In Which Jade and Tori bond over a game of pool after Fight Scene
"I can not believe we got away with that." I say to Jade. She looks at me with a glare.
"Don't think this means we're friends Vega." She spits bitterly at me. I'm not gonna lie, I did flinch, I mean who wouldn't when Jade West's words could cut through steel.
"Yeah, I know." I say walking to My mom's car. Sure I was a little put-down, I mean she just helped me get out of detention while leaving the cop there. Speaking of which he's coming out right now. Shoot! My mom's car is too far away to get to it without getting caught. I look around and wouldn't you know it, Jade is just now getting into her car and, its only ten feet away. Here We go. I send my mom a quick text saying that detention got extended and I have to stay for a little longer and I have another ride home. I see Derek look at us and I duck and run to Jade's car, opening the door and jumping in.
"What the Fuck Tori!?" She screams.
"Just shut up and drive!" I tell her as I'm pointing to the cop who's walking towards the car as we speak. She nods and turns on the car and puts it in drive, She pulls out just as Derek gets to the car. "Bye!" I yell as I wave to him.
/-\-/-\-/-\
"Where are we." We're driving through a desert and the music is just loud enough for me to hear. It's some kind of... I don't know how to explain it. Ugh, I hate not being able to explain things. Oh God, I sound like Jade. I have to get out of this car before I become her! Let me out! LET ME OUT! I get knocked out my trance by a short answer, "Shadow Creek Park." I look at her asking for an explanation.
"Ugh, it's like a nature reserve but it hasn't been used in years. We're going there to kill time. You said you told your mom that detention got extended." I nod and relax a little in the seat.
I look in the rearview and see a shovel. How did I not notice that before? I mean there's a shovel. In the back seat. What if she tries to kill me. Oh god, no one knows I'm with her. Crap! If she tries to kill me what do I do. Oh crap.
She chuckles and I look at her. "Wow Vega, if just a shovel makes you freak out wait till you see what's in the trunk."
"WHAT?!" By now I'm trying to find a way out of the car, "Tori I'm kidding. My brother works landscape and he uses my car sometimes. I guess he left the shovel In here. As for the trunk... I don't know what to tell you but, you really don't want to know what's in there." I look at her frightened.
"What is in there?" I ask She looks at me and says, "things." Then she does this biting motion. Don't know what that's about.
We stop at a small place with an abandoned shack. She parks the car and opens the door. "Coming Tori?" She asks me, I nod and unbuckle myself. I get out the car and look around. I hear a car door open and close as I look back I see Jade with the shovel.
"Uh, what are you doing with that?" I ask her as she stands up straight. She looks back at me and rolls her eyes, "Nothing, Vega, don't worry. I won't hurt you," she smirks and I have a feeling I know what's coming next, "much."
Whoop there it is.
/-\-/-\-/-\
"This couch is insanely comfortable." I tell Jade as I lay on the black suede couch.
"I know." Is all she replies not looking at me. "This old shack has electricity. I don't know how but it does" she says grabbing a water from out of the fridge.
She uncaps taking a gulp then puts it back on, pushing my feet off and plopping beside me. "So what are we going to do here?" I ask her. She shrugs. "I don't know... Just sit here I guess. There's not much to do."
I nod and stand up to look around, walking to a short hall and stopping in a small room just big enough to hold like ten people. "Hey, Jade?!" I yell back at her. "What, Vega? Did you get lost?" she replies sarcastically. "No, but there's a pool table in here. Wanna play?" I ask her. She walks in and looks at the pool table that sits in the middle of the room. "Only if you wanna lose, Vega." She says smirking at me.
/-\-/-\-/-\
"GOD DAMMIT VEGA!" Jade yells at me as she throws her pool stick down on the ground for the third time. "Oh... Did I mention I was really good at pool?" I say dragging out 'really' and smirking gaining me a glare from Jade. "Rematch, Tori. Now" she challenges me. I shrug as she gets the balls and racks them. "I'm breaking since you got to last time. "Okay. But the outcome will be the same as the game before. And the one before. And the one before."
"Can it, Vega." she says taking the triangle from around the balls. "Jade. You can't 'can' this awesomeness. If I could I would."
"Vega." Jade growls. Smiling I wait for her to break. When she does she sinks a solid and smirks at me. I roll my eyes as she lines up another shot. I feel my phone vibrate so I take it out my pocket and see I have a missed call from my mom. My eyes widen as she sends a text asking where I am. I reply that I'm with a friend and that I forgot to tell her and that I'll be home soon. She says okay and I put my phone away. I see that Jade is waiting for me her foot tapping on the ground. "Who was that?" she asks me. "My mom" is my short reply. She nods and motions her head in the direction of the pool table. I take the pool stick from her and line up my shot sinking a striped.
/-\-/-\-/-\
"Thanks for the ride home, Jade." I say to her getting out the car. "Yeah. Now get out of my car, Vega. I still want that rematch."
"Okay. Only if you want to lose." I say smirking at her and opening my door
"You're on." She says as she waits for me to get out. Getting out I smile at her and grab my bag. She doesn't smile back. I close my door and she pulls out.
"TRINA!" I yell as I finish throwing the last of my books out my "over-sized" purse and dumping the contents out of it. "What?!" She yells back stomping up the stairs to what I'm presuming is my room. When she gets to my door and turn around I wish I hadn't. She has green lumpy stuff on her face. I shriek and fall back on my bed. "What is that?!" I point at her face.
"Its avocado and relish. It's supposed to give my face a natural glow." she says irritability, "now why did you call me in here?"
"Because I can't find my phone" I groan loudly. Already forgetting about what's on Trina's face, thumping my head against the wall. "Well, I can call it if you want." My eyes widen and I look at her happily. "Really?"
"If," she starts. "If?" I ask her waiting, "If you let me borrow that awesome new shirt you got yesterday." groaning I lean my head back, "Fine. Just call my damn phone ." Trina nods taking her phone out and handing it to me going to my closet to start rummaging for the shirt.
I only have to wait for two rings before my phone is picked up and a voice wasn't expecting to pick up the phone, "Hello?"
"Jade?!"
"Vega!" she says, I suspect a little amusement in her voice, "I was wondering when you'd notice your phone was missing. And it only took you five minutes and... Thirty-seven seconds."
Yup... Definitely amusement. "Listen you twisted bitter sor-"
"Woah, Vega! I'm flattered you noticed, but you wouldn't want to be talking to the person, who's holding your phone hostage, like that, would you?" I growl quietly then huff.
"Look, Jade I-" She cuts me off. "Really need your phone? Oh, I know. That's why you are not getting it back until I get my rematch" I groan and throw my head back falling onto my bed as Trina comes out of the closet with my new shirt. "You almost are done with my phone?" I wave her off and reply to Jade, "Fine you'll get your rematch. Tomorrow after detention. " I can practically feel her grin through the phone. "Perfect." She says before she hangs up the phone.
I groan and toss Trina her phone where she fumbles with it for a bit before actually getting it. She says nothing as she walks out my room.
/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\
"Vega! Hurry up and take your shot! I only need to hit the eight ball!" I roll my eyes lining the shot up and shoot it, missing the corner pocket. I look at Jade and see her smiling as she lines up the shot and hits the eight ball; into the right side pocket. I sigh in relief. It's over. Finally. I sit on the pool table then lay on it. "Finally. Jade can I have- Jade? What are you.." I look up at Jade as she leans over my face looking down at me. "Tori, shut up." She brings her hand up and brushes away a stray piece of hair that fell in front of my face tucking it behind my ear. "That hair was annoying me." She sits back up and jumps off the pool table then walks out the room into the larger room in the shack. As she sits on the couch I walk into the room and walk to the fridge grabbing a water. "Can I have my phone back now?" I ask her taking off the cap of the water and jump onto the counter. Her reply is a hum and walking out the room. "Jade?!" I huff and jump off the counter as I hear a door close.
Muttering curse words and how I'll strangle her I walk out the door. "All I want is my dang phone. Is that too much to ask?" I say out loud as I walk outside. Oh great, it's dark. "Jade! I know you're out here!" No reply. I huff and walk around the shack to the back and look around. Where did the frilly hill (yes, I said hill. Deal with it) did she go? She just vanished.
I groan and turn around screaming when I notice Jade was right behind me. She smirks and raises her pierced eyebrow, "Wow Tori, if I knew it was that easy to make your scream I would've tried something else." What..? Oh. OH. Oh god. "Jesus Jade, you almost gave me a heart attack." She shrugs and walks to the shack, climbing up finding footholds to boost herself up. When she gets to the roof she looks down at me expecting me to climb up after her. "No. I am not climbing up there." I say crossing my arms. She looks at me and shrugs, "Fine. I guess you don't want your phone." She smirks as she hears me scrambling trying to find foot holes. Damn this is a lot harder than she makes it look.
Her smug look turns to laughter as I lose some of my footing and almost slip, "Come on Tori, you act like this is your first time." Well, it kind of is. I huff keeping my thoughts to myself and find my footing again pulling myself up onto the roof breathing heavily, man I really need to get into shape.
I roll over on my back and look at the sky trying to catch my breath. And let me tell you, the stars in town are nowhere near as impressive as this. It's like I can see every constellation, and I'm pretty sure I can. The stars are shining bright, along with the full glittering moon, the sight is just... Wow. I hear motion beside me and look over at Jade who puts my pear phone on my stomach and lays beside me. "Holy Shit." I whisper towards the sky. I hear Jade laugh, "Ooooh you said a bad word. Who knew 'Sweet Sally Peaches' Lil' ol' you knew what those words mean." She says and I reply quietly with, "I don't talk like that." Too mesmerized by the sky to shout it like I usually do.
"You okay there?" Jade asks laying beside me and I nod. She looks at the sky then at her phone putting on some music, I believe its pop-punk or something like that. It's not bad. "You can't see the stars in the city." I finally reply over the quiet music. "Yeah," she replies folding her hands over her stomach, "it's called light pollution. The lights of the city drown out the stars, so you see only the brightest ones, if any, In the city." I look over at her with a raised eyebrow, "Well someone likes science." I say then look back at the sky. "Shoot me." She says with a shrug and moves her hands under her head. A song comes on that I've heard before, I think it's called "The Middle" or something like that. I hum and keep looking at the stars, pointing out Orion's belt and the big dipper in my head. "So how did you find this shack?" I ask.
She shrugs still looking at the sky, "I got into a fight with my dad so I went out late night driving. I was gonna go to Beck's place but he was in Canada for a family reunion, so I just drove to the park and drove, and drove. Took just the right amount of turns I guess and I found this place. I flipped a light switch just to see if the lights worked and they did. I haven't really shown anyone this place. You're lucky I took you. My dad had one of his associates over yesterday and doesn't like me interrupting. So." She keeps looking at the sky, singing quietly to the song. I smile a little listening to her sing looking at the sky, hearing a wolf howl somewhere in the distance.
I close my eyes and keep listening. As the song comes to an end I smile and grab my phone and look at it ignoring the big 11:00 pm on my phone's clock as I open my slap page. I notice that Jade had recently posted something on hers and I read it, "It's been an Iffy night. I still hate Pool sticks though. So that doesn't change." I chuckle quietly and turn off my phone then put it in my pocket, and sit up sliding down the roof then climbing down. "Where are you going, Tori?" I hear Jade sit up and follow me, climbing down. "I'm going on a walk. Now hurry your butt up." I smile a little as I hear her trip coming up behind me. I walk along the tree line until I find a slightly overgrown path then walk into it. "Why the woods?" Jade asks and I shrug, "Just seems fun. I don't know." I hear her hum and see some light. Looking back at her I notice she's using her pear phone's flashlight to illuminate the trees and the path.
We walk in silence, hearing some animals once in a while. After about twenty minutes the path breaks off into two. I take the one on the left and keep walking. I look back at Jade who catches my eyes and raises her eyebrow. I just smile and keep walking. After about another ten minutes the path opens up to a clearing. I look around not being able to see anything, but able to hear the sound of trickling water, "Jade," nothing. "Jade!" I hear her come up behind me, "Jesus Christ, what Vega?" She stands beside me pointing her flashlight around. "Help me find the stream." She groans and throws her head back. I roll my eyes and take my phone out of my pocket and turning it on. I wait for it to boot up then turn on my flashlight sweeping it around the clearing. It's not big, but it's not small. I walk to the middle and hear a splash, immediately followed by Jade's voice and various colorful cuss words. I laugh as I hear her, "I found the fucking stream." I laugh again and point my flashlight at her. Her back is facing me and it's wet.
She's muttering something as she takes her top off revealing a not as wet tank top. I bite my lip and look away pointing the flashlight somewhere else. I keep looking around until I find a big rock and go sit on it. Jade walks to me and sits on it as well, "So what happened?" I look at her raising the eyebrow. "Damn rock tripped me and I fell into the stream." I laugh a little and she glares at me. Then I laugh some more. She rolls her eyes and smiles, "Shut it."
We sit there for a while longer, looking at the stars, listening to the owls hoot, and all the night animals do their thing. I smile and look at the stars through the opening in the trees, the moon's just above the opening shining a little light on us. I hear Jade put on more music but this music is a little louder than on the roof. Then she stands up and holds out her hand. "Don't be shy." She smirks as I take it and I roll my eyes. We dance to the beat, every once in awhile she'll laugh when I almost fall, or curse when I "accidentally" step on her toes. After a while, we stop and just lay on the ground and look at the stars, "So," I break the silence, "You never told me what you wanted to do after high-school." She looks at me then back at the stars, "I want to write and direct. Acting too but not as much as being a well-known Playwright."
I nod and put my hands on my stomach watching, what I hope is an owl fly across the clearing.
"What's your favorite animal?" I ask her. She scoffs and looks at me, "What is this, 20 questions?" I roll my eyes and look back at her, "Just answer the question." I say and she chuckles, "Bunnies." I smile a little and hum. "What's yours?" She asks looking back at the sky, I think for a little and then reply, "Wolves. Or dogs. The same thing basically." I hear her scoff and sit up. I sit up too and look at her, she has her eyebrow raised, "In what universe are wolves and dogs the same thing? Wolves are the Majestic ancestors of dogs, and dogs are just the clumsy outcome of breeding different wolves." I laugh a little and shrug. "Looks like someone likes wolves." She rolls her eyes and lays back down. "A little." I hear her mutter. I laugh and lay on my side looking at her. Every once in awhile she'll look over at me and raise her eyebrow. I'll shake my head and keep looking at her when she looks back to the sky. After a while, I poke her cheek and she doesn't do anything, so I poke her jaw and I see her eyes roll. Then I poke her neck and she rolls her eyes again. Then I poke her side and she jumps. I smirk and lay on my back. Somebody's gonna have to get tickled. Not now. But later.
We keep watching the sky and every once in awhile we'll point out constellations.
After a while we just look at the sky, that is until I decided to sit up and look at Jade, "What?" She says raising her eyebrow. I smile and lean over her slowly inching my hands to her sides before I just say screw it and start tickling her. She laughs, and I smile and sit on her keeping her efficiently pinned to the ground. I keep tickling her until she's out of breath smiling with tears in her eyes. I laugh and look down at her wiping one of her laughing tears away. She laughs a bit more before looking up at me wiping the other away. "How the hell did you know I was ticklish, Vega?" she says still trying to catch her breath. I laugh, "You jumped when I poked your side." I stick my tongue out at her, not noticing her fingers getting closer to my sides and it's too late. Before I realize it she's tickling me and I can't get away because when I tried she pinned me like I did her.
I laugh and try to get away trying to move her hands away to no avail. She stops when I can't breathe. I keep laughing a little and look at her. I laugh and bite my lip trying to stifle the laughs. She smiles and raises her eyebrow, she leans down, really close. "You got something." She bites her lip and I blush slightly letting my lip go as she picks a leaf from my hair. I smile a little and let out a quiet thanks, still blushing. What the heck..? Am I running a fever or something? I shake my head as she sits up and gets off me. I sigh at the loss of body heat and stand as well. I look at my phone and mutter an "oh shit.." Noticing as the clock says 3:45 am. I'm screwed when I get home. Definitely screwed. I walk to the path putting my flashlight on my phone and start walking down the path. Jade is behind me, silent. I keep walking the path until I get to the shack and walk inside going to the main room and grab my purse. "It's," I look at my phone, "4:25, I have to get home. I'm sorry." She nods and grabs her stuff walking out the shack to her car. I sigh and go out behind her getting in the passenger side. She gets in and starts the car turning the music up, meaning she doesn't want to talk right now. Okay.
I get home at 5:02. "Thanks for today, I had fun." I say. I'm about to open my door before I lean over and kiss her cheek. I open the door and get out the car closing the door silently and walking to the house.
/-\/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\
She looks like shit. Her eyes are puffy like she's been crying, and Beck is nowhere to be seen. All I know is I looked at the slap morning and both Jade's and Beck's profiles said 'Jade West and Beck Oliver are no longer together'. I wonder what happened between five and seven this morning. They were just fine yesterday.
I notice Jade is looking at me from her locker, then her eyes glance to somewhere behind me, and I know immediately that she's asking if we can go to the janitors closet without words. I nod and put my books in my locker closing it walking to the closet then walking into it. A few seconds later Jade comes in. I can tell she's holding back tears almost immediately after she comes in, and when the door closes she wraps her arms around me putting her head in my shoulder and breaks down. Okay, this is not Jade like at all. She opposes any form of touching, especially hugging.
I wrap my arms around her and hug her rubbing her back. "Sh. Sh. Sh. Hey, I got you. I'm here." She cries harder gripping the front of my shirt in a death grip like if she let go she'd fall. And I'm pretty sure she would considering I'm supporting all almost all her weight. You know what, this is getting a little heavy. I back us up against the wall and slowly slide down, making sure she doesn't fall. When I sit she automatically sits on me keeping her head in my neck. I hear the bell ring for school to start but who gives a shit? My friend is crying and I don't know why. I'm staying here until she stops and tells me why.
I rub her back until her sobs quiet down to sniffles. She pulls away and looks at my shirt and it looks like she's gonna start crying again, "I got a little bit of make-up on your shirt.." I look at her face, and her mascara is smeared. I shake my head and grab my bag getting a towelette out of its pouch. "It's okay. I have another in my locker." She looks at me as I start wiping the mascara off her cheeks. "What happened?" I ask putting the towelette in my bag. She shakes her head and lays it back on my shoulder, she mumbles something about "cheating bastard's" Then it clicks. After she dropped me off she must have gone to Becks to talk or something and what she finds instead is him with another girl. Poor Jade.
I sigh and rub her back holding her a little tighter. It's not until I realize she's snoring a little, that she's fallen asleep on me. She must be exhausted, considering we've both had no sleep, and what she's been through. I kiss the top of her head and sigh leaning my head back against the wall.
It's not until I wake-up I notice I'm alone. I look at my phone and groan, it's 12:45 pm. Meaning 1.) I've missed four classes and 2.) lunch just started. I go to my locker and grab my backup shirt then go to the bathroom to change. When I'm done I walk to the lunch room and sit at our regular table, which is absent of Beck. Jade sits beside me and Cat across from me along with Andre and Robbie sits with no one, across that seat that no one even sits at. Jade pushes her salad around the bowl it's in and I pat her knee giving her a silent 'it's okay' I think she got the message because I saw her smile a little. I bring a fry up to my mouth and offer her one, which she takes and eats. I bite into my Burrito letting my hand rest beside my thigh. After a while, I feel something besides my hand and I reach out only to notice its Jade's. I smile a bit and continue with my burrito and fries letting my pinky finger rest on Jades. "I see you changed your shirt." Andre says to me and I look at him. "Oh, yeah, I spilled something on my other one." Andre looks confused then asks, "What did you spill?" I look at Jade and she shakes her head a little. I wasn't going to tell them, 'Actually, Jade cried and got makeup on it' no. So I say the next best thing that first comes to my mind and reminds me of Jade, "I spilled coffee on it." He nods at the answer and finishes his pizza.
About five minutes later the bell rings. We all get up saying our goodbyes saying we'll see each other in Sikowitz's class. I walk to my locker and Jade follows. I look back and notice she's holding herself, grabbing my stuff I turn to her, "how are you holding up? Do we need to go back to the janitor's closet?" She smiles a little and shakes her head, "No, I just want to say thank you for earlier. That.. You didn't have to, Vega." I nod and close my locker as the warning bell sounds, "I know." I pat her shoulder and walk away to my English Lit. Class.
/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\
She sits beside me and puts her Gears Of War bag down beside the chair. I smile and continue reading, it's been a little over a month since she and Beck broke up. But we're really close now. It's weird, she's really nice when we're alone but when we're in school or something she acts like a gank again. I don't understand this woman. But we're kind of friends, and that's really all I need. I look over at her when she pokes me in the side with my eyebrow raised. She discreetly hands me a note, and I take the little piece of folded up paper. Today is one of the rare days we have a sub, and wouldn't you know it, Vice Principle Dickers is the substitute. I open the note and try not to laugh at what it says, 'Well no wonder his name is Dickers, he needs to be one to compensate for what he doesn't have'.
Looking at her and bite my lip smiling and beginning to write. 'Yeah, no wonder. He really is a huge DICKers.' I fold up the paper quietly and hide it in my hand, then rest my hand on her thigh letting it fall between her legs before moving my hand away. I look over at her as Dickers looks back at the board to see her open the note. Her lips twitch up into a smile as she starts writing something and I look back to the bored writing down some notes he writes on it.
I poke my tongue out the side and finish writing what he writes down. I take the note Jade passes at the wrong time as his eyes immediately look at us, "You two," he basically yells at us, "do you have something to share with the class?" I see Jade smirk, oh god. Please don't... Please, please don't. "We sure do, Dickers." I groan, here goes my reputation, taken by my friend. This is how I go. She clears her throat and reads it, "Now, this is what is EXACTLY on the paper, I said, 'Well no wonder his name is Dickers, he needs to be one to compensate for what he doesn't have'. And Sweet Sally Peaches here said," She switches her voice to the country accent, "'Yeah no wonder. He really is a huge DICKers.' To which I replied, And that she sadly never got to read, 'Even your capital letters are bigger than he is'" Oh. My. God. I start laughing and look at Jade, then the whole class joins in. And Dickers, who is freaking livid, looks back and forth between the two of us basically all but yells, "VEGA! WEST! DETENTION FOR TWO WEEKS!" Jade shrugs and looks directly at him, "Did I get a good deal on it? I've fallen off a building. Gotta try harder than that."
"Alright West, you just gave yourself another week." I look at Jade my eyes wide and she just looks smug. "Jade!" I say loudly, "Stop." Dickers looks at me and I shrink into my chair, "Alright Vega, you just gave yourself another week." I look at Jade and see her open her mouth, oh no. "Well, now we definitely know what he's compensating for." Dickers looks at her, "Alright West, you just gave yourself another week." She smirks and looks at me and Dickers does too, "Oh, Jesus Christ."
"What's that Vega, you want another week?" Jade answers before I can, "Yes." And Dickers looks at me, "Alright. You got another week then. "
I groan and lay my head back.
"You had to go and get us detention for a freaking month?" I ask sinking one of my balls smiling as the cue ball bounces off the rim and hits another of my balls into the socket. "Well, it wouldn't be any fun alone now would it?" This has become a routine for us. Going to the shack after school, or in this case, detention. I roll my eyes at the answer and hit the ball too hard causing my solid to bounce right out the socket.
"Yeah. But a month? Isn't that, like, overkill." I hear her hum and see her smirk as she sinks a ball, "Maybe, but you gotta make sure you got it all the way. Shoot it in the head to make sure." I squint my eyes and tilt my head, "What the hell does that even mean?" She laughs sinking another ball, "I have no Idea."
/-\/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\
I groan and fall onto the black couch. Finally no detention anymore. I'm free. Poking Jade with my foot I sit up and let her beside me. She Hums and sits. "No pool today?" She asks me. I shake my head and recline, resting my legs on her thighs. "Nah, I feel like relaxing today." She nods and sinks into the couch closing her eyes. I do the same.
When I wake up I'm automatically aware of an arm wrapped around my abdomen, warmth pressed against my back, and small breaths against my neck. I shrug, friends cuddle all the time. And plus I'm really comfortable like this. I close my eyes again and snuggle deeper into Jade enjoying the warmth. She's like a freaking space heater. Who knew the Ice Queen of Hollywood Arts could be warm? But soon I fall asleep again, just like that in Jade's arms.
When I wake up again I notice the lack of warmth on my back. But there's a blanket over me. I smile a little and keep it wrapped around me cocooning myself in the blanket. Jade walks in and laughs at me rolling her eyes. "I'm a burrito." I say, laughing a little. "Isn't that racist?" Is her reply with a smirk. "If I say it, it isn't." She rolls her eyes and goes to the pool room. I stay like that until she comes back into the room and pushes me off the couch. Letting out a high pitched scream, curl into a ball as I hit the floor with a loud thump. I glare at Jade and she's smirking as she sits on the couch.
"Was that necessary?" I ask as I try to untangle myself from the blankets. She nods and reclines on the couch letting out a sigh. Smiling a little, I sit against the couch. I've mostly forgotten about our impromptu cuddle session. Although it was rather comfortable. It doesn't really matter though.
I sigh and lean my head back, it falling into Jade's lap. "I'm thinking about dyeing my hair." She says absently. I raise my eyebrow as her hand falls onto my head, her fingers running through it. I relax a little. It's not everyday Jade West touches someone on her own will. "What color?" I ask, my head tilting up to look at her. "Black." Is her only reply. "Shocking." I say in a deadpan voice.
She's looking at the ceiling of the shack. Her jaw is facing me and its hard not to look. The way her neck slopes into her shoulders. How her blue-green eyes gaze at the brown wooden ceiling. She's beautiful, of course, I've always known this. But still. She closes her eyes, a small chuckle falling from her lips and her hand stops. "Take a picture, Vega. It'll last longer." My eyes widen when she says that. Because, one, I was caught staring. And two, because I was actually staring. Who stares at Jade West without getting scissors shoved into their eye sockets? "I- I uh- I wasn't- Shut up!" I stutter, I could faintly see Jade smirk out the corner of my eye when I look away. Soon her hand is running through my hair again and my eyes close at the feeling. I hum contently, yawning slightly after.
"Tired?" She asks. Although it wasn't very Jade-like. It lacked bite and it was... soft. Gentle. Her hand continued to run through my hair. My eyes staying shut, "A bit. Although it isn't anything I can't power through." Jade only chuckles some as she stops her fingers and unlaces them from my hair before she nudged me. "Come on. Let's get you home, Vega." She says as she stands. I slightly pout when she does and I look at her, "Why?" My eyebrows furrow as I try to think of something I did or said to make her not to be around me. I hear a quiet chuckle and look up to see Jade standing there, "Vega, you said you were tired. So, I'm taking you home to get some rest." She smiles a bit and holds her hand out to help me up. I take it and soon she pulls me up. I'm caught off guard by the yanking of my arm and slam right into her, making her stumble some but she catches herself, and me, so that we stay standing. I immediately apologize and she only shakes her head, "Let's just get you home." She says with a small smile and she walks out of the shack.
/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\
"Fuck!" Is all I hear from outside. My eyebrow raises and not soon after the cuss word do I hear a knock at my door. I sigh silently and run a hand through my hair as I stand off of the couch. I walk to the door and open it, knowing full well who was standing on the other side of my door. Jade west stands there her arms crossed and a look on her face that says that she was royally wazzed off. "What's up?" I ask. She doesn't say anything and walks inside, pushing past me. Well, someone isn't in a good mood. She sits on the left couch before looking at me. "I have to spend the night here tonight." Is all she says as she picks up the remote and begins to flip through the channels on the TV. "Why...?" I ask, cautious so I don't happen to be on the end of one of her famous outbursts. She stops flipping channels, an old horror movie coming on to the screen just as a murder was happening. It makes me cringe some. "My car broke down and I Can't get a ride home. And I'm not leaving my car here. No offense." I shrug and sit on the unoccupied couch as I look at the goth, "None taken... I think. But, I don't see why you can't. It'll mostly just be me and you though. My parents are on a conference for my mom and Trina went out shopping. So, she'll be gone a few hours." I say. Jade only nods and turns her attention to the murder happening on screen, a gleeful look in her eyes.
A couple hours pass when Jade, who decided to lounge on the couch, abruptly sits up. By now the movie had ended and I was a few minutes from falling asleep, "Vega!" she yells and it catches me off guard. I jump and fall off of the couch before looking at her, "What?" I ask. She only looks at me and raises her pierced eyebrow and watches as I stand to brush myself off. "I'm hungry." That's all she says and goes back to the movie, she had apparently found a channel that only played horror movies. She watches it and my own eyebrow raise, "Want to order a pizza?" I ask her. "No. I'd rather make it, actually." She says. I smile a bit and say, "I don't see why we can't."
Five minutes later, we're making the dough to the pizza, laughing and telling jokes. Jade tells morbid ones that make me cringe and her laugh at my reaction and I tell her stupid one-liners that, let's face it, aren't even that funny. She looks at me, a devious hint in her eye and my eyebrows furrow. It isn't long before a handful of flour gets thrown in my face. And take it from me, flour gets everywhere. Every. Where. She was too busy laughing, her eyes shut as her head was thrown back. It was beautiful and for a second, I revel in her laugh. I had never heard it. She rarely laughs. She only stops when she feels the ball of flour I throw at her hit her stomach and she looks at me, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she slowly slides her hand into one of the bags of flour. "Run."
The flour fight persisted and continued on for another twelve minutes, both of us laughing and attempting to one-up one another. We were both covered in the baking ingredient from literally head to toe. Our hair was white and so were our feet, not to mention our clothes were covered front, back, and side. The fight only stops when we here a door shut, and we both watch as Trina drops bags to the floor. "What is the goth doing here?" She asks in a disapproving tone. I don't say anything and Jade steps forward, looking at Trina, "I am an invited guest. What's up your ass? You know, apart from your head?" Trina only groans some and picks up her bags, "I don't have time for this, I have a hot date coming soon to take me out to a hot new restaurant." she walks upstairs, her door shutting. Jade looks at me, her arms crossing, "You know, we should probably finish that pizza." She says, her eyes glancing behind me at all the ingredients on the counter. And we do, we finish the pizza and put it in the oven before walking upstairs to get cleaned up. She took a pair of sweatpants from me and a T-shirt which was a solid light blue. For a bit she didn't want to take it, claiming it was too bright. It was only when I threatened her with, 'Either you take it or you walk around in only your bra', did she finally take it. I wouldn't have minded seeing that, though. Bad Tori.
We were both cleaned and dressed in twenty minutes and I check the pizza. It was finished and I take it out of the oven before cutting into eight pieces. She takes two and we sit at the table to eat.
/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\
The pool balls clack against one another, the sound ringing through the small room. Jade was busy lining up her shot, leaning over the table. I couldn't help but stare. She had just died her hair and it looked amazing on her. She had it curled slightly and she had emerald streaks. Her shirt was low cut, black as always. It has been a few months since that day at my house and the impromptu sleepover. And god, It's hard for me to deny that I was drooling.
A clearing of Jade's throat catches my attention and I immediately realize that a.) I was staring and b.) I may or may not have been blushing. I stutter for a bit and look away. God, why am I like this? Before Jade came along I didn't have to deal with these kinds of feelings. She came in and twisted my brain and I don't understand why I feel this way. Every time I see her, I can't help but smile and laugh at the corny jokes she makes (and let me tell you, there are a lot). Ever since she came into my life, I've opened her up. She smiles more, laughs more. She's more open. She tells me things I'm sure she'd never tell anyone else. Not even Cat. And she's known Cat since they were just kids.
"Earth to Vega." Alright, I guess I was zoned out. "Take the damn shot already. Finish the game. And take a picture. It'll last longer." And there's my blush again. I lean over the table, a sigh escaping my lips as I hit the cue ball. The distinct sound of the hard plastic balls clacking together as the 8-ball is struck. It rolls against the covered wood table before falling into the right side pocket. She let me win. She's been letting me win. And today I proved it. I had purposely been playing bad. "Alright. You won. Do you want to go to Nozu? I'm hungry. And you skipped lunch to work on that weird project with Andre." Surprising, she's never asked me out to eat before. Maybe she's just being nice.
It takes me a bit to reply as I'm staring at Jade with a look of disbelief. "You going to just stand there and gawk, or are you actually going to give me an answer?" Her hand is on her hip in that sassy way that always gets me, her pierced eyebrow raised as she waits for my answer. "O-oh... Uh, yeah. Yeah! We can go. What time is it?" She looks at her phone and then to me, "You have a few hours before you have to be home, you're good Vega. The sun is just now starting to go down." I was wary of it, but Jade and I have long since grown out of our bickering and bantering and arguing with each other, I think she's actually starting to like me. Not in the way I like her but as a friend? A confidant maybe?
I guess Jade thought that something was wrong with me and that made her voice get softer and she walks around the table and places a hand on my shoulder, "Hey, Tori? Are you okay?" She tries to search my face and it immediately snaps me out of my trance once more, "Oh. Uh, yeah. Yeah. "I'm, uh, fine, Jade." I shake my head and suppress a sigh before I look at the dark-haired beauty, "It must just be the lack of food in my stomach. My breakfast wasn't really huge." She nods, taking her keys from her pocket before walking towards the hallway. "We'll get you there as fast as possible then, Vega." She disappears down the hallway and I soon hear the door to the shack close. I was alone with my thoughts and god, what have I gotten myself into? I can't fall for Jade. What am I thinking? She's my best friends ex-girlfriend. It would make things horribly uncomfortable at the lunch table. And when we get into our crazy endeavors.
But that doesn't stop me from wanting to hold her. To be able to get near her without people staring at us and pointing asking 'Didn't you guys hate each other just yesterday?' I shake my head and walk out the room and then the shack. Jade's car was running and she was waiting patiently for me. Something she never did for anyone. When I get in, she looks at me and raises her perfectly pierced eyebrow, "Did you get lost on your way out?" She asks me and begins to drive. I didn't know what to say so I just shook my head.
The ride to Nozu was quiet. Not a word was said between Jade and I. Quiet music filtered through the speakers, covering the stifling silence. Soon we were in the Nozu parking lot and the car was cut off. "I'm not going to ask you what's wrong Vega. But just know I'm here for whatever you need to talk about. You've been there for me on multiple different occasions and I should at least try to return the favor." She gives me one of those smiles that makes me melt and then she gets out the car with her keys in her hand. I lean my head back when I know she isn't looking and I definitely know she can't hear me and groan out, "Worst. Crush. Ever."
/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\
It's been two weeks. And I've been avoiding her. I just can't stand to face her. Not when every time I see her, I just want to kiss that smug smirk off of her beautiful face. My head was currently in my arms as I lean against my desk. It was math and I really didn't need to do anything. The only problem was this was one of the three classes I had with her. She has been trying to get my attention all class period. I had intentionally gotten to the class right before the bell rang so I didn't have to get ambushed by her. Luckily the only seat that was open was one that was on the complete opposite side of the classroom from Jade.
After the class had ended I bolted out of there, ignoring Jades calls for me to come back and that she needed to talk to me. I do the exact opposite and find a place to hide from the woman who I have a hopeless crush on. It was in a tent in the Black Box Theater. In hindsight, it wasn't the best place for me to hide. But it was lunchtime so I hope she just gave up and went to eat. Of course, I wasn't that lucky because about three minutes after I had found the hiding spot did the doors open. "Victoria Vega," Oh god. She used my real name. I'm in deep. Too deep. "I saw you come in here. You have three seconds before I start looking for you. One."
Oh god, shes counting. I grip one of the sleeping bags that were in the tent.
"Two."
I can hear her boots thumping against the floors as she walks towards the tent.
"Thr-"
She only gets halfway through the number before I yelp, "I'm in the tent!" God. She's going to kill me. The theater is going to have my blood all over the walls when she's done.
"Get out the tent, Vega." Her voice was calm. Calculated. Scarily so. I slowly climb out of the tent on all fours, looking at the girl who stood with her arms crossed. "Now stand up and tell me why the hell you've been avoiding me for the past two weeks." I stand when she tells me to and begin to stutter. "I-i-i... I didn't- I wasn't- Oh Shut Up!" I yell before I look at her.
"Tori. What did I do? Why have you been avoiding me? And don't tell me you weren't. Every time you see me, you all but bolt in the opposite direction." She asks, looking at me and taking a step forward. Her voice was soft when she asked me the question. She thought she was the one who did something. She thinks she's the reason I've been avoiding her. Oh god. "Jade... You didn't do anything. I've just been going through some stuff." I say, looking away from her. "Bull shit," She says as she again takes a step towards me and I take one back. "Jade. Just go. I don't want to talk about it." I wrap my arms around myself and look down at the floor. There was a sigh and I feel arms wrap around me. I tense up before slowly sinking into Jade's arms. This is the first time she actually hugged me without me having to basically bully her into it. "I meant what I said when we were at Nozu that day. I'm here for you and whatever you're going through I want to help you through." My eyes shut and I grip the front of her shirt. "This isn't something you can help me with, Jade." I say quietly into her neck.
"Why not. What is so important that you can't tell it to your best friend?" She pulls away from me and I immediately feel the lack of warmth. I can't look at her, if I do, I'm sure I'll break down. "It's complicated, Jade. I don't know what to say or how to go about how I'm feeling. It scares me." There's a sigh that doesn't come from me and I feel arms back around me. My arms wrap around her as well, my face burying in her neck. She smells like vanilla and coffee. And I don't want the hug to end. I grip her shirt again and sigh some, my eyes closing.
/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\
"Just tell her." I was at home. Andre and I had been working on a new song for his music theory class. After we had finished, we ended up talking. And I may have spilled out that I had romantic feelings for a certain horror movie loving girl. Thus moving to our current conversation. "I mean, she's single" A sigh escapes my lips and I look away from Andre. "But she's Becks ex, Andre. I couldn't do that to him. He's my best friend." Andre sighs some and shakes his head, "He wouldn't care, Tori. Hell, he'd probably be happy that Jade finally has someone who can put up with her attitude." He reaches for one of the cans on the table and sips the soda from it, "By the way, I'm throwing a party Saturday. You should come. It'll help you loosen up a bit." The can clinks against the table as he stands, "Think about it, okay? It's Christmas, after all." He smiles at me and then he's gone.
/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\
The music was thumping loudly and bodies were pushed impossibly close together, grinding against one another to the loud music. I always forgot why I never went to any of Andre's parties. They were full of horny, hormonal and drunk teenagers. You know, the typical teenage party. I hadn't even been there three minutes when a dude started hitting on me. I mean, he was cute, sure. But He wasn't Jade. And I wanted Jade, not him. I sigh silently and bring the red cup to my lips. As soon as I had gotten to the party Andre all but shoved the cup into my hand. Which soon turned into two others. I've never really been much of a drinker, I can't handle my alcohol and I always wake up with the worst headache.
Arms wrap around my midsection and I stiffen. My eyes look down. I first see a red cup and painted black nails. Along with rings and bracelets over a pair of black gloves that run to the person's elbows and I'm pretty sure it's Jade whose arms are around me. A warm breath over my ear makes my eyebrows furrow and it's then I realize the smell of Vodka and... Coke? "Hiya, Tori." Her voice was slightly higher and it didn't hold anything even Jade like. But It was Jade. I could tell from the faint smell of Vanilla and coffee even though it was now covered by the Vodka and Coke.
I turn around and I wish I hadn't. That dress. The one she was wearing. I almost wish it wasn't Christmas because it should be illegal to wear a dress that short. The dress was Santa themed but it had a bit of black splashed into it. It was so Jade like. She had to add black to everything. It was almost hilarious. The buttons of the white trimmed red dress were black. The belt around her waist was black. She even had some black ribbons at the hem of the mid-thigh length dress. She wore Black, almost see-through, stockings and a pair of red boots that reached just below her knees. And the cherry on top? She was wearing a Santa hat.
The dude who had previously been talking to me, most likely trying to get me into bed with him, sulks away dejectedly with his head bowed. Jade's cheeks were rosy and she had a carefree smile on her face. I could tell she was drunk from the way she was struggling just to stand up. That and the smile she had on her face screamed 'I'm drunk as hell'. "Hi, Jade. When did you get here?" It was a simple enough question. One that I'm sure she'd be able to answer in her inebriated state. "Uhh, a couple of hours...I've been looking for you." She gives me that knee-weakening smile before she turns me around and pulls me back to her and she wraps her arms around my back, her hands landing on the small of my back over my red shirt. She was hugging me. Actually hugging me, "We haven't gotten to spend much time together this Christmas break. I miss you." Her words make me blush and my arms carefully wrap around the slightly taller girl. She was only an inch taller, but it seemed like five as I looked up at her.
"How much have you had to drink?" I ask when our hug reluctantly comes to an end. She puts a finger up to her chin, seemingly in thought as she hums. I couldn't really hear it over the loud music. "Uh... Six? No, Seven!" She says it happily and it makes my eyebrow go up in a Jade-like manner. "Okay. You're cut off." I say as I take the solo cup from her hands and knock the last little bit back, the strong taste burning the back of my throat. I sip my own drink, waiting for Jades reply. "Hey! I needed that!" She says to me loudly and I shake my head, "You've had enough, Jade." She huffs some and crosses her arms. "But I need it." It's a whine and it only makes my eyebrow arch further.
"And why is that?" I ask as I cross my arms, careful of the drink in my hand. She looks at me, "To confess something to someone. I can't do it sober and I need to get as drunk as I possibly can." I look at her and shake my head, "You're drunk enough. Who do you have to tell something to?" I was still a bit sober, having only had about two or three drinks. I could feel the strong alcohol in the pit of my stomach. Jade looks like she's struggling with her words as she looks at me. "Don't tell a word of this to Vega or I swear to god I'll slit your throat with the pair of scissors I keep in my boot." Ah, there.s my Jade.
Okay, Yeah. She's hammered. She doesn't even remember that she's talking to me. Of course, she could be talking about Trina. But no one likes Trina. She begins to talk, swaying slightly unable to keep herself steady "Well... I like Tori Vega. Like... An insane amount, actually. More than friends." My face flushes at the words. She likes me? Like, like likes me? "That's why I was looking for her..." She begins to turn around and her eyebrows were furrowed. When she finishes turning back around, she smiles widely, "Hiya Tori!" She says, "I was just looking for you."
I have to suppress a slight giggle at the drunk girl in front of me, "Okay. Come on. You're drunk off your ass." I take her wrist in my hand and begin to tug her towards the stairs. She was too drunk to be at one of these parties. I wouldn't want anything to happen to her. She lets me drag her up to the second story of the house. It takes a bit of time, there were practically no empty rooms. They were all occupied by either passed out and naked teenagers or naked and definitely not passed out teens. When we finally find an empty room, we walk in and close the door behind us and lock it. Jade immediately goes to the bed and lays on it. She holds her arms out to me, "Cuddle?" I nod and get on the bed, wrapping my arms around Jade and soon fall asleep.
/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\-/-\
There's a groan and then movement beside me. Then it's paired with even more movement. My mouth is dry, and every sound that I hear is like thirty times louder and the light is making my head pound even more. There's no denying I'm hungover. I've never been able to hold my liquor. I peek an eye open and Immediately regret it as I shut it almost as soon as I opened it. "Shit..."I mumble. The movements beside me stop and I guess whoever was beside me was watching me. Wait, am I naked? I again open my eyes and look down at my body. Okay. Good. Not naked.
"Vega, what happened last night?" I hear a familiar voice say and I look over at Jade who looks like hell. "Uh... I don't know... I just remember getting drink after drink shoved in my hands and it all gets fuzzy after you show up." I say, clenching my eyes shut tightly. "I think I may have pulled you in here because you were trashed? How much did you drink?" Jade shrugs some as she stands up and straightens her crumpled clothes. "Thanks." Is all she says as she walks to the door. "And I think You may have confessed something." She freezes, her hand almost to the door. "Well, I didn't lie. And I remember that part. I didn't think you did."She walks out the room, the door silently shutting behind her.
A wide smile plays on my face as I watch her walk through the door. Maybe when we're both not hungover, we could talk about our feelings.