Chapter Text
Pearl was beginning to learn that parties might not be her thing.
She was trying. Ticking off that mental list of things to ensure she had a good time. She'd joined a group of people on her floor as they made their way through the bars, and then latched onto a friendly looking girl, leaving with her to go to someone else's flat.
And now she was here.
It wasn't even that she felt particularly lonely. She was surrounded by people. The girl she'd split off with was around, flitting around the room and giggling. Everyone was around, wanting to talk.
But it felt…strange. It was something about the way they were all new. Moving away from home, going to university. Desperate to be someone, to make those friends that were supposed to last for a lifetime. Or something.
The flat was hot, thumping music and dark lights. Pearl kept getting static shock from people rubbing against her bolero as they passed. She was feeling rather... jittery.
But she could stick it out. She was capable. But maybe.. she could take a breather first.
The girl she’d arrived with was standing by the door, finally alone. Pearl slid up next to her, and her dark eyes lit up.
“There you are! Isn't this fun?” Her voice rose over the music. She looked happy, like she was drinking it all in.
Pearl smiled at her. “Yeah, it is. I think I'm going to get some air. I’ll be back, promise.”
“Oh…” she chewed on her lip, brows furrowing nervously. “Wait, can we exchange numbers? So we can find each other again- I- I don't want to have to go back alone.”
“Of course.” Pearl fished out her phone and handed it over, accepting the offered one in return. The case was covered in flower stickers.
She took her phone back with a smile, and glanced down at the contact.
“Okay, great! Thank you, Pearl.”
Pearl smiled back at her. “See you later, Katherine.”
It wasn't actually that hard to leave. There was an entrance onto a metal fire escape, stair leading up to the roof. She carefully eased past the couple making out on the platform, and let her steps pull her towards the sky.
The stars had always been visible back home. But now she was surrounded by light pollution, smoke and neon blurring out the sky into a pale grey hue.
Pearl stepped onto the roof, and inhaled a deep breath of air. The quiet washed over, until it was just muffled shouting and cars from the streets way down below.
And then there was music.
Soft and sweet, gently rising above the noise. It was a complex, singing sound, and Pearl felt like it was wrapping around her waist, pulling her closer.
She took a few steps closer, and when her eyes refocused, there she was.
A silhouette, standing against the glow of the billboards. She was moving with a strange kind of energy, as if she was fused with her violin and all she could do was play until her heart ran out.
The music grew frantic, hungry, but still so soft. Pearl felt like the air was being pulled out of her chest, slowly.
And then it faded to a close. The silhouette stayed like that for a moment, bent over her violin as if mourning the loss of sound.
All Pearl could do was clap.
She turned around instantly, her long braid slipping over her shoulder. Light eyes sparkled under the blurred moon.
“Oh, hello.” Her voice was quiet, gentle.
Pearl took a few steps closer. “That was beautiful. You're so talented, I-”
“I’m not talented, no. It is just music.” She took a few steps closer, mirroring Pearl. “But I'm glad you liked it.”
She was close enough now for Pearl to see that her eyes were green, deep like jewels.
“I did. I really did. Do you- do you live here?”
She arched an eyebrow. “On the roof? No, unfortunately. I also don’t live in the building, which is probably what you were actually asking me. But I heard there was a party, and I like roof access. Being close to the sky.”
Pearl felt briefly like all of her words had just been stolen out of her. It wasn’t as if she had done anything wrong. She just didn’t know what to say. So instead, she just sat down on the ground with a thump, and smiled when she was joined.
“What’s your name?”
There was a pause, as if she was considering the question. Then she looked back up, and Pearl realised that her face were dusted with the lightest smattering of freckles.
“My name is Gemini. But people call me Gem.”
Both names suited her. There were hardly any stars out, but they still twinkled in her green eyes.
Pearl smiled. “I’m Pearl.”
“Pearl. I like that name.” She rested her chin against her hand. “You know, Pearl, the most exciting things happen happen on rooftops.”
“Really?”
Gem smiled. “Really. Once, my brother set off a firework on our roof. He almost got himself killed. But really, it was very exciting.”
She found herself laughing.
They stayed there, under the pale sky. They spoke of home, and the future, and shared tales of wind and starlight. Pearl felt like the world melted into a watercolour blur around the two of them, until they rested in a bubble of rainbows.
At some point, Gem handed her the violin, passing it over like it was pure gold. Trust. Pearl turned it over, and ran her fingers over the wood. Carved words, curling script.
We are all connected to each other. Look for the Gemini.
Gem leaned back in the chair. She crossed her legs, and then uncrossed them.
Hazel eyes watched her.
“That’s how I met Pearl.”
“I see. Well, let’s jump in.” She braced herself, fingers digging into the leather. “You’ve never mentioned your brother before.”
She nodded.
It was funny. Gem knew what she was saying, but when she challenged on it, she got scared. But she had mentioned him for a reason.
“I’ve not talked about him for… over five years. I don’t think on that part of my life often.”
They hummed. “When you got your degree?”
“Yeah.”
“And why has he stayed in that part of your life? You lost touch?”
Gem nodded. It could certainly be put like that, yes. “It’s a long story.”
Her therapist glanced at the clock. “Tell you what, the next client cancelled on me. How about we extend this for another hour and half? That gives us almost three hours. Free of charge.”
“Really? I can pay, I don’t-”
“This seems important, Gem. You’ve made a lot of progress, and digging further into the past is a massive step. So we can take this time for you to talk about it. We’ll go from there.”
She nodded, inhaling deeply. “Okay. Okay.”
“My next question, Gem, and I want you to think about this. How would you describe that period of your life?”
Spilled milkshakes, sticky notes. Music. Plants and painted nails.
And a group of people.
Katherine.
Shelby.
False.
Pearl.
And him. Him, and the phone calls, and the fire escape, and the open window. The car, and the matching tattoos, and the tarot cards. And the others.
Everything she had tried to forget.
“I moved to a new city, and I met so many people, and we built an empire from the ground up.”
It had fallen. But was the ending the point of the story?
Gem supposed she would find out.