"Oh that's wonderful!"
Rose was the first to exclaim her happiness for her friend after a moment of silence. After her outburst, however, Ruby and Sapphire soon followed in congratulations.
"We knew you two were gonna get together someday." Ruby stated with a smug smile.
"It was just a matter of time." Sapphire added.
"You guys are dating?!" Steven yelled from his seat, stars in his eyes. He didn't really understand anything Amethyst said aside from that. Of course a boy his age wouldn't know or care about the circumstances of 'selling your body'. "That's great!"
Amethyst laughed and nodded while Peridot looked away with a sheepish smile. It felt good to the blonde girl, to be praised again. Even for such a small thing as to become the girlfriend of a beloved person like Amethyst.. It felt nice.
"I'm happy for you." Pearl said with sincerity, and Vidalia smiled in turn, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Yeah.. I've been thinking of settling down myself."
"No way." Amethyst scoffed in disbelief. "Did you find yourself a new bed warmer while I was in the slammer?"
"Nah, we're actually taking it slow." Vidalia rested her arms on the dining table after pushing her finished food to the side. "Name's Yellowtail. Sweet guy. Fisherman. He's babysitting Sour Cream while I'm here, but he's headed back out in a couple of days."
"He must make some good money." Greg commented. "Being a fisherman is hard work."
"I don't care about that.." Vidalia admitted, staring off into space. "The man treats me like a queen.. We met just a few days ago, but he goes all out on our dates. Says it's because he won't be able to see me often."
"Back up." Amethyst couldn't believe her ears. "You named your kid Sour Cream? Like.. The thing for tacos?"
"It was better than Marty Jr." Vidalia replied. "Besides, my name's a type of onion."
"Well yeah, but your name sounds cool, at least!" Everyone at the table laughed, even Vidalia. Her son's name was fairly odd.
"Anyway.." Amethyst continued after the laughter had died down. "Are you gonna be able to handle that kinda relationship? With your new man being gone so often?"
"It's better than how Marty treated me." Vidalia stated with authority. "That's all that matters."
"We're all happy for you." Garnet spoke up for the first time, congratulating Vidalia. "But Amethyst.." She turned her attention to the silver haired girl. "You know that even if you do quit what you do, settle down.. I can't let you out early."
"Yeah, I figured.." Amethyst knew not to get her hopes up. She was arrested for prostitution. Even if she quit after her arrest, she would still have to do the time.
"Can she go back tomorrow morning?" Peridot asked. She stayed silent through the entirety of the conversation until now because she felt as if she didn't have the right to congratulate Vidalia on her relationship. Even though she stayed in Amethyst's apartment for almost a week, Peridot still didn't know Amethyst's friends all too well. She was comfortable with Rose and Steven, and of course Ruby and Sapphire, but everyone else still seemed so distant.
"She can stay here tonight, for New Years, but she has to be back in her cell before noon tomorrow." Garnet answered Peridot without hesitation. She was a law enforcer first, and a friend second.
It was still hard for Peridot to think about it.. Her best friend now girlfriend is going back to her little cell in a little less than twenty four hours. But, at least Amethyst remembered her. She smiled at the thought, and Amethyst nudged her in the side with her elbow.
"Watcha smiling for, Peri?" Amethyst asked with a laugh. "You miss seeing me behind bars?"
"Oh yeah, totally." Peridot retorted, pointing her fork at Amethyst. "I can't wait to throw peanuts at you until you dance for me like a monkey."
The tension in the air that arose when Garnet spoke was gone now. The group laughed and continued conversing with one another as they ate.
After a few minutes, waiting for everyone to finish their meal, Rose stood from her chair and clasped her hands together.
"Alright." She started. "Who wants to play some karaoke?"
"I nominate Pearl!" Amethyst exclaimed. Pearl puffed up her cheeks as Rose chuckled and went around the table, collecting everyone's plates.
"Oh no, I'm not singing." Pearl protested.
"You wouldn't play Twister with us, so you gotta." Peridot retorted.
"I'm not singing."
"Come on, Pearl." Ruby pressured.
"No!"
"Pearl, you can sing?" Steven asked, the same stars in his eyes as there were when he found out that Amethyst and Peridot were together. "Can I hear you sing?"
"I..."
Amethyst smirked at Pearl, knowing that she would never turn down a request from Steven. If she could make him happy, she would do anything.
"Alright.." Pearl finally caved, slumping her shoulders, a small smile on her face. "But I choose the song." She shot toward Amethyst.
"That's fair." The silver haired girl said, knowing that she won. Amethyst stood from her chair, making her way to the living room. Peridot quickly followed, almost a little too eagerly.
"She's so whipped." Ruby commented on how quickly Peridot followed Amethyst. It was as if she were a lost puppy following someone who fed her.
"I don't think so.." Sapphire commented. "I mean, she's went her whole life after the orphanage thinking that she would never see Amethyst again. Then she does see her again, but Amethyst didn't remember her." Sapphire placed her hand on Ruby's, holding it gently. "I'd follow you like that if you we were in their shoes."
"..I guess you're right." Ruby felt a bit ashamed of herself now, but she didn't let it get to her. Instead, she leaned in and kissed her girlfriend, smiling while looking into Sapphire's eyes. "I love you."
"I love you too, Ruby." Sapphire replied calmly, though her cheeks took a light color.
Greg, Pearl, Rose, and Steven made their way into the living room at this time, after Rose had collected the dishes, so it was just Garnet and her sisters in the dining room now. And Garnet.. well she was curious.
"Have you had sex yet?"
Ruby's face turned more red than her hoodie, and Sapphire's face glowed to match. They both turned to Garnet.
"Don't just blurt it out like that!" Ruby yelled.
"Why do you need to know anyway?!" Sapphire asked in exasperation.
"Just making sure you guys have a healthy sex life." Garnet answered with a chuckle. "So have you done it or not?"
"Even if we did, we wouldn't tell you!" Ruby argued. She was standing now, incredibly flustered.
"So that's a 'yes' then?"
Ruby couldn't even form words right now. She took Sapphire's hand and stormed from the dining room to the living room.
Garnet chuckled again and decided to sit alone for a while, give her sisters time to cool off. Being a big sister was fun.
Amethyst and Peridot are sitting together on the couch, cuddling like any new couple would. Rose and Steven are rolling up the Twister mat while Greg gets the karaoke machine ready.
The couple on the couch look up when Ruby and Sapphire walk in the room. Ruby angrily takes a seat on the couch, crossing her arms and mumbling something incoherent while Sapphire sat beside her, gently rubbing her back.
"Is she having one of her tantrums?" Amethyst asked Sapphire with a chuckle.
Ruby was about to make a retort, shaking her finger in Amethyst's face, but Sapphire spoke before her girlfriend even took a breath.
"I'd rather we drop the subject entirely." She stated in a cool voice. Amethyst let out a low whistle.
"Wow, something's got you both pissed.. Alright, I'll drop it."
"I don't think I've ever seen you mad, Sapphire." Peridot said, in awe at the fact that 'mad' was even in the usually calm girl's array of emotions. Sapphire just sighed and rested her head on Ruby's shoulder.
"I think we're more embarrassed than anything.."
Ruby wrapped her arm around Sapphire's shoulders, closing her eyes as she leaned her head back.
"Yeah.. Definitely embarrassed."
"It can't have been that bad." Amethyst insisted. "I mean, I don't think anything can top you wetting your bed back in the orphanage." Ruby smirked at the memory. Thinking back, it was pretty funny. Amethyst continued. "I mean, not unless Garnet asked you guys if you screwed each other yet."
Ruby opened her eyes wide again, about to blow up while Sapphire hid her blushing face in Ruby's shoulder, but she was cut off by the sound of the karaoke machine starting up.
Greg was tapping on the microphone, standing at the other end of the room. He was testing how clear the sound was when it came through the speakers on the machine. Satisfied with what he heard, he looked to the couch, which now occupied Garnet, Rose, and Steven as well as the two couples. He spoke into the mic.
"Good afternoon." He said confidently. Greg's history as a musician gave him incredible public speaking skills.
"I'm glad to have you all here, I really am." He started, looking everyone in the eyes in turn. "It's great to be here with my family, my old friends, and even my new friends. This year has been the best of my life so far, and it's thanks to everyone in this building right now." He paused, collected his thoughts, then continued. "Well, I guess I should say last year."
The group on the couch laughed, and Greg smiled. His voice became louder, more intense.
"Anyway, talking about how happy I am isn't what karaoke is for, am I right? So without further ado.." Greg paused, pointing toward the hallway that lead to the staircase up to the second floor. "Our main event, Pearl!"
Right on cue, Pearl came down the stairs. One might think that there would be some big reveal, that Pearl would look all glamorous and dolled up with Rose's help. But none of that happened.
Instead, Pearl, dressed in her usual yellow sweater and jeans, stormed up to Greg, red in the face, snatched the microphone from him, and whisper shouted at the man.
"I asked you not to make a big deal out of this!"
Greg shrugged and stepped away from the machine, joining his wife and son and everyone else on the couch.
Pearl put her face in her hand, thinking that this day couldn't possibly get more embarrassing. Taking a breath, she looked to all of her friends on the couch. The way everyone smiled at her, encouragingly.. It made her feel good.
"Ok, first of all.." She started, speaking into the microphone even though she didn't need to at the moment. "This doesn't leave this house."
"Our lips are sealed, P." Amethyst promised while everyone else laughed.
"Secondly.." Pearl continued. She smiled warmly, looking specifically at Amethyst and Peridot. "Congratulations on your relationship.."
"Oh my god, just sing!" Amethyst shouted, wrapping her arm around Peridot with a light blush on her face. She wasn't too embarrassed, but no one had actually ever told her that before. Peridot just enjoyed the closeness with Amethyst.. Thinking back, it was odd to move into a relationship so quickly after such a long time. But the circumstances were odd as well, so Peridot pushed that thought to the back of her mind.
"Alright, alright.." Pearl smirked, glad to get a little payback on her friend, even if it wasn't even that much. She turned to the karaoke machine. At her request, Greg had already put the song she wanted to sing in the machine. With the push of a button, a piano began to play a sweet melody.
Pearl took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Opening them again, she began to sing.
I look in your eyes and I can see
We've loved so dangerously.
You're not trusting your heart to anyone.
You tell me you're gonna play it smart,
We're through before we start.
But I believe that we've only just begun.
Pearl's performance became more animated. She began to move her body to the rhythm of the song, swaying back and forth to the slow melody. Gradually,
though, the song began to increase in speed.
When it's this good, there's no saying "no".
I want you so, I'm ready to go..
Pearl detached the microphone from the wire connected to the machine. Closing her eyes again, she sang with a much more confident voice. The group in front of her was speechless as she let the music pull her into a dance, as if she were the only one in the room.
Through the Fire, to the limit to the wall.
For a chance to be with you, I'd gladly risk it all!
Through the Fire, through whatever come what may..
For a chance at loving you, I'd take it all the way!
Right down to the wire..
Even Through the Fire..
Slowly, the music came to a halt, as did Pearl's dancing.
Pearl stood still, her eyes still closed as she awaited her verdict.
She could have sang the entire song, but she wanted to keep it short and sweet, to spend as least time on the 'stage' as possible.
The short silence that followed her song was deafening to Pearl. Though, Amethyst's outburst brought a little relief to her.
"Hello, America's Got Talent?"
Pearl opened her eyes to see Amethyst talking into a false phone, made with her pinky and thumb.
"I got golden material for you right in front of me."
"That was amazing!" Steven exclaimed, stars in his eyes as he stared at Pearl.
"Yeah, I'm a little jealous." Greg stated. Hearing the musician's opinion caused a light blush to rise in Pearl's cheeks.
"That was beautiful, Pearl." Rose complimented, smiling.
"I-it was nothing, really.." Pearl said bashfully, averting her eyes from everyone else to place the microphone back on it's wire, and back on the machine.
"Nicki Minaj and Stupid Hoe are nothing, P." Amethyst argued. "You got one hell of a voice."
A murmur of agreement came from everyone else, and Rose didn't even stop to scold Amethyst for her swearing around Steven. They were all that enamored with Pearl's song.
Pearl sighed, an almost sad smile on her face as she finally replaced the microphone.
"Yes, well.." She looked to the ground, gripping her arm. "I was singing before I started dancing.. My parents got me into music, but it wasn't for me. And now I don't even dance anymore.."
The somber tension that fell after Pearl spoke these words.. one could cut it with a knife. Of all things, no one expected Pearl to bring up her parents, not on a day like this.
"It's been almost two years since.. since then." Pearl whispered, barely audible.
No.. no! This wasn't what this New Years party was about. Amethyst stood from the couch, disentangling herself from Peridot, and walked to Pearl. She pulled her hand back and smacked Pearl right in her back.
"Come on, P, you're bumming us out!"
Pearl whirled around, ready to berate Amethyst for the rude interruption on her thoughts of her family. But when she saw Amethyst's wide smile.. Pearl couldn't help but feel happy.
The memory of cutting her dance recital short when she received the news, of seeing her parent's bodies being taken away in the ambulance.. It was certainly heart breaking. But after such a long time, and on this day, too.. Now was not the time to mourn.
"It's my turn to sing anyway." Amethyst continued. "So get out of my spotlight."
Pearl smiled and regained her composure. She huffed and crossed her arms, making her way to the couch. Pearl replaced Amethyst's place on the couch beside Peridot, though that sat a considerably larger distance from one another.
"Well, just make sure your performance is good enough to match mine, alright?" Pearl suggested cockily.
Amethyst nodded and, turning to the machine, picked her song.