Monsters & Demons
Rated M
Genre: Drama & Adventure
Summary:
When Tori arrived at Hollywood Arts, she knew that 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:
Chapter 3: Setting the Stage
Jade walked in silence, letting the warm California air take her mind off of the terrible day. By now, she'd gathered up her things from Sikowitz's classroom before deciding to skip the remainder of the day entirely. The only downside was that she left her car at home, considering she had caught a ride with Andre this morning. Either way, she was now wandering around in hopes of clearing her head of the torturous thoughts that plagued her brain.
Her mind was swarming with the most recent cause of pain in her heart, forcing her to stop abruptly to catch her breath. That somewhat familiar feeling of drowning beginning to overtake her again, Jade clenched her eyes as tight as she could in an attempt to focus on anything other than the emotions welling up inside. Little did it help though. Images of an angry Beck telling her off began to surface, making her feel even worse.
I can't even have normal friends because they're afraid of what my overly happy wife might do if she found out!
If you'd stop and listen to what I say instead of pretending that things revolve around your perfect little world, maybe you'd be able to understand!
Jade snapped her eyes open, shocked. Her heart practically pounding in her chest.
"Get it together, Jade..." she forced down the tears that threatened to spill out again. "You're not some damsel in distress."
"Excuse me, ma'am..."
"WHAT?!" Jade turned, eyes bulging and nostrils flaring at the poor soul unlucky enough to test her sanity at the moment. She instantly lamented her outburst upon seeing the identity of the person; a face all too recognizable. "Liam?"
He simply waved awkwardly at her with a big dumb smile on his face.
"Sup?"
"What are you doing here? Why aren't you in school?" she narrowed her eyes, finally noticing his bandaged hand. "...and what happened to your paw?"
"Calm down, mom," he taunted finding himself on the receiving end of a stone-faced goth.
"Answer the damn question, jackass!"
"Not until you tell me why you're not in school yourself."
"This isn't up for discussion..."
"I can wait."
Jade felt a vein in her neck start to bulge, her left eye twitching at the audacity of this guy.
"You're beginning to test my patience, Liam..." she allowed a threateningly alluring smirk to surface, revealing the thin ice that he was standing on. "Now why don't you do me a favor and tell me what the hell happened before I'm forced to use 'other' methods?"
Liam didn't take the bait though that didn't stop him from letting out a soft chuckle at the danger lurking behind Jade's eyes. While it was all fun and games, even he knew how far to push Jade before things got too far out of hand. Judging by her reaction, he assumed that whatever her motivations for leaving, they weren't optimistic.
"Sorry, I was just kidding. No need to get riled up and scissor happy," he turned his gaze at anything other than the spot where Jade stood. "But, in all seriousness, what's going on with you? You're on edge even more than usual, and that's saying something."
Jade remained silent as she blinked at her childhood friend.
While he was practically her most trusted confidante, something she felt she didn't deserve at times given her conflicted feelings wrestling inside. Between the incident earlier and the break-up, she had to admit that he was the perfect friend. Considering her options, with Andre being the lone exception to the list, she didn't share that same sentiment with anyone else other than her rival, who somehow managed to help her even when Jade would throw insults her way.
With a blank stare, she shook her head slowly.
"Today was... rough."
"Rougher than usual?" His voice grew low and vibrant like a church's bell.
She clenched her fists, cursing how effortlessly he could break down her defenses. Even Be-. Even HE wasn't able to decipher her true feelings so fast and yet, someone she'd admittedly, though reluctantly as well, neglected for some time was capable of such a feat.
"Yeah."
There was no surprise why in Jade's eyes.
Liam was an observant one, a trait she learned about during their early years. He was the strong silent type, content with watching first before making a move. It allowed him to fly under the radar while effectively accomplishing whatever he set out to do.
Even now, Liam took in her features, somehow detecting even the most mundane details of the unsettled girl.
Her black hair (currently tinted with green streaks) hid her teal eyes as she continued to stare at the concrete. The nearly hidden trail of tears was visible enough for him to tell that she'd been crying recently. Although it was over 80 degrees, she still would wear tight-fitting black clothes that showed off her figure rather well, a fact that made him blush upon realization.
"W-well... I guess I could always come back and pick up a few hours tomorrow instead."
"Liam you don't have to... WHOA!"
Before Jade could say anything in protest, she found herself being pulled in between a couple of random apartments, away from the eyes of the, albeit few, public eyes around them. She was about to growl something about being manhandled but found that to be impossible when she felt Liam wrap his arms around her. The feeling of peace and comfort washed over her again, the same feeling from the past weekend as he stroked her back.
"Stop being so difficult," his calm tone shook her very core. "You don't have to be so damn strong all the time; not when you've got friends who care about you."
Jade felt her throat hitch when 'friends' were mentioned. There weren't a lot of people which she could openly label as such and the ones she could, well, they were few and in between. To better understand all of this, Jade's mind took her back to several moments in time, but, there was one that stood out above the rest.
Barely taking in his comforting words, Jade began to reminisce on the time they first met.
The lonely 'creepy' girl meets the shy, yet, enthusiastic boy; such a cliche if she was being honest. Somehow that dynamic worked as she recalled his hesitance when asked if she could join in on his game of Knights & Dragons which led to her storming off into the woods. From there a fight would break out where he'd protect her from a group of bullies, a far cry from the fearful child she met earlier.
Something about you... she mused as a smile began to form on her lips.
The goth soon snapped back to reality with a rekindled fondness for life.
It was refreshing to know that there was at least someone in this world who cared about her unconditionally and on top of that, waking up to find that she was no longer in between those apartments but was being carried piggyback style to her home. As she shuffled lightly, she could feel his strong hands resting under her thigh, just below her derriere as a sign of respect for her.
"Must you always treat me like some delicate flower?" she grumbled in annoyance, though lightly sprinkled with playfulness. "I do have two working legs, dum-dum."
"Sure you do. Maybe you can use them now since we're almost to your house?"
"No way! We're practically there anyway..."
Liam rolled his eyes at her sudden change of heart but obliged as they turned the corner near the West's residence.
For Jade, she felt safe riding on the back of her best friend. It was one of the few times she'd been this comfortable in years since... well her last relationship. She wasn't that open of a book with anyone else and she loved that aspect of her life. However, he was different. From their initial meeting to this very moment, there was nothing but understanding with Liam, even when she would go ghost on him, he'd simply shrug it off and pick things up where they left off.
How is this guy still single? she asked herself before mentally shaking off those thoughts. Whoa there, Jade! Where did that come from?!
Since when did she start wondering about Liam's love life? Why did it matter whether or not he was single now?
They were just friends; very close friends who've shared more intimate (non-sexual) moments in life than she and 'he who would not be named'. All of this was too much to deal with as she was still trying to shake off the cobwebs from her short nap.
"You alright back there?" his concerned tone snapped her out of her introspections once again.
"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"
"You've been eerily quiet so I was getting worried you might be up to something."
"Whatever. You still haven't told me about what happened to you today, you know?" She smiled when Liam breathed an annoyed huff. "You ARE going to tell me, right Tiger?"
Liam stopped dead in his tracks, gently setting her down before gingerly circling to face her.
With the sun beginning to set, there was just enough light to emphasize the now noticeable features. Jade's eyes broadened as she felt her stomach drop. The black eye. A bit of swelling on his jaw. His damaged lip. Everything was on full display for her to see and it was not a sight she'd expected.
"What the hell?"
"I got suspended from school for defending myself," he admitted, shoulders slumping. Though he tried to lessen the severity of his injuries, Jade's worried countenance compelled him to further clarify. "Long story short, I was supposed to meet my coach for an early tryout but, I was ambushed on the way there. Luckily, I was able to get some good shots in, but, took a few good ones as well. As for my hand, the nurse just wrapped it up with some wraps to help the swelling and the bruises on my knuckles."
Jade was floored at what she heard.
"I didn't know you had it in you..."
"Wait... What?"
Jade ignored his confusion, still focusing on the actualization of his deed.
From what she remembered about him, he wasn't the type to start fights so his self-defense claim was valid. But, he'd never been suspended, hell, he'd never even been given detention back when they went to school together, so this was news to her. The only upside would be that he didn't have any debilitating injuries moving forward.
"How long are you out of school for?"
"Eh... about a week."
"Then, when you're not at work, we have something to take care of."
Liam's eyebrows rumpled together while she sashayed past him with a devious grin on her lips.
"Jade? What are you plotting?" he called out, only receiving her signature bite before she headed up her driveway, leaving him to ponder what was to come.
"You have a promise to keep, remember?"
He let out an audible exhale before shoving his hands in his pocket. "The things I go through with her..."
I'm worth it!" he heard her call out from the distance before making his way to the nearest bus stop.
As for Jade West, she entered her rather lavish home, eager to just relax for the rest of the evening.
Only her brother and stepmother were there to which she ruffled the former's hair, and outright ignored the latter before holing herself up in her room. With the darkness shrouding her figure, Jade simply plopped on her bed, mulling over all that happened in less than 24 hours.
She didn't have long to do so as an unwanted knock pulled her from her musing.
"GO AWAY!" she growled, not bothering to move from her spot on the plush bed.
"One of your friends is here to see you, Jade." she heard the woman's sickeningly cheerful voice pipe up.
Dimly aware of her surroundings, the pale girl turned on the light, interested in who it could be.
Did Liam come back? she pondered the idea with contentment until another one formed in her brain. Oh, if it's Vega, I'm kicking her out... literally.
When she opened the door, she found that it was neither of them but rather, the LAST person she wanted to see right now.
"Hey, Jade."
"You?"
As the school day concluded, Travis sat in Sikowitz's class stealing glances at his phone while he waited for his music partner to arrive. After what transpired at the lockers a bit back, he sent a few messages to Trina in hopes of receiving a response of any kind.
"Is she alright?" he sighed to himself.
In an attempt to distract himself, thoughts of the showcase once again brought vexation to supersede the despair worming into his spirit. Dealing with Jade West was not a pleasant idea on paper and there he was, being made to wait for the girl. His foot thumped against the carpet while his eyes remained locked on the lone door to the room.
The girl was half an hour late and he was seriously mulling whether or not to go home at this point.
"Why didn't I listen to Ahrya?" he huffed. As far as he knew, she was with some new friends, practicing for their performance as well. "Just my luck, my rehearsals are somehow a punishment..." he chuckled bitterly.
The clock's infernal ticking only aided his decline into delirium. He had begun to lose himself in his world when the sound of the doorknob jiggling pulled him out of it.
"It's about time-" he tapped his foot and scowled at this point only to find that it wasn't who he was expecting. She had jumped slightly with a soft 'eep'. "Oh! Sorry about that... I thought you were someone else."
To his amazement, she simply flashed a dazzling smile causing Travis to look away in hopes of hiding his burning face. He mentally condemned himself for allowing this to happen a third time. It didn't help him at all once she spoke up.
"It's fine, honest. I was just trying to find a place to get away from someone."
"Is someone nagging you?"
"Um... You could say that." she anxiously giggled, tugging at her shirt sleeve. "This guy I used to date, Daniel, is stalking me after I refused to take him back. I can just go so you don't get involved..."
Now it was Tori's turn to be surprised as he returned the grin towards her. "It's not a problem. I'll handle your little love stalker.."
No sooner did he say that did the door fly open revealing a desperate boy. While Travis didn't so much as flinch, he could see the girl's entire demeanor change significantly. She began to fidget and was now biting her lip softly.
"Tori, just come with me and we can fix things." the boy held out his hand only for the Latina to slink away behind Travis. Daniel finally noticed his presence as she hid behind the young man. He quickly began sizing him up, sensing nothing special about him. "This is your new guy?" he pointed with a pointed digit.
"I'm the guy that'll break that finger if you don't put it away, buddy."
"This is the guy you're trying to replace me with?!"
Tori didn't say a word.
Her gaze was firmly on the floor, trying her best to escape this sickening reality. She didn't want anyone to get hurt because of her. She thought of just going back with the guy and hopefully preventing any violence. While it was a 'noble' thought, she never got the chance to execute that plan as Travis spoke up.
"Tori, would you please sit down at the piano?"
"You stay out of this!" Daniel roared, a murderous venom practically oozing from his mouth.
Such an outburst was evidence that the niceties had concluded, not that it bothered Travis. He was looking to blow off some steam and he'd found the perfect outlet. With his expectations now met, two fists came up as he took a boxer's stance.
An irate Daniel threw a sloppy left hook that was easily sidestepped by the boy. Not one to be embarrassed, the boy twisted his body and lunged at Travis once again, this time with a spinning back fist aimed at his groin area. He was amazed at the speed at which his opponent evaded the cheap shot but his awe would soon turn to agony.
While he was preoccupied, Travis had managed to grab the dirty fighter, pulling Daniel into a german suplex that drove the air from his lungs. There was no cry of pain, only a sharp gasp that left the boy sprawled and squirming. Orange-brown eyes burned with a desire to inflict more damage, but he settled for making his point.
Meanwhile, Tori could only watch in shock at the sight she'd just witnessed. While a part of her felt bad for her ex-boyfriend, she also knew that the guy was the one who started the fight. She couldn't help but marvel at how the once arrogant football player was dispatched so easily, humbled before her.
"Shall we...?" he offered a hand which she graciously took.
"Tori."
"Travis. It's a pleasure."
"Thank you kind sir!" she giggled at his fake British accent, though she did pick up the hint of a Cajun articulation that was too authentic to be constructed. Of course, as they passed Daniel, her kind-hearted nature brought about an abrupt pause. "Um... Will he be alright?"
"Eh... He might need to get his second wind, but he should recover." Travis casually noted, reaching for the door.
Just then, the sound of chairs being knocked down rang throughout the room, prompting Travis and Tori to shift towards the source. Daniel had indeed recovered and, like a raging bull, had begun charging at Tori. Instinctively, she did her best to shield herself.
"ARGH!"
The sound of a sickening crunch was the cause of such a horrific cry, but what Tori found was unexpected. Her savior once more held the upper hand on the whimpering form of Daniel, his shoulder now in a grotesque position, most likely separated at the joint behind his back with Travis standing above him, triumphant.
"That wasn't very nice, was it?" He asked nicely, the Cajun articulation now on full display. His stone face caught the sight of a faint nod from the shivering jock. A slight twist earned him a yelp. "Was it?!"
"Y-yes...!"
"Listen closely, punk." he snarled at the now petrified Daniel. "This young lady is my friend and you're going to respect her. You will not come near her anymore. If you don't leave her alone, I do more than break your hand." he then pulled the boy closer so that their noses were touching. "I'll break every bone but your neck... Just to watch you squirm. Am I clear?" he whispered tenaciously.
It was enough to earn him another shaky nod, accompanied by more pathetic whimpering.
He was finally released and swiftly scampered past Tori, disappearing down the hallway.
Speechless couldn't fathom what just transpired as she turned to observe this young man stroking his damaged fist. She noticed his injury was far less severe as he only sported some darkened bruises along with an open wound between his knuckles that was now dripping blood.
"Oh my gosh! You're hurt!"
"Eh, it's nothing. I've had much worse throughout my life." He retorted playfully. Such endeavors at being tough only resulted in Tori glaring at him.
"No, you need to get that checked out!"
Though he could indeed tell she was sore at him for his careless perspective, Travis couldn't shake off the dismay in her voice.
Sighing out of exasperation, he gestured for her to follow him back to the makeshift stage. He then reached into his bag, pulling out a roll of medical gauze. Tori, with an apprehensive gaze, took it out of his grasp and started swathing his injured hand, excusing his intermittent wincing. It only took a few moments, and soon Travis' hand was firmly nursed by the now satisfied Latina before him.
"I gotta say, you're pretty good at this," he noted while flexing his still tender muscles.
With a soft laugh, Tori handed the roll back to him. "It's the least I could do after you helped me out earlier. I guess it was my luck to find you, huh?" The two would soon find the gap between them slowly diminishing thanks to Tori herself. Only a few centimeters separated them as neither made direct eye contact.
"I don't know about 'luck' per se..." his tone though low was still gentle. "I prefer to call it.. fate..." his smile caused the girl to giggle. Courage, though forced, allowed her to look up at him her eyelashes shielding her mostly from his powerful gaze.
"Call me a believer?" her voice was like a light scent meant only for him to savor the last bit of space was closed.
His heart pounded against his chest, threatening to break through. He could feel her arms shivering as she slowly brought them upon his broad shoulders. Everything that happened moments before no longer held relevance to them. Time appeared to stand still for the pair as an unseen force drew them closer.
"Tori... I..."
"Thank you."
Her whisper was like cinnamon, nudging him closer with its enticing scent. Their lips, millimeters apart felt like surges of electricity. Just do it...! His mind roared.
"Tori!" Andre rushed through the door, snapping them out of their reverie. Fortunately, they managed to pull apart just in time before Andre noticed anything. "I just saw Daniel straggling away and-! Are you two... okay?"
The awkward ambiance said otherwise but Tori managed to spring her acting skills into action.
"Of course, Andre!" she plastered a wide smile. "Travis was just telling me about the... um... the showcase before you arrived."
Skepticism washed over Andre, but thankfully he wasn't the type to press matters. Travis did his best to keep a straight face, coming up with a way to keep up with the topic at hand.
"Right! I was just telling Tori that I was waiting for Jade to come so we could rehearse!" Just as he mentioned Jade, both Andre and Tori exchanged a glance of concern and anxiety. "What?"
"Jade left school after Sikowitz's class... Nobody's seen her since."
A blank stare is all that resulted from their confession; one could only wonder what was going on in Travis' head.
Days after being suspended, Liam had covered things with his sister and even got to work some extra hours and the coffee shop for some extra cash. When he wasn't there, he was spending time working on his audition duet with Jade. However, like nearly any other time, Liam was picking up clashing vibes from the dark girl, as if she wasn't 100% there.
The two still managed to get everything together with his tryout despite the distractions before the day. Somehow, Jade managed to get Liam an impromptu time during one of the early morning free periods with Sikowitz, Lane, and Principal Helen, although he wasn't sure how she managed to achieve this (he had a few ideas, but settled on leaving well enough alone).
She relished how far they'd come since his initial punishment, completely disregarding her own needs with the upcoming showcase.
Now Liam found himself staring at the entrance to what was referred to as the Black Box Theater. Loosely aware of his best friend's concerned gaze, he swallowed hard and placed a hand on the door handle. Jade watched closely, noticing the tiniest sign of trepidation in the young boy.
"Hey, you alright?" She placed a surprisingly temperate palm on his shoulder, sensing his wavering enthusiasm. "You're going to do just fine."
"What if I screw up?" his voice was barely above a hush but somehow, she could make out his apprehensions.
Checking down the hallways, Jade verified that they were indeed alone before taking Liam's hand into her own. She flashed a glare that, while wasn't a sign of danger, did symbolize her resolve to see him succeed. Giving him a slight squeeze, she allowed the vaguest traces of a smile to jerk at the corner of her lips.
"You're going to be just fine, I promise. If you weren't ready, then I wouldn't have brought you here today. You got this!"
Before he could counter her oddly favorable point, one of the double doors flew open, unveiling a balding man with wacky hair holding onto the lower half of a coconut.
"Ah! Jade! While it's a pleasure to see you this fine morning! But, shouldn't you be in class right now?"
"Hey, Sikowitz..." she rolled her eyes at her favorite teacher. "This is the guy I mentioned."
Mr. Sikowitz took a moment to size up Liam in between sips of his coconut juice before grinning rather weirdly.
"You must be Mr. Marshall, I presume?"
"Um... Yes sir! I'm Liam..."
"Excellent! Step inside, my boy!" he ushered him inside but, stopped Jade West at the threshold. "Sorry, Ms. West. I'm under strict orders not to let you inside during the audition. It's not my call."
"Wait what?!" she protested, eyes furiously blazing. "We practiced for a duet, Sikowitz!"
"Very true. But, if I recall correctly, you've been shirking your responsibilities with a certain new student. Word on the street is that you haven't been showing up to your practices with Travis per our agreement. Plus, the word from the grapevine states that you were skipping classes?"
For once, the anger began to die down as a sheepish Jade rolled her eyes lightly. For his part, Liam was more than willing to let things play out, even if the outcome didn't favor him in the long run.
"It's only because I was concerned with this and I've been going over the music for the showcase if that counts for something."
While Sikowitz wasn't convinced, his student's track record more than spoke for itself.
"And the skipping?"
"I... Left early because..."
"There was a family emergency and Jade was there to help me!" Liam finally chimed in, surprising both individuals. "It's my fault, sir. If anyone should be held responsible for that, it's me."
Jade blinked silently at her friend, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. Sikowitz cast a doubtful glance at the girl but chose to let it go, for now at least. With a heavy sigh, he took another drag of the sweet milk before addressing the moment.
"Very well. I won't hold the skipping against Jade," the goth let out a relieved exhale. "However, that still doesn't change my decision on her not participating. The rules clearly stated that she would be unable to engage in extracurricular activities until after the showcase, including aiding in an audition. Jade, you're more than free to wait outside, but Mr. Marshall must do this alone."
If looks could kill, Sikowitz would've been nothing more than dust drenched in the juice of his beloved fruit. Still, he stood resolved and Liam was escorted into the Black Box to face the judges of his fate. Jade groaned aloud, glaring at the tiled floor as she slid down the wall into a seated position.
"Might as well get comfortable..." she deadpanned.
Trina was exchanging her afternoon books for the ones she'd need for homework during the weekend when she felt several ominous presences behind her. She knew what it meant, as an inaudible sigh passed her lips. She'd hoped that they would've given her a break considering the upcoming festivities but it seemed fate wasn't on her side. She rolled her eyes and turned to see three of the boys who she had the 'pleasure' of meeting a few weeks prior.
"Hey there." A blond-haired boy spoke up, a smug grin adorning his thin lips. "You remember us, right?" he and his friends were delighted when she nodded. He himself found himself growing more and more turned on by the dominance they held over her. He dug his pockets, pulling out a one hundred dollar bill. His buddies did the same, passing the bills to the blond leader. "I believe this should be enough for a repeat performance."
Trina could only stare in disbelief and worry at the sight.
She was tangled between a rock and a hard place, no pun intended. She wanted to refuse the proposal but that meant facing the wrath of her main contact, 'Big Daddy' who was looking forward to another payday. Without anywhere to go, she hesitantly began to reach for the money. Every fiber of her body screamed for her to push past them and run. This wasn't right and she knew it. Somehow, some words she'd heard before resonated from her memories:
I'm sorry, but you don't owe me anything.
I'm not here to get anything from you, Trina...
Well, since it was my first day, I was hoping I'd just made a friend.
The words of Travis rang strong in her mind, prompting her hesitation. Even though they hadn't spoken in a while, she found herself unable to ignore the impact he had on her, even now as she stared at the crumpled paper in front of her. And yet, mere inches away from the thing currently holding her captive, Trina suddenly found her arm dropping back to her side.
The blond boy slammed his hand against the lockers next to her, causing her to flinch. She could see the ill intent behind his navy blue eyes as fear swirled inside her stomach. She was no stranger to being handled roughly for defying a client's advances, whether verbally or physically. She had experienced being slapped around, choked, and even being spat on for declining an offer...
She shut her eyes, praying that whatever consequences were about to befall her would at least be quick.
"Trina? Is that you?" a familiar voice pulled her from her dark reality. "Hey! I've been looking for you all day!"
To her surprise, the trio began to slink away, their leader stuffing the money back into his pocket. It appeared that despite their numbers, Travis held the upper hand with intimidation courtesy of the cut glower he flashed at their retreating forms. Only when they disappeared did he finally drop the nice guy act.
"Are you alright?"
Trina naturally wrapped her arms around his waist, her fingers clasping his grey hoodie as if her life depended on it.
He responded by swathing his arms around her as she sobbed silently. They remained that way for a while, only a small handful of students noticing their display of affection between the two. Trina and Travis would part after a few more minutes. The latter simply looked at her smiling yet still 'oblivious' as to what was going on with her.
"Did they hurt you?"
"No," She shook her head, her grin never dropping amidst the tears. "Thank you for thinking of me as a friend."
Enveloping Travis once more, the boy allowed this to commence, ignoring the stares and murmurs from his peers that passed by. In truth, he'd been looking for Jade, but this was a detour that he didn't mind taking.
Especially when it ended like this.
