Rock on

Chapter 32

Lapis' POV:

It's almost been a week since Peridot and I left my mom's house. I could tell we were both exhausted from the excruciatingly long ride. But we made sure to make the most of it, getting coffee, making random road stops, and listening to music non-stop. When I got home, I decided to take a 2-day break from work; I really needed to clear my mind about everything: my mom, my dad, the kiss... The thoughts of both our kisses kept streaming back into my head, like a non-stop loop that never fades. Not that I'm complaining or anything. Even though my time at my mom's was a bit rough, Peridot made sure to make it less miserable than it was. I really owe her for that.

Since Peridot and I got back, Peridot told me new songs and shows were thrown in her face and she needed to start rehearsing for the next few shows. I wasn't able to attend their shows further on, but that was my own choice. I really needed to take care of myself and... "Pumpkin!" I yelled in shock as I felt a little orange furball jump onto my face. I tried blowing the loose fur off my face, all while trying to push the brightly pelted pup off as well. "P-pumpkin! PFFT! Get off, you crazy pup!" I said with giggles in between my grunting struggles. At last, Pumpkin decided to calm down her excitement and make herself comfortable on my lap.

Once I finally got the loose strands out of my face, I looked down at Pumpkin and stroked her back gently, a smile lingering on my mouth. I gave a low sigh as I rested my head on the couch pillow behind me. "Thank heavens it's the weekend, huh?" I said as I eyed Pumpkin downward, expecting a dog to respond. Then suddenly, an idea struck me. "Oh! We could go visit Steven and Greg. What do you think about that? Huh girl? You wanna go see Steven and Greg?" I said in a squeaky tease to try and get Pumpkin excited, which had obviously worked. Pumpkin's tail was wagging furiously, even her whole butt swinging in excitement. I chuckled to myself as I got up and walked over to the front door, Pumpkin right on my heels. I grabbed the dog leash that was hanging behind the door and swiftly tied it around Pumpkin's neck. I don't see why we can't walk. Steven's home is just a few streets down. Not that far, besides, it'll do me good to get some exercise in.

I quickly locked the door behind me, trying to put the keys in my pants pocket before Pumpkin had decided to dart off with me onto the sidewalk. "Woah! Calm down!" I said, frustrated, but shook off my mood and inhaled the fresh air from outside. The breezes were faint and calm. The sun was quite high up, but should be setting sooner or later as it was currently 4:23 pm. Luckily, the walk towards Steven and Greg's house was downhill most of the time, so it was either me trying to make sure I don't go running full speed down the sidewalk, or Pumpkin dragging me down full speed.

It took almost 35 minutes to get to Steven and Greg's home, not too bad in my opinion. But I could tell Pumpkin was quite exhausted from the walk. Steven and Greg's place was pretty close to the beach, not right next to it, but they had the perfect view of the ocean. As I got closer, I spotted a white van next to the front door. "Yup, this is the right place," I said confidently. I trotted towards the front door and knocked on it softly. I'm not supposed to feel nervous, guess it's just that suspense from waiting behind a closed door. Not even a second later, and the door swung open. "Lapis!" a small boy shouted from the other side of the door. "Hey, Steven-" Steven had plunged right into my stomach with a warm embracing hug. I coughed to get the air back into my lungs before speaking in a throaty tone. "Hey, Steven." I said with a warm smile. Before Steven could welcome me inside, Pumpkin made it her mission to lick Steven until his final breath, which I didn't mind, for once it wasn't me enduring the warm dog breath in my face.

I decided to let myself in, with my hands behind my back. "Sure has been a while since I've come to visit, huh?" I said as I looked around the interior designs of the room. Not a lot has changed, just a few readjustments. Including a beautiful painting of Steven's mother on the wall. Rose Quartz. She unfortunately passed in childbirth. I always felt so sorry for Steven and Greg, living without a mom, and a wife. "Yeah, it's sure been a while. So, what brings you here?" Steven asked with Pumpkin in his arms, immediately snapping me out of my little daydreaming trance. "Oh, uhm, well I guess I just wanted to say hello. So much has been happening the past few days, I guess I just wanted an escape for a while." I said, slightly embarrassed for some odd reason. "Oh! Well, in that case, I'm glad I'm that escape," Steven said in pride as he put Pumpkin on the ground gently.