Beauty in Everything

Chapter 21

Chap 21

^February 7th 2017^

"Pearl.... are you sure you don't want to at least try?" Blanche asked, her face showing her nervousness and hopefulness simultaneously. She stood in the doorway of Pearls room while the girl sat at her desk leaning over a large pile of homework.
Pearl barley glanced up before she answered.
"Yea I'm sure mom, just need to get caught up on school then...." she hesitated, the truth is that she didn't really feel like dancing, she could still feel the dull ache in her thigh whenever she tried to do much more than walk normally. The surgical wound was healing nicely and all her check up had revealed no further cause for concern, but she knew she wouldn't be able to dance.
She would be starting back at school the following week and she was already months behind. She refused to not graduate because of this stupid disease. It had already taken half a year from her life.
Pearl also knew that if she didn't take the chance and try to start dancing again she may not dance again, ever. She just wasn't sure which option was worse yet.

^Monday February 13th^

It was her first day back to school since she'd left in early December. She was anxious about it? Yes, but she felt ready. Her mother being headmistress meant that she had been able to get all the lesson plans she'd missed. She wanted nothing more than for her girlfriend to be with her, but being as Garnet had already graduated that would have caused quite the commotion, and honestly the less attention drawn to her the better.
She grabbed her backpack and tugged her coat on before slowly making her way to the car, she knew she was possibly making herself late. Which would in turn, draw more attention to her when she would prefer to just blend into the background of her private school, but she couldn't help but stall herself from going at all.
"Pearl we are going to be late. Let's go!" She heard her mother call so she picked up her speed reluctantly.
X
When they pulled up to the school Pearl felt the butterflies in her stomach multiplying exponentially. She followed her mother into the building but stopped when the tall woman made a move left to go toward her office, where Pearl would need to keep going straight to her first class. She walked silently hoping that one of her friends would appear to accompany her. The first bell hadn't rung yet which meant that not everyone was in the building yet so people were mostly just milling about.
She made her way to her home room where she knew that most of her friends would be waiting and when she saw the door from a distance she smiled. She walked in and nearly jumped out of her skin when they all screamed, "surprise" like it was some kind of birthday party.
Her mouth fell open and she looked around quickly. Every teacher and friend she had was in this room, Amethyst and Sky respectively holding up a 'welcome back' sign.
She tugged nervously at the scarf around her head as she watched all the faces around her slowly drop, the excitement fading and her utter shock and horror filled the room. Her breathing had increased and she was close to bolting from the room when she felt Jasper place a hand on her arm. She turned Pearl away from the crowd and leaned down to look her in the eye.
"Pearl?" She asked, softly but a commanding tone still lay beneath her voice.
Pearl blinked at her. "I-I - I didn't want this, I said.... I said no..." she stuttered quietly.
Jasper looked around at the large crowed of people. She looked back to Pearl and sighed, "lets.. go for a walk." she suggested leaving little room for argue as she gently lead Pearl into the hallway leaving her friends behind them. 

They walked for a good five minutes, the halls mostly abandoned as everyone had presumably finally gone to homeroom. Neither girl spoke until Pearl was much calmer.
"I knew that everyone would know... I just... maybe I hoped that they would pretend that they didn't know... like they would just look at me like I was Pearl. Ballerina, math wiz, whatever, just not... cancer girl." she finally said to Jasper when they rounded near the gymnasium. She could see the ballet room two doors down and she had the urge to run to it, and dance all her stresses away. She knew though that she wouldn't be able to do that, her leg muscles wouldn't allow for that.
"I understand." Jasper said in response, her raspy voice sounding almost angry if Pearl hadn't known her.
Pearl raised her eyebrow in question, she didn't understand how Jasper would understand.
Jasper raised her arm to show Pearl the patches of lighter and darker skin. Pearl opened her mouth to apologize but jasper held up a hand to stop her.
"Its Vitiligo, most people don't develop it until they are about forty but ya know, I'm cool." she laughed, " I've had it since before I came to this school and when I was transferring here I was so worried that it would make people think I'm weird or... I don't know contagious. Like, ' ohh look, who's the new ballerina with the spots' but you all were so kind to me, and let me in and it made me drop my wall of defense, You never looked at me like I was weird. I think that everyone just wanted to let you know that they're happy to have you back and that you're better now." Jasper was nearly winded when she finished, she hardly ever spoke so much and she looked to Pearl for a response. The small girl smiled at her friend kindly and said "thank you."

^Tuesday February 14th^

For Valentines Day Garnet took Pearl on an over the top tour of her soon to be home away from home, the station 13 Fire station. After that she had her friend Lars drive them from the firehouse in the truck to the next stop, the beach where they had a very simple picnic by the ocean. A wide blanket and pillows set out all around them.
When they had finished eating and sat cuddling on the blanket Garnet spoke, "I want you to meet my moms..." she said, more as a question than anything else.
Pearl looked at her over her shoulder and smiled, "of course."