Disclaimer: I still don't own Victorious. Just in case you didn't know;)
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When I was five years old, I had the pleasure of being kidnapped. Yes, pleasure. No perv snatched me up after school or anything. My mother took me.
When I was old enough to know how to use the library catalogue, I started looking up fiction stories about my situation. Parental kidnapping, it's called. I guess I was just curious, and I wanted to see what the books had to say about my circumstance.
I will say I've been disappointed. They're all practically the same. It's like every author used a how-to-write-a-young-adult-novel-about-parental-kidnappings formula. They had to, because I read like twenty of those things, hoping for something a little different each time, but all I got was this:
The parents of a kid get divorced. Then one parent is declared unfit, while the other is given sole custody. The "unfit" parent is given visitation rights and feels cheated and heartbroken, (And why wouldn't they? I'd be absolutely livid if someone told me I had to have permission to see my own kid.), so Unfit Parent snatches the kid up and moves far, far, away.
The kid is told that the other parent, Sole Custody Parent, didn't want him, or her, anymore. Like, the kid is totally brainwashed until the little pre-terd believes it weeks, or months, later, depending on the kid.
So now the kid, or the abductee, has got a new life. New name, new home, new family, new friends…He, or she, moves on, maybe even literally forgets about his, or her, old life. That is until the reunion.
Years later, Abductee is finally found and reunited with Sole Custody Parent; and Unfit Parent is no longer allowed to have any contact with the kid. Naturally, Abductee is all sad and broken up about this new development. He, or she, wants Unfit Parent back.
So, Abductee absolutely rebels against Sole Custody Parent. Breaking the rules, talking disrespectfully to him or her, refusing to bond…but Sole Custody Parent loves Abductee so much that he, or she, is willing to give the kid all the room, time, and space to get used to them.
Then Abductee starts falling in love with Sole Custody Parent; but the kid's still hurt, still holding on to the fact that Sole Custody Parent didn't want him, or her, all those years ago. Somehow, Sole Custody Parent figures out the problem, reassures Abductee that he, or she, has always wanted the kid. Sole Custody Parent even goes as far as to show Abductee something he, or she, has been holding onto all this time as proof; like a picture, or a necklace, or a hairbrush and then the kid accepts Sole Custody Parent fully. They hug it out; cry even, and get tears and chiz all over each other.
Last comes the confrontation. Abductee, the little ingrate, faces Unfit Parent and has the nerve to get all angry and wazzy with the one person who'd been there his, or her, whole life. Even has the nerve to claim not to ever want to see Unfit Parent again.
That's not gonna happen with me. Number one: my mother never brainwashed me. She was completely honest. When she brought me to her house for my visitation weekend a few months after the court decision, she simply asked me if I wanted to live with her. I was like hell yeah, but without the profanity as I was only five years old at the time. She told me I wouldn't see my daddy anymore and I shrugged my shoulders.
And that was pretty much it. She changed my name from Amber to Jade; which I thought was really cool. Jade's a better name any day. And then we moved to the south…Like Georgia south. So I was pretty ecstatic about the whole thing. A new name, a new place and I didn't have to be around my father anymore. Not that he was a child abuser or anything. He was just…stiff. No room for fun or creativity. A man of very little words and even fewer hugs.
What five year-old wants to be around that? What person wants to be around that? I don't even know how he snagged my mother, but she claims he wasn't always like that.
Whatever.
Now, I'm sitting in a police station in L.A. Why? Because he finally found me and I have to go home with him. Not that he can physically make me. I'm seventeen years old now, but he can press charges and have my mother thrown in jail. He says he won't if I come "home."
It's a good trade. I stay with him for a year, and my mother doesn't spend time in prison. I'd have to be one selfish brat not to take the deal, so I'm doing it. But that doesn't mean I'm happy about it.
"Amber."
I grit my teeth and turn around to face him. My father. He's here, and promptly on time.
"My name is Jade." I scowl at him. That's what I've been called for the last twelve years and I'm not going to answer to anything else.
He looks at his watch. I remember him doing that a lot when I was a kid. "Let's go, Amber." He says absently.
I openly glare at him. I just told him that I'm not Amber anymore! "It's Jade, Grayson." I hiss before heaving up my duffle and leading the way.
If he feels hurt or angry about me calling him by his first name, he doesn't show it. In fact, he doesn't show very many emotions at all. He looks just as happy about getting me back as I am to be here.
"Where's the rest of your stuff?" He asks behind me.
I don't even turn around to answer him. "I left it with Moms."
I can feel him frowning at the back of my head, but I seriously don't give a flying fuck. There's no point in me bringing all of my stuff because as soon as I turn eighteen, eleven months from now, I'm hightailing it back to Georgia.
The march out of the station is all kinds of awkward and annoying. I bet this is the worst reunion the officers have ever witnessed between an abductee and a sole custody parent. Even if the kid wanted to stay with Unfit Parent, surely Sole Custody Parent should show some kind of happiness, especially after finding the child he's been searching twelve long years to find.
What these people don't get is that for Grayson, it's not about getting his daughter back, it's about winning.
He's a lawyer, so winning is everything to him. Now, he can add this to his resume, a gimmick if you will. He'll be able to tell new clients that after twelve long years, he got his daughter back. That's how hardworking and dedicated he is. Doesn't matter that I'm seventeen and will leave as soon as I'm legally able to do so. He got me back. Bottom line.
Even I'd want him to be my lawyer.
I slow down and let him pass me once we're outside the station because I don't know which car is his. I thank God when I see it though, a four-door black Mercedes. Which means I don't have to sit next to him. It may be childish to sit in the back, but I don't care. I want to be as far away from Grayson as possible.
I stand next to the back door on the passenger side and wait for him to unlock the door. I know he can tell I'm about to sit in the back seat. He gives me this small frown and his lips purse a bit, but thankfully, he doesn't say anything. Otherwise we would've both been standing outside his car for the better part of a year. There's only one other thing I inherited from him besides my height, and that's my stubbornness.
Once the door's unlocked, I climb in without a word.
He starts up the car without a word.
It's gonna be a long freakin' drive. And boring as hell. I begin to chip at some of the silver fingernail polish on my right index. It's not long before I decide to just repaint my nails. It'll give me something to do other than wish I was still home with Mom, Nicole and Raleigh. Hell, I even miss Tati. Well, it's Tatiana, but that's too many damn syllables.
I pull out the fingernail polish that suits my mood most.
Black.
As soon as I twist the top off, the sharp fumes hit me, and I'm okay with that.
Grayson, on the other hand, scrunches up his face and glares at me through the rearview mirror. Man am I gonna love pissing him off.
"Can't you do that when you get home?" He says when I ignore his looks and continue with my nails.
I shrug. "Considering it'll be a year before I go home to my mothers and my girlfriend, the answer's no. I can't wait until I'm home to paint my nails."
Granted, I don't actually have a girlfriend right now, but my mom really is a lesbian. That's why my parents got a divorce, and that's how he was able to get custody of me. Oh, in court, it wasn't strictly the lesbian thing that gave him custody. It was the fact that he's more financially stable, has more connections, and there was this one lie about my mom's "friend," Joy Frankfurt, abusing me.
Really, I fell down, got a booboo, and the lady kissed it and put a Yellow Kitty Band-Aid on it. There were a million stories like that, because I was a bit on the active side. I liked to play, get my hands dirty, climb trees. So, I fell a lot. Got a lot of booboos, kisses, and Yellow Kitty Band-Aids. Somehow, that meant my mother wasn't caring for me properly, so Grayson was given custody.
My statement about my "girlfriend" though has the desired effect. Grayson's jaw goes rigged and I know he's gritting his teeth. I hope he bites his freakin tongue.
"There are plenty nice boys around here, Amber." He practically growls.
Seriously? He really needs to get with the times. Every girl is at least 25 percent gay. Even Tati, and she's the straightest girl I know.
"I'm sure I'll find plenty of nice girls to splunk while I'm here." I shrug absently.
Suddenly the car bounces a bit violently and I mess up on my nails.
"Bumpy road," Grayson smiles back at me. It's the first smile he's given me since we set eyes on each other at the police station. The evil bastard did that on purpose. I know he did. And since the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I drop my fingernail polish. Black ooze stains the leather seat of his very expensive Mercedes.
He brakes and glares at me.
"Bumpy road." I say.
His nose flairs and his mouth snaps shut. He's good and pissed.
I pick up my polish and continue doing my nails. Not once do we run into another "bumpy road."
By the time we get to the house, my nails have been dry for about fifteen minutes. When I look out at the house, the same house I used to live in when I was a little girl, I see three figures standing in front of it.
A woman, the wife.
A girl my age, the step.
And a smaller girl of about eleven, the bio-daughter. She takes after the wife, only getting height from Grayson. Damn his genes are recessive as hell.
"You should take those piercings out before you meet your mother and sisters, Amber." Grayson says.
He's talking about my nose ring and the stud in my left eyebrow. I ignore him and pull up my long sleeves so he, the wife, and the girls will be able to see the tattoo on my arm as well.
He glares at me.
Again, I ignore him and get out of the car, heaving my duffel over my shoulder.
Grayson gets out too and walks beside me. Once I'm in front of his family, (because they're strategically blocking the entrance to the house), I stop.
"Amber, this is Holly." He says, formally introducing me to his wife. I ignore her outstretched hand, letting my eyes travel all over the girl beside her.
She's pretty. Really pretty.
I let my eyes lower down over her chest, which is pretty flat. Then lower still. She's a little skinny for my taste, as well as a bit paler than what I usually go for, but she's got something I can work with.
I look back up at her face. She gives me a nervous smile.
Suddenly, the brat next to her jumps in front of her like she's the most important being on the planet. "I'm Trina." She announces, not having the patience to wait her turn to be introduced. I almost can't blame her. Grayson's still trying to introduce me to Holly and get me to shake her hand. I've been thoroughly ignoring him. Holly's been telling him it's fine, but Grayson's arguing back about how he won't have me disrespect his wife yada yada ya.
The brat holds her hand out like she expects me to kiss it rather than shake it. I purposely ignore her and set my gaze on the girl my age.
"And who are you?" I ask her.
She looks shocked, like she can't believe I'm talking to her. I keep staring at her until she believes it. Holly gives her an encouraging elbow.
"I'm Tori." She finally says.
"West?" I question, wondering if she's been officially adopted by my father.
She shakes her head. "Vega."
So, she's the only one in the house who's not a West. Poor baby. But, since we have different last names, it will seem a bit less incest-like for us to hook up. So there's that bright side.
I take a step toward her. "Well, Tori Vega." I smile and take another step closer. "I definitely can't wait to fuck you."
It gets quiet, like no one understood what I just said. Until I lick my bottom lip suggestively.
Tori gasps and steps behind her mother.
I smirk.
Punk.
Her mother turns and glares at Grayson, no doubt wondering what kind of a monster he's just brought into their home.
Grayson glares at me, his face nearly purple.
Priceless.
"I'm sorry." I smile back at him, doing my best to mock Deborah Kerr's acting voice. I pretty much have it down pat. Nicole's a bit obsessed with "An Affair to Remember." I can recite the whole freakin' movie. "I don't know whatever has come over me. I've never had the urge to sleep with one of my sisters before. It must be all this sweet California air. Perhaps you should send me back to the south." I end that monologue with a dramatic hand to my chest.
Rather than more anger, a look of relief and understanding passes over Grayson's face.
Weird.
"Don't Worry Holly," he says as he touches his wife's arm in a reassuring gesture. "Amber just said that so I'd get angry and send her back to her mother. In the short amount of time I've already had with her, I've learned that she likes pushing buttons."
"It's Jade, Grayson. Jade! And you're wrong." I snap. "You don't have to send me back to my mothers. You could just send me away. Period. I'd rather live with a family of serial killers than here with you!"
"It's not happening, Amber." He says calmly.
"That's so sexist!" I glare at him. "If I had been a guy and I'd threatened to splunk her," I point at Tori, "You wouldn't have hesitated to send me away, not even for a second!"
He gives Holly an apologetic smile. "Her mother's a bit of a feminist." He explains.
I continue to glare at him. Actually, it's Nicole who's the feminist.
His wife nods her head, seeming to understand, and she gives me a sympathetic smile. Like, she's that quick to believe I hadn't meant what I said.
Ugh!
I push past Tori and let myself into the house.
When I do fuck the girl, and I will splunk Tori Vega's brains out, no one can say I didn't warn them.