CHAPTER 2: Gorilla opened the limo door, and for a moment I just sat there, staring at the cane resting beside me. I wasn’t allowed to bring it. Father’s rule. It will draw attention, Adrien. As if being an Agreste didn’t already do that. I left it behind and stepped out carefully, trying not to show how much slower I moved without it. The morning air was crisp, full of the noise of students rushing into the building. Collège Françoise Dupont felt… alive. Loud. Chaotic. Everything the mansion wasn’t. My heart thudded in my chest. I’d imagined this moment so many times, but now that I was here, I felt like a stranger walking into someone else’s life. Students stared as I passed. Some whispered. Some pointed. I tried to smile, but it felt stiff, practiced — the same smile I used for photoshoots. They’re just curious, I told myself. Not judging. Not really. My leg already ached a little from the walk, but I pushed through it. I wasn’t going to mess up my first day. “Yo! Adrien Agreste, right?” I turned to see a boy with headphones around his neck and the friendliest grin I’d ever seen. He didn’t look starstruck. Just… normal. “Yeah,” I said, relieved. “That’s me.” “I’m Nino. Need help finding class?” I nodded, grateful. “That would be great.” As we walked, he talked about music, teachers, the cafeteria food — all the things I’d never experienced. I listened, soaking it in like sunlight. He showed me around the school, and I just lagged behind in awe. Then we reached the courtyard, and everything went sideways. A girl with dark hair and bright blue eyes froze when she saw me. Completely froze. Then she tripped over absolutely nothing, dropped her bag, tried to pick it up, bumped her head on the bench, apologized to the bench, and then apologized to me for apologizing to the bench. I blinked. “Are you okay?” She made a noise that might’ve been words and bolted. Nino laughed. “That’s Marinette. She’s… shy.” “Did I do something wrong?” “Nah, dude. She’s just like that.” I wasn’t convinced, but we kept walking. Inside the classroom, the noise hit me like a wave. Everyone already knew each other. They talked, laughed, swapped stories. I hovered near the door, unsure where to go. Then a familiar voice cut through the chatter. “Adrikins!” Chloé Bourgeois( one of my only...erm friends isn't the right word) swept toward me like she owned the place — which, knowing her, she probably believed she did. She threw her arms around me before I could react. “I knew you’d come to my school eventually,” she said loudly. “Of course you’d want to be near your best friend.” I gently pried her off. “Chloé, we’re not—” “Don’t be silly,” she said, flipping her hair. “You can sit next to me. Obviously.” Nino raised an eyebrow at me. I mouthed help. He grinned and tugged me toward an empty seat beside him. “Sorry, Chloé, this one’s taken.” She huffed, but the teacher walked in before she could argue. The day passed in a blur of new faces, new rules, and new aches in my leg. I tried to keep up, tried to look normal, tried not to wince every time I stood. By the last period, I was exhausted — but happy. Really happy. Then the screaming started. Students rushed past the classroom door, panic rising like a tide. Something crashed in the hallway. The teacher shouted for everyone to evacuate. My heart pounded. I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew fear when I saw it. “Adrien, come on!” Nino grabbed my arm. “I’ll help people get out,” I said. “Go!” He hesitated, then nodded and ran. I guided a few younger students toward the exit, keeping myself steady against the wall when my leg threatened to give out. The hallway shook again — something big was moving through the school. Once everyone nearby was gone, I ducked into an empty storage room to catch my breath. The moment the door shut, the pain hit me full force. I leaned against a shelf, gripping it hard. “Okay… maybe I pushed too far,” I muttered. My leg throbbed, sharp and relentless. I sank to the floor, trying to breathe through it. That’s when I heard it. A tiny voice. “Wow. You humans really know how to make an entrance.” I froze. “Who’s there?” Something small and black floated out from behind a stack of boxes — with bright green eyes and a grin that looked far too mischievous for a hallucination. “Name’s Plagg,” it said. “And you, kid, are in way over your head.” I stared at him, pain forgotten. “What… what are you?” Plagg smirked. “Your new best friend. Whether you like it or not.” And just like that, my entire world shifted.
