'It's getting more difficult…'
Star smiled as she listened to Marco lamenting on his inability to ask Jackie out. He had been going all morning. From the second that she sat down for breakfast all she heard was Jackie, Jackie, Jackie, Jackie. Now the name grated on her ears and made her struggle to retain her positivity. She is his best friend and she needs to support him…no matter how much it hurts.
The truth is that Star has been feeling more than friendly toward her bestie for a while now. It had started after the Blood Moon Ball. They both went to bed after getting back, but the Mewni Princess had remained awake for hours after. She lay there replaying the memory of the mysterious stranger sweeping her up in his arms and leading her across the dance floor. The image of those soulful mocha eyes with the light from the Blood Moon playing off his iris's reminding her of how weightless she had felt. It was different from what she had felt with Tom…better.
Star only dared admit to herself that she actually liked that feeling. She has never told anyone, not even Pony Head. It had been difficult to go back to normal with him after that, but she had no choice. He had only danced with her at the Ball to get her away from Tom and he was head over heels for Jackie.
The Mewni Princess had experienced insecurity before. Her mother was the perfect Queen and the expectation was that Star would turn out to be equal or better. There had been days back on Mewni when it was all she could think about. She would sit on the castle roof and compare herself to her mother. Every flaw stood out like a dark stain on white linens.
Those flaws seemed to stand out that much more prominently when Star thinks about what Marco sees in Jackie. It is undeniable that Star is beautiful and friendly and fun but she is also overly excitable, stubborn, and impetuous. Marco is a meticulous and careful person by nature. Jackie may not be as calm as him, but she is certainly not the whirlwind that Star is. In that way, Marco and Jackie are perfect for each other. Her cool demeanor matches his nervous wavelength.
That did not make it hurt any less.
"I guess I'll see you after class then," Marco said.
They had already made it to their first class. The safe kid took his seat at the front while Star slid into hers three rows down. She stared at him for the entire period.
TCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTC
Star sat bolt upright in bed later that night. One hand clutched her wand while the other grasped the neckline of her night dress.
'A dream…' she thought, 'or a nightmare.'
She could not decide which.
Star flopped back onto her bed with a sigh, throwing her arm over her forehead. The dream had been about Marco. In it Star had been Jackie and the safe kid had finally plucked up enough courage to ask her out. It had been a dream come true and the worst gut punch of her life. She did not know if it was good or bad that she had said yes.
The Mewni Princess laid awake for an hour before rolling out of bed. She could not get back to sleep. The dream kept knocking around in her skull. She bit her lip in indecision as she eyed her spell book. It would not take much…if she could mow down Ludo and his minions with an army of war horses it could not be too difficult to…
But it was wrong and when Marco found out, because he would find out, then their friendship would be done. Unless…
Star opened the spell book. Glosserick rolled over with an inelegant snort. She had to say his name a few times before he decided to crack an eye open and answer.
"Star, it's the middle of the night."
"I know," The Mewni Princess answered, "but I need a spell."
"For?" the book genie prompted.
"I want to change my appearance."
Glosserick sat up and crossed his legs. His violet eyes did not blink as they surveyed the Princess. Star was usually not intimidated by Glosserick's stare, but this time she found herself biting the inside of her cheek in agitation.
"Are you talking about a mirage or…?"
Star exhaled, relieved that Glosserick had not asked. "I want to transform into the physical form of someone."
Glosserick had already begun turning the pages. "This one should do it."
"Thank you," Star breathed.
The book genie moved to dive back into its pages, but hesitated. "You know Star…it won't be real unless you do it as yourself."
The Mewni Princess froze, a lump forming in her throat. He knows.
But Glosserick was already gone and Star was left alone, staring at her wand in the darkness of an empty room.
TCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTC
Star left early the next morning. She scribbled a quick note about meeting up with Jana before school and left it taped to her door. In truth, the Mewni Princess was meeting with someone, but it was not Janna. The person in question showed up at their agreed meeting place minutes after Star.
"Morning Star," Jackie greeted, "where's the fire?"
Star smiled, though it did not quite meet her eyes. "Sorry for calling you out so early Jackie, I really appreciate it."
"No big, that's what friends are for right?" Jackie answered.
"Yeah, so…can I ask you something?" Star asked.
"Sure."
"Do you like Marco?"
Jackie blinked, "Um…"
"Do you like him as a friend? Do you like-like him? If you don't is there any way you could ever come to see him like that or-?"
"Whoa, whoa Star, slow down girl," Jackie laughed, "what's this all about?"
The Mewni Princess flushed and glanced at her hands. "I…um…just wanted to know is all…."
"Well, Marco is pretty cute. It's also adorable how nervous he gets when he's embarrassed. I guess that I like him. I mean I wouldn't turn him down if he asked me out." Jackie paused as if struck by a sudden thought, "Why? Do you like him or something because I can- "
"No!" Star blurted. She threw her hands up with a burst of laughter. "I just wanted to know because I think you guys would make such a cute couple! I want to ask if you would be alright with me setting you guys up. Say this Saturday?"
Jackie smiled, "Yeah I would be cool with that. Where and when?"
"I'll text you the details later."
"Cool," Jackie replied, already putting her helmet back on. "Thanks Star!" the skater waved as she rode away.
Star raised her hand in a stiff wave as Jackie rounded the corner.
TCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTC
"I couldn't do it…"
Star was sitting in the center of her room, staring at the spell she had been studying the night before. The plan had been to ask Jackie to avoid her normal hallway on her way to class that morning. Then Star would be free to ride down the hall as Jackie and ask Marco out. It was a flawed plan, but it would have guaranteed at least one date with her bestie before things went up in flames. They might have even kissed.
The Mewni Princess wrapped her arms around herself as a single tear worked its way down her cheek. Oh, it had hurt to hear that Jackie had feelings for Marco. At the last moment, Star had found herself asking about the skater's feelings for her bestie. If she had said none, then Star would have gone ahead with the plan, but…
'…But how could I ruin it for Marco when he actually has a chance…?'
She could not do that to him. So instead she had made up a story about setting them up on a date. Marco had been so happy when she had told him…
"Star are you serious!?" Marco shouted, looking equal parts elated and horrified.
She nodded and clapped her hands together in what she hoped was a good imitation of her usual exuberance. "Yeah! I originally just wanted to confirm that she likes you, but one thing led to another…"
"Thank you so much Star!"
His arms wrapped around her and took her off her feet. Laughing happily, he spun them in a circle. The next thing she knew, her feet were back on the ground and he was raving about what they would do and what he should wear and what if he made a total fool of himself…
"I even helped him plan it…" Star sniffled, "a picnic in the park followed by a nice stroll downtown."
Her shoulders trembled as the sniffles turned to suppressed sobs. In the dark loneliness of her room Star allowed herself to fall apart. She cried until her temples throbbed and her throat was raw. She cried until the tears dried up and left her lying on her side with her knees curled up to her chest. Then long after the tears had dried she stood up and reached for her dimensional scissors.
TCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTC
Marco came home Saturday night in good spirits. His date with Jackie had not been as magical as he had always imagined it being, but it was still great. Star had been right when she suggested the park first. Jackie had taken great pleasure in teaching him how to ride her board when she found out that he had never ridden one before. It was fun, not as terrifying as he had always assumed it to be. Marco may even end up purchasing his own board from the sports shop that Jackie had insisted they go to when they were walking around town.
'Or maybe some roller blades instead…' the martial artist mused as he closed the front door behind him.
"Marco, is that you?" Mrs. Diaz called as she came out of the kitchen, drying her hands with a towel.
"Yeah Mom, what's up?"
The teenager had noticed the crease between his mother's eyebrows, a clear indication that she was worried.
"Is Star not with you?" She asked.
Marco shook his head, "Why? Isn't she home?"
"No…she didn't come down for breakfast and her room was empty when I went up to check on her earlier. I assumed that she went on one of her adventures, but…"
Mrs. Diaz eyed the clock, "She's never been out this late without leaving a note or calling before…"
"I'm sure she's alright mom," Marco reassured.
Four hours later found Marco alternating between sitting on the sofa and pacing the room. Mr and Mrs Diaz had also taken to waiting up along with their son. Mrs Diaz was on her third cup of coffee while Mr Diaz had grabbed a few chunks of wood from the shed and whittled them into three five-inch duck sculptures. Every ten minutes he would glance at the front door.
Marco checked his phone again. No missed calls or texts. He tried dialing her number. "Hi! This is Star Butterfly! I can't come to the phone right now, what with monsters to fight and happiness to spread, but leave a message and I'll call you back!"
The safe kid frowned and ended the call without bothering to leave a message. He had already left ten concerned voicemails and did not see the necessity of adding another.
It was ten minutes before three when the dimensional tear opened. Mr Diaz abandoned his whittling and Mrs Diaz rushed out of the kitchen. Marco felt the relief, quickly followed by anger. He was certainly going to give Star a talking to about this. What could she have possibly been doing that made her get home this late?
But instead of the familiar spiked boots, a pair of webbed feet stepped through the portal. It was not until he heard his mom shriek Star's name that Marco fully comprehended what he was seeing. Buff Frog was standing in the middle of the living room holding a bloody and unconscious Star Butterfly in his arms.
The skirt of her dress was in shreds. One boot was missing. The front of her dress was stained crimson. Blood ran down her arm and dripped from her fingertips to stain the living room rug.
Buff Frog crossed the room to lay Star on the sofa while Mrs Diaz went to get the first aid kit. Mr Diaz left to get a few blankets. Marco could only stand there and stare dumbly at the prone form of his best friend.
TCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTC
Ugh.
The first thing that she felt was the warmth. The second thing was the dull throb in her shoulder and head. Upon cracking an eye open she realized that the former was from the blanket draped over her. Star had to struggle a bit to remember the reason for the second.
'That's right…I got distracted…'
The Mewni Princess cursed her own weakness. She had gone to Buff Frog after crying her eyes out in the hope that he knew where a few rogue monsters could be found. Luckily, he did, though he was reluctant to share that information. She eventually managed to use her puppy dog eyes to convince him. The fight had been glorious. She could not remember the last time that she had gotten to fight that hard or that long. But it had only taken a moment. Just an instant of hesitation as she remembered that Marco would usually be at her side during these fights, watching her back.
The sword went straight through her shoulder. Star could remember zapping the monster that had done it and pulling the sword out in a blind panic. She could not remember what happened next, though it must have been significant for her to end up back in the Diaz household.
The Mewni Princess groaned as she sat up on the Diaz's sofa. The blanket pooled around her waist. The dress she had been wearing was absent, replaced by a loose tank top. Her tights were still intact. Bandages covered her right arm from the shoulder down to her elbow. Star cradled her injured arm as she stood, wincing when the movement tugged at the damaged muscle.
After making sure that she was steady on her feet Star shuffled to her room. Maybe Glosserick would know a good healing spell.
TCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTC
After receiving Buff Frog's recount of events and treating Star's injuries, Mr and Mrs Diez finally went to bed. Marco elected to sit up and watch over Star. Nobody wanted to try moving her from the sofa. After three hours in a chair Marco had finally granted himself a break. He just could not stand looking at Star's blood matted hair and pale face anymore. So, he went to the bathroom to splash some water on his face.
Why did she do it?
He had been turning Buff Frog's story around in his head for hours and still had no idea. Usually Star was easy to read. Her reasoning was flawed and her actions not very well considered, but Marco liked to think that he knew her well enough to guess what she was thinking most days. She had gone to Buff Frog and asked if there was a den of monsters around with the intent of picking a fight with them.
Star did love to fight and they had not gotten much action lately, but she always satisfied the urge by substituting dangerous adventures in the past. She also made sure to take a friend with her. She always made sure to take Marco with her. Was it because he was on a date with Jackie? Had Janna and Pony Head been busy? The martial artist sighed and used to towel on the rack to dry his face before exiting in the bathroom. He would have to wait until she woke up to ask her.
Upon stepping back into the living room Marco discovered the sofa empty. There was a momentary flash of panic before he bolted for the stairs.
TCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTC
"This should do it," Glosserick said. He tapped a finger on the page containing the spell before backing away so that Star could read it.
"Thanks…" Star mumbled.
She placed the tip of her wand on the bandaged shoulder and started mumbling the words. A prickly, searing feeling entered the wound, followed by a blast of cold.
"It will still be tender for a few days and you'll need to get something to eat and drink soon. The spell caused rapid cell growth that accelerated the healing process. The drawback is that the natural components in your body were still used in the process. Healing takes energy, especially when growing back muscle and healing bone."
"Mhmm…" Star nodded. She could feel the sudden heaviness of her body and her heartbeat in her temples.
"You have a concussion too," Glosserick pointed out.
"Just a small one," The Mewni Princess countered, "I'll take care of it later."
"That spell was designed to be used on flesh wounds, not head trauma. Better to let the concussion heal naturally," the book genie advised.
"Alright."
Silence reigned. Star expected Glosserick to disappear back into the pages of the spell book. She hoped that he would do it soon, he was staring at her with that penetrating look again and it was making her uncomfortable…
"You did the right thing Star."
Her breath hitched in her throat.
"I can't say that it was smart to run off and get yourself nearly killed beating up monsters but what you did with Jackie took real courage."
"Glosserick…" Star breathed.
Glosserick gave her a smile that was not proud or sympathetic, but wise. From the surreptitious book genie, it was a high compliment. Then he was gone. Disappearing back into the pages of the book that he called home. Star sniffled and wiped a tear out of the corner of her eye.
The door flew open and Star jerked. Her hand fumbled for the wand. Pain shot up her arm and she hissed, clutching it with her free hand. Then Marco was kneeling beside her and asking if she was alright. His hand, calloused from years of karate, supported her elbow. The Mewni Princess felt the familiar warmth trickle through her veins. It only lasted a moment. Then she was pushing his hand away as the sour thoughts returned. Thoughts she should not even be having because she is his best friend and nothing more. "I'm okay. Don't worry about it," Star insisted.
"Star…" Marco pressed. Then, recognizing her stubborn posture, he signed and sat down cross legged beside her. There was silence.
"You shouldn't have moved. That isn't exactly a scratch you know."
Star breathed out a frustrated puff of air, "I used a healing spell. It'll be fine now."
"Then why are you still cradling it like it hurts?"
"According to Glosserick it'll be sore for a few days, but that's it," Star replied.
Her tone was sharp and defensive. That warned Marco not to press the issue further and he did not. Though he could not help but ask the question that had been knocking around his brain all night. "Why did you go alone?"
"What?" Star asked, momentarily thrown by the sudden change in subject.
"I know that there haven't been as many monster attacks since that thing with Toffee, but if you were looking to pick a fight you should have brought someone with you. Janna or Pony Head maybe. Heck, I would have tagged along if you had waited one more day…."
Marco paused to assess her posture and expression. The tense set of her shoulders, the way she was biting her lip, and the way she was playing with her hands in her lap spoke of anxiety.
"So why did you go alone?"
"I've fought monsters by myself plenty of times before. I just…I got distracted alright! Let my guard down for a second over something stupid and one of them got me, but it isn't a big deal!" Star shouted. Her knees came up to her chest and she wrapped her free arm around them while angling her body away from Marco.
"Not a big deal?" the martial artist echoed incredulously, "Star do you see these injuries? You could have died! If it weren't for Buff Frog you probably would have."
"Yeah well I didn't!" Star countered. The Mewni Princess was feeling defensive now. She knew that she had been stupid and had no excuse for that. But she was alive and healing and did he really have to remind her about what an idiot she had been? The claustrophobic feeling proved to be too much and she shot to her feet. Still cradling her injured arm, Star began to cross the room to her vanity. Marco followed, "That isn't the point Star!"
She ignored him and flung the top drawer open. Pawing through the contents, she did not see what she was looking for and slammed it shut before doing the same to the next drawer. The whole time Marco stood behind her yelling and asking if she was listening to him. By the time she found her spare pair of dimensional scissors his voice had reached an octave she had not been aware that he could hit.
Normally she would feel sheepish and properly chastised after being yelled at by Marco. At least she thinks she may have felt that way. He had never yelled at her like this before. Exasperated screaming and sincere negotiation she was used to but never anger. Or at the most, anger to a lesser degree. Which can basically be classified as exasperation.
The Mewni Princess was surprised by how little she cared right now.
So needless to say, she was less than happy when Marco decided to catch her wrist as she moved to tear open a portal that would get her away from his interrogation.
"Let. Me. Go. Marco!" Star hissed as she tried to yank her hand from his grip.
"What, so you can go and get yourself killed?" He countered.
"What do you care anyway!?" The Mewni Princess returned. A sudden bout of lightheadedness made her waver on her feet. Spots appeared at the edges of her vision. But she continued to yell, "It's my life and I'll do whatever I want with it! If I feel like fighting a bunch of monsters, then I will! If I want to go out partying with Pony Head, then I will! If I want to get out of here, then I'm going! It's better than-than…"
Star trailed off as the spots grew. Her head felt heavy and it was getting difficult to maintain her balance. It was like she was being sucked into a vacuum and all she could think was 'Not here, not now…' as she pitched forward into Marco's arms. She was dimly aware of him calling her name but nothing else until she came back to her senses a few moments later. Star was laying on her bed with Marco sitting beside her.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
There was no sign of the anger from earlier, only genuine concern. Star flexed her hand and discovered that the scissors were gone. Upon looking behind Marco she saw that they were on her nightstand.
"Star…?" he said.
Her eyes shifted back to him and any plans she had been concocting about knocking him out of the way and grabbing for the scissors evaporated. It was those mocha eyes again. The ones from the Blood Moon Ball. The ones from the aftermath of her Mewberty. The ones from Toffee's defeat. The same eyes that always showed such acceptance and kindness for everyone. Even a useless Princess like her.
"Why…?" She asked, her voice dangerously close to cracking. "Why do you always have to do this…?"
Tears pooled in her eyes and she no longer had the energy to force them back as they cascaded down her cheeks. "You…you always say and do the sweetest things. You're always so nice and-and understanding. Nobody has ever been there for me like you've been and yet- "Star hiccupped. She was just so tired. So emotionally and physically exhausted. "…I just can't stop. I tried so hard, but…I think it's just impossible for me to stop loving you…"
TCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTC
Stars words had been so quiet that Marco barely heard them. Her breathing evened out in a clear indication of sleep after she had spoken the final syllable. He was left sitting on her bed, feeling like the sheets had been yanked out from under him.
Star loved him.
Star loved him.
Star loved him.
No matter how he said it, it still did not make sense.
Star was in love with Oskar. She had made that abundantly clear from the first moment she had laid eyes on him. Marco was no Oskar. They were about as different as two people could be. So how could Star possibly love him if she loves Oskar?
Tears glistened on Star's cheeks and Marco reached down to wipe them away. He had not noticed earlier, but her eyes were very red. Had she been crying before Buff Frog brought her home? It seemed to stand out so prominently against her pale skin. How had he not noticed?
'Because you were so worried about her…' His mind supplied.
The martial artist traced her cheek with his knuckles. Even the pink from the hearts on her cheeks was more subdued than normal. He could barely see the difference between the hearts and the rest of her skin. He did not like seeing her like this. That was why he had lost it and started yelling. It was the terror that he had felt upon seeing her in Buff Frogs arms, as well as the concern and stress of a sleepless night.
But Marco liked Jackie, right?
It is true that their date had been wonderful, great, even fantastic. But Jackie…she was no Star. With Star, Marco never worried about embarrassing himself. He did not have to try to be cool or act out to try and win her favor. Star just…accepted him. Jackie was fun to hang out with. She had said she found him and his 'safe kid' tendencies to be adorable. But still…it felt like there was something missing. It was just not what he had thought that it would feel like when he finally worked up the courage to go out with her.
Did that mean that Marco loved Star, not Jackie?
TCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTC
The next time that Star woke up it was to a hot breakfast of eggs, bacon, and fruit.
"So glad to see you awake and feeling better Star!" Mrs Diaz said as she placed the tray on the floor and helped Star sit up. Pillows were used to make her more comfortable. The Diaz matriarch fussed with the blankets and told her how worried everyone had been before reaching for the tray. The Mewni Princess took one of the pears first. Truthfully, she was not feeling very hungry but she nibbled on the fruit anyway.
"Um…where's Marco?" Star could not help but ask.
"Oh, he said that he had to go out and meet someone, but promised to be back before noon," Mrs Diaz answered.
Star swallowed a bite of pear. It landed hollowly in her stomach.
"Thank you for the food!" the blonde called after her host mother.
Mrs Diaz smiled as she closed the door.
TCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTC
Marco got home before noon as promised. He briefly greeted his mom and dad before making a beeline for Star's room. The Mewni Princess was curled up under her covers staring out the window. He stood with her back to him and willed himself to speak. She beat him to it.
"I'm sorry."
The words were soft with shame and resignation.
"Marco, you can forget what I said earlier, it…was wrong of me. I know that you like Jackie and she likes you. I think that- "
"You know I actually went to see Jackie this morning," Marco interrupted. In the silence following that statement Marco took a seat on the edge of her bed. The plastic bag that he had been carrying dropped to the floor.
"I told her that I just wanted us to stay friends."
Star shot up, ignoring the sharp pain in her arm as she opened her mouth to protest-
But Marco silenced her when his hands grasped her shoulders and eased her back down. "Don't do that Star, you're still injured."
"But- "
"I didn't tell her that because of what you said Star."
Her mouth clicked shut.
"Well…I guess it was because of what you said, but…look, it made me think about a few things. That date that I had with Jackie was good, great really. But when I compared it to all the fun that I have with you out on our adventures well…"
His mocha eyes lowered. Cheeks tinting red.
"…there was no comparison."
Star was looking at him with wide, confused blue eyes. Strange that he had never noticed how incandescent those eyes are. Feeling bold, Marco shifted closer and brushed her blonde locks away from her face. Without her headband, they tended to shoot out in all directions. She appeared to have showered in the time he had been gone as the blood was absent from her hair. He was glad for that.
"Star…" Marco breathed, "you know that we're best friends, right?"
"Yes."
"Nothing will ever change that, right?"
"Right…"
"Would it be weird if I said that I want to kiss you right now?"
Marco had already leaned down far enough to touch his forehead to hers. Incandescent blue met mocha through lowered lids. Her breath brushed his cheeks as she answered "No…I want to kiss you too."
Wish granted.
The jolt that shot down their spines was breathtakingly real. Marco's hand cupped Star's cheek while hers fisted his hoodie to draw him in closer. She smelled like a combination of flowers and candy, sweet but not obnoxiously so. He smelled warm, with the spicier note of his cologne complimenting that comforting scent in a way Star enjoyed.
They broke apart with a combined breath that was more of a relieved exhale. Marco kept his forehead pressed to hers as they savored this new intimacy. The world had shrunken to the space around them. It only consisted of him, her, and the connection that burned between them like an open flame.
"So…" Star breathed, "I guess this means that you…also…?"
Marco grinned, "I do."
"I'm not perfect you know," she blurted, "I get excited easy, don't think things through; I'm not graceful like a princess should be, I'm violent; I'm not strong."
"Star, you're the strongest person I know," he countered, "and as for the rest…those are all things I love about you."
"Besides," Marco continued, "I'm self-conscious, easily intimidated, paranoid, and wimpy."
"You aren't wimpy," Star protested, "and those are all things I love about you."
Marco chuckled, "I guess we really do work well together then."
"I guess we do…"
TCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTC
Later, when Mr and Mrs Diaz came up to check on Star, they would smile knowingly at each other before closing the door and heading back downstairs.
Marco would be lying atop the covers with his right arm acting as a substitute pillow for Star while his left rested on her waist. Star would be snuggled underneath the covers with the crown of her head tucked under Marco's chin and both hands clutching the front of his hoodie. They would remain thus until dinner.
TCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTCTC
Okay, so. This was not at all the direction I originally saw this fanfiction going in when I started writing it. When I first started, the idea was to write a story in which Star impersonates Jackie to get a date with Marco. I read a fanfiction the other day with this plot and decided to try my hand at it because, to be honest, I did not like how the original author handled it. No offense to anyone here but I REALLY hated that fanfiction.
The problem wasn't the plot. No, this is a brilliant idea for a fanfiction. The problem was that there was no depth to the characters. Here, I tried to add that missing component. I didn't realize how perfect it would turn out until I started writing.
I mean just think about it. Star's mother obviously cares for her daughter but she can't really express it because she's the Queen and, to quote her from the flag episode, "Butterflys don't do physical affection." She keeps her daughter at a distance because Star is going to be the Queen one day. A Queen needs to be strong and self-sufficient. Queen Butterfly also seems to have trouble expressing herself to her daughter. This isn't really surprising given that Star seems to have more in common with her father than her mother.
Given all this it is safe to assume that Star doesn't really sit down for long heart-to-heart chats with her mother. She probably doesn't talk about deep stuff with her dad either. The interests that she and her father share seem to be more along the lines of boar hunting, monster fighting, and general revelry. In that kind of atmosphere, you don't just turn to someone and try to talk about something serious. Besides, girls don't talk to their fathers about deep stuff like this. Or if they do, then they have the best dad in the world. But I digress, King Butterfly does not seem like that kind of dad.
As for Pony Head, she's a total party girl. Sure, Star might bring a few of her girl problems to her but she doesn't seem like the type to sit down and participate in a nice long talk. If Star ever were feeling down and went to Pony Head I have no doubt that Pony Head would spend five minutes cheering her up before dragging her off to a club or something to party the blues away.
Now, Pony Head is probably the only real friend Star had before coming to Earth because of how strict Princess life is. You make allies not friends. Star grew up with a lot expected of her and nobody to vent her insecurities to. She had to take care of herself a lot of the time. Not in terms of physical necessities but emotional. I wouldn't go so far as to call it neglect but I'm sure that it did some damage.
Then she goes to Earth and meets Marco. He's always there for her. He always listens to her and comforts her. He is completely different from her psycho ex. He's flawed in numerous ways and doesn't seem to care. He doesn't put on airs like everyone else in Star's life. How could she not fall in love with him?
With all of this in mind I started weaving it into the story as Star's motive for impersonating Jackie and asking Marco out. Because Marco had been getting bolder with his approaches and would have eventually asked Jackie out and Star viewed that as him leaving her. She didn't want to be alone again. But when I got to the part when Star was talking with Jackie the story took on a completely different shape.
As much as it would tear Star apart to see Marco with Jackie she also can't bear to trick him like that. Because, even though she's in love with him, they are still best friends. She couldn't bring herself to betray him. So, I changed the plan and the story pretty much took on a life of its own from there. As for Marco's abrupt about face with his feelings. Well, I noticed in the series that he is really open with Star but nervous and reserved with Jackie. It can be argued that it's because he likes Jackie that he acts this way but I see it differently.
Star has seen Marco at his absolute worst. She has supported him through thick and thin and he has done the same with her. They are the best of friends. That kind of trust is, in my mind, the perfect foundation for a romantic relationship. This is the kind of thing I wish that I could have with another person. I think that Marco has this deep connection with Star that he could never have with Jackie. Or maybe he could. Either way, it's my damn story and I'm a Starco shipper so there!
Now to finish, there are a few loose ends that I need to tie up with this story so you can expect a short chapter or two following this if I'm feeling productive. I'm going to publish this bad boy as completed regardless. You know, just in case I never get around to those two bonus features.
THECASTORBEAN
FREAKING HATES COLLEGE.