Okay, just want to say this now. Firstly, I think there will be about 25 chapters, maybe a little more or less. The chapters will be longer and, really, I think I'll break 100k words. Never done that before and I'm excited. The first story where that'll happen... Anyway, thanks for all the support even if you had to wait, what, 75,000 words for Jori to actually happen?

Yeah...hope you enjoy anyway!

:)

Tori's Perspective-

My eyes blink open and the first thing I see is the ceiling fan, spinning as it usually does. After all, I am in the hottest room of the house. Picking myself up I look over to my side; it's six o'clock and Trina's in the shower. To top that off...I can't go to sleep. Well I guess it's time to look through my computer then. I slide the laptop from the edge of the bed - I may have been doing work that I lost time for when I skipped the rest of school yesterday - and put it on my thighs, opening it up. After I go through the system, I furrow at the search bar.

'What to search, what-to-search,' my thoughts hum as I tap my fingertips against the sides. Maybe Jade's favorite actress?

And so I do, typing in Dani Daniels; I think that's her name. I nod as the screen loads. I remember, it is- Oh God.

My eyes swivel up and down the page, xvideos, redtube and pornhub all printing across my eyes... She's a freaking pornstar. I slap my forehead at my past naïve-ness; yeah, sure, we'll go with her being a romantic actress. Well no shit.

And, realizing that this will be in my history, I quickly swipe the mouse towards the top, clicking on the red 'x.' However, my computer sometimes is a bit slow and doesn't scroll all the way and...before I know it, there's a black screen with an orange icon at the corner. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit," spews from my mouth as I continue to scramble about the keys, another window popping up that I can't deal with. I let out a short shriek before I hear the video start, pleasuring screams of their own coming from it... It's, actually quite...nice. I pause in my motions to look at the video, a small smirk forming along my lips.

Jade doesn't have bad taste, just saying.

My eyes flicker up towards the door and... "Fuck," I spit, slamming the lid down as Trina steps in hesitantly with wide eyes.

"Uh," she hums at the foot of my bed before abruptly lashing out at my laptop, yanking the lid open. A deep red blushes across my cheeks as more moans come from the sound, my body squirming just slightly. "I finally caught you masturbating," she smirks.

"No, I wasn't," I shook my head honestly. Now, if she actually came in later then...I don't know. "And you haven't caught me before."

"Oh, guess I'll try harder," she growls, "What were you doing then?"

"That is Jade's favorite actress," I smirk as she pulls away, slamming the lid down as I had.

"Ew..."

"Yeah, let's not talk about it please," I yank my towel from the side of my bed to take a thorough shower. And when I mean shower, I mean, uh, shower.

-(:)-

I wave as Trina passes by, joining the group she normally tries to associate with in the mornings. As usual they do tolerate her, cutting across my sister when she tries to speak. I do feel bad, honestly, though I can't do anything about it; she'll find a group that will be good with her aside from mine. Well, mine still tolerates her actually...whatever.

I blink, realizing that I have no need to switch out any of my books since the books needed are already in my bag seeing as I ditched yesterday. God I forgot that ditching affects a lot of the next few days, don't it? Shaking my head, I shut the locker door close before twisting around, smiling once I see Jade meander her way towards her own locker. Funny, really, how different are lockers are and yet we...I don't know.

I flick my gaze back and forth, casting away some of the glances of the people still gossiping about me. By now it shouldn't be irritating though it still gets under my skin. But, once again, it's just something I can't do anything about.

The small flock around me disperses once I cross through them, making my way towards her. I stop at a foot from her locker leaning against the corner before pale eyes find mine. "Hey," she greets lamely, still focusing on the books.

"Hi..." I greet back. Even though there's nothing going on, I feel a bit better. A bit more relaxed I suppose. "So uh, what are you up to?"

"What do you think Sherlock?" she snaps, closing the locker door; after all, she didn't need to go through a bunch either.

I nod, knowing the sarcastic bite lacing through it. "Well, uh, did you sleep okay?"

"Really? Sleep is what you're gonna ask about?" she raises a brow, a small smirk ghosting her lips, "But I did fine. I woke up with a nightmare as per usual...but it was a fun one tonight."

"What was it about?" I grin, getting into the swing of the conversation.

"A goblin with gaping wounds biting your head off," she growls. I freeze, giving her a short glare as she makes a biting gesture. That, however, sends a little chuckle through my lips. "Anyway, I was watching 'Goblin Terrors' last night so that may have something to do with the dream. It was a good way to sleep at one."

"Do you normally sleep that late?"

"Eh," she shrugs, holding her cup of coffee - which I didn't realize she had with her - to her lips. "I sleep whenever I feel like it. Sometimes it's eight, other times its three... Why do you think I drink so much coffee?"

I purse my lips in thought, asking, "Because you like it?"

"Love," she corrects, "But the taste grew on me after a while." And so we dip into a slow, casual conversation that never really went anywhere. By the time the bell rang I found myself disappointed, wanting to talk more to Jade. At least there was more time today for that, I had reasoned, going into first class.

-(:)-

I watch him throughout the class period with a curious frown. He merely shook his head once he was called up to the stage, keeping his gaze to the ground. I never expected Beck to be so...lifeless. Not that he was ever a spaz or anything - that's more like Cat's thing, bouncing with life - but he never was so quiet and just not participating. Jade kept her stares away, keeping them on the stage. But she declined in joining the stage as well, not feeling it alike him.

There was something off, with both of them. I had concluded that fact once I was done with Cat, Robbie and my short skit on the stage, me playing as a hamster draining from my mind. I knew what wrong, which is the shit show that just went on for months, though I don't know which is worse. Beck or Jade. Are they both hurting or is only Jade hurting and Beck is just thinking things over... I'd like to think so but, as usual, time slipped away too quickly for me to actually get down with the details, my eyes merely glancing and not taking in anything around me.

The bell shrieks and most of the class leaves along with Beck, leaving the few who wanted to hear the short announcement towards the end. "Alright," Jade, Andre, Cat, and a few others with me turn to Sikowitz, "So we have the Script-Bash in a few weeks. Does anybody want to do it or..."

"What's included?" a kid who I think is named James asks, clearly intrigued. I glance over at Jade whose eyes are almost blank with thought, none of the normal gears twisting in a rush at the offer to preform.

"Well to the best most written script is qualified to be produced into a play to show in a month or so and the best of that will be given a scholarship. Basically Hollywood Arts wants something interesting and very, very talented in order to compete-" Abruptly Jade throws herself out of the chair, bag swinging to her shoulder before she darts out the door, disappearing just as quickly as the other times she was asked to do something.

I bite my lip, my eyes nervously darting around with her grimace burning in my thoughts. "I'll, uh, just let you announce it... I don't even know why I'm here, I can't write anyways," I stumble over my words, quickly following Jade. "Hey!" I catch her attention just as her hand clasps around the doors to the outside. I catch my words before they leave my mouth, Jade's piercing glare sending chills down my spine. "Uh...you want to eat lunch together."

She only nods softly before storming through the doors, leaving me to scamper after her. Within minutes we have our food in our hands, her steps gliding towards an empty table, her appearance already calmed down a bit. I hesitate slightly, my strides not used to following her to a table. I give a soft smile, my legs guiding me towards her almost effortlessly once I shake the thoughts away. I seat myself beside her, opening the box before chowing down on my sandwich. I love this sandwich.

We sit in a comfortable silence, just eating quietly before I clear my throat. "So, are you going to uh, enter a script in for a play?" I ask nonchalantly. She merely shrugs, continuing with her food. I decide to drop the subject, not wanting to push anything at the moment. "Uh...so Dani Daniels is your favorite actress?" I ask quietly, a blush warming my cheeks while I watch her smirk grow.

"Sometimes. Now why do you ask?"

"Erm, Trina may have caught me trying to see who she was...but she thought I was, uh, masturbating." The last word died as I quieted down, the heat scalding along my cheeks growing to be too much. She chuckles quietly, though doesn't say much with the food in her mouth. I glance down at the sandwich, dropping it as I had my appetite. I place my hands down on the bench, staring off everywhere just to wait for it to come back...

"Does Trina accept it?" Jade murmurs quietly, tearing my gaze from the food truck.

I nod slowly, "I think so. I mean, the fact already kind of settled once I told her who I slept with a while ago when I actually remembered...since she saw me, uh, first wake up that morning." I swallow a knot in my throat at the answer as it sounds a bit, well, not something that you would throw out casually during lunch. And yet here I am, doing the same thing.

"When did you remember?" pale eyes flick over towards mine curiously.

"The night I smacked you. I told you I had to think of something to get me, er, off," I mumble bashfully. She heaves a long sigh, dropping her fork for the thing that used to be a burrito which she mutilated. It just looks like a mess now in all honesty. I feel a cold hand place itself on my own, thumbing over the side gentle. I dart my gaze down with a soft smile, our hands still together. I grin at her small smile - a legitimate one mind you - hers grasping mine with a small squeeze.

Her eyes glimmer in the sun - perhaps wishing to actually have shades on - as I smile gingerly at her. Her free hand snakes up my knee towards my thigh as I feel her leaning in, our noses coming closer. "Hey!" interrupted out stare as Andre, Dennis, and Marcus strolling towards the table with boxes in their hands, and cheesy grins on their faces. I feel Jade's hand almost rip itself off as they seat around the bench, settling in comfortably.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey?" Jade snaps as Cat and Robbie hop along, settling at the last, free bench. "What the hell is going on? Is this a free part or something?"

"Yeah!" Cat giggles, "A 'welcome group' party!" Jade rolls her eyes as I chuckle, my hand feeling oddly cold without the contact. Once everybody starts to dive in their food and conversation, I feel it climb back onto mine, fingers almost intertwining with each other. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face as I continued to eat my sandwich.

And when I was asked about it, I just said, "I love this sandwich."

-(:)-

I hate ditching on test days.

I'm here with a pencil in my hand taking a test that I had completely forgot was yesterday.

A hundred questions...

While the class watches me.

My eyes flick up towards them, glancing back towards the large sign beside my desk labeled in bolded letters, 'Taking Test That I Ditched.' I just want to say that, for the record, I didn't ditch because of the test, I basically ditched so I could kiss Jade some more...which we did do, even if it wasn't like 'making out' or whatever. I don't really want to tell all the lingering gazes that; in all honesty, I should be a balling mess that Beck and I aren't together and yet I'm not. I'm actually still getting strange looks because of that.

"Tori, do your test, you're at '69,'" Mr. D mumbles beside me. Did I mention that he teaches from his desk and I'm sitting right beside it? Lesson learned, I'm not ditching again. I momentarily glower at the few chortles, quickly filling in the bubble so that I'm at '71.' It's not like they're going to shut it, they don't know. I heave a sigh, scrawling more of the answers as he goes on about changes in biomes over time.

'I wanna learn that instead of freaking dirt,' my thoughts pulse as my hand fills a true or false question about whether or not the earth has layers. I've known that since third grade, don't know why it's on this test. Maybe it'll be the only question I get right on this though... I halt once buzzing sounds throughout the classroom, my ringtone muffled through my bag.

"Who's phone is that?" Mr. D barks, interrupting the lesson. He's normally fine with phones, as long as they don't cut across the lesson.

"Uh..." I blush, flicking my gaze towards him.

"Is it yours?"

"Yeah..." He nods quietly returning to the lesson as another buzz comes, and then another, and another. Who keeps spamming me? "Tori," he starts again, "Could you just text that person and tell them to quit it? I bob my head, quietly slipping from the chair and diving into my bag. I snatch it from my pocket, looking over the texts. Of course...

Jade- Hey.

Jade- Hey.

Jade- You doing a test?

Jade- Perfect, I got a picture.

Jade- I'm going to post it on TheSlap if you don't answer.

Jade- Hey.

Jade- I have a question.

Tori- WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?

I didn't mean to put it in all caps, oh well. Got my point across.

Jade- You want to study tomorrow?

Tori- Couldn't have asked me after class?

Jade- It was worth it.

Jade- The video now has a hundred views already.

Tori- What?

Jade- I'm starting a segment called 'Tori's Comical Troubles.'

Tori- Jade...

I roll my eyes, knowing I wouldn't get a response. So I slip past the desks and back to the test, answering the few more questions. Once I smile, the paper completed, I turn to my teacher. "I'm done Mr. D," I say, handing it to him once his hand shot out.

"Alright, go back up then," he yawns.

"What?" I gawk, my eyebrow raising.

I jump in my seat once the bell shrieks, my teacher shrugging, "That." As I dart for my bag, almost half the class had nearly gone out having already packed up in time for their Tuesday evenings. My attention spans wildly throughout the crowd before I get to my locker, searching for a familiar set of pale, glimmering eyes, smooth, pale skin, her soft, gentle lips...that I swear I'm going to make all blue and purple if she gives a good reason why she needed to post that shit.

"Jade!" I shout, halting her steps as she reaches the end of the hall.

"What?" she turns around, giving me a crooked smile.

Standing nearly toe to toe with her I hold up my phone, the picture posted on the screen. "Read the phone Jade, read the phone," I sneer, watching her eyes sharpen.

She snatches my wrist, hissing, "I told you about that."

"How did you get that anyway?" I snap, yanking it from her grasp. She nods behind me, Andre halting with wide eyes before he gives a short, gleeful wave, darting down the hall in a flash. I'll take care of him later. "Anyway," I sigh, "What about- What are you laughing at?"

"Oh the comments," she snorts, "'Glad you finally let her life shine.' That one's my favorite."

"Jade," I whine her pale eyes flicking back at me, "How many views?"

"Only thirty on TheSlap...and then a thousand on Twitter."

"That-that wasn't even twenty minutes ago..."

"This segments good business," she rubs her fingers together. "Anyway," she continues to walk down the hall, my strides making my way with her, "What were you going to ask?"

"Oh," I blink, "Right. So, what are we studying tomorrow then?"

"Dunno," she answers lamely, switching out some of her textbooks from her locker as I lean against the unoccupied one. Well, it's not 'unoccupied,' as the person already left. a few minutes ago. "I have a script for my class and then there's a test... Anyway, you probably have to catch up on today's lesson."

I nod in agreement, furrowing my brows. "Are you going to do a play for the Script-Bash in a few weeks?" Her motions pause, face falling into thought.

"Not sure," she mumbles slowly, "I'll uh, I'll think about it."

The silence around me ebbs at my chest, my eyes glancing over my shoulder. There's not as many people around, none at all besides Robbie who's just finishing up anyway down at this end of the hall. Though, I don't move from my position, words coming to the tip of my tongue. "You haven't done any plays since, uh...October haven't you?" I form quietly. She swallows before nodding softly, settling some textbooks in her bag. "Th-things have been hard for you haven't they?" I don't even know why I said it, or what it would do until I witnessed the reaction.

Her expression falls to a grim one, the usual, snarky, bitter gaze crumbling instantly. Her gaze flicks towards me as she purses her lips, nodding carefully. "Though," her voice drops to a husk, "I think I'll be alright..."

"How do you know?" I smile lightly to her small smirk. She shrugs gently, her hand finding my cheek before lips pressed against my own feathery. I grin once she pulls away, the locker door slamming shut. "One more?" I chuckle as she rolls her eyes, a quick peck against my forehead. I watch as she stalks away, storming through the double doors. Perhaps she's right...maybe we'll do alright.

This one was a bit difficult and not challenging to write... I don't have an ideal plan for the rest of the chapters aside from a few details here and there. As I said before, the pacing of this must be good otherwise...yeah. And updates may come a bit slower (as if...I'll probably update a lot :P) since I'm writing another story for AO3.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

:)

PS- Do you like the new pic for the story? I was watching the show and I paused and...Tori, you're sniffing that sushi roll a little too hard.

PPS- We aren't going talk about the, ah, 'star...'