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The night had been wild. They were at the afterparty for the Rockin' Music Awards, the very first relevant awards show they'd ever been invited to. It was their second year here, and it had been insane. They'd performed Nasty Majesty, met a shit ton of talented artists, and while they hadn't been nominated for anything (due to missing the eligibility period), getting to come, enjoy the attention, be dressed by the freshest stylists in silk and straight-from-the-runway gowns, and just realize that...
Pearl looked over at Marina, 19, now, dancing to the bouncy song playing over the speakers, a smile pulling at her lips. Pearl couldn't help but smile too. Marina had never been to many parties like this before, while Pearl'd endured too many, with her parents and all. She looked... great in the sleek, black dress their stylist had dressed her in, designer and dangerously low cut. Even though Pearl'd have preferred a suit, the label wanted them to wear dresses. And while Pearl would've forced their hand, they had contracts.
"You havin' fun?" The music was so loud.
Marina cocked her head, squinting her eyes. "What?"
Her hair had gotten so long. It was at her hips now, and it was swaying and twisting, and it looked so dope with her black dress, and Marina looked so hot, so, so tall in her high heels, and shit, maybe she was a little bit tipsy, because she usually didn’t think about shit like this..
"Uh, I said: are you having fun?" Pearl repeated, louder this time.
Marina opened her mouth to respond, but a strong shoulder shoved into Pearl’s, knocking her back into a crowd of dancing jellies. The fuck? Who did he think he was?
“Eyyy, Marina, right? From Off the Hook?” A pale inkling guy with huge-ass sunglasses on called out as he slunk towards them, a drink in hand. His words were slurred. Aw, shit, he was hammered.
Pearl nodded, stepping forward. Maybe this guy could show 'em a good time? “That's us! Whaddup?”
He stared at Pearl for one second, his lip curled up, eyebrows lowered. “I, uh, just wanted to, uh, talk, to Marina.”
Pearl knew guys found her too loud, too unattractive, and too abrasive, so it didn’t shock her when they didn’t want to talk. She wasn't interested in them, either. So she stepped aside. She’d see how this went.
The guy turned to Marina, his hungry eyes sweeping up and down, and back down again. He swayed on his feet. “Heeeeeyyy. I'm a producer with, uh, Seafoam Records. Love your work. Uh, you’re lookin’ great tonight.”
Marina’s eyes widened. “Oh… um, thanks.”
Fuck. While Pearl had her lil’ group of blushy fangirls to follow her around, it was the guys who had always taken an interest in Marina. Pearl could see why. Like.. objectively, she was like… kind of hot. With her curves and her height and her kind eyes and soft lips and silky voice and her fresh ass DJ skills. And the way her fingers crept across the turntables. And her genius brain? The way her eyes lit up when she rambled about her weird machines and the way she knew how to write a kickass track in under an hour?
Marina was so fuckin’ hot.
That’s what everyone said, anyway.
The guys wanted her attention. Some girls, too. But Marina didn't want to give it to them, always prioritizing her time with Pearl, giggling at her jokes, calling her Pearlie, writing songs during their late-night meetings at Marina’s condo. Their connection was more important than any guy.
Plus, Pearl didn't want her to give them any attention either.
Pearl watched as the guy leaned in, and Marina leaned back, her own eyes darting to Pearl, frantic in the low light of the club.
Fuck.
“You wanna get outta here?”
Fuck, fuck, fuck!
She didn't like this.
“Oh, I, um, sorry-”
She did not fucking like this.
Anger and something else burned through her as she watched Marina struggle for the words, and Pearl had to do something, so she shoved herself between them, pushing the guy back.
“Yo, yo, the fuck you think you're doing? She’s not interested,” Pearl yelled. She was sick of guys trying to take advantage of Marina, thinking she was stupid and weak all because she was sweet and shy. Nah, nah, Marina was fuckin’ fierce. She was smart, and funny, and brave, and she didn’t deserve to have to deal with this shit. Not at all. “Take a hint and stay the shell away from her!”
The guy sneered at Pearl. “Oh, yeah?” He questioned, fixing his sunglasses. “And who are you, her girlfriend?”
HUH? Where did he get that from? Pearl looked back towards Marina, eyes blown wide, a turquoise flush that was barely noticeable in the club creeping up her cheeks.
Why did he even have to suggest that? Marina was not her girlfriend. She was waaaaay out of Pearl's league.
“N-no!” Marina exclaimed, her tentacles curling up. “We–She–I—”
Pearl pushed in front of her, eying the guy’s smirk. “Were you at the show, shithead? I’m Pearl Houzuki, other half of Off the Hook?” Pearl stepped forward, trying her best to get all up in this guy’s face, even though he was like… 5 inches taller than her.
The guy rolled his eyes, lazily pressing a hand to his hip. “Ey shorty, am I supposed to be, uh, scared of you, or something? Let the, uh, big kids talk.”
Pearl growled. “Just… just stay away from Marina, aight? Or it’s bout to get real fuckin’ ugly for you, you ugly-bass piece of-”
“Pearl, stop!” Marina exclaimed, placing a hand to her shoulder. “Let’s just go.”
Pearl whirled around. “But-”
Marina’s eyes were pleading for her to stop. “It’s not worth it.”
Pearl would’ve fucked that guy up. She didn’t know how she would have done it, but she would’ve. But… Marina wanted her to stop. “Fine,” she muttered, turning back to the guy, a smirk plastered on his face as he continued to eye Marina up.
After all that? The fuck was wrong with his ass? He was ugly, his sunglasses were completely unfresh, she'd never even heard of his record label before, and no one treated Marina like that.
“Don’t fuck with us again,” she cautioned him, before Marina was grabbing her arm, and pulling them away, across the crowded dance floor, full of sweaty bodies and the scent of booze, and now they were in the bathroom, the linoleum walls white and bright compared to the dim lighting of the club. The music, once loud and booming, morphed into a muted bass as the door shut.
Marina sighed, leaning on the tile wall. She was upset.
He’d made her upset. The sight of that guy’s dumbass face flashed through her mind again, his stupid smirk and the way he lowered his voice and got all up in Marina’s personal space even though she’d been leaning away, and the way he just assumed she’d be interested when she was not!
Who are you, he'd sneered, her girlfriend?
“That dumbass has NO idea who he’s messing with!” Pearl yelled. “He just thinks he can say shit to you, he thinks he can just assume you want something because he’s like- fuckin’- some sort of big shot producer or something? The way he got all up in your space? He’s a fucking dumbass, ‘Rina,” she ranted, pacing around the bathroom. “I wish you hadn’t pulled me away, because I would’ve decked his ass, and—”
“Pearl,” Marina interjected, standing up straight. “Please, just stop.”
“Why?” Pearl asked. “I don’t fucking like it when guys talk to you like that, and-and try to touch you, and—and—It pisses me the fuck off!”
Marina pushed herself off of the wall, rising up to her full height as she made her way over to Pearl. Pearl’s eyes shot up to meet hers, turquoise locking with golden. They were filled with anger, fear, and something else, something Pearl couldn’t read. Which was weird. She could almost always read Marina, now. Why wasn’t she answering her? This was serious shit, something they needed to deal with, now. The guy could still be out there! They could hunt him down, report him to his boss, get him fired—
“I'm sorry,” Marina started, quivering voice interrupting the quiet pulse of the song outside. "This a-always happens, because-because of me!"
"Wha...What?" Marina hadn't done shit!
"You-you always have to deal with-with that, and it's not fair," Marina continued, tears tracking down her face. "And...and I am not good with it, and I don't say anything, and they don't stop!"
Marina's eyes shimmered with tears. Fuck. That's what she thought?
"No, no, no, no, what the shell?" Pearl said, taking a step closer. "I thought you were supposed to be smart, yo. You don't have to apologize for anything, 'cuz you didn't even do anything wrong! It's those assholes who can't take a hint."
"I need to be better, Pearl. They... would stop if I could say to them, stop," Marina said, her voice trembling. "They make the Inklish leave my brain, I don't need you to protect me, I should do it myself."
"Don't even think that shit," Pearl said firmly. "You don't owe those guys anything, and you don't have to prove anything to anyone."
Marina's eyes met Pearl's again. Pearl felt her hearts skip a beat.
"Plus, he's clearly stupid, anyway. You're way too fuckin' smart for his dumbass. I mean, he, uh, he called me your girlfriend!" Marina's shoulders tensed. "How stupid is that?"
"...Right," Marina mumbled, rubbing her arm.
"Yeah, right..." Pearl responded, leaning on the sink.
"Pretty stupid," Marina sighed, looking in the opposite direction.
The two of them stood there for a while, leaning on the cold, luxurious marble of the sink, drips of water plonking out of the gold-plated faucet. The music continued to boom outside, laughter and chatter muffled by the thin walls. Marina sniffled a few times. Marina took a deep breath, and Pearl couldn't even look at her, or she would just get mad again.
"...Pearl, I—"
"Yo, I mean—"
They both giggled, the mood lightened.
"You go," Marina gestured, and Pearl shook her head, chuckling.
"Nah, I think you're probably sick of my voice by now." Pearl turned to Marina, and they locked eyes. Something passed between them, then. Something new.
"I...I couldn't be sick of you, Pearlie," Marina said, almost breathless. "It did... mean so much to me, when you stood up for me. Thank you."
Pearl's hearts swelled in her chest. "I-I, uh, no problem," she whispered, voice low. Her eyes swept over Marina's figure, the mascara smudged underneath her eyes, her plush lips swollen, lipstick all messed up. Pearl swallowed, her chest burning. She didn't wanna get mushy. But she was thinking mushy shit, and Marina was just there, looking like that, and, well, Pearl was impulsive anyway. So she bit her lip, and said: "You're, uh, the best thing that's ever happened to me, you know that?"
Marina's lips curled into a small smile. "You... are the best thing that's ever happened to me, too," she whispered.