Pretending to Fake True Love

Chapter Seven: Raise the Flag

February 15, 2017 – Six-and-a-Half Weeks Pregnant

Tori stretched tiredly as she stepped out of her car. The previous day, she'd offered to pick Jade up for school, so that they could just take her car to the appointment after they left school for the day. She absentmindedly locked the car as she walked up the porch stairs and knocked on the door.

Only a moment passed before the door swung open to reveal Jade's mom. "Tori, come on in," she said with a smile. "Jade's still getting ready, but you're welcome to join her father and I in the kitchen."

Tori returned the woman's smile as she followed her into the West family's kitchen and took the offered place at the table. "Good morning, Mr. West," she said respectfully. After her conversation with the man on Sunday, she was going to be sure she was on her absolute best behavior around him until he warmed up to her a bit.

He nodded in greeting. "Good morning, Tori. You're going to be taking Jade to school and driving her to her doctor's appointment this afternoon?" Zachary questioned as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Yes, sir, I offered to drive her so that we didn't have to take two cars to the appointment," Tori responded, relaxing a bit at the man's cordial demeanor. She hadn't even realized just how tense she was until she felt the tension leave her shoulders.

Zachary nodded slowly. He was glad to hear that Tori had thought to do that for Jade when she didn't have to. He was still trying to reserve judgment, not wanting to actually like the person that got his little girl pregnant, but he could already tell that he was likely fighting a losing battle.

He glanced at his wife before acting on a sudden impulse. "Would you like to join our family for dinner tonight, Tori? We'd like to get to know you better, and we can discuss the baby a little more."

Tori blinked in surprise. "I'd love to join you for dinner, thank you, sir," she said, as a smile formed on her face and the man nodded in return. She hadn't been expecting that, but she was glad that he was giving her a chance to prove herself to him.

Jaina smiled at her daughter's girlfriend after the teen had accepted her husband's offer. "Would you like a cup of coffee, Tori?" she offered.

Tori grimaced, glancing wistfully at the pot of hot coffee sitting on a coaster on the table. "No, thank you," she said reluctantly. When she looked back at the couple sitting across from her, she smiled wryly. "I'm only drinking one cup a day until Jade has the baby and can drink coffee regularly again," she explained.

Zachary chuckled ruefully, immediately catching on to the fact that his daughter was the one responsible for that little change. "You're lucky, Tori. Jaina made me gain weight with her while she was pregnant with Jade. By the time she gave birth, I'd gained thirty pounds," he revealed, placing a hand over his toned abdomen, while Jaina smiled fondly at her husband.

"That was one of Jade's arguments on Monday was that most women make their partner gain weight with them," Tori laughed. "So, as much as I love coffee, this seems like a better deal," she said honestly.

"What? Are you trying to say you wouldn't gain weight for me, Vega?" Jade's voice drew the trio's attention to her as she entered the room with one eyebrow raised and a smirk on her face.

Tori laughed quietly. "No, just that I'd prefer not to," she said teasingly, standing and pushing her chair back in. "Are you ready to go?"

Jade nodded in response. "I'll see you later, Dad, and we'll meet you at the doctor's office, Mom," she told her parents.

"I'll see you this afternoon, sweetheart," Zachary said, smiling at his daughter.

Jaina stood and went over to give her girl a hug. "1:30, right baby?" she asked. "Alright, I'll see you there, girls. Have a nice day at school," she said after Jade hummed in agreement, walking the two teens to the door and waving as they left the house.

Tori walked over and opened the passenger door for Jade, who looked away to hide the slight blush that rose in her cheeks. She didn't move quick enough, though, and Tori saw. She chose to keep quiet, however, simply making a mental note that the gesture was appreciated.

Once the two were on the road and heading toward the school, Jade glanced at Tori when they passed by the road that led to Andre's house. She could tell that the other girl had noticed where they were, as she had a small frown on her face and her eyes were narrowed in irritation. She was proven correct when Tori spoke up a moment later.

"I can't believe Andre's been such an asshole about us being together," she muttered. "You've known Andre since middle school, right? Has he ever acted like this before? I never pegged him as homophobic," Tori said, grimacing at the thought of her usually happy-go-lucky friend – ex-friend?

Jade shook her head. "No, but now that I think about it, he kind of went out of his way to avoid any of the gay or lesbian students at Hollywood Arts," she mused, frowning as she thought back on the way the boy seemed to tense up if any of the non-hetero students so much as passed him in the hall.

Tori sighed and ran a hand through her hair when they stopped at a red light. "I guess you can't really know how someone will react until you actually see them in a situation like this," she shrugged. "Are you sure you're not upset that he destroyed your locker door?" she questioned, glancing at her girlfriend.

Jade snorted, rolling her eyes as she thought of the scene from the previous day.

Flashback

When she and Tori entered the school and walked toward her locker, they instantly noticed that there was a crowd of angry students crowded in the center of the hallway. When they pushed their way through the crowd, they found a couple of guys holding down Andre, who was fighting to get free.

"What's going on here?" Tori demanded, glaring down at the boy struggling under the two guys, whom she recognized as Jason and Derek from her and Jade's rock vocals class.

One of the boys, Jason, answered her before Andre could say a word. "This asshole destroyed yours and Jade's locker doors."

Tori's eyes widened and she automatically glanced toward her locker and then toward Jade's. Both were barely staying shut. It looked like someone had taken a chainsaw to each of the doors until they were utterly unrecognizable, but the cherry on top was the bright red spray paint that spelled out the word "dyke" on both doors.

"He might have gotten away with it if he hadn't decided to brag about it to himself out loud so that everyone could hear it. When he realized that we heard him, he tried to run away, but we grabbed him," Derek added, glaring down at the struggling boy, who didn't bother trying to deny his actions, choosing instead to glare at the ceiling resentfully.

Tori and Jade exchanged a glance, both silently asking the other what on earth was wrong with their now former friend.

End Flashback

"It just means I get to make an even better one without having to pay for the materials myself, since the school is making Andre pay. Even better, he's suspended for two weeks, so we won't even have to deal with him," Jade said with satisfaction.

"That's true. I was thinking of changing mine up anyway. I'm just not sure what I want to do with it yet," Tori said thoughtfully. She'd given it some thought the previous night but couldn't come up with anything that really struck her as being exactly what she wanted.

Jade hummed in acknowledgment as they pulled into the school's parking lot. "So, we still on for the plan?" she questioned mischievously.

Tori smirked. "Absolutely," she said as they got out of the car. "I can't wait to see the looks on their faces," she added, as she opened the door for Jade and followed her into the school.

They exchanged a sly glance before walking toward their first period class, but Tori frowned when she noticed Jade grimace slightly and shift her shoulders a bit, as if she was uncomfortable. They entered the classroom before she could say anything and when she looked back at her, Jade seemed fine, so she let it go.

It wasn't until they were in the middle of their second period rock vocals class that Tori caught Jade with that same little grimace on her lips, as she fidgeted slightly in her seat. When the other girl didn't relax after a moment, Tori texted the goth to meet her in the janitor's closet before discreetly approaching her teacher.

"Mrs. Stone, Jade and I need to leave the room for a few minutes, please. She isn't feeling well and I'd like to get her some water and check on her," she murmured to the older woman. All of her and Jade's teachers were aware of the pregnancy, so she knew the woman would understand what she was talking about.

Mrs. Stone looked over to where Jade was sitting and she frowned a bit when she saw the flicker of discomfort in her eyes. "Of course, Tori, thank you for letting me know. Take however long you need," she said understandingly, and Tori smiled gratefully before she and Jade quietly left the room together.

Tori walked close by Jade's side, but she didn't speak until they were safely in the janitor's closet and they were sure they were alone – she didn't want to risk anyone overhearing and finding out about the pregnancy before Jade was ready for everyone to know.

"What's wrong, Jade?" Tori asked concernedly. "I noticed that you seemed uncomfortable just before first period and then again a few minutes ago."

Jade grimaced. She'd hoped Tori wouldn't notice because she wasn't quite sure how to tell her what was wrong. "I'm fine, Tori. Let's just go back to class," she attempted to deflect, but Tori reached out and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Jade, please talk to me. You can tell me anything. I'm here for you," Tori said softly. When she noticed Jade wince when her shirt shifted a bit, she began to suspect she knew what the problem was.

Jade sighed, feeling her eyes grow a bit wet. Damn hormones. "It's my breasts," she muttered reluctantly. "They've just been so fucking tender ever since last night. I don't know what the hell's going on, and it's making me crazy," she said, feeling irritated and upset by the uncomfortable sensation and refusing to look Tori in the eye. "And to top it off, my favorite bra doesn't fit me right anymore."

Tori's eyes softened in sympathy as she looked at the tears that Jade was holding back. She carefully held Jade's shoulders and rubbed them with her thumbs. "I'm sorry you have to go through that. I wish that I could carry the baby for you so you didn't have to deal with all of the symptoms that come along with pregnancy," she said honestly.

Jade looked into Tori's eyes, blinking back her tears successfully. "So, do you know what's going on with this?" she questioned, gesturing to her boobs and smiling a bit when Tori automatically glanced at her girls.

"Most women experience a lot of tenderness in their breasts during their first trimester because their boobs are growing so quickly to accommodate the milk that will come later on, closer to when you have the baby," Tori explained, resisting taking another glance at Jade's breasts. This isn't the time or the place. Jade is upset and sore, and the last thing she needs is you ogling her, she scolded herself, taking a deep breath.

Jade groaned. "The first trimester?" she repeated. "How much longer until I'm through that?" she asked in exasperation, fidgeting uncomfortably. Even if her breasts weren't so damn tender, she'd be uncomfortable – her boobs were spilling over the cups of her bra a bit. Her other bras were slightly looser on her before, so she hadn't noticed the growth in her chest until earlier that morning when she'd put her favorite bra on and realized that it was so damn tight. Unfortunately, it was the only one clean, so she was stuck with it.

Tori smiled apologetically. "The first trimester covers the first twelve full weeks of pregnancy, and then the second trimester starts at the beginning of the thirteenth week. So, you've probably got about six-and-a-half weeks left," she told her, reaching down to hold one of Jade's hands in an attempt to comfort her. "But I think I remember hearing that maternity bras help a bit with that tenderness. I'm sure the doctor can tell us if there's anything we can do to make you more comfortable," she said, squeezing Jade's hand.

"At least the appointment's today, then," Jade muttered. "Would you mind taking me shopping afterward?" she asked slowly. She felt a bit self-conscious about asking her girlfriend to go bra shopping with her when they'd never even had sex, but she trusted Tori to make the experience comfortable for her, rather than awkward.

"I'd be happy to," Tori said truthfully. "Anything I can do to make things easier for you. Besides, I enjoy spending time with you, and I want to get to know you better as your girlfriend, rather than as a friend, the way things were before," she added with a smile.

Jade smiled. "I'd like that." She rubbed the back of Tori's hand with her thumb. "I guess we should get back to class now," she said reluctantly, and Tori nodded. She didn't let go of the Latina's hand, instead pulling her girlfriend out of the janitor's closet and down the hall to their second period class.

As the two slipped into the room, their teacher looked at Jade with a slightly concerned look on her face, so Tori gave her a small smile to reassure her that things were fine. They made it through the rest of the period and their next class without Jade experiencing much discomfort, much to their mutual relief, before they headed outside for lunch.

For the most part, things progressed as per usual with the diminished group – until it was time for Tori and Jade to put their plan into action. They exchanged a wicked smirk when Robbie and Cat were both distracted. When the two teens looked back toward the new couple, they did a double-take.

Tori and Jade were locking lips so tightly that it was hard for both Robbie and Cat to tell where one ended and the other began. Tori's hands were firmly gripping Jade's waist, and Cat squeaked in genuine surprise when Jade suddenly moved from her seat at the table to straddle Tori's thighs. When Tori's hands slid down to grasp Jade's naturally curvy hips and she leaned forward to press the goth up against the table, Robbie actually had to look away. As much as he loved Cat, he was still just a teenage boy – and seeing his two incredibly hot female friends making out in front of him was too much for his less-than-stellar self-control.

As they were putting on their little show for their friends, Jade sneakily ran a finger firmly down the center of Tori's back, while simultaneously grabbing gently at the hair on the nape of her neck. She just wanted the other girl to jump a little, maybe get a little moan out of her. What she didn't expect was for Tori's hands to tighten on her hips and to feel a bulge pressing up against her cloth-covered center.

Things suddenly felt all too real, and Jade couldn't stop herself from letting a quiet moan out into Tori's mouth. Tori responded by biting gently at Jade's bottom lip, by that point having practically forgotten that they weren't supposed to be actually making out, that they were just supposed to put on enough of a show for their friends to believe they were skipping school to get a room somewhere.

For her part, Jade didn't even really care anymore. All that mattered was Tori's tongue twisting with hers and Tori's hands massaging her sides and Tori's hard shaft attempting to break free of their clothing and pressing up against her. The way that Tori was kissing her with so much desire was enough to make her wonder why she ever thought that Beck was such a great kisser – the boy was good but he was nowhere near the Latina's level.

Fortunately for everyone involved, Sinjin chose that moment to interrupt, standing creepily close to the couple, who by that point once more had all attention on them as the rest of the student body stared unabashedly at the extreme PDA. "Jade, Tori, would you mind starting over from the beginning? I missed the first two minutes because I had to run and get my good video camera from my locker," the boy said creepily, causing the pair to finally separate.

Despite the fact that she was practically gasping for air, Jade found the breath to threaten Sinjin. "If you ever record Vega and I doing anything, I will take the camera and shove it somewhere a camera should never be!" she shouted from where she still sat on Tori's lap, causing the creepy boy to nod frantically and run away while the other students wisely turned back to their lunches. Realizing that she was still straddling the tan girl, Jade started to move but Tori's grip on her waist tightened and she looked at the other girl questioningly.

Tori leaned in to murmur in Jade's ear. "Unless you want me to be outed today and waste time trying to explain and end up missing your appointment, then you really shouldn't move," she told her, her voice slightly rougher than normal. She took deep breaths as she willed herself to calm down enough for her cock to stop straining at the fabric of her pants.

Jade blinked in confusion before she unthinkingly shifted her hips forward a bit and was instantly reminded of the hard bulge of Tori's dick rubbing between her thighs. She swallowed back a small moan as she felt her pussy dampen a bit more, and she heard Tori's sudden intake of breath as the other girl pulled her head back from Jade's ear, her jaw slightly clenched.

Robbie finally got the nerve to look back across the table at the couple, who were staring at each other intensely. He cleared his throat and both their heads whipped around to face him. "Maybe you two should take the rest of the day off, you know, so you can be alone," he suggested. "I'm pretty sure Helen might suspend you if you have sex on school property, much less out here in the Asphalt Café for everyone to see," he pointed out, chuckling a bit when Jade didn't automatically bite his head off.

Jade looked into Tori's eyes while making sure that she didn't move anymore and make the situation worse. Suddenly, she had an idea and she carefully leaned in to whisper in Tori's ear. "Follow my lead," she instructed, before she leaned back with an arrogant smirk on her face. "Shapiro's right, Vega, let's get out of here. Carry me!" she commanded, watching as realization flickered across the Latina's face.

Tori grinned and did as Jade demanded, catching on to her plan. She stood up, carefully holding Jade in place so that her body covered Tori's crotch from sight. Unfortunately, the shift in position made Jade's center rub against Tori's again and both had to force themselves to act casual despite their arousal.

She swiftly began walking away from the table as Jade held tightly to her shoulders, absentmindedly tossing a goodbye over her shoulder to Robbie and Cat. She wove between the tables and made a beeline for the parking lot, silently thanking her lucky stars that both of their bags had already been stashed in her Camaro.

Jade, for her part, tried not to move as much as possible, but the simple motion of Tori walking had her biting her lip with every little bump that rocked the pair's hips. She was extremely thankful when they reached the privacy of Tori's car and she was carefully deposited onto the passenger seat.

She took shallow breaths as Tori rushed around the front of the car and swiftly climbed into the driver's seat. Jade swallowed and then started taking deeper breaths to calm herself down, which seemed to work after a few minutes. However, when she looked over at Tori, she could tell that the other girl was having a harder time reigning herself in, as was made evident by the still-prominent tent in her pants.

"Are you okay, Tori?" she asked, raising her eyebrow a bit when she saw just how flushed the other girl appeared.

Tori grimaced but nodded. "Just give me a minute," she requested, refusing to open her eyes and look at the girl sitting in the seat next to her. That would only make matters worse. Usually, she had better control of herself, but it had been about three months since the last time she'd had sex, and she hadn't even gotten herself off for the past couple weeks because she'd been spending most of her free time arguing with herself about whether or not to let Jade know how she felt, so she was a bit on edge.

She forced herself to take measured breaths and began counting backward from one-hundred. By the time she reached one, she was happy to notice that her shaft had submitted and returned to its resting position against her thigh. She cleared her throat. "Sorry," she said, looking over toward Jade. "I'm fine now," she added, as she started the car and began the drive to the nearby clinic where Jade's appointment would take place.

Jade watched the Latina with interest. "Is it always that hard for you to take down the flag after it's been raised?" she quipped, although her voice betrayed her genuine curiosity. Beck being the only guy she'd ever been with, she wasn't exactly a fountain of sexual knowledge, and she wasn't afraid to ask questions to get the answers she wanted.

Tori chuckled. "Not usually, no. I guess you could say I'm just a little frustrated recently." She glanced over at Jade and caught the expectant look on her face. "I haven't had sex in three months and I haven't really had the time to salute my flag for a couple weeks," she elaborated with a laugh, using Jade's flag metaphor to get her point across.

Jade hummed in acknowledgment as Tori pulled into the clinic parking lot. "Maybe you should take care of that tonight, then," she suggested before smirking wickedly and continuing, "because I'd hate to accidentally rile you up at school," she said teasingly, despite both of them knowing that she wouldn't do that to Tori before her secret was already out to the rest of the school.

Tori played along. "I guess I will then," she said petulantly, pouting just a bit.

She then chuckled and took her seatbelt off, preparing to get out of the car. She paused, though, when she realized that Jade wasn't moving. She looked over at her to find that the girl had frozen and was staring at the entrance to the prestigious-looking clinic.

"Jade? Hey, what's the matter?" she asked softly, reaching over to gently turn Jade's head toward her.

Jade blinked and snapped out of her frozen state. "I…" she hesitated, trying to communicate to Tori with her eyes what she feeling.

"Are you nervous?" Tori guessed, knowing she hit the nail on the head when Jade grimaced and looked away. "Hey, everything's gonna be fine. I'll be right here with you, and so will your mom. Plus, we'll get to see the baby for the first time when the doctor does the ultrasound," she reminded the goth, smiling softly at her.

Jade just looked out the window for a moment before she sighed and nodded her head. "You're right. Let's get this over with," she said with determination, glancing down toward her stomach and smiling a bit herself. She looked back at Tori. "Let's go meet our baby."

To Be Continued.

A/N: Another chapter down, girls and guys, and this one is slightly longer than the typical chapter, too! This is actually not at all where I planned to go with this chapter but this is where it ended up, so I hope you guys enjoyed! Next chapter: Jade's first prenatal appointment. As always, thank you ever so much for reading and reviewing, everyone! And, of course, I'd love to have your input on the chapter and any ideas for future chapters! I really enjoy writing this story and having you guys' input just makes things easier and more enjoyable for me, so thank you to those of who have left comments or even just a quick note letting me know you like the story. If you've reviewed before, I hope to hear from you again! If you haven't, feel free to drop me a line with any thoughts, constructive criticisms, etc. Thanks again for reading, everyone!

-The Midnight Vale