Lake Gem~A Lapidot Story

Chapter 21: A Rift in the Family

Peridot's POV: First Person

My eyes shot open with surprise. Pearl's cold hand had uncovered the purple and red spot on my neck. All eyes were now staring at the clearly visible mark on my pale skin, different expressions on each's face.

Pearl was staring with disbelief and anger, and a hint of pride from finding the spot. Her hand caused shivers to shoot up and down my back, her breath on my neck making my heart raise up to my throat.

Garnet's usual monotone look was replaced by confusion and irritation. She always made it known that she hated being lied to.

Jasper's was pure rage. Not only was it directed at me, it was also directed at Lapis, who was sitting right next to her.

Amethyst's was a mix between a smirk and confusion. Definitely the least intimidating look at this table.

Lapis looked as if she was about to have a heart attack. Her eyes bored through mine in a panic, looking for a way out.

I tried to keep a straight face and think of a lie. I don't know how good Lapis is at bending the truth, but she better pull it together for a few minutes.

"What?" I gingerly put a hand to where Pearl was touching. I tried to keep a balanced, innocent voice.

Amethyst snorted. "You're saying you don't remember getting that?"

I shot a 'you better play along' look to Lapis, who gave a small nod back. "She got it after falling in the water. I don't know what happened, but I guess she hit something."

Her tone was almost perfect, probably even better than mine. Although they didn't seem thoroughly convinced, everybody's face softened except for Pearl's.

"You all seriously believe this came from a rock?" Pearl exclaimed. She pushed onto the bruise, making me flinch away in pain.

"Woah! Pearl, chill!" Amethyst reached over me to grab Pearl's arm, knocking me in the face in the process. I quickly put my hand onto my nose, making me lose my balance and tip over. Gravity pulled me back and flying onto the ground. Hard.

Letting out a loud "Oof", the ground knocked all of the air out of me. Pain raced through my back and head. I could mildly hear the 'are you okay?'s ringing from the others. I slowly sat up and rubbed my head, trying to chase away the ache. Waving my hand in front of me, I signaled for help getting up. Amethyst put her arm out and grabbed mine, gently pulling me back up to my feet.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry," Amethyst apologized profusely. I muttered something along the lines of 'it's fine', although my lungs felt like they wanted to die.

Garnet stood up, putting her hands on her hips. Her face was back to her normal indifference, although it seemed unsettling. She walked past everyone to the kitchen, where she started bringing out the food we had stuffed into the cabinets the day prior. We all stared until she spoke up.

"I'm going to make lunch, because I'm starving." She pulled out a pan from a lower cabinet with a loud CLANK. "You guys want some ramen, because I'm making ramen."

We all slowly glanced at each other, then eventually nodded. After everything, my stomach was growling for a horse-sized cheeseburger, but ramen would have to do.

We all sat in silence as we watched Garnet cook the noodles. None of us had our phones, meaning we couldn't go to the seclusion of instagram or snapchat. Thinking about it, I hadn't sent streaks since we first got here.

Slowly, I stood up. Everyone's attention fixed on me. "I'm gonna go, um," I motioned towards the stairs, "get my phone." I turned around and took long strides before anyone could question me further.