Stay (Lapidot)

(04) Intoxicated.

"As I'm sure you know, I am the infamous water witch. Better known as Lapis Lazuli." She held her hand out and I accepted her offer and shook her hand. "You are...?"

"Peridot. Peridot Greene." I gave her a small smile. I nodded and assumed she would start her story of my intoxicated idiocy. It would remind me of the justification behind my rational thinking as opposed to my impulsive foolishness. It would also prompt my mind in a way to remember why the hell Lazuli would be nude in my bed.

"Started off with my stubborn ass wanting to leave and seeing you extremely drunk." She began, stifling a laugh as my face went pink.

FLASHBACK (in Lapis's POV)

I wanna go already but Aquamarine wasn't going to anytime soon. She was playing drunk games while being tipsy and all flirty with Topaz. If you wonder where I am, I'm at Jasper's party. Aquamarine thought it would be a good idea to go here so I could confront Jasper and have a little change. I would constantly lock myself in my room and drown in silence. So here I was, with a cup of water, stuck in a party. Unless I had a reason to leave besides dealing with college trash, I'd be blocked off by Skinny, Jasper's cousin, or Carnelian.

I walked into the living room, seeing the door to the outside by the corner of my eye. I made my way to the corner whilst the other students were screaming and playing games. I leaned on the wall and looked around. It was a mess, much like many other parties. People drinking and chugging, others playing truth or dare, some talking and a certain amount of people making out. I really wanted to leave. I didn't have a reason 'til I saw a blonde dorito. Wait what?

I shook my head to make sure I wasn't seeing things. I didn't drink anything with alcohol nor did I have drugs, I keep my body clean. It was an actual person with blonde dorito hair. She was shorter than me, around carnelian or amethyst's height. She was pale like she never goes out or even goes to the beach. She had a patch of freckles scattered across her cheeks with green-tinted glasses resting on the bridge of her nose. She sported a green hoodie with print and a pair of black jeans. She had green converse and noticed that she could barely keep herself standing up.

I walked my way to her, excusing any rude student at a party like this. "Hey." I said. She glanced at me and kept her eyes lingering the top and bottom of my body. She brought her gaze back down to the floor without a reply. "Name's Lapis."

"Peridooot." She informed me. She kept her eyes locked in mine. Her eyes were green, the kind of green you'd expect crystals to be colored in, the kind of green you'd be happy to have. Never thought I'd see them in someone's eyes. Her words were slurred but understandable. "Can you get me outta here?" She asked, with a serious look on her face though still tinted with pink. She's intoxicated but not drunk. Better than everyone else who's inebriated.

I took her by the hand and saw a smile growing on her face. It was contagious and soon, I was also smiling. A smile that was actually real, not some fake lie. I was laughing with my new friend. Friend. It's only tonight when I'll have her. When tomorrow she'll forget and treat me as a stranger like nothing had happened.

She pointed to a green car and gave me the keys. I texted my parents that I wouldn't be home tonight. I got in as she rode shotgun and drove to her house. She opened the door and I saw a room with little bits of dust in the air. The moonlight illuminating her home. She closed the door and went to what I assumed to be her room.

I laid down on Peridot's bed. It was comfortable. I snugged close to the black blankets and warmed myself up. It was cold lately. Peridot sat over the edge, looking like she was having a mid-life crisis. I sat next to her, still having the blankets wrapped around me. I draped the blanket around her shoulders and she gave me a smile.

"Th-this is great and all but... why are you still here?" She questioned with a sad look spread across her pink tinted face.

"You seemed lonely and we... this might be our first and last time together right?" I replied.

She stared at me. "Yeah. I'm pretty lonely." She chuckled and averted her gaze to another object in her room that wasn't me.

"And I'm here." I said. She looked back at me again.

"You're damn beautiful y'know th-that?"

"What?" I squeaked, my face was flustered. Her compliment was sincere and she was drunk, what more could speak her honesty? I was a red and everything. Then I looked at her. I felt like it was only us in the world. Like nothing else ever existed.

I leaned in and our lips touched.

End of flashback (Peridot's POV)

"After that was... explicit. Also hey was that your first's because dude." Lazuli said. I had a horrified look on my face for many reasons. Mainly because it's so ridiculous and and explains everything.

"God. I hate Jasper." I uttered out. I pulled out my phone and was about to virtually scream at her.

"Why?" She prodded. She had this serious look on her face and I assumed she didn't know I was close with Jasper. Which is somewhat good.

"She thought I wouldn't drink but I was impulsive enough to intoxicate myself thatI I'd have ended up like this." She nodded to my brief explanation. The air between us was tense and asked so many questions we shouldn't ask. "Can we keep this between us?"

"Yeah." That was all she said before I took her back to her house. Her parents were scolding her but gave up like Lazuli coming back safe was all that mattered.

I wish I had that.

I went home and wasted the rest of my day. I just did other projects and talk and chat to a bunch of people. Tomorrow would be a busy day.

What would happen then? Am I friends with Lazuli? Is she protecting me? Maybe not. She could just forget everything. My colleagues would be there. Jasper's still there. I could be surrounded by everyone else that I knew yet... I'd feel lonely.

But somehow, just somehow.

Lazuli made me feel... comforted from my day to day loneliness.

I don't understand why or how but... for the day and a half that I knew her... something clicked.

I just don't know what it is.