If there was one very important thing that Steven could say that he disliked about his step-mother Jasper, it would be her cooking.
No joke. Ever time Jasper does cook, the young boy always believed it was the stuff that came of a trash can. Her veggies would look like sewer seaweed, the stuff she calls a cake would the twin of cow soil, and Steven was pretty sure that even her chicken was alive when she cooked it. The boy had never gotten sick from her meals, but now his taste buds may never be the same. How can chicken taste like dried sand paper will very be a mystery, and no DeMayo dares to speak of the Thanksgiving at the barn. It was a day both male Demayo's wish was erased from their memories.
It's one of the many reasons why Greg was the cooker of the family, but when it came to moving day, the old musician was just too busy to cook meals tonight. No matter how much Steven regretted it, and no matter how much he begged, it was Jasper's turn to cook tonight. The boy didn't know what she was making, but once she started to turn on the stove he was revolted by the gut twisting order. He wanted so badly to go outside and get some fresh air, but the storm outside grew worse so he couldn't step out. The boy tried to help his dad unpack, but he wasn't in the mood to have his only son around which brought nothing but shock and a hint of sadness in his heart. They always hang out together, but ever since the move Greg just wouldn't leave his study. In the end, Steven stayed in his room and played with his new pink Lion doll.
Dinner soon came, much to the boy's annoyance, and Steven was called down to the kitchen to eat. the dining room wasn't set up yet so they had to eat in there. The table was small and round, but wobbled a bit just like the rusty folding chair he was in. There were four chairs, so the brunette teen folded one out for his Lion doll friend. Jasper groaned about it but Greg let it slide, finding it a bit funny. As the two males sat and waited for their meals, the tall blonde haired woman came over with something that they guessed to be pasta in her hands. Once She set everyone's plates down, Steven could only hold his face in a revolting expression as he looked at the morbid stuff on his plate.
It looked alive and smelled like it died all at the same time. From what Jasper said, it was hamburger helper with spinach. No matter what she called it, all Steven saw was slime and throw up all in one plate. The Hamburger looked a bit too red for his taste, and the cheese was wet and slimy looking. When the boy poked it with his fork, he gasped at how jiggly it was, even the Pasta was stuck together as if it was made of jello. He looked at his spinach and saw nothing but dark green mush. Now don't get him wrong, Steven loved eating his veggies, but this looked more like dried color mud than spinach. He sniffed it and gagged hard at the spoiled smell of it. How Jasper and even his dad was eating it was very beyond him.
With a noise of disgust, Steven pushed his plate and looked over to his father. Trying hard not to gag when seeing him chew on the spinach. "How come you didn't cook tonight Dad?"
Before Greg could swallow and even speak, Jasper made a frustrated but also tired sigh. "We've been over this brat," She mumbled out, but it was well heard by everyone. "Greg cleans and works on opening the Car Wash, I cook and handle the finances, and you stay out of the way and unpack."
"No Pumpkin," Greg spoke softly to his wife, patting her forearm with a sad smile on his face. "Be a little nicer please."
Jasper grumbled but she nods as she got back to eating. It amazes Steven at times how his father could cool her temper with just a few words. Though the pet names weirded the young teen out.
Greg took another bite of the slug on his plate before answering Steven directly. "Stew-ball I swear I'll start cooking after we open up the car wash."
That only made Steven frown and sigh once again, only this time in frustration. "Dad, that's three days away," He then glares a bit at Jasper, "And I rather be alive by then."
"Steven," Both Greg and Jasper snapped back, only the later was a bit harsher. The shout made the boy flinch back as he looked down at the slime on his plate. His dad sighs and just shrugs. "Look kiddo, I'm just too busy to cook and Jasper isn't half bad. I love her cooking."
The blonde female just rolled her eyes and continued to eat off of her own plate, pushing Steven's back towards him. "Just eat your pastas kid."
Steven frowned deeply at Jasper, but shook his head. He poked at his food and just gagged again. "This is raw meat jello to me."
"Well it's this or bedtime brat so pick."
The boy hated going to bed hungry, but he wasn't going to ruin his stomach or taste buds for this mess. He sighed and looked at his pink Lion doll and spoke sadly at it. "Think they're trying to poison me bud?" He makes the doll and sigh again.
With that Steven leaves and heads up to his new room, hearing his parents do small chit chat about the bills and new car wash. The brunette held his doll close as he closed his eyes in deep thought. Even though they moved to a new and very cheap apartment/house, they still had bills to pay. He couldn't really understand most of it, but the boy knew it had something to do with his father's music career. It never fully pull through, so now he was in a bit of debt. Jasper has a good job working in a big business building, but they still don't have enough money to stay in Beach City. Steven wishes he could help somehow. Maybe he could job too. Part time didn't seem such a bad of an idea. The only question is would they even let him work. He wasn't in school just yet, so he would have to ask tell then.
As Steven made it to his room, the boy's soft brown eyes dull a bit to be reminded that this awful room was really his. The room was big which was pretty cool since he never had a real room before, he basically lived in a massive statue, but this room was a bit old and dusty. The white paint on the walls and ceiling was peeling a bit in the corners. The room smelled a bit like old rain water and dust. The window was really dirty and his bed was on a very squeaky bed frame. He didn't mind the room that much, but still he hopes he could paint it pink later this month. He likes pink.
Looking over at the boxes by his new shelves, Steven smiles softly and places his lion doll on a chair near his bed. He opens his box and sees all of his old toys he still plays with from time to time. He pulls out his MC Bear Bear and place him on top of the shelves, then he grabs his lava lamp with small gemstones inside of it. He forgot when he really got that anyhow. He then pulls out his old GameCube and his small collection of Guys & Gals. The brunette chuckles and smiles more, remembering the time when he stole some of these from Mr. Smiley with Orion. Made he got in trouble that day big time.
After he places his tings on the shelves, Steven finally goes to his backpack and pulls out his photo frame of his friends from yesterday. With a sad smile he climbs into bed and places the picture onto the dresser besides his bed. He looks more closely at the photos and sighs softly. God did he miss them already. Even though Lars could be a jerk at times, Steven always saw him like a brother and his girlfriend Sadie was like a sister. He has tons of fond memories of his friends. He couldn't wait for them top come and visit.
"I miss you guys," Steven mumbles as he touched the frame a bit. "Don't forget about me okay?" Getting no answer, but hanging on to hope, Steven turns off his bedroom light and snuggles up under his covers. He takes one good look at the Lion doll and smiles softly. "Goodnight Lion."
After falling asleep with an empty stomach, the middle of the night was peaceful and quite. Steven was sleeping pretty peaceful with a slight smile on his face till he heard a small chirps. He was still deep in his dreams of flying dog copters but chirping still didn't stop, and only grow louder towards his ears. Being irritated very quickly, Steven groans and forces his tire eyes open. His stomach quickly growls, proving that he was deadly hungry now and just wanted to sleep it away. Too bad a stupid small blue dove was flying around his head making chirping noises.
Wait... a bird?
The boy quickly reopens his eyes in shock as he rapidly sat up in his bed. Rubbing the sleeping muck out of his eyes, he stares in disbelief to see in fact a small little blue dove like bird was flying above his head. It kept chirping at the boy and flying in a circle as well. Even though the bird was very cool, it was really annoying. Steven didn't know how it even got into the house let alone his room, and who knows what will happen to it if Jasper wakes up from all of its chirping. Frowning in annoyance, Steven went to grab at the bird, hoping to catch it and send it back outside. The bird however, was much clever than the boy first thought.
The blue dove flew out of the boy's reach and out towards the door, the chirping getting louder. Steven cursed under his breath and got up out of his bed, racing out to get the bird before its wakes up his parents. Only he got to the dim hallway before the bird saw him and started to dive down the stairs. What was with this bird? Was it trying to lead him somewhere? Not only was it weird, but the brunette was too tired to really care at this point. He didn't want to get in trouble for even being out of bed. With a deep frown and small snarl, Steven races down after the bird hoping to grab at it quickly.
The bird flew quickly down the hallway and into the living room, Steven following closely behind it as he whisper screamed at the thing. "Come back you stupid little bird!"
He quickly steps into the living room, twisting around to see where the bird could have gone. Once he hears a soft tweak, Steven sharply turns to see the bird standing right back the little pink down by the chimney. He locks eyes with the bird and flinches a bit in shock, but before he could even process what he saw the bird hopped right behind the door. Knowing the bird was trapped now, the boy quickly gets to the small door and opens it. The feeling of cool but pleasant air wasn't the only thing that shocked the boy completely.
The entrance to the pink little door... it wasn't bricked up this time. Instead it was opened to a glowing blue and purple tunnel. Steven's brown eyes widened in shock and disbelief, but also wonder and curiosity. Where did this come from? He had never seen anything like this before. The rippling form of colors repeatedly flowing through the tunnel was mesmerizing, and the small breeze glazing the teen's skin bright a slight shiver through his spine. There was no way his parents did this in such a short amount of time, and Sour Cream wasn't here either to make it glow like this. This was completely crazy that Steven quickly placed it on this just being a dream.
He heard the tweaking of the bird again and saw it hop rather quickly to the end of the flashing tunnel. It looked to reach the end and pass through other small door on the end, a small yellow light illuminating from the other side of it.
Steven bit his lip, not knowing what to really do at this point. He thought for a second of getting his dad or even Jasper down here, but as the teen just kept staring into the glowing tunnel he's curiosity got the better win. With a shaky hand, Steven careful placed it on the surface of the tunnel. It was so soft, almost like a pillow. It even bounced a bit like a bouncy house. With a much more confident look in his eyes, he clawed into the tunnel. His eyes stayed fixated onto the door on the other side, his excitement growing with each inch closer. As he made it to the other end,the boy quickly pushed the small door open and made it into the other side.
It was... exactly the same?
Okay that was misleading and a downer of the year for real. Steven frowned deeply as he got up and looked around in the living room, not believing that his dream would be this dull. He was about to pinch himself to wake up, but stopped once he focused on the fireplace. What was that? Everything seemed the same above the fireplace, the pictures and snow globe was just the same, but it was above that that shocked the short teen a bit. The sad girl painting from before, it was gone; Replaced by a new painting of her. This time the black skin little girl was smiling happily as her ice cream sat nicely on her cone, the scopes seeming to double in size. That was a nice change, but why would his dream change only that? Something wasn't right here.
Just then, Steven heard humming. It was soft and quite lovely, making a tune the boy sure thought that he heard from somewhere. It was coming from the kitchen. As soon as he heard the humming, the air around him started to smell really good all of a sudden. It was really intoxicating, and Steven couldn't help but lick his lip at the smell he knew all too well. It was food being cook in the kitchen.
"Mmmm.. Something smells so good," Steven mumbled, letting his stomach and nose follow him towards the wonderful smell.
As he made it to the kitchen, the hypnotizing trance of food he was on broke as he looked around the clean and crazy kitchen. It looked like he was living here for years and not days. Everything was unpacked and cleaned, and there was a weird glow to the room that even felt a bit sickening to the boy. He looked over at the small table in to room, seeing a bit of food already cooked there just sitting around. It looked like dinner was being cooked, and from the looks of the amount of it already it like they might be having a party. Wasn't it like midnight right about now? Why the hell would his dad be cooking if he said he wouldn't till the Car Wash was open.
Steven looked around in confusion as he started to turn towards the figure by the stove. "Dad? Jasper? What are you doing up so-" His question stopped dead in its tracks, however, when he sees who was really cooking by the stove.
"Oh Steven! You're just in time for supper sweetie."
This... This couldn't be happening. Even if this was a dream, there was no way Steven was dreaming this right now. Here he was, staring by the entrance of the kitchen starting with dinner plate eyes at the very person he never believed to see ever in his life. It was... it was his mother.
Rose Julian Quartz.
This was unbelievable. There was no way this could be happening right now. She looked so real, just like from the photos his dad showed him in his albums. Steven didn't know whether to cry, shout, or grin like an idiot as he looked over his birth mother. She was as tall and thick as Jasper, if not than a bit thicker. Guess his dad had a thing for tall thick ladies. Her skin was so pale it looked pink in the light, and her long and soft curly hair flowed gracefully pass her center back. Steven saw his mother wearing a soft grey sweater and skin tight blue jeans, the same thing Jasper wore when she was outside two days ago. He couldn't believe it. She looked completely like in the photos. Well... almost. Her eyes weren't dark pink like in the photos. Instead she had buttons for eyes.
Big, round black buttons.
"M... M-Mom..."Steven choked out in shock, his eyes glossing over with tears but not spilling due to the button eyes slightly creeping him out.
The button eyed Rose smiled softly at Steven, the look being very motherly, as she giggled softly. "Yes Steven? Is something wrong sweetie?"
Her voice even sounded like the softest fluff pillows and the sweetest honey Steven had ever heard, but his confusion and fear got the best of him. "You... You aren't mom. She's... dead, and doesn't have b-b-bu.."
"B-B-B-Buttons," Rose giggled again, placing the blow that was in her hands down so she could tap her button eyes. The act made the boy flinch in shock and discomfort, but his 'mother' just continue to smile. "You like them? I'm your other mother honey bun."
Other mother? What was that? Before Steven could even ask, Rose just opened the open to show a turkey inside. "Go tell your father that supper is ready Steven. You know how hungry he gets."
Steven felt very nervous and shocked to leave, still wanting answers, but Rose just grinned and nodded towards the hall. "Well go on. He's in his studio."
Not wanting to disappoint his suppose mother, Steven left the room in very slow and nervous steps. His heart pounding as he made fully into the hallway. There was no way his mother was alive, and what were those buttons. Why did she act so normal? He was so confused and yet somewhat happy he was dreaming his mother again. He hadn't down that in a long time. With a shaking breath, Steven looked at the door that led to his dad's study. With a determined nod and look, he opens the door.
Ha! Cliffy! How do you like that guys?
Well anyway, I do hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. This was fun to write.
See you soon!
Bye! ;)