A/N: Sorry I have been away! I'm on winter break right now, so I finally got a chance to write leisurely. I hope you enjoy.
Beck, exhausted from the early morning rise and two hour length drive, arrived successfully with Jade's identification. He knocked three times on the wooden door, tracing the peeled, custard-white paint spots with his finger. Beck scrunched up his nose at the sudden pungent stench of the musty hotel room when one of the girls twisted the handle of the door open.
"Tori," Beck smiled. "...Jade." He greeted. Tori smiled sheepishly, then looked to Jade who did not transition her porcelain embeded frown to a smirk.
"Your mom was wondering why I needed to get into your room so bad. I had to lie and say you took my pair of scissors." He reported, leaning against the frame of their motel room door. He assumed that would make Jade laugh, but she stood still, not cracking a smirk. Beck clenched his teeth. Wow, I guess she really does hate me, he thought, crossing his arms. He looked at the two girls, who seemed closer than usual, suddenly. He brushed it off as the innate reaction any simple weekend of bonding ensured.
Tori and Jade had both their luggage in hand, examining Beck as he fingered the piece of plastic, then handed Jade her license. Jade gripped it harshly, pulling at it irradically from Beck's fingertips.
Tori looked to Jade, expecting her to thank the scruffy-appearanced teen. But she ignored him. "Thanks, Beck." Tori suddenly stated. "It means a lot to me that you went out of your way to help us." Tori exclaimed, looking to Jade, still expectant of her to say something. She slightly nudged her, a smile still remaining on her face, initiating Jade to roll her light eyes.
"Yeah," Jade muttered. "What Tori said." she spat out, her voice trailing off. Jade's eyes darted to the floor.
Beck raised his bushy eyebrows, looking awkwardly at Tori, then scratching the back of his neck. Neither of the girls said anything. "Well, uh, I'm gonna...go?" he remarked, tugging loosely at the collar of his shirt.
"Beck, you don't have to go," Tori said, instantly. She raised a hand, as if to explain something important. "Let Jade and I take you to breakfast or something. You came all this way for us." Tori insisted, when Jade's head whipped in her direction, giving her a vicious look. "Right, Jade? We don't have to be on the road for another hour."
Jade pursed her tight lips. "...right." she snided. Tori knew she was going to pay for this later.
Beck chuckled, anxiously. "No, really, it's fine. My friend lives up here, so I'm probably going to stay over at his place tonight and catch up on a few things." He explained, moving out from the door frame and into the hall of the motel.
"Oh, come on, Beck." Tori begged, feeling Jade's grasp tighten on her bony wrist as an indication not to go any further.
"Tori, I'm serious." Beck repeated, with a slight, convincing smile. The truth was, Beck knew how awkward it would be if he stayed any longer. He pulled his jean jacket he clutched tightly in his arms back over his shoulders, and started for the exit. Tori watched as his worn out, cherry Doc Martens clunked against the carpeted floor. He waved back at Tori and Jade. "Drive safe, guys. Make it back to Hollywood Arts without tearing each other apart."
Tori's stomach jumped at the last part of Beck's speech. She remembered that when they did get back to Hollywood on Sunday night, she would have to face telling her friends, including Beck, that her and Jade were more than 'friends'...or 'enemies'-whatever; it's complicated, Tori thought.
"Oh. My. God." Jade finally sputtered, with a tight emphasis on 'God', as soon as she saw Beck turn around the corner, out of their vision. Tori and Jade moved into the hall with their luggage, closing the door behind them. "Don't ever do that to me again!" Jade roared, her voice getting high. "Do you know how awkward that breakfast would have been if he came?" Jade snapped, moving down the hallway, away from the small brunette.
"It would have been fine." Tori disputed. "I would have been there. It's not like you two would be alone." she tried, following after an aggrivated Jade.
Jade sharply sighed, biting her lip. They walked in silence until they made it to the front desk of the motel. Tori handed the new worker behind the desk her and Jade's room key.
"Enjoyed the stay?" The woman asked, looking up from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice she had resting on her lap.
"Um. Sure." Tori lied, glancing at the grimy windows. The sun had finally rose up, and the sky did not have a single cloud lining it.
"Thanks for staying with us." The woman responded duly, not really looking as if she cared whether they enjoyed their stay or not.
"Yeah. Whatever." Jade added, leading Tori out of the motel once and for all.
Tori and Jade made their way back to Jeff's Auto Repair in the balmy weather. Clearing everything up with her new piece of identification, Jeff was able to give Jade back her car, fully fixed, with her insurance thankfully covering everything.
Tori slipped into the passenger's seat, throwing her luggage into the backseat of the car, watching as Jade carefully started the engine.
"Where are we eating?" Tori asked, buckling her seatbelt. Jade stepped on the gas, moving out of the narrow parking lot of the repair shop. She pulled onto the main road, looking out the window.
"I don't care." Jade answered, flatly.
Ouch, Tori thought. That hurt. She cleared her throat, then opened her mouth to speak. "Okay..." She began, not sure of what to articulate. "How about Hal's Diner?" Tori insisted, pointing to a sign on the road to her left that indicated Hal's Diner was five miles down the road. "Or would you rather pick something up from a fast food restaurant and eat in the car?"
"I don't care." Jade repeated, once again, flatly.
Tori bit her bottom lip hard. "Jade, you can't possibly be holding a grudge over me for inviting Beck to breakfast. I was just trying to show some hospitality." Tori notioned, rubbing her forehead with the palm of her hand. She looked out the window at the deserted sidewalks and shanty stores that seemed to lack customers.
"I didn't say anything was wrong." Jade argued, tightening her grip on the faux-leather steering wheel. She kept her narrow eyes on the tar of the road.
"Jade." Tori repeated, looking to the girl once more.
Jade slowed down at a red light, then looked to Tori. "I'm not mad at you, Tori." Jade confirmed, meeting Tori's eyes.
Tori huffed. "So, what's wrong then? Why aren't you being...Jade? You're not even yelling at me or anything. I like the Jade who insults me over the Jade who doesn't say anything at all." Tori stammered, really unbeknowest as to why Jade was acting so strange.
Jade stepped on the gas again, as the light flicked to green. "I'm sorry." Jade professed, not saying anything for a solid moment. "It's just...it's just, seeing Beck again; it reminded me of a lot of the good times we used to have and stuff. I'm not saying I'm not happy to be with you from now on, but, when you invited him to breakfast it just put an awkward situation in my head." Jade stated, switching into the lane where she could turn into the breakfast joint.
Tori felt a lump in her throat. "Oh," she gulped, looking down at her shoes. She wasn't sure what she should say as they sat in silence for thirty seconds. "Jade, I won't be mad if you want to go back to Beck." Tori uttered. "This was...this was stupid of me to profess my feelings to you like this." she gushed, looking out the window at the people entering the diner.
Jade pulled into an empty space in the almost-full parking lot. She shut the car off, turning to Tori. Jade reached out for Tori's hands, pulling her lukewarm hands into her own icy ones. "Look at me, Vega." Jade demanded. Tori craned her neck to look at the gothic girl's welcoming, yet cold eyes.
"Don't ever put your pathetic self down like that again." Jade lectured, squeezing Tori's pale palms. "I am not going to go back to Beck," Jade began, removing her grasp from Tori's left hand and unbuckling her seatbelt. "I promise you that. We decided that we are going to give this-us, a try," Jade gulped. "And this gross love-talk is really making me want to stab my eyes out with a spoon, but, I like you a lot, and I don't care what people are going to say. All I care about is that I like you." Jade concluded. Her pale lips formed a smile, initiating Tori's own, individual smile to formulate.
Tori was at a loss for words. She had never heard Jade speak so profoundly, not even to Beck in the years that the duo dated. Her and Jade were so enriched with their lives lead as enemies that Tori never truly listened to the deeper things Jade had to say. Tori smirked. "Aww, my God, Jade..." Tori marveled, chuckling. "You really do have a soul. The rumours are fake."
Jade playfully hit Tori on the arm, giggling at how naive she could be sometimes. "Hey. Don't ever tell me I have a soul. Got it?" Jade laughed, gripping the handle of the door on her car. "Let's eat, Vega. I'm excited for this vomit-inducing meal." Jade announced, pushing open the heavy door.
Before Jade fully exited the car, she felt a hand pull on her arm, reeling her back into the warmth of her vehicle. She fell gently back into the driver's seat, enticed, watching as Tori unbuckled herself, moving on top of Jade. Tori pulled Jade's ajar door closed, and adjusted her legs on Jade's lap so both girls were comfortable.
Jade's eyes widened as she saw Tori lean into her face. "Tori, what are you do-" she tried, but was cut off as Tori pressed her soft, sweet lips onto her own. She felt Tori's saliva line her mouth and her upper and lower lips moisten with Tori's spit that was enriched with an abundance of delicious tastes-candy, cinnamon, vanilla, and strawberries.
"Oh, my God, Vega." Jade, appalled, by Tori's sudden change attitude, gasped. Tori ran her fingers through Jade's soft curls, sending goosebumps down Jade's arched back. Jade closed her eyes and smiled, digging her fingers into the door of the car as she felt Tori bite her left ear repeatedly.
Tori giggled, pulling away from Jade, slightly. "Suddenly, I think I'm full."