So... I'm back!—though, I really doubt anyone was wondering if I'd come back, I mean, I'm not that good... :)

Anyway, some time ago I read this french expression with which Anthony Burgess described his Clocwork Orange — UPDATE: I already fucking read it — and though I know this cannot be compared to that book, I guess you could call this work that: a jeu d'espirit — UPDATE: I originally meant just this first chapter when I described it as that, and still think only this first one can be considered as such.

Enjoy!

Of Hot Hands and Bad Pranks.

"Why are we talking about this, again?"

"Well, Cat said something about being cold, and I—"

"I know, I know," I interrupt irritated. "I mean, why are we discussing it?"

"Just to talk about something, Tori," Cat meows next to me. I have the impulse to say it's stupid, but Cat seems to be really into it, so I just shrug. Cat's eyes remain on my face, expectantly.

"Yeah, Vega. We're talking." Jade looks at me from across the table with those pale-green eyes of hers. "So, answer."

Suppressing the urge to roll my eyes, I shrug again. "I don't know… I guess my hands are usually cold when the weather is cool."

"See? Easy." My eyes roll at Jade. She smirks.

"But isn't it always like that? Cold hands and all?"

"I thought so, too," says Andre to my left, leaning on the table, "but there's this girl I once dated and she was all hot on the hands. And I mean hot, not just warm."

"Kinda weird, I guess." I motion my head at Robbie, who's evidently trying to scoot away from Jade without being noticed. "Hot hands or cold hands?"

"Well, I don't know, I guess cold… Um, cold hands." He shrugs, touches his cheek with his hand and nods. "Cold hands."

"Mine are usually cold," Beck says. Jade's sitting next to him, also slightly farther away than usual. He waves his hand in front of him. "Even when the weather's hot."

"My hands are cold." Cat covers her cheeks with her hands. "And I sometimes wish they weren't, because when I'm on bed I can't rest my face on them because they are so cold, so I have to put them under my pillow to try and get them warm, and they often stay cold so I have to —"

"Okay, we get it," I stop her. "And, um, Jade?"

"What?" Her gaze lifts from her phone and settles on me. Intimidating.

I can feel my cheeks warming up. "Um, your hands…?"

She just chuckles and gets up. "They're out of here."

I blink a couple of times as Jade walks away, because I can swear she winked at me. I'm still wondering if she was trying to avoid the question — which would be stupid, since it was a very simple and foolish question — when the bell rings and I notice the other guys are already walking away from the table as well. Leaving me alone.

"Hey, wait up!"

…

Drinking a whole bottle of water right after the first class, with four whole hours of school left to go, and in one of the few cold days that one can see living here in Los Angeles? Bad idea.

After an hour of dancing on my seat, I almost jump at the teacher's feet to thank him for finally finishing his class. All through which I had to hold back the need to run to the bathroom because, for once in the whole year, the class was actually worth listening. So, instead of doing that I just walk as fast as possible, while still attempting to look normal, to the bathroom. Half walking, half running.

When I finish, as I'm opening the stall, I fall back on the toilet seat. It's not like I'm afraid, but I have to admit I'm trying not to cross my fingers in front of me to keep Jade away as if she was some sort of evil demon. Because she's right there, half sitting on the sink and looking at me with her trademark smirk.

"You done there, Vega?" She pushes herself from the sink and starts towards me, just as I walk forward to wash my hands. Her arms stretch out and she shows me her palms, stopping me in front of her.

I just stand there, not knowing what to do or how to react. I can't even tell what's going on. The only thing I can think about is the fact that Jade and I are alone in this bathroom and that she's acting rather weird. None of this can turn out to be good. I know Jade's up to something, but for some reason — maybe the past experiences or just the fear — I don't do anything.

Jade chuckles quietly in the back of her throat. I'm annoyed now. My mouth opens, but the only thing it can manage is a real smart "Uh…" before Jade's hands weakly spank my cheeks.

"Hot hands or wet hands?" asks Jade. Her palms run over my cheeks again, leaving them even wetter. She turns and leaves, laughing. And I can only curse silently to myself as I dry my face with a paper towel.

I look at myself in the mirror and shake my head. Why do I always let her do stuff like this? It's not as if I'm still hopeful that she'll like me at some point. And I know I've stopped trying. But I thought we had reached a level in our friendship — if you can call it that — where she could do pranks on me as usual — again, if you can call that a prank — without me getting mad. Jade, however, seems to not have liked this stage. And she keeps trying to get me mad. And I, of course, comply.

It's pretty stupid. If I was to say something to her, I'd tell her she's lowered her standards of evilness to unJadish levels. But I guess that would only gain me even worse experiences with her. The truth is she now likes to confuse me, more than to annoy me. She shows up from time to time, in random places like my house, next to my locker or in the bathroom, just to make me think she's acting weird — not really doing anything, just, like, making me think she's not trying to pull a prank on me — and, when she feels I let my guard down, she pulls said prank on me. And it's pretty annoying, which is the worst part.

In other happier/sadder times — depends on the perspective — she used to be more direct: she would just arrive, be mean to me and leave. Now, she makes me think she's not being mean only to be mean without me expecting it. I guess she doesn't want to become predictable? I don't know if I rather this, given that she at least considers me something close to a friend now, but maybe I can get to live with it, if she still comes to my house whenever she feels upset; I guess if that happened there's no way I'd tell her to leave, anyway...

However, I would certainly like to think that Jade and I are now close enough as for me to at least attempt to pull a prank on her.

…

Stupid, stupid Tori. Going around thinking Hey, why don't I do something to annoy Jade? I mean, it's not really a bad idea, nor an unfounded idea. But waiting for her to go into the janitor's closet just to put a couple of ice cubes inside her shirt from behind, then run away laughing and screaming "Hot hands or cold backs?" like a crazy girl? That's a bad idea. Now that I think about it, it's kinda obvious that it would've been better to do it outside, in front of everyone—with witnesses. But, well, I know Jade goes in here every couple hours to… I don't know, smoke, I guess, considering the amount of cigarette ends I can see littered on the floor, and I thought I could use it to my advantage. Easy. Go in. Wait for her. Put the ice cubes as she walks in. Run away before she catches me.

The only real problem appeared when I remembered Jade was on detention, and I've spent an hour and a half in here, trying to decide whether or not to wait any longer. Is Jade going to come in here before leaving? I don't think so. Why am I still here? Half an hour ago, I realized Jade had to go through the hall right outside this door to get to her car. So, for the last thirty minutes I've been wondering if it's worth it. I mean, maybe I won't even get to annoy her, maybe she somehow read my mind during Sikowitz's class and expects me to jump on her in the hallway. However, if I do surprise her, it will be a perfect revenge… at least for me, conformist little Tori. It's obvious that I won't have many opportunities to do something like this and that Jade couldn't possibly be expecting me to jump on her this late, when I'm supposed to be at home already, working on my homework…

Is it worth it?

As I'm about to build another response for that question, I finally hear Jade's heavy steps approach outside.

Okay… here we go.

The sound of her boots against the floor tiles echoes on the walls outside, making Jade's approach ominous. I'm sitting here, in a corner of the janitor's closet, still not completely convinced to do what I'm about to do and with a cupful of ice cubes above me on a shelf.

Jade's steps sound close enough now.

I stand up in a haste, trying to seize the small amount of courage that invades me. However, as I'm getting up I feel something hard hit the top of my head. My butt hits the floor again and, after a loud metal noise from the shelf I almost broke down, the cup falls on my head. Freezing cold water rains on me. My hair, face, shirt and jeans are dripping wet by the time I can scoot away from the disaster. By now my gasps and weak screams have probably resonated all around the hallway outside and beyond, given the school's emptiness.

Cursing at my own foolishness I try to stand up, more carefully now. I'm trembling slightly due to the cold water. I suspect now that my idea of a joke would've turned out to be pretty useless, my wet clothes were enough of a proof. Evidently, no ice cubes had remained frozen by now, so I would've had to drop the whole cup of cold water on Jade.

… Jade!

Only now do I realize Jade's footsteps have stopped completely. No sound can be heard from the hallway. Jade seems to have disappeared; either that or she's heard me and intends to scare me as usual. I now start to really tremble, this time from the fear. It doesn't even enter my mind how over-reacting it is to be so frightened of a girl who has never really tried to do anything seriously harmful to me. I mean, yeah, she's been mean to me and all, but whenever she feels she's gone over the line she stops. She's even apologized a couple of times without anyone but me knowing — and with a very predictable and very effective death-threat not to tell anyone about it.

"Vega?" I hate to admit it, but I feel my heart skip a beat at the sound of Jade's amused voice so close to the door. Nothing compared with the way it stops when the shadow of her approaching body appears on the wall opposite me. "Hey, is that you?" The doorknob starts to twist and I start praying I could be anywhere but here. Now I'm just afraid of the embarrassment I'll suffer if I'm found all wet and alone, inside this small room and this late in the afternoon. By Jade, no less.

When the door opens I'm facing the wall, my back to Jade, wishing with all my soul that she somehow overlooks a bright-colored Tori against the dark wall.

"No, I'm not," I answer quietly when I hear the door close and Jade move behind me.

"What are you doing here so late?" She actually sounds curious.

"Well, I…" I sigh loudly, my gaze on a weirdly-shaped dot on the wall. "I was kinda waiting for you."

Jade chuckles. I'm pretty sure she already suspects why I was waiting for her. "Why exactly?"

"I…" I feel myself deflating in a new defeated sigh. "I was going to drop some ice cubes down the back of your shirt…"

"So…" Jade says, obviously smirking. "Should I turn around, or just put myself in front of you?"

"Well..." My forehead rests on the rough wall. "I… It didn't go exactly as planned…"

"How come?"

Sighing, yet again, I turn around, resigned to what's sure to come.

Jade's eyes roam over my body, from a place somewhere below my knees and all the way to my face. Her smirk falls as she contemplates me. I start feeling uncomfortable when her gaze stops for a second longer on my chest, and I feel slightly violated when I realize there's something poking out down there, thanks to the coldness of my moist clothes. Her expression changes slowly. It transforms: goes through her initial smugness, to a slight shock, something close to uncertainty, and finally—inevitably, it seems— it settles on desire. I don't know how I'm able to recognize that expression, or how am I able to unravel it into desire, but I just know that's what it is. I've never seen such a penetrating look in those startling eyes, such a disbelief in the ensemble of her eyebrows and lips.

Her eyes finally reach mine and, even with the light off as it is, I know she's making some sort of request. And I would like to say I don't accept, that I turn back around and wait for her to give up and leave, that I go and push her away then run out that damn door… But I don't do any of those things. I don't accept her request. I send one of my own. Unwillingly… or not so much. I want to think it is, but I feel I'm somehow screaming at her to come closer, to take me in her arms and do… I-don't-know-what to me.

The sound of the lock resonates in the room.

I can hear the beating of my heart as if it was being held right next to my ear, and I think I'm hearing Jade's too.

I try to think of something, anything to say. I open my mouth once. Twice. No sound comes out.

Thrice.

"Hot hands or cold hands?"

It takes Jade a couple of steps to reach me, and longer for me to understand. Before I can stop her she has a hand on my cheek and the other on the back of my head. Her eyes stare into mine for a portion of a second.

She presses her lips into mine.

My eyes close on their own accord and a breath escapes through my nose. An unannounced party starts inside my stomach. I circle Jade's waist with my arms, barely realizing the cool moistness that's still covering them. Her hands move from my head to my neck, then to my shoulders, then to my belly, and I fail to notice the softness of her hands. The only thing I feel is the amazing warmness that accompanies her fingertips as they caress around my navel. I'm not even sure if she's touching my skin directly.

I cannot tell when this fire was first ablaze, or if it even was. I wish I could read Jade's mind and know if she's doing this because she wants to… or even if she were just following some crazy impulse, I'd want to know. Because I'm most likely doing exactly the same. Jade's beautiful, of course. And I'm pretty sure I'll be thankful to her for starting all this. But I've never even thought about our relationship as anything close to what's going on.

Jade's obviously thinking faster than me… or not thinking at all. She has my pants open halfway through the kiss. I feel her hot hands sliding into my panties, and everything I had in my head disappears.

"Fuck, Vega," she whispers, "you're dripping wet!"

She chuckles and caresses me obscenely. A retort dies in my throat.

"Oh, God!"

Jade's almost laughing by now.

"Shit, we should do this more often." I feel her voice on my ear.

"Jade, shut," I can't stop a moan at the middle of the sentence, "the fuck up!"

Her fingers work magic on me, and get me to the highest level of pleasure I've felt in a very long time. I would love to be able to feel this way forever. Jade could ask anything of me right now, make me do any kind of thing. She could make me sing, or dance, or call her anything. She could record me saying that I suck and that I'm a loser and an idiot who can't act or sing at all. And I would do it gladly. She's never seen me in a more vulnerable position since the moment we met. And I'm sure she'll take advantage of this, she's never shown herself as morally above that.

But she just looks surprised. Too stunned to do anything, it seems.

"Shit!"

Green eyes look down on me, wide open. Jade looks so impressed I'm afraid I might've offended her somehow. I'm about to ask her what's wrong when she pulls away.

I know what's gonna happen now. She's gonna leave. She's going to run away from me, from this, and pretend it's never happened. Tomorrow, when we meet, she'll look at me with her spiteful glare and send me away. Say "What're you looking at, Vega? Just keep walking." and just turn around, knowing, trying to forget that this happened. She's going to hate me even more, she'll become completely unbearable to be around. She's finally going to pretend I'm nothing more than a random rodent that has crossed her path. Though, now I'm starting to think I'll play along to her game.

"Stop looking at me like a moron."

Jade's standing in front of me. Not running away, not turning away, not even looking away from me. As I stare at her I see her hands working in unzipping her pants. Her shirt's already on the floor and I blink a couple of times wondering how I didn't notice her undressing in front of me.

"Listen," she says to me, "it's my turn now, okay? And after that, you have to be good."

Holy. Shit.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Now I'm pretty freaked out. "What?"

She frowns slightly at my tone. "You didn't think that would go for free, did you?" My face must look fantastically dumb, judging by the surprise and astonishment with which I receive Jade's words. "C'mon, Tori." Even more surprising is Jade's change of tone, to almost one of understanding. "Just… don't think, okay? It's what I'm doing."

I look down at myself. My pants remain lowered at my knees, my shirt looks all shriveled and ridden-up — thanks, Jade! — and I'm sure if I had a mirror at hand and used it to look at my face it would be all red with excitement.

I could be the one to run and forget. For once. Jade, however, could be right. Just stop thinking. This is already running, and Jade's not. She's inviting me. Obscenely, but still… I can't deny what I'm feeling, or what I want to feel again. Jade's looking hot to me for the first time ever, and it isn't a bad thing. It's something new. One of those good changes that you want to hold on to when they happen. And I do want to wrap my hand and mind around this.

Before I can end my line of thought Jade slaps me, turning my attention back to her.

"Stop it!" she says. She lifts my chin with her hand. "Look at me. You want me, don't you?"

"I…" It sounds like a very appropriate thing to say right now. "I'm not sure…"

"Right now, Tori, are you wanting me right now?"

She extends her arms at her sides, exposing her middle to me. Offering.

What am I supposed to do? Reject her? I'm feeling like a horny preadolescent and very lucky boy. The few testosterone that runs through my body — and I bet it's running in excess right now, for I'm feeling rather boyish — answers for me.

"I guess."

"Right!"

And she's back on me.

All over me.

I feel her lips on my lips. Her hands on my hips, on my stomach, holding my thighs, moving in an endless and ever-changing fashion. Her body against mine. Her breasts against mine. Her body between my legs. I'm being pushed against the wall again. Jade's even lifting me this time. Her hips are holding me up, making me lose my mind from the pleasuring pressure that's being applied. I moan. And moan. And moan. And she moans into me. At some point before she jumped me she managed to take off her pants, and we can now feel the other through only a few layers of fabric. Our hips grind together. It's a war, a battle. And we're both winning. It's a mindless synchronization that's driving us. As if we fit with the other. And I can't help but wish we could both forget that this is being so intense.

I'm kissing Jade as if I loved her. Mostly, because I'm loving her right now, what she's doing to me, what I'm doing to her. What we're doing together. It's so new to me. And I'm so new at it. So much so, that I question myself if I'm good enough. Jade certainly seems to be agreeing. But I feel almost insecure around her — as usual, of course, but being in this situation surely makes matters different. I mean, is Jade experienced enough that she'll know I'm not good? Is she good at all? Does it even matter?

I suppose I really should just stop thinking…

"Shit, Tori!"

I feel Jade's breath against my neck, and a blush creeping up my cheeks. I must already look like a giant tomato.

Until now my hands had been placed on her hips, unmoving. But as I focus back on what's happening, they start caressing her body, her back, her shoulders and arms. They manage to take off her bra and throw it away. And I feel her naked nipples against mine — when was my bra taken off I cannot tell. My eyes travel downward and I stare at her marvelous breasts.

I lean down to lick and suck and bite. And I feel so dirty. Now I'm never going to be able to feel insulted by a guy's stare again. My actions are as offensive and — as I would call them in any other situation — as brainless as any brainless horny man's. But I cannot help myself. How could I not suddenly become completely comprehensive of men when I have Jade West's amazing bosom in front of me, completely at my disposal.

"Oh, Jade!"

She giggles at my… at my brainlessness, I guess. Her hands run over my butt suggestively and I wrap my legs around her. She accelerates her hips' grinding motion to an almost-inhuman level. I continue to moan and moan. Her hands pull at my panties. She's practically begging me to take them off, so I reciprocate. I barely get to lower my legs when she lets go of me. Each goes to their business, and we're both naked by the time I feel her body spread my legs, her hands under my thighs and my feet leaving the floor once more.

There's skin-to-skin contact, and a small tuft of hair that tickles me in a very nice way. Jade's hands skip the reconnaissance stage and go directly to tease my center. Why doesn't she just skip that part as well?

Oh, right. I'm supposed to be doing it for her.

"…already, Tori!"

I don't know if she said anything other than that short remnant.

Feeling like a blind kid who's never gone to a park, I slide my hands down her body. My fingers ache to play with her breasts. She sounds too desperate as for me to do it, though, and I don't wanna die just yet. I feel the soft skin of her abdomen. I can't help but love the way she twitches at that. My hands reach that short path of hair, and if I'm dripping with excitement at the situation, then Jade's raining on my hand as I cup her.

A fading whisper of "Fuck, Tori!" escapes her. And I'm proud to declare that her words become senseless in response to my caress. Seems like I have powerful hands.

I feel powerful. I'm locked in a closet with Jade, and she isn't torturing me. Actually, it would be more accurate to say I'm torturing her. Her body's writhing desperately thanks to my touch. She's looking so weak, so… normal. She's not the Jade West, that mean and untouchable girl she always is. Right now she's just Jade West, the girl who is being pleasured by Tori Vega, her sworn enemy. And from now on that's who she is going to be for me.

"Fuck, To-ori… Please!" Begging—or rather, to be begged for—is not usually my thing… but then again, this is Jade West!

As she starts moaning my name time and time again, a little voice starts singing a very irritating, but very alluring tune. She's single right now. She's single right now. She's single right now.

Whoa, I think, where's that coming from? I mean, of course it's an attractive thought, and a crush was never a discarded theory of my feelings towards Jade. But, us together? No thank you, fine like this. A quiet "We'll discuss it later…" echoes in the back of my head as I refocus my attention on the paleness of Jade's skin.

Her chest is rising and falling with her regaining breathing. Her eyes are still closed. And her face looks incredibly relaxed. She gazes at me slowly, heavy-lidded-ly, and smiles.

"So…" I say after a time, feeling awfully uncomfortable. "Hot hands?" What else was I gonna say?

She actually giggles.

"Hot hands."

Our foreheads touch and our lips rub together.

She's single right now!

I know you people can't hold back the impulse to review. Do it. You can't control yourselves, just do it, it'll take just a second...

That was your unconscious mind.

I'm serious, if you liked it I'll appreciate your review; if you didn't like it and review... I'll probably appreciate it anyway.