Green Eyes

Carpe Lilium

Hi, so here we are with the final chapter. I know a while back I said I'd finish this 'next week', but it turns out I'm going to finish it this week, instead. Which if you think about it, puts me ahead of schedule.

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Jade raced down the corridor, catching up with the other girl in an empty classroom. "Tori!" she said. "Tori, I'm so sorry."

Tori turned, with a resigned expression. "It's my fault," she said. "I shouldn't have worn it."

"Yes, you should."

"What?"

"I want you to wear it. I want you to wear it all the time."

"Why?"

But Jade just closed the distance between them, bringing her hands up to Tori's face and drawing her into a kiss. Tori tensed at first, then relaxed, slipping her hands around Jade's waist, pulling her closer. Finally they broke apart, but there was no time to catch their breath before they heard a voice behind them.

"I knew it."

Jade's blood ran cold. She turned to see Beck in the doorway. "Beck..."

"I knew you were up to something," he snarled. "I knew you were messing around with someone else." He turned to Tori. "I just never thought..." Some of the anger drained out of his voice, to be replaced with something else, a hollow tone that was somehow worse. "I just never thought it would be with her."

"Beck..."

"Don't," he said. "Don't even try. Don't give me any crap about rehearsing for a play, or playing a prank. I know you. Jesus Christ, it all makes sense, now. How could I not see it? The way you look at her, the way you talk about her, the way you cringe when we're all together, like your embarrassed to be around me when she's there."

"It's not like that."

"Isn't it? You know, I wouldn't care so much if it was just some random dude that you'd set your eye on, I mean, I'd be pretty fucking pissed, but maybe we'd get past it. But this... I always thought you were better than this. And as for you..." He turned to Tori. "I always thought you were my friend."

"I am!"

"No, Tori, you're not!" he snapped. "Because this isn't what friends do! Maybe I should have seen it coming, I mean you couldn't keep your hands off Cat's boyfriend, so I guess I should have known you'd screw me over too."

"Hey!" Jade's ire began to rise. "Don't you talk to her like that!"

"What?" Beck was mad now. "You're defending her now? Stepping in to protect your little girlfriend from big, bad Beck? Why didn't you just tell me?" he said, bitterly. "Why couldn't you just say something, instead of running around behind my back? I'd have understood."

Neither of them found words to reply, Jade torn between anger and guilt, Tori simply shell-shocked, and after a moment he turned on his heel and left, slamming his way through the door and out into the corridor.

Jade stared after him. "Well, there goes my ride," she murmured.

Tori turned to her, blank-eyed. "What?"