Promises

Chapter 3.4

It was now lunch period and Star yet again rushed out right when the bell rang. Marco decided to not follow and headed for the cafeteria with his friends. As they got a seat and began having their meals, Marco was busy twirling his pasta.

"Marco, why so gloomy? Don't you like the pasta here? You sad that Chad ain't here with us anymore?" Alfonzo asked cheekily at the end, causing Marco to look up at him.

"Ha-ha. It's not that."

"What's wrong then?" This time Jackie was asking. Marco looked over to Jackie.

"Uhm, may I ask? Did every class get their class funds for this semester?" Marco raised an eyebrow at her. Jackie is the current school president, while Marco is the vice-president.

"Yaa? I had already distributed the funds during the leadership workshop that day." Jackie took a bite of her pasta. "Why?" Jackie asked while chewing, twirling her fork for another bite.

Marco looked at his pasta and shifted in his seat. 

"Even 4-J?"

Alfonzo and Ferguson stopped what they were doing and shifted their gaze from Marco then Jackie.

"Uhm, ya? Marty collected from me on that day too."

"Don't lie to me, Jackie." Marco's blunt tone made his friends look over to him.

"What are you talking about? I did give them the funds. Why don't you believe me?" Jackie defended, narrowing her eyes at Marco.

"Because Janna told me they didn't." Marco glared.

"What? You gonna believe that trickster over me?" Jackie accused, glaring back at him.

Alfonzo started shifting his eyes between the two of them and reached out his arms, with palms facing out at them.

"Hey hey, relax guys. Let's try to calm down and-"

Marco looked away and immediately stood up. His friends watched as he picked up his tray and stormed out.

"Or not." Alfonzo finished with his hands up and shoulders shrugged. Jackie kept her glare on him before looking away with a tsk.

" 4-G...4-H.." Marco muttered, looking at the classroom's doors. He was walking down the hallway and came to a stop in front of 4-J's door.

The sudden muffled laughter and soft murmurs made him stop his hand mid way to the finger pull handle. He retracted his hand to his chin. As he stood, with his head hung low and his hand stroking his chin, the door suddenly slammed open.

"Marco? What are you doing here?"

Marco lifted his head up to see Star in front of him with wide eyes. He blinked a few times and cleared his throat.

"Uhm...I came to see Janna and 4-J." Marco explained, looking away.

"Oh..."

Marco looked back at her. She had her chin resting on her hand, staring down at the floor. It gave him a chance to have a look at her and luckily for him, Star had her hair up in a ponytail.

There was a scar on her forehead, probably from that day, but it isn't noticeable because of her fringe. He shifted his eyes and noticed small scars at the bridge of her nose, right cheekbone and at the space between her eyebrows.

Despite being up close to each other more than once before, he didn't realize the amount of scars on her face. Star broke his gaze on her when she looked over her shoulder.

"Hey Janna and her bananas!" The room went quiet but the music was still playing. "Marco's here." Star called out, pointing her thumb at him.

As they stood in silence, Marco poked his head into the class, but the sound of Star's boots caught his attention. She turned in and walked into the classroom. As Marco trailed behind her, a student ran over to a radio, on the teacher's table, and turned the music off. Star walked over and leaned against a noticeboard at the front of the class, while Marco stood in front of 4-J.