Heartstrings | Jade x Tori

Chapter 5: Memories

Author notes: Okay guys, I can't lie, Jade falling at the end of the last chapter was a little funny, but it HAD TO HAPPEN OKAY. Also, apologies for the late update. It's been a hectic few weeks with exams and honestly just getting finished up with everything.

Tori's PoV

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School had been finished for a few hours now. I couldn't believe that today seriously happened. I had made my way home, and now found myself laying on the couch. I think it was safe to say now that I was more worried about Jade than ever. I mean, the girl literally cried on me. She seemed okay by the time I went back to class, but damn, it was intense. I genuinely thought I was gonna have to go get somebody at one point, I hardly knew what to do. But for some reason, she actually let me help her. She's literally Jade, she must've really needed it if she let me help her. For the first time ever, it genuinely felt like those walls might've been breaking down. The ones she'd had up ever since I'd met her. I hadn't actually seen her since then, though. She never came back to class, and I didn't see her for the rest of the day. I just hoped she was okay, wherever she was and whatever she'd been up to since our last interaction. 

It was around 8pm, and the sun was starting to set. Trina was home for dinner today after I'd gotten upset last night, but after we'd eaten, she headed out to see some friends. I was okay with that, she still deserved a social life after all. 

I found myself sat on a chair at the table, trying to catch up on late homework and assignments. Not the most interesting way to pass the time, but shit, at least it was productive. My evenings were usually pretty boring when my friends weren't around, and mostly consisted of homework, TV, and sometimes self care if I was feeling fancy. My pen scraped across precariously across the paper as I tried to finish my work in a hurry. For a moment, my mind started to wander. Where the fuck are my parents? It was normal for them to be gone for a while, but Mom hadn't even been home to check in on me and Trina for like 4 days. Dad was probably just doing something important with work, I didn't really care to check with him, his job involved shit like that. But Mom? No. She'd just disappear. 

After a while of getting lost in thought, and scribbling words onto the paper that probably meant something important, I took a deep breath and sat back in my chair. It was around 10pm now, and it was dark out. I thought about taking myself to bed when the silence was suddenly broken by a loud knock on the door. Could this be Mom finally coming home?  I pulled myself up onto my feet, and made my way toward the entrance to the house quickly, trying not to keep whoever was behind the door waiting. I placed my hand on the handle once I'd arrived, and cracked the door fully open, before looking up. And that's when I was hit with the sight of something I thought I'd never see.

"Jade?!" I called out. I quickly noticed her mascara running down her cheeks, her eyes puffy, and both dried and fresh blood dripping down from a wound on her forehead. "Jade, what the fuck happened?!" I called out again, pulling her into the house by the wrist, shutting the door behind her. Her chest was rising and falling heavily as she began to sob, not saying anything. "Jade, seriously, what happened!?" I called one last time, leading her to my couch to take a seat. I watched her as she gasped for air, before finally speaking,

"Beck broke up with me." She finally managed to splutter out through her tears. I hastily took a seat next to her, keeping my distance as best I could in case she didn't want me close. 

"What?!" I responded, my eyebrows raised as I felt a scared look form on my face. I never thought I'd find myself scared for Jade West, but hey, there's a first time for everything. The one thing Cat was worried about happening happened. They broke up, and now I was scared shitless something would happen to Jade, but I had no clue what or why, because Cat wouldn't tell me much. "How'd you get all bloody?" I added, now shifting closer to her, reaching my arm out to turn her face to me and get a better look at the wound. She flinched a little at the touch. She'd done that every time I'd touched her, and I didn't know why, but it definitely added to my worries.