Title: Who Knew
Chapter Seven: Finding The Perfect Present
Summary: When Tori Vega stopped talking to her long time best friend Jade West she never expected the heart break she felt, and now that she's found her again she wont let her go.
Rated: T for now, but possibly M later on. I'm not sure.
Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious, unfortunately.
New Laptop, more updates! Enjoy! :D
There was a knock on my front door about twenty minutes after I got dressed. I skipped down the stairs and pulled open my front door, "Hey Andre! Cat, Robbie, didn't know you guys were coming. Come on in!" I pulled the front door open and stepped back.
"Beck called me." Andre told me, "Asked if he could come over, with Jade, they're bored."
"Sure." I shrug, sitting down on the couch as Cat babbled on about something and Robbie told us about Rex's date with the Northridge girls. Rex was thankfully absent during this little gathering. I don't think I could handle the 'puppets' rude behavior tonight, Jade's was going to be bad enough.
Robbie seemed to be pretty okay without the puppet to speak for him. "Oh! iCarly is on soon, can we watch it?" I nod and go upstairs to get my laptop. When I came back downstairs Andre was letting Beck in, Jade shuffled behind him silently.
I handed Cat the laptop and she turned it on while I sunk down on the couch beside her, between her and Andre. Andre was telling me all about some girl he liked while Cat babbled on about the iCarly webisode she was watching.
Beck and Jade were talking to Robbie and after the iCarly webisode everyone decided to watch a movie, "I'll go make popcorn!" I bounced up off of the couch and started toward the kitchen.
"I'll help." Beck offered, following behind me.
"There's some bowls up there." I pointed at some cabinets while I crouched down to grab the box of popcorn from the cabinet beside the sink. I popped one bag into the microwave and watched Beck grab the bowls.
Once he got them, he set them beside me and leaned back on the counter. Everyone else was in a large group argument about what to watch. His eyes lingered on Jade. She was actually in the middle of the argument, smacking Robbie on the back of his head for agreeing with Cat.
"I didn't know Jade was faking it…I'm sorry." Beck told me in a whisper.
"I didn't think you did." I replied. I'd really never even considered the thought that Beck would know that Jade faked the black eye. He popped open the microwave when it dinged, he opened the bag and dumped the popcorn in a bowl while I put a new bag into the microwave. He carried it over to Andre and then sat down again.
Once the other bowl of popcorn was done I dumped it into a bowl, flicked off the light for the kitchen and walked back toward the living room. Everyone had rearranged. Robbie was sprawled out next to Cat who was leaning on Andre who was sitting on the end of that couch. The only open space was next to Jade.
I passed Beck the popcorn as I sat down beside Jade, almost on the edge of the couch as I kicked my feet up on the table. Someone hit play and the Saw opening flashed on the screen. I glanced at Jade who mouth 'not my idea' and then turned to the screen.
"Yay!" Cat squeaked. Of all the people who wanted to watch a scary movie, Cat. I sighed and settled into my seat, leaning over every once in a while to shove popcorn into my mouth. Jade never snapped at me, even though I had to lean over her to get to the bowl in Beck's lap.
After awhile she seemed to be asleep. I took the bowl from Beck's lap, because he seemed to be falling asleep, too. And I suppose shortly after, so did I. Only to be startled awake by an ear piercing shriek.
I jumped and somehow tumbled off of the couch, landing on top of someone and I heard Beck grunt in pain while the voice shrieked again. "Cat! Stop!" Jade screamed. Her voice vibrated through my head, and I realized I was lying on her stomach, on the floor.
Cat squeaked and ran upstairs while Andre was laughing and Robbie was hiding behind a pillow. I glanced up from where I was laying. Beck was on the couch, still asleep. And I was lying on top of Jade, just between the table and my couch.
"Vega, you might want to get up." She suggested. I pushed myself into a sitting position and dragged myself to my feet with help from the couch, "Let's go find Cat." She looked around at the boys who were in different phases of being zoned out and then pulled me upstairs.
Cat was sitting outside my bedroom door, shaking with fear. I kicked my door open, and motioned for her to go inside. She slumped into my computer chair while Jade brought my laptop back upstairs before sinking down onto the extra bed still pulled out from Saturday.
A few minutes later Cat was giggling again and I was about to fall asleep on my bed, "Tori, can I stay the night? Andre left me here and Beck's passed out on your couch, Jade's asleep over there." She points to my guest bed, at some point she'd gone downstairs to find this out, but I'd probably fallen asleep and not noticed.
"Sure Cat, there are some pajama pants on the shelf in my closet." I turn over in my bed and wrap myself around my pillow, and then I wonder, is the front door locked? Probably not. I stumble out of my bed and down the stairs, lock the door, and then stumbled back upstairs.
"Tori, I'm sorry! I didn't mean too…" Cat was sitting on my bed her arms wrapped around her knees as she looked at the closet, "they just fell down, and Jade…" oh shit, the pictures!
I spun and walked right into my closet. Jade was kneeling on the floor; in front of her was the spilled box. Pictures were sprawled out across the floor she had one in her hands; she was staring at it intently.
"Jade."
Her head slowly pulled up from the pictures, "you still have these?" she asks.
"What'd you do to Cat?" I asked, she looked past me at Cat and shrugged, standing up and pulling the closet door shut behind me, pushing the button to lock it, "Jade…" I murmur, she's too close for my comfort.
"Why do you still have these?" she growls, waving the picture in her hand in my face. I grip her wrist and stop her waving. I glance at half of the picture; long enough to see that it was a picture from when we were dating.
"Why does it matter?" I snap, yanking the picture from her hand and quickly cleaning up the rest of them, shoving them haphazardly in the box and putting it in the back of my closet, I spun to yell at her again, and she was standing right behind me.
"It matters because I asked you."
"Because years of memories don't get thrown away the second there's a fight, so why should the pictures?" I replied, moving around her to open the door, "you might have gotten over it, but I haven't."
I twist the knob, the lock pops and I step back into my bedroom. Cat's still sitting on my bed, her knees drawn up to her chest, her face buried in her knees, "Cat, why don't you go change into the pajama's and then go to sleep."
"Okay." She whispers, slipping off the bed and darting across the hall.
"How much of the pictures did she see?" I asked, flipping back my sheets before I reached over and plugged the charger into my pearphone.
"She walked out and asked me why there was a picture of Tori kissing me in Tori's closet." Jade muttered. I closed my eyes and just stood there. Cat found out. Of all people, Cat, "She can keep a secret, but she'll want answers."
"And after the way she look she deserves them, Jade." I hiss, turning around, and then I'm stunned into silence. Jade's got her bottom lip between her teeth and everything about her posture, her squared shoulders flexing hands and straightened back tell me she's trying not to cry, "Jade…"
I step over to her, my fingers automatically brushing the hair away from her face like I always used to. Her face is soft and her hair feels like silk. She whimpers softly, she really didn't want anybody to know about us. She was scared.
"I'm sorry." It's all I can say, anything else might send her into tears and I can't handle that. I cup her cheek in my hand and tilt her head up until she's looking at me, "It's going to be okay Jade. It was the past, just a fling. It doesn't matter anymore, and once we explain that to Cat it'll all be behind us."
I don't believe the words, but she does. She nods and a few tears roll down her cheek. I brush them away with my thumb and put my free hand on her hip, pulling her closer to me, "don't cry." I whisper. But she leans against me, burying her face in the crook of my neck and hot tears hit my shoulder.
I put my arms around her, trying stupidly to comfort her and praying that Cat doesn't walk back in until Jade stops crying. She doesn't, and eventually Jade calms down, wipes her face and fixes her makeup, and we go find Cat, who's curled up on a couch downstairs.
"Cat, you gunna sleep down here?" Jade asked. She's staring at the TV terrified, like someone's going to jump out of it and stab her. Jade's face mirrors Cat's, but in a less obvious way.
"I guess…" she mutters against the pillow she wrapped around.
"Tori's got two beds upstairs, one of us can share. Come on." Jade urges, Cat sits up halfway and looks at Beck, who's asleep on the couch, "come on. Beck's not a pretty sight to see in the morning." And then she's tugging Cat up the stairs and I'm following them.
After a few minutes of silence while Jade is on one bed and I'm on the other, and Cat's on the computer chair, she speaks, "Can I ask about the pictures, or are you going to yell at me again?" the question is directed at Jade, but Cat's staring at me.
"I'm not going to yell at you again, I'm sorry Cat. I didn't mean it." Jade mutters, "I'm just tired."
"So, what was with the pictures?" A bit of her usual bubbly-ness seeps into her words.
"Jade and I were close friends from Kindergarten, we grew apart about three years ago and then we moved." I filled in. Cat looked over at Jade, "and we had a…"
"Fling." Jade filled in, "one of those pointless testing the water flings."
My heart cracked in a few more places then it already had and I sunk down lower on my bed, hoping Cat would believe her, "and you kept the pictures because…?" Cat asks.
"I haven't had the chance to go through and burn the ones I don't want." I lied, my voice coming out uncaring. Just the way it needed to. Cat's lips uncurled into a huge smile, she turned to Jade and started babbling about something while I sunk down into my sheets and curled up in my bed.
I must've fallen asleep, though, because the next time I woke up it was because the other side of my bed dipped down and I rolled backwards, "don't you dare try that cuddling crap, Vega." Jade's voice warned, she tugged on my blanket a bit and I slipped back into sleep.
"Oh just let them be." A female voice whispered. From the sound of it they were a few feet away, "it'll help."
"But-."
"Beck, lets just go find something to do while we wait for Tori to wake up." It was Cat and Beck, "Jade looks happy, just leave her to her sleep." They left a few minutes later, and then I realized what they were talking about.
Jade was snuggled up behind me, her arm wrapped around my waist pulling me flush against her. I had my head resting on her bent arm and her head was resting just behind mine, her breath trailing down my neck.
I rolled slightly, trying to get out of Jade's arms. I was really hungry. And she was just not letting me go. I sighed and turned onto my back to see how Jade's grip changed. She only pulled me closer.
"Jade." I hissed, poking her arm hard with my finger, "Jade!" one of her legs wrapped through mine and dragged me as close as was possible. She was still asleep next to me and I had no idea how to wake her up. Unless I rolled her off of the bed, but just how hungry was I?
"Well, I tried to wake you up." I muttered aloud, and then rolled over on top of her, she was still sound asleep. She wasn't moving. I rolled again and it was like she knew what I was going to do. She let me go and I rolled down onto the floor, "Bitch."
After I sat there for a few minutes I pushed to my feet and went downstairs where Cat and Beck were sitting, one on each couch watching Kenan and Kel. "Morning." I grumbled, making my way to the kitchen, "coffee?"
"Yes please." Beck said. Cat asked for hot tea. I quickly prepared the coffee maker and started it, heated up some water and stuck a tea bag in it when it was done before sitting down on the couch beside Beck. They were watching All That now; I stared absently at the screen.
Finally I registered that the coffee maker was no longer making, and hopped up, pulling out four cups. I made Jade's and mine automatically, stopped to ask Beck how he liked his, a splash of creamer and two sugars. I finished Cat's tea and took the pair their drinks while I drank my coffee.
Not even two minutes after I was done Jade trudged downstairs, walking straight to the kitchen to grab her cup and after taking a huge gulp she went and sat down on the other side of Beck.
"We should go get breakfast." Cat says happily, "and call Andre, and maybe Robbie."
Murmurs of agreement circle the room and we all slowly get up. Cat and I go change while Jade and Beck call Andre and Robbie and figure out where we're going to go eat. When we all meet outside Jade and Beck get into his car and I hop into my mom's car with Cat.
I follow after Beck all the way to the iHop a twenty minutes away from my house, and pull in between him and Andre's silver convertible. Andre and Robbie were already at a table waiting for us. Cat slipped beside Andre and Robbie, leaving me pinned against the wall beside Jade, across from Andre.
It was about halfway through breakfast when we figured out Jade and Beck were text fighting. At first it was just them looking at their phones angry, and then replying a few minutes later. And then Jade spun to face Beck and shouted at him in the middle of the restaurant. The fight ended after that.
We all spent the rest of the weekend hanging out around either my house or at a beach or park until 6 pm Sunday when we all split up to do homework and spend time with our families.
As soon as I stepped in the door I was assaulted by a piece of paper in my face announcing Trina's birthweek. I'd have to find her a gift. Or I'd never hear the end of it. Even worse, all week I had to be nice to her, especially since she never told mom about me slapping her.
"I hope you got something really good Tori!" Trina sing-songed. I closed my eyes and took the little paper, "Torriii."
"I've got homework to do." I told her, and then promptly ran upstairs to do the homework I'd mentioned. Of course I was done in a matter of minutes then I pulled out my laptop to create a list of possible gifts for Trina.
It was a short list.
Usually when Trina wanted something she just went out and bought it, and then she expected us to figure out what she wanted. And usually none of us got it right. I had no good idea, so I just saved the meager list and shut off my computer before dragging myself into bed.
The next day Trina woke me up early so we could sing her happy birthweek at breakfast, made me drive her to school and but her coffee, once we got to school though, she thankfully ran off with one of her friends.
I was early, so I walked over to my row of lockers and sat down in front of the one underneath mine, opening my laptop to add a hat and a bracelet that Trina had hinted at to my list, still scrambling to get more ideas so my parents and I could coordinate who was getting what.
"Hey Tor!" Cat called cheerfully, sitting down beside me while Andre sat on my other side. I stared impatiently at my screen; Andre passed me the cup of coffee that was sitting between us so he could set his bag between us.
"What are you doing?" Andre asked peering over my shoulder as two pairs of boots walked up to us.
"Trying to figure out a gift to get Trina for her birthweek."
"She's still on that birthweek shit?" Jade asked before snapping her jaw shut hard enough her teeth clicked together.
"How do you know about Trina's birthweek thing?" Andre raised an eyebrow at Jade who shrugged him off.
"She was in my math class last year, she was bragging about her birthweek every day the week before, during and after. I wanted to punch her face in." Jade explained, leaning against Beck more as she drank her coffee.
Andre stared at her for a long while before he nodded his head and turned back to me, "so what do you have on that list?"
"A bracelet and a hat she hinted at this morning." I sighed, when the bell rang we all went to our classes. I was on my way to music class, my fourth class of the day when a hand wrapped around my arm and pulled me away from the door, "What the hell."
When I spun fully around Jade was the one attached to the hand on my arm, "She wants these," Jade shoved a paper into my hand while taking a gulp of her coffee, "I figured you could use some help, because you didn't rat me out for the faked eye."
She turned back around and walked away right after that while I stared down at the purple boots in the picture in my hand, I smiled at her back and then turned to walk into my classroom.
That night I bought the shoes and called Andre, I mean I couldn't very well be excited about this to anyone else, could I? When he came in I pounced on him, dragging him to the table where I pulled out the box of shoes and showed them to him.
"Awesome, you got some boots."
"No, these are boots Trina's wanted for months, someone overheard her talking about wanting them for her birthweek today and told me, and I got them! This is the best present ever!" I squealed, and then I noticed the front door opening. I slammed the shoes back down on the chair as Trina stepped into the house.
"Guess what I got?" she squeaked, she jumped up on the table and did a little jig, that's when I noticed the purple boots on her feet. The same boots as the ones in the box on my chair, "they were on sale! Mom!" she screams, running up the stairs.
"Great, I paid 300 dollars for these things and she finds them on sale." I sigh and sit down on the other chair; Andre sits next to me and grabs my hand, giving it a squeeze. I frown and look at the shoes, what was I going to do with them? What was I going to get Trina?
"Okay, guys I really need ideas." Around the table nobody really had any good ideas, but I wrote them down anyways, "Jade."
"yeah." She replied, looking up from her phone.
"What should I get Trina?"
"Talent." She looked back down at her phone bored, I rolled my eyes, why had I bothered with asking her? I closed my laptop and started stabbing viciously at my salad. Trina was going to kill me if I didn't get her an amazing present.
"Hey, I got an idea. Why don't you write her a song?" Andre suggested, I glanced over at him, nodding enthusiastically.
"Yeah, yeah…" I sigh, I can't write songs though. I suck at writing my own songs. I tell him just that and he offers to help me write the song after school and we finish eating before the bell rings and everyone heads their separate ways.
After school Andre and I sit down in my living room writing a song for Trina, half way through the writing process and singing the pieces of the song the person I was singing for was not Trina.
"We need to make this song faster. Like way faster. Way too slow." I told him, taking the keyboard and playing a few notes, he must've liked where I was going with this so he took it back and messed with the song until it was perfect, and instead of being reminded of the person who was not Trina, I was just thinking it was a fun song.
We rehearsed my vocals but I could not come up with a solid dance, I just seemed to be hopeless tonight. "Well, Jade's a good dancer. Maybe she can help you." Andre said, "I've got to get home and do some homework, maybe you can come up with a dance while I'm not here. If not, call Jade."
He left a few minutes later and I retreated to my room to try and work on coming up with a dance. I was really getting one down to, when I spun into a hard body and crashed to the ground, my ear buds fell from my ears and when I looked up Jade was smirking up at me.
"Hey Vega, nice dance." Her voice was full of mocking and I wanted to hit her for it. It's not my fault I never really trained in dancing. I usually just got taught the moves. I didn't reply to her as I got to my feet, "Andre called me, sent me the song. I think I've got the dance figured out. Unless you were planning on doing the dance I just saw…"
I scowled at her and pulled the Pearpod out of the waistband of my shorts and tossed it on my bed, "No, I just can't come up with anything to use, at all. So I'm glad Andre called you. Ready to teach me?"
Jade shrugged, clearing a small space on the floor and tossing her bag on my bed. The rest of the night we spent going over the dance until my feet hurt and Jade was too tired to be nice to me anymore. The anger took over into bitter, bitchy outbursts if I made one wrong step, but in the end I was completely happy with what she'd come up with. I'd even added a few things in myself.
Now we were both sprawled out on the floor, trying to catch our breaths. "alright, so what are you going to wear?"
"I was thinking about wearing this zebra print dress with roses on it, I bought it awhile ago but I never really got a chance to wear it." I pushed myself to my feet and walked to the closet to pull the dress down.
Jade was standing by the closet door when I spun around, I held the dress out to her, "It'll look nice." She muttered to herself, "shoes?" I pointed to a pair of black heels she looked them over, "try dancing in them, put em on."
I kicked off the tennis shoes I was wearing and slipped into the heels, taking my place in the center of the room to work on the dancing parts, and then she had me walk down the stairs and try the whole thing, pretending Jade was Trina.
Once more the words changed meaning and I practically ran upstairs when I was done with the excuse that I had to pee, "Vega, its nearly midnight, can I just stay here? I'll give you are ride to school tomorrow." Jade called through the door.
"Okay." I called back from where I was sitting on the closed toilet lid, my knees pulled up to my chest. I was trying to catch my breath, but I knew I wasn't short of breath because of the dancing.
I'd gotten too close to Jade while I was doing the performance, too close to her. I could smell the French Vanilla coffee on her breath. It sucked more because she was such a different Jade when she wasn't in front of someone from school.
"Vega, are you okay?" I'd been in the bathroom for about 10 minutes now and my back was starting to ache. I slowly unfolded from the toilet and stretched until my back popped and then I walked over and open the door.
"Yeah a little sick." I told her, picking up the heels off of the floor before crossing into my room, "I'm too tired to pull the bed out; you can do it if you want, or sleep on the other half of my bed. I don't care."
I tossed the shoes into my closet, crawled into my bed, and checked my phone one last time. I texted Andre that I'd gotten a dance down, then I curled up and fell into a dreamless sleep, half aware of the bed going down beside me and the warm body brushing against mine.