Chapter 1:(2074 words)

'Oh, god. I'm late again!' Marinette though as she ran across the street to her school, knowing that she's cutting it very close this time.

'Stupid akuma, making me stay up 'til four in the morning,' she shook her head as she ran up the steps to the doors. 'I hope I'm not late! My attendance has been horrible ever since I became Ladybug, since I'm sleep deprived and akumas sometimes show up when I'm walking to school.'

Luckily, she made it just in time since the bell rang loudly as she sat down and pulled out everything she needs for the day.

"Girl, that was a close one!" Alya laughed.

"I know, I know, 'I'm always late'," she blushed, embarrassed with her difficulty in turning up on time. She hoped that Adrien wouldn't tell her anything about it.

"Yeah, Nette, I'm surprised you haven't gotten detention yet," Nino turned his head to speak to her. Her friends each had a different nickname for her. Alya just called her 'girl', Nino called her 'Nette' and Adrien called her 'Mari'.

"To be honest, me too. Maybe they're taking sympathy on the students who are late because of all of the morning akumas?" she questioned, changing the subject sneakily.

Before Alya could rant about how amazing Ladybug and Chat Noir are, their teacher walked in, silencing the talkative class.

"Bonjour, students. The headmaster has informed all teachers to tell their students that there will be a singing competition taking place in three weeks' time-"

Before the teacher's speech could be finished, Chloe loudly boasted, "Well I'm obviously the best singer here, I'm definitely going to win."

The teacher sighed, shook her head and continued. "First auditions will take place on Monday next week. Any questions?"

Marinette's hand was up in the air in milliseconds, surprising everyone. Even though she was very confident and social sometimes, most of the time, she was shy and never put her hand up. She seemed to have forgotten about that this time though.

"Professor?"

"Yes, Marinette?"

"Is the competition about a specific type of music or will any kind be allowed?" Her voice was crystal clear and the confident edge of her voice rendered the room silent.

They had expected her to stutter or to whisper quietly like she always does. 'Ha! Not this time, I need to know if I can sing Broadway or Disney songs. Those are the ones I'm best at after all.'

After a few seconds of silence, the teacher realised that her jaw had dropped open. She quickly shut it and responded, "Well, Marinette. It is about songs from musicals. This can include any musical, such as Disney movies, or Broadway shows."

Marinette politely nodded her head and ducked her head down, and replied, "Thank you, ma'am."

Though on the inside, she was squealing and fangirling like crazy, happy to be singing some of her favourite songs and getting recognised for it.

"Uhh… any more questions?" the teacher asked, still dazed by the confidence of the shy little girl who rarely puts her hand up.

Nino lifted up his hand slowly, unsure of his question, "Uh, ma'am?"

"Yes, Nino?"

"Can we do these in groups or do they have to be on your own?"

"Good question, Nino. For the auditions on Monday, you will have to sing a song on your own. Those who get through can sing alone, in pairs or in groups on the Monday in two weeks' time, and those who pass that will compete on the Monday in three weeks' time like they did the second time but with a different song."

He nodded but Madame Bustier continued to speak, "This information will all be in a pamphlet that will be given out later on today. I'm just telling you now for you all to get a head start in picking your song. Any other questions?"

When no more hands were raised, the teacher simply nodded and began to teach the lesson they were supposed to be having at the moment, French Literature.

Adrien was… confused.

He had never seen Marinette act like that.

Well, sure, he had seen her stand up to Chloe, looking furious and speaking sharp sentences at the spoiled girl, no stuttering involved, though she was usually in a rage and it takes a lot of Chloe being… well, Chloe, to get her to confront her in front of others.

He had seen her leading their class since she was class president, and she was confident then. She reminded him a little bit of Ladybug, taking leadership and responsibility for the sake of others.

Usually, she was shy as hell, and tried to avoid answering questions in lessons and whenever she spoke to him, she always looked nervous and stuttered like crazy. She must still be mad about the first day he came here, when she thought that he put some chewing gum on her chair. He'll have to make it up to her someday.

This time though, there was no rage, and there was no one for her to do it for. She just seemed purely excited to… sing.

He had never heard her sing. Come to think of it, he had never heard Ladybug sing either. Her voice must be purr-fect, like the rest of her, right?

Sometimes, which is supposed to be read as 'always', he wonders who she could be under the mask. He never wastes a chance to ask her that very thought. She'd always respond with the same old, 'I would tell you, Chaton, but it would risk us more if we knew each other's identities, and I don't want to see you get hurt.'

He sighed.

It was a good reason, but he couldn't help his curiosity.

He decided to focus more on the lesson. If he received bad marks, his father would most definitely pull him out of public school, and he really didn't want that.

He had friends here, for once.

He had Nino, his best friend, and Alya, who he didn't know much about, though they still talked and hung out together, and he counted her as a friend.

Then there was Marinette. He wanted to be her friend; she was so sweet and she never failed to put a smile on his face, when she could actually talk to him, which was rare.

Maybe the singing competition will mean that they'll have a chance to talk some more together? He would like that. She seemed great if you were her friend, since she always puts them first. She brings in baked goods from her family's bakery for her friends and sometimes she makes them clothes, since she's such a good designer.

Maybe he'll introduce her to his father when they're finally friends? That would be a good opportunity.

Whenever she does bring things in though, she gives them to him as well, not just to Alya and Nino, her other close friends. Does that mean that they're friends? He'd like to think so.

Anyways, he focused back to the lesson and to what the teacher was saying. He'd talk to his friends after class.

After the lesson, they had another class, which was maths. Then they had a fifteen-minute break from lessons.

When the bell rang to signify the end of maths, they walked together to the cafeteria. There was silence between the group, and realising this, Alya began the conversation.

"Hey, girl? I've never seen you talk so… confidently. What's up?"

Marinette looked confusedly at her best friend, while blushing at the same time.

Embarrassed, she responded, "Nothing, nothing. I just like musicals, I guess."

Adrien smiled softly at this. He was glad that she could get over her fear of talking to others when talking about something she liked. Then suddenly, he had an idea. If he talked about musicals with her, maybe she would speak to him? It was worth a shot!

"Mari? What are your favourite musicals? I've never seen any before."

Hearing what he said, she gasped loudly, making a noise that the three others had never thought that she could make, something so noisy.

"You've never seen any musicals?!" she screeched in one breath, eyes wide. He realised that she hadn't stuttered once.

The other two must have realised the same thing, their faces looked surprised and Alya was about to say something when the black-haired girl quickly continued her confident streak.

"We have to have a musical marathon one of these days, seriously. How do you LIVE without musicals?! If you must know, my favourites are Hamilton, Waitress, Heathers, In the Heights, just to say a few. And that's without mentioning all of the movie musicals and Disney movies."

She shook her head at his inexperience in musicals. On the other hand, he was grinning excitedly. 'I'm finally having a conversation with Mari! And did she just invite me to watch musicals with her? Actually, that's not a bad idea.'

Nino and Alya wore jaw-dropped expressions at the nerve of their friend, though they looked happy that she was finally opening up.

"I guess this means that you'll help us with the contest, huh girl," Alya teased, though Marinette looked like the human embodiment of happiness.

"I'd be delighted!" she squealed, hands and feet jumping around, not being able to contain how joyful she was.

"Will we actually be having that musical marathon because I would love that," Adrien asked.

Finally, Marinette realised how much she had actually been speaking, and to him. "I-I… sure! Yeah! C-come over on W-Wednesday."

Her three friends shook their heads fondly as her stuttering habit returned quickly, her body shrinking into itself, making her look smaller than she really is, compared to her looking cheerful and bouncy, almost Nino's height, though she will always be the shrimp of the group.

He smiled at her and told her, "That's great! What about you guys?" He directed the question at the other two of the group.

Alya smirked at the two enthusiastic teenagers but as much as she would love to not go and let them have a little 'bonding' moment, she does need her best friend's advice on the matter. Alya knew that she absolutely loved musicals, that they were her lifeblood, but she didn't know that her love of them would help her speak to her crush.

Similar thoughts were going through Nino's head until he responded, "Yeah, I can make it, Nette, I just need to ask my parents."

"Same here, girl," Alya replied.

Marinette nodded and her confident body type was reintroduced. She once again reminded of Ladybug, actually, her stance was exactly the same. 'Must be a coincidence,' he thought, pushing aside the thought.

They went to the cafeteria and each ate a croissant made in Marinette's family's bakery, which she had brought in since it was Monday. She always made something during the weekends, and it was to get them pumped for a new school week.

The bell then rang and they made their way to their classroom once more.

On the way, Marinette gasped loudly again, directing her friend's attention onto her, "What, girl?"

"Do you guys know English?" she asks worriedly.

Adrien nodded as did the other two.

"Nino? Adrien? You guys know English?" she asks in perfect English, instead of French.

Adrien, Nino and Alya's eyes widened in surprise and awe.

"Yes, my dad made me learn," Adrien responds in English.

"Yeah, a lot of great video games aren't available in French so I learnt English," Nino replied, again in English.

Adrien looked at Alya, "What about you, Alya?"

"Oh, Marinette made me learn for her precious musicals a few years ago and it just stuck. Twice the news to know, and the LadyBlog is available in French and English," she tells them.

Nino raises an eyebrow, "You know her musicals?"

"Hmm? Oh, only one. None of the others," she shook her head fondly.

Marinette sighed in relief.

"Hey, Mari? Why do we need to know English?" Adrien asks.

"All of the musicals are in English, and the Disney songs are, like, 100% better in English. At least, I think so." She responds, Alya nodded at the last part.

Adrien nodded to her and conversation continued as they made their way to class.

Even though they weren't speaking about musicals, Marinette's posture remained slightly more confident than usual, making her friends extremely proud of her.