Sighing, I furrow my brow as I look in the mirror, my brow furrowed when gently, I close the door, making sure I am alone. Quietly, I peel off my coal black jacket and roll up my stripped shirt to stare in horror at the bandaged arm coiled around me.
"Hey what's with your arm?" Surprised, I stop in my tracks and peer into Star's room, finding her curiosity laid upon me.
"It's nothing." Curtly, I answer finding my hand on my arm grimacing at the sore throbbing pain.
"You sure you know I could fix it up you saw what I did with Marco's…" Smiling, Star offers.
"If you mean the monster arm then sure I saw that and no thanks." Bluntly, I reject the offer.
"Oh, come on I fixed that." Whining, she pouts as I plop myself on her bed.
"After messing up his arm, no thanks besides with your wand as it is, I don't want green goo," Honesty, I deny the offer.
"Fine moody…" Playfully, she kicks my shoulder making me roll my eyes as I get comfortable on the bed, Star's boots over my thigh. I lay flat on my back as we sit on the bed, in a cross position of sorts, one upside down, I guess as we sit criss cross over one another.
"Look I just…I'm going to listen to music." Tiredly, I tell her placing my headphones on as she uses her compact mirror phone for hers.
"Wanna watch me try to fire at the tennis ball?" She points ot the floating tennis ball.
"You know what fine. I need something." Resignedly, I give in.
"Why don't you try to phone Michael?" She offers making me groan.
"No thanks besides, I think he got some sort of prince meeting…Star?" Exasperated, I mutter out a lie.
"Yeah…" Star hums out firing at the ball in the sky as I move my head, narrowly missing the debris but a part of me just does not care as I hear the roaring rain outside.
"What do you think of me and Michael?" Curious, I question her.
"What do you mean?" Confused, she asks me.
"I don't know I just…" Exhausted, I exhale shrugging sheepish.
"I think you two are cute." She offers.
"But are we too similar?" I propose.
"Hmm…I don't know I mean sure you're similar, but I don't know him that well." Conflicted, She informs me.
"You dated his younger brother." I point out.
"Yeah and he wanted nothing to do with me. Maybe you should talk to him about it." Kindly, she offers making me groan.
"Urghhh later…I just need to listen to some music." Quickly, I reject the notion.
"Go ahead buddy…" Gently, I feel her pat my shoulder as I put on my headphones and lean back relishing the acoustic cover.
"Memories consume like opening the wound."
"I'm picking me apart again."
"You all assume"
"I'm safe here in my room"
"Unless I try to start again"
"I don't want to be the one the battles always choose"
"'Cause inside I realize that I'm the one confused"
"I don't know what's worth fighting for"
"Or why I have to scream"
"I don't know why I instigate"
"And say what I don't mean"
"I don't know how I got this way"
"I know it's not alright…"
"Hey Star, Ash can I borrow the dimensional scissor?" Smiling, Marco walks in.
"Sure go ahead…Ash." Lazily, Star nudges me making me groan as she passes me the scissors to give to Marco making him smile grateful as he leaves us to think, dwell and just lay there not sure what to do.
"Whoa, whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa! Rainbow Diaper Blast! Not cool, bub!" Surprised, I jump up as Star burst out of the bed to fire at some random guy in our room, praising his dog for peeing on our stuff earning our attention as Star uses her magic to materialize a diaper on the dog.
"You have five seconds to tell us why we shouldn't call the cops for trespassing." Coolly, I tell the dog walker sweating bullets terrified.
"Take it easy, man! This new dog park is really confusing!" Feebly, the dog owner whimpers confusing us.
"Dog park? Oh, Marco!" Star frowns as my eyes widen, what did he do now!? Annoyed, we go to Marco's bedroom.
"Why did you m...?! Oh, no. He's gone scissor-happy." Horrified, Star gasps as we enter Marco's room.
"All we need now are two andriod's, one taking the head of the other," Jokingly, I smirk only to see Star's confused look making me sigh, pitying my friend on her lack of palate when it comes to videogames. Sighing, I peer into the dog park, seeing the hellscape courtesy of the puppies firing lasers wildly. Screaming, a woman runs across screaming and carrying her dog fleeing from flames.
"Okay, puppies, time to come home." Sighing, I call out to them all as the laser puppies jump back through the portal into Marco's bedroom.
"Oh, Marco, Marco, Marco. Oh! ...Oh, this does not bode well!" Worried, Star gapss at the ruby red orange portal.
"Isn't that the Lucitor's portal?" I question confused.
"No. if its who I think it is…" Scared, Star gets out her mirror phone, phoning Pony doing a…workout? You know what I'm not even in the mood to question that.
"Hey, girls. I'm doing my cardio. Okay, hold up. I'm gonna put it on an incline. Okay, girls, what's good?" Smiling, Pony Head presses a button on the treadmill that slightly raises the tread's incline level.
"Okay, so Marco opened a bunch of portals with my scissors." Calmly, I begin.
"And one of them looks like this!" Panicked, Star points her mirror phone at the orange portal.
"Oh, snap! That's bad!" Worried, Pony head gasps.
"Yeah, that's what I thought." Grimly, Star sighs.
"Why is it?" Curious, I question.
"That red portal is Hekapoo's. You need to get away from it, and if she asks, you do not tell her you got those scissors from me, okay?" Ponyhead answers.
"Wait. I thought Hekapoo gave you those scissors!" Frowning, Star points out.
"Whose Hekapoo?" I question.
"She makes the scissors." Star clarifies for me.
"I mean, yeah. She left the scissors in the bathroom at the Bounce Lounge, and, um, what happened then was, uh, I took them. So yeah, basically, they're mine." Ponyhead glances to the side.
"How is that not stealing!?" Gawking, I demand from her.
"Uh, I'm pretty sure that's called finding." Ponyhead glances to the side.
"Said every thief ever." I mutter under my breath.
"Okay, so is Marco in trouble?" Worried, Star asks her.
"You know what? He's probably dead. That Hekapoo chick is crazy, man." Bluntly, Ponyhead deadpans.
"You say that about everyone!" Exasperated, I point out.
"Oh, boy... All right, I'll talk to you later, girl. Bye! We're coming, Marco!" Determined, Star hangs up on Ponyhead as we follow through the portal.
"Hekapoo, where's Marco?" Angrily, Star kicks down the door as calmly, I enter through.
"Apologies for the door she wanted to be dramatic," I inform the woman known as Hekapoo, her orange hues widening at the sight of me weirdly enough, staring almost in stunned silence.
"Star! Ash!" Weirdly, some weirdo rushes up to us trying to hug us only to meet my firm kick to the face.
"I don't know you, hence no hugs," Sternly, I tell him as Star pushes him away and points her wand at him.
"Unhand me, beautiful stranger! How do you know my name?" Star demands.
"Subtle Star." I grumble pinching the bridge of my nose as I look up at him, unamused, feeling nothing much towards him while Star looks on the urge of burning up like some sort of candle.
"It's me, Marco! See?" Shocked, our eyes widen when he reveals a familiar ruby red hoodie.
"Marco?! ...Marco...!" Lovestruck, Star gawks at his abs.
"Focus!" Sternly, I remind Star blinking back into reality as I exhale tiredly.
"Oh, man! We have so much to catch up on! I've learned how to sword fight, I fought an army of wolf-bears..." Animatedly, he continues boasting indistinctly.
"Yeah we don't care." Bluntly, I cut him off when seeing Star zone out much preferring his silent muscles than his ramblings.
"Oh, check it out! It took me sixteen years, but I totally earned these scissors." Proudly, Marco reveals his scissors.
"W-W-Wait. Sixteen years? You've been gone from Earth for, like, eight minutes." Surprised, I blurt out.
"...Eight minutes?!" Shocked, Marco gawks.
"Yeah, I forgot to tell you that time passes differently in this dimension. Not sorry." Cheekily, Hekapoo winks, checking over her nails.
"Hekapoo the ultimate troll of time," Dryly, I remark making her chuckle.
"No, no, no, no. This is good. It means you haven't missed anything back on Earth. Come on. Use your new scissors to take us home." Brightly, Star smiles.
"Yeah, about that... I don't think I'm coming back. Turns out I really like my new life here. I got my sword, my dragon-cycle. I get to ride around all day and go on adventures whenever I want. It's the journey, you know?" Conflicted, Marco smiles.
"Yeah, that dragon-cycle is pretty dope. ...No! Wait, wait! What about your parents or your friends... or... me?" Earnestly, Star questions him.
"Mainly your parents I don't think they would be happy dealing with just me." Jokingly, I point out. Silently, Marco looks down at his dragon-cycle Nachos, and she purrs softly. His tender smile turns into a look of uncertainty. Marco's face is reflected off one of the blades of his dimensional scissors. When he opens the scissors, Star's and my face is reflected off the second blade. Star smiles at Marco while I glance to the side. Gently, He smiles back at us before turning to face Hekapoo.
"Don't look at me. Those scissors are yours now. You can come back here any time you want." She assures him as Marco uses his scissors to open a portal back to Earth.
Please. Take care of Nachos while I'm gone. Lovingly, Nachos purrs as Marco hugs her.
She's in good hands. Gently, Hekapoo assures him.
"Adios, boo-boo." Snickering, I watch as Marco kisses Nachos on the snout. Well, old friend, you really gave me a run for my money. Smiling, Marco places his hands on his hips.
"Likewise. You're pretty cool." Smirking, she smacks Marco's bald spot and laughs.
"...Thanks." Grumpily, he huffs.
"Bye!" Star leaves through portal.
"It was nice meeting you…? I guess?" Not sure, I shrug as I leap through the portal. Smiling, Star dives out of Hekapoo's portal into Marco's bedroom. Marco comes out after her.
"Oh." Disappointed, Star sighs when Marco is reverted back to a teenager; his clothes are too big for him.
"No! My hot bod! Where did it go?!" Wailing, Marco cries.
"You can earn it back when you're older," Teasingly, I poke his cheek.
"Squish." Giggling, Star pokes Marco's belly. Blushing, Marco covers up his exposed midsection and blushes.
"Relax, you're no Ferguson." I assure him.
"I guess you're back on Earth's timeline now. But look on the bright side. You still have your bald spot." Smiling, Star offers.
"Seriously?! That's the thing that stayed the same?!" Annoyed, Marco scowls.
"You got the mark of Hekapoo, son! Okay, bye-bye!" Smiling, Hekapoo closes the portal.
"Like I said biggest troll in the universe," Drily, I sigh as Marco bows his head disappointed.
"Hey, who cares if you're fourteen again? That just means we have more time to go on adventures together. Especially now that you have your own scissors." Optimistically, Star suggests.
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Marco agrees.
"Of course, I am. Now I'm gonna go make us some nachos!" Star leaves the room leaving us alone.
"Password"? ...I don't remember my password." Struggling, Marco goes to his computer only for me to sigh bowing my head as I place my hand on his gloved hand, making him turn to look up at me from his chair.
"Yeah you probably wont why don't you go out and walk the pups I'll fix your password?" I offer.
"You serious?" Surprised, he raises a brow.
"Eh I need something to do." Lazily, I shrug.
"Ash…I just want to apologise I know we haven't gotten along for a week or so but int hat dimension I did some thinking and…" Straining, Marco begins.
"No Marco it's fine I just…look people think I'm confident but I'm not and hearing one of my close friends say what you did, I believe you, I still do…" Honestly, I explain to him making his eyes widen surprised.
"What does that mean for Michael?" Concerned, he questions as I exhale bowing my head.
"I don't know I just…I don't know what I want right now Marco." Confused, I lean over.
"And him?" Quietly, Marco asks.
"Look I could just be thinking things stupid again I just need time to think about what I want. Now go on those puppies are waiting…" I order him.
"Alright thanks again…" Grateful, he smiles at me as he takes the puppies, biting into a piece of his hamburger as he takes the laser puppies and goes on a walk…