Jade sat in her car in shock, forgetting how to breathe, much less drive. After a minute that seemed like ten she got the car started and put it in reverse, still staring towards the door Tori had disappeared through. She eventually tore her eyes away and started driving, trying to think of what her next move would be. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she reached for it to check the message at a red light.

Beck's name showed up on the screen, which peaked Jade's interest since he was supposed to be off somewhere with Jennifer. She opened the message and read it quickly before the light changed.

Hey Jade, wanna get together for a bit? We haven't hung out in a while. -Beck

She read the message twice to make sure she didn't read it wrong, then pulled into a 7/11 so she could answer.

Uh, sure. I'll be home in about five minutes if you want to stop by.

Jade got back out on to the road and drove the rest of the way home, curious as to why Beck would text her out of the blue, wanting to hang out. He had a new girlfriend in Jennifer, and even though he and Jade had a moment, they still weren't really talking much. She figured maybe he wanted to change that and that was the reason he called, so maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to give it a shot and see what happened.

She pulled into her driveway and got out, heading in the house through the back door which led straight into the kitchen and therefore was closer to her room. She traversed the narrow hallway to her room slowly, stopping to look at all of the photos that lined the dark walls. A lot of the photos were similar to the ones she had shown Tori from her shoebox, of her family when she was younger. She found a particular photo of when she was in a play in third grade. She sang in front of a crowd for the first time that night, and, realizing how great it felt, decided that she wanted to be on stage in some way for the rest of her life.
The blinds were drawn in her room and the darkness looked inviting. Jade hadn't gotten a lot of great sleep since she'd been thinking of Tori and taking trips down memory lane. As soon as she walked into the room and set her bag down, intent on laying in her bed for just a few minutes, her phone rang.

"Hey, I'm here. Do you want me to come in or do you want to go somewhere or something?"

"Well, I could use some coffee. I'll meet you outside in a minute."

She hung up the phone and turned around, heading back for the side door. Beck usually used that entrance when he came over, since he liked to sneak in when Jade's parents were sleeping and that door allowed the shortest route to her bedroom. Sure enough when Jade stepped up to the door, Beck was waiting on the other side. He looked sort of anxious and was bobbing from side to side on the balls of his feet. She wasn't sure what to make of it, so she just charged head on.

"Hey Beck, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Don't be like that, Jade. We're still friends aren't we?"

"Yeah, I think so. I just figured you would be out and about with Jennifer on a surprise day off."

"Yeah well we might have had the day off, Jennifer on the other hand did not."

"Then what were you guys doing earlier when Tori called? Quickie in the office bathroom?"

Beck frowned at Jade, but even so a hint of a smile played at the edge of his mouth. "Yes Jade, I woke up this morning with the sole purpose of getting dressed and going to my new friend's place of employment to have sex with her in the facilities."

Jade smiled. "Friend, huh? Haven't been man enough to move it along yet?"

Beck shook his head and started walking away, and Jade laughed to herself as she followed.

They walked side by side to the familiar coffee shop. Beck knew all the little shortcuts to take from going there for Jade so often when they were together. The sun had come out, but there was still a chilly wind that bit at bare skin. The neighborhood was pretty dead since most people were working, and the kids who were at out of school were probably playing video games or catching up on sleep. The few trees around were losing their leaves, bringing a little color to the patches of green along the roadside.

"So, why the brakes with Jennifer?"

"Really Jade? We can't talk about something else?"

"I'm just curious. We got on pretty quick, is she not as good as me or something?"

Beck just laughed under his breath.

"Seriously, what's the deal?"

"She's...she's somethin', that's for sure."

"Trouble in paradise?"

"Not really, we just don't really have a lot of small stuff in common."

"What, she doesn't like brushing her hair in front of the mirror for hours? I thought girls like her loved that sort of stuff."

"Oh that's rich. Real accurate, Morticia." Beck roped his arm around Jade's neck and put her in a light headlock, and Jade laughed loudly.

The coffee window was empty aside from the worker, so Jade and Beck strode right up to order. Beck got a hot chocolate and Jade got her usual Hazelnut coffee. They snapped lids on the tops of the cups and headed opposite of where they came, towards a park different than the one down the road from Jade's house. They passed a woman walking a tiny lapdog with a pink leash, which the dog seemed to have a particular distaste for. It chewed at the leash hard while its master yelled at someone on the phone about an appointment to fix a clogged drain, and Jade couldn't help but laugh at the image of the dog breaking free and running away forever.

They headed towards the fountain in the middle of the cement area at the front of park, and Jade tossed some pennies and a few silvers into the water. Beck put one foot up on the lip and leaned into it, putting his elbow on his knee and resting his chin on his palm. They stood and listened to the water for a few minutes, feeling comfortable in the silence.

Beck was about to sip his hot chocolate when a soccer ball came flying from somewhere next to them and hit the cup, knocking the top off and scalding his hand before he dropped it. The hot liquid went everywhere, splashing up onto his pants and Jade's boots. Jade was instantly irate, pounding feet in the direction of where the ball came from. Beck was reaching in to the fountain to cool the burn on his arm and hand, so it was too late by the time he'd realized Jade had gone.

The group of kids responsible divided, some of them stayed planted while others took off running in different directions. Jade went up to the kid closest to her and stood towering in front of him, a look of haughty disdain on her face. Beck jogged over as quickly as he could but was too late to stop Jade's assault on the small people.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"Jade, it's alright." Beck put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down but she shrugged it off.

"Seriously. You have all that space out there in the grass to play your stupid game, why would kick that thing right here?"

"Chill out lady, you're not my mom."

"Yeah, I suppose not. Can you point out which lady is your mom?"

"Jade..." Beck took a deep breath and put his hands in his pockets. He knew Jade well enough to know she wasn't going to let this go.

The little kid pointed to a group of women sitting on a bench about a fifty feet away. They were all laughing and gossiping over something Jade couldn't hear, but it was apparent they weren't paying attention to their children. Jade walked over to the women with purpose, covering the space in only seconds.

"When you hens are done cackling, can you tell me why you're not paying attention to your demon spawn?"

The women all stopped and turned to Jade, their smiles turning to frowns when they saw the bright blue-eyed goth standing threateningly close to them. The woman one from the end on the bench raised an eyebrow, eyeing Jade up and down. She scoffed audibly, turning back to the bag on the ground between her feet. Jade stepped forward and grabbed the bag, throwing it a few feet behind her. The woman stood up and made to yell in protest, but Jade stepped forward again, coming face to face with the woman.

"Who do you think you are little girl?"

"I'm the one that's going to throw your child into that fountain for hurting my friend, and probably you too for not watching your child in public."

"If Grayson did something to hurt you I apologize, but you have no right storming up to us like this."

"Do your job as a parent and I wouldn't have to storm up to you at all."

Beck stepped forward and grabbed Jade's wrist.

"Jade, I'm okay. The kids took the ball out to the field, it's fine. Let's leave these people alone and find somewhere to go."

"Whatever." Jade turned towards Beck and went to step, then stopped, looking back at the woman. "That sweater makes you look frumpy."

The woman made a face but didn't say anything. One of the other women on the bench shook her head, eyes down on her sewing project. "Some people's kids."

Jade heard the muttering and threw her head back in laughter, trying to turn back, but Beck had a grip on her this time. "We're leaving Jade, it's not worth it."

"Fine. Just get me out of here now before I ruin someone's day."

The walk back to Jade's was quick due to her angered mood. Rounding the last corner, Beck grabbed Jade's arm to slow her down.

"Jade, what's the matter with you? You seem...wound up or something."

"That little bastard hurt you, and his mother is an idiot."

"It's not that, it's something else. You usually don't get that confrontational unless something's been going on. So what is it?"

"Nothing Beck, you're not Dr. Phil."

"Jade."

"I've been working on...myself lately. Trying to be a better person and all that."

"Oh really? Jade West as a nice girl? I'd pay to see that."

"Har har."

The two of them stopped by Beck's car in the driveway, and Beck leaned against the driver's side door. "Really though, what prompted such drastic measures from Miss Blackheart herself?"

Jade smiled and punched Beck's arm, but the smile quickly faltered into nervousness. "Well, to be honest...Tori did."

Beck went to say something then suddenly stopped, mouth open in a dumb stare. Everything had come crashing into him all at once. The kiss at the premiere, asking Tori if it was as good as before, Jade being on edge and constantly asking about Jennifer. All the time Jade and Tori had spent together. He realized what he had missed, and it made him smile. He looked at Jade who had been biting her nails and tapping her foot, and walked forward to bring her into a hug.

"I get it."

"What do you get?" Jade asked, talking into Beck's shoulder.

"You like Tori."

Jade stepped back and looked Beck in the eyes, the look of fear on her face as plain as day.

"It's okay Jade, I won't say anything to anyone. I think it's a good thing. She's good for you."

"At least I think I like her. I don't know. I don't think she'd want me anyway." Jade buried her head back into Beck's shoulder and stood there for a long moment.

"I think you'd be surprised."

Jade laughed into Beck's arm. "Always the optimist."

The moment went on for another minute, then Beck brought up his wrist to check his watch.

"Alright, I should head back to my place. My parents want me to have dinner with them."

"Thanks for hanging out."

"Anytime." Beck nudged Jade's jaw with his hand in a mock punch, and they both smiled.

Jade watched Beck get in the car and drive away, still standing in the same spot. She had a renewed sense of self-worth thanks to her best friend, and decided to use it to her advantage. She took her phone out of her pocket and opened a new text message to Tori.

Hey lady, just wanted to say thanks again for coming with me this morning. I had fun.

After sending the message Jade headed inside, content with just grabbing something to eat and hanging out in her room til she fell asleep.

Tori was relieved to find the house empty when she walked in. Her mom was at work and Trina must have been off who knows where, but as long as she wasn't home Tori didn't care. She took her shoes off by the door and headed up stairs to change into some old clothes she didn't mind getting stained. Afterward, she headed down to the living room to start cleaning there. The pillows on the couches were all flat and needed to be fluffed up, so she started with that, moving on to dusting the coffee table and getting out the vacuum.

As she moved the couch cushions to flip them, Tori heard something fall and hit the edge of the table leg. She placed the cushion back where it went and investigated the source of the noise, finding a man's watch on the floor. She knew what her dad's looked like since she and Trina had gotten together and bought it for him for his birthday a couple years before, and the watch she found wasn't it. Surmising the watch belonged to Gary, Tori put it on the kitchen counter and tried to think about something else.

Not long after she started, she moved into the kitchen, knocking out the dishes in the sink and starting the dishwasher, then sweeping and mopping real quick. The counters got hit with some disinfectant as did the kitchen table, followed by window washing and shoe straightening. Once the bottom floor was done, Tori grabbed her arsenal of cleaning weapons and headed upstairs.

She hit the guest bathroom first, which wasn't too bad as it didn't get used a whole lot. Next was her bedroom and her own bathroom, which needed some immediate TLC after the beating she had put it through over the last week. She tackled the bedroom first, gathering all the loose clothing and putting it in the laundry basket, then made her bed. The rest of the room wasn't too bad, a little dusting and a quick sweep with the vacuum finished it off. Eventually she dug into her bathroom again, cleaning it up spotless and heading for the shower.

She showered quick and got dressed again, putting on some comfy house clothes as she had no plans to leave again. The feeling of a clean room was relaxing, and Tori decided to turn on the TV and see what she had been missing. After finding some show about football and the town the people lived in, she grabbed the blow dryer and straightener, as she figured it would be easier that way to pull her hair back and tuck it up for the skit the next afternoon.

Once she finished the call of her bed took precedent, so she laid down and tried to concentrate on the show, but ended up dozing off for a bit. An hour or so later, Tori was awoken by her ringtone coming from the desk, so she slipped out of bed to see who it was.

"Hey mom."

"Hey sweetie I'm gonna be late tonight, so you can order pizza if you want, my credit card is in the top drawer of my dresser."

"That's okay mom I can just find something here."

"Okay honey I'll be home as soon as I can, love you."

"Love you too."

Awake, Tori headed downstairs to see about eating something. She got to the end of the stairs and saw Trina on the couch with a boy, and when they heard her coming the boy got up, making Trina angry. Tori didn't know who he was, and it was pretty clear from his facial expression that he wasn't aware other people lived in the house. Trina sighed and gave Tori a dirty look.

"Hello to you too, Trina."

"Why are you here?"

"...Because I live here?"

"Well you should make your presence known."

"I was sleeping. My car is in the driveway and my shoes are right there by the door."

"Whatever."

Trina grabbed the boy by the wrist and dragged him upstairs to her room. Tori shook her head and walked into the kitchen, opening the fridge to survey for something tasty. She grabbed a string cheese and a pizza lunchable, heading over to the couch opposite of the one Trina and her friend were on. She turned the TV on to the Pop music channel and listened to music while she ate.

Tori got up from the couch and went to dispose of her trash, pulling her vibrating phone out of her pocket on the way. She had received a text message from Jade. A fluttering in stomach caught her off guard as she realized the new message excited her, and she opened it immediately. The words almost seemed alive as she read them over and over, clinging to them as a lifeline to the girl she was newly friends with. Her stomach felt like it had a mind of its own, contracting and tickling with the feel of butterflies.

The message warranted a reply, so Tori hit the necessary buttons to bring up the reply screen, stopping for a minute to think of the perfect thing to write. She didn't want to sound too eager, but she also wanted Jade to know that it meant something to her.

Of course, I really enjoyed getting intimate with you today. I think I like the other sides of you, so anytime you want to show me again, I'll be there. -Tori

She smiled wide as she pressed send, hoping it would drive Jade crazy when she read it. After the message successfully sent, Tori made to head back up to her room when her mom came in through the front door. She was holding her briefcase in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. Tori grabbed the flowers and walked them to the kitchen, laying them on the counter while she grabbed a vase from the bottom cupboard under the silverware.

"Who are these from?"

"Your dad, actually."

Tori smiled and filled up the vase, slipping the flowers in and looking for a card.

"The card's in my briefcase if that's what you're looking for."

"I was just wondering what the old man had to say after all these years."

Tori's mom laughed. "He's still the same guy, that's for sure." She grabbed the card out of the briefcase and handed it to Tori, who scanned it quickly.

Holly,

These are for you. Hope they can brighten

up your day. I know the end of the week

gets a little hectic for you, and roses are

your favorite.

-David

"Aww that's sweet."

"Yeah, your dad always knew how to get me to stop being mad at him. Or, well, how to try at least."

Tori laughed. "So how is that? You guys talk at all?"

"We're considering our options, yeah."

Tori noticed the watch on the counter after she set the flowers down. She picked it up and hesitated for a second, then handed it to her mom. "I found this when I cleaned up today."

"Oh." Her mom took the watch and dropped it into her pocket, not making eye contact. "Well, situations can be complicated sometimes-"

"Mom I'm your daughter, you don't have to explain anything to me."

"I know boo but I feel like it's not fair to leave you completely in the dark."

"It doesn't really matter to me at the end of the day who you end up with. Sure, I'd like you to be with dad, but if that doesn't happen, it's okay with me as long as you're happy."

Tori's mom wrapped her up in a big hug and kissed her on top of the head. "And that's why you're my favorite daughter. But don't tell Trina, she'll have a fit."

Tori laughed and stepped around the corner of the counter. "She's got a boy up in her room at the moment, so tread carefully if you go that way."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"I'm gonna head up and probably go to bed early after a little TV, got the big skit tomorrow."

"Good luck honey, wish I could be there."

"I know, thanks. Love you."

"Love you too."

The next day Jade woke up early, around five fifteen am. She had jitters about the skit, which was very unusual for her. She knew it was because she was doing the scene with Tori, and there was really no good way to calm herself down. A long hot shower would probably do a bit of good to start off with, and that's what Jade decided on. A quick check of her phone and she would head straight to the bathroom, but as soon as she saw the text message from Tori, all scheduling went out the window.

Jade stared at the word "intimate," mulling over what she really meant in her head. Was there a double-sided meaning to it? Or was Tori just being genuinely nice? Jade couldn't really tell what was innocent anymore, since her thoughts of Tori as of late were hardly innocent. She set the phone down and went for the shower, determined to get her head on straight.

Jade felt refreshed afterward, grabbing the curling iron and taking it into her room. She turned the TV on to catch the news while she curled her hair, choosing to doll herself up a bit for Tori. If the slender beauty wanted to play games, Jade would play right back. She was never one to turn down a competition, after all. Jade curled long ringlets down her hair and braided a medium-sized chunk to hang alongside her cheek. Continuing with a light foundation and a dark purple/pink eyeshadow, she thought she actually looked pretty nice. The finishing touches were a little eyeliner and a light pink lip liner to add body and drive Tori crazy.

She finished getting dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans that hugged her hips close, a long-sleeved black shirt with a matching black shawl and slim black boots. She grabbed her phone and keys and headed downstairs, planning on eating something small before heading to school.

Her dad was in the kitchen already, pouring coffee into a thermos as he watched the news. Jade decided on a bagel, grabbing one off of the top of the fridge and returning the package. She placed the bagel in the toaster and pushed the lever down, turning to lean against the counter as she waited.

"Hey kid."

"Yeah."

Her dad laughed. "See you still have those morning genes in you."

"It's delightful."

"You have your skit thing today, right?"

"Yeah." Jade's bagel popped up and she grabbed cream cheese out of the fridge.

"Alright, I'll be there. Three you said?"

"Sure, something like that."

"Okay then, I'll see ya later. Gotta head in a bit early today."

"Alright, Bye."

Jade ate quickly and grabbed her stuff, seeing no reason to hang around the house. She drove leisurely to school, listening to Deftones in the car on the way in to set a mood for the day. Arriving early enough to get a parking spot towards the front, she parked and hung out for a few more minutes, waiting for the current song to end before she got out.

The halls were practically empty, so Jade decided to use the time to clean some stuff out of her locker. She threw away some old notes and stuff that she didn't need anymore, clearing a decent sized spot at the bottom. Walt the custodian came out of the janitor's closet, and he smiled when he saw Jade.

"Hey there kiddo, how are ya?"

"I'm good Walt, takin' care of that knee?"

"You betcha. The misses has all my bases covered."

"I'm glad you have someone to take care of you at home, you probably wouldn't get anything done otherwise."

The custodian laughed and the skin around his eyes wrinkled. "That's one thing that never gets old Miss West, keep tellin' it like it is."

"Always." Jade smiled back and closed her locker, giving Walt a friendly pat on the shoulder as she passed.

Cat came in through the front door a minute or so later, and Robbie and Andre followed behind her, discussing some video they had seen on The Slap. Beck hovered by the door talking to Jennifer, then she kissed him on the cheek and left. Beck looked sheepish as he came through the door and saw Jade watching, but quickly regained his composure. The five of them stood in the entryway by the stairs and talked for a few minutes before Tori came in and promptly dropped everything she was holding.

Jade smiled, hoping that it really was her effect on Tori that made her drop her stuff. Beck walked over and helped her pick it up, and Tori looked more flustered by the second. Jade checked Tori out as she bent over to pick up her stuff, careful to look away before she got caught. Tori walked over and put her stuff in her locker, then came back to the group, standing just out of arm's reach from Jade and keeping her eyes averted.

"This is the big day, huh?" Andre asked, facing Jade.

"Yeah I'm so excited." Andre smirked at her dripping sarcasm, and Tori walked away towards her first class. Jade instantly got worried that maybe she laid it on a little too thick, knowing Tori could be sensitive. "Alright, time to get to class I guess."

Everyone waved and parted ways, Rex muttering something about the 'wicked witch of Hollywood Arts' behind Jade's back.

The first few classes were quick, and Jade just coasted through them in her head. She was worried about having made Tori upset first thing in the morning, and how it might affect their skit after school. But most of all, she was worried that she had tainted the progress she'd made with her. Jade didn't want Tori thinking that she was back to her old self, being a grump at school like she used to, and the worry was giving her a headache.

The last bell of the morning rang and Jade headed to lunch, stopping to grab money from her locker before hitting the Grub Truck. She bought a burrito and a bottle of water then headed to Sikowitz' class, finding Beck, Tori and Cat already there in conversation about something on Cat's PearPad.

Tori passed out watching some made for TV movie about a girl who was killed by someone who was supposed to be her friend, after which said friend moved in to the dead girl's house to live with her mom and help her cope. She woke up the next morning still a little tired since the movie gave her odd dreams. A shower was definitely in order to wake up a bit, and she did so immediately.

She chose a white long sleeve shirt with a tan colored short jacket over top, light blue skinny jeans and some brown knee-high boots. Her favorite blue feathered earrings and some light blue eyeshadow finished the outfit off, with a thin layer of strawberry lip gloss. She grabbed her bag and put her phone in her pocket, then swiped her keys up and headed downstairs.

It was about twenty minutes before school would start, so Tori didn't bother grabbing something to eat. She rushed to school and parked, hurrying inside so she wouldn't be late for her first class. As she went through the front door, her eyes landed first thing on Jade. The radiant beauty of the pale skinned goddess she knew to be Jade hit her like a brick wall, and she dropped her bag and keys on the floor. Panicking a little, she bent down to grab them, Beck helping grab some papers that had slid out of the bag.

Tori stood still, not looking anyone in the eye as she tried excruciatingly hard not to stare at jade. She heard Andre ask about the skit, and she turned to look at Jade out of the corner of her eye, anxious to hear what she had to say. When Jade sounded overly lackluster about the whole thing, Tori's spirit dropped a little, thinking maybe Jade had crawled back into her shell. She couldn't let that thought seep into her brain after only being in the building for not even five minutes, so she took off for her R&B Vocals class.

The first hour seemed to drag. She sang a verse from "My All" by Mariah Carey to much applause from Andre and the rest of the class. This seemed to raise her spirits a little, and she felt a little better going into her Pop Music class. Once she got into the rhythm of the day, the classes sped up a little, and before she knew it the bell for lunch time was ringing.

Feeling ravenous from not having any breakfast, Tori hurried to the Grub Truck and grabbed a slice of pizza, heading back to her normal spot in Sikowitz' room. Beck and Cat were there watching something on Cat's PearPad, so she sat next to Cat to see what was going on. Someone had posted a video of their cat trying to get into a small box, but its butt got stuck and it was kicking its little legs. They all laughed as Jade walked in, and Tori instantly got nervous again.

"What's going on after your guys' skit this afternoon?" Beck handed the PearPad back to Cat.

"Not sure really. Why?" Jade took a small bite of her burrito, glancing over at Tori as she chewed.

"I heard about a party from Jennifer. Gonna be some North Ridge people, some college people, and she said I could bring some friends."

"Sounds exciting" Jade commented, not actually sounding excited.

"Come on Jade, have some fun for once."

"Yeah the last time I drank went really well."

Jade saw Tori clasp her hands together and look down at the floor.

"You don't have to drink if you don't want to, Jade. Just come out, dance, have a good time."

"It might be fun" Tori piped up to Jade's surprise, chewing on the side of her bottom lip.

"Well, I guess if Vega's in I'm in."

Beck smiled at Jade and Jade looked down at her food, knowing instantly what was going through his head.

"Yay! This is gonna be so fun" Cat added, her enthusiasm making everyone smile.

They finished lunch while they discussed plans about driving and who would go with whom. The bell rang and they each got up to throw their trash away, turning to the door to head to their respective classes. Jade waited for Tori to catch up, walking side by side with her to Screenwriting. Tori looked nervous, but Jade smiled and bumped her shoulder into Tori's, which made both of them laugh a little.

Their teacher was already waiting in the class when everyone filed in and sat down. Tori was first to take her seat so she had a nice view of Jade taking hers, by which something told her that Jade planned it that way. Jade put her legs together and swung her hips gracefully, leaning forward on to the desk as she bent to sit. Tori smiled wide but wiped it off in a second before Jade looked back, pretending she hadn't seen.

The lesson plan for the day was open, giving everyone a chance to pair up with their partner and continue going over their skit. There wasn't a whole lot of opportunity to practice since there were a lot of people in a small area, and it would be too loud, but it was good to just get together and make up some notes on costumes or dialogue. Tori had her fake mustache in her locker, ready to go for the afternoon. Tori and Jade decided to spend the time planning some dialogue for the scene until the bell rang.

Sikowitz had them do an improv scene where Cat was a "woman of the night," and Beck was a potential "assailant." Robbie was a police officer that arrived too late to the scene, and Andre and Tori were a couple that witnessed the crime. Jade was the coroner, naturally, and seemed to revel in the fake crime scene. Sikowitz commended their attention to detail, especially Jade, since her knowledge of crime scene slang was extensive due to her movie collection.

The rest of the class was spent talking about improvising lines in a dramatic scene. The difference between comedy and drama was improvising the wrong words in a comedy can be particularly humorous and easy to roll with, while improvising the wrong words in a drama can kill the mood and make everyone have to get back into character and start over. Everyone took a few notes, and the bell ended the class.

Study Hall was quick and boring. No one had any homework, so they just checked The Slap on their phones and PearPads and talked to each other about whatever. Typically, schools don't condone talking in study hall, but Hollywood Arts encouraged students to constantly express themselves in any way whenever they could, so a lot of students used the time to test out play ideas or get criticism on their technique. The group discussed the party that night and what could possibly happen until about two fifteen, then Tori and Jade used the last fifteen minutes before the bell to start preparing for the skit.

The group split ways on promises of phone calls while Tori and Jade made their way back to the Screenwriting room, anxious to get the scene done so they could go. Both girls were nervous, and Tori couldn't stop staring at Jade. She was afraid that when the moment came, she would get lost in the beautiful girl and forget her lines, or maybe she wouldn't be able to articulate at all. Tori tapped her foot as she stood against the wall next to the door in the hallway, and Jade walked over to stand in front of her.

"You okay, Vega?"

"Yeah, I'm alright. Still not as used to the whole performing thing as you are, though."

"Understandable, I've been comfortable with it since I was a kid. You just started, so there's no reason to feel crappy about being nervous." Jade placed her right hand on Tori's left hip, rubbing small circles on Tori's stomach with her thumb. Tori inhaled sharply and her body stiffened at the touch, making Jade retract her hand quickly like she touched something hot. As soon as Jade brought her hand back Tori half reached for it, not wanting her to let go. At that moment the teacher rounded the corner and both girls took a step away from each other, hands in their pockets.

"Alright ladies give me twenty minutes or so to get a few things out of the way and then we'll start. Do you know where Patterson is?"

"Haven't seen him" Jade answered, and Tori shook her head no.

"Alright well keep an eye out."

Tori decided to walk the halls a little bit and look for Jake, Jade trailing by her side. The hallways were plastered with flyers of local bands playing gigs, plays at various theaters and charity events. Multicolored paper covered every square inch of the central bulletin board, which was so cluttered that people had started to pin their flyers over existing ones. Tori looked it over and saw a few local shows that might be interesting, noting down some websites on her phone.

Jake came jogging down the hallway a few minutes later, stopping to catch his breath when he caught the girls. He held up a finger in wait, took a drink of water and composed himself.

"Sorry guys, I had to run and get-"

"Don't care" Jade interrupted, turning to walk back towards the Screenwriting room.

"Hi Jake" Tori smiled, making up for Jade's rudeness.

They arrived back at the room and their teacher was finishing up putting some papers into a filing cabinet. She turned and looked at them as they entered the room, Jade sitting her bag on the desk closest to the door and Tori sitting hers on the one next to it. The teacher, who Jade had learned from Walt was named Janelle, grabbed a notebook and pen and sat in the back of the room, opening to a clean page and uncapping the writing utensil.

"You can move some desks out of the way and get started whenever you're ready."

Jake helped Tori move a few desks on the left while Jade slid a few back on the right, making an opening at the front of the classroom for them to move around. Jake sat a few rows back from them with a sheet of paper and pen of his own, ready to take notes on the girls' interpretation of his piece. Tori grabbed the fake mustache from her bag and put it on, and Jade cleared her throat, closing her eyes for a few minutes to center herself. Tori flipped through her notes from class she had taken earlier when Jade's parents knocked and walked into the room, garnering a curious glance from Janelle.

"Excuse me, this is a private session. Can I help you?"

"We're Mr. and Mrs. West, Jade's parents."

"Oh, welcome. I didn't expect any parents to show up."

"I invited them. They don't get a lot of opportunities to see me act because of conflicting schedules."

"I also invited my parents. My dad will be here but my mom can't make it." Tori added, looking towards the door to see if she could spot him.

"Okay, that's fine. Continue when you're ready."

Jade took a deep breath and sat down in the chair she'd set up, nodding the go-ahead to Tori. Tori opened and closed the imaginary door from last time.

"Hey there Sarge" Jade greeted once again as Mrs. Maria Miller.

"Ma'am" Tori took off and held her imaginary hat, responding with familiarity as Staff Sargent Nicholas Dobschensky of the United States Marine Corps. "I came to thank you for the care package you sent me. That was very kind of you."

"Well you are welcome. I know how crazy your schedule can get with new recruits coming in, so I figured you didn't have time to pick up anything."

"That's correct, I have been very busy lately."

"You don't come by like you used to Nick, I miss having you around."

Tori could barely make eye contact with Jade. She could swear she saw sparks behind her eyes the way they glowed so bright, shining in their element. Jade's face was serious, in character. She looked at Tori with a fierceness that only passion for your trade can bring out, and Tori felt weak at the knees.

"Things have been kind of...confusing for me lately, Maria." Tori pulled out her chair as before and sat at the imaginary coffee table. "I mean, it's been a year now. I know that's not very long, but I thought we had a good thing goin' here. We like each other, right?" Tori looked Jade right in the eyes once more as she spoke.

Jade's heart was hammering in her chest even harder than before. She stole glances at her parents out of the corner of her eye, and they seemed to be paying pretty close attention to what was going on, which only served to heighten her nervousness. "Yes we do, but you just remind me so much of him that it's hard to close out that part of my life when I see him in you."

"This back and forth thing can't go on Maria." Tori stood up and paced back and forth in front of the chalk board, watching Jake and Janelle scribble notes as she moved. "It's tearin' me up inside. I'm losing concentration at work. The men can see it in me. I don't want their trust to waver because they think I'm not at the top of my game. And right now, I'm not at the top of my game."

Jade stole one last glance at her parents and took a deep breath, standing up from the table. "I know you don't deserve this Nick" she mused, walking over and putting her hands on Tori's shoulders. This time the electricity of contact with Tori surged straight down her spine, causing Jade to stutter a bit and stifle a silent moan. "I'm trying the best I can to work myself out and be a better person for you. I can't change in a day, but I'm sure as hell trying." Jade put everyone ounce she had into the last part of the sentence, really selling herself to Tori in that moment.

Tori seemed unsteady on her feet, and when she turned to face Jade, her eyes were wide and her breath was short. "I know you're trying, and I'm trying to give you as much time as I can, but it still hurts."

Jade was instantly transported back to the practice session where she had stepped forward and stolen a kiss from Tori in her bedroom. She looked the shy but centered girl directly in her caramely-brown eyes, and put her hands on her hips. Tori swallowed hard, eyes dancing rapidly from Jade's electric blues to her pouty pink lips. Jade leaned forward ever so slightly and pressed her lips on Tori's, breathing in the vanilla and strawberry scent between them.

The moment escalated quickly. Tori pulled Jade forward and kissed her back, the fervor that was missing from last time gained in spades. She reached her arms up and slid one around Jade's neck, slipping the other hand into her hair. Jade wrapped her arms the rest of the way around Tori and squeezed her in, fighting the urge to dig her nails into Tori's back. Tori landed two small pecks before Jade went for broke, parting her lips just slightly enough to brush her tongue over Tori's bottom lip.

Tori let out a breath, and since her mouth was open, it squeaked out as a tiny moan, which made her freeze in place. Her and Jade both opened their eyes at the same time, lips still pressed together, both too afraid to do anything in that moment. Jade stepped back a couple inches, keeping her hands around Tori's waist.

"I...love you." She paused for a minute as she stared into Tori's eyes, quickly adding Nicholas Dobschensky on the end of her line, hoping no one would notice her slip-up.

"I l-love you, too" Tori added, not breaking eye contact with Jade as the words came out.

Tori stepped back and turned to face the room since the scene was over. She noticed that her dad had entered the room at some point, still in his police uniform, and was sitting in a desk with his eyebrows raised, a half-amused smile on his face. Tori blushed harder than she ever had in her life, and had to fight the strongest urge to run and bury herself under blankets she'd ever had. Her dad nodded his head for a second, then started clapping, his smile spreading the rest of the way across his face.

Jade finally snapped out of the moment and turned to face the rest as well, noticing with a swift kick to the gut that her parents were gone. She instantly felt hot all over, like she was going to be sick. Her eyes burned and tears threatened, so she sucked in a hard breath and bit her tongue, saving the emotion for later.

Jake's jaw was still on the floor, and Tori's dad whistled with his teeth, snapping the kid back to attention. He blushed red and wrote down some more notes, clapping when he was done. "Awesome job guys, couldn't have been any more picture perfect than I saw it in my own head. The improvising at the end was nice."

Janelle looked at Jake when he said the last part, flipping through his script to the scene the two women had just acted out. She realized indeed that the 'I love you' bit wasn't actually in that scene, and she raised her eyebrows in surprise. Jade couldn't tell if she was trying to guess if they were lesbians or if they were just really devoted to the scene, and she didn't particularly care at that moment.

Jade looked over at Tori, who seemed to have her eyes glued to the floor. Her dad had gotten up to go meet Janelle, so Jade took the opportunity to make sure she was okay.

"You alright, Tor?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Some scene that was Vega, you were a hit."

"Me? You should have seen yourself. I was so starstruck for a minute I thought I was gonna faint."

Jade smiled hard. "You should have seen yourself, you pretty much forced me to confess my love for you in front of our parents and teacher."

Tori's heart felt like it was going to explode. "So that was...you? And not Maria?"

Jade felt like what she thought dying of heat stroke would be like. Her whole body burned and her mouth was so dry she could barely swallow. She nodded her head and squeaked out a "yes" before closing her mouth in fear of throwing up. Tori was shaking so hard Jade could see it.

"I thought I was the only one" Tori replied, huffing out a laugh that was riding the line between a giggle and hysterics.

Jade walked forward and brought Tori into a bone-crushing hug. They stood there for a minute, letting it all sink in, before Tori heard the jingling of her dad's handcuffs. The hug broke apart, but they both kept their eyes on each other, desperate for some time alone to work all of their feelings out.

"That was great, kid."

"Thanks dad."

"What happened to your folks there, Jade?"

"They're probably at home writing me out of their will and trying to find some way to get me out of the house."

Tori's smile disappeared completely and was replaced with a look of fear.

"Why would they do that?" her dad asked, roping one arm around his daughter's shoulders.

"They don't want me pursuing acting or writing as a career, and I'm very sure being gay or bisexual or whatever on top of that is making them super happy right now."

"A good parent loves their child no matter what, remember that Jade."

"Thanks Mr. West. I'm just glad you're here for Tori."

"Me too." He looked down at his daughter and smiled. "I'm proud of you. Both of you." He extended an arm out for Jade who smiled bashfully and walked into it, and he squeezed them both in. "Come to dinner with us Jade, I'm sure Tori would like that."

"Yeah Jade, please?"

Jade was in awe at the pure love in the room. The blind acceptance Tori's dad had for his daughter was something Jade couldn't understand, but it was beautiful. She was sure Tori had never mentioned a single thing in her life to either of her parents about being attracted to girls, and her dad just happened to watch her passionately kiss one and confess her love. Instead of questioning, he brought both girls in for a hug and offered to buy dinner on a congratulatory job well done. Jade just looked at them both in amazement, not sure words could really describe how she felt.

"Sure, I'll go."

Tori smiled and squeezed Jade's hand, excited to begin the learning process.