Having fallen asleep at an absurdly early hour, Tori managed fairly well to stay asleep through the night. She stretched and yawned, rolling over to look at the clock. Four thirty. Could be worse, she thought, climbing swiftly out of bed. Something about a good night's sleep always put a pep in her step. Since it was a little too early to start clanging around downstairs, Tori decided to shower first, and then pick out something to wear.
Although she felt well rested, her body was a little sore from the extra hours of sleep she didn't normally get, so the heat from the shower was welcoming. Tori changed the setting on the shower head from spray to pulse, and almost instantly she was transported back to the dream she had already mostly forgotten. Pressure points tingled from her head to her toes, which curled inward slightly. The ghost of a pair of hands on her hips gave Tori chills, in spite of the water temperature. The memory of lips on her collar bone ordered goosebumps, her back arching on its own. The smell of sweet pea filled her nose, making her eyes shoot open immediately. Jade. She knew she was feeling some weird things, but had no idea they were even close to that. Once she had Jade in her mind though, she didn't seem to want to go away. The rest of the shower was quick in an attempt to get out of the heated haze.
Tori walked back into her room wrapped in a towel, mind set on finding something comfortable to wear on a bleary Monday morning. She looked out the window and saw that it was overcast and dark with a very slight mist. Banking on the weather being nice to her, Tori grabbed a short-sleeved button up shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans. She slipped a pink tank top on over her bra and put the collared shirt on after it, only buttoning it up half way, then laid back on her bed to shimmy into the crazy tight jeans. She grabbed a pink and white striped tie that was loosely knotted and threw it over her head, letting it fall lazily to the side.
The next twenty minutes or so was dedicated to hair and makeup. Tori twisted a thin braid on each side of her face, then put in some red feather earrings. A few pokes of Mascara, lip liner and gloss, two quick swipes of light purple eyeshadow, and she was good to go. With a dab of her signature vanilla perfume on each side of her neck, Tori grabbed her phone and her bag then headed downstairs.
By the time she was getting to the staircase to head down, she heard Trina start banging around towards the bathroom. The woman had no class when it came to respecting other people, and Tori was very glad she had gotten out unscathed with everything finished. She walked into the kitchen and started peeling a banana when she heard some noises at the front door. Not really sure who she knew that would be coming to her front door at five twenty in the morning, Tori put the banana down on the counter and walked towards the door slowly, phone in hand.
Mr. Vega unlocked the door successfully and turned the handle, opening the door slowly and carefully to try and not make much noise. Tori stepped back and let out a breath when she realized it was her Dad, who jumped at the noise.
"Oh hey kiddo, I didn't think you'd be awake." Tori's Dad looked awful. His beard had grown in generously and he had dark circles under his eyes. He smiled at Tori and inched his way in the house with a suitcase.
"Hey Dad, what's goin' on?"
"I just came to uh, grab some things." He wasn't sure how much Tori's Mom had told her. Truth be told he came over so early to hopefully avoid the girls; he didn't want to have to explain anything at this stage. Tori could tell he didn't want to get any more into it than he had to, so she didn't pry.
"Right. How've you been? Haven't seen you in a few days."
"Just been workin' as usual doll." Tori's dad took his shoes off by the door and headed for the stairs. "I gotta head up and grab the rest of my clothes real quick, I have a shift in an hour."
"Okay."
Tori picked her banana back up and ate it slowly, happy that she got to see her Dad, but sad that he was only coming to take more things out of the house. She knew that her Mom and Dad would do whatever they needed to do though, whether they ended up getting back together or not. It didn't really matter if they were together, as long as they were each happy and Tori got to see them both at least sometimes.
Her Dad came back down about ten minutes later, suitcase packed and ready to go. He put his shoes back on and turned to Tori, walking over to pull her into a hug.
"I miss ya kid, believe that."
"I miss you too Dad. Hopefully when you and Mom work some of this out we'll be able to go out for dinner or something and actually talk, even if it has to be just me and you."
"Trust me, I wouldn't miss that for the world. I gotta go doll, love you." He kissed Tori on top of the head, trying not to mess up her hair.
"Love you too Dad." She patted him on the back and watched him walk through the door. Trying to think of a way to kill some time, Tori turned the TV on and found the local weather channel she and her mom liked, hoping she would see some clear skies for the afternoon.
Jade woke up around six forty-five, peering towards the window with one eye. It wasn't raining, but it looked like it wanted to, so she planned on dressing warm. Having already taken a shower the night before, Jade got dressed immediately, choosing a pair of black jeans, a dark purple long-sleeved shirt and a thin, dark purple sweater vest with white accents that matched the shirt. Assuming it was just as cold as it looked, she finished the outfit off with an asphalt gray hoodzip that had skulls patterned on it, spraying some perfume on it before heading up to the kitchen.
Her Dad was sitting at the island, finishing up a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. The headline read "SCANDAL: Hollywood Producers Allegedly Involved in Child Sex Ring." As soon as Jade stepped into the kitchen, her Dad held the paper up so she could see it plainly.
"This is the shit I'm always talking about. Right here."
"Jesus give it a rest Dad, it's seven in the morning."
"This is real Jade, it happens all the time."
"No it doesn't happen ALL the time. If it did, they would have busted these people a long time ago."
"Well I've read my share of experiences. I mean look at Corey Haim, did you see what he said about people touching kids in the industry? It's sickening."
"No Dad, I didn't. Believe it or not I'm not one for gossip."
"It's not gossip, this shit is real and it's one of the reasons I wish you could get your head on straight and go to a real school."
Jade closed her eyes and didn't say anything for a minute. She was so used to her Dad giving her speeches on what she should be doing with her life that it didn't even phase her anymore, but every once in a while, there was that little itch to just yell and tell him to mind his own business. "I'm going to school. Hollywood Arts, maybe you'll stop by and have lunch with your little girl sometime?" Jade smiled sweetly and grabbed a bagel off of the cutting board.
"Everything's a joke to you isn't it? You're not gonna be laughing when you're thirty and busing tables at a diner because you can't get a job as an actress."
"What you just said is wrong in so many ways I don't even know where to start." Jade grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder, then walked out of the kitchen without another word.
Once her shoes were on she headed out to her car, slamming the door behind her.
The drive to school was slow. Monday morning traffic was always a bummer, especially on an overcast day like today. Jade always stopped at a coffee shop called "Bean n Gone" on her way to school and got an extra-large hazelnut coffee with 2 cream and 2 sugars. The barista was named Taylor, and he always looked at Jade like she was going to steal something when she came in, which gave her a sick feeling of satisfaction.
Jade picked up her usual and got to school with about ten minutes to spare, heading straight for her locker to get her bag situated for the day. As she stepped through the doors, the first thing she set her eyes on was Tori Vega. Her step slowed just slightly, watching the slender tan girl clean out some old papers and get her own bag situated.
"Close your mouth before you start drooling" some kid sneered as he passed, his eyes following from Jade's to Tori's.
"Up yours, geek" Jade retorted, loud enough that he would hear it, but also loud enough that Tori could hear it.
Tori turned around and waved to Jade, picking her bag up and slinging it over her shoulder. Making eye contact with Tori was a mistake. As soon as Jade stared into those golden-brown pools, she got really nervous and started fidgeting. She didn't know why the girl made her so nervous all of a sudden, but it was really annoying.
"Hey Jade."
"Hey Tor." Tori beamed, looking especially good in her preppy outfit and skin tight jeans. Jade gave Tori a once over as she stretched, eyes lingering around her midsection, finding an appeal in her flat stomach and the edges of ab muscles coming in, visible when her shirt rode up. Tori finished her stretch and caught Jade looking, a stupid smile on her face as she waited for her to say something.
"Um...Jade?"
"Yeah...yeah." Jade snapped back to reality and looked up at Tori, smiling and swinging her arms a little nervously.
Tori noticed Jade looked a little different than normal. The hoodie had skulls on it which was pretty typical, but her shirt was purple and white with a sort of clean style to it. Definitely not Jade's normal style. She noticed a look of what seemed like excitement in Jade's eyes, which was a little too much crazy for Tori to handle, especially on a Monday morning.
"So uh, got your eye on someone lately?"
Jade all of a sudden looked nervous, not wanting to make eye contact. "No, why do you say that?"
"Your outfit is...different. Not something you would usually wear, so I figured you might be trying to catch someone's attention. So, which boy is it?"
"There is no boy" Jade replied, which was technically true.
"You'll tell me eventually, I know it. I'll get it out of you somehow."
"Just leave it alone okay Vega, there's nothing. Drop it."
Jade walked away briskly, leaving Tori startled and confused in her wake. Not knowing what she did to make Jade angry, Tori picked up her bag and headed for R&B Vocals, vowing to herself she would figure it out so she wouldn't make the same mistake again.
First hour was alright. Andre was his usual chipper self, commenting on Tori's outfit when she came in and sat down next to him. Tori said her thank you and set her bag on the floor, leaning back in the chair. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes, puffing out her cheeks and then letting it go, her lips producing a well-rounded 'pop.' Andre smiled, turning in his chair to face her.
"What's up chica? Someone got ya down?"
"No, not down. Confused, though. Definitely confused."
"Well, what's so confusing?"
"I don't know. It's like, we hang out, have fun, do things girlfriends do you know. But it's only outside of school. When we're here, it's like she doesn't know me or doesn't want to be seen with me. I know she can be fun and funny and a good listener, but it just seems like when we go too long being nice to each other she feels she has to ruin it somehow."
Andre shook his head with a smile. "That girl still got you twisted up at night?"
Tori's eyes widened in shock. "What does that mean?"
"It just seems like you want to be friends with her so bad it probably keeps you up at night, coming up with ideas to get and stay on her good side." Andre laughed at his attempt of a joke, but hearing someone mention Jade being on her mind at night scared Tori to death. The visions from her last dream came back in bits and pieces, making Tori squirm a little in her chair as she saw a part of it a little too clearly in her mind's eye.
Tori and Jade had gone to the movies that night to see some horror movie Jade was raving about, something to do with scissors. After buying tickets and drinks, the girls went and found seats in the back row towards the middle. The previews came and went relatively quickly, and the lights dimmed to signal the start of the feature presentation. A group of kids towards the front wooped and hollered, making Jade smile. Tori figured she was in for a gorefest of corpses cut into bits with scissors, so she just smiled painfully and laughed.
Not long into the movie, Tori had twisted in her seat to face Jade, covering the side of her face with her hand. Jade stole a few sideways glances and giggled every time she saw Tori wince.
"Come on you big goof, you're gonna miss all of the good action."
"Jade, this is ridiculous. That woman got her revenge already, now she's just gutting people for fun."
"I know, isn't it cool?"
Tori looked at Jade in amazement. Just as she was about to respond, a jump scare caused Tori to scream out loud and grab Jade's hand, making Jade and the group towards the front start laughing in unison.
"Jade, it's not funny!"
"I'm sorry Tor, you're just so adorable when you're scared."
A few minutes later, Jade noticed Tori still had a hold of her hand, fingers interlocked and all. Making sure her innocent-as-a-bunny friend was okay, Jade kept making frequent glances out of the side of her vision, and when she saw Tori start to slide down in her seat a bit, she made small, calming circle patterns on Tori's hand with her thumb, trying to tell her without words that she was there and it was just a movie. Tori relaxed in her seat and looked over at Jade and smiled.
"Hey Tor, snap out of it girl, we gotta sing!"
"Wha...? Oh, yeah. Sorry."
"Where'd you go?" Andre laughed, looking at Tori like she had just come back to the present from some faraway place in her mind.
"I was just remembering something, nothing big."
"If you say so. Lead it off."
A little bit later the bell rang, and Tori and Andre made their way out to their lockers. Jade was nowhere to be found, which wasn't totally uncharacteristic of her, but it was frustrating, seeing as Tori wanted to talk to her. She saw Cat at her locker switching out books for her next class and decided to ask her where Jade might be.
"Cat, do you know where Jade is?"
"Hey Tori! I haven't seen her, but if she's not around, she's probably in the Janitor's closet."
"The...Janitor's closet?"
"Yeah, she goes there when she wants to get away from stuff. It's supposed to be a secret though, so don't tell her I told you."
"Okay, thanks Cat."
"Kaykay, bye Tori."
Tori walked over to the Janitor's closet and turned the handle. Locked. She jiggled it from side to side a couple times, but it didn't budge. Surely Jade couldn't be in there, but where would she be? Tori looked through the window but didn't see anything until she moved to the very edge and peeked to the side, seeing Jade's boots. She knocked on the door, hoping Jade would come answer it.
A few seconds later the door swung open, and Tori walked inside. It smelled a little dusty and sterile at the same time, and also a little like Jade's perfume. She was sitting on a chair in the corner of the closet with her coffee cup resting on one of the shelves. She had her PearPod in her hand and earbuds in, listening to Tori didn't know what. There was only one chair in the closet, so Tori just stood awkwardly while Jade listened to her music in silence, eyes closed.
After a couple of minutes Jade took the earbuds out and looked at Tori. She looked like she wanted to say something, but the words didn't come out. Tori smiled sympathetically, and it seemed to raise Jade's courage.
"Sorry for acting weird earlier. I've been having a lot of...odd feelings lately. Stuff I'm not used to. Stuff that's hard to get under control."
"It's okay Jade, I've been dealing with the same thing."
"You have?"
"Yeah. Some strange dreams and weird..."
"Urges?"
Tori shot a challenging look at Jade. Did Jade know what she was thinking? Was she dealing with the same thing? "Uh, yeah. It's kind of..."
"Weird."
"Yeah, it is."
The two girls sat in silence for a minute, then Jade stood up and walked over to Tori, standing ten-toe. They looked into each other's eyes, the only sound in the room being quickened breaths. Both girls looked at each other almost in challenge, a strange mental dance to see who was thinking what. Tori could smell hazelnut and sweet pea. Jade could smell vanilla and spearmint. The space between their lips so miniscule you wouldn't be able to see light pass between them. Tori leaned forward a fraction of an inch, and suddenly there was a jingling sound from outside as the Janitor tried to put they key in the handle to unlock the door.
The girls jumped backwards from each other as the Janitor walked in. He smiled a little and shook his head.
"Jade, I told you I wouldn't tell on you if you needed to get away for a minute, but bringing friends with you is a different story. You're gonna get me in trouble if Lane finds out you're skipping classes to hang out in here and make out with your girlfriend."
Tori and Jade both turned a hilarious shade of red, making the Janitor laugh.
"We aren't girlfriends...or girlfriend and girlfriend...together. Whatever it is." Jade looked down at her shoes as she spoke.
"Sure looks to me like there's something going on here."
"Well...there isn't. And don't say anything Walt. I'll find your house if you do."
The Janitor smiled hugely at Jade's threat. "I'm sure you will kiddo. Now out, both of you. Go to class."
Tori was closest to the door so she moved first, not making eye contact with the Janitor as she walked by. The hall was empty and the girls were both late for their next class. Jade had already been late to Math twice that month, so a third time earned her a detention for an hour after school that day. Tori had Pop Music, which was basically a theory/pitch training class, so she wasn't in trouble for being late.
The rest of the day went by without a hitch, except neither Tori nor Jade could concentrate on anything. Each one thinking back to the scene in the closet. Standing so close, breathing each other in. Fractions away from having a moment neither of them could have possibly planned or have any clue how to handle emotionally. The day was coming to an end shortly, and that meant the clock basically stopped moving. They seemed to handle it alright, though, as the final bell rang and announced their freedom. Tori's freedom at least, Jade still had detention.
There was a final rehearsal for Sikowitz' production that day after school since the premiere was the next night, so the gang decided to all stay after and watch the rehearsal and help Robbie out with his performance. Jade couldn't go, but the others would be there. Tori headed to her locker to stow her things before heading to the back wing of the school. The theater was pretty much empty aside from a few people. Final rehearsals were closed, but Robbie got special permission from Sikowitz to have the gang stop by and help. Cat was in the back doing some final touches to people's costumes, tightening seams and hemming pants. Sikowitz was talking to Sinjin and Burf, who were the audio/visual wizards for the production. Robbie was getting ready to work on an action scene with one of his costars, and the gang rallied around to help.
Beck was supplying sound effects while Andre freestyled an energetic, thriller-esque soundtrack over the speakers to help Sinjin with speaker placement and volume. Cat was doing costumes and Robbie was acting, which left Tori without anything to do. She wasn't upset though, and decided to take a seat in the audience to get a feel for what the opening night was going to be like.
A few scenes into the second act, Tori felt someone slip into the chair next to her; Jade. Her detention was over, and she had come to regroup with the gang and see what was going on. Tori instantly sat up a little straighter and cleared her throat, running a hand through her hair and smiling at Jade.
"Hey, how was detention?"
"Same as usual."
"Right, sometimes I seem to forget how much you're actually in there."
Jade smiled and nudged her shoulder into Tori's, and the girls laughed quietly together.
The scenes went on and about half way through script, Jade had no clue what was going on in the play. All she could concentrate on was the beautiful girl sitting next to her. She'd never felt anything for a girl before, much less something as strong as she felt for Tori. It came on quick and held tight, and although Jade was nervous, she was also excited. Deciding to go for broke, Jade reached over very carefully to take Tori's hand in her own. At first her arm just rested against Tori's, but then she started tapping Tori's index finger with her own. Tori lifted her fingers up slightly, and Jade seized the opportunity, sliding her hand down Tori's thigh and linking their fingers together. She looked at Tori out of the corner of her eye, who was staring straight ahead like nothing had happened, yet Jade noticed her chest rising and falling at a fast rate.
Robbie and his co-star shouted lines at each other in Pirate speak, the music from the speakers a low, tense rumble as Andre went for a climactic buildup. Tori's leg was on fire, feeling Jade's hand drag across her jeans ever so slightly was like a million tiny zaps from a taser. Her mind was going a mile a minute, scenes from her dream flashing in and out. She stole some sideways glances at Jade, who seemed to be the happiest person in the universe. Jade kept looking down at their hands linked together, a goofy smile reminiscent of someone who had just gotten out of the dentist on her face.
The rehearsal had been going for about two hours, and Jade was getting tired. She was afraid it might be pushing the envelope, but decided it couldn't hurt to try, and laid her head down on Tori's shoulder. Tori relaxed in her seat a bit and shifted to Jade's side, making her more comfortable. Jade leaned into Tori, reaching her other hand over her body and resting it on Tori's forearm. She was so relaxed and comfortable at that moment she felt like she could pass out, and that's exactly what she did.
Tori really liked the feeling of Jade pressed up against her. She leaned her head against Jade's, smelling her shampoo and smiling. Tori had gotten used to Jade's familiar smell and heat. The two of them fit well together, curves falling into all the right spots since Jade was a few inches taller. Tori's body felt tingly all over, and soon enough, she fell asleep just as Jade had.
About forty-five minutes later, Tori felt someone shaking her arm. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Beck looking down at her with a thoroughly confused look on his face. Tori lifted her head up and looked to her side, seeing Jade was still asleep against her. Freaking out a little, Tori shook Jade gently, telling her she needed to wake up. Jade sat up and opened her eyes, which immediately flew wide open when she saw Beck standing there.
"What's going on over here?"
"Um...I guess we were both kinda tired and ended up falling asleep." Tori looked sideways at Jade, who formed the smallest smile Tori could barely see at the edge of her lips.
"I see that, but why were you all over each other?"
"We weren't," Jade answered quickly, "we just sort of fell this way."
"With your hands linked together?" Beck pointed to their girls' hands, which were indeed still together. Jade slipped her hand back and Tori cleared her throat, making Beck peel his eyes at the both of them. "If there's something going on here, it's okay, I'd just like to know what."
"It's nothing Beck, really. We just fell asleep, that's all." Tori gave Beck a pleading look.
"Okay then, nothing it is. Rehearsal is over, we gotta clear out."
"Kay, thanks for waking me up."
"Yeah" Jade added in.
"No problem, see you guys tomorrow." Beck walked away, but not before one more scrutinizing look at Tori.
"What do you think he thought?" Tori turned on Jade with a worried look on her face.
"He probably thought we were making out and feeling each other up during the rehearsal." Jade winked at Tori and laughed a little.
"I could think of worse things to be doing" Tori answered with a sauce to her tone, which made Jade look back at her briefly with raised eyebrows. Tori blushed hard and wiped her hands on her pants.
"Yeah, me too" Jade added as she picked up her bag, looking at Tori with a soft smile. "Let's get out of here."
Tori got home at about five o'clock. Trina and her Mom were both in the kitchen getting the table ready, so Tori dropped her bag by the door and walked over to the kitchen table. Tori's Mom had made beef ribs with real mashed potatoes, green beans and sweet bread. The smell of barbeque sauce and buttered sweet bread made Tori's mouth water. She hadn't eaten very much that day, and the tension between her and Jade made her stomach ravenous.
"Hey hon, how was school?"
"Good. I stayed after for the rehearsal with the gang to help Robbie out."
"That's nice of you. You think everything is gonna go over well?"
Tori smiled, realizing that her interaction with Jade plus the nap they took made her clueless. "Yeah, everything looks great, they're gonna do really well."
"I doubt it. Sikowitz doesn't know what he's doing and that puppet kid you hang out with is weird."
"Trina, mind yourself." Tori's Mom rolled her eyes as she brought a plate of warm buttered rolls to the table.
Tori reached for one immediately and tore a piece off, popping it into her mouth. The roll practically melted on her tongue, and she let took a deep breath in and out her nose, sighing slowly with an audible 'mmm.' Tori's Mom smiled as she returned to the kitchen to retrieve the rest of the meal.
Three ribs, mashed potatoes, green beans and three and a half rolls later, Tori felt like she was going to burst. Her Mom laughed at the overstuffed look on her face, having warned Tori that if she didn't slow down, she would regret it. Tori didn't mind, though. It was the best meal she'd had in a long time. She stood up and grabbed her plate, carrying it to the garbage disposal to scrape off the last little pieces of bean left over before rinsing it off and putting it in the dish washer.
Trina started up some conversation with their Mom about how she needed some expensive cosmetic appointment at a Beverly Hills doctor her friend Melanie went to. Tori's Mom just smiled and started clearing the table, telling Trina without telling her that she wasn't going to give her an absurd amount of money to have some guy inject her daughter's lips with fat from her butt.
Tori headed upstairs to her room, grabbing her bag from next to the door on the way up and dropping it next to her bedside table. Feeling full and drowsy, Tori turned her TV on and flipped through a couple channels as she laid on her bed. She stopped on an episode of Ellen that was dedicated to Bullying, seeing a small-built boy with glasses and the saddest pair of eyes she'd ever seen. The boy explained about how he had transferred to a new school when his Dad died and the kids at the new school weren't very accepting. He was smaller than the rest of his peers since he was smart, and had been upped a few grades to be more challenged intellectually.
The other guests on the show were a girl with self-harm issues and a girl that had recently come out as gay. The former had been bullied because of visible cut and burn marks on her skin. It started from a history of being assaulted by her brother at a young age, and was perpetuated by the torture of kids at school. What a vicious circle, Tori thought. The latter was a teenaged girl in her Sophomore year who was bullied into quitting the cheerleading squad by the rest of the girls. She started at the beginning, describing random things that had come together to form her realization. Passive thoughts of some girls being cute. Lingering stares. Heightened sensations due to a certain perfume or shampoo scent. Even normal things like butterflies around certain girls.
Tori was entranced. Terrified, but entranced. She noticed a lot of similarities between the girl and herself. But Tori wasn't gay...was she? She'd had boyfriends in the past. The relationships didn't go anywhere, but it wasn't because she wasn't attracted to the guys, it was mostly because they were idiots.
Tori's mind ran off in a bunch of directions at once. Wondering if she was maybe bisexual or something. After a little while of lying there with so many thoughts zooming through her mind, seeing Jade's luminescent smile in her head made her smile, and with that Tori realized that she could be okay with it. That didn't mean she wasn't horrified about the possibility of falling in love with Jade and having to come out to her friends and family, especially after the things she'd heard the girl on TV say. But Tori knew that not every coming out went like that. There were some people that came out and everything was fine. Hopefully if that was the case, she wouldn't lose any friends over it.
In the middle of Ellen's wrap-up, Tori's phone rang. It was Jade.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"Nothing, just watching some TV on my bed."
"Wanna get out for a bit? It's not raining."
Tori smiled. "Yeah, that sounds good. What did you have in mind?"
"I was thinking about going down to the boardwalk or something, get some fresh air."
"Okay. Do you want me to meet you there?"
"It's okay, I'll come get you. Be ready in twenty?"
"Sure thing."
"Okay, see you in a few."
Tori could hear Jade's smile over the phone, and it made her grin so hard it hurt. All the thoughts from the show came flooding back. If liking Jade made Tori gay, then she would have to be okay with it, because as far as she knew, she did like Jade.
Tori freshened up a bit, splashing a bit of water on her face and drying off. She redid her mascara and lip gloss, then re-braided her hair while she waited. A quick refresher squirt of perfume and she was ready to head downstairs. Her Mom was finished in the kitchen, now sitting on the couch in the living room looking at the guide on the TiVo. Tori grabbed her shoes and sat down on the love seat, slipped them on and checked her phone.
"Where ya goin' sweetie?"
"Jade's coming to get me. I think we're going to the boardwalk to just hang out and get a little exercise."
"Okay. Have fun, be home by eleven."
"I will. Love you Mom."
"Love you too, hon."
Jade pulled up into Tori's driveway and put the car in park. Tori was already waiting outside, so Jade waved as she walked by the front of the car and got in the passenger seat. Her walk was seductive, almost enchanting. The way she subconsciously swung her hips just a little bit with each step, along with her perfect posture and slim but muscular frame. Jade couldn't help but stare, even after she was already buckled in and ready to go.
"Are we gonna go?"
"Yes. Yes we are."
Tori laughed and Jade smiled, checking her mirrors as she backed out of the Vega's driveway. The drive to the boardwalk was about twenty minutes, so Jade plugged in her PearPod at a red light and found some music to play, choosing the third album by her favorite band, Six Parts Seven. The music started slow and smooth, carrying the scenery past the window in the fashion of a cinematic montage. Jade kept looking for Tori every time she checked her mirrors to see how she was enjoying the music. This band was something very special to her, and she really hoped Tori liked it. From the way Tori stared out the window, tapping her fingers on her thigh to the down beat, Jade figured she liked it, which made her smile really big.
Once they got to the boardwalk, they found a parking spot relatively close and got out, heading towards the water. It was still overcast and wet outside, so not many people were out and about. Usually this place was bustling with attractive young people looking to find an outlet for their hormones, but not today. The waves crashed in hard, seagulls surveying the sand for something left behind.
"It's weird being out here when no one's here."
"Yeah, usually you can't even move in this place."
The two girls walked along the sidewalk that led to the pier some 50 yards ahead. They walked slowly, eyes mostly glued to the sky or the waves. Eventually coming up on the pier, they turned to head down to the end and hang out for a bit, maybe catch a bit of a sunset if the clouds let up. Passing all of the closed shops, they came up to the end of the pier, rails blocking off the edge. Tori put a foot up on the bottom rail and stretched her legs out.
Jade leaned over and dragged her sleeve-covered hand over the railing, drying off a spot for each of them to lean on. Tori couldn't help but smile; she never pegged Jade as the chivalrous type.
"It's really beautiful, though. The dark overtones in the clouds and the way the sea seems to lash at the shore. The anticipation in the air so vibrant it's almost visible." Jade turned towards Tori and looked her right in the eyes. "You look all around you and just know that trillions of molecules are colliding and changing, upsetting the delicate balance of the breeze." She stepped forward and hooked her finger through one of Tori's belt loops, hearing Tori's breath catch in her throat. "You can smell the crescendo in the distance, and it just makes you feel...alive."
And then Jade was pressing her lips to Tori's lips, and Tori was pressing her hips into Jade's hips, and Jade's hands were on Tori's waist and Tori's arms were around Jade's neck with her hands buried in her hair. After what seemed like hours the two separated, but only by an inch.
Jade looked at Tori full on, determined to not shy away this time. She could barely breathe out for fear of throwing up. She was so nervous that she did the wrong thing. The signs were there. She'd dropped a few hints, and Tori hadn't seemed to push her away. Still, the thought that she forced herself onto Tori was nagging at her, and she got more and more antsy.
"Tori please say something, I'm getting really self-conscious."
Tori's mouth was already wide open, her jaw slammed against the ground, taking in long, raspy breaths. All she had to do was just force out some words, but at that moment, should would be better off trying to rip the rail she was leaning against out of the concrete. Her heart was hammering against her chest. Her vision was blurred on the edges. All things considered, and the only thing she could think about was doing it again.
Tori leaned forward slowly as to not scare her, and pressed her lips against Jade's softly, pecking once, then twice. She hovered for a second, planting one more before tracing Jade's bottom lip with her tongue. Jade moaned into Tori's mouth and fell back a little as her legs almost buckled from underneath her. Tori wrapped a supporting arm around Jade's waist, turning their bodies so Jade was leaning back against the rail. Jade reached an arm up and slid her fingers through Tori's hair slowly, feeling the vibrations against her body as a shiver slid down Tori's spine. She kissed back softly but determined, parting her lips a little at the feeling of Tori's tongue. Jade grabbed Tori's hip with her left hand, pulling her closer into her body so Tori's hips straddled over top of Jade's right leg, and vice versa.
Tori brought her tongue back and pressed into Jade's lips, giving the next attempt a little more vigor. She nudged Jade's lip with hers in a silent way of asking her to open a little more, and Tori pushed her tongue forward, making contact with Jade's as they both buckled into each other. She could feel the heat from Jade's center soaking into her thigh as their tongues brushed each other in a formless dance.
Jade slid a hand up the back of Tori's shirt, running her fingers over her perfect skin. She was hot, and Jade imagined that her body must feel the same to the touch. She lapped at Tori's tongue once, and when it retreated she pushed forward hungrily and took Tori's bottom lip between her teeth. She only applied a tiny bit of pressure, letting her teeth slide off of Tori's lip slowly. She could feel Tori's thigh shaking between her legs, and it only served to amp her up even more.
Feeling like her heart was going to explode if she didn't stop, Jade laid a flat hand on Tori's stomach and came back for air. Both girls stood still, panting and shaking from head to toe. After a few minutes they made eye contact, both smiling and giggling like kids. Tori searched Jade's eyes to see how she was feeling, smile still etched on her face. Jade winked once and smiled back, bringing Tori in for a hug.
Tori held Jade tight for a few minutes, face buried in her neck. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the sun was going down and decided it was probably time to go. She brought her head up and looked at Jade once more, brushing her thumb over Jade's cheekbone. Jade smiled and took Tori's hand in hers, and the girls walked back to the car in silence.
Jade dropped Tori off at home, walking her up to the door when they got there.
"Thanks for taking me out, I had fun."
"Yeah, me too. Thanks for coming with me."
"Jade...I'm glad this happened, but I'm also kind of worried."
Jade felt her buzz drop slightly, and the smile on her face faltered. "What's the matter?"
"You know how we talked about feelings earlier? I think I'm starting to develop some pretty strong ones. And after what just happened, if we continue in that direction any more than we already have, I want to be sure that the path is wide enough for two people before I start walking it, because I think falling down on it would be deadly."
Jade's smile came back almost immediately. "I hear you. Tonight was nice, and all things considered, I hope we can do it again sometime. I mean all things."
Tori smiled as wide as she could. She leaned forward and planted one more kiss on Jade's lips before turning around and going inside. Jade watched her go until the door clicked shut, then walked a little punch-drunk to her car.