This one-shot takes place after iParty With Victorious. Tori had a severe lack of emotional reaction to the news that Steven was cheating on her. So this is what I think was really going on.
She was faking it.
How long would it take for everyone to realize that she was faking it?
The smile, the carefree attitude, everything. She was faking everything.
She put up a grin, only letting her shock show for a moment before covering it up with a strong smile.
She went along with Carly's plan and joked in the closet, giving Steven the justice he so rightfully deserved.
She smiled and sang with all of her friends and the whole iCarly gang. She pretended not to be affected by Steven's betrayal.
But it was all a lie.
The minute she had walked into her room that night, after making certain not a single soul was home, she had sobbed. She sobbed louder than ever.
She wasn't crying over Steven. No, she already knew that any guy who would hurt her so terribly wasn't worth the tears.
She was crying because of what this meant.
This marked the 5th time her heart had been played with.
The 5th time she wasn't good enough.
The first was her initial relationship with Daniel.
He had broken up with her, not the other way around. But he spread the story so that he would look like the victim and she just went along with it because no one was likely to believe her side of the story over perfect little Danny.
That was the first time a guy made her feel worthless.
The second was Beck.
She thought he loved her. She thought they could be together.
She was wrong.
It was proven every single time he went out with Jade by his side. Holding her hand, kissing her cheek.
Was Jade really so much better than her?
Obviously she was if she was the one Beck chose.
Even though she didn't really like Beck as much as she initially thought, it still hurt to be looked over in favor of a bully.
That was the second time a guy made her feel worthless.
The third was Danny again.
When he went out with Cat, he was always around, shoving their previous relationship in her face. Everything Cat did was perfect and Danny wasted no time in showing her how much better Cat really was. A better cook, a better singer, a better person.
As if she didn't already know.
Yes, she was jealous. Not of Cat. No one could be jealous of Cat. She just wanted to be the one that was chosen for once.
That was the third time a guy made her feel worthless.
The fourth was Ryder.
Yes, his using her meant she had talent. But so did everyone else at this school. All his using her served to prove was how little she was valued as a person. How shallow everyone was. How she was truly good for nothing but her face and her voice.
That was the fourth time a guy made her feel worthless.
And now was the fifth.
She was worth so little that Steven needed another girl to keep himself occupied.
Would she ever be good enough?
The answer to her unasked question came in the form of a knock at her front door. She wiped her tears and ran downstairs, opening the door and immediately collapsing into the arms of the person at the door, crying once again.
Andre held her tightly, helping her over to the couch, where he sat with her, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around her, helping her feel safe and secure.
"Why are you here?" she asked him.
"I thought you would need a friend. You're good at hiding your feelings, but I know you better than to believe in that façade you put up. No one can go through that and still be smiling, not even you."
"Why wasn't I good enough?"
"Steven's a jerk. You are good enough. But he just can't see that."
"No one can. It's not just Steven. No one thinks I'm ever worth it." She pulled away from the hug and looked at her best friend before turning away and sitting on the opposite end of the couch, her back facing him.
"That's not true."
"Yes it is. Everyone always picks Jade or Cat over me. I'm never the best; no one ever thinks I'm good enough."
A hand was laid on the sobbing girl's shoulder.
"I think you're good enough."
She turned around and saw Andre looking right into her eyes, his own shining. Her heart fluttered and her eyes closed as he leaned in and touched his lips to hers. "I love you Tori Vega. And I will always pick you"
And finally, she didn't have to fake it anymore.