Hey everyone! I'm sorry about the super late chapter, but I've been procrastinating for lack of inspiration and motive. So I apologize for that.

I don't really have too much to say this time, except this is a pretty short chapter filled with infuriating things. So yeah, here's thirteen for you!

Chapter 13: Maskmakers

May seemed to panic at the sudden morbidity of the group. "Oh, well, that's fine! Um... Hey, I don't know what's good here! Can you guys help me choose something?" she quickly tried to change the subject.

Everyone seemed to shake themselves and respond happily, but with less cheer than before. The waiter came with their food in no time.

Steven smiled at the face that May made when the water set the food in front of her.

"Well, this certainly isn't mom's meatloaf..." she laughed.

They all gave her strange looks. "What is a meat-loaf?" Candy asked, enunciating the word 'meatloaf' carefully and with a hint of disgust.

She blinked. "You've never had meatloaf?"

Most everyone shook their heads. "I think I have once at my cousin's house, but I don't really remember it too well," said Jeff.

May laughed for a good long time. Steven and the others were perplexed on why, but she had a nice laugh, so Steven didn't mind. Finally, she said, "It's settled, then."

"What?"

"I'm making you all a meatloaf, you funny rich kids," she giggled.

Jeff shrugged. "I'm down."

Candy didn't look so sure herself. "What's in it?"

"It's a secret."

They looked at her weirdly again.

She threw up her arms and rolled her eyes. "Secret family recipe? Arceus, do you people not have those?" she sighed. Steven's jaw clenched at 'you people'. He was afraid that this would happen, that she'd judge him and his friends for their wealth. He just hoped it wouldn't drive her to run from them.

May saw the looks on everyone's faces and tried to help her situation. "No worries, there won't be anything poisonous in it." Little did she know that that was not the reason for their silence.

Jeff cleared his throat. "Well, it sounds great! We'll look forward to it. It looks like we're all going to be late for our next classes if we stay any longer so I'll see you around," he grinned.

The rest of them, also highly skilled in the art of putting on a mask to hide their true feelings put on a happy face for her. "Yes! It was wonderful meeting you, hun!" said Candy.

"Yeah, I hope to see you around," Jessica added in her deep alto.

They all went their separate ways, Steven walking May to her next class andthen setting off on his own filled with worry.

Steven was feeling great after his last class, Geology, one of the few classes he actually cared about. He called May to meet by the fountain in the front of the school.

Right on time, Martinov stood in his full suit in the middle of the beautiful stoned area in front of the school. He was chatting with May, his back completely straight in perfect posture. May looked distraught.

"Hey," Steven said as he walked up the them, scratching the back of his head.

May punched his arm. "What does he mean, 'go home with him'?"

Just then, Candy appeared beside him, bouncing slightly. "Oh, good, I'm glad you didn't forget and leave by mistake."

Steven looked behind him. The others were coming too, jogging and panting to keep up with Candy. She wasn't even breathing abnormally.

"Fucking Arceus, Steven," Jessica swore. Steven knew she hated to run, even though she used to be a boxer. He never could figure out how she was so strong, though, being so bony.

Jeff sucked in a breath. "Candy was worried when you didn't show up at the meeting spot, so she made us-" he breathed, "-go on a hunt for you."

Steven laughed nervously. "Yeah, I suppose I probably should have called..."

"You suppose?" Jessica punched him in the other arm, but unlike May's punch, this one actually hurt.

He rubbed his arm. "Anyway, I have practice today, so you'll have to go home with Martinov."

"Practice for what?" May demanded.

Candy suddenly started hopping up and down and clapping. "My masterpiece! My life! My love!"

"Hey!" Jeff said to her irritatedly, but she wasn't paying attention.

"We're working on a play called-"

"Woah, woah, Candy!" Steven stopped her before she could tell May. "Don't you want to keep it a surprise?" That was the only thing that Steven could think of telling her to get her to keep quiet about it. He wished that May had come just one week later. But alas, he'd just have to find a way to keep her from seeing the play. It shouldn't be too hard, right? he thought.

"Oh, what a MARVELOUS idea! Steven, I've completely forgiven your previous faux pas. Oh, I can hardly wait!" she grinned from ear to ear and started bouncing again.

I could wait for the rest of eternity, Steven thought. "Well, I will see you later then, May..." Steven turned to leave.

"But I want to go!" she whined.

"You'll just have to wait! I promise, it'll be worth it, though!" Candy waved and skipped away with the rest of them.

Steven was home late. He called for May into the house, but there was no answer.

He went to her room, but she wasn't there. He opened the stained glass doors and scoured the garden for her, but she was nowhere to be found.

A hint of panic stabbed at his stomach. What if she hadn't came home at all?

"Martinov!" he yelled and ran up the stairs. "Martinov!"

"What are you on about?" a small voice asked from the sofa in the living room.

Steven jumped. He scuffled around the couch to find a half-asleep May with an embroidered quilt over her. He breathed a sigh of relief.

She smiled. "That missing vaguely interesting stripper you were talking about on Sunday was just on TV. You should've told me it was a guy, I would've been more interested myself."

Steven's breath caught.

"There was a really fuzzy monkey-cam video of him. Duskstone, I think his name was. It's a pity he's missing, he was really fantastic," she yawned.

Steven cleared his throat. "Yeah, I suppose so."

Martinov came rushing down the stairs. "Yes, sir?"

"Oh, um," Steven's face turned a bit red. "It's nothing, Martinov. Thank you."

He bowed and

"Hey," she draped her arm over the armrest. "You've been to Dustoxic. What was it like to see him? Do you know him?"

Steven sighed heavily and thought of what to say. "No one knows Duskstone. He just appears and disappears. He's a ghost and he'll stay that way."

"How do you know?" May asked.

He paused to think of a response. "Well, they haven't found anything on him yet, have they? They're going to have to give up eventually."

May frowned. "I guess, but what about his clothes?"

Steven looked puzzled. "What about his clothes?"

"They're looking into the material in his pants. They're saying that it's something that was actually invented by Mr. Wiggins, do you believe that? I mean, what if Mr. Wiggins is Duskstone?"

Steven shrugged. "We'll probably never know."

Please don't forget to review! Like I've said in the past, it really does help my productivity. So, if you want chapters faster, just write me a little note! Thanks, love you guys!