Green Eyes ~~ A Jori Fanfiction

8. night if the living ted

"You can't go to Ted's. Not like this. Not tonight."

"Jade, I-"

"Please, Tori."

"But why? Why not tonight?"

Jade hesitated. She hadn't really thought this far. "Because he's… dead."

"What?"

"I'm sorry," Jade said, sympathetically. "I didn't want to be the one to tell you."

"Oh, my God."

"I'm so sorry, but that's the way it goes."

"But he can't be dead! I only spoke to him an hour ago!"

"Death keeps no timetable, Tori. The sands of time trickle endlessly through your fingers. When your number's up, it's up."

"But why? How? What happened? Was it an accident?"

"Er…"

"What about the police? Do his parents know? Oh God, I'd better call them."

"What? No! No, don't do that! They'll be… busy."

"Busy?"

"You know. Grieving."

"But I… they… we should…" After a moment, Tori's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute," she said. "How do you know?"

"I… um…"

Jade heard the gasp and closed her eyes, to block out the sight of what she knew would be Tori's 'righteous indignation' face, when eyes and mouth became perfect circles in horror at uncovering whatever scheme Jade had been trying to get away with.

"He's not dead at all, is he?"

"Not as such, no," Jade conceded. "Well, maybe a little on the inside, but-"

Tori was apoplectic. "You little... You are unbelievable!" she fumed. "Right, that's it! Get out of my house!"

Come on, Tori it was just-"

"Out!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Come on, Tori."

"No! Get out!"

"I'm not leaving."

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not!" Jade put her foot down. "I am not leaving this house, Vega, and that's final."

.

.

.

"I can wait out her all day if I have to!"

"Good!" Tori's voice was muffled by the door between them.

Jade sighed, and rested her head against the woodwork. This had not, on reflection, been such a great idea. "Come on, Tori."

"Go away!"

"I'm not leaving."

"Fine. You just wait right there until Ted turns up."

Suddenly there was a new terror, that she'd have to stand here like an idiot while Ted came ambling up the path, whistling a happy tune as he rehearsed the many and varied ways he was going to get lucky, have to stand aside, rejected, as he walked past her with a grin. She could always waylay him, a veiled threat, an accidental boot to the groin, but all that was putting off the inevitable and making it worse. She hammered on the door, redoubling her efforts.