I forgot to mention the key!
1. Any chapter that is in italics means that you are reading Ladybug's dream
2. "——————" means a time skip. It can go so far as to meaning minutes passing, hours passing, or even years passing. Please pay attention to context to conclude which time skip that symbol is referring to.
3. "-/-" means that Marinette is having a flashback
Have fun reading!!!

Marinette trudged out of school and gripped her backpack strap tighter. She limped one knee and tried to speed up her tempo to reach home faster. She couldn't let her parents find out what happened to her.

When the ever so familiar bakery was in her sight, Marinette fumbled with her keys and unlocked the door. She carried her ten-ton feet inside with a sigh and gently closed the glass door behind her with a quiet click.

The small, bluenette girl heaved up the stairs to her room and collapsed on her bed in fatigue. She stretched her arm to open the drawer beside her and took out a few bandages before ripping them free from their paper packaging.

Her young, adolescent fingers pressed the thin fabric against her wounds and covered them back up with her long cotton sleeves and pants. She then yawned and leaned back on her pillow while staring at the ceiling with a blank face.

"Marinette, sweetie! We're back!"

The young girl jolted upright and stumbled down the stairs. Her mother and father were seen carrying several heavy bags that held specific bakery ingredients and materials, however, their facial expressions showed no sign of struggle as they walked in to greet their daughter.

"Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!" she piped as happily as she could. The sour taste of bile rose in her throat from the lies she was hiding from them, but she gulped it back down with a fake grin.

"How was school?" Her dad ruffled her hair. The girl stiffened and forced a laugh.

"It was great! We had so much fun today in class!" She beamed up at her father to hopefully convince him that she was telling the truth, and ignored the queasy feeling that bubbled in her stomach.

"That's wonderful!" her mother broke in. "Do you have any homework to do tonight?"

"Not today, I don't!" Marinette said with glee. She lifted her chin proudly. "I finished it all at school!"

"What a good girl," Sabine chuckled, patting her head. "Then, how would you like to help us at the shop today?"

Marinette's blue eyes sparkled with shock. "Really?!"

Her mother laughed her sweet laugh. "Of course! We'd love to have an extra baker in the house!"

The young girl pushed away all her troubles and she squealed with delight. Her tiny arms wrapped tightly around both her parents and immediately raced downstairs to the bakery. It wasn't always her parents let her aid with the cooking.

——————

"Okay, the macaroons are all done! Marinette, would you be so kind as to deliver this to our customer, Mrs. Etserga? She will be waiting at the town park by the merry-go-round, and I told her to wait by the benches. You shouldn't have any troubles finding her, she said she would wave you over to her."

Marinette nodded eagerly. "Okay, Mom! I'm on it! You can count on me!" The girl carefully hugged the box of macaroons and skipped out of the store with the doorbell jingling as it swung open and close.

She looked both ways and quickly blended with the small crowd that scurried to the other side once it was safe to cross. Her arms protectively guarded the desserts inside, refusing to let them spill or get stolen by anyone else around her.

When her feet met the creamy concrete sidewalk, she continued her small journey to the park with confidence. There was no way she would fail this mission. No way in Paris.

However, as she daydreamed about all the praises she would receive from her parents back home, a startling voice broke into her thoughts.

"Watch out!!!"

Then came pain.

(Author's note)
Salut, everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that the short chapters are done on purpose. This IS a short story after all, that is why none of these are exceeding 1,000 words. Hope you'll understand! Thanks again for reading, and be sure to provide your opinions