33. Day 3 Part 8

Chloe instantly froze where she stood, Lila's words filling her with dread at what was bound to follow. She'll tell everyone, the blonde reasonably surmised in her head, and things'll never be the same again. They'll capture Zzubo, I'll be treated like a freak, my father will disown me, Marinette and my two ex-friends will have something else to mock me over... just when things were starting to look up...

She could hardly look her interrogator in the eye, so anxious and mixed-up were her thoughts. The heiress was sure Zzubo was just as worried inside the little bag she now held protectively at her side. Other extreme ideas starting popping into Chloe's head, like distracting Lila long enough so her kwami could make a break for it, or making out she should be punished alone for hiding the existence of an 'alien' creature from the authorities... Hang on, since when did I become so selfless?

Chloe's soliloquising over her newfound benevolence was going to have to wait, though. Lila was about to speak again, although by now she had her back turned to the blonde, her words were as clear as a bell, and confirmed all of the heiress's worst fears.

"Here, Ms Bee. I have some lovely, moist honey for you. If you show yourself now, I promise not to put you back in the hive with the drones. Don't worry, I won't use my smoke mask this time. I just want to be your special little friend, like Chloe is. Not that I'm anything like as lonely and pathetic as she is..."

At this point, Lila could hold in her aching mirth no longer. She clutched her sides, while exuding the most scornful of extended laughs, prompting Chloe's expression to turn from one of outright stress to total confusion.

Lila obviously knows Zzubo is alive, she pondered to herself, based on what she's already told me, so why isn't she inquisitive about the existence of a so-called mythical creature? Why doesn't she seem more surprised? When is she going to faint, like I did? Don't tell me she's tougher than I am...

Meanwhile, Lila continued chattering on heedlessly, her words dripping with condescending bile."... I thought it was pitiful enough that you were talking to cuddly toys at your age, now you're actually giving them individual personalities, too? To the extent that you're even performing their voiceovers, as if they're communicating with your sorry self?! This isn't a cartoon, you know. Just when I thought you couldn't get any sadder, you go and prove me wrong once again. Very impressive. Still, I'm not complaining. After all, if gives me even more leverage to get what I desire..."

Suddenly, Lila's contemptuous utterings began to blur together into a jumbled mass, as Chloe took full stock of what the Italian had just told her. Wait a second, she still thinks that Zzubo is a... which means that... we're going to be fine...

The feeling of relief was so palpable for the blonde, her face lit up with the most gleaming of smiles, as she glanced down at her holdall, now positive that both her and her precious kwami were in the clear. For now.

"Hello... hello?" Somewhere, maybe on another planet, Chloe felt herself being shaken. But, no, it was still Earth, and the heiress finally snapped back to reality as a bemused Lila stood face-to-face with her, hands on the blonde's shoulders.

"Gosh, you're a weird one, looking so happy when I'm about to take you for everything you've got..." Lila sighed, withdrawing her arms and shaking her head. "Who'd have thought lack of parental attention would have turned you into such a certifiable nutcase? It never did me any harm, anyway. I just invented my own life when my father was never around to care for me, and when I saw that other people believed whatever far-fetched scenarios I invented, that's when I knew I had a gift. What a shame you don't possess my imagination, perhaps you wouldn't have to resort to breathing life into cuddly animals in order to stave off maddening isolation..."

"Excuse me, but what business is it of yours what I do with my spare time, when my Daddy is working hard for the good of this city?" Chloe could only tolerate so much verbal abuse despite her earlier promise to Zzubo, and was about ready to retaliate. "As the mayor's daughter, I'm free to do whatever I please. Do you honestly think I give a hoot about what a fake, wannabe superhero like you thinks of me? Someone so desperate to get a boy's attention, you end up getting akumatised and turned into a giant flying fox so you can get her claws on him? I'd say that was pretty tragic, myself..."

"Ha! Look who's talking..." Lila wasn't bothered at all by Chloe's accusatory speech, and instead came back with even more ammunition. "Before you had your humilating little public breakdown the other day, you couldn't keep your mitts off your darling 'Adrikins'. Also, don't think I haven't heard all those stories about how you transformed into a cheap copy of Ladybug, such was your blind devotion to that spotted freak. To think, before I came to this stupid school, I had a little respect for you..."

Lila's sort-of compliment temporarily blindsided Chloe, and the blonde blinked with bewilderment for a moment. "What?"

"I'd heard some pretty good stuff about this 'inspiring' girl from previous students of the college." Lila gazed Chloe up and down with undisguised disdain. "That you were an expert at manipulating other people like I am, and always got your way, also like yours truly. Exactly the type of person I could've become partners in crime with. We could've run this place together, if it didn't just all turn out to be misinformation..."

Chloe continued to listen gobsmacked to Lila's tirade, as the Italian laid out the case against her. "...Unfortunately, the reality turned out to be somewhat short of my expectations, as rather than relying on your wits to receive what you desire, all you have to do is make a phone call to Dada and it's laid out for you on a silver platter. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but hardly the kind of 'skill' worthy of commanding my respect, is it? By the way, where is your mobile? Usually, you have it glued to your ear, but I haven't seen you holding it all day. What with that, and your new dress sense, or lack thereof, you really are a mystery wrapped in an enigma these days, Miss Bourgeois... "

Chloe didn't quite know how to reply to that, without revealing her innermost secrets. The best she could do was narrow her eyes and growl in a threatening tone "Why, you... I'll... I'll..."

"Do what, ring your father and have me arrested for making pithy observations about his Little Princess?" Lila used the back of her hand to hide an arrogant titter. "Reverting to default settings already I see, and I'm shaking in my boots. If you ever do track down your missing phone though, you're more than welcome to try that. I have a rather amusing yarn to spin to everyone later myself, about a stuck-up aristocrat who thinks she holds the world on a silver string, caught playing with toys that she gives names to... 'Zzubo', was it? You'll have to properly introduce us sometime, I'll bring a bottle of white wine and crackers to the social occasion of the season! Not to mention, you even give them silly voices as if they're talking back. I wonder how that'll look for the good mayor in the centre pages of Society Weekly. Won't he be pleased, that he's so closely related to someone on the brink of insanity..."

A cold shiver ran down Chloe's spine at what was being implied by the unscrupulous little minx. Even if Lila hadn't quite figured out the real truth about Zzubo, it could still cause her and Daddykins heaps of embarrassment if word got out regarding her childish conversations with the kwami. Also, there was a small chance that Hawkmouth or whatever his name is might latch onto the rumour as fact, and attempt to prise the bee creature away. That was the last thing she needed at this tenuous moment in her life. It might possibly destroy her, to lose such a loving presence...

"What do you..." Chloe's shoulders sagged in defeat. She usually hated to show any sign of weakness, but in order to protect herself and Zzubo, she really had little option but to sample some humble pie and accept the strict terms the ruthless Italian would inevitably throw her way. "... want?"

Lila looked momentarily surprised at how quickly her prime target had caved in, before a smug leer began to decorate her sly features. "Giving up already, eh? Not even going to try and talk your way out of it, I see. Good to see you know who the master is. I suppose to you upper crust types, reputation is everything. Well, seeing as how you're being so straightforward with me, I guess I'll return the compliment. I want to be your new best friend. Bet you feel honoured, don't you? Well, you should."

Chloe thought she'd misheard the Italian. Whatever the heiress had expected her to demand, it certainly wasn't that. "P-pardon?" The blonde stammered, trying to pick the wax out of her ears, as if Zzubo didn't do a thorough enough job of cleaning them earlier.

"Oh, don't get me wrong... I can't stand you." Lila bluntly stated, with a pronounced sniff. "Our so-called friendship will be for appearances only. But just think about all you can do for me, in that time! 'Lend' me all the money I want. Give me some of those fabulous outfits that you don't seem so inclined to wear anymore. Invite me to those fantastic parties I've heard so much about, so I can hook up with all the cute boys there, including a certain hunky model that you've apparently given up on, but I certainly haven't. Just think of it as a partnership of convenience. Who knows, maybe somewhere along the way, you may learn a few tips from me about what it takes to be a proper 'mean girl'..."

"Great, I can't wait..." Chloe remarked sarcastically, already not looking forward to what Zzubo had to say about all this later on.

"Oh don't be like that, Chloe..." Lila suddenly took hold of the heiress's left palm, and began to lead her outside. "You should be grateful. I'm a huge step up from that worthless nerd you used to hang around with, and several miles ahead of that dumb reporter you befriended this morning. By the way, I'll let you keep her on, just to show there are no hard feelings. Don't want you going totally cray-cray due to lack of companionship now, do we? After all, who's going to escort me to all the gala events, if you're locked in a padded cell? Just as long as you remember who your best friend in the whole wide world is now, of course. Next, I thought we could iron out the details over lunch... Wait, you did wash your hands, didn't you...?"

As Lila continued to natter on, Chloe couldn't help but marvel at the rate she was fostering new relationships. Two in one morning, surely some kind of record for her.

Of course, some were more welcome than others.

AUTHORS NOTE: Aanndd that's a wrap for this part. Just to let you all know, I NEVER suffer from writer's block... I already have the next few chapters mapped out in my head.

Of course, when I can be bothered to type/ edit them is another matter entirely... ;)