It was still somewhat early when Jade's eyes fluttered open. She winced as the sunlight streamed through the cabin window and assaulted her vision. Rolling onto her left side and letting her back face the windowsill, she was equally taken aback by Tori's close proximity. Sure, she figured that their sleeping arrangements would be moderately cramped–her, Tori, and Cat were all occupying one queen-sized bed, after all–but being nose-to-nose with her sleeping rival proved incredibly uncomfortable. Especially since she was inhaling the scent of the brunette's cinnamon-flavored toothpaste as it filtered into the air in short, regular breaths.
Frustrated, Jade sat up and threaded her fingers through her dark, unruly locks. She peered over at the other figure in the bed, whose limbs were sprawled across the mattress and entangled in the sheets. Cat was clutching her signature purple giraffe and mumbling incoherent phrases ("You can't!… the magic wand doesn't… unless you… cotton candy."), but otherwise showed no sign of being awake.
Seeing that both girls were still, she carefully slipped out from underneath the covers and padded down the stairs, her plaid pajama pants trailing across the floor. She could hear the dogs treading behind her curiously as she made her way to the kitchen. The goth then rummaged through the various cupboards and became increasingly more irate by the lack of ground coffee.
Eventually, she heard the front door click into place, followed by the thrumming of footsteps, as Beck acknowledged her presence with a cheery nod. Jade let her mouth tighten into a passive smile. Despite it being nearly 7AM (so says the wrought iron clock on the wall), the actor grinned back with an ungodly amount of enthusiasm. It made Jade want to revise her previous plan of doing away with Mondays and instead just eliminate mornings altogether, if only to keep that perpetual smile on his face from seeming so smug.
Where were those reality-bending powers when she needed them?
"I can't believe this stupid log shack has a coffee maker, but no coffee. I've searched through all the cabinets and all I found were some herbal teas and a handful of old creamer packets. Seriously, who only uses their coffee maker to brew tea?" Jade vented just before Beck could extend a warm greeting.
"Well, good morning to you too," Beck replied evenly. He set down a bag of groceries on the island that Jade hadn't noticed he was carrying. "I was actually planning on stocking the kitchen with some food from the RV, so you caught me at just the right time. I have some ground coffee on me now."
"Oh," Jade stared off blankly at her ex while he handed her a package of Jet Brew's Original Blend Coffee.
Wordlessly, she headed over to the nearby counter, inserted a new filter into the coffee maker and added a generous amount of ground coffee. She then poured in water and watched as the hot, pitch-black liquid spewed into the pot underneath. Amid the silence, which was occasionally interrupted by the gurgling and sizzling of the machine, Jade could sense Beck's gaze lingering just a little longer than it normally does. When she looked up, she noticed his brows knitting together pensively, yet his focus remained trained on placing perishables in the fridge.
"I appreciate that you were thinking of me," Jade finally muttered aloud, unable to tolerate the quiet that pervaded the room. She spoke softly to avoid waking the wailing banshee that slept on the couch across from the kitchen, though.
"Everyone and their mother knows that you don't handle mornings well without your coffee. And I'd rather us not have to head back home with one less person in tow if I can help it," Beck justified with a note of sarcasm.
"You're doing the Lord's work," the goth replied under her breath, which coaxed an amused chuckle from her ex. "Although I can't guarantee that won't be the case. Really depends on how I'm feeling by the end of this trip."
"Why do I get the sense that's a stand-in for 'how long you can tolerate Trina?'" Jade heard Tori yawn out from the stair rail. The brunette all-but toppled down the steps as she fumbled with the straps of her fluffy robe. She patted the scampering dogs on their heads and, catching their expectant gazes, wandered through the kitchen to refill their food bowls.
"Because that's exactly what it is, Vega," Jade enunciated. "And if you keep rolling over to my side of the bed, Trina won't be the only one disappearing under mysterious circumstances."
"It's not like you're any better to sleep with," Tori insisted, her cheeks reddening ever so slightly at the admission. "You get all tangled up in the sheets. I'm pretty sure your pillow case ended up at the end of the mattress."
"Well, if you're going to make such a big deal out of it, maybe you'll be better off taking the couch with your sister," she quipped back at her aghast rival.
"On second thought…" Tori drawled, letting dog food clatter into a pair of metal bowls and serving it to an eager Lance and Ankimo.
"Hey now, I don't think Trina is going to appreciate waking up to this kind of slander on her character," Beck commented.
"Hard to slander someone who's already a giant smear campaign against themselves," the raven-head muttered into her cup of coffee before sipping on the warm beverage.
"Speaking of my darling sister," Tori began with a faint eye roll. "I'm going to have to head into town today to get her some stuff for the rest of the trip. Would you guys want to come? We could browse the stores and then grab lunch afterwards."
"I mean, we'd have to ask the others as soon as they wake up, but I wouldn't be opposed to it," the actor said. "How 'bout you, Jade?"
"No, because I'd rather be cooped up in a stranger's house having a staring contest with their equally strange dogs," Jade exaggerated with the quirk of a brow.
"Take that back!" the singer gasped out while clasping onto Lance defensively. "You know, just for that, I might let them tag along as well. These two could use the activity. Isn't that right, you cutie?"
Tori braced herself as the labrador launched his entire body at the teenager. She held onto his forepaws when Lance reared up on his hind legs in a humorous attempt to match her height.
"You two are awfully close. Guess it makes sense why your aunt asked you to house sit for her. When'd you meet–What's his name, Lancer?-anyway?" Beck inquired. He glanced purposely at his ex-girlfriend, who exhaled an indignant scoff.
What kind of stunt is he trying to pull?
"Oh, well," Tori bit her lip in consideration. "Lance is about to turn eight, so I think I was twelve? My parents, Trina, and I were staying with my Aunt Sonya for a family gathering and she had only adopted Lance a few months before the trip. I'm guessing that he didn't have many meaningful interactions with people before that point because he latched onto pretty much everyone he met, myself included."
Jade hummed in response and returned her attention to her mug. She studied how the droplets of coffee collected on the inner edges and dribbled to the bottom of the container, leaving behind a trail of paper brown residue. Eventually, Beck cleared his throat, and she saw him peering at her as if he expected her to say something more. The goth scowled at him warningly.
Beck continued. "And how many times have you been up here?"
"I'm not sure, maybe three or four times? We usually make an effort to come here at least once a year, preferably for the holidays. Unfortunately, though, everyone else had plans this year," Tori explained. "I was actually concerned that I wouldn't get to come until Aunt Sonya offered for me to house sit."
Once again, Beck tried to gauge Jade's reaction. He not-so-discreetly signaled between the two girls, which caused a familiar, volatile anger to stir in her chest.
"Would you quit it?!" she snapped, her glare fixed on both Tori and Beck. Tori blinked several times and pointed at herself questioningly. That innocuous look in her eyes really only rattled Jade more, so she dragged Beck wordlessly towards the front door while leaving the stunned singer in their wake.
The pair stepped outside, bracing for the early morning chill before Jade erupted. "Do you want to tell me what that was?!"
"A civil chat between friends?" Beck laughed out casually. "Even you should know what an icebreaker is."
"Don't give me that chiz, Oliver. You kept staring at me like you wanted to… I dunno, egg me on, get me to do something. You don't get to force me into a conversation that I don't want any part in."
"I was only trying to help," he asserted.
"By making things more awkward? If that's your idea of 'helping,' then yeah, hats off to you, because you accomplished exactly that!" Jade exclaimed in agitation.
"I figured I could help you find out what's wrong with Tori," the actor supplied. "That's what you wanted, right?"
"I mean, sure," Jade agreed half-heartedly. "But that doesn't mean that I want to hear her life story!"
"I show a minimal amount of concern for Vega and you," she shoved a finger towards Beck's chest accusingly, causing him to take a step backward. "You decide to jump the gun and assume that we're going to be all buddy-buddy!"
"Look, I don't expect you to act like you guys are the best of friends, but…" the brunette scuffed his shoes against the stone steps, absorbed in thought. "If you're really interested in learning about what could be bothering her, then you'd have to stick it out until she's ready to tell you about it."
"She already trusts me, though! You've told me as much, and she's told me as much. I still don't understand why she trusts me, but she does. There's no question about that," the raven-head argued.
"So if you asked her right now, do you think she'd tell you without hesitation?"
"I… Well, no, but…" Jade deliberated, then frowned in offense. "Wait, are you saying she doesn't trust me?"
"Of course Tori trusts you," Beck placed a placating hand on Jade's shoulder (and for once, she didn't flinch). "But she can't confide in you until she knows that you value her feelings. It's why these small conversations matter so much- they show that you have a vested interest in your relationship."
"...That's why we didn't work out, huh?" Jade confessed after a few moments, her tone losing its characteristic edge.
"That's why we work better as friends," Beck amended with a smile. "We communicate better."
"Yeah, I guess so," the goth responded wistfully. She tilted her head up to meet her ex's eyes. "Why are you helping me with this? You could have gone straight to Tori after my rant in the RV. She probably would have spilled everything to you in an instant."
At this, Beck paused in contemplation. He placed his palms in the pockets of his windbreaker.
"You have a better chance at getting her to open up than any of us," he admitted with a shrug. "I mean, you noticed something that the rest of us haven't been able to pick up on. If it turns out that you're right, I think you can keep each other grounded. I just… I want my friends to be okay."
"Sure, yeah, if you insist," Jade managed out as her gaze trailed to the sidelight windows bordering the front door. Apparently, the rest of the gang had emerged from their respective rooms, since four figures were shuffling around the kitchen preparing breakfast. The raven-head glimpsed at Beck, who was eying the door handle wearily. She nodded, and the two of them stepped inside to partake in the rest of the morning's activities.
Halrock Quarry was a solid ten minute drive from the cabin, and they spent most of it rolling down the inclines as the group steadily descended the mountain. Upon reaching the town, the environment shifted from bushels of trees and sparse lakes to rows of antique buildings doubling as shops and eateries. Each outlet was furnished with rustic decorations, while some of the more elaborate ones had flowers climbing up the walls and spilling down planter boxes on its windows. The area was a blend of painstaking organization and rustic charm, which created a picturesque effect. It was eerily tranquil.
"Welcome to Halrock Quarry, estimated population… seven-hundred and forty-eight," André read aloud, his brown orbs evaluating the sign with curiosity as he plopped off the RV. "Man, that's only twice the number of students at HA. I'd hardly call that a town."
"I suppose when you get used to a city like Hollywood, a place like this seems so…" Robbie tailed off while climbing down the steps with excessive care. An impatient Jade nudged the ventriloquist forward, causing him to yelp.
"Compact?" the goth supplied with ample sarcasm. Robbie swallowed a lump in his throat and agreed meekly.
"I think it's nice!" Cat avowed. The redhead scanned her surroundings with an inhuman amount of eagerness, yet she frowned upon realizing that the streets were vacant. "Why isn't anyone else out here, though?"
"Well, it's a Sunday morning, so a fair few are probably at church right now," Beck speculated, then turned to face Tori, who was shepherding the dogs out of the vehicle, leashes in tow. "There aren't going to be any stores opening late today, are there?"
"Not that I'm aware of. We could always head back to certain shops later if that's the case, though."
"Hey, what ever happened to getting me some clothes? I thought that was the whole reason we're here!" Trina pouted, earning some disgruntled looks from the rest of the gang.
"Glad to see you've got your priorities in order, Treen," Tori puffed out exasperatedly. She dug through the pocket of her Hollywood Arts hoodie until she excavated two twenty-dollar bills. "If you want to go ahead and get things for the trip, be my guest. But I better see enough items to last the next two weeks, otherwise you'll have to manage with what you have."
"Thank you, dear sis!" the elder Vega stashed the funds with a dramatized grin. "I owe you one!"
"You owe me a couple hundred ones," the singer rectified as she watched Trina trek towards a random storefront.
"That," André began. "Was the best call you could have made."
"Until she blows the money on some luxury-brand moisturizer," Jade deduced. Tori sent her a disapproving glare, but otherwise didn't object to the statement.
"So, what's our game plan? Where to first?"
"I was thinking…" the brunette faltered before admitting, "Actually, I have no idea. I never headed into town all that much."
"Well, since Trina's already gone off on her own adventure, why don't we split up to cover more ground? We can stop at the stores that we're interested in and meet back up at one of the bistros at a designated time, say…" Beck surveyed the establishments and pointed out a nondescript sandwich shop. "Here at 12:30?"
"Perhaps we can make pairs? It might keep us newcomers from getting lost," Robbie suggested timidly before casting a longing glance at Cat.
"Yay, the buddy system! I call André!" Cat chirped out.
"Uh, sure, Little Red," André managed out and locked eyes with Robbie, mouthing an apology when the boisterous girl intertwined their arms. Robbie let a slight smile grace his features in understanding.
"Er, right… Beck?"
"We can partner up, Robbie," the actor consented–a little too quickly for Jade's liking–, then observed her and Tori with a newfound interest. "Will you two be alright together?"
"Yeah, I'm fine with that," Tori said, though she turned to face Jade when she recognized that the goth hadn't replied. "I-I mean, so long as you're okay with that. I wouldn't be offended if you went with Cat and André or Beck and Robbie-"
"Now why in the diddly darn world would I want to desert my bestie like that?" Jade announced in a painstakingly saccharine voice that seemed to be directed at both Beck and Tori. "Seems like you're stuck with me, peaches."
"For the umpteenth time, I don't talk like that!" her rival rebuffed, a pinkish hue spreading outward from the tip of her ears.
"Alright, since that's settled," Beck addressed the group. "We'll see you guys in a few hours."
As the three pairs dispersed, Jade caught her ex's appreciative gaze, causing her chest to pang with bittersweetness. She then peeked over at Tori, whose expression was a peculiar blend of cheeriness and some other emotion that she couldn't easily identify. The brunette looked at her–holding onto the dogs' leashes with a sturdy grip–and smiled sheepishly.
"Ready to wander around for a little while?"
"If we must," the raven-head breathed out, unable to meet her companion's eyes without discomfort settling into the pit of her stomach.
The duo began walking silently, leaving Jade to wonder what she was doing and who she was doing it for.
