Chapter 8 – Sea Sung Seashells by the Shore

Thatti and Caleb stood in front of the school's bulletin board. "So here it is." Thatti said, reading the note.

"You think this means something?" Caleb asked, looking over at the flyer. "It sounds like a prank."

The two looked at one another, and began to snicker. "A quiz-athon show? For a 'date with any contestant?"

"I guess." Caleb shrugged, the two of them walking out the doors of the school and into the busy street.

They saw a crowd gathered around Diane and Petal. The two were posing in front of everyone and blowing kisses.

"I'll take her! I'll take her for a date!" A student yelled. "No, me! I'll win that game and !"

 

"Look who it is! Who do we have here? A bunch of nobodies." Diane said, pointing at Caleb. "You're not special enough for our date. Screw off."

"Whoa hey." Caleb said, trying to push the other men and woman smushing them out of the way. "Back off, who the hell do you think you are?"

Petal and Diane didn't respond, their attention focused on the camera flashing in their faces. "So you guys are responsible for this ridiculous quiz! Stop ignoring me!" Caleb yelled.

"Well, you're not a friend of mine. I'm not friends with nobodies, Cally-who." Petal jibbed her tongue out.

Diane shook her head. "Psh, you're right. He's just a pest."

Caleb jumped out of the moshpit and paced back and forth. He thought carefully. He felt inspiration struck, soon he started drifting towards the mob and became one of its many suitors.

And then he heard the sounds of metal on metal, and Thatti's magic beginning to flash. He looked around, seeing Becca appear before the crowd. "Hm. What?"

"Step back, I'm going to kick their ass and kill them. Right here, right now." Becca smirked.

 

Diane, Petal, Pyra, Nefcy and Maisma saw the blue-skinned witch before them and immediately leaned over. "What are you going to do, bowl over all these students do get to us? Just to get us to talk?"

"I'll do it just to get you gem freaks to shutup." Becca shouted. "FREEZE." The entire crowd stopped moving, as if suspended in time as she pushed through, the gems still active. When they unfroze, she was a foot away from clocking them.

"Now holdup." Caleb stopped her. "I have an idea." He whispered in her ear. "If we enter and win that, then we can get a date with one of them and then interrogate them."

Becca paused, turning her attention to the guy. "I can't believe you...kay, I guess if you think you're so funny just do it. I won't be the one to stop you two." She looked at Thatti, putting on a mock smile. "I'm trying to be a good guy, right?" She shrugged. "Crystal Gems, I accept your challenge! I'll beat you at Quiz-athon!"

Petal clapped slowly. "Very good, very good, how astute." She spun behind Becca.

 

"But of course, if WE win, we get to choose who we date too, don't forget darling." She poked Headhunter.

Becca paled. "Wait..what?"

Thatti, still held up in Becca's palm sighed. "I mean, they're just gems right? So they're kind of property. I guess it makes sense if someone can win a date with them, they can win a date with a wand." She said regretfully.

"Yeah." Caleb said, turning to Diane. "But that still sounds like a real lame date to me." He signed the clipchart Nefcy held and put his arm around her, pulling her in. "I don't think they'll win. You're like a genius or prodigy right, this will be easy."

"Uhhhh.." Thatti sighed, transforming back and switching with Becca. "Actually, Caleb, I only really know how to fight and do magic. I'm not super good at studies or anything.. in Glitterkiss I usually had the worst grades of the class."

Caleb didn't say anything, his smile slowly turned into an annoyed one. "I guess..we'll just see." He leaned in and whispered again. "Plus I signed myself up too, so if I win, I'll score a hot date with Diane or that beautiful Petal! I'll get the answers out of them, don't worry"

Thatti and Becca looked at each other. "He just wants a chance at that Lust or Pride gem and messing around like a pervert." "Yeppp. What a sleaze." The wand nodded.

Caleb nodded. "Alright, then if we beat them, we get a chance to chat with them, we get our answers!"

Kaz monologue:

 

I walked through the halls with my head sulking down, fighting the sinking anxiety in my chest. Where a heart should be, a shining crystalline orb sat of blue splendor. Destitution, depression, the throes of a loveless heart.

"Hey!" I heard a yell from behind me. "Orchid girl, why don't you flowery freaks stop showing up at this school?" A sodacan went flying at her my, still half-full, splashing and pelting her forehead. I frowned, and put a bit of thought into my

response. "C-cut it off." I said. "Your stupid Orchid gems you think you’re so god damn special." The student said, running over and slamming my head into a locker. I fell onto the ground, my body limp as my backpack and jacket fell down. "Your orchid bullshit gets us nowhere! You're just another stupid gem. You're stupid and useless! And you need to realize that!" She slammed a few more things down on me before walking off.

"That's enough." Pyra said, stopping before the silver haired bully. "Walk it off." She demanded in a strict tone. Soon the girl left, and Pyra left a flier for me.

I held my side, wincing in pain. I hate this school. I hate everyone here and all these perverted boys and Xi'ans and whatever alien and all the nobodies who ignore me. I hate everyone here and I'm miserable all day.

I was an Orchid Gem. My name was Lake Kazan-Sung, but my family calls me Pervious, or ‘Song’. And I was sad because I hated my life. My family were Orchid immigrants, a female mother in charge of her own congregation that preached equality and liberation for Gems, a gem father- borne of the lowest sort.

"You look like you could use a friend. I'm Pyra, you can call me Garny." She put her arm around me. "I'm a gem too, you can trust me.”

I took in the hug, my face stinging and eyes watery. "I don't really have a lot of friends, you know."

I remembered the first incident after I came here.

 

The principal shook her head that evening as I sat in their office. "You're already complaining about the other students? We've had other Orchid students before, and as an Orchid gem yourself I don't see why you'd have problems. Perhaps it is

your attitude. You might be better off if you were to spend more time with your studies instead of socializing and spending time getting into fights."

"But they call me names, they pick on me. I'm scared they might hurt me.”

 

The principal sighed. "We cannot be responsible for every foreigner that refuses to assimilate. The Red Star of Xi only shines on those who are smart enough to change themselves and adapt to their surroundings. If you cannot fit in, seems more like a personal issue, not one of my school."

"But-" The blood from my gem on my chest still hurt, the cracks and fissures present.

"It's the way of this world, Lazuli." She pointed to the door. "You'll have to survive on your own Ms. Sung."

I looked at myself in the mirror. Disgust and loathing overcame myself. My reflection looked back at her from the dimly lit locker mirror. It was a haunting image, a reflection of a girl who had lost everything. My once vibrant blue hair was dull and lifeless, my eyes were clouded with grief, and her skin was pale as paper. I looked like a ghost, a prisoner of her own mind, with sunken eyes and my mind withering away like a flower, drowning in the deep waters of depression and a broken heart. I didn't belong here, but I didn't know where else to go. I felt like a stranger in my own skin, adrift in a sea of uncertainty. Loneliness gnawed at me like a relentless beast. I was a burden to everyone around her, and I was just taking up space. I didn't deserve to be here.

My reflection seemed to morph into my mother's face, her sunken aged eyes burning with anger and resentment. Deranged. My mother's voice echoed in my mind, taunting me, accusing me of weakness and failure. She was disappointed.

Her face flickered and she was replaced by my father's face, looking down on me as if he was above me, smirking in disdain. "Shut it, weakling." I hated them, and I hated myself. I was a coward, a failure. I was weak and useless and I didn't deserve to be here. I'm broken and I don't deserve a place in this world, and I needed help.

I looked down at the clipchart, my body stiff and still hurting from yesterday. "Crystal Gem Quiz-athon." I sighed. This was a contest, of smarts.

That much, I could win.

 

 

 

 

The next day

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was the hour of the Quiz-show. Petal stepped up to the podium in a fancy tux, picking up the mic. An electronic display board hung overhead.

The school's halls and classrooms were lined with students, cheering the crowd of crystal gems on.

"Hello everyone. I, Petal, am hosting today's Quiz-athon. Please keep your applause respectful and polite. We won't be getting in trouble because you're being rowdy and ruckus."

She held up her hand, showing her gem to the crowd.

 

"This week's Quiz-athon show features a special guest. A celebrity, if you will, from out of town. One, I am sure, you have all heard of and are quite familiar with. She is a well known performer and personality in our town. We are quite honored to have her here, all the way from out of

state. Our guest is Orchid Thatti." The crowd clapped and cheered as Petal gestured to the back of the gymnasium.

"Caleb, you take the first question!" Petal announced.

 

Caleb jumped onto the podium, wearing a shiny blue tracksuit and some black jeans. He flexed and posed, taking a mic.

"This is it. I'm gonna win, make her fall in love with me, and steal the answers out of her." He took a deep breath. "Okay, here we go." He grinned. “Caleb, who was the Merchant exposer that revealed the role of Sandra in the foundation of Xi?” Petal asked.

“It’s.. Thermin Vox?” He said. The screen flashed with an X.

 

“That’s incorrect.” Petal smiled. "Thatti, you can answer this one next. who is the President of the regional Xi educational council?"

Thatti groaned. "Who cares?" Petal rolled her eyes.

 

"Well, Thatti, the Xi is our only home and it governs and provides for all our livelihoods. I think it is important to know who our educational leader is."

"Heh, this'll be easy." Caleb said. "Hehe. Everyone in Xi knows their regional council's president, its free points!"

"Isn't that President a man?" Thatti said. "Mankind runs the entirety of everything, they shouldn't be governing anything."

Petal put her hands up, shaking her head.

 

"Wrong! Its Bixby. Your President is a woman, Bixby." Petal said.

 

"How was I supposed to know questions to a universe I wasn't even born in?" She yelled. Caleb looked at Thatti horrified.

Petal turned her head to him. "Caleb, how many worlds does Xi's Lextorian region of its galaxy contain?"

"Oh, I know that's.." He stumbled, going silent. "Oh no, 16. 30, wait.." Caleb said, looking up to the ceiling. He thought hard.

"Oh, please just pick a random answer!" Thatti yelled.

 

Caleb thought hard. "No, not like that.. but- but there's like 40 worlds, right? There's, um.. I don't know!"

"The answer we were looking for was 186." Petal said. "I'm sorry but I award you no points!"

 

Jel whispered to Veronica in the back of the audience. "Did Caleb forget he's the biggest idiot in our school? He practically flunked the entrance exams this year, I had to pull some strings for him just to even stay attending."

Petal shook her head. "Crystal Gems, for the next question.." and looked to Nefcy and Pyra.

 

"This incident of this company's catastrophic proportion lead to the regulatory acts of Xi's economic sector after a major sectarian." "-Kosmocorp!" Nefcy yelled, not even waiting to hear the rest.

"That's correct Sunbeam! 10 points!" Petal said. Thatti and Caleb looked at each other apprehensive.

 

 

The hour went on. Caleb and Thatti got a few points, but the other two just sailed through every question, barely batting an eye, Nefcy and Pyra were both incredibly well versed, and with Pyra's experience and Nefcy's sharp instincts, they took every question and were well on their

way to winning. Soon Thatti and Caleb's heads were on their counters, the total scores 5+27 vs 190+250. The gap grew insurmountable.

Petal looked at Pyra and Nefcy before the mic. "And for the Semi-final round before the bonus guest speedrace, our crystal gems in the league- 60% of points will go to the winners, and 40% points to the losers! We'll take a short break then vote on the topic!"

Thatti hopped off her stand and ran to the bathroom, eyes practically getting ready to water. She passed by someone in a grey-blue murky hoody. "S-sorry.", the gloomy figure said. Soon Thatti hid in one of the stalls and crawled up into a ball. She looked down at herself, the world around her closing in on her. She was about to lose Becca forever, and if that happened, she would become nothing. She could never be a glitterkiss Magus, she could never make her mother happy or protect Caleb. And she could never ever avenge... him. She started hyperventilating and coughing and crying. Thatti pulled out her phone and tried to recall her comfort, the only calm her mind could return to. She flipped thru a Galanet app, selected a stream of archived episodes and began to listen. She heard the familiar voice of Mallory Millarhoof, and slowly she calmed, her tears drying. She sighed and wiped her cheeks as she began to breathe normal again, a comforting voice telling her about the magic of her and her world. The sitcom jingle taking her to her happy place, the cartoon segments and bright visuals bringing her heart back to confidence.

"I'm alright." She whispered.

 

Thatti turned around and looked up, the girl who had passed her in the hall was right in front of her, a hood obscuring her features. "I mean.." She stood up and got ready to run. "I'm fine." The gem girl, began peaking through the stall crack, her wide eye stalking and spying on Thatti directly. "Gotta g-go!" She put away her phone, pushed her way out and ran back through the halls.

Soon she returned to her counter. Petal said. "Thatti! Gracious, I'm glad you returned. No point in having a quiz-thon without Orchid Thatti." She chuckled. "Now, for this next round you'll have a total of 30 questions, worth 2% the opponent's score if you get it right. If you manage to get all 30, that means you are awarded 60% of their points, while they keep the other 40%. In theory anyway." She fixed her bowtie.

"We don't stand a chance." Thatti said to Caleb. He turned to her. "Please, switch with Becca somehow and use that time-stop thingy to switch the questions, or erase their memory or something!" "I can't. It doesn't work on Gems. I'll.. I'll-" Thatti closed her eyes and sighed.

"For this final round, we will be asking questions on the possible consensus topic of.." She pulled out a card. "Xi vintage media and teleCom culture. Do you all consent?"

Thatti's eyes widened. "I CONSENT!" She yelled out, gasping for breath. Pyra and Nefcy looked at each other. "We consent."

"Very well!" Petal sat back on a spinning chair as the electronic screen began to showoff questions. "Time, 30 minutes! 1 minute per question.”

The buzzer blared, signaling the start of the final round. Thatti, fueled by a renewed surge of confidence thanks to Mallory Millarhoof's spacey sitcom magic, practically vibrated with anticipation. Petal read the question off the screen.

"In the iconic Cosmic Capers of Captain Comet, what was the name of Comet's malfunctioning robotic sidekick who constantly spouted malapropisms?

Thatti's hand shot up like a rocket. "Blorpo the Blunderboopi! Easy!"

 

Petal arched an eyebrow, surprised. Pyra and Nefcy exchanged confused glances. The answer was confirmed correct, and a satisfying chunk of Pyra's score chipped away and ticked up on Thatti's.

"Which Xi sitcom featured a talking pet rock named Stoney, whose existential musings were voiced by the legendary comedian Zorg Zorgblaff?"

"Rock Around the Spacerock, straight up!" Thatti practically shouted, her confidence blooming. Another chunk of Pyra's score disappeared. Caleb, his initial skepticism replaced by cautious optimism, gave her a thumbs-up.

With each correct answer, the tension in the room crackled. Nefcy began scribbling furiously on a notepad. Finally, with only a handful of questions remaining, the screen displayed the final query.

"In the cult classic deleted scene of the straight-to-Videogram special "Mallory Millarhoof: Hoofing it Thresh as Space Sorcerer Supreme, Neighs Forever" what was the incantation Mallory used to transform her nemesis and rescue the tres Mallory Mini's?" This was it. The Mallory Millarhoof question, the holy grail of this round. Thatti closed her eyes, the sitcom's theme song echoing in her mind.

Taking a deep breath, Thatti opened her eyes and declared, "Zing Zingalicious, Abracadabra Glittery Glam!”

The room held its breath. Petal looked at a papercard in her hand and couldn't believe it. Everyone looked in a combination of confusion and horror. These are questions only an avid watcher of an obscure child’s show would know, how is she getting these right?! Petal panicked. "That is... Correct? According to the rules," she announced, her voice still laced with astonishment, "Orchid Thatti has earned a total of 60% of Pyra and Nefcy's combined score. Which puts Thatti's score," she looked at Pyra and Nefcy's wiped out digit on the screen, now at 76+100, "as the winner."

Caleb and Thatti threw their arms around one another. "We did it! That was amazing!" Caleb gasped. "How did you know any of that?" Thatti smirked. "

"It wasn't hard." She said. "I just love Mallory Millarhoof and everything about her." Caleb looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Thatti grinned. "It's... because of Becca." She said. "She introduced me to that tooncom in her galaxy and I love it. Whenever I was bullied or alone in my dorm, I'd watch Xi media with her and feel okay." She scratched her head with the wand. "And that was one of the only times I felt like I wasn't alone."

Petal cleared her throat. "Now, for the final guest round! This is more of a bonus, but someone from the stage may challenge the lead. 20 questions, worth 3% of the score per answer."

Diane, shapeshifted as a new student in a sweater and thick glasses, snuck into the audience and slowly raised their hand. "You there-" She was suddenly pushed aside as the hooded figure from earlier stood where Petal pointed. “Me.” Kazan-Sung said. "Huh? W-wait.." She swiftly marched around the awed crowd and soon jumped on Nefcy's counter, taking the head-phone mic set from her and wearing it herself. "I volunteer." She said, the awkward intrigue causing murmurs around the room. "I said, I v-volunteered!" The figure revealed itself, to Petal's utter disbelief. "What?"

"I said, I challenge Orchid Thatti. 20 questions, and the chance to be an official crystal gem."

 

Petal, momentarily thrown off by the unexpected interruption, recovered with a curt nod. "O- okay," she announced, the challenge glinting in her eyes. "Prepare yourself Quiz-a-thoners, the final round commences." The screen lit up. "What Astronomical facility in CLS Biotech firm experimenting with genetic experiments-" As Petal read the first question, the figure's gloved hand shot up, their response delivered with lightning speed and uncanny precision.

"Fossilizer-437, the largest in the CLS integrated energy-sector supply chain!"

Petal frowned, looking up at the screen. "Oh dear," she muttered, "that was... correct." She said. The figure in the hood stared at Petal, the look on their face almost incomprehensible. Question two," she said, "Who's the lead developer for the Trial-By-Fire 3.0 system? Is it-"

A loud buzz emanated from the screen, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Enold Philosos Monk."

 

"That's, correct?" Petal said. Thatti was blindstruck. Question after question was delivered in less than 10 minutes, each answered nigh-instantly and intelligently, giving the clear and correct answer. Even Pyra was impressed. Nefcy finished writing on her notebook and held it up.

It was a scribbly childlike drawn picture of herself and Thatti holding hands.

 

The room crackled with a palpable tension as the final question materialized on the screen. The hooded figure, their head bowed in apparent contemplation, took a deep breath before delivering their final answer. A pregnant silence held the room captive as Petal verified the response.

Then, a beat of silence, followed by the soft chime of the verification panel. Petal's eyes widened in surprise as she announced the result. "The answer is... correct!" her voice echoed, laced with a hint of disbelief. "That means the winner is, this person."

"Lake Lazuli Kazan-Sung." The girl announced, walking up to Petal and swiping her microphone. "And I won fair and square, that means I am now a Crystal Gem, and I reserve the right to date one of the contestants." She pointed at Thatti.

"And I choose.. Thatti Nezura."

 

The entire room went silent, then erupted into cheers.

 

Thatti's jaw dropped, her grip on the podium tightening. Dating? Lazuli, this enigmatic quiz- whiz with eyes hidden in shadow, wanted to date her? Her mind spun, caught between shock and a flicker of something else. Curiosity, perhaps. But Caleb wasn't about to let this fly. "Hold on a sec!" he interjected, stepping between Thatti and the hooded figure.

Thatti was dumbfounded. "What? Date me? Why are you-"

 

"You can't just waltz in here and steal the prize like that! Before that bullshit last round we won fair and square!" Caleb yelled.

Lazuli tilted her head, the glint of amusement dancing in the sliver of light visible beneath her hood. "Did you, now? Tell me, Caleb, Nezura, can you answer this. In the classic Xi poem by Rosalina Ariesette, 'Stardust Serenade,' what longing does the poet express for their lost love?"

Caleb froze, his face flushing red. He stammered, "Uh... something about missing their... spacesuit?" Thatti slapped her face and folded her arms.

"So, Thatti," Lazuli's voice cut through her thoughts, "it's a date. Do you accept my challenge?" Thatti folded her arms and turned her head, as if she were a little kid refusing to eat their peas. "No way." Her words dropping an anvil on Lazuli.

"You're just some random quizzer." The hooded figure turned.

 

"So? I can quiz better than you. I won fair and square, I won a date with a contestant." "Fine!" Thatti said, her hands on her hips. "Let's bet the date!"

The figure snickered, "What's your game?"

Thatti said the incantation under her breath, transforming her form into Becca's. "Beat me at beating me, and I'll date you." Lazuli gulped and nodded. "I accept."

She thrust forward, but with a quick reach from her pockets, Becca was free. She transformed right away and kicked at Lake, but Lazuli landed with a thump, Becca following and tackling her. She snarled as she got up and shot her with a few massive watery orbs larger than her head.

"C'mon Thatti!" called Caleb, "show her how it's done!"

 

Bursting from the ground, Lazuli grew watery wings, slicing the entire quiz counter with her scythe and a blackish jetstream. "Eep! You've got some edge to you." Becca started to flee into

the halls. Lazuli flew through the crowd and was in hot pursuit. With skin the color of dark-blue storm clouds and hair like shimmering rivulets, she chased after Becca, eventually slashing at her. Headhunter turned into a spear and blocked it at the midsection, Lazuli threw off her hood. The gem in her shoulder widened her eye. "You're.."

"A gem." She said. "One of the 7. The Rose of Envy."

 

Becca, nimble and fast, dodged blasts of shimmering ice shards and razor-sharp water tendrils that sliced through the air. She ducked into the library, hoping to lose her pursuer in the maze of towering bookshelves. However, Lazuli followed effortlessly, her watery wings parting the stacks with a gentle ripple which turned into a tidal wave and toppled the shelves.

Becca skidded to a halt, panting, and transformed back into Thatti, who held Becca as a Bolter rifle. She glared at Lazuli, who floated gracefully, her form casting an eerie twilight around the room. With a swift flick of her triggerfinger, she unleashed a flurry of multicolored shots. Lazuli fought back, her scythe whipping through the air to deflect, shattering and sending sparks flying.

Suddenly, a voice cut through the pandemonium. "Enough!" Petal materialized between them and grabbed them up by the collars, her eyes blazing with a fiery intensity. "This library is no place for your squabble! Take your fight elsewhere, or face the consequences."

Both Thatti and Lazuli faltered, momentarily cowed by the Petal’s presence. They glared at each other, chests heaving, then, with a shared grunt, lowered their weapons.

"Fine," Thatti huffed, wiping a rogue strand of hair from her eye. "But our bet still stands. We'll settle this outside."

Lazuli smirked, her watery wings folding with a soft hiss. "Lead the way, Nezura." The two looked at each out in the terrace and with a swallow, charged at each other. Caleb watched them warily, his head cocked.

Water and magic collided in a battle of sheer force, both girls power unleashed with a fiery intensity. Shots at each other, then fists flying, then a sword dance against Lazuli's scythe. "Code 28: Meteroa Megaload!" A series of magma chunks from the sky descended at her opponent. "Those aren't fair!" Lazuli snapped, as her water wave and Thatti's projectile shower crashed together. Thatti shot a rainbow wave of energy that erupted into several bolts of pure light.

Lake flinched from the force, trying to shield herself with her wings while still holding back the meteor shower. Taking no hesitation, Thatti leapt forward, turning Headhunter into a metallic boxing glove and punching Lazuli with a booming shockwave 0f a punch, sending her into the dirt with the maggots. She leapt at her, turning her weapon into a blade at Lazuli's chest. With a smirk, the Gem of envy wiggled her finger at a fountain behind her, icy shards pelting at her back. She fell over atop of Lazuli.

Lazuli laughed, her breath sending a frosty wave across Thatti's body. They started choking each other, then the gem pushed her face into Thatti's and perched her lips together. The kiss was an ice storm erupting in the sunbaked courtyard. Lazuli's lips, cool and sharp as icicles, met Thatti's burning fire with a clash that sent shivers down her spine. Then, instinct took over. She met the challenge, her own lips parting in a hungry response. Her icy grip loosened, the shard she'd aimed at Thatti's back clinking harmlessly to the ground. The two pulled away.

Her eyes, still shimmering with the remnants of the kiss, met Thatti's, wide with a surprise that mirrored her own. A shaky laugh escaped her lips, half breathless, half bewildered.

They rubbed their shoulders awkwardly. “We f-fell atop of each other, it was an accident. Nothing more.” Thatti said. “And if you tell this to anyone-“ She pushed her.

The gem chuckled. "Congratulations. You brought a gun to a knife fight.. and still lost."

 

Thatti glared back. "Fine, whatever. It's a date then." Atleast she hadn't murdered anyone. Even with the fury and all that jazz, the thought crossed her mind, a little, that, maybe, Lazuli wasn't a complete psycho after all.

"Thatti!" Caleb yelled. She turned around and went towards him, looking back briefly at the gem with suspicion, and a strange warmth still tingling on her lips as she left the strange girl behind. Thatti stuck her hand at the few students who'd witnessed her kiss, transformed into Becca and yelled "Mega forget!"

I looked back at myself in the mirror, the shining teardrop shaped blue gem as vivid as an electric blue light. The cracks typically on it, didn't seem to showcase so badly, not today. As I opened my locker, numerous pictures of Thatti greeted me taped to the walls, my innershrine. I looked back as the girl passed through the hall and shivered.

"Thatti." I said as she passed.

"Gem girl.." She scratched her head, took a little photo of her from my locker and flicked it into the trash. "You're a creeper, you know that?"

The envious gem shrugged. "A girl has to be free to love who they want. I love you Thatti." "Yeah yeah, just keep it your tits." She said. "Do gems have those? Well whatever." She walked away defiantly.

Kaz monologue: Today, I grew up a little bit. I grinned to myself.