In the backyard of the Diaz residence Floyd was staring at the undead flaming warnicorn with the warnicorn staring back a little weirded out by the bird. A dragon cycle looked at them from the side curled up on himself with Nacho circling him in confusion moving in close to sniff on occasion. Their attention was taken up however when a gigantic blue and veined cube immediately engulfed Star's tower room. The entities looked at each other in concern with Floyd flying up to the roof and started pecking it with the warnicorn commenting.
"I… have a bad feeling about this." Nacho meowed in agreement as Floyd's pecking increased in speed.
Everyone looked back and forth between each other with eyes glancing towards Tom the most. Everyone knew about the fact that at least Tom and Star had been together at some point and that it was Tom's fault they had broken up. For those who knew the full story it made things even more uncomfortable especially with Star forgiving Tom not really helping alleviate what had happened. After a few seconds of this Tom finally spoke up.
"A bit of a jerk and asshat to be completely honest. He had problems yes but that was no excuse for some of the things he did and how he was in denial of most of the things he did wrong for years. Honestly he is shocked Star forgave him in the first place from what I know." Everyone looked at Tom wide eyed in shock as the box responded.
"Wow… I always get to the truth but damn that was brutal." Everyone looked at each other in worry before Jackie spoke up.
"Well once you manage to peel back his issues he is actually a really cool and sweet guy. And I would have him no other way." Jackie leaned in hugging him from the side with Tom blushing slightly. Most people smiled sweetly or uncomfortably at this with Ponyhead speaking up.
"Well what he did to B-Fly is unforgivable and I ain't forgivin that demon turd for it." At this people began speaking up on their opinion of Tom as if the floodgates had been broken.
Tempest: "Well I think he's a decent boi who has come a long way and deserves the chance to rock with us."
Oskar" "Same here man; rock on out Tom to your new color."
Chloe: "Everyone can change for the better, right?" Chloe shivered a little at this.
Alfonzo: "I'm ok with him, but you should still us caution around that unpredictable guy."
Dennis: "I second that."
Starfan13: "If Star is ok with him I am; but I will never let anyone get at Star." To push her point home she hugged Star close to her.
Janna: "I like the cool demon guy. Shame he doesn't want to share the secrets of his powers with me."
Ferguson: "That may be for the best; that guy is intimidating despite how cool he comes across as."
Alexis: "Eh, he seems like a decent guy now and we can always us more friends. Nice to see he's turned over a new leaf."
Kelly: "I don't know about him honestly, it's always difficult to judge your friend's ex especially considering what he has done."
Janna: "Say what did he do to Star anyways?" Chloe, Starfan13, Ferguson, Alfonzo, and Oskar nodded and looked to Star questioningly what Marco butting in.
Marco: "That's personal business people; Star or Tom will let you know if they want to. Anyways he's honestly a really decent guy who I am glad I've met; despite how we first met and interacted with each other." Tom chuckled a little nervously at that shifting in closer to Jackie.
Star: "Well… um… he's…" Everyone looked at Star in concern as she struggled to find words. "…I … don't know what to think of him ok! I mean he was one of my best friends once and… despite everything…" She glanced towards Tom sadly before pulling herself together. "I want to get to know him again so I can be friends with him." Marco smiled and immediately took out the special comb and began combing Star's hair making her relax immediately. Everyone smiled at that turning towards Rico who had a panicked look on his face as he glanced towards the truth box.
Rico: "Please don't make me be that jackass people. I really don't wanna…" He looked at the truth box again. "*sigh* Alright then, Tom is a jackass that doesn't deserve forgiveness and its clear Star's issues are worse than everyone thinks if she just forgave him so easily."
Truth Box: "TRUTH!" Everyone looked at Rico in shock with Jackie speaking up.
"Dude, do you realize how hard it was for Star to forgive Tom after all that!?" Rico replied a bit exasperated.
"He locked Star up in a burning coffin with chains because he thought he had to own her as property to keep her safe! I know I'm no saint, I did some pretty bad stuff in my time, but that just takes the cake!"
The argument got heated fast and escalated with several people taking Jackie's side and several taking Rico's side. Everyone else sat to the side looking back and forth between the two groups a bit unnerved by how fast the friendly atmosphere had fallen apart. After about a minute of this Marco finally stood up yelling at everyone.
"GUYS JUST STOP!" Everyone looked at him in shock. "Star made a decision on this and your arguing is just making things worse!" He pointed at Star who was rubbing her tail fiercely with bluish-green eyes cast down in worry. As everyone calmed down on this Tom spoke up.
"You know what, I'm just gonna leave." He got up and moved to the door with Jackie calling out after him.
"Wait Tom, you don't have to…"
"I know, but I want to." Tom turned back to the group with a saddened face. "I don't want to turn friends against each other like this, you know." Tom left the sentence hanging and moved towards a doorway marked exit on one of the walls. As he moved there Janna spoke up as if talking to herself.
"Hmmm, becoming a demon's property; and here I thought it would have its perks." Everyone turned to Janna with shocked looks as she realized she spoke out loud. "Wait… was that…" Ferguson spoke up at that.
"Seriously Janna this is real life not a hentai, get your head out of the gutter." Everyone didn't have much time to mull over Janna's perverted kinkiness when Tom opened the door to a surprise.
A boxing bell sounded with a spring loaded boxing glove giving Tom a solid smack sending him flying across the room. Everyone watched him reach 8 feet in the air before he slammed against the wall face first hard enough to send vibrations out. The group watched as Tom pulled himself up speaking in a dazed manner.
"Well people, guess we're stuck here until the game is over."
"That is correct." The Truth Box reared up into the air again and faced them all down. "Nobody leaves until you answer the final question." The flip part came out again revealing the question to a nervous crowd. "Who do you… have a… crush on?" Star, Chloe, Kelly, and Ferguson immediately got panicked looks as they glanced back and forth with the crowd of friends calming down slightly. "And as a bonus for no one lying the last round, only the one who lies will be punished this round. And I will be going through you one… by… one." Alexis spoke up at this getting everyone's attention.
"Alright people we can do this. Let's just answer and end this. Alright game, we're ready." Everyone nodded with the Truth Box going up to people one at a time.
"Who do you have a crush on?"
Oskar: "My man with the flute here."
Tempest: "My man with the keytar here." The two immediately pulled each other into a quick kiss getting Janna, Starfan13, and Chloe's attention who all had bloody noses.
Chloe: "I feel so much inspiration for art right now."
Starfan13: "That was almost as good as Star."
Janna: "Just right." The box moved in on Janna who was snapped out of her yaoi shipping long enough to answer. "Well I bet everyone knows who I have a crush on hmm?" She glanced towards Tom who looked a little uncomfortable at the attention. "18th century poet John Ketes." The human friends nodded in consent to that with Tom letting out a sigh of relief.
Tom: "Well mine is Jackie obviously. She knows I am as bad as Rico says I am but she loves me anyway."
Jackie: "Mine is you because of how far you've come Tom you're a cool guy to be proud of." Jackie moved in close snuggling with Tom giving him a kiss on the cheek.
Rico: "I do hope you know what you're getting into girl. Anyway, mine is Princess Turdina; the rebel princess from St. Olga's. She's caught on like wildfire being bad in a good way."
Alfonzo and Dennis: "Same here. Oh dude we just said everything at the same time! Dude." The crowd of friends face palmed at the duo.
Alexis: "Weird bromance aside I have to agree with them. I don't normally go for girls but she is the exception." Ponyhead and Star began giggling with Marco having a mortified look on his face as he looked at the four of them. "What?"
Ponyhead: "Guys allow me to introduce to you…" Star cast a radiant shadow transform on Marco changing him into his princess outfit. "… Princess Marcia Turdina!" Everyone stared at Marco in shock.
Jackie: "So that's why you had that dress on at our date."
Alfonzo: "If you are…"
Dennis: "… really her…"
Rico: "EVERYTHING I'VE KNOWn IS A LIE!" Marco watched as Rico's, Alfonzo's, and Dennis's hearts were broken with Alexis getting a smile on her face and licked her lips.
Alexis: "Well… looks like Turdina just got even more attractive." Marco got a mortified expression his face at Alexis's perverted face as Star changed him out of the dress.
Janna: "I hear ya girl!"
Chloe: "Indeed."
Starfan13: "Good choice. Mine is Star, she is perfect waifu material." She hugged Star in close with Star looking slightly uncomfortable at this.
Ponyhead: "I would agree with that, but my crush is myself people. I love myself." She took a pose as everyone applauded her.
Kelly: "Well I would have to agree with you."
Truth Box: "Somebody's lying!" The box shot a type of metal skeleton on her forcing her to dance to painful electric shocks.
Rico: "Come on Kelly, just tell the truth; I at least know who it is." Everyone looked back and forth between the two in confusion.
Kelly: "Tad, damnit it's still Tad."
Truth Box: "TRUTH!" Kelly was set down with tears in her eyes.
Kelly: "I can't do it… I just can't move on from Tad no matter how hard I try. *sob* I just can't…" Rico moved over and gave Kelly a supportive hug with people nodding in solemn sympathy.
Truth Box: "No time to wait for you. Your turn." It turned towards a nervous looking Chloe.
Chloe: "I… don't know. I think it's a cross between Star and… Alfonzo." After a slight gasp at this people turned to a shocked Alfonzo.
Alfonzo: "Wait… a girl finds me attractive?! Does not compute… does not compute." Alfonzo fell on his back staring up at the ceiling in a dazed state.
Star: "Guys, I don't swing for girls and what's more how are you all finding me attractive?!"
Marco: "Because you are just a nice person Star, plus the tragic backstory really does make a person want to protect you. Aside from that though which girl of the week is it for you Ferguson?" Everyone looked at Ferguson with raised eyebrows.
Alfonzo: "Is it that actress you learned about two nights ago or are you after Sabrina again." Alfonzo was shaking off his shock at Chloe finding him attractive to speak up.
Janna: "Given your track record I'd say it's more than one girl at once huh?"
Rico: "You sound like a player with no skill but I can respect that well enough." Ferguson glanced back and forth between everyone for a few seconds before speaking hesitantly.
Ferguson: "Um, no one especially sticks out…"
Truth Box: "Someone's lying!" The Truth box then used its power to lift Ferguson off the ground and hit him around the room using what looked to be a gigantic tennis racket.
Janna: "Dude just tell the truth man, we all know you are after any and every girl first time you lay eyes on her; except for me for some reason." Everyone nodded at that with Ferguson being hit around for a few more seconds before he finally burst out.
Ferguson: "Fine, my crush is Janna!"
Truth Box: "Truth!" It set Ferguson down slowly to a shocked crowd.
Everyone didn't react at first but after a few seconds heads slowly turned to look at Janna. Janna had on a sly look that slipped away to reveal a face of complete and utter shock and disbelief. She stared at Ferguson completely taken off guard as he curled up pulling his knees in close to him as he tried to make himself smaller. After about a minute of people just looking in shock Janna finally spoke up.
"Ok… um…" Ferguson spoke up after it became clear Janna was stumbling along with her words.
"*sigh* Look, could you just reject me properly? I didn't have a crush on you that was anything more than… normal, until we started hanging out as friends and things just… well..." Janna spoke up again at this.
"Wait, if you had a crush on me then what was the thing with hitting on a girl a day?" Ferguson looked up with an annoyed look on his face before speaking.
"Did you honestly think I was going to succeed using some corny lines and a face painted on my belly? I know I'm just the dorky loser fatass who is the background person that an author would probably just forget about if I was in a story. I might as well have some fun with it." At this Alfonzo, Jackie, Starfan13, Chloe, Oskar, and Dennis all got uncomfortable sympathetic looks on their faces as if they seemed to understand what he meant on a more personal level. "No girl would give me more than a sideways glance; this is the real world people not a fairytale." Everyone looked back at Janna who was for once at a loss for words.
"I… um…" Before Janna could bring herself to react however the Truth Box spoke up again.
"Plenty of time for the awkward friendship reconciliation when this is over." Ponyhead spoke up at this.
"Yeah let's just end this already. Ask B-fly what…"
"Not so fast." The Truth Box cut Ponyhead off. "I choose who goes next and I say the next person is… Marco." Marco nodded and sighed before answering.
"I'd have to say… no one." People looked at him in concern as he turned towards Jackie and Tom. "Look, I handled things pretty badly between me and Jackie and I need to get myself in order. I don't know exactly where I fell down but I know I messed up somewhere. It's not your fault Jackie; it was my fault if it was anyone's fault. I need to improve myself so until then I'm not going to look for a relationship; you guys do understand that right?" Tom smiled at that and moved in close to Marco giving him a hug.
"You are one damn mature dude Marco; I wish I can be as good as you someday." Everyone gave an aww and a few even applauded Marco's words.
Marco looked up behind Tom to see most of the people he could see were smiling at him. Ponyhead however had an annoyed and worried look on her face with Jackie having a nervous look as well while Janna was just lost in thought about something. 'What are they so worried about?' Marco thought to himself as the Truth Box spoke again.
"An admirable person indeed and not shirking on the truth. Now then Star, who do you have a crush… Star?" Marco looked up at the Truth box's change in tone and immediately knew something was wrong as he and Tom parted.
Marco finally saw Star's reaction and his face fell at what he saw. Star was sitting with a look that conveyed she had just lost all hope as she stared at Marco. An eerie silence fell on everyone as Star closed her eyes tilting her head down with a single solitary tear sliding down her face as she spoke.
"Marco. My crush is Marco."
"TRUTH! And oh man did the awkward levels really spike up from before. The game is over; I'll be showing myself out now." The box room they were in disappeared returning them to Star's room as the box fell to the ground inert. The silence was so great a pin could have dropped on the floor and it would have echoed like a gong. Finally Marco spoke up slowly.
"Star…" Star immediately buried her face in hers and sobbed while she spoke.
"It was MY fault Jackie broke up with you!" A slight gasp went up from everyone as Star continued. "She said that you cared more about me then her and just let you go so she would not get in between us. I didn't want this, I wanted to just keep clear because I know you don't think of me that way; no one really does!" Star held her tail close to her as she cried. "I didn't want to ruin things but did anyway so I'm sorry Marco. *sniff* I'm sORry fOr RuINing your lOVe life!" Star turned and tried running off sobbing as she booked it.
"Star wait, STAR!" Marco leapt at Star trying to stop and would have failed if Star didn't have a tail for him to grab onto. The shock of Marco grabbing her tail stopped Star long enough for Marco to turn her around and hold her by her shoulders so he could speak to her. "Star, it's not your fault!"
"Yes it is!"
"No it isn't!"
"Yes it is!"
"I was being an immature kid who loved the idea of being with Jackie more than actually liking Jackie herself! I tried putting on an image of being a bad boy while being with her and it all backfired horribly through my actions Star! Not yours, mine! Even if you had a hand in this if it wasn't you it would have been something else eventually, so don't you dare blame yourself for this!" Marco then pulled Star in for a hug which Star hesitated at a second before clasping him back hard and began sobbing in as much relief as sadness.
"Wow… just wow." Everyone nodded in consent to Tempest's words with Marco speaking back up after a few seconds.
"Felling better yet Star?"
"*sniff* Yes Marco." A soft silence emerged only for it to be broken shortly by Ponyhead.
"Dang gurl, tough break getting rejected by earth turd cause he feels like a turd."
"Not exactly." Everyone turned towards Dennis who elaborated. "You see Marco simply said he wasn't going to look for anyone until he believes he has bettered himself. He did not say anything explicitly about what he would do if a girl approached him. So if you wish to get technical Marco has simply not given an answer to Star yet." Everyone immediately turned towards Star and Marco staring them down with the duo realizing this while they were still hugging. Blushing profusely the two almost leapt apart looking down and spent a minute composing themselves before Star spoke up.
"So uh… what do you think Marco? I mean it's ok if you don't see me as anything more than a friend… but…" Star was holding onto her tail rubbing it nervously as she waited for an answer.
Marco inhaled and exhaled coughing a little bit in nervousness before turning to look at Star. She just looked so vulnerable and everyone was staring in on him like he was the new kid at school. He knew what his answer would be as he didn't view Star that way and dating her just to give it a shot would just lead her on in a bad way. He needed to do this delicately though so he opened his mouth to answer…
'Do you not love her though?' Marco froze a voice echoed through his head.
'But… I don't think of her that way, she's just a friend.'
'Reallllllly?' A memory flashed through his mind of Star at the concert with the wind whipping her hair back and Star looking so beautiful…
'No that's just me projecting, nothing more.'
'Are you sure?' More memories flipped by; when Star went through Mewberty and Marco had to save her, Star and Marco dancing at the Blood Moon Ball, Marco facing down Tom to protect Star at the Blood Moon Ball, the time when Marco fought with the Shadow Dragon to keep it from killing Star, him acting as Star's therapist when she was having nightmares, after Brittany's party when he carried Star home after she fell apart, the time after the big game when he and Star slept in the same bed for the first time, when he saw their memories together when they were four through the time dimension…. And he really began to think about how it all made him feel. 'Do you really think that all of this is just 'projecting' onto your best friend?' Marco blinked coming back to reality and saw everyone was leaning in subconsciously towards him. The memories were flashing by, everyone was getting more eager by the second, Star was looking really nervous and vulnerable…
"CAN I HAVE TIME TO THINK ABOUT THIS!?" At those words everyone groaned aloud and slumped back disappointed with Ponyhead speaking up.
"Really, you take that cop-out option earth turd?" Marco replied quickly.
"Well I can't just make a snap decision like this, I need to actually be careful of these things from now on. You guys do actually know what I mean right?" As people nodded in consent to this Janna turned towards the audience.
"Well, now that's just lazy writing to keep the tension high."
"No no, I'm ok with it actually." Star spoke up getting everyone's attention. "You just… take your time Marco ok. I don't wanna force anything." Star shivered a little holding her tail close looking incredibly vulnerable in the process.
"Star." Star looked up at Marco's words as he hugged her again. "We will never not be best friends ever, got that?" Star smiled at that and hugged him back crying slightly.
"Well I think tonight is well and truly done." People looked over at Rico who stood up brushing himself off. "I think it's time we all headed back home." Everyone nodded and went their separate ways dispersing through portals back home, cour·te·sy of Rico.
As Marco left Star's room he glanced back at her to see Star pull out one of her medication cigars and light it up. 'Oh man, I need to make a decision fast if I want to keep Star from becoming a junkie. But what do I do?' Marco closed the door groaning to himself in exasperation as he walked to his room speaking to himself.
"Do I love Star?"
SN: You know Janna does have a point.
WH: Hey people can't just make snap decisions like that, for once it is realistic. Regardless though, this love mess has been going on for too long. It's time we end this. Next time around, we see what happens to the 'Star-crossed Lovers'. See you then.