; she would not be punished and forced to work like some common maid. Her classmates were the ones that wanted to get dirty, not her. Why should she be punished? She was a Bourgeois and she did not serve. 

  “What?! I'm not so sure my father will react kindly to me being punished without any proof!” Chloe snapped, unlocking her phone and already pulling up her father’s information. The fear in the principal’s eyes when she threatened to call him was utterly priceless. 

  Mr. Damocles let out a noise, holding his hands up. “Oh, no! Please, don't disrupt the busy mayor,” he begged before clearing his throat. “The whole school is punished except for Miss Bourgeois!”

  “That's more like it,” Chloe said with a confident smirk, sliding her phone back in her pocket. That should teach them a lesson; maybe she could tell her daddy what happened and he would tell Mommy and Audrey would be proud of her. The thought of Audrey praising her was enough to make Chloe smile and pull on her sleeves. 

  Maybe she would shoot a text to her daddy once everyone got cleaning. It would be a treat to watch the misery settle on their faces.


  Turns out, watching everyone clean was boring. Chloe groaned, scrolling through social media as Rose started sweeping near her. She tried ignoring the irritating noise but had had enough. With a groan, Chloe lightly kicked Rose’s broom. “Can't you see I'm trying to relax here? Go sweep somewhere else, Cinderella,” she snapped. 

  She didn’t care that Rose let out a pathetic whimper and walked away. No, she was more concerned with Adrien that was approaching her. Chloe let out a squeal and threw her arms around his neck, kissing his cheeks. “Adrikins!” Chloe cooed, squishing his cheeks. 

  Adrien pulled away, wiping his cheeks (that was odd; Adrien never disliked her kisses before). “Chloe, I need you to be honest with me. Was it you who called the fire department?”

  She paused, blinking twice before laughing. “You’re joking, right? That’s what you wanted to ask me about? If I was the one behind the calls?” Chloe asked. “Of course it was me who called the fire department. So what?” she shrugged. 

  “And it doesn't bother you that everyone's being punished because of you?” Adrien questioned. 

  Chloe rolled her eyes, looking back at her phone and was delighted when her father responded to her text. She would have to answer that later; the tone in Adrien’s voice was bothering her. “No. Why would it? They all seem to enjoy getting dirty making cookies. How's it any different than getting dirty, cleaning floors? They should be thanking me if anything. Why does it matter to you?”

  Adrien didn’t answer the question. Instead, he sighed in irritation and pinched the bridge of his nose before looking at Chloe. “Chloe. How long have you and I been friends?”

  “Since we were adorable little tots, Adrikins,” Chloe said with a cute pout. 

  With a disappointed voice, Adrien said, “Well, I'm sorry Chloe, but I can't be friends with someone who treats other people like this. You've gotta be nice to people.”

  “N-nice?” Chloe stuttered in a shy voice. Adrien wanted her to be nice to the people below her? He wanted her to be nice to people that haven’t shown her an inkling of kindness? She was supposed to grit her teeth and kiss those who had spat in her face and belittled her and called her other horrendous names? 

  “Yes, nice. It's not that hard.”

  He walked away without giving Chloe a chance to defend herself. She sat down on the bench, gripping her phone as tears threatened to spill down her face, but Chloe didn’t dare to let them fall. Why would she give them all another reason to kick her? 

  With their burning eyes glaring at her, Chloe stopped and took a moment to think to herself. Was it Adrien that changed or was she really that mean?


  Chloe was miserable for the rest of the day, curled up in her bed with her knees pressed to her chest. Hot tears were threatening to spill down her face but she didn’t allow herself to cry. She sucked it up, squeezing her knees as her favorite butler waltzed in the room with a silver tray. 

  “Mademoiselle does not look very happy, today,” he said softly, taking the lid off the tray and offering Chloe the delicate chocolates. She immediately shoved them in her mouth, inhaling them practically, and proceeded to cry into Jean’s chest. 

  “Adrien says I have to be nice to everyone or he won't be my friend anymore! How can he do this to me, Jean-Michel?” Chloe sobbed, rubbing her eyes. Her cheeks were burning red as she snuggled, struggling to catch her breath. 

  Jean blinked, taking the tray away from Chloe. “Uh, my name is... hm, never mind,” he sighed, joining Chloe on the bed and patting her thigh with a warm smile. “Ah, perhaps Mademoiselle can see comfort with Mr. Cuddly?” he asked, carefully picking up her prized teddy bear and placing it in her hands.    

  With a delighted squeal, Chloe hugged her bear and pressed her face against the soft material. Mr. Cuddly was her comfort when Audrey was having a bad day. Mr. Cuddly was her first friend and the only person that would never leave her. He would never have any reason to harm her or abandon her. Tears kept streaming down her face as she quietly sobbed. 

 “If you would allow it, Mademoiselle, I could help you keep your friendship with Adrien,” he offered. 

  Chloe looked up with watery tears, rubbing her eyes once again. “W-why would you do a thing like that, Jean-Jacques?” she hiccupped. 

  “Because that's what being nice is all about, Mademoiselle and I care about you,” Jean said with a smile, allowing Chloe to lay on his lap. He tenderly stroked her curls, allowing Chloe to relax in his lap; it was soothing for Chloe, and she could feel herself relaxing in his touch. “I'm sure Mademoiselle can remember when she was a little girl when Mr. Cuddly was always nice to Mademoiselle when she was sad. Mr. Cuddly can teach you how to be kind to others.”

  Chloe remembered the times where Mr. Cuddly was her only friend. The times when he would be her safe space and she would cry into his chest when her mother was being cruel. Oh, Chloe wished she was still a naïve little girl who followed her mother like a baby duckling. She smiled, jumping off the bed with Mr. Cuddly still in her warm embrace. “I remember, Jean-Luc. Adrien's going to see just how nice I can be,” she giggled. 

  Shooing the butler out the room, Chloe set down her beloved teddy bear and whipped out her phone again. Of course, she didn’t want to be nice to those hostile losers, but it was the sake of her friendship with Adrien. She would totally impress him with how nice she could be (despite her not wanting to show any of those jerks an inkling of her kindness).

  Now, what would be the best way to show Adrien that she could be kind? She didn’t have any friends that could help (besides Sabrina, but she didn’t want to thrust any more of her problems onto Sabrina) and she had no idea what those nerds were into. 

  Chloe frowned, staring at her lock screen before finally deciding to unlock it. She didn’t understand why she had everyone from class on her phone but no matter, it’s not like she was going to contact them anytime soon. 

  Finally coming at a number, Chloe took a deep breath and dialed the number. “Hey, this is Sebastien fronting right? Uh, it’s Chloe Bourgeois. Mind if I talk to your sister?”


  Working with Aurora was interesting. Chloe didn’t mind it at first, but Aurora could be really talkative once they started discussing anything that piqued her interest. Chloe made the unfortunate mistake of talking about science (don’t even bother asking why she brought up that topic), and Aurora wouldn’t shut up about it. 

  Now, Chloe’s first reaction was to shut Aurora up and scream at her, but she decided to let the brunette be. She wanted to prove to Adrien that she could be nice, so she tried to pay attention as Aurora rambled on about the human brain and how it works. It was interesting, but Chloe was so terribly bored as she pinned up the streamers (ugh, she would need to fix her makeup again) and yelled at the butler to get more balloons. 

  “Don’t you think that’s enough streamers and balloons?” Aurora asked, pinning up another streamer and taking the balloons for Jean. 

  “Of course not. I need this party to be perfect and that means lots of decorations so those losers feel welcomed,”  Chloe scoffed, deciding that the bouquet of roses wouldn’t be enough. She ordered another butler to start plating the snacks and beverages at the bar while she prepared another wreath of flowers. “I want to make sure Adrien sees that I’m at least trying to be nice.”

  Aurora frowned, joining Chloe. “So, you’re doing this to impress some boy?” she questioned. 

  Chloe rolled her eyes before groaning. “Ugh, not just any boy! Adrien Agreste has been my best friend for years and I’m not about to lose him to some pastry-sniffing loser, a DJ reject, and wannabe reporter,” she scoffed, examining her nails. Maybe it was time for a different color but that wasn’t important right now; Chloe needed everything to be perfect for Adrien (and the rest of her class, she supposed).

  “Well, shouldn’t he accept you for who you are?” Aurora asked, taking the rest of the streamers from the butlers and carrying the stepladder. 

  “He said he won’t be my friend anymore if I can’t be nice. Why should I be nice to a bunch of brain-dead idiots who don’t even respect me?” Chloe scoffed, taking a drink from Jean and sitting on the stairs. Taking a long slurp, she set aside the chilled glass and sighed, tapping her nails along the rim. “Like that idiot girl, Marinette. Everyone adores her because she grew a spine this year—shocking—and she can never do anything wrong. A golden child, the class favorite, loving parents. She just pisses me off.”

  Aurora huffed, joining Chloe on the stairs and patting her knee. “It sounds like you’re a bit jealous.”

  Chloe rolled her eyes, standing up and taking streamers from Aurora. “I am not jealous of Dupain-Cheng. Don’t get a ridiculous idea like that; I am sooooo much better than that loser,” she scoffed, dumping the streamers into Jean’s arms. 

  Sure, Marinette had two loving parents, a good friend group, good connections with almost everyone in class, several boys falling over their feet for her, but Chloe wasn’t jealous. Sure, Marinette was closer to Adrien than Chloe had been in quite a while, and the two spent more time together, but there was absolutely no way that she was jealous of a stuttering klutz. 

  Okay, maybe but Chloe would never admit that aloud. She just wished she had a crumb of what Marinette had; she hated how Marinette would shove her good luck in her face and brag about her oh-so wonderful life. Chloe was almost certain that Marinette was doing this on purpose. 

  Whatever, it didn’t matter now. 

  “Anyway, what else do we need to set up?” Chloe said. 

  “Clear out an area for dancing and maybe set up a section where people can play games?” Aurora suggested. 

  Chloe wrinkled her nose, “We don’t have any games.”

  “I can bring some from my house! I have dancing games, action games—it’ll be fun!” Aurora gushed. 

  “If you say so. I hardly doubt this will be any fun,” Chloe sighed, dismissing the butlers. She really didn’t want to throw this party, but Jean insisted that it would be a good way to prove to Adrien that she could be nice and earn his friendship back. She didn’t want to deal with her annoying classmates, nor did she want to hear them shit-talking about her. 

  Ugh, all this stress was going to give her a headache and it would fine lines. The last thing Chloe needed was for her mother to come back and bitch about how she wasn’t taking care of herself again. It was a mess Chloe didn’t want to deal with. 

  Aurora was helping Jean wipe down the bar and setting up a tray of small snacks before she joined Chloe’s side. “You should probably start inviting people before it gets too late. It is a school night,” Aurora hummed. 

  “You don’t even go to our school,” Chloe scoffed. 

  “True, but I’m still not wrong,” Aurora grinned, earning a groan from Chloe. 

  She really didn’t want to message all of those losers, but Jean was giving her that look, threatening to take out Mr. Cuddly. She wasn’t embarrassed by her teddy bear, but she didn’t want to hear Aurora tease her about her being in high school and still owning a stuffed animal (it was her comfort object but she would never admit that out loud.)

  With a groan, Chloe went down the list, sending a text to everyone in her class. She let out an annoyed sound when she had to send invitations to Marinette’s little posse and hovered over Marinette’s name. “Ugh, even that pig baker-girl?”

  “It’s what Mr. Cuddly would do,” Jean whispered in her ear. 

  Chloe gave in with a sigh, shooting an invitation to Marinette. “There I did it. I guess we just wait for everyone to show up now,” she muttered, ordering one of her butlers to get her another drink as she and Aurora sat at the bar. “Why are you still here? Everything is taken care of now, so you can go home until it's time for the party.”

  “It would be pointless to leave to only come back. I thought I would keep you some company too,” Aurora said, thanking the butler for handing her a drink. 

  “Whatever. I don’t care what you do and I don’t want your company,” Chloe lied, sipping her strawberry lemonade. 

  Like most things, Chloe wasn’t willing to admit that she needed someone right now. It hurt that Adrien said that he wouldn’t be her friend if she couldn’t be nice to their classmates; Chloe knew that Adrien deserved a lot better than her, but she didn’t think that he would say it flat out to her face. She thought that maybe he would just slowly break away from her rather than straight up tell her that he didn’t want to be friends with her if she couldn’t be nice. 

  Chloe would have much rather preferred the first choice over the unfortunate reality. 

  Aurora being here helped her nerves; it was odd, really. This girl that Chloe loathed with every fiber in her body brought her some comfort during this time. She turned to Aurora, setting aside her drink. “Come help me pick out an outfit for tonight. I have to look my very best. A hostess has to charm her audience,” Chloe said, leading Aurora to her room. 

  Being a Bourgeois meant that Chloe deserved the best. Her closet was huge and Aurora was in awe as her and Chloe stepped inside. Chloe owned a lot of designer clothes and kept the latest fashion trends (being the daughter of a fashion icon meant she had to keep up with the trends let her mother rip her in half), so everything was perfect and new. 

  “Should I dress casually or fancy?” Chloe asked, searching through her clothes, taking dresses off their hangers and bringing the fabric to her chest. “What do you think?”

  “Um, maybe just dress casually?” Aurora suggested. “You should be comfortable and interact with everyone to make sure everyone is having a good time. Just keep wearing what you’re wearing and we can touch up on your makeup.”

  Aurora did have a good point. There was no point in busting out a new dress only for her to get it dirty around those losers. She hung the dress up and pulled Aurora over to her mirror, taking a seat on the cushioned stool. “You know how to do makeup, right?” Chloe asked. 

  Aurora nodded, reaching for the lipstick. “Yeah, Sebastien taught me how to do the basics. I’m still learning,” she admitted. 

  “Well, show me what you can do. Just don’t make me look like a clown,” Chloe said, shivering when she felt Aurora’s hand on her face. They were soft and tender, gently pressing against her cheeks while Aurora dipped her head back to remove her usual nude lipstick. If Chloe wasn’t sitting down, she was certain that her knees would have failed her. 

  “Please tell me if I hurt you. I’m not very good with mascara or eyeliner. I don’t wanna jab your eye,” Aurora joked, gently wiping away Chloe’s makeup. 

  Chloe just nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. She was certain that if she tried to answer, her voice would betray her. 

  Dear God, what the hell was this girl doing to her?


  It was interesting to have her loser classmates enjoying themselves downstairs and sporting a new color. Aurora did a more natural makeup look for Chloe, using bronze colors and soft browns rather than the usual bright blue shade Chloe grew to love. Her lips were bare, naturally pink and it felt odd but Chloe wasn’t complaining. 

  She looked down at her guests, tapping her nails along the railing as she waited for Adrien. Where was that boy? Chloe had done all of this for him and to prove that she could be nice; it would be a shame that he couldn’t come to the party and witness how great Chloe was. 

  “Mademoiselle should go downstairs and greet her guests in a welcoming manner with a hug and a kiss,” Jean said, appearing behind her. 

  Chloe scoffed, looking over her shoulder with a sneer. “Ugh, you're kidding, Jean-Claude. You really expect me to let their cheeks touch mine?” she asked. 

  “Well, that's what Mr. Cuddly would do,” Jean cooed. 

  Chloe exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose. She didn’t want to associate with those losers—with those jerks. Why should she have to be nice to them when they have never shown her a shred of kindness? It was totally unfair; Marinette had embarrassed her more than once and Chloe was the one who was villainized every single time. Marinette with her stupid pigtails and childish charm and her oh-so perfect family, and—the whole thing was just pissing Chloe off. 

  Jean gently touched Chloe’s shoulder, smiling. “This way, you will prove to your good friend, Adrien, that you really are nice.”

  “Adrien isn’t even here, so what does it matter? This all was a waste of my time. It’s ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!” Chloe scoffed. 

  “Look again,” was all Jean said. 

  Rolling her eyes, Chloe looked over the railing and her mood instantly perked up once Adrien walked in. Her heart leapt for joy as she ran down the stairs to embrace her Adrihoney. She doesn’t care that Marinette and Alya are in her way; she shoved them out of the way and hugged him from behind, cooing. 

  “Adrikins!” she exclaimed, kissing both of his cheeks happily. “What do you think of me hosting this party? Really nice of me, right?” Chloe asked with a coy smile. 

  Adrien grinned, returning her kisses. “It's awesome, Chloe!” 

  Chloe ignored Marinette’s grunt. What Chloe can’t ignore is how everyone thought that was an okay sign to greet her in the same manner. So many foreign mouths on her cheek and Chloe struggled not to yank away and scrub her face until it was raw. She could manage this much; it was all for the sake of Adrien’s friendship. 

  She almost folded when Marinette and her were left standing in the center. Chloe had to greet this pig? This absolute pain in her side? There’s no way that Chloe would press her precious lips to Marinette’s filthy face, but Jean had that damn bear out. There was no way in hell that Chloe would let anyone see Mr. Cuddly. 

   Chloe initiated the kisses, leaning forward as Marinette met her halfway. Marinette’s lips on her cheek are surprisingly soft and gentle and her skin—her skin feels so nice as they quickly peck each other on the cheek before pulling away and spit.  

  You couldn’t pay Chloe to ever kiss Marinette on the cheek again. 

  She was going to hate every moment of this party. Once the greetings were out of the way, Chloe retreated to the bar and scrubbed her lips with a spare napkin she kept tucked in her back pocket. Everyone was having fun so that was a good sign; everything was going to be just fine and Chloe would be Adrien’s friend again. 

  That was the whole purpose of this party and she intended on reaching that goal. Even if it meant the pretty goth girl from her group project showed up and made eye contact with her. 

Chapter 11: She’s A Scary Bear

Summary:

Chloe can be described as scary, but she isn’t as bad as everyone thinks she is

Notes:

Hey y’all, I know I missed the update for Sunday, so y’all will get a double update this week and more lesbian-ness with Chloe

Chapter Text

  You’ll be just fine. It won’t be that bad, Chloe thought to herself as Selene waved and approached her with open arms, pulling Chloe close. Selene was so warm, and she smelled good—was the vanilla or something sweeter? Chloe could feel her heartbeat pick up speed when Selene kissed her cheeks and patted her cheeks. 

  “I gotta admit: I didn’t think I would get an invitation to your party,” Selene laughed, pulling back and patting Chloe’s shoulder. “It’s a lot bigger than I was expecting but it’s a nice place.”

  Chloe swallowed the lump in her throat before checking her nails. “Of course, it’s the best. I only deserve the best,” she grunted, fighting the twisting feeling in her stomach. She couldn’t understand why she felt like a total mess around this girl—this nobody . What was with her today? First Aurora, then that loser Dupain-Cheng, now this walking zombie. 

  Selene chuckled, “Of course, of course. I forget you’re a royal pain in the ass.”

  “Bite me,” Chloe spat. 

  “Maybe later. Again, thanks for the invitation,” Selene said with a slight smile, pressing another kiss to Chloe’s cheek before joining her classmates on the dance floor. 

  All Chloe could do was stand there, cheeks burning and her heart thumping against her chest. Why was her heart racing? Why were there butterflies fluttering about in her stomach, complicating things? She never felt this way around Adrien and she adored— loved Adrien with every fiber in her being and yet, he never made her feel this way. 

  Adrien made her happy—never nervous and on the verge of stuttering like a ditz, but this girl single-handedly managed to reduce Chloe into an emotional mess. 

  Ugh, why did everything have to be so confusing!? 

  Distancing herself from the party and bringing her heart rate down, Chloe returned to Jean’s side with her arms folded across her chest. “Okay, I did. Adrien seems happy. So, are we done now? This is so boring,” she groaned, staring at the party-goers.

  “If I may be so bold, in order to reaffirm Adrien of her kindness, Mademoiselle might go and check that her guests are having a good time,” Jean proposed. 

  Chloe rolled her eyes, picking at her cardigan. “And why would I want to do that, Jean-Marc? It’s already bad enough I have to deal with them at school,” she grumbled.”

  Jean smiled, bringing out her beloved bear. “Because that's what Mr. Cuddly would do!” He gently reminded her. 

  There was no way in hell she was going to let anyone see her comfort object. She shoved Mr. Cuddly out of sight, hoping no one saw the wonderful yellow bear. “Alright! Fine, I get it!” Chloe grunted, storming off to approach one of her classmates, but the question was who to approach. 

  There was no way in hell that she was approaching Dupain-Cheng.

  Instead, she approached the artist boy—Nathaniel, she believed. A small part of her did feel bad for making fun of him. Truly, he was an incredible artist, but the fact that he chose Marinette of all people to be his muse—his source of inspiration—irritated her. Of course, Chloe wasn’t jealous, but it was annoying how almost every boy was falling head over heels for such a common (and equally annoying) girl. 

  Slamming her hands on the counter behind him, Chloe forced herself to smile as the poor boy practically jumped out of his skin. Okay, poor start but surely, Chloe could make a good recovery. She tried not to be snarky as she asked, “Having a good time?”

  Maybe Chloe could work on her delivery. Nathaniel was practically shaking and stuttering as she pressed him for an answer. Yeah, she would definitely need to work on her social skills. 

  Mylene came over, still dancing and bumping to the music as Nino handled the DJ-ing. “Whoa! All this dancing made me thirsty. Do you know where the ice cubes are?” she asked, completely winded and looking at Chloe with those innocent eyes. 

  Chloe could only deal with one thing at a time, and she had a bad habit of saying whatever came to mind first. “How should I know? I'm not your servant! Go and find them yourself and if you're so hot, why don't you take off your fake ass sheepskin sweater? Throw it in the trash where it belongs!” she snapped, folding her arms across her chest. 

  Mylene let out a squeak, stepping away from the counter as she frowned and fought back tears. Of course, Chloe’s actions never went unnoticed by both Jean and Adrien; Adrien was ready to step over and talk to Chloe. Jean, however, was getting ready to pull out Mr. Cuddly, and she couldn’t have that. 

  Chloe chuckled nervously as she patted Mylene's head. “Oh, I was totally joking. I love mutton! I'll get you those ice cubes!” she promised, retreating to the kitchen with a grumble. 

  This was all stupid. Everything about this party was fucking ridiculous and Chloe wasn’t even having fun. She had to wait on these lowlifes like she was their goddamn maid; honestly, she didn’t understand how Jean could do this for a living and with a smile for that matter. It was irritating and Chloe just wanted to scream but no, she had to remain calm and make sure everyone was having fun. 

  She needed Adrien’s friendship back; Chloe couldn’t stand the thought of someone else distancing themselves from her. 

  Returning with the ice cubes, Chloe dumped them in Mylene's glass before storming off. She sat by herself, legs crossed while watching her classmates dance and socialize in small groups. Some of them were even playing the games Aurora brought, so Chloe would have to thank her for suggesting the games. Everything was going smoothly and Adrien looked like he was having fun, dancing with his other friends as a big smile spread across his cheeks. 

  It had been so long since Chloe saw him so happy. It made her heart ache the longer she watched him laugh and smile; did she not make Adrien happy anymore? Did he truly despise her? Was Chloe that awful? 

  She didn’t want to think about it. Instead, Chloe sighed as the upbeat music was replaced by slow and steady music. Now, everyone was rushing to find a partner and slow dancing with each other. Chloe would like to do that with Adrien, but she couldn’t find him in the crowd. She could pull aside for a dance later—that’s if he forgave her and wanted to be her friend again. 

  Kim waltzed up to Chloe, getting down on one knee and extending a hand to her. “How about a dance with an awesome guy?” he asked with a cheek grin. 

  Chloe was so annoyed with Kim. How many times did she have to get it through that thick skull of his? Sure, he was funny and attractive—he was no supermodel but he had that dorkish charm that made him more tolerable than the others—but he wasn’t Chloe’s type. She tried being nice by just ignoring his advances but she could only take so much and could only be nice for so long. 

  “I'd love it! Where is he?” Chloe asked with a snigger. 

  Kim flinched, chewing on his bottom lip before sighing dejectedly. Neither party could see the pesky akuma that had been fluttering around but one wave from Mr. Cuddly, and Chloe was forced to take back her words with a grimace. 

  She was going to get Jean back once this stupid party was over. 

  Chloe sucked in a breath before taking Kim’s hand and mumbled, “Oh! Here he is, right in front of me.”

  The dorky athlete wasted no time pulling Chloe onto the dance floor, resting one hand on her small waist and the other hand on her shoulder. It felt awkward, slowly waltzing with Kim. He’s a good dancer—better than Chloe would have possibly imagined—but something about it feels wrong. Maybe because he wasn’t Adrien? Come to think of it, when they were little and used to dance, Chloe never felt a spark. There were no romantic emotions; she was just happy to be playing with her best friend.  

  All Chloe can do now is just dance. Adrien looked her way and smiled before giving her a thumbs up and a wink; she could feel herself smiling from the small act. Adrien was noticing her small acts of kindness and that made her stomach clench. Adrien was looking at her and smiling; she was making him happy. 

  What didn’t make Chloe happy was how Marinette stuttered and blushed like a ditz as Adrien approached her. Her stomach twisted as Adrien held Marinette’s waist and danced with her. She wanted to look a bit longer but Kim had spun her around, placing her back to Adrien and Marinette. 

  If anything, facing away from them made Chloe feel worse. That irritating, idiotic, pig-tailed nobody was going to take her Adrien away. She had already turned the whole class against her—okay, the class already didn’t like her considering Chloe could be a jerk, but it felt like it got worse when Marinette met that annoying reporter wannabe—and Adrien was drifting away from her. Just thinking about those two dancing and laughing together just irritated Chloe. 

  Chloe yanked herself from Kim, ignoring him as he began to protest and saying something about how the song wasn’t over. “I'm not letting her dance with Adrien under my roof!” Chloe growled, making her mind to break the two up. 

  “If I re-say, Mademoiselle, or to—”

  “Move, Jean-Jacques!” Chloe snapped, pushing him to the side. 

Jean pulled out Mr. Cuddly and began speaking in a squeaky tone. “Oh, please Chloe, dear. You've been such a good little girl. Mr. Cuddly is so very proud!”

  Chloe gasped, trying to shove her teddy bear out of the way but her heart dropped when she heard Kim speak. 

  “Is that your teddy bear, Chloe?”

  Laughter soon followed. Everyone was laughing at her, mocking her for still owning a stuffed toy. Chloe felt so small; she just wanted the floor to swallow her and disappear. They all were pointing and laughing at her; her stomach clenched as she fought back tears. She wouldn’t cry; Chloe wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing her break and crumble. 

  She was a Bourgeois. 

  She turned her rage to Jean, yanking him into the kitchen while heat burned her warm cheeks. Chloe jabbed her finger into his collarbone, raising her voice as she yelled, “I've had it with your stupid teddy bear, your stupid advice, and you, Jean, whatever your stupid name is!”

  “But, Mademoiselle, I was only trying to help—”

  “There's no more Mademoiselle, no more help, no more anything! You are FIRED! Now get out!” Chloe screamed, storming out of the kitchen with tears blurring her vision. She was so embarrassed and felt so betrayed; he exposed her comfort object and now, everyone was laughing and mocking her for it. She couldn’t possibly go out there and face everything; they were probably teasing her for still owning a teddy bear. 

  It was simply ridiculous!

  Chloe heard someone but didn’t bother to look at them as they sat next to her on the floor. “What the hell do you want? Come to tease me like the others?” she sniffed. 

  Selene laughed, patting Chloe’s knee. “No, nothing like that. I just saw that you were upset so I thought you would want some company,” she said. “You wanna talk about it?”

  “What is there to talk about? You saw what happened; I own a teddy bear still, and I’m sixteen. You’d think I would grow up and get rid of it,” Chloe mumbled, chewing on her bottom lip before looking up. “Now, everyone is going to keep talking about it and everyone is laughing at me. They’re all ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! Why am I even telling you? You’re just as ridiculous.”

  “Nah, it’s not ridiculous that you still own a stuffie. I got a lot of them back home,” Selene said, finishing out her phone to show Chloe the large Care Bear collection she had. “You’re never too old to still own a stuffed animal. If it makes you feel any better, I know every Care Bear that’s out so far.”

  Chloe scoffed, “Really? Care Bears?”

  “Weren’t you just crying because people saw your teddy bear? Mr. Cuddly, right?”

  Chloe punched Selene’s arm, earning a small groan, before she folded her arms across her chest. “I don’t need you acting like you’re better than me,” she grumbled. 

  Selene rubbed her arm, getting up and extending her hand to Chloe. “I don’t think I’m better than you. I just wanted to help, that’s all,” Selene said. 

  There was a pause—a brief moment of silence as Chloe stared at Selene’s hand and then up at Selene. When she wasn’t talking, Selene was kind of pretty. Sure, her hair was messy and spilling down her shoulders and her lipstick looked cheap, but it was still oddly cute. Chloe didn’t know how to explain it, but it just suited her. 

  Her cheeks burned as she took Selene’s hand, pulling herself up and facing her. Selene was a little taller than her but not by much, but it allowed Chloe to get a better look at her face. Her eyebrows were on the bushier side and her makeup looked a bit messy, but it suited Selene and those pretty green eyes of hers. Goodness, she never realized just how green her eyes were until now and they were enticing. She wanted to lose herself in those eyes; she wanted those eyes on her at all times. 

  “Chloe,” Selene said, grabbing her by her forearms and leaning forward. “You’re cute.”

  “I—excuse me?” Chloe stuttered. 

  Selene didn’t repeat herself. Instead, she leaned close, and her lips were slightly parted. She was going to kiss Chloe—oh fuck, Chloe was not prepared for this. Those bright green eyes (huh, she doesn’t remember them because that bright) were staring at her, forcing her to hold eye contact as Selene inched closer and closer. Her stomach twisted and panic settled in her veins as she moved back, dipping her head back before throwing it forward, smacking her forehead against Selene’s. 

  When Selene pulled away with a pained groan, Chloe broke away and ran back to the party. Okay, what the hell just happened? That walking corpse was going to kiss and Chloe was just going to let her, but thank God she came to her senses before that happened. Her stomach was still in shambles as she leaned against the bar, squeezing the counter. 

  Where they hell was Sabrina when she needed her? Chloe wanted this party to be over with.

  “Sabrina! Help me kick everyone out!” Chloe yelled once she caught sight of her ginger-haired friend. Sabrina didn’t answer, but slowly and quietly approached Chloe with a brush in her hands. 

  “Come here, Chloe,” Sabrina then said, grabbing Chloe’s arm, nails digging into her forearm. 

  Chloe hissed, trying to yank her arm away but Sabrina’s grip was iron tight. “Sabrina? What the hell has gotten into you?” she questioned, still trying to pull away. 

  Sabrina tried to pull Chloe closer, grinning like a mad man at this point. “Let me brush your hair. I promise I won't hurt you,” she promised with a sick smile. 

Chloe didn’t trust that look on Sabrina’s face and her eyes—they were a bright green. She screamed, pulling herself away from her friend and yelled, “Somebody stop her!” 

  What was up with everyone? First, Selene tried to kiss her and now, Sabrina had lost her damn mind. Chloe ran between Marinette and Adrien before hiding behind Kim. He was big and strong, maybe he could deal with Sabrina. Yeah, Chloe had headbutted Selene without a second thought, but Chloe couldn’t bring herself to physically hurt her best friend. She could be cruel, but she wasn’t a monster like everyone claimed she was. 

  “Kim, do something! Sabrina’s lost her mind!” Chloe cried. 

  “If you touch one hair on Chloe's head, you'll have to answer to me,” he declared, shielding Chloe from Sabrina. 

  There was a moment of silence before Sabrina blinked, looking at the brush in her hand and then back at Chloe. “Chloe? What’s wrong?” she asked quietly.

  “Don't you come near me!” Chloe yelled, tightening her grip on Kim. “You’re what’s wrong!”

  Sabrina looked so confused, dropping the brush as she wet her bottom lip. “Why? What's going on? I don’t understand what’s happening.”

  Chloe whined, tugging on Kim’s shirt: “Kim, do something!” 

  Kim looked at her, smiling before yanking her onto the dance floor. His eyes were green—green like Selene’s and Sabrina’s eyes were earlier. He grinned eerily, tightening his grip on her waist. “Would you like to dance, Chloe?” Kim asked as Chloe let out a high-pitched scream. 

  It was just her luck that there was an akuma in her hotel. A weird akuma that infected everyone it came in contact with. Now, Chloe was forced to dance with Kim, unable to pull away as he spun her around and threw her in the air. God, she was going to be sick from all this do-si-doing and it didn’t help that Nino put on music to match and everyone was cheering them on. This was not fun for her or her stomach; Chloe genuinely felt sick. 

  “Let go, you evil derp. You're messing up my hair! I’m gonna be sick!” Chloe grunted, still trying to pull away from Kim but his grip was strong on her wrist, and he looked like he was having a blast. It was annoying how everyone was just watching—wasn't it obvious that Chloe was not enjoying herself? Why was everyone staring at her instead of getting help?

   Where the hell was Ladybug when you needed her? Isn’t she supposed to have some sort of akuma tracker-thingy? Chloe thought, groaning as Kim tossed her in the air one last time. 

  One minute, Chloe was in the air and the next, Ladybug had tossed her into the ball pit without a second thought. She let out a grunt, climbing out of the pit before spitting out a ball. “About time! What took you so long?” she huffed, kicking the balls out of her way. She was certain she was going to wake up with a few bruises on her back; Ladybug had tossed her in quite rough and didn’t seem to care. That was odd for Ladybug to not care about a civilian (maybe she was just having an off day, so Chloe would look this over).

  Kim lunged at Chloe, but thankfully, Chat Noir swooped and tripped the jock with his baton. Chloe was grateful that the two showed up to get rid of the akuma; she couldn’t deal with someone else trying to jump at her (honestly, she would prefer the tamer akumas over the bloodthirsty ones). 

  Soon, it’s classmate after classmate attacking Ladybug and Chat Noir. Max started throwing chairs at the duo, then it switched to Alya trying to grab Ladybug’s earrings until Chat Noir knocked her away. He quickly had to move Ladybug out of the way when Ivan tried to throw the coffee table at her (Chloe protested, screaming at them to stop messing up her furniture but her protests and pleas were promptly ignored).

  As Ladybug searched for the akuma, Chat Noir grabbed her arm. “What are you doing? Chat Noir, it’s me! Stop it!” Ladybug grunted, twisting Chat Noir’s arm the other way. 

  He snarled, curling his lip as he used his other free hand to attack Ladybug. “Cataclysm!” Chat Noir growled, going to swipe at Ladybug. 

  Chloe didn’t know what compelled her to join the fray, but she did. Without hesitation, she grabbed his belt and yanked him backwards, causing him to fall back on the (rather expensive) couch and turning it to ash. 

  Ladybug turned to Chloe with a gentle smile on her face. “Thank you,” she expressed. 

  She could feel her stomach twisting as her cheeks burned. Ladybug thanked her; Chloe’s idol was noticing how nice she could be! “I was really nice, wasn’t I?” Chloe said quietly, smiling to herself while Ladybug summoned her lucky charm. 

  Grabbing the fork, Ladybug raised an eyebrow, staring at the red-and-black fork as she asked, “What the hell am I supposed to do with this?”

  Chat Noir then leapt at Ladybug, trying to grab her earrings as the red heroine squeaked, ducking and dodging her partner and bolting towards the stairs. The feline followed, screaming, “You little brat!”

  Chloe felt compelled to follow Ladybug; she still wanted to help. She’s crazy! She’s never going to make it without my help! she thought, following the duo open the stairs. Okay, Chloe had no idea what she was going to do to help, but she could try, right?  She could at least attempt to help her idol—and her little pet. 

  Coming onto the roof, Chloe yelled, “Hey, stop!” She quickly ducked when Chat Noir tossed a chair in her direction; she didn’t want to get a concussion and decided to stay hidden until Ladybug called for her. She meekly poked her head out when Ladybug asked for her assistance and she smiled, spinning the umbrella and unraveling the bear’s head from Chat Noir’s leg. 

  Chat Noir stopped his assault, stopping in his tracks as he checked his surroundings and blinked, looking back at Chloe and Ladybug. “What the hell? Ladybug? What are you doing?”

  Ladybug waved, patting his shoulder and gesturing to Chloe. “Oh, nothing. Just saving your skin with the help of our new little sidekick.”

  It made Chloe warm and fuzzy on the inside. Ladybug was acknowledging her presence and saying that she was of service. Chloe knew she wasn’t useless like Audrey constantly said. She helped Ladybug, did she not? She helped defeat an akuma—she wasn’t useless like everyone said she was. 

  Chloe watched in wonder as Ladybug purified the akuma. A pure white butterfly took to the air as Ladybug and Chat Noir waved it off with smiles on their faces. Ladybug then approached Chloe, taking her hand and squeezing it. “Thanks for helping me out there. That was really nice of you. You should do that more often,” Ladybug said. 

  She was too stunned to speak, only nodding before Jean let out a groan. 

  “Mademoiselle, I must confess. I don't remember anything!” Jean declared, face burning with humiliation. 

  Chloe shrugged, approaching her beloved butler. “Well, basically, you turned evil, and I helped save you.” A small part of Chloe wanted to brag, but she kept quiet. She just smiled and patted his hand. “You know what? I'm suddenly feeling very generous. I think that thing of yours about being nice might actually make some sense. I've decided to keep you on, after all!”

  “Mademoiselle is so kind!” Jean said, offering a slight bow as she giggled. 

  “Don't let the guests go away, Jean-Baptiste. They mustn't miss what's coming up next!” Chloe declared, pulling out her phone. As much as she didn’t like her classmates, she wanted to try to change, even if they laughed at her and her teddy bear. She knew that they would never forgive her nor would they think she could change, but as long as Adrien was her friend and saw that she was making an effect, that’s all that mattered to her. 

  When Chloe heard the caller answer in a hearty tone, she cleared her throat. “Is this Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie ? I would appreciate it if you could show up at Le Grande Paris Hotel. My classmates would like a special lesson.”


  Everyone was having fun with Tom, getting messy and covered with flour as he taught them how to make macaroons again. Chloe sat on the side, watching everyone and not wanting to get her own hands messy. She didn’t want to ruin anyone and it was late; she felt tired from all the dancing and running and the excitement from the earlier attack. She just needed a break and a chance to catch her breath. 

  “That was a great idea of inviting Marinette's dad!” Adrien exclaimed happily. 

  Chloe smiled, coiling a strand of hair around her index finger. “ I know. This way, no one can be mad at me for calling the fire department. I'm really nice now, did you notice, Adrikins? Even Ladybug said so! Didn't she, Jean-Pascal?” she asked, rocking on the balls of her feet.   

  Adrien pulled her in for a hug, squeezing her torso tightly. “I'm proud of you, Chloe. I think you've proven that you're capable of making an effort to be nicer to everyone,” he said softly in her ear, pulling away and squeezing her hands. 

  “Aww, Adrikins! So we'll always be best friends, forever? Pinky swear?” Chloe asked, raising her pinky. 

  He laughed, locking pinkies with her. “Yeah! Pinky swear!”

  With their promise sealed, Chloe kissed his cheek and sauntered away. Apparently, Tom thought it would be a good idea for Chloe to judge her peers’ creations. Naturally, she didn’t want to get involved but she gave in, grumbling about how she didn’t want to do anymore work that night. That and she wasn’t the biggest fans of sweets—were macaroons even that sweet?

  Before she could approach the table, Selene approached her. “I’m getting ready to head out. It’s getting late and my grandma tends to worry if I stay out too late. Again, thanks for the invitation,” she laughed. 

  “Don’t mention it,” Chloe mumbled, shifting her weight from one leg to another. She fought the urge to bite down on her thumb as Selene just stood there, hands tucked in her pockets. “You can leave now,” she added. 

  “I know. I just wanted to apologize for what happened earlier. I can’t remember everything that happened but I must have done something to bother you—I have a huge fucking knot on my head—so I wanted to apologize for that,” Selene said, rubbing her arm. 

  Chloe remembered how Selene’s lips were almost pressed against hers. She could recall the smothering scent of vanilla as Selene slowly leaned it; it was so sweet and soothing, Chloe felt herself lost in the comforting scent.

   She cleared her throat, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder. “Well, it was because of the akuma, so I guess I’ll forgive you this one time. It better not happen again,” Chloe said. 

  “Of course, I understand. I’ll just ask next time if I want to kiss you,” Selene said, pulling Chloe in for a hug and then kissing both of her cheeks. “Have a good night, Chloe. See you at school for the rest of our project.”

  All Chloe could do was stand there with burning cheeks as Selene left the party without another world. She could feel her stomach clenching as she touched her cheeks, remembering how soft Selene’s lips were on her cheek and how nice she smelled. It was such a soothing scent and Chloe felt absolutely weak. She’s never felt this way before and this new feeling bubbling in her stomach terrified her. What was this girl doing to her?


  When Selene returned home, she kicked off her shoes and greeted her babies with kisses and scratches underneath their chins. “Aw, have you two been good while I was gone?” she cooed at Artemis and Apollo, crouching down and letting them kiss her face. She laughed, letting herself be smothered by her precious babies. “Alright, alright. Let me up and change clothes. I’ll cuddle you both in a bit.”

  Standing up, Selene gave the dogs one last scratch before going to her room to remove her baggy clothes. She was relieved to take off her bra and binder, letting out a sigh when she dropped the clothes to the floor. It felt like she could breathe properly; Nana would have lost her shit if she found out Selene went longer than eight hours in her binder. 

  Tugging the gray sweater over her head, Selene smiled when she saw that her breasts weren’t straining against the fabric and gave her the appearance of looking more flat. Normally, Selene liked her boobs—they didn’t cause her any form of discomfort, but they had been causing her problems recently. 

  With age, they’ve gotten bigger and harder to contain in her bra. This led to catcalling and being harassed; it made Selene uncomfortable in her skin and gross. Thankfully, Nana was supportive and made sure to buy Selene more sports bras and a binder (Nana was confused until she did her research to understand better). 

  Lila came into her room without a knock, throwing herself on Selene’s bed. “So, how was the party?” she asked, still snacking on her fruit gummies. 

  “Do you ever learn how to fucking knock?” Selene asked, snatching a pair of shorts out of her pajama drawer. 

  “Do you ever learn how to stop stealing my snacks?” Lila shot back, popping another gummy into her mouth. When Selene didn’t answer, Lila rolled onto her stomach with a hum. “Anyway, how was the party?” 

  Selene shrugged her shoulders, pulling up her shorts. “It was nice, I guess. There was an akuma and I got to talk to Chloe,” she mumbled, sitting on the edgy of the bed. 

  Lila sat up, her interest piqued as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “Oh, really now? Well, did you have any fun with Chloe, or was she a pain in the ass like usual?” 

  “No, not really. She’s a big softie,” Selene laughed, stealing one of Lila’s gummies. 

  “Ass,” Lila complained, punching Selene in the arm before sliding off the bed. “Well, I’m glad you had fun at the party and she wasn’t a complete asshole towards you.”

  Selene hummed, laying down and crossing her legs. “Yeah, it was nice. I wish you would have gone with me. I think you would have had fun—that one boy you like was there.”

  Lila made a noise, cheeks burning with absolute embarrassment. “Well, I was too busy with homework to go. Besides, I’m getting sick and didn’t want to infect anyone else,” she said, rubbing her nose. 

  “Yet you came into my room to spread your nasty cooties,” Selene stated. 

  “And? I’m such a loving cousin and I figured we could be sick together,” Lila teased. 

  Selene pointed to the door, sitting up. “Get the hell out of my room,” she groaned. 

  “Love you too. See you in the morning. Nana and Mamma will be back later,” Lila hummed, leaving the room and letting the dogs in. 

  Apollo and Artemis jumped on the bed, happily barking and licking Selene as she laughed, trying to get them settled down. She scratched underneath their chins, cooing at them and telling them to lay down. They did as they were told, laying down at the foot of her bed as she turned off the lights and popped on the LED lights. Soft blue light filled the room as she connected her phone to the Bluetooth speaker and shuffled her Spotify playlist. 

  It was the only way Selene could sleep. She hated the dark—it caused her issues. Selene swore she could see things moving in the dark, wanting to grab her and drag her way. She could hear voices—voices that did not belong to her, Lila, Nana, or even her aunt. Those nights when she heard the voices, Selene never slept well and it caused her to be grumpy when the morning came. 

  Apollo let out a whine, inching closer to Selene with that pitiful look in his eyes. Artemis soon joined, laying across Selene’s lap while Apollo got curled up against her side, pressing his face against her thigh. 

  Selene scratched their heads, smiling. “Aw, you wanted to cuddle. You two are just so cute,” she murmured, kissing their phones before reaching for her phone. Originally, she was just going to do a little reading and then sleep once she finished a few chapters, but she found herself on Instagram instead. She never made an account since she wasn’t very social, but here she was, creating an account and slowly adding her classmates. 

  It wasn’t a surprise to see that Chloe was a verified account and she had a ton of followers. She posted pictures of herself with Sabrina, exotic foods, and fancy clothes she purchased. Her smile looked so fake; it didn’t look authentic and it made Selene frown. She didn’t know why she cared so much about Chloe; maybe because she could see herself in her? 

  With a second thought, Selene followed Chloe and then set her phone down. She would worry about Chloe later. Right now, she was tired and just wanted to cuddle with her babies. That party was draining and too much excitement for her for one day. 

  She closed her eyes, falling asleep to Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing by Set It Off playing in the background. 

Chapter 12: She’s Everyone’s Fool

Summary:

Everyone has their dirty little secrets, but who are they all fooling with their made-up façade

Chapter Text

   “'Rora, get up! Mom is in one of her moods again,” an eight-year-old Sebastien sighed out desperately, shaking a seven-year-old Aurora awake. They got her out of bed and tucked away in the closet, shutting the door behind them as their mother walked in, raging and throwing whatever she could get her hands on. 

  Aurora whimpered into Sebastien’s hand, looking up at her sibling with fear in her eyes while they stroked her hair, rocking her against their chest. “Hey, hey, hey! Everything is going to be okay. I'm here—I’ll keep you safe. You’ll always be safe with me,” Sebastien whispered in her ear, pressing her face against their chest, humming softly. 

  Their mother was screaming and yelling, destroying their room as she rummaged through their drawers and flipped over their mattress. She was probably looking for money again—she was dependent on drugs and always came to her children when she was tight on cash. Thankfully, Sebastien hid their saved money in the mattress and not under the bed like last time. 

  “Bassy? I’m scared,” Aurora whispered quietly, gripping Sebastien’s shirt. She wanted to cry but her mom would just get annoyed if she made a peep. She would get mad and start swinging, and poor Sebastien would be the one taking the hits. Aurora hated it when their mom got violent, and Sebastien kept defending Aurora. 

  Sebastien rubbed her hair again, kissing her forehead. “Don't worry, it’s gonna be okay. I won’t let her hurt you. We’ll be okay.”

  “Do—do you promise?” Aurora asked, lifting up her pinky. 

  “Yeah… Yeah, I promise. We’ll be okay.”

  Aurora woke up drenched in sweat, sitting up as she looked around her room. Nothing was out of place and there was no screaming or clothes strewn across the floor. She was safe; she would be fine. She let out a sigh of relief as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. 

    It was a little after three, meaning she still had time before she had to get up for school. Aurora sighed, sliding out of bed and tugging a sweater over her head and putting on a pair of leggings. She could go out for a quick walk and come back before anyone noticed; Sebastien slept like the dead and their uncle was working the graveyard shift at the hospital.

  Slipping on her shoes, Aurora pocketed her keys and walked out the house. The night was still warm, and the moon was still in the sky, giving her enough light to wander around without stumbling in complete darkness. She sighed, tucking her hands in her pocket before deciding to walk along the docks. She was drawn to the water like a fish to the sea; she giggled to herself, quickening her pace. 

  Coming to the docks, Aurora kicked off her sandals and dipped her feet in the water with a pleased sigh. It was nice and cool, and she couldn’t help but shiver in delight. It was peaceful and Aurora could feel herself relaxing as she looked up at the moon. “Bassy would love it out here,” she sighed, looking down at her ring finger. 

  “Maybe I should head back? I should be sleeping,” Aurora sighed, running a hand through her hair. She knew very well that she should be sleeping and in bed, but she couldn’t sleep after that awful nightmare. That vivid dream of her mother throwing a fit and destroying everything in her way; it made her chest tighten just thinking about it. She hated the nights where she couldn’t sleep, and her thoughts were clouded with memories of the past. 

  She just felt pure rage thinking about her mother—could Aurora even call that woman her mother? She had done nothing but hurt Aurora and Sebastien when they were little, always screaming and yelling and cursing. It was their mother’s fault that Sebastien was—no, there was no point in dwelling in the past and recalling past memories. Aurora wouldn’t give Jaselle the satisfaction of her being upset; she wouldn’t waste any more tears on that pathetic excuse of a mother. 

  “Are you alright?” A voice called out. 

  Aurora jumped, pulling herself off the edge of the dock and found herself staring at Luka. She let out a sigh of relief, returning to her spot on the edge. “Goodness, you almost gave me a heart attack! Don’t startle me like that,” Aurora sighed, patting to the spot next to her. 

  Luka joined her, kicking off his shoes and dipping his toes in the water. “What are you doing out so late? Don’t you have class tomorrow?” 

  “Don’t you?” Aurora shot back teasingly.

  “Alright, fair. Still doesn’t answer my question, ‘Rora. Why are you doing up and out?” Luka asked. 

  Aurora shrugged, playing with her ring. “Bad dream. Stuff I don’t want to remember anymore, but you know how the brain is. Likes to bring up old memories that you wanna bury, but everything you do want to remember, you just seem to forget,” she muttered, dropping her hands in her lap with a big sigh. “It’s nothing important. No need to worry about me. What are you doing up so late?”

  “I haven’t been to sleep yet. My meds keep me up,” Luka said, tugging on his bracelet. “You wanna go inside the ship? It would be better than staying out here,” he offered. 

  “Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude. It’s late and all,” Aurora laughed, scratching her neck. 

  Luka chuckled, standing up and taking her hand. “That’s not what I asked. Do you want to go inside?” he asked again, his voice soft and gentle. 

  Aurora sighed, taking Luka’s hand with a slight smile. “Well, since you’re offering, I think I would like that,” she said, following Luka down the dock and inside the boat. It smelled homey and she couldn’t help but stare at the several records hanging on the walls along with the several instruments put on display. 

  “Do you wanna play one?” Luka asked. 

  “Oh no, I don’t play and I would just hurt your ears,” Aurora awkwardly laughed, scratching her wrist. “Plus, it’s really early and I don’t want to wake anyone up.”

  The guitarist hummed in agreement, gesturing for Aurora to follow him into the kitchen and pulling up a chair. Once she took a seat, Luka pulled out two cups and started making a pot of coffee. “I would offer you some tea, but the last box is for Juleka. She gets nervous and the tea calms her nerves,” he explained, pulling out the sugar and creamer. Once that was prepared, Luka took a seat next to Aurora, drumming his fingers along the edge of the table. 

  It was painfully quiet between the two of them. Aurora kept shuffling her feet, pulling at her sleeves, and trying to avoid eye contact with Luka. “Uh, thanks for letting me inside and offering coffee,” she managed to mumble, looking up at Luka. “You really didn’t have to, ya know.”

  “I know, but I wanted to. It was cold outside and you looked like you needed someone to talk to,” Luka said, leaning on the table. 

  Aurora shook her head. “Oh, I don’t want to dump all my problems on you. I appreciate the offer though,” she thanked. 

  Luka chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “It’s not dumping all your problems on me if I’m offering my help. Don’t ever feel like you’re a burden,” he said, scooting his chair closer to Aurora and gently rubbing her hand. 

 “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you again, Luka,” Aurora murmured, pulling on her sleeves. The two sat together at the table, enjoying each other’s company as they waited for the coffee to finish brewing; they made silly little jokes, attempting to make puns with all of their friends’ names, and discussing music. It was a good distraction for Aurora and she was glad that she could lose herself in the conversation. 

  When her phone rang. Aurora excused herself outside to answer the phone. “Hello?” she quietly asked as she stepped outside, wrapping her free arm around her waist. 

  “You aren’t home,” Sebastien muttered from the other end. They went quiet for a brief moment before they asked, “Are you doing that stuff again? I thought that the therapy was helping with that.”

  Aurora frowned, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “I haven’t touched that stuff in so long. The therapy… it’s helping a lot, but don’t ever make that assumption I relapsed again,” she grumbled, biting on her bottom lip. 

  Sebastien let out a soft whimper on the other side. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just worried about you,” they quietly said. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. I shouldn’t have snapped like that,” Aurora apologized, pacing back and forth on the dock. She stopped, tapping her foot before exhaling, “I’m at Luka’s right now. I just needed some fresh air. I was having a bad dream and I didn’t want to bother Uncle. Please go back to sleep; I’ll be home shortly.”

  “Promise?” Sebastien asked. 

  “I promise. Go back to bed, Bassy. I love you,” Aurora laughed. 

  Sebastien yawned, “I love you too. I’ll see you when you get home.”

  Once the line went dead, Aurora sighed and pocketed her phone. She loved Sebastien—they were just trying to help, and Aurora knew that. She just hated when they worried about her; Sebastien had already done so much for her as kids and she felt obligated to protect them now. She just wished that they didn’t make that assumption about her; Aurora had been trying so hard and it was quite a struggle at this point, but all that mattered was that she was putting in the work to get better. 

  She went back inside, joining Luka at the table. “Sebastien called. He was worried about me so I’ll probably have to go in a bit,” Aurora said, taking the warm cup of coffee from Luka’s calloused hands. 

  “I understand. They’re older than you, so it’s natural that they would be worried about you,” Luka said, taking a sip from his cup. 

  Aurora hummed, letting the mug warm her cold hands. “I know that, but I wish that they didn’t worry so much about me. I’m a big girl,” she whined, deciding to drink her coffee once it cooled off. It was sugary—not that she disliked fishery coffee, there was just too much sugar. She would have to make a note to tell Luka not so much sugar next time. 

  Next time. Goodness, those words made her heart clench and her stomach turn. Aurora did enjoy hanging out with Luka—he always offered her help and always made her feel welcomed whenever she stopped by, but she felt like she was a bore. She hardly had any hobbies and she struggled whenever he tried to teach her how to play an instrument; one time, Luka suggested that she sing instead and well, that didn’t go so well considering that Aurora couldn’t sing. 

  She just stuck to listening to the band play and cheering them on. 

  Finishing their coffee, Aurora gave Luka a hug and returned home, promising that she would come see him after she got more rest. Just as when she left, the house was quiet and Aurora dropped her shoes near the front door with a sigh. 

  Sebastien was laying on the couch, blankets wrapped around their body with their head propped up on the armrest. The television was flipped on, streaming Netflix in the background. Aurora couldn’t help but smile, taking a seat near Sebastien and rubbing their head. They groaned softly, opening their eyes and lifting their head up. 

  “You’re back?” Sebastien quietly groaned. 

  “Sorry for leaving. I thought you would still be sleep by the time I got back,” Aurora said, taking the remote from Sebastien. “I just needed to get some fresh air. I couldn’t sleep well; ya know? The nightmares,” she mumbled. 

  The duo was quiet as Sebastien squeezed her hand. They looked up at each other before Sebastien pulled their sister into a hug, stroking its hair. Aurora softly sniffled in their neck, gripping their shirt, and Sebastien let her. They stroked Aurora’s hair, rocking her back and forth in their arms. “You know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

  Aurora nodded, rubbing her eyes. “I know. I just don’t wanna be a burden. You’ve already done enough for me. Helping me become more confident, encouraging me to live my truth. Shit like that,” she sniffed.

  “You won’t bother me if you need to talk about how you’re feeling. I’m your brother—it’s my job to worry about you, dork,” they snickered. 

  Rolling her eyes, Aurora punched Sebastien’s shoulder with a playful chuckle. “Whatever, asshole. What are you doing up so early in the morning? You always sleep in,” she asked, leaning against the couch. 

  Sebastien shrugged, pulling their knees to their chest. “I don’t know. That doesn’t matter, though,” they stated, taking the remote from Aurora. “You wanna watch Pokémon to pass the time? We don’t have to be in class until seven,” they grinned. 

  “You really are a loser,” Aurora snickered, crossing their legs. “As long as we get to watch the Indigo League. I hate the newer ones—Sun and Moon has the ugliest art style.”

  “I disagree. The art style is cute,” Sebastien gasped. 

  Aurora rolled her eyes, laying back on the couch. “Yeah, if you like inflated heads,” she taunted. 

  “You just don’t have any taste. We can watch Diamond and Pearl instead?” they suggested. 

  “You’re speaking my language. Check to see if Netflix has it first. I need to change clothes,” she said, padding her way to her bedroom. 

  She shut the door behind her and quickly locked it before exhaling, sinking to the ground. Aurora felt so bad for lying to her sibling; she didn’t want to hurt Sebastien anymore. She didn’t want Sebastien to neglect their own health because she could barely pull herself together. Sebastien deserved a lot more better than a pathetic sister who could barely take care of itself. 

  With a soft cry, Aurora rubbed her eyes and tore the sheets off of her bed, feeling around the edge and finding the stitching. Carefully, she tore it open and reached inside, wrapping her fingers around a plastic bag. With her possession in hand, she pressed her back against the door, opening the baggie and finishing out a white pill. 

  It had been so long. Aurora knew she shouldn’t cave in—she had been clean for so long, and yet, she needed this. Aurora hated this feeling; she choked on a sob as she closed her hand into a fist, rocking herself back and forth. She was dependent on this goddamn drug—she hated that feeling. God, Aurora felt so fucking pathetic for succumbing to her addiction once again. 

  She swallowed the pill dryly, pressing her forehead against the plush carpet with a heavy sigh. Aurora would be fine as long as no one knew. Everything would be fine if no one uncovered her dirty secret.


  Ever since that night with Selene, Chloe has been in turmoil. Her face burned with a heavy blush when she recalled the plush lips on her lips. Her stomachs did flip-flops whenever she closed her eyes and the first thing she saw was Selene. It was aggravating—Chloe was madly in love with Adrien; she could never think of herself with another girl. It was—she knew it wasn’t right at all. 

  “This is stupid,” Chloe grumbled, sitting up in her bed, tossing her blankets to the side. She had been up since five and couldn’t seem to fall asleep; her dreams and thoughts were plagued by the tenderness of Selene’s lips. It was such a stupid thing to fixate on, yet here Chloe was, losing her mind because a stupid goth kissed her cheek and made an effort to connect with her. 

  Again, she let out another cry before rolling over and smothering her face in the silk pillow. Chloe screamed, kicking her legs against the soft mattress before letting herself go limp. Ugh, curse Selene and her stupid, infectious charm. She thought Rose was bad with her stupid love talks and gushing about how it was so romantic, yet here she was, losing her mind because of some simple kiss. 

  Ugh, this was hopeless. 

  Tossing her pillow to the floor, Chloe got out of bed and decided to get dressed for school. Of course, she had the option to skip but she didn’t want to stay inside all day and miss any juicy gossip. With her hair brushed and curled, Chloe finally dressed in her usual outfit and went to the dining hall. 

  Normally, she would have skipped breakfast, but Jean had been making sure she had something in her stomach (that wasn’t cotton) before leaving for the day. Chloe decided to entertain this idea, appearing at the bar as Jean approached her with a small bowl of fruit. It had all her favorites and she had to hold herself back from devouring the whole thing. 

  “Thank you,” Chloe quietly said, stabbing her fork into one of the berries. Juice oozed out and she happily ate the bowl of fruit, quietly humming with each bite. 

  Once she was done with breakfast, it was off to school. Like always, the ride was quiet, and Chloe clicked away on her phone. She checked her Instagram, seeing that more people had followed her. She rolled her eyes, scrolling through her notification until she noticed a new account. Chloe crossed her legs and sat up, seeing that Selene made a new account. It wasn’t odd for her classmates to follow her, but Selene was the last person she would have expected to follow her. 

  Chloe couldn’t help but notice how good Selene looked in her profile picture. 

  “Ugh! I can’t avoid this stupid zombie!”  Chloe grumbled, throwing her head back against the leather seat. She was tempted to throw her phone on the floor but her father was already irritated that he had to replace so many of them due to her little fits. Instead, she grumbled, bouncing her leg up and down while staring down at the screen. 

  She could nip this issue in the bud and just block Selene, but Chloe was too damn curious for her own good. She wasn’t sure why she liked Selene—not romantically, but still. Instead, Chloe did the foolish thing and followed Selene back, deciding to entertain this idea for a while. Maybe it was just a phase and it would simply pass over. 

  Yeah, it was most likely a phase.

  Like clockwork, Sabrina was at her side when she stepped out of the limo, happily taking her bags and following her up the stairs like a lost puppy. Chloe said nothing, still clicking away at her phone with Sabrina in tow, deleting and blocking any of her haters. She didn’t have time for more negativity and normally, she just ignored the comments, but they had been bothering her recently. 

  With most of the comments deleted, Chloe slipped her phone into her back pocket and sighed. “Sabrina, hand me my back. Please,” she muttered, massaging her temple. 

  Sabrina stared at her, mouth slightly gaped before she wet her bottom lip. “You never say please,” she muttered, handing Chloe her bag. “Are you feeling okay?”

  “Of course I am,” Chloe snapped, opening her locker. She took a deep breath before stepping away, leaning against her locker. “I’m just—I didn’t sleep well last night. I’m sorry for snapping at you; I’m just on edge,” she muttered. 

  “I understand, Chloe. Maybe you can take some melatonin pills—I know those can help if you have sleeping problems,” Sabrina suggested, popping open her locker. “I can pick some up for you after school.”

  Chloe shook her head, setting her bag on her locker. “Don’t worry about it. I can have my butler order some tonight,” she groaned quietly. 

  “I really don’t mind picking up some from the store,” Sabrina chirped happily. 

  Again, Chloe brushed it off with a wave of her hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine,” she said, pivoting on her heel. Sabrina followed in tow, scampering towards their class and taking their seats. 

  Selene was there, sitting in the next row to Chloe and with her eyes shut. Chloe couldn’t help but be drawn into her pretty facial features; those long lashes and beautifully sculpted noses (most would say that her nose was too big, but Chloe thought it suited Selene’s face). Again, her cheeks burned as she grumbled, pulling out her phone again to distract herself. 

  Instagram was slow; nothing new was showing up on her feed and Chloe was forced to look through old posts and cringe at some embarrassing selfies posted by her classmates (she didn’t know why she even followed some of those losers, but it made for good entertainment). It even had her chuckling, scrolling through her feed before looking over her shoulder at Selene again. 

  Her eyes were still shut, casually bobbing her head to whatever song she was listening to. Chloe tore her eyes away, shutting off her phone as Ms. Bustier waltzed into the room with a spring in her step. 

  “Good morning students. I hope you all managed to get a good night’s rest,” she chirped with a bright smile. When the students nodded and responded back with an equally cheerful tone, her smile only grew. “Perfect! Now, I’m going to pick two people for today’s exercise—Chloe and Selene. Could you both please come to the front?”

  With a quiet curse under her breath, Chloe followed Selene to the front of the class and stood across from her with her arms folded across her chest. 

  Ms. Bustier smiled, gently touching both girls’ shoulders. “I want you both to say something nice to each other,” she instructed, then stepped back from them. “Chloe, why don’t you start first? Say something nice to Selene.”

  Now, compliments weren’t Chloe’s strong suit. People have told her that her remarks can come off backhanded and worse than why she intended. She swallowed the lump in her throat, squeezing her hands into fists while she rocked back and forth. Her heart was thumping against her chest as she stared at Selene. Goodness, what could Chloe even say to Selene? 

  Clearing her throat, Chloe coiled a strand of hair around her index finger. “Well, uh, you look less dead than usual,” Chloe grumbled, biting down on her bottom lip. 

  Selene grinned, rocking on the balls of her heels. “Thank you. Your makeup looks pretty today,” she complimented. 

  Now was the part that Chloe dreaded. This was the part where they needed to hug each other and then return back to their seats. Normally, she didn’t mind, but this was Selene they were talking about. The gothic girl with alluring eyes and that playful smirk that made her knees weak; the girl who made her stomach turn—

   Fuck.

  There was no way she was developing feelings for this girl—for this freak of nature. Chloe could feel her stomach knitting again while Selene held her arms out for a hug, slowly approaching her. Her breath hitched as she was smothered in that warm vanilla and honey scent; she was so warm and so close to her. Despite every red blaring siren that was going off in her head, Chloe returned the hug, gripping the back of her shirt. 

 A small part of her wanted to throw up and cry. There was no way that Chloe was a homosexual—an abomination like her mother had said. She didn’t like women—she couldn’t like girls, could she?

  They stepped back and returned to their seats. The class soon started and Ms. Bustier went on to ramble about how they shouldn’t be afraid to live their truth and be happy with who they are—that they could try to change if they thought they were bad. 

  Chloe slumped in her seat, tuning out Ms. Bustier when she started teaching them about queer scholars and the true origins of The Little Mermaid. She was living her truth; she was a cisgender, heterosexual girl who was deeply in love with her best friends. That, of course, was a fact and nothing could convince her otherwise. 

 But then again, her heart simply fluttered after embracing Selene. She felt enchanted by her and those lips—those pretty plush lips of her. Something about them drew Chloe in and she wanted to feel them on her cheek. The way Selene praised her and spoke softly to her had Chloe desperate—like she needed to hear more and more from Selene. But there was no way that she could be gay.

  Maybe she was just fooling herself? Maybe Chloe needed to stop lying to herself. 

Chapter 13: Her Pain

Notes:

wow, i finally updated this after so many months lmfao; take this short chapter

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

  Selene remembered why she skipped school often: it was a pain in her ass. Thanks to her missing so many days, she was behind and had a ton of missing work. Ms. Buster offered to stay after and help Selene catch up with all of her missing work, but Selene was stubborn, denying her teacher’s help, and stating that she can do it by herself. 

  Was it a foolish decision? Sure, but it was hers to make. 

  With a sigh, Selene emptied her locker, deciding to leave behind her science textbook. She could always do her science homework during lunch tomorrow; she had no problem with Miss Mendeleiev’s class—Selene found the work to be rather easy—but it was translating French to English. She had no problem translating Italian to French or vice versa, but English was much trickier for Selene. It simply infuriated Selene and she didn’t understand why anyone would willingly learn such an ugly and difficult language.

  There was no use in complaining about it. 

  “Selene, are you ready to come over to my place for the project?” Marinette asked, approaching her at her locker. 

  “I wasn’t aware that we were meeting at your house,” she answered, closing her locker. 

  Marinette laughed, scratching her neck. “I texted you about it last night. Didn’t you get my message?” she asked. 

  “I don’t have the best service, so no,” Selene answered, slinging her backpack across her shoulder. “Is Chloe going to be joining us?”

  “With how snooty she is, probably not,” Marinette grumbled, adjusting her backpack. She shook her head, leading Selene out of the locker room with a smile. “It doesn’t matter anyway. We really don’t need her help and she said that she’ll present the final thing. Trust me: it’s better this way.”

  Selene frowned but didn’t say anything. She hadn’t been in the school for long—Lila had been attending longer than she has—so she didn’t have any connections with her peers. Although, Selene could tell that class didn’t like Chloe and the feeling was mutual. Chloe kept her distance from everyone except from Sabrina and Adrien and the class tried to keep away from Chloe. Why? Selene would never know why; she thought Chloe was entertaining with her dramatics. 

  “Alright,” Selene said with a shrug, tucking her hands in her pockets. “Lemme call my house and tell them I’ll be a bit late. Nana tends to worry when I’m not home right away.”

  “I totally understand. I’ll be waiting for you out front. Please take your time,” Marinette said before walking off with Alya. 

  Once Marinette was gone, Selene called the house phone, muttering in Italian before her cousin greeted her. “Lila, is Nana there? I need to tell her that I’ll be late.”

  Lila whined on the other end, a childish sound. “Aw, I thought you would come home right away. What happened? Did you finally make more friends?” she teased. 

  If Selene could, she would have flipped Lila off. Instead, she sighed, rocking herself back and forth. “No, we have to finish that project Ms. Bustier assigned, remember?”

  “Nope. It must have slipped my memory,” Lila retorted. 

  “Of course,” Selene mumbled, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, I have to finish that with my partners, so when Nana gets home or if she’s there right now, tell her that I’ll be late and she doesn’t need to worry.”

  “Yeah, I’ll let her know. Don’t stay out too late,” Lila laughed on the other end, shuffling about in the background. “When you come back, can you get me some snacks from the store? I would have gone myself but I left my wallet.”

  Selene frowned, leaning against the wall. “You’re home right now. Why can’t you go yourself?”

  “I’m really comfortable on the couch and don’t feel like putting on pants,” Lila admitted. 

  The older cousin sighed, rolling her eyes as she adjusted her posture. “You’re so lucky that I care about you. What kind do you want?” she asked. 

  Lila giggled on the other end, “You’re the best. Can you get those peach rings or Swedish Fish? They’re so good.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I’ll pick them up when I come back,” Selene said, looking over her shoulder to see Chloe. “I’ll call you when I’m heading back. Love you loser.”

  She didn’t give Lila a chance to answer back, ending the call and heading towards Chloe. Selene tucked her thumbs in her pocket, yelling Chloe’s name and gaining her attention. The blonde looked up from her phone with a frown, gesturing for Sabrina to leave her for a second. 

  Chloe frowned, folding her arms across her chest. “And just what do you think you’re doing, Argente? Don’t you know I have things to do?” she scoffed. 

  Selene scratched her neck, rocking on the balls of her heels. “We have a project that’s due soon. I thought, maybe, you would come over and help up at Marinette’s,” she mumbled. 

  “And ruin my good shoes? Are you kidding me?” Chloe sneered, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. She rested her hands on her thin waist, leaning forward and narrowed her eyes. “Give me one good reason I would step foot in that low budget bakery. I don’t want to attract fleas and I certainly don’t want to be in the same room as you and Dupain-Cheng. It’s already bad enough that I have to do this ridiculous project with the both of you.”

  “Ouch, that really hurts, Chloe,” Selene whined playfully. “I thought we were getting along so well after last night.”

  “Keep dreaming, freak,” Chloe scoffed, checking her nails again. “Run along and join the other clown. You can just text me everything you two have so far.”

  Selene grinned, “So, there’s a chance that we will get to talk?”

  Chloe shoved Selene away from her with a grunt. “Get out of my face already,” she grumbled. 

  “Of course. Well, I’ll text you with the details tonight. Until then,” Selen grinned, giving Chloe a two-finger salute before finding Marinette at the front entrance, rambling to Alya—that was her name, right?—about Adrien. 

  She didn’t understand what was the hype about Adrien. He just looked like a basic boy—a very popular basic boy—with an average look. Selene couldn’t grasp what was so incredibly attractive about him, but she couldn’t really gripe about what people were attracted to; it was their issue, not hers. 

  “Marinette, you ready?” Selene asked, cutting in once Marinette finished her gushing about Adrien. 

  “Huh—yeah! I’ll call you later, Alya,” Marinette said, waving off her friend before Selene and her headed towards the bakery. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far from the school so they didn’t have to worry about walking too far; Selene didn’t miss the opportunity to play on her phone, clearing out any notifications that cluttered her feed and answering any important messages from her grandmother.

  She squinted, pushing her hair out of her face. The oddest thing Selene noticed was that Chloe had followed her back on Instagram. She was colored pink, surprised that Chloe would even follow her back (Selene checked who Chloe was following and only found that she was following popular celebrities, Gabriel Fashion, and Adrien). She had just made the account and had nothing on her page except for her profile picture. 

  Selene looked over at Marinette, pocketing her phone. “Hey, Marinette. What can you tell me about Chloe?” she asked. 

  “Oh, you haven’t been in our class for very long. Is she bullying you?” Marinette asked. 

  “No, she hasn’t done anything like that. Why would she?” Selene asked. 

  The baker was quiet, wetting her bottom lip before she sighed. “Chloe—where do I even begin? She’s a brat, if I’m being blunt. She’s tormented the class for years now, bullying us and always flaunting that she has more money than us. She even got Alya suspended because Alya peeked into her locker,” Marinette said. “There's no point in telling Mr. Damocles because he’ll defend her—perks of being the mayor’s daughter,” she added. 

  Selene hummed, giving a small nod. She stuffed her hands in her pockets, one earbud crammed in her ear. “Is that why you weren’t thrilled to have her over?” she asked. 

  “Pretty much, yeah. I—not to stoop to her level, but Chloe is a total brat. She wants everything done her way and she doesn’t care about anyone else but herself,” Marinette complained, throwing her hands in the air. “I mean, you’ve seen how she treats Sabrina. She treats Sabrina like a slave.”

  “I mean, you aren’t wrong, but Sabrina could withdraw from the friendship if she felt like it was bad for her,” Selene muttered. 

  Marinette sighed, gripping the straps of her backpack. “Oh, I tried to help Sabrina with that. She was onboard but then, Chloe manipulated her with a high-end beret that Sabrina had been eyeing for sometime,” she revealed sadly. 

  Selene didn’t understand what any of that had to do with her. Regardless of Marinette’s warnings, Selene found her blonde classmate to be interesting. She was bratty, yes, but Selene had a feeling that there was so much more to Chloe than she let on. Call it a hunch, but Selene wanted to figure out what Chloe was hiding—she wanted to explore Chloe and figure out her deepest, darkest secrets.

  To experiment with her and crack her open bit by bit. 

  “I see,” was Selene’s response, wetting her bottom lip. “Well, you can’t really force Sabrina to leave. If she wants to stay friends with Chloe, all you can do is hope that she’ll open her eyes before it gets worse.”

  “I know, I know. I just—I don’t want Sabrina to get hurt; Chloe can be awful to her,” Marinette whispered, leading Selene inside of the bakery. 

  Tom and Sabine were behind the counter, saying hello to their daughter and her guest as they served a customer their macaroons and special order of bread. “Help yourself to any snacks in the fridge, you two. Just holler if you need anything down here,” Tom declared, handing the customer their change before preparing another loaf of bread to be baked. 

  Marinette dragged Selene upstairs, rambling about how it would be easier to get things done since it would be the two of them and they didn’t have to worry about Chloe breathing down their necks and berating them for small mistakes. “It’ll be better this way, trust me,” she giggled, setting her bag down and unlocking her computer. 

  “If you say so. It feels kind of… empty,” Selene voiced, sitting on the edge of the chaise with her bag between her legs. 

  The baker shrugged, getting the document pulled up and setting a chair aside for Selene. “I mean, it is a lot quieter, but it’s for the best! We lost a lot of time the last time we all met up. Plus, Chloe won’t do any of the work, so it doesn’t make a difference if she’s here or not,” Marinette said, 

  “If you say so,” Selene muttered, taking out her notes and the huge book about gods she always carried on her person. While she flipped through the pages, gathering more research and citations for the presentation, Marinette clicked through the slide-show and added more pictures and edited the small blocks of texts. 

  Marinette squinted, leaning forward and then looking over at Selene. “Uh, did you by chance talk to Chloe today?” she asked. 

  Selene looked up from her book, blinked, and then flipped to the next page. “I did before we left. Why?” she asked. 

  “She’s working on the document right now. She’s actually putting in some work,” Marinette trailed off. 

  The goth hummed, turning to the next page without hesitation. “We should have invited her. We would have had better communication,” Selene voiced, crossing her legs. 

  The baker frowned, tapping her foot. “And have her complain and throw a fit because it isn’t a five-star hotel? Yeah, I don’t think so,” Marinette laughed, typing away. 

  Now, Selene could have pieced together that Marinette didn’t particularly like Chloe—and the same could be said about their other party—but they needed to work together if they wanted a passing grade. Of course, Selene didn’t have much room to talk about working with people she despised, but her low grades and her strict aunt, Selene really needed to pass this assignment. 

  With a quiet groan, Selene smacked her forehead against the counter. “Listen: I really need to bring up my grades so my aunt can stop hounding my ass—I’m failing almost all of my classes,” she explained, closing her book with a huff. She pinched the bridge of her nose and turned to Marinette before placing a hand on her shoulder. “I need both of you to cooperate so we can pass.”

  “I would cooperate if Chloe wasn’t such a brat—”

  “I don’t give a flying fuck about your past drama with her! I don’t care about why you two despise each other!” Selene snapped, rising to her feet and staring down at Marinette with narrowed eyes. “We. Need. To. Pass! So, suck it up for one assignment and then when we’re done, you two can go back to having raging hate boners for each other!”

  Irritated and annoyed, Selene packed up her things without another word and left the bakery, grumbling to herself the entire way back home. She understood that it would take time for the girls to get along—Selene didn’t know the whole story, but it was ridiculous! They all needed to be present to work on the assignment but no, they wanted to act like babies and fight about working together. 

  Selene wanted to tear out her hair.

  She remembered Lila’s request to pick up some snacks from the supermarket and popped in, rummaging through her backpack for her wallet. Selene recalled how Lila loved Swedish Fish and orange soda—an odd combination but Selene certainly wasn’t complaining. 

  “Got the snacks,” Selene muttered, paying for everything and heading back home. She just wanted to strip out of her clothes and parade around in her baggy shirt and equally baggy boxers; bras were such a pain and it didn’t help that she wore her binder for more than eight hours (Lila would throw a bitch fit if she ever found out). 

  Once home, Selene kicked off her shoes and dropped her bag at the door. Like clockwork, her babies came running in, barking and whining for Selene as they pawed at her chest. She smiled, scratching under their chins and cooing at the duo before kissing their foreheads. “My babies! Oh, you two are so good for me! Let’s go get a treat!” she grinned, leading Artemis and Apollo to the kitchen and feeding them both a dried chicken foot.

  While the dogs snacked on their treats, Selene joined Lila on the couch, handing her the candy and soda with a smile. “I got your snacks, dork. You owe me,” she taunted, laying back on the couch. 

  Lila was quiet, thanking Selene for the red candies and pulling her knees to her chest. She went back to watching the animated movie on screen—she had been obsessed with Disney for quite some time—without another word, popping in a Swedish Fish and chewing thoroughly.

  That was unlike Lila. Usually, she was talking Selene’s off, bragging about how her friends were nice to her and how she had been invited to so many parties. Lila was oddly quiet and reversed today, keeping to herself and focusing on the movie. It was beginning to worry Selene; she had never seen Lila so off before. 

  She reached over, gently touching Lila’s hand. “Everything alright?” Selene asked. 

  Lila nodded, eating another candy. “I’m fine. I’m just really tired—”

  “You can lie to everyone else but you can’t lie to me,” Selene cut off. 

  “I’m not lying!” Lila snapped, yanking her hand away. She then went quiet, looking down at her feet and pulling on her sweats. She let out a sigh, mumbling, “I’m sorry. I—school isn’t the best for me right now.”

  “You know you can talk to me about these things. I won’t judge you,” Selene reminded, pulling Lila in for a hug. 

  Selene knew that Lila had her own problems—knew that Lila was a compulsive liar. Yes, it could be a pain in the ass to coax the truth out of her, but Selene was trying to learn and trying to help her cousin as much as possible. Then again, Selene couldn’t blame Lila for lying for attention; her mother was barely present and she never showed up for school. She was awkward (like Selene, but has the abilities to charm people and make more friends) and socially distant from the other students. 

  Lila rubbed her nose, sniffling. “Oh, you know that boy, Adrien?”

   Who doesn’t know about him, Selene thought bitterly, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, I’ve seen him around—don’t tell me you’re crying over some ugly boy. Come on, I knew you had questionable taste when it came to fictional men, but him?” Selene groaned. 

  Lila smacked Selene’s arm before pulling the pillow to her face. “No! I’m not crying because of some boy—I mean, yes but no at the same time. It’s complicated!” she whined before promptly screaming into the pillow. 

  Selene rubbed her temples, stealing one of Lila’s candies. “I’ll never understand how everyone chose to drool over that ugly ass boy,” she muttered, running a hand through her messy hair. With a sigh, she touched Lila’s shoulder and pulled the pillow away from her face. “Alright, alright, what about Adrien? Was it something he said to upset you?”

  “No, it’s not him. It’s this girl in our class—you work with her,” Lila sniffled. 

  “Chloe?” Selene asked. 

  “No, the other girl, Marinette. She’s been so rude to me for no reason,” Lila coughed, rubbing her nose again. “She called me a liar and keeps threatening to expose me when I have done nothing wrong. She’s trying to get the whole class to turn against me because of her stupid crush on Adrien.”

  Oh. Selene didn’t think Marinette could possibly be that cruel. Sure, she had described Chloe to be a brat and always popped off an insult whenever the blonde was brought up, but trying to expose someone for a lie? Oh, that was just ridiculous. Everyone has told a lie—no one is entirely innocent. It wasn’t fair that Marinette wanted to play the hero and expose her cousin—yes, Lila could be a massive pain in the ass, but Selene would do anything to keep her cousin safe. 

  Selene pulled Lila in for a hug, rubbing her back. “I’ll make sure to talk to her. Okay?”

  Lila nodded, returning the hug. “Thank you, Selene.”


  Chloe was in misery. 

  She had already emptied her stomach for the night and yet, she felt this overwhelming sensation eating away at her. It kept her up, scrolling through her phone, setting it down, only to pick it up again and repeat the process. Every time, she went back to the same Instagram page, squinting at stupid selfie Selene posted. It had her heart clenching, drumming against her chest before she let out a muffled scream, burying her face in the velvet throw-pillow. 

  Just what the hell was this girl doing to her?

  “Stupid goth girl with her stupid face—ugh! Get out of my head,” Chloe grumbled, setting aside her phone for the fifth time that night. She didn’t trust herself to be on any social media; she feared that she would be drawn right back to the account, and just stare at that photo of Selene again. Why couldn’t life be so simple? Didn’t anyone have an instruction manual for this shit?

  She had considered talking to her father about it, but he had dismissed her for the evening, saying that he was busy. 

   Of course, he is. He never has time for me, Chloe thought, pulling her knees to her chest and deciding to watch television. She had been invested in Pretty Little Liars recently and had binged two seasons. Sure, she couldn’t remember the main characters’ name or the current conflict, but it was a good watch when she needed to distract herself. 

  Clicking on Netflix, Chloe found that Pretty Little Liars was no longer available, and she screamed, throwing the remote across the room. Fuck, nothing was going her way today and she hated it. Why couldn’t things be so simple? Why did God have to hate her so much?

  She resorted to her phone, flipping through Instagram and liking whatever photos she found aesthetically pleasing. Chloe dismissed any photos from her classmates, silently hoping that the app would add a dislike feature in the near feature and proceeded to keep scrolling. She jumped when Adrien started calling. 

  Without a second to spare, Chloe answered the class. “Adrihoney! I thought you were in the middle of a shoot! Did Uncle Gabe let you have a break?” she asked, sitting up and pulling her knees to her chest. 

  “Ah, well, he doesn’t know I’m taking a break,” Adrien admitted. “I snuck away. I didn’t want to do any more kissing shoots.”

  Chloe choked, sputtering as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “Kissing!? I can’t believe you would share your first kiss with someone else,” she whined, parading around her room in her lounge wear. “I’ve been betrayed, Adrikins. We were supposed to share our first kiss together.”

  Adrien awkwardly laughed on the other end. “It’s not like I wanted to kiss her. She’s not my type and the whole thing is just awkward,” he admitted. 

  “Why awkward?” Chloe asked, kicking off her slippers once her feet became too hot and slicked with sweat. 

  “Uh, it’s complicated. I don’t think you would understand.”

  Chloe frowned, knitting her eyebrows together. “I’m not as stupid as everyone thinks. You can tell me,” She argued, sitting on her bed, crossing her legs. 

  Adrien was quiet for a second. There was shuffling in the background before he said, “Promise you won’t think less of me?”

  “Adrien, you know that I’ll always be your friend and you have nothing to worry about,” Chloe promised, a smile finding its way to her face. “Come on, you can tell me anything, honey.”

  “Ah, it’s nothing. It was a stupid joke, but I forgot the punchline,” Adrien laughed, his voice wavering before he went quiet on the other end. 

  Chloe grew worried, standing to her feet. “Are you sure it was just a joke? You sound sad,” she pointed out quietly. 

  “Yeah, it’s alright Chloe—I should leave before Victor gets upset that I’m gone,” he grinned. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow! Love you!”

  “I love you too, Adrihoney,” she returned, hanging up the phone and tossing it on the bed. She could sense something was off with her friend, but she didn’t want to pressure him into telling her. If Adrien was in any immediate danger, Chloe knew that Adrien would inform her right away, but he wasn’t in any danger. 

  So what was Adrien hiding from her?

  She massaged her temples, crossing the room to flick off the rooms, and returned to her bed. There was no point in stressing out about the situation; it would solve nothing, and she would only hurt herself in the process. Adrien would tell her when he was ready; she knew that Adrien would tell her what was bothering her. 

  Or maybe he wouldn’t? They had been drifting apart these last few months—or has it been years—and he’s been closer with that band of losers. What if he told them the issue he was having? What if he left Chloe in the dark about what he was troubled with? Was he going to leave her behind again?

  The very thought had her stomach tensing up, twisting in knots as she curled up against her pillow. There was no way Adrien would leave in the dark—they were always there for each other. No matter what happens, they’re always going to be there for each other.

  Right?

Notes:

sooooo, I decided to make a tumblr solely for the “Castles Fall Into The Seas” (series name change pending) where you can ask questions about what is going to happen throughout the series, see cool character designs, or just ramble with me about what your favorite part of the series is. the tumblr user is @mxraculousmxxn

Chapter 14: Her Sweet Little Lies

Summary:

Chloe didn't always think her plans through. It was always act now and think later; well, this plan is going to bite her in the ass. Or kiss her? She doesn't know which will come first.

Notes:

I could have cut this chapter out but lesbians and zombies. I jumped at this chance; this is where Chloe will start to get some development and realize that she needs a lot of help (but she will often relapse because she doesn't know what she's doing)

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

  If there was one thing Chloe hated besides Marinette, it was birthday parties and gifts. She absolutely hated the pretty streams, expensive and lavish gifts, and obnoxiously colored balloons that cluttered the gathering room. It infuriated her how everyone was so eager to sing and throw away their money for one person; it was ridiculous, and she didn’t understand why people enjoyed the stupid parties that came with birthdays. 

  Okay, maybe Chloe did understand and was jealous that people actually cared, but she wouldn’t know how that feels. Her mother never stuck around for her birthdays and her father was far too busy to spend time with her. Instead, he would just set aside some money for Chloe every year and allow her to purchase whatever she wanted. It didn’t feel like a sincere gift but more like a chore. 

  Like Andre didn’t want to pull himself away from his job to celebrate his child’s birth. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, yet those days were always bleak and depressing.

  There was never a cake or a party. Chloe would never have friends over to sing to her—she would have appreciated her face being shoved into a cake (though, it sounded messy, and she didn’t want frosting in her nose). The most she got was her darling butler who would dress up just for Chloe, parading her around the hotel and gifting her small trinkets like bracelets and small necklaces. She would never admit it out loud, but Chloe cherished the presents Jean bought her. Sure, her daddy could buy her a diamond-encrusted phone case and her mother could buy her skin-tight dresses that meant nothing to her, but nothing could replace the gifts Jean presented her. 

  The best gift she received from Jean was a small pendant that had a photo of him, a young Adrien, and a young Chloe inside. It was a treasure—it was dear to Chloe and the only gift she had grown to love. 

  Stepping into the locker room with Sabrina in tow, Chloe rolled her eyes as students poured in and gushed about the wonderful gifts, they had gotten for Ms. Bustier and how wonderful she has been over the years. Chloe felt bad that she had forgotten, but she didn’t like parties due to her parents being absent and no one but Jean caring about her. 

  She truly did love Ms. Bustier—the ginger was more motherly and homely than her father—and felt awful for showing up to school empty-handed, but what’s done is done. There was nothing she could do to change the past. Chloe would just buy a gift for her tomorrow and apologize in private for the late present. 

  As Marinette rambled about what she made for Ms. Bustier, Chloe rolled her eyes and slammed her locker shut. She looked at Sabrina, gesturing for her to follow, but the poor ginger was too entranced by the message Marinette had written out for their beloved teacher. Everyone let out an aw, saying that Marinette had the best gift. 

  Of course, little perfect Marinette had the best gift—she could do nothing wrong. What a joke. 

  Then, Adrien piped up happily, rocking on the balls of his heels. “I'm so lucky to get a teacher like her for my first year in school. How about you, Chloe? What's your present?” he asked expectedly, turning to face his best friend. 

  Chloe glanced at the others, not saying anything. It’s not like she could lie and say she had anything at the moment. It just so happened to slip her mind and she still felt terrible about forgetting her teacher’s birthday. 

  When she didn’t offer any words, the class moaned disappointedly.

  Marinette frowned, folding her arms across her chest. “Nothing. Just like every year since kindergarten,” she said bitterly. 

   Ugh, of course Marinette had to add her two cents. No one asked for her input—Chloe already felt bad enough and didn’t need the baker loser to rub salt in the wound.

  Sabrina walked in front of her, shielding Chloe from the judging eyes and the disapproving stares. “It's not her fault, okay? Chloe just doesn't like birthdays! She never remembers them, just like her mom,” she snapped. 

  Chloe opened her mouth in shock briefly, pushing Sabrina behind her. “Yeah, well, you don't have to tell 'em my life story, either,” she stated before narrowing her eyes at Marinette. “Anyway, all that stuff about compliments and love? Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!”

  Marinette turned towards Alya, quietly mumbling, “This girl's got no heart.”

  The blonde heard it and felt a stab in her chest. She did have a heart; sure, she may have forgotten like every other year but she wasn’t unnecessarily cruel. The plan was to bring the gift to Ms. Bustier tomorrow and explain why she was receiving it so late. These people were so quick to judge Chloe—so quick to call her cruel and heartless. Though she didn’t blame them; Chloe had been a menace for years, snapping at anyone who even tried to break down her walls. 

  Still, it wasn’t fair for them to judge her and expect her to be so nice towards them. 

  Chloe rolled her eyes, examining her nails and clicking her tongue. “Uh, of course I have a heart! Daddy will even buy me a second one, if I want,” she scoffed, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder and brushing off Marinette’s earlier comment. 

  Thankfully, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the next class period. Kin turned to Max, asking, “What's our next lesson, again?”

  “Physical science.”

  The students chattered as they left the locker room. Marinette shot Chloe a dirty look before she tucked away the present and slammed her locker shut—unfortunately, it didn’t latch close. As she left, Marinette shot one last glare at the blonde, growling quietly beneath her breath before she dashed off. 

  Chloe hates Marinette—hates how everyone just adores her and she can do no wrong in everyone’s eyes. Make a mistake and you’re persecuted by the class, especially if you aren’t in Marinette’s favor. It doesn’t matter if Chloe changed—everyone would still see her as a villain. Everyone would still hate her. If they wanted a villain so bad, Chloe was going to grant their wish.

   Sabrina tried to leave but Chloe stopped her, pulling her towards Marinette’s locker. The ginger let out a squeak, looking at the door and then back at her best friend. “We're going to be late for Ms. Mendeleiev's physics class, Chloe!”

  Her cries fell on deaf ears as Chloe opened Marinette's locker with a wide grin, holding her hand out. “Permanent marker,” she ordered, shooting Sabrina a look when the cap wasn’t removed. Once the cap was removed, Chloe moved Marinette’s books out of the way and stared at her handcrafted gift.

  That stupid gift that everyone was gushing about. It wasn’t all that great and this was a justifiable act—well, in Chloe’s eyes. It’s what Marinette gets for bad-mouthing her and saying she didn’t have a heart. Forgetting the present was an honest mistake but it didn’t matter if you were Chloe Bourgeois. People like her weren’t granted a second chance, but this should teach them. She would be the villain they all desired so badly—she would live out their desires. 

 “I do have a present for you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”


  As the hours passed, it was soon time to bring the gifts to the beloved teacher. The students came in, all giddy and excited while bringing their presents to the ginger teacher. Ms. Bustier was smiling, cheeks flushed red as all the students greeted her happily. 

  “This is for you!” Alix informed, setting the present down on her desk. 

  Rose chirped, “Happy Birthday, Ms. Bustier!”

  “Oh! Thank you!” Ms. Bustier smiled, pressing her hand to her heart. 

  The students all gathered together, “Happy Birthday, Ms. Bustier!”

  Ms. Bustier wiped her eyes, still holding her chest. “Oh, you're all so sweet! Thank you all for your kind words,” she grinned, scanning over the gifts. Her hand hovered a large gift before she chose the gift Marinette had made.

  “Marinette made that one.,” Alya spoke up, nudging her friend in the side playfully. 

  Ms. Bustier took Marinette's present out of the wrapping carefully, and made a surprise face once she inspected the pink fabric and the note tucked inside. 

  Seeing the reaction, Marinette gasped, getting up from her seat, and taking the gift back from Ms. Bustier. Her face twisted with anger, eyes narrowed as she snarled angrily, “I know you did this, Chloe Bourgeois!”

  “A 99.56% certainty.”

  Alya frowned, folding her arms over her chest. “So uncool, Chloe,” she voiced.

  “Seriously lame,” Marinette agreed. 

  Chloe didn’t react, arms still in front of her with her eyes closed. Sure, she felt slightly guilty for ruining her favorite teacher’s special day, but Marinette’s smug remarks really pissed her off. It was a simple mistake, honestly. Why was she always getting attacked for simple mistakes? She was only going to be a day late, so it was better than never giving Ms. Bustier a gift. Plus, there was no proof that it had been her (even though it was extremely obvious who the culprit was).

  Ms. Bustier hushed the class, taking the bag away from Marinette with a hum. “Please, calm down. We don't want to get upset on my birthday, now, do we?” she asked, weighing the bag in her hand. She then turned to Marinette and Chloe, taking the lip balm out of the bag. “Well, I think this present is wonderful. It'll be my new cosmetics bag! Then I'll be able to think of both of you every time I use it,” she voiced happily. 

  Marinette stared at the teacher with a slack-jaw before thrusting a finger in Chloe’s general direction with a cry. “What? You're not gonna let her get away with this?!” she sputtered. 

  “That girl is worse than Hawkmoth!”

  “At least half the city has gotten akumatized because of her!”

  The words stung, slamming into Chloe’s chest full force. A bully, yes, but a monster? Chloe could be cruel and pick on the other students but she never terrorized the city. She never caused buildings to collapse and crumble. It wasn’t her sending out possessed civilians who became so hellbent on their desires that they could kill anyone in their ways. How could she, an average bully, be worse than a terrorist and abuser? She would never understand the comparison. 

  Ah well, it’s not like Chloe could cry about it. The others would just mock her for breaking down, saying she doesn’t deserve any sympathy. 

  “Kind of a stretch to compare her to a terrorist.”

  “I don’t care! She’s messed up in the head! She’s got no heart!”

  Everyone started yelling, attempting to speak over each other while Chloe slightly sank in her seat. The insults hurt so much; she wasn’t that cruel. Perhaps it was karma for being a bit of a bitch throughout the years. 

  Ms. Bustier silenced the class with a clap of her hands, promptly clearing her throat. “Students, please, calm down now! The classroom is not a place for insults and defamation!” When the talking died down, she focused her attention on Marinette. “Marinette, would you come with me, please? I would like to talk to you for a moment.”

  “W-What?” she squeaked. 

  Ms. Bustier opened the door, gesturing for Marinette to follow her. “Alya. I'm relying on you to make sure things don't get out of hand while we're gone. Alright?” she asked.

  “You got it.”

  When Ms. Bustier left the classroom, Chloe could already feel the hateful glares from the others. But she pretended that nothing was wrong; she sat up straight, looking at her phone and scrolling through Instagram without a care in the world. She ignored the hateful comments, occasionally glancing over at Sabrina, who was arguing with the other students who were shouting at Chloe, and sighed. Honestly, Chloe knew that she deserved all the hate for her little stunt; she wanted to get back at Marinette and she did, but it ruined Ms. Bustier’s gift as a result. 

  It’s Alix who’s screaming at Chloe, demanding why she ruined Ms. Bustier’s present and if she ever cared about anyone but herself. Of course, Chloe cared about other people besides herself; she just didn't know how to show it. One might say that bullying was her love language but Chloe did have a sweet side that she rarely showed to others like Adrien, Sabrina, and Jean. They were the only ones that Chloe could trust and allow herself to be vulnerable around. 

  She could consider Aurora a close friend but Chloe wasn’t sure what she wanted from the brunette. 

  Chloe looked up from her phone, clicking her nails on the table. “I don’t know why you all are so quick to accuse me of ruining the gift,” she simply said, setting her device to the side. 

  “It’s obvious that it was you, you spoiled brat! You’re the only one who didn’t bring a gift—not surprised—and you’ve always had a grudge against Marinette.” 

  “Past transgressions prove nothing. I’m innocent until you have a solid piece of evidence against me,” Chloe said, brushing her ponytail over her shoulder. She then grinned, turning around in her seat and unlocking her phone. “I’m not the only one who didn’t show up with a gift. I’m pretty sure that Selene didn’t bring one either. Why aren’t you all ganging up on her?” she asked. 

  Alix clenched their jaw, curling their hand into a fist. “Selene is new, so it makes sense why she wouldn’t bring a gift—she didn’t know,” she spat out, “and everyone knows that you’ve tried to sabotage Marinette in the past. This is a new low, even for you.”

  At least, the two were in agreement there, but Chloe just rolled her eyes and focused on her feed. 

  The door then swung open and a funny woman with green skin and a silly hairdo bounced in. The woman hummed as she hopped on the desk with her lip balm in hand. She reapplied it to her puffy lips, smacked them together before turning to the class. “I have got some great news for you, students! From now on, everyone's going to hug and kiss and feel the love!” She then grinned, training her vision on the blonde student. “Even you, Chloe.”

  “Me?”

  The akuma kissed her hand, blowing a kiss to Chloe. It’s thick and black, fluttering towards the young girl and threatening to print itself on Chloe’s cheek. She squeaked, trying to evade the mess of lipstick that followed her around the classroom. Luckily, Sabrina jumped in the way and the kiss smacked against her pale forehead. The ginger panicked, aggressively scrubbing at her forehead while the villain prepared to blow another kiss at her target after reapplying her lipstick. 

  Before she could get the chance, Ladybug swooped in and wrapped the string around the akuma’s wrist. “Please, Ms. Bustier! You've gotta snap out of it!” she begged. 

  Chloe let out a quiet noise, covering her mouth as she hid behind the desk. She had caused it; it was her fault that the best teacher in the school had been akumatized. Because Chloe wanted to get back at Marinette for a silly comment she could have easily ignored. 

  “I'm not Ms. Bustier anymore!” the teacher declared, tugging on Ladybug’s yo-yo and slamming her against the wall. “I am Zombizou!” She lunged at Ladybug, attempting to kick her and send her kisses, but the red heroine was too fast for her. They exchange attacks, bouncing across the room as Adrien manages to usher everyone out of the classroom. When the last student finally leaves, Ladybug blocks off the exit and continues her battle with the akuma. 

  Chloe rushed out with Sabrina, helping her down the stairs when the ginger quietly whispered that she suddenly felt weak. That horrid black lipstick mark remained on her forehead but Chloe can easily ignore it; it was trivial compared to the current situation they were in (a situation that Chloe had a hand in).

  Sabrina started limping down the stairs, arm draped across Chloe’s shoulders while her breathing was ragged. Sweat glossed her forehead and she swallowed dryly. “I…feel... It suddenly got very warm,” she panted, taking a seat on the bottom of the stairs. She gripped her chest, looking up at Chloe with those big cyan eyes. “I don't know what's happening. I...I’m sorry.”

  Chloe can’t even be mad; she knew that Sabrina was attacked first and that the akuma was still messing with her. They didn’t know what but Chloe was still cautious of her friend’s actions. She extended a hand to the ginger. “We need to move. I’ll attempt to carry you on my back if it becomes too much for you. Let’s go.”

  Sabrina then grows quiet, her breathing suddenly still. Her eyes are no longer that pretty shade of cyan but a bright shade of purple—it was a good look but that was beside the point—as she suddenly shot up and Chloe realized the lipstick mark is no longer present. She grinned before pouncing on Chloe, making kissy faces at her.

  Chloe shrieked, shoving Sabrina’s face away from her cheeks. “Ugh! Get away from me!” she ordered, feeling Adrien hook his arms around her, trying to rescue her from Sabrina’s awful kisses. The other students had to yank Sabrina away. 

  That didn’t stop Sabrina. It slowed her down temporarily. 

  She then crawled towards the other students, repeating a strange word over and over again. Many of the students moved out of Sabrina’s way when Adrien warned them of her deadly kisses, but the warning came too late for Mylene. Sabrina had infected Mylene with the virus, now turning to Ivan who was in the way of the contaminated duo. 

  The class ran, leaving the three students behind. Adrien led them all to the locker room and barricaded the door behind them. “Everyone, get into a locker and don’t come out until Ladybug and Chat Noir show up!” he ordered, opening a spare locker—thankfully, it had nothing inside—and stepping inside. 

  Chloe let out a noise, poking out her lips. “I’m not getting in there!” she gasped, arms folded across her chest. “It’s dark in there!”

  “No one has time for your complaining!” Alix snapped, shoving Chloe into the locker and slamming the door shut. 

  The blonde squeaked, pressing her back against the cold metal. She didn’t deal well with cramped spaces or the dark; it was a little embarrassing to reveal. She was fifteen and was still afraid of the dark—Chloe still had a nightlight plugged in behind her bed to chase away the shadows. It was a fear she could never get over. She tried to when she was young, but her mother always berated her for being unable to sleep without a light. 

  She swallowed dryly, trying to calm her beating heart. It threatened to burst out of her chest—it throbbed and thumped against Chloe’s chest with each moment she remained in that damn locker. It was so cramped—so dark and she had to keep herself quiet when she heard the door open. Maybe one of the zombified students had managed to break in? 

  Maybe she should go and check?

  It was a good excuse to break out and stretch her legs a bit. Cautiously, Chloe cracked open the locker and slipped out, surveying the quiet room. The window up top was opened, but it would have been obvious if one of those infected students slipped in. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding in and searched the room for something that could be used as a weapon. Chloe would have gone for the saber, but she wasn’t that good at fencing nor did she have the best reflexes. 

  When she heard someone land, Chloe hid herself in the locker, peeking through the crack. The person didn’t mumble kissou or kissy-boo like all the others did, so Chloe could assume that this person was looking for a safe place to hide. She then gasped, seeing the red suit and emerged from the locker behind Ladybug. “Ladybug—”

  Chloe quietly yelped when she was tossed over Ladybug’s shoulder and sent into another locker. Her head throbbed with pain, temporarily stunned by the sudden attack. A white light blinded her and she could barely hear Ladybug muttering an apology while the other students came out from the hiding place. What she wasn’t expecting was Selene to crouch down and help her up with a lopsided smile. 

  “You good?” Selene asked. 

  “I just got thrown into a fucking locker. What do you think?” Chloe huffed, massaging the knot on the crown of her head. 

  Selene paused, scratching her wrist. “You’re right. That was a dumb question. My bad,” she chuckled, rocking herself back and forth. “If the Miraculous Cure doesn’t fix that, you should go get it checked out. Don’t want you getting a concussion.”

  She waved it off, blinking a few times so her eyes could get adjusted to the light again. “The Cure always fixes the damage. I’ll be fine.” Chloe paused and mumbled, “Thank you.”

  Everyone gathered around Adrien’s locker, confused on why he hasn’t come out yet. The danger had passed and Ladybug had graced them with her presence. Chloe knew that he was a die-hard Ladybug fan, but he was second compared to her, and would never pass up the chance to see her in action. Something seemed wrong but Chloe couldn’t put her finger on it. Since no one else was making a move, Chloe pushed them all out of the way and tore the door open. 

  “Adrikins, we have to get going! This is no time for a nap!” Chloe yelled.

  Adrien opened his eyes, a love-sick expression plastered on his silly face as he sleepily sighed, “Kissy-boo.”

  Everyone screamed and Chloe shut the locker in his face, pressing her back against the metal. Sure, she didn’t care if the other losers got infected, but her favorite teacher and her best friends? This day was getting worse and worse by the second. Maybe Chloe shouldn’t act on impulse and just learn how to ignore everyone, even when they made snide comments towards her. 

  Since they all screamed when they realized one of their star students had been infected, the zombified students in the hallways had started to crowd the entrance to the locker room. They were pressing against the door, attempting to break down the barrier with loud cries and groans. “Kissy-boo… kissou,” the zombies groaned, slamming against the door harder. Some of the class managed to hold back the fold of zombies as Ladybug cracked open the window to lead them all out to safety. 

  “We’ll all be safer on the roof! Everyone, follow me!” Ladybug ordered, helping everyone through the window and holding back the crowd to let the other students shimmy through the slim opening.

  Ivan broke through the barricade, forcing an arm through the opening as he chanted over and over again. With his brute strength, he destroyed the former barricade and stormed in with the rest of the zombie herd. He almost managed to get Max but Ladybug pulled him up to safety just in time, leaving the zombies to figure out a way to get to the rooftop. 

  With the students on the roof and Chat Noir gracing the group with his presence, all Chloe can do is chew on her nails. The zombies have surrounded the school and were trying to get her—they all wanted to kiss her because of a poor decision she made. Yes, she really despised Marinette and her stupid air of confidence, but Chloe was slowly starting to regret messing up their teacher’s present and her day. It really wasn’t worth it in the end and now, everyone was still glaring at her and spitting out words of pure venom. 

  Why couldn’t they just throw her to the akuma and end her suffering already? It would be a painless way to go. 

  Selene touched Chloe’s shoulder with a slight grin. “You’re panicking,” she calmly stated. 

  “You really like stating the obvious, don’t you, Sherlock?” Chloe spat. 

  “Just trying to help.”

  “Well, it’s not, so shut it,” Chloe snapped. 

  The students could hear Nadja’s voice on the yo-yo and they all crowd around Ladybug to get a better look at the news coverage. “Yet again, it seems the citizens of Paris are in great danger. Since this morning, a strange disease has been spreading,” the reporter explained, the feed cutting outside to the broadcasting station to show the several zombies that have been lurking about. It then shows the zombies in the subway as Nadja continues, “Hordes of kissing zombies are spreading throughout Paris! Let's go over to our Mayor, Mr. Bourgeois, live from City Hall.”

  Unfortunately, Mr. Bourgeois was attacked before he could even start his speech. Roger had stormed the office, much to Chloe’s horror, and promptly kissed the mayor on the cheek. Chloe screamed, snatching the yo-yo away from Ladybug and stared at the coverage with wide eyes. It was like this akuma was hellbent on making her suffer. She didn’t blame Ms. Bustier for being mad but targeting her two friends and her father? 

  Now, that was a low blow. 

  Ladybug took back the yo-yo as Zombizou bounced into the shot once she had taken care of Nadja. “I took care of your father, Chloe. Now, show yourself!” she ordered, squeezing Nadja’s cheeks before letting the reporter run off. “Then, Ladybug and Chat Noir? I'm coming for you. Mwah!”

  Her chest felt tight as Ladybug shut off the feed. She looked up to see the class glaring at her and Alix approached her, jabbing their finger into her collarbone with a sneer. Chloe had to carefully balance herself on the edge of the roof, looking over her shoulder to see the zombies waiting at the bottom. 

  “Chloe! Hunh! Always Chloe! You only think about yourself!” Alix sneered. “I don't know why we don't just give them what they want.”

  “Yeah! Good idea!”

  Her mouth gaped open like a fish. She looked at the crowd of students who glared at her and then the zombies just below them. She did care about other people, just not the people in her class. And why should she? Sure, Chloe could be cruel but they were far worse to her, especially since Dupain-Cheng grew a spine. 

  “Is it my fault if I'm better than all of you?” she blurted out. 

  If looks could kill, Chloe would be dead. 

  Thankfully, Ladybug stepped in and defended her from the class’s growing hatred. “Sorry to disappoint you guys, but Chloe doesn't deserve to get hit any more than you,” she explained, “and we need her as bait to lure Zombizou when the time is right.”

  “Uh...thanks?” Chloe nervously said. 

  Rose squealed, “They're coming!”

  Zombified students crawled onto the roof, groaning and still chanting those ridiculous words as they inched closer. Chloe hid behind Selene, failing to hear Ladybug’s instructions. How could she focus during a time like this? She thought zombies were a thing of fiction, yet here they were, chasing after her and wanting to kiss her. That and she was pressed up against a really hot goth girl—

  Wait, did she really just call Selene hot? 

  “As much as I would like to leave you stranded on the roof, I need you to move your ass, Chloe,” Alya cut in, pulling on her wrist. 

  “Hey, wait—I’m not going down that thing!” Chloe shouted, fear settling in her stomach as Alya helped Ladybug wrap the belt around her waist. “I have a fear of heights!” She lied.

  Alya patted her back with a smile—it seemed sincere. “Join the club,” she grinned before shoving Chloe forward. 

  Chloe screamed, drawing her knees close to her chest as she zipped down the baton. She could feel the wind cutting her cheek; her stomach knotted and she felt sick the faster she went. Time was passing by so slowly yet she’s going so fast. Chloe can hear someone telling her to slow down but she doesn’t know how to. She doesn’t know how to stop this blasted thing. 

  She collided with the ground, bruising her shin and twisting her ankle when she tried to stand up abruptly. Chloe gulped, staring at the zombies who now fix their sights on her. She wanted to scream but what good would that do her? She can see some of her classmates staring at her through the window and she doesn’t expect them to jump to her rescue. She understood and did not fault them for their decision; why risk getting kissed when they could ensure their own safety?

  What she doesn’t expect is Rose and Selene rushing out of the bus to help her. “Rose, you make sure the zombies stay off of me. I think I can carry Chloe,” Selene said, hooking her arms under Chloe’s legs and hoisting her onto her back. When Chloe is secured, Selene and Rose make their way back to the bus; Rose is keeping the zombies at bay while Chloe pressed her face against the crook of Selene’s neck. 

  Oddly enough, Chloe is okay with being rescued by this freak—the very hot freak but she won’t admit that out loud. 

  A zombie grabbed Rose's leg and she screamed, alerting the other zombies. She ran past Selene and into the safety of the bus (which was perfectly fine), throwing herself into Juleka’s arms. Chat Noir, at this point, was baiting the zombies to attack him. He danced and stuck his tongue out, teasing the surrounding zombies so Selene could get Chloe inside the bus. 

  Once the last of the students were rescued, minus Max and Kim, Ladybug swooped in with her yo-yo and yanked Selene and Chloe into the bus. “Take a seat; we’re getting ready to move. Chat Noir, we gotta go!” Ladybug ordered. 

  “Already on it,” Chat Noir grinned, retrieving his baton and locked the door behind him. He turned on the ignition and attempted to drive. When Chat Noir said he could drive, he meant that he could drive any car thanks to his expert skills in Extreme Racing 3 but since that bus didn’t include any buses, he was only winging it. He grinned sheepishly when Ladybug groaned, sitting with the rest of the students. 

  Chloe looked over at Selene and then back at her lap. “Thank you,” she muttered, squeezing her thighs together. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “Come on, there was no way I was gonna let you get attacked by kissing zombies,” Selene grinned, leaning on her shoulder. “Plus, you would have done the same for me, right?”

  “Maybe,” was her answer, dropping the subject all together. 

  The only thing that disturbed the silence was Chat Noir and Ladybug discussing a plan and Selene’s occasional humming, but nothing else. The eerie stillness made Chloe feel uneasy and it doesn’t help that Alix was still glaring at her. She kept her head down, bouncing her thigh up and down, looking outside for a bit. The sooner this nightmare was over, the better—

  Juleka yelled, tearing herself away from Rose. The girl in pink was zombified and was rushing towards the goth girl with puckered lips, screaming, “Kissou! Kissou, kissou!” Alix was too slow to evade Rose, getting tackled to the crowd and her face was covered with several purple kiss marks; Juleka was next to be attacked by the infected duo. Everyone else managed to retreat to the front of the bus while Ladybug held the three back. 

  Chat Noir escorted the girls and Nino off the bus, telling Ladybug that the coast was clear. They then locked the three inside the bus and made their way to the Eiffel tower.  Selene was still Chloe on her back, squeezing the fat of her thighs, and following the others. “Stay together and follow me!” Chat Noir ordered, leading the group to the elevator. 

  Alya stayed behind to help Ladybug push a vending machine against the door, barricading the outside from the invading zombies. Once that was done, they all huddled in front of the elevator and Alya rapidly pressed the button with pinched eyebrows. The bell chimed and she was immediately swarmed with kissing zombies, screaming shoving them off of her. She screamed, falling on her ass as more zombies bombarded her face with kisses and affections. 

  “No! Alya!” Both Ladybug and Nino screamed, rushing to her side and pulling the zombies off of her and trapping them in the adjacent elevator. There was nothing they could do for her until Ladybug captured the akuma and reversed the damage. The look in Alya’s eyes was enough to dismiss the two heroes and the other two survivors while Nino stayed behind with his girlfriend. 

  As the elevator closed, Chloe watched Alya and Nino embrace before the infected girl kissed her boyfriend on the cheek. 

  Her cheeks burned, red coloring her pale cheeks as she looked down in shame. Chloe wanted a loving relationship like that; she was often jealous of Alya and Nino—of how well they worked together and were so infatuated with each other. It was sick—it was the cutest thing Chloe had ever witnessed; one would think that her parents would display those affections towards each other, but all they ever did was argue and scream at each other whenever they were in the same room. It was a never-ending cycle of abuse and Chloe was the product of such hatred; it made her feel ill.

  Was there a chance she could be loved? That someone would ever want Chloe like Nino wanted Alya?

  “You got quiet,” Selene suddenly said, looking over her shoulder at Chloe. “I hate to sound like a broken record, but are you alright?”

  “I’m fine. It’s none of your business anyway,” Chloe muttered, tightening her grip on Selene. 

  She couldn’t stand small talk or awkward conversations. 

  Now at the top of the Eiffel Tower, Ladybug suggested that Selene and Chloe hide in the Gustave Eiffel’s office, and they (Chat Noir and herself) would take care of the oncoming zombies. In agreement, Selene carried Chloe inside of the office and the two huddled together under the desk as the heroic duty fought the zombies outside. However, Chloe was a bit embarrassed when she screamed at the statue. 

  Selene laughed, rubbing Chloe’s back. “It’s just a statue, silly. Nothing to scream about,” she teased, playfully punching her shoulder. 

  Chloe burned red, shoving Selene away. “I wasn’t screaming because of a stupid statue!” she huffed, folding her arms across her chest. “I was screaming because I could see your hideous reflection in the mirror! You’re ridiculous! Utter ridiculous!”

  “Sure, whatever you say, Queenie,” Selene laughed. 

  Again, Chloe hid her face because of sheer embarrassment. Her heart was racing, slamming against her chest like a drum; if she opened her mouth to speak, Chloe was afraid she was going to say something foolish. This girl—this stupid goth had her skin hot and her mind clouded. It wasn’t normal at all and it confused Chloe; the closer she was to Selene, the more confused she became. There was nothing special about this girl and yet, Selene had Chloe’s tongue tied. 

  The Gustave Eiffel's office door swung open, smacking against the drywall and had Chloe nearly jumping out of her skin. She latched on Selene’s arm, pressing her face against her chest—was that a hint of weed? Chloe didn’t peg Selene as a smoker but with her mellow personality, it slowly started to make sense. She didn’t care if Selene teased her for being scared, Chloe just wanted to be protected and held. 

  Just like how Jean would hold her during thunderstorms and sing her lullabies until she passed out in his arms. 

  There were no sounds of zombies groaning; it was just Ladybug from what Selene had whispered in her ear. Chloe felt herself relax in Selene’s arms, not caring how cozy they were together under the desk. “It's down to us three,” Ladybug announced, peeking under the table. 

  Selene nodded, still cradling Chloe in her arms. “Just focus on the akuma, Ladybug. I got Goldilocks here,” she grinned.

  “Goldilocks?” Chloe raised an eyebrow. “That’s the stupidest nickname ever. I could call you Gotherella,” she shot back. 

  “Eh, it could have been better,” Selene shrugged. 

  “Fuck you. Mine had a twist; yours was just vanilla.”

  The goth faked a shiver, tipping her head against the leg of the table. “At least take me out to dinner first and maybe I’ll think about it,” she joked. 

  Chloe sputtered, mouth gaping open like a fish before she shoved Selene away. Stupid goth—stupid fucking hormones; she hated it all—she loved it. Chloe didn’t know anymore and it didn’t help that she was hidden away under the table with Selene. 

  Zombizou then made an appearance through the window, demanding that Ladybug hand over her miraculous and Chloe so that Paris may witness the final triumph of love. Ladybug shot down the offer and quickly summoned her Lucky Charm: a dispenser of makeup remover. Chloe wanted to make a comment about the package and ask who that was going to save their lives, but Selene yanked her back under the table when Chat Noir busted through the door with a battle cry. 

  Chloe couldn’t tell what was going on but it didn’t sound good. She slightly poked her head out, watching Ladybug and Chat Noir bounce across the room, trading kicks and punches while her hero had the bottle of makeup remover tucked under her arm. She felt the urge to swoop in and help, but what could she possibly do? Chloe knew that all she did was make things worse, but it wouldn’t help to try, right?  

  Swallowing the pit of fear that had rooted itself in the center of her chest, Chloe ran towards Ladybug, shielding her from Chat Noir. She couldn’t hear Selene scream as Chat Noir started planting kisses on her cheeks and forehead. She grinned, looking over at a surprised Ladybug. “Save us all, Ladybug. I know you can do it,” she laughed, watching her idol dash out the room without another word. 

  She then shoved Chat Noir off of her, stumbling into the wall. Her head felt cloudy; she was dizzy and hot all over. Damn, the virus was really hitting her full force and Chloe didn’t like it one bit. She could feel the words bubbling up from her stomach and past her nude lips. “Kissou,” she muttered, completely losing herself as the virus finally took over. It was a giddy feeling that consumed her; she wanted to spread love and what was the point of kissing someone who had already been infected?

  Kiss Selene. Kiss the goth girl , her brain ordered. 

  And she obeyed, dragging herself over to the table. Chloe knocked it over with ease, grinning like a Cheshire Cat while approaching a startled Selene. She could see those pretty lips moving but didn’t hear a single thing that Selene was saying. Her desire to plant kisses on her dark cheeks was overriding her common sense; was this because of the virus or because Chloe had been lying to herself about who she really was? Did she really want to kiss Selene until the poor girl was red in the face—could she even blush that bright?

  Probably not. 

  “Kissou,” Chloe cooed, chasing Selene out of the room. She managed to snag the back of her shirt, dragging the goth into her arms. Naturally, Selene swung up and smacked Chloe right in the face but the blow didn’t even phase her; she just grinned like a madman, repeating the words again while inching closer. 

   Kiss her, kiss her, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss is all she could think about, finally pressing her lips against Selene’s cheeks. She then inched closer to her mouth, just kissing the corners of Selene’s smile. Chloe hummed, pressing her mouth to the soft curves of Selene’s mouth. She’s so warm and Chloe kept a firm hold on her, nails digging into the delicate skin. She practically buzzed with delight when Selene returned the kiss and laced their fingers together. It was a soft kiss that kept them rooted to the spot, oblivious to the chaos outside the window; it was a magical moment and Chloe wanted to stay here with Selene and enjoy it. 

  Tears rolled down her rosy cheeks while she squeezed Selene’s hand tighter. A small part of her consciousness knew that she would never experience a moment like this so she would savor the love she got now. Adrien would never return her love—she was only a sister in his eyes and people thought Chloe was incapable of love; Marinette had even said she didn’t have a heart. 

  Chloe was so starved for love, it hurt. 

  When the haze cleared from her mind, Chloe pulled away and gasped. Selene still looked dazed from the sudden lip-on-lip contact and looked flustered. The blonde shoved her out of the way, ignoring how her heart was throbbing. She couldn’t lie: it felt nice. Selene had soft lips and the black lipstick didn’t stain her mouth.

  “This—you tell no one about this. It never happened,” Chloe grunted, pressing her manicured nail against Selene’s collar bone. “I swear to God if anyone finds out, I’ll—”

  Selene hushed Chloe, pressing her hand against her mouth. “I know. Plus, it was the effect of being infected. I understand.”

  Except Chloe knew that a small part of her wanted to kiss Selene again. She liked the feeling of those lips against her own and it made her feel warm and tingly all over. Her heart felt heavy and Chloe just wanted to stay in Selene’s embrace but she needed to force those feelings down. There was no way she could act on such feelings; they were taboo. 

  But it would be nice. 

  Awkwardly, Chloe shuffled out of the office with Chat Noir in tow. She got to witness Ladybug and Chat Noir bump fists. Ms. Bustier sat up, gasping as she touched her warm cheeks. “The akuma overtook me, oh no, I-I let my negative emotions get the upper hand, how terrible! I'm terrible,” she voiced, looking down in shame. 

  “That's not true! It wasn't your fault. Hawkmoth is the one to blame,” Ladybug countered. 

  “But I hurt a lot of people…”

  Chloe stepped forward, approaching her teacher. “No, you didn’t hurt anyone, Ms. Bustier. I hurt a lot of people because I was petty and it was my actions that led to this whole mess,” she admitted, grinding her foot against the ground. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to look up at the ginger. “I forgot your birthday, once again. I was going to bring a present tomorrow, but I was petty and wanted to get back at my classmate for a silly comment I could have ignored. I was completely immature and didn’t just ruin your present, but I hurt you in the process. I'm sorry, Ms. Bustier.”

  Ms. Bustier warmly smiled at Chloe, pulling her into a tight hug. “Thank you, Chloe. Those words are the best possible gift you could ever give me,” she smiled. 

  It’s a sweet moment and Chloe froze for a second before she returned the hug. Ms. Bustier smelled like peaches and sugary—she smelled warm and motherly and Chloe’s walls crumbled for a sheer moment. She hugged her teacher tiger, pressing her face against her shoulder and just allowed the warmth to blanket her body. It was nice— Ms. Bustier was so kind and Chloe was so grateful to have an understanding and kind teacher. 

  Quietly, Chloe cried into Ms. Bustier’s shoulder blade. She really was blessed with the best teacher this rotten world had to offer; Ms. Bustier always found it in her heart to forgive people and even when she was akumatized, she never wanted to cause violence, but to spread love. No matter how cruel and unnecessarily Chloe was to her peers, Ms. Bustier was always there to lend a helping hand and guide her on the right path. 

  Ms. Bustier deserved nothing but the best. Chloe would have to make a call and have her driver deliver the gift this evening; after everything that happened today, Ms. Bustier deserved a chance to spoil herself and just relax. 

Notes:

Explanation for Zombizou's powers for this one: she only increases the feelings that are already there, romantic or not. Have fun with that tidbit of info.

Chapter 15: She Has Questions

Notes:

you should check out the end notes for a special surprise

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

 Chloe could no longer ignore what had transpired between her and Selene. She could still remember the faint scent of vanilla that clung to Selene’s clothes and how warm her body had felt. That odd desire to devour her mouth and hold Selene by her side; such a feeling terrified her, and she didn’t know if that was normal. There was no way she could ask her mother about these strange desires. She would be shunned for such a question and Chloe couldn’t possibly inform her father of these strange feelings; he was rarely of any use these days and kept himself holed up in his office unless it was a dire emergency (Chloe did not count as an emergency but she was not surprised by this fact).

  A part of her wanted to tell Jean but she was scared that he would report her abnormalities to her parents, and she would be sent away. Perhaps it was just a phase or a side effect from the akuma? Yes, that’s what it had to be; a silly little side effect that was still messing with Chloe’s head. Selene would understand that there was nothing between them. 

  Her stomach lurched and Chloe frowned. How long has it been since she last ate? She doesn’t remember eating breakfast or Jean announcing that he had prepared her meal. 

  Glancing at the clock, Chloe winced and padded across the room. She must have lost track of time while she was stressing out (and pulling out her hair, but she would ignore that for now and just schedule another hair appointment; Daddy could cover the costs) over some stupid kiss. It’s not like she enjoyed it—maybe she did, but she would bury those feelings deep down and forget that the kiss even happened. She would fill her stomach and find something to distract her for the rest of the day. 

  She could call Sabrina and ask her to stop by the hotel, but Chloe remembered that the poor ginger was stuck pulling the weight for the group project. That and the fact that she was grounded for collaborating with Chloe’s grand scheme to ruin Marinette’s gift. Chloe had apologized to Sabrina for getting her in trouble and made a note to buy anything Sabrina was eyeing for some time (or if the cute ginger mentioned she liked anything while they went shopping).

  Chloe was completely out of options, unless she counted Aurora and Sebastien. 

  Aurora was an odd choice of friend in Chloe’s opinion. She found that Aurora was attractive but not on the same level as Selene. She had more of a girlish charm to her, a bit dim-witted but a delight to socialize with. Chloe could connect to her on a deeper level and they both had similar issues; she couldn’t see herself getting involved with a carbon copy of herself or a woman for that matter. Plus, Chloe considered Aurora a rival still. 

  The brunette had gained her mother’s affections at one point while Chloe could never succeed. 

  It then dawned on Chloe. If she started hanging out with Aurora, she could possibly figure out how Aurora managed to win over her mother, and she (Chloe) could get Audrey to recognize her greatness. A brilliant plan and Chloe grinned, feeling around the sheets for her phone. Grumbling to herself, Chloe scrolled through her contacts until she found the brunette’s name; thank goodness, Aurora was so pushy and practically forced Chloe to hand over the phone. She tapped a few buttons before holding the device to her ear.

  “Huh? Hello?” Aurora answered on the other end.

  “Good, you’re awake,” Chloe sighed, messing up her perfectly curled hair and falling back against the sea of throw pillows. She paused for a brief second, wetting her lip as she carefully chose her words. She cleared her throat, drumming her fingers on her naked thigh. “Would you like to spend time with me? I know we haven’t seen eye-to-eye, but I would like to make amends, or at least try. If that’s alright with you.”

  “Uh, yeah sure,” Aurora answered. “There’s nothing to apologize for, honestly.”

    Chloe frowned, “I called you a fag. Most people wouldn’t respond so favorably to an insult.”

  Aurora let out an unbothered noise on the other end of the receiver. “Oh, I’ve been called worse, don’t worry about that. That was child’s play,” she giggled. “I’d be more than happy to just be your friend, Chloe. I told you that we have more in common than you think.”

  Yes, the blonde remembered her words and was quite confused by what the brunette meant but she never pressed Aurora for any more questions. Instead, Chloe remained quiet and curled a strand of hair around her index finger and hummed, listening to Aurora ramble on the other end of the phone. The plan was to meet up at the ice-skating rink and the girls could spend more time there; perhaps, they could strengthen their bond and Chloe would learn Aurora’s trade secrets and get her mother to finally approve of her talent. 

  The plan could not fail. 

  “So, next Saturday at nine?” Chloe repeated. 

  “Correct!” Aurora beamed. “I’ll see you then!”

  Chloe nodded, standing up. “Yeah, don’t get too giddy about it, you loser. Dress in something appropriate and fashionable. I want to take lots of pictures,” she teased. 

  Aurora let out a noise before she lightly laughed. “I will and I’ll see you then! Enjoy the rest of your day!”

  The line went dead, and Chloe let out a gasp, tossing the phone on the blankets. She had been on edge the whole time, praying that Aurora wouldn’t find her sudden proposal as strange, but the ditzy girl fell for it. She didn’t even question why Chloe wanted to hang out with her suddenly, but Chloe certainly wasn’t complaining. It just made her job easier and honestly; it would be beneficial for both parties. 

  Chloe would finally have her mother’s praise and Aurora would expand her social circle. 

  She hummed, flouncing out of her room and trotting towards her father’s office. It was close to his lunch break so he should have enough time to speak with her, or at least entertain her silly little thoughts, right? If he didn’t see her during lunch, Chloe could always scream until he joined her for dinner. 

  Not bothering to knock, Chloe waltzed into her father’s office with a high-pitched whine, throwing herself in one of the office chairs. “Daddy, you said you would spend some time with me,” she recalled, sitting up and poking out her bottom lip. Her father, naturally, was muttering to himself as he reviewed several files and made an offhand comment, telling Chloe that he didn’t have time to deal with one of her temper tantrums. 

  Chloe raised her voice higher, leaning on the large desk. “Daddy, when is Mommy coming back from New York? I miss her,” she sighed, picking at the dead skin on her nails before looking up. She huffed when she saw her father with his nose deep in a file before he set it to the side. Again, he didn't answer her question and just dismissed her again, saying something about how he would get her that new gym she had been bugging about. 

  She left without another word, irritated and pissed that he couldn’t spare a few moments to greet her, but rather, he treated her like she was some sort of pest! Chloe slammed the door behind her, shoving Jean out of the way when he tried to soothe her aching heart; she knew that he was just trying to do his job, but holy hell, the rejection stung, and Chloe just wanted to cry until her throat was raw. 

  Mr. Cuddy was placed in her lap and Chloe brought the yellow bear to her face, inhaling his warm and rich scent. She weakly smiled at Jean, thanking him for bringing her teddy bear before she pressed her face against the soft yellow fabric. Chloe could always count on Mr. Cuddly (and Jean) to make her feel better whenever she was having a bad day and today was no exception to that rule. The motherly scent of lavender and honey filled her nostrils and stirred her soul, allowing her to curl up against her pillow and get cozy. 

  Of course, Chloe was still upset that her father rejected her presence, and it was painful to never spend time with her family, but she should be used to this sort of behavior from her parents. She just wanted to know why they never spent any time together if they were a family? What was the point of getting married if they always spent time away from each other? Why didn’t they just file for divorce if all they were going to do was abuse each other and always take their anger out on work or their daughter?

  Chloe lifted her head, squishing Mr. Cuddly’s soft body with a groan. “Mr. Cuddly, this fucking sucks,” she grumbled before smashing her face against the velvety blanket. It still held a nice floral scent that filled her with such an indescribable happiness and it stirred her once darkened soul. Jean always chose the best laundry detergent and always knew which scents that she preferred and which ones she did not care for. 

  Why couldn’t her parents be more like Jean? Why did they always play her for a fool and think she was less important than they were? Why, why, why, why ? Perhaps she was a fool for trusting them so easily, but those should be the first two people she learns to trust in this miserably bleak life. They had made her from their blood and other unmentionable fluids—her mother had fashioned Chloe in her very womb from her blood, yet she tossed her aside the moment she was born. Her father was no better, often ignoring her for work. 

  Chloe had so many questions yet so little time to have them all answered.


  The highlight of Aurora’s day was the abrupt phone call from Chloe. It gave her the excuse to tear away from her uncle, claiming that it was important that she take it. She thanked God that Chloe had called when she did because Aurora didn’t want to hear about her mother any second longer. 

  While Sebastien was more than willing to forgive their mother, Aurora would not. How could she forgive that vile bitch for abusing her and her sibling for years? For traumatizing Sebastien to the point that they developed dissociative identity disorder? How could anyone forgive such a destructive woman like that? 

  She clenched her jaw with her back pressed against the oak door, squeezing her phone until her hand throbbed. Aurora didn’t want to go back out there and talk about her mother, but her uncle would call for her again. Aurora adored her uncle, but he was way too trusting, and he could be rather foolish at times. Their mother wasn’t going to change any time soon so why on earth would they ever accept her back into their lives? Aurora and Sebastien were much happier without her and they didn’t need her fucking up their progress. 

  “Aurora, are you still on the phone with your friend?” Her uncle gently asked, rapping against the door. 

  The brunette swallowed, “Uh, yes! Luka said he needed my help at the ship, so I’ll have to leave in a bit.”

  It was a simple lie, but Aurora didn’t want to hear a single word about her dreaded mother again. That woman was a monster and caused so many scars, so she wanted to avoid the older woman as much as possible. She quickly dressed, slipping on a day-old pair of blue jeans and a cashmere sweater, grabbing a pair of mismatched socks as well. She would rush out the room before her uncle, Jarvis, would have a chance to stop her and rope her back into that awful conversation. Her uncle was a darling, but Aurora really didn’t want to entertain his idea of talking to her mother, especially after he fought so hard to gain custody of both children.

  Throwing her hair in a messy, low ponytail and tossing her satchel over her shoulder, Aurora rushed out of her room and past her uncle with a gasp. “Didn’t see you there, but I really need to get going! Luka needs me on the ship!” it lied, grabbing its shoes by the front door and slipping them on. 

  “Aurora, can we please talk about this?” Jarvis asked with a pleading voice. 

  She ignored his question, zipping up her boots and standing up again. “I really need to get going, Uncle! I’ll see you after lunch!” Aurora grinned before running out the front door and slamming it shut before Jarvis could call out for her again. She let her feet carry her down the streets, not carrying where they led her, as long as they got her out of that apartment and away from her uncle. 

  It’s not like Jarvis was abusive or a cruel man, but he was rather pushy when it came to the delicate topic of family. Jarvis had told both Sebastien and Aurora that he and their mother never had a stable home growing up, and how they would go plenty of nights without food or trying to avoid their neglectful parents. Their mother was able to escape the household first and took Jarvis once she had set enough money aside. He never went into detail about how she was able to obtain so much money, but Aurora had a good guess on how she did. 

  Jarvis always thought people should talk before they decided to cut ties; it may have worked for him, but Aurora didn’t want to breathe the same air as that rotten woman. Aurora remembered how their mother would burst into their room late at night, ripping Aurora out of bed and yelling at her to get her sorry ass in the bathroom. Thankfully, nothing would escalate because Sebastien would chase after Aurora and lock them both into the bathroom until their mother’s tantrum passed. 

  She knew that Jarvis wanted everyone to get along and maybe patch the destroyed bonds, but Aurora simply could not. It was too painful to remember and Aurora didn’t want to witness that woman relapse and make empty promises again and again. 

  Rounding the corner, Aurora ran straight into Luka’s chest with an oof! noise and fell right on her ass. She groaned, rubbing her possibly bruised rear before staring up at Luka. Her cheeks were soon colored a light rosy color before she found herself speechless, looking at Luka through her thin lashes. Goodness, has he always been this attractive from this angle? His lips look so kissable .

  “Are you alright?” Luka asked, offering his hand out to her. 

  Swallowing the lump caught in her throat, Aurora quickly nodded. “Y-Yes! I’m fine!” she spat out, letting Luka pull her up, only to fall into his chest. Fuck, they were so close and Aurora was burning with shame. She could feel the rhythm of his heart thrumming against his chest and it was such a soothing noise that filled her ear. He was so warm and—was that weed she smelled on him?? Maybe she was imagining it, but Aurora still thought he smelled good. 

  Wait. That sounded a bit creepy the more she thought about it. 

  Luka chuckled, tapping her shoulder. “Cat got your tongue?” he teased, pulling back to flash that warm smile of his. God, Aurora could feel her insides knitting and twisting; she was so glad she skipped lunch. 

  “I-I’m good! Great even!” Aurora stammered, scratching her neck. “I was just heading to your house. Needed to get away from my uncle.”

  “I was heading over to Marinette’s. I don’t think you’ve met her,” Luka said. “Would you like to come with me?”

  Aurora nodded, swallowing down her emotions. “Yes, I would like to meet your friend!” she giggled, following him to the bakery. She enjoyed the time she spent with Luka and was so glad her lie came in handy; Luka was such good company, and her heart couldn’t stop hammering against her chest. She felt so warm and tingly around him; Aurora didn’t want to sound like a ditzy fan girl, but she adored spending time with them. 

  After a few minutes of walking and idle chatter, the duo arrived at the Dupain-Cheng bakery and Luka held the door open for Aurora. They stepped inside, greeting both Sabine and Tom the second they were inside. 

  “Oh, Luka! It’s nice to have you back in the bakery!” Sabine greeted happily, dusting her hands off on her apron. She then smiled at Aurora, “And who might you be? I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you!”

  Aurora offered out her hand, grinning. “I’m Aurora; I'm a friend of Luka’s and he was taking me to meet Marinette,” it explained. 

  “You’re just in luck!” Tom declared, pulling the next batch of bread out of the fire oven and setting it down to cool on the counter. “Marinette is up in her room; she said she was supposed to help with a project, but they decided to work tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Dupain. Is it alright if we head up?” Luka asked. 

  Once they got confirmation, Aurora and Luka made their way to Marinette’s room. They poked their hands in when Marinette allowed them to step in and Luka waved at the blue-haired designer. Marinette squealed happily, tucking away any pictures she had plastered on the walls and hugged Luka. “I thought it would have taken you a bit longer to get here. But I’m glad you’re here, Luka!” she beamed. 

  Luka returned her hug, pulling away after a few moments. “I’m happy to see you too,” they said, gesturing to Aurora. “Marinette, I would like you to meet Marinette. Marinette, this is my friend, Aurora. I’ve known her since we were little.”

  The two girls shook hands, happily introducing each other. They all got settled on the chaise, happily conversing with each other and watching silly videos Aurora had saved on her phone. This was much better than that silly lie she told her uncle earlier. She was having fun with her new friend; they were all smiles and giggles, urging Aurora to play another video, and it happily complied. 

  At one point, Aurora was certain her hand brushed against Luka’s and her cheeks burned red. He said nothing about it, opting to give her hand a slight squeeze before pulling away and returning to the video. Her heart skipped a beat before she abruptly stood up, excusing herself to the bathroom. The room was getting stuffy, and Aurora swore she was going to pass out if she stayed in their presence any longer.

  Her cheeks were hot to the touch and Aurora was afraid someone could hear her heartbeat. It was so loud, thrumming against her chest and clenching every so often. She was drawing to the conclusion that she had feelings for Luka, but there was no way she could confess such a secret to him. Sure, she had a spark of confidence now and then, but revealing that she harbored romantic feelings for her closest friend could damage their friendship. She didn’t want to make things awkward between the two of them, but she couldn’t allow herself to wallow in self-pity and wait. Maybe he would understand and let her down gently if he didn’t reciprocate her feelings and they could remain friends. Luka was a nice guy and wouldn’t be unnecessarily cruel towards her; yes, Aurora would plan to tell him and then, they could move on. 

  She dampened her face with a splash of cool water, smacking her plush cheeks and slicking the stray hairs out of her face. 

  Coming back into the room, Aurora found Marinette and Luka all cuddled up together, staring down at Luka’s phone. They looked so cute together, smiling and pointing at whatever was playing on his phone. The sight made Aurora’s stomach twist, but she said nothing about it. It quietly rejoined the group, peeking over Luka’s shoulder and cracking a small smile. “Luka showing you his cat videos?” she asked with a hum. 

  “I didn’t know he had so many of them,” Marinette laughed, wiping under her eyes. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a few of Chat Noir. He’s pretty popular in this area.”

  “I do, in fact, have several videos of Chat Noir,” Luka revealed with a toothy grin. “Aurora was the one who found them and sent them all to me.”

  Marinette laughed; one arm draped across Aurora’s shoulders with a reassuring grin. “Well, you should send me some videos, so I’ll have something to show my friend, Alya. She loves making compilations of both Ladybug and Chat Noir,” she grinned. 

  Aurora nodded, whipping out her phone. “I’d be more than happy to,” she said quietly, handing the device over to the blue-haired baker. She bounced her leg nervously, taking her phone back once Marinette punched in her information and popped off the bed. “I’m going to grab some snacks from the bakery. Are you guys okay with the leftovers or any deformed pastries my parents made?”

  “Food is food. As long as it tastes good—which it will—then I don’t care how it looks,” Luka chuckled, setting his phone down as Aurora agreed with his statement. 

  When Marinette nodded and ducked down to the bakery, Luka turned to Aurora with a soft smile, squeezing its hand. “Isn’t she great? I knew you two would get along,” he chuckled. 

  “She is,” Aurora agreed, swallowing the bubble in her throat and drumming her fingers on her thighs. She dared to peek up at Luka with her own soft smile. “You two seem to get along really well. Have you known Marinette for a long time? Longer than me?” she teased. 

  “Oh no. I met her this year; Juleka introduced us during band rehearsal, and she just needed to take a breather. She stumbled into my room by mistake,” Luka revealed while a rosy hue dusted his usually pale cheeks. “She’s the only person whose heart song I can’t figure out. I want to get it perfect.”

  Aurora’s insides twisted and she felt a twinge of jealousy. The way Luka spoke of Marinette made her positively green with envy, but she bit her tongue, forcing herself to nod along and she made the foolish mistake of pressing him for questions. Oh, she had her wish granted and Luka rambled on about how Marinette was always doing extraordinary things for her classmates and how she was just a delight to be around. 

  It was true that Marinette was a delight to be around, but Aurora wanted Luka to look at her like that. She wanted to hear them praise her with that lovely smile. She shuffled in her seat, wetting her bottom lip before looking up at Luka through her thin lashes. “I-I have something I want to tell you, "It mumbled, twisting her sleeve between her fingers. “Luka, I really—”

  “I’m back with sugar cookies!” Marinette announced, popping her head up and climbing back upstairs with the plate in her hands. “Papa said it was a botched recipe—too much lemon, he swears—but I told him I would take them off of his hands… Am I interrupting something?”

  Aurora stood up, brushing her hair behind her shoulder. “No, nothing at all! I was just telling Luka that I was leaving,” she lied, forcing herself to smile before pulling Luka into a swift hug. She then helped Marinette back into the room before descending the stairs. “It was nice to meet you, Marinette, and I’ll see you later, Luka. Have fun!” she grinned, closing the hatch door on her way out. The drumming of her heart and the pounding of blood in her ear confirmed Aurora’s suspicions: she was completely jealous of Marinette and wanted Luka’s eyes on her. 

  With her heart clenching and her face burning, Aurora left the bakery with a simple wave. She didn’t trust herself to speak and she could feel a scream bubble up in the depths of her throat, but she bit it down and kept pushing her emotions down. There was no point in lashing out and getting akumatized by Hawkmoth. The last thing she wanted was to wreak havoc on the city and get her ass kicked by Paris’ beloved heroes. Honestly, she didn’t want to be subjected to those god-awful designs Hawkmoth concocted. 

  Her phone rang, vibrating against her thigh as she jogged down the street. It could suspect that its uncle was still trying to reach her, but Aurora didn’t want to return home so soon. Jarvis was usually so understanding, and he knew about the abuse and the drug addiction; originally, Jarvis was firm with their mother and told her not to come back unless she changed her ways, but everyone assumed that the woman would fail in cleaning up her act. 

  Apparently, she was desperate to reconnect with her family and had given her life to God, saying He had helped her stay on the righteous path. Yeah right. If Aurora had a guess, their mother must have run out of drug money and needed someone to be her cash cow again. No thank you, Aurora would never fall for lies again; she had been fooled once and she wouldn’t fall for those lies again. 

  It made Aurora think: why did her mother treat them both so poorly? She had seen the baby photos and smiled at the snapshots of her mother cradling a baby Sebastien in her arms before flipping the page to see their mother sleep with both her darlings in her arms. Where did it all go wrong? They all were so happy until the drugs got involved, so what happened? Was it because they were born? Was their mother just unhappy with their life? Yes, the family of three didn’t have many material objects but they had each other, which should have been more than enough. 

  Were they not enough? Was there love not enough to fill that empty void in her chest? 

  Why couldn’t they all be happy together?

  Sighing, Aurora finally stumbled through the threshold, pushing the door open before dropping her bag near the shoe rack. There was a note from her uncle, but she disregarded it, tearing it off the front of the fridge before snagging a couple of yogurt cups from the pull-out drawer. “I’m going to take a nap,” she said to no one in particular, padding into her room and locking the door behind her. 

  Aurora proceeded to dump all six cups of yogurt onto her thick comforter and lifted the mattress for her secret stash. The addictive pills called out to her and like a touch-starved sailor, Aurora answered the melodic and enticing siren song, fishing out three pills and letting them fall on her tongue. The oxycodone sat on her tongue before she roughly swallowed, ignoring how it scraped against the lining of her throat.

  It was funny. Oxycodone was supposed to address moderate to severe pain, but Aurora didn’t feel any better. Sure, she had days where she felt on top of the world when she swallowed a few pills, but the waves of guilt overwhelmed her once she realized that she was mimicking her mother’s actions. It was so hard to stop, and she had been clean for so long, but she ruined all her progress because of one bad day. One off day and she was back relying on those fucking drugs again just like her mother. 

  She savagely tore the foil off her yogurt cup, squeezing the sweet treat into her mouth and forced herself to swallow it all. It was so thick going down her throat and Aurora was going to drown in her dessert; she definitely should have grabbed a spoon before she decided to eat her feelings. 

Well, drowning in her feelings and yogurt was far better than addressing the main issue at hand. Her mother could burn in hell for all she cared.

Notes:

Come talk to me in my discord server! This way, you can see some previews for this story and can ask questions! We have games, mudae, and we have other miraculous fans! Join the bear book lodge

Chapter 16: She Can’t Decide

Notes:

So, ice-skating, but make it lesbians

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

  Chloe wasn’t ready for this outing with Aurora. She had woken up earlier and thrown all her clothes out, trying to find the best outfit she could possibly come up with. At first, Chloe tried to do with the sundress that her mother bought her, but she had to change her clothes when Aurora suggested that they go to the skating rink. It sounded awful, but Chloe caved, saying that it was a good suggestion and she could have the chauffeur pick her up when they were ready. 

  Now, she had absolutely nothing to wear. 

  “This is stupid! Why did I agree to the skating rink? That’s the worst place, and I have absolutely nothing to wear,” Chloe grumbled, scratching her scalp and picking up the strewn clothes. Nothing would match her makeup or her hairstyle; she knew she should have gone on that shopping trip when her mother was in New York. Had she gone, Chloe never would have been in this predicament but alas, there was nothing she could do about it now. She would have to make due until she begged Daddy to take her shopping this week. 

  She picked at the cashmere sweater dress sitting on the floor, examining the soft fabric before tossing it over her shoulder. Nothing looked right and she didn’t have time to dawdle; it would be awhile before any winter items would be sold, so there was no way that Chloe could buy any cute clothes. With a heavy sigh, Chloe tossed her clothes once again before setting off for the bathroom. She could shower and worry about clothes after a good soak; she had been dying to try out the new bath salts she had ordered from Japan—Adrien said that they worked wonders and really helped with his overwhelming stress. 

  So she soaked in the bath with her knees drawn to her chest and her phone in hand. Aurora had been keeping contact all morning, saying that she might be late since her uncle wanted her to take care of some chores around the house before she left. Chloe humored her, giving short responses before scrolling through her Instagram account again—she saved a few makeup tutorials to her private section, and maybe she kept circling back to Selene’s account, but that's neither here nor there.  

  Her thoughts then drifted to Selene and that unspeakable event that occurred between them. Chloe realized that she had been thinking about the other girl a lot more, and her heart began to race, threatening to burst out of her chest. Selene made Chloe feel dizzy and fuzzy on the inside, and the thought scared her. 

  Her phone rang again, and Chloe almost dropped her device in the pink-tinted water. With her heart hammering in her throat, the blonde answered with a shaky voice, “Hello?”

  “Sorry for calling again, Chloe!” Aurora apologized profusely, her voice wavering a bit—if Chloe strained her ears a bit, she was certain she could hear the sounds of muffled voices and fits of irritation bleeding in through the other girl’s voice. There was an annoyed sigh before Aurora returned back to her chipper and bright self, and Chloe could practically hear the smile in her voice. “I might show up later—sudden family matters. I’m so sorry if I’m wasting your time. We can reschedule for another day if you want,” she suggested. 

  Wasn’t that just her fucking luck.

  “It’s fine. Whenever you have the chance, just stop by the ice-skating, and we can just get coffee or whatever bullshit you wanna do,” Chloe sighed, running a hand through her mess of blonde hair. “I’m free all day, so I don’t really care when—hell, I’m always free. It’s not like Daddy is going to spend time with me, even though he promised,” she scoffed.

  “Damn—I’m sorry about your dad, Chloe,” Aurora trailed off. 

  “I don’t need your pity. Life just happens,” Chloe shrugged, sinking deeper into the now lukewarm water. “Just—call me when you’re done. I’m getting ready to leave, and my service sucks ass in the limo,” she lied, promptly hanging up. 

  If Chloe couldn’t cozy up to Aurora, she could kiss that chance to impress her mother goodbye. Was it a sad and desperate attempt to seek approval from a woman—from a parent—that would never spare her a second glance? Of course, it was, but Chloe was so starved for parental affection and the overwhelming desire to be good enough. She shouldn’t have to work so hard for her mother just to look at her and approve of her existence; Chloe shouldn’t have to drop to her knees and pitifully beg for her mother to just fucking do her job and love her. What’s a girl gotta do to hear her mother say, “I love you.”

  She stood up, carelessly tossing her phone on the plush throw carpet, and quickly dressed. Her honeyed hair pooled just below her shoulders, and while Chloe was tempted to pull it back into her signature high ponytail, she opted to keep it down and touched her pale cheeks. Ugh, she was looking lifeless, and that was never a good thing. If only her mother could see her now, Audrey would have thrown a fit and demanded that Chloe add some color to her cheeks. 

  So she did. Chloe applied the excessive makeup to her dull face and brightened her cheeks with the lightest pink blush she had in her makeup arsenal; her lips and eyes got the same treatment as well, getting brushed with light shades of blues and pinks, bringing out the light in her once dull eyes. When Chloe peeked back in the mirror, she forced herself to smile and pose in the mirror, flaunting herself like some runway model. 

  Anyone could look pretty enough with just a touch of makeup. 

  Retrieving her phone from the floor, Chloe sashayed out to the main hall, calling her beloved butler to her side. “I’m going out. Have the car brought around and tell Daddy that I’ll be home late,” she informed him, folding her arms across her chest as they entered the elevator. 

  “Oh, your father isn’t here at the moment—”

  “Of course, he isn’t. I never would have guessed, Pompeii. Thank you for informing me about the new changes,” Chloe sarcastically drawled, rolling her eyes. 

  “—said that he would be going to the ice rink. He has a contract to tear it down,” Jean informed. 

  Chloe whipped her head around, furrowing her brows. “What in the—what possessed him to do a ridiculous thing like that? He hasn’t cared about construction since he took office so why now?” she huffed. 

  Jean cleared his throat, stepping out of the elevator with the young mistress in tow. “Your father said that it was supposed to be a gift for you. He said that you’ve been dying to go work out more, so he’s been preparing a gym for you,” he said nonchalantly. 

  It took everything in Chloe not to scream and throw a fit right there. Paris already had a gym and there was no need for another one, especially when the gym was already so close to the hotel. This just proved that Andre never listened to Chloe or cared about what she actually wanted. She never wanted another gym—yes, she had been tickled pink to find that there was a new gym so close to her residence and had rambled to her father, but this was completely out of hand. Stupid, utterly stupid!

  Chloe sighed, massaging her temples. “Get the car. I have to find a way to talk him out of this.”


  Selene wasn’t sure what the mayor was doing at the ice skating rink but it was nothing good from the looks of it. Poor Philippe was being harassed by the mayor, pleading with the large man to not shut down the skating rink. He was on his knees, begging and almost sobbing with Andre to leave the ice rink alone, but Andre did not budge. 

  “This is not your ice rink, Philippe! It belongs to the Parisians. I'm not closing it down,” Andre snapped, adjusting his tight suit with a slight smile. “ I'll just be converting it into an indoor gym for my Chloe—er, my city ! Nobody comes to your ice rink for lessons anyway. You haven't had a single student sign up this year. Just look around you,” the mayor sneered, making a sweeping gesture with an exposed palm.

  Selene felt pity for the ice skater. She wanted to intervene, but what good could she do? One student wouldn’t be enough to help Philippe save the ice rink, and Selene didn’t have many friends to ask. What could she possibly do but watch with sad eyes?

  Her head popped up when the doors swung open, and she saw Marinette, Luka, and two other bodies enter the ice rink. Oh, Philippe’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when they all walked in with skates in their hands. He even had a smug look on his face, twirling around the mayor happily before declaring, “Wrong, Mr. Mayor! Some new skaters! I knew it!”

  The mayor grumbled, staring at the four newcomers and pinching the bridge of his nose. “Okay, okay,” he muttered, pulling out a form from his jacket. “If you can get just one single sign-up within ten minutes, I'll put the gym conversion work on hold,” he promised. 

  Philippe grabbed the forms with a gleeful smile. “Consider it done!”

  The two then parted ways, and Selene turned her attention to the four kids who were lacing up their skates. Luka pulled Marinette onto the skating rink and she could see that sweet smile spreading across his soft face with a light pink hue dusting his plush cheeks. He looked so happy with Marinette and enjoyed her company while the other blue-haired girl pulled the blonde boy into the rink with a gentle tone to her voice. From what she could see, Marinette kept looking back at her other friends, blushing harder when the blonde grinned at her. 

  Fucking hell, love triangles—squares?—suck ass.

  Selene skated up to Luka and Marinette, offering a wave. “Nice to see you guys here. I guess great minds really do think alike,” the goth teased with a slight smirk, draping her arm across Luka’s shoulders. “So, who else did you bring along? isn’t the blonde one in our class?”

  “O-Oh yeah—uh, Adrien is in our class, and Kagami is a friend from his fencing class!” Marinette stammered, swallowing the lump lodged in her throat. Her cheeks burned a bright red, and she looked so nervous, squeezing Luka’s hand until her smile faltered. “They’re both really good friends of mine! Yeah—just really good friends.”

  Selene could hear the uncertainty in Marinette’s voice, but she didn't question it. She nodded, looking back at Adrien and Kagami with a scrutinizing eye, watching how they interacted with each other. “Well, they seem to get along well. Don’t you think so?” she asked absentmindedly, still skating alongside her two friends. “I think I would make a cute couple.”

  “I rather they not,” Marinette grumbled. 

  “What was that?” Selene asked. 

  Marinette burned red, waving off her previous statement. “Nothing, nothing! I was just thinking out loud!” she laughed, clinging to Luka’s side and still holding his hand. 

  She didn’t press any further. Instead, Selene parted from the group, telling them to enjoy their time on the rink. She opted to watch the two groups, seeing how they interacted with each other and how they pulled each other closer. Selene noticed how Luka subtly flirted with Marinette, keeping his hand on her waist and keeping her close while she burned with embarrassment. The goth noted how Kagami was straightforward, taking Adrien’s hand and guiding him onto the ice, helping him get the gist of it. 

  And of course, Selene noticed the jealous stares Marinette kept shooting over her shoulder when she thought no one was paying attention. Envy had contorted those pretty features and Selene could relate to the latter in a sense. That burning jealousy when the one you love fancies another—Selene didn’t think she was a jealous person, but she was jealous of Adrien to a certain extent. 

  In the past week, Selene had come to the conclusion that she was attracted to Chloe (more than she would like to admit) and enjoyed her presence. Sure, she was an absolute brat, but it added to the charm—it’s what made Selene smile. Seeing how she demanded absolute attention and wasn’t afraid to take what she wanted has Selene blushing hard. If she could, Selene would give Chloe whatever she wanted if it meant her affections might be returned. 

  God, that sounded creepy the more she thought about it. 

  When the doors swung open, Selene was not expecting to see an out-of-breath and raging Chloe, yet here they were. Chloe screamed at her father, calling him ridiculous as she ridiculed him for harassing the owner of the skating rink. “You are being ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous! We already have a gym in the city, so why would we need another one?” she snapped, folding her arms across her chest. 

  Andre stammered for a moment, going red in the face as he lowered his voice. “Chloe, dearest, you said you wanted a new gym—”

  “I said I wanted to go to the gym!” Chloe spat. “Nobody seems to listen to me! This is stupid; all of this is just plain stupid!”

  Selene silently agreed. 

  As they both argued, Philippe tried his best to recruit people to join his classes. He paused them, saying that they had the perfect physique to make it to nationals. It was a desperate attempt, but he was desperate to keep the skating rink open, even if Chloe was arguing with her father to leave the poor man alone and do his business somewhere else. Each time, he was denied and given an excuse before they skated away. Selene wanted to sign up for classes, but she didn’t want to be a burden to her family nor did he want to waste that poor man’s time. Knowing her, Selene would enjoy it in the beginning, but would suddenly disappear the minute she got in one of her bad moods. It wouldn’t be fair to Philippe to suddenly quit on him, and she didn’t want to waste his time. 

  It was heartbreaking to see Andre hand Philippe the papers and tell him that his rink—his career—would be closed tonight. 

  “I can’t believe him,” Chloe muttered beside her, furrowing her brows as she clenched her phone.

  “Can’t believe who?” Selene asked with a raised eyebrow. 

  She scoffed, rolling her eyes before her shoulders drooped. “My daddy! He didn’t—all of this was stupid! I didn’t even want a new gym! He doesn’t listen to me when it really matters!” she complained, burying her face in her hands. 

  “Doesn’t he usually listen to you? I thought he doted on you,” Selene said. 

  “Well, the universe likes to fuck me when I really need something,” Chloe sneered, standing up. “I don’t know why I’m wasting my breath. this is stupid—everything is just stupid. What am I even doing here?”

  Selene shrugged, scratching behind her ear. “You tell me. Why are you here?”

  Chloe glowered, baring her teeth. “It was a rhetorical question, you dumbass,” she bit out. 

  “I figured as much,” Selene shot back, standing up and dusting off her hands. “Well, it was nice seeing you again, Chloe, but I think I’m gonna head home and work on our project. We should meet up again for that.”

  “And see you and that loser Dupain-Cheng? It’s already bad enough I ran into you two here,” Chloe grumbled, gesturing to the blue-haired ditz on skates. “If I could switch schools, I would have been gone already. I hate this stupid project, and I hate everyone in this stupid city.”

  “Wow, and here I thought we had something special,” Selene gasped, pressing her hand against her forehead and swooning. “I thought we grew closer—”

   Chloe pressed a hand to Selene’s mouth, narrowing her eyes. “We don’t talk about that. I told you that it never happened. It was just because of the akuma,” she stated. 

  Selene just grinned, removing Chloe’s hand from her mouth. “I know, I know. You’re just too cute to tease,” she sings-song. 

  Before Chloe could shoot off a snarky remark, both girls noticed how Philippe was now covered in a thick, purplish-black smog. Everyone on the rink evacuated, running to hide as Hawkmoth completed the instructor’s dark transformation. Chloe yanked Selene into one of the gender-neutral bathrooms, locking the door behind her and sliding down to the floor. Ice soon began creeping from under the door, and she gasped, stepping away from the inching chill as Selene pulled her into one of the stalls, ordering her to stand on one of the bowls. 

  “And ruin my Gucci shoes? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Chloe grimaced, staring at the toilet. 

  “It’s just for a moment, I promise,” Selene explained, standing on one side of the toilet, offering her hand to Chloe with somewhat of a smile. “If I’m right, the ice will spread across the floor first and work its way up. Once the floor is covered, we can get back down.”

  Chloe frowned, taking Selene’s hand. “And if you’re wrong?”

  Selene wet her bottom lip, “We get frozen.”

  It was scary to think about. Ice biting at fevered flesh, inflicting pain slowly but surely until the heart stopped pumping blood, stopping the body from functioning. Selene could see the uncertainty in Chloe’s pretty eyes, but she squeezed her hand, reassuring the other girl that everything would be fine even if the latter occurred. They would be safe from the akuma here, and the heroes would fix everything, Selene was sure. 

  The haunting ice crept across the floor, leaving a thin layer across the porcelain before it began crawling up the walls and stall doors. Selene nodded at Chloe, carefully lowering herself off the toilet and testing the waters. She pressed her foot against the floor, holding her breath before she planted herself against the ground. When nothing happened, Selene gently took Chloe into her arms, hooking her arm underneath the blonde’s arm. Like a knight rescuing the princess who had been locked away in a tower, Selene carefully guided her to the ground with a faint warmth spreading across her cheeks. 

  Never had Selene been so awkward around a girl. Her heart was beating furiously, thrumming in her chest while her stomach knotted and curled. Chloe was a beautiful girl, she couldn’t deny that fact, but she made Selene absolutely weak in the knees. It didn’t help that they had been so intimately close in the past and had shared a kiss with each other—a kiss that Chloe didn’t want to discuss. Selene could recall the softness of those plush lips against hers and remember the faintest hint of fruit when the akuma had been purified. 

  She felt like a lovesick puppy. 

  “The door is frozen shut!” Chloe screamed, tearing Selene from her thoughts as she banged her fists against the iced metal. She groaned in annoyance, attempting to wiggle the door handle, but her efforts were in vain. The blonde gave up, throwing her hands in the air before sliding to the ground, pulling her knees to her chest. 

  This posed an issue for the two of them. The temperature was beginning to drop, and Chloe wasn’t dressed properly for this sudden weather change (or for an ice skating rink in general), so she would be the first to feel the bite of the cold. If the battle with the akuma dragged out for too long, there was a good chance that she could get hypothermia and that was always a messy situation. 

  Selene sat behind Chloe, shrugging off her jacket and handing it to the blonde. “We might be here for a while, so the last thing we need to deal with is you getting hypothermia,” she teased.

  “I don’t want your hand-outs,” Chloe shivered, draping her arms across her body. “I’ve been to colder places than this. Just worry about yourself.”

  “Your chattering teeth say otherwise. You’re getting the jacket whether you want it or not,” the goth pointed out, draping her jacket across Chloe’s shoulders, much to her dismay. 

  The two then fall into an awkward silence. Chloe kept herself huddled together, knees pressed against her chest as she slightly leaned against Selene, not bothering to even stare at the taller girl. Selene looked down at her, fighting off the smile and swallowing yet another lump in her throat. She wanted to brush Chloe’s hair out of her face but decided against it, stilling her hands and glancing at the thin sheen of ice that coated the ground. 

  In most (heterosexual and white predominant movies) romance movies, this would have been the perfect opportunity to get closer to the lover interest, but it seemed entirely inappropriate to act on such an impulse. What would Selene even say? What could she even do? Goodness, she was nervous and felt like a fish out of water—the last time she acted on impulse, it had all gone poorly, and she felt like an utter fool. 

   If only I wasn’t a social reject, Selene bitterly thought. 

  “Hey,” Chloe spoke up, pulling Selene out of her thoughts. “I—listen: about that kiss that happened during the akuma attack. That didn’t happen.”

  “Yes, that’s what we agreed to,” Selene agreed, leaning against the wall. “You also said that we weren’t going to bring it up again.”

  “I know that, moron! Let me finish,” she huffed, sitting up straight and crossing her legs. There was a light blush tinting her cheeks and Chloe chewed on her bottom lip, mumbling incoherent phrases for a few seconds. She then coiled a strand of hair around her finger, barely able to hold eye contact with Selene. “I was—it’s hard to explain. I think the akuma is still messing with me. I don’t know how but it’s freaking me out and I just need to know..”

  Selene cocked her head to the side, raising an eyebrow. “Need to know what?” she pressed. 

  Chloe’s face burned furiously and she hid herself behind her petite hands. “If you—does your…does your heart race when you recall that moment between us?” she asked quietly, her voice dying out. 

  Now it was Selene’s turn to blush. She was flustered, feeling her heart pitter-patter against her ribs and her stomach coil. It was such an odd question yet it jolted such a strong reaction out of both girls; Selene wet her dry lips, scanning Chloe’s language before shying away, hiding her flustered expression. She didn’t know how to respond to such a question. 

  The goth shifted, rubbing her wrist. “I—fuck. Put me between a rock and a hard spot, why don’t you?” Selene sheepishly laughed, averting her eyes to the ground before her voice grew quieter, barely above a whisper. “Sometimes, I do. I liked the feeling of your lips against mine,” she admitted. 

  “But—but it’s just because of the akuma, right?” Chloe asked, picking at her cuticles. “I noticed that everyone infected has been a lot more lovey-dovey, so it has to be a side effect. Maybe the cure didn’t reverse the damage immediately.”

  “Chloe, we both know the cure doesn’t work like that,” Selene pointed out. 

  Chloe shrugged, turning away from Selene with an irritated huff. “Well, maybe things have changed! Maybe Hawkmoth changed or got stronger and found a way to affect the citizens after Ladybug used her cure. That’s the only logical explanation for all of this because I’m not—I can’t be…” she trailed off. 

  “Can’t be what?” Selene pressed. 

  She didn’t answer. A red tint spread across Chloe’s face before she turned her back to Selene, pulling her knees to her chest. “You wouldn’t understand it. You’ll judge me just like everyone else does,” Chloe huffed. 

  Selene snorted, stretching out her legs. “Oh, test me, princess. Nothing you say can phase me; I’ve seen the most cursed shit on the internet,” she shrugged. 

  Chloe rolled her eyes, barely looking over her shoulder and meeting Selene’s unwavering gaze. “How can I trust you? Everyone in class hates me, so why would I believe you would be any different?” she questioned. 

  “I’m here with you and I want to know you. I want to know who you really are, Chloe,” Selene assured, reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers together. “I want to hear it from your mouth, not anyone else’s.”

  A red hue intensified across Chloe’s pale cheeks and she chewed on her bottom lip nervously. When those blue eyes shifted back towards Selene, the goth felt her stomach twist and her mouth go dry. Delicately, she caressed Chloe’s cheek and swiped her thumb across the swell of her face. The blonde didn’t shy away from her touch and just remained still, holding her breath in what Selene could assume as anticipation. 

  “You’re ridiculous—this is all ridiculous,” Chloe breathed, wetting her bottom lip. 

  “I could say the same about you,” Selene hummed, closing the gap between them. Their bodies were so close together and the heat rolled off of them in waves, making it harder and harder to breathe. When Chloe shifted and sat between Selene’s open legs, the latter shivered and relaxed against the cold wall. 

  They grew closer and closer, feeling the heat from each other’s breath until their lips barely touched. It was hesitant and scary, neither girl wanting to make the wrong move until Chloe just dove in, pressing her mouth against Selene’s. The kiss was awkward and messy, but they stayed connected for a few seconds. There were sparks going off and Selene just held Chloe by her forearms, awkwardly returning the kiss. 

  When they pulled back, both girls were breathless and flushing hard. Chloe looked more shocked—perhaps shocked at the fact that Selene had returned the gesture or the fact that there wasn’t an ounce of disgust on her face. Selene swallowed, looking up at the blonde with a flushed expression plastered across her face. She then laughed, rolling her shoulders, “So, first kiss?”

  “I—this was a mistake,” Chloe quickly said, pushing away from Selene and standing up. “I shouldn’t have—this was just stupid. I’m not—this never happened!” she snapped, tossing Selene’s jacket back in her face and standing up. 

  By some stroke of luck, the miraculous cure reversed the damage and Chloe fled the bathroom without another word, and Selene didn’t stop her. She sat on the floor like an idiot, still touching her lips with that stupid, lovesick expression on her face. If she thought hard about it hard enough, Selene could imagine the warmth of Chloe’s lips against hers and recall the faint floral scent that clung to her clothes. Flowers and something sweeter—honey, she guessed. 

  Her fingers danced across her chest, just above her heart and Selene could feel it beating hard and fast. Any harder and it might shoot out of her chest; she breathed, running a hand through her mess of hair before pressing herself against the wall. That kiss—it was awkward and Selene liked it a lot. She liked how their lips meshed together and how flushed Chloe looked when they finally pulled apart. Selene had no words to describe just how lovely Chloe looked when she was vulnerable—when she was being honest with herself and let down her walls, if it was for a single moment. 

  Selene wanted to hold her face and kiss her over and over again. It was a selfish desire, yes, but could anyone fault Selene for requesting such a thing? Chloe’s face—her lips were just so kissable and warm against hers. She liked how vulnerable and exposed Chloe was when it was just the two of them together. 

  It felt rather nice. 

  With burning cheeks and a racing heart, Selene finally exited the bathroom. It was so hard to function after such a nerve-wracking kiss and Selene couldn’t say no to Philippe when he extended a sheet to her. She signed absentmindedly, promising him that she would stop by the next day and they could start their lessons. Right now, nothing compared to such a moment she shared with Chloe. 

  That soft look in her eyes—the sheer vulnerability and gentleness that pooled in those pretty blue eyes had Selene coming undone at the seams. She felt like a puddle of mush, bringing her fingers to her lips again and smiling like an idiot. 

  Selene liked Chloe a lot. That much was obvious and she would happily kiss her again, but Chloe’s feelings were more important. There was some form of chemistry between them but Chloe didn’t want to believe that she—that it was completely normal to like women. It was nothing to be ashamed of but she didn’t want to seem like she was pressuring Chloe. Accepting that part of herself would take time and would require the pretty blonde to learn how to love herself, even if society seemed against her. 

  With a sigh, Selene said goodbye to Luka and left the skating arena. She would need time to figure out how to vocalize her feelings.

Notes:

Come talk to me in my discord server! This way, you can see some previews for this story and can ask questions! We have games, mudae, and we have more miraculous fans! Join the bunny café Also listen to this chloe playlist made especially for all the various pairings with chloe in this fic; it’s available here

Chapter 17: DISCONTINUED

Chapter Text

As the title says, I have decided to discontinue this story and the other two books in this series. I no longer find joy in writing in this fandom or interacting with the fandom. This used to be my hyper-fixation ever since it came out, and God, I was so in love with the characters as a child. I would get so excited to read the silly fanfics and the OP powers people created for some characters. As I have gotten older, I find it hard to find that spark again; that and the constant bashing and racism aimed at me. Not to mention the transphobia and having my own experiences downplayed by certain fans because I prefer some characters over others.

That and this story was poorly written, and I started writing this when I was thirteen (and only started posting a few years ago), and I'm afraid that at this time, I cannot salvage the plot. I may return to this series and fix it one day, but it will be a while before it happens.

Thank you to all of you who have known me since the Wattpad days of this story and the new users who have shown great interest in this story throughout the years. My heart goes to each of you who stayed with me until now. I am so glad to have you all as my readers and glad that you enjoyed this trainwreck while it lasted.

Notes:

I need to edit this story so badly.

Series this work belongs to: