Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious, just this story plot.
…
It was the last week of school for the seniors and three weeks since that star filled night and Tori still couldn't get the smile off her face. She and Jade had crossed a boundary that night and ever since she couldn't get the pale skinned girl out of her mind.
'Yet again, like you could before. Shut. Up.' thought Tori.
She and Jade's relationship had gotten closer and closer. Jade had been snapping at her less and less, opening up to one another had become less like pulling teeth, and somewhere along the line she had started to become Tori instead of Vega; that's why when a disgruntled Jade walked in and ripped open her locker, Tori didn't hesitate in making her way over to the raven haired girl.
"Not now." said Jade, as she angrily threw books in her locker.
Tori just remained looking at her, nonchalantly leaned against the lockers next to the goth's.
"Aww, who didn't have their coffee this morning?" asked Tori in a mocking tone. "Here you can have mine." offered Tori, with a smile.
"I don't want it."
"Oh, come on. It's your favorite." said Tori, wiggling the cup slightly.
"I said keep your damn coffee!" yelled Jade, slamming her locker door and turning her fiery gaze on the half-Latina.
Tori's face took on the 'Whoa, what the hell is wrong?' face. Jade had never came at her like that, even when they weren't the best of friends.
"Jade what's wrong?" asked Tori, truly concerned; as she put the coffee down.
"Why does it have to be something wrong with me? Why not you? And why is it any of your business if it was?" Jade started to move in on Tori and slowly backing her up against the nearby wall, spewing words filled with anger and malice along the way. The gang, who were hanging near the soda machines, heard the commotion and walked across the hall toward Jade's locker. "Why do care so much about me? You'd think after all I've done to you, you'd take a hint. What do I have to do? ! I yell at you constantly, call you names, poured coffee on you, got you detention, gave you death flowers, stole your blood, tried to ruin your 'prome', put glue in your shampoo, left you in the desert! I mean what the fuck do I have to do to get you to LEAVE ME ALONE? !"
*Smack!*
Suddenly all the fire and anger was knocked right out of the blue eyed girl. It was as if she was brought out of a trance filled with nothing, but hatred and pain. Shocked blue eyes meant angry, tear filled brown; as Jade slowly brought her left hand up to her stinging left cheek.
"You don't have to do anything…I'm done." said a teary eyed Tori, trying to keep her voice even.
The half-Latina was making her way around the raven haired girl, who just crushed her heart, when said girl grabbed her left arm.
"Tori, wait…" tried a desperate Jade.
"No." said Tori firmly, as she yanked her arm away. "…Fuck you Jade West." were the last words the tan girl spoke, before she walked away and didn't look back.
Tori's parting words left Jade and the rest of the students in the hall in a stunned silence. The bell rang signaling the start of the school day. As everyone else began shuffling off to their respective classes, one raven haired girl just stood there frozen in the spot where she'd just lost the best thing that had ever happened to her. Tori was quickly followed by Cat, while the guys remained mouths agape from what they just witnessed. Jade slowly made her way back to her locker, numbly turned the dial, and grabbed her jacket before walking out the school doors.
"Jade!" called Beck, as he ran to catch her.
The pale skinned girl paused, "Don't." was all she said, before she kept on walking.
Beck could only watch, as she peeled out of the school lot.
…
Later that night, at the Vega residence…
*Knock Knock*
"Tori, baby?" said Holly, after tentatively knocking on her youngest daughter's door.
"…Yeah?" was the low, muffled reply.
"Dinner's almost ready."
"…Ok…I'll be down in a little while."
"K, sweetie. Want me to make you a plate?" asked Holly, in full on momma mode.
"…No, it's fine."
"Ok, baby." said Holly, before she worriedly walked away from her daughter's door.
When Tori came home, she went straight to her room and hadn't been out except to use the bathroom or to get something to drink from the kitchen. When Holly had managed to catch her daughter's attention, she didn't recognize the girl in front of her. Her whole demeanor had changed since she left for school this morning. Tori had always been her happier, more easygoing child; but lately she's had this glow about her, complete with goofy smile and now it's as if the glow had been snuffed out. Whatever it was had to have happened at school, and Holly was damn sure going to find out what had happened to her daughter; but at the same time, she wanted to give her the space she needed.
Fifteen minutes later dinner was ready and Trina was loudly singing along to the music on PearPhone, as she came down the stairs. She had finished her finals this past Friday and was now back at home, reclaiming her queen diva throne.
"Trina…Trina…Trina!" yelled Holly, getting her eldest's attention.
"What? !" answered Trina, taking out her earbuds. "I'm mean yes, oh lovely mother of mine?" Trina said sweetly, after Holly fixed her with a look.
"Where's your sister?" asked Holly.
"Still in her room. What's up with her today? She was all smiles, and then it's like somebody drowned her puppy or something."
"I don't know. I was hoping you could tell me." said Holly, as she set the table.
Trina just shrugged and went to fix her plate.
'Alright, that's enough space.' thought Holly, as she made her way up the stairs; giving her husband a quick kiss as they passed on the steps.
She once again knocked softly on Tori's door, only this time she announced that she was coming in.
"Mom, I said I'd be down." Holly heard from the dark room, just before she flipped on the light switch.
The sound of sniffles came from a lump in her daughter's bed.
"Oh baby…Are you sick?" said Holly, as she made her way over to Tori's bed and sat on the edge next to her.
She was answered with another muffled 'No, I'm fine.', as she gently took the cover from her daughter's hands and pulled it away from her face. She was meant with a red nose and puffy eyes, and more sniffles.
"You don't look fine." said Holly, in a motherly tone.
Tori tried holding them in, but hearing the caring tone in mother's voice triggered her tears once more. Nothing broke Holly's heart more than seeing one of her children cry, so she instantly went to comfort her baby girl.
"Honey, what is it? You know you can tell me anything, right?" said Holly, as she softly stroked Tori's hair.
Tori nodded, but still refused to meet her mother's eyes.
"Did something happen at school today?" asked Holly, receiving another nod.
"Mom…I…" "Tori, Cat says you're not picking up your pho…" said Trina, as she just barged in the room while carrying the house phone.
She was stopped mid sentence, when she saw the scene in front of her. Regardless of however many tiny beefs siblings may have, true siblings always care when one of their own is hurt; even if they don't go all out to show it. Trina knew by the look on her sister's face that something was really wrong.
"What's wrong?" asked Trina, genuinely concerned.
"Umm…" Tori gave her mom the 'I love my sister, but I really don't feel like talking about this in front of her' look.
"Uh Trina baby, will you see if the pie is done for me?" asked Dana.
Trina left the room with a raised eyebrow and a head nod. "Sure…"
As soon as Trina left the room, Holly settled next to her daughter on her bed and listened intently, giving feedback and support when needed, as she laid everything out that has been weighing heavily on her mind and heart.
"Even after everything that's happened between us…I…I think I love her, mom…Which is stupid, I know. God, I don't even know how this happened!" said Tori, as she ran a frustrated hand through her hair and sat back against her headboard. "Do you hate me?" she asked, as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Tori…Tori, baby look at me." said Holly firmly, as took her daughter's face in her hands. "I will never hate you, ok sweetheart. I love you with all my heart and so does your father, and even your crazy sister."
"I heard that…but I guess I do love this little runt." said Trina with a smile, as she made her way back into the room; followed by David Vega. "And the only one who's stupid is West for being such a bitc…" "Trina…" "… a butthole, there ya happy?" said Trina, after she got looks for both her parents.
As soon as their attention was back on Tori, she mouthed 'bitch' anyway; getting a laugh from her younger sister.
"Trina, dad…what are you guys doing in here?...And how much of that did you hear?" asked Tori apprehensively.
Seeing the somewhat guilty looks on their faces, she got her answer.
"What? ! You know I'm nosy." said Trina, like that totally justified her actions.
"And you?" asked Holly, with her eyebrow raised at her husband.
"Hey, I just wanted to know where all my ladies had run off to." said David, throwing his hands up in surrender."And I love you mija, no matter what." finished David, as he placed a tender kiss on Tori's head; and then tickled her.
"Awwww, that was so beautiful." said Trina mockingly, as she tried to cover up wiping actual tears. "Alright…*Clap Clap*…our food's gettin' cold. Come on sis, I'll even let you give me your piece of pie." said Trina, good naturedly.
"Aww, thanks." said Tori sarcastically, she and Holly got off of her bed.
"I know, I know I'm a giver." said Trina, as she walked out the room; followed by their father, while he shook his head.
Holly and Tori began to follow them, when Holly gently grabbed Tori's arm.
"And Tori…" said Holly, getting her daughter to pause just inside her door frame.
"Yeah, mom?" asked Tori.
"I know things seem hard and confusing right now, but everything's gonna work out sweetie. Moms know these things."
Tori simply gave a weak smile and nodded, before giving her a warm hug.
'I hope so.' thought Tori, as she inhaled her mother's soothing scent.
…
A resounding slam resonated through the West residence, as Jade slammed shut the door to the garage. The pale skinned girl didn't have to worry about taking any shit from her father, since he left this morning after their family's talk show worthy fight.
'Good riddance.' thought the goth, as she threw her belongings down in the kitchen and grabbed a bottled water from the fridge.
Jade poured some of the clear liquid into a glass and gulped it down, wishing it was another clear liquid.
'Speaking of which…' thought Jade, as she once again raided the fridge.
"…voilá." She said as found her father's 'hidden' Grey Goose bottle.
'What's the legal age again?...Who gives a fuck?' thought the raven haired girl, as she put ice and a good amount of the drink in her glass; and then took a big gulp.
The pale skinned girl coughed a little, as the liquid burned a fiery path down her throat. It tasted like straight up rubbing alcohol, but what could she do? She had drunk the last of the OJ, before she left for school and nothing else in the fridge really went with it. Jade gulped down the rest of the fiery liquid and went to pour another; when she suddenly stopped with the bottle in the air. The raven haired girl had caught her reflection in the widow across the kitchen and it suddenly turned into her father's. After every argument he had with her or her mother, he'd go to the kitchen; get his drink and then shut himself off in his office.
'You're just like me.' said the reflection.
"I'm nothing like you!" said Jade, as she slammed down the bottle on the island counter.
She stared at the glass in her hand and then angrily threw it against the brick wall to her left. Everything that happened this morning started to replay in her mind all at once.
…
Earlier in the West kitchen…
"I've entertained this career in the arts fantasy long enough. You're going to switch majors and that's the end of it!"
"No, it's not the end! You don't get to control me like you do you're minions at work, or everyone else in your damn life!"
"You watch your mouth."
"Marcus, why can't you just support her? ! You of all people should know what not having it feels like! When did you turn into him? !"
"Ok, who the fuck are you are you two talking about? !"
"Jade…" "I told you, I am not him!" yelled Marcus interrupting Dana, and then he turned pointing a finger at Jade. "And you…as long as you live my house you will watch your mouth young lady and do…"
"…do as I say not as I do, yeah I got it! Well screw that." finished Jade smartly, and then made her way toward the kitchen exit.
"Jade where are you going?" asked Dana, worry and sadness all over her face.
"I'm leaving." said Jade, determined not to look at her mother's face; knowing all her resolve would be washed away.
"Jade Aden West stop right there." said Dana, with a tone that had both Marcus and Jade turning to face her. "This is my house as well and I'll be damned if I continue to allow my daughter to feel unwelcomed in her own home. I love her just the way she is, with all my heart." She continued going to stand beside Jade and wrapping her arms protectively over her. "Now I don't know what's been going on with you over the years Marcus, but I've let it rule this house long enough. If it's time for anyone to leave this house I believe it's you." finished Dana, looking Marcus square in the eye.
Jade was left speechless at her mother's words. A flash of what looked like sadness and regret flashed across Marcus's face, before the patented West hardened mask was put back into place. He simply put on his suit jacket, grabbed his brief case and walked out the front door. Jade looked at her mother and saw that her heart that had been breaking for awhile now, had finally split in two; which made her see red.
"Jade you're going to be late for school." said Dana, numbly
"No, I'm not leaving you here alone." said Jade incredulously.
"Jade!..." said Dana raising her voice slightly, before calming herself. "Jade please don't argue with me right now, ok? Go on. We'll talk later."
So Jade left, with her mind in a tunnel vision of anger and sadness; only to be brought out of it by a slap to the face and devastated brown eyes.
'You don't have to do anything…I'm done.'
'Fuck you Jade West.'
…
Jade slowly backed away from the island and into the refrigerator behind her. When her back hit the cold surface, she slid down to the floor and pulled her knees to her chest. All the feelings and emotions she'd been keeping locked away, hit her all at once; but the one that hurt the most was the aching in her chest, when she thought of the look on Tori's face before she walked away.
"I'm sorry." whispered Jade, before she put her head down and cried.
Dana West numbly sat in her office and stared out its wall length widows. The only thing on her mind was the fact that her family that had been hanging by a thread for so long had finally begun its final stages of collapse. She looked at the ring on her left hand and felt the tears begin to fall. She quickly gathered herself and tried to focus on work, but soon realized that her attempt to escape her thoughts was futile and decided to hand control over to her very capable assistant for the day. She didn't want to go back home, but she didn't really want to go anywhere else either.
'He's not there. So what does it matter?' thought Dana sadly.
She soon found herself pulling into the garage and noticing her daughter's car had returned as well. Sighing, she got out the car and made her way into the house.
"Jade?...Jade?" called Dana.
Receiving no answer in return, Dana figured she was in her room. Making a quick stop in the kitchen for some water, she was stopped in her tracks at the scene before her. On the island counter were an open bottle of water and an open bottle of Grey Goose, and off to her right she could make out a slight wet spot on the wall and what looked to be the remains of a shattered glass on the floor below it.
'That damn well better have been only water in that glass.' thought Dana as she was now the one seeing red, as she turned to march to her daughter's room; but was stopped when she heard the slightest sound coming from the other side off the kitchen island.
Walking around it, she found the culprit; passed out against the refrigerator.
*Clap! Clap!*
Dana bent down and clapped twice, real loud, near her daughter's face. The young girl jerked awake.
"Wh-What's going on?" asked a groggy Jade.
Dana stood up straight and reached for the Grey Goose bottle on the island and began pouring its contents down the sink.
"Get up, throw this away (raising the Grey Goose bottle), clean up that mess (pointing to the wall and broken glass), and then meet me in the living room." said Dana, leaving no room for questions.
Jade, still a little hazy and developing a slight headache, sat stunned at her new drill instructor mother.
"Now!" said Dana, in a louder tone; seeing as her daughter was not moving fast enough for her liking.
Jade got up to do as she was told and Dana left the kitchen.
About twenty minutes later, Jade entered the living room and sat next to her mother on one of the white couches. Dana gave Jade a stern look as she sat down and then turned to look at the wall in front of them.
"Jade…I love you so much…More then you will ever know…an-and I can't, and I won't let you go down that path. Do you h-hear me?" said Dana, with tears in her eyes. "I just lost my husband, I can't lose my daughter as well…" finished Dana, as she faced Jade and started to break down.
Jade's heart broke at seeing her mother's current state, knowing that there was more behind this break down, but also knowing her recent actions didn't help the situation. The raven haired girl lovingly embraced her mother and soothingly rubbed her back, as she wrapped her arms around her daughter and sobbed into her shoulder.
"I'm sorry mom. I really am." said Jade softly, into her mother's hair, as tears of her own fell silently down her face.
Dana shook her head, and raised it up to face Jade. Taking the offered tissue, she wiped her eyes and blew her nose.
"No, no I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you go to school. I just…"
"…needed space. I get it. I do." Sighing, "I only had one drink, but I had a flash of him and that's how the glass ended up meeting the wall. I couldn't take my own reflection. My father walked out this morning, the girl that I can't stop thinking about completely hates me now and I don't blame her…" trailed off Jade, breathing in deeply to stop from bawling her eyes out yet again. "Surprised it took this long." said Jade dejectedly.
The pale girl's face soon got even paler when she realized what just revealed. Dana saw the look of pure panic come across her daughter's face.
"Oh my God." said Jade, going into shock.
"Sweetie, it's ok. Breathe." said Dana, as one of her hands took Jade's and the other gently caressed her cheek.
"Wait, it's ok? Wha…" said Jade confused, after she came out of her mini panic attack.
"That day of the sleepover, I saw the way you looked at the girl you supposedly despised with a passion and saw that you did anything but. I also saw the way she looked at you. It is like you two gravitate toward each other, even in your sleep." "Mom!" Laughing at her daughter's surprised look, "Which brings me to question what happened between you two?" asked Dana concerned.
Jade looked down sadly, before she launched into the story of her and Tori's history and their resent hallway drama.
"After she said that, she just walked off and I left. I couldn't deal with that, especially with everything that's been going on…I don't know what to do. She'll probably never talk to me again." finished Jade.
"Well I can't say I don't understand her reaction…" Continuing quickly, after seeing her daughter's sadden expression, "However, I know you didn't mean what you said and I'm sure somewhere deep down she knows that as well."
"Yeah, real deep down." said Jade sarcastically.
Dana smiled, before she continued giving her motherly guidance.
"You just have to stopped being so stubborn and guarded. I know it's in your blood, but if you want, need…love Tori, then you're going to have to show her just how much and make it clear. I believe her reaction may surprise you. It's not going to be easy, but if you don't try…Well, I think you'll be passing on something great." said Dana, with a motherly certainty.
Jade nodded thoughtfully, before sighing and rubbing her face.
"I don't even know where to start."
"Well, a simple 'I'm sorry' never hurts and if that doesn't work then you have to step it up. You hurt her deeply, so we can already assume that we're going to have to have a plan B ready."
"And a C, D, E, F…"
"One step at time. Whatever you do baby, as long as it comes from your whole heart…you can't go wrong."
"I hope so." said Jade, before she and her mother shared another embrace.
…
A.N. : O ...Review. : )