-Chapter Two-
Broken Glasses

Weekends. Without the strange building, Steven wouldn't know what those were. Back at home with the Gems, everyday was no different than the last. To divide each sunrise and fall into names and numbers seemed weird.

All Steven was sure about the weekends was that they must stink for humans. Two full days without returning to the building. By the time they all returned, they looked depleted and worn.

And, for himself, they were even worse. He didn't have the escape of being able to watch his friends. Or daydreaming of being down there with them all. Pretending to be human. To be normal.

Per usual, Steven busied himself during these times. The Gems were out and about doing their own thing ("Honestly, I would think at least one of these places has what we're looking for." Pearl once pouted) while Steven did his chores.

First things first: He had to clean the house. Considering the small size and the fact he was mainly the only one in it, this was easy, if somewhat tedious.

Second: It was Steven's job to gather the herbs near the house for healing purposes and money. According to Pearl, they no longer had the advantage of his Mom's healing abilities… He often tried not to think during this job.

Third, and his personal favorite: Go into town for food and drop off herbs.

This one, however, was the most complicated. At least, it was with the copious supply of rules the Gems piled on to it. Pearl would give Steven a larger shirt than usual, along with a belt to tuck it under. She'd even make him wear a hoodie with a faded star on it, fixing him with an "I don't care how hot it is" grimace. Even Amethyst would practice bumping into Steven, testing to make sure he recovered and stayed on his feet. "No accidents." Pearl would chime.

Nevertheless, Steven was thrilled. He pulled his hoodie on, despite the beating sun. Pearl tucked it even lower, checking to make sure his belt was nice and tight while doing so. "Do we need to repeat what you say if someone asks where you're from?" She tested.

"I'm passing through town on my way to my grandma's house. She can't get her own groceries, so I do." He recited dully.

"How about this time, I go with Steven as the Grandma?" Amethyst grinned ear to ear. "If I fall and people help me up, we can pick their pockets."

Pearl looked flabbergasted. "Absolutely not! Not only is it terrible to take advantage of human's small minds, but no human has purple skin."

Amethyst rose from her spot from the couch. Hands on her hips, she lifted her lip in a sneer. "Then they'd be even more confused while we're taking some cash. Come on Pearl, Steven needs to eat." She placed a hand on his stomach, jiggling it. "He's withering away."

Face blue, Pearl swatted at Amethyst. "Enough! Steven is going into town on his own. None of us are capable of blending into human society besides him. Besides, we have other things to do." She raised her eyebrows, nodding slightly.

"Fine." Amethyst grumbled, not looking Pearl in the eyes.

"Will you guys be back by the time I'm home?" Steven asked, pulling the satchel over his shoulder. The herbs, although light separately, were surprisingly heavy altogether.

But the two were already in motion, distracting themselves with the Warp Pad. "Huh? Oh, yes be careful Steven." Pearl waved absentmindedly. As soon as she did, the pad lit up, washing the room in a bright light before dying down.

As many times before, Steven was alone again.

Being alone gives you time to think. Steven often tried to imagine what life would be like if he wasn't a Gem. If his parents didn't die that night. If he could live in town with everyone else and have friends. He'd imagine for hours on end, always yearning to wake up to that reality.

He never did.

However Steven would never complain. The Gems were his family. In fact, if he woke up in a normal life, without them there, he'd probably be even lonelier than before. They raised him, clothed him, fed him. It wasn't their fault they had to live in poverty, out of sight from the humans that were so scared of their memory.

He plodded through the forest, stubby legs bouncing him up and down as he hummed a tune. The trees began to thin out, until they were gone altogether. On the other side revealed a small, familiar town.

Beach City was a sight to see. Small shops all connected were lined up, patrons coming and going with one thing or another. To the far left was even a white, sandy beach connected far back to the cliff his house resided on, the one nicely hidden by a magical shield, naked to the eye.

The streets held several familiar faces. Steven practically skipped through the streets, waving at them all. Most glanced away, while a few kinder ones smiled back. Joy filled his heart by the second, each step fueling him. He loved being with people. He knew what the Gems thought about them; that you couldn't trust them. And who knows, maybe they were right. But there was no denying their presence was something Steven craved more than anything. Trust or not, he could at least enjoy them.

First stop was Ronaldo, the buyer of all the herbs. Every time Steven came by it was the same routine; Ronaldo would shove Steven inside. He'd check the herbs, make sure they were ripe, then shove the money into Steven's hands before ushering him out once more. He even would mutter to himself. A strange guy, but Steven enjoyed their talks all the same.

Steven directed himself behind the shop labeled "Beach Citywalk Fries". He skipped towards the backdoor, knocking three times.

Instantly the door flew open, exposing the thick teenager. His blonde locks were all over the place, his pale skin covered with grease. He wore an apron, once white and now yellow with stains, underneath it a plain t-shirt and jeans. He glanced at Steven over his spectacles, eyes widening. "You're early." He glanced nervously behind him, grabbing Steven's arm and tugging him inside.

The backroom was dimly lit. Stacks of boxes towered over them, as if watching the transaction. Ronaldo took the bag from Steven, rummaging through the items, double checking and triple checking the supplies. "Excellent." He whispered at first, until his voice rose. "Good job, Steven. Good job."

Steven's heart swelled from the compliment. It was very rare for someone other than the gems to compliment him, or even say his name on that matter. To hear Ronaldo talk to him, as if Steven were another human, was thrilling. "Thanks!" He grinned from ear to ear.

After moving the herbs into one of the empty boxes, Ronaldo fished out a wad of green paper and divided a portion of the stack for Steven to take. "As promised."

Steven gratefully took the strange currency, waving goodbye to the older boy before leaving the establishment.

Money was weird, but apparently necessary for a basic human life. Pearl, not knowing much herself, was able to tell Steven the basics of how it worked. "You give them how much they ask, and you get what you require." Simple.

As he did every week, Steven stocked up on food. He was petrified yet thrilled each time he made a purchase, talking avidly to each person. It was like approaching a wild lion, timidly praying it won't find out you're a gazelle in disguise.

The supply of green paper began to dwindle to nothingness, yet the sun was still high in the sky. The streets started to fill even more, and Steven felt himself grow somewhat nervous. He loved to observe and interact with humans, but to be surrounded by so many, so closely… It made him uneasy, to say the very least, after hearing so many stories…

Steven spent a small portion of his money on a large loaf of bread, leaving him with only a few crumbled bills left. He turned, struggling to store it all away when something collided into him. Steven stumbled back, nearly falling over. A small gasp came from a crumbled figure before him.

"Oh gosh, I'm sorry!" Steven cried, trying to help the person up.

For a moment, time seemed to slow down, maybe even stop altogether. First he saw her hand, grasping his to steady herself. It was the color of cocoa, smooth and clear. Next was her large mound of hair, sticking out from the impact, like black hay. Then was her thin face, followed by her round black eyes. She was wearing a simple, elegant blue dress, now coated with dirt.

Steven stared in astonishment as time continued. The girl blinked multiple times, as if she couldn't see.

"Wh-Where are my glasses?" Her hands shot to her face.

Oh. She really couldn't see.

Steven searched the ground, spotting a pair of damaged round glasses so large they were almost comical. He bent down before handing them over to her. "Sorry, they're sort of… Cracked." He felt his face go red at admitting this.

The girl nevertheless placed the frames on her nose. A large crack traveled through one side, giving her the appearance of having three eyes. She let out a groan. "Oh wow… My parents are going to kill me."

Steven's eyes widened with fear. "You're parents are going to kill you for breaking your glasses? So by that logic… I killed you." He wailed. "I'm so sorry!"

The girl looked confused, unsure whether he was kidding or not. She let it slide, dusting off her dress. "No, they're just going to get really, really mad at me." She sighed. "Though I think I'd rather be dead."

Steven nodded, as if this made perfect sense to him.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Never before had he seen this girl around. Not at the school, not on his other trips into town for food, never. Was she passing by too?

"I'm Steven." He beamed, trying to lighten the mood. "I've never seen you around before."

The girl, who was now running her fingers through her thick hair in an attempt to tame it, looked up. "Uh, yeah. Me and my parents just moved here for my dad's work." She explained. "I'm Connie. Sorry about bumping into you, I wasn't really looking where I was going."

Oh wow. Steven felt his heart hammer. He was having a full conversation with this girl. And not even because he was buying something from her. It was like… It was like they were normal kids. Fear and adrenalin pumped through Steven. "I-It's fine! Where were you going anyway?"

Connie looked embarrassed suddenly. Her eyes darted away as she began to nervously pat down her dress. "Oh… Well… I'm usually not allowed sweets, so I was going to sneak over to a place called 'The Big Donut' and get something." She admitted. "It's stupid, I know, but my parents are really strict."

Steven shook his head rapidly. "No, I get it!" He lied. "M-My parents can be strict too."

Connie looked relieved. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah!" Steven continued, unsure why he felt the need to keep talking. It was like he didn't want her to leave. "They're always making me stay near home and report where I go and when."

Connie adjusted her damaged glasses. "Wow, and I thought I had it bad." She managed a small smile. "Well, would you like to go with me? Show some small acts of pre-teen rebellion."

"I don't know what that means, but it sounds fun!" Steven grinned brightly.

The two of them walked down the street together. Steven felt his heart flutter, his inside heat up. It was such a strange, amazing feeling. He wanted it to last forever… Was this friendship? Or at least the blossoming of one?

He glanced over at Connie, her face lit up as she talked about boats.

Steven wasn't sure what it was… But he liked it.

AN: Here's the third installment! (Ignore the fact it's the 2nd chapter). Anyways, this chapter and most of the next is going to be somewhat light hearted, but I can assure everyone that a rather thick plot is in motion, so not to worry! I'll post the next chapter within the week.