WE Are Victorious: Summer Fall Winter Spring Chapter 27: Terror on Cupcake Street (Part 3), a victorious fanfic

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The night of the showcase finally came. Hollywood Arts had an abundant number of showcases every year, there was one at the start of the year, the middle and now, at the end.

"Good evening, everyone," Beck greeted, reminiscent of the moment he stood on this very stage a year and a half ago for Trina's co-opted mid-year showcase.

Meredith squealed from the audience, "Hi, Beck!"

Beck gave her a forced smile before turning back to the task at hand. "Last year, I introduced an emergency cover ensemble—"

He was cut off by loud cheers of students who had been at that showcase.

Beck let the audience calm down again. "Tonight, I'm incredibly honored to introduce the next number… My best friend and the most gifted musician I know, André Harris, with the swellest back-up violinist ever, Robbie Shapiro, and the girl who should've owned the stage last year… Trina Vega!"

There was applause, as Beck got off the stage, and the curtain went up.

Trina stood centerstage in a cowgirl hat with a vintage mic on a stand before her. André and Robbie were on either side of her.

André started strumming a chord, and Robbie followed his lead, before Trina started singing.

You just keep tuggin', pushin', pullin', on my little heart strings,
Got me all tied up in knots, anytime I see your face.
Oh, it brings out, it brings out the girl in me.
Don't know just how you did it, but you got me real good,
Hook, line, and sinker like I knew you could,
But you don't even notice, boy, I wish you would.
I can't help myself…

The country vibe was something Trina hadn't always been interested in, but this particular number was playing to all the right bits of her voice.

I can't help but smile every time I see your face.
Yeah, we never met, I bet you don't know my name.
Am I outta my mind? I think that I might be goin' crazy,
'Cause my heart is yours to have and hold or break.
How'd you get to be so close when you're so far away?

I think you might be close to perfect.
Girls, you know what I mean.

There was a murmur through the crowd, wondering if she was singing about Beck, which earned an eyeroll from Jade, who was in the wings with Cat.

He's got a face straight out of a magazine.
Gotta pinch myself to prove he ain't a dream (oh oh oh).
Can't help myself, now my secrets out.

I wish you were mine, all mine
Mine, all mine.
I wish you mine, all mine, I wish you were mine.

Jade and Cat hit the spotlights for the final chorus.

The last note of the guitar hung for a moment before silence.

André, Robbie and Trina bowed to loud applause.

The curtain fell, and Beck got back on stage, which brought on another round of applause and screams.

Beck let the audience pipe down before speaking. "Yeah, no, Trina didn't write that song about me. She didn't write that song about anyone in particular, I don't think," he said. He was certain Trina didn't write most of it. It was mostly André's lyric genius that went into it. "Anyway, I want to thank everyone for staying until this very last number, because it was a last-minute addition, and it's really from one of the sweetest hearts on the planet."

There were whispers through the crowd, mostly grumbles from girls thinking Beck was laying it on a bit thick to describe Jade as sweet on any planet.

Boy, were they wrong when the curtain came up behind Beck.

"Here's our final number by none other than Catarina Valentine!" Beck said, before adding hastily, "with André Harris again on guitar, Robbie Shapiro on bass, and yours truly on drums. This is going out to that jerk named Enrique Esposito." He turned off the wireless mic and set it aside before making a break for his place behind the drum set.

André's electric guitar played the opening note, and Cat started singing – not a popping number that people expected but an angry rock sound that most people expected of Cat's best friend Jade. But Cat's voice carried it perfectly nonetheless.

According to you, I'm stupid, I'm useless, I can't do anything right.
According to you, I'm difficult, hard to please, forever changing my mind.
I'm a mess in a dress, can't show up on time even if it would save my life.
According to you, according to you.

Cat looked straight at Enrique, who had been in one of the middle rows with some of his friends. There was a breath of silence, and Cat smirked as she hit the chorus.

But according to him, I'm beautiful, incredible.
He can't get me out of his head.
According to him, I'm funny, irresistible, everything he ever wanted.
Everything is opposite, I don't feel like stopping it, so baby, tell me what I got to lose.
He's into me for everything I'm not, according to you.

As the bass quieted down for the second stanza, Jade and Tori came out on either side of the stage, overlaying vocals on Cat's.

According to you, I'm boring, I'm moody, and you can't take me any place.
According to you, I suck at telling jokes 'cause I always give it away.

Jade and Tori made mock expressions of disbelief on stage, which drew a small smile from Cat as she tapped her foot to the downbeat Beck was laying.

I'm the girl with the worst attention span, you're the boy who puts up with that.
According to you, according to you.

I need to feel appreciated, loved, not hated, oh, no!
Why can't you see me through his eyes?
It's too bad you're making me decide.

But according to me, you're stupid, you're useless, you can't do anything right.

Another quiet breath, and the instruments and vocals hit just a bit harder.

The drums and the bass cut out, and André's guitar struck a few remaining broken chords, as Cat delivered the last few lines with more sobriety and finality.

According to me, you're stupid, you're useless, you can't do anything right.

The audience broke out into cheers, whistles and clapping one final time for that night, except for a few people gossiping about Enrique.

Cat bowed alongside her friends with newly minted confidence. Her song might have sounded like she was moving on to some better guy, but music wasn't always literal. No, she was moving away from Enrique and his abusiveness. She would move back to her friends who appreciated and loved her more than enough. She wouldn't realize this for years to come, but this showcase was her escaping a possibly longer spiraling abusive relationship, all because there were people in her life who cared enough, who were brave enough to put the proverbial foot down and protect her… from an abuser or from her own blind choice to stay with him.

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The HA6+ gang were filing out of the Black Box Theater after the end of the show.

Enrique and his friends were there waiting, and Enrique, for obvious reasons, did not look happy.

"That was totally uncalled for Cat," Enrique said, his tone surprisingly calm, belied only by the three other guys around him.

Tori and Jade positioned themselves in front of Cat, effectively shielding her from Enrique's line of sight.

Beck, André and (surprisingly) Robbie took a step toward Enrique.

"I think you better leave her alone," Beck said, his voice frighteningly calm as he glared at the older guy.

"Nah, I don't think I will," Enrique said.

"I think you better, before we do something to make you," André said, crossing his arm.

"And just what do you think you can do, homeboy?" sneered one of the guys with Enrique, coming up to André and staring him down.

Enrique taunted Cat loudly, raising his voice over her friends and so anyone nearby could hear. "If you wanted to break up, all you had to do was say so. You didn't have to be such a drama queen."

"I'm giving you one last chance, Enrique," Beck said.

Before Enrique could say another word to counter Beck, Robbie (surprisingly, again) broke apart from the Beck and André and clocked Enrique in the nose hard.

Enrique cursed and fell back. "Are you insane?" he screamed, covering his nose.

"There's more where that came from if you don't stop harassing Cat," Robbie spoke down to Enrique.

His friends looked unsure of what to do next. The guy getting in André's face took a step back instinctively. It did not look like they had talked about actually getting physical.

One of the other guys put his hand on Enrique's shoulder. "Let's just go, man," he said hurriedly.

"I'm not about to let Auschwitz have the last laugh," Enrique snarled, getting to his feet.

"Do you and your posse have anything other than stale name-calling at your disposal?" Jade asked sarcastically.

"I suggest you run along. I'll be a lot less restrained than Robbie," Beck said darkly.

The four guys left quickly after that.

"I'll tell Principal Dubois, you just wait," Enrique called back over his shoulder.

Robbie shook out his right hand, his knuckles aching already from punching Enrique.

"Who knew Robbie could be such a boxer?" André said, eyeing the other boy.

Cat peeked at the damage and squeaked. "Robbie!" she whined.

"It'll be fine. I just couldn't stand his slimy face anymore," Robbie said.

Cat hugged Robbie before smacking him in the shoulder. "Next time, don't be so violent! I don't need you getting in trouble for me." She rounded on Beck and André. "You, too! That could have gotten really bad."

Beck, André and Robbie shared a look amongst themselves before nodding to Cat, feigning chastisement.

"Let's go get some ice cream," Tori suggested.

"We'll have to get Robbie something for his hand," Jade suggested.

"For my hand only," Robbie said, since he was lactose intolerant.

"Thanks for tonight, guys," Cat said, swaying a little on the spot. "For being there for me, singing with me, and defending me."

Her friends all gave her a smile and came together in a group hug.

"What else are friends for?" Beck asked rhetorically.

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A/N: So that was Jenette McCurdy's "So Close" and Orianthi's "According To You". Did anyone notice the "According To You" lyrics planted in any of the previous chapters?

That's a wrap for Season 2! I won't be doing one for Blooptorious, since it doesn't actually have a place in the canon. And for those asking about A Christmas Tori, I'm following the UK Broadcast lineup, so it's in Season 3 (which will also be a little shuffled like this one). I also find that it makes more sense timeline-wise, because Terror on Cupcake Street, the showcase and the Lock-In all happen at the end of the school year (which is about June) in this universe.

Thanks for coming along for the ride! I hope to see you all again when I get around to publishing the next season!