"Mari! Dinners ready!"

     I stared at myself in the mirror, I had decided to wear my favorite pair of jeans instead of the skirt Alya had suggested. I felt like a mess, I was too nervous to eat and even leave my room. I wasn't what you'd exactly call a.. Social butterfly.

     "I'm coming!" I applied some lip gloss and looked back at my appearance and I sighed. Time to make my first social debut since my mom passed.

     Tom met me at the bottom of the stairs and handed me a giant bowl of pasta. I could tell he was making a big effort to make things feel less tense, and so far it was working.

     "You look good."
     "Thanks."

     "I'm sorry about dinner being so late. We had an issue with the croissants. I thought I was going to be working all night."

     "That's okay." I set my bowl down. "And thanks for dinner, but I'm actually not all that hungry, i'm sort of nervous.."
"I understand. Meeting new people can be nerve-wracking. But they're going to love you."

Suddenly I hear a motor outside and look through the window and I see him on his shiny black vespa (idc ab how old you have to be to drive, this is FICTION) and I suddenly wondered if it was too late to back out.

"Thats the Agreste son?"
"Mhm.." I felt a blush rise to my cheeks.

"He's a bit early.. He isn't taking you on that vespa right?" Tom raised his eyebrows in concern.

"Yeah, I think he is." I hoped Tom would suddenly disagree and not let me go, at least that would be an easy excuse.

     Tom moved toward the door and opened it as I followed, peering at Adrien still on his Vespa pulling it into a complete stop, pouncing up the stairs.

"Hey Tom, hey Mari." Adrien waved. He was wearing jeans and expensive looking shoes. He extended his hand out to Tom, "Nice to meet you sir."

     "Nice to meet you too. I'm really sorry about the mix-up on the phone earlier. I had you confused with someone else." Tom gave a sheepish smile.

     "That's okay. I'm just glad to know you're not going to come after me with a chainsaw anymore."

     Oh, boy. Tom was really taking his new role seriously.

     "You ready to motor Mari?" Adrien gave me a smirk that I felt in my heart. Ugh.

     "Um, I think so.. Tom?" I looked at him hopefully. He was eyeing Adrien's scooter, his face grim.

     "You been driving that thing for a while?"

     "Since I was fourteen. I'm a really safe driver."

     "And you have an extra helmet?"

     "Of course." Adrien bowed jokingly, Tom letting out a small chuckle while I groaned.

     "Si nerveux, restez près, and I want her back home at one." Tom smiled, wow he really did want me to socialize.

     "Bais oui, bien sûr." Adrien gave a big smile.

     "Um, excuse me. What was that?" I asked.

"Man talk,"Adrien smirked as I rolled my eyes. "Come on. We're missing the party."

     Tom handed me his cell phone and a twenty-euro bill. "Take this, just in case. The bakeries number is in there. If I don't answer, Cami will." I smiled gratefully.

     Tom left to go back inside as I followed Adrien to his Vespa. He took out another helmet and hopped on, as I awkwardly sat behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist.

     "Ready?" Adrien asked, turning it on.

     "Ready."

     Soon enough we were zipping down the road as I felt the cool air, I hugged Adrien tighter, grinning like an idiot.

     "So.. Wheres the party?" I asked as he stopped at a light.

     "Its at my friend Chloe's house, we always have them at her house since she has the biggest. Her dads a descendent of the Bourgeois, and they have this enormous villa. You can always tell when Chloe's had a lot to drink when she begins telling everyone that they would have been her servants, if the monarchy was still here."

"Whats the Bourgeois?"

"Really powerful french family, they basically own France." Adrien laughed at the thought of his fond friend.

"Did I.. Dress up enough?" I pondered as I remembered I had only worn jeans, a shirt, and sneakers.

"Huh?" He asked over the loudness of his vespa.

I repeated my question and once we stopped at the next light he looked back at me, examining my outfit. "You look great, we're technically matching." He winked.

"Yeah but you look way.." Cuter.
"What?"
"Cooler.."

He tipped his head back so our helmets made a click noise. "Thank you princess.."

I was glad he was looking forward because if he had turned once more he might have seem me as red as Nathaniels hair.