Just something I put together in an afternoon. I'm an absolute sucker for old school High School AUs, so of course I had to do one myself. So I apologize if it's crap!
Inspired by the recent chapters of Mob Psycho 100, should you catch the comparison!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Steven Universe or any of its characters that are used within this story. They belong to Rebecca Sugar and Cartoon Network respectively. Please support the official release!
The end of the school year was always hectic. All the teachers were struggling to actually have something for the students to do since exams were recently done and the students were still reeling from said exams but were buzzing with excitement for the summer and whatever hijinks they may or may not get involved during that time. In this concoction there creating an atmosphere of pure chaos in the hallways as everyone ran by being loud and slash or flaunting themselves boisterously.
Peridot didn't really care for summer vacation like the rest of her peers. She was excited, of course, but not to go out in the sun and hang out with friends. She didn't really have too many of those to begin with, and even if she did her afternoon naps and midnight gaming marathons were too important to her to give up for socializing. Bleugh, even thinking the word makes her face scrunch up.
She hated the end of the school year not out of lack of excitement for summer vacation, but rather because she hated those last few weeks where everyone around her seemed to shut their brains off. Just because you didn't have to study for exams anymore didn't mean you should give up all your mental faculties, Peridot thought. All the students seemed to immediately shift to Shallow Mode – trademarked by Peridot herself – where the only thing in this world that mattered anymore was their social status and their incessant needs to get laid.
A particular emphasis on the latter.
It was gross. Peridot didn't understand the excessive need to go out and try to procure a summer fling. All around her was flirting and disturbing displays of PDA between established relationships. She truly didn't get the need for a partner so desperately. Couldn't you just have fun by yourself?
She made a face at that thought. It hadn't come out properly.
Sighing, Peridot continued making her way through Beach City High's hallways, backpack strapped tightly to her back. It was lunch time, her least favorite time of the day. On any normal day it was a cesspool of social misconduct and charged hormones wafting in the air, but with the end of the year coming in just a week it was double the awfulness.
Peridot had to turn her head this way and that to avoid catching the eye of whoever happened to be passing by. She wasn't very comfortable looking into the faces of her peers, seeing the joy they were feeling at the prospect of two months of freedom from this textbook hell. It unnerved her in a way, seeing everyone so happy. Maybe because she didn't share in their insurmountable joy? As much as she was excited to game all night and sleep all day, there was a certain… emptiness she felt when thinking about it. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but there was just some sort of edge to her excitement, as if there was a black corner in the otherwise bright shape that was her emotions.
It certainly wasn't loneliness. No way! She was used to being by herself, enjoyed it even! Peridot Diamond has and always will be alone, and that was just how she wanted it!
She stopped walking near the entrance of the cafeteria, letting this newfound resolve fill her up. She was perfectly content with how her life was going, and was absolutely ecstatic by the prospect of continuing it just the way it was.
…right?
Blowing out a second sigh through her nostrils, she glanced into the cafeteria to see how bad the lines were. She still had to make her way to her locker to deposit her backpack, but it didn't hurt to see what beast she would be tackling soon. She groaned when she saw just how bad they were, bodies packed tightly together to grab their mediocre pizza and cold nuggets. She would be waiting for some time before actually getting her teeth into anything…
Absentmindedly she scanned the crowded cafeteria. High school wasn't truly like how the CW shows predicted. There weren't really any "cliques" to be seen, everyone just kind of meshed together to form a seemingly faceless student body. There were still small sections where you could tell certain friendship circles, like the jocks and the cheerleaders, but they weren't all huddled together making fun of the other tables like they portrayed on TV. No, they just laughed together and formed a circle where it was probably best to stay away.
Okay, maybe there was some truth to the whole clique theory…
Everyone was excitedly jabbering away with one another about their summer plans. The lights in their eyes were so bright Peridot felt like shielding herself from it all. "Clods," she grumbled, ready to turn away from the scene before catching an ocean shade of blue out of the corner of her eye. She knew instantly who it was, but couldn't help herself from looking anyway.
Lapis Lazuli had been a childhood friend of Peridot's – really the only real friend Peridot had when she was a kid. They had been neighbors, their mothers close friends, so it was only natural they'd be set up on playdates every weekend. Peridot had thought they'd be friends forever, but when middle school had hit they'd just… drifted apart. There was no big ordeal to it; they just outgrew each other she supposed.
Back then, she had been a bright brown haired young girl who loved playing in the sprinklers and baseball. Now, sitting at the table in the furthest corner of the cafeteria, she was a bored teenager who was constantly drawing in her sketchbook with dyed blue hair who looked like she would be more comfortable just about anywhere else.
And she was one of the most beautiful students to attend Beach City High School.
Peridot blushed at the thought.
Lapis was sitting in her usual spot, an open notebook no doubt full of doodles in front of her but ignored. Typically, from what Peridot had observed just by glancing in her direction a few times, she would be absolutely absorbed into that notebook, but apparently today Lapis was distracted by what seemed to be… a line of people?
Oh god, Peridot groaned inwardly. Of course, it was the end of the school year. They would be seniors when they returned from break, meaning they only had one year left before moving on to college and the real world. All the juniors would be desperate at this point to get everything off their chests to their fellow students – to confess their feelings.
Peridot watched as a few boys and girls tried to get their chance at confessing to Lapis, who looked absolutely put off by the whole situation. Lapis had shown no interest in anyone as far as Peridot had seen, so this couldn't have been more awkward for the blue haired girl. Peridot felt bad for her ex-best friend. But, as bad as she felt for her, she doubly felt so for the poor clods who were getting rejected.
And, maybe, if she was being honest with herself… a little jealous.
I guess there's nothing wrong with trying, she thought, something akin to a grinding sensation in her chest as she watched all those teenagers have their moment with Lapis. She brushed it off, suddenly feeling a little dourer than before. She had to hurry to her locker and drop off her bag so she could enter the seemingly unending line to get her lunch before the bell rang and she was cursed to go hungry.
Before she left, she caught Lapis' eye by mistake. Peridot had been staring unknowingly and froze when caught. Lapis' blue eyes locked onto her green ones and Peridot felt like the grinding in her chest ceased and was replaced by a vice grip of anxiety.
Shit, she saw me!
Peridot quickly ducked her head, hiding her blushing face within her green hoodie. She scurried off away from the cafeteria to her locker, embarrassed beyond all belief.
Through the fog of swirling emotions in Peridot's head, there was a single thought that echoed in the back of her head that she brushed off as just ludicrous.
Was she smiling at me?
Peridot's locker was on the second floor of the school, an indistinguishable slot within a row of identical cabinets of the same red color and length. The only discernable difference between any of the lockers in all of the school was the numbers stamped on their fronts. And for Peridot that number was 304.
It didn't take long for her to reach her locker after power-walking away from the cafeteria. The route was so engraved into her mind she could most likely make it with her eyes closed. She quickly punched in her lock's combination and shoved her leaf green backpack into her locker with maybe just a tad bit too much force than what was necessary.
Why was she so distraught over this? Seeing all those people talking to Lapis… it just made her feel frazzled. It's not like she had planned on doing anything of the sort herself, just stupid daydreams every now and again...
If Peridot was being honest with herself, she had harbored a small crush on her neighbor since the beginning of high school. All of those fond memories from when they were younger, that special connection she thought they once had, and now that gorgeous face… it was silly. Something she had ignored for a while because, well, what was going to come of it?
Absolutely nothing.
But, whenever she looked over in class or in the cafeteria or out her bedroom window, she saw Lapis and thought maybe, just maybe, she could understand the need for a summer partner.
"Hey Peridot."
Peridot jumped, making a noise even she found odd. She had been so lost in thought she didn't notice the person coming up from behind her. She spun quickly, ready to scold whoever had snuck up on her, but froze the second she met a pair of azure eyes.
"H-Hey, Lapis," she stammered, suddenly self-conscious. How had she gotten here from the cafeteria so fast? Had Peridot really just been staring into her locker this whole time?
"What are you doing?" Lapis asked, peering around Peridot's shoulder to see her tidy locker, her backpack placed on the single shelf equipped inside all the school lockers.
"Ah," Peridot tried to think of an excuse as to why she was just standing in front of her open locker. "J-Just in deep thought," she decided to go for the truth. She was god-awful at lying.
Lapis gave a slight grin, something Peridot very rarely saw from her neighbor anymore. "You always were the thinking type," she said, chuckling, not unkindly.
"Right…" Peridot rubbed her elbow, immensely unprepared for this encounter. Although that was nothing new for her, seeing as she was unprepared for any kind of one-on-one interaction from anyone other than her mother at home. "So, uh, what's up?"
Lapis pursed her lips, giving a nonchalant shrug. "Nothing much, just wanted to see how my neighbor was doing. I saw you walking away from the cafeteria and thought maybe I'd… I dunno. Say hi. Not like I was doing anything important anyway."
Peridot scrunched up her eyebrows for a moment, confused. "But weren't you… ah, talking to a bunch of people?" She regretted mentioning it immediately, remembering all those teenagers lining up to confess to Lapis bringing back that grinding feeling again.
"Oh," Lapis gained a new look, one Peridot had never seen before. It was like a mix of embarrassment and… bashfulness? She must be seeing things. "You noticed that, huh?"
"Yeah, hard not to," Peridot remarked. "You had a nice little fan club going on there."
Much to Peridot's awe, Lapis blushed.
Oh my clod she's even cuter when red! Peridot immediately wanted to smack herself in the face for thinking that.
"Yeah, well," Lapis averted her gaze. "It was an interesting experience."
"I bet," Peridot replied, not knowing what else to say.
They stood there for a couple of moments, not meeting each other's eye as Peridot tried to think of something witty to say. She had always prided herself on being an intelligent person, but for some reason every thought in her head seemed to be dulled by the presence of this blue-haired girl in front of her.
Oh god, I'm becoming just like everyone else!
"Well, I, um," Peridot finally managed to stumble out, "I should get going…"
She closed her locker behind her and moved to step around Lapis to get her lunch, ready to chalk this experience up to her own social ineptitude, when Lapis grabbed her by the wrist and held her in place.
"Wait," she called, looking panicked for a second. Yet another emotion Peridot had never seen on Lapis Lazuli's face.
"Is everything all right?" Peridot asked, instantly by Lapis' side. "What's wrong?"
Lapis blinked at her, realizing what she had done. She let go of Peridot's wrist and quickly covered her face in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry, I don't know why I did that…"
"Is everything okay?" Peridot asked, letting all of her own nerves be pushed aside. Lapis was acting strange, and it worried her. Even if they hadn't talked in so long, she was still ready to help her.
Lapis peeked at her between her slender fingers, a look of confusion in her visible eye. It quickly shifted to that of soft admiration, much to Peridot's shock. "You never change, huh?"
"Huh?" Peridot was truly confused now.
"When we were kids, you were always so worried about me. Always ready to drop everything to make sure I was okay," Lapis smiled, dropping her hand from her face. "You were like mom version two point oh. It was, and still is, endearing."
Peridot blushed, all of her nerves crashing right back into her. "A-Ah, I see…"
"Sorry," Lapis ran a hand through her hair, chuckling self-deprecatingly. "That was weird. I really didn't mean to do that."
"Its fine," Peridot assured. "But, are you sure you're okay? You're acting a little…"
Lapis pursed her lips at the question, seemingly debating something in her head. She reached out, uncertainty showing on her face. Peridot wasn't sure what was happening, but let Lapis take her hand.
"Peridot…" she started, her voice soft. She took a quick breath before speaking again. "Do you want to know why I turned all of those people down in the cafeteria?"
There was a brief pause before Peridot registered what had been asked of her. Before she could stop herself she replied, "Why?"
"Because, just like all of them, I have someone I want to confess to before school ends. And even if I seem like an idiot while doing it, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself all summer if I didn't at least try."
Peridot's heart began to accelerate. She could feel it throbbing in her throat, nearly choking her.
"Do you want to know who I have a crush on?"
Unable to form proper sentences any more, Peridot just nodded.
"You."
Like a punch to the chest Peridot felt that single word hit her. Eyes wide and mouth agape, she stared at Lapis in utter shock. After all these years, out of all the other options available to her, Lapis liked… her?
I must be dreaming again, was the first coherent thought that formed in her mind. But this wasn't Comic-Con or the Anime Expo where her dreams usually took place. Could this really be the real deal?
No, there was no way. Lapis Lazuli, liking her? In what universe, what multiverse, did that happen? Peridot was short, nerdy, at times snappish, and nowhere near Lapis' league. Any guy or girl was available to her in the entire school – hell probably the whole world. Why would she like Peridot?
Dream, dream, this must be a dream!
"Peridot?" Lapis tentatively called out, once again looking uncertain. "You… okay?"
Peridot blinked, snapping out of her trance, Lapis' beautiful face coming into focus – too vivid a focus for it to be a dream. She could see the hesitation in her eyes, the anxiety. She had just confessed her feelings, and here Peridot was not answering her.
"I…" Peridot's mouth felt impossibly dry, a desert devoid of all moisture. She swallowed thickly, trying to form the right words.
"I-It's fine if you don't reciprocate," Lapis stammered, seemingly losing all the cool she had gathered for the moment. Peridot's silence must have thrown her off, her interpretation that of rejection. "I just… I had to get it out there you kn-"
"I like you too!" Peridot half-screamed, unable to let this go on any longer. Poor Lapis looked ready to cry, and that was all the incentive Peridot needed to grow a backbone and finally speak. "I-I mean… yeah, I like you too, Lapis. I have for a while."
Lapis was taken aback by her initial outburst, but by the end of it she was smiling – beaming.
"Oh," she said, coughing into her fist to contain herself. Peridot recognized that easily. Peridot wasn't the only one who never changed, it seemed. "Good, good. So, uh, do you want to hang out soon?"
"Yes," Peridot said, somehow finding confidence from Lapis' anxiety. If even someone like her could be nervous, then maybe not all was bad in this world. "I would like that."
"Cool," Lapis smiled gently at her, melting Peridot's heart. "I'll walk you home after school, seeing as we live next to each other and all."
"Sounds great."
"Well, I'll see you later then!" Lapis said cheerfully, seemingly full of sudden pep. She walked past Peridot towards the stairway, letting her shoulder graze against hers affectionately. Peridot watched her go, breaking out in the widest grin once she was out of sight.
After spending a few moments screaming out in joy in her mind, Peridot composed herself and quickly made her way towards her next class, thoughts of the best summer of her life coming to her.
Finally, she understood. Summer was fun; a collection of time away from school to do almost whatever you wanted. Playing games and eating pizza sounded like the best course of action for Peridot, but… maybe having someone to do all of that with her wasn't all that bad.
Especially if it was the girl she liked.