Chapter 4: Sikowitz's Scavenger Hunt, Part I

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious or any of the characters... at least I think I don't…

Author's Note: A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and added the story to their alerts. It really means a lot to me that you guys take the time to read and review it. Anyway, I'm a bit delayed on this chapter, but the point is it's here right? Anyway, please do enjoy this one and don't forget to leave a review!

Jade hated Mondays more so than any other day of the week. In her opinion, Monday was calendar equivalent of a psychopath serial killer, just waiting for the next victim to come along. She winced slightly as she took a sip of the steaming black caffeine in her hand. Yes, she really did hate Mondays, and it didn't help that this weekend had been one long struggle with the voices screeching in her head. Over the passing of agonizing hours she realized, albeit grudgingly, that she had been wrong to tell Danny about Tori's plight. She couldn't make the decision for her, even though everything that needed to be done was as clear as day to her. "Relax yourself West" she rebuked mentally as she traipsed over to her locker door. "You can't make the decision for her… even though you want to." The Goth tilted her head thoughtfully, rattling in the combination to her lock without a conscious effort. Would she be able to make that decision had she been in that position? No matter what age, a baby wasn't like moving in together or getting married. It signified a bond between two people that would be there forever, but even more than that it was its own person: a little ball of life that needed the support of someone to make it through the world. Add that to the fact that it was conceived as part of a two-time infidelity and it amounted to one huge headache. "Not to mention that she's the unknowing object of a lesbian affection that I'm trying to kill" murmured the Goth softly. She looked over her shoulder, afraid that her words had reached the wrong ears. A cold shudder passed over her body. No, she would most certainly not want to be in Tori Vega's situation with all that drama. Knowing her, there was no telling how unpredictable things could get if she was.

"I am going to kill you" whispered a dangerously silky voice from behind her. Frowning to herself, the Goth turned around to see fiery blades of untainted anger coursing from Tori's eyes. "I am going to murder you" muttered the Latina through gritted teeth. She pushed a stray curl from out of her face. "And not in that quick way where you die instantly, oh no. I'm going to slice your throat open and watch you bleed every last drop of blood, even if it takes an entire month."

"Promise?" smirked Jade icily. "I never thought you had it in you."

"What the hell were you thinking Jade? Were you even thinking?" hissed Tori wrathfully. Jade looked at her deeply, seeing past the anger she put on. She wasn't pissed – it was all a show. Her eyes swooped in and saw right down to the pain she was burdened with, and saw the broken angel who was crying for help in it all. It was something she could relate to – she had done this so many times before, it had almost stopped her from taking charge of any difficult scenario. The rage was a front to displace the void emanating inwards. To accept the fact that the problem was her fault was too much to accept, so the blame got transferred to something or someone else. "It's freaking scary how alike we are" reflected the Goth as she stared right into the Latina's burning inferno. "She's so in over her head and she doesn't even know it. Or maybe she does and this is the only way she can handle it without breaking down. Either way, I'll play the scapegoat for now."

"Are you even listening to me?" asked Tori loudly, throwing her hands up exasperatedly. "Yes Vega, apparently you were very intent on slitting my throat open."

"That was five seconds ago! Jade, I trusted you with my-" She scanned the vicinity with her fearful chocolate eyes. "With my secret!"

"And I didn't tell anyone except the one person who needed to know."

"I would have told him when I was ready."

"Would that have been in the second or third trimester?" The Latina's eyes softened somewhat, openly flaunting the hurt she wore so proudly. Her vulnerability almost tempted the Goth into reaching out and hugging her. "Look, I don't know what the hell I'm doing here, OK?" she said quietly, her voice barely audible. "There's still so much I haven't thought about, but I need to do it alone. Too many people are going to get hurt by all this, and I need to figure out how to avoid that." She gingerly placed a hand on her stomach. "This is my mistake, not anyone else's. I'll deal with it, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't get involved." She turned around and walked away to class, leaving Jade on a bittersweet high. The brutal honesty still stung around her, but she didn't mind. This was different from the optimism that the Latina usually emitted – this was strength that came from underneath the infinite layers of pain, the kind of willpower that both sustained someone and killed them simultaneously. If she wasn't careful, the Latina would soon find herself having trouble reaching out to someone. "I'll be there for you Vega" whispered Jade, still dizzy from the words spinning in her head. "Even if you don't want me to."

-xoxoxoxoxo-

"You OK man?" asked Beck as he maneuvered his Toyota into the nearest parking space. The parking grounds at Hollywood Arts were always a nightmare – there seemed to be more cars than people on campus. Robbie turned his head away from the window and threw him a quizzical look. "What did you say?"

"I asked if you were OK" laughed Beck, finding the other boy's scattered attention deeply humorous. He noticed Robbie shudder at the sound of his chuckle, almost as if he was in pain. "You didn't even bring Rex today."

"Oh yeah… well you know, it's one less thing to carry" answered Robbie quietly. Beck tilted his head quizzically. "Now I'm really worried."

"Why?"

"You NEVER refer to Rex as a 'thing'. Are you sure you're alright?" he asked. He couldn't explain it, but there was something different about the smaller guy today. The usual extrovert eccentricities had been substituted by uncertain reflection. He seemed uncomfortable to be here. "Yeah, I'm fine" said Robbie, placing his line of sight anywhere but on the person in the driver seat. "I should probably get going. Thanks for the lift."

"Anytime bro" smiled Beck. He watched absorbedly as the other boy stumbled awkwardly out of the car door and wandered off into the distance. "Wonder what's his deal" sighed the Canadian reflectively.

Wandering from the car park to the main building, the Canadian let his mind wander to the pleasant topic of Jade. Or it would have been pleasant had it not been for the gaping chasm that had begun to form in between them. Of late, the Goth's behavior towards him seemed more and more distant, not unlike Robbie's a few minutes ago. Almost overnight, Jade had morphed into a withdrawn, moodier version of herself; and it was getting harder to ignore. Apart from her constant questioning as to whether he had auditioned for a porn film, she had hardly said two words on their date on Saturday. "What is it with people changing on me?" he muttered to himself irately. "And how come I stay the same?" What worried him the most was the fact that this could not be the worst of it: he had been in enough plays over the years to know that this was how it all started. The lack of communication between him and his girlfriend could soon lead to them leading completely different lives. Blame would be passed around on confrontation, followed by a series of fights and make-ups. Eventually, the relationship would break, and the two of them would finally be torn apart from each other. Every morning he would have to look at her face and know that he failed at the one thing he had tried his hardest to succeed. He didn't see his relationship with the Goth as being just confined to high school: there was so much more he wanted. "I can't let this happen" whispered the Canadian concernedly, passing a bevy of laughing students. "I have to do something about this." Hearing the bell lull across the school, Beck Oliver only hoped it wasn't too late for him to bridge the gap between him. He loved Jade with all of his heart and more, but what if it wasn't enough?

-xoxoxoxoxo-

"Welcome, one and all, to the annual Sikowitz Scavenger Hunt!" The teacher's proclamation was met with a combination of quizzical stares and side glances in between his bewildered class. Sikowitz threw his hands up in the air. "Come on people, try and get excited!"

"Since when is this an annual event?" asked Andre suspiciously. His peers nodded to show their support. Sikowitz's teaching styles were unorthodox to say the least, but they failed to see the point of a scavenger hunt in honing their acting skills. "Well, all annual events have to start off somewhere" said Sikowitz smugly, clearly assured of the purpose of his newfound activity. "Clue sheets are on the way out the door. Please pair up and may the best team win!"

"What's the prize?" asked someone as the mad educator turned around. He never remembered the class being this inquisitive. "Look, I went to this party last night" he sighed wearily. "I may or may not have had too many shots of tequila. Some disparaging comments may or may not have been passed at the waitresses… I may or may not be facing a sexual harassment lawsuit soon. But the point is this scavenger hunt is still for your success!" He glared desperately around the silent class. "Look, just go and let me sleep this off!"

After a few minutes of bumbling and confused glances, most of the class had paired off and gone out the door with a contemptuous glance at Sikowitz, who had chosen to make his own exit at the back door of the classroom. Jade stared around at the drabs of students left: Car seemed unsure as to whether she should team up with Tori or Andre, constantly running between the two. Robbie kept to himself, staring down at his shoes and lost in a world of his own. She smiled at the sight of Beck walking towards her. "You, me and a scavenger hunt?" he grinned. The Goth shook her head with a curt smile. "Whatever. I'm not really invested in this."

"Hey guys, mind if I cut in?" Tori effortlessly slid in between the two of them, her voice transforming into sickly sweet sunshine. "Beck, can I steal your girlfriend for this one? I promise we'll be on our best behavior." Jade couldn't help but smile sardonically to himself. It seemed that fate took great pleasure placing her in situations like this. If they only knew what went through her mind. "Uh well… I mean, it's up to her" said Beck sheepishly. He jerked his head pointedly at Jade. The Latina didn't wait for a reply and promptly dragged the Goth away from the room, grabbing a sheet from the table at the door. Beck stared after them in their wake, feeling that cavern inside him grow just that much more. "I'll just wait here" he thought, taking a seat next to Robbie. He didn't notice the other boy stare at him with a stunned horror. "I'll always be waiting."

-xoxoxoxoxo-

"Hey, hands off Vega!" hissed Jade acidly. By the time she had spoken up, the Latina had already dragged her into the lunch quad. The stillness around them sat awkwardly around them. The caravan café was still closed and no other student passed this way. An anxious tingle passed up the Goth's spine – the tranquility of it all was almost pointing to another deep confrontation. The feeling of being caught up in the drama left her feeling helpless, yet she relished every moment of it. There was something about this that gave her another world to explore, another truth to live, and Tori was key to that. The harder she tried to fight it, the more she got entangled, and she didn't want it to stop. She had to face the fact that she was addicted to the melodrama of it all.

Tori turned around to see if anyone was in earshot. "Jade, I'm only here to make sure of one thing."

"That we win the scavenger hunt?" Jade took a look at the crumpled piece of paper, surveying the first clue with distaste. "Collect a lock of Trina Vega's hair? I don't think so, I am not going anywhere near your sister."

"Forget that, I need you to promise me something."

"What?"

"Stay out of this." The Goth lowered her gaze. It was a simple enough request, so why did it hurt so much? She WANTED to be there, to support her. "To be unfaithful to Beck?" whispered the annoying conscience. No. Yes. How was she supposed to know anymore? Was Tori so blind to the bittersweet knife digging its way into her heart? "I can't promise that" she said shakily. Her eyes lifted to meet the bemused mahogany rage staring straight at her. How she loved that feeling. It was such a sinful desire, so divine but so damning. It made her feel alive. "I love you."

What's up readers, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought. Till next time