Oh my gosh I'm back! That week was horrible and tiring and the worst part was I still have exam week coming up. I just had to take a break and put up another chapter. Thanks for the wait but we all know I spoiled you guys before making you wait anyways, lol. So get reading and then wait some more because I won't be posting again for some time. Enjoy!
~Jade~
Waking up and preparing for school was…interesting to say the least. The rest of the Vegas were still home so we all ran around trying to get ready at the same time. It was way different than my usual mornings over at my quiet household. Mr. Vega was ready first but he waited for Mrs. Vega so they could leave together. They each gave Tori and Trina a hug and Tori received a kiss on the cheek from her father. The whole scene made me feel like I was missing out on a family dynamic like this one. I watched them interact from afar, leaning against the counter with a mug of blood mixed coffee in one hand and my newly charged phone in the other, wondering if my parents would ever go back to that. They had been so happy at one point. What happened? I finished the update to my parents and hit send a little too forcefully as I quickly came to my senses to scowl. We would never be like that. Not anymore. I pocketed my phone, knocked back the rest of my coffee, set aside the mug, and then walked over to inform Tori of the time when I was scooped up in a hug by Mr. Vega.
"You keep my baby safe, you hear me? Both of you stay out of trouble," he demanded, setting me down and pointing a finger at both Tori and I. Tori laughed behind her hand at the shocked look on my face.
"Please do," her mother added, pulling us both into one armed hugs with each of us on either side of her. Tori giggled and nodded. I nodded too, not trusting my voice at the moment. I couldn't help but feel that I belonged for once. I had a loving family who constantly showed they were there, ready to help in any way.
"No problem, mother. School will be top priority and then we're coming straight home," Tori told her with a salute. I caught the gesture and rolled my eyes at her, slowly relaxing into the foreign but warm atmosphere. She stuck her tongue out at me and then grinned when I rose an unimpressed brow at her response.
"Good, then I'll see you girls later," Mrs. Vega said, squeezing us close briefly and then stepping away to follow Mr. Vega out the door.
"Come on Jade. We should be heading out too," Tori suggested, turning to grab her bag off the couch. I did the same and then we headed for the door. At that moment, Trina came running down the stairs and blazed past us out the door.
"See you losers at school!" she called over her shoulder. I bristled at the subtle challenge and rushed out after her. If that was how she wanted to play then I was game.
"I'll show you," I growled, making Tori glance questioningly at me. She was right next to me, keeping up with my steady pace. I knew she could feel that need to challenge rising in the form of agitation. I got to my car and unlocked it, throwing open the door. Tori stopped me with a hand over mine.
"Let me," she suggested calmly. Her tone was oddly even yet strong. No one besides me had ever driven my car so I was hesitant to allow her to take the wheel. I knew she had her license but she rarely drove. What if she wasn't good at it? Trina had just gotten in her car and we were running out of time so I couldn't keep debating. I groaned but gave in eventually.
"Fine. Hurry, but be careful," I replied sternly, running over to the passenger door. Tori grinned and hopped in, chucking her bag in the back.
"You better not total my ride, Vega. You already ruined my seat," I reminded her, poking at the seat I currently sat in. She waved away my warning and held out a hand for the keys. I handed them to her and she started up the car.
"Don't worry. I got this," she answered, an excited and daring smile lighting her features. A smile like that was easily at home on my own lips but now it graced Tori's, the new expression intriguing me.
"Then get going," I commanded. She hit the gas and we tore out ahead of Trina by a hair.
"Hey, I said be careful!" I warned, receiving a laugh from Tori.
"Now who's worrying?" she asked mockingly, yet still playful.
"Damn Tori, what happened to you?" I teased as she sped down the side streets that would keep us away from major traffic.
"I just feel so good today. We're going back to school so we'll see our friends," she replied, quickly checking her rearview mirror for Trina. I did too, not seeing her anywhere.
"Don't forget the frequent amount of time we had to ourselves. I highly doubt seeing our friends could top that," I pointed out. She shot me a confident smirk and nodded, not a blush in sight.
"Definitely," she agreed, her smile growing. I was loving this crazy, energetic, and risky new side of Tori. I didn't know what got into her, but I was enjoying it. We skid into the parking lot not too long later and Trina came barreling in right after us. Tori cheered triumphantly and I joined her, both of us celebrating our win well after Tori parked. Trina pulled into a space across from us. Tori turned the car off and tossed me the keys. I caught them and put them away while she grabbed her bag from the back. We got out of the car just as Trina marched over to us.
"You took shortcuts!" she accused, irritated that she lost, but her tone hinting that she wasn't taking it badly.
"Who's the loser now, Trina?" Tori questioned her older sister, playfully replying like a five year old. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer so I could kiss her cheek to congratulate her. She grinned and gave me a kiss back.
"Oh shut up, Tori," Trina responded, pouting.
"You're only butt hurt 'cause Tori beat you," I taunted, finally joining in.
"Well, duh. I've seen you drive before. You're a maniac. But Tori drives like an old lady. It sucks that I was beaten by her," she responded, pointing to each of us as she talked.
"Hey!" Tori cried out indignantly.
"I was honestly surprised you pulled it off," Trina admitted further with a shake of her head.
"Ok, ok, stop rubbing it in," Tori grumbled, crossing her arms. I chuckled and reached up to turn her head by the chin with just two fingers so that she faced me.
"It's ok, Tor. You might not be a pro at racing or driving but you're an expert at other things," I purred in her ear before placing a tender kiss on her lips. She smiled brightly and leaned in to continue, making Trina groan in exasperation and stomp off at the scene we made. I pulled away and snickered at her retreating form.
"Behave," Tori halfheartedly reprimanded me. She pulled me into one last kiss before breaking it off so I could answer.
"I would, but it's hard to with you around," I answered. My hands tightened on her waist, my seductive smirk in place. She laughed and gave me a hug before tugging me along.
"Let's go. We're gonna be late," she told me as she led me along at a quick pace. We made it inside and it just then occurred to me that the sun hadn't bothered or killed my mood as it had done every time since the change. I turned to ask Tori what that could mean when our friends spotted us. Andre waved us over and we headed for them. They were gathered by the main stairs.
"They're here! They're here! Oh my gosh guys, we were so worried and Andre told us Jade only said you were sick but Jade came to school and then hid from us all day and it's just been so long!" Cat cried running over to jump us with a huge hug. I growled and pushed at her but she wouldn't let go and I didn't want to put anymore force on her so I eventually just let her. Tori laughed next to me, patting Cat on the back to reassure her.
"Aww, Jade let Cat hug her," Andre teased, walking over to join the embrace. Robbie followed him, and soon, everyone was crowded around me and Tori. She was laughing happily while I complained under my breath, my own happiness at seeing our friends again carefully hidden. It felt good knowing Tori was happy but I still didn't like all the hugging.
"You guys are the best," Tori told them as we all separated. Finally.
"No problemo, Toro," Robbie replied jovially.
"Yeah, we're just glad you're alright," Andre added. Cat cheered and ran forward for another hug but I held her back before pulling Tori closer to me by the waist.
"Ok, no more affection, Cat. That's my property you're man handling. Remember, you break it, you don't buy it. You just answer to these," I told her, flashing my favorite pair of scissors before replacing them in my bag. Tori snickered at the shocked expressions on each of their faces, although Andre didn't seem too surprised.
"You-you guys are…" Robbie spluttered, his face reddening at the thought. I rolled my eyes and raised a brow at Andre who had a knowing smile. Cat stood shaking with excitement next to him, a big grin on her face.
"I knew you two were being a little more than friendly when Tori texted me that day you guys hung out. Although I was informed you were getting along I didn't know it escalated to this. I'm happy for you, but I still didn't get an answer about why you weren't in school for most of this week," he commented thoughtfully.
"We were sick, I told you. Vega got me sick too. It turns out heavy kissing sessions tend to spread germs," I answered him sarcastically, keeping with my story from yesterday. Tori glanced at me with an amused smile before nodding in agreement.
"So how come you didn't tell me you were going out?" he questioned next.
"Because it's none of your damn business and I wanted to check with Vega first," I replied easily.
"Jade, what did I tell you about being nice and behaving?" Tori teased, intertwining our hands together and leaning on me with an innocent smile. Maker, she was so adorable. Fuck, I'm falling for her charm way too easily now. At this rate I wouldn't be able to keep up my usual ganky front. Although, that's probably what everyone wanted. But still, that was my natural defense. What would I do without it?
"I know," I mumbled, looking away from her affectionate gaze.
"So cute!" Cat exclaimed, unable to hold it in anymore. I glared at her but Tori began hopping up and down with Cat.
"I know! She's so cute, right?" she stated. I groaned and began walking away, pulling Tori along as I headed for my locker. I could hear the boys laughing but trying to hide it in poorly concealed coughs.
"Vega, hurry up," I commanded dully. Tori caught up enough so that she wasn't being dragged anymore. I opened my locker and got what I needed, slamming it shut when I was done. As soon as I was finished Tori yanked me down the hall to her own locker. Shit, she was gonna pull my arm off. It was like walking an overexcited dog. Heh, a dog. Ever since the first day she was a dog literally and figuratively, even playing a dog in her first improv skit. Tori shut her locker and turned to me just as the bell rang. Our friends gathered by us again after they retrieved what they needed too.
"I'll see you later, Jade," Tori said, pecking me on the cheek in farewell. I pulled her in for a longer kiss on the lips before releasing her. She grinned idiotically and walked off. I smirked and waved once before she disappeared around the corner. I stared after her for some time, lost in thought, before Robbie cleared his throat next to me. I forgot they were still there.
"Shut up, nerd," I threatened before he could say anything, trying to cover for my lapse in focus. I was more than glad he didn't have Rex with him. That stupid piece of junk would definitely have commented and I really didn't want to have to rip his arms off. Or did I? Why did I even care about breaking something Robbie owned? Damn, Tori's influence again. I didn't like it but I did at the same time. I had to make up my freakin' mind. I held up a hand as a way of saying good bye to them and then walked off to my first class. The only thing I knew for sure was that Tori would be the death of my reputation. Not that I was expecting a great exciting day, but I was really hoping for a great exciting day. I think I might have had a little too much excitement recently, because normal was not doing it for me anymore. I was sure the thrill would wear off eventually, but for now, it was still very much present. To keep things interesting during class I made myself useful and participated as much as I could.
When I wasn't doing that I was busy talking to as many vampires and wolves that I came into contact with. It was interesting to see how each reacted to me. The vampires almost always joked a welcome about joining their numbers while the wolves were hesitant to start up a conversation. They were fully aware of who I was and the added information that I was now a vampire must have set them off. Most were wary at first, but once I got them relaxed and talking they were just as easy going. They only needed reassurance that there wasn't any danger. What was our society coming to if there was such a noticeable division of species? Shouldn't we band together since our numbers were still way lower than those of humans? I would think so, but it seemed in any minority group there was still infighting. I sighed as I made my way slowly to Sikowitz's room. Just one more class and then lunch. Tori was probably dying to eat by now. I smiled at the thought of seeing her again.
I pulled open the classroom door and entered, finding a seat near the front where Tori usually sat. Not many were here at the moment, since I arrived early, but slowly they all began showing up. Tori came in laughing about something with Andre. Cat skipped in, hanging off a very happy Robbie. They were talking animatedly and I wondered if they were getting any closer to finally hooking up. I swear, they totally liked each other but neither of them had the guts to do anything about it. Cat was in denial and Robbie gave up too easily. Like the time Cat told me Robbie kissed her at the Cowboy Luau but then she panicked and ran away shortly after. I shook my head and glanced back just as Tori looked at me. She smiled and headed over to take the seat to my right. Andre sat to her right, Robbie sat behind him and Cat sat to his left. The rest of the students, or shruggers as we called them, filled in the remaining spaces. Sikowitz climbed in through the window and threw his bag aside as always. Instantly, he had all of our attention. He clapped his hands once before beginning to speak.
"Ok class, who wants to start off with a quick improvised skit, hm?" he asked in his booming voice. Everyone glanced around before looking back at him, no one wanting to voluntarily go. I sighed in exasperation before standing and walking up on stage.
"Vega, get up here," I ordered, my eyes on her, gaze just as hard and emotionless as it had been before all this. She looked up at the sound of her name, her eyebrows creasing in confusion. The others looked at me the same way but I ignored them. I had a plan so I made no attempt to explain myself. I knew she would understand.
"Ok, I want this to be exciting, action packed, shocking, and maybe even a little emotional. You girls are one of the best students in the class so I expect something thoughtful. Will you accept this challenge?" Sikowitz questioned us dramatically like we were on a mission. I rolled my eyes and shot him a confident smirk.
"Easy enough. Vega, you think you can keep up?" I asked her, glancing over to see her own smirk curling her lips. She was every bit as confident as me.
"Yes," she replied, her eyes never leaving mine.
"Good, now somebody give me a setting," Sikowitz asked of the class. He turned to look out at them, face expectant. It came as a surprise when one of the shruggers spoke up.
"Middle of the woods," he suggested gruffly. I focused on him, scrutinizing every detail I could of his appearance. My senses were getting a strange read from him that made me uneasy. Tori shifted next to me, subtly agreeing.
"Oh good, someone new. Ok, the middle of the woods. What's the situation?" he asked next. I kept my eyes on the new speaker whose eyes shifted to a girl across the room. She was glaring at him, her lips barely holding back from a snarl, almost like she was angry at him for drawing attention to himself. I could tell even from this distance. I could also sense that they were both purebred vampires. I made a mental note to keep their faces in my memory.
"Tag!" Cat suddenly exclaimed. I raised a brow at her and Tori tilted her head questioningly while Sikowitz just stared at her blankly.
"Nnnooo Cat!" he said with a swing of his arm and an exaggerated smile.
"Aw phooey," she pouted.
"How about a chase? That's close enough, right?" Andre supplied. Cat perked up and bounced in her seat, nodding her head. I had a sneaking suspicion Cat had a little too much sweets today, but really, when did she not?
"Ok, that works better. Tori, Jade, you are in the middle of the woods and a chase is taking place. Action!" he commanded, backing off the stage to stand in the back of the class as he talked. I looked over at Tori and she returned my gaze. I knew just by the way she nodded to me that we had the same idea brewing in our heads the whole time. It was time to put our acting skills to good use.