Jade sat in her play-writing classroom, furiously scribbling in one of her notebooks. The lights were off, the only illumination coming from the thin ribbon that edged around the slightly cracked open door. Jade was just letting her chaotic feelings swirl out onto the page through her characters so that her head could clear enough to drive home.

She hadn't originally planned on staying until the end of the school day; she had wanted to leave early, but after writing another note to Tori, she had decided it would be best to stay so she could watch Tori's reaction. She had been nervous about what she had written in the note-was it too genuine? too personal?-and she was afraid that if she didn't see Tori's face as she read it, she would spend the rest of the day worrying about how her note had been received.

So Jade had been silently waiting in one of the adjacent hallways, and then she had seen Trina trying to steal and read the note. When it was clear that Trina was going to succeed, Jade had realized she had no choice but to step in, even though she wanted nothing more than to avoid interacting with people.

She hadn't planned to rip up the note, either. But what Trina had said about her… it hit deep. Jade hated that she actually cared what other people, especially idiots like Trina, thought of her, and she despised that other people's mean comments still stung, but… she couldn't help it. And when people assumed the worst of her, it seemed like some dark part of her always rose up to prove them right.

So now she was writing, channeling the intensity of her emotions into authenticity in her play. The play-writing teacher had often praised Jade's characterizations and the realness of their experiences, and Jade knew that it was because she poured her hope, her fear, and her pain into her characters. They were nothing like her, yet they were everything like her.

As Jade wrote, she felt some of her pain melting away; it didn't disappear, exactly, but it became more bearable, and her anguish became more of a dull sadness. Not what most people would call a "positive" emotion, but it was much more comfortable to sit in than feelings of anger and betrayal. So it would do.

When Jade felt sufficiently calmed down, she closed the cover of her notebook and tucked it and her pen gently into her book bag. She walked slowly and quietly out of the room. The halls were more or less deserted; school had ended long ago, and after-school rehearsals hadn't quite wrapped up, so Jade fortunately didn't encounter anyone on her walk out to the car.

As she pulled out of the school parking lot, something about it felt oddly final. Why would Tori ever want to be her friend after this?

As time passed, Jade felt her pressing need to get away from people wane. The weeks that followed were quiet and lonely. Rather, Jade was quiet and lonely. Not that it was anything new. During lunch, Jade stayed away from her friend group - well, it had never really been her friend group. She didn't identify with them, and she knew that her presence wasn't exactly appreciated, either. But as Beck's girlfriend, she had been tolerated. Most of the time.

Jade knew that if she asked, Cat would sit with her at a different table. But Jade knew how much Cat loved being around Robbie, and she didn't want to deprive her friend of happiness just for some company. Besides, Jade could cope with being alone.

It wasn't exactly the lack of company that made it so hard. No, it was the fact that being alone was like floating in a vacuum. The solitude gave life to every thought and feeling that wormed itself into Jade's mind, and the emptiness around her caused the thoughts to echo, so that she really had to listen. And none of them were kind to her.

Throughout the day, in between classes and during lunch, Jade was tormented by doubt and self-blame. In the janitor's closet there was a girl, silently and tearfully running through all the things that had gone wrong in her life and all the ways they were her fault. Because hadn't it all been her fault? Even the times when other people had done her wrong, surely she had done something wrong first. Of course she had. Her brain pulled out the files to procure evidence that she had brought everything upon herself. Sarah's betrayal? Jade had deserved it - Sarah was right, she really was as mean as the rumors made her out to be. The resultant situation with her dad? He was right, she fell short, had been falling short for years. The way she became an outcast and someone for all to fear at school? Obviously she really was the monster they all said she was.

And even now, when she carried all this pain with her, she was still making the same mistakes. She was causing all the problems for herself and for other people. She had broken up with Beck. That was on her, not him. She was the one who took his lack of caring personally. She was the over-demanding girlfriend. Of course Beck didn't have to be caring and understanding; since when was that a requirement? Who had ever been that way? Why had Jade thought that mattered? That she mattered? And then there was the whole situation with Tori, in which Jade was continually ruining everything. She constantly pushed Tori away, treated her like she didn't care… and she was hurting Tori. All she ever did was hurt people. She hurt everyone in her life, and then she pitied herself when she was all alone. But really, it was all her fault. She broke everyone. It didn't matter what she told herself. Her pain was her fault, and she deserved it.

All those thoughts were there, clawing at the inside of Jade's mind as she sat in the dark room, alone.

At least when you're alone, no one can see you cry.

As the weeks went on, Tori became increasingly concerned about Jade. She saw Jade less and less, and it seemed that Jade was withdrawing even from the acting classes that she normally flung herself so passionately into.

Tori had initially been angry at Jade for ripping up the note, but that gut reaction faded quickly and was replaced by worry. What was she supposed to do? Was there any way she could help her not-quite-friend?

"Tori? Are you going to bet?"

Tori looked up from the spot at the table she had been staring blankly at. She glanced at her cards. Pocket pair. "Uh, sure. I'll call. But, I still think it's weird that we didn't invite Jade to the game night."

The carefree, slightly giddy atmosphere shattered with the mention of Jade's name. Andre looked away uncomfortably, and Beck frowned.

"Did you really have to bring her up? I thought we agreed that we wouldn't talk about her today. Oh, and didn't you notice, she hasn't even been sitting with us at lunch?" Beck asked, sounding about as cold as Tori had ever heard him.

"Well, yeah, but I feel bad that we didn't even ask her. She's still our friend."

"Is she? Robbie's terrified of her, she hates you, and she broke up with me."

Tori tried to think of a sufficient response to this. Failing to do so, she simply said, "But… it's mean to exclude her."

"You know what's mean?" Robbie piped in. "Pouring coffee on the new kid, trying to murder Rex, making fun of Cat, and dumping Beck with a slew of screamed insults. We don't owe her anything. Oh, and I'll raise you 15."

Tori gritted her teeth, trying not to get too mad at Robbie. She really wanted to be able to just enjoy this game night, but it was becoming increasingly hard, what with her own concerns about Jade compiled by the rude attitudes of her friends. "You're seriously holding all of that against her and kicking her out of the group? Come on. Andre, don't you think that's harsh?"

Andre made a face, clearly uncomfortable about being dragged into this argument. "I don't know, Tori, isn't it kind of our choice who we want at the game night?"

"Come on, Tori," Beck said, raising his voice slightly. "Can't you just admit that the group is better off without her?"

That last sentence made Tori's blood boil. How could someone say that? How could they just throw away a friend? And Beck, of all people, Jade's boyfriend of who-knows-how-long, who had previously seemed to be one of the only people willing to accept Jade as she was. How could he turn on her so quickly?

"What's wrong with all of you?" Tori nearly shouted, standing up abruptly from the table. "Don't you see that you're the reason people feel so judged and alone in this world? You know what, you can keep playing without me. I don't care about your stupid poker game." Tori walked briskly away from the table, grabbing a coat on her way out the door.

When Tori got outside, she looked around in the dark, unsure of where to go, other than that she wanted to get as far away from that house and the game night as possible. She turned around slowly, taking in the familiar sites outside her driveway. She never really walked around her neighborhood, especially not at night, and she didn't drive yet, so she didn't really know the area well. She decided to just take a left turn and see where it took her. There would always be maps on her phone to get her back home if she got lost, anyways.

After about 10 minutes of walking along the sidewalks that were dimly lit with street lamps, Tori came across a small park. Ah, yes. I should have remembered this from when I was younger. But I don't think anyone uses it anymore. I wonder why they haven't torn it down yet… When she moved a little closer, however, she noticed that the park was not completely deserted. About fifty feet away, Tori just barely managed to spot the silhouetted figure of someone lying on top of a picnic table, gazing up at the stars. Surprised, Tori looked toward the parking lot, where she spotted one stray car. Huh. Who drives to an old, abandoned kid's park late at night to stargaze?

Vaguely aware of the risk of stranger danger, but also intrigued, Tori stepped closer. The outline of the figure came into focus a little more; it appeared to be a teenager or adult, and they had one leg laying flat out and another folded into an upside-down V shape, almost like a sideways flamingo. When Tori was about ten feet away, the person turned to face her.

With the person's face slightly illuminated by the starlight and the reflections of the far-off streetlights in the metallic slides of the park, Tori realized this face was familiar. After a slight pause (which would have been much shorter had it been broad daylight), Tori felt a flicker of recognition.

"... Jade?"

"Yeah." Her voice was tired, dejected. She sat up slowly, clearly not wanting to have any sort of conversation lying down. I guess she's not comfortable enough with me for that.

"Wha- What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"But… I live near here."

"You never come here, though. No one ever does."

"How would you know that?" Tori asked, confusion slowly converting itself into suspicion.

Jade sighed softly. "I come here all the time. Because it's always empty."

"Oh."

"So, why are you here?"

"I… was getting frustrated by what was happening at my house. So I decided to go for a walk to escape it."

"Trina?"

"No… not exactly." Tori decided it might serve her best not to mention Beck and the game night that Jade hadn't been invited to. That wasn't exactly the best way to open up a conversation with someone who had been spending the past few weeks completely isolated after a breakup. "Um, about what happened a few weeks ago with the note…"

Jade turned away. "We don't have to talk about that."

"Yeah, actually, I want to."

Jade bristled. "If this is going to be you yelling at me-"

"Relax, that's not it at all. Can you just listen for a second?"

Jade remained silent; not exactly a yes, but definitely not a no.

Tori walked over to the same side of the picnic table that Jade's legs were now dangling over, and she sat on top of the table next to Jade, sure to keep a few feet between them.

"I'm… I don't really have a great way with words, but I've got things I want to say, so if you'd just bear with me…" Tori trailed off, checked to see if Jade was still with her, and continued. "I'm someone who's quicker to love than to hate, and even though it might seem like I'm quick to judge, most of the time if I seem upset after something happens, it's because I feel like it's my fault, not the other person's. And… I really do want to get to know you, Jade. I'm not holding what happened with the ripped note against you. Or any of the rumors. And I… I want to be there for you if you need someone, but I don't want to intrude or make you feel uncomfortable if you want to be alone, or at least don't want me near you. And… I miss having you around, Jade. Even though we didn't interact much, lunch just feels so empty without you, and I miss when you would make sarcastic comments in class." Tori stopped herself, then looked down at her lap, feeling like maybe she had said too much. Sometimes when she got started talking from her heart, she could get carried away and forget to stop.

Tori felt Jade's eyes on her, but Jade didn't say anything, and the silence stretched out between them.

After a while, Tori lifted her gaze. It was hard to tell in the dark, but it looked like… were those tears on Jade's face?

When Jade saw that Tori was looking at her, she stood up slowly and stepped off the picnic table. After a second, she turned back to Tori and tentatively extended a hand.

Surprised, Tori took it and slid off the table, then followed Jade as Jade led her across the park, to a small hill. Jade let go of Tori's hand and sat down, gesturing for Tori to do the same. When Tori was seated, Jade rested her back against the gentle slope.

They lay like that for a while, in silence. Then Jade lifted her arm to the sky and pointed slightly up and in front of them.

"See that really bright star? It's the brightest one in the sky right now."

Tori followed Jade's arm. "Ok," she said, slightly confused as to why Jade was bringing that up or why it mattered.

"That star," Jade said, "Is named Vega. Brightest star in the Summer Triangle."

Tori's eyes widened. She had known her last name could be misinterpreted as the name of the star if people didn't know it was the Spanish word for meadow, but to have Jade point out that star in the sky… that was unexpected if nothing else was.

"And those other two bright ones," Jade continued, pointing down to the left, and then to the right, "are Deneb and Altair, the other two stars in the Summer Triangle."

Tori was still shocked, so all she could muster was, "But, it's not summer."

"No, but the Summer Triangle is still visible. And you can see the other stars of the Milky Way swimming through it throughout the whole night. Beautiful, isn't it?"

"How… how do you know all this?"

"I like stargazing."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's dark, quiet, and it feels so special to see all these lights from trillions of miles away. And the stars are always there, even if I'm not."

"That's… really poetic."

"Well, I am an artist."

"...Jade?" Tori asked tentatively, holding her hand up in front of her face to cover the stars from her view.

"Yeah?"

"Can you teach me about the constellations sometime?"

Jade reached over and laced her fingers through Tori's, then moved their clasped hands to the ground in between them. "Sure, Vega."

A/N: Thank you for reading! (And, if you were with me before that giant hiatus, thank you so much for coming back!) I really love this story and I want to let you know, I don't plan on abandoning it any time soon - even though it took me a while before this chapter, I never stopped thinking about how I wanted this story to go on. For now I'm going to stop with the once-a-week posting schedule, but my goal is to update at least once a month. Feel free to ask for updates on timing if you'd like.

Until next time!