Something Entirely New (A Pearl x Reader)

Act 7: Your Friendship

Another starry night passed by your sleep-deprived eyes, those of which had gone through a light case of insomnia ever since you stepped foot on Beach City. As your tired eyes slowly began to open up, you realized you were now on the semifinal day of your travels. In just three days, you'd gotten the chance to meet many wonderful people, and you wished you'd given them a better goodbye back at the young boy's home. You were mostly likely to ever encounter with them again, and that realization was enough to make you aware of your current situation. 

Yes, there were merely forty hours left until your transportation to return back home arrived at the port, and you were going to make the most out of each one. Determined to exit your hotel room, you ran towards the small door of the bathroom, and quickly began to prepare yourself for what you hoped would be a fulfilling day. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Midway down the stairs of the hotel's lobby, you stopped on your feet, spotting the hotel clerk going the opposite direction of yours. He carried a large basket of laundry in his hands, which managed to cover a great portion of his vision. This made for your presence to go unnoticed, and for him to take cautious steps up the stairs along his way. You watched as he got farther away from your sight, and after giving it some thought, you decided to follow your mind's primary suggestion.

"Hey!" you called out, with a smile slowly appearing over your face. 

The gentleman flinched lightly in surprise, as his body slowly began to turn over towards your direction. His eyes were as wide as plates, yet the second he realized to whom the voice belonged to, he let out a sigh-- in what you assumed was relief. 

"Thank goodness it's you, ma'am!" he spoke, letting the laundry basket touch the carpeted floor, and walking closer to where you stood. "I. . . I thought that was my boss for a second there. . ."

"S- Sorry about that! I just wanted to give you something. . ." you explained to his worried state, to which he responded with a mousy smile.

Having said those words, you began to rummage around your messenger bag, searching for your sketch pad. The boy you'd traveled with yesterday had given you an idea, and you were quite successful on achieving it during your almost sleepless night. The second you'd finished with your job duties, your hands reached out for the drawing pad and a pencil, which you used to convey the idea that both Steven and a photograph had given you. 

"I saw a picture of you and Jamie over your desk, so I thought it'd be. . . fun to draw it in my own style." 

You ripped the drawing from the rest of your collection, and instantly, you handed it over to the man before you. He reached out with hesitant, shaky hands, while his eyes jumped from your face to the piece of 'fanart' in his hands. 

"You. . . I--" he trailed off, staring at the drawing with wide, sparkling eyes. "Th- Thank you! This is beautiful!"

A grin began to slowly form on your face, as you witnessed the man's now reddened cheeks and brightened eyes. "Glad you like it!" you bellowed, thinking it was best to accept his compliment without second thoughts. He seemed too joyful, and you didn't wish to interrupt him from his moment.

The moment he finished his observation, he went towards his desk, where he placed the drawing right next to the picture you were greatly inspired by. Soon after, he returned towards the stairs to fetch the laundry basket, whereas you decided to lend him a hand. You were trying to take all opportunities presented to you, in which you could spend time with a few of your newest acquaintances.

The two of you exchanged words all the way towards the laundry room, where he took the basket from your hands, and began to deposit the clothing inside the many washing machines of the dimly-lit room. Halfway through his laundry tasks, you finished conversing with him, and gave him a quick, yet friendly wave goodbye afterwards. Surprisingly, you were only three hours into your day, and you were beginning to make the most of it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You were now walking next to the sandy borders of the beach, taking this as another chance to gaze at both the ocean and the sky. It was a beautiful day, with the sun in full display, and the waves crashing frequently against the sand. 

Progressing further into your walk, your shoes sank inside the heated, arid sands of the beach's border, which caused for a small trip over your own feet. Quickly, you lifted your gaze from the floor, and looked left, right, and back, searching for any possible witnesses. Noticing there was nobody close by, you let out a soft breath in relief, and continued along with your walk. 

"(Y/N)!" a voice called out from behind you, whilst you turned your head around in search for them. 

Before you stood the young, curly-haired boy you had gotten to know as Steven. He carried a small cloth bag in his left hand, while the other one was holding on to his father's hand. The two greeted you with wide, amiable smiles, and the boy didn't hesitate on giving you what he held in his hand. 

"Here!" he told, extending his short arm for better reach. "I wanted to give you this yesterday with the box Dad gave you, but. . . I had to do something with it first."

"Oh. . ." you uttered, taking the bag in your hand. "Thank you."

You focused your gaze at the joyous boy, and noticed he was eager for you to open it up. His eyes were almost as bright as the hotel attendant's, and he nodded approvingly once he caught you staring at him. Carefully, you unbuttoned the sole button that sealed the bag, and reached inside for its contents. Coming in contact with something cold and metallic, you pulled out the item, as a shocked smile was quick to take over you face.

In your hand now stood a pastel-colored necklace. The chain was a soft yellow in color, and its pendant was none other than one of the moss flowers you viewed yesterday during your travels. It was a simple, yet eye-catching design, and the two main components of this hand-made piece of jewelry was enough to leave you speechless.

"This is amazing!" you added, after a short period of silence, thinking that your previous compliment was just too bland for what he'd gifted you with. "I'll bring it along with me for all my future travels."

"Glad you like it!" Steven exclaimed, proudly placing his fists over the sides of his hips. "Pearl taught me how to do it!"

"That's great! You learned quite nicely, then." 

As the boy was about to respond, you were both interrupted by a melodic tune emerging from your messenger bag. Recognizing the tune, you took out your phone from your bag, and glanced a look at the name on display. 

Incoming call. . . Boss 

You felt your blood run cold once you saw the name. Your boss rarely ever called during your five days of research-- much less did she bother after the first two days of your work passed by. Witnessing her nickname on your phone's screen was enough to give you an adrenaline rush, and for your heart beat to double its speed.

You excused yourself from both Greg and Steven, telling the two that this would only take a few seconds. Once you located yourself on a more private place, you called her back, and anxiously waited for her to pick up.