A/N: I love most people. Seriously, I genuinely love most people but not all. Just had to let you know. Reviewwww?

Peace and love x

S T A R R Y E Y E D

CHAPTER NINE:

Tori almost couldn't believe it was the weekend again. One week ago, Jade and her had kissed for the very first time. No matter what Tori was doing, everything was just coming back round to Jade. It was Saturday morning when Andre and Robbie appeared at Tori's door on cue, holding a bag of Frozen Yoghurt. "Come on in" Tori stepped aside and let them through. As she sighed, her breath just seemed tired and lifeless.

"What's wrong Tori-dory?" Andre asked, frowning.

"Aside from the fact that we need to brainstorm money making ideas in order to raise $500 to pay Sinjin off so Trina can take his spot and not publicly humiliate us?" Tori looked back at him with a pointed look.

"When are the others getting here?" Robbie asked.

Tori wanted to slap him. Robbie was the one in the group who was always oblivious to the other's problems. "Cat won't answer my texts because… we had a fight, Jade and I aren't on speaking terms because of… stuff and Beck's hanging out with Jade, so…" she swung her arms around, "It's just us three".

"I have to give it to them" Andre added, "Usually when people break up, it's awkward but if they can still hang out with each other even when they're broken up, that must be real friendship".

"Unless they're back together?" Robbie asked.

"No, Jade's status is still at single" Tori said herself saying before she could stop herself. Andre looked at her knowingly but Tori ignored him and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"So Fundraising ideas" Tori said quickly, propping up the erasable whiteboard she stole from Trina's room, "Who's first?".

Both Andre and Robbie sat in silence while Tori looked down on them with a frown.

"Okay, I'll go first" Tori turned to the board with the erasable marker, "Bake sale" she wrote on the board and then added, "We can make some cupcakes, muffins, toffee covered apples and go around doors".

"I like that" Andre nodded, "My Grandmother has some recipes we could borrow".

"Car wash-" Tori began, writing on the white board.

"Oh yeah! A sexy car wash!" Robbie interrupted.

"Sexy car wash?" Andre raised an eyebrow.

"You know, girls in skimpy bikinis as they wash cars, they sometimes rub their own body against the car in a slow motion way as slutty music plays in the background" Robbie explained like it was obvious, "Sexy car wash!".

"I wish I could say we can afford the luxury of not losing our pride but unfortunately, we don't" Tori added the word 'sexy' in front of 'car wash' on the white board, "What else?".

"I could take my keyboard and busk for money?" Andre shrugged.

"A little desperate but anything goes" Tori wrote 'Busking' on the white board.

"Cat just text me back" Robbie said suddenly, "She said her cousin has a space in a Flea Market this afternoon that we can use, to sell junk and old things we don't want anymore".

"Cat is texting you back?" Tori sighed, "Tell her thanks but we can't use it if she doesn't come with us" she folded her arms.

"Tell her she has to come!" Andre cried, "With Beck and Jade not here, we're going to work overtime to make this money" he stood up angrily, "You what know? This Spain trip is for all of us! I'm gonna text them both and tell them if they don't help raise this money with us, they're not going to Spain. Tell Cat that as well!".

Robbie sighed, having to delete what he started to type again.

Tori ignored the swoop in her stomach at the thought of seeing Jade. "So junk to sell" Tori began, "I have some things I could sell I guess".

"Cat says she'll be right over" Robbie put his phone away.

"Cat can make the cakes here and bring them to the Flea Market to sell" Andre walked back over to the couch, "Robbie and Beck will manage our space at the Flea Market and while I provide the generous customers with some original Andre Harris music, Jade and Tori can set up the Car Washing bit as people drive in and out".

"Uh Andre" Tori began, "Why doesn't Cat do the Car Wash with Jade and I'll make the cakes?".

"Don't make me be creepy by explaining that you're hot and that'll attract customers" Andre told her sternly, "Just swallow your pride, ignore Jade and everything will be fine".

"Cat's hot" Robbie frowned.

"Cat's cute" Andre corrected him, "Cat's a big ball of candy cotton fluff! There's a difference".

"There's not a chance you guys are doing cool things this weekend is there?" Trina asked the room, coming down the stairs, "I mean, I'm not talking about gay clubs or anything like that-".

"She's speaking of it!" Andre clapped his hands over his ears.

"Trina" Tori glared at her sister, "We're just Fundraising but you're welcome to join us if you want".

"Fundraising?" Trina winced, "Ew. No way".

"You should help!" Andre cried, "This is your fault we're having to raise money in the first place!".

"Excuse me?" Trina cocked her eyebrow.

"We only gave Sinjin the last spot so we wouldn't have to pay him $500 for our fake ID's!" Tori cried, "By giving you the last spot instead of Sinjin, we now have to pay him the $500 we owed him in the first place, hence the Fundraising".

"Sexy car wash?" Trina looked at the board, "I'll do that! That gives me an excuse to wear my new stripy red and white bikini!".

"I'm here!" the door opened and Cat appeared, a little out of breath.

"Okay, Beck and Jade said they'd find some things to sell for the Flea Market" Andre looked down at his phone, "Time to get serious! Cat, Trina and Tori, you guys start making the baked delights, Robbie and I will take my parent's van and load it up with things we're going to sell. We'll come back for you in one hour and all head to the Flea Market together. Jade and Beck said they'll meet us there".

"Plan!" Trina cried, "Wait, what baked delights? Can't I just look pretty in my bikini?".

"Come on Trina" Tori walked towards the kitchen, "You can wear your bikini after".

"I'm going to make Red Velvet Cupcakes!" Cat hopped towards the kitchen, "Just like my hair!".

"See you soon" Andre called out, leaving through the front door with Robbie.

Tori glanced over to Cat, trying not to feel awkward. Should she say something to her? But Cat had already made the decision for her. She acted like normal Cat would, or really, what was normal for Cat and didn't say anything remotely awkward to Tori.

Tori was happy about that; she had Cat back as a friend at the very least.

She just wasn't sure how she was going to react to seeing Jade.

oOo

Andre's van pulled up outside the Flea Market. The doors opened and Cat jumped out, holding a covered tray of cupcakes to her chest, "And the cupcakes are alright everyone!".

"That's fantastic Cat" Andre jumped out of the van, "So where's our lot?".

"My cousin Yasmine said lot 23" Cat replied.

"I see it!" Robbie pointed to a row of tables after the rows of the tables they were standing at. Andre looked round and saw a large empty table with the sign post '23' on it.

"Right, Cat and Trina can start selling cakes" Andre replied, "Robbie and I will drive closer to lot 23 and start setting up our things there. Tori, you take the sign and the buckets and set up… over there".

Tori jumped out of the van, wearing her short denim shorts and a yellow bikini top.

"Why am I selling cakes?" Trina snapped, "I thought I was sexy car washing as well, otherwise why am I wearing this?" she gestured to her stripy red and white bikini.

"You can help Tori when she actually gets customers" Andre jumped back into his van and started the engine. Trina and Cat, who were both holding trays of their baked delights, watched the van drive closer to lot 23.

Tori, who was holding the homemade car wash sign under her arm and the two buckets of warm soapy water in her hands glanced over to the spot Andre had pointed at. The homemade sign that Cat had made read; 'CAR WASH; $15', "Come on, the faster we start this, the sooner we can finish it" Tori walked over to the space Andre had pointed to. She put the two buckets down and looked round, wondering where to put the homemade sign.

Tori spotted a patch of mud and dug the homemade sign's pole into it, smiling proudly when it didn't fall. She spun around when Robbie walked over to her and placed a large stereo next to the homemade sign.

"Aw Robbie, did you bring me music in case I got bored?" Tori grinned as Robbie tuned the stereo onto a radio that was blasting poppy music.

"Not really" Robbie stood back up, "Andre said if you could swing your hips a little it would attract customers".

"Oh so now I'm sex on a stick?" Tori raised her eyebrows, putting her hands on her hips.

"Don't blame me" Robbie cried, walking speedily back to lot 23, where Andre was currently setting up.

Tori sighed and glanced over to Trina and Cat. Cat was currently in the middle of selling her baked goods while Trina was just standing next to her, looking pissed off.

"And I'll just sit here and look pretty" Tori took a seat on the wall next to the homemade sign, swinging her head in time to the music. After a few more moments of boredom, Tori got up and picked up a sponge from the bucket, squeezing the excess water from it. She threw it back and forth from palm to palm when Cat walked over to her, holding the tray in her hands.

"Tori" Cat began slowly, "Red velvet cupcake?".

"Sure" Tori smiled back, "Just don't tell Andre" she took a bite from one of the cupcakes, "Cat, these are amazing!".

"I know, right?" Cat giggled childishly, "My Grams says my cupcakes could stop wars".

"I completely agree with your Grams" Tori smiled back. She was glad it wasn't awkward with Cat… Cat had obviously accepted that Tori had no feelings with her and maybe it was just a crush, something that could be gotten over easily. Beck said Cat got crushes on all the group… And then it over.

"Hey sexy gals" Beck poked his head out of his car window as he rolled up to Tori and Cat. Tori nervously peered inside; Jade wasn't there, "Can I get my car washed?".

"You should drop off your things to sell with Andre first" Tori replied, "And then I shall wash your car, Sir!".

"I already did" Beck pointed over to lot 23, "Jade's helping him set up".

Tori spun around, palms suddenly sweaty. Jade wasn't helping set up per se. She was looking at her phone while Robbie and Andre laid out the stuff Beck had dropped off. Tori spun back around before Jade could see her, "Alrighty then, first car wash coming up".

"Did someone say car wash?" Trina appeared from nowhere. She watched Beck step out of his car as she thrust her tray of cakes into his chest, "Beck you sell these, I'm gonna wash your car" she winked at him as she ran over to the buckets of water.

"Sorry" Tori apologised for her sister, "She's been dying to rub herself across a car in slow motion for ages".

"I'm gonna ignore that" Beck fought a laugh as he and Cat began to walk away, hoping to sell more cakes.

"Trina" Tori said, walking up to her sister, "You're gonna have to be a little… nicer if we want to attract customers".

"You can be nice, I'm being sexy" Trina turned up the radio music to a louder setting than before and picked up a sponge. She then began to wash the front of Beck's car, keeping her tummy tucked in, her ass stuck out and her chest propped up. She then began wiggling her ass in time with the music.

"You have got to be kidding me" Tori rolled her eyes, looking away. She picked up the other sponge from the second bucket and began washing the back of Beck's car, mumbling away to the song.

After a few minutes of washing Beck's car, the song on the radio changed and Tori couldn't believe what was playing next. Freak The Freak Out was playing by it's original artist! The song she sang at Karaoke Dokie to beat Hayley and Tara! This took her back. She was with Cat and Jade when she sang it… It was kind of like their song.

"Tori!" Cat ran over to her, "That's your song!" she put down her tray of baked goods and pulled Tori forwards and began dancing with her. Tori hesitated for a few moments and then shrugged, dancing as well. They sang the first few lines together until Tori picked her sponge back up and proceeded to sing and dance while washing the car as Cat danced with glee around Beck's car.

"Freak the freak out!" Tori, Trina and Cat sang together, not realising they were gaining some outside attention.

As soon as the song ended, Tori glanced behind Beck's car and saw they finally had cars waiting to be washed.

"Trina!" Tori cried, "Go help our customers!".

oOo

Jade was sat on the foldaway chair she had stolen from a table two rows behind, boredly glancing down at her phone and then back up. Andre and Robbie threw each other a look as people approached their table and Jade snapped at them to go away.

"Jade! You're killing us here" Robbie sighed, "Why can't you go wash some cars? Look, they're getting plenty now".

"Only because Vega's offering a free lap dance with every car wash" Jade snapped, sighing.

"I know you and Tori haven't always gotten along but why did you insist on staying here?" Robbie frowned, "And why is everyone being weird with Tori lately? First Cat wouldn't talk to her and now you're not talking to her" he paused, "Is there something going on around here that I don't know?".

"Fine, I'll go wash some stupid cars!" Jade spat, storming off the chair. She had to get away Robbie's stupid question asking!

Andre raised his eyebrows as he watched Jade go.

"Well?" Robbie asked Andre, "Am I missing something?".

"Oh did you hear that?" Andre suddenly asked, "I think I heard Rex in your bag, I think he needs the toilet".

Jade approached the car washing area and put her hands on her hips, "Trina give me your sponge".

Trina looked up, "But I'm just-".

"Give me it" Jade interrupted her and Trina reluctantly handed over her sponge.

"Fine!" Trina sighed, "I'll just lure customers in with my rocking bod and flashy smile" she gave Jade a look and stormed off.

Jade was very aware that Tori had realised her presence and was even amused when Tori said nothing to her. Tori didn't usually ignore her, Tori usually seeked her out and Jade wasn't sure how to handle this.

"Gone ignore me forever?" Jade walked up to Tori, leaning in to wash the car they were currently cleaning.

"I thought you'd be the one doing the ignoring" Tori replied, not looking up to Jade.

"Obviously not" Jade retorted. She paused, "I never did thank you".

"For what?" at this Tori turned around and looked at Jade.

"For my birthday present" Jade looked down, "Nobody's ever… put that much thought into my birthday".

"But your parents? And Beck?" Tori frowned.

"Every birthday my parents just give me more money" Jade replied, "And Beck…" she paused. Even though Beck is her best friend, he's never bought her a birthday present like a boyfriend going out with his girlfriend should. And of course he hasn't, how could he? Their two year relationship wasn't even real.

"You're welcome" Tori began to smile slowly.

After a moment Jade asked, "This is weird isn't it?".

"A little bit" Tori got some more water into her sponge and began washing the car.

"Cat's talking to you again" Jade added, frowning slightly.

"Yeah, she's… been great, actually" Tori replied. After a shallow breath, Tori said, "I know you think I can't handle you Jade but I can. You basically treated me like a child, who might break the new toy her parents just bought her".

"I was trying to protect you" Jade shoved her sponge on the ground, "You think you… You think you like me but…" she shook her head, having lost all words.

"Stop" Tori snapped, "Just stop! Stop trying to make out like I have no clue who you are, I know I like you… Do you think this is what I wanted? To fall for Jade West? Nobody has ever hurt me or been as mean to me as you have but for some reason…" she sighed and began to walk away.

"Vega!" Jade followed after her, "Can't you see that's what I'm doing? I'm protecting you from getting even more hurt, trust me, all I do is bring pain to the people I care about, I couldn't stand to disappoint you, and I'll always be mean! That's just who I am".

"Haven't you always wondered why that works for us so well?" Tori snapped, "Maybe it's because we balance each other out!".

"Maybe!" Jade cried back, "But I'm so terrified, petrified even! I don't- I don't let myself fall, I don't- I don't let anyone in, ever!".

"Here we go again" Tori rolled her eyes, "What's the difference between me and Beck, Jade? Why is it so damn different? Beck can handle big bad Jade and break down your walls but me, Tori Vega, I can't do any of that because you won't let me! If you had such a great connection with Beck, why did you break up with him?".

Jade let out what seemed like a growl/bark/coughing noise all at the same time, drowning in frustration, "It's complicated!" she cried.

Tori let out a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair. She shook her head and sighed, "I can't keep arguing about this anymore, Jade. Everything with you has to be so complex and I… I need to let go".

Jade could have opened her mouth and said the words that Tori desperately wanted to hear. But she didn't.

She let Tori walk away.

oOo

Tori, Beck, Jade, Cat, Trina, Robbie and Rex stared impatiently at Andre as he counted up the notes in his hand. It was getting dark now and the Flea Market was now completely packed up and deserted.

"489, 490, 491, 492, 493" Andre finished, holding the notes in his hands, "Today we made $493! Most of this came from the carwash you know" he added, grinning at Tori.

"Does everyone have a dollar to chip in?" Robbie asked, "That way we can make up $500".

The seven teenagers rummaged around in their pockets and added a dollar to the money notes in Andre's hand. "500 Mr Presidents" Andre fanned himself with the money before pocketing it away safely.

"I feel kind of bad for Sinjin" Robbie said suddenly, "I think he wanted to come with us".

"Boo hoo" Jade rolled her eyes, "I'd rather neither of them came but what are you gonna do?".

Trina threw Jade a look, "You're lucky I'm not releasing those pictures of you Jade".

Tori and Jade's eyes met in a moment of heat.

"Pictures of Jade?" Robbie frowned, "I thought you were just threatening us with pictures of me, Cat and Andre?".

"Right!" Tori jumped in, "She is, you are, aren't you Trina?" she glared at Trina.

"Right" Trina nodded slowly, "I just got a little confused there cause you know… You and Jade both… look so alike".

"Thank you" Robbie patted his hair while Jade looked like she wanted to kick box Trina into next week.

The group separated, Jade and Beck walking over to his car, and Tori and the others walking over to Andre's parent's van. There was a chill about the air. Something was… brewing.

And even if they had realised it, it was already too late.