Ok. Heads up: I KNOW Sadie is with Shep. I just prefer her with Lars for my own reasons. Onto the chapter!
(Amethyst's POV)
After I was done with class, I headed to the bakery that was ran by Steven's friend Lars. I walked in and saw him talking on the phone with someone. Probably his girl Sadie.
"I know. I know. Well, I told my parents about it and they said they'd help us find a place. Empire City's rent is way too much though......huh? OK. Love you too. Talk to you later, Sadie." He said as he finally noticed me chuckling, causing him to roll his eyes.
"Laugh it up, Amethyst. Do you tease Steven about his thing with Connie?" He asked as I approached the counter to look at the different treats.
"I've been teasing him about that since the day those two met. Anyway, what's this about you and Sadie looking for a place?" I asked as he chuckled.
"Well, me and Sadie are gonna move in to a place of our own. Gonna be somewhere out of Beach City. Our parents are gonna help us and even pay to get us in and pay our first months rent. Now it's just a matter of trying to find a place." He said as I smiled. I was happy for him and Sadie.
"That's great. I'm happy for you and Sadie. *sighs* At least you're happy." I said as he looked at me with concern.
"It's about Steven, isn't it? *sighs* You Gems really gotta back off of him. He's a teenager. So he's not gonna want to talk to you guys about everything. Teens and emotions are as volatile as dynamite. One wrong move and they'll blow up in your face." He said as I sighed.
"You don't think we know that? I can't speak for Garnet and Pearl, but I know Steven needs his space. But it doesn't shake the fact that he's still my brother and I hate that we don't talk like we once did. It used to be Steven could tell me anything. Now it's like he's trying to AVOID telling me what's on his mind." I said with a groan.
"Again. He's a teenager. Teenagers get moody and some get depressed to where they shut themselves off from everyone. As long as he isn't doing any drugs or whatever, best to just let him be. Steven will come around. He always does and we all know that." Lars said as I smiled.
"You're right. He better not be doing drugs though. I'll kill him before Garnet and Pearl get a chance to." I said as Lars chuckled.
"Not if me and Sadie get to him first. I really don't want to imagine Steven doing a line of coke. That...that image would haunt my dreams." He said with a laugh as I laughed as well.
"What about weed? Would that be bad?" I asked as Lars chuckled in reply.
"The only thing Steven could do wrong with weed is smoking it without me. I need relief too, y'know." He laughed as I ordered a pastry. Lars made it and handed it to me. As I gave him the money, he didn't take it.
"No. It's on the house. Steven's like a brother to me and I'm worried about him too. In fact, do you mind taking this to him for me, Amethyst? I think this will cheer him up." Lars said as he took a big box out of a cabinet and handed it to me.
"Sure. I'll make sure he gets it when I see him. I'll see ya round, Lars." I said as I left the bakery.
*Meanwhile*
(Pearl's POV)
"Pearl, you're overreacting. There's got to be some reason why Steven got like that. Maybe a possible imbalance with his powers? That can even happen to Full Gems like us." Garnet said as I sat on the couch as Greg, Vidalia,Volleyball and Bismuth were in the room with us. I kept going over and over in my head about what could have caused Steven to get like that at the Reef.
"His skin turned pink, right? Anything else you can tell us, Pearl?" Bismuth asked, clearly interested as well.
"I don't know how to describe it. But it was as if he seemed more violent. I knew he wouldn't hurt me or Volleyball and that's why I didn't summon my spear. But I knew the boy I was looking at...it wasn't him. It wasn't my baby. " I said as Greg sighed.
"I'm not big on this Gem stuff, even after all this time. But didn't you guys once say Steven's powers are reliant on his emotions? Maybe this is just a result of him being frustrated or angry? And it just caught you off guard because you've never really seen him like that before." He said.
"Steven's got a lot on his plate for someone who's only 16. Poor dear needs a vacation. He's long overdue for a break. Even if it's just a day off from all of this. I can't blame him for losing his patience a bit." Vidalia said as I groaned.
"Losing his patience a bit was enough to make him break the floor of the reef with just his voice alone? If he hadn't turned back to normal....no. I know he wouldn't have hurt us. *sighs* what do we do? I thought we were well prepared for these years, Garnet. I knew Steven would grow up. It hurt. But I knew he would. But never did I expect any of this." I said as Garnet sighed.
"I believe this is what humans call "Teenage Angst"." She said as Greg couldn't help but chuckle until Vidalia shot him a dirty look.
"Maybe Steven has something else going on with him. I think this is one of those times where you all need to talk to him. That's how I was with Sour Cream. And having a shotgun didn't hurt either." She said as we all looked at her in pure confusion as she began to laugh.
"*laughs* I'm just joking. But you get my point. When it comes to Teenagers and their mood swings, you have to be very careful and subtle. And no offense, but you Gems have all the subtlety of a jackhammer in an operating room. And yes, that includes Amethyst even though I love her. So I'm on the fence if it should be any of you who tries to talk to Steven. I know you're his family, but...." She began to say until her phone rang.
"Ah. I have to go. Onion's trying to mommy's painting supplies again. I'll see you guys later. And call me if I can help out with Steven, Greg." Vidalia said as she left.
Still, what she said bothered me. Why shouldn't we be the ones who should talk to him? It didn't make any sense to me why Vidalia would say something as ridiculous as that.
"I need to be alone." I said as I headed to my room to collect my thoughts. I reached into my Gem and pulled out a photo that meant the world to me. One that always kept the ones who I love the most on my mind:
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