Stay
Music was blasting in the car, and Peridot was squished on both sides. On her left was Pearl, texting away, and on her right was Lapis Lazuli who had their touching arms intertwining. Lapis wore a silvery grey dress, with a royal blue statement necklace, overlaying her delicate teardrop necklace. She never really took it off after all. The blonde looked down at their embraced hands. Lapis had longer dainty hands with clean unpolished nails, while Peridot's were just small.
The three of them sat in the back, while Jasper and Amethyst sat at the front. Garnet was coming separately to meet them all after she got off of work. Lars, who had proposed the idea to go out Thursday night in the first place, was meeting them there separately. It so happened he got out of class early, being the first week, and spent the rest of the evening downtown exploring quirky museums. And who knows what else.
Peridot had mentioned to her housemates, after coming home from her first day, which she was going out that weekend. Thursdays usually counted as a partial weekend since Friday classes were rare. She forgot how or why she brought it up in conversation, but once it was out there, Amethyst persuaded her it would be more fun if they all went. Peridot was pretty sure none of her roommates knew Lars, and doubted Lapis would be ecstatic. But she shrugged, hopeful for a second chance where Lapis could get to know them. Maybe in a different setting, one less confronting, she would feel more comfortable.
A little cooler than usual that night, Peridot wore a tight black tank, and some light wash boyfriend jeans which she cuffed. Her sneakers were forest green, and threw a matching flannel in the trunk just in case. Along with an empty garbage bag. She always kept Amethyst in mind when the platinum blonde was going to be drinking.
“Almost there,” Amethyst said in a trying-to-be-cool sounding voice. She swerved around the bend, and parked on a neighborhood street just a few blocks away.
As they all sprawled out, Pearl brought up, “do you think it’s alright to park here? I don’t see any signs saying we can.”
“Well I don’t see any signs saying we can’t,” she joked, bringing the pink haired girl’s comment right back around.
“Fine, but it’s not our problem if you get a ticket.”
“Aw they never check here P, it’s totally fine. I’ve parked here before many times,” she made a brushing off gesture with her hand. “Hey Jasper, you coming or not?”
The tall buff girl was still sitting in the car with the door open. “Wait a sec, I’m pre-gaming a bit.”
Pearl groaned. “Didn’t you do that before we left?”
“Yeah but that was pre pre-game.”
Typical Jasper.
“That’s the spirit ‘cuz,” Amethyst leaned on Jasper, using her as an armrest. “And hand over some of that spirit while you’re at it.” She took a giant shot straight from the whiskey bottle, with no chaser, before handing it over.
Lapis seemed to be unamused, not really paying attention. Peridot was not really up for dealing with the two girls’ drinking habits that night, and did not want Lapis to be around, if shit so happened to go down.
“Hey guys,” she started. “Lapis and I are going to go on ahead and meet Lars at The Stage. He just texted me saying he just got there.”
Pearl waved her hand, looking at Peridot square in the eyes, “Sounds good, we’ll meet up later.”
“Yeah see ‘ya,” Peridot took Lapis’ hand and hurried forward.
Behind her she could hear Amethyst say, “Did they just ditch us?” She did not sound peeved, just amused.
“They’re meeting up with another friend. And besides, we need to wait for Garnet,” Pearl’s voice.
“Aren’t I good enough?”
Lapis must have heard it too, because she snickered. Peridot gave a louder chuckle, finding it funny as well, though technically they were not ditching them.
Walking through this particular neighborhood made Peridot uneasy. During the day, the colorful houses and lawns were more noticeable. But during the night, it felt downright sketchy. Come on, it was not like they were going to get mugged or anything. Then again, it was Beach City and they were near the strip.
“Is Lars really there already?” Lapis said curiously, one eyebrow raised.
“Technically he’s almost there. I just needed a little space, and figured if Amy is starting now, who knows what she’ll be like in a couple hours.”
“Your housemate has a drinking problem.”
“I know. She’s always like this when-“
“Just be careful.”
This conversation to Peridot sounded eerily similar. Not able to hold her thoughts she asked, “Is that why you don’t really care for her?”
“I’ve… known people like her before. They don’t know any moderation, selfishly drag people into their own drama, and never take care of themselves. It’s probably a good idea if you keep some healthy space from them.”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing now?” Peridot was not upset, but perplexed. “You don’t know them yet Lapis.”
“Do you really know them?”
“They’re my housemates. I live with them,” she crossed her arms, letting go of Lapis’ hand. The blue haired girl looked down at their feet as they walked. “Can’t you give them a chance?”
A couple seconds of silence passed, where loud music was heard in the not too far distance. Why did she have to say anything? Why could she not keep her mouth shut, even if she would have thought about it all night?
“I’m sorry Peridot. I’ll try. I’ve never been the best at making friends anyway.” A response she did not expect to hear back.
“Neither have I, I guess that makes two of us,” Peridot extended her small pinkie finger in a hook. Lapis, changing to a happier disposition in that moment, linked her pinkie with Peridot’s.
“At least I’ve made one friend I can count on,” Lapis said, as Peridot gazed into her violet eyes, which sparkled a deep blue hue and reflected a hint of red. Her dress shone against the street lights along the strip, which made her glow.
“I’m going to hold that to you, you know.”
“As long as you don’t magically disappear.”
Never.
When the two girls arrived at The Stage, Lars was waiting for them, matching the story she told the other girls. He leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, and one leg bent. He wore all black, surprise surprise, apart from the plaid shirt tied around his waist which had hints of blue.
“Hey, what’s up?” He walked away from his post and greeted them with high fives.
“Well we drove here with my housemates, but Lapis and I walked over here separately. They’re going to meet up with Garnet, another housemate, before coming here. That’s if you’re interested in meeting up.”
“Sure, that’d be chill I guess,” he put his hands in his pockets. “Hey how’s it going Lazuli?”
“You can just call me Lapis.”
“Oh, sorry, you mentioned that before huh.”
“But I have the night off of work tonight. Meaning, it’s going well,” she gave a small smile. Lars asked her where she worked, and Lapis explained how she was a bartender, and that was how she and Peridot in the first place. Peridot already told Lars about Lapis before and what she did, and was positive he remembered those snippets of information. He was just trying to make casual conversation with her, but not obnoxiously like some overly curious extrovert. Lars was no extrovert.
They went inside, and instantly the atmosphere transformed. There were people everywhere wearing from casual to skimpy 90’s clothing. Even the dancers, which were spread across the nightclub, were “dressed” for the theme.
Predictably, as soon as the three went in, they walked directly over to the bar area. She and Lars were not into dancing at all, though she did not know about Lapis. If Lapis did want to dance, she would not mind making some sort of exception, though that would leave Lars by himself. And that would not be a very cool thing to do. Lapis ordered a few shots of Tequila, and still being somewhat naïve of it all, Peridot ordered the same.
“You should have it mixed with something to start,” Lapis suggested, likely remembering the first night they met.
“Gee thanks, I’m glad you have faith in my tolerance level,” Peridot said sarcastically, with a hint of flirtation.
The blue haired girl laughed. “Seriously though, mine is probably much higher than yours.”
“I’ll have a beer and a shot,” Lars’ voice broke through the noise, as he ordered.
That’s a strange combination.
“Oh I should’ve gotten that instead,” Lapis told him.
Whelp never mind.
This was probably the first time she was actually willing to go out to a club. The first time she was much more reluctant, but this time was different. She was with Lapis Lazuli and Lars, two completely different characters than her roommates. Neither of them had the intention of pressuring her into doing something she was disinterested in. Though she still felt a bit out of place in the setting, she was around people she felt comfortable with.
After grabbing a high table, the three laid back in their chairs. The conversation went from drinks, to music, to interesting places in Beach City, as Lars told about his earlier venture out. After some time, Peridot told them she would buy the next round, it being the first time she ever offered something like that.
They seem to be getting along surprisingly well, the blonde thought. Out of all her friends she thought Lars was the last person Lapis would have clicked with the best. But that was not a bad thing in the least. She was happy about it, and relieved Lapis did not think all of Peridot’s friends were awful.
Awful’s probably exaggerating a bit. Annoying was a more appropriate descriptor.
Coming back, she handed both of them beers, successful in not spilling them through the crowd. “Hey I’ll be back, I’m going to find a restroom,” she told the two casually.
“We’ll be here,” Lapis said with a smile. The blonde felt glad to be there with her friends. Lars seemed to be a in a more friendly mood tonight. Peridot guessed the fact that he pre-gamed had something to do with it.
The restrooms were along the back corner, through a tight hallway. There was already a long line of people waiting, which meant Peridot would have to wait some time.
Lucky me.
There were only three stalls, she saw when it was her chance. Coming out of the stall, she washed her hands and double checked her makeup. Her eyeliner was usually not too heavy, though she applied a little more foundation that night. Rubbing her collarbones to make sure her makeup was blended in, she swiftly combed through her hair with her fingers. She was not going to look much better, she thought decidedly, and exited.
Sliding past the line, she made her way to the second bar, managing to slip through and quickly order a shot of vodka for herself. It was not like her to take shots straight up without a chaser, but everyone was having a good night. Why should she not? It was not her turn to play designated driver tonight anyway. And maybe it would give her confidence an extra boost around Lapis.
Pushing through the ocean of people, she was halfway across the venue where Lars and Lapis were waiting for her on the other side. But something in the corner of the eye popped out.
Lapis?!
Dancing on one of the risen stages, grinding slowly down a pole, was the one and only Lapis Lazuli. What was going on? Was she hallucinating? Did the bartender slip something in her shot while she was not looking? Peridot did not seem him do anything of the sort, but it could happen.
Managing to snap out of herself, she racked up the courage to look at her again. But examining her closer, the blonde realized, it was not Lapis.
She was slightly taller than Lapis, more toned, and had platinum blonde hair. With the changing colored lights, they probably turned blue right as Peridot noticed the woman, which resulted in her confusion. Seductively, the dancer caught the short girl’s eye and smirked. Dancing around the pole, she attended to the men and women demanding her attention with dollar bills.
Peridot snapped out of her fixation, she needed to get back to her friends. It was such an uncanny resemblance, not to mention out of body experience she just had. But even though Lapis did work as a bartender at a club, she would never consider working as a stripper or go-go dancer. Would she?
“Hey Peridot!”
This time the person actually turned out to be Lapis, who grabbed her bicep gently. “We saw you over here, and decided to come to you and-“
The blue haired girl never finished her sentence. Like Peridot, her roaming eyes froze on the woman figure in front of them. Peridot watched as her face seemed to drain every ounce of liveliness she embodied seconds ago. It was exchanged with a look of disbelief. Lars, who was on her other side, seemed to catch her bewilderment as well. “No…”
With her jaw dropped slightly, Peridot took the girl’s hand. “What’s wrong?”
“Damn for a second I thought that was you,” Lars remarked roughly the same time Peridot spoke, clearly commenting about the dancer.
“Can we leave?” She flashed her violet eyes and locked them with Peridot’s. She was amazed by her abrupt assertiveness.
“Of course,” she slightly slurred her words. Maybe she should not have taken that extra shot after all. “Lars is that cool with you?”
“Yeah it’s all good, but to remind you, I didn’t drive here.”
Shit. Pearl, maybe Garnet, were probably the only ones not drinking tonight. If they were, not heavily. And those four all went off to another bar, as she just read a recent text. She could try to call the pink haired girl when they got outside, and far enough away for Peridot to hear past the music. But there was the chance Pearl would not even hear her phone go off, or hear her voice if she was inside.
“Let’s go outside, it’s too crowded here anyway. Maybe there’s a place nearby where we can grab food.”
Lars seemed to be gung-ho for that notion, and Lapis only nodded in agreement. Her face had a dazed look, and Peridot wondered if her date knew the stripper personally. Taking initiative to hold Lapis’ hand, she led the two outside. Fortunately Lars could almost walk in a completely straight line, and did not feel sick. Yet. Lapis, like herself, was walking along the line of tipsy and drunk.
With her available hand, she pulled out her phone from her back pocket. She tapped the maps app, and sloppily typed in “food near me.” Too many options popped up at once, and her eyes easily became lost. It would help to narrow this selection down a bit.
“Hey Lars, what sounds good to eat?”
“I dunno,” he called out, just as the trio exited. “A burger? Maybe some fries with that?”
“You’re a man of real taste,” the blonde commented wryly. Even though she felt unsteady at this point, her sarcasm was still intact. But her belly rumbled, indicating she was hungry enough to stomach down a whole burger.
Tripping lightly over herself, Peridot held the door first for Lapis and enough for Lars. He was hardly talking anymore, that usually happened with him after he would drink. He would get a spurt of talkative energy, and then crash. He looked pretty over the night, and relieved once as they walked inside and were led to a table.
“This is more like it,” he said with as much purr in his voice as was possible. “Hey when the waiter comes back, order this for me,” he said as he got up from his seat, pointing at a double-patty burger.
“Will do. But don’t go throwing up in the restroom, I don’t want to have to pay for damages as well.”
On any normal day Lars would have thrown back a witty comment. But he just grunted towards the remark as he wobbled away for the next couple minutes.
Looking over at the blue haired girl, she did not make eye contact with either of them the whole time.
When Lars was out of earshot, Peridot spoke, “So I guess you don’t want to talk about why you spur of the moment wanted to ditch the club?” She did not know where to start with Lapis. The taller girl never shared too many deeply personal facts with her, and Peridot was okay with it. That meant the other girl would not expect her to talk about her own personal life.
“The dancer we saw at the club, the one Lars pointed out looked just like me,” her voice was shaking now. Worry overcame Peridot. Was she alright, what was wrong?
“That woman is my sister.”
Swallowing her sip of water down the wrong tube, Peridot coughed in pain and apologized, though there was nothing to apologize about for her action. “Wait seriously? I didn’t know you had a sister in the first place.”
“We used to be close as kids, but one day she just disappeared. She’s eight years older than me, so I was about ten when she left. I guess she was fed up with my mom at the time, constantly threatened to leave since a year prior. But I didn’t think she would actually do it.” Her voice was starting to become heavier now.
“It happened two days before her eighteenth birthday, so technically she was still a minor. When she was missing for longer than twenty four hours, that’s when my mom called the police. But once her birthday came around, there was not much they could do, since she legally became an adult. It’s been over a decade.” Now her violet eyes seemed even more blueish, swollen with red. Peridot noticed from the corner of her vision, the waiter was wisely giving them some time.
“A whole decade, and Malachite never called once, never bothered to reach out to me. I would’ve but I didn’t know where or how. And now suddenly there she is, stripping for money and who knows what else. It’s not any of my business, I mean, I work around dancers so I know how it can be. It was just shocking and surreal to see her right there,” Lapis wiped tears rolling down her face. She was crying and talking silently, but Peridot hated to see her sad. This was the first time Peridot had seen her this distressed.
Not knowing what else to do, she took the paper napkin sitting on her table spot, and folded it. With it, Peridot brought it up to Lapis’ face, and gently brushed away her tears. The restaurant was busy, and the people at the tables around them noticed that she was crying, even though Lapis was weeping noiselessly. But the blonde did not care if anyone witnessed them in such a state. Taking care of Lapis was more important than what other people thought.
She herself had not cried like that even before she left home. Peridot did not know why it took a lot for her to even tear up.
“I don’t know why I even care,” Lapis choked out, almost as a whisper. “After all, she didn’t. She didn’t give a shit about me or my mom. So why do I?”
“Because you were hurt.”
“Hey did you order yet?” Lars was back, but as soon as he asked the question, he noticed the blue haired girl’s state. “Woah is everything okay?” He massaged the side of his forehead, doing small circles with his fingers.
“What does it look like?” Trying not to sound harsh or too rude, Peridot made her voice quiet and monotone. But it was obvious she was not doing well.
“Is this about earlier, when you wanted to leave?” He looked at Lapis straight in the eyes, impressive for someone seldom slurring their sentences but still likely dizzy.
She nodded and gave a strange chuckle. Out of embarrassment? “Look at me, I’m a mess. I’m sorry guys, I’m not usually like this.” Peridot assumed she was directing her speech more towards Lars. The blonde already knew she never impulsively cried. “That dancer you pointed out, thinking it was me, was my older sister. It’s been years since the last time I saw her.”
“Damn… I bet that was kind of sucky to see her again, up there. I’d probably be feeling similar to you right now, if that happened to me.” One thing about Lars which Peridot constantly appreciated, was that he listened and made an effort in relating to people he cared for. Whether or not it was because she and the blonde were dating, it was evident Lars trusted Lapis, or he would have just minded his own business. And vice versa. Lapis always kept things bottled in, even from her. Even though she did not exactly click with her housemates, she was relieved to see she got along with another of her friends, even though the circumstance did suck. In Lars’ own words.
A buzzing came from Peridot’s back jean pocket, and she whipped her phone out from underneath her, without letting go of Lapis. The screen revealed an incoming call from Pearl, along with four missed messages. Normally she would have ignored it at a time like this, but Pearl was not one to call relentlessly.
“I have to take this or Pearl’s going to go crazy,” she told the two at the table, and swiped her finger across the screen to answer. She would make it a short conversation, to not come off like she was disregarding Lapis.
“Where the hell are you?!”
It was rare for Pearl to swear. Whatever the case was, it was not good. Was the taller girl mad at her?
“Uh,” Peridot massaged the back of her neck nervously. “We’re out getting food right now. What’s up?”
“What’s up? I’ve tried reaching you, but you didn’t answer!”
“I’m sorry, but I’m kind of dealing with an issue here.”
“Want to bet ours is larger?” Pearl retaliated back, no pun intended. “Jasper’s missing, we can’t find her anywhere.”
Jasper? Going missing sounds like something Amethyst would do, not her cousin. Jasper was a little more careful than that.
“When was the last you saw her?”
“She said she was going outside in the alley for a smoke. But after half an hour, I went out to see what she was up to and she wasn’t there. We checked the upstairs area, bar area, the bathrooms, and scanned the rest of the club, but she was nowhere.”
“She’s not with us, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“We’ve looked everywhere!”
“Okay Pearl,” Peridot took a deep breath, and leveled her voice. Both a teary-eyed Lapis and engaged Lars were watching her. “First you need to calm down. Second, how much have you all had to drink?”
“I’m… I’m not sure.”
“Not sure? You always know.”
“Well tonight ended up being more than usual,” she said defensively, as the words slurred over the phone.
“Did you end up drinking?”
“Maybe a little bit.” By Pearl’s tone of voice, it sounded more than just “a little bit.”
“Okay. We’ll find Jasper first, and then figure out a plan to get back. Lapis, Lars, and I will start looking by Evergreen Street and Pike Avenue. Call me if anything new comes up.”
Pearl sniffed. “Thanks Peridot. I’m sorry for blowing up on you.”
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s start searching for Jasper. We’ll talk later,” Peridot wanted to get the call over with.
Pearl said goodbye and both lines hung up.
“We heard it all,” Lapis said to Peridot, glancing at Lars.
“But we haven’t even ordered our food yet!”
“You just wanted a burger right?” Lars nodded, and Peridot sighed. “I’ll just tell the waiter that we’ll have a burger to go. Lapis, do you want anything?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not very hungry anymore. All I want is sleep.”
Don’t we all?
Peridot grabbed the waiter’s attention and placed Lars’ order, paying with it on her card. It was no big deal. It was only a burger, and besides, it was not like she was exactly broke.
Within ten seven minutes, Lars had his food and was finally satisfied, not moody. They walked out and Peridot checked her phone. It was two a.m. At this time, wasted people freely meandered along both sides of the street. Jasper could be anywhere. For all she knew Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet might not have thoroughly scanned the club. The place was huge and two stories high, making it easy to miss someone in the crowds. Jasper might even have gone back to the car, or she could have seen people she knew and gone off with them. Or like Lars, she could have wanted food, and gone to a convenience store.
“So,” Lars spoke with food in his mouth, and still chewing. “Where do we start looking for this chick?”
“I’m with Lars. This strip makes up a huge part of the city. How are we supposed to start looking for your roommate’s cousin?”
She did not know. The most they could do is walk around and keep their eyes out. “What makes you think I know? Let’s start by going around and scan the general area. If we don’t find her, I’ll give Pearl another call.”
“Do you think it’d be faster if we split?” Lars suggested.
“…No.” That did not sound like a good idea at all, at least at this time of night. “We should probably stick together for the time being. If we get desperate (and more sober) we can split up.”
“Mm ‘kay,” he swallowed the last chunk of the burger, and tossed the to-go box into the garbage bin.
After fifteen minutes of walking around, there was still no sign of the tall woman. And as every minute passed, Peridot contemplated the scenarios where something horrible went wrong with Jasper. Like the situation was not stressful enough. The platinum blonde woman could not have gone too far. She did not drive here, Amethyst did. Peridot texted Pearl a few minutes ago, suggesting they check her car. But the vehicle was absent of her presence.
“I’m sorry for this mess,” Peridot said a little more privately to Lapis. “I know how you feel about my housemates and I really didn’t want you to be dragged into this. That’s why I wanted to go off separately from the others with you in the first place. And now after seeing your sister again…” Peridot could not even imagine or begin to figure out how Lapis was feeling. “If you want I can call a cab and have it take you home. I’ll pay. You don’t have to deal with this.”
“Peridot, I’ll be okay. I want to be with you. It’s not your fault anyway that this all happened tonight. You just care about people a lot, and I care about you, so let me help you both out.”
The shorter girl blushed, unable to prevent it, and ruffled her shoulder length hair with a hand. “Thanks Lapis. But if it gets too late, I’m still calling a cab for you.”
“You’re so stubborn.” As the three were walking, Lapis leaned to the side, twisted her neck, and kissed the side of Peridot’s head. Her cheeks became completely flushed by the action, and cursed her genetically pale skin.
“S-s-so are you.”
“I know,” she gave a not so subtle wink.
“Hey will you two quit flirting already?” Lars complained. “I thought I saw someone who matched Jasper’s description going behind the grocery store.” That’s right, Lars had yet to be introduced to Jasper. They were right out front of the store now on the corner. It was an upscale looking grocery, part of a larger chain, with an ATM installed in the brick wall.
“Let’s check,” Lapis said, grabbing Peridot’s hand and leading the way.
They turned the corner to the back of the grocery store at the same time, and low and behold, there was Jasper.
The platinum blonde woman sat on the dirty street ground, with her back against the wall. She was not alone. Next to her, there appeared to be a homeless man with a huge, blond bear, and a school bus yellow coat. They both looked like they were talking to each other, while drinking and smoking. It did not look like cigarettes and did not smell of weed, though it was legal in The Golden State.
“What in the world,” Lars’ sentence trailed off, unfinished.
“Jasper, we’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Peridot said sternly. At the sound of her voice, Jasper snapped her head towards the direction it was coming from. She coughed in mid-puff.
“Oh hey P,” she was sounding like Amethyst now, since only her cousin called her that. “I just met my friend here, my friend, my friend… I’m sorry, what was it?” She turned to the homeless man.
“Yellowtail,” he said in a cryptic kind of mumble only few people could understand.
“That’s it, Yellowtail,” the woman seemed satisfied with herself, and continued on with her endeavor to finish whatever mystery drug she was smoking. “Thanks for this by the way,” she sloppily flailed the substance with her hand.
“My pleasure.”
Okay this guy was downright creepy. “Jasper,” Peridot called the girl’s name again in hopes of gaining her full attention. “It’s time to go, Amethyst is worried.”
“Come on Jasper,” Lapis added. “We’re going back to your place where we’ll have more fun.” Peridot knew that was a downright lie, but anything to get Jasper to go with them.
She perked her ears at this, “Fun?” She struggled as she got up, with one hand supporting against the brick wall. “Sorry my man Fishleg.”
“Yellowtail.”
“Yeah. Well it was fun, but I gotta bounce.”
“It was good talking to you, have an extraordinary night.” Peridot hoped he was not referring to anything that was about to kick in Jasper’s system.
Lars and Lapis supported Jasper’s weight, as Peridot called Pearl. She immediately answered.
“We found her,” was the first thing Peridot spoke into the device.
“Where?!” She exclaimed, amazed and relieved.
“Behind a grocery store on Sandy Street with some homeless man lighting up.”
“It’s not that bad,” Jasper tried to override Peridot’s voice, but it did not work.
“Oh geez. We’re on our way right now, we just got into the car. Amethyst decided it would be a good idea to check the car again, and we got there just in the nick of time as an officer was about to write a ticket.”
“Close call. Anyway, we’ll be waiting here.”
“See you all soon,” that’s all she said before Pearl hung up. Peridot prayed “soon” would be the case, because Jasper was not looking so good.
“I’m fine, I swear on my life.” The larger girl was totally lying. Lapis whipped her around to face some bushes next to the building, where she hurled all over the place.
“Ugh,” Lapis said with disgust, but held Jasper’s hair back anyway, before taking a hair tie off her wrist and putting it in a thick bun. Peridot was somewhat impressed she was able to catch Jasper in time. But she did not want Lapis to have to deal with this for any longer.
“Can you two go into the grocery store and buy a water, along with a few plastic bags? Amethyst probably wouldn’t appreciate it if her car became the next apocalypse,” she handed them a couple dollars. That way, she could separate her friends from having to babysit. “I stay here and watch after Jasper.”
“We won’t take too long. Just make sure she doesn’t try to sit or lie down,” Lapis advised.
“Noted.”
Fortunately it only took five minutes for them to come back. Lars carried an obnoxiously large gallon water bottle with both hands. “It was cheaper than the branded kind.”
She face palmed her forehead, and ran her hand down her face. Jasper was drunk and could barely walk, let alone hold up a gallon of water. “Thanks, that’s good,” was all she said.
Lapis found a few bags, if Jasper needed to throw up in the car, which was a likely picture.
Two familiar vehicles pulled up and to the side. “Jasper!” Garnet, Pearl, and Amethyst said in unison as they jumped out of their cars.
“She’s alive,” Lapis mumbled to them. “And vomiting.”
“We got the towels,” Garnet said, prepared.
“You see cuz? It’s time to go now,” Amethyst dragged the much bigger girl along, with the help of Garnet. Pearl opened the back seat of the door and slid Jasper in, without there being much of a struggle. She was too far gone for that.
Peridot turned to Pearl mentioning quietly. “I’m not sure how high she is right now, but from the look of it, it’s not from weed.”
“Good to know. I’m going to be driving since I’m alright now, and have Amethyst sit in the back with her. Can you three go back with Garnet?
“That’s fine. Thanks for taking this one Pearl.”
The drive back home in Garnet’s car was much calmer. Lars took shotgun, and of course passed out on the leather seat, snoring slightly.
Peridot and Lapis sat in the back seat. The blonde was curled up against her date, as Lapis had both legs over hers. Her dress rode up just a slight, but enough for Peridot to want her. But they had not even shared their first kiss yet, how could she begin to think of something more lewd? As much as she wanted to run her hands all over Lapis’ slender body, she kept them to herself, still as a statue. None of them really talked for the whole half an hour drive. She and Garnet exchanged a few words, though the whole car was drained of energy. In the background the radio was tuned to the old school rap station, but was turned down to a lower level.
In no time at all, they dropped Lars at his place along the way, which Peridot provided directions and helped him back up to his apartment.
“This house right here,” as it was her date’s turn to be dropped off. But as the blue haired girl got out of the car, she tugged on Peridot’s shirt.
“I’ll meet you back at the house, I’m going to say goodnight to Lapis,” she told her housemate.
“You got a key?”
Peridot dug in her pocket, and felt the metal ridges. “Yup.”
“Great, see you there. Nice seeing you again Lapis,” Garnet smiled. “Sorry it was kind of a difficult night.”
Garnet had no idea.
“You as well,” she said politely, and the older woman drove off.
“First of all,” Peridot started to say. “Thank you for dealing with all that, especially with what happened at the club earlier. That was pretty crummy of Jasper.”
She did not say anything back. Instead, wrapping her arms around Peridot’s small waist, she brought the shorter girl to her chest. Peridot could feel her breath on her neck, and smell her floral, plumaria scent.
“Stay with me tonight,” she whispered in her ear, hugging her tighter. “I don’t want to be alone right now.” After all that had happened, it made sense. “You can borrow some of my clothes. I promise I won’t pressure you to do anything, I can tell you want to wait.”
She had never spent the night with a girl before in general, but there was always a first for everything. Lapis radiated warmth as a cold chill passed them.
“Okay.”