Trigger warning for neglect, abusive relationships, emotional, psychological and physical abuse.
Stay safe.
Chapter Seven
I was in a state. My mind was fuzzy and reeling. I hadn't seen Peony since I was twenty and now here she was, in Beach City and what the fucking hell was she doing here ?
My friends were also equally freaked out. Spinel wasn't sure of what was going on but her firm grip on me betrayed her worry. She at least could tell it was bad. It was really bad.
"Okay, okay. Maybe we should just go." Zach hummed. "Just go out to the van and drive Ying to her home. It's- one can drive to Little Homeworld right?"
"Yeah." Spinel bobbed her head. "There's a lil dirt road, if ya don't mind gettin a bit of dust on you."
"There's literally a car wash right nearby, I'll be fine." Tex snorted, standing. "Well ya got a plan lil guy? You always seem to."
Zach nodded, fingers pushing his glasses up. He looked like a dumb anime protagonist and I would have laughed if the situation wasn't so dire. "Okay. Time to split the job a bit. Tex, get Ying and Sunny to the van and load them in. I'll grab Greg and let him know what's up. Twins will run interference and keep an eye on Peony in case she tries something. She might be here by real dumb coincidence but that might not be true. Either way…
"Got it." The twins chorused with malicious smiles.
"I'll see if Greg doesn't mind holding onto some of our stuff for a bit, so we spend as little time round here as possible." Zach continued. "Oh uh, sorry, Spinel, forgot to give you a job uh… Keep hugging Ying. She's gonna need it."
"Oh no." Spinel said deadpan. "I get to keep hugging her? What an awful job."
That got a little bark of amusement out of me, and she squeezed my hand, helping me up.
"Ready?" Zach grinned. "Twins, this is a grade-A enemy. You know what that means."
"No mercy." Jez cackled.
"Seek and destroy!" Jack grinned wide, hands throwing up the devil horns.
"Alright, break!" With that, my friends scattered. Tex rolled his shoulders, rolling Sunny ahead of him.
"Stay close." He hummed. "I know that you're probably plenty bodyguard, but I'd rather not even have to look at Peony if that's alright with ya."
"Likewise…" I grimaced, sticking close to Spinel and Tex, using them as shields just in case. We slipped out a back door quickly, rounding the building and heading for the van. I helped Tex open up the back, and he effortlessly scoops Sunny out of her chair.
"Yes! Finally I am a giant!" She grinned, pumping her little fists up. Tex snorts, carrying her to a passenger seat.
"Sorry, normally I'd ask before doin that but we're in a hurry."
"Apology accepted. It's called for." She patted his arm as he helped her in. I rolled the wheelchair to the back, where there was space for the chair. Spinel helped me lift it effortlessly into the back, gently strapping it so it wouldn't slide or roll around.
Then I turned and nearly choked.
A curly mess of red hair, freckles, emerald eyes, and a leering smirk.
Spinel stood behind me, and I felt a rush of relief, because that face was the worst thing I'd seen in a long, long time.
"Well well," purred Peony Grace, cigarette in her hand glowing faintly. "What a shock. Ying, it's been way too long."
I took a half step back, and Spinel steadied me, cautiously tensed. "...Peony." I finally managed. "Can't talk. In a hurry." I turn to move for the van's door, and Peony clucks her tongue in exactly the same way she always did.
"Tsk. Can't even spare a moment for your girl? Sweetie, you really ought to-"
Before she could speak, chaos incarnate struck.
She never even stood a chance, as something was dumped right over her head and her long red hair was flattened by liquid. Jez grinned holding an empty water bottle, and Jack flipped the back of Peony's soaked hair neatly over her face.
"Oh no! I'm, like, sooooo sorry~" Jack did his best valley-girl voice, as Jez quickly dropped low, unlacing the woman's boots rapidly, tying them together as Jack shoved a fistful of paper towels in her face. "Here, dry off with these miss! I was in just, suuuuch a hurry, I'm, like, the biggest klutz ever!"
Spinel was fighting a laugh as we quickly slipped into the van. A moment later, Zach darted out of the building, sliding into the van next to Sunny.
"Greg is such a cool dude. He offered to load up all our stuff and drive it to Little Homeworld the minute he heard what was going on."
"Holy shit the twins are gonna kill her." Sunny cackled, as Jez casually pulled a bit of gum from her mouth and stuck it to Peony's hair, before disengaging with Jack and hopping into the car, delivering each other a quick fistbump. Tex started the van, and began wheeling out of the parking lot quickly.
I watched nervously as Peony scrubbed at her face, I could see her mouth moving in confused curses. She took two steps then was on the ground in a heap, her laced boots sending her down hard.
I gave a weak sigh, slowly sinking back down into my seat, prepared for the long drive back to Little Homeworld.
Spinel hugged me tight. "Are you okay?"
"No." I mumbled, finally.
"Wanna talk about it?"
"Yeah." I nodded. Spinel jolted.
"Oh. Okay. Um. Whenever you wanna talk about it."
I remained silent for a long time, the only sound was the rattling of the old van. The others had gone silent, all pursing their lips.
"I guess… to understand Peony, you need to understand my life before her." I finally said quietly. "My parents, um, I told you about parents, yeah? My parents were… Not good parents. They never… It wasn't that, that they were… They didn't actively hurt me exactly, they… They didn't do anything."
"Um…?" Spinel was a bit lost. I had probably phrased that really badly.
"Parents are supposed to provide care, but also… love, affection, attention, anything like that… Mine… didn't." I closed my eyes. "And it… It was bad, for my head. At first I thought it was just normal but… When I met these guys, saw their families, I knew, it, it wasn't normal. It wasn't okay. To be ignored. All the time… All they really cared about was making sure I was alive, clothed and fed and other than that… Nothing.
"I'd come home from school and neither would even say a word. I'd be crying in my room, loud, and they'd never come to see why… I-I'd do anything to just… get them to notice me."
I sunk in my seat and Spinel hugged me a bit closer.
"I… It hurt, it still hurts. They never loved me, not even a little. Never even batted an eye when I was hurt, no matter how bad… One day, at school I broke my leg."
"H-huh?" Spinel startled.
"Er… The bone in my leg got a crack in it." I explained. That seemed to make her understand a bit better. Weird what gems did and didn't get…
"I fell off the swings because I was being a dumb kid and had to go to a hospital and, and… My parents never came once." I finally whispered.
"That was definitely when I think I broke. When I got back home they acted like I wasn't even in a leg cast. And when it was time to get the cast off…"
Tex uttered a deep growl. "I remember that. I was there."
I nodded bitterly. "Too busy to take you, get your friends to do it." I mumbled. "That's what they told me."
Spinel leaned her head close, comforting me a bit. She was really good at this cuddling thing.
"When I came back, I… snapped. I'd never been so mad… I…" I grimaced. "I just couldn't handle nothing so I decided if I wanted a response, I-I'd try and get a bad one." I burrowed my head in my hands. "So I-I… went ballistic. Smashed up the house. Tore it apart. Broke vases, plates… wrecked the dining room especially bad, it had this chandelier and I-I threw plates at it until it fell and crashed on the table…And all my parents did was lock me in my room for a day and then act like it had never happened.
"It broke me. It- something in my head, I mean. I remember running outside, right into the street… Almost got clobbered by a car." I hugged my knees. "And I ran away."
"Ying…" Spinel whispered, hugging me closer.
"But after that day, I… Something went really bad in my head." I whispered. "I became obsessed with attention. Any kind I could get, good…"
"Or really, really bad?" Spinel guessed, worried.
"Mhm." I croaked. "And that's about when I met Peony and she… At first she was so so nice. That was the worst thing, how… sweet and thoughtful she seemed…" I hugged my knees. "But that was… just her way of getting hooks into people… She was… the worst . She just was nice to people so she could control them…"
"Us too." Sunny admitted. "She seemed perfect for Ying. But… in hindsight…"
"Too perfect. Like it was an act." Jack sneered bitterly. "Because it was, but god, we were stupid kids."
"I was fourteen." I said quietly. "I was scared, vulnerable, desperate for attention, and Peony showered me in it. She called me every nice name in the book and treated me like I was a person again… But it didn't last. She got… clingy. Obsessive. Started using us. She kept treating my friends like they were causing problems for her, or like they wanted to steal me… And it only got worse from there…"
Spinel shuddered. This was already taking a dark turn, and it was only going to get more awful.
"She started stalking me." I mumbled. "I didn't even realize at first but she'd start showing up no matter where I was. I didn't have a single home, I just kinda stayed with my friends' families when I could, n-none of them minded when they found out about… me. But when Peony came into my life, that… she kept insisting I stay with her. She started buying me clothes and at first it was cute but then it got weird . She wanted me to dress exactly the way she wanted, do exactly the stuff she wanted, even talk in a specific way… It was so fucked up and I didn't notice or care because I was so desperate to be loved by anyone…"
My shoulders were shaking, and I had tears spilling down my face now. I was an ugly sobbing wreck but Spinel held me anyway.
"I didn't even s-stop when… when she started making me wear makeup to hide the bruises she'd g-give me…"
" Bruises?! " Spinel choked, eyes wide.
"We didn't find out until it rained one day and smudged the white foundation stuff that Peony'd been making her wear…" Tex admitted. "We… prolly should have noticed sooner, c-cause…"
"It'd been going on for about two years." Jez finished softly.
"She hit me. A lot. Really hard sometimes. If she was really mad she'd grab me around the neck and shake me and scream at me. A-and after she'd hug me and apologize b-but but, she'd… She'd always do it so backhanded. She… she would say things like "I'm sorry, I didn't want you to make me do that"- not, not exactly like that but… that's kind of it…" I whispered. Spinel was shaking a bit. I didn't dare look up to see if it was rage or if she was crying or both.
"She kept me going like that for five years." I whispered. "And I just… kept studying to be a teacher, and kept letting her use me as her punching bag, or her dressup doll or whatever the fuck she thought I was…" I lowered my eyes. "I can't say anything really made me stop being with her, specifically, I just… was so weak and scared and lonely and desperate and I just… couldn't. Not for such a long time, but… finally I… One day she lost it and just started screaming at me, and screaming so so loud..." I lowered my gaze. "Something inside me just... broke and I ran away from her and never went back."
"We had been trying forever." Jack murmured. "So we were kinda shocked when she showed up in the middle of the night, and just… never went back to her…" He cringed. "Sorry, Ying. We kinda… doubted you more than we should have when you said you really meant it when you said you were breaking up with her…"
"I don't blame you… I-I doubted me too. I think… Even worse than all the hitting, and yelling and controlling, I-I still sometimes feel like… like it was somehow my fault..." I mumbled weakly, eyes low. "How fucked is that…? I sometimes feel like I somehow made her hit me…"
Spinel ground her teeth slowly, barely keeping herself in check.
"...How dare she try to talk to ya after that?" Spinel whispered. I felt an odd heat rise to my face. "She… that's awful Ying. She's awful. How could anyone hurt someone as good and wonderful as you?"
"It's a mystery." Sunny hummed. "Ying's the best."
"Shouldn't you say your husband's the best?" I managed a weak joke, sniffling.
Sunny grinned, leaning over to smooch Zach on the cheek. "Naw, he already knows that."
The mood was still heavy, all the way to the woods, where the path to Little Homeworld began. The van rumbled along the dirt road at a steady pace. Spinel was still angry, but it was mostly just worry now. She clung to me the whole time, eyes low.
"Hmhmhm." Jez was making The Laugh. That Laugh never meant good news for me. "You two sure are close."
"Uh yeah?" Spinel blinked. "I… dunno if um, she feels the same, but… Ying's pretty much my best friend?"
"R-really…?" I looked up, surprised. Spinel nodded emphatically.
"Best friend, huh?" Jack joined his sister, grinning in the exact same way.
"Yeah?" Spinel looked confused. "What… is going on? You are both very odd humans."
Jez puffed her chest proudly. "Damn straight we are~"
"Mhm~!" Jack grinned wider. "Besides, you clearly didn't get what we were implying, so maybe we need to be less subtle!"
" Oh look, we're almost here! " I hiss, pantomiming wringing their necks in the air. The twins just grin and reach forward suddenly, ruffling my hair wildly, pushing it over my face. "Bwagh! Treason! You two are the worst friends!"
"And that's why you love us." Jack giggled.
God dammit, he's right. Despite this awful night, their antics are definitely making me feel a little better.
We slowed to a halt right by the center of Little Homeworld. The sun was dipping lower, casting the sky into a pleasant orange-y glow.
"How about ya go get some rest, Ying?" Tex suggested softly, his voice deep and calm. "We have a hotel in town. And Greg'll be bringin us our band stuff. Awful nice of him to do that."
"He's a nice guy." I nodded, unbuckling my seatbelt. "Sorry today ended so rough, but I really really am glad you guys are here." I scoot to give everyone a hug, squeezing each friend one by one. "I… think I'll b-be okay. Maybe. Sorta. Tomorrow, let's hang out. I can show you around Little Homeworld."
"Fun!" Sunny grinned, stealing a second hug as I moved for the door. I hopped out, legs shaking a bit still. Spinel hopped out and took my hand.
"Um, nice to meetcha all?"
"Likewise!" The twins poked their heads out a window, practically shoving each other aside to peer through.
"Okay seriously, though-" Jez began, grinning wide as could be. "Ying totally thinks you're a super cutie and you should-mmmpfh!"
Zach, my savior. He had just planted a hand over their mouths and dragged them back into the van, despite his tiny size. "Seeya tomorrow Ying!" He shouted, rolling the windows up.
I was probably a nice shade of red.
Spinel didn't comment thankfully, taking my hand. "Can… I walk you back? I… know this sounds weird but I'd rather you not be alone after… that."
"Okay." I managed, and slowly we began making our way back to the apartment building. Up the steps to my floor. I felt vaguely empty inside as I pulled my keys out, fumbling with them, dropping them twice in a row.
"God, I'm such a mess…" I murmured with a weak laugh.
The laugh continued for some reason, long after my butterfingers stopped being amusing. I unlocked the door finally, and Spinel followed me in. My laugh began to bubble into a different sound altogether, as the weight of the last few hours sinks in hard. Spinel hugged me softly, holding my head against her gemstone as I finally began breaking down.
Neither of us spoke for a while. Spinel was content to let me sob into her, holding me and guiding me to the couch. She sat there, pulling me in until I was practically in her lap. My shaky, unstable sobs continued for a while longer. I wept until the tears dried up, and I just clung to her weakly, shoulders still shaking.
"Why am I like this…?" I whimpered.
"Like what?" Spinel's voice was more gentle than I'd ever heard it. I scrubbed a sleeve across my face, shuddering.
"A mess. A total disaster who seems to just… fail so much."
"You haven't been failing at all since you came here." Spinel murmured, resting her chin atop my head. We laid there for a moment as I processed what she said.
Maybe she was right, but it was so hard to accept.
There was a light rap at my door.
"Mmh… Diopside probably locked herself out again…" I laughed weakly. I tried not to think Spinel almost looked disappointed as I tugged away. "She gave me a spare key, it happens so much…"
I picked the spare up from the counter, heading for the door and opening it and-
"What the fuck?!" I blurted, slamming it shut, or at least trying to, as a booted foot swung into the frame, blocking it.
"Hey." Peony smiled, like a vicious animal that had cornered prey. "I wanna talk."
I choked for a moment, before finding my voice. "Well too bad, because I don't wanna talk to you! " I spat, trying to slam the door right on her foot, but her fist thudded against it, keeping it trapped open.
"When I say "want to talk" I mean "we are going to talk." She still was smiling, but her tone was growing colder, threatening and hostile. "So. Let's. Talk."
"Fuck off!" I shout, grabbing the keys in my fingers, remembering what Jez had taught me. Keys between your fingers. Don't bunch head on, scratch. Use em like claws. Go for the face.
Peony is really strong though. Holding the door like this is nearly impossible, and she's trying to force her way inside.
"You know you can't avoid me. You can't even survive without me. Living out here, away from any other humans? Sad, Ying. I'll bring you back. I'll-"
Spinel was hovering behind me. I could tell because Peony's expression went from cold, smug control to confusion, then to distaste, then to sudden alarm, as the pink gem leaned over my shoulder slightly. .
"I think you need to leave now ." She hissed coldly, and oh god Spinel is right by my ear when she's doing that.
Peony takes a half step back, glancing down at me.
"Hmph… couldn't get a new human girl so you went for an alien huh? You really are worthless without me."
"Get out and never come back." Spinel hissed, her hand twitching towards her gem. I looked up at her worried. Peony was awful. Awful and the worst thing that ever happened to me, but even she doesn't deserve to die for it.
Peony looks ready to say something smart, only to yelp as something taps her shoulder. All the facade of cool control that hadn't been sucked out by Spinel is drained by the shortish green gem staring with blank, wide, slightly eerie eyes at Peony.
"You are yelling and that is very much not acceptable at this hour, miss stranger. I am attempting to return to my domicile and you are making it a disturbing and annoying trip." Her eyes began to go a little unfocused, and she mumbled something I didn't catch about "earth madness" before her gaze reached me. "Miss DeLacour! I'm terribly sorry but I misplaced my keys. Again."
I wordlessly push Peony out of my way, handing her the keys. "Anytime, Diopside."
Diopside stares blankly, before smiling earnestly, shuffling to unlock her door. She holds it open for a moment, shuffling back to hand me the spare keys, before whirling on Peony.
"This is a dwelling with numerous individuals residing here. Kindly keep your volume at an acceptable level. In fact, perhaps you should vacate the premises before you anger someone far less kind and patient as Miss DeLacour, Miss Spinel or myself. Good day." she turned and stepped for the door, pausing. "Ah, wait. Good night. Yes." A few more shuffly steps. "Oh, that was not a request, stranger-human. Leave or risk a terrible fate."
With Diopside's threats and Spinel's coldly worded order, Peony growled, turning to leave.
"This isn't over."
"It will be if you come back." Spinel hissed chillingly. "Any gem could shatter your body without the slightest of effort. And I would be more than happy to tear you in two. Nobody hurts my friends."
Peony growled louder. As always, she had to try and get the last word in, looking back over her shoulder at me. "You're awful at this anyway. I'm sure you'll just run back to me once she breaks your heart. Bye bye, Ying. You'll be back for me, soon enough."
I slammed the door once Spinel was fully back inside, and collapsed with a long groan.
"Can you call a crystal gem and tell them about that stuff?" I mumbled, face buried in a pillow. "I would but I don't have the energy."
"Yeah. Sure." Spinel nodded. She still didn't quite have the hang of phones, but there were more high-tech communicators on Little Homeworld for gems who hadn't gotten the knack for the less advanced human communications.
"I sent them a message, they should know about it." She sat down next to me, and patted my head. "Have you… ever stood up to her like that before?"
"No…" I mumbled into the pillow, trying not to revel in the hand gently tousling my hair. "I feel so tired."
"Well, I think it was pretty cool that ya could push back against someone who always pushed ya around before…"
I manage to turn, cracking a weak grin. "Maybe but I'm glad you and Diopside were there… If she had wanted to force her way in here, I don't think I could have stopped her."
"She's that strong?"
"She sure didn't have a problem keeping the door forced open." I mumbled.
"I uh…" Spinel rubbed the back of her head. "I woulda swung in sooner but I thought you had it handled until she started pushin her way inside."
"I appreciate it." I smile weakly. "God. I'm so tired but now I'm not gonna sleep. She followed us here . Who the hell does that…"
Spinel sat next to me. "Gonna be honest, after that, I don't feel particularly comfy leavin ya alone tonight. Yer stuck with me." she grinned, and I laughed shakily.
"Oh thank god, I worried I'd have to deal with my awful intrusive thoughts alone without the charming, nice, cute friend I have…" I mumbled.
"Cute, huh?" Spinel giggled and I flushed. This was gonna be a long night. Probably a pretty bad one too. I didn't feel any panic attacks bubbling up, but I definitely had a lot to digest.
It had been a weird day.
Hell, I've had a weird week.
Still, somehow when I look up at Spinel, I feel like maybe I'll be okay.