Random one-shot while sitting on a couch in Puerto Rico, listening to the Coqui frogs, at 9 at night. Enjoy.
Takes place during 'Tori Fixes Beck and Jade'. Outcome is different than the episode.
"Hey guys." André says, sitting beside his best friend during lunch.
"Hey André." Tori says as he sits down. Across from them sit Jade and Cat, and between them, Robbie beside Cat and Beck beside André, with Tori and Jade on the ends.
"Are you two dating?" Jade asks, eyeing them.
"No. A guy and a girl can be just friends." André says.
"You wouldn't know, would you." Tori says under her breath. Lately, when Jade's involved, Tori has become easily angered.
"What did you just say Vega?" Jade asks the Latina with a glare. "I could have sworn I heard you say 'I wouldn't know'. Wouldn't know what?"
"Nothing Jade. Just go back to ignoring me." Tori says, eyes on her salad.
"Tell me what you meant. Now." The Goth says, glaring at the Latina.
"I meant, that if you weren't such a bitch, people would actually like you, instead of avoid you." Tori says, meeting Jade's glare, unmoving.
"I have friends." Jade says, defensively, not expecting Tori to react the way she did.
"Really? Cat hangs out with you because you force her to. The rest of the gang hang out with you when we're all together. Whenever it's just you and one of us, the other leaves. Face it, we only tolerate you." Tori says, glaring at the Goth.
"Tor, relax." André says, rubbing her shoulders.
"Just leave us alone, Jade." Tori says, ignoring her friends call as she gets up and walks away.
A few days later, Tori and André are walking though the halls, being stopped by Beck by Tori's locker. Since the confrontation at lunch at the beginning of the week, Jade has taken to sitting at a table by herself, writing in a notebook, and the others don't mention it, leaving it in the past.
"Hey, you guys gonna perform at the Full Moon Jam again this year?" The Canadian asks, PearPad in hand.
"No, I think I'm just gonna emcee this year." André says as Tori explains she has a throut thingy.
"Emcee and throat thing." Beck notes on his PearPad. "Look, Tori." He stops her before she can get to her locker while André heads to his to get his books. "I wanted to forget about it, but what the hell was that at lunch on monday?"
"I'm tired of her being the way she is. She treats everyone like shit and expects them to let it slide, me especially. I'm not taking it anymore." Tori says, walking past him and opening her locker.
"Still, I don't think you realize how much you hurt her." He asks, leaning against the locker beside hers. "She barely makes a sound. I haven't even seen her drink coffee since monday."
"Why is it my problem that she can't take what she dishes out? I'm heading to class. See you at lunch." Tori says, ignoring him and heading towards her Music Theory class.
"What has happened to you?" Beck asks silently as she walks away.
Unbeknownst to them, Jade over heard the whole conversation. She went to talk to André to ask for his help for a song she's writing to perform at the Full Moon Jam, but like Tori said, he left and went to his Piano class early. On her way to her locker, she heard them talking. Beck was right. Since Tori's words on monday, Jade hasn't been the same.
"Hey Jade." Sinjin says, sneaking up behind her. "Are you okay?" He asks her, leaning too close to her.
"Leave me alone Sinjin." She says, barely audible to her own ears before heading to her locker, fighting tears. 'Why does it hurt so much?' She asks herself as she opens her locker.
On Saturday, the night of The Full Moon Jam, Tori is standing my the snack table, watching the performances.
"Okay, ladies and gentleman." André starts, before his grandmother yells out 'Hey Andre!' at the top of her lungs. "Up next is the final act of the night. Jade West." He says, showing little emotion.
Tori is too busy watching the stage to notice Beck beside her as Jade walks onto the stage.
"Did you know she was singing?" Beck asks her, scaring her slightly.
"No. Did you?" She asks, after taking a breath to calm herself.
"No." He says as Jade starts to sing.
At the end of her song, Jade is standing there, watching as Beck walks onto the stage, a smile on his face.
"I've missed you." He tells her, staring at her.
"What are you going to do about it?" She asks, regretting it when he goes in for a kiss. She hates to have to do it, but seeing the stunned look on Tori's face from by the punch bowl, she stops him before he gets too close. "I can't do this." She whispers, leaving the stage.
Beck, as well as the rest of the gang, watch as she leaves quickly. For some reason, Tori follows her. When she catches up to her, she sees Jade enter the janitor's closet.
"I'm surprised." Tori says, catching Jade off guard as she enters the janitor's closet.
"At what?" Jade asks in an unusually quiet tone, eyes down so Tori doesn't see her tears.
"I would have though getting back with Beck would have been what you sang your song for." Tori says, leaning against the closed door.
"The song wasn't for him. Getting back would have been a mistake." Jade says, using a piece of paper towel to wipe away some of the tears.
"Who was it for then?" Tori asks, curious.
"You. The song was for you." Jade admits, surprised that she's giving away this information so easily.
"What the hell does that mean? Why would you write a song for me?" Tori asks as she pushes herself off the door.
"Think about it. 'You push me back, I'll push you back harder. You scream at me, I'll scream at you louder'." Jade says, quoting the lyrics from the song she sang. "Beck never pushed me, you did. Beck never yelled at me as a challenge, only you."
"What are you trying to say?" Tori asks as her back hits the door. This time, it's not to keep her distance from Jade, but because the news shocked her.
"Nothing. You were right though. I don't know what it's like to have friends. I never did." Jade says, avoiding the Latina's eyes.
"You were trying to say something. What are you saying? Why did you sing that song?" Tori asks, sitting across from Jade.
"I don't know. I really don't. I know I refused your friendship since you came to this school, but I always admired your friendship and never giving up on me. When you called me out, it hurt. Knowing that the one person who was always fighting for my friendship gave up on it? It sucked." Jade tells her, looking at her.
"Why would my words hurt you so much?" Tori asks, not leaving her gaze. "You've been nothing but a bitch to me since day one. No matter what I said or did to you or for you, you've barely been nice to me. The few times you are, kept me trying for your friendship. But I couldn't anymore. I gave up because it was pointless to fight for someone's friendship when they don't want it." Tori says as she gets up and sits beside her. "Why do you act like I matter to you now?"
"You've always mattered. You were the only one who challenged me, made getting roles fun, instead of just something that happened." Jade tells her, looking at her in the eyes. "Think about something for me. If you never mattered to me, why would I warn you about Ryder? Help get the letters for Ke$ha so you could stop being Trina's servant? You being there for me, your friendship, meant so much to me, it still does, that when you stopped, it hurt more than Beck breaking up with me. More than I thought it would."
"Why wouldn't you get back with Beck? Even if the song wasn't for him?" Tori asks, still confused on that matter.
"He never fought for me. We became so used to each other, it was like there was no point for us to have a relationship." Jade says, shifting so she's facing Tori. "I heard your conversation with him when he asked if you or André were performing."
"Oh." Tori says as she looks away.
"You were right about me not being able to take what I dish. I'm not used to people standing up to me, and when the one person I thought would never do it to that degree did, I felt like I was broken. I can't explain it, but it's how I felt."
"No, I was wrong. To say all of that. Beck is your friend. He came to me to ask why I was such a bitch to you. Cat's your best friend, more like a little sister. As for André and Robbie? I don't know, but I know you appreciate them."
"What about you? It's too late, isn't it?" Jade asks as she stands up, heading for the door of the janitor's closet.
"No, it's not." Tori says, getting up and grabbing the Goth's arm. "There have been many times where I wanted to give up, and you said or did something to make me want to keep going. I know you helped me with Ryder and the letters on you own doing, but I just thought they were for different reasons. Ryder because you didn't want me to be with someone. And the letters because you didn't want me close to Beck." Tori admits, still grasping Jade's arm. "I'm sorry about everything I said and did since monday."
"Don't be. I deserved it." Jade says, turning to face Tori. "Thanks."
"For what?" Tori asks, confused, as she lets go of Jade's arm.
"For not giving up after all." Jade says, giving Tori a quick kiss before leaving the stunned Latina in the janitor's closet as she heads home.
On monday morning, Tori opens her locker, mind still on what happened after The Full Moon Jam between her and Jade. She doesn't notice a small piece of paper in her locker until it falls out, landing by her boot clad foot. As she bends down and picks it up, she wonders who would leave it. Looking around, she opens it, freezing at the familiar script on the page.
'I know no. Thanks to you.' It says. She looks around and sees Jade by her locker. Jade gives her a small smile and nod as she closes her locker, heading off to Sikowitz's class.
Hope you all enjoyed this. I don't know if there will be more. If anyone wants me to make this a two or three shot, let me know, and I'll see what I can come up with.
Originally, there was going to be one more after this before I decided to take a break for a bit, but I was given and idea for a one-shot, and I think it'd be a good fit here, instead of as a seperate one-shot. The next one will be up Tuesday, and when I post the final chapter of 'The Beach', I'll post the final chapter I have written for this. After a break, I don't know how long, I will add to this.
Please review.
Blessed Be.