Tori walked into the house with a permanent grin splayed across her face. Everything had happened so fast she didn't even have time to process it. Things that were certain: 1. Jade was gorgeous. 2. Jade had the capacity to be very mean. 3. Jade was warming up to Tori. 4. Jade still ignored her when people were paying attention. Tori went through a number of things in her head, until she got to an interesting one. She had feelings for Jade.

Tori was leaning against the back of the front door, grin still stapled to her cheeks when she heard the fridge open and close. She opened her eyes and saw her mom getting some apple juice out, pouring it into a small glass.

"Hey boo." Tori's mom smiled wide as she sat on the stool at the kitchen island. Tori stiffened up a little bit, remembering there were windows on each side of the front door.

"Hey mom, how was your night?"

"Not as good as yours apparently. I haven't seen you smile like that since your first performance at Hollywood Arts."

Tori's face turned beat red. "Yeah I, uh, I had a good time."

"Just you and Jade?"

"Yeah. We went to the boardwalk as planned, total ghost town."

"I see. Well deserted and gloomy isn't really your style, so why the sparkly eyes?"

Stuck for words, Tori chewed on her right index fingernail. "Uh, I don't know. I guess it was just nice to get out."

Tori's mom just smiled at her daughter and took a drink of juice. "Okay sweetie, I'm glad you had a good time." She got up from the stool and rinsed her glass out, heading to the stairs. "I'm gonna head up and go through a couple more case files before I go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow."

Tori was suddenly overcome with emotion. She knew that her mom saw them, she had to. The angle from the kitchen was perfect to see right out in front of the front door. Yet, she didn't bring it up. Tori got the hint, she wasn't deaf or stupid, but her mom chose to let her bring up the conversation on her own when she was ready. A lot of feelings were pulling at Tori all at once. She felt elated and giddy and something else she couldn't quite put her finger on over Jade and the night they'd just had, but she also felt love for her mom for letting her be herself and trusting her to come to her with anything she wanted to talk about. That love was the same thing that made her also feel sad, since she was so happy about her new relationship with Jade, yet her mom was going through issues with her dad.

Tori walked over and grabbed her mom, bringing her into a bone-crushing hug. "I love you mom."

"I love you too, boo." Her mom laughed softly as she ran her fingers through Tori's hair.

"Everything will be okay in the end, it's just the journey to get to the end is kinda bumpy sometimes."

"Good thing I'm a Ford tough mama bear."

Tori laughed and let her mom go, turning to head into the kitchen herself.

The intense moment with Jade took a lot out of her, and her stomach was ravenous. Deciding on light fare, she grabbed carrots, celery sticks and cauliflower and arranged them on a sectioned plate, squirting a little ranch in the circular center. Finishing off with a strawberries and cream yogurt. Tori scooped everything up and took it upstairs to her bedroom.

It was just about dark out now, streetlights visible through the de-blinded window on the far side of the room. The trees swayed silently in the fall breeze while the nocturnal species lit the night with their eyes. Tori set her platitudinous meal on the desk and grabbed some pjs to change into, but when she stepped out of her pants, she was suddenly aware of the stickiness of her legs. The discovery made her smile, relishing in the still pure memory of the pier. She resolved to eating her yogurt before it got warm, then hopping in the shower before finishing the rest.

Jade was in a crazy good mood after she had dropped Tori off at home. Thinking of using it to her advantage, she planned on stopping by Beck's RV on her way home, intent on smoothing things over and returning the group dynamic to normal. Traffic was light, so the trip to Beck's was short and sweet. She pulled up to the cream-colored house that Beck's parent's owned and parked on the side of the road, only planning to stay for a minute. Stepping around the house, Jade heard Beck's voice, something in it making her slow down and approach undetected. Another voice came after which Jade immediately recognized as Jennifer's. Jade peaked around the side of the house just in time to see the two hug, and Jennifer plant a kiss on Beck's cheek.

The scene made Jade upset. She wasn't sure why, since she'd just had the most amazing kiss of her life not twenty minutes ago, but it did. Something about seeing Beck with another girl triggered her jealous impulses. The fact that her own father barely paid any attention to her unless he was cutting her down for something played a big role in her relationship with Beck. Beck listened to her, paid attention. Congratulated her on her achievements at school. All the things her dad didn't do. So when Jade saw Beck paying attention to another girl, it made her feel like she was subpar, just like her dad paid more attention to his work.

Jade wasn't sure what to do or feel at that moment. She was developing something with Tori, Beck being with someone else shouldn't matter. Tori made her feel good. They shared things that Jade didn't share with Beck. Tori understood how Jade was feeling, at least a little bit, because they were both girls going through the same thing more or less. Beck was just a boy, albeit a handsome one, so why did it feel like such a betrayal? Jade turned around and headed back for her car, desperate to get out of the current situation.

When she left Beck's house, not knowing where to go, Jade just drove. There was a certain freedom in stepping on the gas, not knowing where you'd end up, how you got there or why you left in the first place. So many uncertainties in her heart muted through iconic abandon. Before she knew it, she had found her way to the North Ridge side of town. There was a shady corner store in the top right spot of the intersection, and next thing Jade knew, she was parked on the side, away from the windows, ready to search for someone to help her.

A group of guys stood outside of the store, laughing and smoking cigarettes. Jade got out of the car and walked over in a sultry fashion, making sure to show some cleavage.

"Hey boys, do one of you have a cigarette?"

"You shouldn't smoke little lady, I'd hate for you to yellow that milky skin."

"Yeah well, we all do things we shouldn't do, right?"

"I suppose you got me there." The man she was talking to pulled out a pack of Marlboro Smooths and gave her one.

"Speaking of things you shouldn't do...wanna do me a favor?"

"I'm sure I could do you all kinds of favors."

Jade's skin crawled a little. "I have a twenty-dollar bill right here. Buy me a fifth of cheap Whiskey, and you can keep the change."

The others in the group chuckled and fist-pounded each other, stopping abruptly following a dangerous look from the leader. They immediately got quiet and just kind of stared at Jade while they constantly shifted their weight from one leg to the other.

"Now what does a girl like you need a bottle for?"

"Everyone likes to have fun once in a while, right?"

"Well yeah, but this kinda fun can get you in trouble, in more ways than one."

Jade looked the man hard in the face. She knew he was only putting this show on for his friends, and possibly to try to get her to leave with them, but as long as she got him to do what she wanted, it didn't matter.

"I bet you had some fun when you were my age. Right?"

The man laughed. "Oh you know I did."

"Then someone had to supply you at that time, right?"

"Well, shit. Yeah, that's true." He looked at Jade with a soft smile.

"Okay then. Here's twenty bucks, try to get me something that doesn't taste like shit." Jade smiled sweetly and handed over the bill.

The other men in the group all smirked at each other, holding brown paper bagged-bottles of their own. Two of the men passed a joint between them. Jade didn't smoke pot, but she recognized the smell from a few parties she'd been to over the last summer. The man holding the joint saw Jade looking over at them and held the joint out to her, silently asking if she wanted some.

"No thanks, I gotta drive home. Clear eyes means I don't wind up on the news. Well, barring any freak accidents."

"Smart girl, and funny to boot."

Jade smiled politely but didn't respond.

A few minutes later the leader of the group came back to them with a brown paper bag. He extended the bottle to Jade with a smile, but retracted it when she reached for it, his look changing to one of seriousness.

"Alright now, it's gettin' dark, so listen up. I did have someone buy things for me when I couldn't, but I always did that person a solid by being responsible. You get me? I don't want to have to worry about your ass and take time out of my day to watch the news and see if I find some pretty little number wrapped around a tree."

"Oh daddy, I promise I'll be good!" Jade used a similar voice to the one she mocked Tori with.

The man smiled from ear to ear for a second, then laughed really loudly. "Damn girl, you got style. Now go on, enjoy yourself, but keep it real." He handed her the bottle and nodded his head slightly.

"Thanks boss. You guys stay out of trouble, yeah?"

Someone in the back said "Always" and the group got a good laugh out of it. Jade walked to her car with a smile on her face and a bottle in her hand, intent on keeping it very real.

The scenery on the drive back looked vaguely familiar, but Jade's mind was somewhere else. She drove almost robotically, taking corners and using her turn signal as she should without even thinking about it. A few songs on her PearPod went by and she found herself back at the boardwalk. It was almost the same as the night before, no one was around, but the ground was dry this time. Jade walked over to the spot where her and Tori had their moment, leaning back against the rail and unscrewing the bottle.

The waves slid further and further up the beach as time went on. Jade felt her phone vibrate a dozen times in her pocket, but she didn't care. The warmth of the bottle was hugging her tight, and she didn't need to reach out to anyone. The cold air bit at her nose, but a few generous slugs into her night the bite went away. The heat coated her throat and made her limbs tingle, causing her to tip her head back against the wall. Jade West was a tightly wound young woman, but there was never a coil tight enough Jack Daniels couldn't unravel.

The bottle neared down to the halfway mark, causing Jade to go from leaning against the rail at the edge of the pier to sprawled out on the ground lying next to the cotton candy booth. She examined the bottle after bringing it down from her lips. She looked at the label, tracing over the letters with her fingers before stopping mid letter; The liquid itself was exactly the color of Tori's eyes. Jade closed her own eyes and her thoughts floated to the petite, curvy girl that had been the source of so many feelings lately. The cute, innocent girl that Jade so mercilessly picked on for virtually no reason. How could someone as bright and beautiful as Tori Vega even want to be friends with her, especially when it took so much work? Jade wasn't the kind of person Tori should be friends with.

She was damaged goods, a defective toy that no one wanted because it didn't work right. She didn't used to think that way, but her dad changed that, bless his heart. Nagging Jade about school. Not just getting an education, getting the right kind of education. Something he approved of, that would give her a solid foothold in the "real world" where "real people" lived. Apparently, wanting something better for herself made Jade dishonorable. She always thought parents wanted their children to do better than them. To dream something big and do anything they could to achieve it. But when she dreamed that dream and took the steps, she found herself being held back by the very people that should have been pushing her forward.

Jade took the cigarette out of her ear and put it to her lips, realizing afterward that she didn't have a lighter. She stood up very wobbly and stumbled to her car to use the in-dash lighter. She lit her cigarette and shut the door, walking back to the spot she was sitting in moments earlier. The nicotine rush made her dizzy so she sat back down, fearing she would fall over if she tried to fight it. The smoke rose up into the air in a straight line, then spiraled off in different directions at a certain height.

Jade couldn't keep her eyes open very well, but the image in her mind was clear as day. The crystal-clear disappointment in her dad's eyes whenever he looked at her. The air of indifference and frustration of paying for private schooling from her mom. The look of fear in her classmate's eyes when she walked by, like she was going to breathe fire and kill them all in one fell swoop. Tears welled up and spilled over at the image of Tori, bright-eyed and loving from the start, and still to this day through all of Jade's bullshit. She didn't deserve a girl like Tori, but she knew in her heart of hearts that Tori would be her savior. The cigarette had burned itself out, and Jade went along with it.

Tori showered quick and dressed, eating bits of her dinner between picking her hair and catching the night time local news. A few quick stories about good citizens in the community, some food recalls at a local shopping mart and a feature story about movie renting businesses going broke. Tori noticed the cover of the DVD she had watched at Jade's house and it made her smile. She grabbed her phone and sent Jade a text.

Laverne: You still feeling okay about what happened? -Shirley

About an hour later, Tori had finished her dinner, blow-dried her hair and painted her nails, but there was no reply from Jade. It was odd, even when Jade was mad and didn't want to talk on the phone she would usually text back immediately with some rudely delivered one-word message. This time, nothing. Tori sent another message.

Jade: All kidding aside, we don't have to push this. Let me know what you want to do, I don't want to accidentally do something to upset you at school. -Tori

Jade hadn't responded to either message and it was getting late. Tori wanted to go to sleep so she wasn't falling over herself at school in the morning, but she was worried about Jade. She'd even tried calling a couple times, no answer. Maybe she feels terrible about what we did Tori thought, pacing at the end of her bed. Maybe she's left to try to get me out of her head. Tori didn't like the way those thoughts made her feel, but she had to acknowledge the very real possibility that Jade could renege and not want anything to do with her the next morning.

Deciding she would just have to let Jade be Jade, Tori went to bed. She got all snuggled up under the blankets, but when she closed her eyes, sleep didn't come. It was natural for Tori to worry about her friends, but it seemed like Jade had a special place. Tori wasn't sure exactly what that meant yet, but it made her nervous.

Eventually Tori fell asleep, waking up at six thirty the next morning. She checked her phone immediately; no messages from Jade. Sighing and falling back into the pillow, Tori knew today was probably going to be a long one. She got out of bed and dressed with her eyes closed, trying to think of what was up with Jade to keep her from even her snappy one-word replies. A red v-neck shirt that stopped about an inch from her hips, jeans, black boots and a leather jacket were the choices for the day, going for stylish but comfortable for the premiere.

A quickened morning routine, made possible by her mom already being gone and Trina spending as much time in bed as possible, left Tori arriving at school about thirty minutes early. Not many people were around yet, which was actually kind of peaceful. She opened her locker and deposited her jacket, exchanging it for a room temperature bottle of water that she would take with her to R&B Vocals.

Soon after she had everything she needed, the rest of the group started arriving one by one. First Beck, then Robbie, Andre and Cat. No Jade. Tori hung around her locker as long as she could before she would be late for class, but Jade still didn't show. The walk to her first class seemed to take years, the worry and stress starting to take its toll.

The classroom was full up, and Tori headed to her seat near the front left where Andre was bobbing his head, one hand cupping a headphone pad and the other flicking through his PearPod. Tori sat down, and Andre looked up with a smile, nodding his head hello. Tori smiled back, even though she didn't really feel like it. Her mom always told her not to let her inner turmoils come out at the wrong time, and Tori planned on keeping them under wraps.

The teacher came in about the same time the bell rang to start class. Everyone turned in their seats and faced forward, pausing PearPods and taking off headphones. Tori noticed that pretty much everyone had their PearPod out, and suddenly she was worried that she had missed something.

"Andre, what's with all the headphones today?"

"We gotta sing today, did you forget?"

Realization that she had been so caught up in her feelings with Jade lately that she had ignored her schoolwork came flooding in.

"Oh god, I totally forgot. I haven't done any warmups or anything. I'm so sorry Andre."

Andre laughed and shrugged it off. "It's okay chica, you got a gift. We'll be alright."

Tori felt terrible. She didn't even know they had to sing today, and fibbed to her best friend about "forgetting" on top of it. She would have to pull out all the stops now to make sure she didn't cause Andre to get a bad grade because of her mishap.

Students went up in groups of two and sang songs. Some of them original, some of them covers. Andre turned to her in between groups and handed her a piece of paper with lyrics on it. It was a popular song from the 90s that they had sung together before, and Andre was just making sure she remembered the words. At the top was a little scribble with some numbers, 1. Lead and 2. Harmonies with a question mark at the end. Tori waited for Andre to turn around again and pointed a thumb at herself, followed by a peace sign. She wasn't as prepared as Andre was, so letting him take the lead was the smart play. He nodded his head and smiled, quietly reassuring her they would do fine.

Two more couples and then Tori and Andre were in front of the class. The teacher was busy writing notes in her notebook, so they waited for a cue. She put down the notebook and cradled the pen behind her ear, looking up and nodding at Andre to start when ready. The kids in the audience looked alert, Andre's performances usually got a lot of praise.

Although we've come
To the end of the road
Still I can't let go
It's unnatural
You belong to me
I belong to you

Tori couldn't stop thinking about Jade for the entire duration of the song. Singing about carrying burdens reminded her of Jade's struggle to be who she was in a household that didn't support her. Even with the nagging stress, Tori played her part, smiling as she harmonized with Andre, swaying her hips to the music that played through the boombox. Andre smiled and nudged a shoulder into her arm as they stepped around each other, and she reciprocated with a hip bump on the downbeat.

The song came to an end, and though the class loved the performance, cheering loudly as the two found their seats again, Tori felt on the verge of tears, her stomach wrought with confusion and stress. She had just seen Jade a mere 12 hours ago, and it hadn't even been a week since they really became friends. Yet, she felt like the time away from her was thick and heavy, almost like a pressing weight on her chest. The kiss they shared said way more than high school romance, and Tori knew Jade felt the same thing.

The rest of the day seemed to drag on forever. Lunch was pretty uneventful. It had gotten to that point of the year where it was too cold to eat outside, so the group usually sat around in Sikowitz' classroom while they ate, sometimes playing with stage props or looking for Sikowitz' hidden stash of coconuts. Today was the same as usual, Cat acting out a scene of Jade being mean to Robbie with a big foam finger on her hand. Beck and Andre laughed when Robbie told Cat to stop, saying that her impression was all too real and it was freaking him out.

"Have any of you guys heard from Jade?" The antics died down a bit and Cat sat back down.

"Nah, I haven't." Beck wiped his mouth with a napkin and grabbed a bottle of water from the floor next to his seat. "I wouldn't worry about it, though. She's a tired soul, I think sometimes she needs to just get away, you know."

"I kinda figured as much." Tori had finished her salad and was staring down into the empty container. "We've been helping each other out lately with some stuff, and I tried getting a hold of her last night and she didn't answer me. Not texts, calls, anything."

"Not even a text? That's different." Beck shrugged his shoulders and took a drink of his water.

The bell rang and students started bustling in the hallways, drowning out Tori's ability to ask Beck any more questions. The second half of the day was always easier, but Tori realized quickly that part of the reason was because she had two basically throwaway classes with Jade, where they could sit around talk. Jade not being there on the other hand, made these classes very difficult.

Study Hall was cut short for Cat and Robbie, who had to report to the stage to help get started setting up for the premiere. Tori decided she would go with them to help, something to get her mind off of the current situation. With permission from Sikowitz Tori was excused as well, glad to walk around and get some blood flowing. They headed for the stage and dropped their bags in the back room, splitting up in different directions based on what they were going to do. Cat stayed behind the curtain where the wardrobe racks sat, sliding costumes from side to side. Robbie went out to the front of the stage to meet with Sikowitz and the lead of the show, and Tori found Sinjin. She was going to help run cables and test the sound system and lighting.

Sinjin called down to Tori from the A/V box, telling her to test her mic. She sang a piece from The Little Mermaid, and everyone in the theater stopped what they were doing to watch. She closed her eyes as she rose and fell through high notes, one hand flat on her diaphragm, the other holding the mic. After the first verse and one shot at the chorus, she opened her eyes to look up at Sinjin, and found everyone looking at her.

"Oh, sorry." Tori blushed and put the microphone back in its holder.

"Don't ever apologize for that voice Tori," Sikowitz pressed immediately, "that was fantastic."

"Okay. Thanks." Tori shuffled off to the side of the stage embarrassed, but found Andre waiting for her with open arms.

"Come on, bring it in."

Tori smiled and walked into his arms. "Hey Andre."

"You got some talent, you know that?"

"So I've been told."

Tori smiled and stepped back, facing towards the A/V box, holding up a thumb and turning it from right side up to upside down. Sinjin gave a thumbs up, indicating the mic levels were good, then said something that Tori couldn't hear. A couple feet away Sikowitz replied with "Why yes dear boy!" and Cat replied with "Kaykay," telling Tori Sinjin was checking the headset levels. When everything seemed to be in order, everyone was dismissed to go home and have dinner with their families, and to check back in at six pm.

Jade was woken up the next morning by a city employee that was tasked with cleaning up the boardwalk. He poked her side a couple times with his broom handle, until finally she grabbed the broom from him and threw it. The man shook his head and walked over to pick up the broom, then stepped back over to Jade's slumped over body.

"Hey miss, you gotta go."

"Leave me alone."

"You're too young to be a drunk. Get up."

"You don't know a god damn thing about me old man, mind your business."

"You're probably right about that, but that doesn't change the fact that you gotta go. I can't let you just sit here all day in your condition. There's a coffee stand across the way, I suggest you go get some."

"Fine. I'll go, just go on with your day and give me a minute."

The custodian sighed gently and walked away, sweeping up cigarette butts and other miscellaneous trash. It took Jade a few minutes to compose herself, and by the way she was seeing double and the way dark spots blotted her vision, she was going to have a hell of a hangover to deal with. It was about twelve thirty when the man first woke her, so Jade knew there was no point in trying to go to school. She looked around for a minute until she spotted the Java Jam cart across the street.

The air was chilly even though the sun shone brightly overhead. Stepping out from behind the protection of the building meant getting blasted by wind, making her shiver from head to toe. There was an upside though, as the cool air soothed her headache and took away a little of the leftover buzz. Jade walked lazily over to her car and dropped the bottle into the trunk, then turned to the head towards the cart. Luckily she found a good-natured young woman standing by the window.

"Hey there. You look a little rough around the edges this morning."

"Indeed."

"What can I get for you?"

"Extra-large black silk, two shots of espresso, cream and sugar."

"I'll have to make a new pot of the black silk, that okay?"

"Sure thing."

"Alrighty, comin' up."

Jade deviated from her usual hazelnut routine, hoping the bitterness of the strong coffee would take the taste of alcohol out of her mouth. She watched as the woman dumped out the previous coffee filter and replace it with a new one, scooping coffee grounds into it. She leveled them off at the bottom and slid the basket into place, moving to the sink to fill the pot with water. Once it was full, she flipped the top of the machine up and poured the water in, snapping it closed to start the brewing process.

"You look like you should probably be in school. What are you doing out here?"

"You look like a stranger that should probably worry about making my coffee instead of asking me personal questions."

The woman raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips, resolving to cut out the small talk. Jade suddenly felt guilty about snapping at her, she looked innocent enough. Tori had been getting to her. She couldn't even pass off a simple remark anymore without worrying about someone's feelings.

"I should be, yeah. But I'm not. So..."

"What happened?"

"Well, my recent breakup with my boyfriend helped me realize that I'm bisexual, since I had the most passionate kiss of my life with another woman that I used to hate. Following that, I found my freshly ex lover kissing another girl as well, which drudged up some feelings of parental abandonment, and caused me to drink myself into a stupor over there by that building last night."

The woman looked at Jade like she had never seen anything like her. She finally realized she'd been staring and snapped back to reality. She poured the coffee, dropped in the two shots of espresso and spooned in some sugar, then opened up two cream cups and poured them in last. She turned back to the window, stirring the coffee and she walked, then set the cup down and put a lid on it.

"How much is it?"

"No charge."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. I know what it's like to have issues that feel like they're going to crush you. This one's on me."

"Thanks lady."

"You're welcome. I hope everything works out for you."

"Me too." Me too.

Jade downed the coffee as fast as the hot liquid would let her as she sat in the front seat of her car. Her PearPod was plugged in, playing her favorite record at a low volume. Soothing music, fluids/caffeine to defeat the hangover and some sunshine were the only thing on Jade's mind, at least for a while. Once the coffee was gone and she got out of the haziness a bit, she found herself looking at the end of the pier, and she was once again thinking about Tori.

She pulled out her phone, noticing right away that she had three text messages and four missed calls. Two texts and a call from Tori, three calls and a text from her parents. Great. She read Tori's messages first, sinking down in her seat in guilt. The poor girl had been worried sick about what was happening with them, and Jade couldn't even manage to send one word to let her know everything was fine. The text from her mom was angry, calling her ungrateful and saying she needed to get home STAT. Jade took a deep breath, knowing that heading back home was gonna bring a world of suck.

Traffic was a little harsh heading north at one o'clock, lots of people still running around for lunch. It took her around thirty minutes to get home, and when she did, she was relieved to see no one was there. She hit the kitchen and got a bottle of water from the fridge then went straight down to her room. The water was cold and it hurt a little going down, but her body was begging for it, and she felt a hundred percent better afterward. She kicked her shoes off and laid on her bed, falling asleep again in minutes.

A few hours later, Jade was rudely awakened by her mom kicking her bed, screaming for her to get up. Jade rolled over slowly, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. Her body was so sore she could barely move. The dehydration from drinking and sleeping sitting up on the ground the night before had done her in good. She sat up slowly, looking finally at her mom, who could probably have shot daggers from her eyes if she tried hard enough.

"Where were you last night, and why didn't you show up in school today?"

"I was out, and I didn't want to."

"That's bullshit Jade. You have it so easy, and yet you take it for granted every day. You walk in and out of this house whenever you want. Take any kind of food you want. Bring people in and out whenever you feel like it."

"I'm a teenager, isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"

"Don't get smart with me damnit. Your father and I work our asses off to keep you in this house and in the school of your choice. We buy your food, We buy your clothes. We give you spending money, and you don't even do anything to earn it."

"Dad gives me money so he doesn't feel guilty for hating me. What's your reason?"

"Jade West, I swear to god if you don't knock this shit off I will stop paying for Hollywood Arts and send you to North Ridge."

Jade stopped in her tracks. Her mom knew Hollywood Arts was her Achilles' heel. HA was really the only thing in her life that gave her a reason to keep going. She wanted to achieve her dream of being a screenplay writer so bad, and she knew she wouldn't get the same opportunity at North Ridge. She sucked up her pride and stashed it away, looking her mom in the eyes.

"Fine. I was having a moment. I stayed out by myself last night, slept in my car because I was too tired to drive. I woke up late and didn't feel like going to school with only a couple hours left."

"Why do I smell alcohol?"

"I don't know, maybe my breath mints or something."

"I have a colleague coming over for dinner in an hour. Take a shower, put on something nice and get yourself together. I expect you to be upstairs on time, and I expect you to be a lady."

"Yes ma'am" Jade saluted her mom, getting out of bed to find something nice to wear in her wardrobe.

Her mom stalked off, shaking her head vigorously. Jade smirked a bit, waiting til her mom was gone, then laid back on her bed. She closed her eyes for just a minute, and when she opened them, an hour and ten minutes had gone by. Jade knew she was screwed, so she got up and went to get it over with. She did smell like alcohol, so a quick squirt of perfume on her neck wasn't a bad idea.

The sound of voices filled the hallway as Jade walked towards the dining room. Her mom and dad were sitting at the table with another unknown man, talking what she assumed was business. The Bourbon snifter was open and they each had drinks in their hands, meaning this dinner was going to be interesting.

Jade walked in and sat down next to her mom. The new man at the end of the table sat his drink down and looked in Jade's direction, waiting casually for Jade's dad to finish his sentence, then held up a hand to silence him.

"And who is this?"

"My name is Jade."

"Jade! What a lovely name for a lovely young woman."

"Yeah don't do that, it's creepy."

Jade's mom stiffened in her chair, but the man's smile didn't falter a bit.

"I have a daughter your age, her name is Amber."

"That's incredible." Jade couldn't even manage a little enthusiasm, a revelation that actually made her smile.

"She's a tough cookie, Frank." The man nodded towards Jade's dad with his drink in his hand.

"Yeah, she's a firecracker." Jade's dad looked at her with disappointment.

"So, why are you here, Mr...?"

"Noe."

"Excuse me?"

"It's Mr. Noe, with an e on the end."

"Ah. So Mr. Noe, why are you here?"

"Daniel is an Accounting partner of mine. He's here to discuss funds for the upcoming elections."

"Ah yes. We're going to sort out where the foundation money goes this year."

"So you're lining people's pockets?"

"Jade." Her mother's voice went up an octave, making Jade a little giddy.

"Well, we just like to toss a couple dollars the way of people who have our best interests at heart."

"...So you're lining people's pockets?"

Jade's dad sipped generously on his drink and poured another, but Mr. Noe just looked at Jade with a smile.

"So. Delaney. Where are we at with him?" Jade's mom tried to move the conversation along.

"You mean the woman that wants to make homosexuality illegal? The hell is wrong with her anyway?"

"No Jade, the woman that wants to incorporate some leniency on the company I work for."

"So you're just willing to let someone with an evil, human-hating agenda into a position of power because she's going to cut you guys tax breaks?"

"Well Jade," Mr. Noe started, sipping his drink, "as the good Lord well knows, not all freedoms are right by God."

"You're fucking with me, right?" Jade looked around the table, pointing with her fork. "You guys are a riot."

"Jade, that's not polite." Jade's dad looked embarrassed, and rather eager to drown himself in Bourbon.

"Well the fact that you bring some bigot asshole to our table when I'm dating a girl isn't really polite to me, dad."

Jade's mom looked like she was going to choke, and Mr. Noe pursed his lips.

"Well, we weren't aware."

"Yeah. Tori and I, we have a good thing going. Started yesterday. Damn can she kiss, and those curves..."

"Get out." Jade's mom was staring straight ahead at the wall, shaking visibly with anger.

"Relax mom I'm just teasing the guy. We're seeing each other, what's the big deal? Do you guys hate gay people now too?"

"Get out of my dining room, Jade."

"Now Maddy, she's fine-"

"Oh no Mr. Noe, it's alright. I'm used to it." Jade got up from the table and crossed the room towards the door. "Good luck bribing people to spread your hate-mongering agenda."

"Nice to meet you too, Jade."

Jade stormed out to her car and got in, intent on leaving the house immediately. The premiere was coming up shortly, so she resolved to heading to Hollywood Arts and waiting in the parking lot until the doors opened. She parked on the side of the parking lot next to the wall, away from the doors so no one would see her. Still seething from her parents' close-mindedness and willingness to work with scumbags like Mr. Noe, Jade's headache came back in force. The alcohol still hadn't fully run its course, and the bit of hangover left was hanging on for dear life. Hair of the dog it is. Jade popped the trunk and grabbed the bottle again, sipping hungrily through the plastic barrier, desperate to get rid of the headache and sore joints.

The clock read five fifty. Jade still had a quarter of a bottle left and was feeling pretty good, her PearPod playing some Outline in Color. Some cars started pulling in, and Jade realized it was the crew for the premiere. She saw Robbie and Cat walking up to the door together, thinking they looked cute side by side, but that would never happen. Robbie was a little too weird for Cat, which was definitely saying something.

A few songs and a few good swigs off the bottle and it was nearing the bottom. Maybe four or five shots left at most, and the curtain was fast approaching. Jade got bored just sitting in the car, so she poured what was left in the bottle into an old coffee cup that was in her back seat and walked up to the school. The doors were unlocked so she walked inside, not really sure where she was going.

Sikowitz' classroom was first. Jade always felt comfortable in there, like it was a home away from home. She had met all her friends in that class, even Tori a couple years later. The room held a lot of personal memories. Realizing she liked Beck for the first time. Acting with Cat for the first time. Ripping off one of Rex's limbs for the first time. Jade's nostalgia was powered by the drink, and at that moment, she didn't mind.

She left Sikowitz' room and wandered the halls a bit, popping into classrooms she'd never been in, and hanging around ones she'd spent time in before. She passed the janitor's closet, her place of solitude in the world, and peered in through the window. She had a key to the room on her keychain, courtesy of Walt. As long as she didn't get caught, or at least said she stole his key and made a copy of it, he was okay with her being there.

As Jade turned around, she saw Tori's locker. 'Make it Shine' in big letters on the front with Christmas lights all over it. The outside of the locker even smelled like the vanilla perfume Tori wore. Jade pressed her face up against it, breathing in the intoxicating aroma. The cool metal of the locker felt good on her face, the alcohol was heating her up pretty well. As she stood there, Jade heard applause in the distance. She checked her phone. It was seven ten, which meant the premiere had started.

Jade threw her cup in the trash and walked towards the auditorium, and towards Tori.

Tori had a quick dinner with her mom and Trina, then cleaned up in a hurry so they could get ready for the premiere. They ate light so the cleanup was easy, then headed for the car. It was six thirty, but it took about ten minutes to get there. Then they had to find a spot to park, get tickets, find seats. The drive was thankfully quick, so by the time they had completed their to-do list and ended up in their seats, it was five minutes until curtain.

Tori saw Andre and Beck in the row in front of them, waving down with a smile. The lights dimmed and a short, scrawny looking kid that had to have been a freshman walked up to the microphone to introduce the premiere. After a small introduction and a shout-out to Sikowitz, who waved from the front row while sipping on a coconut, the spotlight faded and the curtain opened, displaying a Port Town with a row boat attached to the dock, and a ship in the background.

Part way into the first act, Robbie was trying to court a local bartender girl. He was working up to giving her an old family heirloom when Jade of all people plopped down in the seat next to Tori. Tori looked to see who sat down next to her and almost squealed when she saw Jade's face, covering her mouth with both hands.

"Where have you been?" Tori whispered, waiting with bated breath to hear what had taken Jade away.

"Enjoying some alone time" Jade answered way too loudly, garnering looks from the audience around them." It's nice, you should try it sometime."

"Jade quiet down" Tori whispered close to Jade's ear, aware of the many pairs of eyes glued to them at that moment.

"Why? I'm not doing anything wrong."

"Jesus Jade how much have you had to drink?" Tori could smell the alcohol radiating off of Jade's breath and skin.

"Just a nip, love. It's okay. You look really cute today."

Jade bit her lip and smiled at Tori. Tori's eyes flew wide open as she turned side to side. Her mom, sister, Beck, Andre and everyone within earshot of them was staring. Tori grabbed Jade's hand held it tight, trying to calm her down a little. Jade read a little further into it than she should have, leaning over and planting a kiss directly on Tori's lips in front of everyone.

Tori froze in place, and everyone around her started murmuring immediately. Andre and Beck looked back and forth between each other and Tori and Jade. Jade had a smile for miles and her eyes were glossy and bright. When Tori's expression didn't change, Jade's smile faltered a bit, turning downright sour within seconds.

"What's the matter Tor? Not as good as it was yesterday?" Jade took her hand back and sat back hard against the seat, air huffing out of her lungs.

The whispering got even louder, and Beck's jaw was pretty much stuck open. Tori felt hurt and confused, wondering why Jade was doing this in front of everyone. Sure, she knew she liked Jade and wanted to explore the possibility of them together, but she wanted to talk about it first. Jade was belligerent, and the crowd around them was starting to get upset.

"Come on Jade, let's go somewhere and talk."

"No, I want to watch the show."

"Jade, please? We need to talk. Now." Tori grabbed Jade's hand again to stand her up, but she didn't budge.

"We'll help" Beck added, hopping up over his seat with Andre following close behind.

The two boys each grabbed an arm and picked Jade up, side-stepping through the row of seats to get to the aisle. Jade tried to push them off, but in her drunken state her arms were no good. Tori looked at her mom, who nodded her head in approval, then set off after the boys. They had taken Jade to Sikowitz' class and sat her down in her normal spot.

"What the hell, Jade?" Beck asked, sitting down next to her.

"What do you care, Beck? Go kiss your new girlfriend some more."

"Is that what this is about? How did you even know about that?"

Tori walked into the room quietly just as Beck finished the last line.

"I came over to bury the hatchet. I had just left Tori after having an amazing night, and I thought I was ready to for some closure with you. After two years Beck, I figured we should be friends."

"Okay, so what's the problem?"

"When I saw you with that airheaded slut, it irked me."

"Why? Didn't you say you'd just had a good night with Tori?"

"Yeah, I did. So what? We're new friends, but fires are still hot for a while after the flames are gone."

Tori felt a tightness in her chest that got worse by the second. She listened as Jade drunkenly ranted on about her relationship with Beck and how she still felt close to him even though they weren't together. It hurt, admittedly, even though she and Jade weren't even a thing.

"Well Jade, we can be friends if you want. I'm not mad at you or anything over the breakup. Things happen, it must have been our time."

"I don't know, I think I have some abandonment issues or something because my dad's a dick. You were there for me when he wasn't, and then when we broke up there was nothing. My dad was still absent for all intents and purposes, and you weren't there either. Then to see you with someone else like you had moved on made me jealous. I needed someone there."

"So you rebounded on me."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Tori felt crushed, like Jade didn't even really like Tori like Tori did her. She felt like the time they'd spent together was meaningless, like Jade didn't even care about Tori's issues. Like she had just used the fact that they were similar to get her own satisfaction out of the deal. Tori felt sick to her stomach, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Tori..."

"No it's okay Jade. I must have read too far into what happened, which I know I do sometimes. I knew you were upset about Beck and your dad and stuff, I shouldn't have let it go that far."

"Why do you have to be so nice all the time? Are you not capable of getting pissed?"

"Of course I am, Jade. I'm pissed right now. I feel like I want to scream and cry and swear and punch the wall all at the same time right now, but I'm not going to. I know you're having a tough time so-"

"Jesus Christ will you guys give it a rest? We all have issues, not just me. Look at your daddy issues, your family is just as fucked up as mine is, why don't you go out and get drunk and do something stupid? It's gotta be better than pretending all the time, even if you are a fantastic actress."

The words hit like a sledgehammer directly into Tori's chest. She was too choked up to speak, and as soon as she let her breath out, tears started falling in earnest. Tori sobbed openly, rooted to the spot, staring Jade plain in the face. Her body shook hard and her chest heaved with deep breaths, and when she couldn't take it anymore she turned and jogged out of the classroom. Andre nodded to Beck and took off after her. Jade tipped her head back and sighed, sitting back down in her chair.

"Jesus Jade, what the hell was that?"

"I don't know Beck, just leave it alone."

"No. It's obvious that something was going on with the two of you, and it's obvious that something really meant a lot to Tori. As much as you've tortured that girl, I'm surprised she cares about you at all, much less romantically."

"I'm surprised anyone cares about me at all." Jade stared at the white board in the front of the room, a blank expression on her face.

"Come on Jade, we've talked about this before. You know you have people that care about you. Your parents are idiots. They don't see the raw talent you possess. They just think you're shooting for the stars to get rich and not have to work for a living."

Jade couldn't speak. She mulled over the events of the last ten minutes, and each separate memory sobered her up a little more. By the time she replayed what she had just done to Tori, she was stone cold sober, and it was almost enough to bring her whole world down. Tori was the only person she really had close, the only person she could share personal things with, and she had just crushed her. The beautiful, sensitive, overly caring woman that would drop anything to help Jade if she needed it, broken to pieces because Jade was too selfish.

She looked up at Beck with fear in her eyes, something Beck had never seen before. He was caught a little off guard by it, but he took it to mean that she really did care about Tori, and that when she fully came down, she was going to be devastated at the way she treated her. Jade's eyes teared up and spilled silently, and Beck opened his arms to her. She fell in to the comfortable, familiar spot and tried to let it all go.