Chapter Text
Barely a week passed since Robbie decided to make the anonymous asks dedicated for The Slap, the school halls were buzzing with students whispering and talking about the latest posts, who wrote it? Who is it about? Is this really true? No one could really answer that, the teens would just have to live with it weighing over their heads. Besides one, Tori. She didn’t really care about it, sure, there was probably some juicy gossip about people’s lives, but if it wasn't about her, why would she care? It’s not her business to be in someone else's business after all.
She rummaged through her locker pointlessly, zoning out due to her lack of sleep for today. Trina made the brunette stay up with her to help her search for who wrote the latest love confession about the boy she apparently liked. Tori wasn’t even sure how her sister knew about it, since she already graduated. Did she take Toris phone when she wasn’t looking just to see? Or maybe her friends that were from her year told her about it?
“Hey Chica.” The familiar voice snapped Tori out, André was standing next to her, her locker door blocking the view to his upper body. With a slam she was able to see his purple hoodie and his dark hair resting in a pulled back bun.
“Hi! Finally someone who will pay attention to the world outside of that stupid page.” The last part she murmured to herself. Tori sounded like some kind of a grandpa complaining about kids these days. She opened the locker again just to get the last book she needed out, humming the tunes of Katy Perry's song stumbling in her mind. Slamming it shut again Toris eyes met her best friends glued to his phone.
“Not you too.” The singers sighing seems to bring him back. He awkwardly hides his phone in the pocket, rubbing his neck and looking away under her gaze. “What is it that it’s so interesting on there?” Her arms lifelessly dropped to her sides, She said it louder than she planned to, getting the attention of a few of the students that were walking by.
“It’s just, you never know when someone is going to say something interesting! Or maybe someone’s going to confess their love or- or the hot chicks will gossip about one another!” Vegas' eyes almost rolled back into her skull, luckily for them someone who could do that better walked up.
“Yeah, they definitely will confess their love to you André, all of the hot chicks.” That familiar morning rasp filled Toris ears. Jade was now standing next to them, dressed in a dark green top and black jeans with heavy boots, her hair resting on her shoulder, green highlights now slightly faded and her brown roots slightly peeking through the black hair dye. She didn’t sound mean, it was just Jade being Jade.
“Oh don’t act like you’re not on it too, I can see you scrolling the posts!” He tries to defend himself but the goth is quick to shush him down, glaring like she always does.
“Yeah, I just check if anyone posts shit that I can blackmail them with, not if someone’s in love, that’s sad.” She adjusts her bag with her free from coffee hand, that now was slightly slipping down her arm and shoots Tori a quick half smile.
“Someone agrees! Yes!” Vega pumps her fist into the air, making André chuckle lightly and getting another eye roll from Jade. Moments like that made everything they went through so worth it.
“Don’t pretend that your knees wouldn't go soft if someone confessed their feelings for you there, Vega.” The brunette tries as hard as she can to look offended, but there’s some truth in Jade's words. Sure, it wouldn’t be the most romantic thing in the world, but Tori has never been in a relationship before, well, a real one at least. Having a chance of that could be… good. Having someone to hold onto, call every free moment, have dates with, kiss and-
“Hey guys!” Cat’s high pitched voice rings out in the hallway, her high note at the end almost making her sound like a dog whistle. Her eyes aren’t even focused on the group, she looks like she’s about to combust while her fingers scroll on her pearphone. She is probably the most fixated on the new invention from the whole group, it’s like it rooted itself into her pink brain.
“Hi Cat, anything interesting?” André speaks up, she briefly looks at him, it doesn’t last long since another notification pops up on her phone making her jump up in excitement.
“Nu-uh. It’s just boring stuff about freshmans. Who are these people anyway, aren’t we the only ones who matter here?” Her words seem to disturb all of them, Tori and André exchange scared looks when Jade’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Oh! Someone said that one of the teachers has an affair with a student! Wonder who it is.” And just like that she skips down the halls, André bolting behind her as he’s probably interested too.
“It’s probably the math teacher.” The dark haired girl takes a sip of her coffee, Vega nods in agreement, they stay there in silence until the bell rings, calling all of the students for their next lesson. “See you at Sikowitz’s.” As they parted their ways as Tori now has math class (how ironic) and Jade has english. Vega still felt weird being closer to Jade.
If someone in the past would tell Tori Vega, that her and Jade West would end up being best friends, she would maybe laugh it out, and then believe that there was a chance, but it really still shocked her to her core. There always was something that drew Vega in, something about the goth, angry girl made Tori want to know why she acts like it, if there even is a reason for it. And then, one final night, a year ago, after the famous Beck and Jade breakup, which was the second one, Jade stepped into Tori's house again, but this time not for advice, not to yell at her like it somehow was her fault. Jade just cried, and cried, then yelled at herself, and then cried again, all of it in Tori’s arms. The angry, intimidating bad girl of Hollywood Arts was breaking down and putting her insecurities on a silver platter before someone she before pleaded to hate. It all made Tori realize that Jade is in fact an edgy, gothic and slightly masochistic freakish gal, but there were so many more layers to her that just made sense. And who was Vega to decline the offer of being one of the only people to truly know who Jade West is, and that’s how this weird, rivalry driven friendship blossomed.
The math lesson went by fast, well as fast as a math lesson could go. Some students weren't really paying attention, more focused on whispering between each other, which Tori could only assume was about that teacher scandal Cat told her before. Jade was probably right that it is him, well it would be the best if it was him, most normal if you can even call it like that. He's young, twenty-seven if Tori remembers correctly, which is still too old for a high school student, but at least he's not fifty, right? Let's just hope that at least it's a senior and not a freshman. That thought alone made the brunette shiver. Maybe it's just a lie, she hoped. This is exactly why she doesn't go on this site, the gossip makes her brain fuzzy and unable to concentrate. It's just like that moment when they obsessed over the following count on TheSlap, forgetting about everything besides one thing that wasn't even that important.
The bell rang, Tori looked over at Cat that was now packing her glittery notebook. Well, she was just shoving books into her bag with her phone glued to her other hand, either she sensed Vega burning holes in the side of her head or she just happened to have some kind of an Eureka moment. She looked up at the brunette with an expression she couldn't possibly decipher. Her brow jolts up in confusion as Cat giggles to herself and walks out of the class like nothing's wrong.
"Do I have something on my face?" She whispers to herself as she brushes her cheek, yet Vega doesn't feel anything out of place. Checking herself out in the bathroom would be probably the best way of finding it out. On her way there she gets a couple looks from people passing her. This feels weird, like she’s some kind of an animal in a zoo that kids see for the first time, whispering to each other what possibly she could be. Tori is used to staring, having attention on her, but this isn't the same kind that you get when you're singing your soul out on the stage, this feels burning yet cold at the same time, like she’s about to be judged by them if she’s even worth anything.
The girl swung the door open catching the attention of two classmates that were standing at the end of the room. "Sorry." She smiles awkwardly, now being more gentle with the door while closing it. A relieved scoff leaves her lips when she sees that her hair is just slightly matted on one side of her head. For a second she thought that all of this was connected to that forsaken page, that maybe someone posted lies about her to bring her down, but luckily it was just Tori and her hand, zoned out, playing with her hair during the math lesson. After unsuccessfully trying to pat it down a little she leaves the bathroom defeated. Maybe Cat has a hairbrush with her? The idea doesn't actually sound that stupid so she jogs towards Sikowitz's classroom hoping that the redhead is already there.
And she is, her red hair popping out in the background of more toned colors of the room. “Hey Cat!” Her head turns to Tori’s direction, yet her eyes are still glued to the device in her hands. She hums letting the girl know she’s listening. “Do you have a hairbrush or something? Also why didn’t you tell me that my hair looked like that.” As Tori crossed her arms on her chest, shifting her bodyweight from one leg to another, Cat finally looked up at her, giggling at the sight.
“Oh I didn’t notice, what happened to your hair?” Brunette's brows furrow down, how did she not notice? Isn’t that the whole thing that people were staring at?
“What-” Before Tori can finish, the bell rings again, Cat hands her the hairbrush and shifts her attention to her phone again. She tried asking again, but it seemed like Cat didn’t even hear her. Disappointed, but not surprised, she goes to the back of the class and plops down on one of the chairs. While brushing her tangled mess of hair she can see with the corner of her eye someone sitting beside her, it doesn’t take long till she hears a chuckle of that familiar voice.
“Damn Vega, did you get into a fight or something?” Tori can hear that Jade’s smiling, for a second she thinks it may be weird, but Jade talks so specifically when she smiles that Vega managed to learn it, memorizing it even.
“No, just zoned out, everyone’s acting so weird.” A defeated sight fills out the room, Tori can feel Jade shifting closer to her, the goth’s bag rattling against the metal legs of the chair, making a cling sound at the contact with the pins she has on it.
“Maybe someone posted some weird shit on that page, who knows. Oh maybe someone spilled a secret about you, imagine if you click it just to see that Tori Vega eats boogers or something.” She laughs at her own joke, Tori probably would too, but considering it might be true she doesn't feel like laughing, instead she seems to zone out again. “Geez Vega, it was a joke.” Her fist meets the brunette's arm, lightly but enough to catch her attention.
“Yeah, sorry.” She smiled. “I don’t eat boogers though.”
“You definitely do.” They went on with eachother like that for a good five minutes before Sikowitz slips into the class by climbing through the window. His students are used to this, well, to a lot of things honestly. How he's never on time, or how he sometimes brings strangers to class, or sometimes all of the students just sit in silence when he sips on his coconut, or how he has the weirdest prompts for acting and god it's a lot, no wonder people love his lessons so much.
“So class!” Sikowitz starts, raising both of his arms as Cat’s hand bolts up, she’s looking excited more than ever. “Just to make it clear, I’m not the teacher that’s having an affair with a student, nor do I know who it is.” Her enthusiasm dies out as her gaze sadly drops to the floor, her hands meeting in her lap. Tori can hear Jade next to her laughing under her breath as she's mouthing something to herself. She can’t help but look at the goth when she smiles trying to hide it by biting her thumb. It’s a rare sight, not many people get to see it, yet Tori feels like she has seen it more than anyone could have. It became almost as common as the sight of her resting bitch-face, the one that unironically would give Vega nightmares when she first transferred here.
“Well, I think it’s time for some writing and executing your work task.” He claps his hands, getting the attention of everyone. “Alright, grab a partner, and no Robbie, Rex doesn’t count.” Robbie's smile fades away. Almost instantly a group of people clings to Jade as she’s indisputably the best writer in this class. Cat and Robbie are almost begging on their knees, André is standing over her with a pleading face, and if people weren’t scared of her, the rest of the class would probably be doing the same. Tori could see the frustration on her face growing, her jaw clenching as she closed her eyes. Suddenly the goth turned to face Tori and grabbed her arm.
“Hey Tori, what do you say, partners?” She grits through her teeth, fake smiling. Her offer threw the popstar off a bit, sure, they were way closer than before, but doing a project together, willingly? Getting things straight, they could work in the same room, as long as it was different projects. Their ideas didn’t match up, which often led to them butting heads, causing sparks of flame to fly anytime they would have to compromise something that was related to theater or performance.
“Uh… yeah, sure, why not.” Tori stumbles on her words, the confusion still visible on her face. Their friends sigh in defeat, walking back to their seats. During the loud buzzing of students talking about their ideas Vega finally turns to Jade, she’s scrolling through something on her phone lost in her own thoughts.
“So, why the sudden interest in working with me?” This comes off more as teasing than a question, her pierced brow rises slightly as she’s looking at the smiling brunette.
“I don’t like feeling surrounded.” That’s it, they don’t really chat more. Tori knows Jade is just going to stumble at her place to do the work, and she's more than happy with that. She grew to learn that Jade isn’t the person to write or direct like this in places that aren’t quiet, aren’t her bedroom or in this situation, Tori’s bedroom. It sort of became a habit of theirs, sitting in Vega’s room in silence, alone but together. The aspiring popstar never questions her friend, she doesn’t exactly know why Jade prefers to be at her house than her own. All she knows is that Jade isn’t that close with her family, and that her family is a ‘handful of workers from home’. So it’s rational to think that Jade prefers to spend time at Tori’s house instead of hers, and since the divorce of Vega’s, Tori is happy that she doesn’t have to spend the time completely alone.
After the class seems to be paired up, Sikowitz gets some people on stage to improv some scenes. André and Beck had to play long lost brothers, where one of them just got back from the moon and forgot the language as he was raised by aliens in his older years. It was pretty funny to watch, Beck sounded silly using the gibberish in different tones. Tori didn’t even notice how fast it went by as the bell made her jump a little, making her heart beat a bit faster against her chest. Before she could even turn to ask when Jade would come by, she was gone, like she wasn’t here in the first place, and she knew that this was a challenge of who could get there faster.
—————
Tori Vega wasn’t the person to curse, but the traffic, saying lighty, made her want to scream at the top of her lungs and smash her head against the wheel. It’s 3 pm, what are people doing at this hour besides… Well, coming back from work? Sometimes she regretted finally having her drivers license. Exhausted, she relaxed a little in her seat since she was stuck at a red light. The music blasting from the radio almost overcame the sound of the notification popping up on her phone. Still making sure it was not her turn to drive she checked it, Jade sent her a message.
Jade: Do you ever clean your room or is the bra hanging over your laptop a new decoration?
She could feel the embarrassment growing on her face, the familiar heat taking over her cheeks and ears just to be overcomed with confusion. How did she get to her house so fast?
Tori: How did you get there already? And just dont mind it!!!! :((
A honk coming from behind made her drop the phone on the passenger seat, struggling to get back together. She pressed on gas and tried not to think about how her privacy was being violated right now, but the blood stinging in Vega’s ears from the blush didn’t seem to go away.
Finally after what seemed to be forever she arrived at her house, Jade’s car was already taking up the space that was reserved for Tori, making her park down the street. She definitely does that on purpose just to piss her off a little. Vega’s old mom’s car was there too which meant Trina was already back from her lectures. She didn’t bother to look for keys since her sister was home, and as she suspected, the door was open.
Trina was rummaging through the kitchen, the smell of something slightly burning assured that she actually was cooking. She never did that before, but since she was in college now she wanted to be more adult-like. “Hey Trina, when did Jade get here?” Her head pops out from behind the counter, her expression mixed with confusion and focus.
“What do you mean? No one came here through the door besides you.” Now Tori was the one that’s confused. How did she do it? She always locks her windows! She’ll never understand how Jade’s doing it. “You know what, nevermind.” Her sister shrugs it off and goes back to cooking as Tori climbs the stairs, almost running to her room.
There she was, sitting at the edge of the purple bed, scrolling through her phone with a victorious smirk plastered on her face that seemed to hide something, a bit of regret? “Couldn’t you be any slower?” It’s not the first time she just popped up in her room without anyone knowing how and when she arrived. Vega got used to it, but that doesn’t mean she’s not surprised every time with how she does it.
“Oh sorry to keep you waiting but the traffic was horrible! How did you even drive here so fast? Not stopping at any streetlights?” After saying it out loud it doesn’t seem that crazy for her, and the fact that she’s just smiling in response reassures Tori that she may be right.
She threw her bag at the ground and quickly hid the bra in the closet. She could feel Jade looking over at her, her green eyes sending a shiver down her body, she clearly was up to something. “You know, that site actually does some good things, like making people not talk to me because they are busier with mindlessly scrolling.” Tori rolls her eyes and lays on her bed, Jade does the same, kicking off her boots before fully laying down, and now they’re just both staring at the ceiling. The goth’s body seemed to radiate cold, like she was made of ice, so cold on the inside that her body couldn’t even contain it, but Tori knew that she was more than that, there was warmth inside her, it was just burrowed deep.
“That’s the opposite for me, I feel weird with people just, not talking to each other.”
“Maybe you feel weird because they’re not necessarily talking to you, sunshine?” Vega rolls on her side, her hand supporting her head while she shoots Jade a glare. She stays still, still looking up at the ceiling.
“What do you mean?”
“You said that you don’t care about that stuff, so they’re not talking to you about it. People still talk to each other, just about shit you don’t care about.” She… was right, as much as Tori didn’t like that fact though.
“Just, what’s so interesting about it? We don’t know who it is about most of the time, and I would feel bad if I knew stuff that I shouldn’t know.” Now West rolls onto her side facing her friend. She scans Tori’s face, her hair slightly falling over her eyes.
“You’re so weird. And I’m telling you that.”
"I’m not weird! I’m just… nice, I think."
“Just give it a shot, maybe you’ll see something interesting.”
Maybe, or maybe Tori will feel like crap if she sees something that could be about her friends. Giving up, she takes her phone from the night stand and goes on TheSlap, the notifications already spamming her phone when she first loads into that cursed ‘secret palace’.
Like she thought, there wasn’t much going on there, just random posts like ‘I once stole something’ or ‘I hate someone from this and this class blah blah.’ Until one of them stood out. She could hear Jade blabbering about something, but the buzzing in her ears was blocking her words out. Tori’s heart seemed like it was going into a cardiac arrest, her stomach seemed to be doing cartwheels and her face felt like it was on fire. Jade had to realize that something was up since she almost slapped the popstar out of her consciousness. She didn't say anything besides raising her hand to West’s face and whispering “Read the phone.”
The red light took over her face as her expression changed from confused to something that Tori wasn’t sure of. “That’s so fucking dumb, Tori.” She scoffed and shoved the phone back to the brunette girl. And maybe it was, it definitely was, and Jade once more was right. She did fall for this, the small text saying “I think I’m falling for Tori Vega” made her weak in her knees like she said it would.
She was sure of one thing now. She has to know who wrote it.