Hello! I'm finally back :) I'll be updating weekly from now on (unless something else happens, that I highly doubt.)
They walked side by side awkwardly, Pearl would glance at her at times and if she was particularly (un)lucky Lapis would catch her gaze and they awkwardly looked at each other. This led to a small, self-deprecating smile and an embarrassing blush. Pearl scowled when she became very conscious of how clammy her palms had become, in fact, she was conscious of just about everything right now.
'Do I look manly?' 'Will she find out?' 'Do I smell bad?' She wrinkled her nose, it was Amethyst's clothes after all- 'Stop. Thinking. About. It.' She bit her lip.
This wasn't going well, they had already walked a few paces away from the bar and they haven't said anything to each other. 'Think Pearl, think! What would Bismuth or Garnet say? They've always been the most suave with girls.' She took a sharp breath, 'and they've rejected too many to count.'
This wasn't going well at all.
"So-" Lapis awkwardly cleared her throat, Pearl felt her heart lurch into her stomach and then make a trip up to her throat like some sort of excursion. She looked down at Lapis curiously, she had an awkward look on her face. "You… New… Here?" Lapis somewhat mumbled,
"I uh…" Pearl cleared her throat, trying to call back the hoarse voice she worked hard to achieve, "I'm a visitor." She lied, if she said she moved then there would never be a way to disappear.
"So you're not from here," Lapis clarified,
"That's right."
Really what she meant to say was, 'Hi! My name's Pearl and I am a girl!' But she didn't have the guts right now and she didn't want to ruin this moment for Lapis. 'It doesn't matter, I'll ruin this for her no matter what I choose to do.' Pearl breathed in and out slowly, the attempt at calming down and gaining enough courage was about as successful as trying to do it in a cage full of lions.
Basically, Pearl knew that this spelled disaster.
"So, uh…" Pearl tried, thinking of something to say, anything. 'Anything other than last night that is.' Lapis looked at her expectantly with those dark blue eyes, "What're you interested in?"
Lapis looked forward again and sighed, she was taking some time to think of her answer. "Well, I like art, like painting and whatever… I also like swimming, surfing, anything with water really. I don't complain." She sighed at the night sky, "stars are pretty too… But that's what most people say."
Pearl grinned hesitantly, "is your favourite colour blue?" she asked hopefully whilst trying everything as to not offend her.
"Oh how could you guess?" Lapis scoffed and rolled her eyes playfully, "I like other colours too, I don't discriminate when it comes to the rainbow."
"Right," Pearl tried to chuckle with her new voice, it went awkwardly. "A Rainbow?" Pearl mumbled quietly and her thoughts went out of control. Lapis didn't seem to notice the sudden curiosity of what Pearl thought she had intended to be a clever joke.
They descended into yet another silence and they continued walking, subconsciously matching their paces like a well thought out dance. Pearl tried to shift her posture on the way, hands into her pockets and slumped her shoulders ever so slightly, 'There, perfect.' Lapis had also seemed to change as her hands swayed casually beside her hips.
Pearl never noticed the amount of bracelets that she had worn until now, some were plain and made out of the famous chord used to make friendship bracelets, strangely it was an out of place lime green. Others seemed decorative, one was made out of a single, long, sturdy string wrapped twice around her wrist with a small blue stone hanging from it, it looked like it could have been a choker necklace and Pearl developed a small smile as the prospect of it being a lapis stone, 'how cute.' she slapped herself out of it 'No pearl it's a trap! Don't fall for her!'
She looked at the other accessories, another bracelet that Pearl could see was a silver chain with some small etchings on some of the links, half of the links were blank. She wondered what it could be and if it was Lapis that engraved them herself.
She was about to see the last one but Lapis had moved her hands out the way and Pearl blushed uncomfortably when she realised that she was spotted.
"You have very pretty bracelets," she spluttered out quickly,
"Oh, thanks…" Pearl seen her fondly brush the various threads, "each have a story I guess. Can't seem to get rid of any of them."
That sounded similar to Amethyst's problem but the taller girl could feel that the reasons were not the same, there was something that Lapis wasn't telling her, something she was hiding. Normally Pearl could tell what kind of secrets people hid… Well… Not normally, but she had experienced more that enough lies and secret keeping when she was with Rose. Lapis seemed to hide something emotional, shiny bracelets could mean a bad ex and as that was the more likely case Pearl stuck to it. But by the way Lapis carried herself, it was like she was nervous of something and hesitantly moved, it had to have been something much more.
"I'm sure that they're very interesting stories." Pearl tried giving her a friendly smile,
Lapis looked at her blankly, "I suppose…" She dropped her hand and looked away from Pearl, "some things are best to be forgotten though."
'What an enigma.' Pearl dropped her smile and clenched her hands, 'Was this what Amethyst was talking about? But what could have happened to Lapis? Who is she?' Her curiosity would have to remain unsated, 'curiosity killed the cat' and all that.
"So Earl." Lapis snapped her out of her thoughts, it somewhat made the taller girl realise how slow they were walking to the beach, she looked at her. "Tell me about yourself."
And Pearl had a panic attack.
'About me?! I barely know myself and I have to answer that?' She hummed, trying to buy herself some time she looked to the stars in the sky. 'Okay think, what should I say? What would a guy say? Should I reveal myself? Or should I make something up?' Lapis started looking at her curiously, 'Not. Good.'
"I suppose I am… Up for anything?" She replied, Lapis looked like she nodded in acknowledgement. it wasn't technically a lie it just never revealed a lot about her, Pearl did enjoy doing anything at least once (even the stupid stuff) but she had already grown out of that stage in her life… Or at least she hoped so.
"So, 'try something once' type of guy?" Lapis smiled.
Pearl felt her face heat up, she could have sworn that her heart skipped a beat like some sort of cliche in a cartoon. She nodded and cleared her throat, 'she has a pretty smile.' She told herself, then with a slight grumble 'a very pretty smile… It's too pretty.'
The dancer had to stop herself, it was like her logic and her emotions became separate entities and were currently having a staring battle of the worst kind in her mind. Rose had made her feel like this before and although she wouldn't have minded this feeling generally to anyone, like that one time crush on some mystery girl, she had to control herself. Lapis, she was certain, was straight. 'Or bisexual.' Pearl silenced the tiny voice, 'always assume straight, brain, always.'
If she was gay then she wouldn't have went out on a date and simply would have said it to be a friendly 'hang-out'. 'But what if she was bisexual?' Pearl sighed and listened to the tiny voice.
She looked over Lapis with a careful and analytical eye, a denim jacket over a crop-top and a pair of jeans. 'Badges?' her collar was clean, 'no.' She sighed, 'anything gay-sh?' she had short dark hair with blue highlights, 'straight girls can have short hair.' Pearl glanced again and Lapis met her eye, she cast another grin that made Pearl question all of existence.
'Is there anything?! How do you know without asking?' Pearl groaned internally, 'I wish that after my wishes of world peace, that there is some sort of system in Beach City other than those badges that said "I'm gay!" That would be really helpful.'
"We're here," Lapis said and Pearl grimaced as she looked over the party from afar, she hoped that Dewey wouldn't notice and recognise her as the Pearl he had a crush on in high-school. "My friend's over there, let me introduce you." The girl in blue walked away and Pearl followed her a little anxiously, 'This has to be Peridot that Amethyst spoke about nearly non-stop. Thank God she doesn't know me.'
They walked further into the shade of the wall against the sand, there Pearl could see a lone girl in a green hooded girl with what looked to be badges sown into the sleeves haphazardly. She looked like a miniature forest ranger or some sort of scout but she didn't seem to be interested in anything other than the phone in her hands. Peridot looked up from her phone once they got close enough, surprise, yet mild irritation, was evident on her face.
"Oh he actually came…" She grumbled, "well there goes the Camp Pining Hearts marathon."
"We'll still have it once we get back," Lapis smiled sweetly, "anyway," she turned on her heels and looked back at Pearl, "Earl, this is Peridot. Peridot, Earl."
"Nice to meet you!" The green girl grinned, she put her hand out and Pearl raised an eyebrow,
"Likewise." Pearl smiled back. She accepted the handshake with some hesitance and shook her hand quickly before pulling back. It was embarrassing for her to admit that she hadn't encountered many people that actually greet her with a handshake and she wasn't really prepared.
She noticed Peridot's expression flash in discomfort and she receded away from Pearl slowly, the taller girl raised an eyebrow in concern. She cleared her throat and ran through her brain for things to say.
"You mentioned a marathon?"
"I bribed her into coming," Lapis explained,
"Yeah, she bribed me," Peridot nodded her head, she seemed a little more defensive and folded her arms.
"It was because… Um… Well…" Lapis sighed,
"No it's fine," Pearl raised her hand expressively, "I understand." Lapis gave her another smile, Pearl then looked back to Peridot, "the show must be good if you were that easily bribed."
"Camp Pining Hearts is the best!" Peridot proudly proclaimed, "tell him Lapis."
"It's good," she added,
"Never heard of it." Pearl hummed, the only ever times she had watched anything on television was when it was some sort of date or movie night with Rose. But even back then she was focused on other activities.
Peridot gawked in a mixture of surprise and utter horror at her ignorance,
"I- I do not approve of your ignorance!" Peridot huffed, "Lapis, we are educating him!"
Lapis laughed and it sounded lovely to Pearl, she pinched herself and instead focused on the bitter expression on Peridot's face. It looked like she was a child tricked into biting a lemon and forever wanting revenge on those that wronged her. Lapis then snorted slightly and looked to Peridot, "I don't think we need to go that far."
"Is it that good?" Pearl smiled,
"Oh my god! It so is!" Peridot gasped and Lapis seemed to join in with her eagerness, "so like, there's all these camps and they're constantly fighting with each other!-" She began to wave her arms about with a grin as she explained further how a character named 'Paulette' was the most despicable thing on the planet. At least she was comfortable being around her again.
Throughout the night, Pearl saying to herself one thing, 'I will not fall for her.'
It became another mantra, something that she kept telling herself after Lapis would grin or laugh, interact with her in any way or even touch her sleeve when she was really into a conversation or pulling Pearl's attention away from Peridot's rants. Loving a straight girl was tough and it hurt more than getting stabbed with one thousand knives or being bludgeoned to death.
Pearl sighed sadly as she remembered how Rose would give her the same smile that Lapis seemingly possessed, it was always that stupid smile that made Pearl's knee's shake like it had become jelly and a silly grin spread on her face.
When Rose left her, it felt like she was set alight, that everything leading to it was her just adding gasoline over her and Pearl pretending that it was alright until finally she brings out the match.
That was when a stupid and selfish thought came into Pearl's head, 'What if Lapis never found out?' Pearl grimaced slightly, but she did not reject the idea.
Lapis looked at her with a hopeful expression once she glanced at the sea, people were getting into the salty water with a fury. Perhaps it was a challenge that one of Dewey's friends came up with, an endurance test of sorts. Or maybe they finally got so drunk that they had to go cool off.
"Want to go for a swim?" Lapis grinned,
Pearl would have loved to, but as she was hiding the fact that she was a girl dressed in boyish clothes…
"Sorry," Pearl gave her an apologetic smile, "I can't."
Peridot and Lapis shared a look but Lapis quickly shrugged, "I'll just go, I've been meaning to start swimming again, no better time than the present." She stretched. "You can keep Peridot company!" She looked a little nervous but there was still the charming confidence that she possessed shining through.
Pearl was not ready for Lapis to start pulling off her clothes and she looked away at the speed of sound, nearly giving herself whiplash in the process.
"Enjoy!" Pearl looked back once Peridot called out to her, she blushed at the sight of her in a blue swimsuit exposing her back. She could see from under the moonlight a scar and a decorative blue wing tattoo seemingly made of streams of water or flower petals, it made her take a breath in a similar manner of seeing a world wonder.
'Lapis is a world wonder.'
She grumbled at the thought, she barely knew her after all and she bit her lip in irritation. 'I'm falling for her.'
"So," Peridot spoke up, "You saved her from Jasper?" She got straight to the point and looked at her in disbelief. Sizing her up and narrowing her eyes as if she was some sort of critic. "No offence, but you don't seem… Well…"
Pearl looked at her dully and sighed, "I threw a glass bottle at her, that's all I done."
Peridot paled, "Ugh, you're more stupid than I thought…" Pearl scowled at her, "I mean, don't get me wrong you saved Lapis!" Peridot put her hands out reassuringly, "but it's just that… Jasper is going to track you down… If she finds you then-"
"Who is she?" Pearl interrupted her, a little gruffer in her voice,
Peridot nervously gulped and jumped like a deer caught in a cars headlights, "Jasper's the reason that people are scared at night." Pearl raised an eyebrow and let the green girl continue, "Her gang of thugs run the streets of Beach City ever since those Crystal clods stepped down."
Now this was interesting.
Pearl wasn't aware of the effect their little group had on the community, she supposed that she did get into a lot of fights when she was younger and it would have contributed somehow. She never considered to be a gang member… 'The Crystal Gems really WAS a gang now that I think about it from Peridot's perspective…'
"I mean, Amethyst told me all about the 'pranks' that they pulled back in the day. Particularly about some renegade wielding a knife, now she was terrifying!" Pearl gasped and clenched her hands tightly, "Jasper never liked to talk about her though, back when Lapis was… Well… Jasper once mentioned something to do with scars and someone-"
"Okay! I get it," Pearl's voice almost cracked and she had to take deep breaths to calm herself. She never thought that she would be remembering her past so suddenly or what happened a long time ago. She hurt so many people back then, anyone that irritated her or Rose, anyone that attempted to steal or hurt someone. Sure it was a valiant effort, but one day after some goon threatened Rose… she took it to the next level…
'That incident, it's always that incident! Why won't they shut up about it already? I don't want to remember, I've forgotten it!'
Pearl let out a long sigh.
"Are you okay?" Peridot asked, her hands nervously tugged at her hoodie strings.
"I'm fine," Pearl replied and she lowered her cap slightly, "just peachy."
So this is what it's come down to, now the moniker of Earl is very real and has a very significant purpose in her life. There was no-way that Pearl could tell them who she was now, anything could happen and the last thing she wanted was to be chased out by a gang with a grudge.
Yet just disappearing wasn't an option, Jasper would be looking for her and, by what Pearl could guess due to Peridot's paranoia on the subject, Jasper would not stop till she gets what she wants. Lapis and Peridot would be the first targets.
Pearl didn't want that at all, she didn't know what their history was with the thug, but whatever it was it wasn't pleasant. The next targets would obviously be anyone that they knew, that meant Amethyst and Garnet. There was no escape.
'What do I do now?' Pearl sighed.
Just as the green girl was about to say something else, Pearl got a text. The taller girl turned her back and secretively pulled out her phone (still with the original cover). She paled at what she read from Garnet, it was a blunt statement that made her skin crawl with the recent track of mind she had.
"I need to go," Pearl shoved the phone back into her pocket, she noticed Peridot looking at her own phone in shock too, "my… Friend… just got sent to A&E."
"Wait!" Peridot jumped, "Are you friends with Amethyst?!"
Pearl froze.
It was a bad time for Lapis to come back, she was soaking wet and breathing heavy, but otherwise she was happy. Her smile however vanished when she seen their frightened expressions on their faces.
"W-what happened?" She asked,
"Sorry, Lapis I've got to go now." Pearl slowly backed away, "it's an emergency."
She turned to run and she barely heard Peridot yell out " Wait! You never answered me!"
Pearl ran as quick as she could go. She wondered what had happened and shivered at the idea that Jasper somehow managed to skip the several steps she devised and find Amethyst sitting in her flat, minding her own business.
She had to make sure she was okay. She had to.
—
"Well that went well!" Peridot grinned uncomfortably before groaning loudly when Lapis caught on to her lie and raised an eyebrow at her,
"Could have been better," Lapis grumbled as she dried herself off with one of the towels that Dewey, for some reason, had brought with him. Lapis cringed at the idea that it was for him constantly wiping his forehead but she banished the thought. "What even happened?"
Peridot sighed defeatedly. "We both got a text at the same time, then he said his friend was sent to the A&E." She took out her phone and showed Lapis the blue screen, "I got a text from Amethyst saying she just got to the A&E."
"That's really suspicious… But couldn't it just be a coincidence? They happen all the time," Lapis asked as she put on her shirt,
"Please…" Peridot scoffed, "a coincidence like this in Beach City?"
Lapis hummed, 'It does sound really strange.' She pulled on her jeans and sorted her jacket, trying to make herself presentable and not like she washed up on some Beach like a castaway. "I have my theory that Garnet knows Earl somehow, she does know a lot of people our age… But why would Earl be friends with Amethyst?"
"Why wouldn't he be friends with Amethyst?" Peridot said defensively with a huff,
Lapis grinned, "not everyone has a crush on her like you do," Peridot frowned with a blush on her cheeks, "besides, Earl doesn't seem to be the loud, abrasive type. You know?"
"You're missing the point Lazuli! Earl is weird-"
"Look who's talking?" Lapis smirked,
"Shush!" Peridot frowned, "I mentioned those Crystal gems to him and he flipped out!"
Lapis frowned. "Given the subject, I would also 'flip out' Peridot." Lapis crossed her arms and looked towards the sea absently, trying to forget the rocky relationship she had with them.
"Yeah, but what does he have against them? He said he was visiting remember?" Peridot pushed her phone back into her pocket and expressively widened her stance, "and I don't think the Crystal Gems moved to the next town!" She finished.
Lapis rubbed her head and groaned, now Peridot will probably create theories of him like he was a show to enjoy and critique. She knew that there was something off about Earl ever since she met him, spending time with him has only giving her more questions instead of answers and she didn't know if she liked that or not.
Perhaps he was trying to impress her all this time, his actions did seem forced and unnatural. She brought her wrist to her chest and cradled the various bracelets, the feeling that haunted her like a curse making her remember being with Jasper seemed to disappear from them momentarily and now all she could think about was Earl's sharp blue eyes gazing at her curiously. She frowned, something just didn't feel right.
"Amethyst said she has a room-mate right?" Lapis asked after they had begun to walk back home,
"Yeah…" Peridot's face seemed to brighten in realisation, "yeah! A new one at that."
"Did she ever tell you who it was?" Lapis asked, her heart started to race,
"No."
They began to grin at one another, wide and cheshire like that seemed to dust away some of the mystery behind the mystery boy.
"Do you think?-" Lapis asked,
"Oh I'm thinking, I think yes!" Peridot seemed to gain a spark in her eyes, "we could probably find a resident registration sheet or something similar, those flats on the outside of town were always awkward in getting into."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Lapis grabbed Peridots arm and then pulled her along the darkened streets determinedly. "Amethyst might have the answers we need!"
"You mean, you need?" Peridot quipped with a sly smile,
"Whatever," Lapis snorted a grin on her face.
All was silent as they rushed through the empty streets. Lapis hadn't felt this excited in what felt like forever, it was like she was going to burst at any moment. But as she tailed Peridot behind her, practically dragging her, she felt more and more like she was just running away from something.
At first Lapis believed it was just the wind, the darkness of the unlit streets played with her mind and made her believe that things were there. It was like a young child being afraid of a monster hiding in their closet or under the bed. But slowly she seen more and more compelling evidence, some footsteps, bottles breaking, breathing even, it all unnerved her and slowly Lapis started to doubt on everything around her other than Peridot.
"Are you okay?!" Peridot wheezed behind her, "we've been running…" she gasped a big breath of air, "For a solid ten minutes!" She breathed out, "I'm not cut out for this physical activity! You know we could have just walked here? I mean it is on the outskirts of town!"
"I-I'm fine," Lapis looked around her quickly and she panted, "sorry Peridot."
"No!… No it's fine!" She regained her breath and looked ahead of them, she pointed suddenly and Lapis followed her eyes, "there it is."
It was a rather large four-story building, quite impressionable with the white walls and brown, if not, wooden accents. But it was pleasant and looked like it housed several apartments. They walked up to the entrance and glanced inside through the window.
"Looks like it's clear," Peridot murmured and she tried to open the door, it was locked. 'Figures, you have to be a resident to open it… Or at least come at the acceptable times…' Lapis sighed,
"Well Lapis, looks like there's nothing that can be done!" Peridot turned on her heels and began to walk away.
Lapis rolled her eyes and grabbed Peridot by her collar, yanking her back slightly.
"It's locked, we can't get in you clod!" Peridot grumbled,
"Shh!" Lapis put a finger to her mouth and walked up the small barrier that separated the main stairs to the entrance and the small garden patch. She swung her legs over and grabbed onto one of the window sill as she balanced herself on a small ledge.
"Lapis!" Peridot gasped a little loudly and the blue girl cast her a glare, Peridot clasped her mouth before removing her hands again. "What are you doing?!" Peridot then whisper screamed, "you're going to hurt yourself!"
"I won't, I done this all the time," Lapis replied as she climbed up the ledge and pushed herself up the wall with a kick, she grabbed onto the small window into the main receptions office, pulling her weight as if she was flying.
"Do you want to end up in A&E like that other clod?!" Peridot added,
Lapis never replied as she comfortably leaned against the glass, using the groove in her belt buckle she managed to get some leverage on the window, opening it just enough for her fingers to slip under and open it with some force to slip inside.
As silent as a professional thief, she crept past a sleeping security guard that was currently (and successfully) guarding a coffee mug with 'I HATE MY BOSS' written boldly, Lapis could faintly see a name beside it as if continuing the sentence, 'Holly B.' was written in marker that was already rubbing off. Briefly Lapis thought about robbing her on her escape 'But I'm not like that anymore…' she sighed and slipped into the entrance area, she could spot Peridot standing outside with a look of awe and fear on her face. Her hands waved about expressively, mentioning that Lapis will get caught and they'll go to jail for trespassing. The girl in blue ignored her.
Quickly Lapis looked through a residents sheet and found the particular one that she was looking for. It was a document that was messily filled and had the signature 'Amethyst' at the top, she looked at the documents attached and found Garnets old document. Lapis clicked her tongue disappointingly and put the file away, however she had no intentions of leaving just yet 'The document could still be incomplete, perhaps I'll find an application letter instead.' Lapis scanned the table top of the reception and moved numerous papers about, many were just random adverts and Lapis doubted that many would apply for the flat here, she continued her search until she discovered a formal and opened envelope. She grinned in success as she opened the envelope and inspected the letter and application. She felt her heart leap when she discovered it was for the same flat that Amethyst was currently staying in, she opened the letter but all that greeted her was confusion.
It was a very elegant handwriting, with tidy flicks and swirls. It was so immaculate that Lapis believed it to be a computer font at first, the more she read the letter the more confused she got.
Finally she read the name at the bottom of the page.
'Pearl.'
Lapis returned outside to Peridot with a mixture of emotions after she dropped the letter back onto the desk, her previous thoughts on the guard ignored and her mind was a haze.
"So?" Peridot looked at her expectantly, "I seen you read the application letter, who is it?"
"A woman named 'Pearl'." Lapis clicked her tongue and shoved her hands into her pockets, finally noticing how sore they had become due to supporting her weight when she was climbing.
"Pearl?" Peridot scoffed, "that's an unsettling coincidence…" She brought a hand to her jaw, "was there any photo?"
Lapis shook her head in response, "let's go Peri…" She sighed, "I wish I took a drink at that party."
They began to walk away from the building slowly and Lapis furiously glared at the ground. 'I was so sure of it. But who is this Pearl? Why are their names so similar?' she groaned 'They can't be the same person, Earl is a man.'
"Hey," Peridot grabbed her attention and Lapis looked at her a little glumly, "nice detective work there…" she grinned,
Lapis smiled, "thanks, but really, I shouldn't be breaking and entering anymore… Makes me want to… Well…" she cleared her throat,
"I understand," Peridot hummed, there was then a spark in her eyes, "that's why I believe we should get a sniffer dog instead. They'll get in anywhere and find anything for us so you don't have to!"
Lapis snorted and broke into laughter, "you can't be serious, you? want a pet dog?"
"Hey! I'll have you know I am very responsible! We had those goldfish didn't we?" Peridot huffed,
Lapis thought back for a moment. "Poor Percy and Pierre…" she sighed, "They lived short lives in this world… Too pure…"
Peridot sniffed dramatically, "I'LL NEVER GET A GOLDFISH AGAIN!"
"What about that bird we took care of?" Lapis sighed, "Susan's probably flying around the world right now…"
"No loyalty that one," Peridot frowned, "they must have got it from you and your 'freedom' tendencies."
Lapis sighed with a fond smile, "fine, you go ahead and do some research first. If we're going to get one we're going to do it right."
"Yep!" Peridot grinned, "and I'm going to also train it to do my bidding!"
"You say that about all pets…" Lapis rolled her eyes,
"Not if my bidding is to bite Jasper."
"Touche."
Lapis smiled fondly as they continued walking further and further away from the building, she sighed sadly at the disappointing revelation but she hoped that she could at least speak to Amethyst with Peridot after work. This 'Pearl' did seem interesting and Lapis began thinking about what kind of person she would have been like.
She must have been a perfectionist of some sort, it was the only way of explaining her masterpiece of an application, she was also very thoughtful judging by how sincere she sounded in the letter. But 'posh' or 'elegant' definitely stood out like a sore thumb. It was almost entertaining to envision what she may have looked like, but overtime when Lapis tried she thought about a fat, old, wrinkly woman that must have been Amethyst's grandmother or great aunt, 'Now THAT would be funny!' She imagined an old lady-like figure attempting to shape up Amethyst and get her to clean the house or something similar. Perhaps even making Amethyst wear girly things such as dresses, Lapis snorted. 'Seeing Amethyst walk about doing chores, "My great-aunt Pearl told me to!" she would say!'
But as they walked by the beach again, nearing their own home. Lapis swore that she heard someone walk up behind her.
And Peridot gasped.
—
The trip to the hospital had been eventful if anything, from the precise manoeuvring of Amethyst into the taxi without hurting her to the gut wrenching feeling of watching Amethyst shamble up the stairs to the apartment by herself with only crutches.
Pearl sighed as she watched Garnet and Amethyst sitting on the couch.
"What… What happened?" Pearl pinched the bridge of her nose and frowned, her cap hid her eyes quite well,
"Well, y'see…" Amethyst grumbled and groaned as she replied, "My… Uh… Pile fell onto my foot."
Pearl tensed, "and why did it fall onto your foot?" She probed,
"I was trying to clean some stuff out… From some of the tallest towers…" Amethyst sighed,
"Amethyst I said that we should do it together!" Pearl snapped, "or at least you should have been more careful!"
"I was trying okay?" Amethyst huffed and crossed her arms, propping her foot up onto the couch pillow with an ounce of sass,
"Pearl has a point Amethyst." Garnet put her hand onto the injured girl's shoulder, "anything could have been in one of those piles and you would have more than a broken leg."
Amethyst pouted and looked away, "okay, okay! I get it, I should have just waited to get skewered another time…"
"Amethyst!~" Pearl covered her face and looked away, she envisioned that knife that she threw back to the top of the pile carelessly, had Amethyst knocked over the wrong pile… She didn't dare think of it.
"Sorry Pearl," Amethyst mumbled after they silently watched each other for their sides of the room, "I totally ruined your date didn't I?"
Pearl sniffed and looked back to Amethyst with a small apologetic smile, "it's fine, it wasn't going well at all…"
"Did you manage to tell her?" Amethyst asked curiously,
Pearl shook her head, "No, and I don't think I ever will be able to tell her."
Amethyst groaned and dragged her hands down her face, "UGH, I messed up!"
"What? No! No, no, no! Amethyst it's not your fault," Pearl smiled and reassured her, "it's just… When I 'met' Lapis I also may have threw a bottle at someone named Jasper."
Garnet and Amethyst seemed to sit up straighter at the mention of her name, Garnet grimaced and Amethyst looked surprised.
"You did whaaaaaat?" Amethyst grinned, "P. That's totally hardcore! I knew that there was some of the old you still there!"
"No!" Pearl snapped, "no, that me is gone Amy…"
She sighed, it had been a long time since she called Amethyst that.
"I still have no clue who this 'Jasper' is, all I'm getting is that she is some sort of gang member and she has a grudge." Pearl sighed and she began restlessly pacing, "not only that, Lapis and Peridot are hiding something! They know about the 'Crystal Gems', they know Jasper and they know me!" Pearl clasped her arms around her chest tightly and continued to pace. "They know who I used to be and now Jasper has a grudge against me AND now this 'Earl'!" She opened her arms and looked down at herself, "so basically…" Pearl sighed and she stopped, she turned her head and looked at Amethyst and Garnet with nothing but a blank look. "… I'm fucked."
Amethyst burst into laughter, "P! Dropping the F-Bomb! Nice to have you back." Pearl scowled,
Garnet on the other hand wasn't as light-hearted, she hummed and stood up from the couch.
"I need to apologise to you Pearl," Garnet hummed, "I followed you out the bar and I overheard what happened between you and Lapis… But I never knew that you had scared off Jasper of all people."
"Who is Jasper?" Pearl sighed, she grew more and more irritated, "do I know her? Is she some sort of fast-food worker? Some sort of creep? Who is she?"
"Not personally," Garnet hummed calmly, "but I know that Rose knew her, they weren't on good terms so that's why Rose kept it from you… She knew what you were capable of doing for her…"
Pearl winced at that. She would have done anything for Rose. 'Anything, even-…' Pearl sighed.
"We'll sort this out tomorrow," Garnet fixed her shades, "we'll fix the place up and call Peridot over with Lapis, then we'll talk to her together."
"But Garnet! They're terrified of me!" Pearl responded, "how will they react once they figure out that I'm the 'knife-wielding renegade' that they're on about?"
"No they're not, they're just scared of the idea of a 'knife-wielding renegade'." Garnet smiled quickly before looking over to Amethyst that was already getting a marker prepared for signatures. "We only have one person to thank for that."
Pearl sighed, "okay… But what about Jasper?"
"We'll sort it out tomorrow," Garnet repeated, "it's late right now and we need to get Amethyst into her room." She put a reassuring hand onto Pearl's shoulder, "don't worry, we'll sort this out."
Pearl smiled slightly and they turned once they heard Amethyst wiggling as furiously as someone could with a broken leg.
"Ooh, ooh! Garnet! Pearl! Sign my cast!" Amethyst displayed her leg and the marker, "go on do it! You know you want too~" she wiggled again, "What's the phrase? 'Sign me like one of your Belgian buns!',"
Pearl snorted and broke out in laughter, "It's 'paint me like one of your French girls'!"
"Meh, I like my version better." Amethyst gave the marker to Garnet and she left a large signature beside her calf, Pearl then took the pen and just as she was about to put the pen down Amethyst flinched "Ow!" Pearl jumped and frowned at the chuckling girl,
"Amethyst." She warned and then quickly wrote her name on Amethyst's shin.
"Come on, bed-time." Garnet picked Amethyst up with ease, "Pearl, get the doors."
The taller girl nodded and lead the way to Amethyst's room, opening the door into the small room that was packed with random objects. Just as Pearl was about to turn away Amethyst threw something at her, she quickly caught the fabric and she gasped when she discovered the old jacket she used to wear.
"I thought I lost this…" She smiled affectionately,
"Heh, Found it just before I hurt my leg." Amethyst poked the cast as she sat on her bed, " I think you looked cool in it."
Pearl smiled and she tried it on, flipping the collar like always. A rush of nostalgia hit her and she grinned, "thanks Amethyst."
"Hey don't mention it." She grinned and waved as Garnet closed the door.
They walked into the living room, Pearl was just about to tell Garnet to have a safe journey home when there was suddenly a furious pounding at the front door. Pearl and Garnet glance at each other before they opened it and found a yawning security guard called Skinny, that looked like she was rudely awakened, and a Peridot in tears.
"She demanded to speak with you guys," Skinny said before she left, "just don't tell Holly I done this! She'll have my neck."
As the guard left they focused on the whimpering Peridot.
"Earl?!" She pointed at Pearl, "what are you doing here?!"
"I could ask you the same thing," Pearl responded in her 'Earl' voice,
"It doesn't matter! It's Lapis!" Peridot sniffed and hyperventilated at the same time, Pearl didn't think it possible till now. Pearl felt her heart leap and instantly an intense fear wrapped itself around her.
"Calm down, start talking," Garnet placed a hand onto Peridot's shoulder,
"What happened to Lapis?" Pearl added, near panicking.
"Someone grabbed her and dragged her off!" Peridot whimpered, "I tried to do something! But I couldn't do anything!"
"It's fine," Garnet hummed, she turned to Pearl and to the taller girl's surprise… "Earl, let's go."
