Harmony amidst Chaos | A Jori story

New Year's Eve

-JADE'S POV-

The Vega living room is packed, the way it always gets when the gang decides to infest one spot.

Not my first choice. Honestly, I would've rather had Tori to myself tonight, but apparently I was the last person to know we were having a group hangout. Story of my life.

André's drumming a rhythm on his knee next to Tori, who's sitting cross-legged on the couch with a pillow clutched to her chest. Beck has claimed the other couch, sprawled out with his feet on the coffee table like he owns the place. Robbie's hanging around in the corner, more interested in his phone than in us.

I've claimed my spot on the floor, shoulder tucked just under the edge of Tori's couch. Close enough to feel the shift of her weight when she moves. Close enough that I notice, every single time.

That's when Cat explodes through the door.

"Have you guys heard!" she squeals, her voice ricocheting off the walls like a balloon about to pop. "There is a real big party tomorrow!"

"Where?" André asks from his seat beside Tori.

"Some senior from another school is throwing a New Year's Eve blowout in a ridiculous Hills villa. Pool, DJ, tons of alcohol," Beck explains, like he's reading it off a brochure.

"And I heard they'll have a taco bar!" Cat twirls in a circle, beaming.

Robbie perks up. "Wait, free tacos?"

"No one said free," I snap. "Try using those big cartoon ears for once."

Beck chuckles under his breath. I don't even look at him.

"Are we going?" he asks.

The room practically erupts.

Cat claps. "Yes, yes, yes! I already picked out an outfit!"

"I'm down," André says, fingers drumming faster. "Haven't had a good party in months."

"I'll drive," Beck throws in, as if anyone asked.

Even Robbie pipes up with his usual desperate "I'm in."

And then it's Tori's turn.

"Tori? You in?" André nudges her.

She blinks like she just came back from another planet. "Huh?"

"The party," Beck says, sitting up for once. "You coming?"

And suddenly she's all sunshine. A bright, shiny, too-perfect smile plastered on like stage makeup. "Sure. Yeah. Sounds fun!"

Yeah, right.

No one else notices the way her fingers dig into that pillow, white-knuckle grip like it's her anchor. Or how her smile looks seconds away from cracking. But I do.

And I notice something else, too. She hasn't looked at me once since I got here. Not once. Normally, we'd already have shared a glance, some eye-roll at Cat, maybe a smirk at Robbie tripping over his own feet. Today? Nothing. She's dodging me like I've got the plague.

Something's up. The longer I watch that smile stretched too tight across her face, the more it sits wrong in my throat. Whatever's going on in her head, it's not just distracting her—it's swallowing her whole. And yeah, it pisses me off more than it should.

I shift, shoulder pressing higher against the couch until I'm close enough to nudge her leg. So I do. Just a brush.

She jerks like I burned her.

My eyes narrow. "You okay?" I mutter.

Her smile locks tighter, brittle as glass. "Why wouldn't I be?"