/TORI/

"Don't grip it so tight, babe. You look like you're trying to strangle it." I feel Jade's fingers gently loosen mine from around the steering wheel. We weren't even out of her driveway and I was already so nervous that my hands were shaking. She puts her hand over mine to still the tremors, pressing tender kisses along my collarbone to soothe me.

"Maybe...maybe this wasn't such a good idea." I start to unbuckle my seat belt, but Jade clicks it firmly back into place.

"No. You said you wanted to learn how to drive, so I'm going to teach you." She adjusts the mirrors. "Besides, you're going to have to learn at some point and wouldn't you rather it be with me than some stuffy, know it all instructor?" I bite my lip. Personally, I would have taken the instructor, only because I knew this was going to end in disaster, most likely with Jade's car totaled and one or both of us in the emergency room.

"Can you just go over everything you said about 10 minutes ago?" Jade raises an eyebrow at me. She could tell I was trying to stall.

There was really no point in trying to hide myself from Jade anymore, just as she knew it was pretty much useless to hide from me. It was as if I'd cracked part of her secret code and now I could read Jade almost fluently. It worked both ways. It was our system, a complex and non verbal language we'd slowly taught to one another. Obviously we hadn't mastered everything...but even Jade had admitted a few nights ago, breathless and under the sheets, it was more than anyone else had accomplished before. She wasn't used to anyone caring as much - and neither was I.

I knew I had to take back what I said earlier, about Jade West being like a poison. She was definitely more of a drug. An addictive drug that I wouldn't ever get enough of. Couldn't ever get enough of. She reminded me of those anti-drug commercials but instead of needles and smoke, she drew me in with smiles and laughter. Comfort and security I had never felt before. Her love was my drug and I would happily overdose again and again...

"Vega. Are you even listening?" I blink back into focus, Jade's amusement written across her face. "Or were you too busy day dreaming about me again?"

"I wasn't day dreaming about you!" I protest but the burning on my cheeks gives it away. "Can you just...explain the gear stick thingy?"

"The gear stick thingy is called an automatic gear shift, and you're lucky you're learning in an automatic, otherwise we'd both be dead by now." She taps each part in turn. "So the P is for park, R reverse, N is neutral and D is drive. I don't find the other gears necessary."

My nose crinkles. "Okay, now can you say it in English?"

"Put key in car to make it go vroom, vroom." I swat at her arm.

"You know what I mean! You need to slow down so I can...absorb all the information!"

I watch her slight smirk, turning the key in the ignition and the car hums to life underneath us.

"I could, except I prefer what I like to call: hands on learning." I barely have time to register what she means, before her hand cranks the gear shift into reverse and we start rolling backwards down her driveway. I yelp and slam my hands back on the steering wheel.

"Jade!"

"Calm down and press your foot on the left pedal."

"I don't know which one is left!"

"Yes you do. Find it with your foot and gently press down on it." I start hurriedly tapping along the floor and find the pedal, slamming my foot on it so hard that the car screeches to a stop. Jade cries out as she's flung forward, both of us slamming against our seat belts.

"You deserved that." I watch her rub her neck with a grimace.

"I taught you how to stop the car, didn't I?"

"I have to seriously question your teaching methods." I lean back in my seat, pretty certain my heart was going to break free from my ribcage at the rate it was pounding. "What if there had been someone behind? I would have gone straight into them!"

"Relax. I checked beforehand and no one drives down here anyway." She clicks the gear shift into drive. "Now take your foot off of the brake pedal and gently step on the gas."

"No...I'm scared."

"You're not leaving this car until you do it." I grit my teeth. In my mind I had no doubt Jade was bluffing but I do as instructed, slowly easing my foot on the other pedal, watching in amazement as the trees start to roll past the window.

"Oh my God...oh my God! Jade! The car is moving!" I cry out and she's quick to run a soothing hand along my thigh.

"That's because you're driving. You're doing it, baby." She suddenly lunges for the wheel to straighten it out. "But it's best if you keep your eyes off of me and focus on the road."

"This is...this is incredible. I'm doing it! I'm actually driving!" I can't stop the stupid grin. I wanted to yell and punch the air in triumph, but given that I was currently behind the wheel of Jade's car, I decided it probably wasn't the smartest idea.

I'd save it for later.

"We're coming up to a stop sign. I assume you know what that word means."

"Not even your sarcasm can ruin this moment." This time, I carefully ease my foot down on the brake until we slow down to a smooth stop.

"Not bad, Vega. I mean, we're about ten feet away from the sign but you did stop without dislocating anything."

"Well the last time I went too far past the stop sign, I hit an old lady with a wheelchair..."

"Oh my God. That's hilarious." I turn to look at her.

"It wasn't funny! It's lucky she wasn't seriously injured because I was driving so slow, but my instructor started yelling at me in Spanish!"

"10 points? 20 if the wheelchair was still intact?" She earns another swat for that and laughs. "Alright, alright. Pull over to the side here."

I want to keep watching her. I always loved it whenever I could make Jade laugh. Neither of us had actually said anything about it, but I found myself drawing more laughs out of her than I used to, and I could tell when she'd gradually lowered her guard. I absolutely loved seeing that rare side to her. Only, it wasn't rare anymore...least not to me.

"You did relatively well for your first time." Her hand slips into mine once we park. I don't even realize I'm still shaking, until she squeezes my palm.

"Thanks...even though it wasn't technically my first time." I let my body relax. "I've been through two driving instructors."

Her eyebrow arches. "Two?"

"Yeah..." I scuff my feet awkwardly. "The first one was with the lady in the wheelchair and then the second one bailed because I hit a tree."

I could see her struggling not to laugh.

"Now I can see why you were nervous."

"Yep. My parents have tried to teach me on several occasions...but it always ended up in an argument. They suggested learning with Trina but there's no way I'm taking her driving tips. Did you know she shaves in the car?"

Jade's nose wrinkles with disgust.

"Thank you for that wonderful mental image. Just what I needed after lunch."

"So, um... who taught you how to drive?"

"I had to learn myself. I booked my own instructor, my own lessons, everything. " She pulls her hand away. "My dad didn't want to know and my mom was hopeless. So nothing's really changed there." She forces a hard laugh and I take her hand back.

"You had to learn how to drive by yourself? Your parents wouldn't help you at all?"

"Put it this way Tori, when I was six, my mom thought it would be a swell idea to leave me alone with a box of power tools to play with. You think I was going to trust her teaching me behind the wheel of a car?"

"Well...what about your dad?"

"He was - has always been too busy with work to focus on his daughter. But it's whatever. I didn't need him." She tries to shrug it off, but I caught the flicker of pain behind her eyes: memories of missed recitals and rescheduled plans.

We lapse into a long silence. I keep my hand held in hers, almost feeling each and every emotion pour into me. It was awful. I could easily imagine a neglected Jade. The small, curious little Jade who only wanted a tiny piece of her parents attention, but was ultimately told to go away or brushed off like she didn't matter.

But now I was here, I was going to give her all the attention in the world.

"We should tell them. Our parents, I mean." I watch as Jade's eyes harden and my mouth snaps shut quickly.

I wasn't even aware I had said that out loud.

"I can give you about one hundred different reasons as to why we shouldn't."

"But I want them to know..."

"It's none of their business!" I can see her starting to shut down.

"I know it's not and I know you don't want to. I don't really want to either but we should. Don't you feel like we're sneaking around?" She doesn't answer so I keep talking, my mouth running on nerves. "I want to tell my parents that I'm gay, that I love you. All of our friends know and they accepted it-"

"Our friends are vastly different from our parents, Tori. You don't get it."

I take a deep breath. "Our parents are going to love us...unconditionally. Because they're our parents."

"Did you read that in the fine print of the contract?" She snaps.

"Love isn't some contract, Jade. I feel like it's time to tell them."

"I feel like you're being stupid." I lean over, my lips barely brushing against hers to calm her down.

"If we tell them, then it's all over and done with. Think of it like a band aid. We tear it off in one swift motion, it stings for a little bit but then everything dies down. There's no more lying and no more having to hide who we are and our relationship. Don't you want that?"

I can see her hesitating, my hand gently cupping her cheek.

"I'm done hiding, baby. I'm ready to tell them and I know you are too, you just won't admit it..."

She sighs with defeat.

"Okay you're right." I feel her lips kiss my wrist. "I'd be lying if I said I haven't been thinking about it."

"So let's tell them about us, first thing tomorrow." I'm amazed my voice is so steady and even, as if we were discussing a lunch menu and not our future together.

I watch Jade attempt to keep stalling, before she finally throws her hands up.

"Alright, fine. We'll tell them tomorrow."

"Tomorrow."

"Yeah...tomorrow."

I grin and stretch my arms out wide in a theatrical pose, embracing an imaginary audience.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow-" I look beside me in shock, watching Jade take over with a smile.

"You're only a day awayyyy!" We both finish with Broadway gusto, collapsing into each other with my favorite easy laughter.

Jade clears her throat, straightening back up in her seat.

"If you tell anyone I just did that, you won't live to see tomorrow."

A/N: I have always wanted to write Jade teaching Tori how to drive because you can just imagine the chaos of Jade's "teaching methods"
It's been nice and easy so far...but how long can that peace last? Read and Review! Takes a minute, means a lot!

+Bonus: leave a comment on how you think Jade would teach Vega how to drive.