Jade made the final trek back to her house for the night, driving slowly to avoid getting pulled over. She was young, it was late and she had alcohol in her system, so getting stopped for speeding would be especially unwelcomed. When she finally pulled into her driveway, she noticed the light in the living room was still on, alerting her that her parents were still awake.
Great.
The house smelled like coffee, and the faint sound of the television could be heard from the living room. Jade had used the side door to try to sneak down into her room before her parents noticed, but apparently her headlights had given her away.
"Jade, come in here please." Her mom didn't sound happy.
Jade mouthed the f word, biting down on her lip hard. Both of her parents were seated in the living room, watching a late-night news show with Anderson Cooper. Her dad was holding a glass of brandy and her mom cradled a cup of coffee, eyes trained on the TV.
"Okay, I'm here. What's going on?" Jade was nervous at her parents' failure to react right away.
"Sit."
Jade did as she was asked, taking a seat on the far end of the couch.
"You've been a pretty good kid, and want you to know we recognize that."
Jade got even more nervous, fidgeting with the bottom of her hoodie.
"You don't get in trouble, but you also don't really do anything extraordinary." Mrs. West sat her coffee cup down and folded her hands together between her knees. "You don't really help out around the house unless we force you. You're gone all hours of the night whenever you want without any phone calls or texts letting us know where you are or what you're doing. You have a bad attitude most of the time, and you take what we give you for granted."
"Now hold on a second-" Jade shifted in her seat, starting to get upset at this attack.
"Let me finish. You go to some laid-back performing arts school, learning about acting instead of learning things that will actually help you in life. And on top of that, you're now deciding to make your life even harder by trouncing around with other girls? I don't understand why you're trying to set yourself up for failure."
"Who I love is none of your business" Jade shot back, feeling very protective of Tori. "She cares about me a hell of a lot more than anyone else in my life does."
"Now see, that's what we're getting at." Mr. West interjected, downing his drink and setting the glass on the side table next to his chair. "We do care about you and love you very much, which is why we're having this conversation right now."
"We're having this conversation right now simply because you aren't forward thinking enough to accept your own daughter no matter what. It's very sad."
"Jade." Mrs. Vega was stern. "We've come up with a couple options for you that we think are fair to rectify this situation."
Jade was suddenly very scared. She thought back to the conversation with Tori about possibly having to go live with her cousin or switch to North Ridge, and she was terrified at the thought of having to leave her. "Okay then, what do you have?"
Mrs. Vega made eye contact with Mr. Vega very briefly, clearing her throat. "Well, your first option is this: Stay at Hollywood Arts, but stop seeing that girl. We can't sit back and consciously let you one-two punch your future with both of those things, at least without some responsibility."
Jade's face fell, her heart was threatening to burst and tears were welling up behind her eyes.
"Second option: Transfer to North Ridge for the rest of your high school career and you can see the girl whenever you want."
"Her name is Tori." Jade said softly, trying hard not to spill over.
"The last option: Everything stays the same, you can go to Hollywood Arts and see Tori, except you get a job and all of the earnings go to us to help pay for your tuition."
"The last one" Jade blurted out immediately, knowing it was the best choice. She wouldn't have to move schools or stop seeing Tori, even though having to work would cut down on their time together significantly. The room stopped spinning a bit and Jade took deep, calming breaths, steadying herself for the rest of the talk.
"Fine. You have two weeks to find a job of your choice on your own. If you don't, you'll come to work at my firm as a secretary."
"Deal. Can I go now?" Jade stood up and angled towards the door.
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Thanks for the talk guys, always a pleasure." Jade strode past the both of them with speed, barely hitting the kitchen before the tears started to fall.
Her room was dark and cold, the blinds pulled shut and the heater set low. Fumbling for the light, Jade wiped her eyes on her sleeves and found the thermostat, bumping it up a few degrees until it kicked on. She straightened up her room a bit idly for something to keep her busy, tossing clothes in the laundry basket and making up the bed. Her laptop was open, telling her that her mom was probably snooping through it to find out where she was. The heater still made the room smell musty as it hadn't been used much yet, and the dust blown out gave Jade a bit of a headache. She grabbed the travel pack of Aleve from her purse and the water bottle from her bedside table, taking two to hopefully dull the ache before it really set in.
The events of the night took their toll, the fuzziness in her limbs coming back as she sat on the edge of the bed. Her phone poked out of her pocket, so she grabbed it and checked it almost robotically, her breath catching when she saw the new message from Tori. I love you. They hadn't said that to each other yet, even though Jade was sure that's how she felt. Knowing that Tori felt the same way was a great feeling, but the feeling was cut short in remembering that she would have to get a job soon, and their time together would be minimal. She opened up a reply, sitting quietly while trying to think of the right words.
I hope you got home okay, I'm sure Andre took good care of you. I'm not mad at you, I was just upset at the situation. I told Beck not to go there, and he did. I'm sorry you had to see it, but I want you to know there's nothing there anymore, I promise. Good news from my parents, though. I can stay at HA and still see you but I have to get a job. I'll call you in the morning and we can talk about it. I love you too.
Tori woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. Between the drinks and crying in the car, the stress of the whole situation, her head felt like it was going to explode. She pulled the blankets up over her head and rolled over, burying her face in her pillow. Glancing over to the other side of the bed where Jade had slept not so long ago, Tori reached out and rested a hand where her back would be, missing the pale beauty already. Realizing that nothing would get done staying in bed all day, she slid out from under the covers slowly, heading straight for the bathroom to try and shower some of the ickyness away.
Once she was out and dressed in some comfy Sunday clothes, which included some Pink lounge pants and an oversized t-shirt, Tori headed downstairs in an attempt to find something to cure her headache. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and downed the whole thing in one go, grabbing another to take some Aleve with. Trina was laid out on the couch watching some late morning talk show, gabbing on the phone with Tori guessed could only be Melanie. She had painted her toenails and the living room was currently suffering the outcome, with cotton balls and various other things strewn all over the couch and coffee table.
Tori sat at the kitchen counter for a few minutes with her head down, hoping the water would rehydrate and start working quickly. She heard Trina groan on and on about some boy she liked that apparently had a girlfriend, but that wasn't going to stop her from going out with him. Tori shook her head at her sister, amazed at how the two of them could be related at all. Deciding on trying to eat something small to settle her stomach, she got up and grabbed some eggs and prepared to scramble them.
The little bit of food and water helped out immensely, and shortly after she finished Tori felt much better. Trina had hung up the phone and promptly left the house without a word, allowing her to take over. She sat on the couch and flipped through the channels, though nothing was ever on on Sundays. On one channel a woman was showcasing a huge, gaudy diamond ring, and she insisted that it was a steal at 24 monthly payments of two hundred and ninety-nine dollars. Tori watched the light sparkle off the rock as her phone vibrated, and she brought her eyes down to look. It was Jade. She planned on calling her after she woke up and felt better, but Jade had beaten her to the punch.
"Hi." she squeaked out, soft and sweet.
"Hey. How are you?" Jade asked, her voice husky.
"I'm alright. I ate some eggs and drank a bunch of water, and I feel a lot better than I did when I woke up. You?"
"I'm okay. Didn't sleep very well though."
"I'm sorry for everything. I acted like a total spaz. I should have let you explain." Tori closed her eyes as she spoke, trying to will away the guilt.
"It's nothing, really. We're still getting comfortable with each other. I'm not surprised it happened. I just expected it would be me getting jealous over all the boys that hit on you." Jade smiled, knowing Tori would be shaking her head at that comment.
"Really Jade? You know that's not ever the case."
"I see guys drooling over you constantly Vega, you just gotta open your eyes a bit."
Tori smiled in spite of herself, changing positions on the couch. She couldn't help but feel like a giddy teenage girl talking about boys to her best friend on the phone, when in reality her best friend was a boy and her boyfriend was actually a girl. "Whatever you say."
"What are you doing?"
"Just lying on the couch watching TV."
"Do you mind if I come over? I want to talk about some stuff."
Tori got nervous and sat up. "Yeah, uh, sure. I'm here. Come over whenever."
"Okay, let me shower and I'll be there."
"Is everything okay Jade?"
Jade felt guilty, remembering how sensitive Tori was and how saying she wanted to talk would worry her. "Yes honey, everything is fine."
Tori grinned from ear to ear. "Okay, I'll see you when you get here."
Jade woke late after not sleeping well the night before, checking the time on her phone. She immediately thought of Tori, wondering how the rest of her night went. The whole situation made her feel guilty, even though technically it wasn't her fault. The look on Tori's face as she ran away burned into the back of her eyes and made her feel ill, she never wanted to see that look again. After seeing Tori at her best, she didn't want anything but happiness for her, and she wouldn't settle for anything but.
The text message from the night before was still open when she slid the lock on her screen, and the words I love you jumped out again. Jade smiled wide, pressing the phone up against the fluttery feeling in her stomach. She got up and hit a series of buttons on the phone to call Tori, telling her she would be over after she took a shower. Setting the phone down on the desk, Jade grabbed some fresh clothes and hit the bathroom, trying to get everything done as quick as possible.
Once she showered and dressed in some jeans and a long sleeve shirt, a little bit of eyeliner and lipgloss came next with a quick squirt of perfume to close the deal. She grabbed her phone and keys off the desk and headed upstairs to find her boots. Her mom was gone but Mr. West occupied his normal spot at the kitchen island, drinking coffee while he watched the small TV. He had a bowl of assorted fruits he had cut up in front of him, and Jade snatched a couple grapes as she walked in.
"Hello princess."
"Good morning daddy!" Jade answered, dripping with sarcasm.
Mr. West laughed, used to Jade's morning antics. "What's on the agenda for today?"
"Well, since it's Sunday, job hunting wouldn't really be prudent. Therefore, I'm going to go hang out with my girlfriend, since that's okay according to the details of our contract."
"True, but make sure you don't slack off too much on the job stuff. Working for your mom would be, well, I don't think you'd really want to have to do that."
Jade smiled at the comment from her dad. The old man did understand her on some level, and sometimes his little quips were perfect for the situation. "I'll get it situated, trust me."
"Alright, I just don't wanna have to hear your mom go on about it forever. I mean I had a hand in the decision too, don't get me wrong, but you know she can go a little overboard sometimes."
"Yeah, I definitely know."
Mr. West laughed and ate a piece of watermelon. "You headed out?"
"Yeah, I'll be back later tonight."
"Alright kid, have fun."
"Bye dad."
Jade arrived at Tori's house about twenty minutes later and was instantly rattled. Beck's car was parked along the curb outside, and Jade could only assume that he was there to apologize for the night before. She parked on the far side of the driveway and got out slowly, taking her time to the door. Upon ringing the doorbell, she heard heavy footsteps and Beck answered, looking sullen and beat up. Jade walked inside and kicked her boots off by the door, spying Tori in the kitchen balling a melon. She smiled and Jade smiled back, instantly feeling better at seeing her face.
"Hey b...Jade."
"Hey Tor." Jade smiled at the embarrassed look on Tori's face.
"Beck stopped by a few minutes ago, said he figured you would be here and he wanted to talk to us both."
"Yeah, do you mind Jade?"
"I suppose not" she answered, walking over to the spot on the couch she had fallen asleep in the day before.
Tori finished and threw the rind away, grabbing the bowl and spoon before heading to sit next to Jade. Beck sat on the other couch adjacent to them, leaning forward on his knees. He looked like he had a lot of things to say but couldn't figure out where to start, and the anxiety running through him was painful to watch. Tori held out her spoon with a piece of melon on it for Jade, who smiled, leaning forward to take the bite. She winked at Tori with her head turned so Beck couldn't see, giving Tori a warm feeling of satisfaction.
"Well, I guess for starters, I should just flat out say I'm sorry. I screwed up. Jade, I gave you that whole spiel when you had your incident, and then I went and did the same thing. It wasn't fair of me to do that to that to either one of you. I just got a little lost after hearing that Jennifer basically just didn't even care. I'm not really used to women not, uh..."
"Fawning over you?" Jade interjected, but in a soft and understanding way.
"Yeah. I always try to keep cool, have good composure and just be the chilled-out guy, and sometimes I feel like it's more stress than anything."
"Well, you know you don't have to be perfect all the time Beck." Tori added, setting her bowl down on the table. "We're your friends, anyone in the group will accept you for who you are, whoever you are."
"I know, I just needed to blow off some steam and went about it the wrong way. Grabbing Jade's arm and holding her when she tried to go after you was awful, and I felt bad immediately. I beat myself up over it in the car the whole way back until I fell asleep."
"We all do stupid things sometimes, but it's alright as long as it doesn't happen too often and there's no real damage done. You didn't hurt anyone, and you came here to apologize. That's good enough for me."
"And me." Tori added.
"Thanks guys, I don't deserve it but I appreciate it."
"Well now that that's over, what's going on?"
"Um, I don't really know. I can call the others and get everyone over here. We can play cards or watch movies or something."
"Whoopie" Jade proclaimed with little excitement, leaning into Tori's side.
Beck pipped up. "I'm in."
"Okay, I'll call around."
After Tori had made the calls, the rest of the crew were all on their way. She grabbed a few more chairs from the deck area and positioned them around the table, then found a deck of playing cards in the utility drawer of the kitchen island. Beck hit the kitchen and grabbed some snacks out of the pantry, filling a couple bowls with chips and pretzels. Jade sat on the couch and watched the two work like busy bees, smiling and waving when Tori looked over at her.
"You're somethin' else you know that?" Tori teased, flashing Jade the brightest smile she could.
"So I've been told" Jade mused, in awe of her girlfriend's beauty.
A little while later Cat and Robbie rang the doorbell, having arrived at the same time. Jade got the door and let them in, heading out to the kitchen to help Tori get drinks. They grabbed a few bottles of vitamin water and gatorade and set them in the middle of the table alongside the snack bowls. The newcomers shed their protective footwear and trekked to the table, finding seats along the edge.
"Hi Tori!" Cat beamed, giggling like her usual self.
"Hi Cat" Tori cooed, smiling at the girls' bubbly personality. "What's up Robbie?"
Robbie was tapping his PearPad like crazy in search of something. "I," he paused momentarily, "am head of the prom committee."
"Really? How'd you manage that?" Jade asked with an air of actual interest.
At that time the doorbell rang again and Beck made to let Andre in. The two boys came over and sat at the table with the rest of the group, waiting for Robbie's explanation.
"Lane said the girl who was supposed to do it has to leave the country, something to do with her father being an ambassador or some other fancy thing. I was there when he found out, so I volunteered and he accepted."
"Hey kids." Andre said loftily, smiling at everyone.
A chorus of "Hey Andre" echoed around the table.
"So uh, Tori and I are...dating." Jade blurted out, staring down at the table. "I just kinda wanted to get that out of the way." She looked at Tori and laughed, mostly out of stress relief.
Everyone looked at each other slowly, eyebrows raised. Andre and Beck smiled while Cat kinda turned her head to the side like she was thinking a lot, and Robbie just shook his head in a yes motion.
"The theme is gonna be classic forties noir" Robbie added, turning his PearPad around to show a concept image of the gym made up like an old detective movie. Jade and Tori both smiled at the nonchalance of the event.
"Oh! I really liked The Maltese Falcon! This should be fun." Tori smiled, genuinely excited.
The others nodded their agreement, grabbing drinks and snacks in between. Tori dealt out the cards for a game of Blackjack, and the conversation continued as they played. An hour or so went by, and Blackjack had turned into War between Jade and Tori while Robbie showed Cat more concept images so she could design an outfit and Beck and Andre talked about highlights from a football game. Cat wanted to design the perfect femme fatale dress for the dance, and she used Robbie's PearPad to sketch out an outline and emailed it to herself until everyone recongregated.
"You guys want to put in a movie or something?" Tori asked, putting the cards back in the deck pack.
"I'm game" Beck said, standing up from the table.
"Sounds good" Andre added, grabbing the snack bowls and moving them to the living room.
Tori put the cards back in the utility drawer before heading into the living room, taking the spot against the arm of the couch. She turned to the side and extended her right leg straight out so Jade could lay against her between, and they snuggled up together while Beck and Andre found something to watch. Tori grabbed the blanket that draped over the top of the couch and shook it out over them, reaching around and putting her hands over Jade's on Jade's stomach.
Beck and Andre chose Dumb & Dumber, one of Jade's favorite comedies. She smiled when the beginning started, knowing exactly what it was. Tori snuggled into her neck and kissed it gently, making Jade's body stiffen against hers.
"Tori," she whispered, "our friends are here."
"Yeah, well they're all sitting in front of us aren't they?" Tori whispered back, a wicked grin on her face. "You said I would have to pay you back sometime."
Jade smiled wide, a fluttering in her chest from the mixture of fear and excitement.
The movie got into full swing and everyone was laughing, sharing snacks and making comments. It felt really good to be with the whole group again Tori thought, especially since everyone was comfortable with the changes. Beck was okay without Jade, everyone was okay that Jade and her were together, and they could all hang out again like old times. She traced small circles around Jade's belly button with her finger, making her body squirm. Jade grabbed Tori's free hand and lifted it to her mouth, nibbling on the end of her index finger. Tori felt electricity shoot through her whole body, and Jade used her other hand to run her fingers up and down her thigh.
Everyone was focused on the movie, so Tori made her move. She leaned in and planted a couple kisses along Jade's neck, cupping her lips in an o shape and sucking a little. The hand Jade was using to massage her thigh suddenly gripped hold tightly, telling Tori that she was doing something right. She dragged the tip of her tongue along the slope of her neck, pecking tiny, silent kisses down her shoulder blade. Jade was getting really antsy in her spot, so Tori slowed down a little hoping no one would notice their movements.
After a minute she resumed again, kissing and sucking on the same spot of Jade's neck before baring her teeth, sinking her tops into Jade's skin gently at first, dragging them just over the top. Jade had taken the side of Tori's index finger into her mouth, breathing silently into her hand. She closed her eyes, concentrating on the feeling of Tori's teeth in her neck, aching to feel the pressure of a bite. Tori sensed this when Jade tried to push back into her mouth, so she sunk her teeth down harder, leaving bite marks this time. A little bit of purple started to appear between the indents, and Tori smiled at her handiwork.
Cat had dozed off on the floor, and Robbie was concentrating on petting her head. Andre and Beck were entranced in the movie, so Tori used the opportunity to up the ante. She walked her fingers down from Jade's belly button playfully, undoing the button of her jeans in one swift movement. Jade sucked in a sharp breath, attempting to turn around and look at her. Tori put her hand on the side of Jade's face to stop her, returning to work on her neck as she felt for Jade's zipper, tugging it down slowly. Jade bounced and squirmed in her seat, and Tori couldn't help but smile at the effect she had on the girl.
Once Jade's pants were undone Tori slipped her index finger under, playing with her panty line. Jade had taken her other hand and was planting kisses up and down her arm, learning all of the soft curves of her body. Tori adjusted her arm and slipped the rest of her hand inside Jade's panties, causing her to buck her hips up a little. The blanket slipped on the top side and Tori giggled a little as she repositioned them so it wouldn't fall. She felt the smooth mound under Jade's bottoms, learning that the she shaved clean. She smiled at that fact, learning they had something else in common. Tori made the final stretch and cupped her hand over Jade's center, and by the way Jade's body reacted Tori slammed her hand over her mouth quickly to stop a moan from escaping. They froze still and Tori dropped her hand, smiling as Beck looked back to see how they were doing. Tori made eye contact with him as her middle finger was pressing right against Jade's entrance, and the thrill of the moment just served to make her even more wet.
Jade whimpered a little into Tori's arm, fidgeting her hips. Tori took this as a sign to continue, swirling the tip of her finger in Jade's wetness before tracing her inner lips from top to bottom. Jade's whole body vibrated as Tori explored her sex, feeling the heat radiate between Jade's center and her hand. She traced the tip of her finger down and around Jade's entrance before bringing it up and around her button in a figure eight motion. Jade rocked her hips back and forth in unison with Tori's hand, returning to kissing up and down her other arm. Tori slowly brought her hand out from Jade's panties, causing her to whimper again. She smiled hugely behind Jade's head, and just before she could turn around to see what the issue was, Tori stuck the tip of her finger in her mouth, sucking on it right next to Jade's ear so she could hear it.
Jade's whole body racked with a shiver, and Tori returned her hand to where it was. She continued the tracing motion for a minute or two, then took the plunge and inserted her finger inside Jade. Jade's bottom half rose in an arc, and Tori pushed down with her palm to try to keep it from being so obvious. She curled her wrist to bring her finger back out and inserted it again, working to find a good rhythm that Jade enjoyed. They got into a groove after a minute, Tori curled her finger and raked the tip across Jade's top wall, causing her to hiccup little moans into Tori's arm. Tori used her other hand to massage Jade's shoulder, eventually feeling down and cupping her breast. She squeezed lightly and ran her thumb back and forth over the nipple, causing it to harden and poke through the shirt. Jade leaned her head back into the crevice of Tori's other shoulder and relaxed, breathing deeply.
Tori added a little more pressure, pushing down by the nipple and massaging in circles while her other hand worked below the belt. Occasionally she would pull her finger out to circle Jade's button more, pressing down hard as she flicked her finger over it from side to side. Their bodies rocked together very gently for a few minutes until Tori noticed Jade's breath quickening, doubling the pressure on her button. Jade bit down on Tori's wrist hard, arching her back up into Tori's palm as the waves crashed over her again and again. Eventually her breathing slowed and her body collapsed against Tori's, and the two girls just laid with each other while they tried to catch their breath. Tori slowly brought her hand back up, trying not to brush Jade's skin too much, knowing how sensitive she was at the moment. On its way up Jade grabbed the hand and brought it to her own mouth, sucking it clean before placing her arm gently at her side. Tori leaned forward and kissed her neck again a couple times, squeezing Jade as tight as she could.
"I love you" she whispered, smiling into her shoulder.
"I love you too, babe." Jade answered quietly, almost on the verge of passing out.
"I hope that was sufficient payback."
"Yeah it was pr..g.." Jade's words slurred together as she basked in her dazed glory, and Tori laughed softly in her ear.
When the movie ended Andre and Beck got up to stretch while Robbie shook Cat awake, helping her up off the floor. Tori and Jade Threw the blanket back and got up as well, relishing in the feeling of stretching their muscles. Everyone cracked and groaned a little bit, making them laugh at each other. It was rounding three o'clock, and the rest of the group decided to head their separate ways to spend some time with their families before going back to school the next day. Tori stood outside to see them off, and when she turned to head back inside, she saw her mom's car in the garage. She figured her mom was at work since she usually worked weekends since her dad had moved out, but obviously if her car was there, she was there. As they stepped back in the house Jade went for the bathroom and Tori headed upstairs, wondering what the situation was.
Tori knocked on her mom's door, waiting for a response. None came, so she opened the door quietly and peeked in. Mrs. Vega was still in bed, and the room was darkened with the blinds shut. Tori walked in and closed the door over, stepping up to the side of the bed.
"Mom? Are you okay?"
Mrs. Vega stirred a bit, rolling over. "Yeah baby, I'm okay."
"It's three o'clock, I thought you were at work."
"I decided to stay home today, I wasn't feeling well this morning."
Tori looked around the room and noticed a special suitcase on the floor next to the bed, the one that held all the family photo albums. "Do you feel better now? Do you want me to get you something?"
"No sweetie I'm okay, you don't have to do anything. I'm just catching up on some rest."
"Yeah, you've been working a lot lately. It's good to catch up on sleep sometimes."
"I'll be up for dinner, promise."
"I'll make something for us and come get you when it's done. Couple hours."
"Okay sweetie."
Tori turned around and shut the door lightly behind her. Downstairs, Jade was sitting on the couch watching another infomercial on the TV. Tori sat down next to her and leaned into her shoulder, closing her eyes for a little bit.
Around four thirty Jade decided she should go. Her parents had been on edge with her lately and she wanted to make sure she kept things at least partially civil until she found a job. Tori sat up yawned a little, drained from lounging all day.
"Hey Tor, I'm gonna head home. My parents are touchy with all this going on and I don't want to upset them until I have stuff in order."
"Okay. Thank you for coming over." She smiled sweetly and squeezed Jade's knee.
"My pleasure, I promise you that." Jade winked and stood up.
The two walked over to the door and Jade slipped her boots on, then walked over to the kitchen counter to grab her keys and phone. Tori waited by the door and watched her walk, eyeing her features hungrily.
"Text me later." Tori held out her arms for a hug.
"You betcha" Jade replied, bringing her in for a tight squeeze. She stood there for a long minute, holding Tori close to her. Jade rubbed Tori's back softly and ran her cheek across her shoulder, savoring her silky-smooth skin. The smell of vanilla and coconut made her smile as she leaned back and kissed her girl, playfully massaging her tongue for a quick second.
"I love you."
"I love you too, dollface." Jade opened the door and walked through, closing it behind her.
On the way home Jade decided that coffee would be a good idea after being lulled half to sleep by a mind shattering orgasm, courtesy of her beautiful girlfriend. Going home for dinner was the better choice, but just showing up wasn't enough, so she headed for the familiar shop on the corner by her house. She parked on the side of the road and got out, heading up to the empty window she knew so well. The same woman as usual came up from the back, smiling when she saw her.
"Hey Jade."
"Hey."
"Usual?"
"Yeah that'd be great. Say, do you need any help around here?"
"Such as?"
"Well my parents told me I need to get a job, and I figured since I'm here every day anyway that maybe I could work a few days or something, give you some time off."
"Interesting. Well, let me go over my books and see what I'd be able to pay you, and next time you come up we'll talk it over."
"Awesome, thanks."
"Anytime kid. Have a good one."
"You too."
Jade hopped back in the car, hopeful that she would be able to work the coffee shop instead of having to work at her mom's firm. She drank coffee every day, how hard could it be to pour it into a cup for other people? The prospect of a job gave her something positive to give to her parents are dinner, which lifted her spirits immensely.
At home, Jade walked in through the front and kicked her boots off in the mud room, heading straight for the kitchen. Her parents were in the usual spots, sharing a bottle of wine while Mrs. West cooked up some fajitas. Jade entered the kitchen with a smile, setting her phone and keys on the end of the island before grabbing a vitamin water from the fridge.
"Hey guys" Jade said, taking a drink from her bottle.
"Well hello my child, thank you for gracing us with your presence today." Mrs. West drawled theatrically.
"I might have a job." Jade looked at her parents hopefully.
"Really? That was quick." Mr. West sounded impressed. "Where at?"
"The Bean n Gone up the road that I go to all the time. I talked to the woman there and she said she would look things over and see about giving me some hours."
"Well then, that's a good start."
Jade smiled and took another sip of her drink. "I'm starving, that smells great."
"Well I say we go eat it then." Mrs. West turned to head into the dining room with a sizzling skillet.
Tori looked through the fridge and the kitchen cupboards for what to make for dinner. She found chicken breast in the fridge, so she decided to pan fry it and cut it into strips for a chicken salad. Before getting started she ran up to her room and grabbed her PearPod, bringing it down to the kitchen and plugging it into the dock. She started a random playlist and washed the chicken breasts off, trimming the fat from the edges. After she cut the strips, she lined the pan with a little olive oil and dumped them in, sprinkling a few fresh cut herbs over top to add taste. As the strips cooked, she grabbed the salad out of the fridge and dumped it into a large bowl, setting the Italian dressing down next to it. Once the chicken was cooked in the middle, she wiped the oil from pan, searing the strips on high heat for a minute before dumping them into a separate bowl to cool for a minute. She turned off the burner and set the pan off to the side, heading upstairs to get her mom.
Mrs. Vega was awake already, and when Tori knocked on the door she acknowledged and told her to come in. She had the suitcase open on top of her bed and was looking through some old photographs. Tori walked in slowly, taking in all of the images in front of her.
"Hey sweetie, smells great. What did you make?"
"I cooked up some chicken strips for a salad. It's all ready to go."
"Great, I'm starving."
Mrs. Vega got up off the bed and headed for the door, but Tori walked further in and up to the bed. She scooped up all the photos and put them back in the suitcase, picking it up to take downstairs with them. Tori discarded the suitcase on the couch and headed back to the kitchen, moving the salad and chicken bowls to the table while Mrs. Vega grabbed the dressing and some forks. They set up their meals and began, nodding their appreciation for the nourishment.
"I've been asleep almost all day, my stomach was practically screaming at me. Thanks for cooking, this is really good."
"You're welcome." Tori smiled as her mom ate, happy to see her enjoying something.
When the meal was finished Tori cleaned up, refusing her mom's help at the task. She grabbed the bowls from the table and rinsed them off, setting them gently in the dishwasher. She returned the dressing to the fridge and grabbed some apple juice, pouring it into a small glass and returning the container.
Mrs. Vega was in the living room going through the suitcase on the table. She had all the packages of photos out in front of her to go through, and was separating the doubles into separate piles. Tori walked over and sat on the opposite couch, watching as her mom looked at each photo and put them in their places. She saw some old photos from their trips back east to see family when Tori was younger. She had a cousin that lived in Massachusetts, her mom's brother. He was her mom's only sibling so they would go there every other year for Christmas. Being able to see the snow and have snowball fights accounted for some of her favorite memories growing up, since there was no snow in LA. Sure it snowed in Northern California, but they never went up that way.
The first photo she grabbed was of Tori and Trina in snow suits, trying sledding for the first time on a big hill in her Uncle's backyard. Trina had a snow tube and Tori had a toboggan, and they raced each other down the hill. Trina usually won since she was bigger and could gain more speed, but that also meant she fell over more. At the end of the day she would be really sore and Tori would be just fine, and Trina always got mad at her over it.
The next photo was many years later of a family reunion. Tori and her mom were manning the grill, both of them with their arms out flexing like their girl power was going to end hunger. Tori laughed at the photo as she held it, remembering almost everything about that exact moment. The tastes, the smells, the people that were there. She searched around and found more photos from that day, and she grabbed one where her dad had her up on his shoulders, and her Uncle had Trina up on his shoulders in the pool, and Trina and Tori were hitting each other with water noodles American Gladiator style. She remembered hitting Trina in the face and the game being over very quickly, as Trina was a diva even at a younger age and insisted that Tori was trying to punish her for being the prettier sister.
"Mom, you remember Trina freaking out about me hitting her that day?"
Mrs. Vega grabbed the picture and looked it over, smiling instantly. "Oh yes, I remember that very well. Your sister was a peach even at twelve years old."
The two women laughed together, and Tori continued looking through the photos. "Why do you have all these out?" she asked, wondering what prompted her mom to take a trip down memory lane.
"Well, sometimes old women like me like to go through things that remind them of younger days."
"Old women? Mom you're forty. You're a spring chicken compared to some of my friends' parents."
Mrs. Vega laughed at the comment. "You're sweet. But you're only as old as you feel, and lately, I've felt pretty old."
In that moment, the lines of stress and hard work really showed, and Tori felt a sadness in her heart. She looked at her mom as her eyes flickered from photo to photo, holding on to the memories of when their family was still bright and new. A mixture of pain and love, satisfaction and regret. Her facial expressions changed depending on the scene in the photo. She'd smile, sometimes laugh, or even look like she was about to tear up. Tori walked over to the other couch and moved some of the photo packages and sat down next to her, holding her hand.
"Well mom, even though things are a little different now, we'll figure it out. You and dad have been talking and stuff, so who knows? Maybe we can be back to at least some semblance of normal before you know it." Tori smiled sweetly, trying to cheer her up.
"My baby, always the optimist. You know, I've attributed your good nature and willingness to see the good in everything to your miraculousness."
"What does that mean?"
"Well, you almost didn't make it, kiddo. When I was in labor with you you were real stubborn. Didn't feel like coming out." Mrs. Vega laughed as she looked up towards the ceiling, her eyes seeing something that Tori couldn't. "Trina shot out like a cannonball, ready for everyone to know who she was and what she wanted. But you, you were slow but sure. When you finally came into the world, though, you weren't breathing. I remember being worried because you weren't crying like babies usually do when they're born, so I asked the doctor what the problem was and he said that your pulse was low and you weren't breathing on your own.
A few hours later they finally let me get up, and me and your dad went to the NICU and saw you in your incubator. You were so small and fragile. The nurses told me it was uncertain at first, and that if we had any family in the area that would want to see the baby, we should call them in that day. I cried my eyes out for hours, and your dad stayed by my side the whole time. Eventually the nurse came back and told us that you were making some progress, and the outcome had turned for the better. You were going to be fine, and we just had to wait until you were ready. I've watched you grow piece by piece since then from a shy little girl that wanted to be attached to my hip twenty-four seven to a beautiful young woman that's flourishing at a performing arts school. I knew you had the potential to be great, but as it's always been, it had to be when you were ready."
Tori felt like she was going to burst into tears. She'd never heard any of this before, and the way her mom relived that memory in the moment was almost surreal. Mrs. Vega looked at her daughter with tears welled up, smiling at her baby girl. Tori brought her into a hug, trying to put as much feeling into it as she could, to tell her how much she appreciates her and everything she does. Her mom patted her face lazily with a smile, turning back to the photos on the table. She put the doubles in separate bags before returning them to the suitcase, then closed it up and flipped the latches.
"I love you kiddo, no matter what."
"I love you too, mom."
Mrs. Vega grabbed the suitcase and stood up, heading for the stairs. "Now that I've had something to eat and plenty of rest, I actually am going to rip through a few case files before tomorrow. If you need me I'll be up, so come on over."
"Okay."
Jade scarfed her dinner down in what seemed like minutes. She liked fajitas, and after Tori's little stunt earlier and coffee on an empty stomach she was feeling ravenous. Her parents laughed at her and her dad told her to slow down, but she kept at it.
"You're not going to prison or anything tomorrow that we don't know about, right?" Mr. West joked, sipping his wine.
"Nope, just hungry."
"Well I'm glad you like it" Mrs. Vega said, smiling as she finished her own plate. She stood up and made for the kitchen when Mr. West handed her his plate as well, sliding his chair back from the table.
"Can I have this then?" Jade asked, pointing to the leftovers with her fork while speaking through a mouthful of steak.
"Sure, if you think you can eat it."
"Thanks." Jade huffed down the rest of it in record time, sitting back in her seat for a few minutes basking in the warm glow of a full stomach.
Once she was well fed and hydrated, Jade bid her parents adieu and retired to her room. It was only around six o'clock, but after the long day she'd had and the good meal resting in her, she would be down for the count after a good movie. She went through her DVD case and grabbed her copy of Scream and popped it in, then slipped into some pjs. She watched the whole movie through, rapt with attention as it was one of her favorites, relishing in each kill. By the time the end came she actually felt more wired than when she started, deciding to check The Slap for a bit and see what was happening.
Beck had run into Jennifer again, and apparently, she tried to play like nothing was wrong. When Beck told her she was busted at the mall, she basically told him to get real if he thought they were exclusive. Jade felt terrible for him, knowing that even though he wasn't really serious about her in the beginning that Beck wasn't the kind of person to just play with people like that, and the whole thing kind of made her upset.
Cat had left Jade a message saying that she wanted to hang out soon and work on some dress ideas for Prom, so Jade left her a message. "Kitty Cat, I'm pretty sure I can stop by tomorrow night. I'll let you know in school."
Robbie and Andre both had just basic messages saying they were chill. Robbie was just hangin' in for the night and Andre was working on some tunes. Tori however, was a bit of a different animal. She didn't even have an update, which was weird since she usually got at least one short one in there. Today, nothing. Jade chalked it up to the long day and shut her laptop, making her way to the bathroom for the end night routine. When she finally slipped into her bed she got a text, and when she looked she noticed it was Tori.
I just wanted to say I'm really really lucky to have you. You have no idea how lucky. Thank you for loving me. -Tori
Jade smiled so hard she thought her face really would stay that way, and the sentiment almost made her cry. She laid there for a second, staring at the message. There were a lot of things she'd done wrong in her life, but loving Tori Vega was definitely not one of them. She still wondered why the girl even loved her back, and what she did to deserve it. But as long as no one was asking questions she didn't have to provide answers, so she replied back and tucked in to sleep the night away.
I think I'm the lucky one here. You're the yin to my yang, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you too. -Jade