First to Fall

Peridot hauled Lapis’ duffle bag and backpack with her own, and gently tossed them in her trunk. The road trip was actually happening, and they were both eager to get away for a few days.

After the night Peridot ran into Malachite, Lapis admitted that for her own good, it would be best to quit work and find a new job. Working close to the same pace as her sister would not help her heal.

“What am I going to do without being constantly surrounded by drunk people trying to hit on me?” Lapis joked.

When Lapis went into work, she clocked in, believed she would give her two weeks’ notice that shift. It would allow her time to make a little extra while job searching, and say goodbye to her coworkers. But that’s not how things went down.

Mid shift, there was a man sitting at the bar while she was mixing drinks, staring at her. When he decided to open his mouth, the drunk man unashamedly continued flirting with her. Being polite and respectful to customers was always Lapis’ end goal. But when the man sloppily reached out for her shirt to grope her breasts, Lapis gave into a one-time exception. Taking the electric blue long island already in her hand, she instead splashed it all over the creep’s white, designer shirt, permanently staining the fabric. Yelling and swearing profusely, the manager on shift came up to him to apologize. But ultimately he was guided out of the club in order to calm down. Later that night, the same manager pulled Lapis aside to talk, which she explained exactly what happened in detail. But instead of seeing it in an understanding light, he decided to write her up.

No way. She was a bartender, not some stripper, and she would not let anyone treat her like that. Not at work. Right then and there, she told her manager exactly what she thought, quit her job on the spot, and walked out with no regrets. When arriving to pick Lapis up after she called early, Peridot was ecstatic.

Closing the trunk of the car, she put both hands to her hips. “Well that’s it. Are you ready Miss Lazuli?”

“You have no idea,” Lapis said dramatically. She carried a whole bag of food and drinks, only to serve as snacks during the drive.

The front hood of the car slammed shut, “You’re oil’s fine, but it would be a good idea to get it changed after coming back,” Pearl walked around, wiping her hands off with a sanitizer.

“Oh thanks Pearl, I was going to do that myself,” Peridot said appreciatively.

“Here,” Lapis handed Peridot the bag to put in the back seat. “I’m going to get Blue and lock up the house, since my other weirdo housemates don’t get back until late.”

Once Lapis ran into the house, Peridot turned to Pearl. “You know, I’m glad you can come along.”

The pink haired girl sighed. “I suppose we all need the vacation.”

The day before, Peridot told Garnet her plans to go up the coast with Lapis, rambling about all the places they were about to see together.

Garnet chuckled, pointing out, “You sure are very into her.”

“What? Of course I am,” she admittedly said, folding her arms. “And this is the first time we will be traveling together.”

“Well I’m sure you both will have a great time. Is it only you two?”

The thought of inviting anyone else had not crossed Peridot’s mind, until now. “Oh, yes I guess it is only us.” She rubbed the back of her head.

From the living room, Garnet looked down the hallway to the room she and Pearl shared. “By the way, I’ve meant to tell you Pearl is beginning to open up a little more. You should try talking to her, at least before leaving.”

It had been two weeks since Amethyst and Pearl got into that fight, and Peridot never had a chance to talk to her since. She was about to the day after, but before knocking on her closed door, she could hear the thin girl crying. That was as far as she got, deciding they would reconcile when her housemate was ready.

“I suppose that wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Peridot said thoughtfully. “I’ll check in with her, after I wrap up my work.” Similar to Lapis, the blonde managed to get some time off, telling her remote client she would be away for a few days.

What would she say? Would Pearl forgive her? She did not try to hurt her friend, would Pearl understand that?

After shutting her laptop and putting it on her twin bed, she walked over to her housemate’s room down the hallway. It felt as if she was replaying the events from before. Peridot was going to knock again, but she realized the door was already slightly ajar. Pushing it open, she tapped it with her knuckles to signify she was entering.

“Pearl, are you here?”

Peridot walked in to see she was. Laying on her bed, Pearl was engrossed in reading her school textbook, propping it up with both knees. She bookmarked the page and set it down to the side.

“Hello, Peridot,” she looked up at nothing in particular.

“I, um,” Peridot stumbled. What should she say? “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing okay,” the pink haired girl sat up at the edge of her bed. “Is there something you want?” She said earnestly, not grumpily.

“I guess I wanted to talk to you, about what happened two weeks ago.”

“What about it?”

Nervously, Peridot continued. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was torn when both of my friends were confiding in me, and didn’t want to break any trust. But I still did; hurt you, I mean.”

“It was never your fault,” Pearl sighed sadly. “Once you left the house that night, I regretted treating you the way I did. You shouldn’t be apologizing for that.”

“Still, if it means anything, I want to. I hope we can continue where we left off.”

Pearl lifted up her head, giving Peridot a soft gaze. “Of course we can.”

The blonde did not know where this idea came from, but she needed to make sure they would be on good terms. “Lapis and I are taking a trip up the coast. What are you doing for the rest of break?”

“I’m not really sure, likely just studying to prepare for the next semester. Maybe I’ll go home for a few days as well.”

“There’s um, room in my car still, if you would like to come with us.” This was her and Lapis’ vacation. Should they be bringing other people in the first place?

But the suggestion was already out there. Pearl gave a soft smile in return. “Would Lapis mind?”

Would she mind? Peridot would need to ask her girlfriend, but she was sure Lapis would not be too bothered by it. It was only Pearl after all. “I’ll let her know,” the blonde laughed it off. “I’m sure she’s fine.”

“When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow morning around seven,” and added, “is that too soon for you?”

Pearl shook her head. “Actually, no. That works with me. After all, I don’t have too much going on as it is.”

“Great,” Peridot started moving towards the door. Was this a good idea?

“Thank you, Peridot,” the taller girl stood up, and went over to hug her before she left the room. A long while had passed since they last hugged. This meant a lot to Pearl, Peridot deducted. Lapis should understand.

And her girlfriend did. In fact, she seemed thrilled.

“You know what this means,” she said with a look Peridot could only interpret as planning something.

“No, actually, I don’t.”

“We have to invite Blue along as well!” She said excitedly. “Oh it’s perfect! They can get to know each other this way, and Pearl won’t have to be third wheeling the whole time.”

Peridot scoffed, “They aren’t dating.”

“Yet,” Lapis lifted a finger. “But we shouldn’t play matchmaker. We have to let this fall into place naturally,” she covered her mouth. “It’s the perfect plan.”

“Yeah okay, hold still for a second.” Peridot was helping Lapis fix her roots that were beginning to show, and continued to massage the blue dye through her hair.

“Why do you color your hair like this?” She was curious and had never asked before.

“Because the ladies love it. Especially you.”

Pretending to grumble, Peridot muttered, “True.”

Starting the engine once everyone was in the car, Peridot drove down the street and turned out. It was a half an hour drive to get to the golden coast highway, with thick traffic in between.

“There was an accident,” Lapis pointed out, turning her head to look at the two girls in the back, showing them the maps app. “We won’t be in this for too long.”

What a way to start off their vacation, with the typical Beach City freeway experience. But Lapis was right, they were not in the middle of it for much longer, and they looked out the window to see a horrible accident. Two cars were flipped over, black smoke emitting from the inside, and a semi-truck crashed against the barrier wall.

“Geez, that’s probably the worst car accident I’ve ever seen.” Lapis said.

Peridot prayed it was not foretelling at all.   

The drive became much happier once they reached the coast. White fluffy clouds dappled the blue sky, and the ocean twinkled, reflecting the sunlight.

“This is so pretty!” Blue Pearl squealed as she rolled down the window, and pulled out her expensive camera to take pictures. Photography was a hobby of Lapis’ roommate.

“It is,” Pearl said in agreement.

“It’s about a seven hour drive to the pink chalk cliffs,” Peridot noted, glancing at her phone.

“I’ve always wanted to see them,” Pearl pulled out her vape pen, and let out a wavy waft. Though Peridot did not allow people to smoke, she let the pink haired girl do her thing. She was the only one of her friends who was into it anyway.

Slightly startled at the vapor, Peridot realized Blue was not aware of her roommate’s habit, until now. She probably did not mind. Blue was usually laid back with a lot.

“Maybe they’ll match your hair,” Peridot threw out, and she could see Pearl’s reaction in the mirror.

“It will make for some interesting pictures,” Blue snapped a candid of the driver and Lapis sitting in the front.

Pearl coughed before laughing, “I hadn’t even thought of that!”

Blue took a quick photo of Pearl as she laughed. “Well we have to get two of nature’s natural wonders in the same photo.”

This made both Lapis and Peridot break out into laughter. The blonde didn’t know Blue could say something so witty. It was moments like this that made Peridot deeply appreciate her friends.

“I think it’s time for the music to start!” Lapis unplugged Peridot’s phone from the charger, and started her carefully created playlist. Going sixty miles an hour, the four girls rolled down their windows to feel the ocean breeze, as the music played in the wind.

They were closing in and about to pass a semi-truck. With one hand on the wheel, Peridot made a pulling down movement with her arm three times, glancing over at the other vehicle. The truck driver blared on the horn to amuse the girls, and they sped on ahead.

“I’ve never done that before!” Lapis laughed, impressed at her girlfriend.

“Really, you? Never?” That kind of humor was right up Lapis’ alley.

“I have to try it with the next one,” she turned to Pearl and Blue, who were in the middle of devouring a whole bag of potato chips.

“Wait, I need some too!” The blue haired girl unfastened her seat belt, and lunged an arm for the bag. “You can’t just inhale that whole bag of sea salt chaaaps, not without me.” She climbed over the seat, and sat down in the back middle seat.

“You’re going to leave me up here, like that?”

“My heart is where the food is. I can hand feed you from back here with the girl pearls,” the tan girl stretched out both arms behind their heads.

“I see where this is going. Are you cheating on me with a bag of chips?” Lapis interrupted Peridot, stuffing a large chip to her mouth as she drove.

“You’re slightly better than chaaaps,” she replied.

“Wow, thanks.”

In the background, Pearl was reaching down to pick up the chips that had fallen all over the ground. Blue kept munching away as she watched the two girlfriends chatter.

“Say Pearl,” Blue started. “What’s your major?

“Astrophysics. I promise, it’s not as dull as it sounds.”

“That doesn’t sound boring at all! I thought we may have the same lecture class together.”

Pearl thought for a moment, “Which one?”

“The class Dr. Sanders teaches?”

“Oh, yes, that rings a bell. You sit more towards the back, don’t you?”

“Y-yeah!” Blue was plainly elated that Pearl, her crush, had noticed her in such a large classroom. “It’s easier to get away with doing other work.”

“Or sleep.” Pearl sighed. “I used to do that.”

“You don’t seem like the snoozing in class type. You always sit up front.” Blue gave away the fact that she noticed Pearl’s lecture hall habits.

“You’d be surprised. On days where I feel more rebellious, I sit in the third or fourth row.”

Lapis leaned up and whispered in Peridot’s ear, before feeding her another chip. “Nerd.”

But Pearl definitely heard. “I am definitely not, though I’ll admit some of the textbooks I’m required to read might be.”

And Peridot knew as a fact, her housemate enjoyed reading those.

Between the time they left the temple to the hour they reached the cliffs, the four girls talked away about nothing particularly important. Even without Garnet, Amethyst, or Jasper, they created a very positive dynamic. Peridot was relieved. Prior to the trip, she did not know what mood any of them would be in, besides Blue of course.

This is how it should be, Peridot thought to herself. Just hanging out with no worries.

The pink chalk cliffs were much better in real life as they were in photographs. Blue Pearl began taking pictures the second after she jumped out of the car. Lapis brought the bag of food with her as Pearl grabbed the towels from the trunk. It was a bit cold to be swimming at this time of year, but it was still warm enough where they could lay out in the sand. Peridot locked her car in the parking lot, and followed the rest of her friends down the stairs along the bluff. Standing six hundred feet high, from what Peridot read online, and stripes of pink layered the cliffs in different hues.

“I’m sure we can find the right color that matches Pearl’s hair,” Blue said. “Come over here closer to the wall.”

“Are you still going to continue with that?” Pearl walked over obediently, forgetting it was Peridot who brought up that idea in the first place.

“I was being serious back there in the car.”

Smiling at everyone having a good time, Peridot strolled over to the water, seafoam rising and falling on the light colored sand. The salty air did wonders to clear her lungs. Hopefully it would do the same thing to her head.

The blonde felt a familiar figure wrap their arms around her torso from behind.

“Guess what I found by the tide pools,” she let go and revealed an ornate object in both hands.

“It’s a shell.”

“But just look at the definition, the beauty, its aesthetic form,” the blue haired girl pointed out the swirls which patterned the surface.

Taking the shell to inspect it closer, Peridot squinted as she brought it closer to her eyes. But, it moved?

It squirt salt water in her face, and the shorter girl yelped. It was the home of a miniature hermit crab.

Lapis was laughing at her, clearly this was her plan all along. “Isn’t it cute? I named it Peridot Jr.”

“Because of its size?” She still held on to the tip of the shell, not dropping the tiny terror.

“No, because it’s clearly your spirit animal. See, you two already have a bond. It was drawn to you from the beginning.”

“Not funny.” Peridot actually thought it was pretty hilarious.

“Let’s take Junior and introduce her to them,” they both looked over at the same time, to see Pearl and Blue taking pictures of each other.

“On second thought,” Lapis continued, “let’s wait. They look like they’re hitting it off.”

“It looks like your plan is succeeding.”

“My plan? Don’t discredit yourself, you mean our plan. You came up with the idea of inviting Pearl along.”

“But it was your idea to invite Blue in order to bring them together,” Peridot brought back around.

“Point proven,” Lapis said, dunking her bare feet in the water.

Eh. She was right.

They stayed at the beach for the remainder of the day, waiting for the sunset. That’s when the pink cliffs would start turning other colors. And in the end, it was in no doubt worth it.

Realizing it was getting dark fast, they hurried up the fleet of stairs to the car. Peridot especially felt drained from driving all day, and they still needed to figure out a place to stay for the night. Going into the small town, they reserved a two bed room at an affordable motel. It even had a pool and hot tub, which to Lapis sounded divine.

Peridot was pretty sure this trip would be one of her most memorable times in college.