Author's Notes:

Welcome back to Sinister Shadows! The wait for this chapter was short, but I can assure you it wasn't rushed. In fact, I've tried a new style in this chapter where I'm a little more descriptive. I hope you enjoy this decision because I think I'll probably keep it up in the future. For now, that's all I've got, so enjoy!

Chapter Eleven: The Fog

Star's face was devoid of any expression as she constantly repeated the same process as the night before. Call, wait, hang up, then call again. Ever since she had started, she'd only heard one ring, but even that was brief.

It was like the magic that fuelled the mirror was gone.

Could this have been the "fritz" the Commission had mentioned before? Was this why she had been struggling to use magic lately? Was this why Glossaryck passed out?!

No, it couldn't be. The magic was safe. It had to be. Nobody had been able to interfere with the magic since-

No, it just couldn't be.

"Star," Marco called from downstairs, barely reaching the Princess's bedroom.

Star sighed, her eyes lingering on her mirror as she stood up and grabbed her bag.

She shook her head and left her dimly lit room, entering the dimly lit hallway, then walked down the stairs, where Marco's bright smile greeted him.

She smiled back but knew she was disingenuous and assumed he was, too. Nevertheless, the duo made their way out the front door as they always did, stepping out of the comfort of the Diaz house and into the foggy, chilled air.

It was tough to see, but after Marco's four years and Star's several weeks of attending the school, they knew well enough how to get there with or without the ability to see where they were going.

Still, the walk was slower than usual, or at least, it felt that way. It could have been the tension between the two. It could have been that the fog did have an effect. But either way, there wasn't a word spoken between them.

The fog wasn't thick enough to inhibit them from seeing each other, but every time Star glanced his way, she couldn't see him like she usually did. There was a sting that came with every look, a twinge of anger that she couldn't push away.

She caught him glancing her way several times but never spoke up. She could see that he was sorry. She saw his bottom lip quiver. She saw him try to open his mouth and break the silence, but not once did he manage to make a sound, and not once did he manage to apologize.

She understood why he did what he did. In fact, put in the same situation, her decision would have been the same, but no matter how hard she tried to talk herself out of it, she couldn't help but resent him for it.

After a while, they finally reached the school, as was evident by the increasingly loud chattering across the street. Once they finally made their way to the school's front door, Star didn't stop moving.

She heard Marco call for her, but as she turned a corner, she could tell he wasn't following.

Star didn't know where she was going, but the further she walked down the noisy, crowded, locker-lined hall, the better she felt.

Eventually, she stopped and took a deep breath, having gotten far enough away. The tension seemed to have finally left her.

She was in a corner of the campus that she hadn't seen before, and none of the faces surrounding her were familiar, but that was still an improvement.

"Star," called a vaguely familiar voice, ending her enjoyment of the silence.

She turned toward the sound, and sure enough, Leah stared back at her, still wearing her wide smile from the night before.

Now that she was out of her work uniform, it was a lot easier to believe that Star might have seen her before.

She still couldn't specifically remember seeing her before, but she looked young, maybe even a year or two younger than Marco or herself.

She was almost shockingly short, her clothes were modest, and her expression was strangely innocent, but despite her appearance, Star knew she was older than she looked. Leah claimed to be in the same class as she was. As far as Star knew, she had to be the same age to be in her class.

"What are you doing over here?" Leah asked. "I thought your first class was… I don't know, that way?"

She pointed toward the direction that Star had come from, and Star sighed, nodding.

"So, there's a reason you're here then," she deduced, smirking. "Let me guess, Marco?"

Her eyes fell to the floor. Embarrassed, she nodded.

"You know what I think?" she asked, waiting for Star's gaze to rise before continuing. "You should just forget about him. Clearly, he wants to be with Jackie. Plus, I don't know what happened yesterday, but clearly, he's done something to upset you. So, just leave it there."

"Yeah, but-"

"But nothing, Star. You know what I say? Nobody deserves a second chance. Great life advice."

Star half-heartedly smirked.

"You know what? Prom is coming up. You should totally get back at him!" Leah exclaimed.

Star quirked a brow, but before she could inquire, Leah started again.

"Just take someone else, or better yet, take one of his best friends. He'd hate that! Or, do you know what else you could do? You could totally-"

"Hey, Star, are you alright?" Janna interrupted.

Star's eyes widened with shock, and Leah's followed with confusion.

"I- I thought you-"

"No, I'm fine. Jackie was the one who panicked. Come on, we gotta talk."

Star nodded and took Janna's hand. She turned back to Leah.

"Goodbye-" she started, confused when Leah wasn't there.

"Where did- Wh-"

"What?" Janna questioned.

"Where did Leah go?" Star asked, genuinely confused.

"Who? Oh, that girl you were talking to? I dunno. She must've gone to class. You know, like we should be doing."

Knowing she'd see Leah later, Star nodded, and after a few seconds, the girls finally started back down the hall. Of course, Janna made no delay.

"So, about the magic, I'm totally okay with it. I can't say the same for Jackie. She ran off after pulling me out the door, but Marco ran after her. So, I'm sure it'll all be fine, but-"

Janna finally saw Star's face and quickly stopped pulling her along.

"You alright?" she asked sincerely. "Is it Marco? I saw you ditch him at the door."
Somewhat distracted, Star answered.

"Me? Yeah, I'm … alright."

Janna quirked her brow. Her face said you're lying, and it was absolutely correct.

"Fine, I just feel- I don't know … off?"

"Don't ask me. Star, they're your feelings. You're the only one that knows them."

"I just-" Star stammered. "I think I just-"

"Come on, spit it out."

"I feel alone."

Janna's eyes widened. Her mouth hung slightly open. Star's face fell as her own words echoed in her mind. After a couple seconds, she met Janna's eyes, sighing.

"I just- I needed Marco last night. Something … happened in my home dimension, and I needed to talk to him about it, but-"

"But he chose Jackie," Janna determined, sighing. "That idiot, I swear."

"Look, Star, Marco's the smartest guy I know, but he is a moron when it comes to women. I can't tell you that he'll come to his senses, but I've known him longer than anyone, and I can tell you he's worth the wait."

"Why are you telling me all of this? Don't you want him for yourself?"

"No, not really, to be honest. Yeah, Marco's cute, but honestly, I'm into a different genre of men …" she paused, smirking. "... and women."

Star smiled back.

"Now, about feeling alone. You know you've got me if you ever need someone to talk to."

Star's smile grew, and sensing that she'd done her job, Janna turned back toward the hall, leading Star to class.

The day went on like any other, but there was a strange mood the entire time. It might have been the weather, but there was a mood in the air that Star hadn't felt yet on Earth. It was strange, almost broody.

The halls were still abuzz with chatter between every class, but there was a different tone than usual. Star heard whispers that the weather was unexpected but saw no reason that everyone was so moody.

Making things worse was that she shared every class with Marco. Like the walk earlier, he was quiet but kept looking at her, thinking she didn't notice.

Again, she didn't mention it, but it had become borderline creepy by the time her final class came around.

Luckily for her, she had a distraction. Standing outside the classroom was Leah, who waved at her and gestured for her to leave the class.

Of course, knowing there was time before the bell would ring, she obliged.

"Hey," she greeted enthusiastically. "So we really do have a class together. That's great!"

Leah smiled. "Yeah, it really is!"

"Hey, this morning, where did you-"

"Wanna go do something?"

Star quirked her brow, confused. She gestured toward the class, where Marco stared back at her.

"Right now? But we have class."

"Oh, come on," she said. "Do you really want to sit in there with Marco right now? He keeps staring at you. Plus, the teacher doesn't care if kids ditch anyways. I mean, look at her!"

Miss Skullnick groaned as she turned to the class, muttering something under her breath. Star couldn't tell what she was saying, but from the expression on the teacher's face, she could tell it wasn't positive.

She was reluctant, but after meeting Marco's eyes in the classroom, she wanted to be as far as possible. With a sigh, she nodded.

"Where'd you have in mind?"

Leah's eyes widened slightly. She took a step back, contemplating for a moment before shrugging.

"I don't really care. We could just go on a walk if you want."

Star glanced back to the classroom, but as Marco met her eyes, she could feel the weight of the rope he had cut the day before.

Suddenly, she felt herself moving as Leah pulled the rope behind her.

"Yeah," she said. "Let's … just go."

Her eyes lingered for a second before peeling away, and even as she left his vision, she knew Marco still stared at the small window in the classroom door. She thought that was where it would end.

"So, how've you been-"
The classroom door crashed open, and Marco caught up with her in the blink of an eye. He grabbed her wrist, turning her around with a face full of worry.

He met her eyes and maintained contact. All thoughts and words left Star's mind as their gazes remained intertwined.

"I- I don't understand," he said, his tone desperate.

"I don't know what I did. I don't know why you're mad at me, but I'm sorry! Today's been so awkward. I-"
"Is that why you're sorry? Because the day was awkward?" Leah shot back, Star's consciousness returning as she shot the girl a look of confusion.

"No! I'm sorry because I want my friend back! We haven't talked since yesterday, and you feel distant. I don't understand what I did, but seriously! I'm SORRY!"

"How can you be sorry if you don't know what you're sorry for?"

"What? I- Who are you?!"

"That doesn't matter. You should go back to class. Star doesn't want to talk to you."
"Wh-"

Marco's eyes widened, and he struggled to speak. He turned to Star, putting his body between the two girls.

"Star, what is-"
She pushed his hands away. A sour expression came onto her face. Star didn't understand why, but she was even angrier than the night before.

"Leave me alone!"

"Wha- Why?"

"J- Just go! Go back to class. I don't want to talk to you right now."

"Star, please. I need you to tell me why!"

She turned away and crossed her arms, her eyes fixated on the tiled floor. She heard Marco squirm in place. She wanted to turn around. She longed to make things right, but something was stopping her.

Marco waited. He gave her every chance, but as the class bell rang, he sighed. Once he finally turned away, Star finally glanced over her shoulder.

She met his eyes as he stood in the doorway, but as she had before, he stepped through.

Seconds of silence passed after he left her alone. Her eyes lingered where he stood, but no matter how much she wished otherwise, he didn't return.

"Star?" questioned a feminine voice beside her, but her attention was only grasped when a hand touched her shoulder.

Janna stared back at her, and just like before, Leah was nowhere to be found. Again, Janna's eyes were compassionate. She was quiet, but it was clear she'd seen the argument.

"What happened?" she finally asked.

"Where did Leah go?"

"I- I don't know. Star. What. Happened?"

Janna grasped both of Star's shoulders and stared into her eyes, but as Star glanced back, all she felt was confusion.

She once again glanced toward the classroom door. Her desire to step through was more than before, but as she walked to the door and peered through, she couldn't go inside. Again, something inhibited her, as if paralyzing her fingers to keep her from walking in.

Instead, she merely watched him. He wasn't sitting alone. There was a boy beside him, one she hadn't seen before. Marco looked irritated as he spoke to him, but Star knew it wasn't the boy he was angry with.

"Star," Janna called again. "Come on. We need to talk."

With a sigh and some frustration with herself, Star agreed.

The girls made their way away from the classroom with little rush. Save for the lockers, the hall was empty. Nobody was inside them besides Star or Janna, and the only sound was their shoes squeaking against the tile.

Knowing only one security guard was on campus, there was no reason to be quiet, but the peace was still enjoyed.

There was so much on Star's mind that she could scarcely contain. She felt like she could burst at any moment. She knew she had to be better than that.

The "fritz," Marco, Jackie, Janna, and even Leah held different fractions of her attention, even though only one was present. Even in the lifeless halls, her mind was anything but silent.

Still, she made her way out of the school with Janna at her side. When she stepped through the front doors, a familiar sight greeted her. The fog.

It was thicker than before, but similarly, she knew where she was going. On any other occasion, she would have simply used her scissors, but she knew that was impossible nor worth the effort. Plus, if she pulled out her scissors, she knew the Diaz house wouldn't be where she would try to go.

She wanted to go home, to her actual home. She wanted to know what was happening, if for no other reason then to solve just one of her many problems. Unfortunately, that just wasn't possible.

She and Janna walked side-by-side, and when her attention returned to the present, she realized that Janna's eyes had been on her for a while.

She glanced Janna's way, and the silence between them broke.

"Star," she said. "What's on your mind?"

The answer wasn't as simple as one single thing, but still, her mouth spoke for her mind.

"Everything," she said, but still, her answer didn't seem broad enough. It came close but still fell short.

"Wow, that's a lot," Janna replied sarcastically, bumping Star's shoulder with her own.

"Come on, don't be vague. I wanna help. If it's about the … magic … You can talk to me. I know now."

Star nodded. She wasn't wrong. She wanted to talk to Marco, but Janna was a good alternative.

"I- I don't know," Star said, realizing she needed to clarify. "... where to start."

Janna nodded, smirking. "What're you most worried about right now? That'd be as good as anything else."

"Yeah? I guess what's bothering me most is that the … magic … isn't working right now."

Janna gave an inquisitive look.

"I know, it doesn't make sense," Star remarked. "I just- That's really all I know. I can't use my wand right, I can't talk to my mom, and I can't go home."

"Woah, you're stuck here?" Janna asked with a concerned expression.

Star nodded. "I- Yeah. I'm stuck."

"I could see why that would be a problem," Janna said, sighing.

"I guess that's where all my problems start. Like I told you this morning, I wanted to talk to Marco, but then …."

"Yeah," Janna said, pausing. "Well, at least you can talk about it now."

Star could barely see Janna through the fog but still felt comforted by her presence. She smiled, her gaze falling to the pavement as the two continued forward slowly.

"Thank you," she said, meeting Janna's eyes with appreciation.

"Oh, god. Don't get all sappy on me now, Star."

They laughed as the Diaz house slowly came into sight. Star was home. Her mind still wasn't at ease, but despite the fog, at least one thing was clear. She wasn't alone.

Author's Notes:

So, there you go! There's the chapter. Teenagers suck. It's hard to write teenagers acting how they would in real life, but I think I'm happy with what I've done and despite not having as detailed plans for this chapter as the others, I feel that the drama was executed really well. I hope you guys feel the same.

Now, is starting to track views again, but since I tried a slightly different style this chapter, I'd really appreciate it if you guys could leave a review/comment anyways. I put a lot of effort into this one and I'd like to know what you guys think!

Finally, there's one more thing I want to mention. I have no clue how many views this story has on ffn since the views are still backlogged, but on Ao3, we've eclipsed 300! Thank you guys so much for reading my story and I hope you enjoy what I have in store because we're not even close to being done yet.

I'll see you all soon, but until then, stay safe.

~ lucash21