The scene was alive with laughter as the six of them settled into Tori's sprawling garden at her Beverly Hills home. The soft glow of string lights strung across the patio cast a warm, intimate light over the space, and the cool Beverly Hills air carried the faint scent of citrus from the lemon trees lining the yard. The reunion had been everything they didn't expect—loud, chaotic, nostalgic—and now they were basking in the afterglow of it all, appropriately buzzed and leaning into old bonds like no time had passed.
Tori kicked off her heels and sank into one of the cushioned patio chairs, her head tipping back as she sighed contentedly. "I missed how much fun you guys are," she admitted, her smile glowing under the lights. "I don't even care that we got kicked out."
"Technically, the venue closed," Robbie corrected, sitting cross-legged on a nearby lounger, a blanket draped over his lap.
"Technically, they turned off the lights on us twice before we left," Andre countered with a laugh, leaning back on the edge of a deck chair. "Big difference."
"Hey, at least there was no fights at the end," Beck chimed in from his spot on the garden steps, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a neatly rolled spliff, holding it up for everyone to see.
Jade, perched on a low brick wall nearby, raised an eyebrow. "You're really gonna pull that out here, now?"
"Why not?" Beck shrugged, twirling it between his fingers. He glanced at Jade and smirked. "Peace offering?"
Jade rolled her eyes, but there was the faintest hint of a smile. "Fine." She reached into her bra and pulled out a lighter, earning a round of laughter from the group.
"Still hiding things in there, huh?" Andre teased, shaking his head.
Jade lit the spliff with practiced ease, taking a long drag before passing it back to Beck. "Always," she shot back, blowing out a cloud of smoke.
Beck took his turn, inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly, his shoulders relaxing as he held it out to the group. "Anyone else?"
Cat's hand shot out almost immediately. "Me next!"
Beck blinked in surprise, glancing at Jade for a moment.
Jade smirked back, crossing her legs and leaning back against the wall. "She smokes more than me these days."
The group erupted into laughter, disbelief written all over their faces.
"Wait, wait, wait," Tori said, her hands up. "Cat smokes? Since when?"
Cat shrugged nonchalantly, her carefree smile growing wider. "It's Broadway. Everyone does something." She took the spliff from Beck, held it expertly between her fingers, and took a long, deliberate drag before blowing out a smooth stream of smoke. She looked completely at ease, which only made the group laugh harder.
"Honestly," Andre said, shaking his head in amusement. "This... this makes too much sense. I don't know how, but it does."
Cat giggled as she held the spliff out to Andre. "Your turn!"
Andre hesitated, looking at it for a moment. "Man, I haven't in a while... but screw it." He took it, inhaling deeply before letting it slide. "Yup, just like I remember," he handed it back to the redhead.
When Cat too another drag and held it out toward Robbie, he immediately shook his head. "I don't do that- sass me a soda or something."
The group laughed again as Tori waved it off as well. "I'm good," she said, leaning back into her chair.
The spliff made its rounds between Jade, Beck, Cat, and Andre, the group growing more relaxed and silly as the minutes ticked by. The conversation ebbed and flowed, the air filled with laughter, smoke, and the sound of old friends reconnecting.
An hour later, Tori finally caved. "Okay, fine. Give me that," she said, snatching the spliff from Beck's hand.
The group erupted into cheers, Cat clapping her hands together like an excited kid.
"This is going to be funny." Andre said, leaning forward eagerly.
Tori took a tentative drag, coughing almost immediately. "Oh my god, that's awful!" she sputtered, which only made everyone laugh harder.
"You'll get used to it," Jade said with a smirk, taking it back from her.
"How did you get through the industry without trying this at least once." Andre laughed at her.
"I prefer it in other forms." Tori shrugged back, picking her words carefully.
"Oooh cakes are my favourite too." Cat replied eagerly, ignoring all ounces of ambiguity that Tori was going for.
Robbie watched all of this with wide eyes, his resolve weakening. He looked at the group—Tori laughing, Andre lounging, Beck and Jade sharing an unspoken joke, and Cat giggling uncontrollably—and sighed. "You know what? I guess it is legal now..."
"It's been legal here for what, eight years?" Beck quipped, handing it to Robbie with a smirk.
Robbie took it, staring at it like it was a foreign object. "Okay, but if I have a panic attack, you're all staying here overnight."
"No one's going anywhere, Rob," Tori said, still giggling.
Robbie finally took a small drag, immediately coughing and flailing his arms. "Nope! Nope, bad idea!"
The group dissolved into laughter, and for the first time in years, it felt like nothing had changed. They were just six old friends, unwinding together under the Californian stars, letting the weight of adulthood drift away with the smoke.