Hypothermia & Lethargy

Chapter 4: Dining with a Ghost

head·way

noun

move forward or make progress, especially when circumstances make this slow or difficult.

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Peridot pushed the front door of her cabin open, peering outside. "Whoa."

"'Whoa?' Like, woah as in bad, or whoa as in good?" Lapis clamped down on Peridot to get a view, squishing her hair in the process.

"Wh- get off of me!"

"No." Lapis squinted.

Peridot shook her off, then gave Lapis a disapproving glare. "It's fine outside, if you're wondering," Peridot made sure to throw all her mock annoyance into the word. "You know you can rely on something other than vaulting the top of my head to get a weather report, right?"

Lapis snickered. "Nah, I like the view from up there. Much better than some old-timer pointing at slides at 4 P.M."

"You're a sadist, Lazuli." Peridot pouted.

Lapis shot her finger guns. "Get used to it, dork."

Peridot grumbled, then shoved the cabin door open. She took a few steps outside, giving her some time to adapt to this cold. Peridot was about to make haste to her vehicle, when she realized something. Lapis wasn't following her.

Peridot turned her head, and saw a shaking Lapis Lazuli hanging onto the side of her door. Odd, because Lapis was more clothed than Peridot was. But there she was, staring at the ground in front of her like she was about to jump into a lake of freezing water.

"Lazuli? Are you okay?" Peridot asked.

Lapis took a shaky breath, then nodded. "Yeah. I'm just.."

It clicked in Peridot's head. Oh, yeah. She's still sorta shell-shocked.

"It's okay if you don't wanna head outside yet," Peridot affirmed. "I can pick up some food & you can stay at my cabin."

That had her thinking. "No, I.." Lapis swallowed a lump in her throat. "I want to do this."

Peridot threw up her eyebrows a little. "You sure? You don't have to, if you're uncomfortable. Are you?"

Lapis inhaled sharply, then shook her head. "I'm good- don't worry about it." Lapis wrapped her fingers around her arms and took her first wobbly step outside of Peridot's cabin. Then, another. Peridot spectated the entire ordeal until, alas, Lapis had shuffled her way next to Peridot.

With a dumb grin on her face, Lapis raised a small fist in the air. "Told ya I could do it, nerd."

"Nerd?" Peridot cried in mock hurt. "Here I was, thinking the stranger I carried into my domicile would some common courtesy-"

Lapis giggled, then poked Peridot's cheek, effectively ending her tirade. "Shuddit. Let me have my moment."

Peridot rolled her eyes. She pulled out her car keys and clicked the electronic 'unlock' button to her 2017 Toyota Land Cruiser. With a mighty swing, Peridot threw the door open to her SUV. Lapis plopped in the seat next to her, fiddling with the levers next to her seat until she found the lever that put her seat back and pulled it back all the way. Peridot closed her door.

Peridot turned the keys in the ignition, the engine coming to life. She clicked on her seatbelt and, to both Lapis & Peridots relief, turned on the A/C. The air was chilly at first, and for a split second, Peridot regretted turning it on at all. But within a matter of seconds, it had defrosted into a lovely warm steam, practically melting Peridot into her seat.