Heyo, it's my first story! Just want more of everything. Adrinette, Ladrien, Marichat, angst/fluff, so much more to come. . Hope you like it!

Marinette stormed up to her room, furious and frustrated. She slammed the trap door and threw her purse onto the bed where it emitted a loud unhappy squeak. "I'm so sorry Tikki!" cried Marinette, coming out of her fog of anger to feel guilty about forgetting her Kwami's hideout. "I'm ok, Marinette, but you have got to calm down!" squeaked Tikki, letting herself out of the bag and swooping over to where Marinette had sunk to her knees, head and arms resting in defeat on the bedspread.

"It's that damned Chloe!" Marinette protested, "She is so full of herself and demands all the perks of this fashion show event but does none of the work! And the rest of us are killing ourselves over it. I've been up late designing, sewing, and fitting every minute I'm not at school or on patrol, Nino has rigged the whole venue for sound and composed the music himself, Alya has been promoting the event night and day, Rose has decorated everything, even my parents are up to here catering for it, and yet Chloe stands around demanding that she be the top model and acting like she deserves the same attention as Adrien, who is donating his time and fame to make this all possible in the first place!" Marinette gasped from ranting and sprawled out, miserable, on her floor.

"Oh Marinette, you realize that your indignation at Chloe's injustices are what make you such a great Ladybug, don't you?" Tikki's antennae drooped with sympathy.

"I don't know why you believe in me so hard, Tikki" Marinette said, sniffing, as tears collected in her blue eyes and began rolling down her cheeks. "I'm such a coward all the time, especially around Adrien. I put so much of my love for him into these clothes, and now that it is time for his fittings I just bumble around. I poked him with a pin today! And he was so nice about it, but Chloe saw it and said 'Oh Marinette, I knew you were a klutz but not a dangerous klutz! Good thing Adrien would look good in a paper bag, since your clothes aren't much better!"... Marinette trailed off into sobs. "And –hic- she's right too, everything is terrible right now. Nothing fits right yet, and Chloe's dad is sponsoring everything so she –hic- has more power than ever."

Tikki nuzzled against Marinette's cheek. "You know you are being too hard on yourself Marinette! The whole class voted for you to be the designer for this show, and you know that these projects always seem worst right before they finally come together."

Marinette sat up, gulping and catching her breath, her face blotchy red from from crying. Sighing, she leaned against the bed, defeated. "The worst thing though, Tikki, is that you will be disappointed in me for the reason I'm most upset. The truth is I have been stalling on the final dress because I can't stand to see Chloe in it, and I just know she will manage to get the most coveted spot in the show!" More tears rolled down her cheeks pitifully. "It's so petty, I know, but I want to choose models who will honor the clothes and the charity, not just strut around for attention."

Tikki sighed, not because Marinette was being petty but because she was wallowing in self-pity. It was a rare occasion to be forceful. Tikki flew in front of Marinette's face, tiny arms akimbo, and said with feeling, "If that is what really matters, Marinette, then make it happen. You are the designer! You know your clothes best! Put Chloe in the outfit that suits her best, and find the model who will do your dress justice. But stop acting like this isn't up to you, because Ladybug would never stand for it!"

Marinette had cowered a little during this speech, but hearing the sense in it, she gritted her teeth and swallowed her tears. "You're right Tikki. And I need to be Ladybug to make a plan. Spots on!"

Meanwhile, Adrien was in his room, weary from a long day. Plagg was stuffing himself with Camembert, as usual. Adrien was exhausted from dealing with Chloe all the time, having to reassure her and be polite even though he hated how she treated people. Life is so much more complicated than fighting Akumas, he mused. Everything is so clear- Akuma, bad, us, good. I'm actually useful as Chat Noir, and Ladybug is so strong and decisive. "Ladybug…" he sighed, staring at the poster of her he had put up on his wall, in spite of Plagg's teasing. What would Ladybug have done today, hearing Chloe put down Marinette like that? She would never have stood for that kind of meanness. But he had just said "Chloe…" in the voice she never picked up on anyway. He had tried to reassure Marinette, but she had looked totally despondent and miserable, cutting the fitting short to run home.

"Dammit Chloe!" said Adrien forcefully, startling Plagg out of his cheese reverie.

"Marinette is so kind and talented! She should see that Chloe is just jealous and insecure!"

In a rare instance of usefulness, Plagg said bluntly, "So why don't you tell her that?"

Adrien had a retort ready, but stopped abruptly, mouth open. "But, I, I mean, Marinette is so shy and Chloe, well, she's my oldest frie—ughhhh…!" Annoyed by his Kwami's logic, Adrien threw himself dramatically onto his bed. "It's not like I can be Chat Noir at school."

Plagg snorted. "Chloe doesn't listen to Chat Noir anyway."

Adrien sat up suddenly, defiant. "You're right Plagg- not about everything!" seeing the grin on his Kwami's face. "But yeah, you're right about this. Next time, I'm going to speak up against Chloe. I'm a superhero, after all!"

Plagg just returned to his cheese.