Just a reminder, Doctor Kripke has a speech impediment that makes his L's and R's sound like W'. It makes him interesting to write for.

:}

Jade felt the increasing stress that came with her final week of school. Everyone needed something. Caltech had her come in an extra day to go over the syllabuses for the classes she would be teaching. The good news was the seminar would be topical, only requiring her to be up to date and able to enplane the intricacies and answer questions. She was already keeping up to date, so it would just need a couple of hours per week to organize her thoughts and prepare for presentation. The other class would require more work on her part, including preparing assignments and lectures to go with the standardized syllabus, but it was doable. Grading would be the biggest problem, since she would have to go over each paper and check their work. Jade felt she was being underpaid.

Jades schoolwork was the usual, but that still meant time spent and effort. She was an A student. No sense in letting her grades slip over something as simple as her life spinning out of control. Jade just had to put in the effort. Finals would signal the end of that insanity, and then Jade could focus on the next bit of crazy to come her way. It was a form of coping, but it added to her stress.

Her tutoring group was calling her, literally calling her, for last minute pointers as they headed into their respective finals. They even called her for subjects other than science. Jade had to threaten one guy who called her on the way into her script writing class asking for help for the same class. She glared at him across the room, and coldly reminded him he wasn't even part of her tutoring group. Then she let him know that if he called her again she would use her scissors to remove his manhood, since he obviously wasn't using it.

Jade was even stressing on the play she was writing for the end of summer. She needed a draft as soon as possible so her would be producer could look it over and make his recommendations. She was dreading whatever changes would be asked for, but couldn't think about it as she wrote a play about a poor girl who's sister was a talent vampire. The girl, originally talented, came across as untalented, annoying and delusional. The vampire sister made friends with the most talented people at her school, drawing out their talents to help her become a star, and no one believed the "untalented diva" who tried to warn them. It was an inspired work in progress.

As for the showcase, it was moving along better than expected. Her own performance was going to be a song. She felt good about it, having wrote it herself and she was feeling the music. Jade had even managed to get placed towards the opening of the show, so she would be free to run things from there. Beck was acting as stage manager, and Tori was helping out wherever she could. Tori, Andre, Cat and Robbie all had performances during the three hour show (not counting intermission). Budgeting eight minutes per performance plus set change, that left time for 22 acts plus final bow. The list was full, and everyone was ready. It was Wednesday, and the performance was Friday. Jade needed some kind of release. Meaningless sex with Beck was no longer an option, so she settled for an (emotionally) uncomfortable soak in the Vega's hot-tub. Jade didn't bother trying to figure out why she felt weird with Tori, since the Latina was one of the few people she trusted enough to be vulnerable in front of. She just pushed past the awkwardness and tried to relax. Tori was massaging her shoulders as the talked. (Joining Mid conversation)

"So convincing Trina to do a stand up routine was harder than I thought, but she agreed once she found out I would be using Robbie's stand up routine if she refused. God why is such a talented boy trying to be the one thing he isn't. I want him to do a song with Cat so we can squeeze an extra act in. Trina will do better doing stand up, she just has to think the material is serious. I'm glad you decided to do a duet with Andre, so now that just leaves figuring out who to squeeze into the open slot. Oh, and Tori, that feels soooo gooood." Jade moaned the last part, appreciating the singers skill with her hands.

"I just want you in top shape for Friday. We need our director sharp. Besides, if you seem weak even for a moment, they will walk right over you." Tori tried to joke, but it was too close to the truth. "Oh, so far most of your geek friends have RSVP-ed. I bet they'll like seeing you sing." Tori felt Jade tense under her hands.

"What? How?..Tori, how did they know about the showcase?" Jade didn't seem as pleased as Tori had hoped. The director turned in Tori's hand to look at the singer.

"We felt that they might want to see your work, so we evited them. I thought you'd be happy. We did crash their party the week before last, so we kinda owe them." Tori explained herself while contemplating how she was going to live through this. She had one thought, the one Beck had given her, but he had asked her to hold off until after Jade started teaching this summer.

"And how did you get their contact information?" Jade asked suspiciously.

"We just, well, Caltech has a system for sending emails to the faculty. We just sorta used that. The Physics Dean, Doctor Gablehauser, was very helpful. We were even able to exclude you so you didn't get any bothersome email from us." Tori's voice, having started normally had gone quiet, barely heard above the sounds of the hot tub. She became aware of how suspicious excluding Jade sounded in the middle of her sentence. It sounded like they were doing it behind her back.

"WHAT?!" Jade's voice was heard throughout Hollywood. Tori tried to hide under the water, quickly deciding drowning would be quicker than whatever her irate friend would do to her. The goth, however, just pulled her up into the air.

"Please, we just wanted your coworkers to see what a talented girl they were working with." Tori said quickly, adjusting to the suddenly cold air on her face. Jade remained quiet for a few seconds, finding her voice while holding Tori under her arms so the girl could not escape.

"Look, Tori, I appreciate what you were trying to do. But you should have asked me. I would have handled it myself." Jade said through clinched teeth. Her mind was moving so quickly, thinking of who was on that list. Letting go of her anger for now, she focused on what she needed to do. "Now you have faculty I may not like knowing about the show. They could be attending, looking for things to use against me. He might... I need a phone. Now! I gotta do some damage control. Hurry!" Jade gave orders as she scampered out of the tub, grabbing a towel and drying herself while moving towards her computer, checking the time as she looked up what she needed. 'Not yet six. He'll still be in his office. Hopefully no caller ID.' Tori followed, grabbing Jades phone, and hoping her friend would be happy with it. Seconds later, Jade grabbed her phone and made a call.

"Hewwo, Doctor Kwipke's office. How can I hewp you." He responded after only a couple of rings. His voice was surprisingly cheerful.

"Doctor West here. I just found out you were invited to view our end of year showcase. I was wondering why you'd bother since the girls will all be fully dressed and showing talents that don't involve pretending to like you." Jade's reply was calm, but her eyes told a different story.

"Oh Doctow West. I wouldn't dweam of missing your big pewfowmance." he said, sounding amused.

"Look, I know you think I will be vulnerable for a little payback during the performance. But think about this. I know the area around Shadow Creek Park better than the rangers. It's a place where someone could disappear, never to be seen again. Embarrass me, ruin the chance for the performers to shine, and I swear there will be an opening at Caltech." Jade hissed.

"Wook, Doctow West. I know I'm pwanning a wittwe wetwibution, but I wouwd nevew huwt a bunch of bwamewess kids just to get you. Wevenge is coming, my honow wequiwes it, but not thewe. I just want to see the show. I pwomise." He said. Jade relaxed. She didn't quite trust him, but she was sure he would think twice before he did anything to mess with the show.

"Then please enjoy the show. I look forward to seeing you there." Jade said, looking less homicidal.

"I'ww see you tomowwow. Later." Doctor Kripke ended the call.

"Bye" Jade said. She then went to put her phone back on her way to the hot tub.

"So, Jade, everything's peachy?" Tori asked, immediately regretting her choice of words.

"Oh there ever so peachy" Jade said in her 'Tori' voice. It irked Tori that a girl who could do so many incredible voices chose one that didn't sound like her at all.

"I don't talk like a starlet from the forties." Tori replied. She didn't get to follow Jade to the tub because her own phone went off. She stopped to answer it, making sure to watch Jade and stay out of earshot from the pale beauty.

Jade didn't hear the conversation, but she noticed Tori's absence. She had her suspicions. Beck was pulling away, and he always wanted Tori. Jade couldn't blame him. The Latina was beautiful, talented, fiercely independent while always seeking to help others. Tori was just so loveable. Jade had hated her for it, yet still had gone out of her way to help the singer on more than one occasion. Yes, she sometimes went overboard, like the Gorilla club. She didn't need to push Tori into facing the gorilla, but she did. The club was supposed to just help Tori learn to take risks. While everyone else tried to find a safe way for her to take risks, Jades solution worked. Risk equaled danger, but Tori learned that risk didn't equal death.

Jade had to admit that yes, many of her actions did seem cruel, but that was part of her approach. Pushing Tori off the forty foot platform seemed mean, but it was nicer then "Saving" her from making the fall. Now the singer would know she could face her fears. Jades solutions were tough love. 'Tough like? Kinda get along? Tough tolerate?' Jade was unsure of their relationship.

In the end, no mater what they did to each other, Tori was the one threat to her and Beck that Jade could do nothing about. Tori was genuinely Beck's friend, and would be hers to if she ever admitted it. Jade just could not risk it. The tragic genius was sure that in the end she would wind up hurt, and the fear of that pain of losing Beck as her one safe place, was paralyzing. Jade knew that if she truly allowed Tori in, she and beck were done for.

As Tori reentered the tub, she was talking. "Beck has the show planed out. We can have Wendy, the dancer, and a couple of her friends do a quick number to fill in our open space..." Tori droned on about Becks work as she started rubbing Jades shoulders almost unconsciously. Jade let the whole thing go as she contemplated her relationship.

'Beck said that if you love something, you have to be willing to let it go. That sometimes we get caught up in a love that only hurts us, and a better one might be available. Is our relationship dying?' Jades thoughts drowned out Tori's conversation. 'If we're not going to make it, if we just keep hurting each other, than am I being selfish? But I want Beck. I need him. He makes me normal, proves that I'm loveable. But I'm not. Even in love I hurt him, and he deserves so much more.' she looked back at Tori, who had stopped talking to study Jade. Tori was lost in her own thoughts, her hands still on the other girls shoulders, but the motion was mindless, just a moving contact over the same piece of skin. The silence between them grew, and Jade felt caring for the other girl somewhere in her heart. As far as relationships went, Tori was so much better than she was. 'So much better than me.'

Jade made a decision. By the end of summer, she would find a way to let him go. She knew that it meant being alone, but she knew she was too damaged to love. It was her selfish parts that decided to wait, to see if there was another chance. Jade would need both Beck and Tori for at least another few days, possibly weeks, and she was hoping to get through the worst parts of the summer before losing her support. She anticipated they would find each other, laughing together at his jokes or her latest antics. The group would naturally have to choose, so they would stay with Tori since Jade was so hard to like. Cat was already distancing herself now that she was living with her Nona in Venice. Jade forced herself to stop thinking about how things would probably turn so she could keep from crying. It may have been noble, but it was going to hurt like hell. Loss always did.

Somehow Jade held it together until she got home. Crying on her pillow was a short term solution, and it was past one in the morning when she had to stop assaulting her heavy bag. A layer of blood covered the material, and she realized she had forgotten to put on her padding. Jade mechanically cleaned the wounds, covering them in bandages and hoping that the last day of class she would be free of any obvious damage. 'How could I be so stupid.'

Thursday was the last day of classes at Hollywood Arts. Friday would be dedicated to preparing for the showcase, the seniors practicing for graduation on Saturday, and the other classes just hanging out to experience the feeling of the second biggest show of the year. (The Big showcase was the biggest) Since all the finals were done by this point (So if someone missed a day they could make it up) the classes usually consisted of time killing or small performances. Jade found herself admiring the simplicity of the whole thing. Hollywood Arts had a longer school year then other schools, but they needed it to cover the diverse and often specific materials unique to performing arts schools.

Still, the day was not just sitting around, except in the pure academic classes where the teachers had trouble throwing appropriate materials at them on the last day of school. The arts classes would use this time for short skits, songs, music or whatever in an attempt to get one last quick performance out of each and every student. The film classes watched a movie, but tore it apart during the class discussing everything with an understanding of film that many critics lacked. It was a fun day, but everything served a purpose.

Sikowitz ran his class with his usual unpredictable and sometimes manic style, giving each student an assignment to work on over the summer. Jade noticed hers was to just observe people and take notes. "Jade, you're a talented and committed actress. You just need to add to your repertoire. Learn how real people interact. How they talk. Just add personalities to your playbook so that you can play a wider range of characters. You could even do musical comedy if you just found some happier people to mimic." It was a strange assignment, but it made sense. Jade was a great character actor. Widening her range would only help. On her way out of class, he stopped her to get in one last piece of advice. "Oh, Jade, please the next time you injure yourself have the decency to admit it. Long sleeves in June? Really?" That was his final word on the subject, mercifully given alone as she was on her way to lunch.

Once that part was done, she found Caltech to be rife with anticipation. They wanted to hear her sing, and see a show. She found that over twenty of her colleges were planning on attending, having even grabbed their own block of seating. Surprisingly Doctor Gablehauser, her boss, was going to be there. Jade was sure she would need a dozen graves in the desert to cover up her past after this. More if she dealt with Tori. Lenard was one of the few people she wanted to attend, even if it meant Penny would be there as well. Raj was alright. "If you get drunk, you will never know what I did to get back at you." was Jades genital warning. Alex hadn't intended to show up, but Sheldon insisted. For her own reasons, that worried Jade. Even Dave the Coffee kiosk guy was planning on showing up, since he now had someone who could cover that shift.

Doctor Kripke was one of the people Jade had wanted to remind that she could easily take out physically. He, however, stayed distantly friendly during their brief encounter. He waved, said "Hewwo" and went about his business. Jade found his carefree attitude suspicious, and was determined to not let him ruin it for the class. Jades stress was strangely under control, only because her biggest stressors were either handled or put off until after the show. At least no one outside of Sikowitz had noticed her injuries, and they would be mostly healed by Friday, being just her small cuts along her arms, fists and knees. Jade had that to be thankful for. As she prepared for bed, she wondered what kind of clusterfuck fate had planned for her last day as a junior.

:}

I hope my reader(s) enjoyed this one. Next chapter's going to be interesting.