A/N: Hey all again! Hope people are enjoying still, I'm having such a time writing this and am hoping that people will keep leaving reviews or sending me messages, they're real encouraging! Admittedly updates were a little slower than I would've liked, that what I get for dislocating a finger though huh? I also wanna be clear, this is not meant to antagonize Star, I'm simply exploring certain emotions and feelings that I felt could have been explored in the show.
Please leave a review, and have a good read!
Star Butterfly felt… uncomfortable. She felt like her insides were foggy and distant, spread much too thin and leaving her emotions in nebulous. Pulling herself up by the seat before her, she let her eyes scan the heads within the school bus, attempting to find the familiar brown hair or red hoodie. Why was she having such bad feelings?
Marco wasn't on the bus.
Star pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to shake the feelings away through physical motion. Where was he? Marco had almost always been one of the first people on the bus. She sighed, remembering those moments of stepping into the large yellow shell, waving at friends while Marco cleared the saved seat next to him. A comfortable and kind routine.
Oh, who was she kidding? Marco hadn't done that for over a week. Star had almost always beaten him to their ride back home in that time, with Marco barely making it on in the last moments before the vehicle pulled away. Even then, this time he was really cutting it close. Star could see the driver checking his watch and inch his hand close to the door control.
Come on, Marco, you'll be left behind!
Sighing and flopping onto her back, Star wondered what had changed so drastically. Marco seemed like he was okay, still fighting and still hanging out with her. She'd noticed him eating more meat and going out on exercises, but she assumed he was just trying to get his hot bod back.
Recalling that image, Star felt her cheeks flush with color. She wouldn't complain if he got that back.
Still, it seemed like something had shifted in him. Like something was just… off. She had briefly thought it might've been the trials for the scissors, but Marco had been successful! He had won, so much so that even Hekapoo had seemed impressed! Not only that, but he had accomplished it all in no more than eight minutes.
No, it couldn't have been that. Marco hadn't lost anything, and he had seemed so happy after the trials and the adventures. It must've been just like all their other quests together, just a bit longer. It couldn't have been that…
Could it?
Star's eyes flashed open as she heard the hiss of hydraulics. Shooting a glance to the front of the bus, she saw the door was closed. They were leaving?!
"Marco…!" Star said, readying herself and her wand. She couldn't let this leave without him. A nice little distraction should buy him enough time, right?
That's when Star saw him. Saw… them. Just as the faintest of pink aurae began and fizzled around her wand, Star had seen the two figures outside the bus that made her intentions moot.
Marco stood before Jackie Lynn Thomas just outside the bus. From where she sat, she could tell Marco was jittery and nervous. Not unexpected, he was always like that around Jackie after all. So why in the worlds did it make her chest hurt?
Star settled herself back into the seat, watching the pair in the corners of her vision as the bus left the school. This was stupid, whatever this feeling was. So stupid! Marco was speaking with his girlfriend, the girl that she had encouraged and helped him to be with! What the heck was going on that now she suddenly cared so much?!
As they finally left the area immediately linked to the school, Star reached into her purse and took out her compact. Clicking it open, she found a familiar face staring back at her. Tapping various portions on her sullen face, she took into account her features.
Her blonde hair was wild as it always was, which she thought fit her style pretty well. She had forgone any makeup, it would end up running if she worked up a sweat, which was easy with her lifestyle. Fingertips tracing over her hearts and under her eyes, Star wondered…
Wait, what was that?
Sitting up straighter, Star placed her thumb and forefinger on the lids of her right eye, pushing them farther apart. Seeing the slightly bloodshot edges, she released the lids and blinked furiously, quickly staring back into the reflective surface.
Just her normal eyes, simple black pupil surrounded by sky blue rings. Maybe it was a trick of the light, then? But she could have sworn that patch of blue was gone a moment ago…
Star had barely realized the bus had stopped until she heard a yell from the front of the bus.
"Hey! Magic girl, Diaz, your stop!" came the yell of the bus driver.
"Um, Marco isn't on the bus!" Star said loudly back, dashing up through the aisle of seats. The driver merely gave a grunt of acknowledgment, and Star felt the door to the bus brush her hair as it closed, mere millimeters away from catching her locks.
Star gave a small glare back at the bus as it pulled away. "Was he always that rude?" she wondered aloud to herself.
"Totally," came a voice from right in front of Star, who jumped and tugged her wand up into a combat position. "Whoa whoa, easy princess! Just stretching my legs!"
Star finally let herself focus on the source of the noise, and finally took in Janna's face. Letting the whirling mote of magic disperse, the young mewman dropped her stance and looked quizzically to her chaotic friend.
"Janna? What're you doing here?" Star asked.
"Eh, I spent the day here, keeping up the usual business," Janna said casually, both her hands stuffed into the pockets of her jacket, lightly fidgeting.
"Uh-huuuuh…" Star said tentatively, "And if you would be so kind, what is the usual business for you at Marco's?"
"Weaseling through his stuff and leaving creepy crawlies in his sock drawer," Janna replied. Star looked aghast, gaining new levels of fear for her friend.
"You're, um, kidding? Right?" Star asked, almost hopeful.
"Yeah," Janna said, making her way past Star and down the sidewalk. Janna stopped after a few paces, though, and stared back at the princess, "Or, y'know. Probably."
Star felt a chill run up her spine. "Well hey!" She exclaimed, trying to push the nerves down, "Where are you off to now then? Marco's not home and I'd be down with girl's night!"
Janna thought about it, then grinned back at Star. "Yeah, that sounds cool. Tonight, though. I'm gonna go mess with Diaz a bit."
"Huh? But he's with Jackie, where would you…?" Star was answered as Janna showed the screen to her smartphone. Flashing across the surface was a simplified image of Marco's face on a map. Star tensed slightly at her resourcefulness. "When did you…?"
"Ah, I've always got a tracer on him," Janna said, shrugging and tucking her phone away once more, "It pays to keep tabs on my safe kid."
Star felt a mix of emotions. First, she felt the return of that slight fear. Janna had never done any of this sort of thing to her, but seeing the lengths she went for Marco was somewhat… disconcerting. There was then the part of her that wondered if she could also get access to that tracking device, maybe then she'd make sure Marco was on time for the bus.
But then that darker feeling that seemed to bleed into her brain from the top of her skull took over, and Star felt angry. No, not angry… jealous. A quick wave of protectiveness and irritation washed through her, and Star could tell it came at the moment Janna had said her safe kid.
Shaking her head violently, Star felt those feelings thankfully lessen. What was with her head these last few days?
"Uh, hey!" Star exclaimed, rushing down the street as Janna had kept walking, "Mind if I join you?"
Janna shrugged her shoulders high, "Sure, be my guest."
The two fell into a steady walk beside each other, the silence broken up by small bits of small talk and brief acts of magic as they made their way downtown.
"Yeah, Diaz! You're doing great!" Jackie shouted encouragingly. Standing to the side of the park walkway, Jackie Lynn Thomas watched as her boyfriend glided seamlessly down, lightly weaving along the path with a surprising amount of grace.
"Yeah! I'm doing it!" Marco said, actually excited. It was silly, he thought, that he would be so elated that he was able to stand upright on a board with wheels attached. So many legs of his adventure where he had tamed wild beasts, hijacked interdimensional crafts and even raised his own dragoncycle, and look where he was now.
Although admittedly, this was still pretty hard. Marco had only mastered his balance as the board moved, as for stopping…
"Easy, Marco! Remember to put your weight back on..."
"Whoa whoa no!" Marco yelled, hopping off the fast-moving board and tangling his feet once he hit solid ground. Marco face planted into the grass, rolling end over end and finally settling on his back. Jackie gasped and rushed over.
"Oh geez, Marco! You seriously ate it, man, are you al-...?" Jackie's words caught in her throat as she saw Marco laying sprawled out on his back, laughing up at the blue sky.
"Oh man, that was great!" Marco exclaimed, unhooking the helmet from his head and shaking his hair out. Jackie couldn't help but giggle, and Marco suddenly felt self-conscious. "What happened? I didn't roll in dog doo, did I?!"
Jackie's delight only rose as she saw Marco frantically check his back and sides, looking for an accompanying smear. "No, dude! I just never saw you get so happy about wiping out!"
Marco realized his exuberance and blushed, trying to hide his face somewhat until Jackie offered him her hand. Taking it gratefully, Jackie tugged him back to his feet before moving over to recover her forgotten board.
Scratching the back of his head, Marco chuckled. "I, uh, guess it's just been a while since I rode. It was kinda nice to have that again."
From the look Jackie gave him, Marco realized he must've said something odd. "A while?" Jackie asked, "Marco, you and I rode on the night of the dance just the other week."
"Oh," Marco said, cursing himself inside his head. He had remembered the dance, but it had been such a long time still. He really needed to be on top of the details around here. "R-right, yeah. Guess not that long then, huh…?"
Jackie looked him up and down and shook her head. She could tell this was the same thing as earlier, and she wasn't going to pry. With her board tucked under her arm, Jackie once again offered her hand to Marco, which he gladly accepted.
The two began making their way out of the park, walking in comfortable silence with each other. Marco felt much more like he was doing something right, finally. Whatever Janna had done helped his sleeping tremendously, and actually spending time with Jackie reminded him better of time before. This was much better than…
Marco almost gulped as he came to finish that train of thought. This was much better than the adventures with Star. He did appreciate Star, and he could tell she was still trying to help him have adventures as he had in the Neverzone. The only problem?
All of them felt like distractions. Like Star realized there was a hole in the wall and was trying to slap a poster over the damage. He realized she meant well, but these small quiet moments with Janna and Jackie? They actually felt like they were helping him settle back into his day-to-day.
Marco gave Jackie's hand two quick squeezes, and she looked over at him. "Something up, dude?"
Marco smiled, still dealing with some moths in his stomach. "Nah, I'm just..." He paused, taking the corner and walking along the small shopping areas. "Just… thanks."
Jackie raised her eyebrow. "Well, you're welcome," she said, "But what for?"
"For being here, with me. I guess I sorta got distracted by a lot of stuff for a while…" Marco said, lacing his fingers more tightly with Jackie's, "You know, in the past… week. And I'm just happy to be hanging out with you again."
Marco felt his cheeks glow, but was happy to see Jackie's own expression light up in the way he still remembered. The light dusting of pink across her face, still unabashedly looking at him with those sparkling eyes. Marco was just about to thank her again, tell her that they could start heading back…
And then he felt her close the distance, feeling the soft grazing of her lips as he leaned in as well. Feeling himself fall back into all those memories of their past, of the wasted mornings nodding to her or the way he always flubbed his words when trying to speak at all, Marco still couldn't believe that he was here with the girl he cared so much for.
As they pulled back, both looked into the other's eyes and just stood in the quiet, surrounded by no one except the occasional passing car. Jackie laced her fingers back through Marco's, still looking him in the eyes.
"Hey, Marco?" She asked.
"Yeah, Jackie?" Marco said, voice still airy.
"What am I thinking?" Jackie asked, and Marco's tranquil expression turned to one of confusion.
"I'm sorry?" He asked.
"What am I thinking?" She said again, "Think about how long we've known each other. Come on, dude, you can totally read me. What am I thinking?"
Marco thought this was a little ridiculous, chuckling lightly and shaking his head. Then again, he had done it a fair bit with Star, so it shouldn't be so big of an ask, right?
"Okay," Marco finally said, eyes now studying her expression. The intense look, one that Marco could never say he'd seen before, shone in her eyes as she stared straight into his. Chewing on his lower lips, Marco felt himself leaning back into the tactical mind he had relied on for so long.
Her eyes were intense, but her expression was still friendly. She didn't have any cuts or bruises as she wasn't the one who wiped out, and her board was tucked securely and tightly under her arm. Marco could have hit himself, he was so used to tuning in to combat cues, he had no plan for this.
Then, just faintly in front of him, he heard it. Marco grinned.
"You're hungry," he said, hearing the tiniest rumble from her midsection. Jackie smiled at that.
"Yeah, man!" She exclaimed, tugging at his hand, "Dude, you rock! We'll be sending brain messages in no time."
Marco laughed as he ran alongside Jackie, disbelieving at the sheer silliness she was capable of displaying. Marco kept pace, nearly tripping over himself as Jackie threw her board down and tugged him onto it.
"Let's go, Diaz! No time to waste!"
Janna watched the small sticker of Marco moving slightly faster on the screen before her, leaving the park area.
"Hey, Janna?" Star asked, trying to get the girl's attention.
"Yeah, Star?" Janna replied.
"Did you spend the night at Marco's house?"
Janna paused, thinking about her answer. "Yeah, I bunked with Marco last night," she said, not noticing how Star tensed at that phrasing.
"W-why did you do that?" Star asked, trying her best to sound conversational.
Janna gave a noncommittal noise before elaborating, "Marco seemed kinda off recently. I wanted to check up on my safe kid."
"Uh, and why do you call him your safe kid now?"
Janna had to think about that one, but still pressed forward with her answer, "We've known each other for years, and if it weren't for you and me he'd probably still be stuck with Ferguson and Alfonzo."
Star nodded, mostly accepting of that answer. Still… "Um, Janna? Just wondering, but… do you have a… crush… on Marco?"
Janna didn't even pause as she said, "Yup."
Star sputtered, "Bu-but you said during the sleepover…!"
Janna nodded before she could finish, "Yeah, and just cuz I like Marco like that doesn't mean I don't like Keats," she said, once again stuffing her hands in her pockets, "You can feel like that about more than one person, Star."
"But Marco's with Jackie!" Star shot out, both for Janna and for herself. Janna seemed thoughtful for a split second, before nodding again.
"Yeah, and I'm super happy for them," Janna said casually. Star looked at her with disbelief.
"How can you…?" Star began, tone sounding confused and curious.
Her back still turned, Janna checked the placement of her tracer before answering, "Jackie's my friend, Star. Just like Marco. I don't really see it as some huge problem that my friends are happy together." Plus, she already jokingly told Marco to call her after the breakup. Though from recent events, Janna might look into a quicker and more… open opportunity.
All the while Star stayed back a few paces, returning to her silent moments. Rubbing her arm with a free hand, Star couldn't help but feel guilty. Trying to shift some of this uneasiness onto Janna, it was all cast back at her with barely any of the weight taken off.
This frustrated Star. She wanted to be happy for her friends, happy for her best friend. Happy that he was with the girl he liked and had such a supportive friend like Janna. She wanted to experience this without all the feeling of bleeding in and overtaking her senses.
So why couldn't she? What was she doing wrong?
Star sighed, falling back into step with Jackie and feeling strangely downtrodden. Hopefully getting to talk with them would help settle her head.