(A/N: I know that I'm updating my stories one at a time, but I forgot about that, and just decided to update this story to give it a little head start. Anyway, enjoy!)

Starstruck

Ch. 1

On the big day, Shenzi put on a black Juicy Couture short-sleeved hoodie, zipped up almost fully, a black skirt with a white 50s poodle design, black and white striped knee-high socks with Hello Kitty and red bows, her classic Converse high-tops, black square cubic earrings, and her cookie half-heart necklace. After she grabbed her purse, and took her large poster out of its frame with help from Maya, they headed to the car.

On the way to the Big Mall, they picked up Kimi from her house. She wore a purple v-neck t-shirt with a black lips print, a black tutu skirt, and a black tattoo biker hoodie, all from Abbey Dawn, along with black Converse knee-highs with grey laces. In her ears were novelty earrings, one being a packet of French fries with a face on it, and one being a burger, her hair was in its usual two ponytails with red scrunchies, and she had her purse with her, which had a hand-drawn-like design with black polka dots on white, with a red bow on the black flap, and red straps. She also wore a milk half-heart necklace that went with Shenzi's, showing their friendship.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," Shenzi muttered as she bounced in her seat, her poster held in her lap.

"Calm down," Kimi giggled, "You don't want to be spazzy around this guy."

"I can't help it! I'm going to see him in person! I'm gonna get his autograph, and maybe even talk with him!"

"Who knows?" She shrugged. "Maybe you will."

"I hope so!" She raised an eyebrow in confusion when her best friend seemed to be giving her an elevator look. "What's wrong?"

"I was just making sure you don't have any visible bruises. You don't need anyone questioning you, especially Mandrake."

"'Kay. Um, there aren't any, right?"

"I don't see any."

"Okay, thanks for checking."

"No prob."

The young Goth's heart leaped in her throat when Maya parked in front of the mall entrance. "Okay, you two have fun. Shenzi, call me when you're done. I'll be at the grocery store."

"Alright, Mom! Thanks!" Shenzi bounded of the car, with Kimi following, and they walked in as Maya drove away. They were surprised to encounter the line not a second after entering the mall. "Whoa! Long line!"

"Guess we made it before it could get insane... er," Kimi remarked, as they quickly took their places. At least, Shenzi did, as her best friend stood next to her out of line. She clutched onto her poster as she waited eagerly, but patiently for her turn.

After quite some time passed, the two friends, who surprisingly had no one behind them, were close to see the table, and a certain someone. "There he is, Kimi! There he is!" Shenzi low-key squealed while gripping her arm tightly.

"You're crushing my bicep!" Kimi threw her hands off, and rubbed her sore arm, as her excited friend was unfazed.

There at the table, in all his glory, was Mandrake Waltz in his full movie costume, writing in a notebook for a girl, who looked to be a young adult and seemed even more excited than her, and finished with a slight jab with her pen. "There you go," The young Goth almost fainted at the sweet, humble tone in his voice. He's most certainly not like this in his movie!

The older girl practically leaped across the table, and tried to shove her lips onto his, but he instinctively jumped back, as if he were accustomed to this. Even without any sort of gesture, two security guards rushed over and dragged the struggling girl away. "Let me go! Me and Mandrake are totally meant to be!"

"Okay," He chuckled after she was gone, "Who's next?"

"Oh my God, we're getting closer," Shenzi started feeling anxious when they moved in the line, "Kimi, I-I can't breathe. I'm going to faint."

"Here!" Kimi hastily took a lunch bag, and gave it to her friend, who started breathing heavily into it, so it inflated and deflated in a pattern. "There you go. Just don't act like that psychopath, and you'll be fine."

"Mm hmm," She nodded through her attempt to keep calm.

After a while, the two friends were second to last in line. At this point, Shenzi's heart was pounding so hard, she felt like it was going to burst through her ribcage, and out of her chest. She felt light-headed again, but she could only take so much bag therapy, before the smell of sushi tentacles would become too much for her. Her heart skipped a beat when the person ahead of her was done, but to her horror, before she could walk up, a security guard put up a "closed" sign in front of her! "What?! No, you can't! You can't close it now! I'm the last in line!"

"Sorry kid," The security guard said with no remorse, "That's the breaks."

"Hey, she's the guy's biggest fan! And she's not like that crazy girl that tried to kiss him!" Kimi defended her friend. "Why can't you just let her in?!"

"Closed means closed, so why don't you two little girls just..."

"Hey, hey! What's going on here?" Shenzi's throat closed up. Mandrake was standing less than a yard away!

"These two girls are trying to get in after the signing was closed."

"Actually, I'm just escorting my friend," Kimi explained, "And she was the last in line!" She looked at the guard. "Can't you let her in?"

There was silence, until Mandrake spoke up. "Come on, she is the last one," He tried to reason with the rude guard, "Can't you just let her through?"

The man sighed, then moved the sign. "Alright, go ahead."

"Thanks!"

"Follow me." Mandrake led the two girls to the table as Shenzi tried to keep her cool. "Okay so, who came here for an autograph again?" He smirked.

"Uh," Shenzi uttered out, her brain shutting down.

"She did," Kimi patted her shoulder, "She's nervous."

"T-terrified," She stammered.

"Well, no need to be scared of me. I'm not like how I am in the movie," He chuckled.

"I'll leave you two alone," Kimi walked to another section of the store, "Don't go wack, Shenzi."

"N-no worries."

"So, what have you got there?"

"Um, I, a poster, f-from my room," She unrolled it on the table, "C-can you sign it for me, um, p-please?"

"Sure I will," Mandrake grabbed the white pen, and wrote his name on the backdrop, "What's your name?"

"Um, it, it's," She stammered, as he waited patiently, "She-She..." She cleared her throat, "Shenzi Johnson."

"Shenzi? I've never heard that name before. How do you spell that?"

"It, it's S-H-E-N-Z-I," She spelled it slowly, as he wrote it down, along with her surname.

"There you go," He finished.

"Thanks!" She carefully rolled the poster up. "Okay um, I'll go find Kimi."

"Wait!" He hastily stood up, making her stop and turn back. "Um, I, I don't really have any plans after this, other than having lunch. You want to join me?"

"O-okay! I'll just find my friend first, and tell her my plans. Come with me!"

"Alright," He agreed, and escorted her in finding Kimi, who was looking in the anime section.

"Hey! How'd it go?" The Japanese girl asked her friend.

"Great! I'm going to have lunch with Mandrake!" She nodded towards him.

"Wow, really? That's awesome! After I'm done here, I'm going to call my mom to pick me up. You two have fun."

"Thanks!" With that, the two walked out of the store.

"Well uh, this is a little embarrassing, but I've never come here before today," Mandrake confessed with his hand on the back of his neck, over his bat cloak, "What do you recommend?"

"Hmm," She looked around the food court, until something caught her eye. "I know the perfect place!"

l-l

"Okay, here we go!" She set the tray on the table. "Here's the change from what you gave me."

"Oh no, you keep that."

"What? I can't take your..."

"It's fine, really," He insisted.

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. Just think of it as me thanking you for recommending this place."

"Well um, a-anytime, and thanks." She sat down at the chair across from his, and started eating from Chipotle taco kit, as he took a bite out of his burrito. "How is it?" She asked him after swallowing.

"It's great," He nodded with a bit of surprise in his voice.

"That's good," A little shy smile grew on her face, "I know this isn't fancy, but..."

"You kidding? I don't like eating at fancy places. That's for uptight, pompous royals," He joked.

She laughed at that. "True."

"Have you ever eaten anywhere like that?"

"Umm, does Red Robins count?"

"I don't think so."

"Then no," She shrugged, "It and Outback Steakhouse are the fanciest I've eaten at, and they aren't even that formal."

"Ah."

"So um, I have this question for you."

"What is it?"

"Is Dagda really your son? Or is he just so in the movie?"

"He really is," Mandrake nodded.

"Cool! I loved his parts in the movie. It's too bad he died that early, though."

"Yeah," He shrugged, "Dagda's just not one to be in front of the camera."

"Ah," She nodded.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No," She shook her head, "I'm an only child."

"Hey, you!" They looked, and saw that crazy girl from before. "He's mine, you little skunk!" To his shock, she pushed Shenzi to the ground!

"Hey! What was that?!" He exclaimed angrily. "She wasn't doing anything wrong!"

The young Goth stood up, now angry. "Okay lady, you and I are going to have a problem if you don't get out of here." Although a security guard came, and escorted the older girl away, as Shenzi fixed her chair. "Phew. Thank goodness that's over."

"You okay?" He asked her in concern.

"I'm fine," She assured him, "Although I hit my head on the floor. I'll use an ice pack after I'm home."

After a few minutes, they were done, so they both stood up. "Here, I'll throw this out," Mandrake offered, but Shenzi stopped him.

"Wait! I'll do it," She grabbed the tray, "So you won't make a mess if you're bombarded by any other psychotic fangirls."

"You sure? If you're still hurt..."

"Don't worry, I'm good," She reassured, "I'll just be a minute." She walked to the nearest trash can, dumped everything off the tray, except the red basket, then came back to the table. "Okay, it's thrown out. Anyone try to shove their lips on you?" She giggled.

"No," He chuckled.

"Well uh, I hate to run off, but I'd better call my mom, and tell her to get me." After doing so, she hung up.

"Y'know, you're a really nice kid."

"I am?" She blushed.

"Yeah," He nodded, then gestured to her phone, "Can I see that for a minute?"

"O-okay," She gave it to him, and after a few seconds, he gave it back to her. "Thanks."

"Why don't you call me sometime, and we can just... talk? I just put my number in there."

"'Kay!" She nodded with a little eagerness. "Here, uh." She grabbed his phone, put her own number in, then gave it back. "There you go. But um... I'm only 12 years old."

"Oh, I'm not trying to get a date from you!" He assured her hastily. "I just think you'd be a good friend."

"Well, th-thanks," She stammered, her cheeks still flushed, "I think you'll be a good friend too." From the corner of her eye, she saw Maya come in through the entrance. "Oh, there's my mom. I'd better go."

"Okay," He nodded, "See you around, kid."

"You too," She then ran up to her mother, feeling more excited than she ever had been in her whole life. "Hey, Mom!"

"Hi, sweetie! How'd it go?" She smirked cheekily.

"It went great! I was the last in line, and they closed the event before I got my turn, but Mandrake convinced the security guard to let me in! And after I got his autograph, we had lunch together!"

"Ah," She nodded as she drove, "Wait, you had lunch with Mandrake? Wow! Where'd you go?"

"I recommended Chipotle to him in the food court," Shenzi replied, "He seemed to love it."

"Well, who doesn't?" Maya giggled.

"True," She shrugged, "I was pushed to the floor by a crazy fangirl, so I'll need the ice pack when we're home."

"What?! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Just a little sore. Oh, also, he gave me his phone number!"

"He what?" Maya asked in surprise.

"Yeah! He promised that he's not looking for a date with me, and I gave him my number! He said we could be friends!"

"Well that's great, honey, but be careful."

"I will."

"Oh, also, try to keep this under wraps at home when your father is around. You didn't tell Mandrake about him, did you?"

"No, I didn't," She shook her head, "It's still an uncomfortable subject. The only family question he asked me is if I have any siblings."

"Ah. I'm glad he didn't get too personal."

"Me too."

At home, Shenzi changed into her "Actually, I'm a Mermaid" pajamas with a purple long-sleeved shirt and blue scales-printed pants, along with Ariel scales slippers. As she sat in the living room, watching TV with a gel ice pack from the freezer tied to her head with a spare shirt, her phone rang and she answered. "Hey, Lil!"

"Hi, Shen! How'd the signing go?"

"It went great! At first, they closed it before I could get my turn, although I was last in line, but Mandrake convinced them to let me in. After I got his autograph, I had lunch with him!"

"Wow, that's so cool! Where'd you eat?"

"I recommended Chipotle to him, and he seemed to enjoy it."

"What'd you do after that?"

"We talked a little, then exchanged numbers," Shenzi added slyly.

"You did? Wow! Was he hoping you would date him? Isn't he like, a decade older than us?"

"He promised that he wasn't looking for a date. He just said that I'd be a good friend to him."

"Whoa, Shen. You have to be the luckiest person in our entire school! People will be all over you!"

"Yeah," She giggled, "Although... I'm not sure I would like that."

"Ohh," Lil understood without an explanation, "I'll keep this under wraps."

"Thanks. I'll tell Kimi to do that too."

"Sounds good. Well, I'd better go. It's almost supper time."

"Alright. I'll see you in school."

"You too."

Shenzi hung up, then selected Kimi's number, and received an answer. "Hey, Shenzi! How'd it go with Mandrake?"

"Good! We ate it at Chipotle after I suggested it, and he loved it!"

"That's understandable; their ingredients are so fresh!"

"Yep! After that, we talked a bit, and we exchanged numbers!"

"Whoa, really?! Is he looking for a date? He did break up with his girlfriend Venus recently."

"He promised that he's not. He just thinks we'd be good friends. So I'd better lug my bed out to the cemetery."

"That is so cool! You're the luckiest girl in our whole school!"

"Um, about that, can you not tell anyone at school? I don't want everyone bombarding me."

"No problem. Well, I can't stay for too long. I'm going out with Chuckie and our parents for supper." Chuckie Finster was Kimi's stepbrother, slightly older than both of them, and Shenzi usually spots him subtly making gaga eyes at her whenever she would visit. Although unfortunately for him, she wanted nothing more than friendship with him. If she did have a thing for him, then the song "Best Friend's Brother" from "Victorious" would suit the three of them. She had to admit, he was pretty easy on the eyes, but he just wasn't her type to date. She felt bad; he wasn't at fault, but that was how it was. He was a good friend to her, and she wouldn't risk ruining their friendship.

"Where are you going?"

"This cool sushi place Mom discovered."

"Nice! Well, I'll let you go. See you at school."

"You too." The two girls hung up, and after her eyes drooped, Shenzi turned the TV off, and flopped on the couch. She smiled as memories from the day flooded in her mind. Not only did she meet her favorite actor, she was now friends with him! She didn't think life would get any better than this. She was snapped out of her thoughts by a slap to the face; literally. "Ow!"

"Get off the couch!" Jack harshly commanded.

"O-okay," She almost whimpered, and jumped to the floor, then ran up to her room, holding the ice pack.

"Jack! What did you do?!" Maya yelled after seeing her daughter run upstairs fearfully.

She closed her door, and blocked out the argument by gazing around her room. It had dark pink walls, a soft, black carpet, a black desk for writing at, and slightly intimidating Akumu Ink portraits. Right in the middle was her now signed poster, which made her smile grow back. This was one of the best days of her life, and she was positive that she'll never forget it as long as she'll live. She remembered one little exchange they had:

"Um, no offense, but you're much nicer than I thought you would be."

"It's my movie, isn't it?" Mandrake chuckled.

"Yeah," Shenzi admitted.

"Well like I said, you don't need to be scared of me."

"I'm not, trust me," She giggled.

She looked at his number on her phone, and smiled at seeing his name. She never pictured herself befriending a celebrity, but now knew that it could happen. She was thinking of selecting his number when Maya called for her from the dining room. "Shenzi! Time to eat!"

"Okay, Mom!" She dashed downstairs, and smartly sat away from her father, as they ate mac-n-cheese, her taking a Lactaid for her lactose-entolerance. Considering it was a little hot, she didn't exactly want to face-plant into it. After finishing, she headed back to her room to think some more of her amazing day.

At a different house, Mandrake was lost in his thoughts after having dinner with Dagda. "How did the signing go, Dad?"

"Good," He replied, "Some girl tried to shove her tongue down my throat, but security took her away. Then I met this young girl last in the line. She was blocked by the closed sign, but I convinced the security guard to let her in, and he did. Then uh, I... had lunch with her."

"You had lunch with a young girl?" Dagda confirmed with surprise. "How old is she?"

"She's 12. After we ate, we exchanged numbers after I promised that I'm not looking for anything romantic with her."

"Ah," Dagda nodded, "What's she like?"

"She's really nice, but kind of shy. She was really nervous about meeting me."

"Well, people get nervous when meeting celebrities, Dad," Dagda smirked.

"I know," Mandrake chuckled.

"What's her name?"

"It's Shenzi Johnson."

"Shenzi? Interesting name. What is that, German?"

"I dunno, I didn't ask. I didn't want to ask her any personal questions, and make her feel uncomfortable. When we're better friends, I'll ask her."

"A'ight. Well, I'll be in my room if you need me."

"Have fun in there." When he was alone, Mandrake thought of his new friend. She seemed like a great kid; sweet, humble, modest. He figured that she had good parents that raised her right. Halfway, he was right, but on the other hand, he was oh so wrong.

(A/N: There's the first official chapter! You know the disclaimer. Just a little note, I know that "Shenzi" is a Swahili word. I just had Dagda guess that it's German.)