Okay, let's address the elephant in the room! This chapter is centered around the "Prome Wrecker" episode and I decided to just plant it in here as filler. The next chapter will start the final arc for this story. After that, I'll start the next part of the saga in a completely new fic so that things don't become so convoluted. Based on how things are going, the next several chapters are going to revolve around Yerba and the darker turn of events that result from there. We still have plenty to unpack as the story unfolds but I don't want to unload too much in one fic.
With everything going on, I'll touch on scenarios like the Halloween and New Orleans arcs (although, I may substitute the latter with a different location for storyline purposes). Anyway, let's get down to the good stuff.
Luigi: Letsa goAAAAHHH!
*Mario steps in with hand ablaze*
Mario: Letsa Go!
Respect, Mario...
Chapter 11: One Dance
Jade West couldn't take the ambiguity anymore. It was driving her absolutely crazy as she stomped behind her friend who seemed more focused on finding the location of his locker at the time. The minutes that passed by and it only served to make her more anxious. Teal eyes glaring at Liam's back like a spoiled child who'd been told they weren't getting what they wanted.
The boy ahead of her abruptly stopped, nearly causing Jade to crash smack dab into him. Wondering what was going on, she watched as he turned his attention to one of the few blank lockers. To make things even more interesting, or shocking in Jade's case, it was next to another locker, one that was well decorated and all too recognizable to the girl.
"Make it shine?" she finally heard his deep yet calming voice. "I wonder whose locker this is?"
"It's nobody important..." she replied offhandedly.
As Liam turned to her quick response with a worried expression, Jade crossed her arms. Her eyes were directed toward the brightly tiled floor, shielded by her black hair with blue highlights. The feeling of nervousness that she felt only mere days ago coursed through her body as she felt his gaze fall on her. Almost immediately that sensation of butterflies fluttering around her stomach when she finally looked back at him and that damned concerned expression.
Fuck my life... she mockingly cursed.
If ever there was a time for her acting skills, it was now and they didn't fail her. Huffing like a five-year-old, she rolled her eyes before finally adopting her trademark deadpanned look and attitude. Her outward appearance showed that she was disinterested in life but, on the inside, she felt something slithering around her heart. It wasn't something she could easily maintain with Liam around, but she found the task a little easier when Andre & Robbie (yes, with Rex) arrived.
"Hey, new guy. 'Sup sweet cheeks," the puppet's annoying voice chimed in.
Andre and Robbie exchanged greetings with Liam while Jade muttered something about a woodchipper and firewood. Picking up the sudden change in tone, Liam eyed her with heightened suspicion.
"Is everything alright?" Liam asked with tightly knit eyebrows.
"Yeah. I was just saying that the owner of this locker isn't anyone important." she shrugged. "Besides, your goal should be to modify your own locker. There's no way you can leave it blank for too long."
"She's right! You don't want to take too much time as Tori did..." Andre jokingly added, earning himself one of the most vicious glares that made him and Robbie flinch in sheer terror. Thankfully, this was completely missed by Liam who was busy studying the door that would protect his belongings before being informed of his next door neighbor.
"You mean this is Tori's locker?"
"Like I said, nobody important..." Jade casually reiterated.
If her friend had been paying attention, he would've noticed and called her bluff. Instead, he was wrapped up in a brand new conversation involving something about the Asphalt cafe and the large variety of food for his to choose from. This gave Jade plenty of time to regroup and it couldn't have happened at a better time.
"Hey, guys!" that annoyingly cheerful voice made Jade's frown deepen. Everyone around noticed Tori Vega walked toward them with her adorable smile.
The trio of boys returned her greeting but it was Liam who was smiling a bit wider than usual. A certain goth took notice of this and was none too pleased if one were, to put it mildly. As the two conversed innocently, that feeling of jealousy tightened its grip on her. But why? Sure, she admitted to herself that she had somewhat of a crush on the boy, there was still one major thing that made even the most minor of thoughts seem increasingly wrong.
She was still in a relationship; a reality that quickly contorted her jealous feelings into that of pure guilt.
BRRRING!
She pulled herself out of her mental torture as the bell rang. Discreetly scanning her surroundings, she sighed in relief that everyone was too preoccupied with getting to know Liam that they hadn't noticed her spacing out. Still, there was no way that she was going to get through the rest of the day without this popping up again at some point. The group separated but, Jade noticing that Tori and Liam were still talking with one another, took her sweet time in heading to her class only to find that the two were heading in the opposite direction.
This is going to be hell. But, I won't be going alone... she smirked deviously.
Jade, did you really have to make the new girl cry like that?" a certain Latina complained while stomping after her pale skinned girl. The goth pressed onward while taking a sip of coffee, turning a corner near the janitor's closet. Zigzagging through the sea of students, Jade had no intentions of answering for her actions. "You can't keep ignoring me, Jade!"
"Go away, Vega!" she yelled back. Soon, her speed walk transitioned into a sprint. "It's none of your damn business!"
Soon the two were on a full-on game of cat & mouse with Tori gaining on her. For some unknown reason, the tension between her and Jade only grew over the few hours that had passed. Jade hadn't fared any better, being more aggressive and scarier towards the students anytime her mind would bring up a certain green-eyed boy, especially if said boy was also with the person chasing her down. It was alarming how much the two's rivalry would escalate now that the 'Other Vega' was no longer around.
They were practically like an angel and demon personified at this point.
"Jade, get back here!" an angry Tori roared while maneuvering expertly around the bodies that separated her from her target, each step bringing her closer. Just when she was only an arm's length away, Jade somehow slipped just out of her grasp then cut into the Black Box Theatre. After pushing her way through a small group of students, Tori stuck her head inside only to find nobody inside. Feeling an ultimatum approaching, she knew that either her frenemy was hiding in this very room or was surely putting more distance between them with each passing second. Frustration started to set in Tori's mind. "Jade...!" she called out.
The silence was her only response.
Tori huffed before rushing out of the theater and reigniting her hunt for the ivory skinned girl. Just as the door shut, her target let out a sneeze, unable to suppress it any longer. She was fortunate that there was a pile of heavy-duty totes full of tech supplies that she could hide behind. Jade West finally exhaled slowly, fatigue and irritation claiming its hold on her.
"A bit early for you two, isn't it?"
Terror lifted Jade off of the floor. Barely containing the full-on scream that was steadily building within her vocal cords. That sense of fear soon contorted into rage towards that poor unfortunate soul idiotic enough to commit such a boneheaded act. With her fists balled so tight her knuckles took on an entirely new shade of white, Jade turned to throw a slap only to be caught at the wrist by an all too familiar face.
"Beck?" her voice was but a whisper.
"Hey, babe. You look surprised to see me.." His response was somewhat cheerful yet still mostly even.
Taking a moment to catch her breath, Jade now had to deal with her boyfriend.
"Well, you would be too if your significant other just snuck up on you," she retaliated but not without her signature smirk. "What are you doing here anyway? School's almost over..."
"I was actually just cutting through the Black Box to get to my locker faster when I ran into you. However, I think it's safe to ask what are you and Tori at odds about now? You didn't 'accidentally' spill coffee on her again, did you?" he flashed a look that, while devoid of any malice, dared his lover to lie.
"No...!" she fired back. "It was some random girl who wouldn't get her lines together, that's all."
Beck slapped his forehead, grimacing at the amount of pain he just caused himself.
"I swear, Jade. Sometimes, I wonder if you have a kind bone in your body."
"It's probably buried underneath miles and miles of black tar within my heart..." she stuck her tongue out.
Not wanting to start a lecture, Beck simply pulled his girlfriend into a quick kiss to which she reciprocated without hesitation. Soon, their lips were in a heated battle with neither side willing to concede dominance to the other. Tongues then waged war as it was Jade herself who'd deepen the kiss while enjoying the feeling of being in her lover's arms. She moaned softly into his mouth as he soon turned his attention to her neck; his lips stimulating her creamy skin.
Thoughts of where this could lead mixed with the potential of getting caught, further exciting Jade who found herself imagining just how far this moment could go. Her mind took her to a special room, reserved for them as Beck would slowly peel off her clothes before devouring her. She felt the urge to grab his hair; holding a fistful of those thick locs while gazing into those pools of green... wait... Green?
Jade pulled away from her boyfriend breathing heavily as he tried to process her sudden actions.
"Everything okay?" he breathed, steadily becoming thankful for the influx of air that he took in.
"Y-Yeah... I just needed to breathe is all. Passion and all that..."
Beck nodded in agreement, chuckling softly. "I guess we did get a little carried away."
"But, we can pick this up later though. Say, your place?"
"Not tonight. I have to study for Radcliff's midterms and I've been struggling in his class lately. But, I promise that I'll make it up this weekend if you're available then."
Despite wanting to argue and put on a mini-tantrum, Jade opted for the mature route and settled for Beck's offer. She placed a quick kiss on his cheek before the two made their way to their lockers. However, Jade wasn't sure what to make of the mental blunder and decided that something had to be done about it and soon. On top of that, there was a more important question that claimed her thoughts.
Where the hell was Liam, anyway?
Time flew for the new students at Hollywood Arts as the semester was winding down. Other students had begun living on campus, thus creating a community of young talent and like-mindedness. Staying true to himself, Liam took a much simpler route in his studies, choosing to focus more on traditional arts, tech support as well as a bit of singing and acting for good measure. With the help of Andre and Tori, his grades were firmly in honor roll standings. They would find themselves hanging out more and more, which raised a few eyebrows from the gang, none more so than Jade West.
Though she was not willing to make a fuss about it (well, no more than usual), she did keep a close eye on Liam and Tori's interactions. Thankfully, there was nothing that appeared out of the ordinary between them, putting her mind at ease for the time being. She also made sure to balance her own time with Liam alongside her boyfriend and school, which turned out to not be too difficult upon application.
Speaking of priorities, Jade was on cloud nine for most of the day as she entered the school. For nearly a week, she'd been working on her one-woman show for Sikowitz's mid-term. After getting it approved, she had been very diligent in her preparation for her performance titled 'Clowns Don't Bounce'. If that wasn't enough, the coconut crazed teacher even gave her a special time slot during the coming Friday.
Sure, there were a few setbacks such as a short case of writer's block and the fact that Beck had a family emergency to attend to, but neither of those things could dampen her mood.
Jade sighed contently to herself in between sips of coffee, feeling the hot liquid flow down her throat. Normally, she would gulp the beverage without hesitation, but she was on a mission that saw her pacing rather quickly down the hall to a certain person's locker.
She was greeted by the sight of her confidante who was currently listening to Cat ramble on about her brother dressing up like a fox and stealing chicken eggs. For his part, Liam did look rather interested in her story as he was leaning against the miniature mural that was his locker door. For a moment, Jade took in the expertly painted picture of two wolf's heads in front of a full moon and forest backdrop before returning her attention to the task at hand.
"Hey, guys," she casually droned.
"JADE!" the bouncy red-head squealed in delight.
"Hey! Looks like someone's in a good mood." Liam smirked, tying his hair back into a man-bun.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, she returned the expression with a sly grin of her own only to surrender to the genuine smile. "Alright, maybe I am. I just got my show approved and I'm beyond ready to perform it! This Saturday can't come any quicker."
Both Liam & Cat felt their cheerful dispositions slowly fall after hearing that, forcing Jade to wonder what the cause of their sudden shift in mood. To make matters worse, the two exchanged looks of uncertainty. The former, sensing an impending time, opted to break the silence while Cat whimpered softly.
"Are you referring to THIS Saturday?" He exhaled nervously, feeling as if he was walking on thin ice with the now leery goth.
"What do you think? Why?" She retorted, growing more peeved by the second.
"I think you should talk to Sikowitz..." this time it was Cat who'd answer.
Jade glanced once more at the nervous duo before storming off, deadset on finding out what was going on. Needless to say, things weren't about to turn out well...
"Okay, so now that we have Sinjin working on the Prome King & Queen polls, the next thing on the agenda should be..." Tori Vega found herself cut off in mid-sentence due in part to an irate Jade West who came in like a hurricane. Judging by the fire in her eyes, there was no doubt that all hell was about to break loose. Well, it was clear to everyone except Tori herself. "Oh, hey Jade! Are you here to-?"
"You just had to have your stupid prom this Saturday night?!"
"We're calling it a 'Prome'." she calmly replied.
" I was supposed to do my performance this Saturday Night, and now Sikowitz says I can't 'cause you booked the Asphalt Cafe for your stupid prom!"
"Prome..."
"Cancel it!"
What came next surprised everyone in attendance. Tori Vega stood her ground to her dark rival.
"No."
"No?!"
"No!" she raised her voice, trying her best to match her frenemy's intensity.
"No?"
"No."
"OK, alright, HAVE YOUR "PROME"! But know this, you're gonna wish you didn't!"
As quickly as she arrived, Jade left without another word, leaving only a sinister glare before slamming the door behind her. Everyone in the theater wasn't sure what to think about the current outcome. On the surface, there was relief that the goth didn't destroy anything or anyone. On the other end, those who knew better couldn't help but feel that a bigger storm was brewing.
Word got out about Jade and Tori's little engagement and everyone was put on notice leading to the big evening. Surprisingly, the remainder of the week held no issue as Jade hadn't been seen much since the incident and when she was noticed, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Everyone began to calm down as the countdown to Prome concluded with a rather extravagant set-up given how little time the crews had to put everything together.
There were good food and refreshments that awaited the partygoers as they filed in. Live music and good times were what awaited the students as Tori watched with increasing satisfaction. With only a few minor hiccups, including Andre who was constantly sucking face with some girl named Sherry and her sister, Trina who trying to force other students to vote for her, things were shaping up quite nicely for the first ever Hollywood Arts Prome.
Then it happened...
As Tori was about to present the visuals for the upcoming Prome King & Queen voting, a hideous shriek erupted from the speakers, startling everyone. What was supposed to be a visual of the possible candidates in the running for the awards had been replaced by an explicitly graphic horror film that either traumatized or grossed out everyone. It didn't take long for Tori to figure out who the culprit was.
In minutes she found Jade who was wearing a very elegant teal dress and a smug smirk.
"Uh-oh! Looks like Tori Vega's prom has turned into one big boobity-boo!" she cried out in an obnoxious southern accent.
"Prome!" Tori corrected.
"Whatever. It seems that your little hoo-haw isn't turning out the way you'd hoped. Just look at all those people leaving."
Seeing the truth behind the goth's words, Tori grabbed the lower section of her dress and rushed to keep her peers from leaving. The amusement on Jade's face was obviously out of spite, yet, there was something else that she'd noticed. While those like Cat, Robbie, and Andre were there at the prom (she refused to call it such a dumb name), there was a certain dark-skinned, green-eyed boy who was not in attendance. To be honest, with Beck in Canada, having her best friend there would've made her time a bit more pleasant; the only upside being that he wasn't here to stop her. Sighing to herself, she settled for the satisfaction of her vengeance.
Tori did manage to convince everyone to stay, but, that didn't stop Jade who had another trick up her sleeve. Once the horrific image was pulled from the screen, another incident occurred later into the night when some random followed by a little person carrying a stereo showed up screaming at anyone within arm's length. Once again Tori had to play crowd control after learning that Doug the Diaper Guy (his 'professional' name) was hired for the Prome by an anonymous caller. Of course, the students were ready to leave, each disgruntled with how the evening had gone up to this point.
With no other option, Tori Vega settled on at least revealing the results of the polls.
"Everyone? I know this year's Prome hasn't been what you all expected..."
"Yeah! It was terrible!" Jade proclaimed, earning a well-deserved glare for her trouble.
"But, I'd like for you all to stay as it's time that we announce our first ever Prome king and queen!"
Trina looked over at Sinjin, her 'date' for the evening. "Are you sure that I'm guaranteed to win?"
"It hurts that you doubt me..." he replied in his nasal-like voice. "I made sure that you'd be a shoo-in for Prome Queen."
The Asphalt Cafe erupted with a round of applause as Tori grabbed her pear pad. Tapping a few times on the screen, she scanned through the names of the those who were entered. The crowd watched in anticipation as Tori grabbed the mic to announce the first winner. Looking over the results, she noticed two things. The first was the obviously inflated amount of votes that her sister had been 'awarded' and the second being the perfect chance at getting revenge for Jade's sabotage attempts.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that our first ever Prome Queen is..." She signaled for Andre to play a drum roll. "...Jade West!"
Amidst the applause, both Jade and Trina respectively screamed in confusion with the latter turning her wrath toward the nerd who'd failed her. Meanwhile, Jade was mortified to find herself as the recipient of such an award despite not being nominated for it in the first place. She grew even more irritated as she was outfitted with the sash and crown. If that wasn't enough, she would find herself being whisked away by Doug the Diaper Guy after he was named the Prome King.
As he ran off with her in his drunken frat boy daze, Jade did manage to get out of his grip but only after agreeing to pay him to cut the act early and go home to which he obliged. Meanwhile, the sounds of Tori singing along with the band could be heard and that meant only one thing.
Jade lost... again.
Despite everything, Tori Vega still got her way in the end. Now, she was busy performing for that stupid Prome and Jade was left to sulk all alone. In her feelings, she decided to go over to the one place she felt comfortable, the Black Box. Each step not only brought her closer to her destination but on the verge of tears as the first drop slid down her cheek followed by a few more slipping past her defenses.
It's not fair!
Vega always gets her way...
Tori always wins.
Those and many other thoughts plagued her very soul as she forced the door open. It didn't matter anyway as there shouldn't be anyone inside. Everyone was either at the stupid dance or at home. Imagine Jade's surprise when she looked up to find that not only was somebody inside but, it was the last person she'd expect to be there.
"Liam?" her eyes widened at the sight of the startled boy standing on the stage.
Interestingly, he wasn't dressed in a tux like the other boys that were there, instead, he wore a black Jack Skellington t-shirt and some grey sweatpants. His hair was pulled into a messy bun which gave Jade a clear view of his own wide eyes that made him look like a deer in headlights. Once they shook off the shock of seeing one another, he'd raise his hand to give her an awkward wave.
"Hey, Jade... I'm not late am I?"
Jade wiped her face, not really caring about ruining her make-up at this point. She then stared at her friend and closest ally with a stunned and equally befuddled look, unsure of what he was referring to.
"Late for what?" she crossed her arms, noticing his appearance. "By the looks of things, you're not here for that dumb prom."
"Isn't it obvious? I'm here for your show..." he replied innocently as if it were the most apparent thing in the world. "I didn't want to miss it so I rushed through my homework to make sure that I wouldn't miss it. It's not even 8:30 yet..."
"Why aren't you out there dancing with Tori or some other chick?" she cursed herself for the evident venom in her voice.
His response was to reach into his pant pocket and show off what looked like a ticket; specifically, a ticket to 'Clowns Don't Bounce'.
He actually got a ticket to my play?
Jade stepped further inside, staring at him as if he was the biggest idiot in the universe while her heart continued to beat faster. Liam literally skipped the Prome just to come to see her perform and still showed up. Either he truly cared or he was just a dummy; she entertained mixing both options as a small smirk tugged at her lips.
"You DO know that it was canceled due to the dance, right?" she raised an eyebrow as she now stood only a few feet apart from him.
"I wasn't sure. After you left, I got swamped with homework and papers so I never found out what happened with that. Either way, I wanted to support you and your hard work. Is that so bad?" he chuckled softly.
Jade was still feeling the shock of his actions, although she did giggle at his last question, prompting him to look a bit flustered. "W-what?" It was cute to hear him get all worked up and it gave her time to recover from her mini emotional crisis. It was clear that she wasn't expecting any of this but, irritation started to set in when the cruel reality hit her.
"While I'm grateful, there is no play... Sikowitz had conveniently forgotten about it when he agreed to Vega's idea."
Liam watched as a cloud of disappointment hung over her head. Here he was ready to see a play about clowns (which he actually despised), but all he managed to find was a beautiful girl crushed after losing her chance to act. He concentrated on the moment when an idea crossed his mind.
"Why don't you perform a part of it? Like a scene or two?
"I'm not even in costume, or did you lose most of your vision?"
Liam huffed at her snarky tone but still smiled as he took in her appearance. She did look rather stunning in her teal dress, noticing how it matched her eyes perfectly. He then studied how beautiful she looked overall as this was the first time he'd seen her in such a formal outfit. It was both weird and amazing at the same time. He could look at her for any length of time if one were to request him to.
"Ahem...! Earth to Liam?"
"H-huh?" Liam's eyes widened before blinking several times in an attempt to regain his focus. Thankfully, his dark skin hid the blush that crept its way to his face. Still, Jade noticed his blunder and wasn't about to let up if she could help it. "Sorry, I got a little distracted..."
"Distracted?" she mused. "By what, pray-tell?"
"Nothing. Just how nice... yeah... how nice you look in that dress!"
Sure, it wasn't the greatest of comebacks but, it was all he could get out as his mind reset. In response, Jade did a little twirl and stopped with her back to him. She gracefully turned her head and glanced over her shoulder, giving him a look that spelled trouble if he wasn't careful. The burning on his face intensified as she averted his gaze in hopes of calming not only his nerves but a certain part of his anatomy that made him regret his choice in clothing.
Jade finally dropped the act, letting out an uncharacteristic laugh as her friend glared out of pure embarrassment.
"Not funny, Jade..."
"It so is! You should see your face!" she grinned smugly. "It's honestly the first time I've seen you blush. I have to say, it's kind of cute."
"Yeah, well... Don't make a habit of that alright?"
The two just stood there in silence for a few minutes, allowing them both to hear the faint sounds of a concert that was going on outside. On top of that, he could pick up Tori singing something about her best friend's brother which amused him. Sadly, this only had a negative effect on Jade who was reminded of her failed plot and inability to perform. That feeling of disappointment reared its ugly head once more, causing her to sink back into that depressive state.
This time though, Jade would find herself being offered a hand just as the music began to slow down.
"Would you like to dance?"
She looked at him and took it only to find his hands firmly placed on the small of her back. Naturally, she placed her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as she swayed side to side in sync with his motions. Though the circumstances weren't ideal, Jade wouldn't complain. Sure, Beck wasn't there and she didn't get to perform 'Clowns Don't Bounce', but she did get a couple of good laughs, was named Prome queen, and now, here she was dancing with Liam. Unseen by Liam, she smiled softly and enjoyed the moment.
When they finished, Jade just looked at him, taking in his features before parting her lips.
"Thank you, Liam..." she whispered.
"For what?" he questioned. "That dance?"
She giggled at his naivety.
"No, idiot. For making my night."
"Well, you're welcome, Jade. I really didn't do much, did I?"
Jade didn't say anything else, except taking his hand with a bright smile. Leading him out of the theater while he continued to inquire further, it seemed that things would work out on this night. Little did they know that someone had been in there, honey brown eyes locked on the duos every move while they were in the room. Olive skin burned with rage toward the pale girl long after they departed.
"You crossed me for the last time, Jade..." the young woman seethed.