Second Guesses, Second Chances

Chapter 6

Jade

I miss 10 seconds ago when I hadn't opened that goddamn door.

I feel my whole body go numb at the sight of my ex holding that prissy brunette, my eyes widening, and my breathing becoming more shallow with each passing second. My chest sinks, and my eyebrows slowly furrow as I slowly process what's happening in front of me. I want to look away, but for some reason, I can't. In fact, it seems like the only thing my eyes will allow me to focus on is the 2 people in front of me. Time stops as my whole world collapses. An onslaught of emotions begins to well up inside me, but the closer it gets to the surface, the more numb I feel myself becoming, as if my body's working overtime to kill those emotions, since my brain seems to have stopped working.

"T-Tori...?" I manage to stutter the prissy brunette's name, but nothing more. Neither she nor my ex reply. I focus on Vega, who looks just as shocked as I do, hoping she'll say something to relieve this tension, but she remains silent.

"Remember, Tori, she can't tell us what to do anymore," I hear Beck whisper to her, as he shoots me a nasty look. I try to say something, but my mind is completely blank. The emotions I'm trying to hide are starting to show themselves, and I find myself needing to be alone. I can't let either of them see me cry.

"Nevermind..." I say, turning to leave them alone. I close the closet door behind me and quickly go to the only safe haven I have left: my car. I quickly check my surroundings to make sure it's 100% safe for me to cry, and as soon as I come to the conclusion that it is, the floodgates open, and the tears start to fall. I rest my forehead against the steering wheel as I begin to quietly sob, the emotions my body tried so desperately to suppress finally rising to the surface. I close my eyes and begin to shiver as I realize that I am now completely and utterly alone.

In just a few short days, Tori Vega has gone from being one of my least favourite people on this planet, to being the only person I could truly trust, and now she's gone and stabbed me in the back! I'll never admit it, but I was actually enjoying her company. I was even close to considering her to be a good friend, but I guess I was right from the start; I should've never trusted her! That idiot was just trying to be nice to me so I wouldn't be mad when she swooped in to steal my boyfriend from me! I scream out in anger, not caring if anyone can hear me. After a few more minutes of shivering, my phone buzzes.

A message from Cat appears on my screen, asking where I am. I check the time and realize that Sikowitz's class is about to begin. I start typing, telling her that I won't be there, when I remember that today's the day that everyone performs their script in front of the class. If I don't go without a legitimate excuse, that's an automatic F! I wrack my brain for excuses, when suddenly, an idea flashes across my mind, and I find myself actually wanting to go to class.

I tell Cat that I'll be there in a minute or two. I manage to calm myself down and quickly regain my composure. I quickly fix my makeup in my front seat mirror and get out of my car to go back into the school. I can't let anyone know I've been crying. As I enter Sikowitz's classroom, I see 2 people from the back of the class make their way up to the stage at the front of the room. I don't know what their names are, but they're part of the group of people who always sit in the back and don't really do much. The people in my social circle call them "shruggers."

"Begin!" Sikowitz shouts, as the shruggers take their places. I've never actually heard the shruggers say anything in class before aside from the occasional reaction to whatever my little social group is doing at the time, so I sit back in my seat, eager to see them actually do something. Suddenly, I see something out of the corner of my eye. I turn my head ever so slightly to my right to see my ex take Vega's hand. I quickly look away, trying not to break down while the shruggers are putting on their play. The people onstage finish their scene, and Sikowitz gives them two thumbs up.