First to Fall

Boy, these boxes were heavy. What did she have in them, bricks? Peridot was over at Lapis’ new place, helping her officially move in. She reached up, and slammed the trunk door down. Leaning over, she picked up three stacked large boxes, supporting the massive weight with her knees.

“Need some help?” A recognizable, yet unseen voice was heard ahead. 

“No I’ve got it,” Peridot grunted. She stumbled a bit, almost loosing balance, but the side of the car caught her. It would probably be a good idea to work out more, she made a mental note.

“Here,” part of the weight was lifted from her arms, and the blonde felt relief. Lapis’ face was now peeking behind the heap she carried. “You’ve helped me out so much, especially when you didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to.” She had promised Lapis a week ago, that she would help her move. Lapis had already done part of the unpacking, like moving the furniture inside. But she had procrastinated with moving the rest of her boxes in, and officially organizing everything. Peridot went over there, intentionally waking up early, bringing coffee for the both of them. Ironically Lapis’ new place near Beach City University ended up being just a couple blocks down the street from Peridot’s. The odds in which it occurred seemed way too expedient. Considering the chance of that happening in a large place like Beach City, it almost seemed deliberate. However it could also be a sheer fluke. Maybe fate was on both of their sides. “What’s inside these boxes anyway? Do you like to collect dumbbells in your spare time?”

“Of course, to work on these babies,” Lapis set down her box just briefly to flex a bicep. She was toned, but far away from becoming a body builder. “In all seriousness, most of what I have are books.”

“Books? I didn’t know you liked reading,” she did not seem like the type to be an avid reader, though Peridot stopped assuming things about Lapis a while ago. The blue haired girl had many interests which surprised her.

“I love it. Mostly classics, thrillers, or non-fiction psychology books.”

“At this rate, you’ll have a library in no time,” she huffed as they entered the house. Her collection put Peridot's own to shame. 

“That’s the goal, a whole room full of books!”

Peridot set down the load once they entered Lapis’ room. Her roommate from her last place, Blue Pearl had already moved all of her things in as well. The room was medium sized, but to make space, they shared a bunkbed. Everything was in a precise place, which made the blonde feel a tad uptight. Was Lapis this organized as well?

Soon she found out the answer, which was no. The blue haired girl was not untidy, but she did not make any effort in keeping her room pristine. Peridot helped Lapis unpack, and hang clothes up in the closet. Lapis mostly wore, as she observed, crop tops, shorts, and loose shirts. She owned a few kimono cardigans, but surprisingly no dresses. Peridot would have thought Lapis would be the type to wear dresses. Everything she owned was somewhat fashionable, putting the green eyed girl to shame. All she wore usually were tee shirts, skinny jeans, button up shirts, and sneakers. She had a few more formal business outfits in her own closet, but those were packed away in a box. Ever since she left home, she did not have to wear anything professional.

Her mother’s business was named after her, Diamond Systems. How conceited of her. Diamond was a high tech company, which recently made it into the Annual’s list for being in the hundred most profitable corporations worldwide. To summarize, the company designed and produced consumer electronics, software, and hardware. Their most prized successes included their mobile devices, computers, and self-developed operating system, which ran exclusively on their products. And her mother was the CEO, the mogul of this empire. 

Peridot even eyed that Lapis owned a Diamond phone, but she did not mention anything. There was no way Lapis would ever believe her, when she disclosed the fact she was the CEO of Diamond’s daughter. But sooner or later, she would learn the truth. Just, now was not the time. That was a discussion the blonde did not care to open up, until she felt comfortable enough.

“What are you thinking about?” Lapis interrupted her deep contemplation.

“Oh nothing really, just about how you’re roommate is so organized, that’s all,” did she sound convincing enough?

“Is that so?”

Nope.

But Lapis went along, “Blue’s always been like that with her own things. Fortunately she doesn’t care about my things, so we’ve never had any arguments over it. Though she does keep to herself a lot, and isn’t the type to confront.”

“Where’s she now?”

“Working. She’s a barista at The Donut Coffee Roasters on University Street.”

“No way, I have a friend who works, well used to work there. He quit a while ago. His name is Lars, does that ring a bell?”

“I’ve never met anyone named Lars, but you should ask Blue later, if we’re still around the house. If I can put in my personal opinion, I’d much rather go outside, or somewhere with AC. This house is heating up pretty fast.”

“Don’t you have air conditioning now?”

“It’s broken. The landlady just hired someone to come over and fix it in the next few days.”

“That sucks.”

“At least for the next couple days, but at least it’s not for the rest of the summer and fall.”

In the room next to Lapis’ was a loud thud on the far wall. Peridot thought she could make out a voice or two. “Is someone here?” She said concerned.

“Those are the remaining two housemates who were living here before we moved in. They go to the university as well. From what I can see,” she lowered her voice just a tad, “they’re sort of eccentric. They’re also a couple and are probably hooking up right now.”

The wall banged again, and Peridot cringed. But she had a great idea, which allowed them to escape the awkward scenario. “Want to come over to my place? It’ll probably be a lot cooler, since we have air conditioning and a pool. But you already know that. We can go for a swim when it gets hotter. My roommates are probably all there, and can sometimes be intrusive at times. But they are nice, enough.”

“That idea sounds refreshing,” Lapis replied, shelving the last of her books. Besides one other box lying next to the base of the bed, they were finished unpacking. “I just need a few things, like my swimsuit and towel.”

Lapis in a swimsuit. That was a thought Peridot dared not to let her mind dwell on. Especially not while the tan girl was standing right in front of her. She was going to see her half naked body for the first time, and Lapis had an amazing figure. But what about herself? Peridot was nowhere close to Lapis’ level of fitness or shape. While she did not hate her body or figure, she did not love it either. What if she saw her, and instantly became disinterested?

The blue haired girl left a note for her roommate Blue Pearl, mostly so she would not be alarmed by the clutter. After Lapis had everything she needed in her backpack, they went out the door, and she twisted the house key behind her. It was a one-story rambler, like the rest of the houses in this particular neighborhood. It was not considered an extremely poor area, but it was not the wealthiest either. Most of the lawns were dead and brown due to the relentless heat wave, aside from one or two which looked like they were spray painted green. Even the lawns in this city were practically fake.

The two girls walked down the road, hiding under the trees which lined each side of the street for shade. But even they were starting to look a bit withered. It was a straight shot down to Peridot’s house, and all her housemates would be there. What would Lapis think of them? They had never spent time together with other people before, and this made the pale girl nervous.

She felt an unknown source touch the palm of her hand.

Peridot flinched from surprise, and pulled her hand to her chest.

Lapis was looking at her, surprised herself, and strangely for her, a bit embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “You just looked so cute, and I couldn’t help wanting to hold your hand.”

Now embarrassed herself, Peridot apologized profusely, “No, it’s not you, it was me! It’s not that I don’t want to hold your hand, I just wasn’t expecting it.” She had to jump and unwittingly reject Lapis like that. Why did she always have to mess things up? Looking down, she reached her hand out, palm up, offering it to the taller girl.

Carefully and delicately, Lapis placed her hand on top of Peridot’s. Immediately, the blonde could tell her skin was remarkably soft. Lapis intertwined their fingers, and she got this awful out of breath feeling, like she was going to pass out. It was like the kind someone gets when riding a roller coaster, when they just hit the peak of the ride, and the car begins to drop. She was not the type to typically like roller coasters, but this twinge intrigued her.  Lapis’ hand was cool, which made her feel self-conscious about her own.

“I got to check something,” she released Lapis’ hold and slipped her hand into her pocket. Peridot was not looking for anything, but instead discreetly wiped her hand, in case it felt too sweaty or too dry. It was not the kind of thing you usually paid attention to, whether the temperature of your hands were tolerable. But with it almost hitting 95 degrees Fahrenheit, it was an understandable thing to worry about, especially when around a girl she wanted to impress. She sighed, and meshed her fingers with Lapis’.

They approached Peridot’s house, affectionately named “The Temple” by her roommates before she moved in. It was a rambler as well, and had a comfortable porch with an outdoor couch. It was mostly where Pearl would go to smoke, and she sometimes questioned whether Amethyst did occasionally with her. Garnet stood clear of the habit altogether. Fortunately the cigarette smell never wafted inside the house, though it did stick to Pearl’s clothing. Another positive thing is that they never trashed the deck with cigarette butts. Pearl was meticulously clean, and often cleaned up others’ messes as well. Therefore Peridot did not feel embarrassed bringing Lapis to her place.

The slightly shorter girl turned the key in the door, but it was already unlocked. The door swung open, being lighter in weight, and the two girls strolled inside.

A loud, out of sight voice yelled, which came from the kitchen. “Yo P! How was your date with Lapis Lazuli?” Amethyst said the blue haired girl’s name in a sing song voice. “Did you get the nerve to hook up with her this time around?”

To say she was embarrassed was an understatement. Peridot was mortified. “She’s right here.” Letting go of Lapis’ hand, they stood at the foot of the kitchen. Amethyst was cooking up some kind of instant noodle soup in the microwave.

“Oh,” the platinum blonde girl laughed nervously. “Uh, I guess it’s nice to finally meet you.”

Lapis had her arms folded, almost appearing a bit defensive. “Same.” She never gave one worded replies. Clearly she was not amused by Amethyst in any way. The beginning of the introduction was not going well.

“Peridot talks about you all the time.”

“Is that so?” Lapis peered her eyes at Peridot, without twisting her head. Now she was being analyzed, and inside was pleading for it to end. That, or for Amethyst to vanish. Contrary to what Amethyst told, she did not talk about Lapis all the time. Her roommate said this either out of awkwardness or to purely tease her. She guessed the latter.

“Amethyst!” It was Pearl out on the back patio. “Can you come here for a second?”

Bless you Pearl.

“Sure thing,” the microwave beeped, she grabbed her noodles, and slammed the machine’s door. “I’ll be back,” she hurried outside, moving faster than her casual pace. Peridot deducted her housemate wanted to escape as much as she.

 “Sorry about Amy,” Peridot mumbled. “She can be a bit blunt. Actually, extremely blunt.”

“There’s no reason for you to apologize,” Lapis said with a half-smile. “I remember her from the night we first met. The drunk one who kept handing you drinks like a dispenser.”

This time Peridot laughed, and said in a quieter voice, “She doesn’t always think things through, but she’s a kind person and has a good sense of humor.” The blonde did not want Lapis’ first impression of her loud-mouthed housemate to be on the poor side.

A face that Peridot had never seen before on Lapis emerged. It was serious, almost austere. “Be careful around your housemates.”

What was that supposed to mean?

The girls she had befriended in the past few months were the closest people she had in her life. Was Lapis warning her? Was she hinting to her that they could not be trusted? Peridot, assuming this was her first time meeting them, was unsure where this side of Lapis was stemming from. It made her uneasy.

“I’m careful with everyone. Trust me, I pick and choose who I spend time with deliberately,” she nudged Lapis’ arm in a toying way. She hoped it would lighten her words. “You should meet my other housemates, so you can envision who I’m talking about while we’re together.”

The blue haired girl nodded. “Alright, but it’s getting pretty hot in here already, even with the AC on. We should go in the pool afterwards.”

A loud splash outside indicated Peridot’s housemates were already utilizing the pool. The blonde slid open the screen door connecting the kitchen to the back patio. There was a thin roof above the lounging area, with three outdoor couches they bought.

It was clear that Pearl was carping at Amethyst, most likely for embarrassing the fair skinned girl in front of Lapis. She immediately hushed as Peridot soon waved at them.

“Hey Pearl, this is Lapis Lazuli, the girl I’ve told you all about,” she glanced at Amethyst hoping to make her roommate to ease the tension.

“It’s very nice to meet you Lapis,” she said, her approach unreadable, clashing with her usually formal and cordial personality.

“I second that,” Garnet said, wrapping a towel around her waist as she emerged out of the pool. “I’m Garnet,” she offered her hand stoically and coolly. At least Garnet was acting like her normal self. She was rare for her not to be even keel with just about everyone.

Wavering for a moment, Lapis returned the handshake, mirroring Garnets temperament. “Same with you.”

“The pool’s all yours if you’re going to use it. I’ll be inside, living by my fan,” the taller woman said with her dry sense of humor.

As soon as they went outside to meet Peridot’s roommates, they went back in to change into their suits. Peridot offered Lapis the bathroom to change, while she took her own room. And laying on her bed was the blue haired girl’s backpack.

For a second, Peridot had an urge to go through and see what was inside. But then she quickly became disgusted with herself, which she would even think to do such a thing. Not only that, but Lapis could come into her room at any moment. A buzzing coming from the bag interrupted her thoughts. Lapis must have left her phone inside.

Though curiosity was strong to check the phone, she knew in and out how to temper with Diamond phones, her moralistic side got the best with her. In the end she ignored the impulse, and met Lapis outside and already in the pool.

“This feels so nice!” She called out to Peridot.

A faint snicker came from Amethyst, still outside with Pearl, but it was overlooked. The two were busy watching some video on the pastel haired girl’s phone.

Peridot dipped a foot in, and pulled it out right away. For it being as hot as it was, the pool was frigid.

“Come on, it’s not that bad once you get in.” She came up to the blonde, and with both of her hands, placing them in Peridot’s. Once she really looked at her at that close proximity, her heartrate slowed. Were her eyes always this violet?

But she fell for the ploy, as Lapis pulled Peridot right in with her. They both submerged in the water. It was cold, but felt better than Peridot made herself imagine. Blue hair flowed all around her face. Though the pool looked clear from above, her vision turned blurry underwater. She could tell Lapis’ general form and facial structure, as she sunk on top of her. Underneath the surface, everything was silent, and the rest of the world was tuned out. It was just her and Lapis.

Air.

But there were priorities to tend to, such as breathing. Surfacing, she gasped for air and Lapis came up right after, splashing her face in the process.

“Gotcha!”

“You’re an awful person, you know that?” She hugged herself with both arms, shivering. Goosebumps emerged on her pale skin

“Aw thanks. Secretly you love it.” Lapis pretty much summarized her in a sentence. Was she drifting closer?

They were just inches apart, and Lapis casted a shadow over Peridot. Her face now a silhouette, she wrapped both arms around Peridot’s waist. She was unbelievably close, and the water dripping down her back might as well have been sweat. Pressing a leg in between her own, the blonde made an audible hum in return. Looking both ways before looking back at Lapis, both Amethyst and Pearl had fallen asleep on the couch. A book was open, face down on her lap. Neither of them were awake to pester her. Her own body slid up Lapis’ leg, with the help of the girl’s hands supporting her back.

There was no space between them now. Even completely wet from the pool, Peridot could still make out Lapis’ scent. Her hair had a floral, tropical fragrance to it. Rarely was she ever turned on, but it was just enough for Peridot to cross that line.

This time, Peridot put both of her hands against Lapis’ hips, feeling her defined, thin frame. She could not take this much longer, but never had she kissed anyone before. Willingly. Part of her desperately wanted to go for it, to kiss the girl who tormented her relentlessly. The other part told her to wait. Wait, for what? There was nothing to wait for. She might never have this opportunity again. Maybe Lapis would take it the wrong way if Peridot did not want to kiss her, even though every fiber in her being itched to.

The girl’s lips were almost touching her own. In a whisper, she breathed, “It’s alright, I get it.” Catching her once again off guard, Lapis leaned forward into Peridot, plunking them both right back into the water. Underneath the surface Lapis hugged the blonde tightly, and brought her to the surface. In a daze from being submerged and from the dizzying light, the tan girl’s voice entered her ear, like a dream. “I want our first kiss to be special too.”