Chapter 42: Naysaya

Marco was banging his head on the table at lunch. HE had tried to ask out Jackie to a date. But it went horribly. She knew about his crush so that wasn't the problem.

He kept blurting out his private feelings.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" he groaned.

"Hey Marco it's not that bad." Said Star.

Luffy said something but his mouth was full so he couldn't understand him.

"I don't know what you said Luffy but I'm sure it was comforting so thanks." Said Marco.

That was when Janna showed up.

"I heard what happened. Everyone's talking about it." Said Janna, "Help you better give up on dating for the rest of your life."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Muttered Marco, "I'm not going to let being tongue tied. Pen me!"

Star gave him a pen so he can write a pen.

"Or you can let Ocram ask her out on a date for you." Said Janna.

"I'm not letting Ocram ask her out." Muttered Marco.

"I have a little messenger spell I create to give her the note, I will guarantee that she will love it." Said Janna.

"What is it?" asked Marco.

"Don't you want it to be a surprise?" asked Janna.

"No…" said Marco.

"Your loss." said Janna.

Marco delivered the note to Jackie… while she gave him some paper towels.

However the note was not him asking her out on a date but rather a confession.

"Marco can't grow hair on his face but can grow on his back." Read Jackie.

Marco read the letter.

The entire cafeteria was taking about it.

"Ha!" laughed Janna.

Marco left, then he bumped into a swim team member getting food on his jacket.

Marco started blurting out how he thought Chet (as was the guy's name) should punch him in the face.

And then he made Chet punch him in the face despite Chet not wanting to do it.

He healed his eye under the water fountain as he had gotten black eye from the incident.

"What happened in there?" asked Star.

"I don't know what got into me!" said Marco, "Whenever I'm around Jackie I keep blurting out the wrong thing!"

That was when Jackie walked by.

"Every night when Marco goes to be sleep, he shapes his pillow into the shape of Jackie Lynn Thomas!" yelled Marco then covered his mouth and said muffled, "And kisses it goodnight!"

"Did you say something?" asked Jackie.

Marco shook his head no.

Jackie walked away.

"Maybe it's a spell." Said Luffy.

Star and Marco looked at Janna.

"Hey! Don't look at me, if I wanted to embarrass him with magic I would just make another rapping Ocram." Said Janna.

(Flashback)

An Ocram stood on one of the benches of the school and was giving a horrible rap.

"I am Ocram and I'm here to say! Safety is awesome and that okay!"

(End of Flashback)

Marco glared at Janna at being reminded of that… however he fell to the ground in pain.

"Marco!" said Star.

The sky started to darken.

"What's going on?" asked Luffy.

Marco was still in pain, however that was when something popped out Marco's neck. It was a strange little head with a gap in its teeth.

"Hello!" said the head.

"SO COOL!" Yelled Luffy with his eyes sparkling.

After screaming she thought the head was cute.

"So cute!" gushed Star, "You made a little Marco Jr."

"Nice to meat you Marco Jr." said Janna.

She shook Marco's hand.

"Uh… that's not his hand, that…" said Marco.

However the second head spoke.

"Marco covered the mirror when he showers because… because… because Marco is ashamed of his own body." Said the head.

"Oh that must be why you blurting out your secrets!" said Luffy.

"That makes sense." Said Marco, "But I can't ask out Jackie like this!"

That was when Jackie showed up and Marco hid behind Luffy.

"Hey did any of you get the English homework assignment?" asked Jackie.

"Oh Marco…" said the head but Marco however Marco covered it with his hood.

"Oh I can show you Jackie!" said Star pushing Jackie away so that the head couldn't blurt out any more secrets.

"Oh! I think I know where I've seen the head before." Said Janna.

After reuniting with Star, Janna took them to Marco's locker. Which she then opened.

"Where did you get my locker combination?" asked Marco.

"From your diary." She said.

Janna then removed the back of the locker revealing a hole inside with some candles and a book.

"Awesome!" said Luffy.

"Luffy! This is my locker!" yelled Marco, "And how long has that been in there?"

"Long before I got magic, don't worry 'bout it." Said Janna.

She looked through it using "I know I've seen Marco Jr. somewhere before." Said Janna.

"Stop calling it that." Said Marco.

"Here." Said Janna finding the page, "The Naysaya. The Naysaya grows out of the neck of its victim."

She them a the page which had a painting from pilgrim times showing a man trying to propose to a woman but the very same head popped out of his neck.

"Yes, that is Naysaya when Naysaya was younger." Said the head, which was named Naysaya.

"The Naysaya reveal itself when the victim tries to woo their one true love, exposing their deepest, darkest secrets." Read Janna.

"and to judge." Said Naysaya.

"What's that?" asked Marco pointing to a sinister figure in the background of the paining.

"Oh a demon. This is a total demon's curse." Said Janna.

"A demon." Groaned Marco.

Marco took Luffy with him to see Tom.

And Luffy was surprised by some news.

"Wait! You guys are friends now?" he asked, "When did that happen?"

"Not too long ago." Said Tom who was play video games.

"He tricked me to act as his anger management graduation test but we ended up having more things in common than we thought." Said Marco with a shrug.

"Oh…" said Luffy.

"Why did you bring Luffy?" asked Tom.

"Back up." Said Marco being honest.

Tom paused his game.

"Seriously?" asked Tom, "That's really cruel."

"No… it's just mean… if I wanted to be cruel I would have brought Sabo." Said Marco.

Tom shuddered, "Okay you have a point…" said Tom, "Anyways I put it on you after the Blood Moon Ball so you wouldn't ask out Star."

"But Marco likes another girl named Jackie." Said Luffy glaring at Tom.

Tom realized that meant that Luffy knew the truth of the Blood Moon Ball.

"Oh…" said Tom.

"And he was already awkward around her before he wants to go on a date wit her." Explained Luffy.

"Marco is so very awkward when it comes to Jackie Lynn Thomas." Said Naysaya.

"So… you haven't… you know what never mind… I heard that it sometimes takes time." Said Tom.

"What?" asked Marco.

"Not important." Said Tom.

Tom looked at Luffy and sighed.

"Okay here's the thing it a curse that has to turn its course." Said Tom.

"How long will it run its course." Said Marco.

"How self conscious are you?" asked Tom.

Marco didn't answer.

"Okay… since this is my fault I'll help you out." Said Tom.

"What are you up to?" asked Marco.

"Come on we're friends now…" said Tom rather nervously.

Marco noticed the glare Luffy was giving Tom.

"Okay! You're helping that's good!" said Luffy no longer glaring at Tom.

"Yeah…I think I can understand why you're helping." Said Marco relating it's so that Luffy wouldn't beat up Tom.

"Yeah…" said Tom.

"What did you do to anger Sabo again?" asked Marco knowing that's why Luffy is angry.

"It's not important." Said Tom, "What's important is that you figure out a way to ask that girl you like and hopefully get a date…"

And he mumbled under his breath, "Luffy and the other brothers won't kick my butt…"

"You know I heard you saying that." Said Marco though Luffy seemed to ironically removing earwax when he said that so he probably didn't hear.

"I know…" said Tom.

And later Marco and Tom were talking in Marco's room trying to figure out a plan for Marco to hopefully ask out Jackie.

"So Tom's being wing man." Said Star looking in the room, "What are up to?"

"Nothing… just want to help my friend Marco get his dream girl." Said Tom.

"You're afraid to get beaten up aren't you?" asked Star.

"Oh come, is that obvious?" asked Tom.

"Yes." Said Star.

Tom sighed.

"So how many ideas do you have?" asked Star.

"None." Sighed Marco.

"I see…" said Star, "Well if Tom's going to help it's okay to bring him to school you know… everyone's desensitized to Luffy sometimes hanging out there that they don't' care any more."

"I know." Said Marco.

Star left for school since she figured that Marco would probably refuse to leave until they had a plan.

"Why am I not surprised by that?" asked Tom.

"Is there any you Naysaya wants in exchange for not talking?" asked Marco.

"Wait… you'll give what Naysaya wants? No one ever asked what Naysaya wants." Said Naysaya.

"Okay…what do you want?" asked Marco.

"Naysaya wants cereal… but to eat it in Naysaya's own mouth." Said Naysaya opening his mouth as if show what he would do with the cereal.

"Okay… fine…" said Marco.

"This is oddly easy." Said Tom.

They fed Naysaya the coral.

"Okay… so you promise to keep quiet when I'm talking to Jackie." Said Marco.

Naysaya nodded.

"All right! And once you ask her then I'll leave." Said Tom, "Just in case something goes wrong…"

"How scared are you?" asked Marco.

"Look… if Luffy wants to beat me up chances are he'll call Ace and Sabo… and I'm scared of them more than Luffy." Said Tom, "For very different reasons…"

"Fine… fine…" said Marco.

Later at school Marco put on a scarf, and walked over to Jackie to ask her out.

"Good luck!" said Tom giving the thumbs up.

He walked over to her giving the lame excuse of skiing to school. However as he was talking to her and about to ask her out… of Naysaya said something.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! This the Jacqueline that Marco practiced asking out in the mirror and sometimes pretends kiss you using his reflection." Said Naysaya.

"Naysaya! You promised not to do that!" said Marco.

"What's a promise?" asked Naysaya actually confused.

"I got to go home… you're… you're really confusing me." Said Jackie.

"It's not me saying this stuff! IT's him." said Marco coming clean showing Naysaya to not only Jackie but everyone else at school.

"Greetings Jacqueline." Said Naysaya.

Everyone reacted in horror… well most did.

"Is that a British accent?" asked Sabrina.

"Stewie Griffin! What are you doing here!" yelled one of the students.

Other students looked at the clear Family Guy fan.

"What the head sounds like Stewie Griffin… I can't be the only one hearing it." Said the Student.

"Jackie there's nothing I could do…" sighed Marco, "Tom gave me this curse a while back."

Tom awkwardly waved nearby.

"But I would still like to ask…" said Marco.

"Marco hasn't taken a bath since he seen that Shark Movie." Said Naysaya.

"It's true I haven't taken a bath since I saw that shark movie, I take showers… I'm just afraid of the tub." Said Marco.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! And Marco wears…" said Naysaya.

"And I wear Ballet shoes around the house." Said Marco.

"And her never held hands…" said Naysaya.

"I never held hands with a girl." Said Marco, "So I practiced with Ferguson."

And so Marco would quite a while got all of his deepest darkest secrets off his chest.

Finally pulling out a torn and dirty piece of paper with a green circle on it.

"I kept this picture you drew of the moon. I pulled out of the trash in art class" Said Marco.

"It's supposed to be a watermelon." Said Jackie.

"Oh really? Looks like the moon. Well your watermelon reminds me of my biggest fear. That we're all alone of this great big blue marble. Floating in the infinite expanse of the universe. Ripped from the center and ejected out into the center of the void. Players on the stage absurd." Said Marco.

"Wow… that was really deep." Said Jackie.

"So there is it Jackie, all my insecurities, unless I left any out." Said Marco glaring at the little head on his neck.

"No that's all of them." Said Naysaya.

"I still think it would be really great if we hang out this Friday." Said Marco.

Star was cheering about Marco asking out Jackie.

"Say Star…" said Tom, "I helped this happen so…"

"Not on your life Lucitor!" she growled out.

"Okay…" said Tom backing away from her.

"You know a bunch of us are going to movies on Friday." Said Jackie, "Yo should totally come."

"That would be awesome." Said Marco.

"See you then." Said Jackie.

She skated away leaving Marco happy.

Star tackle hugged him celebration.

"You did it! You did it! You did!" yelled Star.

"All right! You did… it…" said Luffy.

"You still don't' get girls do you?" asked Marco.

Luffy shrugged.

"You know who to call when you get divorced." Said Janna.

"Congrats on joining the dating world." Said Tom.

Marco however looked at Naysaya.

"So curse fulfilled right?" asked Marco, "So what do you now? Do you flake off or what?"

"You know Naysaya has never been to the movies." Said Naysaya.

Marco looked at Tom.

"He leaves when he wants once everything has been fulfilled." Said Tom.

"Seriously?" asked Marco.

And so Marco joined Jackie and some of the other kids to the a horror movie and had a great time… even with the curse head still on his neck… which thankfully did leave after the movie.

But this was the another stepping stone to starting to date his long time crush Jackie… someone he has been wanting for a very long time… and very soon would come to fruition.

Next Time: Marco and Jackie go to the school dance while Star, Luffy, Janna and Glossaryck go to a dead clown séance. Star is worried about the date thanks to her jealousy flaring up. However what will happen when Ludo shows up wanting to steal the book Will he be able to steal or will something very unexpected happen? Find out next time!

A/N: Okay seriously! I can't be the only one who thinks Naysaya sounds like Stewie Griffin! I just can't be...