-25- Voicemail

"Tikki... can you be honest with me about something?"

The kwami waits, scared, and wonders if she's going to ask about Cat Noir's identity. "Of course, Marinette."

"Do you think Adrien really cheated on me? With Lila?"

"No." Tikki shakes her head. "I don't."

"How can you be so sure? I try to convince myself that maybe this is another one of Lila's tricks, but then I remember that stupid picture." She hugs her pillow. "I don't know what to think anymore."

Tikki flies over and sits on the pillow. "Adrien loves you, Marinette. He was the first person to believe you about Lila. I don't see Adrien betraying you like that."

"How do you explain the picture then? Alya and Nino saw them kiss in person."

"Maybe you could ask Alya."

Marinette raises an eyebrow. "Ask her what?"

"Ask Alya to tell you everything that happened. If she remembers exactly what Lila and Adrien said. The truth must have slipped out somehow."

"That's a good idea, Tikki!" Marinette sits up fast in bed and knocks the kwami off the pillow. "Oops. Sorry, Tikki." She pats her head before calling her best friend.

"Hey, girl," Alya answers. "It's pretty late. What's up?"

"Can you tell me everything that happened with Lila and Adrien?"

"What do you mean?"

"When you and Nino say them kissing. I need you to tell me everything that was said."

Alya rolls her eyes. This was her best friend obsessing over something she couldn't control—again. "Can't this wait until morning?"

"Please, Al? I can't sleep."

"Okay, but this isn't going to change anything." She yawns and readjusts in bed, getting comfortable. "Umm, Nino and I were leaving to get ice cream before rehearsals and we saw Adrien and Lila kiss in the hallway."

"Then what happened?"

"We walked over and I gave them a piece of my mind. I called Lila a backstabbing jerk." They share a laugh. "Then Adrien said he had dumped you that morning and—"

Marinette's eyes widen.

"—said that you were too jealous about the play and he couldn't take it anymore." It's quiet. "Mari? You still there?"

"Uh, yeah. Thanks, Alya. I should go to bed now."

"Goodnight, Mari. Don't stay up! You don't want to be late for school tomorrow."

"Uh-huh. Bye." Marinette hangs up and screams. "I knew it! That's all the proof I need, Tikki! Adrien never broke up with me that morning!"

"So, whoever said that was lying," Tikki whispers. "But if it wasn't Adrien, who was it?"

As a nasty thought occurs, Marinette glares at her pillow and punches it. "FELIX! Ugh, I should've known! But why would those two work together? Have they even met before?"

"At least you know Adrien didn't cheat on you!"

Marinette's smile turns into a frown. Embarrassed, she pulls the blanket over her head and cries.

"That's a good thing... right?"

"No, Tikki!"

The kwami sits on her head. "Why not? Adrien's faithful! He didn't betray you!"

"But I betrayed him."

"How?"

Marinette peeks her head out. "I was so quick to believe Lila. I didn't give Adrien a chance to explain his side of the story. Oh, those mean things I said to him... what kind of person does that make me?"

"You didn't know, Marinette. You were misled. Besides, now you and Adrien can get back together!"

"Adrien doesn't deserve to be with someone like me."

"Mari—"

"Adrien deserves someone better! Someone who listens. I didn't see it before, but maybe we're not right for each other."

Tikki pouts. "But Adrien loves you."

"And that's the problem, Tikki. I hurt him and he still loves me! I can barely live with myself after the way I treated him. Ignoring him in class, giving him the cold shoulder, rejecting every single call and text from him."

"You should at least call Adrien and tell him you know the truth."

Marinette looks at her kwami with teary eyes. "Do you think he'd answer?"

The kwami nods. "Yes. I can't imagine how hard it's been for him. That picture is being shared all over Paris. His friends turned on him, just like what Lila did to you."

Her eyes widen. "I hadn't even thought about that, Tikki! Ugh! I'm so lame! I'm the worst person in the world. I've only been thinking about myself."

"Give him a call, Marinette!"

Marinette sits up and grabs her phone. She calls Adrien. No answer. She decides to leave a voicemail. "Hey, Adrien. It's Marinette. I mean, of course you know that because you have my number and can see my caller ID. Anyway, I don't know if you're sleeping or ignoring my calls—not that I'd blame you—but I deserve it. Taste of my own medicine, right? Umm, I just wanted to apologize and let you know I know Lila lied. I know it's Felix in the picture and not you. I should've known. I should've believed you. I'm sorry. I've been a horrible friend and I know I can't change anything that's happened, but I hope I can make things right at least. Even if things aren't the same as before. I don't want you to feel guilty anymore. I love—" She clears her throat and sighs. "Goodnight, Adrien."

As she hangs up, she tosses her phone aside and starts crying.

"What's wrong, Marinette?"

"I'm still in love with Adrien."

Tikki pats her cheek. "Of course you do. He was your first love."

"But I also love Cat Noir!" Marinette lays back down and hugs her pillow again. "I haven't been honest with myself from the beginning and it's killing me!" She laughs and whispers, "I am in love with Adrien and Cat Noir."

Tikki doesn't say anything. All she can think about is the disaster waiting to unfold itself.

"Aren't you going to say anything, Tikki?"

The kwami looks for an excuse. "Umm... I'm not really familiar with human customs. Can you really love two people at the same time?"

Even if those two people are the same person?

"I don't know... but I do. I love them both. I still miss Adrien. I don't think that feeling will ever go away. Then there's Cat Noir." Marinette rolls on her back and stares up at the sky roof. She counts the stars. "I know deep down—for sure—that I am in love with him. I was just blinded by my love for Adrien to see anything."

"What are you going to do?"

Her eyes burn as she continues crying. "I-I don't know, Tikki. I just wish I could see him."

On cue, there's three soft taps on the sky roof.

Tikki flies and hides as Marinette sits up with wide eyes. She crawls over and peeks, seeing Cat Noir waiting for her. She lets him in and sits back as he steps down on her bed. They sit and face each other. "What are you doing here, Cat Noir?"

He scratches the back of his neck. "I realize it's been a while since we've seen each other, and I wanted to come apologize in person. I've been dealing with things... in my civilian life."

"Oh," She whispers, frowning. "I'm sorry."

Cat Noir notices her red eyes and wet cheeks. She's been crying. Did Lila do something else? "What's wrong?" He takes a claw and gently wipes her cheek.

"I'm just being a big cry baby again."

He scoots closer. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Marinette starts crying again. "Well, there's been some drama you've missed over the last three days." That's about the same time Cat Noir stopped visiting me. "You remember Adrien, my boyfriend? I mean, ex-boyfriend?" She corrects. Cat Noir nods with a frown. "I thought he cheated on me with this girl—this horrible girl—and there was a picture of them kissing."

Cat Noir resists the urge to roll his eyes. I still can't believe Marinette would trust Lila over me.

"I was so quick to believe it was true that I didn't listen to Adrien's side of the story. He tried explaining, but I wouldn't let him. I treated him so horribly." She shakes her head, whispering, "But then I found out the truth."

His eyes widen. "The... truth?"

"Adrien didn't cheat on me! Lila lied. Again! Ugh!" She throws herself down against the bed, sighing, and crosses her arms. "She used his cousin, Felix—who looks exactly like him, it's almost creepy—and it ruined our relationship. Just like they planned."

Cat Noir can't stop staring at Marinette. She finally knew the truth. She didn't hate him. Or at least he hoped. "So, Adrien didn't cheat on you. That's good. You guys can get back together."

"No, we can't!" Marinette shakes her head, sobbing. She sits up and leans against the wall. "He deserves someone better than me, someone who trusts him. We wouldn't be in this mess if I hadn't let my jealously get in the way!"

Cat Noir grabs her hand. "I'm sure Adrien would forgive you, Mari. He's probably so glad that you know the truth now." I am. "How did you find out anyway?"

"My friend, Alya. She told me that—" She pauses and uses air quotes. "'Adrien' said he broke up with me that morning, but the real Adrien never did. We had just talked about his father grounding him."

"Good thing for Alya's good memory."

She laughs. "Yeah..."

"But Adrien loves you, Marinette," Cat Noir starts again, hoping he can convince her. "I see the way you talk about him. That boy is crazy about you."

Marinette remembers the time Adrien admitted he was crazy about her when they first started dating. "I'm afraid it's too late, Cat Noir."

"Why?"

"Because I'm in love with someone else."

Cat Noir's eyes widen as his lonely heart sinks deeper in his chest. Marinette's already in love with someone else? He should've known it was too late for him, that she'd move on so quickly, and— why is Marinette sitting so close to me? Wait, is she talking about me? "Mari—"

"I'm in love with you, Cat Noir."

Oh no. Plagg was right. This is gonna complicate things.

"But I'm also in love with Adrien, still."

His breathing calms down. Wait, what? She's in love with both sides of me?

"I don't know what to do." Marinette turns away from Cat Noir and pulls her legs to her chest, sighing. "I know you're in love with Ladybug, so I don't expect anything to happen between us. I just had to get that off my chest so I don't drive myself insane."

Cat Noir smiles at her. I'm in love with you, Marinette.

A yawn slips out and she shakes her head. "I've never had boy problems as bad as this."

Cat Noir laughs, which makes Marinette giggle, and he thinks about how nice it is to see her smile again.

She grabs her phone and checks for any updates. Not yet. "I tried calling Adrien—to tell him I believe him and all—but it went straight to voicemail. I left him this long, rambling message, but I wouldn't be surprised if he just deleted it."

Cat Noir hasn't transformed back yet, so he had no idea Marinette tried calling him. He wonders what she said in the voicemail and is tempted to leave just to hear it. But he wanted to make sure she's okay first. "Adrien's probably sleeping."

"You're only saying that to make me feel better," Marinette mutters, crossing her arms. It's quiet for about a minute before she yawns again. "I should go to sleep. I have to wake up for school in—" She checks her phone. "Five hours."

"Goodnight, Mari." Cat Noir leans over and kisses her forehead and lets himself out. He hurries home and de-transforms and grabs his phone.

Plagg crosses his arms. "What did I tell you earlier, kid?"

"Not to mess with Marinette as Cat—"

"Cat Noir!" He cuts in. "And now Marinette's in love with him! Again!"

Adrien rolls his eyes. "I can't help who Marinette falls in love with."

"You don't have to flirt with her every time you see her, though," The kwami counters.

He looks away with a blush. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I'm going to eat some cheese," Plagg mumbles before flying off across the room.

Adrien scrolls through his phone until he founds the notification from earlier. "Her voicemail..."

"Put it on speaker!" Plagg shouts from his bed. "You got me in this mess. I want to hear it."

Adrien plays the voicemail.

"Hey, Adrien. It's Marinette. I mean, of course you know that because you have my number and can see my caller ID. Anyway, I don't know if you're sleeping or ignoring my calls—not that I'd blame you—but I deserve it. Taste of my own medicine, right? Umm, I just wanted to apologize and let you know I know Lila lied. I know it's Felix in the picture and not you. I should've known. I should've believed you. I'm sorry. I've been a horrible friend and I know I can't change anything that's happened, but I hope I can make things right at least. Even if things aren't the same as before. I don't want you to feel guilty anymore. I love—"

Adrien's heart skips a beat.

There's a short pause. "Goodnight, Adrien."

Plagg notices Adrien's crying now, and instead of teasing him, he flies over and nuzzles on the top of his head, hugging him.