Okay, so I'm dragging the story out. I can't really help it, unfortunately. The way my drafts turned out and all... *bluhh*. Buckle up, it's a long, long road ahead of us.

Also I've garnered quite a few reviews. Appreciated. Mucho appreciated. Thanks to each and everyone of you guys for giving your support and positive opinions- and ooh- la- la, the compliments! * faints of happiness*

I apologize for stringing you guys along and not updating sooner. * hacks a cough* Moving along...

Disclaimer: I wish I didn't have to disclaim anything sometimes... I should own the whole entire world. Things would be so different. *sigh*

Chapter Four

"Walk faster! Walk faster!" Robbie Shapiro urged the musician on his right, with a light but firm push of the back. God, if this guy next to him didn't walk any faster, there was a good chance that Trina would soon catch up with them. He really couldn't stand another hair tug from her or no, even worse, one of her legendary kicks. Those were crazily unbearable to the point of no return.

Andre Harris bore an expression that plainly read of annoyance as he turned to address the slightly taller and lankier teen.

"Do we really have to go around the entire school just to get to Dance class?" he groaned in question with occasional deep breaths in between almost every word he had said. The guy had him running all over the goddamned school as if he were practicing as an anchor leg for the Olympics!

Robbie's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he glared at his friend. Was Andre really serious?

"Did you not see the girl's eyes or did you not see them?!" Robbie was hysterical at this point, "She's crazy, mate- No, she's beyond crazy!"

It was if Andre had wanted him to die! Did he not get it or what? Trina and Robbie. Trina find Robbie. Trina smash Robbie. Robbie corpse. It was that simple!

With a shake of his head, Robbie turned the hallway's sharp corner with Andre close at his back. Just the sight of moving shades of black before him was enough to make the pale boy jump. Fortunately, he didn't get sucked into the black but rather jumped back in sync with his friend on his right.

Andre soon noted that the shades of black were merely an attire- based wear for one of the two that stood before them. The other had the recognizable dark blue denim jeans and a girly purple top that Andre knew in the matter of a millisecond. Even though Andre had realized the two in front of him in a short span of time, it took a bit longer for the bespectacled boy to realize who they were for himself.

"Eek!" A girly scream erupted from one of the collision's four victims- more specifically, the tallest victim- who had nearly jumped right into his friend's toned arms before he finally recognized the two, "You scared me!"

A equally terrified but more composed Tori Vega and a scowling Jade West stood before the two teenage boys, both- like Robbie- scared out of their wits. Jade's fingers had dug deep into Tori's flesh as her forearms remained encircled around Tori's stomach. Her head also rested comfortably on the shoulder of the half- Puerto Rican girl, whose arms had wrapped instantaneously around Jade's neck.

With a cough, Jade removed her hands from Tori's waist and pushed the girl away from her nearly knocking over Tori in the process. She did a quick hair toss and her usual mean smirk finally found it's way across her face as she placed a hand on her hip.

"The man with a puppet says funnily enough." Jade shot back before her smirk focused on the curly haired boy who stood diagonal from her.

The puppet's mouth started to move right away after much to everybody's dismay.

"You know you love me baby-" Rex started to say with his usual flirty deep and baritone tone that he always had reserved specially for Jade- or any other female for that matter.

"And I'll love the day where you diminish into nothing but wax, baby." Jade responded with a glare shot in the puppeteer's direction. Number 2 on the list of 'Annoying People to Annoy'. He was number one before but teeny- bopper, Tori Vega just had to make way into her web of comfort. Oh the joy of life.

"You wouldn't dare!" Robbie looked horrified as he held the puppet tightly as if he were a 5-year old child with a teddy bear.

Jade was such a sadist. She flat- out enjoyed toying with his emotions. The only way to get back to her was with his puppet but sometimes, things don't always go as planned. Partially since he's always more on the desperate side and has been single ever since the day he was born. Heck he couldn't deny it. Her sadism seemed more appealing than scary after a while- considering she's one of the only few females he has ever interacted with in his humane life. Hold the bloody phone. Jade West? Appealing?! God, what the hell was he thinking?! Cat needed to accept his love now before he'd go start thinking crazy.

"Oh you are so right, Shapiro," Jade mocked with a pause. She ran her tongue across the ends of her top row of teeth before she continued, "I should be the one to do it..."

"You are the very spawn of hell itself, " Rex commented before adding on suggestively, "Be my queen."

Both Andre and Tori looked freaked out as Robbie held Rex protectively across his chest as Jade pulled out one of her favorite pair of scissors and twirled them around her fingers with an expectant look.

Andre interrupted the weird dynamic between the two with a raise of his hands.

"Yeah, um, I hate to interrupt this... this... whatever this is," he paused as he flew his fingers from the the two contenders, the plastic and the flesh, " But yeah, me and Robbie has to dash. Apparently, the rumor is, Trina has more than two pairs of stilettos on hand which is very bad news for the Robster here."

"Bad news for me?! It's bad news for everyone!" Robbie cried as Jade rolled her eyes at his sudden theatrics as she placed her scissors back into her bag, "She's just going to kill me first, that's all!"

"That's a beautiful biography," Jade said as if to end that particular conversation as she started on a new approach with a sly smirk, "So, Tori, isn't there, you know, something that you want to tell our good friend, Andre here?"

Andre's eyebrows raised at the sound of his name.

Huh?

"Really? There is?" Andre looked astonished at the sound of this.

There was something going on with Tori that Jade- out of all the people in the world actually knew about? This was surprising. Andre was intrigued. What could it possibly be?

Tori gave Jade a stone- set look, "No there isn't."

Why did she think that she could ever trust Jade of all people?! God, she was stupid for not being rational and being emotional instead around the dark- clad girl.

"Are you really sure there isn't... something just... fluttering... in your mind?" Jade pressed on with a teasing edge as one corner of her lips curved upwards as her arms instinctively crossed. She simply watched as Tori squirmed. God, this was such fun. She should've done this a long time ago.

Andre looked concerned as he watched his best friend shoot the Goth a frown. What was it? Was it something bad? Is there something wrong with Tori?

"Yes. I'm positive." Tori responded through clenched teeth as her glare remained dead-set on Jade's sadistic grin.

Maybe she wasn't ready to tell him what it was. Or maybe it was girl issues. Oh God, she had better keep it to herself if its about some dumb jock she's crushing on.

But before he could say anything of assurance, a loud yet an incorrect echo of both his and Robbie's names thundered out.

"Rowan! Andrew! I know you two are hiding from me!"

"Oh God, it's her! It's her!" Robbie took grab of Andre's arm, jumping inconsistently and impatiently, "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

Andre looked around his surroundings for the source of this sudden noise but didn't see the shoe fanatic anywhere. He tried to calm Robbie down with a pat of his friend's shoulder before he turned to face Tori with a soft smile.

"Hey, if there is something you really do need to tell me, you can tell me at Sikowitz's," he assured her, "I know how Jade can be."

Jade scowled but remained silent as a smile crept upon the Latina's lips when she met his gaze.

Tori was touched. He was actually genuinely concerned about her. She couldn't help but flash a bigger smile the musician's way.

"It's alright. It's nothing." Tori answered as Jade rolled her eyes towards the heavens with a loud scoff.

"Kill me, now." The Goth muttered with a cross of her arms.

"Okay then, you know where to holler if there is a problem..." he started to say until Robbie interrupted and inserted himself between the two.

"Yeah, okay, awesome sauce, we're leaving." Robbie simply said as he paused the obvious mushy- gushy attitude that was about to ensue from the two clueless best friends.

"See you later, beauties." Rex flirtatiously said before Robbie tucked the puppet under his arm with a straight look on his face.

He then grabbed Andre by his short shirt sleeve and dragged him off into the direction they originally came from.

The two then walked-no, rather, crept- in silence- if you would count Robbie's mumbles and gnashing of his teeth silent.

As they "crept", Andre thought back to the scene that happened between Jade and Tori.

There had to be something up. Jade would purposefully lie and make up things at times, sure. But Tori's face after Jade had slyly asked her about it... something was wrong. He knew she said nothing was up but he couldn't help but feel that something was really up.

Without realizing, the musician's head dragged along the lockers on his left, causing Robbie on his right to notice his sudden change in state. What the heck was up with Andre?

"Hey, are you okay, man?" The taller boy asked with a look of concern, "You've been dragging your head against those lockers for a while now..."

And as if to illustrate his point, Robbie nodded his head at Andre's current state. Andre paused and his eyes grew wide open with realization as he tried to move forward but felt held back. He looked over to where his head laid and noticed a few of his dreads tangled up on several seashells that were splattered across a specific locker. Instinctively, his hands reached up and untangled the braids for a hot minute before they were free. Coughing as if to make the last few minutes go away, he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, man." he finally responded, "I'm good."

Maybe he should try to take all the attention away from him. God only knows who the boy would tell about that incident.

You know what? He was actually curious about how things went with Cat. Robbie did say he had a new idea on how to get with her. Probably it's those letters that got stuck in the psycho's locker. And the very reason why he's being chased down now.

The two resumed walking again before Andre suddenly turned to address his friend.

"So... what are these letters I'm hearing about?" A curious Andre asked.

"What letters?" Robbie feigned ignorance. His friend shot him a meaningful look.

"Oh, for Cat you mean..." Robbie finally said hesitantly, a bit uncomfortable with Andre's sudden interest. Now he just felt like he was being put directly on the spot. Why did Andre suddenly want to know?

Andre raised his eyebrows as if to urge him on a little. It wasn't like he was going to tell the rest of the world. Maybe Robbie would feel a bit better releasing a little bit off his back. Plus, he wanted to help the Jewish boy the best that he could. He has been watching him mope and pine over Cat for so long that now he felt he should actually help the guy do something about it.

Robbie's bottom lip squirmed, everything threatening to spill down out of his mouth. Well, what could be the harm in telling one of his best friends? That's what they were there for.

Robbie looked a bit nervous as he adjusted the collar of his pink Ralph Lauren dress shirt.

"Well, you know, I want to confess to her," he explained before he took a shaky deep breath and glanced down at his moving black and white Converse high-tops, "I tried talking to her many times but it just doesn't go well."

Andre's eyebrows narrowed at hearing this before he stared ahead. He picked out his next words with a slight wince.

"Have you ever tried saying it... I don't know... like direct to Lil' Red?" Andre asked, truthfully concerned.

"Well I told her, I said," Robbie started to explain before he paused and looked off into a vast space with a distant gaze and a dramatic lift of his palm while the other laid across his heart, "Cat... I esteem you highly..." he then dropped his hands to his sides with a goofy faraway grin, "Yup. That's what I said to her."

If he really wanted to, Andre could -no he just should- slap the back of his idiotic best friend's head. Was he really that slow?!

He made a face, "Dude! What the hell does that mean?! I mean, I know what that means but hello?! Do you not know Cat?!"

Robbie was taken aback by Andre's sudden questions as he whipped his head back towards the musician's direction.

Of course he knew the bloody girl! He knew her favorite color and her favorite food and her favorite animal and the way her one dimple popped up before the other when she smiled. He knew everything there was possible to know about the upbeat girl. And it was painfully unbearable.

"I've always told Cat that I loved her!" Robbie blurted out with a pout as he stopped dragging his sneakers across the hallway's tiles with a loud yet cringe- worthy squeak, "She's always running away from me!"

Andre's jaw dropped, the first part of Robbie's confession ringing loud and true in his head.

"Whoa... Dude... you love her?"

Robbie's shoulder's slumped with immediate dejection.

"Yup," he finally said after a few sighs with a forlorn look.

Why was it that Andre only heard that part?

"O-okay... well that's a whole another story... that's a little hard to..." Andre managed to comment with a cough as he squinted at his colorful high-top sneakers as if there was a spot on it he wanted to see clearer. But he was just in awe. He understood that Robbie had a crush on Lil' Red for an eternity now. Yet, Robbie was Robbie. The guy had always wanted a girlfriend. Heck, at given moments, homeboy would even flirt with Tori- not that he was threatened. He knew his friend had always liked Cat. But when in hell did that ever turn into love? Consider mind completely blown.

Robbie noticed his best friend's furrowed brow knitted with a hint of confusion and awe. Great.

"Yeah, yeah, that's right," the Jewish boy rambled off as if he could read the astonished singer's mind, "Newsflash: Geeky Rob Shapiro's in love with the beautiful Caterina Valentine... Go on. Go on and laugh."

The unruly- haired boy hung his head down almost in shame as if he had expected Andre to give him and amused, evil laugh like Rex would have. But when he finally had the guts to meet the gaze of his friend, he was surprised to see that there were no tracings of ridicule or teasing. Instead, a look of understanding met his frantic and embarrassed one.

"Why would I laugh?" Andre finally asked casually before he gazed off to the opposite side with a mumble, "I know exactly how you feel."

Robbie paused, searching through his brain for a few seconds as he tried to figure out how exactly the buff, talented musician could ever know how he- a lanky, awkward, girly teen felt. Soon a name appeared in his mind and everything just clicked naturally.

"Oh yeah... with Tori..." he murmured with a stroke of his chin.

Andre's eyes darted back towards Robbie's direction instantly.

Almost instinctively as if he were protecting a secret treasure, he promptly asked, "With Tori what?"

Robbie knew about Tori? How could he possibly know? Andre barely even told Beck his feelings about the slim brunette so how could Mr. Sanitary himself know?

Robbie cocked an dark eyebrow before he rolled his eyes, "Oh come on, man! You obviously like Tori a lot! Ever since you broke up with Hope, you haven't dated anyone else in like forever! Even before Hope and Sherry, you were always making plans with Tori- and hey, by the way, I am hurt that you've missed out on guys night three times in a row to- and I quote- 'Drink cocoa at Tori's'." He continued with a pointed look, "Dude, who the hell sits around all day just drinking cocoa with the opposite sex?"

"Well,um, I'm sorry about uh, guys night- whatever that shizz is," Andre apologized with a bit of uncertainty. He then added with a defiant cross of his arms, "But, I hang out with Tori a lot because she's my best friend. I'm pretty sure she feels no other kind of way towards me."

"How would you know?" Robbie sing-songed before he cocked his head to the side as he shot his friend a suggestive grin, "You'd never know until you actually try."

"Dude, I'm not you. I'm not all-" Andre cut himself short and made room between Robbie and himself before he belted out with outstretched hands and a quick bend of his knee, the chorus of Frank Sinatra's ' I Love You, Baby'. At the end, he rose and dusted his pants off as if the moment actually didn't happen.

"I could never confess." He finally said quietly.

With a resolved sigh and a dejected bow of his head the singer walked on forward as Robbie noticed girls all around them swooned. His jaw dropped as he watched Andre's departing back. Uh, hello?! Was he not seeing this or was he just simply ignoring this?! Heck, Robbie would give his life for one second of that happening to him! But Andre and Beck, never really even noticed the attention they were given with every single movement they made. Well Andre's case wasn't too extreme as Beck's but he does get tons of attention.

"Well I'm not that way either!" Robbie shot back half thinking about popularity as he ran to catch up with the famous Hollywood Art's musician.

Andre gave the taller boy a classic deadpanned glare.

"Really, Robbie? Really now?" he asked before he reminded Robbie with a grimace, "Who is the person who keeps breaking into 'Broken Glass' randomly at any given moment? You even sang it in a museum during our school trip."

Don't even remind him of the time where Robbie embarrassed everyone during the school trip to the museum. The sign boldly and clearly said 'Do Not Talk'. And the kid thought it would be better to sing. At least Jade kicked his ass...

"It's catchy!" Robbie defended himself before he shrugged, "You're gonna hold that against me?"

"Well it's a really terrible song." Andre mentioned before he made a nasty face and gave a mocking shrug of his own before he turned the corner.

Robbie groaned in annoyance as he followed behind, "Oh, come on! You're like the greatest singer and the greatest songwriter ever! You always perform in front of hundreds! So what's the big deal about simply telling Tori three little words?"

The big deal? Oh how about three other little words? Uh... Rejection? Embarrassment? Humiliation?

Singing was different. He was okay with singing in front of others. His family had always said that was his biggest strength. He had been singing ever since he was young and it was something that he eventually grew comfortable with. Even writing his feelings in song was easy and comfortable. His feelings would be out there but carefully hidden in a song. But talking with words? To someone he liked? Straight-forward? He would be speaking pure gibberish and Tori wouldn't understand or get a single word. It was fine the way it was. Them as best friends. Why was Robbie pressuring him to change?

Andre ran a hand through his braids with an exasperated sigh, "Oh for the love of Shizz! Just forget it, Robbie! The point is, Tori is not interested. Tu' capisci?"

"Yeah, I'm going to go with a strong maybe," Robbie started to say before something ahead of them caught his eye, "But how would you feel about someone else...?"

"What?" Andre narrowed his eyebrow and grimaced, "Ew. God, are you hitting on me?"

"God, no! For the last time, I'm not gay! Why don't you ever believe me?!" The taller boy frowned with a cross of his arms before he nodded his head forward to the scene in front of them, "I mean, that girl, Hilary Swiss is checking you out."

Hilary Swiss? Hilary Swiss? Yeah right and he lives on the goddamned moon. There was no way that the blond, tall, and beautiful head cheerleader was checking him out. The last time that Andre asked her out, she wasn't interested- well it seemed like she wasn't – apparently, she had "plans". Way to bring up false hopes again, Robbie.

Andre gave his best friend a knowing glare before he rolled his eyes, "Dude, you need some new prescriptions and shizz, there is no way in hell that-"

She was checking him out?! No wait, She was checking him out!

His statement was unfinished yet gone from his lips as from afar off, his eyes had moved over the group of cheerleaders' in their short uniforms that flocked the main steps. His eyes instantly met with blue ones that seemed to mischievously smile at him, matching the upward curve of her slightly red lips. They lit up even more as she blinded him with a flashy smile.

He had quickly looked away yet he felt her stare eye him up and down slowly as if he were a deer and she, a bloody carnivore.

Oh mi dios. He didn't even have to look for him to know. Robbie surely wasn't lying. She was really checking him out. Hilary Swiss, a cheerleader was checking, he, Andre Harris, out. Since when did she check guys like him out? They were always hung around those lacrosse players and he knew they were never interested. Artsy and rebellious guys weren't their type at all. He and Beck had learned that the hard way. Most of the time, they hung around other types of guys, like he and Beck, to get back at their slow athlete of a boyfriend that felt football was more important than their relationships. Then they would regret,both he and Beck would get knocked out, and then the chicks would leave and go back to them. But still...

"Oh my God, I'm being checked out!" Andre blurted out with a hint of hyperventilation and a crazed roll of his eyes from side to side, "By Hilary of all people, God, this is weird, I haven't been noticed since, since, since-"

"Since you started hanging out with Tori." The bespectacled boy finished off for him with a knowing raise of his eyebrows . He let out a small air of breath as he glanced off to the side with a matter- of- fact grin, "Everyone basically thinks that you two are dating- You guys are always together and are always ultra- close."

Andre spun around to shoot the lanky teen a look of disbelief, "What?! Since when did everyone think this way?!"

"Well, ever since she came to Hollywood Arts." Robbie responded almost unsure with another stroke of his chin, "But then there was that thing with Beck for a hot second, but that eventually smoothed itself out..."

"Of course it smoothed itself out!" Andre retorted, "Beck's with Jade!"

Robbie raised his hands defensively across his chest as his friend shot him another one of his glares before he suddenly got lost in thought.

"People think that Tori and I are together?" he asked himself out loud. Why would they think that? They never did anything that would make them seem "couple- like" like Jade and Beck. They didn't get angry and argue with each other- okay so, he and Tori probably argued once in a blue moon, fine. But they didn't make out- yup, they had never, ever made out. Pfft. They never even kissed. There was that almost kiss that never happened since- tada, she pushed him away and double tada, he was kissing her since she looked like Jade. God that was a weird time. Maybe at that time all he wanted to do was kiss his best friend and didn't even bother to realize it. Why the hell did he not go for it at the time? Wait. Maybe it's not too late. The problem with everyone knowing his esteem for her was solved. All he had to do was win over Tori herself.

Robbie pursed his lips into a pout as he looked over at his dumbstruck friend, "Lucky. I wish people thought Cat and I were together..."

"This may be easy after all..." Andre suddenly announced, interrupting Robbie's pitiful wishes.

"What?" Robbie asked, taken aback with Andre's sudden proclamation.

Andre rolled his eyes at the curly- haired boy and tugged him forwards with a pull of his arm.

"Nothing. Come on you big overgrown toddler. Let's go."

X

"Well, isn't that interesting..." The obvious hint of mischief in the tone made Tori groan almost instinctively. Sighing, she internally debated whether to humor the girl on her side or not. Tori finally did face the girl in the worn yet tight leather jacket who had stopped walking with a large smirk smacked on her face.

"What now?" she asked as she gave her a look mixed with exasperation yet question. Did she even really want to know what went through the mind of the one and only, Jade West? It was too late anyways. She had asked and dug her grave with those simple two words.

Jade still didn't meet Tori's gaze, as her lips curved even more upwards . Her thin, well- arched eyebrows raised expressively yet almost evilly as if she were in the middle of concocting the world's eventual demise. Her scary smile however didn't focus on Tori, yet it remained straight on the group of various people moving behind them.

"This may change things..." she finally murmured softly, but purposefully loud enough for Tori to hear. Her gaze remained on the view behind her before Jade suddenly let out a chuckle. Oh there was no way in hell that she was keeping such good news to herself. She was going to share it. And to the very person standing in front of her. Oh, joy!

The aforementioned looked so annoyed with Jade's immediate secrecy that she asked again with a clipped tone, "For the love of God, what?!"

Jade finally took a quick glance at Tori with a look of boredom. Her expressionless blue eyes bored into Tori's mocha- brown ones.

"Oh nothing... just that it seems that the Muscles has attracted some former attention again." Jade said as if she were bored with the very idea of them conversing but her dancing eyes and her solidified smirk told Tori something else totally different. Jade tapped her tongue against the roof of her mouth, making a resounding clock as her eyes grew wider. Yet, she continued to stare at Tori with another occasional raise of her eyebrows.

Tori immediately turned at the sound of "Muscles".

She already knew. She didn't even bother to hear the rest of the tale. No doubt, Jade was talking about a seemingly flabbergasted Andre who looked as if he was hyperventilating so much that he could collapse at any given second. Even though her self- conscious rang signals in her mind and telling her that something was up, Tori just merely shrugged.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, truly unaware, "It's just Andre and Robbie talking."

The previous evil grin spread across the Goth girl's face within a matter of seconds. A glint appeared in her eyes before she nudged her head back towards the boys' direction.

"There's a whole lot more than just Andre and Robbie." she quickly corrected with a hint of sass, "Look above and beyond, Vega."

Above and beyond? Jade was probably intentionally making fun of her infatuation with Andre. Why, oh, why did she open up her big mouth for? Well, she might as well just play along. Jade would have her neck if she didn't anytime soon.

Tori's eyes narrowed curiously as she turned back around and looked past her guy friends. Then with a final raise of her head, she quickly noticed a group of girls giggling and staring in her friends' direction- more specifically- Andre's way on the main hallways' steps.

She begun to tense up at the sight of this and quickly gives the group the "one-over". God. Your typical yellow, blue, and white wearing cheerleaders. Her grip on her plastic purple binder tightened. Skimpy bimbos.

Jade widened her eyes as she gave the girl on her side a sideways glance. The pale girl nearly cracked up. Whoa. Tori was totally pissed off now.

"Well, well, well," Jade murmured as she slid on over to where the younger Vega stood on her left. She placed a hand comfortably on top of Tori's shoulder blade with a cocked eyebrow, "Is this..." she paused for effect, "...jealousy, I'm seeing here, Vega?"

The singer nearly scoffed. What? Was Jade trying to imply that she, Tori Vega was jealous? Of what? Her best friend possibly finding happiness? No. No way, she could be cool with that. No, correction. She was cool with that, period.

Tori let out a laugh that bordered 100% exasperation before she rapidly replied, "Jealousy? What? Pfft! Not a chance!"

Jade's face dropped. Really Vega? Now she was going to stand here and play it safe? Deny it?

"Dude, we just covered this," Jade tried to remind the girl as she squinted at her, "You just confessed to me minutes ago, hello? Are you like mentally stupid, Vega? Is it a condition? May I recommend a goddamned psychiatric ward?! Oh, no, wait, do you think that I'm stupid?!"

With a crack of her knuckles and a stone glare, Jade made the thin girl in front of her flinch instantly.

"I-I only said that so you could bug off!" Tori retorted with repetitious blinking before she scoffed for the millionth time, "I mean, I like, don't care if Andre, like starts to you know... and anyways, I do like Andre and that's as a friend."

Wow. Jade could have applauded. Tori was so unbelievable it was simply astounding. No wonder she doesn't like the damned girl. Really now? As a friend? Yeah right and Jade was a goddamned tree. Did Tori think she was really that stupid? Like she was going to believe that?

"Wow. You're an interesting liar," The Goth's gave the girl in front of her a smirk but her eyes looked serious, "You can't even say the word 'date'. That is so pathetic."

"Look," Tori sighed as she took one look at the guy she referred to as her closest and best friend, "I really don't like Andre like that."

It was funny how she was even having a hard time believing herself on that matter. Did she? Did she truly and really like him? Well of course she liked him. He was sweet, caring, supportive- all qualities she looked for in a guy. Plus he was an awesome singer- the first time she heard his voice, she almost went weak in the knees. Maybe... did she actually grow to love him? Did she love Andre? Tori nearly sighed of happiness as she continued to stare at Andre. But the spell was broken when she quickly shook her head in attempt to grasp reality and firmly nodded as if to make the taller girl on her side understand.

Jade however, did not look convinced. Instead, she looked as if she went through a long grueling argument that resulted with a satisfactory compromise.

She finally shrugged with a neutral look, "Okay, Vega. Suit yourself."

Tori sighed a breath of relief .

Thank God, Jade got off that uncomfortable topic. It was getting uncomfortable talking to her out of all people about it.

"I guess it's okay with you that Hilary keeps checking out his ass every second, right?" Jade interrupted the Latina's thoughts with a hint of a smile.

Tori's head instantly whipped straight back towards the scene behind her as if to get some confirmation for this disturbing yet oh- so- obvious lie. Only, it wasn't a lie. It so happened that Jade was right. There it was. The biggest slut in all of Hollywood Arts was indeed checking out her Andre's- no- Andre's ass. Okay, fine, maybe the girl wasn't a slut but still. No. She was a slut for checking out his ass in the first place! It wasn't a quick stare and turn. No. It was a full on drool and stare fest.

She felt as if she couldn't breathe as if she was stuck in a room with no oxygen. She felt her egg croissant come right back up. Her heart seemed to have clenched in tune with her hands, that eventually cracked the binder within their grasp.

Why was Hilary Swiss of all the people in the world checking her Andre- no just plain- Andre out? God. Did he have something on his ass or something? Why was she looking at it for longer than a second?! She was making it so damn obvious, the whore.

Tori's gaze curiously followed the blond girl's gaze and also stared at her best friend's ass. Nope. Nothing but that lovely juicy naturalness...

Her mouth watered and she eventually caught herself before she got carried away with a shake of her head. God, what the hell was wrong with her? She was no better than that- that thing over there.

Why the heck was she checking out his ass? Why was Hilary checking his ass out? Why did she care so goddamned much?!

Tori groaned angrily as she turned away from the sight and stomped away. She couldn't take another second of this. Fuck Jade, she was going to class.

Jade seemed to feast delightfully at Tori's reaction with a gleeful look of happiness. Ah. She didn't really need to ruin Vega's day by making her walk with her to class. This would suffice for the rest of the week. Months even.

"Young love... such a beautiful yet dangerous thing..." she murmured to herself with a wide smirk before she full-on cackled.

God she loved messing with Vega's head. That just made her day.