A rock flies off across the street after I swung at it, and a small victory was noted once it reached the other side. It's 11:57 from the last I checked my alarm, and I couldn't believe how cold it has gotten in the past week or so. It was only a week after my somewhat dangerous outing and this time 'round I could almost see my breath. Made sense I supposed, it was near the end of October. "Four days 'til Halloween," I smirked to myself in a crazed tone. Plans were made to just go around and look at all of the decorations out, I didn't really feel the urge to scare little kids that year. Too many things were in my mind, not allowing any space for my normal plans.
I sighed as I looked around. The street was quiet, and my eyes glanced at the many manors around, mine a street or so away. These ones weren't as old as mine, some even modern. Still, I enjoyed looking at the architecture of the builds, remembering my days of building with Legos. The toy bricks weren't as entertaining as writing, they never were. Though I still held a soft grin as I built with them, a guilty pleasure of mine.
Another pebble was kicked as I recounted what Peggy told me not too long ago. Thirty minutes, perhaps forty minutes ago, I didn't know. She came to me, as always, and comforted me as I began to doubt my temporary conclusions about Vega. Though I didn't really specify what they were, she still gave me advice, the same advice as before. I couldn't blame her really, I didn't tell her everything like how I began to wake up in cold sweats from my dreamful memories of Tori. Or how the empty look in her eyes shook me.
So, like so many other times, I stormed off and left. Then I was there, kicking rocks on the side of the road. I didn't even bother snatching my phone, which was a big mistake; I couldn't tell what time it was. My head turned to my left slightly once a soft creak whispered in my ear. A swing swung as the soft breeze stalked passed, and I couldn't help myself but climb on. The playground wasn't huge, I remembered playing on it some days, when I was as close as I could get to being a happy child.
Lazily I swung, not wanting my boots to leave the sand. As I stared down at my pale hands, and began to just think, like I did all of those weeks, months even.
My heart began to pound heavily against my ribs as I shook slightly, multiple times I had with the half-Latina shot through my conscious. I began to cry slightly, then even more for letting the salty tears drop. "Tori, I miss you... Just please, give me that kind nature again. It doesn't have to be for long, it can be for a second. I just- I need you... Why are you like this, just please tell me. Tell me why- Please come back," I plead in breathy whispers. My chest felt heavy once again, though it was of a dull, sorrowful pain that I had felt before. When my mother first hit me, when my dad left for work. But never, never had it been this big, this heavy, this painful.
"Trina," I mumbled. A growl escaped as I debated my possible actions. She would know what is going on, she can tell you... If she truly loves her sister. My head nods slightly, I knew very well the older vega sister meant well, when she wasn't all about herself. 'Course, that was very rare. My legs straighten as I sat up confidently off of the swing, knowing that my goal tomorrow would be to shake some answers from the apple tree.
"'ust a second Baron! Boss said a nice, low profile car and now that's what we're gonna get. Got it?"
"Why are we all the way out here? I get he wants a nice car, but that doesn't mean shit if we passed 200 nice cars just to get here!"
The voices send tremors down my spine, I didn't expect anybody to be up at this hour. I listen closely to their words and I swear I could've gotten paler just then; the first matched the same voice that shot me. I gripped my right shoulder tightly and dart over to the bushes, making sure I have multiple directions to go.
"See? You know that all those damn cars are shit compared to these. Look at that Baron, 1980 Mustang cobra, nice black one. That's the bos- hey... Someone's around here."
I mentally curse the screeching chains of the swing, which moved back and forth faster than the one beside it. My hands silently snake around, feeling for a large rock, or something, to chuck at one of them. My ears strained as they formulated a plan, sounding like one was going to go around the bushes to where I crouched. Even though I camouflaged with the bushes fairly well with the lighting and my black clothes, I nearly let out a cry as I hear the two huge men pull out their guns. They separate, I noted based off of pure hope, and my ears felt as if they were going to snap while I listened to the slightest of sounds.
It was way too quiet, I heard the crickets chirping the night away, but other than that, dead silence. Don't use that description, my thoughts snapped at me. Nothing came to my ears for several moments, nothing whatsoever from outside my body.
My heart beat so quickly that I thought I wouldn't die in the hands of these men, but from my heart bursting out of my chest. My legs scream, itching to just run while my limbs remain as stiff as wooden boards. The breeze brushes past my hair, almost soothing me. Nothing makes a sound until I hear a quiet snap of a branch next to me.
I just react, my anxious energy bursting out as I throw a rock the size of my hand at the smaller brunette. A small squeak escapes my lips as his head flings back after the rock met his nose straight on; I hadn't realize he was so close. He howls in pain before his head meets the pole behind him. The man collapses, nose curving in an unnatural way as blood spilled out, and some more red coming from his hair.
Hearing angry steps some feet behind me, I yank the gun out of the fallen man's hand and point it over towards the halted steps. "Not gonna shoot are ye' kid? Heh, you're the one I shot right?" he smiled crookedly, showing gold teeth that clashed with his black hair. His hollow, dull brown eyes matched his skin, reminding me of an angry bull. His gun raises, aiming for my head or neck, as he spits, "Now we're here because of you. Now I'll just shoot you, the boss will be pleased to see a familiar face in the trunk of his new car. Boy, he'll make a great toy out of you." His eyes travel up and down my body predatorily.
My finger pushed against the trigger twice, the first started great strides from the man and the second met it's target. He shrieked as his ankle collapsed under the weight of the bullet and roughly 200 pounds on it. Soon his body falls with it and I'm running as fast as I could. Before I escape completely, I hear the smaller man try to get the other up while I shoot at a window overlooking the mustang. My aim was almost perfect, surprisingly, and hit the corner of the glass, shattering it with a loud crash.
The weapon is immediately dropped as I see an orange glow come from the apparent bedroom window. "YOU BITCH! THE BOSS 'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!" the shot man bellowed, earning a shriek from the shattered glass opening. I go straight to where I came then took a right instead of a left, making sure they wouldn't know where I lived.
All I can remember from the rest of that night was heavy breaths, legs aching and joints yelling for a rest but, ultimately, a sense of relief once I lay down on my bed. I didn't bother taking off my clothes, I just set my head down and on impact fell asleep. Once I woke up, my feet scrambled downstairs to eat a large meal and Peggy was downstairs.
"Where did you go last night?" she asked, a bit sternly.
"I'm sorry, I just went to the park a ways away," I mumbled. She smiled, accepting my apology, and gave me a plate of eggs and toast. I wolfed it down hungrily, and as I prepared a coffee, she asked, "So how come the door slammed shut last night?"
"You heard?" I nearly choke on my drink, cursing my haste to get in my bed.
"It woke me up, my room was leaking so I slept in the den."
"I-uh... I kind of was running away from people who tried to kill me," I answer, attempting to sound like it was nothing.
"I hope that is just teenager exaggeration speaking." God how many times I wished that was the case.
"Me too."
"Jade? What happened last night?" Peggy folded her arms and raised her brow.
"I went to the park and the people who shot me was there and-"
"Who shot you? The same ones?"
"Uh, yeah... And I smashed one of their faces with a rock and sent a bullet in the other's ankle." A silence rested in the kitchen. Because I was sick of just no noise at that moment, I began to click with my tongue until I realized what the time was. "Shit, I have to go Peggy. I'll be late for school." The maid nodded and I quickly left for Hollywood Arts.
-o0o-
"Vega."
She whips her brunette hair around as she continues the conversation with her 'friends'.
"Vega."
She follows the girls as they began to leave, not wanting my presence. I curse and follow them down the hall.
"Vega. Vega. Vega."
Her group stops at the vending machines and so white heels stop as the older half-Latina halts in front of me.
"VEGA! I WILL RIP ALL OF YOUR HAIR OFF IF YOU DON'T TURN YOUR PRETTY, LITTLE, DAMNED HEELS AROUND," I finally bellow. She whips around and raises an eyebrow.
"What do you want?"
"To talk to you, obviously! Now will you just listen?" I fold my arms, watching as she rolls her eyes and turns to walk with the rest of her group. "Hey!" I snarl, clutching her shoulder and pulling her towards the janitor's closet.
"Stop her! She's going to kill me!" Trina yells as the door slams behind her. I smirk slightly, nobody batted an eye.
"Vega, would you quit it and help me?"
"Fine, fine! I'll help you fix your hair. First you-"
"I don't need your fucking hair advice," I glare, "I like my hair thank-you-very-much." We both took a moment to stare each other down, testing our boundaries before she exasperated 'fine'.
"So what do you want?"
"Help."
"With what?"
I took a deep breath and mumbled "Tori" softly, full of pain and sorrow. I feel my heart pang as I looked briefly at the brown eyes looking into mine. They're hers, but different. It's like two wear the same shirt except one wears it with a glittering cardigan and the other has it on loosely. Now, the second put on a black trench coat blocking it. Locking it away. These ones are gentle, only because they are pampered, shielded. I never understood why Tori's looked almost like a maze before, but there, at that moment, I found out. The grey lining was a sign of someone who saw a side of the world that screwed people over, like myself.
Once making that realization, my eyes began to well up and my knees buckled from the strain of my many emotions and the stress from sprinting for nearly thirty minutes. Everything just poured out and Trina caught it with her own net, catching me and sinking down with me as I fell. "I-I just was tal-talking to her and, and I jus-t want Tori b-back. I-I need her t-to be th-the fucking annoying rain-bow in my day..."
I felt her body shaking with mine, matching the rhythm. For a moment, a small moment, Trina and I shared a bond, mourning for the sudden disappearance of Tori Vega. "Jade, Jade... I don't know. I never knew when she first acted like this a few years ago and now... I can't tell you directly, but I'll help push you in the right direction... You-you need to find out on your own, it's better that way. You'll understand better. Just, just come by my house at five-ish and I'll give you some help."
I nodded as she helps me back up, "Thanks." Her arms wrapped around my waist and mine around hers, realizing the slight height difference even with her heels on.
"Jade?"
"What?" I snapped.
"Don't you hate Tori?"
Habit tries to answer before my conscious beats it, "Y-no."
She pulled back and brown eyes stared mine, "Do you like her?"
My conscious once again answers for me, thoroughly confusing me, "I don't know anymore." The half-Latina nodded and stepped towards the door.
As she wipes her eyes, Trina mutters, "Come to my house at five and I'll help you." Then she was gone. My feet remained where they were as my hands dried my eyes.
Finally, I would get some answers.
-o0o-
"Hey, Jade?" I turn around from the trash can with a newly thrown out box. Beck stood behind me with a apologetic look on his face. "I, I'm sorry. I haven't been the best boyfriend lately so do you want to come to my place tonight?" I smile at him half-heartedly, knowing how my feelings were aligned; which was like a knot that built up for a year and for Christmas you are finally looking at a huge ball of twisting lights.
"Not tonight, but tomorrow I will, " I answer. Anytime Beck felt like the relationship was getting too impersonal, we would spend a night at his RV and sleep together. Normally I would be extremely relieved and excited but, too many things went through my mind. Too many. "I made plans tonight, I have to meet Trina at her house."
"Alright, how come? Don't you hate her?" I just shrugged at the Canadian's confused expression.
"She'll help me, help all of us with Vega," I mutter.
"Don't try," he muttered sourly. "Earlier today I tried just that and it didn't end so well. But, looking forward to tomorrow night." He smirks at me and leans, kissing me. I felt as my energy drain as my lips acted. There was no emotion attached to my end and no matter how hard I tried to put some emotion into it, those hard warm lips just felt like that, hard and warm.
When he pulled away, the spring in his step concluded that Beck didn't seem to notice the lack of, fire I guess, in it. I frown and glared at the trash can, my hands gripping the edges like I was about to throw up. I did feel like I was because of the disgust shot towards my distaste towards the sign of affection.
'He's my boyfriend. They do that!' I spat mentally at myself.
Is he really?
My head spins over to our table and I find Elizabeth putting her hands on Beck, who chuckles slightly. Though my insecure thoughts explain to me his loyalty when puppy brown eyes look at me expectantly. I sigh and join the table, my mental clock wearing me down for tonight.
Yay! Another chapter done. And I'm also on winter break for about three weeks, since I didn't get a fall break. So, more time to write! Yay! :)
PS- Sorry this one's a bit cut off but, hey... Actually, I don't know. This one's a bit shorter.