Chapter 9
Jades POV –

Okay I know we have a weird friendship type relationship going on and its awkward as fuck for no apparent reason, but it's 6:30pm on a Friday evening, Tori should have been back from school hours ago! She won't text me back, she won't return my calls and neither Andre nor Cat have any idea where she is and I doubt she'd be with Beck.

Me and Ethan left the theme park an hour ago when it closed and went for dinner afterwards, now he is crashed out on my bed with his cartoon playing in the background, Spiderman cartoons of course. If he doesn't wake up before Tori comes home (if she comes home) then I'll move him to his bed and dress him appropriately.

We took a detour on our way to the Theme Park, we went and booked 3 seats on a flight to Hawaii and 2 bedroom suite in the Hilton Hotel. Ethan was bouncing with excitement as we booked it, I just hope as much as he that Tori agrees to come with us.

I'll ring her once more …
"Hi…. *finally* This is Tori Vega…." Damn it!

Does spending time with us seem so bad to her right now?

Toris POV –

*After School*
I need to see Courtney, it's been a few days since everything came out about her and Beck (which I hope she was unaware of causing) and since I told Jade about my past with her I guess I just need closure and to be able to get on with my life and maybe grow a pair and tell Jade how I feel.

So I'm sitting in my car outside of Starbucks, I know I shouldn't be nervous but its force of habit, my brain just loses control when I'm around her just like when I'm with Jade. Shit, she'd kill me if she knew I was going to talk to Courtney after what she did.

I suppose now is as good a time as any…

As I walk through the door our eyes immediately meet,
"Look Tori, I've heard about what happened, please, if you've come here to yell at me and go all "how could you" on my ass, don't! I don't need it and I don't want it from you so just go." So someone from our friend group has been here already, my guess is Andre, he knew her personally and he is pretty close with Jade… there's my logic anyway
"I just came here to talk to you, not yell, you're still my friend, right?"
"Um, okay I… just take a seat, I'll come join you in a minute, I'm due a break"

Wow, it's half 4 already, Jade and Ethan must be having fun! I'm glad they took this day to bond, with all the work Jade does for school I wonder how she ever had time to have fun with him. He is a great kid, really smart and funny, just like her.

I'm brought back to Earth by Courtney sitting opposite me,
"Look, I didn't know Beck was in a relationship, he just came in here one day and asked for my number and if we could go out sometime. I told him not to waste his time because I wasn't intending on dating anyone and he said fine let's not date, and when I asked if he was suggesting just benefits he nodded and walked out… that's all. There was never any mention of Jade or Hollywood Arts or our lives outside of the bedroom, we didn't want there to be. Is there anything I missed?"
"Thank you for that, I guess I'll tell Jade when I get back… Can I ask something? Were the rumours about you sleeping with anyone when we broke up true?"
"How did you hear…?"
"I kept in touch with a lot of our friends, just because you wanted nothing to do with me..."
"Okay! Yes they were true but I didn't want nothing to do with you, yeah my excuse was you were too busy which of course you were you had just started a crazy talented arts school. But I knew you were falling for Jade; all our conversations included her at some point, you competed against her from the day you entered that school and did you know you talk in your sleep?"
"I have no place to argue here do I? You could have told me this instead of letting me believe you just wanted nothing to do with me, but again thank you for the honesty." I mentally realise a breath I had been holding for months, Im so glad she was honest with me instead of using excuses. We spoke about everything and nothing until we realised it was nearing 5pm.
"I have one last question before I go back to work…"
"Sure, shoot."
"Are you and Jade an item? And I don't mean for your class assignment…"
"I want to be, I kissed her the night before we found out about you and Beck, but since she's been single she has never suggested or implied anything remotely close to what I feel so I guess not… I've gotta go, see you soon?"
"Of course, take care Tori… I am sorry, for everything…" I don't think I was meant to hear the for everything part but my ears picked it up.

I go for a drive to think about everything people have said to me today; like Sizowitz and the date thing and Courtney and her knowing my feelings for Jade long before I did. I guess I've just needed to open my eyes to it all.

I remembered a cute diner on a hill overlooking a lake which has a beautiful view of the sun setting and since its half 5 I guess I'll be just in time. It's just an added bonus they make great food and delicious coffee. I think I'll bring Jade here, Ethan too.

I ordered a cheese burger and fries, and a nice coffee. It was pretty great having some time in a place where nobody knew me and nobody had opinions on others. The sunset was perfect, just as I predicted, there were no clouds in the way so it made the sky a lovely red colour as the sun dipped beyond the horizon.

Once I got back to my car I heard a buzzing, it doesn't take much to confuse me but then it stopped and started a few seconds later. Crap my phone! 10 missed calls and 22 messages, I'm in shit.

Jades POV -
7pm! Where the hell is that girl? I am starting to worry, wait forget that, I am worrying! Jade West doesn't worry about people! So what if I'm madly in love with this girl, I don't worry about people. I didn't just say love, no no no no no. I can't love her! We're too different: we always fight, we are always competing against each other, she hogs the bathroom and the covers at night, I always have to out do her…
There's a fine line between love and hate…
Shut up!
Opposites attract…
Didn't I just tell you to shut up! Stupid conscience! I need a drink. I'll go put Ethan in his own bed then I can wind down.

When I was awkwardly changing Ethans top, I heard a certain Latina sneak in… She has some serious explaining to do!

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Miss Vega sneaking in?" I sound like this is blackmail worthy, but it sure as hell freaked out Tori
"I'm sorry I didn't call, I just-"
"You're sorry? Tori, I was worried sick, it takes half an hour to get from school IF there's traffic! Its 7pm! Where the hell were you?" I can't shout and I bet she's happy about that.
"I um went to Starbucks and then for some dinner and I forgot about technology for a while…" I am not going to be swayed by brief answers right now.
"Starbucks? Why on earth would you go to Sta-… You went to see her didn't you? Miss fake boobs?"
"In her defence they aren't fake…"
"Don't defend her! Why did you go see her?"
"To get an explanation for you… and I needed coffee after school"
"Okay, what's her explanation?"
"She didn't know about you. Beck asked if she wanted to go out, she said she doesn't do dating and Beck didn't care he still wanted her number and the benefits of dating without wasting time on the date, they never spoke about anything personal outside the bedroom department and neither wanted to. *after a few seconds of awkward silence* So, do you want to know what Sizowitz had to say?"
"Go ahead." So Beck didn't want to 'waste time' on the date part of things because we still did that, but because I don't find him sexually attractive anymore he decides to go for the first bimbo who agrees to a sex only arrangement, I hope they caught stuff off each other!
"We have to do a few things for him… 1. Go on at least 2 dates a week, 2. Hold hands, kiss, and I quote be all cutesy with each other in public and in school, you never know when he'll pop up… yeah I think that's it. Oh and something to do with coconut visions but I don't um know if that was highly relevant."

I get up and walk to the kitchen were a cotton candy stick is waiting for Tori, grab it and go and crouch in front of her
"Tori Vega, will you go on a date with me tomorrow night?"
If my crazy teacher is forcing me to date this girl, who am I to argue.
"Of course I will Jade." She uses my sweet sally peaches mocking voice, I can't help but giggle at the playfulness, maybe it will be easy enough to tell Tori how I feel.