Work Text:
Victorious Chat Room
*Backstory*
TheSlap.com has a private chat room feature! Tori and her friends have conversations, which are posted below.
*Takes place after ‘Tori Goes Platinum’*
Act 1, Scene 1
Tori: Hey, what’s happening?
Beck: Good job today tori
Tori: Thanks so much!!! Glad you could be there!!!
Beck: Yeah
Tori: Um… was there something else?
Beck: I dont know why dont you tell me
Tori: Are you mad at me?
Tori: Beck?
Beck: I dont know sorry just forget it
Beck has signed out
Tori: Come back! What did I do?
Tori: Please talk to me I don’t know what I did wrong.
Beck: You know what you did and you damn well not pretend like its ‘not that big a deal’ or anything dumb like that jades been giving me shit for this
Beck: she keeps saying how even your a better friend than I have been I thought I got away from her bitching when I dumped her but thanks to you it never ends
Tori: This is my fault? Beck, you tried to kiss me. You honestly think she’d be any less upset with you if we did kiss?
Beck: Whatever not my point
Tori: I’m sorry she isn’t happy with you, but don’t take it out on me.
Beck: All Im saying is you dont have to be so nice to everyone all the time especially her she treats you like crap and you know it
Tori: That doesn’t matter to me. Jade’s my friend no matter how much shit she gives me… and stop trying to make me feel bad for doing the right thing!
Beck: Whatever have fun with your ‘friend’ Im done with both of you
Beck has signed out
Tori: Why is it so difficult for us to be friends?
Tori: Stop signing out before I can respond!
Tori has signed out
Act 1, Scene 2
Tori: Finally! Someone’s here!
Cat: Hey Tori! Where were you today :?
Tori: Home with the flu, thanks to Trina. I’ve been waiting ALL day for someone to sign on. You have a minute?
Cat: But Beck’s signed on right now!
Cat: Yeah! I have, like… twenty of those! XD
Tori: I just need to know what homework we have in acting class.
Cat: Um… I don’t know.
Tori: Cat!
Cat: Sorry! I got lost on my way back from lunch :( I missed that whole class.
Tori: Wait, you got lost?
Cat: Jade told me to go pick up the pizza. She’s yelling at me a lot
Cat: now that she’s not talking to Beck
Tori: She’s yelling at you? Why?
Tori: Oh.
Tori: I think Andre signed on. Can we talk later? I really need to catch up on my homework,
Cat: I told her I didn’t want to, and that I got my license taken away, but she made me :O
Cat: Kay kay! Tell Andre I say hiiiii! XD
Cat signed out
Tori signed out
Tori: Hey I need your help.
Jade: You’ve finally decided you want to kill yourself? How can I be of assistance?
Tori: Very funny. No, I need you to tell me about this improv thing Sikowitz wanted us to do.
Tori: Andre started explaining it, but he disappeared mid chat.
Jade: Why don’t you just ask Andre then?
Jade: *Cat
Tori: Cat wasn’t in class, so I hear.
Jade: You can’t ask Beck? Or is he still ignoring you?
Tori: If you don’t want to help me then just say so!
Jade: I don’t.
Jade: But I will.
Tori: Really?
Jade: Sure but seriously, why is he ignoring you?
Tori: It’s complicated… and private. I don’t think he’d like it if I shared our conversations with you.
Jade: Like he doesn’t blab to you about our conversations.
Tori: You know you two are more alike than you think. Anyway, just because he thinks its okay to gossip doesn’t mean I believe in it.
Jade: Stop being such a little bitch and tell me!
Tori: Stop being so nosey and just tell me what my homework is!
Jade: I don’t think so
Tori: Why is this so hard?
Jade: You gonna spill or what?
Tori: I already told you, I’m not.
Jade signed out
Tori: Really?
Act 1, Scene 3
Tori: Jade, your status says you’re at the hospital.
Jade: Congratulations. You can read.
Tori: Are you okay??
Jade: Yes Vega, you can stop worrying. I’m perfectly fine.
Jade: I’m visiting a friend of my dad’s.
Tori: Aw!
Jade: They’re draining his blood.
Tori: Oh… um, ew. So, I guess I’ll let you enjoy that.
Jade: Oh, I will.
Tori signed off
Jade: It’s kinda dumb, but I posted that status about three hours ago and you’re the only one who’s said anything about it. If you think about it, I could be dying right now. No one even cares enough to see if I’m okay.
Jade: I’m not saying ‘thanks’ or anything like that, but… it’s sorta okay that you care.
Jade: Tori?
Jade: Oh, right…
Jade signed off
Tori: Got your message. Sorry to sign off like that, I figured, you know… that you were kinda busy with
Tori: But I don’t believe that no one else cares. I think you have a lot more friends then you credit yourself for Jade.
Tori: Stop ignoring me!
Tori: Fine shoot me a message when you read this.
Jade: Quit spamming me.
Tori: I wasn’t spamming you, I was just trying to reply to your message.
Tori: I wasn’t spamming you, I was just trying to reply to your message.
Jade: Next time don’t reply with a freaking novel.
Tori: You’re exaggerating. Besides, you’ve written longer before.
Tori: Are you back from the hospital?
Jade: And stop sending me messages. Just because I don’t respond in five minutes doesn’t necessarily mean it was a sending failure.
Tori: They happen a lot! It’s not that unlikely!
Jade: It’s more likely I’m just choosing to ignore you.
Tori: If you’re choosing to ignore me, why did you reply in the first place? You really started a conversation with me just to tell me you don’t want to talk to me?
Jade: YES
Jade: In rare hopes that maybe one of these day’s you’ll learn that I don’t like you.
Tori: I still don’t believe you.
Jade: Believe whatever the fuck you want. I don’t care what you think.
Tori: You don’t have to be so bitter all the time!
Jade: Let me ask you this then. If you think I’m so unpleasant to talk to, why start a conversation with me in the first place?
Tori: Because you need me!
Jade: You can not be serious. You’re so fucked up if you actually think that.
Tori: You said it yourself; what if you really were dying in the hospital? Who would be there for you? Cat’s too spacey, Robby’s afraid of you, you and Beck are practically strangers at this point…
Tori: I am serious! Even if it sounds conceded, it’s true.
Jade signed out
Tori: Surprise surprise, Jade’s running away from the truth.
Jade: I’m not running. I’m sick of you.
Jade signed out
Act 1, Scene 4
Jade: I’m so conflicted.
Andre: Hey Jade.
Jade: Shut up and listen to me!
Jade: I’m talking to you because I have no other choice. Cat’s a loud mouth and she wouldn’t understand anyway. You and Tori are pretty close, right?
Andre: Yeah.
Andre: What’s this about?
Jade: I’m having trouble controlling my feelings around her. I start to panic… I can’t seem to talk to her anymore without starting some sort of random argument. They’re getting more intense too. The more I’m around her the more I realize what’s happening to me, and it scares me. I think I’m falling for her, but it scares the hell out of me.
Andre: If you like Tori Vega then why are you still being mean to her?
Andre: She still doesn’t know you’re bi?
Jade: I told you, I’m having a hard time accepting it.
Jade: Some times I feel like she knows for sure, but it could be in my head. She makes these hidden references, or, at least I think she does.
Andre: Well just calm down. If she doesn’t know, then there’s no way for her to suspect anything, right? As long as Tori never finds out you dig chicks, then there’s no issue.
Jade: But that’s NOT the issue! I’m acting like a total jerk to her, and I can’t stop!
Andre: I hate to break it to you, but you’ve sorta been pretty jerky to her since you two met.
Jade: I know I know. You’re not reading it right or something; I want to stop
Andre: I got you! Just… don’t be mean to Tori.
Jade: You’re no help.
Jade: Thanks for listening, and not making a big deal out of it. This conversation stays between the two of us.
Jade signed out
Andre: Well sorry, but I got nothing.
Andre: Alright then.
Act 1, Scene 5
Jade: Did you get your homework help?
Tori: I think I can handle it. Thank you though :)
Jade: Who said I was offering to help you to being with?
Tori: Alright, I’m leaving.
Jade: Wait
Jade: I want to talk to you.
Tori: You want to talk to me?
Tori: You said earlier today you wanted me to stop talking to you.
Tori: ‘In rare hopes that maybe one of these day’s you’ll learn that I don’t like you.’ I pasted it from our convo before; your words not mine.
Tori: What do you want to talk about?
Jade: I wanted to know if you were okay.
Tori: What? I’m fine, why?
Jade: It’s just in your update you posted that you were becoming stressed over your project or whatever. Just wanted to make sure you weren’t busting windows.
Tori: Again, very funny. But I’m fine.
Tori: I could really use some help though if you really mean it. I missed the lesson plan, and this improv thing looks pretty complicated.
Jade: G2g
Jade signed out
Tori signed out
Tori: Hey, you cut out earlier.
Andre: I know. Grandma thought the internet cable was a snake.
Tori: Haha what’s new with her?
Andre: Not too much really. No new fears this whole week, so that’s a plus
Andre: Has Jade talked to you?
Tori: I sent her a message a few minutes ago. Why?
Tori: She said she wanted to talk to me.
Andre: No reason.
Andre: Hey are you still buggin out on your project? If you want to come over I can probably give you a hand.
Tori: THANK YOU! Maybe I’ll actually get some work done.
Tori: Not cool.
Tori: Andre, I know you’re online.
Tori: Andre!
Jade: Thanks. I hate you for trapping me in with her, but… thanks.
Andre: A friends gotta do what a friends gotta do.
Tori: Why did you lock me in your bedroom with Jade? You can’t ignore me all day!
Andre: Common, I was trying to help!
Andre: She said she was sorry.
Tori: She tried to bite my hand off!
Andre: Not my problem!
Tori: How do you know she apologized?
Andre signed off
Tori: Did she plan this?
Tori: Hello?
Tori: Have you been able to get a hold of Andre yet?
Jade: No, that sneaky jerk still won’t return any of my messages. What about you?
Tori: So you haven’t talked to him?
Jade: Not yet, but when he does respond he’s going to wish that he hadn’t
Tori: What’s going on? I know you talked to Andre some time today.
Tori: Did you plan this?
Jade: Yeah, Vega. I wanted to be locked in a room with you.
Tori: Be as sarcastic as you want, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re lying.
Tori: Weather you planned it or not you’re still lying about something, and it doesn’t add up.
Jade: Oh no, it’s been five minutes since I’ve responded! Why don’t you send me another message, just to make sure I got it?
Tori: Quit changing the subject. What’s going on?
Jade: I’m telling you Vega, I didn’t ‘plan’ to be locked in a room with you, he never told me he was going to, and I haven’t been in a chat with him since we’ve gotten out.
Tori: What about before?
Jade: What about it?
Tori: Before we were trapped, did you chat with him?
Tori: Maybe you didn’t enter a chat but I know you’ve had some sort of communication with him. You better tell me what’s going on Jade before I figure it out for myself.
Jade: This is so stupid! If you really want to know about my chat with Andre so badly, why don’t you tell me about your chat with Beck?
Jade: Not so quick to respond now, huh Vega?
Tori signed off
Act 1, Scene 6
Tori: Can I ask you something?
Beck: Unless your asking to make out then I dont want to hear it
Tori: Does Jade have a crush on me?
Beck signed out
Tori: You said something to me yesterday that really didn’t make a lot of sense. Some things have happened today… I just wanted to know if it was possible.
Beck: What
Tori: You were upset with me because I was choosing Jade’s side over yours, but you never said it was the reason she was upset with you. I just wanted to clarify that… and why it’s ‘thanks to me’ that she continues to harass you about non-stop.
Tori: You said you put up with her never ending bitching ‘thanks to me’. Can’t you tell me what that means?
Beck: I also said she treats you like crap what makes you think she has a crush on you
Tori: I don’t know… little things? She starts random chats on the site and comes up to me without notice at school. Andre acts like he knows something I don’t. Some of the things Jade says don’t match up. Mainly… it’s because she’s so persistent in knowing what we talked about.
Tori: It makes me think you know something.
Beck: I dont
Beck signed out
Tori: Sorry for signing off earlier.
Jade: I could care less.
Tori: I’m ready to tell you what Beck and I talked about, actually, if you’re willing to listen.
Jade: Fine.
Jade: Well?
Tori: He said you were in love with me.
Jade: Sorry, I just died laughing! You can’t be fucking serious Vega. Tell me what you two were really talking about.
Jade: You’ve got to be seriously fucked up if you’d believe that.
Tori: I am serious Jade, he told me he was sick of the both of us, and he wanted nothing to do with us. He’s mad at you, and he was trying to convince me to stop talking to you.
Jade: You see, then? He was just making things up to get you to quit being ‘friends’ with me or whatever you call it.
Tori: He told me something else too. You and I both know he wasn’t making it up.
Jade: What?
Jade: Tori what did he tell you?
Jade: Before you get the wrong idea I’m telling you right now I’m straight. I kissed a girl one time, and that was it.
Tori signed off
Jade: Quit fucking avoiding me
Beck: I thought you said you were never talking to me again
Jade: And I thought you said you could keep a secret, but that didn’t work out either!
Jade: You fucking answer me Beck Oliver! Just because you like her too doesn’t mean you can play dirty!
Beck: I don’t know what your talking about what secret
Jade: Don’t play stupid with me dumb ass! You told her that I kissed a girl.
Jade: And that I was in love with her.
Beck: She contacted me about it but I swear I didn’t say anything I told her I didnt know I even tried to convince her that theres no way you could ever have a crush on her
Jade: Fuck off.
Beck: Do you really think I want to see you two get together I like her too remember you cant imagine how hurt id be if I saw my crush and my exgirlfriend get together
Jade: ‘Hurt’ is just a less pathetic way of saying you’d be jealous.
Beck: So maybe I would but I still haven’t said anything to her what exactly did she say
Jade: I don’t know, she just said she knew my secret. It the one thing that made sense that ties in with what she was saying about me liking her.
Jade: ‘He told me something else too. You and I both know he wasn’t making it up.’ That’s exactly what she sent me.
Beck: Look I gotta go I swear I never said anything if you dont believe me fine whatever I dont care
Jade: Fine!
Jade signed out
Beck: She sent that exactly I think she was bluffing Jade you shouldve just kept it to yourself
Beck: Fine whatever
Beck signed out
Act 1, Scene 7
Tori: Where are you? Class is starting.
Jade signed out
Tori: What class are you in?
Andre: Music theory. You?
Tori: Language Arts, and Jade hasn’t shown up at all.
Andre: Maybe she caught the flu?
Tori: From who?
Tori: Oh wait.
Tori: Well she couldn’t have caught it form me, she’s not around me enough. If anyone it would be you or Cat who’d catch it first.
Andre: I gotta go. Shoot me a message next class, I’ll let you know if I see Jade or not.
Andre signed out
Tori: Next class is Sikowitz.
Tori: Oh you’ll figure it out!
Jade: Oh, so you have time to post an update but you can’t answer your phone?
Cat: Sorry! I’m watching the orchestra concert. I don’t want to interrupt the pretty music XD
Jade: You’re here too? I don’t see you.
Cat: I’m right here!
Jade: That doesn’t help
Jade: What row? Wave or something
Jade: What the fuck Cat?!
Cat: I was trying to get your attention! :O
Jade: I didn’t mean like that!
Cat: Can I come sit by you? There’s this wired guy over here =/ he keeps throwing these little paper balls at me.
Jade: NO
Jade signed out
Cat signed out
Cat: We could always chat on here.
Jade: Well, I guess mister security guard can’t yell at us for making noise if we’re in a chat room.
Cat: Yay! :D :D :D
Jade: When does this end?
Cat: If you’re not having fun then why are you still here?
Jade: It’s because no one can find me here, and no one would think to look.
Cat: Ooo! Are you playing hide and seek? Can I play?
Jade: I am not.
Jade: Actually, yeah. Why don’t you go hide, and I’ll try to find you.
Cat: Kay kay! :)
Jade signed out
Cat: It’s been a really long time :O
Cat: Jade? Do you need a hint?
Cat: Lalala la lala lala
Jade: Why did you come back?
Cat: I had to go pee… but then I heard the pretty music through the door, and I came back! XD Yay!
Jade: They just announced this is the last piece.
Cat: Wait… did you ever leave?
Jade: I’m going. If you want to beat the traffic then you should leave too.
Jade signed out
Cat: Bye Jade :D :) I’ll tell you all about the last song tomorrow!
Cat: Bye! X)
Act 1, Scene 7
Cat: Tori! Hi! :D
Tori: Hey red, what’s happening?
Cat: I wanted to tell you something!
Tori: Sure!
Tori: Cat?
Cat: Yeah?
Tori: What did you want to tell me?
Cat: I forgot =/
Tori: Cat!
Cat: But it was something to do with music!~
Tori: As long as it wasn’t anything too important…
Cat: What’s that supposed to mean?!
Cat: Are you saying music isn’t important? :,(
Tori: No! No music is very important Cat! I’m just waiting for someone to get online is all, but never mind, it’s nothing you have to worry about.
Cat: Okay :)
Tori: So how was your day?
Cat: Fun! :D I got to play hide-and-go seek!
Tori: Yeah? I’ve been doing that all day. It’s getting annoying.
Cat: No one found you either?
Tori: Did someone tell you to hide and not go looking for you again?!
Cat: Again?
Tori: Um, typo. Sorry.
Tori: I wasn’t the one hiding, but I’ve been looking for her all day.
Cat: Who? Jade?
Cat: Oh yeah! I think I saw her today!
Tori: Yeah Jade.
Tori: Really? Are you sure?
Cat: I saw her at the orchestra concert.
Tori: Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?
Tori: Forget it, where is she now?
Cat: She didn’t say.
Tori: Do you think you could call her and see?
Cat: No Tori! :O That would be cheating!!
Tori: It’s not really a game, it’s just… every time I try to start a chat with her she signs out or blocks me. I’ve tried calling her, but she just kicks me to voice mail.
Cat: Yeah! Cause if you call her, the pretty music goes off and then you’d be able to follow it to where she is.
Tori: That’s not a bad idea, actually.
Tori signed out
Cat: No! That’s not playing fair!
Jade: Stop calling me Vega, I won’t pick up.
Tori: I’m would if you would just tell me where you are! I need to talk to you.
Jade: No
Jade signed out
Tori: Spill it.
Andre: You’re still obsessing over this?
Tori: Yes! And I’m going to keep at it until I know what’s going on!
Tori: So you may as well just tell me now.
Andre: Why is it such a big deal anyway? What if Jade did plan it? Are you going to take revenge somehow? What if she told me afterwards that she apologized to you? What if she forgot she talked to me, and didn’t mean to lie to you? What if I just wanted you two to make up, and she had nothing to do with it?
Tori: Even if none of it’s true, all of it’s true, whatever; the fact that you know all the right things to ask is just one more indicator that you and her talk a lot.
Tori: About me.
Tori: You know the answers to these questions. I don’t. I’m not going to stop bugging you or searching for Jade until I know what’s going on.
Andre: Why is it such a big deal?
Tori: Because something’s going on and I don’t know about it, and it effects me.
Andre: This is really because you’re uninformed?
Tori: I don’t know why it’s such a big deal. Maybe it’s because Beck tried to kiss me.
Andre: Why does that matter?
Andre: If you really want to know what’s going on you’ll have to ask Jade.
Tori: I can’t
Andre: (414) 837-2856 it’s her home phone number.
Tori: Thanks.
Andre: Can’t promise she’ll be honest with you but good luck.
Tori: Okay. Do you think she’s still awake?
Andre: She is.
Tori: Right. Thanks.
Andre signed out
Act 2, Scene 1
Tori held her phone to her ear. She’d already dialed the number and it began to ring, but she didn’t know what to say. She’s been in such a hurry to get in touch with Jade, she hasn’t thought about what they would talk about when she did.
I could try to get her to tell me something by pretending I already know something. Andre mentioned something earlier about her planning the whole thing. Or was that me who brought it up? I guess I could always-
“Who is this?”
She was shocked when she heard Jade’s voice through the phone. Suddenly everything slipped form her memory. She could remember why she was so desperate to get a hold of her, or what it is she wanted. And what was Jade asking? Who she is? She didn’t even know that answer to that.
“Hello? How do you have my number?”
“It’s Tori.” She babbles when she finally recalls her own name.
“I’m hanging up.”
“Wait!” The frisky Latina cries.
“What?!” Jade snaps bitterly, and her mother looks at her briefly from the kitchen, where the phone was connected to the wall.
“Do you wanna go out? On a date?” Tori stutters, almost inaudibly.
What? For a second there,, I thought I asked Jade on a date. What’s wrong with me?
Tori felt lightheaded and dizzy, but despite her murmured sentence fragments, Jade was able to clearly understand exactly what Tori had just asked her. Yes; Tori asked her out, but, why?
Could it be that she actually… liked her back?
There was no conversation between the two, but they stayed on the line.
“Okay.” Jade finally breaths, coming to realize why Tori’s been so persistent in pursuing the truth these past few days.
It all makes sense now; the only reason she really wanted to know that badly is because she too had a crush on Jade! Or, at least that’s what Jade had come up with.
Before they could make plans on the time and place, or even the day, Jade hangs up. Tori wasn’t saying anything, possibly still stunned, dazed, and confused.
In a few words were all the questions answered, and just as many, if not more, created. Jade really was in love with her, and Beck sure as hell knew. But… for how long? And how long has Jade actually liked her, or been into girls that way? Does she really consider herself straight, despite the fact that she’s kissed a girl? Does she still? And… why? Why does she consider herself straight, if she does, but more importantly, why in the world was she attracted to Tori?
But who has the time to be freaking out over these minor things. Before she could answer these questions about Jade… she had yet to answer them for herself. She just asked Jade out; weather she meant to or not. She didn’t mean to, but that wasn’t the point. For whatever reason, she did.
Why?
Jade’s thoughts echoed.
Never in a million years had she dreamed this girl would be into her that way. Well, okay. So she’s dreamed it, and fantasized over this very thing every night, but it was actually happening now!
She can’t seem too desperate though. What if she screws up? She did avoid Tori and her friends all day, after all.
It’s decided, then. She can’t seem too willing. Despite being ignored, Tori continued to chase after her. She was going to play hard to get, and continue to act like nothing’s changed. It would be hard, but she wouldn’t bring up this ‘date’ Tori asked her on until Tori brought it up first.
Where would she take Jade? She couldn’t make up her mind. If she seemed too serious, she might scare Jade off. It had to be somewhere real though; somewhere that real couple’s go to on a real date. It was the only way she’d know for sure Jade really did like her that way.
She still couldn’t believe it, actually.
“Hey.” Tori waves awkwardly the next day at lunch.
“Hi.” Jade responds dryly.
She told herself she would act as if nothing happen, but now that Tori’s right in front of her, it makes it hard. She always did have trouble controlling her emotions, actions, and behavior around her crush, but knowing what she knows now, there was no telling how she might react, and it scared her.
They didn’t say a word to one another the entire lunch period. Almost everyone could feel the tension between the two, because rumor has it two girls are falling for each other at Hollywood Arts, according to the latest gossip.
Jade didn’t dare make eye contact with her even once in class. She glanced at Jade every hour or so, just to see if the gothic female was paying attention. It didn’t look like it.
But she was. She could just feel jolts of energy churning in her stomach each time Tori’s bright eyes flicked in her direction. Tori just couldn’t stop, and it’s no wonder students have been saying Tori likes her. Her body language is so obvious, it’s a little embarrassing.
She didn’t care what other’s thought, though. Just Tori.
It wasn’t until after school Tori pulled Jade aside and talked to her.
Tori’s eyes were directly locked to her own, and she felt herself beginning to melt.
“Jade! I said is that alright?” She repeats, becoming irritant with Jade and praying she didn’t have to repeat herself. People were watching, and she was more than aware.
“Stop mumbling.” Jade scoffs, and almost regrets it when she does. She had to keep that aggressive tone though, if she was going to make Tori believe she wasn’t as desperate as she really was. “Just, what is it you want?”
No! Now they’re all starting to gather around!
“I said… I said… I’ll pick you up around nine.” Tori quietly stutters, her face turning beat red, adding to the obviousness of their plans.
Where did Tori say she was taking her? Where ever it was, she had to be ready by nine. Ready for what, though? The thought finally crossed her mind five hours later when she began to prepare.
She didn’t know how to. She didn’t want to overdress, nor did she want to dress too casual. Maybe someone else knew? There were a few people there watching, if she remembered correctly. Maybe one of those dumb students heard, and it’s spread around school by now.
Jade signed on her slap account as a guest, and began typing random students. One person told her Tori promised to take her on a walk on the beach, while another claimed Tori had some home-cooked dinner prepared for her. Between that, horseback riding, going to the movies, and all the other unrelated things people told her they’d heard, she couldn’t get one similar answer.
They all sounded like such amazing things though. She wished she could go on all these dates with Tori, but for now, one would be plenty, no, more than enough to hold her over.
Tori knocks at the door, and Jade checks the time.
It was nine o clock exactly… there’s no way she’d been on the computer that long! She hadn’t even dried her hair yet, and she looked like a mess. She hastily applied a bit of makeup, and ran downstairs.
Jade looked… well, she didn’t look ‘bad’. Actually, she looked a little, dare she say, innocent, without her usual dark clothes and accessories. Her hair was a little messy, but other than that she realized this must be how Jade looks when no one is around to see her.
“I know I’m running a little late, but-” She stops herself. “But you can wait. I have to finish getting ready, so deal.”
With that, Jade slams the door shut, leaving Tori outside.
God, that was just awful! Why am I so mean to her? She didn’t deserve that, and… I didn’t mean that.
As much as she wished she could control her outbursts, she couldn’t. She hurried through her procedures as quick as she could, but not to look sloppy.
Jade returns to the door eight minutes later; her hair curled and her eyes dark with mascara and other products.
She wanted to leave, but if she ever wanted to know the truth about Jade’s sexuality, …or her own… she had to put up with this; no matter how terrible Jade treated her.
“Don’t fucking stare at me like that Vega.” Jade growls, and Tori hadn’t even realized she was.
Jade pushes past her, and climbs in the passenger seat.
The two finally arrive at a restaurant. Did Tori take her to that Nozu place? She looks around at the familiar atmosphere, and decided it was.
“Why are we here?” Jade asks, not even trying to be rude but naturally saying it in a disapproving way.
“I…” Tori was confused for a moment. Why were they here?
Right…
“Jade, when I asked you out, you agreed to go on a date with me. If you have a problem with it, then you should’ve just said no to begin with.”
Jade shrugs.
The two sit at a booth on the side of the restaurant, out of view of anyone here that possibly goes to their school. Jade sat down first, and Tori took her seat across from her.
This is happening.
The secluded area caused Jade to become even more nervous now. Was there a reason Tori picked this spot?
“…this is really awkward.” Tori moans, dropping her menu.
Jade simply nods, and continue to scan over the menu. She already knew what she wanted to order the minute they pulled in, but the large plastic provided a sort of wall, blocking Tori from reading into her actions.
Things didn’t take well from there. Jade bitched at Tori (even though she knew she was pushing it a bit too far, she couldn’t seem to control it) and Tori, (though she didn’t fight back) has had enough of it.
"Why'd you even agree to come here?!" She asks abruptly, at the end of her nerves.
"Why did you ask me in the first place?" Jade counters.
"Because you-" Tori pauses. Why did she ask Jade out? "Okay, you remember how you told me before that you kissed a girl one time?"
"Yeah...?" Jade crosses her arms, awaiting further explanation.
"You told me that even though you kissed a girl once, you knew you were straight. I figure if you can do that, then obviously you're pretty confident about your sexuality."
In all honesty, she wasn't. Not in the least bit, and more then definitely not now.
But...
"What's your point?" Jade glares at her.
"I don’t know… I really don't know how I feel about girls, so I thought maybe if I went on a date with one, then-"
"W-what?" Jade stutters. Was she hearing this right?
"...I-" Tori begins to mumble. Jade did ask, and Tori was telling her the truth. So... Why were her eyes getting puffy now?
"So that's it, then? You were just using me to figure out what you are? Now I get it." Jade sits pushes her food away and sits back in her seat. She looks away from Tori, trying not to look like she's crying.
"Get what?" Tori questions, genuinely lost.
"Why you wanted to know how I felt about you so badly. You were just waiting for some girl to fall in love with you, you never cared who she was. You never really cared about me."
"In... In love?" She stutters. This wasn't just some experimental things to Jade, she was... Jade really was...
"I hope you're happy Vega. I hope you got what you wanted."
Oh my god, Jade’s crying? Jade?
"Look, I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings!" Tori defends, now feeling bad for her friend.
"No, you don't give a fuck about my feelings. If you did then you wouldn't have used me to begin with."
Jade storms into the bathroom with her hands covering her face.
What have I done? I didn't know Jade actually liked me so much; how could I, with the way she's been acting around me all night?
I'm so fucking gullible. All the effort Tori had put into searching for me, harassing other people for information, manipulating me to telling her things I shouldn't; she did it all just for herself. Tori never liked me to begin with. I knew this was too good to be true.
Act 2, Scene 2
Tori had a decision to make. She could call Jade back and apologize, or, personally tell her at school the next day. She felt so bad, and ignoring the issue wasn’t the answer. She didn’t want to wait, she wanted to see if Jade was okay now. She figures Jade needed some time to herself as of right now, or at least time away from her.
She entered a chat with Andre a little later.
Andre: You know Jade’s upset, right?
Tori: I know. I’d be mad too if I were her.
Tori: Thanks for reminding me.
Andre: No I mean she’s really upset.
Tori: Like… sad?
Andre: Yeah. She told me what happened, I don’t think I believe her though.
Andre: Not entirely.
Tori: Well what did she say??
Andre: Something wired.
Tori: What did she say?
Andre: Chill down!
Andre: She told me you took advantage of her to… um, understand your sexuality.
Tori: That sounds really bad…
Andre: Did you?
Tori: I didn’t ‘take advantage of her’, or, didn’t mean to. I took her out on a date, and yeah I’m still pretty confused on the whole thing, and I do want answers, but that’s not the reason I asked her out! She seems to think I’ve been ‘waiting for some girl to fall in love with me’ but I really haven’t. Everything happened so quickly, and all at once, and on such short notice, and I didn’t know how to handle it all.
Andre: You lost me.
Tori: It wasn’t my intentions.
Andre: If you say it was an accident then I believe you. I’m sure you didn’t mean to make her cry.
Tori: Ohhh…
Tori: I’m going to talk to her tomorrow, but can you tell her I’m really, really sorry? Please?
Andre: If I talk to her then sure, I’ll pass it on.
Tori: Thank you.
Tori signed off
Jade: And that’s everything that happened.
Cat: …wait what? =/
Jade: What do you mean what? I just sent seven messages explaining ‘what’, don’t ‘what’ me!
Cat: That’s a lot to read though! Can’t you give me a summary or a Sparknotes version of the story?
Jade: Cat! I’m upset!
Cat: I’m sorry! D:
Jade: Not at you! I’m upset because of Tori.
Cat: Oh.
Jade: She was being mean to me.
Cat: Ooo! Is it opposite day? Can I be Squidward??? :D :D :D
Cat: Oops, I mean…
Cat: D: D: D:
Jade signed out
Cat: …so Tori was being mean to you?
Cat signed out
Jade already missed a ton of classes, and couldn’t skip again, she reluctantly showed up five minutes late to Sikowitz class, and sat in the back of the room.
Everyone silenced. Gossip spread though the school like the flu, and at least half the class was aware of what was going on.
“As I was saying…” Sikowitz starts, since being distracted by Jade’s late enterance. “One way to create intense, emotional scenes is through method acting. What is method acting?”
Robby raises his hand.
“Acting from past experiences?”
“No Robby.” Sikowitz says. “Method acting is acting from past experiences.”
Robby looks to him confused, but no one else seems to notice.
“Some actors, you see, may choose to draw from thinks that dramatically effected them in the past, and tie that in with their scene. Others might force themselves into certain situations, or lifestyles, in order to better understand the role.”
Before class was over, Sikowitz assigned the students their homework. Everyone was given a booklet, from which they had to pick from the pages assigned. There were five choices; each involving a highly emotional scene between two people.
Jade chose Cat as her partner, and Tori worked with Andre. Beck was paired with Jessica, one of the blonde females sitting in the back of the room next to Jade, and Robby didn’t have a partner, so he decided to work with Rex.
Jade always showed up five minutes late, then snuck out five minutes early. Tori tried to follow her at the end of her last class, but was caught and told to return to her seat until the final bell rang. It was only one weekend, and then she could talk to Jade on Monday, right?
She and Andre focused on the project all weekend long. She never saw him and Jade chatting, probably because she was telling Cat all about her problems. Tori wasn’t sure why it bugged her so much that Jade was spending so much time with Cat now. I mean, the two have been best friends forever and it’s never bugged her before. Not this much, anyway.
It’s best she ignore it, before someone ends up with hot cheese in their face.
“Let’s run it one last time?” Tori suggests.
“I just said that. Twice.” Andre points out. “You okay girl?”
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. Let’s just… let’s try again.” Tori takes a moment to get into character, and starts her first line.
After viewing many performances, she and Andre went last. The two were on stage now, and getting in character for their scene.
“I don’t get it.” Tori states.
“What’s there not to get?” Andre’s character question’s Tori’s, rather sympathetically. “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do.”
“You can bail me out! You can save me!”
“I can’t.” Andre sighs. “If I did, Sarah would never forgive me.”
“So that’s it then? You’d rather let me go to jail than get on Sarah’s bad side?” Tori says, as if she can’t believe Andre’s character would do that to her.
“I guess so.” Andre shrugs.
“Why?” She asks curiously.
“Because Sarah was there was me when I needed her. You abandoned me.” Andre nods, then takes a breath.
“But I didn’t know things were going to end up like this!” Tori raises her voice at this, and shoots her arms up briefly.
“Sarah has a broken leg, and you’re going to rot in prison.” Andre explains, straight up like it is.
“What about you?” Tori asks questioningly.
“I’m going to visit my friend.”
The class claps accordingly, neither liking nor particularly disliking the performance. They certainly got their grade; but there was really nothing spectacular about it.
“No one took my advice, then.” Sikowitz announces as he treads up on stage. “You all stink!”
This was typical from him. They knew what to expect.
“This was a method acting exercise, I told you kids you need to draw from emotion! What I saw up there was good acting. I don’t want to see great acting, I want to see terrible reality!”
The bell rings, and everyone starts toward the back of the room.
“Not so fast!” He interrupts. “No one is leaving this room until one group get this right.”
“Sikowitz!”
“Common!”
“Noooope.” The frantic teacher denies. “Now who’s going to try again?”
The students returned to their seats, but no one volunteered.
“Is that how it’s going to be then? How about we just start from-”
Sikowitz then captures Jade pouting in the back, more than angry she had to remain here.
“…Jade. You and Cat performed pages fifteen and sixteen, correct?”
Jade rolls her eyes.
“Tori! Come come. And Jade, you take over Andre’s part.” Sikowitz smiles demonically.
He seems excited and he dances back to his seat, anticipating the results of the scene already.
“This is stupid.” Jade grunts, but takes her spot next to Tori.
“Action!” Sikowitz calls, and the two look at each other.
“Okay then, um…” Tori shrugs, and decides to go with it. “I don’t get it.”
“What’s there not to get?” Jade says, rather coldly. It was clear she didn’t want to be doing this, or interacting with Tori at all, but she had to, and “There’s nothing I can do.”
Did this count as them talking? They were just doing an acting exercise, but it’s the first time Jade has said anything to her since their date. It was causing Tori to feel a little nervous. “You can bail me out.” She says shakily. “Y-you can save me.”
“I can’t!” Jade yells, feeding off of Tori’s fear. Why, even in front of everyone, could she not control herself?
Tori shutters slightly at Jade’s tone.
“If I did then Sarah would never forgive me.” She explains, collecting herself and attempting to calm down.
“So that’s it. You’d rather let me go to jail than disappoint Sarah.” Tori states, not asking it like it was a question but reminding herself that this was her fate.
“Guess so.” Jade looked Tori in the eyes. She was so cold about it, as if she were mocking her misfortune.
“Why…?” Her voice became softer, and though she was intimidated by Jade’s glare, she couldn’t help but feel a little hurt.
“Because!” Jade shouts. “Because Sarah was THERE for me when I needed her. YOU abandoned me!”
Where did that come from?! Jade even shocked herself at the amount of poison her words contained.
“I-”
Tori was stunned. She’d forgotten her line, and suddenly felt pressured with everyone looking at her.
“I didn’t know it was going to end up like this.” She blurts when it finally comes to her.
“Sarah has a broken leg.” Jade says, almost laughing a little at how obvious it should seem. “And you, are going to rot in prison for it.” Her character was to regret her decision, but Jade didn’t show it even a little bit. She seemed vengeful that this was Tori’s fate, despite the fact she cared for her at one point in time.
She asks reluctantly. She feared the answer, and didn’t want to know, but it was in the script. She had no choice. “And what about you?”
Yeah, what about her? Sarah wasn’t in perfect shape, but she was still her friend. She was the only one she had to turn to, so Sarah would have to be her support form now on.
“I’m going to visit my friend.”
Jade steps off stage now, and Tori watches her as she does. Jade takes her seat, and the class applauds wildly.
“You see!” Sikowitz shouts.
Tori shakes her head, and remembers she’s in a class room. She walks to her seat awkwardly.
“It’s the way you say something that matters! Don’t put emphasis where the scene speeds up, put it where the audience least expects it!”
“Can we go now?” Rex interrupts, and everyone else is on the edge of their seats, waiting to be released.
“Yes, yes. Go on. See you all tomorrow.”
Jade: I need you to do me a favor.
Cat: Hi Jade!
Jade: Could you get on a chat with Beck and let him know I’m sorry for accusing him?
Cat: Um, okay. Why don’t you just tell him? =/
Jade: He isn’t talking to me.
Jade: I think he’s spreading rumors about me and Tori, and it’s really complicating things. I just want this whole thing to be done with so we can move on and I never have to see her again.
Jade: Can you please just tell him I’m sorry?
Cat: Yeah :D
Jade: Thanks Sarah
Jade: *Cat
Cat: No! I’m Squidward, remember!
“Beck!” Cat calls across the hallway, and runs up to him.
“What’s up red?” He smiles, and looks up from his phone.
“Who were you texting?” She asks, and curiously peeks over at his phone.
“Who wasn’t I texting? I have so many girls numbers, I can’t even keep my conversations in line.”
Cat looks confused.
“…what did you come over here for? Exactly?”
“Oh right!” She remembers. “Jade said she- um… She told me to tell you something…”
His face puzzles. “Okay. So, what?”
What was it Jade asked her to say? Something about Tori and Squidward, right? Maybe she was supposed to tell Beck that Tori has a big nose. Wait, that wasn’t right…
“Um, I don’t remember.”
Beck rolls his eyes. “I swear, you have the attention span of a flea.”
She giggles. “Oh my gosh! Fleas are so cute!”
Upon Cat further proving his point, he decided to leave her there and continue his text with- well, whatever that chick’s name was.
“Beck? Where’d you go?” The confused redhead questions, spinning around in circles in attempt to find him.
Jade: Did you talk to him?
Cat: Who?
Jade: Beck! Did you talk to Beck?”
Cat: Yeah :D
Jade: Good.
Jade signed out
Cat: He told me I was a cute little mosquito!
Cat: I mean, a flea! A cute little flea!
Cat: Hello? =/
Jade hoped the rumors would stop, and Tori would quit trying to apologize. Jade didn’t care how guilty Tori felt, it wasn’t going to change what she did. There was no way to take it back, no matter what she said.
(To be continued)