Star and Marco vs Evil Book 1

XII

"What?!"

"Yeah, in a fit of pique somebody might have implied to Tom that's what happened. Anyhoo, the secrets should have been a big clue for you both that maybe Tom just wasn't The One for Star, but even if you didn't pick up on that, you guys still shouldn't have kept things from him. Both of you were supposed to be his friends, and that hurt him."

"Hmph," Marco responded. He couldn't think of anything to rebut what Janna said. Instead, he asked, "What's the second of the two most fragile things?"

"A girl's self-esteem ... or so I've been told. In any case, Tom needs to get over it and move on."

"Well ... it can take a while. It took me months to get over Jackie."

"Did it really?" Janna asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Yes!"

"Jeebus!" Janna exclaimed angrily, stopping and grabbing Marco's shoulders, violently turning him toward her. "Dude, five seconds after Jackie dumped you for being the worst boyfriend in the multiverse, you made the decision to abandon your entire life and move to Mewni to be with Star. It's still a mystery to all of us that you two couldn't see what everybody but Tom could see, and even he figured it out before the two of you did."

Marco scowled, turning away from Janna, as they both resumed walking toward their rooms.

"In any case," Janna said, calming down, "you know I really have eyes only for you."

"Yes, and if I find any more of them in my Sugar Seeds, I will hunt you down and shred your beanie."

"You know you love me."

"You still won't be my second wife, though. Even if there's ever a first..."

The two remained silent for the rest of their walk together. Janna stopped in front of her door as Marco continued walking. "Want to join me for a video game? Or a dark ritual?" Janna asked.

Marco continued walking. Janna heard him softly mutter, "It was seven seconds." Although he hadn't known most of what Janna had said, Marco knew more than he let on; Tom had confided in Marco about what he thought of Janna. Marco knew it wasn't his place to butt in, but he was uncomfortably watching history repeat itself. Marco felt he was in a no-win situation; be a bad friend by interfering, betraying each friend's confidences in him, or be an even worse friend by not interfering.

When Marco reached his room, he mumbled, "Good night," closing the door behind him.

Janna stared at Marco's closed door for several minutes, thinking, then turned and entered her room. She had no compunction whatsoever against interfering; she didn't have Tom's permission to tell Marco what she just told him, after all.

Janna had decided it was time to interfere.

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"Hey, gorgeous, how're they hanging?"

"Pert and firm, as always," Janna replied.

The woman on the other end of the phone call giggled. "Hey, guess what ..."

"Jackie," Janna interrupted, "I'm actually calling on business."

"Oh? What's wrong?"

"Marco."

"Still?"

"Yes. He's actually writing poetry."

"Dude! That's a great coping mechanism."