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Jade watches, not believing what she was seeing, but something that she always expected. Beck was leaning in, trying to kiss Tori. Her gut knew it all this time that Beck always had feelings for Tori ever since Tori waltzed into Hollywood Arts. Kissing her boyfriend in a way to get her twitching ready to knock her off her feet. That’s until she saw Tori wasn’t leaning towards Beck.
She was leaning away.
“I...I can’t do this. I’m sorry, no, Beck.” Tori said, Beck instantly stopped. His eyes were slightly wide, but more-so he looked confused.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”
“No, it’s not you, it’s me, Beck-” Jade couldn’t see perfectly because of the quality of the camera, but she could hear in her voice that she was fighting something back.
“So why can’t we kiss?” Beck asked, staring right at Tori. Jade leaned closer, waiting to hear the reason. She knew something was up with Tori, so quick she was to kiss Beck in her first day, and here she could easily do it, and not know better that anyone was watching, yet she didn’t. Tori was a weird girl, for sure. She was beautiful, damn beautiful. Her tanned skin, soft looking hair that flowed in waves. Tori Vega was the very beauty that California, Hollywood in particular looks for in the next-big-thing. She could have any boy in school fall to their knees and hope to be around her talent, her potential, the chance to be her other half. Yet every boy failed at getting past a couple months, it didn’t make sense. Now here she was rejecting the very boy she kissed on her first day at Hollywood Arts.
“Because….because of Jade.” Her voice was definitely breaking now, and Beck’s face morphed into one of concern. Jade scrunched her face, what did she mean by that?
“Jade and I broke up. Tori, what’s going on? Whatever it is, I’m here for you. That attempted kiss, I’m sorry, genuinely. I’m sorry.” Tori was moving her hair out of her face, but Jade was frustrated as the camera was placed where she couldn’t see Tori’s face.
“Beck, you’re a good guy. I could’ve kissed you and we would’ve been boyfriend, girlfriend. The destined pair that the other students think were meant to be. If only it were that easy. No, I’ve tried Beck to correct who I am. I just wanted to be a normal girl.”
“But you aren’t normal, Tori, you’re special, extremely talented, beautiful, and one of the best friends I’ve had since I’ve attended Hollywood Arts. There’s nothing wrong with being normal, but there’s nothing wrong with being special, too, Tori.” But that only seemed to worsen Tori’s mood, as she started shaking her head.
“You don’t get it, Beck.” Tori said, voice starting to break again. Jade couldn’t believe what was happening, Tori was having a full-on mental breakdown, her hand started to twitch towards her phone. Her heart started to break. Why was it hurting so much?
“Then help me understand, Tori. Please, whatever it is, I’m here for you, no matter what.” Beck said, Jade could see his face serious, but in his protective manner that she loved so much when they were together. Tori was started to breathe heavily, like she was trying to calm herself. What was she hiding that took this much out of her?
“I thought Hollywood Arts was the chance to try to be normal in a way I never was. When I kissed you during that first day, I tried to hold out hope that things would be different. That I wasn’t “wired differently” as Trina puts it. I went out with so many boys, and each time it ended the same way, me alone. Whether I broke up with him, or he broke up with me, every time it never worked. I kept trying, excuse after excuse about why each boy never worked, it started with the obvious ones, too immature, too cocky, liar, manipulative. Then it started to get into nitpicks, that he missed a-”
“Tori, where are you go-” Suddenly, Tori stood up, fists clenched.
“I’M A LESBIAN!” Jade’s jaw dropped, she froze in place. She was lucky she was alone because of how loud she exclaimed it, even on the laptop speakers. Tori Vega, one of the most, if not the most popular girl in school, the lust of all guys that pass by her, even the ones that used to date her, was a lesbian. Was this some kind of weird excuse to reject Beck? It couldn't be, she wouldn't use that as a shield. Jade could see it in Beck’s eyes, also wide as saucers, understandably trying to process what he'd heard coming out of Tori's mouth.
“THAT’S RIGHT! TORI VEGA IS A LESBIAN! I’M A DYKE, A RUG MUNCHER, MUFF DIVER, BEAN FLICKER, ALL THE FUCKING SLURS THAT I HAD TO DEAL WITH BACK AT MY OLD SCHOOL! AND THE FIRST FUCKING DAY AT HOLLYWOOD ARTS I GOT ANOTHER CRUSH!” The words lingered in the air for a while as silence drowned the house. Jade couldn’t believe it, but her mind started to process and now it made sense. All the failed dates with boys, the almost disinterested nature when talking about boys, and-
‘Wait, Tori said I’m the reason why they can’t kiss. She can’t mean-’
“You didn’t want to kiss me that first day, you wanted to kiss-” Tori hung her head, and nodded, and then started shaking her head again.
“The moment I saw her. She was just so beautiful. Her ebony hair, those blue-green eyes surrounded by eye-liner, and even with her face twisted in anger, I couldn't help but want to kiss those lips of hers until I saw that face smile. And when she poured her drink on my head, it broke my heart.” Jade brought her hand to her chest, her heart was starting to hurt a lot, it was bothering her. Was she having a heart attack?
Her mind went back to where she poured her drink, Tori’s watering eyes starting at her before she left the room. Tori slowly growing on her, even when she did everything possible to tear her down. Tori smiling at her, even when she didn’t smile back. Tori being there for her after she broke up with Beck, and getting them back together. Them “dating” and Tori telling her, she’s pretty, and that warmth that she quashed down. She couldn’t like girls. That feeling was stronger when they did the play as "husband" and wife, Tori’s beautiful dark brown eyes staring back at her and noticing them flicker down to her lips. And she couldn’t help but look at Tori’s plump, kissable lips.
“I think I like you too, Tori, I didn’t realize until now.” Jade whispered, continuing to watch as Beck comforted Tori.
“That’s why I was so determined to find a boyfriend. If I got big enough, those students at my old school would spread the news about me to social media. The Slap, Twitter, Facebook. If I got a boy around my shoulder, they wouldn’t believe it. Every year, it’s hung over me like a guillotine.” Tori whispered, collapsing onto the couch and crying. Quickly, Beck brought her into a hug and Tori threw her arms around as she buried her face into the side of his arm.
“Tori. If anyone has a problem with who you are, they’re going to have to deal with me. You didn’t have to tell me and yet you did, and that means a lot to me. This secret, will stay between us. Not a single word will leave this room.” Tori nodded as Beck continued to comfort her by stroking her hair.
Jade closed the laptop. She looked at herself in the mirror, there was no happiness, no anger, instead her makeup was starting to run. Jade never cried often, if ever, but some tears escaped from her eyes. She aggressively wiped them off her face, ruining the makeup more. This getup she was in, this was supposed to be Tori’s moment, not hers. Everything she heard, all that she'd done to Tori, despite what Tori has done for her, Jade felt like a monster. She was going to make things right, with Tori, with Beck, and with anyone who tries to hurt Tori.
‘I hurt you so much Tori. Things will be different when we see each other again, I promise.’