Harmony amidst Chaos | A Jori story

A can of lemonade

-TORI'S POV-

I've kept my promise to Jade.

Well— mostly, because the moment I got home, my mom launched into a full-on cross-interrogation.

She started with the usual questions—where I'd been, who I was with, and if everything was okay. I kept my answers vague, just mentioning that I ran into a friend and ended up having breakfast with them, carefully avoiding any details that could hint at Jade.

But as I was trying to sidestep her questions, Trina suddenly made her presence known. I hadn't even realized she had come down the stairs until she spoke up.

"So, did you like, run off with some guy or something?" Trina had asked, with a smirk on her face. "Because, seriously, Tori, if you're sneaking around, you could at least be interesting about it."

I had shot her a glare. Telling her it wasn't a guy, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. But it was clear that she didn't buy it, giving me knowing look. My mom raised one eyebrow and her eyes narrowed slightly, a playful but unmistakable warning flashing in them. It was the kind of look that said, 'I'm onto you, and you better not push your luck', with just enough warmth to let me know she wasn't entirely serious—but also that I shouldn't test her too much. She had left it with that.

Jade didn't mention that morning to anyone, obviously. But she came back to school with the usual scowl and attitude.

"No, no, NO!" Jade snaps, her voice cutting through the room like a whip. "You're doing it all wrong! You can't even get a simple cue right? We've done this scene a hundred times, and you're still screwing it up!" Her voice is dripping with venom as she glares at the two boys in front of her.

I'm standing off to the side with André, watching as Jade runs through a particularly intense scene with Beck and Robbie. The scene is supposed to be emotional, but it's clear things aren't clicking. Beck misses his cues, and Robbie's timing is constantly off too, both of which send Jade over the edge.

Beck looks frustrated, running his hand through his hair. "We're doing our best, Jade." Beck says, his tone calm but with a hint of irritation.

Robbie, who's standing next to Beck, shifts uncomfortably, his usual nervousness magnified by Jade's outburst. "Yeah we're really trying to—"

"TRY HARDER!" Jade snaps, cutting him off.

I glance at André, who's leaning against the wall next to me, arms crossed. He shakes his head slightly. "She's been super on edge since they broke up." he murmurs, just loud enough for me to hear.

"Yeah I know." I reply quietly, watching as Jade continues to berate Beck and Robbie. "But I mean, they just broke up, what did we expect?"

André nods, his gaze still fixed on Jade. "I would have expected them to have made up by now." He chuckles.

"Is that how it usually goes?" I ask him, trying to keep my voice low.

André glances at me, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, pretty much. They break up, fight like cats and dogs for a bit, then they make up. It's like their thing." He shrugs, his tone casual. "But this time, I don't know, it seems different."

I hum in response, still watching as Jade's frustration spills over into every line she delivers.

André leans a little closer, lowering his voice. "You notice how she hasn't snapped at you, though?"

I blink, taken aback by the comment. "What do you mean?"

"She's been tearing into everyone except you." he points out. "It's like you're the only one she's not mad at, which is weird seeing she broke up with Beck because she thought he was constantly flirting with you."