After a long stretch of time—Jade couldn't tell exactly how long but knew it must have been a while, considering the two kids had long ago left the park, leaving quiet in their wake—Jade finally climbed down from the fake rock pile that she had been sitting on. She finally felt calm and relaxed; she was ready to take on the drive home.

Jade turned to face the tree where Tori had been sitting, then squinted in confusion. Tori wasn't there. Jade turned around slowly, wondering if maybe she was looking in the wrong direction, but no matter where she looked, she could see no sign of anyone. Tori was gone.

Jade felt some feeling bubbling in her stomach—what was it? It felt like worry, but after a moment, Jade realized it was more than that: it was concern. For Vega. What if something happened to her? Jade tried to convince herself that Tori was probably fine, but she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that if something had gone wrong, it was her fault. She had made Tori get out of the car and sit alone at a public park with virtually no one else around, possibly for multiple hours. My god, I'm a terrible person.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Jade saw movement. A piece of paper fluttering like a flag in the light breeze. Curious, Jade approached it. As she drew nearer, she saw that it was a page ripped out from a notebook, speared with a pencil that was jammed into a crack in a tree. The same tree Tori had been sitting under. Jade pulled the pencil out and grabbed the paper, her eyes skimming the note that was written on it: I didn't want to interrupt you so I managed to get Trina to pick me up. Thanks for the ride to the park. - Tori

Jade breathed a sigh of relief. So she's okay. I don't have to worry anymore. But Jade still didn't feel quite at ease; she felt a little guilty that she had promised Tori a ride and instead left her at a park, only to be picked up by her annoying older sister after all. But on top of that, there was also a slight feeling of disappointment, though Jade wasn't quite sure why. It's not like I had wanted to give her a ride, anyway. It should be good that I don't have to. But then why don't I feel relieved?

Jade folded the note from Tori and stuck it in her pocket. I guess there's nothing to do now but go home, she thought with a sigh.

When she got in her car and closed the door, Jade noted how much more comfortable the space was when she was alone in the car. Yet as she navigated the familiar streets to her house, she was acutely aware of how empty the passenger seat was, and she had the strange feeling that something was missing.

"So tell me again why you made me pick you up? You interrupted my face care routine!" Trina complained in her signature loud, whiney voice.

Tori glanced over at her sister's face, where a green face mask was still plastered. "Yeah, I can tell," she said, rolling her eyes.

"So what was so important that I had to come get you?"

"You were supposed to drive me home from school in the first place, like you always do."

"Yeah, but you made me wait. You can't just expect me to wait as long as you need! What do you think I am, your permanent chauffeur?"

"You kind of are," Tori mumbled.

Trina groaned in annoyance. "What were you even doing at that park?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does."

"Why do you care?"

"'Cuz I had to pick you up! How did you get there in the first place?"

"Someone drove me there."

"So how come this someone couldn't just drive you home?"

"It just didn't work out, okay?! Can you just leave me alone?"

"Of course I can't leave you alone, you're my little sister. I have to take care of you," Trina said, reaching over and scrunching Tori's cheeks.

"Ugh, get off of me! Eyes on the road and hands on the wheel!"

"If you're so concerned with how I drive, maybe you should get your license and drive yourself."

Tori groaned. "I wouldn't care about how you drive if you actually paid attention to where you're going!"

Trina made a face. "Clearly I'm a better ride for you than whoever took you to the park. I actually take you all the way home."

"Can you just leave Jade out of this? It's not like she—"

"Wait. One. Minute. Are you saying Jade is the person who drove you to the park?"

Tori scolded herself for letting that name slip. She had planned on keeping the fact that Jade had given her a ride a secret from, well, everyone. But of course she had messed up in front of the biggest blabbermouth in the school.

There was nothing Tori could do to take back her words, so the best she could hope for was to distract Trina. "I heard you're going to audition for one of the upcoming plays. Do you think you'll get the lead?" After all, there's no better way to sidetrack Trina than to appeal to her incredibly oversized ego.

But Trina would not be fooled this time. "Oh come on, Tori, you can't expect me to drop it that easily. Jade West gave you a ride. Yes or no."

Tori sighed. "Yes."

"And just why did you let her drive you?"

"Well… actually… I asked her."

Trina turned to face Tori and gaped at her. "You ASKED Jade for a ride? Are you crazy?"

"Eyes on the road! And… yes. I asked her. Because you just abandoned me at school!"

"But why not someone else? Anyone else!"

"There was no one else. It was just us and Sinjin. You're the one who left me in that situation!"

Trina muttered something under her breath, but Tori wasn't able to make out what she was saying.

"What's that?"

Trina looked over at her. "I'm just glad she didn't hurt you."

"What do you mean?"

"It's Jade West. The meanest kid in school. Considering all that she does even with teachers around, who knows what she could do to you when you're alone together. You should stay away from her, Tori."

The earnest seriousness in Trina's voice caught Tori off guard and made her sister's words sink in deeply. It wasn't often that Trina stopped being annoying long enough to say something caring and genuinely helpful, but when she did, it really made an impact on Tori. Because even though Trina often drove her crazy, Trina was her older sister, and Tori trusted her to take care of her.

Tori's head started spinning in confusion; Tori usually made it a rule not to believe rumors and stereotypes about people; she liked to make up her own opinions. But when Trina spoke like this—like she was trying to protect Tori—she couldn't help but take it to heart.

Could it be true? Could Jade really be that bad? Today at the park she seemed… almost vulnerable. But could she really be as much of a monster as everyone says she is?

A/N: Woo! I enjoyed writing that a lot. I hope you liked it too! Thank you for reading!