Story: It\'s Screwy, But I Think It Can Work (chapter 2)

Authors: BatchSan

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Chapter 2

Title: Chapter 02: Uncertainty

[Author's notes:

<b>Word Count:</b> 2,114

<b>A/N:</b> Still no porn! Be dazzled by PLOT! *dazzledazzle* xD

]

“I like this color on you, Jade.”

Cat smiled up at me from the floor before turning back to the nail polish she was applying to my toes. Frowning, I studied the color she had chosen and debated whether or not I liked midnight blue on my toes. Still, it made Cat happy and the secret soft spot I had for her allowed Cat to paint my nails pretty much any color but yellow, pink, or any neon or pastel colors. Picky? Not me.

“I talked to Tori and she said she wanted to go to the movies with us. Actually, she said me, and when I mentioned you, she got this weird look and said you could come too. Isn't that great?”

“I guess...”

It seemed that Tori had been truthful when she had said she was okay with possibly joining us, but I wasn't really digging the way she was treating this like some fairy tale courtship. Was it really that hard for her to just get down to business with Cat and me? Of course that's harsh. I mean, Cat and I didn't just pick up out of the blue and decide to fuck. We've known each other since we were in preschool, grew up together. It felt natural the first time we had kissed and it felt right the first time we experimented together. We never made it official or anything because that felt like taking it to a whole other level that we weren't ready for at the time.

Although, that had been while we were in high school. Now we were budding adults, trying to start our lives by making our way through college and bullshit jobs we didn't really want. Things just seemed to click better between Cat and I after graduation from Hollywood Arts. Beck and Andre moved to New York, which pretty much ended what Beck and I had. It did suck, but I had better opportunities going for me here, as well, I had Cat.

Shut up, of course I have a heart, and I already admitted to the soft spot I have for Cat.

“Jade?”

“Hm...?”

“Are you okay with the whole Tori thing? You've been awfully quiet since that day.”

It was true, surprisingly. Not that I was a very chatty person, but I know Cat was referring more to the fact that I haven't really been snide or sarcastic since we met up with Tori last week. Fucking Tori. I can have sex and not associate it with love, that's easy, but there's just something about her that tugs at my heart the way Cat does. Well, almost like how Cat does. Cat was here first and longer, so Tori was just a stranger in the grand scale of things. Tori was like that old guy behind the register of a grocery store you frequent. At first, you don't really pay him much mind, but one day you smile at him and before you know it, you can't help but ask how he's doing. After a while, you start to care for this stranger, even though you initially had no intent to.

I'm not in love with Tori, but I probably would be a little disappointed if she turned me down. Yeah, I said it.

Cat, done with my toes, straddled my lap and gently touched my cheek. Her thumb brushed lightly against my cheekbone as she looked at me with this indescribable look in her eyes that she used to keep me from knowing what truly was on her mind. Trust me, I use to think she was just a little mental, but I've learned a lot about her since we started playing between the sheets.

“It's not too late to say no if you think I made a mistake,” she said softly.

Leaning my face into the warmth of her hand, I stared at her lips for a long moment before meeting her eyes.

“I'm...”

God, how do I say what the hell I'm thinking? It's hard to do it sometimes, but especially now. I can't even get the words right in my head about how I feel about this. Conflicted. Confused. Just a bit scared? All the above? But the thoughts refuse to translate easily into words that I can speak aloud.

It really pisses me off that Tori makes me feel this way.

“I'm fine with it,” I finally say.

If sounds like a lie, but it really isn't. I really am fine with it. Cat may be full of a lot of dumb and confusing ideas, but she's done nothing but good for me with the rare few that are actually sane, if a little questionable. Beside, I really do want to see how this plays out, even if it scares me in a way I can't justify or want to understand.

/-/-/

Christ.

Why does Tori have to make things so complicated? Can she not over-think something? Is simplicity really that hard of a concept for her to grasp?

Tori met us at the movie theater, dressed in a slinky black dress and a white cardigan over her shoulders. She smiled and laughed nervously with us as we picked out a movie, paid, and got snacks. In our seats, she sat between Cat and me and jumped every time I bumped my elbow into her arm by accident. When we left, she teetered awkwardly by the entrance of the movie theater, looking at us for a sign of what should transpire next.

“This is not a date,” I finally said with much annoyance.

Something in her eyes flickered uncertainly before she gave a nervous laugh.

“I know that. It doesn't count as a date unless we have dinner or something.”

“Ooo, can we go have dinner?” Cat chirped in. “I'm hungry and Jade knows this great Mexican place that makes the best pico de gallo. Hee, pico de gallo is funny to say.”

Christ.

“I don't mind catching something to eat. You know, not in a date way. Just in a group of friends catching something to eat kind of way,” Tori said quickly.

“Please Jade?” Cat begged, eyes bright and lip pouty.

Fucking hell.

“Sure, Cat,” I reluctantly sighed.

Squealing, Cat jumped into my car and I slipped behind the wheel as Tori got into her car and followed behind us. I wasn't happy I had to share one of my food havens with Tori, but since Cat brought it up and pouted her way passed my snark, well... I didn't have to be happy about it.

Dinner consisted of tacos, pico de gallo, and Cat tiptoeing her fingers up and down my arms. I wasn't positive, but I was pretty sure she was doing it more to catch Tori's attention; and catch her attention it did. The first time Cat did it, Tori stared frozen, a look in her eyes that clearly read she was uncertain how to act. Should she look away, pretend she hadn't seen it, or should she say something? Finally, Cat giggled and asked Tori something about her job. The next time Cat tiptoed her fingers on me, she ended it with the back of her hand brushing my jaw. I smiled lewdly at Tori, making her blush deeply and bury her face in a napkin as she 'pretended' to wipe her mouth.

I hadn't expected to, but I was enjoying myself. Tori's discomfort always made me enjoy things more.

“You got some sour cream on your lip, Cat,” I said, deciding I would really test Tori's nerves.

Cat began to reach for a napkin but I stopped her arm with my hand and leaned forward to lick the little speck of offending sour cream off her bottom lip. As Cat purred, I could hear Tori inhale sharply; both were absolutely delicious. Turning my face to look at the brunette, it was clear that Tori had reached her limits of uncertainty and embarrassment. She was letting taco grease drip onto her white cardigan and sat slack-jawed, but making odd noises in the back of her throat as if she was trying to say 'Stop tormenting me already!'. Or so I liked imagining.

“Are you okay?” Cat piped in concern.

It took a second, but Tori snapped out of it and placed her food down in what was definite defeat. She looked lost again, like that day at the park, but there was something in her eyes that said she had something on her mind.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“You dripped taco on your cardigan,” Cat said, pointing out the orange stain.

“Oh god!” Tori sprung up and glanced around. “Where's the bathroom?”

“They don't have bathrooms here,” I supplied with a friendly smile.

“You're kidding me! What am I going to do with my blouse?” Tori was panicking now and I almost felt bad for her as she rubbed at the orange mess with napkins. Almost.

“We can go to my place. I live nearby,” Cat said.

“Please?”

I love when Tori begged. Note to self: Exploit if I ever get her in the sack.

/-/-/

It was true, Cat lived nearby, which was probably why I enjoyed spending the night at her place more than mine as I lived a good forty minutes away and sometimes when you get a craving for tacos... Well, it goes without saying, in many ways, doesn't it?

Anyway, we left Taco Delight quickly on Cat and Tori's urging -- not mine – and arrived at Cat's within five minutes, if that with the way the two of them decided to drive. I was not pleased with Cat driving my car like a maniac through the streets for a vast amount of reasons, but the primary one being that it was to do Tori a favor. When we got to Cat's apartment complex, Tori parked at the curb as Cat and I went into the building's underground parking lot that was for the tenants only, with one parking spot extra for each tenant's guests. I was in no rush, but once the car was parked, Cat practically ripped my arm off as she dragged me into the building and up to her apartment where Tori was already waiting. This was far too much for just a simple stain that was very likely not to come out by now.

It dawned on me then that things were not as they seemed.

Inside, Cat took Tori's cardigan and began to furiously scrub the stain in the kitchen sink while Tori looked on, telling her to be careful. I went into the living room and kicked my shoes off, wishing I had worn my boots instead of the dumb flats Cat suggested I wear. I sat on the couch and tried to put out the annoying conversation going on between Cat and Tori in the next room. Then it went silent all of a sudden, except for the sound of running water. Curiosity piqued, though relieved they had both finally shut up, I inclined my head toward the doorway waiting to hear something more but it remained silent.

Wait. Did they...?

Quietly, I stood and walked to the doorway in time to see one redhead and one brunette pull back from each other, cardigan forgotten in the sink. I couldn't see Cat's face, but Tori looked like she had just got caught digging in the cookie jar just before dinner.

“Having fun?” I queried.

“Jade!” Tori squeaked. “It's not... I... She... The stain... I... But she...!”

Tori's mouth continued to move but nothing intelligent was able to get past her lips.

“I'm sorry,” finally manage to fall from her mouth.

She searched my face for a response but I only offered her a glare in return. Apologizing, even though Cat tried to tell her that it was okay, Tori wrung out her cardigan – stain still clear on it – and made a hasty exit out of the apartment. Cat looked at me, distressed.

“She left,” Cat said in a very disappointed tone.

“Yep. You kissed her and scared her away.”

“How do you know I kissed her?”

“Because I figured out that this was just a ploy for you to do it, wasn't it?”

Smiling sheepishly, Cat tried to look ashamed but she was not fooling anyone with the small smile in her eyes that gleamed mischievously.

“How did she taste?” Of course I was curious.

“Yummy. Like tacos!”

Insert mental facepalm here.

“Do you think I scared her off for good?”

That was a good question, but something in my gut said no. Especially not after I saw that look in her eyes in the restaurant.

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