Coming up with snappy intros is too difficult. I need to save my brain power for finals!
Heya folks it's Watermalone here with the second installment of this little story!
As promised, I will respond to all my awesome reviewers in this update. Again, I'd like to thank each and every person who faved, followed, reviewed or even just read my story, you have no idea how much it means to me!
Onto reviews!
An especial thanks to Mr. EVAunit42: Don't worry about it! To be perfectly frank, I've actually had no time to read let alone review anyone else's work and I feel pretty awful about that haha. Haha glad you liked that little exchange, I kinda enjoyed the idea that Star was originally very wary with regards to establishing connection with Marco. Oh! And not to spoil, but I have many development plans set up for Marco's character in the future.
H. Mae: Thanks so much! Glad you liked it!
project: Um. Please don't brutally murder anyone. Please. Haha no one specifically said that, I'm just rather inexperienced with this whole "writing" thing just because I haven't had much prior exposure to literature in the past. Anyways, glad you liked it! I'll be sure to try to keep this story up to date throughout the holidays for you!
Guest: Well, my story won't exactly swing in the direction of the original storyline, but if you want to check something like that out, I'd highly encourage you to check out EVAunit42's work in There's always a star and a hoodie! I forgot which chapters, but they are Star/Sol-centric!
Kieren Wespell: Sorry to say, but this won't be the exact original Daron Nefcy story haha I ship them too hard to make them mortal enemies.
deadshoot12345: Thanks! Haha yes, yes you did.
Lupus Boulevard: Yes, I try so hard to make them adorkable (I am aware I used that word). Haha I'm glad you liked the story nonetheless. And you don't know how much I need to thank you for reviewing my story right now!
Anyways now that that's done with, onto the next chapter! A bit of a heads up, this story isn't following proper continuity, there are time skips to random plot points in the lives of our favorite two protagonists, such as this chapter. And so from here on out, I will specify each section of time along with a quick synopsis in italicized print prior to the beginning of the story.
Synopsis: (Grade 6) Star and Marco sneak into their school after hours to hunt a certain legendary "treasure".
Just like that! And now, without further ado, I present chapter two of Ripples. Hope you all enjoy!
Not to spark political debate, but Donald Trump has a better chance of being elected president than I have at owning SVTFOE or anything related to it.
"Of course it matters Marco! If you don't start caring about the little things, then how will you learn to start caring about the big things?"
Ripples
Silence reigned over the empty hallways of the school. Echo Creek Academy, normally a busy and bustling freeway of teenage hormones that smelled like overcompensating body spray and uncomfortably powerful flowery perfumes, was now calmed to unfamiliar stillness.
In the soft light of the full moon that shone through the glass doors and windows, a shadow dashed across its pale glow quickly tailed by another.
The hushed silhouettes made quick work of traversing the hallways, dodging obstacles left and right, rounding corners, and sprinting long distances with ease until they finally came to a halt just outside a solid looking wooden door.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" The first voice questioned shakily.
The second voice answered with false confidence that would've fooled anyone but her partner in crime. "Nope! But we're gonna try anyways!"
"But Star, I already told you, it's not that big of a deal! We're going through all this trouble for nothing!"
"And I already told you, Marco, it is a big deal! Besides, this is fun! Wouldn't you agree?"
"Won't be so 'fun' when we get busted…" Marco muttered quietly to himself.
Lucky for Marco, Star hadn't heard that comment as she was too engrossed with the barrier that lay ahead.
"So… What's the brilliant plan now?" Star scanned the door up and down, taking note of the inapparent intricacies and details of a blank sheet of wood.
"Well," she scratched her head, "if my sources are correct-"
"By 'sources' you mean Tasida-?"
"If my sources are correct, Marco" Star interrupted forcefully, "then Mr. Paul should be done cleaning the west wing in exactly..." Star checked her colorfully decorated pink unicorn watch, "..three minutes and fifty-seven seconds."
And that was when the plan would shift into action. According to Star's "informant", the janitor, Mr. Paul, usually did his nightly routine where he would clean the west wing first, and retreat to the supply closet where he would refill on supplies. This provided the pair with a window of opportunity to slip into the small room and wait until he left to clean the east wing.
Inside that closet is where the treasure they so strongly desired lay waiting.
Still, despite the intensive planning and increased credence emanating from his best friend, Marco couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy at the idea of breaking and entering, alongside the little crime called theft. But perhaps that only stemmed from his "Safe Kid" reputation and the constricting morals instilled into him by his parents.
And yet, here he was, a quarter to midnight, hiding in the shadows of a temporarily abandoned school, side-by-side his bestie.
"T-minus two minutes Marco, let's get into position."
He nodded without a second thought. They had already waded into the deep, he might as well see the entire plan through.
The two clambered into separate empty lockers that towered behind them, making sure to close each door silently to avoid disturbing the tranquil atmosphere.
It was strange seeing so much passion, so much determination in Star's eyes. While she wasn't a dull person, she rarely ever held interest for something longer than a few minutes before declaring its purpose a waste and moving onto what was next.
Now, there was a certain fire ablaze in those crystal ocean blue eyes that he was unwilling to deny. Her focus and attention burned with a signature glow that he had long ago recognized was for him and him alone.
Even for something as ridiculous and unnecessary as this.
A deep thud, thud, thud reverberated throughout the hallways causing Marco's ears instinctively to perk up.
Here we go.
The thumping came to an abrupt stop, directly outside the locker Marco stood in, causing his brain to go into hyperdrive. Sweaty palms, increased heart rate, incoherent thoughts, all a result of the adrenaline that pumped through his veins.
Then, what could only be described as a little jingling replaced the sound of footsteps. Followed by a low creak. And..whistling?
Odd, Mr. Paul must've been listening to some tunes.
All the more easier, Marco reassured himself. He had difficulty shaking off the stress and anxiety that came with pulling off this kind job, but they were so close, he couldn't afford to be afraid.
Now came the hard part. With any luck, Star could easily pull it off and they'd be home free.
Marco heard the slight creaking of old metal grinding on its axis next to him. The old locker swung open, the rusted hinges allowing for minimal noise.
Oh god she's doing it…
He desperately wanted to peek out the locker to observe her progress, but Star had long forewarned him not to, in the event that he could jeopardize the mission by revealing himself.
"Besides, you're my backup in case I fail!"
Okay, so those words didn't exactly inspire faith, but Marco had agreed nonetheless. she was long past being convinced of anything otherwise, all he could do was nod and follow.
The plan was rather simple: When Mr. Paul came to retrieve his supplies, Star would sneak into the closet (hopefully) unnoticed. From there, she could search for the shelves and cabinets for the fabled "master key ring".
In fact, the artifact itself wasn't really that impressive nor that legendary. It was just a regular key ring, the only difference being it held every single key ever used by the school, outside or inside, old or new. Along its shiny metal luster, every secret ever to be discovered within the walls of Echo Creek Academy was hung delicately on its surface.
And that was the grand prize that lay ahead of the two. Or rather, a small part of it was.
The plan was foolproof, the steps were easy, and the amount of detail and precaution taken were surprisingly thought out and more than enough.
So why was it that Marco couldn't shake the feeling something was off? Was this too easy? Maybe he was wrong and they simply hadn't reached the hard part yet.
Despite his worries, nothing changed the fact that everything depended solely on Star's success.
Speaking of which, what was taking her so long?
Marco had been so immersed in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed that time had begun to slowly slip away. It must've been midnight by now, if not later, and there was still no sign of Star's return.
He knew he shouldn't have panicked. He knew he shouldn't have let his emotions take control, allowing him to act spontaneously.
Which is exactly why he wound up barging through the door, completely ignorant at any possibility of being detected.
"Star!"
And if by some magical cue, the girl in question came raining down on him, landing not-so-graciously on his back with a sickening crunch.
"Marco! I told you not to come in!" Of course she was without a scratch.
"Ughhhh…"
"C'mon! Let's go before Mr. Paul comes back!"
Gurgled moans of pain were his only form of response.
Star placed a hand on her hip. "Ugh, do I have to do everything Diaz?"
Grabbing his outstretched arm, she hoisted his limp body up, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, then half-carrying and half-dragging him out of the closet.
Just a minute to regroup. That was all they needed.
"Hey! Who's there!?" A deep, guttural voice rang through the halls.
"Eep!" Star, scared by the sudden and unexpected return of the janitor, dropped Marco, face-first, onto the floor.
Quickly scrambling to recover, she grabbed his arm once more before making a life-or-death dash for the lockers ahead of her, shoving Marco in first, then jumping in herself.
Mr. Paul's heavy footsteps stung the air in staccato fashion as he made his way towards the janitor's supply closet. Carefully, he grasped the door handle, turning it slowly. Unlocked, still. He swung it open, scanning the room.
There on the floor beside one of the cabinets, was an overturned metal bucket. Perhaps it fell off the shelf? Or perhaps there were intruders…
He glanced over his shoulder at the old rusted metal lockers behind him. In this hallway, none of the lockers had been used in years due to how old and insecure they were. In fact, most of the locks were long since decommissioned and have since been removed. A good hiding spot to the untrained eye.
His breathing slowed as his finger curled around the metal handle, and with a swift flick of his wrist, the door swung open to reveal…
Nothing. Nothing but an empty locker.
He raised an eyebrow in concern for a split moment, before shrugging to himself and sauntering off back to the west wing with a small smirk etched onto his cheeks, whistling a short little melody.
Star couldn't stop her heart from pounding. Had it been any louder it would have sounded like a rock and roll concert inside of the metal coffin she had trapped herself in. For some odd reason, Mr. Paul had only opened one of the lockers, not all of them. Why did he stop at the first one? Did he not truly suspect anything? It didn't matter. They were on the fast track to success now.
She glanced down at her partner in crime.
He seemed equally agitated and anxious, with a hint of fear mixed into his eyes but even she could tell that he was relieved they weren't found out.
Of course, that anxiety could have been of different origin. For example, they were in a really tight and compact locker. Which meant…
Their eyes met for a moment, and they realized how close their faces were. Noses almost touching, breaths within audible distance from one another, so close they could feel the other's racing heartbeats.
And so they did what any other preteen would do.
They burst out of the locker, gasping for air.
"Gross! I could smell your taco breath Diaz!"
"Hey! My mom's tacos are delicious and you know it!"
She pointed a finger to her chin. "True, but you should really chew a mint or something."
"Ughh," Marco rolled his eyes, "whatever. Did you get the key or not?"
Star beamed with pride the moment she remembered the task at hand. Reaching into her small pink cloud purse, she pulled out a massive set of shiny and rusted keys alike, all hooked around a single ring.
"Of course I did! Now, let's go!" With that, she sprinted off towards the main hall, Marco in hot pursuit.
This was the bulk of the plan. Retrieving the treasure. In the main hallway near the administration office sat a chest full of riches and goodies that no student could access without the master key ring.
Past the gymnasium, past the science lab, past the library, the two made their way quickly yet quietly down the slumbering corridors until they reached their destination.
There, once again beneath the soft glow of the moon that shone through the skylight, sat a wooden chest. Old and splintered, it looked rather underwhelming compared to what prizes lay inside.
On the front edge, was a single old fashioned lock, binding together the top cover with the containment vessel.
Star flipped through the keys, eyeing each individual one, carefully ensuring that it wasn't the one to fit the lock.
"Hurry up Star! What if Mr. Paul comes back?"
"Shhh, Marco, I'm trying my best alright?"
Two whole minutes passed until finally:
"Aha! This one!" Star raised her arm in success. Stabbing the silver metal key into the corresponding lock, she gave it a swift turn, which gave off a satisfying 'click', popping the hook of the latch open.
This was it!
Removing the now ineffective lock, the two lifted the lid of the wooden chest, their eyes gleaming with pride and excitement, to reveal the treasure they had worked so hard for.
Inside the box, sat several articles of disgusting smelling gym clothes, a few empty pencil cases, two broken calculators, what looked like a chewed retainer, and a bag of mouldy grapes.
Star thrust her arm gingerly into the mass pile of filth and rummaged around for a few moments.
Her mouth curled into a grin as she lifted up the true treasure of this adventure.
A (somewhat musty smelling) red hoodie.
"Yes!" Marco grabbed the hoodie and hugged it tightly, despite the odd scent secreting from it.
Star couldn't help but smile at seeing her best friend reunited with his favorite possession.
Of course, they weren't finished yet. No, they had to execute the final part of the plan. Destroying the evidence.
Star closed the lid to the lost and found and bolted the lock back into place, as the two calmly strode their way back towards the main doors.
However, a quick stop at the office reception desk allowed Star to slide the master key ring into the mailbox slot.
Marco stared at her in utter disbelief. "That was it? We're not going to return it back to the janitor's closet?"
She shrugged in response. "Meh, no one's gonna find out anyways!"
Star dragged a stunned looking Marco out of the front doors only to be met with the nightly chill autumn breeze.
They walked in complete silence before Marco finally spoke up. "Thanks, Star, you know we didn't have to go through all thi-"
"Upupup!" She pressed a finger to his lips, effectively shushing him. "Say no more, it was fun!"
He rolled his eyes as they continued forward, pushing their way against the cold air.
Marco looked over at Star. She really didn't come prepared for the weather. She only wore one of her signature dresses that only went down to her knees, aside from the colored stockings and boots, along with the standard devil's horn headband. Wasn't she cold?
A slight shiver shook her being the instant the question crossed his mind.
Unzipping his hoodie, he removed the warm red fabric off of his back and wrapped it around her shoulders.
Star stopped, "Marco… aren't you-"
"Upupup!" He mocked, pressing a finger to her lips. "Say no more!"
Star raised an eyebrow, clearly unmoved by his impression of her.
Marco grinned. "It's just a hoodie."
"Yeah but it's your hoodie. You know, 'signature red' and all?"
"Mhm, I do like red, and I do like hoodies…" He turned to face her. "Which is why I've got about eleven more back at home."
Star's jaw dropped. In all of her haste to go through with this crazy scheme, she forgot he had the strangest wardrobe.
She shook her head back to reality. "W-well fine! I'm keeping this one then!" She wrapped herself tighter in his clothing. It was odd, the hoodie somehow smelled better than it had before when they removed it from the lost and found.
"Whatever you say, Star." Marco laughed.
After such a crazy night, the two tiredly made their way back home, ready to sleep away the weekend.
Et voilà! Chapter two is complete! A bit longer than I anticipated, but there's some cutsieness to keep you guys sustained haha!
As you could tell, this chapter was meant to be a bit on the silly side, not really serious at all, however, chapter three will be a bit more emotional than this. Not to spoil, but we're gonna rewind a bit in the past.
And of course, that chapter will be up in a week, so stay tuned!
Also, you may have noticed the title of this project finally posted in this chapter. No, it wasn't a mistake, otherwise I wouldn't be commenting on it right now! Haha I have good reason to do so, but I shall not reveal why... yet.
Oh! Before I forget, reviews and comments are always deeply appreciated, I certainly hope you all enjoyed this project far! With that said, see you guys next week for the third installment of Ripples!
