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When the bell jangled and Steven stepped into the Big Donut, Sadie smiled. He hadn't been in for almost a week and she'd begun to worry. When Steven's friend Connie came in on Wednesday, Sadie had asked if Steven was okay. Connie had hesitated and then said, "Yes? ...It's complicated. I think he's coming home soon."
So Sadie was glad to see that Steven didn't have any bruises or scrapes. He was beaming back at her, spirit undaunted.
"Sadie!" he said, and then she noticed the figure creeping along behind him. The small person was overwhelmingly green, fingers clutching Steven's sleeve. She looked up at Sadie from behind Steven's shoulder, squinting.
"This being is designated Sadie?" the girl whispered loudly in Steven's ear. "What is her purpose?"
"Come say hello," Steven said, peeling her fingers off him and pulling her forward. "Sadie, this is Peridot. She's staying with me for a while. Peridot, say hi."
"Hi," Peridot said. "What is your purpose?"
"Sadie makes the donuts!" Steven said. "Can we get two chocolate ones?"
Sadie wanted to ask him where Peridot was from. She had to be a Crystal Gem, right? But one she'd never seen? Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst came into town sometimes. Amethyst visited the Big Donut often, and she had purple skin, so the green made a sort of sense. And she had what looked like a gemstone on her forehead, just like Pearl did. But Sadie had really thought that there weren't any other Gems on Earth at all. Steven had never mentioned any other ones. And from the way he talked, she had just arrived, or wasn't staying long.
She bagged two chocolate donuts and handed the bag to Steven. He gave her some money and she gave him change.
"Your primitive culture still uses a currency exchange? Ha!" Peridot burst out, pointing at the coins in Steven's hand. "How useless!"
"Here," Steven said, handing her a couple of coins. "Now if you want a donut later, you can come back and ask Sadie, and give her those. Come on, let's go meet Peedee and Ronaldo."
"If we must," Peridot said, but she was clutching the coins tightly in her hand. She nodded stiffly in Sadie's direction. "Goodbye, the Sadie. Please enjoy your currency."
Sadie laughed. Peridot stared at her.
"We'll see you tomorrow, Sadie!" Steven said cheerfully, and he turned toward the door, already rustling in the bag.
"See you then," Sadie said, and she watched the two of them through the plate glass window. Steven handed Peridot the donut, and she pulled off a tiny piece, hesitating before putting it in her mouth. She spit it out almost immediately. Sadie tried not to laugh.
Two weeks later, Peridot was waiting for her when she came to open the shop in the morning, her shoulders hunched up almost to her ears. She was threading her fingers together again and again.
"You were not here," she accused.
"Our hours are on the door," Sadie pointed out. "It's just five. We're not going to have any donuts for at least a couple hours."
"But I need them now!" Peridot protested, mouth twisting up. "Steven is displeased. He finds eating pleasurable. I have brought currency!"
She held her hand up, revealing the two coins Steven had given her resting in her palm.
Sadie unlocked the door. "Why don't you come in?" she said. She wasn't really supposed to let anyone in the shop before it was officially open, but Lars wouldn't be here for another couple of hours, and she didn't mind the company.
She busied herself with the morning's tasks. Peridot sat down in one of the booths and watched her silently.
"So what's going on?" Sadie asked, trying to seem casual as she put the first tray of donuts into the oven.
"It is possible that I upset Steven by insulting the fusion," Peridot admitted, drawing patterns on the table with her fingers.
"What?"
"The fusion designated Garnet," she clarified.
"Steven cares a lot about all of his friends," Sadie said. She wiped down the counters and started cleaning the front of the display case.
"He doesn't understand how I feel about fusions!" Peridot burst out. "They are -- weapons. Not people. He does not believe me."
"I'm beginning to think that things are really different where you come from," Sadie said diplomatically.
"This statement is accurate," Peridot said. She sighed. "I do not think that I understand this planet. The Gems here don't behave according to their specifications. Proudly, they deviate from expected parameters. As do I, now."
Sadie made sympathetic noises as she finished the rest of the chores and prepared the shop to open. When Lars made it in, ten minutes late, he lifted his eyebrows, giving Peridot a pointed look.
"She's waiting for a donut," Sadie said. "Don't worry about it."
"Whatever," Lars said, putting on his headphones.
The first batch came out of the oven a few minutes later, and Sadie took Peridot's coins from her, even though it wasn't really enough for two donuts.
"I'll see you around," Sadie said.
"It seems so," Peridot said, taking the bag from her. She hesitated. "Thank you. Sadie."
"You're welcome," Sadie said. "Good luck."
Peridot twitched. "I do not need luck," she said, tossing her head. "...But I will accept it. As I hope Steven will accept my offering."
"An apology would help, I think," Sadie answered.
"I will keep that in mind," Peridot said, turning to leave. When she came in the next day trailing after Steven as usual, Sadie didn't say anything about it, but she was glad to see Peridot's tentative smile.