"Jade there's something you should know..." We both lock eyes for second until she focuses back on the road. "Oh no is this one of those sentimental driving talks...can't this wait for when you drive with Andre or Cat" I simply roll my eyes at her.

"Nothing sentimental" Isn't it though, you're about to confess these 'weird feelings' to a girl who basically bullied you since the day you rubbed hot coffee on her ex-boyfriend. Oh, and then the following day kissed said boyfriend. I cringe at that last part imaginary Jade said. I may have looked happy after the kiss but after 1st period, I felt awful for kissing someone else's boyfriend.

For once the Jade in my head wasn't wrong. I was never wrong to begin with but I'll let you have this. I bit my tongue because I refuse to be locked in the looney bin. "Hello! Earth to Vega!" startled I jump a little in the passenger seat. "And we're back, seriously Vega what is going on in that pretty little head of yours" I blush a little at her words.

"You think I'm pretty" I look over to her and see her hands grip the steering wheel a little tight. "From certain angles yes...we've had this conversation before remember?" I forced myself to ignore the slight tension I felt taking over the car as I looked over at Jade whose eyes never left the road. I remember that day back at Nozu that one year when Sikowitz forced us on that date. Ooooo is that when you started to feel butterflies. No because I didn't even know the butterflies existed until the beginning of this summer. So, you admit she gives you butterflies.

"Oh, shut up!" "Vega, I didn't even say anything bad...yet"

"I'm sorry I'm just...I don't know...stressed?" "It's just New York nothing to worry about. So, what is it you wanted to tell me anyways?" It's silent again for a couple seconds all you can hear is the car racing down the empty road. "Vega don't make this awkward" I blush slightly weirdly overwhelmed that I couldn't just say what I wanted to tell her from the start. That you love her? No no please anything but that. I don't love Jade.

I have to think of something else to tell her, come on Tori think of something. Just tell her you love her already Vega. I ignore the voice in my head. Cheese and rice just change the subject blurt something out! "Ryder asked me to be his roommate in New York and I accepted" Well that works... "So that's who you're falling for" Looks like that didn't work too well in your favor. Now you'll have to tell her that it's her she loves not Ryder.

I blush at her words. "Me and Ryder? No, we're just frie-" She stops me mid-sentence. "It makes sense you always had a knack for liking people who are in need of help" Someone like you when you came crying to her on her doorstep that one year.

"Jade I-"

"Save it Vega, you don't have to hide it anymore. I know what I saw once you saw Ryder tonight your face basically lit up the whole place" I was lost for words for a second. My face was completely normal seeing Ryder. I just got excited because it's been so long since we've last seen each other

"I mean it's been almost a year since I saw him so yeah, I'm pretty sure my expression was justified" I look over to Jade who rolls her eyes at me continuing to focus on the road. She breaks concentration on the road to do a quick glance at me then rest her elbow to against the window. She leans her head over her hand looking bored while driving, "I find it ridiculous that you fell for him again given your rap sheet of previous ex boyfriends" I look at her offended. "I do not have a bad rap sheet of boyfriends!"

"Yeah, you kind of do there was that Daniel guy who kissed you while dating Cat" "I already apologized for that and I even had Cat punch my fa-" Jade cuts me off not giving me a chance to explain. "Then there was Ryder Daniels who tried to use you for a grade." I grit my teeth at her a little, "But Ryder cha-" Again she doesn't let me explain she just basically cuts me off again as if I'm not there. "Just face it Vega you're bad with boys. You run through them quick as lightning, when was the last time you even had a serious relationship?" I huff at her question.

"I had that one serious relationship remember we dated for like 3 months remember?" "Oh, you mean that wazzbag Steven who cheated on you with that internet sensation Carly" "We got our revenge thou-"

"You're horrible at relationships just face it" I snarl at her. It was not once but three times she interrupted and I've had about enough. "I am not bad at relationships I just never realized how oblivious and naive I was back then" "It only took you this long to figure out how stupid you are?"

"THAT'S IT STOP THE CAR" I surprised myself with my sudden outburst and turn to Jade who has a stunned look on her face from me yelling. Her demeanor comes back though with that bored expression she wears all the time. As if she didn't care that she called me stupid. She pulls the car on the side of road putting the gear in park.

"This whole ride you've done nothing but interrupt me and insult me on my relationships!"

"I only interrupted you because I already know everything. I was just trying to get to the point that you've had bad past experience with guys. Didn't think you'd fall for Ryders act a second time" She stares back at me and I sigh at her. "You didn't have to keep insulting me, like saying I run guys?! You make it sound like I'm a Northridge girl" "Well you're acting like one the way you we're drooling over Ryder the whole time we were at Nozu at dinner" I looked at her hurt. "I can't believe you just said that"

She really thinks of me as bad as a Northridge girl? I don't even want to argue with her about this anymore. I simple unlock the side of my door unbuckling my seatbelt and step out into the darkness, there's no way I'm in love with someone who thinks I act like a floozy from Northridge. I can feel my eyes trying to fight back the tears that I refuse to let fall.

"Get back in the car Vega" I look at her the door still open, my mind fighting whether to step inside or just leave. Stop being stupid and just get back in the car with her. What are you going to do? Walk all the way home because you're too much of a chicken to admit you love Jade West.

Without thinking I just slam the door shut and walk away from the car. I hear Jade yelling for me but I just continue walking. Why am I so hurt about Jade thinking so low of me? She's insulted me far worse than that before but this time it just stung. For crying out loud Vega! It's because you love her! Her words hurt because you can't believe someone you love thinks you're a floozy. Now stop walking away and get back in the car.

I shake my head vigorously to get mini-Jade out of my head. I can't love Jade; we wouldn't even make sense. Frenemies to lovers? It'd be too cliche of Jade to even attempt a relationship with me. Just as I kept walking, I sense the bright lights of high beams behind me and I already know who it is, Jade honks at me suddenly and I get stunned I stop walking. "For crying out loud Tori it's like 1 in the morning, I'm not leaving you out like this. Get in the car!"

I turn to Jade's car and see her with a slight look of concern but also a huge sense of anger in her eyes. "I don't want to be in a car with someone who thinks I'm a floozy!" She groans to herself, "I didn't mean it Vega. I was trying to tell you the truth and my gankiness slipped out. I don't know why but it did. Now get in the car!"

The sound of Jade's shuts off and I hear the door slam, "If I have to drag you in here Vega so be" "No I'm not getting in a car with a wazzbag" I yell over my shoulder. I suddenly feel two hands around my waist that force me to turn my whole body around. I'm face to face with Jade who has this fiery gleam to her eyes. I look at the distance of how close we are, and realize our faces are centimeters apart. I try to speak up but my face is burning up from our closeness. Just as I was about to speak up to tell Jade to take her hands off of me, she hoists my whole body over her shoulders. Wait is she carrying me?! How is she carrying me? "Put me down!" She doesn't say a word she simple walks with ease back to her car with me in toll. I think you should just admit defeat and get back in the car with her.

I nodded slightly at imaginary Jade and let out a sigh, "Alright Jade you win put me down I'll back to the car with you" she drops me to the ground with no care and I fall flat on my butt. "OW! Did you have to drop me so suddenly?!" I pick myself up and dust the dirt off my pants. We continue to walk towards her car.

"You we're getting heavy"

"Oh, so I'm stupid and heavy?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it"

"Well, it seems like you picked this night just to insult me so anything else?"

"You suck at acting"

"JADE!"

"Oh no Jade you wounded my soul with your ridiculous lie"

"I don't talk like that!"

She laughs to herself with a small smile to her face. She always has that smile whenever she knows she annoyed me. We finally made it back to her car and enter it sitting on the side of the road for a moment. She looks at her phone judging by her eyebrow raise she was looking at the time "Well I guess it's too late to take you where I wanted to. Shall I take Ms. Sweet Sally Peaches home?"

I thought long and hard about what she asked for a moment. Should I go home? If you go home now you won't have your answer and you'll leave to New York wondering if there was a chance. Is that something you're willing to do? Let it gnaw at you until you realize you should have done something? Yet another good point from Imaginary Jade. "No let's go, but for the rest of the time being can we just let the radio play until we get there? Help ease the anger and tension we both have for right now" We lock eyes again and Jade nods at my condition turning up the music letting it drown out the tension. She drives off to whatever destination she's taking me.


After what felt like eternity. Dramatic much? Shut it. Anyways back to my narration, we made it the destination. It was on a hill out looking Los Angeles, all the city lights pretty much lit up the city. "What are we doing here?" Jade doesn't say another word but just steps out of the car and head to the front of her car hopping on top of the hood and leans back. Why are you still in the car weirdo go sit with her!

I hop out of the car and sit on the hood as well criss crossed looking out to the buildings. "Can we talk or are you still mad at me?"

"Are you going to apologize?"

"I apologized to you on graduation isn't me apologizing once enough? You know I didn't mean it"

"Comparing me to a Northridge girl? I deserve an apology"

"Fine you're not a Northridge girl I take it back. That's all you're getting out of me."

I nodded softly at her taking it as an apology. Looking over at her she's looking into the sky. Sometimes I wish I can find out what's going on in her mind... "So why are we here anyways?"

"I brought you here to remind you about how talented you are" That sounded way out of character for Jade. I look at her and place a hand on her forehead to check for a temperature. She quickly swats my hand away, "Stop it Vega! I'm not ill. Look over there" She sits up pointing over to a huge building with purple lights; the Boomerang Theater. "I guess you can say that's where our friendship actually started. Also where you performed amazingly at"

I think back to that night, she was right. That's when we grew closer, "I just brought you here because I've been meaning to take you here all summer. I wanted to tell you this before Cat's sleepover tomorrow night" Wait she has something to tell me? What could she possibly tell me? Does she like me back?

"I'm all ears"

"My mom worked her magic and got me an internship to work as an assistant screen writer in San Francisco I leave the day after tomorrow. So I won't be able to see you off when you take off to New York" She brought me here just to tell me that she's leaving and can't see me for my send off? Well I guess that's what friends do. Not because she loves me.

Two weeks without Jade? Tell her now before it's too late. I can't...I'm sorry

"That's amazing Jade! Congrats, is this going to get in the way of school though?" What the chiz are you doing? Don't ignore me! Jade nods her head no, "The guy I'll be working with is actually a professor at my school so I'll be working his schedule meaning I'll have time to work and study. So you know a win win situation. " Except for the part that you won't be here for two weeks...

"I'm leaving so suddenly so I can get a head start and he can show me the ropes on how to write better than I already do"

"That makes sense, and don't worry about me. We'll make time to see each other, also we now have video calls so there's that"

"Yeah I suppose you're right..." She looks at me as if she wanted to say something else.

"Is...that all?" She looks over at me for a moment. Our eye contact not breaking for a moment and then she proceeds to look away from me. She looks over to her phone and frowns at the time. "No I think that's everything I have to tell you for the night" She hops off the hood looking over the city once more than back at me, "Get off my hood Vega, I'm taking you home"

I quickly hop off and enter the car once again. Jade starts up the car looks over to me and then back forward starting to drive


We made it back to my house, the whole car ride was us explaining what are plans are for school. Not once did you even remotely tell her your feelings, you chicken.

She doesn't like me like that, enough about it. The car halts to a stop, "Alright Vega this is your stop' I unbuckle my seatbelt about to head out until Jade places her hand on my shoulder. "Vega wait..."

I turn to her waiting for her to speak up, "Be careful falling for Ryder again"

"Jade I told yo-"

"Don't start this back up Vega it's okay that you can't admit yet. Just listen."

I nod at her motioning that I'm listening, "Once you come to terms with being in love, just be careful. I've seen you hurt before and I know I'd probably say that I love watching you suffer" I chuckle at her because that is something she'd say.

"In all seriousness though. Be careful who you fall in love with okay?" You got that right. She fell for her high school bully like a dunce. Why is imaginary Jade a lot meaner than the Jade in front of me? Because I'm basically you portraying Jade. That made zero sense but a lot of sense at the same time. I listen to Jade's words and give her a quick squeeze on her shoulder letting her know I'm listening to her advice. As I step out of the car shutting the door. I give Jade a small smile in which she returns. I watch as Jade back out of my driveway into the night. I whisper to myself.

"I fell hard for Jade West" NOW YOU ADMIT IT?