Days passed. Now Perla spent almost all her time by my side, stuck to me like a tick. I even tried to escape and go to my father's, but unfortunately, that didn't work either. When I returned home to sleep, well... I'd better tell you.
I was sleeping peacefully until I half woke up and stared at the ceiling. I don't know why, but these days I always ended up waking up at the same time in the early morning. I turned my head toward the window and confirmed that it was, indeed, the time I thought.
I looked back at the ceiling and, to kill the boredom, I began to look at the figurines I had bought a while ago. There was a figurine from a TV series my father gave me, a box where I kept my things, my television, my game console—the same one I should use again to tire myself out so I could sleep—all of it was part of the landscape of my room. With this, I tried to keep my thoughts from becoming increasingly restless.
Speaking of which... I'd forgotten a lot of things from my past life, and also several memories from the show. Maybe that's why I trained: to avoid problems. 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 always appear on the doorstep, no matter where I hid them.
And as long as I didn't have the lion's mane, I had no safe place. Luckily, I only put irrelevant information in those books.
Snapping out of my thoughts again, I wondered if I shouldn't get a girlfriend... or at least a friend. I turned my gaze toward my television and noticed something odd.
"I'm hallucinating," I thought. "It seems like Pearl is staring at me."
Suddenly, a heavy silence fell over my mind, something that didn't bode well. I slowly turned to where I'd seen that supposed illusion. And there was Pearl. Captured by my gaze, completely stiff, staring at me like a dog about to tear parts off the couch.
I, who had had a calm expression a second before, changed to a completely dry face. A few endless seconds passed in which neither of us said anything.
Uh... hey, Pearl stammered.
I stared at her without responding. Little by little, I turned around, pretending nothing was wrong, completely ignoring her. She didn't move an inch for several minutes, until I decided to summon my shield. Instantly, Pearl tensed.
Go away, I said tersely, or my shield will send you to Russia.
Pearl frowned, confused by that name, but in an instant, like a scared dog, she ran out of the room.
God, how awkward...
Don't even mention it, said a voice next to me.
I nodded out of inertia, but then it hit me: I wasn't sleeping with anyone. I turned around slowly, and there was no one there.
"Schizophrenia has definitely consumed me completely," I thought, before closing my eyes again to sleep.
And that's how my days have been. That afternoon I was with my father, telling him what had happened; he was my best friend and listened patiently. After a few minutes, he nodded and, thoughtfully, 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 difficult for them to understand the limits of humanity. I responded with a deadpan expression: I had tried to talk to them, I really had, but it didn't seem to work.
My father shook his head and, as if reviewing possibilities, commented in a low voice that sometimes a gem would attack from one side, another would respond from another, that a mission would entangle them, or that they had their own problems in the rooms. I didn't know exactly, and he wasn't really interested.
I looked back at the house. There, in the distance, was my mother's room. I wanted to investigate. As I said this, I saw a drop of sweat run down my father's temple. He knew my curiosity about everything related to her. After a silence, he said, "What if you do it now?"
I stared at him. A nervous laugh escaped me. I bet, half jokingly, that if I went in right now, some monster would emerge and multiply or something. My father looked at me worriedly and asked me seriously if I wasn't going to get into trouble.
I answered confidently, to reassure him: I assured him that I was prepared. I explained that my shield was my basic weapon, that it was like a tank: first they'd have to go through my shield, then my bubble, then the Gems, and if, for some reason, they still reached me, they'd have to defeat this burly young man. I finished the sentence by striking a pose that showed off my triceps, and a strange mix of pride and a knowing smile remained in the room between us.
He looked at me with a smile, although the concern was still present on his face. However, he decided to put it aside and, calmer after listening to me vent about what had happened these past few days, he said:
Well, Father, I think I'll take what I told you.
"Go into your mother's room?" he asked suddenly, frightened.
"What? No, talk to them."
"Ah," he replied, placing a hand over his heart, relieved.
In my mind, however, I was thinking something else. For now, I can't go in, but I know I'll make it.
I shook off those thoughts and got out of the car. I turned to my father before saying goodbye.
"Are you sure you won't come live with me and the girls? Even they don't have a problem with that."
He looked at me seriously and replied, "I feel like Perla is killing me with her gaze."
"Ah... yes," I replied dryly.
The truth is, Perla and my father had never had a particularly good relationship, although they at least tried. He had taken more steps than she had, but somehow things were still awkward. I waved goodbye and headed toward the donut shop.
The smell immediately enveloped me. Such delicious donuts... Now I understood why the original Steven loved them. I was surprised at how busy it was, even though there were only three customers at the time. When the last one had gotten his complicated order, it was my turn.
"Hi, Sadie," I said with a smile.
She, visibly bored, looked up and, upon recognizing me, gave a tired smile.
"Hi, Steven. How are you?"
I noticed the dark circles under her eyes. I didn't like seeing her like that.
"Everything's fine. The usual?" she asked.
"I definitely responded with a smile, but this time give me an energy drink."
Sadie raised an eyebrow in surprise, though she didn't say anything and just nodded as she continued with the order.
She quickly handed me the four donuts. I always bought that amount, in case any of the girls wanted one, although, in reality, it was almost always Amethyst who joined me in this little ritual.
When she tried to give me the drink, I waved it away. I'd already paid for it, and she looked at me, confused.
"It's yours," I said with a calm smile. "I can tell you need it."
She gazed at the drink as if it were a treasure, and her lips curved into a brighter smile.
Thank you very much, Steven.
And Lars? I asked, surprised not to see him there.
He's in the back, as always, she answered with a sigh.
You should respect yourself, I added, looking at her firmly.
I know... she said, lowering her gaze, but it's just... well...
Her voice trembled, shy, and I could read her thoughts from a distance.
Don't let your feelings control you.
She blushed immediately and shook her head.
I can read you from afar, you know? I reminded her in a soft tone.
She was silent for a few seconds, biting her lip.
Is it that easy? she finally asked, her cheeks still flushed.
Absolutely.
She looked away, trying to escape her own blush.
Okay... I'll leave you, I have to talk to the girls.
Oh, yeah... he said, regaining his composure a bit. Say hi to Barbara for me.
Okay.
With that, I turned around, just as more customers began to enter. She, nervous but smiling, hurried to take the drink from her hands.
I walked slowly toward the house, lost in my thoughts, as always. This time I remembered that foray... or parade, I wasn't sure what to call it. My father had given me a break from his routine, and I was grateful; together we attended that event.
Honestly, I couldn't quite remember what it was about. Who could blame me? It was a bit boring, something to do with 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 to be almost entirely controlled by her parents. I remember my gaze lingering on her for too long, so much so that my father noticed and, true to form, didn't miss the opportunity to poke fun at me. I'll admit: it worked a little to get a smile out of me.
But Connie had something different. A spark that not everyone possessed. She had an unusual formality for her age, a firm gaze, and at the same time, an air of curiosity about her surroundings. The first signs of puberty were already noticeable, giving her a touch of tenderness that contrasted with her seriousness.
I was brought back from my thoughts as I watched her leave and nodded slightly at my father, feigning attention. He was talking to me about the parade, although it was obvious he was only doing so because a friend of his was watching us. He wanted to give the impression of interest, and that's why he kept the conversation going with me.
But my eyes returned to the girl who had captured my attention. It was then that I noticed a flash of red on the ground: her bracelet.
I discreetly signaled to my father, and with a slight nod, he understood what I meant. I walked quickly to the spot and picked up the bracelet. It was one of those that emitted light, the kind that burned out over time.
I couldn't help but smile, though I silently scolded myself: how childish... I thought. Still, I put it in the inside pocket of my jacket, as if it were a small treasure.
I returned to my father, who was already talking about something else, and so that outing continued, accompanied by my best friend... and a bracelet that seemed to burn with a secret glow on my jacket.
I came out of my thoughts, 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 somehow reconfiguring itself, updating itself.
An involuntary smile spread across my lips as I climbed the stairs. With that strange air still hovering in my head, I opened the door and entered the house.
END OF CHAPTER 6.