Alright, guys, here's another to tide you over while I work on my other longer fics! Was only intended to be about 3k, but it evolved into an 8k monster and was thus split into two chapters. Not that you'll complain I think!

Read on!


"Vega, I'm going to kill you!" Jade stormed through the halls of Hollywood Arts, a snarl on her lips and murder in her eyes. She pushed by freshmen and shoved one out of her way when he didn't move fast enough. "Where the hell are you, Vega?!" She was thoroughly pissed, and it was only ten in the morning.

"Victoria fucking Vega, my sharpest scissors are going to be embedded in your forehead if you don't tell me what the hell is going on!"

The brunette, who she'd spied talking with a boy by her locker, jumped and looked around wildly, trying to place the irate voice in a sea of faces. She paled when she saw Jade stalking toward her and the boy, who had previously been making cow eyes at Tori – and likely not hearing a word of what she was saying – scurried away with his head ducked and shoulders hunched defensively. Tori scowled at his retreating back and sighed as she faced Jade again. Brown eyes went cross-eyed as Jade abruptly shoved her phone in her face, leaning back until her head collided with the locker. "Shit! What the hell, Jade?"

"Don't be smart with me, Vega! What the hell is this?" She shook her phone in Tori's face for emphasis.

"Uhm, your phone?"

"What's on the damn phone, Vega," Jade growled dangerously.

"A…picture of you sleeping?"

"Good, so you can see!"

"No need to be bitchy, Jade." Tori crossed her arms and, although her stance was aggressive, her expression was still nervous. Jade smirked and her eyes twinkled.

"Oooh, kitty cat's got claws. Did I piss the poor kitten off?" She cooed saccharinely in her mocking voice.

Tori's eyes narrowed and she sneered. "Don't be a gank, Jade, you'll get wrinkles."

Jade scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Not likely, but nice try, Vega. Now, back to the matter at hand…" She shook her phone again and Tori's attention returned to it. "Why does the caption say 'so cute!' beneath the picture? I am not cute, Vega, I am about as far from that as you can get. When the hell did you even take this?"

"You remember this past weekend, we had that party and you-" Jade's face flushed violently and Tori worried she was going to combust as her cheeks continued to heat. "Jade, are you okay?"

"Never mention last weekend again!" She stepped into Tori's personal space and the brunette backed against the lockers. "If you don't want me to shove the scissors in my boot into your eye-"

"Aw, does the Goth need her lunch to feel better," Tori dared to taunt.

Jade's nostrils flared and her eyes widened, kohl lined blue-green eyes glittering with challenge, and Tori's hands trembled even as her eyes flashed boldly. Jade smirked widely and leaned in. "Actually, yes, but you know what else would make me feel better, Vega?" Before Tori could do more than open her mouth, Jade reached into her back pocket and plucked out her phone, lingering to pinch her ass as she retreated. "Bye, Vega!"

She waved as she walked away, hips swaying enticingly, and Tori gaped before she realized what had happened. "Jade! Jade, c'mon, I need my phone!"


"Hmmm, let's see here…" Jade deftly typed in Tori's password and began snooping through her phone. "Boring, boring, nope, nothing, nada. Wow, Vega, two hundred for a pair of boots? I hope you've got money for that…actually, that top is nice, hmmm…" She shook her head and ducked into the Blackbox Theater, currently empty, and sat in a chair at the back.

"There's seriously nothing interesting in here?" She opened up Tori's web browser and scrolled lazily through her history, pausing at a particular entry. "What's this?" Jade's smirk was devious, and more than slightly surprised, as the link brought her to Tori's favorite fan art for two women on a crime show that was currently between seasons. Jade's brow lifted the further she scrolled, the art becoming more blatantly relationship oriented.

"Who'd a thought? I guess Vega's more rainbows than I thought." Her thumb hovered over an image thoughtfully before she clicked on it. "Well, this certainly changes things. Now, let's see what I can do…"


"Dammit all, Trina." Tori muttered to herself, bag abandoned by the door of the school, as she paced. Her heeled boots snapped a staccato rhythm on the linoleum and she didn't notice Jade approaching with a smirk firmly on her lips.

"Aw, did poor Little Miss Perfect lose her ride home?"

Tori growled and turned away, leaning over to pick up her bag. "Leave me alone, Jade."

"Oh, come on, Vega, I'm the bitchy one here, you're all rainbows and unicorns or some shit." Jade tore her eyes away from Tori's ass as she straightened and looked out the door, face impassive.

"Yeah, well, because you took my phone and I was looking for you, Trina left me here!" Tori groaned and pushed out the door, hefting her bag higher.

Jade trailed after her, sliding her sunglasses over her nose as she palmed the key ring to her car and debated her plan for another moment. "Well, since you asked so nicely, Vega, I'll offer you a ride home."

"I didn't as – ooh, okay." Tori skipped over to the passenger door and waited for Jade to unlock her car before sliding in. She offered a cursory speculative glance in Jade's direction as she started the car and drove away, but sat back in the seat and watched the streets pass by. They pulled into the Vega's driveway several silent minutes later and Tori unhooked her belt.

"Here, Vega, now get out."

Jade held out her phone and Tori slowly took it, eyes narrow. "Did you do something to my phone?"

"Now, why would I ever want to do something like that to you?" Jade smirked and shooed Tori out of the car, rolling down her window to yell, "I'll see you tomorrow, Vega!"

Tori half turned to watch Jade back out of the driveway, brows furrowed in confusion and not a little fear. She shrugged as Jade's car disappeared and walked through the door, unlocking her phone as she dumped her bag by the couch. Her face flushed red and her jaw dropped as the background of her phone was revealed, the leading women of her favorite show locking lips. Before she could do more than squeak, her phone vibrated in her hand and Jade's name popped up on the screen.

"Jade, what the hell did you do to my phone?!"

"Oh, so you did find my little gift. That's good," Jade drawled slowly. She could hear Tori grinding her teeth over the phone and held back a laugh. "You've got some very interesting things on your phone, Vega, I just thought you'd appreciate a more…colorful…background."

"Jade, I swear to God, if you-"

"Jesus, chill. I'll keep your secret, don't worry," Jade said smoothly, rolling her eyes. "I may be a bitch, but I don't do shit like that. Have a good night, Vega." She hung up before Tori could say anything else and the brunette scowled at her phone. She went into her settings and tried to change her background but found access blocked. She groaned and tossed her phone onto the couch beside her, crossing her arms and pouting at the tv.


Jade rooted through her locker for the day's books, taking a steadying breath and smoothing out her skirt as the growing murmur of voices soothed her. She heard Tori's indignant voice calling her out over the other voice and pasted a smirk on her lips. "Why, good morning, Vega! It looks like you got up on the wrong side of the bed." She looked Tori up and down, from her unlaced chucks, past her skinny jeans and rumpled shirt, and stopped on her spectacled face. "Did you forget to wake up this morning?"

"My alarm never went off, and Trina took up all the bathroom time so I-" She gestured helplessly at herself and Jade's eyebrow rose.

"Decided trash chic was the look of the day?" She grinned when Tori rolled her eyes and dug her phone out of her bag.

"I didn't come here to listen to you make fun of me, Jade." She held it out imperiously, palm flat. "Fix it. Now."

Jade cocked her hip and adopted an unimpressed expression. "Why should I?"

"Jaaade," Tori whined, eyes pleading. "Please! I can't get it to go back!"

"And that's a bad thing, why?" Tori sputtered but nothing intelligent came out of her mouth and Jade leaned closer. "I have to hand it to you, Vega, you've got good taste in women." She winked while Tori stared and her cheek brushed Tori's as she whispered, "I'd definitely get behind that." She took her phone from her limp grasp and walked away, making certain to sway her hips more than usual as she walked away smiling to herself.

She unlocked Tori's phone as she walked into her screenwriting class and sat at the back of the room, idly playing with the electronic as more students filed in. "What to do today?" She shuffled through her photos, smiling a little as some of their past parties and outings came on the screen. One in particular –one she didn't recognize – of Tori and a dark haired, blue eyed young woman both smiling at the camera, arms around each other, caught her attention. "Well, well, well," she drawled softly, "who do we have here? I'll have to give Vega a pat on the back later today. But first…" She pulled up the list of her favorite images again and picked another, replacing it as her background.


Tori was, once again, waiting at the doors of Hollywood Arts, foot tapping impatiently and arms crossed. Jade watched as she pushed her glasses up her nose in annoyance and smiled to herself before making herself known. "Why, Vega, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you just couldn't wait to see me."

She smirked when Tori jumped and her eyes flicked up and down her clothes – for the fifth time that day – before settling on her amused gaze. "I need my phone, Jade." She held her hand out and raised her eyebrow when Jade only tilted her head to the side.

"My, my, what ever did sweet Miss Sally Peaches do today, to sound so serious?"

"I don't talk like that! Please just give me my phone so I can call Trina and have her pick me up," Tori pleaded.

Jade pursed her lips contemplatively. "Uhm, no, I don't think so."

"What! Why not?"

"Because if I have to see your sister again today, I may have to kill myself, and I don't know what you'd do if I just-" She made a motion across her throat and laughed when Tori scoffed. "Please, Vega, protest a little more, that'll really sell your case." She glided past the brunette and paused in the open door. "You know, this offer is limited to the time I reach my car. If you want a ride, and your phone, you'd better be at the passenger door."

She walked away, counting down in her head, and smiled to herself when she heard a quiet huff and the scuff of Tori's shoes behind her. They reached Jade's car and silently slid in together, Tori buckling her belt with a frown on her lips and brows creased. Jade drove out of the parking lot and glanced over at the shotgun seat. "Your face will get stuck like that, Vega."

Tori shuffled closer to the door and tightened her hold on her bag. "Can you please just give me my phone, Jade?"

"What, you don't like riding with me? I'm astonished, I thought you would enjoy my company." Jade waited for Tori to finally look at her and winked, chuckling deeply as the brunette flushed scarlet. Tori sputtered and her fingers flexed on the strap of her bag until Jade pulled into her driveway.

"Here." Jade shoved her phone into her grasp, then reached past her to open the door. "Get out." Jade helpfully unbuckled her belt and then proceeded to push Tori bodily from her car, watching innocently as she stumbled onto the blacktop and up the drive to her door. "Vega! Same time tomorrow!" Jade waved out the window as she drove away and waited until Tori's house was out of sight before pulling onto the curb and taking her phone out.

Sent at 16.11 – Love the picture, don't try to change it. Sweet dreams…


Tori palmed her phone uneasily, certain Jade had done something else to it and sure she did not want to know what exactly. Her phone vibrated in her hand and she glanced at the screen, paling when she saw 'Message from Jade' show up. She slowly entered her password and shut her eyes in the instant her screen changed, mentally poking herself. "Just do it…how bad could it be, honestly?" With those words, she opened her eyes and promptly gasped, blood burning hotly under her skin as she flushed in mortification.

Behind a bevy of apps and useful gadgets on her phone, her background had been changed to another fan art she'd favorited. An image of same two women – in markedly less clothing – greeted her and, once again, she was unable to remove it. Jade's text interrupted her irate grumbling and she flushed anew, almost seeing the wicked smirk gracing her lips.

Sent at 16.14 – Jade, I'm going to hurt you if you don't tell me how to fix this…

Received at 16.15 – Ooh, Vega, is that a promise? Tell me more.

Tori blushed to the tips of her ears and flopped onto the couch, groaning pitifully into the cushions. She glared at her phone when it vibrated again but opened the text.

Received at 16.17 – Don't leave me hanging, Vega. You started this, now you have to finish and tell me what EXACTLY what you will do.

Tori gaped at her phone and wracked her brain for something to say in return without seeming like a complete fool. She slowly typed her response, a small smile working across her lips as she sent it.

Sent at 16.18 – If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were flirting, Jade.

Tori smirked victoriously when there was no reply immediately, certain she had chased Jade off. "Now to figure out what the hell she did to my phone…" She was startled when, a few minutes later, her phone vibrated and she saw it was a text from Jade.

Received at 16.22 – Maybe I am, Vega. What are you gonna do about it?

Tori stared blankly at her phone and set it aside, turning the tv on, although she didn't pay attention to the program on. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Jade, instead, and how she had been acting recently. "It's like she a damn kindergartener," she realized, eyes widening. All the taunts, the kicking at the back of her chair in class, the way she was hot and cold toward her, it made sense in a sudden burst of comprehension like a kick to the teeth. "Holy shit."


Tori walked into school the next morning, confident smile in place and extra swing in her hips. As she opened her locker, she took a deep breath and wiped her sweaty palms on the fabric of her skinny jeans. "Just do it like you planned, Tori. Everything will be fine." She grabbed her books from her locker and shut it, yelping when she saw Jade standing just behind the door. "Jesus, Jade, don't do that!"

Jade's eyes flashed with humor and she leaned lazily against the wall of lockers. "Jumpy much, Vega?" Her gaze slid down Tori's body and the brunette could almost feel her fingers tripping over her purple top, slipping between the seam of shirt and pants to caress the sliver of skin visible at her waist.

She hefted her bag to cover her shiver and moved away from the lockers. "If you would stop sneaking up on me, I wouldn't jump."

"But it's so much fun." Jade pouted a little and smirked, shifting her Gears of War backpack more comfortably on her shoulder. "It's not like anyone else provides such…stimulating, opportunities."

Tori was certain pleasure and approval glimmered in Jade's eyes and took a breath to fortify herself. She moved into her personal space and watched with wary satisfaction as blue-green eyes widened. "Is that all I am for you, Jade," she murmured quietly, watching Jade's eyes slip from her eyes to collarbone and back up slowly, "an opportunity to tease?"

Tori closed the small distance left between them, hand tracing Jade's bicep briefly. She trailed her hand down to Jade's and pressed her phone into her palm. "Fix it, Jade." With those parting words, Tori swung around and walked away, more sway in her hips than normal, and an enormous grin on her face.


Tori walked into Sikowitz's room after lunch and was pulled to the side, roughly sat in a seat at the back. Jade glared heatedly at her, although a hint of respect flirted at the edge of her lips in a smirk she barely withheld. "Vega, you and me need to speak about something."

"Oh?" Tori feinted nonchalance, looking at her hands in her lap for a moment.

"Oh, yeah. What was that this morning?"

"I think that was me giving you my phone to fix."

"No no no, don't try and weasel out of this. Just before that, you were – flirting with me," she finished in a hiss as several students filtered in.

Tori glanced over, delighted with the color creeping over pale cheeks. "Well, I don't know, Jade, was that really what I was doing?"

"Yes, and you're doing it again right now," Jade growled, pointing out Tori's fluttering lashes and coy smile.

Tori chuckled, the last remaining uncertainty in her chest receding, and grinned widely. "Aw, Jadie can dish it out, but she can't take it?" Tori stuck out her lower lip and batted her eyes at Jade again, laughing as she growled impotently but faced forward when Sikowitz slid in through the window.

Tori listened as Sikowitz went on about mood setting and emotional deliverance in one's lines, unaware that blue-green eyes were surreptitiously watching her. Jade waited for Sikowitz to reach the far end of the stage and everyone's heads to turn toward him before reaching over and pulling on a strand of brown hair. Tori flinched and glanced over her shoulder. "Stop it," she hissed.

Jade smirked and wrapped the hair in her grasp around her fingers, leaning closer to Tori. "Make me." With that, she released Tori's hair and replaced her hand upon the brunette's leg. Tori froze, eyes wide, and Jade's smirk widened as her fingers flexed lightly on the denim material of her skinny jeans. She glanced at the front of the classroom, but Sikowitz was still gesticulating and making exaggerated expressions, so she returned her attention to Tori. Her fingers crawled up her thigh slowly, inching closer to the seam of her pants as their eyes locked, Jade's daring and sultry while Tori looked startled and close to bolting.

"Vega, where did your daring go?" Her nails dug into skinny jeans a little and Tori made a strangled sound at the back of throat. Jade quickly glanced around. "Quiet, Vega, you don't want anyone seeing this, do you? It's a little…intimate," she whispered as her hand slid inward and her thumb circled slowly.

Tori's pupils were blown wide and her breath little more than a pant as she bobbed closer to and then away from Jade. Her hand settled over Jade's on her inner thigh and tightened, the tendons flexing as she moved Jade's hand. Whether it was to be closer or further away, Jade didn't know, because the bell suddenly rang and Tori bolted from her chair like she'd been electrocuted. Jade's hand lingered in midair for another moment before she smirked widely and picked up her backpack, trailing the other students out into the hallway.

By the end of the day, Jade's good mood had yet to disappear and she waltzed out the doors, noting at the back of her mind that Tori was nowhere to be seen. "Must have scared her off," she said to herself with not a little regret coloring her words. "Shame, Vega's a lot of fun to tease." She shrugged as she reached her car and got in, tossing her bag in the backseat.

She had just started it when the passenger door was wrenched open and a disheveled Tori hopped in, breath ragged and cheeks flushed. "Wow, Vega, quite an entrance. Did you need some alone time before the end of the day?" She winked and flicked her tongue at the brunette salaciously. Tori grinned in return and settled comfortably into the seat. After a few seconds trying to wrap her mind around the new approach Tori was taking toward Jade's words that day – namely, returning her innuendo with winks and coy smiles – Jade realized Tori had yet to leave and narrowed her eyes. "Why are you still here, Vega?"

"I thought we had agreed that you were going to fix my phone and give me a ride home. Or did you forget after this morning?"

Jade scowled. "I never agreed to anything."

"I seem to recall you telling me via text 'same time tomorrow.' It's tomorrow and roughly the same time, and you still have my phone, so…" Tori idly twisted a piece of hair around her finger and Jade found her attention captured by the simple motion, watching her hair subtly change colors in the glaring afternoon sun. Tori stared at her from beneath her lashes, a small, confident smile on her lips and something dangerously akin to affectionate amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Fine! But no more of that," she exclaimed, pointing her finger in the general direction of Tori's face.

"I can't help my face, Jade, and besides, you weren't complaining when it was so close to yours this morning," she nearly sang. Jade growled as she put the car in drive and goosed the gas out of the parking lot.

They rode in silence for a minute, then Tori reached for the radio and tuned into a pop station. "No!" Jade turned it off and Tori immediately turned it back on, grinning and slapping Jade's hand when she tried to mute it again. Jade gaped incredulously as they stopped at an intersection. "Did you just?..."

"Shotgun rider controls the radio, Jade." Tori shook her finger at Jade and frowned in mock anger, lips curling up as Jade glowered.

"My car, my rules, Vega."

"Universal car ride rules trump the individual's," she shot back.

"Yeah, well, my scissors are going to do something to you if you don't stop fucking with my radio!"

"Oh, Jade," Tori said throatily, "if you wanted to use your scissors on me, you only had to ask." To clarify her point – as if Jade had any trouble understanding her innuendo – she plucked at the collar of her shirt and settled her near hand on Jade's leg.

Jade brushed her off with vaguely trembling hands, angry her own game had been turned upon her – and rather spectacularly, as well. She went on the offensive, hoping that she could out-maneuver Tori in a verbal duel. "You wouldn't be able to handle it, Vega."

As they turned onto Tori's street, Jade smirked, convinced she had flustered Tori out of words. She was stunned when, as she put the car in park on the shoulder of the street outside Tori's house, the brunette leaned across the center console and placed her hand on Jade's thigh again. "I think you'd be surprised at what exactly I'm capable of, Jade." Tori dared to drag her hand up and just beneath Jade's shirt, nails skimming skin for an instant as her breath washed across Jade's cheek and jaw.

Jade froze and Tori retreated, satisfied with her victory. She rooted through Jade's backpack quickly and dug her phone out with a happy sound. "I'll see you tomorrow!" She waved over her shoulder as she walked up the driveway and through the front door, looking over her shoulder to find Jade's gaze locked on her, eyes still wide and gobsmacked. Tori giggled, wiggling her fingers in farewell as she shut the door. She waited several minutes to hear the sound of Jade's car leaving the curb and stuck her tongue out of the corner of her mouth as she unlocked her phone. She paused as her new background showed up, a blush heating her cheeks as she laughed to herself.

Sent at 16.09 – Next time, I'm playing some Stone Sour for you.

She rooted through her bag and started her homework, earbuds in to drown out the sound of Trina warbling in her room upstairs. She looked over from her homework when her phone vibrated and smiled to herself.

Received at 16.19 – If you ever touch my radio again without my permission, Vega, I will tie you up and gag you.

Received at 16.19 – …Even for music from a decent band.

Sent at 16.20 – Is that a promise? ;{)

Received at 16.21 – You wanna try your luck and see?

Tori felt a thrill run down her spine as she tapped the corner of her phone thoughtfully against her chin, contemplating her choices.

Sent at 16.23 – What if I do?

There was a long pause, long enough for Tori to return to her homework and struggle not to think about what exactly she and Jade were doing. "Not that I really have a clue," she muttered to herself, absently bobbing her head to the music in her ears, "but it seems an awful lot like flirting."

"Who's flirting?" Tori jumped and twisted on the couch to find Trina posing on the bottom step of the stairs, an intrigued gleam in her eyes. Her sister stalked over to her in four inch wedges, teetering precariously before propping herself against the back of the couch. "Is it a boy? Let me see!"

She reached for Tori's phone and Tori covered it with her body, violently throwing herself away from her sister with her phone in hand and wide eyes warily watching her sibling. "Go away, Trina."

"Aw, no need to be ashamed, little sister," she started, doe eyed and innocent, "everyone gets urges." She winked and Tori gagged a little, backing away from Trina when she rounded the end of the couch.

"Be that as it may, you don't need to be seeing or hearing anything about mine. Don't you have some boy to stalk or something?"

Trina paused thoughtfully. "Well, yeah…but I'm more interested in this boy you're flirting with! Now, gimme!" Trina lunged – inasmuch as she could in her heels – and Tori ducked away, running for the kitchen. They circled each other around the island, Tori glancing at her phone as it vibrated in her hand. Trina dove for her and hands were fighting for possession of the phone, two sets of eyes watching it fly out of their grasps and land on the floor by the stove. Tori shoulder checked Trina and lunged for her phone, stuffing it in her bra as Trina ran at her.

"Don't think I won't go in there, Tori!"

Tori paled and ran for the stairs, Trina hot on her heels, and slammed her door shut, pressing herself against it and locking the door just as Trina hit the barrier. The door shuddered and Trina beat on it enthusiastically, yelling through the wood. Tori ignored her and flopped back on her bed, breathing heavily. A few minutes later, the sounds behind the door faded and she was left in blessed quiet. She pulled her phone from within her bra and looked at the message, unsurprised to find it was from Jade.

Received at 16.31 – You're playing with fire, Vega.

Sent at 16.44 – What if I want to?

Tori stared at her phone but, by the time six rolled around, she had come to the conclusion that she'd managed to scare Jade off. Fighting back a frown and feeling dejected, she stuck her head out her bedroom door and snuck downstairs for her homework, shutting herself in her room to brood and distract herself.