The supposedly stress-free weekend away from work had instantly soured thanks to a candid video, an unexpected outing, and Tori's panic attack resurfacing almost as quickly as it left. Night was falling over the apartment as Nora and Piper sat quietly together on the dining table, staring down at their phones and each other's anxious faces. The only sounds for the last several hours were the sobs from Tori's room, where she and Jade had locked themselves in since that morning, and an occasional vibration coming from Tori's phone on the dining table.
As the vibrations persisted more than usual, Nora turned her head toward Tori's phone, trying to read the notifications through the cracked screen and barely making out the words "Mom", "Dad", "Trina", and other names she recognized as Tori and Jade's friends. Sighing, she took out her own phone and selected Holly Vega's number from her contacts list. The call was answered within one ring.
"Nora! Have you seen Tori?! She's not picking up her—"
"Holly, it's okay. I'm with her and Jade at their apartment right now. If you're asking about the video, they saw it, and they just want to be left alone right now."
"I just want to see if she's okay! Was that video from the dinner you went on with them?"
"Yes, my girlfriend and I invited them last night and we all have a good time! But then we were talking about them and how they felt about...being out. She didn't show it then, but Tori started to feel anxious and so we talked about it more with her this morning. That's when we learned about the video..."
"I don't understand, Nora. How does anyone there even know they're a couple? It wasn't one of their friends, was it?"
"No, it wasn't. Jade told us they met two young girls who were fans of Tori's from her TV performances and they saw the two of them together. If they were the ones who took the video, I'm sure they didn't mean to out her maliciously. From what Jade told me, they were just happy to meet her."
"I'll take your word for it, but...my god, that one video has thousands of views already. But most of the comments are just complimenting them! Doesn't she see...?"
"It's not the singing or the video that made her panic, Holly. Tori had just told us that she didn't feel ready to come out to people—and she didn't know when she would be, but then comes that video outing her before she could say anything herself. Even if there are more good comments than bad, it doesn't change the fact that something very personal was just taken away from her and exposed to thousands of strangers online. She needs time to process that."
"Dammit, I should be there for her right now...but I'm glad you and Jade are, at least. To think I gave them such a hard reception when they came there together..."
"You've nothing to apologize for! The fact that you care means you're a good mom to Tori, and I wish you were here for her, too. I promise, we have her back the whole way. I'll let you know as soon as she's ready to talk."
"Okay...okay. Thank you, Nora. Tell her that her dad, Trina, and I are all here for her and Jade."
"I will. Talk to you later, Holly." Nora hung up and took deep breath, looking again at the closed bedroom door.
Tori's bedroom was totally dark, save for the moonlight peeking in through the window above the bed. Jade sat wordlessly on the bed for hours, her back leaning against the headboard, while Tori had finally stopped crying and just laid quietly in her girlfriend's embrace. The "Roommates First" rule was the last thing on their minds.
"Jade..." Tori said in a very raspy whisper, her throat dry from the hours of crying and silence, "Please tell me we're dreaming; that today didn't actually happen and we're gonna wake up soon."
"I'm sorry, Tori," Jade whispered in reply, rubbing Tori's back in a vain attempt at comfort, "I wish I could, but I can't."
Squeezing her eyes shut again, Tori let out another groan muffled against Jade's body. "I can't believe this! It's like my life here is over before it even starts!"
Jade raised an eyebrow at that remark, "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, I haven't even recorded one song yet, and now I wouldn't be surprised if practically all of Neutronium Records, Miami, and probably the world, knows me as "Tori Vega: Lesbian" before I ever do!"
"...What's wrong with that?" Jade's brows furrowed, now looking upset, "You're telling me being gay is something to be ashamed of?!"
"W-what? No! That's not what I'm saying!" Tori backed up on the bed, shocked to see Jade so angry at her for the first time since they were together. "I just wish I could have told people myself before this did!"
"So what?!" Jade snapped back, "So someone recorded us singing because they probably liked how we sang! So someone thought we were girlfriends because we looked like a couple! So some people hate the idea of girls liking each other so much that they tell total strangers online how much they hate it! So freaking what?! You are easily worth ten of those idiots, Tori, and don't you ever forget that!"
Jade didn't wait for a reply to continue her rant, "You know why I don't care who hates that we're a couple; why I could give two shrimps about some dumbass comments calling us 'dykes'? It's the reason I spent two hours memorizing a cheesy 80s pop song I used to hate hearing in the mall; the same reason I left my childhood home behind and moved across the damn country; and the reason I drove you home from Karaoke Dokie that night." Making her point known, she grabbed Tori by the shoulders and held back tears forming in her eyes as best as she could.
"I love you, Tori Vega, and I don't care what anyone else thinks...no one except you."
Much like hearing her first name, Tori had heard Jade say she loved her before, but this time felt so different—so full of passion, assurance, love—that she didn't know how to respond.
"We both knew when we decided to move here that we'd be dealing with a lot—and we have in just this past week. This is just another hurdle for us to jump together. I am still with you...ride or die, remember?" Jade attempts a smile through her tears, then leans in to kiss her, but the gap between them is already closed by Tori initiating it first.
Shutting her eyes, Jade wrapped her arms around Tori to hold her close, but a sudden shift in weight made her gasp as she fell back on the bed with Tori on top of her. Their kiss continued for several seconds, with Tori's hands starting to travel further down Jade's arms, but Jade cut the moment short with a gentle push on Tori's shoulders. The latter opened her eyes with a gasp, "W-What? Was that too much?"
Jade shook her head, smiling through her now blushing face, "No, it was...it was perfect. It's just...remember my mom and Piper; sitting just outside in the living room?"
Her eyes wide open now, Tori quickly climbed off of Jade and sat back up, hoping the door wouldn't open on them mid-shenanigan. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I completely..."
"Don't be!" Jade laughed and held Tori close as she got up as well, "I'm just glad to have my girlfriend back~" She gives Tori a tender kiss before pulling them both to their feet. "Now come on, we still have breakfast to eat, remember?"
Tori blinked, "But...what are we gonna do about...?" She was stopped by a finger pressed against her lips by Jade.
"That's a tomorrow problem. Right now, I'm starving because we have talked and literally eaten nothing all day!" Jade then marched toward the door, almost dragging Tori with her to the living room.
As soon as the door opened, Tori and Jade were met with hugs from both Piper and Nora. After words of encouragement and apology were exchanged, they gathered around the dining table, prepared to eat re-heated breakfast meat and whatever fruits were still fresh.
In between bites, Tori's eyes fell to her phone on the table, grimacing at the wide cracks on the screen from when she dropped it so suddenly. She tried to tap a message notification from her parents, but to no avail. It was safe to say her poor phone was beyond saving...again. She shook her head and looked up, seeing that Piper was looking straight at her like she wanted to say something.
"Sorry to ask this so suddenly, Tori," Piper cleared her throat to speak clearly, "But how are you feeling now? Are you going to be okay, come tomorrow?"
Tori just shrugged and gave a faint smile, "I'll be okay. There isn't much I can do now, anyway. I'm just gonna keep my head held high and work just as hard as I always have."
Piper smiled and raised her water glass, "Thatagirl! Actually, I was meaning to ask something of you...kind of related to your work."
"Oh?" Tori blinked, setting down her food, "What is it?"
"I want to interview you," Piper took her wallet from her purse and handed Tori a small business card. On the card was clearly printed: Piper Hastings - Independent Journalist. "I never had the chance to tell you two what I do for a living. I studied journalism in college and did some reporting here and there for papers in LA and here in Miami, but I'm a solo act now—well, solo as far as work's concerned~" She passed a wink to Nora, who simply rolled her eyes as she drank from her glass.
"Anyway, when Nora told me that you moved here because of a big record deal you got with Neutronium, I thought it'd be an interesting story to try and cover, but now that I've gotten to know you better...maybe you'd be interested in talking about more than just your singing career?" She raised an eyebrow in curiosity, looking at Tori's contemplative expression for an answer, "But it's okay if you don't want to; I know it's a bit soon, considering..."
"I'll do it," Tori took the card and nodded resolutely, "I want the chance to tell my story on my terms, and I know I can trust you to help me do just that."
Nora and Jade nodded in silent encouragement as Piper grinned back, scribbling something on her notepad. "Great! In that case, let's meet tomorrow morning by the Neutronium offices! I'm sure Nora can arrange a private room all to ourselves?"
"On a Sunday? Sure, nothing odd about that," Nora rolled her eyes again, but nodded. "But Tori, before you do that...you should give your family a call. They've been trying to reach you all day."
"Oh," Tori frowned, imagining how worried they all must be, "I would, but..." She pointed to her broken phone, but Nora flashed a smile in response.
"Well, not to worry. I was supposed to give this to you on Monday, but considering the circumstances..." Nora reached into her bag and handed Tori a small, white box with a familiar tech company logo, "Your new phone, courtesy of Neutronium Records!"
Tori's jaw dropped—though perhaps not as much as Jade's eyes widened—as she took the box almost immediately and opened it to reveal the brand new, pristine-looking smartphone inside. She carefully removed the phone and powered it on, examining every detail from the large camera lens, to the traditional rectangular design, and the sapphire-blue finish on the back with her name engraved along the top.
"Hey, Mom," Jade called, still staring at Tori's new phone, "I got a new job, you know? Right after graduating, too..."
"Oh, Jade! Is that the newest PlayStation next to your TV?" Nora feigned a dramatic gasp, not missing a beat, "That must have cost you quite a lot of money! I'd say you could have easily afforded a new phone if you'd gotten that instead..." Jade simply growled in response, knowing the tone all too well.
Tori, meanwhile, threw her arms around Nora in a hug, careful not to drop the phone, "Thank you, Ms. West! Thank you so much!"
Nora smiled and gave her a gentle pat on the arm around her, "I'm just doing my job, dear. Now don't forget to call your family once you've imported everything!"
Tori nodded as she hurried back to her room, much happier and more spirited than the last time. Jade looked back to her, dropping her envy and smiling at her girlfriend's restored enthusiasm.
Once her old phone's apps, music, and contacts were downloaded to the new one, Tori immediately pulled up her mom's name and started a call.
"Mom? Hey, it's me. I'm sorry for not picking up earlier...no, I'm fine now. Better, actually. There's...a lot I need to tell you and Dad. First thing is..."
The next morning, Tori and Piper sat across from each other in a modest-sized, soundproofed room used for conferences and interviews in the Neutronium Records building. Giving each other a silent go-ahead nod, Piper cleared her throat and turned on her phone's recording function.
"I'm here with Tori Vega, who you may remember from her amazing performance opening the Platinum Music Awards last year, now a graduate fresh out of Hollywood Arts and living here in Miami to start her music career with the very same producer for the PMAs, Mason Thornesmith! First off, Tori, thank you for your time! It is so wonderful to finally meet you!"
"Thank you, Piper! It's wonderful to meet you, as well! I'll be honest, I'm a little nervous since this is my very first interview...but I'm gonna give it all I've got, nonetheless!"
"I'm sure we'd all expect nothing less, Tori! So tell us first about your time at Hollywood Arts; that famous performing arts school for aspiring musicians and performers alike!"
"Oh, man! Hollywood Arts was like a dream! I never would have imagined seeing it in person, much less actually attending classes and meeting so many great people there! I'd mainly taken classes on musical performance and stage acting, but I definitely wouldn't have made it through all of that without my family and friends having my back!"
"On that note, there's been quite a lot of buzz about you on social media lately, dazzling a local karaoke crowd with one of those friends of yours. Anything you want to share about that?"
"Yeah, of course! I used to sing a lot of karaoke back in LA with my friends, so I was not only surprised to find a great place for karaoke here in Miami, but I definitely didn't expect people to recognize me here, too! It's a bit humbling on top of surprising, but I had no idea! I was just having a good time...with my girlfriend!"
"Girlfriend? Well, there's no denying the chemistry between you two just from this video! What can you tell us about her?"
"Well, she and I weren't always so close. In fact, we hated each other the first time we met! But over time and all the things we did together in Hollywood Arts, we started to mellow out and see things in each other that we didn't before; and long story short, that's what's brought us together today!"
"Well, she must be someone special for you to move all the way from California with! On that note, though, I hope you don't mind this next question. Since you did tell us you were singing with your girlfriend, does that also confirm something a lot of fans and commenters were debating in that very video?"
"I think I see what you're getting at, and the answer is...yes! I'm a lesbian, and I'm proud to be! I know that's a big thing—even a risky thing—to admit even these days, but to me and my girlfriend, it's only made what we have stronger.
"I saw a lot of people in those comments being very supportive if I really am gay, and I saw a lot of people say things...less than supportive. All I have to say to the latter...is that this is my life, and I'm living it the way I want. If you have a problem with that and want to make it a problem for me and everyone else, then I have nothing but pity for you. But for those of you who were supportive, thank you! I only hope I can continue being a positive influence to my fans and to everyone with the music I make!"
Piper shot Tori a satisfied smile and a wink before pausing the recording for a break.
The drive back home felt smooth and quick as Tori breathed a huge sigh of relief upon reaching the apartment. She entered to the sight of Jade in her loose, self-tailored house clothes, almost posing for her as she leaned back on the couch with a smile.
"Hey, Sally Peaches~" Jade grinned, "Did you have a good day at work...even on a Sunday?"
Tori just smiled back as she locked the front door, dropped her bag by the couch, and joined Jade on the couch. "You know what? I feel great. Interview went well, Sunday morning traffic was practically nonexistent, and I get to spend the rest of my weekend relaxing with my very talented, very beautiful girlfriend~" She hooked her arms around Jade's neck as she leaned in close to give her a tender kiss, the likes of last night.
Jade returned the kiss with a sly grin against Tori's lips as they brushed so slightly, "Careful now~! Don't forget that 'Roommates First' rule."
Tori grinned back, "Oh, I haven't forgotten. 'One of us in each bedroom every night with no shenanigans'. Correct me if I'm wrong, though...but it's still daytime, and this is the living room."
"Oho~" Jade flashed her trademark wicked grin, "You're becoming quite the rebel, Vega..."
"I wonder whose fault that is~" Tori met the grin with another kiss, positioning herself over Jade and pressing her hands down on her shoulders. "Your mom's not here, is she?"
"No..." Jade whispered sweetly, brushing her lips against Tori's, "But...I don't like making out on an empty stomach. I want pizza." With that, she pulled away as she got up to the kitchen, leaving Tori disappointed on the couch. "Don't look so sad! We can make it together; no recipe fake-outs this time!"
Tori pouted, recalling the last time they'd done this, "How do I know you didn't order pizza ahead of time just in case I fail again?"
"Because this time, I really do want to make homemade pizza with my girlfriend!" Jade smiled and crooked her finger for Tori to join her in the kitchen, but her girlfriend stayed in place, still pouting. "Alright then, I'm just gonna have to count to three..."
Tori's ears perked at that, feeling a surge of goosebumps and déjà vu.
Jade's smile turned wicked once again as she held up a finger and called in a familiar low and sultry voice, "One..."
Tori turned her head to Jade, still looking unfazed, but curious.
"Two..." Jade raised her eyebrows as she stepped backwards toward the kitchen counter.
"Three—" She barely finished saying the last number when Tori suddenly dashed over and pushed Jade against the fridge, stealing a gasp and a long, loving kiss. They stayed leaning against the fridge, kissing for a few more seconds until the sound of a stomach growling spoiled the moment. Jade broke away, blushing as she laughed the tension away.
Tori laughed with her, holding Jade close as she whispered, "I love you."
Jade whispered back, "I love you, too," as she reached behind her and pulled the fridge door open, "Now let's make lunch~"
With a wink, she turned around to pick out the right ingredients while Tori went to grab her apron. Once they had their respective items in hand, they passed a knowing look to each other, feeling more of that undeniable chemistry between them with each day.