"Of Leather Bands and Silver Things"
Mystic25
Rating: T for some sexual references
Speculation on the ring Beck wears on that leather cord around his neck. Bade with hints of Tandre (because I can't help myself) Beck POV
Set: Season 3.
Any deviation off any season plotline was not intentional, but was a lot of fun to write:)
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"You are wearing THIS to the Cowwow."
"Okay."
"What, you don't like it?"
~Jade West and Beck Oliver
"Victorious"
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Andre sings more than he used too.
It's kind of annoying actually, especially in the locker room after basketball (the one in the local Y, because we go to a performing arts high school, so we get away with not having gym). He sings with the ball tucked under his arm, when he rolls the ball back into the rack, when he strips off his shirt and sneakers, then his – well you get the point. Cause I stop looking after that.
And they're all love songs. "No One" by Alicia Keys, "I'll be There" by the Jackson 5, even his duet "Tell Me that You Love Me" that he sang with Tori last year.
He's so damn happy that I want to punch him, but I don't.
Dude's in love-
With none other than Victoria "Tori" Vega.
Which isn't as big of a shocker as you think, they've been in denial since they were 16, and flirting for almost as long as that. And dating for two weeks now each at almost 18.
Jade gloats about it, because she got them both up on the Drive By Acting stage in Sikowitz classroom playing a married couple who been together for 40 years and hadn't had sex in 30.
There were a lot of "whippersnapper" lines improved by the both of them, along with metal cane shaking and a white wig that Tori seemed to have on hand in her backpack.
Then, they went for broke with a tearful 'I love you my dear' bit and a kiss which kind of turned 'not old' and 'full on'. I have to admit I wasn't really paying attention because Jade hand an arm up over my neck and was twirling a finger on the front of my shirt. And it was a bit distracting.
Let me set the record straight, Jade and I have never 'done it' Not because I don't want to, dear god, no. Jade is terrifying, but that translates to a whole other level concerning sex. We've come close, I've taken to stashing some condoms in my dresser drawer, and let's just say that I know that she actually owns a pink and black lace bra.
But, it never happens. See, I live in my parents driveway, and it's technically "my roof", but my dad still likes to pound on my door and yell "hand above the covers!" while doing so. Plus there was the time my cute neighbor Allie has come over unannounced when her puppy ran away (and I had to sit with a pillow on my lap while she talked about it)
It's never been the right time.
Then Jade found out that one of her old friends from middle school got pregnant by her boyfriend and the asshole ditched her, so did her parents. So now she lives in one of those group homes up in Calabasas where they send girls they won't admit their ashamed off to have their bastard babies in secret.
So she refused after that to even come close to what Health Class calls "heavy petting" We still make out, but hate to see her jerk away if I attempt to go beyond, so I don't push her. I haven't been with this girl for three years because just I want to get into her pants. She's complicated, and real, and I love her.
So most nights, we just hang out on my bed and watch B rated horror movies, and share popcorn, and kiss in the dark, and I listen to her breathe and her breath smells like butter and salt, and her skin is warm, tickled by her long black hair which I push off her shoulders.
So Andre sings about love, and he and Tori are at the 'cute' part of their relationship, where they giggle and touch each other a lot, and kiss over the slightest thing, and call each other "baby" . While I'm the only one who calls Jade 'babe', but let's her stroke my knee under the lunch table, and slide a hand on her waist when we walk to class, and we don't kiss every second. But we know we earned the right not too because we survived a break up, and a reunion, and now we feel closer than ever.
It's Andre and Tori's two week anniversary on Friday. When Andre talks about to us on Thursday Jade makes her obligatory sarcastic comment about it, and I tell her to chill, and she gives me a withering look (which I won't admit to her makes me smile cause I love a challenge). But when Andre asks what he should get her (and once again ignores Jade's remark about 'talent' and rusty scissors blade first in a dark room) and I suggest jewelry because no girl ever hates jewelry. Andre actually looks relieved. Because he and Tori had been friends forever, but you didn't buy friends anniversary presents.
So after class, he asks if I would go with him to a local jewelry shop in the new outside village mall. So we leave his car at the school and take my 66 Ford GTO to the jewelry shop.
We walk inside a room filled with glass, and sparkle behind that glass. A bubbly guy with a Mohawk and in a pressed gray suit greets us, asks what us 'fellas' would like. We have to brush off that we're not together together, and the guy apologizes, but gives me a wink.
Andre explains that he's here to shop for something for his girlfriend and has no idea what to get. The salesmen immediately starts pulling out racks of diamonds that neither of us could afford until we were CEO's of Fortune 500 Companies. Andre waves his 40 dollars of cash at the man, and he is waved towards a smaller section of mostly sterling silver jewelry.
We scan over the selection, promptly rejecting the Jesus Fish and the Best Friends Forever broken heart pendant. Because we're both against looking like a 13-year-old girl, even for a girlfriend. Finally Andre asks to see the perfect thing. A sterling silver star shaped pendant set with silver glitter on a matching chain. He has just enough for the necklace and gift-wrapping so I throw in the extra ten dollars to have the back of it engraved with the words: My Shining Star from the lyrics of the song the Manhattan's sang, and the date 01/22/2009 the date he and Tori first met at Trina's rehearsal at her house.
I tell him it's a great gift, and it is, it's them. When Jade and I broke up Tori and I had a moment where we almost got together, she was, and is this amazing person and I couldn't help how I felt about her. But, she turned me down because of Jade. Turned out it was for the best because Jade and I were never really over. And without me as a distraction (wow, that came out wrong) she finally saw what she really had between her and Andre.
We start to walk out of the store when I notice again the engagement/wedding ring section at the front of the display.
Andre gives me a lowered eyebrow look and a 'dude', but I ignore him and ask to see a plain silver woman's wedding band. Andre looks at me like I'm nine kinds of crazy, but I buy the thing with the savings I acquired from my 18th birthday gift from my mom. We leave the store and drive to a local peer I know that makes a mean half pound hamburger. Andre and I sit on the hood of my car and eat, and joke about how he would give his present to Tori. I tell him to sing since he sings every other emotion he feels. He throws his empty soda cup at my head.
I laugh, but then tell him if songs are out, just do it classic. Invite Tori out on a date and give her the necklace then. Andre agrees, but asks if Jade and I would double. I know he wants the tension to be off, so I say yeah.
I spot a pretty brunette waiving at he from a jewelry stall next to the food truck where we got our burgers. She is selling things that the salesman at the Jewelry store would turn his nose up at. But I slide off my car and approach her.
Her eyes light up when she sees me, and we talk a little as buy what I need from her and get her to create it right.
I smile and give her a 10 dollar bill and a "Thanks" and return to Andre, who asks me: "What my deal is."
I smack him on the shoulder and tell him: "Just wait."
The next day after school Jade and I meet Andre and Tori at Nozu. We get a booth and sit across from each other, Tori and Andre, and Jade and I.
Jade barks at the waitress about the lack of soy sauce in her bottle, and Tori tries to soothe the woman by ordering the biggest drink on the menu.
After we place our sushi orders with our nubby pencils. Andre takes Tori's hands.
"Happy Anniversary baby" (Andre's words, not mine) He holds out the box wrapped in delicate gold paper.
Tori's big eyes go even wider, she squeals and tears off the paper. When she sees the star pendant she gasps. Gasping then becomes a hand over mouth when she reads the inscription on the back.
Then there's some kissing that I clear my throat for. They're both my friends, so it just makes it awkward to see them make out. Finally, blessedly they stop and the waitress returns with our spicy dragon roll.
Jade takes my chopsticks from me and immediately spears some sushi before anyone else. She chews silently, then affixes me with a look when she sees me staring.
"What?"
I shake my head. "Nothing." I reach under the table and place a small rectangular box in front of her that was on the booth seat.
Jade stops chewing and gives me another look: "What is this?"
"Why don't you open it and find out?" I tell her simply.
Jade drops my chopsticks and tears off the box lid and into the tissue paper like she was vivisecting an animal.
She holds up the ring I got a the jewelry store, now attached to a black leather cord fashioned so that it's an adjustable necklace.
"Dude-" (Jade doesn't call me 'Babe' she calls me 'dude') "What is this?"
"What does it look like?" I tell her.
"It looks like you don't know me at all," Jade says. "I don't wear rings, and I hate leather necklaces."
"That's why it's not for you." I tell her.
Her confusion doesn't shift. "What are you talking about?"
"Read the inscription." I say.
Jade finally tears her weirded out look from my face and holds the ring to read the inscription I had the nice jewelry hut girl inscribe (for 5 dollars cheaper than the jewelry store I might add)
"Full Circle: 2/11/12-" Jade read the words and looked over at me. "That's the day we got back together at the Full Moon Jam."
I nod at her . "The ring's your size." I take the necklace from her. "But I know you don't rings or necklaces," I slide it up over my own head "So that's why I'm wearing it," I took one of her hands, and felt her pulse beat under my thumb "To remember how we will ultimately wind up back together." I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.
And Jade looks at me with her amazing penetrating eyes, and she takes my face in her hands and kisses me.
And I smile.
That's my girl.
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End.
and we thank you.