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It’s another Friday evening that sees Jade driving with Cat to Tori’s game in Sherwood. This time after the game they plan on meeting their friends at Nozu so Tori can finally meet Beck and Robbie. When Jade began telling Tori about her friend group they found out that Tori already met Andre last semester when he worked with Trina on a project. They got along really well, mostly bonding about being annoyed with Trina, and they still keep in touch. He was pretty shocked when Tori reached out to tell him she was the girl Jade was telling them about but he quickly decided it actually made sense.
“Are you nervous for Tori to meet everyone?” Cat asks Jade.
“No, why would I be? Beck already knows all about her and I don’t give a fuck about Robbie.”
“It’s just that you’ve never done this before and I was kinda nervous for you guys to meet Danny. Not that I thought you guys wouldn’t like him, I just didn’t want to mess up the group dynamics.”
“Okay but that was Dan, this is Tori we’re talking about.”
Jade has to admit to herself that she was a bit nervous too when Cat first started dating Danny because although she had Beck to fall back on when Cat was busy, Cat was always her first choice when she needed someone.
Her worries washed away almost as soon as she first saw Danny and determined he would fit right into their group. They pulled up to the park they were set to meet him at and he stood there waiting for them with his black dyed hair, pierced ears and lip, wearing black boots, black jeans, and an Interpol t-shirt.
Jade sat in the car for a minute and watched Cat run ahead and jump on him and observed the way his face lit up as he caught her. That was enough to get her to like him, but their prolonged conversation about music definitely sealed the deal. Cat liked some Alternative stuff and Beck was into a lot of Rock but Jade never really had anyone to talk about bands like Angels of Liberty, Raven Said, Bat Nouveau, and Subterfuge with before meeting Danny.
She hoped that Tori had similar interests being his best friend, but was disappointed to learn she’s mostly into mainstream Pop and some Indie Pop. Not that Jade doesn’t also like Lady Gaga, Carly Rae Jepsen, Beach House, and she can tolerate Katy Perry, but she determined she actually liked having Danny around and she understands why Cat and Tori like him so much, though she would never tell anyone that.
“Yeah, Tori is really cool so everything should be fine,” Cat reassures her.
Jade rolls her eyes, “I know, I told you I’m not worried.”
They arrive at Sherwood High and both rush to jump out of the car, Cat in excitement to see Danny and Jade to ensure she doesn’t miss warm ups.
They enter the gym and Cat runs ahead to Danny as soon as she sees him. Jade hangs back by the door, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, and watches Tori, waiting for her to look up.
A few minutes pass and when Tori is done directing her team through their next drill her eyes scan over the entrance looking for Jade.
Their eyes meet and Tori’s face lights up as she offers a small wave, ignoring the teasing remarks from her teammates.
Jade smirks and winks at her before pushing off of the wall to join Cat and Danny.
Now that Jade didn’t have to pretend to be nonchalant while watching Tori and now that she had a decent understanding of how the sport works, she didn’t hold back in her support. Though due to her sadistic nature that consists of trying to tear the other team down almost more than trying to hype Tori up. Today her victim is the Granada Hills team.
From the start of the game everyone in the gym is aware of Jade. The Sherwood supporter section has gotten used to her over the past few weeks and they loved her.
Tori starts the game with a wide open layup off of the opening jump ball and Jade jumps up clapping and yelling, “That’s my girl!”
After Tori got two easy steals off the Granada point guard early in the first Jade yelled out, “Hey coach, number 12 can’t handle Vega! You might want to make a change or it’s gonna be cookies all night!”
A little while later a Granada player got a steal off of one of Tori’s teammates but instead of taking the easy layup, she pulled up from three and missed. Jade had the whole section chanting, “22 can’t shoot! 22 can’t shoot!” and every time she touched the ball after that she yelled out, “Air ball!” even if the girl didn’t attempt a shot.
Just after halftime Tori is hacked driving into the paint and Jade leads a “You can’t do that!” chant.
She’s gotten warnings from school security in the past for going at the visiting team too hard and seeing as Sherwood is up by 27 points, she spends most of the second half sitting calmly and watching Tori’s every move, only celebrating when Tori makes a play. She still can’t understand how Tori looks so hot doing something she always hated.
The game ends and Jade, Cat, and Danny make their way to the floor to wait for Tori to come back from the locker room.
Danny and Jade talk about the game and gush to each other about how good Tori is while Cat looks between them trying to follow their conversation.
Jade spots Tori once enters the gym. She looks her up and down, admiring how good she looks in simple blue jeans and a pink sweater. Tori decided to forgo the usual postgame Sherwood merch in an effort to look nice for dinner with Jade’s friends.
Tori walks up to the group and immediately wraps her arms around Jade’s neck and pulls her in for a kiss. Jade’s hands grab Tori’s waist and she hums as their lips meet.
Jade is unable to hold in her praise so she pulls away rather quickly to tell her, “You were so good tonight baby. That girl guarding you in the beginning almost cried when you crossed her over so hard she fell on all fours.” Jade has a big grin on her face, incapable of hiding how much she enjoys seeing Tori torture her opponents.
Tori giggles at that, loving how much Jade pays attention to her when she plays, “Yeah that was a great move. I’ve been working on that double tween all week and I decided in the moment to add the behind the back at the end and her ankles just couldn’t handle it,” she looks down and sees the Sherwood Basketball sweater Jade pulled on when school ended, “You look amazing today babe. I love this skirt on you and you always look so good wearing my clothes,” she kisses her again before dropping her arms and moving to greet Danny and Cat.
She gives Danny a quick hug and he echoes Jade’s praises, then she moves to hug Cat.
“Cat, I’m so happy you were able to come tonight! I know I texted you, but I wanted to tell you in person how amazing you were in Well Wishes. I’m sorry, I wanted to tell you last weekend but I had to leave as soon as it ended to make it to practice on time.”
“Thank you Tori, that means a lot to me. I put a lot of effort into that performance but Jade made it easy with an amazing script. You were amazing too tonight. I still don’t really know what’s going on but I cheer whenever Danny and Jade do and we did that a lot tonight.”
Tori laughs, “Thanks Cat, I’m glad you guys had fun. So are we going straight to dinner? I’m starving.”
“Yeah we can head there now. I texted Beck and Andre when the game ended and Beck said he was already picking up Robbie and Andre said he was leaving soon.” Jade turns to Cat and Danny, “You guys are ready to go, right?”
“Yeah we’re all set but I can’t stay for dinner,” Danny tells them as he looks down in disappointment, “I got in trouble for breaking curfew Wednesday so I’m supposed to go straight home now but I’m gonna drop Cat off so we can spend at least a little bit of extra time together now since I’m grounded all weekend.”
“Well it sucks to be you Dan. Let’s go, Vega’s hungry and she deserves to eat ASAP after the show she put on tonight.”
Jade grabs Tori’s hand and drags her out of the door.
They walk to Jade’s car with their fingers intertwined and Jade opens the passenger door for Tori before getting into the driver’s seat where she pulls off the sweater that she put on just for the game and begins the drive to Nozu.
“I’m kind of nervous,” Tori tells Jade as the high school disappears behind them.
Jade reaches over and places a calming hand on Tori’s thigh.
“Why?”
“I don’t know, from the stories you tell, your friends seem really cool. They’re all super talented and I don’t know if we’ll have much in common. I don’t want it to be awkward.”
“Vega, we’re pretty much complete opposites and we get along fine, and you’re super talented too. I promise there’s nothing to worry about. You’re already friends with Cat and you’ve known Andre longer than you’ve known me so only Beck and Robbie will be new to you. Beck is like the chillest guy ever, he’s my best friend after Cat. I’ve already told him a little bit about you and he said he’s excited to meet you. I don’t know if you’ve realized but I don’t get along too well with a lot of people so he’s curious to see how I’ve managed to keep you around for this long. And Robbie is a huge nerd, he’s super lame so he thinks everyone is cool. You really don’t have to worry about getting him to like you.”
“Jade, be nice,” Tori scolds lightly.
“I’m serious! Freshman year he was really into ventriloquism. He carried around a puppet he called Rex 24/7 and tried to convince everyone it was conscious. Beck got partnered with him for a project so he started hanging around us and he made that doll say the weirdest fucking shit and no matter how many times I ripped off it’s arms and legs, Robbie kept putting it back together. We talked to Beck and told him when the project was done we didn’t want Robbie around if he kept bringing the puppet. Beck said he was devastated when he told him but eventually he realized he would rather have real friends so he sold it and now we’re stuck with him.”
They park at Nozu and Jade turns to Tori, “Is there something else bothering you?”
“I just really hope we can all get along because I would hate for anything to come between us. I know we haven’t been together very long but I really like you Jade. You’ve become such an important part of my life so quickly and I don’t want to lose you.”
“You don’t actually believe that anything they say or do could make me leave you, do you?”
“I don’t know. I guess not.” Tori says looking down, fidgeting with her hands.
Jade grabs her by the chin, “Hey, look at me,” Tori looks up and Jade can see the worry in her eyes.
“There is absolutely nothing anyone can say or do that would make me leave you,” Jade pulls her in for a kiss before continuing, “I really like you too Vega. I miss you every second we’re apart. I rearranged my entire schedule just to be able to spend as much time as possible with you. I spend more time in the library than I ever thought I would, waiting until I can finally leave to pick you up. Hell, I know what a travel, double dribble, and backcourt violation is because of you! Do you even understand how crazy that is?” Jade explains with a hint of disbelief.
“Everything is going to be fine. We’re gonna hang out, eat some sushi, and go back to your place to watch a movie. I’m thinking the original House on Haunted Hill tonight. I can even play it on my PearBook so we can watch it in your room,” she adds with a wink and a smirk.
“That’s not super scary, is it?” Tori asks with a blush, feeling more at ease now that she has something more to look forward to tonight.
“No, it’s more suspenseful than scary. It has a jumpscare or two but it’s a low budget film from the ‘50s so they’re pretty weak.”
“Okay that sounds good to me,” she says looking at Jade with a smile.
“Yeah I bet it does,” Jade teases and leans over to pull her in for a kiss.
Tori hums as their lips meet and the rest of her worries fade away.
Unable to control herself Jade leans closer, the center console is digging uncomfortably into her hip, but her focus is entirely on the way her and Tori’s lips and tongues move together in a well practiced routine.
So lost in each other, both girls fail to see or hear Andre and Cat sneaking up to Jade’s car. Cat moves to the driver’s side and Andre to the passenger’s. On Andre’s signal they smack the windows, sending Tori jumping back.
Jade, more frustrated with being interrupted than being scared, sends a lethal glare toward Andre who initially looks a bit startled before looking at Cat and the two begin to laugh.
“Are you okay baby?” Jade asks Tori, concerned by the fear she sees in the girl's eyes, “It was just Cat and Andre, we’re fine,” she tells her, running her thumb over Tori’s cheek as if trying to wipe away the worry.
Tori takes a deep breath, trying to regulate her heart rate and nods to Jade, letting her know she’s okay,
At that reassurance Jade rips her door open in anger to yell at Cat and Andre, “WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU GUYS? You scared Tori!”
Cat and Andre both look at each other in fear when they see the fury in Jade’s eyes and her hand reach toward her waistband.
Lucky for them Tori also got out of the car and quickly rounded the back of it to grab Jade by her hip and pull her away from them. She brings Jade’s back flush to her front, wraps an arm around her waist, and leans in to whisper to her, “It’s okay babe. I was startled for a second but you have to admit it was kinda funny. You usually laugh at me when I get scared.”
“I don’t like when other people mess with you. Only I get to mess with you,” Jade growls still upset.
“I know but we’re here to have a good time. Please don’t let this bring down your mood.”
Jade turns in Tori’s arms and wraps her own around Tori’s neck to bring her in to brush their noses together, “Fine, but only because you said please.”
Tori smiles and kisses her quickly before Jade moves out of her embrace, grabs her hand, and pulls her toward the restaurant following Andre and Cat.
They walk in and see Beck and Robbie already sitting at a table.
Jade pulls Tori toward them and sits down, pulling Tori down next to her, “Fluffy hair right there is Beck,” she says pointing across the table at the boy, “and that nerd next to him is Robbie. Guys this is Tori. Be nice to her or else.”
Tori waves to them with a slightly nervous smile, “It’s really nice to finally meet you guys.”
Beck offers a sincere friendly smile and Robbie returns her wave with an awkward grin.
Before they can really talk, the server arrives to take their orders, which Tori is extremely grateful for having worked up a huge appetite during the game.
Once their orders are placed Robbie asks, “Is Tori short for Victoria?”
“Yeah, no one really calls me that, but it’s the name my parents gave me.”
“That’s awesome, I love that song! Oh Victoria, why do you need them–”
“NO!” Jade shouts, cutting him off, She fixes a deadly glare toward him, her eyes burning with anger, “I will shove you in front of a speeding bus then scrape your body off of the ground and place it across train tracks if you ever think about singing to my girl again! Got it, puppet boy?”
Robbie somehow turns paler than he already is and nods while grabbing his stomach at Jade’s words.
Tori grabs Jade by the chin and makes her look at her. Jade’s eyes soften at the eye contact but her irritation is still palpable, “Hey, calm down. We’re not going to be able to follow through on our plans tonight if you kill someone.”
Jade takes a breath but looks like she wants to snap at Robbie again so Beck steps in to try to move things along, “It’s nice to meet you too, Tori. I’ve been looking forward to this since Jade met you. She talks about you all the time,” he tells her with a smirk.
“Oh, really?” Tori asks, looking at Jade with a raised eyebrow and a big smile.
Jade scowls at Beck but he continues, “Oh my god, yes. She called me as soon as she got home the night you guys met and – Ow! What the hell?”
Beck reaches down to grab his shin where Jade’s boot just cracked against it, wincing and eyeing her curiously waiting for an explanation.
“That’s in the vault Beck! You can’t just tell people about that!”
“Did you just kick him?” Tori asks Jade sharply.
Jade snaps at her instinctively, “How dare you accuse me of something I clearly did,” still scowling at Beck.
Tori looks at her and shakes her head in disappointment, “Jade!”
“What?”
“Apologize to him.”
Jade whips her head around to look at Tori in disbelief, “No! He knows the rules of the vault!”
“Jade,” Tori repeats low and firm in a tone that makes it clear to Jade she’s not messing around.
Jade huffs, “Fine, but only because I want to,” she looks back at Beck with gritted teeth and mumbles, “I’m sorry for kicking you Beck. It won’t happen again as long as you keep your fucking mouth shut.”
Tori rolls her eyes and slaps Jade on the arm.
Beck, hearing the light snickers from his friends around the table, decides to let Jade off the hook. Everyone is clearly entertained by the exchange between the two girls, “It’s okay, I’m used to Jade’s violent tendencies.”
Robbie cuts back in now that Jade is calmer and asks Tori, “So you play basketball, right?”
Tori perks up at the mention of the sport, “Yeah! The season is coming to an end soon but hopefully not too soon. We played our last league game before the playoffs tonight.”
“She totally kicked ass tonight. Tori had 19 points and they won by 31,” Jade tells them like the proud girlfriend she is.
“Wow, that’s crazy impressive,” Robbie says.
“Yeah, you guys definitely have to see her play one day. I don’t even know what’s going on most of the time and even I can tell how good she is,” Cat adds onto Jade’s acclaim.
“We will have to do that for sure. How did the rest of your games go?” Beck asks.
“This season has been amazing. We’ve only lost one game but it was a nonleague tournament game to the top ranked team in Nevada. We almost lost a league game to Briarwood a few weeks ago but pulled through at the end. We were down 1 with a few seconds left but I was able to steal the inbound and they fouled me. I made both free throws and we ended up winning by 1. Every other game we’ve won by at least 15, most of them by about 30. We’re ranked 6th overall in the state and we’re the top ranked public school.”
“Damn that’s insane, so you guys are legit. How long have you been on the team?” Beck asks, leaning onto the table showing genuine interest.
“I got moved up to varsity halfway through the season freshman year when the backup point guard got hurt. I didn’t play a crazy amount of minutes but it helped me gain a lot of confidence in my game. I came off of the bench last year as well because the starter was a senior so this is my first season starting.”
“How do the playoffs work?” Andre asks.
“Every game is win or go home. We have to play four sectional games to reach regionals, then three regional games to reach states, and the state tournament is two games. Last year we were undefeated all season up to the regional final and lost on a heartbreaking buzzer beater and fell just short of states. I never want to feel anything like that again so I’m really determined to go all the way this year.”
Jade reaches over to settle a hand on Tori’s thigh in comfort.
Tori covers Jade’s hand and squeezes, thankful for the contact.
“Jade’s really good at helping me calm my nerves when I get too in my head about it. I know how good we are and I’m confident we can make it to states this year.”
Jade snorts at that, “Yeah as long as you don’t choke again,” she teases.
Tori glares at her, having picked up the habit from Jade. Jade laughs, kisses her cheek in apology, and leans in to whisper, “I only joke about it because I know how good you are and I truly believe that you guys can and will win. You just have to stay confident in yourself and you can do anything. I know you can.”
Tori turns to smile at her and leans in to brush their noses together before kissing her. They only break apart when Andre clears his throat and they realize the whole table is staring at them.
Jade snaps at them, “WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?”
Everyone averts their eyes but Beck, Andre, and Cat smirk and laugh under their breath, clearly entertained by seeing Jade care for Tori in a way they’ve never seen before.
Jade focuses her glare at them again asking, “What is your problem?”
Cat and Beck both answer, “Nothing.”
Beck goes on with a sly smile and asks, “So what exactly do you do to help Tori with her nerves?”
Tori immediately turns bright red while Jade smirks at her, knowing exactly why she’s flustered, before turning back to Beck.
“Well this weekend we’re going to start watching some William Castle films. We’ve already made our way through Dracula, Nosferatu, The Mummy, Night of the Living Dead, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Psycho, The Invisible Man, Black Sunday, Carrie, The Exorcist, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Halloween, and of course The Scissoring. So I figured at this point we could start getting into some less mainstream stuff.”
Beck laughs because while he didn’t know what kind of answer he was expecting, the one he received is so typical of her, “Damn Jade, that sounds like your preferred method of chilling out but does Tori even like any of that stuff?”
Tori chimes in still slightly flushed, “Well we actually made a deal on our first date that I would watch any movies she wants as long as she watches basketball with me,” not wanting to add that she really likes watching movies with Jade because it almost always ends with them passionately making out as long as their parents aren’t around which they rarely are.
Jaws drop around the table and Tori looks around confused.
“Are you guys okay?” she asks.
Andre is the first to speak up, “I’m sorry, did you just say Jade watches basketball with you? Like she sits down and actually pays attention to other people playing it?”
“Uh yeah. She doesn’t even really complain about it anymore. I have to watch film a lot before games and it’s college basketball season so there’s a game on pretty much every night. She actually caught on fairly quickly to most of the rules, though she does resent the overall lack of violence.”
“I just think you should be able to hit people!”
They look around and see everyone except Cat still has a shocked expression on their face.
“You actually got Jade to sit down and voluntarily watch a sport? And she didn’t try to kill you for making her do it?” Robbie asks astounded.
“Well yeah, I mean she already watches my games every week and really enjoys it. Though I think the opposing teams wished she wasn’t there,” Tori says giggling a bit thinking about the way Jade heckles her opponents.
“Yeah but it makes sense why she likes watching you play.”
“And what do you mean by that, Rob?” Jade asks sharply.
Robbie squeaks, shrinking under Jade’s stare, “I-I just, I think it makes sense that you enjoy watching your girlfriend. I didn’t think you would willingly watch anyone else considering how much you hate everything about sports.”
“Yeah that better be all you meant.” In a blink she has her scissors in her hands, twirling them around her finger in a practiced motion, eyeing Robbie Intensely, “If I ever catch your eyes wandering I will shove these scissors so deep into them you’ll choke on them. Understand?”
Robbie nods quickly, lets out a whine, and fixes his stare at the table.
“Jade,” Tori scolds firmly.
Jade puts her scissors back and turns, grabs Tori’s hand and brings it to her lips then kisses her forehead and cheek, smiling lazily at her to keep her from getting mad again, knowing physical affection is one of Tori’s biggest weaknesses.
“Wow, I’ve never seen you like this before Jade.”
“Watch it Andre!” Jade warns with a glare.
Andre puts his hands up, surrendering, “I’m just saying the way you are now and how you acted outside earlier, I can tell you’re happy. I was a bit skeptical when I first learned about you guys but it’s nice to see you guys together like this. I think you’re good for each other.”
“I hate being happy!” Jade snaps at him.
“I think you like being happy with Tori,” Cat tells her softly.
Jade glares at her before turning to Tori, her stare softening, “Maybe,” she mumbles, kissing her lightly and smiling at her again.
Their food arrives and they all take some time to eat before continuing their conversation.
“So what are your concentrations at Hollywood Arts?” Tori asks Beck and Robbie, happy to turn the attention away from her and Jade.
“I’m definitely the least well-rounded compared to these guys. I pretty much only focus on acting but that can be an advantage in a way because I know exactly what I want to do so I’ve already started accumulating some professional credits. They’ve all been pretty small parts so far but it’s nice to have something to put on a resume, especially when I don’t really do much behind the scenes work like they do,” Beck tells her.
“I do some acting but my focus is on comedy. I like to do stand up and write funny sketches and jingles.” Robbie answers succinctly, having been worn down by Jade at this point.
Beck, always one to try to hype up his friend adds, “He’s also really good at theater tech. He and a couple of his friends are the backbone behind most of the performances put on by the school.”
“Uh yeah, we work a lot with set building, props, lighting, sound, and cameras for plays, musicals, dance performances, and concerts.”
“That’s really cool, I’ve only seen Trina’s performances which were all solos and Well Wishes once, but from that and what Jade’s told me I can tell you’re all very talented.”
“Aw, Jade talks about us? That’s so sweet,” Beck teases, reaching a hand across the table to ruffle Jade’s hair, unable to help messing with Jade.
“Don’t touch me!” Jade snaps at him.
“Wait, Trina Vega? Like the girl that’s obsessed with Beck? Why do you go to her shows? They’re kinda terrible,” Robbie asks, confused. He’s not close to Jade so he’s the only one unaware of the connection between Tori and Trina.
“Terrible is an understatement,” Jade mumbles.
Tori winces at the question and tells him, “She’s my sister.”
Robbie looks at her shocked, his mouth opening and closing a few times trying to put his scrambled thoughts into words, “You guys all knew this? How is that even possible? You’re nothing like her.”
“Yeah thank god. I think the world would explode if it had to hold two Trinas, I can’t even handle one,” Jade inserts.
“At least you don’t have to live with her or listen to her scream sing the entire way to school every day.”
“Well that wouldn’t be a problem if you would just get your license like a normal person.”
“I’m gay Jade! It’s like the law that I can’t drive!”
“Vega, I’m gay too and I still haul your ass around whenever your obnoxious sister can’t!”
“Maybe you got lucky and were gifted the skill of driving because you don’t have an older sister to do it for you.”
Jade laughs, “Or maybe I have functioning eyes and know not to hit old ladies in wheelchairs!” she teases about the ridiculous way Tori failed her driving test, “Driving is not that hard, even Robbie can do it. What are you gonna do in a few months when she leaves for college?”
Tori bats her eyelashes and tells her, “I thought we already established, that’s what I have you for.”
Jade growls and sends her a weak glare, “You’re lucky you’re cute Vega.”
“You say that a lot.”
“Because it’s true, why else would I put up with you? I mean it’s not like you’re also funny and smart and caring and beautiful and hot and an amazing singer and the best basketball player I’ve ever seen. Seriously, you have nothing else to offer except being cute.” Jade tells her cheekily.
Tori leans over, pecks her on the lips and tells her, “You’re so sweet babe.”
“That’s what I want you to think so I can lure you in and catch you when you least expect it.”
Tori sighs, “I should have known that moment wasn’t going to last.”
Everyone except Cat is watching the interaction curiously, no longer completely caught off guard by the way they get along, but still slightly stunned by it.
“I told you guys to be prepared to see a different side of Jade,” Cat tells them, giggling lightly.
Cat’s had the advantage over their other friends of hanging out with the couple for a month now and she loves how happy and free Jade is when she’s with Tori. She knew from the moment Jade first saw Tori that she had the ability to change Jade’s life and she couldn’t be happier for her best friend. It’s truly something none of them have seen before.
“Yeah I see why Jade has never introduced us to anyone she’s dated before,” Andre says with a sly smile.
“I already warned you Andre,” Jade growls at him.
“Wait, what do you mean?” Tori asks.
Andre opens his mouth to speak but one look from Jade has him floundering, only able to get out a weak “Uh”.
Jade leans into Tori and lowers her voice so the others can’t hear, “I’ll explain in the car, we can leave as soon as I pay the check.”
Tori nods and turns back to the group but before she can continue the conversation the server walks over to drop off the checks as if he could hear what Jade just said.
Jade throws some cash in the book and tries to pull Tori from her seat but Tori doesn’t budge, “Hey, say goodbye to your friends.”
Jade rolls her eyes but says, “Later losers!” and tries to pull Tori again.
Tori shakes her head, “It was really nice to see you again Andre,” then addresses Beck and Robbie, “and it was nice to meet you guys. I have to admit I was pretty nervous earlier because I wasn’t sure how I would fit into your group but you guys are really cool and I’m already looking forward to hanging out again,” finally she turns to Cat, “Cat you rode here with Danny, do you have a ride home?”
“Yeah, Andre said he would take me, thanks for asking,” she answers looking pointedly at Jade who just rolls her eyes.
“It was really nice to meet you too, Tori. I know it’s a busy time of the year for you so have Jade add you to the group chat and we can set something up when you’re free again.” Beck tells her with his signature grin.
“Will do,” she tells him before turning to Jade, “Okay, we can go now,” then turns back to the group barely getting out, “Bye guys, thanks for a fun night!” before Jade is dragging her away.
They settle into Jade’s car and Tori can feel the nerves radiating from Jade. She reaches over to grab her hand and asks, “What’s got you so worked up babe?”
“I didn’t want Andre to be the one to tell you about that.”
“About what?”
Jade takes a deep breath and looks at Tori before snapping her eyes back to her lap, “I’ve never introduced them to anyone else I’ve dated because I’ve never really dated anyone before.”
Tori’s eyes widen and she opens her mouth to say something but Jade cuts her off.
“I mean I’ve gone on dates and stuff but I’ve never really been in a relationship before. No one has ever wanted to stick around long enough for anything to become serious.”
“Wow,” Tori breathes out, “Really?” she asks in disbelief.
Jade nods somberly, “I know I probably should have told you earlier, but everything has gone so well from the start and I didn’t want to scare you away.”
Tori can’t help but laugh and Jade’s face falls. Jade tries to pull her hand back, hurt by Tori’s reaction.
Tori realizes her mistake and holds onto Jade tighter. She reaches out and puts her hand on Jade’s cheek to make her look at her, “Jade, I don’t care about that. I’m sorry I laughed. I just think it’s kinda funny that out of everything about you, you thought that would be the thing to scare me away,” she leans in to give her a reassuring kiss before continuing, “I don’t care about your past experiences or lack thereof. I only care about our relationship and I never would have guessed that this is your first because you are so incredibly caring, passionate, affectionate, protective, and loving. I feel so loved whenever I’m with you Jade.”
Jade surges forward to kiss Tori, unable to hold back at those words.
Tori moves her hand to the back of Jade’s neck and Jade pulls at Tori’s sweater to bring her closer and the kiss deepens. Jade feels tears welling up at the overwhelming wave of emotions she’s feeling but she doesn’t let them fall.
Jade breaks the kiss but doesn’t pull away. She swallows the lump in her throat before saying, “That’s because I do love you Tori.”
Tori’s eyes light up and a huge grin takes over her face, “I love you too Jade.”
Jade’s face mirrors Tori’s but she can’t help asking, “Really? You love me? Even though I’m sarcastic and possessive and mean?”
“Yes, I do. You wouldn’t be you if you weren’t those things and on top of everything I just said, you’re also creative, you write the most interesting and at times extremely tragic stories I’ve ever read. You’re so talented, you’re an amazing actress and your voice blows me away every time I hear you sing. You’re unbelievably beautiful, I knew I was screwed as soon as I looked into your eyes. I feel so invigorated when I’m with you. Ever since I met you, you’ve been the first thing I think about when I wake up and my last thought before falling asleep.”
Jade nuzzles her head into Tori’s neck and chuckles, “Okay, okay, that’s enough,” she can feel the heat spreading across her face and the butterflies erupting in her stomach at Tori’s words.
“Cat and Andre were right earlier,” Jade whispers to her, “I do like being happy with you.”
Tori puts a finger under her chin to guide her into another kiss, “I like being happy with you too,” she tells her when they pull back.
“Let’s go. We can do this much more comfortably in my bed.”
They walk into Tori’s house hand-in-hand and Jade heads straight to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee, she’s really craving a cup for both comfort and caffeine after such an emotional day.
“Ugh! Why is she here? Trina asks in disgust from the couch, “I seriously don’t understand why you want to be around that grunch. And you didn’t even bring Beck!”
“She’s here because she’s my girlfriend and I want her here. I really thought you would be used to this by now.”
Jade can’t help telling her, “Beck doesn’t like you!”
“Oh he does, he just doesn’t know it yet,” Trina insists.
“We’ve all hated you since last summer when you invited yourself to go to the beach with us and got us locked in Beck’s RV in 100 degree heat!”
“I made one mistake!”
“Your mom made a mistake when she decided to give birth to you!”
“TORI! Your girlfriend is a total bitch!”
“Don’t call her that!” Tori defends Jade before she can snap back at Trina. As soon as Jade has her cup of coffee prepared Tori grabs her hand and pulls her toward the stairs, “We’re going to my room for the night so don’t bother us.”
“But what am I supposed to do? I’ve been waiting for you to come home because I don’t have any plans tonight.”
“I’m not surprised,” Jade mutters, “No one likes you!”
Trina scoffs and whines, “Tori, control her please!”
Tori just shouts, “Bye Trina!” as she drags Jade to her room.
After they get changed Tori settles onto her bed while Jade pulls her PearBook out of her bag.
“What are you doing?” Tori asks her.
“Getting the movie set up.”
“Ugh, do we really still have to do that?” Tori whines and pouts.
She had hoped that Jade would forget about the movie so they could continue what they started in the car but she should have known better.
Jade finishes setting up by angling the screen so they can both see it perfectly before she crawls up to Tori and grabs her chin, “You know I can’t stand whining.”
“But is the pout working?” Tori asks while exaggerating her wide eyes and protruding bottom lip.
“No,” Jade tells her flatly, but leans in to kiss her anyway, settling half on top of her when Tori wraps her arms around her waist to pull her down.
They remain in that embrace, concentrating only on the feeling of lips and tongues and wandering hands meeting each other until they hear Trina downstairs yelling at someone on the phone.
Tori growls in frustration when Jade pulls back, “She is so annoying!”
“That is definitely something we agree on.”
Jade moves off of Tori and reaches over to start the movie. She lays back against the pillows and opens her arms to welcome Tori’s cuddles, “Come on, I think you’re gonna like this one.”
“Are you sure it’s not scary?” Tori asks warily as she settles against Jade and revels in the feeling of Jade wrapping her up in her arms.
“Yes Vega, I’m sure,” Jade answers, slightly annoyed, “it’s more of a murder mystery than anything horrific. Do you really think I would lie to you?”
Tori lifts her head off of Jade’s chest to look at her, “No, because you love me,” she says with a dreamy smile.
Jade smiles back and lifts her head to peck her on the lips, “Damn right I do.”