My Other Half

CH7

I dove to the ground, not caring if my skirt fluttered up and showed a bit and got covered in grime. I ducked my head as the bus zoomed over me and crashed into the baton, stopping it. I can’t believe this, in less than 24 hours, I nearly died twice. My ears were ringing a bit, and I had scraped my knees and elbow, but for the most part, I was fine. Chat ran over to help me as I struggled to get up. He supported my weight as I asked him to bring me over to the old man who managed to stand up.
“Are you okay sir?” I asked, worried I might have broken one of his frail bones when I pushed him.
“Yes, thank you young lady.” He gave a gentle grin before turning, and walking away like nothing happened.
“Marinette, what were you thinking?!” Alya yelled, running over with my groceries in hand. “You’ve done a lot of dumb things in the past, but none this stupid and reckless!” She hadn’t noticed Chat yet. “And you're hurt! Girl, come with me, I’ll patch you up.” her gaze finally fell on Chat. “Thank you for helping her up, I can take her from here.” he shifts me so I’m being supported by Alya, he looked like he was about to say something before his ring beeped.
“Got to go, have a purraculous day!” he said before running off.
“Wait, that was Chat.” Alya finally realized, “I missed an interview chance!”
“Maybe next time”
“Yeah, next time. Now let’s get you to Nino, he’s majoring in medicine and is already done with his first year.”
“I thought he was majoring in music?”
“Double major.”
“That must be rough.”
“He handles it well.”
We walk in silence the rest of the way to their flat. Alay texted Nino to meet us there.
“Hey Alya, do you mind if I call my parents? I meant to do it once I got here but kind of forgot.” I asked as we walked in the door.
“Yeah girl, do what you need, I’m just going to look for the first aid kit.” she walked off to her room. I pulled out my phone and ignored all of the texts from my parents and pressed the call button. I hold the phone up to my ear and listen to it ring before I heard my mother’s cheery voice.
“Hello?”
“Hey mama.” I perk up.
“Marinette! Oh Tom! It’s Marinette!”
“Hey kid!” I heard my dad come over. “How’s Paris?”
“I saw my soulmate! But he seemed very busy so I couldn’t do much.” I avoided that question, I hate lying and I didn’t want to tell them how I nearly died 2 times.
“What person is too busy for their own soulmate?!” my parents asked overlapping, astonished.
“Well,” I thought back to earlier today “He helps people and someone was in trouble so he ran to help.”
“Okay, but next time you go up to him and get a date with him!” My mom said, ever the matchmaker. “We need to go now, we have customers and your father needs to get the bread out of the oven before it burns. We love you!”
“I love you guys too, talk to you later!” I hung up.
“Okay, I found it, I honestly forgot we owned one until you got hurt.” Alya laughed walking in with a white box. I looked over to her for a moment then redirecting my attention to the door when I heard Nino come in.
“Hi Marinette, nice seeing you again. Sorry I took a while, I had to pick up the recording instruments replacement.”
“Hi babe!” Alya called over to him. “I found the first aid kit!”
“Good, now let me take a look.” Nino kneeled on the ground in front of me. “Hey hunn? Could you grab me a damp cloth?” Alya  left for the kitchen for a moment and brought back a damp napkin. “Thanks.” Nino started blotting at the wounds.
I sucked in a sharp breath of air in pain.
“Sorry, I know it stings, but only for a short while.” Once he’s cleaned them, he put gauze and a bandaid on the wounds. “May I ask what you did to get these?”
“She jumped in front of and under a bus.” Alya answered for me.
“Marinette, are you okay? You know that you have people who care about you, your life is valuable.” Nino said in a concerned voice.
“I’m fine, I pushed an old man out of the path of a brake broken bus! And then dropped to the ground so I wouldn’t get hit!”
“Oh, why not leave it to Chat Noir?”
“He was preoccupied with getting everyone off the bus.”
“Okay, well do you need any help getting home?”
“No, I’m alright, I don’t live that far.” I wave, grab my groceries and head home.
When I got home I could hear an intruder walking around inside my flat. I grabbed the handle and prepared myself in case I was attacked.