Name: Never Grow Up
Disclaimer: Not Mine, except Adalyn and Ethan
Summary: Adalyn Grace is the daughter of Jade West and Beck Oliver. Ethan Francis is the son of Erwin Sykowitz and Madalyn Franks. They've been friends forever, but will Hollywood Arts High change that?
Notes: This is set in the future, with flashbacks at the beginning of every chapter. If there is something you would like to see or have explained in a flashback, mentioned it in a review or PM me. Also, in this story Sykowitz would be 56 and the Victorious gang would be 34 or 33, depending on the character.~GhostGirlMD
~Flashback~
"She won't stop!" Jade said, walking around in a circle, softly bouncing her new baby girl in her arms. Adalyn had been home for two days and she had cried for most of it. Nothing seemed to calm her down and it was starting to drive Jade and Beck crazy.
Beck walked over to her, taking the crying little bundle of pink from her arms and holding her close to him. "Could she be hungry?" he asked.
Jade fell backwards onto the small bed behind her and covered her face with her hands. "I tried feeding her five minutes ago and she kept spitting the bottle out. She won't take the binkie, she doesn't have to be changed. I think she just hates us!"
"She doesn't hate us," Beck said. "Sikowitz said that Ethan did this the first week that he was home."
Jade shot up and looked at him. "A week?"
Beck nodded, moving the blankets out of Adalyn's face and rubbing a finger over her cheek. "You could always call him and ask him what he and Madalyn did to make it stop. I mean, there has to be some kind of trick. And he said we could call if we had questions," Beck said.
"Fine," Jade said. She grabbed her PearPhone off the table and brought up Sikowitz' number, putting it on speaker phone so Beck could be included in the conversation.
"Hello?" Sikowitz asked, the sound of little baby Ethan cooing in the background.
"Adalyn hates us," Jade said helplessly.
"I can hear that," Sikowitz said. Almost immediately Adalyn's cry turned into a soft whine. "She seems to be calming down."
Beck looked down at her, watching as he big eyes scanned the room. "No way. She'll calm down for Sikowitz' voice but not for us?"
"You're her parents. She's heard you since before she was born. I'm her cool Uncle Erwin. I'm different," he said, pride in his voice. "Remember when all of you came over to see Ethan and he only calmed down when Cat held him and pretended to be a dog?"
Jade nodded and sighed. "Yeah. Thanks Sikowitz."
"Don't worry about it. And, if she starts crying again, try putting her in the bouncer and turning on the music. Works every time."
~End Flashback~
Adalyn pulled her car into the driveway, happily turning off the newest rock song that Ethan had already fallen in love with.
"You have to admit that you liked it!" Ethan insisted.
"You have to admit that you're stupid," Adalyn said. She looked at the cherry red convertable currently sitting in front of her and smiled. "Uncle Andre and Aunt Cat are here!"
Grabbing her backpack she hopped out of the car, Ethan following behind her, but at a slower pace. Ever since she could remember, Uncle Andre and Aunt Cat had been her favorites. She loved all her Aunts and Uncles, but there was something different about the two of them. They had been dating since she was two, but still refused to get tie the knot. Andre had become a rather famous song writer and singer.
Adalyn pushed her front door open, only to be pushed back out of the front door and onto the porch.
"Sorry Bubby, your mom doesn't want you inside yet," Andre said, his hand on her shoulder.
"Why not?" Adalyn asked.
Andre waived hello to Ethan as the boy stepped onto the porch with them. "Well, pair her with your Aunt Cat and you get a whirl wind of decorating. She sent your dad to the store and I was on 'Adalyn Alert'. They said fifteen more minutes and we should be allowed back in." Andre moved and sat down on the steps, leaning his elbows on his knees.
Adalyn dropped her bag and sat down next to him, Ethan following her lead. It only took Beck five minutes to get back home, carrying two bags of groceries. He said hello before heading inside and promising to get them when they could come back in.
"So, what the deal with you and sleepy?" Andre asked, motioning between Adalyn and Ethan, who was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.
Adalyn hit Ethan awake and he opened his eyes looking at her. "Ow!" he said.
"Shut up, it wasn't that hard," Adalyn said. She looked back at Andre and shrugged. "Still best friends."
"Mhmm. Well, when ya'll want to tell me the truth, you can go ahead and do it. I won't tell anyone. Uncle Andre doesn't roll like that," he winked at her.
Adalyn was about to say something when the front door opened and her dad told them to come on in.
"Birthday cupcakes!" Cat said happily, skipping into the kitchen to get the cupcakes she had made for Adalyn's party. Cat owned a cupcake shop called Frosted Tops Cupcakes and she made cupcakes for every party that happened with her friends.
Jade shook her head and cleaned up the dinner plates, following her best friend into the kitchen. Jade had changed the most out of everyone in the group. She was still sarcastic, still rather dark, but the streaks of color in her hair were gone and she was more tolerant of people now, especially Tori. She worked at a make-up artist on movie sets and as extras in TV shows and small scale movies.
Beck and Andre were chatting on the couch while Adalyn and Ethan stayed at the table.
"I'll bring your present to school tomorrow," Ethan said.
"It's fine, Ethan. You don't have to get me anything," Adalyn said.
Ethan smiled. "Yes I do. You're my best friend!"
Adalyn smiled back, looking at him. "You're my best friend too."
The lights went out and Andre and Beck walked back to the table, joining in a round of Happy Birthday. Adalyn blushed and blew out the candles on the cupcakes, waiving her hand so the smoke wouldn't be in her face.
"Tori and Robbie said they were sorry they couldn't make it. Filming lasted longer than they expected," Jade said, pulling the candles out of the cupcakes while Cat turned the lights back on.
Tori was a singer and actress who travelled almost non-stop. She had started dating Robbie a year earlier, something that came as a shock to everyone. But, they did spend quite a bit of time together, considering Robbie was her talent agent and manager.
"It's cool," Adalyn said, taking one of the cupcakes.
"Addy, after the cupcakes are over can you run and take Ethan back home?" Beck asked.
"Sure, dad."
Ethan ate his cupcake, waiting silently for Adalyn to finish eating hers. When she did she grabbed her keys, waived goodbye to Cat and Andre and walked outside with Ethan.
"You've been quiet," she said, slipping behind the wheel of her car.
Ethan shrugged and pulled his seatbelt on. "I'm just thinking," he said.
"What about?" Adalyn asked, starting to drive down her street.
"What Andre said."
Adalyn stopped at a red light and looked at him. "About us? We're best friends. He knows that. He just likes to mess with us. He always has," Adalyn said.
"Yeah, I know that. But my dad asked me the same question today when you left for History. Remember how he asked me stay behind for a minute?" Ethan asked.
"Your dad thinks we're dating?"
Ethan nodded. "Well, until I told him we weren't. And then he asked me why we weren't and I said because we were just friends and he winked at me and said that that's how it always starts."
"Ethan, no offense, but you're dad is crazy," Adalyn said, turning onto his street.
"Yeah, I know. But maybe he has a point."
Adalyn pulled into his driveway and put the car in park, looking at him. "What do you mean?"
Ethan looked at her, a serious expression on his face. "Maybe this is how we're starting. Maybe we're supposed to end up together," he said.
"Well, maybe. But, you don't want that right now, do you?"
"I don't know. Maybe. I just... I should go," Ethan said, unbuckling his belt and opening his door. "See ya at school."
Adalyn watched his shut his door. She rolled down her window and watched him walk up his walkway. "Yeah. See ya at school," she said.
TBC...
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