Jade's POV
Before I even opened my eyes I could tell I was hungover. My head felt like someone was stabbing my brain with hundreds of tiny, little needles. This wasn't an unusual feeling for me, I spent most of my spare time getting drunk and with alcohol automatically comes a hangover the morning after. I thought by now I'd be used to them, obviously not.
I stretched my arms carefully towards the back of the tent, my fingers skimming over the thin and moist material. My body ached from sleeping on the hard floor, my back clicking several times as I expanded my stretch. I let a quiet mumble out of my mouth as I reclined the stretch, finally snapping open my eyes.
"Hiiii!" Cat spoke the moment she saw my eyes open. She was sat at the end of the tent, sat with her legs crossed and staring at me.
"Why are you watching me sleep?" I snapped, blinking several times to adjust to the bright light seeping through the tent walls.
"My brother watches people sleep sometimes." The naive redhead smiled. "Where did you go last night? I missed you! We had so much fun though, Robbie and Rex tried to talk to some NorthRidge girls and they threw their drinks over him! It was so funny!"
"I don't care. I was out with-" I paused, turning to my side to point, but stopping myself as I realised it was only myself and Cat in the tent.
"With?" Cat laughed, her eyes scanning the empty place beside me.
"I was away from you freaks. You give me a rash, and not the good kind." I flipped the blanket off me, tugging my heavy boots onto me and ripping the tent zip open, letting the fresh May air hit me in the face. The air was crisp with the scent of newly cut grass filling my airways. My eyes scanned the yard, everyone was still either fast asleep in their tents or sat on the grass smoking and laughing about last night, everyone but Tori. "Where the fuck is she?" I whispered to myself.
"Where is who?" Cat replied, sticking her head out beside me, her face awkwardly close to mine.
"No one." I didn't look back as I headed towards the house. Where the hell had Tori gone? Had I really scared her off that much? Why did I even care? I met this girl last night, she wasn't anything to me. "Fucking hell." I cursed as I slammed Beck's front door loudly. I had to see her again.
...
"Jade, where the hell have you been? Your Father and I were worried sick!" My Mom was stood by the front door, her arms crossed and her lips pursed at me. She never looked very 'mom like'. She had blonde, curly hair that was always in a messy bun and she always dressed as though she was going out for the night. She was the complete opposite to my Dad who was very formal, with his dark hair always gelled back and smart attire was mandatory.
"I was at Beck's." I scanned through the mail that had been left on the side, not paying attention to her at all.
"Oh really?" Her tone changed. "Are you guys back together then?"
I scoffed, throwing the letters down. "No."
"Oh. That's a shame, I liked Beck. Don't go out again without telling us first, ok?"
I headed towards the staircase, briefly mumbling as I headed up the wooden stairs. "Yeah, whatever." She didn't care about where I was, she only acted like she did. Her and my Dad were too busy to really parent my brother and I, so we were left to our own devices.
My room was how I'd left it the day before, the curtains pushed to one side, showing off my vast windows and view. It was almost the same view that Tori and I had looked over last night. I ran my fingers along the glass, making out the skyline with my touch. Why had this one girl who I'd had one conversation with capture me so much? There was just something about her that made me crave to know more about her.
After sleeping in a tent the majority of last night I felt as dirty as I could feel. From sitting on the hill with Tori last night, I had mud and grass stains covering my clothes and body. I dropped my dirty clothes to the floor, pausing for a second to look in my full length mirror, my fingers trailed over a handful of faint scars on my arms. "Stop being stupid." I mouthed before stepping into the hot shower. The hot water stream collided into my skin, releasing every last bit of tension. I closed my eyes, just standing under the hot water, my hands running through my soaked hair as I replay last night in my head.
"Well Jade, not Jadelyn, West. It is a pleasure to meet you." She said my name with such fluidity and ease, it rolled off her tongue as though it was her favourite word. It sounded beautiful falling from her lips.
My lips curled into a smirk as I thought back on our conversation, she was the first person I'd encountered that hadn't been scared of me. It intrigued me, like I'd finally met my match. She was the type of girl who wouldn't be afraid to say no to me, and I liked that.
...
"I'm out."
"But I wanna go see the new Carebears movie! This one is meant to be really good, with an evil marshmallow. Isn't that funny, marshmallows aren't evil!" Cat whined down the phone, laughing at the last moment.
"Robbie will go see it with you, he saw the last two didn't he?" I rolled my eyes, walking towards the sunset on the hills. I'd decided that since it was another beautiful evening I was going to watch the sunset, and hopefully get some inspiration for some new music.
"He's got the dentist! Oh please Jadey!" Again, I could tell she was doing her 'kitty eyes' down the phone at me.
"Don't call me that." I snapped. "I know you're doing those stupid eyes."
"Can you see me?" She gasped.
"No, you idiot." I paused as I began to reach the top of the hill. "I have to go." I spoke quickly, hanging up before she could say any more.
Sat on top of her hill, her body no more than a silhouette was a brunette girl. Her hair was a rich shade of mahogany, it flowed in waves down her back. Even though I could barely see her, I knew it was Tori. From the angle of where she was sat, she looked so pretty that I had to stop and stare at her for a moment. I couldn't help but stand still for a moment, just admiring her before continuing up the hill.
Tori turned around quickly as she heard my loud boots sound behind her. "We have got to stop meeting like this." She smiled as I reached the top of the hill. She didn't seem phased, nor worried that we were both up there for the second time in twenty four hours.
"What happened to you this morning?" I sat beside her, grilling her right away.
"I had to be home early, my Dad needed help with washing the car." She captured my eyes right away, her's having a certain, undefinable sparkle to them as usual.
It was the worst excuse I'd ever heard in my life. "Daddys little princess I take it?" I cocked my eyebrow at her.
She laughed, that perfect laugh that made the world want to laugh along with her. "I just like to help my parents out. They do a lot for Trina and I. Mainly Trina.."
I let my lips curve into a smile as she laughed. Damn it, why was she so sweet? "Why are you here now?"
"You ask a lot of questions y'know?" The smile didn't leave her pink lips as she replied.
"Why are you here?" I asked again, a smirk on my face.
"I wanted to stalk you." She said with a serious look on her.
My eyes widened, my forehead crinkling in confusion. "For real?"
Tori laughed again, throwing her head back and laying on her back. "As if!" She sat up slightly, leaning against her arms to prop her up. "I remembered how nice it was and I wanted to watch the sunset, instead of a sunrise."
"Ditto." I replied, copying her position.
We both sat for minutes, just watching the world go by in front of us. Our curious eyes scanning the horizon, just watching the beauty beyond imagination unfolding in front of us, its like a giant canvas bringing everything good together if only for a moment.
"I had a lot of fun last night." She finally spoke after sitting in silence. "It was so spontaneous of me. I couldn't stop thinking about it all day."
I turned my head to face her, a stupid smile on my face. "Me too."
"We should do it again." She rolled around to turn onto her stomach, facing away from the view.
Again, I copied her position, leaning on my fists to balance myself upright. I couldn't help but look at her, there was something so alluring about her. "What are we doing now?"
She laughed slightly, flicking her hair out of her face. "You really aren't scary, Jade. I have no idea what your friends were talking about."
I felt my cheeks blush slightly. "Somewhere deep down, there's a decent human being in me and apparently you bring out the nice side in me." I raised my studded eyebrow at her.
She laughed louder, moving again. This time sitting opposite me, her legs crossed. She pulled on my arms, pulling me onto my knees to face her. "Did it hurt when you got it done?" Her fingers trailed gently over my eyebrow, brushing lightly over the stud protruding from my face.
I shook my head. "I like pain."
She stuck her tongue out at me. "Of course you do." She left her hand on my face for a moment longer, her eyes scanning my face briefly. "You have the most gorgeous eyes I've ever seen." She smiled, moving her hand back onto her lap.
Her smile leaves me breathless, speechless, my heart pounding and my hands shaking. What was she doing to me? "Um, thanks?"
She turned back around to face the view again. "You like me, don't you? That's why you spent the night with me and not your other friends? You think I'm cool?"
"What?" I half chuckled in shock.
"Well, why are you being so nice to me if you're such a 'bad' person? Your friends seem pretty scared of you, but I'm not."
"Because." I started. I had no idea why I was being so nice to her, or why I was even tolerating her at all. I hated almost everyone I encountered, everyone but Tori. "Yeah, you're cool."
She rolled her caramel eyes at me. "Denial is the first step." She laughed. "Admitting it is the second step. But we'll deal with that one when we reach it."
"You're pushing your luck, Vega." I crossed my arms against my chest as my eyes began to glare at the giggling brunette. What the hell was she playing at? I'd known her less than twenty four hours and already she was fucking with me?
Her face dropped as she faced me. "I'm sorry." She breathed heavily. "It's ok, I like you too. You're everything I want to be, you're spontaneous, and fun and you live for the moment. Like taking me up here last night to watch the sunrise was awesome, I'd of never done it alone."
I took a deep breath, letting my face sooth out again. "Whatever." I replied. "The sun's almost set, do you wanna just chill at mine?"
She stood up quickly, brushing her trousers off, looking embarrassed about what she had just admitted to me. "Sure. Do you live far from here?"
"Ten minutes, if you power walk that is." I began walking down the hill, Tori a few steps behind me.
We made small talk during the walk back to mine. I noticed little things about her that I hadn't last night; like how she had the worlds most flawless cheek bones ever and how she always wore a stylish ring on her middle finger. I noticed her looking at me in more detail as we entered my bedroom.
Her eyes scanned around my room, her mouth in an 'o' shape. "It's very, you?" She smiled. "I like it."
"You like a lot of things, Vega." I pointed to my double bed. "Sit?"
She obeyed, perching on the edge of my black bed. "Is it just you that lives here?" Her eyes continued to curiously look around my room.
"I'm fifteen." I said sarcastically. "I live with my parents and my little brother."
"Oh I'm so jealous. I wish I had a little brother. Wanna trade?" She wiggled her eyebrows at me jokingly.
"In your dreams. I hardly know Trina and that's how I like it." I pulled open a secret compartment on my bedside table, pulling out a almost full bottle of vodka. "Wanna drink?"
She nodded. "I guess so."
I smirked at her. Last night she had barely been able to handle the Jack Daniels I had given her, so seeing her on Vodka seemed even funnier to imagine. "Can you handle this?"
Her eyes widened. "Of course!" She took the bottle from me, necking a shot and pulling a face the moment she swallowed.
I laughed loudly, taking a shot straight after her. "I'll have to train you in the art of not pulling a face after every shot."
"Good luck, my friends at my school have tried all year. I just hate shots!"
"You obviously aren't friends with the right people then." I took a bottle of coke from the floor, pouring a couple of shots of vodka into it before handing it over. "Drink this, you can probably just about handle it."
She took a few sips, smiling after every gulp.
"See, you're doing better already." I continued to take shots of the straight vodka in my hands.
"I guess being friends with you has that effect on me. I can't tell if you're a good or bad influence though." She lent hard against my headboard, kicking her shoes off and getting comfy.
"I'm bad to the bone." I sneered at her, cocking my eyebrows. "You're too good, that needs to change if we're going to be friends."
"An overflow of good converts to bad, said William Shakespeare. Perhaps being around you will turn my good into bad?" She placed her coke bottle down, reaching over and taking the bottle from me, swallowing almost three shots, a smug look on her face as she forced herself not to squirm at the taste. She was constantly full of surprises.
The darkness swamped my room as the hours went on. I'd been too lazy to close my curtains, leaving the lights shining as bright as diamonds in the view in front of us.
"This is the second night we've done this now." Tori slurred slightly, her pupils had almost doubled in size from the amount of vodka she'd consumed.
"How the hell did this even happen?" I held the empty vodka bottle up to the light, scanning it for any last drops of alcohol.
"You invited me over?" Her brows crossed in confusion.
"No, not that you idiot. I mean us. This time yesterday we'd only just met, and now you're here, in my bedroom, getting drunk with me. How?" I pointed my finger between the two of us, dropping the empty bottle to the floor.
"I'm cool, remember?" She snorted as she laughed hard.
"You are far from cool right now, Vega." I rolled my eyes, collapsing against her, my head spinning as I stared at the plain, white ceiling. "Seriously though?"
"I like you, you like me, it's as simple as that isn't it? I guess we just have a connection, you know?" She lent on her left arm, leaning on her side to face me.
I mirrored her, sweeping the hair from my face. "A connection?" I mocked.
"There's something about you Jade West. I don't know what it is, but I just feel like I have to know you. It's like we're magnets, pulling at one another to come closer." Her tired eyes moved up my body before landing on my own, meeting them for only a few seconds before glancing away again. "You can't tell me you don't feel the same. It was no coincidence we were both up on that hill tonight."
"I wouldn't call it a connection, but there is something about you that I like, Vega."
She smiled at me, her face lighting up at the compliment. Her sleepy eyes sparkling as she caught mine in a glance.
"Are you gay?" I said it confidently, it had been on my mind all night. I don't know why, she didn't act it, nor look it. But who did nowadays?
She chuckled, falling onto her back and closing her heavy eyes. "You ask a lot of questions."
"That's not an answer!" I demanded.
It was pointless, she'd already passed out from the alcohol. I watched as she took deep, sleeping breaths. Her chest rising and falling gently, her eyelids closed against the dim light shining through my window, her breathing deep and relaxed, all the muscles in her face and body were totally at peace.
And then, out of nowhere, I lent down and placed my lips on her tanned forehead. I don't know why I did it, but it was sensual, the way my lips connected with her skin. It was right, and somehow, among all of the dizziness of the alcohol and emotions, something inside me changed, never to be reversed. This new, unusual feeling could be dealt with later, because for now, I was content with tiny connection we just experienced.
As I moved my lips away from her, holding my breath to make sure I didn't wake her, she rolled over, her eyes still shut heavily and her breathing just as deep as before. "I think you just answered that question." She mumbled before falling back into a deep sleep.
A/N - Thank you to everyone that reviewed, followed and faved! I got a lot of good reviews for this, so thank you! As I said before, this is set the summer before Tori joins HA :) Let me know what you guys think of this chapter! :)