(Takes place a day after the events of "Onion Gang"; two days after "Last One Out of Beach City")
After spending a day with Onion and his friends, Steven starts to ponder over what he may have been missing out on all these years.
Sunlight.
Chirping birds.
Rustling autumn leaves.
Warm grass soft beneath.
A surprised yelp and subsequent thud sending fallen leaves all over the place.
Still in lotus position, Amber peeked her left eye open at the young fallen boy now lying prone beside her. Welp, there goes my meditation for today.
While the much older rock waited patiently for an answer, Steven lifted his head up with a flummoxed smile. "Hey, Amber! What are you doing here?"
Holding back an amused smirk, Amber whipped out her cellphone. Enjoying my day off from training, working, and brainstorming with your dad. What about you?
"Oh," Steven sat up, "I was heading back home from hanging out with Onion and his friends. I noticed you down here and, uh…I wanted to say hi!"
The slight hesitation at the end did not escape Amber's notice. An ulterior motive or sudden thought? Either way, Amber gave Steven a friendly smile. In that case, hi to you too. Now then, you better get home. It's getting late out.
Steven waved off Amber's suggestion-not-suggestion. "That's OK, the Gems leave me on my own a lot; as long I'm not out too long, it's cool!" The boy shifted his sight to the setting sun, missing Amber's heavily shocked and concerned face. The yellow Gem continued to wait him out.
The young hybrid did not disappoint. "Would it be OK if I hung out with you for a while? I, um…" Amber softened her countenance into something still concerned but more open and encouraging. Eyes casted downward upon noticing, Steven sat down and fiddled with his fingers. "There's some things I've been wanting to know lately."
This time Amber shifted herself until she faced him fully, giving her full attention. Steven averted eye contact at first; before long he braced himself with a brave sigh. "What's school like?"
Amber cocked her head. You'll have to be more specific than that.
Specific? Surprise and confusion took over Steven's face, his eyebrows furrowed. "You mean it's not the same for everybody?"
Something in Amber's shapeshifted gut told her to brace for a long talk. She shook her head.
It varies. As far as where we live is concerned, the main factor tends to be age. Connie, for example, goes to middle school since she's too old to go to elementary school anymore, unlike Onion, but not old enough to go to high school. Money and economic status can play a role too since certain families send their kids to private schools. Now when you reach adulthood, that's when the choices really start diversifying, but even then – she paused and looked up to notice the glazing over in Steven's eyes – am I losing you, by any chance?
At the question, Steven snapped back to attention and held his hands up in haste. "Oh, no, no! I've been paying attention! It's just a little much to wrap my head around all at once. Connie's mentioned a buncha stuff about school to me, although it doesn't sound like she enjoys most of it."
Probably because you're not there. Seeing Steven's blush was so worth a chuckle. Smiling, Amber pat the stuttering boy's clasped hands. But in all seriousness, it might be a blessing in disguise that you don't attend school at all.
Hearing that sparked bewilderment in Steven's eyes as he cast them on the molehog. "What do you mean?"
Pulling her hand back, Amber shrugged. The purpose of school is that kids learn important things so that they can function more easily as adults and in society later. She paused for a moment, eyes pensive and averted. Supposedly.
Supposedly? Steven mentally parroted, his head at a tilt.
The school system in general, at least in this country, leaves a lot to be desired. Amber could probably go on for hours on why, but they didn't have the time for that, and she didn't wish to lose Steven in verbosity again. Best to summarize. For one, it doesn't do a good job of considering how different people learn.
Understanding took shape in Steven's eyes. "Oh! Like with me when I had to learn summoning my weapon! The Gems all tried teaching me their own ways of doing it, but none of those ever clicked with me." The boy scratched his cheek, expression withdrawn and somewhat embarrassed as though he half-expected to be scolded. "N-Not to say they didn't try their best...I just—"
A clawed hand atop his head shushed him.
It's OK to be critical of your family, Steven. It doesn't mean you dislike or don't love them.
It was? It didn't? The amount of shock radiating from Steven's face at these revelations shouldn't have worried Amber, but it did. The golden Gem made a note to discuss this with the other Gems and Greg. Out of curiosity, how did you first summon your weapon?
"Cookie Cat!" Steven chirped. Before his baffled talk buddy could ask, the boy forged ahead with his story, leaning back on his arms to face the evening horizon. "It's this ice cream I used to eat all the time – well not as much as before at least. It got discontinued that day and it really bummed me out, but when the Gems told me that they bought out all the Cookie Cats left, I was so happy! Back then, I mostly cared about getting to enjoy my favorite treat after all, but" – the energy in his eyes softened into something more thoughtful – "I think how the others went through all that trouble for me was what really sent my gem over the edge."
He looked down in thought. "It kinda took me a while to get the hang of it and I still needed a little help afterwards, but in the end, I figured it out my own way." He shot a glance to his quilled companion. "Is that what you meant by school not doing a good job?"
In a way yeah. From what I've seen and heard from human teachers, its main approach seems to be one-size-fits-all. Doesn't help that the learning's gauged by a grading system. In which case, at least the Gems could say they opted for different teaching tactics.
Steven craned his head forward, curiosity piqued. "You mean with letters and stuff? Connie mentioned that a few times too, although I still don't get it. What's a letter to do with how smart you are?"
Essentially, it's meant to show teachers how well you know the material, but even in theory it's shaky at best. For one, it doesn't encourage actual learning; it just trains kids on how to give the right answers. Second, the grading operates on the assumption that you somehow remember all these facts and figures, some of which might not even be tested to begin with.
Huh, that sounded rather arbitrary. Steven pursed his lips. "And that works with some kids but not others, right?" When Amber confirmed with a nod, the young hybrid crossed his arms. "Don't they go outside for lessons at least?"
Besides physical education and maybe science classes, no. At least not with Connie's school or Kurtis' former ones. Otherwise, almost all their time is spent in a room filled with desks and chairs.
"What?!" Steven gasped, gripping his head in utter horror. "They don't even get to run around?" When his golden friend gave an empathetic headshake, the boy slumped onto his back spread-eagle style with a dramatic sigh. "Ugh, no wonder Connie doesn't like school."
That isn't to say school is utterly useless, Amber amended, It's just not executed to help every kid reach their full potential.
Steven rotated his head at the other Gem. "What about for adults? You know, college."
Oof, a slightly more multifaceted question. Amber gave her stomach a thoughtful scratch. It's...a lot of experiences at once. You get to meet plenty of different people from plenty of different places while learning what interests you. It can get kind of boring too at times, but that's how school tends to be no matter how old you get – and I'm mainly speaking from my experience and what Kurtis told me. Amber cast a curious (and slightly knowing) look on Steven. Why the sudden interest?
The boy redirected his eyes to the sky. "No reason. Just...suddenly interested." Sitting back up, Steven tapped a random beat against his sandalled feet. "Onion's friends don't live in Beach City, so they had to leave now that it's fall." He tilted his head skyward in thought and then turned to Amber. "It's because school for them starts around this time, right?"
When Amber grunted in affirmation, he returned his sight to the horizon. "Yeah, Connie mentioned it when I texted her to see if she wanted to hang out" – a wistful frown emerged – "and she said she couldn't." Steven started when Amber, now in canine form, laid down and set her head in his lap. He petted her head in thanks and let the moment sink in for a few moments. "Do you think the Gems would let me go with her if I asked?"
Amber looked up at Steven and then to space in wonder. Hmm, a good question. In fact, now that she thought about it, how close to a formal education did Steven have?
Shapeshifting back to default, she picked her phone back up to continue the conversation. Have the others ever taught you anything besides Gem stuff?
Steven crossed his arms, mulling over how to answer. "Uh...my dad and Pearl helped me learn how to speak English...and Pearl taught me basic math and some algebra! She tried to teach me trigonometry and calculus, too, but I think Amethyst ate the books before she could."
Figures on that last part. What about human history?
"The Gems...sort of tried? They were there for a lot of stuff that happened, but it seems like Garnet would brush over certain things, and I think there might have been parts that hit a little too close to home for Pearl. In the end, I learned most of it from my dad...although he always gets super-particular about the history books I read. Something about me deserving better than 'patriarchal whitewashed propaganda getting shoved down my throat'."
A snort burst from Amber, forcing her to smother her snout with both forepaws. Before Steven could ask what's wrong, she hurriedly deleted her last message and typed, Your Dad is a legend.
"I'll...let him know you said that? Thanks?"
Eventually Amber got over her laughing fit. But in all seriousness, it seems you've been having an easier time being homeschooled.
"You mean what me and my Dad and Gems have been doing? That counts as school too?" At another nod from his senior, the boy put a hand to his chin and soon beamed in eureka fashion. "Yeah...yeah you're right! Maybe we could even mix it up with Gem stuff from now on! Like – what did Connie call it? – P.E! That could be me going through Pearl's training, and maybe some laps around the Strawberry Fields or some Gem ruins? And we could have Peridot and the others be teachers too!"
He started to count off on his fingers. "Pearl and Peridot could handle science and math; Garnet could do P.E. cuz she's so strong; Lapis could do art with her meep morps – although so does Peri so maybe they could co-teach? Amethyst is a good sparring partner so maybe she could do P.E. with Pearl? I'd have given her Cooking but—"
A sharp tug at his pants' leg cut off his rambling, a sign that Amber needed him to slow down. Steven sheepishly rubbed his head, chirping out an apology.
The smiling molehog shook her head to show no hard feelings. On the contrary, the sight of Steven's enthusiasm to learn filled her with pride (and a hint of relief).
"Still, I'd really-really like for the guys to try harder in teaching me stuff besides Gem things, especially since they've getting along better with Dad. Besides, I'd probably make a mess of things at Connie's school cuz of my Gem powers." Or indirectly via a Corrupted Gem coming for him but Steven didn't want to accidentally insult Amber by saying that.
Amber frowned regardless. While she didn't disagree with the avoidance of risk in that admittance, she didn't like the self-deprecating way Steven phrased it. Sure, this kid didn't strike her as someone who always looked before he leapt, but rather as someone who always tried to put his best foot forward.
I'm sure you'd have done fine. If anything, you should count your lucky stars you don't have to deal with bullies.
Steven pursed his lips before stuffing one hand into his pocket and nudging a pebble away with the other. Connie vented to him about such people sometimes, namely other girls who'd call her out for various reasons, even though she always made a point to assure him that she can handle them. Without violence mind you.
Eventually, he picked the pebble up and rolled it between his fingers. "Did people at school ever bully Kurtis? Or either of you at college?"
Oh. This was not a direction Amber foresaw this conversation taking. The molehog opened her mouth and closed it, unsure how to respond.
Immediately at the silence Steven hunched his shoulders in shame. "Sorry. I only asked because…sometimes when tourists brought their kids along, I used to try playing with them. Most of them were pretty nice, but some could be really mean. Even their parents."
Used to? Amber's brow furrowed in worry.
By this point, Steven had stopped fiddling with the pebble and gazed down on it in his palm. "Usually, I stay away if they are, but then one time, this one lady got super-super mean. Garnet was telling a story to me and this one girl I just met about a Gem mission until her mom charged in."
His face twisted in discomfort from recalling the incident. "She called Garnet all sorts of weird, not-nice names and she looked so scary shouting them." He remembered hiding behind Garnet, who had taken the insults with crossed arms and unimpressed stoicism. The girl's look of shame and likewise fear as her mother scolded her and dragged her away. Him asking Garnet if he'd done something wrong, only for her to assure him no. "After that, I sort of kept my distance from anybody not from here for a while."
Until you met Connie.
Steven managed a brief genuine smile, only for it to sink at a realization. "Teachers are always adults, right? Are they ever bullies to students – or as bad as that lady was?"
A forlorn sigh seeped through Amber's nose. She couldn't bring herself to lie. It's been known to happen.
"Even to kids?"
Amber looked away even as she held her phone up. Even to kids.
Steven looked away as well, silent for a minute. "Is it bad that I still wanna see it for myself? Not the teachers being awful but school in general, just so I know what a day there's like?"
Not necessarily. It might be a little tricky pulling it off without rousing suspicion, though. Particularly in terms of paperwork since there's no account of how far Greg had gone in registering his son as a citizen. Steven pursed his lips at the information given thus far, frustrated but unwilling to give up. A brief skyward gaze later, Amber mumbled in an 'aha' manner. What about school events open to the public?
This question urged the boy to crane his head forward, interested. "Like…?"
While I can't speak for all schools, I do remember Kurtis' elementary and middle schools having book fairs, and I'm fairly sure Connie's does too. In fact, if what her mother told me at my coming out dinner weeks ago is still true, that place also has a fundraiser event coming up next month.
A strange feeling suddenly came over Amber, the feeling of being under intense focus. One turn of the head confirmed the reason: Steven up close and personal with shimmering starlit eyes.
"They. Have. Fairs?"
Blink, blink. Amber had to scooch back a little to uncross her eyes and gave a slow nod, almost worried any more of an answer would make the boy explode into stardust and rainbows…which seemed as though might happen judging by his excited trembling.
OK, Steven, Amber hastily typed out, breathe first. Much to her relief, he complied – well if giant gulps and puffs of air counted. In any case, he got a hold of himself and pulled back, although the glimmery eyes and smile remained. I take it Connie never told you about those then.
Thankfully that statement got the kid to settle down a little.
"Sorta but not really. She mentioned her school does 'extra stuff', but she sort of glossed over it. I don't think she thought I'd find them boring; it might be more like she finds them boring and knew I'd want to see them for myself with her, but she's probably worried she'll bum me out instead cuz we won't be the same amount of excited and now I don't know to bring it up without putting her on the spot…," his eyes rolled back to Amber, "if that makes sense."
Yes, that indeed made some kind of sense, although Amber couldn't help a pitying look in return. We can pitch the idea to her together if you'd like.
"Really?" Amber barely got a smile and single nod in before Steven tackled her in a hug, spouting 'thank you' over and over in rapid succession. The golden Gem pat a gentle paw against the boy's back before Steven peeled himself off and stepped back to futilely mask a sudden yawn. "Sorry, guess hanging out with Onion took a lot more outta me than I thought."
How Vidalia and Sour Cream handle him day in and out, I'll never know.
That quip earned a chuckle from Steven, who stretched his arms over his head. "Ok, now might be a good time for me to go home." Not that the grass here didn't look comfy, but he'd rather not chance any bugs making a roost out of his nose or ears overnight. Besides, he'd already taken up enough of Amber's private time. "Thanks for letting me hang out with you. I'll catch ya—Whoa!"
Before he could turn homeward, the young hybrid found himself flipped before landing face-first onto a broad furry back of gold. He needed only a few seconds to realize Amber had shapeshifted into her badger-bear form and delegated herself to living transport. With her mouth, she tossed up her backpack with her cellphone and possessions all inside to Steven, who caught it without effort. Then without further prompt, his transportation trudged forward to Beach City.
Steven sat up and ran a hand through his curls in amusement. "Or you can catch me. Heh-heh."
His ride shifted her head enough to shoot a smirk over her shoulder before returning her attention to the way ahead. Admittedly, for a ride to someplace a couple minutes away, the trip felt as though Amber were taking her sweet time. Not that Steven minded, let alone didn't trust his companion to get him home before dark. In fact, he appreciated the extra time as it allowed him a quick nap. However, right before he could nod off a thought occurred to him.
"Hey Amber?" he murmured. The aureate badger grunted to show she was listening. "When we do the homeschooling thing, would it be OK to have you be the history teacher?"
That question gave the yellow rock pause, though gradually lest she jostle Steven from his perch by accident.
"It's cool if you need time to think about it first," the boy assured in slight haste, "I just thought it'd be nice if you got to work on something with the other Gems, have something to do with your friends."
Oh stars, this kid was just too sweet for this world. Amber smiled as she redirected her attention back to the path home. "I'll…consider," she croaked out. The badger-bear could feel Steven's happy smile against her back right before the boy's light snores started to fill the autumn air.
Amongst the trees far behind them, a beam of sunlight shifted.
XXX
What a surprise to see Greg and his guitar alone on the porch steps when Amber arrived at the beachfront half an hour later.
If anything, she would have hoped one of the Gems have been present so she could share a piece of her mind, but one glance through the windows put that expectation to rest. Not to say she dreaded seeing the older chubby human here. If anything, his presence filled her with a sense of relief even as confirmation of Steven's unwitting words about his lifestyle growing up raised her concern even further.
In any case, some words needed to be exchanged.
She switched off her invisibility to make herself and her passenger visible before they came within eyeshot of Greg yet once they were out of eyeshot of any passersby from town. No sense in giving the man a heart-attack.
One look at the boy had been enough for the former rocker to emit a light chuckle before gathering his son and taking him inside to bed. Once the elder Universe returned and retook his seat on the porch, Amber reverted to default and sat down beside him, texting out a customary icebreaker. No need to be too blunt after all.
Any new developments since this morning?
Greg shrugged before he picked his guitar back up and returned to strumming its strings. "Eh, nothin' too exciting. Things at the wash got a little busier than usual. Probably cuz school's starting up soon; all these parents wanna make sure their cars look spic and span when they drop off their kids."
Don't forget all those teens who have licenses and cars. Any of them give you trouble?
"Nah, they're usually in and out even faster than the older folks are. Well except for these two kids chatting me up about music, especially this big guy. Something tells me he got a little bit of the musician's bug in him."
Big guy? Amber shook her head. Nah, that's probably not the kid from the other night.
Which reminded her. Since we're on the topic of kids and school, Steven and I were discussing the idea of homeschooling earlier today, and he seems pretty enthusiastic about going further with it.
"Homeschool?" The confusion in Greg's voice shifted Amber's focus to him – more specifically his taken back expression. To his credit, the ex-musician did not immediately turn the idea down, although he did rub his nape in uncertainty.
Amber pressed her lips together in second thought. It's alright if past struggles have made you doubtful of it.
"Wha – no, no!" Greg blurted, waving his hands in a manner not dissimilar to his son. "I still think it's great! It's just…," he broke eye contact, "the Gems might think anything more'd be unnecessary."
When Amber furrowed her brow, curious, Greg shrugged again. "You may not believe me, but they have been doing a decent job at teaching him other things than Gem stuff." He noted the surprise and relief on Amber's face intermixed with skepticism. "No really, Pearl's all into calculations and stuff, so she makes a point to make sure Steven knows plenty math and science, astronomy in particular; Amethyst knows a thing or two about art thanks to hanging around Vidalia, not to mention lots about the human body since she shapeshifts so much; and Garnet…well…"
Does she mostly focus on physical stuff? Steven said she'd make a good PE teacher since she's so strong.
Greg chuckled at his son's observation. "Probably. Course, just one of those Gem missions probably counts as much as a dozen PE classes. She tends to be way more hands-off anyway. Last time I asked, I think she said she was teaching Steven about ethics and philosophy. Sounds a little high-brow to teach someone his age, but then again the little guy tends to pick up quick on stuff, even if he doesn't fully get it." He spared Amber an amused glance. "Not too sure if it's a Gem thing."
Amber looked away, scratching her cheek, unsure if she should feel self-conscious about what seemed to her like an unfair advantage.
"Besides, Steven being in human school never seemed like something that could pan out. What other kids do you know have Gem powers?" An uncharacteristic grimace came to Greg, eye half-lidded. "Or boys who never got bullied for being like Steven in general."
Yeah, that checked out. Amber winced at memories of a much younger Kurtis coming home in tears after a rough day at school. Kids could be cruel after all. She pat Greg's shoulder, face sympathetic.
"It might not count for much," the brunet murmured, "but I did try to put the little guy in kindergarten once."
What made you stop?
Greg bit the bottom of his lip. "A Corrupted Gem nearly tore the school apart looking for him. The Gems managed to stop it before it could get close but…um."
You didn't tell them about taking Steven to school, huh?
A deep blush answered her question before his words could.
"Actually, I did. They didn't react so well when I said I wanted to take Steven to kindergarten; took me forever to convince them that it means something completely different for humans" – he managed a feeble smile that waned soon after – "and after that Gem attack, they really tore into me for taking him there anyway." A brief exchange of looks with his present company passed. "OK, Pearl tore into me."
Amber shook her head. One incident doesn't make an argument. Didn't you try to argue how Steven needs contact with more humans his age? Greg nervously fingered the strings of his guitar at a slower pace. The molehog tried hard not to frown in disappointment at the man's clear tendency to cow from Gem matters. What about afterward?
The strumming stopped; Greg shifted his eyes to the side in thought. "There was this one time right before school ended this summer, although that wasn't because of me and the Gems. Connie sorta brought Steven to show and tell."
He noticed Amber, eyes wide in surprise, start to type at a rapid pace and smirked. "Schtu-ball brought a Corrupted Gem by mistake, helped Connie and the kids fight it off until the Gems showed up, half the school wound up totaled, Connie almost got suspended until her teacher brought up not just her perfect scores but Steven's too, and so the principal decided to not suspend Connie as long as Steven never attended the school ever again."
All this Greg listed out in the most relaxed and nonchalant tone possible. While the order of events did not take Amber by surprise, she couldn't help but feel a sense of incompleteness to it, as though Greg were holding off a plot twist.
"That is until this morning when Steven followed Connie to make sure she got to her first day of school OK, and the principal popped up to show him his new spotless permanent record. Little guy's an honorary student now."
Ah, there you go then.
All the same, Amber set her jaw in puzzlement. Something still didn't add up. Odd, Steven never mentioned any of this to me. In fact, he made it sound as though he never set a single foot in school.
Greg gawked at his companion in wonder. He'd figured that since his son had discussed the topic with Amber that he would have at least mentioned this incident to her.
Then again, he posed his questions in terms of what school's like in the long run, so I gave him my observations along with what I'd heard or read from other humans. Maybe he thought I'd tell him no straight away if he'd shared that story? Based on what Greg shared about previous attempts to enroll the boy, Amber started to see why. She twiddled her foreclaws nervously. Either way, I hope I didn't discourage him.
"Actually," Greg sported a half-smile as he replied, "when he came back to visit me this morning and told me what happened, I asked if he ever thought about going back. He never gave a clear answer, so I think it's all up in the air to him."
If anything, at least he won't get in trouble for showing up at school events. I'd hate to see him all sad and disappointed at not getting to hang out with Connie at the next book fair.
Those last two words lit up a bright smile for Greg. "Oh yeah, I remember those! My parents never let me go cuz they thought the selections were 'low brow' and other nonsense. That's why I always tagged along with my friends so their parents could buy stuff for me. Maybe I could go with the kids sometime so they can get whatever they want."
Vast approval of the idea took the form of Amber's smile and nod. Greg smiled back but only for a moment before his facial expression waned in melancholy. The ex-rocker plucked a few more strings, self-conscious. "That is…as long as the little guy's not too upset with me."
Upset? Amber cocked her head, suspecting the reason behind the change in mood yet wanting Greg to confirm on his own.
Once again, the plucking stopped. "I know I shy away from Gem stuff when it comes to Steven." All that fancy alien tech and wild battles could be pretty intimidating to a regular person. Still, Greg curled in on himself a little. "Sometimes I see the way you and the Flores interact, and I feel like a total wimp, thinking over how often I let the Gems have the final word on what's best for him. I guess it's because they can do all these amazing things while I'm just…me. That and all the stuff with Rose."
A frustrated sigh left Greg, his voice taking on a surprisingly dark glint. "But even I know they're not perfect. Between all those missions they couldn't take him on until recently and me working at the car wash, Schtu-ball's all by his lonesome a lot of the time."
Exactly as Amber expected. Between the lack of public school and the boy's professed shyness around other children he didn't know well, this reveal did not surprise her in the slightest. That being said, a part of her suspected Greg had more to share.
"To be honest with ya, it sucked at first when Steven had to switch over to living with them, but after a while I got used to it because first off, I still got to see him from time to time, and second, I had enough trust in the Gems to make sure he didn't get himself killed…at least until…"
When Greg pinched his eyes in sudden disquiet, Amber pat his thick arm in a show of comfort. This gesture helped the man gather himself, eyes starting to tear up. "This one night, I'm at the wash cleaning my van when my own son comes to me…"
Amber craned her head closer, curious yet at the same time dreading the answer. As time went on, Greg's face started to distort, lips trembling and eyebrows pinching as though the man were trying to contain a bomb inside himself.
Then the metaphorical bomb exploded. "He comes to me with literal cat faces growing out of him! It didn't even click with me at first that it could be a Gem thing, I only knew that my kid was in trouble and needed my help! I mean, he looked so scared and in pain, how could I NOT do something?! And the next day when I asked the Gems what the heck that was all about, Garnet said it all worked out alright because 'Steven found a way like he always does.'"
Garnet said that? Amber's lower jaw fell from shock.
"The poor kid had nightmares about that, too! I only found out after he had a nightmare during a night over with me two weeks later, and that's after all the times I asked if he was OK after the incident!"
You didn't grill the Gems for this, did you?
Greg let his hand drop in shame. "It's not like I didn't try, but Garnet's always been pretty hard to argue with. She wasn't wrong that Schtu-ball found a way to fix his problem, but how could it be worth letting him go through all that?! Even Pearl agreed with me that they should've stuck around to help Steven out, but Garnet had insisted to let Steven handle himself because they couldn't drop their mission at the time."
Seriously, Gem stuff or not, how messed up was that?
The smell of ozone suddenly filled the air, giving Greg and his rant pause. He noticed Amber hunched over, face hidden but quills crackling with barely contained electricity and giving enough hint to her emotions. For a moment, Greg found his anger replaced by anxiety as he suddenly recalled that his companion could let off literal lightning. Fortunately, the potential lightshow did not come to pass for Amber managed to raise her head back up with a controlled (and long) breathing exercise.
Sorry about that. Hearing what Garnet said hit a little too close to home.
Greg gave an empathetic yet wary half-grin. "Then remind me to stand clear when I tell you what Pearl did with a spaceship." His face grew despondent again. "I know they care about Steven – the little guy wouldn't love them so much back if they didn't – but I've already seen them drop the ball in big ways and who knows how else that I don't know about."
But you don't want to cut off Steven from his Gem side either.
"And sometimes I wonder if the same's happening to his human side instead." A flashback to that odd frown his son wore after Greg finished sharing that story about him and Rose trying to fuse came to mind. "There's nobody else like him, no one who can completely relate with him. I know that can't be helped but…"
Once he trailed off, indecision straggling his thoughts, the telltale whoosh of shapeshifting caught his attention a second before a thick furry arm extended behind his head and wrapped around his shoulders. Greg didn't need to look; he only smiled in gratitude and leaned into the huge badger-bear now beside him. "Things have gotten better between us, me and the Gems, but what if it's not enough? What if it's too late for any of us to make it up to our kid?"
It's never too late. There's still a chance. You still have time.
Pretty platitudes but considering Greg's more than evident low self-esteem at the moment, the poor guy would need a more effective push. For that reason, Amber shifted her great weight, not so much that she jostled him but enough to regain his attention.
If it's any consolation, I'm not much better. At the man's doubtful hum, she smirked. No really. Sometimes I don't know what I'm doing with Kurtis, even with all my experience raising kids all these centuries. Then again, I always have someone to help, like Marcus or Uma. And then there's Steven. I've heard that kid say some concerning stuff from time to time.
Like that one comment on the trip to the concert about how Pearl 'almost let him die'. Amber had a suspicion that might be tied to the spaceship thing Greg mentioned.
Not that it didn't worry me at the time, but I figured the others had sense enough to handle Steven's struggles properly. So much for that comforting thought. She set her jaw, frustrated at them for incompetence and herself for foolish assumptions. But apparently not. Someone needs to set them straight.
"The fault's not all on them. Like I said, I could've done a better job myself by putting my foot down, let alone getting more involved in all the Gem stuff." And even if things between him and the Gems were finally starting to lighten up, there was still no telling if their baby boy would open up about his own problems, especially after recent events – and who knew what else might happen to shove new burdens on the poor kid's shoulders?
Steven deserved better.
That mere thought reignited Greg's frustration, inciting a determined glare and frown the protagonist of a certain indie game would be proud of. His kid deserved better and even if any effort Greg put into giving him that was doomed to failure, he'd try anyway.
A fanged smirk seized the opportunity to draw his eye – as did the cell phone now in his lap.
And how, Mr. Universe, do you intend to start?
XXX
When Steven woke up later that evening, a most peculiar (though not at all unwelcome) smell greeted him.
Letting loose a yawn, the small boy hopped off the bed and groggily made his way downstairs, rubbing his eyes until he caught sight of both the steamy syrup-laden source responsible, the accompanying tall glass of orange juice and the cook currently in front of the oven in the back.
"Pancakes at night?" Steven asked as he drew near.
With a sideways glance, his father shot him a smile. "With strawberries and whipped cream, Schtu-ball, and some scrambled eggs and bacon on the way, too! A little Sunday night breakfast!" On second thought the older Universe rolled his eyes upward. "Sunfast? Nightfast. Uh…"
"What about" – Steven raised both pointer fingers and then flicked them his father's way into finger-guns, throwing in a saucy wink for good measure – "Sunnightfast?"
Greg returned the gesture and wink back. "Oh, good one!"
Full of pun-attested pride from the approval, Steven trotted up to the counter and hopped his caboose atop one of the stools. From there, he took up the fork and knife and dug in. However, once his father finished the eggs and bacon and handed over the hefty portions to him on another plate, Steven couldn't help but notice something odd on the table that he hadn't until now. Swallowing his current bite, the kid leaned over the counter to read the slim book aloud.
"How to Face Your Family with Confidence?"
A ruddy hand flashed in his vision and like that the book vanished in blinding speed. Once his brain caught up and processed what just happened, Steven looked up in time to see his father's averted sheepish expression, both hands behind his back.
"Dad," the boy cocked his head in both budding curiosity and mild concern, "is everything OK?"
For a hot second, Greg considered fibbing, shrugging off that nothing was wrong and that this breakfast only came about through a whim. Then he recalled his lie about the broken leg months ago and what it did to his son's confidence and powers. He shook his head with a resigned sigh before turning off the oven and gathering his own meal, taking a seat next to Steven straight afterward.
"Little buddy, there's a question I gotta ask ya and you gotta promise to be honest, OK?"
A moment pregnant with hesitation passed before Steven managed a feeble smile and nodded, unsure what to expect with his father sounding so serious all of a sudden.
"Steven, do you…wanna give school another shot?" He flinched at his son's taken back expression yet resisted the urge to backpedal. "It's fine if you don't want to. I'm only askin' cuz it's one human thing ya haven't had much of."
Well, several to be more exact but one thing at a time. On the bright side, his son seemed to be taking the question into consideration judging by his thoughtful mien. The boy proceeded to twirl the fork between his sticky fingers.
"Will I get to make more friends?" The question left his father gawking, only to elicit a snort soon after. Should Greg have expected anything different from this kid? To this reaction, the younger Universe shrugged as he casually speared another piece of fluffy pancake, a more genuine smile in place. "Everyone's been super nice to Connie after what happened, so I figured since I'm her friend, it'll be a lot easier to get to know everybody."
Would amusement or relief be the proper response? Greg honestly had no idea. Either way, he saw no reason to shoot down the tried-and-true magic of optimism. "That's good to hear, Schtu-ball!" The middle-aged rocker crossed his arms on the table and leaned a little forward to best gauge his son's potential reaction. "It sounds like you didn't have much trouble with all the learning stuff either."
Steven shrugged, neither proud nor embarrassed. If anything, he seemed more pensive than anything else. "Not really. It's not like I did much of anything on my own."
Oh geez, Greg didn't like the downturn of tone in his son's voice. Steven caught his father's worried expression and steeled himself with a deep breath. "Peridot video-called me after my talk with Connie's principal. I guess she showed up and talked with Pearl about school after I left cuz she asked me all sorts of questions about what human school's like."
Greg couldn't help flashing a half-smirk. "I take it she wasn't all that impressed, huh?"
Despite himself, Steven managed a faint chuckle. "Actually, she went on a rant about why school sounds so inefficient and everything." A lot like what Amber did except wordier and with far less punches pulled. Then he remembered the next part and his mood fell. "Then she said how lucky I am to be part Gem. When I asked what she meant, she explained how Gems learn stuff with math and logic faster than humans, that it's super easy for us to learn something as long as we wanna learn it."
In other words, his gemstone did all the work; the stuff he did that mattered only mattered because of what he inherited from Rose Quartz let him do. Anything he did on his own made no difference. Greg didn't miss the way his son's hand hovered for a brief moment over the stomach. "I didn't do anything at all."
Ah, hello crux of the problem.
For a moment, Greg felt himself flounder for an answer, then remembered Amber's words: Someone needs to set them straight. Pulling what he hoped to be an effectively comforting smile, he patted his child's back. "Hey, of course you did. You didn't need your gem to pick up a pencil and write stuff, right?"
"But I only got things right on the tests back then cuz my gem did all the learning for me!"
"Steven, listen. That's not how learning works. The fact Gems can figure out certain things faster than humans doesn't matter as much as you think. There's a big difference between picking up on stuff quick and actually wanting to know stuff. Amethyst could probably tell you all about that."
That last statement earned a giggle from his son. So far, so good.
"And about what Peridot said, even if she's right about your gem making things easier for you, that doesn't mean the heart you put into learning new stuff counts for less. That's one of the best things about you Schtu-ball: you always do your best to understand. Not that I'm saying what your gem does can't be a good thing; you just gotta make it part of your thing. Cuz everything about you – what you are, who you are, what you do – is yours. Not mine, not the Gems', and definitely not your mother's."
Mine. Again, Steven found himself clasping his gemstone – except his grip was looser this time, more reverent. He hadn't forgotten his own autonomy; he simply felt it meant little in the face of everything else because everything else – his mother's legacy, the threat of Homeworld, whether he could solve Corruption — seemed to be all anyone cared about. That's why hearing these contrary words from his father, who would always shy away from 'magical space stuff', left him in a rare speechlessness.
For all these reasons, he regarded his father in a mix of wariness and hope leaning shyly towards the latter. "Do you really mean that?'
"Kiddo, you're no less human than me, Connie, or anyone else."
Ah ha, there's that smile. For the clincher, Greg raised his hand in the same way he once did with Connie. No leaving his kid out this time. "Human beings?"
In the space of a few moments, the ex-rocker witnessed a myriad of emotions shift through his son's eyes, shifting too fast for him to pinpoint all of them – but what little he could gave him reason to hope, especially when his son beamed that classic Universe smile at last and returned the gesture with a happy clap.
"Human beings." Words could not describe how much Steven felt like a burden had been taken off his shoulders. Reason #2385 why hugs are awesome, a reason his father reciprocated in kind. Once the two Universe men pulled apart, Steven took the chance cheerily stab another piece of pancake. "If it's all the same to you guys, I'd rather you all homeschool me… more officially, I guess, since you guys have technically already been doing it. It'd be a lot less complicated to handle."
An important detail returned to him before he could down the next bite. "Oh, but would it be OK if I still went with Connie to—"
"The fundraiser this month, the next book fair?" Greg finished, way ahead of him. "Little buddy, they're already a done deal!" Sure, the principal might get wary but nothing a little parental chaperoning can't tide over. "Besides, they'll be the perfect chance to do something as a dad that I should've been doing more often."
"What's that?" Steven asked. He semi-regretted doing so when the answer came in the form of his father unleashing the dreaded headlock-noogie combo on him. 'Semi' considering his giggling. It had always been hard for him to turn down a little roughhousing with his father.
Fortunately for Steven's preteen esteem, a certain warp pad lit up on cue.
More fortunately for Greg, it dropped off the very rock moms he needed to see – and oh were there about to be words.
He made a mental note to thank Amber afterwards if this worked out.
One thing about Steven that strikes me as interesting is how often he romanticizes so many things. Not that it's a bad thing in itself but it is a flaw that's caused him trouble from time to time. In fact, even in Future, he's still prone to this, particularly in "Mr. Universe". Yes, I know he had a right to be upset at his dad, but at the same time I can't help but reflect on what I went through in school and then imagine Steven going through all that and cringe.
The grass is not always greener.
Plus, maybe Steven not attending public school was a blessing in disguise because I read through the Too Cool For School comic (the fact it isn't canon hurts me) and, uh…it goes places. Also, Mrs. Lezner is a precious nerd and I love her! 3