Chương 8: 8: Keeping My Distance

It's been over two weeks since there had been no akumatizing. Marinette has started to worry that Hawkmoth is planning something big and more destructive than Miraculous Queen. She often passes by Chloe in school and would observe her from time to time. There had been no changes from her actions, but the girl looked angrier than usual.

Listening in class had even been harder for Marinette as she thinks hard on what more to do to keep watch of Paris as much as she could. She doesn't admit it to herself but being the new guardian has been taking a toll on her. She'd often be caught with her mind somewhere else or worse doze off in class.

Adrien had started to notice Marinette's extreme exhaustion lately and he started to worry for his friend. He'd sometimes catch the girl yawning while walking at the hallway and would barely notice her surroundings.

"Marinette," whispered Alya to the sleeping girl beside her desk, "Mari," she carefully shakes her.

Marinette slowly wakes up while making inaudible sounds. She opens her eyes and looks around the room which had started to lose its people.

"Alya," she glanced at her best friend.

Alya smiles in relief, "Class is over girl. It's lunch time."

Marinette sits up looking suprised realizing she had just slept for a whole subject.

"I'm so sorry." Mari mumbles touching her forehead feeling a bit light headed.

"You okay?" Alya added.

"You don't look so well dude." Nino commented.

Mari looks straight seeing the two boys had been in front of them this whole time.

"Yea umm, yea sorry," Marinette shakes her head, "I haven't been having enough sleep lately."

"I don't think we've had homeworks that required us to stay up late so far." Adrien added.

"No haha," she awkwardly giggles, "Really, I'm fine. I'm just finishing something for a portfolio."

The three looked at each other as they watch Marinette fix herself completely waking up.

"Well that was a great nap." Mari laughs.

"Yea, and while you were sleeping, we have homework for Physics due tomorrow." Alya lays down a worksheet on Mari's side of the desk. Marinette frowned.

"Need some help with that?" Adrien offered.

"No, it's okay I can do it." she straight up replied.

Nino whistled a sharp 'wow', "And that's another score. Talk about straight up rejection."

Marinette froze. She didn't want to answer that. It's not that she likes rejecting all of Adrien's offer, she just thought of keeping her distance.

Adrien frowned. The boy didn't like how things were between them now. He liked it better when Marinette would smile all the time and be a clumsy little weirdo. But it was cute. This time, he felt like Marinette had started to flee away. They talk but she seemed so distant. Adrien then decided to finally confront her after school.

Marinette immediately went out the room after the last subject. She wasn't in a hurry but she looked absentminded is all.

"Hey Marinette, wait up!" he ran after her catching up at the school's entrance.

The girl turned around surprised of who ran over to her. Adrien stopped running by then and immediately tried to catch his breath.

"A-Adrien," Marinette acknowledges, "Is something wrong?"

Adrien looks up then comes closer to her, "Can we talk?"

"Sure, what's up?" she replied.

"Have you been avoiding me?"

By then it hit her. All her drowsiness drowned from the shock. This wasn't her intention. Her resolve was firm, she had to keep her distance but still be friends with the guy. But then again, she might have unawaringly avoided Adrien by not accepting favors from him. Marinette knew moving on from him was the hardest thing she did, and this was no time to waver.

"Did it seem like that to you? I'm sorry." was the only thing she could respond to the boy.

Adrien felt unsatisfied, "I'm just worried that you don't like being my friend anymore. Am I being annoying? Selfish? Tell me."

Marinette felt a pierce in her heart. She knew Adrien's words were sincere and she knew how important friendships are to Adrien especially that he grew up not being able to experience such.

"No! No, don't worry. It's not that." Marinette touches his shoulder, "I don't find you annoying nor selfish, it's just now that you're dating Kagami, I'm really trying to keep my distance."

"But why? Kagami is your friend and Kagami knows we're friends."

(A/N: At this point everyone in the fandom simultaenously made facepalms on Adrien's naiveness.)

"Let's leave it at that, shall we?" Marinette smiled bitterly. "I'll go ahead then. I got to be somewhere this afternoon."

"Then can I give you a ride?"

"Sorry Adrien, I can't."

Adrien frowns, "So now you reject me again?"

"No it's just I have plans with―"

"Marinette!" a familiar voice called out to her.

Adrien and Mari turned to the direction of the voice and saw Luka running over to Marinette.

"Luka." she said the moment Luka arrives beside her.

"You ready?"

Luka then realizes Adrien was there, "Hey Adrien!" he said.

"Hi Luka, going somewhere?" Adrien replied.

"Ah yea, the band's got a practice this afternoon so I'm fetching Marinette so she could watch."

"Luka's performing his solo original." she proudly added.

"You haven't even named the song yet." Luka glanced to Marinette who giggled from the boy's gesture.

"Because you keep on telling me the melody's not quite right." she laughed.

Adrien couldn't help but just watch the two flirt at each other. He wanted to ask but ended up assuming something was going on between the two.

"Well, we better go. The band's waiting." Luka initiated as he went down the steps.

"See you tomorrow Adrien." Marinette waved goodbye.

The boy smiled back waving goodbye.

Adrien watched the two go down arriving at Luka's bike. Marinette sat at the back clinging on to Luka's torso and the two giggled. The boy started paddling and the two went on their way.

Agreste fixed his eyes to where the two went. He was deep in thought. He's confused of how he's been feeling lately. It's funny to him how although Marinette is just a friend, he wants her to only focus on him. He knew it was wrong and would never dream to say that out loud. It's rude and weird. His ride arrived and honked at him breaking his trail of thought.

The gorilla went out of the driver's seat and ran around the car to Adrien's seat. He immediately opens it and waits for the young master to move.

Adrien slowly went down the steps arriving at his ride home. The car door shuts and the boy sighs, "So this is what it means to keep our distance, huh." he wondered to himself.