Growing Suspicion

                                    

                                          
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   "I know it was you."
                          
   Lila closed her locker before drawing her attention to the enraged bluenette. Marinette stood there with her arms crossed and a murderous glared enraptured on her face. She was really ticked off, much to Lila's pleasure.
                          
   The brunette could only smile innocently, questioning, "What do you exactly assume that I did?"
                          
   "Don't play dumb with me, Rossi. I know it was you who told Chloe about Luka and I. Alya already told me everything at lunch and it wasn't hard putting the pieces together," Marinette snapped. Lila didn't seem at all phased, merely smirking and creasing her seemingly round belly.
                          
   "Alright, you caught me," the brunette professed with a sigh, yet looked unbothered, "but it's not like anyone is going to believe you, anyway. They're all wrapped around my little pinkie finger. Not even you, their close, well-trusted friend, are able to tell them the truth because we both know they won't believe you."
                          
   Lila's smirk only grew menacingly slyer, "I have the power to make everyone turn on you, including your best friend. So, be a good girl and keep your mouth shut."
                          
   With that, the brunette turned and walked out of the locker room. Marinette was left slightly heaving in fear with a stoic look engraved on her pale face and heart pounding.
                          
   Lila was right. She could easily say one little white lie to convince all the students and teachers that Marinette was someone terrible. It was scary how much power Lila had with only her words of propaganda.
                          
   What was she going to do?
                          
   Marinette didn't know.
                          
   With a sigh of defeat, the bluenette slung her bag over her shoulder and headed home. She was relieved that school was over and had the weekend to look foreword too. Things might clear up some about her and Luka before Monday came.
                          
   Speaking of Luka, Marinette avoided him like the plague all day. The air between them was really awkward. Yet, every time Luka tried to talk with her, Marinette made up some excuse to escape embarrassment.
                          
   Her feelings for the musician surprisingly faltered quite a bit after discovering he had a girlfriend and learning that he wasn't Chat Noir. 
                          
   Marinette's head wasn't yet completely on straight but it was slowly getting better. Yes, her chest still twisted and would sometimes get misty-eyed. Yet, Marinette knew she would eventually be fine.
                          
   She will be okay.
                          
   The bluenette stood outside of the bakery's side door. She couldn't wait to get inside, go straight to her room and take a nap. She felt exhausted from all the running around today in the shadows, avoiding her ex-crush and the threatening by Lila. A break sounded like a paradise at the moment.
                          
   Marinette twisted the door handle and walked into the building. After shutting the door, her stomach growled in hunger and decided to make a detour to the kitchen for a snack.
                          
   Marinette tiredly made her way into the kitchen to find her mother and father. Usually, she would find the two baking sweets and sometimes talking with their patrons. 
                          
   Instead, Marinette walked in on them frantically whispering and freaking out about something. She assumed that her parents hadn't noticed her presence yet.
                          
   "Do you think she knows something?" Sabine whispered her concerns loudly to her husband. Tom could only shrug in uncertainty, making Sabine more restless.
                          
   "I don't know but it doesn't seem like it. Maybe, it is just a coincidence that she is here," Tom tried to reassure his wife. Sabine grimaced and shook her head, pacing the floor in thought. Bluebell eyes blinked in shock at the sight before wondering who they were talking about.
                          
   Marinette turned her attention to the door that separated the kitchen from the sitting area of the bakery. Slowly, she began to inch her way towards the door. She assumed that whoever her parents were talking about was possibly in the other room. She just had to stealthy and quietly make her way over.
                          
   The elder bluenette stopped pacing then began to ask, "But, isn't she on a diet? Why would she come to this specific bakery and all by herself? She must have sneaked out and come here for answers since her family despi-"
                          
   The two adults were startled out of their skin by the suddenly loud clattering nearby. Their attention shot over towards the noise to see their daughter sitting on the floor and covered in baking utilities.
                          
   Marinette could only sheepishly smile up at her parents and wave, seeing as she had been caught.
                          
   "I'm home," Marinette lamely announced before adding, "and I'll clean all this up."
                          
   Sabine and Tom could only blink and stare wide-eyed down at their daughter. Marinette could see tell their body's tensed and could see a slight glistening on their foreheads (which was normal since the kitchen could get very warm).
                          
   "I'm—uh, just going to grab a quick snack from the display case before I start," Marinette quickly said, standing up and causing the utilities on her to fall onto the floor. The noise snapped Sabine out of her shocked trance.
                          
   "I-It's okay, dear! I can bring you a snack and clean the dishes. Y-You just go get some rest. It looks like you've had a long day at school," Sabine rambled a little too quickly. Marinette only grew more suspicious before silently nodding and headed upstairs to her room.
                          
   Once her daughter was out of sight, Sabine leaned against a nearby counter and sighed in relief. Tom let out a long breath he didn't know he was holding and relaxed his stiff muscles.
                          
   "How much longer are we going to be doing this, Sabine? We've been keeping at this for far longer than we should have let it. We both know that this is tearing Celine up," Tom said, worried for his family. He hated when his family fought with each other, it broke his heart.
                          
   "I know," Sabine sighed, tiredly and stressed, "I just wish there was a way to avoid anyone getting hurt in the end. But, it's inevitably."
                          
   Tom gave his wife a sympathetic look before leaning down and placing a kiss on her forehead.
                          
   "I know what you mean, dear. It'll be hard but we'll pull through like we always do," Tom reassured his beloved. Sabine gave the baker a small smile before heading out to the seating room. 
                          
   She stood behind the counter with sweaty palms and a forced smile. Gray eyes glanced over at the one table that is seated by the very person of their troubles.
                          
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