This is a short chapter! Don't believe your scrolling thingy. There are 203 reasons why it just looks super long.

"Do you have all your money?" Dad asked, checking Steven's backpack and straightening his shirt and trying to smooth down his son's rampant curls. The sun had just begun its slow golden rise and softly warmed their skin.

"Yes Dad," Steven said, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He could see the big yellow bus and Mrs. Song getting the volunteer parents on the bus. The bus was a discolored orange-yellow, scraped and scruff and shook on its worn wheels. It occasionally coughed angrily, puffing black smoke from its underside. Dim, dusty windows gleamed weakly in the morning sunrise. It was the prettiest sight Steven had ever seen.

"And, you promise not to wander off? And listen to everything Mrs. Song says?"

"Yeeeees!" Steven groaned, waving frantically at Peedee-who was also currently talking to his Dad. Peedee waved back, a nervous grin on his face.

"Okay, okay. You're super excited. But you promise Daddy, that you'll be a safe as you can be. And I'm really sorry the gems couldn't be here. I'm sure they wante-."

"Dad! They're starting to board the bus! I've got to sit next to Peedee!" Steven whined, watching in acute horror as Mrs. Song chose the line leader and began forming the line.

"Okay, kiss for Daddy?" Steven kissed his Dad's warm scruffy cheek.

"Bye Daddy! Love you."

"Bye buddy! Love ya' too."

Steven skidded next to Peedee, bumping shoulders kindly with him with a giant grin on his face.

"This is gonna be so cool." Steven giggled, watching in awe as the foldable doors creaked open with a nagging whine.

"I know right! I think I wanna see a giraffe and-and maybe like a rhino or something." Peedee gasped, spinning around in an excited little circle.

"I'm gonna see a lion. I'm going to draw a picture of it for Gar-. I mean my Dad-I'll draw one for my Dad." Steven said, only faltering a little. He kept a huge grin on his face, aware that his Dad was still watching him. "I'm gonna color it maybe pink."

"I thought lions only were yellow." Peedee mumbled, stepping onto the bus wearily. It was their first time ever riding on a school bus. There were no seatbelts, the seats weren't furry like a normal cars, and it was stuffy hot-in Steven's opinion one of the worst kinds of hot.

"I know, but Mrs. Song says we have to color outside the lines and be super creative. So I'm gonna color it pink." Steven explained, sliding onto the damp seat cushion. He stood up and waved at his Dad one last time.

This was gonna be fun. He was sure of it...

A/N: Short Chapter! There'll be more tomorrow though. Thanks for all the favorites, follows and reviews.

There are 203 favorites! 203 of you have read this story and deemed it worthy of favoriting. And for that I must thank you! Isn't it weird that I've never met any of you and I kind of love you guys.

About 33,000 people have read this story (that number still blows my mind and I don't think it'll ever make sense to me). I just wanted to give some love to those of you showed some love to 'Growing Up With Steven'.

Here are 203 people worthy of countless baby Stevens, protective Garnets, care-taker Amethyst and motherly Pearls and Good-Dad Greg's:

Aberdamn, Adazula, Agunimon Fang Firewolf, Akira67632, Aldecaalfi, Aquarion-S.R.G,ArcticPanda25, BLACK-Rabbit 2204, Baruga, BeneshAryana ,Blahblahcat, Bree Stylinson, Briarfrost, Buttercupx102, Buzzkilltitan, CEGold, Caboodlewithme, Cartoonmusicgal, ChaosDemon1129, ChaosMageX, Chaotic Hero, Chibi-nightfury, ChojisGirl, Ciderstar LoD,ConnietheCat, Cracked Lapis Lazuli, CrownedSteven, Cynabal, Dark-Otaku-One-Of-Many, Darkmatter2001, Darktyler27,DarthSeth2000, Dav009, Decepticonsniper, Deidon, Demhouser3D, Dragonfan123, Dtksgirl, Edlover23, Emerald Padparadscha, Emmiee-chan, F., FaxMachine114, Finnjr63, Fireember345, FoxGlade, GKC07NF, GameDesire, GameMaster555, Geode7, Gill1313, Gravity sauce, GrayCat17, GriffinGirl8655, HauntingMelodyofaNightmare, Hiro-and-Baymax, I am psycowriter, IceDragonSlayer42, IcySnappDragon, Iliketowatchtv, Inner Child Unleashed, InsertSUShipHere, IntotheDarknessrose, InuYasha Lover 123465, JackFrost21, JadeGryphon66, JangoHarrison, JoeEngland, Juniper Night, KND Operative Numbuh 227, KatiePines, Kiki Wei, Kindness to Everyone and thing, Le Magic Taco, Lovely White Violets, LucasGreenX23, Majoo1Abraham, Maya-Pearls, Maya656, Megabutler, Mein Benutzername, Minkey222, Mklj0, MontyBoosh, Muffinmilk317, Music's Passio, Nagarox1234, NicolasMage, Niphelie-um, Obsessive Nature, Oliblu, Omodor, Onikiba, OooAdventurer78, Oracion de las Estrellas, PhazonFire, Primus1661, PrincessOfTheNight01, Prowls-little-hetalian, PublicEnemy123, REBD, Red Ethel Flint, Red Star, Redundantchosen1, Redwall-Abbey3343, Regulargirl22, RitzyChique, Rougeflier, Sailor Italy, Seogumi y Masunny, Shadowmaster91, Shadowmaster2323, Siiillltt, Silent Arrow, Silverstar-of-Colorclan, SkyfallxKnight, Snowlily246, SoAveraqe, SonicHedgehogBlur, Soris, Sprocket2, Starfirecat58, , SunnyCupcake7275, TMNTLittleTomboy, Taquitoprepa, Tempestas D. Uzu, ThatIsNotACoconut, The-Flying-Purple-People-Eater, TheGamingMonkey, TheHeart343, The PalletShipping Ninja, The dark side of the loonatics, Things from the imagination, Tortilla-san, Virgo A. Reisling, Wolffriend25, Yoru no Nx, Yuna53421, Zombless, apinkglassrose, ar1992, ashsmash95, babyseroro, beast1991, beckettlovescastlealway, becky199756, benn55555, billy the great now 16, bookgeek96, booksfic13582, brycel, calyxpotter, cross-over-lover232, daddyslilprincessgurl, daiseyday, darkangel8950, decorafeminae, .37, fangirl01music, fanweb, ffure21, flyeon, gogetadivagurl, 774, hopefulheart108, iLuvForevermore, icygem522, iggychan89, jinglyjess, jturne709, kamkong, katelyn24paindrop, kukuki, lalaUniverse, .73, livingwithbooks, loverslight, nataliaivette1, natalie1668, pennylessloafers, pokemoncontest1998, richstud1, roxan1930, starlily11, stevenuniuni, supersexyghotmew95, talagoras, tenenbuam14, tetrisShark70, the-puppy-in-a-box, theruoc147, three1996, toonamifan666, ttte12345, turn forever you and me, twi-addict1, uzErNamezBhard, vgn golley, whereMAD, wolflink123xxx sonamy lover xxx

(if I missed your username, my sincerest apologies! You're still super awesome though!)

There will soon be more kissing and hugging and Ruby and Sapphire-I have to do something special for the occasion. Thanks for the countless favorites, reviews and follows!