Marco vs the forces of Life

2. The Vivid Red Eye's

"Marco, you weren't invited. Besides, you gotta trust me to do the right thing for my seeeeeeeelf!"

"Are you okay?" I ask worried.

"Yeaaaah, totally, totally, totally. I just gotta stop using magic on... on... on my face."

"All I'm saying is guys like Tom never change." Anger issued guy that burst things into flames and would punch anything in his path mad.

"Well... There's only one way for me to find out. What do you think?" I slowly put the sombrero down. I was stunned.

"You look... amazing."

"Thanks, Marco!"

"Don't go," I whispered hoping she changes her mind.

"I'm totally going," she whispered back. She uses the tiny skull hammer on Tom's bell. A gong was heard. A blast fire emerged outside her window. A red winged demon showed carrying a small elevator. It dings.

"Mmm. Smells like burnt toast." She hops in. "Let's get this show on the road!"

"Which floor, mortal?"

"Uh, I guess the bottom." I walked to her ready to hop in. I still didn't trust Tom.

"Let me just ride down with you." She kicks me out.

"Goodbye, Marco. See you after the... Bloooood Mooooon Baaaaall. Oooooh..." The elevator doors close, and the elevator lowers into the underworld. The fire happens again, and it was gone. I stare at the ground for another couple minutes. She'll be fine.... Right? I mean she can handle herself, right......? I slowly walk away. I mean she'll be back later.... Man.... I feel my sombrero fall forward and I lift it up.... I bit my lip. Tom slipped into my mind. Tom was a demon of the underworld...... It reminds me of the dead. Día de Muertos. Remembering the loves ones.... I went to my room to change into a black suit. I grumbled how Star chose to go to the Blood Moon Ball instead of staying. I didn't realize I made a batch of nachos and went back to Stars room placing a boom box with a tape of Día de Muertos song. I started munching on the nachos.

"I'll have my own Blood Moon Ball in Star's bedroom, where it's always fun," I say grabbing another handful of chips into my mouth. I look out at the sky for a second then continue munching.

"Blood moon tonight." 

What? I heard that right? That photo.... Nah. I continue eating. 

"The moon of lovers." I jump out of my seat looking at the portrait again. I definitely heard that. I look around till my eyes landed on the bell and hammer. Star. She's in trouble. I have to save her. I run back to my room. I looked under my bed finding a box. I opened it showing an old skull mask I made last year. I grabbed it and ran back to Stars room. Alright. I rang the bell. The flames popped up again. The same red wing demon came back. I hopped in and told him the same answer Star told him. The carriage went down. It dinged. The side doors opened. I started walking into the doors. That's where the party must be going. I walk in. Woah. Okay need to focus. Find Star. I start searching for her.

"Ahem. Good evening, ladies and gentlebremen. It is my pleasure that I request you now to turn your heads skyward." I look up seeing a crescent-shaped opening appearing in the hand-shaped skylight on the ceiling. "When the light of the blood moon drubbles down and selects two lucky souls, binding them together for eternity in its hypnotic, ruby brodum." I felt a shiver run down my spine. I brought my hand to my cheek not knowing why. I shake my head. Have to focus. Find Star. Music starts playing and I move around from the monster and demon couples dancing.

"Star!" I whisper yell. I see a glimpse of her. I start heading to her. "Star!" I yell again. I see Tom going for her. O no. Out of instinct to keep him away from her, I grabbed his hand and pulled him to me. Suddenly, me and Tom were engulfed in a bright red light from above us. I didn't know what to do but I felt Tom about to let go. I pulled him back to me. I blushed from what I did. I just did that to stop him from heading to Star. I need him to stay away. I started to walk back pulling him a bit and started to spin us. He started to follow. After that, we actually started to dance. It was like we were in sync. In perfect sync. I felt my heartbeat from the music and holding Tom's hands as we danced. He spun me before dipping me. I looked at him and he looked at me. It was like no one else was in the room. It was just us. he started to lean in. I was to, but the bright red light started to fade out. We stayed the way we were a couple more seconds before realization hit both of us. He dropped me instantly making me hit the ground. I sat up rubbing the back of my head. I look up seeing glowing bright red eyes belonging to a specific angry demon.

"That dance... was never meant... To happen!" Flames started to burst around the ball room.

"Walk it out—" Tom shoves the same guy from earlier back.

"No, Brian!" I started to crawl backwards. He started to walk to me. Tom roared before levitating off the ground expelling flames from his hands and feet. I looked away using my arm to shield me from Tom's flames knowing it was useless but still did it. Then I heard a zap. I look back seeing Tom in a block of ice. Star walked up to him using her wand to zap a button say 0 days anger free. Then she walks pass me saying, "Let's go, Marco." I look at Tom one more time before getting up onto my feet fast and following her back to the carriage. Star tells the red winged Demon up. We got in as the doors closed. As the carriage moved. Star took her boots off and stood waiting. After a couple minutes we were back.

"Thanks for the lift." Star walks onto the balcony. "Ugh! So infuriating." I slide down the small ramp to the balcony.

"I hate to say it, but I warned you about Tom." Star turned to me.

"No! You! You're infuriating!" She yells throwing her boots at me.

"Me? I was just trying to help—"

"You don't trust me to do things by myself." She cut me off. "I'm 14. I can handle a demon." She walks back to me but to the balcony. She leans on it. "I know you're trying to look out for me, but you have to let me figure things out on my own. I don't need a hero. I need a friend." I look down. I feel guilty. I walked to lean on the balcony next to Star. I took my mask off. I sighed.

"You're right. I should've trusted you. I'm sorry I ruined your night."

"Well... it wasn't a total disaster." She takes my sombrero and puts it on herself.

"Now I know you can dance."

"How did you know it was me?"

"You wore the sombrero before I left." Then she chuckled. "Hat hair." I look up at my bangs seeing some of the messiness. "Now go make me some nachos!

"...Okay," I said smiling faintly then heading to make some more nachos. I made the batch and went back to Star seeing her still on the balcony smiling. She beamed seeing the nachos and grabbed them placing them on the balcony. I grabbed one sliding down on the edge. I take a nibble on the edge of the nacho not entirely wanting to munch on them much. Right now, I just feel my heart slowly race thinking of the dance. The way we moved around each other. It was calm and relaxing like the world around us didn't exist at all. I shake my head. Yeah right. My thoughts went around thinking of Tom's vivid red eyes.