When Worlds Collide

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:


Chapter 7 (Second Chances)

The secret grove was still lush and beautiful as ever, a large acre of rolling green hills and trees like gumdrops that littered the fields. Flowers of all sorts had been planted throughout, and it was gated as curtesy of the families involved in its creation.

She followed along the gravel pathway, smiling as her fingertips caressed the berries and plants in passing. Her eye spied the wildlife moving about, ranging from the smallest caterpillar crawling the leaves to the rabbits and other animals playing in the area.

An expensive project, but Courtney's family had the money to pay for it and to maintain it. "What a work of art." Tori breathed in the fresh air and smiled as she recalled memories of gardening and bringing in the wildlife to give them a home, and remembering her sister coming out to practice her martial arts while they worked.

Eventually she came upon the large greenhouse in the center and smiled, hopeful that Courtney would be inside. The entire area still teemed with life that invited her as though welcoming her home. "Let's hope she doesn't greet me with another tar trap…" She had Courtney's number, but wanted to do more than just call. The girl may not appreciate the surprise, but Tori wanted to show her she still remembered the place and everything about it. Hell, she even adored the entrance that was still there; it was a tunnel made from an old unused bridge that had vines and trees growing around the lower walls and the bridge itself.

As she walked up to the greenhouse, she noticed a smaller building made with thin screen material. Inside, dozens of butterflies fluttered about, filling her heart with joy.

"Ahem." Tori's eyes darted back to the greenhouse door where Courtney stood. The girl was dirty from head to toe, dressed in boots, gloves, long pants and a loose button up shirt with red scarf tied around her neck. Her long blonde hair was tucked behind her left shoulder and twisted behind her neck and over her right shoulder. "What are you doing here? I don't recall inviting you to the sanctum."

Her narrow glare pierced Tori's heart, and her fingers were tapping her waist furiously as the girl awaited a response. "I wanted you to know I never forgot about the place."

"Don't start that. Besides, this place is sacred and you abandoned it too. You need permission to be let back in." She caught the symbolism, whether or not Courtney meant there to be. This secret grove represented the heart and soul of their friendship. She may have forgotten Courtney wouldn't easily welcome her back.

It also went without saying that as much as she hated it, they would never be able to go back to what their friendship used to be. "I love what you've done with the place, Courtney." Courtney hummed and her eyes drifted beyond her. After a moment, Tori turned to look. "What are you checking for?"

"To see if you brought anyone with you. Namely those friends of yours…" One of the largest rules they had in place was that no one was allowed in that wasn't supposed to be there without prior consent. It was like their own treehouse, without it being such.

Tori smirked and shook her head. "You know I would never break our own rule. This is our sanctum, or I guess yours after these years." Her heart sank as Courtney took a step towards her, meeting her eyes with an angry, but sorrowful glare. "Courtney, I never wanted to hurt you, I just-I lost myself. I think I'm trying to figure things out, and well, I don't want to be alone."

"If you're alone it's your own doing." Courtney folded her arms across her chest and Tori winced. The girl's words cut deep, as though they were a sword drawing blood from her. "You think I'm upset solely for myself, Tori? Do you? Yeah you left me behind, you left Ian behind and any other friends you had…but it's more than that."

Courtney raised her hand, keeping her voice steady but with a small quiver hidden within it. "All you wanted was Monica to stop hurting you, so you sought popularity. You were never going to get that at Sherwood because Monica certainly wasn't going to let it happen." Tori breathed in and held her breath as she tried to let her friend's words sink in. "But then you got to another school, with your sister's help of course, and you turned your back on everybody. Even your own sister!"

"Ouch." Tori bowed her head and slowly closed her hands up, taking in whatever Courtney said. There wasn't a thing she was wrong about, though she didn't want to hear.

"Hell you may as well have become just like Monica, letting those new friends of yours influence you. What more, you haven't even been honest with them! You've lied to them too, not telling them anything about yourself, like your interests and hobbies. You've certainly told them nothing about us."

"I know, but I was afraid."

"Afraid? Afraid of what?" Courtney scoffed and uncrossed her arms. "Being alone? You've shunned your best friends, lied to your new friends, and Sinjin even says you've been insulting your sister left and right-let alone letting your friends insult her. Knowing Trina, I'm surprised she took it and didn't retaliate."

"She didn't retaliate because it wasn't me they were insulting…"

"Uh huh." Courtney shrugged and turned around, locking her wrists behind her back. "You know why Monica doesn't bother me? Because I know in the end, she'll be alone, suffering because she's pushed everyone away and nobody will want to be around her because all she is-is a manipulative, two faced liar that can't care about anything but herself."

Tori bowed her head shamefully and grit her teeth. Her heart was slamming hard against her chest and every muscle in her body was beginning to ache with pain. "In fact, Tori, if you're not careful, you'll end up the same way."

"Then can we at least start over? Let me show you I'm sincere." Tears filled her eyes as she watched Courtney, awaiting an answer. Courtney seemed to study her, tapping her finger against her chin.

"It's the weekend, how and why aren't you with your other friends anyway?"

"I'd rather be with you right now."

"Really now?" Courtney lowered her arms and glanced over her shoulder. "I'm done planting stuff for the day. We could take a walk through the grove like. Just talk. Leave out the past." It felt like a great deal, and one that Tori knew better than to turn down. After all, this was the reason she came out. Courtney's eyelids sank halfway and the girl pressed her lips firmly together. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm sick of hearing how sorry you are. If you want to be friends, I'm willing to at least talk."

"Thank you. I promise you won't regret it."

"Tori…" Courtney moved her hands to her hips and let out a warning growl, to which Tori nodded and answered with a nervous chuckle and extended her arm to let Courtney lead the way.

The pair made their way along the Creekside path, letting the running water fill and delight their ears. Tori followed her friend close behind, praying for the silence to end but enjoying it at the same time. The wind coursed through her hair, whistling loudly and warming her face.

Courtney stopped at a curve of the path and turned towards the creek, so Tori did the same and smiled at the sight of fish jumping out of the water. "It's like having your own park," Courtney said finally without looking up from the waters. "But without having someone to share it with…"

Courtney sighed and turned towards her. "Does Ian even know you're back? He'd love to see you again." Tori frowned, recalling Monica's threat. She looked away from Courtney and shrugged, earning a curious hum. "What is it? Usually you're a bit more excited when it comes to Ian-or did that change too?"

She bit her lip and looked down, slowly sweeping her foot across the grass. "No. Nothing's changed. It's just…complicated."

"Uh huh, it's about as complicated as the two of you coming out of a cold, air conditioned laboratory red-faced and covered in sweat." Tori blushed as Courtney flashed a narrow-eyed smirk. "Now what is it?"

She rubbed her arm and started to tear up. If she told Courtney, the girl might confront Monica and then she'd go after Tori. "I'm just nervous." Courtney clearly didn't believe her, but raised her hands up and sighed.

"I guess you'll tell me when you tell me. Ian is doing well these days, by the way." Tori smiled, her heart lifting as she thought about him. "He keeps busy fixing everyone's computers, cell phones, whatever other technology that's screwing up you name it. He's got quite the name recognition around campus." Courtney blinked and rolled her head to the side, her tongue clicked and she let out a chuckle. "Also busies himself defending people against Monica's insane rages, apparently."

"I heard a rumor about that." She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow, contemplating the rumor and wondering how much truth there was to it. "Apparently someone got into it with her and Ian helped that person out." Courtney laughed lightly and nodded.

"That's no rumor. Someone from that school of yours visited and was ambushed by Monica and her 'followers'." Her eyebrows shot up and her heart froze. At first, Beck came to mind, but she pushed that out of her head as it was too absurd that he'd be at Sherwood. "Ian called Monica out pretty much and pulled the guy out of the fray."

"Why do people not like Hollywood Arts? I don't understand. It's not like it's a bad school." Courtney rolled her eyes and started walking. Tori followed after her, studying the girl's tense form. "You don't like the school either, Courtney?"

"I dislike it for my own reasons. You forget, I saw my best friend transform into someone I didn't even know over there." Tori frowned, bowing her head with a sigh. Courtney shrugged and looked over her shoulder. "Word is it has to do with Monica a few years ago."

Courtney stopped next to a steel railing at the top of a cliff that overlooked a valley far below. She gripped the rail with firm hands and turned her head, watching as Tori walked up beside her, now curious how Monica had anything to do with Sherwood's ire towards HA.

"I Don't know exactly what happened, whether she was rejected by the school or treated harshly by some of the school's students, but she began spreading the rumors that it was full of students that liked to cheat at taking easy courses to graduate and how the students were 'rich assholes' that thought they were superior to everyone."

"So, everyone hates Hollywood Arts because she hates them?" Tori leaned her head back, bewildered and amazed that Monica had so much power. "Stupid Sheeple," she muttered. Courtney cracked up, laughing at the term. Tori smiled at her friend. "I'll admit there's not a huge array of academic classes that get focused on, but they are there. They have to be."

"Why did Trina take classes there and at Sherwood, then? She didn't fully transfer to HA until you did, if I recall."

"Because she had her athletic stuff she was still tied to at Sherwood." Trina also wanted an in for Tori. She'd only been there for a few months and told Tori once she got into the school that her primary reason for going to HA was to see if it would be a good school for her. "I think she was trying to find something where I was away from Monica."

Wanting to find out more about what her friend was up to, Tori smiled and turned fully towards Courtney. "So what have you been doing?" Courtney raised an eyebrow and leaned back. "Still wanting to be an environmental scientist?"

"Yeah." Courtney grinned from ear to ear. "Biologist or something to do with the environment. Ian's thinking of going into cyber security. He's still better than anyone I know with computers." Her heart lifted into her throat at the mention of Ian and his goals, she still loved hearing about him. As her eyes lit up, she caught Courtney's inquisitive and knowing look, then turned away with a blush. "You do know that he and I are still friends and talk on a regular basis, right?"

That was a sure sign that she might mention to Ian about Tori being back. Fearful still of Monica's ire, Tori looked back to Courtney with mist filling her eyes again. "Please don't tell him right now." Courtney frowned, her hands sliding from the rail to her hips. "I-I want to see him so much, but I'm not ready right now."

"Come on Tori, what are you afraid of? It's Ian, you know the guy you've got a massive crush on. The guy that can't stop thinking about you either."

"He might reject me."

"Seriously?" Courtney's eyelids fell halfway and she let out a dry chuckle. "Ian would not reject you, and if he did, I'd hit him for being an idiot." Courtney raised her right hand up a bit and circled it in the air. "Come on Tori, why are you really afraid? You had the guts to come talk to me, here, so you should be able to talk to him. At the very least, he's more patient and understanding than I am…"

"Yeah." Tori ran her hand over her clammy neck and looked off the cliff, smiling gently as the wind kissed her cheeks. "I knew someone at HA like that. I wonder if he met my friends from there, if he'd even talk to them."

"Probably." Courtney shrugged, her voice filled with nonchalance. "I don't think we should discuss your friends. I don't exactly care for them, and neither does he; but you're right-he'd at least associate with them if they tried. I wouldn't."

"Oh?" Remembering how begrudgingly Jade became friends with her at Beck's behest, she smirked and eyeballed Courtney with a challenge related to the hypothetical situation. "So let's say hypothetically they showed up and started talking to you and Ian."

"I'd ignore 'em." Courtney crossed her arms and smirked back, narrowing her eyes at Tori's challenge. "Next?"

"What about Sinjin? He's around my sister's age, but does he still hang with you and Ian?"

"Yeah."

"And if he said to give the friends a chance, would you?"

"Let me put it to you this way." Courtney tilted her head, still smirking. "Sinjin would only decide to talk to them again after what he went through at HA if Ian or I did. If Ian actually said to give them a chance, then there would be a reason he'd say such a thing and therefore I would consider it. I'd have to see for myself, though, but I'd at least consider seeing if it was worth talking to them if Ian greenlighted it."

Tori hummed and closed her eyes, nodding her head gently. It was a fair response, and probably the best one she was going to get from Courtney. "I guess you don't like them because-"

"Look, it's not because of who they are or anything. I mean, had you decided to tell them about us and even tried to include all of us, I fully believe we could have been friends with them." Courtney walked on down the path, looking over her shoulder and motioning for Tori to follow. She happily did.

"Right. I was afraid of their rejection. I didn't think they'd like me or even you guys…"

"That shouldn't have mattered. Your friends are your friends, nobody can tell you not to be friends with someone." Courtney's hand moved up to her chest and her eyebrows lifted. "I wouldn't tell you not to be friends with that group of people. I may not like them, but I don't like them because they changed you. Or, you felt you had to change for them. They don't even know who you are, and that part's on you; so they never had a chance to accept or turn you away…"

"Yeah…" Now she had to wonder if her friends would even like her once they figured out she felt like she had to be someone else just to be their friends. "They know something's going on and want me to tell them, but I-I just can't."

"You should talk to them. If they're actually trying to be your friend, then that's one thing."

"You think so?"

"I'm positive. I can't speak for any of them, but if they care enough, they'll show it." Courtney reclined her head, gazing up at the clouds and leaves above them. She hummed contemplatively and turned around. "What about you? Have you thought about what you want to do after high school? Singing? Acting?"

"No…Hell, I even tried the singing thing once, it's not my thing." Courtney pursed her lips and Tori scratched her head while laughing nervously. "I enjoy doing it. It's a fun hobby."

"Hobby?"

"Yeah, I still want to go into veterinary medicine." Her friend coughed, choking up at the surprise. Tori crossed her arms and raised up her shoulders. "I haven't stopped loving nature, animals, science…"

"Well. That's something." Courtney smiled at her and locked her hands behind her waist. "My brother works at this antique shop. There's a lot of history there, something he loves doing, and he's earning income and experience so he can become a history professor."

"Oh cool!"

"You might consider working there, he could talk his boss into getting you a job." She furrowed her brow. "Considering what's going on with your home life right now, you may want to have something to bring in."

She did want to help her mother out. Holly was out looking for work, and having a hell of a time at it, so if nothing else she could lighten the load a bit on finances. "How much do they make over there?"

"You'd start out at 9.50."

"There's just one problem." Tori bowed her head and locked her fingers together at her waist. Her eyes drifted away, filling with shame as she bit down on her lower lip. "I wasn't the best to Sinjin at HA. Do you really think he'd try to talk to his boss and get me a job?"

"He would if I ask him to. Beyond that, he probably still would because of what you're going through with your family. I'll talk to him."


It can be said, some friendships never die. I know my best friend Chance, known the guy since kindergarten nearly 24 years ago, looks like Tori and Courtney may have that. Let's see if that happens, and all the while, wonder what's going to happen when Beck and the others approach Ian-who is bound to have Courtney and Sinjin there. Hmm, maybe that hypothetical situation may not be so hypothetical.