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Battlefield
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"Marshall? Marshall Lee? Is- is that you?"
I nodded, quickly flashing my gaze down on the script, swallowing. "Hey there, Evelyn. Long time no see, don't you think?" I made a mental note not to gaze too deeply into Jade's eyes anymore. They took away my concentration way too much. Concentration that I very much needed at this point. I could basically feel Sikowitz's eyes pierce a hole into the side of my head.
Rehearsal sucked. We basically all sucked. It seemed as if no one had practiced any of their lines in the last week and a half. Lines and dialogues were half-hearted and the acting skills were really hard to find. Even I had a hard time remembering and finding my lines, even though I practiced with Jade a lot. It was weird that we sucked so much because our class usually came alive during acting. We all had a bit of a knack for it. Sikowitz used to be able to be proud of us. Now it seemed like he lost every reason to.
His brow was creased with lines but his expression was ever so blank. I was sure it was like the silence before the storm.
"Why are you here? You know we can't see each other, Marshall." Jade's voice droned in my ear and I shook my head, focusing. "We can't. I want to but we can't. We're enemies." her eyebrows plunged deeply down over her eyes and I had to remind myself that she had a role to play and that this was not Jade.
It was hard not to fall back into my protective role. "We are enemies? I think you mean that our countries are enemies. Our countries' views and opinions have nothing to do with the feelings we feel for ourselves. This petty rivalry can't be connected to us as individuals. We never were enemies, Evelyn, and we aren't now. You know that."
The pale-skinned girl took a step closer, expression apprehensive. "But we- I don't- how can you come running back now? After all this time?"
Jade and I had been pretty much inseparable for the last week or so. She'd often sleep over. We'd do homework together, we would watch movies and laugh and talk like we'd never hated each other. Like she'd never been mean to me, as if we never were enemies. It was as if we were friends all along. I frowned, shaking my head. "After all this time? I've been looking for you ever since I left you. I realized I couldn't get out in the real world without you, but when I got back to the orphanage you were gone without a trace. Why did you go away?"
"I-I went out to look for you." Jade - or rather Evelyn - said, casting her eyes down. "I never thought you'd come back."
My eyes shifted, searching for hers, and I took a few quick steps towards the black-haired girl. "Evelyn. I promised, didn't I? I never break my promises." Jade looked up, emerald eyes burning into mine and a red blush quickly adorned my cheeks. "You should have known that."
"Promised, huh..."
Yeah, a promise. My mind flew back to a few days ago when Jade had promised me, after a long period of persuasion, eating ice cream and death threats, that she would stop harming herself. She had insisted on trying to first but I would not agree with that until she had sworn to me she'd quit altogether. She had looked reluctant, almost defeated, and she told me that she was just going to let me down in the end. That she wasn't strong enough and would relapse eventually. I had taken her hands in mine and told her I didn't believe her.
I didn't believe her because in these past week I have come to known her so much more. Jade West is a whole different person to me now. She lets me be close, laughs, smiles and cries, has feelings and a heart just like me. She lets me touch her and have a connection, something that binds us though I don't yet know what. Jade West is so much more than I ever dared to imagine and I was thrilled with the fact that I could have her treasure all for myself. I found myself indulging in her presence but I couldn't care less.
Sure, a week wasn't much. It was hardly enough time to judge anyone in. But Jade West was mine now and I loved every minute I spent by her side.
"Don't you remember? The day I left I told you that I would, someday, be back."
Jade hadn't told me much about her problems just yet. I still wasn't forcing her to blab either. The promise she made and the time we were together was more than enough to compromise. As long as she was feeling okay and happy, I would be too. There was no need to rush anything, it's common sense that rushing make things worse in the end.
"I never broke that promise." I threw the script down and walked over to the raven-haired girl, body trembling as I closed the gap between us. I needed to chill out. It was just rehearsal.
Our hands locked together before I knew it and in that moment I felt the strong connection I had felt while being with her all these days and it knocked me off my feet. Brown met green and my heart just exploded. Jade felt so pure in my hands and I felt so at place that it was almost frightening. Fingertips grazed her smooth skin. I took a deep, shaky breath. "I'm sorry I wasn't there."
"It's okay, Marshall." Jade whispered warmly against my lips, her soft voice drenched in sympathy and she pulled me impossibly closer. My pulse rocketed. I wasn't sure if this was in the script.
I had difficulty speaking, words too heavy to carry past my lips. "E-Evelyn, I- I love you. Always have."
"I love you too." it was hard to breathe, my knees felt weak, heart on the point of collapsing. My body shook as I gulped away all the jittery, nervous feelings that were threatening to leave my throat. Jade's eyes flickered down to my lips once and back again, mouth curling into a crooked, toothy smirk. I suddenly felt drawn towards her, like gravity had just decided to change owner, and I couldn't quite figure out what galaxy I was in. Surrender swirled in the pale-skinned girl's smokey eyes and I realized we were merely inches apart. Was this supposed to happen?
Moreover, was I supposed to feel this way? So... captivated? So full of desire? I guiltily admitted I had felt like this all week, but I figured it was because Jade and I were on a whole other level now. We re-discovered each other and we were ought to feel happy about that. That's what happens, right?
"Beck!" Sikowitz voice suddenly rumbled loudly through the auditorium, starting the poor guy. "This is your cue!"
I felt sort of glad to have a reason to jump away from Jade. Picking up my script, I fiddled with the pages, trying to calm myself down as Sikowitz rambled on. "Why were you not paying attention? I know, Jade and Tori's performance was great! Easily to capture one's attention with. But you should know when to get in." he narrowed his eyes. "What is wrong with you all today?"
He looked around the class and I followed his gaze. Andre shrugged. Cat looked down in shame, clutching the hem of her skirt. Beck just sat lazily in his chair, biting his lower lip. Even Rex was quiet without Robbie having to shut him up. "Well?" Sikowitz pressed.
Beck shrugged. "I don't know. I guess we're all a bit off today."
Sikowitz nodded in agreement, his eyebrows hunched deeply over his eyes as he took a long, thoughtful sip of coconut milk. "Alright then." his eyes scanned his wristwatch, which was ''conveniently'' placed upside down, and pursed his lips. "I guess it can't be helped. Go home, young ones. I've got nothing to brainwash you with anymore. Let's call it a day."
No one let themselves be told that twice. Chairs scraped over the floor loudly as everyone nearly bolted out of the classroom, afraid Sikowitz would change his mind. I raked my hand through my hair as I watched them leave, Jade and I trailing behind. She caught my gaze.
"Together again, hey, Vega?" her fist collided with my shoulder playfully. "So what do you wanna do?"
"I'm up for anything. I've got one question though. Shouldn't you maybe spend some time with Beck? You haven't seen him in ages." I frowned as we walked out of the classroom. I didn't wanther to spend time with Beck, I was more than fine with her being together with me, but I was worried about their relationship.
But Jade shook her head. "Naw. He'll be fine."
I tried to go into discussion with the black-haired girl about the subject, but she threatened to strangle me slowly if I wouldn't drive her to my house to hang out, so I eventually gave up. It was clear she didn't want to be around Beck, but to me that seemed like she was putting their problems on hold. But anything to satisfy Jade, right?
So I was in my car before I knew it, absentmindedly driving to my house. We both didn't feel like homework or watching movies. Besides, we had about seen every movie that was out by now. However, we couldn't quite decided what to do instead. Jade insisted on going to library to read books about torture in the Dark Ages, but I very much resented that idea, shivering in my car seat at the idea alone. I needed something more fun. We were almost home when an idea popped into my head.
"Oh! I know where we could go!" I said, clapping in my hands as an enormous smile made its way onto my face. "The Army Museum!"
Jade turned around in the car seat, eyebrows raised in question. "Really? You want to do something fun and you decided to take me to the Army Museum? How is that fun?"
"It's nice!" streetlights turned green and I drove around the corner, my mind instantly thinking up the fastest route to the museum. "I went there loads of times when I was a kid, my granddad used to take me there with Trina. You know, he had his suit from the Marines hanging there in some display." I felt my enthusiasm bubbling up.
"That suuure is interesting."
I sighed, letting go of the gear lever to playfully punch Jade's shoulder. "Hey! You decided to watch some scary, horrible documentary yesterday, now it's my turn to choose. And I say were are going to the Army Museum. Whether miss West likes it or not." I grinned when the pale-skinned girl tried to protest. She growled but then agreed reluctantly.
The ride wasn't long, the Army Museum was about fifteen minutes away from school. I knew how to go there with my eyes closed. That, and traffic was easy so we pulled up into the parking lot soon, locking the door as I skipped inside, not being able to contain my excitement. Jade sauntered lazily behind, fingers trailing over the stuff in the gift shop as I got us tickets.
Nostalgia slowly crept in my heart as we took the route through the museum. The usual exposition began with the Romans and the Greek, followed by the Middle Ages and so on. I could picture myself running along the displays, pointing my little fingers at the figures and weapons, granddad in pursuit with Trina. I smiled, my mind taking me back to years and years ago. I had to admit that I secretly had a big admiration for weaponry, but I would never let anyone know. I thought Jade maybe would have too, but as I stole a glance next to me every now and then, she just looked bored.
I was frantically trying to think of something more fun when a sign that said ''Warzone Simulation'' popped into my vision. I raised my eyebrows. That hadn't been here the last time I visited. Then again, the last time was probably about six years ago. A smile made its way up my face. This could be fun.
So I led Jade there. I thought she was fine with the idea until the actual thing showed up.
"Oh no." feet stood nailed into the ground suddenly. "Oh hell no, I am not going into that shit. I'd rather be found dead in Disneyland." Jade protested when she saw the structure dooming up into her vision, visibly backing off as a grimace slowly crept onto her face. "No way. Hear that, Vega?"
I could only laugh. I had heard these protests before. I'd heard them every time I popped on a movie that was ''sickeningly sweet'' or ''full of drama and bullshit'', but every time those words passed her lips she ended up swallowing them back. In the end Jade never complained about anything she claimed to hate. Maybe it was because she was just tolerating it and trying to act cool, but I found it a more pleasant idea to believe that she was actually enjoying herself with those things.
"This is my day, Jade." I winked at her. "Today I decide the rules. Those rules now say you gotta do this."
"I understand your rules and all, Tori. I really do. But I don't want to go in there and make a complete fool out of myself, thank you very much." protest and frustration danced on her voice and I could already feel her caving in, because there was no way I wouldn't drag her into this. She was coming and she would enjoy it.
Letting out a sigh, I clamped myself around her arm, looking up pleadingly. "Please? Just this once. You know you want to."
"Fine." Jade groaned, letting herself be escorted towards the obstacle course. I got really excited as I saw a box full of fake guns, helmets and army backpacks. I let go of the pale-skinned girl and got over to the boxes, putting a helmet on my head and grabbing a gun first thing. I turned around to Jade and saluted, wide grin on my face as I did a little dance out of enthusiasm. I realized I must've looked like a total idiot, but I couldn't care less at the moment. All I wanted was to see one tiny little smile on Jade's face.
"Holy hell, Vega, don't get your panties in a pretzel." Jade laughed, a challenging smirk playing on her lips as her verdant eyes followed my bouncing figure.
I pouted. "C'mon Jade, it'll be fun!"
She sighed and rolled her eyes at me, but reached out to grab a helmet anyway. Truth be told, Jade looked awesome with the war stuff on. The kind of like, gorgeous-awesome. Her face was dark and hidden, yet pretty in the dim light. But that aside, I was pretty excited. I couldn't control my giggles as I trotted around like a little girl on too much sugar. We grabbed a backpack out of the box as well, having trouble squeezing our arms through the miniscule straps. Parents shot us weird, annoyed glances as we walked around in the children's gear, but I didn't even care.
After we got the ''briefing mission'' in the starting barracks - we had to find six hidden symbols that each represented a number to defuse a bomb - we counted down and then I opened the doors with the press of a gigantic red button. I ran forward into the mock warzone, Jade trailing behind, disinterest practically emanating from her figure. Smoke enveloped my body and I could barely even see. Loud gun sounds and screams nearly made me deaf and I wondered how this was ever suited for kids anyway.
But I had to stay in character. I was having way too much fun. I ran back and grabbed Jade's hand, tugging her along with me. I smacked back-first into a wall, holding up my gun as I peeked around the corner and I made some hand signals. "Coast is clear, West. Go, go, go!"
Jade groaned loudly, yet she grabbed the gun with both hands and jumped around the corner, shooting the target in front of her.
I swiftly made my way around her, leading the way. Staying low, I scooted past the open area and kicked in the door of the little, what was supposed to be bombarded house. The door nearly crashed out of its hinges and I laughed, buckling over as I entered the shelter. The noise was blaring way less here and it was a welcome change. Jade entered after me, a serious look on her face as she hid behind the crooked door. "Captain Vega! How many numbers do we have?"
"I don't know, West." I tried to pull a poker face but the joy seeped through my voice so much that it wavered. "Sarge told me they'd have to be around somewhere."
"Roger that." she pushed herself off the door and searched the house, the ammo boxes that were stored randomly across the room and underneath some of the rubble. I looked through the stuff on the other side of the room and it wasn't long until I spotted the first symbol - an explosive sign - and the number four. I turned around on my heels. "West! It's four! Screw that in your mind!"
Jade jumped into a salute, shouting. "Sir-eh, m'am! Yes m'am!"
I was ungraciously bellowing as we exited the house, legs too weak of laughter to actually run. Rounding a corner, I dropped down on one knee and shot a target, making the way free for Jade, who spurted past me, skidded around the corner and dove face-first into a fake bush. I snorted rather un-ladylike and proceeded to make my way through the smoke-infested area and dive into the plant too, right next to the raven-haired girl. I steadied myself on my elbows. "Whatcha got, private?"
Her face emerged out of the bush real close to mine and my heart skipped a beat. "Number seven! ...Wait-" her mouth twisted into a pout. "I'm only a private?"
I smiled sweetly and got up out of the bush, charging forward to the next stop. I heard Jade pluck herself off the shrub and pursuit me. Her voice was hinted with laughter as she caught up, grabbed my wrist with extraordinarily warm hands and turned me around in mid-run. "Cap'n! Why am I only a private?"
My eyes trailed all over her face as the words slowly lodged themselves in my head. I couldn't focus. I couldn't think. Shivers raked my spine as Jade moved her hands around my waist, pulling me against her hips and I gasped. The feeling I had earlier in Sikowitz's class came rushing back to me. It was hard to breathe all of a sudden.
Beautiful emerald eyes burned into mine, friendly fire for once flaring behind them, and for a moment I didn't know what to do.
Jade's gaze was captivating and I just stood nailed to the ground. Then I leaned forward and gave Jade a kiss on the cheek. I almost broke my cool act pulling back, wanting to apologize for what I did, but the pale-skinned girl remained blissfully silent so I bit the sorries back. "My rules, remember?"
I skipped off, heart breaking out of my ribcage, not getting the foolish grin off my face. I tried to ignore the tingles that made their way all over my body. I brushed it off as excitement for the game we were playing. It was nothing more, nothing less. Yet deep down I knew I was wrong. I just didn't know why. I just knew. Jade was finding a new way of getting to me and this time it was not by insults and pranks, no. No, it was by doing something far more deeper that I could not yet identify.
"Yes m'am." Jade replied slowly, words rolling past her lips as if she was tasting them, and I could practically hear the smirk dripping from her voice.
We completed the course not much later, not being able to defuse the ''bomb'' in time because we were fooling around. I managed to break one of the targets and Jade somehow had gotten her foot stuck behind a box and fell stretched out onto the ground. We were nearly crawling over the floor with laughter by the time we got to the exit.
Getting there, staff was waiting for us. I put up my big, innocent puppy eyes as Jade tried to talk us out of it, which worked, magically.
I offered to buy some coffee for her on my treat, for all the fun and for her tricks she played to advert the staff-crisis. I couldn't believe I just had such a good time with Jade. She had laughed and played along and made a fool of herself. She looked happy. No matter all the days I had already spent with the ''new'' Jade, it still amazed me. I smiled as we were standing in the line of the little restaurant. I was absentmindedly deciding what cupcake to get. They all looked so delicious.
"Tori?"
I turned around, smiling. "Yeah?"
Jade looked down, a very light blush on her cheeks. My smile broadened; it was a rare sight to see her embarrassed or being humble. "I will lynch you if you tell this to anyone, and I will forever deny it, but I had a lot of fun today. I haven't felt like this in quite a while. It's actually the first time I liked going to a museum."
"Really? Why's that? Don't tell me this is like, your second museum visit ever."
"No, no, it's not like that." she shrugged, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "It's just that, whenever my parents took me somewhere, they were either fighting or on the phone, busy with work. I was left to enjoy myself, and that's something I'm kind of lousy at." Jade's eyes pried into mine and I could see the truth in them. "I always ended up either harassing some other kids or simply strutting out of the place with my parents not knowing where I was." she paused for a little bit. I gave her a reassuring nod.
"They'd only ever find me after an hour or two. They didn't even give a damn where I was or what I was doing. I could be dead for all they knew, they wouldn't care."
I paid the cashier, nearly dropping the money as Jade confessed. We quickly got our order and got to a table, plopping down on the seats opposite of each other. Jade took a sip of steaming hot coffee first before continuing. "I don't think they even care now. All they ever do is get mad at me, with or without reason. I guess I'm the scapegoat, in some way."
"I got used to it. I thought maybe my friends would take me to do fun things, but I found myself not able to enjoy them. My experiences from my childhood were so bad that I can't push them away in what I do now. I wanted to enjoy though, but I couldn't." she shrugged, black and blue hair rippling down her shoulders, friendly eyes slowly settling on mine. "So they stopped taking me to events altogether. I was no fun anyway, right? And as for Beck... let's just say he's always up for other stuff."
Jade waited expectantly for me to reply, red lips curling into a smile above her coffee cup and I cursed my inability to speak at that moment. I was just so overrun with the things she'd said. It was like the revelation I was waiting for all along, like a dark secret from old times that had been found while thinking it was long gone and dead. Jade West wasn't a mean person by default.
"Wow, Jade, I- I never knew." what an intelligent thing to say.
The pale-skinned girl waved her hand, dismissing me. "It's okay. Like I said, I'm used to it. Sure, sometimes I still think that maybe things could have been better, but that's always the case, isn't it? Everything could be better. But it's not like anything is going to change now anyway. It's said and done."
Silence returned and a deep breath shook my lungs. I lacked real words to say. "Thanks."
"What for?" Jade's eyebrows crunched above her eyes in question, the dark coffee that she was glancing from in brilliant contrast with the verdant in her mysterious eyes.
"For telling me this." I shrugged, feeling a warm blush work its way up my cheeks. It sounded silly but I meant every word. "Really, it means a lot to me, and I want you to know that you can trust me. I'll be here, you know that, right? For everything. You can talk whatever and whenever."
"Don't expect more, Vega." Jade smirked, mock anger in her voice. Eyes swerved, staring out the window and I caught myself staring. I couldn't even care, it all didn't matter what I knew about her and what I didn't. It would come in time. All I knew was that I hadn't felt so good, so light-hearted, so appreciated and warm in forever. I felt like I could take on the world if Jade wanted me to.
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A/n: mehmehmeh. I don't even know what this chapter is. Tell me if it's good or not please because I don't know anymoar D:
The actual event of the Army Museum is based on an actual museum near my house where I went with my ex-girlfriend, who was my girlfriend to be back then. It was kind of a big thing back then for me because that's when we actually really started to show our mutual crush... so I figured it'd be nice to let that happen in the fic too (:
Read&review please! I'd appreciate it (:
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Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious
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