Chapter 1; BLUE
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The dark studio space is lit in city lights, the glow of her mobile screen illuminates the smooth features of her face. Peridot lowers it momentarily and thinks about Amethyst's encouragement, urging her to join the crazy fad online game a few days ago. She thinks about how they had also broken up less than five hours prior, the tear stains on her cheeks still fresh and the need to do something reckless bubbling over fit to burst. That's what people did when they got dumped, right? Reckless things?
Sucking her bottom lip into her mouth, Peridot turns her attention back to the illegal website and presses the screen without another thought.
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Peridot nearly jumps out of her skin when the screen goes blank, and a cartoon cat singing to Tom Jones 'what's new pussycat' popped up seconds later.
'What the fuck…?'
Peridot feels confused, was this some sort of waiting game? Maybe signing up had been a mistake, even if she has used a different email account. She heaves air into her lungs to exhale loudly and toss her phone to the end of her bed. She stares up to the loft ceiling, adored in fake glow stars. It had been the mission to get them up there, the studio space she owed was once a manufacturing room and the ceiling is over 2 ft above ground. A fond memory shimmers in Peridot's mind as she stares at those stars, so comforting.
She's on a ladder, borrowed on a special favour from Greg. Peridot wobbles on it and tries to catch the stars Amethyst throws up at her.
'You got it babe! Nearly 100 stars, man! I wish I had some of that interior determination of yours.'
Huffing in the effort to stretch and stick on the plastic novelties that they'd bought in bags and bags, Peridot tries not to let herself look down at the height she's at to sneer down at her girlfriend. She hates climbing things.
'Well seeing as this is the only place within my budget, the stars are a necessity! I refuse to live in Area Creepy One!'
Amethyst had laughed at her, and christened her home with Peridot's play on words. From where she lies, Peridot can see the mini mural that read Area Creepy 1 in electric magenta spray paint next to the kitchenette. Heartstrings tugged when she sees the signature puma paw under the bold font in neon blue.
Turning over to the right side of the bed, it vanishes from view. Peridot decides she'll have to paint over it… at some point. For now it can stay, just in case.
Peridot closes her eyes and chooses to concentrate on the sounds of Empire City. It's always loud, especially in her location where all the indie clubs roar, and the booming of the subway thundering over her head every 20 minutes. It's Friday, and Friday's always seem louder than usual. But Peridot decides this is okay, she doesn't want to think, doesn't want to dream. She doesn't want to sleep either.
Blinking her eyes open she sits up and looks all around her. The place is going to look pretty sparse when Amethyst comes to collect her things, all thrown around. Maybe that will be decidedly better, more room for Peridot's science projects and her piano which is squashed in the back of her space.
A part of Peridot knows she'll be lost without Amethyst. Pieces of her will vanish when Amethyst's belongings are removed.
Midnight tears prick up in her eyes, and Peridot has been expecting them. She lets them fall and crashes softly back onto the mattress, all of the sheets stripped away that smell like Amethyst.
Peridot simply listens to the downstairs club that drones a Halsey track.
She hates Halsey.