Chapter 6: Mistake After Mistake

Jade and Tori were sitting at Tori's kitchen table doing homework. At least Tori was trying to concentrate on the seven page paper that she had to write. Jade's hand on her thigh had other ideas, though. She knew how ticklish her girlfriend was. After Tori's fourth giggling outburst, she grabbed her hand and removed it from her leg.

"Stop it," Tori said. "I'm not in the mood."

Jade pouted. "Aww, what's wrong with the big baby?" She spoke in her impression of Tori's voice.

Tori rolled my eyes at her. "I don't want to talk about it."

Her girlfriend ignored her. She got up from the table and, standing behind Tori's chair, began kissing the back of her neck. Usually, she would enjoy this and her bad mood would evaporate, but this time Tori felt like crap and no amount of canoodling would make her feel better.

Gritting her teeth, she stood up and pushed Jade away from her. The Goth's sock-clad feet slid on the kitchen floor, and she collided with the island. Jade gasped and looked seriously hurt at Tori's rejection of her. The half-Latina was too upset to care. Tori pushed back the flyaway hairs from her face as Jade's green eyes swam with unshed tears.

"Fine," she spat at her. "Glad to know that you don't want me anymore. I can take a hint, Vega."

She gathered her things, stuffing her laptop and books into her backpack. She didn't even bother putting her combat boots back on before stomping off toward the door. Taking a deep breathe, Tori realized that things couldn't end like this. She ran after Jade and put her hand on hers as she reached for the doorknob.

"Wait, Jade," she said. "I'm sorry. I'm just in a really bad mood."

"Oh, really? I couldn't tell." She didn't turn around, but Tori knew that she was relieved that she came after her. The last time someone she dated didn't come after her ended in their break-up.

"Please don't leave," Tori said. "Spend the night with me?"

It felt like the silence after her question lasted for hours though it couldn't have been more than a few seconds. Jade and Tori had yet to stay the night at each other's houses. Even knowing that sex was off the table, they still weren't ready to sleep—just sleep—in the same bed. But maybe tonight could be the night. Tori really didn't want to be alone. Not after the day she had.

"Okay," Jade said in a small voice. She turned to Tori and had a smile on her face. Little black rivers of mascara on her cheeks were the only evidence that she had been crying.

Gently, Tori kissed her very soft lips. She kissed her back just as gently. Pulling her into a hug, Tori's tongue slipped into her mouth. Jade moaned as their kiss deepened. They started moving toward the stairs so they could continue this in her room.

Thirty minutes later Tori's beautiful, sensitive, and very naked girlfriend's head was lying on her chest, her fingers twisted in her hair. Tori, out of breath and happy, was just as naked as she.

"How was it for you?" Tori asked.

"A-mazing," Tori breathed. "You're amazing."

"Yeah, I know," she said as smug as ever. "You weren't too bad yourself, Vega."

Tori poked her in the side. "You know you love me."

Jade sat up and looked Tori in the eyes. "Yeah," she whispered. "I do love you."

Tori leaned up and kissed Jade. "I love you, too."

Jade smiled. "Alright, enough mushy stuff. Let's go to sleep."

They both lie back down, Jade reclaiming her spot on Tori's chest. Just before she nodded off, Jade had one more question for Tori.

"Why were you so upset earlier? Did I do something and not realize it?"

"No, it wasn't you," Tori said, yawning. "I made a mistake at lunch today and felt horrible about it." Bringing it up made Tori wince. She still felt horrible about it. How on earth could she make it up to Felicity?

"Lunch?" Now, Jade sat back up, wide awake. "You mean when you told us to go to that sketch restaurant and never showed up like you said you would?"

"Yeah." Tori avoided her girlfriend's steely gaze. "I had to get Beck and Felicity alone so he could make his move. It didn't work out at all. Felicity's in love with this guy back in South Carolina and going out with someone else will so not make her feel better. I should've known that, but I was so set on paying her back for the good advice she had given me about us."

"Wait, shut up," Jade said. "You wanted Beck and Felicity to be alone with each other? You tried to set them up with each other?"

"Yeah," Tori said, not realizing the problem. "Beck likes her, which is the cutest thing ever. Don't you think?"

Jade's face was the reddest Tori had ever seen. She looked like a teapot all steamed up and ready to blow. And blow she did.

"How could you try to set Beck up with someone else?!" she screamed, not caring about the other people in Tori's house who were sleeping. "Are you mentally retarded or are you just that stupid?!"

Water filled Tori's eyes. She had never seen Jade this angry, and it kind of scared her.

"Why do you care?" Tori asked quietly.

"What?!" Jade was still screaming.

"You're with me, so why does it matter if Beck wants to be with someone else?"

Jade's face went blank for a moment. Then, her eyes narrowed, and she seemed to have come to some kind of decision. Without saying anything to Tori, she got out of bed and began putting her clothes on.

"I thought you were a nice person, Tori," Jade said. "It never crossed my mind that you could be so inconsiderate."

Jade went to Tori's window and opened it. One leg out the window, she looked back at her girlfriend and said, "Don't come after me this time."

And Jade climbed out of Tori's window and probably, her life. Tori picked up her pillow and buried her face in it, releasing an overabundance of tears. Did she have bad luck or something? Why was she making mistake after mistake? Her friendship with Felicity and her relationship with Jade were most likely over. Tori felt like burrowing in a hole and never coming out again.

While Tori sobbed, her parents lingered outside her door, wondering if they should come in to talk to their daughter. They made the correct choice by going back to bed and allowing Tori to grieve in peace. They couldn't have entered her room anyway; her door was locked.