Curtain in 5, 4 . . .

Chapter Eleven

Peridot stood down centre of the stage, facing upstage where most of the gems were aggregated, swarming over the collapsible table Pearl and Amethyst had set up and placed the district papers on. Their tech rehearsal had been moved to earlier into the morning, from 9:30AM to 6:30AM to compensate for the Aqua Town OAP group being caught in an unforeseen hailstorm that left their bus with a battered engine and broken windows.

And people thought Ocean Town had a streak of eccentrically bad weather phenomenon.

Regardless, this wasn't well-received. Bayburgh was a good two hours away, and the Crystal Gems would be damned if any of them had to get up at three in the morning to get to the Temple, get dressed and covered in cosmetics, then spend two hours cramped on a bus.

No. That wasn't appealing in the slightest.

Garnet's resolution rung well with them in the end: they would stay the night in Bayburgh, and leaving at six o'clock sharp from the Temple that evening after packing their Penske vehicle and loading all their required items and articles.

Pearl, Amethyst, and Garnet were operating the table, handing the other students their filed excuse papers to leave with their teachers. For most of them, as soon as the papers were thrust into their arms they took off in a running sprint to deposit it in their professors' boxes. Peridot was smarter than that; she could just scan the paper and digitally transfer it over to her teachers with the magical thing called e-mail. She'd be damned if she had to dart all over campus and get back before six, which was only an hour away, her phone confirmed.

Speaking of that particular item, hers dinged and she pulled it out of the front pocket of her black-and-white flannel to see two new text messages from none other than Lapis.

Lazuli [5:05 pm]: grab papers for me, running late

Peridot [5:05 pm]: What's happened this time?

Lazuli [5:05 pm]: stopped at the strip club and had shots.

Peridot [5:06 pm]: I should think not! District is tomorrow, we need our cast sober, Lapis!

Lazuli [5:06 pm]: I'm kidding peri. I was finishing an essay bc I dont wanna stress over it on trip

Peridot [5:06 pm]: That's a better excuse. I'll get your stuff.

Lazuli [5:06 pm]: can you help me email it to my professors too

Peridot [5:07 pm]: So neeeedy. Sure.

Lazuli [5:07 pm]: thank youuuu

Peridot held her phone still in her hands, worrying at her lip as she stared down at the glowing screen, wondering if she should reply with anything else. She ended up with cold feet, dipping out of her conversation with Lapis and instead opening up her inbox with Sadie. She'd yet to pack, and apparently there was some sort of dress code for the award ceremony at the end of competition. She needed something a little more than a plaid overshirt and slightly over-sized men's jeans.

Peridot [5:08 pm]: Can you get out my duffel? OAP's leaving overnight and I'm gonna run in and pack like I'm running away to Mexico in a few minutes.

"Peridot! Come get your papers, please!" Pearl's voice cut in the minute the blonde hit send, and she had to palm the device as she ushered herself to the table. "I'd like to get a few for Lapis, too," she explained as Pearl swiftly handed over her exemption notices. "She's a little occupied right now."