V-Day at E. Creek

>The morning bell echoed throughout the hallways, signalling the start of another exciting day at Echo Creek Academy
>Marco Diaz and his magical bestie, Star Butterfly, leisurely walked towards Skullnick's class, in no real rush to start the day
>The peppy princess marveled in awe at the unusual sights before her
>Lovely ornaments adorned the walls and hallways of the school, from red streamers to rose buds to paper cutout hearts
>"Hey Marco, what's with all these cute decorations? Are they charms for warding off evil spirits or something?" The inquisitive girl asked her friend
>"No Star, those are decorations to commemorate Valentine's Day," The boy in the red hoodie pointed out to his ignorant pal. "It's an Earth holiday dedicated to celebrating romance and love. You share your feelings with people you care for and give gifts. It's like a less cool Christmas!"
>"Romance and love you say..." Star said to herself with with an expression of deep thought on her face. "I wanna get in on the fun too! >So I just gotta tell people I love them and hand out gifts? Piece of cake!"
>Diaz rolled his eyes as he walked into class and took his seat
>Valentine's Day had never been one of his favorite holidays due to his struggles with love
>The boy looked around the room and saw his fellow classmates chatting and gossiping up as usual
>For a brief moment he ponder what each and every single one of them had planned for the day but quickly discarded that train of thought
>He spotted his childhood crush Jackie Lynn Thomas, sitting at her seat, chatting with her friend Janna about something or other
>The boy sighed and felt his heart sink a bit
>The most opportune time of the year to confess his feelings to her would fly by again
>"Pssst, hey Marco! What kind of presents should I get for our classmates?" Star whispered. "I was thinking a laser puppy for everyone would be really neat. Ooh ooh, what if I got them all laser chameleons instead? That would be soooo—"
>"Alright listen up you little worms," Skullnick's voice boomed as she entered the room. "In honor of this occasion, I figured we'd skip today's lesson so I can educate you on the origins and true meaning of this accursed holiday. Yes, I do expect you to take notes so clean out your ears and pay attention!"
>What followed shortly was not an accurate lesson on the history of the holiday but a series of Skullnick's failed romances and how true love is nothing more than a myth
>Her lovelorn rants bored the snot out of everyone and dragged on for hours until she was interrupted by the sound of a ringing bell
>"We'll pick this up when you get back from lunch and remember, it's better to be sick of love than it is to be lovesick!"

>As the students headed towards the cafeteria hungry for both food and freedom, Marco and Star were stopped in their tracks by a familiar voice calling for them
"Heeey Marco! Staaar! Wait up!"
>They turned around and were greeted by fellow classmate Hope who was sporting a mile wide smile
>The optimistic girl wore a lovely white blouse with an equally pristine matching skirt. Her outfit was adorned with red trimmings that went splendidly with her crimson dress shoes. A cute rosebud was nestled in her brunette hair and even her lipstick was much more vibrant than usual.
>"Happy Valentine's Day you guys!"
>"Happy Valentine's Day Hope!" Star responded back with an equally large smile. "Marco taught me to say that!"
>"Hey Hope, that's a cute outfit you got on." Marco complimented.
"Heehee, thanks you guys!" The girl giggled as she tried to hide her flushed red face. "I just wanted to say hi and give you something!"
>Their chipper classmate reached into her backpack and handed each of them a gift. "It's the Valentine cards I made for both of you. Enjoy!"
>Butterfly's face lit up with excitement as she tore open the envelope and read it aloud.
>"YOU'RE OUT OF THIS WORLD!" After a good minute of reading it to herself over and over, it finally clicked.
>Star's flummoxed face brightened up once more as she let out a high pitched squee. "THANKS HOPE, I LOVE IT!"
>Marco open his up next and read the card.
>"You've got quite the chops! Be my Valentine!"
>Diaz couldn't help but chuckle. It was kind of corny but that's what made it so endearing.
>"Thanks Hope, Happy Valentine's Day." The boy responded.
>"I'm glad you like them! See you guys later, I've got more cards to deliver! Bye~"
>the spirited girl took off but not before hugging Star and planted a quick peck on Marco's cheek, leaving behind a bright red kiss mark on his face
>Diaz was taken aback by this sudden move and rendered speechless as he held his cheek
>"Lucky!" Star said in a jealous tone. "I wanted a kiss too!"

>Moment's later at the usual lunch table, Diaz found himself under siege by Ferguson who was commending him for that slick gift Hope gave him in the hallway
>"Geez dude, the day just started a while ago and you're already getting some lovin' from cute girls. Save some for the rest of us!"
>"Oh it wasn't like THAT!" Marco pointed out to his portly friend. "It was just a friendly, totally platonic kiss on the cheek. Nothing more."
>"Didn't look like that to me," Ferguson said teasingly. "Why do you still have that lipstick on your face then, HUUUUH?"
>"The what? O-Oh, is that what that is? Y-Yeah, let me just fix that!" Marco embarrassingly blurted out as he tried to wipe the evidence clean.
>Star watched her pals bicker as she nibbled on her sandwich, still trying to make heads or tails of how this intriguing Earth holiday worked
>"So you got any big plans today boys?" Marco said hoping to change the subject. "Perhaps a certain lady you're trying to woo?"
>"No but the 25th time is the charm!" Ferguson said out loud with confidence. "Maybe I'll hit up Chantelle next. She hasn't rejected me yet!"
>"How about you Alph ol buddy? You gonna hang out with your hot cousin again?" Ferguson laughed as he swatted his bro on the back.
>"I've actually got plans later on today." The lanky teen stated as he sipped from his milk carton.
>"YOU WHAT??" Marco and Ferg said in unison completely shocked. Even Star's eyes opened a bit.
>"Me and Pixie Princess have a romantic getaway planned," The boy added. "She said she wants to rekindle our dying love and spice me up! I mean spice things up."
>Alphonso's two friends exchanged worried looks. Star just closed her eyes and smiled.
>"How bout you Marky Mark? What's on your schedule?" The redhead inquired.
>The boy in the red hoodie didn't know how to respond. At least his friends HAD plans which was more than he could say for himself.
>"It just so happens that I— well you see—"
>Before Marco could finish his piss poor excuse, history repeated himself when the presence of another familiar classmate caused everything else to screech to a halt
>"Hi everyone! H-Hi Marco!"

>It was none other than enthusiastic student Sabrina, donned in her usual cheerleading attire
>The plucky girl had her arms hidden behind her back as she eagerly stood on her tiptoes, rocking up and down
>A bright red ADHESIVE MEDICAL STRIP stuck to her face along with more than a few scratches
>It looks like she ate dirt pretty hard again, but didn't seem to bothered by it
>Even in the face of pain she did her best to hold a smile, albeit a slightly crooked one
>"Hey Sabrina, did you fall down the stairs again?" Marco politely asked. "I keep telling you ONE STEP AT A TIME!"
>"I know I know, but it's okay! It only hurt for the first 20 minutes. I've had worse!"
>"Hey Sabrina, are you feeling alright? A concerned Star inquired. "You're trembling and you seem nervous about something."
>The girl didn't answer
>She stood still with her mouth open waiting for the words to come out but nothing did
>After a good minute of making an awkward spectacle of herself, Marco and Star stood up
>"Do you need to go the nurse's office again?" The blonde girl asked.
>"Come on Sabrina we'll take you there to rest." Marco said as he placed his hand on the nervous cheerleader's shoulder
>"MARCO!"
>The boy came to a full stop at the mere mention of his name
>The bruised and battered girl took a step back and revealed what she was hiding in her hands
>What she presented was a miniature stuffed puppy with a cast on one of its legs and a heart stitched to the front
>"Marco Diaz! W-Would you be my Valentine?" Sabrina screamed, loud enough to alert nearly everyone in the cafeteria
>Ferguson and Alphonso's mouths dropped as they held each other in a tight grip
>"Alright Marco!" Jackie Lynn Thomas shouted from across the room as her pal Janna stared on in jealousy and contempt
>Star bit her lip and began shaking at the exciting turn of events
>Marco stood dumbfounded as he looked at the anxious and quaking girl before him
>"If that's what you want then sure, I'd be happy to be your Valentine Sabrina. Now come on lets get you to the—"
>The expression on the girl's face went from one of worry to that of elation at the boy's answer
>"HURRY UP SABRINA, WE STILL HAVE TO DECORATE THE ENTIRE 3RD FLOOR. THOSE STREAMERS AREN'T GONNA HANG THEMSELVES!"
>"Coming Brittney!" The brunette girl replied as she shoved the doggy into Marco's chest
>"BYESTARBYEMARCOILOVEYOUSEEYOUGUYSLATERHAVEANICE—"
>Sabrina's farewell was interrupted by the sound of her body slamming into the exit door across the room with an audible crunch
>Her unconscious body fell to the floor and was quickly dragged away by an impatient Brittney before anyone else could assist her
>A silence fell over the cafeteria that was short lived as the students almost immediately resumed their business
>"DID YOU SEE THAT?" Ferguson shouted as he shook his tall comrade. "They're practically falling into his lap! HOW DOES HE DO IT!?"
>Diaz didn't let his face show it but he was feeling pretty confident about himself right now
>He held the stuffed animal up and gave it a firm squeeze
>Star began to reflect and ponder on what just transpired
>"Hmmmm... I think I'm starting to get just how this crazy holiday works now!"


>The final bell of the day rang throughout the school as student after student bolted for the door, eager to escape the academic prison
>Marco walked down the hall texting Star, who was on the other side of campus attempting to put what she learned to good use on Oskar
>He had faith in his bestie to not completely make a mess of things and promised to meet her at home later to hear how it went down
>As the confident teen walked down the hallway, he could feel the eerie presence of someone approaching him from behind
>"Ha. I had a feeling you were the one sneaking up on me." The boy exclaimed as he dramatically turned around and pointed his finger. JANNA!"
>The mischievous little minx was caught red handed and she could do nothing but shrug and admit defeat
>"Alright you got me! Nothing gets by you does it safe kid?"
>"Trying to pickpocket me again are ya? Or are you here to play one of your hilarious pranks on me?" The boy interrogated as he kept on walking. "Not today old chum!"
>Janna walked beside Marco as the two headed outside, departing from school
>"You seem to be in a pretty lively mood and full of spunk today," the girl in the olive green hat pointed out as she inconspicuously inched closer with each step. "Normally you'd have already told me to buzz off or something."
>Diaz tucked his hands into his sweater pockets, not taking second chances around the sneaky girl
>"It's been pretty good to say the least. How are things going for you?" Diaz asked.
>"Not too bad and it's only getting better and better!" The rambunctious rogue replied.
>The snarky grin on Janna's face lessened to something a bit more serious
>"What was all that about during lunch?" the girl said, prodding for answers.
>"Oh just Sabrina asking if I'd be her Valentine. The poor girl was so nervous I just couldn't say no."
>"I heard you got a little present from Hope too," Janna added to the conversation. "Since when did you get so lucky with the ladies Marco?"
>The brown haired boy smirked at his classmate causing her to blush ever so slightly
>"See you later Janna," the boy said as he began walking the opposite way down the side walk. "Have a nice Valen—"
>Marco suddenly felt a set of arms wrap around his torso followed by the gentle press of one's body against his own
>"Whoa there tiger, you didn't think I'd let you go that easy did ya?"
>The safe kid let out a hefty sigh
>Of course. When Janna is involved there's always a catch.
>"Alright Janna what do you want from me? Homework? Money? Another one of my hoodies?" Marco said, feeling a bit defeated
>"Relax dude I don't want much from you; quite the contrary in fact. There's something I've been meaning to give you. It's a pretty special day after all."
>Marco's eyebrows rose. Giving instead of taking? That definitely wasn't the troublesome girl he knew.
>She spun around the boy's waist and confronted him face to face with an adorable and sincere smile, unlike any he had ever seen from her
>She lifted up her green beanie and pulled something out from underneath before handing it to him
>"W-What is it?" Marco questioned as he took it in his hands
>"Take a bite," Janna implored. "Don't worry it's not poison or anything. I'm not THAT messed up!"
>Upon closer inspection, Marco was able to identify it as literal heart shaped confectionery of sorts, aorta and all
>A meaningful gesture if not a bit disconcerting
>The skeptical boy glanced back and forth between the present in his hands and the girl in front of him
>Janna watched in anticipation as Diaz opened his mouth and slowly but surely took a bite out of the unusual treat
>The boy was taking aback by the sudden torrent of chocolate and starwberry filling that flowed into his mouth and down his throat
>The sugary brown liquid oozed down Marco's cheek as he took a moment to catch his breath before going back for seconds
>His response alone was enough to convince the mischievous girl that she had done well
>"Wow Janna, this is good and I mean REALLY good!" Marco expressed. "Did you make this yourself?"
"Well I had a little help from Hope but pretty much. Not bad eh?"
>"I'll say!" the teen responded, licking the excess fudge off his fingers. "This is a way better surprise than finding out something of mine had gone missing. Again."
>Janna's grin widened. An opportunity presented itself and she wasn't gonna let it slide by.
>"Hey Marco, you got a little something on your face."
>"Oops, I'm making a bit of a mess here." Diaz embarrassingly confessed. "Give me a sec to—"
>Marco suddenly lost his train of thought after what happened next
>The meddlesome girl stepped forward and took charge, placing her hands on his shoulders and pulling him in close
>She pressed her lips against his own and wouldn't let go for what seemed like an eternity
>Despite the fact that it was with Janna, Marco didn't fight it one bit and he certainly wasn't complaining
>He decided to go with the flow and enjoy the spur of the moment exchange they were having
>After a good minute, the two lip locked teens slowly pulled themselves away from each other
>Janna licked her lips clean of the chocolate she pulled off of Marco's messy face
>"Happy Valentine's Day Marco," the girl in the green hat whispered as she turned around and strutted away. "I'll see you around."
>Diaz turned around and watched as his bothersome childhood acquaintance took off, disappearing around the corner without so much as a glance back
>Would things be weird when he sees her again? Probably not anymore than they already are. That Janna sure was a strange one.
>Marco chowed down on the rest of his chocolate heart as he headed home, a great sense of satisfaction hanging over him the whole way.

>Marco wiped the remaining chocolate off his face with his sleeve as he approached his mailbox
>He felt his phone vibrate, prompting him to check it
>A text from Star had just came through
>":("
>That definitely wasn't a  good sign. Hopefully she hadn't screwed things up too much with Oskar.
>Marco was in the middle of replying to his bestie when the sweet sweet sound of polyurethane rolling over gravel and concrete echoed through his ears
>The noise grew louder and louder, filling his stomach with butterflies
>It was the calling card of the one being that filled Marco with anxiety and nausea to such an overwhelming degree
>"Is that... Hey Marco, what's up!"
>That cool and laid back voice belonged to the one and only Jackie Lynn Thomas,the very apple of Marco's eye
>All the confidence the safe kid of Echo Creek had been exuding up until this moment had all but depleted
>The stylish skater rode on ahead, grinding to a halt mere feet in front of the boy
>Marco watched in awe as Jackie dismounted from her board and removed her helmet, freeing her platinum blonde hair and shaking it about in the wind
>"What's up dude, I wasn't expecting to see you around here."
>"H-Hi there Jackie," Marco skittishly spoke, trying his hardest not to seem like a sweating, nervous mess. "I was just on my way home. I live right here after all."
>"Oh. So you do!" Jackie chuckled as she noticed the house right beside her. "That's cool."
>"Yeah I guess it is. So J-Jackie, what were you up to? Just chillin' right?" Marco forced out of his mouth in an attempt to keep things from getting awkward.
>"I was just skating around the neighborhood going nowhere really. You know how it is."
>Marco just nodded at every word that slipped out between her attractive lips
>"Oh I saw what happened at lunch today. I didn't know you and Sabrina were an item. Way to go dude!"
>The boy in the hoodie grew flustered and began to panic when he heard the girl he admired utter those words
>"W-WHAT NO YOU GOT THE WRONG IDEA IT'S NOT LIKE THAT I SWEAR!"
>Jackie smiled, Marco blushed
>"Don't sweat it dude, I was just playing around," the skater girl teased, giving the safe kid a jocular punch on the shoulder. "I'm sure whatever girl claims to be your girlfriend must be pretty dang lucky."
>"Thanks Jackie, that's a reassuring thought to hear."
>those words instilled Marco with a bit of confidence, at least enough to keep him from stammering like a fool
>"No problem man." Jackie strapped on her helmet and hopped on her board. "Catch you later!"
>As his radical classmate rolled away into the sunset, Marco felt he should say something more substantial than a lowly 'Bye'
>"Hey! Jackie!"
>The girl turned around to face the boy who called out to her
>He stared at her for a brief moment before speaking up
>"Happy Valentine's Day!"
>Jackie smiled and responded with a thumbs up and a wink
>"Happy Valentine's Day dude. Peace!"
>Diaz watched as his crush faded out into the distance
>Not quite what the boy was hoping for but he was proud to have taken another step forward.
>Today had been a splendid day for the safe kid of Echo Creek and he had a feeling this Valentine's Day would be one he wouldn't soon—
>"Oh crap, I forgot to check on Star!"

>Marco rushed inside his house, tossing his backpack aside and reaching for his phone
>It had been a good 25 minutes since Star had texted her friend that depressing emoji
>The boy hit his contacts and attempted to call his bestie but there was answer
>Worried, Diaz made his way for the door and was about to head back to school when he heard the sound of footsteps descending the stairs from behind him
>"Hey Marco..." a voice muttered in a crestfallen and dejected tone
>The boy quickly turned around
>"STAR?! You've been here the whole time? How did you—" The concerned teen said, completely shocked. "What happened out there? Did something go wrong?"
>The not so plucky princess let out a hefty sigh of exasperation
"Weeeeeeeell, let's just say Oskar is gonna be in the hospital for a couple of days."
>The safe kid's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. He regretted not going along with her in the first place.
>Star began restlessly pacing back and forth across the living room, giving Marco the rundown
>"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT THOUGH! I DIDNT MEAN TO! I just followed in Hope and Sabrina's steps and gave him gifts!"
>Butterfly grew tense as the words continued to spill out
>"He absolutely loved the Infinite Velvet Cheesecake I snagged from the queen of the delicacy dimension and even the laser chameleon was top notch in his book."
>"Well then what backfired?" Marco inquired.
>"So I figured I could top everything off with a stupendously spectacular display of fireworks to confess my feelings but I miscalculated the trajectory of my shot and then his car caught on fire and then the chameleon got startled and and and—"
>"UGH IT WAS TERRIBLE AND I'M SO STUPID!" Star berated herself, throwing her body onto the couch face down to hide her shame
>"Stop beating yourself up Star," Marco said, attempting to console his emotionally distraught housemate. "Accidents like these happen from time to time and you're intentions were well. You didn't mean to hurt him."
>The boy walked into the kitchen and began rummaging through the fridge
>"I thought I had this Valentine thing all figure out," the disheartened girl stated. "Apparently there's still a whole lot about Earth culture I don't understand. Why does it all have to be SO confusing!?"
>"One step at a time Star." Marco returned and took a seat on the couch.
>"I'll tell ya what, tomorrow we'll head down to the hospital and pay ol Oskar a visit. You can explain everything there and I'm sure he'll appreciate the company."
>Star groaned into the coach cushion
>Marco had to do something to lift his bestie's spirits and he had just the trick to reach her
>"Heeeeey Staaaar, I got something that might cheer you up."
>The upset girl begrudgingly pulled herself up and faced her chum
>Diaz took an extravagant pose like a fancy five star waiter
>Presented in front of the mopey monarch-to-be was a plate of the household specialty, Marco's Super Awesome Nachos
>"Thanks Marco," Butterfly softly spoke as she wiped a tear from her face and did her best to put on a smile
>"Your gooey triangle food always makes things better."
>The blonde girl dipped her hand into the dish of golden liquid and scarfed down a handful of tasty tortilla chips
>"MMMMMM! That hit the spot!" Star exclaimed, leaning her head against Marco's shoulder. "These things really are the best way to drown out your sorrows. Keep em coming Marco!"
>The boy in the hoodie clicked on the television and began channel surfing through the dozen of sappy love specials that were airing
>Marco was eager to tell Star about everything that happened on the way home but that could wait for later
>He wrapped an arm around his recovering bestie and pulled her close
>"Hey Star."
>"Hmmm?"
>"Happy Valentine's Day."
>Marco pushed his face close to Star's and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead
>The girl smiled and blushed as she continued to consume copious amounts of nachos
>"Happy Valentine's Day Marco. Love ya!" the girl blurted out between chews
>The 2 sat on the couch for hours, snacking away and watching horrible romcoms until they both passed out snuggled up next to each other, snoring like beasts

>"Would you look at that Rafael! They're curled up and sleeping together! How adorable!" Angie whispered to her husband as they walked into the front door, returning back from their romantic V-Day date.
>"That they are sweetie!" Rafael spoke as he snapped a pic of the teens with an old polaroid camera. "In fact they remind me of us when we were young!"
>"Oh, stop!" Angie playfully responded as she covered the 2 in a small blanket. "I hope their Valentine's Day was as good as ours."
>Rafael snuck up on his wife and began massaging her shoulders
"Well maybe not AS good," he spoke in a rather lascivious tone. "They are just kids after all!"
"Oooh Rafael!" Angie giggled as her husband picked her up and began ascending the stairs.
"Happy Valentine's Day mi amor!" Rafael said, closing the bedroom door behind him.