Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious or any properties or song lyrics mentioned in this story for entertainment purposes only.
A/N: As the title suggests, this was loosely inspired by Ariana Grande's song "One Last Time" as well as Tori and Jade's "relationship" throughout the show.
If you've read this story before, I had taken it down previously out of worry for the song lyrics infringing on any rules for the site. As this story and its follow-up are my only works on the site, and I enjoyed writing and sharing them with the fandom here, any advice or feedback on this particular issue would be greatly appreciated. All that aside, I hope you enjoy this story!
One Last Time
Jade was the first to arrive at Karaoke Dokie, as the main room was still getting ready for the evening crowd. A quick scan around the place told her that the rest of the group wasn't there yet. Jade knew Beck was still in Canada shooting a movie, which left Cat, Robbie, Andre, and Tori. She took a seat and pulled out her phone to check their group chat.
CAT: Hiiii! Today's the day! Is everyone still coming to Karaoke Dokie tonight?
ANDRE: I'll be there, little red! No way am I missing the song we worked for weeks on together!
BECK: You know I would Cat, but they still need me for reshoots so I'm stuck here in Ontario.
CAT: Oh, but Ontario's close by, isn't it? You can make it just for tonight!
BECK: ...I'm in Ontario, Canada. Not Ontario, California.
CAT: Oh...
CAT: But, it's okay, Beck! You'll be great as Leon Kennedy! Send pics when you can!
ANDRE: Yeah, it's gonna be cool seeing you on the big screen again, Beck! You nervous?
BECK: Honestly, not really. After watching Jade play RE2 over and over, it's like I knew the character before I even got the script!
JADE: I expect ALL the credit when you mention that in your press tour.
BECK: Of course. Anyway Cat, knock em dead tonight! You'll be great!
CAT: Shouldn't I be telling YOU to knock em dead~ Mr. Vampire? ^w^
JADE: Cat….do you even know what movie he's in?
CAT: …the Carmilla movie? Is that why he's in Canada?
JADE: (-_-)
ROBBIE: Hey! Sorry I missed all this! Count me in tonight, Cat! But Rex can't make it. Something about a party he got invited to but not me…
ANDRE: Wait…how will that work?
JADE: (-_-) Drop this pls.
CAT: What about Tori? Has anyone heard from her?
ROBBIE: Last I saw, she posted a picture of her packing. Maybe she's still getting ready for the big move.
ANDRE: Ah right. She's heading to Miami tomorrow! Dang time flies. Finally doing that record deal Mason Thornesmith offered her.
ROBBIE: I'm glad they let her finish senior year with us at Hollywood Arts first. But yeah…time really flew huh?
CAT: Yeah…I hope she makes it tho.
Jade's eyes stuck to the last few messages. She had nothing to respond with. No bored-faced emoji, not even a snarky backhanded compliment they'd probably expect from her about Tori.
CAT: Jade, what about you? Are you coming?
JADE: [thumbs up emoji]
Jade switched off her phone and sighed. She's probably way too early, but there was literally nothing else she had planned. The only thing on her mind was what Robbie and Andre mentioned. Tori's leaving...tomorrow.
A waiter quickly came to Jade, asking for her order. She'd quickly explained she was waiting on her friends and asked for just a soda for now. After what didn't even feel like an hour to Jade, Robbie arrived, waving a hand in front of her phone-gazing eyes. Jade jerked her head up, blinking rapidly as her eyes re-adjusted to see the bushy-haired nerd surprisingly unaccompanied by his…other half.
"Wow, you weren't joking about Rex being invited to a party without you?" Jade scoffed, still rubbing her eyes.
Robbie merely shrugged and gave an aloof smile as he took a seat across from her. "It's not the first time I've been out and about without him, right?"
Jade shrugged as well, leaning back in her chair, "It's not. I'm just glad I don't have to hear the dumb puppet make crude Wizard of Oz jokes at me."
With a nervous chuckle, Robbie notices the small pile of paperback novels, notebooks, and Jade's phone around her spot on the table. "Have you been here long? I thought Cat's performance wasn't for another hour."
Jade shot him a glare and a curt reply, "I had nowhere else to be. I'm here, at least, right?"
Robbie nodded more than necessary, clearly taken aback by Jade's sharp tongue, before he stood up and scrambled to the restroom.
Jade shook her head, looking back down at her phone and scrolling to the Contacts app. Her finger hovered over Tori's name, almost considering calling her to see if she'd make it or not. Before she could, Andre and Cat made their presence known with their trademark "Yo!" and "Hii!" Setting her phone back down, she slapped a smile on as she looked at her friends dressed in outfits she thought she'd never see again after the one time in class.
"Jade! You made it!" Cat rushed over and wrapped her arms around Jade and her seat, with the latter unable to push her away in time. "Were you waiting long?"
Jade freed her hands and gently pulled Cat off of her before shaking her head, "No. Just got here." Following that lie, she looked at the two of them with near-obvious disgust; more specifically, their dark-colored hoodies…and jeans…and ponchos. "Why are you two wearing those paja…pajo…"
Andre groaned and finished the thought, "Pajelehoochos. Cat gave one to me when I picked her up and insisted I take it as a 'graduation present'." He was clearly less than thrilled to receive this "present".
"My roommate Sam found the gross I ordered and said if I didn't get rid of them, she'd…" Cat paused and tried to pick her words carefully, "...shave my hair and sell it to our neighbor, Dice." She changed expressions quickly and reached into her bag, "Here! I got one for you, Jade!"
An unnecessarily heavy, impractical, all-in-one clothing wasn't the first graduation gift Jade expected, or even in the top 20. But when she looked at Cat's innocent, smiling face as she was holding the pajelehoocho still wrapped in plastic, the big sister in Jade took it with a smile and shoved it in her bag.
Cat clapped happily, "Yay! Only 140 more to go!"
Andre pulled out a USB drive from his pocket and tapped Cat on the shoulder, "Hey, I'ma get the DJ to set up the song. You gonna change soon?"
Cat nodded and followed him to the DJ and then behind the stage with her bag held close to her.
That was three friends down, Jade thought as she took another look at her phone, about to pick up where she left off to call Tori. Hearing another set of footsteps close by, she looked up, about to make a verbal jab at Robbie taking so long in the restroom. Instead, she was caught with her mouth open as Tori waved nervously to her.
"Hey, Jade…" Tori took the seat across from Jade, setting her purse on the table, "Long time—"
"I just got here!" Jade snapped before Tori could finish, but the double take she did told Jade that she probably wasn't about to ask what the others had asked before.
"….no see?" Tori finished her greeting as she settled back, watching Jade's face flush a tiny bit and look away.
"It…hasn't been that long," Jade muttered quickly, still looking away from Tori. "We went to that stupid fair together at the boardwalk." She could almost vividly remember all of them riding the carousel, playing the games Jade always insisted were rigged, and just hanging out like always. What she didn't remember was how long ago that was.
"That…was almost a month ago, Jade," Tori looked at her, a bit concerned for her unusual lack of sharp wit. "You remember? Just after graduation, before Beck went to Canada to shoot that Resident Evil movie?" She heard Jade click her tongue just a little loudly to indicate that she only just remembered.
Jade started packing her things back in her bag and slung it over her chair. "I thought you wouldn't make it. All that packing you posted about…"
"Oh, I still have some things left to pack," Tori said, regretting that post she made. "But I'm not gonna miss Cat's first solo performance here!"
Jade raised an eyebrow, getting some of her confidence back, "Oh? You have so much left to pack? Your Cuddle-Me Cathy doll, your Katy Perry music collection, all those things you've got in your room?"
Tori glared at Jade, knowing exactly what Jade was reminding her of with the suggestive emphasis on "things". She scoffed back, "I'm not packing my whole room, Jade! But I am gonna be in Miami for a good while. Even I don't know how long…." She frowned with that last remark, which is when she noticed Jade's expression sour in the same way. Reaching for a menu, she tried to change the subject, "So…what are we having? Is everyone here yet?"
As if on cue, Robbie and Andre emerged from the restroom hall and DJ's table respectively and greeted Tori. Taking their places at the table, they started chatting like usual, deciding their orders and catching up, while Jade quietly looked at Tori's mood brightening up again as if their conversation hadn't happened. Maybe she shouldn't have brought up Miami so soon. If it had really been so long since they last met up, Jade could have started catching up just like the boys were doing with her now. Sighing behind her menu, Jade resigned to what ultimately happened and half-heartedly wrote down her order. Her view blocked by the menu, Jade didn't see Tori's slightly saddened gaze in her direction.
The DJ's voice cut through all the conversation as everyone turned to the stage. "Alright, alright! Hope you're all having a good time tonight! Let's get karaoke night started with an original song called "One Last Time" by Hollywood Arts grad, Cat Valentine!"
The room filled with applause as Cat stepped out from backstage, now dressed in a simple, but stunning black dress and her hair tied up in a long ponytail she hadn't worn before in front of her friends. Everyone's eyes widened as they were watching what looked nothing like their spacey little friend and the pop music began playing.
[Music in scene: One Last Time by Ariana Grande]
Ever since the first time they sang there years ago, everyone knew Cat was an amazing singer, but hearing her sing solo for the first time was like watching a totally different person. She sung in a low, but soulful voice, moving confidently and briskly, but they knew it was still their friend Cat singing her heart out like she always did.
Andre and Robbie cheered for her while Tori just watched in awe, taking a few pictures with her phone. Jade was just as surprised as everyone, but her focus was on the words Cat was singing, each lyric ringing in her like she was hearing her own thoughts being sung to her.
Jade's eyes were falling from Cat on stage to Tori in front of her, still snapping pictures and recording short clips to share later in the group chat. It was starting to dawn on Jade. The somber conversation they had before, the empty feeling Jade had when Tori's move was brought up, was being vocalized to her in song. The girl she cared about—more than anyone knew—was moving across the country tomorrow; and the last things they'll have said to each other was more teasing and somber uncertainty. As the chorus rang throughout the room, Jade was already thinking exactly what Cat was singing; what she knew she had to do.
So one last time
I need to be the one who takes you home
One more time
I promise after that, I'll let you go
Baby, I don't care if you got her in your heart
All I really care is you wake up in my arms
One last time
I need to be the one who takes you home
As the last chorus of Cat's song ended, every person in the restaurant was applauding her, even harder than when she started. Cat's smile was beaming as she spun around happily and joined her friends at their table. They each gave her a hug and congratulated her on a surprising, but amazing performance. Jade was the first to break the chain of praises, asking Cat, "Did you really write that song all by yourself?"
Cat was settling back in her chair as she replied, "Uhh, kind of! Andre helped me with some of the lyrics to match the tune he made, but the idea was pretty much mine!" Jade looked at her, surprised that Cat had quickly reverted to the girl they knew and that she could come up with words that fit her current situation so closely.
Tori gave Cat another hug, showing her the pictures she took during the performance, "You were amazing, Cat! Beck's gonna be so mad he missed this!"
Cat laughed, "It's okay! He can see me sing again and again when he gets back! Just like you when you get back, too!"
Tori nodded in reply, clearly trying not to bring up when she may or may not be coming back. Jade could tell that was exactly what Tori was thinking, and just like that, the somber mood was back between the two of them. Before the mood could settle, everyone's orders had arrived and they spared no time getting right to eating.
After finishing their big dinner and hearing more karaoke that still couldn't top Cat's performance, the group was getting ready to disperse. Cat had given Tori her own pajelehoocho present and was sticking close to Andre, who was driving her back home to her roommate, while Robbie was checking his phone for updates from Rex. With a groan, he sunk back into his seat.
"Well, I guess Rex is gonna be at that party all night, after all," Robbie held out his phone, showing a livestream of the puppet wearing oversized sunglasses and being carried like a rock star over a large group of teens. So many questions were running through everyone's heads, but Tori was the first to express hers when she saw a familiar face in the screen.
"Hey! What's Trina doing there?!" she took the phone and pointed to her sister in the far corner, possibly singing off-key and dancing with two left feet like usual. "She went to a party after dropping me off?!"
He read the post's details, "And it looks like this party isn't ending anytime soon..."
Tori groaned as soon as she heard the answer, dropping her head on the table. "She's supposed to be picking me up now, but I guess she's pretty much busy partying all night, too!"
Andre gently rubbed Tori's back in consolation, about to offer her a ride, when Jade suddenly reached over and pulled Andre's hand off, picking Tori up off the table by her shoulders. "I'll drive you home."
Tori blinked at her sudden offer, Jade's somewhat serious expression throwing her off. "O-Okay." She accepted and felt Jade grab her by the wrist and start dragging her away without even saying goodbye to the others.
Robbie and Andre confusingly waved to them, not getting any waves back, while Cat just giggled to herself, watching the two girls leave together.
Once they reached the parking lot, Tori managed to free her wrist and stopped in front of Jade's car.
"H-Hold on! I didn't even get to say bye to them!" Tori was about to walk back inside when Jade grabbed her wrist again.
"You can say that tomorrow…before you leave," Jade quickly shot back, trying to pull Tori back to the car.
Jade wouldn't let go so easily this time, so Tori relaxed and faced her, "Okay, why are you so stubborn? Why do we need to go right this second? You gonna miss a special showing of The Scissoring on TV or something?"
Jade scowled at that, but then looked down as she reluctantly admitted, "I just want to spend time with you. You said it yourself, it's been a while and this might be the last time."
Tori could see Jade wasn't trying to snark back for once, and she quietly complied, stepping into the passenger's seat.
Before buckling her seat belt, Tori checked the backseat for a shovel, but didn't see it. At least she didn't have to worry about a repeat of the last time Jade gave her a ride. She turned to face forward again when her eyes met Jade's, leaving her stunned for a moment.
"Do you really think I'd try to kill you, Tori?" Jade smirked, apparently regaining her nerve.
Tori frowned and buckled up, trying to ignore the blush she could feel forming on her face.
Jade took the opportunity to tease her some more. "Don't you worry your sweet, little head now, sugar," she said in the accent she knew Tori hated, "Just leave it all to me~"
"I don't talk like that!" Tori snapped automatically. At this point, the response was hard-wired to shoot out every time she heard Jade in that accent, no matter how many times she'd heard it over the years. With a sigh, she turns to her again with a small smile, "Thanks, Jade. I really appreciate this."
Jade didn't respond, just turning the key in the ignition and backing out of the lot as the radio started to play classic rock instrumentals. As they got onto the main road, she finally answered, "Don't thank me yet…we're taking the scenic route."
A few minutes into the drive, not a word was spoken between Tori and Jade. Opting not to risk a headache from scrolling through her phone, Tori looked over at Jade, trying to find something to talk about.
"So…you said during dinner that you're going to take a gap year before college?" Tori wasn't sure that was the best conversation starter, especially since Jade didn't answer for several seconds.
Shrugging, Jade said to her, "College is expensive, even more than Hollywood Arts was, and I don't want to waste time and money figuring out what I want to do." That explanation was a bit sad, but true in Tori's mind. She hadn't even thought of college when she was offered the record deal. Still, it was surprising that Jade didn't know what she wanted to do after high school. Tori had her pegged to be Hollywood's next big horror queen, either behind the camera or in front of it, but maybe something's changed...
"Sikowitz is helping me get some work at the local theater. Writing and directing plays to build my repertoire," Jade continued, "Maybe even some stuff I couldn't get away with at school, like Clowns Don't Bounce…"
Tori immediately cringed at hearing that title; the performance Jade worked so hard on only for Tori to quash it in favor of a "prome" she decided everyone at Hollywood Arts should have. Jade had every right to throw shade at her for that, which made Tori that much more hesitant to reply.
"Relax, I'm over it," Jade chuckled, as if she'd read Tori's mind, "And messing with you at that 'prome' was fun in itself."
Tori was glad that hatchet was at least buried, one of many anyway. "So is Beck gonna be doing that theater work with you? After the movie, I mean?"
"I dunno. We broke up, remember?" Jade frowned, realizing Tori must not have seen their relationship status change over the summer. "After graduating, we started getting right back to what made us break up last time, but we both realized it was better to just be friends. Just wish we didn't make such a big spectacle of getting back together at that Full Moon Jam…"
Tori vividly remembered Jade's performance that day. How raw and powerful her singing was, something Jade rarely showed, since she was mostly known for her goth horror obsession. "It was…nice hearing you sing though. You wrote that song too, right?"
Jade simply muttered a positive, keeping her eyes on the road.
"Well…Cat told me this really…kinda crazy thing," Tori laughed a bit nervously, making Jade's ears perk up, "She said when she heard your song, she wasn't thinking of all the times you and Beck were at odds with each other, because she couldn't remember many of them." If Jade could see Tori now, she'd see the embarrassing shade of red her face was starting to turn, "She actually said she was remembering all the times…we had fights…" Her mind was recalling the lyrics to Jade's song as she continued. "You push me, I push you back…you scream at me…I scream at you…"
Jade kept quiet as Tori rambled on, but then her face was starting to warm at the last thing Tori mentioned about the song.
"And then she thought the song was more about you and me…not you and Beck. But I mean…that's crazy, right?"
"…is it?" Jade replied softly, wondering if Tori really thought it so crazy. Tori looked over at her, eyes widening at what she may have been implying. "I mean, we've had some pretty…crazy times together, haven't we?"
Tori smiled a bit, her mind reaching as far back as she could remember, "Try all the time. From you pouring coffee on me the day we met…"
Jade smiled back, joining in on the nostalgia, "…to fighting over the lead role in one little play that neither of us ended up doing…"
"…me drinking coffee you scooped from the trash…and you eating a muffin I got from a dirty car floor…"
"…you helping me put on my play, impressing my dad, even…"
"…you helping me give Andre the best Christmas gift by performing his song together…"
"…Sikowitz putting us together in that play…and making us date to improve our chemistry…and it worked." Jade's right hand unconsciously moved to the console between them.
"…and when you gave up your chance to open for the Platinum Music Awards…so I could perform in it the way I wanted." Tori's hand moved as well until it felt Jade's and held on gently.
"We've been through so much together, Jade. To think we used to hate each other, but now we're here…as friends, right?" Tori knew Jade always took every opportunity before to deny that they were friends, but looking at her now seemed to ring differently than those times before.
Jade stopped at a red light, taking a few seconds to look down at their hands then up at Tori in a way she only saw once…on the date when Tori said she was pretty. With everything they've done, why is Jade only doing something about it now?
"Jade…" Tori swallowed before asking her, "How come we didn't meet up again until now? The fair was only a month ago, but since then you broke up with Beck, you made up your mind about school and work…we used to talk about stuff like that all the time. What happened?"
"You happened." Jade's answer was short, but sharp against Tori's heart, starting to open from this reminiscence. The light turned green and Jade continued to drive. "Like you said, we've done so much together since you came to Hollywood Arts; so much as just classmates, as rivals, and as…friends...I didn't know how to feel about it…about you."
The car stopped again, and Jade stole another look at Tori's eyes, wide and surprised, like they were looking at Jade for the first time ever. "At first, I thought you were just some big know-it-all who thought she could swoop into my school and get every role, every good grade, every friend you ever wanted, like some victorious princess. But then…my opinion of you changed…I changed, even. You were the one I came to when Beck and I first broke up, you helped me with my play, and just like you said, we did almost everything together; and somehow I didn't mind.
"You got to me in a way not many people do, and I didn't know if it was just nerves or something…more. When I look at you, I don't see a prissy princess anymore. I see someone who's worked her butt off to get where she is, but never stops caring about her friends, and I just think...about how amazing you are...to me." Tori couldn't hide her blushing anymore. This wasn't just a friendly heart-to-heart anymore. Jade was practically confessing to her now.
"But I didn't want to act on it, because I didn't know if you felt the same or not. I just figured you only saw me as a gank, a rival to always butt heads with at every opportunity, no matter how many good times we had. I know you don't see me that way, but for all this time, I let myself believe we'd just be this way forever."
Tori absorbed everything Jade was saying, wanting her to get it all out before she said anything herself. "What about now? Why are you doing this now?"
The light turned green, glowing over Jade's face, "This...this may be the last chance I get to tell you before…I can't anymore. Even if you come back after your big record deal, who knows where we'll all be? Would I still have these feelings? Would you?"
Hearing Jade bare her feelings like that, this was the first time Tori was asked how she felt. She was at a loss for words. Everything Jade had said was just about the same from Tori's perspective. The crude, standoffish gothic punk who made her first days at Hollywood Arts miserable had become someone who pushed her (sometimes literally) to keep improving; a close friend, a confidant, and may have been something more...if either of them had done something about it. Perhaps, in her own way, Tori was also believing they wouldn't be anything more than friends. But was Jade right? Was it really too late to change that?
Before Tori could properly answer, Jade pulled to a stop at the driveway of Tori's house. No other cars were parked there and the house was dark with no lights on except for just over the entrance. They sat quietly for a moment before Tori gathered her purse and stepped out. Jade turned off the car and followed her to the front door.
"You…gonna be alright?" Jade asked cautiously, "Trina's probably still at that party and no lights inside means your parents are out, too?"
Tori sighed, looking up at the house, "They went ahead to Miami to get my apartment ready there. I'll be okay, though. It's only until tomorrow, anyway." She turned to the door, unlocking it with her key. "Thanks again, Jade. For the ride…for the memories…I'll miss—"
Tori turned back to say goodbye, but she was cut off by Jade's lips on hers. Surprised for only a moment, Tori started to kiss her back, holding Jade tightly against her as if she was waiting all night for this.
Jade's arms wrapped around Tori, putting every feeling she once held back into their first—and maybe their only—kiss. In her head, she could hear Cat's song again, spurring her to do this; whether or not this would really be the last time they would be together like this. Even if nothing came from this, if Tori still went to Miami and left this all behind, all Jade cared about was this…the girl she loved in her arms.
After a minute, they pulled away, taking deep breaths and trying to wipe their eyes and cheeks of stray tears. With a small laugh, Jade smiled at Tori, taking her hands in hers and leaning against her forehead. "I know it's way too late for this...for any of this, but thank you, Tori. I'll miss you, too." She sighed, letting go of her hands, and turned back toward her car…
…until Tori grabbed her by her wrist, silently telling her not to go. She could also hear Cat's song in her head, spurring her to not let this end just yet.
"You can say that…tomorrow." Tori echoed Jade's words from before as she opened her front door, pulling Jade inside with her, and closed it behind them.
One last time
I need to be the one who takes you home
Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you enjoyed this and tell me what you thought!