Chapter Text
The clock on the wall showed it was nearly 7 in the morning. But to the person who was sleeping in the bedroom the clock was, it did not matter if it was 7 in the morning or 7 in the afternoon. For Marinette Dupain-Cheng, all that mattered was knowing that she could sleep all that she wanted, because she was on vacation and did not have to worry about getting up early to go to school. Half-awaken, she turned her head to the side and closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep again in a matter of seconds. During a whole school year, she was forced to wake up early and go to school, five days a week. But for the next two and a half months, she would not have to worry about falling asleep and missing the bus or the underground to get to school. All she had to worry about was how many hours of sleep she had lost over the school year, and was going to regain … or so she thought.
Because her bedroom was located in an attic, the only way to access it was through a trap door. And that was what her mother, Sabine Cheng, did when going to wake her up.
"Marinette, hurry up, honey, or you're going to be late for the bus." -Sabine told her daughter.
Marinette heard her mom calling her, but did not answer her immediately. She was hoping that she was dreaming, she had heard her calling her. But when she heard her calling her a second time, the blue-haired girl forced herself to answer her.
"Just five more minutes, mom… I'm on vacation." -Marinette said, as she turned to the side, and went back to sleep. –"You would expect mom to let me sleep, when I don't have to go to school." -she thought to herself.
"Marinette, wake up, sleepyhead! Do you really want to stay in Paris, or do you want to go to summer camp with your friends?" -Sabine asked her, as she climbed the flight of stairs leading to Marinette's bed. –"Come on, now, the bus to the summer camp won't wait for you, if you're late." -she said.
And then it hit her. She was supposed to go with all her classmates to summer camp, and the departure was that day, at 9 in the morning. Realizing that if she did not hurry up, she would be late for the bus, Marinette jumped out of the bed.
"Oh my gosh! The summer camp, I forgot about it!" -Marinette shouted, panicking. –"I'm going to be late, I'm going to be late, I'm going to be late!" -she exclaimed, as she made her way to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. –"Mom, why didn't you wake me up earlier?!" -she said, as she took off her pyjamas and got ready to enter the bathtub.
"You told me yesterday that you didn't need anyone to wake you up." -Sabrina said, before giggling a little bit.
"And you listened to me?!" -Marinette asked her, trying not to panic, as she entered the bathtub and turned on the water. –"C-Cold, c-cold, c-cold!" –she chattered her teeth, while trying to regulate the water. –"You know me! I always fall asleep on the days that I need to get up early!"
"Then, it's a good thing you packed your things yesterday. If you hadn't, you would definitely be late." -Sabine told her, in an amused tone. –"This daughter of mine… if one day she manages to get a job that involves getting up early, she'll risk
"How much time do I have?!" -Marinette asked her.
"You said, you wanted to be there an hour before departure. So, you still have 50 minutes left. I'll get your breakfast ready, and your dad will drive you to school." -Sabine told her daughter. –"So, don't take too long in the shower, honey." -she said. –"By the way, what do you want for breakfast? Cereal? Pancakes?"
"Can I have one of those jumbo-sized pancakes with blueberries and marshmallows?" -Marinette asked, as she began to wash her hair.
"Well, since I'm not going to feed you for the next few months, I guess I can cook you up something good. Better make sure it's a huge plate, so it will last you until you come back." -Sabine said. –"Will 10 kilos of pancakes be enough for you?" -she joked.
"Very funny, mom, very funny." -Marinette said, -"It's so funny I even forgot to laugh." -she joked, pretending she was being sarcastic.
"Sorry, Marinette. Couldn't help myself, honey." -Sabine giggled. –"I'll get your pancakes done, just the way you like then, don't worry." -she giggled, as she went down the trap door.
Going down the trap door, Sabine continued to think of just how boring that house was going to be, until the last week of August, when Marinette came back from summer camp.
"This place is going to get so boring with Marinette gone… still, she needs to have fun, and Tom and I won't be able to go on vacation this year, because of all the orders for wedding cakes and assorted pastries we're getting. It'll do her some good to have fun with kids her age. And besides, she'll have her best-friend with her. I can only imagine the messes Alya will drag her into." -Sabine thought to herself, as she made her way down the staircase. –"But it'll be the kind of messes that Marinette needs to relax and to have fun. And you can always count on Alya to make sure she has fun."
After eating the biggest breakfast her mom had ever cooked for her, Marinette grabbed her luggage, and kissed Sabine goodbye, promising to call her once she got to camp, and to call her every day at least once, to let her know she was alright and that she missed her. Sabine on her end, made her also promise to send her photos of her having fun. And inside the car, the same thing happened with her dad. Tom also made her promise to call every day. But unlike Sabine, he told his daughter that if she was having too much fun, that it would be alright if she forgot to call them, provided she would call them the following day, early in the morning.
"I won't blame you if you forget to call, honey. And neither will your mom." -Tom told her, with a smile, as he drove through the busy streets of the 18th arrondissement, on its way towards the 10th arrondissement, where the school was.
"Thanks, dad, but I won't forget to call you two." -Marinette smiled back at him, while holding her cell phone. –"Here, I'm going to set up an alarm to remind me to call you, every day." -she said. –"That way, I won't forget, and you'll always know what I'm up to."
Hearing her say that, Tom Dupain felt once more that he had the best daughter in the world. Sometimes, at the bakery, he heard stories from some of his customers, who complained about their sons or daughters giving them trouble and causing them to grow grey hairs. And when he heard them, he considered himself lucky that he had a daughter that did not disobey him or his wife, who was always ready to lend a hand, who was nice towards everyone; in sum, the sweetest, kindest and most amazing daughter, a father could ever ask for.
"Honey, if you forget one time or another, it'll be okay." -Tom said. –"You're on vacation. Enjoy yourself and forget about your old folks for a few weeks." -he smiled at her.
"I will, dad. I promise you that I'll enjoy myself. But I also promise to not forget to call you and mom, every day. And I'll also send you lots of pictures, for you guys to see what I'm up to." -Marinette said. –"Believe me, you'll feel like you're there with me, or that I never left home for the summer." -she smiled.
"Best daughter in the world... Best daughter in the world." -Tom thought to himself.
Arriving at the school, Tom stopped the car and helped Marinette with her luggage, and like the lovable dad he was, he made sure to hug her countless times, before leaving. There were several buses parked around the square facing the school, and all of them had two signs on the front window. One where you could read "Occasional Service" and the other "Collège Françoise-Dupont – Summer Camp". All of them had been requested to take the majority of the students attending Collège Françoise-Dupont to the place where they would spend the following weeks. These all look brand-new, and if they were not, at least the coat of paint and the tires looked brand-new. Standing next to them were the drivers, who were waiting for orders. Looking around to see if any of her classmates had arrived yet, it took her a couple of seconds to see any of them through the already large number of students that were in front of the school's entrance, all of them carrying large suitcases, as well as backpacks. When she finally spotted two of them, she did not find it strange for seeing them together.
"Looks like I'm not the first one to arrive. Kim and Max are already here." -Marinette thought to herself, as she saw her classmates talking to one another.
"Morning, Marinette." -a voice was heard. Turning around, Marinette saw it was her friend and classmate, Mylene Haprele.
"Oh, good morning to you too, Mylene." -Marinette smiled at her, as she gave her a hug. –"Ready to go?" -she asked her.
"Absolutely." -Mylene said, as she dropped her backpack on the ground. –"Though, to be honest, I wish I could go to the arts camp, where my dad's going to teach theatre classes this summer. But he and my mom decided that I needed to spend the summer doing something else that didn't involve acting and performing." -she said. –"They say I need to get some fresh air and… well, you've heard that excuse before too, haven't you?"
"I have. And I know how much you wanted to go to that arts camp where your dad's going to teach." -Marinette said, trying to comfort her. –"Whenever he comes to teach one of his workshops, I'm always the first one in line to take them. I'm not much of an actress, and you know that, but his classes are so cool, that I completely ignore that I'm the worst actress I know, and I just try to have fun in them." -she confessed. –"He's a great teacher and a great actor. And you inherited your talent for acting form him, Mylene."
"Thanks, but I still have a lot to learn. Which is why I wanted to go to that arts camp this summer." -Mylene said. –"Instead; I'm going to this summer camp." -she sighed, when she noticed Marinette's sad face. –"But don't think I'm sad for not going to it, or anything. I'm glad to go with you and everyone else to that summer camp… it's just that…"
"You wanted to spend time with your dad. I get it." -Marinette smiled at her. –"I know you two have a special connection, Mylene." -she continued to smile. –"It's only fair you wanting to spend more time with him."
"Yeah… but at least I'll have you and everyone else to keep me company." -Mylene smiled, when she recognized the car from the mother of another of their classmates. –"Oh, Ivan just arrived! Could you keep an eye on my suitcase for a minute, Marinette?" -she asked her, without even as she walked towards the car.
Smiling to herself, Marinette found it funny how Mylene was both happy and sad to go to that summer camp, but did not allow the sadness to overshadow the happiness. Even though she was not going to be able to spend summer with her dad, like she wanted to, she was still happy to go to the summer camp, and spend summer with her classmates. It was a rather beautiful and sweet thought. But that thought quickly dissipated, when she heard a voice, she knew too well. It was the voice of one of the persons Marinette hated the most, Chloe Bourgeois, the Mayor's daughter. Like I happened so often, the girl was berating and insulting someone, as she walked down the street. Turning around, Marinette saw her coming towards her direction.
"Great… Chloe Bourgeois… why does she have to come with us?" -Marinette thought to herself, as she saw the blonde walking in her direction, practically barking orders to one of the few friends she had, Sabrina Raincomprix.
Marinette and Chloe's relationship was anything but amicable. Chloe was Marinette's bully, and she loved to make her life a living Hell, if possible. More than once, they got on each other's nerves because Chloe believed herself to be better than everyone else, and Marinette was someone who could not stand the kind of person she was, and did not have any problem telling that to her face. That alone had made her an enemy at Chloe's eyes, who would take any opportunity to mock her, treat her badly and insult her.
There had been times when the two had managed to work together, towards a common goal, but like so many would say, it happened once in a blue moon. Because most of the time, they would be at each other's throats. But Marinette tried to ignore her, as much as she could. She knew that when they graduated from high school, she would never see her again, and the blue-haired girl was okay with that thought. She did not need people like Chloe in her life. And she believed that people like her did not deserve to have any friends, if they were lucky enough to have at least one. Which was why she wondered how Sabrina could be Chloe's friend, when she was used to treat her like her servant.
"Get out of the way, Dupain-Cheng!" -Chloe exclaimed, as she walked pass by Marinette. –"Can't you see I'm walking here?!" -she told her.
"Good morning to you too, Chloe." -Marinette said in a sarcastic tone.
"Don't get ironic with me, you hear me?!" -Chloe snapped out at her. –"I'm in no mood for this, so don't speak to me, unless I speak to you first, Dupain-Cheng!" -she said, clearly furious. –"Sabrina! Come on, I know you can carry those bags with ease, so step on it! I want my luggage to be the first inside the bus!"
"Coming, Chloe, coming." -Sabrina said, as she dragged several suitcases, while aksi carrying two backpacks.
"I knew I should have told Jean to bring them himself! At least, he wouldn't be as slow as a snail!" -Chloe exclaimed, as she looked at Sabrina, who was dragging herself along with the suitcases. –"Hurry up, Sabrina!" -she exclaimed, protesting of how slow Sabrina was being.
Looking at Sabrina, Marinette felt sorry for her. Sabrina had a kind soul and was incredibly nice towards everyone. She did not talk much, unless she had to. But when she opened her mouth, she was not afraid to speak her mind about anything. And that was partly the reason why Marinette did not understand how she could be friends with someone like Chloe. Even if she treated her badly and would boss her around, Sabrina never left her side.
"Look at that… she bosses Sabrina around, as if she was her servant girl. If I was Sabrina, I would've told her to take a hike and got myself a better best-friend. Chloe doesn't have a heart. And just thinking that I'll probably have to share a cabin with her during all summer, makes me sick." -Marinette thought to herself. –"Still, I'll probably have at least one of the girls to keep me company in the cabin as well, so it won't be that bad. All of us are more than enough to stand up against her and her behaviour worthy of a diva." -she thought
And she was right. She would most likely have to share a cabin with Chloe. But she would have all her friends to back her up and to keep her company. She had long learned that stand up against Chloe, having a group of friends by, always helped.
"Good morning, girl." -a voice said, making Marinette turn back and smile. It was Alya Cesaire, her best-friend.
"Good morning, Alya." -Marinette smiled, as she hugged her best-friend, while also noticing how much luggage she had brought with her. –"Whoa! You look like you're taking a trip through the jungle, with all stuff you brought with you." -she said, as she counted the bags and suitcases, she had brought, which were six.
"My parents insisted that I packed a couple of things I'll probably won't need, just in case I might need them." -Alya explained her best-friend. –"Parents, am I right?" -she joked, making -"But changing the subject, looks like Chloe's back on her high horse again, isn't she?"
"You can bet she is." -Marinette said, with the unfriendly words the blonde had told her, still fresh in her mind. –"Honestly, I would've loved if she didn't come with us. It would be nice to not have to see her or talk to her for a whole summer." -she told Alya.
"I'm with you. You know that I'm not her biggest fan either. And after that last stunt she did with Juleka a few weeks ago, I still can't believe that she actually apologized to her and the rest of us for it… makes you wonder if the apology was truly felt or not." -Alya said. –"Still, let's not let her to ruin our good mood. We're on vacation, girl! We've earned this, after a whole school year!" -she exclaimed. –"We're going to have so much fun on that camp, that time will just fly away, without us realizing it."
"I hope so." -Marinette told her.
"Hope so?! Marinette, did you even read the brochures?" -Alya asked her in an amused tone. –"That place has everything! Canoeing, hiking, archery, horse riding, photography… which reminds me, my dad even got me a new camera for me to take with me. I'm going to snap so many photos that I'll lose the count of how many I snap." -she said. –"There will be tons of things for us to do in that camp."
"I thought you wanted to be a reporter, not a photographer." -Marinette joked.
"Well, a good reporter can also be a good photographer." -Alya said. –"Besides, it'll give me a reason to snap photos of everyone and create a scrapbook later on… if I don't come up with some other crazy project, which I'll most likely do, like always." -she stated.
"That tends to happen with you." -Marinette said. –"But you're right, we're going to have a blast there." -she agreed with Alya.
"And maybe, you'll finally tell someone we both know, how you feel about him?" -Alya told her, with a mischievous smile on her face.
"Alya!" -Marinette exclaimed, afraid that someone might have heard her.
"What? I didn't say Adrien's name, Marinette." -Alya laughed.
"You just did!" -Marinette exclaimed. –"I thought we had agreed that we wouldn't talk about him, or say his name, when he's around." -she told her, in a whisper. –"He might hear it."
"But he's not even here yet, girl. Relax for a bit, okay?" -Alya told her in an amused voice. –"And tell me the truth, would it be so bad if he heard that you like him?" -she asked her.
"Yes, because he might not like me. He might not just see me as a friend, and then I would have my heart broken…" -Marinette said, dispirited, while thinking
"Broken heart of not, you'll never have one or the other, if you don't take a chance, girl." -Alya told her. –"Adrien's not going to guess that you like him, if you don't tell him, or at the very least, you send him a couple of signs." -she said. –"Even though one would've to be blind, not to see that you're both head over heels for one another."
Alix was talking to Rose and Juleka, as the two girls told her that they were excited to go to camp, and what they were going to do when they got there, when she noticed Sabrina was having some difficulties carrying her bags, because she was also carrying two other bags, which she immediately saw belonged to Chloe, because of how expensive they looked. Telling the girls, she would be right back, Alix walked towards Sabrina
"Here, Sabrina." -Alix said, as she picked up the water bottle, and handed it to her.
"Thanks, Alix." -Sabrina thanked the pink-haired girl, before gulping down the water inside the bottle. –"I was really needing that… Chloe's bags are a lot heavier than they look." -she admitted.
"Why are you carrying her bags? Shouldn't she be carrying them herself?" -Alix asked her, not understanding why the redhead was doing that.
"I'm just carrying two. She's carrying the rest, and went ahead to put them inside the bus." -Sabrina answered her.
"That still doesn't explain why you're carrying them for her. I don't get it… How can you be friends with someone like her?" -Alix asked the redhead. –"She's treating you like a mule." -she pointed out. –"No, not like a mule. It's more like a slave, Sabrina. You shouldn't let her treat you like that!"
"Oh, Chloe's not so bad. Besides, I don't mind helping her." -Sabrina said, with a smile –"It's true that she can be a little nasty, sometimes, but that's just when she's in a bad mood." -she declared.
"You're joking, right?" -Alix asked her, in a sarcastic tone. –"I can't remember a day, when she's not nasty to at least three different people. And from what I've already heard, she's
"Yes, she's in a really bad mood this morning." -Sabrina said, as she placed the water bottle back in her backpack. –"But she'll get better, once we're on the road. I can feel it." -she smiled. –"And sorry to tell you this, but she sometimes has days when she's not as bad as you paint her."
"You're saying that because she's always buying you gifts, after treating you badly." -Alix said, while raising an eyebrow at her.
"Well, that helps a little, I admit it. Every time she apologizes to me because of something bad she did or said to me, she gets me something beautiful and super expensive." -Sabrina said. –"But even if she didn't do it, the fact that she apologizes to me, it's enough for me. She's not as bad as you think. She's got a good heart… she just forgets to use it, from time to time." -she told Alix.
"From time to time? I think it's more like, all the time, Sabrina." -Alix said. –"I know she's your best-friend, but that still doesn't make her a nice person. She's never nice to anybody. And I'm not even going to point out what she usually tells me." -she pointed out.
"Well, you also tend to get on her nerves quite easily." -Sabrina told her. –"You and her are like polar opposites." -she said.
"And thank God that's a fact. I wouldn't even be able to act like her, even if my life depended on it. She's always acting like she's got a baton sticking up her ass." -Alix said. –"And just out of curiosity, why is she acting that way, today?" -she asked Sabrina.
"Oh, she thought that Jean was driving her to the camp in the limousine. But her dad decided that there was no point in her being driven to the camp in the limousine, when she could go in the bus, with the rest of us." -Sabrina explained. –"When he told her that, she threw a tantrum, and… well, you can imagine the rest." -she said.
"She threw a tantrum, because she didn't want to go to the camp on the bus, with the rest of us?!" -Alix exclaimed, feeling indignant –"If I threw a tantrum, over such a trivial thing, my parents would ground me for a whole year, or in the worst case, they would kick me out of the house, until I learned to behave… I keep telling you, that Chloe needs to get her head checked by a shrink, and sent to a boarding school!" -she said, as she walked away.
"And sometimes, she just needs a hug. A hug and lots of love." -Sabrina thought to herself.
She knew Chloe was not an easy person, and that was one of the many reasons, why she did not have many friends, or felt like she needed them. But she also knew that under that uneasy and sometimes unpleasant demeanour of hers, the blonde had a kind and loving heart. Thinking about it, Sabrina wondered of what would happen, if Chloe just changed a little bit? She wondered on how that would affect her and those around her. But those thoughts quickly disappeared, when she heard her name being called.
"Sabrina! Sabrina, are you deaf?! I've been calling you for the past 10 seconds!"-Chloe asked her, as she closed in on her and Alix.
"I better get out of here. I know if I stay, I'll end up saying something I shouldn't, and I'm not in the mood to deal with her." -Alix told Sabrina. –"Unless, you need some backup?" -she asked her.
"It's okay, you can go. I can handle her." -Sabrina smiled at Alix, as she walked away. -"Sorry, Chloe." -she apologized to her. –"I guess my mind was in the clouds."
"Well, I don't need your mind to be in the clouds. I need it right here, right now! And what were you talking to Alix?! She better not be badmouthing me again, like she does, whenever she has the chance! Otherwise, she's going to be sorry!" -Chloe exclaimed, with an upset voice. –"Sorry… I'm in a really bad mood, and I chipped a nail, while I was carrying my bags and placing them in the bus!" -she apologized to her.
"It's okay." -Sabrina smiled at her. –"I'm not mad at you." -she continued to smile.
"Yeah, well… Look, just fix my nail, before I have to place those two bags in the bus… I can't go to summer camp with a broken nail. I need to be at my best, and my best is perfection." -Chloe told her, as she handed her the pouch where she had packed all of her manicure kit.
"Okay, I'll do it right away, Chloe." -Sabrina said, as she grabbed the pouch. –"But you know that you're going to end up chipping and breaking your nails, while we're at the camp, while doing some of the activities, right?" -she asked her, as she took a nail file from the pouch. –"It's inevitable, whether you like it, or not."
"Not if it's up to me!" -Chloe said, as Sabrina began to fix her nail. –"I don't intend to do anything in the camp that might make break or chip a nail." -she stated. –"And I'm only going, because Adrien is going. If he wasn't going, I would stay in Paris."
Just like Marinette, Chloe was also in love with Adrien. But unlike her the blue-haired girl, who believed that she did not have a chance with him, the blonde believed that the two of them were kindred souls and was only fit for them to date. Having known Adrien since they were little, Chloe truly believed that she was the only girl who deserved to have him as a boyfriend.
"You'll see, Sabrina. Before the summer is over, Adrien and I will be dating." -Chloe told her. –"But I can't forget what I promised to do as well… I promised that I would try to change my attitude a little bit. It's not going to be easy, especially because everyone seems to have a knack to get on my nerves, for one reason or another." -she thought to herself.
And while Sabrina fixed Chloe's nail, another two of their classmates arrived, Le Chien Kim and Max Kante. Kim was quite excited about camp, but Max was a different story. Not being someone who enjoyed the outdoors, his first idea was to just stay in Paris for the summer, and spend his time playing videogames and going to his favourite gaming shops, in search of rare videogames. And that almost happened. But Kim, being his best-friend, convinced him to tag along with the rest of the class, instead of staying home playing videogames.
"I'm just happy that the camp has wi-fi." -Max confessed.
"Max, buddy, do yourself a favour. Lay off the Internet and the videogames for the next two months." -Kim told him. –"The outdoors will do you some good." -he said.
"You know I'm not exactly the outdoor kind of person, Kim." -Max said, as he paused
"Well, by the end of the summer, you will be." -Kim told him, confident. –"All you have to do is to find something that motivates you to be outside. And I'm the ideal person to help you discover that." -he said.
"Doubt it. But if you think you can do it otherwise, I won't stop you from trying, bro." -Max told him.
"You won't stop who from trying what?" -a voiced asked. It was Alix.
"He's saying that he can change me into an outdoor kind of person." -Max answered, as he greeted Alix. –"Nice seeing you, Alix." -he told her.
"Same with you, Max." -Alix smiled at him. "And good luck with that, Kim. You can take the tiger out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the tiger." -she pointed out. –"The idea of turning Max into someone who prefers rock-climbing and running, to playing videogames or surfing online, is nothing short of impossible."
"Are you saying that I won't be able to do what I just challenged myself to do? Is that it?!" -Kim asked her, upset.
"If the shoe fits." -Alix said, with a smug on her face.
"Well, just because of that, I'm going to prove you wrong." -Kim said. –"I'm going to prove to you, that I can do just that, just to rub it in your face, Alix!" -he shot at her.
"And when you fail, I'll be there to laugh in your face, Kim." -Alix stated, with the same smug. –"And believe me, I'll be laughing so hard, people on the Moon, will be able to hear me laugh!" -she joked.
"And here I thought I was going to have a summer, without having to constantly hear them getting on each other's nerves." -Max thought to himself.
For a long time, there was no assurance that Adrien would accompany the rest of the class on that trip, because his father, Gabriel Agreste, felt that instead of going on vacation, he should stay home and study during the whole summer, so he would be prepared for the following school year. Luckily, he ended up agreeing to allow him to accompany the class, after Nathalie talked to him and convinced him that it was the best for Adrien. And when Adrien found out about it, he felt like anyone who had just won the lottery. The first thing he did, after thanking his father and Nathalie, was to call Nino and tell him that he was going.
And like the good friend he was, on the day of their departure to summer camp, wanting to surprise him, Adrien did not hesitate in giving Nino a ride that day, which he appreciated. His dad had left home before the sun was born, to go to work, so it was up to his mother to drop him at school, after dropping Nino's younger brother, Chris, on the nursery school. They were about to leave, when Nino got a call from Adrien, telling him he was almost arriving and that he was going to give him a ride.
After saying goodbye to his mom and to his little brother, and promising them that he would call them as soon as he got there, and would call or text every morning and every night, before going to bed, Nino grabbed his backpack and his suitcase and went downstairs to wait for Adrien to pick him. He had just stepped out of his building, when Adrien's limousine parked right in front of him. Rolling down the window, Adrien greeted Nino.
"Hey, bro!" -Adrien greeted him, as Gorilla exited the limousine to take Nino's luggage and put it into the trunk.
"Hey, that's my line, dude." -Nino joked, as he entered the limousine. –"No need to be gentle with the suitcase. The backpack on the other hand, be super careful. There are a lot of things that are easily breakable in it." -he warned Gorilla, before closing the door.
The rest of the trip towards school, the boys spent the time talking and discussing what they both wanted to do at camp. Listening to them, Adrien's bodyguard smiled to himself, feeling that Adrien was going to have a wonderful summer, with a friend like Nino, by his side.
Most students of Monsieur Labisse and Miss Mendeleiv's classes had already arrived, along with most of the other students, when they arrived at school. But as high as the number of students was, they continued to arrive, with some of them arriving in their parents' car, making it hard for Gorilla to find a place to park the limousine. It took a minute, but he finally parked the limousine and quickly exited the driver's seat to take out the luggage from the trunk, not wishing for Adrien and Nino to be late for the bus.
"This is much better than taking the bus or the underground." -Nino declared in an amused voice. –"I know I said this, but thanks for the ride, dude." –he thanked Adrien, as he opened the door.
"My pleasure, as always. Besides, that way your mom can focus on your little brother, while getting to work on time." -Adrien smiled. –"And I also know I said this before, but I still can't believe that Nathalie convinced my dad to let me spend summer at this camp." -he said, as he followed Nino, outside the limousine.
"Well, you said it yourself, that if there was anyone who could convince your dad to let you come, it would be her." -Nino said, as Gorilla handed him his backpack and his suitcase. –"Thank you." -he told him.
"I know. And it's times like these that I'm thankful for having her on my corner, when I need the most." -Adrien said. –"Although, Miss Bustier calling her and talking to her, to explain that this would be a good experience for me, also helped." -he pointed out, as -"Thanks… Well, I guess I'll see you when I get back. Try to have a nice summer, yourself. You do deserve it."
While Adrien talked to his bodyguard, a pair of eyes was following him. And that pair of eyes belonged to none other than Marinette Dupain-Cheng. As soon as she saw him arriving, the blue-haired girl only had eyes for him. And like it always happened, she began to fantasize about Adrien, like there was no tomorrow.
"He looks so dreamy." -Marinette thought to herself. –"He looks even more handsome today. Maybe it's because of the shirt he's wearing. It matches his eyes, and the same thing could be said for his shoes. He's got great taste." -she continued to muse about.
"If you keep staring at him, he's bound to realize that you're staring at him, girl." -Alya joked.
Like always, Marinette panicked and quickly diverted her eyes from Adrien. But this time, she too had something to throw at her best-friend's face, in order to joke with her too, and try to embarrass her. Marinette knew it was a longshot, since Alya rarely blushed or felt embarrassed, but she was willing to try and see that happening, just to tell her that she was not only one who blushed, when it came to a certain handsome boy.
"You know, I think Nino has a crush on you… the same kind of crush Ivan has on Mylene, or that I have on Adrien." -Marinette said, whispering the last part, as she looked at Nino, who was then talking to Nathaniel, who was also arriving. –"I noticed that he's been looking at you a lot, lately." -she smirked.
"It's possible." -Alya admitted. –"I mean, I am pretty beautiful… and Nino's sort of handsome." -she said, as she checked on Nino, admitting to herself that he was boyfriend material. –"But I don't know. I mean, sure we're good friends, but I don't think it's in the cards."
Alya continued to talk, but Marinette did not listen to her. She was too focused on admiring Adrien. She had tried to avert looking at him, but the temptation was stronger than she was, and she gave in to it, not caring if she was able to make Alya blush or not. In her mind, she was imagining the two of them having fun at camp, doing all kinds of activities and having a blast, while enjoying each other's company. The most vivid of all those scenarios she was imagining was them around a campfire, sharing marshmallows and her having the courage to tell him how she felt about him.
"Earth to Marinette… Earth to Marinette, are you there?" -Alya asked her best-friend, as she continued to drool over Adrien. –"This girl will never change." -she thought to herself, before shaking the girl's arm to get her attention. –"Marinette!"
"H-Huh, what?!" -Marinette asked, as her mind came down from the clouds.
"You're doing that thing you always do, when Adrien is around, girl." -Alya chuckled. –"Come on, save some of that, for when we're at camp, Marinette." -she joked. –"You're going to have the whole summer to admire Adrien… unless, you decide to stop just admiring him, and tell him how you feel about him."
When Alya told her that, Marinette just felt like telling her to shut up about it, and to stop teasing her. But she knew she was right. If she did not tell Adrien how she felt about him, he would never know how much she loved him, and whatever fantasies she fantasized with him would never be more than just that, fantasies.
"Alya's right. I can't go on like this. I need to tell Adrien about… what is Chloe doing there?!" -Marinette thought to herself, as she saw the blonde wrapping her arms around Adrien.
"Adrikins! I'm so glad you're coming with us!" -Chloe exclaimed, as she hugged Adrien as hard as she could. –"Summer camp wouldn't be the same, if you didn't come." -she said, before breaking the embrace.
"I'm also happy to be here, Chloe." -Adrien smiled at her.
"We're going to have so much fun this summer!" -Chloe exclaimed, with a smile on her face. –"And before you know it, I'll finally prove to you that we belong together, Adrikins." -she thought to herself.
The one who was not happy right then, was Marinette. Just like her, Chloe also had a huge crush on Adrien. But unlike Marinette, she did everything in her power for him to know it, along with everyone else in Paris. And that was just one of the many reasons, why Marinette hated the blonde, who wished she had both the nerve and the courage Chloe had, even if she would never admit it. She was about to say something, when Miss Bustier showed up.
"Come along, everyone." -Miss Bustier said, as she called her whole class, by clapping her hands. –"Those who haven't placed your suitcases and your backpacks on the bus, should do so, right away. We will be departing in five minutes." -she informed them, with a smile. –"Once you're done with your luggage, form a straight line, in front of the bus door, so we can begin to climb into the bus. We have a long journey ahead of us, so let's get going. The faster we do this, the faster we can board, and the faster we can get going."
Her students could hear the enthusiasm on Miss Bustier's voice, as she talked. They could tell that just like them, she was excited about those vacations. Even if she would be working for most of the time, she would also have the opportunity to relax a bit. Still, for her, spending time with her students was hardly work. She loved to teach, and more importantly, she loved to see her students having fun. That alone made it easier for her to do that.
Quickly, those who had not yet placed their luggage inside the bus did so, and in a matter of minutes, every last suitcase and backpack disappeared out of sight. Once they did that, all the students lined up beside the bus that had been assigned to their respective class. Miss Bustier's class would be sharing the bus with Miss Mendeleiv and Monsieur Laurent classes. Placing herself behind Alya in the straight line, Marinette could not help but to look over her best-friend's shoulder and see the blond her dreams, who was just a couple of meters ahead of her. Even from behind, Adrien looked like the most handsome boy in the world, and Marinette only had eyes for him. With the words Alya spoke to her, about telling Adrien how she felt about him, she made up her mind about getting closer to him, and if God wished, tell him about her feelings.
"Alya's right. I need to do this! This will be the summer that everything changes. I'll tell Adrien about my love for him, and this will turn out to be the best summer ever." -Marinette thought to herself.
But she was not the only one who making plans of her own. Unknown to Marinette, Adrien was also making plans to tell her how he felt about her. The blond boy had a major crush on her, and like Marinette, he never had the courage to tell her. But he hoped to do it that summer.
"Come on, Adrien. You've got to stop wasting time with this crush of yours, and up your game. You like Marinette, and you've got to tell her that!" -Adrien thought to himself. –"If you don't, someone else might do it, and you'll lose any chance you might have with her." -he thought, without realizing that that summer, would be the summer where his life, and the lives of his classmates would change forever.