Mom: [We haven't heard from you in a week, Connie. How was your first day of school?]

Daddio: [Did you have fun?]

Me: [...No.]

Mom: [Did you at least make friends?]

Me: [Yes : )]

Sleeping in my apartment that first week was weird. I tossed and turned, feeling lost and lonely. Sleep was only a dream tonight as Empire University kept every part of me wide awake.

Peridot, Alex and the Crystal Gems spun around my head. This wasn't what they showed on TV, though in some aspects it was similar.

I could guess Peridot was part of the "outcasts" and Alex was also, but the cliques were so vastly different I didn't know what to even call them.

Save for Steven Universe's.

The Crystal Gems as a clique name seemed pretty indulgent, way too high end for a college. I imagined they must think pretty highly of themselves, and I could see why.

Each one of them were gorgeous. I hadn't seen any of them in any of my classes but Peridot told me they always ended up skipping the first while of the school year.  Everyone seemed to just go with it and everyone seemed to know which puzzle piece they were in the grand picture that starred Steven's posse.

I rolled out of bed and opened my closet. I wanted to be a puzzle piece too, dammit.

My clothes were not what I hoped they would be. I'd been wearing long pants and yoga leggings and baggy t-shirts with political slogans about corruption and existentialism. I had clothes made for a dork, and I didn't want to be a dork. Not at Empire University I didn't.

I looked out the window, noticing the sky was beginning to turn a light blue color signaling I had stayed up all night thinking.

I'd never been to a place where adults didn't trust me. I'd already gotten in trouble twice: once for getting up to use the restroom which I apparently needed permission to do, and once for working ahead on an easy math worksheet.

I sighed and pulled out my leggings and the closest thing to a sexy shirt I had: Bad Girls Study Hard on a black shirt with hot pink letters.

It was still dorky, but it would have to do.

Peridot and Alex greeted me as soon as I sat down.

"Look, there's one now." Alex whispered conspiratorially. "Spinel."

I looked over. Good lord, she was even cuter up close. She had hot pink fishnets to match her hair, the shortest shorts I'd ever seen, and a crop top riding so high there was no way she could possibly raise her hand without giving everyone a clear view of her breasts. They were smaller than mine, but not small enough to skip wearing a bra, which she had seemed to do anyhow.

"Don't make eye contact."

I had just started to turn away when she caught me staring. She narrowed her eyes like she was trying to recognize me, but no names came to mind. Her lips formed into a tiny, careful smile so I tried to smile back.

Peridot smacked my arm and I looked away. "She caught me."

"Uh oh. Did she do anything?" Alex peeked over his shoulder as casually as possible.

A group of guys were surrounding her now, all leaning against things as she playfully flirted with them.

"Now boys, I'm tryna get educated," She scolded, but it didn't sound too genuine to me. The purr in her strangely Jersey accent said otherwise.

"We can teach you, Spinel. Why don't you come over before football practice and help us stretch?"

She giggled and stretched her arm all the way over to boop his nose. "Are you kidding? Anything for friends."

They dispersed, nudging and whispering to each other.

"I feel like I really don't belong here," I said aloud.

Alex gave me a few once overs and looked like he was going to try to say something encouraging. "I mean..." Then he frowned. "No, not really. Sweetheart, you picked the wrong biome. You're a bunny, and most of the people here are predators."

"Some in both ways," Peridot snickered.

My heart started pounding, I felt sweaty and nauseous. He was totally right, I did not belong here. I should talk to my parents after school, I should leave this place.

I pulled out my phone.

Me: [We need to talk.]

Mom: [About what? Are you okay?]

I stared down at her immediate response. I came here for independence, and yet here I was crying to my mommy the second things got scary.

Me: [I don't know. I'll text you after school.]

My phone vibrated a few times and the teacher looked up. "Ms. Maheswaren, your phone."

A cold sweat broke out over me. "I can't give you my phone, I'm supposed to have it on me at all times."

A few people giggled at me.

"Aw, the baby needs it, Ms. Larson. She's gotta make sure her mommy can bring her lunch!"

What felt like the entire world erupted into mocking laughter and I fought back tears. I had heard it but never quite experienced it. People were just kind of mean.

"Now you don't get it back until the end of the day. Hand it over, or you can go to the principal." She gave me a slightly sympathetic look past her stern words and I sighed, setting it in her hand.

I kept my head down until lunch, trying not to let their words get to me. I wasn't a baby. My parents were just protective and trying to look out for me.

Peridot and Alex had gone ahead since we didn't have the same class and grabbed a table before someone else did.

The food looked high in carbohydrates and fat, but I was hungry so I clutched the tray in my hands and turned to face the wildlife.

To my right a bunch of students were speaking an entirely different language, it sounded like Hindi. I greeted them and they gave me disgusted looks, forcing me to walk by quickly before they could see my face turn red.

I should really learn to keep my mouth shut.

I walked a bit deeper in. A table of muslim girls way too pretty for this world were peeling oranges and nothing else. One of them looked like my friend Patricia, but the way she curled her lip at me told me she definitely wasn't.

"Hey."

I flipped around, startled that someone was talking to me.

A guy around six inches taller than me reeking of body spray but still decently attractive grinned at me. "My name is Kevin Johnson, part of the welcoming committee of Empire University."

I smiled nervously. "Oh. Hi."

He tossed his head to get the hair out of his eyes. "We just have a few questions for you if that's okay." I tried to respond but he cut me off. "Is your muffin buttered?"

I blinked. "What?"

He and his friends behind me smirked at each other as he offered, "Would you like us to assign someone to butter your muffin?"

Butter my muffin? What the heck? I glanced down at my tray, knowing I didn't pick up a muffin at all. "Uh– I– I don't think–,"

"Is he bothering you?" A smooth, low voice asks me to my left. "Kevin, why are you such a prick?"

I swiveled my head to see them. The Crystal Gems glaring up at Kevin who shrugged his shoulders at Steven.

"I'm just being friendly," He said defensively.

Pearl pursed her lips. "You were supposed to show up for tutoring last night."

He ignored her and smiled at me again, opening his mouth to probably ask me more about muffins I didn't have.

The leader sneered at Kevin. "Kevin, you can't skip out on Pearl and then come to school and scam on some poor innocent girl right in front of her. That's disgusting, man." He shook his head and leaned his elbows on the table. Steven looked up at me with those dark striking eyes and I almost pissed myself. "Do you wanna have sex with him?"

Ohhhhh. "N-no, thank you."

Steven smiled at an annoyed Kevin. "Then it's settled. You can go scarf shopping now."

Kevin looked down at his cyan scarf. "What? Why?"

Spinel stretched her arm and poured her soda all over it. I stumbled back but some got on my sneakers anyways. "See ya, Kevin."

Kevin scoffed, wiping at himself as he and his friends stomped off.

I started to make my way but Steven motioned for me to stop. "Hold on, there. Sit down." He didn't sound like he was offering. He sounded like he was telling.

I glanced over at Peridot and Alex who were staring at me with wide eyes and frantically shaking their heads.

"I told you to sit. Down." Steven glowered for a second and fear coursed through me.

My knees went weak as I slid my tray onto the open side of their table. They're all staring at me hard, observing me with critical college student eyes when I have never been observed in my life. I'm so intimidated I can't think of anything to say.

"Why don't I know you?" He stood and moved around to my side of the table, right next to me.

"I'm new," I whispered. He was huge, even bigger sitting so close our shoulders were brushing up against each other. I couldn't do anything but stare down at my tray, noticing that the juice from my peas were seeping into the meat chunk. "I-I was homeschooled."

"Ooo, looks like backstories are aligning here!" Pearl excitedly exclaimed. "Steven was homeschooled until high school, so don't feel too badly."

Steven turned to me and out of politeness I forced myself to make eye contact. Oh shit. His eyes were so brown I huffed out a tiny laugh of disbelief, like this was ridiculous. There was no way this was happening, he was way too hot to be talking to me. "I guess so, Pearl." A big hand lifted and brushed some of my hair behind my ear.

"But you're like, really pretty," Spinel commented skeptically.

"Oh, thank you." I tried to smile but Steven inclined closer, so close I could smell his cologne. Roses... he smelled like roses. And that sexy musk that comes with being a man.

"So you agree?"

"What?"

He smirked. "You think you're really pretty?"

"Oh, I don't know– I just–,"

His eyes dropped to my shirt. "Bad Girls Study Hard?" He chuckled and gazed into my soul. "Somehow I don't believe you're a bad girl."

Panic. Panic from the deepest recesses of who I was flooded through me, and I froze.

"It's adorable. So fetch." Pearl started picking at her french fries idly, staring at me with eyes too smart for her looks.

Steven glared over at her, still in my personal space. "What is 'fetch'?"

"Oh, it's like slang. From Homeworld." She didn't seem fazed at all by Steven, and he chuckled.

"So why do you wear your hair like that? You look like a toddler." Spinel grabbed a lock and tugged.

"Ow." To the toddler thing. To having my hair pulled. To everything.

Ow.

"Jesus, Spinel give her a break. She's... learning." Steven's eyes traveled over my face and I tried to look not afraid that he would snap my neck. He pulled away and circled back between the girls. "Could you give us some privacy for just, one second?"

I nodded and started to stand up. "Yeah."

"Stay here, Connie." They turned around and started whispering as my butt planted itself back on the seat. How did he know my name? I was pretty sure I hadn't said my name at all.

I glanced back to Peridot and Alex who were giving me confused gestures which I returned. I was just as baffled as they were apparently.

The Crystal gems turned back around and regarded me seriously.

"Right." He leaned over the table and rested his chin on his fists. The action was oddly adorable, and it would've been almost cute if his eyes didn't suddenly turn a hazy pink color. "We never really do this, but how'd you like to have lunch with us this week?"

I couldn't do that. Not to Peridot and Alex. I started to shake my head, "Oh no–,"

"No need for you to thank us," He interrupted. I tried again but he held up a finger to my lips. "There's no need to even speak."

"Listen, you're new and you don't know things. You need a group of good, well versed friends who can tell you what to think, teach you what to wear and how to act," Pearl earnestly added. She gave me a friendly smile, and I could see what Peridot had meant. She was nice. Too nice.

"See you here same time tomorrow." Steven leaned back and dangled his arms over both girls' shoulders, who giggled and rested their heads on his chest.

I was about to leave but Spinel called after me, "By the way, we wear pink every day. That way, no one's going to mess with ya."

I speed walked away, glancing down at the pink on my shirt. Did I even have any other pink clothing?

Peridot and Alex stood, leaving their trays behind and tossing mine over them. They steered me away and I saw Peridot give Steven an odd look over my shoulder. He tipped his head and shrugged his shoulders like he was dismissing a question.

Alex didn't hesitate at the bathroom door, he followed us inside without a second thought.

"Spill."

"Alex, come on. You literally can't be in here," A girl sighed in the stall.

"Where were you for Honors Choir this morning, Jasmin?" He shot back and they sighed.

"Counterpoint acknowledged."

I shook my head, trying to find words as I took off my glasses and rubbed them clean. "He talked to me. They all did. And they seemed sort of nice..."

Peridot rolled her eyes. "Not everything is as it seems. Take it from me, I'm hot and I'm one of the smartest in the school."

"They asked me to eat lunch with them for the rest of the week."

Jasmin washed her hands hurriedly and gave me an awed look before scurrying out and leaving us alone.

"Oh my stars, you have to do it!" Peridot exclaimed excitedly.

"Wait, what?" I thought she hated them.

"I thought you hated them," Alex laughed.

Peridot rubbed her hands together and turned me to face the mirror. "I do. You have to do it and tell me all the ridiculous things they say. It'll be hilarious!"

I cringed. "I don't think so, guys... I want to make sure I'm doing well in school and they kinda made me–,"

"Look, it's only for the week." Alex patted my head. "What could go so wrong that you fail the entire school year?"

"Really, Alex?" Peridot sighed. "You know saying that activates Murphys Law, right?"

I stared at my hair. What did Spinel mean? It didn't hurt, but I could feel where she had tugged on it. I brushed it and I did my entire routine. I thought I looked fine, but I guess I was wrong.

"Do you guys have any pink clothes?"

"Ew! No!" Peridot recoiled and gagged.

"Yes," Alex boasted excitedly.