❪ ✹ ❫  chapter two
sparks               ౨ৎ

JULIETTE POV

MONDAY MORNING arrived with a hazy, silver light filtering through the sheer curtains, casting a soft glow across juliette's bedroom. she stirred beneath the covers, groaning as the shrill sound of her alarm clock pierced the early stillness.

as she reached out to silence the noise, cinnamon stirred at the foot of her bed. he stretched lazily, his fluffy tail curling like a plume as he blinked at her with half-lidded green eyes. with a faint meow, he padded over, rubbing his cheek against her arm.

"good morning to you too, cinny." juliette mumbled, her voice thick with sleep as she scratched behind his ears. "i guess it's time to get up, huh?"

the cat purred in response, almost as if agreeing with her. with a resigned sigh, the eighteen-year-old threw off the covers and slipped out of bed. the cool air nipped at her skin, and she shivered as she crossed the room to draw the curtains back. the world outside looked crisp and clear, the kind of autumn morning that carried a promise of chill, with leaves swirling like amber and gold confetti.

she moved through her morning routine, starting with a splash of cold water that jolted her awake, followed by brushing her teeth and taming her sleep-mussed blonde hair. after some deliberation, she pulled on a soft cream sweater with a pair of jeans and her favourite brown boots.

as she slipped a few gold rings onto her fingers, the feline leapt onto her dresser, watching her with the kind of dignified curiosity that only a cat could manage.

"judging me already?" she teased, meeting his gaze in the mirror. "i'm going as fast as i can."

cinnamon's response was a slow, unhurried blink, as though telling her, well, hurry up then.

rolling her eyes affectionately, juliette hurried downstairs after grabbing her brown backpack and slipped into the kitchen, cinnamon trotting behind her. she filled his bowl up with kibble and added a small amount of water into the bowl before filling up a second bowl of cold water. the clattering of kibble hitting metal drew his attention and the feline bolted for the food bowl instantly.

she straightened up and looked around the kitchen, which was quiet save for the low hum of the fridge. her mother had left for work early, as usual, but there was a note on the kitchen counter: have a great day, darling. there's some toast and jam waiting for you.

next to the note sat a plate covered with a cloth, the rich, sweet scent of homemade strawberry jam drifting up to greet her.

juliette all but gobbled the food down, savouring the taste of her mothers famous homemade jam and was tempted to look for where her mother had hidden the rest but shrugged and bent down to scratch her cat behind the ears before she adjusted her bag and walked for the door. "be good, troublemaker."

she glanced back at the orange feline and watched as he trotted over to the windowsill, right in a patch of sunlight, and made himself comfortable. he flicked his tail as if to say aren't i always?

juliette snorted in amusement before grabbing g her coat and walking out of the house, locking the door after her.

the crisp autumn air greeted her as she stepped outside, a chilly nip at her cheeks and the scent of fallen leaves lingering in the atmosphere. she zipped up her coat and started down the familiar path to school, her boots crunching against the scattered leaves. the sky was a pale blue, edged with the blush of dawn, and the city was just beginning to stir to life.

juliette slipped her airpod pros into her ears, the cool metal grazing her fingertips as she tapped through her myriad of spotify playlists. she wasn't sure why she had so many — collections of songs curated for different moods, seasons, even hours of the day — but this morning called for something nostalgic. she settled on an old favorite, and the familiar opening chords of red filled her ears. a smile curled across her lips, and she let the music weave through her thoughts as she continued her walk.

the blonde teenager turned onto the main street and walked past the dupain-cheng bakery and she briefly looked in, seeing tom and sabine handing out pastries to their customers and she turned her eye upward to marinette's balcony and heard a noise that sounded awfully similar to someone tripping over. juliette snorted again and walked past and across the bustling road towards her school building.

juliette climbed up the stairs leading into her school and when she was one foot into the courtyard, she took out her airpods and placed them back into their case and then into her bag. she looked over before spotting two familiar figures standing by the internal stairwell.

satsuki ashido stood at the foot of the stairs, her dark hair framing her face and her cream sweater adorned with embroidered wildflowers, looking every bit like she had stepped out of a cottage in the woods. her long skirt was patterned with tiny daisies, swishing softly around her lace-up boots. she spotted juliette approaching and her eyes sparkled with excitement. "juliette! i was just telling sadie about the cat café i discovered — pages and paws! it's like something out of a fairytale!" she said, her voice airy and animated.

sadie sinclair stood beside her, a smirk playing on her lips. her red hair fell in loose waves over her dark green jacket, paired with ripped jeans and black combat boots. she was the very picture of effortless cool. "everything's like a fairytale to you, suki." she teased, rolling her eyes as the three of them began walking towards their lockers.

"it's not just me, though!" satsuki retorted, her cheeks flushing pink. "this place really is like a storybook. there are reading nooks, shelves stacked with old books, and cats lounging around as if they own the place. it's magical!"

juliette's interest piqued at the mention of books and cats. "that sounds amazing. we have to go sometime." she said as they approached their lockers. she swung her door open, revealing a small collage of polaroid photos and a few worn paperbacks stacked on the shelf.

sadie laughed, tossing her bag into her locker. "oh great, and then we'll have to sit through another epic saga of satsuki's plant collection or her rescue missions for stray animals. i can hear it now: 'and this is how i saved my poor little fern from certain doom!'" she waved her hands in mock dramatics, her voice dripping with exaggerated enthusiasm.

the noirette shot her a playful glare and crossed her arms. "you're impossible, you know that?" she quipped, and sadie grinned, stepping closer with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"but you love me." sadie cooed, throwing her arms around satsuki in an overly theatrical embrace. just as quickly, the japanese girl sidestepped, letting the redhead tumble forward slightly with a squeal.

juliette snorted a laugh as she slid her backpack into her locker and took out the books for the morning she needed. sadie recovered and brushed herself off before leaning on her locker. "you look suspiciously awake for a monday, by the way liette."

"like you can talk." satsuki remarked. "you're not exactly the picture of 'wide awake.' did you even sleep last night, or were you just scrolling through dating apps again?"

the green-eyed girl scoffed, nudging satsuki with her elbow. "oh ha ha. very funny, suki. i actually went to bed at a reasonable time thank you very much."

satsuki, her expression calm and unconvinced, simply raised an eyebrow as she pulled out her neatly organized beige pencil case. "all i'm saying is that you need around eight to ten hours of sleep to function properly." she replied, her voice gentle but firm as she reached for a notebook decorated with pressed flowers.

the redhead groaned in exaggerated despair, rolling her eyes with the theatricality of someone born to be on stage. "ugh, sleep." she scoffed, flailing her hands in the air in an exaggerated imitation of satsuki's advice. "i say, fuck sleep! it's overrated." she shot a grin at juliette, who had been lost in her own world, mid-reach for a worn copy of a poetry anthology. the cover was faded, the corners dog-eared from years of being read and re-read.

sadie nudged her back to reality, and juliette blinked in surprise, her blue eyes wide. "w-what?" she stammered, her cheeks flushing slightly as she realized she'd drifted off again.

sadie let out another mock groan, though her smile was unmistakably fond. "oh! great. juliette's gone back into her own world again". she said with a teasing lilt. "honestly, liette, sometimes i think you live more in those books of yours than in real life."

juliette's lips curved into a soft smile as she tucked the anthology into her bag. "maybe i do." she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. as she glanced across the room, her gaze landed on her ex-girlfriend, rowan blanchet, who stood surrounded by her own little group of friends.

rowan's strawberry blonde hair hung loosely around her freckled face, and her laughter rang out like a bell. when their eyes met, rowan's lips quirked in a subtle, knowing smile. juliette looked away quickly, the familiar pang in her chest catching her off guard.

sadie's eyes darted toward rowan, her scowl deepening. "hey, don't give that bitch the time of day. you deserved better than her." she muttered, venom lacing her tone. she shot rowan a pointed glare, which earned a nonchalant middle finger in response from the strawberry blonde. satsuki reached out, her hand gentle but firm on sadie's arm, holding her back.

"come on, sadie." the noirette whispered, her voice calm as she tried to soothe her friend's temper. "it's not worth it."

sadie's glare didn't falter, though she let out a huff of frustration. "damn bitch." she snarled under her breath, still fuming as juliette shut her locker with a soft clang. the blonde looked over to see rowan peering at her before she began to walk off in the opposite direction, her friends voices loud and clear as they walked yet juliette blanked them out.

the bell rang, its chime echoing down the hallway like the toll of a distant clock. the five minute warning bell. satsuki, still holding onto sadie's arm, managed to guide the redhead a few steps further, though sadie was still muttering curses under her breath, her green eyes flashing with residual anger. with a huff, sadie pulled herself free, shifting her drama textbook under her arm.

"i've got drama now." she declared, the words laced with a simmering defiance. "catch you two later." she shot one final glare in the direction where rowan had disappeared before stomping off, her fiery red hair cascading down her back, almost like a living flame.

juliette watched her go, her lips curling into a slight, amused smile. satsuki turned toward her, offering a softer expression, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she gave a gentle shrug. "i've got history, so i'll see you later, okay, dreamer?" her voice was warm and lilting, a calm amidst the morning's whirlwind. she adjusted the strap of her satchel, and with a final wave the japanese girl departed in the same direction her american-french friend had walked off in.

juliette turned and made her way to english class, her fingers brushing absentmindedly against the straps of her bag as she walked. the chatter of other students was a low murmur around her.

the blonde teenager stepped into her english classroom, the familiar scent of old books and chalk dust settling around her like a soft blanket. sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, casting slanted golden beams across the worn wooden desks. she made her way towards her usual spot near the window, setting her bag down gently before sinking into the chair, the leather seat creaking slightly as she did. her fingers absentmindedly traced the edges of her worn poetry anthology.

their english teacher, mr ashford, was already at his desk, shuffling a stack of papers with his usual quiet efficiency. he glanced up when the last few students filed in, his gray hair catching the light, and tapped a wooden ruler against the edge of his desk to gain the class's attention.

"settle down, everyone." he called out, his voice soft and carried over the chatter of the class. "before we start, i'd like to announce that we have a new student joining us today." his dull eyes drifted to the door and juliette's gaze also looked over.

juliette's breath stilled for a moment as recognition washed over her and her teacher continued to talk.

it was him — the boy from the night before, with that easy grin and a name that had made her laugh under the parisian moonlight. now, here he was, strolling into her english class as if he owned the place. he wore a dark green jumper that hugged his frame just right, the sleeves casually pushed up to his elbows. a silver chain glinted against the collar of a crisp white shirt peeking out from beneath, and his charcoal trousers were slightly rolled at the ankles, revealing worn-in leather boots. how british.

mr ashford gestured for him to take a seat, and romeo's gaze flickered over the rows of desks, and his lips quirked into a grin when he spotted juliette. "hi all. the name's romeo croft."

several students began to murmur and juliette wanted to die as she felt people's gaze turn onto her. the teenager then felt a sharp poke between her shoulder blades, and she turned to see lila rossi smirking at her, her hand still poised as if she might poke her again. "look's like you found your romeo, huh?" the vixen's voice was dripping with mock sweetness, her smile widening.

"fuck off, sausage hair." juliette snapped back, eyes narrowing.

"awww don't be like that, juliette. don't get all defensive, i'm just saying it's cute — a little clichéd, maybe, but cute." she leaned forward, her eyes gleaming dangerously, her voice softening into a conspiratorial tone. "hope you're not getting your hopes up though, wouldn't want you to be heartbroken again."

juliette's fingers curled tightly around the edge of her desk, her nails biting into the wood as she forced a smile. "you speaking from experience? like when adrien treated you like the roach you are? nothing?" she fired back, her voice dripping with saccharine mockery.

lila's expression froze, her eyes narrowing into a cold, hard glare, and she straightened in her seat, the playful smirk wiped clean from her face. without a word, she turned away.

as juliette shifted back around, she caught romeo's gaze. he strolled casually down the aisle, his hands shoved into the pockets of his dark trousers, the sleeves of his jumper rolled up to his elbows.

"mind if i sit?" he asked, not waiting for an answer before dropping into the seat next to her, his faint grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"feel free." juliette replied, her tone dry but with a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"cheers, love." he said with a wink, making himself comfortable as if they were already old friends. "fancy seeing you here, juliette. blimey! fate sure has a wicked sense of humour, am i right?"

juliette arched an eyebrow, her lips curving into a half-smirk. "fate? you're giving it a bit too much credit. i'd say it's just dumb luck." she let out a soft snort, dismissing the idea with a flick of her hand.

"oh, come on." romeo chuckled, tilting his head as he studied her with that glint in his eye. "you're telling me it's just coincidence that we run into each other twice in the span of two days? what's next — bumping into each other at some romantic parisian café?" his voice dipped lower, teasingly, as though sharing a secret meant only for her ears.

"only if you're paying." she shot back, feigning disinterest as she tapped her pen against her notebook. "i don't do charity cases."

the male's grin widened, and he leaned in just a fraction closer, his voice a soft murmur. "good thing i'm not one, then. besides, i'm told british charm can work wonders — even on skeptics like you."

the blonde's gaze turned to mr ashford to see him simply writing something onto the board, apparently not caring about the thousand side conversations going on and she found herself idly scribbling something aimless in the corner of her notebook. "british charm huh?" she responded, turning back to romeo. "seems more like cheek to me."

romeo bit back a laugh. "depends on who you ask to be honest." he leant back in his chair. "but if you're after cheek, i've got plenty of that, darling."

juliette's cheek dusted pink and she opened her mouth to reply but the teacher cut in with his ruler tapping on his desk. "okay everybody, settle down now." his tired eyes flickered over to romeo. "i assume you've found a suitable seat, mr croft?"

romeo straightened up slightly, his grin unfaltering. "yes, sir. couldn't have chosen better myself." he replied, casting a sideways glance at juliette, who rolled her eyes. a few students snickered, and mr ashford's lips twitched as if he were holding back a sigh.

"glad to hear it." the teacher replied dryly, tapping a finger against the open book on his desk. "now, if you're done charming your classmates, perhaps you could focus that charisma on shakespeare instead. we're diving into 'romeo and juliet' today. rather fitting, don't you think?"

juliette bit back a laugh, her eyes meeting romeo's with a glint of irony. "looks like fate has a sense of humor after all." she whispered, her voice barely audible above the rustle of pages.

"guess i'm in the right place then." the dark haired male murmured back, his voice low and teasing. "let's just hope no one ends up poisoned by the end of this." he shot her a wink, and juliette shook her head, a reluctant smile breaking through despite herself.

such a dork, she thought, trying to suppress the smile threatening to curl at the corners of her lips. but her eyes betrayed her, lingering on romeo as he casually pulled out a worn poetry anthology, the kind that looked like it had seen countless rainy afternoons and underlined passages. his fingers traced the faded title before he flipped to the shakespeare section.

"staring at something interesting, love?" his voice slid across the space between them, low and teasing.

"you wish." juliette shot back. still, she could feel the quickening pulse in her chest and the faint heat creeping up her neck. she was sure he noticed, judging by the lazy smirk that played on his lips, as though he had read her thoughts before she'd even formed them.

behind them, the rustle of notebooks was accompanied by a pointed scoff. lila rossi leaned forward in her seat, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "aw, juliette, don't tell me you've already fallen for the new boy. how . . . predictable." her perfectly manicured fingers tapped idly on the desk, and there was a glint in her eyes.

the blonde teenager turned her head, her voice steady but cool. "don't you have a new lie to spread, lila? or are you running out of material?"

romeo's grin widened, clearly enjoying the exchange as his gaze flicked to lila and then back to juliette. "now, now, no need to fight over me," he teased, the amusement in his tone unmistakable.

juliette rolled her eyes, but she couldn't fight back the faint smile that tugged at her lips and so she smiled. "oh, please. you'd have to do better than that to impress me."

"challenge accepted, darling." his voice dipped lower, almost conspiratorial, as he leaned a bit closer, his blue eyes catching the light. "just you wait."

lila let out a quiet snort, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "good luck with that, romeo." she sneered, the name rolling off her tongue with a hint of disdain. "but if you're smart, you'll figure out soon enough that some things — and people — aren't worth the trouble."

juliette's smile lingered, a touch sharper now as she fixed her gaze on lila. "then why are you still talking to us, rossi? must be something keeping you entertained." her tone was light, but the subtle edge was unmistakable.

lila's lips curled into a disdainful smirk, her eyes narrowing like a cat's. "nothing about you is interesting, beaumont. don't flatter yourself." she leaned back in her seat, arms crossed with a bored air, though her gaze was anything but disinterested.

"oh, don't worry." juliette shot back smoothly, her voice like silk threaded with steel. "i won't flatter you either, lila. let's not pretend you're special." she flicked her eyes away from the other girl, already dismissing her as she turned back to the front of the class, the soft rustle of pages filling the silence as she opened her poetry anthology.

she could feel lila's glare on her back and she simply raised her middle finger and she heard the female behind her move in her chair yet she didn't do anything and her finger fell.

romeo stifled a laugh beside her, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he whispered, "didn't know you had such a sharp tongue, love." his accent wrapped around the words like velvet, a teasing lilt that sent a thrill through her.

"there's a lot you don't know about me." she murmured back, not quite looking at him, her voice carrying an almost playful challenge.

"oh, i'd love to learn." he replied, his voice low and warm, and juliette's pulse quickened despite herself.

before she could respond, mr ashford's voice filled the room again, a steady cadence as he resumed discussing the intricacies of shakespeare's language, the tension between fate and free will.

as the class went on, the noise of pages turning and voices reciting words from the play, she tried to focus yet could feel romeo occasionally stare at her every now and again.

shortly before the lesson was due to end, she turned a page, and a small folded note slid into view, placed quietly on top of her page.

her heart gave a slight lurch as she glanced toward romeo, who was still pretending to follow the lesson, the ghost of a smirk playing at his lips.

with a quiet breath, she unfolded the paper, her fingers trembling just slightly. scrawled in neat, hurried handwriting were the words: meet me after class.

juliette's pulse thrummed in her ears, the classroom around her suddenly feeling both too close and too distant. she glanced up to find romeo watching her.

she opened her mouth to speak when. . .

. . . the bell rang, its metallic echo cutting through the air like a knife.

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

NALANI SPEAKS !

— lmfao i hate lila but at the same time i like her??? like she's an interesting character and miraculous would deadass be boring without her keeping everyone entertained. so expect to see more of her!! also more characters will make an appearance next chapter!! hope you're enjoying this !! < 33

╰─▸ ❝ @cherriswft has
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