The tears soon dried as the next photo was Star's sixteenth birthday party, the growing girl was dancing with her father with Marco in the background looking upset in the photo dated 4 DEC 18.
"Are you excited mija?" Asked Angie as the two mothers were putting the last touches on her dress.
"SO MUCH?!" She wore a lovely dress that was breathtaking (look up the blood moon outfit), Marco had a hard time keeping his eyes from drifting to certain areas over her body the whole night. Mainly due to how low the front of the dress came, then right back up to her left shoulder, and how well she pulled off the outfit.
"Don't you think you should *cough* not show off so much of the girls?" Moon couldn't understand how she let the two ladies in the room convince her to get that dress.
"I think she looks amazing if you ask me, maybe she wants a certain person to see her as a young woman now and not a little girl?" Marco's mother knew what angle Star was going for.
The dress hugged her body in all the right places and even Angie told her what push-up bra to get, Star cheeks started to burn up, "Wha… what do you mean Mrs. Diaz?!"
Star's mother rolls her eyes, "Just make sure you guys have the kids after you're married…"
"That's right honey and don't worry about Jackie!" Angie gave her a wink.
"MOM…" The tag team was too much for her.
"I know they'll make cute babies, with my boy's brown tan skin and her blue eyes…" The mothers start to daydream about the soon-to-be kids.
"Grrrrr I'm right here still…" They couldn't hear a word from her as they kept talking about how the kids would look like.
All that came to a stop when there was a knock on the bedroom door, "Star… you ready?" Marco was on the other side of the door.
"Speak of the devil, we'll let you guys be." Moon walks over to the door and they make they're exited.
"Hey mom, everything alright in there?" The two older women couldn't stop smiling.
"She's waiting for you, be a gentleman and escort her to the party." His mother smacks his arm.
Moon leans in and whispers into his ear, "She's growing up to be a wonderful woman… thank you and you shouldn't let her go…"
Marco stands there for a few seconds watching the women leave and walk into her room, "What was that… all… about?"
Star looked up at him blushing, he was frozen in place taking in her beauty, "Well just don't just stand there… say something!"
Marco wore simple slacks with a button-up shirt and tie, it was clear that he was ready to burst out the top seeing how he didn't normally get dressed up like this. Star had to stop the urge on biting her bottom lip.
"Ummmm just… you look amazing…" She rarely wore her hair up and the devil horn headband was so cute.
"Do you really mean that?" Star walks up to him and gives a small spin to show the whole outfit, Marco was always taller than her but the small high heel boots helped with giving her a little more height.
"Ye… ah…" Marco would have been crazy to never see Star as a little cutie but right now, she was a beautiful young woman.
The light mood ends with his phone going off, he pulls out his phone and the joy ends, "Hey Jackie… yeah, I know… but today is really importa-… look it would really mean a lot to me if you come by… sure…"
Star could tell something was wrong, they had been dating for almost a year and the last few months had been rough on him. He turns his back as the conversation gets louder, "JACKIE, I'm planning to be here for Star and if you don't like that then you can do your own thing!"
The blonde smiles, Janna has been feeding her info on how upset Jackie was getting with him and hanging out with Star all the time. The couple went on more than enough dates and he felt like he was neglecting Star, "I'm not getting loud… I told you not to make any plans today… FINE THEN!"
Marco pinches the bridge of his nose and hangs up the phone, "Is… is everything okay?" Star places a hand on his back.
"Not really but I'm not planning on leaving… damn, why does she have to be like this?" Things changed between them after Marco was able to care for himself again. During the time apart, Jackie had fun in more ways than one.
Star had heard some of the stories where Jackie was the life of the party. There were plenty of photos sent via texts showing how wild Jackie would get with the guys that had liquor her up.
It was a part of Marco's life that he was trying to get a handle of, but the random encounters with men telling him how awesome Jackie was in bed. Let's just say, he wasn't coping with it in the most healthiest ways. Marco would find himself in a brawl with Jackie watching on and even cheering him to kick their asses.
Something toxic had developed between them, Jackie would have fun with random guys when Marco chose Star over her. They would kiss and make up and by chance, come across someone that had nutted in Jackie not even 24 hours ago.
But what gave Jackie even more of a thrill, was being in the presence of Star. She would constantly send verbal at Star on how she was Marco's girlfriend. Without a care, she would damn near have sex with him in front of her. The male always did his best to ease the tension between the girls.
Star would constantly ask him what he even sees in Jackie anymore. It was a conversion that got old fast, mostly because he didn't even understand how he let Jackie do this to him.
That and anytime Jackie would refer to the blond, it would always turn into name-calling. She had called Marco everything under the sun keeping his friendship to Star, "Hey Marco? You in there?" Star asked waving a hand across his face.
Marco must have lost himself in the thought he was having, "Sorry about that, today isn't about Jackie, it's you." He said and pulled Star into a tight hug.
"Don't be sorry, her lost on not hanging out with someone as great as you!" She started to blush and was glad he would always stand up for her. Star nestled her body into his and hoped they would always remain close.
"NOW LET'S GET OUT OF HERE ALREADY!" Star pulls him by the arm and down the stairs to the back door, Marco combs his somewhat long hair back as one strand falls over his face.
On the way to fix it, "Leave it… I like it when your hair does that…" Star said with a bright red face.
He smirks, "You're the boss birthday girl, I got a surprise for you out there…"
The door flies open as everyone yells out loud to her, the DJ starts to play her favorite song,
"Sucking on my titties like you wanted me, calling me, all the time lik-"
"WOW SO SORRY ABOUT THAT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…" The DJ was freaking out as Marco slapped his face…
"I'm going to kick that guy's ass so hard…" Marco knew he should have gone with the mariachi band.
River was making his way to the DJ as his father held back the older male.
Star starts to giggle with a heavy coat of sweat across her face, "Well that was a surprise…"
"Really sorry about that, com'on." He pulls her to the center of the party and makes his way to the DJ booth.
"You and I are going to have a few words tonight if you don't get your shit together guy…" He snatches the mic.
Janna bumps her hip into Star's, "Hey there, looks like Jackie won't be showing up tonight." She leans closer and checks to make sure no one was listening in.
"I got word she's got a hot date tonight, and Marco wasn't the guy she planned on going with also…" Janna pulls out her phone and scrolls through text messages.
"Wait… how did you get those?" There were even some racy photos in the chat.
"I got my ways… Oh… looks like a new message just popped up!" They lean in to get a better look.
*Are we still on tonight? I'm free all night and could use a repeat of last week*
Then a photo of Jackie naked in front of a mirror pops up.
"We… we have to tell him… I know he'll believe us if we show him…" The girls have been telling him for weeks that Jackie was up to no good. This went past just the thrill of sex with someone else.
"It won't help… dumb, dumb over there will think I made this all up…" Janna wasn't on his best side right now. Mostly because Marco himself knew the truth, but Janna would just shove it down his throat even more.
Their conversion comes to an end, "Uh this thing on? Oh... it is hehehe…"
The large speaker boomed to life with Marco's voice, and everyone gave him their attention, "So today is a special day… we're all here to celebrate your birthday…"
He looked so unsure of himself up there all by himself. Star couldn't stop looking at him as he pointed to her, Marco always had an issue when people would stare at him, "I've known Star, for what it feels like forever now…"
The crowd starts to chuckle, "She's one of the greatest people in my life and I could never picture her not by my side…"
He could feel the tears creeping up on him, "I want you to know… I'll always be here for you and I'm glad you let me be part of your life…"
"Sure looks like you might have a chance to snatch him away from that bitch." Janna was elbowing her ribs.
"Janna… I know you're up to no good over there, come over here Princess." Marco's hand reaches out to her.
"Maybe…" She makes her way out to him and holds his hand.
He raises her hand above her head, "Lot of you guys know… Star is one of the best parts of my life… I would be lost without her always pushing me forward to do more and take some risk…"
Marco was rewarded with a punch to his arm that he dodged, the young woman wasn't ready so he wrapped his arm around her neck into a headlock.
She always loved it when he would hold her like this, "You might be good, but I taught you everything you know."
The crowd starts to laugh and some start to wonder if this was a wedding all of a sudden, Star pulls the hand that held the mic to her mouth, "I'm just going easy on ya buddy!"
Marco's father was hunched forward laughing his ass off, "You better watch out mio!"
"Thank dad… to the Butterflies… I will always be indebted to you for moving to the house over there…" He nods his head over to her home.
"From the moment you were running around that front yard and making trouble… to the day that you literally stopped death from taking me…" He tightens his grip on her.
"I owe my life to you…" Hearing those words… she couldn't believe how important she was to him.
"YOU GOT THAT RIGHT!?" Janna knew the key back to Marco would be the girl he held, he would always be known as her sword and shield.
"Thanks, Janna…" He smiles for the first time in weeks to her.
"Star… no matter what happens in this lifetime… you can always count on me to be there for you… always… SO LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED ON THE RIGHT FOOT WITH A SONG!?" Marco shouts as the crowd loudly cheers.
Her eyes widen looking up at him, the sun is sitting behind him as the chorus from Damond's starts behind them. It was a different version from the one she heard him sing a few years ago. It was done by Steam Powered Giraffe.
She knew just how it went when it started and had taken a liking to it.
His body starts to mimic robotic movements…
Marco passes his hand over her shoulder and Star starts to rock her body with his…
When the lighter note came to be, she would sing them surprising him…
They start to dance as the song takes over their bodies…
It pained her father to have the first dance taken away from him like that but knew that this was their moment…
Moon takes her husband to a dance as the Diaz join them…
For some reason, the song had an emotional attachment as the two teens let out a few tears…
The ending finishes off with them singing together…
"Shine bright like a diamond"
"Shine bright like a diamond"
It ends with everyone awwwwing at the show…
Marco couldn't stop staring into Star's eyes…
They stay motionless for a few seconds….
Nothing would have been better if the song had ended with a kiss…
"You mind if I get the mic back?" The DJ ruined it…
"Huh… oh yeah… here you go…" He didn't move his head as Marco passed over the mic.
"That was really nice tough guy…" Star wipes away his tears and then hers.
"Sorry, I got long winded back there… happy birthday… Star…" At that moment, his whole view changed about her and what she meant to him.
The night went on with Janna smashing some cake into her face and Marco cleaning it off. There were more than enough gifts waiting for her.
It was bittersweet for Star, knowing the person she cared about the most in this world… was with someone who used him and would always leave him unsure of himself.
At the end of the party, Marco was found in a dark corner trying to get a hold of his girlfriend.
"She's not going to pick up… you know what she's doing right now, don't you?" Janna had some cake on a plate for him.
"I don't know what you're talking about…" He was lying.
"Thinking that if you tell yourself that enough… will change what's REALLY going on?" Janna hated what Jackie was doing to him.
"Look… I know we might have our differences but I know Jackie cares about me… she tells me everyday…" Then why did he have to tell himself that?
"You don't think I don't see what's going on? Or what she does when you piss her off… about Star?" This was dangerous water she was treading on.
"I don't tell you how to live your life… try not to do the same with mine." He walks past her and into his house.
"You're such an idiot…" Janna wished she could just change everything with a magical wand to make him happy again.
"Hey? Where did Marco go?" Star walked up to her.
"To his house… Star… I don't like what Jackie is making him do…" It would take a few more months…. before Star understood what that meant when Janna said it out loud…
This really brings back some old feels…