Fallen Star {Lapidot}

Chapter 1: The Stranger

Peridot sighed as she hauled her small bag over her equally small back and trod to the bus stop. She leant against the cold metal pole, impatient for the bus to arrive. Each moment she spent in Beach City was another chance for her to get caught. Luckily, the bus pulled around the corner and she boarded, without a second glance back. She knew the gems would find her, but all that mattered is that they’d be too late. Hunched at the back of the bus, she looked through her hastily packed bag. A bottle of water and a bag of cheese puffs; plus the couple of nuts and bolts sitting quietly at the bottom. Not nearly enough to get her through even a day. The bus stopped and a few people boarded the bus, which had been deserted prior, and a pale man with long pink hair sat beside her. After a few strange looks, Peridot silently prepared to get off. Before long, the bus stopped for a breath right where she wanted. Empire City.

She walked slowly, bumping into hurried strangers every once in a while, muttering an apology when possible, and she quickly reached a towering building that was daunting and silent. Suddenly, the bricks screamed and Peridot seemed to parrot the ringing bell. Within seconds, hundreds of people came running towards her. She ducked down and cowered beneath the storm of students. As the gentle patter of the stampede faded away, she opened her eyes cautiously - and then she saw the towering shadow leering over her frightened form. Looking up, she saw a dark girl with an even darker outfit peering down at her, a slight smile playing on her lips. Peridot’s eyes darted between the beautiful stranger’s face and her outstretched hand, a concoction of confusion and disbelief stuck in her throat. Suddenly, she realised what was going on and stood up with a jolt, swallowing her feelings and brushing herself off frantically. The stranger snickered and pushed Peridot’s glasses back onto her face before turning around and walking away. Peridot stood there, dumbfounded.
“What j-just happened..?”

After brushing off her thoughts, which took the most part of five minutes, Peridot picked up her bag and left the grounds, deciding to find a place to rest her head that night. It took a little while, but she soon found herself settled on a cold bench by the side of the road. After a few sips of water, she drifted into the colourful darkness of sleep.

---

The dark stranger was crouching over Peridot with a sly smirk on her face, pulling Peridot closer with a single, fluid movement. Peridot watched in awe as she swayed her hips against Peridot’s and slowly unzipped her jacket. Her deep, lapis blue hair danced in front of her. She pulled Peridot even closer, their lips a hair-width apart. Peridot closed her eyes only to open them seconds later to find a hideous dog in the place of the phantom beauty. She screamed and pushed the hound off of her, spitting out the disgusting taste that lay in her mouth and sitting bolt upright. She gasped for breath before covering her mouth in shock. This was the third time she had dreamt up such a scene since arriving in Empire City, each ending being almost identical. She took to her feet and checked her phone, a well-written email pinging up on her screen. After a surprisingly short hiatus of two days, she had been easily accepted into the local high school, starting the very same day. With this, she realised, she was going to be late to her first day. It was at this moment that she hauled her bag onto her back and made a break for the city centre.

Peridot burst through the door of her first lesson, drawing what may have been too much attention to herself. Almost everyone in the biology class whirled around to face her, some laughing and others feeling embarrassed for her. She quickly looked down and took her place in the back of the classroom, her heart swelling with regret.
“Figures you'd sit next to me, of all people.”
Peridot's face fell in an instant, her cheeks becoming a bright pink and her breath shallow. She gradually looked to her left and saw who she was hoping to avoid. The stranger that had left her sleepless for days.

“Earth to the small blondie, is there anybody in there?” Peridot’s gaze faltered and she looked away desperately,
“Uh, yes! Um… Message… received..?” The girl snorted at the cute response and offered her hand to Peridot.
“Name’s Lapis” After a few seconds of scrutinising silence, Peridot took her hand hesitantly and shook it weakly.
“Peri...dot” Lapis rolled her eyes and shook the tiny hand firmly.
“My girlfriend’s holding this huge party tonight, a big event like this could get you a couple of friends, and even if you’re not much of a partier, I’d love it if you could drop by.” The word ‘girlfriend’ both hurt and excited Peridot, although she didn't quite understand why, and although she hated the social scene, she couldn’t bring herself to say no to this girl.
"Y-yeah, I’ll be there! Wherever ‘there’ is that is…” Lapis laughed and wrote down an address on a scrap of paper.
“Here, can’t wait to see you there.” And with that last statement, the bell rang and Lapis left Peridot staring after her. Her hand gripped the paper tightly and she stood up confidently and strode out of the building.