"Steven?"

The boy looked over his shoulder at Connie, but stayed hunched over the punch bowl, both hands gripping the edge of the table.

"Connie!" Steven put on a smile and loosened his grip slightly, but she wasn't buying it.

"What's up?" Connie asked, hand on hip.

"Pfft, uhh, the SKY," Steven grimaced at his own response but continued to smile through the cringe.

"Besides the sky, dummy," Connie sighed and leaned up against the table next to Steven, facing the dance floor. You accidentally made eye contact with her and quickly looked away.

"Couldn't hear them anyways," Kevin muttered in defeat.

The conversation continued while the two of you danced.

"Seriously, Steven," Connie smiled earnestly, "what's going on up there?" She tapped his head with her index finger, earning some recoil from a stray curl.

"Nothing, really," Steven turned to face her, "It's fine, I'm fine."

"Steven!" Connie exclaimed, suddenly very passionate, "has therapy taught you nothing?"

Steven stepped back and laughed out of pure shock.

"Stop lying about your feelings," Connie continued, "especially not to me. We're jam buds, dammit!"

Connie held out her pinkie for Steven to hook it with his own.

"Jam buds," he agreed. "UGH, but it's so embarrassing!"

"Steven..." Connie warned sternly.

"Mmmm..." Steven squinted, then caved; "Fine! I'm..." he mumbled the last bit.

"You're what?"

Steven spoke again, but it was still inaudible.

"Steven speak up."

"I'm j...jeALOUS, OKAY?!" Steven whisper-yelled, to Connie's surprise.

"Jealous?" She scoffed, "of who?!"

"That's the embarrassing part..." Steven let his gaze wander over to you and Kevin and hoped that Connie would understand what he meant without him having to say it.

"Oh Steven," she laughed in disbelief, "you're jealous... of KEVIN?"

"Shhh!" Steven whipped his head around to Connie, "not so loud! It's bad enough that I told you! I don't need all of Beach City knowing that I'm jealous of my nemesis."

"Kevin is your nemesis?" Connie said, monotone as ever.

"No," Steven crossed his arms, "...yes."

"OK," Connie sighed with a smile before heading back to the dance floor.

Steven was confused at her abrupt leaving until he saw her tap Kevin on the shoulder. Steven immediately turned around and hoped that for Kevin's sake that she wasn't sending him over.

"Uh... Steven?"

Of course she sent him over. Steven turned slowly, dreading the conversation.

"Kevin," he said coldly.

"So... how's the punch? Did I get the ratio right?" Kevin joked, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

Steven hadn't even poured himself a cup yet, he just wanted to get away. That didn't stop him from blatantly lying for the sake of a shorter answer, though.

"It's fine."

The two boys stood in silence for a long while, watching the party swell in front of them.

"Steven?"

"Hm?" He hummed impatiently in response.

"Look man," Kevin exhaled a breath he had been holding in. "I'm really sorry. For everything. I don't have an excuse or a reason or anything to validate what I did, but I'm trying to be better. I don't expect you to forgive me, you don't have to, but I just wanted to let you know that... I'm sorry. I really am."

Kevin took a deep breath and wiped his hands on his pants before extending his hand.

Steven wanted to be mad, but he couldn't. He felt his grudge against Kevin fade as he took his hand and shook it.

"That was very well put," Steven said, finally.

"Yeah, one of therapy's perks is learning all the vocabulary," Kevin joked.

"Heh, yeah tell me about it," the two laughed together for the first time- to everyone's disbelief.