Chapter 3. "You want me to come, don't you?"

Disclaimer - I own nothing except Linear Line and well... a really badly written part of a totally made up song!

Tori had set her PearHome to wake her up in the morning the night before and right at six-thirty on the dot, Linear Line (the british boy band Tori and Cat loved) began to play. And tomorrow they would get to see them live.

Tomorrow...

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow!

Tori's eyes popped open. She felt jittery as she swung her legs over the side of her bed and sat there trying to get her early morning bearings. Then suddenly she leaped into the center of the room and whooped happily and began dancing and singing along to Linear Line. She threw her hands up over her head and starting dancing in circles, watching her bed head fly around her face in her vanity mirror.

"Your pretty eyes, the smell of your hair

Girl you're made for me, all I can do is stare

Come to me please, I can't take it anymore

If only you could see all the things I have in store

For youuuuuuuuu!"

She was so into it, she didn't notice Trina had come into the room and was standing there looking very peeved off indeed.

"Tori, shut that off!" She shouted. "It's 6am and we don't have school today! I need my beauty sleep!"

Tori almost jumped out of her skin. By this time she had a hairbrush in her hand and was singing into it like a microphone. Cheeks flaming, she leaped over to her PearHome and turned it down considerably.

"Sorry, Trine." Tori said quickly. "I was just… I uh… go back to bed."

Trina's hair was disheveled and her eyes were red like she had literally stumbled over to Tori's room half asleep. She didn't question Tori any further, just slammed the door angrily and stomped back to her room.

Tori let out a sigh of relief. She didn't want Trina to know where she was going in about an hour and a half. She had already told her parents, very firmly in fact, that she was NOT taking Trina. It was just to be her and her friends. It was their trip to 'bond' was how she tried to sell it to her parents. "Besides," She had told them last night before bed. "I always take Trina with me everywhere, every time you guys ask me." And it was true.

Tori went to the bathroom to take a shower and do her makeup, bringing her ipod everywhere she went throughout the house, always listening to Linear Line. She set her packed bag at the door when she was about ready to leave. Her mother was in the kitchen and had made cinnamon rolls. Her dad was on the couch reading a newspaper. She didn't know why he insisted on still subscribing to the newspaper when he could just read all the news online, but whatever. Adults refused to move with the times.

"Tori, do you want a cinnamon roll before you leave, hon?" Her mom asked.

"Sure, thanks." Tori said bouncing over with a level of giddiness that would make Cat blush.

Tori took a pastry from her mom and opted to used just a napkin to hold it instead of putting it on a plate. She took a big bite, not even worrying about screwing up her makeup. Her mom watched her devour it quickly and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Jeez, Tor, chew." She said. "You're a bit overexcited, aren't you?"

"Only a whole lot." She said and squeezed her mom after wiping her hands and throwing away her napkin. "I have to go pick up the girls. I love you. I'll see you on Monday."

"Okay." Mrs. Vega now looked as jittery as Tori did, but for different reasons obviously. "Just promise you're going to call."

"I will." Tori smiled sweetly, patting her mom's arm reassuringly.

"And pick up when we call you." Mrs. Vega added.

"Mom, we will. I promise." Tori said.

"And don't drive fast."

"Mom, I'm not going to drive fast. We've never even been to San Francisco. This will probably we the slowest trip of our lives because we're going to have to keep navigating." Tori said laughing a little.

"Okay. But be sure to keep checking the directions so you girls don't get lost." Mrs. Vega said looking more faint by the moment.

Tori hugged her again, extra hard.

"We're going to be fine, mom." Tori said. "And tell Trina I said bye when she wakes up. I'm sure she won't rise 'til noon."

"Knowing her." Mrs. Vega sighed and released her younger daughter.

Tori went over and enveloped her dad in a hug next, leaning down over him so he had to set his newspaper aside. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Be safe, Tori." He said. "I'm counting on you to be responsible."

"Scout's honor." Tori said when she stood up.

Her father smiled.

"And come back in one piece." He added as she headed to the door.

"I promise." She said.

"I love you, Tor." He said.

Man, they were acting like she was going to be gone for years! I mean, yes, six hours was a long drive, but this must be intense for them. Tori was kind of feeling guilty for leaving, like maybe they'd get separation anxiety or something.

"I love you too. Both of you." She said, bag over her shoulder, door half opened. She was looking at the pair and smiling. "See you Monday."

And then she walked out the door, shutting it behind her.

Tori went to pick up Cat first. She pulled up outside her house, about to take her cellphone out and text her to let her know she was there until Cat came running out calling, "Toriiiiiiii!"

The perky redhead opened the passenger's side door and leaped up into the Jeep. Tori didn't even know how she had made the jump when she was about five feet tall, but didn't question it.

"Hey, Cat." Tori said leaning over to hug her. "Uh, shouldn't I say hello to your parents or something?"

"No, no." She said. "My brother's refusing to take his special medication this morning so they're a bit preoccupied."

Tori gave her a sweep with her eyes and then shrugged and pulled away from the curb in front of Cat's house.

Cat pulled down the sun visor and began using the tiny mirror on the inside to apply her makeup. Her little makeup bag that was positioned on her lap was patterned with unicorns. So Cat.

"I'm so excited, I can't take it!" Tori enthused.

"I know!" Cat squeaked. "We're like adults. We're going off on our own. Can you believe it?"

"I meant for Linear Line." Tori said, her smile fading a bit.

"Oh!" Cat said and bounced in her seat and narrowly missed poking her eye with her mascara brush. "Well, I'm excited for that too! Maybe we'll get to meet them!"

Tori pulled up outside Jade's house and of course she wasn't ready. Figures. They waited outside for about five minutes and then Cat called her phone.

"What?" Tori could hear Jade's unfriendly tone from a foot away. Might as well been on speakerphone with the power that girl's voice had.

"We're here, Jade! Come out! Can you believe we're doing this? Just you, me, and Tori! Hitting the road! I-" Cat stopped abruptly and stared at her phone.

She turned and looked at Tori who was sighed and rolled her eyes up toward the ceiling, knowing perfectly well that Jade had hung up on Cat.

"Oh… maybe her phone died." Cat said and then shrugged and smiled. She locked the screen of her phone and giggled easily.

Tori could not believe how optimistic Cat was sometimes.

Jade finally appeared about ten minutes later with a bag over her shoulder and all dressed in black. Black skirt, black shirt, black leggings, black chunky boots that went all the way up to just below her knees. She swaggered her hips as she neared the Jeep, tongue flicking out over her front teeth. Tori sometimes wondered if Jade tried be intentionally sultry… or if that was just her. Jade pried open the passenger's side door and frowned at Cat.

"Back. Now." She commanded.

Cat squeaked in surprise. Tori leaned over Cat and gave Jade a look of disbelief.

"Don't order her in the back." She said. "You get in the back."

Jade laughed a humorless laugh and tossed her hair to the side.

"Yeah, that'll happen." Jade said.

"She doesn't have to move for you." Tori said.

Jade crossed her arms and tilted her head upwards slightly, smirking. Tori sighed and rolled her eyes. She was so Jade. And so stubborn.

"I'll move." Cat insisted quietly and was about to get up to hop over the center console into the back when Tori put her hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Stay." Tori said. "My car, my rules."

Cat looked at Tori then back at Jade who was still smirking her Jade smirk, arms crossed, black nails shining in the morning sunlight.

"You want me to come, don't you?" Jade said. "'Cause I'm just fine staying here. I've said this before. You were the ones who dragged me into this stupid road trip or whatever the chizz this is exactly."

Tori looked about to tell Jade she could just stay in LA then. Jade could see it and it honestly didn't bother her. She really hadn't want to go with them in the first place. Cat hated this tension so she broke it quickly.

"I'll just get in the back!" She announced. "I like the back! More room! I can spread out or take a nap or play a game on my phone while laying on my stomach!"

Jade smirked triumphantly now as Cat finally climbed over the center console into the back and Jade took her place in the front, crossing one long, slender leg over the other and shutting the door.

Tori sighed and rolled her eyes. Whatever. She pulled away from the curb and headed toward the freeway.