Knock knock

Amethyst jolted from her sleep, sitting up on the couch and looking around. Was she delusional or did something just make a knocking sound?

She waited a couple seconds, and the knocking pursued. She stretched, reluctantly getting up off the couch. Amethyst dragged herself to the door, inspecting the peephole. A tall slender woman was standing outside, nervously fidgeting with a glass cup.

Amethyst glanced down at herself, she was still in a tank top and pair of boxers. She shrugged, then opened the door to meet this familiar stranger.

The woman startled, and looked at Amethyst, glancing away after taking note of her slightly inappropriate attire.

"Uh, hello." She cleared her throat. Amethyst watched her as she continued to shift her hands around the cup. "I live in the apartment, next to you?" She looked that way.

"And, I'm in some need, I was wondering if I could acquire a cup of flour?"

She looks down to Amethyst, "From you?"

Amethyst held open her door, "Sure, come on." She lead her neighbor inside, heading for her counter-top.

She popped a lid off a container of flour, and turned to Pearl. She looked at the glass measuring cup in her fingers. "You're not making a recipe are you?"

Pearl gently handed the cup over, "Yes, I am."

Amethyst halted before putting anything into the cup. "And you're measuring dry ingredients with a liquid measuring cup?"

Pearl faltered, "Uh- I- what?"

Amethyst snorted in disbelief. "What was your name, neighbor?"

"Pearl." she said

"Okay, Pearl, this?" She waved the glass cup, "Is for measuring liquids." Amethyst rummaged through her cupboard before pulling out a set of plastic measuring cups. "These are for dry ingredients."

Pearl knitted her eyebrows together. A slight blush colored her face "Oh, right of course- that makes sense."

Amethyst packed in a cup of flour and handed it off to Pearl. "You can keep the flour, return my cup please."

"Yes, I'll do that." Pearl said before heading back to her own room.

Amethyst put her flour back up, and plopped on the couch, stretching her limbs. She looked at the clock, 10AM, she could still sleep in a bit more, it was Saturday for Christ's sake. She rolled over onto her stomach, taking a deep breath and and relaxing her eyes again.

Not 5 minuets passed before a knock at the door roused her from her sleep again. It took her groggy mind a minute to realize it was probably Pearl, returning her dish.

She opened the door, to greet Pearl, with hands empty.

"Hi." Pearl greeted.

"Hello?" Amethyst responded.

"You wouldn't happen to have any, lemon juice to spare, would you?" She asked nervously.

Amethyst ran a hand through her bed hair. "Geez, how much food do you have missing from your fridge?"

Pearl let out a frustrated breath, "No, you see, I just didn't exactly prepare well enough for this recipe. I didn't think there was much more than a couple cartons of blueberries and a frozen pie crust required, but I've been proven wrong."

Amethyst gestured Pearl to come inside. "You're making a pie?"

"Yes." Pearl replied.

Amethyst pulled out exactly what Pearl needed. "You're lucky that I'm always prepared when it comes to food."

Pearl protested,"Oh its not that I'm disorganized or anything. I just didn't think that there would be that much to it, though I do suppose I should have looked at the recipe beforehand when gathering extra ingredients at the store. But, I have to admit, I assumed anything else I needed was already in my own home, and well-"

"Don't worry about it" Amethyst interrupted. "I got you covered."

"Right," Pearl said looking down at the bottle in her fingers, "Thank you."And she left once again.

Amethyst threw off her shirt, deciding it was time to get ready for the day. From a drawer she pulled out a clean outfit, and headed straight to the shower.

After 40 minutes of cleaning, blow drying, and getting herself together, she wondered how everything ended up with Pearl and her baking. Her question would be answered moments later.

A knock at the door brought a smile to Amethyst's lips.

Amethyst combed her fringe with her fingers, and smoothed over her clean hair before answering the door.

"Sup." She greeted, to the exact person she expected to be standing at the door.

Pearl tapped her foot nervously, handling Amethyst's measuring cup between her fingers. "Hello, again."

Pearl found herself glancing at Amethyst, only to glue her eyse back to the door."Um, so how would you feel about letting me borrow just another cup of flour?" She mumbled, "Or two."

Amethyst snickered, "Sure, the cookbook catch you by surprise again? Not prepared?"

Pearl followed Amethyst inside, staring at the back of her head. "No, no, not at all. I know what I need now, it's just..."

She handed Amethyst's cup over. "I may just need to- well, start over."

Amethyst looked at Pearl, who seemed awfully embarrassed at this confession."Oh." she replied, "Whoops."

Pearl gave a sheepish shrug.

Amethyst pulled out her flour, "So, what are you baking for, anyhow?"

"Oh, I don't know, I just needed something to do." Pearl said.

Amethysts snickered at that, "Maybe try taking up another hobby?"

Pearl grunted.

"Er..for next time?"She closed the lid back on the flour. "How about this, I'll help you out this round, and maybe you can learn a thing or two. In return, I'll help you eat your new hobby."

Pearl beamed, obviously delighted by the idea, though she tried to seem modest . "Oh, that's alright! You don't need to waste your afternoon trying to make pastries with me."

Amethyst chuckled, "Really, it's fine. I've had afternoons worse than making sweet snacks with a cute girl."

Pearl stared for a moment, the her mouth dropped open and a blush revealed itself on her face. "O-Okay, alright. Well then let's um, get going, shall we?"

She walked a step forward then hesitated, looking back at Amethyst, and quickly adding "Thank you."

The two neighbors headed out, ready to take on the kitchen together.