Author's Note: Song is "Forget Her" by Jeff Buckley. Coming back around to the events of chapter one. Hopefully it works well enough, but if not, oh well...the perils of taking multi-year breaks between chapters and forgetting your plot...

Chapter 20: Heartache From the Moment That You Met

While this town is busy sleeping
All the noise has died away
I walk the streets to stop my weeping
Cause she'll never change her ways
Don't fool yourself
She was heartache from the moment that you met her

Three interminably long weeks had passed since the night Jade had broken things off with Tori and she had managed, barely, to avoid the girl almost entirely. They had classes together, but Jade was determined not to interact if she did not absolutely have to and so Tori had given up.

They always gave up eventually.

And three weeks was an eternity in high school.

Tori had eased off considerably after the first week of constant texts and calls and Slap messages. She sent at least a message a day during the second week still, usually just to say that she hadn't given up and that she was ready to talk whenever Jade was.

Ironically, Jade had started having second thoughts that week, but on Tuesday of week three Tori sent another text:

OK, Jade, you win. I won't bother you anymore. It's making me feel like a stalker and you obviously don't care and I don't know why I ever thought you would. I'm sorry for wasting your time.

Jade read the text over several times, trying to comprehend her own emotional response to it. She was angry and disappointed and sad and felt so, so abandoned…which was entirely unfair, she knew, but it was still how she felt. Tori had fought for her in one way or another since they'd met, had promised that she wouldn't give up—they always promised not to give up, but she did, like everyone else.

Of course, she seemed set on finding whatever way she could to push her relationships to the edge, of finding what it was that would put the most strain on things and pushing and pushing until it snapped. She had to know the limits—had to know just how far she could go before they'd leave.

Because everyone had a breaking point.

What was her breaking point, though? How many people did she need to push away before she either gave up and resolved to be alone or stopped pushing and just let things be?

My heart feels so still
As I try to find the will to forget her somehow
Oh I think I've forgotten her now
Her love is a rose, pale and dying
Dropping petals in land unknown

Beck had decided to take Trina back, but before actually committing to that, he left to spend a little over a week in Canada. He visited family and old friends and tried to keep his mind off things in L.A. in general.

But eventually things came out and his Canadian friends weighed in and there seemed to be some good arguments for not forgiving Trina; arguments for not actually believing Robbie was OK with backing off.

Why should he be?

Beck was a handsome guy. He had no trouble attracting girls like so many moths to the flame.

Robbie wasn't bad looking, but he was awkward and nerdy and carried that cursed puppet with him everywhere. He also had a tendency toward the obsessive at times and harboring his true feelings deep inside.

There was part of Beck that was reconsidering because maybe Robbie deserved a chance. Trina would protest that, of course, but she obviously didn't despise Robbie as much as she claimed or they wouldn't be in this situation. She'd slept with him not once, but twice.

So when he returned from Canada, he did not immediately seek to resume his romance with Trina. Rather he told her he needed some time still.

She was clearly disappointed, but she nodded and told him she loved him and was sorry and she'd be there when he was ready.

Robbie had avoided him like the plague.

And Beck found himself wondering if they'd hooked up again, while he was in Canada.

He asked Robbie as much and Robbie denied it.

"Trina hasn't talked to me at all in weeks," Robbie said, his eyes downcast.

"I mean, it's not like you guys talked all that much before though," Beck nodded.

"We chatted almost nightly online."

"What?"

"Not anything salacious," Robbie added. "We just…talked a lot. We were friends. Even if Trina likes to deny it."

Beck nodded again, dumbfounded.

Robbie closed his locker. "We used to talk a lot too, Beck. But I can't be around you without getting angry and jealous and just…I don't know. I miss you too though."

Robbie didn't wait for him to respond before he left, making his way to class.

Rex was conspicuously silent during the whole exchange, which was never a good sign.

And now Beck found himself sitting in his car at a loss, the rain thudding against the roof. He'd sent Trina flowers. He thought he was ready to resume their romance, such as it was.

But Robbie…

Robbie was something he didn't know how to fix.

His phone buzzed. A text from Trina, as if she knew he was thinking about her and their situation. He smiled and read the text.

I'm leaving town for awhile. I'm sorry. Everything with us has been great and you're awesome! Maybe when I come back, things will be better for us both.

He read it a second time, then a third. He tried to call Trina back, but she didn't answer.

He started his car finally, when it seemed the rain had eased up some, and started the drive to Trina's house.

He wasn't sure when he changed direction and started driving toward Robbie's house instead.

All full of wine, the world before her
Was sober with no place to go
Don't fool yourself
She was heartache from the moment that you met her

Tori smiled brightly when their teacher gave her group an A for the one-act play. She was gracious and cheery and everything people always expected. She played the part perfectly.

She had, after all, thrown herself into this play in the hopes of taking her mind off Jade. It didn't work, for the most part, but it was something.

She looked at her phone. 8:02 p.m. Trina was supposed to pick her up after the play. She'd given her sister 7:30 as a pickup time, knowing she was likely to be late. How was she still not here?

She scrolled through the contacts on her phone, prepared to give Trina an earful, when she heard someone else speak up.

"So you wanted to talk," Jade stated.

Tori whirled around in surprise. All her fake smiling did her no good now. She had spent the past three weeks getting angrier and angrier at Jade.

"I did," Tori said, closing the locker. "But you gave up on me so quickly I decided I'd be better off returning the favor."

Jade didn't seem particularly fazed by the comment. "Are you free right now?"

"Trina's picking me up."

"Is she though?"

Tori looked at her phone. "Probably not."

"I'll give you a ride."

"Why?"

"So we can talk."

"Why now? All of a sudden? After weeks of silent treatment?"

"Come on," Jade simply commanded, turning on her heel and heading for the door.

Tori followed, like she always did.

My heart is frozen still
As I try to find the will to forget her somehow
She's somewhere out there now
Well my tears falling down as I try to forget
Her love was a joke from the day that we met

Beck pulled up in front of Robbie's house and got out of the car. The rain seemed to be picking up again. There was a knot of pain in his heart and one of rage in his stomach. He made his way up the driveway and was surprised to see Robbie sitting on the front porch, his laptop in his lap, and Rex sitting in the patio chair next to him.

He sat down in a third patio chair, on the other side of Rex. "Trina texted and said she's leaving town."

"Yeah," Robbie nodded. "She DM'd be on The Slap too."

"What'd she say to you?" Beck asked, a tinge of jealousy in his voice.

"Just that she was sorry for leading me on," Robbie shrugged. He turned his laptop, showing the message to Beck.

Robbie- I really am sorry that you kept misinterpreting things, but I'm going to be out of town for awhile and maybe you can finally move on now.

"Not quite apologizing for leading you on," Beck shrugged, feeling a little better that Robbie was clearly reading more into things then Trina likely intended.

"I really liked her," Robbie said then, looking Beck in the eye. "I know you did too and I know she's not…I know she wasn't into me as much as she was into you. I just… you know what the worst part of it all was? I mean, it's sucked for me most of the time, but the worst part is when you told me that you didn't blame me for sleeping with her and that it was OK and you understood and were just glad we could move on now. Like you didn't think even for a minute that I might not want to step aside. You didn't think I was a threat and you didn't think I could be better for her than you and you just…it was like I should just be grateful for your forgiveness and not care and…you and Trina both just never took my feelings seriously. No one ever does."

"I didn't mean to come off that way," Beck replied, running a hand through his hair. "I just…I don't know why it seemed-"

"It's actually kind of funny," Robbie interrupted him with a hollow laugh. "I kind of understand Jade better. I used to think she was just unreasonable and you were a saint for putting up with her…and I mean that's still kind of true, but it really sucks how completely dismissive you are of other people's feelings. In a way, you and Trina are probably perfect for each other."

"Rob, I-"

Robbie didn't remain to hear him out. He grabbed Rex and his computer and went inside, shutting the door behind him.

Beck sat alone, confused, on Robbie's porch, waiting for the storm to calm again.

All of the words, all of her men
All of my pain when I think back to when
Remember her hair as it shone in the sun
The smell of the bed when I knew what she'd done
Tell yourself over and over
You won't ever need her again
But don't fool yourself
She was heartache from the moment that you met her

Jade drove the long way she preferred, through the desert, through Shadow Creek Park. The brief deadzone of cell service always put Tori on edge, but tonight it was the least of her worries.

She didn't speak.

Tori just sat in silence waiting for her to say something. She was determined to wait, to be patient, to let Jade talk when she was good and ready. To be oh-so-understanding as she had been time and again for Jade, for all it had been worth…

Jade pulled her car into an overlook just past Shadow Creek (and happily back in service range, Tori noted). From here, they had a front row seat to a thunderstorm overlooking Los Angeles. It seemed oddly appropriate.

Tori's phone buzzed and Trina's name flashed on the screen. "Of course. Now she remembers me," Tori grumbled. She didn't bother to check the message though.

Jade just stared straight ahead, watching the lightning.

And determined as she was to wait Jade out, Tori could only hold out so long. "So your idea of talking is me just staring at you while you storm watch?"

Jade smirked, slightly, almost imperceptibly. In fact, had it not been for a perfectly-timed flash of lightning, Tori would not have noticed at all. Tori almost smiled. Almost.

"I don't know what to say to you. I thought I did. I had a whole speech prepared about how you failed me, but…I forgot it. And I'm just…"

"How I failed you?" Tori bristled. "You cannot be serious."

"If it helps, I know I am not being fair. But when you date me, the game is rigged against you from the start, Vega. You knew that going in."

"Did I? I'm pretty sure I didn't know it was a game to begin with. Can you just take me home then? It's over. We're done. You won. I hope you're happy."

"Tori, it's not about-"

"I'm really not interested in what it's about, Jade," Tori sighed. Tears were starting to sting her eyes as her anger was getting the best of her, but she blinked them away furiously, determined not to cry. At least, not until she was back home in her room, alone.

Her phone buzzed again.

"You wanted me to talk, so-"

"I changed my mind," she interrupted her and answered her phone this time, as if to drive the point of her disinterest home. "Trina, I got another ride so if you finally decided to show up…what? The airport? What are you talking about? What? No, wait, Trina… Trina?" She looked at the phone where the words 'CALL ENDED' blinked on the screen. "Trina's going to Mexico?" She asked Jade, though there was no reason to assume the other girl would have anything to say about it.

"I don't know or care what Trina is doing," Jade replied flatly. "You wanted to talk about-"

"Take me home, Jade. And don't talk to me again," Tori crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat, looking out the passenger window and doing her level best to seem indifferent.

Inside her chest, she imagined it looked something like the tumult in the clouds above, but she was damned if she'd give Jade West the satisfaction tonight.

Strangely enough, after a few more moments of silence, Jade started the car again and complied.

Tori didn't say anything to her the entire drive home, focusing on trying to get a hold of Trina.

Jade kept her attention focused on the road, stealing glances to the right from time to time, trying to make sense of how nothing about this evening was going the way she intended.

She pulled into the Vega's driveway and hadn't even come to a complete stop before Tori unbuckled her seatbelt and pushed the passenger door open.

"So you give up, then?" Jade asked.

Tori had the phone pressed to her ear, but she at least bothered to look at Jade. She leaned across the seat and gave Jade a quick kiss on the cheek. "Yes, I told you- you win."

She climbed out of the car and hurried up to the door, hoping that Trina was inside and that this was just some melodramatic prank.

She was briefly startled to find Cat and Andre lounging around on the couch, sipping Belgian cocoa.

"Girl, you got some explainin' to do," Andre said, offering her his cocoa mug. "Cat's been catching me up, but...uh...you know how that goes."

"Have you guys seen Trina?" she asked, glancing toward the stairs.

"She left just after we got here. No one is here," Andre replied. "I guess it's kinda weird that we've been hanging out here all night, actually."

My heart is frozen still
As I try to find the will to forget her somehow
She's somewhere out there now
Oh she was heartache from that day that I first met her
My heart is frozen still
As I try to find the will to forget you somehow
Cause I know you're somewhere out there right now