Curtain in 5, 4 . . .

Chapter Four

Peridot learned two things that night.

One, she was really enjoying Lapis Lazuli's company.

And two, alcohol didn't sit exceptionally well with her. She didn't wake with a hangover like the legendary tales of college grandeur foretold, but her throat and stomach felt like she had ingested a box of nails in one regretful sitting.

She decided she would try to focus on the first thing.

When she was jolted out of the safe confines of slumber, it wasn't by Take On Me or even Sadie shuffling around. It was her phone buzzing with a text from none other than Lazuli herself.

Lazuli [10:24am]: guess who got your number from a now probably untrustworthy friend

Peridot squinted through the harsh morning light pouring in through the windows as she glared knives over at the only possible candidate's bed. Which was, luckily for Sadie, empty of its usual inhabitant. She remembered that Sadie had a part-time job at some place in town to help pay for her books.

With a bemused grumble Peridot thumbed out an impudent reply to Lapis, falling back to snuggle half of her face into the cushion of her green pillow.

Peridot [10:25am]: The aliens who are finally here to rescue me?

Lazuli [10:25am]: you wish. wanted to know if you wanted to have breakfast? im hungover and have the munchies

"Like I should have expected anything else." Peridot worried her lip as she thought of all that she had planned for the day. She had finished reading Mirror Gem when they got back to the room, Peridot hiding under her covers after ditching her leg on the desk and using her phone as a light source.

Truth be told, she was dying to pour her thoughts onto Lapis, revealing her rough analysis of the production and projecting her own thoughts about how Blake was obviously the backbone of the household. Honestly, the only reason Abby and Robyn didn't tear each other limb from limb was their youngest sibling's team spirit!

Peridot [10:26am]: That tends to happen when you drink more than what's necessary.

Lazuli [10:27am]: do you wanna go get donuts or no

Peridot [10:27am]: You're gonna have to take me there. I don't know my way around town just yet.

Lazuli [10:28am]: gotcha. whats your room numb

Peridot [10:28am]: C17.

Lazuli: [10:30am]: be there at eleven. get dressed. or dont, idc it's donuts not caesars palace

Peridot [10:30am]: Ha-ha. See you soon.

Peridot snorted and rolled out from under the safety of her sheets, cringing when she felt sand crunch beneath her weight. "I really should have showered before deciding to lay down on this thing," she sourly cursed, balancing on her foot as she flapped her sheets in a disheartened manner. With a sigh she attached her prosthetic, swiping it clean of any grit that might have clung to it overnight, before grabbing some clothes and marching towards the bathrooms to shower and change.

Some primal part of her was telling her to look nice for her breakfast excursion with Lapis. Something about impressing her. But Lapis was coming over hungover probably, and definitely going to be showing up in pajamas if Peridot could assume anything about the mysterious girl with the blue hair.

Peridot didn't care about her physical appearance. That was her mother's job.

She thought this over as she scrubbed her dense head of blonde with Old Spice, frowning at her prosthetic that she had tucked in the corner, with its appropriate plastic cover to prevent it from getting damaged by the hot water. She dried herself, clicked her leg back on, before throwing on her lazy choice of clothing.