Chapter Text
Steven’s father was a hoarder. This created a need for a storage unit on the edge of town. Although it was filled to the brim with useless junk, occasionally there were treasures buried in there. Steven scratched his head, kneading his hands through his curly brown hair as he tried to configure his best point of entry into the storage unit.
He inched his way into the storage locker, leading the way for his best friend Connie to follow him. They had a long weekend from middle school this week due to Memorial Day and Steven wanted to show Connie the video game Earthbound. Boxes towered all around them. Dust fell as they moved around, causing Steven to sneeze.
“Gesundheit,” Connie said.
“Thanks!” Steven said. He kneeled down in front of a worn out box. It was about to deteriorate. “I think my dad said the Super Nintendo is right near this box.”
“How did he phrase it again? Connie asked.
“He said it was near the worn out box that looks like old oatmeal,” Steven said.
“I think this looks more like kind of old cream of wheat,” Connie said with a giggle.
Steven let out a laugh and said. “Good one, Connie.” He handed Connie one box. “You can look through this one and I’ll look through the one underneath it.”
Connie nodded. She opened the box and began to sift through what appeared to be some of his father’s old T-shirts with obscure band names on them.
Steven’s box contained an old coin collection he was sure his father inherited from one of his many great-uncles.
“No. Way,” Connie said. “Steven! Your dad has a picture of himself with The Crystal Gems!”
“Well, yeah,” Steven said with a shrug as he observed the faded black and white Polaroid photo. His father was standing next to his mother with his arm around her. Next to his mother was Pearl, the lead guitarist, who was crossing her arms. Garnet, the bassist, was patting Greg on the head. Amethyst, the drummer, was sticking her tongue out at the camera. “That was my mom’s band.”
“Your mom was that Rose?!” Connie said with wide eyes.
“I don’t know what you’re getting at,” Steven said. His head cocked in confusion. He knew his parents met through their mutual bands, but he thought it was a small thing they did for fun. Connie seemed to be blowing this out of proportion. “I mean before she...well passed away. She was in a band and they were all best friends. Then she met my dad when they opened for him at a concert one night. Then she had me and then....” Steven trailed off.
Connie bit her bottom lip. Steven knew he made it awkward and he felt badly about it. Connie didn’t mean to bring it up.
“I’m sorry for bringing--” Connie said.
“No worries,” Steven said. He managed to force a small smile and said, “So tell me what the big deal with my mom’s band is.”
Connie giggled, but then got suddenly serious, “Steven, The Crystal Gems were like the greatest girl rock band of the late 90s! Well until they broke up in 2002 because--”
“They didn’t break-up,” Steven said. “They took a break because Pearl broke her hand and then my mom got pregnant with me.”
Connie’s face contorted into a concerned expression. Her brow was crinkled and she was biting her bottom lip. It concerned Steven. She seemed to know something he didn’t. “Yeah, that’s what I meant,” Connie said. “Anyway, have you ever looked them up on Youtube?”
“I mean, my dad has all their CDs and most of their live videos saved on VHS, so I never really needed to.”
Connie whipped her phone out and typed in “The Crystal Gems,” on the search bar of the Youtube App.
A cheesy music video called, “The Other Night,” started to play. Steven saw that it was filmed in 1998. There was a close-up on his mother’s face smirking into the camera. Her hair was made up, taming her wild pink curls. She wore a baggy black and pink dress.
The camera cut to the Amethyst. Her hair was short and dyed bright purple. She looked young. Steven thought she couldn’t have been older than fifteen. The Amethyst he knew, the one who came to his thirteenth birthday party last summer, had long brown hair with purple streaks in it. She began to start the tempo with the drums.
Then the camera zoomed out to a medium shot, showing all of the members of the band standing on a makeshift stage in a dark living room at a house party. Garnet, besides looking about a decade younger, was the same as Steven knew her now. She wore dark sunglasses, a red tank top, and flared jeans.
Steven almost did not recognize the other guitar player to his mother’s right. The woman had on loose, black bootcut jeans and a baggy, teal t-shirt. Her hair was short and dyed light pink. Her nails were short, but painted in an intricate turquoise and pink pattern.
“Wow, Pearl looks weird,” Steven said.
“What do you mean?” Connie asked. “I think she looks really cool.”
“I mean, the Pearl I know has strawberry blonde hair that’s like at her shoulders. And she wears like no make-up and always has silk shirts from Italy on. She’s, um, proper? Yeah. She’s proper.”
Then Steven’s mother began to sing as she played rhythm guitar.
There’s a girl. I saw
The other night.
I want to know her.
She kills it
When she strums.
I want to be near
Her all the time.
And never let go.
We’re best friends.
Together all the time.
Never apart. Never alone.
Can’t you see.
What this does
To me. Never alone.
Never again.
She's my best friend.
Pearl sang the harmony and played the guitar riff. Then she busted out with an intense guitar solo, making the song into something else, something more hardcore. It transcended the song. She jumped around on the small stage, before leaning against Rose's side, smiling up at her. Steven’s stomach turned out of nerves. He had never seen Pearl act like that. She gave him educational gifts like books and science kits. At his birthdy parties, she quizzed him on vocabulary.
Throughout the music video. There were quick shots of The Crystal Gems walking around Beach City. Pearl and Rose sat on a bench. Pearl gave Amethyst a piggy back. Garnet stared into a store window. Steven paused the video halfway through. He didn’t want to see the rest.
“90’s music videos are weird,” Connie said. “The music is awesome. Music videos on the other hand. Weird.”
“Definitely,” Steven said absently. He scrolled down and started to read the comments:
Bobbarkersson89 (1 year ago)
Rose was gorgeous and she sang like an angel RIP.
-668 Likes
Monkeeballz (2 years ago)
Pearl was a freaking goddess on the guitar. where the hell did she go?
-348 likes
--Reply: Marigoesboom6008 (2 years ago)
--Pearl writes top forty songs now. Such a waste.
--60 likes
----Reply: Monkeeballz (2 years ago)
----shit just googled her. she seems to be doing really well (apparently she’s dating a Victoria Secret model?!), but it really is a waste of talent for her to write songs for shitty bands like Maroon 5 and The Diamond Trio.
----39 likes
-------Reply: Marigoesboom6008 (2 years ago)
--------The Diamond Trio is garbage.
--------56 likes
MartyMcFly (1 year ago)
Amethyst is the most underrated drummer of all time. Wish Crystal gems would get back together cuz her new band These Freaks, is not nearly as good.
-198 likes
--Reply: Pencildicks4598 (8 months ago)
--Take that back you asshole. These Freaks are the best indie rock band around right now!
--5 likes
KitKatzone94 (3 months ago)
I think we all know what this song is about ;)
-74 likes
--Reply: Mr.Robinson69 (1 month ago)
--wat is it about
----Reply: NahtABot1997
----sex, dude.
-----105 likes
CassandraseesTheFuture (1 year ago)
How does Garnet play the bass with sunglasses on when the lights are so dark? lolz
-589 likes
Hollabackgrl98 (3 years ago)
Can we all just think for a minute about how great Pearl is at the guitar? Top five female guitarists of all time, easily.
-143 likes
--Reply:MarcherofMadness5321 (2 years ago)
--She’s in the top ten guitarists of ALL TIME regardless of gender.
---208 likes
BestMomEver1975 (5 years ago)
I remember taking a three hour Greyhound bus to see them play in Beach City back in 1998. It was the greatest concert I’ve ever been to. Music isn’t nearly as good now as it used to be.
-45 likes
--Reply: PinkKangeroo5730 (1 year ago)
--Tell that to Pearl. She’s writing the shitty top 40 songs now. She’s a traitor to punk rock.
---15 likes
Mr.Robinson69 (1 year ago)
I want to fuck pearl. so sexxxxy YUM
-134 likes
--Reply: halliegal3298 (1 year ago)
--She wouldn’t be interested ;) lolz
--148 likes
----Reply: Mr.Robinson69 (6 months ago)
----Why is everyone laughing at me?”
----53 likes
Steven decided to never read a Youtube comment section again. He was sure he was now a visable green color. Ick.
“Steven,” Connie said, “don’t mind the comments. They’re super lame. And misogynistic. And gross. And not very well thought out.”
“People really like them,” Steven said. “I didn’t think they were popular.”
“Well, this is their most famous song,” Connie said. “It was in some 90s movie. That’s why it has, like, five million views.”
“One of Mom’s songs was in a movie?" Steven mumbled to himself.
Steven looked at the related videos. Most of them were for a couple of their other songs. One was for a song by Amethyst’s new band These Freaks, called “I Wanna Follow You.” Another was an interview Garnet gave about gender in rock history. He clicked on a video called "Pearl LeBlanc - Letterman 1999," with a thumbnail that showed a pink-haired Pearl sitting on a couch on a talk show set.
“I heard you were classically trained,” the talk show host said to Pearl.
“I went to a performing arts high school. I studied piano and music composition,” Pearl said.
“So you compose and write all the songs?” the talk show host asked. “Even ‘The Other Night’?”
“Rose wrote that one,” Pearl said.
“Did she write it about you?”
Pearl blushed. She laughed then said, “No of course not. Anyway, we write most of the songs together."
“Someone told me you can play Bach on the guitar,” the talk show host said.
Steven then saw another related video titled, “The Crystal Gems and Mr. Universe - "I Want to Let Go" - Chicago - 1999.” The thumbnail was Pearl and Rose on a stage, laughing at something.
He hit play on the video.
It was badly filmed. Most likely it was on video tape. The sound was not bad. He could hear almost everything perfectly.
Pearl and Rose were on a tiny stage in what appeared to be a small venue. The stage had graffiti all over it. His mother wore a short, white dress. Her curly pink hair was pulled back into a pony tail. Pearl was dressed in baggy clothes; a large t-shirt and loose pants. Her strawberry blonde hair was simple and short, but long enough to be in her eyes. They both were holding guitars. Garnet was off to the side, chugging a water bottle. Amethyst looked bored at the drums, like she was waiting for her cue to start playing.
The camera was shaky. The person zoomed in on Rose. She smiled into the audience and said, “We are so excited to be here with Greg Universe!”
The small crowd cheered.
The camera focused on Pearl, who was looking at the ground. Pearl forced a smile at Rose. When Rose returned the eye contact, Pearl began to laugh nervously.
“So, guys,” Rose said. “Pearl drives the van to all our gigs. I know, I know. You’re all thinking, we have a hit single, why we don’t we have a bus?”
Pearl leaned into her mic and said dryly, “The reason is Amethyst. She would store too much stuff in it.”
Garnet then said something inaudible that made Pearl lose it. She began to crack up, while Amethyst rolled her eyes at Pearl.
"This is 'I Want to Let Go,'" Rose said.
Amethyst then began the tempo. The song was slow. It was sad. As his mother sang, she focused on the ground, not looking at Pearl. Pearl sang the harmony and played lead guitar.
Steven realized as he listened to the lyrics that it was a break-up song.
“This is a strange video,” Connie said.
“I thought my dad might be in it,” Steven said.
“Wait!” Connie said. “There he is!” Connie pointed to the corner of the screen. Steven’s father, now a middle-ged bald man, was a young man in his mid-twenties with long, flowing hair. The man looked uncomfortable as he stood in the crowd by the edge of the stage. “His hair looks awesome,” Connie said.
“Yeah,” Steven nodded. “He used to have awesome hair.”
Steven became confused. He didn’t know his mother’s band was so popular. He knew these women. They would come to his birthday party every year, except he never asked them about their past. He never asked them what they knew about his mother. He only knew about the stories his father told him.
“You said the band broke up,” Steven said.
Connie slowly turned her head away from the phone screen and locked eyes with Steven. “I read about it in a Spin magazine article.”
“What happened?” Steven asked.
“I dunno, Steven. I mean, it’s all second hand gossip. Who knows what really happened. You should probably ask your--”
“Please, Connie?” Steven asked.
“Alright,” Connie sighed. “The Crystal Gems were supposed to play in Paris for a huge audience. Pearl and Rose got into a verbal fight at the hotel. Pearl somehow broke her hand. No one knows if a mirror fell on her hand or if she punched it. Or if...”
“Or if what?” Steven asked.
“Someone else broke her hand,” Connie said.
Steven stared at the paused video on the phone. His mother looked so sad. He wondered if she always felt that way. Music should make you happy, right?
“Forget about the Super Nintendo,” Steven said. “I need to ask my dad what happened.”