It was like a mini vacation. Even though it was only going to be for a few days and we were staying at Tori's Aunts house, it was our first own little vacation. And where better to spend a vacation than in Las Vegas.
We'd gotten ourselves into a small routine within the first day. It started by being woke up by her Aunt who was busy around the house before she went to work. It was almost impossible to wake Tori from her sleep most of the time but when she did finally blink her eyes open a big sleepy smile was never far behind. Once we'd made ourselves look presentable and put more clothes on we'd have breakfast outside by the pool, usually made by Tori and it never varied. She always had a bowl of cereal, full with milk where as I had cereal but strictly with no milk. And then like clockwork we'd throw on our bikinis and head outside into the blue, clear day and have a full day of tanning and chilling by the pool before an evening of the best entertainment in the state.
I'd come to notice little quirks about Tori from spending so much time with her, like how when shes nervous she flicks her fingers together slightly and how she never puts ketchup over her chips like I do, she always puts it on the side of her plate and like how she loves apple juice and could drink that stuff by the gallon.
"You're gonna turn green." I put my book down for the first time in half an hour, eyeing her up the sunbed beside me. She was in a white bikini which complimented her skin perfectly, her hair in a messy bun with a plait going across her fringe. I'd been too engrossed in my book earlier to appreciate how good she looked until now.
She smirked, placing down her second glass of apple juice. "I think the only color I'm going to be turning is brown." She pulled her bikini bottoms down an inch, her tan lines glowing white.
I flipped my sunglasses onto my head, raising my eyebrow at her. "I have tan lines too." I looked down at my own skin, sure I was slightly tanned but it didn't even compare close to Tori's Latina skin.
Tori giggled. "I know you do babe. I've seen them." She'd meant to be sympathetic I was sure but she only sounded sarcastic.
"Vega, do you want to get pushed in this pool?" It was rhetorical yet her mouth began to open and close like a gold fish.
Her eyes widened, the smile on her face stretching. "You wouldn't dare."
I didn't say another word before grabbing at her warm body and hauling her up to her feet. Laughter erupted from her as she tried pathetically to fight me off her. I was stronger than her and we both knew that so we both knew how this was going to end yet she still struggled slightly in my arms as I pulled her closer to the pool.
"Jade, no." She pretended to hate it.
As we got nearer the side of the pool her feet began to dig into the floor, her heels pushing hard against the tiles in another pathetic attempt to stop me. We were a foot away from the pool as she finally gave in, turning around to face me with her welcoming brown eyes, for a moment I almost felt guilty about what I was about to do, but that passed quickly. I smirked as with one final push she'd gone over the edge, still laughing loudly and crashing into the still blue water. Silence. The pool was quite deep and it took her a few moments to resurface. A brief moment passed where my heart skipped a beat waiting for her to come up for air until finally her hands, then her head broke the waters edge and the silence.
"Jade West I am so going to get you!" Were her watery words. She was still rubbing the water from her face and coughing up chlorine as she began treading water.
"As if."
...
By the time her Aunt had arrived home we were already beginning our evening routine by watching an old game show we'd become addicted to in the past few days. Her Aunt worked almost all day and once she was home she did her own thing, leaving us to do whatever we wanted. She was in her mid thirties but lived like she was twenty one. I hadn't met Tori's parents but if they were anything like her Aunt, then I'd like them.
"This again?" She rolled her eyes as she entered the front room, throwing her bag down onto the couch beside us. "Estás mojado? Ese sofá es nuevo!" She noted, pointing at the towels hanging around our sun kissed bodies.
I had become used to hearing both Tori and her Aunt talking in Spanish to each other, even though it did piss me off slightly having no idea what they were saying. I turned to Tori flashing her a confused look.
"We're not, Aunt Sofia. Don't worry." Tori replied innocently, her eyes barely glancing away from the TV. "She asked if we're wet from the pool." She said to me without me having to ask.
"Are you girls eating in tonight? Want me to make some pizza?" She had obviously noted my face from them speaking Spanish as she went back to speaking in English pretty quickly.
"No thanks. We're going out." Tori finally glanced away from the TV to smile at her Aunt Sofia.
"Okay, you two be safe though. You know how worried your Dad gets when he knows I've let you out in Vegas."
Tori turned to me, her eyes rolling. "Dad freaks out where ever I go because he's a cop and so he just panics all the time."
"Poor you."
"But I'm the cool Aunt so I let her go." She wrapped her arms around Tori's shoulders. "Lo digo en serio, cuídense." She grabbed her bag and headed outside.
I rolled my eyes at the spanish again as I stood up before the show had ended, wrapping my towel tighter around my body. "I'm going for a shower."
"Okay, leave it running for me please."
"Aren't you going to come with me?" A cheeky smile slid across my face as Tori's eyes lit up, her head nodding slowly.
...
"Where do you want to go tonight?" Tori was mending the last bits of her hair. She'd spent twenty minutes gripping and regripping the same section of hair. Her lips had began to pout and I could sense how frustrated she was becoming.
"I dont mind."
"You ever been to Vegas before now?"
I shook my head. "Nope."
"Okay, I know where to take you. It's a bit of a walk though. I wish I had a fricking car." She threw a grip down. "Let's just go before I cut all my hair off." She slammed the front door behind her, placing her bag over her bare shoulder. She headed off down the drive way and towards the setting sun. The sky had exploded in color, reds, oranges and yellows cascaded across the sky from every direction. The sun setting over Vegas was quite a sight and I found myself staring all around me in awe as we walked into the city.
"I wouldn't like that." I smoothed her hair out slightly as I caught up to her.
"What?" Her voice was snappy.
"If you had short hair. Then you'd look like a proper lesbian stereotype." I chuckled at the thought of Tori with a bald head.
She scrunched her nose up, a grossed out look appearing on her face. "I'd hate that too. I'd look awful with no hair."
"I like that you're girly." It was the first compliment I had given her in a while as her grumpy face blushed into a shy smile.
"So you wouldn't love me with short hair and tattoos?"
She used that word for the first time since last night. I'd been so exhausted I'd even forgotten we'd said it. I said it first amd yet here I was my heart racing and my stomach feeling like it was filled with elephant sized butterflies at the fact she'd used that word so casually talking about us.
I shrugged my shoulders. "I wouldn't mind seeing you inked up."
She knew I'd avoided her question and her use of that word. Her lips pursed back into the same pout as before as she carried on walking down the hill. Her Aunt lived on the edge of the great city, she was close enough to the action but far enough away to have peace and quiet. It was the perfect combination. Although as we walked further and further I wish she'd lived in the center of the city.
"You brought them right?" It was the first thing Tori had said for a few minutes. She'd been grumpy since her hair hadn't gone right and Tori being Tori, she was stropping and taking it out on me. I was used to her acting like this now but it never made it any easier to deal with.
"You mean the fake ID? Of course." I handed her the small piece of plastic from my back pocket.
She sniggered. "These are good."
I'd been shocked when Tori had asked me to get her a fake ID. I was used to her being a total good girl. It was proof I was rubbing off on her and I didnt know if it was a good or bad thing.
"It's this place right here." Tori stood outside a busy bar, the front of the bar was open windows with chairs and tables filling the open space. Towards the back of the room, past the bar was a small stage with a microphone on it.
"A karaoke bar?" I raised my eyebrow in disapproval. Just as I thought Tori was beginning to become a bit rebellious I was reminded of the reality that only Tori would get a fake ID to go to a karaoke bar.
She nodded, an excited smile on her face. "My Aunt took Trina and I here as kids but if you don't have an adult over 21 you can't come in, so that's why we needed these." She held up her fake ID, a proud grin covering her lips.
"Remind me to smack your Aunt when we get in for getting Trina into singing." I joked. "Lead the way." I said reluctantly. This was far from my scene, but Tori wanted to be here and so that meant for her sake, so did I.
We sat in the window, half in the loud building and half on the streets of Vegas. I'd ordered us two cocktails and they'd come out to us like a proper Vegas show, fancy crap all over the glass and a sparkler to top it all off. "You can tell we're in Vegas." I joked, scraping all the shit off of my glass so I could get to the straw.
Tori took a sip of her cocktail. "Wow this is good."
"It's sex on the beach."
She rolled her eyes playfully. "Of course you'd pick that cocktail."
"So what are you going to sing?" I flicked through the song book in front of me, my eyes scanning the thousands of songs.
"Oh no way. I can't do that." She was blushing, sipping heavily on her cocktail.
"So you've taken me to a karaoke bar and you're not gonna sing?!"
She nodded her head. "I want to hear you sing." A guilty smile slid across her lips.
"Why?" I rolled my eyes at her.
"Because you go to Hollywood Arts and all the kids there are crazy talented-"
"Not all." I interrupted, with a smirk. "Two words, your sister."
"Okay like almost everyone there is and I've only ever heard you kind of sing in the shower and I just wanna hear you sing for real. Your voice sounds amazing from what I've heard." She looked pathetically hopeful.
"No."
"Don't make me beg." She bat her eyelashes playfully at me.
"If you did sing, what song would you sing?" I changed the subject slightly, pushing the book in front of her.
"She will be loved by Maroon 5. What about you?"
"Fast car by Tracy Chapman. Her voice is really low and husky and I love that." I paused for a moment, chewing on my lip inbetween drinking. "Wanna make a deal?"
"I'm scared." She laughed with concern in her eyes.
"Don't be." I smiled. "If you sing, I'll sing."
A look of complete fear filled Tori's face as she went stiff. "I can't."
"Fine, then I won't sing either."
We sat for the next hour consuming several more cocktails and listening to crappy singers sing the same old shitty songs. The only good thing about it all was the fact that I could feel myself getting drunker and that meant this whole situation was becoming slowly less boring.
"Can we go to a real club? Or a casino? We're in Vegas after all."
Tori shook her head. "Just wait."
"For what?"
As I spoke the music died down, a loud voice echoing around the room. "Up next we have Miss Vega, come on up Tori."
"No way!" I almost choked on my drink in shock. "Are you serious?"
Tori smirked at me, her eyes wide from the alcohol and a glimmer of fear. "Deals on. I sing, you sing. Got it." She slurred, standing up and heading towards the stage.
"Shit you're drunk." I suddenly felt nervous for her. I could feel my cheeks starting to burn. I gripped my hall full cocktail tight with sweaty hands as I tried to breathe slowly.
She entered the stage looking so beautiful under the heavy lights. Her chocolate brown hair framed her face and she closed her eyes. The light dimmed and a bright spotlight was put on her. My heart raced faster as the music started playing, she opened her eyes slowly finding my eye line, a nervous yet brave smile on her face. And then the most magical sound came out. It carried around the room, bouncing around wildly. Her voice was beautiful, sounding vulnerable but strong at the same time. It was hypnotising, almost like everyone was drugged. I looked around and not one person had their eyes off her. My heart began to race for a million different reasons to before now. As the song finished her confidence had grown dramatically yet she was still the shy and bashful Tori that I knew. Her cheeks were painted red as she exited the stage to a loud cheer and applause.
"Why the hell didn't you tell me you could sing?"
She sat down and took a long drink of her cocktail, her hands still shaking in fear. "I'm okay I guess."
"You should try out for Hollywood Arts with a voice like that!"
Her cheeks were stuck on the color red, a shy look on her face. "Nah, like I said, that's Trina's thing. Thanks though."
I was in shock. Thats the thing about Tori, she was always shocking me, always doing new things that made me even crazier about her. I could practically hear how hard my heart was beating as I just watched her still in awe from the performance.
"Your turn." Tori smiled as my name echoed around the room in the same way Tori's had a few minutes earlier. "Break a leg."
It was my turn to feel nervous for myself. I was never scared of being on stage, I'd been performing since I was a kid yet after hearing Tori sing and now knowing that she was going to hear my real voice for the first time I couldn't help but panic. As I took to the stage the butterflies in my stomach turned into elephants. My sweaty and shaky hands took the microphone as the music began. I looked around the room, making sure I avoided Tori but as I began singing I was drawn to her. Our eyes locked and for the next few minutes I sang every single word to her as if it was the last time I was ever going to sing. As I left the stage I could see her cheeks were slightly wet, her eyes watery.
"Are you crying, Vega?"
"No. I got something in my eye." She rubbed at her eyes. "Your voice is out of this world, Jade. I knew you'd be good but I never thought you'd be that good."
"You're crying cause I can sing?" I laughed at her. "Man up."
She sniffed. "We should head back to my Aunt's. Our bus leaves at 10am and I know how you get when you don't get enough sleep." Tori stood up, composing herself.
I followed after her, both of us stumbling slightly. "How drunk are you?"
"Drunk enough to cry when you sing." She laughed, linking her arm with mine.
I chuckled. "Yeah well, your singing isn't awful."
"I was so proud hearing you sing. It's such a turn on as well." Tori stopped in the street and pulled me into a loving kiss.
"Tori!" I pushed her off me. "People might see us."
"It's the middle of the night and since when did you care about what people thought about you?" She looked offended but didn't let that stop her as she kissed me again.
I couldn't resist her and she knew that. Flashbacks attacked my eyes as they closed to kiss Tori. Every fight and laugh, every long-night phone call and each text in the morning, everything from the last few months replayed in my head as we stood kissing. It wasn't just some dumb crush, I was seriously falling for this girl. "I love you. Like I really love you, Tori." I breathed in between kisses.
"I know. I love you too." She replied, breathing heavily into me. "Come on let's get back. I can't wait for you any longer." She winked at me, grabbing my hand and dragging me along the street. "It's been so hard seeing you in bikinis all day and not being able to hug you, or kiss you or touch you."
"Do we have to go back tomorrow?" As we walked back reality began to sink in.
"Yes. Your parents and Jett must be missing you like crazy and all your friends."
"Let's just stay here. I turn sixteen in a few weeks we could totally get married." I froze realising what I had just said.
"I'm not even your girlfriend yet." Tori frowned. "And I expect a better proposal than that too!"
I grabbed her hand, turning her to face me. "You might as well be my girlfriend, I mean you pretty much already are."
"Are you serious?" Tori laughed loudly and rolled her eyes as she saw my face was serious. "Totally romantic." She paused. "But yes. I'll be your girlfriend, Jade."
I guess the saying was wrong, what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas.
A/N - A long awaited update. Sorry for the wait guysss. Hang in there!
Hi Doll, I know you'll be reading this ;)