Queen Moon shook her head disappointedly as she waited impatiently in her seat for her daughter in the dining hall for breakfast. Her signature frown was visible on her face that if anyone was to take a glimpse at her, chances are, they'll end up with a third leg in their pantaloons.

The atmosphere was so thick in the dining hall that it could suffocate anyone inside it. She's never seen her daughter be this late, but it shouldn't be a surprise for her knowing that her delinquency was getting the better of her. Though, this felt unusual for some reason. Moon knew that Star would do anything to be later than thirty minutes. But this felt very different.

With what happened yesterday, Moon made sure that she delivered Star a message to learn her lesson, but if she's purposely doing this, then she had the guts to do so. She'll give her that.

Moon saw the doors to the dining hall open, revealing her husband in his usual outfit. With an unsurprising frown, Moon asked from the table, "Have you seen, Star? She's extremely late."

Walking to the seat next to her, River replied with a deadpanned face, "Not even a good morning?"

The frown remained on the queen's face. "That was quite rude of you, River to ignore my question. I'm going to ask again, have you seen Star?"

"No, I haven't, unfortunately." River replied nonchalantly as he sat down in his chair.

Moon groaned in frustration at her daughter's carelessness. "I'll see her myself then." That was all Moon said before she departed for her daughter's room.

With the doors closing behind her, River only chuckled as he shook his head slowly at his wife's antics. There was a surprise waiting for her in Star's room that'll leave without a vein popping out of her forehead. River knew his life was only going to get worse from here.

Through the twist and turns of the castle, Moon finally arrived at her daughter's bedroom door. Checking the gap underneath the door, it looked like Star hadn't opened her curtains yet as no light was reaching her room. She couldn't possibly be still sleeping.

Moon already had plans for her punishments and wasn't looking pretty. She was going to make sure this wasn't going to happen again, and she's going to make sure of that.

Gently knocking on her door, Moon said, "Star? You know you're overdue to meet your father and me at the dining hall, right?"

There was no response. This only fueled the flame more that was burning inside of Moon.

"YOUNG LADY, I COMMAND YOU TO COME OUT OF YOUR ROOM THIS INSTANT!"

There was no response again...

"THAT'S IT! YOU'VE CROSSED THE LINE, STAR!" Moon yelled out at the door. Gripping the doorknob harshly, Moon was ready to barge into Star's room. "I'M COMING IN!"

Moon almost broke the door as she forcefully opened the door with her magic. Her eyes took a couple of seconds to adjust to the dark room.

The queen then turned to what looked like a clean empty bed. Just by how neat it looked, Moon thought the bed hadn't been touched overnight. There wasn't a single crease on the pillow and blanket.

"She didn't sleep at all last night..."

Moon walked to the curtains and opened them harshly to allow the sunlight to enter the bedroom. With the light entering the bedroom, Moon turned around to check once more to see if there were any more hints about where her daughter could be. She then scanned under the bed if Star could be there, but to her frustration, she wasn't there.

She's not in the dining hall...

She's not in bed...

She's not in her room...

There's only one explanation...

"She escaped..."

Storming out of the empty bedroom, Moon stood in the hallways inspecting if she could catch her running. Not seeing anyone, Moon yelled out, "GUARDS!"

Immediately, two guards appeared out of the corner of the hallway, rushing to the queen with the sound of their metal armour rattling against each other bouncing against the walls.

"Yes, your majesty?" One of the guards asked with a deep British accent.

Glaring at the two guards, Moon commanded in a deep raspy voice, "Put the castle under strict lockdown. Star has gone missing."

Star turned and twisted in her soft bed as her eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the bright light in her room. The light seeping through the window next to her told her that it was finally daytime on Earth. She could hear birds chirping outside her window, telling her it was time to wake up.

Star slowly stood up from her bed as she did a couple of stretches to relieve the tightness around her body. After sleeping like a log last night, her body thought it'd be funny if it were to become stiff in some areas. Star hoped that it'll go away after a while.

The girl walked towards the window to see what was going on outside. Upon reaching it, Star was amazed that the area she was in looked much different than it was yesterday. The whole area was lit up by the sun, showing all of its details and glory. From where she is, she's able to see all of the other houses around her, including the hills. She could barely see the spot where she first met Marco and Janna last night.

Last night...

To Star, last night felt like it didn't happen at all, and felt more or less like a dream. She'd never thought she would be leaving her kingdom behind for a better life, but with a bit of courage and her father's understanding of what she's been through, her escape was made possible.

Star slowly descended the stairs expecting to see the whole Diaz family at the dinner table eating breakfast, but sadly wasn't. Her eyes only set on Marco, sitting on the couch looking at the strange thing Star wasn't sure about. Somehow, Marco was already wearing his outfit that he worse yesterday.

Marco noticed that coming down the stairs. "Morning, Star!"

"Good morning, Marco," Star replied with a smile. "Where're your parents?"

"They said they're going out for a little bit. They'll come back later in the evening." Marco replied, returning his gaze to what he was watching.

Star nodded as she walked to the couch Marco was sitting in. Her eyes then turned to the weird-looking square thingy that looked like a compact mirror. "Hey, Marco. I've been meaning to ask, what's this thing you're looking at?"

"It's a television. They show things called channels that they broadcast." Marco replied, grabbing the remote from the coffee table. "For example, if we switch channels, we're able to watch different types of genres."

"That's amazing!" Star said out loud, amazed by what she was hearing and seeing.

"Yeah, it's alright," Marco commented, seeing he was getting a little bored seeing the same stuff over and over again. "It's cool for a while. But I thought we could do something else."

"What do you have in mind?" Star asked as she sat down on the opposite side of the couch.

"I was thinking I could show you around, Echo Creek. It's your first day here, right? I thought I could show you the pier." Marco replied with a sensation of excitement coursing through his veins.

Star thought it was a good idea. Her dream was to discover what Earth has in store, so why not see it? "I would love to see what Echo Creek has to offer! I've always wanted to see the sight and meet new people!"

"That's perfect!" Marco said as he stood up from the couch. "The pier has a lot to offer, trust me. You're going to love it there."

"Great! So when do we depart?" Star asked, still on the couch.

"I thought we'll leave around noon. You still need to eat breakfast. It's bad to skip the most important meal of the day." Marco replied, walking to where the kitchen was. "C'mon! I've already eaten."

"Wait, what time is it?" Star asked, standing and walking to the kitchen as well.

Turning her gaze to the clocking behind her, Marco replied, "It's ten in the morning. You slept pretty well last night."

Star's face became red in embarrassment as she saw Marco smirk. "It's just... I haven't slept that well in a long time. Sorry about that."

That was the first time she managed to sleep in for a long while. Ever since she started training for the position of becoming queen, she would constantly wake up early in the morning, ensuring that she would meet her mother in time. This would result in her feeling tired all the time for the next day and would only get worse as the days go on.

The worst part was there wasn't a day where she'll be able to rest. Her breaks would consist of her sitting outside in the garden and eating a small sandwich made by herself. Soon after, she would go back to training straight away.

The smirk vanished as he felt guilty at his tease. "Oh, sorry about that. You must have been busy."

"Yeah, my life is busy," Star replied without knowing that she spilt a bit of personal information out. "But I'm glad I moved here."

"...Oh." That was all Marco said, feeling a little bad for Star, but that wasn't going to stop him from enjoying his time with Star. "Well, hopefully, my little tour will help you improve your mood because I have a special place that you're going to enjoy!"

In the same clothing she wore yesterday, the blonde girl had to shield her eyes as strong winds blasted through her face as Star and Marco walked down the entrance to the pier. Through the wooden walkway, a large arch sign appeared in front of them that said 'Echo Creek Pier' in all capital letters. Behind it was multiple attractions, including rides, shops, and even restaurants. Star never thought so many attractions could all be in one spot.

"I honestly thought the pier was going to be an ordinary pier," Star commented as she admired her surroundings. "I'm glad I was proven wrong."

"I know, right? I thought the same thing when I first came here." Marco replied as they passed underneath the sign.

"So, what do you have in mind?" Star asked.

"Well, I was thinking we could walk around a little bit and show you my favourite places," Marco replied enthusiastically. In front of him, Marco's eyes went wide in excitement. "And I guess we're here already."

Looking at where Marco was looking, Star's eyes went wide as well as she looked up at a giant circular red machine with colourful lights that held people inside what she thinks is a carriage. Star had to arch her head back just so she could see all of it.

"W-What is that?" Star asked, a little terrified at the massive machine.

"It's a Ferris wheel," Marco replied as they walk towards the line. "We go inside one of those carriage things and watch as it spins around slowly."

"Oh," Star felt a little comfortable at the fact it goes slowly. "Is that all?"

"Well, yeah! The best part is that when we reach the highest point, we see a lot of Echo Creek. Trust me when I say the view is beautiful when we reach the peak."

"That sounds nice." That was all Star said before they walked to the booth for their tickets.

Fortunately, the line wasn't long for them to become bored. To Marco, he thought that Ferris Wheels were underrated and that they should get recognised more. The thought of having to ride a machine that'll allow them to get up high and see the scenery around sounded amazing to Marco. There's almost nothing out there that will allow doing that other than a Ferris Wheel.

"Are you certain about this, Marco?" Star asked as they entered the carriage inside the Ferris Wheel. "Nothing bad will happen?"

"I'm one hundred per cent certain, Star," Marco replied, sitting on the opposite side of Star. "I've been on this ride numerous times in the past."

"...Okay." Star gripped the seat under her, feeling as if it'll help her stay alive.

Suddenly, the two felt a jerk inside the carriage, and before they know it, the Ferris Wheel started to slowly move counterclockwise. The jerk caused Star to release a little 'eep'. Marco laughed before he was silenced by Star's deadly glare across from him. He sunk into his seat before he looked outside.

But the tension quickly dissipated as soon as Star looked at her surroundings. She saw the ground she was once on slowly become distant. Star and Marco were slowly raised from the ground. The girl gripped the metal window tightly, thinking she'll fall if she didn't.

Halfway to the peak, Star looked at the distance around them and noticed that every building and structure looked small. It's as if she was a giant and everything around them were miniature toys. She slowly lets go of the metal window and admires the scenery around them. It may not be as high as the castle she used to live in, but this one was so different and better from that old castle.

"Oh my goodness, Marco! Look at our surroundings!" Star yelled out in amazement. "Look at the view!"

Turning to Star, Marco couldn't help but smile widely at the girl across from him. When he first met her yesterday, she didn't give a single smile to him to Janna for some reason, but soon he found out why. Some idiot told her that smiling was prohibited. Who believes in that nonscenes? But he was glad he saw Star crack a small smile by accident. That was the moment he knew something changed inside of Star. He doesn't know much about her history other than that she was a busy person and that she believed smiling was nothing, but the little smile Star gave told him that there was more to Star's history.

"I know, right?!" Marco replied as excited as Star. "It's amazing!"

"It truly is!"

"But you should wait and see what the peak is. You'll like it." The boy returned to the view in front of him. He looked down at the pier below him, looking at all the people and other attractions become smaller as they become miniature figurines.

Marco's eyes then turned to the ocean behind him. The vast ocean made Marco want to travel and see what the world has to offer. Ever since the incident in the school showers, he's constantly called the 'Safe Kid'. That name gave Marco a new drive within him. He wanted a little bit of danger in his life. Maybe.

But the ocean didn't just remind Marco of that, but also a certain someone. Its different shades of blue reminded him of the childhood crush he desperately wanted to connect with but doesn't dare to do so. It saddens him to know that the term 'Safe Kid' is coming true since he's afraid to step out of his comfort zone. That forms a question inside of him: How and When is he going to change, and will he though?

Marco didn't want his intrusive thoughts to overpower the moment he was having with Star. It's been a while since he had this fun with someone else.

The two teenagers felt a jolt in the Ferris Wheel, telling them it has stopped. Turning to look at the opposite side, Marco noticed they'd finally reached the highest point on the Ferris Wheel. In pure shock, Marco said, "Star, look!"

Looking away from the pier, Star turned to Marco on high alert. "What is it, Marco?!"

"Look over there!" Marco pointed to the view next to Star.

Turning next to her, Star was met with a long view of the whole of Echo Creek. The mountains, trees, and houses made the scenery unforgettable. She even noticed what she thinks is a city in the distance with its tall structures that she didn't believe were possible. But then there was her castle which she had almost forgotten.

"Wow..." Star whispered out. Her eyes trained on the unbelievable view in front of her. "It's breathtaking..."

"I know. It's a beautiful sight, alright." Marco replied, thinking the same. "It's hard to take your eyes off it."

"Indeed."

The two stood in their seats as they continued to look out the window to admire the beautiful sigh of Echo Creek in its finest until the Ferris Wheel moved. A strong wind blew across their body, but that didn't let them bother them as they that they'll miss a second of the view if they looked away.

Star loved every second of the Ferris Wheel.

"What's next, Marco?"

Star and Marco returned to the pier as they navigated through the packed crowd. Unfortunately, their time on the Ferris Wheel ended as their carriage came back down, allowing the following people in line for their turn. At least they had fun while it lasted. They could always come back.

"There's a couple of clothing stores around here. I was thinking that while we're here, I could help you buy some clothes since you're moving here." Marco replied with a warm smile.

Star formed a frown on her face. "Marco! You don't have to do that for me!"

"Star, don't worry!" Marco gave a small chuckle. Putting a hand where his heart is, he continued. "I insist."

"Marco, please. Don't worry too much about me." Star said as she gave a worried expression. "You don't have to do this. I'm already putting pressure on you and your family by staying in your house. I don't want to put anymore."

Marco stopped in his tracks causing Star to do the same. "Star, it's okay. You're not a burden to my family. What I'm doing is helping you, and I intend to do that. I'm only doing it because I want to. I want to give you a head start moving here to Earth."

Star looked away from his eyes. "You're making me feel bad..."

"You don't need to. I just want to make you happy, that's all." Marco replied with a laugh. "Plus, I got like $650 in my wallet right now. I got more than enough to buy you clothes. I bet wearing the same clothes must be unfordable as well."

"$650 is a lot, isn't it?"

"It sure is!"

Star took a second before as said, "Are you sure? I don't want to pressure you into helping me."

"Star, it's fine! Trust me." Marco offered another smile, ensuring her that it was all okay with him.

"Fine! But, once I find a way to gather money, I'll make sure to find a way to make it up to you!" Star said with determination shining in her eyes.

"I'm not leaving without paying you back!"

"Star, it's-"

"No, Marco!"

"Really, Star-"

"No!"

Star followed Marco to the other side of the pier, where the shops and restaurants were. The girl noticed what she thinks are the shops that Marco was talking about. A lot of the shops had large windows showing mannequins wearing a couple of clothes they were offering. Star thought some of the clothes were nice while a couple were too much.

Taking a break from walking, Marco asked, "So which shop are you interested in?"

Looking at each shop she could see, Star replied, "I'm not sure yet."

"Well, we still got a lot of time. We can check each store if you want."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep!" Marco replied, shrugging. "Take your time."

Taking in her surroundings, Star noticed a pink store. Peaking through the entrance, she caught a variety of styles with colours that range throughout the rainbow. There were just too many stores to pick from.

She didn't know where to start her discovery. The best part was she didn't need to worry about how much she spent. Marco's here anyway.

Star wasn't sure what her style is, so if she were to check out what the store had to offer, maybe she'll find what she was interested in. That's the best part about clothing shopping, finding out what suits you the best.

Pointing to the one she wanted to check out, Star said, "I want to check that one over there!"

Looking over her shoulder, Marco nodded and followed her inside the shop. He hopes that she isn't like her mom.

Star and Marco came out of the shop carrying several bags of clothing, mostly Marco sadly. But it wasn't enough to slow him down, though with experience in carrying heavy groceries from the car to the house, carrying clothing bags was nothing to him.

"I want to go to one more spot before he goes home," Marco said, walking next to Star.

"What's this place you're talking about?" Star asked, now curious.

"It's called a photo booth. It's where a camera takes several photos of you and it'll print it for you." Marco replied, thinking about the possibilities. "It's pretty fun!"

Photo booth... Star felt as if she had heard the name before but couldn't remember when or where, but she heard it somewhere. It irritated her knowing that she couldn't remember how she knew it. Somehow, the only thing she knows from the photo booth was that someone introduced it to her, that they stole it off someone and that they bring it anywhere if there's a celebration.

"I feel like... I know what a photo booth is." Star said out loud.

"Really?" Marco seemed shocked by her statement. It weirded him out that someone so formal could know what a photo booth is. "How did you know about it?"

"I'm... Not sure." Star said absentmindedly. "I just know somehow."

"Strange..." That was all Marco muttered out in confusion.

If Marco was, to be honest, Star was one of the strange people he met. Coming out of a portal was unnatural already, but just the way how she acts and behaves was the strangest. Why does Star act the way she is? Why is she always so formal about everything? Why did she react the way she did when he laid his hand on her shoulder? There are so many questions lingering unanswered inside his head, desperate to be resolved, but it won't be unless she's comfortable about it. So all Marco can do is wait.

"Well, if up for it, I think we should try it before leaving."

"Certainly."

Slipping inside the curtain, Star was fortunate enough to have a little distance between her and Marco from how cramped it was inside the photo booth. The whole of the inside was cyan, including the seat behind them. In front of them was a screen showing a reflection of themselves with what seemed to be a camera on top.

"Alright. How do we do this, Marco?" Star asked, looking at the screen.

"All we have to do is sit down on the chair behind us, do a couple of silly poses, the camera will do all the work and BOOM! The photos printed!" Marco replied.

"What are 'Silly Poses'?" Star asked, confused.

"They're like this!" Marco then squished his two cheeks together with his tongue out.

Star covered her mouth with her hand as she gave a small giggle. "Sounds simple enough."

"Alright!" Reaching into his wallet, Marco said, "Lemme just put a dollar in and get ready!"

Putting the dollar in, Marco said, "So the first one, we'll just smile. After that, we'll do our silly faces and we'll do something random on the last one."

"Great!" Star replied, feeling excited about the photos.

Placing their shopping bags on the ground in front of them, the two teenagers faced the camera as they heard someone count down from the screen.

Coming out of the booth, Marco rushed to the printed photos.

The first photo showed the two smiling widely, revealing their white, shiny teeth in the camera. The filter used had sea creatures plastered all over the place with a yellow background all around them.

Below that, the second photo showed the two giving their goofiest faces, which made them laugh hard. The background was green with what appeared to be dogs and cats' faces plastered randomly around them. Personally, this was Star's favourite one out of the three.

Lastly, the photo showed the two laughing after their goofy faces, with the background being red with more sea creatures all around them.

"Aww, Marco! Look at us!" As she pointed to the second photo. "I love these!"

"Yeah, I know!" Marco replied. Turning to Star, he smiled as he said, "I want you to keep it."

Star was shocked, to say the least. "What?! I can't! You paid for it!"

"I want you to have it so that when the going gets tough, you get to look back at this," Marco replied, handing the photo to Star. "Just by looking at our pictures, I can tell that'll improve anyone's mood. Believe me when I say that."

Star stared at Marco wide-eyed as she took the photo. She couldn't believe Marco had just given away a picture he paid for. He's done so much for her, and she doesn't know how to repay him. How will Star make it up to him? She doesn't even know where to start.

Looking back down at the photo, Marco was right. All of their pictures together showed them smiling and laughing. Anyone looking at it will smile at it. There's so much happiness radiating off from the photo.

"Are you sure?" Star asked, turning to the boy.

"It's all yours." Marco smiled at her at his confirmation.

Looking down at the photo again, Star smiled.

"Thank you."

The two teenagers walked down the wooden walk board on their way back to Marco's place. Marco was finding it difficult to carry a large amount of bags, but somehow, Star was making it look easy. With bare blood circulating in his hands, he decided they could take a break before they headed home.

Walking to the ledge of the pier, Marco placed his bags down on the ground and leaned on the railing as he watched the sunset on the ocean horizon. Star did the same as she placed the bags next to his as she walked next to Marco.

"It's a beautiful sunset..." Star muttered out, watching the beautiful moment in front of her.

"Yeah." Marco quietly replied.

"There are so many beautiful sights on Earth. I wish I could see all of it all at once." Star never took her gaze from the sunset.

"Well, you're in luck because I know several spots I want to visit, and I heard they're amazing," Marco replied, looking at the girl next to him.

Star turned to Marco with excitement.

"Really?!"

"Yep! But I'm kinda busy with things coming this month, so I guess I have to do a rain check on that."

Star raised an eyebrow. "Rain... Check?"

"It means we have to do it another time. I know, it's pretty misleading." Marco replied with a shrug. He then returned his gaze to the view in front of them.

"Yeah, but it's fine." Star smiled. But out of nowhere, an intrusive thought caused her smile to disappear as a flashback from the kitchen last night appeared in her head. "Marco, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead," Marco replied.

"This might ruin the moment, but do you remember when I yelled and pushed in front of your parents?" Star asked as she cringed at the memory from yesterday. She regretted doing such improper actions to Marco.

Marco grimaced at the event that happened last night. "...Yeah, I still do. Why?"

"I just want to apologise for doing something so inhumane. I understand if you think of me of such things, but I can't help but see myself as a monster and-" Star was cut off by Marco coming up to her close with a frown.

"Star! Don't you dare call yourself a monster!" Marco exclaimed. "What happened, happened already, and I don't care about it."

"But-"

"No! It's fine, okay?" Marco's frown then turned into a gentle smile. "I know you're going through something, and I understand. How you responded last night must have been from that."

Star was shocked by how quick Marco figured her out. "How? I've only been here for a day."

"It's not hard to tell." Marco chuckled a little. "But... Do you want to talk about it?"

Star looked away as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't feel ready to talk about it."

"That's fine, but so you know, I'm always here for you." Marco smiled. His smile made Star smile as well. "Thank you. But what about your parents? I still need to apologise to them as well. I don't want them to think I'm cruel and heartless."

"No need. My parents don't think that way." Marco waved it off as if it was nothing.

"No, I still need to apologise to them. I yelled at their son, Marco. Right in front of them as well." Star replied desperately. "I still need to."

Accepting defeat, Marco sighed and said, "Okay, fine. Let's head home before it gets dark."

Star and Marco grabbed all the shopping bags before walking down the walk board. Star turned back to look at the pier one last time before she headed back to Marco's place. The massive sigh above them soon turned dark as the sun started to set. Numerous memories were developed in this one area. Just how enormous the place is, the beautiful view and fun ride on the Ferris Wheel, the hilarious photo booth, and Marco buying her new clothes, the pier became one of her favourite spots.

It was the best day ever.

On a cold night, Marco placed the shopping bags on the ground as he pulled out his house keys from his pocket and inserted them inside the keyhole. Pushing the door open, Marco and Star squinted as their eyes tried and adjusted to the bright light from the living room. On the couch revealed Angie and Rafael watching the television.

Angie was the first person to notice the two teenagers at the door. "Marco, Star! You're back!"

Marco allowed Star to step in first. "Yeah, I brought Star to the pier for a little tour. I even bought her some new clothes."

Angie noticed how many bags the two were carrying. "Wow! How much was it in total?"

"Two hundred and fifty-three, I think?" Marco replied.

Rafael grimaced at the sound of how much was spent. "Aye! I don't like the sound of that!

"Well, at least you still have some money left over, and Star has some new clothes!" Angie replied with a smile. Turning to Star, the mother asked, "So, Star. How'd you find the pier? Was it good? Did you have fun?"

"Yes, thank you. It was very nice of Marco to bring me somewhere very nice." Star replied rather softly. She still couldn't look at Angie directly.

"That's good to hear," Angie replied. "Well, why don't you two bring your bags upstairs and change. I'll get dinner started."

"No problemo!" Marco said as he locked the door behind him before going upstairs to Star's room.

Star opened the door to her room as she placed her shopping bags on the table along with Marco. Her legs were slightly sore from how much walking she's done today, but that still didn't ruin the mood. She can't stop thinking about everything they've done today.

"I'm surprised we managed to get all the bags upstairs." Marco huffed out as he quickly breathed from carrying the shopping bags.

"It wasn't that difficult," Star said. "I barely felt the weight."

"Are you serious right now? My hands were turning white from weight!" Marco replied, showing her his hands, and to her surprise, his hands were showing the marks from the handle.

"Ooh..." Star grimaced at the sight. "Well, at least it's done now. Now, if you don't mind? I'm going to change."

"Of course. I'll be in my room if you need me." Marco walked out of her room with the door closing behind him.

Taking off her shoes, Star lay on her bed as she stared at the white ceiling above her. She decided to organise her new clothes tomorrow as fatigue started to set in. At least they were all set on the table neatly, so her room was clean, organised, and not sprayed everywhere.

Suddenly, Star felt something inside her pocket that was giving her a feeling of something sharp poking her skin, but it wasn't painful, more like an itch. Slipping her hand inside her right pocket, she felt something thin and made of plastic. Pulling it out, she was greeted with the photo from the photo booth back on the pier.

Looking back at it, just how wide her smile was in the photos goes to show much fun she missed has missed in her younger years. Never in her life had she ever experienced this much. Even her ex didn't make her feel this way. Somehow, Marco managed to let her forget all those traumatising moments she experienced previously.

Star rubbed her thumb over the first photo as she gave a small smile over it.

She loved every second of it.

'You're going to be placed under my pillow to keep...'

Already in her blue nightgown, Star held the handrails as she slowly descended the stairs checking if Marco was already downstairs waiting for her. Unfortunately, the Latino teen didn't seem to be there. Star thought that maybe he was still locked up in his room.

Taking in a deep breath, Star's stomach rumbled as Angie's sweet and savoury smell of cooking entered her nostrils. That's when the realisation hits her. She hasn't eaten at all today. The only meal inside her stomach was breakfast, but she knew that her hunger was going to double the taste of Angie's cooking.

Star peaked into the kitchen, where she saw Angie and Rafael talking and laughing. It looked like the two were enjoying each other's company, so she didn't want to disturb them, but that's when she remembered that at the pier, Star needed to apologise to them. She yelled at their son without any context.

Nervously walking up to the area, Rafael noticed the blonde girl. "Ah! Star, it's good to see you again!"

"Star! How've you been, sweetie?" Angie added with a warm smile.

Star felt butterflies inside her stomach when Angie called her 'Sweetie'. With a bow, Star replied, "H-Hello. I was just coming by to apologise for my barbaric behaviour yesterday evening when I yelled at Marco without context. I promise both of you that I will never repeat my unforgettable actions."

Angie and Rafael were speechless, to say the least. They were expecting an apology, but they never thought it was going to be this formal. It wasn't a bad thing. It just felt very foreign to them seeing someone act in such a way.

Angie walked up to Star with a warm smile on her face. "Star, sweetie. We appreciate you apologising to us, but you don't always have to be formal around us."

Star rubbed her arms as she looked away from her eyes. "I-I'm sorry. It just became a habit of mine."

"It's alright. If being formal is taking a toll on you, you can always stop."

"I try hard to, but when it comes to adults, it always kicks in for some reason." Star pouted. Even if she tries to change, her old roots come back.

"Aww. if you need help with anything, you can always come and see us." Angie gestured to herself and Rafael in the back who waved. "Inside the Diaz household, it's a rule to help those in need."

Star smiled at the comment Angie made. "I like that rule."

"I made the rule, so I take all the credit." Star and Angie giggled at the joke. Out of nowhere, Angie widened her arms. "C'mon. Give me a hug."

Star looked hesitant at the gesture. She's never really hugged anyone in a long time. "U-Um... I-"

"Star, it's okay." Angie smiled to ensure Star it was fine. "It's another rule inside the house. You have to hug me."

"O-Okay." Star awkwardly opened her arms for Angie. Suddenly, the mother wrapped her arms around Star, causing the girl to jump at the feeling.

Star's eyes enlarge at the warm feeling Angie was radiating. She'd never thought she would hug another person. All these gestures that Diaz gives are so foreign to her.

As Star wrapped her arms around Angie, Star smiled as she quickly loves the overdue feeling of warmth given. Star wished she was given this kind of attention a long time ago.

"Hugs are nice, aren't they?" Angie asked, still in the hug.

"They are," Star replied as she tightens her arms around Angie

In the background, they heard Rafael's voice from the kitchen. "It's hugging time already?!"

Angie's eyes widened as she saw her husband rushing towards them. "W-Wait! Rafael!"

Angie and Star felt a strong force knocking them to the ground with a strong arm pulling them to Rafael. Soon after, they heard the rush of footsteps coming down the stairs. Looking up, all three of them saw Marco in the air, ready to pounce on his dad's back

All four of them laughed as they all lay on the ground loving each other's company

Star switched off the light in the bathroom as she stepped into the cold hallway. At the end of the hallway near her room, she could see Marco about to walk into his room.

"Marco, wait!" Star whispered out loud.

Marco, who was in the doorway, turned his head around to see Star walking toward him. "Hey, Star. What's up?"

Star rubbed her arm awkwardly as her face flushed. She couldn't look him in the eyes. "I... I just wanted to say thank you for everything you've done today. I didn't think you'd do so much for me. Being let on rides, buying me clothes, and even giving me a photo to remember. No one has done that for me, and I just wanted to thank you."

Marco's heart warmed up from Star's gratefulness. "Aww. It's no problem, Star. I just wanted to make sure you feel welcomed."

Out of nowhere, Star brought Marco into a tight hug with her arms wrapped around his body. Ever since her first hug with the Diaz family, Star felt it was right to give Marco his first hug from her. She then felt Marco return the gesture.

"My mum hugged you, didn't she?" Marco teased.

"Hehe... Yeah." Star giggled at the comment. "Thank you so much again, Marco. I appreciate everything you've done for me."

"It's all good." Then, a question popped up inside Marco's head. "Does... Does this makes us friends?"

"...Yes."

In the window next to them, a blue crescent moon floated in the night sky as it shined its cold blue colour down on the both of them...