AN: A strange title, but anyways, welcome to my one-shot collection. This is the first of hopefully many more one-shots inspired by various songs. That's really all I can say for now. Oh, and if you're interested, requests can be accpeted depending on said request.
(Edited 11/7/16): Okay, maybe I won't be coming forth with this collection after all. This'll be just like my other one-shots now, standalone.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star vs. The Forces of Evil.
"MARCOOOOOO!"
It all started with an accident.
Star was unfortunately away in Mewni for an important matter. So she did not witness it. If she was here, she would've been able to stop it. But she wasn't.
Who saw it?
Janna.
She ruhed over to his body. She took out her phone and dialed.
"911! There is an accident here in Echo Creek! Victim's name is Marco Diaz! Requesting immediate medical help right NOW!" She said frantically. She heard a response, and she thanks them, before hanging up. She cradles his body, takes one look at him, opens up his hoodie carefully, and she is greeted with a sight that will never be removed from her memories.
Bruises were all over his upper body, along with blood falling on his forehead and chest. His face was dirty, and so were the rest of his clothes due to the impact of the car on his body. There was also some bleeding on the rest of his body, prominently on the torso and arms.
Seeing this horrifying state he was in, tears begam to form on her eyes.
"You idiot... you stupid idiot... couldn't you at least be selfish for one time? Always risking yourself for others... and you always come out safe and alive... but now... maybe not this time... please... don't die..." She said, knowing no one will respond. It was becoming too much for her to overcome, and now she freely cried.
"Please... please be alright Marco..."
Less than ten minutes later, an ambulance arrived. The paramedics took Marco in a stretcher, and placed him inside the ambulance.
"Miss, you'll need to come with us as well." One of them said to her.
"Alright." She sniffled, wiping away the tears on her face. She walked in, sat down on the seat, and the ambulance sped off. The paramedics immediately put Marco on proper aid.
"Better call Marco's parents. Tell them to call Star too."
She took out her phone and shakily dialed the number for Marco's parents.
"Hello?" The voice of Angie Diaz rang through the phone.
"Um... Mrs. Diaz?"
"Oh! Janna! How nice of you to call!" She cheerily said. Janna could feel the radiant joy from her, which made it all the more worse to break the news to her. She gave out a broken smile.
"Yeah, you too, Mrs. Diaz." She said, trying hard not to break her voice. It was almost becoming too much for her to handle.
"What brings you to call us? And is Marco okay?" She asked.
Janna audibly swallowed, and began to whimper in sorrow. Almost immediately, Angie noticed, and she took on a more concerned tone.
"Janna? Is everything alright? Please tell me. It's okay." She said, in a motherly tone.
Janna could not take it anymore. It was there. From the anticipating sorrow she knew her crush's parents would have. Tears freely flowed, and she cried.
"Go to the hospital with Mr. Diaz. Call Star too. Everything will be explained there. Something... something bad... something very bad happened to Marco." She shakily said. She immediately ended the call, not waiting to hear the eventual anguished response. Instead, she just closes her eyes and places her hands on her face, letting herself cry even more.
All the while one paramedic placed her arm around the crying tomboy, comforting her in this time of emotional devastation.
At the hospital, the ambulance just arrived. Inside, near the doors leading to the outside are Angie and Rafael Diaz. They hear the familiar sound of a portal being opened, and Star walked out, in one of her Earth attires when she stays there. She was audibly panting heavily. The portal then closed.
"I'm here now. I had to convince my mom that this was urgent. Now, where's Janna and Marco?"
Just as she asked, the doors opened, and various doctors were there rolling along a stretcher. They looked closer, only to see that on it was a severely wounded Marco.
"Marco!" The three yelled. Janna then came inside the hospital, her face looking worse for wear. Tears were still being shed, albeit not so much, but it was evident she was still feeling the extreme emotion she felt.
"Janna?" Star asked.
She looked up and saw them. She suddeny runs over to them and embraces them tightly.
"Just hold me. Please."
Hours later, they were in one of the hospital rooms. On the bed was the still unconscious Marco, dressed in sterile bandages to keep the wounds from festering and spreading. Janna sat by his side, Star lied down on one of the makeshift beds, and the two Diaz parents sat by each other, looking at Marco.
A doctor came in. He was holding a clipboard, most likely of Marco's condition.
"Is this the room of Marco Diaz?" He asked. They all nodded.
"I have the diagnosis of young Marco's condition. And... I'm sorry but... it is not good." He gravely and sadly spoke.
"Patient Diaz... he sustained a significant amount of damage to his entire body. There were bruises, cuts, wounds... but what trumps them is the internal bleeding he suffered. He has three broken ribs, and one each punctured his heart, lung, and stomach. We were lucky. Very much so. Where is Janna?"
She raised her hand. "That would be me doctor."
"We can't thank enough that you immediately responded to the accident. Had you called a few mintues later, he most certainly would have died."
She gasped and widened her eyes, and buried her face hin her hands, crying once more. Star was there to comfort her.
"We were able to fix the internal wounds on each part, and the scars would heal in about three to four months, but... there is an even worse news."
"What? Could this be anymore worse than what it is now to our son?!" Angie asked.
Unfortunately, the doctor only nodded.
"The accident, the damages sustained in and on his body, the internal bleeding, his state of mind, along with whatever state of shock he underwent then... they all contributed to put Marco in a comatose state."
At that, everyone gasped in shock.
"NO!"
"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!"
"HE CAN'T!"
More noise came, and the doctor immediately silenced them.
"I am sorry, but he is in that current condition. We will be checking everyday on him, take note of his vital signs. We surmised that he might be in comatose for two months." Everyone was stunned into silence.
"That... I'm sorry, but this is all the results we could find in our diagnosis for Marco. However, sooner or later, you will need to put him on life support." These were the doctor's parting words, as he then left them.
Janna felt nothing but pure depression and devastation. While she was tearfully relieved that Marco wasn't dead, the relief was replaced with shock (and even that was an understatement), and total regret. She felt that she should not have done most of the things that weirded out her crush of a close friend. She felt that she should not have taken their friendship for granted. She simply felt so many pangs of guilt. And the accident trumps it all.
The other three present were all dealt a huge emotional blow from the condition Marco was in. It was indescribable for them. They could not believe that he had been injured so much that it warranted a coma.
He was strong. Strong enough to avoid death on the operating table. However, not strong enough to regain consciousness.
Janna wipes away the tears, and she looks at Marco, an expression of determination on her face.
"I'll visit him." Janna said.
"What?" Star asked.
"Every night, when I'm done with the day, I'll go visit him. Talk to him as if he was with me."
"Oh, Janna..." Star smiled. She was aware of the tomboy's crush on her best friend. She'd gladly support her to do that. She knew Marco no longer had a crush on Jackie, and that he had actually grown a bit of a liking to Janna. She hugged the girl.
Her mind was made up, and nothing can change that she will make good on her promise.
Day 7. 7:24 in the evening.
It had been about a week since the accident, and true to her word, Janna had visited Marco every day since then. Today was no different.
She opened the door to Marco's room, and there she stood, looking at the comatose safe kid. She sadly smiled. It had always hurt to see him still unconscious. She brought flowers for the vase. For this week, she brought carnations.
She places the flowers in the vase and sits down next to Marco.
"Hi Marco." She shyly said, looking down.
"It's been a week now since... you know, that. I hope you're still doing okay inside there."
"Well, I'll start with what happened today. Miss Skullnick gave us another math test, which I passed rather easily I may add. Then, we passed our English project today, which luckily you did your part for already, all I needed to do was my part of the project as your partner. Then a buncha other stuff happened, and, well... it's just a normal day. Just... without you."
She sighs. "If you don't mind me, Marco, I'll just do my homework here. Science, from Mister Garrett."
She took out what she needed and went on to do that.
Soon enough, she was done. She smiled at the finished assignment. She set it aside and looked back at Marco.
"We all miss you so much, Marco. It isn't usually the same without you."
She reaches over him and kisses his forehead.
"I know you're strong, Safe Kid. So I'll always be waiting for you, no matter how long."
She soon gets her stuff and approaches the door. She turns back to him.
"See you tomorrow, Marco."
Day 12.
"Hey there, Marco. I brought someone over with me." Janna said, and with her a short blonde-haired kid, wearing everyday clothing.
"Is this just you trying to weasel out our rematch, Diaz? If so... you idiot. Now we can't have our rematch. I hope you still remember that we're 4-3-5, in your favor." He said.
Yes, despite what people would believe, the ten-year old Jeremy Birnbaum was there to visit the safe kid. Much changed for the young former black belt karate student. He had been stripped of his ranking, demoted to white, and was given a sparring partner to be his duo partner, who just so happened to be Marco. At first the two were hostile to each other, but things have mellowed out between the two students and even became good friends after a certain event.
"Come on, Jeremy. You can't really say that about him."
"Heh, you're right Janna. I guess it's safe to say my thoughts on him have changed. In the dojo, he's more of my teammate and rival now, ever since I stopped cheating and started actually doing something, ever since that day." Jeremy told her, and then turned to Marco as the two sat down.
"Do you still remember that day, Diaz? Two years ago, and it's still fresh in my memories." He began.
"I was just demoted to white belt that day, and I was so pissed off... not to mention that with you as my sparring partner, it just made me angrier."
"Stupid dojo teacher... demoting me to white belt... putting Diaz as my partner a week ago... I'm still so angry!" The eight year old Jeremy angrily exclaimed, kicking rocks as he walked along the sidewalk.
He seemed to not know where he was walking, as he bumped into two suspicious-looking men. He fell to the ground, but immediately stood up.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" He said.
The two men, now thugs, then turned around and looked at the scrawny kid. He picked him up and threw him to the ground. Jeremy grunts in pain. For good measure, he was punched in the stomach. He tries to fight back, standing up and charging to the two, but they simply hold him down.
"Hey, this kid might be worth something." One told the other, turning towards him.
"Yeah? And why's that?" The other asked.
"I know that kid from anywhere. He's that bratty little Birnbaum kid. I say we kidnap him and hold him ransom, eh?"
"Yeah, man. Let's do it." The two thugs now grinned at the fearful karate student on the ground.
"HEY!" A voice called out, and they all turned to see Star and Marco.
"Leave the kid alone!" Star said.
"Yeah? And why should we? We can force his parents to pay us!"
"If you two don't leave my partner alone, I'm gonna kick both your asses out. Me and Jeremy might not see eye to eye, but I can't let him get hurt like this." Marco venomously said. The two thugs looked at him and laughed.
"Hahahahahaha, how's a kid like you gonna hurt us, huh?"
"Yeah, and you don't even reach our necks!"
Once they stopped laughing, they noticed him gone, and only a grinning Star was in front of them.
"On your left." She simply said.
Before they could even turn left, one of them felt a kick to his face, and he then felt feet on his shoulders, and the other also received a kick to the face. Marco stood on each thug's shoulder, and both tried to grab him, but he jumped down and forcefully pushed both to each other, their heads impacting, blood forming out, and both fell to the ground. Star then uses her wand to cast a binding spell. He stood over both of them, grabbing the collars of their shirts and glaring hatefully at them.
"Beat up my friend and I'll do more than what you've experienced today." He said, before knocking both of the thugs out.
He then walked to Jeremy, who was tended by Star.
"You alright, Jeremy?"
"Yeah, I guess. But... you saved me... even though we hate each other... but..."
"Why did I save you?" Marco smiled. "Simple. No one deserves this. Plus, you're my karate partner. And you're my friend, even if we don't see eye to eye. We have to stick up for each other, right?"
The two besties didn't know it, but Marco's words elicited a changed in the young white belt ranked boy. He promised himself to be better, not through special lessons and cheating equipment, but through hardwork, dedication, and kindness and compassion. He soon wizened up and mended his relationship with his parents, and he and Marco had gotten better overall.
"You better wake up soon, Diaz. So that I can kick your ass and be even." He said, and then left, leaving a parting look at Janna.
"Don't you see, Marco? Jeremy... he's not the only person you've changed. You've done a lot of good in us."
"Please wake up soon, Marco... we all miss you. I miss you." She hugged him, and went to sleep on the bed in the room.
She would've slept right next to him, embracing him, never letting go.
But... she was afraid. Both for Marco and for herself.
Day 47.
47 days in, and Marco still has not recovered from his coma. And unfortunately, drastic changes are needed. It was the weekend.
A lot of people in town had visited Marco. Some left flowers, some left 'wish you well' cards, and some left heartfelt letters for him. But still, none more so had visited him than Janna, who has not missed a day seeing him, staying with him, opening up with him. Possibly even loving him.
"Is it getting worse, doc?" Janna asked as she looked at Marco in concern.
"Unforntunately so. He needs to be put on life support, or else we'll lose him." The doctor explained.
She heavily breathes, clutching her heart.
"Oh god... oh god... no... no... I can't..."
"Janna, it's alright. It's alright." Star tries to calm her down...
...to no avail.
"NO IT'S NOT!" She lashes out.
"Damn it, Marco is possibly on the verge of dying right now! There is no way that things are going to be alright!"
"I know that! But we have to be strong for him."
"HOW?! TELL ME HOW!"
She then noticed the sad gaze Star gave her, and she calms down.
She sighs. "I'm really sorry for that Star. I just..."
Then she saw Star smile.
"You love him, don't you?"
Through the tears, she gave a smile.
"I guess I do. Always have, always been since we were kids." She turned to Marco. "That day... it was all my fault. Gods I hate myself..." she said as she remembers the painful memory of that day...
"Why is it that you still take my keys Janna? Don't you get tired of it by now?" Marco asked as he saw her fiddling with his house keys, for probably the umpteenth time.
Marco and Janna were walking by the sidewalk, no vehicles in sight, just the two of them under the moonlight.
"If it gives me a chance everyday to tease you, safe kid, of course it won't tire me."
"I guess that's you. Say, how's that thing going on?"
"The project? It's going alright. Say, I need someone to go with me to this magic place I've heard. It's got some cool witchcraft stuff I can try to do. Can you?"
"Yeah, sure, Janna. I'd love to." He said, as he let Janna rest on his shoulder, blushing a bit, but calming himself down afterwards.
Marco didn't know when or where it started, but he had began to notice Janna more than his old crush Jackie, slowly changing his feelings from the blonde skateboarder to the beanie-wearing, raven-haired thief. The signs were so obvious to most, not including the two, (heck they've even playfully flirted at some points!) that Star eventually changed from 'Jarco' as she'd put it (sometimes she'd call it 'Marckie', strange as it is, but that's one of her defining traits as being both weird (in a good way) and quirky) to 'Janco'.
As it would turn out, Jackie had also been somewhat aware of the latino's crush on her and eventual crush on her best friend. She had been somewhat confused on how to approach it, but she was thankful that when they had conversed, Marco was more calm and reserved, unlike the old him where he was blushing more and stuttering his words. She smiled at those old memories. The two had now become good friends since then.
A little push from Star earlier in the day was all that needed him to try to confess that he indeed loved Janna. He looked up in the night sky and he saw one little songbird fly through the starry sky. He smiled, finally having the courage to do what he wants to do.
"Hey Janna, can we stop here?"
"Hm? Yeah sure." They both stopped.
He turns to the girl.
"Well... what are you going to say, Safe Kid?" She playfully asked, a small beautiful smile etched on her face. Marco felt like he was gonna melt under her if he keeps on witholding his words and just staring into her beautiful features.
"I've been meaning to tell you something. It's been on my mind for a long time."
She laughed a bit. "Come on, Marco, don't beat around the bush! Just tell me!"
Sure she was the typical teasing Janna on the outside, but she was actually internally panicking, putting up the facade to hide her nervousness. Was he about to confess to her? Did she like him that much? What should she say when he confesses? Is she even prepared for it? Or what he will say will just be something else?
For a time, when Janna had been ridiculed by many back then due to her personality and clothes, it was the catalyst for her change in, well everything, with a few notablr exceptions in Marco, Jackie, and Hope. She had done a complete one-eighty in the next year, abandoning her old girly-girl personality, becoming more of a tomboy, and developing an interest in the more strane. She had been warmly accepted as one of the 'guys' when she was in that circle before, until those 'friends' changed schools. But even then, there was one thing many of the people she met overlook.
They forget that Janna is just like everyone else belonging to their genders. Yes she's weird, too weird for some, she has interests in the things no one ever bothers due to it being too strange, and possibly disgusting, but she's still a girl, and she never felt like one until Marco had entered her life. But she felt that she had been taking that for granted. She hoped the words he'll say were not what she thought he will say.
"Alright, Janna. I'll take your words. I've liked you. For a long time."
Janna's heart stopped, but Marco continued on.
"I don't even know when it began, but I just started to notice you more than the others, even more so than Jackie. It's like... you're someone I'm drawn to so much. I mean, you take no shit from anyone, you're confident, you're just as weird as Star sometimes but I'm alright with it, we relate to each other a lot... and... you're just... beautiful.
"Marco..."
"I'm taken by you a lot, I mean, when I see you, I get flustered, I feel happier too, and... I just feel this pit in my heart that I should just be with you... everyday. It might even be that I love you..."
"Marco... please..."
"I don't know what to feel. I've been with you since kindergarten, and you've been one of my closest friends. I just... don't know what to do if I'm without you-"
"MARCO!"
Marco stopped, surprised at Janna's sudden outburst. He saw some tears leaking out as she held herself in her hands.
"Oh god Marco... I don't know... I don't know what to feel. I mean, can you even consider me to be one of your closest friends, hell someone you want to be with a lot? I've played with you, stole your house keys on an everyday basis, teased you a lot, trying to hide these... things... in my heart, even got you in danger sometimes... I can't... I can't think this through."
"Janna... it's alright... don't worry it too much." He told her.
"No Marco, you don't get it! I've been harming you ever since we've grown to elementary! I don't even remember why I do these everyday anymore! I've been alone and I felt alone for so long, even with Jackie, and then you came and changed all that... you made me feel wanted... alive... caring... and yet, I'm confused about what I feel about you... I don't know what to feel anymore..."
"Janna..." He tries to get closer to her. She lashes out and cries.
"No Marco! Keep your distance! I'm sorry Marco, but I cannot give you an immediate answer right now!" She then runs away from him and onto the street...
... and right into an incoming car, driven by a sleepy driver. The half-lidded eyes noticed the girl and immediately used the horn, the lights intensifying.
The lights blared, and she stopped running and tried to shield herself in fear at the car that was about to kill her...
Marco saw all this.
'Janna! '
On instinct, he ran faster than he thought he could towards the girl he loved.
"JANNAAAAAAA!" He yelled out as he pushed her away.
Almost a second later, the car grazes Janna's foot, and it impacts Marco's body.
She safely impacts the ground, and ends up seeing the horrifying sight of the accident that struck the boy.
She felt shock at Marco's sudden act. Then she felt fear. Then she felt the realization.
And all she wanted to do now was to scream.
"MARCOOOO!"
"Now you see, Star? This is all my fault." She was then huggged by the magical princess.
"I promise you, Janna. He will get better. I promise. If he was awake, he'll tell you that it isn't your fault, because Marco... he chose his decision."
"Star?"
"Yeah?"
"Why... why do the good people have to die early, while the bad people live on? He doesn't deserve this. For all the good he's done, he doesn't deserve to be in a coma. And for all I've done to him... I don't deserve him."
"Janna... he loves you with all his heart, despite what people say about you being very strange. He'll go through everything to be with you."
Soon after everything has calmed down, the two girls left.
Marco still has not been put on life support yet.
And then one of his fingers rose.
Day 48.
Janna arrived thinking Marco had already been put on life support. It was the weekend, and she went over early in the morning.
When she opened the door to his room, she saw frazzled blankets, an open window, and no sign of the boy she loved.
She screamed in terror. She looked around, yelling out his name. She looked outside the window, and looked down, and thought of the worst possible outcomes.
However, she heard the rustling of the door. She turned around, and she saw him.
Marco, fully alive, awake, and well. He was holding a bottle of soda as he returned to his room.
"Janna?" He called out to her. He never got her reaction as he was tackled by her, bringing both of them to the ground, causing the boy to release the soda bottle he was holding, with Janna on top of him. He then felt soft lips make contact with his, and he realized that Janna was kissing him.
Wait... Janna was kissing him! He was being kissed by the girl he has had feelings for a long time!
Without hesitation, he kisses her back, and he wraps one of his arms around her back and she places her hands on his cheeks. He pushes his tongue inside her mouth, with Janna allowing him to do so as they deepened the kiss. She moans from his actions and uses her tongue to make contact with his. Marco moans in pleasure. When it came time for the need to breathe, they pull away. Janna lies next to him as they never broke eye contact.
"Yes. Yes. Fucking hell yes. I love you Marco. So much." Janna said.
Marco smiled, tears leaking out.
"I... I don't know what to say." He said. She places a finger on his lips.
"Shhh... don't say anything. Just hug me." She said. He comes closer to her and he embraces her.
"I've missed you. I've missed you for so long, Marco." She tightens her hold on him.
"I know... I know. But I'm here now." He comfortingly said as he soothingly rubbed her back to alleviate her of any sadness.
"Yeah, but... I was the reason I got you into this mess! It's all my fault! I never should've ran away from you that day... I just wish I could've done something better... I just wish-" She got cut off as Marco silences her with a kiss. She melts into the kiss and moans.
As he pulled away from her, Marco told her, "It's not your fault Janna. I made that decision to confess, and to save your life because I love you. Trust me, Janna. It's all in the past, and as I said, I'm here now, right? I won't ever leave you. I love you too much for me to do that." He smiled.
"Don't cry, Janna. You're too beautiful to cry."
And then a second later, he felt a small punch on arm. He looked at Janna smiling teasingly at him.
"That was too clichéd, Diaz."
He lauhed. "Well, it happens,"
They both then stood up, and he picked up the soda bottle on the ground.
"Once I'm cleared, do you wanna go see that magic store you were talking about?"
Janna puts a thinking look and then she smiles and shakes her head.
"I think I just want to go home and just lay in bed with you. It's been quite a morning." And then she hotly blushes. "No not like that! I meant it in a sort of romantic way, or something like that... gah!"
Marco chuckles, smiling as he looked back at her.
"If that's what you want, Janna, I'd love to."
She stops stammering and she looks at him, the bright blush still on her face. She kisses him briefly before pulling away quickly.
"Hey Marco?"
"Yeah?"
"I've got your house keys." Marco laughed as he chased her, Janna laughing along as she ran from him around the hospital.
'You're still you Janna. I'm happy. That's what I love about you.'
'Marco... thank you... for making me happy again.'
It didn't matter what they thought about her. Their minds were made up. Nothing could change that they'll always love each other.
AN: Well, I hope you all liked it. I've been a fan of Imagine Dragons for some time now, and hearing this song kinda gave an idea to work around. Expect some future oneshots to be inspired by their songs along with Linkin Park. It gets harder to balance what to write first for me, since I have other stories to tend to, like Levi & Jackie. You can check that out on my profile if you're interested.
It's strange how there's still no character entry for Janna here. Anyways, as stated earlier, requests can be accepted depending on said request. It can be romance, drama, friendship, among others. However, if you want me to do a romance oneshot, I can only pair Marco with either Star, Jackie, Janna, Sabrina, or Brittney.
Also, reviews and constructive criticisms are warmly accepted. I would really like to hear from you guys.
I don't know when will my next one-shot will be out, but I have a lot planned.
(Edited 11/7/16): As I had said in the edited section, this will now be standalone with the title changed. More will still be coming, however, so don't worry.