Oct. 27th, 17

Hope you enjoy!

:)

It was a love that could never be,
Though it meant a lot to you and me,
On a worldwide scale,
We're just another winter's tale...

No One's Perspective-

She swore the floorboards had reached their hands and clawed her to the ground, unwilling to let go as she blinked. "Because I made a resolution too," lingered in her mind for what had been, at that point, a good long while. Maybe not a long while, though a few minutes at least. Or perhaps at most, either or. She'd been so keen to hear the girl out, mind trailing to the ends of her skull to attempt to predict the news before they had been drawn passed the barrier of teeth.

"I like you."

What would she give to never have to respond to that, Jade didn't know. She knew, however, that she stood there like a statue of a gaping fish, staring down at the half-Latina as she stood in her own agonizing pain. And had it not continued, Jade wouldn't have believed the three words - or nine, really.

"I missed you," Tori had began shifting from side to side as Jade recalled. "And I don't know why, because I knew that all you'd do was make fun of me, or ignore me, or spill beer over me. But I still wanted you to be there, because something felt different. Like it was the end of something. This time next year we'll all be gone, and I know the guys will stay in touch, and meet up, and visit, and all those things, but it won't be the same."

Her eyes narrowed at the empty space, the anvil on her chance growing heavier as the mental gears spun - miraculously charging through the flu's distortion - in a fury.

"And then your text came through, and I realized why I missed you, and why the thought of never seeing you again hurt so much," she had said, Jade nodding slowly at her recollection. "I like you, Jade. I don't mean as a person, or as a friend, or that I admire you, or any of that, although all of that's true. I mean, I like you. As more than just a friend. And I know you'll think that's weird after everything we've been through, after all the fights, and the arguments, and I'm not sure I understand it myself, but there it is. I've finally worked out what keeps driving me to be with you, to look out for you, to see your face even when it isn't there. I like you."

The silence, thereafter, was as dark and cold as anything was in that house. Jade, with her jaw wired shut, was unable to register anything through the film of nausea and mucus.

"I'm not asking anything of you, Jade. I'm not crazy enough to think that you feel the same about me, or that anything's going to chance. I know that the best I can hope for is that you don't throw me out, or laugh at me, although I hope you might think enough of me as a friend to at least keep this between us. It's been so hare coming here, and I'm not sure I could stand it if everyone knew, but I had to do it. I know this is probably a fool's errand, but if I don't tell you this now, tonight, I know I never will, and I'll spend the rest of my life regretting it...

"Because if there was even the slightest chance that you might want me, I have to take it." Doe eyes glanced up towards the stock expression, a crack of thunderous disappointment blazing through the heavy clouds of regret. In an instance, Jade not moving a muscle, Tori whipped around, tearing the door open and bolting out - in heels, mind, which was a talent in of itself. The cold slapped Jade harshly, pale eyes blinking in the empty space.

The same chill still brushed against her skin like talons, her head slowly drifting towards the door. Jade blinked towards the flickering streetlight and the dewy grass, dark patches splotched in a trail left behind by the singer.

'You idiot,' her mind chided. She stood, the cat who usually batted playfully at wondering hands which reached in the brown, paper bag curiously. Sure her nails would sometimes leave a mark, though that was it. And, at times, her claws would get caught in the jewelry or low-hanging sleeves - understandable. Then now, she was thrown out of the bag to land on a wet puddle, only to find a lovely rose settled beside it. A rose carefully dropped to her side in hopes of...the slightest chance. Fate, Tori had relied on fate for the soaking cat, bemused and sick with snot, to take the rose without shock.

But Jade didn't just do that, no. Not only did she just stand there, but she stared at the half-Latina blankly, eyes widening in what had been interpreted as horror.

'Nice one, West,' her thoughts impeded once again.

And now, left distraught as Jade could only imagine, Tori was in the cold, in the dead of night, alone with a short dress. It was only a matter of minutes before Jade scrambled with boots and a coat, striding out the door in hot pursuit.

From the seventeen steps that she counted, Jade realized three things while her body continued to follow the wet path of Tori's heels. One, her breath fogged in the air, dutifully reminding the goth of her body's current and rather unpleasant conditions. Even so, she halted, furrowing her brows as the second thought dawned on her: watered steps would fade away in due time. She whirled around, attention darting in all directions as if Tori would randomly cross a street instead of follow the crosswalk.

'Now you're just a retard,' her thoughts hummed as she followed the concrete path made for people to stroll about in an orderly fashion. No ignorant fool, she assumed, would want to cross the street in heels even if their mind was drugged with whatever. And, the fact of the matter was, her boots would gain more ground with her brisk strides than the half-Latina's drunken-stumbles in heels; Jade briefly considered if Tori did drink at all before realizing that, of course, any teenager would at new years given the chance.

Disciplining her priorities to the matter at hand - and not some random ideas influenced by the flu - Jade trekked on, processing through her head how exactly the conversation would go down.

See, first she'd go up and explain that she was unbelievably sick with something to the degree that hadn't hit her in years. So, with that, there'd be an excuse as of why she was mute. And then, and then the follow up question.

Her strides slowed, brows furrowing at the thought.

'Thanks but no thanks... I'm flattered... It's not you it's me...'

Phrases continuously splayed across her mind though nothing was able to click. How exactly was one to say to someone - to a girl who was in their friend group but not exactly their friend - that they didn't want any part of the relationship? "I'm not gay," Jade muttered firmly, sniffing as she made her strides more hesitant by the second. It still sounded too much for whatever she'd gotten into. She palmed her forehead, outwardly cursing as she asked why this wasn't with a random dude who'd been giving her looks at school. That way, she could've easily slammed the door in his face then go back to wallowing about how nobody returned her resolution.

She decided that her resolution was too much of a responsibility and to be done next year.

Then again, she wouldn't be with the gang next year which is why she started the resolution anyway. Jade kicked the lone rock in the middle of the sidewalk, glaring out as it skirted across the street, rocketing towards another patch of dirt. 'Well you got your wish. Someone liked your text,' she internally managed before she scoffed a laugh. Of course it had to be Tori, the same girl who she had a relationship of balancing boards; there was the cat on one side and then the bop-bag on the other.

Both polar opposites, both on each end. Of course, within the few weeks prior to the party both shuffled to the center, finding an equilibrium to battle out their differences and not fall.

And then now they're too close. While the board remained stable, the two tremble in the new found tension since the bop-bag had gone back upright then forward. The game of seesaw had just been that: a game to be enjoyed. Each had their parts to continue the motions, no matter the context. And the seesaw now stayed and remained a perfectly balanced beam, Jade too afraid to move for fear of either falling off in the sudden movement.

'Well shit, never mind thanks but no thanks,' Jade mentally swore, 'How could you do this? How could you ruin my only friendship by actually liking me?' Friendship stuck in her mind, ironing itself against the cranial cavity's walls. Perhaps, in hindsight, she should've agreed to it. There was a small possibility that where their line was drawn wouldn't be so confusing; they brawled far too much and scuffed up the chalk that ran between the two.

The thespian staggered briefly in the soft grass, loosing track of her footing. Eyes wondered around, finding a small puddle with familiar heel prints flooding from it. "Taxi..." Jade breathed, nodding carefully before she stepped back. Immediately she yelped, quickly finding herself on the ground with a dreadful chill racing along her body. The goth staggered from the freezing puddle, shivering violently; the cat, now literally, was all soaking wet.

First there was the flu.

Then there was nobody acknowledging her resolution.

Third was finding Tori on her doorstep and then admitting the most shattering thing she heard in a while.

And fourth of all, she's mulling around frantically trying to find the girl.

And lastly, she slipped in a puddle.

Jade cursed. Jade swore. Jade spat out every variations of obscenities she knew at the new, young year; it was an infant, barely two hours old and already it was the worst year she could imagine. Though, as she admitted, at least Tori was safe, in a cab. Safe and warm... Unless it wasn't a cab.

The thespian jittered in a panic, eyes widening as she pictured Tori, locked in the back seat of some pervert, pressing herself against the leather as buckles echoed in the car. What else could happen to some girl trying to hitchhike with a short dress, all alone?

Hands raced across her pockets, Jade twirling around for her phone; she had left it at home. "Damn it," she spat, strides abruptly twisting back around before she rocketed towards the house.

. . .

'No answer. No answer. No answer. Voicemail...

'Off,' her thoughts concluded as she remained huddled within her large comforter, drenched clothes strewn at the other side of her room. She thanked - for the first time - her fluffy pink bear pajamas that Cat had bought her one year as they hugged her body nicely.

She stared at the screen, sighing in defeat. Tori - or who ever - had switched it off. Unease began to bubble at her chest, tempting her to phone the police. Though, she hesitated; that wouldn't work. They'd probably attempt to calm her hysterical whines - if the flu made her get to that point - and tell her to wait a little longer. Of course, bubbling obnoxiously wouldn't allow Jade to think straight and see that Tori had been gone for ten, fifteen minutes. That was just barely enough time to get home.

Home, of course. There was the home phone in her contacts, after all. Jade thumbed through nibbling her bottom lip as cheeks warmed at the reasoning behind having the home phone; not to call to see if Tori wasn't being molested in a car, surely, but just to see if anybody else uninvited was there. 'Hey, Mr. V, How's it going? Are the guys there yet? Yeah, Tori totally forgot to tell me what time to come over. I know, teenagers, right?' It was an answer she practiced from time to time, though it was never put in use.

Pressing the screen, she waited anxiously for the call to be picked up. Jade nearly scowled, cursing her luck with anybody responding to her phone when..."Hello?"

It was Tori's mom, Holly, as Jade recalled. Though, from the sound of it, she didn't seem to want any time over the phone.

"Hi," she murmured, "Look, I'm really, really sorry to bother you. It's Jade, Tori's...friend from school. I just wondered if she was back yet."

Even with the short pause, Mrs. Vega was quick to reply. "Yes," her voice was tainted with hesitance, "She just got back. Why?"

Jade let out a sigh of relief that surely sounded like a drowning wave at Holly's end. "Thank God for that," she breathed, grimacing soon after; no mother wouldn't want to hear that, except for hers.

"Why? What's wrong?" Holly asked quickly.

"Nothing," Jade hasted, adding, "Everything's fine. I just wanted to check she got back safely, that's all."

"Oh." That was quick to convince, Jade furrowed her brows at the phone. "Well, yes, she did. Do you want to talk to her? She might still be awake." There was a layer of doubt that she was still awake, especially with all of the alcohol in her system. As the goth only assumed, anyway.

That, and then there was the fact that she had called four times and was ignored. Jade dropped her consideration rather easily, answering, "No, it's okay. I'll catch her later."

"okay. Well I'll tell her you called. I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

Once again, skepticism practically reeked off of Jade's subconscious. "Okay," she said anyway, "Thanks."

Silence stretched on before Jade took the phone from her ear, about to end the call. "Jade?"

She quickly pressed the phone against her ear. "Yeah?"

"Did something happen at the party?" As Jade decided, at least Holly was more worried than her own mother would ever be in a decade.

She quickly bit her tongue once realizing that honestly answering that she wasn't there would raise numerous questions. "What do you mean?" A short question, playing dumb.

"It's just Tori seemed a little...off when she came in. Like she was upset about something." Good, the question worked.

Even better, Tori's not doing well. 'Great,' her thoughts groaned. "Did she say anything?"

"No," came the response, "she just went straight to her room."

There was hesitation on Jade's end. "No, nothing happened," she lied, "We had a great time. I guess she was just tired, that's all."

"Oh. Well, okay then." The call was quickly killed, Jade deciding that she was unable to answer any more questions.

She groaned, shrinking further under the covers. At least Tori was still alive, in her own bed, and that was what really mattered. Her teeth chattered, the puddle looming in her thoughts unremorsefully; at least now she was morally justified to feel sorry and ashamed for herself.

And in the morning, perhaps she wouldn't have the flu's dream running through her system and find that no, nobody had answered to her text by running to her house; no, nobody had out right said that they liked her. A lot. Enough to run in heels.

You know what I just thought? This is the first story of mine rated T; like full story, not one-shot or whatever... The best part is that it's not really even mine. XD Anyway, both two and three will be up at the same time (kinda) since this is really easy to write (the next will be up in a few hours at most so yeah). All I have to do is type, word for word, Sev's stuff (which is easy) and then just copy the dialogue and add stuff. It's like coloring between the lines of a drawing.

Hope you enjoyed anyway.

:)