I have discovered this brilliant tool on Wattpad that allows me to see what country my readers are from (if they have openly put their location on the site). I'm American so hello to the Italian, Russian, and Australian readers!
~Sapphire's POV~
It's been about a week since Ruby and I argued and the whole Diamond situation. Today is Wednesday so, like every day, I'm sitting with Lapis, Pearl, and Peridot on the bleachers after school to watch Ruby and Amethyst practice. Their last game is next Friday as the school year starts to wrap up.
It's crazy to think that next year we'll all be Seniors. Making big life decisions and planning for college and being adults. It's almost scary.
Peridot, Pearl and I like to do our homework as the girls practice and Lapis just surfs her phone. She's pretty much accepted that she's failed this year and is taking summer school.
"Lapis, I know you have the whole 'badass don't give a shit' vibe but you really should at least TRY with homework," Peridot is persistent on Lapis passing her classes this year, even offering to tutor her. "Nope. Sorry Peri but I'm done." Lapis ruffles her hair and goes back to her phone.
"You can't be done if you never really started," Pearl comments, earning a swat on the back of the head from Lapis.
"This is seriously too much work. Our teachers think giving us literal packets of homework on the last stretch of the school year will help us pass. It's like they all meet up to set us up for failure!" Peridot exclaims about our AP classes.
I sigh in agreement. "Yeah, it's horrible. I had to stay up until two a.m. last night and Monday... And last week. If they do this every day for the next two weeks of school I might actually jump off a cliff."
"Me too," agrees Peridot.
"Me three," says Pearl.
"Well if you all are going I might as well go too," Lapis says. We all start laughing.
"Where are you all going?" Amethyst asks as her and Ruby walk up to the bleachers, the baseball cage separates us though.
"To jump off a cliff," I say while rolling my eyes but Ruby can't see that and looks at me concerned while Amethyst laughs.
"Wait you aren't serious are you?" Ruby asks. Peridot leans into our group circle and whispers, more to me, "Ruby is kinda slow isn't she?"
We all burst out laughing with a very confused Amethyst and Ruby.
"What?" Ruby looks around confused again. I just climb down the bleachers to the cage and boop her nose through it.
"Hey," she backs up, trying to seem masculine in this adorable situation. "No, I'm not gonna jump off a cliff, relax." I roll my eyes but again she can't really see. "There's just so much homework. It's very tiring."
"Oh. Well good because if you jump off a cliff I'll have to follow you," she boops my nose back which accidentally makes me sneeze. Ruby backs up a bit and looks at me.
"What?" I question concerned.
Ruby had stars in her eyes and was trying to hide a grin. "Oh my gosh that was so adorable Sapphy! You sneeze like a kitten!" I blush and laugh a little and she tries to boop my nose again.
"Go away, don't you need to go back to practice?" I say as I back up so she no longer has access to boop me.
"Nah practice is over, we had to end early since coach had a doctors appointment or something. So I'm all free tonight."
I turn and see them all pack their stuff, taking pictures of each other's notes. Whenever we have the same work we split it with each other to make it easier.
"Well, unfortunately, I'm not. Will you be able to drive me home? Pearl has dance practice."
Her smile lowers a bit, "Yeah no problem, I'll meet you at my car."
"Okay," and she runs off with her team. I climb back to my original spot and pack my stuff. They all wait for me so we can walk to the parking lot together.
"Hey, so I know you're swamped with work but I was wondering if you were interested in getting back into ballet? We've been looking for more girls." Pearl comments as we walk side by side.
Back before my parents died, Pearl and I were in ballet together. I actually was the one who got her into it. I was doing it since I was five. Maybe it would be nice to get back at it.
"It sounds fun but I'm so swamped and I have no idea how I'll pay for it. I don't exactly have my own money coming in."
"I know, that's why I made a plan. It's been so boring in there without you Sapphire. People are just so incompetent. I can't begin to understand how they learn anything," Pearl scoffs a bit making me laugh.
"I asked my dance instructor and told her about your experience and she said that if you could go in and show her what you can do, she'd give you a job there and with it, lessons."
I can't believe Pearl did that for me. It's so sweet of her. "Pearl that is so nice, but I have no idea if I can still dance. I haven't danced since the accident."
Pearl sighs, "I know. It's just an opportunity if you want to." She stops at Ruby's car with me. "I know I can be brash and kinda of a smartass sometimes but I honestly love you, Sapphire. You're my best friend. You got me into ballet and have been there with me since 7th grade. You always helped me with my work and girl problems and anything really. I kinda just wanna give something back. And seriously these other ballet kids are beyond annoying."
I laugh at her last part and hug Pearl. "Thank you so much. I love you too. When does she want me to come in?"
"Anytime really," Pearl responds. I nod and look to see Ruby approach. "Thank you. I'll really consider it." I hug her one last time as she walks off to her car.
Ruby sneaks up behind and picks me up by my waist. "Wha? Ruby! What are you doing?" She spins me around a few times as we laugh before putting me down.
"I dunno. You just look really cute today." She kisses my cheek and we get into the truck.
"So what were you and Pearl talking about?"
"Nosey?" I comment laughing a little. She just shrugs as she plugs her phone into her aux cord and throws her bag in the back. "No just curious."
"She was trying to convince me to take ballet with her."
"Ballet? Do you know ballet?" She asks quizzically while pulling out of school.
"Yeah, I danced for about eight years before the accident," I stated matter of factly.
"Huh. No wonder you always look so graceful." She compliments which I blush at. She sees me and starts to laugh.
"How do you always manage to compliment me in normal everyday conversation? Like how are you that good at it?" I move my hair out of my eyes as I look at her. I show my eyes a lot more when it's just the two of us.
She looks at me and stares for a bit before putting her eyes back on the road. "It's easy. There's just so much I could compliment you on. It's almost overwhelming." She winks in my direction, making me blush again.
"So are you gonna do it?" Ruby continues.
"Yeah maybe. If I go and show her teacher my dancing and she likes it, she might offer me a job. And then I'd be able to take lessons."
"Well that sounds awesome! Why wouldn't you do it?" She pulls into my apartment complex and parks into an empty spot.
"I haven't danced since my parents died. I have no idea if I've still got it. And all this work for finals has me literally swamped. It's so much. And I wouldn't be able to go to your practices."
Ruby sits in her car and turns to me. "Homework is easy to catch up with. The girls will always help you with that. And I will too," I cringe.
"You'd help me with AP classes?" She thinks for a moment. "Yeah okay maybe not. But you also don't need to watch me practice. I'm perfectly fine without you watching. It's good to have something you do for yourself. It'll be fun," she encourages.
"What if I look bad though? Or embarrass myself." Ruby thinks for a moment before I see an idea light up her face.
"How about we go inside right now and you dance for me! I'd love to see you dance and you'd have a practice run before you meet the dance teacher!" She smiles brightly, proud of the idea she made.
Dancing in front of Ruby? This could go horribly wrong or somewhat right. "Okay I guess.."
"YES! Now let's go inside and get started!"
...
After entering my apartment, I go to my room to change into something I could move in. Ruby is sitting patiently in my living room. I feel kind of weird doing this. It's been so long since I've danced. I have no idea if I'll be able to do anything correctly. This is going to be an awkward experience.
Leaving my room with my phone, I watch an old video of my dancing that Pearl sent me earlier. I think I can recreate this. Possibly. It seems simple enough.
"Okay, so this might not look good. At all, but here," I hand Ruby my phone with the video. "I'm gonna try to recreate that." I push my coffee table closer to my couch to give myself more room.
"Should I put this on the TV see you can see what you're doing?" Ruby asks.
"No, I think I remember it all. I wrote the choreography myself. Just press play so I can hear the music." I get into the starting position. Here goes.
"You ready?"
"Yup." And the music starts.
...
A few minutes later I'm leaning over panting. I am so out of shape for this. The music continues to play as Ruby stares at me.
"Ruby you can pause it now. I'm done."
"Huh? Oh yeah," the music stops. "Sapphire that was amazing. Entrancing even. I've never seen you move like that."
"You really think so? I didn't think it was that good. I don't have the right shoes and I'm pretty sure I have a foot cramp and my posture was all wrong."
Ruby stands up and grabs me by the shoulder while moving the hair out of my face. "Sapphire stop that. You're criticizing yourself too much. That was literally the most beautiful dance I've ever seen. I don't know much about ballet but you are for sure a Ballerina." She pulls me into a hug which I gratefully take.
"You really think she'll like it?" I mumble into her neck.
"Of course she will. Anyone would be a fool to not take you in their dance studio." I laugh and pull back to kiss her lightly. She responds by kissing me back with even more intensity then I was ready for which made me stumble into the wall.
Ruby presses her body against mine as I wrap my arms around her waist and keep kissing her.
Every time I kiss her it's like we're together. It's such an odd feeling. I feel like I'm complete. When we're together it feels like we're fused as one loving being.
I think I love her.