Tori's POV:
I would personally like to thank whoever invented the wonderful thing known as the weekend. Now, don't get me wrong, I love school and weekdays and everything, but there's nothing quite like bumming around all day, just slouched on the couch in front of the tv, still wearing my pyjamas and dressing gown. And with dad at work, mom away at her sisters and Trina out for the day, it left just me, alone, with the house to myself. A nice, peaceful, relaxing weekend where I didn't have to think about anything that had happened during the week and could just laze around doing nothing all day… or so I thought.
It was about noon when the doorbell rang, disturbing me from the unintentional nap I was enjoying; twice in one week, that's not fun. And I still hadn't been sleeping too well, the thoughts I didn't want to think always chose bed time to buzz around my head. Still dressed in my summer pjs, a lavender dressing gown hanging off my shoulders, I trudged over to the door only to be greeted enthusiastically by Andre, Cat and Robbie, along with Rex, all looking bright eyed and wide awake, much unlike myself. See what I mean about my friends randomly inviting themselves over?
"Hey, Tori Vega!" Andre grinned as he walked passed me and sat down in the exact spot I'd been sitting in just seconds ago… why does that keep happening!. Cat and Robbie followed suit, each greeting me happily as they went by.
"So, to what do I owe this home invasion?" I asked, feeling cranky from being woken up by uninvited guests.
"We just came to see you." Robbie said in his usual innocent voice.
"And what a fine mess you look." Rex added.
I finally let the dressing gown fall off my body so I could throw it in Rex's face, earning noises of protest from puppet and master- although you can't really call Robbie Rex's master- and shouts of laughter from Cat and Andre. I ran a hand through my still tangled hair, watching as my friends settled themselves down and with a sigh, I let them win.
"Okay, fine! You guys make yourselves at home; I'm going to go shower and change."
They all made noises of acknowledgement, Rex, now free of the robe, opened his mouth to no doubt make a comment that had something to do with me showering but I shot him a Jade worthy glare, instantly shutting the puppet up.
Jade. Yep, my mind had strayed back to her, as it had done every time I let my guard down and stopped concentrating. In fact, pretty much every time I closed my eyes all I saw was her and all I felt were her lips against mine, just like in the janitors' closet. But I wasn't meant to think about that. She'd told me to forget it, but I couldn't. I'd tried to let it go, I tried desperately not to think about anything to do with Jade West, but she was all I could think about.
Since the stage kissing project, everything had changed, for me at least. A bunch of hidden feelings that I never understood surfaced and now they won't leave me alone. Not to mention the many, many questions that came with these feelings. But the main one at the forefront of my mind right now was: why did Jade kiss me in the janitors' closet? I mean, she didn't, she couldn't, like me like that… could she? She said it meant nothing. She said she's with Beck. What was that supposed to mean anyway? I know she's with Beck; the facts are right in front of my face everyday! Maybe she just did it to mess with me, that makes more sense, and it certainly worked.
That's one thing I hate about showers, they give you time to think. Like, really think. You can think throughout the day about anything and you can always find a distraction when you need it, but not in the shower, no sir! There's something about the streaming water and peace that almost forces you to over think everything. Like I was now, with Jade, and the kiss, and, urg! I just didn't want to think about it!
I shut the shower off and got dressed; I'd brought my clothes to the bathroom with me because I did not trust Rex, After drying my hair and applying just a little bit of make-up I went to step out of my room to see my friends when I felt my phone vibrate in my shorts pocket. I fished it out and raised an eyebrow as an unknown number flashed on the screen, telling me I had a text message.
Are you alone?- Jade.
I stopped in my tracks, just at the top of the stairs, and re-read the message a couple of times to check it really said what I thought it did. What the-
Cat, Andre and Robbie are here. Why?
She didn't take long to respond.
When will they be gone?
No idea. They just got here. It wasn't planned. Why, Jade?
I waited this time, wondering what she was thinking. I was about to head downstairs again when she text back, stopping any further process.
I'll be round later.
I frowned as I read the text. Why on Earth did Jade want to come over to mine? I was itching to find out, but I knew her too well, and if I tried to ask, she'd never tell me until she was ready, so I sent her back a short reply as I headed towards the kitchen where my friends had congregated.
Okay then, see you later.
I stuffed the PearPhone back into my pocket, knowing I wouldn't get a reply, and joined Cat by the fridge as she raided it for drinks, Robbie and Andre sat at the table playing throw and catch with an apple. I love them, but I do hang around with some nutballs.
"Not that I don't want you guys here, but why are you here?" I asked, taking the glass of apple juice that Cat handed to me before scampering off to give the boys their drinks. She wandered back by my side, a knowing smirk on her face as if she knew exactly what I had been thinking and who I'd been texting, making me wish I hadn't told her anything.
"We were bored and in the neighbourhood, so we thought we'd pop by for a visit." Andre told me, chucking the apple a little too hard so that Robbie missed the thing entirely and it ended up whacking him in the forehead. "Oops, sorry Rob!"
"That's okay." The ventriloquist said pathetically, adjusting his glasses and rubbing his forehead while Cat giggled. You know, Jade was right, those glasses I used for the play did look a lot like Robbie's.
I've got to stop thinking about things related to Jade.
"Right, so you're bored and decided it'd be fun to come to my house, rob my refrigerator of beverages and throw fruit at each other?"
"Pretty much." Andre grinned, getting up from his seat to stand opposite Cat and I, Robbie copying his actions, stumbling a little as he went. "But really, what can we do?"
I shrugged, how was I supposed to know? I'd planned to do nothing all day! I took a gulp of my apple juice while the others made plans: movies, mini golf… before I knew it I was being dragged out the door, away from my comfy seat on the couch, to do who knows what with my three friends.
Xxx
"See ya!" I called over my shoulder as I got out of Andre's car and waved goodbye to him, Cat and Robbie.
We'd spent the day running around the mall, generally being crazy and having fun. We'd stopped off at the cinema at one point to watch a comedy that none of us were really paying no attention too, eventually getting kicked out when Rex tried to start a popcorn war, only to have his piece of popcorn hit a sugar-filled Cat, who took it personally and practically screamed the whole cinema down. Needless to say, we're banned from the place for quite some time. After calming the over sensitive red head down, which didn't take long, we ended up in a Freezy Queen where we spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and eating endless abouts of ice cream. We decided to call it a day once it started to get dark out and Cat's brother text her to say the goldfish had run away and he needed help getting him back… I don't know…
I'd have forgotten about Jade coming over if she hadn't been stood leaning against the front door frame, coffee in hand, evidently waiting for me.
"I don't like waiting." She said shortly, examining her nails with a bored expression on her face while crumpling the empty Styrofoam cup and tossing it into a flower pot.
"I'm sorry?" I replied, raising an eyebrow at her; it wasn't like she'd specified a time, so she hadn't really been kept waiting. Jade moved out of my way so I could unlock the door but stood right behind me, tapping her foot impatiently on the porch, then shoving straight past me as soon as I got the thing open.
"Come in, make yourself at home, everyone else does." I said sarcastically under my breath.
But that's just what Jade did. She sat down on the couch, still with her usual look of pure boredom and I took a seat next to her, not too close, but close enough for my heart to start racing at the mere proximity. We were silent; I was pretty sure Jade could hear my rapid heart beat as she stared unseeing in front of her, like she was thinking through what she wanted to say. I watched her for a moment, not wanting to interrupt, but yearning to know just why she was here in the first place.
"Uh, Jade?" I said timidly. I'd reached my hand out to tap her on the leg for attention, but withdrew it immediately as soon as she snapped round to face me, the look of uninterested now one of anger.
"What, Vega?" She spat.
"You came here to see me." I said, now irritated. Really, she'd text me to ask if I were alone, vaguely stated that she'd be over later, then snaps at me like I was the one doing all of this. "What did you want?"
"I hate you, Vega." She stated after a pause.
"I am aware." I replied, rolling my eyes, hoping to hide the disappointment I suddenly felt.
"But, I really hate you." She drew closer and I swallowed a lump in my throat. Her tone almost sounded like she was trying to convince me that she actually hated me, which I found odd.
"Thanks, Jade, but I know this already." I sighed through gritted teeth. "Now is that all you wanted to tell me, because it's been a long day and I would like some peace-"
I went to get up, but Jade grabbed the sleeve of my hoodie, pulling me so I fell back down, right in front her and like so many times this week, her face was just inches away from mine, her breathing harsh as she fixed me with a steely glare. "I really don't like you."
This conversation was getting on my nerves. "Yes! I get it, Jade! You don't like me!" I huffed, trying to wrench my arm from her grasp, but she just pulled me down so I was now sat beside her, so very close. My breath caught in my throat, putting a stop to the rest of my retort.
Jade shifted so she was sat sideways on, leaning back against the sofa, a blank expression back in place. She propped her legs up on my lap, crossing them at the ankle and I felt my stomach clench at the gesture; what was she doing? Hadn't she messed with my head enough this week without having to come over to my house and continuously tell me she hates me?
"Why are you really here, Jade?" I asked, hating the silence and needing an answer.
She sat up again and lent forward, her sharp green eyes studying my face as she did so, I tried not to gulp because she'd see it, instead I stared right back, attempting the same blank look she was giving me, but I nervously bit my lip out of habit. She noticed.
"Do I scare you, Vega?" She whispered, leaning closer. "Do I make you… nervous?"
She brushed her fingers over my cheek and I involuntarily shuddered at the contact, causing her to smirk. I don't know what she's doing to me. She was so close, the subtle scent of her perfume, along with the ever present hint of coffee, was filling me, her nearness intoxicating me and I'd forgotten how to breathe properly. It was stupid, just silly teenage hormones acting up, right? Her eyes narrowed and her smirk fell, replaced with a look of concentration as her index finger smoothed over my lips to my chin, lifting my head up a little as she moved forward, her nose brushing lightly against mine.
"Do I?"
Her other hand was on my knee and oh God, I couldn't breathe at all! My brain was full of fuzz and nothingness and all I could do was stutter over a non-existent response. Did she make me nervous? I didn't know, I didn't know anything right now.
The corners of her mouth twitched into another smirk and she tapped the bottom of my chin with her fingertip.
"I hate how you make me feel." She murmured, like she was talking to herself.
"How do I make you feel?" I said quietly, the missing breath from before escaping as, somehow, the words found their way through my mental block before I could stop them. My eyes were now trained on her mouth, watching her tongue as she licked her lips almost teasingly.
She shrugged nonchalantly, but, as I looked up, I could see something else behind her eyes, and I instantly realised she was just as lost as I was with this. "Like I want to kiss you and kill you at the same time."
"That's pretty twisted, even for you." Where were these words coming from? I hardly even knew where I was right now, let alone how to create a coherent sentence.
Jade chuckled softly. "I 'spose."
She drew away completely, even removing her legs from mine, and I found myself instantly missing the contact as soon as it was gone. We stayed silence again, my heart still drumming away, neither of us looking the others way, save for the too frequent glances I kept throwing the paler girl out of the corner of my eye. She was chewing on her bottom lip and when I noticed this, it only increased the awkward tension in the air and the desperate urge to kiss the girl, which had been building up over this short time, bubbled away in the pit of my stomach. She must have sensed me watching because she turned, our eyes locking and I felt myself leaning forward uncontrollably, Jade mirroring my action, wanting nothing more than to capture her soft lips-
"Hey, sista!"
The front door opened with a bang and Trina's screech echoed through the room as she barged her way in, laden with a ton of shopping bags and a complete change of outfit from the one she was wearing this morning, including a pair of dark sunglasses perched precariously on her nose. Jade and I froze, just a whisper away from one another, then, as if pulled back to her senses, Jade bolted up from the seat and gathered up her Gears of War bag she had abandoned on the floor when she came inside.
"I shouldn't be here." She muttered and, before I could even think of stopping her, she raced out of the door, pushing passed Trina on the way, making her glasses fall to the floor with a clattered.
"What was that about?" My sister asked, flummoxed, as she picked up the shades. "Was that Jade?"
Even if I had an answer, I wouldn't be able to say it, my voice lost in shock and a variety of emotions I didn't expect to feel right now: hurt, anger, mixed with the confusion I had been feeling far too often lately. Twice now Jade had been so close to me, then made a run for it at the very last minute, leaving me breathless, speechless and desperate for more, that I knew I would never get. Why did she keep doing this! Did she just enjoy confusing me? Did she get her kicks from fucking with my mind?
"Tori?" Trina's tentative voice broke my thoughts; I must have been glaring at the door, the spot where Jade had vanished, because she was giving me a nervous look. She tossed her shopping bags to one side and took the seat Jade had just vacated, though not as close. "Is everything okay?" She asked in a tone of genuine concern.
"I- I'm fine." I stammered.
"Are you sure, you don't look fine-"
"I'm fine!" I interrupted loudly, jumping to my feet. "I just… I just need to go to sleep."
I took off up the stairs two at a time, leaving a flabbergasted Trina in my wake. I hadn't meant to yell at her, particularly when she actually seemed worried about me, but I couldn't handle her questions, especially when I was still left without an answer, in fact, I just had more questions myself. I slammed the door behind me and collapsed onto my bed, hoping to maybe fall asleep at a reasonable time tonight as I definitely felt exhausted right now.
Xxx
The alarm clock flashed, mockingly displaying 3am as the time and I was still wide awake, twirling my PearPhone around in my hands. I'd spent the last few hours trying to work up the courage to contact Jade and get to the bottom of this. The number she had used to text me earlier had become a permanent fixture on the screen during that time and the call and end call buttons were being pressed almost simultaneously as I chickened out every time.
Finally, after hours of debating whether or not just to leave it and attempt to sleep it off, I settled on sending a text, just a simple one, but one I hoped would lead to answers.
Jade, we need to talk.
I wondered if she was asleep, I didn't want to wake her. But apparently she wasn't as a reply appeared just moments later.
No, we don't. Stubborn as ever.
My fingers hurried over the buttons to respond. Yes we do, Jade. We need to talk about this.
Stop texting me. She's impossible
No! Jade, please?
Don't make me change my number.
I sighed and rolled my eyes.
Jade, I want an answer.
We all want things we can't have, Vega.
I should've known she wouldn't make this easy for me.
Can I at least call you so we can talk about this?
I was amazed by how quick she was responding to me, she wouldn't even be this fast if we were talking face to face.
No. Fuck off, I'm sleeping.
Obviously, that's why we're having this conversation, you're sleep texting.
I spoke too soon. Her next reply came a little slower than the rest, maybe she was trying to think of a clever retort to my sarcasm.
Just leave me the fuck alone, Vega.
At that I threw my phone onto the bed, knowing that this was going nowhere. I fell back onto my pillow and ran my hands through my hair in frustration, but few minutes later my phone went off again, surprising me with another text from Jade.
Look, I'm… sorry. We'll talk about it. Maybe. But just let me fucking sleep now, okay?
I read though the text at least three times; did Jade West just say she was sorry! I think I may have to save this text forever in my phone. With a bit of a smile I sent her a final text back.
Thank you, Jade.
Whatever.
I chuckled a little at that then put my PearPhone on my bedside table, shutting off my light as I did so then settled down into my bed so I could finally get some sleep, happy to know what I needed some time soon, with any luck.
A/N: Hey, you guys! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, sorry it took so long.
I noticed back in chapter 2 that I the stage kissing project was going to be two weeks long, but it ended up only being a week... oops. Sorry 'bout that.
Anyway, thank you again for reading/reviewing/alerting and favourite-ing!