/TORI/

It had been a full two weeks since I woke up to find Jade had just left my room. I couldn't say I was completely surprised she'd gone without a word, but I had expected her to at least explain why she'd bolted so suddenly, or at the very least to say something to me about what had happened when we next saw each other. But it was as if she was determined to shut everyone out. Ever since that night, she'd been withdrawn around the group, only speaking occasionally in Sikowitz's class, and of those times she would speak in front of any of us, her words were insults thrown in my direction, nastier and more sporadic than usual.

"Tori. I have no idea where you got that sweater from, but it's hideous." I pause with a forkful of spaghetti noodles halfway to my mouth, raising an eyebrow at the unprovoked attack. I glance down at my comfy sweater, a pale yellow with a rainbow heart. I can see the rest of our friends looking around in confusion, but Jade carries on. "It looks like someone decided to vomit all over it." I lower my spaghetti awkwardly, watching Andre push away his pudding cup with a grimace.

"Why are you insulting what Tori's wearing?" Cat pipes up right beside me. I watch Jade swivel her infamous glare on the red head and she cowers back with a small squeak.

This vicious 'bite and blow' response from Jade had now become an integrated part of our daily routine. She would target me mercilessly from the minute I walked through the doors of Hollywood Arts, to the moment I left, and it was actually beginning to remind me of how we first met. Of course, I wasn't particularly thrilled with this new installment of insults, but I noticed it seemed to make Jade calmer and slightly more like herself...so I let her do it.

"Because I can and I want to." Jade snaps back in response. I can sense the whole group shift on edge. Since the break up, it was obvious Jade had become more fragile, and while I knew she she would rather die a horrible, painful death than admit it, it was true, and everyone was treading on eggshells all the time to make sure they didn't push her over the edge. Cat lowers her head, going back to nibbling her strawberries, and I move to pick up my can of Wahoo Punch, but apparently Jade isn't finished yet.

"So Vega. You still haven't gotten your driver's license yet?" My fingers clutch my can a little tighter and Jade seizes on the opportunity. "I mean, that's pretty pathetic don't you think? You should be able to drive by now. You're what? 17?" I start taking deep breaths which Andre notices. He casts a meaningful look at Jade, but she carries on, almost determined to shred me to pieces before noon.

She had practically made it her own personal challenge for each day.

"I mean, Andre has his driver's license, I have my driver's license. Even your untalented irk of a sister has one." She tilts her head. "So what's taking you so long?"

I swallow down my gulp of Wahoo Punch, the liquid bubbles searing my throat as they went, the burn matching the one on my cheeks.

"I-I don't know? I guess I haven't had enough time to concentrate on driving..." I look at Andre for help and he immediately jumps in to rescue me.

"Hey did any of you notice Sikowitz's pants today? Leopard print and zebra stripes. What's up with that?"

Cat recovers with a squeal of excitement. "One time, me and my brother went to the Zoo and he thought he'd wear these zebra leggings..."

I tune out Cat's voice, relieved it was a break for at least a moment. I didn't even notice my noodles had gone cold as I poked at them with my fork unenthusiastically, focusing on chopping them into smaller pieces to avoid looking up. I could feel Jade's eyes boring into me. Those blue irises narrowed into cold chips of ice, just waiting for another opening to resume her vicious attack.

A part of me almost knew why Jade was acting like such a gank, but then the other part was still fumbling through the dark in confusion. It was as if she had decided to take all of her pent up rage and lay it into me over the past few weeks. Painting me as the enemy instead and spitting out insult after insult because I had become her personal psychological punching bag.

I glance up warily, watching her stab at the lettuce on her plate. She wasn't paying attention to Cat's story either; I catch a glint of light bounce off her piercing, buried in a furrowed brow and I had to wonder what she was thinking about. Was she annoyed I had found her in the alleyway? Is that why she had suddenly drawn a target on my forehead? Or was this actually some special 'Jade' way of saying thank you, without admitting she needed my help? Like the first time I helped her get back together with Beck, only for her to make me walk home in the dark, alone. Making a deliberate show of how irrelevant I was...

"...and then the zoo keeper made us leave with the bucket of fish!" Cat finishes her story chirpily.

"What's up you guys?" I freeze as I hear Beck's voice behind me. My heart stops momentarily, immediately switching my glance from him to Jade, just as everyone at the table did the same. The moment he sits down, Jade gets up, abandoning her half eaten salad on the table. She snatches up her bag and then she's gone, without even uttering a word.

Even after two weeks, she still refused to talk to him.

"So um you and Jade...you're definitely broken up then?" Robbie questions after a moment of tense silence. The only reason why I don't kick him under the table is because he's out of my reach. Beck pushes his fingers through his hair in agitation, before popping open the lid to his burrito.

"Yeah. We are."

"But what happened? You two seemed fine a few weeks ago!" Cat moves to start her interrogation, but Beck holds up his hand.

"Listen you guys, I don't want to talk about it. Alright?"

Everyone mumbles and dissolves back into silence. I sigh and return to moving my now mushed up noodles across the plate. I wanted someone to talk, to distract me, because no matter how hard I tried to stop thinking about it, it was impossible. My brain also seemed to enjoy bringing up all kinds of thoughts constantly since I had Jade stay over, especially now, since I knew I wasn't allowed to say anything about our night in the alleyway.

But there was no denying it, Jade West had been curled up in my bed. She had murmured my name over and over in her sleep and she had clung onto me, not once but twice. She had treated me almost like I was a friend. But now she had reverted back, advancing to 100% vicious overnight and it made absolutely no sense! I had helped her, so why was I getting the backlash? Was it because I helped her that she hated me now? Was I supposed to have left her alone that night?

I squeeze my eyes shut.

My mind was getting more and more scrambled the harder I thought about it. Jade had done a complete 180 degree turn, leaving me behind, dizzy and disorientated, with nothing but a crumpled old black shirt to remind me it had happened... and a severe case of whiplash.

A/N: As much as we love adorable!Jori, it's also just as much fun to see the old bite & blow Jori back. R&R!