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‘You know, I think I’m gonna go with the teal one.’ Alya says, showing Marinette a photo of her trying on a prom dress in a fitting room.
Marinette, Alya and Chloé are lounging about in the Dupain-Cheng’s living room. A rom-com is playing on the television in the background, and Chloé sits on the floor in front of the couch while Marinette braids her hair. As the rom-com went into a makeover montage, the girls had started talking about the upcoming school dance.
‘Are you sure? I mean, you look amazing, but red’s more your signature colour.’ Marinette queries, and Alya frowns in thought.
Chloé reaches back to tap incessantly on her leg. ‘Hey, lemme see!’ Alya passes her phone down, and Chloé flips between photos of the red and teal dresses. ‘Hmmm, you look gorgeous in both.’ Chloé says with a shrug, passing the phone back.
‘Wow, thanks for the insight.’
‘Happy to help!’
‘I’m going teal - I wanna do something different.’ Alya decides, and Marinette and Chloé nod in approval.
‘Just make sure Nino’s not wearing like a bright orange suit or something.’ Chloé cautions, and Marinette snickers as Alya sends a warning text.
Marinette’s tongue pokes out as she focuses on an intricate part of Chloé’s braid. ‘Oh! Do you wanna borrow my aquamarine necklace?’
‘Hell yes! That’d match perfectly.’
‘How’s your dress going, Mari?’ Chloé asks.
Marinette sighs. ‘It’s getting there. Tule can be a nightmare to work with, but I’m hoping it’s going to look okay.’
‘I’m sure it’s great.’ Alya says confidently, and Marinette sighs again, long and dramatic. ‘Why don’t you show us, I’m sure it’s-’
‘No!’ Marinette cries, accidentally pulling on Chloé’s hair and the blonde winces. Marinette gently pats at the spot. ‘Sorry. No it’s just, it’s not done yet so it doesn’t look right and I only want people seeing it once it’s perfect.’
‘Okay, okay.’ Alya concedes, but there’s a gleam in her eye. ‘So no one has seen it yet?’
‘Nope. Not even my parents.’
‘Not even Jimmy?’ Alya teases, and Marinette scoffs, hoping her blush isn’t noticeable. By Alya’s laugh, she figures it is. Chloé groans at the mention of Marinette’s sort-of-boyfriend from her design class.
‘I… may have sent him some design sketches. But he’s only going to see the actual dress when he picks me up!’ Marinette says shyly and Alya grins at her.
Chloé just groans again from the floor. ‘What kind of name is “Jimmy” anyway? It’s not like he’s four years old. Although based on his sense of humour, I can understand the confusion.’
‘Hey.’ Marinette says, tugging slightly on her hair. ‘I thought you liked him now? You were nice to him when we bumped into you at the movies?’
‘I was nice to him because you’re my friend and I wasn’t going to embarrass you. Although I couldn’t possibly be more embarrassing than the t-shirt he was wearing.’
‘I thought it was funny.’ Marinette pouts, thinking back to the graphic design t-shirt with a reference to the U.S. version of the office. Jimmy made it himself.
Chloé shrugs, and her voice takes on a gentler tone. ‘I just think you can do better.’
Marinette frowns, looking from Chloé over to Alya, who usually jumps to her defence and who is suspiciously quiet. ‘Alya?’
‘Hey, I haven’t met him. Uh, he looks cute in the photos.’
‘But?’
‘I dunno, Mari. He doesn’t seem all that… serious.’
‘Not everything has to be super serious.’ Marinette huffs. ‘He’s artistic and he’s funny and he sends the sweetest texts.’
Alya leans into her side and throws an arm around her. ‘Okay, as long as you’re happy.’
‘Sure, go, be happy. I’m probably looking at it all through cynical, broken, un-rose-tinted glasses.’ Chloé mutters, but she looks back to give Marinette a genuine smile.
‘I’m sure you’ll like him once you get to know him - and the dance is the perfect opportunity!’
‘Yeah, except for the fact that I’m not gonna be there.’ Chloé says lightly, and Marinette and Alya freeze, staring down at her in shock. Chloé glances back at them. ‘What?’
‘What do you mean you’re not gonna be there?!’ Alya cries.
‘Well I’m not going. So that’ll mean I’m not going to be there.’ Chloé shrugs like it makes perfect sense.
‘B-but we already talked about going out after the dance? And didn’t you say you were gonna wear your glittery gold dress?’ Marinette asks, and Chloé turns around so she’s facing her friends, looking just as confused as they are.
‘Yeah but then I changed my mind - I already mentioned this?’
‘I thought you were joking!’ Alya says, and Marinette chimes in her agreement.
‘Nope, dead serious.’
‘But it’s gonna be so fun, why would you want to miss out? Weren’t you gonna show up looking amazing and make Lila all jealous?’ Marinette says softly, and Chloé scowls at the mention of her ex-girlfriend and turns back around to glare at the television.
‘Yeah I was. That was before she posted on her Instagram about taking her “new girlfriend” to the dance.’ Chloé practically growls.
‘Oh.’ Marinette says flatly.
‘You haven’t blocked her Instagram yet?’ Alya asks.
‘I can’t block her Instagram because I need to know these things in advance! And thank god I did! Now I can avoid that entire situation.’
‘So what? You’re just going to stay home and be miserable? Even if Lila’s the devil incarnate, you can still have fun with us.’ Alya says, squeezing Chloé’s shoulder.
‘Yeah! Remember - we were gonna get corsages, and a limo, and take photos in the park. We want you there.’ Marinette tries, but Chloé is shaking her head.
‘I already thought school dances were stupid - I mean they’re amatonormative, and the music is usually terrible. And now Lila’s already spun her story about how she “didn’t cheat”, and I was somehow in the wrong. There’s no way I’m going to have a good time while half the people in that hall think I’m a villain and the other half are pitying me.’
‘But you can’t let that vile, lying- scumbag dictate what you do!’ Marinette cries out, wrapping her arms around Chloé from behind. The blonde is as tense as a rubber band that’s about to snap, but she leans back into Marinette’s embrace.
‘I’m not letting her do anything. I’m not interested in hanging around my friends and their dates while I’m forced to watch Lila win prom queen and dance with her new floozy girlfriend while she gives me passive-aggressive smirks across the dancefloor!’
‘What are you girls up to?’ A hesitant voice cuts through the tense discussion, and the girls jump and turn around to see Sabine Dupain-Cheng in the doorway.
‘Just watching a movie. Girl talk. You know.’ Marinette says, as casually as she can while she’s basically draped around Chloé.
‘And talking about how Chloé’s not going to the dance next week to avoid her snake of an ex-girlfriend.’ Alya says candidly, and Marinette and Chloé turn exasperated looks at their friend. Alya holds up her hands. ‘What? It’s not a secret. Besides, you agree with me and Mari, right Mrs Dupain-Cheng? We think Chloé should still go. Not only as a fu- uh, screw you to Lila, but also to have fun with her friends.’ Alya says insistently, and Marinette can’t help but nod in agreement.
Sabine’s face darkens at the mention of Lila, and she hums. ‘And what do you think, Chloé?’
Chloé huffs, and looks back at the TV, glaring at the happy couple on it. ‘I think I don’t need anyone’s permission to do anything. Besides, I’ve already worked out a plan.’
‘I thought your plan was “be miserable and alone.”’ Alya mutters, and Chloé whacks her in the leg.
‘Hey! No, an actual Plan-plan. My father’s making me go to this stupid opera opening night this weekend, but Mrs Tsurugi is making Kagami go too. So we’re gonna get dressed up, look freakin incredible, and take photos at the fancy venue. Then I’m gonna wait to post them on the night of the dance, making it look like I had something better to do.’
‘Why don’t you just take Kagami to the dance?’ Marinette asks, and Chloé snorts.
‘Besides all the correct points I’ve already made, Kagami would rather die than go to a school dance. That or she might murder Lila on the night.’
‘You say that like it’s a bad thing.’ Alya rolls her eyes, before continuing softly. ‘Also even though I do admire your plan and its effectiveness in keeping up your reputation… you’re still gonna be sad and alone that night. Nino and I could skip the dance, just come and hang at your place?’
Marinette feels Chloé actually melt back into the couch. ‘That’s really sweet Al, but you’ve been so excited about this. You guys go, have fun, trip Lila or her date if you get the opportunity. I’ll be fine.’ Chloé insists, at their sceptical looks. Marinette sighs, hugging Chloé closer.
‘...Are you su-’ Marinette starts, and Chloé huffs.
‘Yes! I’m sure, I promise.’
Sabine watches their discussion with a pensive look, then sits in a free chair nearby. ‘I think you girls should respect Chloé’s decision.’ Chloé lets out a triumphant ‘ha!’ and Sabine holds up a hand to quiet Alya and Marinette’s disapproval. ‘Breakups are difficult, and I’m sure she appreciates your support, but she would also appreciate your understanding.’
‘That’s not what I thought you were going to say.’ A deep voice pipes up, and Tom Dupain-Cheng enters from the hallway. He gives his wife a meaningful look and Sabine shakes her head, a blush now on her cheeks.
‘That was a very different situation.’
‘Sounds pretty similar to me-’
‘She shouldn’t have to do something that makes her uncomfortable-’
‘I’m not saying she should, but some of the best experiences in life come from pushing out of your comfort zone-’
‘We’re talking teenagers, they can be so cruel-’
‘And adults can’t? What if you had stayed home that night?’
‘That was a one in a million chance, you can’t seriously be suggesting that might happen here-’
Marinette, Chloé and Alya exchange confused looks, before Marinette interrupts. ‘Alright, enough code talking.’ Her parents look over to her, blinking like they’d forgotten anyone else was in the room.
‘I’d say my investigative intuition is sensing a story here, but really it’s just obvious and I’m curious. What happened this one mysterious night?’ Alya asks.
‘We don’t really need to get into it all.’ Sabine says, getting up and dusting off her already clean clothes, and giving Tom a “why-did-you-start-this” glare.
Chloé shifts back up on the couch between her friends. ‘Ohh, come on, please? Does it have a happy ending? I need some cheering up.’ Chloé and Alya give Sabine identical pleading looks, both busybodies in their own ways.
Marinette rolls her eyes. ‘You may as well tell them. They won’t stop.’ Besides, she has an inkling as to what night her father is referring to, and it would help their case of convincing Chloé to come to the dance.
Sabine glances between a smug Tom, an unsympathetic Marinette, and Alya and Chloé’s big innocent puppy-dog eyes. She sighs and sits back down, pointedly ignoring the girl's fistbump.
‘When I first came to Paris, it was to study French cooking for a year, and found out I loved pastry making. But I did not have an easy time. My English was not bad, but I was still learning French, and the other students would mock my accent or any Chinese influences in the food I prepared. People can be very unkind to those who are different.’
‘They can be racist a-holes, you mean.’ Marinette mutters, and Alya gives an unenthused ‘hear, hear.’
Sabine nods sadly. ‘I was very lonely. I put all my energy into my work, and I was one of the top students. But there was one young man in my class who was… charming.’
A little aw sound comes from Chloé, before she turns to Tom. ‘Was that you?’ She asks, and he shakes his head with a low chuckle.
‘No way. I couldn’t have afforded that course. I would’ve been charming if I was there though. Or at least attempted to be.’
Sabine shushes him with a smile. ‘His name was Liang Jules. His parents had moved from China, but he was born in France. He didn’t know Shanghainese, but we both knew enough Mandarin, English and French to communicate better than I could with anyone else. He helped me with my French, and I helped him with pastry making. We ended up dating for a few months.’
‘I’ve never heard of this Jules guy?’ Marinette says with a raised eyebrow.
‘He’s not worth mentioning.’ Tom mutters.
‘That’s very true, but I also never told your wàipó about him, so I couldn’t tell you, because you’ve always been such a chatterbox.’ Sabine says, and Marinette snorts at the idea of her mother hiding her dating life from Marinette’s all-knowing grandmother. ‘In her mind, I dated one man and married him. Anyway, at the end of the year, there was a big ceremony and dinner to present awards. All the students and faculty were going. But after the results came out, Jules broke things off with me.’
Chloé lets out a noise that sounds more like an angry cat. ‘He used you to get his grades up!?’
Sabine winces. ‘I’m not sure. He said since I was going back to Shanghai, we should let things reach a natural end. I had known that I liked him more then he liked me, but it still hurt. And he didn’t care that the dinner was soon, or that I had already planned to stay for the summer after the course. So I think the grades had been a part of it, yes.’
‘Dating is hell, romance is cancelled.’ Chloé growls. ‘Is he still alive? I can kill him for you, if you want.’ Some of the tension breaks as they laugh, but Chloé’s still scowling, and Marinette knows her well enough by now to know Chloé wasn’t entirely kidding.
‘Thank you, dear, but he wouldn’t be worth it.’ Sabine says with a gentle smile at Chloé, who relaxes slightly at the sight. ‘And Tom has already offered to do that before.’
‘So what happened with this one night? Was it you two getting revenge on him or something?’ Alya asks.
‘No, it was the night of the ceremony. I was not looking forward to it, but I knew I was getting an award, so I dressed up very sexy-’
‘Mama!’
‘-to show Jules what he was missing out on. I looked amazing, and my horrible classmates were surprised, but it was a cold night and I did not bring a jacket so I was even more uncomfortable. And the night was awful. Jules had brought this beautiful, horribly mean white girl as his date. I was there by myself, and no one would talk to me. I wished I hadn’t gone to the ceremony, but I stayed so I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of knowing they made me leave early. But I was going to leave as soon as I got my award.’
‘That sucks so much, I’m sorry.’ Chloé slumps into her seat. ‘God, no wonder you think I should stay back from the dance.’
‘I didn’t say you should not go to the dance, I said the girls should respect your decision. That night had been miserable, but then it became wonderful.’
Yeah, Marinette definitely knows where this is going.
‘What happened?’ Alya’s leaning forwards, intrigued.
‘I got asked to dance.’ Sabine says simply.
Chloé’s not impressed. ‘That’s it?’
Marinette elbows her in the side, but Sabine laughs.
‘Yes, that’s it. He saw that I was all alone, so he asked me to dance. He was very sweet, and nervous, and gentle. He made me laugh, and he was very handsome.’ Her soft expression shifts to something more teasing. ‘That all made up for the fact that he was a terrible dancer and stepped on my feet.’
‘You were so small! I couldn’t see where your feet were!’ Tom exclaims, and Marinette snorts. Chloé and Alya look like lightbulbs just turned on above their heads.
‘Ohhhh.’ Alya says, like it’s all coming together, but Chloé frowns suspiciously.
‘I thought you didn’t go to her course…’
‘I didn’t.’ Tom concurs. ‘I was there that night working for the catering company. And then there was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, and she was by herself all evening. When the dancing started, she looked so sad, I just had to ask her.’
Marinette’s parents are giving each other sappy looks, and Marinette feels a slight pang in her chest. Jimmy never wanted to be “mushy” (as he called it) when other people were around. But she’s always thought dancing was romantic, and they’ll obviously dance together on Friday. Maybe he’ll warm up to the idea.
‘That’s so romantic.’ Alya sighs dreamily at the story. Even Chloé looks fond, though she’s rolling her eyes at Alya.
‘How did your boss feel about you ditching your shift for a dance?’
‘Oh, I was fired right away.’ Tom says, before walking over and pressing a kiss against his wife’s head. ‘But it was worth it.’
Alya sighs again, and Chloé whacks her with a pillow. Alya splutters before whacking her back, but before an all out pillow war can begin, Sabine clicks her tongue disapprovingly. They both freeze, before putting the pillows down sheepishly.
‘What happened after you danced? Did you punch her ex in the face?’ Alya asks, and Tom laughs.
‘No, I didn’t even know about him at the time. Besides, I wasn’t paying anyone else in that room any attention.’
‘We left together, and talked all night. Mostly in English - we were both still learning French, so you never made fun of my accent.’ Sabine says warmly.
‘Well I wasn’t a rubbish-person. Also glass houses and all that. Enough people had made fun of my Italian accent when I moved to Paris.’
‘We both loved pastry and travelling and art. We talked about our countries and families and goals. We both wanted to have a bakery in the future. He gave me his coat to wear even though he was clearly cold too. It was a beautiful night.’ Sabine concludes, and Tom nods, grinning at her.
‘One of the best.’
Marinette’s heard that story countless times growing up (although this was the first time with her mom’s shitty ex-boyfriend). She can picture it in slow motion, her parents seeing each other across the room, nothing else existing except for each other as they make their way across the dance floor like in every romance movie to exist. Everyone else fading away, because what does anything else matter when you’re experiencing love at first sight? Marinette’s always loved romance, her parents' story most of all.
But it definitely gave her some unrealistic expectations. She spent her childhood waiting for her prince charming to sweep her off her feet, but by the time she’d realised she also wouldn’t mind being swept off her feet by a princess, she’d also been disappointed enough that the rose-tinted glasses had faded.
She’s liked people, and dated people, but romance and those sweet, grand gestures never seemed to be anyone’s priority. It was all about kissing, or keeping up your reputation, or making sure not to text back too fast and seem too eager because that’s already happened before.
Marinette glances at her phone, where she’s been waiting on a text back from Jimmy. His texts were sweet. He was a good kisser. He made her laugh, and he had some really cool design ideas, and when he’d seen how excited she was for the dance he was happy to go with her. But… she’s never had that surety that her parents talk about so easily. Knowing that your partner cares for you, wants you just as much, is going to show up for you.
Sometimes she wonders if she’ll ever have that.
Marinette shakes herself out of her gloomy thoughts with a huff. Who is she kidding, she’s only seventeen, and not every relationship is going to start out with fireworks and choirs singing like her parents’ did. That’s probably like a one in a billion chance anyway. She’ll just have to find love her own way.
‘-specially cause you two have been married for forever now. That’s such a beautiful story!’ Alya’s saying when Marinette tunes back in. ‘Right Chloé?’
Chloé’s nodding beside her, but her expression is pinched. ‘Mhmn.’ She mutters, somewhere between touched and bitter. For the millionth time, Marinette wonders why Chloé is so difficult to work out.
‘So?’ Marinette asks her pointedly.
‘It’s not changing my mind.’ Chloé says bluntly. Marinette sighs, Alya groans, Tom’s face falls, but Sabine nods knowingly. ‘Look, that was a really sweet story and I’m really happy for you. Like, you guys are ridiculously cute and I’m glad your crappy night became a fairytale - but statistically it’s almost impossible that would happen at Friday’s dance. So I’m just gonna stick with my plan.’
Marinette pouts at her. ‘Stubborn.’
Normally Chloé’s response to that is some form of and proud of it! But tonight it’s just a clipped, ‘Yep.’
Fuck Lila. And her stupid cheating girlfriend. Fuck them for hurting Chloé and her confidence and ruining what should have been a fun night regardless. But if this is what’s going to help Chloé, then Marinette will follow her mother’s advice and not push. So she leans her head on Chloé’s shoulder. ‘I still think you’d have fun with us. But… we respect your decision. And I’ll tell people you’re having fun at the opera.’
Some of the tension Chloé’s holding releases, and she bumps her own head against Marinette’s like the way cats do when they’re happy. ‘Thank you.’
‘Yeah, alright, me too. Girl code and all that. But sometime soon we’re getting dressed up and going out somewhere fun, just our friend group, Lila be damned.’ Alya says strongly, and Chloé laughs.
‘Sounds good to me.’
Sabine is watching them approvingly. When Marinette catches her mother’s eye, she nods proudly.
‘Alright girls, are you staying for dinner? We could order out?’ Tom asks, and the friendship moment is over as they scramble over each other.
‘Yes please!’
~
When Marinette puts on her gown, she thinks that those rose-tinted glasses might be working again. Because she feels like a princess. Now she just needs her prince charming.
She twirls in front of the mirror, the pink tulle skirt ruffling around her, and the sparkling flower designs on the top of the dress glitter in the light. It might have taken forever, and her poor fingers might be covered in bandaids, but it was so worth it. This is the dress of her dreams, all set for a perfect night.
Marinette excitedly texts Jimmy, letting him know she was ready and that she’ll see him soon. She carefully descends the stairs from her room, manoeuvring the layers of her skirt and holding her shoes (she’s not interested in falling down the stairs and breaking her ankle again, especially not tonight). There’s a gasp from the kitchen.
Sabine is watching her daughter with tears in her eyes. ‘Oh, my darling girl, you’re so beautiful!’
Marinette grins and ducks her head, as her mother walks over and wraps her arms around her. ‘Thanks, Mama.’
‘And your dress! I was worried when you kept it a secret that it might not be as you’d hoped, but it’s stunning. You’re so very talented.’ Sabine says, grasping her daughter's hands and looking her in the eye. ‘This boy is so lucky to be your date tonight.’
Marinette bounces up and down. ‘I’m nervous! But the excited kind of nervous!’
‘You have nothing to be nervous about, I’m sure. You’ll have a lovely night. What time are you leaving?’
‘The dance starts at 7:30, but everyone’s meeting at 6:30 to take photos at Luxembourg Gardens.’
‘That will be lovely! I want some photos here too though - of you and your date, but also just you in your dress.’
‘Yeah, I figured. That’s why I’m ready so early.’ Marinette lets her mother lead her to the window, smiling and posing while Sabine snaps enough photos to wallpaper the room.
‘I heard something about a limo?’
‘Yeah we were thinking about it, but Jimmy said he wanted to drive, that way we could leave when we wanted and not be stuck.’
Sabine’s eyebrows shoot up at that, but Marinette waves her hands, quickly trying to bat away the concern. ‘Don’t clutch your pearls, Mama, I’m still getting to know him. We’ll go straight from the dance and be home by curfew. Promise.’
Sabine mumbles something under her breath, and Marinette hopes that there won’t be a whole shovel talk when Jimmy gets here. When it gets close to six, Marinette can hear someone on the stairs, but it’s only her father coming up after closing the bakery.
Tom’s eyes go wide when he sees Marinette, he puts a hand over his heart and his face sort of crumples. ‘Ohh, my baby girl’s all grown up.’ He says, choked up. ‘Beniamina, you look like a princess!’
Marinette wants to roll her eyes, but his sincerity goes straight to her heart, and instead she’s blinking back tears and trying to seem unaffected. ‘Aw, Papa - don’t you cry, then I’m gonna cry, and that’s the last thing we need.’
‘Okay, okay.’ Tom says, clearing his throat. He holds out his arms, and Marinette goes in for a hug that Sabine quickly joins in on. Marinette lets there be a tight family hug, before stepping back, smoothing out any possible wrinkles in her dress and double checking her eye-makeup in the mirror. When she glances back, her parents are having some silent/telepathic ‘oh my god we’re so proud’ conversation before they turn to Marinette in unison. ‘Your dress is magnificent.’ Her father says and Marinette preens.
‘Thank you! I can’t wait for everyone to see it!’
The butterflies in Marinette’s chest gain momentum as the minutes tick away. So maybe life and dating weren’t as “romantic” as she’d imagined - a school dance was classic! Being all dressed up, getting picked up at the door with flowers, streamers and lanterns decorating the room while the boy she likes smiles at her like she’s the only one there and twirls her around the dance floor.
To try to focus the energy that’s buzzing in her veins, Marinette takes out her phone. Jimmy hasn’t replied to the text she sent, but that’s probably because he was getting ready and is already driving over. Aaa, she was so excited! Anyway, focus. She scrolls through her messages and social media.
There’s a message from Alya saying she and Nino are on their way to the park, there’s photos of Rose and Juleka getting ready together - Rose’s blue dress has purple flowers and Juleka’s black dress has pink sparkles, they’re so cute. All the dance related things aren’t helping with the butterflies, but then Marinette notices that Chloé has added to her story. Marinette flicks through the photos, they’re of Chloé picking out a fancy outfit and doing her impeccable nail art. Confused, Marinette texts her.
Sharpay Evans
M: i know you have your Plan but you know your story makes it look like you’re coming to the dance…?
Chloé must be on her phone because she texts back right away.
C: All a part of my plan. Make it look like i’m going to the dance -> don’t show up -> people ask “oh Chloé where were you?” -> “oh i had somewhere better to be”
C: uh not that the dance won’t be great!
C: Hope you have a good time
M: thank you! also damn i’ll have to ask for your help if i ever need to plan something sneaky
C: Will do
C: But sneaky makes it sound lame, it’s a cunning scheme
M: oh i’m so sorry, you’re completely right, you turn scheming into an artform
C: I know you’re being sarcastic but i’m gonna ignore that and take it as a compliment
M: of course you will
M: you going okay?
C: [gif]
C: I’m in my hideous but ridiculously comfortable pyjamas, i’ve got a giant platter full of belgian chocolate, and i’m watching legally blonde
C: So yeah i’m good
![[gif]](https://c.tenor.com/tdpHIpWMN8sAAAAC/eh-okay-sure.gif){kind=link}
M: okay that actually sounds amazing but i meant more like emotionally
C: I’m good
M: …
C: I swear!
C: How’d your mystery dress go?
M: i love it!! it’s just how i imagined it.
C: I wanna see it!
M: my mom’s taken like a million photos, i’ll get her to send you some
M: but after jimmy picks me up, i want him to see it first <3
C: ugh romance
C: Still that’s sweet i guess
M: awwww
C: ugh
Marinette snorts, before glancing at the time. 6:15. They’ll be cutting it close to get to the park by 6:30. Still, Jimmy’s usually late to things (something they unfortunately have in common), so Marinette resigns herself to probably showing up fashionably late.
C: Keep an eye on adrien for me, would you? He called me in hysterics like half an hour ago because he couldn’t get his eyeliner right
M: of course! is he nervous because it’s his first dance?
C: It wouldn’t be if his jackass of a dad let him go to any of the previous ones. You going alright with who he’s taking?
M: he and luka have been dating for two months chlo, i’ve told you before i’m fine! was a little weird at first being the mako in the situation, but they’re both my friends and i’m happy for them
C: Please you’re not the “mako” - in any and all situations you are Katara 100%
M: thank you 😊
M: are YOU going alright with all the dance/romance stuff going on
C: Honestly? It sucks. I want to be getting all dressed up and excited to go to the dance with lila - but like the lila i thought i was dating, not the awful cheating lying scumbag she turned out to be.
M: aw, Chloé. i wish it was better. let me know if there’s anything i can do <3
C: Thanks, but you’re already doing it. Just go, have fun, maybe pour blood over lila when she wins prom queen
M: kinda hard to find that much blood on short notice. also i don’t think that story ends well for anyone
M: but… i may have already arranged for our friends to “accidentally” step on lila’s feet, trip her over, or spill punch on her throughout the night
C: See this is why i love you
Marinette blinks, staring at the words on her phone as a warmth spreads through her chest and across her cheeks. Chloé’s never said that before. Grinning, Marinette goes to respond, only another text from Chloé pops up.
C: Anyway, i should let you go. Don’t want my raincloud mood affecting you. I really hope you have fun at the dance mari. If your date doesn’t treat you right, let me know and i’ll kill him for you, kay?
M: pretty sure you can’t just threaten to kill everyone who slightly irks you
C: Little late on the lecture - i’ve already threatened luka and sabrina’s date, adding “jimmy” to the list is nothing
M: i love you too Chloé, i hope you have a good night <3
The green light above Chloé’s name disappears, so Marinette goes back to scrolling through social media. At 6:25 there’s still no sign of Jimmy, so she texts him again.
Jimmy <3
M: Hey! Just checking to see how you’re going. If you’re running late that’s okay just let me know.
She waits for a minute, but there’s no response. He’s probably driving. She double checks her hair in the mirror, adding a couple more bobby pins to her updo just in case.
But there’s still no sign of Jimmy at 6:30, so Marinette pushes through her anxiety about seeming too clingy and calls him. It rings and rings and then goes to voicemail. ‘Hey, Jimmy. Um, just checking how you’re going. You might be stuck in traffic or something, I’ll see you soon!’
He said it only takes twenty minutes to drive to her house, and it’ll be at least fifteen minutes to get to Luxembourg Gardens, so he should really be here by now. There’s still plenty of time before the dance though. But Marinette might have to break her parents' hearts and only do a couple of portrait photos with Jimmy, rather than their desired twenty thousand. …Maybe that won’t be the worst thing.
At 6:35, her phone pings with a text notification. Marinette dives on her phone and opens it up, only to see a text from Alya asking where she was at. Marinette sends back a perky “be there soon!!” before clicking her phone off and going to get a drink. Which is a mistake, because both her parents are in the kitchen making dinner, and they both give her the same Look when she walks in. A nervous sort of look.
‘Is Jimmy here?’ Tom asks, although obviously he’s not.
‘Not yet, he’s still driving over.’ Marinette says, an edge to her voice warning her parents not to start. Although she can’t blame them. Jimmy might not exactly be her boyfriend yet, but they’re well on their way, and this is not the best first impression to be giving her parents.
‘Okay. Would you like something to eat?’ Sabine asks gently. ‘We’ve got extra bo lo bao from this morning.’
Marinette nods with a tight smile and takes a cake.
At 6:45, Marinette tries to call Jimmy again. Voicemail, again.
Maybe something’s wrong? Maybe he tripped and broke his leg. Maybe he was in a car accident on the way over. Maybe he’s being taken to the hospital right now, and Marinette’s waiting here feeling irritated while he’s breathing his last-
Okay. None of that.
The time ticks by, and Marinette waits.
She’s on her phone for a bit, but she keeps ignoring texts from Alya, Nino, Adrien, even Marc. So she double checks her notifications are on sound, and leaves her phone by her purse.
There’s a commotion of honking outside and Marinette rushes to the window, but it’s just two drivers yelling at each other over a parking spot.
She sits on the couch, not really watching the old episode of Incantesimo her father has playing while he cooks. She ignores the concerned stares of her parents that she can feel boring into the back of her head.
She goes upstairs and climbs up onto her balcony, breathing in deeply and gripping the railing too tight.
Where is he? Is he not coming? Surely if he’s not coming he would have just told her. Maybe something bad truly did happen? She tries to leave her anxious thoughts on the balcony, but when she goes back inside, she’s met by her parents worried looks. So she walks past them into the bathroom, fixing her hair that got mussed up by the strong breeze.
There’s a tiny part of her that hopes that Jimmy got mixed up and had the time wrong. That he thought the garden photos were at 7:30, and the dance was at 8:30. That he’s been so busy getting ready that he didn’t think to check his phone, and that he’ll show up with flowers and a smile, none the wiser to the anxiety Marinette’s been in.
But 7:30 comes and goes, with no sign of him.
Alya’s been calling her, and the third time she calls, Marinette picks up. She’s sitting in the bathroom, hiding from her parents.
‘Finally! Where are you, are you okay?’ Alya asks, before Marinette can say anything.
‘I’m okay, it’s just-’ She’d wanted to be calm, unaffected, but almost instantly her voice breaks. She clears her throat. ‘He hasn’t come.’
Alya’s silent for a moment, before she snaps, ‘Bastard!’ in the most vicious voice Marinette has ever heard from her best friend. It startles Marinette into a laugh. But then she feels guilty.
‘I haven’t heard from him, something might have happened-’
‘I’m sure he’s fine. For now at least, he’ll be dead by the time I’m through with him.’
‘No, no. I don’t- he might still come.’ Marinette says weakly.
‘I- maybe.’ Alya doesn’t sound very convincing. ‘But you deserve better than that either way.’ Marinette can hear noise in the background, lots of people chatting, music pounding, the familiar sounds of her friends laughing nearby. The dance sounds like fun. Marinette’s chest aches.
‘Don’t worry about me, really. I’m sure he just got mixed up and I’ll see you soon.’
‘Mari-’
‘I mean it. Don’t let this ruin your night, go, have fun, drink some punch and I’ll be there before you know it.’
There’s a muffled voice on Alya’s end, someone that sounds like Nino. Alya must put her hand over the speaker, because then her voice is muffled too, before coming back strong as ever.
‘How about you text your date’ - the word sounds bitter on Alya’s tongue - ‘to meet you here? Nino and I can come pick you up so at least you’ll be here either way. It’s great, you shouldn’t miss out. And we all want to see your dress, you worked so hard on it!’
Marinette stares at the floor. Her fancy, sparkly shoes that she spent way too much money on glint up at her. Being at the dance with her friends would be fun. Being at the dance single and having just been stood up while she’s surrounded by couples sounds like a nightmare. God, no wonder Chloé didn’t want to go.
‘Thanks, that means a lot, but it’s okay.’ Marinette says softly.
‘...Are you sure? We really don’t mind.’
‘No, please. I don’t want- I know you don’t mind. You guys are great. But I can’t-’ Her voice breaks again. ‘I can’t do that. And Alya? Please don’t say anything. If anyone asks, just tell them I’m running late.’
Alya sighs. ‘Okay. If you change your mind, call me, okay? It’s not the same without you here.’
‘Thanks. Bye.’ Marinette hangs up, before covering her mouth with her hand. She’s definitely smearing her lipstick, but she presses her hand down and closes her eyes and desperately tries not to cry. When the lump in her throat has passed, she blinks quickly, before getting up and checking her reflection. With a sigh, she wipes away the smudged makeup, before applying a new coat. It’s more for her parents, so she looks like she’s keeping it together. Despite what she told Alya, she’s pretty sure Jimmy isn’t coming.
At 8:00, Marinette is sitting silently on the couch next to her parents. They’ve been watching her more than the movie, they’ve tried to talk with her, but she doesn’t know what to say. Her mom keeps offering her food, as though that will fix everything, but she doesn’t want dinner and after the third pineapple bun she started to feel nauseous. But it was probably more to do with the horrible, sick feeling of hurt and humiliation that’s been clawing through her chest.
That’s when her phone rings.
Marinette figures it’s Alya, but when she glances down at the screen, she sees the name Jimmy <3 flashing, along with the picture of the two of them on their first date. Her heart jumps into her throat, and Marinette jumps off the couch, frantically clicking on the green ‘answer call’ button.
‘Hello?’
‘Marinette, hi.’ Jimmy says.
So he’s not dead. And he doesn’t sound like he’s in terrible pain, like he’s splayed out at the bottom of a staircase or lying in a hospital bed in the ICU. A white hot flash of anger shoots through Marinette, and she storms away from her parent’s bereaved stares and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
‘Well?’ She asks, hating how her voice wobbles.
‘Look, I’m really sorry. I- I completely forgot about the dance, I had my dates all wrong. I’ve been at Cutler’s house all day gaming, and I always have my phone off for that. You know, gotta keep the focus. I totally missed your calls, I’m so sorry.’
Marinette leans against the sink. He really does sound sorry. She angrily wipes a tear from her cheek.
‘Wow.’ She whispers. ‘That’s… very convenient.’
‘...What do you mean?’ He asks, nervousness creeping into his tone.
‘I mean that when we were texting last night - I was talking about how I finished my dress design. And how excited I was to go to the dance with you tomorrow.’ Marinette says flatly. ‘And we’ve talked this week about the dance on Friday. Like how I asked you what you were going to wear, and you said it was a surprise. So either, what? You were ignoring me in all those conversations, or you’re just lying to me right now. I think the second one sucks more, but the first one is still a blow.’
Jimmy sighs. Marinette can hear him shuffling on the other end of the line. ‘I wasn’t thinking, I swear. I lost track of time, and when I saw your texts, I knew I was screwed. It’s like an hour from Cutler’s house to mine this time of day, and then to get changed, and get over to your place - I would have been way too late.’
Marinette kicks off her stupid sparkly shoes. They each hit the wall with a thud. There’s an ugly feeling rising in her chest.
‘So instead you ignored me and made me wait for you and worry about you and ruined my night.’
Jimmy coughs awkwardly. ‘I’m sorry. I- I didn’t think of it like that. I just knew you’d be disappointed, or that you’d still want me to come and I’d be rushing like crazy.’
Marinette’s stomach sinks with every word. While she was waiting, he was waiting too. Waiting for it to be too late to take her. A sort of laugh huffs out of Marinette’s chest. This must encourage Jimmy, because his tone changes again, to the one that Marinette thought was so charming.
‘I’ll make it up to you, I promise.’ Jimmy is saying. ‘Name your price, I’ll do anything.’ Marinette is quiet as she squeezes her eyes shut.
‘Okay. You could do me a favour?’ Marinette takes a breath, and Jimmy waits expectantly. ‘Don’t ever talk to me again.’
Marinette hits the ‘end call’ button and sinks to the floor, her dress that she spent so long on puffing up around her as she finally lets the tears come. Her phone is blowing up, Jimmy is trying to call her back, then is texting her, so she blocks his number. Fuck him. Her heartbreak is replaced with anger, so much anger that she’s practically shaking. She stands up, rips her hair loose from its updo and roughly wipes away her makeup.
When she trudges out of the bathroom, her parents are there.
‘We’re so sorry, love-’
‘My poor girl-’
‘He’s not worth your time anyway-’
‘We know it hurts now but-’
‘You’re still so wonderful and beautiful and talented-’
‘There’ll be so many more opportunities for romance-’
‘We’re here for you-’
‘Just let us know if there’s anything you need.’
They talk over each other, both trying to find comforting words. They each open their arms, but Marinette stays still. She gives them a small, pained smile.
‘Thank you. I’m going upstairs.’ And then she walks past them. A pang of guilt hits her, but she’s so tired, and so done, she can apologise later. In the safety and privacy of her room, Marinette takes off her dress, even in her anger she’s careful to a fault. Jimmy might have ruined her night, but she’s spent way too long on her dress for anything to ruin it.
Marinette wraps herself up in a blanket burrito, despite the heat, and lays on her bed, wallowing in her own thoughts. Fuck romance. Fuck the dance. And most of all fuck Jimmy. How could she have ever thought he was someone to gush over? Someone to kiss and want to be with? A lazy, selfish, asshole. So much for rose-tinted glasses.
She’s not sure how long she lies there, but she’s taken out of her misery by the sound of the doorbell. He has got to be kidding. Jimmy ditched her and now shows up to try to win her back, despite her telling him to never talk to her again!? Marinette hopes her parents throw him out on his ass. Well, that her mom does. Her dad, despite his size, wouldn’t hurt a fly. But he would scowl at Jimmy and nod approvingly as Sabine chased that loser down the stairs.
But instead of hearing any of that commotion, Marinette hears the door open, and her parents talking animatedly with whoever it is, before inviting them in!
If this was some unexpected neighbourly visit, they could come back some other time. If it really was Jimmy and her parents were somehow being nice to him, Marinette would kick all of them out. She kicks off her blankets and marches over to her stairs.
‘What in the hell is going-’ She starts to shout, stomping down the stairs. But when she sees who’s standing in the entryway, all the air goes out of her lungs. ‘On?’ She finishes breathlessly.
Because Chloé is standing there.
In a tuxedo.
With a corsage.
‘Hey, Mari.’ She says softly.
Marinette’s dumbstruck, halfway down the stairs, just gaping at her. ‘W-what are you doing here?’
Chloé’s got a steely look in her eyes, and nods towards Sabine. ‘Your mom called me.’
Swinging her eyes to Sabine, Marinette holds out her arms in a “huh???” gesture, Sabine raises a hand in defence.
‘Don’t give me that look. I knew you were both alone and upset, and thought it would be better if you two were together and less upset. I did not know she would show up in a suit.’
Marinette’s gaze is back on Chloé, and the blonde ducks her head, looking a little bashful.
‘Yeah, look. I’ve got a bag in the car. If you just wanna commiserate our misery and eat our weight in ice cream, I’ll get changed and we can hang out and talk shi- uh, talk. But… you were so excited about tonight, Marinette.’ Chloé looks up at her, completely earnest. ‘That guy is a complete loser, you shouldn’t let him ruin your night. So, if you want, I would be honoured to escort you to the dance.’
Marinette leans against the wall, blinking as if she’s about to wake up, or Chloé will turn out to be a hallucination and disappear. But Chloé’s still standing there, amusement flashing across her expression as she waits for Marinette to answer.
‘But… you… Lila?’ Marinette manages to say. Chloé’s expression darkens.
‘Yeah. I just, I don’t know. I really don’t want to see her, but I also can’t avoid her forever. And locking myself up in my room while she has a good time… I felt like crap. And when I heard what happened - the idea that you were sad and locked up in your room felt even worse. So I figure if the Lila’s and Jimmy’s of the world are going to suck and screw us over, then screw them. We can have a good time together anyway.’ Chloé says with a smile, one that Marinette can’t help but return. ‘So, what’s the plan? Ice cream, or the dance?’
Pushing herself off the wall, Marinette watches Chloé closely.
‘What about your plan? You’re supposed to be at the opera?’
‘Was waiting until later to post the opera picks.’ Chloe shrugs. ‘Like we’d already been and I was posting after. So the only photos up right now are of me getting ready, and…’ She gestures at the fancy black suit and white shirt she’s in.
Marinette bites her lip, thinking it over. ‘I- are you sure you want to go to the dance? You were dead-set against it, I don’t want you to feel like you have to go.’
But Chloé is shaking her head, twirling the corsage in her hands. ‘Different if I was going with someone, especially with the right motivation. And it looked kind of fun in the photos online. Why should I miss out just cause my ex-girlfriend’s basically pure evil?’ Chloé glances up at her, smirking. ‘Besides, I kinda want to see the look on her face when I show up with the most beautiful girl in the room.’
It’s a tease, just a line to get a reaction out of Marinette, but a blush still reddens her cheeks even as she scoffs. But she’s smiling.
She was so looking forward to the dance. The romance part, sure, but also just the electric environment, hanging out with her friends, having a ball. A night out with Chloé sounds way better then moping in her bedroom. And wasn’t the best revenge living well?
So Marinette nods, her smile growing, as she looks between Chloé’s bright eyes and her parents' hopeful expressions. ‘Okay. Yes. I’d love to go with you.’ Chloé’s whole face lights up as Sabine and Tom give little cheers. Marinette rolls her eyes at them, but a sweet, fond feeling is swirling in her chest, pushing back the anger and heartache. Marinette glances between Chloé’s pristine outfit, and her own pyjamas. ‘Um, I’m just gonna need a minute to get changed.’
Chloé laughs. ‘Take your time. Although going like that would definitely be a statement.’
Marinette’s natural instinct here is to flip Chloé off, but given that her parents are there and looking so happy, she instead settles for a withering glance that just makes Chloé laugh more. Marinette ducks into the bathroom to grab her discarded shoes and her makeup bag, before heading back upstairs. She changes back into her dress and applies more makeup then before to cover up her still-red eyes. The updo from earlier took forever, so instead she calls Sabine up. Her mother has a gift with hair pins that always leaves Marinette astonished, and soon her hair is pinned up and ready to go.
Climbing down the stairs, Marinette sees that Chloé is sitting at the dining table chatting with Tom. Marinette knows the exact moment that Chloé sees her, because the other girl’s jaw drops. When Marinette descends the stairs, Chloé stands up, some chivalrous instinct overtaking her shock.
‘Uh, Mari, you look, wow.’ Chloé stutters. For a girl who usually has a quick response to everything, Chloé being speechless might be a once in a lifetime event.
‘Thanks?’ Marinette says with a grin, and Chloé seems to shake herself out of whatever daze she was in.
‘You look beautiful.’ Chloé says firmly. ‘And your dress! No wonder you wanted to wait for people to see, it’s phenomenal!’
Marinette preens at the compliments, swaying the skirt of the dress to show it off. ‘Thanks, Chlo.’ She holds out her arm and Chloé ties the corsage around her wrist. The white flowers compliment the pink perfectly. ‘Good choice. Lucky the colours work.’
Chloé gives her an unimpressed look. ‘Luck has nothing to do with it. Just because you’re Miss Fashion doesn’t mean I can’t know how to style. Didn’t know what colour your mystery dress was, so I figured black and white goes with everything.’ She gestures between the corsage and her own suit.
Despite Chloé’s attitude, the thought she’d put into this even with such short notice touches Marinette. Before she realises what she’s doing, Marinette has thrown her arms around Chloé and pulled her into a tight hug. Chloé goes stiff, before huffing and returning the embrace, slowly melting into it. When Marinette finally lets her go, her smile is blinding.
Chloé holds out her arm. ‘Alright, Dupain-Cheng, if I may?’
Marinette grins, linking her own arm with Chloé’s. ‘You may. Let’s go, Bourgeois.’
‘Wait!’ Sabine shouts. ‘I need photos!’
‘Mama!’
Maybe the night wasn't exactly what Marinette had hoped. But she still got picked up at the door with flowers by someone who made a great impression with her parents, got to have a beautiful night with her friends in an energy-filled room that was covered in cheesy decorations, and got to be twirled around the dance floor. Only the person dancing with her and smiling at her like she was the only person in the room wasn't her so-called "prince charming", but instead more like her knight in shining armour.
Lila still won prom queen, but Marinette absolutely "accidentally" stood on the train of her dress as she was walking through the crowd, nearly making Lila fall on her face. Marinette didn't even notice (or care) about the outraged looks she got, because the overjoyed look on Chloé's face was priceless.
At the end of the magical night, Chloé dropped Marinette off at her door and Marinette couldn't help but lean over and press a kiss against her friend's cheek. It was meant as a thank you, but when Marinette pulled away she caught the shy look on Chloé's face, and it set her heart into a flutter. Maybe it wasn't as friendly a gesture as she'd intended.
Something shifted between them after that night.
And when the dance came around the next year, Marinette had no doubts about her date showing up. Considering she was going with her girlfriend, and Chloé was always early.