Lake Obsidian
“Whelp, we’re almost out of gas. Lapis, what’s the scoop?”
“The GPS says we are only five miles away from the next gas station.”
“Thank the stars.”
“After that long highway, we really need to walk around and stretch,” Pearl commented.
“How much longer until we reach Obsidian Lake?” Blue added along.
Checking the phone screen, Lapis replied only an hour more, and we’re there.”
Obsidian Lake was a national park made up of one giant, and several smaller lakes, in the northern part of the Golden State. Known for its hot springs, the lakes were jet blue in hue due to a natural, rare mineral. This substance was used in all kinds of beauty products, medicine, and even some meals.
When she was very young, Peridot visited Obsidian Lake with her mother. She barely remembered any details of the trip. The sole thing that stuck with her since she was a toddler, was a log on the shore where she found a caterpillar chrysalis in the middle of emerging into a butterfly. It was a silly memory, and she wondered why it was the only thing that stuck with her.
“Oh finally!” Lapis said happily as the car parked next to the gas pump. Just in time too, they were driving on their last gallon for ten minutes or so. Her girlfriend was the first to get out, and she stretched with both arms over her head. “This feels good.”
Pearl and Blue came out from the back of the car. “Since we’re almost to the park and stores will certainly be more expensive, we should buy food and drinks here for the hotel tonight.”
“At this sketchy place in the middle of nowhere?” Peridot looked over to the gas station store. It was definitely not fancy in anyway.
“It’s not that bad, just a little run down is all,” Lapis tried reassuring her, giving Peridot a pat on the back.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this place also had a secret basement to hide bodies.”
“That’s so morbid,” Pearl commented. “The chances of that actually being the case are slim to none.”
“Not to mention that only happens in horror movies anyway,” Blue backed Pearl up.
“Fine, fine,” Peridot raised her hands. “We’ll just get our stuff and leave,” she locked the car, clicking the button on her key.
The inside felt crowded and cramped. Behind the counter, a middle aged man sat next to the wall of tobacco, reading a newspaper. Who even read those still anyway? He wore a murky green coat with a brown sweater, and had long unkempt hair. He certainly looked like he was a drug addict, but that was only a strong assumption.
In a matter of minutes, the three other girls had their hands full with snacks. “Might as well, since we’re here,” Pearl laughed, carrying two cases of beer.
“Can’t forget about these,” Lapis came down the aisle with three large bags of chaaaps. “Trust me, we’ll go through all of this fast.”
Peridot looked down at the simple banana she held in her hand.
Blue was up at the counter paying for a diet soda and sunflower seeds. The only time Peridot saw people eat sunflower seeds were at baseball games. The man working seemed very unenthused, and downright depressed to be there. Something about him seemed off.
“Yeah alright, we have what we need so we should pay and leave…” Something incredibly soft rubbed up Peridot’s arm and she leaped into the air.
Lapis was laughing, holding some sort of skin.
“What’s that?” Peridot crossed her arms and pointed suspiciously.
“It’s rabbit fur,” the blue haired girl caressed it gently with her hand, enjoying the texture.
“What is this, the boonies?” Well, they were kind of in the middle of nowhere.
“I found it back there, next to the camo hats and rifles.”
“Rifles?!”
“They aren’t real guns, they’re only toys,” she set it back down, before they reached the counter. The man there, Peridot noticed, had his eyes on Lapis. The way he was looking at her girlfriend really creeped her out.
“Why don’t you guys go back to the car, I’ve got all of this.”
“Really?” Blue exclaimed.
“That’s awfully sweet of you,” Pearl pointed out.
In reality, Peridot wanted the creep to stop checking her girlfriend out, and needed an excuse to make them leave the store. She dug for her wallet as they walked back outside, and pulled her other debit card out. She only used this one when she was traveling.
As soon as the door swung back and closed, the cashier remarked to the blonde as he bagged the items, “How old is she?’
“What?”
“The pretty blue haired girl with you?”
“Excuse me?”
“You know, do you think she would be down some time?” He raised an eyebrow and gave a wink.
Peridot could not believe what she was hearing from this asshole’s mouth. Never before had she run into any person like him.
“No.” She accepted the total purchase payment
“Really, you’d think girls your age would get around a lot.”
“Sorry she’s not for sale,” she said snarky, and did something completely on impulse. She grabbed the bag of Blue’s seeds, opened it, and flung the contents over his face before walking out. Moving fast to the car, she dumped the items on top of Pearl and Blue in the back, and slammed the door fast as she got in. Whipping out her keys, Peridot started the engine, and hit the gas pedal. The last thing she wanted was for the man to run after them.
With hands firmly grasping the wheel and a scrunched, furious face, Peridot could see in the corner of her eye the others staring.
“Is… everything okay?” Lapis asked hesitantly.
“No!”
Her girlfriend jolted back at the exclamation. “What happened?”
“That guy in there was a cloddy creep. I’ll spare you the details, except for I told you so!”
The topic was not brought up again during the car ride, until Blue asked while rummaging the bags, “Wait, where are my seeds?”
When they reached their destination, Peridot breathed in relief. They were finally there, at Obsidian Lake Lodge, where they would stay the next day and a half. The building was in traditional cabin style, and tall pines stood tall around them. The pungent scent of the trees and decaying needles and leaves on the ground was incredibly strong. She could feel them shuffle and crunch beneath her feet, which felt pretty satisfying.
Besides the snacks, the four girls carried all their bags into the large lobby. On the tall walls hung oil paintings depicting the park, western antiques, and various antlers sporadically placed. From the ceiling, a large chandelier hung down above the expensive looking carpet.
Lapis was already over getting one of those cart things to wheel their bags around. Pearl and Blue dropped their luggage, though it wasn’t much, to offload their shoulders.
“Look at this,” Pearl opened a flyer, showing the other two girls. “I found a map to the entire park. This way, we will be able to plan our time here accordingly, and visit the things worth seeing.”
Peridot went up to the counter by herself, where two hotel receptionists stood in matching suits.
“Um hi,” the small girl began. The height of the counter made her feel even shorter. “I called in a few days ago to reserve a room.”
The employee quickly typed into her computer. “What’s the last name?”
“Diamond.”
“Looks like you booked a two double bed, single room for two days. May I see your ID?”
Peridot fished for her identification and handed it over. The employee only glanced at it before handing it back. “Perfect, thank you. The room along next to the western lake will come to $350.”
She handed over her travel debit card, already in her hand. From what she already had saved up plus the income she was making, the amount was a drop in the bucket. But none of her friends necessarily needed to know that.
“What are you doing?” Lapis exclaimed behind her, the second after she gave her card.
“I, um, am paying for the room?”
“We were going to split the cost four ways. Wasn’t that the plan?”
“When do we ever have a plan?”
“Only when Pearl’s around,” Lapis tilted her head slightly towards the pink haired girl, coming over to them with Blue.
“What now about me?”
The smaller girl grumbled signing her name on the receipt, “Really, it’s no big deal. I made the reservations ahead of time, and planned on paying this whole time. I want to.”
“Here are your two keys, you are room 190. To get there you go down the hall and out the door. Two buildings over, you will come to Cedar where your lakeside room will be. If you need anything, our desk is open twenty four hours a day. We hope you enjoy your stay,” the receptionist said enthusiastically, interrupting their conversation. Peridot wondered if they enjoyed their jobs, as she thanked the employee who helped her.
“At least let us chip in a little bit,” Blue put in, as they walked down the long, straight hallway.
“We’ll pool our money in after totaling up the trip’s expenses,” Pearl added.
But Peridot shook her head. “If you want to chip in a little for gas, I wouldn’t be entirely opposed. But I planned from the start to pay for the hotel. So really, don’t worry about it.”
“We’ll see about that,” replied Lapis, holding the door for everyone.
“You better not, this is my treat.” Peridot wanted to make sure this vacation would be fun for everybody, especially her girlfriend. She never led on that she was stressed out, at least on the outside. But she knew that Lapis, like herself, could be protective of her feelings. Well, maybe a little less so than herself. And the subtle gestures Lapis made gave it away as well as the look in her eyes. They weren’t obvious details, but she was able to recognize them.
When they unpacked and got situated in their spacious hotel room, Peridot checked the alarm clock on the nightstand. It said it was five in the evening.
“That’s not much time to go over to the main lake or do a hike,” Blue said.
“But we can still walk around the smaller, western lake,” Pearl remarked. “The sun doesn’t go down for about another hour and a half.”
“You in Peridot?” Lapis asked.
“Isn’t that why we’re here?” The blonde smiled.
Even though it was not the main Lake Obsidian, the western lake was still very beautiful. The water stood still and silent, with tiny waves rippling against the shore. While the sky was still light, it reflected poorly off the water, as if it was being absorbed instead. The sand was mixed with iron and the same mineral in the lake, giving it a desaturated burgundy color. The landscape looked alien, the only thing grounding Peridot’s imagination being the pine trees.
There was no sight like this over back east. Sure there was a giant mountain range and a few other interesting sights, but nothing comparable to the fascinating places over west.
Blue set her DSLR camera on top of a ledge facing the lake, and moved a few feet away. “Quick guys, get in.”
The timed camera released the shutter and took several pictures of them. Peridot could not recall the last time she was in a group photo like this. On her social media accounts, whenever she seldom logged in, most of her photos consisted of self-taken or professional profile pictures. And she only changed those when her physical appearance changed. Social media was only a distraction from more productive activities she could be partaking in. But Peridot knew Blue would likely upload her photos to Lumigram and tag her. Lapis’ roommate had a very popular account, and was followed by thousands. The complete opposite of her.
“That one turned out nice,” Lapis referred to the camera screen, as it was set in preview. “The lighting is really good in these.”
“It’s the contrast that’s causing it.”
“You have quite the talent,” Pearl complimented Blue, which caused a large smile to grow on her face. “Are you sure you’re in the right major?” She joked.
“I do love photography and have taken a few classes. But I think psychology is what I really enjoy studying in school. It’s how I met Lapis after all,” she put the camera up to her face. “Stay right there Pearl, the lighting’s perfect!”
Peridot watched them as they began a new photoshoot, how Blue was so enthralled and Pearl cheerfully went with it. Was her roommate actually into her? Just a week or so ago, she saw Pearl with that other pink haired girl, who coincidentally looked too much like Rose Quartz. Peridot would not have thought much about it, if it was not for the body language they gave each other. Pearl did seem interested enough in Blue and did return the flirting. But how genuine was it?
Always looking out for the blonde, Pearl was the type to put others before herself. Peridot remembered when Pearl patiently held Peridot’s hair back as she hurled in the toilet. That was the first and worst experience she had being drunk, and the same night she met Lapis. Or like the time she was sick with the flu, and Pearl would periodically check in with her, bringing her tea and whatever she needed. That’s why it was so strange for her to see Pearl so sad, after the night of the argument. It was not in her character.
But she was beginning to act like normal again as time passed, and had a chance to escape. It’s not like Pearl was running away from her issues or anything.
After exploring areas of the park near the lodge, her housemate yawned. “I’m pretty tired after that long drive, I think I’m going to go back to the room and relax,” Pearl stretched.
“I’ll come with you too,” Blue added quickly. “I’m feeling a little sore myself from sitting in that car all day,” it was pretty easy to tell she was fake stretching.
Tossing a hotel card key over to Blue, Peridot said, “Lapis and I are going to walk around, just for a bit. We won’t be too long.”
Peridot did not have telepathy, but she was sure Lapis was thinking or wanting the same thing as her.
Once their roommates were out of sight, Lapis took Peridot’s hand. “Come with me!” The blue haired girl took off, pulling the shorter girl with her.
“What’s going on, where are we going?”
Lapis did not answer her. Maybe she did not know either.
The sun was starting to set as they ran down the lake’s beach, treading the sand. When they grew tired, Lapis fell backwards on the ground, bringing Peridot down to land on top of her. The rich sand felt warm on their legs, despite the current season. This moment brought her back to their first date in the middle of summer. Lapis had that same look in her eyes.
It would not be a real vacation if they did not have some time alone, right?
“Hey, Peridot,” Lapis touched her chin. “Are you going to remove your knee from between my legs, or do you plan on leaving it there?”
She did not realize her falling into that position in the first place. “Um, I can if you want,” the blonde said nervously.
“Mm nah.” Centimeters away from her lips, Peridot could feel her warm breath as hands caressed her waist. If a dark shadow never moved into the corner of their eyes, the moment could have been perfect.
“Oh my stars. What is that?”
Lapis stayed still and motionless as the black mass crept closer.
It let out a bark, causing Peridot to jump off of Lapis and into a protective stance. She instantly gave a scream. “It’s alive!”
“It’s only a dog.” Clearly Lapis was thicker skinned than she, because she actually walked up to it. “It has no collar or ID,” she went on, checking around the animal’s neck. “How long have you been out here girl?” Lapis cooed.
“Only a dog?” Past all that fluffy fur, Peridot supposed a dog could be hidden under there somewhere. “How is there a dog in the middle of this huge national park by itself? What irresponsible owner could have left a dog out on its own?”
“An owner that abandoned it,” Lapis said pessimistically.
“That’s awful thing to do. How could any good person do that?”
“Maybe it never had an owner to begin with.”
Slowly, both Peridot and Lapis turned their heads to look at each other. They were very synergic today.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Peridot said, with a glint in her green eyes.
“Can we,” she paused to pick the dog up and check underneath its belly, “name her Gunther?”
Peridot cracked up in laughter. “What kind of a name is Gunther?” As she prolonged both syllables of the name, she made air quotations with her hands.
“A very good one, and it totally suits her might I add.”
The thin dog was panting, but clearly enjoying all the exciting attention. She begged Lapis to be picked up again. Its coat was entirely black coat with eyes to match. Though severely matted and tattered, the dog had medium length hair. Its fur was not the type to be messed and tangled to begin with, rather straight and fluffy. The poor animal needed some serious grooming.
“Why not Obsidian, after the national park where we found her? It’s so appropriate.”
“That’s a little predictable,” her girlfriend commented, massaging the dog’s small, pointed ears.
“How is Obsidian predictable? She has black fur, we found her at an entirely black lake. Plus it sounds cool. How often do you find a stray dog in the middle of a national park?” the blonde sighed, and ran a hand through her hair to push it back. Now that she pointed out the dog’s features, it did sound rather unoriginal now. “I suppose it doesn’t matter, though it will take some time to grow on me.” Peridot gave in. So they were really going with this, adopting some random dog in the forest, and naming it some obscure, likely 90’s porn star name.
Peridot guessed the dog likely had a flea and slash or worm problem as well. If they were really going to keep this dog, they needed to find a vet out here. Or at least give it a bath and basic necessities. Perhaps she could figure out back at the lodge if there was anything related nearby.
“Now the issue is how to get her back to our room and into a bathtub.”
“Oh it shouldn’t be too hard,” Lapis dismissed. “See, she already likes us. I don’t think Gunther plans on going anywhere any time soon.” The dog, though not squirming around, was shaking from excitement and gazing lovingly at the both of them.
“Well, I don’t want to suddenly be attacked and contract rabies.”
“If she had rabies, her mouth would be foaming and she would be acting differently,” pointed Lapis.
“Good point. I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” the shorter girl said, excitedly. “What are Pearl and Blue going to say? My goodness you two,” Peridot did a horrible imitation of Pearl’s warm voice. ”Where on Earth did you find that adorable dog? Of course we can let it live with us.”
“How are we going to share her? Should we go halves on whose house it stays at?”
“That makes the most sense in this case.”
“It would be easier if we just lived together,” stated Lapis calmly.
They both looked at each other again.
“If we did decide to, my lease is up after graduation,” Peridot said, not rejecting the notion. “My graduation that is. I’m not sure if the others plan on staying, though the chance is likely.”
“So, does that mean you’d like to, in the future?”
The largest grin appeared on Peridot’s face.
“Um… does that mean maybe?” An unmistakable blush appeared on Lapis’ olive cheeks.
Peridot squealed, “Yes! When the time comes around,” she tried gaining composure by distracting herself with petting Gunther. Whether she moved out with Lapis, or her girlfriend decided to move in with her, Peridot was completely okay either way. “We should head on back, before it becomes too dark.”
A minute ago, the sun had set past the horizon line, and was now dusk. Good thing they were next to the lake, preventing them from ever getting lost.
They both spent the walk back fawning over their new pet, while it fell asleep in Lapis’ arms.
Back in the hotel room, Pearl did not react exactly how Peridot thought she would.
“What in the world is that?!” Her sentence came out as one fast-spoken word.
Peridot turned on the light to the room, and both Blue and Pearl paused the video they were watching. “Ta-da! Introducing straight from Lake Obsidian, Gunther!” The blonde thrusted both arms in a presenting motion.
“We found her over there without an owner. We think she was abandoned,” Lapis clarified.
“She’s so cute!” Blue cried, jumping up from her and Pearl’s bed, and ran over to her roommate. “And so small! Poor baby. I bet it was so scary out there by yourself,” she babied the dog. “But, why the name Gunther? It’s not very cute.”
“Are you questioning my ability to come up with genius names?” Lapis said dauntingly.
“Oh you came up with that name Lapis? Not I’m not questioning it at all, really! Gunther’s a great name!” Blue waved her hands, revoking the statement.
“So it’s a dog,” said Pearl, like she was just convinced it was not a giant, ratted, fur ball instead.
“She is our dog,” Peridot said proudly, putting both hands on her hips.
“How are you going to take care of it when you both are in class?”
Both Peridot and Lapis had a look of realization. “Oh. We’ll figure out those details later,” Lapis brushed it off. “Now it’s time for Gunther to take a well-deserved bath.”
“Well, I guess I’m not exactly going to argue with you for keeping it,” Pearl smiled, “Although it’s your responsibility.”
“We know, we know,” Lapis was already walking over with Peridot to the bathroom, and grabbed all the towels.
“I’ll join you in a second, I’m just finishing up this movie with Pearl,” Blue slid back on their bed. Peridot peeked from the corner of her eye to see them laying relatively close to one another.
Once she and Lapis were in the suite bathroom, Lapis whispered, “Did you see them?”
“Blue and Pearl?”
“They seem to be getting along well,” only Peridot knew what that smile meant. They spread the hotel mat on the floor, and kneeled down at the tub’s edge.
“Do you think?”
“Well they seemed pretty cozy on that bed together. Blue’s got it so bad for her. I wonder if Pearl feels the same way.”
“It’s hard to tell with her,” the blonde stated.
“I’m not so sure, she seems pretty readable to me.”
“That’s because you’re a psych major. Aren’t you supposed to read the minds of others?”
“Darn it, you have me totally figured out,” the blue haired girl said sarcastically. The water in the tub was almost to the right level, and Gunther was shaking. This was the only dog Peridot encountered that was actually happy to be washed.
“Then you should know what’s on my mind,” Peridot looked down, seriously.
“Huh? What’s that?”
Peridot quickly gave her a peck on the lips.
“Really Lazuli, you were supposed to guess. I’ve wanted to do that all day.”
“You dork,” Lapis kissed her back on the lips. “You know you can kiss me whenever, right?”
“I remember you mentioning that for hand holding and hugging,” the smaller girl counted with her fingers.
“Well I officially grant you full rights and permission,” With rolled up sleeves, Lapis scrubbed with the soap bar behind the dog’s ears methodically, careful to not get any of it in her eyes. “I’ve never had a pet or any animal to take care of before.”
“Same. My mom used to have an outdoor cat, but it disappeared one day. I saw it maybe five times in my life.”
“I guess this means we’re dog moms, and this is our first adopted child,” Lapis sighed.
Though she had never talked to Lapis about kids before, she always liked the concept of adoption. She was not able to read if her girlfriend would ever want kids, but she had a hunch Lapis would not be opposed. However that conversation was even deeper than the notion of moving in together, and that was a ways off. Whether they did decide to have kids far in the future, Peridot did not care too much.
Once Gunther was clean, Lapis thoroughly inspected her coat for ticks and fleas. As predicted, she found a few near the dog’s neck. “Maybe we can wash or drown them out!” Peridot suggested.
“I’m not quite sure if that’s how it works. Surprisingly she doesn’t have too many.”
“I’ll look up some quick, natural remedies then,” she scrolled on her phone. “Looks like we are in luck.”
“How so?”
“The minerals in the lake here are used as a solution to kill fleas fast, along with any other bugs that might be crawling on her. We should have thrown her in the lake instead.”
“We’ll it is just right outside, let’s do that now.”
Walking back out, they tip-toed past Pearl and Blue, who were both passed out and curled up on the bed together. On the nightstand were several empty beer bottles. Naturally Lapis snapped a couple pictures of them to “document.”
The remainder of the night was spent taking care of Gunther’s tick problem, before creating a makeshift mat on the hotel floor. In those hours, they learned much about their new dog's behavior and habits. She loved water, was potty-trained, knew how to sit and stay, and apparently loved chaaaps as well. Because when they woke up the next morning, Gunther had gotten into all four bags.
If she thought the pink chalk cliffs were amazing, Peridot was mistaken. Lake Obsidian was breathtakingly magical. Dark as night, it echoed the smaller, western lake. The biggest difference was that the other side across the body of water was not visible. It was equivalent to standing in front of an ocean.
Lapis took Peridot’s hand in her own. Letting herself get lost in the moment, she focused on the breeze whispering through her hair and the sun on her skin.
“Take a look at this,” Pearl told them. She was not referring to the view, but her phone in hand. The three girls huddled over, to check it out. Garnet had sent Pearl a picture of her and Amethyst at the beach. And, wait a moment, was that Lars and Sadie? “Garnet also sent the text, look who we found.”
Lars was obviously on a date, Peridot could tell. Fortunately for her somewhat cranky friend, Sadie looked very happy. They must be having a good time, she thought. It was a while since she last talked to him. And by a while, she meant over a week. I need to hang out with him when I get back and see how he’s doing.
“Let’s send her one back,” Blue suggested. Pearl replied to her housemate with a selfie they took a few moments ago.
“They’re probably jealous,” Peridot stated.
“Probably. While you’re texting her Pearl, tell them we have a surprise,” agreed Lapis, adjusting her arm to carry Gunther better.
She would have invited the rest of them, but with things still hazy between Pearl and Amethyst, it was likely not the brightest idea. Garnet was the one who suggested they go in the first place, so she understood. Still, Peridot did not like leaving the others out.
And while she wanted to ask Pearl how her relationship with Amethyst was standing, she did not dare to during the trip. Not when they were stuck with each other on this trip.
Spending the majority of their time next to the main lake, Peridot treated them to a boat tour and lunch. She wanted to do this for them. The tour guided the boat across the lake and to the island residing on the eastern end. Ancient fossils could be found all through the sand consisting of several species of coral, cephalopods, and crinoids. The tour guide told the group how the lake used to be a saltwater sea, and before that, the Great Ocean. To Peridot’s utter dismay, they were not allowed to carry fossils off the island, and was recommended to purchase them in the gift store. Even so, she swiped a small one without anyone looking.
After the tour, the girls went back to their hotel suite and changed clothes for a hike. While the area around the lake was not very mountainous or hilly, they could still wander around the trails circumferencing the park.
Why was it always when she was having fun, that the days would fly right by?
To end their day, they topped it off with the relaxing hot springs after walking an hour down a trail. While they were not attached to the main lodge, the several springs were up kept. Ranging from big to small, vapor flowed into the colder air. A wooden sign hung from one of the trees, stating the springs closed at 11pm. Peridot noticed they were the only ones around, wondering why it was not more crowded.
“Apparently there are springs all throughout the park, not just this location,” Pearl answered.
“Alright, we get this place all to ourselves!” Lapis whooped happily, as she threw off her jacket onto the forest floor. And then her shirt. And pants. And then nothing. The blonde was surprised that her girlfriend was actually comfortable being naked in front of others. Not that she didn’t have an amazing body.
“What are you doing?” Peridot asked, while Pearl and Blue were following Lapis’ lead.
“Skinny dipping, duh. There are no rules here for it.” She was right the sign did not state anything about clothing regulations. “See, Gunther beat me to it.”
The dog already jumped in the water, and was paddling through it contently.
She hesitated, taking in a deep breath. “Okay.” This was her first time skinny-dipping. She was alright being naked in front of Lapis, even though they scarcely saw each other like that. But the pale girl was somewhat self-conscious about her own body. Would the others notice she had somewhat of a flat chest and larger hips? Most definitely. A twinge of nervousness made her hesitant.
But she went with it. Peridot convinced herself that she did not feel pressured to do so, she was merely unaccustomed to the idea. Trying to push all anxious thoughts out of her head, her clothes fell to the floor next to Lapis’.
“The water feels wonderful,” Lapis went nose deep, and closed her eyes serenely.
“It really does. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had this in Beach City,” Pearl agreed.
The blonde was the last one to join. “Not really, all the sex driven teenagers would ruin it for everyone.” As she stepped in, Peridot picked up a tea candle and tossed it aside. “I wonder what this is doing here,” she shrugged.
Lapis and Pearl looked at each other, while Blue looked just as confused as Peridot.
“One of those sex driven teenagers you were talking about must have forgotten it,” Lapis revealed.
“Oh.” Way to not see the obvious, she thought.
But Lapis and Pearl were right, the water did feel great. It was hot, but not boiling, and just enough to melt the cold lingering on her skin. Steam rose and formed clouds of vapor in the air. The pine trees canopying above revealed a gap of clear, dark sky. Scooting closer to Lapis on a rock, the blonde did her utmost best not to stare at her girlfriend’s chest. She preferred rather to not make Pearl or Blue uncomfortable.
Speaking of their roommates, Blue was not making any sort of eye contact with Pearl at all, ever since they jumped in. Though those two were rather close in proximity, Blue hugged her legs to her chest. Peridot figured she was in the same type of predicament.
“This is so perfect. And on top of that, there’s nothing around us for miles. What a good idea to come here Peridot,” Pearl went on.
“Yeah, thanks for planning this trip. We could have helped too,” Blue added.
“Eh, I usually like planning trips like this,” the blonde brushed off a pine needle that fell on her arm. As she squirmed, her leg accidentally touched Lapis’. Well, partially on accident. Sitting back down, her foot slipped on a rock and Peridot submerged completely. Instead of hitting a bottom, she continued to sink.
Feeling a hand around her arm, the blonde was pulled back up, her hair completely flat.
“Thank you, my hero,” she praised her girlfriend sarcastically. “I thought I was going to drown.”
“Well I wasn’t going to let you be a little pervert under there,” Lapis smirked.
“That’s… that’s not what I-“
“We know,” Pearl laughed.
“Sorry Peri, we’re just joking with you,” Lapis winked, and responsively Peridot smiled back.
“This thing is so deep. I wonder how far it goes,” leaning forward, Peridot peered down with a firmer hold on the rocks this time.
With a splash to her face, Lapis suddenly dove underwater. Instead of swimming back up, she continued sinking. The water was clear enough where Lapis’ form could be made out, though blurry.
A minute had passed and Pearl spoke up, “Um is she alright?” The pink haired girl laughed nervously.
“I think…so?” Blue was not sure either.
The blue haired girl emerged from the pool depths gasping for air, startling them like a shark attack. Breathing heavily, Lapis answered Peridot’s question, “It goes down more than twelve feet, so more than two times the height of Peridot,” She gracefully swam back to the side, where Gunther was enthusiastically waiting with her tail wagging.
“Hey, watch it,” the blonde said in a joking way that sounded serious.
But ever since Lapis surfaced, she continued breathing somewhat desperately. Pearl and Blue were in their own world talking about how silly the class they shared is. While Peridot listened attentively, her girlfriend next to her had leaned back and shut her eyes. At first, the blonde thought Lapis was just relaxing or sleeping. But shifting her attention, she noticed her scrunched forehead. It almost seemed like she was panicking.
“Lapis are you alright?”
The blue haired girl’s eyes shot open and darted over at Peridot. Putting a hand over her bare chest, she finally said, “I-I don’t think so.”
Without wasting any time, Peridot responded, “Here, let’s get out and go back.”
The two other girls took notice something was going on with Lapis. “Oh my goodness, what’s wrong?” Pearl asked, as Lapis stumbled out of the hot spring. Gunther hurriedly started to lick the water off of Peridot’s legs, and it tickled. Unzipping her backpack, she grabbed two small towels, handing one over to Lapis.
Peridot spoke for her girlfriend, “I think we’re both a bit overheated and need to go back to the room.”
Blue continued to have a worried expression, while Pearl covered up a snicker. “Well, if you say so. Have fun you two.”
Oh. OH. “No that’s not what I meant at all, we’re just tired!”
Laughing, Pearl returned, “We’ll meet you two back at the room. We already have a card key and a flashlight.”
“Cool, we’ll rejoin there,” quickly she pulled up her pants and shimmied into her tank top, before waving bye to their roommates.
Supporting her arm, heat was radiating off of Lapis. The height difference made it a bit awkward for Peridot to hold her up, but if she did not, Lapis would be wavering around. Though she was quiet, it felt like Lapis was convulsing.
When they were far enough away and out of earshot, Peridot asked, “Do you know what’s happening?”
“Ever since I came back up from diving, my heartbeat has been pounding like crazy. My head is so dizzy,” Lapis leaned further into Peridot, as they made their way back on the trail. Feeling a drop land on her pale shoulder, the blonde realized it was a tear from Lapis.
The hike was relatively easy on the way back. Instead of heading straight to their suite, Peridot guided them towards the lake, where there was a log to sit on. Maybe being by the gentle, rippling water would calm Lapis. She sat both of them down on a large log around some driftwood.
The tan girl kept breathing sharply, even though they were out of the hot spring and sitting down in the cool air. This was more serious than she realized, and she did not know how to help.
Enveloping Lapis in her arms protectively, Peridot asked, “What do you need? Are you hot and light-headed from the spring? Maybe you’re dehydrated, you should drink some of my water.” Pulling a plastic bottle that still retained some chill, she offered it to Lapis who accepted it.
After taking a large gulp and wiping her lips, Lapis spoke, “Maybe that’s part of it. But holding my breath while diving is what’s probably causing it. I haven’t felt that lack of oxygen since…” She looked away. “I can’t stop my heart from racing even though I want it to. And then thinking about feeling trapped at home with my sister, it’s so overwhelming.”
Peridot blinked.
“I wish I could just run away from my own head, from these thoughts. I wish it would all go away and leave me alone so I could function like a normal person,” her eyes began to water, turning her violet eyes into a deep blue.
“That’s why I suggested taking a vacation in the first place.” Peridot could not understand what Lapis had exactly gone through in the past. But she had experienced hurt as well, and for the two of them lately, many emotions were resurfacing.
“We both needed this.”
Peridot nodded. “You more than I though.”
“Don’t discount what you’ve dealt with recently. I know a lot of it is due to me.”
“What? I’ve never had to deal with you. Why would you think that way?”
The blue haired girl turned her head again to stare out at the lake, avoiding eye contact. “I just feel bad. You deserve better than me.”
“Are you sure about that? Are you aware of my vaguely criminal background?” Peridot chuckled. It was her attempt to make her girlfriend feel better.
Pausing for a moment, Lapis asked in a small voice, “Do you ever question me?”
“N-no, never! I mean, there were times I questioned myself, but never you.”
“Are you being honest?”
“Yes.” Peridot said strongly, and she meant it.
That single word caused Lapis to break out in tears. Peridot could feel her hands getting warm. “I don’t know what’s going on with me. You’re too good to have to cope with this. I can’t continue dragging you down with me.” The words flowed out like she was talking to herself.
“If you believe you’re dragging me around, you’re mistaken. I’ll willingly go wherever you decide to and support you through hell, every single time.”
The taller girl let go of Peridot’s hands and grasp, and hugged her own waist. The shorter girl gave her that space. “I can’t live feeling like this anymore.”
The blonde felt both frustrated and anxious. “Tell me what you want me to do, I’ll do anything. You know that,” Peridot placed her right hand on Lapis’ arm. “Whatever it is, I’ll do it.”
“I want you to leave.”
“What?” Peridot was taken aback.
“I’m sorry, that was very blunt,” Lapis caught herself, and hugged her own waist tighter. Gunther was quietly sleeping on the burgundy sand, next to her feet. “I just need some time alone to get my mind straight. It’s something I need to clear on my own, without leaning on you for support.”
Did she really believe that? Lapis never used Peridot as a crutch metaphorically, as far as she knew. To her, the opposite was true. The blue haired girl was likely the strongest person she had ever met, and aside from scarce moments, was a very positive person. But maybe Peridot was oblivious to it all, she would not be surprised. Maybe Lapis did need space apart from her.
“Fine,” Peridot gulped back a choke. It was the only thing she could say in that moment without wanting to faint. She lifted her hand off of Lapis’ shoulder, and walked away towards their hotel suite, not looking back. Hearing Lapis faintly cry behind her, made Peridot’s heart break. If she turned back to comfort her, it would only make Lapis feel worse and resent her even more.
Confusion overtook her. Why was none of this making sense? What was wrong with her? Had she been blind this whole time about her girlfriend?
Were they still together anymore?
Peridot held her tears in, determined to spare Pearl and Blue her emotions when she walked through the door. It could not be over, not like that. Lapis would not end their relationship like that.
Entering through the sliding glass door to their hotel room, her two other friends laid on one of the beds, binge-watching TV on Pearl’s computer. She would make a run for the bathroom to clean up her face, before either of them could notice.
“Hey Peridot! Where’s Lapis and Gunther?” Blue greeted her, as a commercial was playing in the background.
“You both really have to see this show Blue introduced to me,” Pearl added, scooting over to make room for her, patting the bed. “It’s surprisingly hilarious!”
“Maybe in a second.” She really needed to clean the eyeliner and mascara from her eyes. The room was still dim enough to the point they might not notice they looked similar to a raccoons’.
“Wait,” Pearl paused the video, and moved off the couch.
Crap, she noticed. Of course. Pearl is the most attentive roommate to ever exist.
The taller girl went over in front of Peridot, squinting her eyes. “Where’s Lapis?” She repeated what Blue initially asked. Realizing that her roommate was emotionally not alright, she much more worriedly added, “What happened?”
“Lapis, she… I don’t really know.” She was shaken up, and just as confused as her friends. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she leaned forward, crossing her arms. “We walked over to the lake, and she wanted to be alone that’s all. She needs some space apart from me,” Peridot ran her hand through her hair and let out a laugh, finding none of it actually funny.
Neither Pearl nor Blue found the situation humorous either. Peridot hardly noticed Pearl hurrying to the sink to wet a washcloth. Blue moved next to the blonde, while giving each other an appropriate amount of space.
“Here,” Pearl handed her the damp cloth, and Peridot began dabbing her eyes with it, cleaning off the eye makeup. “Did something happen between you two?” The pink haired girl sat next to her, hands in her lap.
“Not that I know of,” she fought back her voice, which began to tighten up again. “She wants to be alone away from me. She told me that she did not want to burden me any longer. Does this mean she wants to break up with me?” Frantically, Peridot placed both hands on Pearl’s shoulders. “Who am I kidding, maybe I’m not the best match for her anyway.” How could she even allow those words to escape her lips? Though she was hurt, it did not mean she had to doubt where their relationship stood. Or perhaps it did not matter any longer.
“I don’t know all the details of what happened,” Pearl leaned in to give the smaller girl a hug, “But I think I might relate to what she’s feeling. Still, she has no reason to believe she’s hurting you.”
Blue sighed, shifting the focus on herself. “I didn’t want to share this without Lapis’ permission, but you deserve to know. You haven’t seen her like this much. But my roommate is deals with frequent anxiety and panic attacks. Lapis does her best to hide it, because she doesn’t want you feeling uncomfortable. Or anyone for the matter. Again I hate telling all this about my roommate, since this is her business. But I hope it helps you understand where she’s coming from. It’s definitely not you Peridot, I promise.”
Her girlfriend promised her they would be honest with each other from now on. Why did Lapis not tell her about her anxiety sooner? Lapis was almost definitely having a panic attack then, and Peridot just left. That’s the last thing she should have done.
“I don’t think of Lapis any differently, I can’t,” Peridot sniffed. “Just, why did she not tell me sooner?”
Taking a breath, Blue began, “My roommate, Lapis, I love her, but she’s a very private person. Though she appears to wear her heart on her sleeve, she keeps a lot inside. It’s not you. It’s just a trait about her, which I’m not sure is a healthy thing. But I do know she thinks the world of you, and deeply trusts you.”
Pulling on her hair, Peridot blurted, “I don’t even know what to do, or what I’m doing here. How could I be so horrible to leave her back there with no struggle? How could I do that? I’m aware of what she’s dealt with, but I thought we were working through things together.”
“It’s going to take a little time, I think,” placing a thin hand on her arm, Blue gave the blonde a look saying she understood.
“If you are okay with it Peridot,” Pearl butted in, “may I go talk to her?”
“Huh? Why?”
“Because I think I can relate to her in a different way, and it might help having a person she doesn’t know as well to talk to. But,” Pearl hesitated, “I don’t want to do anything that crosses any lines.” Her teal eyes conveyed the same emotion Peridot saw in Lapis’ at the shore. Maybe, just maybe, she might understand.
“It doesn’t really make me uncomfortable, but I don’t know if that’s a smart idea,” Lapis really seemed like she wanted to be left alone.
“I would like to, I think it might help. Plus I do need some fresh air.” Where they were vacationing, the air could not get any cleaner.
Walking over to the door, Pearl slipped on her shoes. Is she actually going to talk to Lapis? Was Peridot really okay with this?
“Wait, Pearl! Before you go, tell me honestly. Do you think I might have done anything to make her upset?” She directed the question at Blue as well.
“Not that I’ve seen. This is all pretty surprising to me,” she shook her head.
“Don’t feel bad at all. I promise, this isn’t about anything you’ve done,” Blue reassured.
Anything I’ve done.
After Pearl left the suite, Peridot thought about those words. Why was she so hung up on them? Was she a hundred percent sure she did nothing ill?
Isn’t about anything.
Anything I’ve done.
I’ve done.
That was it.
An epiphany struck her hard, and frankly the realization embarrassed her. It was so obvious. This whole time she was worried about her own relationship with Lapis, when that’s not what she should be worried about. This vacation was about making Lapis feel at peace again. But there was no way she could ever get over the trauma she experienced in just a few days. That would be impossible. Those things took time, and one vacation was not going to erase all her memories or anxiety.
And here she was, fretting about their relationship, and things she could have done. The blue haired girl never said those things because of them. Reality was Lapis was burdened from her past, her sister, mother, her job, in ways Peridot did not understand. It was because of these things Lapis wanted to be left alone, and was not due to anything she did at all. It was so blatant, yet ever since she came back to the room, Peridot had focused on herself.
She had made a mistake by leaving Lapis’ side in the first place. It was she who should be out there with Lapis, not Pearl. Peridot was ashamed of herself. If she had not hurt her girlfriend in the past, she had surely failed now.
Scrambling off the bed, she ran to the chair to grab her hoodie and shoes. The sudden movement woke startled Blue who now had consumed three beers.
“Where are you going?” Blue slurred slightly, dreamily.
“Back to Lapis. I should have never left.” The blonde needed to do this. She needed to support Lapis, like a quality girlfriend.
But as she whipped the door wide open, Lapis and Pearl were standing right outside. Pearl held her arm out, about to hold the room key up to the card reader.
“Y-you’re back!”
“Peridot,” Lapis began, but never finished her sentence. Grabbing the blonde by the front of her black hoodie, she pulled her in for a tight hug and then a hard kiss. “I’m so sorry, and hope you can forgive me.”
“We should talk about it.”
“Okay.”
Pearl went inside leaving the two girls with a room key. They went back to the place where the situation happened to redo the scenario the right way. Peridot learned though her relationship with Lapis might not be perfect, she finally grasped the concept that no relationship was. But they were both willing to open up and grow together. And that was worth more to Peridot than any unrealistic expectation of what a relationship is supposed to be. In the end, she accepted and was even happy to shatter those illusions. It was this night Peridot finally acknowledged that she was in love with Lapis Lazuli.