/TORI/
I was almost 99% certain I had just imagined what had happened between me and Jade. I kept expecting to wake up, tucked up in bed with my arms wrapped around my pillow, or with someone waving a hand in my face to bring me back down to Earth. I would never admit it out loud, but I had been having almost... frequent day dreams involving Jade since the night I found her in the alley. Most of the dreams weren't even romantic or...sexual, but simple day to day things, like getting a cup of coffee or driving along the highway together. So my initial reaction was to assume I had simply dreamed of straddling Hollywood Art's most intimidating female. Yet I knew and she knew it too, it had all been real.
My fingers pick nervously at the empty cupcake wrapper, not even realizing I was chewing on my bottom lip until it started to sting. I take a look around Jade's bedroom, feigning a small hint of curiosity when inside I was itching to explore everything. I didn't want to appear too desperate, even though I had been dying to get inside her house for awhile. It didn't come as a surprise that Jade ruled over two rooms. Her den, as she called it, was exactly what I was expecting. She'd only given me a brief tour but the lace covered walls, dead butterfly collection, scissor display and questionable species in jars screamed JADE in bold capitals. Her bedroom though, was completely different. There were no glass jars or dead animals, just a desk, a chair, a lamp, some pictures on a shelf and a bed.
It became obvious this room was strictly for sleeping.
"Quit acting as if you're not curious, Vega. I can see right through it." Jade's voice gets my attention and I turn to her, my teeth moving to bite my lip again.
"How come you haven't got all your um...stuff in your bedroom?" I can tell it's not the question she was expecting.
"Oh...because I prefer it in my den. My father said I could have my own space downstairs, as long as I kept the appearance of being "normal." for guests upstairs."
"Okay. Well there's not really-"
"There's not really much to poke around with in here?" Jade finishes my sentence with an amused smirk. "So sorry to disappoint, but that visit's for next time."
I have to stop the grin from taking over my lips, my heart leaping right up into my mouth.
There was going to be a next time.
We both sit in silence for awhile, the sun dipping underneath the horizon and I watch the shadow's gradually creep over the window sill. She's sat on the far side of the room and I'm on the other and I couldn't help but feel like she was trying to deliberately create distance between us, as if the physical space would make any difference to how close our bodies had been an hour ago. I brush some left over flour from my jeans, still remembering the sensation and the heat from when we were crushed together. The quiet stretches on for longer, neither of us able to think of anything to say.
I mean, was the battle over the cupcake batter similar to the alleyway? Did that mean it was automatically filed underneath: forbidden to talk about?
I risk a fleeting glance over to Jade, noticing her piercing buried in a creased brow.
"Let's play a game." Jade finally breaks the quiet and I seize on it a little too quickly.
"Okay! Great!" I catch my enthusiasm and amp it down with a wince. "I mean sure, what game?"
"Truth or dare."
"Truth or dare?" My nose wrinkles.
"Yes, Tori. Truth or dare. It's a popular game, usually played at parties. I ask you whether you want a truth or a dare and then you-"
"I know how to play it!" I reply back indignantly, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'm just surprised you suggested it."
"Kay, so truth or dare?" I swallow a small lump in my throat, fidgeting around on my spot of carpet. Jade hadn't established any ground rules so it was pretty much a free for all. Knowing West, she'd probably dare me to jump out of the window and then push me out if I didn't cooperate. Well, maybe she would have done so a few months ago. Not now. Not after what had happened. The way her blue eyes seemed to push past our boundaries and pin me to the floor...
"Truth or dare." Jade repeats again, purposefully slowing down her words, her piercing gaze finding me across the room.
"Dare." I throw a glare at her but Jade casually smirks, standing up to retrieve a mug off of the shelf. She brings it over and thrusts it under my nose.
"This has been sitting here since last night. I dare you to drink it."
"What is it...?"
"Drink it and find out." She smiles sweetly.
I bring the cup closer and sniff it suspiciously. It was stone cold coffee. Cautiously, I tip the mug back to drink the last remaining gulps, the liquid tasting strange and gross. I knew Jade was watching, so I make an effort to act indifferent, setting the mug down before wiping the back of my mouth with my sleeve. She looked impressed, her eyebrow arching ever so slightly and I felt proud of myself. I hadn't gone the chicken route and instead, plunged myself straight into the deep end.
Something which seemed to be a running trend lately.
"Alright, Jade. Truth or dare?"
"Dare."
"Okay..." My eyes roam around the room looking for an idea, before landing on the window. "I dare you to yell that you're a pretty, pretty princess out the window!"
"What - no!"
"Ah, ah, ah. Is Jade West backing out on a dare?" I tease her, waggling my eyebrows.
Sure enough, Jade takes the bait and gets up, stomping over to her window. She undoes the latch and pushes it up, leaning her head out to scream.
"I'M A PRETTY, PRETTY PRINCESS!" Her voice echoes through the neighborhood and I fall back, laughing hard. I hear Jade slam the window down with force, rounding on me with such a vicious snarl on her lips that it shuts me up. "Truth. Or. Dare. Vega."
Her snarl makes me cringe, not willing to test Jade's anger through another dare, I make my selection carefully. "Truth."
"Tell me the worst date you've ever been on."
"The worst date? Probably Bobby Brownstein." I cringe at the memory. "He was a really popular guy back in Middle school and he took me on a date...but in the end, it was just for some dumb bet with his friends." I scuff at the carpet with my foot, almost regretting I'd said anything. Part of me questioned why I had even told Jade that particular story. I hadn't even told Trina about him. I was waiting for the laughter or at least a snort, but when I looked up, Jade's eyes were hard chips of ice.
"Idiot." She spits out.
"Hey! I didn't know he was going to do that to me!"
"Not you! Him." She growls impatiently. "I swear to God, sometimes people don't know how lucky they are-"
"Lucky?" My lips quirk. "You think getting to date me is "lucky"? I watch Jade shift uncomfortably.
"I worded that wrong. I meant-"
"You meant that getting to date me is considered lucky." I smirk.
"I will throw these scissors at you. No. I meant you're somewhat... semi-attractive and just forget it."
"No, no Jade. Finish what you were gonna say."
"No."
"Fine. I dare you to finish what you were going to say." I pull back with satisfaction, knowing I had her trapped. I hear huffs and strained noises of conflict from the other side of the room, before she sighs in defeat.
"You're not exactly...awful to look at. So that guy shouldn't have played you." Her fingers lace together. "I'm just being honest, anyone would be lucky to date you. I mean sure, you're annoying, clumsy and have optimism shooting out of your ass, but yeah, they'd be lucky... I guess?" I watch her shrug her shoulders, reaching behind me to snap on the bedside lamp. It was barely a few seconds, but I saw emotion fleetingly cross her eyes.
This was a compliment, as far as Jade's compliments went, and I wish she'd kept the lamp turned off because I could feel the blush color my cheeks for about the seventh time that night. Jade isn't looking in my direction which I was thankful for, desperately trying to force the stupid grin from my lips before she could see it, my heart thudding against my ribcage like a bouncy ball.
"...Truth or dare, Jade?" My voice is barely above a whisper, noticing she was studying my lips as they moved.
"Truth."
"Is there...anyone you like at Hollywood Arts, right now?"
I can barely hear my own question over the rushing in my ears, my whole body tense in anticipation for her answer. I regretted asking it as soon as my words left my tongue, automatically gearing myself up to prepare for the crushing, humiliating response and angry retort. She'd probably still say Beck, or Andre maybe even Cat...
Jade hesitates for half a second, her pale hands reaching out to grip one of my wrists, and then the other until I was laying down with my back on the ground and she was on top of me again. Her eyes had softened to the calmest blue, a rolling ocean I could easily slip into and drown. Leather and coffee; overpowering my ability to think clearly. I exhale quietly, absolutely terrified of breaking this fragile moment and allow my eyes to close, sinking deeper into this madness we'd created.
It's the tiniest of brushes, but it sends my heart into overdrive, my lips moving back to meet with hers. It was a pretty clumsy kiss as all first kisses go, but it was our kiss and I refused to pull back, drawing her in closer, willing to suffocate. Everything seems to melt away until it's just me and Jade, my body erupting with a heat I'd never felt before. It was nothing like I had imagined. No words could possibly capture the happiness or the pure... ecstasy I felt in that moment. I didn't know if this meant we had torn down all our barriers, or if Jade would even want to remember this kiss come tomorrow.
I only knew that if I was dreaming, I never wanted to wake up again.
A/N: We finally got to the anticipated Jori kiss! I must admit I had mixed opinions about how to initially write this scene, but in the end I went for the clumsy/semi-awkward first kiss because hey, it's Jade and Tori. It's gotta be clumsy. What do you guys think? R&R!