Fractured Fates & Silent Vows
Rating: T/M for some themes
Summary:
In another timeline, Liam triumphantly returns to his hometown for a fresh start. His time at Hollywood Arts is a whirlwind of success and new friendships. Despite keeping a few secrets, he's on top of the world. But just when he thought everything was going smoothly, an old friend reemerges, hellbent on reigniting the past.
Author's Notes:
Chapter 12: Sarah Sahara
Liam sat on the balcony, looking out at the backyard. Despite his hopes, the calm breeze didn't help to settle his mind. This was usually his special place to relax and meditate when life was too much. Despite the potted plants and music playing from his room, none of it could ease his mental torture. He was relieved to finish his homework, but that only reduced about 5% of his tension.
His eyes stared off at the horizon just as the sun descended. Thoughts of his so-called brother disappearing slowly returned, forcing his chest to ache. His left arm fared no better as it began to throb violently, adding injury to insult. Any attempt to relieve the searing agony was met with a harsh memory. Times of joy and peace were nothing more than lies, fracturing his sense of what was real and fabricated.
"Was this all a lie?"
The anguish deep in Liam's heart cut him like a freshly sharpened knife; Little effort with maximum results. He clutched at his shoulder, hoping that digging his nails into the flesh would grant him some reprieve from things as a growl passed his lips. Emotions scattered throughout his being until he was uncertain about his feelings.
Betrayal. Rage. Sorrow. Depression. Denial. None of these fully expressed his sentiments, yet he felt them all. Eventually, he settled on leaning against the railing, sinking until the cool floor supported him. His eyes began to well up as he bit his quivering lip.
How could you do this?! Why did you leave me?! he thought he roared out loud, grateful it was all in his mind. "...Just like her..."
Liam's head drooped in defeat, his eyes locked firmly on the ground below. A list of questions flooded in, constructing a whirlwind of bedlam that only worsened things. Was he not good enough? Did Darius truly care about him or was he a means to an end? What would his mother do once word got to her?
"I can't go back..." he absently muttered. "...I'll die before I go back."
"Do it..."
The voice felt like a key unlocking a prison door, stripping him of any resistance. Summoning whatever strength he had left, Liam dragged himself to his feet. His body moved automatically, his eyes empty. As he climbed atop the railing, he calculated the height of the drop. Would it be enough to cause enough damage?
"Worse case," the voice chimed in. "you'll go into shock and eventually succumb to your injuries. Anything is better than the suffering you're enduring! Why not put an end to it?"
"I probably won't feel a thing," he whispered through a bitter grin. "if I'm lucky."
The treachery of his so-called brother. The inevitable order to return from his mother. Even the aid of Jade's mother was bound to end at some point. He was merely a tool for others to use.
"And what happens to tools when they're no longer valuable?"
"They... They get tossed away; Replaced." he croaked from his wrenching heart.
"Even those girls use you to fuel their petty rivalry! How long before they leave us alone for somebody else?!"
"Us?"
"You've realized it by now, haven't you? I've been trying to speak to you ever since we were bonded, boy! We are the same; Your suffering is mine! Your worries. Insecurities. Rage. Desires. I feel them all and it's overwhelming! Why let that woman summon you back just to be an attack dog? Death is far more enticing..."
He was despairing as he found himself unable to step back. He was frozen in place, forced to watch what could be the end of his life. Closing his eyes was the only thing that offered him any relief. At that moment, he felt a connection, like a child yearning for love and affection, only to receive discipline and emotional neglect.
Maybe... Maybe you're right.
"LIAM!" In the stillness of the night, a piercing cry of distress and worry shattered the silence. He groaned softly, his eyes slowly adjusting to the sight of the star-studded sky. His mind was clouded and a throbbing pain pulsed through his head. "Liam! Are you okay?"
"Give him some air, Vega!" This other voice, though equally panicky, was very recognizable.
"Wha... what's going on...?" he muttered, still trying to process things. "Ow, my head!"
He felt himself being propped up by Tori and Jade, their faces a mix of anger and concern. He knew this wasn't a good sign. "At least they're part of my consciousness," he reassured himself. But that thought didn't last long as he realized something: The entity, or at least his mental image of it, was nowhere to be seen.
Unfortunately for him, this realization would yield an unfavorable result in the form of a pair of synchronized slaps that left him disoriented for a few seconds.
"What the hell is wrong with you?! he stared at the two blankly as he realized they were the real deal. Tori and Jade were staring at him with wide eyes full of horror. He opened his mouth to speak only to receive another hard slap courtesy of the goth. "You almost gave us a heart attack!"
He said nothing. Nothing could justify his actions just now. The very idea that he had allowed his mind to claim dominance over him made his stomach twist in knots. There was no excuse that he could conjure that would satisfy them. They wouldn't understand...
"I'm sorry..." his tone was so low that it was almost impossible to discern. "I lost myself..."
Tori, feeling the urge to hit him once more, remained silent as she analyzed the damaged male. Every word was a struggle coming from his mouth. A closer inspection revealed how shaken he was from whatever was plaguing him. Scratch that, she had a clear idea of what pushed him to this.
Darius.
"Jade, let him talk!" she took the goth's wrist and gently brought it to her side. "Breathe, in yaabilaj*! Take deep breaths and gather yourself."
The softening of their faces prompted Liam to reach out to them, his eyes filled with tears. His embrace was strong, conveying a sense of desperation and a deep-seated need that words couldn't express. Tori enveloped him warmly, while Jade hesitated. It wasn't a lack of empathy but rather the opposite that made her pause. Seeing her best friend in such a broken state left her speechless, causing her to watch him sob in distress.
Normally, she would treat such a display with brashness and heartlessness, but not Liam. In her eyes, this was far beyond just Darius turning on him. She could feel the extent of his empty soul. Finally, joined in the moment, rubbing his throbbing arm.
How long have you been holding on to this?
"Take your time, Wolfy..." she whispered, feeling his body begin to settle. "We got you."
No more words were needed at this point as they shared their embrace, a small and genuine smile settling.
The rest of the night was a blur but early in the morning, Liam woke up in bed. How did he wind up here? Even more alarming was the sight of an unconscious Jade huddled up under him.
As disconcerting as this was, he was grateful she was at least wearing clothes. (His clothes, but clothes nonetheless.) Barely able to suppress his blush, he did his best to calm his nerves. To make matters worse, he could feel the blood rushing to an all too familiar organ, and he could have sworn he saw Jade smirk at this. He prayed that nothing happened between them during the night.
Please tell me I'm in a bad dream! he began to panic. I know she's single now, but she was just with Beck not long ago! Ancestors have mercy on me!
He took a moment to survey his surroundings and noticed the faint light in the sky signaling the impending sunrise. Letting out a soft groan, he lay there, staring at the ceiling. The thought of having to go to school made him feel lethargic; his heavy eyes and leaden body were proof of that. The idea of facing teachers and classmates seemed unbearable. After battling with himself, he felt utterly exhausted. At that rate, Liam knew he wasn't going anywhere.
"Mmmm..." he turned his attention once more to Jade who shifted against his body. "Relax, Wolfy. After last night, you're not going anywhere today," she yawned. "Especially not classes!"
Glancing at her, exhaustion started to assert its dominance once more over him. "What makes you so sure?"
She opened one eye, daring him to challenge her. "We're going out tonight."
While Liam would normally challenge her on this, Jade's glare left no room for such luxuries. If he was planning on anything, he'd have to forget about it... or figure out a way to sneak off.
"Okay, sure..." he stretched his free arm, grateful that the pain was nowhere to be found.
Jade turned his face back towards her own, her countenance leaving no room for argument. "You're also going to tell me what you saw last night before we saved you." Once more, he felt fear grab hold of him but only for a moment as Jade smiled at him. "Relax, everything's going to be alright. Just don't pretend you can handle everything by yourself, alright?"
"Y-yeah. I promise..."
"Good, now get some rest. You're going to need it."
"But, how did you...?"
"I had a key made..." she snuggled closer to him. "Now, sleep..."
"Mmm, fine."
She tenderly kissed his forehead, silencing any potential objections before they both succumbed to the heavy embrace of sleep.
"If anything happened to you..." The last thing Liam recalled hearing made him question if he was dreaming. Unfortunately, he would have to wait until they both awoke, feeling their heartbeats beating in unison. "...I'd burn everything to the ground."
[Hours Later]
Tori Vega stood before Liam's home with a concerned look. After the events of last night, she was a bundle of nerves that resulted in her barely getting any rest at home. She raised a fist, lightly tapping against the door frame.
Who would've thought things could've gotten this bad?
Had she not had the desire to leave Karaoke Dokie, who knows what would've happened to Liam? She barely made it halfway before the Goth caught up to her though this only prompted an argument about the former being sneaky and trying to one-up the latter. Though both knew the accusation was far from true, neither would step down from their resolves. The only thing that put an end to their debate was seeing him.
While she was grateful for Jade having a spare key, she was disappointed and, dare she say, jealous when she had to go home. There was no way her father was going to allow her to spend the night with a boy, especially now with Trina gone. Deep down, she wanted to tend to a resting Liam, but circumstances afforded that to Jade instead.
At least I know what he looks like shirtless...
She had to shake her head back to the present and focus on the bigger picture.
"At least he's safe." she exhaled softly.
"Who's safe, Vega?" an all too familiar voice scared her.
The unexpected sight of Jade appearing drowsy and disheveled as she leaned against the door caught her off guard. Her jet-black hair was tousled and disarrayed, and faint dark circles underscored her eyes, suggesting her need for more rest. Her lips formed a slight frown as she unleashed a massive yawn that seemed almost primal.
"Jade?!" she grunted. "W-what are you still doing here? I thought you were at home?"
"You wish, Vega..." the goth smirked at her rival. "To answer your REAL question, Liam's not here." This only served to disappoint the Latina. "He told me he was going to the bathroom but slipped away. Stubborn ass..."
"Bey leti'e'*" Tori trailed off, though this didn't go unnoticed by Jade.
"What the hell are you saying, Vega? Is that some form of Spanish?"
"No... It's Yucatec Maya."
"Whatever, let me get dressed and we can go find that lug..."
[City Park]
Robbie watched closely as Andre and Liam sparred with one another. Considering they appeared equally skilled in martial arts, they weren't holding too much back. Andre threw a solid right hook that was nearly connected with Liam's face had he not swayed out of the way. Throwing a swift kick, Andre was surprised to find it caught and countered into a leg sweep by the unusually extra-focused boy.
"Ow!" he groaned after colliding on the mat.
"Oops. Sorry about that." Liam stuck his hand out.
Rubbing his sore behind, Andre graciously accepted the help. "No problem. Didn't know you had that in your arsenal."
"There's a lot about me that remains unknown." Liam chuckled. "Should we go another round? Or is it Rob's turn to get his butt handed to him?"
Robbie Shapiro looked at the two boys and shook his head furiously. "Oh no! The last time we sparred, Andre nearly dumped me on my head." he pointed at the singer who rubbed his neck sheepishly. He then turned his finger to Liam, who appeared amused at what 'reason' he would use to get out of practicing with him. "And you? How many times have you knocked out all of the wind I thought I owned?!"
Andre and Liam finally let out a hysterical laugh, the former rolling on the floor while the other was wiping away a few humorous tears.
"Come on. That was one move." he reasoned.
"What about when you locked me in a heel hook for too long, even though I was tapping?"
"I told you to tap the body, not the floor." Liam managed to keep from laughing.
"The left hook?"
"I said 'dodge', didn't I?"
"The sucker punch?"
"I told you not to sneak up behind me." Liam shrugged.
"You body-slammed me into oblivion!"
"Stop being a wuss..." Andre snickered.
If this were a cartoon, an irritated Robbie would've been guaranteed to have a large tick mark plastered on his temple. "Always got an answer dontcha?"
"Maybe..." he flashed a smug grin. "So you ready to spar or are you going to continue to whine about the past?"
He watched as Robbie took a traditional monkey-style karate stance prompting Liam to take a crouching stance. Andre stood in as the referee prepared to announce the start of the match. "You guys set?" both nodded, their focused gazes locked on each other. "Alright, then 3..." The curly-haired teen frowned; his brain mentally planning his first move. "...2..." Liam held a stone face, unwilling to give Robbie any advantage. "...1. Fight!"
The boys charged only to hear a strange whistling sound followed by a sickening thud. Halting dead in their tracks, they soon figured out that something had whizzed past their faces, narrowly missing Andre by a hair. The boys turned toward the mysterious item, soon realizing the heavy consequences of whatever deed they'd committed. Embedded in a nearby tree was a pair of freshly sharpened scissors which could only mean one thing.
Though all three knew what was to follow the deadly item, one, in particular, knew who would receive the brunt of the owner of them.
"Oh no..." the horror behind his words seemed to transfer to the others.
"LIAM!" All of them cringed and slowly turned to find a peeved Tori and a seething Jade. "You've got a lot of nerve ditching me!" To say that things were bad for him would be an understatement of epic proportions. To make matters worse for him, she was wielding another pair of scissors, waving it rather menacingly near his face as he backed into said tree.
"Jade, wait! I can explain!"
His attempt at reason, however, fell on deaf ears. "I told you to stay in bed and rest after what happened last night, didn't I?"
He nodded silently. Tori Vega kept a close eye on the situation, hoping to prevent further escalation. Though she was mad at the guy for vanishing, she didn't want him to get hurt. Meanwhile, Andre and Robbie exchanged curious glances, wondering what the goth meant.
"What happened last night?" Andre inquired only to have the mother of all glares directed at him; a move that Liam was equally appreciative and uneasy about.
"It doesn't concern you." thankfully her tone had softened just enough to signal that her aggravation wasn't meant for them. "I suggest you both leave. We have some private matters to discuss."
Liam audibly gulped once the ivory girl fixed her piercing eyes on him.
"That's not fair!" Robbie piped up, much to Tori's disappointment and Jade's anger. "He's my roommate and our friend. If something's going on, we have a right to-"
"NOW, SHAPIRO!" she roared, resulting in the two swiftly, and clumsily, grabbing their belonging and yelling for help. Just before the door to the training room closed, they could hear Andre yelling "The girl ain't right!" in the distance. Tori giggled a little, but she didn't forget her primary objective.
"Vega, you should leave too. This is a personal conversation." her gaze darkened even more if that was possible. Tori, not wanting to anger her friend and rival further, cautiously approached her.
"Are you sure? I don't want anything happening..."
"Relax, I won't kill him." her lips curled into a deeper frown.
"I don't think it's best to leave you two alone right now." she pleaded, revealing how little she trusted Jade. "Besides who's going to-"
"Tori, please?" her voice uncharacteristically softer now, she turned to the brunette with a look of desperation. "I swear to you that nothing is going to happen. You have my word."
In a show of good faith, she lowered the scissors from Liam's neck, soon tossing them to the girl who regularly was the yin to her yang. She found that to be almost enough as the girl pocketed the tools.
"What about the one in the wall?" Predictably, Jade rolled her eyes and complied. Giving a few good pulls, she managed to lodge them from the spot they'd been buried in before handing those over as well. "Satisfied?"
Despite the annoyance in her voice, Tori was indeed content enough to believe the girl she believed tried to make her life a living hell. Raising a brow, she nodded and began her departure. Liam watched as she turned one more time, a look that said 'good luck' flashing along her face.
"I'll be outside with the guys if you need me." Jade nodded with a small smile. Even though she found it completely irritating, she knew Tori meant well.
Speaking of irritation, she began to hear the light shuffling of feet behind her and smirked internally at how well she knew her friend.
"I wouldn't go any further, Wolfy." her words compelled him to halt his escape attempt. "You of all people should know that I carry spares. It would be in your best interest to stay put."
When she turned to him with an inscrutable expression, he was resolved to follow her instructions. While he was usually fearless, Liam understood enough to know that a subdued Jade West was far more frightening. At least when Jade displayed emotional anger, it often led to physical altercations, as the previous night.
"You drive a hard bargain!" he laughed nervously. "I don't think my jaw can handle another hit like that."
Jade stalked closer to Liam, her eyes full of emotional turmoil. Liam hoped someone would distract her. They stood face to face in a tense, silent exchange, determined not to back down.
Half expecting to get slapped for the third time that week, Liam stared dumbfounded when her hand cupped his cheek. He wanted to ask her something but found his mouth occupied with Jade's soft lips gently caressing his cheek. The world around him stood still when she rested her hand on his chest, her smile reflecting a rare innocence. Her gentleness soon veered into grabbing his collar and leading him to a thinly occupied area hidden by nature.
Once she was certain of their privacy, Jade hugged him again, he instinctively lowered his body, gently pulling her down with him until they both were seated underneath a shady oak.
She pressed her body up against his chest as intrusive thoughts oozed from her pores. This was just like the previous night. Liam's mind was empty at this point, his body nearly on auto-pilot. His hands wanted to explore the length of her form, to lightly graze any area of skin that was exposed. Jade was certainly enjoying the feeling of tiny shockwaves pulsating from his chest.
Both friends were grateful that they were too lost in the moment to notice the other blushing.
There was only one problem...
Oh shit! DAMMIT! Don't you start...!
Kneeling between his legs, she could feel a certain part of his anatomy growing in his sweatpants. He tried to think of anything other than an attractive girl nestled precariously against his crotch. Any ideas he dared to conjure served only to betray him, making things harder in more ways than one while he panicked. Sure, he found Jade's beautiful, but there were far too many complications to handle right now.
I shouldn't be thinking about her like this! Jade and Beck just broke up! She's my best friend! Even if she is... pretty cool, beautiful, and... Crap! This isn't helping...
Someone's happy... she purred inwardly when her leg 'accidentally' brushed against his swelling.
"What... What's going on with you?" Liam's voice quaked, heaving from the brief interaction. "I was sure you were inches from killing me earlier!"
"The thought crossed my mind, but I... I had a change of heart. Besides, I figure you can make it up to me for disappearing on me."
Liam paled at the thought of owing Jade West a favor, especially when she flashed that signature smirk. However, this time felt different from before. Normally, a sense of dread would trail behind his uncertainty. Somehow he could sense that while there was a hidden motive, the danger behind it was lacking.
"What did you have in mind?"
"First, you're coming with us to a karaoke joint. There's a little contest I'd like you to participate in," she stood to her feet, extending a hand that Liam graciously took. "There are two untalented hacks that could use a taste of humble pie."
"Okay... and what's the second thing?" His eyes flashed bafflement that amplified when she jabbed him in the chest.
"I won't spoil the fun..." she spun on her heels to depart. "...Let's just say I have to go through all the possibilities. Meet me at Vega's around 7 and we can go together."
"Together?! Jade, what are you plotting?"
His answer was a chuckle and sashay away, opening the way for that familiar trepidation to come.
Later that night, Tori and Jade led the gang back to Karaoke Dokie, and they found themselves questioning why they had returned. Cat was the one to voice the question. Following the previous night's incident, Hayley and Tara had gotten them all banned from singing, as they were caught rigging the contest. It turned out that Tara's father was the owner, making it clear that anyone who opposed them was in for a tough battle. Luckily, the girls had a plan in place.
"Look what the cat dragged in." Hayley taunted with a rather noticeably large scowl. "What are you losers doing back here?"
Fighting the urge to rip the pair apart at the seams, Jade stepped up. "Despite your daddy banning us from singing, we must admit this place has awesome food." That wasn't a complete lie but, all the same, speaking anything positive about such heinous people left a bad taste in her mouth.
"Well, stick around and watch what real talent sounds like." This time Tara was the one to spew out some nonsensical dribble that made Jade want to puke.
"Oh, please..." she interrupted. "There are dozens of people in this place alone with more talent than you two."
"Is that a challenge?" The girls exchanged cocky grins. "How about a friendly wager then? We pick someone at random to compete against us. If they win, you're all unbanned from the karaoke stage, but, when we win, we get a date with him!"
Everyone was thrown completely off, no more so than Andre Harris, the subject of the girl's bet.
"Whoa wait a minute!" He laughed nervously. Sure the girls were attractive but they were annoying as all hell. "I don't think that's such a good idea! We could probably pick something better to wager, right?"
"Deal! But the crowd chooses who wins, not 'daddy dearest', got it?" Jade called out, ignoring the boy's protests. "Now choose."
Hayley and Tara scoured the room for the 'perfect' candidate, their search led them to a lone teen sitting in the far corner of the building. He was wearing thick-rimmed glasses, a retro Pokemon shirt, some old jeans with suspenders and, to top it all off, he was organizing what appeared to be Yu-Gi-Oh cards. Their grins became ear-splitting once they saw the sight of this guy.
"We choose him," Hayley announced arrogantly.
"Come on, that's not fair..." Tori tried to protest.
"She said we could choose anyone!" Tara stuck her nose up at the dissatisfied brunette. "And we choose that dork!"
"Fine, whatever..." Jade huffed.
As the nerdy guy hesitantly stepped onto the stage, he couldn't help but feel completely out of place in front of the mocking crowd. Despite the announcer's attempts to rile up the audience, the snobby girls seemed to have the upper hand, with murmurs and outright laughter making the situation even more challenging for the poor guy.
"Alright ladies and gentlemen, let's give it up for our next contestant um..."
"Barry," he announced in an Urkel-style voice.
"...Barry who'll be singing a new song titled Sarah Sahara. Show him some love, everyone!"
As the first notes of the music filled the air, he felt his pulse quicken and glanced nervously at the expectant crowd. His fear of performing in front of so many people was almost overwhelming, and he struggled to control the tremor in his left arm. It felt like everyone in the audience could sense his anxiety, and for a moment, he felt paralyzed by stage fright. Then, he caught sight of his friends in the front row, their encouraging smiles giving him the strength to take a deep breath and let the music guide him.
A cold piece with the warm stuff
She'll run amuck when she's had enough
She put her life inside of a truck and said,
La la la lalalala
As the music began to shift, the tempo picked up a bit, and "Barry" allowed the confidence to shine through. He let the melody flow like water while savoring the shocked looks on the faces of the once-heckling crowd of kids.
(Last I heard) Ms Sandiego got a crush on her
(Righteous lover) even Karma couldn't touch
A tribe chief was her great-grandfather and he sang,
La la la lalalala
While the beat wasn't as fast-paced as the group expected, the vibe was enough to get the building riled up. Hayley and Tara watched in awe at how well this boy could sing. Even more surprising, he began to remove the suspenders, letting them fall to his sides. He then tossed the glasses to the crowd and at that moment, gone was the seemingly insecure nerd, to be replaced by an attractive and confident young man who was now enjoying himself while cruising along with the music. The gang cheered him on, the loudest being Cat."
Sarah Sahara
I wish you well
She's committed quite the crime so she never dwells
If you see her before I do
Let us pray for you
Jade watched on, wondering if the words were mainly about her. Thankfully, she had her hair to cover the blush creeping up on her face, not to mention the fact that everyone was lost in the revelry of the mini-concert.
The music continued, everyone had now stood to their feet to either clap or dance along to the great song. It was clear that he'd succeeded in winning the challenge for his friends and, yes, even Beck. None of that mattered as Liam only had two things that mattered to him. It seemed that his thoughts reached at least one of the girls.
While Tori was busy dancing, Jade herself couldn't tear her eyes from him, a soft smirk gracing her face.
Time to finish this. he took a deep breath just as the music began to fade.
Sarah Sahara
I wish you well
She's committed quite the crime so she never dwells
If you see her before I do
Let us pray for you
The crowd went nuts for Liam who took a simple bow before hopping off of the stage. The results were unanimous according to the cheers from the other teenagers. They didn't bother to wait for the reading of the winner(s) but chose to celebrate by getting some ice cream on the way back home. Andre took Cat, Beck, and Robbie while Tori and Liam rode with Jade to their destination.
To his surprise, the goth took a detour.
"Um... Jade? Where are you taking us?"
"To a place far more private, Vega..." she rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. Liam's a witness after all."
The pair shared a glance, acknowledging that neither could dispute the reasoning. The absence of hostility or hidden agendas made the situation easier to handle. The rest of the car journey was rather quiet, but it was a comfortable silence, at least. The music playing seemed to create a calm atmosphere for the leisurely ride, providing a stark contrast to the place they had just left.
When she parked, they found themselves in front of the Vega Residence.
"Jade! You tricked us?!"
"Relax, Vega!" the goth scolded with a heavy sigh. "I just wanted us to have a friendly place to talk..."
Before Tori could refute her, Jade took the reins and controlled the flow of the conversation. Liam sat in the back, listening to the banter though his mind was filled with amusement. Despite his earlier fears, he had fun at the karaoke spot and now he was witnessing two of his closest friends managing to not kill each other. Talk about a miracle... he snickered to himself.
"What's so funny?" Tori's voice tore him from the musings. "Are you alright?"
"He's been daydreaming again or falling asleep again."
Before he could explain himself, a boisterous yawn ripped through the car, earning a giggle from Tori and a facepalm from Jade. "Sorry... Um, what were we talking about again?"
"You're hopeless sometimes..." Jade shook her head. "What I was saying, before being interrupted, was that Tori and I had an idea for a group trip, but we weren't sure about where to go."
"What? Like a class trip?"
"Well, yes and no..."
Liam was genuinely perplexed by the goth's disjointed response. "What do you mean?"
"I think I can answer that!" Tori jumped in. "Jade and I were discussing a form of agreement but we'd like your opinion on things before we make anything official."
"This wouldn't have anything to do with your proposal earlier, Jade, would it?"
"Proposal?" Tori raised a curious brow at her now remorseful friend and rival.
"Never mind that! Vega's trying to get us to go to this weird country I've never heard of before. In exchange, I get a personal favor."
Once more, Liam's confusion was on full display as he tried to make heads or tails of things. Were they just talking about vacations? And Jade mentioned something about a favor. Of course, the most obvious question passed his lips.
"So, what does any of this have to do with me?"
Jade and Tori exchanged grins before turning back to a bewildered Liam.
"It may be a big trip for the group, but we'd like to know where you'd like to go after!"
