At school the next day, Tori avoided Jade. She spent a restless night thinking about exactly what to do when she saw her and came up with nothing. Paying attention in class took effort and when that two-tone bell rang indicating the lunch period, Tori jerked awake. Completely in her own zone, she trudged to the outdoor cafeteria and plunked down at their usual table.

"You on a diet or something?"

Tori's head rested on her folded arms. She opened her eyes to see Andre talking to her.

"I just sat down!" she protested tiredly.

Andre, Cat and Robbie exchanged looks and when Tori raised her head, she saw everyone was half-way through their meals. Robbie was actually finished.

"How long was I out?" she asked.

"Oh! Since you sat there," Cat answered, giving no indication of time span.

Tori hadn't noticed up till now that Jade was sitting beside her. Whatever she was eating smelled divine and Tori's stomach grumbled.

Tori's restless night caused her to sleep right through the buzz of her alarm clock. In her rush to get to school, she skipped breakfast and forgot her wallet.

"I forgot to bring money," Tori clarified as to why she was sleeping rather than eating. She hungrily eyed Jade's meal which was chicken penne.

"Here," Jade said faintly, sliding the tray over to her.

All of them froze staring at Jade and Tori's heart skipped a beat. Even Beck was surprised.

"The chicken tastes like crap and a fly fell in it," she covered up, crossing her arms.

"That's just extra protein, girl," Rex said and everyone went back to eating, not seeing the way Jade gazed at Tori.

"Hey guess what?" Beck spoke up. "Jade and I are celebrating our anniversary. We're going up to my cottage for the weekend," he declared, putting his arm around her.

Tori's stomach knotted but she continued eating, not reacting in any way.

"Awesome, I'll bring my snorkeling gear!" Robbie exclaimed.

"He's not inviting us fool," Rex said to him.

"He's not?" Robbie asked, glancing around the table at all of them for confirmation.

Andre shook his head. "No man. They want to be alone," he said, giving Beck a knowing smirk.

"A nice dinner, some candles and a Saw movie marathon – just what Jade loves. Right babe?" Beck said, hugging her close and giving her a quick kiss.

That only tightened the knot in Tori's stomach and she couldn't swallow the bit of food in her mouth.

"I feel sick," she said, standing abruptly.

"Did you eat the fly?" Cat asked her but Tori was already walking away.

Tori didn't want to hear any more about Jade and Beck's romantic weekend. Jade pulled out of Beck's embrace and got up as well.

"I'll go after her. I want to be able to yell at her if she's throwing up."

o-o-o

Tori scrounged up some change from her purse and bought a bottle of water. She was leaning against locker, sipping it when Jade caught up to her.

"What do you want?" Tori asked briskly, not letting Jade get a hint of the warm sensation which spread through her chest when she saw that Jade chased her.

"Janitor's closet. Now," Jade said angrily.

Tori stood still and so did Jade, both of them waiting for the other to yield first.

"Fine, whatever." Tori was finished playing these stupid games with Jade.

It took everything she had to admit to Jade how she felt and Jade couldn't even call. Tori had kept her cell on all night. She capped the bottle and headed for the cramped maintenance room.

Going in first, Tori was completely not ready for getting spun around and pressed against the closed door. Jade was on her instantly, smashing their lips together, piercing Tori's mouth with her sharp tongue. Overwhelmed, Tori allowed her to take advantage, surrendering to her.

"Wait . . . wait," she panted even as she curved her neck to Jade's mouth. "Are you still going to the cottage?"

That put a stop to Jade's ministrations and she released Tori with exasperation.

"What does it matter?" Jade argued and Tori knew that she was positively aware of why it should matter. She wasn't about to let her off the hook that easily.

"Are you kidding?"

"I don't have to have this conversation," Jade said, trying to get passed her and to the door.

"Yes, you do," Tori countered, smacking her hand away from the knob.

"Move out of the way Vega. Or I'll make you move."

Jade said it flat and lacking emotion and it destroyed any prospect Tori had about the possibility of any sort of relationship. Maybe she was wrong thinking Jade felt something more for her. Tori moved out of her way and Jade left without another word.

o-o-o

After the incident in the janitor's closet, Tori and Jade didn't as much as glance at each other at school. The weekend loomed ever closer and Tori continued to tell herself that she didn't care. On Friday afternoon, as a distraction, Tori decided to go for a bike ride. She had yet to give Beck is bike back. The weather was as scorching as ever and even though she was about to go biking, Tori had a light, cottony skirt on. She was wearing boy cut panties underneath so she figured it'd be alright.

Fifteen minutes into the ride, Tori was nearing Jade's street. She knew Jade and Beck would be packing up to leave for the weekend and told herself she was just returning his bike.

As expected, the two of them were standing in driveway when she rode up. A huge, bulky cooler was giving Beck a hard time by not wanting to fit into the tiny space left in his car's back seat. Beck had his back against it, holding it from the bottom and was attempting to cram it.

"Hey!" Tori said causally despite her heart beginning to thud in her chest at the sight of Jade.

"Oh hi Tori. I see I'm finally getting my bike back," Beck said, adjusting his grip on the cooler.

Tori hardly heard him although she faked paying attention.

"Beck?" Jade said, her eyes on Tori.

"Yeah babe?" He had gone back to pushing the unrelenting bulk into the backseat again. It didn't budge an inch but because he had made up his mind on getting it in, Beck would do so whether it was possible or not.

"There's a smaller cooler in the kitchen. Just go and repack the food."

The minute Beck stopped pushing, the cooler fell to the driveway. Clearly, repacking it was the logical solution but he looked crestfallen. He sighed, picked it up, holding it against his chest, and went inside.

"What the hell are you doing here Vega?"

Tori said nothing and stood stupidly holding up the bike. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, something dangerously honest might come out.

"Don't go with him," was all she could think to say.

Jade stomped over to her, her nose flaring, her jaw set and for a second Tori thought she was going to hit her.

"I don't know what you think is going on with us but whatever little fantasy you've got dreamed up, cut it out."

"You kissed me." Tori said through her teeth. "You started this." Her hands squeezed the bike's handlebars, nails digging in, leaving marks in the soft rubber.

"Yeah, well now I'm stopping it," Jade said, going over to the side of the car where one of the windows was rolled down.

Popping in bent at the waist, Jade rearranged a few things in the backseat with one hand while holding on to the window frame with the other. Tori left the bike propped on its kickstand and came to slump against the side of the car where half of Jade's torso disappeared inside. Never one to let things be easy, Jade completely ignored her.

"You're just afraid," Tori said, thinking the provocation would reach her.

"Oh what the fuck Tori! Afraid of what exactly? Afraid of being attracted to girls?" Jade ridiculed, talking to her through the car's back window.

"No," Tori said softly, shaking her head.

She curled her fingers around Jade's wrist, her thumb delicately skimming the vulnerable underside of Jade's forearm. "Afraid of being attracted to me."

In one fluid motion, Jade ducked out of the car and recoiled away from Tori, cradling her arm as if Tori hurt it rather than held it. Her eyes, big and green, nervously darted to the door, checking if Beck returned. But they were still alone in her driveway.

"Leave," Jade uttered, putting more distance between them. "Leave now. Please."

If Jade had been angry, if she insulted her, if she had thrown out a lie about it all not meaning a thing to her, Tori would have left.

But Jade's eyes glistened in the afternoon sun, her inner lip was pinched in her teeth and Tori felt her own eyes prickle. She couldn't continue looking at her. The situation unexpectedly turned serious and Tori didn't even know how it happened.

There was a loud thud when Beck stumbled through the door holding the other, smaller cooler. He almost dropped it coming down the steps to the car.

"There was a lot of meat in there," he said putting the plastic container on the ground and sweeping his hair back.

That's when Beck noticed something was amiss. Both girls stood still, hardly acknowledging his presence and Beck normally did not have issues with girls not noticing him.

"Should I go back to the house again?" He asked, looking from Jade to Tori.

He really was a sweet guy and because he was physically there, physically in front of her, it gave Tori a guilty conscience. Yes, she did want Jade to be with her, as crazy as that sounded even in her head. Except now she wished it could happen without Beck getting hurt.

"No. Just get that in the car and we're done," Jade said, a little more under control.

The cooler went in with no trouble and Beck circled the car to get in the driver's seat. Without a second glance, Jade went to the passenger side. Just like that, the conversation was over and Tori couldn't help feeling that something important slipped away. Something she could have caught that might've changed the outcome. But it was too late and the engine was roaring to life and then Beck was backing out of the driveway. The car stopped beside her.

"You can hang onto my bike until Monday," Beck said to her through the open window.

Jade was looking in the opposite direction. Opening his mouth, Beck wanted to add something else then changed his mind.

"See ya in a few days."

The car swooped down the rest of the drive, completed a three-point turn and speedily closed the distance to turn out of Jade's cul-des-sac.

Tori's hands felt heavy and she struggled to lift them on the handle bars of the bike. She kicked the stand up but couldn't seem to get on the bike. Preferably, she stared off into space, her mind as confusingly blank as her gaze.

Maybe she was crazy. Two weeks ago, she was the Tori who, aside from wild occasional hijinks, lead a normal teenage life. Fourteen days later, she was the Tori who had kissed a girl, had a girl's hand in her panties, and had that girl turn her world upside down.

That wasn't important anymore though. It was over.

Tori led the bike down the slight slope of the driveway and had one foot on the pedal when she heard the screech of tires. Suddenly Beck's car appeared at the end of the street, coming to a jerking stop. The door opened, Jade got out with a duffle bag slung over her shoulder and started walking while the car drove away. Tori thought the bright, afternoon sun had induced a hallucination because she couldn't possibly be seeing that.

Time seemed to divide. It seemed to progress in jumps because Jade was no longer at the bottom of the street but was standing right in front of Tori. Jade's face was a mirage of emotions which only promoted the idea that Tori was hallucinating.

"I couldn't do it," Jade said, her voice horse.

Tori wasn't sure what it was Jade couldn't do specifically but knew not to interrupt.

"I couldn't go with— I didn't want to go with him."

Something radiant and barbed unfolded behind Tori's ribcage and she drew in a ragged breath. A million things to say rushed through her like a film set on fast-forward and Tori settled on the simplest one.

"Anyone home at your place?"

o-o-o

Jade led her into her bedroom and closed the door. She dropped the duffle bag near her walk-in closet.

"Come here," she said softly, outstretching her hand to Tori.

Tori walked over on unsteady legs. She took her hand and Jade pulled her up the three steps to stand next to her bed.

"Sit," Jade ordered and lightly shoved Tori backwards so that Tori had no choice but to sit on the edge of the bed.

Palms resting on top of Tori's naked knees, Jade bent down to kiss her. Chaste caresses hastily became lustful and Tori opened her mouth, inviting Jade in. The hands planted on her knees, pushed them apart. Under the skirt, Jade plucked at her pale orchid boy panties, slipping them down Tori's slender legs. She broke the kiss and knelt down in front of Tori.

"Jade I— " was as far as Tori got.

The words became an extended moan when Jade's mouth fastened on her, hot and engulfing. No one had ever done this to her and Tori's brain buzzed with white noise. She looked down and seeing Jade's head between her legs made everything sharper. Tori fell back on the bed. Jade shortly wiped her mouth and followed.

They didn't so much undress as tear off each other's clothes. There was no taut duvet or abundance of decorational pillows covering the bed and they effortlessly slipped in under the covers. Side by side, Tori's tanned body moved languidly against Jade's beautifully pale one. Their exploring hands finally settled in the place both girls were aching and again time felt disordered to Tori, its existence between the sheets progressing slower than regular time. Her eyes shut and her breathing snagged in her throat when Jade's fingers entered her. Still on her side, Tori hitched her knees to her chest and rode the hand between her legs. Jade's hotly, whispered encouragements as her hand worked faster kindled an orgasm which left Tori shaking. Impatiently, Tori wanted to return the favor.

"Lie on your back," she told Jade, getting on top of her and sneaking a hand down between their lean bodies. Words started pouring out of Tori's mouth she never thought she'd be capable of saying, her fingers pushing in skillfully and setting Jade ablaze. Jade grabbed at the sheets, begging for more but both of them were unprepared for how far it would actually go. When Tori ultimately asked, "Do you want me to?", Jade desperately nodded and Tori reached into the drawer of Jade's bedside table.

o-o-o

Another gorgeous sunset greeted Tori when she came out of the adjoining bathroom in Jade's room. The shower had been refreshing and Tori only wished she had clean clothes to change into. Jade stood in front of a full-length mirror combing her semi-wet hair. The mirror was opposite of the window and it the caught sun's rays, reflecting shards of orange and red across the room. Tori looked at Jade in the mirror for a long time until they made reflected eye contact. Jade halted brushing her hair.

"What?"

Tori didn't want to ruin the evening but she had to know.

"What did you tell Beck?"

Jade looked away, scrutinizing her hairbrush.

"I said I changed my mind about going," she said simply.

Part of Tori already knew she hadn't told Beck the real reason. Truthfully, even Tori wasn't sure of the real reason.

"And how did he take that?"

"He was pissed off, what the hell do you think!"

Jade disappeared into the bathroom. There was a clank as she threw down the brush on her counter. When she came out, she pointedly ignored Tori.

Tori's next question was going to be even more difficult but just as with the first one, it would dig at her till she asked.

"Isn't this sort of like cheating on him?"

"No," Jade answered at once.

"No? How is it not?" Her brain kept saying shut up and her heart said to keep going.

"Because I'm not— " Jade stopped, as if for the first time realizing she was saying this aloud and not just thinking it. "Because I'm not into chicks."

Before Tori could so much as open her mouth to state her confusion, Jade spoke again, her words rushing out.

"I don't get what's going on okay? I've never thought about girls like that. When I walked in and you were standing by my bed with that in your hand, something just . . . I don't know, went off."

This was probably the most insightful thing Jade had said to her and probably more than she wanted to say.

"So why isn't it cheating then?" Tori asked, a playful smile playing at the corners of her lips. She didn't want Jade angry, she just really wanted to know her reasoning.

"Because it's like an adventure," Jade said. She continued when Tori's eyebrows shot up doubtfully. "You know, like white-water rafting or skydiving."

"Like skydiving?" Tori repeated, suddenly realizing how much she liked spending time with Jade. "Yeah, I guess it does feel a bit like free falling," Tori said humorously, after thinking about it for a moment.

A smile ghosted Jade's lips and she came to stand in front of Tori, mimicking her tender gestures and tucking wild strands of hair behind her ears. Her hands came to rest on Tori's shoulders.

"I'm glad you see it my way," Jade said not unkindly.

Tori's smile widened at that. She'd leave the tougher questions for later. For now, she was content just being here with Jade.

o-o-o

A few students including Beck were already inside the classroom on Monday morning when Tori got there. Beck waved then gave her a questioning look when she sat further back than usual. Things between Jade and Beck were patched over and all right but Tori was absurdly worried that somehow he'd figure out what was going on just by looking at her face.

She shrugged at him from her far seat and just as he was about to say something, Jade came in through the door in a maroon trimmed, black wrap-over top that showed off a lot cleavage. Wearing black skinny jeans and her maroon combat boots to match, Jade slowly strut past Tori's desk and sat down next to Beck. Has Jade always dressed this hot or am I loosing my mind, Tori wondered until Beck whistled and asked her who she was trying to impress.

"Do you have another boyfriend in this class I should know about?" He joked.

"Yeah, maybe I do," she retorted and Beck laughed, leaning down to pull something out of his bag. Jade's eyes flicked to Tori for a second and then they were back on Beck as he sat up.

Tori wasn't sure what would end up happening with her and Jade but no matter what, she definitely going to enjoy the ride.


A/N: So that's it. Hope you guys liked it and thanks for sticking around for nine chapters. I can't believe how long this story got and didn't think I could finish it which is why I was so grateful for all the reviews. But it's done now and I can move on to some other Jori stuff - PWP stuff probably just to counterbalance this monster :P