Burning Conscious

Chapter 17 - Finally get to talk

He pulls at the cuffs of his suit, staring out the window of the Dondai as they rode thought the streets. He felt uncomfortable with Pearl in the back, tapping her foot on his seat. They had invited her, so she could reunite with the Pearls. In a way it was a double family reunion.

Greg drove carefully, despite the fact that there wouldn't be consequences. Rose had told him to come, and in return he made Steven come. He got dressed up, in the casual way. A tux without a tie, nearly matching his dad. Except Greg's tie was hidden under the beard.

He didn't really want to go, he wanted to avoid the Pearls and Rose and the diamonds. He'd had too much time to think lately, too much time to self reflect. Maybe he'd leave the diamonds. Things weren't exactly going well, and he wasn't the hugest fan of all the paperwork that was involved. He wasn't sure what to feel, or if he could even feel at this point. Well, Pearls constant tapping helped he could feel on his shoulder, but even that was growing numb.

The ride felt like the start of a bad joke. A rockstar dad, a busy ex, and a mob son are stuck a car. He wondered what the punchline would be. 

The silence was killing him.

Maybe he'd just drive into the ocean when he got the Dondai back.

The car pulled up to the large building that the card had told them to drive to. Steven could feel the anxiety come over him as he grew anxious, his mind swirling into a panic. 

Greg steps out of the car, handing the small girl the keys to the car as Pearl and Steven got out. Pearl mumbled something as she stretched, something along the lines of 'ive got to get a different ride back'.

Steven adjusted his jacket, the soft material making him feel fancy. The feeling was helping him calm down a little, but that calmness quickly faded as they walked through the large buildings door.

Steven walked behind his dad as Pearl took the lead, the three overly silent. Steven mumbled a song to himself, a piece he'd been working on since after he'd met the diamond's. Back then he was trying so hard to make a name for himself and change their minds about him that he made this song to keep him from getting lost in the stupidity. 

"I don't need you to respect me, I respect me
I don't need you to love me, I love me
But I want you to know you could know me
If you change your mind
If you change your mind....."

"Volleyball!" Pearl says ahead of him, walking up to his least favorite Pink haired Pearl. "Long time no see." 

Volley gives a small chuckle. "Oh P! It has been such a long time!" Steven can feel the rivalry radiating off of the two of them as they talk. Out of all the Pearls, Volley was the least talked about. Pearl said she was mental in the head, and from the times he's met her that was really just proven to be reality. She creeped him out....

"How have you been these days? Still working under White?" Pearl says causally, clearly happy with the position shes in. "Or are you out on the streets working under.... Multiple bosses again?" Pearl smirks.

"Actually I'm working as a manager of the new Diamond bank. White's been far too busy to worry about something so small." Volley says with a smirk. Pearl flinches slightly.

"Oh those small jobs, they were always so fun. You remind me of myself when i was younger." Pearl says with a confident smirk.

"Actually I'm older than you. By twelve minuets to be exact." Volley says as Pearl grinds her teeth.

Greg leans closer to Steven as the Pearls begin to try to one up each other. "Hey kiddo im gonna go see what they've got to drink, I'll see ya later." Greg says, walking off.