trepidation | victorious

one | how trouble starts

jade came back to reality when logan placed a hot mug in front of the still damp girl, complete with six mini marshmallows.

"it's hot," she warned, and put an ice cube she'd got from the freezer in her tea, but paused as jade picked her own mug up and took a gulp from the steaming beverage. "kay." logan shrugged, throwing the extra ice cube in the sink. logan moved one of the stools parallel to her guest and sat down, slowly blowing on her tea.

they sat like this for a few minutes, both being calmed and comforted by their warm beverages. logan didn't mind the company, as much as she usually would hate being awoken at, well, any hour. she could see jade was going through something and while she didn't know her well, she knew her enough to know that jade west wouldn't show vulnerability unless it was serious. so for that reason logan allowed her to come in and have some tea... cocoa. what logan didn't expect was what came next.

"my mom kicked me out." jade stated, eyes not moving from the dissolving marshmallows in her drink. when logan didn't say anything she forced her self to look up at the other girl. logan looked angry, eyebrows scrunched and lips turned up slightly. "not forever," she clarified but the girls expression hardly changed. "we got in a fight... again," her last word whispered. she looked back into her drink as a pained look crossed her face.

logan wanted to comfort her, but she couldn't help but be angry that a grown ass woman would force a 14 year old onto the cold, rainy streets. she also couldn't really comprehend that jade 'hardass' west was in her apartment quite clearly trying not to cry into her hot cocoa. logan and jade had known each other almost as long as they can remember, they grew up a couple blocks away from each other. but they were never close. they weren't friends. neighbors, accomplices at most. they saw each other when their parents invited the other to a birthday party as kids to fill space, or when mr. day's classroom visited ms. burch's in elementary. and now, as freshmen, they talked only when one wanted to cheat off the other or they were assigned to the same group in drama. what they didn't do was show up at the other's door at one a.m. to talk about mommy issues. well, until then.

"i'm sorry." logan didn't really know what to say. but she saw her lip tremble and decided to try her best. "mom's fucking suck." she blurted out and jade looked at her, eyebrows slightly scrunched and eyes watering before she let out a breathy laugh and nodded sadly. "for real though i don't know why dad's get all the stigma. i've never even met my mother!" they laughed together though really that was the furthest thing from funny.

"yeah i didn't get too lucky in the dad department either." jade said, thinking of how the only thing she got from her dad recently was tuition to hollywood arts and even that took forever to make happen.

logan hummed, "could be why you turned out such a psychopath." her teasing tone purposefully made obvious, not wanting to upset her further. jade broke out into a smile and rolled her eyes.

"neglectful parents is usually what does it." she nodded jokingly and logan giggled.

jade jumped, banging her knee against the underside of the countertop, when a multi -colored silky creature leaped onto the counter. logan snorted.

"ow," jade somewhat whined as she rubbed her knee.

"this is marcus. he's almost like a therapy cat." logan swiped up the little calico, cradling him like a baby and pressing their foreheads together before moving around the counter and plopping him into jade's unwilling arms.