Chapter 10: The Other Exchange Student
"Surprise! Happy 47th day on Earth, Star and Luma!"
Me and Star had just woken up, and were immediately greeted by Raphael and Angie.
"Aahhh! A party? For me? I can't believe it!" Star said excitedly.
"Star, this has been happening almost every day since we came here," I said.
"Here, Star. I made you a cake," Raphael said, holding out said cake, which had a picture of me and Star on it.
"And I wrote you a poem," Angie added. "'Our lives were so small and puny 'til these angels arrived from Mewni'!"
"Okay, I gotta admit, that's really sweet. Thanks, Angie," I said.
Suddenly the doorbell rang, and Marco went to answer it.
"Hello! It is I, Gustav!"
"No way!" Marco replied.
"Ha ha! Marco! My American friend!" Gustav said, as he and Marco perform an elaborate handshake, ending with them doing a double high five.
"Look who's here!" Marco showed Gustav to Angie and Raphael.
"Ooh! How wonderful!" Raphael said.
"What a wonderful surprise!" Angie added.
The two then went to greet Gustav, leaving Star and I alone.
"We've missed you so much!" Angie said as she and Raphael hugged Gustav.
"Um… hi," Star said.
"Oh, hello. I am Gustav. I was the Diazes' exchange student last year," Gustav said.
"What? But I thought I was your one and only foreign exchange student!" Star said.
"Well sis, Marco's had a lot of different exchange students over the years, and I've actually really enjoyed Mr. and Ms. Diaz's stories," I explained, showing Star a wall filled with pictures of the Diaz's previous exchange students.
"This Gustav kid in particular sounds really nice," I added, then greeted Gustav, "Hey there, I'm Luma, one of Marco's current exchange students and Star's brother."
"Very nice to meet you, Luma," Gustav replied, then pulled out gifts and handed them out. "I brought gifts from Scandinavia! For Mrs. D, a pair of clogs, for Marco, the handheld game 'Lederhosen Tycoon', and for Mr. Diaz, a genuine Viking helmet!"
Raphael put on the helmet and proceeded to headbutt a wall.
"...And for you two… nothing! I did not know you existed!" Gustav finished with a chuckle.
"Oh," Star simply said.
"No problem, dude. Don't sweat it," I replied.
"Oh! Mrs. D, you've gotten so thin. I need to fatten you up! Come, everyone, and I will cook you my meatballs!" Gustav said, leading the Diazes into the kitchen.
"That's fine, I'll catch up with you later, guys," I said, walking back upstairs, while Star simply stood there, clearly feeling left out.
After using Pony's dimensional scissors to pick up my own meal from County Fair, I returned to the Diazes, who were clearly enjoying Gustav's meatballs.
"I hope you don't mind me getting something for myself, Gustav. Admittedly I'm not a meatball kind of guy," I explained.
"Not a problem, Luma. In fact, I did end up getting you something! Here!" Gustav said, handing me several gift certificates for free fries, chicken tenders, and other items.
"Oh, thanks bro!" I said.
"Don't mention it. So anyways, the Scandinavian monsoons were over, but the danger had just begun! The iceberg was sinking. Heedless of my own peril, I disrobed. I dove into the freezing fjord and I carried Yuri back to his mother!" Gustav said.
Both me and the Diazes "oohed" at Gustav's story, while Star looked unimpressed.
"So, uh, Gustav, where exactly are you from?" Star asked.
"How much do you know about Europe?" Gustav asked, a little nervous.
"I know it's a place, I'm pretty sure," Star replied.
"Well then, I come from the country of Scandinavia. It is a land where Vikings teach gym class and everyone has a pet penguin, even if you don't like penguins. Oop, too bad, here's your penguin!" Gustav explained.
"I love these meatballs! Gustav, make me more!" Marco exclaimed.
"Anything for my best mate!" Gustav replied, already making another batch.
"Just think, three more weeks of this!" Marco said.
Angie and Raphael nodded in agreement, while Star looked on, and I sipped my drink.
The next morning…
"Surprise!"
"Aah! A party for me?" Star said, however…
"Happy second day of your visit, Gustav!" me and the Diazes said.
"Oh, Diaz family. You are so full of pleasantness!" Gustav replied, from behind Star as he walked downstairs.
"Gustav! Gustav! Gustav! Gustav!" me and the Diazes chanted.
Star simply groaned, before noticing something in Gustav's bag.
"Hey, Star, it's kinda rude to look through people's stuff-" I began, but noticed the same thing Star did.
It was some books called Scandinavian for Doofuses and Customs of Scandinavia.
"Whaat?" Star said holding the first book.
"Something's… off about this," I added.
"Marco!" Star called out. "Listen, I think there's something off about Gustav. I found Scandinavian books and language tapes in his bag. Why would someone need to learn his own language?"
"Uh…"
"Why is he always making meatballs? Meatballs aren't so great. I can make things too!" Star then summoned a spider with a top hat, which scurried away.
"Probably why he gave me those gift certificates then. But… how did he know that I go to County Fair every week or so, or that I get their breakfast biscuits almost all the time?"
"I really don't know, but I do know one thing! I hope he never leaves!" Marco exclaimed.
"Hey Marco! Think fast!" Gustav yelled, launching a meatball at Marco, who caught it in his mouth.
"Alright, Star," I said. "Time to investigate."
Armed with my phone, our wands, and Pony's scissors, me and Star started spying on Gustav. First, Star spotted Gustav making a phone call in secret, then caught Gustav packing an axe into his bag.
I printed out these photos and strung them on Star's bulletin board.
Later, I spotted Gustav making yet another batch of meatballs, anxious to know what his next move would be… until I spotted Buff Frog with binoculars on the exact same tree as me.
"Not fighting today, froggy. I'm on a mission."
Lastly, I caught Gustav measuring Raphael and Angie while they were asleep.
After several days, Star and I had gotten nowhere with our investigation; Star's bulletin board was stuffed, and we probably looked worse than we did when we tried to help Marco with his monster arm.
"Star! Luma! We're about to-" Marco said, before being pulled into me and Star's room.
Star and I were panting heavily, and Marco looked concerned.
"We've been awake for days spying on Gustav, and we're this close to figuring out what he's plotting!" Star explained.
"His stories don't add up, Marco! Penguins? Icebergs? Polar bears!" I said.
"I mean, what the heck is a polar bear, Marco?"
"He's also making phone calls, Marco. Phone calls! To who? Who knows, but I tell you, Gustav is up to something terrible!" I finished.
"Terrible, Marco! Terrible!"
"...You two have lost your minds," Marco said. "But if you find them, we're meeting Gustav for a picnic at Isolation Point, where no one can hear you scream... with enjoyment!"
Marco then left, and we looked at the bulletin board one last time.
"Oh, Mrs. D, you've gotten so thin."
"Gustav, Gustav, Gustav, Gustav!"
"How did he know that I go to County Fair?"
"Meatballs, meatballs, meatballs…"
"Isolation Point…"
"Here is your penguin... I need to fatten you up!"
Fatten them? Don't people do that to animals before… oh, no!
OH, NO!
An ear-piercing scream echoed throughout Stony Creek, as me and Star finally put the pieces together.
"Star! I think I know what's going on! Gustav's not taking them on a picnic!"
"Right, bro! They are the picnic!"
"We gotta do something!"
Just then, a car was heard starting and pulling away.
"There goes the Diazes! We gotta move NOW!" I said, and we immediately grabbed our wands.
"Bitter Blizzard Blast!"
With that spell, I propelled me and Star onto the roof of the Diaz's minivan, and Star poofed up seat belts for us. Then we leaned onto each side of the van, trying to get the Diaz's attention.
"Don't trust Gustav! He's evil!" I yelled.
"You're all going to die!" Star added.
Unfortunately our efforts were for nothing as the Diazes apparently couldn't hear us over the sound of the van's engine and they also looked like they were singing something, but I couldn't make it out.
By now we were almost to Isolation Point, and Star decided to zap a nearly sign, causing the formerly right-pointed sign to point left instead, fooling the Diazes. Freeing ourselves from the magic seatbelts, me and Star followed the correct path to Isolation Point to confront Gustav.
Upon arrival, Gustav was seen making a campfire. We crept up closer, hiding behind a bush, as Gustav pulled out an axe. This caused Star to snap, and she approached Gustav menacingly, wand in hand and pointing it right at Gustav.
"We knew you were up to no good, meatball boy!" she yelled.
Gustav screamed, dropped his axe, and tried to run away, only to be stopped by me, assuming the same position as Star, and I started snarling and growling a bit, as if I were a tiger or something.
"Give it up, Gustav! We know your darkest secrets!" I said. "I have a wand, and I'm not afraid to use it. Talk!"
Gustav only whimpered.
"Not talking, eh?" Star said, coming by my side and letting a few pink sparks fly off her wand. "Are we gonna have to bring out the bad boys?"
"I can freeze you right now like that one dude from 'Ice Age', and you'll be stuck here for probably millions of years!" I added, adding in small yet sharp ice shards to Star's random sparks.
Somehow that worked; Gustav broke down and surrendered. "Okay, yes! It's true! I'm full of lies!"
"So, you admit you're planning to eat the Diazes?" Star asked.
"Yes, yes!" Gustav admitted, before realizing what we said and adding, "...Wait, what? No! I don't want to eat them!"
"But you said-" I started.
Speaking without his accent, he added, "I mean, I'm not from Scandinavia. Truth is, my name is Charlie Booth, and I'm just a guy from Bakersfieldville. Nobody's heard of it. Back home, I'm just another boring face in a really boring crowd. It's not a good place for a talented guy like me."
As Charlie was no longer a threat, me and Star lowered our wands, and I replied, "Hey, honestly I'm the same way where I'm from, but making an alternate identity… That's a bit too much. I mean, how do you explain those phone calls? The axe? The meatballs?"
"Well, the phone calls were to my meat guy, but he wouldn't pick up. The axe was to cut firewood for today's feast. As for the meatballs, my dream is to become a chef and open a restaurant in Bakersfieldville that uses spices and flavors! So that's why I ran away and moved in with the Diazes," Charlie explained.
"Hmmm, understandable," I replied, nodding.
"But what about measuring the Diazes in their sleep?" Star asked.
"Uhhhhh…" Charlie stammered nervously.
Just then, a horn was heard, and the Diazes rolled up in their van.
"You made it!" Angie called out, approaching me and Star.
"Yeah, I did. And I came here to tell you something about Gustav…" Star began. Charlie laughed nervously and gulped loudly.
"...He's made you even more meatballs!" Star finished.
The Diazes cheered in response, and ran to the campfire.
"Phew, thanks for not blowing my cover, Star. If there's ever anything I can do for you…" Charlie began.
"Actually, there is one thing…" I replied.
The next day, at the Diaz residence...
"Bye! Bye-bye, Gustav! Bye!" Star yelled as Gustav is seen leaving, almost getting run over by traffic as he crossed the road.
"See you next year, Gustav!" Marco added.
"Or not! You never know! Bye now!" Star said.
With that, Star and Marco went back inside.
"Well hey, at least that guy is still real nice," I said. "Oh, that reminds me, I better use those gift certificates soon."
"I'm sorry your favorite exchange student had to leave so soon," Star told Marco.
"You kidding? You two are my favorites!" Marco replied.
"Awww…" Star cooed.
"Thanks, Marco. That means a lot, dude," I added, shaking his hand.
"I will miss seeing him, though. That guy is just so... real," Marco said.
"Surprise! Happy 51st day on Earth, Star and Luma!" Angie and Raphael yelled.
"Aah! A party for me?!" Star said.
"Deja vu much?" I deadpanned.
"Who wants cake?" Raphael said.
"Eh, I'll have some cake," I said, taking some.