Chapter 7:

Un-Fun Land

"Boo!" Amethyst shouted, as she grabbed Greg's leg.

Startled, he then turned towards her and groaned, "Amethyst!? What the heck are you doing here!?"

"Why don't you tell me, Gregory!?" She replied. "What are you doing here!? And who is this!?"

When he looked over at his date, he become nervous, then he began to stumble over his words as he said, "Oh! Umm!…This is!…"

But then Amethyst jokingly said, "I'm just kidding with you, Bro! I don't need to know your business!"

With that, Greg simply rolled his eyes, then he sighed a breath of relief. "Hi Vidalia," he greeted, as he hugged her.

"Hello Greg," She replied.

When he released her, he looked around and asked, "So where's Steven at?!"

"Oh, he's here!" Amethyst smirked. "He's not too far off!"

Greg sighed once more, as he could tell that for some reason she was in a joking mood, then he began looking up and down the boardwalk for his son. When he did, he smiled as he now saw that his son was leaning against a wooden railing, and Pearl was walking towards him. In the midst of the crowd, he observed as she handed Steven a drink, then he watched as he wrapped his arms around her waist, and brought her in close so that their hips were touching.

Greg's demeanor slowly changed, when he saw Steven run his hands down her lower back, groping her, and the two became affectionate with one another. "WHAT THE HELL?!" Greg shouted out. "STEVEN! LET GO OF HER! GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF YOUR GEM MOTHER!"

"Oh, and I almost forgot to mention," Amethyst chimed in. "Steven has a new girlfriend, AND IT'S NOT CONNIE!" Then she began laughing hysterically.

In a state of shock, Greg immediately began marching off, then Vidalia looked over at Amethyst and said, "Are you serious?!"

"Yep," Amethyst nodded.

"But what does Garnet have to say about this?!" Vidalia asked

"Oh she's pissed," she replied. "There's a lot going on at the house right now. It's not a good time."

As Greg disappeared into the crowd, Vidalia looked off into the distance and quietly said, "Why would Pearl do that thou?! She knows how Greg feels! Is she doing it to get back at him?! She's not still upset about Rose, is she?!"

"Who knows!" Amethyst retorted. "I just wanna see her try to wiggle her way out of this one! Greg and Pearl still can't stand each other."

While the two where conversing, Vidalia looked over at Greg's date and asked, "So how's your evening going? How long have the two of you been dating?"

"It's going good, I guess" Barbara replied. "Greg and I have only been dating for a few months, so we're still getting to know each other. It looks like his boy is in some serious trouble right now!"

"Yep," Amethyst replied. "He sure is! His daddy's about to whoop some ass!"


Moments Later

"STEVEN!" Greg shouted. "GET YOUR LIPS OFF OF HER NOW! WHAT THE HELL'S WRONG WITH YOU?!"

When he heard his words, Steven immediately stopped what he was doing, then he turned his head towards the direction of the shouting. "Dad?!" He yelled. "What are you doing here?!"

But Greg's face was red, and he was embarrassed, as he hastily stepped towards them and said, "No, what are you doing?! Why are you kissing on her?!"

Suddenly, Steven could feel his heart pounding faster, as he looked into his father's eyes and replied, "What?! I mean, I'm sorry Dad! Please don't be angry with me! Connie didn't want me as her boyfriend, but Pearl understands! She cares for me! So we're getting to know each other better! We're just on a date! She's my…"

"NO, NO!" Greg groaned. "I don't want to hear it Steven! I don't care what she is! Just let her go, NOW!"

As he continued his yelling, people from the crowd began staring at all three of them, then Pearl subtly pleaded, "Greg, I understand that you're upset, but do you think we could maybe talk about this in a more secluded area?! Somewhere with more privacy, please?!"

"NO!" He snapped. I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU, I'M TALKING TO MY SON!" Then he glared at Pearl. After hearing his response, she bit down on her lip, and forced herself to remain calm. In that moment, however, the two began staring at each other, and years of repressed anger and disdain for one another came to ahead. Now that Steven was a young man, and significant time had passed, both Greg and Pearl saw less of each other, and they found it difficult to be cordial.

Just when he was about to continue his shouting, he suddenly felt the hand of someone else reach underneath his palm, then a voice said, "Is everything okay?! I think you need to calm down Greg!"

When Steven saw who it was, his eyes grew wide as he said, "Sadie's Mom?! What are you doing here?!" Feeling embarrassed, Greg looked over at her, but before he could give a response, Steven asked, "Why are you two holding hands?!"

In feeling his anxiety level rise, Greg wiped away the sweat that was accumulating on his forehead, then he took in a deep breath and exhaled as he replied, "Steven, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I wanted to wait until enough time had passed. But, this is…"

"Barbara." Steven finished. "I know who she is. She's Sadie's Mom."

As the atmosphere slowly became quiet, Barbara looked at the crowd of onlookers and said, "Okay, you people can move it along! There's nothing to see here! Mind your own business and enjoy your evening!" Then she turned towards Steven and asked, "So how's it going kiddo? Everything okay? You sure are getting big!"

"I'm fine," he replied. "So how's Sadie doing?"

"She's doing fine. She moved out of the house, and lives with her boyfriend, Larry, now." Steven nodded his head in acknowledgment, but he was nonchalant in his demeanor, as he continued to stare at his father, and the atmosphere became tense once more. In wanting to break up the discomfort, Barbara couldn't take it any longer, so she finally looked at the two of them and asked, "Can't you two just cancel each other out?!"

"Huh?" Steven exclaimed. "What does that mean?!"

"Greg!" she insisted. "You haven't told your boy about us, and rightfully so, because we just started dating not too long ago." Then she looked at Steven and said, "And you Steven, you're old enough to decide who you want to date. So if you're experimenting with Rose's sister, then that's your business."

"What?!" Pearl snared. "I'm not Rose's sister! And what exactly do you mean by experiment?! If I understand you correctly, then what you're implying would be immoral and unethical!"

"It's too late for that," Greg whispered sarcastically, as Pearl glared at him.

"Oh," Barbara replied. "Well are you Greg's friend?"

"NO!" Pearl hissed. "Of course not! Please understand something! I have no relation to Steven whatsoever! I'm not his Aunt, I'm not his Mother, and I am no friend of Greg's!"

When she gave her response, Steven was saddened, as he looked over at her and he could feel his heart sink into his chest after hearing her deny being a mother figure to him all of these years. "But," she continued, as she gazed into his eyes, "I love him. I always have." Then she held his arm, and brought herself in close, and tenderly kissed him.

And with that, Barbara smiled, then she looked at all three of them and said, "Well there, it's settled! Now we can all just get along!"

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Greg whispered, as he looked down at the ground.

"Wrong!" Barbara replied. "It is that simple! Steven's on a date, and so are we Greg!" Then she paused, as she waited for a response.

"Can I have a word with you in Private?!" He asked, as he looked up at Pearl. "There's a few things that I need to say to you."

Sensing that he wanted privacy, Barbara reached for Steven's arm and said, "Come with me big boy. Let your dad and your lady friend have some privacy. I looks like they need to talk." When the two started walking away, Steven could feel a sense of optimism, as Barbara continued to talk with him, then he began to smile as he remembered how spirited and kind her personality was.


A Mutual Understanding

When Pearl saw both Steven and Barbara disappear down the boardwalk, she folded her arms, then quietly asked, "So what is that you want, Greg?! What do you want to talk about?! If you're trying to get me to stop seeing Steven, I won't! I won't stop loving him!"

In hearing her response, Greg simply shook his head, then he took one step closer towards Pearl and replied, "You know he's not Rose, right?! I mean you do understand that?! No matter how much you want him to be!"

With that, Pearl's eyes became stingy, as she held back her tears, then her voice cracked as she replied, "Well, he can be! He's the closest thing to her!" Then her hands trembled, as she wiped the moisture from underneath her eyelids, and said, "I always knew Rose would come back to me! In one form or another! You have no idea what it's like to be with someone for multiple lifetimes, only to have them ripped away from you in the most cruelest way possible! You couldn't possibly imagine!"

"Your time with her can be summed up in nothing more than a blink of an eye!"

"You had your love with Rose, now I'll have mine!"

Finally, Pearl couldn't hold back her tears any longer, as she immediately began sobbing, but Greg sternly looked at her and replied, "I don't feel sorry for you! What Rose and I had was real! And if I had to do it all over again I would still pursue her! No regrets! Look I won't tell my son who to date, or who to love, but keep one thing in mind Pearl. THAT'S MY BLOOD FLOWING THROUGH THOSE VEINS! Steven cannot be Steven without me!"

Then Pearl emotionally replied, "I know he's Steven! I'm not a fool! And it's not his fault! How could he be held responsible for preexisting conditions that happened before he was even in existence?! He couldn't control who would be his father!"

In feeling his temper rise, Greg simply walked away and said, "We're done! This conversation is going no where!"

"Wait!" Pearl shouted, as she lunged for his arm. "Please Greg! I don't want to have any more animosity towards you! I love your son!" Then she cleared her throat and forced herself to say, "I love all of him...Even the parts that aren't Rose!"

In hearing her response, Greg sighed, then he turned to face her. When he did, he looked into her eyes and could tell that she was sincere in her words. He then stared at her for a moment, until he finally said, "This is the longest that we've talked in years, Pearl!" Then he momentarily stopped, as he waited for her acknowledgement, but instead she was silent, as she slowly gathered herself. "Well," he sighed. "There's no sense in carrying on like this. I don't want to fight with you anymore. I'll make an effort to be cordial to you, for my son's sake! And I guess I can't really tell him who to see, since no one could tell me."

With that, he offered her a handshake, but instead she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. Surprised, his body shook with angst and began tingling, as years of repressed anger and disdain began culminating into one extraordinary moment.

"Thank you!" She whispered, as she held onto him.

"You're welcome," he murmured, as he lightly hugged her back.

When the two finally released each other, Greg quietly said to himself, "I just hope my son knows what he's doing… I hope he and Connie are still okay, because they still care about each other, but I know things change as you get older…"

After hearing her name, Pearl's eyes drifted off into the distance. When they did, she could see that Steven was talking with Connie, and the two appeared as thou they were arguing. Then before Greg knew it, Pearl hastily walked away, and he now saw that she was halfway down the boardwalk heading towards Steven. "Here we go," he said to himself, as he immediately followed. "Maybe I should've stayed in…"

"Tonight couldn't possibly get any worse!"


Me and my Girlfriend...

"Here comes your woman," Connie exclaimed. "Bye." When Steven turned his head, he saw that Pearl was walking just a few feet away from him, but then he turned his attention right back towards Connie.

"Wait, Connie!" He begged. "Please! I'm not done talking yet! So is he like your new boyfriend?!"

"Well, I'm done talking," She replied. "And what does it matter who he is?! I have a private life, just as you do Steven! Anyway, it was nice seeing you. Have a wonderful evening. Goodbye." With that, she continued walking, then the guy beside her put his arm around her shoulder to bring her in closer. When Steven saw this, he could feel his adrenaline rising, as his heart began to beat a little faster.

"Is everything okay?!" Pearl asked, as she stood beside him. "What were you and her talking about?! Is she bothering you?!"

"Nothing," he replied. "No, everything's fine. I guess Connie's just trying to prove a point, that's all." In that moment, both couples were staring at one another, as Connie continued to walk beside her date, then Pearl slowly reached for Steven's hand.

While intertwining her fingers with his, she looked up at him and said softly, "I don't think you should view it that way. She's trying to find her own way, just as you are, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"Can we go home?!" Steven asked, as he now had a sad look upon his face.

"Of course," Pearl replied. Then she gently placed her hands on his face and began gazing into his eyes as she said, "But I don't think you really want to." Steven smiled as could feel the sensation of her lips pressed up against his, then he reciprocated by kissing her back. He felt butterflies rise in his stomach, as her body was pressed firmly against his, then he began to observe his surroundings.

"You know," Pearl whispered. "We've never really had the opportunity to enjoy the boardwalk. Just you and I. We're here, so let's have a good time. Our Time."

As she kissed him, the sadness and bitterness that he harbored towards Connie began to slowly fade away. While Steven had his arms wrapped around his gem girlfriend, he began looking up and down the boardwalk at the various attractions to see where they might go first. He saw that the arcade had become old and dull, with not a lot of people inside of it anymore, but it still was reminiscent of his childhood. He also saw various shops and tents that were set up along the boardwalk, and new additions to the availability of rides had been added throughout the years.

"Do you want to go check out the arcade?" he asked. "Or we could go to the photo booth to get our picture taken?"

"It doesn't matter," Pearl smiled. "I'll go wherever you want to go."

During the course of the evening, both Steven and Pearl enjoyed each other's company, as the two walked everywhere and experienced the many different sites and sounds. At various times, together they rode the newly added Ferris wheel, which allowed them to gaze down upon Beach City. Other times, they simply sat down on a nearby bench, and held one another, as they observed the nightlife on the boardwalk.

As Pearl held onto the strip of photos that were taken earlier at the photo booth, she smiled as she could see herself blushing a deep blue, while kissing Steven, but her eyes were fixated on the camera lens. "This is a keeper," she whispered, as she continued to gaze at the photo. "It's lovely!" When she looked over at Steven, she could see that he had has eyes fixated on the stars above, so she too began to look up as well. But no sooner did she start looking, she suddenly felt the nuisance of a familiar voice calling out to them.


Rollercoaster

"Hey losers!" Amethyst shouted. "You guys should check out the rollercoaster! It's bigger and faster, and has more seats available!" In hearing her, Steven smiled, as he could see that both she and Vidalia were walking towards the waiting line.

"Do you want to go?" Steven asked, as he looked over at his lady. "We can go check it out and see how it feels. We haven't been on a fast ride yet!"

"What is there to check out?" Pearl exclaimed. "It's approximately 209 feet tall, it has a maximum speed of 80 mph, and it has no loops. AND THANK HEAVENS FOR THAT!"

When she finished her explanation, Steven looked at her, and now had a baffled expression on his face. "How do you know all of that?" he asked.

"I did my research," She replied. "I just wanted you to be safe." In distracting him, she quickly rested her head against his chest, and with her legs crossed, she began to caress the tip of her foot along his pant leg. "What's wrong with staying right here?" She whispered, as she rested her palms upon his lap "I think we're having a wonderful time. There's no reason to stop."

Steven simply smiled once more, then he raised his arm over her shoulder to bring her in closer. As the two became affectionate, they began to kiss, but just as they got comfortable the same irritating voice called out once more. "Oh, come on bro! You can't tell me she's that interesting?! You can smash her gem later! Just come check out the ride! Harold's closing it down soon!"

Almost immediately, Steven's body began shaking with laughter, but Pearl however, she was not amused as she gave Amethyst the most soul deadening glare that she could give to her. When Steven did a double take to look at the line, he saw that not only were Amethyst and Vidalia standing in the line, but further up, both Greg and Barbara were also waiting as well. "Let's go!" He shouted, as he yanked Pearl up from the bench. "This is gonna be awesome!"

"Wait!" She pleaded, as he pulled at her wrist. "Are you sure you want to do this?! What if it's too dangerous?!"

"Yes!" he excitedly replied. "Come on baby, It'll be fun! But if something does go wrong, I'm not worried, because I'll just retreat into my gem!"

"YEAH, COME ON BABY!" Amethyst mocked, as she blew kisses at Pearl. "WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?!"

As the two waited in line, they walked slowly closer, while riders began to get on the rollercoaster in groups of two. When they finally made it with a group that would be seated, Mr. Smiley suddenly stopped Steven. He placed a hand on his chest, then said, "I don't know if this is such a good idea! I'm not going to have any problems with you, am I?! Steven?!"

"No!" Steven replied. "Of course not! Mr. Smiley, I'm not a little kid anymore! I'm sorry for what I did when I was younger, but I promise it ever happen again?!" Sensing the sincerity in his voice, Harold smiled at him, then he gave him a pat on the back and said, "Well, alright then! That sounds good to me! Let's find you a seat!" When Steven and Pearl began to walk along the side of the rollercoaster, they saw that most of the seats had been taken, as Amethyst and Vidalia were in the front car, Greg and Barbara were seated in the middle, and most of the other cars were occupied by passengers as well.

"Well," Harold exclaimed. "It looks like you two are here. Second to the last." While Steven was observing the car, it began to seem oddly familiar to him, as Harold continued, "This one was actually from the old rollercoaster, if you remember Steven. I salvaged it and made it a part of the new ride. I gave it a paint job, now it's back to a bright white, just like the original color. Are you two okay with riding in it?"

"It should be adequate," Pearl replied. "So long as it functions properly."

"Don't worry, it's safe," Harold insisted. "I check the equipment every night to make sure that it is functioning properly." Then he began to observe the other cars, as he finally said, "I find that most people don't like to ride in this one, simply for the fact that it's plain white. They gravitate towards the blue car, the red car, or some other color. Are you two okay with riding in the white car?"

"Yep," Steven replied, as he hastily stepped in, then Pearl followed. "It's okay with me." While Mr. Smiley made sure that each rider was secure, suddenly a familiar voice waiting in line shouted out, "I guess Steven LIKES EVERYTHING WHITE!" Then dozens of other people in line began laughing. When he turned his head towards the direction of the shouting, he saw that Connie was waiting in line with her date, and almost immediately he tried to act as if he didn't see her, by quickly looking away. In hearing the remark, Amethyst turned her head to look back at Steven and Pearl, then she began laughing hysterically.

In seeing that Steven was both physically and emotionally upset, Pearl began to caress her fingertips through his hair, as she tried to comfort him. With her eyes now fixated on Connie, the two glared at one another, then she too gave a response and made sure that it was loud so that everyone could hear her. "Well maybe he does LIKE EVERYTHING WHITE! Maybe white HAS NEVER FAILED HIM! Maybe it has NEVER BEEN INDESCIVE towards him!

And with that, Connie quickly hopped the small gate that stood between the line and the rollercoaster, while shouting, "BRING IT ON BITCH! I'M READY FOR ROUND TWO!" But before she could get any further, Harold grabbed her, then he took her back towards the line, while yelling, "Come on now! I'm not putting up with this female bullshit! Not tonight! You're going to have leave!" When he set her back on the other side of the gate, she continued to stare towards them, but Harold commanded, "LEAVE! NOW!"

As Connie marched away with her date, she shouted out one final time, "BITCH!"

In a sigh of frustration, Mr. Smiley looked back at Steven and said, "You promised Steven! You said there weren't going to be any more problems! What happened?!"

"I know!" he replied. "But it's not my fault Mr. Smiley! I had no control over what she said!…"

In not listening further, Harold simply shook his head, then he turned a key to the command box on, then he pressed a green button. When he did, the ride began to move, then Steven could hear a clicking sound, as the rollercoaster slowly moved up the track.


It Came From Outer Space

The ride rattled his body, as the coaster violently sped its way all along the boardwalk. Steven had the wind knocked out of him, as it abruptly slowed down at different time, then it sped up, as it made wide turns. When the rollercoaster finally returned to the original starting position, Harold stood beside the white car, then he quickly scolded once more,

"STEVEN! THIS BETTER BE A JOKE! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?!"

"What are you talking about?!" Steven pleaded. "What did I do now?!" In his confusion, he gradually stood up out of the car, but Harold pointed to the sky and snapped, "I hope you have insurance! If that thing wrecks my equipment like it did last time, I'M COMING AFTER YOU! YOUR PAYING FOR IT!"

When Steven looked up towards the stars, his heart sank, as he now saw what appeared to be another "Red-Eye." This time, however, the eye wasn't red at all, but it instead was "bright yellow" and appeared as thou it were blinking down at all of Beach City.

"I have no idea what that is," he whispered to himself. "But I wish Garnet were here!"

In seeing that he was visibly shaken, Pearl held onto his hand, then she began gazing up towards the night sky as well. "Let's go home," she whispered, as she slowly looked back into his eyes. "I think it's time that we rest…"