Chapter Text
SOJIRO'S P.O.V. (ONE WEEK BEFORE MARINETTE'S FLIGHT)
"Yes, don't worry Marinette will be perfectly safe while she's here. I'll get the spare bedroom ready now. When is she arriving again? One week from now? No, no that's plenty of time. Sure talk to you later Sabine." Sojiro disconnected the call, sighing softly. After a hard day's work, leaving meals for Futaba who barely left her room, and then the other phone call earlier he was exhausted both mentally and physically. He took one look at a door with police tape and a few keep out signs and knocked. "Hey, Futaba are you awake right now?" He heard the faint rustling of sheets and the click of the door. All he could see from the creak in the door was a brown eye behind glasses and a bit of orange hair.
"H-h-hey boss, w-wh-what's up?" At least Futaba isn't stuttering as much, hopefully no episodes.
"I wanted you to know that someone will be coming to live with us for a bit. You remember the video call with Tom and Sabine?" At Futaba's nod he continued. "Well their daughter landed in trouble. She was illegally expelled from her school and something dangerous has been going on in Paris as of late. As such she's coming to live here and attend Shujin Academy."
"She's not mean right?"
"That's a reasonable question, but don't worry she's as sweet as sugar. Like you though she has some issues mainly nightmares and some trauma so be sure to wear those noise cancelling headphones when you sleep. The last thing I need is a heart attack hearing two children screaming in fear." Futaba gave a shaky thumbs up. Sojiro was hoping that this would lead to Futaba making a friend. Maybe Marinette could even help her with her agoraphobia by going outside with her?
"W-wh-when will she be arriving?" Futaba needed time to mentally prepare for a stranger she barely knows coming to live in her house.
"She's to arrive next week. I'm sure you'll both get along great. She loves video games and I believe Tom mentioned she loves that Featherman show you're crazy about." That caught Futaba's interest and calmed some of her anxiety down. Maybe her and Marinette could stream the series together, with her camera off of course. She wasn't ready to talk face to face just yet. Sojiro noticed her shaking less than before and smirked, proud that maybe everything would work out. "I gotta get the guest room ready, but I should be done by dinner. Hope you're hungry because tonight is the Le Blanc house special." He caught the slight smile Futaba gave at that bit of information and set out to make the room presentable for their house guest.
'Well that's one house guest taken care of. Now what to do with Amamiya Ren? I guess the attic of Le Blanc could be livable, but it's his responsibility to clean it himself and stay out of trouble!' Looks like Sojiro is gonna have his hands full next month.
PARIS, FRANCE. DAY OF MARINETTE'S DEPARTURE; AKUMA CLASS
While the other classes and even some of the staff disappeared for no reason, at least according to Miss Bustier, the Akuma Class was celebrating. The reason, Marinette's expulsion. Throughout the last few days Lila had spread many falsehoods revolving around the former classmate and everyone ate it up like a starving man in the desert. Marinette doing something nice? She clearly wanted to buy their trust. Making custom dresses and Jewelry? Using them as free models for her own lofty dreams, not that her dream is even possible anymore.
"To finally getting rid of that manipulative bitch!", cheered Alya. The others joined in and that's when she noticed a few people missing. "Hey has anyone seen Nathaniel, Rose, Juleka, Alix, or Mylène?"
Nino answered, "They said they all had some personsal business to take care of. That and a study session for the upcoming test." In reality he knew what they were doing and offered to attend the party, not to celebrate, but to gather information. For every lie five sources to dispute it. Nino was their inside man, their spy, in the empire of lies. Alya shrugged, saying it was their loss.
In the corner of the classroom away from prying ears are Lila and Chloè. Everyone thought they were discussing something trivial like the latest fashion, school work, or even duties as Class Representative. IN reality they were discussing something else. "I can't believe you actually got rid of Dupain-Cheng. You truly are skilled, but not as much a me.", complimented then bragged the spoiled girl. Seriously how did this sausage haired brat manage to get her expelled while the spoiled daddy's girl traumatized her? She figured that after the incident at the pool and posting that video Dupain-Cheng would have been too embarrassed to even leave the hovel she calls a home.
"That's because unlike you I'm a professional." At Chloè's confused look she explained. "The problem is that you wear your heart on your sleeve, showing everyone the despicable attitude of yours. I, on the other hand, hide behind a mask. I observe the peasants, listening to their dreams for the future, and I twist them into stories to benefit me. At the end of the day these people are simply fulfilling their original role, hoisting me up on my throne until I eventually grow tried of them like all the others."
"Others?"
Lila laughed a little. "You think this is the first time I've done this. I've ruined friendships, relationships, and families. All because some disgusting brat with a morale compass sees through my facade." Chloè just stood in shock. She may have been a bitch, but she never went that far. Lila truly was the mastermind of the highest caliber. "That's where we differ dear, experience."
"Hey everyone let's keep this party going. I got some foreign sweets all the way in Germany.", announced Lila. The class eagerly ate the junk food from a nearby convenience store, happy to have a great trusting friend like Lila. Too bad for them though because nobody knew Lila's real face or anything about her. After all Lila was just another role to be played until she eventually had to be discarded like all the others.