Her Other "Friend" {Spinel X Reader}

Chapter 3: The Then and The Now

The door jingles as you walk into The Big Donut, smells of warm pastries filling your senses. Spinel looked around the place with strange curiosity, but she kept slightly behind you, twiddling her thumbs. She was looking down to her feet, as if she were avoiding looking at something... or someone?

You weren't sure, so you walked her over to the counter. Lars was working, and though you didn't know him well, you knew he was a good friend of Steven's. A human friend, turned into a pink space pirate. You silently snicker to yourself as you remember the way Steven described what had happened to you; He damn near put Lars on a pedestal. You absentmindedly wonder why he'd taken his job back at this place...

"What do you want to try?" You lean down slightly to ask Spinel, offering her the option to choose.

"Don't care," She replies quickly, voice sounding on edge. Still playing with her gloves, you raise a brow at her. She's awfully nervous... You can only wonder what for.

Sighing, you look up at Lars with an apologetic smile. "Can I get two pink frosted donuts please?"

Lars nodded, eyes flickering back and forth between you two as he grabbed a pair of tongs. His gaze seemed... suspicious. And worried.

"Have you talked to Steven lately?" Lars questioned. He carefully wrapped the two pastries in parchment paper and dropped them into a bag.

You shrug, letting out a small chuckle. "He's... Busy with family stuff right now. Y'know, the Diamonds being in town and all."

He narrowed his eyes, but not at you. His eyes were trained directly to the right of you; On Spinel. Do they know each other somewhere? Not possible, you think. Spinel had been living with the Diamonds.

Lars hummed and pushed the bag towards you. His harsh glare broke from Spinel and returned to you. "Makes sense."

His response made anything but sense to you, and you grab the bag with a quick thank you. As you turn to leave, you catch Spinel sheepishly looking anywhere, everywhere, but you or Lars. You motion for her to follow you, and it's only until you're out the door that you realize you hadn't even paid for the donuts.

... Oh well?

"Ready to try food?" You grin at her, elbowing her slightly. Spinel didn't react, or even respond to you. Instead she parked herself right outside the establishment, on the side of the building. She breathed a breath of relief, placing a hand over her heart, quite literally. You raise a brow and cock your head at her.

"Uh... Spinel?"

"I knew it was a mistake to come back here," Spinel laughed without humor, a sad sigh escaping those thin lips of hers. "You saw that right? He hates me now just like everyone else! Add that to anotha' reason I don't belong here. Not like I blame him, y'know?"

"What do you mean?" You ask, gently sitting on your knees beside her and placing the donuts beside you. "What happened?"

Spinel deadpans at you, seemingly taken aback by the question. "Y-You don't know?"

"Know what?" You sigh, growing slightly impatient. You're getting a little tired of not knowing anything she's talking about.

She looks down at her fingers, wringing them before looking back at you. Her cheeks deepen to a magenta shade, like she's embarrassed. "Well... I... uh-"