Ok, ok, my bad. I was so set on my supposed big project and then I got side tracked by supernatural crap again. I know, sue me why don't you. I can't help it though! You know what's the kicker? I didn't have music inspiration this time! I know right? I was actually playing solitaire (with a deck of cards, shame on you people for going digital all the time, lol) when I thought of the symbolism for this along with a scene. I kept thinking about how it would start until I eventually had a dream about it then that gave me the imagery I needed. It seemed cool so here it is. The beginning anyway. Yes, it won't be a one shot; and look at that, I'm trying to do something new by switching POVs. Sorry about this AN, I had way too much coffee. I love it (I mean, I like it a lot). No one loves coffee like Jade. How does she drink so much?! Anyway, enjoy!

~Jade~

Another day of school meant another day of Vega. I was so done trying to be her friend. Yes, I decided to try after Beck and I split. I figured I would need someone to vent on now. I mean, not talk to, but more of a verbal punching bag for my anger. But, if I could keep her happy, enough, I would be considered a friend and then I could get away with my angry days. So far, my convoluted plan wasn't going so well. I found it increasingly hard to spend that much time near Vega and an even harder time listening to her. Then there were the days she was so hard headed and stubborn I couldn't get through to her. For the most part though, I noticed she still pursued in her interest of being my friend. I don't know why, but she tried so hard to befriend me. At odd times I'd find her glued to my side like a dog following its master. We would get in a squabble and then she would turn around and defend me should someone decide to say something against me.

Her habit of always being there with that god awful smile made me want to hate her more but I slowly found that I couldn't. Everything she did just made me want to let her in, which made me then deny it, and then I was back to square one of getting no closer to being her friend. I couldn't be friends with Vega if she kept confusing how I was supposed to feel about her. Hence why I was currently sitting at lunch, trying to pay attention to something Andre was talking about but failing because Vega was practically on top of me with how close she was. I contemplated pushing her off the bench but thought against it just as quick. I shot her another biting glare which she ignored, annoying bright smile in place. Again, I had no clue why she still did this and I wasn't about to admit to myself or anyone that I kind of liked it.

Someone was looking out for me and generally cared, unlike my parents who should but don't. I groaned internally and mentally screamed at myself to stop admitting what I just said I wouldn't. Jade West didn't need anyone. Beck proved that for me. Although he said he loved me and would always be there for me, in the end, we just never clicked. It was like we were never supposed to be together. Weird, but whatever. I glanced across the table at Beck who instantly noticed my cutting stare and looked everywhere but at me. His eyes shifted to Vega before coming back to me again. He seemed wary which was odd. My glare intensified in suspicion and Beck shifted uncomfortably, but before I could smirk, something jabbed me in the side. I groaned in irritation, knowing what it was and further pissing me off that I was always so in tuned to the annoying singer next to me.

"What do you think, Jade?" Vega asked, jabbing me once more for good measure. She knew I wouldn't lash out too terribly against her so she liked to push my buttons, and boy did she know how. I always found myself getting incredibly pissed off when she did but I could never find it in me to snap on her like I did with everyone else. I think they knew this too so in retaliation they didn't bother questioning the dynamic between Vega and I. Instead, they watched her irritate me for entertainment.

"I think, I couldn't care less about what you guys are talking about," I deadpanned, stabbing savagely at the salad in front of me. Vega frowned and her eyebrows furrowed but she let it go, her smile returning. They left me alone after that, clearly understanding I wasn't in the mood; which I wasn't. I fell back into my thoughts and picked at my salad until the bell rang. We all dumped our trash and parted ways, good-byes exchanged as we went. Vega fell into step with me and I rolled my eyes. We had the next class together and she was more than happy to walk with me. I could never decide whether I was happy with it or not.

"So, why are you being such a Crabby Cathy today?" Vega spoke up, her arm nudging me again. That was another thing she did. It was almost like she had an overwhelming need to be in contact with me, like she couldn't stop herself from touching me every once in a while. I placed my hand on her shoulder and forced her away enough so she couldn't do it again and then quickly let go. The smile on her face told me she was fine with it though.

"I'm not being a Crabby Cathy," I denied. She poked my arm playfully and nodded.

"Then, you're definitely being a Negative Nancy," she teased in her impression of Sikowitz. I rolled my eyes and smirked.

"Why no, of course not. I'm just a bit upset is all," I replied in my impression of her. Vega sounded nothing like a southern farm girl but I just loved to mess with her.

"I don't talk like that!" she responded in an attempt at anger. Her constant smile ruined the effect though. There were some days, I noticed, when nothing could bring her down. Today was one of those days. I could tell she wanted to laugh instead of frown. On days like this I often entertained her instead of offended her like I wanted to, but she gave me the reaction I wanted regardless if it was fake. It made me want to vomit with how nice she treated me so I tried harder.

"Sure you don't. Do me a favor and sit far across the room today," I told her, walking up to the classroom door and flinging it open. She stopped it from closing in her face and entered behind me. I chose a seat in the back and Vega sat a seat away. Apparently, to her, that was across the room. With the way she had been extra clingy this year, I wouldn't have expected less. Since the first day I met Victoria Vega I didn't like her. She tried too hard to impress others and never once intentionally tried to hurt anyone. On top of being a Miss Goody Two Shoes, she was insanely talented with singing. Her acting was okay but her singing was the best. I shuddered at the extremely positive thought, but it was true and I couldn't deny that. I glanced over at Vega who was already looking at me curiously.

I sneered at her but she just smiled. I swear, if she was a dog, her tail would be wagging twenty four seven. I turned away and tried listening to the lesson but went back to my thoughts. I've known Vega for almost three years now. If I thought she was annoying then, I was beyond pissed that she wasn't so annoying now. I mean, she had her days, but I was afraid to admit that she grew on me. Having her around was predictable. She could have gotten more annoying over the years but I couldn't tell because I began to expect that from her and just accepted it. The minute we hit the beginning of our senior year, Vega was all over me. She couldn't get enough, and I hated the fact that I enjoyed it too.

Beck and I split the year before and I was feeling particularly lonely so I blamed him for my sudden need to have Vega around to pick on which made me feel better. I could tell I upset her sometimes but she was happy to volunteer as my punching bag. It was odd, and confused me, but it benefited me so I was okay with it. When class was over, Vega escorted me to my next class because hers was across the hall from mine. We didn't say anything and parted quietly, but routine dictated that Vega would manage to brush my hand with hers before taking off with a smile. I watched her walk away for a few seconds and then glanced down at my hand. Why did I get the feeling all these touches were a way to remind me and everyone that I was her friend? I shrugged away the thought, rolled my eyes, and walked into class. I couldn't wait for the day to end.

~Tori~

Sitting at lunch with everyone was the best time of the day for me. I got to hang out with everyone, but most importantly, I got to be close to Jade. The day I met her there was a pull I couldn't ignore. Yes, she hated me, but that only made my determination stronger. My crazy need to please her and be her friend was easily explained though. I wasn't obsessed with her; it was simply in my nature. I had to be there for her, watch out for her, defend her, and take her insults and abuse all to keep her happy. I wanted to because I strongly believed I had found my other half. And I'm not saying this romantically, although that sounds nice, but I'm saying it in the most physical sense. My whole life I was taught under strict rule about what I was by my father. I was the daughter of the head Council Leader of a werewolf clan. I was taught to keep humans safe from the growing number of vampires and was trained to go out on patrols the moment I turned sixteen. I took to my job easily and never failed to make my parents proud.

Trina on the other hand, well, sucked. She was better in the role of record keeping, which meant she kept files on missions and everything else we found important. Her shopaholic ways aided in cataloging and things like that. I sighed and turned my attention back to Andre who had asked me what I thought of something. To avoid answering, I tossed the same question at Jade. She deflected it easily and Andre rolled his eyes at us. He confronted me about my constant need to be by Jade and told me he suspected I had a crush. He didn't mind but he warned me Jade would definitely mind. So far though, I really didn't see Jade any more annoyed than she usually was. At that moment, Beck glanced away from Jade to look at me. I narrowed my eyes at him, a silent warning not to make Jade uncomfortable with his staring. He shifted to her again and I did too, seeing her glare openly at him. I could tell it wasn't angry, just thoughtful. Beck was uncomfortable now that we had both snubbed him.

I didn't want to make him feel that way but I couldn't help placing Jade over others. My mother had explained that all wolves went through something called Bonding. When a wolf became of age, they would Bond unconditionally with someone. It was nearly impossible to spend a long amount of time away from them at that point. It could also happen as fast as a second, so I wasn't surprised when I took one look at Jade and was hooked. I was told that sometimes, the Magic that created the Bond also affected the person the wolf bonded to, making it easier for them to become closer. I guessed that was the reason Jade hadn't considered me a stalker or something. She even threatened me with her infamous scissors but never really hurt me. It also led me to believe that those same subtle feelings from the Bond, was what broke Jade and Beck apart. I was excited to hear this piece of news for two reasons. One, I could keep Jade even closer, and two, I was always wary of Beck getting too close to her so I often made it my job to make sure he didn't.

It wasn't like I didn't like Beck personally, but my protective nature automatically assumed he was a threat. Beck was one of the nicest half-breed vampires I knew so we remained friends. He seemed okay with the break up. He sensed what I was just as easily as I sensed what he was from day one. Because of this, we kept each other's secret quiet and just respected one another civilly. I wasn't completely sure, but I knew the Magic had a way of making everything fall into the order of things. As soon as I was comfortable with the idea of Jade, of all people, becoming someone I would have to rely on, everything changed again. I turned eighteen and suddenly I wanted way more than I should be wanting from her. My mother told me, as embarrassing as it was; that I was of age to mate. Particularly, with the one I was Bonded with. I had blushed at that but couldn't deny the thoughts I had about Jade.

To curb my…enthusiasm…I often made sure to come in contact with her every so often. It relaxed me to feel her close by or briefly pass my hand over her own. At night I would take my shift on patrol and then spend all of my energy out in the woods nearby. It helped knock me out so that the dreams I had about her weren't so intense. The bell rang and pulled me from my thoughts. I gladly let it, because they were moving in an uncomfortable direction again. The group parted ways and I followed Jade as always. We exchanged a few words, as always, and then I quietly entered our classroom to sit as far away as I could, as always. I couldn't manage a very far distance though. Not that I didn't enjoy the rare moments we were alone together, but my raging hormones that were no better as a wolf, wanted things to speed up. I asked my mother if it was normal to Bond to anyone and she told me it could be a fellow wolf as well as a human.

The Bond also didn't care for gender so I wasn't at all surprised when I felt this way for Jade. I was only surprised she tolerated it to a certain extent. She only really grew suspicious when I defended her in a way too possessive manner, but she let it slide. Thank The Maker for the Magic that kept her compliant, or maybe accepting, in the matter. Jade was never compliant. I looked over at her, letting my eyes wander, until she turned her beautiful blue-green eyes on me. She caught me staring but I didn't care. She sneered and I smiled before she turned away. I tried to listen to the lesson, but as always, Jade was the only thing on my mind. I often wondered why the Magic sometimes paired a wolf at a dead end by bringing together two beings of the same gender. It must just be the natural way to keep population down seeing as it was very hard to kill a wolf. Vampires were the only real threat and even they failed most the time.

I remembered the lecture on purebreds and half-breeds concerning both wolves and vampires. A wolf and a human always made a half-breed even if the wolf started as a half-breed. A wolf and a wolf might bring about a purebred as well as a half-breed depending on the dominance of whichever in the family line. A purebred vampire was only created when another purebred vampire bit a human and introduced their blood into the human's system. A half-breed occurred when the human mated with the vampire, whether pure or not, instead. There were more half-breed vampires than purebreds thanks to our constant fight to keep the ones who ran rampant under control. The ones who did want peace often found another vampire to be with or a human. In most cases, a vampire's libido was just as bad as a wolf's during certain times which led to an abundance of half-breeds because humans were easy to influence.

Half-breeds were never as strong as purebreds in both species, but the high presence of them, and the fact that half-breed vampires could walk around without much trouble during the day, kept things easier to handle. After all, there were over-aggressive wolves as well as vampires. We didn't let anyone cause trouble and that included our own kind. Class was dismissed at that moment and I reprimanded myself for another lesson I didn't pay attention to. I hurried to Jade's side so I could walk her to her next class. We didn't say anything and I made sure to get one last touch in before the day was over. I most likely wouldn't be seeing her until tomorrow. She glanced at me curiously before I offered her my usual smile and walked away. I could almost feel her staring at me and then it went away. She was safely in her classroom. I sighed, trying to forget for a moment how obvious it was that I liked Jade, whether it was natural or not.