Disclaimer: Don't own.
Also, Happy Birthday Liz Gillies.
:}
"Come on, we're meeting in the Black Box." Tori urged her recently acquired girlfriend. Blue eyes sparkled with humor, only to dull as they approached the door.
'No lights coming from under the door, and after Tori's little closet detour, we're far more likely to be the last to arrive then the first.' Jade surmised, even as she unconsciously wiped non-existent lipstick from her neck. 'Hell, even if we were….' Her gaze shifted to Tori, who'd insisted on having breakfast together because of the day, and not because of the hard work they'd already put in over this summer play season. Six plays in eight weeks, often starring or performing in one while learning the next. Shakespeare and Musicals and classic, there was no real rest for the talented. Even Trina had been involved, somehow getting collage credit as a training intern, all while doing the same basic things she always did, background characters and support.
Jade stopped short of the door, her eyes now on the girl who up until a few moments ago, had somehow been in front of her, using that hot Latin ass to distract her. "NO!" It was final.
"Whaaat?" Tori whined, and to the goth, it sounded more practiced then she'd have liked.
"You think for one moment I forgot what day it is today?" Jade demanded. "Just because our relationship jumped a few steps…"
"We didn't skip steps." Tori cut in. "I seduced you to help get you out of that funk, after you discovered there are more then one Victoria's in Los Angeles. Hell, there are more then one at Hollywood Arts. So I seduced you, to keep you from vacillating from homicidal, cause you and Beck did break up, to almost suicidal, cause damn did your family fuck you up. So I intervened, and I knew the sacrifice I'd be making. So, you're mine now, and sure, we got to the sex part early. Not against it, cause I got to feel you up a bit, just a short time ago, in the hall closet. Still, it's all good. Gives me something to keep me happy when I have to adjust to having you as a girlfriend. Now go, cause you know everyone is waiting."
"I don't like to celebrate my birthday." Jade said, hoping she didn't have to get madder then she was. 'Was so worried she was planning something, but a surprise party, at Hollywood Arts? No, cause everyone knows how much I hate my birthday. Brings back some unpleasant memories. Who would have thought there were worse things then my parents forgetting…'
"You're one of our directors, right?" Tori asked. She didn't bother waiting for a reply. "Well, director, you sometimes have to do things you don't like to help maintain for the moral of the crew, and the crew is fucking exhausted."
"Did Sweet Sally Peaches just…" Jade started in her southern bell voice.
"Yes, I use foul language." Tori rolled her eyes. "I've been doing that more since Trina got on that new show, the more adult one. They actually make her practice swearing, all the fucking time, cause they use that kind of language, and she, us, we didn't. They said they wanted it to feel natural…"
"I don't get it, how do they get Trina, TRINA, to produce those kinds of performances. I mean, she's here, with us this summer, and I don't think a single director got a good performance out of her."
"You got a fucking solo out of her." Tori groaned. "A full fucking song, and you got her to sing it, make it work. Rocky horror, and you had her playing the narrator, and still, she sang her parts of the Time Warp, as well as the opening song, and YOU got that out of her. How is it you're surprised her show managed to get good performances out of her."
"She's fucking the director, isn't she?" Jade asked. "I could only put up with the extra work it took to make her passable because I was sleeping with you, and terrified your parents were gonna kill me." She side eyed her girl. "You do realize, your parents giving you pregnancy test, just to be sure, that kinda hurt, right?"
"But at least my dad now believes you're a girl." Tori teased. "And you did manage to get a good performance out of Trina, which led the production company to understand they could too, with the right motivation…" Her head shook. "I don't know which of the cast she's with, but I do know she's in full almost stalking mode. Girls ready to mate, and winning a legion of fans to win some guys…"
"Heart?" Jade offered.
"Thanks." Tori deflated a moment. "How is it Jade West can be so understanding?"
"Easy, the pressure's off." The busty girl said. "Don't get me wrong, dating you is full of all the ups and downs of a relationship, and when we fight, damn, we fight. However, I know you won't cheat on me. I know, cause you're still Sweet Sally Peaches, just with a drill sergeants lexicon." Tori's eyebrow rose. "Vocabulary. God, girl, expand yours."
"Trina plays a Marine Sergeants in her current show." Tori sighed. "So, you ready to go in?"
"Still don't understand why." Jade insisted.
"Okay, it's like this." Tori shifted. "Quick version, it's been a hard fucking summer, and the cast and crew need a break. You're birthday falls right where we really needed one, assuming we could just get an excuse for a party. We party, do whats needed today, and relax and blow off steam, and all you have to do is be the center of attention. You're good at that. And you, your, one of the stars, a director and writer and god who knows what else you'll do with her life, though if I can convince Mason, you'll have an alum out before you finish collage. But your birthday falls right where we need a break, and because we're about to be seniors, we're running our parts of the summer plays. No faculty taking responsibility, just us being responsible like professionals. And that, my dear, means we take full responsibility for keeping everyone motivated. So you,' A finger poked the girl between the girls, 'you walk in, try to act surprised, don't shit all over the decorations, or the gifts, or the fucking cake, cause we got carrot cake, cause I don't know why. I blame Henry, cause some idiot, me, left him in charge of getting the cake."
"I kinda like carrot cake." Jade said calmly. "However, if he got it without the cream cheese frosting, there will be trouble."
"So, you ready to step in and make this sacrifice for the cast and crew?" Tori asked again. "I promise you, I'll make it worth your while…"
"Tori, baby, you're already nailing me left and right." Jade sighed. "It's how we've dealt with the stresses of this summer."
Taking a deep breath, Jade opened the door and strode in, only for the darkened room to suddenly light up, people leaping from hiding places shouting "SURPRISE!"
Blue eyes ran along the banner wishing her a happy birthday, decorated with scissors. Someone had acquired multiple inexpensive packs of scissors, and used them to spell out her name on the banner. Other decorations were the ones they kept for an event towards the end of October, giving the Black Box the feeling of a haunted house. Overall, it looked and felt like they understood who the dark girl was. "We had a fundraiser earlier, to come up with a thank you gift for not killing the cast when you were directing, and instead, they bought you presents. So, show gratitude…"
Nothing was terribly expensive, except for the new Pear Laptop they'd bought her. "Josselin said she could get this great deal, and we didn't quite believe her. Girls came through…" Still, by the time they were done with the whole event, the parts were assigned, and the cold read done, everyone felt so much more relaxed, including Jade.
"I had a decent birthday." Jade told Trina as they were making their way to the parking lot, where they'd car pooled in. "I never in my life would have thought…"
"Yea, you're dating my sister." Trina told her, stopping to waive to Vicky Sparrow, one of the band. "So, lets head home, cause you can thank her there."
"Not as much of a sacrifice as you thought huh?" Tori asked, pushing into her girl.
"I said wait until you get home." Trina snapped at her sister. But they were all ready for the of the summer plays, and the next phase in their lives.
:}
Just a short something for her birthday, July 26, just because.
Yes, I hid it deep in an anthology.
