Chapter 2
This is Garnet
Back together
And I'm never goin' down at the hands of the likes of you
Because I'm so much better
And every part of me is sayin' go get her
The two of us ain't gonna follow your rules
Come at me without any o' your fancy tools
Let's go, just me and you
Let's go, just one on two
"Go ahead and try to hit me if you're able," I sang. "Can't you see that my relationship is stable? I can see you hate the way we intermingle, but I think you're just mad 'cause you're single."
You're never gonna stop what we made together
We are gonna stay like this forever
If you break us apart, we'll just come back newer
And we'll always be twice the Gem that you are
I am ma-ade
O-o-o-of Lo-o-o-o-o
Lo-o-o-o-ove
"O-o-o-o-of, o-o-o-o-of lo-o-o-o-ove." I smiled when I remembered this was the version with Peridot's fanmade rap.
Don't touch that!
Refrain!
You can't comprehend it with your primitive brain!
Untie me!
Can't you see we've already won?
When Jasper gets back she'll put an end to your fun!
I mean it!
Desist!
I don't even wanna think about the size of the list
Of
Every
Single
Law
You're breaking!
Not to mention the ridiculous mess you're making…
"This is who we are. This is who I am. And if you think you can stop me then you need to think again," I murmured as I locked up my bike in front of the university campus.
"Because I am a feeling," sang someone behind me. "That I will never end. And I won't let you hurt my planet." I turned.
"And I won't let you hurt my friends," we sang in unison.
I quickly embraced them, kissing their forehead.
Go ahead and try to hit me if you're able
Can't you see that my relationship is stable?
I know you think that I'm not something you're afraid of
Cause you think that you've seen what I'm made of
This beautiful angel was Ami, the person I've been dating since I was a sophomore in high school.
But I am even more than the two of them
Everything they care about is what I am
I am their fury
I am their patience
I am a conversation!
Eight years already? Is today the fifthteenth of December? Yeah, today marks eight years.
I am ma-ade
O-o-o-o-of lo-o-o-o-o
Lo-o-o-o-ove
And it's stronger than you
O-o-o-o-of lo-o-o-o-o
Lo-o-o-o-ove
And it's stronger than you
O-o-o-o-o
O-o-o-o-o
Ah-o-o-o-o
And it's stronger than you
"Today is eight years," Ami murmured. I nodded.
O-o-o-o-o
O-o-o-o-o
O-o-o-o-o
I paused my music after the violins faded out. "I love you," I said to them.
Ami smiled down at me. "Mahal kita," they murmured back.
Hand in hand, we walked through the campus gates.
"Ben…!"
Is...someone calling me?
"Ben!"
Yes, yes I'm here! I can help you!
"Mister Schuyler!"
My eyes snapped open, and I bolted up in my seat. Looking around, I saw my professor staring up at me.
"Y-yes?" I stuttered.
"Please pay attention. This will be on the exam," Mr Woods, the writing professor, instructed.
"Y-yes, sir."
I took down some notes on my laptop, my mind running back to the voice. Why me? What about me made them call my name? Why do you need me?
"Help us…"
Us? Who else is there?
"You know us. Please."
I was snapped out of my trance when the bell rang. I shook off the feeling of being watched again and made my way to the food court. Getting in line for Subway, I check my phone for a message from Ami.
"Meet me in the art room, third floor," it read. "Room 110."
After ordering and grabbing my sandwich, I trekked across campus to the art building.
On the elevator ride up, I tried straightening my shirt to look presentable. Looking at my reflection in the shimmering walls, I sighed as I ran a hand through my hair.
Suddenly, my reflection changed to that of a bloody, decrepit corpse, and a loud ringing filled my ears. I screamed and fell down, dropping my bag and food.
I was brought back to my senses when the elevator jolted to a stop, and the pleasant Ding! sound went off to inform me of the stop. Gathering my things, I made it out of the elevator before it decided to close. Making my way down the hall, my mind kept flashing back to what I'd seen in the elevator. What was that? Did I…am I having hallucinations? Is there someone pumping drug fumes in through the vents? It's not uncommon here…
Room 101…Room 103…Room 105…Room 107…Room 109…Room 110! Here we go. Opening the door, I looked inside.
It…it was empty. No one in there. I looked back at my phone for the text, but none was found. The last text my phone gave me from Aud was a message from the night before.
Okay, now I knew someone was pumping drug fumes through the vents. There is no way I imagined that text…or did I?
I dialed Ami's number. As I waited for them to pick up, I took a seat at one of the desks and pulled out my food.
"Hello?" Ami's voice asked.
"Hey, cutie," I greeted. "Hey, meet me in Room 110 of the art room. The third floor."
"Why?" they asked. "You haven't signed up as an art major yet."
"Why not?" I responded.
"Alright, I'll be there soon. Mahal kita."
"I love you too." I hung up and waited. Suddenly, the lights shut off. Looking out the window, all I could see was my reflection. It was pitch.
Panicking, I looked around, straining my ears for noise.
It was silent.
I hurriedly pulled out my phone and tried calling Aud.
All I got was the dial tone. No bars?! You piece of crap! I screamed mentally. I sat down and tried to regulate my breathing.
Remember your breathing practises.
In, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
Hold, two, three, four.
Out, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven. Repeat.
I collected my things and began moving. The elevator didn't seem to work, so I took the stairs.
The echo of my shoes against the hard concrete resonating the dank walls made a shiver claw at my back. Exiting the stairwell, a little quicker than I would have liked to admit, I stumbled across the dark campus. It was like someone had put a blanket between the earth and the sky: I couldn't even see the stars. None of the street lamps were on, nor were any other typical lights that would be on when it turned dark.
For the first time in a long time, I was utterly alone.
And I was frightened beyond belief.