Victorious

Chapter 1

By KenzieMac

Hello :) This is my first story on FanFiction (at least on this account) so go easy on me!

Right, here you go…hope you enjoy, R&R x

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Victorious.

Cat's POV

'Have fun at school today, honey!' Mom calls.

'I will! Love you!' I call back, although I know I won't have fun. I never have fun at school, except in lessons, usually.

I walk to the bus stop, where there are plenty of schoolkids standing with their friends.

As soon as I reach the stop, people start to whisper. I sigh, but I'm used to it.

When the bus arrives, everyone shoves past me. I almost fall, but a nearby girl stops me. It's Tori Vega. She's in a lot of my classes, and seems nice. She moved to Hollywood Arts last year, and already has a group of friends – the school hot boy, Beck Oliver, his girlfriend and the mean witch, Jade West, the funny puppet man, Robbie Shapiro, and the musically talented one, Andre Harris.

I sometimes feel jealous, especially because I don't have any friends.

Anyway, as soon as I'm steady, Tori whips her arm back, and acts as if it never happened, but it's OK. I understand. It wouldn't help her reputation if she was caught helping, or even talking to me.

I'm known as the weird outcast at school. Kind of like Sinjin, except people do talk to him, and he has his own group of nerd friends. Nobody talks to me. High school is cruel. When I first started school, I was happy and optimistic, yet a little weird. Looking back, I was very weird, and random. It's no wonder people soon regarded me as a social outcast. I smarted up, and stopped talking as much, but it was too late.

'OI!' I am interrupted in my daydreams by the bus driver. 'Are you gonna just stand there, or get on?'

'Sorry.' I blush, hearing people sniggering at me, but I brush it off. I'm used to it, anyway.

I stand at the front of the bus, hoping for an empty double seat. Of course, there is none. There are some seats, but people have sat their bags on them, to stop me sitting there, so I reluctantly stand, hanging onto a pole for dear life.

When we reach the school, there's still 20 minutes to spare. The other pupils slope of to the Asphalt Café, some to the corridors, but I go to my usual hideout – the janitor's closet. Occasionally, people come in for privacy, to argue or something, so I escape to the library when that happens, but to my glee, only the janitor is there, and he is used to my regular visits.

'Hi!' I greet brightly, closing the door behind me.

He is sitting on the floor in the corner, sleeping. He opens one eye to make sure it's only me.

'Morning, Cat.' He says, and then he closes it again.

I giggle. 'Hi, Mr Janitor!' It's only with him I can be my proper self, happy and optimistic.

I take a seat opposite him, playing on my PearPhone.

First period is Acting. I like that class. It's funny, even though Sikowitz is usually really mean to me, and everyone laughs.

'Today, class, I am assigning you a project. You will do this in groups of three.' Sikowitz announces. 'I will assign each three a particular genre, and you will have to create a 5-minute tops scene using that genre.'

Everyone moans and complains, but I sit, content. I don't mind a project. It's the working in threes I don't like. Nobody would pick me.

'I have picked the groups!'

Oh. Not so bad, then. The people that are in my group will probably complain, but I'm expecting that.

Everybody whines some more.

'Sssh!' Sikowitz shushes. 'OK. Jade, Sinjin and Robbie.'

'WHAT? You cannot put me with those weirdos!' Jade screeches.

'I can, and I have. Your genre is sci-fi.'

'That's even worse!'

'Yes!' I hear Sinjin mutter happily.

'You shut it, you freak!' Jade shouts.

'Ssh, babe, calm it.' Her boyfriend, Beck, soothes.

She reluctantly sits back in her chair.

'Good, Jade.' Sikowitz praises. 'Now, Tori, Beck and Cat. Romance.'

Tori and Beck don't complain, much to my shock. Then again, they're too nice for that. Tori even turns in her seat and gives me a small smile. But Jade speaks up anyway.

'You cannot put Beck with Vega and the Freakiest Freak.' She shouts. 'And make it ROMANCE! Beck'll have to date somebody in it!'

'Not necessarily, now shut it, you gank.'

That shuts her up.

Sikowitz reads out more threes, but I am daydreaming too much to listen. Ever since Tori moved here, I have wanted to be her friend, and I have had a crush on Beck since I first met him. Well, saw him. I have never spoken to either, though, but I've heard them talking about me, that I may be a little weird but there's nothing wrong with me…defending me.

'The project is due to be performed at the end of term.' Sikowitz finishes. The bell rings, just in time. 'Class dismissed!'

I grab my bag, and start to leave, when Tori runs to catch up with me.

'Hi!' she smiles. 'I guess we're partners, huh?'

'Yeah…guess so.' I give a small and anxious smile back.

'So I was thinking we could start tonight, at my house?' she offers.

Go over to another person's house? I haven't done that since elementary school! I think, alarmed, but nod eagerly. 'Sure!'

'Awesome. Here is my…address…' she says, grabbing a piece of paper and scribbling it down. 'Here you go! See you at…6?'

'OK!'

'Awesome! I need to go and tell Beck now. Wish me luck!' she rolls her eyes, referring to Jade. 'And…by the way, Cat? I'm really sorry I haven't made the effort to talk to you before. You seem really nice!' And she darts off.

I look at the piece of paper in my hands, squealing in excitement.

'Weirdo…' someone mutters, passing me. I turn red, and shut up.

That night, I knock at Tori's door.

'I like your house!' I tell her brightly, but trail off when I realise how weird that could sound, but she merely laughs.

'Thanks!'

When I walk in, I see Beck isn't here yet.

'Did you convince Jade to let him come?' I ask.

'Not exactly. I waited until Math…and Jade isn't in our Math class. He said yeah, but I expect Jade will want to hang out with him tonight, but I'm hoping he'll escape her.'

'Hee hee…escape.' I giggle before I can stop myself.

She smiles.

'So what were you thinking about the project?' she asks.

'What do you mean?'

'What should we make the storyline?'

'Not sure. We'd better wait until Beck gets here.'

'Yeah. But we could do that…I love Beck…but he loves you?'

'Sikowitz might say that's predictable.'

'Mm…good point. What if… you love Beck, but Beck loves me…then as a twist, at the end, it ends up you and Beck!' Tori offers.

'Kay-kay!' I say cheerily, although I didn't altogether understand it.

'TORI! I want…' Tori's big sister, Trina, makes me jump, as she stomps down the stairs. 'Oh, great. Why is that here?'

'Her name is Cat, and we're working on a project.' Tori defends me. I feel myself smiling.

'Ugh. Poor you. Is anyone else coming?'

'Beck.'

'BECK?' Trina repeats, eyes widened. 'Oh my God, I look a mess! I gotta go change!' and she runs upstairs.

'Does she like Beck?' I ask.

'Yup.' Tori grins.

'Does Beck like her?'

'No! Definitely not. The opposite.' Tori rolls her eyes.

'Yeah. Beck likes Jade.' I giggle.

'I'm not sure. They've been arguing like, a lot lately.' She sits on their red sofa.

'Oh. Why?'

'Just about…everything. Jade gets super jealous, and she obviously wasn't pleased he was working with you and I.'

'Why not?'

'Because you're really pretty, and she hates me!'

'I'm sure she do…you think I'm pretty?'

'Yeah! You're so cute, and so sweet. I wish I'd spoken to you sooner.' she smiles. 'In fact, I'm not sure why everyone…' she trails off.

'Everyone makes fun of me?' I offer. 'Never speaks to me?'

'I…yeah…'

I smile, and shrug, when someone knocks.

'It's open!' Tori yells.

It's Beck – with Jade.

'Hello, girls.' He greets.

'Hey, Beck…Jade?'

'Hi…' I don't keep my eyes off the floor.

'She insisted coming along.' He explains.

'She has a name.' Jade snaps.

'I told you, you didn't have to come. It's just a scene.'

'A romance scene.' She exclaims. We all stare at her. 'Look, just get on with it.'

'Let's do this thing.' He says, taking a seat next to me. I look up, and smile. Jade scowls, sitting on the edge, next to Beck. 'Have you got anything planned?'

'Kinda.' Tori replies. 'See, I was thinking…maybe Cat loves you, but you love me? And at the end, it ends up you and Cat?'

'Him and the Freak?' Jade mutters.

'Quit calling her that, Jade!' Beck frowns. She looks shocked.

'So…the idea?' Tori interrupts.

'Great. Let's do it.' He smiles softly at me.

I smile back.

Next to him, Jade sits, eyes widened in fury. At me. I gulp.