A couple of days later, there came a time when Steven had to poop really bad. The heaviness came to his stomach fast, and he had no time to make it to the Big Donut this time.
"Peridot," Steven cried, "I need to use the bathroom! QUICK!"
She spat, "What's the pass-sentence?"
"Peridot will rule us with an iron fist!"
"That's incomplete!"
"Peridot, please! I really need to go!"
Peridot snarled like a groundhog. "Fine! Just be quick about it."
As soon as Peridot unlocked the door, Steven rushed in and, with surprising strength, pushed Peridot outside and locked back the door. Peridot shouted like a German. She banged on the bathroom door. But, she was soon drowned out by Steven's vocal crescendo as he scurried to the toilet. He rose into fortississimo as he threw down his pants, then, as soon as he sat down, fell into diminuendo, down into a vibrato of relief!
"Hey," Peridot yelled, "I hear explosives in there! What are you up to?!"
Steven was sweating. "Never again..."
The doorknob wriggled. "You will relinquish my holding cell immediately!"
"I'll be just a minute!" Steven called. "Could I have a little privacy, please!"
"What's that stench?!" Steven's cheeks flushed. "It's finally happened!" exclaimed Peridot. "But, I never anticipated this. The Quartz! Resorting to chemical warfare! Stars! Save me from this barbarian!"
Steven heard thudding outside, on the wood floor, until it faded away. He sighed, and went back to business.
Steven finished and escaped into the fresh air. He didn't see Peridot, but he found Amethyst on a stool, at the bar, nonchalant, with a mustard-covered smirk on her face. She gave him a thumbs-up, then used that same thumb to jab the air toward the front door. Steven replied with his thumb as thanks.
From his porch, Steven scanned the beach for any sign of Peridot. All that was out there was the breathing ocean. He walked down the steps into the sand. He found Peridot under the porch, in the shade, holding her knees to her chest. Steven approached. Peridot didn't look at him.
"Hey," said Steven, as sincerely as he could. Peridot didn't respond. "Sorry about the bathroom... Those microwaveable burritos can really get to ya." Steven chuckled. Peridot still said nothing. Steven sat next to her and looked at the water.
The waves rolled onto the shore, blanketing it like a mother. But, the sand didn't want to go to sleep, and slid the ocean off of itself four times before Steven's cheeks lifted into a little smile.
"This is nice," he said. "Being outside every now and then. Feeling the breeze. Don't you think so?"
"No, I don't," said Peridot.
"Why not?"
"Weather and the elements are chaotic."
Steven looked around. There was Mother Ocean and her sand, a calm wind, and seagulls cawing somewhere. "Maybe it's a little hot, but..." Peridot tsked. "And besides," Steven continued, "it's been a while since you last came outside. Don't you get tired of staying in the bathroom all the time?"
"I get tired of you interrupting my train of thought just to void your bowels or urinary tract." Peridot's words dropped into the sand like stones. "You're such an inconvenience."
Steven got queasy. He looked back at the beach. He sifted sand through his fingers. "I've been thinking a lot about you," said Steven. "I've been trying to put myself in your position-"
"Let's not."
"Please. I know it's scary to be in a different place. Much more, a different planet."
Peridot clenched her knees. "The thing you're doing with your vocal flapper? You should instead shove some pie in it!"
"Earth isn't out to destroy you!" said Steven. "Most people don't even know about Gems."
"You're always blathering at me. Always. I don't want to talk, I just want you to shut up!" Peridot tore her knees away from her chest. "That would be most agreeable!"
Steven faced her on his knees. "You confuse me, Peridot! You confuse me. I want to understand you. How can I understand you if we don't talk?"
Peridot had told Steven to shut up thrice as he just spoke to her, but, that having failed, Peridot shoved her heels into the sand. "My Homeworld is out of my reach, right?! Just like you Crystal Clods wanted! You've taken away any form of communication from me, and have effectively rendered me out of commission. My mission is a failure and you've mitigated me to worthlessness. I'm of no use to my Homeworld as I am. I'm stagnant!"
Steven began, "And, what about-"
"I don't want to see her! I don't want to see her!" erupted Peridot. "I don't want to see her!"
With her heels in the sand, and her knees stretched so hard they looked about to snap, Peridot shook; this was the only hint Steven got that Peridot had muscles. She fidgeted her tiny fists in the sand.
Finished with herself, with Steven, Peridot shot upright and left him. She whipped the sand from her bottom, her legs, and her hands as she swept up the stairs.
The screen door slammed above Steven, and shortly thereafter, a second ripple tumbled down the posts that held up the beach house.
The ocean came back, there, with her waves blanketing the shore again. Steven, in the shade, in the sand, was awoken by it. He wasn't aware of how many times the sea rolled up on the land with him sitting there, but Mother Ocean had brought him back. He took a deep breath.
Steven had been afraid of certain people before. For a while, he was afraid of Mayor Dewey, because of his loud voice, his loud car, his loud pearly whites. But, that was when Steven was young; since then, but, not because, he has tried to be open and friendly with anyone, instead of hiding from them (except for when he first noticed Connie, but that was a different matter).
But, that was childish antics. Steven never expected there were such Peridot-lengths that people might go to avoid someone else. She was going as far as Steven thought possible.
Though Peridot's jigsaw puzzle got nearer to completion, Steven thought it a good thing to give her more space. Let her collect herself and breathe. Steven breathed again, thinking this.
He finally got up, and moseyed up the stairs. The rhythm of the ocean faded away as he went inside. He breathed once more.
"Yo, Ste-man," called Amethyst, sitting on one stool with her elbows in another. "What happened?"
...