"Want to go out tonight?" I held my PearPhone against my ear while I was finishing curling my hair. I'd dyed the ends a bright shade of blue and I wanted to show them off to Tori.
"I can't. I'm trying to finish this dumb project. Plus my parents will probably say no." I could hear the resistance in her voice immediately. "You know they've started to get stricter about me going out so much."
I huffed. "So sneak out?" I placed the curling iron on the side of the dresser and opened my window wide. The warm summer air hit my face, a huge contrast to my air conditioned bedroom. It was the same feeling you get when you first walk off the plane in a foreign country. "It's such a nice evening. We could go to the beach, to the park or just go joy riding?"
She hesitated for a few moments before drawing a breath. "I don't know Jade." She trailed off.
"Oh come on Vega. School starts again soon and we won't be able to do shit like this anymore." I closed my window and carried on curling the rest of my hair as I waited for her to answer. "Don't make me beg."
She giggled flirtatiously. "But I like when you do that." She replied without missing a beat.
I rolled my eyes hard. "Please baby." I said in my sweetest voice. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and immediately stuck my tongue out in disgust. She had me wrapped around her little finger and she knew it.
"I was going to say yes the entire time but this was way more fun." She laughed, pleased with herself. "Pick me up in twenty?"
"Vega." I groaned. "I'll be there in fifteen." I didn't let her reply before I hung up.
I fixed the final bit of my hair until it was perfect and took one last look in the mirror. I was a shadow of the girl I used to be, the girl before this summer; before Tori. In a matter of a few months I had changed drastically, yet no one really knew. To my friends I was still tough, sharp tongued and outgoing Jade but in reality I was becoming softer, gentler and kinder. It wasn't something that happened overnight. Like how the seasons changed gradually, slowly I was becoming a new Jade. Every day I spent with Tori changed me for the better. I laughed harder than I ever had before. Mainly, I felt more than I had before. With anyone in my life. Not my family, friends or even Beck. I still didn't know if I liked that or not. But what I was sure on was Tori. I loved her. I loved what she did to me and the way she made me feel. And for that reason alone, I didn't care who I was anymore.
...
I pulled up a few houses down from hers. It was still slightly light outside so I stayed out of sight of her house to be on the safe side. Even though I'd not been in her house, Tori told me about how her bedroom is at the back of the house and she's able to sneak out by climbing down off her balcony. It made me chuckle to imagine the situation. Tori is such a good girl in every sense of the word.
I could see lights on in the front of the house. I assumed it was her parents watching tv. I imagined what they were like. Comforting and warm I bet. Seconds later Tori appeared in sight. She looked behind her and either side of her before half running, half skipping towards the car. I could see she was trying to be as quiet as possible but I couldn't help but laugh at her as she reached me.
She pushed a stray few strands of hair behind her ear as she opened the car door. "Stop laughing. I hate sneaking out and you know that." She shut the door silently as she got in and pushed my arm playfully.
I turned the radio up to wind her up. "Calm down. It isn't even ten yet. I'm sure Mommy and Daddy won't even notice you're missing. They probably think you're tucked up asleep in bed."
She relaxed and started to laugh more as we drove away from her house. "My sister almost caught me sneaking out."
I gauged her reaction from the corner of my eye before placing my hand gently on her thigh. "How?"
"So I climb off my balcony on to a lower part of my house right and it passes her bedroom window and she was doing a stupid face mask and looking out of the window. So it made me literally crap my pants when I saw her but she had cucumbers on her eyes so she didn't see me."
"Your sister is another breed, I swear to god." I chuckled at the thought. "You're cute."
"You're in a good mood." She ran her hands through my hair, spinning the curls around her fingers. "It looks good."
"Wondered if you'd notice." I squeezed her thigh. "I'm always in a good mood around you."
"Debatable." She laughed loudly. "So, what's the plan?"
"There isn't one." I was driving in a general direction but I wasn't really sure what we were going to do.
"Oh." She shrugged. "Why don't we go to a park or a lake or something?"
"I know a place." I turned off at the next corner and headed north. "How's the secret project going?"
She tensed, taking a sharp breath. "I don't even want to talk about it."
"That bad huh?" I watched her nod out of the corner of my eye. "Got it." I laughed slightly at her over reaction. "I'm going to miss doing shit like this when school goes back."
She relaxed slightly. "I know, me too." She sighed. "I mean we can still hang out, just not as much I guess."
"We'll make it work." I took a small dirt track off the main road towards darkness.
"Taking me somewhere quiet to kill me?" Tori laughed as she looked around at just the trees and nature surrounding us.
"Like I'd do it somewhere like this. If I was going to do that I'd take you somewhere where no one could find you, or hear you scream." I parked the car and pointed to a sign barely lit up by my headlights. "We're at Lake Hollywood."
"Oh cute. My Dad used to take us hiking up here as kids. I haven't been here in ages." Her eyes sparkled as she spoke. "We used to-"
I cut her off by turning in my seat and grabbing her face passionately to kiss her. I placed my left hand firmly on her cheek while my right hand ran up into her hair, my fingers becoming entangled in her brown curls. The heat rose in my cheeks as my tongue touched hers, quick and electric and delicious, then firmer, more determined and more intense than before. Her hands pushed against the zipper of my shorts, her hands fumbling to open them.
"Let's get in the back. There's more room." I said breathlessly.
We climbed over the seats in-between kisses. I removed my t-shirt quickly, throwing it in the front seat. Tori followed in suit as she lay down on the back seats. Our bodies radiated with heat as I lay on top of her, planting kisses all over her body. As my lips touched her neck her body tensed, a loud moan releasing from her body. Her neck was her sweet spot. I teased her with gentle and soft kisses at first. Barely touching her skin until she was forcing my head towards her body. My lips pressed harder than before, nipping at her with my teeth.
"Don't leave a hickey on my neck." She moaned, pushing me off her slightly. "It was so hard hiding the last one." She said playfully as she kissed me on the lips.
"I like leaving my mark on you though." I kissed her neck roughly, pushing her arms above her head.
"Jade." She groaned, not even trying to attempt to make me stop.
I moved down from her neck and on to the top of her bra line. I teased her again, dipping my tongue towards the area she was begging me to touch but I was having too much fun. Whenever I got close a quick gasp left her mouth followed by her biting her bottom lip to try and stop the moan I was forcing out of her. I carried on down her body, not letting her get what she wanted. Her body moved against me as I worked my way down. My lips didn't release from her skin the entire way down.
I finally looked up at her; she was half dressed and breathing heavily. "Don't make me wait." She begged.
I smirked and cocked my pierced brow at her. "Or what?" I moved my lips onto her thigh, kissing slowly and softly as I made my way towards her centre. Just as my mouth and hands reached her shorts she sat up right so quick she almost kneed me in the mouth. "What?" I half sat up, flustered and confused.
"Shut up." She held her hand over my mouth as she looked around with a frantic look on her face. "I saw blue and red lights. It looked like they were coming this way."
"So?" I muffled through her fingers.
"My Dad is working tonight." She reached into the front of the car trying to find her t-shirt. She found mine and threw it at to me.
I threw my t-shirt on over my head, barely realising it was on back to front. "Calm down. Like he'd be here right now. The odds of that as so slim." Before I could say anymore or adjust my shirt a loud knock banged on my car window.
Tori let out a squeal as she covered her eyes. "Jade!" She whispered pathetically.
I couldn't see out of the windows as they were so steamed up. "Stay quiet." I hushed before opening the back door slowly. A flashlight shone bright in my eyes before I could make out who was stood in front of me. I blinked several times, forcing the stars to disappear.
"Ladies." Two police officers stood at the side of my car, one shining the flashlight in our faces and the other with a walkie talkie in his hands.
This wasn't my first run in with the cops, nor would it be my last I imagine. "Can I help you officers?" I half smiled.
"We've had reports of kids coming down here and joy riding and smoking weed. You weren't smoking anything funny were you?" The officer with the flashlight moved it to look around the car. I followed the light and held back a snigger as it landed on Tori's crumpled t-shirt which lay on the floor beside her. Her arms were covering the top half of her body as she faked a smile. Her face was as red as the flashing lights on their car.
"Nope. Not at all." She said in a panic.
Both the officers looked mortified. "Okay. Well you two have fun." The first officer said as he patted the door. I could feel his second hand embarrassment from the situation.
I waited until they had walked back and were almost at their car before shutting the door. "Oh my god." I laughed out loud. "So was that your old man?"
Tori let out a deep breath, she was still visibly shaking. "No." She grabbed her t-shirt finally. "Thank god." She ran her fingers through her hair. "God that was so awkward. Do you think they knew?"
"What that we were hooking up in the back of the car?" I laughed loudly. "Duh." I pointed to the steamed windows, our messy hair and the fact I had my t-shirt on the wrong way around.
She let out a nervous giggle. "Oh my god. I'm so embarrassed."
"Don't be. I'm sure they have seen a lot worse." I turned my t-shirt around the right way, still slightly laughing at the situation. "Well, now that's been ruined. How about a walk?"
"A walk?" She repeated as though she hadn't understood what I'd just said. "But it's dark out and don't they have mountain lions up here?"
Another laugh left my mouth as I rolled my eyes at her. "Don't be stupid. Did Trina tell you that?"
She nodded. "Do you have a flashlight at least?"
"It's in the trunk somewhere. Come on, we can go to the lake." I took her by the hand and pulled her reluctantly out of the car.
We started walking down a trail lit only by my flashlight and the glowing lights that made up the city of Hollywood in the distance. Tori held on to my hand tight as we passed cactus trees and fountains before we found our way to a look out point. It was located on top of a hill so it overlooked the entire reservoir and the 'Hollywood' sign was visible in the distance.
"It's so pretty." Tori spoke, a little out of breath from the walk. She sat on the bench and patted next to her for me to join.
"Still convinced I'm gonna kill you?" I winked.
"Hmm." She ran her hands over my body playfully. "I can't feel any knives or scissors hidden on you, so I think we're good for now."
"Although I could throw you into the reservoir."
"I'd rather you didn't. You're not meant to swim in here, let alone be thrown in."
"Spoil sport." I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, resting my head in the crook of her neck. "Sure you don't want to go for a late night dip?"
"I didn't bring a bikini." She replied way more seriously than I thought she would have.
"You're wearing your birthday suit, right?" I pulled at the bottom of her t-shirt with a cheeky grin covering my face.
She crossed her brows at me. "Oh no. No way. We almost got caught having sex by the cops, I am not risking them catching us skinny dipping too!" She stood up and crossed her arms, trying to look as stern as she could.
"I was only kidding. As if I'd swim in there at night." I pointed to the dark abyss of water that swamped the area below us. It looked peaceful but haunting.
Tori let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, good." She sat back down next to me.
"Wanna get high instead?" I reached around in my pocket and pulled out a joint and a lighter. I expected her to react the exact same way she had done when I suggested skinny dipping but as always, she surprised me.
"Sure, why not." She took them off me, placed the joint in her mouth and lit it. She sucked hard and long on the joint, making it crackle and pop with life before a luxurious exhalation in the shape of an 'o'. She coughed a little before handing me back the joint.
My mouth mirrored that 'o'. "When did you learn to do that?" I was in awe of her.
A smug smile stretched across her lips as she pushed her hair behind her ear. "I've been practising. Impressed?"
"You surprise me more and more, Vega."
Hours later and we were both high and giggling wildly. Slowly, I began to notice things are different. Everything seems, alright. My body begins to feel heavy and whole, yet I feel perfectly in place with where I am. My head felt light and my world felt blurry but I loved that feeling. I lived for that feeling. But that feeling didn't last long. It never did. Reality came crashing down, hard.
"My Mom's drinking again." The worlds fell out of my mouth in a messy fashion.
"Oh." Tori turned on the bench and pulled her knees up to her chest. "Do you want to talk about it?" She spoke so softly, with so much compassion in her voice.
"I don't know." I stubbed out the last of the joint on the floor below me. "I don't think I can cope if she spirals again."
"I'll be there for you Jade. No matter what." She took my hand in her own, rubbing her thumb against the palm of my hand. "And we can talk about it whenever you are ready. Okay?"
"I know." I squeezed her hand in appreciation.
We sit for what feels like hours, Tori curled into me. She fits into my body like the perfect puzzle piece. She doesn't need to say anything, just her presence and her being next to me calms me. Her sweet perfume consumes my senses and I feel at home.
The first realisation I get of sunrise is the shadows and profiles of buildings and trees with a hint of light behind them. Morning has started to break. The light becomes a glow and warms the sky with it's color. Soon a tiny speck of brilliant light shines through the trees and the sky becomes fire at the horizon, warming the morning and lighting the reservoir in front of us.
"I should get you home. It's late. Or early. I'm not sure."
She rubs her eyes slightly as she glances east towards the sunrise that is rapidly creeping over the horizon. "Oh shit. If my parents catch me they will kill me."
I manage to drop a sleepy Tori home just before 7am. The world is just waking up for the day but Tori's house still looks very much asleep. "Thanks for tonight. I love you." She lent over to the drivers side and kissed me gently.
"I love being busted by the cops and venting to you." I chuckled. "I love you too."
She laughed once more before opening the car door and rushing towards her house. She turned quickly to blow me one final kiss before she was out of sight. As I headed home my heart fell to my stomach as my mind raced about what I was going to find when I got there.
My suspicions were right. On the sofa, passed out with a bottle of wine by her feet and a few cigarettes scattered around the table was my Mom. My beautiful Mom who had done so well, who was on the right track but as always, who let me down. I picked the cigarette butts up and threw them into the trash along with the wine bottle and placed a soft blanket over her. I'd deal with this in the morning. Nothing was going to ruin how perfect my night had been with Tori. Not the cops, not my Mom, nothing.
...
Hey, so remember me? Long time no update...my bad :/. No excuses, life got in the way and I just stopped writing. Although I never stopped thinking about this fanfic and I am determined to finish it.
I hope you are all staying safe and well during this scary time and I hope this update can bring you a little bit of joy! :)