//------------------------------// // 2 - Cracks in the Concrete // Story: A Solid Foundation // by thedarkprep //------------------------------// Chapter Two Cracks in the Concrete “Maud. Good Morning. We were wondering if you would be joining us for breakfast.” Maud nodded at her father, Igneous Rock, as she made her way down the last few steps. She was the last one to arrive at the dining room, where the rest of the family was already digging into their morning meal, though it really should have been no surprise. Maud had never been one for mornings and now, having lived away from home and having had the ability to sleep in for years, the family’s early routine was just not a thing that she saw herself re-acclimating to. The food was another matter. While her parents weren’t much for cooking, Pinkie always made it a point to prepare lavish breakfasts whenever possible, that day not being an exception. Stacks of pancakes, omelets, even bacon and sausages for her family despite Pinkie’s mostly vegetarian diet, crowded the table—the delectable smells helping to make up for Maud’s foul mood. A little. Maud looked up to where Pinkie was sitting and couldn’t hold back a glare as memories of her confession resurfaced, the hurt of being lied to settling into her skin overnight. Pinkie dropped her head in response. Their mother, Cloudy Quartz, clicked her tongue at the display. “You do not always have to be so dramatic, Maud. Pinkamena already told us you would have some questions about Limestone’s living arrangements after she failed to pass that information onto you, and we are prepared to discuss the topic with you. But please, take a seat and let us eat while we talk, so as to not let such a plentiful bounty go to waste.” “I am not dramatic,” Maud replied, keeping herself from rolling her eyes at her mother and making sure to speak in as even a tone as possible, which she always struggled to do when around her parents. The way they talked always felt condescending to her and she had, historically, never handled that particularly well. Still, she complied, walking up to the table and sitting down. And yet, when she did sit, it was deliberately not at her usual seat, but at Limestone’s. Maybe she was a little dramatic. “So, what are we starting with?” Maud asked, piling some food onto her plate. “Why Limestone is missing? Or why Pinkie felt it was okay to lie to me about it?” “I believe we should begin with your manners,” Igneous said, chewing on a waffle. “It seems that years away from home have eroded them. Is this really how we taught you to greet people you have not seen in years? Family?” “No, sir.” Maud replied, stifling a growl with a deep breath. “Good morning, Father. Good morning, Mother. Pinkie. Marble. It has been a long time. It is very nice to see you all.” Her parents each gave a nod in reply. Meanwhile, Marble and Pinkie exchanged an awkward glance with each other. Marble ended up being the first to speak. “Um... Good morning, Maud. It’s good to see you again.” “Yeah.” Pinkie slouched in her seat. “Good morning. I hope you enjoy your breakfast!” “I’m sure I will,” Maud said, taking a bite from some toast. “So, Limestone?” Her father sighed. “Limestone.” “Your sister moved out about a couple of years ago,” Cloudy began. “She’s living with her girlfriend now. Still in town, closer to the outskirts. Suburbs. Not a bad area. We can give you the address if you want to visit her.” “Okay, I guess that would be nice. But, I heard from Pinkie that there had been a fight? You all didn’t have a problem when I left. And you didn’t have a problem when I came out. So if it’s not that, and it’s not about where she’s living, I’m not sure I get what the problem is?” “You know your sister is fond of exaggerations,” Igneous said, turning to look at Pinkie who in turn seemed further cowed by the comment. “While it is true that things got heated, as they always do when Limestone gets going, there was no fight. We merely expressed our disapproval with our daughter’s chosen life partner. Limestone was, of course, all too willing to hold on to a bad decision out of spite rather than admit she was wrong—her pride being what it is.” “And you know how your sister can get,” Cloudy added. “Once we started pointing out the negatives in her partner she took it as a personal attack and responded in kind, quitting your father’s company on the spot with the language and decorum I’m sure you can imagine without me having to repeat.”  Maud nodded. She could imagine it vividly.  “This all happened the night she was moving out,” Igneous continued. “We haven’t seen her since.” “Because you told her ‘not to step foot in this home again,’” Pinkie interrupted, an uncharacteristic frown on her face. Cloudy issued a stern look towards her daughter. “We did no such thing.” “Um.. You did say not to come back without an apology,” Marble offered. “Which we all know is not going to happen,” Pinkie said. “And it’s not like she’s the only one that should apologize. You kind of provoked her.” “We did not,” their father replied. “You told her she could do better than some ‘lust driven drug user’ and to get with someone who would ‘actually have a future,” Pinkie continued, using air quotes for effect. Maud, who had been chewing on some bacon, nearly choked. “She’s dating a what now?” “A musician,” Marble avoided her parent’s gaze as she spoke. “She’s in the same punk band that Pinkie’s friends are in.” “And they’re all really nice, so there was no reason to insult Gilda like that!” Igneous took a slow sip of his orange juice before addressing his daughter. “I didn’t insult anyone. I merely pointed out that such a profession, and especially that genre of music, has a certain lifestyle attached to it. Certain choices. This girl spends more time on tour than she will ever spend at home, surrounded by alcohol, drugs, parties, and other willing women. Your sister could definitely do better than having to stay here, always wondering.” “But we know Gilda,” Pinkie exclaimed, standing up from her chair. “She’s not just some random bassist. We know her. She’s a good person and she would never cheat on Limestone. And she doesn’t do any of that other stuff either. I mean, she drinks but she's an adult, so she’s allowed to, and she knows when it’s time to stop. I promise you—” and here she looked at Maud “—she is an amazing person. I can vouch for her. For all of them.” Maud looked down at her plate and prodded a few items on there with her fork. She recognized that Pinkie was really asking her for help. Their parents didn’t take Pinkie seriously, and Marble was easy to talk over, Limestone was too impulsive and didn’t think things through… but Maud? If Maud sided with Pinkie, that would be something. But did she? She took a bite of the omelet as she thought over what she knew. It tasted bland. She reached for the salt. Her father wasn’t wrong in his assessment of what dating a musician could be like in general. Maud knew that. A lot of people went into becoming musicians because of the lifestyle attached to it. It was basically a cliche, but one that was very much grounded in reality. Being that long on the road, with that much temptation, especially in a punk band? Her father was definitely not pulling concerns out of thin air. Pinkie was vouching for this girl though, Gilda. She was vouching for the whole band. And there was a point to be made that Pinkie had actually talked to the band members in fairly regular intervals, had met Gilda and the rest of the band, had been school friends with the singer and the manager. If Limestone was making a mistake, surely she would say something. Not like she keeps secrets from you right? Maud thought, closing her eyes. That certainly hasn’t been an issue recently. And not to mention the more serious issue. Even if Pinkie hadn’t lied to her recently, Maud would have had reason to be skeptical, simply due to this girl belonging to her friend’s band. Pinkie said they didn’t drink too much, but Maud remembered differently. The scent of grease and dough faded, and Maud could smell the apartment again. She remembered the frenzied phone calls as she tried desperately to calm down her sister, but what words does one say to someone who fears they’ve lost a friend? She could see the dull glow of her laptop as she bought the tickets that would bring Pinkie to her, where she could take care of her, even after they found out her friend had made it through. She could still hear the sobs that rocked her sister for the weeks that followed—could still feel the warm metal from her laptop against her thighs as she spent nights researching the people that mattered so much to her sister. She had found videos, interviews, articles, clips, both official and unofficial, of performances and parties. She found the article about their manager’s attempt, as well as the official release, but she also found people writing posts about her promiscuous nature. The fan footage from afterparties was most revealing as well, in regards to how much the band could drink. At the time none of that mattered; she was not one to judge. They had seemed nice when they met at that one show, after all. But now. “Maud?” Pinkie’s voice cut through her thoughts. It was small. Questioning. Pleading. Maud opened her eyes. Maud knew her dad was probably in the wrong as well. He was certainly generalizing. But she knew what she knew, and Pinkie had not given her enough trust to go out against her instincts.  She gave a slight shake of her head. “I don’t know, Pinkie. I do get why dad is worried. I’m sure he didn’t say it in the best way, but I’m also sure Limestone wasn’t the best in her response and that it got worse from there. Honestly, I’m a little worried myself. I definitely want to meet her before making up my mind but, as it stands? It does sound risky.” “But I’m telling you Gilda is fine!” “And I’m telling you I want to meet her, in more than passing.” Pinkie looked at Maud as if struck, eyes wide and shiny. She then blinked a few times, rubbing at her face before looking back up with that same smile from the previous night that Maud found so unnerving. “Right, that makes sense. No problem. I can arrange that. There’s a show actually, you can probably tag along and… actually, here, let me send a few texts and I’ll see if I can set that up.” Grabbing her plate, Pinkie stood up from her seat and began making her way towards the kitchen. The rest of the family returned to their meal, all but Maud who looked at the scene with discomfort. “You don’t have to do that right now, Pinkie.” “It’s ok, Maud,” she responded from the kitchen threshold. “I need to hop in the shower anyway. Enjoy your breakfast, ok? And I’m sorry about hiding stuff from you. Won’t happen again.” Then, without giving Maud a chance to respond, Pinkie was gone. Maud sat there for a while, staring after her, a pit growing in her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she decided to go follow after her, but was dissuaded by her father’s voice. “Maud. You should finish eating,” he said. “She’ll be there when you’re done.” Maud gave a glance around the table, from her father’s stern look, to her mother’s stoic gaze, to Marble’s downcast eyes. They were all still sitting. Eating. Unmoved by what had just happened. Maud took another bite from her plate. There was so much she wanted to say at that moment. To her mom. To her dad. To Pinkie, even though she wasn’t there at the moment. And yet, things were complicated. She needed more information. She needed patience or she risked making things worse. And so she swallowed those words instead, along with her food. Maud was the last one finished with her meal, but as soon as she was done, she made her way up the stairway and towards Pinkie’s room. Or she would have at least, if not for the open door directly at the top of the stairs. Through it, she could see Marble sitting on her bed, listening to music with eyes closed, a familiar sight as any in the old house. It was starting to sink in, however, that Maud could no longer take nostalgia for granted. She gave a gentle knock on the door. Marble opened her eyes, a soft smile forming at the sight of her visitor. “You can come in, Maud,” she said, sitting up on her bed and extending her arms open. Maud took the invitation and made her way across the room, sitting next to Marble and enveloping her sister in a comforting hug. The hug was soft, gentle, delicate, but it did not want in warmth. Maud’s ear tickled as Marble took a soft breath, burrowing into her hair. She smiled. “It really is good to see you,” Maud said. “I’ve been worried about you.” “You’re always worried,” Marble mumbled into Maud’s shoulder. She made no move to extract herself from the embrace, and thus Maud made no move either. “Maybe I would worry less if you wrote more often,” Maud said, with a grin. “Once every three months. I’m starting to think you didn’t miss me.” At that Marble did pull away from the hug, if only to face Maud properly, a pout on her face. “I did miss you! I’m just not good at thinking of what to say. My life isn’t that exciting, and nothing really happens around here, and it’s pretty cringy to say the same things over and over again. I don’t even know what Pinkie finds to talk to you about every week without it being repetitive.” “You’d be surprised,” Maud said, with a dry chuckle. “Enough that she’s able to leave stuff out for years, apparently, without me knowing. I didn’t even know Limestone was dating. Which makes me wonder why you never told me.” “I thought Pinkie told you.” “Of course.” Maud almost regretted bringing it up, but it had been bothering her. Limestone never contacted her and her parents would only reply to messages, but she had been in fairly regular contact with both Pinkie and Marble for long enough that she should have known what was happening. The awkwardness, she figured, would be worth the answers. “So that’s it then,” Maud continued. “No Pinkie Promises? No sworn to secrecy stuff? It just never came up when you and I emailed each other and you thought I already knew so you didn’t bring it up yourself?” “Yeah.” Marble nodded. “I wasn’t trying to keep a secret. I thought Pinkie told you and that you– well, that you agreed with mom and dad. I thought you didn’t want to talk about it, because you never asked about it. I thought you were avoiding it. So I just… didn’t bring it up, no matter how bad they were fighting.” “So they were fighting?” “It got so bad, Maud,” Marble said, picking at her thumb. Maud placed her hand on top of Marble’s, who in turn took a deep breath before continuing. “I’ve never seen Limestone that mad. What she said to Mom? And then Dad said all those things about Gilda. And it wasn’t just one day like they said downstairs. That was just when Limestone left, but they’d been fighting for months. It’s the worst it’s ever been. But you weren’t saying anything, and I thought you knew, so… I thought, well…” “That I wanted no part of it,” Maud finished, prompting Marble to nod. “Or at least that I thought that what was happening had to happen.” “I’m sorry.” Maud took a deep breath. She could hear the sound of the heater working to keep the house warm, making her all too aware of the stifling heat inside the room. It was too warm. Too uncomfortable for a winter day. When she opened her eyes again, Marble was watching her, waiting for the next question. “So what’s she like?” “Who? Gilda?” Marble paused. “I actually haven’t met her. I’ve seen her a few times since that one show we went to together with Limestone and Pinkie, but I’ve never talked to her or been introduced, so I have no idea. She’s in a punk band, and she looks it. But that’s not a good reason to judge someone.” “No, it’s not,” Maud agreed. “I did look up that band once though, in detail, and they do tend to drink a lot. At least at their after parties. I don’t know about that girl in particular, but she was definitely drunk in the video I saw.” “A lot of people drink,” Marble said. “Not just bands, but music fans. Doesn’t make them bad people. It’s about the when and where, right? If you’re just having a good time, it’s not a bad thing, right?” Maud examined Marble for a minute in silence, during which time Marble grew more and more uncomfortable. When it seemed like she was going to ask what was wrong, Maud finally asked “Marble… do you drink now?” “No!” Marble replied with a giggle. “I mean, I have tried it, but no. Not my thing. Still, doesn’t mean I’m wrong, does it?” “I suppose not,” Maud relented. “Though, if you don’t know anything about the girl, then I guess I still have to meet her to be sure. Not that it will change anything either way. Limestone’s going to do what she does, no matter what anyone in the family thinks about it.” “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Maud lay down on Marble’s bed, feet still touching the floor. “I suppose it’s not. But I don’t really like how she just abandoned everything here. She still has a responsibility to this family, you know. We all do. It feels like she's shirking it, and that’s very much not like her.” Marble lay down next to her, but didn’t reply. Maud was content to just listen for a while, to the creak of wood, to Marble’s breathing, to the voices drifting from downstairs. Closing her eyes she could picture any time period, any point in her youth and the sounds would feel congruent. Safe. Calming. But things have changed haven’t they? Maud savored the silence for a few more seconds, before forcing herself to speak again. “So, Marble. Since you’re not keeping secrets, I need you to tell me, what else might Pinkie be hiding from me?” “Um…” “Please,” Maud pressed on, feeling Marble tense up beside her. “I can’t be blindsided again. If there’s something else going on I need to know what it is.” Marble took a deep breath and, despite being side by side, Maud could picture her closing her eyes in consternation, could picture her struggling to decide what best to do. In the end, it seemed she decided to trust in her. “...has she told you about Trixie?” “Who is that?” Maud asked. “A friend of hers?” “Of course she hasn’t,” Marble sighed. “Okay, so there’s this girl, Trixie, who she’s been spending a lot of time with. And who she’s really close to. She’s been sleeping over at her place a lot too. And bringing her overnight. And…” “Woah, woah, woah. Hold on.” Maud interrupted. “It sounds like you’re saying Pinkie and this girl are sleeping together.” “Um…” “Like… Sleeping together.” “Umm…” Maud sat up on the bed. “I thought she was dating Caramel? No. I know she’s dating Caramel. I met him. He’s nice. Is she dating both of them? Is she cheating on him?” “I don’t think she’s cheating on Caramel,” Marble said, shaking her head. “I’ve heard them talk before and he seems to know about Trixie. He knows how much time Pinkie and Trixie spend together at least, and that they’re close.” “Come to think of it, he made a joke about it, I think, when he dropped her off.” “Yeah, he’s good at making jokes,” Marble noted, sitting up on the bed as well. “And Pinkie says she’s not dating Trixie. She’s very clear that they’re just friends whenever someone says something about it. But… Well, I share a wall with her...” “Right…” Maud droned, noting Marble’s blush. “Great, so Limestone’s fighting with the family. Pinkie’s sleeping around. Just fantastic.” “I think it’s just her. Well, and Caramel. And sometimes she goes on some trips somewhere for a weekend she won’t tell anyone about, so I guess there’s a chance there too… but it could be worse? I’m not helping am I?” “I don’t know,” Maud groaned. “Is Trixie good at least? Or is she also a ‘bad influence’ like Gilda?” “I haven’t talked to her,” Marble answered, receding into her hair. “I’ve seen her during breakfast sometimes, and that’s been awkward, but she seems nice enough. I don’t really know her though.” Maud nodded, at once frustrated and comforted that someone in her family hadn’t become a stranger in her absence. Guess expecting Marble to talk to strangers was a bit much. “Can you do me a favor though?” Marble said unexpectedly, breaking Maud from her reverie. “When you talk to Pinkie, and especially when you talk to Trixie later like I know you’re going to… please be careful?” “What?” “It’s just—” Marble continued, stuttering as she gathered her thoughts, “It’s just– you haven’t been here. You haven’t seen Pinkie. You probably noticed she’s off but you haven’t seen what she’s been like. She’s really been scaring us. And— And Trixie makes her happy.” Marble took Maud’s hands into her own. “I don’t know what they are to each other,” she said, squeezing Maud’s fingers. “I don’t know how they work, or if this is going to be bad for Pinkie long term. But it’s working right now. So please, be careful. And if you find out it is bad for Pinkie, please find something to help her before you take this away from her. Please?” Maud blinked once, then twice. Was this really Marble? Her sister released her hand and it was only then that Maud noticed how much force she had been using. She flexed her fingers, testing the joints and relieving a bit of the tension. Marble had always been this caring but… “Okay. I’ll tread carefully.” “Thank you,” Marble said softly. Maud looked at her, really looked at her, for the first time since she’d arrived. She was older, certainly. Her hair was longer. She still looked just as frail and in need of protection. But… She’s changed too, hasn’t she? Maud thought, looking at the dark circles around her eyes and the sag of her shoulders. She had to. You weren’t here. Limestone wasn’t here. She’s not the same girl you left behind. Maud stood from the bed. “I’ll fix things,” Maud promised. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here before, but I promise things will be better now. I’ll fix things. You don’t have to worry about Pinkie or Limestone anymore.” “I’m not sure it works like that,” Marble said, a soft smile growing on her face. Maud vowed at that moment to do whatever it took to keep it from fading again. “Doesn’t matter. It’s happening,” Maud said, making her way to the doorway. “By the way, you should rest more, maybe take a nap.” “I’m not tired.” “You have dark circles around your eyes.” “It’s probably leftover eyeliner.” “Since when do you wear make-up?” Maud asked. “Not sure I approve.” “Ugh. Get out of my room!” Marble threw a pillow at Maud which she blocked by closing the door behind her. She could, however, hear Marble’s muted laughter, her heart lightening at the sound. At least, until six steps later when she found herself outside of Pinkie’s empty bedroom. She could still hear the shower going back down the hallway, so she decided to head to her room instead, her head heavy with thoughts. Limestone’s gone. Pinkie is suffering from something. Marble’s had to deal with it alone. Gilda and Trixie are somehow parts in this. And I have to somehow fix this over a winter break. Maud collapsed onto her bed with a dissatisfied groan. Can it even be done?  It was a lot, she had to admit. She had missed so much. And while she didn’t believe in giving up, maybe this was beyond fixing. And what if I do fix it? she pondered. I find the right things to say. Talk to everyone. Make things right again. Then what? I leave and let things fall apart again? Come back in five more years to see what’s left for me in the rubble? Maud looked at the picture on her nightstand. Her family. Happy. Smiling. Together. But then she had left.  A house without a strong foundation crumbled, and it seemed a family did too. She had trusted Limestone to be that foundation but…  That was a mistake, Maud growled. It had to be me. It should have been me. It has to be me. But even now, she was planning on how to leave again, on what job she would take that would keep her from her family—her responsibilities. That had been the point of the trip, right? To clear her mind and decide between the countless opportunities calling her away? But there was one. Maud swallowed hard. There was a job she could take that would keep her close to home. A job that would let her be the foundation her family needed. It would give her the time she needed to fix things, to rebuild what had been broken in her absence.  Her family would be whole again. Maud picked up the photograph in her hand. Strangely enough, it was shaking. I guess this trip did clear things up after all. She wasn’t sure how long she sat there staring at the photograph before Maud noticed that the sounds of the shower had stopped, replaced by a muffled stereo playing behind closed doors. With a weary sigh, Maud stood from her bed, steadying herself for the conversation to come.