6:00am (3:00am SEQUEL) // Jori fan fic

Chapter 15 - Reliving L.A.

We stumbled out of the karaoke club like we'd just robbed a bank and left a trail of destruction in our wake, all while doing it with a cocktail in one hand and a cigarette in the other. So, yeah, we were badass, but we were also probably going to have a really hard time explaining all the broken glass and the nearly-gone-too-far fight that just happened. Who needs a police report when you've got a killer night?

"Not gonna lie, that was pretty bad ass, West," Macy grinned, stepping up beside me. Her smirk screamed "I just threw a grenade and ran." Love her for that.

"Thank you, Macy. But you know what? The night is still young. Let's hit a nightclub!" I winked, my inner demon channeling some serious I'm-an-absolute-chaos-monster-who-will-still-look-freakin-gorgeous-while-doing-it energy.

"I'm fucking in! Guys!" Macy was already spinning around to announce it to the group, her voice louder than a drunk aunt at a family reunion. Meanwhile, I pulled out another cigarette, lighting it like a guy who didn't have a single fuck left to give.

"I have a bone to pick with you." Tori's voice cut through the post-fight adrenaline like a hot knife through butter. She walked up to me, face more serious than a middle-aged man finding out that he's been living his life as a meme. That serious.

I raised an eyebrow, the smoke from my cigarette lazily curling around my head. "What's the problem, Vega?" I asked, voice dripping with a let's-get-this-lecture-over-with attitude.

"That fight. You know you could've gotten into serious trouble if they'd pressed charges!" Tori scowled, crossing her arms like she was preparing to scold me for being a bad, bad girl.

"Relax, Vega," I replied, blowing out a cloud of smoke that practically screamed "I do what I want" into the night air. "I've got it under control. Maybe you should just go back to Caleb. I'm sure he's waiting for you." My voice dripped with sarcasm and more bitter edge than a lemon in a blender.

Tori shot me a look that could've burned a hole through concrete, but I just smirked. "What does this have to do with Caleb and I? I'm just trying to look out for you, Jade." She tried her best to pretend she wasn't hurt by my words, but honestly, I was too busy not caring to notice.

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes and finished my cigarette with a little too much satisfaction. It was like I knew the night was just getting started, and I didn't need a lecture to ruin my buzz. Though, now that I think about it, maybe I should've been the one lecturing HER. But hey, growth, right?

The gang agreed to hit up this club called Vice, which apparently was the place to be. It was one of those legendary spots where people pretended to be cooler than they actually were while sipping overpriced drinks and pretending they weren't on their fourth Instagram story for the night. Whatever. It sounded like fun.

We all piled into cars—Tori made her choice to ride with Ben and Caleb because clearly, she had better things to do than tolerate my bad bitch routine. Sam had just arrived, and naturally, Cat was on the bike with her. Honestly, the more people in the car, the less chance I had of explaining myself in a way that made me sound like I wasn't a complete asshole.

"Hey, are you alright?" Babe's voice cut through my internal monologue. She was looking at me, probably wondering why I was about as emotionally available as a brick wall with a poker face.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks," I said, my tone as casual as someone who just punched a girl in the face and doesn't regret it—but there was this weird pull in my chest. The kind of feeling that makes me hate being soft. God, I hated that part of me.