Burning Conscious

Chapter 14 - Playful bug

He sat on the beach as the smoke left his lungs, nearly laughing at the fact he was literally homeless unless he moved back in with the gems. His dad had finally gotten out of the hospital, and until the van was fixed he took over living in the Dondai. 

He took a breath as his cigarette went out, rolling his eyes he tossed the butt to the sand, preparing to pull out another cigarette before he sees this girl.

He watches her silently as she walks on the beach, her playful movements in a way mesmerizing. 

She had long pink pigtails that somehow stuck up, curled into hearts on her head. She looked more like a medieval jester than anything, her overly large pink shoes and large pink gloves adding to her playful aura. She wore short baggy shorts that abruptly stopped at her knees, and a white shirt that had pink poofy sleeves that stopped at her shoulder. And a old, large camera that hung at her neck.

He didn't know why he even noticed her, there were plenty of people walking up and down the beach at the time. Maybe it was the pink.

He couldn't really hide the fact that he was looking once she made eye contact, even though he looked away quickly. He saw her from the corner of his eye coming closer, nearly bouncing over. She plopped herself down next to him, her long eyelashes scaring him. "Hiya!"

He looks at her outstreched hand, wondering why she had even came over here. "Um... Hi." He shakes her hand as she gives a cooky smile.

"I'm Spinel, your new best friend!" What did this girl do, just go looking for friends?

"Um hi Spinel.... Im Steven...." He says slowly to counter how fast she was talking.

She puts a finger to her lip as she thinks. "That's so weird! My mom knows a Steven! Isnt that a weird coinci-dink?" Steven nods as she continues, leaving no space for him to get a word in. "We just moved here so I had to leave like, all my friends behind. Luckly I have the memories!" She says, holding up the camera.

She acted like she was twelve, it felt so off..... "Well welcome to Beach City. I'm sure you're going to make tons of friends." She seemed about Pete's age, maybe they could hang out?

"I hope so. I'm actually really nervous but also really excited! Now enough about me, tell me about yourself Steven....?"

"Universe. My names Steven Universe." He says quickly.

"Spinel Quarts! Pleasure to meet ya Steven Universe! Now tell me all bout yourself!" She demands. Why did she have to choose him....?

"Well I'm um.... I'm 17, I uh.... I can play the guitar and the piano and a bunch of other stuff. Oh, and I own a pet lion...." He realized how boring he was. He needed to get a hobby.

"Welp! I'm 14, turning 15 next week. And I can take these really cool pictures with my camera! See!" She says, holding up the camera and taking a picture, the flash blinding him as she did so. "Oops... Sorry I don't know how to turn that off..." She says as a picture slips out of the bottom of the camera. She smiles as she looks over it, showing him the picture of his shocked face. "But I think I got your good side!"

Steven looks at the picture in surprise. "Wow I forgot those existed. Now a days we just use our phones." He says, referencing the camera as he pulls out his phone, taking a quick picture of her before showing her. "See?"

She squints at the photo. "Phones are so boring though, plus they can get hacked or robbed! But a material photo can stay with you forever! And it's a moment forever frozen in time!" 

He wanted to bring up how those photos can easily be destroyed and be gone forever while of his phone ever broke he could just restore them with the help of the cloud, but she looked so happy that he didn't really feel like breaking the news. "I guess you're right."

Spinel looks at the photo, a small smile replacing the formally big one. "Have you ever wished you were frozen in time? It sounds way more fun than not being frozen in time. The same people in the same places, nothing ever changing!"

He nodded, in a way wishing Lars hadn't left and Saddie and the Suspects hadn't broken up. But life wasn't a picture that he could just freeze in time. Besides, if it was then Rose would have never gotten in that car, and he wouldn't be going through this emotional trauma. He kinda wished life was just a never ending picture now that he thought about it. "I guess. But over time you grow and change. Change can be a good thing sometimes..."

"But it doesn't always feel good." She whispers. 

"True. But we have to learn from change." He says, not really believing his own words. "It's what makes us grow into cranky adults."

Spinel laughs, her laughter even more playful than her attitude. "But I don't wanna be a cranky old adult! I wanna be young forever!"

"Then don't let life tell you what to do and stay young forever!" He says as she stands up, bouncing on the tips of her toes. She didn't really seem fourteen, then again he was a private investor at that age.....

He wishes he had her enthusiasm.

"Will you stay young forever?" She asks. 

"I'm.... I'm not sure." He shrugs. He felt like an adult and wanted to be treated like one, but at the same time he kinda misses being a kid....

Why was this random girl making him think so much....

Spinel looks at her wrist, and then the sun. "Well I've got to go! My moms girlfriend is making us dinner and I really don't wanna miss her pie!" She says bouncing towards the direction she had came from. "Ccccccya later Steven Universe!" She says in a cooky tone as she bounces off.

He looked down at his cigarette, not really wanting it anymore. That girl was so.... Off....