*In Jay's Workspace, RJ "Jay" Writing Ink & Rolfhave returned from their Cupid Hunt, eliminating many cherubs who would've created horrible crack pairings throughout reality. Their clothes are covered in glitter, and they're carrying many broken bows and arrows in their hands, but the two look proud.*
Rolf: We have done, Jay boy. The terror of the mountain sprites coming to make mischief has been held at bay for another year.
Jay: Thanks, Rolf. Since I saw you take care of those two Cupids in your show's Valentine's Day special, I've wanted to do this with you. The world's once again safe from diabetes-inducing levels of romantic mush! And I managed to get rid of Cupid Ye in South Park!
Rolf: Indeed. The tiny beast was a menace the likes of which Rolf had never seen. But now, I must go. The son of a shepherd must return to his farm and milk the cows!
Jay: You sure? I was going to invite you to hunt this crazy-ass bear that got high on cocaine next week. And then the week after, The Mandalorian comes back! I got Baby Yoda and everything!
Rolf: No, thank you, Jay boy. Rolf has far too much to do. And Rolf is confident in Rolf's ability to protect his livestock from this cocaine bear, as you say. Hello, goodbye!
*Thus, Rolf departs, destined to return when the world needs him to restore sanity amidst the chaos of Valentine's Day.*
Jay: Speaking of romance, let's get back to the sleepover. You guys are going to enjoy what happens this week. Or you'll get pissed off. Either way, I hope I have entertained you!
In the Diaz Family's backyard, several Spells and animals affiliated with Comet Dragonfly and his friends sat around a patio table with intense looks on their faces. They were locked in a high-stakes blackjack game, with the pot being a sizeable pile of snacks. A flying monkey served as the dealer, with the players consisting of Kevin the Griffin, Misty the Horsea, Coryn the Noctowl, Cloudy, and two of the laser puppies. How Kevin or Misty held their cards was anybody's guess, not that anyone cared about that. As they were about to start a new game, they found themselves interrupted by a loud, whirring sound.
The various creatures looked up at the tower that held Comet's bedroom, only to find it was gone. In its place, a massive, cube-like structure covered the building. None of the creatures knew this, but their instincts told them it wasn't supposed to be there.
Kevin was the first to act. He flew up to the Cube and cautiously swiped at it with one of his talons. When it failed to react to his touch, he swiped at it again, this time with much more force behind it. To his surprise, no scratch could be found on the invading object. Deciding to change tactics, Kevin resorted to using his beak to peck at the Cube, hoping his mouth would succeed where his legs failed. Again, there was no luck. The Cube remained unscathed.
At this point, the others now tried their hand at getting rid of the Cube. Try as they might, though, nothing seemed to work. Not a water gun, steel wing attack, exploding bananas, or lasers. Cloudy tried ramming into it, but all that managed to do was give him a black eye.
"Oh, dear," the poor talking cloud said as they all looked at the Cube that had swallowed Comet's tower. They all knew that Comet and his friends were in there, and something told them that it was trouble.
"What do we do?" Cloudy worriedly asked.
"Kraww, kraww" Coryn hooted, a phrase which here means, "I don't know, guys. I don't think we can do anything."
"Sea! Sea!" Misty said in a mournful tone, a phrase which here means, "Miss Aqua, no!"
Kevin screeched in response to all of this, a phrase which here means, "We can do nothing to resolve this matter, my friends. We must trust those children and their ability to see this through." Kevin spoke with deep wisdom in his screeches despite being only a few months old.
One thing was for sure, though: they would need more time to focus on blackjack after this.
Inside the Cube that had formerly been Comet's bedroom, the teenagers in question reacted in the only way they possibly could: panicking and blaming MC.
"MC!" everyone shouted at Mare Cranium "MC," Colthead, angry at the floating horse head for getting them in this mess. The only ones who didn't were Comet, Aqua, Killian, Karla, and Jonah. The last of whom was eating popcorn as he watched the drama.
"MC, do you have any idea what you've just done?! You've trapped us in this sadistic game!" Alfonso yelled.
"I can't spend the rest of my life here! I have so many plans!" Sabrina cried as she felt the tears welling up in her eyes.
"I'm freaking out, you guys! I GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!" Ferguson frantically ran around the room, trying to find a means of escape.
Alfonso had to slap Ferguson across the face and tell him, "Get it together, man! Don't let'em break you!"
"Mare Cranium Colthead, in all the time that I've come to know you, this has to be your biggest blunder ever!" Marcia angrily told Comet's bestie from Mewni. "And I've only known you for a few months!"
"If you had a neck right now, I'd be strangling it!" Brittney angrily admitted.
At this point, Comet intervened, stepping between MC and the others. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, you guys!" Comet said as he held his hands up to get everyone to calm down. "Let's not start tearing into each other like a pack of maniacs."
"Uh, I would like to second that notion," MC nervously told everyone. "I honestly had no clue that any of this would happen."
"That's not helping your case, dude," Marcia reproached him.
"Look, what if MC didn't know this would happen and screwed up big time? This is nothing compared to the amount of trouble I've gotten in and out of over the years!" Comet argued in defense of his friend.
"Really? Like what?" Marcia seriously wanted to know.
"Well, there's the football game," Comet said as he started counting off his biggest screw-ups. "Stopping time, stealing from Monsters, the Warnicorn Incident-"
"Bro, you know that was out of your control. How were you supposed to know it would end up wrecking the big cornball game?" MC commented.
"Can somebody please explain what the Warnincorn Incident is already?!" Marcia asked in exasperation.
"Look, all I'm saying is that I've gone through way worse situations than this. And if I'm not panicking about this, do you guys think you should start panicking?" Comet was doing his best to create a sound argument, but Marcia wasn't having any of it.
Aqua then cleared her throat. "Excuse me, but what I think Comet is trying to say is that we are making a bigger deal out of this than it is."
"She's right, you guys," Karla concurred. "All we have to do to get out of here is finish playing the game. And to do that, all we have to do is tell the truth each time, and we won't get any more crazy punishments." Karla could be surprisingly smart for someone who was very laid-back and casual. "Besides, it's not like it will make us spill some potentially embarrassing secrets."
"KARLA! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU JUST DID?! YOU PROBABLY JUST JINXED US!" Ferguson berated his guitar-playing friend. "What is wrong with you?!"
"Yo, this shit's better than wrestling," Jonah said as he continued to enjoy the show.
"All right, ENOUGH!" Killian shouted as he made everyone pay attention to him. "Now look, I don't like this any more than any of you guys, but you don't hear me whining about it. That's because I understand that the best way to get out of this mess is to simply play the game to the end. Everything will be fine if we keep telling the truth." Killian then turned to face the Cube. "That is how this game works, right?"
"I'm sure I explained the rules already, but yes. That is how this game functions."
"Alright, cool. Now can we stop complaining and start finishing this game?" Killian said as he urged everyone to get back in a circle so that they could continue playing. "I doubt the Cube's going to want to keep waiting."
"As entertaining as this is, I insist that everyone continues to play. Not like you have a choice, though. Pinky swears and everything," the Cube said, its tone of voice remaining even and betraying no hint of irritation.
"Fine." "Whatever" "Let's get this over with already." Aside from these few grumbles, everyone returned to the circle to continue playing.
"All right, magic Cube-thing. Hit us with your best shot," Jonah confidently said. "We can take it!"
"Your confidence is amusing, but let's see if you can back it up. Now, onto the second question of the night." The Cube began to whir as the slot-machine screen appeared once more. "What did you... think...of Comet's brownies?"
The room fell dead silent for a moment, and the only sound to be heard was someone sharply inhaling.
"All right, another easy question," Comet confidently said. "Right, you guys?" No one else spoke up. "Guys?" Comet looked around the room and saw the look on everyone's faces. Everyone looked awkward, rubbing their arms, avoiding eye contact, and uncomfortable answering that question. They all knew they had to tell the truth or face another punishment. Yet, for some reason, no one seemed to want to say anything.
"Tick-tock, everyone. We don't have all night," the Cube told everyone.
"Just shut up, please!" Brittney snapped at the Cube. "We're trying to think of the best way to...phrase this," she said, her face blushing in embarrassment.
It didn't take a genius or someone good at reading other people's emotions to know what everyone was thinking. And while Comet wasn't always the sharpest knife in the drawer, he knew his friends well enough to know what they all wanted to say. Taking a deep breath through his nose, Comet spoke up.
"Hey, Cube. Am I allowed to answer this since I'm the one who made them?"
"Hmmm, a bit unorthodox, but I can allow this. So long as you tell the truth."
"Good." Comet then took another deep breath before he gave his own honest opinion.
"I think my brownies were garbage, and I should ask my Dad for cooking lessons sometime since I clearly have no idea what I'm doing."
"Truth! And might I say how admirable it is for you to admit that about yourself," the Cube commented.
Everyone stared at Comet in shock after he finished saying all of this.
"What? Why's everyone looking at me like that?"
"I'm s-sorry, but it's just that...oh, what's the word I'm looking for?" Sabrina fumbled over her words as she struggled to figure out the best way to say this.
"She's wondering why you just said that about yourself," Jonah bluntly stated, earning him a glare from Marcia.
Comet shrugged his shoulders. "Look, I knew that you guys were all thinking it but didn't want to say anything because you didn't want to hurt my feelings," he freely admitted. "It's okay, you guys. Feel free to go Gordon Ramsay on me. When you spend your whole life judged by half your family, you learn how to handle a little criticism." Comet then paused. "Huh. That actually sounds a lot worse when I say it out loud."
For a moment, none of the others knew how to respond to any of this. It was Jonah, being who he was, that ended up speaking first.
"Comet, I remember trying dirt when I was a kid, and somehow, that tasted better than those brownies."
"Truth!"
"I'm sorry, Comet, but...I think those might be the worst brownies I've ever had," Sabrina admitted.
"They were terrible."
"Simply awful."
"Absolute garbage."
"How did they taste both burnt and undercooked simultaneously?" Marcia asked.
"I think a poisonous fish would taste better," Aqua reluctantly conceded.
"They sucked."
"I only ate so many to spare the others the pain!" CometFan13 admitted.
"How are you related to a great chef like Corvus?" Ferguson openly questioned. "Wow, that is much harsher than I meant it to be."
Everyone freely admitted it: Comet's brownies sucked. The Cube confirmed that they were all telling the truth, though.
Comet shrugged his shoulders. "It's cool, Ferguson. My Dad tried to teach me how to cook like Grandpa Corvus did when he was a kid. All I wanted to do was eat all the ingredients, though. Might need to rethink that next time I see him."
"Couldn't you just ask your grandpa, Comet? If their chapter of your spellbook is any indication..." Ferguson started to suggest, only for Comet to hold up a hand.
"Yeah, I've never actually met my Grandpa," Comet admitted. "Dad said he moved far away after he became King, and we can't really go see him." Comet then laid on his back and looked at the ceiling. "Must be someplace out of the way because I've never been able to find him."
Everyone gave Comet an awkward look at this point. Several, like MC, Karla, Aqua, and others, especially felt bad. They knew that when adults told kids stuff like that, it was code for one of two things: walking out on the family...or death.
"Whatever," Comet said as he shrugged his shoulders before sitting back up. "I don't think it's that bad. I know what I'm good at: magic, fashion, and being a badass!"
Everyone couldn't help but smile at this point, and any guilt they had for telling the truth about his brownies faded away.
"An admirable quality, able to be honest with oneself like that. Even more admirable was being able to get those around them to be honest," the Cube happily said. "Just for that, I'm going to reward you all."
"You're ending the game and letting us go?" Sabrina asked, hoping this sadistic game would end before anything worse happened to them.
The Cube laughed at this. "Hahaha, no. Instead of punishing everyone for lying, I'll only punish the ones who lie. And...WE'RE ON THE FINAL ROUND!"
Everyone couldn't help but glare at MC again. "Well...at least not all of us will get hurt..."
"Can I kill him?" Brittney asked Marcia.
"I'd advise against it," Marcia told the rich girl.
"Now, for the final question!" The Cube began to whir and buzz as the slot-machine screen appeared.
"Nothing too embarrassing, nothing too embarrassing, nothing too embarrassing," Marcia said as she crossed her fingers, only to feel even worse when she felt Jackson place his hand on her shoulder.
"Relax, Marcia. What's the worst that could happen?"
The Cube revealed the final question at last: "WHO DO YOU...HAVE A...CRUSH ON?"
At this exact moment, several teenagers swore that they heard a pipe organ playing funeral music. It was that, or Jonah was laughing maniacally.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! NOW, THIS IS MORE LIKE IT!" Jonah cackled, grateful that he would have front-row seats to what could only be described as pure, hormonal chaos.
"Why did I agree to this?! Some things are best left unsaid!" Marcia began to panic again as she realized what she would soon be forced to do.
"Oh, wow, what odds of us getting that as our final question?" MC asked aloud, trying (and failing) to act like he didn't expect this to happen. "Well, if you guys aren't going to say anything, then I'll go first since we're being totally honest and vulnerable. My crush is me. I'm in love with myself because I'm so amazing."
"TRUTH!" the Cube proclaimed, leaving everyone muttering about MC being such a narcissist.
"Now then, Jonah...who do you have a crush on?" the Cube asked the Filipino boy.
"Well, I think that we all know who my crush is. Don't we, Marcia?" he smirked at Marcia, who suddenly felt very uncomfortable.
"Uh..."
Jonah just laughed. "I'm just messing with you, Diaz, and it's Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein."
"TRUTH!"
That revelation took several people off-guard. Those who had known Marcia and Jonah for several years knew what their relationship was like. And some of them had started to assume that...
"So...all those times you've messed with Marcia, you were...?" Alfonso wanted to finish something other than that question.
"Doing it for the lolz, yes," Jonah gladly admitted. "Or was I?" he teased.
"Is he?" Marcia nervously asked the Cube.
"Sorry, but I'm only focusing on the question at hand. And the person that I choose to go next is...Alfonso."
"Well, I've got nothing to hide," Alfonso said with a smile. "My crush is my waifu, Robin from One Piece. She's brainy, beautiful, and can break bad guys' spines in half!"
"Yeah, I guess Robin's pretty good," Ferguson remarked. "But she's been around for decades now, Al. If you're looking for a more recent waifu, Carol Olston from Tomo-Chan Is a Girl! is the way to go," Ferguson told his friend in a snobbish tone. "No, wait! Misuzu is better! She's a cold beauty and amazing." Ferguson clutched his head between his hands as he struggled to decide. "Damnit, I can't decide! Can't I just say all of them?!"
MC snickered at the sight of the two nerds getting frustrated with themselves. "Wow. So, would you guys rather have the hots for some fictional chicks than a real-life, flesh-and-blood person? Pa-the-tic!"
"Hey, screw you, man!" Ferguson said as he flipped MC off. "Have you ever seen anime waifu's before? They are international treasures!"
"Still pathetic," MC said under his breath.
"It is indeed pathetic," the Cube concurred. "But they are also telling the truth."
"Oh, come on!" Brittney complained.
"Well, since we're being honest here, I don't really have a crush on anyone at the moment," Killian admitted. He briefly paused before adding, "I mean, besides my ex, Tina."
"Wait, ex?" This last part got Comet's attention. "Did you guys break up?"
"Yeah...we did," Killian sheepishly admitted. "That's actually why I came to this thing," he said as he looked down at the floor.
"Oh. Oh, Killian, I'm so sorry to hear that," Marcia said, her eyes full of sympathy for Comet's long-time friend.
"Earth turd, save your pity. Those two break up, make up, and make out like every other week," MC bluntly told everyone. "At this point, I could measure a calendar out of it or something."
"Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it too much, Marcy. They'll be fine."
"TRUTH!" the Cube rang out. "And no, I don't just mean Killian telling the truth. I also mean what Comet and MC said. At any rate, let us continue. CometFan13, who do you have a-"
"Comet! It's Comet! I have a crush on Comet!" CometFan13 shouted before running over to Comet and glomping onto him with all his might. "He is powerful, handsome, sensitive, and just perfect husbando material!"
"Awwww, CometFan!" Comet started tearing up a little as he happily hugged CometFan. "I may not go for guys like that, but I will always hold a special place for you in my heart!"
"How sweet," the Cube admitted before turning to Jackson. "Now then, what about you, Jackson Lee Thomas? The cool skater bro, who rarely lets anything phase him. Perchance you have someone that you have feelings for?"
Jackson placed a finger on his chin as he contemplated this for a moment, oblivious that Comet, MC, Marcia (and Jonah) were all looking at himintensely. Very intensely.
After thinking over his answer for a minute, Jackson finally said, "to be honest, I'm not really into anyone right now. I mean, there was this cute skater girl I made friends with at camp last summer, but other than that, no one. Right now, I just wanna focus on my skating. If the right person comes along, then who knows?"
"Aw, what? Boo!" Jonah complained in the background, making everyone else give him a disapproving look. The only ones that didn't were Comet, MC, and Marcia.
Comet looked at MC with a look that one could read as, "this isn't going how we planned, dude!"
MC shot Comet a look that said, "Bro, focus. We still have time for Earth Turd to turn things around. And you still have you-know-who to confess to."
The reminder that Karla Greason was still present momentarily made Comet forget about his concerns for Marcia's happiness. On the other hand, Marcia couldn't help but let her disappointment leak onto her face.
As the others continued criticizing Jonah for his behavior, Aqua cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. "Excuse me, but I do not believe I have gotten to answer. If no one has any objections, may I...?" Aqua let the question hang in the air, waiting for anyone to say otherwise.
"Nah."
"Sure."
"Why not?"
"Very well, Aqua. Who do you have a crush on?"
Aqua then stood up and addressed everyone in the circle. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before opening them again, Aqua let everyone see her unwavering resolve reflected in their depths.
"The person I have feelings for is someone I have known for a very long time," Aqua said, her voice clear, commanding, and reflecting the Princess she was. "It's someone who has been there for me in good times and bad. Even when I feared them and looked at them with distrust, they didn't hesitate to reach out to me. And I can honestly say that were it not for this person, I may not be standing here with all of you, my friends." Aqua's eyes wandered around the group before finally settling on Comet, a fact that was not lost on anyone else.
Everyone except for Comet. He just looked around like an idiot, wondering what everyone else was looking at, prompting Aqua to giggle. Comet may not know it, but he could be so cute when he was dumb like this.
"Comet..." Aqua said, getting the boy's attention.
"Uh, what is it, Aqua? Shouldn't you be telling us who you have a crush on?" Comet still didn't get it.
"Oh, for crying out... she means you, you idiot! the Mermaid princess is crushing on you!" Jonah finally snapped, not wanting to drag this out. For the umpteenth time that night, everyone glared at him.
"TRUTH!" the Cube's voice bellowed. "I would normally make the person say it, but the look on her face says it all."
True to the Cube's words, Aqua didn't bother to deny it. She kept silent, bashfully tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear while struggling to contain her blush.
Then, someone else spoke up before anyone else could discuss this.
"I ALSO HAVE A CRUSH ON COMET!"
Everyone stopped looking at Aqua and started looking at the other person who just said this: Brittney Wong.
"Alright, look. At first, I may have had the hots for you because you were strong, athletic, and absolutely gorgeous, besides being an actual Prince, but after everything that happened on my birthday, things changed, Comet! You were the first person to call me out for being such a horrible person, and even though you publicly humiliated me, you then went out of your way to talk to me and understand why I acted the way I did. I know I had no excuse for how I've treated people over the years, but even after seeing me at my worst, you were still willing to hear me out and encourage me to improve! How could I not fall for you after doing something like that?!" Brittney took a moment to catch her breath before adding, "And I know I may not be a Princess like Aqua, but I'm as rich as any royalty you could ever hope to meet!"
"OHOHOHO, SNAP! I did not see this coming!" MC admitted.
"Oh, now this entertainment!" Jonah returned to munching on his popcorn as yet another person decided to add to the drama.
"The, um, the truth is," Sabrina started to stammer as she tried to say something. "The truth is that I have a crush on you, too, Comet!" Sabrina blurted out with a will and determination that most wouldn't see from the likes of her. "You are literally the coolest boy I've ever met, and without you, I never would've been able to come out of my shell and take more control of my life! You're just so amazing and cool, and-and- I leave love letters to you in your locker when you're not looking!" Sabrina was shaking so far from admitting this that she looked like she was on the verge of passing out.
At this point, any semblance of order left in the room evaporated as all chaos broke loose.
"Okay, I know I'm about getting to the truth and all, but hot damn! I was not expecting this!" the Cube admitted.
"Comet, you dog," Jonah teased the Prince as he elbowed him. "Look at you, acting like a real-life harem protagonist!"
"DON'T JOKE ABOUT SHIT LIKE THAT, JONAH!" Ferguson yelled at the beanie-wearing boy as he tried to grab him. "Do you know how many boys would kill to be in that kind of scenario?!" The rotund boy was practically foaming at the mouth as Alfonso had to put himself between the two.
"Let him live, man! A harem ain't worth it, and you know!" Al tried to reason with Ferg, only for the latter to break down in tears.
"I'm sorry, buddy, but I can't help but be jealous! Some guys have all the luck with girls while we're left with jack squat!" Ferguson tearfully said as he pointed at Comet, who sat on the ground with a dumb-founded look. "Even the guys like him!"
"I know it hurts, man! I'm as upset about it as you are!" Alfonso finally admitted, with both boys breaking down in tears.
As all of this was going on, MC was laughing at these unexpected developments. "Dang, Comet, you've got, like, four people confessing their love for you tonight!" He shouted as loudly as possible. Getting in as close as he possibly could to his BFF, MC then whispered, "Are you ready to make that five, bro?"
Hearing his bestie from Mewni say that was enough to snap Comet out of his state of surprise as he remembered one of the goals of this game was: Karla Greason. Putting his fingers in his mouth and letting out a sharp whistle, Comet stopped the anarchy taking place and brought everyone's attention back to him.
"Thank you," the Prince of Mewni said before turning to look at Brittney, Sabrina, and Aqua. "Um, so..." Comet wanted to say something, but he wasn't exactly sure what to say. He'd gotten love confessions from girls before, but many of them were from people who wanted him for his title and status. He knew that Brittney had been of that same mindset less than a few months ago. And while he liked to think that she started to repair her relationship with Marcia with no ulterior motives, a part of him knew that Brittney still had it out for him like that.
Sabrina? Comet knew that Sabrina had always been friendly toward him, but for the longest time, it felt like she couldn't even make eye contact. At first, he thought she was just naturally shy, but after what she'd just said...her behavior made a little more sense.
But Aqua? That was something that he hadn't seen coming! Granted, Aqua had been among Comet's oldest friends and thought very highly of her. When she'd been captured by the pirate lord Diavolo, Comet had been willing to risk his freedom and his family's Wand to rescue her and return her and her people's greatest treasure to her father. Since then, Aqua had made great efforts to spend time with the Prince on Earth, alone or with Marcia. When he stopped to think why, Comet chalked that up to pure gratitude for saving her life for a second time.
Clearly, Comet had underestimated the depths of how much these girls liked him. Which only made what he had to say next even harder.
"Aqua, Brittney, Sabrina. I'm flattered to know how you all feel about me. And I consider all of you some of the most important people in my life. But..." Comet sighed. This wasn't supposed to be like this. Still, he had pushed for this game, and now it was time for him to pay for it. "I can't reciprocate. I already have someone else that I like, and it's Karla."
Karla, who had largely kept quiet and played a few notes on her guitar during the game, froze mid-play at the mention of her name. Everyone else froze as they heard what Comet said. Granted, most of them were already well aware of Comet's crush on Karla Greason. In fact, the only ones that weren't were the three girls who'd just confessed to him.
Brittney, in particular, looked like she was about to drop dead from this revelation. Of all the people in the world to lose Comet's affection to, the last person that she expected was...Karla.
Comet, for his part, didn't seem to notice how he had just destroyed Brittney's pride as a woman. Instead, he walked over to Karla, took her hand in between hers, and got down on one knee like he was proposing.
"Karla Greason, you are, without a doubt, the coolest girl I have ever met. You're friendly, supportive, have great fashion sense, and amazing taste in music."
"Meh..." Jonah said, only to be shushed by Marcia.
"So, what do you say? Will you go out with me?" Comet looked at Comet with the most sincere and heartfelt face he had probably ever made up to that point in his life. Everyone else watched in rapt silence, waiting to see how the rocker girl would respond.
Beneath the hair obscuring her eyes, Karla blinked as she processed everything that Comet had just told her. Finally, she spoke.
"Comet, look, this is really sweet and all. And, to tell you the truth, I kind of guessed that you had a thing for me," she awkwardly admitted, stunning Comet.
"You did? How?"
"Comet, I'm laid-back, not an idiot. I mean, after I learned what the 'Mewberty Incident' was about, I had my suspicions, but...oh, man, this is so awkward."
Comet's face began to sag a little at this; he already knew what she was going to say, but it didn't make it any less painful.
"Oh...you don't feel the same way, do you?"
"No, I don't," she admitted, making Comet's heart sink. "But not for whatever reasons you may think. You're a really awesome guy, Comet," Karla admitted. "But you should know something...I'm actually into girls."
*Record Scratch*
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Say what, now?"
"Yeah, I'm actually into girls," Karla freely admitted. "If anything, I think I have a crush on Marcia."
"TRUTH!" the Cube called out. "As far as these two know, every last thing these they have said is the truth!"
"WHAT!?"
"DANG, MAN! THIS IS, LIKE, ONE DRAMABOMB AFTER ANOTHER!" MC called out in astonishment. Out of all the ways this night could've gone, he didn't expect it to turn out like this.
Marcia, for her part, reacted in the only way someone like her could when dealing with an unexpected love confession: having a near mental breakdown.
"Wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-WHATTT?!" Marcia's face turned redder than it had ever been in all her life as she began shaking her head back in forth in refusal. "Why on Earth would you say that, Karla?! Not that there's anything wrong with liking girls, but you know I don't swing that way!" Marcia's brain was on the verge of a full nuclear meltdown, trying to process this new information.
"I know that, Marcia. That's why I never made a move," Karla calmly told her friend. "But that doesn't change the fact that I think you're an awesome girl. Way more awesome than you think you are. You're cute, brave, loyal, smart, a badass at martial arts, and a natural leader. Anyone would be lucky to date you."
"Uh-huh! Facts!" Jonah seconded this opinion. "Remember how you bitch-slapped Comet's deadbeat Uncle? That was freaking hardcore!"
"Yeah! Marcia Diaz rules!" CometFan13 cheered.
None of this seemed to be helping Marcia, who was now at the end of her rope from playing this game that she didn't want to join. So, in her state of irrational panic, she did the only thing that made sense to her: she tried to bail.
"Alright, that's it. I'm done! I'm out of here!" Marcia promptly got up from where she'd been sitting and made her way to where she assumed the door was.
"So sorry, Miss Diaz," the Cube said as it hovered over her. "But I'm afraid that none may leave until they have-"
"CAN IT, YOU OVERGROWN RUBIX'S CUBE!" Marcia angrily snapped at the Cube, which felt momentarily taken aback by her aggressive attitude. "If you think I'm going to spend another second in here watching my friends and I embarrass ourselves like this, then you've got another thing coming. I don't care if I pinky swore: I. Want. OUT."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Earth Turd. Last time I checked, we all agreed to do this-"
"No, you guys agreed to do this," Marcia argued with MC. "I only agreed to do it because I knew that you and Comet would beg me until I said otherwise. And for what? I'm willing to bet that you two set all of this up so that he could confess to Karla in the biggest way possible!"
"I-uh," MC fumbled to find a good excuse, which confirmed Marcia's suspicions.
"I knew it! I was right! This was your whole plan, wasn't it? To trap us all inside this crazy truth-or-dare game and force us to admit one of the most potentially embarrassing secrets we could hope to have? Well, congrats; it worked!" Marcia just kept yelling louder and louder as everyone listened. "You probably made things too awkward for Comet and Aqua to be friends; Brittney and Sabrina's rebuilt relationship might have just gone down the drain. And it turns out that Comet's been crushing over a girl that's been crushing on me this whole time. In fact, the one consolation I have tonight is that once I leave, I won't have to reveal to everyone that I'VE HAD A MASSIVE CRUSH ON JACKSON SINCE KINDERGARTEN!"
*Bum-bum-bum*
"Um...what?" Jackson could only stupidly ask.
At this moment, Marcia realized the great mistake she had just made. In a moment of sheer anger, she'd just revealed one of the most embarrassing secrets she could ever hope to tell: her crush on Jackson Lee Thomas. And she'd done it all within earshot of him.
Morgan Freeman: It was at this point...Marcia knew...she f**ked up.
"Truth! And oh man, did things just get awkward," the Cube admitted. "I'll, uh, I'll just see myself out." With this, the Cube began to whir and move around the room, prompting it to revert from the cube-like prison that it had become into Comet's bedroom once more. Its task now done, the Cube then laid itself on the ground before falling silent, leaving the teens alone with the revelations that the game had brought.
Everyone stared at Marcia, shocked by her outburst; Jackson looked at her hardest of all. Before anyone could say anything, though, Marcia felt her body sway. Her ability to stand upright slipped from her grasp, and her vision grew dark.
*Thud*
Marcia fell to the ground, passed out from the mental shock of all that had just transpired.
"Oh, crud," Killian said.
"Marcia!" Comet and Jackson both rushed to Marcia's side.
"Oh, snap! Please don't be dead, Earth Turd!"
Spongebob Narrator: A few hours later...
The sun was starting to rise in Echo Creek, with the entire group of teens now gathered in Marcia's living room. After passing out from the emotional shock of accidentally admitting her crush on Jackson in the worst way possible, everyone had helped to carry her to her bedroom. After making sure that she was fine, just out cold from shock, the girls had shooed the boys out of her room so that they could help get her ready for bed.
Given how everything had transpired, everyone reluctantly decided it best to call it a night. Thus, both groups retired to their bedrooms to get some shut-eye and process what they'd just learned.
The next morning, as the sun began to rise, Comet had gathered everyone in the living room so he and MC could say something.
"We're really sorry for what happened last night! Please forgive us!" Both Princes proceeded to bow their heads (or body, in MC's case) in front of the others, much to their surprise.
"Um, why are you guys apologizing?" Ferguson was ultimately the one who asked the question that had been on everyone else's mind.
"Because Marcia was totally right about the game!" Comet admitted. "It's true. The whole thing was set up by me and MC as part of some big, grandiose plan to get me and Marcia to confess how we felt about Karla and Jackson!"
"Yeah, man. I just wanted to help my homie get his dream girl in the coolest way possible, and since I owed Earth Turd a favor, I thought, 'might as well get her her man, so I don't have to keep owing her,' or something like that."
"We didn't know that things would turn out so bad! Please forgive us!" Comet bowed his head once more, much to everyone else's confusion. Finally, Jonah ended up being the one who spoke up.
"Comet, bruh, listen. First, I respect you for how far you were willing to go to pull this off. I couldn't have done it better myself-"
"Ahem," Alfonso coughed.
"-but you guys got nothing to apologize for, dude."
"I mean-" Sabrina started to say, but then she thought better about it.
"Comet, all you did was make us bring a few secrets out into the open that we probably should've done way before last night," Jonah reassured him. "Plus, it's not like finding out who's crushing on you is the end of the world. That's just what being young is like."
"I have no regrets about what happened, Comet," Aqua said with a disarming smile that was enough to make most guys' hearts skip a beat.
"But Brittney, Sabrina-"
"We...came to something of an understanding last night," Brittney told him.
While the others slept, Brittney, Sabrina, and Aqua sat huddled in the corner, looking at each other nervously. How could they not? They had just declared their feelings for the same boy. They could've been tearing themselves apart over it at this very moment! Yet, despite all of this, they remained...surprisingly civil.
"So, we are all in agreement, then. Each of us has romantic feelings for Prince Comet Dragonfly," Brittney stated. Aqua and Sabrina nodded.
"Now, at one point, I would've considered this grounds to cut all ties with either of you...but I'm trying to change for the better. Plus, I care about having you two as my friends as much as I like that blonde-haired hunk."
"Awww, Brittney." Sabrina started sniffling a little.
"And now that we know that he's free and up for grabs, none of us are not going to stop until we win his heart," Brittney said. She phrased it like a question, but the way she said it made it clear it was more of a statement.
"But, we all agree to not let this come in the way of our friendship?" Aqua said, guessing that this is what Brittney wanted to tell them. Brittney nodded in response.
"I like Comet...but I don't want to lose you two. Especially now that I and Brittney are working to make things better between us." Sabrina concurred.
"Then...may the best girl win," Brittney told the two.
Brittney, Aqua, and Sabrina all smiled at each other, remembering what they talked about last night. No matter what happened or who Comet chose (they hoped it was one of them), they wouldn't let it tear them apart.
"Well, if that's settled, if it's right with you guys, then I'm going to head home. I've got some shows I have to stream," Ferguson said while stretching his arm.
"And I have some work to do at home, so I better head out, too," Alfonso added.
With that, everyone in the group got ready to return home. Sabrina and Brittney decided to wait outside for the latter's servants to pick them up in the limo. Al and Ferguson walked to each other's houses. Aqua pulled out the dimensional scissors her Dad loaned to her and headed home...but not before giving Comet a wink. Killian headed out on his own. Jonah saw himself out, but not before saying, "Best. Sleepover. Ever."
As for the rest, they had congregated in the backyard. Karla had taken Kevin to the Diaz house, while Jackson had his U-Board to get him home. MC had to grab the Cube and make sure it got home safely. Besides, he thought he should give Comet and Earth Turd some privacy with their respective crushes.
Despite know that he got rejected by the girl he'd been crushing on since he first came to Earth, Comet didn't seem to hold any ill will toward Karla. The two spoke rather amicably, laughing over everything they'd just gone through.
"I meant every word I said last night, you know," Comet said as he helped Karla get on Kevin. "You're one of the coolest girls I've ever met."
"I know, and I appreciate everything you've done for me. But even if things didn't turn out the way you wanted-"
"I'm still glad we're friends," Comet said, with Karla nodding in response.
"Agreed. And I'll save you a spot at the Bounce Lounge next time I play," Karla told him, much to his excitement.
As for Marcia and Jackson...the two were pretty awkward around each other.
"So...I guess I'll see you at school, then?" Marcia nervously said, trying to look at anything but Jackson.
"Yeah. See you then," Jackson said as he tried to keep his cool. "Look, Marcia-"
"Don't, Jackson," Marcia interrupted. "You don't have to say anything just yet. I'm sure you've got a lot to process."
"Maybe," Jackson admitted before getting on his U-Board. "Stay amazing, Marcia."
"Wait!"
Before Jackson could do anything, he felt Marcia's cool lips press against his cheek. Jackson started to blush, while Marcia's already red face turned even redder at this. Neither of them said anything else before Jackson and Karla took to the air, leaving Comet and Marcia alone. Along with MC, who'd gotten his stuff and the Cube and was getting ready to head out.
"Awwwwwwww!" Comet and MC said, unable to resist gushing at what Marcia just did.
"Zip it, both of you! And shouldn't you be heading out, MC?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've got to get home before my brothers get any ideas and try to take my room for themselves, anyway. Laters!" MC then started flying into the air, leaving Comet and Marcia alone.
"Well, that was an eventful night," Comet proclaimed. "What do you say we both head inside and whip up some breakfast burritos?"
"No thanks, Comet. I'm still a bit worn out from everything that happened, and I think I will spend the rest of the day sleeping it off." With a yawn and a tired smile on her face, Marcia headed inside, leaving Comet by himself.
"But, Marcia, breakfast burritos? Marcia Diaz!" Comet called out after his best friend, wanting her to join/make breakfast for him.
Unbeknownst to everyone, up in the sky above, currently nestled in the knapsack he used to carry his stuff, the Truth or Punishment Cube heard this...and began to stir.
"TRUTH: COMET DRAGONFLY HAS A CRUSH ON-" The Cube didn't get to finish that sentence, though, since it found itself smothered by a bunch of open beauty products that MC carelessly forgot to close. "Oh, come on! Who puts glitter in eyeliner?!"
*In Jay's Workspace, Jay is currently aboard the bridge of the Absolute Vindication, making some preparations for a flight into deep space while everyone else is working in various sections of the ship*
Jay: So, what did you guys think? Bet you didn't see that thing with Karla coming now, did ya? Hahahahaa! BITCHIN'!
For real, though, this wasn't meant to be a cop-out or an easy way to get Karla out of the way. I actually planned on having Karla as a lesbian from the start. I got the idea from The Wandering Hippie's stories where he had Oskar as gay. I didn't say anything about it because I didn't want to make a big deal. Everyone has the right to love whomever they want. Whether I give Karla a romantic interest will be another matter entirely.
As for Aqua, Sabrina, and Brittney, I did plan on having this scene with them. Their competition to win Comet's heart is going to help drive their character development going forward. While I have no plans to pair him with any of them, their feelings for him will serve as the catalyst for them to keep growing as people. It's like Sakura Haruno learning to be a badass, but I'm trying to write it better.
As for CoMarcia...the seeds have been sewn! MUAHAHHAHAHAHAA!
Now, before I get ready to take this into deep space and find Baby Yoda, it's time for
READER'S REVIEWS
LockAndKey989-Was it as crazy as you thought it was?
NightAroma-I hope you enjoyed the shipping, man! And NO. NO MCxBrittney.
And yeah, I knew. I met Sean Schemmel at a convention some years ago, and I got his autograph hanging on a wall. Ain't I a stinker?
Julayla-Thanks for the condolences. All of his fans and friends miss him.
Ted Glass-Did I give you enough shipping?
Pedro-Did you like those secrets?
Mlpbrony Fan15-Hmmm...I never considered that, actually. Might have to keep that ship in mind.
You know what to do: fave and follow this story, and follow me on Twitter (JZ-Gaming), Insta (RJ Writing Ink), and YouTube (Jungoguy)
Also, if you haven't already, go watch the anime "Tomo-Chan is a Girl!" on Crunchyroll. It's this new romcom/slice-of-life anime about this tomboy who's trying to get her best friend to fall in love with her. It's one of the best anime of the Winter 2023. It's also where Carol and Misuzu come from, along with Tomo-Chan herself. Those three are candidates for Best Girl of 2023.
See you guys in two weeks! Next time, Comet's going on a journey inward...into his Wand.
