Okay, so yet another story! I chose this story to write because there were so many ideas in my head screaming 'Pick me!'. This one was screaming 'JESUS, PICK ME FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!'. So, I chose it and it turned out to be one of my first Jori story ideas. Huh. Hope you enjoy it anyway. :)
PS- I still don't own Victorious.
Jade's P.O.V
My teeth clench together as I hear the sound of tapping feet. Normally I don't mind it; but the ten minutes at this coffee shop is slowly driving me over the edge. The only reason why I won't just leave is because a), I am the next person up for coffee and b), I need that damn coffee.
"Next person in line," rings in my ears, flicking my eyes over to the young girl waiting for me to move over. I look up and took a few quiet steps over. She grins at me shyly as I stare at the board momentarily with a brown apron draping from her neck.
"Black with two sugars," I mutter tiredly and she nods, typing in the order. As the two of us waits for the hot drink, the young girl tries to make small conversation.
"I just want to say I'm a big fan of your movies."
"Oh yeah?" I ask politely.
"Not man people direct the way you do miss," she smiles kindly, "Oh, here's your drink." Once my drink was handed over, I paid for the few dollars it cost and began to find my seat. After a sip or two and some deciding, I choose one in the back far away from the karaoke. This place was unusual for a restaurant, I frown slightly. There's all the breakfast and lunch menus mashed as one and then there is always songs playing by just random strangers.
So far, none of the singers had any talent and I really tried hard not to just snap at them. Here's the thing though, I have started to become recognized for my work like the young girl, and I have to keep my name clear of anything unprofessional. That's usually an easy thing to do, but I swear there are some days like this one where I wake up and I just think 'fuck, I have to actually live today...'
One or two sip into the coffee, maybe three, my face pulls into a grimace once I realized that this wasn't the best coffee. However, once I recalled how cheap it was and how long it took me to actually get it, I just shrug and take another sip. My mouth almost recoiled from the sudden pain to my tongue, and I gasp slightly, putting my drink down. With nothing really to do, I just kind of zone out a bit, forgetting my scheduled plans.
My ears perk at the new song playing, and my head almost spins around hurriedly, before I'm somewhat disappointed with the two blondes just enjoying themselves. A hot beverage sneaks back up to my lips as I began to remember Vega as I so often did yet I constantly tried to forget. 'Course, I can't. Because it all started that one night, well not all exactly, and the song plays into my memory.
-o0o-
"So... what do you want for food Jade?" she asked as I gazed over the menu. I just glanced at her, annoyed that I actually came her and wouldn't be able to leave for several hours. "Don't look at me! Sikowitz was the one that sent us here to go on our 'date', not me. And there's no stairs here."
My eyes rolled sourly as I gazed back down at the menu, muttering, "White rice."
"That's it?"
"Yes Vega, all I want is the damn rice."
"Just a bow of white rice," her voice trailed off as she turned over to her oversized laminated paper. My stare momentarily lingered, eyes dripping down lower until I forced myself to pull away. The hell was that Jade? You're not going to take this date seriously now come on!, my thoughts hammered against my skull. I didn't know what was worse at that point, I was stuck here with Vega or I was stuck here with Vega pretty much alone.
Actually, I guess they're kind of the same thing, aren't they.
A few minutes later, my bowl or rice comes along and I gritted my teeth as Vega slurped on the soup noisily. "Do that one more time and I swear I will bite your head off," I growled.
"Well then you'll have something to go with your white rice," she muttered back. A few more mouthfuls of apparently delicious soup go by until I couldn't take it anymore.
"NO!" I barked viciously. As she took her last testing slurp, the bowl was finally set down and I found myself thanking God mentally. My brows knit together seamlessly as she tried to make small talk, and I had to join in eventually. "Fine, fine... Uh, I liked that you can make other people-" I glanced over at the awaiting half-Latina for her compliment before finishing with, "disappointed with you."
"I wonder why I'm not surprised," she breathed before momentarily glaring at me. The sudden urge to grab her face and smash my lips with hers gripped my body in a compulsive, wicked impulse.
I breathed deeply before snapping almost wearily, "Now do me." For a moment, she hesitated and I hoped that she didn't notice my slight change in temperament. If any doubts came to mind, she obviously ignored them or went along with them, depending on what 'them' exactly meant, and her tongue with the other parts of her mouth started to work slightly slurred.
"Let see, uh...," Vega's tongue clicked seamlessly, forcing me to clench my teeth through another wave of impulsive thinking, "you have nice hair."
"I do try," my voice trailed from a quiet confession, as if it really was a surprise. She just shrugged and we began once again. After a few more rounds, Vega insulted my 'dark, bitter soul' of mine and I reached deep into my subconscious, fishing for anything good. "I guess, from certain angles, your pretty..." the admitted thought came out. And all the other angles make you hot, my thoughts rampaged against my skull. Just to strip myself away from my raw self, I snapped quietly, "You can tell me I'm pretty."
"...You are pretty," she mumbled with a shrug. Our eyes shifted and locked into each other's grasp only for a moment. And that moment would be the one I would always look back to. Unlike the assessments I had made before about her eyes, I found they were more like a dark rust brown than just plain, doe eyes. The pupils were dilated even with the bright light around us, and I watched as her eyes flickered just below my neck and my own eyes.
We both turned our gaze towards the next bite and it was soon gone like the conversation. My ears perked at the sudden taps until I realized they were from my own foot against the metal railing on the bar. As the two of us ate, we were pestered by two ignorant boys who, just so, earned a special song; 'Take a Hint' which just so happened to be the one melting into the noises of the café.
Several times I had tried to stop the actions my body was portraying, like the increased amount of sway in my hips, thickness of my voice and the looks. Oh my God the damn looks I gave. And they were all targeted automatically towards Vega of all people.
Once the song was over, my mind was left buzzing and the need to move my body around was extinguished. As the boys left and we sat back down, Vega quietly asked, "Jade, do you- I don't know... but do- what instrument can you play?"
"What?" I husked, closing my eyes with the frown at my voice change.
"Well, everyone has to play an instrument and I never, erm, asked you..."
"I can play a few," I answered quietly.
"Really? And well?"
"Yeah, the piano a bit, cello, and the alto saxophone. My real pride and joy is my baritone sax though... I haven't actually played it in a little while," I murmured thoughtfully, suddenly wishing that I could be playing it at that moment.
"Huh, never would have pinned you as a saxophone player... Do you do jazz?"
"Sometimes, when I want to play instead of write. Though, whenever I do I always remember why I normally prefer writing. I love the bari but, it's really heavy." I smirked before adding, "I mean, who wouldn't want to play with an arm that's asleep." My chest and in between my shoulders felt a flash of heat that wouldn't go away once I heard her chuckle a bit. No one really enjoyed my sense of humor, not the grim or 'ganky' one, but the other more sarcastic side. It wasn't that I kept it hidden, but nobody really liked it.
"Yeah, I'm sure Jade," she shook her head as another song popped on.
-o0o-
My body jerks slightly as a sudden loud song blasted through the speakers, driving me away from my thinking. Feeling no need to rush, even though I should, I dive back into my subconscious. I remember just wanting to blame the feelings on my period, but as the moths went on I couldn't do that; I began to look at her when I was nowhere near that time of the month.
So many chances, so many... I had so many chances to make a move and find out if Vega really did feel the same way, but I scrambled my wits just before I could. My hand grasped the side of the doorframe as she answered it, muttering a worried, "Hey."
All I could have done at that point was croak out, "I, I ne- I want you... to help me get Beck back." That wasn't my intention at all, but that was what had came out. My mind was confused from the lack of emotion behind my cries for Beck, all while my heart began to blanket with sorrow.
My head shakes slightly as I drained the last of my drink, now, after a few years from Hollywood Arts, I rarely talked to her on the phone. In fact, we completely dropped all conversations a year or two ago... But with my busy schedule, I couldn't do anything about it.
Nothing but run to Beck who ended up exploding with sudden emotions, drink at hand. I didn't know what to do, so I just packed my things and moved to my own house.
"Miss West?" a mellow rasp bothered next to me. My head turns slightly and I recognize it as my assistant's voice, Mr. Wither. He was fairly older than I was, somewhere in his forties or fifties. His raven hair was kept longer than most men's hair with grey lining the widow's peak and his clean cut beard. Mr. Wither always wore a tie with some sort of dress clothing; today was a blue tie with a grey suit.
"Hello Mr. Wither, what do you need?" I mutter as he continued to stand beside me, "You can sit down you know..."
"Ah, thank you Miss West." Once he sat down, the man started, "I may have some news that you won't like."
"May have?" I asked coolly.
He chuckled a bit, very familiar with my tones, before he nods, "Well, I do."
"And? What is it?" I mutter, my mind slowly catching up with the piling plans ahead.
"The, uh, bank wants to meet with you to confirm that you revoked all of the money and transferred into another bank personally."
"And when would that be?"
My eyes narrow slightly as the family man's face pulled itself into a grimace, "Today at 12:45."
"Shit," I cursed as my eyes glided over the watch on my right wrist, "That's in an hour! Do I have to meet at the main office nearby?"
"Yes, at the Derby Bank..."
"And when were you going to tell me this?" I asked, my foot tapping roughly against the tile floor.
"Right now, I just found out five minutes ago... Miss West," he stammered before asking, "What about the auditions for 'The Street Moon'?"
"God I'll have to miss them... fuck."
"Do you not want to change the date?"
"No," I mumble wearily as I ran my left hand through my hair as I lean back, "We're on a deadline and I want to have this movie filmed by the end of December which is in six and a half months so... That, and we already have had changes and it wouldn't be fair to the people waiting for the auditions that will start in, oh I don't know, in an hour."
"Wise choice," Mr. Wither nods, "So... what should we do, these are the main characters today."
"Well, I guess you should go downtown and review the casting choices... You know what I expect from the characters so, it would be fine I suppose..."
"I suppose," he mimicked as his hand ran over his beard, "The only character I can't really get a handle on is Liza, and that's the protagonist. What do you want her to be like?"
"Uh," I scratched my head. "To be frankly honest, I haven't painted a clear picture myself. This should be interesting. Just find someone who can play kind and generous but eposes a lot of mystery of the character, like grim history of whatever."
"So, like is a sweet doll but has a bit of a, how to put it, a questioning side? If that makes sense."
"Yeah, something like that," I muttered, "God this movie, simplistic plot yet the most work for the damn thing- and we haven't even started production yet."
Mr. Wither chuckles a bit before he said quietly, "Yeah, this one will be interesting for sure... So is the dinner still going to be held tomorrow?"
"Yeah, that way all the people working for this thing can meet."
"So see you then?"
"See you then," I acknowledged grimly as we both stood up, walked out and turned opposite directions to our individual vehicles. Once my black Bronco hummed, I pulled out and drove onto the highway, cursing no stop under my breath. "I fucking swear these assholes don't know how to drive..." my growls pierced through the radio.
-o0o-
A bell rang obnoxiously above the greeting door as I strode inside the bank, thoroughly pissed. My glare glazes over all of the waiting people in their respective seats. My eyes narrow at the lines for the money business then back over to the seats. "Why do they- oh shit, like I care," I whisper to myself anxiously. My steps trail around until I find a man standing, looking over the small lot of people.
"Excuse me sir, but are you the manager of the bank?"
"Yes," he answered, his eyes looking up and down at me, "Ah, you must be Miss West. Daughter of Alexander-"
"Yeah. That's me..." I mutter darkly, "Listen, so why exactly am I here?"
"I'll explain inside my office," he turned his heel and stalked off, me following annoyed. As we pass through some of the white halls, I grumble bit to myself sourly before we finally managed to get to his office. "So, we have had a problem with communications and our advisors are lost really."
"That's unfortunate," I said coolly, luckily he hadn't caught my snide remark. I'm fed up with this bank honestly; they're so unorganized that it is at a worrying fault. A bank should be organized to the point they should know exactly how your money is doing, not some educated guesses.
"Yes, so we have been holding meetings for bigger people to confirm things such as transfer." His hands move with his words, and I glance quickly at his name plate, reading Jackson R. Michael.
"Well Mr. Michael, this has been called at a very bad time. See, I had held important auditions for a project of mine and I can't change the time because of the inconvenient for the client. Now that would be very unprofessional now wouldn't it?"
"Yes it would," he mutters with a frown threatening, "Who what are you implying here?"
"That you do the opposite. I may be newer to the business scene and not know how a bigger company such as this one works. But as a client, it is very frustrating to deal business with you which is why I moved my money over before this project initially started. And that was in January Mr. Michael. It's June 11th today. Do the math," I spat, not attempting to hide any of my stressed annoyance.
"I see... And what do you expect me to do Miss Jade West?"
"Oh," I growled, my calm mask slowly cracking. My eyes flicker across the room, picking out pieces like the cross on the wall, the painting of a tiger butchering a pig and the clock. "As a manager, you should know the stresses that come from deadlines. You pray to baby Jesus don't you that you can make it through, but in the mean time you cut corners which cuts the amount of time that your client has. You know why sharks aren't territorial yet lions are?"
"And why is that?" he asked sourly.
"Because sharks don't need to be. They piss and shit in water, their food swims in their mouth while lions have to search and scavenge for those same necessities. People are only territorial in this world of stone, metal and men because of time, that is what we need sir. And you stripping it away for your benefit will only raise red flags for the clients who, by the way, are the main source of your income."
I smirk as my eye glare at the sheepish man in front of me. "Food for thought," I mutter as I stride towards the door, "like you need more food..." My smirk grows into a wicked grin as I see his reflection pat his pot belly pathetically. I felt powerful marching down the halls, and I'm pleased when everyone doesn't even attempt to take the chance of brushing past me. once back in the car, I sigh and answer my phone which rang profusely as I crossed the street.
Looking at the name first, I press it against my ear and answer, "Mr. Wither? Need something."
"Nope, just saying that we got all of the cast done!"
"Awesome!" I laugh, "So who's playing the four main roles?"
"Ah, lets see... I don't have the papers with me but, okay. So the best friend of Liza is played by Charles Danvier. The controlled assassin is played by Ryder Daniels-
"Oh. My. God. I know him."
"Really?"
"Yep," I admit sourly, "Real idiot."
"Yeah, he did seem a little off. But he did fairly well for the auditions so... yeah."
"Anyway, what about the other two?"
"Ah, yes. The 'puppeteer' is played by Sarah Racheal and Liza... oh no. I can't remember her name! Well, you'll meet her tomorrow." I hear him sigh on the other end and bite my lip.
"It's alright Mr. Wither, just how easy are they to work with?"
"Well Daniels will be a bit of a pain, I can see it now."
"Yeah, how 'bout the other three," I mutter as I shake my head slightly.
"Right. Danvier seems to be a good boy, young and I think this is his first movie. All of them actually- no, Racheal has been in another one. She seems to be fine to work with, though I'll ask the prior director of her past movie. And the other girl, oh man she is just so sweet. Seems to have a fiery side too but, my God I've never seen a person so kind and polite in Hollywood. I wonder how she'll do in years to come, I hope she stays true to it. It's like she's too nice for Hollywood honestly."
"Okay now, settle down Mr. Wither. You're married." I smirk as I hear a hardy laugh on the other side.
"Oh it's nothing like that. I'm afraid that my days of ladies are over- don't tell my wife that... But I'll tell you I would be interested if I was half my age. Very pretty, very pretty."
"Alright, I'll just go home then and meet you tomorrow at the dinner."
"Yes, I'll go home too. My wife will get all the love she deserves..."
"Yes you do that," I chuckle, "Bye Mr. Wither."
"Good day Miss West." Once the phone was placed in my cup holder, I drove straight home, cursing randomly at the drivers around. Summer, I'll tell you- it brings many horrible drivers.
-o0o-
My front door closes loudly behind me. Steps pad their way down to the basement and through two large maple doors. "Still sleeping cat?" I murmur as my fingers glide over my tom's fur. He purrs himself away and stands up, stretches, before hopping down and brushing against my leg.
I wouldn't have dreamed of owning a cat; ever. But after I moved into this small manor, I found him on the streets and decided to take him in as company. "There we go Salem," I mutter, "Now I'm going to take a shower so you just go back on the bed." Salem, a rather big black cat, was almost skin and bone when I first found him. I watch as the lanky feline hops back on the bed obediently and curls up into a black ball.
Such a weird cat. I've never had a cat that actually knew his own reflection and understood what 'tuna' and 'ham' was. Ham of all things. He understands what I tell him and rarely makes a noise; except when he wants food. God every morning at 6:30 sharp, he slaps me awake and I will then proceed to kick him off the bed. Five minutes later Salem will sit on my chest and just stare at me until I get up and feet him while I brew some coffee.
Before I make my way into the bathroom, dark orange eyes blink sleepily at me before drowning in black. I shake my head a bit as I walk through the door, turn on the faucet and wait as the water warms up. I'll tell you this now, that shower was nice.
That is, until my weird cat decided to jump in with me. "Salem... Stop being creepy," I mutter as he stared at me, short fur dampening as the water soaked through. "I thought cats hated water." My eyes close and I shake my head before I carry on with my cleaning procedure.
I swear I think I just saw him shrug in response to me.
Yay. I hope you like it so far, I honestly don't know how to approach this story properly so this should be interesting. I never really plan out my stories other than the basic structure... Whoopie?
