Postgrad Partners

The First Date (For Real This Time)

For most of the day, Tori had kept the details of their first "real date" to herself, away from Jade's prying eyes and questions. It didn't help that neither of them had work for the day, so every Internet search Tori made for possible places was done in the privacy of the bathroom or while Jade was deep in a video game. Nichijou and the entire shopping mall area were out of the question, as both of them had been around those places more than most sane people would in just a month's time. Once Tori finally settled on a place, thanks to high recommendations from Piper and Tara, she stowed away her phone and snuck up behind Jade on the couch to plant a sweet kiss on the top of her head.

Jade, taken by surprise long enough for her character to be pelted with icy bullets, quickly reached behind her to try and grab Tori before she could retreat back. When her hands ultimately grabbed nothing, she turned her game off and hopped off the couch to find Tori leaning back against the dining table, crooking her finger to come over to her, which Jade happily obliged with her arms around her waist and a quick kiss. "Okay, you little sneak," Jade smiled after removing herself from Tori's lips, "What magical, mysterious place have you found for our actual, first date~?"

"Oh, why would I ruin the surprise~?" Tori grinned back with a teasing wink, "You'll find out when we get there, now go get dressed!" With that remark, she broke away from Jade's embrace with a giggle and dashed to her room to change. Jade simply watched her go, shaking her head with a laugh, and slowly made for her own bedroom.

A few minutes later, Tori emerged from her room in her favorite, casual red blazer, a dark tank top underneath, and denim jeans that rang similar to the double-date they had with Nora and Piper, but she hoped Jade wouldn't overthink and dwell on what was simply Tori's favorite outfit. As she brushed back her layers of hair with her hand, Tori heard Jade stepping back into the living room wearing a grey tank-top and black jeans that ran down to her red boots. Her natural brown hair complimented the outfit better than her old, dyed black hair would have, which made Tori's face glow red as she appreciated the beautiful sight in front of her.

"Wow..." Tori smiled, brushing Jade's hair back with her hand, "Isn't this...a little like what you were wearing when we first met; minus the highlights, piercings, and punk makeup, of course?"

"Is it?" Jade smiled back, rolling her shoulder playfully toward her, "I was just about to ask the same, seeing as you're dressed in the same outfit when we hung out together and watched your no-talent sister get chased around by kids in mouse costumes~" The two of them shared a laugh over their nostalgia, then grabbed their respective bags before heading outside. "So are you going to tell me where we're going now?"

"I told you," Tori cleared her throat as she closed the front door and locked it behind them, "You'll know when we get there~"

Jade sighed back, resigning herself to the surprise as they both slid into the SUV's front seats. When the vehicle left the parking lot, Jade leaned against her side window, looking toward the colorful lights that lined the boardwalk far ahead of them on the right. Crowds of people, families and students alike, were gathering along the crosswalks to join in on what looked like a fair of some sort. Despite the festive atmosphere, Jade's mouth sunk to a frown as her mind raced back to a similar time, but not nearly as positive a memory...

2 months ago...

The group bunched together to fit the camera's limited field of view. With everyone standing close in the foreground and the enormous Ferris wheel and the rest of the fair in the background, the view seemed perfect for a group selfie, according to Cat.

"How is her phone able to stay on that little stick so easily? It's pear-shaped!" Tori tried asking while maintaining her photo smile.

"Vega, just shut up and smile," Jade growled through her half-smile, "Cat, take the damn picture already!"