Chapter Fifteen: Absinthe
It was Monday, June 19th.
Amethyst sprinted into the [Variable_Not_Found] Cafe, followed closely by Steven and Connie. Once safely inside, all three of them let out a collective sigh of relief. It had been raining cats and dogs for hours now, and they were really hard to dodge.
Even harder to dodge was the person standing around dazed just past the door. Thankfully, the trio had quick reflexes; they were able to avoid knocking Stevonnie off their feet and causing everyone to tumble on the floor. That would've been dangerous, especially since Stevonnie was holding an unsheathed sword in front of them. They didn't seem to know why they had it in the first place, though. After a moment's consideration, they sorta shrugged and deposited it into the umbrella stand that had appeared nearby.
They all parted ways to do... whatever people did in coffee shops. Stevonnie ambled over to where Pearl was busily prodding her pie around a plate, probably to ask how she was doing with her essay. Steven and Connie headed to the order counter, presumably to get a start on their big first date.
As for Amethyst, she was a gem on a mission— to finally ask her super hot roommate out, no matter how anxious she felt about the prospect. She shuffled towards the booth near the front window, where Lapis was currently sitting alone.
Amethyst swallowed down her nerves, trying to seem calm, cool, and casual as she nudged Lapis on the shoulder. "H-Heya, Lappy! Have you seen Peridot?"
Lapis didn't say anything, didn't even look up from her notebook. But she did raise an eyebrow and tilted her head towards the space on her other side. Amethyst couldn't see whatever was there, even when she stood on tiptoes. She'd have to go around the table, only to find...
Sitting beside Lapis was a green gem.
"Oh, there you are, Peri!" Amethyst grinned, maybe a little too widely. "Why didn'tcha speak up?"
No answer.
Amethyst's grin wilted, along with her self-confidence. Last time she'd tried to ask out a cool nerd, it had exploded in her face. She was hoping things would be different this time, but...
"Don't mind her. She's just been awfully moody today," Lapis grumbled, still not looking up from her notebook.
'And she's not the only one,' Amethyst thought, but didn't say out loud. Instead, she tried to get the conversation flowing once again. "Maybe I can bring you two a little sunshine, eh? Mind if I join you?"
Peridot didn't respond. Lapis just shrugged.
"Thanks!" Amethyst slid into the space beside Peridot. "So... How've you been, Roomie? Classes treating you well?"
Silence.
"How about you, Lapis?"
Lapis wordlessly shrugged again, still scribbling, so passionately that her pen practically tore through the pages. Curious, Amethyst leaned over to take a peek—
I just feel trapped
I just feel trapped
I just feel trapped
— and raised an eyebrow or two, because, hey, that was certainly some eyebrow-raising stuff right there.
"Should I be worried about you?" Amethyst asked.
"I'm fine."
"Lapis..."
"I said I'm fine!" Lapis snapped, her pen stabbing through her notebook. She forcefully stood up, rattling the whole table. "Excuse me." She marched towards the bathroom without so much a glance back at Amethyst and Peridot.
Amethyst watched her retreating back, wondering what kind of infernal thing had got her panties in a twist.
bowel troubles
Yeah, most probably. That made a whole lot of sense, especially considering Lapis's history with... flatulence.
"So that just happened, huh." Amethyst nervously chuckled and glanced at Peridot.
Still expressionless.
But with Lapis gone, Amethyst somehow felt less nervous about everything. Maybe because Lapis took all the gloom-and-doom vibes with her when she left? Amethyst didn't know, and besides, she had more important things to think about. Like how to get Peridot out of her funk. She turned towards her roommate and attempted to break the ice again. "Hey, so... Is the Wi-Fi here still crappy?"
Another resounding silence. Peridot was probably still super pissed at the service.
"I know right? This place sucks, but the drinks are pretty good." Amethyst stretched up her arms then awkwardly folded them behind her head, still trying too hard to look nonchalant as she eased into the cushy backrest. "Oh yeah, they have a new menu out today. Wanna go grab a drink with me, or...?"
Still no response from her green friend. Amethyst was starting to worry. Peridot had never been this quiet before—
she's just shy
—and that was okay! Peridot had always been a little socially awkward. It usually manifested as a tendency to babble about whatever was on her mind, but hey, that was just one of the things that made her super cute! Especially when she would really geek out about Camp Pining Hearts, or Morp Engineering, or Kindergartnering, or whatever. And most especially when she would adjust her visor just so, and then wear that one grin that was so wide and so dazzling, it was like being showered in the light of a million stars...
Amethyst could wax poetic about her roommate's awesomeness all morning— heck, maybe she'd even say it out loud sometime!— but Peridot was being unusually reticent today. So despite her nerves, Amethyst decided she would just have to keep taking the plunge, the first step, the whatever-other-initiative-metaphor for the both of them.
"I'll just grab something for the both of us, okay?" she said. "Don't worry, it's my treat."
Amethyst got up from her seat staggeringly slow, almost as if she was reluctant to leave Peridot alone. Okay, so she really was reluctant to leave, but those drinks weren't going to buy themselves. She took a step towards the counter, paused, then doubled back to add, "Oh, and don't wreck your laptop while I'm gone, okay?"
So much for 'taking the plunge'.
She dragged her feet towards the order counter, each step padding heavily on the soft, pink, wood floor. Oh, who was she kidding? She knew from the start that Peridot was way out of her league. Dorky nerds like her were way up there in the hotness scale. It was a miracle that Amethyst could even talk to her as candidly as she had so far.
Reaching the order queue felt like it was taking forever... And was it just her, or did the coffee shop seem emptier than usual? And… pinker? She coulda sworn there were more customers when she came in, and the ambient crowd chatter sounded like there were dozens of people hanging out... But all she could see were a couple of her friends:
Steven and Connie were conked out on a couch, leaning against each other fast asleep. Looked like their date had gone swimmingly well. Go Team Jam Buds!
Nearby, Lapis was staring at the two kids. Her expression looked troubled... but why?
To the side, Garnet was tucked in a round loveseat, chuckling as if she'd just heard the world's funniest joke— but who was she talking to? No one else was with her.
Pearl was still working hard on her essay, sitting in her usual pink corner— 'No, wait. Is she doing some crazy air-chair exercise?!' — Amethyst vigorously rubbed her eyes and did a double-take. No, Pearl was just sitting on a regular wooden chair like a regular person, although her hands clutched at her hair as if she were at her wit's end.
Amethyst frowned. 'I know that feel, P. I think I'm going mental too...'
just nervous
She loudly slapped her cheeks to get a grip. Yeah, she was probably just seeing things 'cause of how freaked out she was about asking Peridot out. That was a thing, right?
Right?
"What will you be having today?" Donut Girl chirped from behind the counter, startling Amethyst.
'Geez, I'm so out of it today,' she pondered. 'Now what do we have here?'
There were a lot of choices, but Amethyst felt a need for something strong and heavy. Something heated. The kind of drink that would wake her senses as it burned down her throat. Liquid courage, so to speak. But it wasn't like a coffee shop would have absinthe or something with nightmarishly high octane on the menu. Besides, she wasn't ordering only for herself so maybe she should dial down a bit. Something sweet and romantic maybe? The new stuff had potential, but none of them sent the right message: Strawberry Tea, Almond Yogurt, Hazelnut Espresso, Raspberry Espresso...
She eventually settled on a cute-sounding drink she thought Peridot would appreciate. Leaning against the counter, she watched the barista in the drinks prep area dump five different coffee liqueurs into two glass mugs, then top them off with whipped cream, chocolate syrup drizzle, and a maraschino cherry each.
'Looks like someone's in for a wild, drunken caffeine buzz,' Amethyst thought.
Her jaw dropped, however, when the barista handed the two mugs over to her. "Wait, this is my order?" she asked skeptically. She was so sure her order had sounded non-alcoholic.
The barista simply flicked her pink hair away from her face and began prepping the next drink in her order list.
Amethyst felt pissed at being ignored, but she just let go of her death grip on the counter and let it slide. It wasn't that big of a deal. It wasn't worth the effort. She shrugged and headed back to her table, drinks in hand.
"Heya, I'm back! Hope I didn't make you wait too long." She put down the mugs in front of Peridot, then plucked out one of the cherries. "Apparently, it's called a Chocolate 'n' Coffee Kiss. Hope ya like it!"
Amethyst popped the cherry in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully in the ensuing silence.
Peridot hadn't even touched her drink.
"I'm guessing... you don't like it?" Amethyst sighed then took a sip from her own mug. "I'm sorry. I just keep messing up, don't I? And I know you're, like, super busy all the time— that's why you're rarely around. Engineering has all these crazy requirements and morping takes a lot of time and effort, I get it. It's just... I miss hanging out with my best roomie, y'know?"
Peridot fidgeted in her seat.
That was the first reaction Amethyst had gotten out of her all morning. Which was good! That was some progress, right?
Amethyst plowed on.
"To be honest, there's... something I've always wanted to talk with you about." She rubbed the back of her head, ducking to hide the blush growing on her cheeks. "Thing is... well, I have a thing for you and I was wondering if you have a thing for me too and if you do then maybe we could have a thing, y'know? We could do some fun stuff like going on long walks through the Kindergarten or hanging out in Funland o-or maybe even a little smooching every now and... then...?" She trailed off, staring confusedly at her friend.
Peridot was moving closer to Amethyst. Specifically, towards Amethyst's face. She had been so touched by the confession that she was practically glowing. She still hadn't said anything yet, but then moments like these didn't always need words. And if this was her answer...
Amethyst closed her eyes and leaned in. Something pressed against her slightly open lips, and even behind her eyelids, she could tell there was a bright flash of light. Was this the fireworks people meant when they talked about kissing? There was some movement, and it felt soft and warm and— Stars! It felt so good!
When Amethyst opened her eyes, Peridot was staring back at her, face flushed and eyes bugged out.
"Bwuh?" Peridot rapidly blinked at her. "W-what did just… Why were your mouth cushions on me?"
"Psh. C'mon, Peri..." Amethyst gave her a flirtatious wink. "You know why."
Peridot just stared blankly.
"I… actually... don't know?" she ground out. "Anyway, that's not important right now."
And that was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Any good feelings Amethyst had about everything instantly evaporated as her insides went cold. Rejection always stung, she knew that already. She was sort of an expert at getting rejected, after all.
But something like this? To have your heartstrings tugged one way, and then suddenly the other? To get all your hopes up, only to have them crushed anyway?
This was a whole new level of pain.
"Of course it's not important. I was never important to you, was I?" Amethyst spat, glaring at everything except Peridot. "Look, I don't really care if other people dismiss me out of hand, but after everything we've been through together, you just go ahead and ignore me all morning? You coulda just told me from the start you weren't interested in hanging out or whatever. But no. Instead, you kept stringing me along, making me seem like a fool for trying so hard, only to pull this kind of shit on me, and right after we k—"
"Amethyst, stop." Peridot grabbed her shoulders, her small hands weighing heavily on them. "I don't know what the simulation is making you think right now, but... Amethyst, I care about you. Very much. You're very, very, very important to me, and that's exactly why I need you to listen to me very carefully. So if you could look at me, please?"
Amethyst reluctantly met Peridot's gaze, hoping once again that maybe... just maybe...
"We are not college students," Peridot stated. "You're an elite quartz warrior. I'm a genius technician and a certified Kindergartner. And we—" She puffed out her chest, proudly displaying the yellow star right over her heart. "— are Crystal Gems!"
She stared at Amethyst expectantly, as if her declaration was supposed to evoke some sort of response.
Amethyst glowered and jerked away from her touch. "Didja lose your fracking marbles?! Because none of that made a lick of sense!"
"I do not, in fact, have any marbles, but that's besides the point!" Peridot frantically gesticulated as she explained, "We're all trapped in a simulation in Rose Quartz's old room. None of this is real! And we all have to tell the room to make the coffee shop go away right now! We are running out of time!"
"Why can't you just be real with me for once, huh? If the kiss was that bad, just say so! You don't have to make stupid excuses like—ugh, just forget it."
Instantly, Peridot froze mid-gesture like a video on pause, her eyes glazing over. Then she winced, clutching at her forehead. Amethyst probably would've been concerned if she still cared about whatever was going on with that nerd.
But she didn't. Not anymore.
Amethyst turned around to leave.
"Why would you tell me that?" Peridot cried out after her. "It's hard enough to keep track of things as it is!"
"Sure. Whatever, Peri."
Amethyst had reached the exit when something grabbed at her hand, stopping her. She growled, "What? Got something else to say?"
"Yes!" Peridot firmly declared, but didn't continue. She just kept clinging to Amethyst's hand..
Amethyst wanted to yank her hand back and continue her storming off. It would've been easy, too; Peridot's grip wasn't even strong. But for some reason, she just... couldn't.
She didn't know how long they were standing there like that, when Peridot whispered, "I didn't even realize we were kissing. But if I had, I'm sure I would've liked it."
'...what?'
Amethyst was so sure Peridot had been into it. Heck, Amethyst was just the one who'd responded to the kiss. Peridot had been the one to initiate it, hadn't she?
Hadn't she?
But no, this was probably just another of Peridot's tricks to play with her heart like a fiddle in professional hands...
Amethyst rounded on Peridot, mouth open, ready for a scathing retort. But whatever she was about to say had died on her lips when she heard a horrible noise:
TNNIN! TNNIN! TNNIN! TNNIN!
Whatever that shrill whirring was, it was deafeningly loud and seemed to come from everywhere. Amethyst clapped her hands to her ears. Beside her, Peridot did the same; but while she looked alarmed, she didn't seem confused.
"What was that?" Amethyst yelled over the noise. "Peridot, what was that?!"
"The simulation is resetting!" Peridot yelled back.
All around them, the world was falling apart. Walls distorted into swirls of neon static and pink nebulous mist. Random people glitched in and out of existence, staring with black, empty eyes, their contorted smiles frozen on their faces as they spoke all at once over the din:
"I hate Mondays." "What will you be having today?" "Your favorite dad!" "Your usual, huh?"
Amethyst clutched at her chest. It was aching. Her heart was pounding, and her breaths came in short, hurried bursts. She tried to call out to her friends— for help or to help, she wasn't sure— but they didn't even seem to notice what was going on: Steven and Connie were still fast asleep in the pink couch; Lapis was placing a pink blanket over the two kids; Pearl was typing on a pink laptop; Garnet chatted amicably with the glitching pink-haired barista.
It was becoming difficult to breathe, and her blood ran cold in her veins. She was sweating profusely and she could barely see, her sight clouding over with even more pink.
"It's going to be okay, Amethyst," Peridot cried over the white-noise flooding Amethyst's ears. "We're gonna be okay!"
No, we're not! How can you even say that? Amethyst thought bitterly. What could they even do in a situation like this— and while she was a total emotional mess?
But Peridot grabbed one of her hands again and squeezed it. That sensation somehow brought Amethyst back to her senses— it was one sure thing in this chaotic, shaken world. Solid. Grounding. Like a rock.
No, like a Gem.
Amethyst still had one hand clutching at her chest. There, underneath her fingertips, she could feel the smooth facets of her gem. Suddenly, she remembered why she was here in the first place. It came in bits and pieces, but it was enough.
Peridot was still holding Amethyst's other hand. Amethyst squeezed back.
"Peri!" she gasped. "You were just— I'm so sorry— Shit, I was so mean to you this time 'round—"
"It's okay," Peridot said. "Just keep trying to remember as much as you can."
As the world faded to pink, the last words of the loop echoed in Amethyst's mind:
"This is a matter of life-and-death importance."
oOo
Authors' Note: Happy June 19th!
And now we have a TVTropes page.