Bite Me

Chapter Seven: Exs And Ohs

Jade West had just moved into her dorm in Pennsylavania. She had packed up her belongings, flown out, and moved in all on her own. 'They say family is the most important thing someone can get, well that's a lie.' She had left without any help from her family, as with most things. She was starting over, away from her friends, away from her family, away from Vega. She hadn't shaken the Latina from her mind since the other night. Mostly it was the look on Tori's face as she left, it haunted her whenever she tried to sleep. She shook it off and kept unpacking her stuff. She thankfully was at a school where everyone had their own individual rooms. She walked over to the window and peeked out the blinds and could see some girls playing beach volleyball on the sand court outside in bathing suits. She smirked to herself. Maybe this would be more enjoyable then she thought.

It had been a great first semester of college. Jade had a great boyfriend who doted on her every whim. She had impressed all of her teachers and was at the top of her program. Her classmates were very impressed by her, and she hadn't thought about anybody from her past in a long while. At least until she got a text one morning. She was just finishing up at breakfast when she saw a message from Cat about Tori's album having come out. She rolled her eyes and figured she'd give it a listen. She opened up Spotify and queued up the first song. As it blasted across her headphones, she immediately felt herself drawn back to that night months ago.

Jade yanked out the earphones and tossed her phone aside. She looked down at her clenched fists. Why was she so mad still? She should've been happy that Tori was happy. She was happy so why shouldn't Tori? She should be happy shouldn't she? Jade grabbed her phone and opened the messenger and started to type out a message to her boyfriend but hesitated. She closed the app and put the headphones back in. 'Tori deserved to be happy didn't she?' Jade thought to herself as she laid down on her bed and closed her eyes. She drifted off to sleep as the first tear rolled down her cheek.

Jade had dumped her boyfriend at the start of her second year in college. She needed a change she had said, but that wasn't really it. She wanted a girlfriend. She still wasn't sure if it was a phase or if it was Tori's album getting to her. She had spent way too long listening to it, but she couldn't not. She knew at least two songs were about her, or she hoped they were. She had almost sent Tori dozens of texts calling her out on it or taunting her but could never bring herself to it. The memory of Tori's face still haunted her from time to time. Jade was sure she was torturing herself but she couldn't stop. She was like a junkie going back for more.

It was the first day of Sophmore year and she had one class with a new teacher. The Art of the Screenplay was the class. It was supposed to be about writing the perfect film with compelling characters and keeping the audience wanting more after each scene. Sounded exciting to Jade. What didn't was the fact that she had it three days a week from eight at night until midnight. Who had a class that late at night, especially a mandatory one. Thankfully all of Jade's worries were dissipated shortly after the start of the lesson.

The teacher, Juliet Rosenbaum, was incredible. She had written dozens of films across the spectrum, and knew hundreds of others inside and out. She knew facts about movies that had come out over the last fifty years that weren't written down anywhere. Jade knew it couldn't really be possible but yet she did. She must've had an inside source or something. It also didn't hurt that she was gorgeous. For someone who was supposed to be in their fifties, Juliet looked like she couldn't be older than thirty. She had brilliant dark red hair that framed her pale complexion. Not to mention she dressed like she walked out of a punk rock concert. She could tell everybody had the hots for her and she knew it. Everything she did gave off sex appeal. More than once Jade could tell she would tease her class and had everybody hooked.

It was the last class of the first week where Jade was writing down some extra notes and ideas after class ended when she was stopped before leaving the classroom.