Just a Stage Kiss (EXTENDED)

Chapter 3

POV: Jade

"Tori. Freakin'. Vega." I growled, shredding my lettuce with my favourite pair of scissors.

"I know, babe" Beck sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder which I shrugged away as soon as he made contact. Beck retreated back on the bench, taking a bite of his apple and running a hand through his long hair.

"Swap with me" I demanded, turning to face my boyfriend and waving my scissors in his face.

"What!" he choked.

"Swap with me!" I repeated, slicing my pickle into pieces vigorously.

Beck raised an eyebrow and shot me a smirk. "You'd rather I kiss Tori and you kiss Trina?" He laughed and patted my head, earning a stern look.

"Then I'll continue with my plan and try to freak her out so she'll never have the guts to kiss me. That way I can tell Sikowitz it's her fault we can't do our scene, so she's gonna fail and I'm gonna pass this damn project." I told him.

"Jade..." Beck said looking at me in a scolding manner.

"What Beckett?" I asked him with a glare.

He huffed "Just play this out and see how it goes. It may turn out better than you think."

"How?"

"Well remember the play where you played Nancy and Walter? Everyone was impressed at how well the two girls, that supposedly hated each other, played husband and wife. If you can do a scene where you're also able to do a convincing stage kiss with Tori, you will impress the whole school with your acting skills!" Beck told me.

He knows me too well. He knows when to appeal to my ego to make me give in. "I don't have to prove anything to anyone. But I guess I can show people I can play a believable scene where I kiss that goody-two-shoes Vega." I said.

"Atta girl." Beck said.

I glared at him "You can't wait to see me kissing her huh? Perv"

He blushed "What? Of course not I just want you both to pass the assignment!" he defended himself but I didn't buy it. He was a teenage boy so I knew he must have thought of how hot it would have been to see his girlfriend kiss another girl from the moment Sikowitz said Tori and I were paired together.

"Shut up." I replied as I resumed massacring my salad.

We sat in silence together; I could feel Vega's eyes watching me the entire time making me uncomfortable. I stared at the table, determined not to look up and catch those brown eyes, I didn't want to give Vega the pleasure of knowing I was just as nervous about this as she was. Not because I was going to have to kiss a girl on stage, I had no problem with that, but it just had to be her, didn't it? The girl who just strolled into Hollywood Arts without any real effort, the girl who has been stealing my parts every time there's a show, the girl who kissed my boyfriend, the girl I-

"There's Trina" I heard Beck groan, interrupting my train of thoughts. He slowly got to his feet and leant over to kiss me on the forehead. "Go sit over there with the others and talk to them for a bit, babe. I'm going to have to talk to Trina about our predicament."

I glared at him as he left and reluctantly moved from my seat at the table that didn't occupy a really annoying girl, to one that did. I nudge said annoying girl out of the way with my hip- not a good move, Jade- and strike up a monotonous conversation with Andre about his lack of stage kissing partner, anything to keep my mind off Tori Vega. She was sat beside me, picking at her salad, glancing up at me every so often as if she was afraid I was about to bite her head off at any moment, which wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but if I could- I stab again at my food. Oof control yourself, Jade.

"Hey!"

Trina Vega's voice broke the silence that had settled over the table. Great, just what I needed. Beck sat himself next to me with a small grin and the older Vega sat herself between me and her sister while picking a French fry from Tori's abandoned food tray.

"So, is everybody looking forward to the stage kissing class?" She said in her annoyingly cheery voice.

Andre, Tori and I each grunted in response while Cat giggled. "It'll be fun!"

"For you, maybe." I shouted to Cat before turning to Tori. "I'm coming round your place tonight, Vega" I said, catching everyone at the table by surprise. Tori looked up at me in confusion and I roll my eyes. "For this class."

"Oh" Great input there, Vega.

"Cool! Both you and Beck should come to ours so we can all practice!" Trina grinned.

I turned to glare at her. "Sure. Whatever." and went back to my salad that lay in tatters on my plate.

"Cool, I'll see you tonight"

And with that, the older girl got up and walked off, leaving the table in silence.

XXX

"Here we are" Beck pointed out unnecessarily as we pulled up to the Vega's house.

"Wonderful" I said dryly.

"Come on, babe" He nudged me while wearing that smirk again. I glared, something I'd been doing a lot lately, and got out of the car, slamming the door shut behind me forcefully.

"Let's get this over with" I sighed as we reached the front door and jammed my finger on the bell. There was a yell from the other side, followed by some scrabbling and more yelled until, finally, a flustered looking Tori opened up.

"Took you long enough" I growled, pushing past her to get inside. What! It was cold out there! I heard Beck mutter an apology for me from behind and roll my eyes. "So, how are we doing this?"

I looked around at the house I had been to too many times for my liking. Everything was the same as ever, typical Tori; Trina was lead out on one of the sofas, the tv remote in one hand, flicking though the channels, and a pickle in the other. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Great. That was going to be stage kissing my boyfriend while I was stuck with her irritating little sister, who I could feel was watching me again.

Trina's eyes seemed to bulge out as she saw us and sat straight on the couch. "Oh, I must have lost track of the time, I didn't know you two were coming over already! Beck and I can practice in my room" Trina suggested. I turned to look fiercely at her as she gulped down the piece of pickle she'd just bitten off. "Or we could stay here."

"Whatever." I said in a monotone. "You and Beck stay here. Tori and I shall go up stairs to figure out what we're going to do."

I saw the younger Vega open her mouth to protest, but it was too late, I'd already grabbed her wrist and dragged her up the stairs to the bedroom I had been in once before, leaving Trina and Beck to stand there staring at us in confusion. I didn't let go of Tori's wrist until we were both in her room and the door was shut behind us, leaving us alone, together, just me and Vega, no bystanders- Stop it, Jade!

"So" I said nonchalantly, dropping my bag on the floor and wandering over to her desk to nosey through the assortment of papers on there. Tori was just standing in the middle of the room, gawping at me like some dozy goldfish, so I waved a hand in front of her face. "Oi! Vega!"

"Huh?" She snapped out of her daze and I rolled my eyes again.

"Come on, wake up. Ideas. Have you got any?"

"Erm..."

Just as I thought, useless as ever. I throw myself into her desk chair while she collapses onto the edge of her bed and we sit in silence just like at the lunch table. This was going to be a long night.