Tori woke up in the bed, alone. She put her hand on the other side mattress. It was cold. Jade must have left a long time ago.

She sat up, keeping the covers wrapped around her. She looked around for any sign of Jade, but the only clothes left on the floor belonged to Tori. She tried calling Jade's phone, but all she got was her voicemail.

"Hey Jade, it's Tori. Call me back when you get the chance. I, umm, want to see you. Ok, yeah, bye." She hung up.

She got dressed in her clothes from last night and snuck downstairs. Kids were sprawled across the floor, on the stairs, on the furniture, all sound asleep. Jade and Tori were clearly not the only ones that spent the night.

She got in her car and drove home in silence. No radio, no thoughts. Just silence. She was so dazed and confused, she didn't even remember making it home.

Tiptoeing upstairs to not wake her sleeping family, she went to the bathroom to take a shower. That's when the thoughts started flooding in.

Last night was amazing. I can't believe it happened and with Jade, of all people. I wonder what she's thinking now. I wish she was still there when I woke up. Or that she answered her phone when I called. What if she thinks it was a mistake? What if she changed her mind about me? Was I that bad? She was so good, but was I...bad? God, I wish I could get in touch with her. I want to see her. Or at least talk to her.

When Tori finished in the bathroom, she got dressed in her comfy clothes and put her party clothes in the hamper. As soon as she was dressed, her phone lit up. It was from Jade. Tori's heart leapt in her chest.

Nozu? it read. 3:00? I need to talk to you.

Yes, Tori typed back excitedly. She threw her sweatpants and T-shirt off to put on something cuter.


Jade felt guilty. She finally realized her mistake. That was what got her to run away last night. As soon as she heard Tori's breathing reach a steady pace to indicate she was asleep, Jade quickly and quietly got out of bed and drove home. She knew she couldn't face Tori in the morning. She wouldn't know what to say and she needed time to think.

I didn't know Tori actually felt that way, she thought. I thought we were just having fun. Dirty fun, but fun. Oh God, she has been acting weird. I should have seen it coming. How could I have been so stupid?

Jade got dressed in silence. She knew she would have to tell Tori the truth, no matter how much it hurt.


Tori got to Nozu before Jade and ordered her drink. She couldn't even pick up the glass between the water surrounding the cup and the sweat on her palms. She settled for leaning over to drink from the straw.

Jade walked in and Tori's heart started beating faster. She waved to make sure Jade saw her. Jade sat across from Tori and the waiter brought her a water.

"So," Tori said after a few beats. "How are you?"

"Fine," Jade said, not meeting Tori's eyes.

"You sure? You seem a little...out of it."

"I'm fine." She paused. "Are you?"

"More than fine," Tori gushed. "Last night was the most amazing night of my life. And it's so cute that you asked me here today, since you know this is the place where I guess you could say our first date happened. You remember the time Sikowitz set us up, right? I thought it was-"

"Stop," Jade said, cutting off her rant. "Just stop."

"What's wrong?"

"There's been a misunderstanding."

Tori tilted her head in confusion. Her heart started beating faster.

"Remember when I went to your house the night Beck and I had a fight?" Tori nodded. "I said that I told him I liked you." Jade paused and Tori nodded again. Jade sighed. "I didn't realize at the time I didn't tell you I lied."

"You...you...lied?" Tori's voice got quiet and she felt her heart stop beating for a few moments.

"I was so upset last night, I didn't pay attention to what I was saying. I really didn't mean for this that to happen. I really didn't."

"And what about last night?" Tori asked quietly.

"Last night was amazing," Jade admitted. "But I think you and I had different reasons for letting it happen."

"Oh," was all Tori could think to say.

She could feel her heart slowly crack away into tiny pieces. She looked down, hoping Jade wouldn't see the tears forming in her eyes.

"Why did you do it?" she asked. "Why did you tell Beck you liked me when you didn't?"

"I wanted him to leave me alone. Get over me. I think a tiny part of me wanted to make him jealous. But I don't want to be with him anymore."

"So you used me," Tori concluded.

"Yes." She sighed. "But it was wrong of me to do that, and I realize that now."

"Using people is terrible, Jade. I don't care how mean you can be, it's terrible."

"I know. You know why I'm mean? Why I'm a terrible person? I don't know how to didn't teach me how to love. He taught me how to survive."

"What do you mean?"

"He was mean," she admitted. "In many ways, he hurt me. He did it all the time. But I always came back to him because I thought I loved him. But in reality, I have no idea what love is. I learned how to put up with bullshit these past three years, but that's it."

"I'm so sorry."

"I don't want you to be sorry for me, Tori. What I did to you was exactly what Beck did to me. He used me and abused me. It's so wrong and it hurts and it's not fair. I-"

"Jade," Tori interrupted, putting her hand on Jade's shoulder. "You messed up. It's ok. We all make mistakes. And if you learned how to hurt instead of how to love, then I understand why you did it. It's all you know. That must have been a pretty screwed up relationship."

"How can you be so understanding?" Jade asked in disbelief. "I took advantage of you."

"I know you feel sorry for me, but I feel sorry for you."

Jade was silent. Tori was acting like it was nothing, but it didn't feel like nothing to Tori. Her heart was still crumbling, but she wanted Jade to feel ok. At least for now.

"Coming here and apologizing shows you do have a heart though," Tori commented truthfully. "Maybe you're not as bad as you think."

Jade smiled. "I think you have too much of a heart, Vega."

"Maybe I do." Tori smiled back. She pulled Jade into a hug that Jade returned gratefully.

"Thank you, Veg-," Jade stopped. "Tori."

Tori couldn't help but grin harder. She finally used her first name without being sarcastic. "It's no problem." She stood up to leave. She wanted to sort her feelings out. She may have told Jade she forgave her, but she needed to think.

"Where are you going? We haven't finished lunch yet."

Tori sat back down. She could figure it all out later.