We're finally equal | a miraculous story

A broken mask

Marinette was frozen in utter fear. Tiki fluttered over to her shoulder, sensing something was wrong. The parrot pecked at the mask, completely broken. She was smart, that bird. But this would do nothing.

"Marinette?! Are you still up there?!" Sabine Holland from downstairs.

"Come on honey your already late!" Tom said afterwards, his voice carrying throughout the house.

"I..... I can't." Marinette replied, her voice trembling. She touched her mask, and a couple beads and fake teeth fell off it.

"What? Are you sick?" Her mother changed her tone.

"Y-Yeah. Don't come up here." Marinette was still staring at the mask, one half in her hands, the other half on her face.

"Why? Sweety is everything alright?" Sabine Asked with worry.

"Y-Yeah. But no one can see me." Marinette was shaking. Her parents didn't respond for a while.

"Is your mask broken?" Her father finally asked. Marinette gulped.

"Y-y-y-Yeah." She could here her parents gasp from downstairs.

"Take a day off then! Fix it! Please... it's against the law if anyone finds out it was ever broken." Her mother instructed. "Don't come down here, we will put food by your door. Don't take any pictures or talk to your friends."

"Yes mama." Marinette said and placed the half of a mask on the dresser. "B-But what about the dance? Auditions are today!"

"You'll have to miss it." Tom said. Marinette's heart fell to the floor.

"O-ok." Marinette said but doubted they heard her. She sat in her bed and ripped off the other half of her mask. She had slept on her face last night, and it broke. "I'm so stupid. Why didn't I lay on my back? Why didn't I get changed? Why today of all days?" Marinette began to cry.

Why did she lay that way? Because laying on her back was painful so her body adjusted itself to lay on her face. Why didn't she get changed? She was exhausted and had t realized she fell asleep. Why today? It was just her stupid luck.

She saw alya texting her from her phone,  begging to know where she was.

Marinette silenced it. Tikki flew to the bed with half of the mask in her beak. It was fabric and plastic, but heavy. How the bird managed to bring it over was a mystery, she was so small.

"Thanks Tikki." Marinette scratched under Tikki's chin. Tikki ruffles her feathers in delight. "Guess I better get to work."

———

"I'm gonna check her house." Alya said after school. "She'd never just ghost me like that!"

"Alya you have to babysit the girls! Remember?" Her older sister who liked to be called arachnide reminded as she passed her sister to go to wrestling.

"Oh yeah..." Alya looked down.

"I can check on her. We have dancing soon and she needs to audition. I'll just give her a ride." Adrien joined Alya as they walked out of school.

"Really? Oh she'll flip-... I mean... I'd think she'd like that." Alya said reassuringly. "Thanks Adrien, I have to go now. The girls will have the apartment turned upside down in a couple minutes." She giggled.

"Go then, I'll walk over." Adrien waves her off as Alya smiled and jogged away in panic and fear of her sisters.

Adrien smiled, then looked in the direction of the bakery. Her walked down the steps of the school and onto the street.