I close my locker to see Marinette sneaking into the room.

"Oh. Hey Marinette!"

"Ah-Adrien! Hehe! I'm just, you know, looking for my locker because I have to put my stuff down and grab stuff and..."

"Your stuff is already in you locker. It's over there," I say, pointing at the wall separating lockers.

"Oh, yeah, I was looking for..." she reaches out a shaky hand.

I take the pink envelope in her hand.

"DON'T OPEN IT UNTIL I'M GONE!" she yells and sprints from the room.

I frown and open up the card.

I look into your bright green eyes, and it's all I can do but stare. You always captivate me in your look, your smile, your kindness, your everything. I've always wondered what is going inside that wonderful head of yours, and I may never know, but all I want you to know is...

"I love you," I breathe.

Plagg flies out of my shirt holding his nose. "Eww. One look at Marinette and you've fallen head over heels for her?"

"Signed Marinette," I finish, ignoring Plagg.

"What about Ladybug? What about cheeeeese?"

I stare at the paper astonished. "Oh no, Plagg. What do I do?! I'm in love with Ladybug! How do I respond to Marinette without hurting her feelings?"

"Wait to respond to Marinette," Plagg shrugs. "See if Ladybug bites, and if she doesn't, then she's not worth your time. Like you told Marinette."

"You're right. I'll get Ladybug a gift and then see if she still feels the same way."

--  --  --

"Hey, Kitty. What's with the sudden call?" Ladybug asks, landing on the roof across from me.

"I got you something."

Ladybug sighs. "You called me here to give me a gift. I've already told you: I love someone else."

"Yet you won't say who this person is."

"Chat, you know we can't―"

"Yeah, I know. The less we know about each other the better. But how do I know this person is a fake to ward me off?" she pauses to think, and I take the chance to take a silver keychain with a black paw pendant out of my pocket. "Anyway, I got you this."

She gasps. "It's so cute!"

I smile. "I thought you might like it. But... of course, we can't know anything about each other, and if I see you in real life with it..."

"I can keep it at home," she shrugs.

"What if we're friends in real life?"

"I'll keep it hidden."

"This was custom ma-"

"Oh, just please give it already," she says, reaching for it expectantly, eyes shining.

I smirk at her. "So impatient," I say, dropping it into her outstretched hands.

"Oh, it's beautiful, Chat!"

"I know."

"I'll repay you! I promise!" she looks up at me, smiling happily. "Thank you, Kitty!" she tucks it into her yoyo and gives me a big hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

I hug her back. "It was no problem."

She pulls back suddenly. "Did you say it was custom made? That costs so much!"

I sigh. "I promise, Fa―my parents won't realize the money's missing from my account."

She studies me. "You must have lots of money on this account, then."

I blush, thinking she's going to find me out.

"Thank you, anyway, Chat. It means a lot. I promise, I'll get one made for you, as well."

"It's no problem, M'lady."

She swings toward her house, and I can tell by the extra bounce in her step that I made her happy. Maybe Marinette's happy-making fumes are contagious.

--  --  --

Marinette seems really happy the next day. She seems more awake and bouncy, if it's possible.

"Hey, Adrien!" she calls to me in the hallway.

"Oh, hey, Marinette!"

"Today's a great day, isn't it? I'm so glad I'm friends with a superhero!" she smiles at me. "Oh, what a blue, blue sky that is in the sky! The sun is shining extra bright!"

I look up, and realize that it's a cloudy morning.

"Are you... hallucinating?"

"I don't know, am I?"

I shake the thought from my head, realizing I didn't see her as Chat Noir last night, or this morning, in fact.

"So... why are you glad you are friends with a superhero?"

"Oh, Chat gave me a gift..."

She skips off down the hall, humming to herself a merry tune. I frown, but then decide to assume it's part of her hallucination. I follow after her, realizing I'm going to be late to class if I don't hurry.