Chapter Text
“Adrien!” Rose called out with a wave. Seeing his friend, he smiled and waved back, hurrying his step toward her. Chloe and Kagami followed, but a bit slower due to Chloe’s complaints.
“This can’t be the place!” the heiress outwardly cringed. “It’s so loud...so dirty...I’m not going in there. Sports are so stupid, anyway. EW! What is that smell?” She held her stomach with one hand while the other covered her mouth, preventing her from retching at the swirling odors of sweat, stale beer, and cigarettes.
“Yes, you are,” Kagami replied calmly through gritted teeth. “I went to your mother’s party. This is payback. Fair is fair.”
“But a rolling jam?” Chloe whined.
“Roller. Derby. Jam,” Kagami corrected, but her girlfriend didn’t hear, continuing her complaints.
“It’s so common! I mean, just look at what that person’s wearing!” Chloe pointed accusingly at a fan bedecked in an oversized, replica team jersey accented by plastic beaded necklaces. “The colors! The cut! It offends me on a deeply personal level. I may go blind!”
Adrien didn’t wait to hear Kagami’s response, which he imagined would be something along the lines of, “Let’s see what they have in the way of food. With any luck you’ll go mute as well.”
“Rose!” Adrien breathed out, finally coming face to face with her despite the crowd. “Where’s Juleka?” He asked. “Did she not come?”
“No, Juleka’s here. She’s not the only one,” Rose replied murmuring the last line as she looked over her shoulder. Adrien followed her gaze. Against the concrete wall of the roller skating rink stood Juleka tall, but shy, her brother, Luka, relaxed and cool, and Marinette, smiling brightly. She laughed just then at something Luka said. Adrien could not mistake hearing her laugh, like the tinkling of bells, despite the din of the crowd around him. The sight of his lost love made his heart beat faster and he could feel his palms begin to sweat as a nervous excitement ran up his spine.
“I swear, I didn’t know he was coming,” Rose explained as she wrung her hands. It was the “he” that caught Adrien’s attention, pulling his gaze from Marinette’s sunny expression to Rose’s distraught face. “I didn’t know any of them were coming!” she chuckled nervously. “You see, Juleka invited Luka who invited Marinette who invited...”
“Nathaniel,” Adrien spat his name upon seeing the red haired artist at Marinette’s elbow. Visibly straightening, Adrien puffed out his chest, fists balling at his sides.
“What’d ya wanna do?” Rose asked hurriedly, looking back and forth between her friend and the intruder. “You wanna leave?”
“Leave?” asked Chloe, overhearing. “Who’s leaving? I want to leave!”
“No one’s leaving,” Kagami said firmly. “Right?”
“Adrien is!” Chloe protested. “If Adrikens gets to leave, then so do I!”
“Why is Adrikens leaving?” asked a voice from behind. Adrien swallowed hard. He knew that voice.
“I’m not leaving,” he replied, turning around to see the speaker flanked by a concerned Luka and an uninterested Nathaniel. Juleka hovered behind, giving a small wave as a hello. Adrien found it hard to read Marinette’s expression. Was it annoyance by the use of the hated, but persistent nickname, which so often accompanied bad behavior by Chloe? Or, was it triumphant, indicating some kind of perverse pleasure in the assumption that her presence had ruined his night, forcing him to leave before it had even started? One thing was sure, he heard no remorse in her voice. She certainly didn’t sound sad at the thought of him leaving.
“I said...um...I said I’m relieved , you know, because everyone’s here. Who’s got the tickets?” he asked, trying to change the subject. Juleka waved them in the air. “Great! Let’s go!” He strode off, not waiting for the others.
Their seats were well placed, located a few rows up from the rink at almost the center of the longest curve of the oval and right behind the bench of the home team. They were arranged such that four seats were in one row together and the other four sat just behind them, one row up. Adrien and Juleka, being the first to arrive, took the farthest seat in the upper and lower rows, respectively. Nathaniel slid in next to Juleka, much to Rose’s chagrin. She lamented the fact quietly to Adrien, who offered to swap with her, so at least she could sit right behind Juleka. That seemed to pacify Rose, since her proximity allowed her to lean in to periodically to talk to her friend over her shoulder. The seat next to him was now open, but he noticed that Marinette pointedly turned early and joined Nathaniel in his row. Luka, unsurprisingly, followed his dream girl. Chloe and Kagami took the only available seats, next to Adrien.
The group had barely settled in before loud shouting above erupted. Adrien turned around, seeing angry faces and fingers thrusting in the air at them.
“Take off that orange shirt! Take off that orange shirt!” the crowd chanted repeatedly.
“Ugh! This really is the worst, K!” Chloe complained. “My chair is sticky!”
“Um...Chloe?” Adrien squeaked, trying to get her attention despite the ever growing chants.
“Take off that orange shirt! Take off that orange shirt!!”
“It’s so smoky!” the prima donna fanned the air with her hand. “I can’t breathe!” She fake- coughed several times. Kagami looked unimpressed, endeavoring to ignore her.
“Take Off That Orange Shirt!”
“Chloe!” Adrien tried again.
“At least the smoke somewhat hides the heinous clothes of these...people! Although, I hesitate to use the word to describe these savages.”
“TAKE OFF THAT ORANGE SHIRT!”
“Chlo!”
“TAKE OFF THAT ORANGE SHIRT!!!”
“OH MY GAWD! Why is it so loud?” she asked in exasperation, covering her ears with her hands. It was only when she turned around to give the offending party the stink eye that she realized that several dozen people were already giving it to her.
“Are they shouting...at me?” Chloe asked, confused. “What’re they saying?”
“It’s your blouse,” Adrien explained, having reasoned it out. “You’re wearing the opposing team’s colors.”
“So?”
“Obviously, they don’t approve,” Kagami stated matter-of-factly. “You’re supposed to wear the home team’s colors. I tried to tell you…”
“But this is Chanel !” she argued as if it was obvious that anything by a French couture designer should be acceptable to wear anywhere much less a roller derby jam. “This. Is. CHANEL!” she yelled back at them, but the crowd continued to chant with more and more people joining in as each second passed.
“What should we do?” Rose nervously asked their circle of friends. Luka shrugged while Juleka pulled her hair to cover her face even more than it already was.
“Chloe will have to change her shirt,” Kagami noted succinctly.
“I will not!”
“You changed clothes when your mother disapproved,” she helpfully reminded her.
“Ugh! Will you please stop throwing that in my face?” Chloe snapped. “Let’s just go home!” she pulled on Kagami’s sleeve, but the sports fanatic was determined not to leave. “Kagami!” Chloe stamped her foot in impatience.
The crowd had become intolerably loud as it incessantly bullied the blonde. Adrien noted that several people had their phones out, filming the disruptive scene. Feeling he should act before a fight between the couple became the next trending video on YouTube, he made a suggestion.
“You can wear my jacket,” Adrien offered, already shucking it off to give to her.
“I do not wear oversized clothes!” she replied with disdain. “I’d drown in that jacket.” Unwanted, Adrien tossed his jacket on his chair, then pulled the blue scarf from his neck and carefully laid it on top.
Growing angrier by the second, Chloe looked down at her blouse and then with a scowl yelled at the crowd, “It’s not even ORANGE! It’s FULVOUS!”
“Close enough,” Adrien breathed, thinking that although Chloe was technically right that the blouse was more of a dull orange with brown undertones, the crowd didn’t seem to appreciate the subtle differences in shade, in which a fashion critic like her would be well versed.
“They’re selling team t-shirts,” Marinette noted, pointing to the door they had just passed through that led to the concessions. She was always very observant of her surroundings, Adrien remembered, and she always had the best ideas.
Adrien nodded, taking her suggestion. “Let’s get you one,” he said to Chloe. Despite her protests, Adrien firmly, but gently moved the unfortunately dressed girl out of their row and down the stairs. The crowd continued to taunt them until they had passed through the doors. Then a loud cheer rang out. Chloe seemed confused by this, causing Adrien to explain that they were celebrating their “win”. They had made her leave. For a second, Chloe looked like she might cry, but then her anger burned brightly at the indignity! The injustice! The audacity!
“They’re just jealous that they can’t afford a Chanel blouse,” she bragged, more to reassure herself than to impress Adrien.
“I’m sure you’re right,” he soothed while purchasing the t-shirt. He held it up to her. She snatched it away and stalked off to the women’s bathroom to change her top.
“You look very pretty,” he flattered when she returned now wearing the t-shirt, artfully bunched and tucked just so into her 400 Euro designer jeans.
“Thanks. I hate it.” With a flip of her ponytail Chloe strode back to join the others in the stands. Adrien suppressed a bemused giggle as he watched her, now donned in the team’s threads. The bright neon pink of the shirt seemed to glow as if lit from within the very fibers of the material itself, making it uncomfortable to look at straight on. A large, dark dragon wrapped completely around her torso, with the head seemingly bursting from one of her breasts. It’s body entwined around her, with the tip of its tail appearing on the other side, just below the opposite breast. It’s mouth fully open, the words “Wild Fire”, the name of the home team, seemingly belched across her chest in sparkly, sickly green font. It was a complete fashion disaster that Adrien desperately wanted immortalized and could only hope that Juleka with her fancy camera would capture for future use to embarrass and possibly blackmail the top fashion critic.
“ Karma is a bitch ,” Adrien thought to himself as less than an hour before Chloe had berated him on his clothing choice for the night: a short-sleeved, buttoned up, green shirt scattered with pink flamingos. His claim that it was a perfect shirt because it was in the team colors of green and pink having completely fallen on deaf ears. Even assertions that the shirt was vintage made no impact. Now, he had been proven right, not that he would ever say so to her. He wasn’t her oldest friend for nothing. He knew she knew it. Bringing attention would just cause a fight and make her dig her heels into her position even further. But next time...next time she might be more willing to listen. Although, he had to admit, knowing Chloe, next time she probably wouldn’t.
Mumbling curse words under her breath, Chloe ascended the steps to her seat, tromping loudly with each stomp. She came face to face with Kagami, but before either could say anything, a cheer erupted from the crowd. Looking up in the stands, the fashionista, who had now transformed into a fan, was greeted approvingly by those that had previously berated her. Standing, they applauded her. Chloe’s shock morphed to justified smugness. No doubt, she agreed that they should be appreciating her. When she realized she was being photographed by various cell phones, she smiled brightly, waving to the crowd like the queen that she knows she is. Blowing kisses, she milked the attention for all that it was worth.
After taking several selfies with her adoring fans, who had now recognized her and praised her for being so good natured as to change her clothes into team colors, Chloe dropped in her seat beside her girlfriend, saying as an aside, “I don’t know why you’ve never taken me to a sporting event before, K. I quite like it. Honestly, you never take me anywhere...”
“Even when she loses…” Kagami whispered to Adrien as they both looked wide-eyed at Chloe, who prattled on aimlessly.
“She wins…” he whispered back, completing their exchange from earlier that day. “It’s her super power,” he smirked.
With the drama of Chloe’s wardrobe now sorted, the group of friends occupied themselves with other matters that suited their interests and personalities. The jam captivated the attention of Kagami as a sports fan and Juleka as a photographer. Rose seemed interested enough in the jam at least to lean over to view Juleka’s photos, which she praised profusely. Chloe’s eyes were glued to her phone as her fingers nimbly flew, occupied with texting or posting to social media.
Adrien would have enjoyed watching the jam under other circumstances, but he had a front row seat to a much more distracting scene: Marinette and Nathaniel. They had first met in college, a year before Adrien had attended the school. Both being artistically inclined, the two had naturally gravitated toward each other. Marinette admired Nathaniel’s talent and work ethic. Nathaniel admired Marinette. He developed a crush on her that might have had a chance of being returned if Marinette hadn't developed her own crush on Adrien. After they graduated from college, Nathaniel and his family moved to the suburbs of Paris and he attended a different lycee. Adrien didn’t see Nathaniel again until a few years after he had graduated from university. They hadn’t really been friends at school, but when Adrien saw him again standing rather awkwardly in the corner at one of Chloe’s parties, he struck up a conversation that had quickly led to Adrien commissioning a painting from the struggling artist. A blossoming friendship soon emerged as Adrien took an interest in Nathaniel’s comic book idea, ultimately becoming an investor in the project.
Adrien gathered from the conversation he was eavesdropping on that this was the first time Nathaniel had seen Marinette since she had moved back to Paris and they had much to discuss. The conversation centered at first on their work as each showed the other pictures of their latest creations saved on their phones. Later, it morphed to talk of New York, as Nathaniel, never having been there, wanted to know all about the Met Gala, the Guggenheim, and Central Park. With every question Nathaniel touched Marinette, her shoulder, her hand, her hair. With every touch Adrien bristled. Nathaniel was flirting he realized with chagrin. Of all people! Did it have to be Nathaniel, the liar? Nathaniel, the betrayer? Adrien could stand it no longer! He had to say something!
“Nathaniel!” Adrien slapped him on the shoulder and leaned in, cutting in abruptly on their conversation.
He jumped in surprise at the unexpected and rough contact at the hands of the much larger guy. Turning halfway around, Nathaniel quirked an eyebrow at Adrien while at the same time shrugging off his hand.
“How’s Marcia?” Adrien asked. “Good, I hope.”
“Yes, they’re fine,” Nathaniel curtly replied. He began to turn back toward Marinette, but Adrien forestalled him with another question.
“Where are they? I thought they’d be here, too,” Adrien mused.
“They couldn’t make it,” Nathaniel answered.
“That’s too bad. Maybe next time?” he asked goodnaturedly. Nathaniel nodded in response. “Have you met Marcia, Marinette?”
Marinette smiled slowly, her eyes tracking back and forth between the two men. Adrien could tell that she knew something more was being silently communicated, even if she didn’t know the specifics. “No, I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure,” she replied smoothly.
“You must introduce them!” Adrien insisted to Nathaniel. “I’m sure you’d like them,” he informed Marinette, who nodded, saying that she was sure that she would.
“It’s so weird to see you without them,” Adrien continued to the other man. “Nathanial and Marcia are always together,” he noted as an aside to Marinette.
“Well, we work very closely,” Nathaniel endeavored to explain, “on the comic. I mean, we are partners, afterall.”
“More than just partners, though, right?” Adrien corrected with a wink.
Nathaniel blushed heavily as his eyes flashed in anger causing him to look like a giant, ripe tomato ready to be plucked from the garden. Adrien stifled a snicker, but he smiled in satisfaction.
“Yes! The comic!” Marinette jumped at the mention to change the conversation. “You must tell me all about your comic!” she enthused. With an arched eyebrow to Adrien she turned Nathanial back around with one hand so that he faced the action of the roller derby jam. She joined him, blocking Adrien out of any further talk.
The interfering boy sat back deflated. The comic was the last thing he wanted Marinette to know about it. It’s so embarrassing!
“Jealousy is not a good color on you,” Kagami whispered in his ear.
“I’m not jealous,” Adrien insisted. “Nathaniel is flirting with her! He’s not single, so why’s he acting like it?”
“You’re not single either,” Kagami quipped with a nod to Rose.
“I already told you a million times, it’s not like that between us,” he corrected with a sigh. Out of frustration he ran a hand through his hair. “Besides, I’m not flirting, I’m trying to warn Marinette. Nathaniel can’t be trusted.”
“Just because you had a falling out with him, doesn’t mean…” Kagami’s words trailed off as the home team scored. She cursed, having missed the action. “Just stay out of it,” she advised Adrien with her eyes now glued to the rink. “Marinette’s a big girl. She won’t appreciate any interference from you. Exes are exes for a reason.”
“Hmph,” Adrien grossed, crossing his arms across his chest. He knew Kagami was right, of course. He had already told himself that he would have to get used to seeing Marinette with other men, he just didn’t think he’d have a front row seat to it. He sighed, his eyes, tracking to distract himself, fell upon Luka. His friend looked about as miserable as Adrien felt. The guitarist obviously wanted to talk to the girl sitting beside him, but seemed at a loss as to what to say, no doubt finding it daunting to jump into a conversation between the two old school friends. Luka wasn’t really much of a talker anyway, using his music to speak for him, but in this venue he had no way to do so. He caught Adrien’s eye, giving him a sheepish smile and a shrug that conveyed the hopelessness he felt at the situation. Adrien couldn’t help feeling sorry for his best friend. He smiled brightly back at him and gave him a thumb’s up of encouragement. Hopefully, the lack of attention from his Mlle. Right wouldn’t bruise Luka’s ego too badly.
Mercifully, the jam finally ended and Adrien thought that this would mean his release from any further interactions with Nathaniel, the Betrayer, and Marinette, the Lost Love. He was, of course, mistaken. For although he had not had a good time, his friends were having a great time and did not want to see it end so soon. Just as they were trying to decide what to do next, Alix skated over, waving at Kagami. The star skater invited her idol and her friends for drinks with the winning team at a local nightclub. All happily agreed, even Chloe, who was not one to turn down anything alcoholic. Adrien was persuaded to come along.
As they walked toward their destination, Luka slung an arm around Adrien. He thanked him for intervening with Nathaniel, which he interpreted as being on his behalf, while also lamenting how unfair the comic book artist was acting toward Marcia.
“He be a right scally-wag,” Luka noted, pointing accusingly at Nathaniel’s back as he walked next to Marinette a few paces in front of them. Luka had already had a beer or two at the jam and his pirate lingo was just beginning to seep out. “She will see his true colors soon enough. Marinette has a keen eye. She can see into the dark, watery depths of men’s souls,” he sighed longingly. “But, until then, how ‘bout we try a different tack?”
Adrien found himself conscripted by his friend to act as wingman to woo Marinette. The opportunity presented itself as the group of friends sat with their drinks around a table in one corner of the club. Electronic music blared from speakers around the dancefloor.
“Luka!” Adrien called his friend to get his attention. “Is this XY?” he asked, knowing full well that it was indeed the artist’s music in question that was currently playing. Luka nodded, lamenting that the clubs prefer to play Electronic Beat rather than Pure Rock, like Jagged Stone. Taking the bait, Marinette chimed in that she much preferred Jagged’s music over anything that XY had created.
“Well, since you really like Jagged,” Adrien said, knowing full well that she always had, “I’m sure you’d like Luka and Juleka’s band.” His suggestion was meant to be an easy softball that Luka could knock out of the park. If there was one subject Luka was comfortable talking about it, then it was music, especially his own music. Marinette expressed what Adrien observed as only mild interest, smiling good naturedly as Luka talked.
“I can’t play you anything now. It’s too loud, but if you give me your number, then I can send you a few links to our Youtube Channel,” Luka suggested.
“ Smooth ,” Adrien thought of his friend’s casual attempt to get her number. “ Very smooth .”
For a moment, she seemed to consider. Adrien held his breath, waiting for her response. With a slight nod she acquiesced. He could feel Luka’s excitement as his own stomach churned. As the exchange occurred, she offhandedly asked the guitarist for the name of his band. Adrien wasn’t prepared for Marinette’s response. The name of the band sparked something alive within her that was akin to how he remembered how she looked when she suddenly got a brilliant idea for a design. She was not only aware of Kitty Section’s existence, but was also a fan, having already watched several times the video of Juleka’s song that they had filmed yesterday. A slew of praise and questions spewed from her mouth, which Luka was all too willing to accept and answer. Now, it was Nathaniel’s turn to sit idly and awkwardly, unable to join in the conversation and all the while Adrien once again had a front row seat to someone flirting with his former flame.
“What did you do?” Kagami accused quietly as she sat on one side of Adrien. She leaned her head against the fist of one hand, trying to look nonchalant and inconspicuous as she cocked an eyebrow at him.
“I didn’t mean to!” he responded, panic rising in his voice.
“I thought you were going to tell Luka about you and you-know-who?” Rose whispered in dismay, sitting on the other side of Adrien and not knowing of Kagami’s comment in a similar vain.
“I was, but given the choice between Nathaniel and Luka…”
“Not your choice to make,” Kagami quipped, overhearing his response to Rose.
“I fucked up,” Adrien moaned.
“Yeah, you did,” Kagami and Rose said at the same time, although Rose’s tone sounded much more sympathetic.
Adrien tried to console himself that as soon as he could get a minute alone with Luka, he would tell him everything about his former relationship with Marinette, that it wasn’t too late. But the more the pair talked, the more evident it was that Luka was falling hard and fast for the fashion designer. He laughed easily, chatted happily, and touched her ever so lightly and respectfully. Adrien realized he would have to act fast.
At some point the suggestion to dance came up and all stood up from their seats. Adrien knew this was his moment and tugged on the sleeve of his best friend before Luka could dive into the sea of revealers on the dance floor. But, before he could say anything, Luka thanked him.
“You’re the best mate a guy could ever hope for,” Luke praised. “The wind to my sail. The north star in a cloud covered sky.”
Adrien demurred and tried to press on with what he had to tell him, but Luka wasn’t listening. “She’s great, isn’t she? And, she’s already a fan of Kitty Section! What’re the odds? It’s like we’re meant to be! And, I have you to thank for it!” He kissed Adrien on each cheek before hurrying after Marinette, practically floating with every step.
“You’re welcome,” Adrien mumurmed as he plunked back down in his chair, knowing he had missed his chance and he had no one to blame but himself. Rose hesitated, asking if he was not going to join them. Adrien shook his head, explaining someone should watch the purses and drinks. She took a step to rejoin him at the table, but he waved her off, telling her she should enjoy herself. With a look over her shoulder at Juleka, who was already dancing, Rose made her choice, giving Adrien her own kiss on the cheek before departing.
Adrien didn’t know how long he sat there, feeling sorry for himself. It may have been only 20 minutes, but it felt like 20 hours. For a while he watched his friends dance, but after catching Marinette’s eye for the third time, he decided he’d better find some other way to occupy himself, lest she think he was spying on her. He pulled out his trusty friend, his cell phone. He amused himself by reading the comments on the YouTube video he posted yesterday when he played with Kitty Section. For the most part they were all positive, some even glowing. There would always be some dislikes and a smattering of trolling hateful comments on any upload, but he ignored those. One had to if only to keep one’s sanity. Smiling to himself, one comment stuck out from the rest, which he read and then reread several times:
“Happy to have found you here, Minou! It’s been so looooong since you last uploaded! I totally get it. I just moved myself...back to Paris! Wondering if I might catch you at a live show? Hope so! Thanks for introducing me to Kitty Section! =^._.^=”
Buganette, as she was called, had been one of Chat Noir’s first followers. In the early days of his YouTube channel, likes and comments were pretty sparse, making those he received extra special. Even now, years later, she still liked and commented on every single one of his videos, often being one of the first to comment. As a loyal follower of his twitter account, she received notifications of his uploads, which must have been how she found him on Kitty Section’s channel.
In his mind Adrien said “she” when he thought of Buganette even though he had no idea of her preferred pronouns. In fact, he knew very little about her. Based on her excellent spelling and grammar he assumed from the beginning that she is French, which in and of itself was not unusual, since his songs were entirely in French and attracted French speakers. A previous comment seemed to confirm her nationality, since she wrote, “how I love to hear my native language even though it makes me homesick for Paris,” insinuating that she was an ex-pat, living abroad, although he did not know where.
The only other detail he had discerned from her comments was that she, too, had been hurt by love and had not yet gotten over it. “Your song hurts me and heals me, opening up old wounds, while soothing them at the same time.” Whatever the circumstances of her heartbreak, she seemed to readily identify with his songs. “Have you been reading my diary, Minou? How is it you know me so well?”
He smiled again to himself at her nickname for him. “You look so cool in that black, leather jacket, which I adore btw, but when I hear your songs, I know the truth. You’re not really the Chat Noir that you want people to think that you are. You’re like a lost, hurt kitten. I feel lost and hurt, too, Minou.”
He had occupied himself so well with reading Buganette’s comments not only on the most recent upload with Kitty Section, but also on previous solo uploads that he jumped in surprise when Rose came over to him. She tried to persuade him to join them on the dance floor, noting that “someone” had commented that he had not yet had a turn to dance and did not look like he was having much fun. Adrien protested that he didn’t feel like dancing and besides he couldn’t as he needed to hold the table and watch their stuff, but his argument fell apart as only a moment later Marinette quietly slid into a chair opposite him, flanked by Luka and Nathaniel.
“It’s taken care of,” Rose said with a tug to his arm. “Come on! I know you want to!” she teased. He allowed himself to be led by her, joining Juleka, Chloe, Kagami, and the roller derby jam players, who were dancing in a group. Looking over his shoulder, he watched Marinette as she talked to the two men at the table. She seemed to be enjoying herself, smiling and laughing. It probably didn’t matter much to her if she danced or sat talking, but she must have remembered how much he liked to dance. Adrien tried not to read too much into her sacrifice for him. She was always very sensitive to other people’s needs, putting them before her own. More likely than not she did so out of habit, than out of any real affection for him.
Still, it was a welcomed change to be with his friends rather than alone and he felt grateful nonetheless. It didn’t take long for the music to change his mood. His heart beat in time with the pulsing base line, making his hips sway and his head nod. Knowing how it would make his friends laugh, he launched into an impromptu dance routine, borrowing from the likes of Clara Nightingale, Beonyce, Usher, and Janet Jackson just to name a few. Those on the dance floor made room for him, creating a circle to allow him freedom to strut and pose. His friends did not disappoint, delighting in his antics and joining in with him one by one, first Rose, then Chloe, followed by Kagami. He assumed Juleka would be next when she was upstaged and practically pushed out of the way by Aurore. Adrien’s dance moves came to a screeching halt, as he retreated from the circle, falling back to stand beside Rose. The two gawked at the flamboyant blonde as she gyrated and gesticulated in the center of the dance floor.
“What’s she doing here?” Rose hissed. Adrien shrugged in response. His eyes found Juleka, who looked not the least bit distraught to see her ex so unexpectedly.
“They didn’t break up,” Luka informed Adrien and Rose, when they returned to the table with baffled expressions.
“Why not?” Rose asked.
Luka shook his head in dismay. “Juleka said she tried to break up with her, but Aurore wouldn’t accept it, so…” his voice faltered as he watched his sister dance with her audacious girlfriend, whose hot pants were riding so far up her ass as she shook it that it looked more like she was wearing a thong. Her long hair flipped back and forth as she gesticulated to the beat. Only the knit beanie on her head kept her hair from getting in her face.
“Still together,” Adrien filled in.
“No escape,” Rose gloomily lamented before gulping a mouthful of her pink cocktail. Finding less than she would have liked, she waved down the waitress, making the signal for another round for the table.
“Is she really that bad?” Marinette asked about Aurore.
“Worse!” The whole table answered at once.
As if there was any doubt, Marinette was about to find out for herself. Being the new member of the group, Aurore quickly targeted the designer, probing her for weaknesses.
“So, who d’ya do?” she asked Marinette after their group had reassembled at the table, everyone taking a break from dancing.
Uncertain exactly what Aurore meant by the question, Marinette explained that she was a fashion designer with her own line. She had established her business in New York, but had recently returned to Paris, having missed her hometown and wanting to be closer to friends and family.
“I’ll be showing my designs in a few months,” Marinette explained, “that will be my g rand Parisian debut !” she laughed, taking on an affected tone with the last few words, sounding like the stuffy design folks that regularly attended Audry Bourgeous’s parties.
“No, no!” Aurore tsked, as she pulled her silver aviator sunglasses low on her nose.”Not what do you do? Who do you do? Ya know, guys, girls, both…”
“Oh!” Marinette blushed at the crass question. The whole table seemed to lean in, anxious for her answer, except for Adrien who was already privy to it. “Guys,” she replied a bit shyly.
Luka and Nathaniel sat a little straighter each beaming with delight. They had a chance, or so they hoped. The rest of the group slumped in disappointment.
“Knew it,” Chloe snapped, seemingly offended that her beauty had been overlooked due to Marinette’s unfortunate luck of being born straight. Kagami elbowed her in the ribs as a warning to shut up. “What?” she loudly whispered to her girlfriend, not understanding, “You had a crush on her, too!”
“What?” Adrien asked them, overhearing, but they merely shrugged, feigning ignorance as to the secret that had just slipped from Chloe’s mouth. It was lucky for them, too, that Aurore didn’t hear it, too consumed with interrogating Marinette.
“So...you leave someone blue balled in NYC?” Aurore pressed.
Adrien’s jaw dropped. Aurore could be persistent, annoying, even downright cruel at times, but he had never known her to talk so crudely. Her personality in general was awful, but the specifics of the awfulness took direct influence from whatever part she was pretending to play in her own fantasy world of acting make believe. If her outfit was any clue, she seemed to have chosen as her character du jour a streetwise rapper, although she looked like a blatant poser. She donned a gray knit beanie on the top of her head out from which flowed her long blonde hair. Under a shiny polyester, purple quilted coat that hung from her elbows, she wore a thin, white wife beater tank top that tightly hugged her over-sized breasts making them look even bigger than normal. Shiny, black hot pants over torn nylons, a huge dollar shaped belt buckle, and orange hightops completed the look.
“Well…” the fashion designer tried to explain, understanding Aurore’s meaning, “not really. I’ve been very busy running my own business. I haven’t dated much.” She looked down at the table before her eyes flashed up quickly, catching the gaze of Adrien.
Aurore sighed, “Bor- ring …”
“But things are different now…” Marinette said more boldly, almost defiantly.
“Yeah?” Aurore’s eyebrows jumped. “You lookin’ for someone long term or just long ?”
“Yes,” she replied with a laugh. “I’ll foolishly take anybody between twenty-five and thirty-five. A handsome face, a few smiles, and a stylish wardrobe...that’s all I need.”
Marinette said it, Adrien felt pretty sure, as a joke. She wasn’t a shallow person that only cared about looks.
“What’s your type?” Aurore insisted as she chomped her gum loudly. Looking around the table she offered up obvious suggestions. “Tall, dark, and handsome? A broody, artistic redhead? Or, the innocent boy next door?” Luka sat up a little straighter at his reference, while Nathaniel blushed heavily. Adrien tried to look unaffected, feigning ignorance, but his nails ripping into the flesh of his palm hidden under the table provided only a minor distraction from the pain this turn in the conversation brought him.
“No,” Marinette shook her head, “No, I don’t care about any of that. If I’m really being honest, then all I want is someone with a strong mind and a kind heart, someone who will fight for me.” Those words hit Adrien hard as he knew that she said them with sincerity, for these were the exact character traits that she thought to be lacking in him.
“A hero!” Rose yelped, getting caught up in the romantic description. Remembering herself, she gave an apologetic look at Adrien, before taking a nervous sip from the remains of her third (?) drink. He smiled weakly at her, letting her off the hook for any betrayal her outburst might have suggested, but all the while he suffered. Inwardly, he felt his heart shrivel up, knowing Marinette would never see him as her hero ever again.
“Not that I need saving,” Mainette clarified. “I want a partner ,” she stressed. “Someone who has my back that I know will stand by me against anyone and everyone, no matter how much they may be persuaded otherwise.”
“Even if it’s to his own detriment?” Kagami asked in disbelief. “He sounds like a fool.”
“A fool in love,” Juleka quipped quietly.
“I ask only what I’m willing to give myself,” Marinette answered. “I’d gladly take a nose dive to prove my love. If he’s a fool, then so am I.”
“Two fools are better than one,” Nathaniel joked, but it fell flat, earning no laughs.
“I hope you find him,” Luka replied sincerely. “Maybe you already have?” he ventured. Marinette didn’t answer, but a small smile graced her face as her eyes fluttered, no doubt pleased by his words.
Adrien shifted uncomfortably, wishing for a quick death. Perhaps picking up on Adrien’s internal moans of agony, Rose suggested a return to the dance floor as a way to end the unfortunate conversation. Gratefully, some of the others liked the suggestion, but Chloe shook her head, forestalling everyone from leaving the table. She complained that she was already too hot and needed another drink or two. This comment sparked derision from Kagami, who noted she had already had enough to drink and moved her girlfriend’s half empty glass further away from her, setting it before Rose, who eyed it thirstily. Chloe’s protests came loudly and sharply, which was only diffused by Adrien.
“Your ponytail is slipping out,” he lied. He said it as a knee jerk reaction rather than as a planned fib. Hair, clothes, makeup, and in that order, were the best ways to distract Chloe. He didn’t want her to fight with Kagami. He wanted her to dance, for all of them to dance, and leave him alone if only to give himself a break from pretending that everything is fine.
Cursing under her breath, Chloe pulled out the hair elastic, allowing her long tresses to fall over her shoulders in large waves. “Now I’m even hotter,” she moaned, running her fingers through the strands of golden locks. Near her scalp the shade had darkened due to the sweat that had formed there.
“You should cut your hair,” Marinette suggested. “Short hair is cooler and so much easier to take care of. Don’t you think, Rose?” The other short-haired girl readily agreed with a perky nod.
“She’d have to ask for Mummy’s permission first,” Kagami snarked. Adrien cringed, fearing that such a comment might push their constant bickering into an actual fight.
“As if!” Chloe cried in offense. “And, what’s your excuse? You haven’t changed your hairstyle since college,” she accused Kagami. “I’ve begged her to try something new,” Chloe explained to her friends, “but she insists on wearing it cropped short as if whacked off by her fencing sword.”
“Better than what you want,” Kagami chidded. “She’d have me shave both sides and have the top stuck up straight like a rooster.”
“It’s called a faux hawk,” Chloe corrected. “The sides would be buzzed short, not shaved. The top would be longer, but not sticking up, just...fluffed up.”
“I’d look ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!” Kagami aped Chloe’s catch phrase.
“You’d look fierce!” Chloe insisted. “You’d be signalling to the world that you’re coming back a new woman after…” her words died in her mouth.
“After her abysmal defeat?” Aurore finished the thought.
“After her unfair loss,” Chloe stressed. She leaned across the table, shoving a finger in Aurore’s face. “That referee was obviously biased. We’ve filed a complaint with the Commission.”
“I heard it was dismissed without cause,” Aurore replied coolly.
“We’re appealing!” Chloe hissed. “And we won’t stop until that blind bat is fired and Kagmai’s title is rightfully restored!”
“Was the ref biased or blind?” Aurore asked, feigning confusion.
Chloe began to retort, but Aurore cut her off. “I know! I know!” Aurore declared triumphantly, “Kagami’s just a bad sport who can’t admit she lost. Good thing she’s got a sugar mamma to buy off the Commission. Can’t have everyone think Audry Bourgeois’s precious daughter dates losers now, can we?”
Chloe lunged at her, but Kagami caught her arm before she could take a swing. She whispered something in her ear and Chloe visibly relaxed.
“It doesn’t matter what you think. You’re no one!” Chloe turned on her heel and taking Kagami’s hand in hers, the two walked away, joining some of the roller derby jam players on the dance floor.
“That wasn’t…” Adrien began, but Aurore cut him off.
“What? Nice?” she asked. “Maybe not. But it wasn’t a lie either...and you know it.”
“I know it didn’t have to be said.”
“As a matter of fact it did,” Aurore countered.”It got them to stop sniping at each other, didn’t it? I should think you would be thanking me.” Adrien guffawed, but undeterred Aurore continued. “You’re the one always keeping the peace. I just gave you the day off.” She leaned into Adrien’s space, “Why does it bother you so much to see two people fighting?”
Adrien’s instinct was to deny it even though he knew it to be true, but decided instead to deflect.
“No one likes conflict.”
“I do,” Aurore smirked. “I like it very much. How boring would life be if we all got along?”
“I wouldn’t mind a little boring now and then, especially now .” There was a rumbling of agreement from the table, followed by an uncomfortable silence. Juleka looked down at her hands, while her girlfriend leaned back in her chair. Aurore swooped her hands up and behind her head, smiling smugly. Adrien and Luka exchanged a look across the table and then shared another with the woman sitting beside each of them, Rose and Marinette, respectively. Adrien wondered if he should follow Chloe and Kagami to check on them, but decided that they had each other for comfort and support. He wasn’t needed.
“So…” Rose began, hoping to fill the silence, but failing miserably. “It’s really hot in here.” She fanned her face with her hand before picking up Chloe’s half empty glass and downing it in one gulp. Adrien eyed his friend carefully, not knowing her to drink so much or so fast. Understanding his silent question, Rose giggled, “Oops, drank the wrong one!” She then picked up her own drink and finished it.
“What about you?” Marinette asked Juleka suddenly. “Do you find it hot with long hair? Maybe you’d like to cut it for the Spring?” It was a noble effort to try to lighten the mood, returning to the topic of conversation before the fight. Undoubtedly she spoke to Juleka to try to make her feel better and to assure her that no one was mad at her for her girlfriend’s bad behavior. Unfortunately, she didn’t know that she had inadvertently opened up the guitarist to ridicule.
Aurore laughed mockingly. “Juleka? Cut her hair? No, no, no...my darling, fragile Juleka will never cut her hair. You’d be taking away her security blanket, poor thing!”
“I don’t know what you mean…” Marinette replied at the same time Luka loudly objected to Aurore’s comment and Adrien gave the insensitive blond a warning.
“She hides behind her hair...to cover her deformity ,” Aurore whispered loudly. With a flash Aurore pulled back Juleka’s hair, revealing a port wine stain birthmark that began below her left eye and continued down her cheek and neck, disappearing behind the high collar of her shirt. “It’s so sad! She’d be pretty if it wasn't for that.” Rose gasped out of shock from Aurore’s audacity, but Juleka took it as revulsion to her looks. She covered her face with both hands and ran from the table. Immediately, Luka uncharacteristically erupted at Aurore, pointing fingers and shouting loudly. He banged the table so hard with his fist that he overturned Marinette’s drink, spilling red wine and startling the others. Aurore yelled back just as furiously.
Adrien jumped up from the table, leaving the chastisement of Aurore to Juleka’s brother while he sought out the offended party. He found her at the bar, tears forming in the one eye that was not hidden behind her long hair. Juleka looked at him, miserably. With a jerk of the head, he indicated the exit and she nodded. Taking her hand in his, he led her outside. The cool air hit them hard, a stark contrast from the heat inside the club. Adrien shivered; he had left his jacket hanging on the back of his chair. Almost immediately Juleka crumpled, letting the tears stream down her face. She allowed herself to be wrapped in his embrace as she sobbed.
“Wanna go home,” she mumbled.
Adrien nodded, taking his cell phone out of his pocket. “Okay, no problem.” He opened the Uber app and began to type with only his thumb to make the request. “Five minutes,” he informed her. Adrien felt more than ready to leave himself. He’d be happy to escort Juleka home and even be willing to keep her company until she either fell asleep or Luka came home.
“I hate myself,” she moaned.
“Don’t say that,” Adrien squeezed her tighter, soothing her as he petted the top of her head. “You’re wonderful!”
“I hate my face then,” she whimpered, burying it into his chest to hide it further. “I’m ugly!”
“You’re not,” he replied without hesitation. “Aurore, she’s the ugly one. You don’t deserve this, Juleka. You need to break up with her.”
“I tried,” she sniffled. “But...Aurore...she’s the only person who’s ever taken any interest in me. I mean, you saw how Rose reacted just now. All people see is this!” She gestured to the reddened side of her face. Her earliest memory was of walking into kindergarten and being stared at and teased by the other children. She hadn’t had many friends at school, certainly never a best friend. No one asked her to birthday parties or sleepovers. She’d glommed onto her brother for companionship, only learning the guitar because of his great love of music. Luka, who’d always been the popular one at school, never made her feel like she wasn’t welcome to hang out with him and his friends.
“Not everyone,” Adrien smiled at her. “The good ones, they see the real you. And, I don’t think Rose meant anything by it. She likes you a lot.”
“Really?” Juleka asked with uncertainty. She wasn’t so sure. She was only friends with Rose by association through Adrien and only with him by association with Luka. Even now at the age of 28, Juleka was still hanging out with her brother and his friends. Aurore was the first and only friend she had ever made on her own. How could she have helped but to have fallen in love with her?
Juleka shook her head, not believing him. How could anyone like her when she looked like this? And, what she feared most had started happening. “It’s getting worse,” she whispered hoarsely. “Bumps...bumps are forming.”
Adrien sighed, knowing that the prognosis of a port wine stain birthmark was that over time the skin would become thicker and darker, sometimes changing from smooth to pebbly, if left untreated. Very gently he asked if she would show him. If it was anyone else, Juleka would have said no, but since Adrien is a nurse she had talked to him about it before and had even showed him her mark, asking his medical opinion and advice. She slowly pulled back her hair. His eyes searched her face and neck, but to no avail. He couldn’t see any bumps. She grabbed his hand and placed his finger on her cheek just in front of her ear. His brow furrowed as he felt the slightly raised skin. With keen eyes he inspected the area. Chuckling, Adrien proclaimed it to be a zit. Juleka rebuffed the diagnosis at first, but after feeling the area again with her own finger, she relented, a smile slowly growing as relief set in.
“You ever go to that doctor I told you about?” Adrien asked, referring to the dermatologist he knew. Juleka shook her head no. Her parents had taken her to lots of doctors as a child. She had endured the laser treatments as long as she could, but they were so painful that she begged her parents not to take her anymore. They had relented and Juleka had never seen a doctor since then about her birthmark.
“They’re not as painful as they used to be…” Adrien began, aware of the reason for her reluctance to seek treatment, but Juleka pulled away, wrapping her arms around herself in a comforting hug and turning away from him.
“I could go with you, if you like…” Adrien offered. He had accompanied Master Fu to all of his doctor visits and treatments right up until the end. He’d also advised Nathalie when she had a cancer scare two years ago. It was not uncommon for people to ask for his medical advice, even near perfect strangers, as soon as they found out his profession. He’d listen to a list of symptoms or a body part would be shoved into his face for inspection, before a diagnosis or treatment would be demanded of him. He didn’t really mind and he tried to help as much as he could. For Juleka, he’d be there for moral support more than anything else.
Juleka shook her head. A “thanks, but no thanks,” escaped her lips at the same time that their friends poured out of the club. Aurore rushed to her, taking her into her arms. Luka followed close behind, telling the cruel blonde to get away from his sister. Juleka held up her hands, silencing him, and allowed herself to be pulled a little further down the street by Aurore. The others kept a watchful eye as the two talked, or more precisely as Aurore persuaded her girlfriend to forgive her, while Luka and Rose repeatedly called out to her, entreating Juleka to come back to them. Kagami and Chloe hurried outside, joining the group, trying to get caught up on what had happened, since they had stormed away from the table.
Adrien’s phone buzzed and he called out to Juleka that the Uber was here as he texted the driver back and then stepped out slightly into the street to flag him down. The car pulled up to where he stood, double parked along the downtown street. He turned around, expecting to find Juleka ready to get in. Instead, she was still huddled in intense conversation with Aurore. Adrien asked the driver to wait a moment and then he approached the couple. Juleka sniffled as she nodded her head, all the while Aurore kept talking, very low. He couldn’t make out what they were saying to each other, which he supposed was the point. Adrien called out to Juleka, telling her the car was here, ready to take her home.
Immediately, the two stopped talking. Clasping each other’s hand, they walked as one back toward the larger group. Softly, but clearly, Juleka announced, “We’re leaving.”
Marinette passed Juleka her jacket and camera bag that she had retrieved from the table. “I’m sorry, Juleka,” she said.
“Please don’t go, Juleka,” Rose implored, but Juleka didn’t respond to either of them.
Pointedly, she turned to Chloe, “Aurore is not no one,” she said. “At least, not to me.” Leaving her friends and brother dumbfounded, Juleka jumped into the car with Aurore. They all stood quietly, mouths ajar, watching them drive away.
“I can’t believe...” Adrien said in awe of what they had just witnessed.
“She went with her...” Rose finished his miserable sentiment. “Oh, Juleka!” she lamented, looking as if she might cry.
“The fool!” Chloe cursed, hurt by Juleka’s parting remark. Her comment sparked something within her girlfriend.
“What were you saying earlier, Marinette?” Kagami quietly asked her with an arched eyebrow. “Still think love is standing beside someone no matter what?”
“I-I didn’t mean…” Marinette began, but her voice faltered, not allowing her to finish. For a moment her eyes locked with Adrien’s, but she quickly turned away. “Shouldn’t we go after her?” she asked of Luka.
He merely shook his head. “Juleka’s made up her mind. They’ll be no talking to her tonight.”
“No…” Kagami agreed. “Her mouth will be otherwise occupied.” Now Marinette’s shock intensified, unused to the crass innuendo that in the intervening years since she had known her Kagami had become notorious for saying in unguarded moments. Adrien gave Kagami a playful shove, punishment for her wicked comment, but it had the desired effect. The joke relieved the tension, allowing the group to laugh if only for a moment.
Standing on the street, the group awkwardly looked at each other, wondering what to do next. The exuberant mood of the night had been thoroughly killed and a change of venue seemed necessary if there was any hope of salvaging it. Nathaniel suggested getting a bite to eat, to which Marinette readily agreed, followed by Luka, who seemed content to do whatever Marinette wanted to do. Kagami and Chloe seemed non-committal, wanting to dance and drink (at least Chloe) with the roller derby jam players a bit more, and suggested meeting up with the others later. Adrien saw this as a ripe opportunity to exit the evening and he did not want to let it slip by. Turning to Rose, he asked her what she wanted to do. One look at her watery eyes and leaning form told him everything he needed to know.
“Rosie and I’ll call it a night,” he informed their friends.
Rose dumbly nodded her agreement, “It’s night alright.” She giggled, amused at her own words. “I made a rhyme!” she proclaimed, elbowing Kagami in the ribs.
“Making the party private, huh?” Luka teased him as he playfully punched him in the shoulder. Adrien guffawed, trying to slough off the comment out of fear that Marinette might get the wrong impression, but his denial made him appear more awkward and embarrassed than he intended.
“You forgot this,” Marinette said, passing him his jacket and scarf that he had left at the table.
“No, I could never forget,” he responded reverently running the blue, hand-knit scarf through his hands before looping it over his neck. It had been a present Marinette had made for him for his birthday long before they ever dated, although at the time he thought it his birthday present from his father. Years later the truth had come out from a very embarrassed Nathalie who confessed to forgetting his birthday and using Marinette’s present as a substitute for the present she was meant to get him on behalf of his father. Adrien at first had felt hurt and angry at his father’s insensitivity at letting his assistant handle what should have been his parental responsibility and Nathalie’s duplicity. But that was soon supplanted by the realization that Marinette had never corrected the mistake even though Adrien had often commented on how well he liked his fathers’s gift.
“Isn’t beautiful?” Adrien had asked. “My father made it for me for my birthday. It’s the best present that I ever received.”
“I’m so glad you like it,” Marinette had said with a warm smile. “It really suits you.”
Adrien surmised that Marinette had rather let him be happy by the lie than be miserable by the truth, even though it meant she never received any credit for the gift. She didn’t want credit, she had just wanted him to be happy. It had made him love her all the more. The next time he saw her, he had tried to tell her that he knew and how much it meant to him that someone would consider his feelings before their own. Unfortunately, he had made a horrible mess of it, crying at almost the very beginning that the only thing he managed to get out that made any sense was, “Marry me?”
He would tell her now, Adrien decided. It didn’t matter that they were standing in front of a smoky bar on the chilly streets of Paris surrounded by his friends and strangers. He would tell her now...and about how much it meat to him, how much it still means, and how sorry he is for hurting her and how he could never hope for her to forgive him, but that he still loved her and felt that he always would.
“I know,” he began. He laughed nervously, earning a confused look from her. He took a breath to steady himself and started again, “I know about…”
“Goodbye, Marinette!” Rose enthused, hugging the other woman tightly and not realizing she had interrupted a moment between the former lovers. “I know we just met, but I’ve heard so much about you that I feel we’re already great friends!”
Marinette in her astonishment could only give a feeble pat back in return, since her arms were pinned against her sides. “I’m sure we will be in no time!” she replied, although Adrien could hear the uncertainty in her voice. He internally sighed at the loss of the opportunity to speak to her, resigned to slip on his jacket and say his goodbyes.
“I’d much rather go home and get a good night’s rest,” Kagami confessed to Adrien as she hugged him goodbye. “But, Chloe’s having so much fun. I know it’s been very hard on her with her mother in town. She should have a night to cut loose.”
“Goodnight, Adrikins,” Chloe said with a kiss to each of his cheeks. “If it were up to me, we’d be going with you, but Kagami’s having such fun. She trains so hard, too hard if you ask me. She needs a break. And, those roller jelly girls, while not the sort of people I would normally associate with, they absolutely worship her! So, I can’t hate them completely!”
Adrien gave a curt nod to Nathaniel, who responded in kind. He turned then to escort Rose, who with some bemusement he found still had Marinette clenched in an embrace and did not look in the least hurry to let her go.
“I just want everyone to be happy, you know?” the clinging girl was saying to a wide-eyed Marinette. “You and Adrien, me and Juleka. Everyone. Everyone should be happy and in love!”
Adrien, trying to end the awkwardness as quickly as possible, gently called to his friend, “Come on, Rosie! Time to go!”
Rosie looked up and smiled at Adrien. She then looked to Marinette and smiled even brighter as she whispered to her, “I know it will all work out. I know you believe it, too.” Rose kissed her then, a quick peck on the mouth. Then she spun around and taking Adrien’s arm for support, Rose asked, “Did the rotation of the earth change? I feel like we’re spinning backwards.”
“I think you just drank too much,” he said, leading her carefully down the street.
“Oh...too bad, I do love koala bears…” she hummed as she stumbled slightly. “They’re so cute with their big ears and small noses.” She yawned loudly. “Just like Juleka.” Adrien laughed not understanding her word association. He didn’t have time to ponder it further or anything else, or rather anyone else, for that matter, being much more concerned with making it the three blocks to the metro station, as he endeavored to keep them walking straight while Rose loudly sang “I’m a Believer”. Never one to allow his friends to sing alone, he joined in, making sure to vocalize the instrumental parts of “Da-da, da-da” at the end of each verse. It was a welcomed break from obsessing over Marinette, which unfortunately for Adrien would not last as long as he would have liked.