Contrary to what others might believe, Tori was usually fond of the night. If ever she had a bad day, her mom would doctor her with a cup of Belgium hot chocolate. Together, they would sit on their back patio underneath the starlit sky, observing how those tiny specks of light dappled the atmosphere like freckles on its complexion.

("See that one over there? It looks like the mole on your back." "Mom!" "What? It's true.")

On the nights where the clouds obscured the stars—which were more often than not—, she'd peer through the living room window and watch the cityscape flicker from a distance. Her fingers would trail across the silhouettes of buildings as breathtaking stripes of neon light engulfed them. Of course, it never compared to the luminescence that came from actual stars, but given the flurry of industrial activity that occurred in Hollywood, she'd accepted the fact that stars were an infrequent luxury.

She found comfort in the night, so long as there was something to pierce through the darkness and as long as there was someone to make it shine.

So as Tori aimlessly fiddled with her earpiece to prepare for her group performance at the Full Moon Jam, she couldn't help but admire the array of colorful lights that gleamed on the floor of the stage. Behind her, she could faintly hear the banter of her friends while they prepared their equipment.

"But it tickles! Why does it have to be so close to my face?" Cat pouted while Jade adjusted the redhead's microphone.

"Cat, I swear on the decapitated head of Mr. Purple, if you don't quit fidgeting, I'll duct tape this thing to your cheek," the goth grunted out warningly.

"Guys, we're almost up!" Robbie called from the crossover, nearly bumping into André as he was wiring his keytar up to the amplifier backstage. "Eek! Sorry 'Dre!"

"No worries Robs. Are we all set?" André addressed the gang brightly. When he received affirmatives from all the members, each with varying degrees of enthusiasm, the musician grinned with a newfound sense of determination. She could sense the corners of her own mouth turn upward with a tinge of wistfulness.

"Hey Tori, you holding up okay?" She shuddered slightly as a cool palm came to rest on her shoulder. She whipped her head to the side to lock eyes with a worried Beck. His expression was laced with an emotion that vaguely resembled… well, she wasn't sure. Was it sympathy? Caution?

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Tori chuckled perplexedly. She directed her gaze back to the group, only to find that they had all halted their activities and were staring at her with the same uneasy glances.

Was she okay? Surely they wouldn't be exchanging looks of concern if there wasn't anything visibly wrong with her. Did her breath smell? Were her contacts loose? Did she forget to cover up a blemish?

Tori suddenly felt the warm glow of the spotlight puncture the surface of her skin. It took a moment for her to realize that she had somehow made her way to the center of the stage. Instead of joining her on the platform, the gang filled out the folding chairs as the sole members of the audience.

"Chica, we don't want you to have to put on a brave face for us. You won't have to go through this alone anymore," André articulated.

"Go through what anymore? I don't understand," she answered warily. A light switched on. She breathed in deeply.

"We're your friends. Your wellbeing is important to us, and if something is getting in the way of that, we'd like to know," Beck explained.

"There was never anything wrong! Believe me, I'm fine!" Another intense beam of light. Her lungs expanded with hot air.

"We always thought you were an open and honest person. It'd hurt us to know that you're keeping secrets," Robbie conveyed.

"I don't want to keep secrets from you! I never have!" Tori insisted as yet another bright pillar set the stage ablaze.

"We just want to help, Tori. Are we… are we not enough?" Cat pleaded.

"You've always been enough," she responded tenderly. "I just…"

More rays showered from overhead and engulfed her vision in white. She could just barely make out the silhouette of one of her friends as they penetrated through the veil of light, gripping onto her shoulders in a show of reassurance.

"You taught me that it was okay to embrace the best and the worst sides of myself," Jade admitted with some hesitance. "So if this relationship we have is as reciprocal as you claim it is, then let me help you come to terms with your own."

Tori woke up in a cold sweat.


Jade thrived in the night. Why wouldn't she? The night provided ample opportunities for her to practice her interests without being disturbed by her phone vibrating, her brother peardropping her videos of "perfectly cut screams," or her mom singing along to ABBA while baking her fourth cookie batch of the day.

(They were always burnt, and she would have to endure the blaring of the fire alarm as her mom swatted at the machine with a towel.)

The night was quiet, the good quiet. It wasn't the type of quiet that used to linger after the clashes between her parents, or the quiet that seeped into yet another hapless attempt at a family dinner. Rather, it was a quiet that reminded her every so often that she didn't have to justify existing for herself. The wind could rustle the grass and the crickets could autonomously chirp and she could just observe the world without being observed by it .

The night also left a lot to the imagination. Everything was shrouded in darkness, save for the sparse pockets of light that teased the unknown. People often forget that it isn't just monsters and man-eaters that lurk in the shadows. It bridges the gap of what was and what could be, and it serves as an intimate companion with which she can share her deepest insecurities.

And best of all, it wouldn't respond. She could shout into the void at her own discretion. She didn't have to listen to people who think they know how to comfort her, or who think that they can place her in a frame and mount her on the wall like one of her butterflies.

She could be alone. At 4 am. Scrolling through random videos. Craving cookie dough stuffed donut holes and a black roast coffee.

Jade's ebony locks flattened against her pillow in frustration.

One text wouldn't hurt, would it? It's not like she'd respond. She's probably nestled in her plush bed, sleeping soundly, anyway. If she notices the message in the morning and asks about it, Jade could just blame it on accidentally punching in the wrong contact. Yeah, that'd work.

Ugh, the lengths she would go to secure some donuts, of all things.

Jade pecked out a series of texts.

Jade:

I'm hungry.

We're gonna go out to grab a bite.

Your treat.

She arbitrarily scrolled through her past threads for a few minutes until she received a pop-up declaring that she had One Unread Message(s) from her frenemy.

Tori:

it's like 4:15 in the morning what are you even doing up

Jade couldn't help the way her lips curled up into a smirk. She could just visualize a groggy Tori passed out on her plush mattress and being stunned awake by the pinging of her phone. She'd fumble to pick up the device, a cute little scowl forming on her face as she read through the texts. The image brought her more enjoyment than it should have.

Jade:

Good job Vega! You can tell time. Gold star.

Honestly I can ask you the same thing though.

Tori:

way to avoid the question. but for your information, i couldn't fall back asleep sooo

Jade:

Ew you actually wanted to sleep? Couldn't be me.

Anyway get out of bed. I'll be at your house to pick you up in like 15 mins.

She figured that interaction sufficed to get Tori to accompany her and pay for her late-night cravings. And who knows? Maybe the stars will align and shed some light on the enigma that is this Oregon trip.


As promised, a maroon hatchback lounged in Tori's driveway a solid fifteen minutes after the goth sent her last message, a subtle trail of steam extending into the sky. The driver herself pounded on the door, clearly discontent with the lack of immediate response.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." the singer announced hastily after nearly colliding with the coffee table while rising from the couch. Her soles embraced the cold hardwood flooring, and she reached wordlessly for the handle of the door.

There, fingers thrumming in that signature temperament, standing in her doorway, was her frenemy, feigning indifference to the sight of Tori's weary appearance.

"Not very punctual, are we?" she remarked satirically as she adjusted her black leather jacket and let a curl rest behind her studded ears.

"Can you blame me? You hardly gave me any notice. Plus, it is ridiculously early." Tori felt the instinctive urge to rub the sleep out of her eyes but froze midway for fear of dislodging her contacts.

"All the better time to head out. No lines, no traffic, and no one to interfere," Jade asserted, devilish intent splayed across her face.

She swallowed thickly and studied the door handle with increasing caution. "You know, on second thought, maybe this wasn't the greatest idea."

"Says who? I get to steal all the tiny coffee straws from the donut place, and you get to… I don't know, not toss and turn in your bed until seven in the morning? It's a win-win," the raven-head rebuffed.

Tori considered this for a moment. She didn't really foresee herself getting any more rest tonight—not after such an anxiety-inducing nightmare—, and being confined to the couch in the living room didn't seem all that desirable, either.

Jade wouldn't pull anything, right? In all fairness, they've been on pretty good terms lately. Sure, they've had their minor spats, but she accepted that as being a natural progression of their relationship. She'd prefer to think that their little jests and jabs are just that- jests and jabs.

She's never had a friend like Jade before. And honestly? She feels like their unique bond has allowed them to see through one another's facades, peeling past the layers of pantomime to reveal parts of themselves that they're afraid to show to the world.

The best and the worst sides of themselves.

"See, that wasn't so bad." Jade's expression softened as Tori shut the door behind them. Maybe it was the sluggishness from her disrupted sleep, but she could have sworn she saw an inkling of appreciation in her sea-green eyes.

The girls maneuvered towards the vehicle together. Jade's features scrunched up in confusion as she registered the brunette sliding into one of the back seats.

"Whaat are you doing?" she asked quizzically.

Tori shrugged innocently. "I figured I'd take some precautions. You can't strangle me from back here."

"You think I'd try to strangle you in my car?" Jade scoffed in amusement. "No. If I were to strangle you, I'd wait until we were out of the car. I can't have a dead body rolling around on my new upholstery."

As graphic as the comment was, Tori couldn't help but let out a muted chuckle. "I'm glad to know that my death would at least cause you some inconvenience, even if it was by your own hands." She rolled her eyes, unlocking her seat belt before reluctantly joining Jade in the front seat.

The car pulled out of the driveway, its headlights beaming against the abyssal night.