Chapter Text
Skyscrapers line the city streets, reflecting beams of the afternoon sun dipping into the horizon. Grian has to squint to block the sun from his eyes as he drives down the crowded city streets. Despite the hustle and bustle of the city, it’s quiet in the car. Grian can hardly enjoy the peace for very long, though, as Gem’s loud snores snap him back to reality. He turns to see her curled up in the passenger seat, head resting against the windowsill. Rolling his eyes, Grian fiddles with the radio before cranking it to full volume. Gem wakes up with a start.
“Hey!” She yelps, visibly shaken. Grian shoots her a mischievous grin, snickering. “What, I thought you liked this song?” He replies with a hint of mock innocence in his voice. Gem turns down the radio, and glares at Grian.
“I need you to give me directions! How am I supposed to know if I’m going to the right place if you’re dozing off?!” He argues. Gem rolls her eyes, leaning back in her seat. “Traffic always makes me sleepy,” she murmurs. “I need these directions, Gem! Tell me if I’m going the right waaay.” Grian pleads, and Gem sighs, pulling out her phone. “Keep going straight.” She deadpans to him, sticking her tongue out. Grian groans.
“Are you sure you’re giving me the right directions, Gem?” He asks, squinting in front of them. The city limits sprawled ahead, with no sign of the residential area that Impulse had described to them. Gem scoffs, mildly offended. “Of course I am! When have I ever led you astray?” she replies self-righteously. Grian turns to face her, staring at her with knowing eyes. Gem scowls at him, swatting at his arm before turning back to her phone for directions.
“Impulse says take a left at Magic Mountain Avenue, and then go straight for five blocks.” She instructs, pointing to the street sign. Grian nods, humming to himself. “I can’t believe Impulse and Skizz managed to find such a cheap house so close to Boatem Square. It’s such a prime location, rent should be way more expensive.” He comments, turning left per Gem’s instructions. Gem nods in agreement. “It’s near Hermit University, too! Maybe we can bribe Impulse into driving us with like, gas money or something.” Grian snickers a little. “I’m not going to pay for his gas, Skizz can do that. My tuition is already expensive enough, I don’t need to give the professors more money.”
Gem laughs, nodding in agreement. “I barely scrape by, even with tips.” She sighs, leaning against the window of Grian’s car. “You force me to tip extra every time I visit!” Grian gasps in mock-offense, steadying the wheel of the car. “Hey, even with my generous regulars, barista salary is not very high.” Gem defends. “Oh, I know you have generous regulars. Especially Pearl~” Grian teases her, poking Gem’s arm. Gem blushes, covering her face with her hoodie. “This is cruel! After all the free coffee I give you?!” She whines, shooting a hurt look at Grian, who just laughs.
“Oh come on, she tips you $20 every time she comes in for what, a $10 order? She’s gotta like you a little bit. Or, she’s rich and incredibly generous to broke baristas. Or both!” Grian theorizes. “At least if you ask her out, she might pay for dinner.” “Even though I’m broke, I’d feel bad asking her out and making her pay,” Gem replies, re-emerging from her hoodie. “Isn’t that bad date etiquette or something?”
Grian snorts. “How would I know? I haven’t been on a date in ages. But seriously, Gem, you should ask her on a date.” Gem laughs. “And you’re hounding on me to go on a date? At least I’ve been on dates for the past 4 years?” “Hey, I’ve been busy! It’s not like I’ve never dated before, I just have better things to do.” Grian protests, taking his hands off the wheel to raise them in defense.
Gem rolls her eyes, but doesn’t press any further. “Once we’re out of this traffic we should be getting close,” she murmurs. Grian nods, humming softly as he taps the wheel. The city limits are thinning out, with houses and apartment buildings replacing skyscrapers and busy storefronts. Gem pulls out her phone, staring at it with an almost blank expression on her face.
“Do you know where Pearl works? She must have a good job if she can afford to tip you so generously.” Grian finally asks, breaking the silence that had settled over the car. “She works for Boatem Inc. as a designer, I’m pretty sure. ” Grian nods. “Mumbo just got an internship there. That explains why he’s been going on so many dates lately, he can afford it.” “Oh, that’s great! I need to congratulate him. Redstone engineering is a tough business to get into these days.” Gem replied, smiling. “Oh, turn right here!” Grian practically swerves to make the turn, startled by Gem’s sudden directions. The street is lined with brownstone houses, and Grian can’t help but admire the architectural marvel each one is as he looks around for any sign of a moving van.
“Oh, I see Impulse.” Grian squints, leaning closer to the wheel to get a better look. “You need to get new contacts, you’re squinting again.” Gem laughs. Grian rolls his eyes. “I still see Impulse.” “It’s the smaller house with the yellow flowers.” Gem instructs, and Grian nods. He pulls up to the house and parks the car. It’s a cute brownstone, with a small garden patch filled with bright yellow tulips. Boxes are stacked outside on the front steps, and there’s a moving van pulled in front of it. Gem immediately jumps out of the car, visibly excited, while Grian moves to the trunk to grab their bags. He groans when the bags tumble out of the trunk onto the street, the memory of how much they had to pack returning to him as he reluctantly starts to gather them all up. His back aches just thinking about it.
Impulse is handing a box over to Skizz but drops it after he spots Gem, leaving Skizz to stumble forward and catch it. He practically sprints over to Gem to scoop her up into a big hug. “You two made it!” He laughs as Gem squeals. “Yes! We would’ve been here sooner, but we got stuck in traffic.” Impulse lowers Gem to the ground, nodding sagely. “It truly is the curse of the city.” Grian finally emerges from the trunk, juggling at least 10 different bags as he approaches Gem and Impulse. Gem immediately starts to take bags off of him, and he whispers a thank-you to her.
“I’m so glad you two were able to live with us. I’m reunited with my favorite students!” Impulse sighs, wiping a fake tear. Grian laughs. “We were never your students, Impulse.” “Tomato, tomato. You guys are my students whether you like it or not. I take good care of my students, especially when they need to get out of shady leases.” Impulse responds, waving his hand.
Grian shudders at the memory. He and Gem had been roommates since freshman year and wanted to rent a cheap, crummy apartment for graduate school so they could stop living in the dorms. Neither of them knew how leases worked and ended up signing on for one of the most awful leases of all time. It had taken months for them to get out of that lease. Grian had even considered a gap year, it was taking so much time and money. Thankfully, one of Grian’s professors had recommended he talk to Impulse, who set them up with Skizz as their lawyer. They’d been friends ever since, vowing to one day repay the two for all they’d done to help.
“I still feel like we haven’t properly thanked you two enough for that.” Grian sighs. Skizz, finally done stacking boxes, made his way over to them. “Nonsense! You two needed help, and we wanted to help. Taking advantage of college students is uncool.” He reassures Grian and Gem, draping an arm over Impulse to pull him closer. Grian and Gem exchange worried looks, but Gem offers a nervous smile
.
“We just want to repay you guys properly. It means a lot to us.” “You can start by carrying some boxes in.” Skizz jokes. Gem laughs, and follows him up the steps to grab a couple of boxes. Impulse takes a couple of bags off of Grian, and the two follow Gem up the stairs. Skizz, who had run ahead of them, throws open the door, beaming.
“Welcome to your new home!” He announces to them. Grian smiles, and Impulse just shakes his head. “I’ve seen the house before.” “Yeah, but Grian and Gem haven’t.” Skizz reasons and Impulse just rolls his eyes. Grian places his and Gem’s bags next to the growing pile of boxes in the foyer, and looks around. There’s a kitchen neatly tucked away behind the staircase, with a living room to the side. “Man, I can’t believe how cheap your rent is for such a nice place.” Grian comments. Impulse nods. “I’m convinced there’s something wrong with this place, but we got an inspection and it seems okay.” “I have theories, but that’s for later.” Skizz jokes. “I’m gonna go wrangle Gem, I think she got lost. We labeled your room with a sign, you can’t miss it!” Impulse says, turning to look around the house. Grian nods, grabs his bags, and starts up the stairs.
He quickly finds the room, a piece of paper with his name on it covered in smiley faces and stars. Grian laughs and opens the door. A cozy, partially furnished room greets him, with a little window nook tucked away in the corner. There’s a basket of toiletries and little gifts sat on the bed, which is covered in a red comforter and a couple of plushies. Grian can’t help but smile as he imagines Impulse and Skizz picking them out.
Grian tosses one of his suitcases onto the bed, sighing as he determines the best course of action for unpacking. Before he can get started, though, Gem bursts into the room and catapults herself onto the bed, sending plushies flying everywhere. “AcK- Gem, really?!” Grian sputters as he attempts to catch a parrot plushie before it slams into his face.
“Yes, really.” Gem snickers, and looks around the room. “I see you also received the barrage of stuffed animals.” “I wouldn’t call it a barrage until you came in.” Grian retorts, picking up the fallen comrades of the parrot from the floor and tossing them at Gem. “They were in my way!” She argues. “Yeah, whatever you say.” Grian scoffs, and zips open his suitcase. “You’re already unpacking now?” Gem asks, wrinkling her eyebrows in distaste. “Yes, because unlike you I am being proactive.” He teases, grabbing a few sweaters out of his suitcase and moving towards the closet. As he opens the door of the closet, a gust of wind hits him, knocking him backward onto the ground.
Gem gasps, hurtling off of the bed to try and help Grian up. “Oh gosh, I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” A kind voice asks. “Yeah.” Gem and Grian both reply and the two whip around to face each other. “I thought you were asking me!?” Gem said, confused, pausing mid-lift. “Why would I ask you if you were okay? I was the one that fell!” Grian replies, practically bewildered. He cranes his neck to give her a confused look. Gem gives him an equally perplexed look back.
“Oh sorry, that was me. I didn’t mean to scare you!” The voice sounds again, and the two turn to the closet, where a tall, foggy figure is standing there, a sheepish grin plastered across his ghostly complexion. Gem practically drops Grian onto the floor again in surprise. “Grian, I think this house is haunted.”