Star's POV

I tried to tune him out as he screamed at me. I tried not to listen to what he was saying, to all the names he kept calling me. But this was for me own good so...I had to listen. I had to pay close attention, otherwise I would never learn what relationships on Earth were like. This was all so strange to me, but I was also from Mewni, so I had to conform to Earth's way of life if I ever wanted to stay Oscar's girlfriend. And behind closed doors, when we were totally alone, he said this was normal. He said he screamed at me because he was helping me learn right from wrong. He said this way was the fastest way to learn, and that if I was to fit in on Earth and be liked even by Brittany—officially friends with everyone—didn't I want to learn as fast as I could? Of course I did... So I accepted all his help even if it meant some rough patches.

Plus Oscar and Marco both had said that in movies, everything was dramatized and none of it was like real life. So relationships in movies were just as fake as the giant lizard creature that attacked...Tokyo, was it? I believed they called him Godzilla...but I wasn't entirely sure.

I felt myself starting to cry at his harsh words though. Always so derogatory towards me...made me feel awful inside...very self-conscious...lower self-esteem...a lot less confident...just horrible. But! He said he wasn't being mean, that he was teaching me humility. He said I had to learn how to humble myself because sometimes I needed to fade into the background.

"Babe," he said to me in a smooth, cool voice. "You know I don't mean any of this. It's just to help you. I'm just helping you."

He wiped the tears off my cheeks.

"Please don't cry, baby girl," he said.

He said that his record was helping people. Even though his lessons were a little on the harsher side, it was only because he wanted me to be able to fit in on Earth. I wanted to fit in on Earth. I strived for acceptance by everyone.

He pulled me into a gentle hug and stroked my hair. Sometimes I had to keep reminding myself that he really was tender.

"You know, I've been thinking, and I kind of like your hair when it's pulled up in a ponytail."

I sighed. "I don't know, I've always liked wearing it down. Feels natural and it keeps my back warm."

"I like it pulled up. You should pull it up. Maybe you can wear it down on weekends or something."

"But I—"

"Don't you like me enough to do this one little thing for me?" he cut me off. "Please, babe?"

I...I did a lot for him, actually, but... Oh well. It was just a hairstyle. It didn't matter as much as he did.

"Okay," I conceded.

"You are just an angel, you know that?"

Well...that was what he called me but I didn't really feel like one... I'd asked Marco about it once, just to make sure I wasn't misinterpreting it. I wasn't. He said 'angel' didn't actually refer to an angel, it referred to a good person that put others above themselves. He said it was a compliment and that Oscar was trying to make me feel good.

There were times I doubted Oscar's real feelings about me but he made sure to let me know he was genuine.

"Hey," he said, tilting my head so our eyes were meeting. "Why so down? If it's about me yelling at you, I want you to believe me. It's for your own good, I really am trying to help you. I swear, I only have your best interest at heart. I mean if I didn't think I was treating you right, I wouldn't keep the girl I love most around. I would never treat you wrong, babe. You know that, right?"

I smiled and leaned into his chest, letting him pet my hair again. He said he did it because my hair was so soft. Marco told me that was also a compliment. So I just sort of...went with it. It was no compliment I'd ever heard before but this was Earth, not Mewni.

Still it...well...E-Earth relationships weren't like in Mewni... But these teachings wouldn't last forever and I was looking forward to that day so much...