AN: You guys are so, so sweet. Thank you for such nice reviews, you're the best! This is another short one (sorry!), but at least there's finally some Beck. I have dabbled with the thought of adding stuff and making the story a bit longer, but I'm a fan of what I've written already and I'd hate to compromise the quality just to jam some more stuff into it. But I've been playing around with some ideas for other stories anyway, so once this is done I'll probably just move onto something new (because god knows I'm not organized enough to keep 2 stories going simultaneously).
Insert usual disclaimer here, yada yada.
Btw, this starts right where Chapter 3 left off, with Tori on the patio leaning on the railing, having just found out about Beck & Jade's break up. R&R, enjoy!
'Wait, so they're really broken up? I wonder why. Get over it Tori, it still doesn't change anything about you and Beck. She probably broke up with him anyway. I bet he's gonna come to the party, all broody and tense and be upset about it and—' but her thoughts were interrupted by footsteps approaching behind her.
"Not now, Sinjin!" She barked.
"Ouchhhh, does the same go for me, then?" The person attached to the footsteps asked in response, pretending to be hurt.
"Beck?" Tori turned in shock. He really needed to stop sneaking up on her.
"Look, Tori, I can leave if you want—" He began, looking amused.
"No, nonono, I thought you were Sinjin!" She laughed. "Stay."
"I don't know if I should be offended, or…" He trailed off, smiling.
They fell into a semi-comfortable silence. But they both knew there were questions lingering between them.
"So, uh, Jade and I broke up," He sighed.
"What?" Tori tried to sound shocked.
"You know…you're a pretty bad actress," Beck laughed.
"Sorry, yeah, I already knew," She chuckled sheepishly.
"I should've known Jade changed our status on The Slap already," He shook his head.
"But why?" She asked. "I mean, doesn't she realize how lucky she is to have you?"
"Wait, wait, wait…Tori, I broke up with her," He cut in.
"You did?" She asked incredulously, looking up at him as though she were a little kid finally seeing Santa Claus.
"I just couldn't do it anymore. She was always so jealous, plus she's moving across the country. It was overdue, really. Plus I couldn't help but wonder if…" He began, but stopped himself.
"If what?" Tori asked, nearly whispering.
"If—Idunno—if maybe there was something else I had been missing out on all along," He shrugged in his typical Beck manor.
"What do you mean?" She asked, semi-frantically, wondering if he really meant what she thought he meant and also being slightly irritated over the fact that he could manage to keep his cool and seem so blasé while she was freaking out.
"Am I just stupid, Tori?" He asked in response, probably sounding a little more agitated than he would've liked. "Has there really been nothing there between us the past couple years?"
"Well, I mean, Jade, and," She sputtered.
"Forget about Jade. We're over. And you can say it, she was terrible to me. I won't be offended. Sure we were great once, and I was in love with her, but not anymore. It faded. I can't remember the last time she ever did something nice to me. I think the last time was just because she was prompted by you…and even then, that dog attacked my dad," He said.
They both stopped for a second to laugh at the thought of that day.
"I still can't believe she gave you canned lemonade for your birthday," She shook her head, but she was smiling.
"She was…unique," He offered. "But anyway, now for the real question."
"What?" She turned to look at him.
"Are you gonna kiss me or not?" He asked, putting a hand on her cheek as she looked into his eyes and shuffled closer to him.
Ooh, cliffhanger~
Haha oh god guys, I didn't really realize just how short this chapter really was, and for that I am so, so sorry. I really do mean it. Also, sorry to break ya off when I'm sure you were just getting into it ;) It gets better, just keep tuning in!
And clearly I am a chronic abuser of em dashes and ellipses. I should probably try to cut down but I just feel like it adds the right amount of 'pause' that I'm looking for and breaks up dialogue/thoughts/sentences pretty well (and I think sometimes commas can become superfluous and just create run-on sentences).
Also, while I am toying with some new ideas for other fics, if anybody else has some other suggestions or there's a storyline they've always wanted to see written about you can leave the idea in the reviews. I can't promise to write about everything, but if it piques my interest I'll totally give it a go (though I can't promise whether it will or will not be a complete fail, ha).
Have a lovely day, everyone.