A/N: Hey man? Que Pasa with the reviews? Not as many came in for last chapter ._. I hate to be those authors but reviews make me smile and update faster, hence my delay. Moving along from my desperation, I mention some things that happened in season three even though Tori getting kicked out happened in season two. I am aware of this but for poetic license let's pretend that happened in season three. There wasn't enough Jori for me in season two so…yeah :)
When Tori finally decided on a charcoal gray dress, tipping to the beginning of her thighs, Jade began their car ride. It took work to inform the thin brunette that Jade wasn't even close to being inebriated, and after a series of typical preliminary checks- where she probably learned from cop shows or her father- for actual intoxication, the girl finally relented.
"I swear if we crash and you die, I won't feel guilty at your funeral." The former singer explained with a straight face, but her tone didn't have depth and it came off…playful.
"Typically in car crashes, the driver is in critical condition and the passenger ends up dead." The silence made Jade smirk but when it prolonged to the point that her joke wasn't funny, she glanced at the stilled brunette. "And that won't happen because I am a damn good driver. C'mon, I drove through the pelting rain, in a topless convertible, to San Diego, two hours away. You can't tell me that I'm not an awesome driver." Tori's was already chuckling before the joke was completely finished.
"Yeah, and then the lady pelted us with more water from the water gun," Tori smiled some more, softly laughing as she threw her head back.
"Shit was cold…and hard!" Jade exclaimed, chuckling herself at the seemingly distant memory.
That old Tori was back, but for once it didn't bother Jade and the goth didn't ridicule. Her eyes sparkled, effects of the remaining traces of sunlight in the orange sky along with her blissful emotions, and her smile was soft. Her wavy hair blew from her neck, dangling behind the head rest, and the orange glow curtained her face. The smile was kind of…sweet, until it trailed into something dimmer, wistful.
Jade knew Tori missed her old friends, Cat especially. Tori changed but she wasn't heartless, neither was Jade, and the vibrant redhead was infectious with her sweetness. At least with the others to make things easier, she could think of their most irritating qualities and somehow augment it so she didn't have to think of the wonderful friends she lost. With Cat, the most someone could say was that her stupidity could be irritating and she had an annoying disregard of people's personal space, but even then her intentions all stemmed from love and care that you had to be a real jerk to not appreciate it.
Jade always had a soft spot for the amorous redhead. People always raised eyebrows when she and Cat walked in the hallway, with the absence of Beck. People figured she was friendly furniture, which she was initially, to Beck so when they broke up- the school found out things too fucking fast- everyone silently, but unanimously, thought that she and Cat will break as well. They were polar opposites, yet they fit like peanut-butter and jelly, or entwined fingers. Aside from their melodies that flowed perfectly over another, their personalities worked in that same context. Their solid personalities fused into the balance of a 'sane' person; fun with a little spark, or gloomy with a ray of sunshine. She was that little sister Jade never had, or could've. She shook that thought off before it began. She really did not need to get into an accident.
"It's okay to miss them, you know." Jade didn't bother looking at Tori because she knew her face wouldn't be visible. But her words didn't carry the chill they were usually acquainted with. They spoke the truth, nothing more, nothing less.
Silence followed a few red lights until Jade confessed, "I miss them…"
From her peripheral she could see those brown eyes lay curiously on her temple, and the regret of revealing just a wee bit of vulnerability clawed at her jaw. Her fingers unconsciously clenched harder around the tough rubber of the car wheel, aligning her blue eyes with the road, refusing to give as much as an attempt of a glance.
"You don't eat alone." Her words were short, but the crack in it showed its depth behind it. She knew Tori was eating alone to prove a point and not out of preference, but she didn't think Tori would admit that. Subjectively, that is.
"Just because I am around people, doesn't make me not alone." Again, words were expressed in a succinct manner, but they both know the veracity around them. They both knew the abundant control that was needed to reveal just that ray of humanity, in fear their suppressed emotions would topple all in the car. She didn't need to look at Tori; she knew she was telling the truth.
"Where are we going?" Tori asked, silently clearing her throat though Jade heard it.
She changed the subject. Thank god. That was too much exposure for Jade's liking, even if it seemed like nothing from an objective view.
"Some place to unwind."
"Really specific," Tori snorted, diddling with something on her phone.
"You know me. I'm very predictable," Jade smirked, finding Tori's newfound sarcasm refreshing. With the others, Cat never learned the concept of sarcasm, while Beck was condescending with his, and Andre and Robbie never sought the time to battle with her. It was nice to be playful with someone, but not sappy.
The wee bits of sun that identified with daylight were swallowed by the large sheet of the indigo sky. It was a nice night. The placid, smooth, invisible breeze of Los Angeles softly tickled Jade's exposed arms, neck, and chest.
She may not tell people because it really wasn't their fucking business and they wouldn't think of Jade as so, but she appreciated the little things like beautiful settings and natural landscapes. Among her odd fascination with death and gore, she cherished the diminutive things people ignored or had no interest in. That was kind of like death, Jade mused; people that are oblivious to certain things, as if they perished, like the dead. She knew first hand, from roar painful experiences, that small things- things that you feel will have continuum- with pulchritude, could slip from her fingers as fast as they are formed. She knew that God can have his sadistic, narcissistic side - purposely creating havoc in this world in order for humans to pray for his existence and guidance. But among that- among the rapists molesters, and murderers- soft, blossoming things like nature occurred. She could complain about their individual calamity- hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes- but that wouldn't change the benevolence it could bring. Complaining about the pessimism wouldn't change the optimism, and vice-versa; her balanced equation of life.
It still didn't stop her from complaining about the gray in her life, and appreciating the vibrant color in it as well. She was still, indeed, a human being with a temper.
"We're going to a club?" Tori asked incredulously, her tone interrupting the silence, oddly caring volume with its soft timbre.
It didn't start out that way. Jade honestly wanted to go to the beach to bask and silently praise the diverse waves of the roaring ocean. But when a red light came, her car trailed peculiarly, almost deliberately, close to the sidewalk that presented The Crimson Lounge.
Clubs weren't really Jade's thing. Bars were. It was a place where she could sit in solitude, happily sipping alcoholic beverages yet she could spark a small, frivolous with a few people. And bars had karaoke; clubs did not.
But Vega didn't need to know that.
"Wanna go in?" She asked disinterestedly, trying to tame the wield of glee within her. She didn't like Vega, still, but something about tainting something pure, inking raven-black on a sheet of ivory, sent a concave shiver down her spine.
It still surprised Jade on how keen she's gotten when it came to Tori. Something as minute and simple as a furrowed brow, or a twitch, could determine if the former singer was being her genuine self. And here, she was not. Jade could practically hear the teenager, complaining about how they were going to get in trouble for sneaking into the club. But that was just internal, the true core of Vega. Exteriorly her brown eyes lay low, still, bored, matching with her lifeless shrug.
Oh, Vega; when will she learn?
"Sure."
They left the car, silently tidying themselves as they strolled up to the fairly short line that led to the club. Jade wasn't worried about getting declined. Dark makeup always contoured her face into maturity, but Vega was the issue. Yeah the girl's makeup is fairly similar, but her demeanor, occasionally, still held that child-like entity. When breaking out of character, Tori was still jittery, spoke eighty words per second, and she had this wholesome innocence of a teenager. Someone to surely get them caught. But things were different now; Tori changed. Well she didn't. No one really changed; they just adapt to the shell that sought fit for their situation. Tori grew a shell, a harder, colder, rougher one that fit for the painful atmosphere for Hollywood Arts. But was she ready for the real world? Something that composed outside of chattering performing arts students? Jade wasn't sure, hell Tori was irritatingly unpredictable, but she couldn't let Tori think that she was thinking of her. It just…it didn't work that way.
"Look, just be cool okay?" Jade whispered, almost sternly, like a parent chastising their mischievous child to behave, knowing that they are capable of ruining events.
Tori eyed her curiously, until her brow nearly covered her gray eye shadow, clothing her narrow brown orbs. "You be cool."
"Oh," Jade widened her eyes, guttering the word in her traditional tone. Who did this girl think she was? She's still that weak, whiny brat she was sophomore year. She better not forget that. Yeah, she could star in her one-man play and have Hollywood Arts as her audience, but she needed to remember that Jade will always be backstage. She will always be behind every performance, aware of the next line, or emotion, watching the audience ooh and ah but Jade will never be surprised. Nothing will make her gasp, or cower, or smile. She didn't do that to her reflection so why should she do that with Tori? Like she said before, the former actress's performances were quite bland.
"IDs?" the bodyguard asked impassively, his top heavy frame blocked by folded bulky arms.
For a split second Jade's brain fried into mush, but the oven of her fears didn't burn out her wit. She was just slightly burnt; affected but not ruined. She was a rebel, though she didn't need to be since she had no one to defy, and she knew her ways around situations.
"C'mon man it's a little club, not the Oscar's. Now let us in." Unconsciously she had her palm flat against the core of Tori's bony back, leading her inside only to be blocked by the tenacious man.
"Take out the cards, or hit the curb."
Jade's eyes aligned with the bouncer's dark glasses, practically seeing the stubborn glare though it was literally impossible due to the impenetrable eyewear. The black man had a large built and was tall in stature, and Jade knew he used that to mark his image, but something in that stiff stance and steady gaze told the teenager that he also had a steadfast personality to match his mask.
There were no edges or cracks to pry. He was adamant about his decision.
"You're right," her company said, nodding with a smile. "We'll just be over here."
Tori had to practically push Jade to the side because her suppressed anger was beginning to seep through. Yeah, maybe she thought about giving up, but she didn't need Vega to do it for her.
"What the fuck?" she hissed, puncturing a hole through her mask of poise. "Now he knows we're not eighteen."
For an odd reason, Vega didn't have that usual brow lift and doe-eyed expression. She wasn't even upset. Her eyes weren't cold, but they hardly had any emotion. They were just a spherical set of browns on her blue. But her lips held something, something to show that she was capable of feeling. The edges of her upper lip pursed slightly, and the finishing smirk finally appeared in her eyes.
"Stay here."
Okay, Jade was sick of Vega telling her what to do. It was beyond irritating. She could paint this muse of her new bad-ass attitude, but Jade was behind the brush. Actually, she wasn't. Tori was behind the brush, the painter, while Jade was the landscape she was painting- the muse, the inspiration. Tori was the mere copy of her, congruent but not valuable. The Latina guessed that Jade being somewhat civil to her meant that they had to forget that. Well she thought wrong. Yeah they may seem like they are on the same team, if that could ever be possible, but if by the slightest chance that they were, she was Batman, while Tori was Robin.
Jade felt her swears pinged at her throat, ready to roar with the intensity that bubbled in the pit of her stomach, but somehow she bit her tongue, hard, nearly drawing blood as she watched the image before her. Vega walked over to the security guard, charcoal dress clinging to her ass, slightly rising with every stride she took. Unconsciously Jade's eyes darted lower, watching each muscle tense and relax in the backs of her tanned thighs and calves.
She could say this in her head because there was no room for judgment, besides herself of course, but Tori had a banging body. All that horrible dancing seemed to agree with her limber form.
She continued to watch the scene, watch the Latina smile at the appropriate times, do that flirtatious hair flip that Tori claimed she didn't do. That stole an eye roll from Jade. Some things could never change.
As the conversation progressed, the security guard seemed to relax, slouching his shoulders, only slightly- Jade figured it was habitual for him to appear cold- and she even saw a slight twist of the mouth. Did Vega make him…smile?
The curiosity tickled Jade. How could Vega get this guy to smile? The Latina was known for solving a situation through her chiseled cheeks and wide smile, but she thought that side of her was over. Evidently it wasn't, and this proved to Jade that former Vega was still in there. Maybe not as active, or apparent, but if someone payed attention to her responses and actions, they could see that fan-girl dying to return.
"C'mon Jade," she heard the Latina say out loud, snapping her out of her reverie.
Her blue eyes deliberately stayed on the floor for long, steady seconds, as if she was bored, not caring for her surroundings. Tori didn't need to know that Jade was secretly watching her reactions.
"What?" She replied, striding over, patching the hole in her mask, letting no one in.
"Paul here," she continued with a small smile of triumph, "decided to let us in."
"Yeah, you guys need to unwind," The security said with a small smirk. "It's cool that you guys want to get married and even after Prop-8 and all. I just want to let you know I support...who you are."
"Wha-" Her mouth worded the reflexive response, but she silenced it when Tori twitched her eyes wider, for just a moment, to silently lead on.
She's an actress. She's also great at improvisation.
"Yeah, like I said she doesn't like to talk about it because she's…she's secretly scared of what people will think," Tori whispered, as if Jade wasn't supposed to hear that, as if her temper will flare had she did.
"I don't like people knowing my business," Jade responded flatly, playing along in the script she prayed she acted correctly. She could really use a drink and it seemed like work driving a couple of miles to the nearest bar. The Crimson Lounge will have to do.
"I know, honey," Tori responded sweetly, even too sweet for her old self. Her smile was wide, but flat. Blatantly forced. Jade wasn't a fan of pretending to play lovey-dovey with Vega either but if it was what it took then..whatever. "Paul doesn't judge. He voted for Obama," she smiled softly, stealthily coiling an arm around the pale girl's waist.
The temptation to jump from the touch was potent, but somehow Jade pulled through with perseverance. She was able to briefly smile, leaning into her 'date's' shoulder without puking.
She really deserved an Oscar after that.
"Just…try not to cause a scene, okay?" Paul smiled, actually cutting some skin to make dimples, at Tori before it dimmed to the goth. That comment clearly was directed toward her, and how her harsh responses with the security guard had her behavior predictable. Though the curses were on her tongue, it was easier to tame them because she knew Vega had Paul by the heartstrings. She knew they were going to be inside of the club in a matter of minutes. The picture was nearly complete; she just needed to dab a few strokes to make it perfection.
"I'm sorry, baby," Jade said with a forced smile, turning her body to cup the Latina's cheek. Tori's brow furrowed in confusion, but her reflex smoothed it out a bit, returning it to feigned happiness.
She didn't expect for Jade to respond, to make her own lines, and improvise in the picture she wanted. Yeah, she could concur that Tori's plan of somewhat seducing the security guard was shrewd and spot-on, but this was Jade. She followed her own rules, drew outside of lines and made new ones. Vega honestly couldn't think that she will lie down and play dead without having a little fun, would she?
"I just get so scared people will judge me." Her voice is almost as high as the impersonation tone for Tori. She felt the skinny girl freeze from her touch, her pale hand running up and down her arms in the way she did back in Vega's room. Goosebumps followed her trail and that twitched a small smirk against her lips.
A rosy hue hit the Latina's cheeks as a lump forced its way down her throat. It pasted the already smug look on the goth's face, watching Vega respond, that confidence slowly slipping away from her pores. She's becoming bare, Jade slowly mused, that new demeanor slowly becoming a shell. Just dark makeup and tight clothes. Maybe she was a selfish bitch but she fancied the idea of Tori submitting, returning to that old skittish girl, just for her. Maybe she liked that someone could only show them their true self when they were the only two present. It made her feel pure, trust-worthy even. Maybe she liked Vega more than she'd like to think.
Maybe she was still that sadistic bitch who loved to see pain spark destructive fires.
Her arm mirrored Tori's, wrapping it around the tiny waist, smiling at the stiffness, the discomfort, the defeat. She looked so small, even though her heels gave Tori a few inches above her own. She liked Tori this way, but she still wanted to get in the club- now that Vega did. She wasn't going to wreck the bridge of trust Tori built from scratch.
With a smile, finally showing her alabaster teeth, a wide one, nearly grim, Jade tilted her head and aligned her lips with Vega's, hinting the strawberry lip gloss meshing with her own dark lip stick. Tori couldn't reject the sign of affection, wouldn't if she really wanted to get into the club. Of course she didn't, as Jade hypothesized, but the pressure of the response did surprise her.
It was the Latina's turn to swipe her lips over Jade's, slightly nipping the flesh, soothing with her tongue. It slipped a groan from the goth, more from the shock of electricity circulating the bite wound. Whatever fear and skittishness Tori just showed disappear in that kiss, and that spark, that dark ember was back in her brown eyes. They weren't just a lifeless color. It wasn't that cold shade she kept during school. The old Tori didn't even look like this. Yes, they sparkled and glittered but…they never held passion.
She never thought Vega could be passionate about anything.
"So, can we go in?" Her voice, oddly low and soft, rasped in Jade's brain, slowly shivering down her spine like a preying snake. Jade wanted to turn to Paul, to survey his response to their act, but her eyes remained glued on Vega's. This new fervor intrigued Jade, captivated her into a stilled position, had her fingertips shivering against the smooth svelte of the charcoal gray dress.
Eventually the spell was broken when Tori's brown eyes turned to align with the security guard's, with Jade doing the same. She didn't notice the radiance, how that fervor, that strong gaze affected her until it was gone, focusing on the situation at hand rather than Jade's eyes.
She actually felt something, something more than triumph for their admission. Something that surpassed her self-indulging smugness from Tori's thorough reaction. Something more than her internal sadism of tearing down the masks people so desperately build for protection.
She actually felt something.
And that spark, that passion, that zeal occurred in her own eyes when they began to walk in the club, arms inadvertently brushing together, until fingers linked with one another.
This was going to be an interesting night.
A/N: Ooh, what's gonna happen in the club? Some lovely Jori grinding? How about some underage drinking? Maybe some sexy time? Hmm there's only one way to figure out, huh?
***Bats eyes at the review box and points suggestively.**
You know you wanna ;)