Chapter 4: Skipping A Grade (Welcome to Junior Year!)

The last week of summer passed by with Kim, Ron, Marco, and Star bonding with Kim and Ron's family. Soon enough, the school year had begun. With help from Wade and the Possibles/Stoppables, Marco and Star were able to transfer in as exchange students and documents were forged for them. By extraordinary luck, no missions popped up but Kim and Ron knew it was only a matter of time.

~~~SVTFE*KP~~~

The four of them walked into the school building. Well, the three of them did. Star flew in on her puffy pink cloud, Cloudy.

"Star, I don't think that's a good idea. We're new here, don't draw too much attention yet."

"Pff, relax Marco, everything is fine," Star gestured to the hallway full of students who stared at Star and her magic.

"Oh hey, K. Babysitting during school hours?" Bonnie sauntered up to them, eyeing Cloudy. "Pink is so middle school."

"Hello, B." Kim said, rolling her eyes, "Good to see you." She commented insincerely.

"This is Bonnie?" Star asked as she sat up on Cloudy, "Somehow I expected someone more...intimidating."

"Are these freshman kidding me? I'll have you know I'm on top of the food chain and you two are nothing."

"For your information, Bonnie, we're both juniors." Marco crossed his arms and frowned, "Besides you're the one to talk with your layered haircut. You'd think the most popular girl would have better fashion sense."

Bonnie scowled, "Kim, you need to keep your new losers on a better leash, and I thought Stoppable was bad enough."

"Why B, I didn't know you cared so much," Kim said with a smirk, "Are Star and Marco intimidating you?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes, "This isn't over, K." She walked away.

"That...was...awesome! Marco you really showed her!" Ron exclaimed as they walked to the office to pick up their schedules.

"She has nothing on Brittney Wong," he shrugged. "Maybe you should let Cloudy disappear now, Star."

Star leaned back onto the cloud, "Nah, I don't really feel like walking. Maybe later."

"POSSIBLE! STOPPABLE!" Barkin walked towards them, "What's the meaning of this?"

"Oh, uh, Hey Mr. Barkin," Kim said, "How's the school year going?"

Barkin scowled at Cloudy and Star, "It just started and I already have another Stoppable on my hands!"

Star nervously chuckled as she de-summoned Cloudy, "Heh heh, sorry about that, I'm-"

"Star Butterfly, I'm aware. You and Marco Diaz mysteriously transferred in last minute and already causing trouble." Barkin said, looking over some papers.

"For the record, I haven't done anything," Marco commented, crossing his arms.

"Yet. We'll have to see if the holds true, Mr. Diaz. If your behavior is as good as your grades we shouldn't have any problems," Barkin pointed at him.

"Hey Mr. B how about you chill interrogating the newbies?" Ron asked, "They haven't done anything to you."

"You want a piece of this Stoppable!?" Barkin shouted while Ron hid behind Star.

"Nah I'm good. Carry on."

"Grrrr...I'll see you four in class. Now get to it!"

"Well that went better than expected," Marco stated as the four of them received their schedules.

"Is he always so moody?" Star asked.

"Yeah, but you get used to it. As long as you don't get into trouble," Kim said as they entered their first class. Kim and Ron sat in the middle row with Star and Marco sitting behind them as the bell rang.

"Alright people, LISTEN UP!"

"Oh no," Star groaned and Marco slouched in his seat. "Not again."

"Mrs. Reid got caught in a bizarre shopping cart incident. I didn't press for details so needless to say I'll be your teacher for American History."

"Does this happen often?" Marco whispered to Ron as Barkin discussed the Civil War.

"Dude, like all the time," Ron nodded.

"DIAZ! Since you're so chatty today, when did the Civil war begin?"

Marco smirked, "In, April 12, 1861, and ended May 13, 1865, with the last battle fought in Palmito Ranch, Texas."

"That's...correct." Barkin grudgingly responded, "But don't think you're off the hook, Diaz."

"Ooh, smooth Marco." Star not-so-discreetly whispered.

"Miss Butterfly! How did the aforementioned war start?"

"Uhh..." Star bit down on her wand, "With fighting?"

"Don't get fresh with me, Butterfly! Since you have so much time to make jokes, you can put it to good use with EXTRA HOMEWORK!"

Star frowned. "Loud much?" she muttered.

"You do not want to get on his bad side, Star."

"STOPPABLE! Perhaps you'd like to answer the question?" Barkin asked, gripping his pointing stick dangerously tight.

"You know, I really don't have a clue," Ron chuckled, "I'm sure Kim knows, though."

"That's it! Stoppable, you just earned yourself 3 extra pages of homework!"

"Aww man."

The rest of class went relatively uneventful, with Kim and Marco taking notes while Star chewed on her wand and Ron doodled and goofed around with Rufus. Soon enough, it was lunchtime.

"So...what's this supposed to be?" Marco asked while Star nervously pointed her wand at the unidentifiable gray mass.

"Mystery meat?" Kim and Ron shrugged with Rufus dug into Ron's dish.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna pass," Marco pushed his tray away, "I'll make something to eat at home."

"Hmmm, Cupcake explosion!" Star pointed at the tray, and the 'mystery meat' turned into pink and white cupcakes. "Want one?"

"I've learned never to eat anything that comes out of that wand."

Before Star could comment, Monique came and sat in between Kim and Ron.

"Hey girlfriend! Hey Ron."

"Hey Monique," They replied in unison. "Monique, this is Star-"

"Hiii!"

"-and this is Marco."

"Hey Monique."

"Hey you two," Monique said, waving to Star and Marco. "I like your devil headband."

"Aww, thanks Monique!"

Monique pulled out the Club Banana circular, "Kim I got us the advanced copy. Check out the leather jackets! In five different shades of black!"

"Ooh, can I check that out?" Marco asked.

Kim and Monique looked at each other and back at Marco.

"You...actually care about this stuff?" Kim asked hesitantly, "Ron usually ignores us."

"Because it's boring KP!" Ron said as he timed Rufus as he ate through the slop, "Clothes are clothes."

"Uh-huh!" Rufus squeaked.

"Hey, just because I'm a guy and I wear the same thing everyday doesn't mean I can't appreciate the finer points of fashion," Marco pulled up a chair in between Kim and Monique. "Now how about that circular?"

"Boy, you can JRI!"

Marco looked to Kim for clarification.

"Monique speak."

"Oh sorry Marco, I meant, 'Join Right In!'"

"Oh boy," Star commented as Marco, Kim, and Monique gushed over the clothes designs.

"Yeah I never got why they enjoy spending six times as much for the same stuff," Ron said as Rufus nodded.

Star sighed, resting her fist on her cheek, "Yeah..."

"So there's a wrestling match coming up next week and I got tickets to see them!" Ron proudly took out two tickets. "I'd ask Kim, but she's not a huge fan of fights-"

"Wait a sec, did you say fights?" Star said, grabbing Ron by the shoulders.

"Uh...yeah?"

"I. LOVE. FIGHTING! Can I come with you? Please?"

"Uh, sure. Heh heh. The more the merrier!"

"YAY!"

Soon enough the lunch period ended, and the five went their separate ways.

~~~SVTFE*KP~~~

"Wow, this is the longest we've gone without fighting anything," Marco said as he walked home after the first day with Star, Kim, and Ron.

"Ugh, don't remind me. I'm soo bored it's not even funny," Star said as she and Ron carried extra homework in their arms, "That buff strict dude hates me."

"Join the club, Barkin's had it for me since freshman year because I may or may not have looked at him funny," Ron said as Rufus blew a raspberry. "At least he didn't give you detention."

"I told you flying into school on Cloudy was a bad idea," Marco said as he carried his backpack over his shoulder, "I'm just glad there's finally a teacher that appreciates my Safe Kid tendencies."

"More like boring tendencies. Middleton is so...normal. And, and, and ordinary."

"That's Middleton for yeah. But you really showed Bonnie, Marco."

"Eh, it was nothing," Marco shrugged with a lazy hand-wave, "Once you've dealt with one Brittney Wong, you've seen them all. Is popularity all she cares about?"

"Beating Kim is a close second."

"Please, as if," Kim waved off, "She was cheer captain for like 2 and half weeks before she gave up because it was too much work."

"Soo, speaking of cheerleading...can I join?" Star asked with heart eyes, "Pleeease?"

"I don't know if that's a great idea, Star."

"I agree with Marco, you'll have to deal with Bonnie all the time. Then again, you can always blast her with your wand if she gets too intense."

"Ron! She's high school evil, not evil evil." Kim commented.

Marco raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure about that?"

Kim rolled her eyes, "Anyway, what are your plans for the rest of this week?"

"Welll, Marco and I have our weekly friendship Thursdays on Thursday. He makes the most delicious triangle food-"

"-Nachos-"

"Ever! What are you guys doing?"

"Ron and I hang out every Friday. Unofficially, of course."

"Yup, Bueno Nacho and movies. It's kinda our thing."

"That's cool," Marco said as they reached Kim's house. "Well off to making my super awesome nachos! Come on Star!"

"Yay! Triangle food!"

"Well that was interesting," Ron went through the Possible's fridge.

Kim nodded, setting her stuff down, "Yeah. You know, I can really get used to them..."


And done! Next Chapter will have the AU "Steal Wheels"! Did I keep everyone in character? Are Star and Marco still as close as before? Review and Follow, the next chapter will be up soon!