~Tori~
I hummed a tune to myself as I idly switched my books out of my locker to trade them with the ones I would need. I was really starting to get comfortable here now and the days seemed to fly by without a hugely random event happening, which was weird considering the gang usually gets into truly strange situations. Even Jade was oddly quiet and only decided to comment once in a while. Ever since that day at the restaurant she kept her distance from me. Maybe it affected her more than she let on? It sure affected me. I still thought about it when I was left to think too much. I shut my locker and turned away just in time to see someone I never thought I would again.
"Ah!" I screamed, eyes widening when they landed on him.
"Ah!" he reiterated, leaning away with an equally shocked expression. We stood there staring at each other a few seconds before I pointed at him.
"Danny," I stated. By addressing him he seemed to loosen up.
"Hey. You go to school here?" he questioned, taking a step closer.
"Yeah. You know I left Sherwood," I replied.
"Right, but I just…didn't know where…I mean, isn't this school for, like, really talented kids who…" he began to say as he looked around but let his words die out when he realized what he was implying. I only narrowed my eyes at him. Excuse me?
"I did not mean-" he tried to apologize but I cut him off.
"No, no, keep talking. You're doing great," I responded sarcastically, a bit offended. I belonged here, and it might have taken me some time to believe it, but now that I did, I didn't like that he was questioning it.
"Sorry," he apologized, looking down in that way I knew he meant it. So I decided to let him off the hook.
"It's cool," I allowed, dismissing the poor start to the conversation.
"So when did you get into performing?" he asked.
"Oh, see, my sister's tongue got all big and swollen and…here I am," I tried to explain, losing steam when I spotted Beck and Jade walk up out of the corner of my eye. Oh no. Jade was definitely going to have something to say about this. I just knew it. Danny chuckled at my explanation and I looked away, nervous about Jade being there.
"So who's that?" she questioned. And there it was. I looked to Danny then back to her.
"Uhhh, this is Danny," I answered, pointing a thumb at him.
"Hey," he greeted.
"'Sup," Beck returned. Jade, however, was above introductions and instead moved on to what I'm sure she felt were bigger and better things. It was like she knew before even being told.
"Why are you talking to Tori?" she inquired next, a hint of something to her voice I had trouble figuring out.
"He goes to my old school," I told her, avoiding the topic I did not want to bring up with her.
"Sherwood," he added. Beck remained simply curious but Jade crossed her arms and leveled a look at me I had no choice but to bend to.
"He…he was my boyfriend," I explained further, glancing at Danny.
"Girlfriend," he confirmed, pointing to me. That fake smile was now on Jade's face and inwardly I groaned. And we were doing so well staying out of each other's hair. That didn't last long.
"So why'd you dump her?" she questioned bluntly. Beck closed his eyes like he was bracing for a blow. He was mostly likely thinking the same thing as me, which was, why the heck did she have to do this all the time? I frowned at her.
"Jade," Beck began to warn her but she strode past him to come closer to me. She looked like she was on a mission. His jaw was set and her eyes were intent.
"Can I guess? 'Cause I've got a lot of guesses," she began, stopping to stand by me. She seemed to be up to no good but the look she shot Danny on the way over briefly looked like the one that appeared on her face when she caught Beck and I interacting more than she would like. That was odd, but I couldn't delve into that because she was soon back to that fake smile that assured me that she was going to make this more problematic than it should be.
"Um, actually…" Danny began. I shook my head, unwilling to let him say what I knew he would. Jade did not need that kind of information at her disposal.
"Y-you don't have to-" I stuttered, trying to cut him off.
"Tori broke up with me," he finished.
"Oh, and how did you celebrate?" Jade asked him, her overly innocent smile widening. Oh man. That meant she wasn't gonna let this drop. I turned to her.
"Do you ever take a day off?" I questioned. She just shrugged.
"Sooo, what'cha doin' here?" Beck verbally stepped in, trying to steer the conversation away from dangerous territory. Thank you Beck. Always the peacekeeper to Jade's destructive intentions.
"Yeah, what are you doing here?" I tacked on, curious but wanting to move on with the conversation.
"Well, I've kinda been dating this girl that, you know, goes here. And, uh, I was supposed to meet her-" he answered hesitantly, hands up and looking around. Jade was nodding along next to me and it put me on edge. I was starting to get a sinking kind of feeling for some reason. At that moment there was a delighted scream from the stairs.
"Daniel!" Cat shouted, running down to jump on Danny.
"Hey babe!" he greeted, catching her. They were quick to start kissing. My mouth hung open but Jade was pleasantly surprised while Beck shifted in slight discomfort. I could feel Jade's smirk spreading across her face as a frown worked its way onto mine. Cat and Danny broke apart and he set her down.
"This is the guy I've been telling you about! My boyfriend!" she exclaimed with a big smile while pointing to him happily. Cat's arm was wrapped around him as his arm was wrapped around her. That sinking feeling persisted. If only I knew beforehand who she had been talking about. I wondered if I had prepared then it wouldn't be so bad, but I don't think it would have made much of a difference. I closed my eyes to block out the devious intent radiating from Jade. She must think this was hilarious. God help me.
~Jade~
So this was one of Vega's ex-boyfriends, huh? He didn't look like much. I could at least admit to myself that when I saw him I was ready to make a fool of Vega in front of a potential boyfriend, but after learning that they had already dated, I was a mix of jealous and relieved. I mean, she went out with that guy? Now I was questioning her taste. I wanted to pick at her further just for making me feel conflicted but I also wanted the dude to feel uncomfortable to get back at him too. Vega dumped him, a fact I highlighted with a comment, but underneath that was interest. He obviously lacked something or they just weren't compatible if she dumped him instead of the other way around. But now the reason for his visit has been made known and I couldn't help but indulge in making Vega uncomfortable now that I was assured he wasn't a threat. It was enough to have Beck around. I didn't need him too. Vega groaned and I flashed her a smile at the turn of events. I had to get my kicks where I could after all. Beck could try all he wanted to curve my comments but it wouldn't stop me and I'm sure he knew it.
"Daniel, these are my friends; Beck, Jade, and that's Tori," Cat introduced.
"Yeah, we've met," Vega replied with a nod.
"Really? You know Daniel?" Cat answered, surprised. This was just the perfect time to make matters even worse for Vega. It was my specialty after all.
"Oh, she knows Daniel," I pointed out, a little suggestively yet too innocent to take seriously. I knew Vega would catch on but Cat wouldn't. To prove my point, Vega glared at me. I just smiled back at her.
"So," Vega began, looking to change the subject once again.
"So," Daniel repeated, hands raised while Cat hung off him none the wiser. I'd have to remedy that very soon.
"So," I added, dragging out the word as I glanced at Vega.
"How come everyone's being all weird?" Cat finally asked. I jumped to answer.
"I'll tell her," I volunteered with a hand raised.
"No you won't," Beck quickly admonished. I dropped my hand and pouted a little. Fine, Vega could do the honors. I listened to Beck this time, but only because either way, this would carry out the same. I just wanted to be able to do it.
"Cat, um, I used to go to Sherwood…with Danny…before I came to school here," Vega began, drawing the couple's attention to her. Daniel looked a little hesitant but Cat was still oblivious. It was only a matter of time now.
"Oh, so you guys are friends," she said with a smile. I just couldn't help getting in another jab at Vega's expense. I walked around to stand on her other side.
"Yeah, they were good friends," I said, putting extra emphasis on the word 'good'. Vega looked down, unable to dispute.
"I'm confused," Cat admitted, starting to fiddle with her hands now. I gave Vega a pointed look which she exchanged with one of hesitance, but she eventually began to explain.
"Danny and I used to date," she finally said. I smiled and nodded while Beck shifted his feet on her other side. Cat made a sound of shock, he mouth falling open. This was just too good. Beck must have caught on that I was enjoying myself a little too much for all the wrong reasons because he walked up to rest a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey, why don't we walk over to some other location?" he suggested. I was reluctant to go but knew it was for the best. Things were as awkward as it could get now, right? So why stay?
"Ok, wait, so you and Tori, were like…" Cat tried to explain.
"Girlfriend," Daniel stated.
"Boyfriend," Tori returned. Man, I knew Cat was a little slow, but geez. Cat looked from one to the other, brows creased while I watched on. Beck sighed over my shoulder. He probably wanted to drag me away at this point so that I couldn't make it any worse.
"So…" Cat tried again.
"Please, don't feel weird about this," Daniel told her.
"You really shouldn't. I mean, we broke up a year ago," Tori supplied.
"Yeah, it's been a year," he agreed.
"It's only been eleven months," Tori corrected him, a bit terse.
"What difference does it make?" he retorted. Something told me things really didn't end as well as it could between them despite acting like nothing was wrong. And to think, I came to school assuming that it would be an uneventful day.
"Forget it! The point is, I'm totally cool with you guys dating," Tori snapped back at first but stepped away from the situation with a forced calm tone.
"And I'm totally cool that you two are friends," Daniel added.
"Well, ok then! It's all happy!" Cat said, going back to making googly eyes at Daniel. I rolled my own eyes and huffed out a breath. There goes the entertainment. Beck looked relieved that it hadn't escalated. He gave Tori a pat on the shoulder but I just pushed past them.
"I'm bored now," I stated with disappointment.
"I apologize for…her," I heard Beck say before following me. When he fell into step by my side he began reprimanding me for making the situation more awkward than it should have been. I only listened to what he had to say with half an ear. It was nothing new.
~Tori~
Okay, well, that could have gone worse than I was anticipating. Jade didn't make it all that bad. My past with Danny was tenuous at best but we weren't together anymore and all I wanted to do was move on with this. He had Cat now and I was so okay with that. Like, extra okay with it. Danny and I didn't really see eye to eye anyway. I glanced back at Jade with Beck following after her then turned back to Danny and Cat.
"So, how did you guys me-" I began, but my words abruptly died when I saw that they were a bit…preoccupied.
"Hey, do you guys wanna go-" I tried again, but this time turning back around to see Jade and Beck standing awfully close. I looked away just in case they decided to start sucking face too. Strangely, seeing them together was a far bitter taste to endure than Danny and Cat making out not too far way. I shook off my conflicted feelings, stuttering to speak, but then gave up and accepted that there was no point sticking around. I walked away with my head down. Why did I suddenly feel so alone? The rest of the day I spent away from Cat, just in case I said something unsavory while she talked about nothing other than Danny. After school I stayed pretty much in my room while Trina stayed busy with some new beauty thing she was trying out. I didn't see what it was but I could bet it wouldn't turn out good. I thought I heard Robbie at one point but maybe I was just hearing things.
Lunch at school = SALTY
FRENCH FRY TIME!
Mood = Hungry
The next day I felt better and the weird feelings that plagued me the day before had vanished. I returned to the daily grind, no worse for wear. I even sat next to Cat at lunch. Jade sat across from me and Beck sat between her and Cat.
"Hey, can you pass the salt?" I asked Jade without thinking. My fries needed just a little more.
"Why should I?" she responded, looking up from her food. Figures, but I wasn't going to let her get to me today.
"Because my French fries aren't salty enough," I answered simply. She sighed heavily, picked up the salt shaker, and set it down with slight force closer to me.
"Sorry to put you through that trouble," I jabbed, reaching out to pick it up. I was in the middle of applying it to my lunch when Danny showed up.
"Guess who?" he inquired, covering Cat's eyes from behind. I glanced up at him and almost instantly that feeling from yesterday was back. The look on Jade's face didn't make me feel any better. She already looked amused.
"Um, is it Beck?" Cat questioned seriously after a giggle. We all looked at her, wondering how she got that. He was sitting right next to her and sounded nothing like Danny.
"What?" I questioned aloud in disbelief. Jade's brows furrowed.
"I'm sitting right next to you," Beck spoke up, solidifying my thoughts. Cat reached out to unapologetically feel for his face.
"Yeah, hey Beck," she said while her fingers probed his face. He sat there with a slightly agitated expression but did nothing to stop her.
"She's feeling my face," he commented, pushing her away when her finger managed to find its way into his mouth as he talked. I glanced over at Jade to see her unresponsive to the display. How come she only got mad when I had anything to do with Beck? Why didn't she yell at Cat?
"No. No, it's me," Danny finally intervened, uncovering her eyes to lean over so that she could see him.
"Oh! Daniel!" she exclaimed, standing up enough to kiss him. I rolled my eyes and looked way, unwilling to let my thoughts make matters worse. I couldn't be jealous. That was just ridiculous. I was over him.
"What are you doing here?" Cat continued while taking her seat again. I happened to glance at Jade across the table and she returned my gaze with a knowing smile. It was like she knew what I was feeling. Well, Jade of all people should be pretty familiar with jealousy. Whoa, that wasn't nice. Um, well, but it was true. I looked away from her and concentrated on not letting it show.
"Well, I had a half day so I thought I'd come visit you for lunch," Danny answered, sitting down between Cat and Beck.
"Aww," Cat gushed. Jade brightened and I shot her a warning glance but she ignored me. I tried.
"Well this is so nice. Daniel gets to have lunch with his new girlfriend and his used girlfriend," she commented, gesturing from Cat to me. What was her problem? Why did she have to make everything difficult? But again, I wasn't going to let her get to me.
"You know, you can try to make this awkward but it's not gonna work, because unlike you, everyone at this table is mature," I informed her, jabbing a finger at her and then twirling it to include everyone else. Jade didn't look affected. She glanced at Beck and he gave her a look, exchanging words without saying anything as they usually did. She turned back to me, that infuriating smile still in place. It made me feel like I had to keep proving my point.
"And by the way, I dumped him, so ha!" I tacked on, crossing my arms to then lean on the table and rest my chin in my palm while I glared daggers at her. Maybe I shouldn't have said it so forcefully without thinking about how it would make Danny feel, but she just, ugh!
~Jade~
Look at poor Vega over there, trying to hide how much I got to her. She wasn't doing such a good job by the way she picked at her food and fell unnaturally quiet. She was always sunny and had so much to say that the difference was amusing. Why did she even care about him anyway? If it was so long ago then she should be over it, right? Whatever. It was too easy using it against her. Not to mention her scrunched up angry face was too hard not to want to see.
"So, did you invite Daniel to the kick-back?" I asked Cat, effortlessly moving on while Vega fumed silently. I could always manage to get her temper going even when she tried so hard to remain unaffected. She looked to Cat when I mentioned the kick-back, then she looked at me. Her expression tipped me off that she hadn't wanted Danny boy to know about it.
"Oh my god, I forgot," Cat replied.
"Kick-back?" Danny inquired, interested.
"Yeah. Once every semester the school lets us have a Saturday night party right here in the parking lot," Cat explained. Vega seemed to hunch over even more. I smiled and tucked myself under Beck's arm. He raised a brow at me but didn't question it. There was nothing wrong in messing with her just a little more, to see that we were all paired up at our table except for her. Good thing Robbie and Andre had some work to finish up.
"Live music. Cheese fountain," Beck joined in.
"Cheese fountain?" Danny questioned in disbelief.
"Cheddar," Cat told him with an approving nod.
"Will you come?" she asked.
"Yeah, totally," he accepted. Vega looked up at that, her frown still going strong, so I addressed her.
"Tori, will you be at the kick-back?" I inquired, my voice as well as smile fake. Her own features became just as feigned as mine.
"Yes, Jade. I will be," she answered. Oh, this was too fun.
"Ooh, guess what I made!" Cat suddenly announced, turning around to retrieve something from her bag.
"What did you make?" Daniel questioned, looking to her.
"Brownies!" Cat answered, presenting the treats that were sealed in a zip lock bag. A knowing, and maybe a big smug, smile appeared on Vega's face. This should be good.
"Wow!" Daniel exclaimed, looking pumped to try one.
"Sorry, Danny doesn't like brownies," Vega stated, leaning on her hand again. Cat looked conflicted for a moment and I watched on, interested to see what would happen next. I had a feeling Vega's comment was about to blow up in her face.
"Everyone likes brownies," Cat disagreed, reaching in to get one.
"Open," she commanded, shoving the treat in Daniel's mouth before he could say anything. It took him a moment to take a bite, chew, and then register it.
"Wow, these are really good," he remarked, much to Vega's dismay. Her eyebrows came together over her nose which scrunched up a little. I never tired of seeing her so wazzed off.
"What?!" she exclaimed, appalled and somewhat confused. So, I helped her to understand.
"He said Cat's brownie is really good," I repeated for her. I heard Beck sigh but smiled in accomplishment. Vega ran a hand through her hair.
"I made you brownies twice and you told me you didn't like brownies," she said, looking to Daniel.
"Yeah, but, Cat's are…" he began, only to gulp and fall silent. At least he had the good sense to shut up.
"Different," he finished after a long pause. Or maybe not. I could sense Vega flare up.
"Different how? What do you mean, different?" she demanded.
"Tori," he said, deflating. Now he's done it. It was a shame I didn't get her that angry this time but at least I had a hand in getting her there.
"Try one," Cat insisted, pulling out another one to give to her. She took it quickly and bit off half. We all watched her chew.
"How is it?" Beck wondered. She tossed the rest of it on her plate, her face still conveying her distaste in the situation.
"I gotta go," she grumbled, grabbing her stuff and getting up to walk away. I waved, smiling at the latest entertainment she provided. Cat started feeding Daniel the brownies and I wondered how Vega would have taken that should she still be here. The longer I sat with the sickeningly happy couple the more I began to wonder why Vega even liked the hipster wannabe at all. He wasn't a challenge, he gave in easily, half the time he didn't know what to say, and he didn't take initiative in anything. Vega deserved someone who was the opposite of all that. Someone like…well, there went my good mood.
~Tori~
I really hoped Danny didn't keep showing up at school or I was seriously going to reconsider hanging around Cat. I knew it was stupid to feel so jealous, especially since I didn't exactly know why, but at the same time I couldn't help it. It wasn't any easier with Jade's running commentary either. And what was up with hearing both Andre and Robbie downstairs a while after we got home? What did Trina have to do with it? I didn't really care to find out what hair-brained idea she had so I let it be. Whatever it was, hopefully my friends didn't pay to dearly for it. Trina had the worst ideas. Well, Jade must be getting to me more than I thought. Why was I even thinking about her at all? Oh boy. This had to stop.
My first KICK BACK at
Hollywood Arts. Funnnnn!
Mood = Partyish
The next day was the kick-back, and despite all that had been happening, I was feeling all right. The lively music was blasting and I danced a little before finding Sikowitz cooking on a barbecue that was styled like a car. I made my way over to him. I greeted him and he asked how I liked my first kick-back. It was fun. He offered me a sausage and I accepted. He almost made me not want to eat it when he leaned over to spear one, letting out an odd screeching noise. I furrowed my brows questioningly at his behavior but I was too used to his antics to wonder why he did it. Then he passed it to me. One bite and I was questioning the surprisingly good flavor. But when I asked him what kind of meat it was made from he burst out laughing. This time, he did concern me. What was he laughing about? He reached out and held my hand with his free one, dancing for a moment, then twirling me away. That was odd. I walked on and looked up just in time to see Cat and Danny dancing not too far away. I froze where I stood, unable to do anything else but stare.
"Daniel ever spin you like that?" Jade suddenly questioned me from my left. I looked at her. Not again. She was relentless, wasn't she? Just because she had Beck she was quick to make me feel horrible. She was lucky I wasn't mean enough to bring up the time she didn't have Beck. Who was there to help her, huh? I reined in my irritation to face her with some amount of calm.
"You wanna get slapped with a sausage?" I threatened her.
"Sure," she replied, leaning closer. For a split second I entertained the thought, but her answer quickly changed my mind.
"No, ya weirdo!" I exclaimed. She only shrugged.
"I might be weird but at least I'm not creepily staring at my ex dancing with another girl," she pointed out, taking a sip from the cup she held. I shot her a glare.
"I'm not staring. You just caught me at the wrong time," I grumbled, walking away. Unfortunately, she followed. Didn't she have anything better to do? I had heard something about Andre's foot feeling soft or something. That was right up her alley of weird. Why didn't she stop bugging me and go feel his foot with the rest of them?
"Well, it looked an awful lot like staring to me," she insisted. I rolled my eyes and wandered, hoping that if I didn't say anything she would eventually get bored and leave, but she remained.
~Jade~
This was just awesome. I got to bug Vega simply by following her around. I could tell just by the way she talked and held herself that she was annoyed. Things kept getting better when she stopped feet away from the snack table. Cat and Danny were together right next to the cheese fountain. My guess was they stopped to get something to eat and ended up making out. Weren't they a lovely couple? I glanced at Vega to see her eyes locked on them. Gears were turning, I could see it, but what was she thinking about? I looked back at the couple and then at her, suddenly all too aware of how she must be feeling. I wasn't really a sentimental person, but I knew Vega was jealous and conflicted. I thought back to when Beck and I broke up. I felt horrible yet Vega helped me through it. Maybe I could offer some…advice?
"You know, I'm kind of surprised they even have a cheese fountain. Last year someone messed with the valve and cheese exploded everywhere. It sucked for the person but it was riot to see happening. Or, so I heard. I didn't go," I spoke up, watching Vega out of the corner of my eye. Her shoulders seemed to square as well as her jaw. Without a word she left my side to march over to the table. I watched as she wrenched the valve up high and then backed up just as cheese shot out, catching Cat and Danny right in the face. Cat squealed in shock. I resisted the urge to smile. I didn't think Vega had it in her, or that she caught on to my train of thought so easily. It was all on her though. I didn't directly tell her to do it. Sikowitz rushed over to stop the machine and everyone looked to the cheese drenched couple. Both questioned Vega who stood there at a loss for words before running off. Her voice had been cracking and I had a feeling she was close to tears. Beck came up to stand next to me.
"See! This is what happens when you mix teenagers and hot cheese! I warned you!" Sikowitz stated loudly for all to hear. Lane stood next to him, shaking his head. Beck tapped me on the shoulder and I looked to him.
"Come on. We should make sure she's ok," he said. I groaned but gave in when he took me by the hand and practically dragged me away. He didn't have to pull me along once we were inside and I spotted her. We gave chase and entered the Black Box Theater, seeing nothing but left out props.
"Tori! Yo, Tori!" Beck called.
"We saw you run in here," I said, raising my voice.
"What's with all that stuff?" Beck asked, pointing to the tent and other props.
"Sinjin and his friends are doing some play about a camping trip gone wrong," I answered.
"Gone wrong?" he wondered.
"They end up eating each other. I don't know," I replied as I paced, keeping an eye out for Vega. Beck began calling for her again, walking around as I had done. I spotted the tent move slightly. Oh, there she was. I picked up a nearby broom and chucked it at the tent.
"Ow!" Vega exclaimed. I smiled and sauntered closer just as Beck flipped on the lights then walked over.
"Tori, come out to play," I taunted, my hands on my hips. The tent unzipped to reveal Vega, a frown still stuck on her face. Why did she still have that sausage?
"Leave me alone," she mumbled.
"What up with the hot cheese attack on Cat?" Beck asked.
"And her boyfriend, Daniel," I added in, unable to keep from teasing her. Vega climbed out of the tent to stand with some difficulty. Her explanation should be well worth hearing. I had to admit I was curious what was going through her head.
"I don't know. I mean, I'm so not the jealous type. I've never ever done anything like that before, but, seeing my ex-boyfriend making out with Cat I just, just lost it for a second, and the next thing I knew my hand was on the cheese valve," she explained. It wasn't much but it was enough. Huh, and I expected her to add in something about me pushing her into it or even blaming me for giving her the idea. Instead, she owned up to it. Or did I have anything to do with it at all? What if she hadn't even heard me and had the plan stewing in her head without any influence from me? Hm, and I thought she wasn't capable of such things unless she was getting back at her sister. Interesting.
~Tori~
I still couldn't believe that I did that. I couldn't even fully put the blame on Jade either. I heard what she said but her words were more of an encouragement than an idea. I shamefully already came up with it before she even said anything. And I did it! I did something someone as mean as Jade would do! I probably would have done it even if she hadn't said anything. Why? Well, while wallowing in the tent before I was rudely interrupted, I realized that, yes, I was jealous, but not because Cat was with Danny. I was jealous of what they had. I haven't had a relationship with anyone since him, and to see he happily moved on while I had no one struck a nerve. But I couldn't blame any of them. Danny and I just didn't work out. He and Cat seemed to work fine. I should be happy for them both. I looked to Jade and found myself wondering how she was fairing since getting back together with Beck. Were they doing better or the same? Why did I even care? I couldn't see her with anyone but Beck, after all. But maybe…no. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and then sighed.
"Ugh, I have to go apologize to them," I decided, moving to leave. I stopped to set down the sausage on a chair, glanced at Beck and Jade, and then left. I had to right this wrong.
I did bad things with hot
Cheese. Uck, WHY?!
Mood = Upset
I made my way down the halls, checking each bathroom that I passed in hopes I would find Cat or see Danny. I entered the main hall and found him coming out of the bathroom, his hair wet. Cat must not have gotten all the cheese off yet. I took a breath and then called to him. He stopped to look back at me. He greeted me in a monotonous manner. I asked where Cat was and he told me she was still trying to get cheese out of her ear. I groaned, feeling worse.
"Alright, listen. I have no idea why I did that," I told him, unable to explain my conflicted emotions. He hadn't really been good at understanding anyway.
"Were you jealous?" he asked.
"No," I asserted with a shake of my head.
"'Cause it doesn't make sense for you to be jealous. You broke up with me," he continued. I knew that, but I also had a better understanding of my actions than I did before. I wasn't about to let him know that though. He had moved on. I couldn't want something I couldn't have.
"I know. It makes zero sense," I agreed, walking over to sit on the steps.
"I guess it's just a dumb…girl thing," I concluded. There was nothing else to say.
"Like, wearing a skirt over jeans?" he remarked, taking a seat next to me.
"Yeah, what's up with that?" I wondered, truly confused. Sometimes I really didn't understand some people's fashion sense.
"I mean, are you maybe still…into me?" he asked. I looked at him.
"No," I answered, shaking my head. He nodded and looked away.
"Not at all. And I love Cat. She's like the sweetest thing ever, and, I'm psyched you guys are going out. I guess it's…it's just…" tried to explain but fell flat. I looked to him and remembered the time we first met. He was a jerk. He played jokes on me and teased me and he was more of a punk than a hipster. He played at mean but he could be sweet. I started talking to him more often and then hung out with him. When we shared our first kiss I realized that I liked him and he admitted to liking me since we had met. As our relationship went along we began to fight a lot after a while. We couldn't seem to agree. We each had our differences and it wasn't going to change. I saw that and broke it off before we outright hated each other. I began to wonder if we really even liked each other to begin with or just liked the idea of being together, since he liked teasing me and I liked to see his softer side. It was kind of like how Jade and I acted now…
Silence seemed to surround me as I stared at Danny and he stared back at me; that last thought weighing heavily on me. I didn't know what he was thinking, but suddenly, my thoughts were far from him. Instead, I entertained thoughts of Jade and I as potential girlfriends. Holy chiz, was it surreal. I mean, I could accept finding her pretty and enjoyed how nice she could be, but finding her attractive in the way of wanting to date her? That was another thing entirely. Or was it? Would going out with Jade turn out the same as it had with Danny? Or would it even work out at all? Call it curiosity, but this time, when I looked at Danny, I imaged him to be Jade. Just for a moment I imagined her color streaked hair, fair skin, clear eyes, and taunting smirk. Without thinking, I leaned in, and she leaned in too. Our lips met and didn't part until I heard a door open and swing shut followed by a squeak that sounded a lot like Cat.
I pulled away, seeing Danny once more and knowing what I had done. Then I spun around to face Cat. She stood there, devastated. I pulled up on the railing of the stairs and Danny jumped to his feet behind me. We both tried to let her know that what happened wasn't what she had seen, well, at least on my side, but she only let out a shocked sound that we repeated. No words came to her, no matter how hard she tried. She choked on a sob then ran off. Both Danny and I tried to call her back but she was long gone. At that moment, Robbie came down the stairs to babble about the sausages Sikowitz was passing out but I wasn't listening. I went looking for Cat to apologize and instead I made things worse. I had to find her and apologize double now. But when I went looking for her I couldn't find her. She most likely went home. I sighed and decided that I was done for tonight too. But I would find her first thing at school and apologize if I didn't manage to get a hold of her tomorrow.
~Jade~
Why was I wasting my day at Vega's house again? Oh, that's right, because we heard about these weird fish that eat away the dead skin on your foot, leaving it smooth as a baby's bottom, that's why. Trina had done it followed by Robbie and then Andre. Now Beck and I sat on the counter with the tank under our feet which we rested on the edge. We were both staring down at the tank full of little fish with trepidation. I couldn't really be blamed for questioning anything the talentless Vega did. After seeing how many times things backfired on her I had to be cautious. Beck and I glanced to the three sitting there staring back at us with idiotic smiles.
"You sure this is safe?" Beck asked them.
"We all did it," Robbie answered. Andre and Trina nodded.
"Does it hurt?" I questioned hopefully, glancing down at the tank of fish again.
"Nope," Andre replied.
"Aww," I pouted, losing hope. There was such thing as good pain after all. Beck never seemed to get that, which was why he looked at me like I was crazy. He should know by now, seriously.
"Come on, if you want your feet to feel baby soft," Trina encouraged.
"Ok, I have left her five voicemails and twelve text messages. Why won't Cat talk to me?" Vega whined as she came stomping down the stairs to stand in front of us.
"'Cause you squirted hot cheese in her ear," Andre answered like it was obvious.
"And played smooch face with her boyfriend," Robbie added.
"Those things upset some girls," I joined in, my hand resting in my palm. She frowned.
"You wanna try the pukka fish?" the older Vega asked her.
"You got rice and soy sauce?" Vega responded.
"No," Trina replied.
"Then no," Vega stated, turning away to march back upstairs. She was feisty when she was upset. It was kind of annoying but admirable in a way. I wondered if I could get a little more fun in. That sounded better than sticking my feet in a tank of fish. I didn't really need smooth feet anyway.
"Ok guys, do it," Trina insisted. The others urged us on too.
"Ok, you know what, I don't need this. Have fun, Beck," I stated, sliding from my perch to the floor.
"Where are you going?" he questioned. I shrugged and smiled over my shoulder but gave him no answer as I headed for the stairs.
"Jade," he warned, his voice alone telling me that what I had in mind better not be of the bad variety. I assured him with a shake of my head.
"I know," I tossed over my shoulder. I climbed the stairs at a leisurely pace and reached the top just as I heard him enjoying the feeling of what I think was termed 'a million tiny fish kisses'. Whatever that meant. I made my way down the hall only to stop when I saw Vega sitting in the middle of it, her back to the wall. Her head was tipped back with her eyes closed and she still held her phone in her hand. I quietly padded over and took a seat next to her. She must have felt worse than she let on because she slowly slid over and rested her head on my shoulder, all without saying a word. It caught me by surprise and I was seconds from pushing her away but then she started mumbling, her words muffled by my shoulder. I caught something along the lines of an apology and how she wasn't thinking clearly. She said it wasn't about Danny or even Cat and she felt confused. I thought I heard my name but I couldn't really hear. She then let out a long-suffering groan and fell quiet. I let her work through whatever it was she was going through before clearing my throat pointedly. She sat up and leaned back against the wall again.
"Sorry," she murmured, almost as inaudible as the previous rant.
"It's…whatever," I replied, leaning back against the wall too, closing my eyes.
"What are you doing up here anyway?" she questioned. I shrugged, my shoulder brushing hers.
"I guess letting fish eat dead skin off my foot is more of a time waster than talking to you," I responded.
"Gee, thanks," she groused. I chuckled.
"No, but seriously, I thought that you might…you know," I stammered, hating that I couldn't get the truth out.
"I don't know. I guess you'll just have to tell me," she responded, amusement in her tone. I looked over to see a small smile. I rolled my eyes.
"You probably don't want my company anyway," I said, looking away. She inhaled and then let it all out in a big exhaled sigh. Her hands fell from their place on her lap so that her right hand, the one not holding her phone, landed next to my left hand.
"Who says?" she asked, a bit playful. I allowed a small smile but didn't reply.
"Thanks," she said after a few seconds spent in silence. She seemed to know why I was there without me having to say it. She shifted so that the index and middle finger of her right hand crossed over and barely curled around the index and middle finger of my left hand. My eyes snapped over to her and I turned my head enough to see what I had felt. My eyes then flicked to Vega's face. She was watching me with what I felt might be something like hope. A light blush dusted her cheeks. I shrugged lazily and acted like the gesture hadn't affected me. I looked away and closed my eyes again.
"Sure," I finally responded. I heard her let out a relieved sigh. We sat like that for a while longer then I had to go when Beck was ready to head out. I didn't say anything when I stood to follow him out the door. I tried to listen as he talked about the foot smoothening fish, but really, my thoughts revolved around the conflicted younger Vega.
~Tori~
As if sharing a…moment, for lack of a better word, with Jade wasn't weird enough, it also made it a little easier to wait out the time until school the next day. As soon as I arrived I searched for Cat, but she was nowhere to be found. The day was slowly slipping through my fingers and then I wouldn't get to talk to her until tomorrow. How long could this even last?
Cat Cat Cat
Cat CAT…PLEASE stop avoiding
Me! WE GOTTA TALK.
Mood = Desperate
Half the day was already gone and yet Cat still eluded me. I had to stop by my locker to change out some folders and books. When that was done, I slammed my locker shut and turned to see her peeking around the corner. I dropped everything at the sight of her.
"Cat! I need to talk to you!" I shouted as I chased her down the hall. She screamed along the way. I chased her up the stairs through fellow students and then back down. I caught up to her in the hall and grabbed her by the arm, our jumbled argument bouncing off each other without effect. I wrestled her in place, my grip on her wrist tight.
"Let go!" she ordered.
"No! We have to go talk!" I refused. We had the attention of every student in the hall now.
"I don't wanna talk to you!" she yelled, throwing herself on the floor. I tried to pick her up but she just laid there, dead weight. I tried coaxing her to her feet but she only yelled for a teacher. Sikowitz came around the corner, and I thought he would break us up, but then he greeted us like it was an everyday thing and said something about tickets. He walked right past us.
"Alright," I concluded, dropping her arm to grab her by her ankle. I began dragging her down the hall, aiming for the janitor's closet. She complained and tried to get away the best she could but I kept going. I pushed the door open, assured everyone watching that it was all fine, and then tugged her the rest of the way inside. I then hurriedly shut the door and blocked it while she righted herself.
"Let me out," she demanded with a point of her finger.
"Cat," I began.
This is kidnapping. Or, catnapping," she corrected, her angry expression lightening temporarily with her sudden laughter which she covered with her hand. Even at a time like this she couldn't remain serious. But soon she was back to business.
"Open the door!" she shouted. I moved to grab her by the shoulders.
"I'm sorry! And I'm not just saying 'I'm sorry'. I'm really, seriously, sorry," I told her, trying my best to make sure she understood how sincere I was.
"You sprayed cheese on me and then kissed my boyfriend," she muttered sadly. I sighed and dropped my hands.
"Yeah. Yeah I did," I accepted, brushing back my hair which had fallen in my face during the struggle. I looked away.
"Why would you be mean to me?" she questioned. I looked back at her, wondering if I could explain what really happened. It was Cat. She would understand, right? Or maybe not. I didn't want to risk it. Especially since this was all so new even to me, so I took a different route.
"I don't know. Maybe I did still have a few tiny little feelings left for Danny. And maybe that's why I went a little crazy. Seeing you two being all mushy together," I replied as honestly as I could while fiddling with my fingers. I couldn't meet her eyes while I explained.
"You could've just talked to me about it," she replied, sounding so hurt without a trace of her usual bubbly personality.
"I know. What I did was terrible and awful and immature and you have every right to be furious with me. I swear, Cat, if I were you I would just punch me right in the face," I said, downcast. I kept my eyes on the ground so I didn't expect or see the incoming fist colliding with my nose until it was too late.
"Ow!" I shouted, holding my hands over it.
"Cat!" I exclaimed, my throbbing nose impeding my speech.
"What?" she wondered innocently.
"You just punched me in the face," I stated incredulously.
"You said to," she replied, truly believing it.
"I know, but that's just something people say when- ow!" I cried out, my nose now pulsing with pain while I pressed a hand to it. Cat looked concerned now.
"Does it hurt?" she inquired.
"A lot. I think my nose may be broken," I whined.
"Well now I feel all bad," Cat stated worriedly.
"Don't. I deserved it. Feel better?" I told her, hoping that she did. She thought about it a moment.
"I think so," she responded, dropping her nervously wringing hands to offer me a smile.
"I'm sorry," I said one more time, raising my free hand up for a hug. She stepped closer to accept it. When we parted, my relief quickly turned into worry for my damaged nose. The pain wasn't getting any better.
"Will you take me to a hospital now?" I asked her. She smiled and flipped her hair.
"Sure," she said, moving to open the door.
"Thank you," I mumbled, walking out while she held the door open with a flourish of her hand. When we got to the hospital, a quick check-up from a nurse told me it wasn't likely to be broken. I was asked what happened and told her I fell on something hard. Cat added that it was a rock. The nurse gave me a look but accepted the obviously made up story. She then told me that they would check using an x-ray just in case. She pointed for us to take a seat and wait. We moved to comply but stopped when we heard familiar voices behind a big curtain along with various coughs and groans. Cat backtracked to the opening and pulled back the curtain.
"Oh my god!" she exclaimed. I rushed over.
"What?" I questioned, rounding the curtain and stopping by her when I saw our ill friends. All of them looked horrible except for Jade who stood by Beck with her arms crossed and a glare on her face directed at Trina who coward under it. What happened now?
~Jade~
This was all that no good talentless Vega's fault. I swear, I wanted to strangle her right about now. The only thing keeping me from going through with it was the simple fact that Vega was her sister and it would hurt her to do so. I mean, who was that stupid? It was illegal for a reason. I was pretty much glad that I decided to ditch them. Even if it was to comfort Vega. I sighed and looked to her when I heard her voice join Cat's exclamation.
"Whoa," she stated.
"You all look awful," Cat commented.
"What happened?" Vega questioned.
"Ask your sister," I spat, looking at her and then Trina who coughed heavily.
"Ew!" Vega exclaimed, a look of disgust on her face.
"It seems they all have myroleticulitis, an infectious attack on the central nervous system that can be very dangerous unless treated immediately," the doctor explained, walking over.
"How'd they get it?" Vega asked him.
"I have no idea. It's very rare in America," he replied. He looked to our friends.
"Have any of you recently gone swimming in the Zingu River near Puerto Iguasu?" he inquired. Trina's guilty expression gave her away.
"Trina," Beck said.
"What?" she replied.
"Tell him," he commanded.
"Ok, I bought some illegal pukka fish from a guy in a van," she confessed. Vega rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Pukka fish? For feet smoothening?" the doctor questioned in disbelief.
"Yeah," Trina replied in a small voice.
"Do you know how dangerous that is? The saliva of the pukka fish is riddled with toxins and bacteria," he told her.
"But feel our feet," she insisted. I rolled my eyes this time. She kicked out her foot and the doctor reluctantly moved to feel them.
"Yes, I realize that they can nibble away all of the…wow. They're really soft. Nurses, feel these kids' feet. Everyone," he said in awe. The nurses complied and Cat walked over to feel Trina's feet before moving on to the others. Vega passed by to feel Beck's feet, marveling at the texture before stopping to stand by me.
"It's a good thing you came to comfort me instead of sticking your feet in a tank full of questionable fish, huh?" she teased. I huffed out a breath but nudged her.
"Yeah, whatever," I replied. She smiled and leaned on my shoulder.
"Don't push it Vega, or I'll make you massage my feet. They aren't nearly as pleasant as the others'," I threatened.
"I doubt they're all callousy either," she countered. I raised a brow at that and looked to her.
"Does that mean you'll do it?" I questioned. She pulled a face.
"You wish," she responded, looking away. I allowed a small smile and uncrossed my arms. As soon as my hands dropped to my sides, she curled her two fingers around mine like she had before. I adamantly pretended like I didn't notice. She and I stayed a little longer to make sure our friends and her sister was okay. She contacted her parents and then we went our separate ways, parting from each other's side without a word. I didn't know what this unspoken thing between us was, but I wasn't complaining. She obviously didn't have a problem with it either. I had to admit, it was…nice.
