[color=lavender][indent][indent][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/HWpcO7i.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/MEVtSWg.png[/img]
[sub]An [@Altered Tundra] & [@NeoAJ] Collaboration[/sub]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/VEbXdEg.png[/img]
[/center]Joanna Penelope Hart had never been the type to initiate anything. For her entire life, she had always been the follower, the bottom to a top, and the sub in any situation you could think of. Whether it was taking a back seat to her three-minutes-older-than-her twin brother, Brad or obeying family law by being forced to move to London because of her sweet sixteen and what happened. She followed the leader for most of her life. 

She even sometimes took a back seat to Lottie. She never cared because she realized that some people were meant to lead the charge in life and others were meant to follow the charging bulls of the world. Some were meant to have a fire lit while some existed to hold the candle to the open flame. But when Joey took some initiative and popped the E and drank until she felt her own fire being lit up, she knew this was right. 

And what she knew to be right was kissing Jade. 

When their lips touched, a magnetic explosion coursed through her body. For the first time in a while, she felt…[b][i]alive[/i][/b]. Maybe part of the reason was how hurt she felt that Lottie left her. And she knew it was wacky that she felt hurt by that. It wasn’t like they were together. They weren’t together. So there was no reason for her to feel like she betrayed anyone. No, there wasn’t any reason. Not only did she want to kiss Jade but she wanted to do it again, maybe even take it further than that.

[color=BE9CDC]“No, we’re not! She’s with Kiki. So, I’m not..”[/color]Joey turned around and saw up on the second floor where she saw someone at the window. For a moment, she thought she was seeing things but nope! She saw Kiki and a minute later she saw Lottie pull him away. Huffing, Joey pulled Jade into another kiss, though this time she began walking back. Slowly turning Jade around, Joey led her against a tree next to the table. She pulled away for a moment just to get some breathing room. [color=BE9CDC]“She’s up there with Kieran. And we’re not together.”[/color]  [color=BE9CDC][i]So this could happen[/i][/color] 

Joey wanted to say to her but she stood there, just looking at how speechless her friend was. Joey was drunk, probably well on her way to being high and she was so, so, so confused. She felt like she was betraying Lotts but she was hurting so badly. [color=BE9CDC]“Jade, I don’t know what I want to do.”[/color]

That made two of them. 

Jade wanted to be on the prowl. She wanted to be the same kind of person off the field that she was on the field. She wanted to be in control and taking charge of a situation and making the shot and burying the goal and getting the glory that she had yet to taste on a global stage.

She didn’t know she wanted this.

This was completely off the left flank. Joey was being so forceful. Jade didn’t know that the Hart girl had it in her. Seeing her around the sorority house, hanging around her roommate Lottie, following her tennis-playing best friend wherever she went. There was no way something this romantic should have happened like this. 

And yet, here she was. The big girl on campus was pinned against a tree by a neon pixie. Jade was enjoying the hell out of it. 

But it seemed like Joey was just as conflicted as Jade was. When Joey said that she and Lottie weren’t together, that her roommate was off with Kieran O’Connor… sorry, Kiki. Jade was never going to let him live that nickname down now that she was fully aware of it. Anyway, it did make sense that Lottie would choose to go after one of the stars of the Hawks’ hockey team. [color=9f1f19][i]Note to self: ask Lottie if Kieran carries a big stick off the ice as well.[/i][/color]

What did that mean for Joey, though? Here she was; lips quivering, the bourbon and the headbutt probably having done a number on her already, possibly having just realized that she was no longer in a relationship. Jade may literally have been the first person she ran into. Was it right to take advantage of such a situation? On the field, if an opponent made a mistake, Jade was more than happy to pounce on it for an easy opportunity to score. This was real life. The chance for error ranged far wider than just a missed shot on goal. She had to be responsible here.

Jade finally let her hand fall from the back of Joey’s neck and rest on the New York girl’s shoulder. [color=9f1f19]“Joey… I’m not going to lie and say that this wouldn’t check something off a list for me that’s been there for a little bit, but you have to look at me for a second. Take a minute and take a breath with me, OK? I know you’ve already had more booze than me. I know you took a vicious hit to the head. I know you just saw your roommate with some half-naked dumbass jock. I just want you to take this minute, and make sure that you’re doing what you want, OK? Because if I’m truly what you want in that way, I’m more than happy to be that right now. But if you’re doing this because of all those other things, I don’t want you to hurt yourself like that. 

Because I don’t want to be something you regret. I don’t think I can live with that. So Joey, I’m happy to stay here with you and we can do whatever you want. But you have to be sure that it’s what you, not the booze, not the concussion, not the hurt, it’s gotta be what you want. You get what I’m saying?”[/color]

As she brought herself to follow Jade’s advice, Joey took in a breath, which caused her to wince from the pain emanating from her forehead but she did it and a few more times, at that! With every inhale came a brief exhale and soon she was slightly less agitated than she had been and then she tried to process everything Jade had said. 

If she was honest with herself right now, she was annoyed. She wasn’t annoyed at Jade (well not majorly so). No, her irritation was one-hundred percent directed at Lottie and KiKi. It was directed at how they were allowed to have fun and Joey, even though Jade did say she was fine with it if she was doing it for the right reasons (she wasn’t). But she didn’t know. Even now, as the usually bubbly girl sourily stared at the pair of enticing chocolate kisses and full lips she wanted to kiss again. She had enough of a buzz to know that maybe she shouldn’t but she wasn’t at the point to where Jade should feel guilty. Still, maybe that wasn’t the question she should be asking herself or Jade for that matter. 

[color=BE9CDC]“I don’t know, maybe you’re right,”[/color] the girl spoke, biting her lip. [color=BE9CDC]“I don’t even know why I’m mad at them. Lottie and Kieran, I mean. There’s no exclusive anything, so it’s not like I have a reason to be buttmad at them, right?”[/color] She asked Jade, hoping for some outside perspective and maybe for someone to help her make sense of it all.

Jade slowly guided Joey to the ground, leaning her back against the tree that was not two minutes earlier was supporting Jade’s back for an entirely different kind of connection. She kept her arm wrapped around her shoulder though. She read enough teammates in the locker room to know that no matter what, Joey needed to feel that someone was looking out for her at this moment in time. [color=9f1f19]“Well,”[/color] she started. [color=9f1f19]“Don’t take this the wrong way, but until you told me you and Lottie weren’t together, I definitely thought you were together. I mean, you two are pretty much inseparable at the sorority. But even if you’re not, and my best friend ditched me to go hump some dumbass pucks-for-brains Canuck, I’d be pretty ticked about that. Course, y’all ditched me back at the house and I came here by myself, so who the hell knows anything?

“Anyway, the point I’m trying to make here is that you have a right to your feelings, Joey. You have a right to be really ticked off about how Lottie treated you tonight. Now, maybe she’s the type of girl who will make it up to you later, or tomorrow, or some time. But for now, your feelings are perfectly valid, and you have a right to be royally ticked.”[/color]

Jade wasn’t sure where she was going with this. A part of her brain still wanted her to add [color=9f1f19][i]“And if fucking me under this tree will help you work out being ticked, then I’m happy to help.”[/i][/color] But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She didn’t get that much vodka into her yet. Besides, Evil Jade was just a rumor. 

[color=BE9CDC]“Oh my God!”[/color] She chirped, frowning almost instantly, appearing about as distraught as anyone could. [color=BE9CDC]“I’m so sorry! We didn’t mean to intentionally leave you behind!”[/color] Joey looked like a puppy dog who just got yelled at for the first time by their master. [color=BE9CDC]“I mean, there was a lot going on before the party and I swear it wasn’t intentional!”[/color] She spoke, knowing full well [i]exactly[/i] what made her and Lotts forget Jade, which only made Joey feel worse about it. [color=BE9CDC]“I just..this whole day was a mess and that’s even before what’s happening now.”[/color] She held her head, feeling the headache was getting worse by the minute.[color=BE9CDC]“I need to sit down.”[/color] Not waiting for the chance to park it on one of the couches inside the cabin, Joey slid down and sat on the cold ground, her legs feeling the full brunt of the coolness she leaned against the rough bark of the tree where she had pressed Jade against a few moments ago. 

She felt like the entire room was spinning, or maybe she was. It was so hard for her to deal with what was happening. She didn’t understand why seeing Lottie with him bothered her so much, nor did she understand why she felt like she was betraying her best friend by kissing Jade. The image of Lottie being mad at her made her want to die and that’s exactly where her mind went as soon as she pictured the conversation that they might have. She assumed the worst and it was starting to show as Joey curled her legs close to her chest and locked her arms over her knees, and  started to lightly sob, whimpering somewhat.

Apparently Evil Jade was more than just a rumor. There was no need for the Colorado native to inject that petty barb in what was supposed to be a speech to make Joey feel better. Maybe she was in the vodka more than she thought. [color=9f1f19]“Hey, hey, hey, Joey. Joey! Joey! Girl! It’s OK! I’m not really that mad! I’m kidding! Girl, come here!”[/color] 

Jade didn’t have a lot of experience dealing with mental breakdowns, but she had seen enough comforting going on when looking over at opposing benches. She wrapped her arms around Joey and pulled her close. [color=9f1f19]“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you cry like that! I would never mean that! Fuck… It’s OK! It’s going to be OK! I mean, I can talk to Lottie and try and smooth things out? Or… I don’t know! Just please stop crying, Joey! I’m sorry…”[/color]

When Jade had mentioned she’d talk to Lottie, as if wanting the complete opposite, Joey clung to her for dear life, looking at her with a desperation in her eyes, glitter meshed with rainbow mascara and she slowly shook her head. [color=BE9CDC]“No don’t be!”[/color] She wiped her tears away and with it, an ungodly display of pixie dust transferring from her face to hands. [color=BE9CDC]“I’m okay! I swear! You don’t have to talk to her!”[/color] Joey masked an obvious cry for help under a smile that she had perfected. It was her go to when she wanted to prevent certain things from happening. Jade talking to Lottie was one of them.

[color=9f1f19]“OK, OK, I won’t do that,”[/color] Jade affirmed. Whatever she needed to do to help Joey snap out of this state. [color=9f1f19]“Joey, look. I can’t pretend to know what exactly the levels are between you and Lottie. Truth is, I don’t really have any experience with anyone that much. But, it’s obvious that this is hurting you in some way. And if I’m not going to talk to Lottie about it, then maybe you need to. You two need to figure out exactly what you have, because if you’re not together, and you’re not open, then seeing that maple-chugging beaver jockey with Lottie shouldn’t bother you to this point. I mean, you’re a freaking amazing girl! You come up with such great fashion designs those poutine-eating mountie huggers would have their minds blown. That Canucklepuck can’t compete with you!”[/color] She gave Joey an affectionate shake. [color=9f1f19]“Now tell me that you got this, like the New York girl I know you are!”[/color]

Joey was a mess right now, but Jade got her to smile and giggle; not only did she manage that, but everything she said was correct. It wasn’t like Joey didn’t agree with her. But on some level, maybe she couldn’t bring herself to do that just yet - at least, not in the way Jade wanted her to. [color=BE9CDC]“I don’t know--”[/color] She caught Jade’s glance and perked up. [color=BE9CDC]“I mean, I got this!”[/color] She proclaimed with half the conviction she would have if she truly believed what she said.

Jade beamed, not sure if she totally got through to Joey but thrilled with the result either way. [color=9f1f19]“That’s my girl!”[/color] She triumphantly leaned forward and planted another kiss on Joey’s lips.

[color=9f1f19][i]I probably shouldn’t have done that. That definitely wasn’t smart. After all that talking. Why did I do that? Fuck! Brush it off Jade. Brush it off![/i][/color]

She quickly retreated from Joey’s face and looked at her. [color=9f1f19]“I’m sorry, Joey! I got excited! That’s how we celebrate on the pitch!”[/color]

As she sat there, her eyes gazing upon Jade’s weary expression and still in shock -- well, not shock but more like she was caught off-guard. The more she thought about it, this must’ve been what Jade felt when Joey kissed her. Unprepared for the sudden union of lips and the pure electricity causing the heart to pump faster, because that’s what Joey felt as soon as their lips touched. 

[color=BE9CDC]“I didn’t mind,”[/color] Joey smirked at Jade, somewhat fidgeting her fingers together. [color=BE9CDC]“You’re a great kisser, Jade Scott!”[/color] She giggled, nudging her shoulder. [color=BE9CDC]“I could use a dip in the lake. Need to rinse off all of this glitter and rundown makeup.”[/color] Joey stood up, brushing the dirt off her neon bodysuit. [color=BE9CDC]“Wanna join me?”[/color]

Crisis averted.

At least the initial one anyway. Still, Jade did manage to get Joey’s mind off her problems for the moment and if kissing Joey in a fit of excitement and potential passion was the way to do that, then who was she to judge? Things were great now! Joey was OK. Lottie could be dealt with once she was done sucking maple sap from that timbit-scarfing lumberjack. For now, some physical activity sounded like a great idea.

[color=9f1f19]“You know, I didn’t bother wearing a swimsuit, but I don’t think that’s going to matter,”[/color] Jade answered. [color=9f1f19]“Let’s get wet, Joey!”[/color][/indent][/indent][/color]