Hello all! It's been quite some time since I've written. I intend on finishing my other two stories as well, but I came up with a new idea and had to start writing it. I have a lot of it ready, but I warn you, this story will get intense at times. But I think in general, it's something all you Jori lovers will enjoy.
Everything happened too quickly. In the blink of an eye I went from smiling and laughing with Andre and Cat, to being pushed against a wall in a coat closet, my mouth covered and my arms restrained. I struggled, trying to scream, but my cries for help were muffled. I could hear the music blaring from downstairs, and I wondered if anyone realized I was missing. He chuckled in such a devious way; he was so amused by my pain and my weakness.
"You were always such a little spit fire...it turns me on so much..." he whispered, his lips hovering above my face. I could smell alcohol on his breath; it was so strong it almost made me nauseous. My head was spinning from fear and from intoxication, and I began to believe I really had no way out. He grabbed a sweater that was hanging up so he could tie my wrists together, making one his hands free. He began roaming my body with immense roughness, his eyes growing wild as he did.
"You thought it was funny to humiliate me? You think I'd forget that? Not a fucking chance." He moved his lips to my ear, biting it hard enough to break the skin.
"You mess with me, and mess with her..." he said in a mocking tone. "And now I'll make sure Ms. Tori Vega gets what she deserves..."
He suddenly grabbed my neck, his other hand still over my mouth to prevent anyone from hearing. He began choking me, his grip getting tighter as his face grew redder.
"I love watching you struggle, you little bitch. And it's going to be even more fun when I'm fucking you senseless..." My eyes widened as my flow of oxygen became almost extinct. As I thought I was about to pass out, he let go of my neck, and moved his hand to my shirt, ripping it off in one swipe. He teased the fabric of my bra, making it as if it'd take it easy on me; but I knew this was not the case as my bra went flying. My mind went into panic mode, and I began thrashing about, trying to outdo his strength. He ignored my attempts, his mind too focused on violating me in any way he could. But in that moment, that moment of his perversion and lapse of judgement, I was able kick away his body against mine, making my mouth free for just a moment.
"Help me! Someone, please help me!" I shouted, sure that the volume of my voice could actually make my throat bleed. He stumbled for a moment, clearly more intoxicated than I was, but resumed his place, leaving me speechless again. Only this time, a blow to the face was punishment for my attempts at freedom.
"You keep your fucking mouth shut, or I'll bash your perfect little teeth in." he hissed, slapping me across my face in the same spot he punched. I felt tears form in my eyes, but I pushed as hard as I could to stop them from falling. I didn't want him seeing any more of my fear; I needed to try staying strong. I felt his free move to my pants, and I knew what was coming next. I closed my eyes, and held my breath. As his hand made its way into my jeans, I suddenly felt cool air hit my body and light take over my eyes. I hear a gasp and suddenly, his hands are off of me. I open my eyes in confusion, only for them to gaze upon who I'll always affectionately refer to as my hero.
"What the fuck are you doing to her?!"
There was a blow to his face, followed by another, and another and another. Tears of happiness fell down my cheeks. My body began shaking, relieved that I was free from him, but also in shock from the entire event.
"I'll fucking kill you! How dare you touch her! I'll kill you!"
My vision suddenly went blurry as I watched the man...no...the boy who was violating me be put to shame by a beautiful and strong woman.
"...thank you..." is all I managed to whisper before I completely blacked out.
Previously...
Tori's POV
"A party?! I love parties!" Cat exclaimed, bouncing happily up and down at our lunch table.
"Yeah, sounds like it's going to be pretty wild." Andre says, picking up his burger and bringing it to his mouth. "I don't know about y'all, but I'm pumped. I haven't been to a party in way too long."
Beck nods, stealing some of Andre's fries and laughing. "Yeah, and maybe at this one Robbie won't pass out..." he teases, while Robbie looks up with a defensive look.
"Hey! I was tired! Who knew it'd go so late?"
"Boy, you fell asleep at 10:00pm. You lasted 30 minutes." Rex laughs at his own joke, and Robbie frowns and his words.
Meanwhile, I pick at my salad, my eyes glued to the leafy greens beneath me. Truth be told, I've never really been to a party. My parents wouldn't allow it, and unlike Trina, I'm not really one to lie or sneak out. I can't deny that it embarrasses me, especially since even Cat goes out, and she's like a child. Or like a kitten. She's a baby kitten, and it's pathetic that a baby kitten has more guts than I do.
I've also never actually drank alcohol. I guess I was naïve to think that most people would wait until the legal age of 21, because all of my friends and Trina have done it on many occasions. And every single time there was a party opportunity, I made an excuse not to go, in fear of lying to my parents and being caught. And I can't deny that I'm slightly afraid of the party itself. But after so many times of me bailing, I know my friends have caught on, and now, they don't even ask me if I'm going. I just sit quietly while they all rant and rave about the exciting weekend ahead of them. The only upside is that none of them taunt me about not going. Well, except for one person, of course.
"So, Vega, what will you be doing all alone at your house while we're all out having a good time? Homework? Reading? Staring out your window at the stars and wishing ever so desperately on each one that you weren't such a big baby?" The icy voice of Jade West hits me harder than a truck. She always knows how to get under my skin, and how to make me cringe. I look up, my eyes meeting hers, and I see a small smirk from on her face.
"Leave her alone, Jade. She doesn't need to be badgered by you". Beck responds. It's a nice gesture but I always hate when he stands up for me. I can tell it sets Jade off internally, and even though I've made it clear on more than one occasion that I'm not interested in Beck, he's made it clear that at least at some point, he's been interested in me. And while he may or may not be anymore, that part of him sticks with Jade.
They've actually gotten a lot better since their break up. For the most part, Jade's actually gotten a lot more tolerable towards everyone. It's taken some time, but I think it's safe to say that Beck and Jade are friends. They even hang out again from time to time, and this, in a way, makes me angry. I've done everything I could do to make Jade like me, and she still won't even call me a friend. Every single time that I think I've made progress, the next day proves to be the same as the one before.
And just as I predicted, I see the fury in Jade's eyes. It's very subtle, but it's prominent, and I'm very used to seeing it.
"I'm fine Beck. And Jade, I'm really not in the mood for this." I grab my bag and leave the table, not wanting to be pestered any further. I make my way back into the school and head towards the black box theatre, knowing it'll be empty during lunch.
Truth be told, despite everything Jade puts me through, in some strange sense, I kind of wish I had the guts she has. Actually, there's a lot about Jade I really admire. She's tough and lacks any fear or doubt in any of her actions. She's talented in so many areas and never questions herself. Plus, she's the only person I know who can pull off wearing so much black. She's pretty much a bad ass, and everything about that, in a strange sense, excites me.
Jade throws my mind into a confusion. I don't quite understand what I feel towards her and why, but it always keeps me coming back. Even though part of me really wishes it didn't.
I sigh heavily and lay back on the Black Box stage floor, trying to clear my mind of everything. I close my eyes and debate with myself internally. Why can't I just man up and go to this stupid party? If I did, I'd probably have a lot of fun, and realize I was worrying for nothing. Plus, maybe I'd earn Jade's respect.
Suddenly, I hear the door fly open and someone comes marching in.
"So you're not just a big baby, but now you're one that runs and hides?"
I don't need to open my eyes to know it's Jade. I just groan and put my hands over my face.
"What do you want, Jade?"
She comes closer, and I hear her sit at the edge of the stage and drop her bag next to her.
"Come on, Vega. Why are you being so testy today? Chill out and come back to lunch so everyone stops lecturing me."
"I'm just not in the mood to deal with your taunting. Why don't you try again tomorrow?" I respond sarcastically, moving my hands and sitting up.
"Dude, since when did you get so sensitive?"
"I'm just tired of it, Jade. Yes, I'm not going to go to the party because I don't want to get in trouble. Everyone knows it, but you're the only person who presses the issue. So why don't you just give it up and focus your negative energy on something else?" I grab my bag and stand up to go, but Jade quickly stands up after me and grabs my wrist.
"Well maybe you should stop being scared and just do it. Come on, Vega. Think about it. If you didn't stop being scared, you wouldn't have had the guts to take Trina's place in the performance and get into this school. If you didn't stop being scared, you wouldn't have stood up to me in the ABC game on your second day of school. If you didn't stop being scared, you wouldn't have taken risks and passed The Bird Scene or stand up to Ryder Daniels or even be yourself for the Platinum Music Awards..." Jade lets go of my wrist and looks awkwardly down at the ground.
"Just...hear me out, Vega. You've got two days until the party Friday night. Just think about it, and weigh your options. Until then, I won't bother you about it. But I will bother you about other things. Like that shirt. I wasn't aware pink could get much uglier, but boy, did you prove me wrong." She looks back up at me, grinning, before she walks past me and leaves the Black Box.
I stand there, unable to move or speak for a moment. It's times like these when Jade does something that makes me wonder what's really going on in her twisted head. And I can't deny that she's right about everything that she said. I sigh heavily as I hear the bell ring, and I make my way to my next class.
Jade's POV
"Look, all I'm saying is that Tori isn't as strong as she lets you believe. I think you need to take it easier on her." Beck lectures as he walks me towards my truck. The day is over, and I haven't seen Vega since the Black Box. I groan as Beck talks, sick of him acting like he's some guru.
"And I'm saying that maybe she just needs a push to toughen up. You and everyone else wants me to be nice to her. Well, if you haven't noticed in the past four years, I'm not really the nice type, to any of you. So why is it such a big deal that I'm mean to Vega? Besides, me trying to get her to go out and have fun with her stupid friends sounds pretty damn nice to me."
We get to my truck and he leans against it while I stand cross armed and facing him. My defenses are up, and Beck knows better than to press too hard.
"Yeah, Jade, we get it. You're tough and don't really like anyone. Whatever. But you cannot deny that you are much more cruel to Tori Vega than anyone else. And at this point, I can't figure out why. She's been nothing but nice to you, and if it wasn't obvious a million times, she clearly wasn't trying to get with me. It was pretty obvious to me..." Beck shifts his weight awkwardly, and I could almost punch him for bringing up these sore memories. "But despite it all, despite her proving her loyalty and friendship, you still manage to bring her down. I just don't get it, Jade."
I glare at him, angry that all the points he's made are, of course, impossible for me to refute. I grab the door handle of my truck and hop in, turning to face him before closing it.
"Smoke it up later?" I quirk an eyebrow, awaiting his response.
"Sure. I'll text you." He pushes off my truck before giving me a quick head nod and walking off. I shut my door and take off home, my thoughts jumbled. Beck and I have had enough time apart to actually be able to start a friendship again. I'm not going to deny how awkward it was at first, but now, it kind of makes more sense to me than our relationship did. We don't have the tension or the fighting any longer. Of course, the one exception is when he brings Vega up.
I don't know what I think about that girl. She dazzles everyone with her perfect smile and her big brown eyes and her stupid singing voice. Yet she can't grow a pair and go to a damn party? Does she really think she's perfect, or does she think she needs to play that part of being perfect?
And it drives me nuts, because no matter what she does or her intention, I can't get her off of my mind. And I hate it. I hate it with a burning passion. She is the opposite of everything I like and respect, so it's clear to me that if she's consuming my thoughts, it must be for a negative reason.
So I do what feels natural; I push away and keep my defenses up high. I know how people work, and even if they seem to be kind, caring and helpful, eventually they'll just hurt you in the end.
I just wonder when the "end" is with Vega, because for the past three years, she's shown no signs of giving up or turning me down. And this is what I don't understand: How does she have the guts to face me, but not to come to some little party with her friends?
Vega's a mystery to me, and again, here she is, consuming my thoughts. I bang angrily on my steering wheel as I pull into my driveway. I grab my stuff and storm into an empty house, which doesn't surprise me. I make my way up to my room and collapse on my bed, staring up at my ceiling.
"Damn it, Vega. Get out of my head. And stop trying to make me like you. Just...stop!" I shout out loud, groaning and turning on my side. Whatever. By Friday, when she chickens out yet again, everything will go back to the way it always is. She won't listen to me; she never does. She'll stay home all alone while the rest of us go out and have a drunken and fantastic time. Then on Monday, when we're all talking about the party, she'll sit in silence, kicking herself for not going. And I'll be there to kindly remind her of the good time she missed because she's too much of a coward to go. And I'll also remind her of how she should've taken my advice.
It's a cycle we live in, and Vega and I both know the consequences could be immense if we break it.