The disappearance of Jade's parents weighed on her during the car ride to the restaurant. They had finally agreed to come see something related to acting, and ended up walking out. Jade knew in the back of her mind that the idea of her parents showing up and enjoying everything was too good to be true, but it didn't stop her from being upset. She was sitting in the back seat behind Tori, leaning against the window and watching trees fly by as Mr. Vega drove. The sun was shining bright and birds flew overhead, but the serenity wasn't able to incubate.

A red light halted their progress, and Jade watched a couple having an argument with a police officer who had apparently given them a ticket. The woman was standing with her hands-on top of her head in frustration while the man, who Jade guessed was her husband, animatedly tried talking the cop out of it. Mr. Vega watched in amusement as the officer tried to calm the man down, and Jade could see his smile in the rear-view mirror. Finally, the man took the yellow piece of paper and got in his car, admitting defeat at the strong arm of the law.

The light turned green and traffic flowed once more when Jade felt something on her leg. She looked down and noticed Tori's arm reaching back behind the seat, tickling her leg with the tips of her fingers. Jade looked over the right side of the seat to the mirror on the passenger side of the car, catching a glimpse of a smiling Tori. Reaching down, she took Tori's hand in her own, leaning forward to rest her head on the back of Tori's seat.

They pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and got out, heading inside to a booth by the window. Jade sat on the inside and Tori sat next to her across from her dad. They looked through the menus, Jade deciding on a hamburger almost immediately. A pretty girl in a ponytail came to the table with a pad and pen, introducing herself as Sarah. Tori and Jade both ordered Cokes and Tori's dad ordered a Killian's, rolling his neck back and forth.

"You alright dad? You look sore or something."

"Motel bed's a little stiff. Nothing I can't handle, though."

Tori grimaced on the inside but didn't want it to show, instead she smiled warmly. "Toughest guy I know."

Her dad smiled, glancing up at Sarah as she returned with their drinks. She poured the beer into a frosty mug, setting the bottle to the side and took out her pad and pen. "You guys ready to order?"

Tori's dad squinted his eyes for a second, then folded up his menu and handed it to the server. "Sure, I'll take the nine-ounce sirloin with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables."

"Sure thing. How would you like that cooked?"

"Medium well is good."

"Alrighty. And for you miss?" She motioned to Jade.

"I'll have the bacon cheddar cheeseburger with no onions and french fries."

"Well done?"

"Sure."

"And last but not least."

"I'll go with the, uh, spaghetti and meatballs. Does that come with garlic bread?" Tori asked without taking her eyes off the menu.

"Sure does. Anything else I can get you guys? Appetizers, side salad?"

Tori's dad shook his head as he sipped his beer. "I'm all set. Girls?"

"I'll take a side of barbeque sauce" Jade added, and the server wrote it down on her pad.

"Excellent, I'll get that in for you right away." She smiled and turned, headed for the kitchen.

Tori looked out the window and watched the traffic for a few minutes. The restaurant was in a pretty busy area, and the constant flow at the large intersection was mesmerizing. Back at the table, Jade was sitting quietly with her hands in her lap, while Tori's dad watched a TV with football on it. Tori couldn't help but feel her heart break a little while looking at Jade, remembering how her parents had abandoned her at school. She reached over and took one of Jade's hands in her own, holding it tight under the table. Jade looked over and her eyes seemed glossed over, like she was far away, but quickly regained focus when she looked down at their fingers entangled together.

"So what's up at school, kids? Anything exciting going on?" Tori's dad asked with his eyes still on the TV.

"Uh, not much really. We just had the premiere of Sikowitz' new play the other day and the skit." Tori nibbled on the end of her straw.

"Prom is next Friday. This upcoming week is going to be ridiculous." Jade rolled her eyes and looked sick at the thought of girls fawning over which guy they would go with.

Tori's face lit up at the information. "Really? Prom? Where'd you hear that?"

"It was on one of the flyers in hallway."

Tori put her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand, looking dreamy. "I wonder if my date will pick me up in a limo."

"Better ask someone quick, all the guys will be snatched up in a day or two at Hollywood Arts." Jade squeezed Tori's hand as she joked.

"So are you guys not a thing?" Tori's dad asked, actually turning to look at them for an answer.

Tori opened her mouth to speak but felt choked up, and no words came out. Jade felt a little insecure in that moment, but Tori squeezed her hand and massaged her thumb.

"Well, not technically, no." Jade replied slowly, glancing at Tori out of her peripheral vision to gauge her reaction. "We really only became actual friends recently, and, well, we're uh, exploring. I guess." Jade felt flustered and took a drink of her pop so she would stop talking, and Tori's dad smiled dumbly at her clumsiness with words.

"Well I just want you to know it's okay with me. If you're happy, I'm happy."

"Thanks dad." Tori smiled and her dad winked at her.

"You see what's going on with me and your mom right now. You don't get a second chance at first love, so remember that as you grow up."

Some idle chat and a little sports action carried them through for a bit until Sarah returned to the table with their entrees, setting them down one by one in front of their respective consumers. Tori's dad looked satisfied with his steak once he cut into it, shaking his head happily. Jade lifted the top bun of her burger and didn't protest. Tori spun some spaghetti around her fork and watched the steam rise, smiling happily.

"Everything okay here? Can't I get you anything else?"

"A1?" Tori's dad asked, cutting his steak into cubes.

"Sure thing. Ladies?"

"I'm all set." Tori answered.

"Same."

"Great. Enjoy. Just flag me down if you need me and I'll be back in a bit."

Everyone dug into their meal, simultaneously mumbling sounds of pleasure mixed with head shaking. Tori's dad was glancing back and forth between two TVs, one showing Football and one showing a Boxing match. Tori laughed at his new pattern. Watch a play of the Football game, look down and eat a steak cube, look back over and watch the fight until the next play of the Football game set up. Jade noticed the pattern as well, and the two ladies watch in amusement as he didn't miss a beat. Sarah swung by and quietly dropped off a bottle of A1 sauce, smiling as she passed.

"Nice dad. If you paid attention to issues like world hunger and drought like you do sports maybe we could up the survival rate in third world countries enough that we'd all die from lack of resources."

Jade laughed loudly and almost dropped her hamburger, surprised at the joke from the usually reserved girl. Tori smiled hugely due to Jade's reaction, since getting her to laugh genuinely was a big feat.

"Sorry honey, things have been crazy lately, just trying to catch up a bit."

"Well isn't that why we're here?" Tori giggled in jest, but her dad took it seriously.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Anything you wanna talk about?"

"I was kidding dad, we don't have to do the whole 'required bonding' thing. I'm just glad you're here."

"And Trina wonders why she's not my favorite."

"You told her that?"

"No, but I wouldn't lie if she asked."

Tori and Jade both laughed, and Jade noticed Tori had spaghetti sauce on the bottom of her lip. She reached over and swiped it onto her finger, holding it up for Tori to see. Tori looked over at her dad, who was faithfully back to watching the game, then grabbed Jade's hand wrapped her lips around Jade's finger, licking the sauce off of the tip.

"Thanks." Tori smiled wickedly, impressed at the shocked look on Jade's face.

Jade had no idea Tori was capable of stuff like that. She was definitely a wolf in sheep's clothing, and Jade couldn't wait to find out just how wild her wild side was. They finished their meals and Sarah came back with the bill, and Tori's dad handed her a card to pay with. She returned shortly after with his card and a receipt for him to sign, and when he did they were off to the car. It had gotten a bit colder since the sun was lowering in the sky, and she shivered a bit in the back seat.

"Thanks for dinner Mr. Vega."

"Anytime, Miss. So where am I taking you?"

"Uh, I should probably go home and see what my parents have to say. Get it over with."

Tori felt pain in her chest. She didn't want Jade to have to be cut down by her parents anymore. "You can come to my house instead. Let them do whatever they want. You can stay in my room."

"Not sure I can allow that. I may not be in the house but I am your father, and I say no boys- or girls- in your room."

Tori and Jade both smiled, but Jade's turned back to a frown.

"Thanks, but I just want to get this thing done. They're gonna yell about something and I don't want to just keep putting it off."

"Alright, I guess I probably would too." Tori hung her head a little at the vision of Jade getting yelled at in her head, but trusted she knew what she was doing.

They all buckled up and kicked back for the ride. Tori found a station that wasn't ESPN radio and lip synced the song that was on, dancing in her seat. Jade was watching her dance in the side mirror, and when Tori glanced down, she caught Jade's eyes watching her, smiling but not stopping. The girl had spirit, and Jade couldn't help but fawn over her a little.

A few songs later they'd arrived at Jade's house, and Tori's dad put the car in park. Both Tori and Jade got out of the car, walking up the Jade's front door. Tori hooked her thumbs through her belt loops, swaying side to side. Jade just watched her for a second, not really wanting to leave her side.

"Thanks for bringing me along, I kinda needed it."

"I know."

The understanding in those two words sent Jade straight into Tori's arms, and the two held each other close. Tori played with Jade's hair a bit, and Jade smiled into her shoulder. Sounds from behind them marked Jade's mom opening the front door, staring out at the intertwined women.

"Jade, come inside now."

"Yeah, in a minute."

"Now." Mrs. West slammed the door shut hard.

"I don't want you to go." Tori squeezed Jade even tighter.

"I know, I'll call you as soon as it's over. Promise."

"Okay."

Tori was slow to pull back, dragging her lips across Jade's collar bone as she stood upright, causing Jade to close her eyes and inhale deeply. She smiled at Jade and stepped backward a pace, waiting for Jade to let go of her hands, then turned around to head for the car. Jade watched as she got in and put on her seatbelt, and waved to Mr. Vega as they drove off. The moment of truth. She hoped it wouldn't be so bad, but the only way to find out was to go in.

Mrs. West was in the living room when Jade finally went inside. She looked up as Jade passed into the doorway, setting down her papers and her glasses. "Frank? She's here."

"Great. Do I get a lawyer before we start? I can call Tori's mom."

The mention of Tori's name sparked flames in her mom's eyes, and Jade got a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. Her dad entered the room and sat down on the couch, motioning for Jade to take the seat next to her mom. When she sat, her dad cleared his throat, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

"First of all, I really enjoyed your performance. It was phenomenal."

Jade didn't really know what to say. She swallowed once and nodded lightly.

"I just have one question: What the hell was that ending? There was way more to that than a stage kiss. That wasn't acting."

Jade fidgeted in her seat, then sat up straight, determined to be heard as an equal. "That was me, using my situation to my advantage. I like Tori, and I used the scene as an excuse to plant one on her."

Jade's mom was visibly upset, but her dad looked indifferent. He sipped his drink, making a face as he set it down. Jade stayed quiet, waiting to see what would come of her confession.

"Well, I don't really see what we did to make you hurt us like this."

Jade was instantly pissed, standing up out of her seat. "Are you kidding me? This isn't about you, this is about me."

"Yeah, this is about you trying your damnedest to throw your life away." Jade's mom was seething, she wouldn't even look Jade in the eye.

"Being courageous enough to explore all of my feelings to try to be happy is throwing my life away?"

"Gallivanting around with another woman while you piss away my money at some silly dream school is throwing your life away. You think everything is going to just be peachy, don't you? You'll land a job at a studio out of school, sell a few movie scripts and live comfortably with your girlfriend in a downtown loft while you audition for movie roles and shop the strip?"

"Sounds more to me like you're mad that you never got the chance to do what I'm doing and you're punishing me for it." Jade was so upset she felt like crying, but she hoped to hope that her tears didn't betray her in that moment.

Her dad looked like a deer in headlights, and her mom just looked sick. She wouldn't make eye contact with her husband or Jade, and she was still as a mannequin. A few excruciatingly long moments passed by, then Jade's mom got up and left the room without another word. Her dad finished his drink down in one gulp, rubbing his face with both hands.

"Jade. We love you. We really do. But you're not making this easy."

"This is my life dad, it doesn't have to be easy for you."

"I just hope you know what you're doing."

Mr. West got up and left the room after his wife, and just was left standing in the living room by herself. She was proud of herself for standing up to her parents, but a wave of uncertainty was crashing over her, and it felt a lot like panic. She wasn't sure what would happen now. Her mom might make her move out, stop paying for Hollywood Arts, the possibilities were endless. Jade went down to her bedroom, not sure of what else to do. Her parents were arguing back and forth, but even with the raised voices she couldn't make out what they were saying.

It was too early to go to sleep, but she didn't really feel like going anywhere. A quick check of the room provided minimal results option wise, so Jade decided to just put in a movie and waste time on the internet. She put in The Scissoring for the millionth time and started it from the beginning, laying back on her bed. Seeing the pretty bride in her flowing white wedding gown covered in blood made her smile.

About an hour or so into the movie she checked her email and The Slap, running across a post Tori had made from the restaurant. Jade wasn't sure what her parents were going to do about her liking Tori, but she did know one thing; there was a beautiful, soft, loving, caring, amazing woman only fifteen minutes away that actually cared about her, all of her, and that was all she needed. She turned off the TV and grabbed her phone, intent on seeing her newest source of happiness.

Tori's dad pulled up in the driveway at home. He shut the car off, but when Tori took her seatbelt off, he didn't make to get out. The lights in the house were on, and her mom's car was in the garage. She wasn't sure if it was possible for Gary to be in there or not, so her dad's hesitation to come in turned out to be a good thing.

"Thanks for coming today dad, and for dinner, and for bringing Jade. And for being okay with everything. And for, well, being my dad."

"Anything for my baby girl. You okay with everything? I know that stuff can be hard to fit into for some people."

"Yeah I'm fine. It's new so there's that whole exploration stage before anything serious happens."

"Well don't let your 'exploration' ruin your schoolwork."

"Dad!"

"I'm just messin' with you. Okay, get out of my car."

Tori stared her dad down with her mouth open, and he burst out in laughter. Tori reached over and slapped his shoulder, her stern look faltering into a smile.

"One of these days I'm just gonna tell Trina that you're dying to take her to the mall and buy her things."

"You wouldn't!"

"You better watch yourself or you might find out."

Mr. Vega reached over and wrapped Tori up in a hug, squeezing her shoulders. He ruffled her hair a bit as she sat back and she swatted at his hand, frowning a bit and trying to smooth it back out. Tori got out and walked around to the driver's side to kiss her dad on the cheek, then stood and waited til he was gone.

Inside, Tori's mom was standing in the kitchen eating an apple, still in her work suit. She was poured over an open folder on the counter, reading over some last-minute changes to the jury in one of her cases. Tori shut the door and kicked her shoes off, slunking over to the kitchen counter and grabbing a seat on the stool.

"Hey ma."

"Hey kiddo, how'd it go?"

"It was good. Dad and Jade's parents showed up, teacher was impressed I think."

"That's good. Think you'll get a good mark?"

"I know Jake will give us an A, that's for sure." Tori couldn't help but smile.

"Why's that? You do his piece justice or something?"

"Uh..." Tori hesitated for a second, trying to find the best way to transition. "Well, it was a love scene, and Jade and I nailed the kiss at the end."

"Ah, yeah. Boys will be boys."

"Except that, uh, there was no kiss in the script."

Tori's mom raised her eyebrows with her head cocked to one side. "Yeah, I guess I can see how Jake would look at that as going 'above and beyond the call of duty.'"

Tori laughed, but she was still nervous inside. "Jade's parents left when it happened. They don't approve of her choosing acting or writing as a career, and they definitely didn't approve of me. Us. Whatever we are."

"She doesn't have to. Of course, it would be nice if she did since parents should support their children no matter what, and Jade will definitely need her parents going down that road."

"What does that mean?"

"Well baby girl, not everyone will be so nice about it. You're liable to meet a lot more Mr. and Mrs. Wests than you are Mr. and Mrs. Vegas."

"I suppose you're right, but it can't hurt to give it a shot, right? I've thought about it for a while and made sure it wasn't just a fleeting thing."

"If you feel it's what you should do, then do it. I'm all for it."

"Thanks mom. Dad is too, it was really nice. He invited Jade to dinner with us."

"That was thoughtful. How is your old man anyway?"

"Same as he ever was, that's for sure." Tori smiled when she thought back to the TVs in the restaurant.

"I never expected anything less. Glad you had a good time today."

"Me too. How was work?"

"We're catching up. A setback today cost me my day off tomorrow, though. One of the witnesses we have is now refusing to testify. We think someone scared her, so we've been going through the jury again and changing up people that could potentially be tied in to the case somehow."

"That's crazy. I hope you get it all figured out."

"Me too, doll. I'm gonna head up and shower, then probably just dive into this stuff so I can maybe get tomorrow night off. You okay with everything? Anything you wanna get out?"

"No, I'm good."

"That's my girl. I'll be up if you need me."

Her mom smiled and grabbed her stuff, heading upstairs to her room.

Tori grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and decided on the same, closing her door behind her. She turned the TV on and left it on the channel it was already on, tossing the remote on the bed. It was about five thirty but it was getting dark earlier now that winter was coming. The sky dusted over with oranges and pinks, clouds hung low and looked heavy. Tori predicted rain the next day, changing into more comfortable clothes.

She laid on her stomach at the end of her bed with her feet up in the air, looking through the channels to find something to watch. Pretty in Pink was on, one of her favorite movies, so she stopped it there and relaxed. Her neck started to get sore, so she turned to grab a pillow from behind her when her phone started buzzing on the desk. It was a text from Jade.

I'm outside.

Tori's heart fluttered instantly. She ran over to her window and looked outside, and she could barely see the outline of Jade illuminated by the streetlight. Jade was there, and they could finally take some time to try to figure things out. Tori ran downstairs and went outside, walking around the side of the house. Jade was waiting under the window looking up, so Tori snuck up and wrapped her arms around Jade's waist.

"Hey." Tori whispered into Jade's ear, resting her cheek on her shoulder.

Jade covered Tori's hands with her own. "Hi."

"You sound upset."

"Yeah."

Tori grabbed Jade's hand and led her around to the front of the house, heading inside and upstairs back into her room. Jade stood with her arms crossed by the door, unsure of what moves to make. Things were obviously different since they'd sort of declared themselves to each other, and she didn't want to just assume anything. She watched as Tori turned the TV down and set the remote on her desk, then sat on the edge of the bed.

"Come here, sit down." She patted a spot next to her.

Jade did as told, flattening her hands between her knees. "My dad wanted to know why I'm trying to hurt them, and my mom got so mad she ended up leaving the room."

"Jade that's awful, I'm so sorry." She grabbed one of Jade's hands and held it.

"I don't care if they think I'm ruining my life, I've heard all of that before. The only thing I care about is being sent away, and the way my mom acted...what she said..."

"What did she say?"

"She made a comment about me 'pissing away her money' at Hollywood Arts. I'm afraid she's going to try to send me to live with my cousin or something."

"I'm sure she won't go that far." Tori had begun tracing lines up and down Jade's arm with her fingertips.

"They're going to do something. Either tell me I can't hang out with you or make me go live with my cousin or let me stay here and hang out with you but make me go to North Ridge."

Tori didn't like the sound of any of those, but she knew her response immediately. "Jade, if it comes between any of those, you're staying here and going to Hollywood Arts. I know your passion, and I know how important it is to you and y-"

"You're important to me."

Tori stopped in her tracks and looked Jade right in the eye. The two women stared into each other for a few seconds, and Tori knew if she didn't respond soon, she would lose the will. "You're important to me too, Jade, believe me. But I am not going to let you ruin your chances at a brilliant career just to hang out with me. And I'm not gonna risk getting you sent off to Switzerland either."

"Excuse me Vega, but it's not your choice is it? It's mine." Jade smiled at Tori, but Tori didn't reciprocate.

"It's actually both of ours, since it takes two. Jade, this is serious."

"I get it Tori, no one gets it better than me. But we're here, now, let's enjoy this moment instead of worrying about what's going to happen when my mom stops shaking and comes out of her catatonic state."

"You're so beautiful when you smile." Tori declared to Jade, whose smile fell a fraction of an inch. Tori learned forward and pressed her lips to Jades before she could begin to doubt herself, sliding off the edge of the bed a little. Jade kissed back with added pressure, relishing in the feeling of a solid, intentional act of passion towards Tori. She grabbed Tori around the waist and sat her back on the bed, sliding her up so she could lay her down. Jade climbed over top, letting her hair fall in a curtain on both sides of their faces.

Tori looked up into Jade's eyes like a newborn. Her eyes were wide with excitement and passion, and even a little fear of the unknown. They practically buzzed an electric caramel color, and Jade felt chills coat every inch of her spine. She leaned in, their curves sliding together in harmony as she kissed her again, sliding one arm under the pillow where Tori's neck was and tangling the fingers on her other in Tori's hair. The heat between their bodies had grown immensely in a few short seconds, and all that could be heard was the rattling of short, raspy breaths and the sound of lips.

Jade tried the same thing she'd done earlier in the skit, tracing the tip of her tongue along the bottom of Tori's bottom lip. Tori squeaked out a tiny moan into Jade's mouth, parting her lips in wait. Jade slid her tongue just a little past Tori's lips, gingerly exploring new territory. They danced around each other and played at the idea for a second, until Tori pulled down hard on Jade's lower back and thrust her tongue forward, massaging Jades in fervor.

The energy in the room had ramped up a thousand percent in just a few short minutes, but it was nothing compared to what happened when Jade adjusted her body so her knee was between Tori's legs. Tori slid her hand under the back of Jade's shirt and ran her nails lightly across her back, and Jade pushed her knee forward just slightly into Tori's overheated center. Tori bucked her hips, pushing into Jade's knee twice as hard. The light nail drags turned into digging, and soon Jade was the one moaning into Tori's mouth.

Jade laid on her side, pulling Tori with her. She grabbed the thin woman's hip to use as a handle, pumping her leg back and forth while Tori clawed at her back. Tori dug into the side of Jade's neck, planting kisses from her earlobe all the way down to her collar bone, sinking her teeth hard into Jade's flesh as she pulled herself down hard on her leg. The bite sent flames through Jade's whole body, causing her to rotate their bodies slightly so Tori's opposite leg was between hers.

The two kissed passionately, tongues darting back and forth, lips traveling to necks and shoulders while their hips worked as a mind of their own. Tori felt a throbbing climb up and her stomach got hot, alerting her that she was on the edge. She slid her fingers into Jade's hair at the back of her neck, turning her head to the side so she could work on her collar bone and shoulder. A few kisses and bites had Jade bucking into her just as hard as she had been, and when the moment came, she squared off to look Jade right in the eye when it happened.

Tori could feel her wetness soaking through, and as soon as she made eye contact with Jade's deep blues, her back arched so hard that Jade had to wrap her up and hold her. Tori closed her eyes as her whole body shook from top to bottom, and wave after wave crashed over her so hard that her vision got blurry. Jade's hand was covering her mouth and she wasn't quite sure why, but a minute or so later both of them had stopped moving and neither of them seemed to be able to get a breath.

Jade rolled onto her back and took her hand off Tori's mouth. "You okay over there?" she croaked, her voice hoarse and low.

Tori couldn't speak at that moment but managed a grunt of recognition.

"I just want you to know I didn't come over here with that intention."

"I know. I'm the one that jumped on you."

"Yes, yes you did." Jade smiled so wide she could barely talk. "I trust that everything went according to plan?"

"You better believe it." Tori's arms rested on her stomach, her body still quivering. "I almost passed out cause you were suffocating me with your hand."

"Yeah well I didn't think your neighbors at the end of the street would be very happy listening to you scream bloody murder."

Tori blushed hard. "Was I that loud?"

"Daytime Emmy-worthy."

Tori smiled and rolled into Jade's side, reaching an arm over her stomach. Jade lifted her arm above her head so Tori could snuggle in.

"Your mom probably heard." Jade teased with her tongue in her cheek.

"Oh my god." Tori groaned into Jade's ribs, covering her face in embarrassment. "Jade, do you think we did the right thing? I mean, we just started this, like, today. And the day's not even over yet and we're already had sex, so to speak."

"I think it was natural and it happened because we wanted it to happen. Neither one of us needed any convincing, so yeah, I think we did the right thing."

"Okay. I just don't want something like sex to confuse things in the beginning."

"Believe me you beautiful woman, when we have sex, you will know it." Jade breathed deeply and yawned, and the two laid quietly for a little while.

The previous day and night took its toll on both of the girls, as Tori woke up at seven thirty the next morning after sleeping the whole night through. She opened her eyes and found Jade snuggled into her side with an arm draped over her, looking serene in sleep. One of them must have woken up in the night to pull the blankets back, but Tori couldn't remember doing it so she assumed Jade had. The blinds were drawn so it was still pretty dark in the room, giving the illusion of night time.

Tori got up carefully, tucking the blankets back around Jade then peeked outside. It looked cold, and she shivered a little just thinking about the wind. A trip to her dresser to grab underwear was first, then she headed for the bathroom for her morning routine. The steam woke her up, and she noticed a bit of a bruise between her legs. She must have pushed down on Jade's knee harder than she thought, but at the time it didn't matter. The water ran a little cold so Tori finished up and got out, dressing in her bottoms before heading back out to her room.

Her closet was pretty full, but the choice of something to wear was always hard. She had so many things she loved that choosing only one outfit was a battle of wills, and most of the time she had to just close her eyes and grab something. She chose black yoga pants and dark purple sweater, laying them on the desk as she grabbed them.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?"

Tori turned to her bed, still in her underwear and saw a bright-eyed Jade checking her out. She smiled wide and walked over to Jade's side of the bed, planting a kiss on her cheek. Jade ran her fingers down Tori's arm from her shoulder to her hand as she walked away, watching as Tori swung her hips. "I could say the same about you."

"Well I just woke up so I probably look like shit, and therefore I will call your bluff."

"Not a morning person, huh?"

"So I've been told."

After getting dressed, Tori put the TV on the Weather Channel to get an idea of what the day was going to be like. Jade slid out from under the covers, and Tori noticed she didn't have any pants on.

"I can't sleep in pants." Jade smiled as she grabbed her discarded jeans, pulling them on. "I woke up and you were still sleeping, so I chucked these off and pulled the blankets back."

"I thought so, thank you."

"Yeah. Do you want to do something today?"

Tori chewed on her bottom lip as she racked her brain. An idea came to her and she smiled, knowing Jade wasn't going to like it. "How about we go to the mall and look at Prom dresses?"

"No way, Vega. Not a chance in hell."

"Come on, Jade! Don't tell me you're not going to Prom."

"I might, but I sure as hell am not going to traverse that god forsaken teenage wasteland they call the mall on a Saturday."

Tori thought fast on her feet. "If you go I might let you into the changing room with me when I try stuff on."

Jade stood mouth open, staring at Tori. "Well well, aren't you just a regular Lilith."

"Who is-"

"Nevermind. I'll go, just let me go home and shower, change and I'll be back."

"Okay."

Jade walked over and kissed Tori lightly on the lips, turning to head for the door.

"I-" Tori stopped herself, not sure of what she was about to say.

"You...?"

"I'll see you in a bit." Tori avoided eye contact.

"I won't take too long." Jade headed out and shut the door behind her.

Tori finished getting ready, worried about how she choked on her words. She knew she really liked Jade, and telling her she loved her during the skit was partially in reaction to Jade, but there was a part of her that believed it. After the night before, Tori was certain she wanted to explore everything with Jade, and they were off to a good start.

The weather called for rain, so going to the mall was probably going to end up being a bad idea. Whenever the weather was bad people flocked to the mall since outdoor activities were halted, which meant hundreds of teenagers loitering and causing problems. It was better than sitting around doing nothing though, and Tori was just happy to be with Jade.

The doorbell rang, alerting Tori that Jade had returned. She headed downstairs after spraying on some perfume, answering the door and grabbing her boots. Jade walked in wearing a black knit sweater with dark blue jeans, a matching scarf and her hair was straightened. Tori scanned over her features, the blue eyeshadow that accentuated her eyes and the shine of lipgloss. Jade continued up to Tori, wrapping her arms around her waist. She smelled like strawberry, and Tori melted into her arms. Jade leaned back and raised a hand to Tori's chin, turning her head to face her. She kissed her hard, nibbling a little on her bottom lip. Tori looked dazed, and Jade smiled happily.

"Ready to go?"

Tori took a deep breath. "After you."

The girls headed out to Jade's car since it was already warm, getting in and setting up some music. The mall was a half hour or so away with traffic, so Tori kicked back and enjoyed the playlist. She kept stealing glances at Jade every time they turned left, giving her an excuse to look that way. After Jade turned the second corner, she set her arm down on her leg, and Tori reached over to grab it. Jade glanced sideways at Tori, smiling when their fingers locked together.

"So, I take it you're comfortable with this?" Jade asked, eyes on the road.

"Yeah. I mean, we're gonna have quite a bit of explaining to do on Monday, but I'm okay with that if you are."

"I am. You know Beck and Andre and the others will be fine with it, and I'm sure most everyone else at Hollywood Arts will be as well."

"I agree, I'm just worried most about your parents."

"My parents are schmucks. I mean, they're lovable schmucks when they want to be, but for the most part they're just schmucks. If anything comes of it I'll take care of it."

Tori laughed, squeezing Jade's hand.