Author's note: I'm sorry this update has taken so long but this summer has been way busier than I expected. We're nearing the end of Tori and Jade's journey in this story and I wanted to take the time out now to thank those of you who have been reading and patiently waiting for updates. I hope you'll enjoy the remainder of this fic and feel free to leave comments with things you'd like to see in possible sequels. Thank you all and I hope you enjoy!
"Whoa. Tori and Jade, really?" Andre let out a long breath, "I never saw that one coming." "I can't say it's a complete shock. We were already having problems but the second Tori came to Hollywood Arts it was clear that Jade and I were never going to get any better." Beck shrugged. "At first I thought she was threatened by her, you know how jealous she gets. But the past couple of weeks really put things into perspective." Andre looked thoughtful, "How do you feel about all this?" "Honestly I just want Jade to be happy. I'm always going to have love for her but our happiness clearly doesn't lie with each other. I'm sure if the two of them would just get together and talk, things would smooth over eventually." Andre held his phone between his ear and shoulder and rubbed his hands together excitedly, "So how are we meddling?" Beck smiled at Andre's obvious enthusiasm, "I have a plan. I'll pick you up early tomorrow morning to set up."
Tori lay in bed with her eyes closed and her fingers pressed lightly against her lips. She could still feel the gentle pressure of Jade's lips against her own and the warmth that came with them. Try as she might, Tori couldn't stop replaying the kiss she had shared with the goth girl. On one hand she believed Jade was simply trying to make sure she would get an A for the semester but on the other hand could that much tenderness and emotion be conjured up out of nothingness? Maybe the kiss wasn't just a ploy to make Sikowitz believe their performance. Maybe Jade was trying to tell her something through the kiss because Tori wouldn't give her a chance to use her words.
Suddenly Beck's explanation for Jade's actions didn't seem so ludicrous. Beck had called her while she was on her way to rehearsal explaining that Jade had seen them going into the janitor's closet and immediately assumed the worst. He also said that he'd told Jade that nothing had happened in there and she had in turn confessed her feelings for Tori. The half-latina had immediately dismissed Beck and chastised him for buying into Jade's lies. But now after hearing that Jade had apologized publicly for spreading rumors about her and that kiss… That kiss alone definitely changed things in Tori's mind but not enough to completely let go of her reservations. Tomorrow's opening night, everything with Jade can wait until after the play. Tori turned over onto her side and settled in for what would be anything but a good night's rest.
This kiss was different. Nothing like the soft, gentle, quick kiss during rehearsal. This one was passionate, desperate, hungry… Jade's hand trailed over Tori's chest past her bra and rested at Tori's zipper almost as if asking for permission. Tori's eyes shot open as she gently placed her hand over Jade's trying her best not to startle her. "I've never done this before." She said in an impossibly small voice. "What? Have sex with a girl?" Jade asked. Tori had to look away before she answered, "Have sex period." Jade was shocked but tried her best to sound reassuring. "Don't worry Vega, I'll be gentle." "I'm not looking for gentle," Tori replied in a voice that made the hairs on the back of Jade's neck stand up in anticipation, "I just wanted you to know that before you judge my performance." It was easier for Tori to hide behind humor than tell Jade how terrified she was of disappointing her. "I've been waiting so long for this to happen," Jade said punctuating each word with a kiss down Tori's throat, "That you can do no wrong." Warmth spread throughout Tori's body and as she felt Jade's teeth graze her earlobe she forgot all about her fear and gave herself up completely…
Tori opened her eyes and was unsurprised to find that she had kicked off her sheets while her subconscious tortured her with yet another sex dream starring Jade. Nancy first, Jade later. Tori repeated to herself until she felt her eyelids getting heavy. She clung to her new mantra desperately hoping that opening night wasn't a complete disaster due to her inability to decipher her conflicting emotions towards her co star.
Jade walked into Hollywood Arts sipping down her usual morning coffee when she quickly realized she wasn't the first one in the building. Directly ahead of her were Andre and Beck whispering to each other while carefully placing items into none other than Tori's locker. "What do the two of you think you're doing?" Jade asked appearing right behind the two unsuspecting boys. The pair quickly turned around trying to hide their handiwork but they were much too slow. Jade had already caught a glimpse of a nauseating amount of red hearts taped to the inside of the locker along with a small balloon that read 'I'm sorry I'm such an asshole.' Beck scratched the back of his neck and looked toward Andre who motioned for Beck to speak. Beck took a deep breath, "Look, after the talk we had yesterday it seemed that you were ready to give up on Tori. And Tori didn't even believe me when I told her that you had feelings for her so," "YOU WHAT!?" Jade viciously cut him off as she felt her heart rate skyrocket. Andre shifted uncomfortably, "Yeah, I gotta go. I'll see you at lunch." He ran off before Jade could get a chance to rummage in her bag for anything she could use to hurt him.
"Jade, the two of you have been tiptoeing around this issue for months now. You made a mistake but you've been trying your best to fix it since and I just thought the two of you needed a little push. If she saw how sorry you were maybe she'd at least give you a chance to explain yourself." Jade couldn't be mad at Beck or even Andre for that matter. Their hearts were clearly in the right place unlike the monstrosities that now covered every square inch of Tori's locker. Jade chuckled, "She would never believe that I did this." Beck joined in with her, "Yeah, you're probably right." They took down the hearts, constantly looking over their shoulders to see if Tori was anywhere near. "Leave the balloon though, that was a nice touch." Beck smiled and pulled the remaining item he'd meant to place in the locker, "What about this?" It was a single rose with the reddest petals that Jade had ever seen. Jade quickly dug in her bag looking for a suitable place to leave a note. The best she could muster was a bright pink post-it. Jade frowned but scrawled out her note nonetheless. This time she used her own unmistakable cursive. 'Break a leg tonight, Vega. I hope we can talk after the show. xxx -Jade' She stuck the note onto the rose and quickly closed the locker. "Thanks Beck." She planted a small kiss on his cheek. "You're welcome. I hope you guys can work things out. Bouncing back and forth between the two of you is exhausting." Beck let out an exaggerated yawn. "Hey!" Jade punched Beck lightly in the arm, "Don't be a wise ass." Beck grinned, "Come on, let's get out of here before anyone sees us."
