A/N: I really liked how the last two chapters focusing on Chase came out, as well as the New York updates centered around the girls. I think that will be my primary structure, rather than the cutting back and forth I've been doing from the beginning. This was much easier on my part to write and I'm sure it made for a more pleasurable reading experience for you! Besides, it's not like we have multiple protagonists chasing after the same goal (this isn't Lord of the Rings) so why not treat it like short stories that go to someone else every chapter or two?

I think this will be the best way and will make it more efficient to move down the line in my opinion. So, when we cut back to Tori and Jade for example, assume that Jenna and Lauren's individual storylines are going on at the same time and we will eventually check in on them when something important happens. When it comes to practicing, a lot of it is repetition so we don't need to see EVERY DAY of rehearsal or basketball training to get the idea.

My plan is to have the next big story out no later than the start of January, kick of 2025 right! I wrote my first outline and it's coming together but I need to do a lot of work on it! I normally don't do this, but it worked for these two stories so like a Hollywood writer, I'm typing a "scriptment" which is a dense sequence of the story's events with dialogue sprinkled throughout. They can be 30-80 pages, so you can get an idea the amount of thought that goes into one!

Enough rambling; let's head over for our last night in New York ...


"Are you sure you're okay with us going?" Tori asked Jade.

"For the hundredth time, Vega YES!" she chuckled in response. "Besides, having you two gives me an excuse to find other accommodations."

Tori raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"When it was only Alice and me, we just crashed at Harry's mother's house. But the four of us...that would be tough."

The Latina understood what her girlfriend was really on about. She figured Alice and her had their own rooms and like back at her place, or in the hotel, they could easily double up. But to bunk with your current girlfriend in the family home of your ex-husband would be pretty awkward. Fortunately for Jade, Harry or Rosie wasn't pushy on the topic, as they wanted to get back into her good graces after everything she had been through.

"I was thinking about Cat and Beck's house and figured we could use some room to move around in."

"Oh?"

Jade smiled as she turned her phone and showed Tori.

"Isn't it cute?"

Tori focused her eyes on the three-story townhouse. It had a pretty porch as well as a fenced in backyard.

"Is that a pool?" Tori asked.

Jade nodded.

"Jade, this is too much."

The author shook her head.

"Nu-uh. Actually, got it for a real bargain. This time of year is the off season for them. It really picks up in the fall when the leafers blow in from the big cities to watch the foliage change color. And there's some cool festivals throughout the rest of the year. So, what do you think?"

Tori smiled and handed the phone back to her.

"You're nervous, aren't you?" Jade queried.

The tan woman held out her thumb and pointer to make the "little bit" gesture.

Jade sighed.

"Don't worry, Tori. They're going to love you. People often do. In fact, the only person I know who didn't like you is in jail right now, which is only correct!" The person she was referring to was Edgar Dibiase, the faculty member who tried to sabotage her career. His vitriol got the better of him and he ended up going into immoral and illegal methods to get at Tori. And to do it through her daughter was the lowest thing. Jade was glad he was behind bars because she would've carved some choice words into his flesh. She hasn't wielded a pair of scissors in anger for a long time, but it's like riding a bike.

(I think I have some murder fodder for my next book. A teacher who is a real piece of garbage who meets a violent end. Could be a maniac or a monster; sky's the limit!)

Now that she had found and booked a house for them to rent, Jade noticed the closed book beside Tori.

"What do you got there?" the former goth asked.

Tori blushed and threw it into the drawer by her bedside.

"Nothing important!" she huffed. "Just a book...about...eh...the Ottoman Empire?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, you know me!" Tori grinned, putting on her best face. "There goes Tori again, the history buff!"

Jade narrowed her eyes, "Nobody ever said that ever."

"Okay! You got me!"

She reluctantly opened the drawer and showed Jade what she had been thumbing through. The writer regarded the cover and maybe a few years ago, the title might have confused her some, but she knew that word very well. Tori sat there embarrassed as Jade flipped through, eyes widening, lips curling. That was Jade casually absorbing information, which was a very neutral expression and hard to read.

"I know, how pathetic is that!" Tori sighed.

Jade's eyes darted to her lover with a sympathetic smile.

"Honestly, this is really..."

Tori leaned in.

"...interesting."

"Really? You don't think it's weird?"

Jade closed the book and set it in her lap.

"Babe, this is normal. You don't know about something, so you try to learn about it."

Tori blinked and looked down at the book and back to Jade.

"I'm the one who should feel stupid," she grinned. "My research consisted of posts by randos on Reddit. You at least found a book written by doctors!"

"You? On Reddit?"

"Hey, sometimes that place comes in handy. I remember asking about a movie that I couldn't think of the title. So, I went on Reddit and described it on the Tip of My Tongue page. Within two hours, I got my answer! Ten years trying to find out myself and boom, redditors found it super-fast."

The Latina was intrigued.

"And where prey tell did you go recently?"

"A very enlightening community of lesbians, who are open to bisexuals, pansexuals, and trans women. Basically, any question you could think of, it's there and girls and women weigh in."

Tori scratched her chin, feeling so relieved that Jade was doing her own brand of research. Keeping that book a secret from absolutely everyone was no easy task. Now, she just had to make sure the kids don't come across it!

Jade snuggled up closer to Tori.

"So, got some good ideas from your summer reading, Vega?"

Her face was hot from the question being asked so close in proximity that Tori felt the heat from Jade's breath. That heat transferred to her ear and that sent electricity through her body.

"You," Tori swallowed. "Expecting a book report?"

Jade snickered as she continued to go to town on Tori's defenseless ear, nibbling on the soft lobe and running her tongue around the helix. The writer was relishing every second of this, knowing each trick was turning her girlfriend into butter.


"I can't do this!"

"You can do this," sighed Mia.

Alice was pacing back and forth so much she looked like she was going to wear a hole in the floor.

"Stop!" groaned Mia, covering her eyes. "You're making me dizzy."

The shorter girl stopped and sat on the bed, breathing deeply as she fiddled with her fingers. Her eyes settled on her laptop computer, her virtual window to L.A. where she could face chat with Becky. Alice swallowed what felt like a bowling ball.

"I don't know..."

"The best thing for something like this is in-person, right?"

Alice didn't nod or shake or head, just blinked.

Mia huffed as she walked over and picked up the plastic rectangle and parked it beside a cross-legged Alice. She opened the laptop and turned it, so the webcam was facing her.

"And since we're miles away, this is how we face-to-face!"

She put one knee on the bed and hugged Alice's head to her.

"I'm sorry for pushing you but I don't want too much time to go by, you know?" Mia pushed the power button, and the laptop kicked on. "I'm going downstairs and getting a soda. Want one?"

Mia felt Alice give a slight nod.

"Okay, I got you. And when I get back, I'll just be there playing music and trying to beat this stupid level on Toon Blast. You'll have the privacy you need, ok?"

"Thanks, Mia...for pushing me to do this."

She playfully nudged the younger girl's head to the side and walked away.

"You know I'm your hero," she grinned as the door shut.

Alice shook her head with a smile of her own. It left the second her desktop was in focus and the icon for Zoom hung there menacingly. Itchy fingers lingered over the keyboard as she bit her lip. The pale girl exhaled and moved her finger along the touchpad to get the cursor to highlight and open the app. Seconds later, the Zoom icon manifested and to one side were her list of previous calls. They were alphabetical, so Becky was right at the top.

"Here goes..."

The signal was sent and now it was up to the receiver to answer.

Thin digits tapped the side of the computer where the colorful stickers for Windows and Intel were. Alice stared at the screen with anticipation, going out of her mind. Wouldn't it be funny if Becky wasn't at home? No, that wouldn't be funny at all. Then Alice would have to muster up the courage to try this again!

Suddenly the display flickered, and Alice was sequestered in a wee square at the upper left-hand corner of the screen as Becky dominated the view. The blonde's sudden appearance, which was accentuated with a big smile, made Alice sigh. If she was full of air, cupid's arrow would have deflated her like a balloon.

"ALICE!"

Becky's cheery demeanor, so genuine and inviting, just melted the girl's heart.

"Hey...you!" came her clumsy response.

("HEY YOU?!" WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?)

"How's the Big Apple?" Becky chuckled.

"Oh, uh...well, it's very big!"

Alice was certain what she was saying must have sounded totally dumb, but Becky was just rolling with it.

"You guys didn't get lost, did you? I heard it can be hard to find your way."

The brunette chuckled.

"Oh, we did. I mean, me and Mia did. We were in Central Park - long story - we were tired and then we got mugged..."

Becky knocked something over in her room as she got closer to the camera, her eyes full of worry.

"WHAT? YOU WERE MUGGED? WHEN? ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

She was holding her heart.

"It's okay!" Alice said, hands up. "Really, just some bad luck. But someone helped us who apparently knew my mom, it's a long story."

Becky breathed in and out, still hanging onto her chest.

"You scared me, Alice! You hear stories about things happening to people in Central Park and I didn't think that would happen, but...oh my god!"

Alice smiled, touched by her concern. But she didn't want the girl to worry herself sick.

"I would like to hear that story sometime," Becky admitted.

"I do have something else to tell you, though."

An eyebrow lifted.

"Really, what?"

The pale girl clasped her hands together and stared at the ceiling, begging for strength for whatever deity might be out there.

"Becky, I...I... oh man..." she said, whispering the last couple words. "Alright...Becky, I like you."

The blonde girl blinked; not quite registering what Alice was putting down.

"Th-There's m-m-more," Alice stammered. "I really hope I'm not too late, but I like you, Becky. The way...uh..."

(Why is this so damn hard? Just spit it out, Alice!)

"I like my friends very much," she blurted out. "And I like Mia the way I would a sister. But you, Becky...I don't know...I like in a different way." Alice grumbled to herself before going on. "In a..." heaviest of sighs. "In a romantic way, Becky. I like you like that!"

At first Alice thought the feed froze, but Becky was just speechless. It was evident they still had a live connection when the other girl blinked. Alice nodded and went on.

"I know you told me about this girl you liked and that's great but...I realized after that time that I like you. If I'm too late and you're already seeing her, I'm happy for you but please let me know now! And if I'm not too late..." Alice licked her lips. "...then would you...go out with me?"

Becky was stone-faced, unreadable. Now Alice wondered if it was the girl who seized up and not her PC.

For what felt like the longest eight seconds of her life, Alice saw something she didn't expect. Becky started to laugh. She was laughing so hard it was a challenge for her to keep steady, as seen from the shaky display. Alice's hands retreated away from the keyboard, her face drooping. Now the girl she liked, the girl she just asked out, was in tears and nearly out of breath.

She could feel her heart rip in two as every time Becky appeared to stop laughing, the eye contact with Alice got her going again. Suddenly, the display went dark. She tried to get back on, but it wouldn't go. Alice closed the laptop and kicked it onto the floor, feeling totally humiliated. She cried bitter tears as she curled into a ball. What Alice failed to notice was the indicator at the bottom of her screen saying the hotel's Wi-Fi was down. They lost connection; Becky didn't hang up.

Mia came back using their keycard, holding two Cokes.

"Oh, my god!" the taller girl sighed. "The line was huge and-"

Her eyes immediately noticed the computer on the floor and her gaze wandered over to the sobbing Alice. Mia set down the sodas and rushed over to her side.

"Alice, what happened?"

She kept her back to Mia and tightened the grip around her own form. Refusing to leave, Mia laid beside her, pulling the girl into a hug as she cried.

"I did what you said..." she shook out between cries. "I asked her out and she just laughed at me!"

"I'm so sorry..." Mia's voice broke. "I'm sorry, Alice."

The older teen was guilty about coaxing her to do this and now Alice feels even worse.


"NO-NO-NO-NO-NO-NO!"

Becky was in a panic when they got disconnected on the Zoom call. The last thing she saw was Alice's frown before going dark.

(OH, FUCK! She must have thought I was laughing at her!)

The truth was that Alice having feelings for Becky in return was such a surprise and a relief all at the same time, that she just cracked up. It was if all of that tension was released from her body and her mind was as clear as morning. Becky was struggling to control her breathing so that she could explain why she was laughing but now they were cut off, she feared that Alice got the wrong idea.

Becky grabbed her phone and called Alice. But it only rang until going to voicemail. Unfortunately, her inbox hadn't been set up so she couldn't leave a message. The blonde texted furiously, trying to set the record straight. The outgoing message kept showing that buffering symbol but no confirmation it was delivered.

"Damn it, damn it!"

The impossible had just happened, Alice asked her out first! She was there for Becky when she was struggling with her sexuality and had been a good friend overall. And when Alice was vulnerable to her, the whole thing fell apart. It could not have gone worse.

The blonde laid down on the bed, her stomach in knots. Becky was sure she was going to throw up.

"What do I do?" she asked, her voice breaking. "How do I fix this?"