A/N:

Read, Review, Enjoy.

-Flame


I have gone to school every day in one of two ways. Either I drive myself, walk in alone, and go to class alone, or I pick up Beck, walk in with Beck, and go to class with Beck.

I guess that's why no one looked surprised when we came into the school, hands clasped between us. In a way, that made me angry. We had broken up; people should be commenting on how we were together again. But, they didn't, just like I knew they wouldn't.

Beck's hand was warm in mine, the rough skin of his palm rubbing against my skin. I liked it. He didn't have soft, feminine hands. They were the hands of someone who worked hard; someone who wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty.

Tori was waiting by my locker again that day, which I found fairly irritating. Second day in a row.

"What do you want, Vega?" I asked, a hard edge in my voice. I felt Beck's hand grip mine a bit harder, warning me, telling me to calm down.

Tori's eyes glanced down at our interlocked hands, then back up at my face. "Just wanted to know if you're coming over again today. We have to get our play done, and I'd like some help with it."

I pulled my hand out of Beck's, and started to twist the dial on my locker. "We'll see."

"Come on, you've got to give me an actual answer, Jade!" Tori replied, insistent.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and turned my head, seeing Beck. He leaned down, lips tickling my ear.

"I'm going to go," he whispered. "See you later."

A kiss, then he turned, walking away from us. I watched him go, waiting a few long moments before turning my attention back to the irate Vega.

"I'll be at your house at seven." I shut the locker, shoving a textbook into my bag. "I'll bring dinner."

She looked at me for a moment, her gaze steady. "Do I get a say as to what we eat?"

I just looked at her and laughed, walking away.


I slammed the heel of my palm against the door, ignoring the doorbell to my right.

"I'm coming!" came a call from within the house. I rolled my eyes, continuing to pound on the door until it opened, the bewildered and irritated face of Tori Vega glaring at me.

"You are just so…" she began, before shaking her head, turning around. "Never mind. Did you bring food?"

I held up the plastic bags in my hand, waiting for her to turn around. She did, eyes widening when she saw the logo on the sides.

"Nozu? Nozu does take out now?" she asked, starting to walk up her stairs. I followed, letting her lead me to her room.

"Not usually." I pulled her door shut behind us. "But they make an exception for me."

"But Mrs. Lee hates you." Tori sat down on the floor in front of her bed, throwing down a pillow next to her, motioning for me to sit. I did, folding my legs beneath me crisscross style.

I opened the bags, setting a container of noodles and chicken in front of her. "Yeah, she does. But I have my ways."

"But…"

"Tori, just shut up and eat your lo mein."

She glanced over at me, a hurt look in her eyes. I ignored it, and opened up my own container. I grabbed chopsticks from the bag, holding out a pair to her. She took it, finally looking away from me and back to the food.

The only thing that was heard for the next few minutes was the sound of chewing, intermixed with the occasional slurp of a noodle.

It took those few moments of silence to drive Tori insane. "Okay. I'm not sure how you want to do this play. Are we going with the husband and wife idea, or…?"

"No." I swallowed, absently wiping my mouth with my arm. "We've already done that, remember? I don't feel like being Nancy again."

"Yeah, well, being Walter was no fun either," she retorted. "So, if we're not resurrecting the Swains, what are we going to do?"

"Why are you asking me? Do you expect me to come up with everything?"

She shot me a look. "You've barely come up with anything at all."

"Yeah, well, neither have you." I pushed my Chinese food container aside, and reached inside the bags, pulling out two fortune cookies. I tossed one at her, grinning as it bounced off of her chest, surprise lighting up her face.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, one hand reaching for the cookie, the other gingerly pressing against her sternum. "That wasn't very nice!"

"Do you know me at all, Vega?" I rolled my eyes, tearing the plastic off of the fortune cookie. "Now come on, open up your cookie."

I discarded the plastic, tossing it onto the floor. I saw Tori glance over disapprovingly, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she took off her own plastic, placing it inside her empty food container.

"Okay, now, on the count of three." I held the cookie in my hands. She mimicked me, fingers wrapped around the ends. "One….two…three!"

With a crack, the cookie broke in half, the slip of paper poking through the hard shell. I pulled it out of the cookie, and let the halves fall into my lap.

I glanced over at Tori to find her with half of her cookie hanging out of her mouth, and her fortune held in her hand.

"Well, what's it say?" I asked, reaching for her fortune. She lifted her arm, holding it out of my grasp, swallowing the cookie so she could speak.

"Hey! Deal with your own fortune, and I'll deal with mine!" she waited for me to sit back out of reach before bringing her arm back down. I watched her read her fortune, noting how her cheeks turned the faintest shade of pink as she did so.

"Well? What does it say?"

She shook her head. "Read yours first."

"Vega…"

"Jade, just read it."

I sighed, and looked down at my fortune.

Listen to your heart, and all will be well.

"Lame." I held it out to her, shaking it. "Switch."

We exchanged fortunes, our fingers brushing against each other as we took the other's paper.

I looked down at the slip that Tori had handed me, and immediately was upset.

Listen to your heart, and all will be well.

"What the fuck? It's the same damn fortune!" I exclaimed angrily. I turned my head, looking at Tori. She looked just as confused as I was. "Seriously, what the hell?"

"Guess we just got lucky?" she handed me back my fortune, holding out her hand for me to put hers in. I did, watching as her fingers closed around it.

"Lucky?" I laughed, stuffing the fortune into my jeans pocket. "Sure. Now, come on, let's get to work."


We spent the next few hours spouting off ideas for a short play, but all of them sucked. The one that took the cake, though, was Vega's suggestion that we make a script about clowns who could only frown. I'm still not sure if she was joking or not.

I left after realizing we were getting nowhere. Tori had been a bit upset, but I told her that there was no point staying if we couldn't think of an idea, and she eventually agreed that it might be better if we came together with a list of ideas, and go from there.

Instead of driving home, though, I drove to Beck's house, parking next to the RV in the driveway. An hour later, we were tangled around each other, his head on my chest, snoring softly.

But for some reason, for the first time that I could remember, the feeling of him against my body didn't make me happy, or satisfied.

It just made me feel numb.