Monsters & Demons
Rated M
Genre: Drama & Adventure
Summary:
When Tori arrived at Hollywood Arts, she knew things wouldn't be the same. Little did she know that she and her friends would find themselves wound into more than teenage drama. Jade thought all she had to worry about was her status being threatened. Does Trina finally have a true friend? A trio of newcomers shows up, bringing along more than the gang bargained for. Homework and plays don't sound so bad anymore.
A/N:
The "Happy Birthday" chapters are more like filler along with the previous chapter. It'll still be important to the story without all of the drama of the previous arcs. Considering I forgot to mention that earlier, I just wanted to do it now! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and be on the lookout for the next one.
Chapter 33: Happy Birthday pt.3
"Lola!" the woman nearly shrieked in delight, much to Jade's disdain. "You finally made it!"
Being smothered in a bear hug by the older woman, the Hispanic girl chuckled nervously into her shoulder. "It's good to see you too, Whitney," she then shimmied her way from the lady's grip. "How've you been this summer?"
"Marcus dumped me..." she sighed overdramatically before starting to go into hysteric mode. "I don't what went wrong this time! We had a great few dates at the new Italian restaurant when I mentioned that he'd make a good father one day. After that, he blocked me on his phone and social media! I just don't know what the problem was this time..."
"It's a mystery, alright..." Jade mumbled, averting her eyes to whatever she could find interesting.
"Yeah... So, did you get my reservation request?"
"Of course! You and Zoey are going to be located in Cambridge Hall this year, though, you two are on the senior's floor so your room will be more spacious."
Lola's eyes lit up with excitement at the sound of that. "Sweet! Goodbye bunk beds! Hello solo bed!" she began to dance which brought a look of amusement to the woman, that is until her blond eyes rested on the not-so-pleasant sight of Jade who returned her gaze with a hard glare of her own. "Oh, you're back..."
"In living color," she taunted, wagging her eyebrows.
Sensing things about to escalate, Lola stepped in between the two. "This is my old friend, Jade," she quickly quipped. "Have you two met or something?" she feigned ignorance to their visual tug of war.
"Yeah, about half an hour ago she arrived looking for one of our students but refused to give any identification.
"Turning her attention back to the front desk, Lola giggled innocently. "I'll even put her in my guest file if that's good enough for you."
The unconvinced frown from Whitney showed her that she wasn't believing a word but, there was only one way to prove that.
"Alright, I'll believe you if you can answer a few questions."
"Of course, I'll-"
"Not you, Lola. I want little miss dark and spooky to answer the questions." On cue, Jade stared blankly, clearly unprepared for that turn of events. "So, what do you want to do?"
Seeing no other option, Jade shrugged with a worried expression. "Fine, let's do this..."
"Alright, first question: What is Lola's last name?"
Remembering their earlier meeting, Jade smirked confidently. "Martinez, duh!"
"Mhmm... What car does Lola drive?"
"That's a trick question!" Jade announced. "She doesn't have her license, yet."
Whitney cut her blue gems at a now embarrassed Lola who nudged Jade for revealing such embarrassing intel; that answer was right. There was one thing that only those who knew Lola could answer.
"Alright, final question. Who is Lola's ex-boyfriend?"
Jade paused for a few moments, looking at the polished floor with a stumped look on her face. "Um... I believe his name was Vince, right Lola? You said you broke up with him because he kept stealing your food and making googly eyes at other girls when he thought you weren't looking?"
"Pretty much..." she huffed, crossing her arms in irritation at the unsavory memory. "I gave him a swift kick in the happy sack after he kept lying about it even after I showed him the video evidence."
The older woman stared in disbelief at how easily this Jade West character answered all of her questions flawlessly, even getting the reasons why correctly for the third question. Even though her instincts, which were never wrong in her book, (i.e. they always were according to her), were telling her that she was faking this all, she had no evidence that would prove that notion.
"It seems I have no choice but to allow you access to the grounds... Ms. West!"
Satisfied, Jade's lips curled up at the victory; she was one step closer to finding Liam, thanks to the 'clone of Tori' standing next to her, Lola.
This shouldn't take too long, she figured with pride.
"That took forever..." Jade hollered as her pools of blue twitched as the two trekked across the inner part of the campus. "I could've snuck past the guards in a shorter time...!"
Lola burst into laughter, earning a frustrated stink-eye from the vexed goth.
"I highly doubt that, Jade. It was only an hour and, now you have access to here without having to deal with Whitney anymore; Well, that's if you're within the visitation hours."
As much as she hated to admit it, the girl made a valid point; she probably wouldn't have gotten past the main area without some assistance or worse, Liam finding out she was here before she wanted him to. At least now, she was able to visit and, maybe even get a bit of a tour at some point if she wanted to hang out with Lola on occasion. After getting to know her during their short encounter, she found the girl rather interesting and enjoyable to be around. To Jade, she had just the right amount of weirdness without overdoing it.
"Right, I have the brochure for that," she rolled her eyes but never let her smile fall.
That would soon change when the two found a young man with extremely curly hair that reminded her of that nerd, Robbie Shapiro, approaching them. Unlike Robbie, what made this guy such an eye-sore to Jade was that he reeked of douchebaggery. From his cocky attitude to his poor taste in sleeveless shirts, she knew that he was the type to avoid if she wanted to get some peace around this campus.
"Hey, Lola." Jade cringed at the sound of his voice. "Fancy seeing you here!"
"Logan?" Even his name made Jade want to vomit right then. "We're in a hurry so could you speed this up?"
"Nothing much, just..." his eyes finally noticed Jade's presence, followed by his grin growing. "...taking in the view."
'Oh, this guy is just asking for it...' she mentally cursed, though, maintained her cool. "Careful, that view could lead to trouble."
The final confirmation of said douchebag status came when, instead of backing away, like a normal person, he took a few steps closer to the dark girl.
"Really? What kind of trouble are we talking about?"
Lola looked on in silence at what was about to unfold, hoping that her new friend wouldn't do anything to get kicked out after just getting in. To her surprise, the girl simply smiled at Logan; an odd thing to do with someone who wouldn't take a hint.
"The kind of trouble that involves cutting out your tongue and using it to banish your soul into the darkest pits of hell while my unholy master devours and regurgitates your soul only to feast on it again. He loves pretentious virgins, by the way!" her words, while sweet and silky smooth, were drenched in pure darkness that rattled the pretty boy to his core.
The demented grin that stretched her face didn't help Logan, particularly his quickening heart.
Thankfully, his next response was to make up an excuse that a guy named Michael was calling him over to the basketball court. Watching him run in fear brought along another chorus of laughter from the two before they arrived at their destination: Bartholomew Hall. As expected, several guys were entering and exiting with boxes and various items to add to their home away from home. It was at that moment that Jade West felt something that she hadn't known was there until she laid eyes on the building before her.
Apprehension.
In truth, she wanted to see him again but, her reasons were not fully disclosed. While she told Lola that she and Liam were old friends from his previous middle school, she purposefully left out several crucial details. One was that she and Liam's status as friends was greatly in question after an incident that ended with Jade alienating him and reconnecting with her boyfriend. The second detail was that she had only taken this opportunity without anyone else knowing.
If Travis found out...
Such a thought brought a new wave of fear to wash over her mind and body. The issue of getting here wasn't helped when a vibration left her frozen. As she reached into her pocket, dread began to swarm her senses at the manifestation of her boyfriend. With a visible gulp, Jade forced herself to silence the phone, setting it to 'Do Not Disturb' before stuffing the device back in her pocket.
The last thing Jade needed right now was another distraction, even if said distraction carried huge consequences. She had enough on her plate with the inevitable meeting. Her mind continued to remind her of the night Ahrya had taken her hostage and... She knew what came next.
Liam's surrender was the last thing she wanted to see, but, it was the slightest of details that led to her being at PCA.
You weakling! her mind resurrected the moment Jade shifted the direction of their lives. How could you give up like that?! Of all the things you could do, you just resign to her will without even putting up a fight?
Jade groaned at her past flare-up, guilt converging with the tense emotions swirling in her stomach like a tornado.
"Come on, Jade!" Lola's cheerful voice pulled her from her depressing thoughts. "Liam's on the fourth floor!"
The brunette's words snapped her from the inner turmoil, and not a moment too soon. For someone who was just friends, she came off as more excited to see Liam than the goth was; perhaps they were close friends. It wasn't as farfetched as one might think considering how the brunette reacted to hearing that Jade knew him personally.
"Alright," she swallowed a lump in her throat, hardening her resolve. "Let's do this..."
While it only took a few minutes to climb the steps, even with the heavy traffic, Jade could feel her body growing heavier with each step forward. Everything in her was telling her to run and go back home. Nobody had to know that she was there and she could go back to her standard life at Hollywood Arts without anyone suspecting a thing and yet, she pressed on, following Lola Martinez to what she considered to be Pandora's Box, a sanctum forbidden for her to attempt to open and yet, as in the myth, her curiosity had gotten the better of her.
Turn back now! the inner voice pleaded. Why would he want to see you after what happened? Don't forget how he ran away from you in New Orleans! Cut your losses and enjoy your new life of mediocrity. It's what you deserve... What WE deserve.
She blinked several times to block out the negativity spawning from within.
He's probably miserable anyway... Why would you add to his suffering?
She proceeded onward though; nearly arriving at her destination.
What if he's happy? Would you like to ruin that?
Jade stopped dead in her tracks, her reflections finally catching up to a possible reality. What if being here was a threat to his happiness? Could she live with that? Was this really for him or was this her selfish attempt to absolve herself of the guilt and shame wrought by her past transgressions?
"Jade? Are you okay?" she looked up, seeing the look of concern on Lola's face.
"Y-yeah... I just had to catch my breath." she was lying but, it was enough for the girl to believe her. "How much farther is his room?"
"It's just around the corner actually," she gave Jade a thumbs up before continuing. Trailing close behind, she ignored the stares from the guys she passed by, her only focus on the young man from her past. She soon reached the fourth floor where she saw Lola waiting to the right of her. "Took you long enough." she joked.
"Sorry, I'm not used to this many flights of stairs," she admitted. "Don't you guys believe in elevators?"
"Nah, too much money to have to fix them if they break," she tucked some tufts of hair behind her ear; another reminder of Tori. "His room is just down the hall."
Jade didn't say another word as the two approached room 407, Liam's room. Considering the others around campus, neither was surprised that the door was wide open. Peeking inside, their target was currently setting up his clothes in the closet, completely oblivious to the two pairs of eyes analyzing him. Inside, there was a lone full-sized bed, greyish-blue carpet with a futon next to the closet. Along with a flat-screen television, there was a large dresser that had a collection of games with several books stacked next to it.
Typical guy room.
Her musings came to a screeching halt when her eyes fell upon the form of her goal. Liam had his back on them as he worked to make up his bed. Just like in New Orleans, Jade could tell that his hair had gotten longer and his shoulders appeared broader than when he left Hollywood Arts. Her face flushed slightly, aided only when Lola stepped inside.
Peeking around the corner, the girl would tip-toe closer, pacing herself until she was a few inches away from scaring the now kneeling Liam who was humming something. Lifting her arms, she prepared to tickle him to add to his unpreparedness.
"Don't even think about it..." his deep tone echoed in the partially filled room, catching her mere inches from her body.
She stopped dead in her tracks, groaning at being caught.
"How do you keep doing that?" she stamped her foot on the plush carpet.
His response was twisting his body and picking up the girl who shrieked playfully at his swiftness. "You're too predictable," he laughed before spinning her around, thus adding to her amused terror. "You keep using the same tricks while expecting to get a different result."
Finally, he put her down only to be met with a sour-faced Lola. "You could at least let me win, you know?"
"Hmmm...?" he tapped his chin thoughtfully before shaking his head. "Nope, that's spoiling you too much, wouldn't you agree?"
Lola, for the most part, would've loved to keep the conversation going, but, she knew that she wasn't just there for her reasons. "Mhmm sure..." she poked his chest. "Oh! I met someone who says they know you!"
Liam raised an eyebrow, partly from intrigue but, mostly in confusion. "You did? Who?"
Unfortunately, she didn't give a direct response, choosing instead to let him find out himself.
"Okay, you can come in!"
Hearing a resounding sigh, Liam watched the lone entrance/exit and was rewarded for his patience with the appearance of a familiar blue-eyed girl from his past. His lips parted at the sudden sight of an old friend standing in his dorm room.
"Jade?" his face, outside of a shocked expression, was a mystery to the goth who did her best to form a smile.
"Hey, Liam," she wiggled her fingers in a weak form of a wave.
Seeing their matching expressions, Lola realized that there was some history between Jade and Liam, a history that she would've inquired more about herself but, that idea would have to be put on hold as her phone went on. Checking it, she found that it was her roommate, Zoey calling.
"I have to check on my room with Zoey." she batted her eyelashes, almost in a romantic way. "I'll catch you later on tonight at Sushi Rox?"
"It's a date," he chuckled at her mock attempt at pouting before receiving a soft kiss on his cheek as gratitude.
"Until then, Wolfy..." Lola winked. As Jade looked on, she blinked several times at the scene playing out in front of her when she noticed Lola passing her by. "See ya later, Jade."
"Y-yeah, see you around, Lola." she put on a smile for the girl until she disappeared from view. That was when everything settled in her mind as she felt a gaze locked onto her. Turning her head, she searched for a way to break this ominous sensation gripping her.
"Wolfy?"
"It's her nickname for me..." his voice grew calm and undiscernible.
"I'm just saying tiger sounds much better," she noticed a slight shudder from his solid build after reciting her nickname for him. "Of all the names to give, who on earth would give out such a corny nickname?"
"It's... It's not important!"
His outburst would've carried more weight if it wasn't for the way he turned his face away. To anyone else, his response would warrant an apology or words of comfort. But, this was Jade West, someone who knew him better than most. She snickered at his reaction, further pushing the envelope of his affliction.
It wasn't the best way to restart a broken relationship, but, she didn't care at the moment; all that mattered now was her ability to process the situation. Sure, she would be a fool to believe that he couldn't have found someone after all of this time, and yet, she never expected him to befriend someone that looked so much like a certain Latina back in L.A.
Even worse, with the nickname Lola gave him, Jade would be forgiven for assuming something was happening between them.
It was safe to say that this was going to make for an interesting story if they made it far enough.
On his end, Liam was just trying to process the image of his (dare he use the word former) friend in his dorm room. After a year or so, things had taken a rather confusing turn and now, it seemed that complication had resurfaced. To his frustration, the more he inquired about her arrival, the more Jade continued to dodge and tease him.
"You just love messing around, don't you?"
"It's good to see you too, Liam" she stuck her tongue out, watching him pinch the bridge of his nose.
"Jade," he cut her off, his tone reminding the girl of their pre-established status. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"
If she didn't know any better, Jade could've sworn she'd heard a small amount of wonder in his voice blending in with the seriousness that he noticeably portrayed.
"Straight to the point," she grinned for a split second but dropped the act once she caught a glimpse of his wolf-like gaze firmly tracking her every move. It was like those emerald spheres were penetrating deep into her soul, reading the story that was her life. "I umm... I came here looking for you, alright?"
"That goes without saying..." he smirked confidently. "But, that still doesn't answer my question, Jade."
He watched as she bit her lip, almost contemplating whether she should just blow off the question entirely. It wouldn't shock him if she did, given her personality. What did catch him off guard was what came next.
"I-I missed you..." she admitted, no hidden message to be found in her confession. "I talked to your sister and she told me where to find you and-"
"You're lying..." he declared, quietly slouching in a nearby chair.
"Wha? What do you know?!" despite her best effort, her voice came off with desperation than offense.
"It's written in your eyes Jade..." his voice, now somber and tranquil, became the perfect foil to her exasperated tone. "Lucille is still in Louisiana and it's been well over a year since you chased me down. I don't know how you found out I was here, but I'd wager that nobody knows you're here, do they?"
Silence.
"I see..."
Jade West found herself leaning against the wooden door frame as her heart felt like it was beating in her throat.
This wasn't a reunion, it was an interrogation. This was something that, while she might desperately need, she very well knew wasn't what she wanted. Like a wicked serpent, she felt her sense of pride begin to slither around her, seducing her back to the ways of old, when she ruled the halls of Hollywood Arts. It was a temptation that was far too enticing to resist.
She was no child and she refused to be treated as such; not by him or anyone else for that matter.
"I don't have to answer that..." she turned up her nose before turning to leave. "I'm out of here. See ya never..."
"Fine," he shrugged casually. "If you expect me to believe that you chose to drive 40+ miles just to insult someone you haven't seen in over a year, then you've reached a new level of pathetic."
There it was, the trigger had been pulled and the shot fired.
Turning around, Jade took in the collected boy on the other side of the room, his down-to-earth reaction now proving to be a major thorn in her side. In front of her was not the boy she knew nor was he the person she grew up with. This confidence, this... borderline arrogance brought out a side of her that had been long repressed for far too long.
"What did you just call me?"
"Did I stutter?" he leaned back in his seat, not a care in the world to be found on his face. "Unless you've suddenly gone deaf now too."
A resentful giggle passes her lips, her optics registering every detail of the boy.
"That's big noise coming from a guy who fled to another school after having his ass figuratively handed to him over a girl."
She mentally cursed herself for crossing that line, noticing the visible twitching of his right eye.
"Better than dating my enemy's brother, right?"
"At least I'm WITH someone!"
"Oh yeah! Dating a borderline psychotic monster is DEFINITELY a flex, I guess..." he rolled his eyes.
"Is that the pot calling the kettle black?"
"What are you-?"
"Don't think you're fooling anyone! I can see there's something between you and Vega's clone..."
"Lola and I are NOT dating! I mean... She's cute and all, but we haven't crossed that line or... Wait! Who cares about that?! You're with Tori too, remember?"
"Whatever!"
At this point, both of them had felt something that neither had felt since the day they met, intimacy.
It wasn't the intimacy that one would associate with romance, but, it sparked their friendship. Neither knew it per se, but both were reimagining the day they first met; a misunderstanding between children culminating in a brawl in the woods and a friendship solidified by acceptance. It was a bittersweet moment, but a crucial one that planted the seeds that would blossom into a true friendship. The weirdest thing was that neither Jade nor Liam had any idea that the blossom would sprout on this very day.
The room filled with laughter that forced them to sit down on the plush floor beneath them. For Jade, it was a much-needed antidote for all of the mental poisonings she'd been forced to endure after these past few months. Liam, on the other hand, had to admit that it was nice to see someone from his past and that it turns out to be a delightful occasion.
"Just like old times, huh?" he heard her force out through her attempts to regain her breath.
"Yeah, except there are no 'tough guys' to beat up!"
"I think that tool, Logan might have an availability open," she smirked.
"Don't tempt me..." he returned the grin.
For the next few minutes, the two would continue to let out their expression of amusement until both could feel the time catching up with them. Now reduced to low chortles, Liam sat up, still clutching his stomach, and sighed softly.
"It is good to see you, Jade," he wiped a single tear, the last visible remnant of his humorous endeavor. "Whether you believe me or not, I mean that."
Due to her complexion, Jade could do little to hide the sudden flush of her cheeks. "W-well, I'm content to hear that."
"I could tell by the way you were laughing hysterically..." he muttered emotionlessly.
"Okay, so, I'm happy I got to see you as well." she huffed playfully. "Better?"
Looking at the ceiling, Liam's smirk returned in full effect.
"A little," he admitted. "But, I have something I need to ask you but, I need you to be honest with me."
Not sure where he was going with that, Jade gave him an uneven smile. "Sure, whatever."
"No, Jade," for the first time, his gaze grew dark, giving the goth a reason to visibly gulp. "I need you to be completely honest with me. That means, no lies, no double meanings, and no changing the subject."
She considered these terms for a few seconds, trying to figure out where he was going with all of this. He might want to get something out of her about that night or maybe, just maybe, Liam wanted to gather some intel about her that she'd otherwise be opposed to revealing. Her mind settled on making the latter idea an amusing thought at best.
"What's in it for me?" if he didn't know any better, her eyes had grown more feline-like, seducing teal crystals subtly entrancing him while challenging his position on the high ground. "What do I get for my unadulterated honesty?"
His eyes bulged so much that they looked like billiard balls. " I'm not jumping in that rabbit hole." Liam then discerned what he could tell to be the distant sign of a grin tugging at the right corner of her lips, urging him to realize that she was messing with him. "Very funny," he droned, not happy that he'd fallen for such an elementary prank.
"You have to admit, I still got the stuff," she blew her nails with a level of superiority that only Liam, and a small group of others, would understand. "But, I need some collateral if I'm to just pour out my soul without question."
"Then I promise to return the favor. You can ask me anything and I'll answer truthfully. Deal?"
He extended his hand to her, the first attempt at physical interaction, to which she accepted without hesitation. Sure, they both knew the other could be hiding plenty, but they also admitted that, with the correct phrasing, they could get a lot of information with minimum effort.
"Deal."
Zoey and Lola made their way from Cambridge to Bartholomew Hall, the latter leading the charge. Amid their journey, they would run into both Quinn & Michael who was carrying (actually struggling to carry) one of the girl's many computers.
"Hey girls! What's the hurry?" the intellectual waved at the two.
While Lola passed by without a word, Zoey briefly explained the situation to them, all while the African-American boy's legs were buckling under the weight of the unusually large monitor. After giving the abridged version, Zoey told the two to hurry and meet them at the dorm asap just as she raced off, hoping to catch up with her friend.
"Alright, I'll start. Honestly, how did you find me?" For Liam, this was probably the most immediate question for him to ask. Sure, there were other questions for him to bring up but he'd settle on getting the simplest one out of the way first.
"It wasn't easy, let me tell you. After reading your letter, I chose to let you live out your life without interference... For a couple of weeks." he remained silent, but never dropped his eye contact. "Eventually, I started missing you again to the point where I was hanging out with your family a couple of times a week. At first, I tried to scout for any info I could find involving your whereabouts but, came up short every time. Then, I took a different approach to my investigation where I started piecing the time of everything together. While I wasn't sure if it would work, I secretly looked up different schools outside of L.A. until I stumbled upon your name in the PCA registry. I then asked a guy if the information was accurate..." she then saw that he had an eyebrow raised, showing his unconvinced expression. "...okay, so I threatened him to confirm whether the information was accurate. After seeing it was true, I did a bit more digging, and later found that there were a few Liams on the student roster and then I decided to take a chance to see if you were still here."
"And that's how you became... friends?"
Liam didn't miss the hint of envy in Jade's voice and he couldn't blame her for feeling a tiny bit hurt at the possibility of him being taken by someone else. Whether she'd admit it or not, it was something that, while a distinct possibility, she never liked to think about. Even with her current situation, Jade would find herself imagining it being him instead of Travis and Tori.
"It's a long story..." he finally admitted. "One that you wouldn't find entertaining in the least."
"Try me, tiger."
Zoey and Lola made their way from Cambridge to Bartholomew Hall, the latter leading the charge. Amid their journey, they would run into both Quinn & Michael who was carrying (actually struggling to carry) one of the girl's many computers.
"Hey girls! What's the hurry?" the intellectual waved at the two.
While Lola passed by without a word, Zoey briefly explained the situation to them, all while the African-American boy's legs were buckling under the weight of the unusually large monitor. After giving the abridged version, Zoey told the two to hurry and meet them at the dorm asap just as she raced off, hoping to catch up with her friend.
"So, that's the whole story..."
Jade just stared at the boy before a yawn poured from her lips. Liam didn't take offense to her reaction, though his brain was working in overdrive at the reality that sat across from him. Jade was here! Her ability to find him, combined with the effort it took to reach him, was impressive, if not a little overwhelming. Even when she pointed out his weakness at Hollywood Arts, after their brief encounter in New Orleans, Jade West managed to seek him out.
"Great story, man..."
"Yeah... But, I'm still curious about something..."
"What would that be exactly?" she raised a brow, analyzing the young man with a grin.
"How did you find me?" For Liam, this was probably the most immediate question for him to ask. Sure, there were other questions for him to bring up but he'd settle on getting the simplest one out of the way first.
"After you disappeared in New Orleans, I gave up and returned to the dynamic duo." she huffed, blowing a few stray locks from her face. "It was hard, but I managed to make things work, being at peace with you not wanting to talk to me."
Her eyes shimmered from the tears that formed but she fought them back when he started to rise from his spot on the bed. Her glare, while lacking animosity, told him to stay where he was and let her finish.
"I know you had your reasons, but it was how I felt back then. Either way, I just wanted to be at peace with what happened between us, but that wasn't in the cards as I noticed a picture while mindlessly scouring The Slap. Wouldn't you know it, I spot a picture of you that was tagged in PCA Academy. It didn't take too long to search out schools in the area and..."
"...You threatened him to tell you where it was, didn't you?" Liam deadpanned.
"You don't know me!" she fired back, standing to her feet.
"I know you well enough!" he shot up, eyes locked on hers. "Your brand of 'research' usually revolves around threats of violence!"
"Whatever..." Jade shifted in her seat, clutching at her sleeves. "Get off your high horse already. I didn't come here to be judged, Liam."
Liam caught this subtle act, sighing softly as he plopped on the bed.
"Sorry. This is just..."
"Crazy? Stupid? Insane?"
"Some would say, but I think it's sweet."
Before he knew it, Liam was trapped beneath the form of Jade West. His former best friend glared down at him with an almost feral gaze, her frown intensifying. She was seething at this point and Liam knew that he'd poked the beast one too many times now. His heart leaped out of his chest as he lay there, her prey. Many would panic, pleading with whomever they believed in to rescue them from the fate that awaited them.
But, Liam was different.
His lips smiled at the looming threat that slowly disembarked upon him, her head resting just below his chin. It was a solemn grin, one that showed that his relaxed conduct was only a facade. Her light convulsions rocked him more than any outburst could ever and it broke him to see her like this. He released a shallow breath while he rubbed her back gently, allowing her to pour out her frustration.
Just like old times...