Disclaimer: Don't own, so don't sue. (Schneider's bakery and Nickelodeon own Victorious and their characters. All characters used are for entertainment purposes only, and no money is made or exchanged. Wait twenty to thirty minutes after eating before swimming, as you may develop cramps. Use as directed.)
Disclaimer 2: I may have put a joke in the first disclaimer.
:}
Seconds ticked by as the gang all stood in Jade's wake, her form having already disappeared, heading off in the direction of her homeroom. Not one of them had found it in themselves to do anything beyond Andre's one comment. They all were focused on one thing, that Jade had kissed Tori on the lips, twice, while speaking as if the two were a couple. The whole thing had happened so quickly that none of the others had even formed a reaction yet. Many couldn't believe the change in the goths attitude, especially towards Tori, so they stared, some with less then helpful intent.
Tori, for her part, was so stunned by the action she'd just let it happen. Now, however, as only the memory of the recent events was left to confront, Tori realized her friends wanted answers. Answers she couldn't give, because they were answers she didn't have. So with them all looking at her, the Latina was left to explain, satisfying the question on all their minds.
"Guys, it's not what you think." Tori swore. Nervously glancing at her phone, looking for something that would satisfy her friends, and she realized they were going to be late for homeroom if they didn't get moving soon. "I'll explain at lunch, okay?" She said, wanting to have time to sort out her own feelings on the matter. That and check her body for planted whatever.
"Need time to get your story straight?" Andre asked.. He was still in shock, trying to sort things out, so a comment meant to be a tease came out an accusation.
"I swear, I hadn't heard anything about this." Robbie added. For his part, Robbie was far less judgmental, just wanting to know what was happening, as well as thinking about how Cat might be feeling. As a result, his comments came across as far less acusitory. "Why did Rex insist on sleeping in today? He's gonna be so wazzed to have missed that."
"I was there, at your place." Cat added, caught between angry and hurt. "You should have told me!"
The singer looked flustered. "Guys, this isn't..."
The three toned bell rang, letting them know their first day of school had begun. "Later guys." Tori called out, hoping to make a quick retreat. "And I have my story. I just need time." Then she was off to her new home room.
The first day at Hollywood Arts was as different as the school itself. The freshman and seniors were expected to start one day before the rest of the students. That gave the freshmen a chance to get their schedules and tour the school before regular classes began. The seniors had the privilege of one day of schedule adjustment if they needed it. In return, they were expected to be there to help the freshmen find their way around the place, explain the rules to anyone who didn't quite understand, maybe go over the traditions of the school, and possibly do a performance. Finally, they were available to help the freshmen decorate their lockers, though many would choose to just hang out with friends instead. It was obvious that this was the beginning of a new school year, with a full quarter of the lockers that lined the halls of the school were there original base gray.
There was a downside to this arrangement. The seniors, so used to the school, didn't have their normal classes the first day. There were things that needed to get done, and seniors like Tori, Beck, even Robbie, would be volunteered early to help out in whatever way possible. There was even an assembly after lunch, with impromptu performances by a selection of seniors. Only after the assembly, when the freshmen were given time to decorate their lockers, did the seniors get to hang out with friends they may not have seen in months. However, for the morning, they headed to their abridged list of classes, home room and helping out assigned students, as well as those who were TA's having a quick word with the teachers they'd be helping. It was a hectic, but refreshing time, because once again, the normalcy of school, even one as unusual as Hollywood Arts, was giving some students that structure they didn't realize they needed in their lives. For others, it was the relief of having something to take their minds off of their problems.
Tori threw herself into the chores of the first day, trying to ignore Jade as she made kissy faces during homeroom, or kept touching the other girl during their meeting with Sikowitz. Tori wasn't sure what to do, but didn't dare correct the blue eyed girl, least she anger her frenimy. On the other hand, Tori was wondering when the other shoe would drop, and Jade would unleash whatever horrors she'd planned to embarrass the singer. The only problem was, with easy to anticipate exceptions, it was far easier to harm her then embarrass her. Tori felt safe from that avenue of torture, and suspected that if Jade wanted to hurt her, she had plenty of chances already that day. Also, Jade was never more then flirty, playing with Tori's hair or otherwise reminding the girl that they were in fact an item.
Lunch came, and Tori was able to meet up with the guys in the asphalt cafe. "Okay, before Jade gets here, I need you guys to get this. I haven't seen Jade since the last day of school." Tori said quickly. "Remember how she didn't even show up to the end of the year party at Josh's."
"She probably didn't want to see me." Beck said, as if an explanation was warranted. "So, you're saying you two didn't hook up?"
They wouldn't get an answer, as several near by seniors shushed them, alerting the group that Jade was making her appearance at the Asphalt Cafe. Walking with a purpose, she strode straight to their table, then glared at Andre. "Move." She said. The musician shifted over, but chose the wrong direction, closer to Tori. A second later Jade corrected his mistake, physically moving the boy with one arm.
"Holy chiz, your Posey strong." The boy exclaimed, moving an extra scootch away from his best friend even as Jade sat down between them.
"See, no violence." Jade said to Tori before stealing another chaste kiss. "I told you I'd be better. No violence, and look, the scars are all old." Jade showed Tori a quick look at her arms.
"Right." Tori said, still trying to process the kiss. She didn't notice the strange angry look Cat was giving Beck, or the confused looks from Andre and Robbie, even as she tried to understand he scars comment. There were thin lines of raised flesh, pale white lines along her arms that hinted at something far worse then just her normal teen angst.
"So, Jade, how'd you and Toro here hook up?" Andre asked. Several students, including a couple sitting close enough to possibly overhear, all shifted a scooch further away, not wanting to be in the line of fire if the goth exploded. No one wanted scissor related injuries on the first day of school. Others gave the boy a dirty look. But his closest friends all had to keep themselves from leaning in to hear whatever response the pale girl might offer, assuming Andre lived to see the end of the school day.
Only Jade didn't get mad, and it seemed was happy to comply. "We kinda hung out after Beck and I broke up, but neither of us were willing to call it anything. Then, after my life fell apart, and I tried to kill myself..." Jade stopped to address Tori. "Again, sorry, I should have tried talking to you. But at that time, I felt that no one cared, and the world was better off with me dead." She then turned back to the group. "Well, after the suicide attempt, we just got closer. I think it was me deciding that if I was willing to die, maybe I was willing to try anything to feel better. And dating Tori has been the one bright spot in my summer. That, and the shit hole apartment I have. It's part of the youth housing program, and I have a job to help pay the bills, or rather put in savings to help pay future bills. It makes it hard to spend time with Tori here, but hay, I'm on school hours now, and I can see her as much as I want as long as I get my chiz done."
"So where are you working?" Robbie asked. Neither Cat nor Beck had said a thing. Both were now glaring at Jade and Tori.
"I got a job at Maestro's, singing and playing piano." Jade explained. "I have the crap dinner shift of seven to nine, and they only pay minimum wage. That is, California minimum wage. But I get tips, sometimes, and they give me dinner, free. So I make out good." She smiled at that, enjoying a moment, before plunging back in. "I work Sunday through Thursday. The good weekend shifts are already taken, cause of the hot tipping. But some days, I'll make over a hundred dollars in tips. I've been averaging over two hundred in tips per week."
"That's good." Tori said, not wanting them to have any silence that could disrupt the conversation. "That's what, forty a night, average?"
"Babe, please, don't set me up like that." Jade said, slapping Tori's shoulder gently. "You know I still have the thoughts, even when I control myself. And you know it's not easy, cause I make fun of everyone." She gave Tori an innocent smile, eyes blinking multiple times to enhance the image.
"Go on, tell us what you were thinking." Beck said, drawing both girls attention back the group. "I, for one, want to know if Tori here is getting it easier then I was."
"Clean your mind, boy." Jade directed at her ex. "You know I wait until at least the hundred day kiss. Not like miss traditional you're dating." Jade held him with her eyes, and the others only barely noticed that Jade had been gentile describing his current girl friend. They all shifted just a scooch further away from her. "But to answer your question, I was gonna comment on Tori here doing math. We all know it's not her subject."
"I do fine, thank you very much." Tori huffed. Jade leaned into her, and when the Latina looked over, stole another chaste kiss.
"You know you like it." Jade said, smirking. "And yea, I have to be on my best behavior for my job. But give me a month, here at school, and I'll be back to my old psychotic self in no time."
"Good thing that's a month from now. And Tori, you know whats also a month away, right? Just a mere thirty more days and you'll get to one hundred days, with everything that go's with it." He gave the girls a knowing smile, along with a quick wink, only to notice that Cat was glaring hot death at him. Cat, Beck, and Tori all were giving him disapproving glares, though the other two weren't quite as bad. "What?"
"No offense, Dre, but Tor-Tor and I both like to count from when we called it dating, so we're at maybe thirty days." Jade explained, seeming to ignore the reactions from the group. Jade's voice grew just a touch harder. "Romance, and trust, has to be built, over time." Then, back to her more normal, if jovial voice. "And speaking of time, I'm hoping to make some extra cash this weekend." She turned back to Tori. "Oh, yea, sorry babe, but I'm working this weekend. I could make a weeks worth of tips, or more, in just this weekend. I just need the chance to play. You don't mind, do you? I'll spend the whole of the next one with you." She hesitated a moment, counting the days. "No, wait, that's labor Day. I'll be working that weekend too. Damn!" Her eyes spoke of apologies and sought forgiveness. "Tori, please forgive me, but I may not be seeing you much the next couple of weeks." Her face shifted back to a warm smile, coaxing forgiveness out of the target of her attention. "We good? I'll call and text and everything. Just, you know, please..." She once again gave her girlfriend wide apologetic eyes.
"It's okay." Tori said. "Just, make time for me when you can."
Jade hugged Tori hard, and kissed the other girls cheek. "Thanks." She said, smiling. "Guys, I'm performing this afternoon, so why don't you help out, and we can hang. And Beck, please inform Sinjin that he doesn't need to hide." She shrugged. "I couldn't get access to the paper shredder. Try to shred one nerd, and they go and lock it up. It wasn't even plugged in when I tried..." She smirked, but seemed to let the subject of her attempted use of the shredder drop.
The rest of lunch went by with the gang talking. The subject of Jade's attempt on her own life was now open, so there were question. Jade didn't avoid the questions, instead answering them directly, and apologizing to Cat multiple times. "So I tried overdosing, so I'd leave a reasonably attractive corpse, but of course, mom switched the labels on her meds, and I overdosed on Motrin. You ever hear of anyone overdosing on Motrin? I suppose it could be done, but it only made me sleepy. So then I tried hanging myself, and screwed up again. The overhead beam I chose wouldn't hold my weight. I was left unconscious on the floor. Of course my neighbor heard the noise and had called the cops, who then revived me and took my in for a 'Fifty-One Fifty.' Turns out that's the police code for when you're locked up for seventy two hours as a danger to yourself or others. I just thought it was a Van Halen album. Who knew." Jade said, shrugging again. "And after that, Things kinda started turning themselves around."
"And how'd your parents take it?" Beck asked. Cat watched with a growing sense of anger. It was as if the petite girl was dreading the answer she knew was coming.
"My mom said she'd wished I'd have done a better job of ending myself, and I should have told her what I was planning so she could have shown me where the real medications were." Jade said as Cat stiffened. "My dad was worried about what his business associates would think. There was more, but lets just say he's out of the picture for now. See, while I was recovering at the hospital, Tori's dad here caught him trying to force me to do something, nothing sexual, and the resulting investigation isn't turning out too good for him. I'm guessing he's wishing he'd thought about that before he put his reputation over the health of his daughter."
Cat was looking at Tori, open mouthed. Her body was relaxing, letting go of a lot of rage, as she processed what she'd just heard. "Tori, your dad arrested Jade's dad?"
"He had too. My dad was beating me half to death. In the hospital. Hell of a way to let me know I shouldn't have tried to kill myself." Jade said, sounding sad. "I just wish my dad understood, I was, am, more then good enough. He just had to stop trying to make me into the obedient daughter he felt I should be. Thankfully his new wife and step daughter are gonna be all right." Beck was staring at Jade now, trying to wrap his mind around what he'd just heard. "Look, I learned a lot over the last month. Tammy deserves to be happy, just not at my expense. She and her mom are going to be okay cause Dad had started his own business, and she has taken over managing it. She's not as good, but has a hella lot more good will then dad ever did. She should be fine. That AND earn enough for her and the kid."
"What about you?" Cat asked.
"I'm okay." Jade admitted. "I'm old enough to take care of myself. Tammy isn't. This is for the best."
"But you got nothing!" Cat whined.
"I have Tori." Jade replied. "And playing at Maestro's is professional work, so it'll look good on my resume. I'm expecting good things now, as long as I have my Tori here believing in me." Jade hugged the confused Latina, and then kissed her cheek again.
"And the scars on your arms?" Robbie asked.
"I didn't try to slit my wrists, if that's what your asking." Jade assured the group. "Honestly, Beck already knew, but I am, or was, a cutter. Beck just thought I'd stopped, cause there are places to hurt yourself that aren't easy to find. But, during the summer, I just didn't care. Of course, Tor-Bear here insists I do better, and her dad knows all the tricks, so I had to give it up. Again, no big, cause I have my girl." She smiled, only to notice the time on some kids watch. "Oh my Goddess! Sorry, babe, but I gotta go get set up for my performance now." Her eyes shifted back to the gang as she stood up. "You guys, I'll see you later." She nodded at Tori. "Babe." She kissed Tori one more time, took the remains of her lunch to throw away, and left them staring.
"Tori?" Cat asked, still sorting through everything she'd just heard. But Tori had no answers, cause she was even more confused then before.
:}
So, we have Jade's side of what happened, but I get the feeling there are bits missing, things that will never be filled in. But for now, we know that Jade does believe they're in a relationship, and it's given her the strength to combat a lot of her self destructive behaviors. Now, the gang just needs to figure out whats going on, and things will move forward quickly. Of course, there are always complications.
Thanks for the reviews I've received, and the one's I'm gonna get, cause you know, new chapter and all. So, go ahead, review. You know you wanna.