Days passed. Now, Pearl was spending almost all her time by my side, stuck to me like a tick. I even tried to make a break for it and go stay with my dad, but unfortunately, that didn't work either. When I went back home to sleep, well... better if I just tell you.
I was sleeping peacefully until I half-woke up and found myself staring at the ceiling. I didn't know why, but lately, I always ended up waking at the exact same time in the middle of the night. I glanced toward the window and confirmed it: yep, exactly the time I thought.
I looked back at the ceiling and, to kill the boredom, started observing the figures I'd bought a while ago. There was an action figure from a show my dad gave me, a box where I kept my stuff, my TV, my gaming console—the same one I should probably start using again to tire myself out so I can actually sleep. All of it was part of the landscape of my room. I used it to keep my thoughts from getting too restless.
Speaking of which... lately, I'd forgotten a lot of things from my past life, and several memories from the original show were fading too. Maybe that's why I trained: so I wouldn't run into trouble. And you might ask: Why don't you write down your memories? I don't know. But whenever I wrote something down, my notebooks would reappear at my door, no matter where I hid them.
And as long as I didn't have Lion's mane, I didn't have a safe spot. Luckily, I only put irrelevant data in those books.
Sidetracking again, I wondered if I shouldn't get a girlfriend... or at least a friend. I looked back at my TV and noticed something weird.
"I'm hallucinating," I thought. "It looks like Pearl is staring right at me."
Suddenly, a heavy silence fell over my mind, the kind that didn't bode well. I turned slowly toward where I'd seen that supposed illusion. And there was Pearl. Caught in my gaze, totally stiff, watching me like a dog about to tear chunks out of a couch.
I, who just a second ago had a calm expression, switched to a completely deadpan face. A few eternal seconds passed where neither of us said a word.
"Uhh... hey," Pearl stammered.
I stared at her without responding. Slowly, I turned back around, pretending nothing was happening, ignoring her completely. She didn't move an inch for several minutes until I decided to summon my shield. Instantly, Pearl tensed up.
"Leave," I said dryly, "or my shield is sending you to Russia."
Pearl frowned, confused by the name, but in an instant—like a startled dog—she bolted out of the room.
God, that was awkward...
"Don't even mention it," a voice said beside me.
I nodded out of habit, but then it hit me: I wasn't sleeping with anyone. I turned slowly. No one was there.
"Yep, the schizophrenia has officially consumed me," I thought, before closing my eyes to go back to sleep.
And that's how my days have been. That afternoon, I was with my dad telling him what happened; he was my best friend and listened patiently. After a few minutes, he nodded and, deep in thought, said:
"You know, Stevo, you should talk to them."
He looked at me calmly and added that he understood they weren't human—that their way of protecting this place made it hard for them to understand human boundaries. I responded with a blank expression: I'd tried to talk to them, I really had, but it didn't seem to work.
My dad shook his head and, as if weighing the possibilities, commented softly that sometimes one Gem would attack from one side, another would respond from another, a mission would get them tangled up, or they had their own issues in their rooms. He didn't know exactly, and honestly, he didn't care too much either.
I looked back toward the house. There, in the distance, was my mother's room. I wanted to investigate it. When I said it, I saw a bead of sweat run down my dad's temple. He knew my curiosity about everything related to her. After a silence, he asked: "What if you do it now?"
I stared at him. A nervous laugh escaped me. I bet, half-joking, that if I went in right now, some monster that multiplies or something like that would pop out. My dad looked at me worriedly and asked seriously if I was going to get into trouble.
I answered confidently to calm him down: I assured him I was ready. I explained that my shield was my base weapon, that I was like a tank—first they'd have to get through my shield, then my bubble, then the Gems, and if for some reason they still made it to me, they'd have to take down this buff young man. I finished the sentence by striking a pose to show off my triceps, and the room was filled with a strange mix of pride and a knowing smile between us.
He looked at me with a smile, though the worry was still etched on his face. However, he decided to set it aside and, calmer after hearing me vent about the last few days, he said:
"Well, Dad, I think I'll take your advice."
"Entering your mother's room?" he asked suddenly, spooked.
"What? No, talking to them."
"Ah..." he replied, hand to his heart, relieved.
In my mind, though, I was thinking something else. I can't go in yet, but I know I'll make it happen.
I shook off those thoughts and hopped out of the van. I turned back to my dad before saying goodbye. "You sure you don't want to come live with me and the girls? They don't even have a problem with it."
He looked at me seriously and replied: "I feel like Pearl kills me with her eyes."
"Ah... yeah," I answered dryly.
Truth is, Pearl and my dad never had a great relationship, though at least they tried. He'd taken more steps than she had, but somehow, things were still awkward. I said goodbye with a wave and headed toward the donut shop.
The smell wrapped around me immediately. God, these donuts smell good... Now I understood why the original Steven loved them. I was surprised at how crowded it was, even though there were only three customers at the time. When the last person finished their complicated order, it was my turn.
"Hey, Sadie," I said with a smile.
She, visibly bored, looked up, and upon recognizing me, flashed a tired smile. "Hey, Steven. How are you?"
I noticed the dark circles under her eyes. I didn't like seeing her like that. "All good. The usual?" she asked.
"Definitely," I replied with a smile, "but this time, give me an energy drink too."
Sadie raised an eyebrow, surprised, but said nothing and just nodded to process the order.
She quickly handed me the four donuts. I always bought that amount just in case any of the girls wanted one, though usually, it was Amethyst who joined me in that little ritual. When she tried to hand me the drink, I pushed it back with a gesture. I'd already paid for it, and she looked at me confused.
"It's yours," I told her with a calm smile. "You look like you need it."
She stared at the drink like it was treasure, and her lips curled into a brighter smile.
"Thanks a lot, Steven."
"Where's Lars?" I asked, surprised not to see him around.
"He's in the back, as always," she replied with a sigh.
"You should stand up for yourself," I added, looking at her firmly.
"I know..." she said, looking down, "but it's just... well..."
Her voice trailed off, shy, and I could read her thoughts from a mile away.
"Don't let your feelings control you."
She blushed instantly and shook her head.
"I can read you from over here, you know?" I reminded her in a soft tone.
She went silent for a few seconds, biting her lip. "Is it really that obvious?" she finally asked, cheeks still burning.
"Totally."
She looked away, trying to escape her own blush. "Well... I'll leave you to it, I gotta go talk to the girls."
"Oh, right..." she said, regaining some composure. "Say hi to Barbara for me."
"Will do."
With that, I turned around just as more customers started pouring in. She, nervous but smiling, hurried to clutch the drink in her hands.
I walked slowly toward the house, lost in my thoughts as always. This time, I was remembering that parade... or procession, I wasn't sure what to call it. My dad had given me a break from his routine, and I appreciated it; we attended the event together.
To be honest, I didn't really remember what it was about. Who could blame me? It was a bit boring, something about bubbles, I think. However, there was one detail that stuck with me: I saw someone who would be key to my future.
Connie.
A girl whose life seemed almost entirely controlled by her parents. I remember my gaze lingered on her a bit too long—so much so that my dad noticed and, true to form, didn't miss the chance to tease me. I'll admit: it worked a bit to get a smile out of me.
But Connie had something different. A spark that not everyone possessed. There was an unusual formality to her for her age, a firm gaze, and at the same time, an air of curiosity about her surroundings. You could already see the first hints of puberty in her, which gave her a touch of tenderness that contrasted with her seriousness.
I snapped out of my thoughts as I saw her leave, and I nodded slightly to my dad, faking attention. He was talking to me about the parade, though it was obvious he was only doing it because a friend of his was watching us. He wanted to look interested, so he kept the conversation going with me.
But my eyes went back to look for the girl who had caught my attention. That's when I noticed a red flash on the ground: her bracelet.
I gave my dad a discreet signal and he, with a slight tilt of his head, understood what I wanted. I walked quickly to the spot and picked up the bracelet. It was one of those glow-in-the-dark ones that eventually ran out.
I couldn't help but smile, though I scolded myself silently: "How childish..." I thought. Still, I tucked it into the inner pocket of my jacket like a small treasure.
I went back to my dad, who was already talking about something else, and so the outing continued, accompanied by my best friend... and a bracelet that seemed to burn with a secret glow in my jacket.
I came back to reality, murmuring a few words to myself. It was strange: now I was observing myself in the third person within my own memories, as if my mind were reconfiguring, updating itself somehow.
An involuntary smile tugged at my lips as I climbed the stairs. With that strange vibe still hanging in my head, I opened the door and walked into the house.
END OF CHAPTER 6.