Harmony amidst Chaos | A Jori story

Hidden Truths

-JADE'S POV-

As the week goes by, we all noticed the change in Vega's mood whenever Daniel is around.

Everyone except for me, obviously, has tried asking Vega about it, wondering if she still has feelings for Daniel or if something else is bothering her. But whenever they bring it up, she either laughs it off or changes the subject. There was even one time when she got pissed and stormed off.

Another thing I've noticed is Trina Vega's reaction whenever she sees Daniel walking in the hallway. Her eyes narrow, and she quickly averts her gaze, pretending to be engrossed in whatever she's doing.

It's Friday afternoon and we are having auditions for the end of the year musical.

The hallway outside the Black Box is buzzing with excitement and nervous energy as other students prepare for their auditions. Scripts and sheet music are scattered everywhere, and the sound of rehearsed lines and vocal warm-ups fills the air.

I am well prepared for auditioning for the lead role, of course. As I go over my lines one last time, I notice Vega in a corner, looking more anxious than usual. She's flipping through her script, but her eyes keep darting towards the door as if she's expecting someone—or dreading their arrival.

As if on cue, Daniel walks in, and the room's atmosphere shifts. Vega stiffens, her focus on the script now completely gone. I see Cat bouncing up to him, being her usual bubbly self.

I scrunch my eyebrows at Vega's reaction. Instead of her being awkward or maybe annoyed, she looks fairly scared now. Her eyes widen, and she takes a step back, almost as if she wants to disappear into the wall behind her.

Curious and slightly amused I decide to watch the scene unfold. Cat grabs Daniel's arm, dragging him towards Vega.

"Hey, Tori! Look who's here to watch audition!" Cat chirps, her excitement evident.

Vega forces a smile, but it's clear she's uncomfortable. "Uhmm that's really thoughtful of you Daniel." she says, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah I know, thanks." Daniel replies, his tone casual, but I catch a flicker of something in his eyes. Is it disdain? It's hard to tell, but there's definitely something there.

The tension between them is palpable, and I revel in the tension. It's like watching a car crash in slow motion—you can't look away even if you wanted to.

I decide to stir the pot a bit, so I walk over to them.

"So, Daniel, what's the plan for the kickback tomorrow? I'm sure you're excited to dance the night away with your girlfriend." I say, my voice dripping with mock enthusiasm.

Daniel gives me a sideways glance, his expression neutral. "Yeah, it should be fun." he replies, keeping it short.

Vega remains silent, her eyes flickering between Daniel and the floor. The awkwardness is almost too much to bear, and I can't help but smirk.

Cat beams, clearly more thrilled at the prospect. "It's going to be amazing! We're going to have so much fun together!" She squeals while wrapping her arm around both Daniel and Vega, pulling them in for a hug.

"Tori Vega?" One of the teachers calls out. "You're up."

Vega quickly frees herself from Cat's grip, clearly relieved. "Right." she says, giving Cat a reassuring pat on the shoulder before heading inside the theater.

As Vega disappears into the room, I return my focus to my script, eager to perfect my lines. Beck joins me, ready for his audition, while André offers his support. He's doing music for the production so he won't audition.