When Two Worlds Collide

Chapter 12- How to Be a Leader

"This way guys!" Star told Marco and her friends as they made their way to the atrium to meet up with Eclipsa. Tom noticed that Janna brought a backpack with her. He wondered what she was carrying in it. He decided to get the courage to ask her.

"So...what's in the backpack?" Tom asked as he pointed at it. Janna took it off her back and unzipped it, rummaging through the inside.

"Oh, the essentials; Stink bombs, voodoo dolls...a monkey's paw but I won't show you that.." Janna told him. Tom's eyes widened. Did he just hear that correctly? With Janna, you're never sure of anything.

"Why...in the world...do you have that?!" Tom asked, quite terrified to hear the answer. He was really hoping she wouldn't take it out and show him...Tom has a weak stomach.

"Dude, haven't you read dark poetry?" She responded. Tom just gave her a blank stare.

"....what now?" Tom wondered. Seeing that Tom and Janna were holding a conversation, Marco decided to go ahead of them so he could talk to Star.

"Hey, so how's the makeup?" Marco asked in a low voice, checking Star's cheeks.

"Oh, uh...yeah. I think it's holding up." Star whispered, about to touch her cheeks.

"No no no no don't touch your face! You could smudge it!" Marco quietly warned her, flailing his arms about.

"But...but you sprayed that stuff on my face!" Star exclaimed quietly so Tom and Janna couldn't hear, pretending to spray an imaginary can.

"Star, the setting spray doesn't make the makeup indestructible. It just helps it stay on longer in case, you know, you start to sweat or something." Marco explained to her.

"Oohhhhh." Star replied.

"It isn't waterproof though so stay away from things like water and rain...and pools...you know." Marco explained to her. Star nodded.

"Gotcha." She said. Star suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder.

"What are you guys talking about?" Tom asked behind them. Star and Marco froze, hoping that Tom and Janna didn't hear what they were talking about.

"Oh!...nothing! We were just...uh..." Marco tried to come up with a lie...and fast. "We were just talking about...going...to..."

"Theeeee beach!" Star told them.

"Wait, we are?" Marco asked before Star gently elbowing him, hinting that he should play along. "...aaaare going to the beach! Yeah!" Marco said with an apprehensive smile.

"Didn't you already have beach day?" Tom asked.

"You can have more than one beach day, Tom." Star said, rolling her eyes. An idea suddenly popped into her head. "Heeeeey, you and Janna should join us!" Tom and Janna looked at each other wide-eyed before looking back at Star.

"Eh, I'm not a beach person." Janna shrugged.

"Aw, come on, Janna. I think Tom would reaaallly like you to come with him!" She stated as she got closer to Tom, nudging him with her elbow. "Huh...huh...don't you Tom? Don't you?" She smirked.

"Uhh..." Tom muttered as stiff as a statue. Star suddenly felt Marco's hand pull her shoulder back gently.

"Would you excuse us for a minute?" Marco said to them as he took Star aside, continuing to walk. "Star...what are you doing?" He asked quietly.

"Hey, we were already planning on going to the beach anyway. We talked about it the other night!" Star replied.

"I'm talking about Tom and Janna. You're playing matchmaker again." Marco told her.