The next week passed quickly. Jasper seemed to be working overtime. Lapis guessed she was trying to make up for the day she missed. Or Pearl was forcing her. She would leave before Lapis woke up and returned long after she had gone to bed. Even on the weekend. A few times Lapis caught her shuffling wearily into her room; her formal clothes disheveled and her face tight with exhaustion. Lapis felt a tinge of sympathy. Though, honestly, she really did not know what a typical day was like for Jasper. Peridot would pop in occasionally to check up on Lapis. She would never stay long, and she kept a very careful eye on the time. No doubt she had gotten in trouble for staying with Lapis.

A majority of the time, Lapis was alone with little to keep her occupied. It was making her anxious, restless. By the eighth day, Lapis had enough. She needed to get out of the apartment. Lapis put on a pair of her new jeans, a light blue turtleneck top without sleeves and her duster. She fixed up her hair the best that she could, pulling it back into a stumpy ponytail using a tie she borrowed from Jasper. She really needed to dye her hair again. Maybe she could buy some Kool-Aid at the store. Or shoplift it. Lapis rarely shoplifted. It was not worth the risk, but she supposed a seventy-five cent packet of Kool-Aid would not be too bad. Once she was pleased with her appearance, Lapis grabbed her driver's license, tucking it in her back pocket and wrote a note to Jasper before heading out.

Once she stepped outside into the cold morning air, anxiety gripped her. She had not been outside the apartment, by herself, for a week. It was unnerving, something she never thought would be possible. All thoughts disappeared from her head; dread gripped at her chest; her muscles trembled; her throat tightened; she was suddenly burning. Lapis blinked, licking her lips nervously, holding her breath for a moment before exhaling and inhaling slowly.

"Take a moment. Remind yourself to take a moment and find yourself," she murmured under her breath. It was something Jasper had told her to do if she ever felt overwhelmed. Sing a song, recite a poem, or count to 100, something to distract her. Gradually, the numbness in her head thawed and her heart stopped racing, and her breathing normalized.

She made her way down the busy sidewalk, enjoying the warmth of the sun against her shoulders and the coolness of the salty air on her skin. It was getting closer to autumn. Everything was starting to smell like pumpkin, and the shops were putting up grinning jack-o-lanterns, dancing skeletons and spooky ghosts. Lapis was indifferent when it came to the holidays. She never had a family to celebrate with, and it was hard to enjoy them when you were jumping from home to home. But, she liked Halloween; it signified the changing of the seasons. The leaves blushing with reds and oranges, looking like flames when they caught the sun in the crisp breezes. It was always a beautiful time and, as bitter and petty as it sounded, Halloween did not focus on spending time with family.

Lapis had no real destination in mind as she wondered down the streets. She had no money to go out to eat. She had reconsidered shoplifting the Kool-Aid packet; her hair was in need of a complete bleaching. Or maybe she would go more natural. She was not sure but, without money, it really did not matter. Lapis was just going to enjoy her walk, admiring the Halloween decorations and costumes adorning the shops. Should she dress up this year? She did last year –more like was forced-when Amethyst took her to a party held by a co-worker. Steven had gone with Greg for the night. It had been fun. Alcohol, weed, watching people making out. Even Amethyst had hooked up with some girl dressed as an angel, which was ironic. Lapis smirked, moving away from the costumes shop.

"Lapis! Lapis!" Her name was being shouted by a familiar voice. Before she could turn to see who it was, a pair of arms enfolded around her shoulders and gently squeezed. Lapis tensed, pulling away immediately. Steven gave her a curious, hurt glance, pushing his brown curls out of his eyes.

"Oh my God, Steven. I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was you! You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here?"

"Sorry, Lapis! I'm on a field trip to Beach City Museum," he motioned to the group of kids across the street. "And I saw you walking down the street, so I had to say hi. Hi!"

"Won't you get into trouble?"

"Probably." They both laughed. It was good to see Steven again. It had been a while since she had seen him. The familiar presence was a pleasant surprise.

"I was just thinking about you. Well, about Halloween last year."

"Oh, yeah. You and Amethyst got drunk."

"Oh my God, yeah! We did! We also had some wicked hangovers too!"

"And I nursed you to health."

"You fucking kept scolding us too!" They shared another laugh, relishing in the memories. Steven rubbed his hand against the back of his neck, ruffling his locks as he looked off into the distance.

"So, how have you been? You look healthy."

"Are you trying to say I've gained weight," Lapis asked with mock offense.

"No! You just look good. Well. And, yeah, fed. But, happier." Happy? Was she not happy before? She was always glad to see Steven.

"Thanks, I guess."

"Are you still living out of your car?" The delighted feeling shattered as Lapis was brought back to reality. She could not tell him what happened. He would worry and fret and probably get Amethyst involved. Or Greg. She really did not want them involved. They had their own problems to worry about other than her. Yet, Lapis could not lie to Steven. It did not feel right.

"Well, no," she began, her mind racing to find the right words. How much could she tell him? How much would she reveal? "He got towed."

"What?! Where have you been staying?"

"With a friend." It was best that she left out the period where she was staying at the shelter.

"Who?"

"Her name is Jasper. She…uh…well…"

"You're not, are you?" Lapis gave him a confused look. He was glancing around nervously, shifting on his feet. There was a hint of rose to his round cheeks. It dawned on her what he was avoiding to mention.

"No. God no! I guess she was a friend of my mother's. Or her mom was."

"What? Really? That's—serendipitous."

"Well, someone has been studying their English!"

"Straight As! Are you sure you can trust her? I, mean, that's just really suspicious."

"I know. I know. I—" Lapis hesitated for a moment, thinking over what she would say next. No, she did not trust Jasper. Well, she knew that she should not trust Jasper. Lapis was not quite certain how she felt about Jasper. She had been nothing but supportive and caring to her. Jasper had not given her a reason not to trust her. Not yet. And that was what Lapis feared. "Yeah. I trust her."

"Okay," Steven drew out the word. He did not entirely believe her. Lapis could not blame or convince him otherwise because she was not sure herself. It was odd to say that she trusted Jasper. The words felt strange and unsettling. But, he seemed to take that as suitable for the time being. "If you need anything, remember Amethyst, and I are here for you."

"Yeah. I'm just another mouth to feed, remember?" She was half joking as she remembered Amethyst's outburst when Steven offered their apartment to her.

"No! No! Amethyst was just in a bad…"

"I'm joking, Steven. I know you guys got my back. Maybe I will come and visit once I get Bob back. But, for now, you better get back. Looks like you class is leaving without you," Lapis gestured toward the group of teens wondering away with their teacher. Steven cursed under his breath and gave Lapis a quick goodbye hug before running to meet up with his classmates. She noticed him join a beautiful girl with long dark hair, dark skin and glasses, his face flushed. Her lips quirked into a smile. Steven waved back at her before disappearing into the museum. It was really nice to see Steven again. Her stomach rumbled rowdily. Lapis decided this was a good time to head back and pacify her creeping hunger.


When she entered the apartment, Lapis noticed two pairs of shoes by the entrance of the living room. Jasper's jacket was draped over the back of the couch, but there was no sign of Jasper or her guest. Lapis took off her duster, setting in on the arm of the sofa. Maybe they were on the terrace? It was a beautiful day after all. Lapis poked her head outside to check, but no one was there. Hmm. Wonder where they could be? She was about to knock on the office door when she heard a noise from Jasper's bedroom. Lapis crept over, putting her ear against the wall. She should not be eavesdropping. She should let Jasper know that she was back. But, she really could not contain her curiosity. What was going on beyond the closed door?

"Jas—Jasper," a high-pitched, breathy whine rose from behind the wooden barrier. Lapis's eyes widened, she pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. She had seen enough adult movies to distinguish the source of the cry. Well, Jasper was not lying when she said she if she wanted sex, she would find it. There was a heavy moan accompanied by some colorful words. The voice sounded familiar, but Lapis could not place it. Lapis decided it was best to give Jasper some privacy. As quiet as she could, Lapis grabbed a few items from the kitchen to make herself a sandwich. She had planned on eating in the living room, but the sounds from Jasper's room were spilling into the rest of the apartment. Lapis opted for the terrace.

Lapis was idly flipping through a magazine when something inside caught her eye. She had finished her lunch over an hour ago; her empty plate was sitting in front of her. It was Pearl. Her pink-colored hair was disorderly; her pale cheeks matched the color of her hair. That was the only part of her appearance that gave her way. Her clothes were perfectly placed on her thin body. Lapis cocked an eyebrow, closing the magazine and trying to shrink from view. Well, this was interesting. Pearl's mouth was moving as she pulled a compact from her purse. She examined herself in the mirror, smoothing her hair with a hand. When she snapped the round object shut, she smiled over at Jasper. There was no kiss goodbye or anything. It was almost businesslike when Pearl left.

Jasper came into view. Her hair was pulled into a sloppy ponytail. She was just wearing a sports bra and a pair of boxers. Lapis had to admit that she was impressed by Jasper and maybe a bit envious. She was big and muscular but still had a feminine hourglass figure. Lapis was small-breasted and slender with only the slightest of curves. Well, she might as well go inside. It was starting to get chilly, and she had to let Jasper know she was back sooner or later. Lapis picked up her plate and opened up the doors to the warm apartment.

"Hey, Blue," Jasper greeted, taking a water bottle from the refrigerator. "How long have you been home?"

"A little bit," Lapis said, casually, setting her plate into the sink. She glanced back at Jasper, who was taking a long drink of the water. "You know…I would never peg Pearl for the type to mix business with pleasure."

"Wha—what?" The larger woman sputtered, spitting out water. She started coughing, beating against her chest as if it would help. Lapis grinned, leaning against the sink and folded her hands together.

"I've actually been home for a while."

"Why didn't you tell me you were home?" She sounded frustrated.

"I thought I'd give you some space." Lapis shrugged nonchalantly.

"You still should have told me you were home."

"Why?"

"Because…" Jasper turned her attention away from Lapis, staring out into the living room.

"I would have known regardless, Jasper. It wasn't exactly subtle and how would you even sneak Pearl out?" Jasper did not reply, her jaw was tight and clenched. She was tapping her fingers against the counter. "I don't think knocking on the door would have been any better. It's really no big deal. Seriously. I just did not know you two were a thing."

"We aren't."

"Huh?" Jasper shook her head, drumming her fingers hard against the hard surface and clutching the water bottle with the other. She turned around, copying Lapis's posture against the counter and taking a swing from her bottle. Lapis scowled. Why was she stalling?

"We aren't exclusive or whatever," Jasper muttered, rubbing her temples.

"So, what, you're fuck buddies?" Jasper gave her a hard glance. Lapis tilted her head, sighing with exasperation. "I am 17; not 12, okay? And, it's whatever. Do who you want to do. No judgment."

"It's really not appropriate to talk about my sex life, Lapis," she said flatly

"Fair enough. It was just amusingly awkward."

"Amusingly awkward?" Jasper did not sound amused by this.

"It's funny if you think about it. Imagine if I would have walked in! Now, that—that would have been embarrassing," Lapis joked, trying to release the tension in the room. Jasper huffed as a smile skated across her thick lips. Her body relaxed against the counter as she took another drink. "And, at least, you have another outlet for relieving stress other than drinking."

"You are something else, Blue."

"Is that good or bad?" Jasper only replied with a secretive smirk and a playful wink. Lapis gaped her; scrunching her nose and sticking out her tongue childishly. Jasper laughed; a hearty, genuine laugh that noticeably vibrated through her body and lit up her amber eyes.

"Come on. Enough discussing it," Jasper said, after her laughter had died down. "I have the day off tomorrow. I'll order some Chinese and we will watch a movie. Your pick."

"Hmm. I wonder how you earned the day off," Lapis said, sarcastically. She could not resist the urge for one jab. Jasper lightly shoved her as she passed by and made a comment about her mouth getting her into trouble. Lapis laughed, smiling broadly. She had to admit, little by little, she was becoming more comfortable with Jasper. Would she ever trust Jasper? She was not sure, but she did like spending these small amounts of time with Jasper. However, it was not enough to really know her. She definitely was being spoiled by this luxury even if it was just a warm bed and an abundance of food. Could she leave? Did she want to leave? Lapis was not sure, but she had a week to figure that out.