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"Why are they still dancing, it didn't work!"
"Yes it did."
"What?"
"It worked."
"I think this one's my favorite."
"I think he's her favorite too." Pearl's heart sunk. She watched Greg dance with Rose, much to her dismay. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't bring herself to. She just couldn't shake the feeling that it should be her out there, not this.... Human. How long had he known Rose? It sure hadn't been long. And Pearl? She had been by Rose's side for as long as she could remember.
She had dedicated every ounce of her being to please Rose, and to make her happy. That's all she wanted; to make Rose happy. Rose's happiness meant more to Pearl than anything in the universe, including her own happiness. As long as Rose was doing well, nothing else had ever really mattered.
Pearl had always felt this way. From the first day she met Rose, this was her mindset. There was just something amazing about Rose that she couldn't quite place her finger on. She was beautiful, kind, and she did all that she could to make Earth the best place it could be. Pearl didn't originally think Earth was all that great. She was even slightly repulsed by the planet, but Rose was the one who changed that for her. Anywhere she was, Pearl was happy. She made any given experience enjoyable without even trying, so Pearl always wanted to be with her. That was just the kind of gem she was.
It didn't take long for Pearl to figure out why exactly she felt the need to be with Rose all hours of the day. Through many conflicted feelings, somewhere along the road she made the connection. What she felt for Rose wasn't like anything else she'd ever known before, yet she was completely sure of her emotions. She was in love, and there was no doubt about it. That's exactly why it should Pearl dancing with Rose instead of Greg. He didn't deserve Rose, but she most certainly did.
As she watched them dance, laugh, and enjoy each other's presence from behind a rock, she felt a mixture of anger, jealousy, and sadness bubble up inside of her.This isn't fair, She thought to herself, That should be me. How had she let Greg take Rose away from her?
Throughout the thousands of years they had been together, she had learned everything there was to know about the pink-haired gem. Rose shared all of herself with Pearl. For the words she couldn't share with anyone else, Pearl was there to listen. She offered her support through everything she told her. The bond that had been created was something Pearl knew she would forever hold closest to her heart.
Despite their connection, Pearl's feelings had not been shared, apparently. It hurt more than any type of battle damage she had ever endured. It had been almost effortless that 'Mr. Universe' had come right in and swept Rose off of her feet. How he was able to do so with ease, she didn't know; but it was something she wouldn't settle for. Rose was supposed to be... Hers.
Watching Rose fall so easily for someone who could never love her half as much as she did was a kind of indescribable pain she couldn barely even comprehend. She had to confront Rose about her feelings. It had been long enough as it was, and she felt she might explode if she didn't. She watched Greg and Rose dancing until they were finished, and Greg began walking back to his van for the night. As his receding silhouette finally vanished into the dark night, Pearl ran out from behind the large rock.
"Rose! Can I speak with you? There's... something I need to talk to you about."
Rose turned to face Pearl, her classic breath-taking smile plastered across her face. "Of course! What is it?"
Taking in a deep breath, Pearl already began to feel her heart speed up. "What I'm about to say may be hard to take in, so bare with me, alright?" She hesitated for a moment, but continued. "I don't think you should see Greg any longer." Pearl took immediate notice of the smile dropping from Rose's face. "It's just... You deserve someone better than him."
"What? He hasn't done anything wrong, why are saying this?" Rose questioned.
"I'm saying this because you just deserve better. You deserve someone who can always be there for you, and really understands you." Pearl answered quickly.
"You don't know anything about him, though. You shouldn't be judging him. I appreciate that you think I deserve so much, but he meets those expectations."
"No, Rose, you don't understand. He's human, he'll die long before you will. He'll never completely understand you, either. I know you want to believe he can but no humans can wrap their mind around gems. He just... Doesn't get it."
"Actually, I've explained everything to him. Of course it was a lot to take in, but he gets it. He knows who I am and he's okay with it!" Rose said, defending Greg.
At this point, the two were yelling.
"Why do you think so highly of him? He's not proven himself to be worthy of you!"
"He doesn't have to prove anything to me. I'm happy with him."
"I think you should try to be happy with someone else."
"What?..."
"There's someone out there who can really treat you how you deserve, you know. Someone who can actually stick around to fight for you and make you happy."
"He does make me happy! Please stop bad-mouthing him; he's done nothing wrong!"
"Rose, listen to me. Let. Him. Go!"
"Why are you saying these things, Pearl?!"
"I'm saying these things because I'm in love with you, Rose! I've loved you for years and you've never felt the same way but I know I can treat you better than anyone else ever can! How have you not realized that already?!" Pearl screamed, tears filling her eyes.
The sound of bickering voices was replaced with silence as the realization of what Pearl had just confessed sunk in. The two stared each other, not breaking eye contact. After what seemed like an eternity, Rose spoke up.
"I never knew you felt that way," Rose said. Her voice was different. Emotionless, almost. Pearl felt as if the world was crashing down on her.
"I have for years," Pearl mutters, "but I'm assuming you don't feel the same way." Pearl hung her head.
"I'm so sorry."
Those words were enough; she knew. The gem she had loved for countless years didn't love her, and that was something she could never describe. Without even bothering to wipe them away, she felt her tears spill over.
"Are you going to be okay?" Rose asked, concern evident in her voice once again.
"I'll be fine." Pearl muttered, still not looking up. She heard Rose walk away, and with that she was gone. Finally lifting her head, Pearl trained her eyes on the shoreline, heading towards it.
As she walked, she let out small cries. Increasing her pace, her crying turned to sobbing. Reaching the cold water, she sunk to the ground, placing her hands over her face as if the simple action would mask her pain. There she sat, thoughts of Rose rushing through her mind. Her cries echoed through the night.