Author's Note: Okay, I'm not even gonna lie. The only reason I updated so much faster than usual is because you guys guilt tripped me. I think I got like fifty reviews within the first 24 hours, and they all weren't a bunch of little one liners either. Oh my gosh! Thank you so much! But you made me feel so bad, like I don't show that I appreciate ya enough. So I busted my booty to get you guys this update as soon as I could. I know it still wasn't that quick. But I hope it's enough to show you guys that I don't take you for granted, and that I really do appreciate all the "feels" you guys invest in this ridiculously long story;)

{~~~~TORI~~~~}

"Vega!"

I turn quickly and hit my forehead on my locker door.

Ow.

I rub at my forehead.

What's she doing here so early?

I don't even know why I'm asking myself that. Jade's been coming to school on time lately, but I still haven't fully gotten used to it. It's just too weird.

She's also been a bit moody. Like, she'll switch from being ganky, to affectionate, then back to ganky, with me in a nanosecond.

At first, I thought it was because of what happened at her uncle's…er step-…ex-step-uncle's birthday party, but she seems to be over that.

Then I figured she was on her ladytime; but who's ladytime lasts for three weeks?

"You're so clumsy, baby." Jade rolls her eyes and kisses my forehead.

I give her a small smile and return to getting my stuff out of my locker.

Honestly, I think it's me. I think Jade's probably just tired of me and is ready to go back to Beck now. I know he's definitely ready to get back with her. He's always giving her these longing stares, and he's always sitting by her at lunch, and he always looks away when me and Jade kiss.

I don't know why Jade hasn't broken up with me yet. Maybe since she doesn't hate me anymore she's worried about hurting my feelings.

I can admit it. I'll miss doing stuff with her all the time; but she's never really been mine. I can't stop her from breaking up with her fake girlfriend.

My phone buzzes and I frown a little when I see the screen. Alyssa Vaughn. Why's she texting me so early? She's usually a late riser; like that girl could sleep until one in the afternoon if she's not bothered.

Hopefully everything's alright.

Then I read the text and smile. It says:

Alyssa: Let's do lunch today. My treat!

I text her back what time we go to lunch.

"What are you smiling about?" Jade asks grumpily.

See? Mood change.

I keep my smile though, and I aim it at Jade. "Alyssa invited us to lunch, her treat."

Jade narrows her eyes. "No."

"But I already told her we'd go." I whine a bit. I really do hate going back on my word.

"Wait, we?" she asks.

I nod my head. "Yeah."

"There's no way she invited me," Jade says, quite confidently.

Okay, so Jade threatened to stab Alyssa with her scissors. That was three weeks ago! I think Alyssa's over it. At least, she doesn't talk about it. And she doesn't say anything bad about Jade either, so in my mind everything's all good between them now. We should be able to do lunch with no problem…unless Jade threatens her again.

"She didn't invite just you. She invited us." I point between me and Jade, emphasizing the us part.

"Lemme see." She demands disbelievingly.

I show her the text.

"That says nothing about you bringing your girlfriend, Vega." Jade scowls at me.

I read the text again.

Huh. It doesn't. I wonder why I thought it did. I read it once more, more slowly this time, just to be sure. Yep, it really doesn't say anything about me bringing Jade, but it's not like it says not to bring her either. Plus, I texted Alyssa that we'd meet her, and she said okay…so it's not like she's just expecting me either.

The bell rings, totally catching me by surprise; but only because something's missing. Or rather, someone.

Lissa. I haven't seen her yet. She's always here to walk me to first period because we share that class.

"Jade," I frown. "Have you seen Melissa?"

She rolls her eyes at me and walks away.

See? Ganky mood.

I rush to first period and once inside, I scan the classroom. Maybe I just missed her.

But I didn't. She's not in here.

That's so unlike her. Lissa never skips. I hope she's alright. I send her a quick text, asking if she is. She sends me one back almost immediately, but I have to wait until after class to read it. It's test time. No phones allowed. Still, I feel a little better just knowing that she texted me back because that means she's alive, at least.

I'm the first out of class when the bell rings and I quickly check my phone so I can read Melissa's text.

Melissa: I'm fine Icky. Me and Ian went to visit Jordan at LA Correctional

I gasp. What? Then I'm texting back as fast as my fingers can fly across my screen. It literally takes me a second and a half to type up my reply.

Me: The jail!

Melissa: Yeah

Me: What did he do?!

Melissa: He found out about what Danny did. Then he…reacted.

Me: You told him!?

Melissa: No, I tried to keep it from him, because I know how he is. He found out on his own

I'm almost afraid to ask what state Danny's in for Jordan to earn jail time. But I do.

Me: Is he still alive?

Melissa: kinda. His face is a little messed up. You know how into his looks he is. I think he wishes he were dead.

Me: But Jordan seems so…harmless.

Melissa: He's quiet. That's not the same as harmless.

I guess not.

"Who are you texting now?"

I smile brightly, without even thinking about it. It's like no matter how aggravated Jade sounds, my initial response to her voice is to smile. I like her voice. It's soothing and sensual all at the same time.

"Melissa." I answer, kissing her on her cheek soundly.

She smiles at me and kisses me back. Once on my cheek. Twice on my lips.

See? Affectionate mood.

"So what are you and Redhead talking about?"

"Why she wasn't at school today." I frown a bit, remembering why.

"So…." Jade inquires.

I smile. She's actually interested? Wait, of course she is….we're actually kinda friends now. Or we will be when she breaks up with me.

"She went to go visit her brother."

She frowns. "Where is he?" Then she's grabbing my hand and walking me to class.

I falter a bit. It's not really my place to say where Jordan is. What if Melissa wants to keep her brother's whereabouts private? What if Jordan doesn't want anybody to know what he did?

"Babe?" Jade inquires

"I don't wanna lie to you." I sigh. And I don't, especially because we're on our way to being friends; but I really don't feel comfortable telling her about Jordan. I'm not much of a gossiper…especially when it comes to my best friend's household business.

"Forget I asked," Jade rolls her eyes and drops my hand.

I get a little hurt because I don't want Jade mad at me, but then I realize we're at my classroom now.

She leans in, kisses the side of my head quickly and then she's off to her class.

"I'll walk you to third period!" I shout after her.

I'm sure she heard me, but she doesn't answer.

See? Moody.

I don't get to walk Jade to third period like I want to. I don't even make it to my third period class on time! I get held back by Sikowitz. He wants me to sign up to audition for some end of the year play….immediately. Like, when I said, "Okay, sure, later." He shouted, "No, now!" And then dragged me to the Black Box Theater.

He didn't even have the decency to give me a hall pass after I was done!

But I made sure to text Jade that I was sorry about not being able to walk her to class.

She didn't respond back.

I'll make it up to her, somehow.

Melissa makes it to school just in time for fourth period. I'm so dang happy to see her. I haven't had a bestie in a long time. Not since I was 12. I was so sad when Josephina moved away. We were practically inseparable.

Me and Lissa are getting to be like that. We don't follow each other everywhere and have slumber parties every weekend, but I'd still say we're pretty close.

Lissa pulls me to the side. "Hey, you didn't say anything to anyone about my brother, did you?"

I smile, full of relief because I made the right decision. "Of course not," I'm able to say truthfully. "It's not my place to say."

"Thanks." She smiles back. "Now erase those messages." She commands just as we make it into Sikowitz's room.

"Okay."

"Erase what messages?"

Gulp. I know, I just said my initial response to Jade's voice is to smile, but I already feel so guilty for not making good on my promise to walk her to class. And now this!

"The love texts I've been sending your girlfriend." Lissa cuts in with an eye roll. "I don't want you to see them and find out she's been cheating on you with me. It's a secret. Don't tell anybody." She monotones.

Usually Melissa's not so sarcastic, not with Jade anyway, but I figure she's having a bit of a bad morning; and I wanna explain that to Jade before she scissors my friend for saying those things in front of our entire classroom.

But I don't have to say anything. Lissa leaves the classroom. Jade follows after her, and I just know she's going to kill my friend. I make to follow the both of them but Sikowitz decides to be a normal teacher and tells me to have a seat.

"But I"-

"Sit!" He cuts me off.

I'm so tempted to go after them still, but I can't bring myself to disobey a teacher after I'm given a direct order. Not even when the teacher is Sikowitz.

I do however totally ignore everything he has to say until Jade and Melissa come back into the classroom.

Melissa's been crying. I can tell. But she's alive. And she doesn't seem too hurt, physically.

I send her a quick text. Asking her if she wants me to sit in her lap.

She actually laughs a little, getting Sikowitz' attention. He makes her volunteer for an improv exercise, along with André and two shruggers.

Jade makes me get up out of my seat, then she turns my seat around. When I sit back down, she scoots her chair up close to me and wraps her arms around my waist.

She's been doing that a lot lately. Sometimes her hold on me is loose, gentle. Other times, it's tight and makes it hard for me to breathe.

Right now, it's tight.

See? Painfully affectionate.

I twist a little, trying to loosen her grip. No luck there.

I'm trying to get used to it. I really am, but it's so hard to get used to not being able to breathe.

I don't get to breathe again until the bell, nearly an hour later.

Lunch time.

And as if on cue, Alyssa texts me, asking if I'm still coming. I send her a text that says we'll be there soon.

She doesn't send me back a confused "we?" so maybe Jade's wrong. Maybe Alyssa does know I'm bringing her.

I go to my car, but Jade insists on driving hers. So, we drive hers.

When we get to Rizzo's, Alyssa actually does seem a little shocked to see Jade.

Oops.

But she covers the surprise up quickly and smiles.

Jade smiles back; this incredibly sweet looking smile. I know that smile, and it's actually anything but sweet.

As soon as Jade sits down, I sit in her lap. I'm so sure that this kind of stuff is frowned upon in this type of restaurant, but I'm even more sure that murder, or at least stabbings, are frowned upon even more. And that's exactly what my girlfriend…fake girlfriend looks like she wants to do to Alyssa.

"You're paying right?" Jade's the first to speak, and she's directed that question toward Alyssa. "That's what the text you sent to my girlfriend said. "My treat"" she recites mockingly.

"Right." Alyssa smiles back politely, but we both know what's coming next.

Jade orders the most expensive meal on the menu, plus a desert.

I only order a side salad and some water before giving Alyssa an apologetic smile. I know this won't balance out the bill, but I hope it helps some.

Alyssa seems to understand. Well, she doesn't get angry or anything. She had to have been expecting this. Jade hasn't liked her since a picture of her and Beck ended up on the buzzfinger home page.

It's not long before Jade's hand sneaks its way under the back of my shirt and she starts rubbing my back. Slow circles. I knew that was coming. In fact, I was kinda waiting on it.

This is one thing I'll miss when we "break up."

Then she drops a kiss on my shoulder.

I sigh. I'll miss that too.

"What's the matter, baby?" Jade murmurs before kissing my shoulder again.

And I'll miss the way she calls me baby too.

"Yeah, Tori. You look a little down." Alyssa adds on. "Everything okay?"

I nod my head. Everything's as okay as can be, I guess.

Jade's hands move around front; and I get ready for that squeezing thing she likes to do now, only it doesn't come.

She kneads my belly softly.

I tense up. That was new. Not Jade touching me because she does it all the time, but that feeling….

I like Jade's touches. My body likes Jade's touches too, and it usually responds with some tingling in my belly…but that….just now…there was a, uh, a clenching sensation….down there.

What the heck was that?

I jump when my phone buzzes abruptly, startling the chiz out of me.

Jade fishes it out of my back pocket for me and hands it over. I'm so surprised she didn't try to read it. And it reminds me that I still never deleted those texts about Jordan.

I start to do it now, so that I don't forget again, but then I see who the text was from and I groan out loud.

"What's up, babe?" Jade asks.

"Sikowitz. I have to go hunting." I sigh dejectedly. Doesn't my teacher know it's lunch time? I'm hungry. Hungry!

"You still do those?" Jade scoffs.

"Do what?" Alyssa interjects.

"Just an assignment for my teacher." I shrug and get up.

"What? Right now?" Alyssa frowns.

I nod my head, and apologize for skipping out on lunch. Jade stays still.

Please tell me she's not gonna sabotage me. I knew I should've driven my car.

"Come on Jade." I whine.

"You go ahead, babe. I want to eat my lunch." Then she digs her keys out of her back pocket and hands them to me…..

She's gonna let me drive her car? Qué demonios?

"Jade?"

"I'll save you some." She answers absently, smiling sweetly at Alyssa again.

Oh no.

"Jade, how will you get back to school?" I try to reason with her.

"Alyssa can give me a ride. Can't you?" Jade answers me, never taking her eyes off of Alyssa.

Alyssa smiles back tightly. "Of course."

"But"- I try again, but Jade cuts me off.

"This'll be good for us, me and Alyssa Vaughn, babe. It'll give us some time to bond." She says to me, her eyes still never leaving Alyssa's face. "You do want us to bond, don't you?"

Really? Now I know my girlfriend…fake girlfriend is up to no good. Jade doesn't do bonding. It's like one of her unwritten rules or something.

I hold out my hand, palm up. "Gimme your scissors." I sigh.

To my surprise, she pulls them out and hands them over without the slightest argument.

I was not expecting that.

Then she says, "I have a spare," and now it totally makes sense.

"Where is it?"

"Look for it." She smirks, finally looking at me and raising her eyebrows in challenge. If she thinks I won't frisk her here, and out in the open, she's got another thing coming.

I pocket my cell and Jade's keys before reaching for her. First stop, her bra.

I'm not a pervert. If Jade's hiding a second pair of scissors on her persons, you can bet it'll be in a place no one would dare search for it.

She grabs my wrists and pulls me down onto her lap. She's laughing at me, and kissing my face. "I did not think you had the guts to do that, Vega." She admits.

See? Affectionate mood.

I practically melt.

"Well I do." I pout a little.

"Okay," she kisses my face again. "You win. I won't hurt her… physically."

I frown.

"Trust me, baby."

"I do trust you." I say back to her immediately. Without even thinking it over. My initial response.

"Good." She kisses my forehead and lets me go.

I straighten up, well aware that we have an audience and it makes me a little nervous. Jade doesn't seem to notice, or mind, at all.

"I'll save you some food." She says, dismissing me because I'm supposed to be leaving. Crap! I forgot about that.

"Bye." I call, bidding both Jade and Alyssa their farewells at the same time because I don't have time for individuals.

According to Sikowitz's text, I have to go to the Inside Out Burger only a few miles from here, so that's a relief. Bad part is, I have to take a picture of a bowl of nuts placed in one of the stalls in the girls' bathroom.

Gross.

I end up arriving before Melissa, even though she's had a bigger head start.

Her face falls when she sees me.

"Nice to see you too." I grumble, 'cause I get it. I know she was hoping I wouldn't show up. That way, she could win and we wouldn't have to do this anymore.

Not a chance.

I like winning, even if I don't know what the prize is.

"Where's Jade?" Melissa asks, quickly taking a picture of the nuts and texting it to Sikowitz.

"Rizzo's with Alyssa."

Lissa's eyes widen. "You left your girlfriend alone with her?! She's gonna kill her, you know that, right!?"

I shake my head. "I don't think she'll kill her."

"Uh, Alyssa Vaughn is trying to take her girlfriend away. Yeah, she's gonna kill her, Icky. What were you thinking?" she punches my arm and leaves the bathroom.

I follow after her, absentmindedly rubbing the spot she hit.

"Alyssa is not trying to take me away from Jade." I scoff. "She likes Beck."

"Your gadar is broken."

"It is not!" I cry immaturely. When in all actually, I don't think I even have a gadar.

"Why do you think Jade hates her so much?"

"I told you, Alyssa likes Beck."

Lissa turns around to face me, a serious frown on her face. "Why would Jade care who likes Beck? She's dating you."

Since I can't tell her that me and Jade are only pretending to date so that Jade and Beck can get back together, and that if Beck starts dating Alyssa it could ruin stuff, I make up something on the spot.

"Jade probably wants Beck to suffer. He's not suffering if he's dating Alyssa Vaughn!"

Wow. That was a good one. Thank you Sikowitz, and all our many improv exercises. I've never been a better liar. I'll have to pat my own back for a job well done as soon as Melissa turns around.

"You are seriously cluele-hold that thought," she commands, holding up her index and giving me the "one moment" sign so she can answer her phone.

I try not to be too nosey, so for the most part, I don't listen in on her conversation. Not until I hear her say babe.

Babe? Who is she calling babe? She has another boyfriend, already? And if so, why wasn't I told. I'm supposed to be her friend. Friends tell each other when they're dating someone, don't they?

"You got another boyfriend?" I blurt out as soon as Lissa ends her call.

"No, that was my friend, Julie."

Julie? Isn't Julie a girl name? Am I missing something?

"You're uh… special friend?" I ask.

"What?"

"You called her babe."

"I call all my friends babe." Lissa answers like it's the most obvious thing in the world. But it's not, because I never heard that before. And I'm supposed to be her friend!

"You don't call me that!" I exclaim.

"Yeah, well you're gay and I didn't want to give you the wrong impression."

"I wouldn't have gotten the wrong impression." I snap.

Am I seriously angry over this? I mean, I just need to really think of how it would be if Lissa went around calling me babe. Yeah, Jade wouldn't like that. It's her thing.

"You're right, Lissa." I admit. "Plus Jade wouldn't have liked it too much."

"She wouldn't, would she?" Lissa grins mischievously.

"Oh no." I groan.

"What?" She asks, smiling innocently.

But I know she's far from innocent.

"You're not gonna…" I trail off, knowing she knows what I'm asking.

"Of course I'm gonna, babe."

Aw man, what have I done?

"Why do you like making her so mad?" I whine.

"Because it's freakin' hilarious."

Yeah, to her. It's not fun for me. Not at all.

Ugh!

I stomp my way over to Jade's car and yank her door open.

"Hey, Icky?" Lissa calls.

"Yeah?" I turn back.

She jogs up to me quickly. "Uh, thanks for not going all, "why didn't you tell me Jordan was locked up sooner" on me." she says.

I wouldn't have. Because I understand. Some things are just not so easy to talk about.

"You're welcome." I shrug before getting in Jade's car. Then I text her. Ask her if Alyssa's still alive.

She doesn't text me back. I seriously debate on whether I should head back to school, or back to the restaurant.

In the end, I decide to go back to school.

I'm just being silly, paranoid. There's no way Jade literally killed Alyssa. Maybe threatened or scared her, but Jade wouldn't kill her. I know it.

Plus, Jade told me to trust her. And I'm gonna…try.

When I see Jade again, it's after school.

I'll admit that I'm relieved she's wearing the same outfit she'd been wearing when I left her at Rizzo's.

I circle her, studying her clothing intently. There's no sign of a struggle, no extra rumpled shirt, no rips, no blood.

She didn't kill anyone.

I smile.

"Looking for something?" Jade smirks that sexy smirk at me.

"Blood." I blurt out a little too honestly.

"Mmm. I love it when you talk dirty to me." She smirks again. That sexy, sexy, smirk.

Why can't my smirks look like that?

Then she's kissing me. A sexy kiss. She puts her hands on my hips, pulls me closer.

I'm the first to pull back for air. I was so caught off guard.

"Let's go to your place to study." She whispers. "It's more private."

I shiver…because I feel it again. That tug….down there.

I pull away. Hopefully not quickly enough for Jade to think I'm alarmed, or freaked. Even though I kinda am. I'm a little nervous by the way she said private. 'Cause I know she's referring to the fact that at my house, I can shut and lock my door.

She's been so hands on lately. No more of that mussing me up so it can look like we've splunked stuff. Not anymore.

Oh God, what if she wants to do the real thing? What if she thinks it's no big deal?

It is a big deal though. To me it is.

I just started Hollywood Arts this year. I'm not used to throwing myself 100 percent into a role the way she is.

"Earth to Vega!" Jade's snapping her fingers in front of my eyes. When she's satisfied that I'm focused, she says, "I'll meet ya there." Then she's getting in her car. Heading for my house. Heading for privacy.

Gulp.

I get in my car and drive home in silence. No talking on the phone, no listening to music, no nothing.

Suddenly, there's a tapping on my window.

I jump, looking up to really take in my surroundings for the first time in about ten minutes.

I'm already home. Jade tapped on my window because I've just been sitting here.

I drove on autopilot again.

That's so dangerous, Tori, I chide myself.

Jade tries my door, but it's locked. So I unlock it for her.

"Babe, you okay?" she asks me.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I answer while reaching for my stuff in the backseat so Jade can't see my face. She's real good at telling if I'm lying.

"Tori!" I hear as soon as I walk in the house.

I cringe. Sometimes Trina's voice literally hurts my ears.

"Help me with"-

"She's busy." Jade interrupts behind me.

Trina pouts. "But I need heeeeeeerrrrrr….."

She needs somebody, that's for sure. Judging by the green gunk in her hair I'm gonna guess that she….uh…you know what? I don't know what the chiz she's doing. I hardly ever do.

"Too. Bad." Jade pushes out through clenched teeth. "Let's go, Vega." she says bossily before grabbing my hand and pulling on me.

I end up dropping my bag and all of my chiz falls out.

Jade rolls her eyes. "I'll meet you upstairs."

I could be upset about her not helping me pick everything up, but why? She's been a little nicer, well a lot nicer to me since the day we met, but she's still Jade West.

"I hate your girlfriend." Trina whines. "You barely have time for me now!" She exclaims dramatically before running upstairs.

Thank God.

I'm so wearing the biggest smile when I get to my room.

"What's so funny?" Jade asks.

She's sitting on my bed, world history book and notebook out, and she's taking notes. Studying. Looks like she literally meant she was gonna do homework, so that means I spazzed out for nothing.

I shake my head. "Just something Trina said." I answer after she raises her eyebrows expectantly at me.

"Yeah, you can keep that to yourself." She mumbles. Then she's back to doing homework.

I sit next to her, pulling out my glasses and homework as well.

The time ticks by quickly. I barely even remember Jade's here because she's so quiet. That is until she kisses my shoulder.

I jump a little. Like I said, I kinda forgot she was here.

"Those glasses are so hot on you." She smirks.

I sigh and take them off. I know she thinks I look like a dork.

She scowls at me. "Put them back on!"

I blink at her.

"Why would you take them off if I say I like them?"

I blink some more. "You like them?"

Now it's her turn to blink at me in utter confusion. "I just said you look hot in them." She answers slowly, like I'm an idiot.

I'm not an idiot.

"Yeah, but I thought you were just being sarcastic." I defend myself. "I thought you were teasing me."

She snatches my glasses up off of my bed. "Well, I wasn't." she says before placing them back on my face. Then she has my face in both hands, and she's kissing me. A sexy kiss.

I start grinning like an idiot when she pulls back. I couldn't stop if I wanted too. I might even start blushing. Wait, I have started blushing. Sheesh. Why am I always the one blushing? God, I'm such a dork.

Jade smiles back at me, shakes her head and rolls her eyes. Even she thinks I'm a dork. And I have the sudden urge to prove that I'm not, but….

Why would I ever think the way to prove that is to tackle my girlfriend…fake girlfriend?

Because that's what I do.

I lunge at her, pin her down. She's on her back and I'm on top.

"Hey!" she exclaims. She's been successfully taken by surprise. But then she gets her bearings and looks up at me. "Oh." She smirks, raising her eyebrow. Challenging.

She doesn't think I'll go any further.

I don't back down. I want her to take me, her fake girlfriend, seriously. I don't want her thinking I'm oh so cute. I can be sexy. I can!

I lean down and I kiss her.

It's good. It's always good, but this one is the best I've had in weeks. Probably because I'm not chanting in my head 'this is fake' the whole time. I'm just kissing her. I'm letting it feel good, for me. But I don't forget that I'm supposed to be showing her too. Showing her that I can be more than cute. I can be sexy. I can take her breath away. I can make her hot, make her shiver.

But I can't. Not really. All those ways I'm supposed to be making her feel? I'm only doing it to myself.

There's a flutter in my stomach. My first warning that I should slow down. That I'm not as in control as I think I am.

I ignore it. I keep going. Kissing my girlfriend…fake girlfriend. She's opened up for me already. Seconds, minutes ago. But I chose to keep my tongue to myself, to deny her. She can't get what she wants whenever she wants it.

I kiss her lips. The bottom. The top, both at the same time; all of my kisses are wet, closed mouthed kisses. She grunts in frustration.

I don't care. She can't always get what she wants when she wants it.

I move over to her jaw. Biting, sucking, kissing.

She turns her head, trying to capture my lips with hers. She puts her whole body into it. Almost rolls me over, but I shift too. I manage to keep her right where I want her.

Under me.

God, she feels so good beneath me. So soft, so warm.

The warm part is probably my doing. I've just realized how hot I've gotten all of a sudden. Almost feverish.

And there's that feeling…down there, again.

It's different this time. More urgent. Not so much as a small clenching or tug, it's more of a slow… pounding.

I should really stop.

Suddenly, Jade's lips are on mine. She's sat up, without me even noticing, she's sat up and now she's kissing me, pulling me down on top of her.

It's instinct to kiss her back. The way she wants to be kissed. With my tongue sliding over hers, and hers over mine.

It's instinct, to brace my hands against my bed for balance once we land. Only I've miscalculated. One of my hands doesn't find bed. It finds something much softer.

Boobie.

Jade gasps. I've never touched her there before. We've never really touched each other where it really counts before. And now I've got one of the most beautiful breasts in my right hand.

I don't pull away.

It's instinct to squeeze, gently, and watch my girlfriend's face as I do.

Her eyes fly open and find mine. "Yes, baby." She encourages huskily.

Then her hands are on my butt, and she's squeezing too while simultaneously pushing up against me, up against my pounding.

I squeak and jump off of my girlfriend…fake girlfriend. I think I just peed my pants.

Oh God, I just peed on Jade West!

I'm off of my bed and at my door when I hear Jade grumble, "Lemme guesss, you gotta wazz."

If I didn't already!

The bathroom's occupied by Trina. I pull her out by her arm.

"Hey!" she exclaims, and she calls me a wazzbag when I slam the door in her face and lock it.

She's lucky her arms is what I pulled her out of the bathroom by. I just grabbed the first part of her body I could reach. I would've pulled her out by her hair, if it was closer.

I plop down onto the toilet and check my panties.

I sigh, full of relief. It's not wazz, it's…uh, wet. A lot of it.

Jeez, Louis, and Steve!

Oh my God, that's so embarrassing! Uuuughhhh! Por que a mí? How am I supposed to go back in my room now….with her in it?!

Okay, cálmate, Tori. Just breathe.

I clean myself up the best I can and stash my panties at the bottom of the hamper. I'll do laundry tonight, when Jade's gone. Plus Trina never does laundry anyway, so I don't have to worry about anybody ever finding out.

Here's to hoping my girlfriend doesn't notice I'm now going commando.

She notices.

She's doing homework again, and I sit down next to her. Maybe we'll just do homework silently next to each other until it's not awkward between us anymore?

Yeah, right.

"Babe?" Jade frowns at me, "where are your underwear?"

Dang it! Did that really have to be the first thing she said to me?

I shrug as nonchalantly as I can. "I got rid of them." And yay for my voice coming out sturdy and clear. Hopefully that'll be the end of that.

It's not.

"Why?" she persists.

Dang it!

But I pretend like I didn't hear. I get back to my studying. Or try to anyway.

"Why?" Jade asks again, slapping my notebook out of my hand.

Sheesh. Is it really that big of a deal?

I look up at her, and she glaring at me intensely. I know she hates it when I don't answer her questions, but this is so embarrassing! I don't even think I know how to say it!

But something tells me I better try. The dragon is back.

"I uh…."

She twirls her index, urging me to go on.

"They…um…..They're ruined." I say. Then I pick my notebook up and avoid eye contact with Jade West.

"Ruined?" she asks. "As in…." she trails off. I know she knows what happened. What I did.

I try so hard to keep my face its normal color, but it's heating up fast, going for crimson. I can feel it. I'm so embarrassed. I wonder if it would've been less mortifying to tell her that I wazzed on her.

Then Jade starts laughing at me.

Oh God, I could just die right now.

"Just drop it." I groan.

She keeps laughing.

Yeah, I should've told her that I wazzed on her. I'd rather have her mad at me than laughing at me.

I turn over and find a pillow to bury my face in. And I plan on staying like that until Jade leaves.

She doesn't leave, but she finally stops laughing.

"Babe?" she shakes my shoulder,

I ignore her.

"Aw, baby….come out." She coaxes teasingly.

I shake my head. I'm not coming out until I suffocate.

She climbs up on me, sits on my butt.

Just knowing that her girl-part is touching me is enough to send the tingles back into my stomach.

I groan. I swear, if my duey starts pounding again….

Jade leans down some, pressing her boobs into my back.

I hold my breath and shift a little, trying to get them off of me; but I'm only successful in getting Jade to take a hold of my waist for balance.

I moan. Fist my pillow tightly.

Jade chuckles in my ear.

I know, I know she's laughing at how completely humiliated I am, but I still can't help but to think how sexy that chuckle is anyway.

I squeeze my thighs together as tightly as I can. Apparently I don't get a fuzzy feeling in my stomach when Jade chuckles in my ear anymore.

I get a pounding in my duey.

I moan some more.

Jade chuckles some more. "You want me." she sing songs.

She's teasing me, laughing at me because I want to have real sex with my fake girlfriend.

Suddenly, my phone rings.

Can you say relief?

I scramble out from underneath Jade to answer it.

Jade sighs, apparently disappointed that her fun has come to an end.

I pick up my phone and don't even frown at the unfamiliar number. I answer it; not even caring if it's Hudson….kinda.

"Hello?" I say cheerfully.

"Tori?" The person on the other line says. She's a girl, that's for sure, but other than that I don't know who she is. I frown a bit at the fact that I'm not able to place the voice to someone who obviously knows me.

"Yeah?" I ask tentatively.

The girl on the other line laughs. "It's me, girl. Josephina."

Josephina?

Josephina!

"Oh my God, Josie!" I squeal.

"Yep, it's me."

I start bouncing all over my room. "I can't believe it's you! I haven't talked to you in forever!"

"I know." Josie chuckles easily. She doesn't sound anywhere near excited as I do, but I don't take offense. She always sounds like that. I remember that about her. "So, when are you gonna come see me, girl?"

"As soon as I can!" I promise, not even stopping to think about the fact that she lives in North Dakota now.

"How about now?" she says.

I pause, now remembering that she's not here, in California…. unless she is. She must be in town.

"Where are you!?" I run to my closet; ready to put on my shoes and meet her in Folsom if that's where she is.

"Come downstairs." She laughs.

What?

Downstairs?

She can't possibly mean….

I throw my phone down and I'm running, I'm tumbling down those stairs, missing steps…I'm too clumsy for that. I could fall and really hurt myself, but I keep going. I keep going until I do fall. Land flat on my back because I ran into a wall, and it fell on me.

I start screaming. I start screaming because I know walls don't wrap their arms around you. That wall I ran to, that wall that fell on top of me, it's Josephina.

"I can't believe you're here!" I cry, holding my friend tight.

"I know." She says. "I missed you."

She gets off of me and helps me up. I'm still all bouncy and she seems pretty chill, but she's still excited. I can tell. She just doesn't express it like normal people.

"Hey! Josie!" We both turn to look at Trina. I'm guessing she's the one who let Josie in. Thank goodness the green goop is out of her hair. "You're thing is crying." She says before stomping her way upstairs.

That's right! Papi told me Josephina has a baby.

"Your sister hasn't changed a bit, has she?" Josie deadpans.

I'm more interested in the baby than Trina, so I don't even answer. I go running straight toward the crying child.

"Boy or girl?" I call over my shoulder. The car seat is pretty masculine looking, so I'm guessing the mini Josie is a boy.

And he is. The cutest little boy ever!

As soon as I pick him up, he chucks on me.

That, however, is not cute.

Josephina doesn't apologize. She never does. "I think he likes you," she chuckles. "Go change. We'll try again."

I forgot how bossy she is. But it's not something I don't want to do. So, I hand her son over, and I jog upstairs.

My shirt's off before I go in my room. I've thrown it in the hamper on my way.

"Babe, where's your shirt?" I hear as soon as I open my door.

I jump. I totally forgot Jade was here.

"Josephina's baby chucked on me, so I threw it in the hamper." I answer, grabbing a random t-shirt to throw on.

"I was going to see how long it took for you to remember me, but I guess we'll never know, huh?"

I look up at her. She's mad.

"Sorry, Jade." I apologize quickly. "I just got so excited…" I trail off. Surely she understands.

She doesn't seem inclined to want to. But I can't help it. I'm still excited Josephina's here. She was my best friend for nearly a decade. A decade! Do you know how long that is?

"Come on Jade." I grab her by the arm. "Come meet my friend and her baby."

She pulls away from me. "The kid who just chucked on you? No thanks. I'll pass."

I don't take no for an answer. I'm too happy, and I wanna share my joy with everyone, and anyone, who crosses my path. And that includes my moody fake girlfriend.

I drag Jade all the way until we're standing in front of Josephina. "Jade, this is Josephina." Josie hands her son over to me, and this time he doesn't chuck.

Yay!

"Josie, this is Jade." I finish my introduction without looking at either girl. My focus is on the baby in my arms. He really is adorable. Looks nothing like Josie though. Brown eyes, hair so fair he looks bald….I wonder who his father is. I turn to Josie, about to ask her but she speaks first.

"Damn, Tori you haven't changed at all." She chuckles.

I take it as an insult. "I have." I pout.

"No you haven't. You sound the same. You act the same. You look the same. Hell, even your ta-tas are the same size." she pinches one playfully.

Jade's eyes widen and she grits her teeth so hard I expect them to shatter and start shooting out everywhere. "Vega, can I see you upstairs. Now." She says…without opening her mouth.

Crap. I'm in so much trouble.

Josie cocks her head to the side, taking in Jade's reaction. "She's your girlfriend." she says, not asks.

I nod my head uneasily, squeezing the baby a little tighter. If Josephina doesn't want to be my friend because of it, that would hurt so bad. I really missed her.

"Hm. Looks like my little Tori has a type." She says, ruffling my hair.

"Aw, come on Josie, don't start that up again." I scowl, swiping her hand away with only one of my own 'cause I'm still holding the baby.

Her and Trina used to do that kind of stuff to me all the time; bop my nose, ruffle my hair, pat my back, like I was some little kid, when really, they're only a year older than me!

"What do you mean by that, that she has a type?" Jade growls at Josephina.

"You're a bit like me," Josie answers, calmly.

"Oh?" Jade snarls.

Crap! I was really hoping they could get along. I look from Jade to Josephina.

Okay, so maybe there are a few similarities between the two of them. Like height.

And Weight.

And shape.

And they have the same color hair, except, Jade's wearing purple extensions.

And they're almost the same color, except Josie's a little bit paler.

And they have the same color eyes.

But Josie doesn't have a pierced nose, or a pierced eyebrow. And Josie doesn't have this weird obsession with scissors, or a very dark sense of humor. And Josie chuckles, but she doesn't have that sexy Jade chuckle, or that Jade smirk. And Josie doesn't raise her eyebrows quite the same sexy way that Jade does….

"You two are nothing alike." I blurt out.

"Oh?" Josie inquires.

Jade does do that though. A lot.

I shake my head. "Okay, just a little, but I'd have to have liked you when we were kids in order for you to think I have a "type.""

"You did have a crush on me when we were kids"-

"I did not!" I interject.

"Oh?" She quirks an eyebrow.

"I didn't." I insist.

"You don't remember following me around everywhere when we were kids, always begging to spend the night at my place?"

My face falls. I do remember that. But that's not how I remember it.

I don't remember following Josie everywhere she went. I remember us going everywhere together. And I thought normal friends wanted to sleep over at each other's houses. I figured, she wouldn't want to come to mine because of Trina, so I always asked to go to hers. I thought…I didn't know she thought I was just some kid who followed her around.

"I thought we were friends." I whisper. "I thought you were my best friend."

Josephina wraps an arm around my shoulder. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, baby girl. I'm not saying you annoyed me. Of course I was your best friend, but I also knew you liked me a little too much, you know?"

"How do you figure?' I scoff defiantly. What is this? Embarrass Tori day?

"Don't you remember kissing me?"

I nod my head. "I do. But we were just playing truth or dare."

"Yeah, alone, just me and you, and you dared me to kiss you."

Crap. That is how it went. I forgot all about it.

Why did I do that?

"Is she counting?" Josie asks suddenly.

I look at what she's looking at; a seriously pissed off Jade. She's got her arms crossed over chest, her eyes glued to my shoulder, where Josie has her arm resting, and she really is counting, but mostly under her breath.

I shrug Josie's arm off of me. "Yeah, she does that sometimes." I answer.

Josie's phone rings. So she doesn't get a chance to tease me about Jade having me trained or however she would have addressed me shrugging her arm off of me. She starts arguing immediately. Then she goes outside so she can argue in private I guess. It must be her mother. They don't get along so well.

Then the baby starts crying. I'm not gonna lie. He kinda has a cute cry…until I can't get him to stop. I try everything, checking his diaper, bouncing him, making faces at him….Oh. What if he's hungry?

I go to Jade, ready to hand him off so I can search the diaper bag for a bottle, but she puts her hands up in front of her.

"I don't do babies." She says.

"You might one day. This'll be good practice." I insist.

"I don't birth people." She scowls

"Jade." I whine.

I don't know why I'm pressing this so much, knowing how she is. I guess I just wanna see Jade hold the baby. I know she won't hurt him. Most normal people don't hurt babies. So I guess since I know she won't hurt him, I'm curious as to how she'll handle him.

So, I push him at her some more.

"Stop Vega." She protests.

"Come on Jade," I pout. "Help me please. I just want to look for a bottle."

"And then you'll take it back?"

"Yeah."

She sighs and takes the baby from me.

"Thanks."

I start looking through his bag and then I hear Jade say, "hey there." And I can hear her because the baby's stopped crying. I keep looking through the bag, but I'm listening to Jade. "You're kinda cute." She continues. "But if you tell anyone I said that, I'm calling you a liar. And who do you think they'll believe, huh? Me or you?"

I stop all pretenses of going through the baby bag, and just watch Jade and the baby, a huge smile on my face. Who knew Jade West was good with babies?

The baby watches Jade intensely, like he's trying to figure out whether he likes her or not, and then he reaches out and touches her mouth.

"That's right, baby boy." Jade smiles. "Speak no evil."

He giggles, giggles, and claps his hands against Jade's cheeks. Then he's leaning forward and I can't believe it, but Jade kisses him.

It tickles the heck out of him.

I smile too and walk over to the pair.

"You'd make a good mother Jade." I grin.

"I thought you were getting a bottle." She stops smiling, starts scowling.

Dang it!

"He stopped crying." I shrug. "You'd make a beautiful baby." I add as an afterthought.

Don't ask where it came from.

"I don't birth people." Jade insists.

"I can't wait to see." I ignore her.

"I don't birth people." She repeats.

"I hope I'll be there to see."

I expect her to repeat the line about her not birthing people, but she says, "You will be, baby." Instead, before kissing me.

The baby starts crying.

Seriously?

Dang Jade hogger.

"Don't be jealous, baby boy." Jade reprimands lightly. "Vega was here first."

He stops crying. It's like freakin' magic.

Jae gives me a smug smile.

I grin and kiss her cheek before laying my head on her shoulder, and looping my arm through hers so we can both interact with the baby.

Jeez I really gotta find out what his name is so I can stop referring to him as "the baby."

Just then, Josephina comes back in, but neither me and Jade acknowledge her until she speaks. We're too busy making the baby laugh.

"Well, don't you too just look cute together." she deadpans.

"What's his name?" I ask, opting to ignore her teasing. You'd think I'd need a minute to get used to her again, but I don't. It's familiar to me, comfortable even.

"Guess." She smiles at me.

I frown. How the chiz am I supposed to guess. There are like a billion names.

"I'll give you a hint."

"That would be nice." I roll my eyes at her.

"Fourth grade."

Fourth grade…..

And then it comes to me. I was going to the fifth grade. Josie was going to the sixth grade…which meant we wouldn't see each other in school anymore. I was all down about it, not wanting to separate, and she basically told me to get over it, stop being a baby, and that we'd always be together. Now I wasn't stupid. We couldn't always be together. I'd had plenty of friends that moved away and I never saw them again.

She told me that we weren't the same. We'd be together even when we were older. And even if we weren't together, we could just name our first baby after the other and it'd be like we were together. We'd make it work.

We pinky promised.

And since we were girls, young girls, I think we just assumed we were having girls. So if she did indeed name her son after me….

"Please," I beg. "Please tell me his name isn't Victoria."

"Close." She chuckles. "Victor Alexander."

I start grinning. I thought it was too cute when I learned Jade gave the twins her name, but I think I understand it better now. Having this baby boy named after me makes me feel… connected to him. It's hard to explain.

"Mom wanted me to name him after her dad." Josephina rolls her eyes. "Like I'd every name my son Winston."

"How long did you guys argue over that?" I smirk.

"Until just now."

"Seriously?!"

"No."

"Oh. So why were you arguing with your mom this time?"

She shrugs. "I might've left her a nice farewell present on her bed."

"Farewell present?"

"Uh huh. She kicked me out. I have to live with Daddy now."

Wait, her dad lives here. In California, no Los Angeles. Not even five miles away from here!

I think I'm going into cardiac arrest.

"You mean…you mean…"

"Yes, but please don't start screaming again."

I hug her. I let go of Jade's arm and I hug her.

"3…2…"

And then I pull back 'cause that's definitely Jade counting. I hate it when she counts.

"Okay, enough." Josie puts her hands up and looks straight at my girlfriend…fake girlfriend. "It's Jade, right?"

Jade glares at her, warning her to tread lightly, and if I were Josie I would. I mean, Jade's still holding her son for crying out loud.

But Josie doesn't stop. "I get it." She continues. "You and Tori are dating. She's all yours. But seriously, stop that. You're making her uncomfortable."

Jade's eyes narrow. But before she can respond, Josie pushes on.

"You love her right?" she asks.

Jade looks at me. Then back at Josie.

I know that look. That's the "is she f-wording serious" look.

"It's a legit question, Jade. Do you love Tori?"

"Yes!" Jade hisses, reluctantly. I imagine that was hard to say. I mean, she is about to "break up with me" soon.

"And you want her to be happy, right?" Josie presses.

"Yes!" Jade snaps.

"So stop trying to make her feel bad about being happy. She hasn't seen her friend in 5 years. And you get a little pissy because she hugs me? Get over yourself, girl."

Jade walks up to Josephina, glares her straight in the eyes.

Josie doesn't so much as flinch. But I'm so freaking out right now.

"Dude," Josie starts off calmly. "Me and you can be cool, Jade. We really can. We're gonna have to be because your first kid's name is gonna be either Joseph or Josephina. Me and Tori pinky promised." She says, as if it's law. "That is…if you plan on sticking around long enough to have kids with Tori." She challenges. Then she sticks her hand out, offering a truce with Jade.

Please take it. I think to myself. I really, really, want them to get along because I refuse to choose between them.

Jade doesn't take Josie's hand. But she says, "Joseph isn't a horrible name. I guess."

"Or Josephina." Josie goads.

"Or Josephina." Jade says begrudgingly, then she plops down on the sofa and goes back to playing with the baby.

I sigh, full of relief. That went sooooo much better than I thought it would.

Josie cocks her head to the side, watching Jade play with her son. And when Jade can't pretend not to notice anymore, she snaps. "What?"

"You can be his godmother, if you want." Josie offers. "He doesn't have one."

Seriously? She just met Jade!

"What about me?" I pout.

"He's named after you, baby girl." Josephina rolls her eyes and plops down next to Jade. "Don't be greedy."

"Yeah, Vega. Don't be greedy."

{~~~(O)~~~}

Jade's been hanging around Beck more often than usual. I asked her about it once. She said that I have friends, so, she can have friends too.

Melissa says Jade's doing it because I hang out with her, Josephina, and even text with Alyssa from time to time. That Jade's getting me back for that.

But Melissa's wrong. I never dated her, Alyssa or Josephina. So what would Jade have to get back at me for?

I think it's just getting closer to that time.

Jade's about to break up with me.

I glare at the lady with the clipboard, like it's her fault. I know it's not, but I don't like her anyway. I swear she's just taken a personal interest in bugging me. I mean, Amber was able to hop in Jade's car as soon as she pulled up.

I'm waiting for the woman to finish investigating my driver's license so Riley can get in my car.

Finally, a million lifetimes later, she gives Riley the okay to come with me.

I can't believe Jade's coming to my house on a Thursday. It's so weird. Usually the twins just come over. And Jade…I don't know what she does while they're with me. Probably the same thing she does while they're at her place.

As soon as we get in the house, Trina steals the girls, like always. I think she looks forward to Thursdays more than anyone else. "Bye Tori!" They yell.

They forget Jade, probably because she usually doesn't come. I don't think Jade cares though. She grabs my hand. "Let's go get some privacy." She winks.

Oh God, not again. The last time we had privacy was Monday…and I thought I peed on her!

"Tori!" My mom yells from the kitchen.

"Yes?"

"Come help me with the tacos."

"It's Riley's turn!" I yell back.

"No. It's not." She says sternly.

I frown at her. It is Riley's turn. She knows that. She was just telling me this morning. But then my mom is looking pointedly at me and Jade's handholding and I get it.

Fine. I leave my girlfriend, fake girlfriend to help my mom in the kitchen.

Thursdays have a routine of sorts. I try to get the girls to do their homework. Trina takes them away from me. Somebody helps Mom with the tacos. And Dad watches hockey. Yeah, hockey. Who watches hockey? Then he'll take the girls out back and shoot some hoops with them.

It's the same every Thursday. Except Jade's here now; wanting to take me upstairs to get privacy. Mami's not having that.

"Jay!" my dad says, beckoning her from the living room. She looks at me, like I've betrayed her in some profound way. "Come. Sit." Papi insists. "Watch this. You'll love it."

Jade turns to my father. "I'm not watching-…Is that blood?" she asks before running over to sit next to my dad.

"Yes. It's blood." He claps her on the back. "It's great, isn't it?"

"Totally…."she murmurs. Eyes glued to the screen.

I shake my head. She's such a freak.

Amber comes down a few minutes later, wanting a snack. I'm too busy making the tacos to get it for her 'cause my mom disappeared for a second.

I give her a knife and tell her to get the peanut butter and apples herself.

She accidently drops the whole bag of apples on the floor.

"Mierda!" she exclaims. Loudly.

You know, I figured my mom wasn't coming back to help me, because she does this sort of thing all the time. Starts something and leaves me to finish it, but she chooses this fine moment to make an appearance. To come back.

Oh. My. God. I'm so dead.

"What did you just say, young lady?" Mom asks Amber in a way that lets my little mamita know she did not say a good word.

Amber looks at me.

"I said…I said…. Mi-mierda." She admits.

"That's what I thought I heard," Mom crosses her arms over her chest. Her power stance. "And where did you hear it from?"

"Um…um…." Amber starts to fidget. I can tell she doesn't want to rat me out, but she's so bad with lying.

"Maybe she heard it on a telenovela, Mami." I say. "Trina's addicted to those things."

Okay, I totally threw my sister under the bus. I'm so going to hell. But if my mom finds out Amber heard that word from me, I'm dead. Dead.

"Is that where you heard it?" Mom asks Amber.

"I…uh…"

"Mierda!" Papi yells at the TV screen. "Mierda! Mierda! Mierda!"

"David!" Mom yells.

And I breathe. Oh God do I breathe. Now Mom thinks Amber picked up that word from Papi.

"Yeah, honey?" Dad asks, not taking his eyes off the screen. "No, no, no, Yes! YEEEESSSSS!" He jumps up.

Mom rolls her eyes. There's no talking to him when he's watching his hockey.

"Maybe you can take the girls to the park whenever your dad is watching that crap." Mom suggests.

I nod my head. "Okay."

"Now!" She barks.

I jump. Sheesh!

"Okay. Okay. I'm going." Then I turn to Amber. "Go get Riley."

She nods and runs upstairs.

I don't think Jade will want to go to the park with us. She's so engrossed in the TV, but I don't think she's following the game. She's not rooting for any team in particular. She just gets excited when someone loses a tooth, or blood, or consciousness.

I kiss her cheek when the girls come down, ready to go. "Bye Jade."

"Bye babe," she says absently.

I giggle. In this state I bet she wouldn't even object if the girls kissed her.

"Mamita, monstrito." I call them over to me. Then I point to Jade. "Besala" I say.

Amber goes first, and she does so hesitantly.

Jade doesn't freak. She absently makes a kissing face.

Oh God, that's hilarious.

Next is Riley.

I pull out my phone and videotape it. Riley kisses Jade's cheek. And again, Jade doesn't freak, just makes a kissing face back…while staring fascinatedly at the TV screen. Of course Riley being Riley, she does it twice more, just to get a kick out of it.

"Come on, monstrito," I laugh, shaking my head.

"One more."

"One more." I relent.

I take the girls to my favorite park. Well, it was when I was a kid. It's got everything. A rock climbing station, a swirly slide, and a whole bunch of kids to play with.

It's easy to make friends when you're little.

Riley's proof of that. Five minutes in and she's organized almost every kid on the playground to play freeze tag. Kid is most definitely a leader.

But I don't see Amber.

I don't freak out yet. There are a ton of places she could be. Plus, she's got a cell.

But I end up finding her without having to call. She's sitting behind the big tic tac toe game.

I crouch down beside her. "What are you doing, Mamita?"

"Hiding." she says. She doesn't even look up at me.

"From who?"

"Kayla B." she says miserably.

Kayla B….the third grader with the ta-tas. I'm really starting to hate that kid.

"Why?" I ask.

Amber shrugs, not wanting to talk about it. I know how that is.

"Okay," I sigh. "But do you think you can hide where I can see you?"

"Then she'll see me too." she frowns.

"I'm sure she knows you're here. Riley's out there."

Amber ignores me and my logic.

"Come on, Mamita." I pull her arm.

"No, Tori!" She snatches away from me. "Can't you just play here with me?" she begs. That face is worse than Puss in Boots's.

"Okay." I relent. I swear if I have any kids like Amber, I'm so gonna get walked all over. "What do you wanna play, mamita?"

Suddenly this little girl with dark hair and light eyes is standing next to me. "She wants to kiss you because she's gay." She sings.

I look at the kid's chest. Yep, ta-tas. She must be Kayla B.

"I am not!" Amber shouts.

"Ga-ay" Kayla sings. Then she swoops in and kisses Amber, right on the lips. "You liked it, you liked it." She teases.

The little gank. And I know I shouldn't call a third grader a gank, but this kid, I just wanna run her over with my car,

I stand up, towering over the little grunch. I'd love to jank her up myself, but that's not my place. "Where's your mom?" I ask sternly.

"I'm not here with my mom." She rolls her eyes at me. This kid has absolutely no regard for authority.

I grab her arm. "Who are you here with?"

"My big brother. Let go."

I don't let go. In fact, I'd very much like to shake her, or push her, just hurt her some kind of way, but I can't. She's just a kid.

"Let's go talk to him. Where is he?" I ask confidently. Any big brother who brings his baby sister to the park has got to have some kind of morals, or paternal instincts. Right?

Wrong.

The second I see him. Her brother. I just want to take Amber and run. In fact, I'm going to take Amber and run. But he sees me.

I can't run. It'd be no use. He's faster than me. He'd catch up to me.

"Tori Vega." He grins. "This must be my lucky day."

"Hudson." I say. "What are you doing here?"

Hudson takes a step closer to me.

I take a step back.

Amber slides her hand into mine, reminding me of why I sought out Kayla B's brother in the first place; but it's Hudson. What am I supposed to say to him? Please tell your little sister to stop harassing my, uh, my mamita?

More than likely she gets it from him.

"Honestly, Tori? I come here to pick up sweet big sisters taking their little sisters to the park. You see, usually, Kayla taunts a kid. Then the sister comes to me expecting me to chastise little Kayla. And I do. I'm the loving, but stern, big brother who gets Kayla to apologize to the kid she was tormenting. And then, I get big sister's phone number. Genius isn't it?"

Then he turns to his sister. "You sure picked a winner this time." He smiles before handing her a five dollar bill. Then he smacks her butt and tells her to go play.

I don't even have the time to stand here and be disgusted by the fact that he uses his sister to pick up girls. I'm just ready to get away from him.

"Tori! Tori I'm thirsty, where's the water fountain?" Riley comes running up to me.

"Two of them." Hudson observes. "They're kinda cute too." Then he taps Amber's chin with his index. "Hello, sweet heart."

I hurt Amber. Not on purpose, but the second he touches her I yank her hard against me. She cries out and I feel bad immediately.

Hudson laughs.

I ignore him.

"I'm sorry, Mamita." I freak. Then I place my hands under her pits and heave her up into my arms. Jade's always telling me that I shouldn't. That she's too big to carry, and that I should stop babying her, but she's just so little. It's so easy to lift her. And plus, she's my little mamita. I could carry her all day.

I turn to Riley. "You can have water at home, Monstrito. It's time to go."

And for once, she doesn't argue with me.

Suddenly, Hudson grabs my arm. "Hey, we're not done. I didn't get your number."

Before I even get the chance to snatch away from him, Riley kicks him. Right in the shin. "Don't touch her."

Oh God.

"Riley, ya." I hiss. "Let's go."

I have to put Amber down so I can grab Riley's hand. She looks like she's about to kick him again. That would not be good.

"Listen to your babysitter kid." Hudson warns. "Keep your feet on the ground."

"Then keep your hands off, wazzbag!" She snatches away from me and kicks him, again.

Mierda!

"Riley, stop it!" I yell.

But Hudson's yelling too.

"Do that again, you little bitch, and I swear…."

"Don't call her that!" I snap.

It's a mistake. What I should've done was ignore him, and grab Riley up. I can carry her too, but I don't do it as often. She's not always in the mood for it. Not my little monstrito.

But I didn't grab Riley up. I yelled at Hudson instead.

"Do that again, you little bitch, and I swear!" Riley mocks before kicking him again.

Hard.

He's gonna hit her. I know it. I can see it in his eyes. He's gonna hit my monstrito.

So I strike first. I hit him, the way My Papi taught me to hit an assailant. That's the word he used. Assailant.

I hit him in the face, hard. I break his nose.

Hudson screams. He's so gonna kill me when he's fine again. He's not going to forget that. Not ever. He's gonna make me pay for it.

"Yes!" Riley screams, pumping her fist in the air.

I snatch her by her wrist, march her to the car.

"Tori," she struggles. "Slow down. Lemme go!"

I all but throw her in the car. Amber climbs in the back seat with her sister without me having to say a word. And driving while angry is worse than driving on autopilot, but I do it anyway.

Two minutes. I get home in two minutes. Even though it took five to get there with less traffic.

Amber runs inside. I snatch Riley out of the car by her wrist. She nearly falls out, face first, but I wouldn't let that happen. It's instinct to keep her from getting hurt, to protect her.

"What were you thinking?!" I yell at her. "He was a big boy!"

"So! I wasn't scared of him!"

"You should've been!"

"Well I wasn't!"

"And if he would have hit you back? What would you have done then?"

"I would've told Jade!"

"Jade wasn't there!" I scream at her. Because I was, and I was scared out of my mind that he was gonna hurt her, and I can't take him. Not in a fair fight. I only got lucky. "You can't do stuff like that! You're actions have consequences!"

"Well what were you gonna do? Nothing! I was helping you!"

"Helping me with what? I was fine!"

"He grabbed your arm!"

"So what? Jade's done worse!" I blurt out.

"I've done worse what?" Jade suddenly appears next to me.

I jump. high. I'm super charged and super freaked right now. Any little thing could scare me.

"I was just trying to help." Riley sniffs before running inside.

God I hate it when I make her cry. I feel like a monster.

"Riley!" I call, about to go after her when Jade grabs my hand. It's not a loving grip. It's tight. Angry. Jade's wazzed off and I just can't deal right now. She tries to march me upstairs, but I pull back. I resist.

I'm not going up there with her. Not while she's like this. I'm nowhere near ready for another confrontation. I'm still shaken from my last.

She doesn't like that. She doesn't like that at all.

"Get your ass up those stairs right now, Vega." She pushes me.

"There a problem girls?" My dad asks, actually stepping away from his hockey.

"Yes! Your daughter's driving me fucking crazy!" Jade screams before barking at the girls that it's time to go. They don't argue with her. Not even Riley.

"Meet me in the janitors closet tomorrow or else." She says to me.

"I heard you guys are banned form the janitor's closet." Trina says lightly, with absolutely no regard to the amount of tension in the air.

"For what?" Mom asks.

"Fucking." Jade says. Then she leaves me to deal with two very angry parents.

I can't deal.

"What?!" They both scream together.

"She's lying!" I shake my head. "We never did that!"

"Why would she lie?" Papi scoffs. "Dime! Por que?"

"Because she's evil!" I yell.

"Why would you date her if she's evil?" This from Mom.

"Because I love her!"

Wait…what? What did I just say?

I clasp my hands over my face. And realize that I do. I love Jade. And not like a friend. I want to be with her. And not be with her the way she was with Beck. I want to be with her the way my parents are together.

Always.

I run up to my room and throw myself on my bed. I can't believe it. Why would I do this to myself? How could I let this happen?

And she's so close to breaking up with me. I don't think I can handle this anymore. I need a break.

{~~~(O)~~~}

Author's Note…again: Also, I just wanted to thank you all for the many votes you guys sent via reviews and PMs concerning the next story I write. But what's so weird is you guys seem just about as indecisive as me. I think the stepsister one won by like 3 votes, and next was the student teacher story. I kinda like for something to win by a landslide, that way I know I'm giving the majority what they want, but since you guys are almost half and half on this, I've decided to write both, that way I can continue to satisfy the majority. So, if you don't wanna read about Jori being stepsisters because the thought creeps you out, then don't read it. And if you don't want to read about the student/teacher story because the thought creeps you out, then don't read it. But if you were one of the indecisive ones, you get to read both. Lol. So go ahead and tell me what you want the rating for these next two stories to be so I can have an idea of what to do;)

Also, If I ask you guys where you want Jade's chapter to start from, you won't say from the beginning of this one, will you?