Author's Note: I didn't realize how long it had been since I last updated. I was so distracted by my other fics...
Star Error XI
"Star, is it true?" asked Paulina in the hallway after the last bell. "Did Danny really dump you?"
"Yeah, he did," whooped Dash. "Didn't you see it on TikTok?"
"Wait, it was caught on camera? Let me see!" cried Kwan.
Dash pulled up the video and played it for Kwan. They snickered and pointed at different moments in the video, mocking Fenton's words. Star imagined slapping the phone right out of Dash's hand and stomping on it over and over.
"Your face is so red, Star," laughed Dash. "Have you seen it?"
"Guys, lay off," said Paulina. "Star's our friend, in case you forgot."
"Come on, a dweeb like that dumping an A-List girl? That's priceless," said Dash.
"But did you really try to kiss Foley?" asked Kwan.
"She and Foley dated before," said Dash. "She was just going back to her ex."
"I was not!" squealed Star, stamping her foot. "And I didn't try to kiss him! I was just—ack!"
Star stormed off, ignoring Paulina's calls to come back. What was the point in trying to explain anything to them? Until she could prove Fenton's freckles glowed, they weren't going to believe her.
She had to find Fenton, confront him, demand to know where he even got the gall to humiliate her like that in front of the entire school.
She searched everywhere around the school, but Fenton seemed to be gone already. She checked the time. She was on the schedule to tutor a couple students but this was far more important.
She exited the school and ran entirely off campus. She hoped Fenton was at one of his known hangout spots around town, but she was willing to show up at the front door of Fenton Works at this point.
She spotted Fenton through a window in the Nasty Burger. He was chatting it up with Manson and Foley, looking very happy indeed as he laughed about something.
Star clenched her fists, her face red as she threw open the door into the restaurant and stomped up to Fenton's booth.
"Fenton!" she hissed through gritted teeth.
Fenton blinked and cocked his head. "Can I help you, Star?"
"You, me, outside," spat Star. "Now."
"Star." Fenton sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry if this is hard for you, but we broke up."
"You broke up with her, if I remember correctly," said Foley cheekily, popping a fry into his mouth.
"Oh, that's right, I did," said Fenton with a smile.
"You don't even have to remember," said Manson, holding up her phone. "It's all on video."
Star became aware of a few Casper High students sitting at other tables. They were turning to stare, whispering behind their hands.
Star leaned over the table and lowered her voice. "Fenton. Don't make me ask you again."
"All right, all right. Just let me finish my milkshake."
Fenton picked up his shake and began drinking it through the straw. The seconds dragged on and on as he noisily slurped it all up. Star watched him, her eye twitching.
At last, Fenton popped the straw out of his mouth and loudly sighed, sounding quite satisfied. "That was so good. You really should get one, Star. I would buy you one, but we're no longer dating, as you know."
"We were never dating!" shrieked Star, about ready to pull out her hair.
"Ouch." Fenton pressed a hand over his heart. "Did our two-day relationship really mean so little to you?"
"Move it, Fenton!" ordered Star.
Fenton smirked as he slid out of the booth and followed Star out of the Nasty Burger and around to the back near the dumpsters. Star checked that no one was around before railing into him, forcing him up against a wall.
"What the hell was that at lunch?" demanded Star. "What were you even doing there? You were supposed to be in detention!"
"Oh, I was," said Fenton. "But Lancer let me out early, so I went looking for Sam and Tuck. Then Sam told me you took Tucker somewhere, and I decided to go find you."
"But why? I mean, why did you have to make such a scene?" Star huffed. "I mean, flowers? Really?"
Fenton grinned. "That was a nice touch, wasn't it? Sam has connections and was able to call up someone who could get them delivered super fast."
"But why did you tell everyone that you were dumping me? I don't get dumped, Fenton! Certainly not by freaky losers like you."
"Hey, don't try to make me the bad guy here. You were the one cheating on me."
Star slammed his shoulder into the wall. "Cut the shit, Fenton. You embarrassed me in front of the whole school."
"Oh, wow, did I?" Fenton's bottom lip trembled. "Being embarrassed in front of the whole school, that's rough, Star. I'm so sorry." He scratched behind his ear. "I mean, I can relate, because, you know, this one time, someone spread a rumor around the whole school that I tape pictures of girls to pillows and dolls and then use them to practice kissing."
"So this was your revenge, was it?"
Fenton shrugged. "Well, you were right that I'm too nice to make up a lie about you and spread it around, but I'm definitely not too nice to take advantage of my supposed girlfriend trying to weasel information out of my best friend by seducing him."
Star grimaced. "I wasn't seducing him."
"Oh? So what you were planning on doing when you were leaning in toward him with your lips all puckered?"
"I—they were not!"
"Star, I saw you. Why are you denying it?"
"But I wasn't really going to kiss him!" protested Star. "I just wanted him to think I was."
"Mmm hmm. Sure. Just like you wanted everyone to think I practice kissing on dolls and pillows."
"You have only yourself to blame for that." Star scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Really, Fenton, I just don't understand why this is such a big deal to you."
"Well, it's pretty embarrassing for everyone to think that I even need to practice kissing—"
"Not that!" hissed Star. "I'm talking about why you're so against everyone knowing about your glowing freckles. I don't get it."
"I wouldn't expect you to." Fenton narrowed his eyes. "But as I've already told you, this is something I have to keep secret. I can't let anyone know."
"Sam and Tucker know, don't they?"
"They're my best friends."
"Well, I know. You even confirmed it for me and let me ask questions about it. Why are you okay with me knowing?"
"I'm not." Fenton groaned. "But I was stupid and let you see them glow. I really hoped you'd leave it alone if I just satisfied your curiosity by answering a few questions."
"Nope," said Star. "I am still very, very curious."
Fenton turned and raised his forearm just above his head, pressing it to the wall as he leaned against it. He hung his head, sighing deeply. Star scrunched her mouth and folded her arms.
Nothing was said for a couple moments.
"Okay, look." Star held up her hands as a gesture of goodwill. "I'm getting real tired of all this back-and-forth tug-of-war between us—"
"You're only tired because I'm winning right now."
Star reddened. "Can we maybe just come to some kind of compromise?"
"Hmm." Fenton held his elbows. "What did you have in mind?"
"How about this? I'll stop trying to prove to everyone your freckles glow if you just tell me why they glow."
"I already told you why."
"No, I don't mean how to get them to glow by getting you excited about something. I mean what it is inside of you that makes it happen."
Fenton frowned and slumped against the wall.
"How did it all start?" asked Star. "I mean, you weren't born like that, right? I know you said it's the reason you can't donate blood, so obviously it's something in your blood that makes it happen, but what is it?"
Fenton shook his head. "I can't tell you that."
"Why not?"
"Because it's not a yes-or-no question."
Star's mouth hung open. Fenton smirked.
"Fenton, come on," whined Star. "I really promise to stop trying to prove your freckles glow if you just tell me why it happens."
"No," said Fenton, his smirk vanishing. "That's an even bigger secret I definitely don't want anyone to know."
Star pouted. "I can keep a secret."
"No, you can't," said Fenton. "Everyone knows you're the biggest gossip in school. You'll sell out anyone's secret if it's juicy enough."
Star raised a brow. "I highly doubt that your big secret is juicy, Fenton. It's probably something really dumb."
"Hmm. Well, you go on thinking that."
Star groaned. "Fenton, I'm trying to make peace with you here, put an end to all these silly pranks between us."
"You call making up a rumor that I practice kissing on dolls a 'silly prank'?"
Star sniffed and turned up her nose. "I could've done a lot worse, you know."
"Oh, I have absolutely no doubt about that," said Fenton. "I have no doubt that you're capable of sinking much lower than that."
Star narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms, her nose wrinkling as she exhaled sharply.
"Look, Star, I don't trust you. I really don't," said Fenton. "And you know you've given me no reason to trust you now."
"You're not still butthurt about that picture I took, are you?"
"It's everything, Star. It's everything you've been doing to me." Fenton paused to close his eyes and breathe a moment. "I don't trust you, but I promised you five yes-or-no questions, and you still have one left. So even though you really don't deserve even that much from me, I will answer a final question for you."
Star scrunched her mouth, gliding a manicured nail down her chin.
"But then can we please be done with all of this?" Fenton gestured to the air between them. "Can this game we're playing be over already?"
Star swished her lips back and forth a couple times. "So you won't make me go on a date with you? I can go ahead and ask whatever yes-or-no question I want and you'll answer it?"
"Well, I mean, we're kind of broken up now, but sure, we can go on another date if you want."
"It would be our first date, and no, there will be no date at all."
Fenton shrugged and crossed one leg over the other as he folded his arms and leaned back against the wall. He raised his eyebrows expectantly.
"I'm not asking here next to this dumpster. As if." Star scoffed. "Besides, I need some time to think about it."
"Well, when you think of something, let me know." Fenton kicked himself off the wall. "I'm going back inside." He started heading around to the front of the Nasty Burger.
"Wait!" Star called, holding out a hand to stop him. "I do have a different question. It's not a yes-or-no question, though."
Fenton turned, not looking at all irritated or tired but simply curious, the smallest of smiles tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Those flowers you gave me. How did you know orange is my favorite color?" asked Star.
Fenton chuckled. "I heard you mention it to Paulina in class once."
"What, so you were spying on us? Eavesdropping?"
"It's not eavesdropping if you're talking loud enough for everyone to hear."
Star scowled but could feel herself blushing as well.
"Did you like them?" asked Fenton. "The orange flowers."
"Um. Yeah." Star shrugged, remembering how she placed the bouquet in her locker because she couldn't bring herself to throw it away just yet. "I liked them okay."
"I liked them, too," said Fenton. "I thought they were really pretty."
Fenton gave her a small wave before walking away and disappearing around the corner of the Nasty Burger. Star groaned and released a sigh.