Start from scratch

Chapter 8 - Unexpected

Disclaimer: The show Victorious, its characters and other associated copyrights are property of someone else and not me.

Start from scratch

Chapter 8 – Unexpected

Jade's POV

After my encounter with Beck yesterday, I was a mess. He claimed he was making changes and things would be better. I hate to admit it, but I want that to be true. But at the same time, I just want him to go away. I feel so torn and mixed up.

Much to my surprise, Tori let me help cook dinner and even acknowledged that I was trying. Even more shocking she said I could do it. But that was all she said, increasingly I think she's essentially, emotionally crippled.

Much to my regret and shame, I know that I played a part in tall this. But there are other pieces of the puzzle I simply do not have. Over the next couple of days, Tori continued to let me help make dinner. We did so largely in silence, but occasionally she comment on the weather or some other safe subject. But even without the talking I find we seem to work well together. It's a nice feeling when we're working together making dinner and maybe at least for a few minutes, all seems right.

Most of the time she was closed, reserved and the only emotions she expressed were anger, bitterness and cynicism. Needing something to get my mind off of Beck and the whirlwind of emotions he had stirred up inside me, I thought more about Tori.

What did I know? Well first of all I pretty much humiliated her in front of her father. She told him I was raped and I told him I wasn't. I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about it.

All else I know, is that something caused her to abandon her music, something which is near and dear to her heart. I can only imagine what.

About a week after that first dinner, I found myself thinking more about the causes. Then I thought of Tori's other mysterious job on Friday and Saturday nights. I'm afraid to even ask her about it, for fear of making her angry, setting us back.

Friday night, I decided to follow her. A bit stalkerish, I know, but perhaps this would help me figure out what happened. I knew she went straight from her normal day job to her other job on Friday's so after getting out of work, I went to the bank that Tori worked at. I knew where she worked as I saw the address on tax form, she had left on her desk.

Across the street from her bank was a small coffee shop so ducked in there and sat in the window with a cup of decent coffee. Perhaps it's silly to do this, but I need to get my mind off of Beck, my constant urges to call him. Part of me just needs to know more about Tori.

5 o'clock rolled around and the employees of the bank came pouring out. A few minutes later I spotted the Latina coming out. She's had her customary frown and headed towards the subway.

I headed outside into the cold and began to follow her from a distance. The cold snap had passed but we were still in the grips of winter, with the temperature today hovering around 28 degrees.

The streets were crowded so I managed to blend in but remain close at the same time. I followed onto the subway and there she went down to Time's square. I followed her again out onto the square and down one of the side streets. There was a big restaurant on that street and I guessed that Tori worked there as waitress, but much to my shock, she passed it and entered the building next door.

It was a strip club, aptly named, "The Playpen"

Standing just down the street, in shock, digested the fact that Tori went into a nudie bar. As far as places like that go, this one looked to cater to business and tourist types. It was just off of Times Square.