Curtain in 5, 4 . . .

Chapter Six

"Jimmy Novak from the Surf City OAP organization has scheduled the Crystal Gems to conduct their clinic on September twenty-eighth. Pearl and I will be providing the proper excuse notes for your professors if any of you miss classes on this date, from eleven a.m. to three p.m."

Garnet stood before an enlivened cluster of Crystal Gems, all pouring over the calendar dates and comparing them to their class time tables. For those who had been late to receive her notification last night, she was giving them the synopsis of what they were in for.

Amethyst had sent word out to the whole of the Crystal Gems that morning via their group message to meet during their lunch periods in the Temple. She, Garnet, Steven, and Pearl were busying themselves in ensuring that no cast or crew member would be unable to participate in the clinic that would take place in under a week.

"This is basically an all hands-on-deck kinda scenario, capiche?" Amethyst was saying as she handed Peridot the forms from Garnet's table. "You can just stick that stuff in your teach's box or folder or cubby, whatever kinda spiffy professor they are."

Peridot eyed the excuse note, skimming over the laconic explanation about how OAP was a school function and therefore valid for excuse. "I capiche," she said as she folded the papers and stuffed them into her bag. "Did Garnet type these up?"

"How'd ya know?" Amethyst snickered. "It was either her or P over there," she motioned towards Pearl. "would'a typed up a three-page essay about the importance of theatre if we let her, so."

A cackle slipped from Peridot as she watched the acclaimed pink-haired co-manager flutter about on canary feet to hand out forms to the waiting cast and crew members. She ran her gaze quickly over the now familiar faces, failing to spot a particular freckled one among them.

Lapis hadn't shown up yet, but Peridot didn't try to mind it too much. Lapis had said she had some little things to take care of today between classes anyway.

"Lookin' for your girlfriend?" Came the short, darker girl's gibe from behind her. Face bathed with pink Peridot spun around and flashed a finger at the purple-haired actress. "She's not my girlfriend," she sputtered, embarrassment making her feel light on her feet.

"So that little moment you two had last night was all friend stuff."

"How- How do you know about that?" Peridot hissed, trying to use her extra inch on Amethyst to leer over her. The stout girl's cheeks puffed out as a huge grin split from one ear to the other. "Oh my God, I was bluffing!" She crowed, bending down to put her hands on her torn jeans. "What did you two do? Give me the deets! I wanna know if Lapis finally got the pants off of som-"

"No pants were taken off," blushed the technician as she slapped her forehead. "Nor were any other articles of clothing."

"Aww. Lame." Amethyst sighed. "But yeah, yeah, totally friendly things going on between you two. Gotcha," she snorted, running away as Peridot raised a fist to possibly deck her in the throat.

"Oh my stars," she grumbled to herself as she shoved her hands under her glasses and rubbed at her eyelids.

Whatever had happened last night on the summit, Peridot was sure that it wasn't just two gals being pals. It had been so intimate, so private. Just the two of them and the stars above them. That is until their phones went off, of course. But she regarded the moments before her phone decided to expel the X-Files sound effect.

In addition to those undisclosed thoughts, her mind was racing for things to do for tomorrow. It was Lapis' birthday! She hadn't bothered to ask if the blue-haired girl had already planned for herself. A part of her doubted Lapis would do that, and she clung to that flimsy belief as she researched activities that would make Lapis' twenty-first birthday special.