"Jade, we've spent all summer in my bed, practically. We've got to get out of it at some point." Tori complained as she rolled out of her bed. Feet firmly planted on the floor she stood, her hair tumbling down her bare back.
"Your hair has gotten so long." Jade commented, reaching out and stroking her spine. Tori shivered and had to force herself to step away from Jade's touch.
"No, no. We're both getting out of this bed, West. Both of us. And we're going out to see the sun."
"There's no sex outside." She paused and smiled deviously, "unless you're into that kinda thing. That would make a great birthday present." She grinned.
"No, Jade, there is no sex outside. There is sun and people. And no naked us, and no way am I having sex outside, I don't care if it's your birthday." Tori grabbed her robe from her chair and slipped it on. Jade groaned and dropped back on Tori's bed. A few minutes later she got up and got her bag from the closet. She found some clothes to wear and dragged them on slowly before she trudged down stairs to start the coffee maker.
Tori came down after the coffee was done, she toweled off her hair as she walked toward Jade, and the coffee, with a smile on her face and a song in her head. She kissed Jade quick on the cheek as she snatched up her coffee cup. There was only a week left of their break, and a mere few hours before her parents and their friends returned, and so far only Andre knew what was going on between them.
Tori sipped at her coffee slowly as she watched as her girlfriend, the phrase made her smile, cooked her breakfast. Her mind was everywhere from recording new songs to wondering what would happen with them. But mostly she wondered how everyone would react to the new change in the group. To them. Together.
Tori knew Beck said he was over Jade, but she knew he wasn't, and she knew he still harbored that small crush for her, especially after the way he talked about those hickeys he saw before her left. He was really the one she was worried about, he was really a good friend to her, and now she was dating his ex. After giving the shit excuse they couldn't kiss because Jade was his ex. She felt like a hypocrite, she was a hypocrite, a guilty hypocrite.
Jade rested her hands on Tori's hips and gave her a quick kiss, "stop worrying about whatever you're worrying about and eat breakfast, babe." Tori looked toward the table where a plate of eggs and sausage links waited for her, her stomach groaned, and she walked to the table with Jade. She yanked her legs up onto the chair and crossed them while she ate.
"My parents are supposed to be home today…" Tori murmured, "Which means Trina should be home soon, too."
"Have you talked to them at all since they left?" Jade asked as she scooped a forkful of eggs into her mouth.
"No. They don't really seem to care about Trina and I. But they're with my dying aunt so I can't really be mad about that, ya know?" Tori answered as she took a forkful of her own eggs and put them into her mouth. She moaned at the pleasant taste and found her abysmal mood rapidly faded.
They were stood at the sink as they washed dishes when Trina stepped through the door, bags hung from her arms, "hey Jade's still here! That's new!" Trina joked with a smile and locked the door behind her, "mind helping me with my bags?"
"Sure, Treen." Tori answered, she kissed Jade on the cheek quickly before she trailed her sister up the stairs to help unload her bags so it looked like Trina had been home all summer. Jade came up when they were almost done and helped Trina store the bags in the top of her closet before she helped make it look like Trina had been in her room often during the summer by tossing clothes around.
Trina had been coming home to bring things in and take new things with her to her boyfriends for the past few weeks, she'd learned about Tori and Jade's relationship when she nearly walked into Jade crossing naked from the bathroom into the bedroom. If she had a problem with it she hadn't said anything yet, and that was just fine with them.
Trina left soon after she'd gotten there, Jade and Tori following her out, Jade grumbled the whole ride about not being told where Tori was taking and then switched to complaining about Tori's driving, she finally stopped bitching when they pulled up at the pet store. Jade had been in once in the past three weeks, and only for a couple of hours.
"Do I have to work today and you didn't feel like telling me?" she asked.
"No, but I figured you'd want to get your bunny soon." Tori shrugged, "you already brought home all of your supplies and set up the room."
"I can't afford her." Jade grumbled, annoyed at the reminder.
"I know, babe." Tori retorted, "out of the car." She shut off the car and got out, followed slowly by Jade. Tori made a beeline for the rabbit cage and peered around for Jade's rabbit, she scooped it up and turned to Jade who watched her confused. Tori walked up the counter with the bunny her arms.
"Hey Tori." Vanessa greeted, Jade's coworkers were used to seeing Tori in and out of the store often when Jade was at work because she had nothing better to do, "Finally getting that cutie for Jade?"
"Yeah, I figure she could use a nice birthday present." Vanessa rang up the bunny and a pet carrier for Tori. After a quick stop at the vet they take the rabbit to Jade's house, Jade closed the door to the rabbit room, opened the cage and sat down against the wall as she watched her little bunny nervously exit the carrier.
"Thanks, Vega." Jade smiled as she pressed her lips against her girlfriend's cheek. Tori rested her head against Jade's shoulder as the rabbit hopped out of the carrier and around the room slowly. Jade put it in its hutch once it was comfortable and left the door open for the rabbit to come out again if it wanted.
"Want something to drink? I'm kinda thirsty." Tori offered as she stood, Jade nodded, her eyes focused on her little bunny hopping around the room. Careful not to step on him, Tori left the room, padding silently down the hall, down the stairs and through the living room.
Inside the kitchen she poured her and Jade some water and checked her messages. Trina was currently setting up the house for a small party and waiting for everyone to arrive back at the house. Tori already had her outfit in the car, and would force Jade to dress up later. She checked to make sure Trina had remembered the cake and to make sure it wasn't too cheesy.
She texted back that she got the cake and it looked great, but she refused to send a picture, which agitated Tori to no end, "Jade?" Tori froze in the middle of picking up the glasses and looked toward the doorway where Evelyn was stopped midway through, phone in her hand, "Toni, right?"
"Tori, actually." She corrected, trying not to sound too snippy.
"I'm assuming my daughter is home." She says, tucking the phone into the pocket of her jeans. Her blue eyes, which would otherwise come off sweet, narrowed dangerously at Tori.
"Yes, she's upstairs with her new rabbit, actually." Tori picked up the glasses and walked through the door past her, up the stairs, and knocked on the door. Jade called for her to come in and she carefully opened the door, "your mom is home." She told Jade, easing the door shut behind her.
"Oh joy, did she ask for me?"
"Not in so many words." Tori shrugged as she handed Jade her glass, sitting down herself and scooping the rabbit into her lap, "Ares is so soft." She murmured, rubbing between the rabbits ears.
"He is." Jade replied as she leaned her head on Tori's shoulder, "thank you babe. Now, what time is this party I'm not having? And what am I not wearing?"
"The only time you're not wearing anything is when we're alone in a bedroom, West, you're going to put on a nice dress and go to your party with a smile on your face because I worked hard for this." Tori demanded, "And then after everyone leaves I'll give you your second present." Her voice took on a sultry tone, Jade shivered happily.
Thirty minutes later Jade put Ares back in his cage and the pair went downstairs into her bedroom and headed straight into the bathroom to wash their hands, "ready to watch the Scissoring?" Jade inquired, not waiting for an answer. She picked the DVD off her shelf and hooked it into her computer before she laid back on her bed.
Tori crawled over to Jade's side and settled down to watch the other girls favorite movie, much to his distaste, she'd always found the movie to blood and violent for her tastes, and every time the popular girl was killed she couldn't help but think back to Christmas, when Jade had looked at her and said 'starting with the pretty girl'. Now she just imagined Jade was the killer and she was the victim.
After the movie Tori forced Jade to shower while she went out to her car and got her clothes. She didn't run into Evelyn again, thankfully, and once Jade was out of the shower Tori ran in to take one as well. She dragged on a pair of underwear and hooked a bra on before she peered out the door.
Jade sat alone on her bed in a pair of lace underwear as she typed on her phone, "what are you doing?" Tori asked as she stepped out of the bathroom.
"Wondering why you took a second shower." Jade retorted. She pulled her eyes from her phone and smirked at Tori, "its almost five, what time do we need to be there?"
"By 6:30." Tori answered, "blow dryer?"
"Under the sink." Jade turned back to her phone, Tori rolled her eyes and stepped back into the bathroom. She found the dryer and worked on her hair. Once her hair was dried she straightened it, curious to see just how long it had grown. It fell to the bottom of her rib cage.
She brushed the top layer back into a clip and started to work on her makeup, "Jade, are you getting ready yet?" she yelled out to the other girl. She got a grunt in response, "Jade!"
"Okay!" Jade screamed in reply, she stomped into the bathroom a few minutes later and bumped Tori out of her way with a hip as she reached for the flat iron. Tori glared at her in the mirror reaching for a tissue to fix the eyeliner line down her cheek. Jade straightened her hair and then hastily French Braided it as tight as she could, then she picked up the blow dryer and fanned it across her head to make the heat curl her hair.
As she applied her makeup she'd stop to refan her hair with the dryer. She put on a pair of black lace leggings, her bra, a skirt and a nice red shirt before returning to the bathroom where Tori was now stood, fully dressed in a short purple dress and black half-sleeve coat, adding the last touches to her makeup.
Jade applied the heat to her head one more time and carefully undid the break, using her fingers to break it apart. It fell in gentle waves around her head, and she used the flat iron to give a few of the waves more of a curl, "ready to go, Tor?"
"Yep." Tori stopped to eye her outfit and smiled, "You look amazing." she whispered as she cupped Jade's cheek. She easily dragged her girlfriend closer and pressed their lips together. Jade pulled away first, Tori groaned in complaint.
"Not until later, Vega." Jade winked at her and walked out, swinging her hips.
"Tease." Tori grumbled as she followed Jade, eyes on her hips.
"Tori!" Cat was the first to see the pair as they entered the house, "Jade!" she ran at them, hooked her arms around their necks, and crushed them in a hug. Tori grabbed Cat and the wall to keep her balance as Jade grabbed Tori and the door frame behind her, "Happy birthday Jade! I've missed you guys so much!"
"We've missed you too." Tori wheezed, "but we can't breathe."
Cat pulled away, cheeks red, "sorry. I just really missed you."
"We missed you too, Cat." Jade told her with a smile. Cat beamed happily, then stared at them, "What? Do I have something on my face?"
"No. You two, you showed up together, you're getting along! You're friends!" Cat squealed ecstatically, "I can't believe it! You guys we can all be friends again! This is so exciting!"
"Whoa there Cat, calm down." Andre put a hand on her shoulder as he stepped up beside her, "hola chicas." He hugged them both, and then Tori again separately before he stepped back. Robbie and Beck came up for awkward hugs.
"So, dinner?" Tori asked as she rubbed her arm nervously, "I only have enough room in my car for three…"
"I'll drive Robbie and Andre." Beck offered, "and Cat can go with you two, she seemed to miss you two the most."
"Alright." Jade led the way out, Tori staying behind to lock the door even though Trina was home somewhere, probably up in her room with her boyfriend. Tori saw his car as they drove up to the house. When she got in the car Cat was in the back, Jade was in the passenger seat and they chatted happily.
"So when did you guys start hanging out? How long have you been friends? This is the best thing ever." Cat asked in a rushed voice.
"Calm down, Cat. Breathe." Jade ordered in a rough tone, Cat listened and bit down on her lips to keep quiet, "now what I'm about to tell you, you can't tell anyone else, you got it?"
"Got it." She chirped.
"Cat. I need you to pinky swear you wont say anything." Cat held out her pinky finger with a serious look on her face. Jade hooked pinkies with her, "promise."
"I promise I won't tell anyone what you said."
"Tori and I are dating." Cat's eyes bugged out of her head and her jaw hung open as she looked between her two best friends. Tori's heart was about to beat out of her chest, she couldn't see her friends face too clearly because she was forced to keep her eyes on the road, but she didn't like the silence.
"That's so great! You can go on double dates with Andre and me!" Tori almost crashed the car; she hit the brakes and spun in her seat. Cat shrunk back sheepishly.
"You and Andre?" her phone rang in the cup holder, Jade picked it up, assured Beck everything was fine, and hung up.
"Vega, drive. Calm down and drive."
"I'm sorry I didn't know he didn't tell you." Cat looked a little hurt at the revelation. Tori turned back around and pulled back into traffic slowly, "we've been dating since the third week of summer."
"I've talked to him since then, I can't believe he didn't tell me." Tori frowned, feeling a distant pang in her chest. She'd told Andre everything about Jade, and he couldn't tell her that he was dating Cat? She thought about it, and maybe she just never gave him the time to tell her, she was always talking about Jade.
"Well he always wanted to, said you were always talking about some guy. I guess that guy was Jade?"
"Yes." Cat reached forward and socked Jade in the arm, Jade turned around with a deadly glare fixed on Cat.
"You shouldn't have done that to Tori!" Cat pouted, "he kinda told me what happened, I made him."
"I don't care, Cat, since he didn't tell you it was Jade." Tori reassured her, "but don't hit Jade again, I'm trying to drive I can't keep her from stabbing you with the scissors in her boot."
"Sorry Jade."
"It's fine Cat."
Dinner went by fast, everyone talked about what they did while they were away. Jade and Tori sat beside each other, hips pressed together, hands on the table separated. Jade wanted to reach out and take Tori's hand in hers, but she didn't, because Tori wanted to tell Beck, but she wasn't ready to tell him yet.
After dinner Andre rode back with them, Tori took the time to grill him about Cat. At her house, Trina was home, her boyfriend gone, and their parents had called to say they'd be home in the early morning, "cake time!" Tori informed everybody, marching toward the kitchen with purpose.
She opened the box, put in a few candles, trying not to ruin the cake, designed around The Scissoring, there was even a pair of scissors made out of that taffy product that looked real. The cake was bloody red, and red velvet on the inside. Tori took a picture of it, because she just loved it, and then carried it outside, the chorus of Happy Birthday started and Jade glared at everyone in turn.
She almost didn't want to eat the cake; she loved it more than Tori did and had the worst time battling her urge to kiss Tori like crazy for doing something this special for her. Instead she blew out the candles, plucked them out and had Tori cut the cake after a few of her own pictures. After the cake they all sat around, Tori sitting behind Jade, her feet kicked up on the table. Jade leaned against Tori with her feet up on the table next to her.
"Is there something you two need to tell us?" Robbie joked, Jade looked up at Tori who stared back at her blankly, they shrugged, "what are you two dating now? I mean you're awfully close to each other…"
Tori's eyes found Beck's face, he glared at them, where their hips touched each other, "so what if we were, Shapiro? It's none of your damn business." Tori's stomach dropped and her heart rate picked up.
"I was just wondering, no need to be mean, Jade." Robbie pouted as he picked up his phone. Tori's stomach twisted.
"Are you?" Beck asked in a harsh tone, "are you two actually dating, because you seem awfully close for two people who hated each other at the beginning of summer." Beck hissed angrily. It didn't take long for Andre and Cat to get up, Robbie followed them out the door, and soon it was just Tori, Jade and Beck in the living room, the sound of a car signaled their departure. Tori's head jumped into her throat and she couldn't look at Beck, she felt like crying, "are you?" he asked again.
"Maybe we are." Jade retorted, "Why does it matter to you?" Jade sat up straighter to glare straight into his eyes.
"Because you're my ex-girlfriend?" Beck screamed, "and she's my friend!"
"Yes, ex, as in no longer." Jade shot back coolly.
"Maybe we should be ex-friends, too." Beck stood up, so did Jade. Tori stood and grabbed Jade's arm nervously, Beck's eyes landed on Tori's hand and he met her gaze, "were you going to tell me?"
"I was-." Tori's voice cracked as Beck cut her off harshly.
"Don't defend yourself to him Tori, I know you were worried about how he'd react, but he left me." Beck's nostrils flared with anger. Tears burned Tori's vision, she felt sick to her stomach and her hands started to quake.
"So you can't kiss me because of her, but you can kiss her?" he snatched his jacket roughly off the back of the couch, "fuck you both." He stormed out, the door slammed loudly behind him, Tori jumped, her body shook and tears rolled down her cheeks as soon as his car started.
"Vega…" Jade called to her as Tori sunk into the couch, her hands covered her face and her small frame shook violently as she sobbed, "Vega, come on now, don't let him do this to you. You don't have to feel guilty about rejecting him and not me. You don't owe him anything."
"He's my friend Jade!" Tori screamed, "And I hurt him, and I'm such a hypocrite and I feel so guilty!"
Jade sat beside her and pulled Tori into her chest, her arms wrapped around her girlfriends back, rubbing soothing circles on her lower back, cheek pressing against her head, "it's going to be okay, he'll forgive you, he's just angry, it's going to be okay." Tori was crying for almost an hour, and even when the tears were gone she wouldn't speak, "Should I leave now?"
"No." Tori whispers, her fingers tightening in Jade's shirt, "don't leave me."
"I won't leave." Jade whispered, kissing the top of Tori's head, another half an hour went by before Tori fell asleep, her grip on Jade's shirt loosening and her hand falling aside. Jade carefully scooped up Tori and carried her to her room. She pulled off Tori's shoes and took the clip out of her hair before tucking her under the sheets.
She took off her own shoes before crawling into the bed next to her. Wrapping her arms around Tori, Jade let her eye close, and after sighing deeply, allowed sleep to take her under.
A week later they were back at school, Tori was bouncing happily standing beside Jade's locker while the dark haired girl dug around it looking madly for something. Sipping from the coffee she'd bought Tori scanned the school looking for friends. Andre and Cat were by Andre's locker, Robbie was with Sinjin by the drink machine, and Beck was nowhere in sight.
"Quit looking for him, Tor, he's not going to be any happier." Jade told her, taking the coffee cup from her girlfriends hand, "come on." Wrapping her arm around Tori's shoulders she led them to Andre and Cat who were standing together giggling, Cat spotted them first, squealing with delight she ran at them, tossing her arms around the pair's neck and crushing their heads together.
The stood by Andre's locker talking until the bell rang, Cat and Andre walked off quickly to their first periods, but Jade and Tori were walking slowly, fingers laced together, both sipping coffee, enjoying the few minutes together free from everyone else. When they reached the door to Sikowitz's class the paused, looking at each other for a few moment with smiles on their faces before they stepped inside.
They took the two chairs in front of Andre and Cat, beside Robbie, still holding hands, and finished their coffees. Sikowitz, as usual, was nowhere to be seen, and Tori noticed Beck was also missing from class. They didn't see him until lunch, he was sitting a table away from their usual table with two girls Tori knew from her vocal training class.
"He looks happy." Tori commented, watching him laughing with the two girls. It didn't look fake, but he was a talented actor, so she couldn't be sure.
"Then stop worrying about it, he'll come around in his own time, he's not someone you want to force into making a decision, just let him come to terms himself, okay?" Jade told her, taking a huge bite out of her burrito. Tori bit down on her lip, staring at Beck with a sad feeling in her heart before she turned to her meal. If he didn't come around soon she'd talk to him, she promised herself, before she took a bite from her burger.
She didn't have to wait long, her next class was with Beck and he sat down beside her, even with at least 30 chairs to choose from, his hands were buried in his pockets and he looked a little nervous, "I don't hate you."
"I'm glad." She laughs, "I'm really sorry about the whole thing Beck."
"Look, we're not really going to go back to being the best of friends, I'm really hurt about everything, but I don't hate you, and Jade's a great person underneath those scissors, and you two are happy, and I'm sorry for being such an ass."
"I understand. I really wanted to tell you, obviously not like that, I just didn't know how because I know what I said about kissing you but she just snuck up on me and I just didn't realize it." Tori looks down at her lap, picking at invisible lint.
"Were you the one she was sleeping with before summer started?" Tori doesn't look up but nods, her cheeks burning, "well that's a relief, because I'd been trying to figure it out and I could only narrow it down to you, Andre or Cat."
"Why not Robbie?" Tori asked, finally picking her head up.
"It wasn't Robbie." But he doesn't say anything else on the subject, turning to face the teacher as they walked in. Tori bit her bottom lip, smiling happily. Beck wasn't pissed at her anymore, she was in a good relationship, and so far this year looked to be promising. After class she met up with Jade, taking her hand as they walked out of the school and to her car, Tori was still smiling like crazy as they pulled out of the parking lot.
"What are you all smiley about?" Jade asks, looking over at Tori momentarily.
"I'm just happy." Tori replies, leaning over and kissing Jade's cheek. Jade smiled at Tori, flicking on her turn signal, "I'm just really happy."
THE END.
