Author's Notes:
Welcome back to Sinister Shadows! This chapter is a bit more laid back than those of the past, so be ready for some fluff! Don't worry though, the main plot will pick back up very soon! Enjoy!
…
Chapter Seven: Echo Creek High School
"...and then it exploded?" Moon Questioned, scribbling down her final notes before meeting her daughter's eyes.
"Yep," Star replied, scratching the back of her neck as she fidgetted in place.
Glossaryck sat on her shoulder quietly, doing his best not to get Moon's attention, but no matter what he could do, there was no avoiding her.
"Okay, Star," she began, "You can go back to Earth now."
Star smiled, nodding. She reached into her cut-up bag, her fingers grazing past her wand as she reached for her scissors. She cut open a portal and stepped forward, but her mother's voice cut through the air before she could step through.
"I said Star could go," Moon repeated. "Glossaryck, stay."
The magical blue hermit groaned loudly, the Queen's incredulous look not leaving her face until, after at least ten seconds, he quieted down.
"Now, about the commission," Moon began as Star stepped through the portal, which closed behind her quickly.
She stood in the upstairs hallway of the Diaz house, not a sound polluting the serene silence. She sighed, smiling only slightly as she tilted her head back.
She turned to her side, twisting open her bedroom door and stepping through.
Within a single second, she plopped onto her bed, the fatigue of the past day evident in her aching body. She could hardly move. She could hardly think for that matter. Still, she rolled onto her back, pulling her wand from her bag and staring at the cracked star in its center.
In only a single night, so much had gone wrong.
Marco got kidnapped and tortured, she had to fight Ludo's juiced-up army, she nearly got killed by Toffee, and then had to deal with her mother's prodding.
She hadn't slept in over a day, but that was the least of her problems.
The Magical High Commission was going to be involved, and for as long as Star had lived, that had never been a good sign.
Her parents were cruelly quiet when questioning her. They didn't tell her how Toffee was back. He was supposed to be dead after his fight with her mother. They didn't tell her how they fixed the wand. The whispering spell was supposed to destroy it, but suddenly, it was put back together with no more than a single crack in its head as evidence. Worst of all, though, was that they were just sending her back to Earth as if nothing happened.
This was all ignoring the more immediate problems that came from the night prior.
Marco was hurt, and badly at that. Toffee, that terrible monster, he could've beaten Marco to death, slit his throat, or something worse and she wouldn't have had a chance to stop him.
She was lucky to get out alive herself. If that frog monster hadn't taken the explosion, she couldn't have imagined what would've happened to her. She could've been burned. She could've been incinerated for that matter.
It was all just-
Her train of thought was immediately derailed as she heard a sound coming from the front yard of the house and her eyes widened in an instant.
In a mere moment, she peeked through the blinds, a small smile gracing her lips as she watched the Diaz family's car pull into the driveway.
She turned toward her door and sprung forward, but a wave of pain from her wound nearly brought her to her knees.
She stayed upright, grasping at her bandages as she limped down the stairs, smiling wide as Angie and Rafael walked through the door, followed closely by Marco, whose face was covered in bruises and stitches.
"MARCO!" she shouted with excitement, wincing with pain before trodding down the stairs and toward the door.
She came to him, examining his face for several moments before carefully wrapping her arms around him.
"You're okay," she remarked with a wide smile. "I was- I was so worried, Marco."
"Well, Jackie definitely won't be impressed," Angie teased, Marco's face flashing red in an instant.
Star raised a brow playfully.
"Who's… Jackie?" she questioned, jabbing at his shoulder and immediately realizing her mistake. She chuckled as he winced.
"She's- Uh…" he stammered, rubbing the back of his neck. "She's nobody. Don't- Don't worry about it."
"Marco has had a crush on her since kindergarten!" Rafael gleamed as his son grew more sheepish by the second. "...Ever since he was un pequeño bebé, he's been in love with her."
Rafael visibly enjoyed watching his son squirm, but even he backed away. Still, Star was more than intrigued.
"Well then," Star began. "Why don't you ask her out?"
Marco's face somehow got even brighter than before. His body trembled as he stammered.
"Wha- Me? I- No. How could I-"
Star giggled, crossing her arms with a smile.
"Fine," she said. "I'll help you."
Marco's face went white, his stammering only worsening, much to Star's delight.
Angie smiled, walking into the kitchen and remarking, "Would you? I'm starting to think he'll always be single."
"Maybe I should go find Toffee again," Marco joked. "He was nicer to me…"
The room fell silent, the boy rubbing his neck once more as Star sighed. After several seconds, Angie finally broke the silence.
"Marco already explained everything," he said, walking back into the living room with a stern expression. "Star, is he really gone?"
Star's face fell.
"I-" she paused, shaking her head. "I don't know. After the explosion, I just- I can only assume that he's dead."
The room was quiet for several seconds before Star finally continued.
"...I just- I don't get it. The wand didn't even get destroyed. He had to know what was going to happen. I don't get why he'd let himself die for…" she lifted her wand. "...this…"
After another drawn-out silence, Angie continued with a sigh.
"Well, we can only assume he's gone," she concluded, sitting beside her husband and softening her expression. "Moving on, your school is opening back up on Monday."
She turned to Marco.
"...and since you're insistent on going back, we should take the rest of the weekend to relax. Since you're both still recovering, it's probably best that you two don't go anywhere until then."
The teens nodded without hesitation, Marco finally closed the door behind him, and Angie reached for the TV remote.
"Now, I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna watch some soap operas."
Star turned to Marco with a look of confusion and without even meeting her eyes, he explained.
"...Overly dramatized shows that only the dorkiest of dorks can enjoy."
Star nodded, but Angie didn't seem amused. She gestured to the stairs, shooing the teens away and without argument, they headed upstairs, where they would seek some sort of calm amusement.
…
The weekend came and went quickly. Luckily, Marco had gotten the two ahead on homework and there was nothing assigned on the weekend, so other than eating and sleeping, the duo had nothing that they had to get done.
When Monday finally came, they were ready. Through their aches and pains, they made it out the door with time to spare.
The chilled air made their joints ache, but by the time they made it to the school, it had warmed up enough to be comfortable. Still, there was a distinct chill in the air, even inside the school.
It was nothing of consequence, though, as the school remained as peaceful as it was the first time Star had seen it. The halls were quiet, a light murmur of clashing conversations carrying through the halls as the duo made their way to class.
Few spoke to them as they ambled along, but they were sure to make themselves memorable. Of course, there was Janna, whom Star was handedly warned of by Marco before her first day. She was cool, if not slightly morbid. Plus, she had a major crush on Marco, but she could tell her feelings were… less than reciprocated.
Then, there were Marco's actual friends. Alfonzo and Ferguson were about as different from one another as possible physically. Alfonzo had tanned skin and a slim body while just about every part of Ferguson was… round, but their friendship was as strong as could be. They were total dorks, so they fit with Marco about as well as imaginable.
Much to his chagrin, they were enthused to tell the most embarrassing stories possible about him.
"Oh! And then Marco tried to fight Jeremy! The kid was only eight! But Marco still lost!"
Alfonzo and Ferguson found it hilarious, but Marco merely sighed.
"Did he tell you about the time he kept sending Jackie cat pictures?! She didn't even know it was him!"
Marco held his face in his hand while Star giggled, gobbling up the precious details with excitement.
"He also walked around his house wearing pointe shoes for like… years," Janna added, appearing suddenly.
Star turned to where Marco stood but noticed that he was suddenly absent. She scanned from side to side, but it was only when Janna guided her head that she finally found him, leaning against a locker and staring down the hallway.
"Here he goes again," Janna remarked. "He's hopeless."
Star gave a perplexed look as Alfonzo came to her side.
"He's waiting for Jackie," he let out with a sigh.
"He's been doing this for actual years," Ferguson explained. "All he does is nod. She waves at him, then skates away. That's really it."
Star tilted her head, internally questioning what it meant to skate when suddenly, Marco nodded.
Her eyes widened as she dashed across the hall, watching as the girl skated toward her. She stood directly in her path, giggling as Jackie waved and Marco's face flushed red.
She was short. Her hair was even shorter, her tips died a cool, oceanic blue. Her ears and nose were pierced several times over and her left eyebrow had a thick, distinctive slit.
She was gorgeous.
She was nothing like Marco.
Still, she saw the way that Marco looked at her. She saw the way he longed for the slightest acknowledgment. She knew the feeling herself. She couldn't help but help him.
She slid into the girl's path and waved in Marco's direction. By the time her attention returned to what was ahead of her, it was too late. She stumbled off of her board and into Star's waiting arms.
"Oof," Jackie said, chuckling and backing away as Star helped her to her feet. "That was close."
Star giggled, nearly forgetting what she was supposed to be doing when Jackie finally tilted her head with confusion.
"And who might my hero be?" she questioned with a smirk. "I don't think I've seen you before."
"Star," she laughed out, unable to stop giggling, even as Marco squirmed.
Jackie held out her hand with a look of bewilderment, smiling as Star took it and shook it.
"Nice to meet you, Star," she said, beginning to walk away when Star reached out and grabbed her hand.
She gasped with surprise as Marco did the same, nearly fainting when Star gestured toward him.
"You should come to the mall with me and Marco later," she gleamed, the cerulean-haired girl's face easing.
"Oh," she said, smiling. "Sure!"
"Hmm," Janna mumbled from afar, jabbing at the nearly incapacitated Marco's shoulder. "That was easy."
Janna walked away with a wave, Star reciprocating the gesture before turning back to the group like nothing happened.
She helped the babbling boy to his feet and gestured toward their class.
"Now," she said, oozing with confidence. "Let's do school!"
She practically dragged him into the classroom and into his seat before sitting beside him. His face was expressionless for at least a minute before he finally met Star's eyes, a smile quickly growing on his face.
Star too smiled, leaning on her hand as the teacher finally waddled into the room.
Her smile didn't last long, as the lesson quickly made her feel like an idiot. Some of it made sense, as Marco had explained everything to the best of his ability over the prior week, but it still felt like it was the curriculum of another planet.
So, like Star dragged him into the room, he dragged her through the school day, guiding her through the classes while her lifeforce drained by the second.
When the final bell rang, her chin was planted harshly into her desk and bags hung under her eyes, but Marco was unsurprisingly full of enthusiasm.
"Come on," he told her with excitement. "Let's go get Jackie!"
"You go ahead," she replied, peeling herself from the desk with a yawn. "I was never gonna come with you anyway…"
Marco tilted his head, then his eyes widened.
"Oh…" he said, the realization finally hitting him. "OHHHHHHHH!"
"Go enjoy your date," Star suggested with a smile. "You deserve it."
"Alright, I guess- Wait, how are you gonna get home?" he questioned.
Star raised an eyebrow, gesturing to her bag with an incredulous expression.
"Right," he remarked. "Dumb question… See you later!"
He waved before jogging out of the room and Star promptly let her face fall back onto the desk.
"Bad move," Janna's newly familiar voice remarked. "Your chances just dropped like… fifty percent at least."
Star turned around with a face of complete confusion.
"What are you even talking about?" she asked, yawning again.
"What? You're just gonna let her have him?" she questioned with equal confusion.
"Jackie? Yeah… He has a massive crush on her and she seemed alright so-"
"Star, that's not the point," Janna interjected. "Don't you want him for yourself?"
Star's eyes widened and her fatigue wiped away in an instant.
"WHAT?!" she questioned. "Where did that even come from?"
Janna chuckled, pushing in her seat and shaking her head. She reached her arm around Star and guided her into the hall, a smug smile on her face.
"You'll see I guess," Janna remarked before turning away. "Welcome to the club…"
Star shook her head and sighed, scratching the back of her neck.
"What is wrong with that girl?" she mumbled to herself.
"Everything!" Janna shouted from afar, Star's amazement only growing.
"How did she- You know what, I don't even care…"
She turned away, glancing down both sides of the hall before pulling out her scissors and sneakily slicing open a portal.
…
Hours later, as Star drooled on her pillow, another portal cut open. Star's eyes immediately shot open, and before she could even blink, she grasped her wand, aiming toward the portal with anticipation when suddenly, a familiar face floated through.
"Oh," Glossaryck said. "Whatcha doing?"
Star lowered her wand, her body loosening.
"I uh- I came from the High Commission," he explained. "Everything seems fine for now."
Star nodded, yawning.
"Are you-"
The front door creaked open downstairs and the voices of Angie and Rafael echoed through the house, immediately capturing the young woman's attention.
Glossaryck rolled his eyes, but again held his tongue, tucking himself into her bag as she got to her feet and made her way downstairs.
Marco stood in the front doorway, his face almost lifeless until he finally turned to Star, a bright smile taking over.
"I- We- You-" he struggled, giggling to himself.
"God, spit it out already," Angie sassed from the couch.
"She wants to go out on another date…"
Star's eyes widened.
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Star screamed. "YOUDIDITYOUDIDITYOUDIDITYOUDIDITYOUDIDITYOUDIDITYOUDIDITYOUDIDIT!"
She nearly tripped over herself as she sprinted down the stairs and nearly tackled him to the ground once she made it to him.
Angie turned to her with a smile.
"You work fast," she remarked playfully.
Star giggled before returning her attention to the babbling boy.
"So, how'd it go," she began as she led him up the stairs. "You have to tell me everything. You owe me."
Angie and Rafael chuckled as the duo left the room, shaking their heads as Rafael closed the front door.
"They'll figure it out," Angie remarked, Rafael tilting his head with confusion.
"You'll understand when you're older," she jeered. "...maybe…"
His perplexment only deepened, but so did Angie's smile. She let out a deep sigh, then returned her attention to the TV, snuggling into her husband's loving embrace.
…
Chapter Notes:
So, that was chapter seven! The B Plot of the story has been introduced. The issue of romance had to be addressed as it is obvious where I'm going with this, so what better time than the present? Plus, these themes all fit well with the next two villains that will show their faces. One is a fan favorite, the other is OC. They come at different times, so you'll just have to wait and see!
See you soon! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a comment to let me know how feel and come back for chapter eight! Until then, stay safe and have a good one!
~ lucash21