Demons Within
Chapter 21.5: Mirror, Mirror
"Mirror, tell me something,
Tell me who's the loneliest of all?
Mirror, tell me something,
tell me can a heart be turned to stone?"
Several months passed and things were finally getting back to normal for the gang. Throughout their time after Halloween, Jade had begun to feel this wave of uncertainty hit from time to time. It was like an itch that, no matter how much she scratched, she couldn't rid herself of. Needless to say, she wasn't pleased when the unwanted feelings would surface. While it was well documented that her mind was a dangerous place to tread, few truly understood the depths it held for the young girl. Her brain was either so active that she would find herself tossing and turning in her bed at night, or when she did manage to get to sleep, it wouldn't last long due to a recurring nightmare that, indirectly, was linked to the events of Halloween night.
This night proved no different.
Jade found herself standing in the middle of a crowd, flanked on both sides by her two lovers. As they wandered through what appeared to be a festival, she noticed a mysterious figure with their back facing her. "What in the blue hell?" she arched an eyebrow, curious at the person before her. Despite not discerning the person's identity, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she somehow knew the person, who she confirmed to be a woman, at the same time. She then turned to find that neither Liam nor Tori were with her only to finally notice them charging through the bodies in the direction of the unknown individual.
That gnawing feeling of separation forced her to chase after them, dread filling her with every step. Pushing through the sea of people, Jade called out to the objects of her affection but stopped when she realized that no sound came out. With widened pools fixed on the two, the goth could feel her lip quivering when the image of Tori and Liam sharing a passionate kiss after the latter uttered something along the lines of "Forget Jade."
Letting out a silent scream, she began to notice the figure of Tori start to fade away, being replaced this time by the form of the one person she'd grown to resent over time.
Trina Vega.
The young woman turned towards Jade, a wicked smirk stretching at her lips.
"He's mine, now." she hissed, tracing her tongue along Liam's jawline.
She shot up with a sharp gasp. Sweat flowed down freely as fingers became entangled in her raven hair. The light breeze grazed her soaked skin, causing a sudden chill to hit her entire upper body. Turning to look at the clock, Jade groaned audibly as the device read 4:57 am. She tried closing her eyes but wound up opening the gates to her soul, utter terror flashing from the wide oceans.
"Why do I keep having this dream?" she huddled into a fetal position, her hard glare gradually softened as her true emotions crushed down the steeled facade.
The cool air bathed the campus of Hollywood Arts as its students poured out of the building eager for the next month of relaxation. Considering it was the month of February, this left many possibilities for the young boys and girls. Of course, this meant plenty of adventures for Liam, who was currently stuffing books into his locker. Unknown to him, someone was watching him with lecherous intents from the shadows.
This didn't go unnoticed for very long when he turned around with a cautious glare, though he would find nothing more than the occasional group of students chatting about their month-long holiday plans. Shaking his head, he instinctively rubbed the back of his neck as if trying to wipe away some unseen insect or something; after the events of the past few months, it was clear that Liam still hadn't fully recovered.
With a sigh, he shut his locker and began to make his way down the hall only to feel his phone vibrate in his pocket. Groaning softly, the boy pulled out the device and turned it on, seeing that he'd just received a text message.
Jade:
Come to the Black Box, please? Need to talk...
Almost immediately, his face shifted from a look of minor irritation to one of confusion as he turned around, heading down his impromptu detour. The various conversations of those passing by took his mind on a rollercoaster of ideas and desires for his downtime. What held the most impact on his thoughts were none other than his beautiful girlfriends, Jade and Tori. Being together almost five months at this point, he knew that they deserved to have something special done for them. The sounds of his army style boots could be heard throughout the lone hallway showing that he was indeed alone but, it wouldn't last long.
"Here we go," he muttered.
Pushing the door open, he found himself greeted by the lone figure of his scissor loving love, sitting along the edge of the stage in her standard dark garb. He stepped inside, catching her attention, and could tell that something was off. Her face, while holding a small smile, appeared strained. Gazing lower, Liam saw her hands tightly gripping the edge of her makeshift seat and her legs, though crossed, would transition over each other every few minutes or so. Despite all of these subtle signs, there was one obvious one that he'd never miss.
"Hey." her tone; laced with worry and pain, drew out his empathetic side.
"Hey." he grinned softly. "Something on your mind?"
"Stuff."
"Jade?"
"What?" she mentally cursed at how harsh her response was. She could tell that no offense was taken as he sat down next to her; he was always understanding. Wrapping her in his arms, it was clear that she was struggling with whatever she wanted to tell him. "Sorry..."
"No problem." he kissed her temple. "But, seriously, what's going on Jade?"
She loved and hated how his warm voice melted down her icy defenses with minimum effort. "I've been having some issues."
"Issues?" he tilted his head. "Is it... that time of the month?" he whispered, occasionally looking around as if it was some deep dark secret. This earned him a rough shove and a cold shoulder from Jade.
"You can be an ass..." she crossed her arms, refusing to even look in his direction. "I'm trying to be open with you and you're joking around."
"I'm sorry, Jade." his amusement swiftly dropping to a more serious tone. "It was just a joke."
"Well it wasn't funny, Beck!" she snapped, her eyes filled with a fury rivaling the time when she was possessed. Seeing him wide-eyed and mouth open, Jade quickly realized her mistake, clamping a hand over her mouth. True, the two were good friends at this point, but there was a line that couples knew not to cross. "Liam, I didn't mean that... I was just frustrated."
The damage had been though; Jade couldn't deny that as her beloved's face now resembled that of a wounded puppy.
"Right," his low tone, coupled with the trembling of his words only amplified the effect of her foolishness. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
Held hostage by his eyes, Jade couldn't find the words as her mind focused on his unreadable gaze. It was just like with her past relationships, Beck and beyond. She would let her jealousy get the better of her and ruin the good thing that she had. Why would this be any different? As if time stood still, she pondered returning to her old ways, a complete 180 degrees from the young woman she had worked to become, with Liam's help. That dark feeling, the need for self-protection grinned behind her, sensing its long hibernation coming to an end. All she had to do was keep pushing him away and that would be the final nail in the coffin; it was so easy to go back to old ways.
'Wait...' her world stopped at that revelation.
The idea of how simple it would be haunted Jade, not because of how true it was, but because of who succumbed to that simplistic thinking first; the reason she was conflicted emotionally.
"Trina..." she whispered.
"Trina?"
She gasped and froze, completely forgetting that Liam was still here when it hit her; he was still here.
'He didn't walk away.' she thought in awe.
"Jade?" he waved a hand in front of her, snapping her out of her wonder-filled trance. "What does Trina have to do with what's going on?"
This was it, the moment of truth for Jade who gently chewed on her bottom lip for a few seconds. Parting her lips, she closed her eyes and grabbed Liam's Scott Pilgrim hoodie, pulling the unsuspecting boy into a deep and longing kiss. Any attempt to speak was rendered useless as his moans would suggest. His eyes, previously wide and afraid, slowly shut as emotions lulled him into the angelic reverie. Her soft lips were the perfect contrast to her intense movements. The two would quickly adjust, running fingers through the other's hair, pulling apart every so often for air, even noticing their respective scents as their need for understanding only grew.
Liam tried his best to gain some level of control but succeeded in only winding up pinned under a remorseful Jade. Her hair shielded them both from outside gazes as she leaned in and captured his full lips with her own again. Each kiss now held some form of response to his inquiring mind.
Kiss.
I'm sorry.
Kiss.
Please forgive me.
Kiss.
I love you so much!
She poured out as much of herself as she could but, the clear orbs falling upon his cheeks gave him all he needed. Drops of pain and hurt stained his dark skin, trailing down without resistance. His heart ached for her as he cupped her cheek and wiped the fresh batch of tears away. Not comprehending everything, he felt that enough was processed for them to patch things up.
"Jade." the way he called her name, made her stomach do flips. She didn't want him to see her shame, though as she pushed off of him and gazed straight ahead. This did little to deter him though as he mirrored her movements, sitting up just enough to prop himself up on his forearms. "Jade. Look at me, please?"
He watched as she shut her eyes, emphatically shaking her head.
"I get it," he sighed. "Something about Trina is bothering you and you're reacting from that."
Silence.
"Jade, please don't think that I'm going to change just because of her. She's gone... and so are my feelings for her." he caressed her cheek once more, his fingers trailing down her tender skin. From her face, his hands continued until they were resting on her sides. "Please..." he begged, desperation and hope heavily coating his words.
Jade was resilient but, this; her boyfriend literally begging her to open up, nearly broke her completely. She couldn't have him suffering for something that wasn't even his fault. Letting go of her pride, the gates to her soul lifted slowly giving his access to her vulnerability at its fullest.
"I don't want to lose you..." she couldn't stop her throat from hitching. "I can't lose you to her. I won't let her take you away." Burying her face in his hoodie, Jade's muffled sobs pierced his ears like a knife cutting warm butter. His hands stroked her back, rubbing circles in different spots as he did his best to comfort her.
"She could never take me from you..." he whispered, tickling her ear. "Only you and Tori have my heart."
He felt her pull away, water mixing with earth as they remained in place for what seemed like an eternity.
"Promise?" the corner of her lips tugging upward. "You really mean that?"
Liam nodded, a full smile revealing his beautiful smile to her. "I promise. You're my little Ivory monster..."
Rolling her eyes, she placed a light kiss on his lips. "And you're my Nubian tiger."
"So, what does that make me?"
The two nearly jumped out of their skin, turning to see a smirking Tori Vega standing only a few feet away from them.
"Dammit Tori," Jade spoke up, clutching her chest. "You nearly gave us a heart attack!"
To their surprise, she merely laughed at their current plight. "Sorry, I was just looking for you two and I didn't want to interrupt your moment."
Not in the mood for jokes at the moment, Jade glared at the still giggling girl. "At least until now, correct?" her tone signaling a warning to the brunette.
"Well, I couldn't resist such a perfect opportunity."
In Jade's mind, she had Tori bound at the stake ready to be burned alive for ruining such an intimate moment. If it weren't for Liam having a firm hold of her waist, she could've gotten started with making that dark imagery a reality. Being the odd man in the middle, Liam wasted no more time in defusing the situation.
"So, um... What's up, beautiful?" she turned her defiant gaze to him. "You mentioned you were looking for us. Was there any specific reason, or were you just looking to hang out?"
"Oh, right. I actually got word from my Sikowitz about a new trip he had planned for later this month." To her surprise, the two exchanged sour looks. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know, Tori..." Liam spoke up first, averting his gaze. "The last time we went on a big trip with Sikowitz, we wound up doing time at a prison in Yerba."
"The less said about that, the better," Jade added, shuddering at the image of her severely injured significant other. "Maybe we should sit this one out?"
Tori remembered that trip earlier in the school year and frowned at the thoughts of what transpired. "I see your points, but we're not going out of the country this time."
Raising an eyebrow, Jade did little to hide the skepticism oozing from her pores. "Mhmm... so where would this trip take place then, Vega?"
"New Orleans for Mardis Gras." she answered in a 'matter-of-fact' tone.
"Mardis Gras?" Liam rubbed his chin lightly, pondering Tori's response.
"Land of Voodoo, Hoodoo, and a slew of otherworldly practices?" She then noticed Jade's smirk growing in size. "I think that's a definite improvement over last time."
The two watched Tori's eyes light up at seemingly convincing them to reconsider their initial declining of the trip.
"Alright, Tori," Liam chuckled softly. "I guess we're in too."
"Awesome!" she rushed over, planting a big kiss on both Liam and Jade. "I'll tell Sikowitz right now! Then we can get ready for the road trip."
Before either could say anything more, Tori had run off and disappeared from sight, leaving her lovers behind.
"Road Trip?" they groaned simultaneously.
Sorry, I was supposed to have a whole chapter ready but my little break lasted longer than expected. I almost took a mini hiatus when I thought to get this sub-chapter out. I apologize for it being so short but, consider it as a proper conclusion to last chapter's effect on Jade and a (somewhat) decent introduction to the next big storyline. I felt that there was a loose end with the ending to the Halloween chapters and it was really bugging me to no end so I cooked this up to bridge the gap that was preventing me from continuing.
With this out of the way, I can properly get started on the actual chapter. I'll hopefully have it ready within a couple of days or by the end of the week at the very latest. Enjoy, this mini-chapter and goodnight.