Chapter Text
Peridot hated moving to unknown places, not because she hated change but because she felt it was an unnecessary change in her life. Which according to everyone else, was exactly what moving to college was. Full commitment to an open lifestyle she just wasn't sure for.
"A new experience."
"A fresh start."
"A chance to meet new people."
Everyone kept saying these things like they were supposed to make her less nervous. They didn't, college felt like a horror movie and she was the main character about to be slaughtered. Peridot stared at the acceptance letter sitting on her desk. It felt like life was flying by, and now she was preparing to become an adult in the real world. College sounded like a new experience, a place full of people who were probably just as smart as she was. Maybe even smarter than her. That thought bothered her more than she wanted to admit. She looked around her room, it felt smaller with projects and robots placed on the wall, prototypes covering every surface of her wall. On her desk displayed half-built robots, old notebooks filled with ideas and concept art of robots, tools she refused to throw away because she felt that they could still be useful in her future robots.
Her eyes landed on a small robot keychain hanging from her bag. The paint was chipped heavily and metal scratched to the point it was unrecognizable from a far. But she smiled, because it was the first thing she's ever made that actually worked for a while. Steven helped paint it, he said it looked better with "personality." Peridot disagreed. It was supposed to be a robot. Robots didn't have personality or color. But she kept it eitherway as Steven meant so much to her.
A knock came from her door. Steven leaned against the frame, looking around the room "You packed yet?" Walking closer to peridot.
Peridot immediately looked away. Hiding her sad expression before putting on a short lowered smile. "Yes, I just need to finish up sorting my stuff into the boxes."
Steven looked around the room, empty boxes were everywhere but only 2 boxes were half filled.
"Really?" Steven raised his eyebrow.
"Yes."
"Peri." He demanded
"I am organizing my things, Steven." Peridot takes the robots off the shelf and places the robots in one of the empty boxes.
"You put three different chargers in a box labeled 'important robotic stuff."
"They are important. What if I need it for my future robots?"
"Sure peridot." Steven laughed. Peridot rolled her eyes. But she had known Steven long enough to know he was annoying. Unfortunately, he was also right a lot of times. Amethyst walked in carrying a box. "I found more of your stuff." While digging through the contents in the box before Peridot looked over. "What stuff?" Amethyst tilted the box slightly forward, showing what's inside. An old photo of baby peridot, random parts, and a notebook.
Peridot immediately grabbed it. "Careful! What if you throw away Stevens drawings?" As she held the notebook to her chest.
"You still have that?”Amethyst asked, smirking. “thought you'd thrown it out by now."
"Well, I thought but couldn't. It just wasn't in me and they were cute.
"Why?" Amethyst asked. "What made you stop?"
Peridot froze for a second, Because she actually had an answer. "Because..." She looked at the notebook then the box that amethyst was carrying. before staring right at her. "Because me and Steven made them and they meant so much to me. I just couldn't"
Amethyst's expression softened slightly. Then she ruined the moment. "Wow. Emotional." she pretended to wipe fake tears from her eyes.
"I hate you." Peridot frowned. Looking annoyed before placing the notebook in the box next to her.
"No you don't." Unfortunately, She didn't. Amethyst was truly her best friend.
Across town near a quiet neighborhood, a blue cobalt haired girl stared at a blank page. She had been staring at it for almost twenty minutes. Contemplating if she was truly meant to go to college. She barely had any friends to begin with. Blue pearl and aquamarine stuck by her in elementary throughout high school. Whenever she needed an escape usually art helped but for now, her notebook was the next best thing. It was easier than talking. A drawing couldn't misunderstand her, a drawing couldn't leave her and a drawing stayed where she left it. Most of the pages were oceans, clouds, empty streets after rain. Places she wished she could disappear into and never return from. Yet whenever Lapis drew people, she never finished them. Faces were difficult for her. People always changed or left in her life eventually, so there wasn’t much point in remembering them. The door swung open before lapis could say anything, Aquamarine walked in without knocking. Already having a suitcase packed sitting right beside her. “You're not packed, those boxes are bare empty, lapis." She says pointing to the empty boxes sitting across from lapis. Lapis still staring at the her sketchbook before placing it down on her desk. She yawned, stretching as she stood up from her desk. "I am." She groaned.
Aquamarine glanced around the room. The once white wall, covered in sketches of specific places in that lonely beach town. A half-filled suitcase, clothes scattered everywhere and the sketchbook laying flat on the desk with sketches all around the sketchbook.
"No, you're not. Aquamarine said. It's time to leave soon, so pack up."
"You're annoying." Lapis sighed.
"And you avoid every important event.
“I do not."
"You absolutely do." Lapis finally looked towards aquamarine. Her face had that smug expression. The one that meant she thought she won the argument. She usually did, that girl was always so full of herself.
Blue Pearl appeared behind her. Putting a hand on aquamarines shoulder before pushing her aside to make space. "Leave her alone, aquamarine. It's already tough enough on her since we're moving."
"I'm helping." Aquamarine gasping before looking offended.
"You're bothering her." Blue pearl said annoyingly.
"Same thing."
Blue Pearl ignored her and looked at Lapis. Blue pearl walked closer to lapis. "Are you nervous?" As she suddenly grabbed lapis's hand. Holding it tightly but gently. "No." Lapis immediately answered sharply, trying to hide her feelings. Blue Pearl noticed. She always noticed, she was just that kind of person to comfort when needed. "You don't have to pretend. I understand you're anxious. And it's okay to feel this way." Lapis looked away. Trying to keep her usual expression. "I'm not pretending." A pause before her expression softened slightly, giving blue pearl an opening on lapis. "I just don't know what I'm supposed to do there. Where am i gonna fit in?"
"Make new friends" Aquamarine interrupted, crossing her arms.”
"No, I don't need any "friends" I just need one good friend in college.
“Lapis, think about it. You haven't even gave anybody a chance."
"No."
"You can't spend your entire life avoiding people. You're gonna be a working adult sooner or later and you're gonna need support."
Lapis looked down at her sketchbook. Tracing the sketches of buildings she made. Making art was something that comforted her.
"I'm not avoiding people, and I have you guys. What more could I need?"
Aquamarine raised her eyebrow with a annoyed expression "You spent three hours at a party last year sitting outside drawing a boring building. While we kept trying to get you to talk to people at the party"
"It was a good building and I liked the design.
" it wasn’t even a building, it was a frat house across the street.”
"It had interesting architecture."
"You might as well get a job in construction because you make detailed blueprints." Blue Pearl blurted out before trying not to laugh.
She hated that they knew her so well, but a small part of her was grateful they did.
The next morning, both groups left, Two cars driving to the same location. Two different lives and two different hobbies. Peridot sat in the passenger seat while Steven talked nonstop. "We're going to college!" He said it like he had discovered the concept himself and couldn’t believe it.
"You said that twenty times." Amethyst rolled her eyes.
"And I'll say it twenty more." Glancing at amethyst in the rear view mirror.
Peridot looked out the window, the bright sun blinding peridot before being covered by buildings flooding the sky. Crowds filled the sidewalks. Possibilities she couldn't predict waited around every corner. For once, she felt like she belonged in this new place that they would soon arrive at. "I hope this place appreciates my intelligence and my awesome robots."She adjusted her glasses. Steven smiled. "I think you hope this place appreciates you more than you expect." Peridot opened her mouth. Then stopped. Because he was annoyingly right. Maybe I do hope to be appreciated more.
Meanwhile Lapis sat quietly in the back of the other car, staring at the passing buildings. Aquamarine sitting in the passenger seat talking about locations to explore in the new city where the university is located. Blue Pearl was the driver but was listening, chiming in when aquamarine needed a response.
A new place.
A new beginning.
That was supposed to be exciting. Instead it felt like standing at the edge of something unknown, something in her stomach was eating her alive. She held her sketchbook tighter. At least she had that.
Peridot adjusted her grip on the box while observing Steven and Amethyst carry the tv towards the campus.
Lapis adjusted her baseball cap, moving it around her messy cobalt blue hair until it settled comfortably on her head. She stepped out of the car and set off to explore the campus.
Neither noticed the other crossing the street. Both contemplating if the drive was worth it.