Chapter 8: Could You Repeat That?
Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious or any of the characters.
Author's Note: Hello dear readers, it's me again! Hope you all are doing well, I sincerely hope nobody died or ended up in hospital or anything. A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed and alerted the last chapter, you guys rock. Here's the next one hope you all like it, and please don't forget to review.
Tori exhaled a frustrated cloud of breath as she stole a glance at the clock on the kitchen counter. The hours seemed to shave by in the Vega household, each one bringing a newfound hell into her head; not that she wished for sleep – tonight, her insomnia was well deserved. Every time her eyes closed, Cat's crimson velvet hair streaked past her. Her ears would not soon forget the choked cry neither her friend echoed, nor the hasty rev of her car's engine as she escaped away into her grief. Almost singlehandedly, she had managed to crush the innocence that made Cat's life so wonderfully naïve, yet so completely ideal at the same time. The last time it had been a kiss that had sealed her betrayal; this time it was the pulsing life inside of her: it seemed that her fate was tied to bring woe to the ones she loved. "Way to go Vega, keep on ruining lives" she muttered irritably. She shook her mahogany locks to clear her head of the self-loathing, but all it seemed to do was agitate her more. For the life of her, she could not seem to see any plausible way out of this without anyone getting hurt. There was simply too much emotion tangled up in the situation to analyze it rationally. Whatever decision she took had to come from the heart, not the head – she just prayed it would be the right one, ignoring the possibility that anything she did could be wrong.
"Great, now I'm hungry!" The Latina's eyes widened with a small delight, temporarily displacing her melancholy aside. "Oh my God, my first craving!" Heeding the incessant call of her hunger pangs, she rushed over to the refrigerator and opened the freezer door, bent on satisfying the lust for sweetness that had magically arisen within her body. This was the one temptation she would allow to lure her in with its seductive thrall and overpower her in its decadence, all without the emotional guilt. Her fingers ignored the icy pricks of air piercing through her skin – she was determined to have her prize. Grabbing the thick cylinder, she shut the door and brought it to the faint light creeping in from the street outside. "Chocolate ice-cream, you make everything better" she whispered excitedly. It seemed a bit hypocritical of her to derive such an intense bliss from the velvety dessert, given that she always gave Trina a sardonic stare whenever she hoarded the container like a madwoman; but tonight she threw away her conventions. She could almost taste the satisfying tang of the creamy cocoa luxury streaking across her tongue and setting it alight in sensual debauchery. Her senses went into overdrive, sending vivid smudges of pleasure across her entire body. Only the quiet of the night was witness to her raw contentment. "God, you turn me on!"
The Latina's eyes scoured the kitchen for a spoon, finding one hanging on the washboard near the sink. Grabbing it with an eager yelp, she flung open the lid and stared at the deep brown self-indulgence on which her sanity so desperately hinged upon. She was about to spear the spoon deep into the heart of the dessert when her ears picked up on the soft monotone ring of the telephone from the far end of the room. She clicked her tongue impatiently as she walked over to the source of her distraction, about to give whoever was on the other end of the line the full extent of her wrath. To appease Trina's absurd need for fourteen hours of sleep, Mrs. Vega usually lowered the telephone's ringing volume every night before she went to sleep so that the entire household didn't have to face the self-absorbed ramblings of its eldest daughter in the morning. Unfortunately, Tori was the only one who seemed to hear the phone singing its way to the night, earning her the distinct title of 'The Night Secretary'. The Latina grabbed the receiver with an iron grip, nursing her treasured ice-cream into her bosom. "WHAT?"
"Ooh, someone's testy. First trimester mood swings?" Tori gave an angry huff. "Jade, why are you calling my house in the middle of the night?"
"Well, I wouldn't have to if you answered your cell."
"It broke. Look, I'm kind of in the middle of something here, what do you want?"
"Open your front door." The Latina rolled her eyes cynically. "If I do, will I find you there?" She heard the Goth's breath heave uncomfortably over the line. "If you want me to go, I'll go" she whispered softly. Her tone was unwavering in its sincerity, too honest and pure for the Latina to handle at this point. Jade could really tug at the heartstrings like no other. "Give me a minute" sighed Tori wearily. "And this better be worth it."
The Latina sat her beloved dessert down on the coffee table, silently mourning the fact that fate always seemed to rob of even the smallest bits of happiness. She hurried over to the door, swearing under her breath with every curse known to man. "If it isn't me and Danny, it's me and Jade, can I get a fucking break my life?" Lifting a hand to the neon keypad of the alarm, she punched in the disarming code and heard a singular beep echo throughout the living room. Her other hand reached for the keys hanging on the side of the door and fiddled with the huge metallic bundle until she found the right implement. She angrily inserted the key into the door, unlocking it and pushing it open. Her expression soured at the Goth's superior smirk. It was definitely far too early in the morning for this. It wasn't that Jade judged her every action: she too had gone off the deep end in her emotional extremities, so she couldn't afford to point fingers. What irked the Latina was how well the Goth seemed to understand her – she instantly understood her moods as if they were her own. Tori felt like an open book to her, vulnerable and naked, just waiting to be swayed. Right now, all it would take was one slip, and the Latina felt like she'd spin into infinity.
"You look like hell" smiled the Goth devilishly. She flicked her dark locks back and let her eyes soak up the strained mask painted across Tori's face. The Latina scathingly pouted her lips. Her eyes flashed dangerously in the weak light of the city. Her beauty, raw and untamable by definition, seemed to echo throughout the darkness, each wave hitting the Goth's soul. To her, Tori Vega could never look like hell, not even close. She would always have this fierce elegance that stole the breath of everyone who ever had the privilege of laying eyes on her. "Thanks for that" she muttered, snapping the Goth away from her deviations. "It's not everyday I get to go to my friend's funeral." Jade exhaled a long breath. "OK, you're mad I didn't come."
"I couldn't care less Jade. But just think; if it were you lying in that coffin, Robbie would be the first one to cry over it!"
"I really wish it was me in that coffin" murmured the Goth, lowering her eyes to her feet. Tori shook her head. "You're not the only one with issues. Get inside, and be quiet. The last thing I need is Trina's bitching in the morning."
"Why yes ma'am."
Jade passed the Latina and entered the sacred sanctity of the Vega house. At night, there seemed to be something surreal about the place, almost as if it took on a new life. It could be the lack of people or the close proximity to Tori, but the raven beauty felt a powerful enchantment tinge the air. Her soft, black eyes focused onto the ice-cream container and spoon sitting conspicuously on the coffee table. "You're going to eat all of that by yourself?" she asked incredulously, pointing towards the dessert. "Well, I was" said Tori flatly, walking past the Goth and unceremoniously dumping herself onto the couch. "But now you're here."
"I'm not stopping you from pigging out. By all means, go ahead."
"If I did, I'd have to ask you to leave the room. The way I'm feeling right now, I'd probably orgasm the moment the spoon touched my mouth." She threw the Goth a brief grin. "So why didn't you come today?"
"It's complicated" breathed Jade, placing herself at a safe distance away from the Latina. She had yet to reach the emotional placidity she wanted so badly. Every second she spent with Tori seemed to bring a new detail to adore: the way her eyes softened when she laughed or the way her mouth creased when she smiled. There was nothing that her heart didn't seem to latch itself onto. She watched in quiet awe as the love of her life tilted her head quizzically. "Jade, I think we both have PhD's in complicated. Your excuse just fell flat."
"OK, here goes." The Goth stared deeply into the Latina's eyes, trying to ignore the tempestuous butterflies hammering their way out her stomach. "Did you know that Robbie was gay?" Tori frowned bewilderedly. "Please, he was not gay. He hit on Trina for God's sakes, remember?"
"He left Beck a note" said Jade quietly, unable to hold the Latina's inquiring gaze any longer. "He was in love with him." Tori shifted uncomfortably against the bright red couch. "And that's why he did it?" The Goth slipped her head into a single nod upon hearing the vulnerable tremor of her voice. "Beck's finished. I mean, I've seen him devastated before but never like this."
"And the two of you-"
"Yeah. That's why we weren't there today. I spent the entire day trying to convince him that none of this is his fault."
"You're such a good girlfriend" murmured the Latina, trying desperately to decrease her widened eyes back to their normal size. Jade fidgeted her wrists nervously. "I'm not his girlfriend." She turned her head up to see Tori raise her eyebrows in surprise. "We broke up the day Robbie died." The Latina gave quick shakes of her head to try and make sense of what was going on. Once again, the world around her started to invert itself the moment she'd begin to trust anything or anyone. She could feel herself slip into the madness. "Oh God Jade, why'd you go and do that?"
"Why?" asked the Goth incredulously. "You actually need to know why?"
"Keep your voice down!"
"How would you like it if you had to live a lie that killed you inside every minute of every day?"
"I am!" hissed the Latina furiously. Her eyes sparked in fury, enough to melt Goth's cold venom. "I have no one but myself in all of this! I cant even bring myself to tell my parents that their about to be grandparents a decade earlier than expected and one of my best friends just found out that the baby I'm carrying was fathered by her boyfriend!"
"Cat knows?"
"No genius, I'm talking about Trina!" Tori brushed the back of her hand across her forehead wearily. "Danny told her as soon as we came back from the funeral and she took off. I didn't even get a chance to explain." She sighed, feeling the world's weariness seep into her very soul. "How did everything get so messed up Jade?"
"I don't know. We can't help who we fall in love with." The Latina smiled at the soft caress of her silken voice. "You know, the sad thing is that Danny and I… we're the kind of people that burn obsessively right into each other. We do nothing but hurt."
"I always kind of thought you loved him."
"Yes, but I think I need something a little more concrete." She gazed at the Goth with an unreadable mask. This was absolutely crazy, so far beyond her usual realm of what she held dear – and yet she held no fear, no apprehension, just the lonely call inside of her begging to be complete. "I think that you and I should date."
-xoxoxoxoxo-
"Vega, this is the fourth time I'm calling you, get your knocked up ass down here as quickly as you can! And this better not be some sick, twisted joke, because that is MY job!" Jade slammed down the phone onto her table, drawing the stares of the fellow diners at The Mermaid's Tail. "Mermaid's Tail" muttered the Goth darkly, feeling an unusual blush heat the pale mounds of her cheeks. "More like Mermaid's Ass with all this… mess is too good a word to describe it. And to top it off, she's late. She KNOWS I hate people being late." Her eyes widened in horror. "Oh dear God, this could all be part of her plan! This is payback for all those times I mocked her with that stupid Southern accent! Senjin could be here taping this entire thing!" Her eyes narrowed back to their normal size as she realized how ridiculous her mental ramblings sounded. A calming breath exhaled her pouted lips, easing back into her seat. The icy demeanor she held like a uniform was fast giving way to the kind of silly blonde behavior so typical of the other girls at Hollywood Arts. "Oh Vega… if I ever stop loving you, I will gladly slit your throat for making me like a lovesick puppy."
It had been two days, and forty-eight hours of total madness for the Goth. Even now, her mind would not stop obsessing over the Latina's words. "She thinks we should date… each other to be more precise. OK, I have officially stepped into some alternate reality." Truth be told, Jade's heart had done gymnast flips ever since she left Tori to the comfort of her ice-cream. She hardly dared to believe her luck; fearing that disaster might be lurking nearby, insidiously waiting to steal her thunder. Tori still hadn't given her a reason as to what had caused her sudden change of heart – it could have been from the sudden surge in hormones, but the Goth had a sneaking suspicion that Robbie's death and Cat's discovery of her pregnancy played equal parts of it. Her theory was that Tori currently felt some murky combination of guilt and desperation: it was as simple as her not wanting the Goth to follow Robbie's path and just wanting to fall and know that someone would definitely be there to catch her. Just thinking about it gave Jade tingles on her skin. "I've never done this for anyone before, not even Beck. It's scary how much I've invested in this already." She smiled to herself, feeling the streaks of pink return to her face. "You'd better be worth this."
"First sign of madness is smiling to yourself" came a cheerful whisper from behind her. Jade quickly hid her face into a blank mask as the Latina took her place on the seat right opposite her. She took in every detail as she tried her best to maintain her neutrality, letting her gaze linger on the playful smile playing on her lips. "You're late."
"I know, but it was a mission getting here" sighed Tori. She let her chin rest casually in her open palm. "Trina's not awake yet, so I pulled a Lara Croft and stole her car, all the while evading questions from my parents."
"You still haven't told them that a little bundle of joy is on the way?"
"I will. Just as soon as the time is right." She took a quick look around the less than tasteful diner. "Did you order already?"
"Yeah, I thought I'd get us the garlic bread since it's probably the only thing you can eat from the menu" replied the Goth flatly. She leaned forward in her chair. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"You know what." Jade breathed out deeply. "Look, if you're doing this because you feel sorry for me, we might as well call it quits here. I don't need your pity."
"And what if I said this was about me?"
"I'd say that it's pretty ridiculous that you can go from relationship-wrecker for the day to lesbian the next."
"Hey, I don't even know how to be a proper relationship-wrecker, whatever the hell that is!" Tori looked up thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, I don't know how to be a proper lesbian either; I was hoping you'd know."
"Vega, stop beating around the bush" snapped Jade, mentally rebuking herself for the less-than-tasteful pun. She watched with baited breath as the Latina shifted in her seat, contemplating her words carefully. Tori Vega at a loss for words – it seemed the revelations this week would never end. "Danny and I…" She rolled her eyes. "Even with Cat out of the equation, and no, I never ever wanted to get rid of her. Even, if she's gone, that still doesn't change anything between us. I love him and maybe a part of me always will-"
"Sounds absolutely wonderful" interrupted Jade softly. "You two should really get together."
"Just please let me finish before you make your sarcastic comments. Danny's too unpredictable for me." She motioned for the Goth to lean forward. "If I wasn't in my condition, I'd probably run away with him" she whispered quietly, unaware that her every word killed Jade slowly. "But I have someone else to think about, and that takes priority."
"So you just decided that I'd make a good substitute?"
"I'm not expecting anything from you, if that's what you're asking. I just want to see where this takes us." Jade eased back into her chair, pondering upon the Latina's statement with the kind of precision a detective could be proud of. "You don't know what you're asking of me. If this ends, I don't know that I could move on from you."
"Well, we're not at that point yet. And whatever this is, whatever happens, I think that we'd both be OK with it."
"Don't be so sure." Tori folded her arms and looked serenely at Jade. Her eyes seemed to change their shade of chocolate at their own will, entrancing the Goth from her emotional fortress. It was a hard job from the beginning, but she didn't expect it to be this difficult. And this was something that she'd have to do if she was to move on from the mess that was her life. She'd really have to put herself in the lion's den for this one. "Jade, trust me. Please, that's all I ask" she murmured softly. Her voice was ever so quiet, raining upon the Goth's ears like silken waves. It was a beseeching spell, one that could not be defeated – the harder Jade fought, the more she was trapped. She had officially lost herself.
Longest chapter to date! Please leave a review and let me know what you guys think ;) Till next time (which will be when I get a chance – I HATE WORK, DAMN IT!)
