I rush out of bed, not having time to grab breakfast. Recently I've been oversleeping and I always feel tired. I feel like Jade, running on purely coffee. It seriously might be the only thing that keeps me going these days. School drags on slowly, class after class and I've been starting to lose focus. I know it's the last couple of months before graduation and I need to keep my grades up, but I'm having a hard time concentrating lately.
"Tori, why aren't you eating?" Cat asks as she takes the seat next to me at the empty table. I had nearly fallen asleep before she made her appearance. My fork hasn't moved from the side of my plate and the layer of oil on my lasagna seems to have hardened over making it look like a plastic replica.
"I'm not hungry." I look at the dish in disgust and pushed it away. I rub my temples trying to get the sleep out but it's to no avail.
"Here, have some of my ravioli." The redhead happily offers with her fork already situated near my mouth. I shake my head in protest but offer a polite smile.
"No thanks, Cat. I'm not really feeling it right now." My eyes are heavy and I feel myself start to nod off again.
"Tori? Are you okay?" I hear her high-pitched voice and a small cool hand touches my forehead.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just haven't been sleeping well recently." I shake my head to get the ideas of slumber out and Cat retracts her hand.
"Because of Jade?" Blunt as ever, the topic is out in the open again. It seemed whenever I was with Cat, the topic of Jade would inevitably come up. I give the girl a small look, deciding if I should lie or not but ultimately deciding against it. She already knows the blunt of it so it wouldn't hurt anyone, really.
"Yeah, I guess. I just- I regret getting Jade and Beck together. I mean, she rubs it in my face at any chance she gets. I was so sure that I could at least be somewhat happy if I thought she was, but I was wrong. Oh boy how I was wrong." I shrug my shoulders, trying to appear nonchalant about the matter. I knew I wasn't fooling anyone.
Cat opened her mouth to speak but promptly closed it. I guess even the perky redhead had nothing to say that could make me feel better. I feel arms wrap around my body and I unconsciously stiffen. I peek my eye open and see that the smaller girl as wrapped her body around mine with not a care in the world with who sees.
Once I get sight of the little sweetheart, I relax and shift to pull her into my arms. She rests her head against my chest and I can't suppress a grin that overwhelms me when I see her angelic smile. She's so sweet and pure. With her innocence, it's like she doesn't have a care in the world.
I stroke her hair calmly, finding comfort in someone that has been there for me over the years. She knows how to make me smile and how to lift me up when I feel down. She had always picked up the pieces of me that Jade had left shattered on the floor and has not once left my side. Cat was truly the best friend I could ask for.
And then she kissed me.
I was completely immersed in the quiet embrace but I was suddenly yanked out of that tranquility when I felt her plump lips on mine. The small, chaste kiss threw me off.
"Cat, I told you we're not playing that game anymore." I give her a comforting smile as I stroke her synthetically red hair, hoping that this would be the last time I had to explain it to her. It had taken her weeks to finally get the idea of game out of her head and I was curious to why she wanted to start playing again.
"I know. I just wanted to kiss you, is that weird?" She asks, leaning in to peck my lips again. Through the corner of my eye, I see a few students giving us a couple of side glances, curious to why were positioned like this.
"Yeah, just a little. Friends don't just kiss friends." I rest my forehead against hers and smiled with mirth. I wanted to show her that I wasn't upset but that she can't just start kissing me randomly.
"So, what if we weren't just friends?" Her voice rings genuinely but I can't tell if she was being serious or her normal, aloof self.
"Excuse me?" I half laugh out and put a little distance between our faces. The shuffling of feet is heard as the crowd around us is starting to thin out now that the tardy bell has rung. "Look, Cat, we gotta go to class, we'll talk-"
"If we more than just friends, I would be able to kiss you whenever I wanted, right? It wouldn't matter who saw, right?" Cat asked inquisitively, albeit somewhat shyly.
"Well, yeah, I guess. But we're not…?" I tilt my head to the side, slightly bemused. Where was all of this coming from?
Cat ignores my flimsy argument and smiles at me brightly. She places a small kiss on my lips and throws me into a fierce hug and whispers into my ear, "I don't want to be just your friend anymore."
Rolling out of bed, I let out a loud groan. Running into Jade at school was inevitable but pretending that nothing was bothering me was getting increasingly harder. I missed her. I truly missed her.
"Oh, crap!" I jolted awake. It was Thursday which meant that the next day was Friday which meant that Cat's and my science project was due in about 30 hours.
I quickly scrambled for my phone and yanked it off its charger. "Dammit!" I grumbled under my breath when she didn't answer. I quickly picked out my clothes for the day, my phone never leaving my ear. I hung up and called again, hung up and called again, and hung up and called again. I eventually started to leave messages, with a total of about, oh say, 15 or so. At that point, I had thought that my day couldn't get any worse.
Of course, I was wrong.
"Well, at least we had fun?" Cat's voice wavered a bit as we sat in my living room, finally able to change into warm clothes after the short road trip. The spontaneous, hectic joy ride was more than just an adventure; it was a huge test of our tolerance as a trio. Jade seemed to be exceptionally on edge, snapping at everything I said and the fact that Cat's brother was unreliable didn't help our situation at all. It was definitely the last time I want to do something like that for a while.
Fat Santa, our unwilling partner in this little science project, was doing his best to keep the mini robot in motion but I decided to grab the small rodent and pass it to redhead. I was trying to distract Cat from the inevitable conversation I knew that was soon to come.
"At least we finished this project," I took a glace at the wall clock. I leaned back against the couch and let out a sigh of relief, "and with only three hours to spare."
"You and Jade make a cute couple." Cat blurted, seemingly out of nowhere.
I snapped up in my spot and gave her an incredulous look. "What are you talking about?"
My wide-eyed look gave rise to a lighthearted chuckle at my expense. "I'm just saying, the way you guys are around each other, it's fun. You guys fight but it's so... playful." Her carefree smile on her face and light voice caused me to smile as well. "You guys pretend to be annoyed, but I know you both enjoy it."
I bask in the compliment for a moment before I speak up.
"It's not like that." I sighed and threw my head back to rest on the couch. Cramming at the end of the night to get our science project to work had been a good distraction from the overly grouchy, sexy, mean goth but Cat had to bring it back to her.
"Don't lie to me. I get it now. The reason why Jade didn't want anyone else kissing you, the looks you always throw her, her need to always be in your business." She let out a small laugh, "I don't know how no one has realized anything sooner." Cat sounded so sure of herself. She was so happy in the small delusion of the two of us. She was as delusional as I was.
"It's really not like that, Cat." I swallowed hard with a forced smile. "She doesn't want anything to do with me."
"You're just over thinking things. I'm sure she's playing hard to get." A light bump came from my left.
I rolled my eyes to look at her dejectedly and let out a heavy breath. This was definitely not something I wanted any one to know but I could tell that she was not going to let it go. "She told me. I asked her out and she told me she didn't want anything. There is nothing there, Cat."
Little Red must've decided that this conversation was going to be more serious than she initially thought and put Fat Santa back in his cage. She was quiet for a few moments before she pulled me into her side. It was a weird feeling to be comforted by the usually aloof girl but it was nice. "Cat, she doesn't want me…"
"Tori, I'm sure there is a reason…" She whispered into my hair as she held me against her chest. It seemed like I wasn't the only one that wanted to believe in the fallacy that had became us.
"Is there something wrong with me?" I tried to sound bitter, but it came out a bit pathetic. "I only attract the assholes."
"There is nothing wrong with you. She'd be crazy if she didn't see how awesome you are." She pulled me closer. I don't think I had seen Cat this serious before. Her voice sounded so genuine and absolute. I wanted to believe her so badly. "Jade-" she started, trying to explain. "Jade's not an asshole. She's just complicated."
I knew that they've been best friends since elementary school and that Cat should know her better than anyone else. There had to be a good reason that the genial girl always stuck around her, right?
Cat placed a gentle kiss at my temple. The small warm gesture helped me relax as we sat there. I closed my eyes as I leaned against the comforting girl.
I hadn't realized when I had fallen asleep but I woke up in the same awkward position. She smaller girl had a protective arm over me as Fat Santa ran excitedly in his wheel, awaiting breakfast.
"Morning." She whined out with a yawn, pulling me closer for one last squeeze before letting me go.
"Is it okay that you stayed the night?" I asked, stretching in my spot before pulling away.
"It's fine. I told Nonna that I would be here late and my brother probably didn't even notice."
Cat watched me attentively as I walked away. She still hasn't adorned her usual bubbliness or giddiness yet and it was a little unsettling.
"Something wrong?" I asked, trying to calm my frizzing hair, bemused by her smile.
All I got in response was a gentle smile and a shake of her head. I didn't know what to make of her strange behavior so I just shrugged it off. Cat was always a bit unpredictable.
As if the night hadn't been crazy enough, we had to go to school on just a few hours of sleep and Fat Santa was too tired from the crazy night to run for our display so we were forced to stay after class to discuss extra credit. On top of that, a few periods later, I was assigned to be Jade's husband. That was really the topping to this absolute joyfest-sundae.
Yes. I was assigned to be Jade's husband. Her husband. How did that even make any sense? This school would be the death of me.
That wasn't the first time Sikowitz, the psycho out of his wits, had assigned the two girls with the most hostile relationship to play husband and wife, but it was the first time he made us do it in front of a large audience. And another thing was, Jade now hated me. That made things vastly more difficult.
"Jade, you have to at least pretend to like me." I chased after her down the halls as she tried to make a speedy escape to her car. Our first rehearsal was a complete and utter failure.
"Not even the greatest actress in the world could pull that off, Vega." She ignored my attempts to keep up and continued out the front doors. She was still a bit bitter at me for dismissing her from my house but she was acting like she was the only one affected.
Her comment had stung right where it hurt but I needed to approach this professionally. "So you're not a good enough actress?"
Jade quickly snapped around to look at me, surprising me and causing me to take a step back. I knew that provoking her would get her attention.
"Let's get this straight, Vega. Just because I'll be pretending to be nice to you during the play, doesn't mean I like you. Don't take it out of context. I'm not obligated to anything outside of it."
Yet, nothing seemed to improve over the next few run-throughs and Sikowitz finally had to put his foot down. Condemning us to go on a date would normally made me laugh, but at that point in time I was just reminded of my first and last date with the spiteful girl four months prior.
After our five-hour punishment was established and the balding man left, awkwardness settled upon us just like the smell of raw fish. I couldn't even eat in peace without having her snap. Time moved torturously slowly and when we finally started to make progress, we were ambushed by a couple of pretards.
"How do we lose them?" I whispered in her ear when the two boys pushed us together.
I didn't know if she was just ignoring me or I was being ignored because she was trying to block out their shrill voices but I got no response. I nearly jolted out of my seat when I felt her hand wrapping around my waist and pulling me closer.
"Pretend we're together." She whispered in my ear so only I could hear. Her low voice and the soft breaths against my skin sent waves of chills down my spine.
Despite her instructions, she still seemed surprised when I brushed a lock of her hair out of her face. Since the disturbing pair didn't seem to understand that we weren't interested in them, maybe they'd understand if they thought we were interested in each other.
Nope.
Nope, nope, nope. I was blown away how "Chad" refused to stop touching me while the other one literally stroked Jade's face with his finger. Even when we locked our hands together, the annoying pair didn't let up. Finally, we saw an opportunity to rid ourselves of them at the mention of music.
Adrenaline pumped through my body by the time we take our bow after the awe-inspiring performance. My hand gripped Jade's tightly before I pulled her into a huge hug. That was the first time I had ever performed a duet with her and it wasn't even assigned. Our voices blended together perfectly and we knew exactly how to harmonize together, never missing a beat. We took each other's silent cues when to sing the higher or lower octave and found a steady rhythm. I was surprised it could actually be more astounding to sing with her than to listen to her. Despite the day starting off being shitty, the evening seemed to be getting exponentially better.
After we made our way back to our seats, I was surprised to see the boys still there. "You'se guys ain't half bad." The Chad infection stated, being stuck to me worse than an STD.
I felt Jade's hand grip mine tightly. I could tell that she was seconds away from sticking her boot into his face so I quickly took grip of her chin and turned her to face me. I gave her a gently smile before swiftly placing my lips on firmly on hers. Her response was instantaneous.
Incessant hunger overrode my conscious mind and my hand pulled her closer, satisfying the acute need to touch her. I was forced to pull away when I couldn't catch my breath but Jade didn't seem to like that idea, either that or she was literally trying to suffocate me. Every inch I pulled away, she leaned in to make up for it.
"Jade." I had to hold her back by placing my palm on her shoulder. "They're gone." I breathed heavily.
I was still struggling to catch my breath and my gaze lingered on her lips. Her tongue flicked out seductively and I was briefly tempted to lean back in but she beat me to it. Her hands gripped at my waist and I slid off my chair as she pulled me closer. Standing, I hovered over her slightly and leaned into her. I tugged at her hair, completely ignoring the restaurant full of people.
"SINJIN!" I was drawn out of my daze, remembering that there were spies among us.
"What?!" She snapped, clearly upset at the idea that I may have been thinking of the wiry-haired kid while her skillful lips dominated mine.
"No, I mean, Sinjin and Burf. They're here watching us." I started to scan the room, looking for the misfit duo.
Jade suddenly stood up, pushing back me back into the chair in the process. Before I could even catch my balance, I saw her stomping off to the corner of the restaurant. With a sharp point shoved in his face, I take it Sinjin got the hint. Burf watched in terror as Jade made her way to him, only to have her return with a fluff of his hair.
"Jade, you can't go around threatening people with scissors." I shake my head in disagreement. I thought to myself that if we were in an actual relationship, none of this nonsense would have to happen.
"So if I didn't use them, it would be fine?" She asked, as if it were a legitimate question.
"You know what I mean." I rolled my eyes.
"Well, too bad. I can and I will. They won't say anything." She sat back down in her seat, looking through her bag. When she finally found her wallet, she took out a couple of bills and I did the same. "I told them that it was an idea for the play."
My heart smarted. She could've at least acknowledged it as a real kiss if she was going to threaten them anyway.
"I told them that we were thinking of throwing it in as a surprise and if they told anyone, it would ruin everything." She tilted her neck until she heard a satisfactory pop. "That, and a quick threat to shave their heads with my rusty scissors kind of makes me think that they won't say a word."
Her explanation was quick and she stood back on her feet. "You coming?" She asked impatiently.
"We still have 15 minutes." I protested but stood as well.
"They're not even here anymore." She said impatiently before starting to walk away. She didn't care if I was following or not.
I quickly threw my bag over my shoulder and caught up to the raven haired girl, not wanting to miss a free ride home. I would owe Trina my life if I made her pick me up close to midnight, no one is allowed to interfere with her "beauty sleep."
I had nearly managed to get into the car before Jade started pulling out of the parking lot. "We're not talking about it." Jade quickly shut me down before I could even get any words out. She knew me so well.
"Right, it never happened." I nodded and accepted dejectedly.
"I didn't say that. I said we're not going to talk about it."
I shook my head, not even wanting to try to understand whatever she was trying to say. "Why are you taking me to your house?" I asked, trying to drop the subject.
"It's late. I'm tired. You live way too far. Either you stay over or you're calling a cab home."
I started to realize that I would have rather have had to clean Trina's bathroom for a month over being stuck at Jade's. Every second we got further from my house and closer to hers the dilemma thickened. I mentally start calculating how much a taxi would cost and how much cash I had on me, only to be startled by the car alarm.
"Get out of the car, Vega." Jade yelled from the driveway. Deep in my calculations, I hadn't noticed we arrived. Jade crossed her arms over her chest impatiently.
I scrambled out of the blaring car and nearly tripped. "Jade, can I borrow 30 bucks?" I took out my phone and started looking for a taxi service online.
"Nope. Walk home." She stated as she unlocked the front door. She waited a good five seconds before closing it behind her when I didn't immediately didn't follow.
"Jade." I knocked on the door and sighed when she didn't open up. I quickly took out my phone to text her to open up. Walking through L.A. close to midnight was not a good idea, or so we'd learned during The Giant Cupcake Fiasco.
It took her over half an hour to let me in and by then the cold of the night had sunken through to my bones.
"Finally." I exclaimed as I pushed past her and quickly rushed straight to her room. The air conditioner was running, as usual, so her room wasn't much warmer than outside but I ignored it and dove straight under her sheets. I instantly wrapped myself in her warm, fluffy comforter.
Familiarly, I found myself on the ground before I could get comfortable and I was just about to speak up when she cut me off. "Change your clothes first." Jade had a strangely strict policy about wearing street clothes in her bed but I had hoped that she would've let it go just this once.
Defeated, I let out a sigh. Keeping the blanket tightly wrapped around me I moved to her dresser, looking for something comfortable and warm to wear. I quickly took out my favorite flannel that waited patiently at the top of the pile but I had to dig deep in her pants drawer to find something suitable to wear.
By the time I finished changing, Jade was no longer in the room and I quickly curled back into her soft bed.
"Here." I heard her voice. I hadn't noticed her silent footsteps when she returned and slowly peeled my eyes open. I'm surprised to see a warm mug of coffee in her hands and handing it to me timidly.
"I'm tired. I just want to sleep." I kindly refused.
"It's decaf." She stated and forced it into my hold. I didn't even know she owned decaffeinated coffee.
"I didn't see your text." She cleared up as she crawled into the usual space beside me in what I could only image was Jade's most apologetic voice. "I wouldn't have left you out there if I had known."
I wasn't surprised that Jade had left me out there, but I was stunned slightly at her apology. I had thought the whole thing was intentional and that she was pissed at me for wanting to go home, not some misunderstanding.
"It's fine," came my usual response for her antics. With both hands wrapped around the mug, I took a sip of the warm joe. Warmth spread throughout my body and I let out a sigh of relief. I finished about half before I put it down, finally feeling a bit better. Just as I lay down beside her, I felt an arm wrap around my waist, pulling me closer.
"Jade, what are you doing?" My mind cried for my body to move away, but I couldn't move. I even though my heart couldn't take it, the idea of pulling out of her reach was that much more unbearable.
"Nothing." I heard her voice coming from only inches away from my ear. "Just, lie with me." Jade's voice was soft and gentle. It was complete 180 from her disposition at Nozu. It sounded like she was a push away from breaking and I couldn't bring myself to do that to her. I had missed this too much. I had missed her touch and her warmth. I had missed her friendship and her affection. I missed Jade in her entirety.
A soft kiss sent a chill down my spine. Her luscious lips placed small, feather touches along my jawline and I tried my best to ignore them. Eventually, her kisses slowed and her hand found mine. Our fingers intertwined and I gave her hand a small squeeze. Carefully, I brought her hand to my lips and just barely brushed against them. I kept them there and her breathing slowed as she drifted off to sleep. My mind was going haywire as her body was pressed against mine but her steady breaths lulled me into a quick and peaceful slumber.
As the days passed, slowly but surely we fell back into the small friendship we had before she broke up with Beck. I had spent that following Saturday just lounging around her house as we did open mic karaoke, trying to upstage each other and laughing until we collapsed. It was hard to remember that Jade could be so carefree at times, especially with how hostile she had been towards me the last week. As our friendship rekindled, it wasn't a stretch to play an onstage couple anymore. She got through her lines with ease and I didn't have to fake a smile anymore.
"This is going to be easy." I rolled onto my stomach, kicking my legs back and forth with my script in my hands. Jade was back at my place for a last minute, unnecessary run-through to rehearse our lines one last time before the show. We both had everything memorized after the first week but it was always better safe than sorry.
"I'm so darn narcoleptic I can't even tell my own twin sons apart!" I burst out in my faux man-voice.
"It's not your fault, their identical, look-" Jade's sweet housemother-ly voice stopped abruptly. "Who the heck does Sikowitz think he's going to fool with Beck and Andre as twins?" She seamlessly switched back into her regular voice.
I felt the bed shift with the newly added weight, acknowledging that Jade was lying next to me. "Well, he also assigned me as your husband. I don't think he was going for realism here." I let out a dry laugh. Even if Jade and I could be something more than friends, no one in their right mind would believe it. Heck, they could just barely believe it when we were acting.
"Oh god, don't even get me started. Your man-voice is terrible."
"Hey!" I rolled to my side and smacked her against her arm in slight offense.
"Oh, please. I could run circles around you." She boastfully smirked.
"Oh yeah? Try it." I dared her, not believing her for a second. I scanned the script for a good place to start and shifted to Nancy's role. "No, no. You were saying I'm so…"
"Oh, right. You're so good, gentle, how could you love a sleepy loser like me?" Jade's voice was ridiculously low and raspy; I was thrown off for a moment.
"You are no sleepy loser, you're an astronaut." I replied in an adoring tone.
Jade didn't take the cue for her next line and tossed the already beat up script to the floor. "I can't believe we have to do this sham of a play. It's so cheesy, too."
"I think it's cute." I rolled over closer to her, using her arm as a makeshift pillow.
"Of course you do, you're Tori."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, a little more than slightly offended.
"You always like- " She cut herself off and I was surprised. She usually never withheld her opinions and I started to feel uneasy.
"Jade?" I rolled to my side and looked at her. My hands idly started to separate her blue highlights from the rest of her hair out of habit.
"You're such a sucker for all those cheesy fake romance chiz. I don't get it, it's like you've never been hurt or let down by how misleading these stories are. There is no such thing as a happily ever after."
Jade's gaze focused on a spot on the ceiling and I wrapped my arm around her waist. I knew with our renewed friendship that she wouldn't mind such a small gesture.
"I've been hurt before." I whispered and pulled her a bit closer as I curled into her. My body laid half on top of hers in attempts to rid any space between us.
I knew she understood that I was referring to her because of the lack of interest she showed. If she hadn't known that she was whom I was referring to, she would not have hesitated to dig deeper. She always wanted the dirt on gossip.
"There is no such thing as unconditional love." She finally spoke. "Not even within family. I can't believe people think they can find happiness through other people."
The mention of family had thrown me off a bit and I started to get curious. I knew that she and her father has a complicated relationship as I had seen it first hand. She would desperately strive for his approval and he seldom gave it out, but it seemed that they both had a mutual respect for each other.
"Jade?" I ask softly, pulling her hand into mine and massaging her palm with both my hands.
"Hm?" She hummed, feeling relaxed. Her eyes closed as she basked in the feeling of my touch. I knew it was already too late to drop the idea but I was terrified to ask the next question.
"Jade, where's your mom?" I finally asked after building up all the courage I had. I held her hand tightly in mine so she couldn't pull away.
We lay in silence for as least a good fifteen minutes. I didn't stop massaging her hand in mine but it was well after midnight and I started to feel sleepy.
"She left." I faintly heard her whisper. I didn't dare ask her to repeat herself even though I wasn't 100% sure I had heard her. "When I was six. She met some producer guy when working on set as a writer and took off.
"We were close when I was little. My father was always at work and we only really had each other, but I guess that that wasn't enough. She sought someone other than me to make her happy and just-" Jade's breath hitched a bit as she took a small pause, "left."
I didn't know how to respond to that. Jade was so brutally honest and I wasn't used to it. "I'm sorry..." I kissed the back of her hand lightly before holding against my cheek.
"Don't be. She didn't love me. She left me here with the man that ignored the both of us and took off."
"I'm here now." I tried to assure her. I knew she couldn't bring herself to believe my words but she didn't have any sarcastic reactions, which I was thankful for.
Overall, the play went surprisingly well. I admit, I almost leaned into her lips after the dreaded "I love you" lines but I managed to turn it into give her a chaste hug instead. We took each other's hands and humbly bowed as genuine smiles plastered across both of our faces.
"It's them, it's them!" Jade's concerned tone of voice snapped me out of my small sense of glee and I turned to see the duo that plagued us at Nozu. "What do we do?" She asked, sounding slightly panicked.
"Run. Run, Nancy!" I quickly advised her.
"Yes, Walter." She took off without a second to spare and grabbed my hand as we made our way off stage.
We had made it all the way to her car parked in the back, still in costume, before we realized how ridiculous we were acting. Panting hard, she took one look at me and let out a hearty laugh. I was bewildered but I couldn't help but start laughing too. We looked absolutely ridiculous with our wigs askew and our costumes mussy. I bent forward, resting my hands on my knees as I tried to catch my breath while simultaneously losing it with each loud laugh.
Shortly after, we both calmed down and our laughter died. A small silence loomed over us, making the crickets sound as loud as an orchestra. I straightened up my suit and finally looked up at her. Jade had a quiet, pensive look on her face and was staring straight at me. I held her gaze as long as I could before I snapped.
It took less than a heartbeat for my body to press her against the car. My lips landing on hers were needy for what I had long missed. It was sloppy and rushed and Jade quickly pulled away. I was about to bolt in complete mortification.
"Take this chizz off." She grumbled. She reached up to my face and yanked the mustache off of my upper lip.
"Owwie!" I recoiled in pain, rubbing the raw skin. I didn't register when she was yanking my wig off because she kept me too distracted by her lips that were hungrily on mine again.
"Your house. Now." I mumbled against against her when I felt her hand undoing the buttons of Walter's blazer and slipping beneath.
It seemed that Jade had no qualms with that idea because she quickly pushed me away and rushed to the driver's side of the car. I let myself in as her hands stumbled in haste to get the engine started.
The ride was completely silent but I rest my hand high on her bare thigh, creeping higher and higher. Smoothing against her skin, my fingertips massaged as I relished in the sensation. I couldn't get enough of it. I couldn't get enough of her.
The heat radiating from her core was beckoning me closer and I fought against all temptation to give in. I was fighting, but losing. I had barely touched the fabric of her panties when she pulled away.
"In the house." She demanded. I hadn't realized how quickly she was driving but I jumped out of the car and followed the raven-haired beauty through the door.
I swiftly threw off the jacket as Jade tugged at my tie. After getting the first couple buttons undone at the neck of my shirt I got impatient and yank it over my head instead. The shirt hadn't even hit the ground when Jade decided to take initiative and pin me against the door. The doorknob dug sharply into my back and I let out a harsh hiss but the pain quickly went unnoticed as she started sucking at my neck. I struggled to release my hand from the sleeve it was caught in and once I was freed I started to tug the purple jumper over her head. Jade didn't seem pleased that she had to pull away, but I had won in the end.
My hands blindly fumbled at the zipper at the back of her one piece and I groaned when I couldn't get it open. "Turn around." I growled in frustration and quickly switch positions with her. She leaned against the door, her hands crossed so her forehead could rest on them. I jerked the zipper down, getting more and more frustrated by the minute. Once freed, my hands immediately roamed her exposed skin from the small of her back up to her bra. I quickly made work of it and unclasped it. My lips trailed from the back of her neck to across her shoulders, cherishing every moment I felt her shuddering at my touch. Our breaths hitched in unison when my hands snuck to her front and seized her ample chest.
My god, I had missed this.
"You've behaved well up until now." I heard her cocky voice laced with lust. I hadn't intended to let my last statement out, but now that it was in the open, I refused to shy away. I took full advantage of the opportunity.
My fingers rolled her nipples, alternating between slow turnings to slight pinching, basking in the feeling of them hardening at my touch. I couldn't resist the urge to let my teeth drag along the length of her back and back up. I was completely overwhelmed by her body writhing under mine. I gave in to temptation and bit the space between her shoulder and neck as I twisted her buds at my fingertips. Jade cried out in pain and exhaled in a shaky breath. My breathing had mimicked hers as I felt a rush of arousal spread throughout my body. I shifted my hands to massage her chest gently, leaving her sensitive peaks alone and peppered the spot my mouth had chosen with light kisses.
"Did that hurt?" I asked knowingly yet guiltily when I had the willpower to speak again. I placed small kisses behind her ear, trying to soothe her.
Jade was still trying to catch her breath and just shook her head in protest. "It's fine."
"Are you sure?"
I heard her take a deep gulp before nodding in agreement. "Felt good."
I couldn't help but smirk to myself, taking her earlobe between my lips and sucking on it. The ends of her wig tickled my face and I gently pulled it off, careful not to yank her hair out.
"You know, blonde kind of suits you." I tossed the synthetic hair to the side and combed my fingers through her long tresses. "But nothing beats your real hair."
Jade let out a heavy sigh when I tugged at her hair hard enough to turn her face to the side. I kissed the line of her jaw, only to turn her around my arms so she was leaning with her back against the door instead. I was undeniably insatiable. My lips instantly found hers and I slipped my tongue in her mouth and explored its depths.
"Take this off." I commanded as I moved away slightly, pulling her open dress down her front. I needed access to her full body. The sleeves turned themselves inside-out as she pulled her arms out. The garment was eventually discarded and her unclasped bra fell straight to the ground.
I took all the time I needed to appreciate her body in full. My chest started to heave as I chewed at my bottom lip to restrain from jumping her.
"How are you so beautiful?" I leaned in to whisper in her ear. I only received a small whimper in response as my hands started exploring what my eyes no longer had access to. They slowly drifted down her curves, absorbing warmth and traced the line of her underwear. Jade was grasping my waist, eagerly awaiting more. I let my finger trace back and forth along the band, slipping beneath the lacy top from time to time as I continued to enjoy the taste of her skin along her neck. I smiled to myself when I find a familiar chain hanging around her neck. She hadn't stopped wearing it.
"What are you waiting for?" She groaned out when I let my teeth graze her collarbone. She was clearly upset at the change of pace.
I looked up at her with a wicked smile and moved to pull her bottom lip between my own. I sucked on it and gave it a sharp bite. The sound of her low groan resonating through the empty house got my blood pumping and I wanted more of it. I wanted to hear her whines, whimpers, moans, and cries. I wanted to hear my name mixed with lust and need.
I let my hand slip down the front of her underwear and she gives a sharp buck when my middle finger just barely touched her clit.
"Shit." Jade mumbled as her hand gripped my waist tightly when I started to move vigorously against the bud. I was amazed at how wet she was already. I guess Jade likes being bottom.
My mouth is hungry for her skin and makes its way down to her full breasts. Her pointy nipples slightly red from the harsh treatment earlier stand at full attention. Starting with a small peck, I lean into her and roll the bud with my tongue. Alternating between long languid licks and sucking, I started to feel Jade's impatience rise as she started bucking against my hand.
As I pulled away to switch to the neglected of the pair, Jade's hands gently rested on my head. I was confused for a moment and looked up finding her head completely thrown to the side. Her cheeks were fully flushed and she was chewing on her lip, expressing her restraint.
I was only allowed to look for a moment when I started to feel pressure pushing me down. Surprise and shock were some of the things that hit me, but nothing compared to the primal desire that overwhelmed my body. She wanted me to go down on her.
As her hands guided me lower and lower, I devoted my full attention to ravishing her body. My tongue trailed down her body, stopping for a brief moment at her belly button. Her stomach rose and fell as I kissed around it and her grip on my head tightened when I dipped my tongue in. I nervously kissed the line of her waist. The smell of her arousal urged me forward yet I was a bit apprehensive.
"Tori-" Jade's voice lowly rumbled from her lips. I could tell she was trying to calm herself down but her heaving chest wouldn't slow. "You don't have to." She finally managed out.
I felt slightly enraged hearing her words. "I know. I don't have to do anything." I growled out. "I want to."
My lips attached to her core and I sucked on her wetness through her thin cotton panties. I gripped her legs as she started to slide down the door and I decided that it had to stop.
"Come here." I licked my lips after I pulled away. The faint traces of musk lingering on my lips gave me a sneak preview of what was to come. I took her by her arm and swiftly pushed her down into the couch.
Jade was disoriented for less than a second and quickly made do with my pants. I didn't realize how constricting they had felt until they were finally off and into a corner of the room to be forgotten. I tugged on her underwear and she lifted her hips off the cushion to assist me.
From my position on the ground, I kissed up her lengthy legs. I couldn't spend too long on her creamy thighs because her enticing scent was driving me crazy. I had to taste her. Wrapping both my arms around her thighs, I pulled her down the seat until she was sitting at the edge of the sofa. The leather groaned under the movement but those sounds didn't register. It was only when I heard her deep moans rumbling from her throat that my ears were truly paying attention.
My tongue darted out to lick Jade's pink lower lips and I was surprised by the taste. It was sweet with a slight tang. I didn't know what I was expecting but at the slightest taste, I was instantly addicted. My tongue slipped between her inner lips as I dragged it up and down, gathering as much of Jade as I possibly could. Her lithe body was bucking underneath me as she held my head to her center. Her hand gripping my hair made me wince but I couldn't pull away, even for the slightest moment. I moaned against her as I felt her body desperately trying to replenish what I had taken and I greedily took all that she had to offer. My hand joined in on the fun when my tongue was focused on the bundle of sensitive nerves that sat on top.
"Slow down." She whined as her hips were bucking off the couch to match my ravenous need.
Maybe I would've listened but I couldn't hear anything over the pounding of my ears. My concentration could not be broken as I aligned a second finger that slid into her with ease. The third followed shortly.
"Say it." I demanded after pulling away from my feast. I licked my lips and I could feel her wetness covering the lower half of my face. I curiously bit her thigh as I waited for what I wanted to hear. The sharp whine that leaked through her lips was a satisfactory response.
"W-What?" Jade was trying to pay attention but my influence over her body was too distracting.
"What I want to hear. Say it." I nibble at her skin, refusing to reattach my lips until it's said.
"What are you talking about?" She whined and bucked her hips when my hand stopped moving.
I decided to play with her a bit instead. My middle finger curled up within her as pressed hard against her wall, looking for the spot that I knew would drive her crazy.
"Tor-" She whimpered as her hips almost knock my face.
"Exactly." I grinned as I continued to tease the sensitive spot.
"Tori, please. Oh my god."
My fingers quickly went back into action at the magic word and my lips shortly followed. I probably wouldn't have kept away too long because I was already craving her taste.
"Don't stop. Tori, don't stop."
With my unwavering loyalty, I followed her command. The sloshing next to my ear blended beautifully with the sounds of her heavy breaths. The slurping was a perfect compliment to her whines.
My body arched up as I got into a more comfortable position. Jade's constant bucking had to be stopped for my to keep my mouth in place so I held her hips down with my free hand. In the brief moment I pulled away to readjust my position, I got a glimpse of what pure, unadulterated sensuality looked like.
Jade's head was tossed to the side, her hair clinging to her damp neck. Her ample chest would rise and fall with her exaggerated breaths. While one hand was still on my head, the other was gripping at the chair with her nails scratching the once pristine leather. Jade's lustful eyes looked at me, begging for more with her pupils completely dilated.
I couldn't keep away for long as I returned in to position. I was rewarded with a glottal moan when my teeth graze her overly sensitive clit. It didn't take long to find our rhythm once again and I didn't need to ask her to say my name as it became her new mantra.
"Tori, yes!" She cried as she finally released. Her whole body shook momentarily as she tried to calm down, finally letting go of her grip on my hair. In attempts to let her ride her climax as long as possible, I let my fingers move in and out of her slowly. Jade's whole being was lax on the sofa, trying to regain any energy and her full chest bobbed up and down with her deep breaths. My marks littered her skin from the bite on her thigh and the hickey forming at her neck to the redness surrounding her nipples and her swollen lips. Each was an indication that she was mine. My lips and body completely claimed hers in this beautiful work of art.
She was absolutely stunning.
It was only when she finally pulled my hand out of her and placed them in her mouth that I snapped back to reality. I let out a heavy moan when her tongue weaved between my fingers and I moved to settle on her lap. Straddling her waist, my core rest firmly against her abdomen.
I slowly removed my fingers from between her lips and rest both of my arms on either side of her head on the couch. I leaned down, resting my forehead on hers and stared into her eyes. The orbs are heavy with exhaustion but are no less hypnotizing than usual. I would always get completely lost in them. Looking through the windows into her soul, I could see trust and comfort reflected in them. I was drawn to her even more.
Her eyes fluttered shut and I followed her lead. Both of our bodies were spent. I rest my weight fully against her and I allowed my lips to slowly and gently touch down to hers as a warm gesture.
"I love you." The words flowed out of my mouth naturally.
I felt her body tense and her eyes shot open. Everything warm and comforting from seconds ago was replaced with anger, fear, and hostility. I instantly knew that I had said the wrong thing.
"That was unexpected." I throw a giant block of cheese to the ground as we wrap up the small scene for Divertisimo. Being chased around a stage by two child-sized mice was not the original idea I had for my Friday night, but whenever I'm with Jade, I never know what will come next.
"I can't believe you got me into that." The granky goth tosses her cheese next to mine in the pile. The two of us and Trina search through the changing room in our yellow cheese patterned dresses to look for our actual clothes so we could change and go home.
"Excuse me, you're the one that made me go on first." Once I find what I'm looking for, I turn my back to the other girl and start to change. "Why did you even come to my house in the first place? Watching drag racing with Beck could not have possibly been worse than that."
"Beck and I slept together." Jade declared bluntly out of nowhere. Trina must have been equally as repulsed by the idea as I was because she quickly left the room with loud grunt of disgust.
My jaw tightens as I take a deep breath and I calm myself. "Jesus, Jade. I know that. You don't have to remind me every time you see me, alright? I get it."
Jade raises an eyebrow at me, looking confused and quickly waves it off. "Oh, no. The other day I was lying. I hadn't slept with him yet, but I did that night."
I try to take calming breaths to keep my cool. I tell myself not to get mad at the idea that she slept with him. I tell myself not to get mad at the fact she just told me. I tell myself not to get mad at the fact that she lied to me.
"And why did you feel the need to share this information with me now?" I ask through gritted teeth. I hurriedly yank up my jeans and quickly look for my jacket so I can get out of here as soon as possible. I swear to god if Trina leaves me here with Jade I'm going to kill her.
"Because it wasn't you." Her voice comes out after a pause. I turn around and see that she's already dressed, holding my jacket out to me.
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" I throw my arms up in the air, about to snap. "So, is that it? You just wanted to rub it in my face? Rub salt in the wounds?" I snatch my garment from her viciously.
"No, you don't understand." Jade grabs my arm as I pull away and stands between the exit and me. I quickly yank my arm back and cross my arms at my chest.
"So, explain it to me, Jade. Enlighten me already so we can just get this over with. I'm tired of playing games with you." My jaw sets as I grind my teeth, moments away from an emotional meltdown. This has to be the longest week in history.
"Tori, you have to know what I'm trying to say. Stop playing dumb."
"No, Jade. I have absolutely no idea what you're trying to say. When I thought you cared for me, you left me. When I thought we could be something, you rejected me. Now that you're telling me you slept with your boyfriend, what am I supposed to think? I'm pretty sure that no one can figure you out anymore. Just tell me already."
I want to say the words I know will hurt her the most, but I bite them back. I don't want to deal with this drama right now and I'm pretty sure Trina is going to leave if I don't hurry up.
My mind is reeling when she pulls me into a kiss. Her lips move against mine but I refuse to give into her. Too many times, she has done this to me before. Too many times, I have fallen for her false show of affection. She keeps calling me back like a siren and I always obey. I won't give in any longer. I need freedom.
"Jade, I need to go." I pull out of her grasp, trying to run out the door before my ride leaves.
"Be with me." I faintly hear her hushed voice. "Tori, be with me." She repeats louder this time.
"Jade, you don't know what you want. I need to go before Trina leaves without me." I start to panic a bit at the situation and finally pry my hand from her grasp.
"No, you're supposed to say yes. What's going on here?" Jade's eyes look frightened as I take a step further from her.
I pause in my spot. Jade has been and always will be my weakness. I turn around to face her, trying to comfort her with my gaze. "Jade, you're a little confused right now. You're with Beck. I think you need some time to think about what you want before you go around asking other people out."
I fight against every fiber in my being to pull her into a hug and take one last glance before I run off to find my ride. My heart clenches and it burns but I need to find strength in this pain. I have to change my ways from now on. I feel like a coward but I just can't handle her right now.
"TORI!" I hear a voice echoing down the studio halls.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I start to have a mini panic attack as I see an all too familiar figure sprinting towards me with a carefree smile. I admit, my face automatically turns up when I see Cat's luminous smile, but with Jade here, I really don't want to see the bubbly red head right now.
"Cat! What are you doing here? How'd you even get here?" I ask as she jumps into my arms. I can only hope Jade didn't hear her loud yells.
"My brother dropped me off! I saw the picture Jade posted of you on TheSlap wearing cheese and I just had to come! Where is it?" Cat looks confusedly at my normal clothes.
"Cat, that was over an hour ago, we're all going home now." I raise an eyebrow. She knows Jade is here but she still had the balls to show up. She's a daring one, that's for sure.
"Phooey." Cat pouts and crosses her arms over her chest. "Did you guys eat it all? I really wanted to try it. Was it good?"
"It wasn't edible…?" I look at her skeptically.
"Wait, what? Then why were those little mice children chasing you around with a fork?" She's clearly confused but I have no logical explanation.
"I don't know, Cat. I really don't know…" I shake my head. Nothing about today seemed to make sense. "Look, Cat. I need to find Trina. She's my ride home."
"Oh! I just saw her! She almost hit me with her car when I was walking here."
"She left me?!" I groan. I don't think I can ask Jade to take me home after our last conversation.
"Jadey!" Cat calls over my shoulder and I can feel the piercing green eyes boring into my back.
"Cat, what are you doing here?" She catches the overexcited girl as she flies into her arms. "What's with you? Why are you so… happy?"
I quickly intervene and slap my hand over her mouth before she could say something irreversible. "She was just excited to try the cheese suits. I just told her they were costumes though so we're about to go home."
"Need a ride?" The raven-haired girl offers with a tilt of her head. She really must be trying hard to prove something because the old Jade normally would've ignored me for weeks if I had left her like how I did.
"Perfect!" Cat exclaims excitedly.
Cat jumps in the passenger's seat, excited to be with Jade. I guess their friendship is stronger than I had imagined and just crawl into the back. It's actually pretty adorable how the two opposites get along so well. They're both tolerant of each other's shortcomings and compliment each other in a strange sort of way.
I had assumed that Jade would drop me off first since my house was closer and Cat was in the front, but it was to my horror when I noticed we were heading towards Cat's house instead. The sugar-high passenger didn't seem to notice or care and waved goodbye after exiting the car. I reluctantly got out of the backseat to move to the front when the bouncy girl came running back.
"It was nice seeing you." She whispered in my ear after enveloping me in a hug. I barely have time to respond when she pecks my lips quickly before running back up her driveway. She waves at the two of us at the car and disappears into the house. I'm frozen stiff with my butt leaning against the door. I know Jade is going to want to know what that was all about and I just don't know how I'm going to explain it.
A/N: The present time has caught up to the end of the show so that timeline will no longer revolve around any episodes. Yay! Less research to do for me! I can adjust the story to however I want now as well with no restraints.
I want to apologize for the length of this chapter. It ended up being just fewer than 10,000 words (amazing considering the original version of my first chapter was around 1,200…). I didn't know where to cut it, and as I had said before, with the structure of this story, I couldn't just save some parts for the next chapter if I want the story to progress. The length also makes it a huge chore to proofread so I'm sorry for any of the typos, spellings, and awkward sentences because I give up. I've been working on this all weekend and I'm a bit sleep deprived. I'm totally screwed tomorrow for work but you guys come first!
I also want to apologize for the slight wait. I'm a binge doer, if that makes any sense… I like to do things in excessive amounts for short periods of time. That includes: eating, drinking, watching movies/TV, running, reading, and writing. So while I was on a roll with writing for a while, I took this week off to read four books. My bad.
Wellllllllllllllll… What do you think? I hope it wasn't too bad or lengthy. I feel like most of the story is just going to get a bit angsty from here. I also hope that my Cat wasn't excessively terrible. I'm not used to writing or even reading about her so it was all off of what I imaged she would be like behind the scenes. If you have any ideas to help me improve her or the story, let me know. Thanks everyone for the reviews last chapter! We got a record breaking 13! Woot woot! Partay!
Until next time, see ya.