Peridot trudged down the hallway to her next class, irritated. She really wasn't in any hurry; there was literally no point in learning Trigonometry. Just about every other class had a point, but trig? Not at all. Her teacher was intimidating, she could never bring herself to focus, and to be frank, she just didn't care. She'd gone as far as asking her comrades "What's the point of this if we aren't going to use it anywhere other than school?"
Pearl had given her a cross look. "Because you need the grade." She had said matter-of-factly. Ugh. Leave it to Pearl to be impossible.
"None, really" Lapis had said, kicking her feet up on the table (much to Pearl's dismay). "I mean, you've already flunked for the year, so it really won't make a difference if you show up or not."
Now Peri couldn't get the thought out of her head. Should she do the unthinkable? Sure, she'd technically done it before. She had made a beeline to her refuge of Digital Arts class during lunch, and simply never returned to class. Another time, she hid in guidance for the first 30 minutes of the standard 90 minute period. Running on impulse, Peridot ducked up to the third floor. She dipped into the bathroom and heaved a sigh. She really didn't want to be here. She daydreamed of being able to just skip class freely and never attend trigonometry ever again. She was so lost in her thoughts, it took her a moment to register the late bell ringing. Great. Well, if she was going to be late, she may as well make it worth it. Hiding her backpack in a stall, Peridot pulled out her trusty clipboard to doodle on. She was totally at peace… until someone threw open the door.
Peridot jumped so high she nearly fell into the toilet behind her. Was it a teacher stopping in to check for delinquent children skipping class? Even worse, was someone looking for her? This was it; she was dead meat. Her hands reflexively went over her eyes, pushing her glasses up on her head. She waited for the appalled look of an unsuspecting teacher… the furious "what are you doing in here?"… the funeral march down to the principal's office…
The footsteps stopped in front of her, but she was too scared to look. "Yeesh, nerd, did I interrupt your study session?"
Peri's head snapped upwards. "Amethyst?"
"That's my name, don't wear it out."
Ugh. She'd gotten herself all worked up for nothing. Well, for mostly nothing. Even though it was just Amethyst, Peridot had kind of a massive crush on her. It was a little surprising everyone didn't have a massive crush on her. Amethyst was black (and possibly part-Hispanic) with caramel colored skin, long, thick bleach-blonde hair, and hazel eyes. She was a smidge taller than Peridot, and was kind of chubby (not that Peridot minded in the least). Her lips were full (perfect for kissing) and she had a tiny beauty mark in the far left edge of her left eyebrow and near the right corner of her nose. As the dorky artist she was, Peridot couldn't help but notice these things. She was so observant, in fact, that she knew Ame had a tiny little beauty mark on the back of her neck. (She'd pointed it out one day with delight, and Amethyst had jokingly chastised her for staring so hard at her.)
Today Amethyst was looking especially good in a black tank top, gray cut-off jorts, and black converse sneakers. Peridot looked down at her own loose green t-shirt, denim jorts, and black Converse. It was always a mystery to her how Amethyst could always dress so well.
Shaking her head, she readjusted her glasses and said "What brings you here, clod?"
"I could ask you the same, nerd"
"I asked first."
Amethyst rolled her eyes. "I didn't feel like going to lunch, I didn't want to be bothered, so I moseyed up here." She raised her (flawless) eyebrows at Peridot, beckoning an answer.
"I absolutely condemn trigonometry." Peridot said simply, avoiding eye contact.
Amethyst gasped playfully. "What? A nerd? Hate nerd classes?"
Peridot sneered. "Yes, don't sound so surprised."
Amethyst leaned against the sink. "Psssh, Trig is easy. I passed with a B!"
Peridot blushed. "I uh, kinda sorta… failed…for the year..."
Ame's eyebrows shot up. "That's what happens when you don't pay attention and have your nose glued to a book or drawing, dummy."
Peridot groaned. "You try paying attention to trivial rambling when a million art ideas are raging through your mind!"
Ame grinned. "Priorities, my friend."
"Bite me, you-"
Before Peri could continue, Ame bolted upright and over towards the blonde, and slapped her hand over Peri's mouth.
"Mmmph?!"
"Shut up, Peridot" Ame hissed. "Do you hear that?!"
She paused for a moment to try and figure out what Ame could possibly be going on about. Then, she heard it.
Click, click, click, click.
The distinctive sound of a teacher's high heels clicking on the tile floor, and they were coming closer. Before Peridot could fully react, Amethyst scooped her up stuffed her into the closest bathroom stall.
"Shut up shut up shut up!" Amethyst whispered, mushing up against her. Peridot was currently too freaked out to utter a word. She quickly sat up on the toilet, trying not to fall in.
Amethyst tried to stand in front of her, but quickly realized that wasn't going to work. She gestured for Peridot to move, then sat down herself and yanked Peri into her lap.
Peri stifled a yelp as she pulled her feet up and out of site. Just as they settled down and went perfectly still, the teacher walked in. She was whistling a merry tune and didn't even realize that there was anyone else in the restroom.
The two teens only began to relax when she finished up and sounded like she was on her way out. Then (to their everlasting horror), another grown-up walked in, and this time, it was an administrator. What the hell were they doing in here?!
"Oh hey! The administrator's restroom is still out of order?"
"Yep. You'd think our restrooms would be nearly immaculate!"
"Fuck" Ame whispered. Peridot couldn't believe this was happening. Her heart thundered in her chest. It was so deafening, she could hear each thud in her ears. This was it. She was a goner. Peri felt everything swirl away from her. The teachers were gonna hear her forceful palpitations, and her and Amethyst were gonna be sleeping with the dogs. She was going to get Amethyst –of all people- in trouble and she was going to be so angry and she was never going to talk to her again and-
She felt a hand gently brush against her own. Peridot hadn't realized she was doing the thing again. Her hands were pushing her bangs up, and she was pressing so hard into her forehead that her knuckles were turning white. Amethyst, however, had seen and felt it all. It didn't take a genius to notice that the smaller teen had gone tense and her breathing choppier and ragged.
She half expected the cooler teen to make fun of her, but she instead coaxed her hands away from her forehead, looked her in the eye, and mouthed It's okay. Peridot felt herself relax a little. The look in Amethyst's warm brown eyes looked so sincere. Amethyst held Peri's hand tenderly, slowly intertwining her fingers.
Now the blonde's heart was racing for a whole other reason. Amethyst noticed Peridot going pink, and stifled a giggle.
"You're such a nerd" she whispered into her ear, inaudible to anyone else. Peri felt the hairs on her neck raise up. She hadn't anticipated Ame to be so… close. They sat together and listened to the adults walk towards the door. They both felt sure that they were home free. Everything was okay.
Until it wasn't.
All of a sudden, Amethyst sneezed. She stifled it as well as she could, but it startled Peri so badly that she jerked backwards and slammed her elbow into the toilet paper dispenser.
"SHIT" she swore under her breath. Everyone stopped dead.
"What was that?" One adult asked. Peri broke into a cold sweat again.
Amethyst's cool was slowly running out as well. She grabbed Peridot's hand tighter and willed the women to go away. For something to go down elsewhere.
The footsteps made their way slowly and closer to their stall. Peri forced herself not to start crying and silently prayed that something- anything- would happen so that she and Ame could make their escape.
By some stroke of luck, their wish came true. One of their walkie-talkies went off.
"Uh huh… yeah… what? Someone's stuck in a locker? On a dare? They refuse to come out? Ugh, not again" She quickly marched towards the door.
"These kids these days, I swear. I should handle this"
"Yeah, and I should head back to class"
They both exited the restroom. The girls waited for a minute, which felt more like a year.
"It's clear" Amethyst declared. They both looked down to find they were still holding hands.
Peri quickly pulled away her hand "Oh-uh—I'm—I'm so—"
Amethyst smirked. "It's chill, dude. You've got such small hands."
Peridot's cheeks went a deeper shade of pink. "Y-yours are soft."
Ame gently took hold of the blonde's hand and compared sizes.
"You've got tiny lil' doll hands"
"Maybe yours are just big"
They both giggled. "We should probably get outta here; my legs are goin' numb."
"Hey! I'm not that heavy!"
"Nah, nerd, you're light as a feather, but I've been sitting on this stupid thing for a while. I'm gonna end up with a sciatica."
They exited together. A quick glance at the time told Peridot that it was a minute until her lunch shift. It had been a half hour already?
"Is this your lunch period?" Ame asked, noting her dazed look.
"Yeah"
"Got anywhere to be?" She brushed her bushy hair out of her eyes.
"Not exactly…"
"Good. Hang out in the chorus room with me."
Peri smiled nervously. "Isn't that technically your class though?"
"Yeah, but it's all good. Teach is super chill as long as you're not loud and obnoxious."
"I can assure you I will most likely be doodling the entire time."
"Works for me!"
Peridot was beaming. She'd never been invited somewhere so directly before, especially not by someone like Amethyst. It made her feel… good. Who would've known good things came to those who stalled?
~EPILOGUE~
"You what?"
"Onion was the one who got into the locker." Lapis told an incredulous Peri/
"Wh—"
"It was quite simple honestly." Pearl said matter-of-factly, sitting her books down. "I didn't see you in the stairwell, and I remembered what Lapis told me, so I figured you took her… 'Guidance'" she did some exaggerated air quotes. "-And went with it. Then Garnet saw you and then Amethyst walk into the bathroom- that is a repulsive place to hang around in while breaking the rules by the way, I mean come on, out of all the places in this entire school you went with the grimy public restroom?"
"Get to the point, Pearl." Peri said impatiently.
She shook her head. "Anyway, Garnet was the one who told Lapis that you too were stuck, and Lapis texted Steven, who I suppose sent Onion to the rescue."
Peridot then turned her attention to Garnet. "How did you know we were going to get busted?"
"I just had a little inkling, that's all." Garnet lifted up her shades and winked at the blonde.
Peridot ran her hands through her hair. "Wow… I uh… I dunno what to say…"
"Was your unauthorized fun times with Amethyst enjoyable?" Pearl said, not hiding a twinge of sarcasm in her voice.
"It was, actually." Peri shot back. "I like her and dare I say, she likes me, too!"
"Oh she does. Just give it time." Garnet said, smiling. "The more you two hang out, the more you'll bond. You two have more in common than you think."
Peridot broke into a big goofy grin. "You really think so?"
"When have I been wrong?"
"Yes, yes, that's all very nice" Pearl gave a good-natured chuckle. "But you're skipping the most important part."
"What's that?"
"Did your teacher notice you were gone?"
Peridot smiled sheepishly. "Uh… well…"
"Well?"
"Let's just say I'm not on her favorite student list…"
"She chewed you out, didn't she?"
"Just a little"
"Would you do it again in the name of Amethyst?" Lapis asked, chuckling.

"Absolutely." Peridot had never been surer of an answer in her life.