Crappy attempt at art inspired by my fic New Girl on the Block and "Last of the Real Ones" by fall out boy. Enjoy!

Please don't repost!!

New Girl on the Block

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for the long wait on everything. I know it's been a suuuuuuper long time since I've posted here, but I have good news!! I won't be posting on Tumblr since the details behind each post are tedious, but I am posting on ao3 again! I actually just posted ch. 27 of New Girl on the Block there! I'm gonna post the link for anyone who wants to jump over and read it. No pressure though! Thanks so much to all of you for being so kind to me during the absence. I've been attending college for two years and the time it takes up is such a struggle lol anyway, hope you all enjoy the new chapters! comment or like and let me know what you think!

here's the link to Ao3

thanks so much! I haven't done anything for New Friends, but I HAVE just finished ch. 17 of New Girl on the Block! I'm about to post a link for it now :D thank you so much for your patience and kindness! You guys are all so great <3

thank you so much for the encouragement! This was really nice to read! I appreciate all of the love and support you guys give. keep being awesome!!

you're asks always make me so happy! Thank you for being so sweet <3 <3 <3

I'm super sorry for the long wait, but I'm actually posting chapters again now! I'm gonna make a post with the link cause I'm no longer adding them to tumblr for time sake. Sorry for the inconvenience, but thank you for the question!

Thank you!! I have been enjoying the story a lot and I'm excited because it's finally getting to the good part! But on the sadder side, my life is getting to the busier part so I can't really write the good parts lol bit I should be posting another chapter this Wednesday, and then I'll drop off the earth again 😅 I'm glad you're liking the devotions! I'd love to hear more about your religion if you don't mind sharing 😁

New Girl on the Block (23)

(Welp, y’all, this is it. This is the last, pre-written chapter that I have written. From here on out we’re gonna have to rely strictly on my writing consistency and... I’m so sorry for that lol Because CLEARLY, if we’re on the last pre-written chapter, after having posted, like, three over the last month, we know that this isn’t gonna be good. BUT! I do have THIS chapter to give you! So please enjoy! And don’t forget to check out the mini series connected to this called Journal Entries!)

Ch.1 / Ch.22 / Ch.24 (ao3)

Chapter 23: How the Cards Fall

Marinette stared in horror at her former classmates, violently kicking herself for being so reckless. How could she forget that this was one of Alya and Nino’s favorite food carts too? She used to eat there with them all the time! She should have known better than to pick this place! Actually, she shouldn’t have picked anywhere to eat at all! Going to a place she used to enjoy meant going to a place where she used to hang out with her old friends, which meant eventually running into them, which meant- well - this! Oh, how could she be so stupid?

Maybe it won’t be so bad, she reasoned with herself before she could start hyperventilating. Maybe they’ll just roll their eyes and leave instead of making a scene.

But Alya was never one to back down from a (accidental) challenge. As soon as she realized her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her, a scowl etched itself onto her lips, and she started stomping in Marinette’s direction.

“It is you!” The red-head scoffed. “Oh, when I get my hands on you-”

Marinette flinched back, officially throwing breathing out the window. She looked at her current classmates and wondered what they would do if she ran, what they would think. Would they follow her or would they stay and talk with Alya? What if they started asking questions that Marinette couldn’t answer? What if Alya answered the questions before she could? Would they believe her? Was she going to have to find a new school again? What if Lila’s lies followed her there too? What if she never escaped Lila’s claims?

Suddenly, not breathing turned into breathing too fast, but before she could spiral further than gasping, a shadow passed over her. 

It was Allan and Claude, coming to stand in front of her as a defense.

“Hey, woah!” Claude said, holding up his hands in a calming gesture. “Why don’t you back off a bit and tell us what’s got you so upset?”

A hand touched her shoulder lightly, and Marinette’s gaze snapped to Felix, who was now standing next to her. He met her eyes with a subtle raise of the eyebrows, and she knew what it meant. 

“Are you alright?”

Marinette drew in a deep breath to steady herself and nodded, even though her insides felt like they were turning outwards at this point. Felix must have seen through her fib because his hand stayed on her shoulder as he looked back at Alya. His eyebrows were furrowed, which could be from his concern, but Marinette also knew curiosity when she saw it. He wants to know who these people are, and why they’re angry with her. And after everything she’s told him about her old school, he might be able to figure it out.

Alya briefly paused at the boys’ blockade, before raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms. 

“So is this who you’re hiding behind now?” She asked, unimpressed. “Are these the new people you’ve managed to dupe?”

 Marinette tensed, and Felix’s grip tightened on her shoulder. Whether that was a sign of support or his disgruntlement, she wasn’t sure.

“Are we supposed to know what that means?” Allegra, who had also come to stand next to Marinette, drawled.

“No.” Alya said. “Not yet, anyway. This one likes to wait until you’re in pretty deep before springing her trap.”

Marinette bit her lip, indignation rising in her chest. She didn’t deserve this. She hasn’t done anything wrong!

“Alya, that’s enough-” She tried to say, but Alya cut her off.

“I wasn’t talking to you.” The red-head snapped. “You don’t get to have a say anymore, not unless you’re willing to admit what you’ve done, what you really are.”

“Alya, come on.” Nino, who finally decided to join the conversation, coaxed. “L-Let’s just go. It’s not worth fighting over.”

Marinette might have been grateful had he not backed down right after when Alya shot him a glare. 

“I’m going to assume you guys are her new classmates and friends.” Alya continued. “So let me tell you, as a former classmate and best friend, that this girl,” she pointed her finger accusingly at Marinette, “is a fraud.”

New Girl on the Block (22)

(Hey everyone! Again, late. I’m sorry!! We’ve had a lot going on lately. I might not have a steady update schedule for a while.. but I’m updating now! So there’s that! Please enjoy chapter 22 and don’t forget to check out the mini series connected to this called Journal Entries!)

Ch. 1 / Ch. 21 / Ch. 23 (ao3)

Chapter 22: Tensions Rising

Buildings with more than one story were always a must in Claude’s book. Not because they held a great view, or because a one-story building occasionally looked cheap, but because any time he had to go downstairs, Claude was blessed with the absolute joy of running to the stairwell, hopping on the railing, and sliding all the way down with a “woohoo!”. 

This morning was no exception, especially since he had an extra bounce in his step. Claude grabbed the cool, black railing and swung himself onto it, letting out a laugh as he slid all the way down to the first floor. Right before he hit the ground, though, Claude leapt off of the railing, using his momentum- along with his socks- to slide all the way to the kitchen doorway. 

“Kids, don’t try that at home.” Claude smirked to himself as he jokingly brushed off his shoulder.

Oh, yeah. Today was gonna be a good day.

“You seem chipper this morning.” 

Claude turned to his mother, who was sitting at the kitchen table with what looked to be a fresh cup of coffee. She tipped the drink up to her lips, offering him a playful look as she added, “You know. More so than usual.”

Claude grinned and strolled over to give her a small hug. She was dressed up again, wearing a navy suit jacket and pencil skirt to match, so she must be working another case today at the law firm. 

“I am! Marinette just texted me this morning and told me that she finished my suit. She’s coming over today so I can try it on!”

“Wow, that fast?” Another voice cut in, drawing Claude’s gaze to the kitchen doorway again.

His dad flashed Claude a smile as he walked in, joining them at the kitchen table. He was wearing a suit too, though his was more of a dark grey color. Were they going to the law firm together? That hasn’t happened in a while. Maybe they’re working on the same case together. 

“Doesn’t it take a good few months to finish a suit like that?” 

“Not for Marinette! She’s incredible.”

“Or lazy.” Claude’s mother remarked lightheartedly. “Maybe you should see the suit first before praising her.”

“Mom!”

She chuckled and set her mug on the table. “Oh, I’m only teasing. I’m sure the suit will look lovely.”

“Felicity, darling.. Maybe you should leave the jokes to me.” Claude’s father said, giving her a peck on the head.

Felicity scoffed and swatted at his chest. “Please, Albert, my sarcasm can’t possibly be any worse than your dry humor.”

“What are you talking about? Dad’s hilarious!” Claude insisted.

“Yeah!” Albert grinned, wrapping his arm around Claude’s shoulders. “I’m hilarious!”

Felicity rolled her eyes with a smile. “If you say so.”

Claude chuckled and ducked out of his dad’s arms to snag a fresh piece of bacon next to the stove, thanking Matilda, their professional chef, as he did.

“So when’s Marinette coming over?” Albert asked as he took a seat next to Felicity. “Will we be able to meet her?”

“Oh, you should. She’s actually on her way over right-”

The doorbell interrupted Claude, and he nearly pounced for the kitchen door.

“Now! I bet that’s them!” He said, slipping around on his socks during his scurry to get to the front door.

“Them?” His parents asked in unison.

“Allegra and Allan!” Claude called over his shoulder. “I invited them over to help set up a surprise for Marinette before she got here.”

His parents exchanged a curious look, but Claude didn’t notice. He was too busy throwing the front door open.

Sure enough, Allegra and Allan were right outside, both offering warm smiles. 

“Guys! Thanks for coming!” Claude greeted, giving Allegra a hug first. 

“Of course we came.” She said. “We’ve been waiting for this surprise too, you know. I’m just grateful it all came in last Monday. Any later and Marinette might have beat us.”

“No kidding.” Claude laughed, glancing down at the large box in Allan’s hands. “So is that it?”

“Yep.” Allan confirmed. “Should we see what’s inside?”

Allegra snorted. “We already know what’s inside. We all pitched in to order it.”

“Yeah, but I haven’t seen it in person yet.” 

“Yeah!” Claude agreed. “Let’s open it.”

Thank you very much for the compliments! It's always nice to hear that people are enjoying the story so far and especially nice to hear about their appreciation for God! He deserves all of the credit we can give Him 🥰

Journal Entries 13

(This Journal Entry is based on Ch. 21 of New Girl on the Block.)

Entry 1 / Entry 12

Sunday, February 17th,

After Marinette ignored my texts for a full day, I finally decided to go over to her house. It was a last minute decision, and my mother found it quite humorous, but the result was definitely worthwhile. Marinette was caught completely off guard, and I was able to get a good look around the place before she could counter my so called “attack”. Unfortunately, my efforts weren’t all that fruitful, because her room was littered with the fabrics from Claude’s suits, but I enjoyed the visit nonetheless. I got to talk with her for a bit and watch her scramble to explain the rules of the bet, and after a while, she actually fell asleep! In the middle of our conversation! I might have found it rude had Mlle Sabine not mentioned her working day and night to finish her projects. That silly girl never knows when to quit..Anyway, as I said, she fell asleep mid-visit, and I wasn’t going to rummage through a girl’s room while she was sleeping, so I moved her over to the chaise, grabbed a blanket and some snacks for her, and left her one of the decorations she’d made during the Valentine’s Day party. (I hadn’t mentioned it before, but she said she was quite fond of the decorations while we were putting them away, so I asked Allegra if she could have one. I’m unsure as to whether Marinette will actually keep the stream of hearts or not, though.)

I hope she’ll begin taking care of herself properly. Ignoring sleep, along with food and water, is not a healthy process to get work done. Perhaps I need to start visiting more often during her projects.

-

Dear Diary,

You’ll never believe what Felix did today! He actually came over! To my house! Unannounced! Isn’t that awful? That little punk was trying to catch me off guard so he could find my gift! I mean, I knew he was a little on the devious side but I didn’t think he would resort to this! I should have. I should have known he would try underhanded tactics if it meant he could win. Luckily, I did take the proper precautions. 

I guess I can’t be too hard on him, though. He was really sweet when he stopped by. He asked about whether I’d eaten or not, and when I said no, he went to get me some food. I.. may or may not have fallen asleep while he to get it? So I don’t remember the rest, but I woke up on the chaise covered in a warm blanket, and there was fruit and water on my desk for me. He left a note too! It was paired with one of the heart decorations I made for the party, which was kind of nice because I’d mentioned off-hand that I was “sentimental” about them (I’m really not, but we’re not gonna go into all of that). I’ll leave the note here so you can read it later, but I think I’ll hang the heart strings up in my room. You know.. For decoration..

Anyway, now that I’ve got some rest and been rejuvenated, it’s time to get working on Claude’s suit again full force! So goodbye for now, Dear Diary!

New Girl on the Block (21)

(Sorry for the late update, guys! Yesterday was CRAZY for me. Actually, this whole MONTH has been crazy! I haven’t been able to write in weeks :’( but thankfully, I’ve pre-written a few chapters so I can still post an update today. I hope you all are doing well and don’t forget to check out the mini series connected to this called Journal Entries!)

Ch. 1 / Ch. 20 / Ch. 22 (ao3)

Chapter 21: Elementary

Felix eyed the Dupain-Cheng bakery as he stepped out of his limo and onto the pavement. The open sign hung neatly on the front door, and behind it, the lights shined brightly inside. M Dupain-Cheng was manning the register from the looks of it, which meant Marinette either wasn’t home or wasn’t working. Both scenarios would suit him fine.

After a swift ‘thank you’ to his driver, Felix walked over and pushed open the bakery door. The entrance was noticeably different from the first time he visited- no mulling or fussing over manners and such -but the warmth that came with the charming patisserie was the same. Scents of cinnamon and vanilla wafted through the air, and the bright chattering of M. Sabine was as light as the customer bell that rang above his head when he came in. 

A usual Sunday for the Dupain-Cheng household, he mused.

M. Sabine caught his eye in an instant, her smile brightening as she shooed off her current customer. The customer didn’t appear to be happy about it, but she clearly didn’t mind, because she continued beckoning Felix over to the register with a wave of her hand.

Felix strolled over as requested and managed not to tense too much when M. Sabine pulled him into a hug.

“Felix, it’s so good to see you!” She trilled. “What can I get for you? A croissant? A cupcake? Or are you here to see Marinette?”

Felix offered a small smile. “The last one. Is she home?”

“She is! Just take those stairs up- oh, but you know how to get up there already. You’ll find her in her room, but I advise you to tread lightly. She’s been working on some projects non-stop for the last two days.”

Felix hummed. Has she now?

“Thank you very much. I’ll be sure to buy some sweets for my mother on the way out.”

“Oh, don’t be silly! Tom and I can get a bag ready for you while you’re up there. No charge necessary!”

Felix chuckled softly and shook his head. Marinette truly did inherit her generosity. 

“That’s quite alright. I have plenty of money.”

“As do we. Now go on up before Tom finds you and gives you another bear hug.”

The comment was enough to send Felix scurrying up the stairs (in a dignified fashion, of course). Tom was a wonderful man, but his bear hugs were.. not exactly something Felix would actively seek out.

He glided through the familiar hallways of the apartment complex until he found Marinette’s, then quietly walked inside towards the attic stairs, taking care not to bump or touch anything that would alarm her. If Marinette became aware of his presence, she might find time to panic.

Or hide things.

Felix climbed that attic stairs and lightly knocked on the trapdoor, waiting for an absent invitation to enter. Hopefully, her parents knocked when they came to her room too, or she was going to guess rather quickly that he wasn’t her father or mother.

“Come in!” A muffled voice called, to his relief. She didn’t suspect a thing.

He pushed open the trapdoor and climbed inside quickly, his eyes darting around the room before anything could be touched. Various things were scattered across her floorboards and furniture, namely things like unrolled fabrics or loose spindles of thread. She’d clearly been working on something, but what? How was he supposed to find anything in this explosion of colors?

Thanks, Claude.

I just wanted to say how much I love your New Girl On The Block series and that I really appreciate your little devotionals at the bottom of your newer chapters. I'm not on social media at all but I love reading fan fiction on tumblr, but it's so hard to find just good, clean Miraculous ladybug stories. I really admire what you do, because I honestly could never write fan fiction even though I love writing. :) people assume writing fan fiction isn't hard, but I tried it once- it's so much harder than writing original characters. Sorry that this is long, but I wanted you to know that your writing is amazing and no one should tell you otherwise. 

(thank you so much! I really enjoy doing the devotions and sharing God's wonderful gifts to us, so it's always nice to have positive feedback from them! I'm glad you enjoy the fanfiction and the way I write as well. The chapters are hard to keep up with sometimes, and if not for the fact that I pre-wrote a good few chapters, I actually wouldn't be able to post an update today lol and even this update is late.. but anyway, thank you again! I hope you have a blessed day <3)

Journal Entries 12

(This Journal Entry refers to New Girl on the Block ch. 19 and 20. Enjoy!)

Friday, February 15th

We finally took the Valentine’s Day decorations down today, and I couldn’t be happier. Now I won’t have to worry about that cursed holiday until next year- though, I suppose if Marinette attends again, I won’t have to dread it as much. I wonder how long she’ll stay at Rosemary. It’s natural to assume she’ll stay until graduation, of course, but she did transfer here. She might decide to transfer somewhere else later on. Perhaps the tuition will start to weigh too heavily on her parents’ shoulders, or she’ll simply start to feel like she isn’t welcome anymore. After all this time, it will be strange not having her around, if not disheartening. I’m sure I could gather enough funds if money was the problem, and as for the feeling of being welcome, Claude and the others should be more than happy to invite her along on other outings.. But this is all speculation. Marinette will most likely stay until graduation, and I’ll have nothing to worry about. 

Speaking of Marinette, she had an appointment today. I’m not sure what kind of appointment, but it caused her to leave the Mandarin Oriental. Whatever it is, I hope it went well for her, because she seemed a tad out of touch today, more so than usual. She kept staring at the decorations with a wistful smile, or muttering to herself as she grabbed a balloon. I’m quite certain that I even caught her glaring at a rose at one point. Either way, she looked to be equally put off and sentimental. I dare say that it was a bit amusing, but I also have a theory as to why she was acting that way. You see, earlier this evening, Marinette texted me about a certain surprise that she was crafting. She won’t tell me what it is or who it’s for, but she has declared a bet between us: I must guess what the surprise is, and I must do it before the surprise is revealed. It’s a thrilling gamble, and I am fully prepared to engage every trick in the book to win. 

In other words, there are going to be several, entertaining entries to follow.

-

Dear Diary,

So, I finally had my lunch with Adrien today.. I have to admit, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. The café that we met at had great lattes, and he seemed to really understand the fact that I want to stay at Rosemary! We even talked about him meeting Felix and the others, though I don’t think I’ll go through with that anytime soon. For one, Felix kind of lied about me attending Rosemary a while back XD and for two, I’m just not comfortable with that thought yet. I know everything went smoothly and I was clearly worrying over nothing, but I still can’t shake the feeling that this is all gonna come crashing down at some point, ya know? It’s probably just my anxiety talking.. Anyway, I actually have more good news! My package for Felix’s gift finally came in! I’m super excited and I can’t wait to start it! I even made a bet with Felix about whether he could guess what it was or not! 

I know, I know, “Not the greatest tactic, Marinette!” but I’ve got a feeling this will work out in my favor.

Anyway, I’m super close to finishing Claude’s suit. So I’m gonna try to pull an all nighter in order to start on Felix’s project too! Wish me luck, Dear Diary!

New Girl on the Block (20)

(Can you guys believe we’re up to twenty chapters already?! I certainly can’t! Thanks to everyone who’s been supporting me during this writing process. I’ve been having such a blast! I hope you all enjoy this next update along with the devotional at the bottom! Don’t forget to check out the mini series connected to this called Journal Entries!)

Ch. 1 / Ch. 19 / Ch. 21 (ao3)

Chapter 20: The Odds Stacking Against Us

“WHAT?!”

Nino jumped, immediately launching himself off the couch and bolting into the kitchen where his girlfriend’s scream had come from. 

“Alya? What is it? Are you alright?” He blurted out as he slid to the kitchen doorway. Was the food burning? Was there another akuma attack across town? People weren’t putting rude comments on her blog again, were they?

Alya stood next to the stove, her eyes on her phone and her hand on her mouth. She didn’t appear to be in any sort of pain or danger, but whatever was on the screen must have deeply disturbed her, because her eyebrows were knitted together too.

“Babe?” He tried again, carefully walking over to put a hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Alya blinked, seeming to come back to him, and shook her head. “Nothing, it’s.. Lila just sent me this picture of Marinette and Adrien having lunch together.”

Nino pulled a puzzled look. “What?”

Alya tilted her phone and his direction, and Nino glanced over the screen as well. Marinette and Adrien were definitely together, and they seemed to be in a café.

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Nino muttered, a frown tugging at the corner of his lips. Adrien never mentioned going to see Marinette by himself. “Was this picture taken recently?”

Alya nodded. “Lila says she just saw them today and took a picture. It looks like they’re having a pretty good time too.”

“But how did he even get in touch with her? I thought she changed her number.”

“Or she just blocked us.” Alya said bitterly. “Either way, she still lives at the bakery. He probably went there to find her. What I don’t understand is why? After everything she’s done to Lila, he shouldn’t even want to look in her direction, let alone have a lunch date with her.”

Nino glanced to the left, a bit of discomfort rising to his chest. “Yeah.. Maybe he wanted to reason with her? He said he was going to talk with Marinette about the texts to Lila, right?”

“Does this look like reasoning to you?” Alya countered, showing him the photo again.

Nino sighed at the smiling faces on the screen. “..No.”

“No.” Alya agreed. “It looks to me like he’s just hanging out with her, as if they’re still friends. So maybe he just gets a sick sense of joy from being on a bully’s good side.”

“Hey, come on, that’s not fair!” Nino shot back. “You know Adrien hardly talks with Chloe anymore. I’m sure he has a perfectly good reason for hanging around Marinette.”

Alya crossed her arms. “Like?”

“Like.. uhm.. I don’t know.. maybe he just misses her? He might not have realized she had a crush on him, but he still saw her as a close friend.”

“But that’s my point. Why is he considering her a friend at all? I wouldn’t want to be friends with anyone who would be so cruel to others.”

“Well- uh-” Nino reached up to scratch his jaw with his forefinger “-Adrien’s.. You know.. A naturally forgiving person.. And if you think about it, Marinette never really did anything to anyone except Lila. Maybe he thinks it’s a misunderstanding?”

Alya narrowed her eyes. “A misunderstanding? Lila showed us screenshot evidence of Marinette bullying her! Do you think that is a misunderstanding?”

Nino squirmed slightly. “Uh..M-Maybe? I mean.. Screenshots can be altered-”

“Are you saying you don’t believe Lila?” Alya asked incredulously. “What- you think she just made all of this up for no reason?”

New Girl on the Block (19)

(Hey, everyone!!! Thank you so much for your patience while I was away. It’s good to be back! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!)

Ch. 1 / Ch. 18 / Ch. 20 (ao3)

Chapter 19: A Date with Misery

“Marinette, you are.. an incredible person.”

“You don’t need anyone to validate how amazing you are.”

“You are talented, kind, and capable all on your own.”

Felix’s words from the night before played over in Marinette’s mind again and again, an endless loop that she found herself incapable of escaping, and with each echo, her heart seemed to melt further than she thought possible. The comments were simply too honey-sweet, too sincere. She couldn’t help reveling in them. How long had he thought of her that way? How long had he placed her on such a high pedestal that she wasn’t aware of? Marinette knew that Felix had a tendency to make unexpected comments every now and then, but last night truly caught her off guard.. and perhaps made her just a tad bit love-stricken. Had he always spoken to her in that soft manner, the one that made her believe she could be the very stars in his night sky? Had he always possessed the ability to send her heart fluttering the way it did last night, when he allowed her to pull him onto the dance floor and hold him incredibly close? She had no way of knowing, and certainly not enough nerve to ask aloud. But, oh, how her mind ran rampant with fantasies anyway. Will she ever be able to dance with him like that again? Would he look at her the same way he had then, with eyes that felt soft as a cloud in the moment? Did he go home last night and think about her too, endlessly turning on his bed and glancing at his diary- if he kept one, that is -and thinking maybe just one more entry-

“Marinette?” 

Marinette jumped, nearly falling off of the ladder that she’d been balancing on, and felt a blush explode across her cheeks.

“Nothing! What? I mean-” She flailed her arms a bit to regain balance, then peeked down at the person below, the very boy she’d been fantasizing about “-Did you need something?”

Felix stood at the base of the ladder, his brows furrowed slightly. “..No. I just wanted to know if there was something wrong with your heart.”

Marinette sputtered, her blush deepening considerably. She couldn’t have been that obvious, right? What expression was she making before he came over? 

“M-My heart?” She asked- or rather, squeaked.

Felix pointed to a stream of hearts on the wall, the ones she was supposed to be taking down. “You were staring at one of the hearts for quite a while. Is it ripped?”

“Oh.” She said, staring blankly at the wall. The paper hearts. He meant the paper hearts hanging next to her. Not her heart specifically. That made a lot more sense. “No, sorry. The hearts are fine. I was just, uh.. you know.. reminiscing. We had a lot of fun times with these decorations.”

“Ah,” Felix tilted his head up in a slight nod, “my apologies for interrupting you then.”

“Oh, you didn’t.” Marinette assured hastily. “It really wasn’t anything important.”

Definitely wasn’t anything important..

She plucked out the pin that held the hearts and started down the ladder to move to the other end of the stream. Felix offered a hand to help her down in the process, and she took it, strongly ignoring the tingling sensation that came from doing so. 

“If you’d like to keep one as a memorial, I’m sure Allegra wouldn’t mind.” He remarked. “I doubt she’s going to keep any of these things herself after all the parties they’ve had.”

Marinette hummed. Keeping a heart streamer as a memorial, huh? That didn’t sound like a bad idea. 

“Thanks. I just might do that.”

Felix gave her the tiniest of smiles, the kind Marinette was used to catching at this point, and slipped his hand out of hers when her feet hit the ground. She clasped her hands together afterwards to compensate, also ignoring the fact that it might have been nice for him to hold her hand just a tad bit longer.

“Would you like help moving the ladder?” He asked, to which she shook her head.

“I’ve got it, but if you could move the box over to the other round table while I move the ladder, I would be grateful.”

Allegra had given her an empty box to put the decorations in as she took them off of the wall. So far, Marinette had exactly.. zero decorations in the box. Gosh, how long had she been staring at that heart? Was she going insane? Why would she even be thinking about Felix this way? He’d just told her last night that he wasn’t interested in romance. Falling for him would be guaranteed heartbreak! It would be completely ridiculous! It would.. It would..

It would probably be inevitable.

Felix was just too sweet to her, too kind. He was always looking out for her and supporting her, always sharing his quiet laughs and amused smiles, and he said too many things that made her head spin for her not to start liking him. There was just no escape! It was going to happen eventually. The only question now was when.

And maybe today was her answer.

Stop it. Marinette scolded herself as she picked up the ladder to walk it over. It’s just some butterflies in your stomach. How many of those did you digest around Adrien?

Marinette froze midstep, an immense sense of horror washing over her. Oh, gosh, this wasn’t going to be another Adrien situation, was it? It couldn’t be. She refused to go through that again. At least not this soon.

Marinette continued walking, if only to avoid Felix’s suspicions, and set up the ladder under the next pin that was holding up her stream. 

When you think about it, this really can’t be another Adrien situation, right? With Adrien, she had no idea whether he liked her or not, but was hopeful despite that and used her friends in an effort to gain his attention. With Felix, she already had her answer. She knew for a fact that he didn’t like her romantically, that he wouldn’t ever like her romantically, and she also hadn’t asked any of her new friends to help her gain Felix’s attention. (Though, in all honesty, she probably wouldn’t need help even if she was looking for his attention, because he already gave it to her willingly on a constant basis, but that thought didn’t exactly help her cause.)

“Is here alright?” Felix asked as he set the box on the end of the round table.

Marinette nodded, scaling the ladder to pluck the next pin. “Yep. That’s great, thank you.”

“Of course. If you need anything else, I’ll be wrapping the candles and putting them in boxes.”

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” She said, pulling a smile. 

No, this wasn’t going to be anything like her crush on Adrien. This time she at least had closure before she began, and although it might be just as heart-shattering in the long run, she won’t be wasting her time wondering “what if” or tripping over herself to become his dream girl in an effort to be ‘chosen’. She’ll simply be his friend, as he’s been to her, and if she’s lucky, this sort-of-tiny-little crush of hers will wither away before it grows into a bigger problem. 

Journal Entries 11

(This Journal Entry is connected to Ch. 18 of New Girl on the block!)

Entry 10

Thursday, February 14th

I will admit that I did not expect to enjoy this evening. Even with Marinette’s presence, I had assumed I would remain near the wall as usual and allow myself to wither away until the party ended. That was not the case, however, as I actually had quite a delightful time. Mother made me wear this ridiculous red suit and I still had to dodge several girls, but I also spent the night talking with Marinette in between her dances and actually dancing with her myself. Her dress was exceptionally well made- though that’s hardly a shock -and she changed her hairstyle to match it as well, which is rare for her. I did have to help her with the hairstyle because she couldn’t get it straight, but in the end, her outfit was unparalleled. Therefore, I’d say the night balanced itself out nicely. We even had an in-depth discussion about relationships and romance, which left me pleasantly surprised. Not only did I get to vent my frustrations about everyone’s perceptions of Valentine’s Day, I also got to hear the full story about her affections for Adrien Agreste. (Which she willingly divulged, by the way.) Apparently, she had had an immense crush on the model for about two years, but all of her attempts to express this affection failed, and Agreste himself never reached out to her with that sort of intention. It explains why she appeared to be so mortified when I mentioned his coming to Rosemary, but what I can’t help wondering now is why Adrien came to Rosemary. He clearly wants to speak with her about something, but she insisted it wasn’t about her crush, and that he would never see her in that light. So what could it be? There are numerous possibilities.. But I suppose I won’t find out any time soon, so it’s best not to think about it.

-

Dear Diary,

Tonight was literally one of the best nights I’ve ever had! The party was amazing, my outfit was amazing, the dancing was amazing- everything was just amazing! I kind of freaked out at first because I couldn’t get my hair right (it was supposed to be a side ponytail with a braid) but when Felix came to pick me up, he actually helped me fix it! Apparently, Allegra and Claude both taught him how to do hair, which was really lucky in my case. Maybe I should have them teach me how to do hair haha. Anyway, Felix himself was actually wearing this deep red suit with a pink, button-up shirt underneath, and it looked really nice. I thought it fit the theme wonderfully, but he didn’t seem too pleased, since his mom was the one who made him wear it. I really want to meet that woman. She seems like a fun person to be around, and he says that she would like to meet me. I think that’s pretty cool! Do you think he talks about me to his parents at home..? Probably not. Back on topic, though, tonight was great! The food that the caterers brought was delicious, but the dancing was even better. I swear I did nothing but dance with people. My feet are still aching! I also talked with the other students and met a few new people who all seemed pretty nice, and I got to talk more with Felix, not that we ever really stop talking at this point. He told me about these seven Greek words for love that sounded extremely beautiful, and after I finish this entry, I think I’m going to go write all of them down in here, along with the definitions. We also talked about relationships and love (he’s apparently not into romance or anything, but that doesn’t actually surprise me much) and I actually ended up talking about Adrien. I know, I know, it’s a bit contradictory of me, but it was.. Really nice having someone hear me out. I mean, it’s Felix so of course he would hear me out, but still. Having someone listen to me about my seemingly endless struggles without judgement was a pleasant change. He even told me how.. Incredible I was as a person, and really just comforted me in general. I’m extremely grateful..

Oh! Did you know that Felix takes waltzing lessons? He actually agreed to dance with me (Crazy, right?) and he’s really good at it! I got to a point where I didn’t even need to watch our feet while we moved, though that could be because he just didn’t mention it if I stepped on his feet lol Anyway, I’m gonna head to bed, because after all of that dancing I am exhausted. I’ll write to you more tomorrow, Dear Diary!