Disclaimer: I do not own Stargirl in any way whatsoever, not even Cinnamon :(

This one-shot is from pages 82-83 from "Stargirl."

What if Leo had taken Cinnamon home with him? Would the rat ever want to leave? (The italics is the part in the book.)

"Do you confess now?"

"Confess what?" I said.

"That you're starting to like having a rodent poking around in your ear."

I smiled. I nodded, dislodging the rat's nose for a moment. "I confess."

More silence, tiny breathing in my ear.

"Well, she said at last, "we have to go in now. Say good night, Cinnamon."

'No,' I thought, 'don't go.'

"I still have another ear," I said.

"If he does that one, he'll never want to leave you, and I'll be jealous. Come on, Cinnamon. Time for beddy bye."

Cinnamon went on sniffing.

"He's not coming, is he?"

"Nope.

A deep sigh.

"Alright, you can take him home." She finally said, smiling at the sound of little cheers from the rat. "But just know, Cinnamon, that I'm very sad you're leaving me. You won't forget me will you?"

I squeed at the feeling of little rat hands on my chest and suppressed the urge to slap Cinnamon off my chest. He scurried off me and under the tailpipe and out of sight under the car.

I heard Stargirl laugh in surprise. "Cinnamon! You came to say bye-bye to mommy?"

I heard little sounds of licking and Stargirl laughing in delight. 'Okay, okay, Cinny. You gotta get back to Leo, I think he misses you. Right, Leo?"

"Totally."

I expected Cinnamon to be back in a moment, but he wasn't. "Cinnamon? Stargirl?"

"Oh Leoooooo, Cinny's waiting for youuuuuu." I heard her sing.

I immediately started freaking out on the inside. I mean, yeah, we'd been talking for a good five to ten minutes, but I've been hiding behind her parent's car the entire time.

'Okay, okay. Deep breaths, Leo. Deep breaths,' I said to myself.

"Oh, Leooooo. Cinnamon's chewing inside my ear, he's gonna forget about you if you don't come out sooooon." She sang again.

"Coming." My voice came out hoarse. I coughed a few times to get it right again.

I had been crouching behind the car for a while, and it hurt to stand. My knees popped as I stood up fully. Stargirl could see me now, probably, but I had my back to her.

I straightened out my jacket and shirt, trying to make myself presentable. Why was I so nervous about Stargirl seeing me? Maybe I was only brave enough to talk to her when I was hiding behind something. Otherwise, I was a coward. Finally, I turned around.

Stargirl was standing at her front steps, smirking at me. She was in pajamas that were covered in porcupines. I was too invested in staring at her eyes to make the connection.

True to her word, the little fur-ball was hiding behind her hair and I could hear the sounds of his little tongue licking her ear.

Looking straight at Stargirl with my own little smile glued to my face, I said, "Cinnamon, you ready to go?"

The licking sound stopped and the rectangle face of the rat emerged from the forest of Stargirl's hair. Stargirl smiled bigger, her hand cupping around Cinnamon's small body.

She set the little rat on the ground, where he immediately ran to me on his little feet. I felt him clawing at my shoes and in another second, he was scurrying up my pants and into my pants pocket. He emerged in another second from the denim prison, but he seemed to like the coziness. He set his little claws on on the edge of the pockets and rested his face on his paws.

Me and Stargirl laughed at the sight.

I looked back at her. She had the same big smile on her face and I was sure mine matched her's to a T.

She cocked her head sideways, appraising me. "So, when am I gonna get my rat back?"

I raised my eyebrows mockingly, earning a little giggle from her. "Whenever Cinnamon wants to come back."

"Hmmmm..." She glanced from me with the big smile on my face to Cinnamon looking all-too-happy sticking out of my pocket. "Well, in that case, I won't be waiting with bated breaths. I think he likes it in there."

"Yeah, I do, too," I said, not even looking at Cinnamon for confirmation.

Stargirl moved from her perch at her steps and came to stand in front of me. "Just give him two grapes or something if he gets hungry. He shouldn't be a problem."

"I'll bring him to school for you."

She smiled even wider at that, if that was possible. "I'd like that."

And then she closed her eyes and leaned toward me.

My palms started to sweat. 'Oh shit', I thought, 'is she gonna kiss me?'

So I closed my eyes, too.

What should have only been a few inches between our lips wasn't. I didn't even feel her breath on me. I stretched my neck out until I couldn't anymore.

I jumped at the sound of a kissing noise.

My eyes opened abruptly, but Stargirl was nowhere in sight.

"..you be good now, Cinnamon, okay?" Stargirl said.

I looked down to see her crouching in front of me, talking to the rat.

My breath exhaled from my body in relief and in disappointment. She was kissing the rat. Not me.

'God,' I thought with mortification, 'I hope she didn't see me.'

She turned her big, brown eyes up at me now. She stood up slowly, her smile smaller now, but still genuine. "I'll see you in school, Leo?"

"Yeah," I forced my mouth to make sounds, though they mostly came out like a croak. "And Cinnamon, too."

She chuckled at this.

I was good at making her laugh, I realized. I decided I liked that feeling.

She turned away from me. She was at her door when she finally turned around to see that I was standing exactly in the same spot.

"Bye, Leo."

I grabbed Cinnamon's tiny hand, taking him out of my pocket to hold in front of me. "Bye, Stargirl," I waved Cinnamon's little hand at her, mocking him saying bye to her.

She laughed at this, too.

'God, that sound.'

With another little smile, she shut her door.

And I was alone.

I sighed happily, kicking out the dust underneath me. I tucked Cinnamon back in my pocket and turned my back on the one-story house.

Cinnamon made little rat noises in my pocket, as if he were speaking to me. I ran my finger along his smooth head, feeling him preening under the attention.

I was halfway home when I felt something in my other pocket. Confused, I pulled whatever it was out.

It was a rock.

No doubt Stargirl had put it in there, but what was it for?

I knew by now Stargirl never did things normally. This was probably some riddle. One she hoped I'd figure out. Well, for her, I would.

I tucked the little rock back in my pocket with a little pat.

Cinnamon kept on chattering in his own little language while I speculated the mystery that was the girl who had stolen my heart right form my chest.

If you didn't realize, the rock was from her "Happy Wagon."

Because Leo makes her happy.

Lol, I just pulled that one outta my ass 'cause I wanted to end it on a cheesy note. Oh well..

Plus, I tried to copy Jerry Spinelli's style of writing in the book. Tell me if I did a good job!

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