Chapter 10: Hold

Rating: (T-M) Not for Children

Pairings: Starco, JanTom

A/N: Guest Reviews are down below at the end of the chapter.

Narrator's P.O.V

"Class Dismissed." A young woman announced from in front of the desk, smiling as she watched the students stand up and leave the classroom.

It was now the last class, and both Star and Marco were relieved that the day went by quickly.

As Marco went out the back door, he, for once, held the door for Star, acting polite.

Star muttered out a 'thank you' and stood out, Marco giving her a nod before carelessly letting go of the door.

The door then shut right in front of another student's face, and Star grimaced when she heard a soft crack come by it.

"You should really be careful when letting go of things.." Star told him as she walked beside him, suddenly concerned about the safety of others.

Marco scoffed. "I'm not no damn safe kid." He grumbled, shaking his hair with his hand.

"Safe kid?" Star repeated, confused.

He turned to her and sighed, shoving his hands into his pocket with an almost wistful manner. "Yeah. I was called by that name for the longest." He explained.

Star hummed. "Why?"

Marco shrugged, "I dunno. They always called me like that for some reason. It annoyed me to no end." He responded, crossing his arms over his chest.

Star threw him an odd look, still wondering why and what exactly he was trying to tell her.

While she was looking at him, she failed to look to where she was going, haven been distracted by the talk they were having.

Marco though, had his eyes peeled even if he had been maybe a little distracted by Star, and quickly pulled Star closer when he noticed a slightly higher tile than the rest that had the possibility to send someone crashing to the floor.

Star, upon being pulled close, had gotten the wrong idea, and she blushed, baffled by his action.

His hand with hers felt warm even through the fabric of his finger-less black cotton gloves, and when he let go, she was slightly annoyed by it.

"Wha-" She began, but was cut off by his explanation.

"You were about to trip." He told her, staring at her blankly.

She just stared at him in response, feeling disappointed for some reason that he had not been trying to do some other romantic thing.

"O-Oh," She said, still walking at the close proximity.

He didn't even notice her stay like that, mostly because he wasn't entirely bothered by it.

They finally reached towards the outside of the gates, stepping out onto the concreted sidewalk of the busy neighborhood.

As the rest of the kids pooled out, they continued their calm walk back to his home, Star eager to lay down onto her bed and rest.

Marco frowned to himself as he walked along the path to his home, walking in complete silence along side Star.

He took a quick glance at her to see how she was doing, and just as quickly averted his eyes when she took a look at him.

His silence was noticable, and Star couldn't help but feel upset about something like that.

"Are you alright, Marco?" She asked softly, concerned.

Marco perked up and turned to look at her, face blank. "I'm fine." He answered, numb.

"Ah alright.." She murmured, eyes lowering.

Why was she suddenly feeling so down? He had been rude to her before, and she hadn't felt this bad.

Plus, he wasn't even being any sort of rude. He answered her question calmly-that was it.

"Sorry," He suddenly began, sighing, "I'm just..confused." He finished, surprising her for like the 5th time that day.

Her ache decreased when he apologized, but she frowned at his confusement."Why is that?"

Marco shook his head. "It's nothing. I'm just being stupid again."

She nodded solemnly, deciding against it to push him any further. Once he said something, there was no going back on his response.

Star knew that.

Their proceeding walk home continued back again in the same tensing silence, and she wished she could have done something to change that silence to something up-lifting.

But unfortunately, she was cursed with something otherwise known as bad luck, and that bad luck had always followed her since the day she had been born.

And it's not just some metaphor- there is literally bad luck following after her.

It stuck inside her wand now;and she knew that.

Her mother though, hadn't.

But her mother did know about the dark shadow that followed her; she had been the one that told her about it.

It was a cursing spell her great-great-great grandmother Eclipsa had casted, revenge for something that happened a long time ago.

Though that something had involved her mother, which affected her way more than herself.

And Star in all honesty, was fearful for that shadow.

Because what her mother had said to her now deceased father four years ago, was that that shadow; would bring out the worsest things in the near future.

There would be three.

Two had been done; Saint Olga's, and her father.

And she was afraid for what the third one would be.

Toffee stood up from his desk and growled, his hand clenching at the wall from how frusterated he was.

Why did she have to always tomfooler him? How was her daughter this strong?

His eyes went to stare back at the crystal ball in front of him, and he sighed, sitting back down onto his chair.

"My beautiful Moon," He began in a sounding voice of remorse, "Why do you have to be this way? Why had you gone ahead to create a hideous spawn such as this one?" Toffee growled, watching the crystal ball that displayed Star and Marco walking back home.

Marco had paused his walk to pull out his phone and answer it, and from the crystal ball he could be seen nodding and humming to whoever it was on the other line.

Star only stood and kept watch, and Toffee could sense her uneasiness from where he was.

Marco pressed at the end call button on his phone, and shut it off to place it back into his back pocket.

"Hey, Star? I'm not going home this afternoon." Marco told her, crouching down to reach into his backpack to check for a few things.

"Why is that? Is there are problem?" Star asked him, her hand suddenly clenching her wand sickeningly tight.

Toffee scoffed at her paranoia.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just going somewhere." Marco's voice echoed, and Toffee perked up.

"Where are you heading to?" Star asked, and Marco sighed.

"None of your business. Just head back home by yourself. I'll just tell you later." Marco responded, and Toffee felt himself grin.

"Alright." Star said in a whispered tone, and began to head in the opposite direction he was heading to.

Marco paused. "Wait, Star." Star turned around, and Marco tossed her his phone, "Use it in case you somehow fuck up-which I doubt you will, but just in case. Call the number labeled as 'Box', alright? And if you don't know how to use it, just slide the screen, press the green button, and there it will show all the numbers you should call." Marco explained as he watched her gaze at the phone confusedly.

"Alright," Star replied again and nodded, stuffing the phone inside her small, cute purse.

Marco gave her a nod and walked off, leaving Star in the middle of the sidewalk.

Toffee eagerly watched as the male figure walked away, and felt his grin extend to the far ends of his cheeks.

Star was alone.

And she was vulnerable.

Toffee slid away the crystal ball and brought out his caller, pressing a red buzzard on the side of it's audio speaker.

"Yes, Sire?" A different grumpy voice called out, deep and loyal.

"Buffrog? Are you available for this afternoon?" Toffee asked, straight-faced.

The sound of papers being rushed was heard for a few seconds, until Buffrog responded with, "Yes, I happen to be. What is it that you need, sire?"

Toffee looked back at the crystal moderating Star, and he grinned. "I need you to head to the Terra dimension once more."

"The earth dimension?" Buffrog asked.

"Yes. And I need you to kill someone for me." Toffee said, and silence was his response.

Then, "Sire, I do not kill. I capture. I cannot assist you for killing."

Toffee scowled. "Very well. I need you to capture someone, as well as something. Do you remember..the Princess of Mewni?"

"Moon? or was it..Star?"

Toffee hummed. "Star Butterfly. You need to capture her and the wand immediately. That is all."

Buffrog cleared his throat, "Very well then, Sire. I shall return to you with the girl by this evening."

Toffee smiled. "Perfect. Sharp 11. Don't fail me."

"Of course Sire. No need to worry, I shall not fail you anymore."

"Good." Toffee said lowly, "because if you do," there was no sound from the other side of the monitor, and Toffee looked behind him, staring at a head that stared back at him with cold, dead, black eyes, "It'll be your head next to Ludo's. Understood?"

"Y-Yes Sire. Understood."

Toffee shut off the monitor and laid back on his office chair, his eyes gazing at the crystal ball once more.

He watched as Star headed inside the boy's home, silent and gone.

Marco entered through the doors of a small but well scene building, being greeted by none other but his instructor himself.

"Marco," A raspy voice shot out, "Where have you been? And why have I been getting calls of you skipping class for the whole week?"

Marco gave his instructor a blank look and shrugged, tossing his bag over to the benches near the mirrors. "I've been busy."

Brantley took notice of his bandaged hand and cheek, and peered at it with crossed arms. "You haven't been fighting again, have you? Because I'm not paying your rent if you keep skipping class only to rumble."

Marco shook his head and glared at his so called, 'God father'. "I haven't been fighting at all, Sen. I was just protecting somebody." Marco grumbled, reaching inside his bag to pull out a pair of black gloves.

Bratley shook his head. "Don't lie to me Marco, I won't be mad if you tell me the truth."

Marco huffed. "I'm not lying Sen. I really was trying to help someone out." Marco mumbled, his mind going back to the fight a few days ago.

"And who is this friend? Am I supposed to presume he's some sort of drug dealer?" Brantley asked, eyes narrowing to see if he was truly lying.

"It's not a he, Sen. It's a girl." Marco sighed, sitting down on the bench to better look for his shorts and t-shirt inside his black bag.

His instructor gave a heavy sigh. "Don't tell me it's that Jac-"

"It's not that thing." Marco said darkly, standing up from his bench to head to the locker room.

"Then who is it? Is it- what's her name- Britney?" Brantley asked with a snap of his fingers.

"No, not that other thing either." Marco answered before heading inside the curtained door in order to change.

Marco came out wearing his red shorts and white shirt, straps of new, clean bandages now along his knuckles to his forearms.

Brantley stood against the white colored wall, waiting for Marco to come out.

When he noticed him emerge from within the changing room, he immediately went to speak to him instead of instruct.

"If it wasn't those two, could it be you and Janna are best friends again?" Brantley asked him with a hiding hope in his eyes.

Marco began to punch at the steel-hard bag of sack in front of him, eyes hardened with some anger. "No," he huffed out, "Its not her either."

His instructor was tired of waiting. "Then tell me who it is. You can't expect me to believe you if you don't want to tell me who the hell this 'friend' is."

Marco stopped the punching of the bag to stare at him, glaring. "Its a girl named Star Butterfly." Marco answered, and his instructor gave him a puzzled look.

"Star Butterfly? In all my years of living around these parts I have never heard of a name like that." Brantley said, ignoring the jingle of the building door opening.

"That's because she's new here. Nobody knows who she is except for me and Oskar's gang." Marco said in an angry-like manner, crossing his arms over his chest.

"How is she like then? Don't tell me she's like those other girls at school." Brantley cringed, earning a shake to the head from Marco.

"Hell No. She's actually way better than that. She's-"

"A she? Since when did this piece of weed get a girl to talk to him?" A voice on the verge of puberty asked from behind Marco, and Sensei had to stop himself from sending the young boy out.

"Fuck off, Jeremy. You can't say shit because I know damn well no girl would even want to come near you." Marco shot at the little boy, turning around to glare at the boy two heads shorter.

Jeremy scowled after his comment, humphing before walking over to Brantley in a spoiled manner. "And you. Why haven't I been getting my lessons? Mother and father wouldn't be pleased with you if you don't give me my respectful lessons." Jeremy yawned, hands on his hips.

"You never show up for any lessons, kiddo. You can't expect me to teach you the lessons if you don't come to class everyday." Brantley said in a serious look.

Jeremy stomped his foot down onto the floor like a fussy eight year old, and turned to grab his cellphone to call his loving parents. "You'll pay for all of this, peasant! I'm calling Mummy right now to kick you out!"

Marco rolled his eyes and grabbed the phone from his hands to crack it in half with his bare, bandaged hands, earning a shocked yelp from the small boy.

"What the hell!? I'm suing you for that!" Jeremy snarled, straightening his back to make it seem as if he's grown taller.

Marco gave him a dark look and scowled deeply, cracking his knuckles. "You won't do shit."

Jeremy swallowed and tried suppressing the fearful shiver he couldn't deny going down his spine, his angry look changing to a rather pathetic one.

"If you want lessons, you can stay here if you have your gear with you." Brantley spoke up, now on the other side of the room looking through a box.

"You know what?" Jeremy tried saying in a demanding voice, "I don't-don't want to be in this trashy place anyways!" Jeremy said quivering, stepping away from an angry Marco, making his way out through the door.

"This place is only for losers anyways!" Jeremy shouted before completely going out, a rock barely missing his puny head.

The rock instead hit the window, and a small crack appeared.

Brantely face-palmed and gave a glare over at Marco who seemed to magically start punching the bag once again.

"Don't throw rocks, Marco. You're acting just as immature as he is." Brantely told him, going over to pick up the rock to put it inside a soiled pot.

"He pissed me off." Marco muttered as he threw another punch at the sack.

"Marco you need to keep a level head. Getting pissed off isn't an excuse to seriously hurt someone." Brantley explained, sitting down on a nearby bench to watch him.

Marco stopped punching once more and sighed. "That's what Star said. I didn't listen."

Brantley raised his eyebrows in surprise. "The girl said that to you?"

Marco nodded.

"Why didn't you listen, then? She must be a good advise maker."

"Because I was pissed off." Marco said, giving him another one of his emotionless looks.

Brantley sighed and was about to speak again, but before he could say anything else, a ring on the phone echoed throughout the hollow room.

Marco paled and quickly dashed to the phone before Sensei could, Sen giving him a surprised look.

Picking up the phone from it's handle, he pressed it to his ear and said, "Hello?"

"Marco? Is it wor-working?" Star asked from the other line, voice hushed in a panic-like manner.

"What is it?" Marco asked, praying that it wasn't anything too serious.

"I'm scared. I know I shouldn't be, but I heard someone break the window open from your room." Star said quickly, and Marco almost had asked what she said before he heard a loud slam from her side of the line.

"I think someone's inside!" Star whimpered, her voice barely audible.

"Can't you use your wand to try and defend yourself?" Marco asked, trying to ignore the fact that his godfather was standing directly in front of him in a disrespectful manner.

"I don't think I have it with me. I think I left it back over at my room."

"Your room?" Marco asked, then paused to glare at his instructor for making funny faces, "Try sneaking up there. I'll try and come back home as fast as I can."

"Please hurry. I'm afraid of whoever it is that's here-"

The line cut.

"Hello?" Marco tried, and when he heard nothing he sighed and slammed the glossy phone back into its handle, and went back inside the locker room to change once more.

"Where are you going? You've only been here for like, twenty minutes!" Brantley asked, arms raised as if asking 'what?'

"I'm going back to my house." Marco said as he disappeared inside the curtain, earning a frustrated sigh out from his instructor.

Marco had carelessly tossed on his pants and stuffed the rest of his clothing inside his backpack, and headed for a B-line straight for the door.

"You better come back on Sunday! Or else you won't get any lessons anymore!" Brantley yelled as he watched him exit.

Marco said nothing in return and departed in a full sprint back to his home, trying to ignore the burning sensation inside his chest.

It twisted and twisted, and he could've sworn he felt as if he were about to head into a panic attack.

Marco hoped Star was okay.

A/N: I'm sincerely sorry for such a late update, I was just caught up in schoolwork and junk.

Also, sorry if I don't have much Starco or JanTom moments in this chapter, but I promise to make it up to you guys in the next.

Now, as for the Reviews, if you would like, here they are:

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Thank you so much for waiting on this chapter; and I'll see you all next time!

Toodles~

Ana