A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, the author note at the beginning of my last chapter wasn't me trying to get reviews out of people. I was truly interested in finding out if people were reading/enjoying the story.
I had planned on writing more earlier this week, but I've been exhausted. This chapter's a bit of filler, but we start to see stuff developing between Beck and Tori. I hope you all enjoy it.
I'm not sure when i'll next be able to update, but hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later.
Disclaimer - I don't own Victorious, but I do own some fabulous t-shirts!
BTW: Ishida-Lover0791 - I couldn't reply to your review (thank you) - I will continue updating.
Chapter Seven:
Beck avoided me for three days after the last show. I called, texted, and even knocked on his door, but nothing worked. He was completely blanking me, and I hated it.
I'd had enough and stormed back round to his little flat and hammered on the door.
"Beck! I know you're in there. Open this door before I kick it open!" I yelled. Moments later, the door was opened to reveal his tall form.
"Hey Tori." Without saying anything further, he walked back into the flat, leaving the door open for me to follow.
"Why have you been avoiding me?" I blurted out the moment I'd caught up with him in the living room.
"I haven't been avoiding you. I had to do some work for my dad down at his garage. I dropped my phone in a pint pot and haven't had a chance to hit up the Pear store to get a new one. Why would you think I was avoiding you?" I looked him in the eye and saw he was telling the truth.
"Oh. . . I just thought. . . I actually don't know what I thought." I sank onto the sofa behind me, embarrassed. I'd obviously read too much into the kiss and felt like a total fool.
"It's all cool. Hey, do you fancy helping me pick a new phone?"
"Sure, why not?"
My impromptu trip to the Pear Store with Beck ended up with us walking for miles around central London, window shopping, until we found ourself ordering food in a new karaoke place.
"Happy with your choice of phone?" I indicated his new Pear Phone GX sat on the table next to our chicken sharing platter. "I'm surprised you didn't stick with black."
"I fancied a change."
"Well, don't get too dizzy. Grey's not that much different to black."
"It's a start." Beck grinned at me, lifting his phone up and snapping a picture of me before I even realised what he'd done.
"So, working with your dad? Is that what you'll do after school?" I couldn't see Beck as a grease monkey somehow.
"Nah. I enjoy fixing shit, but no. It's not something I want to do for the rest of my life." I rested my arms on the table and leaned forward, watching him.
"What do you want to do with your life? I don't know why, but I don't really see you doing the academia thing at uni." I really hoped he didn't take offence.
"I get that. Admittedly, I'm not the most academic of people, so no. I won't go on to do something like that at uni."
"What do you want to do with your life?" This was quite possibly the most personal conversation we'd ever had, and I noticed Beck was starting to look more than a little embarrassed. "Hey, you don't have to tell me."
"It's fine. I just haven't really spoken about it to anyone before. No one's thought to ask me." I was surprised by that. I thought our group of friends were the kind to know everything about everyone.
"Really? That surprises me."
"Why?"
"Well, you've been friends with these guys for what, at least four years, and not once did any of them think to ask what you wanted out of life? Not even Jade?" His deep brown eyes were tinged with sadness as he spoke.
"I'm sorry Beck. That's crappy." I placed my hand over his. "Well, I'm interested if that makes you feel better."
"Thanks. That means a lot. I never took it personally about the others not asking. We're teenagers, it's part of the job description to be self absorbed and dismissive of those around us."
"I guess so, but I guess I'm just nosy and like to know things about my friends." I grinned at him. "So, you gonna tell me or not?" I nudged his arm with my shoulder.
"Well . . . I guess. . . Wow. I didn't expect this to be so hard to say out loud to someone." He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand as he took a deep breath.
"Look, I was joking. You don't need to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable."
"No, it's not that. I've just never told anyone before. I've never even said it out loud to myself. This is going to sound big headed, but there's a few things I'm good at – like fixing cars, but they've never really satisfied me enough to make me want to keep doing it, but then I enrolled in a drama class three years ago during the summer break." He paused, turning his hand over, gripping mine tightly. "Well, that class made me realise how amazing acting is, and how it was something that would constantly challenge me to keep learning."
I understood where he was coming from. He was an excellent actor, I knew from watching him in our performances together.
"You're a fantastic actor Beck. Every single female in the audiences for First Date fell in love with you as Aaron." I grinned at him.
"I love the freedom acting gives me. I get to hide behind all these different masks and people never need to see the real me. Again, I'm going to sound big headed, but most people don't see beyond my face and hair, especially since Jade and I broke up."
"So, will you remember me when you're a big star?" I teased, to try and get a smile out of him.
"I can't make any promises Vega. Maybe if you come to a film premiere, or hang around outside a stage door in the West End, I might grace you with a selfie." I burst out laughing at him.
"I guess I can live with that." I punched him gently in the arm.
"I can't help it. Fame will propel me to dizzying heights where I will have to believe my own hype and forget those who helped me get to the top. It's the rules." His deep brown eyes were twinkling under the lights. "So, what does Tori Vega want to do with the rest of her life? Does academia beckon?"
"Uh. . . I doubt it." I liked school, but there wasn't any one subject I preferred over any other.
"Well, what is the one thing you love? What makes you feel alive?"
"Music." The word slipped out before I could seriously consider Beck's question.
"What about it in particular?" I wasn't sure how to answer his question. Eventually, I found some words.
"Before I moved to London, I was never really the most outgoing of people unless I was with my friends. Music was a way for me to hide the real me and just pretend to be someone confident in their own skin, not afraid of what anyone else thinks." I looked at him. "Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, it does. It's like me and acting. I get to be so many different people, with music you can put on an act too."
"Yeah. I don't know what changed moving here. I feel like I can be the person I pretend to be, even when I'm not singing or anything." At that confession, I hid my face behind my hair.
"I'm glad you feel that way. After performing with you, I can see how much you shine when you're on stage. Don't hide from anyone, especially not me. Please?" I looked into his brown eyes and nodded. "Right, now get up there and sing me a song." Beck pointed to the stage where a couple of girls were murdering a cheesy pop song I vaguely recognised from hearing on the radio.
"Do I have to?"
"Yep." Grinning, I made my way over to the DJ booth to make my choice.
"Where have you been all day?" Trina accosted me the moment I walked in. It was dark outside.
"I was with Beck." I dumped my bag on the sofa and walked into the kitchen to make myself a drink.
"Oh, really?" She looked somewhat impressed. "How d'you manage to get that to happen?"
"I went round to see him, and he invited me to go phone shopping."
"I'm sure the Pear Store closed about four hours ago. How picky is he?"
"We went for something to eat at that new karaoke place after he got his new phone." Without another word, she huffed and stomped upstairs to her room. Confused, I continued making my drink before going up to my own room to read.
I rarely sat in silence, but tonight I needed it after the craziness of the karaoke place. I loved taking part, but wasn't a fan of those who thought highly of themselves when they should be more reserved. I relished the peace and quiet, but when my phone bleeped, it sounded so loud, I jumped.
Beck Oliver: Great day with this gal! ToriVega. Feeling: Chilled Beck had tweeted a picture of me onto the slap. I was stunned.
Tori Vega: BeckOliver It was fun. You have to sing next time! Feeling: Musical. I replied. Within moments, a reply pinged onto my phone. Grinning, I settled down into bed and began to type my response.
Thoughts? I'd love to hear them :)
