Disclaimer: The Show Victorious, its characters and other associated copyrights are property of someone else and not me.

The Bet

Chapter 1 – My business.

No ones. POV.

"Jesus Vega, can you ever keep you nose out of my business?" Snapped Jade, with an unusually hard edge to her voice.

Tori huffed. "I'm just trying to be a friend here. Beck asked me what I thought was bugging you and I told him. I thought if I could help him understand, it would help things between you two. I was just telling him what I've managed to figure out."

"Well I don't need your help!" Screamed Jade as her temper suddenly exploded. "And I don't need you friendship. I never asked for any of it and I don't want it. JUST STAY OUT OF MY FUCKING BUSINESS."

Tori stepped back as she bore the full brunt of Jades outburst. All she wanted to do is help. Something had been eating at Jade but, no one could figure it out. Tori had thought it related to a very poor grade Jade had gotten recently on a project for her scriptwriting class. All Tori was trying to do was be a friend and Jade's constant rejection of her and friendship was really beginning to hurt.

"But Jade I was just…" Tori started to say before she was abruptly cut off.

"You know Vega. I just wish you could just stay out of my business and leave me alone for just a month. At least I could have time to think." Jade barked.

"A month?" Said Tori with an unreadable expression.

"Yes a month, and I'll bet you can't."

Tori thought for moment. "OK Jade, who oddly seems to come to me for help even though she says she never wants it, how much do you want to bet?"

Jade looked at Tori intently. "You want to make a bet Vega?"

"Yes Jade, I'll bet you that I can leave you alone and stay out of your business. Have nothing to do with you at all. For one month. If I manage to stay out of your business than I win. If you come to me for help or associate with me, than I win."

Jade narrowed her eyes and studied Tori's face. "Loser is the winners slave for one week. Meaning they do what ever the winner tells them. No objections, no refusals."

"Deal" Tori said extending her hand.

Jade was surprised that Tori actually had the balls to take the bet. But she shook the Latina's hand and smirked.

Jade smirked. "When I win, I'm going to humiliate you so badly you're going to have no choice but drop out. I could just order you to drop out but that wouldn't be fun at all. I'm going to slowly grind you down Vega, till there's nothing left."

Tori stood there stone faced for a moment. "Let's say we start today at 5 PM and we run the bet through Friday the 17th at 5 PM. One month from today."

Jade nodded. "Sounds good. We'll let everyone know in Sikowitz's class next hour. They can tell if anyone's stepped over the line.

"Fine."

The next hour Jade and Tori strode into Sikowitz's class and Jade made an announcement. "Vega and I have a bet, Each of us is to completely stay out of the others business. Which means we can't speak to each other or have anything to do with each other. It starts at 5 pm today and runs to the same time on the 17th of next month."

"Why?" Robbie asked.

"Cause Vega's always sticking her nose where it doesn't belong and I don't think she can keep her hers out of my business." Jade said bitterly.

"And Jade, who never wants to be my friend, is always coming to me for help when she needs it. So that's our bet. So in order for this to work, if you guys plan something your going to have to include only one of us or none of us." Tori answered.

Sikowitz who was standing in the corner, seemed to be watching things with interest. "I'll even play along and in the sprit of the bet, I'll see to it that Tori and Jade are not made to work together in my class."

"Why are you playing along?" Asked Robbie.

Sikowitz chuckled. "It will be interesting to see who cracks first."

Andre grinned and held up a 20. "Hey Beck, how about you and I make a little side bet. I say Jade cracks." Andre paused for a moment and grinned a bit wider. "Unless you're going to bet against your girlfriend."

Beck paused for a moment as if he were thinking about it. That earned him a particularly nasty stare from a very annoyed looking Jade. "I'll take your bet. I say Tori cracks."

At that point Tori gave him a nasty look.

Andre laughed. "Looks like you can't win man."

Sikowitz began to speak, beginning the class, saving Beck from having to say anything else.

As class was letting out, Andre caught Tori in the hallway.

"Hey Chica, what do you hope to accomplish with this bet?"

Tori shrugged. "I don't know, I'm just tired of her always coming to me for help but refusing to let me be her friend. It's like she can't admit she wants to be my friend. I don't know. She just said I'll bet you can't stay out of my business for a month and I took the bet."

Andre thought. "What's the stakes, you never said in class?"

"Loser has to be the winners slave for a week. Nothing can be refused."

Andre scratched the back of his head as he continued to walk with Tori. "You realize that Jade will utterly humiliate you if you're her slave."

"She said pretty much that. So much so that I would leave school."

"Good Luck!"

"Why do you say that? I can stay away from Jade for a month."

Andre decided to not say what he was thinking. That Tori seemed to have an almost desperate need for Jade to be her friend. So he just said. "I was just wishing you good luck. That's all."

The rest of the day went normally. Jade seemed to have a bit of extra strut in her step and a confident look on her face as the day progressed. It was obvious, that she was sure she was going to win.

Tori was quietly confident. She had gotten home a bit after 4 and promptly started her homework. It was almost 5 when her phone rang. Tori could see it was Jade on the caller id.

Tori felt her heart flutter for a brief moment. It was that same odd flutter she always felt at that first moment when she realized Jade was paying attention to her for some reason.

Answering the phone, Tori said a cautious hello.

"You're going to lose Vega." Jade said in mocking, almost cruel tone of voice before the line went dead.

Tori then looked at the lock. It was 5 PM and the bet had officially started. All Tori could do was sigh and get back to her homework.

After she finished an hour later she put her pen down and pondered the consequences of the bet. Jade had made it abundantly clear what she'd do is if she won, but Tori realized what she would do if she won.

Tori laughed at the prospect of making Jade come to school in a pink sundress. Other than the absurd ideas, the only serious one she could think of would be to treat me like a friend for a week. It seemed like a simple enough request.

"So what's with this bet, I heard about today. I forgot to ask you in the car when we went home." Trina said as she leaned up against the door frame.

"It's just a silly bet, she doesn't think I can stay out of her hair. I don't think she can avoid coming to me for help for something or another. Loser has to be the winners slave for a week." Tori explained.

Trina just shook her head and rolled her eyes as she left without saying a word.

The rest of the night went in a rather mundane fashion. As it neared 11 PM, Tori couldn't help but wonder what the Goth was doing at that moment. Was she writing some story of dark revenge, sacrificing a puppy to some ancient god or just watching the scissoring for the 200th time.

Anyway she thought about it, Jade was one of the most unique, original and unique people she knew. A thousand mysteries lurked behind those blue green eyes, but Tori just forced it out of her mind and got up to get ready for bed.

This story is based on an idea by Invader Johnny. He also helped to write it as he provided number of excellent suggestions and comments. This is my first real collaboration with another person. What do you all think so far?

I hope everyone enjoys this story. This will be a more standard Jori story than my last one. "Where's Tori." It will have its share of laughs, angst, not to mention twists and turns.