The Lust That Hides The Love

Seventy-Three-Stay Cool

Peri's Pov

Two more weeks. I only had two more weeks until the school year was over and I was free to do what I pleased. I could hardly wait! The days became less about learning and more about review, and in the evenings I could already feel the sweetness of freedom in the air.

Of course, I'd never really looked forward to summer in the way most people had. Most people enjoyed summer as a time to spend all day at the pool or go on vacation with their families, whereas I usually spent most of my summer indoors playing video games or occasionally babysitting. But this summer already felt different. It was going to be a good summer, one where I actually went out with friends. And it would all start when Amethyst got home.

We'd planned it all out. Amethyst had another week of school after Crystal Prep got out, then she would return to Beach City and we would spend the whole summer with Ruby, Sapphire, and even Yellen!

I felt a little guilty as I went over out plan again in my head Monday evening. I had no clue if Pearl would even want to spend time with us, but it felt wrong to exclude her. I spun around in my desk chair and sighed.

"Well that can't be a good sign." I spun my chair to face Yellen in the doorway. "Have you completely lost it yet?" I shook my head.

"Not yet. I'm just thinking..." Yellen nodded and entered the room, sitting on my bed.

"What about?"

"Summer. Pearl. If she's going to want to spend time with us."

"Do you think she'll want to?" I shrugged.

"Who knows. It's not like she's got anyone else. But I think she's still mad at me."

"For breaking up with her? You're totally in the right though." I nodded, spinning some more.

"Things just weren't working out. We reached a point where we were basically friends who kissed every now and then. And I just felt like I was putting more effort into the relationship then I got back." Yellen stood up and stopped the chair from spinning.

"You just ate, you're gonna get sick." She spun me around to face her. "And lighten up a bit. She'll totally come hang out with us. We've got Sapphire, and Amethyst, and a whole bunch of fun stuff planned. Who would pick sitting home all day over that?"

"Reading can be fun too."

"Peridot."

"Fine, fine, you're right." Yellen nodded.

"That's right. Now stop worrying so much." She patted my head and left, closing the door behind her. I smiled, then sighed and grabbed my phone, spinning again as I called Amethyst.

"Hey dude."

"Hey Amethyst."

"Woah, who died? You sound like they just killed off your favorite character." I sighed again.

"No one died, that's just the crushing weight of the universe giving me crippling anxiety."

"That's a mood. What's up?" I started spinning again.

"Do you think Pearl will hang out with us this summer?" Amethyst hesitated.

"Uh... Probably? I don't think she's got anything else planned."

"Well you've known her longer than I have, how does she usually spend her summers?"

"Depends. Are we talking before the accident or afterwards?" I stopped to think for a moment.

"After."

"Well..." Amethyst trailed off. "She spent the first one in the hospital. She spent the second one at home. And she spent last year with us." I stopped to think about the accident for the millionth time. It wasn't until times like these that I actually realized how much it affected her life.

"And before?"

"Oh that's an easy one. She usually spent her summers hanging out with Rose Quartz. They were practically attached at the hip, dude." I sighed.

"So what you're telling me is that Pearl's ideal summer would be spent with someone who's currently pretty dead?"

"Yep. Sorry bro. Hey maybe we could try to get her to come spend some time with Steven! I know Greg, he's pretty cool. I bet he'd totally let us come hang!"

"Yeah, I'm not so sure about that. Pearl's not really a baby person." Amethyst sighed.

"Yeah, you're right. And she kinda hates Greg too. But maybe we could something like last year! She likes hanging out with Opal, we could see if Opal and them wanna hang! I know Sugi totally would, but I guess Alex isn't going back to Beach City. Oh but 'Donyx is still there, right?"

"Yeah. Oh crap, graduation's On Friday! I told Ruby I'd go with them."

"Aw sick! Wish 'em luck for me."

"Will do. How are things there?" Amethyst made a noise with her tongue.

"It sucks dude. We've got CPS dudes always coming to talk to Eric and my mom, so they've been making us all clean the house nonstop."

"Has anything happened?"

"I dunno. They're always looking at the younger kids and taking notes. I think they wanna take some of them. I heard my mom tell one of her friends on the phone that they were talking to some of the kids' other parents."

"Do you think they'll send you back?" Amethyst snickered.

"Fat chance. My dad's a drunk and he hit me, dude. I think I'm here till I die."

"But you can't be! We need you!" She sighed.

"Just chill for a bit, okay dude? I'll be there in a few weeks." She stopped talking and I heard commotion in the background. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later." She hung up without saying goodbye.

"Shit." I tossed my phone onto my bed and stood up, stretching.

"Can someone come help me with the dishes?" My mother yelled from downstairs. I opened my door.

"Coming!" When I got to the kitchen I sighed.

"If it's that much trouble I can just ask your sister, you know." I shook my head.

"No, it's fine. I've got it." I started away on the dishes.

"Just the pre-summer blues?" She asked, flipping through some paperwork.

"Something like that."