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Fight

HOLLYWOOD ARTS, ANDRÉ'S LOCKER
ANDRÉ'S POV

My initial thought was that I had heard her wrong. This couldn't be happening to Tori. It didn't make any sense. She was the sweetest person on earth. Why would something as horrible as this be happening to her? She was still in my arms, crying her eyes out.
I wrestled with myself, trying to make sense of it all.
When I couldn't, I felt the wave of horrible guilt wash over me. Maybe if I hadn't . . . What if it was my fault? I pulled Tori closer and kissed her hair. 'Baby, I'm so sorry,' I whispered. 'I'm so, so sorry. Is there anything I can do right now?' She looked up at me, her face wet with tears. She nodded.
'Please take me home.' I nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. I glanced over my shoulder to Beck, who had hung back, waiting for me. I nodded towards the classroom. He gazed at me intently, almost as if wanting to say, 'Are you sure?' I nodded and looked pointedly at Tori. He nodded and held up his phone; the message was clear. He wanted me to keep him posted.

I walked Tori to my car and helped her into the passenger's seat. I walked around the car and got in. I glanced at Tori. She looked so vulnerable, so breakable. I wanted to hug her and never let go again. But I couldn't yet. I fired up the engine and left the parking lot. She put her hand on mine. 'André? Please don't go to my place. My mom's home and I really don't want to see anyone right now.' I nodded slowly. 'We could go to my place. I think my mom's working late again, dad's on a business trip, so. . .' She nodded. 'Would you mind?' I smiled at her. 'For you? No. I'd do anything.' She smiled sadly and then dropped her gaze to her knees. I tried to swallow the large lump that seemed to have set itself firmly in my throat.
As I cruised down the highway, neither of us spoke, unwilling to say anything else that might upset the other. I was petrified by the thought she might hate me. I hated myself. How could I have slept with her? Now she could never have children, and it felt like it was all my fault. I glanced at Tori every few seconds. She leaned her head against the window, gazing outside without seeing anything.
I tried to imagine what she had to be feeling, but I couldn't even remotely imagine; all I could think was, Why her? Why Tori? Hadn't she been through enough already?

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I pulled into the driveway. Tori sat up and clicked her seatbelt. I quickly got out and opened her door before she got the chance. She smiled at me. 'Lucky me, for having a gentleman boyfriend.' She leaned up, pressed a kiss on my lips and headed for the front door. I shook my head in desperation and slammed the car door shut before following her.

Once inside, I threw my bag into a corner and watched Tori drop herself on my crappy red couch. She kicked her sneakers off and lay down, her hand over her eyes. I sighed and walked up to the couch. 'Come on,' I said, 'move along, I need a spot.' She sat up and allowed me to sit down. As I did, she crawled closer and sat so close to me she could've just sat on my lap. My cheeks felt hot. I stroked her hair and wrapped my arms around her. 'Are you okay, Tori?' She sighed. 'Considering? Yeah. Fine.' I frowned. I knew she was lying. I grabbed her shoulders, turned her around and arranged her on my lap. 'Now Tori Vega, don't you lie to me,' I said, trying desperately to sound reproachful. She smiled and leaned in to press her lips on mine. Kissing her was searing pleasure, I cannot deny that, but a little voice in my head kept telling me I shouldn't be kissing her. Her hands wandered between my legs. With an almighty effort, I pushed her up, holding her away from me. I shook my head. 'How can you even be thinking about that right now?' She shrugged. 'It's all I can think about when I'm with you.' Her cheeks were flushed and her lips seemed to be swollen a little bit.
I sighed. 'Tori,' I started, but she wouldn't let me finish. 'André, I'm fine. Really.' I shook my head. 'No, you're not. Tori, I know you. Ever since I've known you, you've been telling me how bad you want a baby. And now, you can't. And all because we—' She silenced me with one kiss. When she leaned back, I realized I wasn't breathing.
'I know all that, André. But none of it is your fault. None of it. You didn't rape me, did you?' I flinched when she said it out loud. 'I had sex with you while you shouldn't have.' She laughed. 'That's what you're so worried about? André, don't worry about that. I asked. Okay? I asked my doctor if it would've made a difference. He said it didn't. So no matter what we did, the test would've been negative anyway.' I pouted. She smiled.

'André, I accepted it,' she said when I continued to look cross. 'There's nothing I can do now to change it. I have to give my body the time to heal itself. It's only been a month.' She lay her hand on my tummy, the exact spot where the bullet had hit me. I swallowed. 'I just wish there was something I could do to make you feel better.' She smiled suggestively. 'Apart from that!' I called out when she wanted to continue where we'd left off. She grinned and leaned back. 'Let me stay here tonight. I don't want to look at my mom's 'I'm so sorry'-face all night.' I wanted to agree immediately, but then remembered she hadn't told her dad what was going on. 'But your dad. . Won't he wonder?' She shrugged. 'I'll tell him tomorrow.' I frowned.
'He's not going to shoot me next time I come over, is he?' She laughed. 'I'll tell him not to shoot you. Promise.' She kissed me again and I forgot all about why I shouldn't be doing this.

I forgot my own name.

TORI'S POV

When they were all done, they let her go and stood up, straightened their clothes and laughed, as if there were not two teenagers, both inches from death, lying at their feet.
Tori gazed at André, who lay face-down on the pavement, the pool of blood underneath him growing larger still. Fresh tears ran down her cheeks. She didn't care if she died anymore. All she thought important now was that André should be saved. He took a beating, he took a bullet trying to help her. It was all her fault.
The large man towered over her, smirking. 'Yeah, told you we'd enjoy this one.' He leaned down and punched her in the face. She cried in pain as she felt her nose break.
He grinned, straightened up and called, 'Come on, guys. Let's get going!'

She heard their heavy footfalls fade away and tried to move, crying in pain when she felt her broken arm and leg for the first time. She pulled herself towards André with one arm, scraping off her bare skin. She couldn't care anymore. Finally, she was close enough to touch his hand. She started sobbing as she did. It was ice-cold.
'André? André, wake up. Please don't be dead.' She cried harder. 'You can't be dead. André, please.' She begged him to wake for what felt like hours. She felt the cold creep into her own limbs.
She lay down her head, her hand still clutching André's. Gazing up at the stars, she felt the urge to sing 'Make It Shine'. It would be ridiculous, in such a situation, to be singing. But wasn't it André who had once told her that no matter how bad things looked, singing and music would always make it better?

She opened her mouth; her throat was raw from her screams, but she managed to produce a faint noise, vaguely recognizable as singing.

You don't have to be afraid to put your dreams in action
You're never gonna fade
You'll be the main attraction
Not a fantasy
Just remember me
When it turns out right . . .

She vaguely recalled screeching tires and hurried voices. 'Quick John! Call 911! Oh, poor kids,' a woman's voice crooned somewhere over her head.
She tried to say something, but her voice was completely gone. She felt tears on her cheeks again.

Last thing she remembered before everything flashed bright white, going back to black was the sound of an ambulance and a voice calling out her name. 'Tori!'

She shot up in the dark, breathing heavily, as if she'd just run ten miles. André was right next to her, vast asleep, snoring softly. She felt a smile appear on her lips, despite the nightmare. She hadn't had a nightmare for so long, she'd hoped they'd stay away. Of course, the visit to the hospital had ripped open the half-healed wounds— so to speak, of course. Her initial fear for André's life, her pain when she figured out exactly what had happened to them, her fear of meeting the gang when she went out on the street for the first time again.
But André had been there with her, every step of the way. He'd helped her and she'd helped him, and somewhere along the way, she'd fallen in love with him. Truly, madly, deeply, irrevocably in love. And now she knew he had fallen in love with her too.
She honestly didn't know how she would be coping with all this if André hadn't been there for her. She lay down again, shoving closer to André, into his warm, safe embrace.

He stirred and opened his eyes, blinking lazily. 'Wuzzgoingon?' he said sleepily. She smiled and stroked his cheek. 'Nothing. Go to sleep.' He smiled and pulled her into a hug. 'I love you,' he whispered. She smiled and threw her arm around his waist. 'I love you too,' she whispered.

ASPHALT CAFÉ – THE NEXT DAY
TORI'S POV

I grinned at Cat, who was in the middle of telling me how her brother had tried to eat her shoe. André was across the table, sitting next to Beck, smiling at me every now and then, when no one else was looking. He'd promised not to tell anyone before I had had the chance to talk to my dad. I grimaced. Which I would be doing tonight.
He had been extremely protective of me since the 'incident'. If it were up to him, I wouldn't be dating again until I was seventy.
I couldn't wait to tell everyone though. Especially Cat and Jade. Maybe Jade would finally lay off a bit. I mean, she still suspected me of crushing on Beck.
I glanced at Beck. Honesty bids me to say, I had crushed on Beck, but that was before I had fallen in love with André. And I never would've tried to steal Beck from Jade. Ever.

I turned my attention to Cat again, who was looking at me with the most curious expression on her face. 'Sorry, Cat. I wasn't listening, what did you say?' She shook her head. 'Nothing. You look dreamy, Tori. You're only dreamy when you like someone. Who is he?' My mouth fell open. Jade directed her eyes to me, looking most deadly. I exchanged a quick glance with André. 'No one. I don't like anyone. I just enjoy being back.' André, across the table, sighed. Jade examined my expression. Seriously, she scared the hell out of me when she looked like that. 'Well Vega,' she started, 'don't lie to us. Who is he?' I opened and closed my mouth, torn between the urge to tell them the truth and to keep my thing with André a secret.

André opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something. Beck beat both him and me to it. 'Jade, drop it. If Tori says there's nothing, then there's nothing.' Jade turned to Beck, furious. 'Oh, so now you defend her?' Beck rolled his eyes. 'Jade, I'm not saying—' She thumped her hand on the table. 'So you're thinking about breaking up?' Beck's mouth fell open. 'What? No. Why would you—' André stepped in. 'Jade, calm down. There's nothing between Tori and Beck.' He raised his eyebrow. 'At least, I hope for her sake. And if there is,' he glanced at me, 'you and I can be cheated boyfriend and girlfriend together.' Jade's mouth fell open, Beck stared at André and even Cat seemed at a loss of words. I couldn't remember how to close my mouth. He smiled apologetic at me. 'Wait,' Cat started, as if she wanted to get something straight, 'so you and Tori are like. . .' André grinned sheepishly. 'Girlfriend,' he said. She turned to me. 'Boyfriend,' I said. Cat hit my arm. 'Ouch!' I cried, rubbing my arm. 'Cat! Why?' She looked angry and, was it possible, even hurt. 'My best friends get together and you fail to tell me? Do you know what that makes me feel like?' She got up and walked away, sobbing. I turned around, upset. 'Cat,' I called, 'Cat, wait!' I threw one last look at the rest of the table, who were still frozen in their seats. I got up and followed Cat.

She didn't stop until we reached the Black Box Theatre. 'Cat, please wait.' I said, desperate. She turned around. Her face was marred with black stripes when her makeup had run. 'Cat, I'm sorry I haven't told you, but we only got together a few days ago. I didn't even tell my dad yet. That's the only reason I didn't tell you yet.' She sniffed. 'But you could have. I wouldn't have told anyone.' I threw my hands in the air in desperation. 'Cat, I was scared! I still am! You know what happened. I was scared for how you would react.' Cat crossed her arms over her chest. 'I would've been happy for you, Tori. You're my best friend. I am happy for you. I'm just mad you didn't tell me.' She turned around again. I wanted to follow her again, but she held out her hand. 'I just want to think first, Tori. Leave me alone.' I stopped dead in my tracks and watched her walk away. I walked to a chair and dropped myself on it.

This should've been so much better.

BLACK BOX THEATRE
ANDRÉ'S POV

I poked my head around the corner. Tori was pacing around in the theatre, visibly upset.
'Tori,' I said softly, 'I'm sorry.'

Tori looked around, her eyes shooting daggers. 'Why did you tell them?' she yelled. 'Do you know what you've done? Now Cat's mad at me for not telling her, and Beck got into a fight with Jade!' She stamped her foot in anger, causing me to burst into laughter. I walked in. 'Tori, Beck and Jade aren't fighting, Cat won't be mad for longer than three minutes anyway. And did you really just stamp your foot? I thought only people in movies did that.' She crossed her arms over her chest, looked very cross and turned her back to me.
I was close to her though and grabbed her by her hips, pulling her down with me, as I sat down, arranging her on my lap to face me. 'C'mon Tori, baby, you can't stay mad at me forever.' She raised her eyebrows. 'Watch me,' she said. I sighed.
'I really wish you wouldn't. What do you want me to do to make it up to you?' She shook her head. 'Leave me alone.' She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to turn away from me, as well as she could, with my arms wrapped so tightly around her. When she couldn't turn away from me properly, she pouted, keeping her eyes shut.
I grinned and— not knowing what got into me— pressed my lips on her neck, where I'd left a hicky two days ago. Her eyes sprang open, and I was pleased to see the blush on her cheeks. I leaned back. 'Now will you tell me what to do?' Her eyes met mine as she shifted in my lap to face me again. I had no idea what it was that had possessed me when I had kissed her neck, but I knew it was there again when I leaned closer to let my lips meet hers again.

It was nothing like kissing her before. It was searing, agonizing pleasure. A fire, raging through my body and mind, unstoppable, untamable. I couldn't stop. I knew I should, but I could not stop. I, André Harris, the only sane person in our little group of friends, was completely losing myself in what wasn't more than a simple kiss.
My lips flirted, gauged, tested hers each time they reconnected with each other after each intake of breath. Her uneven breathing caused bolts of lightning to spring through my body. Her fingers traveled from my chest to my abs, causing me to growl.
It's ironic that now, when I had let all my guards down, in Tori's arms, I felt the safest ever. All because of the girl beneath me.

I startled; beneath? Hadn't she started on my lap? I cursed inwardly. Damn it, André. I slowly started to pull back, hating the fact that I had noticed we were going just a little bit too far. Sure, I hadn't ripped off her clothes. Yet. But we were still. . .
Her tongue moved against mine. I found it extremely difficult to focus. Wait, where were we again? I breathed in. School. Right. Yeah. Only then did I begin to curse every school principal and government official I could think of to the deepest and most inner circles of hell. Groaning painfully, I pulled away, leaning on my elbows to look at Tori, who was exceedingly flushed. I smiled. Her lips were swollen, her cheeks rose and she was smiling broadly. I couldn't help but be proud of being the only guy to be able to do that to her. She caressed my neck, shoulders and biceps. She followed her hands eagerly with her eyes. Only when she had caressed every bit of visible skin, and was satisfied with the sight before her did she redirect her eyes to my face. She smiled again.

I smiled, scrambled to my feet and pulled her up with me. 'Well,' I said, 'that was. . . Interesting.' She smiled. 'I think we should fight more often.' I frowned. 'Why would you want that?' She smiled suggestively. 'Our making up is just great.' I smiled and pressed my lips on hers again, holding her close, when the shrill sound of the school bell announced we had to get back to class. I leaned back reluctantly. 'We should get back to class.' She smiled. 'It's only Sikowitz. He wouldn't mind us being a little late.'
I grinned. 'Just because they know we are together, doesn't mean we can skip classes now.' She pouted. I laughed and pulled her with me by her hand.
Our day was only just beginning.

Don't have much to say really.
I hope you like it - yes, I am aware of the fact that Sikowitz says you have to be proud of your own work no matter what, but still, it's nice to know others appreciate it too.

Thanks for reading and please review!

Xx Annaelle