So, everyone who's reading this, this is the second version of Helen Back Again.
I hope you guys like this as much as you liked the first one - so please leave me a review as if this were the first time you read it xD

Thanks for reading and please, let me know what you think.

X Annaelle

Helen Back Again
TORI'S POV

Again, I wondered if my sanity had abandoned me at the same second my mother had informed me that I was being kicked out of Hollywood Arts. Though she wasn't to blame, I felt as if she had purposefully punched me in the face, leaving its skin broken and bleeding, throbbing madly.

My world—easy, uncomplicated and perfect since I got into Hollywood Arts—was suddenly an raging and mind-blowing inferno of feelings that were no longer distinguishable from each other. When my mother had tried to hug me, I had found myself unable to stand her touch for longer than a few seconds. I had thrown her arms off, running, fleeing my own house, that suddenly no longer provided safety and calmness.

I needed to be away. So I ran.

And I ran. Until I ended up here. Of all places, I had to end up near the person I needed most of all, the person I loved with all my heart, and the one person I could never be with. A close friend was all he was allowed to be, but I needed so much more than a close friend right now.

My body seemed to move without my full cooperation. It seemed to naturally respond to what I craved most right now—a gentle touch, a comforting word. His gentle touch and his comforting words.

And as I rung the bell, I knew it was wrong. A tight knot had formed in my stomach as I revered the consequences of my being here.

'Who's there?' His deep, entrancing voice called from the other side of the door.
Knowing that, despite how wrong and hurtful it might be to others, he would recognize my voice instantly, I called out to him.
'It's me.'

The door opened immediately, and my gaze was greeted by a pair of warm brown eyes—and I was safe.
'Tori,' his voice tinted by the mildest hint of surprise, 'what are you doing here?' He took in my appearance. Knowing I did not look my best—my eyes were undoubtedly red rimmed and puffed from crying—I tried to smile.

I am sorry to say I failed horribly.

Before I even got the words out—the horrible, gut-wrenching words—I felt the burning uncomfortable feeling of hot tears well up in my eyes, and felt them spill over my cheeks. 'They . . . They're kicking me out of Hollywood Arts,' I finally whispered, still holding his gaze, knowing he'd know just what to say to make me feel better.

He opened his mouth to say something, but failed to find the words, and instead pulled me into his arms, his strong arms wrapped firmly around my waist.
I rested my head to his chest, silently crying over the loss of my greatest opportunity of being a professional singer.

Slowly and far more reluctant than he should have been, he pulled away from the hug, ran a hand through his hair and gestured at the inside of his place. 'Come in.'

I pushed past him softly, feeling tingles run over my skin as it brushed past his.
He closed the door with a soft 'thump' and followed me, seating himself on the couch. 'I don't know what to say, Tori. I can't believe it. It must be a mistake.'
I shook my head as if in some sort of a haze. 'I never thought I would pass. I was so scared of this. . . And now it happened.'

As my tears began to fall again, he jumped up and once again wrapped his arms around me, whispering incoherent words of comfort in my ear.
After a few moments of uncontrollable sobbing, I pulled away from his far too tempting embrace, only to look up into his chocolate brown eyes, and lose myself completely.

Before I fully knew why or how, I felt his hot lips descend on my own, and his constricting grip around my waist only tightened.
But no matter how much his presence and . . . and . . . his . . . His fucking everything made me burn with desire, I couldn't.

And though I might as well have jumped in front of a train with less pain, I pulled back, wincing as my lips made a small popping sound as they parted with his.
'I can't. I'm sorry.' His brow furrowed. 'Why not?'

I stepped back and shook my head again. 'Because you have a girlfriend, Beck.'
He sighed. 'No I don't. I don't love Jade like that anymore.'
And I knew I shouldn't feel this way, I felt hope flutter in my belly. 'So are you breaking up with her?'

He sighed and dropped his lean figure on the couch again. 'I don't know.'

He didn't know. Perfect. Just another fucking disappointment. Just what I needed. Something else that could just positively drown me in my pool of absolute disappointment and depression. So what was I to say to him?

'Oh.'

He studied my expression, a curious, searching look in his eyes. 'Does that disappoint you?' I shrugged, ignoring the urge to yell 'YES!' and said, 'Why would I be? We're just friends, aren't we?'

'Just friends don't kiss.'

'You kissed me. Not the other way around.'

'You kissed me back. So just answer my question, Tori. A simple 'yes' or 'no' will do.'

I knew why he persisted. He needed to know. I needed to know.

We'd been playing this game of hide and seek ever since we met. I love you, I love you not. I knew he couldn't tell me how he felt unless he was 100% certain that I felt the exact same way.
We both needed to know our feelings were 100% mutual.

So, if I did say yes, what would that mean? Would he finally break up with Jade, as I had wished he'd do ever since we'd met?
I didn't want him to break up with her because I told him how I felt about him. If I would let him do that, and if we would somehow end up together, it would be something that would stand between us.

If he made that decision, it had to be a decision he made for him.

So instead of following my heart, I mustered up some of my acting skills and shrugged my shoulders, trying to act casual. 'You need to do what's best for you, Beck. And if you think being with Jade is best for you, then . . .' I sighed, 'Then that's what you should do.'

His eyes grew darker with annoyance and frustration, and he clenched his jaw. Yet, when he spoke, his tone was light and airy. 'That's not an answer.'

I frowned at him. 'What do you want me to say?' Something along the lines of 'I'm in love with you and I want you to ditch Jade and be with me? Though the words were aching to tumble from my lips, I knew that the reality was that he would never be mine. He was all Jade's, and had been so ever since we'd met, and I didn't want to be the reason that changed that.

He ran his fingers through his hair, tugging roughly at it in aggravation. He sat there for nearly a minute before he got up and moved closer to me. I could feel the warmth emanating from his body. My breath hitched as I felt his hand press softly against mine, his fingers brushing softly over mine—I resisted the urge to reach for his hand and wave our fingers together. 'Beck,' I whispered, his name slipping from my lips, soft and breathy, 'What are you doing?'

His eyes locked onto mine with a fierce determination like none I had ever seen before. 'Tell me what you want, Tori.'

And I knew that I wasn't going to get away with an evasive answer this time. Something in his eyes warned me as our eyes met. 'Tell me what you want, Tori,' he whispered again.

And I was all done lying to him.

'I want a lot of things, Beck. I want to get back in Hollywood Arts. I want Trina to get over herself. I want principal Eikner back at school.' Our eyes met. 'But most of all, I want you. All to myself. So yes, Beck. I am disappointed.'

Silence fell between us.

BECK'S POV

I let her words sink in. I had asked her for the truth, and for once, I got it. The full, agonizingly frustrating, immensely satisfying truth.

I made my decision right there and then. No more Jade and me. And the weight of the world fell off my shoulders. I moved closer to her, noting that her breathing was uneven. Her shorts were really, really short. And so hot.

Not bad for what I was thinking right now.

I reached for her hand, lacing my fingers with hers while pulling her closer. 'Beck?' she whispered. I felt a smile spread on my lips. 'Just go with it, Tori.'
As I said that, she smiled and rested her head on my shoulder, her previous sadness forgotten for a while. I used one hand to pull her closer, the scent of her strawberry shampoo intoxicating me. It took all of my self-restraint not to throw her against a wall and kiss her senseless.

I let out an involuntary groan and let my free hand slide down to her waist, feeling her warm flesh through the thin fabric of her shirt. Though the gesture was meant to pull her closer for a hug, the effect was one I didn't intent nor expect—Tori was so soft and tempting in my arms.

She looked up into my eyes, and I almost lost myself in her eyes, imagining how she would writhe in ecstasy as I would kiss down her soft, salty and hot skin. I wondered if she tasted like more, as her lips did.

And I knew she knew what I was going to do before I was.

I found my lips meeting hers, her soft lips pressing against mine. As I pulled her closer, she whimpered in satisfaction, the vibration of it ringing through my body. Her kisses were like the sweetest forbidden fruit—delicious, addictive, natural—and I almost instantly craved more.

When I tilted my head, changing the angle, she nearly purred. For a moment, all thought flew from my head as all my senses focused on Tori and the intimate union of our lips. I could feel her lips yield so readily beneath my own; I could hear her breath pattern change. I could smell the fruity mixture of her favorite strawberry lip glosses and, when I parted my lips slightly, could taste the sticky sweetness.

As I broke the kiss for breathing purposes, she smiled slightly, grabbed the collar of my shirt and pulled me closer again. Though our lips had only grazed past each other, it left my heart and breathing racing, my head filled with only one thought.

Tori.

I needed her. I craved her.

When she hesitantly let her hands wander down my chest, briefly pausing by the hem of my shirt, before letting them slide under it, I let out a deep, guttural moan. I felt her smile into the kiss and reacted to it by pulling her closer, stumbling forward, pushing her towards my bed.

We both lost the feel of gravity as we fell back on the bed, and I instinctively reached out my hands, fearing I might crush her if I landed on top of her.

She giggled softly and proceeded by pulling me closer by my shirt again, begging me without words to kiss her again, to let the heat that was now residing in both our bodies escape.

Any thought I had considering Jade was fleeting. All I wanted was Tori. Our kiss was frantic, full of need. Instinctively, my hands shot out to twist my fingers into her hair, not-so-gently gathering fistfuls. I heard her moan—it fueled my desire and provided a very satisfying feeling. I could feel her breasts crushed between us, and my tongue plunged into her mouth to find hers waiting impatiently.

It had been too long since our first—and last—kiss, but as my hand found her breast, my lips still descending hungrily on hers, her moan filled the RV, I knew I wasn't the only one who had longed for this. The subtle swell of her breast fit perfectly in the palm of my hand, just the way I'd imagined. I almost growled as she nipped lightly at my bottom lip in a playful manner.

'Damn it,' I whispered between the kisses, 'Tori. . .' In retaliation, I began nuzzling the ticklish spot in her neck as my fingers worked to pull her shirt over her head. She giggled and squirmed beneath me, her own fingers seeking out the hem of my shirt to gently tug it upward, and let her fingers trace my abs.

Suddenly, in one swift move, I found myself flat on my back, with Tori—the beautiful, irresistible, hot Latina I had been dreaming of ever since she spilled coffee all over my favorite shirt—straddling my waist. She smiled naughtily.

The purple lace bra she was wearing gave me the eyeful, and that combined with her sitting on my lap, smiling the way she did . . . Oh man.

Instant hard-on.

She bent down, her lips on mine again, her fingers twisting themselves in my hair, pulling our faces so closer, her scent intoxicating me—so sexy, so hot and so Tori—I loved it. She began grinding onto me, moving her hips as if she were dancing the salsa, setting me on fire in a million ways.
I let my imagination wander as she kept our lips locked in a feral kiss, imagining flipping us again, pushing her into the mattress as I'd pull down her shorts and panties, pushing my fingers in her hot, wet sex—I'd make her moan, knowing my soft and gentle ministrations were working her into a frenzy.

She'd beg for more when I stroked her clit.

She'd twist her fingers in my hair and pull my face up and level with mine, panting my name, begging me to take her, to make her mine.

Of course, we weren't nearly there yet, and I knew we probably weren't going to either. But that didn't stop me from wanting to.

Unable to control myself, I allowed my hands to slither up her waist, stopping just shy of her ribcage. Her body still moved so tempting and readily against mine, her skin burning under my fingers. Her teeth grazed my lip, our tongues battling for dominance, and all coherent thought was banned from my mind.

I let one hand slide up to her bra—tracing the outlines of her bra, goosebumps springing up on her skin as I did. Finally, my fingers located the clasp of her bra.

And then she stopped me, and I nearly growled in frustration. 'Beck,' she whispered, her words softly snapping me out of my sex-crazed haze. 'Beck, I don't think we should go any further.'

I noted how she was breathing heavily, her lips were red and swollen and her hair was all over the place. And then I remembered that I had a girlfriend. A bitch-a-saurus of a girlfriend—but a girlfriend nonetheless. And Tori wasn't the kind of girl that would allow herself to be the other girl.

I sighed. 'I know.'

She groaned and got up, and I couldn't help but whimper at the cold that hit me as she moved away from me.

'I'm sorry, Tori,' I whispered, 'I shouldn't have . . .' She shook her head and sat down next to me, involuntarily leaning closer. 'I love you,' she whispered, and stopped my heart in shock. Then, I felt a sly smile creep up my own lips. 'Not as much as I love you.'

She smiled—my heart did a double back flip—and leaned in to press her soft, warm lips on mine in a very short kiss.
'Where do we go from here?' she whispered when our lips parted with a small sound.

I shook my head. 'I don't know. But we'll figure it out,' I said, while pulling her into my arms.

'It'll work out. When I'm with you, it always does.'

I know my sister and I screwed up last time - please let me know if this time, I didn't.

X Annaelle