Star's eyes slowly open, her vision hazy and adjusting to the darkness in her bedroom. She's in her bed, an all-to-familiar sense of failure and disappointment filled her mind as she realized she is alive. Tucked under her bed sheets as if someone actually cared about her.

She's still wearing her pajamas: a lavender dress with a blue crescent moon on the chest. Star felt cold, specifically at her neck.

She moved her hand to feel a small bag of ice placed on her neck. Nursing the bruises formed from the noose. Star just sat up, and placed the, almost melted, bag of ice onto the floor to her right.

Star then grabbed her blanket, and completely covered herself as she sat up. She hides when she cries; she doesn't want people to see her. They either pity her, or make fun of her.

"I failed again..." She shuttered, bringing her knees to her chest. Hugging herself under the blanket as the tears came flowing down her face. There was nothing but the cold darkness that she dwells in.

"Why do I survive...?" Star asked through her sobbing. The only comfort she has right now is the fact that no one will judge her when she cries, showing weakness, or sobbing. Yet she needs the security of the blanket that covers her. "Why don't I just die?"

"Now that's a question only you can answer." Said a familiar voice, startling Star. Immediately wiping away the tears, and failing to hold them in, she slowly comes out under her blanket.

Marco Diaz. Sitting on a chair to the right of her bed, looking from within the shadows of her room. A knife in one hand, rope in the other.

"M-Marco?" Stuttered Star. "What a-are you doing here?"

"Apparently wasting my day to take care of you." He stated coldly, making Star flinch from his response. "I knew you hurt yourself, Star, but killing yourself? That's something you're not ready for yet."

Star avoided his cold gaze, but her tears didn't stop flowing as she wiped them away again. "What do you want, Marco?"

"Making sure you don't do anything worse, taking care of you, manipulating people, making excuses," He listed off. "You know, the usual."

Star wanted to scoff at the 'taking care of you' part, but Marco wouldn't be offended. He doesn't care. "Marco, why are you really here?"

"Look me in the eyes, then I'll answer," He replied as Star heard a Marco cut the rope. "Be brave, Star, if not for me, then for yourself."

"I don't care about myself," Star whispered sadly; remembering the disappointing, mean comments from Mewni, and the insults from school on Earth. "I'm just a dumb burden who's better off dead."

"That's debatable," Said Marco, confusing Star.

"What are you talking about?" asked Star, wiping away the tears as they finally dried up.

Marco didn't answer, only placing the rope on his lap as he handed Star a bottle of water. She reached out to grab it, still not looking at her friend. "Thanks," Star said as she rehydrated herself, replacing the water she cried out.

Marco took the empty bottle back, placing it down near his feet as he picked up the rope again. He then concentrated at the items in his hands, effortlessly loops the rope in his hand before cutting it with the knife.

"...There was once a man named Isaac Parker, famously called the Hanging Judge." Finally said Marco. "He brought law and order in a lawless, anarchic land using his judgment and the fear of the noose."

"What does he have to do with anything?" asked Star, her eyes still red from the crying.

Snip! Marco cut the rope with a knife. He then placed the blade near his feet, away from Star's grasp. He didn't want Star to use it to cut herself again.

"He sentenced so many people to death," Marco continued as he started tying the rope. "Legends say that he could tell how much rope was needed to hang the person, judging from their weight and height."

"If the noose were too long, the person would be decapitated. If it were too short, then the person would slowly die. All they needed was a quick snap of their neck."

"You're not dumb, Star," Complimented Marco. "You hanged yourself in a high place, delaying anyone who managed to get into your locked room to save you. Giving you a greater chance to end your life. That's smart."

"...So you're saying I'm only good at killing myself?" Whispered Star, head down again, feeling the tears coming back. Maybe that's why Marco gave her the water: so fresh tears would pour out.

"Of course not," Shrugged Marco, still working with his hands on the rope. "But despite what you think of yourself, I don't want you gone."

That got her attention. "...You don't?" Star hesitantly asked, still not looking at him. "I thought you didn't care."

"I don't care about people, Star, but you are an exception." Said Marco, much to Star's relief. Someone actually does care. "I ran to cut you down, gave you CPR to revive you, and iced down the bruises that formed on your neck."

"I lied to my mom, to the school, to stay at home to watch over you until you woke up." He continued. "But that part wasn't difficult. It's easy when everyone thinks you're the most cautious person in the whole town. Besides, I had to make sure my idiot of a mother didn't call the hospital."

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Star, recalling how Earth works. Her head still down. "Wouldn't they just help me?"

"They would investigate your attempted suicide," Explained Marco. "After they revived you, they would evaluate you psych, and determine if you should be administered to a hospital where they can keep a close eye on you."

"So you did all of that, so I wouldn't be taken away?" Asked Star. "Why would you go so far...?"

Marco just let out a tired sigh. "I just don't want you gone, Star, I like having you around," Said Marco. "Maybe it's selfish of me to say that, but I do care about you."

Then there was silence. It was broken a few minutes later when Star took in a deep, shuttering breath. She then lifted her head, turned to the right to look at Marco's blank face as he stairs back at her tear-filled eyes.

"C-Can... Can I have a hug?" She said, trying to keep he stuttering out of her voice as she reached out with her shaking arms.

"I promise to give you one later," Rejected Marco, much to Star's despair as her arms slumped to her sides. "First, there is something I want to test."

Marco finally stopped his hands; he revealed a freshly made noose to his friend, who is stunned at the sight of it. "This, Star, would be the perfect noose to kill you. A quick end to your suffering."

He held it out to her, tempting her to take it. Deep down, Marco wanted her to use it. "Unlike the cheap rope you secretly bought, this rope is strong enough to kill you."

"H-How did you know about the rope?" Stuttered Star worried that she had been caught.

"You didn't get rid of the receipt, and before you say anything, I got rid of the rest." Answered Marco, before sighing. "I tried to help you before, I really did, but I guess we're both failures."

He gestured to the noose with his free hand. "Go, take it."

Marco looked through the loop of the noose to see Star's trembling body, shaken with sadness and desperation. She lifted her arm, extending it towards the dark gift as her arm shakes.

He can see her the tears flowing down her face, despite the darkness. But in her eyes, he saw it. That hope of being released from suffering: an escape from it all.

A smile almost formed on Marco's face, eager to see if Star will actually go through with it. He saw her pale, shaking arms inches away as he saw the dozens of parallel cuts on her arm.

But that joy faded from Marco as Star's outstretched limb pulled back to hug herself. "I-I can't..." She sobbed, hugging herself. "I j-just can't..."

Marco continued to hold out the noose to his friend. "You don't even have the courage to end it, even when it's being offered to you." Marco sighed again, shaking his head. "So tell me, how does it feel to wake up alive... and a complete, disappointing failure?"

A/N: Wow, Marco, you couldn't just give poor Star a hug...

Sorry for not updating, I was too focused on my other story, and planning out another! Plus, you know, being lazy. [:p]