16 Catch Me

"Alright class settle down," Mrs. Bustier told the class. "We have quite a few new students joining us today!" Everyone cheered for the good news while Chloe scolded Sabrina for doing the same.

When they all quieted down, the four new students marched in one after another. The first had short blue hair like I did, "Hello, my name is Tsurugi Kagami, but please call me by my first name, Kagami." She walked to the other side of Mrs. Bustier to make room for the boy behind her that was much taller and more familiar!

It was Luka! I totally forgot that he was transferred to our class! His black and blue, non-styled hair bounced just the tiniest as he walked in. He held some note sheets in one hand while he stopped to wave at everyone with the other, "Hey I'm Luka Couffaine. I'm looking forward to being in the same class as my sister!" He chuckled then glanced at me and threw me a small smile. I couldn't help but blush a little until I realized that I was still in class!

Gosh, I thought I'd sworn off boys for the new year...

Next came a girl I'd never seen before. She has long dirty blonde hair that was tied halfway with orange ties. She smiled and waved at everyone as if she was on the red carpet, she did some weird twirls and even winked at a few people. "Hello everyone! I'm so happy I can finally come back to school, my name is Lila! I've been traveling for modeling these past few years so I haven't been able to return..." She turned to Adrien and with a broad smile softly said, "Oh Adrien! It's been so long since we've seen each other, how have you been?"

Adrien looked up surprised and said, "uhm what do you mean? Have we worked together before?" Everyone looked a little surprised while Lila wasn't fazed at all.

"Oh~ you probably don't remember me..." She turned back to the rest of the class and continued in a sweet tone, "we used to model together in elementary school."

Adrien, still seeming not to remember, said nothing. Lila didn't look too fazed, "anyways, I hope we can all get along in the new year to come!"

"You can step in now, everyone else has been introduced." Mrs. Bustier called into the hallway and the last new student to enter. Everyone waited in anticipation for the last person to come in, not knowing who they are or who they even look like.

Sliding the door open the tiniest bit more, gasps erupted throughout the room and a tall muscular boy wearing Englishman attire walked through the threshold of our classroom. Once he was all the way in, whispers and gasps came from everywhere, most people saying, "Hey girl...Doesn't he remind you of someone?"

"Y-yeah..." Although Alya probably wasn't thinking of the man I was.

He didn't lift his hand to wave or even smile. No, instead he bowed to the entire class and sternly said, "Hello, my name is Felix Agreste. I've only been to France one other time when I was young and have lived in the UK since, so I hope we can all get along even with these barriers." He stood there for a minute while no one really knew what to say.

Just then, Mrs. Bustier spoke up, "well that's everyone. Now, because of the new students, I wanted to take the time to move seats around for the new year and new students!" Groans mixed with sighs of relief fell over the classroom. Everyone stood up and around the walls of the room as our teacher started to list off the names and tables we were assigned to.

Halfway down the list, I started hearing familiar names. "Chloe and Luka, please sit at table 5."

"Ugh seriously!" Chloe complained, "the one time you have us switch seats you put me with another loser!" She stomped to her table with Luka trailing behind.

I looked after the two of them with pity for Luka. "Next table will be Adrien and Nino." She smiled at both of them and whispered to Adrien, "I noticed that you've been having a hard time showing up on time. I hope keeping close to your friends will motivate you to come in at the right time." She smiled at him as they walked past us.

Adrien looked at me and the few people that I was standing with. "Since there are 5 people left, there will be a table of three." Looking at the rest of us, Mrs. Bustier rubbed her chin in deep thought. "Alright!" Clapping her hands in triumph she pointed to the 7th table and said, "Marinette and Felix will be at table 7 while Rose, Alya, and Kagami will share the front table!"

I stood there shocked at what I just heard. I could hear someone calling my name from behind me as I watched Felix walk by and sit at the seat closest to the aisle. "-inette...MARINETTE!" I snapped from my state and turned around to see Alya trying to walk past me. "Come on girl! Mrs. Bustier is trying to start class gon sit down!"

Tentatively, I walked up to Felix to introduce myself but Mrs. Bustier had already started talking so I scrambled to my seat.

Throughout the lecture, I noticed that Felix was hastily scribbling down notes like he was going to die tomorrow. Out of curiosity, I leaned over at whispered, "why are you writing all of this down? We've already--" And there it was. I realized the Felix hasn't been here all year so he is trying to cram in everything now.

I looked up at him to see him staring back at me while he was still writing.

How is even doing that?

I realized that he wouldn't have half the information he would so I offered, "I can give you my notes from before break so you don't have to rush..." Pulling my notebook from my bag, Felix stopped scribbling things down and looked up at me again.

He reached out and opened the pages to see my notes with doodles littering the page. "S-sorry about all of those...I've tried to draw in another book but I-I mean it's just--"

Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and softly whispered, "thank you, Marinette."

I think I'm just going to crawl under this table now and pray to whoever is up there that this isn't a dream because the that his big sea-green eyes were staring at me just then seemed too sweet to be just for me.

For the rest of the class, I listened to the lecture while Felix copied my notes. When the bell rang, Alya came to my desk and asked, "hey Mari, wanna play the new Super Squash Bros.?" Before I could answer Alya pulled me out of the class and out into the front of the school. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE SITTING NEXT TO THE FELIX AGRESTE!"

She kept going on and on about Adrien's exotic cousin until we got to her house. "How's 7 tonight?"

"Yeah, yeah Mari! Don't fall asleep this time, I'm counting on you!" She ran down the street waving then disappeared into the crowd of people.

~~~

Felix POV

~~~

When I looked up from the pink notebook and scribbles f the different kids in class, Marinette was gone.

Should I just wait to give it back tomorrow?

Looking up at the board, I noticed that the homework was based on these exact notes.

I guess I'll just have to catch up to her then...

As I rose from my seat, a sigh escaped my lips with the words, "so troublesome." Walking out of the class, I could feel someone's eyes on the back of my neck.

Like I said, so troublesome.

~~~

Adrien's POV

~~~

Before I could get up to follow Felix out, a hand slammed down in front of me. "Hi, Adrien~" Lila stood above me with a forced fed smile while a snicker escaped her mouth. "It's been a while since we last talked..."

"Uh, we were talking in class this morning?" I looked at her a little confused at what she meant, then remembered that I had bigger things to worry about like finding my miraculous. "Listen, Lila, I really have to go so if you wanna talk tomorrow that's fine with me but-"

When I went to stand up, I looked back at her to see a seductive smirk and thin preying eyes trained on me. She poked my chest with her finger lightly and laughed, "Oh come on~ I was just going to ask if I could come over so you could help me catch up!" She got very touchy making me want to run home right away, but apparently we knew each other in the past so I'm trying to be polite.

"Aha..." Scratching the back of my head I knew I had to just say no or I wouldn't get away. "I'm sorry but I really can't today, I have a family dinner with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. There are still people left in class to ask though.

I turned around and walked out of the classroom. From the hall, I could hear her demanding help from Rose and Kagami.

Walking out of the school and out onto the street, I saw Felix down the road going the wrong direction.

Maybe he's lost?

I began to run after him until I saw that Marinette and Alya were about 4 yards ahead of him.

I'll just follow him to make sure he doesn't try to pull anything with her. He already gets to sit with her in class, has he already become so infatuated with her?

I thought about this for a while but then remembered how Felix would always extinguish any feelings he'd have to protect his image.

But that was one time, with one girl, in London...

I shook the thought away when I saw that Alya and Marinette had split up to go home. Felix didn't stop even when they did, he seemed determined.

~~~

Luka's POV

~~~

"I told you our class was nothing special. I still don't understand why you suddenly wanted to take easier classes, you've been boasting all year about how you might be able to skip a year, but now you wanna stay?" Juleka chuckled at me in her confusion.

I looked back at her and smiled not wanting to answer her.

In truth, when I found out that Marinette was in Juleka's class, I knew that if I kept on the same path I was then, I wouldn't ever be in any classes with her. Just being in the same room with her is enough. She brightens my day just enough to make me want to go to school for once.

"Hey, isn't that the new kid over there?" I looked in my sister's line of view but before I even found who she was talking about, I saw Marinette herself walking home alone. Then, as she walked out of my gaze, another familiar face walked in. "What was his name, Felix?"

I watched as he strode through the crowd of people but when I lost him, I found another head of golden blond hair briskly walking in the same direction. "Adrien too...?" Before I waited for her response, response to my mumbled question I jogged across the street after them.

Pulling out my phone I dialed Marinette's phone and waited with bated breaths as the dialing tone panged throughout my ears. As a few seconds passed by with no answer I got worried and looked for Adrien again.

He's still a few feet ahead...

*Click*

"Hello?" Her sweet voice echoed through my ears making me sigh in relief. I could hear a hint of glee in her voice when she spoke so she didn't seem to be in any danger or even with anyone, "hold on, this will only be a second I promise..."

And there it was. The real explanation of her gleeful tone, not for my phone call but for another person with her. "Uh hey, Marinette whatcha up to?" I tried to sound the same as always, but with the pang in my heart it was a little harder than usual, "I didn't get to talk to you before you left."

There was a moment of silence before she answered making panic rise up inside of me. "Uhm, y'know..."

No, I don't know.

"Just getting home, but my mom is waiting for me so I have to go soon. I'll call you later though, Luka!" I looked up to see the Dupain-Cheng Bakery insight but saw the pretty boy go into an alleyway just across from it.

Following in suit as quietly as I could, I looked over to see Mari standing with another person outside of the shop. I couldn't make out who it was though because they were next to a tree. "No it's alright Marinette," I lied through my teeth as the person walked out from behind the tree and reached out to her. "I just called to you to make sure to stay safe walking home. I don't want you to get hurt, there are a lot of dangerous people out there."

She didn't answer, but I know why this time. Some rustling came from the other side of the phone as I lowered my head. After what seemed like an eternity she said softly, "thank you, I'll keep that in mind."

*Click*