"I can't believe I'm stuck with you as a project partner. Again." The last came out as almost a growl from Jade West's mouth.
"Well, I'm not any happier. Bad enough we had to be 'married' in Sikowitz' stupid play. Then that play-date…" Tori Vega's voice trailed off.
"Then we had to work together rigging that stupid set for that other stupid play," Jade added.
"And then that history project on the Cold War. Sheesh, trying to put sixty years of history into a ten page report…"
Jade nodded, "Yeah. And now we have this stupid physics project!"
"Man, I thought I had this covered with that toy robot and the hamster!" Tori exclaimed yet again.
"You don't know our wonderful Mr. Peabody. He lives for projects. The more we work, the less he has to teach. Myopic little bast…"
"O-kay then. Gotta watch the language there, Jade. Dad's in the garage," Tori interjected. There was an empty jar on the kitchen counter about half-full of dollar bills. It had already been emptied at least once before. This was her mother's way to get her father to cut down on his swearing – not that he swore that much – even being a cop in LA – but just enough to irritate her. As a result, anything stronger than 'darn' or 'heck' cost the speaker a dollar. Worse language cost more. Tori thought it was hilarious that most of the money came from her older sister, Trina.
"Oooh…" was Jade's typical, throaty response. But, actually, this was more in the nature of frustration than irritation.
And, contrary to outward appearances, the two, who were polar opposites in personality and demeanor, were actually having a real conversation. Ever since Sikowitz, their acting teacher at Hollywood Arts High, made the two one-time enemies spend an evening together at the new sushi bar, Nozu, on a 'date' (to help them get in character as a husband and wife for his play about a narcoleptic astronaut), the two girls had found they actually had a lot in common. Their mutual animosity was actually becoming a real friendship, although neither teen would acknowledge that. Yet.
Jade, the Goth-ish girl who dyed her long hair jet-black with a few tresses dyed blue, favored dark nail polish, dark eyeliner, black clothes and even, on occasion, black lipstick. Her personality was dominating and she often seemed to be angry at something or even at everything. She had little patience for most of her classmates and even showed the same attitude towards most of her teachers.
Tori Vega was almost the opposite. She had long, brown hair that hung to her lower back, wore only minimal makeup and dressed stylishly but simply. For some reason, people often commented on her cheekbones, to her consternation, but they were real and accentuated her natural beauty. She had open, expressive eyes; currently framed by a stylish pair of glasses now that she was home and could remove her contacts. She had a friendly attitude to almost everyone she met. Her bubbly outlook on life made her a lot of fun to be around even as it grated on Jade.
"It's almost like there's a conspiracy to get us to work together. Like…" Tori shook her head. "Oh, hell, I don't know."
"Uh, Tori, you said 'hell'," Jade replied with a smirk. Another unnoticed sign between them was the fact that Jade was calling her Tori all the time. Jade's use of her last name, Vega, had ceased.
"Oh damn!" Tori exclaimed at her slip-up.
From the garage came her father's voice, "I heard that! Curse jar…"
"Uh, sorry Dad," Tori yelled back. She got up and pulled a dollar from her tight jeans and pushed it into the old mayonnaise jar.
From the garage, "You put in two dollars?"
