Chapter three

Jade's fingers gently played with the keys of the piano.

"Not too bad, Vega," she said looking around the studio.

"Yeah, well, we weren't expecting Trina home when she left."

"Where is she sleeping now?"

"The old guest room. It's about half the size of this room." A cackle escaped Jade's lips. "You're always just so sensitive."

"You're always just so sensitive," Jade mocked her. Tori couldn't help but laugh.

"I feel like you've been doing that since I first got to Hollywood Arts."

"It used to piss you off. You're going soft on me."

"It's sentimental now. It lets me know we're in balance. Ya know?" Jade was taken aback.

"I guess…you're right."

"So, what direction do you want to take this song?" Tori asked sitting down next to Jade.

"I'm not sure if I want it to be something a little more upbeat than I'm used to or if I should just stick with what I know."

"Let's see…" Tori fiddled with a few notes. "Alright, how about it play something in a major key and then a minor key and see which one you're in the mood for?" Jade simply sat back. She wasn't used to giving up control this easily. She was impressed at how polished Tori had become since she started. In the beginning, she could be found clumsily fiddling with the piano. These days her playing had become more professional in nature.

"I think we should go with the major key," Jade told her.

"I think so too. I'm really feeling a happy song."

"Psh, figures…"

"Speaking of happy," Tori said trying to ignore Jade's distain, "how are you and Cat doing?" Jade's posture changed to a protective stance.

"Why? Has she been talking to you about us?"

"No I just thought I'd ask how you've been treating one of my best friends."

"My, my, someone is sassy."

"And someone is playing a whole lot of defense for nothing being wrong." The two girls stared into each other's eye as if to break each other. Jade's eyes were swimming with a hot passion while Tori's soft brown ones were fighting back. There was something about this dance between their two spirits that seemed to break Jade down. Something inside of her didn't want to fight with Tori. Not anymore. This was a new feeling for her.

"Fine, they could be a lot better," she admitted.

"How could they be any better? Every time I see you two you're like all over each other."

"I love Cat a lot. I want to do everything in my power to contribute to her happiness. But there are some times where I'm not so sure we're going to work out."

"Something happened last night at dinner, didn't it?"

"We talked about a lot of things…"

"Which things made you upset."

"Jesus, why are you interrogating me? It's not like you actually care about me or anything."

"Jade, are you being for real right now?"

"Tori, are you being stupid right now?"

"We've known each other for a hot minute, Jade. I was there when you came out…you were there when I came out. I helped Cat pick out the ring she gave you last year for Valentine's Day. You know you can tell me things and I'll listen as a friend."

"You're being totally serious, aren't you?" Tori nodded and gestured to the spot next to her on the piano bench. "Alright. I guess we are having some problems because I identify as…" Tori leaned forward as Jade's voice trailed off a bit.

"Go on…"

"You're gonna think I'm a freak," Jade said smiling slightly. Usually when she came out as poly, people just looked at her one of three ways: she was confused and giving gay people a bad name for wanting as much cake as she wanted and eating it too, she was a disgusting tramp for wanting to be with multiple people, or she was a disgusting tramp whose legs were spread for anyone to get inside.

"Honestly, you're talking to someone who is both half Hispanic and queer…I'm pretty sure by privilege standards I have no place to judge you for whatever you have to tell me."

"I'm polyamorous," Jade blurted out. Tori started laughing.

"Oh my god! Is that it?"

"Well…yeah…"

"Jade…I mean…come on! You had me going there for a second. I thought you were into some hard-core shit like drugs or you owed a loan shark some money."

"It's not funny, Vega."

"You know what? You're right. I shouldn't be laughing right now. Why is it causing you and Cat trouble?"

"Because she's not poly. She doesn't understand that just because I want to be in relationship with someone else that I will love her any less. It's just that I happen to love someone just as much who's in the relationship with us."

"How long have you known?"

"I had the feeling even before Beck and I started dating. There was something inside of me that just knew something was off about my relationships. When I came out as gay it kinda made sense that that might be it but then even in queer relationships I didn't feel completely right. I pinpointed it maybe a few months after Beck and I broke up."

"You strike me as someone who would be poly," Tori said.

"What makes you say that?" Jade snapped crossing her arms.

"Because of that!" Tori gestured to her posture. "You have such a cold…" she played with her hands as she looked for the word, "…attitude about things. I can only imagine that someone who is that cold on the outside is just super warm and fuzzy underneath it all to the point that you have almost too much love to give."

"That might be true but at the end of the day, I would never do anything to hurt Cat and I know the subject of me being with someone else is touchy. I keep bringing it up but I feel like it's not worth the fight right now."

"Wow...I feel like this is the most we've talked since knowing each other."

Something flickered in Tori's eyes as she looked at Jade. It was almost like a glimpse of intrigue had passed by her face. Maybe Jade was just imagining things because the conversation was getting so personal.

"So…this song we're writing," she said turning to the piano and cracking her knuckles.