Kind of a long wait between chapters. My bad.
"Hey Beck, what's up?" My voice is scratchy from disuse as I mumble into my phone. I'm not entirely sure as to why he would be calling me this late, I don't think Beck's ever called me unless the gang is meeting somewhere. My eyebrows draw together and I'm feeling on guard instantly.
"Not much man I was ju-" His easy voice floods through the speakers for a moment before the sound of his phone being wrenched away replaces his words. A scuffle ensues at the other end of the phone and a feeling of dread floods through me. There's only one person that could be doing that, one person that could cause my blood to run cold.
"Shapiro?" A new voice comes through the speaker and I'm sure the temperature around me drops with it. Gritting my teeth, I suppress the urge to hang up immediately. Taking a deep inhale of breath, I attempt to calm myself, to find a place of zen within the swirling mess that is my mind.
"What do you want Jade?" I force out eventually, my attempt to hold the snarl from my voice cracking with every word. I slam myself back against the wall, needing something to remind me of where I am. I can't just start yelling in the middle of a hospital.
"We're coming to the hospital, be out front in 10 minutes." Jade's reply filters through the phone and into my ears with a surprising lack of venom. Where I had expected her to snap back at me, there had only been a calm reply.
"Why are you bothering?" I demand, holding my voice to just above a whisper with some effort. I can feel my grip on the phone tightening with each passing second. Not wanting to break my phone I take another deep breath and force myself to calm down.
"Just be there." Jade grumbles, irritating me further. I feel as though almost as though my very blood is going to boil and burst through my eye sockets. With a grunt to signify that I'll be there, I end the call and stuff my pear Phone back into my front pocket. The feeling of dread never quite leaves the pit of my stomach.
I'm so consumed by thoughts of what Jade and Beck are going to want that it's not until I'm at the bottom floor and walking through the front entrance that I remember to try and text Tori about what I'm doing. I wrestle my phone free of my front pocket once more and begin to type a message before I realize that I've got no service out here. Growling angrily at the lousy service I constantly put up with, I stomp towards the location Jade and Beck are supposed to be waiting by.
Trudging through the parking lot, the evenly spaced lights along the parking lot offer little illumination. I search through the darkness, my eyes skittering around the endless abyss as I hope for the red gleam of Beck's pick up truck. After what seems like an eternity, I finally spy Beck and Jade. He's sitting on the front of his truck, a Pear Pad gripped tightly in his hands as he focuses intently on whatever it's showing. Jade is leaning against the truck next to him and staring at her hands as they repeatedly tangle and untangle themselves.
"Hey man, waddup?" Beck's eyes flick briefly away from his Pear Pad as I stand on a stick and he greets me. Jade's gaze has come to rest on me as well, her eyebrows resting heavily above her eyes and something malignant clouding her irises. I toss the idea of whether to greet Beck or not over in my mind briefly, before I realize he's staring intently into his Pear Pad again. With a shrug I close the distance between Jade, Beck and myself.
"So…what's up?" I cut to the chase, hoping that Jade will get to the point quickly and that Tori won't come out in the hallway looking for me while I'm gone. Fidgeting with the phone in my pocket, I curse my service provider for being so lousy. I can't get service out here either, peering at Jade's shadowed face, I almost feel as though I'm trapped in a horror movie. It's a minor miracle that Beck managed to call me in the first place really.
"Hockey." Jade finally responds, wrenching me from my idle thoughts. Shaking my head incredulously, I wonder what on earth the point of this is. I don't want to be here, Beck clearly would rather be at home watching hockey and Jade's not saying a damn thing.
"Jade, if Beck's busy watching hockey and you're not coming in, then why am I here?" The words cling to my lips and fall into the nights ear with a whine. Even the uncomfortable ambience of the hallway outside of Trina's room would be preferable to this. Even with the mixture of sickness and cleaning fluid in the air, I could at least tell myself Tori is on the other side of the wall. Out here though, it's more torture than conversation.
"Ugh." Jade's reply comes not in the form of words, but in the form of a guttural noise that comes deep from her stomach. I roll my eyes as her arms come to rest of her chest with a thud. My jaw clenches and I feel something within my cheek twitch in frustration. If I had felt like my blood was going to boil when we spoke on the phone, I'm a nuclear reactor right now.
"Jade, be nice." Beck's voice slices through the silence, reminding me that he's still here. I look over to him, expecting some sort of emotion to have crosses his face, but he's still watching his Pear Pad intently. We're an after thought to him, just background noise it seems.
"I don't wanna." She pouts, leaning over and draping her slender arms over Beck's knee. It's an action that makes her seem smaller, less in control than she usually does. If I didn't know Jade, I'm pretty sure that I would think that she's a normal girl and not the monster that rest beneath those emerald eyes.
"Jade." To my surprise Beck's voice takes on a harsher tone, impatience finding its way into his voice as it becomes clear to him that she's willing to stay out here without speaking another word. A dark look flashes through his eyes briefly and I wonder exactly how much he knows about Jade's Monday afternoon. He's usually so supportive of Jade, even at her gankiest, so it's strange to see him almost snarl at her.
"I feel guilty, ok." She snaps, jumping away from Beck's contact and glaring at me once again. If that's supposed to pass for an apology, then she looks anything but repentant. I grit my teeth, sealing the harsh words that threaten to spill from my lips at any moment. As placid as Beck seems, I'm pretty sure if I start yelling at Jade, then I'll end up with one less friend and a black eye.
"Are you going to say anything?" Jade grows, pushing away from the truck and striding towards me. My gaze falls away from her, I can't look at her and suppress the urge to scream at the same time. I feel like a lion in a cage at the zoo, Jade's the annoying kid poking me with a stick. Kicking at the gravel beneath me, I screw my eyes shut.
"Jade, if I start to tell you how I really feel, then things are going to get ugly and I don't feel like getting beaten up by Beck for yelling at you." I state through gritted teeth as I glare at her. I open my mouth just enough to speak, but not enough to allow everything that I want to say to spill out. Jade falters slightly under my gaze, her bravado wilting under the fire of my gaze.
"Like you'd have the guts anyway." She states suddenly, shaking herself out of the timid state she had been in. At the sight of her narrowed eyes, a humorless smile slides onto my lips. She's not fooling me with that painted on glare and that feeble attempt at goading me into saying something I'll regret.
"Jade, I'm not going to step in if he starts getting angry, play nice." Beck's voice slices through the heavy silence once more. My eyes widen at the revelation hidden within his words. I look to him for some sort of reassurance, but he's looking at his Pear Pad once again. My mind swirls with thoughts as I wonder what exactly Beck's role in this mess could be.
"Go on." Jade inches forward slightly and I almost feel as though she's towering over me. As she motions toward me palms upturned, I chew on the inside of my cheek and look to the sky. I know that there's no magical wisdom to be gained from what I'm doing, but I'm hoping to at least lower my blood pressure somewhat before speaking.
"Jade, no offense, but why would I care if you feel guilty?" I snarl, holding back more venomous words that linger on the tip of my tongue. Jade flinches, as though my words are actually having a physical effect on her. I can see the confidence that she had previously exuded drain from her limbs as her lips part slightly. Gripping my elbows, I draw my arms tightly towards myself, my eyes blaze as I wait to see what she's got to say.
"You should care bec-" I had planned to hear what she had to say, honestly I had. But as her lips part and the sound of her voice floats toward my ears, something snaps within me, my veins pulse and I can't hold my limbs still any longer. I just can't handle hearing what she has to say. Waving my shaking hand towards Jade, I silence her words.
"Actually, you know what Jade? After all of this, I'm done with you as a friend. You can keep sitting next to Beck with us at lunch; you can come to the same parties, you can do whatever you want. Just leave me alone." I spit, folding my arms once more. The tension between us is palpable and I can feel the anger still running through me as my nails dig into my arm. Only the faint sound of Beck's hockey game can be heard in the background, his eyes flicker between Jade and I before he bites his lip and looks away.
"I can fix it." She mumbles after a long while. I notice that this time, the attitude is gone from Jade's voice and she fails to look me in the eye. Allowing my eyes to trail over her form, I notice as she shifts her weight from foot to foot uncomfortably.
"Why would you bother? More importantly, why would I want you to?" My upper lip curls into a sneer as I resist the urge to look down my nose at the girl in front of me. I watch her turn away from me and observe her slender fingers as they slide into her rucksack. I don't need her help, I don't need to see what she's looking for in that bag. If anything I'm sure it will just make this whole situation worse.
"Beck wants me to…" She barely looks away from the cigarette that her fingers are desperately clutching as she mutters those words. Losing interest in the pathetic figure before me, I peer over at Beck. He's still staring at his game, only a slight clenching of his jaw letting me know that he's heard anything.
"Why?" I ask, my eyebrows dragging together as I turn back to Jade, shaking my head incredulously. I know that this puzzle involves Jade, it involves Beck and it damn sure involves Tori. Other than that though, there are a million potential pieces that have yet to fall into place. Jade takes a drag from her cigarette and tendrils of smoke burst forth into the nights air.
"Uh, that's private." The arm holding her cigarette drops and Jade's mumbling once again. Where perfectly enunciated words would usually leave her mouth is a sentence where the words blur together, leaving her lips on something that's almost an incomprehensible babble. There's less confidence in Jade's voice than I've ever heard before, the small amount of color that usually tints her face is draining away with each step we take further into this conversation. Since I know this isn't just my words causing this, I wonder what exactly Beck said to her in order to elicit this kind of response.
"Just tell him Jade, it'll make more sense." Beck comments, as he finally looks away from his game for longer than a few stolen seconds. There's a coldness in his voice that I don't think I've ever heard before, I shudder slightly. Jade peers back at him, rather than looking afraid, it's almost as though his voice reinvigorates her. Where her shoulders had previously slumped, she's standing tall once again; she's Jade once again.
"Why isn't he more upset by this?" Confusion colors my words as my eyebrows draw together. I feel a few scant pieces of a massive puzzle fall into place. Beck knows exactly what we're talking about. He just has to. My blood calms to a simmer and I feel my anger being doused by the mounting confusion still fogging my thoughts.
"You know Beck, not the jealous type." Jade replies, a bored tone returning to her voice. She shrugs casually and I marvel at how a few simple words, harsh ones at that, could steady her so easily. Unfolding my arms and massaging my temples softly, I try to make sense of her words. Though my mind just ends up lost further in the fog of my confusion.
"Whatever. Why does Beck want you to fix this then?" I steady myself my remembering that I really need to get back to Tori. I need answers, not more questions. I also want nothing more than to be away from Jade.
"Uh…" Jade falters instantly, the mask of confidence crumbling rapidly before me. It's as though this topic holds the key to breaking through her façade. Moments pass between us without another word being said. My impatience grows and I decide enough is enough. I don't care what Jade wants to say, I just want to leave.
"Later." I state, turning on my heel. I'm striding towards the hospital when I hear hushed voices and the sound of footsteps behind me. Rolling my eyes, I turn around. Jade steps towards me hesitantly, her security blanket still sitting on his pick up truck behind us.
"What?" I state flatly, my gaze boring into the uncertain features of Jade West. Her eyes flicker around restlessly, like they'll keep moving as long as it means avoiding me. She bites down on her upper lip and a long moment passes between us. Exhaling loudly, I begin to turn away from her again. I'm tired of this game, I'm tired of Jade, I'm just tired.
"Me and Beck have an open relationship." The words stutter forth before Jade can stop them. My eyes blow wide open as her hands slide over her eyes, like it will hide her from the reality of this situation. Eying her suspiciously, searching for any hint of a lie, the pink tinge coloring Jade's cheeks leads me to believe she's being honest for once. More piece of the puzzle fall into place, the lack of jealousy from Jade at school lately and Beck's reaction tonight are a little less baffling.
"That's fucked up, even for you Jade." I state viciously, sensing that it's something she's unsure of and wanting to twist the knife. Jade winces at my comment; I take a grim sense of satisfaction out of her reaction. While I might understand the situation between her and Beck, that doesn't mean I'm ok with her coming between Tori and I on purpose.
"I know…" She states quietly, the words rattling forth uncertainly. I almost feel a twinge sympathy for Jade. She looks so broken, so lost right now. She's peering at the ground, her multicolored hard forming a veil over her face. Jade still won't meet my eyes, she's fumbling with a thread on one of her many wristbands.
"Jade, why can't you just leave me alone…" I rasp, more emotions than I care to count struggling within me. At my words, the broken girl in front of me reassembles herself into the war machine that I know. Jade meets my gaze, fire blazing in her eyes once more as she prepares to speak.
"Look jackass, I'm trying to help you for once." She states, her voice hard and cold once more. As much as she's trying to pull off fire breathing dragon, I know enough to see her as little more than a harmless domesticated pet. I merely fold my arms and watch her huff and puff. With a slight incline of my chin, I implore her to speak once more.
"Anyway, to answer your question from before, Beck wants me to put you two back together since I kind of…" Jade's confidence falters once again and she's glaring at the ground again. This time she doesn't look upset, peering through the blanket of curls, I can only see irritation at her inability to communicate shining through.
"Tore us apart?" The words pass through my lips, finishing her thought as I tire of waiting for Jade to do it herself. My upper lip curls in disgust once more, the memories I had thought Tori and I had vanquished only a short time ago flooding back. Jade's eyes finally meet mine and I wonder if it's genuine regret clouding her eyes, or if she's just thinking about Beck's reaction.
"Yeah…so anyway, when I kissed Vega, there's something you need to know. She was trying make sure I wasn't having a melt down and…I kind of tricked her into it." My eyes narrow as she speaks; the words are just like what I'd heard from other sources. This time though, they're mumbled and they're blurring into one another. More importantly though, they're coming straight from the source, they're coming from somebody that's got no reason to lie.
"So this is actually entirely your fault." I state, a smile shining through the cracks of the frown on my face. There's probably a twinkle in my eye as everything sinks in. I've had Andre tell me how things went, I've heard Cat's thoughts on the matter and I've seen Tori's tearful apology. This is something completely different though; it's Jade. If Tori had kissed her she would probably just gloat and tell Beck it was Tori's fault. But to hear her admit guilt, it's as though he bitterness within me seems to wither and die with my words.
"Fuck you." Jade retorts, lifting her middle finger towards me. I shake my head slightly and purse my lips. I know she thinks I'm trying to make her feel bad again and maybe a part of me is, but mostly I'm just relieved. I'm happy, I'm honestly just happy that Tori never really betrayed me.
"No, seriously, this is great news!" I grin, extending my arms and arcing my palms to the heavens as though I'm thanking the very air around us for blanketing this moment.
"Why?" Jade demands, eyes narrowed and eyebrows dragging together. Her blazing gaze comes to rest on me as she plants her fists on her hips. A slight tickle of laughter bristles within my throat, confounding her even further. I rub my palms together absentmindedly and milk the moment for all that I can.
"It's just…I feel like there's hope for me and her if she wasn't the one trying to kiss you." The words feel thick in my throat; they tumble from me and clatter forth, reaching Jade without any semblance of grace. The hard look on her face softens slightly and I see understanding dawn in her eyes as she nods slowly.
"There's more than hope nerd. She freaked out on me big time after you left." Jade replies, as a smirk crosses her lips. I observe the way she effortlessly slips back into her usual persona. I meet her eyes, searching for a crack in her façade, the trace of a lie within her green eyes. My heart flails within my chest, excited by the images of Tori fighting for me that are drifting through my mind.
"Like freaked out how?" Doubt creeps into my voice as the images of Tori fade away. Jade forces a smile, the edges of her lips curving only slightly. Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I eye Jade wearily. I know she's trying to be civil, but there's only so many times you can trust a snake. I think I'm about out of second chances for her.
"Like really bad. Swearing, wild eyes, the whole shebang." Jade's voice is almost tinted with pride as she recalls the story. My eyes shoot wide open at her words and my tongue flails uselessly at the bottom of my mouth. I can count the times I've heard Tori swear on one hand, so I try to conjure the image Jade is describing in my mind.
"This is great and all, but how are you planning on fixing this?" Falling back into reality, the question passes my lips before I can halt the words. She blinks at the blunt nature of my words, before her eyebrows draw together and her forehead creases in thought. As her tongue flickers over her lips and wets them, I wonder what exactly is passing through her mind. I'm going to humor Jade, but I doubt I'm going to follow whatever her plan turns out to be. I've got my own ideas about where to go from here.
"You write a song." She states eventually, just as I'm about to ask her to say something. Her hands are planted firmly on her hips and she's staring at me like it's the most obvious thing in the world. My jaw hangs loosely and I gape and Jade, words dying on the tip of my tongue in the wake of her announcement.
"How is that going to help?" I ask, shaking my head and wondering what exactly Jade is getting at. It seems like everything with Jade tonight has been a barely defined sentence or a vague answer. I fail to see how she can think writing a song will solve everything. We're not living in a musical where a song can solve all of your problems.
"Look, this is a Vega problem, right?" Jade's answer is slow, like she's speaking to somebody incapable of understanding Basic English. As Jade rolls her eyes and glares at me like I'm some kind of idiot, I narrow my gaze at her and nod just as slowly as she had spoken. I'm still not willing to reveal anything more than absolutely necessary when it comes to Jade. If she wants to show her hand that's fine, but I won't be doing the same.
"Obviously." My reply is more biting than I had meant for. I suppose the bitterness within me hasn't completely gone away yet. I reply sarcastically, annoyance coloring my words once again. I know that I'm the one failing to grasp her words, but I still feel irritated that she's holding me up from returning to Tori.
"Then solve it that same way she does every other time." And then it all makes sense. The realization must show on my face as Jade once again rolls her eyes and shakes her head lightly. Between the strands of raven hair swinging in front of her face, I almost think I can see the glint of a genuine smile crossing her lips. Between the resentment I feel toward Jade and my suspicions at her motivations, I realize this isn't actually the worst idea I've heard.
"With a song?" I'm not actually baffled by Jade's response. I just want absolute confirmation. Jade huffs angrily as she hears my response, gritting her teeth and shifting her weight from one foot to the other. In spite of the trouble I'm giving her, Jade's idea is perfect. It's a grand gesture, something to show Tori just how much I care about her. I feel like kicking myself for not thinking of this idea first.
"Right." She answers simply.
"And you'll take care of finding somewhere for me to play the play for her? You'll take care of the lights and getting Tori there too? Gee, thanks Jade." The words leave my lips in the form of a question, though my tone suggests that it's more of an order than anything. If she's going to suggest something, she's going to help me pull it off. I stuff my hands into my pockets and watch passively as her face contorts into anger once again.
"No." She answers defiantly. Glaring at me for a brief moment before I pour all of the malignant feelings that have plagued me over the past days into one concentrated expression. Jade's eyebrows shoot upward and her defiance withers away under my unwavering gaze.
"Fine." She grumbles, eventually regaining her composure. Despite her outward appearance, Jade's still flustered. I can see it within the swirling mess of her eyes, she's actually more invested in this conversation then I had thought. I wonder whether I should say something to Beck, whether it's even worth it if they're not exclusive anymore.
"Alright then. I had better get my guitar then…" Dragging myself out of my thoughts, I offer a few short words, intending on leaving this conversation. I can already hear the melodies and chord progressions dancing within my mind. I shake my hands slightly, excitement and nervousness seeping into my pores at the prospect of performing for Tori.
"Don't write about broken glass." Jade interrupts, there's a frown on her face and it looks as though she actually believes I'd do that. I roll my eyes, disturbed at her lack of faith in my talents. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though.
"Wasn't going to." I state, breezing past her and stepping toward my car. Jade's out of sight and out of mind, I'm focused on one thing now, the song I'm going to perform. I've got a song that's almost perfected, I just need to complete the last verse. I'm going to do this tonight, I have a feeling that this is a one night only kind of deal when it comes to getting Jade's help.
"Later Shapiro." From behind me I hear Jade's voice ring out through the nights air. Frustration breaks through her attempt at sounding calm and I smirk to myself, deciding that this is indeed the best kind of revenge. Jade has to do my bidding, while also doing something that will hopefully make Tori happy. She's going to hate this.
I just hope Tori doesn't.
I know, I know, for a Rori story there is a lack of Rori lately. That changes from here though. I've tied up a lot of the loose ends and now the fluff can return. After the darkness of the past few chapters, I think you guys are going to love what's coming up.
Don't be shy, leave a review, let me know what you think.