When the first two lessons ended everyone hurried outside. The fifteen-minute break was a time everyone liked to spend on the huge schoolyard.

Lapis slowly stood up and took her books to her locker. She didn't hurry because she didn't really wanted to go outside. She would probably only stand somewhere alone in a corner and no one would talk to her.

When she came back to the classroom with the books she needed for the next lesson she didn't look where she went and stumbled across something. She fell down, let go off her books and cried out.

That something turned out to be a schoolbag what's content was now scattered all over the floor.

Lapis saw books and pencils and tons of paper. She grumbled quietly and tried to collect the stuff that fell out of the bag and put it back. But exactly when she was about to put the last book into the bag she saw someone come in and catch her with her hand in a bag that wasn't hers.

"Hey you, what are you doing with your hand in my bag?" That was Garnet, who was accompanied by her two best friends.

"I...I am...I..." But Garnet didn't let her finish her sentence.

"You are spying, aren't you? Did Jasper tell you to snoop in my stuff? Did he!?" Garnet moved towards her and grabbed her hoodie.

"What else did he tell you? Answer Me!"

"I…nothing, I just stumbled across it and…" Lapis stuttered, she was about to panic. What would this girls do to her? Would they beat her up?

"Don't lie, you-"

"Put. Her. Down. Garnet. She didn't do anything!"

Lapis sighed in relief when she heard that voice. Then she saw Jasper standing by the classroom's door.

Garnet let go off her shirt and turned around to face Jasper.

That moment Lapis decided to run.

She flitted past Garnet and scurried through the door. She ran towards the schoolyard and didn't stop until she ran into someone.

"Hey! Watch out where you're…oh it's you."

"I-I am so sorry..." Lapis said while blushing. She really managed to run into the boy who was now sitting in front of her.

The boy whose name was Peter but who was called Peridot. The boy with the father who was their governor and the holographic screen that he seemed to find more interesting than her.

Peridot bent down to pick up something he'd lost. That was the first time Lapis noticed that his hands looked different than normal hands. His arms ended in stumps and his fingers were not attached to them. They were floating instead. He had lost some of that fingers and was now putting them back where they belonged.

"Your hands are…amazing! How does that work? Are they kind of gloves? And why are you wearing them?" Peridot sighed. Then he grinned arrogantly.

"Well, yes they are amazing. And I don't think someone with your level of technical knowledge will understand their operation. Just you know, I built them myself. They are forming that holographic screen for me and helping me with my other work."

Lapis was amazed. "You really built them yourself? Wow, you must be kind of a genius!"

He grinned again. "Well, my IQ really is far above average. So, yes, you can call me a genius." Then Lapis heard some laughter behind her. "Don't listen to Peridot, he is boasting like always."

That was Jasper.

"And you…" he turned to his friend. "You should really stop being such a braggart."

He laughed again and patted his friend's back strongly. Peridot again almost lost his detachable fingers and gave Jasper an angry glare.

"Hey Lapis, you really don't have to be afraid of Garnet and her gang as long as you stay with us." Jasper said.

"Yes, they are no serious opponents, just a bunch of losers who think they are something special. Indeed nothing to worry about." Peridot added.

"Well, I'll keep that in mind!" Lapis called. "I am really glad I met you two." She added. "Maybe…we can be even…friends?"

Jasper grinned. "Of course, why not? But…if you want to hang with us you're need to make yourself useful. We will protect you from that Crystal Gems but you are going to do something for us in return, okay?"

Lapis frowned. "And…what do you expect me to do?"

Jasper pondered for a few seconds. "Don't worry about that, I'll think about something. But right now we could really use a third gang member."

"Yeah," Peridot exclaimed. "Then we will finally no longer be less than these Crystal Clods. And you really seem to suit us."

Lapis looked at them amazed. Did they really offer her to become part of them? She managed to forget Jasper's condition for the moment. She wanted to rejoice right now.

"Then I'll be glad to become one of you!"