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It was a bright summer's day, the air warm yet fresh, when they first met.
Lapis Lazuli was only nine years old. The small girl, with black wild hair, tan skin, and navy blue eyes, had wandered out into the forest. It was something she had done many times before, given the easy access. The forest was right past the fence in her backyard, the large expanse of trees bordering the lower class neighborhood where she lives.
On the weekends when there was nothing left to do, or on the weekdays when she came home from school, she would wander off into the forest to explore the woodlands. She always made sure to let her parents know, who were surprisingly fine with it. After all, it was relatively small, with no big or dangerous animals even sighted.
Lapis was something of a 'rough and tumble' sort. She was always the roughhousing sort, loving any sort of outdoor activities that involved effort. Her favorite activity was swimming at the beach but the forest was a close second. It was like a second home to her with how much time she spent exploring it.
Her favorite spot in the forest, the one she was heading to right now, was the riverbank.
The small tyke hummed a tune as she stomped through the forest, leaves crunching under her feet as she gazed at the wonders close to her.
Donned in a blue shirt, jeans, and blue sneakers, she kept walking down the familiar path she had traveled almost everyday. A small notebook and a single colored pencil was tucked under one arm, while a small satchel was hung over the other.
She eventually heard the sound of rushing water and, after climbing over a big boulder or two, came across the riverbank.
It was a small stretch of land bordering a river that flowed through the forest. It's calming noise and peaceful sight made it the perfect spot for Lapis's favorite non-exercise activity: drawing.
The little girl sat down on a dry log, placing her notebook in her lap. She brushed one of her stray hairs back into her curly bangs and set to work.
She doodles and drew and sketched throughout the day, not a care in her mind. She drew anything that came to mind, all in messy scribbles that she didn't care about the quality of. All she cared about was having fun.
Her tranquil quiet was quickly shattered by a loud scream followed by the sound of a scuffle.
Lapis looked up from her notebook immediately, looking towards the origin of the sound. It sounded like someone had fallen, and from the pitch of that scream it was someone her age.
She quickly got up from the log, leaving the notebook on a nearby dry rock. She quickly walked over to the source of the noise.
As she got closer, she noticed that it was coming from the bottom of a large hill, somewhere behind a group of bushes. Small whimpers, hisses, and crying could be heard, getting louder as Lapis got closer.
"H-Hello?" She called, pushing away the bushes.
As soon as she saw what was making that noise, she gasped.
Behind the bushes, sitting and holding her knee, was a small girl around the same age as Lapis. She had a black t-shirt with a novelty alien head on it, khaki shorts, and green light up Sketchers. She had large, round glasses which covered her emerald green eyes, and her hair stuck up in wild directions almost in a triangle shape. Tears were falling from her eyes as she held her knee close to her chest, the skin scraped and bruised from most likely the fall.
The girl looked up at Lapis, surprised to see someone else in the forest. She opened her mouth to respond, a hiccup from her sobs escaping, but before she could even say anything, Lapis interrupted.
"Oh my goodness, you're hurt!" She exclaimed, quickly moving to kneel down in front of the other girl. The blonde quickly pulled the other knee to her chest in a defensive, fetal position.
"Hey, don't worry, I want to help. Can I see your knee?" She asked. The blonde looked at Lapis suspiciously, but eventually pushed her wounded knee out a little more.
Lapis gazed at the wound, noticing the dirt and small amounts of blood leaking from it. She pondered for a moment before opening up her satchel, pulling out a big band-aid, "andy-sepic" as her mother had called it, and a small paper towel.
Moving ever so carefully, she gently wiped off the gunk caking the wound. The other girl recoiled from the stinging at first, but gradually relented to the tending of the wound. After the cleaning, Lapis took the "andy-sepic" and dabbed a bit on her finger. She spread it gently across the wound, making sure to coat the entire thing as her dad had taught her. Finally, she peeled the large band-aid and placed it on the wound, smoothing it out over it completely.
Her parents taught her how to take care of her wounds after she came home with a scraped elbow from the forest one day. They knew they couldn't stop her from exploring, so the next best thing was to prepare her for any other wound she might gain in the wilderness.
"T...Thank you." Stuttered the other girl, sniffling as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"No prob, bob! Feel better?" Lapis asked.
"Yes. Who taught you that? I've only seen grown ups do that."
"My parents. They thought it would be a good idea to keep me prepared. C'mon, let's get you up off the ground."
Lapis stood up from the ground and offered her hand to the other girl. She took it, feeling herself being pulled up from the ground.
"I'm Lapis. Lapis Lazuli. What's your name?" She asked.
"P-Peridot, but people just call me Peri." The other
"That's a nice name!"
Peridot was slightly below Lapis's height by about an inch. The taller of the two gave a confused look.
"I've never seen anyone in these woods besides me. Where'd you come from?" She asked.
"Oh, I... I just moved here. To the neighborhood back over that hill. I've been here a few days, but I wanted to look around the forest a bit. I... really like exploring." She said, stating the last sentence as if it were something to be embarrassed about.
"Oh, really? Me too, I looove exploring. Is that how you fell down the hill?"
Peridot perked up a little after hearing someone else share her passion. "Yeah, I didn't know it was there and was busy staring at some of the foliage here."
"F... Fol-age? What's that?"
"Fol-i-age, and it means all the plants here. They're super pretty looking, and super interesting!"
"Oh. Well, yeah, they are very nice looking. That's a big word, how'd you know that?"
"I read a lot of books. I... don't have a lot of friends, so they keep me company."
"Oh... W-Well, you can be my friend!"
Peridot looked at Lapis incredulously, an unknown hope stirring inside her.
"Really? You mean it?"
"Yeah! We can be like, uh... Forest Buddies! Yeah, we can be Best Forest Buddies!"
A small smile appeared on Peridot's face, looking up at the other girl before nodding. "I'd really like that. Thank you."
"No problem! Hey, wanna come see the best part of the entire forest?" Lapis asked, holding out her hand.
"Sure." Peridot said, grabbing her hand.
~■■■○○■■■~
The two kids started meeting up there everyday they could from that point on. They'd sit down by the river bank and talk for hours, Peridot ranting about a new topic she learned about in her books and Lapis talking about new ideas for drawing.
They did all sorts of things as well, playing tag and exploring the other parts of the wilderness Peridot had never seen. They lived out their childhoods almost hand and hand.
One day, while sitting down by the riverbank, Lapis had an idea.
"You know what we should do?" She said, looking over to Peridot.
"What?" Peridot asked, looking over at her friend.
"We should build a giant fort! One stretching all over the river! I mean, we hang out here so often we should have a place to stay." The tan girl exclaimed, jumping up from where she was sitting.
"A fort? You mean, like from cardboard and stuff?" Peridot asked.
"Nonono, a real fort! From like wood and rocks! We could make huge towers and a big bridge to the other side."
"That would be pretty neato. Hey, we could make an art museum for all your cool drawings!" The blonde suggested.
"Yeah, and we could make a huge library, and fill it up with books for you! All the rare ones, only the best."
"Wait, would that mean we'd rule over the forest?"
"Hey... Yeah, you're right! I'd be Queen Lazuli, ruler of the trees!" Lapis said with her attempt at a commanding voice.
"Aw, I wanted to be a queen too."
"Well... we could both be queens. Queen Peridot and Queen Lazuli, rulers of the forest!"
Lapis quickly grabbed her notebook, drawing out plans for an elaborate castle. She drew both her and Peridot wearing big crowns at the top of the biggest tower. She even drew a strange looking flag on top of one of the spires. A wide smile was stretched over her face, and when she was finished she showed it to her companion.
"Wouldn't that be neat?"
Peridot took the drawing, adjusting her glasses as if she was a contractor looking over a building blueprint.
"I think I could help with construction. My dad's got some old hammers I could borrow to help build it."
"Wait, really? He'd just let you use them?"
"Weeellll... I'm sure he wouldn't mind me 'borrowing' them for a day or two. He wouldn't have to know." Peridot gave a mischievous smile. Apparently, she picked up a bit of Lapis's troublemaker habits.
"All we need is stuff to build the fort with."
Then... Lapis's smile fell.
"Oh. Right. I-I forgot we needed that stuff. That's got to be a lot of money to buy that stuff."
Her head hung low as her smile disappeared. "Nevermind, maybe we shouldn't build a fort."
"W-Wait, what do you mean? I'm sure it's expensive, but if we put together our allowances we might be able to get the stuff for it!" Peridot said, her voice an attempt at inspiration.
"I don't... get allowance. My parents don't have a lot of money. They keep talking about spending too much on 'bills', so we don't have a lot left over.." Lapis explained solemnly.
"O-Oh..." The blonde responded softly.
The curly haired girl looked up at the sky, noticing how low the sun was getting. She got up from where she had sat, collecting her satchel and grabbing her notebook from Peridot's hands.
"I-It's getting late. I have to go home, or my parents will get angry."
"Waitwaitwait!" Peridot scrambled up from where she was string to stand in front of Lapis. "Can I borrow that castle drawing? I promise to give it back tomorrow."
Lapis looked down at her notebook and nodded, gently ripping out the page and handing it to her friend. "Okay." She said softly.
Peridot nodded and said her goodbyes, rushing back to the hill to head back home. Lapis watched for a moment as she left before turning around and heading home herself.
She hadn't expected much to result from that conversation. Just another dream the young one had to be left behind in optimism.
So when she came back to the riverbank the next day, she was both shocked and surprised to see something different.
Standing beside a grinning (yet clearly nervous) Peridot was a large purple tent, big enough to fit two people inside, and a small flag pole. Hanging from the pole was the same strange flag Lapis had drawn the other day, made shoddily from paper and markers.
"I-I know it's not a grand fortress, b-but I think it suits us fine, don't you think?" Peridot stuttered out, twisting her foot in place.
Lapis was completely silent, stepping towards the tent and pulling back the entrance flap.
Inside the tent was a large, comfy blanket set across the ground, an electric lantern to the side, a small stack of books, and a few empty picture frames.
The shorter girl poked her head over Lapis's shoulder. "I tried to get most of the details right. Obviously, you can't fit a library in a tent. Those picture frames are for you drawing, by the way. L-Like an art gallery, see?" She said, pointing to each object inside the 'fortress'.
Lapis pulled her head out of the tent, facing Peridot. An unreadable expression was plastered on her face, her hands tightly gripping her satchel.
Peridot clearly started to lose confidence upon seeing no reaction. "I-I'm sorry. This was a bit weird, wasn't it? I just... you seemed so sad yesterday and I wanted to t-try and do something about it. I c-can take it down if y-"
The small blonde was interrupted by Lapis launching herself and pulling her into a hug. The nerd was completely paralyzed.
"Don't you dare. I love it, it's perfect." Lapis whispered, clutching tightly to her friend. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou."
Peridot couldn't say anything. Or rather, she didn't need to. All she did was wrap her own hand around the curly haired girl, reciprocating the hug.
~■■■○○■■■~
The younger years came and went, and the two children grew into new feelings, new likes, and new interests. But their friendship with each other stayed constant like a steady heartbeat.
Their middle school years were strange for both of them, to say the least.
"He tried to WHAT?" Peridot screeched, surprised at what she just heard her friend say.
The two girls had taken to telling each other stories about their new school lives (both coming from different schools) during the afternoon, their 'fortress' becoming their hangout. Both had brought snacks with themselves, munching on them as they recounted their day.
"Yeah, you heard me. He was just saying some stuff about football and other junk, and then all of a sudden, he was trying to plant one on my cheek!" Lapis exclaimed, her tone of voice similar to a storyteller recounting a horror tale.
"Ugh, that's disgusting. Jocks are awful." The blonde responded, putting down her crackers.
They were both sitting on the soft blanket, positioned across from each other with their legs crossed under them.
"You're telling me. Luckily, I pushed him off and blew a raspberry at him. You should've seen his face." Lapis said, snickering to herself.
"Hm. Have you ever been... you know. K-Kissed?" Peridot asked, her face going slightly red.
"Nah, not yet. I hear all the other girls bragging about getting their first kiss and everything with their beuy-friend," The taller girl responded, emphasizing the boy strangely near the end, "but all the boys at my school are gross. I don't know why anyone would ever want to kiss them."
"O-Oh, I see."
Lapis took a final bite out of the apple she had brought, placing the core to side. She flopped to the side, positioning herself where she was laying on her back.
"Honestly, I'd sooner kiss you than any other boy at that school." She said offhandedly, huffing out a sigh of confusion.
Peridot froze up briefly, eyeing her friend with a strange emotion brewing in her, before shaking her head and laughing awkwardly. "T-They're really that bad?" She asked jokingly.
"Oh, I didn't mean it like that! I-I just... I dunno. All the other girls there keep saying that I should try and find a boyfriend, but I don't really... see any other boy at school like that. Maybe I'll find one someday." The other girl sighed, patting the spot next to her.
Peridot took the hint, moving to lay next to her friend. She always felt far more comfortable hanging with Lapis than any of the other girls at her school. She couldn't quite place why. It always felt... different with Lapis.
"Life is weird."
"Indeed it is."
Lapis took Peridot's hand into her own, something that had happened often before. Yet today, the action lit a new emotion in Peridot, something that made her blush pink to her ears.
"I wish you came to my school. The days would be way less boring if you were there."
"E-Even with my 'nerd speak', as you say?"
"Honestly, your nerd speak is way more interesting than anything Ms. Zyrcon goes on about."
A sigh.
"I don't know what I'd do without you."
~■■■○○■■■~
Like the seasons, things change. People come and go, life moves onward. Yet, the two girls stayed friends throughout.
Lapis graduated to high school. She made new friends and tried new things. She even dyed her hair blue, much to the dismay of her parents. But, to her core, she was still the same rough and tumble girl.
Peridot graduated too. She learned new things, both about the world and about herself. She made a few friends, though not nearly as many as Lapis. But neither really cared about that. They had each other, and for them that was the only friend they would ever need.
They helped each other with home and schoolwork, Peridot helped Lapis study for the harder tests, and in return Lapis helped Peridot relax before her bigger exams. It was a pleasant sort of symmetry.
They talked about everything, with life, and with boys. Lapis tried to date around and figure out what she liked and what she didn't. She got her first kiss, and Lapis really wished she had waited for someone better. She stopped talking about boys after that, stopped trying to seek someone out.
Peridot still thought boys were gross. After some introspection and research, she figured out why.
One day, Peridot showed up to the tent with a strange pin on her green jacket. A rainbow one. She had to explain to Lapis what it meant. After a few questions, the curly haired girl broke into a smile. She was more than happy for her friend, and still equally supportive as before.
Things change, people grow. Lapis often met some people she didn't quite agree with. People who made her angry. Her rough and tumble nature molded into a spitfire temper that went off when she got mad.
Sometimes, she'd come to the tent simmering. Sometimes, she came to the tent crying. And Peridot was there for her. She was her grounding force, her safety net waiting to catch her.
Lapis didn't know what she would do if she hadn't met Peridot.
Things change. People grow.
Sometimes, they don't change the way you want them too.
~■■■○○■■■~
Senior Year. That was the kicker.
It had been a day like any other, a month like any other, when Lapis came to that tent. Peridot was already waiting for her, her textbook open and her homework on her knee. She looked to her friend with a smile when she saw her friend enter the tent.
Her friend responded in turn with an angered grunt and a huge, slamming down in front of her with her legs crossed.
"Stupid parents... Stupid cabin..." She grumbled under her breath.
Peridot quickly moved her stuff off her lap, her eyebrows furrowing into a concerned look on her face. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked, placing a hand on Lapis's.
"Ugh! My stupid parents are making me go to some stupid camping grounds over the weekend for 'an extended family reunion', which is a load of bull because we haven't seen them for years and all of a sudden they just want to meet up with us? No way! It's so... just makes me... ugh!" She exclaimed, her hand pulling away from the blonde's and bunching up into fists as her eyes blazed with rage.
"Oh... Did you try explaining what we had planned tomorrow?" The blonde asked, trying to keep her tone level to diffuse the tension. Truth be told, she was equally angry at this new development, as the two girls had planned the equivalent of a 'sleepover' that weekend.
"Yes, I did! And all my mom said 'All your cousins will be there, you can have your own sleepover!' And I was like 'I don't give two shits mom! I already had plans'. And when I tried to get them to let you come too, they said 'oh, it's only for fam-iiilly, you're going either way'. Gah! I hate this. They've never done something like this, I don't know why they started now." The bluenette grumbled, crossing her arms.
"I'm sure they didn't mean to inconvenience us like this. It is distant family, there's a chance they might miss them." She always tried to offer Lapis a path for which to diffuse her anger.
She realized this, and took it. "I... I dunno, maybe you're right. I'm just pissed I won't get to hang out with you this weekend. We've been planning this for a while now."
Yes, the truth was Lapis truly felt a need to spend as much time as possible with Peridot. She couldn't quite place why, but she had a feeling that is was because they were both graduating soon, and there was a very real and very terrifying chance they may not be as close as they were now.
At least... that's what she told herself. The explanation didn't exactly coincide with the lingering need to just stay near the girl, nor the strange thoughts that drifted through her head from time to time.
"Well... we can always do it another time. I'm sure we'll get another three day weekend in the future to do this sort of thing again." Peridot explained.
The shorter girl patted her lap, motioning Lapis to move. The bluenette took the hint and turned, laying down and placing her head in her friend's lap. Such an act before would've blazen the blonde's cheeks before, but after coming to terms with her emotions (plus the added bonus of knowing the other), she simply smiled.
"It'll be so boring without you. They'll want to talk about boy troubles and all that junk. Nothing interesting like what you go on about." She lamented, looking up into those green eyes.
"I share a similar sentiment. Nobody here to listen to me blabber on for three days." The other girl shared while combing her hands through the blue hair below her, a tactic that always helped calm down the explosive temper.
"You don't blabber."
"Mmm."
"No, you don't. Your tangents are way better than any other topic my cousins will talk about."
"Heh, thanks."
They sat there in silence, Lapis simply enjoying the presence of her friend while Peridot breathed steadily.
"You'll wait up for me, right?"
"Of course. I'll be the first one to greet you, right back at the tent. On the dot ."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
...
"I bet you they'll want to play Truth or Dare."
"Oh come now, they're not that basic."
~■■■○○■■■~
"Who wants to play Truth or Dare?"
Lapis was about ready to jump out a window.
By her standard, the past two days had gone absolutely horrible. The camping trip had been nothing but boring, and the bluenette's prediction had been spot on. The other girls there had gone on, non-stop, about every single topic Lapis didn't want to hear. She had long outgrown talking about boy troubles, and she didn't really like makeup, and yet these girls talked about it like it was the blood in their veins.
To make matters worse, the teens had been confined to their own separate cabin, obviously to grant the grown ups some respite and privacy for adult talk.
Lapis was considering sleeping at the bottom of the lake. There'd be more peace and quiet there, at least.
She was sitting criss cross on the bed, wearing a plain black shirt and gray sweatpants. The other girls, Aqua Marine, Belle Perla, Azuré Lazuli, and Laz Lazuli (Yes, that is her real name. No, Lapis couldn't believe it the first time either), were all dressed in varying colors of Pajamas.
They had been doing many activities, almost all of which the bluenette took no part of. They were all borderline comatose inducing.
And right now, Aqua Marine had the most ingenious idea. Truly, the scholar of her time.
All the other girls cheered in agreement, while Lapis rolled her eyes. The four other girls sat down on the floor in a small circle. Lapis didn't budge from the bed, looking at all the other girls in the center.
"Come on, Lapis! You haven't don't anything all night! At least come join us for this, we're family!" Aqua begged, her smile seeming almost fake if not for an almost genuine tone in the plead.
Lapis let out a groan. "Ugh, fine. But only for a little bit." She got off of the bed and sat down in the empty space.
"Okay, I'll go first. Um... Belle, truth or dare?" Aqua asked, staring at the other girl.
Belle brushed some of her hair out of her eyes, which quickly fell back in place. "Um... truth. Nothing too extreme, please." She said in a soft voice.
"Okay, is it true you were the one who sprayed graffiti behind the school building last week?"
The room stayed silent for a beat.
"Yes."
Aqua, Azuré, and Laz gasped. Lapis was falling asleep in place.
"You troublemaker, you! Why?"
"Isn't that two questions?" Belle said with a smirk. "Okay, my turn. Lapis, truth or dare."
"Dare. Hurry, I'm getting bored."
She tapped her chin for a moment before deciding on something. "Okay, I dare you to scream out the window as loud as you can."
"Anything specific?" Lapis asked nonchalantly.
"Uh... no?"
Without hesitation, Lapis got up from her spot on the floor, pushed open the cabin window, and stuck her head out.
Taking in a large gasp of air, Lapis carried out the dare. "Society can kiss my ass!" She shouted out, shattering the silence of the night.
Still wearing a deadpan expression, Lapis closed the window and sat back down. The other girls stared at the bluenette in mild shock.
"What? I thought the point of this was to carry out the dare." She said after noticing the expressions.
"I didn't think you'd do it, seeing your reluctance to participate earlier tonight." Belle responded, resting her hands on her knees.
"Cause the entire night has been boring. That was fun."
"Oh, okay then Ms. 'Boring night', what's your idea of fun?" Laz snapped, clearly getting annoyed.
"Anywhere but here..."
"Ugh, whatever. It's your turn."
Lapis gazed around at the four girls trying to decide her target. She could honestly care less for who was chosen, so she settled on her aggressor.
"Laz, truth or dare?"
"Pfft, not letting you give me a dare. Truth."
Damn. There went her plan to dare the girl to dive into the nearby lake. "Uhh... I dunno, why were you named Laz?"
"Seriously? Have you ever played truth or dare before?" Azuré asked.
"No, I can usually fall asleep without that kind of extreme measure." Lapis deadpanned.
"Okay, first off, it's short for Lazpieza Delnorma Lazuli, so I'm pretty sure Laz is a lot easier. Second, let me show you how it's done."
Laz straightened out her back and faced Lapis. "Lapis, truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"Dare you to take truth."
"What, no way, that's gotta be cheating!"
"Humor me."
"Fine... truth."
With a smirk, Laz looked Lapis dead in the eyes.
"What's your dream boyfriend, Lapis?"
Lapis pulled back slightly in shock.
"Aw yeah, now the game's getting good!" Jeered Azuré.
"Hmm, yes this is quite the development." Aqua said with an interested grin.
"Well, Lapis? Who's your dream boy?"
Lapis still sat staring at Laz, somehow reeling back from the question. Her viene both bubbled in shame and in anger, but her brain was simply a mess of confusion.
"W-Wel... I do... It..." She tried to sputter something out, but her mouth simply wouldn't behave.
"Oh, what's wrong, Lap? Already got your eye on somebody?"
And suddenly, the shame somehow became dominant. She turned her head away, grabbing her arm defensively.
"I. Don't. Have. One." She finally sputtered out, her face flustering from embarrassment.
At that, Laz almost snapped. "Oh, are you kidding me?! You're not even fun to mess with!" She growled.
"Laz... I think she's being serious." Belle said, concern in her voice.
Laz's expression softened slightly as she looked back at Lapis. The bluenette stayed silent for a moment, before speaking up again.
"I... I don't have one. I've never really found anyone I liked or that had any sort of, well, good qualities. I've only barely gotten my first kiss, and I wish I had waited for someone better. I... don't think I even know what I'm looking for."
Suddenly, all the other girls stared at her with sympathy, seeming a lot more apologetic with the girl. All their heads were churning with a way to alleviate the situation.
"Well... I think the most important quality is that they have to treat you with respect and care." Aqua finally spoke up.
Everybody looked towards the girl, including Lapis, waiting for the advice to continue.
"My hubby is the sweetest boys I know. He's so sweet, he treats me like I'm the most perfect girl. God, he's a charmer. And, I do the same, it's the very least he deserves. Love's a two way street." She continued with a love struck smile.
"Oh, plenty of boys at my school are charmers. Get yourself a nerd, Lap. They're the real catch." Azuré said. Everyone turned to her now.
"A... nerd? With you?" Her own sister didn't even believe it.
"Listen, I know I'm basic. But my Pierre, he's so dorky it's adorable. He always has a new topic to talk about, and he's always so excited to share it with me. Whenever I got a question about something, he never makes me feel dumb for asking. I've honestly learned so much from him. That's the kinda fella you get for yourself, someone interesting." The girl explained, twirling her hair on her index finger.
"Oh, I think it helps for them to have a soft side." The group shifted their attention again. "My Yvon, she can be very boisterous and excitable, but she has a soft side that comes out on occasion. She's super supportive whenever I'm going through a bad spell or need someone to lean on. "
"I didn't know you were gay." Lapis said with surprise, yet slight comfort.
"Mhmm. Found out the same year She and I met."
"Okay, this is all great advice, but I think I you really have to know who you're going out with. Get to know them, just the simple stuff like their favorite color, that's just enough. My fella just knows the simple things like that, but that's all I need to feel like he really cares, and I offer the same back to him. That's the kinda person you need to get." Laz said, finally offering her own two cents.
All the girls then turned their attention back to Lapis, who was currently thinking very hard on what she just heard.
"Well, Lapis? Know somebody like that?"
Did she know somebody like that? She tried to think about all the boys she knew at school. She thought of the charmers, the boys who'd treat a girl special... then forget about them for the next 'catch.'
She thought about the nerds and dorks who talked big game... and thought everyone else was mentally inferior to them.
She thought about the big softies... And how there weren't any at all at her school.
She didn't know anybody who fit her cousins' suggestions. Nobody except...
Her eyes went wide. No, not her.
She tried thinking of somebody else, any other boy, but her thoughts went back to her. It wasn't right, she was her closest friend. Yet, she fit every last one of their categories: the charmer, the nerd, and the softie. And she knew this person all too well.
She couldn't shake the thought, that enticing yet dreaded thought. She didn't like her like that, did she?
She was attractive, sure, but that didn't mean anything. Girls can appreciate other girl's looks, and not want to be with them.
And yes, spending time with her was her favorite thing to do, especially as of late. But who wouldn't want to spend time with someone as wonderful as Peridot?
It wasn't like she cared about her more than anyone else. It wasn't like she hadn't thought those thoughts before. It wasn't like that. She was her friend, she couldn't do that to her.
It wasn't like that... was it?
No, no, no.
Like a bullet, Lapis shot up from her spot and raced into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her and locking it. All the other girls yelled exclamations of concern and apologies from behind it, but the bluenette refused to listen. She clutched her head and slid to the floor, trying to navigate through the violent cascade of thoughts that invaded her mind.
She wasn't even sure she was gay. She had never looked at another girl like that, never thought about another girl like that.
But there was no other girl like Peridot. She was one of a kind. A gem, someone she couldn't even imagine never having met.
Every memory she had of the girl came into new light. Her constant remarks to her, the hand holding, the cuddling. How she'd look at the blonde in admiration more times than she'd care to admit.
She shook her head in an attempt to dispel those thoughts. She was her closest friend, nothing more!
But... did she want more? Had she not been wishing recently to stay by the nerd's side for as long as possible, for forever even?
It was all to much. She wanted to cry.
And then, a knock came from the bathroom door, a soft one.
"Lapis? What's wrong? Are you okay?" Belle's soft voice asked from the other side.
Lapis sniffled as some tears finally escaped from her eyes. "N-No. I... I think I might like... like my best friend." She blubbered
"That... That's perfectly okay, Lapis! Plenty of people fall in love with their friends! Someone that close to you is bound to generate some feelings. D... Do you wanna talk about It? What's his name?"
"N...I do... not hi..."
"What's wrong, Lapis? Why are you crying?"
"H... Her name is Peridot."
...
"Can you unlock the door, Lapis?"
Emotionally drained, she had no choice but to get up from the floor, and unlock the door. However, she only opened it a crack, barely catching a glimpse of Bella.
"Lapis... are you crying because of that?" She asked.
Lapis nodded. "I... I never felt this way a-about any other girl, never felt any sort of attraction. B-But Peridot, she feels like my e-everything, and I don't know how I haven't noticed until now. B-But... I'm terrified! And I don't know why, it's so o-overwhelming!"
Belle pushed the door open slightly, bringing the other girl into her arms. She gave her a comforting hug, letting her cry some tears into her shoulder.
"It's okay to be scared. Sometimes, emotions like these can be overwhelming, but they don't need to be scary. I was in the same place as you. I didn't know how I had missed these feelings until I met Yvon, and it scared me to think what other people would think about me after that. But, my family was understanding, my friends were understanding, and Yvon was more than happy to hear." Belle said, ending the phrase with a slight giggle.
Lapis took her head away from Belle's shoulder, looking into her eyes. "B-But... how do I know Peridot will... will be okay with those feelings? H-How do I know if my parents will be okay with them?"
"Well, I don't know how your parents may react, but if you want to tell them tomorrow we can accompany you when tell them. That way things won't be as stressful." Belle offered, leading Lapis back to the group.
"O-Okay."
"And as for your friend... Would you like to talk about it with us? We promise we won't make fun of you for it."
Lapis nodded.
They finally made their way back to the whole group, sitting down and returning to worried faces and panicked minds.
"Lapis, we... We're so sorry about pushing you like that. We didn't think you'd respond so strongly, we never meant to encourage such a reaction." Aqua apologized.
Azuré elbowed her sister, who responded with a grumble. "Y-Yeah, I didn't mean to make you cry like that. I was just getting... annoyed that you were being a bore the entire night. But not enough to hurt you like I did. I'm sorry " Laz said somewhat reluctantly.
"It's okay. You all didn't bother me that much, it's just... a bit overwhelming. I don't really know what to do." Lapis explained, twirling the thumbs in her hands.
"Well... we can give you some advice, if you want! How about we start with the basics. What's his name?" Azuré asked.
"Her name is Peridot."
...
Wow, that silence can be overbearing, can't It?
"Lapis... aw, that's adorable!" Aqua squealed, her mouth growing into a wide smile.
The other girls shared similar sentiments and noises, save for Belle, who shook her head and chuckled.
Lapis rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "Yeah, I've known her for my entire life, and I know she shares similar... preferences to girls, but I don't know if she feels the same about me, and that's what's so scary. I haven't dated for very long, I've only gotten my first kiss... I'm clueless."
The girls all puzzled their next move, what advice to give to Lapis, when Lax shook her head.
"Well, I think that, no matter what comes out of it, you need to tell her. That kind of emotion can eat away at you if you keep it buried." She said, facing her cousin head on.
"But, what if she rej-"
"Lapis, if she's that close of a friend to you, she won't scream or run from you. Yes, there's always a chance she might not have feelings for you, but you keep that bottled up from her and it can hurt your friendship. Just... trust me?"
Lapis stared long and hard at Laz, processing what she had just said, before nodding and letting out a sigh.
"O-Okay... I think I'll tell her when I get back."
"That's the spirit."
Aqua let out a small giggle. "Oh, but dear, you must tell us everything! What's she like? Is she sweet, nice? Give us some details!"
"Okay, okay, calm down Aqua. Give her some space." Belle said.
Lapis herself chuckled. "O-Okay, I'll spill. It won't be very interesting though..."
~■■■□■■■~
She kept staring down at the phone in her hand, at the message opened on the screen.
Me: I have something important to tell you. Can't wait to see you.
She sighed, shutting off the device and slipping it back into her pocket.
The camping trip had finally ended, and Lapis's family was making their way back home. They drove in their old Toyota, the dad in the driver's seat, Lapis in the passenger seat, and her mom asleep in the back two seats. She could never stand road trips.
The car ride had been relatively silent, all parties drained from different experiences. They were about half way back, only another hour on the road.
Lapis fidgeted in her seat, anxious to just be back already. She had made up her mind on what to do. She was going to tell Peridot her feelings, to hell with her fear and nervousness. This was the girl she had spent all her life with, and hopefully she'd get to spend a bit more if luck would have her.
Right now, though, she could not contain her giddiness. Her right leg bounced constantly as she gazed wistfully out the window. She fidgeted and squirmed, unable to sit still.
Her father took note of her behavior and cleared his throat. "So... that girl you told us about this morning, she the one you've been hanging out with in the forest?" He asked, side glancing her.
Lapis looked away from the window, realizing her father was talking to her. "O-Oh, yeah. I guess I forgot that detail, sorry."
"Don't worry, no harm done. You seem anxious to see her."
Lapis let out a shaky breath. "Y-Yeah. I just want to tell her how much she means to me."
Her father chuckled. "Heh, you're just like me and your mother." He took a deep breath. "Listen, Lapis, I know your mother and I haven't exactly agreed with all the choices you've been making recently, but please know we support you all the way on this. You're our daughter, no matter what."
Lapis smiled. "Thanks, dad."
"Love you, sweetie."
"Love you too."
The conversation would've been pure, had that tender moment had not been almost immediately interrupted by the mother letting out a large snore.
"Geez, she's as loud as me." Lapis laughed quietly.
"Yeah, she's zonked. Her and the Marines were up all night talking about this new housing crisis going on."
Well, that certainly got the bluenette's attention. "Oh no, what's happening?"
"Lot of people are losing their homes to foreclosure. Something about... market bubbles? Eh, I dunno, your mother's the one the economics degree, not me. Point is, people are being forced out of their homes and into motels and living in vans. Heck, I even heard that one of the neighborhoods close to ours got six houses foreclosed."
"S... six? That's... Oh wow, that's horrible."
"I, uh... M-maybe we should change the subject. How about a little bit of music?" He suggested.
Lapis nodded, turning back towards the window. Her father fiddled with the dials on car dashboard, and soon the radio tuned to life.
"-eaking News, a horrible 18 car pile up has occurred off the Delmarva Turnpike, killing five and wounding several others. Police have yet t-"
Her father quickly changed the channel, giving his daughter an apologetic look. "Jesus, uh... Sorry, Lap. Didn't mean to tune to that."
"I-It's fine. That... Didn't sound good, did it."
"No... No, it did not... Let's not focus on that now. Ah, here we go! Jazz channel, this will do."
The smooth music flowed into the air, drowning out the negative thoughts that had seeped into the cushioned walls.
But... Lapis couldn't help but shake this sinking feeling. That something had gone wrong.
Terribly, terribly wrong.
~■■■□■■■~
As soon as the car pulled into the driveway, Lapis leapt out of her seat, not even bothering to grab her luggage or any of her other belongings. They didn't matter to her at that moment. Peridot was somewhere in that forest, and she needed to see her.
She raced through her house, flying out the back door and past her old, flaking white fence. She leapt over rocks and ducked under fallen branches. She flew past the tallest trees, gaining tunnel vision for only one place, for only one person.
But, when she got there, it was silent.
Lapis stood in front of the small tent, neighboring the riverbank, trying to figure out what had happened.
Peridot wasn't here, wasn't waiting like she promised.
Lapis took a peek into the tent, but saw no one inside. She looked around the nearby area to see if she had gone off on her own. She checked the time, noting that it was well past the time when they usually met up.
She wasn't here. She had promised, but she wasn't here.
Lapis was felt her chest get heavy for a moment, before logic overtook her brain.
"Ugh, stop overreacting. She might've gotten sick and can't come, or... maybe she went out of town too? Well, whatever. It doesn't matter. She'll be back. She'll be back."
Lapis was fine. She would simply come back tomorrow. Besides, she had luggage to put away.
So she went back home. The family got settled, and Lapis fell asleep. She would simply come back the next day. No big deal.
But... She came back the next day. And Peridot wasn't there.
But that was fine! She would just come back the next day.
And then she wasn't there either.
She waited for the next day. And the next. The next three days, then five, then weeks.
She panicked, hard. She left 25 voicemails, she sent hundreds of texts. She stayed her entire weekends in the forest, hoping that maybe one of these days she would see her closest friend emerge from the treeline and greet her with open arms and the funny feelings she had known all her life with her.
But that day never came.
A month passed. And Peridot was nowhere to be found.
Lapis was beyond desperate. Terrified beyond belief, she felt absolutely helpless to time and she hated it. She was done waiting.
She made a plan. A simple one. It was that weekend, she had no other prior arrangements (not that it would matter at this point), and she had a fire burning within her. Perfect conditions to carry it out.
She told her parents she was going to the forest, same as always.
Except this time, she walked passed the tent by the river. She kept walking towards the treeline.
And she came upon a hill. A large one, one where you may fall down it were you not careful.
Lapis held in her hands a printed picture from her phone, one of both her and her companion taken only two months back.
She didn't know where Peridot lived, and neither did Peridot with Lapis. They never needed to, their own home was right here in the forest, together.
But, she knew there was a neighborhood on the other side of this hill. Peridot lived there, and if there was at least one other person that lived in that suburban landscape, then they would know where her nerd was.
She placed the picture in her mouth and started to climb up dirt incline. She grabbed on rocks, roots, and the very soil on the ground to pull herself to the top. After she got back on stable ground, she dusted herself and grabbed her photo in her hand again.
So it begins.
She walked further away from the hill, towards an obvious large clearing in the trees. After a few more minutes, she reached it.
She had to circle around the clearing, only encountering fenced off houses she very obviously was not about to cross into, but eventually she found a passage between two houses that was not illegal to go through.
She passed through the small alley, and found herself in a new neighborhood.
It was a lot cleaner than Lapis's own neighborhood, with larger houses and smoother pavement. While this part of the housing area was surrounded by the forest, she could see that other parts had been cleared to make room for large lawns and bigger real estate.
She looked down at the photo in her hand and took a deep breath. Like Prince Charming to Cinderella, she would ask every goddamn person in this suburbia if meant finding Peridot.
She turned to one of the houses and walked up to its front door. She knocked on the wood sternly, and waited.
After a few seconds, a large gruffy man opened the door.
"Yeah?" He said, a thick country accent in his voice.
"I'm sorry to bother you sir, but I'm currently looking for a really close friend of mine. Her name is Peridot, I haven't seen her in a month, and I don't know the exact location where she lives. Have you seen her or know where her house is?" Lapis asked, the message coming out just as she rehearsed that morning.
She held up the image for the man to see. He scratched his chin before shaking his head.
"Sorry, kid. I just moved here a few weeks ago, so I don't know enough people to tell ya where to find who you're lookin' for." He responded.
"Oh. Okay, thank you anyway." Lapis said, turning around and walking down the steps. She heard the front door to the house closing behind her.
"Okay... one down, way more to go."
She knocked on dozens of doors, being meticulous in her searching. She received many different responses.
"Yeah... Uh huh.. No, don't know her."
"Oh, the Greene kid! Or... was it the Olivines?"
"Yeah, no, don't know where."
"No soliciting."
"Sorry, just moved here. No clue."
"Sorry, kid, I'm new to the neighborhood."
"Uh, just moved here two weeks ago. Don't know any names."
She got variations of those last few lines two more times.
Six times in total for new people.
She kept searching, a new type of panic brewing in her. Many people were now refusing to answer her. She had to get desperate, catching dad's while they were mowing their lawns, or families while on an afternoon walk.
She got threatened with the neighborhood watch by one of the families.
She kept going.
Day turned to afternoon, turned to night. The hours passed as Lapis covered the entire neighborhood. She neared the end of the amount of people she could ask.
"How is it that no one knows where she is?! There has to be one person, one singular person here who knows where my girl is!" Lapis said to herself, before pausing in the middle of the sidewalk. "I-I mean my friend. Just... please. Let me find someone."
She could feel tears building up somewhere deep inside her, the whole situation seeming hopeless. But she had to keep going.
She couldn't lose Peridot. She couldn't.
Yet, when she came to the last house, that situation seemed to loom over her like Death over a dying beast. She inhaled shakily, before knocking on the final door.
Behind it, a small woman with dark brown eyes, straight blonde hair, and eyes that seemed red and puffy, opened it just a crack.
"H-Hello?" She said, her voice fragile and soft.
"Uh... So sorry to bother you, ma'am, but I need your help. I'm looking for somebody, her name is Peridot. I think she lives in this neighborhood, but I can't find her. Have you heard any sort of news about where she is?" Lapis asked, her heart giving dry, heavy thumps.
"P-Peridot? Oh, you mean..." A small, choked little sob escaped her mouth be for she sniffled. "I'm sorry, you've caught me at a bad time."
"I... I'm sorry. I can come back tomorrow if it-"
"Oh, it's f-fine. Um... The last time I saw or heard from the Fosters they... t-they were heading for... for the Turn-"
She could even finish the sentence before new sobs escaped her throat. She placed her hands to her eyes as her cries started echoing through the silent night.
"The... The Turnpike?" Lapis asked, breath in short, painful breaths as the reality of the situation started setting in on her.
The short lady did nothing but nod.
"No... oh god... Oh nonono..."
Her hands shook as her legs wobbled on barely any strength. She quickly backed away from the front door of the house, fingers clawing at her chest as if she couldn't breath.
"No, that can't be right... oh god no..."
It felt like she had slipped from the height of a tall cliff, as if her mind was heading straight for the ground floor of complete and utter despair, and there was nothing she could do.
Well, there was one thing.
She ran.
Ran down passed all the houses, skidding across the sidewalk pavement as her shoes scratched stray rocks.
Ran through the passageway to the forest, tears escaping her eyes as the coated her cheeks in sorrow.
She ran so fast, she had forgotten about the incline.
She screamed, tumbling down the hill of dirt till she reached the ground. She tried to get up, but let out a hiss of pain as her knee stung. She looked to see that her jeans had been cut, and a nasty scratch had appeared on her knee.
But she didn't care.
She got up and ran. Ran passed the tent by the riverside, ran passed the fallen branches. She ran all the way to her home, throwing open the back porch door and slamming it behind her.
The house had been dark, and quiet in the night, but as soon as she entered the lights had popped on.
Standing in the kitchen, Lapis's backed turned to them, were her parents. Their faces were a mixture of anger and worry, clashing with the comfy night robes they donned.
"Do you have ANY idea what time it is, young lady?! What the hell were you thinking, wandering off in the forest till midnight?!" Her father yelled.
"You had us scared to death, we thought something has happened to you!" Her mother chided, crossing her arms.
"There better be a damn good explanation for this!"
Lapis wanted to turn and face them. Yell at them, scream at them for just looking out for her, even if she was unnaturally angry.
Instead, she faced them with tears in her eyes. Both parents gasped, the mother dropping her arms to her side.
"M-Mom... she... She di..." Lapis tried to choke out, her entire body shaking.
"Lapis, what... what happened?" Her mother asked, taking a step closer to her.
The sobs escaped from her throat, bubbling up into whimpers. She tried to go for a gentle hug, but instead, she threw herself as her parent, tucking her head into her shoulder.
"She's gone! Peridot's gone, she's not-" she screamed before losing her voice to the emotional pain.
Lapis's mother reacted quickly, pulling her daughter into a tight embrace and letting her cry our her sorrows. Her father, while somewhat hesitant at first, came up to the two women and wrapped his arms around both of them.
They stayed in that kitchen for hours.
Lapis never stopped crying the whole time.
~■○○■~
It was a cold, crisp winter day when she went back.
She walked slowly through the forest, her shoes crunching some of the dead leaves on the ground. She was dressed in the nicest clothes she had, despite knowing no one else would be meeting, nor accompanying her.
She held in her hands, a yellow sunflower, bought a few days back and nurtured to keep healthy. It rested in a blue vase, filled with soil to keep it alive.
She walked back to the spot where she used to meet her. Where she used to talk about life, where she felt comfortable.
She came up to the riverbank, to their grand fortress, deserted with no noise other than birds chirping and water flowing. She sighed, trying desperately to not cry again.
She set the sunflower down right next to the tent, angling it so it got the most sunlight possible. She looked at it for a moment, before moving to enter the tent.
She sat down on the blanketed floor, bringing her knees up to her chest. She looked over at all the things she had left behind.
At her stacks of books, which got bigger and bigger with each topic she learnt about.
At the knick knacks and science doodads, the ones she would show her friend with joy and wonder in her eyes.
She noticed a small picture frame, tucked away in the corner. She reached over to grab it, holding it gently in her hands as she looked at the image.
It was a drawing, made by a small child, perhaps in elementary school, made in only one color.. It was a drawing of a grand fortress, with expansive rooms ranging from an art gallery to a library. It had a silly banner, one resembling the flag that hung outside the tent. But the most notable feature were two stick figures. One had a large pointed crown, with curly bangs and a wide smile. The other had a rounded crown, with angled hair and glasses covering her eyes.
Lapis's hand glossed over the image. Drops fell onto the glass covering, dribbling down into the frame's corner.
She sniffled, her breath unsteady as more tears fell.
"I'll miss you... I'll never get to tell you what you really meant to me... you were my everything, Peridot... why did you have to leave me..."
She clutched the frame to her chest as she whimpered, hidden away in the tent.
The air nipped at her nose, she tent slightly smelling of a distinct feeling rather than any odor, of safeness, yet sickening vulnerability.
She was gone.
Peridot was gone.
...
But, then she heard something.
The sound of steps, leaves crunching under weight, and of someone approaching.
Lapis made note of this, but didn't move. Perhaps her mom had come to bring her home, to let her grieve in safety.
Whoever it was got closer, standing just outside the tent.
And then, they spoke.
"L... Lapis? Are you in there?"
Her head shot up from the frame, eyes wide and skin going pale as she heard the voice.
She recognized that voice. But it wasn't possible. She was gone, there was no way she could be speaking to her at that moment.
Lapis didn't care. Real or not, she definitely heard that voice and she needed to see whoever it was had used it. She scrambled out of the tent, dropping the frame on the blanket.
As soon as she shot out and turned, she gasped.
Standing by the tent, with furrowed brows and a sorrowful expression, was a girl. Small in height, with emerald eyes, round glasses and triangular blonde hair. She wore a green jacket with a rainbow pin, jeans and green sneakers.
Standing there was Peridot.
Her Peridot.
Lapis shook, her body unable to decide what to do in that situation. It want possible, screamed part of her soul, yet she stood there before her.
Peridot opened and closed her mouth, multiple times. "I... I k-know I have some explaining to do, and I understand you m-might be extremely angry with me, bu-"
In a blur, she leapt forward, wrapping her arms around the nerd in the tightest hug she could manage, forcing out a squeak from the blonde. Her head buried itself in her neck nuzzling deep into it as fresh tears fell from her eyes.
If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.
"L-Lapis... I'm so sorry. I can expl-"
"No... no explaining. Just stay here. Just be here..."
The nerd was okay with that. She wrapped her arms around her friend and held her close, rocking back and forth slightly. They stayed like that for what felt like an hour.
"H... How... I thought you were dead." Lapis finally said, pulling away slightly, but still holding on.
"Why would you... Oh, are you talking about the Turnpike? Yes, I can see how that would cause some fear." Peridot said in return.
"Now... Now you can explain."
She took a deep breath. "Okay. My parents' bank recently started falling in profits and stability, and as such they had to foreclose our house. It was, quite literally, the day after you left. We had to move around so much, looking for some place to stay. We ended up much farther away, too far to walk or get here often. To top it off, someone stole my phone at school, and we don't have enough extra money right now for a new one. That's why I could never communicate, nor come back to our spot."
Lapis almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of the situation, but realized how rough it must've been for Peridot. "I never knew... Sorry to hear that."
"Lapis, you have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I should be the one begging your forgiveness. I can't imagine what it must've been like for you."
At that, Lapis did laugh. "It doesn't matter now. I was just so scared something had happened to you, that I'd never see you again. I th..." She remembered, a thought never forgotten. "I thought I wouldn't be able to tell you how I really feel about you."
Peridot looked at her friend, puzzled. "How you... really feel?"
Lapis, long ago, had rehearsed something long and drawn out to tell her friend her newfound emotions towards her, but with so many feelings flowing through her heart she settled on a more direct method.
She pressed her lips to Peridot's, cradling her head with one hand as she held her back with the other. The blonde's eyes went wide for a moment, her entire body going stiff, before they fluttered closed and she leaned back into the same kiss.
It lasted but a moment, but it was the best they had ever had.
"W-Wow... uh, thanks!" Peridot awkwardly said, blazing red blush on her cheeks.
Lapis giggled and went back to simply hugging her.
"I'm so glad you feel the same." She said.
They would work it out eventually. They would find a new place to meet up, they would go to college together. They would date, kiss, cuddle. They would own a home where a particular childhood drawing would hang. It wouldn't be perfect, but I would get pretty damn close.
But that didn't matter at that moment. What mattered to them is that they were back together.
Their hearts thumped strong with love, holding themselves close to each other, on the river bank.