3
Tori awoke to the sound of her shower running. She got up and went to the bathroom door.
“Hello?” she called.
“Yes?” a voice called back.
Tori recognised the voice.
“Jade?”
“Yeah, what do you want?”
“Why are you in my shower?” Tori asked, confused but not altogether displeased.
“It's called good hygiene.”
“I know that. Just don't take too long.”
“No promises.”
Tori walked downstairs. She entered her kitchen and began to make breakfast: a bowl of cereal.
“Tori, who is taking a shower in your bathroom?” her mother asked, skeptically.
“Jade. She slept over.”
“Oh, I see.”
Her mother smiled at her. Tori looked around the kitchen.
“Where is Trina?”
“She said something about meeting some guy,” she said, attempting to remember what Trina had told her exactly.
Tori smiled and nodded her head. She sat down and began eating her breakfast. The two comversed over insignificant matters. Tori's mother soon became more interested in her phone. The two of them were so engrossed in their respective activities that when Jade entered their kitchen wearing Tori's robe and a towel on her head, neither of them gave her a glance.
“What's for breakfast?” Jade asked, drawing both Vegas' attention to her.
“Cereal,” answered Tori.
“Cool.”
Jade grabbed a bowl and spoon and casually prepared herself breakfast. Tori began to eat hers at an increased pace.
Tori's mother looked up from her phone at the sound of Tori's rapid consumption of her meal.
“Relax, honey.”
Tori finished her breakfast and stood up to leave.
“I have to take a shower.”
She left. Jade joined Tori's mother at the table.
“Hello, Jade.”
“Hello, Mrs. Vega,” Jade responded, feigning politeness.
“So, how exactly did you end up sleeping at my house last night?”
“Who are you texting?”
Tori's mother looked at her phone, then back at Jade. Jade's eyes followed her movement.
“My husband.”
Jade smiled.
“The one who's taking out the garbage out front.”
Tori's mother went silent. Jade ate her cereal with slow scoops.
“How is Hollywood Arts going for you?”
“Great,” Jade responded.
Tori finished her shower and returned downstairs. Jade and her mother sat across from one another in a peaceful silence: Jade calmly finished her breakfast; her mother was on her phone.
“Jade, hurry up and get ready. You're driving us to school today.”
“Relax, let me go get changed.”
The two of them got ready separately. They met outside of Jade's car.
“Why did you tell my mother that my dad was taking out the garbage?”
“No reason.”
Jade smiled at her. She drove them to school without incident. They neglected any form of conversation, instead indulging in the sweet sound of silence.
They arrived at school. Tori hesitated to walk away without saying anything. Jade had already begun to leave.
“Jade, thank you,” Tori said abruptly.
Jade stopped.
“I think I should be thanking you.”
Tori didn't know how to respond. She decided the best course of action would be to nod and walk away. In entering the school, she made her way over to the stairs where Cat was sitting next to Robby. They greeted each other.
“Is your nose any better, Cat?”
“It only hurts when I touch it.”
Cat's nose was purple and slightly swollen. Tori wished her a quick recovery and left.
“Actually, Tori, could I have a quick word with you?” asked Robby.
“Sure.”
They walked over to her locker. Once they were out of Cat's hearing range, Robby began:
“I can't believe you let Cat not wear a seat belt.”
“I told her to, and she refused. What was I supposed to do, force her?”
“Yes!”
“No, I'm not going to do that. Anyway, nothing would have ever happened if Jade had gotten a little bit of sleep.”
Robby sighed.
“That is true. Alright, I think I can forgive you.”
“Great,” she said, thinking his apology came a little too easily.
Tori realised that there was something missing, which always invaded her and Robby's conversations.
“Where is Rex?”
“In my locker.”
“Why?” asked Tori, with genuine curiosity.
“None of your business!” he said, with an inappropriate level of aggression.
Robby walked away from her. Tori couldn't help but notice how odd a conversation with Robby felt when he wasn't burdened by the insensitivity of Rex. She shrugged it off.
Trina interrupted her exchange of books with her locker.
“He didn't show up again.”
“Trina, I think it's time you take a hint.”
“But, look at him.”
Trina held out her phone to Tori. On her screen, there was an image of a handsome young man with brown hair and blue eyes. Tori didn't look impressed.
“Have you seen this man outside of your screen?”
“No,” Trina said sadly.
Tori took the answer as an end to the conversation. Trina did not.
“Do you know what the weirdest part is?”
Tori shook her head.
“Sinjin was there again, too.”
Tori looked at Trina with disbelief.
“What?”
“Do you really think that's a coincidence?”
An epiphany struck Trina. Her eyes widened in realisation of the meaning behind Tori's words.
“When I find him, I'm going to murder him!” Trina declared before sprinting away, yelling at a couple of students, “Move the hell out of my way!”
Tori smiled to herself. Soon enough, the bell rang, and she attended her first classes of the day.
After class, she walked back to her locker. Suddenly, a bright white light flashed across her eyes, blinding her. She flinched back and threw her hands to her eyes.
“Hey, Tori,” said Sinjin.
Around his neck, there hung an old polaroid camera. Tori's eyes began to tear up. She wiped the tears away.
“Sinjin, why did you take a picture of me?”
Sinjin leaned closer to her.
“It's for my collection,” he whispered.
Tory huffed.
“Trina!” she yelled.
Sinjin initially looked confused. However, at the sound of Trina's barging through people through the hall, he started running away.
Tori watched Trina up to her. Trina asked her where Sinjin went. Tori pointed in the direction he ran. She watched Trina take off again after him.
As Tori turned the corner, she ran into Robby. Like before, Robby's hands were absent of Rex.
“Hey, Tori, I need a favour.”
Tori whined.
“What is it?”
“Could you tell Jade to stop forcing Cat to hang out with both of you?”
“Why?”
“I've been trying to . . . take her on a date,” said Robby with sincerity.
Tori looked at Robby. Despite her relative lack of influence over the situation, she understood why Robby had approached her rather than Jade.
“Don't worry, I'll deal with it.”
She smiled at him. He smiled back and thanked her. They parted ways.
After she had finally finished gathering her books, without a moment's hesitation, she went outside to the lunch tables. At the table where she usually sat, Jade sat eating her lunch. She sat down across from her.
“Hey, Jade.”
“What's up?”
“Do you want to hang out after school?”
“We are. I'll pick you up around six.”
“Why do you keep forcing Cat to hang out with us?”
“I'm not forcing her!” said Jade, offended. “When I ask her, she says yes.”
“Robby's been trying to take her on a date.”
“And?”
“He hasn't got the chance to because of you.”
“Fine. We can hang out a different day. It's not like I cared that much.”
“We can still hang out.”
Jade looked at Tori.
“Pick you up at six?”
Tori smiled at her.
“Yeah.”
Jade and Tori ate lunch together. From a distance, they heard Sinjin's screams, followed by Trina's yelling. The sounds materialised into visual form. Sinjin ran past them, holding his camera in his hands; Trina ran after him.
Jade and Tori watched them with smiles.