Spinel the Great Umbrella Thief

Chapter 5

When Pink Pearl walked out the door, Spinel didn't understand. What had just happened? Spinel sat silently, eyes glued to the spot Pinky had left from. Maybe she should have felt angry. This was the second time she had been left behind by someone she had wanted to trust. But all she felt was confusion and numbness. She didn't understand. Pinky had claimed she was using her. But what did she mean by that? Spinel didn't believe it. She couldn't. She had been betrayed in the past, but it didn't make sense to her. She didn't want to believe Pinky was a bad person, especially after the conversation they'd had.

But more than anything else she was worried. Worried about what would happen when she wasn't around. She should have gone after her. But even if she did she wouldn't know which direction to run in. She tried calling her but it went straight to voicemail. "Damn it!" It had started to rain outside, but Spinel didn't care. She ran out the door in a hustle. She didn't know where she was going, but she couldn't just stand by idly and do nothing while Pink Pearl was out there somewhere suffering all alone.

Spinel searched high and low and practically scoured the whole town, but there was no sign of Pink Pearl. She tried asking the local residents to see if they knew her whereabouts but none of them seemed to know her, and if she had passed by, she was already gone. Spinel became terribly confused. She had to live around here somewhere. Yet no one seemed to know who she was.

"That pink chick you've been chatting with on break? She your girlfriend or something?" Spinel's coworker asked.

"None of your business! By the way you wouldn't happen to know her, would you?" Spinel put on her fakest cutesy pleading face.

"Nah, man. She didn't start showing up around here til' last week."

"Oh come on!" Spinel twisted her arms around in exasperation.

Things weren't adding up. Something was very wrong. But she had lost her chance to find an answer and she cursed herself for it. Spinel kicked at non-sentient rocks as she walked down the road.

"Pinky..." she sighed to herself, "where the heck are you?"

She continued to walk until she made it to the bus stop. There stood a lone pink figure. Great, now she was seeing things.

As she got closer she saw a familiar pale gem in a familiar pink dress.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Spinel muttered loud enough for the other gem to hear it.

Pink Pearl lifted her head to see Spinel standing there, holding out a familiar umbrella.

"You're not from around here are you, Pinky?"

Pink Pearl looked away. "I missed the last bus, that's all."

"Alright, get up. We're going back to my place."

"I can't." Pink Pearl shook her head.

"Look Pinky. You can sit out here and mope all you want in the rain. Or you can relax under a nice warm blanket with me instead. Your choice."

"I really shouldn't..."

"Pinky, look at me."

Pink Pearl continued to avoid Spinel's gaze.

"We don't have to go to my place. We can stay here. As long as you want. But no matter what you decide on, I'm not leaving you alone."

Spinel placed her hand upon Pink Pearl's.

Pink Pearl finally lifted her gaze. And then she started to cry.

"Come here," Spinel hugged Pink Pearl tightly and stroked her hair.

Pink Pearl continued to cry on Spinel's shoulder and Spinel didn't let go of her.