Agate jolts awake, his heart in his throat. The alarm on his phone is going off. It’s time for school. He stared at his phone and turned it off then got up. He scratched his head, realizing that he forgot to put his hair cap on, he sighed and headed off to Onix and Ruby’s room right down the hall.

He stood in front of their door, no sounds coming from inside seeing that they must still be asleep. Ruby and Onix trust Agate enough to go to school on his own. They of course get up 90% of the time but other than that they sleep in. He sighed and knocked on the door. Sleepy shuffling came from the room as one of them walked to the door. Ruby answered

“Huh? What’s up baby?” She said with sleep plastered on her face.

“Can I stay home from-“

Ruby cut him off, “Baby boy, I know that it’s been pretty hard these past few days and that you’ve been not in the best of spirits and I understand. But, we made a deal, remember?”

Agate sighed and nodded.

“And what was that deal?”

The two of them spoke in unison, “On the days of your/my concert, school is never to be skipped.” Agate sighed once he finished.

“Thank you, now please get ready for the day and school. And if it really is too unbearable please call me or your Dad. We’ll try to pick you up, and if you can’t you can take the pre-written notes I have on the living room table okay?” Ruby said, her tone sounding less like she was asleep.

Agate nodded, “Okay Mom. I’ll, I’ll get on that.”

Ruby looked at him with a slight worry and then smiled, “Not before my deadly hugs and kisses you aren’t!”

Before Agate could run away Ruby grabbed him and gave him a big hug, enough to crush bones. Then gave him a big kiss on the cheek. Agate giggled as she let go of him. “Now run along before I give you another.”

He chuckled and walked away to get ready for school. Ruby watched him leave and then went back into his room. Onix, barely awake, sat up in bed and looked at Ruby. “What, what did bud want?” He yawned as Ruby crawled into bed again.

“He wanted to skip school.”

He looked at her all sleepy before he answered, “...he does know the um, rules right?”

“Mmmhmm. We said it together. But I still feel bad you know? He seemed really upset but-”

“You should have let him stay home you know…” Onix said flatly.

“I-”

“You should go and let him stay him sweetie. He deserves it.” 

Ruby looked at him for a bit and hesitated, she sighed and got back out of bed and sighed, “Gosh Onix. You’re right.”

“I know I am. I always am, you just don’t believe me half the time Roob.” He chuckled then yawned.

“I know I know, I gotta listen to you more often.” She leaned into bed and gave him a kiss. “I’ll be back.”

He smiled and yawned, “Okay sweetie, I’ll most likely be asleep. I have work later.”

She chuckled and left the room. She walked up to Agate's room and knocked on the door. “Sweetie, it's mom.”

Footsteps come up to the door and open it, Agate has his shirt half on and his favorite pair of pants on. He still looks extremely tired. “Hmm?”

She sheepishly smiled, “So~ you can stay home from school today.”

Agate looked at her and smiled. “Thanks, ‘preciate it. What made you change your mind? Just a simple question?”

She hesitated a second, “Yeah-, your father told me that I made a bad choice given the situation with you. And frankly, he was right, you know how he is when he’s half sleep. He’s almost always correct.”

Agate nodded “You are right there.” He stretched and sighed. “Welp, since I’m already up and all the like I guess I’ll go for a nice walk around town. That okay?”

“Yeah yeah yeah it's all good. Just be safe as always okay”

Agate grinned and put a thumb up. “I think you forgot who your son is.”

“I didn’t. That’s why I said that.”

“Ugh! How you wound me so. I'm an evil little goblin and you know it.”

“You proud of that?”

“Very.” He chuckled and closed the door. He finished getting dressed for the day, not really caring about his appearance he just threw on some random clothing, then left his room to promptly finish getting ready.

He finished getting ready then left the house. The crisp cool air hit his face and soothed his mind as he walked to his favorite spot. The birds sing and chirp the song that they always fill the air with, his favorite bird song has to be the Mourning Dove’s. The nostalgia that the song brings to him is enough to make him smile. He always heard its song in the morning during elementary school when waiting for the bus. That song always brought him the evilest ideas to his little head; Giving someone a big hug and laughing, giving people high fives, and the most evil of all, giving people little trinkets as gifts. The most devilish of things, Onix was very proud of his devilish deeds to the point he made him sweet treats for his actions.

When he almost walked into town he turned off to the left into the trees. A slight path was visible, there was clearly little foot traffic in this area. The rustling of the leaves in the wind and as they trickle down to the ground, the earthy smells of the forest, and the slight noises of animals quickly leaving the area at Agate’s presence. The path led up to a large steep hill that had a large tree growing upon it. This was Agate’s spot to cool down and think. Some of his things littered the place. Some blankets and toys lay where he last had them. But one thing that he didn’t expect to be there was Jade and Carnelian. He didn’t move any further so they don’t notice him as he listens in.

“Carnelian, you sure he’d be here?” Jade said, a slight strain in her voice.

“Yeah. He always comes here when he like, you know? Upset and the like.” He said as he sat down in the pile of old blankets that the three of them set up when they were in middle school. “I- I feel horrible you know?”

“Why? Not like he communicated it huh?” She scoffed as she too sat next to him. Agate felt goosebumps start to crawl up his skin. “If he was feeling like this he should have said something you know? Not just hide it and just let it build up like an idiot.”

Carnelian looked at Jade and shook his head, “No, don’t say that Jade that’s rude. It’s both our fault. We were ignorant and he wasn’t communicating. Like- I get it. It’s hard to talk to your friends about stuff. You don’t want to hurt their feelings.”

Jade stared at Carnelian and then at her shoes, “...Yeah I get it… I just wish-”

“Yeah I know. You wish he communicated. It hurts that he didn’t but I understand.”

Agate looked down at his feet, his face felt hot and he could hear his blood pumping and felt his heart in his throat. He hated feeling like he’d upset his friends and ended up doing that in the first place. Tears were fighting their way up to his eyes, his mind wanted to do two different things, walk away and walk to them. His chest felt tight and his heart ached with every passing moment. He finally got enough courage to start and leave back home, he almost made it out of the clearing when he stepped on a stick. And not a moment later he heard Jade's voice.

“Pepple? Is that you?”

He stopped in his tracks. His mind was racing as tears started to pour from his face, barely a sound being made. Then before he knew it he answered in a strained voice. “Yes.”

He heard the sounds of rushed footsteps and then a strong arm pulled him into a hug. It was Jade, he wasn’t able to see her face but the way she held him said it all. He looked up, his vision blurry from the tears, and saw Carnelian who looked extremely stressed and just sad. He started to tear up, they both did. Jade let go of the hug and gripped Agate by the shoulders and shook him. She was crying buckets of tears, “What’s wrong with you!? Not answering our damn texts!” She started to cry, wailing even. Agate couldn’t help but join in. Now all three of them are crying.

After a while of tears and sorrow, they all sit down on the mound of blankets and listen to the birds singing, and the town as it starts to wake up for the day. It’s silent between the three of them. Their eyes puffy from their giant cry session just moments before, and the air thick with tension. Then Jade speaks up, taking initiative as always.

“Wanna just- hang out today? The three of us. All day and night after the concert?”

Agate looks at her, she’s staring very hard out into the town. She’s trying very hard not to cry, all three of them are. He nods his head and leans his onto her shoulder.

“Yeah…I’d love to.”

Carnelian follows in Agate's actions, nestling closer to her though. “Of course babe.”