Chapter Text
It all begins, as most things do on an unremarkable day. It’s fall in Hollywood, and it’s almost indistinguishable from summer. If not for senior year at Hollywood Arts, having just begun for six students in particular, it would be even more unremarkable. As things stand however, there is more than a little buzz of excitement.
Jade is amongst the last students to file into Sikowitz’s senior drama class. Due to her lateness she is forced to sit next to Tori. The two girls have gotten quite friendly. They still tend to snark at each other as often as they can. Tori just smiles at Jade like the sun, which only seems to add to the goth girl's anger.
Mr. Sikowitz stands on the slightly raised stage in his class room looking out over the faces of his students. He has a purple plastic straw jammed in to a coconut in his hands. He slowly and deliberately drinks from the coconut before the bell rings starting the class. Abruptly he throws the coconut over his shoulder before clapping his hands together.
“Alright!” He shouts with entirely too much energy. “Before we get down to the lesson at hand, I have the privilege and the responsibility to announce the student who will be in charge of this year’s Halloween Bash at the end of the month.”
He swiftly throws the end of one of three scarves draped over his shoulders back over his opposing shoulder, before continuing. “Now as I was too lazy, I mean busy, to find someone else to take over as the administrator in charge of student events, the responsibility is entirely mine. And so I have decided to give the job to my best student.”
Jade and Tori both smirk to themselves confidently at the statement.
“Jade West and Tori Vega, you two are in charge.” Here are the rules and guidelines for the event, my hands are now washed clean of the whole thing.”
*****
The rest of the day, the two senior girls ignore each other at every turn. Jade skips lunch instead spending her time in the library typing on her laptop. Tori in retaliation ignores Jade in the hallway in between classes. At the end of the day however, one of them must be the bigger person, so Tori approaches Jade at her locker.
“Hay Jade.” Announces Tori with a smile as the goth girl digs through her open locker.
“Vega.” Retorts Jade without turning from her locker.
“So we have to plan this thing out so do you want to come over to my house?” Tori asks with a smile, while swaying back and forth faintly.
“You gonna order pizza?” Questions Jade stopping mid motion, but still looking away from her.
“Sure, and I promise no pineapple.” Tori’s smile grows wider as she softly chuckles to herself, showing nerves.
“Fine.” Sighs out Jade with a smile hidden on her lips. “I have to stop by my mom's place before, but I’ll come over.”
“Great, we can plan this whole thing out together and use our power as seniors to force as many freshman as we can to do as much work as possible.”
“Vega, I think I might be rubbing off on you!” States an excited sounding Jade turning to face the other girl. “There’s hope for you yet.”
*****
Jade pulls up outside of the Vega house, in her mom’s car. Not only is her mother’s car nicer than hers, but she loves having any excuse to drive it against her mother’s wishes. The woman is out of town on business, and made the mistake of leaving the keys where Jade could find them. She hops out of the shiny new car and walks toward the house.
Stopping, she decides with a grin to avoid the front door. Instead with a wicked grin she climbs the outside and walks right up to Tori’s bedroom window. Since she first visited the girl's house she made it a point of sneaking into Tori’s bedroom just to mess with the girl. Once again the window is unlocked, and Hade slips in with ease.
Silently sliding the window closed once more Jade smiles to herself before turning around. In an instant Jade gasps in surprise and stumbles backwards. Sitting on the bed and waiting for her, phone in hand is Tori. That dammedable smile beaming with so much positivity awaiting her.
“Hay Jade.” Tori greets her in pure joy. “I was wondering if you’d come in here. So what do you want on yours?”
“Pepperoni is fine.” Retorts Jade with a glare. Regaining her composure and walking towards Tori’s bedroom door.
“Ok, there’s a pot of coffee in the kitchen, it should be ready.” Calls out Tori as she pulls her phone to her ear.
Jade sighs as she steps out into the hallway and toward the staircase. Jade’s frustration with the perfect Tori Vega puts her in a bad mood. Taking Tori’s suggestion, she pours herself a cup of coffee. She and their friends have been to the Vega house often enough she knew where everything basically was.
Tori comes down the stairs not long after and takes a seat on the twin red couches. Jade sits on the opposite couch and watches Tori with half closed eyes. She uses her best evil glare, but as usual Tori just smiles back. Those perfect teeth shining.
“So, the pizzas are on the way.” Tori announces letting her words hang in the air.
“So.” Retorts Jade before taking another sip of the dark ambrosia in a ceramic mug.
“Ok, last year we just had the Rocky Horror Show.” Begins Tori glancing to her pear top on the coffee table. “And after Beck’s wardrobe malfunction Dickers banned that, ever again. So I figure having a play or musical performance is probably out.”
“I still blame Trina for that one.” Growls Jade finishing off her first cup of coffee. “I don’t care if she denies it.”
“Well technically it was Robbie’s fault. Since he fell on Beck.” Replies Tori with a nod of her head. “But I am still surprised that Burf pulled off Frankenfurter.”
“I’m just glad I didn’t have to watch you butcher your solo.” Teases Jade standing to refill her mug.
She walks slowly and pours her cup deliberately trying to waste as much time as she can. She had forced herself to forget all about the failed performance. She had never been more relieved in her life. It would have been one thing if she had played Janet, but having to sit through Tori singing that song was just too much. As she turned to walk back to Tori she hears it.
“Toucha, toucha, touch me.” Tori sang quietly to herself.
Jade grew red, but kept her composure. Walking back to the couch, she avoids eye contact with Tori for a long while. Tori seems none the wiser to her feelings. They sit in silence for several minutes before Tori turns and looks right at Jade.
Her mouth is just about to open when the doorbell rings. Tori leaps up from the couch startled and lets out a tiny “Eep.” Jade can’t hold back her laughter, as Tori tries desperately to regain her composure. She swiftly walks to the door and opens it, receiving the two pizzas.
The girls eat in near silence. Tori, finally getting fed up, puts a movie on the tv to at least provide background noise. Jade is torn on whether or not Tori chose the movie on purpose. She was well versed in modern films, and while Tori was a fan of the popular stuff, she didn’t know if the girl knew “Imagine Me and You.”
Once the two were full of pizza, and Tori seemed to fully understand what movie she had picked, the tv was off. Jade pulled out her own Pear top and sat closer to Tori though still kept some space between the two. Tori pulled up her own idea, seemingly having salvaged her old prom ideas. Jade's idea in contrast uses the entirety of the school.
“You can’t be serious?” Snipes Jade glaring at Tori. “It’s Halloween and all you want to do is throw a dance?”
“Well, not just a dance.” Defends Tori. “A costume dance, with karaoke, costume contests, and some party games.”
“Vega, it’s Halloween.” Explains Jade over emphasizing the last word. “It’s a night of fear and terror! The best way to celebrate that is to turn the school into a haunted house.”
“So like blood and guts everywhere?” Questions Tori with a grossed out look.
“Aww, is the spooky holiday just too much for sweet Sally Peaches?” Questions Jade in her mocking Judy Garland esque voice. “Oh for shame and torment!”
“I do not talk like that!” Shouts Tori standing up to Jade literally. “And not everyone wants to be scared to the point of wazzing themselves.”
“If no one is scared it’s not Halloween!” Counters Jade standing to face off against Tori. “Halloween and Dio de Los Muertos, is all about spirits mingling with the living.”
“They are not the same thing!” Shouts back Tori getting up in Jade’s face. She almost pushes a finger into Jade's chest before stopping herself. “We don’t have to be edgy and dark just to be edgy and dark.”
“And I’m not saying we do, but we are not just throwing any other dance!” Shouts Jade leaning in her face mere inches from Tori’s. “It’s gonna be scary!”
Tori stares long and hard into Jade's eyes. Her anger flushing her cheeks crimson. In an instant her eyes glance down to Jade's mouth before the front door opens. Tori steps back from Jade turning to the door to spot her mother walking in the door laughing in to her phone.
Her mother turns silent the instant she spots the two girls looking at her. She leans into her phone and quickly hangs up. Smiling like a kid caught with their hand in a cookie jar she smiles and uncomfortably laughs excusing herself. Running up the stairs without a moment’s hesitation Tori and Jade are left in silence.
“You know, it’s whatever.” Dismisses Tori slapping her pear top shut. “We’ll do your thing, it’s more Halloweeny. I should be getting to bed.”
“Vega?!?” Questions Jade thrown for a loop by the sudden 180 turn.
“Jade you should go home, just plan out the thing and we can get it all figured out later.”
“Just like that?” Questions Jade beginning to pack her own things up.
Tori was entirely unresponsive now. She silently closed her things up, and ushered Jade to the front door. Jade was stunned by the whole situation, and as soon as the door closed behind her she felt surprisingly alone. Jade slowly walked to her car, and climbed in.
Once inside she sat and watched Tori’s bedroom window seeing the light come on. Waiting, she never once saw Tori in or near the window. She waited in silence until the light turned off. Jade drives off in confusion and to her own surprise, concern.
*****
Jade spends the first half of her evening sitting on the floor of her bathroom in pure darkness. She had come in here to brush her teeth, but decided to sit and think. She always thought better when she was surrounded by darkness, and the cold hard tile floor ensured she didn’t just fall asleep. Nothing about her night with Tori made sense.
The obnoxious ball of sunshine was waiting for her to slip in her window. She had a fresh pot of coffee waiting for her. She didn’t even try to get Jade to pitch in on the pizza. She put on a lesbian rom com for them to watch while they ate.
And then they fought over the Halloween bash. Now that felt like normal for them. Jade pushed, and Tori pushed back. It was their thing, it was what Jade lo… liked about Tori.
But then Tori just gave up, she quit pushing back. Normally winning a fight felt good, but this didn’t feel like winning. It felt so much more hollow. Jade needed an answer on this.
She finally went to bed and slept well enough. She had considered texting Tori, but pulled up the slap to procrastinate. Jade resigned herself to getting answers from Tori tomorrow. She eventually fell asleep.
*****
Walking into Hollywood Arts, Jade felt something was off. It could just be her, she hadn’t really stopped thinking about Tori since she left her house. But it felt like it was coming from all around her. With a coffee cup in her hand, she steps up to her locker.
Soon she is joined by her best friend. The soft spoken redhead all but pops up out of thin air at her side. The innocent smile distracts from her observant eyes. Jade hardly reacts to her presence
“Morning Jadey!” Cat all but sing songs her greeting.
“Cat.” Grumbles Jade sifting through her locker. “Hay, have you noticed anything off about Vega lately?”
“Hmm. No I don’t think so.” Ponders Cat with a slight head tilt. “She’s just been happy Tori.”
“What’s up with Tori?” Questions Andre stepped up to the two girls with a concerned look crossing his face.
“That’s the question Jade was asking.” Explains Cat with a smile.
“Well, she’s been extra bubbly lately.” Exclaims Andre. “But that’s pretty much just Tori.”
“That’s what I was thinking.” Explains Cat with a faint giggle.
Jade rolls her eyes and shuts her locker. The slam is much stronger than she intended. Both Andre and Cat jump in surprise. Jade doubles down by pushing past the two and on her way to class.
*****
Jade only shared one class with Tori this semester, that being Sikowitz’s drama class. When Jade takes her seat she notes that Tori is late. In fact Tori doesn’t arrive in class until just before the bell. When she takes her seat it seems to be as far away from her friends as possible.
When lunch break rolls around, Jade ensures she is the first to their usual table in the Asphalt Cafe. She doesn’t even begin to eat, waiting for her friends, and specifically Tori. To her eternal joy and happiness, the first to join her is instead Beck. The two aren’t exactly enemies, but having split last year they can get on each other’s nerves.
“So, what did you do?” Asks Beck sitting down with his lunch.
“What are you talking about?” Retorts Jade defensively.
“Well, you were asking about Tori this morning, then she’s super quiet in class.” Exclaims Beck with a smirk. “So what did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything. Out of the ordinary.” Answers Jade softer than intended.
“But you think you might have?” Asks Beck, his expression softening.
“Maybe.” Acquiesces Jade looking away from him. “We were arguing and she just… ya know it doesn’t matter. The only one who can answer my question is Vega.”
Within moments of the awkward silence setting in, Cat and Robbie join the others at the table. Jade and Beck’s conversation ends then and there. Beck knows better than to try and get Jade to talk in front of others. The two sunnier students begin conversing about Cat’s not girlfriend and roommate Sam.
To compound Jade’s mood, Tori skips lunch. She doesn’t make it to the table, and no one even sees her in line for food. Jade hardly spoke over lunch, just eating and glaring. Robbie received the bulk of her glares, as well as her death glare after a particularly bad joke.
The remainder of Jade’s day drags slowly. Not even the compliments of her screenwriting teacher can bring her up. At the end of the day, she stalks around the lockers. Watching for Tori she is surprised when the halls empty out entirely with no signs of the girl.
Only getting more annoyed and aggressive, Jade stomps out to the parking lot. Spotting Tori’s usual parking spot empty, just fueled her anger. She climbs into her own car and drives toward the Vega house. She stops at Jet Brew for a couple cups of coffee just in case.
Jade pulls up on the street outside of Tori’s house. She can see her dad's car in the driveway. It’s a total cop car if ever she’s seen one. Sitting in the relative silence of her car, she watches the house.
After a cup and a half of coffee, she spots Mr. and Mrs. Vega walking out into his car. They pull out and take off down the street without a moment of hesitation. Once the car disappears on the horizon, Jade climbs out and strides toward her favorite palm tree.
Scrambling up the tree once again, she almost asks herself why she even goes through all of this for Tori? But she can’t let herself dwell on that questions. To her surprise the window is still unlocked, and Tori is seated at her desk staring into her pear book.
Jade takes a seat on Tori’s bed. Initially she leans back and grips the edges with her legs crossed. Looking at herself momentarily in Tori’s mirror she frowns and straightens up. Returning to her default glare, she clears her throat.
Tori all but jumps up in her seat before spinning in pure terror. “Jade!?! What the hell!”
“You acted weird last night and you avoided me at school today.” Smugly responds Jade.
“Jade, I’m done fighting with you.” Sighs Tori looking away from Jade. “I have been trying for two years but all you do is fight with me. I give up.”
“You don’t get to give up!” Retorts an emotional Jade. “We argue, I push you and you push back. Then you make me a better person, it’s our thing!”
Tori stands up from her desk, making sure to close her pear book. She turns away from Jade and sighs. “Yeah well I’m done with us fighting for the sake of fighting! If we fight I want it to mean something!”
“I only fight if it means something!” Shouts Jade standing from Tori’s bed and glaring at her.
Her eyes go wide and she instinctively places her hand over her mouth. She said it out loud. She never meant to say it out loud but it’s too late now. Any thought that Tori might not notice was shattered, when she turned to face Jade.
Tori looks at Jade in a brand new way. As if all of the pieces of Jade West finally clicked into place. “Oh my god!?!”
“Shut up!” Retorts Jade trying to sound angry but failing.
Jade tries desperately to put on her facade once more. But it’s too late now. Tori has seen through all of her attempts to keep distance between them. In one moment with one slip of the tongue, she gave it all away.
“That’s how you say you care!” Exclaims an astonished and relieved Tori. “You care about me!”
“Don’t read into it!” Counters Jade refusing to admit the truth. “I hate you Vega!”
Tori stands, smiling her brilliant caring smile. She steps up to Jade so close that Jade can smell her overly flowery perfume. “Jade, I think I hate you as much as you hate me.”
“No you don’t, you can’t.” Exclaims Jade dropping her walls and on the edge of tears.
“I hate you with all of my heart.” Tori reaches out and takes the vulnerable goth girl in her arms.
She tries to pull Jade into a hug but she resists. “Don’t touch me unless you mean it.”
“I mean it Jade.” Whispers Tori leaning in and fully embracing Jade.
Tori pulls Jade in fully and kisses her on the lips for all she is worth. For the first time since Beck, Jace shares a kiss. For the first time since Beck Jade fully embraced someone. And for the first time in her life, Jade doesn’t want it to end.
*****