A/N: Based on an idea by Invader Johnny.
Ah, my first JORI story of 2017. Hope to give you folks some of the best this year.
enjoy
"Hey Vega!"
"What?" jumped Tori, almost out of her seat at the Asphalt Cafe.
Jade made a face.
"Geez, Vega. I'm not that terrifying, am I?"
Tori blushed, looking contrite. "Sorry, what's up?"
"Well I got done in Stage Acting II and found out through the grapevine that you got the part in The Gettysburg Address."
The half Latina's eyes lit up.
"Really? What part?" Then her shoulders slunk. "What a minute, I don't even remember auditioning for that play."
Jade's devilish grin grew considerably.
"Oh, boy. That makes this even funnier."
"What?" Tori asked, looking worried.
"You got the lead," Jade held her sides, trying to keep upright as the laughs came flooding forth.
Tori thought for a moment and looked at Jade, perplexed.
"But, wait...wouldn't the lead be...Abe Lincoln?"
Jade just silently nodded, smashing her lips together to keep her composure.
"Look, I can't do this! I didn't audition, right? This has to be a mistake! I'll just explain..."
"Too late!" Jade interrupted with a wave of her hand. "Cat and Sinjin are already fitting you for a black suit and matching stovepipe hat."
Tori was well aware of her redheaded best friend's innate ability to articulate someone's measurements from quite a ways away. But she has been in Tori's closet and went clothes shopping with her enough times that this would have been knowledge she would have anyway.
"Damn she's good," Tori said under her breath. She then looked back at Jade and said louder. "I still don't know how this happened!"
Jade shrugged, "Computer error. You know how they have all of us in a database for grades and stuff. Well, they used the same program for printing out programs and flyers. Turns out a glitch placed you in the cast list and since they hadn't cast Lincoln yet, they just ran with it."
Tori's head dropped onto the table, fingers tugging on her brown hair.
Jade found her absolutely adorable when she was like this, but not just in the usual 'I like it when she's sad' kind of way.
"Vega, I don't see what the big deal is."
Tori turned her head, and blew away her tresses, revealing her face.
"I told you I'm not cut out for this."
Jade failed to see why the tan girl was so upset. She never shirked from a part in a production before; not like this.
She propped up her face with her hands, waiting for an explanation.
"Abraham Lincoln is sort of a hero of mine," Tori winced as she said this, feeling really dumb. "I know it sounds corny but I really admire him, he's kind of my favorite president. Must sound pretty stupid, huh?"
Jade's expression softened and lowered herself to Tori's level.
"Not so stupid. I really like Lincoln, too."
Tori raised her head up. "Yeah?"
"You have no idea. And it's not just because I'm a history buff but the story is my dad's great-great-great-grand niece heard him give his inaugural speech in Washington in 1861."
"No way! That's awesome."
The half-Latina then stood up, startling Jade for a second.
"You have to help me!"
"I have to what now?"
Tori grabbed Jade's shoulders, trying to ignore the electric feeling it gave her to have her hands on Jade West of all people.
She certainly had the Goth's attention.
"You're the best actress I know," Tori confessed. "And you would want to do the man justice as much as me."
Jade blushed a little at the compliment and saw the logic of Tori's reasoning.
"Alright, fine." Jade then threw her purse over her shoulder. "I'll meet you at your house after school. And make sure to bring every book about Lincoln and the Civil War you can find from the library."
"Seriously?" Tori asked.
"Vega, you've got little over a week to prepare before opening night. We have to cram this hard."
Tori was left standing dumbfounded, in more ways than one. Her nervousness of getting this crucial part down in a matter of days was forced to make room with Tori's fluttery feelings at the thought of spending those days with Jade.
On the third day of preparation, Jade was beginning to get used to seeing Tori after school for a few hours on end. She had spent so much time there that day, Tori asked her if she would like to join her family for dinner. And much to Tori's delight, Jade shrugged and said sure.
Naturally, Mr. and Mrs. Vega were asking all kinds of questions about the play Tori was going to star in. She seemed nervous but whenever she glanced at Jade, Tori would have the little burst of confidence to enthusiastically answer. Tori's dad asked Jade if she was anywhere in the play and the Goth just quickly changed the subject, looking embarrassed. Jade then asked Tori if she had seen the movie Lincoln and the half-Latina shook her head. Tori's parents told their daughter it was very good and they had been meaning to watch it again. Jade mentioned she brought the Blu-ray for Tori to watch but didn't care if others wanted to sit in.
Trina, not surprisingly, opted out for the movie night.
So after everyone cleaned up and had made popcorn; they were watching the much-lauded 2012 Steven Spielberg movie.
Jade sat next to Tori and instructed her to pay close attention to Daniel-Day Lewis' performance. For biographical film taking place in the mid-1800's; it was far from dry. It was actually very engrossing, showing the president's struggle with his Emancipation Proclamation following the close of the Civil War. Somewhere after the first hour, Tori's hand slowly landed on top of Jade's and to her restrained delight, the other girl did not object.
And little did Tori know, someone else was watching the acting in the film with great interest.
It was an intense week, but Jade feels she has groomed the tan girl into a dutiful Abe Lincoln.
She spared no detail to Tori's performance and to the Gettysburg Address in particular. Tori actually impressed Jade when she herself found a scan of the manuscript written by Lincoln. There were a couple of little mistakes that had to be fixed in the script. For example, people oftentimes remember the speech as "by the people and for the people." However, the word and is completely erroneous. The actual text of the speech reads, "by the people, for the people."
Opening night was a buzz with excitement. Tori felt nervous as Cat was doing her last alterations minutes before curtain up. The redhead assured her best friend that she was going to be fine and to relax.
The half-Latina's mouth dropped when she saw a familiar-looking pale girl come in wearing a long black dress. Her hair was tied back tightly, showing much of her gorgeous face.
"Jade?"
"What?" she asked, looking down as if the other girl noticed something strange about her appearance. "What is it?"
Tori shook her head, "Nothing, nothing. You just look...what are you doing here?"
"Um, I'm in the play" Jade sarcastically replied.
"Come again?"
The Goth, looking very Gothic in this 19th century wardrobe, twirled around to show off.
"Don't you like it?"
Tori grinned and nodded, her pearly whites shining past that fake beard they stage glued on.
"You look beautiful," the tan girl quickly blushed. "I mean...that dress is...ah dammit."
Jade chuckled at how flustered she was looking. Ever since she formally came out to her friends, Tori has been acting very jumpy and scatter-brained around her. She wondered about if there was anything behind that. She wasn't exactly taken at the moment, as was her. An image of her and Tori being a couple flashed into her head (wasn't the first time). Things have softened between them a lot lately.
"But who are you?" Tori asked.
"Mary Todd."
Brown eyes bugged out.
"My...wife?"
Jade nodded.
Before Tori could say anything further, Sinjin came marching in with his clipboard and headset.
"PLACES, EVERYBODY! CURTAIN UP IN 30!"
Stagehands grabbed Tori, yanking her away from Jade and threw her to her mark right behind the curtain.
The production was almost a blur to Tori. After so many times performing in front of people, especially a crowd this size; she developed a knack for maintaining tunnel vision. All she saw was her fellow actors and the sets. It felt like being alert while dreaming. The lights helped a lot. During auditions and rehearsals, Tori had to fight her stage fright tendencies harder. But in a larger venue like this with the lighting like it is, it completely left the area beyond the stage's edge dark and vague.
Scenes between Tori and Jade as Lincoln and Mary Todd respectively was an intense experience. She wasn't new to the whole pretending to be married to Jade thing (hell, she even played the husband before) but it was way different this time. Even though the audience could really only see her physical movements, Jade went the extra mile and put on her most convincing facial expressions for the other actors' benefits. Jade didn't half ass anything.
It felt electrifying when Jade would talk to Tori like she was her spouse. A real connection could be felt and it seemed to bleed out to the audience, because there was nothing but hushed tones when they were together, save for a few 'aw's.' On normal circumstances, Jade would've glowered at whatever person who said that because they had just signed their own death warrant. But the Goth stayed in character, though she gritted her teeth in between lines. Tori bit her lip, noticing the little slither of Jade trying to break out. It was like a little private moment of humor just for them.
Much of what Tori shared with Jade felt that special.
The big scene came when Tori had to deliver the Gettysburg Address. This was the crux of the whole play because during a time when the country was somewhat divided politically; a moment of unity, something that appealed to the better tendencies of all of us, felt necessary.
Tori cleared her throat before finally beginning:
"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."
The Vega clan and several others close to the cast members held their recording devices for this moment.
"Now we are engaged in a great civil war," Tori continued. "Testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this."
Her eyes darted to the side and was hoping to see Jade but she wasn't there. She felt like she needed her to get through this.
"But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate - we can not consecrate - we can not hallow - this ground..."
She sighed heavily when the dark-haired girl emerged from backstage and was now waiting in the wings, smiling at Tori for encouragement.
"The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
The sparse extras right in front of Tori as well as the entire house rose up in applause. Jade gave her the thumbs up for her impeccable delivery.
That was more or less the end of the production, a handful of small scenes bringing things to a close. Naturally, they wanted to end this play on a high note and sidestep the whole Fords Theatre incident.
By the end, everyone had gathered to bow to their audience, who were standing on their feet, clapping wholeheartedly.
Tori thanked her cast mates and some of the stage crew before vanishing backstage.
Unbeknownst to her, Jade followed closely.
Tori was hoping that nobody noticed her slip away, especially Jade.
Ever since she started performing alongside Jade in this thing, it was like having butterflies that just wouldn't quit. She thought she felt something during their research and rehearsing, but Tori just shrugged it off as just being in pleasant company (something unheard of with Jade had someone asked a year ago).
"VEGA!"
That voice made the tan girl whip around, shakily.
"Oh...hey..."
At this point, Jade had already untied her hair on the way down. Tori always thought Jade looked her best when her lovely black hair was draped over her shoulders. It felt like the perfect thing to frame her delicate face.
Jade was still wearing her costume dress. And a hurt look.
"You talked to everyone else and forgot me!"
Tori was stunned that she could make Jade of all people feel left out. Not too long ago, she would have killed for the half-Latina to leave her alone.
"Sorry," Tori blushed, embarrassed. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
Jade folded her arms "Who said I'm hurt? I just don't like being ditched."
Now she was really sounding like they were a couple. Jade was genuinely hurt by Tori's sudden disappearance, but played it up a bit because she felt the girl was too thick-headed to get the hints she was dropping her.
"I wasn't trying to ditch you..." Tori's mouth went crooked, realizing the absurdity of her actions. "...even though that's exactly...what...I...did."
"But why?" Jade shrugged. "I thought we were having fun."
Tori's brow raised tremendously.
"You were?"
Jade rolled her eyes and dropped her arms. "No, Vega! I like spending my free time with a girl that annoys the piss out of me!"
"Jade," Tori said, chuckling under her breath. "That's sweet, in your own way, but I'm not gonna read much into it. You're very dedicated and that's why you were great tonight."
It was a backhanded compliment and Jade didn't miss it. Tori praised Jade's work ethic but acted like that was the catalyst for spending thew whole week with her.
An earth-shaking groan of frustration made Tori jump.
"Just when I thought Cat saying Benjamin Franklin was the greatest president we ever had was the dumbest thing I heard all day. I swear, Vega. Sometimes you really piss me off! I told you that you were great and I had fun doing this with you, and you say that I'm lying?"
"No?" was all she meekly responded with.
The pale girl stepped forward, stopping an inch from Tori's face.
"No, Vega! This is a lie: Annie is my favorite movie. Here's another: Louis CK. is not funny."
Tori didn't think it was possible but Jade managed to lean in even closer, her hot minty breath challenging the air around Tori's face for its attention.
"Here's one more lie. I don't want to kiss you right now."
A firm grip on the back of her head was all Tori felt a micro second before her lips crashed with Jade's. She couldn't tell you how long that lasted if she tried, but Tori could confirm that it felt like the gravity in the room had been disabled during that kiss.
"How's that for sweet?"
Tori thought she was drooling but shook her head, saying something in response.
"That was...unexpected," she admitted.
"Did you like it?" Jade asked, bracing for the answer.
Tori found her hands wrapping around Jade's waist.
"I kind of want to do it again."
"Careful, you might get hooked." Jade warned.
"I don't care..."
Her last word was muffled because she had already started reciprocating her desire right back to Jade. This time, they opened their mouths and got lost in the warmth of each other. It almost tingled. This time, they were full on making out for about ten minutes solid. Their ability to breathe through their noses were being out to the test. Tori found it amusing that she could hold her breath longer kissing Jade than when she would dive underwater.
Jade studied her sweet-tasting companion's expression.
"What's up?"
Tori smiled. "I just had a thought."
"What?"
"You do realize this is not the first time we played a married couple on stage."
Jade smirked. "Guess we just have chemistry." She then thought to herself and her smile only grew wider. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"We both try out for Romeo and Juliet?" Tori quipped.
"What? No...maybe, but...NO!"
The firm grip of a pale hand overtook a tan wrist.
"Jade," Tori chuckled. "Where we..." she started being dragged to the wardrobe room. "Where are you taking me?"
"Somewhere private," Jade replied. "And you're taking off that beard."
Tori frowned, "Aww, I kind of liked it."
Jade's eyes widened like a predator who found its meal.
"Now you listen to me; one, it hides your face, two, its itchy and three - if I wanted a beard, I would still be dating Beck."
The half-Latina looked back at the Goth all kinds of confused.
"Huh?"
The dark-haired girl groaned exaggeratedly. "You have so much more to learn."
"Luckily I have a good teacher" Tori winked.
"Damn straight."
The door slammed shut and was promptly locked from the inside.
The cast and crew celebrated afterward for a well-played production. Though swept up in their excitement, they collectively pondered the disappearance of two of the main actors. Not a soul was near enough to Tori and Jade's location, so nothing could be heard.
Sufficient to say, Jade got confirmation of Tori's infatuation with her. When she hit that sweet spot on her neck, eliciting a serene moan from the tan; Jade knew. Tori may no longer be dressed as Abe Lincoln, but that didn't mean she was being any less honest.
A/N: As we all new, tomorrow will be start of something...unique. As much as the "winner" of this past American election disgusts me, I have to keep hope alive. Maybe he will be completely middle-of-the-road; maybe he will accidentally stumble into doing the right thing. I can't realistically wish for impeachment because his Vice President scares me.
Come on, folks. We can do 4 years standing on our heads. We're all in this together. Fighting among ourselves is just what the bad guys want. Let's stay connected and keep spreading the love and before you know it, we're gonna look back and laugh at this circus.
Remember when we all thought Bush would get us to the Apocalypse? But we were fine. The United States have a long list of bad presidents. We got through it before and we will again.