A/N - This was so much later than I had intended. Sorry if it isn't as good as the last chapter. Still please read & review! :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious.

I, Jade West, think Tori Vega is beautiful.

Yes, I'll admit it. Like I said before, Jade West does not runaway from things—I am not some wuss. But maybe that was a lie…

At that moment I was watching the brunette from the greasy, darkened window of the arcade. A little boy was tugging on my pant leg and I kicked him away from me. From where I stood was all noise and confusion but she seemed so still and frozen where she sat on the curb. Her face was pressed into her hands. I wanted to go and pry her fingers from her face and replace them with my lips…

Oh god…what was happening to me?

As I moved through the stuffy room and pressed through the door out into the parking lot, I was just telling myself that these were default emotions. I had been on an emotional rollercoaster with Beck and now that the ride was finally over, I was latching onto the first person that showed me any kind of appreciation. Right?

I crossed the parking lot, narrowly getting squashed by a passing motorcycle. I shouted a few obscenities at him before I realized I was standing next to the crouched brunette. I plopped down next to her. I didn't know what to do now that I was out there.

"Tori?" I asked but there was no response. I tried poking her, making animal noises and clapping right next to her ear. She was wholly and effectively tuning me out. It was getting irritating at this point but I knew I could a response out of her.

"Uh…can I cut your hair?" I asked softly, making the sound of scissors with my teeth. And Tori jumped up, clutching her hair and eyeing me nervously. Her expression turned sour when she realized that I wasn't serious. Of course I didn't want to touch her hair…it was fine the way it was and I wouldn't want her to change her hair.

"Dammit, Jade." Tori mumbled, running a hand through her hair and sighing. It bothered her that I had succeeded in getting her to look up at me. "What do you want?"

"To cut your hair! Didn't you hear me?" I asked, leaning back and closing my eyes. When I opened them again I caught Tori glaring at me. She didn't believe me. What was I going to tell her now? "I'm sorry." I said finally, the words tumbling out in a jumble.

"What did you say?" Tori feigned confusion but I saw the smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth. I felt a flash of anger at her…she just wanted to see me squirm. She couldn't just accept my apology.
"I just said that I was sorry for what I said, okay?" I muttered, trying not to roll my eyes or swear at the brunette. She was infuriating.

"Is this Jade West apologizing?" Tori said, her voice thick with sarcasm and slight bitterness. "What have I done to be worry of an apology from the great Jade-."

"Tori." I hissed, warning her. This wasn't cool. I may act like a bitch most of the time but that didn't mean that she could be a bitch to me. Okay…I might be something of a hypocrite. Get over it.

Tori just kept talking. "I am not worthy." She smirked, laughing through her gritted teeth. She was really trying hard not to laugh but that didn't mean shit. I still reached out and smacked her across the face. Fuck her…I didn't need this.

I took off from there, heading down the street with my boots pounding on the pavement. I was fuming now. I fucking apologize to the girl and she just pushes my apology aside like it was some joke. Just because I pushed her away usually didn't mean that I couldn't be serious or say sorry when I go too far. That is why I hate people.

They are irrational and inconsiderate…and they are just like me.

I kicked an old can, watching it skitter across the pavement and falling down into the storm drain. Why did I walk off? I had no damn clue where I was. I didn't know if I was going home or towards a totally different town. A knot was twisted tightly in my gut.

"Jade!" I turned and saw Tori running towards me. "Wait up."

I turned and kept walking, picking up my pace. She was like a rubber band. You can keep stretching it but until it broke, there was the chance that it would snap back at you. And it would hurt. I heard her footsteps peter out and I could only imagine that she was standing somewhere behind me, having given up my pursuit.

"Happy Birthday!" She shouted as if that would stop me. Sadly, it did. I turned on my heel, a sneer crossing my face. I couldn't believe her.

"Who told you it was my birthday?" I snapped, walking towards her while scrutinizing her face. "And why do you think that I would even want to be wished a happy birthday?" Repeating the word 'birthday' again and again brought a small muscle spasm under my left eye. I ignored it.

"I remember you telling Beck a few months back." She stated slowly, as if wondering if I was going to slap her again. I didn't.

"And you remembered? Why?" I asked.

She was avoiding my eye now. Her gaze drifted over the ground and skimmed my feet before rounding around to look at a tree over my shoulder. I wanted to grab her and force her to look at me fully. I was tired off all this dancing about, avoiding the true issues. But I wasn't going to be the first one to address them.

"I just try to remember things about my friends." She said slowly as if testing the waters. Why couldn't she just plunge straight in? This was causing my hair to fall out. It was all just being dragged out needlessly.

"Tori, I think we both know there is more here between us than just friends." I said bluntly, trying hard to look disinterested. It was time to stop beating around the bush and put it out there.

And I couldn't fathom the meaning of Tori's expression as she just walked past me. She looked sad and angry and indifferent all at one and then she just took off. I spun around and grabbed her wrist, holding her back. "Where are you going?"

We didn't talk again for about a mile of walking. Tori finally got us pointed in the right direction and we set off. She walked ahead of me, her shoulders rigid and her hands fumbling with her hair and her shirt and her other hand constantly. She was nervous and she had every right to be I guess. It still irritated me.

"Why are you running away from your problems Tori?" I asked suddenly and she stopped walking. I had been so close behind I bumped into her and I felt her tense up.

"Why do you?" She asked snippily.

I said it a million times before and thus I have no reason to repeat it…but I don't run away from shit. I face everything that comes my way head on and with a strong attitude.

"I don't. Didn't I just turn and face a problem back there?" I snapped, throwing my arms in the air. "When the hell did that not count as facing something?"

"Since I don't get what the fuck is up with you!" She shouted.

"What do you mean?"

"One minute you are nice…the second you are mean!" She spun around, clutching her fingers in her hair and grimacing. "Why do I always fall for the most complicated people I can find?" She sputtered, kicking a small rock away from her.

I stopped to swallow her words. Wait…she liked me? I wasn't even sure if I liked her. I wasn't sure, right? I was so confused. I felt my chest constrict but was that with resentment or joy? "B-beck wasn't that c-complicated." I stammered.

"You act so smart but you really don't see what is right in front of you."

I wasn't sure who initiated the kiss or who was kissing whom but next thing I knew, we were pressed together, over lips locked together. I felt her body pressed against mine and I pressed my fingers into her lower back, bringing her closer. This burning desire was suddenly rearing its ugly head as she entangled her fingers in my hair.

HONK! HONK!

We shot apart as a car shot past us. We caught a glimpse of a few boys sticking their heads out the window. The worst thing was that I thought I saw a familiar face among them… That being said, everyone at Hollywood Arts would know I was kissing a girl whom I was unsure as to how I felt about her on the side of the road. Great…

We stood awkwardly for a few moments before Tori looked up, her eyes widening. A familiar car pulled up next to us, beeping the horn lightly. "Get in, girls." He said with a smile. I grimaced at Tori's dad as we climbed in the car. I was grateful that he hadn't caught us kissing.

"Where did you go?" Tori asked, angrily.

"Mom called…she wanted me to pick up groceries." He replied, pointing to some bags on the passenger seat.

"You could have told us." Tori snapped, rolling her eyes. Her dad didn't respond.

I just sat there in silence, not sure what to think.

Silence ensued…at least between us; the radio was softly playing in the background, just barely audible. It was some crappy pop song that was overplayed and over synthesized. I ignored it though. My mind was everywhere but as I gritted my teeth and stole a glance at the beautiful brunette next to me.

At that exact moment, she tried to sneak a glance at me and we met eyes. Neither of us dared to break the stare but both wanted to. We both started fidgeting. My eye started to slightly twitch. Finally we both broke away at the same time with some silent agreement.

"I, um, have something to give you." Tori said, pulling something out of her pocket and handing me a crumbled piece of paper.

I unfolded it slowly. It was a birthday card. She had probably crumpled it when we fought. As I opened it a familiar song filled the car and I tried not to smile. It was Victoria's song, Freak the Freak Out:

Are you listening, hear me talk hear me sing
Open up the door, is it less is it more
When you tell me to beware, are you here are you there?
Is it something I should know, easy come easy go
Out of your head, don't hear a word I said
I can't communicate when you wait, don't we're relate
I try to talk to you, but you never even knew
So what's it going to be, tell me, can you hear me?
I'm so sick of it, your attention deficit
Never listen, you never listen
I'm so sick of it so I'll throw another fit
Never listen, you never listen.
I scream your name
It always stays the same
I scream and shout
So what I'm going to do now is
Freak the Freak Out

I nodded bluntly at her without a word and she looked away, a strained look on her face. I smiled then, brightly and pressed the card to my cheek, letting the song finish before stuffing it into my pocket. It was the sweetest. That damn brunette was full of surprises.

"Hey, why did you get upset when I wished you a happy birthday?" She asked and it was my turn to tense up.

"No reason." I mumbled, hastily, turning away so that she didn't see me wipe the tears from my eyes with a hand.

I hated questions…