A/N: Jade threw her line and inadvertently spooked away the Big One. But when fishing one has to be patient.

She just wishes that Tori would break the silence and talk.

SONG:

"Ring Ring" was written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, with Stig Anderson.

Tori ran out of Trina's car and darted right through the front door and up the stairs.

Her dad was taken aback. A harsh contrast to the hung over Tori that couldn't hold herself up or not moan in agony.

The slamming of her bedroom door was nothing new to the parent of a teenager.

"Okay," he said. "Something happened today."

He perked up when his oldest came in, yawning.

"Hey Treen," he then turned toward the stairs. "What happened with Tori?"

Trina made a wide-eyed face and blew a puff of air like she was sitting on earth-shattering news. This made David a little concerned because Trina wasn't the kind to keep something juicy to herself. This was serious.

"Is it bad?" he asked.

Trina nodded, "Uh-huh."

"Like wait until mom gets home bad?"

"More like nobody go near her - she needs her space - bad."

She was about to walk past him to the kitchen but he gently impeded her path.

"Honey, my daughters very recently went to a wild party. If something is going on, this isn't the time to be vague with me."

Trina sighed and looked softly at her father.

"It's not school or drugs or anything life and death, okay?"

He folded his arms, reluctantly believing Trina's word for it.

"Trust me, dad" she reassured him. "She remembers she's grounded and I'll check in on her now and then. I promise she won't do anything stupid."

David then had a thought run through his mind and it made him worried.

"It's...it's a matter of the heart, isn't it?"

His first born made a face, not confirming nor denying. For him, that was confirmation.

"I see," he said.

"I helped her through the last one and I'll help her this time. Like you said, she'll always be my little sister."

Before she could get away from her dad he pulled her in for a hug.

"Dad," she chuckled.

"I know," he said. "It's just...nice that you listened."

Tori leaned against her bedroom door and slid down until she was on the floor. She hugged her knees as the words from the two notes (apparently both from Jade) swirled in her head.

(God, I mean I was trying to be her friend from day one - even when she wasn't very nice to me - and now the pendulum has swung so far the other way, I don't think I can deal!)

It was almost comical how the toughest nut to crack in her circle of friends; THAT ONE would fall in love with her. There were some silly misunderstandings early on in her friendships here and there. Like Robbie conflating acting as a romantic interest in a show with actual real-life infatuation.

But Jade...

She was a surprise. Not that in the sense of Tori being attracted to her. Once she rationalized with her bisexual nature; the usual cavalcade of celebrity crushes bubbled up to the surface in her mental "I'd Totally Smash" Rolodex. Charlize Theron, Megan Thee Stallion, and Gal Gadot were at the top of her famous list. Because of this, Tori wondered if she was destined to be matched with someone taller than her.

"Little spoon for life," she'd say.

But that was the closest thing that Tori had to anything resembling "a type." For the most part she didn't have her heart set on anyone in particular. Maybe she will be muscular. Maybe she will be built for speed. Or perhaps comfort. The more Tori embraced her attraction to girls, she really noticed the variety in beauty and energy. Size, race, nothing seemed to matter to her. Tori just craved that gentle touch from her fellow gender.

After being in this box for years, assuming that guys were her only choice; the last thing she wanted was to limit herself now that she was out. Or, almost out. Tori wanted to go into the world with an open mind. Her soul mate could come from anywhere.

Even her school.

But really, Jade?

"Well, you DID kiss her. You made the first move."

(Quiet brain! Stop being logical!)

Jade was just as frazzled when she got home from school.

(What a fucking disaster!)

She paced around her room as she dug through her pockets. Pulling out her phone, she quickly checked her missed calls. One from Cat and one from Beck.

None from Tori.

"Oh great," she groaned. "So much for hoping she was gonna answer."

(Well I did it! I laid my emotions bare and I thought I was being cool about it!)

"Shit. Shit. Shit!"

Jade threw her phone onto her bed. It laid there silent.

"That's what it was," she worried. "I was too confident. Too brazen!"

(I mean for me this is restrained. Remember how we asked out Beck?)

This was driving her completely mad. Jade stared at the phone. It taunted her, like the hideous beating heart from Edgar Allan Poe. Only this time she wished she heard something come from her cell. Preferably a call from Tori Vega.

"How could I've been so stupid!?" she berated herself. "We haven't talked since that kiss incident and out of the blue I act like it didn't happen. But then I sandbagged her with this dopey love letter."

She grunted and yeated her book-bag across the room.

"I knew I should have signed it as a secret admirer. Get her used to the idea that someone wanted to date her. Then ease her into that it was a girl. And finally when she started talking to me again, quietly reveal that it was me!"

Her feet stopped immediately.

(Yeah, that's pretty good. Why DIDN'T you do that, dummy?)

Tori and her dating sounded like it was further away than ever. A pipe dream. Jade felt she bungled the whole situation. First she overreacted to the kiss and now she over-corrected and doubled down on the gayness. Was she even sure that Tori was willing to confront her feelings like she had done?

Maybe not.

Jade never considered that. Just because she was ready to give this thing a try didn't mean Tori was.

"Oh no."

A terrible thought burrowed its way into her brain.

(What if Tori, being the extrovert she is, showed physical affection like she always did? She's always hugging and being close with her friends. Maybe in that moment of gratitude she lost her senses and kissed her on the cheek. It could have been chaste. Maybe?)

She looked over at her phone, still not ringing.

"Oh my God! She probably isn't even into girls and I completely creeped her out!"

Jade was certain Tori wouldn't think less of Jade for being queer but rejection is rejection.

(I wouldn't even be able to show my face at school! Not that Tori would tell everybody. She's sweet that way. She wouldn't want me to have my feelings hurt. But I couldn't bear to look at her everyday and see that sorry look in her eyes.)

The goth clasped her hands behind her head, squeezing fresh tears in her eyes. Jade tried humming a comforting tune to herself when she heard it.

Her phone was vibrating.

Startled, she checked it and it was from Tori. But it stopped before she had the chance to push answer.

Jade was pissed with herself for taking the sound off her cell. A habit for not making a scene in class. She could have heard Tori sooner and been able to...

Wait!

A new message popped up from Tori.

Jade selected the red banner and the app opened up.

"Sorry about today. Can we talk? Alone?"

The dark-haired girl thought her heart was going to burst out of her chest and run a marathon.

She responded,

"Where and when?"

After hitting send, Jade waited for the three dots to stop dancing on the screen.

(This fucking phone is mocking me!)

NEW MESSAGE:

"Tonight. Midnight. My room. Still grounded."

She then added an eye roll emoji.

Jade grinned and replied that she would be there.

The pale girl collapsed on her bed and stared at the ceiling.

(Calm down, girl. Calm down! It's not a yes; it's a maybe. Don't have a coronary!)

A/N: Did you like how both Jade and Tori were at war with themselves?

FUN FACT #1: Jade's ramble about the secret admirer thing was how I originally was going to do the letters in the locker. But then I thought it would be funny if Jade barely tried to hide it was her.

FUN FACT #2: The original version of the line "her heart was going to burst out of her chest and run a marathon." was going to be "her heart was going to burst out of her chest and run for mayor." I don't know where the hell that came from but I liked it. Then the more I thought about it, I felt that made absolutely no sense and would make the reader stop dead in their tracks. But it was too funny that I had to share it with you.

Hoping to have the next chapter of this and Wish You Were Here up by next week!

I've got a big day coming soon (and no I don't mean the Super Bowl)