Disclaimer: I do not own any right to Steven Universe nor any of the characters mentioned in this fic.

Hello! Me again! I apologize for taking so long to update, but life got in the way. Please enjoy chapter 2!

Important note: This fic is set after "I Am My Mom" and parallel to "Kevin Party" until after "Change Your Mind"

It was clear to Jamie in that moment that not only did he not know anyone around him, but also that he suddenly became very aware of his immediate surroundings. He shuffled over to the corner where the fence walls met and provided a small safe haven for him.

The backyard was not quite as grand as he thought it would be, but it was still amazing compared to his small apartment near the arcade. There was a large pool in the middle of the area, which Jamie thought it was incredibly enticing. It's too bad he didn't bring his swimsuit.

Around the area was a tall wooden fence that enclosed the whole space, and he found that he quite liked the intimate feeling of privacy that the pointy trees provided. There were a few potted plants placed about the perimeter, and the pots themselves were filled with many exotic-looking plants that seemed to be expensive.

By the gate in the corner of the backyard, there was a drink station that held a small selection of beverages, most of which looked alcoholic. Jamie quickly wondered if everyone here was over the legal drinking age. The cups and cans made a rainbow of colors, which was quite a pretty sight. On the end of the table, a shifty young man was quickly pouring the contents of a glass bottle into the large pink punch bowl.

The other end of the yard held a large white trellis, scattered with beautiful blue and pink flowers that extended all the way to the big, pink lion at the bottom.

Wait a minute! LION? Jamie looked closer and saw that Steven's pet lion was sitting there while people took selfies with the large beast. Lion's face never changed from his usual disinterested expression, even with the other young adults crowding his personal space.

Ok, Lion's here… and is that Connie? I thought this was an adult party? Becoming worried for her well-being, he started to make his way over to her when he bumped into a smaller figure.

"Steven? What are you doing here? What is Connie doing here? What is LION doing here?" Jamie whisper-shouted at the teen.

"Oh, hey Jamie! You know, just… living?" A bead of sweat formed on Steven's temple as the nervousness showed through his forced grin. The tear stains on his cheeks didn't make it past Jamie's sharp eye.

"Listen, Steven, I don't think it's a good idea for you two to be here… Not that I don't think you're 'cool' or anything like that, but it… it looks like you're going through some stuff. Are you ok?"

Steven sighed and let his real emotions through a tad, "Connie's here and she isn't talking to me. It's kind of a long story… Kevin's been trying to help, but I'm not sure it's really working."

"Who? Well, what's important is that you do things your own way. I don't really know what's going on, but if it has anything to do with what happened with the ge-…" He paused and took in a deep breath, feeling his stomach drop. "Anyway, I know you two will work it out. Just try telling her how you feel. Maybe a letter?"

"I don't know... I—"

"Steven! Get back here! You need to show her that you're living!" A man came up from behind Steven. He crossed his arms, popped his hip to one side, and glared at the young boy, "…And stop crying. It's gross."

The man that approached the two huffed. This must be who Steven was talking about.

Jamie's eyes quickly flicked over Kevin. He was wearing a teal blue polo shirt that hugged his hips in just the right way, some slightly baggy white capris, and shoes that were probably more expensive than a few month's rent. His hair was perfectly styled to look both like he was trying hard, yet not hard at all—a look that Jamie never seemed to be able to pull off. When Jamie finally saw his eyes, his heart skipped a beat.

"C'mon! This party has to be legendary, and it's not gonna happen unless Stevonnie shows up," Kevin drawled.

"I guess I'm gonna go…" Steven puffed up his shoulders in attempt to look cool, but it just made it seem forced, "I'll see ya later, Jamie."

Jamie sent a small, sympathetic wave his way. For the next few minutes, he walked around a bit awkwardly, trying to make small talk with the "cool" people that didn't seem to want to do much of anything. Still keeping a close eye on both of the kids at the party, he felt more like a chaperone than a partygoer.

"Hey! There you are! Why did you come so early?" Jenny asked. Buck and Sour Cream followed in closely behind her.

"What do you mean? You said it started at eight. I was even thirty minutes late," Jamie furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Boy, when's the last time you've been to one of these? It doesn't get good until late."

Just then, everyone started to cheer as Steven and Connie appeared on the back of Lion. Jamie couldn't really see what was going on, but the kids looked happy, so that's all that really mattered to him. There was a roar, a bright flash, and suddenly, they were gone.

"See? Now it's getting good," Buck grinned, "Glad we came early this time."

"Yeah man! Let's grab some drinks. Do you want anything, Jamie?" Sour Cream offered.

"Uh, sure. Thank you"

The Cool Kids left for the drink table, and Jamie went to wander around some more. With the knowledge that his friends were there, he felt a little more comfortable. He was checking out the decorative statues when he came across a very wet, seething Kevin.

"Woah. What happened to you?" Jamie asked.

"Your little friend made my party a bust! He was supposed to get back with his little girlfriend and turn into Stevonnie, but the dweeb didn't keep his promise! I helped him for nothing and now my party is unmemorable, and I fell into a pool and it's all his fault! Everything is RUINED!" Kevin all but screamed.

"Woah woah woah, what do you mean? Everyone looks like they're having fun. You shouldn't blame your problems on a kid."

"Look, I can't talk to you right now. My hair is a mess, and I look totally uncool. I can't believe I wasted my time on that brat." Kevin started to walk away.

"Seriously?" Jamie's eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms, getting suddenly very irritated, "I don't know what happened, but you shouldn't say those things about Steven. He's a good kid who's obviously having a rough time right now."

"What do you know, pretty boy?" Jamie flushed when Kevin said that, "At least I haven't been walking around here looking like I shop out of the sale rack of a thrift store."

"No, you just look like a wet cat. Pick on me all you want but leave Steven alone!"

"Whatever! I'm through with you anyway."

As Kevin stalked back into his house to change (or sulk, Jamie didn't know which), Jamie released the breath he didn't know he was holding. His palms were slightly damp, and his mood was ruined. It was time to go home.

Author's Notes:

Again, sorry it's short and took so long to update! Life has been crazy for a few months now. I'm finally getting over my pneumonia, and I'll be moving next week! Well, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! I'm working on chapter 3 right now, so stay tuned!

xoxo