xxxxxXxxxx
CHAPTER THREE
xxxxXxxx
"We sing because we can't speak anymore."
-Kristen Chenoweth
"City lights lay out before us, and your arm felt nice,
Wrapped around my shoulder,
And I-I had a feeling that I belonged."
-Tracey Chapman "Fast Car"
xxxxXxxxx
ANDRE'S HOUSE
6:45 PM
Andre closed the padlock to the chain he had wrapped around his bike and a white metal support beam in his garage. He stood up and hit the button on the concrete wall to close the garage door, opening a side door that led back inside the house. He had turned on practically every light in the house, he wasn't a fan of dim lighting. It strained his eyes and made it harder for him to see his liner notes when he practiced his music.
Well, strike that, he wasn't a fan of dim lighting, in certain situation—others—well. He had his first experience with that when he had just turned 15, in a dark projection room when he used to work at the Multiplex downtown. She was a ticket taker, not much older than him. She had long red hair she wore in tight dreads, and smelled like cinnamon and chocolate, and the stale popcorn left in the theatre seats. During the loudness of "10,000 B.C." playing on the screen, she woke him up to situations. The same situations that he almost explored with Tori.
"C'mon man, pull it together," he talked aloud to himself and had to visibly shake himself from the thought of Tori.
He picked up his guitar from where it was sitting on the couch from the practicing he had been doing since he got home from Hollywood Arts. He walked with it back to his bedroom, setting it back down on its black stand.
He checked out his reflection in the mirror hanging behind his bedroom door, not feeling what he was wearing anymore. He grabbed a black form-fitting long-sleeved shirt from a hanger on his closet, and a pair of dark rinse jeans from his dresser drawer. He put these on, then grabbed his OG red Converse high top Chucks, lacing them up while sitting on his bed.
He stood back up, checking his reflection, tightening the elastic band that held his dreads into the ponytail. He pulled the gold chain that he always wore from underneath the neck of the shirt. He had lied to Tori; something had been recovered from the explosion that had killed his dad. Even AED's weren't strong enough to melt gold. The chain had been handed to his mom in a manila envelope by the army chaplain while the Chief Warrant Officer with him talked for nearly 10 solid minutes to his grandma about how sorry he was for their loss. The chain had been left by his mom along with the apology note she had left him before she bailed from LA for Seattle.
He buckled his watch on his wrist and checked its time; he still had time. He cut the light off and walked out of his bedroom. He stopped by the bathroom to put on the Cremo Distiller's Blend cologne he had gotten as a present two Christmases ago then walked back into the living room. He checked his Pear Phone for any missed messages. He found three from his grandma, screaming about needing help to open her can of spaghetti sauce and preserved peaches because the neighbors were coming over for a block party soon. There was also one from Tori saying that she would be to Karaoke Dokee on time, and that Jade was a fanatical tyrant.
Andre laughed to himself, sliding the phone into the right side-pocket of his jeans. He grabbed the keys from out of a green ceramic bowl on the coffee table and walked out of the house.
xxxxxXxxxxx
Tori buckled the strap to her shoes with an out of breath huff; the silver ring she wore on her thumb clicking against the metal buckle. "Okay!-" she pulled the hair away from her face and stood up.
Jade and Cat were looking at her without saying anything.
"Well?" Tori brushed off imaginary dirt from the black top. "How does it look?"
The top Jade had given to Tori was a black satin high necked halter top. It shirred at the waist, ending just above the waistband of her jeans. It was backless; and laced up behind the neck in a bow with fabric that trailed between her shoulder blades. The shoes Tori had chosen were a pair of candy red suede sling backs, with peep toes and 3-inch chunky heels. Her hair fell loose and long over half her bare shoulders. Cat had done her make up, gold shimmery eyeshadow, kohl black winged tip eyeliner. Her lipstick was red, one shade darker than her shoes.
Cat and Jade still didn't say anything.
"C'mon guys," Tori complained, she checked her watch that was intermingled with the leather bracelets on her left wrist. "I don't have a lot of time left. Does it look okay?"
"Wow," was all that Cat said.
Tori grinned. "Thanks," then looked to Jade. "Well,Jade? This was your idea."
Jade continued to eye Tori from up her head, down to the bottom of her feet where her shoes showed off her tattoo. She crossed her arms. "Two words-"
Cat's look grew wide eyed "Jade-no-"
"God. Dayunm." Jade flashed a smile to Tori when she said this.
Tori's eyebrows raised and she smiled back. "So, it's good then?"
Jade laughed closed lipped and nodded with a raised flash of dark eyebrows.
xxxxXxxxx
KAROKEE DOKIE
7:25 PM
Andre heard Robbie give a low whistle as he got out of his Camaro in the Karaoke Dokee parking lot.
"Look who's all Esquire magazine cover!" He gave a cat calling: 'oww!'
"Rob, c'mon," Andre closed his car door and locked it with a beep of his keyless remote.
"Dude, he's not wrong," Beck said, taking in Andre's clothes with appreciation, slapping a hand on his chest jokingly. "I haven't seen you this swagged out since 9th grade picture day, or that time you were dating Hope Quincy."
"Thanks for reminding me about that train wreck." Andre pocketed his keys and followed Beck and Robbie towards the restaurant.
"9th grade picture day wasn't a train wreck," Robbie said. "It was my first photo op with Rex."
"Yeah- right." Andre cleared his throat. "So, um, are the girls here yet?"
"Jade just texted," Beck looked at the screen on his Pear Phone. "There stuck in traffic on South Santa Monica. Says she'll text again when they're in the parking lot. We should probably go grab a table." He pocketed his phone.
"So, let's go!" Robbie hooted.
They walked through to the end of a crowded line of people that were lined up by the front door waiting to get in. It was slow moving at first; but started to pick up speed after a 15-minute wait. They were shown by a hostess to a table close to the karaoke stage.
"I thought this place was supposed to be remodeled?" Robbie looked around the building. "Everything looks the same to me." The stage, the tables, the wall décor, it all looked like the same place they all had been in when they came there three years ago. Even the same DJ was on stage, plugging away at his mixing board adjusting the base of a thumping techno mix version of a Ginger Fox pop song. The only change was that the walls were painted a light grey color instead of the blue that they used to be.
"Maybe they didn't get the memo," Beck removed his jean jacket, hanging it on the back of his chair. "At least they got rid of that dick manager."
"Yeah, that guy was a jerk," Robbie agreed.
"Straight up asshole," Andre said.
"Hello there!" A pretty blonde waitress in black pants and button up black blouse came over to them, a small tablet in her hand. "Welcome to Karaoke Dokie! What can I get to drink for you guys?"
Both Andre and Beck ordered some of the house made sodas. Robbie ordered a green fizzy lemonade swirled with strawberry, one for him, and one for Cat.
"Okay, awesome." The waitress typed their orders on the tablet screen. "Are we just doing the drinks? Or do you want any food with that?"
"You still have buffalo nuggets?" Robbie asked with gleeful hopefulness.
"Yes," the waitress said. "Only now we call them buffalo glazed popcorn chicken. People kept getting the wrong idea with the other name."
"Wait, they really thought they were eating Buffalo shi-?"
"Actually," Beck cut Robbie off. "We're waiting on our dates; can we get back to you?"
The waitress nodded with a smile. "Sure thing, I'll put your drink orders in."
"Thanks," Robbie said.
She flashed him a smile and walked off from their table.
Because it was a Saturday night, the place was filled near to capacity. The din of laughing and clinking glasses danced over the music playing through the speakers placed all around the building. The DJ sat behind his mixing board drinking a Diet Coke from a silver can. Karaoke didn't officially start until 9:00, so the DJ was people watching, changing the digital tracks whenever a song ended, and messing with the mixing board to waver the volume of each song.
The waitress came back 15 minutes later with three glasses on a plastic tray in her outstretched arm. "Here we go." She set down two pilsner glasses filled with dark brown soda swirled with a cream sugar syrup and heady foam in front of Andre and Beck, then Robbie's much lighter lemonades, topped with maraschino cherries and a single orange slice that floated in the bubbly drink "When you're ready to order food, just push the call buttons under the table by your seats."
"Will do," Beck said.
"Thanks," Andre added.
The waitress left and walked behind them to an entourage of teens sitting in a group of pushed together tables right next to the stage. They were all laughing so insanely loud that they would almost beat out Andre's grandma when she talked to him on the phone.
"So," Robbie leant over his lemonade and took a sip from the clear straw plunged into it. "Have you worked out what you're going to tell Tori yet?"
Andre played absent mindedly with the black straw in his cup "I don't know man." He took a drink from the straw. The soda was slightly cherry flavored, the brown foam that floated on top tasting like brown sugar. Its viscosity was thick; he had to swallow hard to get it to go down.
"But you've thought about it," Beck took a hit from his own soda straw.
"Ever since last night," Andre took another pull of soda from his straw. "But everything I come up with to say, just comes out sounding wrong."
"Wrong how?" Robbie asked.
"Like lame," Andre said. "Like I'm embarrassed that it happened-"
"But you're not." Beck argued.
"Exactly." Andre said. "And I want what I tell her to say that. I don't want her to think this was just a one off."
"So just say that then," Robbie suggested. "Maybe she'll like that."
"Rob, most girls usually like to hear more than that they weren't just a one off," Beck said.
"It is kind of a dick thing to say," Andre agreed. "This sucks," he leant back in his chair with a defeated sigh. "I never had a problem talking to Tori before."
"Hey!" Jade's voice echoed loudly over the all the other voices and the pulsating music.
Beck looked up at the sound of his girlfriend, who was weaving through the table and making her way over to them, Cat and Tori following behind her. "Hey babe-I thought you said you'd text when you're here."
"Yeah, well I forgot," Jade kissed him and sat down beside him. She was dressed in torn black leggings, a burgundy lace see-through top over a black tank top, blue suede heels on her feet.
Beck noticed. "Wow."
Jade smiled at him, crossing her legs.
"Dang, I agree," Robbie said.
Jade kicked Robbie under the table with the heel of her shoe.
"Hi Robbie," Cat waved at him.
Robbie gasped from the pain of Jade's kick. "Hi Cat."
Cat smiled. "Do I look as agreeable as Jade?" She was wearing a blue and olive color block dress with a short skirt and cream platform heals.
"More agreeable," Robbie rubbed at his bruising shin.
Cat laughed, preening her long red hair. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," Robbie said squeakily.
"Hey guys," Tori was hidden half behind Cat's smaller height. When she finally moved past Cat, it was with a click of high heels.
"Wow, you look amazing," Robbie finally lowered his aching leg while appraising Tori's outfit. He turned from her to Andre. "Andre, what do you think?"
Andre wanted to kick Robbie like Jade had just done for putting him on the spot. But what he said wasn't wrong. His eyes flicked over Tori up and down, from the way her hair hung down over her bare shoulders to the vibrant red heels that brought her closer to his height. "You look fantastic."
Tori flashed Andre a smile through velvety dark red lipstick. "Thanks."
"Yea-ah." Jade said, waving one foot shoe over her crossed legs. "And look—" She waved at them like she was presenting something she had made. "you guys match."
Tori did a once over of Andre, his black, long sleeve shirt, dark jeans, red converse, then at her own clothes. "Wow, we do. Guess this means we rock," she flashed Andre a smile.
Andre returned the smile. "Yeah, I guess it means we do."
Tori sat down in the empty chair next to Andre.
Truth be told, if Tori had to give a full description of what Andre was wearing, 'Wow we actually do,' wouldn't cut it. His red Converse, jeans, shirt, the way he wore his dreads up -"So," she tried to discreetly fan herself with the plastic menu sitting on the table. "you guys order yet?"
"Just drinks," Beck said, his arm draped over Jade, who was leant back into his shoulder. "We were waiting for you guys to show up to start on the food."
"Here," Andre pushed his glass in front of Tori. "Taste this—if you like it, I'll spot you for one."
Tori sipped the soda, leaving a light stain of lipstick on the tip of the straw. "Oooh, this is good!"
"So, you're in?" Andre asked.
"So in," Tori said taking another, longer drink from the straw.
Andre gave a quiet laugh "Aiight then," he hit the call button under the table by his chair.
A few moments later their waitress came to the table. "Hey! We decide on food?"
"Still working on it," Beck said.
"Alright," the waitress flashed him a smile, looking towards Cat, Jade, and Tori. "What can I get you do drink ladies?"
Jade ordered a muddled green sparkling tea, and Cat didn't order anything since Robbie had already ordered a drink for her.
"And you Miss?" The waitress asked Tori.
"Can I have whatever this is?" Tori held up Andre's drink.
The waitress smiled again. "Sure thing, that's one of our most popular drinks." She put in Tori's order on her tablet. "By the way, I love your top."
"Oh thanks," Tori said in return looking down at it.
"I'm a big fan of backless shirts and halter tops, especially when it's this hot out."
Andre's eyes narrowed in confusion for just a moment, then a quick glance at Tori made him realize that the shirt she had on was backless thing, tied up with a ribbon behind her neck over her tanned skin. "Yeah," he hoped that his voice sounded even. "It's definitely a great way to beat the heat," he raised a hand up and rested it on high up on Tori's back, her skin was warm under his touch, like it was the night prior. He rubbed a thumb over the contours of her shoulder blades.
Tori's eyes met his over the feeling of his hand on her back. "Really great."
From across the table Jade was watching her, one eyebrow arched into almost a triangle on a forehead.
"Is this water?" Tori picked up a plastic cup with a florescent green bottom next to her hand.
"Yeah," Andre nodded.
Tori downed nearly the entire glass.
"Sure it's cold enough for you?" Jade asked.
Tori choked on her last swallow of water; but managed to get it down her throat without spitting too much of it all over herself.
"Hey, you okay?" Andre asked in concern, as Tori hacked into a white napkin.
"I'm great-" Tori said with a hacking cough.
Andre poured more water into her empty cup from a pitcher that sat middle of the table. "Here." He handed it to her.
Tori hacked loudly one more time before accepting the water. "Thank you." She let out a sighing breath, taking long swallows, feeling Andre move his hand down lower to rub her back. It was sweet of him, but also wasn't exactly helping the situation.
"So, who's ready for food?" Jade asked.
xxxxXxxxx
9:03 PM
After eating through a variety of foods: pulled pork sliders, Robbie's buffalo glazed popcorn chicken, and white corn tortilla chips with artichoke dip; they sat sipping on their drinks. At nine on the dot, the karaoke DJ abandoned his seat at the mixing board, and walked with a microphone at the center of the stage, proclaiming that the karaoke singing was open.
"Who's ready to get this party started!?"
A couple of girls in glitter blasted jeans and Ombre sequenced tube tops raised their hands excitedly.
"Alright! Come on up ladies!" the DJ waved them up.
The girls walked up on stage, singing in a decent, but slightly discordant quartet through Justin Bieber's "Peaches."
Tori bumped Andre with her elbow because it had been what he sang horribly last night when they were messing around.
Andre blew out a laugh, as she wagged her eyebrows at him, taking a sip from her drink.
The girls on stage finished singing, getting an echo of loud claps and whistles from the people in the audience.
"Ye-ah no!" Jade fiddled with the strong in her muddled tea. "That needs to be banned by FCC."
"I thought it was okay, super rad cool!" Robbie popped a piece of buffalo glazed popcorn chicken in his mouth.
"Robbie, saying 'rad cool' isn't rad cool." Jade said.
"So-" Beck side stepped his girlfriend's diss on Robbie. He knew she was just ribbing him. "Who's up next? Show this place how it's done." His eyes turned to Jade, his smile knowing.
"Cat, Andre," Jade took another sip of her drink, then set it down with a hard thunk on the table. "C'mon, we're up."
Cat laughed and set her drink down. She and Andre followed Jade on stage. Cat spoke with the DJ about killing the karaoke track of the song they were about to sing. Off to the side, behind the DJ and his mixing board was a collection of instruments that was a setup for the band that was set to play a gig tomorrow night.
Jade whispered something to Andre. He grinned and nodded. He walked back to the band set up and picked up one of the guitars. A baby blue Fender Stratocaster electric guitar. He turned on the cordless amplifier behind him with a slight reverberating squeak.
"Okay!-" The DJ said enthusiastically. "We got an oldy but a goodie coming up next, by another group act! Jade West, Cat Valentine, and Andrew Harris!"
"Andre!" Tori called out from her seat.
The DJ trailed off and gave Tori a quizzical look.
"It's Andre," Andre clarified this and sat on a black stool, one red Converse drawn up on the stool's lowest rung. He positioned the guitar against him, his fingers poised on the fret bard.
"Andre-" the DJ turned back to the stage. "-got it. Anyway," he turned back to face the crowded audience. "Everyone give it up for what they're about to throw down!"
There was a round of sporadic clapping. Beck cupped his hands to his mouth gave and whistled.
Jade flashed him a smile, then turned to Andre, cuing him, while clearing her throat.
Andre began plucking out the beginning instrumental stanza of "Stand By Me," by Ben E. King, before entering in with a melodically deep voice:
"When the night, has come, and the land is dark,
And the moon, is the only light we'll see,
No I won't, be afraid,
No-I won't be afraid,
Just as long as you stand, stand, by me-"
Several calls and whistles from girls in the audience sounded off in the darkness; one of them was Tori and she was louder than the rest of them.
"And darlin', dariln', stand, by me-" Jade wagged her eyebrows at Tori as she sang the verse.
"Wo-ah, stand by me-" Cat joined Jade on the second stanza, her higher octave blending into Jade's velvety one.
"Won't you stand, stand by me, stand by me-"
"If the sky, that we look upon,
Should tumble and fall,
Or the mountains, should crumble to the sea,"
"I won't cry, I won't cry,
No, I won't shed a tear,
Just as long you stand, stand by me,"
"And darling, darling, stand, by me, Woah-stand, by me." Jade and Cat joined into Andre's singing. Their voices echoed and merged on stage into a blending of gorgeous harmony over the playing of Andre's notes on the guitar.
They sang the rest of the song in this manner, the final chords and stanza dropping into a low pitch that ended on a final vibrato.
The place erupted into cheers, Tori whistled and clapped again, so did Beck and Robbie.
Cat laughed and waved ate all the applause, Jade gave Andre a hug. Andre returned the gesture to Cat. He returned the guitar and the stool back to their original places on the stage and followed the girls back to their table.
Beck kissed Jade's ear after she sat down next to him. "Guys that was awesome."
"Really. Amazing." Robbie agreed, flashing Cat a smile that made her giggle slightly and she started playing with the straw in her half empty drink.
"Especially Andre," Jade said. She settled back against Beck's chest and outstretched arm. "Dude, you were sick on that Stratocaster." she slung her feet up to rest in an empty chair that was directly across from her.
"So sick," Tori agreed. She turned towards Andre.
"Thanks," Andre said to them both.
"You should totally play one of those for our song writing assignment." Tori said.
"Thanks, but I can't afford and 900-dollar guitar for just one song. Plus, I like the feel of my own."
"Voices are free Vega," Jade said. "Guitars like that cost an under the table second job."
"Point taken," Tori said.
"So, Andre," Jade focused her attention on him. "Is there something else you like the feel of?"
"Okay, I need to use the bathroom," Tori stood up, her silver sequenced clutch purse sliding off her lap. She retrieved it from off the floor and set it on the table next to her drink, walking to the front of the building where the bathrooms were.
Andre watched her go. Several guys turned from their food and their dates and did the same thing.
"Andre, if you stare any harder, her ass is going to burst into flames."
Andre turned to Jade. "What exactly are you trying to do?"
"The same thing you are," Jade said.
"Andre, we know you have a thing for Tori," Robbie said.
"Dude, Rob's right," Beck said. "She stayed over at your house last night."
"Don't give him that look," Jade said to Andre. "You've dug her long enough to come out in China."
"Jade-"
"She'd be a great lay." Jade said back to Andre. "You know it and I know it."
Robbie turned to Jade: "How exactly do you know it?"
Jade kicked him under the table in the same spot she had earlier.
Robbie squeaked. "Never mind."
"Good boy." Jade returned. She looked once again to Andre: "Andre, stop floating down the river of denial, and dock the ship. Vega's probably got the necessities in that sparkly little bag of hers."
"Dude-!"
Andre cut off when Tori came back to their table. "Hey," Andre tried to redirect the conversation.
"Hey," Tori sat back down next to him.
"How was the bathroom?" Cat asked.
"Disgusting," Tori complained. "There were no paper towels and every trash can was overflowing with used tampons, half smoked cigarettes, and blunts."
"Gross," Beck said.
"Who smokes blunts in a nasty ass women's public bathroom?" Jade asked. She liked weird and odd, but not that odd.
"Maybe they were trying to burn the evidence," Cat said.
"Evidence of what Cat?" Jade asked. "Their period?"
"That's not evidence," Cat argued. "That's puberty."
"Yeah, Cat," Tori agreed. "That's puberty, moving on," She took a drink from her water glass.
Another karaoke act was up on stage, this time it was a guy who did a mean version of Piano Man by Billy Joel backed up by the Karaoke keyboard beat coming through the speakers. It was followed by another group of girls in various colors of the same style of lycra mini dresses. They shared the same mic singing a version of a Taylor Swift song. Badly singing aversion of a Taylor Swift song with awful moves that Jade suspected they thought was dancing.
The group of girls exited the stage and one of them stopped by their table. "Hi there," she trailed her hand languidly up Andre's arm.
Andre looked at the girl. "Umm—" his glanced over quickly to Tori then back to the girl.
The girl pushed Tori out of her chair, hard enough to nearly knock her out to the floor, and sat down next to Andre, loose curls of strawberry blonde hair brushing against his shirt sleeve. She flashed him a smile of ultra-white teeth. "You're so pretty-" her hand was still on his arm.
The last time this had happened, it was their first time at Karaoke Dokee, and Andre had no qualms about the pretty blonde girl who had been touching and hitting on him. But this time wasn't exactly like that time.
Andre looked over at the girl. "Thanks, but I-"
"Move along ladies," Jade said in a voice just above a growl. "Seat's taken." She also glanced over to Tori, who looked more relieved that Jade knew she was willing to admit.
The girl looked slightly taken aback, like no one had ever spoken to her like that before. "I don't see where."
"Give it a minute," Jade returned.
"A really quick minute," Tori glared at the other girl, standing behind the chair she had been shoved off, her arms crossed over her chest.
The girl looked Tori up and down like she was appraising a piece of jewelry she found wanting: "This Kardashian reject?!" She looked back to Andre "Why are you bothering with a skinny nothing scank?"
"Okay, you need to stop that remark," Andre's voice was low, a warning.
The girl smiled like it was a challenge. "And why is that?" Her pointer finger traced curves up and down his arm.
"Because you'll end up on the ground with a bloody nose," Tori was shooting daggers at the girl's overly done kohl black eyeliner.
The girl laughed, haughty "By whom?"
"Leave." Tori returned; eyes narrowed. "Or stay, and I'll answer that question for you."
Andre didn't hide the impressed smile from what Tori had just said. She wasn't a weak girl, but she usually didn't openly diss people, unless she was really angry. He handed the girl back her hand. "What she said."
The girl's look bended into a scowl. "Fine!" She stood up angrily and started walking back to her table with hard clicks of her high heels.
Andre looked at Tori as she reclaimed her seat "Thanks for the shut down."
Tori's hard look fell away, she laughed quietly. "Not a problem," She picked up her soda, sucking up the last few dregs from the bottom from the glass with her straw. "Robbie," she looked over at him. "You're up."
"Up?" Robbie questioned. "Up what-where?"
"Karaoke?" Tori gestured at the now empty stage. "That's the whole reason we're here."
"I just came for the buffalo glazed nuggets" Robbie looked from her to the empty karaoke stage. "I wasn't planning—I mean, I just came to watch."
"C'mon Rob," Andre said, slapping a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Yeah, go for it," Beck said.
Robbie looked over to Tori expectantly. "Will you be my backup?"
"Yeah, pass," Tori said.
"C'mon Tori," Beck said to her at Robbie's slightly hurt expression. "It'll be fun."
Tori shot a look from Beck to Andre, and finally to Robbie. He was a good guy, and her friend, but had over eccentric tendencies. "Okay fine, but nothing about broken glass."
Robbie raised his hands in surrender. "Swear."
After that promise was made, Tori walked up with Robbie on stage, and after a brief talk with the DJ, the song they chose was cued up.
A vibrating set of electric guitar riffs started playing, and Robbie's voice came in:
"I don't know where you're going,
But do you got room for one more troubled soul?
I don't know where I'm going,
But I don't think I'm coming home,
And I said, I'll check in tomorrow if I don't wind up dead,
This is the road to ruin, and we're starting at the end."
Robbie's voice was a surprisingly rasped rock pitch. It was so unexpected, that Tori's eyebrows raised in surprised, and she ended up laughing, impressed before she joined him in on the chorus:
"Say, yeah, (yeah)
Let's be alone together,
We could stay young forever,
Scream it from the top of your lungs, lungs, lungs,
Say yeah (yeah)
Let's be alone together,
We'll stay young forever,
We'll stay young, young, young, young, young, young-"
Robbie and Tori continue singing the rest of the Fallout Boy song. When they were done, they got a loud round of applause and whistles from their friends at the table.
Tori gave Robbie a side hug, and bumped fists with his. They climbed down the stairs, Robbie smiling, and accepting all the high fives and pats on the back he got from his friends.
"That was amazing," Jade said honestly. "All these years we've known each other, who knew you had real talent."
Robbie didn't even take Jade's remark with offense: "Thank you." He gave a little bow with a flourish of his hands, which actually made Jade smile at him.
"Hey," Cat's tapped Robbie on his elbow. "How come Tori's still on stage?"
Cat's question made them turn to see Tori once again talking to the DJ.
Andre's brow furrowed in confusion, and just as he was about to ask her what she was doing, she walked back up to the front of the stage.
"Alright, alright! The DJ called out to the audience: "We got another amazing song coming at you, from an OG Karaoke Dokeer. Give it up for Louise Nordoff!"
Andre, Beck and Robbie gave each other quizzical looks. Cat and Jade didn't.
"Hi there," Tori tapped the microphone, and it squeaked from the feedback. "Hey," She gave a finger wave at the audience. "First off, I think it's only fair to tell you that I'm not Louise Nordoff-"
A girl in the front row gasped, and the skinny boy date next to her called out: "faker!"
"Ok-ay, now that that's established—um-My name is actually Victoria—Tori—Vega, and I um," she drummed her fingers on the black microphone handle. "I'd like to sing a song -for my best friend," her eyes flashed over to their table, and to Andre. "to tell him—" she kept her eyes on him, taking a very long deep breath out "everything."
She walked to the back of the stage, grabbing the black stool by the band set up and placed it nearer to the front of the stage with a loud clack of its four legs.
The opening of a piano glissando came through the speakers on stage, as Tori took the microphone down from its stand and climbed on the stool, crossing one of her denim clad legs over the other.
"You, lift my heart up when the rest of me is down,
You, you enchant me, even when you're not around,
If- there are boundaries, I will try to knock them down,
I'm, latching on babe, now I know what I have found,
Her voice was deeply velvety, rich in a way that none of the pop songs she had sung for Hollywood Arts could convey.
"I feel we're close enough,
Could I lock in your love,
Now I've got you in my space,
I won't let go of you,
Got you shackled in my embrace,
I'm latching on to you."
Andre was watching her sing, she felt it like a touch. He was turned sideways in his chair, not moving, just watching.
"I'm so en-captured, got me wrapped up in your touch,
Feel, so enamored, hold me tight within your clutch-"
She stepped down from the stool and walked a few steps away from it in her red heels, eyes on Andre as she continued to sing.
"How—do you do it?
Got me loosing every breath,
Why—did you kiss me?
Make my heart beat out my chest!"
I feel we're close enough,
Could I lock in your love?"
She walked over to the stand and set the microphone back into it.
"Now I've got you in my, space,
I won't let go of you,"
Her voice rose louder, and she closed her eyes, moving to the rising rhythm of the song.
"Got you shackled in my embrace,
I'm latching on to you,"
She opened her eyes as she started singing the final stanza of the song's chorus, walking across the stage, closer to their table.
"Now I've got you in my space,
I won't let go of you,
Got you shackled in my embrace,
I'm latching on to you,
I'm latching on, to you,
I'm latching-on to you,"
I'm latching on, to youu,"
Her voice dropped at the last verse, ending on a soft vibrato, the microphone lowered, and a smile pulled at her lips.
As she stood there, she could see Andre smile back at her, and hers grew wider after she saw his reaction.
Beck and Jade and Robbie and Cat were clapping.
So was Andre. He stopped after about 10 seconds and he stood up from his chair, walking up the stairs to the stage. When he reached her, Tori felt his hands go around her back. She wrapped hers around the back of his neck, drawing her forehead up to his when she felt his draw down to hers. She breathed out, the sounds of clapping of the people in the audience becoming a low din. One of his hands moved up to the base of her chin as he moved in and kissed her.
Tori's hand moved up against the warmth of his face and deepened the kiss. She could vaguely here Jade whistling, Cat and Robbie calling out and clapping, over a room full of whistling strangers.
Andre pulled back and drew her into a hug. She wrapped her arms tighter around her neck.
Beck and Jade whistled louder.
xxxxXxxxx
The stars had come out while they had been inside singing. They glowed by the hundreds as pinpoints of light in a nearly black sky. Even the brightness of the orange streetlamps encircling the parking lot didn't dull them.
Tori and Andre sat on the hood of Andre's car, leaning back against the windshield watching them.
"It's really pretty out here."
"Yeah," Andre agreed, one arm up behind his head. "When I was 12, I used to stargaze almost every night. There was so much light pollution from the city that I'd have to climb up on the roof to see anything."
"Your grandmother let you do that?"
"She'd climb up on a ladder in her bathrobe and hair curlers and try to drag me down. But she has this thing about heights, so she'd never make it past the third rung."
Tori laughed quietly.
"I did it because of my dad," Andre said. "He used to sit out on the patio on nights like this, playing his guitar. I'd sit next to him, just listening. Eventually, he passed me the guitar and taught me about fretboard positions, then a few easy songs."
"I'm sure he'd be really proud of how musically gifted you are."
Andre gave a sigh that came with an undercurrent of both happiness and sadness. "Yeah."
There was a moment of silence then Tori said: I'm sorry."
"You're sorry?" Andre turned to her quizzically. "What are you talking about?"
She turned her away from the starry night and faced him. "I wish I knew what to tell you," She sat up and looked down at him. "To help you feel better about your dad, even a little bit."
"Tor," Andre looked up at her. "Just you being here helps me feel better," one of his hands moved up to rest on the top of one of hers. Her hair moved in the warm summer breeze. He suddenly felt like he was trying to swallow a nail. "About what happened with us, last night-"
"Andre, you don't have to say anything-"
"Yeah, I do," he cut her off. "You've been, you are my best friend, and I don't want anything to end that."
"Me either," Tori leant back against the windshield. "Andre—I've had a few crushes and a few boyfriends-"
"More than a few," Andre said this not as an accusation, or to make her feel bad, just as a fact.
"But I've only had one, real best friend," she tried to cross her legs, but her heels made it awkward, so she settled for resting them back on the black hood of the Camaro. "What happened last night-I'm the one who took advantage of you."
Andre's eyebrows raised. "Advantage? Did you betray my honor or something?"
Tori punched his shoulder. "I'm serious-"
"Tori- Andre reassured. "You've had your fair share of boyfriends," again, he didn't say this with accusation. "But I've had just as many girlfriends, even a few one-time girlfriends-but last night, you didn't do anything that I did want to do."
"So where does that leave us?" Tori asked.
"I don't know," Andre answered honestly. "But somewhere."
Tori smiled at him on the end of a laugh. "I like somewhere." She closed her hand around his.
Andre smiled at her. "Somewhere's good."
She looked at him for a few silent seconds then leant closer, kissing him.
He kissed her back, hands behind her head, fingers in her hair. He felt her jean clad legs climb up over his. He laid back down against his windshield, feeling her moving more on top of him. His hands moved lower, gliding over the contours of her bare back.
"Awww-yeah!"
They broke away at the sound of a voice that sounded really close to them.
Sinjin and Burf stood under the glow of the closest streetlamp next to Andre's car, watching them.
"Get it Andre!" Burf catcalled, eyebrows waggling, the light from the streetlamp glinting off his afro.
"Scuse me!" Tori sat up looking at the two peeping toms.
"Never thought you'd prefer the Full Cowgirl, Tori!" Sinjin said in a suggestive voice.
"Get out of here!" Andre leant up on his elbows to shout at the other two boys. They weren't bad guys, just very much into not taking a hint.
"Text us the deets later?" Sinjin asked expectantly.
"GO!" Tori called in a voice worthy of Jade's.
The two boys looked at each other and finally retreated towards a beater looking SUV with wood paneling a few spaces away from Andre's Camaro.
Andre gave an exasperated dry laugh, still propped up on his elbows. His eyes turned back up to Tori. "So, where were we?"
"Uggh. What if they come back? Or someone else walks by?" Tori ran a hand through her hair, looking at the trickle of people making their way in and out of Karaoke Dokee, suddenly feeling very exposed. I don't like being on display."
"Me neither," Andre agreed. He sat up more. "C'mon."
Tori climbed off his lap, disengaging her legs from his. "What? Where? What's going on?"
Andre slid off the hood of his car, and Tori followed suit a moment later. She accepted the hand that he offered her, her heels landing loud on the asphalt. She saw him dig into the pocket of his jeans for something. "What are you doing?"
"You'll see," Andre pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked the doors with the keyless remote. He opened the left back door of his car. The interior light lit up the black leather seats in a shadowed glow.
Tori eyed the car's interior, then up to his face. "Are you sure?"
Andre rested his hand on the top of the open car door. "Only if you are."
In answer, she moved past him and climbed into the backseat of the car, legs up on the leather upholstery. Andre followed her, and she scooted back to let him in. He locked the car doors and turned to face her.
The dome lights stayed on long enough for him to see her move close to him again, kissing him deeply enough to remove the remaining lipstick from her mouth. His hands slid up her back, untying the bow of the halter top, lowering the fabric off her body.
He looked at her, a hand on her bare shoulders. "You're beautiful."
Her smile was warm, her lips swollen, bare of any pigment except her own. Her legs were intermingled with his. She set a hand up on his face, tracing his mouth with a slow-moving finger.
They were kissing again. She let him ease her down, so she was lying fully stretched on the back seat, feeling his warm weight cover her.
She slid her hand under his black shirt, over his chest and abs, and this time he didn't stop her. His father's gold chain was cold under her fingers as she helped him ease the shirt up over his head, and onto the car floor.
The Camaro's dome light finally clicked off, leaving them only to the streetlamp and starlight coming through the tinted windows, and to each other.
xxxxXxxxx
11:30 PM
Jade gave a low growled stretch, hands reaching skyward, pulling out the kinks in her shoulders. She bent her neck, first left, then right several cracks coming from this, walking out the door.
"Wow, you should really do something about that sciatica."
Jade shot Robbie a glowered look as their small group followed her out the door of the Karaoke bar and into the lit night.
Robbie held up his hand. "I was only kidding."
"Good," Jade inhaled a breath tasted stale from too much discarded food thrown into the parking lot.
"Hey-" Cat pointed at something in the parking lot. "There's Andre's car-"
Beck followed Cat's pointing and saw his friend's black Camaro still in the parking lot. His face contoured in confusion. "I thought he said was taking Tori home."
There were still several other cars around his, but most of the other spots had been cleared out.
"I hope nothing's wrong," Robbie said.
"Let's go see," Cat started walking towards the Camaro.
The others followed her. When they got closer to the car, Jade noticed something.
Cat rapped on the window with a closed fist "Helloooo," nothing happened she raised her hand to knock again. "Andre? Tori?"
"Cat-Cat!" Jade's voice stopped Cat's actions. "I'm pretty sure they're fine."
Cat turned around to Jade. "How do you know that?"
"Look at the windows," Jade nodded towards the Camaro's tinted windows. They were dark, but still light enough to see that they were fogged with drips of condensation running down the tempered glass.
Robbie leant in closer and saw what Jade saw. "Oh wow-they're-"
"It's like Jade said," Beck cut him off. "They're fine." His lips were folded in a muted smile of surprise, but that not much surprise. "The last two days have kinda been building up to this."
"No one's answering my questions!" Cat raised her hands at her friends in exasperation. "Building up to what? And why are the windows of Andre's car all foggy?"
Jade gave her friend a look, they shared the same one with Beck.
"Um-" Robbie set his hands on Cat's shoulders. "I'll tell you about it later."
Cat giggled, like that was a fine answer. "Okay." She started walking in the direction of Jade's car. Robbie followed her.
Beck started to follow them; but stopped when he realized that Jade wasn't. She was still standing by the back door of Andre's car. She pulled her car keys out of the pocket of her jacket. Next to her car and house keys, there was a mini black sharpie marker.
"Um," Beck came up to Jade. "What are you doing?-" He watched Jade uncap the marker, starting to write on the window. "Babe, stop! They're going to see you-"
"Baby, they're a little too occupied at the moment," Jade said this while scrawling out a message on the window glass backwards so that anyone in the car would be able to read it.
"You're welcome Vega." She added Tori's and Andre's inside a heart. She back around to Beck with a smile. "Okay I'm finished."
"You know Andre's gonna need my help to clean that." Beck told her. "Sharpie's a bitch to get off of tinted window glass."
"Yeah, well he owes us," Jade capped the sharpie and slid the key ring through her pointer finger. "After we drop off Cat and Robbie, how about I come over and fog up your windows?" She twirled the keychain on index her. Her eyebrows raised in her dyed black hair; her lips parted into a wide smile.
Beck looked at her with a smile of his own. "I might like that." He kissed her then put an arm across her shoulders and they walked towards their cars, leaving the Camaro to its business.
xxxxxXxxxxx
END
xxxxXxxxx
I wanted to write something that gave Andre more depth than was portrayed in the show. He isn't just Tori's best friend. And Tori isn't just a superficial Mary Sue. To me, they dig each other, and it's not just magical and perfect, it's realistic.
SONGS USED IN THIS CHAPTER:
"Stand by Me" by: Ben E. King
"Alone Together" by: Fall Out Boy
"Latch" by: Sam Smith (Natalie Taylor Cover)
Review if you so please.
Peace,
Mystic