Monday morning, Hollywood Arts atrium…
"Um, hey, Beck!" Tori greets the Canadian in a hesitate, worried voice. "How was your weekend?"
"Hey Tor! The race was awesome. You know, Sinjin isn't as much a freak as we thought…" Then he saw Tori wasn't listening and asked, "Um… How was the pizza party?"
"Yeah, about that... Um, I have to tell you... C'mon," Tori grabbed Beck's arm and pulled him into the ever-ready janitor's closet.
"Okay, there, Tori... Why the strong-arm tactics?"
"Um, you see... I... Jade and I... We…ah…slept together."
Beck laughed, "I know! Jade told me!"
"She...told you?!"
"Oh yeah. And I have to say, it's about freakin' time!"
"Wait... What?"
"Oh, hey, campers!" Jade said as she came into the closet. Then, in her scarily dead-on impersonation of Cat, asked, "Is this a closet party? I don't have spoons but I do have scissors!"
Then came Cat's high-pitched laugh as a shiny pair of scissors appeared in front of Tori's face.
In her normal, slightly dangerous voice, Jade turned to face Tori and said, "You couldn't keep your mouth shut, Vega! You just had to blab to Beck about this?"
"Wait... What? How...? Why am I...? Hey! You told Beck first!"
"Yeah, I did... Every juicy detail," Jade agreed, licking her now-smiling lips, her scissors disappearing into wherever she had them stashed.
"Wait… What? When... I don't... Wait a minute!"
Jade pinched her nose and shook her head. Beck smiled, clearly enjoying the girls' joint discomfort.
"Okay, Vega, before you pop a vessel in your cute little skull, I told Beck because I tell him everything. He's my second oldest friend and my closest."
"But, you're... You two are... Aren't you...?"
"NO!" Jade yelled, forcing Tori to shut up. Tori immediately shut her mouth but glared at Jade. "Now, can I continue?"
Staring at Jade, Tori gave an angry nod.
"So, first, Beck is my beard." Seeing the puzzled look on Tori's face, she sighed then asked, "You wanna know what a beard is, don't you?" Tori nodded.
Slowly shaking her head with a deep sigh, Jade muttered, "God, there is so much you don't know! Alright, people in the closet – gay people - who don't wanna be pestered by family and friends about dating or whatever, get a friend who's cool with them being gay to pretend to be their boyfriend/girlfriend. Those are beards. Beck is my beard. Comprende?"
Tori's eyes widened.
"Speak."
Barking out the breath she didn't even realize she was holding, Tori asked, "So you're...gay?"
The last was in a whisper and Jade leaned in, cupping her ear. "Huh? Whazzat? I didn't hear you."
In a stronger voice, Tori asked, "You're gay?"
"After the past weekend, you even need to ask? So… Yep! As gay as Ellen, both DeGeneres and Page. Or Portia. Or Xena. Or that chick from those stupid, sparkly vampire movies…"
Tori turned to Beck, slapping his chest as she asked, "And you knew?!"
"Ow!"
Jade answered for him, "That's kinda how a beard works. See, I kinda realized I preferred girls about the time I finished puberty. I finally told Beck and he agreed to help me."
"Are you gay too?"
Beck shook his head, "No. I prefer the fairer sex myself."
Turning on Jade, Tori said, "Well, that's pretty selfish! Hogging him so he can't date or..."
"Whoa there, Tori," Beck interrupted, a calming hand on her shoulder. "I agreed because she's my friend. I wasn't ready to start dating when we made the arrangement and, even when we broke up, I was only interested in one girl but Jade had already told me she liked her too."
"Wait… What? Who? Do I know..." Tori's face lit up with realization as she looked at the tall Canadian, "I'm sorry, Beck. I didn't…" Suddenly, she smiled as she turned to the pale girl, "Oh, Jade... You really like me?"
"Yeah. Why else would we have sex Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon? Then that incredible session last night..."
Tori turned red and looked away. Jade laughed and Beck chuckled at the Latina's embarrassment.
"You guys are mean..." she moaned.
"Yeah, but you love me..." Jade declared, pulling Tori to her for a kiss. "Goodbye Beck!"
Beck decided it was time to leave the girls alone.
"Close the door behind you!" Jade managed to say around Tori's loving tongue.
As Beck closed the door, he had to smile again as Tori managed to ask. "Wait… What? Xena's gay?!"
"God Vega! That's what your take away is in all this?"
