Marco's journal entry 195: Everything has gone to hell and I don't know if I can get me and Jackie out of this alive. I wish she would have stayed back home. We lost contact with Tom and Hekapoo has gone berserk. We are currently holed up in a ruined house about a mile from the castle. Toffee has it well defended and I still can't feel my arm. I'm afraid I might have to call off Star's rescue. Jackie and I are surrounded by enemies with no shelter, no gear, no friends, no hope. I have no choice, we need to escape and regroup, live to try again. May Glossaryck have mercy on my soul.

Eight years earlier.

"Goodbye!" Star ran back to her room in tears.

"Star wait!" Marco ran to catch up with her. "What do you mean-huh!"

Her room slowly began disappearing until nothing left of Star remained. Marco could do nothing but stand there as every trace of his best friend vanished before his eyes.

When Marco didn't come back downstairs Jackie decided to check on him. As she entered the room, she saw Marco lying on the floor. "Marco, whats wrong?" Jackie asked a look of concern spread over her face.

Marco looked at Jackie and it was clear to her he had been silently crying, the tears still on his cheeks. "Star's gone. There isn't a trace of her left." Marco replied, his voice was cracking. "My best friend is gone. she just... left."

"Well can't you just go see her? talk things out?"

Marco just shook his head. "No Jackie you don't understand. Star went back to her dimension and took all of her magical stuff with her. There is no way to get to her."

Jackie thought for a second, "Well maybe if you-"

"MAYBE IF I WHAT!?" Marco yelled, immediately regretting his outburst.

Jackie Had a look that was a mixture of hurt and anger. "Don't snap at me like that," her voice was low, "I was only trying to help. I don't deserve to get my head bitten off."

"You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you. Please, just go back downstairs and enjoy the party. I need a few minutes."

Jackie wanted to argue but Marco looked devastated. His eyes were were red from tears, all light gone from them, his breathing was ragged and his voice was threatening to break. She decided it would be best to leave him be for the time being so he could calm down. So with a nod she got up and walked down to rejoin the party.

Marco sat there in silence for another half hour thinking of what star said and what it meant. He had just learned that his best friend had a crush on him and now she was gone. He was going through a sea of conflicting emotions. Anger that Star left immediately after dropping a bombshell like that. Sorrow, that his best friend had abandoned him. A few other emotions that were confusing and he didn't want to think about.

Eventually he got tired of thinking and decided to head back downstairs. He didn't join the party and just sat on the couch staring blankly at the television.

Next thing Marco knew, someone was resting their head on his shoulder. He turned to see Jackie staring at him.

"Did you know?" she asked.

"Know what?"

Jackie rolled her eyes, "That Star had a crush on you? Before you and I got together, did-you-know?"

This caught Marco by surprise. he thought about it for a moment before giving his reply. "No, I had no idea. I only had a suspicion after Star's Song Day when Ruberiot mentioned it, and he wasn't subtle." He let out a sigh and then looked up thinking back to the past few months with Star. He couldn't think of a single time before the past few days that would have hinted at Stars feelings.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Marco looked at her. "Not really, I mean I don't think I'm ready to talk about it. I don't even understand my own feelings on the matter."

"Soo your response is to sulk on the couch?"

"Yeah, basically."

irritated, Jackie pinched Marco.

"OW! Why'd you do that?" He whined, rubbing his afflicted arm.

"Since when are you Mr. Quitter? You're the guy who told me every embarrassing secret in your twisted little closet just so you could ask me out. I mean what the hell Marco. If it's bothering you this much why won't you even look for a way to reach her?"

"Star took all of her magical items with her and I don't have any magic."

"That isn't true Diaz."

"Who said that? Identify yourself!" Marco demanded.

Janna popped up from behind the couch.

Marco nearly jumped out of his skin and fell hard on the floor.

"How and when did you get back there?" He asked, pulling himself back onto the couch.

"Well, people were leaving and i was bored. I saw the two of you on the couch and thought to myself, hey why not hide here and eavesdrop."

Marco shot her a withering glance before becoming alert again. "Wait, people are leaving?"

"Left." Janna corrected.

"When did that happen?"

Janna looked hesitant to reply. "Most took off after that whole scene with Star. It made them feel uncomfortable. The rest began to slowly shuffle out when they saw you come back down looking like your heart was kicked in the dick."

Jackie smirked. "Very classy way to put it." Her voice dripped with lighthearted sarcasm.

Janna just shrugged. "Hey I try."

Irritated, Marco decided to find out what Janna wanted so he could get rid of her. "What do you want Janna? You said I was wrong, so tell me what you know."

"Don't you have those fancy new scissors? I remember Star was telling me you ear- HEY WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

Marco was already running up to his room. Janna huffed. "Oh yeah, leave while I'm still talking, cuz that's not rude at all."

Digging through his room was yielding no results, so Marco started searching the rest of the house, all the while Jackie sat there on the couch next to Janna who was eating some popcorn.

After searching the entirety of the house, he still found nothing.

"Come on, where is it?" Then a thought occurred to him. "No. Star, you didn't. You wouldn't."

Star had taken the scissors. Marco was stuck on earth. Stranded with no way to find and throttle his friend.