Fake It

Jade's a great actress, one of the best Hollywood Arts has ever seen. She acts okay, and everyone believes her, everyone that is, except for Tori. After her second break up Jade runs back to her old habits and her bad friends with bad reputations and worse habits. Jade's spiraling down a dark path with only her new found friendship with Tori to keep her a float, will Jade fall down, or will new love pull her free?

Rated M

I do not own the characters mentioned, the places mentioned, or anything else. If I did jori would be canon and it wouldn't be on Nick anymore.

As I got a lovely bunch of reviews and had a fantastic sleepless night, here you go. This chapter was a pain to write; in fact I rewrote it twice with two different story lines, in the end deciding on this one. And enjoy!

Dark things a brewin' ye be warned!

Why am I typing like a pirate.

Cause you're my booty.

That song was so random.

Five fingaz to the face!

Okay read on guys.

I didn't wait too long out on the bench for Ryder to show up, sitting the driver's seat looking over at me with a sympathetic expression on his face. I get up and slip into the passenger's seat, the warmth caressing my skin but only providing a blanket while the rest of me remained numb.

"You wanna talk about it?" I shake my head no, "you want me to take you home?" I nod yes, mentally curling into myself. As soon as we're outside my house I'm shoving out the door and stumbling up to my house, heels clicking. I turn and wave goodbye to Ryder, forcing a smile on my face as he pulled away before I scrambled to unlock the door and step into the house.

It was empty and just as chilly in here, sort of like how my heart felt as I went into the kitchen to find that my father has not been home, the note I'd left is lying untouched on the table where I'd put it. I snatch it up and crumple it before tearing it to shreds to deposit in the garbage can before I go up to my room and change into my own clothes.

I turn on my radio and turn the volume all the way up before mindlessly submerging myself in Call of Duty. After an annoyingly high pitched kid started talking my ear off I ditched the headset I'd put on earlier and just let my thoughts fall away until they started to build up and wouldn't go away. It didn't take me too long to quit, slam headphones on my head and take refuge on the roof looking down at my empty pool.

Night's like these pre-Beck I'd go find Ryder and get drunk enough I didn't remember why I was getting drunk, when I was with Beck I'd call him or go over to his RV and curl up next to him while we'd talk about what was bugging me and then he'd tell me random stuff about him, and now I was stuck sitting on my roof in the dark cold night freezing my ass off while thoughts eat away at my brain.

Was my mom right? Was I going to flop? Was I going to get a chance and just flop? Was I going to go after my dream and not even get a chance? Or worse, would I end up like her with a daughter who hated me, a son who resented me and a crappy ass boyfriend who was full of himself before I even got the chance to try at my dreams?

I guess that couldn't really ever be me, I never wanted kids and I'd never be able to stand a man like that, then again I was more pulled toward women anyways. But then again, my mom never wanted kids, yet here we were. I sighed and pulled me knees up to my chest, resting my chin on them while my arms wrapped tight over them, holding them in place. Tears started to burn my eyes and I rub them furiously with the heel of my hand, hoping to force them back into my eyes, instead I shoved them out the corners of my eyes down my face, and like it broke a dam tears poured down my face like a water fall.

I stayed on the roof for most of the morning until the sun started to crawled up in the sky and I couldn't ignore my need to pee much longer so I stumbled back into my room on dead legs and shuffled into my bathroom to relieve myself. Once I'm done I crawl into my bed and collapse, sleep pulling me into its claws almost immediately. When I wake up, the suns gone from the sky and someone is moving around downstairs.

I fly out of my bed and down the hall to the stairs where I find my mom standing with my father and James by his office, bags in their hands, "what's going on?" my eyebrows knit together and my hands hold on tightly to the banister. James looks up and gives me a weak smile, coughing slightly before he turns back to our parents. I meet my dads gaze and my eyebrow quirks up.

"James, why don't you go on up to your room and get some sleep. Jade, come help him with his bags." My dad demands, I narrow my eyes at him as I stomp down the stairs and take my brothers bag, sling it over my shoulder and then take his hand as we go up the stairs, he's telling me all about his school as we go down the hall opposite mine and I push open the first door on the left, dropping his bag by it too keep it open. James turns and gives me a hug, his arms wrapping around my waist as his head rests against my stomach. He's pretty short for a twelve year old and his face is burning through my shirt.

"You've got a fever." I frown, James nods, "what are you taking for it?"

"Nothing, mom doesn't have the money…" I frown even deeper as he walks over to the bed and pulls himself up onto it.

"I'm going to get you some Gatorade and a movie to watch for when you wake up, are you comfortable sleeping in that?" he shakes his head no and I help him change since he seems to be pretty exhausted, and once he's back in the bed I go downstairs to get him a cup of Gatorade and a few Scooby Doo movies. He gulps down the Gatorade about halfway and sets it on his dresser before he settles down to watch the movies, and hopefully to sleep.

"Will you sing me a song, Jade?" I blink at him, about to say no, but I just can't so instead I shut the light off, settle down on a chair by the door and close my eyes, running through the lyrics in my head for a minute before I start to sing.

"You've got a friend in me, you've got a friend in me. When the road looks rough ahead and you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed. You just remember what your old pal said, boy you've got a friend in me. Yeah you've got a friend in me." when we were younger we had a marathon watching Toy Story over and over. It was the only memory I really had of spending any decent time with him.

"You've got a friend in me. You've got a friend in me. You got troubles and I got 'em too, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. We stick together, we can see it through, 'cause you've got a friend in me, you've got a friend in me." in the soft triangle of light the open door provided I could see him smiling as his chest rose and fell in a steady, even pattern.

"Some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am, bigger and stronger too, maybe, but none of them will ever love you the way I do, It's me and you boy and as the years go by, our friendship will never die. You're gonna see it's our destiny, you've got a friend in me, you've got a friend in me, you've got a friend in me." the last words were sung barely above a whisper before I got up and left the room, pulling the door so it was open a crack before making a beeline for my fathers office.

I knocked before I just walked straight in. I'd never been in the office before and I cast a curious glance around. Dark wood panels covered the walls that were basically empty except for a few of my dad's certificates and a book shelf filled with a few books. But my eyes were quickly turned to the dark oak desk my father sat behind and my mother sat on the other side of, both were watching me.

"Why are you here?" she opened her mouth, probably to tell me it was none of my business, but my dad cut her off.

"She's going to be staying with us. She lost her job and was evicted from her apartment."

A rude, cruel, and probably disturbing smile crawled onto my lips, "Karma is really a fantastic bitch, I should get her a gift." I commented. Her eyes burned with anger and I smirked, thinking how that's probably the same look I had last night and now I had the same look she'd had when she told me I'd be nothing.

"What is she talking about, Trish?" my father asks. My mom turns to him and shrugs simply while I take a few steps and cross the room, dropping into a chair beside my mom carelessly, turning so I was facing her, "Jade?"

"I went to dinner with my lovely mother last night. Since you didn't get my note, and on the way home she told me the only job I'd be able to get was on a corner." She looked mortified and scared, turning to my dad with a rush as if an apologetic look and some puppy dog eyes would save her from him, "not that you care. How long will she be here?" I ignore my mom now.

"They'll just be here until your mom gets back on her feet, maybe a bit longer." My dad says, "How is your brother?"

"He was burning up so I gave him some Gatorade and he's curled up in bed in blankets to sweat it out. How long has he been sick? He didn't look that great yesterday either."

"We've got a doctors appointment tomorrow, he's probably just got the flu." She waves it off as if its nothing and I narrow my eyes at her because she avoided my question, "two weeks."

"You're an idiot." I state bluntly, "and thank fucking god you left me here with him, at least when I got sick he'd take care of me." I stand up giving her a scathing glare before I walk out of his office and march upstairs, check on James who is still sleeping and a little bit cooler then he was before when I pressed my hand against his forehead, but he remained in a deep sleep.

I walked out once more, heading down the hallway to my room. Downstairs I could hear my mom unpacking in the spare bedroom and for some reason that made anger boil in my stomach, just the though of living here with them, again. Once was enough, I didn't think I could handle it again. I walked around my room almost silently, kicking off my shoes, peeling off my socks and shimming out of the pants I'd been wearing.

I pulled on a pair pajama pants that had fake blood splatter on them and a black tank top that said 'this is my zombie killing pjs'. Somewhere in my closest I had a bag that said 'this is my zombie killing bag' and a jacket that said 'this is my zombie killing jacket' that my cousin had gotten me as a gift some time ago. They were soft and warm and more importantly comfortable.

I grabbed my cell phone and crawled into my bed, burrowing under the sheets as I scroll through my contact list to text Ryder, but before I could my phone erupted and Vega's name flashed across my screen, without much hesitation I hit accept and pressed the phone to my ear, "what do you want, Vega?" I asked, stretching out and staring up at my ceiling.

"Can I come over?" something about her voice had me sitting straight up in my bed, worry filling me. She sounded upset, her voice hallow, "can we watch a movie or something?"

"Sure, Vega."

"Good, because I'm already here." She hung up without any more conversation and I threw my legs off of my bed and skipped quickly down my steps and yanked the door open to find Vega walking up my drive way, her car nowhere in sight. She had her arms wrapped around herself as if she was holding herself together and her gait was stiff as I watched droplets of water drip off of her.

"Did you walk here?" I called out, jumping down the steps of my porch splashing into a puddle from the rain I'd probably slept through and walking over to her. She picked her head up to look at me and narrowed her red eyes at me, swiping her sleeve across her face. I took two quick steps and put my arm around her shoulders, pulling her quickly into the house. Her clothes are wet and I know it had rained earlier, it makes me wonder how long she's been wandering around outside.

My mother, who was leaving the guest room, gave us a strange look but said nothing when her eyes found my angry glare directed at her before I pulled Vega up the stairs and into my bedroom. I made a strange motion I intended to mean 'stay' before I darted into the bathroom to get a fluffy towel. She was in the same place in my bedroom when I walked back in, eyes glued to the floor, bottom lip held firmly between her teeth and her whole body shivering.

I walk up to her, my fingers grasping her chin and tilting her face up so her watery eyes met mine. I forced a fake smile on my face in an attempt to get one to erupt on her face, but it didn't work. Instead this demon like darkness seeped into her eyes, "take those off and wrap up in this while I find you something to wear." I tell her, passing the towel to her before spinning on my heel and going to my dresser.

Wordlessly I pull out a pair of sweatpants, a large white t-shirt and a pack of underwear I'd never bothered opening. I set them on my bed, pull the curtains shut and turn to her. She's still standing in the center of my room, immobile, large wide dark eyes watching my every movement, "You're going to get sick, Vega. Get out of those wet clothes and put those clothes on. I'll be back in a few minutes. If you're not changed, I'll do it myself."

The corners of her mouth twitch up into a smirk so fast I almost miss it and then she nods her head as I walk out past her, pulling the door shut behind me as I head down the hall to my brothers room, trying not to think about what I was doing. I pushed his door open and stuck my head in, shuffling over to his bed silently when I noticed he was asleep. I pressed my hand to his forehead, relived to find his fever had gone down even more. I pull the blankets up around his higher and kiss his forehead softly before I leave.

I head down to the kitchen to make some tea for Vega, anything warm to help her stop shivering, and I find my mom sitting at the counter with her head in her hands staring with unseeing eyes down at a piece of paper. She glances my way when I set the hot cup of water down on my counter and then turns back to the paper while I plunk the tea bag into the cup. Once I think its done I pull the tea bag out, toss it in the can and pick up the honey bottle I'd grabbed as I leave my mother and the kitchen behind me.

Vega is sitting in my computer chair, her knees drawn up into her chest with her arms wrapped around them, now in the dry clothes I'd left for her, her damp hair sticking to her face. She looks up when I step into the room and then puts her head back down on its knees, her eyes staring blankly at my empty wall. I push the tea cup into her hand after I close my door, trying to ignore the way she flinches away from me. She stares into the dark liquid and looks back up at me, I offer her the honey and she takes it carefully, making sure her fingers don't touch mine.

After dumping a generous amount of honey into to the cup and stirring it she took a sip and then another and another until the tea was gone. The whole time I stood and watched her, noticing how her cheek looked like it was bruising and her lip had a cut on it. I frowned, stepping closer to her before I crouched beside her chair. She watched me with nervous eyes as my fingers pushed her hair from her cheek, the light washing over the dark bruise on her cheekbone, "Vega…"

"Don't." she hissed with an icy voice that bit at my skin, she pulled her face from my fingers and her hair dropped over her face, "I just thought maybe you wouldn't care…I could crash here no questions asked. I need to go." She stands abruptly, heading straight for the door. Before I think about it I'm plastering myself against the door, blocking her exit.

"I was just going to ask if you wanted some ice." I told her, she watched me apprehensively, a cold look in her dark eyes. I couldn't blame her, even I didn't know why I wasn't letting her just walk out the door. She sighed and I inwardly cheered, she was staying.

"I don't want any ice, but do you mind if I use your shower? I know its stupid I've already gotten dressed I just need to shower." She pushed her long fingers through her hair, shaking noticeably. I wanted to ask what happened, I wanted to know who gave her that bruise, but I also knew that she'd run. I knew because I'd run, too.

"Sure." I whispered, "There are towels in the closet in the bathroom, you can borrow a wash cloth from there, too. If I'm not in my room just feel free to crash. My brother is sick so I'll probably be down there." I step away from the door and watch her long tan fingers wrap around the door knob before she pulls it open and steps across the hall into my bathroom. Our eyes meet briefly, hers burning with a black fire, before she shuts the door and I hear the lock click shut.

I watch that closed door for awhile before I force my legs to walk down the hall to James' room. I stand in the doorway watching him sleep, he's kicked all of his sheets off and he's curled up around a pillow. Down stairs my mom and dad are talking by his office door, a sinking feelings wells up in my stomach as I pick my feet up and move further down the hallway, three doors down from the room James is sleeping in I push a door covered in peeling black paint.

It smells like dust and its incredibly stuffy inside, I can see the dust floating through the room when I turn the light on. Across from the door is a large bed, covered in rumpled black sheets and a red comforter. There is a desk to the left of the door also covered in peeling black paint; this is covered in a thick layer of dust. Papers, pencils, books and a CD's cover it. I pull the chair out and perch gingerly on the edge of the desk.

I drum my fingers along the side as I stare at a picture on the desk. In the picture there are four people. A man with light brown hair and blue eyes stood with his arm around the shoulders of a shorter woman with light dyed blonde hair and fierce green eyes. His hand rested on the shoulder of a boy with a mop of blonde hair and dull brown eyes. The boy had his arm around a younger girls shoulder. The girl had brown hair that matched the man's and green eyes that shined with the innocence of her young age.

"In our family portrait we look pretty happy, we look pretty normal, let's go back to that. in our family portrait, we look pretty happy. Let's play pretend act like it goes naturally." I hummed the familiar song, staring at the happy smiles on our faces. Faces in my memory that were otherwise tainted by painful memories, scars, slurs and black outs. My eyes skidded over that young boys face, lingering there in an attempt to find anything that made him my older brother again, but all I could see was the young monster.

Like seeing Halloween, the ten year old Michael Myers, who we all knew would grow into the psychotic killer that breaks out of the asylum. I could only wish that it what happened to the ten year old in the picture, but as far as I knew he wasn't locked up anywhere. Once more my eyes scanned his picture, scrutinizing it like I had years ago. Yet I couldn't find the face of the older brother I'd once adored. The only thing I saw was the face of the person who broke me.

I swung my hand backwards, smacking into the picture and launching it across the room as the glass of the frame shattered beneath my hand before the whole thing broke against the wall. I had the sudden feeling of being smothered, I couldn't catch my breath and I felt like someone's hands were around my throat. I shoved myself up from the table in a rush and made my way from the room as I gasped to haul in a breath, my hand on the walls on either side of me to hold me up.

I peer down the hallway when I've finally caught my breath and see the handle on the bathroom door turning. I right myself quickly and run my sleeve over my face to wipe away a few of the tears that managed to escape my eyes. I haul in a shaky breath before I force myself to walk evenly down the hallway to my door just as Vega emerges, steam rolling out of the bathroom behind her.

"Thanks Jade." She says while rubbing the ends of her hair with a towel.

"That's bad for your hair, Vega." I tell her, snatching the towel from her grasp, "come on." I step into my room and grab my hair turban that I'd left on my dresser, designed to soak as much water from your hair as possible. "Flip your hair over your head and put this on it." I hand it to her before I drape the towel I'd snatched from her over my chair. I reach up above my head until my back pops and then I sink down onto my bed while Vega plunks down in my computer chair, resuming her earlier position.

"When I was little I used to sit in my chair like that and listen to my-." I paused, biting down on my tongue, "listening to stories until I fell asleep, I'd wake up in the morning with a stiff back and sore neck."

"I used to sleep curled up in the small space between my bed and dresser pressed against my wall. My back was already sore, so it didn't matter much. Still doesn't matter much." She replies, staring out my window.

I thought about asking why she was here, why she hadn't gone somewhere else, but I felt like I already knew the answer. I was broken too, and somehow, she knew that. She knew I wouldn't ask the wrong questions, demand answers she didn't want to give. "lets go watch a movie Vega." I stand up, holding my hand out to her. She stares at it for a few seconds before reaching out and slipping her slim, cold hand into mine. I gently pull her to her feet and walk with her down the hall.

"Can I pick?" she asks.

"Sure." I shrug, dropping her hand as I walked over and flopped down into my bean bag chair. She browsed the shelves for a few moments, pulling open the cabinet I'd stashed my alcohol in before I could stop her. She snags the bottles and raises them at me. I shrug, well she found it, what's it matter?

"So Vodka and Burlesque?" she raises an eyebrow at me with a grin I could see myself producing. I nod and she sinks down beside me the almost full bottle clutched in one hand and the 2/3rds full bottle in the other. She sets the full one between us and opens the other, putting it to her mouth she knocks it back while I start the movie before resuming my space.