Chapter One.

"Hey, Vega."

Tori groaned knowing full well who it was; she slammed her locker door shut. "Hey, Jade."

"I need a favour," She sighed. "I wouldn't ask normally but I kind of need help to put on this play."

"You wrote another? Good for you Jade!" Tori went to hug her.

"Don't get close to me," She barked.

Tori held her hands up. "Sorry?"

"So yeah, I wrote you all a part. I wanted everyone to be involved…" She trailed off.

"Aw, Jade's going soft."

"Shut it Vega or bad things will happen to that doll of yours. I only have to put you in because of Sikowitz."

"Sorry… again," Tori said quickly. "So when can we read through it?"

"Well, Cat is coming over to yours tonight, right?"

"No?" Tori shook her head with a confused frown.

"Oh, well we are now. See you at six," Jade waved sarcastically as she walked away.

Tori sighed; yet again she was being told what to do by Jade. She didn't mind too much instead she just hoped that Trina was out for her own sake. Jade didn't like her much, well, did Jade really like anyone?

She walked to lunch, seeing the usual gathering after she'd grabbed some pizza.

"Hey Tori, how much are you excited for Jade's play?" André laughed as he played small keyboard in front of him. "I'm in charge of playing the music apparently. She kindly came up and asked me earlier after throwing my sandwich in the bin."

Beck shook his head. "Lovely girl, she is."

Cat skipped over with Robbie following her. No Rex.

"Hey little Red, hey Robbie, where's Rex?" André asked, tapping the keys to make a cheery song.

"Jade kidnapped him until I agree to be in her play."

André played a dark tune, and if the group weren't mistaken; it was the Imperial March from Star Wars.

"It's not funny, she's shoved him in her locker and there's no way I'm going near it. She's probably got alarm systems and lasers in there," Robbie kicked the ground, scrapping his trainer.

"She's not that bad, her locker isn't booby trapped. Just looks it," Beck admitted as he swirled his orange juice around the bottle. "Inside is a whole other story."

"Enjoying spilling my secrets, Beck?" Jade scowled behind him. "Why don't you back to Canada?"

"What a lovely surprise, the sound of Hell erupting itself," Beck smiled to the rest of the group, not even bothering to face her.

"Can't we be civil this lunch?" Robbie begged as he sat on the bench.

"Yeah, all you guys do is argue, why can't you just get along like salt and pepper?" Cat piped up from her usual spot between Robbie and Beck.

"Salt likes to make cuts sting instead of letting them heal," Beck sighed. 'Salt' was obviously Jade, she didn't like to let go of the past.

"But Pepper makes you sneeze and some people just find it too much to swallow," Jade replied with her arms crossed firing back at Beck, he was Pepper.

Why were they referring to each other in terms of salt and pepper?

Everyone sat in silence.

"I like Pepper, it's hot," Cat giggled, not quite realising the use of the word. Robbie leant over and whispered in her ear, explaining what was happening. "Oh. Sorry. I'm still right though, just saying."

Beck laughed and shook his head. "Thanks Cat."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" She said in her usual high tone.

Jade glared at her. "Hey Cat, there's a giraffe in the hallway asking if you'll go play mini golf with him, he wants Robbie to play too."

Cat sprang up. "Yay! Come on Robbie!"

Robbie groaned as Cat dragged him away, running towards the school building.

"Why did you do that?" Tori threw her hand up after them.

"I have my reasons," Jade sat where Robbie had been two minutes before. "So, this plan you have, what is it?"

"We need to get them together," Tori said.

Jade produced a nail file and began doing her nails. "I've just done that, it wasn't very difficult. You're welcome."

"Properly together, Jade," André replied.

"So we thought we could use your play as a kind of decoy…" Tori suggested but Jade cut her off.

"No way. You are not using my play to get Little Mer-mad and Geek Charming together, are we clear on that?" Jade spat.

"But Jade! They'll be so happy together!" Tori paused. "And nice play on words."

"Thanks, I do them myself," She smiled sarcastically. "My play is not a match-making service. It has other purposes."

"Fine," Tori sighed, only backing down because Robbie and Cat were back. "So when do we get the scripts?"

"Later when I come over, you boys have yours already but I swear if any of you open them before 6pm tonight, I will take your lungs out and use them as cushions for my new bed. Everyone understand?" She smiled again.

André, Robbie and Beck nodded, all of them equally scared.

"Jade, you lied. There was no giraffe!" Cat cried in a shrill squeal.

"Ding ding ding, we have a winner," Jade said in her monotone voice.

Cat grinned suddenly. "What do I win?"

Jade turned around and began walking away. "Nothing, Cat, nothing at all."

Cat waited until she knew Jade was definitely wasn't coming back and wasn't going to hear her.

"Why is Jade so mean to me?" Cat spoke in a sad tone.

"Don't worry, Kitten, she's mean to everyone," Beck sighed as he pulled Cat into a hug.

If only they knew Jade was still watching from the stairs to the front doors trying to hide her teary eyes.