after much internal debate i am happy to announce i am, once again, back on my bullshit. im already emotionally attached to these characters so i expect to finish this story


In hindsight, she should have stopped after the first, or the second, but she reasoned that later was better than never. Though as she struggled to even walk straight, she knew she'd hit her limit a long time ago. Neither she nor Jade had any impulse control whatsoever, limited only by the amount of cash they had on them. After leaving the club, they walked a few blocks down to a quieter area and into an alley.

"There's no way I can go home like this," Tori slurred as she leaned against the wall of the building next to them.

"Oh, right," Jade waved her hand vaguely, "You have parents and shit."

Tori's brows furrowed. As hazy as her mind was, Jade's comment still caught her attention, "You don't?"

Jade shook her head as she dug through her backpack. She tossed a bottle of water toward Tori, though with her current mental state, it just loudly thudded against her chest. Jade cringed slightly, "Sorry."

"It's fine," Tori mumbled before she realized what Jade had actually done. She leaned down to pick up the bottle of water and smiled at her, "Thanks."

"So uh..." Jade hesitated as she stood up and slung her backpack over her shoulder, "If you can't go home then do you not have anywhere else to go?"

She thought about it and remembered Beck had given her his number earlier in the day, and she also figured she could get away with spending one night in a hotel if she needed to. "I guess I could figure something out."

Jade's gaze lingered on her for several seconds, "You can come back to my place, if you want."

"You don't mind?"

Jade shrugged and began walking down the street. Tori followed a bit behind her, though as soon as Jade noticed, she slowed her pace slightly. "I'm so used to being by myself," Jade muttered with a small laugh, "Don't often have to slow down."

Tori leaned into her slightly as they walked, "Are you like, completely on your own?"

"I have been for a long time."

Before she even stopped to think about it, Tori reached out and grabbed her hand. Jade froze for a moment but then relaxed slightly. "You don't have to be alone."

Jade glanced up at her and scoffed, "Yeah, I kinda do."

Tori just sighed, "Well, tonight you aren't."

Jade slid her fingers in the gaps between Tori's, and for the rest of the walk, it was silent. Tori was surprised to see they'd ended up back in the same courtyard where Jade had left her car, though Jade wasn't walking toward it. Instead, she dug around in her pocket and pulled out her keys as they approached another alley. Jade glanced back at her, "Not here to kill you, swear."

"I figured," Tori yawned and watched as she unlocked a small side door and propped it open for her. Inside it was pitch black until Jade clicked on a small flashlight. The building seemed to be some kind of warehouse, though with the pallets of boxes and various items strewn about, it didn't seem like it was abandoned.

"Hope you don't mind more stairs," Jade quipped dryly as she shouldered open another door leading to a stairwell.

"I don't suppose I have a choice," Tori sighed and looked at her, then just walked toward the stairs, "Don't let me fall."

Jade laughed quietly, but stayed behind her until they reached a landing marked 4. "In here," Jade mumbled from over Tori's shoulder as she opened the door for her. Jade took the lead again through an incredibly confusing maze of hallways, mostly full of closed doors, but some were propped open to reveal what seemed to be offices – clearly recently used.

Tori swore she'd never seen so many fucking doors in her life, but Jade easily picked out an otherwise completely unremarkable door into another office, this one dimly lit by a small lamp on a large, solid wooden desk. The décor alone made her think the office belonged to someone high up in...whatever business they were in. Jade opened yet another door and Tori groaned, "There has got to be an easier way to do this."

"There is," Jade hooked her thumb around the strap of her backpack and splayed out her fingers, "But, as you said, you aren't built for it."

"What, do you climb up the side like Spiderman or something?"

Jade just raised an eyebrow and Tori was left wondering if that really was the case. Behind one last door was another, very small and cramped stairway opened up into an attic area. Though, as Tori reached the top of the steps and looked around, she realized this was where they had been going. Jade let her backpack drop to the floor near a small folding table and reached behind a worn leather couch to flip a switch that turned on strings of red lights around the perimeter of the room, near the ceiling. At the same time, several neon signs flickered to life – most looking like they'd come from a sports bar. Littered across the walls in between various band posters were street signs; street names, stop, yield, and even one that depicted an intersection forking off in three directions. Threeway. Tori giggled to herself. On the far side of the room was a platform, about a foot tall, with a large window and a bed just off to the side. She had to assume this was Jade's usual point of entry.

"Make yourself comfortable," Jade mumbled as she kicked off her shoes. She yawned and stretched her arms, and Tori couldn't help but notice the definition of the muscles. It shouldn't have been surprising, considering her apparent disregard for gravity and self-professed history of using the city as her playground. Tori moved toward the couch, but Jade called out to her from near the bed, "I meant in bed. Trust me, I've slept on that couch – it's worse than crashing behind a dumpster."

Tori took off her shoes and lay down on the bed, her eyes almost immediately drifting shut. She could hear Jade moving around and what sounded like clothes rustling. Tori peaked at her through one eye, but was hit in the face with a piece of clothing, "What the-" Tori grunted as she opened her eyes fully and realized it was a pair of shorts, "Why?"

"So you're comfortable?" Jade had already removed her own jeans and replaced them with a pair of grey cotton shorts. She went over to the window, unlatched it, and pushed it open before she collapsed in bed next to her. She crossed her arms over her face, and Tori noticed a few more tattoos on Jade's legs – some looking like they were done by a drunk amateur. A moment later, she reached for the blankets and pulled them up to her abdomen.

Tori stood up and quickly pulled off her jeans, then slipped into the pair of shorts Jade had given her. She paused, then just threw caution to the wind and removed her shirt so she could take off her bra. She considered leaving her shirt off, but decided not to push her luck. She put her shirt back on and turned around only to see Jade smirking at her.

"I was hoping you'd leave that off."

Tori glanced back at her and thought for a few seconds. Oh, what the hell. She tugged her shirt off again and tossed it down near her pants, then slid into the bed. Jade rolled over onto her side to face her, and she reached out to brush her fingers through Tori's hair to pull her into a surprisingly gentle kiss. Tori looked into her hooded eyes, glazed and unfocused, before they drifted shut. Tori moved a little closer to her and lay her head on Jade's shoulder. Just before she fell into unconsciousness, she felt Jade's arm wrap around her back.


An extremely bright light shining on her face eventually pulled Tori from her slumber. She blinked several times as she tried to adjust to the stark contrast. Her head was pounding and it felt like her mouth was full of cotton. The sunlight was streaming through the window Jade had opened the night before, and next to her, Jade was still sleeping soundly.

Tori looked around the room; the walls were just exposed brick, the floor made of concrete, and there were exposed pipes and vents around the walls and ceiling. In addition to the several dozen street signs, she also saw a few traffic cones and even a fully intact stoplight. In terms of actual belongings, the room seemed rather barren. There was a dresser off to one side, plus the couch she'd seen the night before, and what seemed to be some kind of nook off in the far corner under another window.

Tori rolled over to face Jade and closed her eyes again. The next time she was pulled from her sleep, she noticed that, while the sun was still bright, it wasn't shining directly through the window. Tori glanced over to see Jade was nowhere to be found, and her shoes and backpack she'd left by her duffel bag were also gone. Tori sat up and stretched out, only to very quickly remember she wasn't wearing a shirt. She swung her legs off the side of the bed and stumbled over to her pants on the floor to get her phone out of her pocket.

She lay back down on the bed as she quickly checked her notifications to see several texts and missed calls from her parents. "Oops," she mumbled to herself. She sent a message to her dad to assure him that she was okay, only for him to almost immediately call her back.

"Tori? Where are you?"

"Dad, I'm fine," Tori sighed and rubbed at her face, "I was out late last night and crashed with a friend."

"Why didn't you call us? We were worried sick."

She just sighed and rolled over, "I wasn't paying attention to my phone – or the time. My phone was dead and I just got it charged. I'm in between classes."

"Are you coming home after school?"

"I don't know," Tori mumbled as her eyes fell shut again.

He sighed, "Alright, well, just keep me updated."

She yawned and nodded, though realized a second too late that it was a pointless gesture, "Yeah, I will. Love you."

"Love you, too."

Her phone fell from her hand as sleep again threatened to overcome her. She reached out for Jade's pillow and hugged it. Outside the window she could hear a few birds nearby, and a faraway car horn, but another, more rhythmic noise. A thud, followed by a scrape, then another thud, and a long pause. Loud, fast footsteps, another small pause, and then a thud right outside the window.

Tori opened her eyes as Jade climbed in through the window. She huffed and rubbed her hands together, then glanced at Tori, "Hey."

Hey? 'Hey' felt unfamiliar, like they hadn't made out several times and also slept together. Tori mentally kicked that thought away as she remembered what Beck told her the day before.

"She doesn't settle."

Tori yawned and stretched out to push Jade's pillow back over to the other side of the bed. "Hey."

Jade sat down on the end of the bed and searched through her backpack for a moment, then tossed something at Tori. She was just barely conscious enough to catch it before it hit her, and she realized it was actually two small packets of ibuprofen. She looked back up as Jade was unscrewing the lid of a bottle of water, then ripped open a little packet with her teeth and dumped it into the water. Jade shook the bottle hard for a few seconds as it turned a weird shade of pink, then she held it out for Tori.

Tori hesitated, and Jade rolled her eyes and handed her the empty packet, "It's electrolytes, not drugs."

She looked at the packet and saw it was actually some type of electrolyte supplement. It had what seemed to be a legitimate manufacturer, and was also strawberry lemonade flavored, so Tori didn't wait to take a sip. She raised her eyebrows, "That's actually kinda good." She took the ibuprofen next, then looked around, "Uh, trash?"

"Yeah?" Jade looked up, then raised her eyebrows, "Oh, you weren't asking for me," she stood up and held her hand out, "I'll take it."

Tori laughed quietly, not entirely sure if Jade was joking or not. She shook her head and handed her the empty packets, "You're not trash."

"I spend a lotta fuckin' time in dumpsters for not being trash," Jade quipped back. She tossed one more item to Tori, a strawberry poptart, then she took off her shoes and threw them and her backpack toward the duffel bag.

Tori glanced at her, "Didn't you get anything for yourself?"

"Yeah, I just brought that back for you," she mumbled as she lay back down on the bed and buried her face in her pillow.

Tori smiled, "Thanks."

Jade was quiet and her eyes were closed, so Tori didn't press any further. Jade's life was markedly different from her own in many ways, not least of which was the fact that she seemed to be entirely on her own. Granted, she'd said so herself, but Tori found it difficult to understand how a teenager could survive on their own, let alone make it far enough to have their own place...somewhere, at only 18. Tori wanted to ask where they were, but figured she'd find out at some point anyway. She had to get out of there somehow, after all.

She remembered the various times her dad had lectured or ranted about the homeless and unlawful. He'd always had a very dogmatic view, and did his best to pass it onto her as well. He talked about how addicts are usually morning people – how they'd wake up early to find food and drugs, then rest or panhandle later in the day. Now that she'd met Jade, it was really challenging her view. She had no idea if Jade was on any kind of drugs – other than alcohol – but just based on that morning, it seemed that she was in the routine of waking up early to find food anyway.

After she finished her breakfast, she settled back in bed and closed her eyes. A moment later, Jade spoke quietly, "Just let me know when you're ready to go home."

"I can leave anytime, but my parents think I'm at school."

"Oops," Jade laughed, "Well, just sleep here til school's out."

Tori stretched and snuggled into the pillow, "Works for me."

Tori was quickly falling asleep again after her small breakfast, though she kept shifting uncomfortably. She hadn't realized how far she'd moved until she felt Jade's hand on her bare hip. Her hand moved tentatively up Tori's abdomen and stopped just underneath her breasts. "You're freezing," Jade mumbled.

"It's warmer with you here."

At that, Jade tightened her hold, and Tori fell asleep with the warmth of Jade's body next to her.


"No, dad, I'm fine," Tori sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, "There's nothing to worry about. I was just spending time with friends."

"All night? Without saying anything beforehand?"

"I'm sorry."

Her dad rubbed the bridge of his nose, "This is exactly why we took you out of Sherwood. After Daniel and Ryder, I'd think you'd learn by now."

"What, that I'm not allowed to have fun? That I can't just hang out with people I like?"

"No, because you always hang out with criminals!"

Tori crossed her arms and shook her head, "Not every criminal is the same, dad."

"They're all immoral parasites," he spat back.

Tori just closed her eyes. While normally she would agree that both of her exes definitely fit that profile, the two days and one night she spent with Jade had her reconsidering what exactly the overlapping criteria was for an 'immoral parasite' and a criminal. Jade was undoubtedly, and unabashedly, a criminal in a variety of ways. Petty theft, trespassing, vandalism, and she assumed many others. But Jade was also a homeless orphan for the majority of her life – the system wasn't built for someone like her to survive by moral means.

"I swear if you come home with another criminal boyfriend-" he sighed heavily, "I'm changing your curfew – you're to be at home, inside, by 10pm."

"I'm 18, dad."

"You live in my house. Now go finish your homework, I don't want you flunking another class."

She didn't bother arguing. She just went upstairs to get away from him, and after a second of thought, she decided to take a shower first. Despite not wearing it all night or most of the day, her shirt still smelled like Jade – the strange mixture of a unique earthy fragrance and the lingering scent of concrete and wood. It smelled just the way her story told; of someone who lived outside the edge of society and in the forgotten spaces left behind.

As she stood under the hot water she just closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing. She remembered in the little room Jade called home, there wasn't a kitchen, or even a shower – just a toilet and a small sink in what could only be accurately described as a refurbished coat closet. Jade definitely didn't smell like she lived without a shower, but it was difficult to imagine where she'd even need to go – and the fact that it was her only choice. Tori wondered if Jade ever had a hot shower. It seemed like such a silly little thing, but she was beginning to realize her life was full of small blessings that she took for granted.

Despite her obvious hardships, Jade wasn't selfish. She was kind and thoughtful, if a bit abrasive. Jade seemed like the type of person who spoke better through her actions than she did through her words, and Tori admired that about her.

She finished her shower and went back to her room to work on what little homework she had from the day before. Afterward, she just lay in bed and busied herself with her phone. Her mind was racing and it didn't take long to circle back to Jade. Tori suddenly had a thought and looked up Jade's name on the police database. She knew if anything were on there, it would have been recent, since they didn't publicize youth offender information. Still, she had 4 prior arrests in a little over a year, and each was for petty theft. She also realized Jade was actually 19 and wondered if she'd been in jail previously, forcing her to repeat a grade.

Long past dark, her dad poked his head in her room to remind her of her curfew – apparently ignorant to the fact that Tori was literally laying in bed – and to ask about her homework. After a bit of nagging, he finally left her alone. She rolled onto her side to face her balcony doors and smiled when she saw a squirrel on the railing. She quickly zoned out as she scrolled through her social media.

A quiet thump caught her attention and she glanced at the time to see it was just after midnight. She noticed movement on her balcony next, and she looked up, her eyes struggling to adjust to the darkness outside after staring at her phone for however many hours. She was able to see the silhouette of a person, and after panicking for a moment, quickly put the pieces together in her mind. Tori got out of bed and cautiously walked over to her balcony. The last thing she needed was her dad hearing something and checking on her again.

"Jade?" She whispered as she closed the door behind herself, "What are you-"

Jade surged forward and cradled Tori's face in her hands, her lips desperate and insistent. Tori followed instinctively as she wrapped her arms around Jade's back. Her hands were rough and smelled heavily of concrete, wood, and whatever other debris she managed to pick up along the way, and Tori loved it. She didn't bother trying to hold herself back, instead she let Jade know how much she wanted her. She was rewarded with a small moan when she tangled her fingers in Jade's hair.

"Fuck, I-" Jade's mouth and brain were obviously not on the same page as she continued to interrupt herself with kisses. After one last slow kiss, Jade pulled away slightly with a sheepish grin, "Sorry, I just wanted to come see you."

Tori shook her head, "You can come kiss me like that any time you want." Her eyes lit up and she smiled, then reconnected their lips with a little less urgency. Tori brushed her thumb across Jade's cheek, "Do you want to come inside?"

"God, no," Jade laughed as she wound her arms around Tori's waist, "I've survived too long to get murdered while sleeping with the police chief's daughter." Tori frowned. She wanted to assure her that she'd be safe there, but she knew she couldn't. Jade sniffed the air a few times, then frowned, "I should get home before it starts raining."

Tori looked up at the sky, but it was almost entirely clear with thousands of stars. Of course, she wasn't about to tell Jade she was wrong, so she just nodded. Tori hugged her a bit tighter, "Be safe, please."

Jade just stared at her and Tori wondered if she'd done something wrong. Jade seemed to get over her short internal conflict and she leaned forward to give her one last kiss, "I will."

Tori hesitantly let her go and watched as she effortlessly vaulted over the balcony railing and hit the ground with a thud. Tori was worried for a moment before she realized Jade had already gotten back up and was running down the street. She licked her lips and went back inside as soon as Jade was out of view. She lay back down in bed and double-checked her alarm for the next morning. Only about 30 minutes later, she heard a heavy thunderstorm roll through. Tori just hoped that Jade had gotten home before it started.