Not Everyone Makes It in America

Chapter 2

Jade loved watching Tori sing. It was one of the most calming things in the world for her. Not to mention it was the only thing she did. Ever since she ended up in here all she did was watch Tori sing on multiple music channels. It was hard at first, nurses always trying to talk to her and get her to move. Eventually the nurses learned it was just best to leave her alone. Jade didn't plan on talking to anybody for the rest of her time here.

That of course could be the rest of her life. The doctors were the ones who could decide when she leaves. Jade never spoke to them though. During her weekly appointment with the doctor and the therapist she would stare at the floor. She didn't want to talk to them; it wouldn't help, and Jade knew that. She was crazy, and nothing could fix that. Not pills, not doctors, not therapists. Nothing in the world could fix her problems, and anything they tried just seemed to dilute her mind to numbness.

The only thing that ever came close to making her feel half normal in this place was watching Tori sing. There was something about it that calmed her down. All she wanted was to see Tori. Not that she'll ever have the chance. She'd never be able to find out her phone number. "I just need to see her or hear from her again." Jade kept hearing the thought ring through her typically empty mind.

"Jade, your morning meds are ready hun." She heard the nurse say beside her. Jade hated being called that. Who calls a mental patient hun without knowing them? She sure as hell didn't know Jade, they've never even had a conversation to make it possible. Regardless, Jade took the two cups out of the woman's hands, pretending not to acknowledge her existence. Focusing only on Tori belting out her hit song.

Handing her back the cups Jade heard her say "Why do you always watch the same girl on the television Jade? What's her name? Victoria... Vegas...?"

"Please. Her name is Vega, and she goes by Tori." Jade thought silently to herself, still not making eye contact with the nurse. A small smile crept across her lips as she swallowed the pill she had been holding in her mouth. It was never really intentional when she smiled after taking her meds, but just like listening to tori sing, it kept her feeling sane.

"Well, you must really like her." The woman said, unknowing of the fact Jade thoughts had much further passed her earlier statement. "We all have our favourite celebrities I suppose. I guess yours happens to be her." She kept rambling on. Jades eyes never faltered from the television until she picked out something the nurse said. Jade replayed it in her mind. "Didn't your family say something about you graduating with a couple of friends and her? From Hollywood Arts? Did you know her?" As she realized what she was asked Jade's eyes dropped from the television to her own feet.

It didn't go unnoticed either, a pleased grin made it's way across the woman's face as she realized she got through to Jade. Many people thought that there wasn't even a girl really in Jade's body. That she was just a lifeless zombie who never thought a single coherent thing. Not now though, now it was known to a single nurse that somebody really existed inside Jade, and she was determined to make that person shine.

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Waking up in her own bed was a feeling Tori missed during her tour. It was a fairly simple pleasure, but it was one she greatly missed. Waking up alone wasn't the best feeling, but she was sure the majority of her friends felt the same way. After all, the only people in her group of friends together were Robbie and Cat.

They got married a few years ago, always seemed like such a happy couple. Robbie always had a thing for Cat in high school. Later on Cat spent a lot of time apparently falling for her roommate named Sam, but after a while it was Robbie who swept her up off her feet. Now they seemed like the happiest couple around, well they used to seem so at least. Tori couldn't help but notice the faint sense of strangeness when around Robbie and Cat.

No, that was weird to think about Tori decided. They were a happy couple and that was final. Thinking about couples brought memories back of Beck and Jade. They were never a happy couple, but they loved each other. Well, Beck loved Jade at least. Towards graduation it seemed as though Jade loved Beck less and less, as well as her tolerance for everybody else. Beck was devastated when Jade decided she was skipping town.

So devastated he lost sight of what his life really was. To himself, Jade was his whole life, and he didn't want to be in Hollywood without her. It just didn't seem right to him. So he left too, nobody could really wrap their minds around it. He was gone like the northern wind. Things were said about places like Florida or moving back to Canada, but he never really told anyone exactly where he was going.

"Kind of like Jade." Tori breathed aloud, not really realizing it. Her head was clouded and cluttered with so many thoughts it was hard to keep a straight mindset. All she knew now was that she needed to get out of her bed.

Walking down the long white hall to the kitchen the brunette stopped to admire the pictures from her past on the wall. Her favourites were the pictures from her days in Hollywood Arts. Looking at all the pictures brought memories. The best one though had to be the picture Beck took of Tori and Jade right after the platinum music awards.

It was such a fond memory. Jade smiling, almost striking a superman pose with one hand in the air and the other draped around the shoulder of Tori. Also striking the same pose Tori's arm is draped around the black haired girl's shoulder, a huge grin plastering her face. It was one of the best nights of her life. She'd never forget it. Not only because it's what kick started her career, but that was the night Jade called Tori her friend. It meant a great deal to her.

That was months before graduation. Right before Jade started slipping from their grasp. It hurt so much, having built Jade so high up to be called her friend; only to watch Jade stumble downwards in her shining moment. When things went south with her nobody in the group knew why. Jade wouldn't talk to anybody, not even to slip in a snippy comeback.

The memories were brought to a halt when Tori heard a ringing noise echoing from her bedroom. Half jogging back to her room she picked the Blue PearPhone XV up off of her bedside table. Her agent was calling. In the morning?

She raised the phone to her ear, cautiously calling out "Hello?" It seemed strange for him to call her in the morning. Not hearing his voice quite properly she adjusted the phone's placement on her ear. "I'm sorry, what were you saying? I didn't hear you."

Proper hearing however could not have prepared her for what she was just informed. Shocked, the phone had been lost from her firm grip. Clattering against the hardwood floor as Tori's delayed reaction made itself heard. "W-what?"

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

How do you guys like it so far? Please, please don't kill me for bad grammar. I just got so excited about updating I barely skimmed through it before uploading it.

So now you guys know what happened to beck.

But why do things seem strange around Cat and Robbie?

What was that nurse up to?

What shocking news did Tori's agent tell her?

I thought I'd leave you guys with those questions. Also keep in mind that that this story is going to be pretty sad, and it will take a while to get into the Jori romance!

Bye! ~Maddie ❤️💛💚💙💜