Janna sighed loudly, "School dance is probably gonna be really lame this year. "
"What no way! It's going to be amazing!"
Ferguson slapped his hands together. "Nope it's probably gonna be pretty bad but Star has the power of optimism so she can't even think that possible."
"It's a high school dance! It has to be magical! All the dresses and punch and pizza!"
Marco laughed "Yep, power of optimism." Star punched his arm. Janna put her arms between Star and Marco and gently pushed them away from each other.
"Now now ladies, quit fighting. The theme this year is worse than last year, listen to this: The Bloodmoon Ball. Sounds cheesy, but at least they aren't having it in our cafeteria. The committee decided that the junior high lunchroom was bigger."
Star took a step back.
"I've never been in that room before."
"Well it sounds cool, maybe it won't be a total blow this year because I have a new pickup line that I need to use."
Alfonso scoffed.
"And I need to stay away from you when you do that! Last time you tried to get a girl, her boyfriend chased both of us down the hall!"
"Hey that wasn't my fault!"
The final bell rang and released the students to freedom. Marco watched his friends go their separate ways, Ferg and Alfonso still bickering as they walked out the door. He turned to Star beside him, she was looking straight ahead with a frown.
"What's up?"
She tilted her head towards his voice, and she smiled weakly.
"I'm just a little worried about the dance."
Marco took her hand, when she first arrived Marco would insist on holding her hand until the school crowd had depleted but now he just wanted to comfort her somehow, whenever she was relaxed she talked easier. Star began to walk with him, holding her white stick under her arm.
"Why are you worried about the dance?" Star shrugged helplessly.
"It's just that I've never been in the junior high cafeteria. It would be fine if it was our cafeteria because I know that room but this is a new place and I'm just..."
She trailed off but Marco knew what she meant. Marco started to pull her down a different path.
"Come on, let's see if we can fix that."
Star nodded but she pulled out her white stick and held it in front of her. Marco eventually found the doors that led to the junior high cafeteria and he held the door open for Star. It was dark as Marco began to run his hand over the wall until he found a light switch. It made a loud snap when he flicked it on and he saw Star flinch.
"I'm really sorry Star, I should have said something!"
She held her hand up and laughed.
"No it's fine, haha, I can't believe I'm scared of a little light switch."
Marco was at her side again and he took her hand. The tables were pushed up against the wall and there were chairs lining most of the wall, but the rest of the floor was clear except for the DJ's equipment a few feet away from the door. Marco explained all that he saw as they walked around the room, expressing extra caution around the DJ's table.
"Okay Marco, you can let go of me. I want to walk around by myself to see if I've got it."
Marco unlaced his fingers from hers, feeling slightly embarrassed from hold her so tightly. She began to walk around the whole room, touching chairs, running her hand along tables, and walking around the DJ table. Star surprised him when she set her white stick against the table and began to walk to the center of the room. Star held up one hand and the other up and to her side. She began to dance with an invisible partner.
"Star? What are you doing?"
Star laughed and smiled in his direction.
"Can't you see I'm dancing!"
She laughed and made the dance more lively by skipping around and twirling.
"My invisible man makes a better partner than you, I'm sure!" Marco knew she was just trying to provoke him to dance but he let her win this time as he walked to her, grabbed her hand , and held her waist with his free hand. Star gasped but quickly smiled as they danced and twirled until they were both out of breath. Their dance slowed but didn't stop, Marco wanted to pull her closer but held still instead, he didn't want the dance to end. He looked down at her, she had her eyes closed with a small smile on her face. To Marco's dismay, Star stopped swaying.
"I think I'm comfortable now, thanks Marco."
"No problem." He hoped she didn't hear his voice crack. They slipped out the door and down the street toward home. As soon as they entered the house Star bolted up the stairs yelling that she had to get ready. He called after her.
"The dance isn't for two more hours!"
"Oh Marco, honey!" His mom came and patted him on the back sympathetically.
"You don't know much about girls do you. First it's the hair, then the makeup, then the dress-"
"Okay Mom, I get it." He smiled at his mom and she pushed him toward the stairs and told him he should get ready too. Marco felt his stomach clench, he was starting to get nervous now. They had already confirmed that Star should go with him since it was her first dance at Echo Creek and Marco was so relieved that his mom had convinced Star of this and that Star couldn't accepted any of the hundreds of invitations that Star had been offered by the guys in their high school. Marco was happy to be a good friend and help Star. Although he was secretly elated to spend the evening as Star's date and nobody else would be able to snatch her away from him. Marco felt himself grin, he was smiling so hard his cheeks ached and he suddenly got the urge to do a victory dance but he took some deep breaths and pushed the thought away. He was just her friend. Nothing more.
~~~
"I'm just his friend and nothing more!"
Star whispered into her phone.
"Nah uh girlfriend! Don't give me that crap! I know you like him!"
"And so what if I do? It doesn't matter this is just a 'make sure Star doesn't hurt herself' thing PonyHead! You know, like how my mom always coddles me, except... this time I don't mind!" She said the last part really fast, as if she could hide it from her best friend 'PonyHead' Patricia.
"Ah ha! I knew it!"
Star sighed and plopped down on her bed, hair still wild and unkept since PonyHead interrupted her with imposing questions.
"Does he smell good?"
Star gasped and choked at the same time.
"He does, well okay good. Are his hands soft?"
"I have no idea what you're talking ab-"
"You like his voice too, huh?"
Star just sighed and fell back onto the bed.
"That's all I needed to know. Good for you, getting yourself a man! And you live with him! So scandalous!"
"PonyHead please shut up."
"Fine fine, I've got all the information I need. You should get back to getting all primped up for your bae. I won't stop you."
"Thanks PonyHead."
"Bye Star! I love you!"
PonyHead said sweetly. Star laughed.
"I love you too. I'll call afterwards and tell you how it went."
PonyHead giggled as Star hung up. She sighed again. Curse her best friend for seeing right through her, she could only hope her affection for the safe kid wasn't evident to anyone else. Star began to fix her hair again, she bent down and touched the dress once more, her mother had sent it to Star after she told her that there was a dance. Star recalled her mother describing the dress.
"It's red mostly with a few layers of pink, a wide skirt that stops just above the knee with hearts holding the skirt material. It has one sleeve on the left shoulder with another red heart, Oh Star! You will look so beautiful in it! I hope you will feel beautiful in it."
Star smiled, she loved her mother so much.
~~~
Marco tapped his foot on the floor impatiently. Then began to pace. They were three minutes away from being late.
"How can she be late when she had a two hour head start?" Marco grumbled and grumbled some more about being late until his mom scolded him for being impatient. His dad spoke up.
"If you don't calm down I will have to take the car away from you."
"Sorry Dad, I'll get us there safely."
"I'm more worried about the car than you- Ow! I was just joking!"
Angela pinched her husbands arm and smiled sweetly at her son.
"We aren't worried, we know you'll both keep each other safe."
Suddenly there was a loud crash as Star yelped. The whole Diaz family crowded at the bottom of the stairs, looking frantically. Star appeared at the top of the stairs blushing red.
"Haha, sorry Mrs. Diaz. I kind of, sort of, broke the vase in my room while rushing around trying to find my shoes!" His mom shrugged her shoulders. "It's just a vase, dear. Nothing that can't be replaced or fixed." Star giggled nervously as she made her way down the stairs. Once she reached the bottom she tilted her head toward the ground.
"Well, What do you think?"
Marco hadn't realized his mouth was hanging open.
"You look amazing." His best friend was beautiful. Star was beautiful, absolutely beautiful.
"Thanks Marco!" Suddenly Star got serious and held out her hand.
"Sir Marco?" She said in an awful British accent. Marco played along.
"Yes, my Lady Star?"
Marco took her arm.
"Shall we go?"
"Yes Ma'am."
~~~
Star laughed at Alfonso's story of Ferguson's unsuccessful love attempts.
"Then she said, 'If you call me baby one more time, I'll get a restraining order!' Well, if that doesn't stop Ferg I don't know what will."
Star had been resting from the dancing when Alfonso had sat down beside her and recalled all the funniest stories he knew that involved Ferguson and a girl. There was a lot of them. She liked Alfonso very much from his funny voice and the way he was so comfortable around her, even when they first met and Marco explained her blindness to him. They continued that way until she heard footsteps approach.
"I hope you're not trying to steal my date away from me Alfonso."
"Oh I would never stand between Marco and his girl." Alfonso chuckled and feigned a sudden interest in Ferguson's latest victim. Marco sat down next to her and grabbed her hand from her lap.
"It's the last dance, they say it's 'special' or something like that. Do you feel like dancing?"
Star hopped up with a smile and nodded vigorously. Marco laughed and began to led her away. Once they were in the middle of all the other dancers, Star stood on Marco's feet. Wrapping both arms around his neck she felt him relax against her. Star felt his hands slide down her spine and rest on her hips. She held her breath to keep from shivering. Standing on Marco's feet, her world slowly began to sway. Back and forth, back and forth. The music was soft, she could barely hear the sounds of others and for once, everything was quiet. Marco leaned down toward her face and whispered into her ear.
"There's a red spotlight on us, what should we do?"
"Give 'em a show."
Marco seemed to be confused so Star took over. She moved her hands to his cheeks and held his face, tilting his head down. When Marco's face was close enough for her to reach she kissed his forehead slowly, just letting her lips stay there for a moment. After a moment Star reluctantly pulled back and smiled. She would have time to feel foolish later, right now she just wanted to enjoy the warm feeling in her middle. Marco softly chuckled.
"Everyone is gawking at us."
Star barely laughed. She was still out of breath from what she had done. She felt Marco tighten his grip around her.
"I-"
Marco paused.
"I really like being with you Star."
She smiled wide.
"Me too."
~~~
Back at home, Marco watched Star climb the stairs toward her room. She stopped and turned at the top step.
"Aren't you going to bed?"
"Yeah, in a second."
Marco watched her begin to walk then stop again and turn around.
"Thank you, Marco. I had lots of fun tonight. I like hanging out with you."
Marco smiled at her.
"I had lots of fun too."
She smiled down at him, this time when Star began to walk again she didn't stop. Marco sighed as she disappeared around the corner. Why couldn't he just tell her? Three simple words. But they weren't exactly simple, not to Marco.
"Star," Marco whispered. "I love you."
