Rose Quartz's house was just like her, big, beautiful and comforting. It was a suburban house that had sprouted from the ground, God knows how, between a playground and a tall building. Flowers pots at the windows, which white curtains flew in the breeze like a ship's sails, spilled their green on the beige rendering. Ivy and climbing vine dressed the short wall that separated the threshold from the street. The sun was eating the color of the old red roof tiles and the landing's bricks.
In the garden, behind the house, the party was barely starting. It wasn't a very big garden but it was nice. Neatly pruned rose bushes grew under the windows, already showing their first buds. There was a small patch of raspberries and strawberries on one end, right before a round oleander. Daisies, dandelions and other wild flowers the young woman hadn't had the heart to cut were sprinkled on the fresh grass where Amethyst and Pearl were arranging the tables and chairs, in the shade of a plane tree. Actually, Pearl was arranging and Amethyst was moving under the perfectionist's orders, grouching when she asked an umpteenth adjustment.
"You know, it won't kill us if the tables aren't symmetrical."
"You don't understand, it's about the presentation!"
"Ugh, but do you have to make a fuss each time we're here? Come one, we're not having the Queen of England over!"
"This has nothing to do with what we're talking about! Oh well, I guess I cannot expect you to understand…"
Amethyst gnashed her teeth, ready to reply something when she was stopped by a soft yet firm voice.
"Don't fight, girls, they're just tables." She appeared in the door frame, tall and proud, two empty glasses in each hand. Rose lived up to her name with her huge pink curls. Her black wolf eyes were drowning in a chubby smiling face, all made of soft curves, same as her body. That day, a baggy white dress was covering her round belly. She scanned the garden, as smiling as ever. "Thanks for setting everything up."
"Oh, that's only natural, Rose!" claimed Pearl as she quickly grabbed the glasses she held in her hands to go set them, two by two, on the tables.
"Garnet isn't here yet?" Amethyst asked as she landed in one of the chairs.
Rose didn't have the time to open her mouth: the doorbell chimed inside the house, causing the young woman to giggle. "It seems like she is! I'll go get her. Pearl, would you go get the juice and biscuits?"
"Of course!" Pearl said as she walked to the kitchen.
Rose walked back inside and towards the front door she opened with a huge welcoming smile. She was surprised to find not one but two young girls waiting before the gate.
Garnet was wearing her leather jacket, gloves and her eternal sunglasses. Her thick black mane surrounded an angular and self-assured face. She had a hand resting on the shoulder of another girl, much smaller in spite of her platform shoes and messy blond hair, who seemed quite uneasy. "Sorry I'm late, Peridot needed help to get here."
"That's incorrect, I… I didn't want to travel alone, it's against security rules." She denied. She was hugging a physics book against her chest like a stuffed animal and was wearing big glasses with green frames.
"Oh, very well!" said Rose, slightly surprised yet welcoming. Amethyst had told her she had invited a friend but she wasn't expecting them to be Peridot Berde, a follower of the student council. And Peridot didn't seem to know at whose place she was going at either, from the look she was sending her.
Silence sat between them for a few moments until the young woman stepped out of the way. "Well, come in, you two."
"Uh, actually, miss Quartz…" Peridot started as Garnet walked in without further ado.
"Don't worry, Peridot." Rose quickly interrupted her with a small smile. "I'm not a teacher, her. You can call me Rose. Come in, quick."
Peridot nervously stomped her feet for a few seconds before rushing inside, followed by the amused laugh of her biology teacher.
The inside of the house was charming, both pretty and cozy, though a little bit messy. There were doilies on the tables and flowerpots on the doilies. The remains of a pillow fort lay on the couch. Biscuit jars were placed here and there, at the mercy of greedy hands. Musical instruments clustered the laundry. Peridot slowed down as she entered the living room, letting Rose lead the way. She was growing more and more nervous. Being in the house of a professor, professor Quartz on top of that! Just being there made her feel like a filthy rebel.
Voices echoed from the garden as Rose and Peridot went through the back door. Amethyst, in the middle of a discussion with Garnet and Pearl, looked up at them and a sparkle lighted her eyes. "Seriously? Nerdy Peri actually came!"
"Apparently?" Peridot said, embarrassed. She didn't really know where to sit but she didn't have to think about it for too long. Amethyst got up and threw her almost roughly on one of the chairs as her backpack fell in a very cartoony way.
"And I thought I'd have to draw on Pearl's notebook to not get bored again!" snickered the wrestler. Peridot heard herself chortle with her as Pearl raised a disdainful face, arms elegantly crossed on her sea green dress.
"I didn't know I was boring you this much, Amethyst." Rose interfered as she filled glasses of fruit juice. She gave one to Peridot who took it, slightly puzzled. The young girl with purple hair shrugged and Rose didn't insist. She sat in a chair with a relieved sigh. "So! What do we have to do today? Garnet, you told me the juniors had a literature test, next week?"
"Yes, but it isn't actually this important. I'd rather keep studying trigonometry." Since she was already set, Pearl proposed to help her friend. Rose helped them get organized as Peridot, a little bit lost, turned to Amethyst.
"They aren't at the same level as we are?"
"Nah, G is a junior and P is a senior."
"Then why are you studying together if you don't have the same classes?"
"Duh, because it's more fun!" Peridot gave her a doubtful look and Amethyst lifted an eyebrow. "You mean you never studied with someone from another class? You have at least studied with someone, right?"
"Not exactly?" Peridot hesitated. "I've had a private teacher?"
Amethyst looked at her for a second before bursting from laughter again. "You actually have things to learn, P-dot!"
Peridot blushed. "I can just study on my own, I wasn't prepared."
"Oh no you don't! I didn't ask you to come for you to ignore me!" Amethyst took her book from her hands and set it on the table. "You were going to study those electricity lessons for the next test?"
"Yes." Said Peridot.
"Perfect! I didn't get it at all!" Amethyst smiled and Peridot literally felt her eyes fill themselves with stars. "We'll do all of it together!"