Work Text:
The final bell rings through Hollywood Arts, releasing the students from school for the weekend.
Traffic immediately floods the halls and Jade strides quickly and confidently to her scissor covered locker with Cat hot on her heels.
“Jade please, I’ll do anything,” Cat begs.
“No, I hate sports,” Jade spits back as she begins putting her books away.
“Come on, you don’t even have to watch. We’ll just be there to hang out with Danny, then we can go get food after the game.”
“And why would I want to hang out with your boyfriend?” Jade shoots back.
“I’ll buy you coffee for a month,” Cat begins to negotiate.
“No.”
“I’ll go with you to see that new movie you were talking about.”
“No.”
Cat sighs and looks at her feet, kicking at the ground before popping her head up with a big grin, “You know, I bet there’s gonna be some cute Sherwood girls there,” she says teasingly.
Jade slams her locker and turns to Cat with a pinched expression on her face, “Ugh fine I’ll take you, but you owe me big time for this! More than just coffee and a movie,” and she turns, stomping to the parking lot.
“Yay!” Cat grins, jumping up and down clapping before shouting, “Wait for me!”, as she realizes Jade is leaving.
They pull up to Sherwood High School and see Danny waiting for them at the entrance.
Cat jumps out of the car and runs ahead to hug him, “Hiiii babe!”, she drags out as she kisses him on the cheek and releases him from the hug.
Jade walks up and offers a head nod and a quick, “Sup Dan?” to the boy.
“It’s Danny,” he says in correction.
“Don’t care,” Jade shoots back, already walking away toward the door.
They walk into the gym and make their way to the top of the bleachers across from the Sherwood bench.
Jade lets her eyes take in her surroundings, trying to ignore the obnoxious squeak of sneakers and loud thuds of way too many basketballs impacting the shiny gym floor.
As she looks around, she hears a cheery but firm voice emit from the court, offering encouragement and direction to the other players as they warm up.
Her eyes find the source of the voice and she can’t help but admire the girl. She starts at purple sneakers and her eyes drag up white socks, following long, tan legs to short white shorts. Continuing up she sees a green long sleeve shirt with a big number 5 on the back and ‘VEGA’ printed above across her shoulders. She then moves to the girl’s face where she finds pursed pink lips, sharp cheekbones, and big brown eyes squinted slightly as she focuses on preparing for the game. Her long brown hair is pulled back into a high ponytail, showing off every facial feature and every inch of her long tan neck.
Jade breaks out of her trance when she feels Cat’s eyes boring into the side of her face.
“WHAT?” Jade snaps at her, but still doesn’t avert her gaze from the girl on the court.
Cat follows her eyes to see what’s holding her attention so well and when her eyes land on the brunette she shoots Jade a sly smirk, “Nothing, what are you looking at?” she asks teasingly while twirling a piece of her hair.
Jade barks, “Nothing!”, back at her, finally turning toward her friend only to scowl at her.
“Yeah, sure,” Cat mutters under her breath with a smile, still feeling Jade’s glare.
“Hey babe, which one is your friend?” Cat asks Danny.
“She’s right there, number 5, that’s Tori, she’s the starting point guard and she’s so good. You guys are in for an excellent show,” He says pointing at the girl who has held Jade’s attention since they sat down.
Jade whips her head around to look at the girl again, then back to Danny like she can’t believe he actually knows her and all of a sudden the only thought in her mind is an echoed “Vega, Tori, Tori Vega”. She has no idea how she has survived so long without knowing this goddesses’ name. Now she feels like she needs to know everything about this girl like she needs air.
“How long have you guys been friends?” Cat asks Danny, breaking through Jade’s thoughts again.
“We’ve been friends since middle school. We got paired up for a science project in 7th grade and never really stopped talking after that. We found out pretty quickly that we have a lot in common like music taste, sports, and movies. Actually, we got along so well we even tried to date freshman year but it was super awkward and I didn’t understand why it was so weird until Tori told us she’s a lesbian,” he finishes with a laugh.
Cat gasps and grins, jumping in to say, “That sounds just like when Jade–”
Jade cuts her off with a sharp, “CAT! What the hell don’t tell people about that!”
“He’s gonna find out eventually when he hangs out with our friends.”
“Fine, whatever,” Jade snaps sharply, looking away again, allowing Cat to finish her story.
“Jade used to date our friend Beck but their relationship was a complete disaster. All they did was fight all the time and they broke up and got back together like three times in a month. Finally Jade told him they were done for good because she doesn’t think she likes boys.”
Danny laughs, “Yeah that does sound very familiar, poor guy I know exactly how he feels,” and they turn their attention back to the court as the game is about to begin.
Jade can’t peel her eyes away from Tori. Even during the brief moments the girl sits on the bench, Jade’s gaze doesn’t waver. She can’t be bothered to even pretend to pay attention to the court if the brown eyed brunette isn’t there, she didn’t come here to watch basketball anyway.
Not really being able to follow the action on the court due to her lack of knowledge on the sport, she admires Tori and the power she seems to hold on the court. She watches her point and command the other players on her team, and they always do exactly as she says.
She watches her dribble around, making the other team look silly, and make shot after shot pulling her team to a significant lead, evidenced by the numbers on the scoreboard. She has to hold herself back from showing emotion and following the rest of the crowd’s reactions whenever the girl does something particularly amazing because she can feel Cat’s eyes on her every so often. Although she attempts to remain nonchalant and bored, she knows if she looks back at Cat she would see a smug, knowing expression on her friend’s face.
When the teams leave the gym for the halftime break, Jade feels an odd combination of disappointment and relief. While she never wanted the other girl to leave her sight, she is grateful for a moment to regain control of her thoughts and breathe a little more freely.
“Do you wanna go to concessions with us to get a snack?” Cat asks.
“No, I’m okay,” Jade doesn’t want to move yet, afraid of disturbing the headspace she has found herself in.
Cat returns with candy and Jade doesn’t even notice, too lost in her head again until she hears Cat call to her “How do you like the game so far Jade?”
“It’s fine,” she replies flatly.
“I think you like it,” Cat says teasingly.
Jade quickly and firmly shoots back, “What’s that supposed to mean? I hate sports!” while trying to keep herself from blushing, hating how well her best friend knows her.
“Hey, that’s my line! And that’s not what I’m talking about and you know it.” Cat returns her attention to Danny. “So what’s Tori like?”
“Oh man, she’s the best. She’s so nice and she’s always trying to help people. She’s smart and funny. She’s always so confident in what she does and will do anything, and I mean anything to get what she wants even if it only leads to more trouble. I think you guys will really like her.”
Cat mutters, “I think Jade already does,” which leads to a wince when she’s hit with a sharp elbow in her side from Jade.
“Whoa, what was that?” Danny asks, confused about what is happening between his girlfriend and her friend.
“Nothing!” Jade spits as she gives Cat a sharp look, silently telling her to drop it.
As the second half begins and Tori takes the court, Jade is lost in her head again. The confidence the girl on the court emits draws Jade in even further. She compares her command on the court to her own when directing. It makes her wonder what other things she and this girl might have in common.
When the game ends Jade, Cat, and Danny move to the court to wait for Tori to return from the locker room.
They throw a couple ideas out and decide to hit up Karaoke Dokie for food and singing once they leave here.
Cat begins to talk about what song she wants to sing when they see Tori walking toward them.
Tori makes her way out of the locker room and back to the gym after showing and sees the back of her best friend standing there holding hands with an animated redhead she’s only seen before in pictures with another girl standing across from them.
As she gets closer she can’t help but eye the girl she’s never seen before, taking in her dark appearance from the black boots, up the black tights, skirt, and shirt with lace detailing down the arms that are crossed just under her chest. Finally her eyes drag across what she can see of her face which is now fully facing her. Pale skin is framed by dark black hair with green and blue streaks, curls falling just past her shoulders.She sees silver metal sticking out of her nostril and eyebrow and feels her breath catch when piercing blue eyes meet her own.
Jade turned just in time to see the girl’s eyes drag over her, seeming to appreciate the view. She tucks that information into the back of her mind as she watches Tori, who now has her hair flowing down her back, dressed in black and white Converse, jeans and a forest green Sherwood Basketball hoodie identical to the shirt she had been wearing earlier, move closer.
Cat greets Tori first when she reaches the group, “Hiiiiii,” she exclaims, waving with her hand that isn’t holding Danny’s.
“Hey Tori, congrats on the win, you played great,” Danny greets her as they engage in a quick hug. “This is my girlfriend Cat and her friend Jade.”
“Hi Jade,” Tori offers with a quick wave and a shy smile before turning to Cat, “It’s so nice to finally meet you, Cat! Danny has been talking about you for so long.”
Jade is trying to follow the conversation but it’s proving difficult after hearing the girl say her name so casually. She’s grateful when Danny begins to speak.
“We’re planning on going to Karaoke Dokie for some food and entertainment if you want to come,” He tells Tori.
“Sure, let’s go.”
They make it out to Jade’s car when Cat announces, “I’m gonna ride with Danny.”
“Great. I didn’t know I was signing up to third wheel when I agreed to come,” Tori says jokingly with an eye roll and chuckle.
Having no idea what came over her and shocking both herself and Cat, Jade feels herself say, “You can ride with me if you want,” eyes widening, trying to understand her impulse to try to make the girl feel better.
Cat’s jaw drops a bit and she gives her a weird look, but quickly replaces it with a sly grin, “Jade are you actually being nice to some–”
“NO!” Jade cuts in with a stern shout.
Both Danny and Tori jump a bit, taken aback by the sudden outburst, but Cat just laughs and says, “Kk, guess we’ll see you guys there. Bye!” sending Jade a wink and drags Danny away to his car.
“I really don’t mind riding with them. I was just joking about third wheeling,” Tori offers hurriedly, assuming the other girl is upset.
“One thing you need to learn about me Vega, I don’t do anything I don’t want to do. Now get in the car,” Jade tells her as she yanks the door open to get into the driver’s seat.
Jade sits and stares at the steering wheel trying not to panic, realizing she’s volunteered to be alone with the other girl.
They’ve been sitting without moving for a few minutes when Tori questions, “So are we gonna go now or?”
“Yes, of course,” Jade hisses back as she starts the car and turns her attention to the radio to allow music to fill the awkward silence before pulling away from the school.
Jade can feel Tori’s eyes on her as she drives and it’s making her nervous causing her to spit a sharp, “WHAT?” at the other girl while trying to control the fluttering in her stomach and the heat she feels creeping onto her face under the girl’s stare.
Tori averts her gaze and flushes red, muttering a quiet, “Sorry,” Then she looks up again before saying, “I didn’t mean to stare, you’re just really pretty and I couldn’t help it.”
Jade feels the heat inside of her become much more intense at those words and comes to a slow stop at the red light in front of them. She peeks over and sees that Tori’s face is bright red so she steels her expression, taking full advantage of all the acting classes she’s taken. Her mouth forms a smirk and her pierced eyebrow raises when she sees Tori’s eyes dart from her smirking lips back to her eyes. Jade winks at her when their eyes meet and chuckles silently when she sees Tori somehow turn an even deeper shade of red from her neck to the tip of her ear.
Jade decides to let her off the hook and returns her gaze forward just as the light turns green. They continue the drive to the karaoke bar in a more relaxed atmosphere than before. There’s still a tense feeling in the car, but it's more pleasant now. They both sit in comfortable silence, feeling as though the ice has broken just a bit, periodically humming along to the radio and wondering just what the other was thinking.
They walk into Karaoke Dokie to find Cat and Danny already sitting next to each other in a booth across from the stage.
“How was the ride?” Cat asks as the other girls settle in across from her.
“Fine,” Jade snaps back quickly.
Cat catches Tori giving Jade a questioning look at her response and offers, “Don’t worry about her, Jade is always cranky, it’s not personal.”
“I’m not cranky!” Jade shoots back.
Cat just laughs and shakes her head as Jade continues to prove her point.
“So, where do you guys go to school?” Tori asks, trying not to let Jade’s mystifying presence get to her.
“We go to Hollywood Arts,” answers Cat.
“Oh nice, that’s super cool! What are your areas of interest?”
“I like singing, costume design, and stage makeup.”
“What about you?” Tori asks, slightly turning to address Jade directly.
“I write, direct, act, and sing,” Jade says plainly.
“That’s really interesting. I don’t know much about the arts. I’ve been on TV a few times, but only for basketball interviews on the local news. I’m sure that’s nothing like what you guys are studying to do. So, are you guys going to sing tonight?” Tori asks sweetly.
Jade snaps a sarcastic, “No Vega, we came to a karaoke bar for the amazing food,” as she looks at the menu full of greasy bar food.
Tori gives her another questioning glance but Jade refuses to meet her gaze, still not fully comfortable with everything the other girl is making her feel.
Cat giggles and tells Tori again, “Don’t take what she says personally, that’s just how she is.”
“Stop talking about me like I’m not sitting right here!” Jade growls at Cat.
Cat just rolls her eyes and returns her attention to Tori, “So what do you like to do?”
“Well I also like to sing, but just for fun. As soon as I could walk and talk my sister made me sing, dance, and perform with her. Less so these days, but she was really pushy about it when we were kids. My real passion is basketball. I started playing when I was eight and I haven’t wanted to do anything else since. There’s just something so satisfying about dedicating so much of myself; my time, my body, my mind, to something behind the scenes in the gym and seeing it come to fruition when I dominate during games. I feel really good about our team this year. I really think we can make a run at states.”
“Hell yeah you can!” Danny adds enthusiastically, “You guys looked so good tonight, Northridge never stood a chance. You almost had a fucking triple double with steals, it was insane! I love watching you play.”
“Yeah, Jade does too,” Cat adds with a giggle as she takes a sip of her drink.
Jade growls and glares at Cat and Tori feels that now familiar blush start to creep up again. They’re both relieved when they’re interrupted to order their food and then the three girls move to sign up for karaoke.
When they return to the booth, Tori decides it’s time to try to pick apart the girl next to her. She wants to know everything about her.
“So, what did you really think of the game?” Tori asks Jade softly as Danny and Cat get lost in their own conversation.
Jade sits for a second and contemplates responding with her usual snark, but she knows she’s not going to get anywhere with this girl if she keeps her walls up so high.
“It sucked,” She says flatly with an eye roll, unable to fully suppress her natural instincts, before she sighs and looks the girl in the eye telling her, “I actually really liked it. I’ve always hated sports. Sports make you sweat and I hate sweat, it’s disgusting so I don’t do it, but seeing you take charge of everyone reminded me of myself in the theater when I direct a play.” She pauses, wondering if maybe she’s taking it too far but decides to add, “It was really hot. I never thought I would ever say that about a jock,” sending the other girl another wink.
Tori’s eyes widen and a big grin begins to form, “That was really hard for you to admit wasn’t it?” loving the way she can see Jade’s cheeks tint pink to match her own. “Well I never thought I would find a theater nerd so hot, so I guess we’re even.”
“I am not a nerd!” Jade shoots back with a growl and a glare, but she softens almost immediately and tries not to blush even further when she fully digests the other girl’s words. “Watch it Vega, I hate nerds,” she adds with little to no bite in her tone.
“You seem to hate a lot of things.”
“Oh I could talk all day about all the things I hate. It’s one of my favorite things to do actually.”
“Well go on then, I can tell you’re passionate about this,” Tori tells her with a sparkle in her eye, feeling like she’s finally getting through to the other girl.
Jade wastes no time, getting right into it, “I hate cilantro, aloe vera, tuna fish, birthdays, birthday parties, the word ‘moist’, the word ‘tissue’. I hate when someone says ‘moist tissue’. I hate when people say ‘Have a nice day’. I hate when people let their dogs jump on me. I hate when boys ask if they can kiss me and when girls wear skirts over jeans. I hate when people put ketchup on a hot dog. I hate when people touch me. I hate cramps, clocks, string cheese, and the color yellow. I hate sharing, the number 9, bras that hook in the front, and talking about my feelings. I hate milk, rainbows, ducks, parades–”
“Okay, wait Jade, breathe for a second,” Tori interrupts with a laugh, leading toward Jade. “Is there anything you do like?”
“Hmm well I like scissors, actually I love scissors more than almost anything. I like scaring people. I like scaring people with my scissors. I like cutting things up like flowers and trash cans. I like writing and producing dark and disturbing plays and short films. I like bunnies, coffee, and horror movies, my favorite is The Scissoring. I like the color black and being mad. I like yo– uhh” She trails off trying not to think about how she almost just told this girl straight up that she likes her. It’s so unlike her to want to so easily admit her feelings, especially to someone she barely knew. But god did she want to know her.
“I think that’s enough about me, what about you Vega?” Jade asks, trying to save face.
“Why have you only called me Vega? You know my name is Tori, right?”
Jade pauses for a second trying to figure out how honest she wants to be right now. She’s pretty sure Tori likes her too and she’s not sure if she can hold a neutral expression on her face any longer, so she decides to tell her exactly why.
Leaning closer to the girl to ensure the couple across the table can’t hear, Jade tells her with a shrug, “I saw you as soon as we sat down. Your shirt said ‘Vega’. Danny didn’t tell us your name right away. I didn’t even know you were the friend we were there to see. All I know is once I saw you, I couldn’t look away. So you were ‘Vega’ in my head before you were ‘Tori’,” She then asks “Does it bother you?”
Tori feels her breath catch in her throat as she takes in the new information, suddenly realizing just how close she and Jade have gotten as she looks into those icy blue eyes.
“No, I’m just not used to hearing anyone but my teammates call me that. I like the way it sounds when you say it.”
Jade sits speechless, getting lost in the brown eyes gazing back at her. She can’t begin to comprehend how her life feels so much different than it did a few hours ago when she left school.
They’re given a moment of relief when their food is dropped off, granting the girls time to separate and catch up with their thoughts.
Jade can feel her heart beating against her chest as she tries to focus on the food in front of her. Her thoughts are racing, trying to figure out what kind of spell this girl has placed on her.
Tori isn’t faring much better. She never knew it was even possible for a person to blush as much as she has in such a short time. She reflects on their conversation, trying to connect the two vastly different sides she’s seen of the girl next to her. She was cold, dark, sarcastic, and could glare in a way that seemed deadly to the person on the other end. But there was something in those fiery eyes when they connected with hers that settled her nerves. There was a softness there, even if it was buried behind that sharp gaze.
She’s startled out of her thoughts as the table shakes and a thud, loud enough to ring out over the music, makes her jump and look for the source. Her eyes find Danny’s which are filled with pure fear. She follows his eyes to his hand which is laying flat on the table with a pair of scissors stabbed into the table between his fingers.
“These are mine!” Jade growls as she pulls her plate closer. “Next time you try something like that Dan, I won’t be nice enough to miss,” she spits sharply with a lethal stare.
Danny nods, eyes wide and heart pounding, too scared to even realize she called him ‘Dan’ again. He pulls his hand back slowly, cradling it to his chest. Jade rips the scissors out of the table and twirls them around her fingers a few times, eyeing the boy to ensure he understands her, before pushing them back into the waistband of her skirt, still scowling.
“Jaadee,” Cat cries, “don’t scare my boyfriend, that’s not nice.”
“No one ever said I was nice and your boyfriend deserves it for trying to touch my food. You know I don’t share.”
“You know, I would appreciate it too if you didn’t hurt my best friend. I kind of like having him around,” Tori adds gently, trying to sort through feeling both a little scared herself and hot from head to toe seeing the display of aggression and the way the silver metal slipped around Jade’s pale fingers.
Jade snaps her head toward Tori as if forgetting the other girl was even there, too lost in her anger toward the boy across from them. Her eyes soften immediately, no longer able to hold such a cold expression when looking at the other girl. She whispers a quiet, “Sorry,” before looking back at her plate, pushing it closer to Tori, “Do you want a nacho?” she asks, trying to make amends.
“I thought you didn’t share?” Tori asks with a smirk.
Jade is glad Cat is distracted with comforting Danny because the words pour out of her mouth before she can even think about holding them back. “I thought a lot of things before I met you,” She tentatively reaches a hand over and sets it on Tori’s knee, feeling the corners of her lips quirk up when Tori’s hand settles over hers letting her know the touch is welcomed.
Tori smiles and grabs a chip from Jade’s plate with her free hand. They both try to focus on their food again, but nothing can distract from the tingling shooting through their hands from where their skin meets, up their arms to their chests. All they can do is sit and try to ignore the questioning looks from the couple across the table.
They paid for their food and now it’s finally time to sing. Jade is called up first.
She stands at the DJ table trying desperately to think of a song that will help her unwind all of the tension that she has felt building inside her through the night.
She thinks about the flirty encounters with Tori, and she’s so sure the other girl shares her feelings but neither has taken the lead in actually talking about them.
This is her chance to express herself without an explicit confession. She has to get this right.
Just as she feels a slight panic form in her chest, she thinks of the perfect song.
She tells the DJ what she wants to sing, grabs the mic, and steps onto the stage as the music begins to play.
Jade takes a deep breath and exhales with a nervous smile before singing.
What would you say if you could say
Everything you needed to
To the one you needed to?
Tori is immediately entranced when Jade starts singing. Her husky voice blends perfectly with the guitars and drums and it has Tori hanging onto every word falling from her lips.
You flash like a setting sun
You come around, I come undone
I can’t find the sound under my tongue
When I look at you
Jade looks up, her eyes finding Tori’s, trying to show her that this song is for her. She wants her to listen closely and understand that Jade means everything she’s singing.
Well, I lose my voice when I look at you
Can’t make a noise though I’m trying to
Tell you all the right words
Waiting on the right words
Just another lovesick afternoon
Black butterflies and déjà vu
Hoping for the right words
Waiting for the right words
Jade nods her head along with the music, finally breaking eye contact with Tori. She has to close her eyes to return her focus to the performance as the second verse starts to keep her hands and voice from shaking with all the emotions she feels.
Just yesterday north of LA
I couldn’t help but think of you
Every time I think of you
You crash like a rolling wave
You come around I lose my brain
Can’t find the sound under my tongue
When I look at you
Tori can’t take her eyes off of Jade. She’s totally captivated by her smooth, deep voice. She can feel Danny and Cat eyeing her curiously from across the table but she can’t worry about that when Jade looks and sounds so good on the stage. She knew it would be good when she found out the girl goes to Hollywood Arts, but nothing could have prepared her for the feelings stirring in her gut as the girl performs a song she can only hope is just for her.
I’ve been searching for the right words
But I, I can’t even find an, an echo
Don’t you let go
There are only twenty six letters I can use
Just to tell you I won’t let you
Don’t you let go
Jade loses herself completely in the last chorus, trying to pour all of her feelings into this performance to show Tori that she doesn’t want whatever they have going on to end when they leave the bar.
The song ends and Jade takes a deep breath before returning the mic and walking back to the booth still reeling.
“Yay, that was so good Jade!” Cat exclaims as Jade sits down.
“Yeah I agree, it was great,” Danny adds.
“It was beautiful,” Slips from Tori’s lips before she even completes the thought in her brain.
Jade blushes and looks down while muttering a flat, “Yeah whatever, thanks,” completely missing the awestruck expression on Tori’s face.
Before anyone can say anything else, Tori is being called to the stage for her turn.
After watching Jade perform, Tori knows exactly what she wants to sing. She tells the DJ and tries not to let her nerves take over as she steps onto the stage.
As soon as the first beat of the song rings out, Tori feels herself settle, ready to let Jade know they’re on the same page.
I really wanna stop, but I just got the taste for it
I feel like I could fly with the boy on the moon
So honey hold my hand, you like making me wait for it
I feel like I could die walking up to the room
Oh yeah
Late night watching television
But how’d we get in this position?
It’s way too soon, I know this isn’t love
But I need to tell you something
Jade didn’t know what to expect from Tori considering the girl said she only sings at home for fun, but she has to admit Tori is good. She’s used to seeing people on stage singing, but Tori looks like she was made for this.
Full of adrenaline and feeling confident, Tori dances around and looks right at Jade as the chorus begins.
I really, really, really, really, really, really like you
And I want you, do you want me?
Do you want me too?
I really, really, really, really, really, really like you
And I want you, do you want me?
Do you want me too?
Oh, did I say too much?
I’m so in my head
When we’re out of touch
I really, really, really, really, really, really like you
And I want you, do you want me?
Do you want me too?
Jade is completely lost for words. She never imagined herself being serenaded by a girl with a song like this. She honestly thought it was pretty dorky and cheesy, but Tori has been surprising her all night so she’s not fully taken aback when she realizes she kind of likes it.
It’s like everything you say is a sweet revelation
All I wanna do is get into your head
Yeah, we could stay alone
You and me and this temptation
Sipping on your lips, hanging on by a thread, baby
Late night watching television
But how’d we get in this position?
It’s way too soon, I know this isn’t love
But I need to tell you something
Jade notes how Tori’s voice and stage presence are perfect for this type of pop song. ‘She’s a star’ is all that runs through Jade’s mind as she watches her. She thought she looked good on the basketball court, but seeing Tori in Jade’s environment is hypnotizing.
Jade finds herself standing from the booth as Tori dances around the stage belting out the chorus, following a pull she feels to the stage like a magnet.
Tori’s eyes follow Jade as she moves to stand at the end of the stage just as the bridge begins. She stalks toward the girl, drops to her knees in front of her and grabs her chin, pulling her in to sing directly to her.
Who gave you eyes like that?
Said you could keep them?
I don’t know how to act or if I should be leaving
I’m running out of time, going out of my mind
I need to tell you something
Tori pulls the mic away and whispers the next like just for Jade to hear.
Yeah, I need to tell you something
She then jumps up, going back to singing and dancing around the stage, feeling elated at the fact that she finally got to tell Jade how she feels after holding it in all night.
Jade moves to the side near the steps of the stage waiting for her as she sings the last notes of the song. She barely lets Tori finish handing the mic back to the DJ before she grabs her wrist and drags her out of the bar to her car.
As soon as they reach the car, Jade pushes Tori against the passenger door by her hips while Tori’s arms wrap around Jade’s neck.
Jade leans down and Tori lifts her chin. They both let out a shaky breath as their lips finally meet.
Jade realizes right in that moment that she never wants to feel anything else. She steps forward to get as close to Tori as she can and they both feel a shock run through their bodies at the contact.
Tori lets out a sigh when Jade’s fingers tighten around her waist and Jade takes advantage of the moment by pushing her tongue into Tori’s mouth.
They completely lose themselves in each other, forgetting everything around them, only focused on the way their lips, tongues, and bodies meet.
Tori’s hands begin to wrap around Jade’s neck to pull her closer when their spell is broken by a loud screech behind them.
“OH MY GOD, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?” Trina screams.
The couple pulls away in shock and jumps apart leaving space between them as they try to calm down.
“Tori, what the fuck? Someone better start talking right now!” Trina says sternly with her arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently on the blacktop.
“Trina, what are you doing here?” Tori asks, still breathless.
“Oh, I know you are not seriously asking me that right now when you’re the one out here tongue wrestling with the fucking Wicked Witch of the West!”
“What? Wicked Witch? Wait, do you guys know each other?” Tori asks, confused, her mind not clear enough in the moment to connect that the two attend the same school.
“Unfortunately I’m familiar with her talentless squawking,” Jade bites out harshly. “Wait, how do you know her?” She asks Tori, also confused about what exactly is happening.
“That’s my baby sister you’re defiling, witch!” Trina spits out with a glare.
Jade’s jaw drops as she looks between Tori and Trina with wide eyes.
“No,” Jade looks at Tori horrified. “Please tell me she’s lying.”
Tori sighs, “Trust me, I’m not super pumped about it either.”
“Oh my God, Vega. Trina never even begins to cross my mind so I never thought of putting that together when I learned your name,” Jade says, still trying to process the situation. “Well at least your parents had enough sense to hold back all of the good genes for you. With how hot and talented you are and how not hot and talentless Trina is, it’s obvious she didn’t get a single one,” she adds, crossing her arms and smirking at Trina.
“Shut up!” Trina cries, “Are you really going to let her speak to me like that?” sending a sharp look to Tori.
Tori puts her arm around Jade’s waist and pulls her close again with a heavy blush covering her face at Jade’s words, smiling at Trina, “You know as well as I do that I couldn’t stop her if I wanted to, not that I do.” She then whispers to Jade, “Just keep the scissors out of it please,” as she runs her hand across Jade’s waistline where she knows the metal blades rest.
“So you know about the freaky scissor thing and you’re still into her?” Trina shrieks in disbelief.
“Very into her,” Tori breathes out as she tightens her grip on Jade’s hip, sneaking a glance at the girl to see her eyes light up at Tori’s words.
“There’s something seriously wrong with you,” Trina remarks in a disgusted tone.
“Whatever, are you staying here or going back home?” Tori shoots back with an eye roll.
“Well I came here to grace everyone with my beautiful voice and I’m not leaving until I do,” Trina tells her firmly.
“Okay I’m definitely leaving then. I like my ears when they’re not bleeding,” Jade shoots sharply at Trina.
“You’re such a gank West,” Trina spits.
Tori cuts in, “Okay guys calm down. Trina just go and we’ll leave.”
“Am I really supposed to trust her with you?” Trina asks Tori.
“No,” Jade replies quick and sharp at the same time as Tori remarks a quick and bright “Yes.” They look at each other and feel smiles tugging at the corners of their lips at their conflicting responses.
“Ugh whatever, try not to die I guess,” Trina barks as she stomps away to walk into the karaoke bar.
Tori and Jade turn back to each other as they try to digest everything that has happened over the past few minutes and hours.
Tori speaks first, “So, Trina and Danny are probably going to be here for a while. Do you think you can give me a ride home?”
“Hmm well I guess I can do that, but what’s in it for me?” Jade asks as she brings her hand up to tuck a piece of Tori’s hair behind her ear.
“I’m sure I can think of something by the time we get there,” Tori shoots back while looking straight at Jade’s lips.
Jade doesn’t reply, she simply turns and opens the passenger door to allow Tori to get in.
She takes a deep breath as she rounds the car and gets into the driver’s seat. She offers Tori one last glance before starting the car and asking for the address, feeling thick tension build in the air between them.
Tori tells her where they’re going and after they get a minute down the road she feels Jade’s hand come to rest on her thigh. She smiles at the contact and puts her hand on Jade’s, peeking at her out of the corner of her eye to see a slight smile on the other girl’s face and they both relax a bit into their seats.
When they pull into the driveway, Jade quickly cuts the engine and the tension returns, thicker than ever.
Tori moves first. She unbuckles her seatbelt and begins to shift her body toward Jade, “So–Ah Jade!” She's cut off before she can make another sound when Jade reaches over and pulls the lever between her legs to move her seat back. Jade uses this extra room to climb over the center console onto Tori’s lap.
Tori’s hands immediately land on Jade’s hips and Jade’s fingers reach up to play with the hair at Tori’s nape.
“Do you want to keep talking or–hmm” Jade’s words are swallowed by Tori’s lips as they crash into her and that feeling she’d been craving since the last kiss ended settles comfortably in her gut.
Once again the world around them fades and they can only focus on each other.
Tori gasps as Jade gently tugs at her hair. She tightens her grip on Jade’s waist when she feels the girl push her tongue into her mouth. Her entire body lights up and heat pools low in her stomach. She’s kissed other girls but she can’t remember ever feeling like this before.
Jade is just as far gone. She moves one hand to cup Tori’s face, her thumb tracing her cheek, while the other drops to grip Tori’s side, squeezing in an attempt to ground herself.
Neither girl knows how much time has passed when Jade feels Tori’s hands sneak under the hem of her shirt, her stomach trembling at the contact.
Jade lets out a breathy sigh then growls, “Vega,” in a sharp warning tone under her breath in between kisses, trying to keep in mind that they’re in her car in the girls driveway.
Tori pulls back to breathe and Jade takes advantage by dropping her lips down Tori’s cheek to her jawline and down her neck. She yanks on the collar of Tori’s hoodie a few times in an attempt to reveal more skin. She lets out a frustrated growl and scowls when it doesn’t offer much give.
Tori’s hands finally part from Jade’s skin, but only to reach down and pull the hoodie off revealing the same shirt she wore when Jade first saw her.
Jade grabs the hoodie from her and throws it into her backseat. She then moves her hands down to rest on Tori’s firm stomach over her shirt, feeling the muscles there tense under her touch, and goes back to trailing kisses up her now exposed neck.
“I can’t believe I didn’t know you before today,” Jade whispers as she reaches Tori’s ear.
“Same,” Tori breathes out, only really able to focus on the way Jade’s lips are making her feel.
Jade pulls back to look at the girl, “You okay?” she asks gently.
“Never been better,” Tori replies with a smile.
Jade gives her a short, sweet kiss before moving back to the driver’s seat.
“Nooooo,” Tori whines, reaching for Jade with a pout.
“Oh quit whining, we’re definitely gonna do that again but I think we should actually talk about this first.”
“I thought you hated talking about your feelings?” Tori asks smugly.
“Yeah well I already told you I thought a lot of things before I met you,” Jade snaps back with an affectionate eye roll.
“I think I kind of already told you exactly how I feel,” Tori says, blushing.
“Yeah and it was totally cheesy Vega, you’re such a dork. I can’t believe I actually liked that,” Jade tells her laughing lightly, “You were really incredible up there,” she adds more seriously.
“So were you. As soon as I heard you and saw the way you were looking at me, I knew I didn’t want to hold back anymore so I really went for it with my song.”
“Okay but I just stood there and sang. You performed. God I never would have guessed you could sing like that. You could out-sing almost anyone at my school. How the hell does Trina go to Hollywood Arts and you don’t?”
“I couldn’t tell you how Trina got in, but I never wanted to go there. I’m not really interested in the arts as a career plus, they don’t have a basketball team.”
“Yeah thank god. I hate jocks,” Jade says flatly.
“Hey! Take that back!” Tori exclaims, reaching over to slap Jade on her arm.
Jade laughs completely unrestrained before saying “No one has ever made me feel the way you do.”
“Does that mean you’ll let me teach you about basketball?”
“If I say yes, will you watch horror movies with me?”
“Ugh, I guess that’s a fair trade.”
“Great, we can start tomorrow. I’ll bring The Scissoring,” Jade decides before turning to start the car again to head home for the night.
“Wait, I thought you said we weren’t done kissing yet,” Tori whines with a pout.
Jade leans over and kisses her deeply, one last time. “We can do more of that tomorrow. I don’t want to get too carried away on the first date.”
Tori’s smile is so big it takes up her entire face, “That was a date?” she asks excitedly.
“I watched your game, we went out to eat, and we made out in the car. In what world is that not a date?”
“Okay it was totally a date, but are you really gonna leave without getting my number?”
Jade reaches for her phone and holds it out. “Here Vega, make it quick.”
“Why are you in such a hurry to leave?” Tori asks, trying not to feel hurt as she types in her number.
“I already told you I don’t want to get carried away here and the sooner we end today, the sooner we’ll be back here tomorrow for our second date.”
That’s enough reassurance to relieve Tori, so she hands Jade her phone back, kisses her one more time and leaves the car with a final wave.
Jade waits for Tori to enter the house before she backs out of the driveway and heads home, still trying to wrap her mind around everything that happened today.
The next afternoon sees Tori and Jade sitting side by side on the Vegas’ couch with footage from Tori’s last game playing on the TV.
“No Jade, I already told you that’s a foul! You can’t do that!”
“Well I just don’t understand how the goal is to stop them from scoring but you can’t hit them or stab them! It doesn’t make any sense!”
Tori laughs before telling her, “It makes perfect sense! You have to move your feet and be quick with your hands to make them turn the ball over or miss their shot.”
“That’s stupid.”
“Jaade, you promised you would take this seriously!”
“Ugh you’re lucky you’re so cute. I don’t normally tolerate this much whining,” Jade says as she grabs Tori’s chin to pull her in for a kiss. “Is it time to watch my movie yet?” She asks when they pull away.
“Only if you promise not to make fun of me when I get scared,” Tori says with a pout.
“I can’t promise that.”
“Please?” Tori begs, exaggerating her pout and batting her eyelashes.
“Fine,” Jade mutters as she leans in again to kiss the pout off of Tori’s face before getting up to switch the DVDs.
Jade is pulling her books out of her locker on Monday morning when she hears a high pitched squeal behind her.
Cat is standing there with her hands over her mouth eyeing the green hoodie Jade is wearing. The one with ‘Sherwood Basketball’ printed on the front and a big number 5 on the back with ‘VEGA’ printed across the shoulders.
She squeals again and runs to jump on Jade. “Oh my God Jade, look at you!” She laughs as Jade pushes her away.
“What the fuck Cat, get off of me!”
“Does this mean you’re a sports fan now?”
“No, but not for a lack of trying on Vega’s part,” Jade says with a dreamy smile, thinking about the time they spent together on Saturday.
“Ah, you guys are so cute! We’re gonna have so much fun together!” Cat exclaims, clapping and jumping up and down, thinking about all the double dates she can't wait to go on with her boyfriend and their best friends. “So do I still owe you for making you take me or are we calling it even now?” She asks with a smirk.
“Don’t even begin to think you’re somehow responsible for this! Of course you still owe me!” Jade spits as she slams her locker closed and turns to Cat adding, “I’ll take the coffee. I’m seeing the movie with someone else.”