28. Day 3 Part 3

As Chloe traversed the unfamiliar back-streets of Paris by foot, having spent most of her pampered existence travelling in some posh chauffered automobile or another, she began to experience an odd sensation.

It wasn't her new hairstyle, as unused to as she was at not feeling her trademark blonde ponytail swish her neck as she trod onward...

It wasn't her mass-produced jeans, that still made her legs itch a little but seemed far more flexible than the designer trousers she usually sported...

It wasn't even those awful-looking trainers, which were surprisingly comfortable after a few yards, whereas with her old flats she'd have felt the impact of every pebble on the ground.

No, it was the undeniable, indisputed fact that, even though there were many others out at this time of day, ready to begin their morning commute or simply take in the beautiful sights of the city...

Not one of them was paying her, Chloe Bourgeois, the slightest bit of attention. What an absolute outrage.

On the other hand, this might be not such a bad thing. After all, having some celebrity-obsessed loudmouth point her out to the rest of the populace, who'd quickly envelop her and use up all their mobile phone memory to snap images of 'The Fallen Princess' to spread online, thus ruining her reputation forever, was not an imbroglio she dared to contemplate.

It was just extremely hard for a born superstar such as herself to accept far lesser beings just strolling idly by, without even acknowledging the importance of the glamourous blonde they'd more-or-less dismissed in their ignorance. How she longed for the simplicity of just a few days ago, when the whole world revolved around her, everyone else just took up space and a mutant insect hadn't effectively become her main caregiver.

Speak of the devil...

"...And you're going to be polite to everyone you meet, that means no more insults. You will also refrain from intimidating others with your privileged status, and instead use the position to help out others in need. Hand in all of your work in time, always listen to the teacher, and most of all, stop lying..." In the heiress's opinion, her handbag with the kwami inside was becoming more of a windbag these days.

"Enough, already!" Chloe tried to keep her voice to a minimum, but still earned a few strange looks from those nearby, so she lowered the volume to barely a murmur. "It sounds almost like you want me to be an exact duplicate of that pathetic sap Rose..."

The blonde was obviously joking, but Zzubo responded in sheer delight at the suggestion. "Why Chloe, that's an excellent idea! From what I've heard so far of that young lady, she'd be the ideal role model for you to take after. In fact, in a perfect world, maybe I'd be her kwami instead. Alas, that isn't the case, so all I can do is mold you into the hero worthy of wielding me. We've had a bit of a rough start, but I think finally, things are starting to come together..."

"Not if I can help it!" Chloe growled, her hand turning red as she gripped the handles of her hold-all ever tighter. "As soon as I find a way to get you out of my life for good, I will! There must be a way to dispel your kind, and I will find it! Even if I have to search for the next forty years..."

"You won't find anything..." Zzubo said with a chuckle, as she popped a nougat in her mouth that she'd saved from yesterday. "But if you want to waste your time, fine. As long as you don't hurt others in your research and it doesn't distract from your future superhero duties, you can spend your spare hours doing whatever you want. Of course, your schoolday is a totally different matter, and at this rate, you won't make it. Shall we get going?"

Her face flushed and her teeth gnashing at the bee creature's impudence, Chloe stormed across the bridge overlapping the Seine. "Aargh! Between you, and the ignoramuses in my class I'm being forced to spend some 'quality' time with this week one-on-one, I can see it's going to be a great few days before the weekend starts..."

"What was that, Chloe?" Zzubo was all ears again, as she crunched her sweet. Having not been present when that particular penalty was dolled out to the heiress, and having not been informed by the blonde about it afterwards, she was curious to learn more.

"Oh, nothing..." Chloe responded. Now that they were all alone, she could vent a bit louder. "Just stupid Miss Bustier making me hang out with the low-lives in my class, because of my so-called 'bullying' habit. Doesn't she realise, and don't they accept, that I was only having fun? I'm clearly better than all of them anyway, so I should be able to get away with it. What a stupid punishment..."

"On the contrary..." Zzubo buzzed her approval at hearing this news. "It sounds like an excellent opportunity to apologise to each one in turn for your previous misdemeanors, and make a fresh start with your fellow classmates! Also, you might just be surprised at how well you actually get on with each of them, if you actually treated them as equals as opposed to thinking you're superior all the time..."

"Aha, now that's the one thing you don't have any control over!" Chloe felt like she'd just earned a small victory against the kwami, although she'd take anything at this stage. "You can't choose my friends for me, bugface! I'll tell you what I plan to do here and now... make each session with them as disruptive and unsettling as possible, so in the end, they can't wait to get shot of me! Thanks for giving me the idea!"

"I think those who go to school with you already expect something like that to unfold, Chloe." Zzubo told the blonde, with a pronounced eye-roll. "And I dare say, nearly every student shares the sentiment of getting their time with you over as soon as possible. But, here's a radical notion: Wouldn't it be nice if, for a change, you were actually nice to them, and gave friendship a chance? Do you really want to go through life all alone, rejected and ostracized by all your peers?"

This somewhat innocuous question nevertheless had a strange effect on Chloe's psyche, making her feel slightly melancholy all of a sudden. "S-shut up..." she stammered, some of her belligerence starting to ebb away. "A-and I'll have all the friends in the world, m-more friends than you could ever dream of! I-I just haven't met the right ones yet... y-you don't expect me to settle for second best, do you?"

"What, you mean, shameless lackeys who consort with Your Ladyship just because of her wealth and status, rather than those who like you as a person? " Zzubo could tell she'd hit a nerve, and was determined to press on it further. "I know who'd I'd rather have fighting in my corner, when the chips are down! Those genuine enough to appreciate you for what you are, rather than flunkies who'll only follow you around for what you represent! Wouldn't you agree, Chloe Bourgeois?"

Chloe tried to respond, she really did. Racked every brain cell in her cranium. Thoroughly reviewed her (long) list of catty comebacks. Did everything she could to produce a passable rebuttal to the kwami's speculatory observation.

She'd got nothing.

"Let's... just get to school..." She mumbled, her head drooped in abject defeat.

"That's exactly what I said a minute ago, Chloe..." The heiress couldn't see it, but inside her bag Zzubo was smiling broadly as she finished off the last of her nougat. My little pupa is learning... the bee creature noted, while smacking her lips.

...

It was a typical morning outside Collège Françoise Dupont. Longstanding friends, like Mylene and Ivan, Kim and Max, and of course, Marinette and Adrien, all congregated together, fitting in a few precious moments of conversation before the morning classes began.

The only one who wasn't paired up currently was Sabrina, who was anxiously looking left and right at the passing traffic, waiting for a certain limousine to arrive.

Even though Chloe had made it perfectly clear yesterday that the two were not even on speaking terms anymore, and Marinette had kindly invited her to join her social group with no strings attached, the redhead just couldn't just leave things as they were. She was dead-set on having one last try at getting through to her bestie. I'll give it all I've got, she swore to herself as she'd walked home last night from the bakery, and if this doesn't work... I guess it really is all over.

Sabrina glanced at her watch, then at the road again. Funny, she noted with a tinge of apprehension, the limo should be here by now. Having opened and closed the door to the posh motor for years as Chloe's personal underling, the redhead was quite used to the strict schedule the vehicle kept... and how angry the heiress would be at Jeeves for apparently messing it up.

Poor man, I hope he's okay. I've been on the receiving end of Chloe's temper a lot in the past, it's not something I'd wish on my worst enemy, Sabrina thought, wanting so much for the put-upon chauffer's sake the limousine had just been held up by roadworks, or something.

What she was most definitely not expecting was a sudden cry from Alix, who pointed at something in the distance, rushing on top of the school steps to get a better view. "Hey look, everyone! It's Chloe! She's on foot, and... she's got her hair in bunches, just like Marinette! Also guys, you're not going to believe what she's wearing..."

To a girl or boy, everyone's attention was quickly diverted to the sullen figure approaching from the distance, as it grew from a speck to something far more prominent. Just as at the hotel earlier, Chloe Bourgeois had abruptly became the main attraction, albeit a massively reluctant one.

If anything though, the reaction among her classmates was even more pronounced than those in the dining room. For starters, these were kids who Chloe went to school with, that she saw on a regular basis, instead of temporary hotel guests who only had to tolerate the heiress for a limited time . It wasn't difficult to imagine the other students' astonishment as their tormentor-in-chief meekly sauntered towards the crowd, with none of her usual arrogant haughtiness, looking just like... one of them.

As the blonde approached, a tangible silence hung in the air. You could hear the leaves rustle in the trees, the birds finish up their morning song, and the slight titter emitting from one Lila Rossi, the only teenager assembled there to make any sort of noise.

Crossing her fingers and toes that this blessed period of tranquility would persevere, the new-look Chloe braved the lion's den, stepping gingerly past each stunned individual on her way to the front door. She'd almost made it, when...

Adrien just couldn't help himself. "Chloe... is that really you?!"

The model's simple question was the trigger which set off the alarm. Almost immediately, the blonde found herself swathed by interested faces, each one with their own convoluted theory as to the origin of this most unusual phenomenon.

Some asked her if she'd had a fire in the hotel, which had tragically left her wardrobe with no survivors, forcing her to beg for clothes from the neighbours.

Others thought she'd lost some sort of bet, and found amusement in the fact she appeared to be getting a taste of her own medicine

A few believed this was a bizarre prank, and even now they were being filmed by a candid camera. One even waved, looking forward to seeing himself on that evening's TV show.

Lastly, there were those who were under the impression that the very idea of Chloe Bourgeois wearing jeans and a T-shirt was so outlandish they must still be asleep, so they tried pinching themselves... and her.

"Yowch!" With all the other indignities she'd suffered of late, being assaulted by a load of children with sharp nails was the last straw. "Get away from me, you imbeciles!"

Somehow, the heiress found the strength to struggle her way to the entrance and open it, squeezing through a miniscule gap in the door and slamming it firmly behind her. Sometimes dieting does pay off.

The zombie-like horde of youngsters suddenly regained their senses at her departure, but that didn't mean they weren't still spellbound at what they'd just witnessed. It promised to be a massive talking point for a long time to come, and had at the very least vitalised what had begun as just another day of drudgery.

There were three notable exceptions to the Chloe-mania that was sweeping the playground, though. They hadn't joined the initial attack on the heiress's personage, neither were they discussing the heiress at length, in fact none of them were doing much of anything, other than staring on in utter befuddlement.

Adrien glanced at Marinette, concerned for his former friend.

Marinette gazed at Adrien, worried about her crush's state of anxiety... and a little for Chloe's well-being, she supposed.

Sabrina didn't look at anyone specifically. She just observed the spot where her former bestie last stood before entering the school, so many thoughts circling round her head it was impossible to process them all.

One did stand out, though.

I have to talk to her again. The sooner, the better.

...

Chloe sat at her desk, sorely tempted to bury her head inside, before slamming the lid repeatedly.

To the left: A very jittery four-eyed geekazoid, who constantly turned to the heiress as if wanting to say something, but never quite managing it. Judging by her past experiences with Sabrina, this could go on all day.

To the right: Her bag, and inside an ever-vigilant kwami, watching the blonde's every move. If Chloe said or did anything out of line, she was sure never to hear the end of it later from her self-proclaimed 'second parent '.

All around: Leering, ominous faces pointed right at her. Their inquisitiveness about the heiress's appearance was nowhere near piqued enough. They wanted more, and they wouldn't rest until they'd got it.

What a day she had to look forward to.

So desperate was Chloe for a distraction from the limelight, that when Miss Bustier eventually came bumbling in, the blonde could almost have kissed her feet. If that wasn't totally gross, of course.

"Hello class, how are you doing..." the teacher, in the middle of straightening her papers suddenly stopped mid-shuffle. She wasn't used to this level of serenity from her usually rowdy pupils. "What are you all looking at..."

She followed their unwavering stares where, of course, all roads led to Chloe. "Well, hello there!" The young woman beamed, at what she thought was a fresh face."You must be new here. It's funny... Mr. Damocles didn't inform me we'd be having any new students today. It must have slipped his mind, he is getting on a bit. Anyway, no matter. I'm your English teacher, Miss Bustier. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time here, and make lots of new friends on your educational journey. I wouldn't sit there though, if I were you. That seat usually belongs to one of our more... feisty girls. We don't usually assign chairs, but in her case, it's best just to let her have her way. You know, to avoid certain... complications later on. So, if you'll just stand up, and let me..."

"M-Miss, i-it's m-me..." Chloe could barely even look at the educator, after the teacher's case of mistaken identity revealed a few unwelcome home truths. Is that how she percieves me, as being that petty? The blonde wondered, grimly. Is that how others see me, too?

"Chloe?!" Miss Bustier's face made for quite a picture in the aftermath. Her expression switched between emotions, from surprise to confusion, before she finally settled on mild annoyance. "...It's not going to work, you know."

"W-what i-isn't g-going t-to w-work?" The heiress stuttered, unsure of what her teacher was referring to.

"That funny disguise you've got on..." Miss Bustier shook her head in disappointment . "It won't get you off the hook from spending personal time with the others today, nor will it save you from the extra punishment you accrued by skipping detention yesterday, and knocking me over in the corridor..."

"O-oh, t-that..." Chloe stared down at the floor, feeling thoroughly miserable. She could make another excuse, but what would be the point? If the educator didn't penalise her, Zzubo was almost certain to later on. Might as well get her licks out of the way early.

"Yes, that." Even though Miss Bustier was extremely cross, she didn't fail to notice her blonde student's out-of-character timidness and compliancy, and felt slightly worried about her. "Anyway, we can talk about that privately later. In the meantime, let's discuss the first part of your punishment this week..."

She produced a plastic bag from her drawer, and addressed the entire class. "As all of you know, each student present has agreed to spend some of the schoolday with our new-look Chloe here, so that she can understand you better. From the goodness of your hearts, the true power of forgiveness, and the bribe of no homework for an entire term, you have set aside your misgivings and agreed to embrace this unique program of empathy, which will take place over the next three days. Each of you will spend an hour-and-a-half with her, before another person will take over straight afterwards for another ninety minutes, and so on. Any questions?"

A few hands were raised.

"What happens if she decides to pick on any of us again?" Wondered Juleka.

"Who gets to decide what we do, during the allocated timeslot?" Pondered Max.

"How will we choose who's unluc... I mean lucky enough, to go first?" Ivan asked, briefly showing his true feelings on the subject.

Miss Bustier smiled a little at the faux pas, but tried to maintain her professionalism. "In answer to your first question, just do what you normally would... go to a teacher. The same goes for you too, Chloe, if you undergo any harassment. The second one, that is entirely your decision. Miss Bourgeois is your guest and you are the host, therefore you may set the agenda. She doesn't have to join in, but it'll make for quite a boring hour-and-a-half for her just sitting there, watching you have fun, while she's doing nothing, I'd say. As for the last query, that's what this is for..."

Brandishing the plastic bag she'd retrieved earlier, Miss Bustier endeavoured to explain further. "Written in here, on small pieces of folded-up paper are twelve names, each one belonging to a member of this class. Chloe is excluded, for obvious reasons. For each ninety-minute period, we'll take one out at random, and their turn will be next. This will carry on until there's just one more name left inside... at which point, we'll know who's remaining, so they'd be no point in checking it, right?!"

A few chuckles from the intently listening class. Chloe frowned a little upon hearing this. What are they doing? That wasn't funny...

Miss Bustier carried on regardless. "Anyway, I'd say we've waited long enough. Let's see who the first person is to be Chloe's companion, shall we? Drum roll, please..."

No-one even bothered to attempt one. They were too busy chewing their nails or hair, waiting to see who was up first on the chopping block.

"Oh well, so much for audience participation..." Miss Bustier humphed, before continuing. "Let's just do it, shall we? The winner is..."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow, 200 followers, and over 150 favourites!

As a special THANK YOU to all of my readers, I have published the next chapter very fast... and made it an extra long one! Hope you enjoyed. The next installment will be where things really get heated... Stay tooned! :)