Chapter 8

Six months Earlier…

Tori had forgotten her script. Jade was going to kill her. This was the first time the Goth had entrusted her with a lead in one of her productions and she had lost the script. Jade didn't want anyone outside of the production to know about the play.

Rehearsals had ended an hour before and she left distracted by the new feelings she was feeling. She was discovering who she was now, after that crazy fun date she'd been forced into by Sikowitz. She had spent all these weeks wondering what it would be like to be with a woman, and now she was sure she knew she was gay. And if she wasn't she certainly was for Jade.

She ran into the theater and looked frantically. Getting down on her knees to search under some chairs. "Looking for something?" She heard from behind her and banged her head on the auditorium chair.

"Ow!" She said and turned to face the legs that she'd dreamed would be wrapped around her neck while she ate… Tori looked up at Jade, her lips parting and her heart fluttering at the sight of her. She had never seen anyone more beautiful. And that smile, it stopped and accelerated her heart all at once.

"Are you okay?" Jade asked, reaching for the Latina. "Are you okay?" It didn't go without saying that Tori was not the only one affected by the play date. Jade was completely smitten at the end of the experiment. Now the sight of Tori. Her beautiful eyes and the adorable lost look displayed in her features did things… knee buckling things to her. Beck never buckled her knees.

Jade Helped Tori into a chair, the found script tucked in her back pocket. did knee buckling things to her. Something that never happened with Beck. Too bad they were both straight… but Jade was not so sure she was as straight as she thought. "Yes- actually, is that mine?" Tori blinked, reaching toward Jade's back pocket.

Jade smiled. Could Tori be any more beautiful? "Yeah… found it right where you were looking." She pulled the script from her pocket and handed it over. "I thought you were off book."

"I am!" Tori responded leaning back in her chair, "Just want to make sure I do this right. I don't want to let you down."

"Vega… You're great." Jade said and looked around. "You know what you need?"

Tori looked over at Jade. "What?"

"You need a pre-opening night break." The director said and held her hand out. "Come out with me?" It was meant to be a statement. But it sounded like a question. As if whatever Tori said next could make or break how they interacted with each other from now on.

Tori stared at the hand wanting so much to believe this was happening. So she decided to take the leap and put her hand in Jade's. The Goth beamed and guided Tori out of the black box hand in hand. She never wanted to let go.

Present day

"Earth to Tori!" Beck snapped his fingers in front of the brunette's face, causing her to flinch. "Listen," he whispered, "I don't know what you said to Jade, but I want to thank you. She was fantastic last night."

Tori's stomach turned. Why was she so affected? Jade and Beck were a couple, it was perfectly normal that they slept together. What she and Jade had was just a one-time thing.

"Hey, uh… How was Danielle last night?" Beck asked, a smirk forming on his lips.

"What?" Tori's brow furrowed.

"Dani," Beck nodded over to the woman who sat around the breakfast table, enjoying some of Tori's apple pancakes. "Didn't the two of you…?" Beck made a sign that suggested scissoring, making Tori's face scrunch up.

"Did what?" Jade startled both friends, appearing beside them as she reached for a plate of her own.

"Oh, hi, babe!" Beck placed a kiss on the goth's lips. "We'll talk later," he whispered over to Tori, moving over to join everyone at the table.

Tori's knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip on the spatula that she had been holding, and as hard as she could she began to smack the two pancakes that were cooking so they would purposely stick to the pan.

"What about Dani?" Jade asked, keeping her voice low and her eyes on Tori.

"Not your business," Tori murmured, stacking up the pancakes and slamming them onto Jade's plate, her eyes glaring into blue ones.

Yes, she was jealous. Yes, she loved Beck dearly, but also found herself hating him for having had loud sex with Jade, loud enough that she was sure it would be announced on TMZ. At least, she was thankful that tomorrow was Sunday and it was time to go home.

Jade glanced down at the pancakes that were served on her plate, seeing that they had purposely been burnt. Her eyes met up with brown ones.

"Nothing happened," she murmured, her eyes looking over at the group as they continued to chat among themselves, unaware of the tension that was happening between them.

Tori scoffed, "Sure. Enjoy your pancakes." She smiled quite sarcastically.

Jade reached down for one of the burnt pancakes and took the biggest bite, her eyes never leaving the brown ones before walking away and taking a seat at the table.

How could she expect to be believed when Tori heard the evidence happening from all the way downstairs? In the end, Beck always got what he wanted. Everyone knew that.

Their trip back home was quieter, a little less stressful because, since that Saturday morning, Tori decided to avoid Jade at all costs. It was hard sometimes, but she needed to. It was the right thing to do.

Thank God for Andre being there, otherwise, she wasn't sure how she would be able to handle the trip.

They arrived early back home, so by sundown, Tori decided to do a little light cleaning. Her attention was gathered by her ringing cell phone, seeing Beck's name displayed on the caller ID.

"Beck?" She answered.

"It's me," said Jade, standing outside an ice cream shop, while waiting on Beck. Her heart fluttered as she heard Tori's voice.

"Jade?" Her brows knitted.

"I took Beck's phone. I knew you wouldn't answer if I called you from mine."

"good reason, don't you think?"

She was in all her right to feel hurt and Jade understood that, even though nothing happened between Beck and her that night. And she wanted to make that clear.

"Tori, I just want to know that we're okay," said Jade, "I don't want things to be awkward between us."

Tori rubbed at her temple, feeling hungry all of a sudden. "Yeah," she answered after a brief pause. "Yes, we're fine, I have known whose you were since we met."

The goth sighed, a tiny smile tugging away at her lips. She looked over her shoulder at Beck, who was still busy tasting samples of ice cream. "Tori, I swear to you- nothing happened between Beck and me that night. That was just Beck being Beck."

A few unshed tears stung at her eyes, causing Tori to blink, momentarily removing her phone away from her wanted to believe that. She really did.

"Tor?" She heard Jade call out. The raven-haired girl's heart was beating so fast, she was a wreck of nerves. She needed Tori to believe her. She honestly hasn't touched Beck since they slept together.

"I'm here," said the brunette. "Look, Jade…" She sighed, "Let's just forget about all this, okay? I swear everything is fine between us."

There was one problem. Jade didn't want to forget it.

"Hey, who is that? Is that Tori?" Beck reached over for his phone and placed it by her ear. "Tor!" he smiled.

"Hey, Beck," Tori breathed, forcing a smile. She wanted to know what Jade had to say, but now it seemed she would never know.

"I'm glad you called- listen, tomorrow I get fitted for my tux and as my best person or person of honor, I need you there. Can you make it?"

Tori's voice caught in her throat, but she forced it out anyway. "What time?" She asked.

"Mmm," Beck removed the spoon from his mouth to speak. "Two?"

"Yeah," Tori said, feeling a migraine of regret descend upon her. "Sure, I can make it. Count me in."

"Excellent!" Beck smirked, giving Jade a thumbs up who forced a smile. "I'll pick you up, we'll make a day out of it." he placed her hand over her mouth and her cell, whispering in a low tone of voice, "We still have that conversation about you and Danielle."

Jade brought her spoon out from her mouth in slow motion, having heard Dani's name. Jealousy overtook her.

"I really don't want to talk about Danielle, Beck." Tori rolled her eyes.

Beck chuckled, "Don't play innocent with me, Tori Vega."

"How are things with Jade?" She decided to change the source of conversation. "Is everything… Good?"

"Um… Yeah," Beck looked over at Jade, a smirk stretching across his lips. "Yeah, everything's good." He moved away from the goth so that he could talk more privately to his best friend. "I mean, things haven't been perfect, sometimes they are a little weird, But I think she's just been stressed about something- I don't know."

Jade tapped on his fiance's shoulder, alerting him about the Uber that had just arrived for them.

"I gotta go, Jade just got an Uber to drive us home. But, listen, I'll see you tomorrow at two." Beck smiled, before hanging up.

"Wait- just let me talk to Jade-!" Tori plopped down on her couch, her eyes landing on the movie that was playing on her TV, which had to be a romance… of all movies.

Tori shut the movie off before the two protagonists were locked in a passionate kiss that stole everyone's hearts and their impossible love story closes to an inevitable happy ending. She tossed her control aside, hearing it clank somewhere against her wooden floor before lying down on the couch, covering her face with one of the pillows.

Six weeks earlier…

Jade and Tori found themselves in the library, which was supposed to be a study session but ended up turning into a getting-to-know-each-other session. One of many. Because ever since they started studying and doing projects together, every study session they would get together for would always turn into a survey between one another. Neither minded, seeing as they were both crushing on each other pretty hard.

"Shh!" Someone shushed them, already annoyed by them getting too loud.

It didn't matter how many times they were shushed, because Jade would just ignore it and keep enjoying the Latina's company.

"You have a very beautiful smile," Jade whispered, wiping away a fallen tear that rolled down the other girl's cheek due to laughter.

Tori froze at the feel of Jade's touch, her voice finding it difficult to come out.

"What are your plans after we graduate?" Asked Jade, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Oh, I don't know. Keep working with Mason, he got my foot in the door. Then work at a movie studio. Like I want to do everything I studied at Hollywood Arts." Tori challenged.

Jade's brow raised, "That's a good plan."

"Yeah, Just don't know where to start for the other stuff you know?" Tori smiled, enjoying the Goth's company more and more.

They had been friends for a while now and every day that passed, she crushed on Jade more and more. She only wished she knew if Jade felt the same way.

"What about you?" She asked Jade.

"Well…" Jade cleared her throat, working up her courage. "First thing I want to do… Is invite you to a celebratory dinner."

A smile slowly spread across her lips again. "Okay," she breathed out.

Tori entered the restaurant where Jade had asked to meet. Many students were celebrating after graduation, and it was packed but she gladly accepted the invitation. It wasn't where the gang usually went. It was something else altogether.

There was a crowd, but her eyes- like magnets- moved right to a smiling and laughing Jade as she exchanged a few words with a group of other students. She took in her attire, A black Lace skirt, her favorite black leather jacket that she never got rid of, and a black t-shirt underneath. Her locks were loose and laying over her shoulders.

In that moment, Jade's eyes moved over to Tori who stood by the door gawking at her. Her lips parted at the sight of how beautiful Tori looked in the purple Halter and Jeans she had decided to wear that night, her eyes sparkling.

Jade nodded over to an empty booth, walking over to it and taking a seat where Tori soon met up with her. After a few hours of food and drinks, there they were, two friends, crushing on each other, exchanging old stories about their first kiss, falling for each other more and more.

"So, there I was," Jade chuckled, taking in the sound of Tori's laugh. "Spinning that bottle and of course, embarrassing enough, it landed on me."

"No, it didn't!" Tori smiled, laughing.

"I swear!" Jade raised her right hand, marking an X over her heart. "I think my friend rigged it so it would purposely land on me." She laughed, taking in the brunette's laugh. "Anyway, this girl Kristen finally took pity on me and she went into the laundry room with me."

"And you kissed?" Tori asked, her cheeks hurting so much from smiling.

"And we kissed," Jade nodded. "That was my first with a woman, and amazingly the best kiss I ever had."

"Oh, my God," Tori laughed, glancing down at her hand, which was spread out on the table, her fingertips really close to Jade's.

Jade's eyes took in the sight of their hands as well, wanting to move hers closer but she also didn't want to freak Tori out.

"What about your first kiss?" She asked Tori.

"Mine?" Tori chuckled, her cheeks pink. "Oh, God, it was at a golf course, and I was so-"

"So bad at it!" Beck startled them, causing them to part their fingertips as they had just come into contact. What were the odds she happened to be at the same bar? "Hey, Jade, Tori, Why aren't we at Nozu?" He sat down and pulled out his phone.

"Yeah,no, I invited Vega for dinner. We're just hanging." Jade stated sitting back in her chair, her eyes narrowed over at Beck "Why are you here?"

"I had something to ask you and you've been avoiding me," he smirked, welcoming himself to a seat right next to Jade, crowding her personal space. "Although, I feel like maybe I interrupted something. " Jade looked at Beck, she looked angry.

Tori's cheeks turned crimson red, while Jade's smile grew. "That's very perceptive," she murmured, hating being put on the spot.

"Oh, stop," Beck chuckled. "I want to tell you…" his eyes moved over to Jade. "You know, you are really hot!"

Jade chuckled, "Thank you?" her cheeks turned red, while Tori's eyes glared over at Beck.

"Beck," Tori hissed.

"What?" Beck shrugged, "It's no secret that's what I think." He smirked over at Jade, "Plus I want her back"

"Excuse me?" Jade's brow furrowed.

"Beck- stop," Tori whispered, really wishing her friend wasn't here right now.

"I came here to ask you to be my girlfriend…. again."

And just as Jade was about to open her mouth-

"Beck," Tori shook her head. "Jade and I are friends. We want to do friend things without the rest of you if that's okay."

Jade frowned. Just friends? She could have sworn Tori felt the same way she did. What changed?

"Oh!" Beck frowned. "That's awesome you are finally getting along."

Jade chuckled, her heart feeling broken over the 'just friends' reference.

Tori frowned, hating that her moment had gotten ruined by Beck.

"Alright, well I'm asking you out!" Beck smirked, eyeing Jade.

Thin lips parted in surprise, "Really?" She asked.

Beck shrugged, "Well, I Miss you, there's no one better for me thank you. And How you have grown this past year… Damn, you're sexy."

Tori's eyes exchanged glances between Beck and Jade, panicking by the minute.

"And everyone else who was afraid of snatching you up, it's their loss." Beck gave his best friend a meaningful look. The only look that would tell Tori to back off and let him have what he wanted. Which, unfortunately, worked every time.

She was dying. "S- sure- yeah, Their loss," Tori said, feeling her heart become smaller by the minute.

Jade frowned, forcing a smile, hoping that Tori would have said something different. If she had, she would totally have asked her out then and there.

"So what do you say?" Beck asked.

Jade sighed. She looked at Tori and then back at Beck. "Yeah… Okay."