again, i do not understand french schools and their system.

●♢● 

February 1

"Hey, Y/N," Alya greeted, as she placed her hand on your shoulder. The both of you continued to walk towards the entrance of the school. "Time flies so fast, isn't it?"

"Yeah," you replied. You were near the door of your homeroom with Ms. Bustier; she was currently your class adviser. "It's already February." The entire class began to flood inside as well. You and Alya took your seats. "Why didn't you walk with Nino today?"

Alya gave you a half-hearted smile. "He's running late today." You nodded in return.

"Good morning, students," Bustier started with a smile on her face. "Happy February! --but you all know that this month is a special month for love! Valentines' Day!"

You slid your fingers on the temples of your head and rubbed it slightly. Ugh, here we go again. You heard the others going 'ooh!' and celebrating. Maybe they have things to plan this 14th of February. 

Bustier laughed along. "Now, students, we are going to celebrate the wonderful day by giving gifts!" Many gasps were heard. "I will provide all of you with a small piece of paper and you need to write your name on it.

"We'll put it in this box and you will pick from it, the name on the piece of paper is the person you're going to give a gift to. Understood?"

Your classmates all nodded their heads, obviously looking forward to the said event.

Ms. Bustier smiled again. She scanned her students' faces before landing on your own eyes. "Y/N," she said. "You will be listing the name of your classmates and who they picked."

You raised your brows carefully, but on the inside, you were actually glad it was you. Doing the task has a huge advantage; you're the only one who knows who picked who.

The whole class went to do what they were told. They ripped a piece of paper and wrote their names in their handwriting. Bustier handed you the box which you put your own name in it and began to circle the room. They also dropped their names on the box until it was done.

You shook it back and forth, up and down. You sat down on the chair positioned at the front. The box was placed on your lap neatly. You took out a pad of intermediate paper and wrote their names. Sabrina went first.

  ((the italic names are the one they picked))  

She was smiling so wide. She showed you the paper. Max

Chloe was next. Kim. She was not happy. You thought to yourself, Okay, this is good. No one has picked Adrien yet.

Alix. Nathan.

Rose. Juleka.

Juleka. Sabrina.

Kim. Chloe. He was ecstatic.

It went on, until Marinette walked forward. She was smiling so brightly as you saw her hand went inside the box. She held a piece of paper and looked at the name. You were kind of getting nervous if she had picked Adrien--

Marinette let out a shriek of happiness and excitingly showed you the name that she picked.

Nathaniel.

You gasped. You showed her a huge smile, but internally, you were jumping up and down, celebrating because she didn't pick him. 

You sliently let out a sigh of relief. You gratefully wrote the name.

Before you and Alya and Nathaniel, was Adrien. He stood up and presented a small smile. You tried to calm your heart from beating so fast. You gulped, looking at somewhere else.

"Hey, Y/N."

"Hey." You smiled. You handed him the box and he inserted his hand there. You couldn't even think properly. He opened the paper and he let out a gasp, his eyes widening in shock and joy.

Oh no. You thought. Maybe he picked her? You felt your heart plummeting down to your feet. You took a deep breath. He jumped really high before enthusiastically shoving the paper to your hands. You opened the paper hesitantly.

You couldn't breathe.

Y/N.

You didn't know what to say. You were literally speechless. Your brows furrowed. "Wait, why are you so happy?" You asked him.

"Because I picked you!" He replied. "A best friend of mine."

You smiled half-heartedly. Tsk. A friend. You wrote your own name beside Adrien's.

Alya walked towards you after smiling at Adrien who's walking back to his own seat.

When she was now in front, you flashed her a grin. She smiled back, picking from the box. She showed you the name after breathing sharply.

Marinette.

Your mouth formed an O-shape. You jotted the name down. She walked back.

Nathaniel went in front. You could feel the nervousness creeping up your spine. No one had picked Adrien yet, you just hoped Nathan wouldn't. He picked from the box carefully and opened the paper. He sighed. Adrien.

You frowned deeply. If only you could swap with him... but you know it to be impossible to talk him out of anything, plus, someone could hear you.

You were the last person so you picked... dundundundun!! Bustier.

You sighed. You hid the name in your pocket, and gave the paper to the teacher. She smiled in delight before placing it on the table without looking. You returned to your seat just as Bustier stood up. "Students, a reminder; please don't tell your fellow classmates who you have picked. It'll spoil the moment!"

"Yes, Ms. Bustier," the class responded in chorus. The woman in front nodded back and requested for a class dismissal. They were happy, of course, and began to do their hobbies and games. Bustier left the classroom, and not too long, the room was filled with mutters and chuckles. 

"Who did you pick?"

"No way! Mine's-"

It was then silenced with Chloe standing up and saying, "I want my gift to be expensive! But, if you can't afford it-- I know you do-- just buy me a large bar of milk chocolate, with almonds!" You glanced at Kim for his reactions. He flinched a bit, before looking everywhere but Chloe. You suppressed a small smile. His crush for Chloe was so obvious, you were sure the class knows of it already. 

Sabrina followed with a smile. "I want flowers or a stuffed pig!"

"Can I have a new charger for my phone? Or is that not allowed?" Alya chimed. 

You decided to play along. "I want my chocolate (describe your ideal chocolate flavor with toppings or none!!), please!" You didn't have to announce your wanted gift, but you didn't want anyone to be suspicious. One by one, they all said their wants and needs. 

You listened to each and every one of it, until you have to keep your things. Before you finished putting the notebooks inside of your bag, Alya pulls your arm away. She forced you to face her. "Who did you pick?" She asked in a low voice, paired with a smirk. 

"I don't... why would I tell you?" You replied with a blank face.

She grinned. "Um, because I'm your best girl friend and you have to tell me who you picked? - and besides, I can help you go out shopping for the gifts."

You narrowed your eyes. "Yeah... no thanks."

"Aw, c'mon!" Alya pleaded. "You know who I picked! It's only fair that I know who you picked."

You shrugged and turned around, continuing to pack up your stuff. "I'll tell you after school."

●♢●

You didn't tell her after school.

Just kidding. You thought you ditched her if she didn't freaking chased you from the school to where you are now. You were thinking what to give Ms. Bustier, while you were also wondering about Adrien's gift for you...

"Y/N? Hellooooo~" she dragged her words, eventually getting your attention. Your quiet response was a raise of an eyebrow. "Who did you pick?"

"I'll give you hints," you said. She nodded. "They're human and they are in our class. They have a pair of eyes, ears, a nose and a mouth."

With that, Alya gave you a grimace so sour, it could not compare to a lemon ( ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)). You laughed at her reaction as she crossed her arms. "Okay, okay. It's Ms. Bustier."

Her arms loosened and showed a kind smile, but soon replaced with a tired frown. She stopped walking, making you pause. "What am I going to give Marinette?" She asked.

"A box full of chocolate?"

Alya groaned. "That's not enough."

"Doesn't matter," you replied. "You said so yourself; 'as long as it comes from the heart'."

"Yeah, but that's what I think! What does she thinks-"

"She will think that it is perfect because she will know that it was from you." You cut off with a smile, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Just... put it in a spotted, heart-shaped box. That's her favorite pattern, right?"

"Yeah... it is..." Alya said slowly, as if contemplating on something . Afterwards, she smiled and embraced you. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome." You parted and walked again. Then, you remembered yourself reading the name Adrien had picked. You looked at Alya's direction. "Hey..."

She snapped at your direction. "Yep?"

"Adrien picked me."

Her eyes widen and her mouth was agape, she covered it with her hands. "Wait, really?" You nodded. "Oh, my gosh!"

"Yeah, I was really shocked to see that he was happy."

Alya laughed. "What was your reaction?"

"I kinda froze for a good 15 seconds then coming back to laugh with him, I don't know." You arrived at the door. Before you and you friend completely tear apart, you say, "Oh, and Alya. Please message him and say that (describe your favorite chocolate!). Thanks."

"Sure," Alya answered. "Well, I'm going home. See you tomorrow!"

February 12

After plopping onto your bed, you instantly opened your social medias. Your feeds were full of excitement and anticipation of the known event tomorrow.  On your Pentagram, Kim posted a bouquet of, what it seemed to be, Chloe's favorite flowers. The caption was three yellow heart. You gave it a like, slightly curious to what could happen tomorrow. 

A moment later, you proceed to think about what Ms. Bustier wants for Valentines Day. There's still 2 more days, giving you a small amount of time to plan everything. Of course, you're not going to give her an expensive gift, and shopping is boring and tiring for you so you think you have plenty of time for the exact day. I'll just have to give her a bar of chocolate... or her favorite perfume? I don't know...

You were scrolling through Rumblr when a sudden text popped up in your notifications. 

Help

The text said.  

You sighed and clicked the app. 

What is it?

what are mari's favorite chocolate flavor?

every sweet thing she likes?

You stared at the message. So he was going to make a special present just for her. Of course, he likes her... and he's freaking rich. He could give anything, Marinette would realize that she is lucky to have him, they will be together forever, and you will be at the corner, crying, whining about how nobody loves you. You shook your head. You thoughts are bringing you farther down again. 

i don't know 

i'm sorry...

You only pretended to be sorry. You don't want it to look like you weren't interesting. You really wanted to chat Adrien, but the topic was always his love life, and Marinette. It was the same thing, over and over again, and you were annoyed because of it. 

it's fine

i'll just ask you a question.

You waited. 

would you rather receive flowers with a letter, or chocolates with a letter?

Blankly, you typed your honest answer. 

nothing is better than free food

You laughed a bit. You thought you're funny because of the comment. 

I KNEW IT!

thanks Y/N!

He didn't even talk to you. Okay, he did. But he only talked to you because he needed your opinion. He didn't ask about anything else. He didn't care about you. He cared about someone else. 

Maybe you should let him. You shouldn't expect him to talk to you always. He doesn't have a crush on you. He shouldn't care about you because he doesn't like you. That's it. Why did you let yourself get attached to him? Why didn't you resist to his charms? 

Now you are blaming yourself for your actions. You are putting yourself to shame. You were downing yourself just because of a simple crush. 

Because you are a gullible 9th grader in this story, you decided to post a simple message. 

hurt. 

You thought no one would notice. 

You checked the time, it was only 8 in the evening and your parents showed no signs of going home. They texted you, saying that they are at home in the morning, to eat microwaved dinner, to clean the house. You did sweep the floors and washed the dishes, but you didn't eat. You didn't have time for that, and you are simply not in the mood to eat. 

Almost an hour later, a message notified you. You looked at it, seeing it was Adrien again. He actually sent a photo, a screenshot, of your post from an hour ago. Your eyes slightly widened. You didn't know he would see the post, you thought he was busy making his gift for Marinette. 

He sent a message. 

:(

haha

Seen 8:50 PM

You rolled your eyes. He didn't reply. You retrieved your earphones placed inside your bag. You laid on your bed and plugged the set in. You picked a random playlist in your phone and played a song you recently liked. You admitted to yourself that you were not sleepy so you went to Rumblr again, going back to the comic you just found out. 

Two hours have passed, and your eyes hurt, your mouth dry, your body aching from the uncomfortable position earlier. Your phone was rested against your stomach as you held it. The song you were listening to was just done and it proceeded to the next song on the playlist. A familiar tune introduced and it was soothing to the ear, at the same time, it brought sadness. 

10:20 PM

Wise men say

Only fools rush in

But I can't help

Falling in love with you~

Ding! 

11 pages! Woooh!

Oops. I'm sorry.

That's my long, sweet message. Just for her.

haha congrats

I am now going to rewrite it as we speak! 

Thanks for everything :)

Be right back!

good luck

Seen 10:21 PM

You frowned. That was the whole conversation

Darling so it goes

Some things are meant to be

Take my hand

Take my whole life too

For I can't help falling in love with you

You turned off the phone, with the music still playing. You can't seem to stop it, the words hit you like a brick. Hearing the melody brought various emotions, but sadness was the most poignant. You rolled to your left side as you reached for your blanket. You wrapped yourself up like a cocoon. You didn't notice the tears slowly coming out. It blurred your sight, making you close your eyes. 

For I can't help 

falling in love 

with you

////

February 13

The next day, it was the time to pick a gift for Ms. Bustier. A random branded chocolate can be good, right? 

So you finalized on your decision to give your teacher a simple, affordable chocolate. It was normal.

●◇●

February 14

Today will be a memorable day, you were sure of it. You were just waiting for him to give it to you. (description of your favorite chocolate). The type of candy you wanted.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Alya greeted, embracing you. You hugged back, greeting the same, but with a less enthusiastic tone. She did not notice the difference.

You gave her an encouraging smile, with your eyebrows slightly lifted. "Are you excited?"

"Heck yeah, I am! She's going to love it, I just know!" Alya exclaimed, her grin was getting wider. She clasped her hands altogether, making you smile more. Then, she dropped her hands, her grin still on her face, and it just turned into a teasing one. "How about you?" Alya asked in a low voice, as if trying to be discreet.

You snorted, slightly pushing her. "Shut up. I'm trying not to be."

She let out a small scream. "Well, don't show it! I am supposed to be the one excited after all."

Students began to fill the classroom with chats and laughing. Some boys were holding their letter for, it seems to be, their crushes. You saw Kim held the rose stem closely. Ivan's grip to the letter was getting tight as he read it quietly over and over.

Ms. Bustier just entered the classroom, announcing that the giving of gifts will now commence. She ordered all of you to bring your gifts out.

You did, and it was a bar of milk chocolate. It wasn't really expensive, so you figured that you should just add a small bottle of perfume for her. It was all placed in a colorful paper bag.

Ms. Bustier spoke first, describing the person she picked. "The person I picked is really kind. She has wonderful blue eyes and she wants to help people, which I really admire." She announced that she picked Rose. The said girl was stunned, but quickly regained her composure to run down the stairs and retrieve her gift.

She hugged the teacher and proceeded with describing the person she picked.

It went on, until it was Nathaniel's turn. He said that the person he picked was good-looking and kind. When he said Adrien's name, the golden-haired boy walked down and received his gift.

You waited in anticipation.

Adrien held the gift bag in his hand. "The person I picked is a kind person. Really kind. They are so helpful and thoughtful," All the time, he was looking at you. "they're the best. I couldn't do anything if it wasn't for them... and they're cute." He paused.

Max, seeing the whole thing, looked to where Adrien was looking. He stood up and pointed at the boy in front. "He picked Y/N!" He guessed.

"Yup," Adrien answered. The whole class cheered, Alya being the loudest. Your face was heating up, you felt embarassment and happiness all at the same time. You didn't think he would say all that in front of your friends. You walked towards him, graciously taking his gift.

"Thank you," you said.

He smiled innocently. "My pleasure."

After giving your gift to Bustier, the whole event was finished and the class was dismissed. Your classmates all opened their gifts, some of them were screaming because they love it. They loved it because it was the exact thing they wanted.

But, you didn't get what you wanted.

It was the complete opposite of what you told him. You said (favorite chocolate) but he gave you everything but. (least fave chocolate) was inside.

Suddenly, you heard some of the people around you scream. You glanced at them, they were all looking at the same direction so you followed.

Your throat began to dry. You were staring at Adrien, standing before Marinette, with a rose, stuffed bear, chocolates and the '11-page' letter he had written contained inside a paper bag with a heart.

His smile.

How his smile was towards her, not you.

Marinette took the bag, smiling kindly. Adrien blushed, his hand going to the back of his neck.

You didn't cry. You were confused, betrayed, wondering:

Today was not a