- The Biggest Nerd on the Block -

Chapter 3: Shorty in Rubber Ring

The week went by, and Saturday came again, precisely seven days since Peri had first kissed Lazuli, and promised herself to protect the taller girl from anything. Even if it meant a serious two days-long headache, a lightly sprained wrist and a few blood stains on her favorite sweater – which her mother thankfully took care of. But beside that, it had been a fantastic week for Peri. Lazuli came to hang out with her after school the three days she spent in recovering, mostly kissing the pain away with a magic only she knew. And cuddling. A lot of cuddling, more than Peri had ever imagined.

Only on Wednesday afternoon did the blond dared to ask Lazuli if she wanted to be her girlfriend. The blue haired girl seemed almost offended, not that Peri had ask but that she hadn't asked sooner. Peri pouted, and told her that she could have asked earlier herself. Lazuli agreed, and so, to make amend from this terrible tragedy, she invited Peri on their first date. She said nothing, besides "my place, 11 a. m., bring your swimsuit", which made Peri even more worried. Did she even own a swimsuit?

So there she was, standing on the step of Lazuli's front door, her desperately shaky hand pressing insistingly on the doorbell. She had bought a swimsuit after school the previous day, and she very much wished she wouldn't need to use it. But who was she kidding? Lazuli, her school's swim-team's champion, probably had a pool in her garden, and it was way to hot to pretend it wasn't a good day for a swim. She finally decided to let go of the doorbell, and played with the straps of her backpack. She let out an agitated breath, just as a pair of arms snaked their way around Peri's waist. The blond jumped lightly in surprise, before recognizing her girlfriend's light laugh. She calm herself and lightly tapped Lazuli's joint hands.

"Hey you" said the blue-haired girl. "You're just on time."

"Good."

Peri thought they were going to move, but Lazuli simply cuddled her closer, and while the blond could only admit it was enjoyable, she felt it was a bit strange to cuddle on the doorstep.

"Hum... So... How long are we going to stay like this?"

"Not until you tell me something nice" answered Lazuli, who seemed to had adopted Peri's untamed hair as a pillow. The blond grimaced, deep in thoughts, before she decided on an answer:

"I cannot say 'you look nice' because I haven't seen you as of yet, but I can say 'you sound nice'. So, hey Lazuli, you sound nice today."

This made the blue haired girl giggle lightly, before she finally let go of Peri to delicately turn her around. Lazuli was wearing denim shorts and a top tank, not unlike those she had been wearing that faithful afternoon, a week ago. A large pair of sunglasses was perched on her nose, and she pushed them to rest on her hair when she moved in to peck Peri's lips.

Because of the Monday morning incident, Peri's glasses had been completely busted, and she had to use her old one, which were not to her taste, or her sight. It always felt like there was a blurry veil in front of her eyes, and the fact that those glasses were thin and rectangular did not help. But she had no other choice, beside becoming blind until her new glasses arrived, which could take a while. And Peri very much wanted – no, needed – to see Lazuli beside her, not just a vaguely blue and beige shape.

Lazuli took Peri's hand and led her around the house and to her back garden. They walked on neatly cut grass until they reach the garden, which had been covered with very big stone slabs, squared and of a light sandy color. There rested a few blueish deck chairs, a large glass table with four chairs and a big barbecue. And of course, just as Peri had guessed, a long pool with the clearest water she had ever seen.

"So, what do you think?" asked Lazuli as she let go of the blond's hand.

"It's... big. And deep. It looks deep."

Lazuli looked confusingly at her girlfriend, whose eyes where strangely focused on the pool. She shrugged it off and placed a hand on Peri's shoulder, taking her away from her pool and toward the house. It was rather modern, with big tainted French-windows all around the first floor, and the living room inside looked very large. But the house seemed empty, and Peri frowned to better see through the window. No, there was no sign of inhabitance in this house, as of this hour.

"Where are your parents?"

"They left us the house for the day. I told them about Monday morning, you know."

"They probably laugh."

Lazuli shrugged.

"Oh yeah, they did. But they also told me how lucky I was to have my very own knight."

Lazuli sat on one of the deck-chair, and Peri quickly sat on the one next to it. They were facing each other, but while Peri tried to detail Lazuli as much as her glasses let her, Lazuli was staring at her feet.

"You know, they never really liked Jasper. It took me so long to understand why, but when I did it was too late. But you, they already like you!"

"Wait until they meet me and I'll probably change."

Lazuli's look shot to Peri's face, and she quickly shook her head.

"Of course not, why would you say that?"

Lazuli didn't let a second for Peri to answer, she kept on talking:

"I know you're an awkward geek, but that doesn't mean people can't like you. And the people who find you annoying are just stupid."

Lazuli took Peri's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, and Peri's smile came back to her face. The taller girl, happy to have lifted her girlfriend's moral, stood up and asked with a cheeky grin:

"So, how about we go for a swim?"

Peri's eyes grew big in an instant. She desperately needed an excuse, and she needed it now.

"Hum... hum... hum... Can't we... hum... Can't we eat first? I'm famished!"

Lazuli shot her a strange, confused look, but shrugged once again.

"Sure, why not."


Meal time came and went. Lazuli showed off her barbecue skills, and Peri very loudly enjoyed the juicy piece of meat Lazuli placed in her plate. And while the blue-haired girl was not very hungry, they both made quick work of everything Lazuli had cooked. As soon as dessert was over – a nice chocolate cake – and the table was clean, Lazuli took off her shirt, revealing the top of a blue two-piece, with waves drawn on it. Of course Peri had to stare at her girlfriend's thin but muscular stomach, so pale it looked blue as she got close to the pool.

"So, ready for that little swim?"

Peri's panic level grew exponentially, and she shook her head vigorously, desperately trying to find yet another excuse.

"But... but we shouldn't swim right after eating! It's not good... It might kill us!"

Lazuli crossed her arms and gave her a deadpan look.

"Peri, that's not true. Are you afraid to show me what you look like in a swimsuit? Is that why you don't want to swim?"

"What? No, of course not! I just want to make sure I survive this day, so that I can enjoy many others with you. So I'll just..."

She delicately sat next to the pool, carefully not to lose her balance, took off her sandals and put her feet in the water. It first felt cold, and Peri couldn't help but shiver. But she relaxed, and gave a bright genuine smile to Lazuli.

"See? I'll stay here while you swim. For now, I mean. And in... thir...forty minutes I'll put on my swimsuit and go in there headfirst with you."

Of course her voice had to quaver at the end. And Peri really hoped Lazuli hadn't noticed. This arrangement seemed to suit the taller girl, who took off her short and plunged gracefully into the pool. Peri watched her do with a certain admiration. Lazuli swam to her and rested her arms on the now wet stone.

"Are you sure you don't want to come in?"

"I'm good, thank you."


Lazuli swam about fifteen minutes on her own before she started to get bored. She had imagined swimming with Peri would be far more interesting than this, but every time she asked to the blond if she wanted to join her, Peri answered with the same friendly smiled that she was good. So Lazuli decided to exit the pool for now.

"Can you give me my towel? It's right behind you."

Peri nodded, still with that same nice, almost stupid smile on her face, and she stood up and turned around. Unfortunately, Peri's balance was less than stellar with wet feet. Her first step slip on the stone and send her tumbling backward, straight into the cold and deep water of Lazuli's pool. And it made Lazuli laugh so hard, for the first twenty seconds that is. Until she noticed Peri was not surfacing.

Peri had been resigned to die in this pool the moment Lazuli invited her. And so, as she felt her back hit the water, she made a silent prayer to the god who would gladly listen to her dying wish. Please, please let there be a good Internet connection in the afterlife.

When Peri decided she had pretended to be dead enough, she opened her eyes, only to hear a sigh. She was completely damp, like she had been under a really bad downpour. The lenses of her glasses were prickled with small droplets of water, and she felt her clothes sticking to her skin. She lightly turned her head to the right, where Lazuli was still kneeling beside her. Thank goodness the blue-haired girl had had her lifeguard diploma the previous summer.

Peri tried to speak, but her throat and lungs were on fire, it was even worst than on Monday morning. She shivered, and as she was about to speak Lazuli shouted to her:

"Why haven't you told me you couldn't swim?!"

Even through Peri's blurry vision, she could see Lazuli was crying, letting out the sudden fear she had felt when Peri hadn't surfaced. Peri held up her hand to brush the tears off of Lazuli's cheek with her thumb.

"I'm sorry." was all she could say with her burning throat.

Lazuli helped her to stand up, and led her to a deck-chair where they both sat. She rolled them up in her towel, before looking into Peri's bag to find her girlfriend's towel. At least she had brought one. All rolled up in both towels, Peri placed her head on Lazuli's shoulder. She gulped multiple times before finding it in herself to tell Lazuli the truth.

"I was afraid to tell you I couldn't swim. How stupid does it sound? The swim-team's champion's girlfriend can't swim?"

"You should have told me anyway, even if it sounds stupid to you."

Lazuli held Peri closer, encircling her with her arm before entwining their right hand's fingers.

"I could teach you, you know? Not today, but I could."

"We'll see, okay?"

Lazuli nodded, before standing up. She took one of the towel still around Peri and dried herself expertly, before helping Peri up.

"Come on. You need to get out of those clothes before you catch a cold."


When Lazuli's parents came home later that afternoon, they found the two girls on the couch, watching Camp Pining Hearts. Peri, still wearing Lazuli's clothes, which were way too big for her, had fallen asleep on her girlfriend's shoulder. When it became clear Peri's near-death experience had exhausted her, Lazuli's father placed her on the backseat of his car, and Lazuli drove her home. And while Lazuli left her on her bed, placing a good night's kiss on her forehead, Peri was dreaming of her first swimming lesson with an easy smile. It was going to be great.


A/N: Okay, so I know I said this was a two-shot. But thanks to kurona7, who reviewed on Chapter 2 (big thanks, by the way), I had another idea, which you just read. So I hope you liked it, a bit overdramatic but hey, Peridot and Lapis Lazuli are the biggest drama queens of Beach City when they want to! This really is the last, promise, but I'm working on a new one featuring our favourite gems, a definitely longer one. As always, all of your reviews and favourites are appreciated, and thank you again to all of you who read my little story!