Second Guesses, Second Chances

Chapter 14

Tori

As I get out of Trina's car, I take a deep breath and let out a happy sigh, closing my eyes and letting the bright, California sun shine down on me for a few moments before heading into Hollywood Arts. It's been almost a week since I let that cheater go, and I've never felt happier! I follow my sister into the school, chuckling to myself as she spots her latest crush, running after him and yelling his name as he saunters through the halls. As I reach my locker, I see a black blur in the corner of my eyes, and quickly turn my head, a grin forming at the corners of my lips, knowing exactly who's standing next to me.

"Good morning, Jade!" I greet the goth as cheerily as I can.

"Mornings are never good. Don't lie to me," she deadpans. I chuckle at her remark, knowing full well that underneath that signature scowl is a girl who's happy to see me. She's holding two coffee cups, one large and one medium, the larger cup being her own coffee, and the medium cup being for me, I assume.

"Here. For you," she says, holding out the smaller cup. I feel my face heat up slightly, my grin only growing wider, as I assumed correctly.

"Awe, thanks Jade! That's really sweet of you!" I exclaim. "You're such a good friend!"

"Just take it, Vega" she says through gritted teeth. I take my latte and take a quick sip, still beaming at the grumpy girl who gave it to me. I open my locker to gather my books for the morning and make light conversation with her as I sort through my things, happy to be able to spend time with her before class starts. I know giving a friend a coffee and talking to them isn't exactly what most people would call 'special', but every little thing counts when it comes to Jade and I. For the past year and a half, I've had to fight tooth and nail for her approval, going the extra mile just to get her to stop making my life a living hell for even a split second. But now, my hard work has paid off, and enduring her wrath for so long has only made the little moments like these so much sweeter.

The first bell of the day rings, and I close my locker, ready to go to the Blackbox theatre.

"Ready for Sikowitz?" I ask, nudging her arm a little. Jade quickly looks around us to make sure nobody's paying attention before quickly nudging me back.

"Hell yeah," she replies, a playful smirk replacing her frown. "Acting buddy." I squeal a little in excitement upon hearing her call me her acting buddy, my good morning only getting better as I'm once again reminded that Jade West cares about me; that Jade West is my friend . My happy outcry draws some attention from a few people in the hallway, and Jade immediately frowns to hide her amusement, but when she glances over at me, I can see nothing but that softness she's been so willing to show me over the past 2 weeks, and I only grin in return.

We arrive at the Blackbox just in time for rehearsal to start, but Sikowitz is nowhere to be seen.

"Hi Jade! Hi Tori!" Cat calls out to us from the other side of the room.

"Hey Cat!" I reply as we join our little friend. Jade merely rolls her eyes.

"You guys, come with me!" Cat says, motioning for us to follow her backstage. Jade and I shrug, figuring that whatever she has in store for us is probably harmless. As we go behind the curtains, I furrow my brows in confusion at the large amount of clothing scattered around the backstage area, lying on the floor, hanging from various light fixtures, even draped across several large props as most tables and chairs are also covered in clothes.

"Cat, what happened here?" I ask, as we stop at a table with a sewing machine and a box filled with various colours of thread and sewing needles.

"Sikowitz put me in charge of costumes!" The little redhead chirps, picking up a few garments off the table next to the machine. She hands me a navy blue blazer and gives Jade a red argyle dress. "Here, go put these on!" As Jade goes to the bathroom to change, I put on my blazer and check my appearance in a nearby mirror. I straighten the top and strike a pose, impressed by how well it fits. A few minutes pass, and I hear Jade make her way back to Cat and I backstage.