Jori Collections: 2017-2021

(12.18.20) Rotted Cake - M, 9.2k [A*]

["Have...you been blind? Was that why at the end of almost every fight Jade and Beck had [. . .], their eyes always travelled to you? Not Andre. Not Robbie. Not even Cat. Just you. Were you the reason...?"]

Music of an awkward kind filled the room with Andre at the piano, brows furrowed in concentration, and Cat beside you humming the beginnings of a tune. For a freshly written piece, you found that it wasn't bad. Rough, but not bad. The rec-room, as always, was bathed in sunlight with the blinds drawn. Andre worked the piano, drumming against the keys with such precision and talent that you could only dream of. At the sound of a dramatic pause, Cat started her verse as you continued to hum.

"When I saw you yesterday,
"Just another day,
"Waiting, silently,
"For you to come to me...
"Please..."

Life was brought into the room as your rhythmic voice matched with Cat's heavenly one, guided by Andre's mastery of the piano. Together, the two of you sang:

"I can't imagine,
"I can't fathom,
"Life without light,
"Life all alone...
"So come to me..."

You dropped to another thrum, accompanying the work from the piano as Cat sang.

"Guide my hips as they sway,
"Even if it's just for tod—"

Cat shrieked and clutched your arm as Andre slammed his hands on the piano. He sent a sharp glare to the door. Hurried footsteps raced down the hall, growing louder and more panicked by the second. The door was wrenched open, revealing a terrified Robbie with a tight grasp on a bag of donuts. He shut the door behind him, face paler than usual, and set the snacks down on a chair. "Sorry, were you working on the song?" he gasped, clearly out of breath.

"No, just practicing. We wouldn't be able to do anything without your guitar anyway," Andre said. "What's up with you?"

"Uh...I should have gone with Cat."

Cat arched a brow and said, "Last time I was in your car, you made me sit underneath twelve bags of food!"

As Robbie shrugged sheepishly, you rolled your eyes. "What do you mean? Did Jade and Beck not help at all?"

"Well...not exactly. They did until they didn't," he explained. Cat and Andre exchanged confused glances before turning to him. "They started to—" Robbie halted in the middle of his sentence. Raised voices bled through the door and into the room. The words weren't kind. They itched and scratched you, gnawing until your ears grew raw. Their tones were violent: a raging, monstrous fire against a lethal, cold pair of fangs.

Oh. You didn't blame Robbie for dashing away and into the safety of the rec-room. Away from the blistering relational war and into a kind, friendly bubble. They did...until they didn't. That makes perfect sense.

"You made him run away with your screaming! And the freshman! And Sinjin!"

"Oh, like I was the one screaming when we got into the school!" you heard Jade snap back. Everybody in the rec-room grimaced as the door swung open once again, the handle bashing against the wall. Watching the door tremble, you almost doubted that Beck was main culprit. Almost. Beck rarely ever got angry, though that had become less and less true during the past few months.

Maybe year...

Beck rolled his eyes and shook his head. "What?! What?!" Jade snarled. "I'm not the one fucking letting girls ogle at me every-fucking-time I go out with who I'm dating!"