Postgrad Partners

A New Year's Jori

New Year's Eve 2014 - Months after last chapter

Jade and Tara

"You really didn't have to do this, Jade. I was fine on my own tonight."

"The fact that you're here now says otherwise, Short Stack."

"What was I gonna do? Let you waste that money you guys spent on a last-minute flight for me?!"

"You absolutely could have, but you didn't, and here you are with me, in LA, on the way to Tori's house for their New Year's party!"

Tara let out a defeated sigh and fell back in her seat in Jade's car. Her arms crossed, the small newcomer looked out the window at Los Angeles' nightlife as they zoomed from downtown to Hollywood Hills. The view wasn't too unlike Miami's own nightscape, but Tara was too caught up in her thoughts to fully appreciate her impromptu vacation.

"Come on, Short Stack..." Jade said toward her, glancing quickly to her before focusing back on the road, "I'm barely running on caffeine right now, so talking will help keep me awake at the wheel so we can get there safely. Tell me what happened back in Miami."

"I told you on the phone," Tara groaned, staring up at the car's ceiling, "Casey and I just...didn't work out anymore, that's all."

"That's hardly all!" Jade scoffed, "You were head over heels for her after that Alphabet Improv in the summer, and considering I practically steered her in your direction, there'd better be a good reason you two broke up after 3 months."

Tara's gaze returned to the LA skyline at their side, "I mean...we were doing fine for a while. We'd hang out after classes at the theater, and she even took me to the beach a few times before the fall weather settled in. Isn't it funny that you two never went to the beach in all the time you were in Miami?"

"We..." Jade remained tight-lipped for a moment before answering the subject change, "Tori and I haven't had very good experiences going to the beach here—now, back to you! If things were going well for you two, what went wrong?"

"'You two,'..." Tara repeated with a frown, "Well, it wasn't always just us two. Most times, her friend Letty would come, too. Apparently, they did almost everything together; except for the theater stuff because it was too far for Letty. I didn't mind her joining us on dates, 'cause it felt a little like...um..."

"Like me and Tori?" Jade finished her thought, glancing aside to see Tara's flustered expression as a confirmation.

"Yeah...until it felt too much like you two," Tara looked away again, "Casey said they've been friends for a long time, which I definitely noticed the more all three of us went out together. I didn't want to get in the way of that, so I said as much to Casey...and she understood, at least I hope she did."

Jade stopped at a red light and reached over to give Tara a pat on her shoulder, "I'm sorry, Tara. I know you really liked her, too."

"It's fine," Tara smiled a bit, holding Jade's hand on her shoulder until she retracted it, "Enough about me, though. How have you and Tori been since you came back here?"

"It's almost like we never left," Jade smirked, "Well, with a few exceptions. Some of our friends moved for work or school, namely Andre and Beck, Robbie's been cooped up at home working on some nerd stuff I didn't bother asking about, and last I talked to Cat, she was still doing the babysitting thing with her roommate."

"Wait..." Tara was pulled out of her funk long enough to ask, "A cat is babysitting kids with her roommate?"

"No, Cat's short for 'Caterina', and she's a person...even if she is a little weird," Jade shook her head, "Maybe you'll meet her while you're here."