The gems were in a swap and stared down at the gross moss. "This is horrible." Jasper sighed.

Connie attempted to touch it but Lapis grabbed her. "Don't touch that, Connie!"

"What's wrong?" Connie asked. She turned to see a log go near the moss and the moss consumed it. "Oh.."

"Yellow raised this moss… but it's gotten out of control!" Peridot exclaimed.

"My mother planted this?" Connie asked.

"Yes, though short tempered at times, she had a soft side for living things…. She thought, if she had beauty inside her as we told her, then most everything else would too." Peridot said with a wistful smile. "And now
it's grown wild without her!"

"It's lost…" Connie whispered sadly.

"It's pretty gross to me." Lapis shrugged.

"Yellow loved it anyway. Yellow Diamond used to climb that hill every spring and tend to the moss at the top." Peri sighed. "I'm glad I'm always prepared!" Her gem glowed. Connie turned to Lapis. "This is why I get
up in the morning!"

The glow faded and a roll of police tape landed in Peridot's hands.

"Police tape?" Connie asked.

"Ha, yes! Why use magic when you can use logic?! Humans will just see this and walk away!" Peridot explained.

They covered the place with police tape. Peridot tied a bow and smiled. "Peri perfect…" She sighed. "Now we can get this moss on the hill!"

"I'm… kinda hungry." Connie whispered.

Peridot groaned. "Sometimes I forget humans need energy…"

Connie skipped to the Pizza place and saw Sadie leaning against the wall. "Sadie? Sadie! Hi!" She waved.

Sadie gave a groan. "Why now?"

"I'm running in for a hug!" Connie ran to her, since Sadie was… kinda one of her friends. "From Downtown!"

"No, Connie!" Sadie creid. "Don't touch me!"

Connie slowed. She ran to Sadie and patted her head. "There!"

Sadie gave a grumble.

"So, why aren't you at the bookstore? Or the Big Doughnut?" Connie asked.

"My whole life doesn't revolve around work." Sadie said, smiling. "I do… other things."

Connie stared for a moment then spoke. "Like… standing against this wall?"

"What does it look like?" Sadie snapped, going back to the wall.

"You don't seem to be doing much…"

"That's the plan, Connie!" Sadie said. "Just playing it cool today, you know?"

"We are so much alike." Connie giggled.

"Excuse me?" Sadie whispered.

"You want to get a fresh pizza right out of the oven, but you don't want to seem too desperate, right? Well, there's no need to be ashamed. Heh, I've seen Steven waltz in here like there's not a care in the world!" Connie cried.
She walked to the door.

"Connie! Don't go in there!" Sadie cried. Connie peeked in the window. She saw Kiki's sister, and her friends hanging out. "That's Kiki's sister, and her friends!"

"Jenny, Sour Cream, and Buck Dewey." Sadie whispered.

"You know them?"

"No, but I will soon!"

"I'm not one to socialize… but maybe you can just talk to them?" Connie asked.

"T-T-That's not how these things work, Connie! The plan is to keep it cool and let them come to me." Sadie said.

"Here they come." Jenny, Sour Cream and Buck left.

"Look natural!" Sadie hissed.

"Tell Dad I'll be back later." Jenny said to her twin sister. They walked away.

"I don't think they saw you." Connie said.

"Connie, you were blocking me with your... big head!"

Connie touched her head. "Sorry, I'll just… go tell them to look over here." She slowly walked away, almost as nervous as Sadie.

"Connie, no, don't go over there!" Sadie hissed. "I hate you!"

Connie walked to the teens and smiled nervously. "Er, hey! I'm.. Connie."

They turned, she offered her hand. Buck shook it. "My name's Buck."

"Sour Cream." Sour Cream said.

"I'm Jenny." Jenny shook her hand.

Sadie was sweating while watching them nearby. "Aah, she's gonna wreck everything! What are they saying? I can't hear them!"

She saw Connie giggling.

"Ugh! Why is she laughing?! No! My life is horrible!" Sadie sobbed.

Connie ran up to her. "Sadie!"

"Oh, Connie! H-hey!"

"They offered us a ride." Connie said.

"Huh? W-Wait a minute, they— you—? Connie, you got lucky. So please don't ruin this with any of your lame schtick." Sadie sighed.

Connie gave a thumbs up and Sadie face palmed.

They sat in Jenny's car. Connie fist pumped in the middle seat.

"Where did you get that dress, Connie?" Jenny asked, glancing back from the driver's seat.

"I have no idea."

"Do you like my shirt?" Sadie asked, pointing to the shirt with a doughnut on it.

"Meh, I don't like doughnuts very much." Jenny said, turning away.

"Oh! Yeah, doughnuts are gross!" Sadie laughed.

"Some are okay." Jenny shrugged.

The engine reved up and Connie gasped. "Seat belts! Put on your seat belts!"

"Connie, don't be weird!" Sadie cried.

"There's nothing weird about seatbelt safety." Sour Cream said.

"Car does not move 'till we're all buckled up." Jenny said. They all buckled up.

"Yeah, now let's get some spaced out beats up in here." Sour Cream turned on the radio. "Yeah, I could rave to this." He waved his arms in front of him.

"Hey, this car is really cool Jenny." Sadie said.

"It's just the delivery car for my Dad's lame shop. Makes me smell like pizza. Where to, y'all?" Jenny asked.

"I don't even know." Buck said.

"Can we go to the bookstore?" Connie squealed. They drove there.

"This old place?" Jenny sighed.

"I don't really like… books." Buck said.

Sadie covered Connie gasp of horror.

They drove near the city park. They saw Mayor Dewey doing a rally.

"... Another reason you should re-elect me, I love babies." The mayor said. "Will you look at that, a baby!" He cried as his aid held a ugly baby. (
"Gonna kiss it…" He kissed the baby and the crowd applauded.

"Adorable!" Connie cried.

"Man, he never kisses me like that." Buck said.

"I'm so sorry!" Sadie gasped.

"There's no reason to be sorry. The lack of daddy kisses in my life made me who I am." Buck said.

They drove out of town. "Oh my gosh guys, we should check out Dead Man's Mouth." Jenny said.

"What's Dead Man's Mouth?" Connie whispered.

"Oh it's this lake where some dude died, or it looks like a mouth? I forget the specifics." Buck said.

"Dead Man's Mouth. Here. We. Come." Jenny said. They sped off.

"Here we are!" Jenny announced.

Connie felt her blood go cold seeing the police tape. "Er, you know what? I know this place may seem cool, but it's actually a lot less cool than you think. W-why don't we just go have some more fun at the boardwalk?" She cried.

"Connie, stop being lame." Sadie growled. She got out. "Let's check this place out!" Connie saw that Sadie was nervous too, but she didn't try to show it.

The kids came to the police tape.

"Oh right! The police tape! No one would go so far as to-" Connie was interrupted when Sour Cream ripped it through. Connie gaped in horror.

They walked through.

"Who wants to go for a swim?" Jenny asked.

Connie bit her lip and glanced at the moss. It seemed to twitch at her.

The kids started taking off coats.

Connie stopped Sadie. "Sadie, don't! It's too dangerous!" She breathed.

"Connie, are you trying to scare us?" Jenny laughed.

"Creating an atmosphere, I like it." Buck said.

"Oooh!" Sour Cream laughed.

The kids jumped in. Sadie was going to go after them but Connie grabbed her. "Stop!"

"What are you-" They stopped when they saw the others get indulged in moss.

The girls screamed in horror and fell back.

"What is that?!" Sadie cried.

"It's some magic moss my mother planted!" Connie yelled.

"Your mom?" Sadie gasped.

Suddenly the others reemerged, covered in moss and they struggled towards the lake's edge. They collapsed on its shore and the moss covered them entirely.

"Oh no!" Sadie cried. "Hang on!" She and Connie ran to help them. They pulled at the moss but with no avail.

Connie gasped and glanced at the hill in the distance. "Sadie, I know what to do!"

Sadie ignored her though and turned with tears in her eyes. "This is all your fault! I knew if something went wrong today it would be because of you! Now these people are going to die! All because of your... weird mom!" Sadie yelled.

Connie gasped, her eyes widened. She narrowed them and stomped up to Sadie, the teen fell back. "What do you know about my mom?!" Connie snarled. "I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO KNOW MY MOM!" She screamed with tears in her eyes.
"But I do know that she saw beauty in everything, even stuff like this," The girl pointed to the moss. "And even in jerks like you!"

Sadie looked ashamed and Connie's anger faded. "Now help me, please…" She whispered weakly.

Sadie and Connie dragged the others to the car. They got in. Sadie hesitated.

"Sadie, what are you waiting for?!" Connie cried.

"I don't know how to drive a stick-shift." Sadie sighed.

"I'll work the stick, you just keep us on the road!" Connie cried.

"Okay! Let's go!" Sadie turned the key.

Connie moved the stick and they jolted forward into a bush.

"Reverse, Connie!" Sadie cried.

"Oh! I thought the R meant react, like react to the gas and go forward!"

"Nothing is that complicated!" Sadie yelled. They sped up and the car zoomed away.

"Jenny's gonna kill me! Connie, what happens when the moss reach the hill?!" Sadie asked.

"Um, I don't exactly… know." Connie said.

"WHAT?!" Sadie screamed.

"That's just where the moss wants to be!"

The moss suddenly started to engulf the whole car including the girls.

They reached the hill after swerving the car and screaming.

The girls ran up the hill but the moss kept coming up their bodies.

"I'm getting stuck!" Sadie cried.

"Don't give up!" Connie yelled.

They were stuck at the top of the hill, breathing their final breaths.

"Connie?" Sadie asked.

"What?" Connie gasped.

"I hate this…"

They were suddenly engulfed fully, Connie screaming for Sadie and reaching out, but it was too late.

The sun suddenly broke through clouds and rained upon the people. The moss evaporated into beautiful yellow blossoms with yellow gems in the center. Connie gasped, choking for air. She helped Sadie up and brushed blossoms from her hair.

"The moss… was just trying to bloom." Connie whispered.

The other teens walked up.

"What happened?" Jenny asked.

"I think I died…" Sour Cream said.

They then saw the blossoms raining gently on the town. They gasped.

"You can see all of Beach City from here…" Sour Cream said.

"It's beautiful." Buck whispered.

"Sure… but how did we get here?"

"Connie-" Sadie started.

"Sadie drove you all here!" Connie blurted out.

The kids murmured in approval.

"I can totally rave to this." Sour Cream said. He started to rave and the others cheered. Connie offered a hug and Sadie smiled. She patted her on her head. Connie smiled back and patted her head back. "Okay, now it's getting
weird." Sadie muttered.