The first time Adam Torres sees her is at the Degrassi Coffee House. She's on stage doing a song and dance with two of her friends. All of them are niners. Adam can't help but think she's really talented. And pretty.
Then, the song's over and Jake's applauding them and moving on the next act. She smiles and Adam catches her name as Jake thanks them once again for participating in the First Annual Coffee House performance.
Tori Santamaria.
XX
A week later, Adam's running late for English. He's not paying attention to where he's going and bumps into someone. The person goes flying backwards and their stuff spills all over the floor. Adam immediately bends down and starts helping the person pick up their stuff.
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry." He says, shock, surprise, and genuine sorrow in his voice. He finally looks at who he hit. It's the niner. Tori.
His eyes widen a bit as he helps her up and hands her back her stuff. "I'm really sorry, I didn't see you." He says.
"It's okay, I understand. Freshmen aren't exactly royalty aroud here." She says. Adam feels another wave of guilt, and she gives him a small smile. "But thanks for sticking around and helping me pick up my stuff. Maybe I'll see you around?"
Adam nods and they walk their separate ways. Adam can't help but look back at her as he walks. She glances back as well and gives him another smile. He returns it with a small one. His heart beats rapidly in his chest and he can't stop it. He thinks it's crazy that this girl that he knows nothing about has this kind of affect on him.
XX
"Dude, she's a niner." His older brother, Drew Torres, says the next day at lunch. Adam glares at him and Drew laughs.
"It's not funny, Drew." Adam insists. "I don't want to like anyone... yet. Not until things are more... permanent for me." He says, looking down at his food. Drew senses the mood shift and wants to bring it back to the light mood they had.
"But if you did, it wouldn't be a niner, right? It'd be some older girl." Drew says, laughter still in his voice. Adam glares at him and punches his arm, lightly.
"Yeah, maybe I'll see if Katie's available by then." Adam says sarcastically. Drew rolls his eyes and Adam laughs. A moment later, he sees her sit next to her friends – the two she performed with and Katie's little sister, Maya. She laughs at something one of them says and Adam looks away, trying to concentrate on his food.
XX
Adam means what he says. He doesn't want a girlfriend – not yet, at least. He manages to forget about the brunette girl for a few weeks, finally able to concentrate on school and concentrate on facing his fears, like his mom suggested after the shooting – life's too short. He's been so busy he's barely thought of the niner.
Then, he starts getting secret admirer notes. He rips up the first one -much to Clare's surprise- obviously thinking it's a prank. What kid at this school is going to like the transgender kid when there were still so many transphobes out there? It doesn't make sense to him. So he rips it up.
A couple days later, however, Tori comes up to him, asking a bunch of romance/love questions. Questions like if it was meant to be -like Chuck and Blair- would he fight for true love? He's a little perplexed at the girl's sudden questioning. But then, it dawns on him. The note.
Despite himself, Adam fills with hope. "Wait – do you know someone? Cuz I got this note-" He begins.
"Nope, like I said, it's just for a class. Bye!" She says and hurries off, nervously. Adam watches her go, confused, but hope still with him. He realizes he might like this niner girl more than he's willing to admit.
XX
He catches her putting a note in his locker two days later.
He walks over an asks her about it. She says it's not her that likes him -she has a boyfriend, after all- it's her friend. He feels disappointment flood through him. He really wishes it was her.
He's not sure why he agrees to go on the date. He's not interested. Bu t maybe the friend of Tori's will be a friend of his as well. So, he agrees. And seeing Tori's face light up the way it does is worth it.
XX
The date is awkward at best, especially when Adam learns his date is Tristan. A boy. He feels bad telling them he likes girls, but Tristan takes it really well – even insisting he stay and hang out with them more.
Adam agrees and things are okay. Zig seems to be in his own world, so he Adam mostly talks to Tristan and Tori. He feels proud whenever he gets her to smile or laugh at something he says. He thinks she looks beautiful that way.
He can tell that Tristan notices his attraction to Tori, too, and silently begs him not to say anything. Thankfully, the redheaded boy doesn't. Adam thinks it was a good idea to come, if only because he made a new friend.
XX
He ends up walking her home, because they both live near each other. The conversation flows freely and Adam's happier than he's been in awhile. Tori's an amazing girl. But underneath all his happiness, is a sadness, because he knows nothing will happen. And he doesn't have a chance with her.
"I'm sorry I set you up with Tris." She says about halfway to her house. "I had no idea..." She trails off when she sees Adam shrugging. She didn't know. He can't hold it against her.
"I really wanted him to be happy..." She trails off again, and looks at him, helplessly. It's the first time Adam's seen her so vulnerable.
"It's okay. I understand. You were trying to help a friend. No big deal, Tori." He replies, looking at the younger girl. A relief smile crosses her face.
They're on her porch now and she has a mischievous grin on her face. Adam looks at her, questioningly, an amused smile on his face at the younger girl.
"So, is there a girl you like?" She asks. Adam looks at her, shocked. The only thing really registering in his brain is how pretty she looks under the porch light (as cliché as that sounds) and how he wants to tell her that he maybekindofreally likes her and that he really wants to kiss her.
So he does. He just leans over and presses his lips to hers. It lasts for about two seconds and he pulls away, wide-eyed and completely mortified. She wears a similar expression of shock on her face.
"I'm sorry." He whispers and runs away. Tori presses her fingers to her lips that have an inexplicable burn from Adam's kiss.
XX
Exactly one week later, she corners him in the hall. He knows he owes her an explanation, but he doesn't really know himself. How can you explain something to someone that you don't fully understand yourself? All he knows is that he just really wanted to kiss her.
"Adam," She says in the empty hallway, "I have a boyfriend. His name is Zig."
"I know that, I do. I just... I couldn't help it. You looked really pretty and it just... I don't know... happened." He replies. She looks away, afraid those blue eyes that she's been thinking about all week will get to her.
"I love Zig. It's meant to be with us. I know it is." She hopes she sounds more sure than she feels as she dares a glance into Adam's blue eyes.
"Like Chuck and Blair." He mutters, looking down. Tori's face shows a look of pain before she masks it once again.
"Yeah, like Chuck and Blair. I'm sorry, Adam, really." And she is. She's sorry she's not ready to give everything up to be with him. She's sorry she's not ready to admit she might like him, despite barely knowing him.
He shrugs, like it's no big deal. But it hurts. It hurts really bad. It hurts like a thousand knives stabbing him in his heart. But he's prepared for this. He knows how to react, because he knows she'd never pick him over Zig.
"So, this is it?" He asks, looking at her. Now, it's her turn to shrug.
"I guess this is it. Goodbye, Adam." She says, keeping her face free of the pain she's feeling right now, letting him go. It's the wrong boy at the wrong time and he makes her feel something she can't feel, but she can't imagine losing him like this, either.
He nods once and whispers, "Goodbye, Tori." He turns and walks away. She watches him go, wishing she could tell him that it's not meant to be with her and Zig, that she really likes him a lot, that she already misses him. But she can't. That wouldn't be fair of her.
So, she just watches him go, not knowing how badly he wants to turn around and look at her one last time, but can't.
Because it's not meant to be for them. Not like it is for Drew and Katie or Dave and Alli or Zig and Tori.
Not like it is for Chuck and Blair.
Fin.
So... I really like Adam and Tori together. I've shipped them before they had a scene together. This seems really random to me, but I kind of like it, nonetheless. I really want these two to get together. Adam deserves a girlfriend and Tori deserves a better boyfriend. As for the whole "Tristan being Adam's date" thing, I just feel like that's who it is. Although, it could easily be Maya as well... guess we'll find out tonight.
I hope you guys liked this and I apologize for any OOC-ness.
Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi, if I did, Adam/Tori would have a lot more airtime (as would Zig/Maya). As would Tristan.