Alice ✧ [a. karev]

10. grapevine

"Did you know about this leave of absence Addison took?" Mark asked, startling Jade as he came to walk up beside her.

"Uh- yeah," she faltered.

"Where'd she go?" He grilled her and Jade pursed her lips, her eyes wandering off to the side. "Come on you could tell me," he laughed in an attempt to seem nonchalant about it. A failed attempt Jade might add.

"She's in L.A." Jade answered somewhat reluctantly.

"L.A.?" he repeated, bewildered. "What's she doing in L.A.?"

Jade shrugged slightly before answering. "Visiting Sam and Naomi," they stopped at a nurse's station and she looked up at him as he leaned against it, a thoughtful look on his face. "And finding herself again," she added, rolling her eyes slightly at the explanation Addison had given her.

"Is she coming back?" He asked and Jade rolled her eyes again.

"Of course she's coming back. Chin up," she said, playfully pretending to punch him under his lowered chin.

He swatted her hand away just as her name was called lowly from behind her.

"Uh, Jade."

The girl turned and faced an awkward-looking Cristina with two women who Jade knew to be Cristina's mother and Burke's mother behind her.

"We're fitting bridesmaid's dresses later today for the wedding," Cristina spoke stiffly. "Will you be one?" She asked, ducking her chin as her almond-shaped eyes stared at Jade.

"A bridesmaid?" She asked and Cristina nodded. "Sure," she nodded, dragging out the word a little.

Jade had been upset with Cristina for about .2 seconds regarding the stupid study group. A part of Jade wanted to bed mad but another part of her was tired of holding grudges and just let it go.

Plus, Cristina's mother was already circling a measuring tape around her body, a little too close to the twins for Jade's comfort and Mark snorted from behind her.

Jade's nostrils flared and she shot her foot back, kicking him in the leg.

"Ow," he cried from behind her, flicking her in the back of the head before walking off. Jade's mouth made an 'O' shape and she turned to continue their fight.

Cristina's mother had different plans, tut-tutting her for moving before rattling off measurements to Burke's mom who was already writing in a little thick book.

Jade widened her eyes at Cristina who mouthed 'so sorry' at her before promptly backing away.

✧

Jade ran her fingers through her straightened hair in the floor-length mirror as Callie and Meredith struggled to help Cristina get a dress on behind her and Izzie sat pouting on the couch.

They had been at the bridal shop for almost an hour and Cristina hated every dress she tried on. The bridesmaids hadn't tried on one dress yet and Jade was growing bored.

"You want to help maybe?" Meredith made eye contact with Jade in the mirror and she raised her eyebrows. Meredith raised hers right back and Jade sighed, turning to help.

"I think maybe this hand goes in the other sleeve" Callie suggested after a few more seconds of struggle.

Jade cringed as she tried to turn a piece of fabric that could've possibly been a sleeve or part of the skirt. She had no idea.

"Cristina dear, are you thinking quarter or cathedral length veil?" Burke's mother called out from an aisle of the shop.

Cristina didn't get a chance to answer before the two mothers began talking amongst themselves again and Meredith found yet another problem.