Chapter 70: Just Friends

Summary: Concerts for life!

"And now we'll be just friends. We will be just friends." Jackie sang with Marco as they danced in his living room.

" Juusssst friends!" Marco mouthed the words along with her, getting into that confident dorky charm that always managed to make her laugh. 

"Nice to see you finally have a clear head again, I was starting to miss you." She chuckled. Jackie honestly thought they'd have to break it off for good, but he came back, willing to give the relationship a shot again, so she wouldn't complain.

"Yeah, sorry about that, I just needed to clear my head. Apparently stopping the planet from blowing up does wonders for your stress."

"So next time you get in a funk I should just try to take over the world and you'll be good to go?" She smirked.

"Probably, though I might join you on your global takeover if you're ever serious. Knowing you, it will at least be cool."

"Everything I do is cool." She shrugged. "Except fight, I actually suck pretty hard as a pacifist." Words just weren't that effective compared to fists.

"Join the club. Star switches on and off about it and Kelly's entire dimension is founded in fighting, and Steven and I usually end up having to talk common sense." Marco sighed. "Steven's usually the innocent one though, so he's a bit … too trusting." 

"Then it's a good thing you're the safety nut, huh?" She laughed as she sent a light punch into his huh. "Out of everyone in a group of highly dangerous and butt-kicking teenagers, it's the karate guy from earth that keeps them together." Not a bad resume at all.

"I'm the glue, the brains, the jailbreaker, and the alien redeemer." He pointed at the green dear looking gal flipping through channels.

"Earth culture is so strange … why would they build a house in front of a live studio audience?" The alien looked intently at the screen. "Doesn't that just get in the way of their day to day actions? Does the audience just stalk every move they make, even when they sleep? Is that normal human behavior to pick up on?"

"I'm also the officiator for human culture as well." Marco snorted. "I'll just let her surf through the tube for a while before explaining the whole concept of a tv show."

"True that … so how's everyone been? Steven seemed to have a lot more spikes then he did last time."

"Yeah..it's a recent development we're trying to ignore…very poorly." Marco rubbed the back of his head. "Kelly headed back to her dimension to spend more time with her mom, so Steven's been hanging around the gems while she's gone. We're just doing our best to give him space to adjust."

"Hope he doesn't spend too much time alone. Jenny texted me the pics of his and Kelly's first date." She showed off the adorable sight of a couple in their honeymoon phase.

"Aww, he's even more awkward than me." Jackie snorted at Marco's cooing. "I remember when I was that young and inexperienced. The road can be hard to navigate, but the end result can be worth it."

"Well then, Mr. Diaz, was I worth it?" She leaned forever and planted a small peck on his lips.

"Completely, that's something I've never doubted." That dorky confidence never failed to put a smile on her face. 

"Say, don't mean to break the mood or anything, but where's Star?" She looked around. It was kind of rare to not see the two of them together in the same room.

"She's using my phone to win some sort of tickets for something." Marco answered.

A scream came a second later, followed by the magic princess herself. "I've got three tickets to love a sentence!" Wow, impressive.

"Should I be impressed?" The green dudette asked.

"Ah, yeah! It's only our chance to see a live performance of Marco's and I's favorite band of all time!" Star exclaimed back. "They're so popular that I've listened to their music long before I set foot on Earth!"

"Ah, more 'music'." The little one stood up. "I guess that's more research for me."

"Yeah, you go do that, I won these tickets for all three of us.." Star pointed to herself and Marco. "...Could go together! I used to stream concerts live with Tom back when we were dating, but I thought this could totally be an amazing friend hang-out."

"Heck yeah." Marco nodded, but paused. "It's not going to be awkward right? With me and Jackie?"

"Pffft, why would that be awkward, we're all friends here." Star waved off. "You two can totally have your little couple's thing going on. I'll be fine."

Jackie shrugged. "If you say so, just know we have your back too." She pulled the girl in a hug.

"Yeah, heh, thanks Jackie, you're cool as always… so super cool." Star responded with a small chuckle. "Just wish Steven could join, but he's a bit preoccupied."

========================================================================

"So you're going to go Godzilla one of these days?" Jana asked, poking at the boy's spikes. "Would totally be awesome to ride you in battle."

"Yeah, except my brain's probably going to be a complete blank white I rampage randomly through the city." Steven groaned as he laid down on the sand of the beach. The boy had been hanging outside the temple for a couple of hours without really moving, so she felt it was her duty to barge right into his business like any decent friend would. "Just when everything was starting to go well for everyone too."

"Don't be like that. You're supposed to celebrate when you save the world." Jana poked his forehead lightly. "Not only does that mean we're not dead, but the entire planet basically owes you a solid for like, forever now."

"I'm half certain nobody else even knows about it…except maybe Ronaldo. He just thought the earthquakes were just the sneaple finally crawling out of the planet." He let out a small laugh.

"Hey, look at it this way." She pointed at the drill. "You have an excuse to take him to the center of the earth and prove him wrong. Imagine the mental breakdown."

"Huh, it almost would feel just like proving Glossaryck wrong about something for once, so that is tempting." Steven's smile finally began showing. "I'm already dealing with that on Peridot's front. Ever since I talked down the Cluster with Star's wand, she's been trying to ignore anything magical by watching tv."

"And now she has to deal with fictional cartoons, much crazier than anything magic can provide." Jana laughed.

"You'd be surprised with how weird our lives are." Steven laughed as well.

"I don't doubt it." Jana laid down. She wasn't really the type to take in the sight of 'nature' or whatever, but she did feel at peace just sitting here with her friend. "And it's not all doom and gloom for you. You saved your friend trapped in the fusion, right? And you stopped more aliens by playing baseball of all things. You're on top of the world!"

"Yeah, there's nothing that can stop me now!" The boy got hyped and hopped to his feet. "Absolutely nothing!" He jumped high…and went higher…and higher…and higher until he reached the height of the temple statue lady.

Jana stared at the boy in the sky, watching him until she got a call on her phone, flipping and answering it. "You're stuck in the air aren't you?"

"Yep. Apparently this is a thing that I can do now." The boy responded with a content sigh. "Mom used to tell me stories of the Rose Guard being light on her feet, I just didn't know how literally she meant it."

"Well this is probably emotional based." Jana observed.

"Name a power I have that isn't." He deadpanned

"So … snakes have no arms."

"WHY IS NATURE SO…AHHHHH!" Steven started falling right away. "Too fast, too fast! Tell me something more positive before I die…AH THAT MADE IT FASTER!"

"Ah..Ah…Kelly kissing you on the face!" She shouted into the phone.

"Now I'm at the head … alright, I should be able to climb from here. Thanks."

"No prob, dude, that's what I'm here for." A smirk began crawling on her face. "So you really like the idea of Kelly kissing you, don't you?"

"I–uh, well, she is my girlfriend now…"

"What? No way, you actually managed to get out of the friend zone? Congratulations." She laughed. "I was almost worried you'd keep pulling a full Marco until your twenties or something."

"Hey, I was never that awkward, I was just never sure I wanted a relationship like that until recently."

"The end of the world changes people I suppose …" She smirked. "Hey, wanna sneak into the Love Sentence concert tonight? I think we can put your new power to good use."

"I'm down for that. Ponyhead used to sneak me into places all the time. We got chased out of so many ice cream shops and arcades." Looks like all the moodiness hasn't stopped him from knowing how to have a good time. "I actually gave her a really important mission too!"

========================================================================

Lapis watched as the floating horse head drew on a chalk board. "Pranking 101?"

"Yes, aka, the best way to hurt someone emotionally AND physically without murdering them, and making it funny." The ironically named Ponyhead responded with a serious smile. "A little Q-fly told me that you're in need of getting payback but you also need to pull back on your 'strangling the life out of people' urges. Normally, I'm all for that, but for Quartz, I'll hold back."

"Why is it that the women in his life understand the value of murder but the men don't?" She asked in confusion.

"Because we don't have unnecessary junk in our brains like a 'conscience' or 'shame', or whatever words people want to make up everyday." Ponyhead turned to the chart. "Now pranking is all about hitting your enemy close to home and when they least expect it. The best way to do this is to know exactly what kind of person you want to target."

"Someone who views logic over anything else." Peridot was the main threat in her life at the moment. "And Marco."

"Oooh, Q-fly was wise to send you to me. I've been needing an excuse to use this." Ponyhead flew out of the room and came back with a folder that was bursting to the brim with paper and folders. "Earth Turd has been a thorn in my side too, cramping my style with 'reason', and not in a fun way like Q-fly does. If you go after him, you got my back one hundred percent."

"I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship." Lapis smirked, flipping through the folder, soon gazing at it with a frown. "… How did I spend six thousand years in a mirror but never pick up how to read?"

"Hey, no judgment here, I only picked up reading because daddy wanted me to know when a sign said 'do not enter'. I did it anyway because that usually means there's something fun on the other side." She floated over her shoulder and looked at the section she was gazing at. "Okay, first we got to ease you into it, start off small so your victims don't know it's you doing the pranking. At this stage, being as secret as possible is the greatest way to get the best reactions out of them."

"Secret as possible …" She looked in the mirror at her fin covered body, pointless gills, and blue sin. "… I don't really scream subtle … but then again with the group I could make it work."

"You can fly and control water, right? That alone gives us plenty of options to work with." Ponyhead grinned. "Watch Earth turd from the windows, and when he enters the bathroom, clog the toilet and flood the floors with toilet water. He's a neat freak, so that combined with giving him wet socks will screw with him royally."

"Wet socks are torture." She nodded. "What about Peridot? It's gonna be hard for her to even comprehend what a prank is."

"Use that to your advantage, girl! That way you can even stay secret when you move on to the big stuff." Ponyhead told her. "If she's just as big a nerd as you say she is, then hiding her stuff alone will give her a headache as she tries to figure out who or what took them."

Lapis nodded, memorizing the information. "This is definitely going to help … I needed something to hurt after … being with her." She lost the only way to vent her frustrations.

"We've all been there, girl. I can't tell you how many holes I put in Tom when Star broke up with him." Ponyhead nodded. "Thing is, we have to do it in moderation, or else everyone starts assuming there's something wrong with you when you attack someone."

Lapis thought about it. If she had it her way, she wouldn't stop until she new for certain that everyone that had ever hurt her finally paid…but that didn't sound exactly like what Steven wanted from her, so she would refrain…for now at least. "Understood. Is there anything else I should know?"

"Well we should get a sense of your humor .." Ponyhead hemmed. "What's the funniest thing you've ever heard?"

Lapis thought of her time stuck in the mirror. "… I honestly think fart jokes are pretty funny."

"...Yep, this is definitely going to be a work in progress." If the horse head had hands, she was pretty sure she would use them to rub her forehead. "Okay, so you like a little juvenile humor, no prob, we can work with this. Best we can do for now is blame it on Earth Turd whenever he's on a date or whatever. A little public humiliation never hurts anyone." Definitely a beautiful friendship.

========================================================================

Star sighed in relief. "We made it … and we only had to blow up five cars." New record! "Would've just rode on Lion, but Mom's been keeping him close due to crazy commission stuff."

"Right." Marco nodded. "Hopefully that blows over compared to everything else we deal with. We're gonna snap at this rate …"

"Guys, come on." Jackie held onto the both of them. "This isn't the time for crazy stuff that gets us sad, it's time for crazy stuff that makes us happy!"

"You're right. Back where I'm from, crazy and happy are supposed to be one in the same!" Star shot her hands into the air. "So let's rock until we drop!"

"For once I'm going to take that literally and do just that!" Marco shouted, getting into the spirit. "Thanks again, Star, for the tickets and everything."

"No problem, Marco, anything for my best friend in the universe." Star really had everything that could matter. The best brother, the best friend, and summer was coming, where people just don't go to school. And she managed to get c's in every class, so she could actually enjoy it! There was nothing more she could ask for… maybe parents that kept less secrets, but nothing was perfect.

The stage, which had a fake jail wall on it, smashed wide open, and the lead singer of Love Sentence, as well as the others bursted right out. " Hello Beach Creek! This is Justin Towers, and we're Love Sentence!"' Star knew the hype was real when Marco was squealing like a pig-goat. " This song goes out to all the members of the audience who are…just friends!" And they were starting off with her second favorite song! 

As the beat got rolling, Star started dancing, as did Marco and Jackie. It was just three friends having a great time…a memorable and fun time she would treasure forever.

"It was was no secret

The way that you feel.

A love that was so pure 

A love that was so real!

Showed me your world

And it felt like a sign…"

Star really felt deeply connected to these lyrics. As she and Marco mouthed the words together, she could piece together why.

"But you acted too slow

And you ran out of ti-i-ime"

Marco showed her how life on on earth was, heck, he extended that to Pearl, to Steven, to Peridot. He somehow still had the patience to deal with her and everyone else around. She really admired him.

"And now we'll be just friends

We will be just friends

And now we'll be just friends

Be just friends!"

There was a simplicity to it all, to being just his friend. It was comforting, like always having a hairbrush be exactly where you need it to be.

"I didn't mean to hurt you

You didn't have a clue

So you went out and got busy

And found somebody new, new, new!"

And by the time she thought there might have been more … it was gone. And her getting angry over it only hurt others. So she would do what friends do, and shove it deep down.

"And now we'll be just friends

Oh, we will be just friends

And now we'll be just friends

Be just friends"

Jackie was a great girl. She was cool and fun loving. Heck, she was someone Star would want to get to know more too! She was just so chill and awesome…and she was dating probably the coolest and nicest guy she knew aside from her brother.

"And now we'll be…"

She looked at the audience around her…and almost in spite of the message of the lyrics, the entire crowd was kissing whoever was next to them. Everyone of every size was joining in, leaning into each other passionately and tenderly.

They were all couples…all of them, together and with someone. She turned to her best friend, hoping that the public displays of intimacy were weirding him out as much as they were to her…only to be met with a sight that should've made her happy, but instead only jabbed her straight into the heart.

Marco Diaz, her crush…was kissing his girlfriend Jackie…a girl that was not her. Almost like it was the plague, she moved her hand out of Marco's grip and slipped out, which was enough to knock Marco out of his love induced trance.

"Star, are you okay?"

"It's fine."

"Oooh-oooh"

"No need to get all crazy."

"Oooh-oooh"

"I'm just going for some fresh air."

"Oooh-oooh"

"Just go enjoy it …"

"Be just friends…"

"Okay, if you say so." Marco wasted no time getting back to his date, where they went right back into making out as the next song played.

She shouldn't have come when it was clear she was just the third wheel. She was so sad, so angry, so disappointed that she needed to aim all that negative emotion somewhere!

A billboard was in the distance. That would serve for now.

========================================================================

Steven cheered. "Just friends! A song I can relate to!" He laughed out loud as the band played. "No wonder everyone I know loves these guys!"

"Yet everyone in the audience seems to be doing the opposite." Jana looked down from the billboard they were watching from. "Funny for a song about accepting the platonic."

"Aww come on, time and place people!" Steven shouted down, getting a corn dog thrown at him for his trouble. "… Not a goblin dog, but free food is free food." He smiled as he took a bite.

"That's how life is. Something happens, and you take in the good while you can and enjoy it as much as possible." Jana said, smiling at him.

"Yeah, thanks Jana, you've really helped me a lot…not just with the floating thing, but just being here in general." He looked at her fondly. "Aside from Kelly, you're the best friend I have."

"Well Kelly is your girlfriend now, so I'm pretty sure I occupy the best friend slot entirely now." She laughed. "Unless I have to compete with Marco and Ponyhead for the spot."

"Nah, they're more like surrogate brothers and sisters, one keeps me from getting in trouble, one I try to get out of trouble. You…I don't mind getting in trouble with…fun trouble that is."

"Heck yeah, fun trouble is the best." She pulled out a book. "I have a lot more in here than pranks on demons and dead clown sayances."

"We do have an entire summer to go through it." Steven laughed. "And thanks again, for being cool with…you know."

"Meh, I had a crush on two boys, they found others, I'll find others." She smirked. "Just make sure to talk me up to the next hot and crazy boy I fancy."

"You got it. Steven Universe: professional wingman at your service."

"With your powers you and Star can actually grow wings to boot."

"Double wings!" He laughed. Oh this was nice, a fun little break from it all. He didn't have to worry about complicated feelings getting mixed up with Jana. "I really hope I can convince mom to let me go to school here next year."

"There is a shooting star right there." Jana pointed to something green and glowing in the sky. "Make a wish and maybe…why is it getting bigger?"

"Yeah, that doesn't look like any star that I've ever seen..it looks almost like magic….oh corn dogs it's going to hit us!!!" He shouted as the green beam approached.

"Bubble, bubble!" Jana shouted, grabbing him tightly. 

He did as he was told as the blast hit him directly at his bubble, making him fly over the stadium as Jana hung on to him like a life preserver. "Okay … we're safe-" He groaned, his bubble covered with a green static as he felt smaller and less noticeable spikes grow around his hands. "… And that's happening … fantastic." 99 percent of a good day was still a good day in any case.