Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Victorious, and the title of the story was inspired by Avril Lavigne's song Things I'll Never Say. Also, the play that is mentioned in this chapter is based on the book The Full Catastrophe by David Carkeet.
Chapter Seven
It felt like a giant weight had been lifted off her shoulders the moment Jade stepped through the threshold of The Black Dog Café. She had spent the last few days smiling through gritted teeth and biting her tongue from making sharp comebacks and insults. It was exhausting to say the least, and Jade found herself questioning how Tori managed to exist like this on a regular basis.
Jade looked around until she spotted Cole, wiping some spilled coffee off the counter. At least there would be no pretending with Cole. Here she could drop the "goody-two-shoes" act and just enjoy being herself.
"Hey," she greeted, taking a seat on a high stool.
"Hey yourself," Cole said with a boyish smile. "What? No snarky remark today?"
Jade smirked. "Give me a few minutes to warm up and I'll be sure to hit you with a good one."
Cole chuckled and then walked off to put away dishes and rearrange the pastries in the display shelf.
It had come as a surprise to Jade when she received a text from him this morning asking to hang out, especially since they had never really interacted outside of the café. She and Beck had been glued at the hips for so long that Jade initially felt uneasy about the thought of hanging out with another guy. But, in the end, she had convinced herself otherwise, remembering that she was now single and not tied down by any strings of loyalty. Besides, a friendly afternoon outing with Cole was hardly a crime against Beck's intimate moment with Tori.
After some time, Cole walked out of the backroom with his backpack in hand, and came around the counter to sit next to Jade. Meanwhile, Jade was on her pear phone, skimming through her news feed on TheSlap when she came across an update that made her face twist in aggravation.
Tori Vega: Hanging out at Nozu with Beck, Cat, and Robbie. Singing your heart out sure works up an appetite! Feeling: fishy.
Jade groaned. "They need to make an app that let's you delete people from existence."
"People like you are the reason why they haven't made an app like that."
"Do you know how hard it is to smile at people all day and listen to their mindless babble like you actually care?"
"Is this a new hobby you took up?" Cole asked jokingly.
"You said that Beck wants to be with someone like Tori," Jade said, shooting Cole piercing glance. "Well, I'm giving him exactly what he wants."
Cole arched his eyebrow skeptically. "So you're trying to woo Beck by being like Tori."
Jade nodded and Cole narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, unsure of how to respond.
"I think you missed the point of–"
"The point is I don't want Beck to be with Vega," she sternly stated, slamming her hand on the countertop.
Cole simply raised his hands up in surrender. He had to hand it to her, the girl was persistent.
"Alright, but Jade," he said gently. "Is this all really worth it for you to try and be something you're not?"
She looked away grudgingly and crossed her arms over her chest. "Forget it. I don't expect you to understand."
A sympathetic smile spread across Cole's lips as he noted the way Jade's jet-black hair framed the delicate contours of her face. Looking to change the subject, he got up off his seat and motioned to his flustered friend.
"Come on," he said, putting on his backpack. "I think it's time I show you my super awesome hideout."
Jade eyed Cole for a moment before reluctantly following him to the parking lot behind the café. They kept walking until they reached a blue and silver electric scooter ironically parked in between two massive SUVs.
"We're going to be riding this thing?" Jade asked doubtfully.
"Don't hate," Cole said, tossing her a helmet. "Hop on and hang tight and maybe I won't 'accidentally' drop you in the middle of the road."
"Drop me and die," she said as she fastened the helmet on her head.
Cole then started the engine and Jade clumsily mounted the seat behind him. Once she found a comfortable position, she awkwardly wrapped her arms around Cole's waist and held on tightly. The engine roared and they sped off down the street with the breeze blowing through their hair.
Before long, Jade and Cole reached a building in the outskirts of town that looked like a rundown warehouse. After parking the scooter, they entered the building through a side door and Jade's eyes widened at the sight before her. The warehouse was fashioned into an art studio that was divided up into three-walled modular spaces so that each artist had his or her own individual workspace. As she followed Cole down the aisle, Jade looked around intrigued by the paintings and sculptures that occupied each space; a few artists sat in their workspace, absorbed in their work.
"Well, here we are," said Cole, gesturing to a workspace at the end of the aisle.
Jade was awestruck. An easel sat in one corner of the space and next to it a wooden worktable, covered with a wide array of art supplies. On one wall hung paintings of different sizes, and in another corner was an abstract sculpture made of discarded sheets of metal and wood. In certain angles, the sculpture looked like a bird in flight.
"Do you like it?" asked Cole, following her gaze. "I finished it two weeks ago."
"It's amazing," said Jade as her eyes traced over the various textures of the sculpture. "I wouldn't have pegged you for an artist."
Cole laughed. "I got into it about two years ago. I used to paint and sculpt at my house until my dad started mistaking the paint cans for soup. Then I figured it was probably about time to find an actual studio."
He watched as Jade circled the room, engrossed by the different pieces; it was the most thoughtful he had ever seen her. There was a gleam of wonder in her eyes like a child in a candy shop as her gaze moved from one artwork to another. Finally Jade came across a large white canvas, that hung on an adjacent wall. Pinned on the canvas were red, black, pink and purple balloons filled with paint and arranged to look like a giant heart.
"What's this one called?"
"Gushers."
Jade shot Cole a questioning glance.
"It's what I was eating when the idea came to me."
"It doesn't look like it's finished."
"It's not," he replied as he came up next to Jade with a handful of supplies. "Which is why I wanted to bring you here today. I want you to help me finish it."
He handed Jade a smock and a pair of plastic goggles, but she insistently shoved them away and shook her head.
"I'm not really good at this kind of stuff."
"Sure you are," said Cole, grinning as he pulled out three darts from a bag. "You like throwing sharp objects, don't you?"
For the first time all day, a genuine smile spread over Jade's lips. Once she and Cole were geared up, they spent the next half hour throwing the darts at the balloons and watching the paint burst into splashes of color against the canvas. By the end of it, an eerily captivating design of an oozing heart had manifested on the canvas.
"You're a natural," said Cole, admiring their work. "Where'd you learn to aim like that?"
"I use old dolls and stuffed animals for target practice…and sometimes Sinjin."
Cole grinned and turned his attention back to the painting. Jade snuck a glance at Cole and noted the blend of green and brown in his hazel eyes. Though it was a bit of a selfish thought, she secretly liked the fact that Cole went to a different high school; she liked not having to share him with her crazy friends at Hollywood Arts. And what was most surprising to Jade was how Cole seemed to understand her in a way that Beck never understood her.
After a while, Jade and Cole started to clean up the workspace and got ready to leave. While she was checking the time on her phone, a thought suddenly came to her and Jade reached into her backpack and pulled out a flyer for The Full Catastrophe.
"Here," she said, handing the flyer to Cole. "In case you wanted to come next week."
Cole took a moment to look over the comical design of the flyer. It featured the silhouette of a couple sitting in bed, with their arms crossed over their chests in an aggravated manner; at the foot of the bed sat a man with glasses and a notepad, looking thoughtful.
Cole smiled amusingly. "I must've gotten major friendship points today if you're inviting me to see your play."
"I'll make sure to keep a dart in my pocket in case I hear one snide remark from you in the audience," said Jade, crossing her arms over her chest.
Cole laughed though a regretful look passed over his face.
"I'll see what I can do," he said. "I might have to work on those two nights so I don't wanna make any promises."
"It's whatever," Jade said, though she felt a pang of disappointment.
An awkward silence passed between them as Cole turned away and continued to clean up his worktable. It was just after rush hour when they left the warehouse, which made for an enjoyable ride along the city streets. The sun had already begun to set when they pulled up to Jade's driveway, both breathless from the thrill of the ride.
"Thanks for the ride," said Jade as she handed her helmet to Cole.
"Anytime. If you ever wanna come by the studio again, you know where to find me."
Jade's eyes shyly darted to her feet as she replied, "Cool. I'll keep that in mind."
Cole flashed her a handsome smile before revving the engine of his scooter and backing out of the driveway. Jade watched as Cole's silhouette disappeared into the horizon. A peculiar sensation was stirring in her chest, both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. She recognized the feeling from when she first started crushing on Beck. Immediately, Jade shook the thought out of her mind and headed into the house, insisting to herself that Cole was just a good friend.
Cole is an absolute sweetheart, isn't he? Please review! I love hearing your thoughts.