A/N: Okay this is my first Victorious story and let me just say...trying to mimic the real writers' humor is really difficult. lol. Thanks for reading!
THIS IS SET RIGHT AFTER THE PROM WRECKER EPISODE!
"When you don't know what you're looking to find
In front of your eyes, it falls from the skies"
- "With Me" : Sum 41
"Hey guys I've got to go talk to Sikowitz about the play that's coming up." Tori Vega said, grabbing her bag and standing up from the lunch table.
"Are we still practicing for the songs at your house tonight?" André asked, looking up at his brunette friend.
"Yeah, I'll see you at six." Tori replied with a smile before turning and heading for the school.
"Can I come too?" Cat asked excitedly, turning to André.
"Well sure, but we're practicing Tori's song for the play so I'm not sure how fun it will be for people not in the play." André explained.
"What's that supposed to mean?" The red-head exclaimed before jumping up from her seat and running away.
"What do they put in that red hair dye?"
"Rex! Be quiet! That's not nice." Robbie corrected, shaking his head.
Andre rolled his eyes and stood up, leaving Robbie and Trina at the table.
"Looks like it's just you and me." Rex said suggestively, turning to the remaining Vega sister.
"Ew."
Tori walked through the hallway slowly, admiring all the elaborately decorated lockers.
She remembered all the trouble she had painting her locker the first week of school. Back then she was so insecure and felt out of place in this busy school. Now, she finally felt that she belonged here.
The brunette's thoughts were interrupted by an argument going on around the corner from where she was walking.
Tori stopped and waited not wanting to intrude, and a little interested in what was being said.
"Why are you always so selfish? Do you ever think of anyone but yourself?"
"Why would I think about other people? That's just stupid."
"No, Jade that's what normal people do. They actually care about how their actions affect others." Beck said, his voice filled with frustration.
"Why are you standing up for her? I'm your girlfriend!" Jade shouted angrily.
"Stop making this about other people, this is between us."
"Well if you would stop looking at other girls this could be just between us." She said, her dark eyes narrowed.
"Why do you always accuse me of that? I have never cheated on you Jade! Wish I could say the same for you." Beck responded, his eyes alight with betrayal.
"Please, we've already been through this. It was just a fling."
"Yeah? Well it still hurt. What's happened to us Jade? It's gotten to the point where it doesn't even feel like we're dating anymore."
"Are you breaking up with me? Is this because of Vega? She arrives and suddenly everyone is falling all over each other to be friends with her!"
"There you go again, accusing me of things that aren't true! You tried to ruin the prom for everyone. Would you have still done that if someone else besides Tori was in charge of it?"
There was no answer.
"That's what I thought. You know what Jade I can't take this anymore. Everything with you is drama and hurting other people." Beck said, running a hand through his hair in agitation.
"Well you're the one who stayed with me for two years."
"Goodbye Jade." Beck said with a sigh, turning and walking away from his ex.
"We are SO over!" Jade called, glaring at her ex boyfriends retreating figure.
He was actually dumping her? He usually let her do whatever and didn't really care.
Jade cursed her life under her breath and stomped away towards the parking lot.
She was done with lunch today.
As Beck walked around the corner he ran straight into someone and knocked them flat onto the floor.
He stared at the shocked brunette who lay splayed out on the ground.
"Tori?"
"Oh…Hey Beck." She responded awkwardly, accepting his hand to help her stand back up.
"Did you hear all that?" He asked warily, getting straight to the point.
"Um…Kind of." Tori replied sheepishly, tucking some hair behind her ear nervously. "Sorry I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
"No, it's fine. Everyone's going to find out soon enough." He said with a weary sigh.
Observing his tired eyes and slumped posture Tori was overcome with sorrow for her friend.
He was always so good and patient with Jade, and what did he get in return? A cheating, lying, and uncaring girlfriend. Or ex girlfriend now.
Always one to help others, Tori immediately embraced her friend in a comforting hug.
"I'm sorry about everything with Jade. Maybe if I would have tried harder to get along with her…"
"No Tori. This is not your fault. Things haven't been the same between Jade and I for awhile now." Beck explained seriously, holding Tori by her shoulders.
She smiled slightly and asked him when things with Jade started going downhill.
Pulling the brunette with him, Beck sat on the floor with his back against the lockers.
"Right before you got into Hollywood Arts there was a new senior here named Derek. Soon after he arrived I noticed Jade was acting less controlling than usual and just thought she was lightening up. I was actually really happy with her until some rumors spread that she was seeing Derek behind my back. Of course I asked her about them and she denied it."
Tori bit her lip and almost gasped out loud at Jade's blatant lying. She had always known Jade was cold, but that's just wrong.
"Eventually I caught them together outside the school and confronted her. Jade claimed it was just a mistake and launched into a story about her family problems affecting her. I forgave her and we just kind of ended up dating again out of habit." The dark-haired male explained, glancing at his listener and seeing the distress and outrage in her eyes.
"Are you going to get back with her now?" Tori asked quietly, prepared to go along with whatever his answer was no matter how much she knew he deserved better.
"No. Absolutely not." He responded resolutely, his dark eyes fierce with conviction.
"You deserve better Beck. And I'll always be here if you need to talk."
"Thanks Tori." He said with a small smile, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer in a side embrace.
"Want to go sit with the others? I think there's a little time left before lunch ends." Tori asked curiously, looking up at the boy beside her.
"I think I just want to sit here. I honestly don't feel like having to explain everything to anyone."
Tori nodded and stood up, giving her dark-haired companion a parting smile before continuing to her acting coach's classroom.
Beck's story about Jade and his past really surprised Tori. Even as she walked away her thoughts remained on Beck. She hadn't really gotten the chance to get as close to Beck as she was to her other friends, mostly because of Jade, but she still felt sorry for him. He really was a good person, and he definitely didn't deserve the way Jade treated him.
"Sikowitz I had a question about-" Tori stopped in the middle on her sentence after entering the empty classroom. "Hello?"
She walked into the middle of the classroom and looked around. No one.
Just as the aspiring singer decided to sit down and wait she heard a loud crash from behind her.
Tori jumped up in shock, her heart beating quickly in her chest.
"Sikowitz! What are you doing?" The teen asked in alarm, watching her teacher pull himself up off the floor by the window.
"I ran out of coconut juice and had to get a couple of fresh ones off the tree I'm growing outside the school. You know coconuts from the store aren't the same as the homegrown ones. I find that the ones I grow are more-"
"MOZZARELLA!" Tori announced, interrupting her eccentric teacher's rant.
Silence.
"Anyways…Torrrri Vega! What brings you to my classroom?" Sikowitz asked moving to sit behind his desk.
"No need to roll the 'R'." Tori inserted, raising an eyebrow. "But I did want to ask if you had an extra copy of the play script."
"Well tickle my whiskers!" Sikowitz exclaimed, shaking his head in surprise.
"Um…I think I'll pass…"
"I meant that out of everyone you're the last person I would expect to lose a script…your older sister Tara on the other hand…"
"Trina. Her name's Trina." Tori chimed in.
"That's what I said. Anyways, here you go. Are you ready for the grand opening performance this Friday?" Sikowitz asked, not even looking at his student as he managed to break open one of the many coconuts he had on his desk with a red pen.
"Um…yeah." Tori replied, watching her teachers' antics with bewildered attention. "I just need to practice the final song with André."
"Okay, yeah sounds great. Now if you'll just do me a favor and lock up the classroom after you leave that will be great." He instructed as he slid a bright green bendy straw into the small hole in his fruit of choice.
"Bye…I'll be exiting through the door now." The brunette called awkwardly in response to the obvious dismissal before shutting the door.
A loud chime sounded announcing the end of lunch.
Somewhere in the school a young girl with bright red hair was being consoled by her puppet-wielding friend.
"Okay class, I'm your substitute today!"
All eyes were on the man wearing a suit in front of the classroom; whether out of shock at a professional looking person teaching Sikowitz's class or because he was undeniably attractive, Tori wasn't sure.
"Free period." André said looking towards Robbie and Tori knowingly.
"Actually your teacher left some instructions; Alphabet Improv. I'm sure that means more to you guys than it does to me." The blonde adult admitted, looking at all the bright young faces in the class.
Tori glanced towards where Beck was sitting by Robbie as she remembered the last time this exercise was played. Then she saw the livid, puppy- killing, look on Jade's face and decided it was best for her survival to turn back and face the teacher.
"I wanna play guys! Last time was so fun!" Cat exclaimed, looking at the substitute hopefully.
The teacher agreed and let Cat pick the other participants.
"Okay, um. Jade, Beck, Tori, André, and you." She finished, pointing at a blonde guy in the back of the the classroom.
"My name's Ryan." The blue-eyed boy said, looking at Cat.
"I know."
"I'll pick the letter! Let's see…P" Robbie announced, trying to not feel left out.
"Pretty weird that someone picked Tori to do this again." Jade said, glaring at the brunette.
"Quite rude of you to say that." Beck replied, fixing Jade with a hard look.
"Really immature Jade." Tori sighed, hoping this wouldn't be a repeat of the last game which consisted of mostly Tori and Jade fighting.
"Someday I want to be president." André announced, trying to keep things light.
"That's terrible!" Cat cried dramatically.
"Ugly people become presidents." Ryan contributed.
"That is so true! Tori why don't you run?" Jade asked nastily, smirking at the other girl.
"What is wrong with you?" Beck exploded, turning back to face his Ex.
"X-ray's will show you have no heart." Tori continued, looking at Jade.
"You think it's terrible for me to have dreams of being president?" André asked incredulously, looking at Cat.
"What's that supposed to mean?" The red head exclaimed.
"Cat you're out!" The class called.
"Not again!" Cat cried as she walked to her seat and pouted. "And I don't even get candy this time!"
"André, why would you want to be president? People always make fun of how much older they look after 4 years." Ryan said, continuing the improv activity.
"Beck I think you're being completely ridiculous! We dated for two years and you're willing to throw that away?"
"Can't you see? It's you who threw away our relationship a year ago when you did that thing that really shouldn't be talked about in the middle of class." Beck replied, glancing at the enraptured faces of his classmates.
"Darn, why does this improve always cause issues?" Tori groaned, putting her face in her hands.
"Everybody tells me that I have good skin for aging." André said, not noticing the incredulous look everyone gave him.
"Firefighting is also a good job to have." Ryan contributed.
"God, why on earth am I still here?" Jade exploded, pushing Robbie out of the way as she left the classroom.
"How did I put up with her for two years?" Beck asked himself, shaking his head.
"I have no idea." Tori replied, feeling sorry for the time Beck had wasted on the pessimistic girl.
"Really? Does no one care that I have high hopes for the future?" André exclaimed suddenly, throwing his hands in the air.
"André's out too!" Cat called from where she sat next to Robbie.
"Just everyone listen! I think I hear something." Ryan said, his blue eyes shifting around the room suspiciously as he continued the improv.
"Kids be quiet!" Beck yelled, silencing everyone in the room.
"Look in Sikowitz's desk, I think it's coming from one of the drawers." Tori whispered, nudging Ryan.
"Me? I am not looking in that crazy man's desk!"
"Not me!" Beck called quickly, earning a glare from Tori.
"Of course, let the shorter teenage girl do it." She said, moving towards the desk slowly.
"Please be careful. We have no idea what could be in there." Ryan cautioned, looking at the brunette warily and placing his hand on her arm.
"No need to get handsy." Beck interrupted, raising his eyebrows at where Ryan had placed his hand on Tori's arm.
"Oh Beck you're out." André said, patting his dark-haired friend on the back as he moved to his seat.
"Quite thoughtful of you. Thanks." Tori continued, shooting the blonde a small smile.
"Ready? On the count of three."
Ryan held up one finger….two…three…
Tori randomly picked a drawer and pulled it open; only to have a huge, green moth fly out, causing her to scream and duck, right before it landed directly on Robbie's face.
"What the-"
"Ryan you're out! Tori wins!" Cat called clapping happily.
But the young actress had already ran out of the room.
Robbie squealed and fell out of his chair, scaring the green monster off his face.
"This is crazier than the time we had that sleepover at Sikowitz's house." Cat exclaimed giggling.
"Oh is Sikowitz a student in another class?" The substitute asked, looking at the red head questioningly.
"Oh no silly, he's our teacher." Cat explained, not noticing the temporary teacher's shell-shocked expression.
"You guys spent the night at a teacher's house?"
"Yeah! Tori was wearing a lot of red lipstick and was the cop, Jade was the innocent farm girl, Beck was a british guy who got really close to everyone, and- oh look! There's Mildred!" She shouted triumphantly, pointing at the huge moth. "You see, I raised Mildred when she was an itty bitty caterpillar and I found her in my locker. But I lost her a couple of weeks ago-"
The substitute- whose name nobody really knew- fainted.
A/N: This has taken me forever to write…but I really like it. I was inspired by my all-consuming hope for a Tori/Beck relationship on the real show. But for now, I'll just write my own little stories until the Victorious writers see reason and put Beck and Tori together. Thanks for reading! I'll start updating frequently as soon as I finish my Twilight story! (which by the way you guys should go check out on my prrofile) ;)