TODAY WAS Noel's birthday. He had gotten up early that morning, sifting through his wardrobe aimlessly.

He was going to dress extra today. That meant wearing that bright red bucket hat and large matching poofy jacket and on a whim he had nicked Cheryl's red nail polish and had applied it, albeit a little messily, that the nail varnish was littered across his actual fingers instead of the nail.

Noel felt ridiculous, but it was that type of ridiculous that made him strangely happy. So far, he had been trying to steer clear of his mom and Ron (Cheryl too, but to Noel she grew more insignificant each day) and it was working to his favour, until he started down the steps to make his way out of the front door.

"Are you wearing nail polish?" Cheryl's sickly voice shocked its way through the air, it seemed she purposely made sure her voice was loud and garish, her gaze shifting towards Noel's mom and her dad, a sneaky smile already grazing her plump lips.

Kim was on the phone, her hair had unraveled from the usual tight ponytail that left a few black strands framing her face delicately. Jerking at the sound of Cheryl's voice she promptly turned the phone away from her ear and looked at Noel curiously, her gaze snapshotting his bucket hat, to the messily painted nails and the large oversized jacket that swamped Noel's slender frame. She chose to make no comment, ending her phone call swiftly and planting a chaste kiss on Ron's cheek before squeezing Cheryl's shoulder affectionately.

She didn't even acknowledge Noel's presence before leaving, the front door shutting loud behind her.

Noel followed uncertainly, trying to ignore Ron's undressing gaze and Cheryl's unflattering sneer.

"Mom! Mom wait up!"

Kim turned around, her heels hitting the concrete floor with a loud slap. "I'm going to be late for work. What is it?"

"I-I just wanted to say...have a good day at work. Um, er...I love you."

"Wish you'd act more like it."

His mom then stepped into her small compact car, slamming the door shut and turning the key swiftly. She didn't look back to see Noel's crumpled expression, the bright light that had sparked in his eyes that early morning now having been dimmed significantly. But she did see the beginnings of hot wet tears prick at her contacts uncomfortably, it's watery mesh fogging up her vision slightly.

I love you too. I just don't know what to do anymore.

________________

Dylan wouldn't shut up.

He was wolfing down a greasy burger, it's relish squeezing out of the burger and into his lap, which he picked up swiftly and stuffed into his mouth before letting out a string of pointless sentences.

May and Bethany were sitting at opposite ends of their lunch table, which left Noel feeling cold, he wasn't used to seeing them not joint at hip.

Dylan was oblivious to this, covering his mouth every few sentences as he carried on babbling. "I saw Alex the other day, she hasn't changed one bit. You remember her don't you? The girl I met at the record shop, her and Myron were like mutual friends I guess-" Noel, who was sitting next to Dylan nudged him hard in the stomach, trying desperately to communicate a message with his eyes.

What's going on with those two?

Dylan, finally recognizing Noel's silent plea, opened his mouth. "What's the deal with you guys? I'm not usually the loud one."

"I don't know. Ask Bethany." Noel wasn't used to hearing May talk in a snarky tone, her words slipping out of her tongue like snake venom. She kept her eyes down on her mystery meatloaf, the rancid smell curling up to her small nostrils.

Bethany matched May's look of disdain, her phone wrapped around her fingers. "So I'm not allowed to date anyone?"

"That's not what I said."

"Then what could you have possibly meant?"

"Don't act like you don't know!" May's voice began to rise, her eyes widening as she gripped on her fork harshly.

"Know what!" Again Bethany matched May's warbling tone.

"It meant more to me than it did to you and that freaking hurts."

A pregnant silence loomed over the lunch table, the loud chatter of oblivious teenagers flew over the inhabitants wearily, May's pain stricken words flowing in and out of their ear lobes.

"I can't be here right now." A shaky gasp left May's lips before she maneuvered herself out of the lunch tables, her pigtails flying despondently as she left.

Bethany gripped at her phone harder, yet her face remained blank. "Are you not going after her?" Dylan asked inquisitively, he had finished his burger and was now slurping a fruit shoot loudly, sending telepathic looks to Noel every now and again, Noel ignored them.

"It's May, remember? You can only hang out with that girl in doses, she'll get over it. She always does."

"Why is she so mad?" Noel decided to speak, he ran his hands through his brown curls, trying to not feel mad that Marcel and his goons had stole his bucket hat and chucked it into the nearest garbage bin, cackling like the oafs they are.

"I have a date tonight."

"With who?"

"Just a guy I met."

"I don't understand why would May be mad?" Dylan broke through the conversation, throwing his fruit shoot onto the floor and stomping on it with his brown cladded boots. "If anything, she should be happy."

Bethany said nothing, flicking her long braids behind her back, she made uncomfortable eye contact with Noel, his stark blue-green eyes scrutinizing her presence.

Noel knew exactly why.

________________

"Myron?"

Noel had trudged out of the school building, the sunlight glaring in his eyes uncomfortably. It had been a long day. Myron was standing by his sleek black car, a mischievous glint armed in his eyes.

"I didn't see you in English, come to think of it, I didn't see you at all today."

Myron had let out a distorted chuckle, the blue in his hair had now faded away to the tips, the rest a thick jet black. "That's because I wasn't in school."

"Why?"

"Do you have anywhere to be after school?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Get in the car."

"Look-"

"Just get in."

Noel reluctantly entered Myron's car, his hands unknowingly shaking. Myron shot him a small smile before starting the car, his fingers turning up the radio loudly. "Just trust me Noel."

Noel nodded to himself, staring out of the window, he watched the school roll by and the clusters of building surrounding it become a mashed blur behind him, the leather of the car seat was hot against his back, tinging his ears a slight pink. He was hyperaware of Myron's presence, his bushy eyebrows in a thinking stance, and the bottom of his lip caught in between his teeth as he drove leisurely through their town. Noel found himself closing his eyes, finally allowing himself to have peace, he didn't let himself worry about this morning, or lunch or tomorrow, he found himself relaxing in the moment of now and now none of that mattered.

"We're here." Myron shook Noel's shoulders gently, he couldn't contain the smile that was breaking through his lips. Noel awoke abruptly, opening the car door tentatively to the scene around him.

They were in a large field with a makeshift rickety stage built entirely from wood propped up in the middle. Attached to it was a large projector, the remnants of the afternoon sun reflected on its silver reflection. Noel stood there unsurely, his feet rooted to the mossy grass as he watched Myron pull out an abundance of snacks from the boot of his car, setting it on the grass in a calculated row. He then brought out a thin blanket, spreading it onto the floor, before disappearing behind the projector.

"Myron? What's going on?"

The projector turned on, a large image of Steven Universe displayed proudly on the front. Myron came out from behind the projector, his smile seeming to have magnified. "Happy birthday Noel."

Noel wanted to cry.

"I thought we could watch some Steven Universe episodes while pigging out on snacks and stuff, it was a nice day, so I thought why not do it outside..."

Noel was crying.

Myron rushed over to Noel's hunched up figure, concern etching his features carefully. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No! No. I'm happy." Noel let out a gargled gasp that sounded like he was laughing and crying at the same time. "How did you know it was my birthday?"

"Dylan told me."

"Oh, oh okay. Let's watch it."

Noel and Myron then flopped onto the thin blanket that was laid on the floor with the snacks. Myron then emerged with a small remote in which he pressed play on the projector.

The theme tune boomed out, and Noel lay against the blanket with a small smile on his face, his hands grabbing a cluster of chips every now and again. The theme tune then played again, and again and again. "What's going on!" Myron called out in frustration. "I downloaded two hours worth of episodes on my memory stick! Why isn't it working!"

"We are the Crystal Gems, we'll always save the day..." Myron stopped his gambled shouting when he watched Noel singing the theme tune under his breath softly, there was a flicker of Doritos on his lips, his breath slightly peppery as he sang. "And if you think we can't..."

"We'll always find a way." Myron joined in his voice louder than Noel's, the furrow in his eyebrows had now been displaced.

"That's why the people of this world, believe in..." Noel had sat up, trying to make his voice louder than Myron's.

"Garnet, Amethyst..."

"Pearl and Steven!"

The video then replayed the song again, causing Noel to stand up, knocking the bag of Doritos as he did so. "We are the Crystal Gems!" Myron mirrored his actions, clearing his throat dramatically. "WE'LL ALWAYS SAVE THE DAY!"

"AND IF YOU THINK WE CAN'T!"

"WE'LL ALWAYS FIND A WAY!"

Noel was shouting the song out, his voice slightly hoarse from the dry Doritos he had just been scoffing. The smile on his face was so wide, it had started to hurt, yet he made no move to suppress it, laughing loudly at Myron's hollering. "THAT'S WHY THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD..."

"BELIEVE IN!"

They both turned to each other, a daring glint equipped in both of their eyes as they belted out the last lyrics. "GARNET, AMETHYST, PEARL AND STEVEN."

Myron had never heard Noel laugh so much, to Myron it was beautiful, not just his laugh, but his striking eyes and plump lips and his curly, curly hair and his bright clothes and his terrible Steven Universe singing and the fact that he still has so much more to learn about Noel, that he hadn't even cracked the beautiful enigma of the boy, and he wondered just how did no one ever witness this, how did no one ever see how beautiful he is. How could this have been hidden away?

The sun had gone down quickly, a sunset bathing the sky, as the projector played out the distorted melody of theme tune. Noel had flung back dramatically on the blanket, grabbing a can of coke and flipping it into his throat. He looked over at Myron, he's usually neat hair slightly mussed and his trademark black t-shirt crumpled slightly, an ominous grass stain littered across the front daringly. Myron looked back at Noel, not bothering to avert his eyes, it wasn't uncomfortable, almost as if they were both talking telepathically, as if to say thank you.

Noel almost felt like it was just those two, in the vast expanse of the empty field, he had so many questions for Myron, but he almost didn't want to ask him, he wanted to preserve the magic.

"Do you believe in magic?"

"What?"

Noel felt drunk, but he didn't think you could get drunk on a can of coke. "Well, do you?"

"It depends what your definition of magic is...If it's snapping your fingers and changing your clothes in a blink of an eye, then no... that's the only definition I'm aware of."

"I think magic is those moments that make you wonder, that feel you with incredible disbelief, like for me it's watching cartoons, somebody sat down and drew, and redrew and then drew again to create a moving image. That's magic, or when you discover somewhere beautiful for the first time, or when you laugh so hard your insides ache. For me, magic is like...the beauty of life..." Noel nervously took another gulp of his coke, he felt like he was talking shit, he probably sounded so camp.

"Then I guess...you're magic." Myron's words halted Noel's toxic mind, he looked at Noel with a ferocity Noel had never seen on Myron's face before, and all of sudden nothing mattered.

Myron was the only person who had said happy birthday to Noel that day, but honestly, to Noel, he wouldn't have wanted it any other way. 'WE ARE THE CRYSTAL GEMS!" Noel chose to shout again, and soon they were both up on their feet, hollering the theme tune until their throats were sore and their feet grew tired, and the dark of the night swallowed them whole.