Tori thought about Beck's words on the walk back home and found herself increasingly frustrated. It wasn't fair for Jade, who wasn't even her friend, to ask her to jump in between the dispute. Just the same, it wasn't fair for Beck to feed Tori the carefully selected information that he had. Tori wasn't stupid – Beck was sharing only what he wanted to share, and it was just enough to paint Jade as inconsiderate and thoughtless. Tori felt her stomach drop. She thought Beck was all about 'transparency' and 'no secrets'. This entire situation was an uncomfortable reminder to Tori that, new school or not, what people said about themselves and how they acted didn't always line up.
Which brought Tori back to Jade. The girl clearly placed a lot of trust in Tori's ability to smooth things over with Beck. Meanwhile, Tori didn't think Beck was lying about the birthday present, but there was something else hidden beneath that small kernel of truth. Jade and Beck were both similar in that way; they both didn't quite say what they were thinking, and there was always a little more under the surface they intentionally hid from the world. Maybe it was a moment of weakness, but Tori had seen what lay behind Jade's walls and they had spoken plainly earlier. For now, Tori was willing to give Jade the benefit of the doubt.
The next morning, as Tori entered the now familiar double doors of the main hall, she mentally cursed her luck. Jade was already waiting for Tori at her locker. Tori couldn't help but look Jade up and down as she approached. Jade's long brown hair was styled in lazy waves near the ends, and she was wearing a black lace top. It was simple, but it matched her green, black-spotted skirt and black boots. Jade looked nice – pretty even. Tori shook her head. Of course Jade looked nice today – she thought Tori had talked Beck into whisking her back into his life, so naturally she'd doll herself up for the occasion. Tori barely reached her locker when Jade's raised eyebrows greeted her expectantly.
"So?" she asked too quickly.
Jade hadn't slept well. After leaving Tori's house, Jade refused to head straight home. The place was oppressive on the best days, and this was very much not one of those. She wasn't as familiar with the area near Tori's house, so she looked up a nearby coffee shop on her phone and walked there instead. Without much to do other than sulk, Jade sipped on a coffee until the shop closed. By the time she got home, it was past ten and caffeine was still roaring through her veins. Exhausted but awake, Jade laid in her pitch-black bedroom for hours listening to her anxiety-spiked heart pound in her ears, a white dwarf in the vast expanse of space revolving around herself at hyperspeed.
Tori sighed. She really wasn't looking forward to confronting Jade with the biased information Beck had shared, but she had agreed to talk with the boy on the gloomy girl's behalf.
"Beck had some...interesting stuff to share," Tori started carefully while opening her locker. Jade's teeth clicked close.
"Girl," Jade warned, a slight growl emitting from deep in her throat. Tori rolled her eyes.
"Information," Tori clarified, mentally chastising herself. Jade's paranoia latched onto the smallest vagueness, Tori noticed. Words were clearly important to the girl. "He said you only got him a can of lemonade for his birthday," Tori continued. Jade scoffed.
"Cuz he likes lemonade!" she defended, looking away briefly. Jade realized how bad that sounded, but she hadn't given anyone a birthday present since she was very young. Beck should know that. That can of lemonade was proof Jade understood his birthday would be important to Beck, and she only cared about his opinion anyway, so she made an attempt. Her heart throbbed like an open wound hearing Beck second-handed attack her with that information. He hadn't said anything at the time.
Tori looked at Jade with disbelief. "Yeah, but out of a can?" she questioned, her voice pitching upwards. Jade was such an enigma; how could she possibly think that was a valid birthday present?
Jade looked at Tori wide-eyed. Was Tori seriously judging her now, too? "He drank it," Jade challenged while staring at Tori. Tori wasn't willing to let it go, though.
"Yeah, but-" Jade had enough – this was pointless. She held up a hand.
"Do I have a boyfriend, or don't I?" she interrupted, her voice breaking. She didn't even want to think about not having Beck as a boyfriend; just asking was almost enough to bring on the hot, unwelcome, useless tears again. As if fate had poured salt into human form, Sinjin walked around the corner behind Jade at that very moment.
"Do you want one?" he asked in his usual creepy, desperate manner. Jade refused to even look at him.
"Walk away," she threatened. Sinjin complied, lowering his head and quickly darting away. Tori watched Sinjin leave, unable to keep the disgust from her face. That kid gave her unpleasant goosebumps. With Sinjin safely beyond them, Tori closed her locker and moved to the vending machines. She needed something sugary to distract her from the bitter conversation with Jade.
"Tori, you haven't answered me," Jade reminded her in a cool tone. It was taking all of Jade's energy to avoid meltdown. Tori frowned as she stepped past the girl she was hoping to convert into a friend.
"Jade, I...I don't know how to answer that. Beck just-" Tori started, hoping to find the right words, but it was too late. The collapsing star behind her was hoarding the air, and Tori couldn't continue when Jade's cry interrupted her once again.
"Help me!" Jade begged, throwing her hands up uselessly in the air before letting them fall. She was already on the verge of tears, but she could only see Tori; the rest of the school didn't exist outside her tunnel vision. Tori was her only chance to get back with Beck; she had to succeed!
Tori whipped around, her patience finally spent. "I tried!" she responded firmly without malice. "Maybe you just need to forget about Beck," she suggested hastily.
Tori realized immediately those were the exact wrong words. Jade's jaw would touch the floor if it fell open any harder. She mouthed the word "forget", her voice uselessly sputtering and refusing to work. Jade felt a foreign pressure, and she quickly scanned the hallway.
She was in the middle of school, surrounded by her peers, and she was going to cry. She couldn't be here. She had to move – now! But she needed Tori. Without a second thought, Jade lunged forward and latched onto Tori's wrist in a death grip. In one fluid motion, Jade twisted around and leaned toward, pooling all her strength and pulling Tori with her. Too late, Tori realized she was trapped in Jade's grasp. She tried to pull back, but Jade was strong. Much stronger than Tori expected. Tori rapid-fired a series of verbal dissents, but she couldn't stop Jade's momentum.
Suddenly, Tori was thrust into the janitor's closet and Jade was closing the door from the inside, locking then both in. Tori sighed.
"And now we're in a closet," she deadpanned to herself. She was able to focus once Jade flipped on the lights and turned around. Jade began to fan her face, a desperate attempt to prevent the already falling tears from further ruining her make-up.
"How can Beck not want me back?!" she asked rhetorically, lost in self-pity. "I'm so cool. And hot! I've got it all!" she cried out, hunched over a toolbox, her face buried in her hands. Tori looked upwards, praying for the right words. Sure, Jade was attractive and interesting, but was she really so shallow? Thinking back to the scenes Jade had shared with Tori during their stage fighting assignment, Tori refused to believe it; Jade had already shown she was too smart for this. Tori tried to stay firm but sound a little more supportive to Jade.
"Yeah, but guy's don't just care about how cool and hot you are," Tori responded. Jade was past logic.
"What else is there?!" came her outburst as she looked up at Tori with her tear stained face. Tori felt bad, especially with how emotional Jade already had become, but Jade needed to hear the full truth. It was the only way she was going to grow past this situation.
"Beck said you haven't done one nice thing for him in two years," Tori repeated his claim. Jade looked aghast.
"That is so not true!" she defended herself. "We've only dated a year and eleven months," she continued as she buried her face into her hands once more. Tori rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but wonder why Jade had such a specific count on how long Beck and her were together. Happy couples didn't usually count to the month.
"Well, maybe he'd take you back if you did something nice for him," Tori thought out loud. She wasn't sure he would, but it stood up to reason. Besides, Tori was learning that Jade wasn't nice on her own volition. You had to do something pretty special for Jade to be nice to you. When Jade, still an emotional wreck, asked if Tori meant something like making Beck fresh lemonade, Tori felt her patience waning once again. She frowned at Jade and furrowed her eyebrows.
"You're going to have to think bigger than beverages," Tori told her. To her credit, Jade stopped and genuinely thought about a gift for a moment. What was something Beck wanted? Something he had talked about that he'd be thrilled to have? The answer came quicker than Jade realized and she only noticed after the fact she had screamed it out loud.
"A dog!" Jade said, pointing at Tori. Tori's frown deepened. What was wrong with this psychotic girl? Tori went out of her way to help, when she didn't need to; why was Jade bringing back up their first day of school at this point?
"Okay, if you're going to be rude-" Tori started, but Jade cut her off.
"No, no. Beck's always saying how he wants a dog," Jade clarified. Tori deflated. Oh. Of course. Tori felt a little embarrassment fill her chest. Jade couldn't remember what kind of dog though, but she thought it sounded like a "Rottenheimer". Tori looked at Jade flatly.
"A rottweiler?" she questioned in a tone that matched her expression. Another mental note: Jade was obviously not a dog person.
"Yes! Okay, what's our next move?" Jade asked, finally recovering her bearings. They both noticed Jade has asked "our" next move, and not "Jade's" next move. Tori had only agreed to talk with Beck, but now for some reason she was pulled into helping Jade find a dog? A giant knot in Tori's stomach refused to even acknowledge that "No" was a perfectly viable, reasonable answer when someone who is not a friend asks you to find their ex-boyfriend a dog in order to hook them back up. Why was Tori helping this miserable, mean girl?
"Because maybe she's not really all that mean," Tori thought to herself. "Maybe she's misunderstood, and scared and unable to communicate and has no one close to her to just talk to." To Tori, saying 'no' to Jade's request for help was like commanding the Sun to stay in bed beneath the horizon. Tori took a deep breath, ready to respond when the janitor shouted from under a blanket in the corner.
"Just get the boy a dog!" he gruffly shouted. Tori and Jade were both completely caught off guard. It was Tori who spoke first, catching Jade's eye.
"Go!" she commanded in a quiet, clear voice. Jade spun on the spot, whipped the door open, and they both practically ran from the closet and back into the empty hallway. The bell had rang minutes prior – they were both late. Tori really didn't like being late to class; Jade hated it too, but she hated being alone more. Before Tori could walk off, Jade grabbed her wrist again, softer this time. Tori looked at Jade inquisitively.
"Stay at your locker after the final bell. We'll look up dog shelters and call around. Then I'll drive us to get one," she said, laying out her plan quickly. Tori practically experienced whiplash at how quickly Jade's mood switched. When Jade was planning something, she was all business – it was like her emotions disappeared completely. Tori nodded quickly, eager to return to the rest of her day. It was only after Tori's agreement that Jade released the half-Latina from her grasp. Jade headed to class, but she already had her phone open. She was on a mission, and she'd be damned if anything stopped her from getting her boyfriend back.
As the school day came to close, Tori exchanged her books one final time at her locker. Any fear Tori had about waiting around was quenched as Jade approached her locker quickly, clearly eager to set her plan into motion. Tori didn't have a chance to even greet the focused actress before Jade was speaking to her.
"I found a place nearby that has a few rottweilers. We're going there and then straight to Beck's after we have the dog," she explained before turning around and towards the doors to the parking lot. It was obvious Tori was meant to follow her, so Jade didn't waste the words or energy on useless instructions. Tori understood the unspoken command and closed her locker, falling-in behind Jade quickly. Tori was surprised to see that Jade drove a fairly normal-looking black car. She half-expected the eclectic girl to drive a hearse, and she was pleasantly surprised her imagination had gotten the best of her. Wordlessly, Jade unlocked the doors and dropped into the car. Tori followed close behind, barely shutting her door before Jade took off.
Tori didn't drive, but again she was surprised by how cautious and how well Jade drove. She didn't quite know why she was expecting Jade to be a maniac behind the wheel, but the girl was deliberate and careful. Tori really wanted to ask several questions, but out of respect for Jade driving somewhere new and with her attention already diverted to the GPS on her phone, Tori decided to stay quiet the entire drive to the pet shelter. After the silent thirty minute drive, they arrived at a nondescript metal building. Jade killed the engine and stepped out of the car. Tori struggled to remove her seat belt, having missed the release mechanism, and followed a few seconds behind Jade. Jade wasn't waiting for Tori to catch up – she needed to speak with someone about a dog now.
The inside of the shelter was generic and utilitarian. Barely decorated front area, almost medicinal, and a stainless steel counter greeted her. She authoritatively stomped up to the metal counter.
"You have rottweilers, and I want to get one. Where are they?" she bluntly asked the seated attendant. The girl at the counter was taken aback by Jade's brashness.
"Uh, do – do you have an appointment? What's your name?" She stuttered out.
"Jade West, no. Do I need one?" Jade quickly answered, direct but not mean. The attendant shook her head.
"N-No, it's pretty slow today, so you're lucky," she explained. Tori caught up at that moment and stood nearby Jade; the attendant caught Tori's eye as she continued. "We have one rottweiler left, actually. I can show you him," she offered, standing up and moving to a swinging door. Jade didn't bother acknowledging the offer, instead choosing to walk through the door. Tori rolled her eyes and kept pace with Jade and the attendant.
The hallway reminded Tori of a hospital. Several doors lined the walls, and all of them looked to feed into what she would have called examination rooms. It was the third such room on the right that Jade stopped, the attendant opening the door.
"We're bringing him in now so you can see him. If you'll have a seat in the play room, we'll bring him right in," the attendant offered as she opened the door. Jade frowned and didn't enter the room.
"Can't we just buy him?" she asked, trying to keep the challenge out of her tone. Why did she need to play with a dog in order to buy him? She was in a hurry to get him to Beck. The attendant shook her head.
"No, all our dogs are rescues, so we have to make sure you like them as much as we need to make sure they like you. We don't let just anyone buy our dogs. We have to make sure they're going to a good home," she explained. Tori saw Jade was about to ruin their chance and interrupted to prevent the girl from doing anything rash.
"Thank you," she said, reaching out and touching the attendant on the arm and beaming a warm smile at her. "We'll just wait here, then," she said, looking up at Jade deliberately. Jade rolled her eyes and stomped into the small room. Tori followed after her and sat down next to her on the small bench. It wasn't a very large room, and they were sat closer together than they had ever been – their hips practically touching on the bench. Tori focused on a spot on the off-white walls to distract her from her proximity to Jade.
They didn't have to wait long before a very large dog was sharing the room with them. At first, Tori felt a little nervous to share a small space with such a large animal, but she quickly learned the dog was a complete sweetheart. At first glance, he appeared violent and mean, but he was actually a big softy when you pet him.
Jade didn't seem to care at all; she didn't reach out to pet him nor did she comment at all on him or Tori. She just stared at the dog, lost in thought. In reality, Jade was just barely keeping herself together with the hope that this dog would force Beck to take her back. She didn't have the mental bandwidth to process anything else right now. The attendant came back after a few minutes and commented on how well Tori was handling the big dog.
"We'd like to see how Jade handles him, though, since he was so focused on you. Would you mind stepping out here?" she asked Tori. Concerned, Tori looked over at Jade who caught her eyes and shrugged in a bored manner. Tori stood up and left the room, shutting the door behind her. The attendant smiled at Tori as she walked into the hall. "You like him?" she asked. Tori nodded in response.
"I've never had a dog before, and while he looks pretty mean, he's actually pretty sweet," Tori explained. Tori turned around and watched Jade through the window. She was finally coming out of her shell and engaging with the rottweiler, and Tori couldn't hold back a small smile. "Kind of like someone else I know," she thought to herself.
The attendant nodded, observing Tori and Jade's behaviors. "So, why were you looking to buy him?" she asked. Tori laughed nervously and nodded towards Jade.
"Well, let's just say Jade screwed up pretty badly in her relationship. And, after speaking with her, we decided a dog would be a good way to start first step towards making amends," Tori carefully explained. She didn't want to be too specific because she wasn't sure what Jade would want shared with others. The attendant smiled at Tori's answer.
"Aw, that's adorable. You going to forgive her, then?" she asked. Tori blinked, the attendant's insinuation going over her head.
"Huh?" Tori flatly returned. The attendant looked back at Jade, who was still calmly petting the dog's ears, and then back at Tori.
"If you guys get the dog, are you going to forgive your girlfriend?" she clarified. Tori's eyes blasted open wide and her brain stopped working.
"Uh..." her mouth forced out without her permission. The attendant had returned her attention to Jade by this point and was speaking with Tori, back turned.
"You know, his adoption fee is normally eight hundred dollars. But a teenage couple? I doubt you could afford it, and you two seem nice enough. He's really quite taken with the both of you. I'm going to recommend we let you take him for two fifty," she explained. Tori had finally found her voice and was preparing to explain that Jade and her weren't even friends, let alone together, but that last line from the attendant shut her up. Eight hundred dollars?! She was right – there was no way either of them could afford that. Two hundred and fifty dollars was probably pushing it, as is. Tori realized she hadn't said anything in awhile.
"W-wow, thanks a ton! That's really generous of you!" Tori exclaimed, too enthusiastically. "How about actually acting like you know what you're doing, Tori?" she mentally chastised herself. This was just improv – albeit it in real life with real life consequences. Tori cleared her throat. "Can I go back in now? I'd like to share the good news with my g-girlfriend," she said, tripping over the unfamiliar word. The attendant smiled and nodded.
"Sure. I need to gather his paperwork, anyway. We'll be back in a little bit to get him and guide you through the rest of the process," she said before leaving. Tori entered the room again and closed the door behind her. As she turned back around, she caught Jade's bored expression.
"Well?" she asked. Tori understood Jade's question without further clarification. Tori nodded.
"They're going to let us buy him. Two hundred and fifty dollars," she explained. Jade winced. That was a lot of money for her, but anything was worth getting Beck back. Tori was preparing to warn Jade that the shelter thought they were a couple and the dog was coming home with them, but she hesitated. Jade was already in a fragile state. She might not be able to keep up the ruse if she knew about it right now. Tori swallowed the secret back down. No, better for her to guide them through this without Jade knowing.
The rest of the adoption process took almost two hours, and it was very dark outside by the time they left the shelter, dog in tow. Tori sat in the back of the car with the dog, absent-mindfully petting it. She had almost blown their cover, but thankfully the ordeal had gone on without the shelter thinking anything other than Jade and Tori being a couple adopting a dog. They even signed both of their names on the paperwork. Tori sighed. Why was she doing all this again?
Jade drove them back to Beck's home and parked in the driveway. As they left the car, Tori held the dog's leash and followed Jade's lead as they sneaked towards Beck's RV. On their approach to the RV, the dog barked one time and they both shushed him simultaneously in panic. Once they reached the door, Jade looked back at Tori.
"Wait one sec," she whispered before she disappeared into the RV. Tori watched Jade enter and bit back her distracting thoughts. The adrenaline from sneaking around Beck's place uninvited was confusing her; she didn't usually sneak around like this. Jade returned quickly and spoke in hurried, hushed tones.
"Beck's asleep. Give me the dog," she commanded. Tori nodded in agreement. Tori leaned forward to check on the dog. The poor thing had a small amount of snot running from its snout. Tori decided Beck would like a dog without a runny nose better, so she brought a tissue to his nose. Jade addressed Tori condescendingly.
"Dog's don't know how to blow their nose," she explained like she was talking to a kindergartner. Tori was a nice girl, but sometimes she sounded as vapid as Cat. As the dog actually used the tissue correctly, Tori smiled smugly up at Jade and Jade's grin disappeared. Or maybe Tori was pretty smart. Jade looked away, irritated that she complimented Tori twice.
"Okay, gimme the dog," Jade repeated as she reached down and grabbed the dog's collar. Tori kept a hold of the leash, just to make sure the dog stayed safe. Jade opened the RV door and guided the dog forward, verbally encouraging him to go get Beck. As the dog entered the RV, it pulled hard and Tori was yanked into Jade. Jade hardly noticed Tori's full body contact, and Tori quickly put distance between them as Jade shut the door. Jade turned around and sighed in content.
"Okay, if this makes Beck like me again, I'm gonna owe you big time," she told Tori, her voice slightly shaky. Jade hated to admit it, but she had needed Tori's help, and Tori had come through. Even if Jade didn't want to call Tori her friend, she was the closest thing to a friend Jade had. Tori shook her head.
"You already owe me big time," Tori clarified, her mouth flat. Jade grinned and tilted her head, acknowledging Tori had a point. She liked hearing a little sass out of the singer – it reminded Jade that a fire burned beneath her surface. A fire that might be blinding, may even threaten to overtake her, but that fire could encourage the growth of her own flame. Jade was broken out of her thoughts by loud, angry barks and screaming from inside the RV. Jade and Tori both looked on in panic as the RV started shaking. A light flipped on and a man continued screaming, paralyzing the two girls from any meaningful action other than screaming in sympathetic panic.
The next thirty minutes were a blur to the two girls. Beck came out of his home after hearing the commotion, only to find Tori and Jade outside his RV and a giant dog attacking his Dad inside the RV. Beck tried to go inside the vehicle, but after seeing how large of a dog they had unleashed, he couldn't directly interfere. After recovering from his initial panic, Beck grabbed Tori's phone and called emergency services. An ambulance and animal control truck showed up within minutes. They captured the rottweiler, and the EMTs were able to bandage Beck's father and load him onto a gurney. Thankfully, the wounds were only superficial, but they still required treatment.
As Beck told his father he'd meet him at the hospital, Jade latched onto his arm, desperate to apologize. She felt awful. She was trying to do something nice, and as usual, she screwed it up – the entire situation was now worse than it was before. The ambulance left and Beck pulled away from Jade without a word. He glanced back at her very briefly as he walked back towards his house, rubbing his face in stress. Jade felt anxiety pull her down once again, and she looked at Tori before turning around to pursue Beck. It was the most they had been together in the last two days and she couldn't lose that again.
"Tori told me to get you a dog," she blurted out, panic infecting her tone. Tori frowned and whipped around to stare at Jade.
"Dude!" she exclaimed. She had bent over backwards, and Jade was seriously going to make her the bad guy? Beck stared at Jade, waiting. This was such a messed up situation, but would Jade finally learn her lesson?
Jade relented. "O-Okay, it was kind of my idea, but I-I didn't think the dog would bug out like that. I just wanted you to have a dog because I know you've talked about getting one ever since I met you and I thought maybe-" Jade was forced to stop her emotional outpouring by Beck's lips closing on her own. It wasn't quite an apology, but it was close to what Beck wanted and he was out of energy to pretend he didn't miss Jade. It gave Beck hope that he could keep pushing Jade out of her comfort zone; it was a step in the right direction.
Jade froze as Beck kissed her and, realizing that he wanted her back, she leaned closer into him, soaking him in. God, she missed him these last two days. She didn't think she could miss anyone this much. It scared her, but for now she distanced herself from the insecurity and just relaxed into his embrace.
Tori smiled as she watched the two literally kiss and make up. She still hated being involved in couple's drama, but this time it appeared she actually managed to help out. She was glad to see Jade happy. As Beck pulled back, Jade smiled at him.
"You love me again," she plainly stated. Beck smiled back.
"Who said I stopped?" he honestly replied. Jade still had a way to go with understanding his emotions, but it was a start.
The scene was so hopelessly romantic, Tori couldn't stop herself from exclaiming a long sigh of affection. Tori realized her mistake when both Beck and Jade turned towards her; Jade looked at Tori in disbelief. Tori turned away, commenting to herself. "I ruined the moment," she vocalized, embarrassed. Jade took a breath and relaxed, something she would have never done for anyone other than Tori.
"It's cool," she said, giving Tori a pass on the outburst. "And I really do owe you," she affirmed while smiling at the girl. Tori smiled back at Jade. She had done it. She had actually turned Jade into her friend. Tori nodded in affirmation and Jade smiled, turning around and returning to kissing Beck. Tori let the moment go for a little while before awkwardly interjecting once again.
"Hey, um. It's getting kind of late, so I wondering if maybe you could drive me home," she said, wincing even as she said it. Jade whipped her head back, but looked down at the ground as she addressed Tori. "It's not that far a walk," she quietly, but firmly, replied before looking Tori in the eye. Tori looked aghast as Jade returned to her make-out session. Maybe celebrating Jade as a friend was a little premature. Tori took a few steps away from the newly rejoined couple before calling back at them. "Try not to swallow each other!" she shouted in irritation before she headed towards home, the state of Beck's father temporarily forgotten among the three teenagers.
After an hour of making up for lost time, Beck finally left to visit his Dad and make sure he was okay. Jade still felt bad, but visiting the hospital would be too awkward right now. She decided to just go home – it was late evening, and she was emotionally exhausted from the last two days.
That night, Jade would dream of a falling star, its descent slowing as it approached its nearest neighbor. Closer now, it was apparent the second star was almost exactly the same size as the first. And only as the distance closed did it become clear the falling star was exerting as much force on its neighbor as it felt in return. An image of twin stars, dancing around each other in mutual orbit, would pass out of Jade's memory just before she woke up the next morning.
