A/N: little more
Chapter 2
"Tori," Jade nodded, her head turning toward Beck, who was dancing up on a table around all his guests before looking back at Tori with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry about-"
"It's okay," she shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. "That's Beck for you."
"Yeah," the goth breathed out a chuckle. "We all know Beck. Always getting what he wants."
"Sounds more like you," Tori murmured, bringing her drink close to her lips to keep Jade from listening.
Blue eyes took in the Latina's dress, her hand babysitting the cold drink it held. Tori had always been a beautiful woman to Jade, ever since they met in Sikowitz' improv class sophomore year. She remembers when everything used to be her and Tori and how competitive it used to be until things changed after she broke up with Beck last year.
The long-time couple was voted the Worst couple and broke up for most of the school year. Jade and Tori got really close. Jade almost kissed her once but She pulled away stating that she couldn't do that to Beck. when really, Tori was always too much of a coward to really bare her feelings to Jade. Not that she never worked up her courage once- she had, but by then it was too late.
"I really am sorry about all this," Jade said, her eyes falling on the crowd of people. "I know you aren't big on birthday celebrations."
"You knew about all this?" Asked Tori, a single brow cocked.
"Yeah, I tried convincing him not to throw you a party, but-"
"Babe!" Beck beamed, running over to his fiancee with his arms stretched out.
"Hey!" Jade smiled, her own arms wrapping around the slender man's form, while Beck's lips wasted no time in pressing against Jade's in a hard and drunken kiss.
Tori's smile turned into a frown as she looked away, her eyes falling on Andre who reappeared by her side.
"Where the hell were you?" She whispered over to him as he gawked.
"What- I'm not allowed to go to the bathroom?" Andre asked, shocked by the brunette's sudden behavior.
Tori gulped down her Iced Tea.
"What's wrong with you?" Andre's brow furrowed, watching his friend gulp down her drink, noticing her cheeks flush.
"What? Nothing." Tori shook her head, attempting to take another drink only to find it empty. Her hand shook the glass for confirmation.
Andre reached for the brunette's empty glass, taking it from her.
"Tor," Beck held out his hand toward Tori. "Come on."
"What?" Tori blinked, her eyes moving to a clueless Jade.
"Come on, front and center." Beck grabbed hold of the latina's hand guiding her through the crowd of people despite her protests.
"No, Beck- no," Tori hissed, smiling at all the gawking eyes around her.
Beck was too drunk to fight off. Whatever Beck wanted, Beck got.
Andre squeezed by the crowd, ending by Tori's side, while Jade stood by a pyramid of wine glasses, about six feet away from her, watching her crazy boyfriend get up on stage and take control of a single microphone, glass in hand.
"Everyone, eyes on me," Beck cleared his throat, grabbing onto the mic stand for support. "Alright," he leaned into the microphone, listening to his voice echo through. "Can everyone hear me?"
A whistle was heard in the distance, making Beck smile, indicating that he was perfectly heard.
"So…" he smiled, "Welcome to Tori's eighteenth birthday party!" Beck whooped as everyone around her cheered.
Jade smiled, her eyes looking over at Tori, whose eyes found her from across the room.
"As you all know, Tori has been my bestest friend since we kissed in Sikowitz class." he motioned over to the screen behind him, showing a slideshow of pictures of him and Tori at Hollywood Arts.
Tori's cheeks turned crimson red with embarrassment, her eyes looking over at Jade once again.
"We have been through a lot together." Beck smiled over at Tori. "To sleepovers at warehouses," everyone laughed at a picture of the gang together, in plastic containers at Wanko's. "To the night of our senior prom."
"Hey, where did he get that picture of me?" Andre asked, seeing a picture of himself in a tux, escorting both Tori and Trina to prom. Beck was there as well, with Jade dressed in a fashionable tux, while Tori wore a white long gown.
Tori chuckled, eyes turning back to Beck while she nudged Andre gently with her elbow in a teasing manner.
"Right to the moment of the time…" Beck smiled, his eyes turning to Jade. "Where she brought me back together with the love of my life. My fiancee." he flashed his smile growing while everyone clapped.
Jade felt the spotlight shine down on her, her hand playfully covering her face showing off the engagement ring, while a picture of Tori, Jade, and Beck flashed on the screen on the day of the Moonlight Jam.
"Tori, thank you for pushing me back toward this amazing woman. She truly is," Beck's eyes looked over to Jade, then back at Tori. "My dream come true."
Everyone aahed while Jade looked over to Tori, their eyes meeting again from across the room over the crowd.
"Is this to celebrate your birthday or their engagement?" Andre whispered over to Tori, leaning into her.
"It was because of her that Jade and I grew stronger, given that Tori loves to meddle." Beck smiled. "So, I owe her that. Tori… You know you aren't only my best friend, but you have been like a sister to me. You have been with me through it all, through tough times and happy times, and soon you will be my best person at my wedding. I only hope to see the day you will finally find happiness of your own."
Tori couldn't help her eyes from stinging with unshed tears as she smiled at Beck.
Beck raised his glass of champagne. "Happy birthday, Tori. I love you."
Tori mouthed an 'I love you, too,' embracing her best friend in another tight hug as he made his way off the stage.
After a few more drinks, Jade found herself holding onto her highly intoxicated boyfriend, giving Tori and Andre both an apologetic look.
"he is off his hinges, huh?" Asked Andre, wrapping an arm of his own around Beck to give Jade a hand with him.
"Yeah, I say he's had enough. I'm just gonna take him to his RV."
"No," Beck whined, his droopy eyes looking over at Jade. "Tori's here. It's her party, so- let's party!"
"Beck, you've had enough." Jade held onto the man, feeling him almost slip from her grasp. "Let's just get you home."
Beck chuckled, a lazy grin spreading across his lips, while his hand cupped Jade's cheek. "I know what you want."
Jade's cheeks turned a shade of pink as her eyes looked over to Tori's.
"I'll get a cab. You got him?" Andre asked the goth.
Jade nodded, "Yeah. Thanks, but I'll drive. I'm still pretty sober."
"Alright!" Andre said with a nod and moved back with Jade to help Beck out.
"I'm really very sorry about all this." Jade apologized once again.
Tori shook her head, "No, it was actually really fun. Thank you for taking such great care of him."
"Of course." Jade guided Beck over to his truck, where Andre held the door open for them.
"Did you really have fun, Tor?" Beck smirked, looking over at Tori, his arm snaking around the woman's neck to pull her into one last hug.
"Really, I did," Tori smiled, returning the hug to her drunk best friend. "But now you gotta get home and rest."
"That's if my hottie here lets me," Beck teased, his eyes on Jade. "Right, babe?"
"Come on, Beck, get in. We gotta go." Jade helped the intoxicated man mount the passenger seat of the car, her hand placed on top of his head to keep him from banging it against the vehicle. "Thank you both for helping me with him." Jade breathed out, her arm resting casually against the parted door.
"Make sure he drinks plenty of water." Said Andre.
"Will do," Jade's eyes fell on Tori one last time for the night. "Tor, it was really great seeing you again."
"Likewise." Tori blinked, "It's always great seeing you."
Jade smiled, a smile that would always stop Tori's heart every time her eyes couldn't look away from it.
"Alright, well, you two get home safe." Andre held the door for Jade, shutting it once she mounted the truck's cab. His hand tapped lightly on the roof of the vehicle as it drove away.
"She looked so great, didn't she?" Tori murmured, watching the truck disappear into traffic.
"Yeah," Andre observed the brunette. "I could tell from across the room, too, when you drooled over her."
She scoffed, "I did not drool."
"No?" He smirked, holding the front door to Nozu open for her to step in first.
Tori playfully smacked the man's arm, entering the establishment. "Believe it or not, I am happy that Jade and Beck are together and getting married."
"Oh, I don't doubt that." Andre held open a trash bag, following Tori around while she placed the last few abandoned beer bottles around the bar. "Tori, your heart is of gold. So much so, look at you, you are cleaning up after your own party."
"Well, we can't leave it a mess." Tori tossed another bottle inside the bag. "Besides, I don't mind. What else am I going to do? I need this alcohol to go down before I go home and my dad catches me."
Andre looked over to Sinjin, who was passed out right on top of the stage with a bottle in hand. "Yeah, so does he."
Tori looked over to Sinjin, chuckling along with Andre.
"Hey, hang on," Andre set down the trash bag. "I need to go take a piss. Too many drinks."
Tori continued picking up a few more empty beer bottles, walking over to a passed-out Sinjin and ripping the whiskey bottle out of his strong grasp before tossing it into the plastic trash bag.
"He always knew how to drink." Tori's head whipped around, startled by the sudden voice of-
"Jade," she breathed out.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." The Goth walked along the tables until she reached the brunette. "What are you still doing here? I figured you would be home by now."
In three long months, this was the longest Tori could remember ever being alone with Jade. After Beck came back into the picture, eventually her and Jade lost a bit of touch but Jade and Beck just grew closer.
"You know me," Tori smiled, holding onto the trash bag. "What are you doing back here?" She shook her head. "Where's Beck? I thought you were going home with him."
"he's passed out at home, but he mumbled something about forgetting his phone so I ubered back to look for it."
"Oh," Tori dropped the bag on the floor, ignoring the loud rattling of the beer bottles as she moved over to where she remembered Beck sitting last. "I'll help you. He was sitting over here last I remember."
Andre walked out of the bathroom, his eyes falling on Jade and Tori as they bent down to look underneath the table. He saw as they stood upright once he cleared his throat to alert them of his presence.
"You're back," Andre beamed at Jade.
"Yeah, Beck forgot his phone, so, Tori-"
"Found it!" Tori flashed the cell, her arm sticking out from underneath the table. She stood up, handing it over to Jade. "Here."
"Thank you." Jade's eyes turned to Andre. "It's good to know Tori wasn't completely left alone."
Andre nodded her way, his eyes on Tori. "Well, I say our work here is done, huh, Tor?" He moved over, reaching for the trash bag. "We should call a cab and get you home-"
"I could drive you home, left my car here remember." Jade quickly offered, her eyes moving to a surprised Tori.
Andre looked over to Tori, awaiting for her answer.
"Okay," Tori breathed out, her eyes turning back to Jade, the corners of her lips tilting upward.
A tiny smile tugged at the corners of Jade's lips.
"Andre, it's okay." Said Tori. "We'll be fine."
"Are you sure? Because I think I'm driving home if you are. I'm not that drunk but I didn't want to risk it if I was taking you home." He asked.
"Yes, it's fine." Tori nodded.
"Alright, then," Andre waved at both women. "Call me as soon as you get home." He nodded, walking out of the bar.
"He takes good care of you, huh?" Asked Jade.
"Yeah," Tori smiled. "He's like the big brother I never had."
"Well, I'm glad you have him." Jade's voice was filled with sincerity. "I was going to have some buffalo nuggets at Karaoke Dokie, they are still open, would you-?"
"Yes," Tori was quick to answer, chuckling and shaking her head, hearing Jade's own chuckle escape her. "I mean, I am a little hungry. I didn't eat a lot during this party."
"Me either." Jade smiled.