Thank you so much, again, for the reviews and stuff. I'm glad that you're all still here and enjoying the story, even after all this time. I won't drag this out anymore, so thank you and on with the story!
Disclaimer: Why yes, I do own Victorious. I was also a member of the Royal Family, but they disowned me so I became a spy for Canada instead. All of that is absolutely true. (It's not, don't sue?)
"What did you decide?" Tori asked. She was frustrated. She was giving Jade one last chance to do something, anything, to show that they were on the same page. Tori thought they were. After Jade brought her to that park, and then went home with her after school, Tori really thought they were. But then they'd kissed, sort of, quickly, in her bedroom, and Jade had freaked out. Tori could understand that, because she was halfway to a heart attack herself when Jade had leaned forward, her eyes blatantly focused on Tori's lips. And Tori thought that okay, maybe Jade had a little catching up to do, but at least they were in the same chapter. But then Jade had skipped school, and Tori wasn't sure if they were even reading the same book anymore. Tori figured that if Jade wanted to just be friends, she could do that. If Jade wanted to, maybe, like, explore the spark that was between them, Tori wouldn't say no to that either. She just wanted Jade to make some sort of decision about it, about them, and she wasn't.
Tori shook her head and reached past Jade for the door. Jade didn't even try and stop her. "Okay, Jade. Do whatever you want." Tori left her alone in the janitor's closet. She didn't know what to do anymore. She was tired of thinking they were making progress down whatever road they were on, only to have Jade slam on the brakes and backtrack. She was tired of trying to climb through the holes in the barbed wire. She wanted Jade to lay out a path that she could follow. Because she would, wherever it led. She had meant it when she said that she'd been closer to Jade than anyone else. And Tori remembered how it felt to be curled into Jade's side while they watched movies or slept. She remembered being a kid and hugging Jade, never wanting to let her go. And what Trina had said made a lot of sense to her, as hard as it was to believe. Tori didn't really want what they'd had as kids. She wanted more than that. But if Jade didn't, then Tori would settle, because at least she would have her in some way. It was just hard when Jade refused to admit anything. And Tori was tired of waiting around.
Tori plowed through the rest of the day, just kind of wanting it to be over. She had big plans for the weekend that involved sitting around in her pajamas with like a gallon of cookie dough ice cream and she wanted to get started on said plans as soon as possible. Lunch was a little awkward because Tori was trying to ignore Jade even though Jade was blatantly staring at her the whole time. Beck was looking between the two of them, his eyebrows drawn together, and Andre, Robbie, and Cat were blabbering on, trying to pretend that nothing weird was going on with half the occupants of the table. The bell rang and Tori fled from the lunch table. She stopped at her locker, switching out books faster than she ever thought possible, and was heading off again before most students had even started.
Tori was focused when she sat down in screenwriting. She'd pay attention. She wouldn't be upset, or hurt, when Jade sat on the other side of the room. She would just… roll with the punches. Go with the flow. She could do that. If Jade didn't want to make a decision about where they stood, then it was up to Tori to do it. She stared out the window, like always, waiting for class to start. Students walked in, feet shuffling and groaning as they sat down, just waiting for the weekend to start. Tori smiled, glad that she wasn't the only one who wanted school to be done.
"Keep smiling to yourself like that and people will think you're as vapid as Cat."
There was a growl in Jade's voice and Tori turned her head. Jade was pulling her notebook out of her bag, looking for all the world like nothing was wrong. Tori frowned in frustration, having no idea how Jade could just keep on pretending. There had been glimpses, brief as they were, of something developing between them, but Jade swatted them away and brushed them off when all Tori wanted was to hold them close. Tori turned back to the window, keeping her eyes on the street outside. She didn't know what to say to Jade, or if she wanted to say anything at all, so she kept quiet and waited for the teacher to start up the class.
"Hey, Tori," Andre greeted when she sat down next to Cat in their vocal class. "We were thinking of doing karaoke tonight, you in?"
"I dunno," Tori said as she set her bag down next to her chair. "I have a hot date that I'd hate to pass up."
"Oh," Cat giggled and poked Tori's side. "Who with?"
"A boy named Harry Potter," Tori smiled and batted her friend's hand away.
Cat's face lit up. "Oh my god, I love Harry Potter! Can I come?"
"I thought you wanted to do karaoke?" Andre asked, leaning around Tori to look at the excited redhead.
Cat's smile dimmed a bit. "Oh right. I forgot about that."
"It was your idea, Little Red," Andre said with a laugh.
Cat shrugged and threw her hands in the air. "Well now I don't know what I want to do!"
Tori chuckled and patted Cat's knee affectionately. "Go to karaoke. You and I can watch Harry Potter some other time, okay?" Cat nodded and seemed satisfied with the decision, crossing her ankles and pulling her hair in front of her shoulders as their teacher started up the class.
Tori was glad when she finally got home. It had been an exhausting week and she just wanted to veg out on the sofa for a few days before having to go back to school on Monday. She didn't want to think about Jade, but she knew she would anyway. She'd resigned herself to that fact. That no matter how much she wanted to be done with it, just forget about Jade entirely and move right along with her life, she wouldn't be able to. Jade had played too big a part in her life and Tori couldn't shake the girl from her thoughts.
Tori changed into sweats and a t-shirt and carried the stack of Harry Potter movies down from her room. She popped the first one in and grinned as soon as the music from the main menu flooded the room. Tori hummed along with it as she wandered out to the kitchen and grabbed a spoon. She opened the freezer and pulled out a carton of ice cream, pausing momentarily in front of the cabinet housing the bowls. She shrugged, figuring it would be useless because she'd probably have to get up for refills, and just strolled back out to the sofa. She pulled the lid off the carton, stuck the spoon into the ice cream, and hit play on the remote before settling back against the pillows to start her relaxing weekend of trying not to think about Jade.
She actually made it pretty far into the first film before her trance was broken by Trina stomping downstairs, sighing loudly about Tori being upset. "I'm not upset," Tori threw over her shoulder as her sister wandered out to the kitchen for a drink.
"It's Friday afternoon and you're in sweatpants, watching Harry freakin' Potter, eating ice cream from the carton. You're upset." Trina banged around in the drawers and Tori heard the metallic clink of cutlery.
"Whatever, Trina," Tori grumbled as she stuck a spoonful of cookie dough into her mouth. The couch dipped and Tori turned her head as a spoon dug into the ice cream in her lap. "What are you doing?" Tori asked, slightly bewildered. Trina was sitting next to her, her own sweatpant-clad legs propped up on the coffee table.
"Joining you, duh," Trina answered, shoving her spoon into her mouth. Tori smiled and turned her attention back to the movie. Trina really wasn't that bad. She was crazy, sure, but Tori knew she could have done a lot worse than Trina for a sister.
They watched the movie, making surprisingly quick work of the ice cream as they did. When it was over, Tori stood up, handing the ice cream to Trina, and moved to switch out the movies. They started watching the second movie, almost finishing off the ice cream in the first few minutes. Trina sent a quick text to their mom, asking her to pick some more up on the way home from work. Tori got a little teary-eyed when Dobby first appeared on screen. Trina rolled her eyes but wrapped an arm around Tori's shoulders while she mumbled about how Dobby died 'a free elf'. "That's not even in this movie," Trina tried to say, only for Tori to sob loudly into her shoulder. "Gross, you got snot on my shirt. But it's not like you're not upset or anything," Trina rolled her eyes and gave her sister a squeeze.
At some point they got a blanket. Their mom came home, placed a carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream on the table in front of them and kissed the tops of both their heads before heading off to her room. Their dad came home shortly after that, pausing to watch a few minutes of the movie before leaving to join his wife. Trina got up to switch to the third movie. Tori and Trina started quoting random lines to each other, until it reached the point that they were saying dialogue before the actors did. They poked at the ice cream, but didn't eat much, and once Harry was flying off on his new broom, Trina put it in the freezer and Tori returned the movie to its case, a huge yawn pulling through her torso and stretching out her arms and mouth.
"I think it's time for bed," Trina said as she stifled her own yawn and walked out from the kitchen, coming to a stop next to the piano. "I still need my beauty sleep."
Tori smiled with a nod, crossing the room to stand next to her sister. "Thanks for watching the movies with me."
Trina rolled her eyes and ruffled her little sister's hair. "Yeah yeah. It wasn't that bad of a Friday night, even if I did turn down a date to hang out with you."
Tori's eyebrows rose in surprise. "You turned down a date? To stay home? With me?"
Trina shrugged and flipped her hand over. "He may have cancelled at the last minute and I didn't really have anything better to do."
"Ah," Tori said slowly. "Well, thanks all the same. Now I'm going to my room before this gets too mushy."
"Exactly what I was thinking," Trina replied, raising an arm to signal Tori to go upstairs first.
Tori nodded and headed up the steps, Trina following close behind. She gave her sister a small wave when she ducked into her room and Tori continued down the hallway to the bathroom they shared. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, the warm water relaxing her even more, and Tori was glad that she'd chosen to stay home. She knew that she'd been tense recently, and she understood exactly why, but she hadn't realized just how much she needed a calm, quiet night just to herself. Herself and Trina, Tori thought with a smile, as she crossed the hall to her bedroom.
Tori slept well. Better than she had the rest of the week, that's for sure. She woke up Saturday morning, the smell of coffee and the sound of her parents' voices drifting up the stairs. She rolled over in bed, scrunching herself further under the covers, and glanced at her clock. It wasn't even eight yet, and she could probably fall back to sleep for a little bit. She was debating whether or not to shut her eyes again when the smell of cinnamon joined the coffee and Tori was pulled from bed. She kicked her feet onto the carpet and threw back her blankets, a hand reaching out to grab her glasses off her bedside table. Tori pushed them onto her face as she stood up and wandered out into the hall.
Her mom was sitting at the kitchen table with a steaming mug of coffee, and her dad was hunched over the stove, a tacky 'Kiss the Cook' apron with lipstick marks all over it hanging from his neck. "Whatchya makin'?" Tori asked as she hopped down the steps and meandered towards the table.
Her dad glanced up and smiled before turning his attention back to the pan. "French toast, you want some?"
Tori's eyes grew wide as she pulled out a chair and sat down. "Yes, please! So why the fancy breakfast?"
Her mom shrugged as she sipped at her coffee, her fingers wrapped around the warm mug. "Just enjoying a lazy Saturday morning. Neither of us is working today, so we're just enjoying ourselves."
Tori nodded her head and smiled. "Sounds nice. You have any big plans?"
Her mom glanced over her shoulder as her dad turned away from the stove, then they both looked to Tori. "We were thinking of having a date day or something. Just the two of us. Maybe do some shopping, go to a movie, have a nice dinner out."
"Trina will want to tag along," Tori grinned. "You know she can't pass up the chance for free food or shopping."
Her dad cocked a brow as he flipped over some toast. "Yeah, we were kind of hoping to get out of the house before she woke up."
"Don't tell her that, though," her mom added with a serious look.
Tori raised a finger and sketched an 'X' over her heart. "Your secret is safe with me."
"How 'bout you?" Her mom asked with a smile. "You plan on doing anything with your friends?"
Tori shrugged and leaned back in her chair. "I'm not sure. I might just hang out here. Go for a swim or something. It's been pretty crazy at school lately and I could use a relaxing day to myself."
"You alright?" Her mom asked worriedly, her eyebrows digging a crease in her forehead as the back of her hand pressed against Tori's cheek.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Mom," Tori answered with a smile as her mom felt her forehead.
"Okay," she said slowly, bringing her hand away, "but you know you can talk to your father or I any time if you need to, right?"
"Any time at all, kiddo," her dad repeated, flipping the French toast again. Tori smiled at them both and her dad jerked his head towards one of the cabinets. "Why don't you get out some plates and we can dish this stuff up." Tori grinned and did as instructed, grabbing a glass of orange juice while her dad served up the toast. Her mom fetched the syrup from the cabinet and they all sat down to dig into their breakfast.
They'd finished eating and Tori offered to clean up while her parents got ready, since Trina still hadn't woken up and they wanted to hurry out for their day together. She was up to her elbows in water as she scrubbed out the pan when her parents came back downstairs, all smiles as her dad slapped some money down on the counter next to her. "In case you want to order a pizza or something later," he said, planting a quick kiss on the top of her head. Tori smiled as her mom did the same and she told them to have fun as they headed out the front door, a soapy hand rising to wave goodbye.
Tori hummed to herself as her hands splashed around in the sink, moving from the pan to the sticky plates and forks. She hadn't really thought about what she was going to do during the day, but hanging out at home did sound pretty good. The sun was shining brightly through the windows and the trees were rustling in a light breeze; it would be a perfect day to just lie out by the pool and listen to some music. Tori's hand groped around under all the suds until it pulled the plug in the bottom of the sink. She shook her hand lightly as the water drained and then set to rinsing all the dishes before sticking them in the rack to dry. She had just grabbed a towel to dry her hands when Trina bounded down the stairs, a frantic look in her eyes. "Is there French toast? I smelled French toast."
"Uh, good morning?" Tori said hesitantly, wrapping the towel around her hands.
"French toast!"
"We saved you a plate," Tori gestured towards the oven. "It's in there keeping warm."
Trina looked terrifying as she ran to the oven. She yanked the door open and snatched the plate out, salivating as she stalked towards the table.
"Right," Tori took a small step towards the stairs, "you enjoy that, then." Trina didn't even wave her off or acknowledge her at all, just dug into her breakfast with her bare hands.
Tori hung out in her room for a bit. Checked her email, deleting old Slap messages and some spam offers to enlarge things that she definitely didn't have, and a few for things she did, but wouldn't want to enlarge anyway. She logged onto the Slap and signed in, seeing a few status updates about karaoke the night before. A slow smile stretched across her lips as she read Jade's "Karaoke is lame tonight, why did I let Cat drag me to this?" status and the entire conversation, 43 comments long, that followed. Tori scrolled down, laughing at the messages Cat, Andre and Robbie were sending to each other. The whole thing ended with Jade's "YOU'RE ALL SITTING AT THE SAME TABLE! GET OFF MY PAGE!" Tori chuckled, but it stopped abruptly. Right. She didn't want to be thinking about Jade, and reading the girl's Slap page was definitely not conducive to her goal. Tori quickly logged off and closed her laptop. She rolled onto her back, staring up at her ceiling with her hands folded across her stomach.
And of course the only thing she could think about was Jade. Tori sighed and her head fell to the side, her eyes lifting to her window. She swallowed hard, almost seeing the silhouettes of herself and Jade standing there. Tori hadn't meant for it to happen like that. She had thought it would be like the other times, awkward on a swingset when she was hardly old enough to know what was going on, or quick and sloppy on her doorstep after the first date. But it had barely been a whisper, a shadow of Jade's lips on hers. Tori was sure that the kiss had been over before it even really began, but that hadn't stopped her entire body from erupting in a way it never had before. Tori could only imagine what it would be like if they kissed with intention. Because that one wouldn't even register as an accident. It wouldn't even register as a kiss. If that was really a kiss, then Tori had practically made out with her Great Aunt Camilla like a dozen times. The woman always gave awkwardly intimate hugs.
Tori choked back a laugh at the thought and rolled off her bed. She needed to not think about Jade, or her Great Aunt, and the best way to do that was with music and sunshine. Tori quickly swapped out her pajamas for her favorite bikini and grabbed her phone. She trotted downstairs, passing by a sleeping Trina on the sofa, and headed outside. The air was as warm as it looked from indoors. Tori closed her eyes and threw her head back, letting the early morning sunlight beat down on her face as her fingers worked to unravel the ridiculous knots in her earbud cord. A content smile settled on her lips as she popped them into her ears and focused her attention on the screen, scrolling through options until she found the perfect playlist to listen to. Tori sat down in one of the lounge chairs next to the pool, her phone in her lap, and closed her eyes as the music pushed all thoughts from her mind.
Sometimes Tori felt like a cat or dog, because as soon as the sun hit her, she just wanted to stretch out and bask. Basking usually turned to napping, though, and she was hot when she woke up. Hot and sweating, Tori realized as she sat up, pulling the headphones from her ears. She checked the time on her phone and realized she'd been asleep for almost two hours. And she had a text message from Andre.
Hey, you havin another date with Harry Potter or you wanna hang out for a bit?
Tori frowned and turned a squinted eye up to the sky. She'd been a little preoccupied with Jade related things lately, as had he, and they hadn't really hung out all week. She brought her attention back to her phone and told him she was hanging out by her pool if he wanted to join.
Pool? Yeah I'm in!
Tori laughed at how quickly he responded, then decided she'd throw out an invitation to the others as well. Cat, Beck and Robbie all said they'd join, and Tori just hoped that none of them would invite Jade. She felt bad about not inviting her, but Jade had made a decision by not making a decision. And Tori needed to try and move on, stop obsessing over something that seemed like it might never happen. If Jade wanted Tori in her life, then all she had to do was ask. Tori wasn't going to wait around for that to happen, but she would listen if Jade was ever willing to talk.
It didn't take long for everyone to show up, and Tori suspected that the promise of sunshine and a pool and pizza for dinner had her friends moving at lightning speeds, because she'd hardly swum a few laps before voices were floating across her yard, and her friends were tromping through the grass, faces lit up with laughter. Tori swam to the edge of the pool, grinning as Cat ran right up to the edge of the concrete patio, sandals flapping under her feet. She had a giant inflated tube with a happy looking hippo head around her waist. "Hi, Tori!" Cat squealed, throwing her towel onto one of the lounge chairs.
"Hey, Cat," Tori answered as the hyperactive redhead kicked her sandals off and sent them flying.
The boys all strolled up after Cat, smiling and greeting Tori. She waved and said hi, smiling as they set down their towels and took off their own sandals. Robbie set Rex down on top of his towel and pulled a tube of sunscreen out of his pocket. "Can someone put this on my back? If I get burned I'll peel like a banana for weeks." Robbie turned to face his friends, who were all looking nervously at each other, with the exception of Cat, who was bending gracefully to dip her toes into the pool.
"I would," Tori started, "but I'm all wet already."
Beck and Andre made excuses, shuffling their feet uncomfortably as they started to take off their shirts. Robbie turned desperate eyes on Cat. "Can you lotion me up?"
"Robbie, you're so weird," Cat giggled. But she clapped her hands and skipped over to him all the same. Tori laughed and turned around as Andre jumped into the deep end, his dreadlocked hair flying out behind him. Beck slid in right after and soon Cat and Robbie joined them.
They all swam and joked around, Cat bobbing in the shallow end with her hippo floaty like a strange little duck. Beck and Andre got into a cannonball contest that ended when Beck managed a spectacular belly flop after Cat distracted him mid-jump and he called the whole thing off, surrendering to Andre's superior skills. Tori offered to bring everyone some drinks and Andre offered to help her carry them. Tori accepted, not thinking anything of it, but found herself cornered in the kitchen, a glass in each hand and Andre standing firmly in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest. "Uh… hi?"
"Why didn't you invite Jade? I thought you two have been getting along lately."
Tori hadn't been expecting him to ask her about Jade, and certainly not so bluntly. "I just didn't think she'd want to come?"
"Right. It's a gorgeous day and all her friends are here, but she wouldn't wanna be bothered with the drive. What's up, Tori?"
Tori blew a breath of air out of the corner of her mouth. "Nothing's wrong. I just… didn't invite her."
"Look," Andre said carefully, taking the glasses from her hands and setting them on the counter next to the others. "I don't know what's up with you two, but I have eyes, alright? Eyes and ears, and they're telling me that something's up. Something is goin' on and I've been trying to give you space or time or whatever, but you gotta talk to me here, chica."
Tori opened and closed her mouth a few times. She had no idea how to respond to that. Did Andre know? Had Jade told him something? No, Tori thought forcefully, Jade hadn't told anyone. She was certain of that. "I just, ya know, and she, like, and then…" Tori finished lamely with a shrug and Andre tilted his chin down, one of his eyebrows arching high on his forehead while the other dug down. Tori groaned and buried her face in her palms. "Is it that obvious?"
"That you and Jade are in love with each other? Yeah," Andre answered honestly, "but only because I'm looking."
"Oh my god," Tori groaned, wishing she could just disappear from this conversation. "It's not- we're not- I don't even know-" She felt strong hands on her wrists, but they were gentle as they pulled her hands away from her face, and then she was looking into Andre's caring and comforting eyes.
"I've seen the way you look at her, and I've heard the way she thinks about you. I don't know the whole story, but from the bits I've read, you've both got it pretty bad."
Tori's eyes narrowed in confusion. "What do you mean 'the way she thinks about me'?"
Andre sighed, releasing Tori's wrists. "You know that song we had to write for class? The one I helped her record?" Tori nodded. "Well, I wasn't sure at first, and I'm still not positive, but," he trailed off, the corner of his mouth twisting as his eyes darted to the side. "She called it 'Firefly'."
Tori's eyebrows disappeared somewhere near her scalp. "Firefly?"
"Yeah," Andre nodded. "I'm guessing that means somethin' to you?" Tori nodded dumbly, her lips slightly parted. "At first I thought it might have been about Beck, ya know, their breakup, but the more I listened to the lyrics, that just didn't really fit."
"Lyrics," Tori repeated. She couldn't believe it. If what Andre was saying was true, and it must've been because it would be a cruel joke if he was lying, then Jade had written a song about her. For her? Tori didn't know, but for as much as she didn't want to think about Jade, all she wanted to do was hear that song.
"Lyrics," Andre echoed, a grin twitching across his lips, "you know, the word part of a song?" Tori swatted his arm impatiently, urging him to continue explaining. "I mean, some of the stuff she was sayin' was really-"
"What's the hold up? You've got thirsty friends waiting!"
Tori wanted to grab one of the glasses and shatter it against Robbie's skull. The back door had swung open and his head was peering around its edge, a huge smile stretched across his face.
"No hold up," Andre said with a forced chuckle. "We'll be right out, man."
Robbie glanced from Andre to Tori and back again before giving a small nod, his grin quickly disappearing along with the rest of him. Tori quickly turned back to Andre, her eyes wide. He cleared his throat as he started picking up some glasses. "Look, we'll be in the Black Box Monday during second period. Jade's fourth on the list to perform. Maybe you should just hear it for yourself." Andre was walking away, using his foot to push open the door before heading out to join the others. Tori stayed in the kitchen for a minute, trying to gather her thoughts and calm her suddenly racing heart. Andre had just dropped a bomb and Tori had no idea how to deal with it. Monday? She really had to wait until Monday to hear the song that Jade maybe, sort of, probably wrote about her? That seemed like forever.
She shook her head and grabbed the last two glasses, quickly heading back outside. Cat was sitting on the edge of the pool, her feet splashing playfully in the water with a glass clutched between her hands. Tori smiled and handed a drink to Beck before sitting down next to the redhead. "I thought you were getting lemonade. Why's this pink?" Beck asked curiously as he walked through the shallow end to stand in front of Tori and Cat.
"It's pink lemonade," Tori answered, her mind a million miles away.
"I've never seen any pink lemons," Beck stated, taking a sip.
"There are no pink lemons."
Beck looked a little surprised and quirked a brow. "So what makes it pink?"
Tori blinked, pulled back to the present, and Cat's feet stopped kicking, her head tilted to the side and waiting for Tori to answer. "Well… you know, it's… shut up!" Tori took a drink of her own lemonade and tried not to blush as Beck chuckled and set his glass down next to her. Tori sighed and took another drink, wishing that it was easier not to think about a certain missing member of their group. She felt as confused as she had when she first arrived at Hollywood Arts. Back when she had no idea whatsoever about what Jade was thinking or doing. Not that she'd gained much insight since then, but she felt like she'd just been sent back to the start, without any idea about anything.
"No really, what makes it pink?"
"Magic, Cat. Magic makes it pink." Tori didn't even look at her as she almost dropped her glass in the pool out of excitement. Instead she just watched the guys horse around near the edge as Beck said something that resulted in Andre trying to dunk his head under the water.
Tori was pulled from her funk a while later when Robbie and Beck decided she needed to have more fun and picked her up, throwing her bodily into the water. They'd jumped in after her and Tori couldn't be mad at their huge smiles. They didn't know what was wrong; she couldn't hold it against them. Instead she splashed them and jumped on Beck's back, demanding that he carry her around. He had, and for a while, too, which made Cat want to be carried around. Robbie almost drowned trying to oblige and Andre swam in to save them both. After that they all sat on lounge chairs and the grass, letting the sun dry them as they joked around and told Tori stories about Sikowitz. Apparently the man was much crazier than Tori had ever realized, but it almost made him more endearing in her eyes.
"You guys want pizza?" Beck asked once the sun had started to set. "Apollo's has a special on Saturdays."
"My parents left me money for some," Tori said, using her fingers to brush out her damp hair.
"Nah, you paid for all of us last time. We can cover it tonight," Andre offered and everyone else agreed.
"Aww, thanks, guys," Tori said, genuinely happy.
"It's the least we can do after throwing you in the pool," Robbie smiled.
"Yeah it is." Tori playfully shoved his shoulder and he beamed.
The next few minutes were spent trying to decide what they wanted and then Beck placed the order, confirming Tori's address quickly before giving it to the guy on the phone. Once he hung up they all headed inside, towels thrown over their shoulders and Cat's inflatable hippo bouncing along the ground behind her. Everyone settled down on the sofas to watch tv and wait for the pizza while Tori headed upstairs to change. She was just about to go into her room when frantic footsteps ran down the hall.
"Is Beck still here?"
Tori turned around to find her sister about an inch in front of her face. "Whoa. And yeah, he is. Hey, why didn't you join us outside? I figured you would've wanted to show off your 'hot bikini bod' or something."
Trina scoffed. "Please, it takes a lot of effort to look this effortlessly perfect," she said as she drew a circle in the air around her face. "I only just finished doing my hair. But as long as he's still here I'll join you guys downstairs."
"Oh joy," Tori smiled, the sarcasm evident enough that even Trina picked up on it. She just scowled and headed off down the hall as Tori closed her door. Tori shook her head and chuckled to herself, dropping her phone onto her desk. She quickly changed, opting for a pair of shorts and a long sleeved t-shirt. She grabbed her phone and was just about to leave when it beeped, her screen saying that she'd gotten a private message on the Slap. Tori frowned, wondering who it could have been since the people she talked to the most were all in her house, and opened the app up. Her mouth fell open into a tiny 'o' as she read Jade's message.
So you have a pool party and invite everyone but me? That seems a little cruel for you, Vega.
Tori chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about how to respond, or if she should at all. She hadn't meant to be cruel. And after what Andre had said, she felt ridiculously guilty about not inviting Jade. But how many times could Tori try to step forward, only for Jade to either push her back or step even further away?
Her phone beeped again, with a text from Andre, and Tori opened it with a confused frown.
Trina's been down here for five seconds and she's already claimed Beck and made Robbie cry.
"Oh man, Trina," Tori grumbled as she threw her phone on the bed and ran off down the hall, Jade's message completely pushed from her mind by the more pressing issue at hand. Downstairs, Tori and Andre managed to pry Trina off the lap of a very relieved looking Beck. Tori pulled her sister to the side and sternly told her to stop terrorizing her friends. Trina huffed and rolled her eyes and was about to argue, but Tori put on her scary face and pointed a finger in Trina's face. "I'm serious. Plus, if you scare Beck he'll never want to come back here to hang out and then how will you convince him to date you?" Trina seemed to think Tori made a valid point because she calmed down after that and sat only slightly awkwardly close to him.
They all sat on the sofas, eating pizza and watching tv, occasionally speaking up to comment on the show or a funny commercial. By the time everyone collected their things and headed out, Tori had forgotten about the message from Jade. That was, of course, until she went back into her room and saw her phone sitting on her bed. It was with tentative hands that Tori picked it up and read Jade's message again. She didn't know how to respond to it at all. Maybe she just wouldn't. Maybe she'd wait until Monday and try to see what happened. If Jade confronted her, or ignored her completely.
Tori scrolled through the status updates and frowned. Cat had uploaded a picture earlier in the day of everyone hanging out by the pool. Andre had an arm around Robbie's shoulders and Beck was frozen, mid-jump, next to them. Tori was sitting on the edge of the pool, a huge smile stretching across her face as she looked up at them all. It wasn't obvious right away where they were. They could have been anywhere. At any pool. But Tori understood that Jade would see it and know, straight away, where the picture had been taken. The girl had certainly spent enough time in Tori's backyard that she would probably recognize it anywhere. That must have been how Jade found out.
Tori sighed and scrolled back up, stopping when she saw that Jade had updated her status not too long after the picture had been posted. Not too long before she'd messaged Tori. Jade's status simply said: It's interesting to see a new side of someone. Not always good, but interesting. Tori closed the app and tossed her phone back onto her bed. She knew Jade well enough to know that she was hurt that Tori hadn't invited her, even if she didn't say it outright. She would never say it outright. It was like the time Tori went to the zoo with one of their classmates and Jade hadn't been invited. Although, that wasn't Tori's fault since the other girl had asked Tori to go, but still. Jade had moped around for almost a week after that, simply because she thought Tori had wanted to hang out with someone else more than her. Tori felt guilty. Like she'd done something wrong by not inviting Jade. And maybe she had, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Tori raised a hand and rubbed at her temple. Maybe the right thing wasn't always the good thing.
Tori didn't know what to do. She didn't want to cut Jade out completely. Not at all. But she also didn't want to sit around and wait for an indefinite period of time while Jade tried to decide how they fit together and if she wanted any part of it. It was dumb, and if Jade would just talk to her, they could sort everything out. But Jade wasn't one for talking, and Tori didn't want to push her, in case she ended up pushing too hard. Tori groaned and collapsed on her bed. It was all so dumb, but maybe she had to just buck up and put herself out there. If she did, then maybe it would force Jade into making a move, a decision, of some sort. Or, she thought with a small cringe, Jade would continue on her path of non-involvement and Tori would just be hung out to dry.
Her hand fumbled above her head, groping around the sheets until her fingers closed around the plastic and metal of her phone. She rolled onto her back, holding her phone above her face as her fingers tapped away and opened the message on the Slap. Tori caught her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyebrows knitting together as she responded. Her fingers typed away, stopping every so often to delete or change things around. She wanted to say what she needed to say, without being brash or rude. Or making herself cry. She took several minutes to type it out and then read over the whole message. She stared at the last line, chewing on her lip as her eyes scanned it over and over. If you want to talk, I'll listen, but I can't wait around anymore. She'd had that thought a lot, and it seemed fitting that she voiced it to Jade. Even if that voice was digital text. Tori nodded to herself, steeling her own nerves, and moved her thumb to hit Send. There was a whooshing sound, or maybe she just imagined it, as the message flew off into cyberspace and then she was staring at her inbox. Either Jade would finally open up, completely, or any chance for them to be a them was gone.
Tori didn't do much else on Saturday. She read for a bit and tried to ignore Trina while she practiced her vocal exercises. Her parents came home, draped all over each other, and barely said hi to their daughters before disappearing into their bedroom. Sunday dawned bright and early and Tori hung out in bed for a while, watching random videos on SplashFace and compulsively checking her Slap page. Jade hadn't responded to her message during the night. Tori wasn't sure if she was expecting her to, honestly, but she still had the hope that maybe a notification would ping through and there'd be… something. Tori sighed as she closed her laptop and placed it on top of her pillow. She climbed out from under the covers and wandered downstairs. Her parents had gone to work, and Trina must have still been sleeping, because the house was quiet. Tori spent a while in front of the television, her glasses resting on her nose and her phone in her hand, being lit up at every commercial break as Tori checked for a message that just wasn't there. Trina wandered down at one point for food and then disappeared. Tori took a shower, setting up a dock for her PearPod so that she could listen to music and try to distract herself from thinking about Jade. It didn't really work but she had tried it anyway.
Trina left shortly after, saying something about meeting up with a friend for lunch. Tori went back to watching tv. She spent part of the afternoon fiddling around with the piano. There was a melody she was trying to remember, something from childhood that she just couldn't get right. She got close a couple times, but it was like trying to catch smoke and her fingers just couldn't manage. She tried to sing it instead, but her voice didn't have the weight, the heaviness, that Jade's did. And once Tori realized she was trying to sing a song she and Jade had made up on a rainy afternoon, she stopped. And then it was back to the television.
Her mom came home from work and commandeered the remote. Tori didn't really feel like watching a show about nightmare brides, so she retreated to her room and opened her laptop. Before she knew what she was doing, the Slap was opened and she was obsessively refreshing her messages, like if she did it enough, sheer willpower alone would result in a change on the page. It didn't and she gave up trying. It got dark outside and she turned on the small lamp next to her bed, snuggling up against the headboard with a battered paperback in her hands. She must have fallen asleep, because a car horn blaring outside snapped her awake, and her clock said it was one in the morning. The book was still in her hand, her thumb tucked into the crease between pages, and her glasses were askew on her face. She blinked a few times as tires screeched and the car peeled away and then she licked her lips. She put the book, and her glasses, on her bedside table. She turned out the light and just collapsed against the pillows.
The first thing she did after turning her alarm off Monday morning was grab her phone and check her Slap page. Still no message, although Cat had added a ton of pictures and slapped Tori in some from Saturday. Tori didn't even know that Cat had taken so many. She really was a little ninja. Tori's eyebrow cocked when she saw one of Jade looking extremely wazzed off. She was standing outside some restaurant called Taco the Town and screaming at a man in a red apron. The caption read Jade made a new friend! A disbelieving chuckle escaped Tori's lips as she put her phone on her end table. Either Cat really was that clueless or Jade just had an extremely odd way of showing affection. Well, Tori knew the latter wasn't true. Jade could be affectionate when she wanted, which wasn't very often. Jade didn't do most things very often. A frown tugged at Tori's lips and she climbed out of bed, her stomach growling as it decided that breakfast of some sort was in order since she had accidentally skipped dinner the night before.
Her feet padded down the steps and carried her into an empty kitchen. There was a note on the counter from her mom saying she had to go into work early, and an addendum from her dad saying the same. Typical day at the Vega house then, Tori thought as she fixed herself a bowl of cereal.
Tori sat down at the table and had just taken a bite of cereal when she realized it was Monday. And she remembered what Andre had said was happening. Jade was singing. That song she'd written. Tori had almost forgotten about it, what with the obsessing over the message. She forced her mouth to chew as she pushed her cereal around in the milk with her spoon. She wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it or not. No, she wanted to hear it, she was curious as to what Jade had written that had Andre convinced Jade had feelings for her, but… well, she wasn't sure if she actually wanted to hear it. Because what if it just complicated things even further? Tori wasn't sure if she could handle the situation with Jade becoming even more complex than it already was. Although, really, it should have been simple, Tori thought as she lifted the spoon to her mouth again. It should have just been "Oh, hey, we used to be friends, what's up? How have you been?" and instead it had turned into a word problem in a foreign language with branches of mathematics that she hadn't even heard of yet. So Tori was just kind of stuck there, staring at the blackboard, hoping that Jade would slip her a cheat sheet.
"Hey, sistah friend," Trina called happily, causing Tori's head to turn. The older Vega skipped down the stairs, a huge smile on her face and a spring in her step.
"Why are you so happy?" Tori asked as she lifted her spoon to her mouth.
"I had an awesome dream last night." Trina wasted absolutely no time delving into every last detail about how she had become an internationally famous pop singer slash movie star and ended up marrying some super-hot English actor. Tori nodded along to her spoon bobbing in the milk in her bowl, and Trina took it as a sign of interest, gabbing away as she joined her sister at the table with a plate of toast. They ate breakfast, Trina chattering on and Tori eventually giving up on the soggy mess in her bowl, before heading upstairs to get ready for school.
Tori wasn't nervous, exactly. There might've been a slight tightness in her belly, but more than that was the frown tugging down the corner of her mouth. Indecision. She rummaged through her locker, looking for her math book, trying to decide if she'd go to second period, or skip to watch Jade perform. Tori didn't really fancy the idea of skipping class. It just wasn't her, and they were starting up a new segment and she'd hate to fall behind at all. Maybe she could just like… Tori's teeth sunk into her bottom lip. She had no idea what she could do. Or what she wanted to do.
A body invaded her peripheral and Tori looked up as Beck leaned against the lockers next to her. "Hey," he said, shrugging a shoulder to adjust his backpack strap, "I didn't leave my phone at your house Saturday, did I?"
"Uh," Tori's eyes drifted away before pulling back to him. "I didn't see it? And unless Trina found it and is holding it hostage, I don't think so." Beck grinned and she smiled in return as she slipped her math book into her bag.
"Your sister wouldn't actually, you know, do that, would she?"
"I have no idea what she's capable of," Tori chuckled, closing her locker. "One time she beat up Darla the Dolphin to steal the costume so she could get into a birthday party because she had a crush on the kid's older brother."
Beck's eyebrows rose a bit in shock. "Whoa. Your sister's even crazier than she seems."
"I try to warn people," Tori said with a shrug, a smile still pulling at her lips.
"Yo, Beck!"
They both looked up to see a manic looking Andre rushing down the hallway towards them. Andre shoved a phone against Beck's chest, his eyes wide with fear. "You left your phone in my car, man. I can't take it. It's been ringing all morning. It's driving me crazy!"
Beck grinned and pushed his hair out of his eyes with his right hand while his left thumb started tapping at the screen. "Thanks, man." Beck clapped Andre on the shoulder, head bowed down over his phone as he wandered off.
Andre shook his head slightly in disbelief as he watched Beck's retreating form. "I don't know how he deals with those Northridge girls."
Tori laughed and wrapped her hands around the straps of her bag as Andre turned fully to face her. "So what'd you get up to yesterday?"
"Not much," Andre answered as they started walking slowly down the hall towards Sikowtiz's. "My grandma had some friends over for dinner, so that was eventful."
"Eventful?" Tori echoed, her eyebrows rising in curiosity.
"Yeah, I don't wanna talk about it. I've already started to repress the memories," Andre said with a light laugh. "So," he bumped his shoulder against hers, "you gonna hit up the Black Box during second period?"
Tori sighed as they walked into class, glad that no one else was there yet. "I haven't decided yet. I just," she shrugged as they sat down at the front of the class, setting their bags down on the floor by their feet, "I don't know."
"Well, I think you should." He turned in his seat, resting his left arm over the back of his chair. "It can't hurt to listen to it, and maybe it'll help sort out whatever's goin' on with you two."
"I don't know. Why are you pushing this so hard, anyway?" Tori asked, a teasing smile breaking across her face.
Andre grinned and stretched his legs out in front of him. "I just hate seein' you all wonked out over stuff."
"Well aren't you sweet." Tori leaned into him and nudged his side with her elbow, causing him to curl away slightly. She straightened up and grinned as he settled back into his relaxed pose.
"It's what all the ladies tell me," he sighed, a satisfied look taking over his features.
Tori shook her head and playfully pushed his shoulder. She was glad that he was being so laid back about everything, and it had been nice to admit out loud to someone other than Trina what was going on. Because Andre knew Jade, or at least had seen more of the person she was now than Tori had. She almost wanted to pick his brain, try and find out what he knew and what he suspected and maybe ask him about every single encounter he had ever had with Jade. Because if Tori could figure out what had happened during the time where she wasn't a part of Jade's life, then maybe she could understand how Jade got to the point she was at. And maybe Tori could understand her better. Figure out how to proceed with the whole thing. Although, she thought as she tucked some hair behind her ear and waved at Cat as she plopped into the seat behind them, Tori still wasn't sure if she wanted to.
The class gathered quickly, chatter and small conversations filling up the room as everyone waited for Sikowitz. Tori tried not to be too obvious as she watched Jade, who was leaning forward in her seat, her elbows resting on her crossed legs, staring at the cup of coffee clutched between her hands. It was hard, though, because Jade was in the back row and Tori was turned around completely in her chair, pretending to listen to Andre and Cat's conversation. Tori saw the way Jade's forehead was twitching, small creases appearing and then being smoothed out as she tried to control her expression. No, it wasn't twitching. It was emotions rolling across her face, like water lapping at the sand on the beach. Coming and going every so often, each new wave wiping away the traces of the one before it. Jade's head lifted slightly and Tori jerked in her seat, quickly looking at Cat instead.
Sikowitz barged into the room at the exact moment the bell rang, and everyone settled down, turning to face the front as he strolled up to the stage and right to the white board. He uncapped a marker and started drawing something that looked like a flower with outstretched petals, switching to different colors for each petal. "Okay, children. Today we are going to talk about emotions. Obviously, as actors, we must master our emotions. We have to understand them, and we have to be able to pull them to the surface at any given time," he said as he split the center of the flower into eight wedges and then drew lines through the petals. He took a moment to admire his handiwork and then stepped away, using the marker to point at his drawing. "Can anyone tell me what this is?"
"Plutchik's wheel."
All heads turned to look at Jade, who was sipping at her coffee and looking extremely bored, before turning back to Sikowitz. "Very good, Jade. Now, for those of you who don't know, the wheel breaks down emotions and feelings into very basic ideas. Understanding how feelings relate to each other, or are the result of simpler, more primal emotions, can help you portray them better. We might be getting a little psychological with this lesson, so try to pay attention." Tori's eyes widened and she tried to focus on Sikowitz writing words in the wedges and spaces on the petals, explaining each thing as he wrote it.
The class was unusually tame for Sikowitz. They'd spent the entire period covering the wheel, and Sikowitz had ended class with the rather cryptic statement of "I hope you all actually paid attention." Tori wasn't the only one who thought it was odd, and there was a hum of whispers and murmurs as everyone filed into the hallway. Tori felt a hand wrap around her elbow and didn't need to look to know who it was. "I don't know, Andre, so don't ask."
"Just," he sighed and pulled her off to the side, allowing a few students to pass them in the hallway. "She's up fourth. It'll be like twenty minutes. You've got twenty minutes to decide." He gave a half-hearted shrug and walked away.
Tori rolled her eyes, upset at her own confusion and indecision, and saw a blur of red fly by. "Cat!" She jerked forward, like she was a puppet and her master was still learning the finer points of marionette. "Cat, wait up!"
The petite redhead turned around and smiled when she saw Tori running towards her. "Hey, Tori," she said with a wave.
"Hey." Tori hooked her arm through Cat's elbow and they started walking towards math. If Cat thought it was strange, she certainly didn't say anything, and she seemed just as blissfully content as always. Tori took a deep breath. "Tell me about Jade."
Cat giggled and Tori wasn't sure what was funny. "Well," Cat started slowly, "it's an ornamental stone, usually used for-"
"What? No, Cat. Jade. Your friend?"
"Oh! Jade!" Cat giggled and Tori resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands. Instead she steered Cat through the corridors. "What about her?"
Tori shrugged, dislodging their linked arms slightly. "I dunno. Do you ever get tired of her? Fed up?"
Cat's nose scrunched up as she thought about it. "Not really, no. She gets sick of me sometimes, though, and we won't talk for a day or two. That makes me sad, but she always brings me candy once she's done being mad at me."
"And that doesn't, like, bother you?" They were almost to class, and Tori wasn't sure why she was asking anyway. She figured she just wanted someone else's take on the girl. She wanted someone to tell her what to do.
"Of course not, I love candy!"
"No, I meant… nevermind," Tori sighed as they walked into the classroom.
"Kay kay," Cat chirped as they took their seats.
Tori pulled out her book and notes and then rested her chin in her palm, her gaze drifting to the clock above the door. She didn't want to do what she knew she'd end up doing. She could feel the pull inside of her, the impatience in her feet, trying to tug her from her desk. She didn't want it, though. Or maybe she did. She frowned and tried to pay attention as her teacher started writing out equations on the board. Tori didn't know what to do. She didn't want to wait around, she knew that, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she couldn't just go chasing after Jade either. It wasn't fair for Tori to have to do all the work. There were two people involved, after all, but she just didn't know if Jade would ever actually put in any effort. And the thought hurt Tori. Because there she was, torn up and twisted all around over Jade, and the other girl seemed almost okay. There were moments where Tori could see turmoil, but they faded, or were covered up, and it wasn't fair. Because how was she supposed to know what was actually happening if Jade refused to say anything or let it show.
Tori's eyes grew wide when she realized her hand was in the air. The teacher tilted her head and Tori cleared her throat. "I don't feel well. Can I go to the nurse?"
"Do you think you'll be back by the end of class?" She stepped up to her desk and grabbed the hall pass.
"I don't know," Tori answered. The teacher frowned, placing the hall pass back on her desk and waved Tori off.
Tori threw her things into her bag, ignoring the look she got from Cat, and rushed from the room. Her feet carried her quickly through the halls and straight to the Black Box. The main doors were closed, but Tori could hear loud music coming from inside. If she went in through the main doors, everyone would see her and, more than likely, she'd be sent back to class. Or the nurse's office. Tori caught her bottom lip between her teeth and scooted down the small corridor next to the theater. She carefully stepped up next to one of the curtains and slowly pulled it aside. There weren't many people, maybe a dozen or so students, and they were all staring intently at the boy at the front of the room.
Tori's eyes scanned the students, finding Andre quickly. And, Tori realized with a gulp, Jade sitting right next to him. Jade tilted her head to the left and Andre leaned to the right. Tori could see Jade's lips moving, whispering something to him. He straightened up in his seat and turned his head, almost like he was looking for something. He turned in her direction and their eyes met. His face broke into a grin that he quickly covered as he looked back to the kid singing. Tori's gaze drifted to Jade, who was sitting rigidly in her seat. Tori frowned as the song ended and everyone clapped. Had Andre told Jade she was there, or was Jade just nervous about having to perform?
The teacher asked the boy on stage a few questions and let the other students give critiques as well before dismissing him back to his seat. "Alright, Jade. You're up."
Jade and Andre both stood and walked down the aisle towards the front of the room. Tori shuffled a bit more through the curtain, trying to still remain hidden from view, but able to actually see Jade clearly. Andre grabbed an acoustic guitar from a rack on the side of the room and slipped the strap around his shoulders. Jade sat down on the stool at the front of the theater and Andre took his place behind her. Jade tilted her head and pushed some hair out of her face, her eyes focused on the floor of the theater, as Andre started to play something soft and simple. Jade's eyes slowly closed and her lips parted and she sang.
I fell in love next to you
Burning fires in this room
Tori didn't even register what was happening, because the very first line Jade had sung knocked the entire world off its axis. Tori felt the reverberations in the way her knees wobbled and everything seemed to shift around her. And she felt like she was a little kid, tucked into Jade's side under a ceiling made of blankets, listening to the magic in her best friend's voice as they made up entirely new worlds.
Little one, lie with me
Sew your heart to my sleeve
We'll stay quiet underneath
Shooting stars if it helps you sleep
Tori's hands tightened around the curtain. She forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat as Jade's voice filled the room, almost drowning out Andre's guitar. Tori could almost see the night sky in her backyard; feel the cool summer breeze as they searched for constellations to claim as their own because the light from the city washed out the real ones.
And hold me tight, don't let me breathe
Feeling like you won't believe
There's a firefly loose tonight
Better catch it before it burns this place down
And I lie if I don't feel so right
But the world looks better through your eyes
Tori's back connected with the wall in the doorframe, her fingers twisted up in the curtain. She'd been waiting for Jade to make a move, and fuck had she ever. The tone in Jade's voice was sad, and almost regretful, but more than that it was laced with hope. And a blunt honesty that seemed to have knocked the air from Tori's lungs. Jade still hadn't opened her eyes, but she was playing out all of her emotions with her voice. Or rather her emotions were playing out her voice, because there were slips and tremors and all sorts of little things that shouldn't have been there, but were. More cracks that Tori saw straight through. Although Jade wasn't trying to cover them up for once.
Teach my skin those new tricks
Warm me up with your lips
Heart to heart, melt me down
It's too cold in this town
Jade's eyes slammed open and they didn't even have to move to find Tori, because as soon as her lids parted, bright blue was pinning Tori against the wall. Like Jade had known she was there all along. Tori suddenly wondered if it had even been Andre's idea for her to listen, but found that she didn't really care either way.
Close your eyes, lean on me
Face to mouth, lips to cheek
Feeling numb in my feet
You're the one to help me get to sleep
The flaws, the slips and tremors, only served to make Jade's voice even more beautiful. A technically perfect voice is useless without emotion, but too much emotion can destroy technique. Jade's had struck that rare, perfect balance. In Tori's opinion, at least, but she had always been a bit biased where Jade was concerned. Especially when Jade was looking at Tori like they were the only people left on Earth. Like Jade was right there in Tori's yard with her, hands wrapped around arms and eyes cast upward searching for shooting stars to make a wish on.
It's only been one night of love
And maybe that is not enough
Hold me tight, don't let me breathe
Feeling like you won't believe
Jade broke the gaze, her attention turning back to the floor as she sang the chorus again and Tori's lungs struggled to work. In and out, that's all they had to do, but her breath was staccato. Sharp and jumpy and not natural and Tori had to get away. She wanted to hear the rest of the song. She wanted to rush up and wrap herself around Jade. She wanted to forget about not waiting and not chasing and just do whatever she had to. But she wanted to breathe more than anything else and she was suffocating on Jade's voice. Like the air in the Black Box was too thick with words and emotions and Tori just physically couldn't function how a human is supposed to.
And then Jade stopped singing, and everyone in the Black Box was clapping. But Tori could still feel Jade's voice. It had seeped inside of her and was spreading out, like ink in water, filling Tori and staining everything she was with its same shade of honesty. It was like a whole new thing flowing through her body, fighting her own blood for space in her veins. Wrapping itself in almost smoky tendrils around vessels and grazing underneath her skin.
The teacher started asking Jade questions, and Tori found herself stumbling backwards, away from the curtain, away from Jade, and down the hallway. She wandered, her brain still filled with fog and Jade, and wasn't entirely surprised when she ended up in the janitor's closet. Pulling the door closed, Tori took a deep breath. Jade had done exactly what she wanted her to. She'd acknowledged whatever it was between them, and been totally honest. Jade had made a move and Tori was suddenly overwhelmed with the possibilities before her. She could be with Jade. Tori and Jade could be Tori and Jade again, just like when they were little. Only different, because they weren't kids, and it seemed like both of them were starting to accept just how much things had changed between them. No. Not changed. Evolved. Because Tori had always loved Jade, and she was certain that Jade had always loved her, as well, but that love had grown up just like they had, and it had evolved. Jade had just admitted she felt it, too, and Tori couldn't help the stupidly happy grin that broke out on her face. Jade loved her. She loved Jade.
The door eased open and Tori practically jumped out of her skin with surprise, quickly covering it up with a nonchalant cough as she nervously smoothed out invisible wrinkles in her shirt.
"You were such a creeper, peeking out from behind the curtains like that. Stalker isn't a good look on you." Jade pushed the door shut, barely glancing at the brunette standing next to her.
"Andre told me to go," Tori said casually, trying to ignore the way her heart had suddenly set off racing inside her chest.
Jade nodded and folded her arms across her chest. "I know."
"Did you ask him to?"
Jade's eyes darted to the side and her head tilted down, a hand rising and disappearing behind her ear. "I might've suggested it," she mumbled.
An awkward moment of silence passed between them, and Tori asked the one question that was still burning in her mind. "You meant it, right?"
Jade's eyes snapped to hers, hard and calculating, like she was trying to figure out the possible outcomes of different scenarios. They finally softened and lit up. Tori's heart fluttered as she watched Jade come to a final decision. "Absolutely."
Every mine in the warzone that was Jade West hadn't been deactivated, but Jade had just handed Tori a map. And that was almost better, because Jade without some sort of defense system wasn't really Jade. But she was inviting Tori in. She wanted Tori to cross, and was letting her do it safely.
Tori nodded. Took a deep breath. Nodded again. "Good," she whispered. Jade's eyes widened in surprise as Tori moved forward, and her lips tilted into a cautious smile as Tori's fingers slid between her own.
A/N I don't think this is cliffhangery, but if it is, my sincerest apologies. I'll have the next one up sharpish.
Also, disclaimer, I didn't write that song. It is actually called 'Firefly' and it's by Ed Sheeran. I almost didn't want to use it, but it is what kickstarted the idea for this whole story almost two years ago, so it fits. I tried to write a song myself, but found out that I'm really bad at writing songs lol so you get Ed Sheeran instead, hope that's alright.
Also, also: You've put up with this massive story for long enough, and all I have to say is: NEXT CHAPTER. YOU HAVE ALL BEEN AWESOME THIS LONG AND IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME I REWARDED YOU FOR YOUR AWESOMESAUCENESS.