The Other Girl

Part 4

Never had Tori been so anxious for a Friday. Normally she'd be over the moon for obvious reasons, but this Friday was different. This would be the first time she and Jamie would hang out alone, and for some reason she was incredibly nervous. Jamie had apologized to Jade, and ever since then the goth had been incredibly tame. She hardly made rude comments toward either Tori or the blonde streaked brunette, it was strange. Everyone in the friend group had taken notice, but chose not to say anything. Truth be told, they were relieved to not have to stop any cat fights almost all week. Jade wasn't necessarily friendly with Jamie, if that happened Hell would have to freeze over first. But her searing glares were no longer present, for that Tori was thankful. It was obvious she was doing it for Tori, not for Jamie. The dark haired girl still disliked her with every bone in her body, but she'd play nice if it meant Tori wouldn't be mad at her. The play had been suspended until Monday because of Beck and Jade's absence, giving the students the weekend to study their lines and get ready. Hearing the last bell of the day Tori sighed, leaning back against her locker.

"Hey Toro! Ready to go?" Jamie asked, walking up to Tori and twirling her car keys around her finger.

"Did you just call me Toro?" Tori chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, guess I did. Sikowitz has been calling you that so I guess I just started saying it. Why? You don't like it?"

"No! No, it's fine. It's just weird hearing it from someone else." Tori reassured, standing up straight now. Smiling, Jamie put an arm around Tori's shoulders as they strolled out the two front doors. When they walked up to Jamie's car, she opened the side door for Tori.

"After you m'lady." She said, doing a small bow. Tori giggled at the gesture, seating herself on the passenger side. "So, the sandwich place?" Tori bit her lip anxiously, twiddling her thumbs.

"Yup, that's what we decided wasn't it?" Jamie noticed Tori's tension when she put a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" Tori wasn't really okay, but at the same time she couldn't place why. All morning she had stressed about this evening, it was so bad even Trina saw and tried to calm her down. But to no avail, because she was feeling the exact same sinking sensation right now. The fact she couldn't even understand herself frustrated her beyond belief. "Is it Jade?" The brown eyed girl blinked a few times as her eyes widened.

"What would make you think Jade has something to do with this?" Tori asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I dunno." Jamie shrugged. "You've just been acting really weird all day and she's usually why you're upset." As soon as the words left her mouth she regretted it. A look of anger appeared on Tori's face, a feeling Jamie had only seen in her when she had pushed Jade. Tori was normally docile and loving, any strong negative emotion put everyone she knew off balance. The brunette harshly removed Jamie's hand from her shoulder, continuing to stare at her lap. "Tori, I'm sorry I didn't mean-"

"Just drive." Jamie cringed but obeyed. When they pulled up to the shop, tension was thick in the air.

"Tori I really am sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Jamie tried once again to console her. This was supposed to be a fun night, and she'd already ruined it. The youngest Vega took her by suprise as she grabbed both her hands. Jamie gasped at the sudden contact, but it wasn't unwelcome in the slightest. She felt a shiver crawl up her spine, while the other girl appeared unphased.

"It's okay, I don't know why that struck a chord in me. Can we just not talk about it? Or about her? I want this to be about us tonight." The brunette pleaded, her chocolate eyes peering into Jamie's hazel ones. She replied with a small 'okay', and that was enough for Tori. She dropped one of Jamie's hands, and began to walk forward holding the other. "Now, let's eat." The meal ended up being normal, despite their small argument. The two talked and laughed like usual, though it didn't feel the same. Both girls had a lot on their mind, things they wanted to talk about. But this wasn't the time, maybe it never would be. Throughout their conversations, Jamie would steal glances at the gorgeous brunette in front of her. It was astounding to her that this young woman had even a shred of doubt in herself, that she ever felt insecure. Tori seemed to be perfect inside and out, something Jamie knew she herself wasn't. She wanted more, but there was always something in the way. Every time she tried to get close to Tori, or be any kind of flirtatious with her the brunette wouldn't reciprocate. In fact, she would try her best to act like it didn't happen. But at the same time, she would notice Tori looking at her sometimes with such adoration and curiosity. It was as if there was a barrier, something or someone keeping her from showing her true feelings. Maybe Tori was already in love with someone else? Nothing else made sense, but clearly whoever she liked didn't feel the same. Either that or the Latina hadn't made a move. Regardless, this person had Tori's heart, and they had it locked up tight. After they'd finished, Tori paid the bill despite Jamie's many protests. As they made their way to the car, Tori tripped on something and nearly fell over. She let out a small squeal before Jamie put her arm around Tori's shoulders, steadying her. "Whew, thanks.." Tori breathed a sigh of relief. Jamie began to laugh, earning an elbow in the side from the Latina.