~Jade~
After that successful date at Nozu and making Sikowitz proud with our performance in the play, things have been good. Great, actually. I was almost afraid that it wouldn't last. But the days kept coming, and with them, time spent with Tori. Tori, not Vega. She had been over the moon the first few times I let that slip. I wanted to complain about it, because really, I called her Tori sometimes, but she insisted that it sounded different now. Whatever. Maybe I did call her Tori more than Vega now. So what. And yet, I couldn't help but smile when I called her Tori and that bright smile lit up her face. Such a simple change and already it was having an affect on our relationship. We hadn't officially asked each other out yet. The only reason I hadn't because I was trying to plan a nice day out and then ask her. But just thinking about it made me nervous. And Tori being Tori, she saw right through me and remained patient, knowing I wanted to ask her first while also giving me the time and space to do it. I sighed and rolled my eyes, pulling up to the Vega household. She was such a cheeseball, but I didn't know where I would be now if I hadn't met her.
Probably still at school, that was for sure. She was normally so punctual and answered my texts in a matter of minutes, yet she hadn't done both this morning. I got to school and didn't see her anywhere, so I thought maybe Trina held her up. But when first period came and went, and I hadn't even gotten a text, I started to worry. Then I saw Trina in the halls and had to stop myself from grabbing her by that ugly dangling necklace and holding her at scissor point until she told me where Tori was. Overboard reaction, but completely necessary when dealing with a stubborn Trina who was likely to tell me off if I asked civilly. But no. I had forgone violence and decided to look for Tori myself. So here I was, ditching school because this girl made me worry and wazzed me off all at once. I climbed out of my car and stomped up to the door. I knocked and hoped that someone would let me in, if not her. Her mother answered with a surprised expression that quickly became a smile.
"I assume you're here for Tori?" she asked. I nodded, already glancing past her to search the room beyond.
"She slept in, and Trina left her behind. I didn't even know until I woke up to get ready and realized she was still here. Do you mind waking her up for me? I'm already late as it is," she explained, stepping away from the door to let me in. I entered with another nod and headed for the stairs. I took them quickly and strode straight for her closed door. I snuck in quietly so that I could scare her awake. I had done it before at school when she stayed up late watching movies with me and started falling asleep in odd places. It was funny watching her jump awake from her spot in the main hallway, flail, and roll down the stairs. I looked forward to another dramatic reaction, but I stopped in place when she started mumbling.
"Hmm. Scare Vega awake or listen to her talk and possibly hear something interesting?" I whispered to myself. The second option won out hands down. I eased off my boots and carefully climbed in bed next to her. I tried not to touch her, cautious that she might wake up, but as soon as I reclined against the pillows she rolled and threw her arm over my middle to pull me closer. I held my breath and waited, but she only curled up against my side with a sigh, her head resting on my stomach. I relaxed my tense frame and gently rested a hand on her shoulder. She was smiling even in her sleep. But then her brow furrowed with confusion, and I wondered what she was dreaming about. While I waited for her to say something, I played on my phone. This was guaranteed to be better than anything school had to offer.
~Tori~
What was going on? I was totally ready to go to school and prank everyone into thinking my hand got slammed in the door of my mom's car, but no one seemed to care. Everyone kept denying that April Fool's wasn't something that was celebrated at Hollywood Arts. Why not? Everyone was so talented and creative. Things got really weird when the guys started acting strange and Cat yelled at me and some random guy who I assumed was a teacher but never saw in my life spoke nonsense and then proceeded to steal my purse. And now Sikowitz was feeding a goat in the middle of class. I was so confused. Were they trying to trick me by planning all this while also denying that they didn't celebrate April Fool's?
"Now, who else had a question?" Sikowitz asked over the braying of the goat eating from his hand. Andre got his attention and Sikowitz called on him while I took a seat.
"I have a front-loading washing machine, and lately I've noticed that my washer isn't draining properly and leaves my clothes both wet and damp. What should I do?" Andre explained. I glanced at him with a creased brow.
"Robbie, what's the answer?" Sikowitz said with a point to him.
"First, rotate the drum by hand, and then check for any scraping on the outer tub. Then move the open end of the whirly-doink up and down while moving the pump rod in a circular motion, making sure-" he started to ramble factually, not at all concerned when he started floating to the ceiling on his chair. The class watched him go, also unconcerned.
"So…at Hollywood Arts, everybody just ignores the fact that today is April Fool's Day?" I asked them once everyone lost interest in Robbie. Sikowitz nodded and the class agreed with him, mumbling confirmation.
"Wait, did you just say you wanted a face full of trumpet?" Cat suddenly inquired, turning to me. I started to question her when she pulled a trumpet out of nowhere and blew it loudly right in my face. I screamed and covered my ears, falling off my chair. I felt disorientated so I didn't react when I was picked up off the floor and placed in my chair. I looked up to see a guy that looked vaguely familiar, but I didn't get a good look at him because he was already running out the door. Sikowitz watched him go with a thoughtful frown.
"Wait, was that the bell?" he questioned. The bell went off as if in answer.
"Oh, there's the bell," he said, pointing at the ceiling. And then, he combusted. He just blew up on the spot in a shower of sparks and smoke. All that was left of him was tattered clothes and a coconut. The shruggers gasped with me but the gang barely reacted. What was the matter with them? Cat called to me, and I answered, only to get a face full of trumpet again. Just as before, I found myself on the floor with no one to pick me up this time. Cat laughed.
"Guys? Help me up?" I whined, holding out a hand. Everyone passed by except for Jade who stopped to stand in front of me. She scoffed yet yanked me onto my feet by my wrist. I was shocked at the display of strength and stared at her with wide eyes, brushing back my hair.
"You're welcome," she deadpanned, turning on her heel to follow the others out. I ran after them into the hall, but when I turned the corner, they were nowhere to be found. I spotted Sinjin walking my way and called to him. He greeted me in a low voice. How did he do that?
"How can I help you today?" he asked.
"Well, I was just in Sikowitz' class, and everybody told me that no one at Hollywood Arts does anything fun for April Fool's Day. And I just think that-" I tried to tell him, still appalled. But he silenced me with a raised finger and a hush.
"Now, now, Tori. If you're going to be my lady, you need to do a lot less talking," he replied. Um, what was he talking about?
"Never gonna happen," Jade remarked, passing by. I watched her take the stairs with a smile then dropped it to turn back to Sinjin. I had to agree with her on that.
"I'm not gonna be your lady," I stated with a shake of my head. Because I was already someone else's lady. I glanced in the direction Jade went. Sinjin laughed as if I just told a joke.
"We'll see about that," he said with confidence, walking away. I turned to look at him, confused by the exchange, but then Andre ran inside calling to me frantically.
"Tori, did you hear? Did you hear the news?" he shouted, running over.
"What, what happened?" I wondered, slightly worried by his panic.
"It's war! It's war, Tori, it's war!" he yelled.
"Is it Switzerland?" I gasped. He stared at me in offense then reached over to grab me by the shoulders and shake me.
"Will you forget about the war? We're gonna have a pop quiz!" he shouted. How did a war turn into pop quiz?
"But you just said-" I stammered, stumbling when he let me go.
"It's true, I tell you. I just heard it from two boys in the bathroom. At the urinal," he said with a gesture at the boy's bathroom and a pose. Uh, too much info.
"We're gonna have a pop quiz! A pop quiz is going down, Tori!" he continued to shout.
"Oh my god. I hate pop quizzes," I groaned. He gave me that look again and then he was grabbing me in his arms and swinging me everywhere.
"How can you think about a pop quiz when we're at war? It's war, Tori! It's war!" he demanded. Finally, he set me down.
"I gotta go recycle some aluminum," he said in realization, running up the stairs. On his way up, he was hit by an arrow in the leg. He tumbled back down, yelling about a Swiss arrow and cursing the war. Two men in uniform came in and quickly dragged him away, leaving me worried and still confused. The bell went off, causing everyone in the hall to scatter.
"I gotta get to class," I remembered. But I was so far away from my next class. I called for a helicopter and one descended low enough for me to climb the ladder. I was sure to make it on time at this rate.
~Jade~
Where are you?
Looking for Vega
Yeah, I noticed she wasn't here and then I noticed you were gone too
I found her. She slept in
So did you wake her up?
No
Jade…
I could almost hear the disapproval in Beck's voice. I rolled my eyes and started to reply.
I didn't wake her up because I couldn't. Not when she had so much to say
I should have known
I doubt she'll say anything embarrassing. So far, she only talked about goats, trumpets, and war
Odd
Yeah, and I can't wait to hear more
So I shouldn't expect either of you to be here?
Nope
This isn't an April Fool's prank of some sort, is it?
I briefly contemplated messing with him but went with the truth.
You know, I did plan one for her, but this is far more entertaining
So that's why you wanted her at school
Maybe. But I was also getting kinda worried
Cute
Shut up
I'll let the others know you guys are ok
Sure
Tori grumbled in her sleep, her arm tightening around my middle. I raised a brow and looked away from my phone.
"A pop quiz…not a war," Tori mumbled, a frown creasing her features. I chuckled and shook my head. The sound of the front door closing downstairs signaled that her mom left. I contemplated raiding the fridge and making some coffee, but with Tori clinging to me for dear life and the prospect of hearing her sleep talk some more, I really had no choice but to stay put.
"Gotta hate those pop quizzes, eh Vega?" I remarked with a laugh, going back to my phone.
~Tori~
Was it just sepia tinted a moment ago while I was trying to wazz or was that just me? The color seemed to have gone out for a moment there. I shrugged, grabbed my wand, and flushed. I pushed open the stall door to see Cat in a gingham gown and red shoes.
"Hello," I greeted in a high voice.
"Well, hello, if you please," she replied in a Southern accent, curtsying. I turned to shut the stall before approaching her.
"Are you a good witch or a sandwich?" I questioned.
"Who, me? Well, I'm neither a witch nor a snack. You're talking some crazy chiz," she answered.
"Well, you do have the ruby cellphone," I pointed out. She pulled out the device and gasped at the glittery casing.
"Oh, my goodness. Well, this phone is beautiful. Were all my contacts transferred?" she inquired. Before I could reply, thunder boomed, and a stall swung open with a plume of red smoke. When it cleared, Jade was revealed in all black and dark make up. A scowl twisted her features and her eyes flashed with rage. Cat and I exchanged fearful glances.
"Who took my ruby cellphone? Was it you?" she demanded, striding forward to jab a finger at Cat.
"Oh, I didn't mean to. Here, you can have it back," Cat responded, quick to appease. She held it out.
"Good. Give it," Jade commanded, reaching for the phone. As soon as she touched it, she was shocked. She quickly released it and stepped back.
"Curses! I'll never be able to get that ruby cellphone as long as it's April Fool's Day!" she screamed. About that.
"You know, speaking of that, are we really not gonna do anything for April Fool's Day?" I asked her, returning to my normal voice. Jade stared at me with a frown.
"Silence!" she yelled at me. She then turned to Cat, missing my eye roll.
"I'll get you, my pretty, and your little fish, too!" Jade warned, pointing at her and then the fish swimming in its bowl on the sink. Cat gasped and ran to hide at my side.
"Oh, be gone! You have no powers in this restroom," I reminded her.
"The witch sneers at Dorothy, and then exits," Jade said, leaving with an evil laugh.
"Oh, my. Well, she spoke her stage directions," Cat pointed out, leaving my side to face me. Yeah, I noticed that too. Jade wasn't known for messing up that bad.
"Well, what am I supposed to do now?" Cat asked me.
"Well, you are in a restroom. You could wazz," I suggested, gesturing to a stall with my wand.
"Tofu, too?" she wondered.
"Tofu, too," I confirmed, moving toward the door so that she could have privacy. I crashed into it, but once I got a hold of the handle, it opened, and I drifted out in a pink bubble.
~Jade~
I scrolled through The Slap, laughing at Tori's dorky pictures and videos. When I found some of my old comments as well as a few videos we did together I thought back to those days. I had been reluctant to interact with her, but also kind of not. Tori shifted and I looked at her expectantly.
"What happened to the color? Oh, there it is," she grumbled. Weird.
"Why…Jade's an evil witch…still pretty," Tori continued. I quirked a brow at that and smirked.
"Thanks," I whispered, satisfied by her comment.
"…need the ruby cellphone," she muttered, burying her face in my button up. What was that about?
"I can't wait to tell you all about this," I quietly commented with a shake of my head. Tori fell silent with a hum, and I returned to my phone.
~Tori~
I sat outside at our usual table in the Asphalt Café, waiting for Andre to arrive. He came running over, shedding a jacket that made him look like a lion.
"Sorry I'm late. I was in the girl's bathroom doing a Wizard of Oz bit," he apologized, taking a seat.
"Oh, it's okay," I assured him. I looked down to see the empty table and rested my hands on top of it.
"Hey, where's our food?" I asked him.
"Oh, here it comes," Andre replied, nodding to waiters that showed up with covered dishes. I thanked them and Andre agreed. The plates were uncovered with a flourish, and then they left. A single waiter stood at the ready, but I sent him away with a thumbs up.
"Man, I am so hungry," I mentioned.
"Me too," Andre said.
"Hey, can we get a couple of feeding children over here?" I called out. A man on loudspeaker responded.
"Two feeding children at table sixteen!"
Just as he said, two children came running out. They did their job silently, dropping in food as soon as we were done chewing and waiting for more.
"Tori, Tori, I'm running in with big news! Tori!" Robbie suddenly shouted as he darted around the corner to come to a halt at our table.
"It's him!" the feeding boy shouted, running. The girl screamed and ran away too. Hey, now how were we going to eat? Robbie ignored their fear of him and leaped up on the seat between Andre and me.
"What's the big news?" I asked him.
"The Beverly Hills volcano is about to erupt!" he shouted.
"What?" Andre said, worried.
"In three and a half minutes, this whole school is gonna be covered with hot lava!" Robbie continued.
"We only have three and a half minutes?" I exclaimed. Andre slammed his fist on the table.
"The same amount of time as a commercial break," he remarked.
"Well, what do we do?" I asked him.
"I say we kiss," Robbie advised, grabbing my hand with urgency.
"Okay, come here," Andre accepted.
"Not you," Robbie refused him.
"You. Kiss me, Tori. I want my last three and a half minutes with my face smooshed against your face," he declared, turning to me.
"Are there any other ideas?" I asked, hopefully trying to get out of it.
"Tori, please," he pleaded, shaking my hand in his. I made a face, thinking it over. It couldn't be that bad, right?
"All right," I finally agreed. We leaned in, and right when we got close, Robbie was shoved out of the way. He fell to the floor with a girly cry. I opened my eyes to see that Jade had taken his place.
"Really, Vega? Three and a half minutes left of life, and you couldn't be bothered to spend it with me?" she inquired softly, leaning in.
"Uh, um, well…" I stammered. She only shook her head with an amused smile and rested her hand on my cheek.
"Just kiss me," she demanded. I reached out and pulled her in by the strap of her satchel. Our lips met and I was so glad I didn't spend the last moments of my life doing this with Robbie.
~Jade~
"Hungry. Need feeding children," Tori spoke up, causing me to laugh at the absurdity of the statement.
"What the heck? Feeding children?" I questioned.
"The volcano…no time…kiss me," she murmured. Whoa, what was she dreaming about now? Who was she kissing?
"Jade…" she called, sighing a moment later. I felt warm, hearing her speak my name so softly.
"I better be a good kisser in your dreams too, Vega. Especially if a volcano is involved and we're about to die," I said, rubbing her back. She hummed and then giggled, smiling. I smiled too.
"I'm going to assume that dream me was satisfactory," I decided.
~Tori~
I sighed as I switched out my textbooks at my locker, turning when I heard someone approaching. Jade rounded the corner while crawling. What an odd way to get around. When she got to me, she stood with a jovial grin aimed at me.
"Well, hey there, Tori," she greeted, full of energy. It was sort of weird to see her so ecstatic. I sighed again.
"Hey," I replied, bummed.
"Aww. Why the sad boo-boo face?" she inquired in a coddling tone.
"I guess I was just really looking forward to April Fool's Day, and I'm disappointed that everybody ignores it," I confessed.
"Well, then I guess somebody's gonna have to get tickled," Jade concluded with a sigh. Uh, did she mean me?
"No, don't. I'm not in the mood," I declined, though the thought of Jade tickling me was hard to fully refuse. She'd have to get close. And we'd be in contact. I tried at coy, running a hand over my vulnerable side, and started to put distance between us. She inched forward.
"Oh? I think it's the tickle bunny twins!" she exclaimed, her hands coming out from behind her with two fingers bent on each hand to look like bunny ears. She darted forward to attack my sides. My laughter was natural and uncontrolled under her wandering hands. Jade didn't stop until I was gasping for breath. A big smile was pulling at her lips as she laughed with me. When she stopped and I finally caught my breath, we picked up on our conversation as if we were never interrupted.
"I just feel like April Fool's Day should be different," I said. She sighed heavily.
"Well, too bad, Tori. It's just a regular day here at Hollywood Arts," Jade stated firmly. I looked away, downcast. Sikowitz came running down the stairs, calling for Jade. We looked to him.
"Jade, you're late. Go to the janitor's closet," he directed with a point of his finger.
"Oh, right," she accepted. She danced her way over to the door and disappeared. Sikowitz walked toward it but stopped when I questioned him.
"Wait, what's happening in the janitor's closet?" I asked.
"Just make sure you're there in the next sixty-No!" he started to answer when a giant lobster tackled him to the floor. I screamed and jumped back.
"Help! I'm being attacked!" Sikowitz screamed, fighting to get free.
"Get it off me!" he yelled, wrestling with the giant sea creature. I pulled out my phone, needing to get it on video. No one was going to believe this. I crouched to get a better angle and my phone was kicked out of my hands by the lobster. I rushed after it as it skid across the floor. By the time I picked it up, Sikowitz had kicked the lobster off him. It hit the wall of lockers and Sikowitz scrambled to his feet, hands raised defensively. The lobster rolled away down the hall and Sikowitz turned to me.
"Hurry," he stated, running through the door of the janitor's closet. I shut my locker and jogged in after him. I found myself in an elevator that stopped and let me out in an apartment I felt familiar with. I greeted the friendly guy sitting on the couch brushing the hair of a fake head and he greeted me back. I rushed through the room to the door and left. I walked down the hall and came out on the set of a seventies style game show. Everyone there was dressed according to the theme, including me. An overhead voice spoke when I entered.
"Get ready to match the stars."
I looked around at all the glitter and bright colors. Sikowitz stood dressed in a suit, the host of the show.
"All right, we're here with our next contestant, Tori Vega!" he announced to loud applause. He gestured to me, and I hesitantly walked forward.
"Where are you from, Tori?" Sikowitz prompted.
"I live in the Hollywood Hills," I replied into the mic.
"Wonderful. And are you ready to go for the big money match?" Sikowitz asked next.
"Well, okay," I accepted.
"Good. Now, you know how our game is played," he said.
"Yes, you read a sentence with the missing word, and then I have to fill in the blank," I explained.
"Right. And if you match at least one of our panelists' answers, you win five thousand dollars!" he exclaimed, pointing at a sign that flashed lights around the reward money.
"Wait, what happens if I don't match a panelist?" I asked, concerned.
"You'll see," Sikowitz responded, a bit ominous. Um…
"And your question is: Dumb Debbie was so dumb," he began, reading off the card in his hand.
"How dumb was she?" the panelists responded in unison.
"She was so dumb, she didn't realize that April first was April Fool's blank," he read. He gave the panelist time to write down their answers and then repeated the question for me. He held out the mic for me to finish the sentence and I answered with confidence.
"Day," I completed. The audience booed and I frowned. Well, what else could it be? Sikowitz chuckled uncertainly.
"Well, let's see if you match anybody. Andre?" he said, moving on.
Andre responded with lobster. He laughed when the giant lobster appeared to throw me on the ground. It ran out to the added laughter of all the panelists. Sikowitz encouraged me to get up and I did so slowly. Next was Trina. She said berry and argued that it was a good answer. I had to disagree. The lobster showed up again and I fought it but was ultimately overpowered. Then I was picking myself off the floor once more, It was Robbie's turn next. His answer was foot. Then it was Cat, who helpfully reminded Sikowitz that the lobster forgot to attack me for Robbie's answer. I groaned and tried to stop it, but it was no use. Cat went next. Her answer was blank. Thankfully, Sikowitz didn't consider it to be an answer and so the lobster wasn't brought out to maul me again. Beck was next. He said onion rings. What? Were they doing this on purpose to watch me suffer? The lobster jumped out and I held up a hand. I might as well do it myself. I threw myself on the ground and the lobster retreated. I climbed to my feet reluctantly.
"Okay, one last chance. Your girlfriend, Jade," he announced.
"Come on, Jade," I begged. She quirked a brow over the rim of the thick old-styled glasses she wore and smirked. Have mercy on me.
"Well, I said…day," Jade answered in the accent she adopted. I let out my held breath and cheered. I knew I could count on her. Lights flashed and Sikowitz congratulated me. I was so happy and relieved.
"Man, I could kiss you!" I shouted.
"What's holding you back?" she responded, standing up. I ran over and climbed the steps to throw myself at her. I kissed her eagerly, hugging her close.
~Jade~
Whoa. Tori's arm tightened on me again, fingers splayed over my side. She snuggled flush against me with a smile. Then she pressed a kiss to my stomach with some exaggeration and giggled, her cheek replacing her lips. I chuckled under my breath.
"What in the world are you dreaming about now? That better be me you're kissing again," I muttered.
"Thank you, Jade…No more lobster," she mumbled.
"I really need to ask her what she was dreaming about when she wakes up," I remarked. Honestly, she was lucky I hadn't been recording her nonsense this whole time. Not that I would let anyone else see it. It would be reserved for my own personal entertainment. Tori snored lightly and fell back into a deeper sleep, leaving me to wait for her to talk again.
~Tori~
I glanced around, realizing I was home. When did I leave school? Where was I before this? How did I even get here? I turned to a pouting Trina who was frowning next to me.
"I want an Oompa Loompa now!" she shouted in a British accent.
"You can't have an Oompa Loompa-" I began to deny in the same accent, when the gang popped out of nowhere, scaring the fudge out of me.
"Happy Birthday!" they all cheered.
"It's not my birthday," I told them.
"Touchdown!" they shouted next. I shifted my eyes at them, puzzled.
"There's no football game," I corrected.
"Where's the beef?" they inquired.
"Okay, I don't even get that reference," I admitted, turning around so I could look at all of them with my hands on my hips. The doorbell rang and Trina tapped on my shoulder. I looked at her.
"You'll get it," she said, walking away. Well, duh. She never does. I rolled my eyes at her antics and jogged to the door. It was Mr. Drysdale, our neighbor, standing on our porch eating a banana. Random. I introduced him to my friends and invited him in. He was looking for advice. His wife told him that he talked too much and never danced so we told him how to fix it in song. As in a huge dance number full of flashing lights, loud music, dancing, and singing. Even he got into it, however awkward he was at dancing. Trina sung like a pro and danced just as well. Jade and I sung a few lines together. Robbie even sang. I found myself getting lost in the performance, as I always do, and didn't notice that I was dancing next to Jade. She hip-checked me to get my attention and I laughed, taking her by the hand so we could dance together. We were joined by the lobster and finished the song with a flourish. I went on to announce the end of the show and thanked people. It was then when I was aware that I was on a set acting before a live audience. Wait, what? The sound of Jade laughing caused the scene to blur and fade. I woke with a start, body tense. I clung to the soft form under me, fingers gripping flannel. Jade held me steady, patiently waiting for sleep to clear from my head.
"Are you awake now?" she checked with a chuckle, brushing back my hair with a tender touch. Her fingers lingered and I took them into my hand to interlace our hands between us.
"That was a crazy dream," I muttered through a yawn. Jade smirked and nodded.
"I could see that," she remarked.
"What do you mean by that? Oh no, did I talk in my sleep?" I panicked. Jade merely shrugged.
"It was cute," she complimented.
"Not cute. Embarrassing," I corrected her, blushing. Jade shook her head.
"You didn't say anything I didn't already know," she observed. I blushed more and groaned, hiding my face. Jade pulled me out of hiding and held my face in her hands.
"I think we did a lot of kissing," she guessed. Her grin was roguish in nature. She leaned in enough to brush her nose with mine and I nodded.
"Yeah, I think I remember that too," I agreed. She kissed me once, chaste, and then pulled away to get up. She stretched until joints popped, sighing with relief. I did the same.
"So, you slept in. I came to get you and found you sleep talking. School didn't seem nearly as fun as staying to see what you'd say," Jade explained, sitting at the end of my bed. I moved to sit next to her.
"You noticed I wasn't at school? Were you waiting for me? Did you get worried?" I questioned her, touched.
"Eh, you could say that," she answered cryptically. I blinked.
"So you weren't waiting for me? Or you weren't worried?" I said with a frown.
"No, I was. I just also wanted to prank you for April Fool's Day," Jade admitted.
"Wait, so Hollywood Arts doesn't ignore April Fool's Day?" I verified.
"Why would we? With all the talent and creativity? It's almost the worst place to be on April Fool's Day. You're lucky you missed it," Jade scoffed.
"That was the dream. Everyone at Hollywood Arts kept denying that we celebrated April Fool's Day, and all the while, these crazy things were happening. Like a prank within a prank," I tried to explain. Jade listened attentively as I started to recount my dream in more detail. Her reactions were genuine. She laughed at the end and shook her head.
"Geez, Tori, are your dreams normally that crazy?" she wondered.
"Well, there was that dream about you, me, and Cat as a dumb blonde version of Charley's Angels. And then there was one where we were on a game show that painfully punished us when we got an answer wrong," I shared. Jade stared at me with wide eyes, intrigued.
"Okay, let's go get coffee and you can tell me all about it," Jade suggested, pulling on her boots. I got dressed and followed her out. While I was buckling up in her car, I turned to her.
"Hey, wait. How were you going to prank me?" I wondered.
"I'm not going to tell you. I'm saving it for next year," she replied with an evasive smile. I grinned at the fact that Jade considered me a part of her future.
"Fine. I suppose that's fair," I conceded. Jade started up the car with a thoughtful expression.
"I could tell you what the guys had planned instead. Just in case they go through with it outside of school, so you're prepared," Jade offered.
"Okay!" I readily agreed. So, Jade spilled the beans on the guys' pranks on our way to Jet Brew. While we were there, I took my time explaining my other dreams, if only to spend as much time as I could studying Jade's open and carefree expression. She was genuinely enjoying herself with me and I never wanted it to end. I couldn't get enough of her laugh and smile.